Jiyeon's Jealousy
He didn't know why and, honestly; he didn't care. His mind was already occupied with Seo Ahri and her offer. Even as he walked to his seat, he could feel their stares burning into him.
Minho greeted him with a concerned look upon seeing his stained face and clothes. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a lot on my mind." Gojin nodded absentmindedly.
Minho looked like he wanted to say more, but the teacher entered the class, cutting off their conversation. As the class began, Gojin tried to focus on the lesson, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Seo Ahri.
The promise to help his stepfather was tempting, but he couldn't shake the feeling that working for her might lead him down a dangerous path. Her father ran a gang, and he thought Seo Ahri wanted him to work for them, but he would never agree to such terms.
Meanwhile, Minho kept glancing at Gojin and subtly pointing towards his lips, but Gojin was too lost in his thoughts to notice him.
Suddenly, the teacher, Ms. Park, called out to him, "Kim Gojin, can you answer the question?"
Gojin didn't respond, still deep in his own world. Ms. Park turned and frowned when she saw Gojin staring out of the window. She then picked up a piece of chalk and threw it at him. Gojin's reflexes kicked in, and he caught it mid-air, snapping back to reality.
"Stand up, Kim Gojin," Ms. Park ordered sternly.
Gojin stood, confused, as he did not know what he had done to warrant Ms. Park's anger. The class watched intently, and Ms. Park's eyes narrowed as she noticed something.
Ms. Park had always been stern with her students. That's why when she saw Gojin's face, her eyes flared with anger like never before.
"Go and wash your face! You have lipstick stains all over your mouth!" she yelled as the boys burst into laughter. "How dare you make fun of the school's integrity like this! I will file a complaint about this! These young mannerless brats!"
Gojin's eyes widened in surprise. That explained the mysterious looks and the boys' jealousy he had been getting. Upon realizing his mistake, he quickly apologized and hurried out of the classroom. As he left, Minho rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"I tried to tell you," he muttered under his breath.
In the restroom, Gojin looked at himself in the mirror and saw the bright red lipstick smeared on his face. He sighed and began scrubbing it off. How had he not noticed? Seo Ahri's kiss had left its mark on him, literally and figuratively.
As he cleaned up, Gojin's ex, Jiyeon, was blazing with fury back in the classroom. She had seen the lipstick and her jealousy flared. She couldn't stand the idea of some other girl getting close to Gojin.
She knew she hadn't treated him well and had taken him for granted. But that didn't mean she had lost all her feelings for him. If she didn't care, she wouldn't have asked Taejun to go easy on him and she would 'save' him, hoping that afterward, she would make Gojin fall for her again.
But things didn't go as planned. Taejun and his friends lost control when Gojin fought back and chased after him furiously. Jiyeon tried to follow, but she was too late.
When she reached the washroom, all she saw was blood, and Gojin was being carried to the infirmary. She even went there to help Nurse Lee apply bandages on him. But Gojin had no idea, as he was unconscious the entire time.
She had hoped Nurse Lee would mention her to him. But from the way he was acting, it didn't seem like she had. Even so, she hadn't expected Gojin to be so heartless, kissing another girl and moving on so fast.
I have to do something before it's too late... but what can I do?
When Gojin returned to the classroom, Jiyeon glared at him. He noticed her anger, but ignored it. He had enough to deal with already. Unlike the rest of them, Minho gave him a sympathetic look as he sat back down. Waiting for the lesson to get over and apologize to Ms. Park.
"Dude, you've got to be more aware," Minho whispered. "That lipstick was like a beacon lighting the sky."
"Yeah, I get it now," Gojin sighed, trying to focus on the lesson. "Are you going to keep pulling my leg now?"
"I don't need to," Minho chuckled. "You seem capable of that by yourself."
"This bitch..."
***
Once the class was over, Gojin got up to apologize to the teacher. But before he could take a step, Jiyeon approached him, her eyes blazing with jealousy.
"Gojin, we need to talk."
"Not now, Jiyeon," Gojin looked at her and sighed. "I have a lot on my plate."
"No, we're talking now," she insisted, grabbing his arm and pulling him aside. "Who was it?"
"What are you talking about?" Gojin asked, already knowing the answer but acting clueless as that's how Jiyeon behaved with him in his past life.
"The lipstick, Gojin. Who did it?"
"It's none of your business," he replied, trying to keep his cool. "Even then, do I have to state the obvious?"
"You think you can just go around with other girls and I won't care?" Jiyeon's eyes narrowed.
"Jiyeon, we're not together anymore. You don't have a say in who I talk to." Gojin replied, pulling his hand out of her grip. "Now, I have some work to do."
Her face turned red with anger. "Fine. But don't think this is over."
Gojin watched as she stormed off, feeling weird that their place had changed. In his past life, he was the one doing the begging and acting jealous. But now it was Jiyeon's turn.
Why am I even thinking about her? Let's get out of here before I do something stupid.