Chapter 6

Katsumi maintained her guard during their walk. If Jiwoon and his men harm her friends, she will not hesitate to fight back for them. And no matter how many times she asked Jiwoon, he never told her where they were headed.

They were soon in front of a toy store. It was only filled with stuffed animals of various shapes, sizes, and colors. Little Katsumi might've gone insane and bought every single one she liked. But her priorities had shifted; Namgyu and the others were now her first priorities.

"What are we doing here?" Namgyu inquired, his voice trembling.

Katsumi had the same thought. Out of all places and stores to visit, the toy store? Unless they wanted to buy some of the plush animals to satisfy their inner child, what were they doing there?

"You disobeyed us yesterday; don't think we'll let you go unpunished," Jiwoon explained.

"Why are Subin and Yejoon involved in this?"

"Your problem is also their problem," said Nabi.

Katsumi saw no point in listening to them. Namgyu received this terrible penalty because he stood up for himself? Or were their egos simply shattered?

"Just be gentle with us; we did nothing wrong," Subin grumbled.

"Your punishment will be to steal from the store without getting caught."

Katsumi and the boys were completely surprised. Giving such punishment is a crime, not a punishment! Punishments are intended to be given in such a way that the individual in trouble learns their lesson without putting themselves at risk.

Stealing is not an option, and Jiwoon was going too far. Just because they irritated him does not give him the right to imprison them.

"Jiwoon, that is a crime, not a punishment," Katsumi protested.

"Well, they should've thought about the consequences before they disobeyed."

Jiwoon instructed his men to advance, pushing the three "geeks" towards the toy store's entrance. This perplexed Katsumi. Despite the fact that she was a friend of the three, she was not pushed by them. Why is that?

When Namgyu and the others saw she wasn't the only one getting dragged into trouble, they assumed she had decided to join the opposite group. As a result, they have a betrayed expression on their faces as they stare at Katsumi.

As the three headed inside, Katsumi followed along. But was abruptly halted by Jiwoon, who seized her wrist.

"And where exactly do you think you're going, sweetheart?"

"Their problem is my problem, Jiwoon," Katsumi said dignifiedly.

The guy let go, and Katsumi hurried her pace. The boys were perplexed by her decision. They were convinced she had chosen Jiwoon's side over theirs, but she proved them wrong.

The store they entered had two employees and two CCTV cameras on either side. It stinks because they were being watched, and Katsumi knew they'd be caught quickly if they tried to steal. She could see, especially from their strained expressions, that this was their first time shoplifting, and Katsumi was no exception.

Her mind was distracted with ideas to get out of this situation as she looked around, pretending to choose which plush toy to pick.

Subin was beside her, his hand trembling in fear. He did not want to go to jail. He didn't want to disappoint his parents.

"I can't go to prison; I still have my mother and five siblings waiting for me at home," Yejoon sobbed.

"No one is going to prison," Katsumi remarked quietly.

"But there's no other way out," wailed Subin.

He was correct. Cameras are strategically placed throughout the store; staff is observing them, and Jiwoon and his friends are waiting outside, watching their every move. They were trapped.

Katsumi looked around to see if they had anything that could help them escape. All she discovered that could be useful was a Coca-Cola bottle that Subin kept in his water bottle holder.

It wasn't the best strategy, but it was their only option.

Katsumi planned their escape when Jiwoon and his friends were not watching. They swiftly exited the store as soon as they appeared preoccupied. Unfortunately, they were caught.

"They're running away!"

They pursued them, just as they had predicted. And Katsumi had underestimated them. She hadn't expected such bullies to be so fast, and they were swiftly catching up.

This is where she used the coke. With the help of some Mentos, she places it inside and shakes it vigorously before releasing the liquid onto their faces. The quick attack prompted the enemy in front to tumble on the group as a result of the burns on their eyes. And the enemies fell one by one, like dominoes.

Katsumi's face lit up with delight as she watched what happened, and they were able to ride the bus at the bus stop. Just like that, they had successfully escaped Jiwoon.

They were out of breath and were fortunate to find a seat at the back of the bus. Katsumi had watched the boys "disobey" Jiwoon for the second time, and she felt proud of them.

"For a brief moment, I thought you were one of them," Namgyu admitted.

"Well, you thought wrong."

"Let's just hope you keep your word; I don't want to get my hopes up for someone who will betray us in the end."

They both exchanged glances. Katsumi should have gone to their side sooner, or this tense argument would not have occurred. But she understood Namgyu's concern. He was terrified. And she feel the same if that person you call a friend wasn't genuinely true.

"So... does anyone know where to go?" Subin inquired.

Apparently, neither Subin nor Namgyu had ever taken public transportation, so they had no idea where the bus would stop. Katsumi recommended they take some rest at her flat, which was only three bus stations away. They could wait for their service driver to pick them up without fear of Jiwoon catching them.

Katsumi had sent a secret message to her brother about their intention to remain at her unit before they arrived. The boys must not find out about him living next door, or they would be forced to say goodbye to their new life.

Katsumi made a drink for the boys to enjoy as they sat on the couch. Namgyu had informed his driver of his current location, and all that remained was for them to wait for him to arrive.

"Won't your parents be upset if we barge in, Katsumi?" Yejoon wondered.

"Actually, I live alone."

Yejoon was taken aback by Katsumi's apartment's interior design. It was bigger and cleaner than his home was, and the fact that she lived alone in such opulence made him think she was fortunate.

Namgyu received an unwelcome message from Jiwoon when tea was being served. Threats and insults were hurled at the unfortunate kid. Worse, they were able to figure out where they were.

This terrified the boys, as well as Katsumi. They're not sure if Jiwoon was telling the truth or attempting to intimidate them all. Nonetheless, the guys were perplexed and terrified.

Katsumi acted swiftly and told them to turn off their phone's location in case they were being followed. They don't want that, and Katsumi wanted the boys to be able to relax without having to deal with Jiwoon and his group.

"What if they find out where we are?" Subin worriedly asked.

"If he disturbs the people in this apartment, they'll be kicked out immediately."

"But how are we supposed to go home? Jiwoon might be closer than we thought," Yejoon said, worried.

"I don't mind if you guys stay over; you can go home early tomorrow morning," Katsumi recommended.

"Tomorrow is a Saturday, Katsumi, and Jiwoon will definitely be looking for us night and day!" Namgyu wailed.

He was terrified. He was the most terrified of the three. And seeing him like this, with everyone else terrified, Katsumi grew curious. Why would Jiwoon go to such lengths? What does he stand to gain by doing something like this? Pride? To maintain his ego? I don't see him doing the same to the others, so why were Namgyu, Subin, and Yejoon their punching bags? Katsumi pondered.

When she repeated the same question, the guys had no idea why. They were not told why they were the only people Jiwoon was harassing.

They assumed they had the face of a punching bag because they were constantly the focus of bullying and abuse at school. Was it because they possessed the physical characteristics of a "geek"? They wear spectacles, read a lot of books, and are the smartest students in their class.

Katsumi thought that was a ridiculous reason. People who wear glasses are stereotyped as "geeks," while, in truth, they use them because they can't see clearly. People can be intelligent without wearing glasses.

Even if they were actual geeks, there's nothing wrong with being knowledgeable about a subject they've been interested in. Why attack them for it instead of complimenting them on their knowledge?

Geeks are still people, and they should be treated as such.

"Are you going to be just like them someday?" Namgyu inquired abruptly. He appeared to be quite serious about the subject. "Is the reason you're hanging out with us part of your plan to eventually hurt us and become like them?"

Katsumi was noticeably perplexed.

"What makes you think that, Namgyu?"

"You almost betrayed us, didn't you?"

"But I didn't. It wasn't even my intention to betray you, and I don't even have a plan to begin with." Katsumi sighed gently. "Are you starting to have doubts about me, Namgyu?"

The boy remained silent.

"Think what you want, but what I just said is true; I may be a tough woman, but I will never betray or bully my friends."

Namgyu was taken aback by Katsumi's genuineness. It was his first genuine conversation with anyone other than Subin and Yejoon. And he was surprised at himself. Perhaps he was too hard on Katsumi.

If he were in her shoes, he wouldn't be so confident about siding with them either. Jiwoon is an intimidating individual who has the ability to make all of the students neglect someone. And being on the side of someone so powerful will give them an enormous advantage, so no one will ever harm them.

"I'm sorry; I was scared."

"Apology accepted."

Subin and Yejoon were pleased that the stressful drama was over, and they were able to lighten the mood by cracking jokes.

They messed around till the sun went down and it was time to go home. Yejoon had to return home because he still had to care for his siblings and mother. He didn't have a choice because he was the oldest child in the family. Namgyu offered to drive him home as they waited for their service.

Subin, on the other hand, chose to spend the night. His parents were not at home, and he was allowed to wander unless he was safe and sound. But he still had to tell his parents where he was and give them Katsumi's address. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Katsumi excused herself to the bathroom as Namgyu stepped out to summon his butler. She had to inform Kento that Subin would be sleeping over tonight so he wouldn't just barge inside and raise a commotion.

No one, not even their closest friends, should know their secret. Even if they appear to be kind and trustworthy, not everyone can be trusted. Katsumi had already learned her lesson the hard way and didn't want to go through any more trauma in her new life.