023: QUEEN BEE'S WRATH

"Everything is shattering into pieces. Our happiness and time and our lives."

- Joo Seok-kyung

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

023: QUEEN BEE'S WRATH

Seok-hoon pov:

"She's not answering?"

I suddenly felt worried.

When the two of us woke up, Eun-bi was no longer home.

At the table is breakfast prepared for us, telling us to stay here until Seok-kyung is fully healed.

"Where could she be?"

"Why is she not answering!?"

"I'm starting to get worried."

I hugged my sister, tight and firm.

'Where did you go, Eun-bi?'

. . . 

Seok-kyung pov

I held Min-hyuk's hand and pulled him away from his friends.

The boys were excited and cheered for him.

'Boys!'

"I know you know where she is."

"Who?"

"Eun-byeol."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"How much is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I noticed Min-hyuk trying to leave while my mind was preoccupied, so I put my hands on his side, trapping him in the middle.

"Talk."

"Look. . . ."

"I said talk. . ."

"Seok-kyung-ah. . . this is a very uncomfortable and easily misunderstood position we have. . ."

"While I do find it sexy to be in front of a very alluring. . . ."

I banged my hand on the wall beside his ear and glared at him.

"You know how our school works, right Min-hyuk?"

"You know what my forte is, right?"

He still wouldn't say anything.

This b*stard that knows no master is staying really quiet.

"If you don't start talking, I will make sure you hide inside your house till graduation, Lee Min-hyuk."

"Talk."

I threatened him.

"Uhhh. . . . ."

"Talk." I closed my eyes, trying to control my temper.

He opened his phone. I let him go and took his phone when he handed it to me.

"What are these?"

I scrolled through it and saw uncle Yoon-chul with Bae Rona's mom.

"This is. . . you know. . . ."

I glare at the photo of Ha Yoon-chul and Oh Yoon-hee leaving the hotel together. There's also a photo of them going inside the hotel.

And photos of them eating together, laughing with each other, and even a kiss.

"That traitorous son of b*tch!!"

I glare at the photo as I grip the phone tightly.

"Hey! Hey! My phone's gonna break."

"Send this to me."

I left him, seething in anger. 

When I saw Rona casually going to class, my anger intensified even more. 

'I should have swatted you before, Bae Rona!'

'I let you play in our territory and now you think this is yours!'

"I will end you once and for all."

"BAE RONA!!!"

. . . 

Rona pov:

"What is the meaning of this?"

Seok-kyung raised her head and eyed me with a smirk. 

"You don't know?"

"You are a slut that came from a womb of another slut!!!"

I dashed toward her and slapped her cheek as hard as I can.

SLAP.

"Don't you dare humiliate my mother!"

She only snickered and touched her cheek.

"Ouch!"

"Why don't you check it yourself, if this is fake or real."

She walked away. Before leaving, she looked back at me.

"I'll be waiting for you right here tomorrow!"

The moment the door closed, my body slumped to the couch, looking at the photos she had sent me.

'This isn't possible, right, mom?'

'You wouldn't do this.'

. . . . . . . .

I slowly opened mom's room. Careful not to wake her up.

I bit my lips and slowly crept to her phone.

I tried opening it, but it's locked.

I thought of the times she tried opening it, and when I remembered the finger she used, I slowly put my hand on her hand and opened it with her finger.

'I'm sorry, mom!'

I left her room in a hurry, quietly, closing the door.

I scour through her phone, her recent contacts, and her gallery.

The phone slipped from my fingers as I saw a photo of Ha Yoon-chul on our sofa.

I started sobbing.

'Why?'

'Why did you do this!'

'How could you do this?'

. . .

Seok-kyung pov:

"You know what to do, right?"

"So, we just need to chat about a cheating story of a woman and a married man, right?"

The girls chewed gum while speaking to me.

"Yep! That's all you need to do?" I smirk as I prepare a very thoughtful plan.

. . .

Seo-jun pov:

I was watching them from afar.

I bit my lip while watching her talk to some of our classmates.

'What's happening?'

'Why is she spiraling?'

'What should I do now?'

"You won't be able to change her, you know."

I looked to my side and saw Min-hyuk being his usual nosy self.

"I'm worried about her."

"Are you?" I glared at him.

"Give up on her. Seok-hoon is a scary guy. He doesn't look like a monster but that doesn't mean he's not one!"

I watch him walk away as I wait for the girls to leave her side.

When they left, I immediately came to Seok-kyung, who smiled instantly at my sight.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Nothing! Just chilling around." She lied perfectly, smiling at my face.

"All of us feel really good after the exam, right?"

"Uhmm!"

"Should we go somewhere for fresh air?"

"That would be great."

. . .

Seok-hoon pov:

I was waiting for her when Rona reached out to me with a chocolate drink in her hand.

She has been acting weird.

"I forgive you!"

I forced a smile when she smiled at me.

I found her actions creepy, but I have more important things I need to fix right now.

'Like my sister spiraling and a missing girlfriend who wouldn't answer any of my calls.'

'Where are you!!'

. . .

Seok-kyung's been messing with Rona repetitively.

Ever since Eun-bi left, she bullies Rona even more.

Before, she'd try to be discreet, but now, she's openly bullying her.

Spreading rumors about her, making other students bully her, and destroying her books and notes.

She's been doing all sorts of things to bully her these days.

I followed her and found her talking to the boys she used before to bully people she's pissed with.

'What's happening to you?'

'Why are you doing this again?'

"I already tried reaching out. She's not hearing anything." Seo-jun said with his hands crossed to his chest. 

"I also tried that, but she shut me down."

"We need to do something before she does something crazy again!"

I sighed deeply.

"I guess being handsome doesn't make the cut this time!" I smirked while watching my sister with her goons of heavy-looking boys.

"She's not going. . . ."

"I don't know why she's doing this again."

He looked stressed when the one who should be me.

'I'm the one who has a spiraling sister. I'm also the one dealing with a creepy obsessive girl, and I'm also the one with a missing girlfriend who won't answer any of my calls or messages.'

'What more could happen at this point of my life!'

. . .

Seok-kyung pov:

"AHHH!"

"I said leave me alone!"

"AHHH! That hurts!"

I smile as I watch from afar.

'That's right. Feel it. Feel how helpless you are. Feel it completely and get out of our lives!!!'

When one of the boys put his hand on her legs and slid it upwards, the guy slumped to the floor, with Seok-hoon towering over him.

"Touch her again, and I will end you!!"

I glared at my brother, who had just ruined my plan by choosing her side.

I watch as he holds Rona's hand and takes her away from the boys.

I bit my lip so hard that I could feel blood trickling through my chin.

'That slut!!!'

. . . 

I was thinking of a new way to punish her when my brother finally decided to see me.

"What was that about?"

I glare at my brother, who's busy pacing angrily.

"Punishment."

"Look, I thought. . . . we are . . . over this!"

I looked at him, and he looked like he was constipated.

"Over? My best friend is still missing." I pointed out.

"Her mother doesn't care."

"Her father is busy banging another slut!" A stresses out the word father and slut.

"And her boyfriend, who is, by the way, my twin brother, is busy playing the hero with another slut!!" I shouted at him in the end.

"JOO SEOK-KYUNG!!" I winced from his shout.

I stood my ground and glared at him, nothing backing down at all.

"I want her gone!! FOR GOOD!!"

"When will you stop doing things like this! Haven't you had enough of this!"

"I will stop once she's gone!"

"I WANT HER GONE!!!"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!"

"Ask Leon!"

"When he tells you everything, try stopping me again."

. . . 

Seok-hoon pov:

I leaned onto the wall, sitting on the ground, trying to sort everything.

I looked at my phone and tried calling her, but it went straight to voice mail.

She's not answering her phone.

Not even a seen to my messages.

Not even a note or an empty message or something that will tell me that she's still alive.

"Where are you?"

"You look like hell."

I look up to see both Seo-jun and Min-hyuk together with a can of soda.

"Min-hyuk, exactly what did you tell my sister?"

He showed me his phone.

My fingers scrolled through his gallery filled with photos of Ha Yoon-chul and Oh Yoon-hee.

I massaged my forehead as I banged my head on the wall I was leaning on.

"You should've told me first."

"I only knew today, just before we came to you." Seo-jun reasoned out, removing himself from the traitorous club.

"Hey! Your sister practically pinned me to the wall. It was 5% hot and 95% scary, so no thanks." Min-hyuk slid down the wall and sat with me on the ground.

"I don't think she should be punished for what Oh Yoon-hee did but. . . ."

"Look, we get you and her." He patted my back, giving me a very unconvincing hug.

"She's Seok-kyung's first real friend and the love of your life."

"You choosing Eun-byeol is not weird."

"She's bullying Rona." The images of Min Seol-ah pop into my mind.

This actually happens whenever I see someone bully Rona. The guilt is continually eating my mind.

"And Rona's mom slept with Eun-byeol's dad."

"Chicken and egg, right?" Min-hyuk held his hand out, like weighing both the "chicken" and the "egg."

"I'd choose Eun-byeol."

I look up to Seo-jun. He is staring straight ahead without looking back at me.

"It's hard to explain but. . . . between some girl I'm not even close with and Eun-byeol, I would chose Eun-byeol in a heartbeat." He smiled at me before sitting on the floor as well.

"Of course, I would never bully a girl, but. . . I don't really have too. . . I just need to turn my head away and walk away." He looked at me straight as I closed my eyes, washing my face with my hand.

"Yeah, easy."

. . . 

The next day, I saw Rona getting pushed by every student who walked past her.

She tried to fight them, but they ignored her.

Our eyes locked on each other.

She smiled.

I only look at her seriously.

Min-hyuk and Seo-jun walked toward me and gave me a pat.

I smiled at them and turned away.

Refusing to look at her again.

'I'm sorry, but I'm choosing my girl.'

. . . 

Rona pov:

I kept getting bullied the entire day.

I got locked into the bathroom and got splashed by dirty water, and when I finally got out, people avoided me like a plague.

The teacher called me dirty and improper and gave me a ton of minuses in my grades.

Not to mention, Seok-hoon kept on ignoring me.

'Why?'

I walked through the hall in a dirty uniform.

I head straight to their hideout, and there she is.

She is sitting with her legs resting on another couch.

A smug look.

A really expensive sweater.

And her gang, who just looked at me with smug looks as well.

"You're finally meeting here!"

"Have you had enough?"

"What is it that you want?"

She put the paper on the table.

"Here, sign it and leave the school!!"

I scoffed.

"All these for this?"

She stood up, crossing her hands over her chest. Jenny followed her while Min-hyuk shot everything on his phone.

"You know, Rona, I don't mind giving charity."

"But I think someone else deserves that charity more than you."

"After all, a foul, dirty, disgusting slut like you don't deserve even a drop of charity!"

"SO WHY DON'T YOU DO US THE HONOR OF YOU LEAVING OUR LIVES FOR GOOD!!"

"FOR THE BENEFIT OF A CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL LIVES OF ALL CHEONG-AH HIGH STUDENTS!"

I glared at her and took the paper before ripping it in front of her.

"NEVER!!"

. . . 

Seok-kyung pov:

I hopped happily to school, excited to come home later. This morning, I found out that Seo-jun bought a floor in Hera palace. From now on, we're neighbors.

"Are you that happy?"

"We can see Seo-jun more often now, aren't you happy?"

"Why would I be happy to see a guy?"

"Then you should just help me get rid of Rona," I smirk at him as I notice Rona far away from us.

"How did that become this?"

"If we get rid of her, Eun-byeol will have more reasons to return to school."

"Seok-kyung. . ."

"Don't you think it's unfair for a mistress's child to be schooling with the daughter of the woman her mother is slutting?"

"Seok-kyung. . . That is not Rona's fault."

"It still isn't fair!"

I turn away from him, heading to class.

'I should give her a little reminder why she should leave immediately.'

I created an anonymous account with a non-existing student's name and posted a photo of her mom and Yoon-chul, but blurring their faces, leaving a hotel.

'It's your turn now to feel shitty because of a filthy post.'

. . . 

Rona pov:

I was preparing for class when my phone pinged.

I opened the school page and went straight to my notification.

My phone slipped from my palms when I saw a photo of two blurred people.

I turned to Seok-kyung with a glare and saw her smirking from above.

'SLUT!!' She mouthed at me with a smirk while waving her phone with her right hand.

I fixed my things and left the room, not minding the whispers of my classmates.

'I HATE THIS!!'

'This is all your fault, Eomma!'

I ran to the restroom, locking myself inside the cubicle, and started crying.

. . . 

Seok-kyung pov:

I followed her after she ran away and found her entering the restroom. I leaned against the wall, "She likes acting like a damsel in distress, so I'm quite sure if you act like a knight in shining armor, she will hopelessly fall in love with you."

"Good luck."

The guy smiled at me.

'Let's start a new game, slut!'

. . . 

Rona pov:

I left the restroom after washing my tear-stained face.

I didn't feel like going to class, so I left the school without anyone seeing me to clear my head.

'Do I really have to leave?'

'Even after making it this far?'

'I don't want to!'

'Why do I have to leave! I'm the one who should really be inside, not those stuck-up kids!'

I sighed deeply as I walked around the street.

A hand-held my hand and twirled me to his when a motorcycle almost crashed into me.

"Yah! That was dangerous!"

He shouted at the driver and turned to me, grinning at me playfully.

"Are you okay?"

"Uhh. . . Yeah."

"Are you also skipping?"

"Huh?"

I looked at his uniform, then at him, who's grinning.

"I'm Cha Seo-joon." He held out his hand with a smile.

He waited for me to answer him back.

"Bae Rona."

"I know that already. You're the talented soprano in Cheong-ah. Everyone knows you!"

"Know me? For what? For being a poor student of Cheong-ah?"

"What? I don't think so. Girls in my class think you're the real talent in the school."

"You're lying."

He followed me as I walked again.

"No! For real. They all think you're very talented. It's just, they can't really go against Joo Seok-kyung and Joo Seok-hoon."

I look back at him as he continues to follow me.

"Why are you following me?"

"Hmm. . . To join you in skipping class."

"Do you even know where I'm going?"

"Hmm. . . not really."

"From what class are you?" I asked.

"Me, I'm from class 4. I'm not really talented." He grins while scratching the back of his head.

'He's pretty cute.'

"Don't say that. Are you a vocalist too?"

"Nope! I'm a violinist."

"Hmm. That's amazing."

"Now, you're lying. I'm horrible at it. It's my mom who's pushing it to me since my dad is amazing at playing the violin."

"So, where are we going?" He smiled cheekily at me.

"Any place where stuck up b*tches and *ssholes don't exist."

"Okay! Let's relieve all our stress from those stuck-up students!"

I laughed when he said those before going in another direction with him.

. . . . . . . .

Seok-kyung pov:

We stayed here in the hideout while waiting for the others. We were planning to do some light studying.

'I also promised Eun-byeol to study hard.'

"Seok-kyung. . ."

Seo-jun sat beside me, wearing a serious face.

"I understand where you're coming from, but don't overdo it too much. Eun-byeol won't be happy to know you're bullying someone again."

"It's Rona's karma to be bullied!"

"I also don't want to see you bottling too much hatred. I like seeing you happy and smiling, but having too much anger and hatred will keep you from being happy."

"I will be happy when she leaves!"

I turned away from him.

"Seok-kyung, I will always be your ally. Know that you can lean on me anytime."

He hugged me as I started tearing up.

"I'm sorry! I also want to stop! But I can't! Not now!"

"Seok-kyung. . . ."

"She needs to leave! That bitch will end up harming Eun-byeol again, so before she does, I will make her disappear."

"Just. . . I don't want you to do anything you will regret in the future."

"Promise me you won't do anything too much?"

"I promise." I forced myself to return his smile.

He hugs me again, patting my head as I wallow in his arms.

I smile, feeling happy in his arms.

. . . 

Rona pov:

It's been two weeks. 

Seok-kyung got tired of bullying me already so my life went back to normal.

I also made a new friend from section 4.

He played the violin for me the other day while I sang to his music.

I don't think of Seok-hoon too much either.

No. I've stopped thinking about him now, and I also stopped looking for him. Instead, I keep looking for Joon these days.

I waited for him here in practice room 5. This room rarely has anyone, so we've been using it to practice.

"Guess who?"

I smile when a hand covers my eyes.

"Hmm! Who could it be?"

"It's someone asking you to be my date for a charity gala."

I took his hands off and turned to him.

"Charity gala?"

"Uhm! My parents are hosting one since the election is coming up."

"Please go with me?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

INTRODUCING A GUEST CHARACTER:

KIM DONG-HEE AS CHA SEO-JOON

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TO BE CONTINUED