Until I Say Stop
Behind the old school building, where few people passed by.
Acrid cigarette smoke scattered into the air on the chilly wind.
"Ah, fuck. What's this gender-bender maid cafe bullshit? Ugh. It's fucking disgusting."
Park Soyoung, standing in the corner, spat out smoke irritably and vented her frustration.
Lee Jinah, leaning against the wall beside her, grumbled too.
"Exactly, why the hell are we doing this crap?"
But Kim Doeun, the center of the group, was crouched silently in the corner.
She anxiously bit at her own nails.
Crunch-
Crunch-
Doeun's mind was filled with one thought.
"Woojin... didn't you like me too...?"
The kind, friendly smile Woojin had given her when she'd approached with the math workbook.
Doeun had believed without a doubt that smile was a special signal just for her.
"So why the hell is that nobody Yu Jiwon glued to Woojin's side now...?"
Crack-
Blood oozed from the tip of Doeun's nail, but she didn't care.
"Why... that gloomy, invisible bitch stealing my spot!!!"
"D-Doeun...? You okay...?"
Even as Soyoung called out, Doeun just glared into space with bloodshot eyes, as if tearing it apart.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!!!"
A burning magma of inferiority complex boiled up from deep inside her.
"And then out of nowhere, this childhood friend bullshit. Baek Haeun, that bitch too... my Woojin... I saw him first... I approached him first!"
Baek Haeun, who used to get bullied by Choi Jia, must've bought some pity somewhere and snagged Woojin's heart like a sly fox.
"That bitch who was all crumpled up when she got bullied..."
Now suddenly student council president, hovering around Woojin—it made Doeun sick to her stomach.
"Why... just to me. Why can't everyone leave my stuff alone? I won't forgive it... seriously... I'll smash them all...!"
Just as Doeun bit her lip with venom and started to stand abruptly.
"D-Doeun, look over there...!"
Jinah beside her pointed at the building corner, her face pale as a ghost.
"...?"
Doeun turned her frowning face, following Jinah's gaze.
The name she'd just been ripping apart in her mind.
Baek Haeun was walking straight toward them.
"...Baek Haeun...!"
The enemy who'd stolen everything from her.
Doeun glared at the approaching Haeun with murderous eyes.
But Haeun ignored the fierce glare completely and walked calmly right up to the three of them, stopping firmly.
"Kim Doeun. Park Soyoung. Lee Jinah."
The three names flowed coldly from Haeun's lips.
"Don't you know you're not allowed to smoke on school grounds?"
The cold interrogation rained down.
Already pissed off and rotting inside over Woojin, Doeun finally exploded.
"Ha. Fuck. Think you're hot shit just 'cause you're student council president? You think I'm a fucking pushover?"
A savage expression, like she was about to grab Haeun by the collar.
But Haeun didn't flinch and turned instead to Soyoung and Jinah, who were shrinking back terrified.
"Park Soyoung, Lee Jinah. You two, go."
At those words, Soyoung and Jinah, crushed by the suffocating atmosphere, exchanged glances and slinked away, abandoning Doeun.
"O-Okay... Th-Thanks..."
Soyoung and Jinah bolted into the building without looking back.
Doeun was suddenly alone.
"Kim Doeun. Come to the student council room later."
Doeun looked incredulous.
"You...! You can't just overlook some people and drag others in, student council president or not?!"
Plus, I wasn't even smoking, just sitting there...
Just as Doeun started to protest her injustice.
Haeun had silently closed in behind Doeun, leaning in close to her ear and whispering lowly.
"You know, Doeun."
"...!"
"I can even make up crimes that don't exist. If you keep... refusing to cooperate."
A chill ran up Doeun's spine in an instant.
"...F-Fine."
Barely holding back the fear and injustice welling in her eyes, Doeun spat it out in a trembling voice.
"I'll go, alright?! Fuck. You've ruined my morning."
Doeun shoved Haeun's shoulder away in fright and fled into the building.
"......"
Left alone in the open lot, Haeun confirmed the smoke vanishing over the crushed cigarette butts on the ground, then slowly turned and headed inside.
The classroom buzzed as kids streamed out to the cafeteria.
I started to stand from my seat but glanced down at Yu Jiwon slumped far away.
Normally she'd cling to my arm the second the bell rang, begging to go eat, but today from morning she'd buried her face in her desk without moving.
...Is she sick or something?
Feeling uneasy, I reached to tap her shoulder.
"Hey, Lee Woojin! You coming to eat or what?!"
Kang Minjae bellowed from the front door.
I withdrew my hand smoothly into the air.
Whatever... she'll handle it. No reason to babysit her.
"Yeah, coming!"
I left Yu Jiwon alone in the classroom and joined Minjae's group heading to the cafeteria.
At the same time, a secluded table in the cafeteria.
Doeun sat silently, stabbing her rice with chopsticks.
Soyoung and Jinah across from her hesitated, then cautiously spoke up.
"D-Doeun... you okay...?"
Doeun paused her chopsticks and looked up.
She forced her lips into a smile, pretending nothing was wrong.
"What?"
Her casual tone clashed with her mind, plastered in sharp curses.
Okay? If you bitches hadn't ditched me and run...
Oblivious, Soyoung and Jinah chuckled awkwardly.
"Ah, haha... No, earlier behind the school... when you were left alone."
Doeun finally snorted and waved it off casually.
"Oh. Baek Haeun? No big deal. She was yapping alone, so I just ignored her and left."
"As expected~!! Knew you'd handle it!"
Jinah clapped along with exaggerated hype at Doeun's bravado.
Soyoung picked up her spoon, relieved.
"Right? Honestly epic. You could totally see she was scared of you deep down. What can she do just 'cause she's president? Right?"
"......"
After ditching her and running, now sucking up like this.
Doeun stared at them coldly, deeming them unworthy of reply.
As Doeun sent that icy gaze without a word, Soyoung and Jinah's excited chatter trailed off.
Anxiety flickered across their faces again.
"D-Doeun...? You okay..?"
"We're... friends, right...?"
Doeun swallowed her disgust at their fearful plea for reassurance and sneered inwardly.
Friends? The second shit gets tough, they backstab and bolt...
But Doeun quickly hid her bloodshot glare, nodding with her usual cheerful smile.
"Yeah, of course. We're friends."
Doeun scooped some soup and lightly changed the subject.
"What should we grab after school?"
BAM!
Kim Doeun burst in irritably.
Baek Haeun stood silently gazing out at the sports field.
"Ha, fuck. So why'd you call me here?"
Doeun asked cockily, leg crossed, but Haeun just stared out the window without answering.
"......"
As the silence dragged, Doeun lost her patience and spat curses.
"Ah, fuck! Just suspend me already! You're fucking annoying, seriously."
Though she hadn't smoked and felt wronged, a few days off school was no big deal anyway.
Only then did Haeun slowly turn.
She walked to the head of the conference table, sat, crossed her legs, and looked up at Doeun.
"Not doing it."
"...What?"
"No suspension."
Doeun's brow furrowed at the unexpected reply.
"Ha. Then what? Called me to flex? Make me beg forgiveness to student council prez?"
Doeun bent exaggeratedly at the waist, mocking.
"Yes yes~ Sorry, Haeun-sama~ Won't do it again~ Happy now?"
But Haeun's face didn't twitch at the childish taunt.
She stared at Doeun with cool, sunken eyes and replied curtly.
"No. Don't apologize."
"...?"
Confusion spread clearly across Doeun's face.
"Then fuck, no apology, no suspension. What the hell do you want?!"
Haeun uncrossed her legs and leaned forward slightly at Doeun's pissed shout.
"Nothing else."
"...What...?"
"Just... do what I say. Kim Doeun."
"Wh-Why the hell should I...?"
"...You'll want to. After you hear me out?"
"........."
Doeun swallowed dryly and snapped.
"What the fuck is it that you're so damn confident? Spill."
Haeun leaned back comfortably and opened her mouth in a soft, gentle voice.
"I hear you like Woojin. Right?"
"...!"
The feeling she'd desperately ignored and hidden.
Coming from that mouth, of all places...
Doeun's face flushed red, pierced right in the heart.
"M-Me?! Ha... No?!"
Doeun jumped up, denying fiercely.
But Haeun didn't even scoff at the obvious lie.
She just shrugged, as if disappointed.
"Really...? I thought you still liked Woojin, so I was gonna help. Guess not?"
...What?
Doeun's pupils shook like an earthquake.
Baek Haeun, helping me? The bitch trying to steal Woojin? Why?
Her confused mind spun as she growled warily.
"What's in it for you?"
Haeun rose slowly from her seat.
Swish-
Her skirt rustled softly as she glided silently behind Doeun.
"Why?"
Haeun's cool fingers slowly stroked Doeun's hair.
A touch so tenderly creepy, like petting a lapdog.
"Can't friends help each other?"
"......"
Doeun stayed silent like a mute, unable to shake off the hand.
Her pride stung.
But why refuse help to claim Woojin?
With that thought, Doeun's trembling lips parted in submission.
"...H-How... exactly?"
Only then did Haeun's hand stop, peeking over Doeun's shoulder to whisper lowly.
"Yu Jiwon."
"......"
"She's been too cocky lately... don't you think? What about you, Doeun?"
Yu Jiwon.
At that name, Doeun vaguely grasped Haeun's real intent.
"...What. You telling me to bully her?"
Just as Doeun started to flare up incredulously.
"Yeah."
The playfulness vanished completely from Haeun's voice, which had tickled her ear moments ago.
"...What?"
"Bully her. I'll look the other way."
Doeun gaped at the legal sanction for violence from the student council president's mouth.
"Why the... hell..."
As Doeun recoiled, terrified by Haeun's madness beyond common sense, Haeun whispered her ultimatum right in her ear.
"Or would you rather give up Lee Woojin forever?"
"...!"
No choice.
Give up Woojin, or become Haeun's hunting dog.
Doeun bit her lower lip until it bled, pondering briefly.
Yu Jiwon was a thorn in her side anyway.
If Haeun would turn a blind eye, why not?
Finally kneeling to jealousy and power, Doeun asked in resignation.
"...Until when."
At the question, Haeun smiled contentedly, having secured her pawn.
"Until I tell you to stop."