Chapter 29

"I miss you"

Min Ji walked down the hallway with firm steps and a heavy breathing, while making her way through the many students going towards their designated classroom. The whispers were louder than ever before and Min Ji didn't even try to listen, she already knew what it was about.

While continuing onwards in a fast pace, she finally got eyes on the person she was looking for, and like a wild animal setting eyes on its prey, Min Ji stormed towards the person.

"Good morning," Taehyung said when he saw his girlfriend approaching him, but she had no time for simple greetings. Instead she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him away from the masses.

"Wait," Taehyung objected while being dragged along, "where are we going?"

"Just follow me," Min Ji said and continued forward until they reached a corner of the hallway where almost no people were around. Taehyung looked at Min Ji with great confusion as he asked:

"Now will you tell me what's going on?"

"Did you get it too?" Min Ji just asked, completely out of context, but the look in Taehyung's eyes showed he already knew what she meant.

"Yeah..." he said, a bit hesitant, "I think almost everyone got it."

"Crap!" Min Ji whisper-yelled, making Taehyung's eyes shoot up when he heard the type of language she used.

"Do you think Na Ri-ssi got it too?" Taehyung asked.

"No, she doesn't give her phone number to anyone," Min Ji said with a sigh, "but there's no way she won't hear about it from someone. It's what everyone is talking about."

"Who knows, maybe she won't notice," Taehyung said, trying to ease Min Ji's nerves, "all she thinks about is her grades, she doesn't really pay attention to other people."

"Are you stupid?" Min Ji yelled out, "even someone like Na Ri-ya will notice when people are gossiping about her! Ugh seriously sometimes you're so-" Min Ji stopped talking when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she quickly took it out and suddenly had a relieved expression in her eyes.

"Oh thank goodness," Min Ji said and showed her phone to Taehyung, "Na Ri-ya isn't coming today, she's still sick."

"Then everything is good!" Taehyung said with a smile.

"I'm not sure," Min Ji said, "I doubt the gossip and the rumors will die down in just one day." Taehyung looked at Min Ji who stared at her phone with a worried expression and he carefully placed his arm around her, pulling her close to him.

"Don't worry too much, everything will be okay," Taehyung said with a gentle voice, "Na Ri-ssi is a big girl, and besides, she has the best friend in the whole world who has her back." Min Ji looked up and blushed when she got eye contact with Taehyung, who looked at her with such care.

"Really?" She asked and Taehyung nodded.

"Yes, really."

***

Namjoon walked down the hallway, trying to hold his head high, but he could feel the stares from every student around him, and the whispers seemed to have increased tremendously since yesterday.

When he heard someone whisper his name, he turned around and saw two sets off eyes plastered to a phone's screen, but once they noticed Namjoon's glare, they quickly disappeared before he could ask them any questions.

Dumbfounded, he stayed in the same spot for a while, until he shook his head and decided to continue forward, but he didn't get very far before he saw his co-teacher storming towards him.

"Professor Cho, good morning" Namjoon said when he saw Kyung Sa nearing him, but she had no intention of greeting him back.

"What is going on?" Kyung Sa said.

"What do you mean? I'm just on my way to class," Namjoon answered as calmly as he could.

"So you haven't seen the picture that's circulating around campus?" Kyung Sa asked.

"No," Namjoon answered, "what picture? And what does it have to do with me?" Kyung Sa sighed while taking out her phone.

"I guess I have to show you before you understand," she said and started scrolling through her phone, "look." Kyung Sa held the phone up in front of Namjoon's face so he could take a good look, and the more he looked, the more his eyes widened.

"I saw it on one of my student's phones and I got her to forward it to me," Kyung Sa said while Namjoon looked at the photo where he saw himself standing outside Na Ri's apartment, handing her the soup Seokjin had made for her.

"How... when..." Namjoon stuttered and Kyung Sa retracted her phone.

"That's why I'm asking you, what's going on? Why are you making home visits to your female student?" Namjoon swallowed hard as he looked at the deadly glare he was receiving from Kyung Sa.

"I understand why you're worried and concerned, but let me just clear things up for you," Namjoon said and after they moved to a slightly more secluded area of the school, rather than simply standing in the middle of the hallway, Namjoon explained everything to her.

"So Song Na Ri-ssi is your next door neighbor?" Kyung Sa asked and Namjoon nodded, "and Principal Choi told you to stay quiet so the rumors could cool down, but now things are even worse?" Namjoon nodded again.

"I really don't understand how someone ended up taking this picture," Namjoon said with a sigh.

"Once people have a suspicion about something, some people will keep digging until they find out everything," Kyung Sa explained, "I'm afraid it will take some time to make this cool down."

"You're probably right," Namjoon replied, "maybe I should talk to my students and clear things up."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Principal Choi told you to stay quiet."

"Can I really stay quiet at this point?" Namjoon asked, "I'm afraid my students will lose all respect for me at this point, how am I supposed to teach them if they won't listen?"

"I know how you feel, but trying to argue your way out of this could make things even worse."

"Maybe you're right," Namjoon said with a sigh, "but I have to go now, I have a class waiting for me."

"Okay, we'll talk later then," Kyung Sa said and Namjoon nodded as he made his way back to the main hallway, going towards the auditorium.

Kyung Sa's words were on his mind just until the second he stepped into the auditorium filled with students who all spoke loudly, not even noticing Namjoon entering the room.

"Good day," Namjoon said to gain the students' attention, but little did it matter, as only a few seemed to even care enough to look up.

"Excuse me, everyone," Namjoon said loud and clear, "if you don't mind, I would like to begin the class." Everyone finally looked up, but the loud chatter instead turned into whispers, and just when Namjoon was about to say something else, one student raised her hand up in the air.

"Yes?" Namjoon said as he gestured towards the female student.

"Professor Kim, is the picture real?" Namjoon turned silent and gulped. He looked around the auditorium and felt every set of eyes on him. But he also noticed one specific person missing from the mass. 

Did Na Ri stay home today?

"Yes the picture is real," Namjoon said and looked at the female student as he suddenly felt a rush of courage fill his body, "Song Na Ri-ssi is my next door neighbor, it is inevitable for us not to meet outside of school." Another student raised her hand and Namjoon gestured for her to speak.

"Is something going on between the two of you?" she asked and Namjoon quickly shook his head.

"Of course not," he answered firmly, even though he felt like his entire stomach was twisting and turning because of his bad conscience, but even still he continued and said; "she's my student, I would never allow for anything to happen between us." The female student turned silent and when Namjoon looked around, no one else seemed to have any questions.

What was I thinking to actually confess to Na Ri? Namjoon thought and counted himself lucky she had turned him down. He didn't even dare imagine how things would've turned out if they had to sneak around lying about their relationship.

"Alright then, if there are no other questions, let's start today's lesson," Namjoon said and turned around to face the board.

***

"That was an intense class," Min Ji said when Namjoon had called it a day and people were packing up their bags to go to their next class.

"It sure was," Taehyung said and swung his bag over his shoulder, "anyway I have to go to acting class now, I'll see you later."

"Okay," Min Ji said and in the same second Taehyung leaned in and placed a quick peck on her cheek. Her body felt warm from the touch of his lips and a big smile appeared on her face, but that was only until she noticed two eyes staring in their direction and her eyes widened in fear when she got eye contact with Jungkook.

"Jungkook-a," Min Ji called out, but Jungkook had already gotten up and was walking away in a fast pace.

"Jungkook-a, wait," Min Ji yelled and made every student in the auditorium turn around to send her a weird look, but she didn't care. She was busy chasing Jungkook down the hallway.

"Please wait," Min Ji said, her voice cracking in the process and at the same moment, Jungkook stopped in his tracks. A little hesitant, Min Ji walked the last few meters until she was standing behind Jungkook, whose back was still facing her.

"Jungkook-a, I-"

"What do you want?" Jungkook asked harshly as he turned around and stared into Min Ji's eyes.

"I... can't we talk things through?" Min Ji said while avoiding eye contact, "things doesn't feel right when you're not there."

"You seemed to feel just fine a minute ago," Jungkook simply answered.

"Jungkook-a, please try to understand," Min Ji said, her heart pounding like a maniac.

"No, I can't understand," Jungkook said, "stop thinking things can go back to how they used to be! It will never be that way again, you have to accept that."

"But even... even if things can't be exactly how they used to be," Min Ji stuttered, "we can still be friends... we can... make it work somehow."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Jungkook said and turned around, about to walk away, when Min Ji suddenly grabbed his hand.

"No, please," she said, tears welling up in her eyes, "I really... I really miss you." Jungkook stood still for a while, feeling the sensation of Min Ji's hand wrapped around his wrist. But in the end he pushed her away.

"If you miss me that much, you shouldn't have walked all over me like you did," Jungkook said and walked away, leaving Min Ji behind.

While Min Ji tried to ignore the stares from every student passing by her, a few silent tears fell down her face and she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her and she looked up to see Taehyung next to her.

"Don't cry," he said in a gentle voice, "it'll be alright... just... give him some time."

Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember to stay warm and eat healthy and take care of yourself. Stay safe.

Also, don't forget to leave a comment down below.

Love, Annalise~