Chapter 6: HUMANS ARE STILL THE SCARIEST

"MOON YUJIN, did you just arrive?"

Yujin nodded at Gong Hani's question. Thankfully, she arrived at Haneul High School during the break before their afternoon classes. "I had a personal business I needed to attend to," she said. "Can I copy your notes for the classes I missed?"

Gong Hani was the right person to ask if she needed to copy other people's notes. After all, Gong Hani was their class president and also one of the top students in the entire school. And the best part? Gong Hani was one of the few people who didn't care about her background.

The class president was still friendly with her, despite her affiliations with two of the top troublemakers in Haneul High School.

"Sure, I'll lend you my notes later," Gong Hani– long black hair with her bangs tied in a cute ponytail, chocolate brown eyes– said, then she handed three pieces of pumpkin bread to her. "Can you hold them for me while I use the ladies' room? My bladder is about to burst."

She nodded as she hugged the pumpkin bread she received from Gong Hani. "I'll wait for you here."

"Thanks, Yujin-ah," Gong Hani said, then she ran to the bathroom. "I'll be quick!"

After Gong Hani disappeared out of her sight, she put her guitar case down next to her. Then she leaned against the wall while using her backpack as a cushion.

Some of her classmates that saw her greeted her, while the students from the other classes just looked at her weirdly.

But it wasn't like they were bad kids. They probably just found her weird, and she couldn't blame them for that impression. After all, she was the one who would pull out her wooden baseball bat from time to time and act like a lunatic.

[I can't blame them for thinking I'm a crazy 'pitch' since it's not like they can see the doppelganger I fight.]

And she also didn't have the power to choose where and when her doppelganger would show up. Thus, she had a history of "losing it" in school. Thankfully, most of the kids in her class were still nice to her.

Of course, there were still some who would make fun of her from time to time.

"Moon Yujin, did you just arrive?"

Yujin stood straight when Mr. Lee Hyun, their Science teacher, approached her. She bowed to him politely. "Hello, Teacher Lee."

Lee Hyun, a man in his early fifties who was always grumpy and mean towards her.

[I don't know why Teacher Lee hates me, though.]

"I heard you were with Sun Geun-wook at the police station yesterday, and now you missed your morning classes," Teacher Lee said in a condescending tone. "You barely fit in your class, Moon Yujin. If you continue hanging out with a low-life like Sun Geun-wook, you might just become an outcast like him. Do you want that to happen to you?"

She just lowered her head and hugged the pumpkin bread tighter. "I'm sorry for missing my morning classes, Teacher Lee," she said, ignoring the hurtful things that the teacher said regarding Sun Geun-wook. "It won't happen again."

[Calm down, Moon Yujin,] she told herself. [Aunt Hayi taught you to keep your mouth shut when you have nothing nice to say.]

"Don't you care about your parents?" Teacher Lee asked in a mocking tone, then he scoffed. "Ah, right. You don't have parents. No wonder you grew up like that. I knew your carefree aunt wouldn't be able to raise you properly. This is why it's important for children to have decent adults around them–"

She raised her head abruptly, forcing the male teacher to stop talking.

To be honest, the teacher's words hurt. However, that wasn't the first time that she heard something that was hurtful from Teacher Lee. Hence, she could manage her anger better now.

[That doesn't lessen the pain, of course.]

"What?" Teacher Lee asked, a little taken aback by the sharp look in Yujin's eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that? Do you have something to say?"

"Thank you for your wise words, Teacher Lee," she said cheerfully while clenching her hands tight. "I'm grateful that I have someone like Teacher Lee as a role model."

The male teacher looked confused by what she said. "W-What?" After realizing that he stammered, he cleared his throat before speaking again. "I mean, you might not be hopeless after all if you recognize a good adult when you see one."

She smiled "sweetly" at the teacher, then she bowed her head again. "You're my role model, Teacher Lee," she said cheerfully. After that, she looked up at whispered the things that she said next. "I will make sure that I will never become an adult like Teacher Lee who looks down on his students for their "poor" backgrounds."

And that was what she meant by Teacher Lee being her role model– a role model of what kind of adult she didn't want to become.

Teacher Lee's face turned red from anger. "You disrespectful little–"

"Yujin-ah, it's heartwarming to hear you say that you look up to Teacher Lee," Gong Hani, who finally returned from the ladies' room, said while clapping her hands. "You chose the right role model, my friend. After all, Teacher Lee is a dignified man who upholds great values in teaching." The class president bowed deeply to the teacher. "I respect you, too, Teacher Lee!"

Ah.

Yujin knew that Gong Hani was only saying and doing those things to help her.

Teacher Lee, who quickly regained his composure, cleared his throat and faced Gong Hani with a smile. "I appreciate that, Hani," he said, then she tapped the class president on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work. I'm sure Congressman Gong is proud of you for being a model student among your peers."

After saying that, Teacher Lee left with his head held high.

[Right, I almost forgot that Teacher Lee is the kind of teacher who is only nice to students with good backgrounds like Gong Hani.]

"Moon Yujin, do you want to make a bet?" Gong Hani asked, grinning. "I bet ten pumpkin bread that Teacher Lee's teaching career will end this year. A horrible human being like that doesn't deserve to be a teacher."

Yujin was shocked at first to hear something like that from the class president, then she laughed softly. Of course, Gong Hani may act like a perfect model student in front of all the teachers. But the class president still knew who the good and the bad ones were among the faculty staff. "I bet ten cinnamon rolls that his teaching career will end this semester."

"Then I hope you win," the class president said, laughing. Then she linked her arm with hers. "Teacher Lee is lucky that Oh Rami wasn't here."

Oh Rami was her best friend.

If Sun Geun-wook was Hanuel High School's male top dog (aka the school's best fighter) then Oh Rami was the female top dog there.

"I'm glad that Oh Rami wasn't here, though," she said. "That kid got suspended on the first day of school for picking a fight with the principal. She has to lie low in the meantime."

"When will Oh Rami's suspension get lifted again?"

"She'll be back tomorrow," she said excitedly, even though her face probably still looked dull. She could only have her resting 'pitch' face to blame. "Oh Rami said she's excited to come back to school."

"I see. I can't wait to see Oh Rami torment the bad teachers again," Gong Hani said, smiling. Then she gasped as if she remembered something important. "Right. Are you finally dating Sun Geun-wook?"

"No, I'm not," she said without missing a heartbeat. "Are there rumors about us again?"

"Someone from our school saw you running away from the police station while holding hands," the class president said. "The rumors already spread throughout the entire school. It only got worse when you and Sun Geun-wook didn't go to class this morning."

Ah, no wonder Teacher Lee mentioned the incident that happened yesterday.

"Will you be okay, Moon Yujin?"

"Why won't I be okay? I'm used to being mistaken as Geun's girlfriend."

"I'm talking about Shin Aera– Sun Geun-wook's crazy ex-girlfriend," Gong Hani said firmly. "I heard Shin Aera went to our school this morning and looked for you."

Yujin shut her eyes tight. "I'm so dead."

***

TODAY might just be the day Yujin departs the living world.

Shin Aera– blonde wavy hair (she dyed it to match Geun-wook's hair color), contact lenses that turned her eye hazel-colored– was standing in front of her. The kid was pretty, but she looked twisted. There was a crazy glint in Shin Aera's eyes, after all.

[Aunt Hayi, you should have told me how to fight humans, too.]

When Shin Aera took a step forward with her arms crossed over her chest, Yujin took several steps backwards until her back hit the wall.

[Shin Aera, did you have to bring your entire "entourage" with you?]

By "entourage," she meant (scary-looking) girls from Hera High School– an exclusive school for girls. Unlike their flower-like appearance, the girls standing in front of her were looking at her like they could eat her alive.

She left school early and chose a shortcut on her way home to avoid Shin Aera. But she was still caught by her group, then she was dragged into an alley.

[I should have just gone the long way home.]

Just how did Shin Aera know that she'd be taking the shortest route, anyway?

"I heard that you and Geun are dating," Shin Aera said, smiling "sweetly." "Is that true?"

Yujin shook her head immediately. "No, that's not true."

"But why did you come to Geun's house this morning?" Shin Aera asked, her voice getting colder by the minute. "Geun's mother is currently overseas for a business trip. So why did you come to his apartment, huh?"

She opened her mouth to defend herself, but she immediately closed it when the realization hit her. "Wait," she said. Then she knitted her eyebrows. "Did you hire someone to stalk me and Sun Geun-wook?"

"Just answer my question, Moon Yujin."

"Shin Aera," she said. She tried to sound intimidating, but her voice came out small. Argh, why was it easier to fight her doppelganger than to fight a girl her age? "Don't you watch Kdramas? Don't you know that even if you bully me, it won't make Geun like you magically?"

"I know," Shin Aera said coldly. "But if I can't have Geun, then you can't have him either. It hurts my pride that he chose a weirdo like you over me." She poked her forehead with a finger. "That's exactly why I want to see you suffer, Moon Yujin."

She was about to say something to defend herself.

However, she stopped dead in her tracks when she felt a painful pang in her chest. Then it was followed by the sudden erratic beat of her heart.

No, it wasn't just erratic.

Her heart was beating like crazy, and each thump against her chest was loud and painful.

[What's happening to me?]

"What's wrong with you?" Shin Aera asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "I haven't done anything to you yet."

Yujin only clutched her chest tight and closed her eyes.

Despite the loud beating of her heart, she could still hear Shin Aera and the kids talking about her.

"Is she having a heart attack or something?"

"Does she have a heart problem?"

"I don't know, but isn't she known for having a weak body?"

As if to prove that the rumor about her having a weak body was true, Yujin suddenly collapsed to the ground.

It hurt so much.

She hit her head against the concrete, after all.

No wonder the kids freaked out.

"I think Moon Yujin is really having a heart attack!"

"What if she suddenly dies?!"

"It will be troublesome if that b*tch dies while she's with us!"

"Aera, let's bolt!"

"Alright, let's leave," Shin Aera said calmly. "Let me just get Moon Yujin's baseball bat first."

What?!

Yujin opened her eyes in time to see Shin Aera picking the guitar case from the ground. "No…"

"If you want to get this back, then live. Don't worry, I'll call an ambulance for you," Shin Aera said, smiling. "You can't die on me since I'm not yet done making your life hellish, Moon Yujin."

After saying that, Shin Aera and her "entourage" left.

"No…" Yujin said weakly, her consciousness fading away. But before it happened, she quickly pulled out her phone and sent a message to Sun Geun-wook. "My bat… bring it back…"

[Or else I'll die for real.]

***

Please add SPOOKY SOULMATE to your library~