Sweet Bites

Chapter 07: Skipping Class

....

"This is a big problem," Johan muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Seoyeon frowned, confused. She couldn't understand why he was so distraught, it seemed easily solvable—they could simply explain the misunderstanding to the principal.

"What do you mean, 'big problem'?" she asked. "We just tell the principal it's a misunderstanding." His shocked expression was as if she'd sprouted two extra heads.

I didn't say anything wrong. What's with that face?

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked away, avoiding her gaze.

He paced, agonizing over the situation. He couldn't go to the principal, his uncle was the principal, and his father would ground him for a month if he found out.

"Um, excuse me?" Johan jumped at the sound of Seoyeon's voice, her small hand waving in front of his face.

"I can't read minds, Johan. If you have a useful idea, tell me now," she said, standing before him, annoyance etched on her face. He found it endearing.

A cute, angry baby mushroom, he thought, amused by their height difference. He resisted the urge to smile, she was already annoyed and might think he wasn't taking this seriously.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her from the room before she could protest.

"Hey! Let go," she whispered, trying to free herself as they headed toward the bulletin board.

"Are you serious? We should go to the principal's office, not here," she said, pulling back, fearing the girls might still be waiting. Her efforts were futile.

"Just come with me," he said, stopping, his expression unreadable—a blend of anger, sadness, or something else. "We have to remove those pictures before the principal sees them."

The hallway was deserted, everyone was in class. They'd missed class, Seoyeon's first ever.

Great, all because of this mess, she thought, helping Johan remove the posters featuring them, complete with a cringeworthy ship name.

"Ew," she mumbled, scrunching her face. He snorted.

"I should be saying that," he retorted.

"We both don't want this," she replied, stuffing the crumpled posters into her bag. He grabbed her wrist as she started to leave.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"Class, dzaa," she said sassily, pulling her wrist free.

"Hello! We're thirty minutes late, dzaa," he mimicked, rolling his eyes and flipping his hair. She burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing? What's so funny?" he asked, a mix of annoyance and fascination in his eyes.

"You," she pointed at him, laughing so hard she couldn't finish her sentence. She wiped her tears before speaking again.

"Okay, so where are we going now?"

"We?" he raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I'll let you come with me after you mocked me? No way." Her smile faltered.

What if those girls show up again? Aira's in class, and Mrs. Hyun won't let us in late. I have to stick with Johan, for now.

"Oh, come on, your fangirls are mad at me. They'll kill me." she whined, stomping her foot.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Aish. Fine!" He threw his hands up in surrender. "Let's go."

"What? Where?"

"Out of this school," he muttered, heading for the fire exit.

"Are you serious? What if someone sees us?"

"That's why we're using the fire exit. No guards there."

They sought refuge in a nearby park, enjoying the sunshine and sounds of nature. The tranquility was a welcome respite from the morning's chaos. They walked in silence, the park's beauty a stark contrast to the drama unfolding in their lives. The scene reminded Seoyeon of her strange dream.

Very weirdeu~

As they walked, a little boy running toward a cotton candy cart tripped near Johan.

"Agh…" The boy's cry drew their attention. They rushed to help him up. Johan checked for injuries, his concern genuine. The boy was fine, and Johan comforted him, wiping away his tears. Seoyeon watched, impressed by Johan's gentleness.

"Thank you." the boy gave a polite bow as his respect to an elder.

"Are you alone? Where are your parents?" Seoyeon asked.

"Austin!" A woman ran towards them. "Goodness, we've been looking for you." She hugged the boy, then turned to Seoyeon and Johan.

"I'm so sorry," the mother said. "Thank you for helping my son. May God bless you both. You two are perfect together. Stay strong, lovebirds." She left, leaving them speechless.

Does she really have to go that far thanking them?

"What was that?" Seoyeon huffed, watching them go. Johan was silent, staring at the grass, a dreamy smile on his face.

What the hell is he thinking?

"Yah! Why are you smiling? She thought we're a couple. Ew!" Seoyeon scrunched her face. He laughed.

Even elders thought they're a thing.

"Chill, nerd. You and me? Never" he said, waving a hand dismissively.

Crack!

Seoyeon felt a slight pang in her chest. Ouch?

"You—" she stopped, unsure what to say. She groaned, turning away. He laughed, but stopped as his eyes fell to the back of her skirt.

There was a blood stain. His eyes widened, looking around nervously, before focusing on her again. He knew.

"Seoyeon!" he called, but she ignored him.

He caught up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. This startled her.

"What the F, Johan, what are you doing?!" she exclaimed.

Seoyeon's voice drew the attention of the people around them. She didn't care, Johan was her immediate problem. "What the F are you doing?! Let g—"

"Shut up, and stay like this. You're on your period. I saw a blood stain," he whispered in her ear, freezing her in place. What?! Period? But I don't feel any pain. The realization hit her as a warm liquid trickled down her leg, and a sharp cramp shot through her lower abdomen. Late reaction.

This is so embarrassing. Eotteokke?!

"Johan…" she murmured, gently tapping his arm, signaling him to loosen his grip. He was shielding her from view, but his hold was unnecessarily tight.

"Johan," she called again, turning her head to see him watching the murmuring onlookers.

"Sorry, she's mad because I forgot our anniversary," he said, nervously laughing, playing the role of a concerned boyfriend flawlessly. The crowd gasped, captivated by his performance. He turned back to Seoyeon, his eyes full of feigned adoration. "Babe, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

What a good actor.

"Oh, sweetie, please forgive him. It's your anniversary, you should be celebrating, not fighting," a woman chimed in.

"Yeah! Give him another chance!" an older man added, and the crowd began urging Seoyeon to forgive her fake boyfriend. Johan's eyes sparkled with feigned pleading, reminding her of a puppy. He was still acting.

To end the charade quickly, Seoyeon nodded, earning cheers and applause. Relief washed over her, they'd diffused the situation. But she was wrong.

"Kiss!" someone shouted from the crowd. Now who the hell was that?

Johan seemed more surprised by the voice than the request. His expression was unreadable as he looked at Seoyeon, arching an eyebrow. Is he asking for permission? Before she could process anything, his hand cupped her jaw, tilting her head before his lips found hers.

Her third kiss with Johan.

Her heart pounded. Closing her eyes, she felt a strange urge to respond, but he pulled away before she could.

Her breath hitched as she opened her eyes to meet his sparkling gaze. She barely knew him, but she sensed his inner turmoil.

*Crowds clapping.*

As if someone have just proposed and got a 'Yes'. She mentally rolls her eyes.

She diverted her gaze as the crowd dispersed. She could feel his gaze on her.

He cleared his throat. "Um… put this on." She gasped as he tied his jacket around her waist, concealing the blood stain. "Let's go. I'll take you home." She nodded.

Unlocking her door, she turned to see Johan standing there, just like the last time, eyes downcast, hands in his pockets.

"Thanks." she said, nervously scratching her neck.