The next day had arrived and Jeongyeon had been gone, her seat vacantly sitting and gathering dust. I was moping around school with Chaeyoung, Dahyun and Sana unhappily while two boys discussing the situation walked by me.
"How come the ostrich girl isn't in school?"
"Where did she go?"
"Maybe her friend will know."
"Are you sure you want to talk to her? Anyone who's friends with a wreck like that couldn't be mentally stable."
They burst into copious amounts of laughter and walked past, steps heavy as if all they wanted to do was catch everyone's attention. I wasn't sure why Jeongyeon wasn't in school either, but the fact that people thought she was a wreck somehow affected me a lot.
"Hey Hyo, it's fine! You're still here with us," murmured little Chaeyoung, with a gentle pat on my shoulder.
"Yeah! We can still be happy, Jeong will probably come back tomorrow!" Sana purred, pressing against me and placing an arm over my shoulder. Dahyun and Chaeyoung smiled at me while holding hands and swinging them around—they genuinely looked like a pair of excited siblings, which made me smile a little. They had grown so close within such a short time.
Sana skipped around with our arms linked, and I never started to forget about Jeongyeon, though I was enjoying myself more. I decided to pay her a visit after school as well, just in case, and just have a good time while I was in school. Me and my newly-created social circle of 4 stuck together for the whole day, cracking jokes and having fun, the perfect combination for happiness. It would have been a little better, if only Jeongyeon was here.
Once school was over, I headed to Jeongyeon's place and rang the doorbell a few times. Though no one ever answered, and I was getting concerned. I knocked on her door, and she finally opened the door.
Or maybe it wasn't her.
The figure that greeted me was dressed in utter blackness, a dark coat sitting over their shoulders, their eyes covered by a pair of goggles. They had a large black surgical mask covering their mouth and nose, as well as a black cap. I froze in place—what did this person do to Jeong?
Though the figure took their mask and goggles off, and I was greeted with a familiar face. "Class Vice-Prez?" asked Tzuyu, her eyes confused. "Why are you here?"
"Why are you dressed like that?" I confronted her, but the taller girl merely smiled.
"Well, it's Jeong's favorite colour," Tzuyu murmured as she opened the door. "By the way, she's in her room and I'm taking care of her, but I think she'll be delighted to have you with her as well."
I nodded after I entered, and the girl locked the door as I got into the room where the door was ajar, and I could see Jeongyeon sleeping on her bed inside. I bent down beside the girl and ruffled her hair, affectionately giving her a hug as well.
Her sick expression and weak frame was so much more different from her persona, which changed every two seconds, but I had never caught a glimpse of her being weak. My poor Jeong, her eyes shut tight, and with red markings crossed along her arms.
Red markings?
I ran my fingers down her hand, observing the injuries. Tzuyu came in and knelt down beside me, then gave me a concerned look. "It was harsh, what happened to her after yesterday."
I continued to stare at the red lashes lining Jeong's limbs and couldn't feel good anymore. Before I knew it, my eyes started to moisten and I felt weak, just like the girl laying in front of me.
Tzuyu pat my back, then hugged me closely and I returned it. "Hey, she'll be fine," reassured the tall girl.
"It hurts to watch," I muttered, blinking my tears away.
"You're really close, huh? It only took you a short while."
I pondered this for a while. Were me and Jeongyeon really close? We hated each other for a while before. But now I had known her for so short a time, and we already were visiting each other's houses.
"Yeah," I replied. "We really are."
