Jimin POV

"Wait... How didn't I realize this before...?"

"I can use them... I can use them as a shield to protect myself from the playboy...! They can actually be useful for something after all...!" I slowly started realizing the annoying teenagers' hidden utility.

"They're the key to lock the playboy in an unbreakable cage which will leave him, the person who wants to kill me, incapable of even laying a finger one me!" I thought and a huge happiness started taking over me, along with the same relief I had until a while ago.

"Jimin...?" They asked again and I immediately looked up, flashing them a sweet smile which made them blush right away. "Damn, they're so easy~" I smirked inside my mind, but kept with the same friendly, kind, grin they loved so much outside, to not lose this convenient opportunity of having them in the palm of my hand.

"Oh, sorry...! I didn't mean to make you worried...! It's just that I...That I'm kinda..." I interrupted my own sentence with a dramatic pause, in an intentional tentative to make the atmospheres tenser, and then I faked the saddest, the most heartbroken smile ever.

"...Kinda stressed with something..." I finished telling them and I moved my gaze away hesitantly, with a melancholic look, to pretend even better that I had something really bad affecting my life - what, of course, provoked the results I was expecting, as I heard loud gasps and noticed them growing really serious and worried expressions.

However, I still felt like it still wasn't good enough and my mind insisted that I couldn't just stop now: I needed to do way more than this to actually get what I wanted. For that reason, I decided to keep with all that acting and even bring it to the next level...

"But don't worry, it's nothing... It has nothing to do with you anyway, so there's no need to trouble yourselves over me..." I started whispering more and more lies, letting out more and more empty words, being the only thing within them the dishonest emotions I didn't feel at all.

"And also, I don't want to be as self-centered as to the point I actually have the nerve to ask you for help... You have been so nice me with me, regardless of me being new in this school and of you not knowing me very well, after all...! I shouldn't want anything more from you... That would be too selfish, even for someone like me...!"

And with that, I knew that I had caught all their attention and that they were all at my commands, making my big plan closer to being with a 100% rate of ending up successful. Once again, I felt like letting escape a malicious grin, but I managed to hold it back one more time.

"What?! Help?! Is something wrong?!" One of the girls asked me in shock and all the other started speaking too. "Yeah, just tell us! We want to help you!" They added and started all showing how much they cared about me, what actually made me feel more proud of myself for thinking in that plan rather than grateful for their kindness.

"But-" I started arguing, but, as I was already expecting, they interrupted me, before I could continue and protest against them, and they kept insisting.

"No buts, Jimin! We can't just watch someone going through a tough time, suffering in silence right in front of us, while it's more than obvious that they need our help, and not do anything about it!"

Lies. I knew all that was only lies. 

I knew they easily could - and more likely would - ignore a person hurt – physically or psychologically – if he or she needed and asked for their help. But, this time, that person was me, a person they actually wanted to give a good impression of themselves to. So, of course, they wouldn't ignore. At least, not now. 

They were only trying to help me now for a really predictable reason: in an obvious attempt to please me and get my attention and interest. I knew that quite well. And that's why I knew quite well that they would have a good use as an excellent shield for me.

Sacrifices I could use in case of the worst.

They were trying to manipulate me, while I tried to manipulate them at the same time. That's why I didn't need to feel bad neither guilty about any of this. That's why it was okay.

For all those reasons, I decided to just pretend to believe in those empty words, to actually get fooled by them, and I went along with the people that kept letting such meaningless, forced lies, unsurprisingly without feeling any guilty.

"Really...? You're telling the truth...?" I asked them hesitantly, pretending to be shocked and grateful at the same time, and they all nodded firmly at me.

"Of course!" Many shouted in unison, like those annoying, stupid and cliché girls in the movies usually do – what made me almost cringe, but I managed to hide my disgust from them – and gave me wide smiles. "Yeah, they're right." Another one, girl number "twenty-and-who-fucking-cares?!", started adding.

"You're not being selfish and we will never see you as one regardless of your actions and decisions. So, please, don't hide things from us, especially your feelings. You don't need to suffer in silence ever again with us around, we promise. You just need to trust us and tell us what's wrong." The "too nice now, but ends being the most manipulative and evil of all" girl finished.

"Yeah, you're right... I guess there's no problem in telling you..." I pretended to be really touched by their words and "kindness" and to have been finally convinced by them.

"Thank you...!" I gave them a dishonest grateful smile and they, after blushing and revealing a bright tone of crimson on their cheeks, shouted a "Silly!" in chorus. They exchanged friendly looks between them and let out the most generic – not to mention the most annoying – laughs, giving me after my turn to speak. 

Once they were all quiet, I took a deep breath, put a serious expression, and started...

"So, what's troubling me is..."

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New chapter! \(*-*)/ I'm so sorry, I totally forgot that I had to update yesterday with my brother's birthday...! TTuTT Please, don't kill me...! TTuTT XD

I hope you enjoyed. ^-^

Bye ~(*-*~)

- Danielar