Aera fixed her hair, get ready to sweat today as she received a penalty from the principal to run around the school track for 15 laps. It sounds bad to do it to a girl but Aera was good with it since she wanted this to happen. She felt better now, didn't feel any guilt about Jake anymore as she was satisfied after telling everything to the teacher although she knew her name might get cancel soon by the other teachers since they were strict when it came to discipline.

" Aera." She almost screamed when Sunghoon suddenly showed himself.

" I will do this. It's my fault, Aera. Please-"

" It's okay, Sunghoon. Don't always burden yourself with me. I'm okay with this." Aera smiled and bid him a goodbye when Mr. Kang called for her.

-

" Oh, those stupid faces again." Jake sighed, spotted Yebin, Jay, and Sunghoon were talking while blocking the front door. Jake supposed to go to the principal room as he got called by Mr. Kang but he straight to the classroom first because he wanted to take something that he left under his desk but after he saw them, he felt annoyed because he didn't want to talk or meet them by leaving the place real quick but badly, they already caught him.

" Hey!" Yebin called for him and ran towards him, stopping Jake from leaving.

" Move" Yebin shook her head and smiled. " You came again." She said to him.

" I don't want to come but that old man forced me to. I don't even want to see your face."

" Do you know the reason you need to come then?" Jay approached him, waited for him to respond. Jake made an annoying face, " I don't know and I don't want to know."

" Leave me alone. We are not friends. So, don't act comfortable around me." Jake said seriously and bumped into Jay's shoulder hardly before leaving them hanging.

" You should be thankful to Aera." Sunghoon finally spoke up.

As Jake heard that name, he immediately stopped. " Why should I?" Jake asked back.

" The teacher canceled your suspended from school because of her." Jake didn't give any reaction but clenched his fist.

" Aera was begging to the principal and Mr. Kang and admitted everything she did that day. She said that you didn't do anything wrong and just wanted to protect her." Jay said.

" Aera was offering herself to get the penalty because she wanted to save you," Yebin said too causing Jake madder.

Jake turned his body to face Sunghoon. " Why don't you stop her, bastard? Did you just let her get the penalty when you were the reason this thing happened?"

Sunghoon sighed, " I tried to. She didn't allow me."

" That girl is really stupid," Jake said and left again.

" So, do you just want to let her get the penalty?" Sunghoon asked Jake.

" Why? Did you expect me to be like the main character in every drama? Where the hero run to save the girl he loved from getting-"

" The girl he loved?" Sunghoon cut him off.

Jake rolled his eyes, " Shut the f-"

" Start again !"

They immediately shut their mouth and went to the corridors when they heard Mr. Kang's voice from the school track. They were shocked to see Mr. Kang with Aera there and decided to watch the scene.

Jake was still there and watched Aera seriously.

Aera gasped for breathing, placed her hand on her thighs as she felt exhausted for running too much. She had done her 5 laps but Mr. Kang, that old man never let her breathe happily. He found her little mistake and always told her to start from the first la and now, it's the third time he told her to start but she didn't give any complaint and just followed his words.

Aera wiped her sweats and took a deep breath before running again. She saw Sunghoon, Jay, and Yebin were watching her from far.

" Focus!" Aera quickly back to reality and ran as fast as she could. 

" Again!" Aera stopped and coughed badly before starting the lap again and again.

After a few minutes, Mr. Kang finally let her breathe properly as she has already done her 15th lap after repeating the same thing four 4 times. Mr. Kang went to the school building, telling the student to back to their classroom angrily but Jake, Sunghoon, Jay, and Yebin didn't listen to him and watched Aera who looks exhausted.

Aera lay on the ground, gasping for breathing, and wiped her sweats.

" Song Aera, change your uniform and go back to the classroom !" This time, it was the principal who scolded her.

Aera nodded and stood up, felt hard to walk because her leg was really tired.

She forced herself to walk and stopped when she saw Jake at the school corridors.

She smiled, " Jake-!"

Before she could continue her words, Jake ignored her and walked away.

Aera smiled at Sunghoon, Jay, and Yebin. She was about to wave her hand to them but she suddenly felt weak.

She rubbed her head and suddenly her vision turned black.

" Song Aera!"

Sunghoon became anxious and quickly ran to help her without listening to Mr. Kang who was telling him to back to his classroom. Jake saw that too but he didn't make any moves, just watching Aera who was laying on the ground while other students were trying to wake her up.

-

" You are allowed to go to the school again starting tomorrow. We are sorry for everything. You should be thankful to Aera. You will probably get drop out of the school if she didn't tell the truth to us."

" But everything is solved now. You already received your penalty for breaking the window. So, let's just end it here."

The principal said to Jake and allowed him to leave the room. Jake didn't say anything and walked towards the door,

He stood at the door and took a deep breath before looking at the principal again.

" Why did she get a bad penalty? She just skipped school for the first time."

The principal crossed his arm,
" What do you mean for a bad penalty? We told her to do 15 laps. It's better than 20 laps."

Jake held his anger,
" She is a woman. Do you know how weak women are? They are not stronger than men. Why did you let her suffer-"

" She already did the penalty. It's useless to talk about this."

" She fainted because of you, Mr. Cheon."

" Go, Jake."

Jake got mad, knowing the principal didn't care or worry about her at all.

" I wish your daughter will die because of the bad penalty that she receives from the teachers soon."

Jake muttered to the principal and left the room angrily.

-

Jake walked past the treatment room and suddenly stopped when he saw Sunghoon was staying with Aera as she still didn't wake up from her consciousness. He stood at the door, watching them from the window-

Jake bit his lips when Sunghoon suddenly sat on her bed and played with her hair.
He then slowly leaned his face closer to her, was about to kiss her.

Jake saw that.
He rolled his eyes and took a step away, ignoring what he just saw.

" Mr. Kang." Jake spotted Mr. Kang.

" Park Sunghoon is skipping the class. He is in the treatment room with Aera."

Mr. Kang quickly went to the treatment room and called for Sunghoon while Jake was hiding behind the wall, waiting for Sunghoon to leave while holding his laugh.

" I'm sorry, Mr. Kang," Sunghoon said and left the treatment room.

Jake got his chance.

He went to the treatment room and stood next to her bed with his eyes fixed on her seriously.

Jake sighed,
" I know you are stupid but don't flex it too much."

He kicked the bed, tried to wake her up.

" I told you I didn't want to protect you. Why are you so stupid? Do you think you are the heather? The pick me, girl? The main character?"

Jake asked her coldly and kicked the bed again.

" Tell me what do you want me to do after everything you did to me today."

" Do you expect me to cry? appreciate you? telling you how much you meant to me?"

" I don't care about it at all."

Jake said and took a step away.

His step stopped when Aera suddenly held his finger,

He turned his body to face her,
and surprised when she slowly opened her eyes.

" Oh don't wake up now."

" Sleep. Continue sleeping." Jake said and was about to leave again but Aera stopped him by still holding his finger.

" Jake." Aera smiled.

" This is the great thing I've ever done in my entire life." 

" I feel proud of myself."

"  Did I ask?" Jake asked her.

" I'm really happy to save you from getting into trouble." Aera continued, playing with his finger.

Jake didn't give any response and watched Aera adjusted her position, leaned her back against the wall before pulling Jake closer to her.

" What are you doing, stupid?"

" I just want to talk to you longer," Aera replied and patted the bed, telling him to sit next to her but he refused.

Aera pouted her lips and let go of his finger.

" I'm just trying to be friends with you because I'm comfortable being around you."

" But I guess, you didn't feel the same."

" What should I do to make you treat me nicely?"

" Do nothing," Jake replied seriously.

Aera gave up and just let him go.

" Jake."

" What now?"

" Do you want to know something?"

Jake crossed his arm and walked towards Aera, still with his poker face.

" You were right. The day I went to Jay's house, he just cared about Yebin instead of me. I felt stupid."

" You are originally stupid. Natural stupid."
Jake replied.

" But do you know Jake?" Aera smiled.

" I'm so jealous of you." She continued.

" How does it feel to be loved by someone you like?"

Jake confused.

" It must feel like heaven. I never experience that."

" What the hell are you talking about?"

" Yebin like you, Jake." Aera smiled making Jake's reaction changed immediately.

" Don't look at me in that way. I know you are happy with it."

" Yebin is not my-"

" I don't trust you." Aera teased him making him more frustrated.

" Go, Jake. Meet her and tell her about your feeling." Aera laughed, more like joking and teasing him.

" She is practicing her singing at the music room right now-"

Jake stopped Aera by running towards her and cupped her face making her looked at her.

" Don't say something nonsense."

Aera laughed,
" Are you getting shy?"

" Don't worry. I will keep this as a sec-"

Jake leaned her face closer causing her to shut her mouth as she was surprised by his action.

" If you don't want this to happen."

" You better shut your mouth."

Aera slowly nodded, avoided Jake's gaze on her nervously.

" I don't like that pick me girl and I will never catch a feeling on her."

" So, stop teasing me in that way. I don't like it."

" And also you. I don't like you."

" Stop being stupid. Stop protecting me. Just let me breathe happily."

Aera pouted her lips,
" Do you mean, you didn't appreciate my efforts? at least, say thank you to me-"

" I never ask you to do that. So, don't dream too much."

" Jake, why? do you hate me that much?"

Jake let go of her and nodded,
" A lot."

" Why? I just want to befriend with you and I never bring a problem to you-"

Jake cut her off by leaving her alone in the room, let her crying for thinking he hates her.

Jake leaned his back against the door.

" I hate you. I'm better off without you. I want you out of my life, but I never want to let you go."