We went to the back of the school hall- where no one would notice us due to the dim light. Jungkook looked around to see if there was anyone else before his eyes settled on our hands, still holding onto each other. Just when he let go of his hand did I realize we were staring at it for a few moments. 

"How did you come here?" He cracked the silence. Although the lights were too dim to be able to see clearly, I was sure his eyes were focused on me, waiting for an answer. But I won't give up that easily. "Car." I replied shortly and rolled my eyes as if it was an obvious answer.

He raised his brow, hands now inside his pocket, couldn't quite believe what he heard. 

"That's all? I'll get going then." I turned around and was about to walk away when suddenly he spoke up, "You aren't that stupid to know what I actually meant, right?" He emphasized the word 'actually'. 

I swear I could hear my heartbeats but thankfully we were a meter away from each other. Unless he got a really good pair of ears. "Or was being stupid the after-effect of being sent away from your own mother?" Your mom doesn't take you for her child. Perhaps that was what he was implying to.

My fingers trembled, it would be satisfying enough to give him a slap on the cheek. The tears welled up in my eyes, waiting for the time until my cheeks would be wet of it. No, no. Don't show him what he wants to see. Rather than answering, I remained quiet and controlled my breath. It was suddenly so difficult to breathe as if the air was blocked out of my lungs. "The latter it is, then. Well, I don't blame anyone. Kids like that tend to forget that the--"

I felt the heat of his skin on my cold fingers as soon as it landed on his cheek. The sound it made was loud due to the extra force and emotion I put into it. He froze for a moment, not moving for an inch before his hand reached to the spot where I hit him, looking back at me. I searched for a hint of his anger rising, at least somewhere in his eyes- but it was not there. I could find nothing else but an unreadable expression he would wear every time he was with me; ever since we were kids.

I had always been wondering what did I do wrong to him that I had to accept these consequences? Was it because his parents had died at such a young age? That if only they were still alive, he wouldn't have to face me.

"You deserve that. But your words pained me more than how much the slap did to you." I gulped as I summoned the courage to look at him in the eye, "So choose your words wisely the next time you are picking a fight." 

When I thought everything was finished, he instantly broke the hope with a hurtful remark."Remember this academy was only built for Faes with power. Oh, I'm also kinda worried that you might not survive here."

I looked at him from the corner of my eyes, lips twitched. "Or maybe you should better worry that I'm going to be able to prove myself." I turned around and walked away, leaving Jungkook standing there on his feet with whatever thought was in his mind.

*****

The Ugly Duckling. The story tells of a little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from the others around him due to its differences from the others. The first time when my father told me the story before going to sleep, I was so attracted to it. I imagined it being a laughing stock of all the animals around as they called him 'ugly'. "He must've been hurt", my 6-year-old-self would say whenever the story crosses my mind. The world was too cruel for punishing the duckling when all it had ever done was being different from the others. The world we live in.

I stared at the crumpled origami paper in my hand. I remembered the time when I started living with Ms. Hyun; my grandmother, not long after father's burial. Every time before bed, papers would be scattered all over the bed as I tried to fold it to look like the one I made with my father, an origami of a swan. But it never happened. All the papers were wasted, turned into nothing. And that was when I got furious. I unfolded the origami, believing that I would finally be able to make one once I recall the step. I folded, folded, and folded as my mind slowly forgetting a few steps every fold I made. I was getting more furious, sad and I hated myself so much that I cried myself to bed for about a few weeks until I finally got over it. Ms. Hyun comforted me when she found out and I was very thankful for her supports and deep talks, but it never made me oblivious of my mistake by ruining my favourite memory of him. So ever since then, I stopped trying.

Fortunately, school life was busier than I thought. My mind was too occupied to be thinking of unnecessary things that I came to forget it had already been a month since I enrolled the academy. "Hey, Irene." The whispering voice captured my attention and I realized it was Sooyoung, sitting a few tables across me. 

I rolled my eyes and slid the paper back inside my pocket. "What do you want?" 

I and Sooyoung were not even close, I would even think twice whether to acknowledge her as a friend or a stranger or accurately, in between. Other than a few greets, we never really went more than that. "Don't you have a class now?"

I blinked at the watch on my wrist, bewildered on how I could forget about the class I was supposed to attend 15 minutes ago. My eyes widened in reflex as I stood up, tidying up the papers and pens on the table. Shit shit shit, I mumbled through my breath and slung my bag to my shoulder as I headed out of the library. If it was other professors, I would not be as panic.

I rushed through the flight of stairs and halted in front of the open door. All eyes were on me and I knew the teacher's attention was on me too when his lecture stopped and everything went silent. 

"Should I carry you inside or did you forget you have legs?" Mr. Choi mumbled sarcastically as he slightly twitched his lips into a smirk, making the other students laugh. That... was a bad joke, I told myself as I stepped into the chamber where we would practice our magic for the class session.

"I was about to show them an example..." he pulled an apple out of nowhere and handed it to me. "...but as a punishment, you'll do it instead." He smiled. I gulped, my breath hitched as I sweat. If he's really gonna let me do it, then he's gone too far. The students were whispering and some even chuckled, curious what would happen to me.

That was not an ordinary apple. That was Saenity; an apple which was put on a spell. Only Nobles would remain sane if they consume it and utter the right spell. But that fruit would cause insanity to Normal Faes, just like how it did to me when I first tried it at grandmother's home. When I took a bite, I did not remember anything until grandma told me I went out of the house naked (luckily there was no one to witness it) and blabbered every foolish thought.

If I eat it, won't everyone know that I'm not a Noble Fae? Well, maybe a few might already had a hint of it, but, this will make it more obvious. There's no way I'm going to make a shame out of myself. But if I excuse myself, they will assume me as weak. It would not even be surprising if they teased me and tricked me into eating one out of curiosity. 

"Hey, hold this for a moment. Mrs. Jung called out for me so I need to head out for a second." Mr. Choi handed the apple to one of the girls and was about to step out of the class, but stopped abruptly and turned to warn them. "DO NOT do anything stupid." He glanced at the whole class for the last time before walking away in a rush.

The girl looked at me and the apple, an evil smirk formed on her face. 

"W-what are you looking at?" I stuttered. I was trying to cover the fact that I am terrified, but my body disagreed with the idea. I took a few steps back, my forehead was suddenly sweating.

All of a sudden, Ara took the apple from the girl's hand, "Let me do the honor."

The fruit flew into my mouth when she pointed her wand to me, forcing me to eat it.

I quickly took it out of my mouth in panic, but I accidentally bit it and its juice had already traveled through my throat. I shut my eyes as I could feel the tingling of the juice poking the insides of my stomach. 

I looked around me, trying to balance myself but my vision was too blurry. My head was spinning before the world around me swirled and became dark.
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Heyyy so who read The Cruel Prince? Lol honestly the last scene was inspired by that book XD So hope u guys enjoy it and do leave some votes and comments^^