Chapter 160: Chapter 160
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Besides, she had already brought home the bacon, even without her remark just now. Most of the kids in the school were thinking about how Ham Donnie did something wrong to Ban Yeo Ryung, so Ham Donnie couldn’t resist that long. Although she denied the rumors, she wouldn’t be able to gather any proof that would reveal the truth at all. That was when Choi Yuri smiled with that thought in mind.
Ham Donnie, at last, showed a change in her facial expression. Her eyes furrowed as if she was about to cry. Perking the corners of her lips upwards, Choi Yuri waited in a relaxed att.i.tude for Ham Donnie to open her mouth and responded about how she agreed to what she wanted.
However, out of the clear blue sky, what Ham Donnie said through her opened mouth was something completely unantic.i.p.ated.
“I thought you would apologize to me.”
“What?”
“I have nothing else to discuss with you. After calling me here, all you’re saying is that I should transfer to another school… geez, what an advice you got there.”
Ham Donnie looked as if she was in a bad mood but not mad enough to lash out. That was all she said. She then shrugged with a smile and turned back. Her unexpected reaction made Choi Yuri blank out.
‘What’s going on?’ having that thought in mind, Choi Yuri called her in a loud voice unconsciously.
“Hold on, where are you going?”
“Didn’t you finish what you had to say? I’m leaving.”
Ham Donnie looked shameless as if asking Choi Yuri if there was any more left for them to talk about.
‘Gosh,’ Choi Yuri felt ludicrous. Standing with her feet on the ground, she stared at Ham Donnie blankly. It was not a joke. Ham Donnie half-opened the door to leave the rooftop.
Pulling herself together, Choi Yuri asked, “You… where are you going?”
“Going back home,” Ham Donnie replied, still, with a nonchalant face.
‘How… how can she…?’ Feeling perplexed, Choi Yuri pouted before asking her back.
“I mean, how can you be that shameless? Are you really gonna continue going to our school?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Don’t you feel guilty? If I were you, I couldn’t stand being here. People already know your true colors, and when you get along with other kids, you won’t stop how the controversies would spread. You don’t want that, right? It’s stressful and exhausting. Even other kids would hate that.”
“What if I say things aren’t true at all?”
Ham Donnie still sounded tranquil. ‘A-ha, there’s something that you trust yet,’ Choi Yuri thought as she burst out a small giggle involuntarily. ‘How naïve of you to believe that there’s someone who will still trust you when you deny the rumor!’
Choi Yuri suppressed her laughter and continued her remark.
“No matter how many times you reject the rumor, it has already spread out. Come on, why do you think the rumor circulated in the first place? It’s because everyone also thinks the same. Just admit it.”
Ham Donnie still looked fatigued. Listening to Choi Yuri’s conclusion quietly, she crossed her arms. ‘Is she ready to talk now?’ Choi Yuri thought.
She would confess how troubled she was or blame her for spreading all those rumors; however, Ham Donnie was so nonchalant that it was Choi Yuri who felt disconcerted. ‘Once she talked to me, her mind will change. If she still doesn’t realize her situation and just thinks that she’s innocent, then I’ll utterly break her down,’ murmured Choi Yuri.
That was when Ham Donnie opened her mouth.
“What’s the reason for you to talk determinedly like this to me? Just because the rumor spread out and everybody gossips about it? Or is it because the people around you consider it the truth?”
“What?”
“The power of the rumor that you trust so much… I don’t believe that. Rumors are less potent than you think.”
Tilting her head to the side, Ham Donnie stared at Choi Yuri slightly askew. With a composed face, she continued her words.
“Didn’t you already hear from Ban Yeo Ryung? Aren’t you aware of the rumors about her that swept the school every year, such as how she loves boys, only cares about guys, lives up to her looks, steals boyfriends of the girls who are prettier than her, b.i.t.c.hy, arrogant… Don’t you think that I didn’t get involved in any of those rumors? I’m next to Ban Yeo Ryung intentionally as a maid to beg something from her, or, at least, to get along with the Four Heavenly Kings. In fact, Ban Yeo Ryung and the Four Heavenly Kings don’t regard Ham Donnie as a friend…”
“…”
Choi Yuri clenched her fist.
Ban Yeo Ryung, sometimes confessed those stories to her in a nonchalant tone. ‘What did I say to her at those moments?’ Perhaps, Choi Yuri might have said that it would’ve been tough.
How did she look back then? Did she have a tearful face? No, that wasn’t right. Ban Yeo Ryung just shrugged and said that she’s alright.
Choi Yuri opened her lips involuntarily. She then spat out a shrill voice through her open mouth.
“So?”
“Think. If the rumor was as strong as you’ve mentioned, then our friends might have turned away from us, and we wouldn’t be able to make new friends, but look at me now,” said Ham Donnie, slightly, while raising her chin. Her brown hair waved through the breeze.
“Have you ever heard from Ban Yeo Ryung whether she trusts the rumor or not? Did the Four Heavenly Kings ever talk about me? No, because they don’t give a s.h.i.+t about those fake gossip. Many of my cla.s.smates don’t believe them because they know who I am since I’m their friend.”
“…”
“Those who later became close to me and who were hesitant to approach me told me afterward that before they knew me well, they thought about those bad rumors first before looking at me. Some kids even apologized for talking about such things carelessly.”
Pausing, Ham Donnie drew in her breath. She then lifted her eyes to look at Choi Yuri. Within her dark-brown eyes, the rays of sunset permeated and tinged them into a crimson hue. Her gaze somehow seemed more determined than before, which discomforted Choi Yuri.
Ham Donnie continued, “And that’s why I don’t care about your rumor. That ain’t true. I always did and will live to prove that.”
Gosh… Choi Yuri twisted the corners of her lips upwards. She nearly laughed out loud while thinking, ‘How ridiculous she is right now.’
“Is that why you didn’t say anything so far? Why don’t you just say you are at a loss of words, huh?”
“If there was something I should say, I already said to my friends. Your words were groundless; besides, those who had trusted those fake rumors weren’t my people from the beginning.”
“…”
“This whole incident made me know about the people who are real with me. All I ever care about are those who were around me. Your rumor, at least, can’t risk the relations.h.i.+p I have with my friends. You and this rumor are just nothing to me, get it?”
‘What?’ Choi Yuri widened her eyes in shock. What she just said was something that Choi Yuri never antic.i.p.ated.
Ham Donnie would be in such pain. She would have thought that transferring to another school would be better than suffering because of those rumors; thus, Choi Yuri could provoke her with just a few words. Ham Donnie, however, said that the rumor was nothing to her and even Choi Yuri herself.
Ham Donnie’s remark continued unperturbedly.
“I’m just gonna forget about it, so I have nothing to say to you. Just do whatever you want. It doesn’t matter. I don’t care about whatever you want to say about me; I’ll just forget about you and this situation. Ignore me, too, if you want.”
“How can you forget about it when you did such things to Ban Yeo Ryung? How can you be so selfish?” Choi Yuri shrieked unconsciously.
‘It doesn’t matter, so she’ll forget about it? How much effort did I put in to create this situation? How can she just say that she’ll move on? That won’t work,’ Choi Yuri thought while clenching her fist tightly.
As if she heard Choi Yuri’s mumble, Ham Donnie paused her steps and looked back again. The reply that she uttered smashed Choi Yuri’s head like a bombsh.e.l.l.
“As a response to what you’ve just asked, Ban Yeo Ryung doesn’t believe your bulls.h.i.+t at all. Stop acting like you’re her spokesperson and just mind your own business.”
“…”
“Do you know how hilarious you are since earlier? ‘The reason why I’m talking like this is that you’ve done something wrong.’ Please! All these talks about how the reason why you want me to transfer is for Ban Yeo Ryung and other kids… It sounds as if you’re devoting yourself disinterestedly for the greater good; however, your saint-like att.i.tude doesn’t completely erase your involvement in all of these.”
‘b.i.t.c.h…’ thought Choi Yuri with her jaw dropped.