Loving A Triple Threat

Mr Paks clapped, "That was average. No, that was crap. I don't think any of you will make it. You don't work hard enough, you're not serious enough. Well one maybe, but she isn't one of you."

The boys g.r.o.a.n.e.d. It had taken three months for her to become the teacher's pet. He loved her more than Shin-Wa. And although her time with them was coming to an end, it couldn't come fast enough as far as they were concerned. Almost, all of them. Jordan was the exception, he loved her as much as Mr Paks.

Mr Paks approached his star student, "Gi, is this your last week? Is Ms Moon stealing you back from me?" Mr Paks asked.

Gi bowed, embarrassed, "Sir, how can she steal what is hers?"

Mr Paks laughed and clapped his hands again, "And witty." He gave her another title.

"Gather round everyone and listen. I want to teach you something," Mr Paks announced as if he never actually taught anything as he just yelled insults.

He grabbed Gi by the shoulders and turned her around to face the class of boys. "I know you all think she is my favourite," and his introduction to the teachable moment was met with coughs of affirmation.

"But young men. There is a lesson here. If only you could see it," He still held Gi firmly by the shoulders he stood behind her facing the boys, talking over her left shoulder.

"Listen. Apply. Practice. Create," he said seriously. "This girl has improved faster than I thought possible. Why?"

His question was met with silence.

Mr Paks remained quiet.

Jordan would usually never speak out in class, but he decided to on this one occasion, "She listens, applies, practices and then creates her own dance from what she has learned."

Mr Paks nodded and grinned at all the boys. "I am glad one of you is listening." He said failing to acknowledge Jordan's brilliance for the hundredth time.

Mr Paks growled at the boys, "Real strength is from determination. It's not talent, its not luck and its certainly not who your parents are. Boys. Learn from Gi." He then waved a hand dismissively, "Or be obstinate retards for all I care."

Mr Paks then turned Gi around to face him, "Ok be off with you. Run back to Ms Moon. I never want to see you here again making all us men look bad." Mr Paks' eyes filled with water, although he didn't cry, everyone could see he was tearing up. The emotion was too much for his students. They all turned away to look at something distant out a window.

Gi gave the surprised teacher a hug before she grabbed her bag and ran off. She didn't want to hang around and put up the jealousy that would surely follow from Shin-Wa and his pack.

As she ran back to Branksome, with her bag in hand, she texted Jordan. 'Dinner?' He would get the text and reply later.

For the next hour, she made herself busy with Ms Ling and vocal exercises.

It was almost dinner time when she checked her phone. She had received texts from Jordan and Ren.

At first, Jordan had accepted her dinner request, but then later he mysteriously sent a text saying he couldn't make it - with no reason provided.

She checked Ren's messages, 'Something happened with Jordan' was all he sent mysteriously

Gi texted them both, but rather than wait for an answer she ran back to Daeil.

Before she arrived, her phone buzzed, and it was Jordan. 'Can't meet you today, later in the week - I had an accident.'

Gi thought about it, if he had an accident he would have gone to the school nurse. She texted him back, 'I'm here at Daeil - coming to the school nurse to find you.'

As she was walking there he texted her back again, 'I'm not there. If you must meet me - I'm out the front in the car park.'

Gi ran to the Daeil car park, and there he was waiting with his bag. She ran up to him and immediately noticed what was wrong. His face was bruised and bloodied. He'd been in a fight, and then she noticed his arm was scr.a.p.ed as well.

"Jordan!" She cried in distress. "What happened."

"I don't want to talk about it," he said softly and sadly. "My mom is coming to get me, she will be here soon."

Gi went touch his face and he flinched. "Don't move," she breathed. "Oh, Jordan who did this to you? Tell me."

"No. Stay out of it," he replied.

Gi made a soothing sound like you would a wounded animal and then said, "Jordan. I'm your friend. I am here. Okay. I will wait with you until your mother gets here. Don't keep me away again."

Gi cried a little, she was in such distress for her friend. And then her brain got into gear. "It's not because you're gay is it? They didn't bash you because you are gay? I will f.u.c.k.i.n.g kill them!" Swearing and threatening were out of character for Gi, but she was mad. She was beyond mad, she was livid.

He shook his head.

Gi wasn't looking, she got out her phone and called Jae-Sun Ruek.

"Gi?" He answered immediately, "Is everything okay?"

She was crying and angry, she was crangry, "Jae-Sun, can you come to Daeil car park now? Are you busy?"

"Gi! I'll be right there," and he hung up.

Gi began to text Officer Ruek some details - the few she had.

"What're you doing?" Jordan asked anxiously.

"I called a friend. He can help," Gi said softly and moved closer to Jordan. "Tell me," she asked again.

"Gi, why are you so stubborn," he replied. He winced in pain as she touched him again.

She lifted his shirt and gasped. His side was all bruised.

Gi went to her bag retrieved some wipes and her towel. She began to wipe the blood from his face and arm. When her phone buzzed again.

"Tell me," she ordered Jordan. "How can I help you if you won't talk?"

"No, it's ok," he said, "I'll handle it."

"Grr," she replied, "If you weren't hurt. I'd hit you."

He chuckled and then winced.

She decided to check her phone. I was Ren, 'Where are you? Jordan was bashed.'

Gi replied, 'I'm with him now. Do you know why?'

Ren, 'No, but I will find out. Where are you?'

Gi, 'Car Park. Find out and come.'

Ren, 'Okay. Love you.'

Gi, 'Not on the phone! I care about you.'

Gi was wary that anything on her phone, which was now paid for by YG, could be accessed and reviewed by them. She needed a personal one, one which YG didn't know about, but she didn't want to ask while they were still in money trouble.

She deleted all of her and Ren's texts from the conversation. Then she went back to wiping down Jordan, tenderly and carefully.

"You may as well tell me now, Ren will find out and tell me soon," Gi said.

"Ren?" Jordan said with confusion. "He was there."

Gi stopped. "What?" She breathed, she began to panic.

"He didn't do anything," Jordan replied. "But he didn't defend you."

It was then they heard police sirens. Gi looked around and she could also see Ren running from the school towards them.

By the time Ren arrived, the sirens were getting very loud. "What's going on?" Ren asked loudly.

It was then that Officer Ruek pulled into the car park in his police car. It was him, they were his sirens. He drove straight towards the trio before the police car came to a screeching halt and he got out in a fluid motion.

"Gi, are you ok?" He asked in concern as he strode towards her.

"I texted you Jae-sun," she replied and then pointed to the injured boy, "this is Jordan, my best friend, and he was bashed today."

"Jae-Sun?" Ren quizzed, he knew the name. He looked at the policeman and after a moment recognized him. Jae-Sun was hard to miss, he was tall, muscular and handsome. "The security guard is a policeman. And he is Jae-Sun?" Ren asked himself in bewilderment.

Gi turned on Ren, "You have some explaining to do." She accused him.

"As do you," Ren replied. "You told me at the after party, when we stayed in the hotel that you were rejected by someone called Jae-Sun."

"I did?" Gi queried, before realising that she must have. She had her first drink of alcohol and she wasn't herself. But there was no other way for Ren to know this.

She shook her head angrily, "Ren!" She shouted. "Is this what concerns you right now? With Jordan beaten. And you lying. Now tell me what happened."

Officer Ruek had looked at Ren and stepped forward, he placed a calming and restraining hand on Gi's shoulder. "Yes, please," he said getting out his official police notebook. "Tell me what happened."

Ren's mouth open and closed, he was lost for words.

"The …," he stammered. "The YG feeders, they were saying nasty things about Gi. Rather than antagonise them I … I was going to report them to Mr Paks. And then Jordan started fighting Shin-Wa. He punched him in the side of the head. And then he kicked another. That was when all of them started getting stuck into him. They knew because he started it they would get away with it I guess. So, they punched and kicked him. And even when he was on the ground they didn't stop."

Gi was crying while listening to Ren and she whimpered, "And you did nothing."

Jae-Sun stepped in, "You," he pointed to Ren, "will identify all the boys in the fight and make a statement." He wasn't supposed to order a citizen to give a statement, but none of them knew that and he sounded quite scary to Ren.

"And you," he turned to Jordan, "You will come with me now to the hospital for treatment, photos and full doc.u.mentation of your injuries."

He then turned to Gi, "Miss Reyn, you can come as support for your friend and where I can keep an eye on you."

He turned one last time to Ren. "Now get out of my sight." He remembered Joon's party too well. "You can head down to the station now and make your statement. I will read it later."

"But …" Ren began.

"No buts Ren," Gi growled, "do it. Or we are over."

Ren did not look happy. He looked down at the ground and without a backward glance he turned and walked off.