Chapter 10

Lia, who just ran out of her tent while crying not knowing where to go, hides at the back of the barbeque place where she took a photo with Dan yesterday. She was crying while squatting down hiding her face.

*just why?* thought Lia while crying alone.

She doesn't want to meet anyone right now. Not even Liyli and not even Dan. She doesn't know how to face Dan and everyone when most of them know that she's an online novel writer and plus, she wrote a story about them. No wonder the students has been calling her a 'freak' and a 'stalker'. People thought she's weird. Fantasizing a love story between her and Dan when both of them are nothing more than just friends.

At the thought of it, Lia was crying alone. This is why she hates the attention. She knows that people would just throw hate on her. While she was there alone, she heard a familiar voice was calling her.

"Lia,"

Lia, who heard it, looked up with tears running down her face and saw Dan was panting. She knows that he might be running looking for her.

"Go away." Said Lia loud enough for Dan to hear and hides her face in her arms.

"Lia, I've been looking for you…" said Dan as he walked towards Lia. "I bet you hate me too. Everyone has been calling me a freak, a stalker and giving me a death glare since I woke up. You're gonna call me that too, right?" Asked Lia as she stands up trying to run away from Dan, but luckily he caught her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He hugs her tightly, not wanting to let her go.

"Lia," called Dan. His voice was very calming and soothing, enough to calm her down.

"I told you before right? I would never laugh on whatever you wanna do. You told me you love writing. You even write an online novel. Even yesterday, instead of playing with friend, you were writing in front of me. Have I laughed about it?" asked Dan as he broke the hug to look at her face.

Her eyes red from the crying and her face are wet with her tears. "But I never told you I wrote a story about us…" said Lia in her lower voice.

"So what, it's just a novel. Anyone can write about it. It's not wrong… there's nothing to be ashamed of." Said Dan as he wipes her tears using his thumb.

"It's okay…" said Dan softly.

"The photo… last night... What about it?" asked Lia in worried.

"About that, I'm sure the one who posted it is someone who is in the camping site too. Don't worry, I'll look into that." Said Dan.

"For now, you should go back to Liyli she's been looking for you too…" added Dan and Lia nodded.

"I think I should… I was yelling at her and In Ha just now… I should say sorry to them…" said Lia.

"Thank you Dan." Said Lia and Dan nodded with a smile.

-----------------------

A week later, the news about Lia at the forum are still being discussed in the forum. As soon as she arrived at the campus, the students have been staring at her in the most hateful way. Lia covered herself in her hoodie as she walked to the lecture hall. Once she arrived at the lecture hall, she sat at the back not wanting to make an eye contact with her classmates. A few minutes later, she noticed that someone was sitting next to her and it was Dan.

"Dan, what are you doing here?" asked Lia

"Sitting next to you, is that wrong?" asked Dan as he raised his eyebrows.

"N-no, it's just that people might be hating you too…" said Lia as she looked down.

"Let them be. Whatever it is, you're not wrong. I'm still looking for the one who did this to you…" said Dan as he takes out his notebook getting ready for the class.

"That's okay, I can look for it on my own…" said Lia

"Then, let's look for it together." Said Dan making Lia smiled.

While both of them were talking, suddenly, she saw Donghoon was sitting in front of them followed by In Ha.

"Morning guys~" greeted Donghoon as he take of his bag and place it on the table.

"You guys shouldn't be sitting here with me…" said Lia to Donghoon and In Ha. "Wait, is it because of the thing in the forum?" asked Donghoon and Lia nodded. "Just let them be. I don't care about it. Plus, the photo when you both went out is the day when we all went for a site visit… and the photo when you both at the pool…." Said Donghoon while snickering at them and Dan almost throws his bottle at him. "Yah," said Donghoon trying to defend himself from getting hit by the bottle. "I know that Dan was gonna meet you that night." Added Donghoon.

Then, he nudged In Ha as he knows that she's gonna say something. "Yah, just say what you said to me just now~" said Donghoon. Then, In Ha cleared her throat and looked at Lia.

"Even though I hate you, but trust me, I wouldn't do that to anyone no matter how much I hate them. Plus, like I told you before, I was dead asleep in the tent that night that I don't even know you're awake though I'm a bit surprised when I saw the photo." Said In Ha. "But I can assure you, I didn't do it." Said In Ha.

Then, while both of them were talking, their lecturer has arrived and started the class. Lia, who was sitting next to Dan, feeling grateful to know that there are people by her side. She was very thankful to have them.

Two hours later, the lecture has ended and Donghoon asked them to have a lunch together at the café. And while at that, both of them can have a little discussion on their project. When Donghoon and Dan left the hall together, Lia had called for In Ha.

"In Ha-ah," called Lia.

"Thank you." Said Lia with her lower voice.

"No worries. Dan was a best friend to me. Truth to be told, I did get jealous when I saw he's with you all the time. But as what I said earlier, as much as I hate someone, I won't humiliate them. Plus, I do read your stories. I can't believe the author is you." Said In Ha while smiling as she walked away leaving her behind.

Lia was too surprised to know that In Ha read her story.

"Oh my god, In Ha read my story?" muttered Lia alone feeling excited to know she has met one of her readers.

"In Ha-ah, wait for me!" shouted Lia as she ran to catch up with her and asked lots of questions and opinions at In Ha as her reader. A few minutes later, once they've reached the café, both of them saw Dan and Donghoon have saved a seat for them. "Yah, over here!" said Donghoon calling them to have a seat with them.

Then, four of them were having their lunch together with laughter, and Donghoon making his dead jokes.

"Yah, quit it, will you?" annoyed In Ha.

Suddenly, came a few girls who turn out to be the sophomore students, pour a water on Lia in front of Dan, In Ha and Donghoon.

"YAH!" yelled Dan in fury.

"Sunbae, why are you still hanging out with this freak? She fantasizes about you." Said one of the girls in the most annoying way.

"So what? I rather hang out with her than you." Said Dan trying to hold his anger.

"If you don't know the truth behind the story, don't judge it." Said Donghoon and rolled his eyes.

In Ha who saw it, took her water and splashed it at those girls.

"You want the attention, am I right?" asked In Ha "there, I give you the attention. Now how do you feel when you get splashed by water, humiliated, aren't you? Next time before you do it to someone else, think first. You think Dan will like you?" said In Ha and they know that once In Ha got mad, it's not easy to calm her down.

"Now scram." Said In Ha. With that, those girls ran away from them feeling so humiliated after what In Ha had said to them. Then, four of them sitting back together at the table finishing their lunch. In Ha gave Lia a handkerchief to help her wipe her wet hair and clothes.

"Don't you think we really should find the culprit? It's getting pretty annoying." Said In Ha

"Yeah, is there anyone suspicious around you?" asked Donghoon as he drink his coke.

Lia shook her head. The only people that she's been hanging out to are them, and also Liyli. No one else. So Lia has no idea at all. But the only one who knows that she writes a novel are Dan and Liyli. But Dan never knows her laptop password, nor even does he touch her laptop. Plus, Dan was with her that night so there's no way he would go through her laptop. But then, one person came across her mind.

***

An hour later, Lia had texted Liyli to meet her in the library. She was so thankful and In Ha let her borrow her clothes for today, or else she will be wearing the wet adn dirty clothes all day. Therefore, right after Liyli class ended, she straight away went to the library to meet her best friend. As soon as she reached the library, she found that Lia was sitting alone at the corner of them book shelves typing something on her laptop.

"Hi!" said Liyli making Lia startled.

"Liyli, you almost made me scream in the library~" scolded Lia and Liyli chuckled seeing her best friend's reaction. "Writing your story?" asked Liyli as she put down her bad on her table.

"Yup. Have your class ended today?" asked Lia and Liyli nodded.

"Why did you suddenly wanna meet me? Is there anything that you wanna share?" asked Liyli as she raised her eyebrows knowing that Lia has something to share.

"Guess what?" asked Lia

"What is it? Oh my god, just tell me~~" pleaded Liyli as she shook Lia's arms. Then, Lia showed her the email that she just received this morning, and it was an email that she got from a company informing she got accepted to be an intern at the company.

"Oh my god, finally!!!" said Liyli trying to hold her excitement as they were in the library.

"I'm so happy for you~" said Liyli as she hug Lia.

"I got it this morning, and you're the first one to know…I have not told my parents yet~" said Lia and smiled. Then, she told Liyli that she's going to the toilet for a while. With that, she leaves with her laptop turned on.

While Lia went to the toilet, Liyli looked to her right and left and saw that no one was in the area. Then, she took Lia's laptop and took some photos on her laptop. While she was so into looking through Lia's laptop, she got surprised when someone called her from behind.

"Liyli, what are you doing?"

And it was Lia.