|| On the Rooftop ||
"I hate you, Jim! I hate you!!" Cherry sobbed, her voice breaking through the tears.
Suddenly, Jim appeared at the rooftop, his sports bag slung over one shoulder. His eyes locked onto Cherry, who sat on a can, her clothes ruined, her face streaked with tears.
Jim hesitated, unable to speak at first. He moved closer and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Please leave me alone, Martha" Cherry whispered, her head buried between her legs.
"I'm leaving this college," she continued, her voice barely audible. "I'll run away from everyone's life. I'll never come back."
"You're not going anywhere," Jim said firmly, his eyes soft but unwavering.
Cherry looked up at him, a mixture of disbelief and hurt in her gaze. "Huh?"
"If you haven't done anything wrong, then why are you leaving?" Jim asked, his tone gentle yet direct.
"Please stop acting innocent," Cherry said, her tears falling freely. "Just leave me alone."
Jim wiped the tears from her cheeks, his heart heavy with guilt.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice thick with regret. He gently took her hand in his, then pulled up his sleeve and began to wipe the dirt from her face. Cherry's face flushed, a mix of confusion and embarrassment filling her.
"Come with me," Jim said softly, his grip tightening around her hand as he guided her toward his hostel room.
---
|| In Jim's Room ||
"Go take a shower," Jim instructed, setting down the spare clothes on the bed. "I'll leave these here for you. They should be comfortable."
Cherry glanced at him, uncertainty still clouding her eyes. "Can I ask you something, Jim?"
Jim turned to face her and nodded. "Of course."
"Why are you helping me?" Cherry asked, her voice filled with vulnerability.
Jim stared at her, lost for words for a moment. His eyes softened. "Because... I feel guilty. For everything that's happened to you. For the way I treated you."
Cherry shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "You don't need to feel guilty for me, Jim. I'm strong. I can handle all of this."
"So, that's why you're leaving college?" Jim asked, a glimmer of sadness in his tone.
Cherry stared at him, her voice catching in her throat. "I'm leaving because…"
Jim interrupted, his voice soft but insistent. "Go clean yourself up. We'll talk later."
With that, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
---
|| On the Other Side – In the College ||
"Cherry's video is all over the college," Olivia said, laughing as she scrolled through the comments on her phone. "She's famous now."
"At least she should thank us," Luna chimed in, her voice laced with sarcasm. "We made her popular."
"We'll make her thank us," Juliet added, popping her chewing gum with a smirk.
"If you want, I can post it on the internet too," Robert said, grinning as he kissed Luna's hand.
"Aww, baby, you care about me so much," Luna cooed, leaning in to kiss him on the lips.
Suddenly, a crumpled paper ball hit Luna's head.
"What the hell?" Luna snapped, her anger flaring. She whipped around, searching for the culprit.
"HOW DARE YOU BULLY HER!" Jim's voice boomed, his fury visible in every muscle of his body.
"Jim…" Luna stammered, stepping back.
"Hey, Jim! How dare you hurt Luna!" Robert shouted, stepping forward in anger.
"Like she dares to hurt Cherry?" Jim retorted, his death stare aimed at Robert.
"Jim, why do you care?" Juliet sneered. "You bullied her too, didn't you?"
"So what?!" Jim shouted back. "I hurt her, but I didn't do what you all did! Why are you still bullying her?!"
"Humph! Are you in love with her, Jim?" Olivia teased, her voice dripping with mockery as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Just stop with your nonsense," Jim growled, shoving her away.
"That means you are," Olivia said, stepping closer to him.
"Olivia, stop it," Juliet warned, grabbing her arm.
"Jim, you can scare everyone, but I'm not afraid of you," Olivia said, her voice low and taunting. She stepped even closer, her breath warm against his ear. "Why don't you spend a night with me, Jim? I could help you become a happy person."
Jim recoiled, his anger flaring. "Keep your filthy hands off me."
"Oh, what if I don't?" Olivia taunted, a smirk on her lips.
"I know you're betraying your boyfriend," Jim said quietly, leaning in and whispering in her ear, "Shall I tell him the truth, Olivia?"
Olivia froze. "How… how do you know about that?"
"I saw you in the bar with your second boyfriend," Jim replied, his voice cold.
Olivia staggered back, eyes wide in shock.
Jim turned to face the group, his voice seething with anger. "From now on, if any of you lay a finger on Cherry, you won't know what hit you. Don't test me."
He stormed off, leaving the group in stunned silence.
---
|| As Jim Left ||
"I'll hurt her," Alice muttered, throwing her bag to the floor with a crash. "No matter what happens to me next."
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TO BE CONTINUED
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