The two of them were standing in front of the principle who kept eyeing them one by one while the boys were doing just what every student who made it to the principle office would.

They were silent.

“Guess I’m not going to hear your version of what happened,” the woman – and Donghae suddenly found himself totally forgetting her name; he only remembered her surname was Lee, just like his and Hyukjae’s – spoke, sounding surprisingly gentle. Not like students ever got the chance to call any of the teachers, yet alone the principle, by their name anyway.

Their teacher came here to tell his side of the story and went back to the class, leaving everything for the principle Lee to decide. She never interrupted the man while he was speaking, although didn’t evaluate his story as well. Once he left, the woman tried to encourage the boys to talk, yet that didn’t work.

“Okay, this happens,” principle Lee spoke eventually. “Sometimes students feel just too guilty, so they don’t add anything as they know they’re going to be punished anyway.” She looked right into Donghae’s eyes all of a sudden. “But sometimes they don’t believe their voices are going to be heard, so they choose to keep silent.”

The boy didn’t speak still. He frowned a little, realizing she probably expected him to say something, but he just… he didn’t know what to say. Donghae had literally zero desire to dwell into everything that was happening to him ever since he returned to school, and he didn’t know what else to say.

Principle Lee sighed. She placed her elbows on the desk and locked her palms together, looking at the younger boy intensely.

“I know things were hard for you lately, Donghae,” she said and smiled lightly when the boy’s eyes widened in surprise. “I can’t do it all the time, but I tried to keep an eye on you… at least somehow. Many things changed for you, starting from the way you feel about yourself,” a quick glance at Hyukjae, “ending with your circle of friends. It’s quite challenging, right? To be going through everything you’re facing right now. And I wanted to say sorry because it looks like our school isn’t helping you to deal with all of that.”

Donghae frowned once again, deciding he finally got the question he wanted to ask her.

“How much do you know?” he inquired, and the woman’s gaze locked on him.

“Apparently, not as much as I should,” she said. “Like I said, I can’t keep an eye on you as much as I want to. Is there anything I should know? You can tell me. I know it’s hard to trust the principle, but I promise I’m on your side and you can talk freely here.”

Donghae wondered whether he could for real. Whether he had the rights to speak about the conversations he eavesdropped beside the teacher’s room, whether he could say teachers here are never truly on his side and get away with it. Whether he could speak about the literal bullying that’s happening here and what part his ex-friends played in it.

He wasn’t sure he really trusted her enough with that. And if he will… is there any guarantee he won’t regret it later? Kids do not tell about bullying not because they think the adults can’t punish their bullies.

They’re simply afraid the said bullies will make their life even harder after that.

There was not much time left before they graduate. Just a bit more than one term. He could manage, Donghae hoped he could manage. And then… he’ll leave. He’ll find a university as far from here as he only can and try to never run into the same people ever again.

Yes, he’ll escape. Like a coward. Simply because there’s not too much he could do anyway.

So, it was pointless to tell her anything.

“I don’t think there is,” the boy said eventually, noticing how Hyukjae gave him a long evaluating look. “But I’ll remember what you said.”

It took principle Lee a few seconds before she managed to smile and said, “Okay then. I really mean every word I said, Donghae. To prove you I’m on your side, I’m not going to punish you.”

The boys looked at each other in surprise, then back at the woman.

“Really?” the younger asked. “You won’t?”

She nodded, “You didn’t punch each other on anything, and I believe the teacher is responsible for not handling the situation well, too. Would be unfair to punish you for that.”

The corners of Donghae’s mouth twitched, yet he was uncertain he really could smile.

“So that means,” he gulped. “That means… no need to stay here?”

Principle Lee nodded, “Yes, but promise me you’ll at least consider coming here if something troubles you too much. I know sometimes it feels like the whole world is against you, but not me, Donghae. Never me. I can’t control the whole school, but I can promise that you’re not alone here.” She looked at Hyukjae and smiled. “Though I believe you never were alone here.”

If Donghae didn’t know him better, he’d think Hyukjae got a bit shy after hearing that remark. The guy cleared his throat and looked away, asking, “Does that mean we can go?”

The smile on the woman’s face changed when she said, “It means Donghae can go.”

The older among the two guys looked at her with a frown, “You said you won’t punish us.”

“For being the victims of this situation? Of course, I won’t punish you for that. But, Hyukjae, calling your teacher a moron? I think that’s a bit different case.” She changed her pose, obviously enjoying the displeasure written all over Hyukjae’s face. “I also heard you were skipping classes quite often. You know it’s forbidden, right?”

“Are you going to suspend me?”

“Would be not wise of me to do that considering everything.” Principle Lee looked at Donghae once again, and the latter thought that she didn’t mean the fact Hyukjae was skipping classes anyway. Maybe that was a trap the boy was falling for, but he… he almost believed she simply didn’t want to leave him without the only friend he had there, that’s why she didn’t plan to suspend Hyukjae. “Instead, I’m going to do what you truly fear.”

Hyukjae’s eyes widened, and that’s when Donghae understood the guy knew what she was talking about, so it probably wasn’t the first time that happened.

“No,” he whispered.

Principle Lee chuckled.

“Your mom is on the way to school, Hyukjae.”

***

“That’s unfair!” the guy groaned when the two of them made it to the hallway and plopped down on the chairs beside the principle office as they were told to wait for Hyukjae’s mom there. “Why did she punish me, yet didn’t say anything about you? I wasn’t the only one skipping classes that day!”

He seemed so offended that it almost looked funny. Donghae kept biting his lips to prevent himself from doing that, yet the smile still made it to his face.

“I skipped classes once, Hyukjae. Meanwhile you kept doing it since the very beginning.”

The guy snorted, “You didn’t even pay attention to me before, how could you notice?”

Donghae felt a painful sting in his heart because that was true. He didn’t pay attention to Hyukjae before, and the boy couldn’t even describe how much he regretted it. Regretted not talking to him before, not realizing there was a wonderful person right in front of him, not showing him the fun side of his.

Donghae changed, and he knew it. Sometimes he tried to remember how was he before, but it felt like a dream that never happened in reality. When the boy thought about it, he was really upset he didn’t manage to befriend Hyukjae earlier, so that the guy would be able to know his brighter side. Before everything happened and he became a glum boy who doesn’t even smile most of the time.

He regretted he didn’t show it before, but hoped he’ll be able to do that in the future. Donghae had no idea how long it’ll take him to get back to normal and whether he’ll be able to do that at all, but he’ll try. And he hoped there was a chance for Hyukjae to like that side of his, too. After all… he was thinking about the possibility of bringing his bright side back thanks to the guy. If it wasn’t for him, Donghae’s old self would be completely gone by now.

“But hey, it’s not that bad,” he tried to speak more or less cheerfully. “Calling your parents definitely is not the worst thing that could happen!”

“You’re saying this just because you don’t know my mom.”

“Oh. Is she strict?”

Hyukjae gave him a long look and crossed his arms when saying, “She’s worse. You’ll see it yourself.”

Donghae gulped. They never talked about Hyukjae’s family too much, but somehow, he imagined his mom to be… a very nice person. But even worse than strict? Wow, what could it be?

The boy’s shoulders dropped and he mumbled, “I’m sorry you’re in trouble because of me.”

Hyukjae quirked an eyebrow, “And why is that because of you? I was the one who called the teacher moron.”

Yeah. And Donghae still felt weird tickling in his stomach whenever he recalled that, although he had no idea what was the reason behind him feeling this way.

“Yes, but you did it because I…”

“I did it because our teacher was acting like a moron pretending to not notice that Chanjae is the one who started it all.”

The corner of Donghae’s mouth twitched in a failed attempt to smile when he corrected automatically, “Jaechan.”

“Do I look like I care about him and his real name?”

Now the boy didn’t manage to not smile, “Most of the time you look like you don’t care about anyone.”

Their eyes met. For some unknown reason, Donghae felt like time around them kept freezing whenever that happened. Their surroundings, people that were around – all of that didn’t matter when the two of them could simply look into each other’s eyes like that.

“Does it look like I don’t care about you?” Hyukjae asked, making the latter blink in confusion.

“What?” he asked dumbly, not sure he heard the question right and that wasn’t some sort of hallucination.

“You said it looks like I don’t care about anyone. Most of the time. Does it look like I don’t care about you either? Because if so, then it means I’m doing something wrong here.”

Actually, most of the time it looks like I’m the only person you care about.

Donghae wouldn’t dare to say that. He’d appear too full of himself if he voiced that out. The boy wondered whether even the fact he thought about it meant he’s too full of himself already.

Instead, the younger among the two decided to say, “Ever since we got a bit closer, you never made me feel like you don’t care about me.”

Hyukjae let out a breath that almost sounded like a sigh of relief, “Good.”

The other boy his lips in a worry, “I hope I never made you feel like I do not care about you either. I can’t change the past, but… If you heard what Jaechan said… I don’t want you to think it’s true. I’m not talking to you just because I’ve no one else to do it with now. I know it doesn’t sound too convincing, but I… I do care about you as well, Hyukjae. And I’m really sorry we didn’t become friends earlier. I’m sorry that I put you in position when Jaechan’s words may sound true. But they aren’t. I promise you they aren’t.”

The older hummed, but said nothing. Whether he believed Donghae or not was unknown as he didn’t comment on the boy’s words. But he didn’t try to deny it or anything, so that probably was… something, right?

Donghae’s heart was pounding in his chest – he didn’t even know where that worry came from, but suddenly he felt like he just confessed or something; his palms got sweaty and his ears and face became hot – and he tried to look down at his own shoes.

“I don’t think I was the only subject you two talked about,” he heard Hyukjae’s voice and raised his head, meeting Hyukjae’s gaze once again. “What else did you discuss?”

Ah. Ah!

Right, that was the thing Donghae had to tell Hyukjae first. That was probably the most important information from their conversation, but the boy dwelled into the wrong subject like a fool. He had to tell the guy faster.

“He… he didn’t say anything worthy apart from insults.” Donghae frowned once he remembered how the person whom he used to consider one of his closest friends acted. It was truly miraculous how people could stab you in your back, even if you did nothing wrong to them. The boy saw it in the movies before, heard such stories from others, including his own parents, yet it was his very first betrayal. Maybe that’s why it was so hard to cope with it, no matter how much time passed since that happened. “It wasn’t about what he said, more about how he acted. And, actually… I guess he knows something. But I doubt he’d tell us.”

“Should I beat him for real, so we’d learn something?”

Donghae’s eyes widened, “No! I really don’t think he’ll say something, so I was thinking about something else.” He couldn’t really tell why, but a cunning smile appeared on his face, “Want to play spies?”

Hyukjae smirked in response, “Are we going to get in trouble?”

“Well, we’re going to dig