Two weeks after the incident and the troublesome news still hadn't died down. Everyone seemed to have developed a certain degree of paranoia towards their lockers. And Sojin, from being suspected a major cheater, had now become the girl who braved the acid. She'd put up enough lies to her family for my sake but I wasn't going to allow them circulating school as well. There was no need for any public, formal statement. If I wanted something spread, the fastest way would be through gossip and I just so happened to have two of the most effective gossipers in school.

Sojin was not at all happy with her newly acquired attention. Twice she had scowled furtively at Baekhyun and Jongdae as the two retold her heroic story to a group of avid listeners during lunch.

Meanwhile, I was secretly enjoying myself. Not for the fun of seeing Sojin squirm underneath people's admiration but for her labored efforts at rejecting the mushy attempts of her extended list of admirers.

One time after dismissal, she exited our classroom to a bouquet of roses, a box of chocolates and a popular Senior offering to take her out to dinner.

All our classmates were hooting and whistling encouragingly while all the blood seemed to have drained from Sojin's already pale face. Fortunately for her - and unfortunately for Yixing - he was standing closest to her and was forced to become her escape route.

"I appreciate the gesture but you see, my friend here really needs help in History and we've already scheduled the evening for studying." The Senior was about to offer a different night when Sojin quickly added, "And every evening afterwards for that matter."

"I must say," Baekhyun started at lunch the next day. "Sojin wasn't exactly being imaginative. You do need help in History, Yixing, what with your brain and its unbelievably short duration of retaining memories."

Yixing pouted. "I'm doing fine. She must've been desperate to reject that guy, though."

But true to her words, Sojin did start helping Yixing in History. Every afternoon, if the guys didn't go chilling or if the Juniors didn't have extra work for the preparations and if Yixing still had time to spare, Sojin would sit with him in the library and teach him tricks at memorization.

Until one afternoon, Yixing finally told Sojin she didn't have to keep helping him and that he totally understood her drastic action to escape her suitor.

"You're so kind, Yixing," she had said. "And no offense but I'd really been planning to offer you help since I noticed it's only History you're having trouble with so, I was sort of hitting two birds with one stone."

Soon they had spent afternoons not only for History but for the other subjects as well so that by December, just a week before Christmas break, they had covered all the lessons for the entire second quarter. Yixing had defended himself when the guys for wasting time at advance studying and had said that it was necessary because after the festivities, we practically had only one week to review for the quarter exams by end January. Which also meant that for Prefects, we had to take the exams the week immediately proceeding the Founding Anniversary. Oh heck.

But at the end of each day, it wasn't the advance studying nor the hectic schedules that so much as bothered me. It was the time Sojin and Yixing had been spending alone with each other that made me queasy.

It's funny how after the phenol incident when I'd finally decided to not ignore Sojin's existence, she had somehow started slipping away. Not that I was half expecting her to incessantly rub it on my face that she was alive and that she was still troublesome - her anecdotal record had a total of five shattered windows, two holed blackboards, one unhinged door and eight broken lab apparatuses as of latest count - but.. there were no more interruptions on my patrol, no more weird examinations on my locker and definitely no more holding hands, sleeping in my arms and staring like there's no tomorrow.

My life in school suddenly felt.. incomplete.

Determined to change the flow of things, I planned to spend lunch with Sojin. It was a freezing Friday noon when I spotted her by the field, leaning against a life-size cannon and swiping her phone repeatedly.

I squatted next to her, awaiting some recognition for my sudden arrival. A wave of the hand. A quick nod. A grunt.

Nothing.

The stupid phone was swallowing all her attention. I cleared my throat. "Sojin -"

"Now's not a good time, Luhan. Aw, man.." Her brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Of all times, seriously!" She dropped her phone on her lap and pressed her forehead. "Oh my god, why are you doing this?"

"What?"

She glowered sideways at me. My presence seemed to have genuinely miffed her. "What?" She echoed back.

"Why are you -"

"Oh for the love of -" She hadn't finished her statement as she stood up and stomped away.

What the hell was that all about?

I warred with myself to whether run after her or not. Part of me wanted to know what her problem was or what I had done and apologize for whatever it was. Another part, the prouder and dejected one, just wanted to let her be and perhaps return to shutting her out again.

Neither won. Or maybe, both did. I didn't run after her - it was unlikely but I didn't like the thought of her making a scene if I bugged her til she talked - but I didn't return to ignoring her either. I just, well, waited I guess.

It took an entire rainy Monday and a whole snowy Tuesday before anything remotely hopeful happened.

Wednesday. Second week of December. The last day of classes for that year. The morning was spent in the Great Hall for the Christmas Opening Program. Nothing exceptionally fun except for the teachers' dance number; everyone was looking forward to the afternoon in each of the class's own celebrations. After all, it was far more fun spending your time with the people you'd known for nearly three years now.

It would've been more exciting if Sojin was actually feeling the season. She had arrived an hour late in the Hall, her tired eyes were hard to miss and her smiles whenever she greeted back our classmates were feigned. She would've earned herself five hours detention if it had been a normal school assembly.

While everyone else was having their dose of the celebration, Sojin resigned to being a stealthy camerawoman. Here and there she'd take pictures, every segment of the program she captured, her lips might've curled up a few times at the ridiculous images she had managed to steal but other than that, she'd been truly withdrawn.

When the time for giving gifts came, she waited patiently for her Kringle on one corner, still capturing moments with her camera. More than three quarters of the class had already handed and received their gifts, excluding Sojin and me. And with that, a flicker of hope burned from within; could it be that Sojin was my Kringle? If she were, what could she have gotten me? Suddenly I was itching for Yixing's name to be called - because he was Sojin's Kringle and then it would be her turn and I would know at last who she got. Or rather, I would finally know if it were me or not.

The chances grew fatter by the minute; there were only six of us left. My heart drummed so wildly against my ribs. My pulse was racing. I could feel my face start to warm despite the biting cold. All for a blasted Kringle, what the heck -

"Zhang Yixing."

What? Oh, it's Yixing's turn. Finally! He rose from his seat beside mine and crossed the open. The armchairs had been lined along the room's perimeter for an inner clearing where Yixing's Kringle now stood waiting, wrapped box in hand.

It was Li Chen. She smiled lovingly at a shy Yixing.

"I wasn't sure what to get you." She breathed nervously. "But I figured you're a.. um.." She threw a knowing glance at Sojin. "Er, a musical so, here. I hope you like it. Merry Christmas, Yixing." She gave him a smooch on the cheek and a one-arm hug before scooting down in the chair beside me, replacing her Kringler's seat.

"Sweet," I muttered to her.

She beamed. "You haven't told him?"

"Course I haven't. Though I believe he has a fairly good idea now." I had my eyes fixated on Yixing. It would be Sojin's turn very soon, and with only four of us left - minus my own Kringler - I had a little over thirty-three percent chance. The other sixty-six percent loomed ominously around my brain but I ignored it. It wouldn't hurt to employ some positive energy; it was Christmas after all.

Once Yixing had finished his brief introduction of his Kringler - so brief indeed that he had only said "To my best buddy's greatest rival and the school's acid girl" - he turned to a weak-eyed Sojin and grinned.

Acid girl? Like seriously, Yixing, you could've done way better than that.

Sojin swayed towards the center and wrapped her arms around Yixing before finally grabbing her present.

Way to go, Yixing. A kiss from his admirer and hugs from two of the prettiest girls in the year level. It's Christmas time indeed.

Wait, did I just admit to Sojin being pretty? Perhaps getting too acquainted with the girl, and of course with most of the male population feeding your mind with how pretty that girl was, you're bound to get swayed at some point. Right?

Yixing patted her on the head. "Merry Christmas, Sojin."

But Sojin was eyeing the paper bag with unnecessary scrutiny. Pinching it gently, she said, "Why do I get the feeling I was sorta expecting this."