13

“Is it possible to still be hungover two days after a night out?” I croaked as I shoved my face back into my pillow. Taeyeon laughed and hung a towel over her forearm. 

“You’re such a baby,” she teased, “had you really never gotten drunk before?” I shook my head and she tutted. “Aigoo…I’m roomed with a toddler.” I looked up from my pillow to glare at her. 

“What time is it?” I asked, changing the subject. 

“It’s…” she checked her phone, “8:32am. Get up.”

“Ani, my first lecture is at 10,” I replied, smirking. She pulled a face at me and I stuck my tongue out a her, rolling back over to face the wall. “I only have two lectures today, so I’m free from 12 o’clock. Yehet!”

“What does that even mean?” she asked. I rolled back over to face her and shrugged.

“No one knows what it means,” I said, a smile touching my lips, “but it’s provocative. It gets the people going!”

“You know,” she started, “you can kind of be a sarcastic .”

I laughed and nodded in agreement, “I grew up with a bunch of sarcastic boys, especially Byun Baekhyun. Really, it was out of my hands.” She shook her head and went to the door.

“I’m going to shower,” she said, “see ya in a while.”

“Crocodile,” I added. She slackened her eyes at me and walked out, shutting the door behind her. I laughed and flung my legs over the edge of my bed. I tested my balance before getting to my feet and stretching my limbs. Even if my lecture wasn’t for another hour and a half, I might as well get out of bed and meet the boys for breakfast.

I wasn’t even sure what their schedules were.

I tied my hair up in a high ponytail, grabbed a towel from my wardrobe and picked out the clothes I wished to wear for the day. I put my slippers on and left the room, closing it behind me. I was nervous about using the communal showers but I took comfort in knowing they weren’t co-ed. 

As I walked down the corridor, the noise level continued to rise and rise until, finally, I could hardly hear myself think. I caught sight of Taeyeon and walked over to her. She, Tiffany and Yuri were watching a herd of people throw items at one of the dorm room doors.

“Taeyeon-ah, what’s going on?” I asked her and she glanced at me. “Why are people throwing…eggs and—and flour? Why are they throwing stuff at that door?”

“Apparently a murderer lives there,” she answered, to which the other two girls nodded. “It’s apparently a tradition or something to ruin their door on the first proper day of every academic year. Then, everyone has to try to get inside.”

“But the door is locked,” Tiffany added. “So they’re settling for just egging and flouring…and TP-ing it. For now, at least.”

“A murderer?” I repeated, frowning. “How do they know that? Surely, if that person killed someone, they’d be in prison. Not studying at a top university.”

“I heard he couldn’t be proved guilty coz he was too young,” Yuri piped in.

“It’s a he?” I asked and she nodded. “Still, the law doesn’t just let under-agers slide by. That’s why Juvenile Prison exists.”

“He had a good alibi or something,” Yuri shrugged. “Or a good lawyer. Or he’s a good liar. But everyone’s pretty adamant that he did kill his family.”

“That’s so awful,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

Tiffany nodded, “I know, right? What a monster. I’d help egg that door but I have a class to get to.”

“No,” I spat. “What’s awful is that people think they have a right to treat others like this based on assumptions. Since when did a bunch of teenagers’ rumours rank above the law?” I shot the group of people a look of disgust. “People who jump to conclusions and don’t bother finding out the truth for themselves make me sick. Those types of people are the kind that will pretend they were always on your side as soon as they’re proved wrong. Cowards.”

“Woah, Nara-ya, chill,” Taeyeon said with wide eyes. “It’s not like we’re egging his door.”

“You’re not exactly being nice about it either,” I spat before brushing past them. Just then, the messy door opened but I couldn’t see who came out from the mass of bodies blocking my view. The corridor suddenly got noisier and rowdier as people started throwing eggs at the person.

I tried telling myself to stay out of it, that it wasn’t my business.

But Chanyeol would not stand for something like this and neither would I.

I weaved through the bodies until I got to the door. I then faced everyone and screamed: “ALRIGHT, THAT’S ENOUGH!” I didn’t even know my voice could go that loud. It took a few seconds but a silence finally fell upon the hallway. “You’re all disgusting human beings. How can you do this to another person?”

“Get out of the way, princess!” someone shouted. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Yeah, this guy’s a murderer,” someone else quipped. “He burned his family alive.”

“No, he shot them!”

“I’m pretty sure he drowned them.”

I cut them off, “See what I mean? You don’t even know the truth, you’re all sprouting lies and spreading them. How about you start minding your own business and stop harassing someone just because someone else is doing it?”

“Who the do you think you are?” a tall, lean male with longish hair stepped forward. I had to crane my neck to look at him, much like I had to do with Sehun and Kai. He must have been the same height as them, maybe an inch or two shorter. Although my memory was hazy, I remembered him as the guy who tried to make a move on me at the party. I scrunched my nose up in disgust. “Are you deaf or something?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” I stated calmly. “Much like this guy shouldn’t have to explain himself. The law proved him innocent and that’s all you should concern yourself with. Learn to mind your own business and not worry so much about others. Ne?”

I had no idea where this confidence was coming from but I liked it. Even if I wasn't surrounded by my friends, I knew I had Chanyeol looking over me. 

“Yah,” the tall male grabbed my wrist tightly. I gasped, shocked that he’d dare to touch me, a stranger. Again. Especially in front of a crowd and, this time, they weren't drunk enough to not notice. But no one stopped him, so he tightened his grip and yanked him forward. The accused behind me grabbed my other hand and yanked me out of the bully’s grip.

“Don’t touch her,” he said, his voice soft and smooth, with a hint of a threat in it. It didn’t sound very natural, the threat, but then what did I know? “Don’t touch her, Kyuhyun.”

“Or what?” the bully, Kyuhyun, apparently, demanded. “You’re going to kill me, too?” The male behind me stiffened, I felt it in his fingers that were wrapped around my wrist. Still, he didn’t grip me tightly enough for it to hurt. In fact, he was gentle.

“Just…leave her alone,” he sighed. Kyuhyun snorted and took another, threatening step forward. But before he could do much else, a familiar voice rang through.

“Obviously, we need to do a better job at asserting our authority here,” Kai said, tutting. People parted like the red sea for him and he walked over. Kyuhyun, who had been making an expression that danced between a scowl and a smirk, was now cowering. “Because it seems people aren’t picking up what we’re putting down.”

“You,” Baekhyun jutted his chin at Kyuhyun. “What’s your number?”

“W-waeyo?” the bully spluttered, his eyes wide as he blinked rapidly. It seemed he, too, was starting to remember what happened over the weekend, at that party. It seemed he was starting to realise the situation he was putting himself in. I smiled to myself.

“So we can call your family and give them our condolences,” Baekhyun answered, smiling sweetly. “Because you must have a death wish if you’re messing with Kim Nara. Again.” Kyuhyun’s eyes flew to me then back to my friends. “Yep. That one.”

“O-o-oh! Sh-she’s your friend?” he laughed nervously. “I was just…um…warning her to stay away. That guy,” he pointed at the male behind me, “is a murderer. He killed his family. Do you really want him around your Kim Nara?”

“What!?” Jongdae’s eyes almost fell out of his head. “A murderer? YAH, KIM NARA, GET OVER HERE!” 

“If you can’t supply me, and everyone else, with proof,” I shot Kyuhyun a pointed look, “then every derogatory word that comes out of your mouth is a lie. I suggest you stop coming around here and harassing this person otherwise I’ll get in touch with my lawyer friend and we’ll take you to court for defamation.” Truthfully, I had no lawyer friend but I was sure in a dormitory as expansive as this, I could make one.

“Yah, Kim Nara!” Jongdae hissed. “What the hell are you saying?”

“M-m-mwoya?” Kyuhyun stuttered, wide eyes staring at me. I saw the hint of fear in them and knew I’d won — for now, at least. He then let out a frustrated sound and stormed off. “Whatever. That killer’s not even worth my breath.” He looked back at me, just once. “See you later, Kim Nara.” He spat my name out like it was filth.

I cast my eyes around the corridor. I raised my brows, “Well? Are you all going to continue standing there, looking stupid, or are you going to make yourselves useful and go to your classes?” They all muttered unintelligibly as they scattered away. I smiled, satisfied and proud of myself.

Chanyeol would be proud, too.

“Thank you,” the male said. I turned around to face him, smiling. I squinted my eyes as I inspected him; something about him was very familiar. Was it his doe eyes, his curly blonde hair…maybe his porcelain skin? I wasn’t sure. “I don’t know why you helped me but thank you for doing it.”

“You’re welcome,” I beamed. The confused look on his face was so, so familiar. Then, it hit me. I remembered exactly where I’d seen him from — I had a good memory, it had always been one of my best assets. I wasn’t one who forgot easily, thanks to Park Chanyeol. He made me want to memorise every good — and bad — thing I witnessed. “Consider it the return of a favour.”

He furrowed his brows, “Mwoya?”

“Don’t you—”

“Yah, Kim Nara!” I sighed and turned to face Jongdae. Kai pushed him aside and grabbed my arm, dragging me away from the male, whose name I still didn’t know. 

“Are you crazy?” Kai growled, grabbing my other arm so that he held me in place. “What if the rumours are true and he really did kill his family?”

“How do you…”

“I’m not as aloof as you,” he snorted. “Kim Nara, I want