Jumie had been struggling between a part-time job and passing her grade. Her mind was coped with emotional stress, mostly from her peers bullying or her grandmother's silent cries of worry in the dead of night. So one can imagine how dumbstruck she was when she received her examination paper, only to find that she failed it.

Namjoon eyed Jumie apprehensively as she stood up, her eyes fixated on the unsuspecting teacher, who was correcting another pile of papers. "Where are you going?" he asked with a worried tone.

From her dropping grade, her grandmother had suspicions that her only granddaughter was being bullied again at school. Yes, it was the truth, but Jumie didn't want anyone to get involved in her problems. She had to try, and try she did. She had squeezed her brain memorizing historical facts and arithmetical symbols for the past few weeks.

Unfortunately, her efforts weren't enough.

Now resolved, she ignored Namjoon's inquisitive eyes and went forward.

Barely dodging Sanbyul's long leg, which was aimed to trip her, she stood before the teacher-in-charge. The other students turned their heads curiously at her, most wondering what the misfit was up to, though, still anticipating for some entertainment. The abrupt silence in the classroom made the middle-aged instructor looked up from her work.

"Teacher, there must some mistake here because I-I answered the questions correctly," muttered Jumie as she pointed out a few questions. Despite wanting to say more, sealed shut afterwards, too nervous and scared to voice her thoughts.

The female instructor leaned forward with her chin prompted on her knuckles, staring at the girl. "Ms. Jang, I've received a report of you cheating for the second time this year. As punishment, 40 points has been taken from your paper."

What? Jumie felt as though her insides was being scooped out slowly and agonizingly. It was starting again.

"Me? Cheating?" exclaimed Jumie, her voice sounded more of a harsh whisper. " But I never did such thing! Who told you this?"

"It doesn't matter because most of your answers matched with Lee Sanbyul's," The teacher shook her head adamantly. "I'm disappointed in you, Jumie. I thought you knew better."

Still in disbelief, the girl turned back grudgingly, knowing that there was nothing she could do to proof her innocence. She didn't realize one sticking foot in her way, causing her to trip on her face, making a fool out of herself. "Kissing the floor, Jang-shi?" Sanbyul asked, clear enough to be heard above the jeering laughter.

Pushing herself up, she glared at him through mist of angry tears. Jumie gritted her teeth, seething. "Leave me alone."

"You don't even have self respect for yourself, Jang, Being a freak isn't enough for you, is it? Now you have to add cheater to the list. How agreeable."

She decided to ignore him as she walked back to her seat, letting her thoughts occupied her mind from the hurtful catcalls.

Inhaling, Yoongi gave the door a soft knock and waited, nodding at the passing students, who were heading for the cafeteria. A cool female voice answered him, enabling his entry. He pushed through the door and regarded the tall lady by the window with a mocked bow. Although he had plastered on a smile, nuisance seeped from his voice, "Good morning, Principal Lee." he said.

Principal Lee stood by the window, where she'd stared down the students like a leopard stalking after its prey, her cold eyes searched for their weaknesses. She then turned to him with a motherly smile, but he knew better—her gentle words; her smile; all were far from sincere.

"Please, take a sit." she beckoned him over, but Yoongi didn't move to do so; he preferred standing than being comfortable in her midst. Her smile didn't waver the least bit. "Straight to the point as usual." mused Principal Lee.
 

Yoongi bit hard his tongue, stopping himself from talking back. Although he wasn't afraid of speaking out his thoughts, he didn't want to get into the principal's bad side, especially this one. The last time he did, and that was during his freshman year, he had gotten an entire month worth of scrubbing the restrooms. The woman was just a plain demon under the layers of skin.

"You called?" Yoongi asked impatiently.

"You do aware of the incoming sport day next month, don't you?" inquired Principal Lee.

Yoongi curtly nodded, "I'm working on it, along with the other council members, and I can assure you that everything will be going as planned. You don't need to worry."

"Oh, I hope not, Mr. Min," Principal Lee smiled coldly. "Because if it doesn't, it'll definitely affect your school record. And we don't want that now, do we?"

Yoongi bit his lips in restrained anger, his eyes on everything but her piercing ones. He was aware of how much the principal wanted to shred him into pieces, as he was the only one who'd put her son, Lee Sanbyul, in his right place, which something no one, not even Namjoon would do. And for that, she wanted his head on a spike; another reason why he'd never be himself around her.

A small knock from the wooden door broke the daunting silence, and the woman permitted the intruder's entry with a word. A worried Namjoon came in as another unexpected student followed in after him.

Jumie was surprised to see Yoongi but her eyes averted his. He looked at his best friend, and Namjoon jerked his chin at the girl as he mouthed out the name—Sanbyul. It happened for a while until Yoongi finally grasped the situation, an amused smirk stealing across his face.

"How may I help you?" asked Principal Lee, looking at Jumie with a broadening smile. Yoongi trembled at how uncannily similar her face was to a snake.

"Um," began Jumie hesitantly, her fingers fiddling with the hem of her blazer. "Well, examination papers have been handed over to us today. All are ok, I guess—until I find that my homeroom teacher had deducted my examination score for History, because s-someone make a false accusation that I cheated."

Principal Lee simply looked at her, her fingers intertwined, "So you're saying that you've been framed? By whom exactly?"

"Lee Sanbyul." let out Jumie.

Namjoon groaned; Yoongi slapped his face. "Idiot," he mumbled. You'd think being pushed around and laughed at every single day of her life would sharpen her perception.

Apparently it didn't.

"Lee Sanbyul," repeated Principal Lee softly. "And do you have any proof of your accusation?"

Jumie looked perplexed as she shook her head. Principal Lee's broad smile curled into a sneer.

"Ms. Jang," she leaned into her chair, causing Jumie to wince. "We in Daegu High are taking education very seriously. And if a mere city girl prefer otherwise, I suggest that you don't drag innocent bystanders down with you."

Jumie stayed rooted to her spot as she struggled to comprehend Principal Lee's statement. She was still confused as to how did the principal knew her name; she didn't introduce herself, did she?
 

"Mr. Min and Mr. Kim, please Mrs. Jang back to her class," Principal Lee said, already lost interest in the matter as she looked through a thick file, which she just took from her drawer.

"But— Jumie tried to say as Yoongi tugged her outside, into the empty corridor. Namjoon excused himself to the locker hallway, saying he needed to pick something up. When he disappeared from their view, Yoongi and Jumie were left alone with an awkward silence hanging above them, until Yoongi was the first one to break the tension.

"You're so gullible, you know that?" he blurted out. "Are you perhaps out of your mind?"

Jumie looked at him, her eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion. Yoongi sighed heavily and started to walk further away from that place, not waiting for the girl to follow him. Jumie hurried after her senior.

"Just a fair warning," advised Yoongi. "Don't complain about that guy to the she-devil ever again. You may not know this but not every teacher is as nice they look. They can be quite biased. Especially if it concerned with their children."

Jumie stared at him, appalled, "Wait, Sanbyul is Principal Lee's son?"

Again, Yoongi palm-slapped his face, "You think? Another minute with your idiotic way of thinking, you'd have been expelled."

They climbed the stairs to reach a familiar landing, where a few classes to their right was Jumie's class. She was about to say something when Yoongi was already climbing down the stairs. "Stay out of trouble, you," he said with a small salute.

Jumie looked at his disappearing figure. Although he could have the most brutal mouth anyone have ever encountered, he wasn't so bad. That was if you kept a deaf ear to his blunt and sarcastic comments.

    I've a lot of experience with bad teachers, and almost got suspended because of them. They're evil sorts, don't you guys think?

Jumie seemed to be accepting Yoongi's special personality. A small progress, maybe?

Edited on 18.08.2016