Co-author notes: dear readers, SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY. and guess what, your author and her editor/beta here has finally graduated few days ago! do we get a hip hip hooray? :D Hahaha, just kidding, hope you enjoy!

*ps: find the Draco Malfoy imitation ;)

FOUR 

"I don’t believe this," Jongin growled, working his fingers along his dark brown hair. It makes him look a little crazed—messy hair, twitching eye, hands clenching—all because he’s irritated. Not that Sooyeon’s in any position to say anything about looking crazed, to be honest. She herself isn’t faring well either. And if imagination could be made into reality, Sooyeon would no doubt be even paler due to even more blood loss—not by shock, not by her monthly visitor, but by the daggers piercing through her heart each time Jongin opens his mouth.

‘And my, he sure is chatty today,’ Sooyeon darkly thinks, a little irritated herself and more than a little hurt as the usually cold and taciturn male (at least towards her) spew words like:

“Are you ing kidding me?”

“No don’t answer that. You are ing kidding me.”

“Her? With her?”

“Wait till my father hears about this—“

“Great. Just great. You mean he actually—?!”

“No. Oh no no no. Just— NO.”

“In case it has escaped any of your notice, but today isn’t April first.”

“I’d rather be grounded.”

“I paid my penalty!”

“Just because some people are piss poor—”

“She can get a loan for all I care!”

“You’re serious. You- you- you really— goddamn it.”

“I’d rather die than be with her.”

That last phrase stung the most. Sooyeon feels tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, so she looks up and away, even surreptitiously using the back of her hand to wipe at her eyes, just in case.

Sitting in front of them, the principal sighs, carefully putting down her reading glasses on her cherry wooden table. She clasps her hands, even squaring her shoulder to look even more serious and intimidating than she already is. With eyes full of wisdom, she stared straight at Jongin. However, he was undaunted (unlike Sooyeon, who might have shrunk back a little) and merely rolled his eyes. He opens his mouth, most likely about to start another fresh tirade, but was fortunately interrupted by his grandmother.

"Jongin, you wouldn’t want me to pull out the last option, do you?"

"I don’t," he hissed, "give a .”

The principal says nothing, only peers at Jongin over the rim of her glasses. Jongin bristles.

“She,” he points a trembling finger at Sooyeon, “messed up my life and now you want me to bear a child with her genes in it? no."

That. Actually. Hurt. A lot.

Sooyeon hadn't even borne a child, and yet she felt the sting, right in the middle of her heart. The wound in her heart widens with the knowledge that the father-to-be had already insulted the child that was to exist in her belly. Sooyeon feels ashamed, somehow.

Really, Jongin’s attitude towards her should be enough reason to not let them live together, but the principal insists otherwise.

"Last chance for you, Jongin. Then you’ll know what I’ll be doing. I suggest you best apologize to Sooyeon at this instant." The principal calmly spoke. And when it’s clear that Jongin isn’t about to do anything, she fixes him with a very stern glare. "Jongin, now."

But Jongin doesn’t do as he says. He rolls his eyes and ignores them, walking pass (but not before shooting another disgusted look at Sooyeon) purposely bumping shoulders into the secretary carrying a thick stack of papers just as she walks into the room, causing her to stumble and drop everything.

Sooyeon rushes forward to help the secretary gather her fallen papers as the principal, with one hand holding a phone to her ear, only shakes her head in pity.

"Jongin.” The principal raises her voice. “Jongin! Your mother would like to speak with you.”

Jongin stills, one hand on the door handle. A moment passes before he slowly turns back to stride towards the phone. Sooyeon watches, a little transfixed at the way his arm muscles flex under his shirt. She almost ends up handing the papers in her hand to the secretary’s nose instead of her palms.

The secretary thanks her, harried but amused, and Sooyeon barely acknowledges it, ears straining to hear the tinny voice coming from the phone in Jongin’s hand.

"Jongin, are you there?" The other line spoke. Her voice sounded soothing, a warm voice more suited for humming lullabies to calm inconsolable babies and carrying warmth than for, say, disciplining rebellious teenagers.

"Jongin?"

Jongin swallows. Looks down at the desk before averting his eyes to stare out the large window overlooking the school compound. "Yes, mom, I'm here."

"Give the girl a chance."

"No, mom. You can’t. I won't.”

Quietly, Sooyeon walks back to perch at the very edge of the large cherry wood table. All the time, she doesn’t take her eyes off Jongin, tracing the way the sunlight reflects off his features, the set of his jaw, the proud arch of his nose, all the way down to the bobbing of his Adam's apple.

“Jongin, baby…”

“She took Nayoung away from us." Jongin's voice was harsh, desperate in his attempt to show his mother, his grandmother, and everyone else just how bad Sooyeon was. It was as if breathing the same air as her could bring death to him. Sooyeon looks away, finding more interest in the colourful patterns on the carpet beneath her white shoes.

"It's her father, not her. There’s a difference, Jongin."

"Mom..." Jongin sighs. It was a harsh exhale, the type that people did when they felt angry but didn’t want to let it show, also the type of sigh people did when they feel dejected and didn’t know what to do. He brought up his hand to rub his forehead.

“Baby, please.”

“Mom, I don’t—”

"Jongin, the officials rejected it. There’s nothing we can do. Keeping grudges won’t take you anywhere, and I’m sure you know that as well as I do; so why won’t you change your perception instead?"

Jongin mumbles something so quietly that even the principal gave a questioning glance towards him, which got ignored by him in turn. There was a faint chuckle from the other line— apparently what he said had amused his mother.

"Well if you say so, baby. I’m assuming you’ve agreed to your grandma’s decision. You’re not thinking of disappointing me, are you?”

Sooyeon had to force down a giggle at that