After Sihoo leaves, Ahra is on full ‘FIGHT ME’ mode, and no one really dares to go near her for the rest of the day. When Taehyung, some ignorant guy, had plucked up the nerve to say something about Sihoo’s “disgusting eating habits”, the death stare she had given was enough to stop him mid-sentence.

During PE, when Jaemin wasn’t there, the girls had tried to pull basic on Mari. Again. And Ahra  had foiled their ty plan before it could get carried out, simply because Soori was too scared to and because she was sick of it all.

It’s time for night study, and for the first time in forever, she’s skipping it. Because night study classes if there’s an emergency meeting to kick Mari and Sihoo out tomorrow morning. And especially if my dad’s the one that’s heading this meeting; like why dad, why?

Her computer is open in study hall with the PDF document of the Declaration of Student Rights, and her hand scribbles down possible arguments with lightning speed; because Jo Ahra isn’t the 5^th in level for Social Studies for nothing. The school board had opened up a meeting with the various key benefactors and/or parent representatives of the school about the vampire issue, and there’s no way Ahra’s going to go on without putting up a fight. Besides, she had agreed to the whole band idea; and she’s determined to make sure that dream gets turned into reality.

Her phone rings, and it’s Jaemin.

(If this was like, two months ago, she would have jumped in joy. But times have changed.)

“Hey, come to the library now, I’ve got something to discuss with you,” he says.

When she meets him, he greets her in some authoritarian diplomat voice, “I’ve got something to discuss with you, will you help me?”

“Is this about the meeting tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

She shows him her notes and reopens her iMac onto the empty study table in front of them. “Then I’m all armed, man.”

He looks a little taken aback, just a little.

“What, did you think I would just sit back and watch this storm brew in front of my eyes?” she questions and clicks on the PDF. “I come with fully loaded ammo, okay.  Now take a look at this.”

“You’re pretty protective over Han Sihoo, aren’t you,” Jaemin remarks as he takes a seat next to her.

“Look at yourself, Mr. I’m-Into-Vampires.”

They pore over the Fundamental Law of Education and Student Human Rights cause endlessly. 

“But factual evidence isn’t enough to move them, don’t you think?” Jaemin says.

“That’s… true.”

The stress gets to her, and so she uploads one of the Youtube covers she did last week, a piano cover of Somebody (어떤 사람: eotteon saram) onto her channel. It’s the song that Sihoo had sung weeks back.

The likes don’t shoot up as fast as they usually do simply because of how late it is into the night. One Korean comment, however, gets her attention.

“I’M CLAIMING COPYRIGHT, NOW GO TO SLEEP!” ("내가 저작권을 주장하기 위하여려고하고있다, 지금 잠을로 이동합니다!")

The user pic is blank and username doesn’t really suggest anything (it’s cnbluegt, all in lower caps, what was that supposed to mean,) but when she clicks on his channel, she immediately knows who it is.

It’s a relatively new channel, and it’s oldest video is only two weeks old. They’re mostly homemade melodies played from an all-too-familiar acoustic guitar, and under the Liked Videos section, are either obscure western hard rock band videos, or clips of Eric Clampton… or biking videos. This guy doesn’t even have a motorcycle license LOL.

Sihoo and Mari stay in the band room for the time being, to allow lessons to function normally. The rest of the band had just left to go to the board meeting, and now they’re left alone to the pregnant silence.

“This isn’t going to work out,” he states. Normally, Mari would have chided him on his pessimism, but she stays quiet and revels in the same reality they’re both stuck in. They’re both going to totally fail their Project Coexistence missions, big time. And for Sihoo, that equates to losing his biggest hope of seeing his parents again.

But as for Mari, he can practically hear her thoughts; she’s thinking about Jaemin, and it’s obvious.

Like Jaemin isn’t going to transfer schools just to be with you… he’s that kind of guy.

“I think it’s better if I quit the school. I’d have no regrets, anyway. You, however, attend this school well. Stay here and pursue your music, okay?”

He gets up to leave, but Mari stops him.

“Don’t run away, I don’t want to run away anymore.”

Her eyes bear resilience as she says it. “Even if I get kicked out, I’m not running away.”

“Okay guys, deep breath. Remember your points, okay?” Ahra reassures as they step into the conference room.

Her father stares at them in surprise.

They proceed to list their arguments, supported evenly with evidence, court room style. When the parents bring up the anti-vampire petition list as well as a string of counter-arguments, they do what they can to rebut them.

“Still, you can’t shake off the fact that students feel threatened around the vampires,” a mother points out.

It’s hard to get a solid conclusion, and  Ahra’s father is about to push forth another meeting on another date since they can’t seem to get anywhere.

The future looks bleak, until Jaemin interjects.

“How about this, we, all four of us, will be put in a special class, a separate classroom along with the vampires.”

The suggestion gets everybody’s attention. omg bro good save!!! Ahra inwardly screams.

“Yes, we will, please trust us on this,” Ahra says. Her dad responds with disbelief and she begs him to trust her.

“We’ll prove that we can study along with the vampires. Just give us a month. The students are just scared because it’s unfamiliar, and that’s what we need to work on.”

The teachers and parents all somehow agree on this; and Beomsung stares at Jaemin in awe, like “sensei please teach me your ways!”

The only condition, however, is that they’d have to use an existing room that’s free because it’s not like the school would build a classroom for just six students. And of course, they choose the band room.

 Once they’re outside the band room, Beomsung spits out his plan to troll Mari and Sihoo.

“Act as solemn as you can!”

When they enter, the forlornness in their eyes kill the spark of hope in Mari’s eager steps. Ahra almost wants to laugh at that depressing “I knew it” look that hangs on Sihoo’s face.

Jaemin throws Sihoo the cleaning rag, his face still as stoic as ever.

“This is our classroom. 2^nd grade special class.”

Mari and Soori squeal in delight, and Beomsung immediately starts comparing the six of them to the Avengers.

And when she looks at Sihoo, she bursts into unholy guffaws because he’s trying so hard not to smile oh my god look at that constipated face!!!!

They clean the place of course, because it’s filthy and dusty.  Mari and Jaemin proceed to have the grossest PDA showdown as they clean the whiteboard.

“If we’re Avengers, then isn’t Han Sihoo the Hulk?” Jaemin jokes as ther moves the useless potted plants out of the way, his hands still entwined with Mari’s.

“Nah, I should be Captain America; I resurrected from the dead after a four-month disappearance, and he regenerated after forty years,” Sihoo mumbles inaudibly. To himself, of course, and Mari laughs. Only she can hear it though, and only she gets it.

“If we’re Avengers, then I’m totally Tony Stark,” Ahra says, and everybody turns to her.

“You? Ironman?”

“Because she’s rich, she’s smart, determined, 4d, good-looking and annoying,” he honestly says for her. Softly. But everyone hears it this time, and Soori and Jaemin are beyond bewildered.

“Did you just hit on Ahra?” Beomsung cries.

“It’s just an analogy; besides, he forgot to mention the part where I’m super hilarious,” Ahra laughs as she drags a desk across the room.

Sihoo doesn't know if it's instinct or a innate attraction that causes him to rush to help her, but Beomsung cuts in and drags the desk to the end of the classroom.

Right. Competition.

When Ahra drags the next set of desks, they both compete to help her- but she pushes them out of the way.

“Yah, what do you think I am? A damsel in distress? I’m an independent woman!”