chapter xxi | cloudburst

Under that deluge of freshly-printed papers, rapidly littering the halls and the floor, containing all the proof of his and Hayi’s not-so-innocent activities the past few months, Hanbin watched Ki-Tae’s mouth stretch into a smug smile in what seemed like slow motion.

“Too bad, Lee Hayi. I told you we had lots to talk about.”

Hanbin saw a lot at that moment. All his failures and mistakes, misdoing and wrong choices, layer upon layer like the sloppy efforts of Ki-Tae’s collage meant to destroy him and his pitiable reputation.

The problem was Hanbin didn’t care. Not when it put someone he loved in the same hot water and it could ruin her life.

How dare he? How ing dare he?

Time only seemed to catch up when the noise returned full volume, the sound of squeaking shoes and a frightened yelp clapping him back to reality. That was quickly drowned out, however, by the sound of breaking bone and rushed syllables of his name.

“—bin, stop!”

How did he get here? On top of Ki-Tae with a fist curled around his collar? When did the teachers arrive? Trying to pluck him away with no luck?

Things were going to get better.

He was progressing with this training, his friends were understanding and Hayi—she vowed to never let him go. She was going to stay by his side. But now, was that even possible anymore?

Another swing and his fist screamed in pain. Struggles beneath him finally stopped.

“—Kim Hanbin!”

He in a mouthful of air, and then he was being hauled away.

A lot of movement and words came after that but Hanbin didn’t process any of it, ears ringing and body singing with weariness. His eyes drooped, landing on his bloodied fists when he heard it. That voice one more time, but more desperate.

“Let him go, he didn’t mean it!”

In his warped vision, the first thing that finally seemed to make sense and the last was Hayi, trying to make a grab of him as they pulled her away from him.

He reached out as well.

“Yi…”

But their fingers never met, and it was already too late.

Hayi had always been a believer in being optimistic, relying on one’s self-determination to meet ends. So clasping her hands like this in front of her bedroom window, under a blood-streaked sky that probably wasn’t listening, she honestly felt foolish.

To think she would resort to praying to unknown entities because everything was just that hopeless. When did everything go utterly wrong?

Her bedroom door whined open and she quickly dropped her hands. Her mother.

“Jisoo and Suhyun stopped by,” she relayed from the door. “They said they hope you’re feeling better and they’ll see you on Monday.”

Unable to address her mother, much less say anything at all, Hayi just nodded solemnly. Her mother, all hushed tones, didn’t press as she told her dinner would soon be ready. It was nice, considerate of her really but it wasn’t deserved.

As the door closed softly, Hayi felt the guilt return.

She had never dared to keep something this big from her mother before. Then again, when had her life become so tangled with complex affairs to begin with? Things far too big and complicated for a girl like her.

Well, if I had to be honest…

It was the moment she kissed him, made unnecessary deals that set her on a path to break down his walls and unearth the secrets he hid. But just who the hell knew she would get a lot more than she bargained for when trying to fix her relationship with Kim Hanbin.

Not her, not him and especially not their friends who were probably worried sick upon hearing her and Hanbin’s sudden absence from school.

For her, ‘distress’ was the excuse. As for Hanbin, however…

“Suspension,” her mother had said. “For beating up another student—again.”

This was not the aftermath she expected. In fact, everything that came afterwards was as equally mysterious and baffling.

After Hanbin lost his cool and launched himself on Ki-Tae, she could do nothing but watch as the noise attracted some nearby staff. As the one-sided brawl commenced with the teachers trying to break the fight and keep students inside classrooms, Chaeyoung vanished from her side in a vain effort to collect some of the paper.

It was in vain because some teachers already took and examined the pictures in a mixture of confusion and disturbing realisation. Still, that had been Hayi’s last concern. Even when all three of them (with the exception of the knocked-out Ki-Tae) was sent to the principal’s office one by one.

Hayi was the last to enter, a nervous wreck as she waited and watched Chaeyoung and Hanbin dismissed one after the other. She didn’t even get to exchange a word with either of them, whisked into the office as soon as the door opened.

Principal Lee was normally a composed man, with a set jaw and a domineering aura that staff and student alike found intimidating. Hayi fell somewhere between the lines because she was always a good student. There was no need to be scared of Principal Lee as long as you stayed on his good side.

So as Hayi walked in with a demeanour of a student who knew they were in trouble, she didn’t expect the man to be just as jittery. The air in that office was perplexing, the energy all wrong that it turned Hayi was from anxious to edgy. Something was off.

Principal Lee didn’t look at her. Not even when he greeted her stiffly and told her to sit. The clock on the wall behind him ticked in an uneasy rhythm. It was the only sound for a while until he picked up a piece of Ki-Tae’s handy work.

Hayi didn’t even want to look at him as he inspected the pictures on that collage. You’d think a parent seeing you intimate with someone else was embarrassing, how about a principal?

She just wanted out, shame and mortification broiling heavily in her belly. Sure, they are more pressing matters at hand, but this was just as bad in her juvenile mind.

“Sir,” she had stuttered with a wince. “Please…”

“You will be absent for two days. Something like traumatised for what you have witnessed. I have already called your mother and you will tell her this when she arrives. I will vouch for whatever reason you say, but Lee Hayi, I just need you to sit back and do nothing until everything dies down.”

Hayi stared.

“What?” This was not what she expected. “I don’t think I…”

“This is the best we can do at this point to keep this to a minimum. Now, if you want everyone to forget this mess, be it someone who was there or someone who only heard about it from gossip, then you will do what I say. Am I making myself clear?”

He was but at the same time, he wasn’t.

“Sir,” she couldn’t help but protest. “But what about the…?”

Hayi was interrupted by the sound of ripping paper. He tore the only evidence of Hayi's involvement in his hands.

“Miss Chung has already taken the rest of Mr Ki-Tae’s work to the shredder. Now, about your mother…”

Before Hayi could even splutter at what he just did, a couple of knocks came from behind them. The door opened.

“Sir, Lee Hayi’s mother is here.”

It was Miss Chung, followed behind by her sweet mother whose face looked anything but sweet at this moment. She was pasty with worry that Hayi forgot her questions.

Principal Lee’s face brightened into one of formal greeting despite its rigidness, and Hayi sensed that whatever they were just talking about had already come to a close. She was right as their so-called plan rolled into motion, drenched in sympathetic smiles and words of regret.

Lee Hayi, along with Park Chaeyoung, was an unfortunate witness to one of Kim Hanbin’s episodes, her mother was told, and she had been summoned to the principal’s office to be questioned as a witness. Now she had been declared her innocent and therefore, free to go.

There was nothing to worry about.

“But as we have discussed,” Principal Lee said woefully. “It seems Hayi is feeling all shaken up from what happened. I don’t blame her. Mr Kim…tends to leave a vicious path of destruction whenever he loses control.”

Her mother lifted a hand to . She really believed it that Hayi almost lost control herself right then and there. She knew Hanbin as long as Hayi had. And yes, that included his temper but still! Hanbin wasn’t the demon that they were building him up to be!

“But it wasn’t his fault,” Hayi interjected despite the discussion she had with the man.   

The principal just nodded, very eager as if he understood Hayi’s concern.

“We understand. We do. Hanbin must’ve had a good reason to do that to Mr Nam, but he still broke a rule—”

“But so did Ki-Tae!” she screeched, blanketing the whole room in silence. 

Now, she really did sound out of it but who cared? Ki-Tae stalked them, infiltrated their privacy and tried to spread it across the student body, for god’s sake.

Principal Lee’s sympathetic expression turned more sympathetic, if possible.

“Oh, dear. You must be feeling so conflicted over what happened. See, this is what I meant, Mrs Lee. Your daughter must be in so much mental and emotional distress right now. I know she is very close to him.” He turned back to Hayi, suddenly looking determined. “Yes, Mr Nam isn’t just a victim. He provoked Mr Kim too so both will be punished. That, I assure you, Hayi.”

That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. What she wanted to hear from Principal Lee was that Ki-Tae tried to expose her and Hanbin and that the latter was just trying to protect them. But it never came up. That had already been decided the moment the principal ripped the evidence apart.

And that was all Hayi needed to really get it.

For whatever reason the principal had for hiding what really went down, only Hanbin, out of the two of them, will be taking the brunt.

He was the scapegoat.

As encouraged by the principal, today was one of Hayi’s days off under the pretence of her so-called emotional upset. She was even offered an talk with the school psychologist but refused it. If lying to her own mother was already too much, then how about the whole school? Staying at home would have to do.

Her mother was supportive, taking a day off with her that they spent watching re-runs together. Hayi felt spoilt as if her mother was taking care of her broken-hearted daughter who lost someone dear. Of course, that wasn’t the case at all.

Hayi had already finished her portion of studies today that’ll ensure she wouldn’t have missed too much. Her mother listened to this with an accommodating smile over dinner, not too wide or cheery out of respect for her daughter's 'fragile' state.

Playing with the rice left on her plate, Hayi waited, letting peace and quiet settle over the kitchen for a bit. Then, she pounced, seizing an opportunity she needed to take as soon as possible despite the act she was meant to be playing. 

“I was thinking,” she enunciated each word carefully. “Maybe I should visit him.”

Her mother’s posture changed almost instantly. Hayi didn’t need to see what expression she had on her face as she resumed to place leftovers into a box of Tupperware.

“Hayi…”

She grimaced at the soft warning but didn’t falter.

“C’mon, please. I want to see how he is. Hanbin’s still my friend, you know. I have the right.”

“I know, but,” a heavy sigh. “I’m sure Hanbin’s getting punished right now. You going over to the Kims doesn’t sound like a good idea…”

“—you’re scared of him now, aren’t you?” The accusing words were out before she realised it. “You really believed them, huh? And now, you’re just like the rest. Looking at him like he’s some kind of monster when he’s just a victim in this as much as I am!”

“Hayi!”

“Did you hear what I said back there? It wasn’t Hanbin’s fault!”

Hayi shot up from her seat, and on cue, her mother turned around to face her.

“You’re being biased, Hayi,” Her mother tsked. “And regardless, he is being puni