"In light of the recent events that have been going on in school, we will not tolerate them any longer," Principal Choi started fiercely. "The actions of these pranksters are immoral and just wrong. I'm sure all of you already knew what had happened."

"But it is kinda funny though," Seokmin mumbled next to Mingyu. Jeonghan nudged his arm.

"Since they have found a way to avoid getting caught by security cameras, the school board and parents support group have decided to cut down the budget for all clubs to make way for hiring night security guards in this school. If the culprits are still stubborn in admitting their wrongdoings, then we'll have to wait till they get caught red-handed. That is all, now return to your classes."

Of course, there was an uproar among the students. Cutting down every clubs' budget meant that their club activities are limited and they'd have to resort to fishing out money from their own pockets. 

Mingyu didn't know what to feel. Half of him still felt amused about everything and how Principal Choi seemed to be desperate, but the other half of him felt bad that he had caused this to happen. 

What's done is done. Since there's nothing else to lose... An idea formed in his head.

As students walked back to their classes in a disarray manner, Mingyu caught sight of Wonwoo talking to Principal Choi privately, a serious look on his face. He thought to himself what would happen to his book club now that the budget has been cut. After all, it's the only club that solely relies on the school since there weren't that much members anyways. 

He watched as a sudden relief expression adorned his features before he gave a ninety degrees bow to the authority in front of him. As Wonwoo turned to leave as well, Mingyu locked gazes with him by accident, and he quickly scurried away before any suspicion would arise.

*

Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap.

"Yah, Mingyu," Jeonghan whispered loudly from the table next to his. "Stop that."

Mingyu gave a confused look before he realised he was tapping his pen on the table loudly. He stopped immediately and flashed an apologetic smile to his friend.

He'd been so deep in thought the whole time. A million thoughts whirled through his head as he thought about how he'd get back at the Principal for cutting the clubs' budget, about how the school might have already started to hate on his alter ego, and he also thought about how he might have looked suspicious to Wonwoo already. 

Shaking his head, he decided to focus in class first and save the prank thoughts for a later time. If he wanted to prank the principal personally, he'd have to take a tour of his office.

Classes flew by, with information entering from the right ear, and exiting through the left. Soon, Mingyu bid his friends goodbye before cycling back home on his own. Mingyu was going to have to plan this prank really carefully, as it was the principal after all. Maybe he could call this his ultimate prank. He smiled to himself.

As he reached his apartment building, he took notice of a posh car parked nearby, looking like it didn't belong there. He stopped a good distance away to look at the car, before spotting the driver and recognizing him immediately. Instantly, Mingyu's mood dampened and he quickly turned back around to cycle away from his home. 

He stopped by the convenience store he worked at during the weekends and breaks. Greeting one of his co-workers as he entered, he made his way to the cup ramen isle and bought himself the spicy, soup-less, one. He then grabbed some cheese and a bottle of cola before paying for them. He made his cup ramen with added cheese before eating it at the tables outside. 

Halfway through eating, a group of boys came by and Mingyu instantly knew it was Jeon Wonwoo and his friends. He decided to avoid any eye contact (he already had his fair share of them by accident in school that day) and focused on eating his meal. He caught a whiff of the lingering fish smell and scrunched his nose, smiling amusedly towards his ramen.

As the boys took a seat at the table next to his, he couldn't help tuning in to their conversation.

"So what did Principal Choi said earlier? If he's going to cut the book club's budget too, it'll be hard to afford newer books and your competition too. Especially since you need to produce and publish your work, and it'll definitely cost a lot." someone said.

"That's true. The book club's budget isn't even much to begin with. It's not like it needs new equipments like the sports club or anything."

"Thankfully, Principal Choi said our club can be excused from the budget," Wonwoo finally spoke, and Mingyu could hear the relief and happiness in his voice. "And not only that. Since there's now going to be night guards roaming the school, he's going to give me permission to stay in school till night and use the library's computer facilities. I think he thinks it's safer now. But now I can write in peace and quiet for the competition. Also, I guess having his nephew as my best friend works in my favour too, right, Choi Seungcheol?" They laughed.

"Wow, that's a relief!" 

"All the best for your writing competition."

"Yeah, you're gonna win for sure!" 

"Guys, you're gonna make me cry, stop it," Wonwoo joked. "Damn, what would I do without you guys?"

Mingyu quietly slurped his ramen noodles as he heard the happy chattering of the group of best friends next to him. It's hearing this kind of conversations and seeing this type of interactions that made him feel rather lonely with no close friends himself. All he got was Seokmin, Jeonghan, and occasionally Minghao if he was up for talking for once. However, he didn't think of them as close friends, and more of just a friend he sees in school and don't see at all other than there. 

"Oh yeah, what are you going to do about your textbooks? They smell like fish now," someone said amusedly.

"Ah, don't remind me," Wonwoo replied. "I left them next to an open window in class. I think leaving it under the sun or something can help get rid of the smell. Thank God the fish was wrapped, can you imagine if my books were covered in fishy liquid?"

There was silence and Mingyu could only assume they were nodding in response. 

"Hey, you! Hoobae!" someone suddenly called out. 

Mingyu looked up straight away, looking towards the person who called him. His eyes flashed towards Wonwoo for a millisecond to see that he was also looking at him before he looked back at the other boy. Mingyu didn't know how to describe this person. He had eyes that were slanted, similar to the hands of a clock when it's 10:10. It seemed charming, in a way.

"Did you guys smell the fish from your classes too?" the boy asked, and Mingyu simply shook his head in response. "Woah, that's lucky. Why is the smell only enclosed in our class?" He then resumed talking to his group of friends, as if he didn't just randomly asked his junior a question.

"Do you think it's fun?" Wonwoo asked. 

"What is?" 

"Carrying out pranks."

"Well..." the 10:10 boy replied. "I guess so? I mean, with all the reactions from everyone in school today, I'm pretty sure those pranksters are laughing their butts off."

"I wanna try," Wonwoo declared, to the surprise of everyone, including Mingyu himself.

His friends shrugged, and Junhui spoke, "As long as it's not towards me, go ahead."

Wonwoo's shoulders sagged then. "But I have no guts to do it."

"Then don't, why think so much about it?"

"What happened to my encouraging friends five minutes ago?" he said jokingly and they all snickered.

As Mingyu finished the last of his cup ramen and gulped down half the bottle of cola, he decided it was time to leave. He wasn't sure where he'd go, but somewhere other than where his aunt and uncle were.  

*

Mingyu couldn't think of any other other places to go except for his apartment building's rooftop. He could at least see if aunt and uncle had left, whom he wasn't so keen on meeting anytime soon.

Rather than planning out for his prank on Principal Choi, he decided to catch up on his studies for once. He could plan out his prank after he'd taken a look inside the principal's office to decide what he'd do.

Half an hour passed before Mingyu looked down the rooftop to see the previous car gone already. Time to head back down. 

"Where were you?" Minah asked as he entered their apartment.

"Studying," he replied simply, entering his room and locking the door.

"Our aunt and uncle dropped by just now... they're still wondering if-"

"Noona, I'm tired. Can we not talk about it?" Mingyu cut off.

"Oh," his sister replied, wide-eyed. "Okay, I understand."

Just as Mingyu changed out from his school uniform, he heard his sister said, "Just say it if you're still adamant about not letting aunt and uncle take custody of you. Do you think I want them to take you in too? I can provide for you too..."

With his mood down, Mingyu decided it was best to go to sleep early. Maybe he could get in trouble on purpose the next day so he can have a one-way ticket to the principal's office. Only then can he think of the best prank to pull on the old man, and get a funny reaction out of it to lift his mood.

As he laid down on his mattress and closed his eyes, he can't help the image of a middle-aged man and woman appearing in his mind. The image of the couple smiling in his direction with proud and happy expressions, then morphed into that of horror and panic.

Mingyu's eyes snapped open. I don't think I can fall sleep anytime soon. 

He slowly got up to go to the kitchen. However, when he opened his room door, his sister was already there, holding out a bottle of sleeping pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. She gave a small smile of encouragement and understanding. Without saying anything, Mingyu accepted them and went to bed, falling into a dreamless slumber.

*

"Kim Mingyu! Why are you drawing on the wall- are those vulgarities I see? Follow me right now!"

Mingyu dropped his permanent marker as he stared at Mr. Park, the discipline master who'd caught him drawing mindlessly on the wall next to his desk. That was easy. Maybe he could go to the principal's office sooner than he thought. He hadn't even realised he was scribbling on the walls, but that was it really. Those vulgarities weren't even his work. 

As he trudged behind the Mr. Park to the fourth floor where he offices were located, he just looked around. When they were walking past the classes, Mingyu couldn't help but glance inside and nodding as if he was a student there listening in. 

"Yah!" 

He jumped as he faced Mr. Park who'd took notice of his distraction.

"Sorry," he apologized (half-heartedly), as he gave a ninety-degree bow. 

He shook his head in response and turned back around to continue walking. Mingyu looked back through the classroom windows to see if anyone took notice. He didn't expect to see a certain someone looking towards his direction, an amused smile on his face. Jeon Wonwoo. Why are we always making eye contacts?

Mingyu looked away and walked quickly with Mr. Park, feeling flustered.

As they reached the principal's office, Mr. Park knocked twice before opening the door and went in. He followed behind.

"Mr. Park, how can I help you?" Principal Choi asked politely.

"Sorry if I had interrupted anything, Principal Choi. However, I had caught this student here vandalising the classroom walls, and isn't vandalising an offence?" Mr Park spoke.

The principal looked towards me. "Do you want to explain yourself, student?" 

"Um," he began, looking around the office as if he was stalling for time. He took notice of the large bookshelf against one side of the room. "I admit I did scribble some things without realising. But it wasn't much, I can clean it myself! And the vulgarities were already on the walls, it wasn't my doing, I swear!" 

"Is this true, Mr. Park? It was just some scribblings?" 

"Uh...yah, why didn't you just tell me you didn't write those vulgarities?" Mr. Park turned to me, looking embarrassed himself.

Before I could answer, Principal Choi spoke, "I think that what you did was still wrong, student. Let's all agree on you cleaning the gym after school today after you wiped the walls clean."

It's not that bad, I guess...

When he turned to leave, he looked around once more, getting a feel of the room. His lips tilted up slightly.

Bingo.

*

Fast-forward the excrutiating hours of cleaning, Mingyu now stood at the back door of the school with a his bag full of needed materials, clad in all-black again. This time, he wore a matching black mask to hide half his face. Now he just felt like a criminal. 

He knew that this time round, he needs to be extra, extra careful. There was a night guard somewhere in the school, patrolling God knows where. And today, he brought some pins to unlock the security room door. Normally, Mingyu was against the idea of going into the security room, as it is so much more risky. However, he needed to enter the principal's office, and there was one located inside right in front of the door. He just needs to shut it down through the security room.

As silent as possible, Mingyu finally entered the school, avoiding the cameras as usual. The security room was located nearby at the first level, so it should be easy to reach. Seeing and hearing no one on that floor, he pulled down his mask so he could breathe and crouched down to picklock the door to the security room.

But of course, it wasn't called a security room for nothing.

In addition to unlocking the lock, he realised he needed a freaking pass to finally be able to enter. And oh-ho, luck really wasn't on his side. Within five seconds, there was a beeping sound, urging the person who unlocked the lock to tap their pass too.  .

Then there were footsteps, and Mingyu was quick to hide around a corner as he saw a middle-aged man wearing a uniform appear, a confused look on his face as he looked at the beeping door. He then took out a card from his pocket and tapped it at the side of the door, and the beeping stopped. Shrugging, the man entered the room, and if Mingyu was thinking correctly that the security guard had not been thoroughly informed about the happenings in the school, he must be taking a rest while watching the cameras. 

Well then, how the heck am I supposed to enter the office?

At that time, there was a cough from behind him. Turning back in alarm, he was met with that one person he'd always somehow bump into and made eye contact. 

"Uh..."

I'm ing screwed.

"...he's going to give me permission to stay in school till night and use the library's computer facilities..."

A/N: OMG so I know I said I won't be updating anytime soon but the thing about me is that I procrastinate studying. By writing. Wow.. xD Ok so here was the next chapter! Hope you guys don't mind the slow development. And one other thing you should know about me is that I don't really like swearing so I censor them xD and there might be errors. and I'll edit this whole thing again when I'm not rushing.