Taeyeon twirled her pen with her fingers as she reclined into her chair and contemplated about the happenings the night before.

She leant her head against the chairback as multiple memories of Sooyeon and herself since middle school flew past in her mind.

It was around 2 AM, Sooyeon, or rather, Jessica’s favourite timing. It used to be Taeyeon’s favourite time too. A time where they would sneak out of their separate dormitory rooms and hold each other’s hands and press kisses to each other’s foreheads before they parted. Those were treasured yet short-lived moments.

Ever since Sooyeon had tried to tell her family of her ual orientation and about her relationship, she was met with tighter scrutiny and very little understanding. It had infuriated Taeyeon. It took all of Sooyeon’s abilities to keep Taeyeon out of her father’s and his little spies’ sights. Sooyeon even went to the extent of hiring someone to counter spy on her father and ensuring that nothing was found out about Taeyeon. It had pained Taeyeon to know just how careful Sooyeon had to be since they had gotten together in high school. Sooyeon eventually could not keep up with such burdens.

They had broken up shortly after Sooyeon graduated, a year earlier than other peers in her cohort. It was not unexpected since Taeyeon knew what pressures Sooyeon was under and the difference in their social statuses and the scandal of their ual orientation had simply made their relationship unviable.

Taeyeon tried to be cool about it but anger still got the better of her. Her heart had truly been crushed to smithereens back then and so she stopped responding to Sooyeon’s texts. Not even if they were friendly ones. She simply could not accept them being just friends. 

It must have been Sooyeon’s biggest regret, for coming out to her parents. Taeyeon sometimes wondered if Sooyeon had also come to regret falling for Taeyeon. Alas, all these, Taeyeon could only wonder since Sooyeon would never be able to tell her.

Taeyeon was overseas, on an exchange programme when Sooyeon had taken her own life. No one had informed her precisely because no one or very little people knew about them. Taeyeon was so mad at herself when she had eventually found out about it via gossips. She had not believed in them initially, not until she had visited Sooyeon’s headstone. Even then, she did not want to believe. The belated sadness had made Taeyeon numb, numb to the point whereby tears would not come. She wanted an explanation so badly but who could she ask? Certainly not her friends, what would they know about Sooyeon? Taeyeon was half-tempted to confront Sooyeon’s parents and demand for a reason. Yet, she found no courage.

Yet, an opportunity presented itself yesterday. Wendy Son Seungwan. Of course, she should ask the person who had been closest to Sooyeon while she had been alive.

curved into a sad smile as she thought about Joohyun’s behaviour with Seungwan yesterday. At least Joohyun was unlike her. The girl had been rather bold and obvious when it came to showing her affections for Seungwan.

Taeyeon was happy for her but knowing how Seungwan’s family was like, she prayed the couple would not suffer the same fate as them. No, Taeyeon could not stand the thought of Sooyeon’s favourite person, her younger sister, suffer like she did. Which was why, Taeyeon had decided to seek Seungwan out. Regardless of whether her presence was welcomed by Seungwan or not, Taeyeon would try.

**

Joohyun knew even before she was summoned into the professor’s office. Right after she had gotten wind that Doyoung and Jaehyun had been trapped in the professor’s office for more than an hour, she had fully prepared for herself to get into trouble as well.

“Joohyun, I expected better of you.”

Silence.

Joohyun did not know what to say nor did she have any idea on how to defend herself. All she felt like doing was to cry but she could not do so, especially not in front of the professor. This incident would undoubtedly leave a poor mark on her records and Joohyun hated to imagine how her nearly flawless school record would be marred by this event.

It had been so unfair. She had already tried her best to cover up for the losses and to prevent the club’s name from getting smeared. Why did the professor have to make a mountain out of a molehill.

“You did an amazing job leading the teams to victory but your oversight on the missing club’s fund could have been managed better.”

Joohyun squeezed her eyes and swallowed, trying to hold her tears from leaking out as she suffered through this ordeal. How she wished Seungwan could be here, she wanted a hug from Seungwan so badly and tell her that everything is alright. Yet, at the same time, Joohyun did not wish for Seungwan to know and see her in such a sorry state.

Seungwan ran, she ran straight out from her lecture theatre to where the professor’s office was once she received news from Joy. Not even caring about the judgemental looks that were thrown in her direction. According to Joy, Joohyun was called in right after Jaehyun and Doyoung’s misdemeanours have been exposed. The professor-in-charge was considering punishment for them, all three of them, including Joohyun. How preposterous! How could the professor put the club’s name in jeopardy and punish the three students who had already done their best atone for their mistakes.

Seungwan’s chest was heaving heavily by the time she had reached the corridor that led straight to the professor’s office. At the same time, Joohyun had exited from the very same door and closed it behind her, momentarily stunned by Seungwan’s presence. They shared a long look of silence before Seungwan walked up to Joohyun.

When Seungwan lunged forward to take Joohyun in her arms, the tears of indignance that Joohyun must have held back then broke through the dam and came streaking down her face.  

“I might be suspended,” Joohyun tearfully confessed.

Seungwan clenched her jaws as she endured the ache that had developed in her heart. Rarely was Seungwan furious, but today would be the day where she awoke her dormant feisty temper.

“You’ll be fine… I promise you that,” Seungwan whispered fiercely into her President’s ears and her back.

“What is this commotion about?” The professor came stalking out of his office and froze in his steps when he met Seungwan’s angry glare over Joohyun’s shoulder.

“Professor, let’s discuss,” Seungwan said with the authority that Wendy usually beheld.

Breaking away from their hug, Seungwan held Joohyun’s hand and stalked into the professor’s office without invitation.

The professor cleared his throat before taking his seat and shifted in his chair uncomfortably when Seungwan’s eyes bore into his. Of course, the professor was slightly intimidated because he knew who she was, or rather, who her father was. In fact, Seungwan was very familiar with this professor because of he had made numerous bootlicking attempts on her father.

Trying to preserve his dignity and establish the upperhand, the professor started. “Yes, what matters do you have, Seungwan?”

With the furrowing of her brows and the narrowing of her eyes, the professor once again, squirmed uneasily in his chair. Seungwan hated such power play, she had heard about it often from her elder sister.

“Professor, may you grant me the audacity to propose something.”

In such situations, the best was to snatch the power back. Seungwan knew she was acting like the biggest bully on Earth but she did not care.

“D-Do so…” The professor encouraged.

“The money that Doyoung and Jaehyun lost could be treated as a trading simulation gone wrong and the trade was made with donated trading funds from a member of the Son Family.”

Seungwan felt a strong squeeze of disapproval from Joohyun’s hand but Seungwan returned it with an even stronger and adamant one.

“I, Son Seungwan, had pledged to donate KRW 5,000,000 on behalf of my family to the club for the students to carry out trading simulations. Any profits or losses would be borne by the traders of the club.”

“But…” The professor tried to explain.

Seungwan interjected.

“So as to say… the money lost by the club members was unfortunate but it was inevitable. And since this special fund’s intent was to give the students a real life simulation, there should not be any consequences to any of the students. As for the original KRW 1,000,000 fund the club has, it is untouched.”

“The students involved as well as the President should have reported the losses…”

“It is an inconsequential loss that need not be reported…” Seungwan insisted with fieriness in her eyes. The squaring of her jaws must have worked too because the professor now looked even more nervous.

Rubbing his temple. The professor relented.

“Very well then… we will still have to work this out formally…”

Seungwan nodded. “Yes, we can work this out formally but can we agree not to be too hasty in punishing students? The Son Family would like to avoid scandals as much as possible. My father as well as myself would hate to be a topic of the school. You should know it best…” Seungwan added menacingly. She was truly a bully right now; using her family’s power to pressure this professor.  

Wiping his brows this time round, the professor nodded. “Yes, yes of course. Especially not for things as trivial as such… In fact, nothing was set in stone yet, I only invited the members over to understand the situation.”

“That is good to hear, professor. May the President and I take o