The two seniors ended up ditching the rest of class in general, probably not a good idea for their school record but Go Won believed the teachers would let this one time slide. They were simply walking around campus, hand in hand, and just catching up on mindless topics. And for some reason Hyejoo didn’t seem intent on letting go of her any time soon which was very endearing.

Go Won couldn’t help but look down at their intertwined hands from time to time when the younger girl wasn’t looking. The hold was firm but gentle, and it brought a stupid smile to the secret idol’s face just knowing that Hyejoo was comfortable enough with her to show her displays of affection so freely. Neither was ahead of the other, just walking side by side as their arms swayed naturally.

It wasn’t long until the bell calling for the beginning of lunch to echo throughout campus, and soon, floods of students flowed out of classroom doors. What was once the quiet halls became loud and rambunctious. Students racing to get to the front of the lunch line, fighting to get the best food before it ran out. Hyejoo and Chaewon ended up there by coincidence, swept by the masses heading in that direction.

The two girls ended ended up being one of the first people, for once they beat everyone and wouldn’t have to stand in line too long. Once they both had their trays and paid, they did something both had never done before, they sat in the lunchroom to eat among everyone. Even some of the regular bystanders gave them odd looks. 

Although they were known amongst their peers for hanging out together, they weren’t ones to eat here at all. Dare they say some have never even seen Hyejoo eat anything. Being an idol and all, everyone assumes she had to keep her thin figure by being strict with her calorie intake. It came to much of a shock as they saw Hyejoo’s tray filled fully and seeing her eat heartedly. But what shocked them the most however, was how she was having out and being so carefree with the “nobody” that was Park what-was-her-name-again?

Go Won was used to the attention, being an idol and having to go on shows, concerts and other performances. Hyejoo was still a rookie so although she was trying hard to look unbothered, the girl in glasses could see Hyejoo was a little tense while chewing. Students were nosy and they weren’t necessarily subtle when they gossiped too loudly on Chaewon’s outcast status. Their words also seemed to get reinforced by her beat up appearance, some wondering just who could’ve done that.

They weren’t quiet, but at least they were at peace. Who would’ve thought that also would get thrown out the window the moment Hyejoo looked up and past Chaewon’s shoulders. Her face fell and in contrast to her smiles and laughs seconds earlier, hateful eyes and flaring nostrils now replaced her mood. Chaewon immediately looked back and Hyejoo took that chance to spring up her seat and run up to the bully.

Everything happened so fast that Chaewon had to look back twice to understand what just happened before her eyes. Two beats passed, everything now feeling like slow motion as her chair screeched back from how fast she had gotten up to go after Hyejoo. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she began to pray that the younger girl wouldn’t do something stupid.

What once started to play in front of her like a slow movie then started to flash before her eyes. Chaewon blinked and Hyejoo now had Yujin pinned against the wall while her hands were tightly holding onto the collar of her shirt. Hundreds of students immediately got their phones out to record the scene and Chaewon cursed under her breath. What felt like an eternity was five seconds in reality, as she finally reached Hyejoo and pulled her back with a strength she didn’t know she had.

Yujin was now also seeing red and looked about ready to pounce back on Hyejoo for revenge. Chaewon was struggling in holding back a flailing Hyejoo, while Nara and Ara ran to grab Yujin by both her arms to stop them from swinging at each other. Their bodies may be bound and being held back but that didn’t stop their mouths from running, and the speed in which they threw insults at each other with was truly something to behold.

“Hyejoo stop!” Chaewon yelled in desperate attempts to bring her back to her senses.

It was as if all the stress and anger Hyejoo had accumulated had burst and were being released in the form of threats and violence. Chaewon would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared. Hyejoo was never one to lose her cool and composure so explosively like this. Nothing was going through her, it was like she was a completely different person. Never would she have imagined Hyejoo at her wits end.

By short of a miracle, a teacher came to see what all the commotion was about (since the adults always seemed to be so scarce when it came to school bullying, but somehow if actual violence proof got out in the form of videos that could taint the school reputation, then suddenly teachers cared and was not okay). Chaewon didn’t know how he did it but somehow he managed to bring them all to the principal’s office. 

It felt like she blinked and she and Hyejoo were stiffly waiting for their turn to go inside to talk to the big man, Yujin and her minions having gone first. She turned to lock gazes with the rookie and the navy-haired girl didn’t seem apologetic in the least bit. If anything her gaze softened whenever it landed on Chaewon, but the same spark and fire from earlier was still burning strongly. The door opened and out came Yujin with a smug smile. 

Hyejoo got up like lightning again but Chaewon was prepared this time and put herself in between before they could have a round two.

“This is unbelievable.” A voice called for them from the side. “Both of you. Inside. Now.”

Go Won at first thought the principal wasn’t referring to them since that’s not how he had addressed Yujin at all. He had been a lot more pleasant and calm. But when he saw the older man’s foot impatiently tapping while having an awkward staring contest with them, she knew it was for she and Hyejoo. The secret idol thinks she knows where this is going and she could’ve believe the nerve.

She motioned for Hyejoo to go in first and used that quick gap to send a quick text to someone as she followed along. She was done and had sent the message by the time she sat across the principal’s desk. Now all they had to do was wait and see what he had to say. Although, Go Won could already make a guess if she thought back on Yujin’s look of triumph earlier.

“Like I said earlier, this is unbelievable. We do not tolerate violence in this school.”

Hyejoo furrowed her brows in confusion. It seemed like the man was telling THEM as if they were the ones that had started everything.

“What you two did out there is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at all. You have no chances to explain yourself as a teacher told me their personal accounts of the events. Miss Go was attacked first.”

“Wait. What? I didn’t attack her! There’s a reason why I went up to Yujin! Do you see the bruises on Chaewon’s face? She did that! How come she gets away scratch free and we’re the ones under fire?” 

Go Won just kept quiet and continued to listen. Hyejoo however was not having it, going on and on to explain and trying to get the man to understand her motives.

“Miss Go? Did Miss Go really do that to you?” The principal looked over at Chaewon.

Finally the older girl broke the silence she had been keeping. “Yes. Yesterday at the rooftop.”

“What where you doing at the rooftop? That place is off limits.”

Hyejoo could not believe her ears and eyes. What the hell did that have to do with the fact Chaewon got the crap beat out of her? Is this dude really trying to pin this up on her too? Her blood was already beginning to boil without her being able to control it.

“Why does that matter? Do you not see her face?” Hyejoo countered, her voice progressively getting louder and louder.

“Did you attack Miss Go first too?” The principal looked at Chaewon accusingly.

Oh. My. God. Hyejoo was praying to any god up in the sky to give her the patience to not punch this man in the jaw. What the ? The blatant favoritism had both girls stupefied. Go Won knew it was probably because of Yujin’s dad and his money. He probably did lots of money donations and favors for the school, which were not allowed. Why doesn’t it surprise her? It’s no wonder Yujin got away with bullying anyone for so long.

“Yujin was bullying Hyejoo this whole week and I wanted her to stop. There’s lots of students that have witnessed and know that Yujin is a bully yet the school never does anything. Why are we being suspected of when we were the victims and she was the victimizer?”

Go Won genuinely felt bad. She felt bad this entire school was corrupt. She felt bad for the principal who was mindlessly working as a pawn. And she felt bad for the previous victims that fell for Yujin’s trap. All those kids that Yujin made miserable, they must’ve felt so helpless. She already disliked Yujin, but this just made her lose any possible ounce of courtesy and respect for her as a person.

“Yujin has been bullying Chaewon for so long too! Why are we being treated as the bullies? It’s all her!” Hyejoo’s patience was wearing thin and it was evident by the raise in her tone. “Why does she get away with no punishment?”

The man was actually silent for a few seconds. He looked to be deep in thought, almost as if he was considering their accounts about Yujin. Could it be that they had gotten through him? Hyejoo and Chaewon didn’t move and waited for anything.

Finally, he spoke aga