As soon as their proctor left after making sure that all students have submitted the test questionnaires and answer cards, Jinsoul scanned the room for Jungeun. She knew that Jungeun was smart enough to get at least a passing score for today’s exam, but that didn’t stop Jinsoul from worrying about her. She spotted Jungeun quickly walking outside the classroom while typing on her phone anxiously, making Jinsoul’s stomach flip with concern.

Jinsoul tapped Sooyoung’s shoulder and wordlessly excused herself out, running outside the room to follow the other blonde. Something about the expression Jungeun just made was definitely wrong, she thought. It was quickly confirmed when she saw her turn to the comfort room then heard a single, stifled sob.

Not knowing what to do, Jinsoul just stood outside for a couple of seconds before swinging the door open, revealing a distressed girl who’s staring at a phone in her hand.

“Jungeun,” Jinsoul called, approaching Jungeun slowly. “Are you alright?” she asked, realizing that it was a stupid question to ask when Jungeun was obviously looking upset already.

Jungeun’s eyes shot up to Jinsoul’s for a brief moment and looked down to her phone again. “It’s the Writing Club. Haseul sent a photo of the memo,” she said, handing her phone to Jinsoul. “. She… I don’t know what’s happening anymore,” Jungeun blurted out, fighting the urge to break into a full sob, but eventually giving up. Her legs gave way and she was about to slump on the floor, when a pair of arms caught her then boosted her up to sit on the comfort room’s countertop.

Jinsoul Jungeun from her hair down to her back with one hand. She’s now facing the mirror, looking at the reflection of the poor blonde’s shoulder hitching up and down. Suddenly remembering that Jungeun’s phone was in her hands, she swiped up to read through the Writing Club’s group chat conversation.

The chat was pretty much filled with cheerful stickers and words of encouragement exchanged with the members until last night. She scrolled down until she found the photo of the memo sent by Haseul.

That would be two hours before the third years like Haseul started their exam, and an hour before we started ours. So she already knew of this while we were answering the test?

The memo simply stated that the Writing Club would cease all their present and future activities, be dissolved, and the members who are still interested may join the Journalism Club’s feature writers if they’re still interested in pursuing creative writing. The memo said that the decision is set to be effective immediately. At first she was just disappointed with the decision, but Jinsoul’s anger doubled when she saw that it was their college dean and school director, Dr. Jaden Jeong, who signed the memo, a day after the university fair. Under that photo, Haseul told the members to not worry about the club and just focus on the exam week. She also added that she would take care of the issue today, and insisted that she’d talk to Dr. Jeong alone to fix the problem.

“Th-this girl from our club is actually the bestfriend of the girl who was harassed by a professor, and we have two freshmen who joined so they’d have a platform to inform the school about the other professor who mock and degrade them for being gay. Haseul…” Jungeun said, fighting through sobs. “She listened to the students who don’t have a voice. She gave them hope that there would be justice for them if we could just publish their struggles through our writing. We promised the seniors that we would carry their legacy, and now they just… Just like that… We worked hard to revise what we already wrote, we also made new pieces that they wanted us to write, but we actually never had that chance? It’s so unfair. It’s so unfair, and Haseul’s alone there talking to him. Haseul just wanted to help everyone… She’s so brave and amazing and we just wanted… ”

Jungeun let her voice trail off as she burst into another fit of sobs against Jinsoul’s shoulders. The sound of this girl, who was just as passionate as their club leader, crying her heart out because the school just couldn’t let go of old, disgusting teachers, was enough to make Jinsoul mad with white-hot anger for the whole system. Anyone could see that the decision was indeed unfair. The absurdity and apathy of the school, of their director, towards the Writing Club was just too much – it was inhumane. And it was a stark contrast to compassionate Jaden Jeong that every one knows.

They just don’t know the real him. They only know how he is when he’s talking on the stage and walking through the hallways. They don’t know him behind his office doors.

But I know.

I know.

“Jungeun, it’s going to be alright. If you believe in your president, you know she would try her best to fix this situation. She has her own ways. Just trust Haseul,” Jinsoul tried to console Jungeun with these words, handing her handkerchief to the other girl. She noticed how her body shook a little bit harder at the sound of Haseul’s name. One thing’s for sure, she was undeniably fond of Haseul, like all the others, and would go all the way to support her as their club president and as a friend.

Jinsoul admired this side of Jungeun, but she couldn’t stand watching her get her heart broken like this. She knows they were writing for a good cause, and it’s absurd how the school, with all its talk about values and compassion, would destroy a club whose aim was to promote a safer environment for the students through prose and poems.

Jungeun hugged her tighter, so Jinsoul just stood there, gently and comforting Jungeun for what seemed like forever, until Sooyoung entered the comfort room, along with Haseul.  The pair was surprised to witness what seemed like an intimate situation before realizing t