Krystal’s POV (The next day, at the school canteen of Serin High)

“Ye, sunbae. See you later,” Sulli hung up her mobile phone.

“You have something on with your Drama Club?” I asked.

“Ye. Being the Head of Logistic, I have to go down to Myeongdong to collect the props with the President. Looks like I can’t start working on the lab report with you at the library now.”

“That can’t be helped. Anyway, we are given three days to complete it. We can start in the evening after you come back.”

“Okay. See you at the library later. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” I waved my hands as I watched Sulli disappear into the crowd. While I pondered on how to spend the hours without Sulli, my mobile phone had a text message alert.

“Meeting for Choir members today at 2 pm in ECA Block 1 – President.”

That was sudden. Normally we had our regular meetings on Thursday, which was tomorrow. Perhaps it was due to the closure of ECA (Extra Curricular Activities) Block 1 for renovation from tomorrow onwards that the meeting was pushed forward. Finally, they decided to do something. The ceiling on the ground floor was bowing badly with cracks. Whenever I walked below it, I shuddered at the thought of the ceiling falling onto my head. Although it was only 1.30 pm, I had nothing else to do, so I strolled to ECA Block 1.

On my way there, my mobile phone rang again. It was from Tae Joon. I wondered how he got hold of my number. In the process of contemplating whether to pick up the call, the battery came to a decision on my behalf by going flat. Oh well! As I was too lazy to return to my dorm which was quite a distance away just to charge my phone, I continued my way to ECA Block 1.

When I reached my destination, I was not surprised to see an empty room. After all, I was too early. Amidst the pin-drop silence, my ears picked up some sniffling noise coming from the abandoned art-and-craft room at the far end. Out of concern, I went to check it out. Someone might need help.

Seol Han Na’s POV

After oppa slapped me yesterday, I bypassed the crowded hallway leading to my dorm and headed straight to ECA Block 1. Pride forbade me to show the distraught state I was in to the rest of the school population. I put up a nonchalant front to cover up the fact that I was gradually dying inside. When I finally reached the deserted art-and-craft room, safe from the prying public, I broke down and cried.

“Seol Han Na? Don’t tell me you were here all night?” of all people, I had to be found by that in this dishevelled shape, “You weren’t in class today and your roommate was worried about you.”

“It’s none of your business! What are you doing here anyway? To laugh at how pathetic I look?!”

“I have a meeting with my Choir Group later. While waiting, I hear someone crying so I come over to check if I can be of any help…”

“If you sincerely want to help me, make yourself scarce. The sight of you disgusts me to the core!” hadn’t the slightest idea that she was the cause of my misery.

“Araseo…” her casual reply provoked me further. As she turned to leave, I spotted the familiar-looking bangle she was wearing.

“Hold on! The bangle you are wearing… Did you agree to be oppa’s girlfriend after all?” my tone went dangerously low.

“What has my bangle got to do with Tae Joon?” raised her arm and looked innocently at the bangle.

“Drop your pretence! Oppa told me yesterday that he was going to give this bangle to you as a couple gift. I can recognise its transparent design and the LED fibres inside.”

“I got this bangle from someone else’s oppa, not yours. Besides I had no contact with Tae Joon today, except for a phone call on my way here. However the battery went flat, so I did not find out what he was calling for. Never mind, it’s better off that way…”

could easily get what I could never have, but she was taking it for granted. Since she refused to acknowledge oppa’s heartfelt gesture, she did not deserve the bangle either. I marched right up to her, grabbed her wrist with one hand and tried to snatch the bangle with the other.

“Hey what are you doing?! Why are you trying to rob my thing?”

“You don’t love oppa anyway, so you don’t deserve any present from him. I am going to confiscate this bangle!”

“Are you crazy?! I’ve told you this bangle isn’t from Tae Joon. It’s from… Wahhhh!”

After a tug-of-war effort, I got the bangle. recoiled violently on the impact and was hurled towards the sharp edge of a nearby shelf, resulting in a deep gash at the side of her head. Then she fainted.

“Bla… blood…” I mumbled repeatedly to myself. My phobia with blood threw me into disarray. Dropping the bangle on the ground, I ran out of the room, heading to wherever my legs carried me.

Sulli’s POV (Back in Serin High)

“Sulli, can you take the props to our Drama Room on your own. I am meeting my boyfriend and I’m late.”

“I’m late for my meeting with Soo Jung as well. Moreover, the props are too heavy for me to handle alone.”

“I’m the sunbae and you are the hoobae, so you just do what I say. Got it?”

“Araseo,” deep down, I was cursing this sunbae-hoobae culture that we Koreans adhered so obediently to.

I lifted the two huge boxes of props and dragged my exhausted feet to the Drama Room. On our way back from Myeongdong, we were caught in a traffic jam. To make things worse, the bus we took (My sunbae insisted on taking buses because it’s cheaper) was overcrowded, so we stood all the way.

When I finally returned to my dorm, I checked my mobile again. Since I knew I would be late, I texted Soo Jung on the bus to have dinner first without me. However, she never replied. Was she angry with me for making her eat alone? Then I had better hurry. After taking a quick shower, I rushed to the library.

The Modern Dance Society was holding a concert in our school theatre today, therefore the library was quieter than usual. When Soo Jung was not among the handful of students I saw there, I grew anxious. According to these students, they had not seen Soo Jung throughout their time in the library. Out of courtesy, I went to the exit and called her mobile.

“The caller you are trying to reach is not available…”

Considering that Soo Jung had histories of fainting in the middle of the school, the operator’s recorded reply unsettled me greatly. Come to think of it, she did not return my previous text message either. Now I wish that Soo Jung did not pick up my calls simply because she was mad at me. Packing up my things hastily, I left the library to find her.