Monday comes around and Seungwan gets to see Joohyun. Except, Joohyun looks absolutely exhausted. Instead of pensively staring out of the window, she has her head down, only lifting it when a teacher scolds her or calls her out to answer a question. Her eyes are half closed as she answers unenthusiastically. 

They leave the lecture together to go to the organic chemistry lab. Seungwan uses the opportunity to talk to Joohyun. 

“Are you okay, Joohyun-ssi?” she sidles up beside Joohyun with concern.

Joohyun suppresses a yawn behind her fist but nods through it. “I’m fine,” she says tiredly. She exhales, shaking her head to wake herself up. “Long night that’s all.” 

“I bet it was,” Jinyoung says as he passes by. He’s one of Chanyeol’s friends, who usually messes with people more when Chanyeol isn’t already doing it. To Seungwan, he’s always been a coward of a henchman, Chanyeol’s if she could put it simply. When Chanyeol isn’t around he acts as if he’s the hottest . Regardless, they’re cut from the same cloth. “You must be tired of working all of those clients, Joohyun-ssi.” He has a dirty smile on his face as he waggled his eyebrows. 

Joohyun rolls her eyes. Today her tolerance seems even less than usual. It must be her exhaustion. She’s about to walk away when she stops and turns around. “You must be tired of being Chanyeol’s ,” she throws back. 

Jinyoung’s face drops in shock. Some girls snicker as they walk by and he goes red in the face. “Shut up, you ,” he storms towards her. Joohyun sighs loudly and just steps towards him, head up high with a bored expression on her face. He stops midstep, startled that she comes at him. 

“You didn’t deny it,” she points out, “.” 

Jinyoung breathes quickly, growing irate as he stares down at Joohyun. “You think you’re untouchable don’t you? It must be nice having Headmaster Lee by the balls; if you didn’t you wouldn’t be here.” 

Seungwan tenses at the remark. She is about to pull Joohyun back when Joohyun speaks again. 

She is as cool as ever. “You must know the feeling, Jinyoung.” She patronizingly pats his cheek. “Chanyeol has a good grip doesn’t he?” She pushes his buttons by looking down between them at his crotch. “Although, I’ve heard there isn’t much to grab.” 

Jinyoung turns red with fury. He raises his fist quickly. 

Seungwan’s eyes go wide and she immediately rushes to Joohyun to push her out of the way. “Joohyun-ssi!” 

There’s a loud crack and smack simultaneously. Seungwan shuts her eyes painfully as something sharp cuts into her skin. It feels like a rug has been pulled from under her feet as her opposite cheek hits the ground. She groans painfully at the second impact because her body bounces slightly before she rests on the ground. Her jaw hurts with the rest of her head and she tries to find balance but it’s dizzying as she struggles to open her eye with something sharp at the corner. 

Seungwan struggles to move, but she feels herself being pulled up, head cradled in someone’s arms. 

“Don’t open your eyes,” Joohyun’s voice comes quickly. “Don’t move for a second. I’m right here.” 

“Joohyun-ssi,” Seungwan panics, “What’s going on?” 

“Your glasses shattered, some bits are against your face,” Joohyun says carefully. “You have a shard in your cheek.” Seungwan breathes quickly and tries to brush off the glass when she feels hands stop her. “Seungwan, stop, stop fighting. It’s okay, you’ll be okay. I’ve got you. Stay calm, I’m going to take you to the infirmary.” 

“How–” Seungwan’s question dies on her lips as she feels herself scooped up. She blindly throws her arms around the shoulders. There are frantic whispers and yelling that makes Seungwan anxious. She doesn’t open her eyes at Joohyun’s warning. 

There’s a low grunt from Joohyun’s lips. “Get out of my ing way!” Joohyun yells angrily through the crowd.

Even though Joohyun's voice startles her, Seungwan refuses to open her eyes, listening to Joohyun's warning and feeling a sharp pain at her cheek. Seungwan feels safe as she's carried in Joohyun's arms and she tucks her face to Joohyun's side as they start to move. As they make their way, Seungwan can smell Joohyun's scent that is so distinctly her: lavender and springtime.

Joohyun carries her all the way to the infirmary and sets her down on the bed gently. Nurse Sunny isn’t happy about the ordeal but quickly gets to work to help Seungwan. 

“Is it bad?” Seungwan worriedly asks, gnawing at her lip. Her eyes are still closed, too scared her glasses would get into it. 

There’s a light brush against her face and she feels the small shards pressed around her eyes fall away. After a moment, she feels something being pulled from her skin and she hisses as it comes out. 

“I’m sorry,” Nurse Sunny says, gently tugging the biggest shard free. “Luckily, it didn’t cut too deeply, we might be able to just use a few steri strips on this. Does anywhere else hurt?” 

“Both my cheeks hurt,” Seungwan answers. 

Nurse Sunny hums, inspecting her cheeks. “How did both of them get bruised?”

“I fell after I got hit. It hurt a lot.” 

“I bet.” Nurse Sunny sighs loudly. “Gosh, Son Seungwan, what were you thinking? A couple of scrapes and bruises are nothing, but this? You can’t hide this from your parents. Headmaster Lee is going to have to call your parents.” 

Seungwan tenses at the mention of her parents. 

Headmaster Lee ends up calling Seungwan’s and Jinyoung’s parents for a meeting. Seungwan's father is pissed because he was in an important meeting and as an imposing man with large muscles and a chiselled face, he scares a lot of people. Especially while her mother is away in Japan. Jinyoung tries to play it as an accident, letting his mother coddle him and his father beg Seungwan’s father to go easy on him. 

Seungwan almost doesn’t say anything. She wants to get through this unscathed and move on because if she kicks up a fuss, it’ll only make her days more hellish. But she thinks of Joohyun and the terrible things that Jinyoung says and the way he raised his fist. If Seungwan didn’t step in, it would’ve been Joohyun getting hurt. She feels a deep tug in her heart, knowing that Joohyun would just take it and she shouldn’t have to. 

“It wasn’t an accident,” Seungwan finds her voice. Everyone in the room looks at her. She can’t see their expressions now that she doesn’t have her glasses but she tries to find her father and Headmaster Lee. “Jinyoung aimed to punch Joohyun-ssi and I pushed her out of the way.” 

“My son would never raise his hand to hit a girl!” Jinyoung’s mother exclaims. 

“Seungwan…” her father calls her name carefully. He is surprised. To be honest, Seungwan is also surprised at herself, but it’s the least she can do. 

“He’s been insulting her for the past couple of months based on the rumors he’s heard. She had enough of it and decided to stand up to him. He didn’t like it so he tried to punch her. I didn’t want her to get hurt so I stepped in.” 

“You liar!” Jinyoung exclaims in distress. “Eomma, she’s lying!” 

A hand falls on her shoulder. “Seungwan.” 

Seungwan looks up at her father, squinting her eyes just enough to catch his concerned gaze. Her cheeks hurt from the effort, but she nods. 

“My daughter wouldn’t lie,” her father says without hesitating. “I expect appropriate punishment for what’s happened to my daughter.” 

There’s a myriad of emotions that Seungwan feels at the decisiveness in her father’s voice. But there’s a relief that she could do at least this for Joohyun for now. It’s the right thing to do. 

It’s the end of the day when they finish their meeting. Most of the students have been let out already. 

Park Jinyoung’s father bows over and over to her father for forgiveness. 

“How we raise our children is a direct reflection of who we are,” CEO Son reminds. He tugs his cuff over his watch and turns to put his arm around Seungwan’s shoulder. “Let’s go home.” 

Behind them, Seungwan can hear Jinyoung’s father still begging for forgiveness. 

Her father leads her to the car in her glasses less state. 

“Seungwannie!” Seulgi yells in distress. 

Seungwan squints to the voice but her best friend’s figure is just a blur that wraps her up in a big hug. “Oof!” she grunts as she catches Seulgi. 

“Are you okay?” Seulgi asks frantically as she pulls back to inspect Seungwan’s face. “God, you look like you got into a bar fight.” 

“Be careful with her, Seulgi,” her father gently chides. 

“I’m sorry, uncle.” She lets go of Seungwan and bows politely to the older man. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for her. I didn’t know that Jinyoung would actually hit her, he’s just been teasing her and pushing—” 

Seungwan covers Seulgi’s mouth quickly, missing a few times, so accidentally slapping her face, until she can clamp down on the big mouth. “Seulgi is talking nonsense! Right? Absolute nonsense!” 

Seulgi’s eyes go wide at her friend and Seungwan just makes her nod while under her grasp. 

“Look, father, the car is here!” Seungwan says seeing a giant blur roll in front of the school. “Let’s go!” She lets her best friend go and grabs her father by her elbow to drag him towards the car.

“Bye uncle!” Seulgi yells. “I’ll talk to you later, Wannie!” 

The car ride is awkward. Mostly on Seungwan’s part. She can tell her father wants to ask her a bunch of questions. She’s terrified to tell him that she’s been bullied for the past two years. Because if she does, he’ll want to do something about it. Which doesn’t make it better, in fact it makes it worse. She wouldn’t be any different than the other rich kids whose parents use their power over others. 

“Bae Joohyun-ssi,” her father suddenly speaks, making her tense, “was she the one you were defending?” 

Seungwan looks at her father in shock. “You know her?” 

There’s a solemn look on his face and Seungwan feels as if a rug has been pulled from underneath her again. Her father couldn’t possibly know her–

He nods solemnly. 

Seungwan feels her heart clench in a profound way. She suddenly feels like she can’t breathe. “How…” 

“If you’re worried about me cheating on mom, I would never,” he says but the guilt doesn’t leave his face, “but other men I know have brought her to our dinners before.” 

Seungwan clenches her jaw. 

“She’s a good kid,” he comments with a wry smile. “She’s whip smart and kept the men she was with on their toes. It’s a shame she was so young to get into the business.” 

“Why didn’t you ever help her?” 

“How could I? We’re not in the business of calling out our colleagues for indiscretions. Nor can we fault someone for making a living.” 

Seungwan frowns. Suddenly she feels like she understands exactly what her father means. They share the same sentiment for Joohyun’s case and it’s comforting to know that her father thinks like she does. 

“If it makes you feel better, I believe she’s stopped,” her father informs. 

“How do you know?” Seungwan darts her attention to him. She looks at him with wide eyes, trying to discern his facial expression, but it’s still too blurry. She thinks that there’s a smile on his face though. 

“She was a regular presence in the board’s bi monthly dinners,” he says, “I haven’t seen her for the last six months. Chairman Jung was disappointed that she informed him that her services were no longer available.”

Seungwan is relieved to hear it. It feels like a rollercoaster, knowing Joohyun was really an , but there’s a relief in knowing she’s done with it. It only makes her more curious though.

“I wonder why she stopped,” she mutters to herself. 

CEO Son smiles at his daughter in amusement. “I heard a couple months ago, she saved Dr. Park’s wife.” 

“What?” Seungwan stares at her father in disbelief.

“Mm hmm. President Park had a heart attack while picking up her daughter and Joohyun performed CPR to help bring her back.” 

Seungwan’s jaw drops. Joohyun is more badass than she could ever fathom. 

“Dr. Park is an old friend of the headmaster and helped pull some strings to get her back into school. It was his way of thanking of her I suppose. 

She’s got beauty and brains, Seungwan. You picked a good girl to defend. I’m proud of you.” He pats her head affectionately. 

Seungwan blushes furiously and looks straight ahead, no longer wanting to meet her father’s eyes. 

Seungwan has spare glasses at home that she has to wear. It feels weird because of how new they are, so it takes her time to adjust to them. She can’t concentrate with her eyes being confused by the fresh lens and gets a headache from studying. She takes a break, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes. 

She hears her phone buzz several times. 

Seulgi [18:34]: I’ve got tteokbokki! Be there soon

[photo attached]

Seungwan chuckles at the selfie of Seulgi with the tteokbokki. She knows that her best friend is more excited about the food than coming over to see her. 

Unknown number [18:30]: Seungwan-ssi?

Unknown number [18:30]: It’s Joohyun. I asked Seulgi-ssi for your number.

Unknown number [18:31]: I’m sorry I couldn’t stay, I needed to get to work. How are you feeling?

Unknown number [18:31]: I’m sorry for texting so much, let me know if you’re okay. 

Seungwan feels something bloom in her chest as she reads the successive texts from Joohyun. It almost sounds like Joohyun is nervous. It’s the complete opposite of how she sees Joohyun on a daily basis. Joohyun is the coolest person that she knows. This side is even cuter though. 

Just as Seungwan is about to text, she sees the dots appear as if Joohyun is typing out another message. She waits a moment to see if something comes but the dots disappear. There’s a tiny bit of excitement in Seungwan as she waits to see if there’s a message coming. When it doesn’t, Seungwan types her message. 

Seungwan [18:36]: Can I call you Joohyun-ssi?

In a minute, Joohyun calls. 

Seungwan feels her heart pound as the number pops up on her screen. She holds her hand over her heart to calm down just a bit before answering it. 

“Hello?” she carefully says. 

There’s rustling from the other side and the sound of a bell ringing in the background. 

“Hello? Seungwan-ssi?” Joohyun’s voice fills her ear. 

Seungwan feels her heart go wild at how soft and tender Joohyun says her name. Her voice gets caught in . 

“Seungwan-ssi?” 

Seungwan melts at the way Joohyun says her name. “Joohyun-ssi?” she exhales, content to hear the older woman. 

“I’m glad to hear from you,” Joohyun answers. It makes Seungwan’s heart beat wildly; she sounds so careful with her. “I wanted to stay, but I needed to talk to Headmaster Lee. And I needed to get to work.”

“It’s okay,” Seungwan shuts her eyes, soaking up the woman’s voice. “I understand. Thank you for taking care of me.” 

“What’re you saying? You were the one that got punched for me.” Joohyun sighs. “You shouldn’t have done that. I could’ve taken care of it.” 

“I know,” Seungwan admits with a small smile on her face. “But I couldn’t stand by and let him try.” 

“You got hurt, Seungwan-ssi,” Joohyun mumbles. It sounds cute, Seungwan wonders if she’s pouting. “I was worried by how much you were bleeding.” 

“I’m okay. Just a few bruises and I didn’t need any stitches.” 

Joohyun goes quiet, but the phone call isn’t dropped. Seungwan can hear the distant sound of traffic. 

“Joohyun-ssi?” 

“Yes?”

“Are you okay?” 

There’s a pause. “Of course, I am,” Joohyun finally answers. There’s a heaviness in her voice that betrays her. “I told you, I can take care of myself. Next time it happens, let me take care of it. I at least know self defence.” 

“How do you know self defence?” Seungwan asks with curiosity. She just wants to hear Joohyun’s voice. 

“It comes with the job I had. I had to learn how to fend off unwanted attention and defend myself in situations where I’d be alone.” 

Seungwan frowns. “I’m sorry.” 

“Why’re you apologizing?” 

“Because you had to learn self defence.” 

Joohyun scoffs incredulously. “You apologize for things you can’t control, Seungwan-ssi. I told you already, don’t do it when it comes to me. You’ve experienced what happens when you come to my aid: you get punched.” 

“Better me than you.” 

“Omo.” Joohyun quietly gasps. Even Seungwan can’t believe she just said that and she's glad Joohyun isn't there to see her blush. “Pabo. Take care of yourself too; don’t think I haven’t seen you get pushed around a few times.” 

“Well, I’m used to that,” Seungwan drolls.

Joohyun clicks her tongue. She shakes her head. “If you can stand up for me, you can stand up for yourself.” 

Seungwan hums thoughtfully. “I guess I can.” She thinks for a moment. “But I think I want to do both now.” 

“Eh?” 

“I can stand up for myself and I can stand up for you.” Seungwan feels confident as she says it aloud. “You’ve inspired me to do better.” 

“Good,” Joohyun says softly. There must be a smile on her face. Seungwan can hear it in her voice and she wishes she could see it. “I have to go back to work now. Is there anything you need from me, Seungwan-ssi?” 

Seungwan feels a tug at her heart. She doesn’t want this conversation to end. Not when they’ve gotten so close. She wants to remember this as a moment that they’ve gotten closer. “Yes,” Seungwan bites her lip nervously. 

“Hmm?” 

“Can you stop calling me Seungwan-ssi?” 

“Oh.” Joohyun pauses and Seungwan wants to erase that request. “What should I call you then?” 

Seungwan eases at the response. “Anything else,” she exhales. 

“Okay, pabo.” Joohyun chuckles as Seungwan lets out an indignant sound at the name. “I’m kidding.” A pause. “Seungwannie.” 

Omo. Seungwan smiles automatically. “I like that.” 

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Seungwannie.” 

Seungwan feels her heart swell and carefully asks, “Can I call you unnie?”

“Yes, of course you can.” 

There’s an indescribable burst of emotion that happens in her chest. Seungwan smiles brightly as she says, “Goodnight, Joohyun unnie!” 

Joohyun chuckles. “Bye, Seungwannie.” 

The phone call ends and Seungwan leaves the phone at her ear for a moment longer. She recounts the phone conversation. The memory makes the smile on her face grow. Maybe getting punched in the face wasn’t so bad after all. 

Joohyun unnie gets added as a new favorite contact on her phone.