Thirty minutes had elapsed since I was asked to leave the Head Principal's Office. I was still absently pacing the lounge just outside the inner room. I surmised it was where the Head Principal conducted his private trials - if such a mode of settling matters was even existent.

Just what the heck were they talking about? Sojin and the Head Principal, what were they discussing together that needed me out of earshot?

I strived to keep my emotions in check, towards Sojin in particular. I was pissed at her, maddened, frustrated, devastated. Worried, anxious, demented beyond sanity. How could she? She had promised to tell me if she ever tried anything dangerous!

Ah, but she probably didn't categorize this as dangerous. Heck, how frustrating could she get?

I hadn't had the time to leash out at Sojin when we were dismissed by the Head Administrator and endorsed to the Head Principal. And our classmates who had joined us earlier refused to return to class.

Beyond the lounge and through a tinted glass, I could see Yixing and Lichen conversing separately. Toni seemed to be getting updates from Baekhyun, and from the way he kept glancing towards the lounge, I imagined Baekhyun's orientation to be solely about me and Sojin. Tao was simply leaning against the wall, his expression grave but unreadable.

I resumed pacing, my resolve to not break into the inner office slowly evaporating.

Someone else joined the little huddle by the corridor. It was Jongdae, and he instantly gathered everyone's attention.

Lichen charged furiously at him, only mildly restrained by Yixing. Her rants were muffled from where I was but I could tell she was not in any way pleased with his presence.

Jongdae didn't retaliate. He scanned his friends but nobody seemed to want to meet his gander. It suddenly made me grateful that the glass was tinted on both sides; I knew he didn't have anything to do with this but it still deemed a struggle looking into the eyes of the man whose girlfriend definitely plotted all my scandals.

And speaking of whom, Jimin suddenly emerged in Jongdae's wake. Lichen vented on her, too, and this time, Yixing was more forceful in tethering Lichen.

I looked away and focused on the door of the office. My friends quarreling was not that bearable a scene. But then the door to the inner office appeared even more unbearable. I had never been gripped with such a lethal urge to devastate the wooden barricade. One kick at it would be enough - this I was certain. Then yet again, I could always opt to use the knob.

I shook my head to dissipate my violent thoughts.

Come on! Let me in already! What's taking them this long -

The golden knob clicked and rotated.

I froze. And as if to exaggerate the nonexistent drama, no one exited the now agape door.

A full minute later, Sojin finally slipped out, her eyes downcast and her arms wrapped securely around a silver tablet. She didn't seem to note of my presence as she pulled shut the wooden door behind her and trudged straight for the glass door.

I snapped out of my trance. "Sojin." I had grabbed her shoulder before she was completely out of the lounge. She was already halfway though, so that the first class and Jimin were now focused on us. I noticed, with cheerless heed, that the number of our audience had increased. If I wasn't mistaken, more than half of the first class was now clustered along the corridor. They all looked vigilant.

Sojin angled her head to face me. "Yes?" Her calm tone was ironically unsettling.

"What.." I cleared my throat. "What happened?"

She smiled. "Your slate's clean now. The Head Principal's convinced everything was staged, that someone else had composed and scheduled-sent the EUM. They're still onto finding out who but other than that, you're clean so you don't have to worry anymore, alright?" She turned to leave, unmindful of our audience, until Lichen called out.

"What about you, Sojin?"

Sojin paused in her tracks. "I'm fine, Lichen."

"That's not what I mean!" Lichen scoffed. "I don't get you at all, Sojin! Why? Why do you always -" she stomped forward but only managed a few steps as Yixing caught her "- always have to risk yourself for this jerk?" She pointed at me. "He doesn't even truly care for you - are you blind or are you just one heck of a masochist?"

"Please don't shout, Lichen." Sojin sighed, her back still facing us. "My infiltrating actions will be investigated and the Head Principal will do his best to settle the case as quickly as possible. But until then, I'm not allowed to participate in any school activity."

"Even the mock?"

"Especially the mock, Yixing." Sojin faced us at last, her pinched eyes accentuating the smile adorning her lips. It wasn't a happy smile. It was.. apologetic..? "You can at least forgive me for that, right?" she said. "Ten percent won't be that bad, right? Not something you guys can't compensate, I mean?"

"Who the hell cares about freakin points!" Lichen bawled. She was so mad I knew I was in for another bout of her Luhan-channeled belligerence.

Sojin turned a deaf ear on Lichen's rants. "On a lighter note," she said calmly, "I won't be facing expulsion nor suspension. Well, not even detention. I had totally imagined the worst, silly me." She laughed a quick one. "So no need to get mad, okay, Lichen? And don't call Luhan a jerk because he's really not."

But I was. Lichen was right. Why did Sojin always risk herself for someone like me? It didn't make any sense at all.

"Jimin." Sojin swayed towards her, one arm held out. "I'm sorry -"

"I don't need your pity -"

"I know.."

"Then shut up!"

"I'm just saying," Sojin persisted, "nothing's too late, you know." She grasped Jimin's wrist despite the latter's hostile objection. "I always thought you wouldn't dare it, that you weren't acting on your own volition, and as it turns out, I'm right, am I not?"

Jimin was quivering in rage, her jaws set, her eyes fiery. Her and Sojin's shared knowledge perplexed me. All I could deduce was that Sojin had pieced everything together and Jimin didn't like it. And it felt depressing being left out especially since I was at the center of the issue.

"Shut up," Jimin hissed. "You don't know anything." But Sojin's compassionate gaze held Jimin captive in a pacifying way only Sojin could ever effectuate.

"Yeah," Sojin agreed, "you're right, I don't know anything -"

"So just shut the hell up!" Jimin wrenched her arm free and staggered a few steps backward, tripping along with the motion but landing straight into Jongdae's chest. She gasped.

"You see, Jimin?" Sojin smiled, showcasing one of her dimples. "You should know this at least: that Jongdae is sincere with you, so don't repay him with rancor and deceit." She raised her eyes to the clear sky beyond the lengthy awning hovering above us. "Or better yet, don't let him hope if there's nothing to hope for in the first place."

"What would you know? It's not like.. you'd know what I feel.."