Monday was excruciating without Sojin. As I had foreseen, the devastating news was all over the school; I was nearly grateful Sojin wasn't around to entertain the attention, and I was suddenly wishing I had ditched classes.

Throughout the day, students came up to ask about the incident. Some of them even had the nerve to implore me to explain Sojin's mishap in grave detail - like did they seriously think it'd be some bedtime story-telling? People could get morbidly insensitive, couldn't they?

The least I got were questioning looks of how I was able to survive the night unscathed while Sojin was stuck in the hospital, half her limbs seriously impaired, possibly permanently.

In sharp contrast, I was thankful for Shinji - honestly, the world was in need of more people like her - who only came over to wish me luck for the upcoming IAC and to send her regards to Sojin.

At second period, I received notice from the confederation of high school student councils (CHSC) of a probable summon within the week for a hearing. Some high school undergrads apparently attempted to break into their school's digital archives for leakages. How very familiar. But then again, I doubted they had Sojin-like interferences to prevent the case from being elevated to a higher governing body.

I hadn't actually heard from the CHSC in years. Cases were very rarely raised to it. The last time it did was in Freshmen year perhaps. But I wasn't even sure. Dang, I was such a useless Prefect back then, wasn't I?

I let the morning discussions drone on, my mind wandering off to two very important matters:

The IAC. My palms turned sweaty every time the competition slipped into my thoughts. I scanned the room to find Yixing and Lichen both looking as unnerved as I was. Our trainer had ceased training sessions since last Friday, but he should have just excused us from classes for today and tomorrow as well; our brains were no longer functioning anyway.

And Sojin. From the time I exited her room last night, I'd been on a constant lookout for a call, or a message, or whatsoever notification from my phone that could possibly signify communication from her. But nothing. It was very frustrating. Sure, the girl could surely handle anything - the hospital itself could undergo incineration and I didn't think she would have contacted me - but still, I needed to hear from her.

I decided to call her at lunch.

But lunch rolled in rather interestingly. I was about to enter the cafeteria when Jimin brushed past me and bolted inside. She was alone, but shortly after, she had joined with her fellow Juniors at a table by the center of the hall.

It wasn't that that bothered me. It was when she walked past the table where Jongdae and Tao had been settled in as though Jongdae, her loyal boyfriend, were nonexistent. Just seconds later, Jongdae stood up and stormed out of the cafeteria, not even acknowledging my presence as he pushed open the double doors for his exit.

My appetite was effectively ruined. Not that it was in good shape to begin with. In the end, I decided to stay by the park and grab a final attempt at review.

Jongdae and Jimin might be officially over. I wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the party's incineration. And it didn't help that Jongdae had all but avoided me since this morning.

It was Lichen who validated my premise. "They broke up," she said.

I looked up from half-heartedly glossing over my notes, startled. "How did you find me?"

"I didn't." She sat beside me on the bench, sipping on her juice. I was in one of the farthest gazeboes in the school's park. "Sojin said you frequented this place if you weren't eating in the cafeteria during lunch."

I could not help the positive shift in my mood at the mention of Sojin's name. "She said what?"

Lichen didn't reply. I pretended I didn't want to hear what Sojin had to say, albeit very miserably. Lichen rolled her eyes. "Something happened, didn't it?"

"What?"

"It's written all over your face, Luhan. You were looking half dead when I'd last seen you in the hospital. And now," she threw my entirety a quick assessment. "Now you've resurrected. What happened?"

"Sojin's fine," I supplied, concentrating back on my notes. Was I really that transparent?

Minutes passed in silence. Only the gentle breeze so much as hummed in the gazebo's tranquility.

"I'm kidding, Luhan." My eyes snapped back up. I waited. "Your face is annoyingly impassive. It was Sojin who told me."

"Told you what?"

She laughed. "Now I have your attention." She eyed me sideways, a knowing smile playing along her thin lips.

What? What did she know? What did Sojin tell her? I refused to demand again. If anyone were to witness of my horrifying desperation towards Sojin, it would be Sojin herself. Nobody else. My pride could not afford it.

"You are just as thick-headed as Sojin is, you know that? Gosh." She shook her head. I was glad she finally surrendered as she explained, "I called her earlier to tell her I can't visit her tonight because my parents have come to watch the competition two days from now. I offered to visit again tomorrow but she said she will have been discharged by then and so -"

"She what?" I was up on two feet, digging my pocket for my phone. Lichen had flinched in surprise at my outburst, her brows furrowed. I ignored her and dialed Sojin. She picked up on first ring. "You didn't tell me you are to be discharged tomorrow," I spat.

"Hello, Luhan. How are you? I'm doing great by the way, thanks for asking." She chuckled on the other line. My cheeks warmed in a mixture of shame and excitement - shame over my baseless and irrational demand and excitement over hearing her voice, even when it was just over the static filter of the phone. "I was planning to tell you later when you'd visit me, okay? Why are you so upset?"

Well, I.. "I'm not upset." But I was. Why the heck was I upset?

Beside me I heard Lichen belch a giggle as she stood, too. "Your boyfriend's upset because he wasn't the first to know of your discharge, Sojin." She blew me a raspberry before skipping away. "Later, Luhan."

I fixed my eyes on my feet. Why was I reacting like this? Sojin had the liberty of telling me or not. The hell?

"Luhan?"

"Yes, Sojin? Sorry, I, uh.." I pressed my forehead, sinking back on the bench. "I'm so sorry, how are you?"

"I'm great, I guess. Did you sleep well last night?"

My heart clenched at her voiced concern. "I think so. And you?"

"Fantastic. I had a dream, a really really good one." Her excitement was spilling over the receiver. "I dreamt we championed the IAC! Can you believe that?"

I chuckled. "Well, that's fantastic indeed."

We were silent for a moment. Sojin's breathing was steady but audible. Why was I not speaking? I was the lamest moron, really.

"Luhan, are you all right?"

"Hm?" Was I? I recalled everything that had transpired between us in the past few nights. There was no reason for me to not be all right. I forced my voice out in the lightest tone I could manage. "I am, Sojin. You worry too much for someone who has just been through hell. And shouldn't I be the one to ask you? Are you all right? How's your arm? And your leg? I can'