The Purge ceased after that day.  No longer was there the fear of getting caught by someone or suddenly being punched by a tiny person.  And it’s all because of Kris and his big mouth.

News spread that Kris was the one who ratted to HwaYeon about Hyerin’s identity, and that she had threatened and blackmailed him weeks ago to confess about Minseok.  He was out for revenge, and the incident at the lunchroom gave him the ammo he needed. HwaYeon only reported Hyerin punching her in the face and threatening Kris to save their own necks. The Dean punished Hyerin with detention for a week for punching HwaYeon in the face, and another few days of detention for Kris, since she didn’t physically harm him.  

But that isn’t the only rumor going around.  Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had suspicions when Hyerin walked in and out of the cafeteria with Jongdae.  Rumor has it that the two of them were dating, and some people are worried because they believe the girl who punched the popular girl and threatened the Junior team captain will eventually “corrupt” our innocent President.

People who call her a bully are also the people who were scared of being Purged.  Everyone else is most likely just pissed that she’s dating Jongdae, calling her a out of jealousy.  And then there are people who agree with both labels. So now, everyone is either accusing her of being a bully, a , or both.  Not many people see what she did as good in any way.

“I don't know, she's pretty scary,” Sehun admits uneasily.  “I mean, you saw how she dealt with HwaYeon. Plus, she actually blackmailed Kris Wu of all people!”

“But she did it for a good reason,” Chanyeol argues.  “We know HwaYeon was always a , but Kris needed to be outed if he was also beating people up this whole time.  I have no respect for him whatsoever anymore!” He’s come around to be one of the very few people who support her.

“But there's no need for violence, Yeol.  Besides, what about her and Jongdae? What if she used him to lessen her sentence?  They seem a little chummy,” Baekhyun adds, his eyes narrowing. “She’s a sneaky one.”  He’s just hiding the fact that he thinks she shouldn’t have done anything.

“I'm just mad he got to her first…” Kai mutters, his head leaning on the table as he picks at his lunch.  Typical boyish thinking, but he also believes she did the right thing in both cases. He’s just mad about her being with Jongdae.

Kyungsoo shakes his head.  “They haven't been talking lately.  I haven't seen her with him or the rest of the Student Council.  They were probably never allies in the first place.” He’s still on the fence about whether she did the right thing or not.

To be honest, I don't know where I stand.  I mean, it's admirable of her to pursue justice, but I can't understand why she would bother looking for trouble in the first place.  Didn't she know she would get caught eventually? It was smart of her to do the Purge on the down low so she would remain anonymous, but what made her lash out at HwaYeon?  Knowing the consequences, Hyerin should have laid low as usual, but she didn't, and now public opinion of her is pretty negative.

Regarding her and Jongdae, I hadn't seen them together after she was busted.  It seems he’s ignoring her. A few days after the cafeteria incident, I saw them arguing with each other through the door of an empty classroom, her arms crossed and spitting her words angrily at him.  Jongdae was shaking his head a lot and rubbing his face. She then stormed out, her footsteps thundering behind her, almost running me over in the process.

It’s a terrible situation to be in: most of the school hates or fears you, the Dean now has you on his record, and barely anyone at school is on your side.  The students she helped in the Purge still talk to her in the hallway, trying to offer words of gratitude and comfort, but Hyerin would just shake her head and walk away.

I dispel the thoughts.  I hate recalling the look in her eyes after that, complete helplessness and despair.  Looking up and across the room, I see her empty lunch table. She hasn't been coming to lunch since she got in trouble.  I barely even get to see her in class anymore; she always rushes out after the bell rings to get to her next class. Today, however, I saw her sneaking into an exit staircase before lunch.  So I'm gonna follow her before the period ends.

After I’m finished with my lunch, I push open the door to the staircase and climb all the way up to the top.  The rooftop is a good place to be if you want to be alone. Today is slightly cloudy, the spring air crisp. Hyerin casually sits on a crate in front of the ledge.  Her red and black hair grazes her back in the light wind. She doesn't seem to notice I’m watching her.

I close the door silently behind me and walk up behind her.  I struggle to think of something to say to her. I don't even know what brought me up here, I just acted on impulse.  She probably wouldn't talk to me even if I say anything anyway.

“I was wondering when you would come up here.”

I jolt.  Her voice startles me, I almost forgot its softness, though it’s lost its usual edge. Walking around to her side, I slowly approach her, waiting for another word.  “You were expecting me?” I ask quietly.

For the first time in weeks, I finally get a good look at her face.  She seems so...drained. The fire in her eyes has disappeared, replaced by regret. As soon as we make eye contact, she immediately turns away, staring off into the distance.  “I don't know why you’re so infatuated by me, Junmyeon, but it does make you a little easy to predict,” she states bluntly.

My blood runs cold.  How did she know my name?

“It’s hard to not know the Prince of the Junior class,” she answers, reading my mind.  “Girls always talk about you. Besides, you’re always sneaking around when you think I can’t see you.”

I blush a little and let out a weak laugh.  I guess my spying on her hasn't been as inconspicuous as I thought.  “Can I sit next to you?”

She moves over, making enough space for me to sit inches away from touching her.  “So, why have you come?” she asks, still staring straight ahead.

“I thought you said I was predictable,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

“Actions are predictable.  Thoughts are harder to read with little context.”  I’ve missed hearing her voice all this time, but now she just sounds lifeless.

I fumble with my hands a little, thinking of an answer.  “To be honest, I'm not really sure either, I just saw you come up here and…”  My voice trails off into silence. I’m embarrassed that she knows I was following her all this time.  I don't want her to take it the wrong way, but at the same time I don't really know what I want her to do with this information.

“You thought I was lonely?  Or you have something to ask me?”  She still won't look at me.

I pause, contemplating how I should answer.  Yeah, I guess I did think she was lonely, but I also wonder about her.  This could be an opportunity to understand her better, behind her harsh edges.  “I...You...Well…” I stammer. “You are pretty lonely, aren't you?  Since you're up here by yourself.”

“Feeling lonely depends on the person.  If they can't feel it, then are they really lonely?”

My mind scrambles, but I can’t find a good enough answer to her question.  So I just say the first thing that comes to mind. “Why?” I don’t know why I even said such a dumb thing without any idea how to finish that question.

Hyerin is silent.  Her gaze downcast to the ground, my heart pounding in nervous anticipation.  She seems to understand the implications in my question even if I don’t. “Well, why not?”  Her voice wasn't aggressive when she responded, it was soft. “Why do bullies get to scar people and hurt them without any consequences?”

I stare at her, at a loss for words.  I don't want to ruin her train of thought, I want her to speak freely.

Suddenly, she turns to face me, the fire reignited in her eyes.  Even just the little spark caught me off guard. “Bullies shouldn’t get to roam free, someone needed to push them around and show them that someone isn't afraid to stand up to them.  And that's what I was trying to do. Because it's just not fair that the weak can't even complain to administrators because they’re ashamed or afraid of the consequences.” She speaks with a fiery passion from the depths of her soul, deeply moving me.

“People were on your side about it though,” I respond gently.  “The whole Purge thing struck fear into the bullies, and the students were grateful for what you did.  The entire student body was more careful around each other because of you.”

“Because I was a nobody at the time,” she snorts dismissively.  “They didn’t care who was behind the Purge, they just went along with it because they knew it was the right thing.”  She looks down again. “... And then I outed myself.” Her eyes mirror disappointment as her fire is doused. She laughs bitterly to herself.  “I should have known better. People only like someone they're comfortable with as a hero, someone who normally doesn’t look threatening.”