"mr. yang."

in no way did sooyoung see that coming. people always kept saying how joonsoo's family was high and mighty so she expected high and mighty.

she never expected his dad to be one of their employees, and a terrible one at that. this is what's making his head big?

"you know her?" joonsoo asked his father in a confused manner.

mr. yang, still in state of surprise, lets out, "yes. she's, uh-"

"what did my daughter do this time?" a man in formal attire walked in the room, already looking tired.

"hi, dad." sooyoung sheepishly smiled.

"president im." mr. yang slightly bowed. "this is quite a situation."

"yes, so it seems." the girl's dad eyed him head to toe.

the principal took matters to his hand and explained to both fathers what their children had done, causing them to exhale with disappointment.

"i want her expelled!" joonsoo yells demandingly. "she used violence-"

sooyoung rolled her eyes at his tantrum. "you insulted my friends, made minjee an outcast, and cornered me for a pen. that was only my first month here, god knows what you've been doing to other students."

"sooyoung." her father quietly warns before facing the other men. "how about they apologize to each other? maybe this is all just a big misunderstanding."

the bully was ready to dismiss the thought. "screw that-"

"that's a great idea, sir." mr. yang quickly interjects.

"dad-"

"joonsoo, just do as he says." his father slightly glares at him, making him gulp and keep silent.

mr. lee lightly chuckles at them. "well, i guess we could try that."

the room fell silent as the teenagers didn't want to admit their mistakes.

"sooyoung." mr. im had an instructive voice.

"no way. i'm not doing it first." the girl pridefully said.

mr. yang clears his throat, urging his son to make the first move. "joonsoo will go."

"hell n-" the boy was cut off by his father pushing his head down to a bow, both of them bending their torsos.

"we sincerely apologise for the trouble my son caused." the man stated.

sooyoung could feel her dad's glare so she quickly mumbled a, "me too, i guess."

when the two parents settled everything with the principal, both families got out of the office.

"dad! what was that?!" joonsoo grumbled to the stressed looking man.

"i told you that my boss's daughter goes here! when will you stop being an embarrassment?"

the boy only rolled his eyes and walked away, making his father follow him to their car.

"well, that was fun." sooyoung snickered.

mr. im blankly looked at her before pinching her ear and pulling it.

"ow! ow!"

"someone wanted you expelled and you thought it was fun?" her father rhetorically asked.

the girl swatted the adult's hand away, whining in the process. "i was standing up for others, just like you said."

"yes, and i'm proud of you but you don't just go hitting people!" mr. im sighed. "there are other ways to deal with bullies."

"like snitch on them? that won't work." she scoffed arrogantly.

"how would you know, young miss?" her father raises an eyebrow.

"because i was one, dad." the girl smugly claimed, earning her a tickle. "ow, stop it!"

"soo?" a slightly quivering voice called behind her. she turned around and saw five people who made her terribly anxious.

mr. im spared them a few glances before realizing, "oh, you must be my dear sooyoung's friends!"

the man was unaware of his daughter whispering for him to stop. "i know she's a lot to handle but please take care of her. she- ow! don't- what do you mean stop?"

"i mean, don't talk anymore." sooyoung quietly mumbles.

"oh, don't be so shy, sooyoung!" her father clapped. "okay, i'll give you time to say your farewells but make it quick. the driver's waiting and this school's parking lot is small."

"got it." the girl irritatedly says through her gritted teeth. she face her shocked looking friends. "hey~ guys~"

"that-" yunho hiccups. "that was your dad?"

"and he's the boss of joonsoo's dad?" san added as they process what happened.

"and you never told us?" minjee questioned with a hint of hurt.

"well, to be fair, you guys never asked so," sooyoung tried lightening the situation but it doesn't seem to be working. "i wanted to tell you! i just didn't find the right timing."

doubtfulness was present on their faces. "yeah, okay. you should go. wouldn't wanna keep your driver waiting." the shorter girl tells her.

sooyoung wanted to explain but seeing that they weren't ready to listen, she simply replied, "okay."

-

things were quite what sooyoung anticipated as the next day came.

minjee was having a hard time even making proper eye contact with her, only answering simple yes or no questions, and cutting their conversations short.

she was half expecting not to get invited to lunch but was a bit comforted when san called for her in the cafeteria.

walking towards the table, she noticed that there were lesser people than usual. "where's minjee?"

"oh- uh, jongho said they were eating out? yeah." yunho spoke up.

sooyoung blinked, already thinking that it was her fault.

"they do this pretty often, so don't worry!" san reassured. "sit down."

the four of them ate lunch atypically quiet. the three guys only exchanged strained eye contact, waiting for one of them to speak to her.

"do you guys hate me now?" sooyoung queries, slightly upset.

"no!" they were quick to deny, almost screaming which resulted mingi to shush them.

"no." san repeats in a calmer tone. "we're really sorry."

"it's just that- we said all those things about rich kids and you never said anything, so we kinda assumed you were one of us." the tallest elucidated with his head hanging low.

"that's okay! that was what i wanted." the girl quickly says without thinking, only to realize how that sounded. "no- wait, i didn't mean to lie. i just-" she releases a sharp exhale. "look, i just really like you guys and i didn't want anything to change, but looks like it's a little too late for that."

"no, no, soo, you're a great person!" her green haired friend solaced.

yunho continued, "and we really like you, too."

"minjee's probably just feeling really bad about bad-mouthing and generalizing wealthy people." mingi pondered. "jongho will talk her out of it, don't worry."

"thanks, you guys." sooyoung appreciated their thoughts very much. she would much rather have this weird atmosphere than them clinging onto her for money or connections, which what mostly happens when people find out about her family.

suddenly, a tray was place on their table. the girl hoped it was minjee but her prayers weren't answered when the person spoke. "hi, guys."

his presence made the others tense and sooyoung groan. "what are you doing, joong?"

"now that it's no secret that you're rich, i can say that we're friends, right?" hongjoong grinned mischievously. "choi and the other girl's not here?"

the girl furrowed her eyebrows. "you don't just eavesdrop into people's conversation."

"it's called passing by, snowflake. you have a uniquely whiny loud voice." hongjoong informed with an attitude while taking food from her plate, earning a 'hey!'.

while they were bickering, the others simply didn't know what to do or even where to look because, for one, kim hongjoong is sitting with them and he only does that when he's flirting or picking a fight. two, he seemed pretty close with their friend that she was speaking to him in a way that could literally make anybody else's school life a nightmare.

sooyoung noticed their silence. "my friends want you to go away, now shoo!"

"do you guys want me to go away?" he stared at them as he normally would, but the three interpreted it as a glare of warning.

"stop- threatening- them-" the girl smacks him which oddly resulted him to let out a small giggle.

"you have such a temper." hongjoong pushed her forehead with two of his fingers. "i'm not threatening anyone."

sooyoung huffed and faced her friends. "i'll get rid of him real quick-"

"he can stay, soo." yunho interjects, trying his best not to stutter.

"see!"

"if you don't mind me asking, where are your friends?" mingi shyly questions. they might be classmates but he still think of him as a stranger.

"ah, they got detention." he waves off.

the girl dubiously looks at him. "without you?"

"what can i say? i'm a good boy now." the blue haired boy batts his eyelashes.

sooyoung wanted to hit him again, but san had pulled back her arm before she could. "don't hit him." he quietly mumbles. in all honesty, san was still quite worried that she would be targeted, though there's almost zero chances of that happening.

"i knew you were cool." he held out his fist for a fist bump which san responded to. "atleast someone sees the abuse i go through." hongjoong dramatically sighs.

the statement unexpectedly made mingi laugh because, well, he could relate to a certain level.

"song gets it." hongjoong points out. "i bet his boyfriend does the same."

"i do not hit him!" the tallest brunette quickly justified himself.

"yun, you hit all of us when you laugh." san backs up.

"soo?"

"sorry, boo. i can't defend you on this."

the shortest male made a camera clicking sound, with his hands forming a rectangle. "caught in four k."

the rest of the table laughed as yunho stand by the fact that he is gentle.

sooyoung was more than glad they were getting along. even if hongjoong was a jerk, he still showed some human decency and that was good enough for her.