Angelic || suhyeok x cheongsan || aouad || ON HIATUS

Chapter 11 - authority can go fuck itself

Su-hyeok was a minute late to meet Ms Park. He apologised profusely, but she didn't seem to mind. She seemed grateful that he'd come at all, which unnerved Su-hyeok. His anxieties were only amplified by the speed that Ms Park was walking at. He wasn't slow by any means, but even Su-hyeok was struggling to keep up with her. It probably didn't help that he'd ran up at least two flights of stairs only a few minutes before.

"I'll go in for a minute and let him know you're ready. Wait here."
Ms Park knocked twice, then entered, leaving Su-hyeok regaining his breath and leaning against the wall opposite the office. Everything about it just seemed off. His heart was thudding, but not from the physical exertion. Nausea crept up his throat. He swallowed deeply. The door opened, and Ms Park stepped out.
"He's ready for you. Good luck."
"Thanks," he attempted a smile, and slipped through the doorway.

SU-HYEOK

"Lee Su-hyeok?"
"Yes sir."
"Take a seat."
I sat, realising that I'd never really spoken with the principal before. Maybe the odd 'thank you' when, if ever, he held the door open for me. He didn't seem to be the most reliable or trustworthy head of a school in the world, so whatever he wanted with me was most likely... not good.
"Do you have any idea what I wanted to speak with you about?"
I shook my head. He sat in the chair opposite me, leaning forward, hands clasped on his lap.
"On Wednesday last week I was told about a fight between you and," he briefly glanced at a notepad, "Yoon Gwi-nam. Is that right?"
I nodded.
"He's been excluded for two months."
I nodded again.
"Why did you fight?"

It didn't matter that he was in charge of a school that probably had a fair few students who weren't straight, I expected the principal to be about as accepting as my mom. Maybe ever so slightly more.

"Well," I began, my mouth dry, "I was wearing a skirt. This one actually. Because I, uh, didn't have access to trousers that morning, and skirts are part of the uniform so I thought it would be better to wear one compared to jeans or something like that."
"So how did that lead to a fight?"
"Gwi-nam, uh, found it, I don't know... offensive?"
"Well maybe you should respect other people's opinions."
I had to double check that I'd heard him right. I had.
"Sir, it's an item of clothing. If he's offended by something like this, maybe he should be here instead of me."
"He was. He said that you were displaying obscene acts of affection in front of him, and others, so, to protect the younger year groups, he told you to stop, and you decided to punch him."
That lying piece of shit–
"He told you that? And you believed him?"
"His account seems far more likely than your story."
"You clearly don't know him well," I muttered, glaring at the floor.
"Excuse me? Are you questioning my authority?"
"Maybe I am."
Fuck. I hadn't meant to say that aloud. He leaned back, face darkening. He was pissed. The nausea that I had felt outside was swallowed again, and I stood up. I was being stupid. I tried to tell myself to sit back down and just accept the screaming that was inevitable, but my body, nor my mouth, wasn't having it. The confidence I felt was overwhelming.

"I am questioning your authority. I can't seem to understand why you're even a principal if you don't give a fuck about what actually happens at the school that you're literally in charge of. Yoon Gwi-nam is a fucking liar. I'm sure you've had to speak to him enough when Mr Lee's son was a victim of his. You must be fucking blind not to see that he's done everything that he's ever been accused of. Wouldn't you see a trend in all the accusations? Wouldn't you realise that every shitty thing at this school leads back to him? Even a five year old could work that out, but someone with authority can't? Bullshit. Of course you worked that out. Did he threaten you? He threatened me, I nearly died because of him, but I still fought him. You're a fucking coward. Sir. I'm going now, even if your authority doesn't approve. Go fuck yourself."

I left, making sure he wasn't following me, and collapsed on the floor in the bathroom down the hall. Shit. I'd just told the principal to fuck himself. But it felt good. I started laughing, probably because of nerves. My heart was beating so quickly that I had to lay down and just focus on my breathing so I didn't have a heart attack.

The floor was surprisingly comfortable. And clean. I was pretty sure that no one actually used this bathroom because of it's location. It was only when the door opened and On-jo and Nam-ra walked in that I realised it was the girl's bathroom. I should have realised by the cleanliness of the floor.
"Su-hyeok?"
"Yeah, uh, I'm leaving. Thought it was the guys' bathroom."
I stumbled to my feet and rushed out the door, leaving them snickering to one another.

CHEONG-SAN

Throughout my entire physics lesson, I was thinking about Su-hyeok. I had written about three words by the end, causing On-jo to kick my shin. I tried to protest, but she raised a good argument.
"You're supposed to contribute to the group project at least a bit. Three words is not going to help, Cheong-san. Is it because of Su-hyeok that you didn't do anything? Ugh, stop simping."
She kicked me again, and ran off in the opposite direction.

If On-jo knew anything, it was how to kick someone to cause the most bruising possible. My legs had permanent marks because of her. How charming. I was going to limp to my next lesson, but the bathroom, our bathroom, was much closer and much easier to think about Su-hyeok in.

I pushed open the door, hoping that it would be empty. Some moron was sat on the floor, his back against the wall, breathing slowly. I was going to ignore him and just sit in a stall, but his breathing didn't sound right. I was scared that he was having an asthma attack.
"Hey, you're not dying right?"
"Cheong-san?"
That was my moron.
"Su-hyeok?"
He scrambled to his feet and embraced me tightly.
"I yelled at the principal," he whispered.
His body started to shake, tears falling down, but he was... laughing?
"I told the principal to fuck himself."
"You said fuck in front of him?"
"And bullshit."
Su-hyeok was still laughing, but now trying to inhale as much air as possible through his mouth, but ended up choking, leading me to panic and slap his back as hard as I could, which caused him to fall slightly. He caught his breath at least.
"Moron," he grinned.
"You're welcome,"I smirked.
"Aren't you supposed to be in lesson?"
"Fuck off. Now, tell me everything."