Karma ━━ Jake Sim

𝟭𝟬 ͏͏͏͏͏͏ ͏͏͏͏͏͏ ͏͏͏͏͏͏⠀No Pressure

She bites her tongue to keep from replying with an, 'Okay, nerd.'

Instead, she just nods.

Breakfast was a blur. Sora had practically dragged her to a table, where the pair reunited with Riki and Jungwon. Sujin vaguely remembers hearing them talk about their classes, and Riki accidentally spilling orange juice over Sora's brand new pair of Docs, but the hectic pace of the morning had her floating through the halls on autopilot. She barely even remembers how they'd ended up in the auditorium, seeing as she'd just let the trio guide her footsteps like she were a stray cat.

Sujin slides into a seat next to her roommate, who's currently still in some sort of argument with her little brother over the spilled OJ. Riki's expressions are equally as animated as hers, with Jungwon poking his head into the conversation every so often to tell them both to "Shhh!". Sujin rolls her eyes, folding one leg over the other as she mindlessly scans the room.

Most of the school is already inside, by the looks of things. The crowd is merely an ocean of gray and maroon, rippling with movement and excited chatter. All of the students bear the same pin-straight postures and dazzling, cheery smiles. It's enough to make her sick.

Sujin glances at her watch just as the hour hand grazes 8:30am. The stage lights come to life, and the crowd almost immediately falls silent.

Just on time.

Just like Sora said.

Headmistress Jeong takes her place behind the lectern, sharp eyes gazing over all the students sitting before her. She's wearing a dark pantsuit today, with pointy heels that echo wherever she steps and a glittering eagle-shaped brooch over her chest. She draws her crimson-red lips to a tight line before speaking: "Good morning, students and teachers. Welcome back to another semester at Darisan Preparatory School."

A light flurry of applause follows; but it's not the type you'd hear at a concert, or even the end of a congratulatory meeting. Sujin looks around to see all eyes locked on the Headmistress, hands coming together in an almost robotic motion. It's all a mix of excitement and fear, she thinks, as if everyone in the crowd is on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what the next few months will bring.

The Headmistress' address is short and sweet, to her surprise - merely a few sentences of what's to be expected and overpouring gratitude for the work of all the staff members. Before Sujin knows it, she's already wrapping up her speech and passing the stage to the next speakers.

"And now, please give a warm welcome to your Student Body Presidents."

"Look," Sora nudges Sujin with a giggle, "It's your best friend."

Jake appears onstage, and Sujin swears she feels a shift in the atmosphere as soon as he does. It's almost as if every person in the room breathes out a collective sigh of relief, shoulders rolling back and an unconscious smile curling at their lips. She wonders how on Earth a single person could have such an effect on hundreds.

"Hey, guys!" He chirps into the microphone, "So good to be back, am I right?"

This time, the applause is genuine. There are loud whoops thrown across the auditorium - "That's my boy!" - and even the occasional wolf-whistle bouncing off the walls. Sujin doesn't miss the way Jake's eyes brighten, cheeks glowing pink ever so lightly at the praise.

As he begins his speech - some type of motivational pep talk for all the students going into what he describes as one "Hell of a semester" - Sujin begins to realize this truly is his turf. He's dangerously good at holding the attention of a crowd. It's like the next ten minutes are gone in the blink of an eye, and he's stepping back with a final shit-eating grin.