1.2 | The Night and Its Stars ⌜ yeosang ⌟

SIXTEEN | ULTIMATUM

That made Minni laugh at least, even if it was disbelieving and confused. "What is this? The animal kingdom?"

"Sure. It's almost like...symbiosis or the food chain. Get this-" Jisoo sidled up closer to her, their shoulders brushing as they looked out over the greenery, like two spies in reconnaissance. Her voice lowered conspiratorially, and Minni found herself instantly enraptured by it.

When Jisoo spoke, Minni listened. The chronic partier knew more about people, about NHU, than she ever would.

"Some are trying to figure out if they should try befriending you to get closer to everyone else. Some are trying to figure out if you're a threat or not." She gestured with a quick dip of her chin to the scholarship students, half of them with their heads on a swivel. "Others probably already assumed you are." Jisoo's eyes grew slitted, a twitch in her brow and a curl to her lips. She pointed her straw to a group of girls and guys hammocking between lofty oaks.

As Minni followed Jisoo's gesture, the group in question were already looking their way. Talking. Ranting. Even from far away, it was apparent that it was about Minni from the upturn of their noses and judgment behind their eyes.

She recognized some of them from the pas de deux group session. Half of them idolized Juyeon. Worse—all of them were friends with Serevena Hall.

Well, they had been until the girl dropped out of the university without warning and moved back home even before midterms.

"Shit," Minni said aloud. Suddenly the soggy bread of her sandwich was the most interesting thing in front of her as her chest tightened sharply, guilt clawing at her.

"Don't let these losers intimidate you. It'll go to their heads." Jisoo was quick to tip Minni's head up with a hand under her chin. "Keep your head up or else they'll all eat you alive."

Her frown only deepened at the words.

"Yeah. Thanks," she rasped, voice weak and as hollow as she felt.

"You'll be fine, M. You always are." Jisoo grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, mistaking her reaction for fear.

While Jisoo knew about Minni's new association with the campus elite and took it much better than Kevin had, she was still left in the dark about the blog. She didn't know about the blackmail—the threats and the fear—that had gotten her that new position in university hierarchy in the first place.

She didn't know about Serevena Hall. She didn't know what Minni did—

I know what you did.

That stupid letter. Those photos. A stalker that could be among the crowd now—

More things she'd take to her grave.

She held onto that hand a little tighter, a small comfort in a world that was spiraling quickly out of control.

Jisoo was the only constant. The only person she felt comfortable baring her soul to, the only person who'd sooner seek to understand her than judge her. The only one of her friends not angry or disappointed with her.

She was lying through her teeth to Seonghwa, and photos had been enough to turn Kevin away from her. He still hadn't returned to their apartment since the COTA announcement. Not while she was there anyway.

Being around Jisoo made her feel like she was still a good person. Not whatever malignant amalgamation of freshly out of season designer and secrets she'd been made out to be.

"Oh, and one last type to keep in mind," Jisoo continued, directing Minni's eyes to a smaller group of girls gathered on the steps of the student center. They seemed to watch on with awe when they thought she wasn't looking. "The hopefuls."