"Is that a new professor?"
"If he gets rid of that stubble, he will look better."
"No, it gives a mature vibe."
"Why is he holding an elephant?"
"Do you think that he's here to see his girlfriend?"
"With a pink elephant?"
"The elephant looks a little weird. Why does it have wings? Wait, is that a bag?"
Sin Jeong-Hyuk ignores the whispers and looks around for Chicken. The university feels like a maze. Who the hell designed this? It's no wonder that Chicken complains about losing her ways to her classrooms.
Should he call Yeon-Sik?
After musing his options for a while, he decides not to. Namgung Yeon-Sik might be busy. Besides, he doesn't want to see his friend's judgmental look.
Why are these girls taking pictures of him? Sin Jeong-Hyuk looks down at the pink elephant bag with wings. The store girl told him that branded bags are popular among young girls. So, he bought something that would suit Chicken.
Girls like cute things.
And Chicken is adorable.
With a wide grin on his face, he walks toward the architecture department building. His chicken will forget about her anger after seeing this bag.
All of a sudden, he sees a glimpse of her back. "Chicken!"
Chang Seol doesn't turn around. She turns around the corner, disappearing from his view.
"Where is she going in such a hurry?" He increases his pace to catch up with her. "Does she have a class?"
***
"Lim Dabin!" Chang Seol grabs Lim Dabin's arm and forces her to stop. "Why did you do that?"
"What did I do?" Lim Dabin gives her a look. "You were being disrespectful to Professor Nam. Why couldn't you apologize for your mistakes?"
They are standing behind their department building. Since most of the students are in the lecture room, they are alone here.
Chang Seol doesn't answer her questions. "Why didn't you submit my assignments?"
"What are you talking about?" Lim Dabin scowls at her. "You never gave them to me."
"I did." Chang Seol grips her wrist hard, making her wince in pain. "Stop lying and tell me why you did it."
"You bitch!" Lim Dabin kicks Chang Seol's leg. But it has no desired effect. Chang Seol doesn't even react. After changing into a Cockatrice once, her body is changing. A mortal can barely bring any harm to her. Lim Dabin looks at her hand. It's going to break at this rate. "Let go!"
"I won't." Chang Seol pushes her against the wall. Though Lim Dabin is taller than her, Lim Dabin trembles under Chang Seol's dark gaze. "Lim Dabin, tell me why you did it before I lose it."
"I will say it," Lim Dabin pants. "Release me first."
She loosens her grip on her hand. "Why did you do it?"
"Why do you think?" Lim Dabin barks at her. "You were there in the classroom that day, weren't you? You watched me doing it with him. Did you enjoy watching us, you pervert? If So Young hadn't told me that you hid in the classroom to avoid morning assemblies, I would have never found out who spread those rumours about me. Because of you, everyone called me a whore."
Chang Seol frowns. She has always been ignorant about things that are happening around her. Unless she's interested in that person, she wouldn't care even if lightning strikes down on other people. "I didn't spread those rumours."
"Then, who did it?" Lim Dabin looks at her accusingly. "Someone took pictures too."
"I stopped hiding in the classroom after seeing you there one time." Chang Seol wrinkles her nose. "And I never took your photos. Anyway, what did they say wrong? You are a whore. You weren't with only one boy. You nearly slept with all the boys in our year. Maybe someone else saw you with them."
"You!!!" Lim Dabin gnashes her teeth. "I did check your phone back then. You know what I found?"
She furrows her brows. This shameful girl just knows how to hate.
"You are Daydream, aren't you?" Lim Dabin's eyes shine brightly. "I was surprised when I found out but I kept your secret. Something that you should have done."
Chang Seol swallows, releasing her wrist. Why does this person know her secret?
"I have never liked you, Chang Seol. You pretend to be innocent as if you are the purest creature in the world." Lim Dabin takes a step toward her. "I was only trying to show your true face to the world. I didn't submit your assignments but you brought the rest upon yourself with your own efforts. While everyone in the classroom is working hard, you are always napping. Now, you blame me? It was only an act of small revenge for what you did to me. Still, I have never revealed your secret to anyone."
Revenge… She's trying to show that she's a good person because she didn't reveal her secret. Chang Seol laughs. "The reason why you didn't reveal my secret is that it would only benefit me. Daydream is an internet celebrity. What would happen if people find out? It's my personal preference that I don't want anyone to know who I am. But I am sure that my life won't be turned upside down if people find out I am Daydream. You want to reveal it. Go ahead. Why don't you do it now?"
Lim Dabin clenches her fists. "You are still not apologizing to me for what you did."
"I didn't do anything wrong." Chang Seol crosses her arms and glares at her. "Lim Dabin, you should have tried to find out who revealed your secrets. Why couldn't it be So Young? That girl was always chatty. I heard her talking crap about you behind your back. It could be your boyfriends. Honestly, your secret wasn't much of a secret anyway. How could it be a secret when it involves so many boys?"
"Shut up!" Lim Dabin raises her hand to slap her face. "You are hateful!"
Chang Seol steps aside, letting her fling her arm in the air. "You just want to hate me. You decided to choose me because you thought that I would be an easy person to bully. Lim Dabin, you got me this time because I was a little careless. If you make another move against me, I will throw you in the middle of the sea."
She's done with it. If anyone tries to bully her, she's going to bully them back.
Chang Seol walks away from Lim Dabin who is too shocked to move from her spot. She doesn't return to the classroom. Instead, she makes her way toward the exit. What she needs right now is a part-time job. Even her phone is broken. How is she going to manage everything?
She doesn't notice the pink elephant bag in the garbage bin or the footsteps of a man on the snow.