The hallway felt colder than usual, streching endlessly as Chenle walked beside Barom, every step echoing like a countdown to disaster. Neither spoke, but their eyes kept flicking toward each other, sharp as knifes. Chenle forced his fists to unclench, but the tremor in his hands betrayed him.
Barom, meanwhile, smirked faintly, almost as if he'd won already. "You're in trouble now," he whispered under his breath, provoking him more. Chenle's shoulders stiffened, but he said nothing. His silence was its own kind of shield.
The secretary saw the two boys, then knocked on the office door. "Come in?" The principal's voice echoed through the closed door, the secretary opened the door. The two boys entered the room.
Inside the office, the principal sat behind a heavy oak desk, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He didn't look up at first, simply finishing a line on the paper in front of him. The silence dragged, heavy and suffocating. The principal looked up over his glasses. "What's the matter? Why are you not in your classes?" he asked- his eyebrow raised. "Thanks, Ms Jeon." he said, the secretary nodded approvingly, closing the door behind the two boys.
The click of the door shutting seemed louder than it should have been. Both boys stood stiffly in front of the desk, Barom shifting from foot to foot while Chenle's jaw was still tight.
The principal folded his hands and fixed them with a piercing stare.
"Now. Which one of you is going to tell me what happened?" he asked- voice surprisingly calm.
Barom immediatly pointed at Chenle. "He started it, sir! He insulted me in front of the class and then tried to-"
"That's a lie!" Chenle snapped, his voice sharper than he intended. Hs chest was burning. "He was the one who made fun of her first. He wouldn't stop! I just-"
The principal's hand slammed flat against the desk. "ENOUGH!" this single word cut through their argument like a blade. Both boys fell silent.
He leaned forward slightly. "What do you think this is- a joke?!" Barom scoffed, muttering something under his breath, earning him a sharp look from the headmaster.
"I don't care who started it. What I care about is discipline and order! And you just disrupted it!"
The principal's gaze lingered on him longer than on Barom, searching, weighing. For one terrifying moment Chenle though the man could see straight through him- to the strengh he kept hidden, to the part of himself he never wanted to expose. He dropped his eyes to the floor, hoping the silence would end.
"This is what you will do. Both of you write an apology letter. To each other. And to the class for disrupting the lesson. If this happens again during the day, both of you will face detention, clear?" his tone was calm now, almost quiet, but that made it worse- like a storm about to break.
Chenle's stomach sank. Detention meant question from his hyungs. Questions that never should be asked- because those would be proof of his exposing behaviour. It also meant attention. Exactly what he wanted to avoid. But he forced a nod. "Clear."
Barom gave a reluctant grunt of agreement.
"You're going to write the letters now. Go to Ms. Jeon's office, ask for paper and a pen. You'll write it there. After break-time, you can go back to class." the principal dismissed them.
As they stepped out into the hallway, Barom leaned closer, muttering through clenched teeth, "This isn't over"
Chenle's eyes flickered dangerously, but he stayed silent walking away before the fire in his chest could spill out.
