RUTH❌

3. the case

I took a heavy breath before walking into the room of terror, A.K.A, the principal's office.

It was unusual for me to be called in here. The last time it happened was a year back after I participated in that 'prank' with Irene, Nayeon, Seulgi, and Joy. It was just supposed to be a dumb petty prank, but it went too far and left Ruth Kim with a concussion.

At least it wasn't my fault this time. I tried to make myself feel better as I felt the goosebumps form, gulping down the guilt.

I looked over and saw Seulgi, Joy, and Nayeon lined up, sitting in chairs, with surprisingly Tzuyu—who I had just seen in the hallway—and Jin not too far away from them either.

Two policemen dressed in their common blue uniform were also in the room, and so was the principal, Mr. Yoon, who was making another call as he did with me. Everybody's eyes landed on me as I slowly closed the wooden door.

The mood in the room was different. Lazy, quiet, weird—just different.

"Jennie, have a seat." The principal gave me a very serious gaze and I nodded before taking a seat in the cheap black chair next to Seulgi, who rolled her tongue inside her mouth. She proceeded to move her coffee cup away from my side.

The room remained soundless and I found myself fiddling with my fingers and staring at the plaques and posters on Mr. Yoon's dull white wall out of boredom.

Feeling like something was going on without my awareness, I peered over and saw the other ones staring 6.8 SPC bullets right through my soul.

What did I do? I thought as I quickly looked away.

Soon, the door was wide open again, revealing the infamous Irene who didn't look too impressed.

"What the hell is this!" She yelled, pointing at all of us that we're sitting down.

"Language, Ms. Bae. Have a seat." Mr. Yoon replied.

There was only one seat left and that was next to my own. Of course, she wouldn't sit there. Irene carried the chair all the way to the right side of the room where Tzuyu and Jin were and plopped herself right on it, slouching with her arms crossed.

One of the policemen soon spoke. "Is that everybody?" The principal nodded and all three of the men presented themselves right in front of us. A speech was awaiting to be said, and the policeman closest to me would start it off:

"So, why are we all here—"

"I don't know, you tell me?" Irene said under her breath, although, it was heard by everyone since she's not a good whisperer.

"It was a rhetorical question." Seulgi replied, only to be immediately shushed by everyone else before an argument between the girls could break out.

The policeman continued, "A case from last year has been reopened after new evidence was retrieved from the scene a few months ago. Because the school failed to communicate this earlier, the Kim family is filing a lawsuit and they are planning to negotiate it."

"What does any of this have to do with us?" Nayeon questioned.

"Well, given that the school is now cooperating, they decided to do some digging," He claimed, "You've all been deemed suspects for the crime."