The auditorium was warm as too full, Liem Hoang still speaking, something formal and forgettable. Most students had stopped pretending to listen.
Lulu didn't bother pretending at all; her focus elsewhere— nowhere specific, just not here, as her eye caught Kristi strolling back.. with a guy?
'Kristi.. u disappeared?' Lulu falters before a sudden—
[i implement a shove— heaving at my response]
—nudge into a stranger's shoulder..
Who..? Her gaze follows the figure almost instinctively 'Hey- uhmm sorry' which was brief, completely changing her thoughts.
"Watch it b*tch.—"
"You Lu Yohan?', letting out a scoff, a guy she didn't recognize stood beside her row, eyes flicking to her nametag like it owed him something.
"Yeah?" she replies, guarded.
He tilts his head. "That's your actual name?"
She blinks, "It's the one on the list."
"No, I mean... Lu and Yohan? That's two last names. It sounds made up."
She pauses, not because she was caught off guard — but because she was trying to figure out if he was serious...
[oh.]
"You walked over here," she says. "To say that?"
"I mean—" giving a lazy shrug, "I just thought it was kind of a weird combo."
She rotates slightly in her seat, facing him more directly, still calm.
"So instead of keeping that to yourself, you figured you'd interrupt a stranger to make fun of their name?"
"I wasn't making fun of it," he barks, still smiling like this was normal. "Relax."
"I am relaxed," she hums. "You're the one who's doing a full breakdown of my surname like you're hosting a podcast." in a low growl.
The smile dropping— just a flicker. Then came back.
"Damn. Defensive much?"
Lulu blinks once. "No. Just not interested in being approached like I owe you a laugh."
"You're acting like I insulted your bloodline."
"You didn't insult me," she flatly responds. "You just embarrassed yourself."
[That one ate.]
His expression sharpens, but he didn't back off. "You've got a smart mouth."
"You've got bad timing."
The tension cracking louder now, a few heads turning. Deji, mid-conversation with Kristi down the row, stopping as she up on the shift instantly.
"You really talk to everyone like this?" he glares.
"Only the ones who think starting conversations with mockery is a flex."
He steps in closer. "I wasn't mocking you."
"No.", rubbing the back of her neck. "Because from here, it sounded like you're used to treating people like punchlines and expecting them to take it."
Now he looked pissed.
"You're blowing this out of proportion."
Lulu slouches as she groans — calmly. "Nah. You walked over here and made me your target. I don't really feel like playing along."
His eyes narrowing. "You really think you can talk to me like that?"
"I just did though.", sighing.
A silence spreads across the nearby rows, the tension wasn't really theatrical at all.
Kristi stood halfway now, whispering "Deji...?"
"I know," Deji said, moving.
Lulu hadn't raised her voice once, but it didn't matter, everyone nearby feeling it.
Il-seong was already walking down from the side steps, calmly observing, his eyes on Daejun now. "You two good?" he asks, voice low.
Lulu didn't look away from Daejun. "I am." Yet he scoffs, not saying anything, just holding her stare for another second; then breaking it. "What are you supposed to be? Playing boyfriend now are we?" exhaling "And you—" He grits his teeth "Are you supposed to be the official princess of the group? Cause you are… useless."
[ #Ew #Yesdiva #Heknowsheate ]
A blaring slam echoes across the lockers of the hallway. "You have the nerve—" A vein, bulging out of Il-seong's neck.
"Students! break it off, detention for disruptive behavior. Thankfully Mr Hoang and Miss Luciani had informed me of your childish.. activities…" a teacher sneers.
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