A person in need, should I help?

Jovi let out a small "ooh" under her breath when she looked down at Vin, who was curled up on her side, peacefully sleeping. "I'm sorry for letting her stay here; she really looks like she needs it," Zoan said, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly.

Jovi shook her head. "No, no, it's fine. But shouldn't she go to the clinic to get her wounds treated?" she murmured, rubbing her chin. Zoan glanced over at Jiho, who was busy answering her assignment at the table.

To the side, Ving was scrolling through something on her tablet, leaning back with her legs crossed. Suddenly, she spoke up. "Vin Noi, Class 1-4. Troublemaker. Hn—most of Class 3 and 4 are marked troublemakers here," Ving said quietly, sighing as she scrolled.

Zoan moved beside her, peering over the screen. "So you have their profiles, huh? Is that one of the perks of being the representative of the second years?" she asked. Ving turned to her, a glint in her eyes.

"If I answer your question, will you answer mine?" Ving asked, her face neutral but her voice smug and amused. Zoan's expression fell, brows furrowing as she leaned away from Ving, crossing her arms with a scoff.

"Are you serious? Not that again," Zoan groaned, turning to Jiho, who was watching them with curiosity. "What are you guys talking about?" Jiho asked. Zoan waved a hand dismissively. "Just—nothing," she said, sitting beside Jiho, laying her head on her arms and letting out a tired sigh. "I'm so tireeeed… Jiho," Zoan whined, turning her head toward Jiho, who was already looking at her with an unreadable gaze.

Zoan paused, surprised. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked. Jiho looked away, chuckling softly, shaking her head slightly. "Nothing, you should continue to rest," she giggled.

Zoan frowned, blinking at Jiho before letting out a soft breath and closing her eyes.

—

"Hey!" Zoan stopped when she heard a voice. Turning around, she saw Vin, the scrape on her face now patched with a cute pink band-aid. "Oh, hey," Zoan waved as Vin stopped in front of her, panting as she bent over, hands on her knees to catch her breath.

Zoan watched her, crossing her arms as Vin stood up straight again. "I want to thank you for letting me hide in your club room," she said, wringing her hands nervously.

It was a stark contrast from the girl who had fought four people at once. Though she had been beaten black and blue, her earlier demeanor had been fiercely animalistic; now, she resembled a nervous squirrel.

"You—you're my senior, so I should be more respectful… so—thank you!" Vin bowed, startling Zoan, who took a step back in confusion as a few students passed by, giving them strange looks.

Zoan sighed, patting Vin's shoulder. "Don't embarrass me; stand properly," she ordered. Vin quickly straightened up, grinning toothily and bouncing lightly on her feet.

"If it wasn't for you, I would have passed out in the middle of the hallway, so thank you," Vin pouted, bowing slightly again. Zoan sighed. "It's not like I could say no, anyway. You poor first-year," she said, and Vin grinned.

"I haven't asked for your name yet. When I woke up, you weren't there anymore. Were any of the others in the room?" Vin asked, scratching her head in confusion.

Zoan chuckled. "The other club members saw you, but they let you rest. Call me Zoan," she said. Vin's eyes brightened. "Nice to meet you, Zoan! I'm Vin! My friends call me Vinnie, usually… I wouldn't mind if you did too," she shrugged, and Zoan nodded.

"It's nice to meet you too. So, is your class done?" Zoan asked, tilting her head. Vin hummed, nodding. "Actually, my schedule only goes until 12:00 PM, but I stayed here to wait for you," Vin admitted, a small flush of embarrassment on her face.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that; we'd still see each other tomorrow," Zoan said, wincing as Vin waved her hand dismissively.

"No—it's fine… uh, anyway, I have to go to my friend now. She's probably waiting for me," Vin said, making a move to turn. "Ah, wait—you mentioned earlier that they did something to your friend. What was it?" Zoan asked, driven by curiosity and slight worry.

Vin froze, her mouth flapping as her face darkened. "They—forced her to take off her clothes and filmed it… I don't know if they still have it," she said, her fist clenched as she gritted her teeth.

Zoan's brows furrowed. "They have a video of your friend naked?" she asked, her voice almost a frustrated growl.

Vin looked up, her gaze lowered. "I—I'm not sure," she said, her voice trembling as Zoan frowned. Should she help Vin or not?

—

On weekends, Zoan had two go-to activities: training with Qian or enjoying some solo time. This time, she craved the latter.

Instead of facing Qian and risking another brutal workout, she decided to hit the mall, dressed in a comfy shirt, a thick jacket, and loose pants. She probably looked a bit like a hippie, but comfort was her priority.

No stupid wigs, no skirts, and definitely no tight blazers that left her gasping for air. This was perfect.

With a relieved breath, Zoan stretched her arms over her head, letting out a happy sigh.

Maybe she should have brought Sol along—the woman could use some fresh air. Knowing her, she would never willingly stand under the sun. "Jeez, that woman," Zoan muttered, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

Now that she was at the mall, what should she do? Should she buy more comfortable clothes? After all, Thead had only brought her dresses and skirts. No way! She'd rather not wear those—just no! Never!