Suffice to say the prank was a huge success. The teachers were pissed off, as expected. Yuri stands firm by her statement of seeing a few of them letting out a chuckle or a short snort of laughter before going back into teacher mode and berate the rest of the laughing students. Taeyeon calls her crazy in which she answers with a thanks and a wink, sending Tiffany into another wave of silent (body vibrating) laughter and Jessica red with holding in her own.

 

The quartet were one of the last to leave, subtly emerging from their hiding spot and merging with the few students who were too busy chatting with one another to notice their sudden appearance. As soon as they broke free from the crowd that had started to gather for the parade they burst into unrestrained laughter, Taeyeon’s unique laugh fuelling their own until, one by one, they drop to the floor, clutching their aching stomachs.

 

Jessica, finally gaining control of herself, brushes the build-up of tears from the side of her eyes. “I’ve got to admit, that was a really good prank Yuri-yah. And I actually had fun. I’ve severely underestimated you.” Yuri puffs her chest and grins at her, throwing an additional thumb up. Jessica smiles and simultaneously shakes her head.

 

“I still can’t believe I actually get to see a prank as huge as this. The whole student body and the teachers…” Tiffany loudly breathes out, showing her amazement at the spectacle she had just witnessed. “How’d you do it Yuri-yah?”

 

“Oh boy.” Taeyeon sighs, knowing how cocky the taller girl gets when her ego is boosted.

 

Yuri chuckles at the indirect compliment and waggles her finger. “I’d tell you Ppany-ah, but then I’d have to kill you.”

 

“I’m more amazed that none of the teachers has caught you yet.”

 

“When you’ve been in this business for as long as I have, you pick up a few things, like ninja skills.”

 

Taeyeon, seeing an opportunity, and wanting to bring Yuri’s inflated ego down a peg or two, sends a quick jab to Yuri’s arm. The jab startles Yuri and she turns her head, just in time to see Taeyeon making a break for it.

 

“Ninja skills my .” She shouts behind her, pumping her short legs faster when she hears the shrill giggles from Tiffany and Jessica, followed by the loud thumping of Yuri’s sneakers chasing her from behind.

 

 

 

 

 

“Jesus, Yul, did you have to hit me that hard?” Taeyeon grumbles, rubbing the sore spot behind her head.

 

The taller girl turns her head to stick her tongue out at her cousin, before resuming her dignified walk. “Talk the talk if you can walk the walk, Taengoo. Not my fault you can’t run fast and have the quick reflex that I do.”

 

Taeyeon sneered, but this time decided to keep her hands(and comments) to herself. The back of her head was still sore from receiving the full force of she-hulk Yuri’s slap and she wasn’t sure her delicate brain could handle another jarring.

 

“Shut the hell up. I’m thinking!” Taeyeon stopped in her tracks. She tilted her head to where the sound came from. That voice sounded way too familiar for her to ignore. Tiffany, also realizing the familiarity of the tone, had stopped walking, grabbing onto Jessica’s elbow to stop the girl from proceeding any further. Yuri had that grin on her face again and instantly Taeyeon knew trouble was brewing.

 

“No, you shut up, numbskull. At least I’m trying to think of a way to get a hold of her.” Another voice screamed back, it was just as familiar as the first.

 

“Yah! Is that a way to treat your elders?”

 

“Is that who I think it is?” Tiffany finally voice out, directing her mega-watt smile Taeyeon’s way.

 

“We’re in the same year.”

 

“I’m the ’89. You just lucked out when the teachers didn’t bat an eye when you came in at nursery gigantosaur.” Taeyeon scoffed.

 

“Unlike you, some of the teachers still think you’re in the wrong grade choding.” A second later a tall girl with a messy mop of short brown hair fell out of a nearby shrubbery. The figure tumbled to a heap; it reminded Taeyeon of a puppet whose strings were just cut off. The voice, the long limbs, there was no doubt in Taeyeon’s mind. It was definitely them.

 

The figure scramble back up just as another figure, a shorter figure, jumped out after her, casually brushing off the dark stains of dirt from the side of her pants. A third figure followed after, cellphone in hand, pointing directly onto the previous two.

 

“Do that again!” The cellphone wielding girl said in between giggles. The tallest shot her a glare before bringing her hands up in defence.

 

“Do that again and I swear to the Gods of food I will hit you.” She sneered at the shortest who merely shrugged her shoulders, completely unintimidated.

 

“Soo!” Tiffany squeals, making a break for the tallest girl, tackling her in her excitement. The tall girl takes a step forward from the sudden force thrown on her back, her long arms jutting out of reflex, nearly slapping the shortest had she stayed in her spot.

 

“Hey, watch it!” The girl that was nearly smacked shoves the taller girl’s shoulder before the doe-eyed girl flings her arms around the shorter girl, the tallest girl and Tiffany in a group hug.

 

“Ppany-unnie! Yoong misses you.” Taeyeon cringed at the ear grating baby voice that comes out of the doe-eyed girl. It seems she’s not the only one. Tiffany’s smiling face turns a bit sour as she tries to (unsuccessfully) extract herself from the group hug.

 

“Yah! Im Yoona! I told you to never use that tone with me.” Tiffany berates the girl, gritting her teeth as she blocks her ears.

 

“But I wanna.” The girl replies, still using the annoying tone. She reaches for Tiffany’s arms, pulling them down so that her ears are at her mercy and she repeats the sentence, closing in on the squirming Tiffany.

 

“I wanna. I wanna.” The other two chimes in, in different ranges of baby tones- just as grating as the first.

 

“Oh My God! Stop it!” The three girls laughed. Slowly they disentangle themselves from the hug, the shortest casually shoves the tallest and flings an arm over Tiffany’s shoulder while the doe-eyed girl runs straight towards Yuri’s open arms the second she spots her.

 

“Unnie! I missed you!”

 

“Wow. Am I seeing correctly? The cousins are finally together, after all these years.”

 

The tallest girl squints at Taeyeon, taking measured steps towards her while Taeyeon stares unblinkingly right back at her. “Taeyeon-ah… Nice to know some things haven’t changed. You haven’t grown a bit twerp.”

 

“Funny, Sooyoung. I’m dying of laughter.” Taeyeon says drily, swatting away the taller girl’s smug face.

 

The girl, Sooyoung, laughs before turning her attention to Yuri, the doe-eyed girl still attached to her by the waist, reaching for a high five. The last girl walks over, quickly throwing a playful punch to Yuri’s arm in greeting.

 

Tiffany stared. Then she stared some more. Finally she marches over to Taeyeon, the latter looking at her curiously, until a stinging pain shot down her arm from the punch Tiffany unsuspectingly imparted to her. “Are there any more secrets you’re not telling me?”

 

“Secrets? You never asked.” Taeyeon squeaks. Skittering towards the passive observer, Jessica, at Tiffany’s annoyed frown. “And why am I the only one being hit? What about them, they’re just as guilty.” She points at the group snickering at her, slinking behind Jessica once more when Tiffany feints a move. Her human shield, however, was pulled away from her by none other than her double crossing snickering cousin and she had to settle for staying a good length away from Tiffany’s vengeful hands(and feet if she could help it).

 

“Hyo, Soo, Yoong, meet Sica.” With her long, slender fingers curled around Jessica’s thin wrist Yuri pulls her forward, much to Jessica’s chagrin. Her annoyance flashes in her eyes but her face remains indifferent that almost everyone missed it. Jessica was so sure Yuri knew of her annoyance but was feigning innocence. She was good at that. It seemed as if her life goal was to annoy the hell out of Jessica, and she was doing a pretty good job of it. “Sica, meet my parters-in-pranks.”

 

“Sooyoung.” (Hi.) Sooyoung grins, holding up a hand.

 

“Hyoyeon.” (Sup.) Hyoyeon nods her head, coolly leaning against the youngest thin frame, cocky grin in place.

 

“And last, but not the least, Yoona.” (Hi unnie!) Yoona enthusiastically waves her hand, broad grin in place.

 

Jessica could see how they became friends. Just from their grins she could already tell they were a troublesome bunch, just like Yuri. Not that it was a bad thing. Not exactly good, but neither was it bad. Never the less she smiles toothlessly at them and did a short polite bow in greeting.

 

“No, no, no, no, none of that formal thing!” Sooyoung loudly says, stepping forward and hold her hand up in the air for a high five. Yuri nudges Jessica’s side before the girl jerkily responds to the friendly gesture, just barely missing Sooyoung’s palm.

 

“Yeah. Any friend of our friends is a friend of ours.” Yoona chimes.

 

“And since we’re now friends you’ve gotta be chill around us, none of that respectful acquaintance thing.” Hyoyeon adds. “Which reminds me. Yo buzz-kill,” she throws a smirk over at the pouting Taeyeon. “you with us this time?”

 

Taeyeon tares her tentative gaze from Tiffany, raising an uncertain brow at their grinning friend. “What are you guys going to do?”

 

“Oh, nothing special,” Hyoyeon shrugs “we just thought your cafeteria floor needs a little more colour is all.”

 

Taeyeon mulls over her thoughts for a bit before she asks “Does it involve a little explosive power?”

 

She receives eager nods from the four girls (and wide eyed disbelief from the remaining two). Taeyeon’s face lights up like a child on Christmas morning as her whole body language takes a 180 degree turn. “Then what are we waiting for? The New Year? Let’s do it!”

 

 

 

 

 

This was stupid. Taeyeon knew that.

 

If ever they get caught they were in for a lot of trouble. Suspension was probably the least of their worries. This was going to create a lot of mess, and judging by the amount of spicy sauces and students around it was going to be one of the top pranks in the history. That is, if all goes smoothly and they don’t get caught.

 

And to think, all they needed was a water bottle 2/3 of the way full of vinegar and baking soda. A lot of baking soda.

 

It had taken a while, but with Hyoyeon’s nimble hands and Sooyoung and Yoona’s brilliant acting they had managed to grab and switch multiple ketchup bottles with the ones they rigged to blow up when shaken. No one had caught on to them. Yet.

 

“Here’s another one Taeyeon-unnie.” Yoona whispered, passing Taeyeon another bottle of ketchup though the window. Taeyeon passed the y-trapped bottle back to Yoona, the latter throwing a casual (cautious) look behind her.

 

“Thanks Yoong. No one’s getting suspicious right?”

 

“Che, do you know who you’re talking to unnie? I didn’t get all my leading roles by being bad at acting.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah. Way to not let all the glory up to your head.”

 

Yoona chuckled, nervously fidgeting with the ketchup top. “Sorry unnie, I’m just getting excited.. And nervous.”

 

“You standing there makes me nervous. Who’s not going to find a young girl talking to herself by the window suspicious?”

 

Again Yoona chuckled. Ignoring the paranoid thought of someone staring strangely at her she turns and casually leans over the window seal. To make it more believable she turns her gaze upwards, pretending to admire the clear weather. “Do you think Yuri-unnie and Hyoyeon-unnie’s ready by now?”

 

“They should be, otherwise all this will be for nothing.” Taeyeon says, deftly uncapping the bottle and carefully adding the baking soda. When she’s done she quickly packs up all her things and dust off any remaining powder from the bottle and herself.

 

“Last one, Yoona-yah.” She passes the last bottle, cautiously looking over the window to the inside of the cafeteria. “It’s amazing that no one has used the ketchups yet.”

 

“They’ll use it soon. The potato wedges are supposed to come out any minute now and Sooyoung-unnie managed to hide all the packets of ketchup.”

 

“Where’d she keep them?”

 

“She stuffed them all in her bag. We’re splitting it and take everything home.” Yoona explained, grinning widely. Taeyeon rolled her eyes.

 

“Of course. What was I thinking?”

 

A sloshing sound had caught both girl’s attention. It was closely followed by the sound of a chair being pushed back, a few shrieks and a shout. “Yah! What the hell?!”

 

Yoona’s eyes practically glittered as she watched the beginnings of a huge mess unfolding in front of her. “It’s starting!”

 

“What are you standing there for? Ditch the ketchup and jump over!”

 

“Aye-aye unnie!” Yoona chirped, shaking the two bottles she had in hand and strategically placing them behind an unsuspecting onlooker before hopping over the window. She crackled loudly, following behind Taeyeon who made a beeline for the back of the cafeteria.

 

 

 

 

It was a fool proof prank, one that didn’t even need to sacrifice one of them as bait. Of course it came from the genius mind that is Yuri’s, a sage when it comes to pranking as Yuri humbly proclaims herself to be. She would receive eye rolls and half-hearted spite from Sooyoung, Hyoyeon and Taeyeon, but they can’t discount her claim. Her pranks were top notched and took weeks of careful planning, and of course she was great with on the spot improvisation.

 

Yuri stationed herself near the food counter, close enough to see the selection of food laid out for everyone to see, but far enough not to gain suspicion. Leaning on the wall she takes a leisure sip from her can of orange juice, discretely giving the reasonably occupied cafeteria a scan. She doesn’t miss Sooyoung’s tall frame lingering a little too long at the condiments station or the exchange between Hyoyeon and Yoona. She’s the only one to notice though; no one’s looking out for them after all.

 

It won’t be long now. With all the packets of ketchup wiped clean by Sooyoung there won’t be another choice but to use the rigged ketchup bottles strewn around the cafeteria at random. Just one unlucky student to set everything in motion and it was game on.

 

She carefully felt for the bottle in the sling bag Yoona had graciously lent her. It was a fragile thing, must be handled with care. It requires precise timing and quick reflex, and she was just the type of person to see this through.

 

A commotion to the side catches her attention. Not just hers but the cafeteria ladies and the rest of the students. Her fingers curl around the plastic bottle, pulling it out of the bag. She starts shaking it vigorously beside her, out of view.

 

A second uproar erupts, near the window students were beginning to scatter, trying to get away from the red spurt from the ketchup bottles.

 

The bottle in her hand starts popping.

 

Another wave of screams. The cafeteria ladies were starting to move around in puzzled frenzy, one rushing to the back to make a call. No one was looking out for her, too busy trying to look out for the next attack.

 

Her brief opening.

 

She reaches over the counter, pushing the bottle into one of the large vat of sauce. The sauce covers her fingers and she grimaces at the feeling, quickly popping them in to away the evidence as she makes a break for it.

 

Thanks to her active lifestyle she overtakes Sooyoung at the doors, slipping past her as she pushes them open. She spots Hyoyeon a few feet ahead of her turning the corner to cut through the side and headed to the library. She hadn’t seen Yoona after the quick switch she did at one of the tables and hoped she’d slipped out before them.

 

A chorus of shrieks jars her thoughts. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, her ears catching every thump like she was listening to her heartbeat with a stethoscope. She was faintly aware of her lungs burning from her erratic breathing pattern and focused on regulating her breathing. A smirk spreads across her face, glancing back to check whether someone had seen them or not.

 

It has been a while since she felt this alive.