Seoul, Korea | 09.14.15 | 4:43pm

 

YOUTH | Troye Sivan

 

The whistle blew in series prompting endless drills and sprints for thirty minutes straight for those who dare to endeavor and endure the testing of their physical and mental fortitude.  All of this strenuous effort was all in hope to earn a spot in JL Academy’s undefeated varsity soccer team.  The team captain, also the MVP for last school year’s national champions, Nam Joohyuk, observed from the sidelines as one of the key decision makers of who will and will not be cut from the team.  All hustled and put in their utmost best effort on the field.

 

But there was one person, who was reclined against the bleachers, dressed in her practice uniform, with headset in full blast, hands behind her head, taking a siesta in the middle of this tryout.

 

Joohyuk counts the number of people on his clipboard and scans the tortured bodies on the field and immediately finds a discrepancy.  He looks around to look for the missing person and sure enough as he turns around, he finds Amber comfortably taking this time to do what Amber does best—nap.

 

He jogs towards the bleachers and when he reached her, he kicks the bleachers from underneath her and remarks, “Yah.  Amber.  Why are you even here?”

 

Slightly annoyed by getting her sleep interrupted, she remains in the same position with her eyes closed.  She then quietly mutters, “You know…I ask myself the same question.”

 

Joohyuk understands the situation clearly but as the team captain and one who is highly invested in making sure to deliver the same results from last year to this year’s season, he feels the need to “encourage” Amber at the least.  “All I’m saying is that you have to give me something here, Am.  Those guys are busting their just so they can get on the team and you’re right here taking a nap,” he extends both hands out even though Amber’s eyes remained to be closed.  In a deflated, yet almost desperate tone, he says, “Bro, you’re making me look bad.”

 

Amber chuckles as she finally sits up and opens her eyes halfway and begrudgingly at that due to the brightness of the daylight.  The situation, to her, is too laughable.  “From how I see it Namjoo,” yes she calls him “Namjoo”, in fact she’s the only one who gets to calls him that nickname, “There’s only one solution to this problem…just cut me.”

 

It’s like one of those rhetorical question—there is no need for an answer due to its self-explanatory nature.   Likewise, it was a rhetorical suggestion—meant to mock the fixed situation that cannot simply be evaded.

 

Joohyuk scoffs in frustration, yet with the same degree of endearment towards his friend, he tells her, “You know…I totally would cut your right now. But because I’ve actually seen you play and know that you’re actually really good at soccer, I won’t. ” Joohyuk sits down next to her, keeping his eyes on the field observing the rest of the group, while he gives up on this attempt to “encourage” Amber.

 

“Plus…even if I wanted to cut you…” Joohyuk didn’t even want to finish his sentence.  He just resorted to chuckling.  And sure enough that was the only thing they both can do...chuckle.

 

“Ah…” Amber sighs as she reclines once again, “those damn therapists…I tell them I semi-enjoy—SEMI-ENJOY—playing soccer one time and they have to take it to the extreme.  I mean seriously…I still don’t understand the correlation between sports and anger management.”

 

“That’s because you haven’t even tried.”

 

“Now you sound like my uncle.”

 

“Well…it’s your uncle who has brought both of us here—you being forced to play soccer and me being forced to force you to play soccer…Goddamn those therapists.”

 

They both snickered and both resorted to minimize their predicament with that.

 

Amber’s phone suddenly buzzes.  Joohyuk rolls his eyes and shakes his head in disproval.  “Next time...try to leave your phone in your bag during practices.  You can at least do that, right Am?”

 

Amber chuckles as she nods her head.  She looks down to see the caller and sure enough it was her uncle James.  She immediately picks up and answers, “Hello?”

 

The deep voice on the other line answered, “Why are you answering phone?”

 

She always answers her uncle’s phone call.  To not answer his phone call would be almost like committing a crime.  Slightly confused, she replies, “Uhh…Is this a trick question?”

 

Lightly laughing on the other end of the line, he says, “Why are you answering your phone at soccer practice?  And why are you and Joohyuk just sitting on the bleachers while the rest of the team is running on the field?”
 

She immediately turns around and spots in a distance at the parking lot the family’s limousine and her uncle standing next to it faced her direction.  Joohyuk follows the direction of Amber’s head and immediately realizes the person she was looking at.  “Oh s-…” Joohyuk lets out nervously.

 

He stands up and bows automatically even though the old man is maybe about a hundred yards away.

 

Chuckling once again on the other line, he tells Amber, “Tell Joohyuk I said hi.  And since I take it that you’re not practicing, just come.  I came here to pick you up anyways.”

 

“Namjoo, uncle James says hi,” Amber pats Joohyuk.  Joohyuk continued to bow incessantly while Amber tried stopping him.

 

After hanging up the phone, she informs Joohyuk, “Gotta go.  I’m being summoned.”

 

Sighing as he helps Amber grab her duffel bag, he says goodbye and went back to his captain duties on the field.

 

Meanwhile, Amber took her time to put her hoodie on and walked very slowly towards the limo.  She has a love-hate relationship with this whole picking-her-up-from-school thing.  She loves the fact that her uncle takes the time from his ultra busy schedule to pick her up but she hates the fact that he always rolls up in the most conspicuous types of vehicles.  It always causes the passing eye to take a hard glance at her direction, which makes it hard for her to manage her desired low-profile orientation.

 

So she pulls her hood over her head even though there are no other chances that it could be any other person other than her.  Their driver opens the doors for her and offers to take her sports duffel bag only to be refused.  She hops inside of the car and tosses her duffel bag herself.

 

Her exhausted, fresh-of-a-12-hr-flight, yet enthusiastic uncle greets her with a warm hug and says, “It’s good to see you Am.”

 

Amber hasn’t seen her uncle in two weeks for he’s been all over the globe traveling from meetings to conferences to more meetings.  She knows that he literally just arrived back and was nonetheless grateful that he came straight from the airport to the school just to pick her up.  “It’s good to see you too uncle.”

 

After the endearing hug, Amber was met instantly with a light tap on her forehead.  “Why weren’t you practicing?”
 

With her unfailing sass, she answers, “Oh you know…running around for two hours on a field in a 30 degree weather is not really my style.”

 

He jokingly raised his hand to pretend to hit her while she flinches backwards with a smile.  They lightly laugh it off with a hint of consolation in her uncle’s sigh.  Uncle James understands that he can only do his best to set her up for success.  He knows that she’s actually a great athlete if only she exerted a bit of effort.  Amber generously lack a level of passion and commitment to things that she deems of little or no value, especially when it comes to school and the typical affairs of teenage life.

 

For example, “Amber…I need to discuss something important with you.  Your 18^th birthday is coming up—”

 

Without even finishing his sentence, Amber rolls her eyes, exhibiting a clear disproval for even bringing it up.

 

“It’s your 18^th birthday Amber.  It’s kind of important.”

 

Amber reverts to her neutral façade as she slumps in her seat.  She knows it’s important.  Politically speaking, she understands the importance of this particular birthday.

 

“Am…you know I’m not asking so much for your permission than I am asking for your support.”

 

Uncle James has always been honest with her.  He has a long practice in letting Amber know about all the ins and outs of the company and when he says things like this, it’s always a way of communicating with her decisions that affects the nature of the organization.  It was also a way to give her the power of decision, a power that has yet to be officially endowed to her.  For this particular birthday that marked her entrance into adulthood, essentially a step into that position, she understands the importance of the occasion.  And uncle James, not just an uncle, or an adoptive father, but one who acts as her primary trusted advisor, wants to capitalize on Amber’s coming-of-age event to communicate internally and externally the future that is alive and well in the JL Group bloodline.

 

Amber lets out a sigh and fixes her hood.  She meets eyes with her uncle and understands what he meant fully well.  “I know,” she concedes.

 

Patting Amber’s shoulder accompanied with a warm smile, he says, “You’ll never know…it could be fun too.  We’ve invite all your friends at school.”

 

Scoffing at the sarcastic tone on that last sentence, she adds, “You know I only have three friends, right?”

 

“Exactly.  We’ll invite Kai, Irene and Joohyuk.  And yes, we invited the rest of your senior class—your future friends.”

 

“Future friends…yeah…okay.”

---

 

Next Day | 11:30pm

 

KRYSTAL POV

 

Second day and just finished history class.  I haven’t spilled anything on anyone so I would say it’s been a solid day.

 

“Oh my gawd!”  Key burst inside the classroom as the majority of us were gathering our things to head out for lunch.  He held something in his hand that looked like a card.

 

“Guys!”  His enthusiasm was off the charts compared to his attitude right about this time yesterday.

 

“Key!  Calm down!  You’re gonna give me a heart attack.”  Sulli said placing her hands on his shoulders.

 

With a mocking sneer, he began to inform us the reason for his excitement, “Trust me.  This,” he slams the card on the table, “is what’s gonna give you a heart attack.”

 

Sulli reaches for the card and as she begins to read it, her eyes and her lips begin to enlarge into the shape of an “o”.  Luna who was standing nearby, looked over Sulli's and made the same expression.

 

“I found this in my locker when I escaped to the bathroom.  And from what it looks like,” Key pointed out the windows towards the trafficked hallway with others holding the same card in their hands, “Everyone in our class is invited.”

 

Invited?

 

Finally, curiosity took over and I looked over Sulli to see what everybody was raving about.  Then it all made sense.

 

You are cordially invited to attend...

Ms. Amber Liu’s

18^th Birthday Celebration

7pm this Friday, the 18^th of September

at the Hwang Residence

 

Sulli finally showed signs of breathing, “Oh.  My.  God.”

 

As Luna and her (including Key), jumped for joy in giddy and great excitement, I looked behind me to look for the person who was the cause for all of this mania.  However, she must have left the classroom right as class was dismissed.

 

Everyone seemed to be really excited about this party.  I didn’t understand the hysteria that filled the air but apparently it’s a really big deal.  Sulli explained that this party has been talked about for months now.  Amber’s 18^th birthday is almost like an equivalent to a royal wedding.  It held of political importance and at the same time it’s talked about as the biggest party of the year.  She mentioned how the last time Amber threw a party (well more like Kai and Joohyuk according to her) at their mansion; it was one of the biggest parties in Seoul that was even attended by celebrities.

 

From what I vaguely remember, I’ve been to the Hwang’s before when I was a kid.  It’s very Gatsby-esque so I could see why it’s a prime venue for the kind of party they were describing.  In fact, I’m now remembering my sister mentioning the Hwang’s mansion.  My sister is actually best friends with Tiffany unnie, who is apparently Amber’s sister.  (Again so many things are connecting in my head all at once the more I think about who this Amber person is.)

 

But anyways, speaking of my sister…I reached in my pocket for my phone to text her about the plans for tonight.  As I felt it empty, I realized that I must have left it in my locker.

 

“Hey guys, I’ll meet you in the dining hall.  I left my phone in my locker.”

 

“Okay, we’ll save you spot,” Luna waved goodbye.

 

Most people that crowded the halls of the Senior Wing were still caught in the infatuation of the small black card that they held in their hands.  I thought it to be quite fascinating to watch.  Of course, I don’t have much of an opinion about Amber and her “Top Elite” friends but from how Sulli explained the culture of this high school yesterday, you couldn’t really expect anything less from this senior class’ reaction over this supposed grand invitation.

 

I unlocked my locker and sure enough I found the same invitation sitting on top of my books.  I looked at it curiously for a moment and tried to immerse myself in the same fascination as my peers.  But my mind suggested a different image.  I couldn’t help but snicker thinking about how awful and angry she looked both times I spilled my drinks on her.  Despite her drenched appearance accompanied by her vehement expression, the situation was ironically…cute.

 

“Ahem.”

 

The voice suddenly jolted me out of my daydream.  I looked at the person who stood near me and it took me seconds to recognize whom he was.  It was one of the Top Elites.  Kai.  And as Sulli explained, this guy, especially up close, overflowed in that kind of charm that girls would quickly fall for.

 

But the more pressing question I have in my mind is…What does he want?

 

I stared at him inquiringly without saying a word.

 

He smiled and opened the conversation with, “So you’re the girl…”

 

I scrunched my eyebrow showing my slight confusion.

 

“You’re the girl who spilled drinks on my best friend…twice.”

 

Wait… “H-How did you know…”

 

He chuckled and told me his side of the story…

 

KAI POV

 

Uh-oh.  Someone looks pissed…

 

Amber rushed outside of the front of the HQ and hopped inside of my car while slamming it shut.  There was this strong smell that followed with her.  As I sniffed closer to her proximity, the smell was emanating directly from her face and clothes and it smelled something like…fruits?

 

“Yo.  Why do you smell like…a tutti-frutti?”

 

She tossed her bag at the back seat and adjusted her seatbelt.  Sighing frustratingly as she massaged her temple, she answered, “God!  I’m so annoyed!”

 

Whoa.  Amber has come a long way with her anger issues and she’s like a Buddhist monk when it comes to her self-control these days so this must be something out of the ordinary.  Yet surprisingly, the kind of “angry” that she’s manifesting at the moment looked more petty and kind of like a cute kind of whining more than anything.  There must be a pretty girl involved.

 

“What happened bro?”  I asked.

 

“God!  There was a freaking ‘Wet Floor’ sign right there!” She became very animated with her hand descriptions.  “This girl—this little miss princess—ignores the sign as she’s carrying these smoothies in her hand and next thing you know…Tutti-Frutti!”  She pointed at her hair and clothes.

 

I couldn’t help but laugh.  Come on.  That’s pretty funny.

 

“Forget it,” she shakes her head, slouching in the seat, dismissing the subject as she buried her forehead in her hand, doing her little calming self-meditation crap her therapists have told her to do whenever she feels her emotions getting the best of her.  She quietly adds one last time, “It’s not worth talking about that annoying, spoiled, princess, brat.  Let’s just drop it.”

 

“Princess?  Oooh.”  I .

 

She gave me one of those “WTF” side-eye.  And with the added irritating tone she said, “Seriously?  It’s not even like that!”

 

As my laughing simmered to a long sigh, I had to take one last jab, “I like her already.”  That earned me a real physical jab on the chest.

 

 

KRYSTAL POV

 

After telling me that quick story accounting Amber’s side of the story, I tried to explain to this guy, “Okay to be fair, I did apologize.  Also, the second time wasn’t my fault…even though it was my coffee.”

 

Chuckling he said, “Relax.  I’m not here to avenge my best friend.  If anything, I thought it was really funny.”

 

I felt mildly relieved after that more so because him making light of the situation made it less awkward.

 

He extended his hand out as he said, “Krystal…right?”

 

I took his hand, nodded my head, and smiled politely.

 

Laughing lightly again, he shook my hand and said, “My name is Kim Jongin.  Most people call me Kai.”

 

“Nice to meet you Kai.”

 

He pulled his hand back and inserted it in his pocket.  He stood there for a while without saying anything.  I didn’t really know what to say to him either because it was still kind of awkward.

 

After a few seconds, someone called for his name, “Kai!  There you are.  Let’s go bro!”

 

I peeked behind him and I recognize the other guy.  It was that Nam Joohyuk guy.

 

“Well I’ll see you around, Krystal.”  He backpedaled a few steps.  And right before he turned to follow the other guy he added, “Relax a little bit.  Use that beautiful smile of yours.  And also…we’re not as scary as people make us out to be.”

---

 

7:48pm

 

Our driver stopped in front of the JL Group HQ building.

 

“Thanks for the ride oppa!”

 

“Of course Ms. Soojung,” he waved goodbye.

 

I hopped out of the car and texted my sister.  This time I decided to not walk and text at the same time.  I learned my lesson and I'm not planning on learning it twice.

 

I’m here to meet my sister once again because she promised to take me out for dinner after her work.  It’s kind of our thing since she spends her whole day at work and I spend my whole day at school.  If she’s not out of town or busy in the weekends, we’ll go shopping.  But late dinner at least once a week is what we’ve tried to do since I got back here in Korea.  It’s really nice to have a sister like Jessica.  Free-food and free advice—I make sure I take advantage of my little-sister perks.

 

As I began walking towards the entrance, a familiar person caught my eye in the peripheral.  I squinted to examine who it was.  Amber?  Why is she standing at the bus stop?

 

I observed closely to verify my suspicion.  It must be her.  Same brown princely hair.  Same headphones jammed in her ears.  Same…llama-looking cold face that she wears.  That’s her…right?  Then why is she waiting for the bus?

 

“Soojung-ah!”

 

I directed my attention towards the voice that I could make out from a mile a way.

 

This older sister of mine, brown-hair, bombshell, classic, and chic (definitely a Jung trait), rushed towards me and engulfed me in a hug.

 

JESSICA JUNG

Class Rank:  JL Academy Alumni; finished 2nd

Family / Business Association:  Jung Family; JL Group

Friends:  Tiffany Hwang; Kwon Yuri

Position:  Director of JL Group Southeast Asia Operations

Notes:  Best friend is Tiffany Hwang; sister is Krystal Jung

 

“Unnie, hi!” I greeted her.

 

“What were you looking at?”  She asked while pulling away.  She looked towards the direction of my focus earlier.  Immediately, she recognized the same person, “Oh.  It’s Amber.  Let’s go say hi.”

 

“Uhh…Jess I think—”

 

Without letting me finish she pulled me towards the bus stop.  Ugh.  This is gonna be awkward.

 

As we approached her, Jessica called for her.  Amber shifted in our direction and as soon as she met eyes with my sister, she immediately bowed while taking her ear buds out.  Hmm.  She has manners after all.

 

Jessica pats her back and says, “Amber, you don’t need to bow to me like that.”  My sister seems to be close to her…I guess in a more formal basis at least.

 

She just responded by nodding her head.

 

Pulling me closer—oh god—she introduces me.  “Amber, remember I mentioned I had a sister.  This is Krystal.  You guys actually go to the same school and you guys are the same age.”

 

“Uhh…” I butted in right away the moment she shifted her eyes on me.  “Unnie…we’ve met.”  Well…not really officially but…gathering the two occasions that marked our initial contact, I guess you could say…we’ve met.

 

I scanned her and she remained to keep her neutral face—not showing any clear non-verbal reaction towards the situation.  Meanwhile, I’m over here sweating bullets because I’m assuming that this person in front of me is not really one of my biggest fans.

 

My sister, who remained oblivious, continued with the small talk, “It’s really good seeing you.  You’ve gotten taller and more beautifully handsome since the last time I saw you.”

 

Amber nods her head in a bow as she flashes a respectful smile towards my sister.

 

My sister continued, “My sister and I are on our way out.  Would you like a ride?”

 

Finally, she opens to speak up, “Thanks for the offer but I’m okay sunbae.  I prefer riding the bus on nights like this anyways.”

 

Sunbae?  Hmm.  Also, that was the first time I’m hearing her voice speak at a normal decibel and in a less aggravated tone.

 

My sisters persists, “Really Amber, I can give you a ride.  It’s the least I can do.”

 

“I’m really okay sunbae…Thank you.”

 

My sister conceded while adding a smile, “Alright.  Well…I’ll see you around then.  It’s good seeing you Amber.”

 

She bows one last time and my sister lightly pats her shoulder.  I bowed too, reciprocating the respect.  So…I guess she’s capable of manners after all.

 

I followed my sister to her car.  As I got in, far from an earshot distance, I had to ask her my dying questions.  “Okay…I hear Amber is the sole JL Group heiress.  Why is she taking a bus?  And how do you know her?  And why does she call you sunbae?”
 

She giggled while expressing a sudden shock from the firing of my questions.  With eyebrows scrunched, she answered them one by one.  “The only people that know of Amber’s part-time custodial employment is top management.  Uncle James requested for all of them to keep it a secret.  No one knows that Amber is actually the heiress of company.  It’s kind of Uncle James' thing.  I remember Tiffany had to do the same thing until she turned 18.  There were no special perks either.  They weren’t allowed to be given the luxury of getting picked up by their drivers to avoid getting found out.  It explains why she’s there waiting for the bus.  Also, I know Amber because I’m a JL Academy alumni, hello?!  Plus, I’m best friends with Tiffany, Amber’s sister?  I was over at the Hwangs a lot so I often saw Amber.  Don't you remember any of this when we were kids?”

 

I jogged through memory lane but I have but a very vague recollection of hanging out at the Hwangs and particularly Amber.  I was around seven when we moved to California and I remember the Hwangs having two daughters.  I remember Tiffany unnie.  But as far as Amber…I just remember hearing about her because whenever there was an occasion that called for us going to the Hwangs, I remember the adults talking about how the youngest daughter is shy and hasn’t gotten use to being surrounded by random people.  I may have met her and seen here once or twice but my memory fails to give me other specific recollection otherwise.

 

“Honestly…I don’t remember much.” I told my sister.

 

“Well I’m not surprised…Amber wasn’t around much up until lately…” She let that settle without much explanation, which made me only curious.

 

I wanted inquire more but—

 

“Anyways, how was your first couple of days at school?  How do you find JL Academy?”  She asked enthusiastically.

 

I scoffed as I gathered my initial thoughts on my first two days.  I told my sister, “I thought Harbor was elitist,” I pushed my nose upwards to illustrate my point, “But…JL Academy takes that word and blows it up in epic proportions!”

 

Jessica just laughed along.  “Oh come one…it’s not that bad!”

 

I scoffed once again, “It is that bad.  Like okay…what other high schools are there that have such class caste system that is so pronounced and glorified that they call the cream of the crop ‘Top Elites’.  First of all, how cheesy?  Second, how annoyingly pretentious?”

 

“Oh come on…those are just labels that teenagers make up for fun to make the high school experience more…interesting.”

 

“Let me guess,” I have my suspicions of my sister, “You were ranked number two.  You were best friends with the princess of JL Group.  Based from that simple deduction, you were a Top Elite too, weren’t you?”

 

Trying to laugh it off, she reasons, “What if I was?  Are you gonna criticize me?”

 

“Well…” My sister being a Top Elite didn’t surprise me but…it kind of did put things into a different perspective.

 

“Look, Soojung.  Those are just labels.  Sure the Top Elites are the Top Elites for reasons that are dealt in their favor.  But honestly at the end of the day, high school is high school.  Don’t ever forget that.  Don’t let those labels keep you from making the best out of your teenage experience.  You’re only a senior once.  Heck, you’re only going to be 18 once!  This could be the best year of your youth filled with many enjoyable memories!  At least that how it was for me...”

 

She smiled as she placed her hand on top of mine, “So Top Elite or not, you’re a Jung.  But more than anything, you’re my brilliant, smart, beautiful, little sister, Krystal Jung Soojung.  So here’s my sisterly advice, do your best in it and just make your best out of it.  And this…this is coming from a Top Elite alumni.”  She added with a smirk.

 

---

 

Next Day | 11:15pm

 

“So class, as you know, every senior is required to design and create a "senior project".  It could be creating a marketing plan for a specific business.  It could be hosting fundraising event.  It could be pioneering a campaign...It could be anything that involves a real organization, a real company, or a real social issue.  The possibilities are endless.  Take note, however, that this has to be taken seriously for it’s a prerequisite for your graduation that has major implications in your high school résumé.  But the good news is that the majority of your time spent in this Independent Studies course will allow you to work on that project with your partner,” the professor explained.

 

The students listened closely while scribbling away in their notebooks.

 

“There are 18 students in this class so that means there will be 9 projects in total.”  The professor holds up a clear bowl with strips of paper inside.  “I have here 9 numbers in pairs and each of you will draw one, which will determine who your partner is for your senior project.”  The professor shakes the bowl as everyone eyes each other excitedly in anticipation.

 

Key crosses his fingers as he whispers, “Please let me be with a Top Elite.  Please let me be with a Top Elite,” earning him a jab at his stomach by Sulli who was sitting next to him.

 

“Okay!  Here we go.”

 

The professor walked down each aisle and the excitement would erupt little by little as more and more people discover who their partner was.

 

The professor stopped at the last student in the back corner of the room who apparently had her headphones on the whole time while dreaming away in god-knows-where.  The professor, internally irked by the lack of respect and interest, could do nothing more than gently poke and carefully request, “Amber-ssi, you need to wake up.  Here’s your number, please find your partner.”

 

Giggling next to him as the professor walked away, Kai pinches her ear to incite a reaction only to be half-heartedly shoved as the sleeping girl registers her environment.

 

With her avid curiosity, Irene was the first to ask Amber, “Hey what number did you get?”

 

Amber finally takes notice of the piece of folded paper at the edge of her desk.  She unfolds it and sees the number 3.  Without saying a word, she showed it to Irene.

 

With a small pout, she says, “Aww.  I got number 7.”

 

Kai who was sitting behind her put his hand out for a high-five, “Nice!  I got 7 too!”

 

“I can live with that,” Irene gave him the high five.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of the class slowly matched with their partners.  Joohyuk stands up and makes an announcement, “Who got number 1?”

 

Shyly and almost hesitantly, Sulli raised her hand, “I-I got 1.”

 

Joohyuk flashes her a smile and nod, “Cool!”

 

Krystal, on the other hand, looked around.  Everyone seemed to have found her match but her.  Her classmates even began congregating with their partners and she felt as though there was a mistake since she was unable to find her match unlike her peers.  Finally, she musters the courage to make the same announcement, “I have number 3.  Who has number 3?”

 

Irene, Joohyuk and Kai were able to immediately identify the answer to Krystal’s question as they shifted their head rather tellingly towards the girl who is clearly the match.  Krystal caught on right away and directed her focus at the corner of the room.

 

Eff my life.  She repeated that sentence about five times in her mind before it finally registered as reality.

 

Amber was still detached this whole time until…

 

“Bro,” Joohyk nudged her while he pointed at Krystal.  “You guys are partners.”

 

---

 

Author's Note

Lots of things are happening.  Again, I could really go anywhere with this story.  So let's just have fun!  :)

Ps.  If I were to pick a theme song for this story, it would be that song I linked in the beginning of the chapter--YOUTH by Troye Sivan.

- Z