Atala Hairstreak
Eumaeus Atala
 

“Hello, Nabi!”

Walking through the school hallway, Nabi quickly spots a waving Min Ah from afar.

“Min Ah!”

The friends jog up to meet halfway to give each other a tight embrace as if they have not seen each other in a year.

“How are you feeling now?”

“I think I’m fine now,” Min Ah answers with a smirk, diverting her attention to the guy beside Nabi, “so I thought you’re going to introduce me to someone, right?”

“Oh, right!” Nabi enthusiastically replies, turning around to face Jungkook, “Min Ah, this is Jungkook; Jungkook, this is Min Ah.”

Min Ah nods with a lopsided grin, refusing to give Jungkook a handshake.

“Nice to finally meet you, Jungkook,” Min Ah begins, “I’ve heard a lot about you from your brother.”

“Pardon?” Jungkook slightly leans down, unsure of what he has just heard.

“Anyways, you look so much nicer than him,” Min Ah chuckles, “so you better take good care of my best bud right there, got me?”

“Min Ah, what are you talking ab—”

“I have to go now, see ya guys later!”

Min Ah gives one last hug to Nabi and waves to Jungkook before walking away.

“Too soon?”

“Sorry. I still have to catch up with Mrs. Xiao’s class.”

“Aigoo, you failed in Mathematics—again?”

“Me? Failing in Math? Honey, I failed her,” Min Ah bluntly remarks with a shrug, finally parting ways with Jungkook and Nabi as they bid each other goodbyes.

. . .

After two class sessions, Min Ah returns to Nabi’s empty classroom. She sits beside her best friend with a cheeky look.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Nabi nervously laughs it off, looking down in discomfort.

Min Ah bursts into fits of laughter, “Come on, Nabi. Don’t act like you’re not head-over-heels for Yoongi’s brother.”

“Wh-what!?” Nabi stutters as she looks away, trying to hide her redness.

Min Ah claps, nudging her elbow against Nabi, “Bahaha! I knew it!” 

“Yah! Shut up, it’s not like that!”

“Not like what, Nabi?”

Min Ah continues to friend, now her face warm from being flustered.

“Oh, Nabi. You know all too well there’s nothing you can hide from me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Shut up!”

“Ha! I knew it!”

“So,” she leans closer, brows wriggling with a sheepish smile, “you didn’t tell me everything when you called the other night; how about now?”

Nabi takes a deep breath, cracking a smile at some point before she could speak again.

“Right, how do I start?”

. . .

The class bell rings, signifying the time for class dismissal.

“Hey. I’m really sorry if I have been recently bidding you goodbye, but I have to go now,” Min Ah stands up from her seat, slinging her bag on her shoulders, “Mom’s sick and she needs me badly.”

Nabi was excited to ask Min Ah to come over to her house and hang out with their new friend Jungkook. Upon hearing Min Ah telling her yet another goodbye, Nabi’s playful smile turns into a dismayed frown.
 

I’m so glad Min Ah has gotten better, and I wish we could spend more time together—I missed her so much. But I pray Min Ah’s mother will recover fast; I also miss being around that wonderful woman.
 

“Do you want me to come and help you with—”

“It’s okay, Nabi, thank you! You don’t have to worry about it, I promise.”

Min Ah tries to appear completely fine before her, but Nabi worriedly sighs.

“Min Ah.”

Before Nabi could even give her a comforting hug, Min Ah turns her back, obviously trying to hide her tears.

“I’ll message you as soon as I get home; have a safe walk home, Nabi! Love ya, stupid bud.”

Nabi lets out a faint smile, leaning against a wall as she watches her best friend walk into a distance—where Yoongi was waiting for her. Nabi then sighs in relief, “I’m happy you find comfort and security in him.”

(Now Playing: Miss Right - Bangtan Sonyeondan)

Nabi turns around to find Jungkook with hands behind his back, cracking up a smile before Nabi.

“Oh, Jungkook.”

“Hyung’s been looking after your best friend. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah, figures,” Nabi chuckles, “how ’bout we grab some coffee first?”

Jungkook smirks as he nods, “Sure—my treat.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“You paid for me last time.”

Jungkook raises his brows with a laugh. He was persistent as always, and so, the two of them end up walking together to the same café they first met.

“Again?”

Jungkook asks in curiosity when Nabi ordered a Caramel Macchiato.

“What’s wrong? It’s kind of addicting, don’t you think?”

Nabi responds with a calm tone, sipping from her warm cup and gazing outside the window.

Jungkook shrugs with an amused smirk, “It’s my favorite.”

He proceeds to join Nabi in staring outside, enjoying the peaceful scenery—the busy streets contrasting the serene café.

“By the way, I haven’t asked for your number.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Nabi then pulls her phone out of her bag and exchanges contact numbers with Jungkook—they both do not own any social media accounts after all.

“Hey, uh. Can I ask you something?’

“You already did,” Nabi sarcastically answers.

Not minding Nabi’s response, Jungkook continues to pursue his supposed question, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Nabi lets out a hearty laugh, almost spitting her drink out.

“But I thought you were my boyfriend?”

Jungkook looks away, flustered as he recalls the time he cockily claims Nabi as his girlfriend.

“I’m kidding!”

“B-but have you ever had one?” Jungkook continues to ask, trying to regain his lost composure.

“You’re going to make fun of me, but anyways—nope. Never had one.”

Jungkook looks at Nabi, flabbergasted, "No way?”

“Alright, you can now stop rubbing to my face how awful I must be for never getting into a relationship,” Nabi chortles as she rolls her eyes away, taking another drink from her Macchiato.

“Chill! That makes us two,” Jungkook laughs.

“What?”

“I mean—not like being single since birth is that much of a big deal.”

Nabi agrees with a soft smile, not knowing how to continue the conversation—maybe she just wants to finish her drink and go.

 “Nabi-ah, let’s take a picture.”

You really love keeping the conversation long, don’t you?