”?!”

She heard two giggles beside her as shot awake, feeling the plush leather seat on her and the lack of a table in front of her. Instead, there was a black plastic wall, no, another chair in front of her. Her world was moving and she felt blood rushing to her head. She thought she was having a hangover, but it was just a bus. 

A squished bus to that. 

Though, it only felt like that because her two best friends were sitting right beside her. The three of them shared a seat meant for two, but they managed by having their thighs squished onto each other with their bags placed on their laps, which made good pillows for Chanmi. There were spots of drool deposits, and she expected to find white powder all over them since she seemed to have a dream about . Her heart rate was certainly racing from the prospect of doing drugs, but at the same time it was a bit fallen that she wasn’t doing drugs. The only thing close to drugs was the sugar powder on top of the backpacks, which were from the sugar-powdered donuts Sana and Eunha were eating-

“Hey!” Chanmi yelled at her friends who were having the donuts beside her. “Y’all didn’t gimme some!”

“You were asleep, dummy!” Sana poked at the chubby protagonist, her finger stuck to Chanmi’s cheek. “I couldn’t offer you the best donut in the world when you could be dreaming with dear, Hyejeong!”

“Why, you little-“

“Stop it,” Eunha ordered just as Chanmi jerked on the blonde’s collar. “We could be kicked out of the bus at any moment, and I know you guys don’t like walking.”

“No one likes walking,” Chanmi corrected. “Now excuse me while I pummel this-“

“Is that Ms. Shin’s car?” 

Sana’s eyes were glued to the window the entire time, and she sighted a baby blue sedan just beside the bus. In the sedan was a stressed out teacher with her windows down as she sighed a breath of fury. The sight of that cheesecake hair brought a grin to the Japanese girl and a blush to the black-haired girl gripping her collar.

“Are you sure you don’t want her rougher, tougher, more badass cousin?” Sana gave a look to her aggressor with a wink. “She seems hot.”

“Why don’t you get her yourself, you ert?!” Chanmi pushed Sana to the window, too flustered to deal with her. “Gimme that!”

The centre girl took the now-visible paper bag in the blonde’s hand before she realised it was gone. Eunha face-palmed as the two girls closest to the window fought over a sugar donut. Granted, it was fluffy, puffy, and powdered with sugary , and the pastry itself was undeniably heavenly in flavour. The youngest furrowed her eyebrows, and berated herself for not realising it sooner. Of course, they would fight over this little fruit of Eden. Anyone would. So that means the genius would have to solve this against her own will.

“Chanmi, let it go.” Eunha tapped her on the shoulder with her donut outstretched. “Take mine.”

“Wait, you’re serious?” Both of the older people leaned in shock at the utterly astronomical decision the maknae was about to make. “You’re letting this go?!”

“Sure,” the brunette shrugged. “I-I can get another one…”
“And suffer waiting in an all-day queue so you could spend your weekly allowance to stock these up?!” Chanmi gripped the small girl’s shoulders with a slight hint of craziness. “Muthafugga your life is too precious to spend on this-“

“I can hope for a lifetime of this heaven if I give it to you,” Eunha forced as she placed the donut in Chanmi’s hand. “Now have it, and shut up!”

She made sure to hiss and not scream so that the bus wouldn’t have a reason to kick the three of them out. Sana has been sitting in shock and awe behind Chanmi the entire time, agape in disbelief. She hugged both of the girls, trying to catch this precious moment with her arms.

“M-my friends,” she sniffled. “Th-this is too sweet to pass up.”

“Ya, ya, Sana, calm down,” Eunha tried to pat the middle-aged teen. “We can cry and cherish in a few stops, but-“

“I-I can’t believe I’m f-friends with you guys!” Good thing Sana buried her head in Chanmi’s shoulder, but it still garnered a few stares. “You guys are the b-best!”

“We should leave soon,” Chanmi whispered to Eunha, unable to turn because of the tall girl’s arms. “I’m afraid we might have to walk-“

Chanmi blinked and suddenly she was sitting on the sidewalk with a soreness around her arms. She heard groans beside her, but all she could look at was the bus she thought she was sitting inside. The girl managed to rip her eyes away from the bus to realise that she was still sitting on the sidewalk while her friends were standing and brushing off the street dust before picking up their backpacks. Chanmi followed suit, though still confused.

“I-I’m sorry guys,” Sana sobbed, trying to hide her behind a sleeve. “I-I just couldn’t h-help it…”

“Shh, shh,” Eunha comforted as she hugged the taller girl. “It’s okay.”

“But the donut-“ 

And Sana exploded into the smaller’s shoulder. Eunha could feel the tears leaking into the fabric of sweater, and even into her shirt, but she tried not to explode in impatience for the sake of the blonde and her fragile emotional swings. Seeing this sight made Chanmi realise that they’ve been kicked out because of Sana and her outbursts.

“Yes, it was a moment sweeter than the donut itself,” the leader admitted quickly. “But now we need to get home before our families kill us-“
“Hey!”

Chanmi froze. Her spine froze, straightening as if she was touched by a lover. But with that voice, it might as well be one such touch.

“Oh hey, it’s y-senpai.” Sana instantly sobered up with a lowered voice, though the puffy red eyes remained. “Looks like she’s lonely.”

 “I will skin you and make some shoes out of it,” Chanmi hissed to the younger blonde, covering . “Play it chill and she’ll-“

The car rumbled beside them, slowing to a halt. The heavy smell of gasoline waved over the trio, but for Chanmi she could still make out that scent in her dreams, fictitious or real. She’s been acting along so far with this story, but for her unnie, no act was necessary.

“Hey, um,” the teacher called out from her car. “It’s getting dark, and I’m guessing that your parents must be worried, so…”

“You’re offering us a ride?!” Sana was definitely excited, but not because she didn’t need to walk. “We’ll take it! Quick, Chanmi, call shotgun!”

“Wait, wait, hold up,” Eunha cautioned, using her arm as a buffer between the car and the two idiots. “How can we be sure we’re not dealing with a e here?”

“I-I don’t have any candy,” Hyejeong reassured hesitantly. “I’m not in a white van.”

“Good enough,” Sana quickly agreed. “Let’s go-“

“I don’t want to get molested anytime soon,” Eunha resisted. “Even if she is admittedly beautiful.”

“E-excuse me?”

“Oh come on,” Sana argued. “She’s beautiful, clumsy yet intelligent, caring, and pretty much a goddess! How could you say no to that?”

“Not everyone is perfect, Sana,” the smaller retaliated, standing between the car and her opponent. “For all we know, she could be a serial , or even worse, a serial killer. No offence, Ms. Shin.”

“Hyejeong is fi-“

“Oh please, if she actually had a history the school would know about it and would have done the checks,” Sana continued. “Of course, she’s trustworthy.”

“I’m just trying to look out for my friends.” Eunha stood fast. “And besides, I don’t think we can handle the smell of that perfume without melting.”

“D-did I put too much…?”

“Let’s just get in.”
The two best friends snapped their gazes to the protagonist. Their eyes wandered to the shaking fists and the wobbly knees. They both gave each other knowing smirks, with a vivid picture of the intense blush on their leader’s face. 

“So…”

Before she knew it, the oldest of the three was already sitting beside the teacher. She didn’t even catch the click and bang of the door, much to the satisfaction of the other two girls. Eunha wasn’t even suspicious about the potential ia anymore, but now she was certain about the statutory charges. Sana was all for it, hearts in her eyes, shaky hands and giddy demeanour, the whole fangirl package. 

“Get in, you two!”