“Just so you know, Mr. Son is the worst.” Moonbyul told Solar as the three girls settled in their seats.

                “What makes him the worst?” Solar asked, slightly unsettled. Math wasn’t her best subject.

                “He’s a boring teacher, and he gives us tons of homework to top it all off. I think my personal hell would be me, sitting in his class for eternity.” Hwasa said looking plaintively out into the distance.

                “Alright Hwasa, don’t scare her. I mean, yeah it’s bad, but we all take the same class and get the same homework, so it’s easy to get through it.” Moonbyul reached over and patted Solar’s hand, seeing the fear in her eyes. “Wheein has the same class at a different time, so we do the homework after school together. Just stay with us.”

                Solar looked at her and nodded relieved. They shared a small smile before her attention was pulled up.

                “Aw hey, it’s the new girl. It almost seemed like a folk tale. I’ve heard about you all day, but I’ve never actually seen you until now.”  Solar looked up at a smiling, tall girl standing before her desk, almost looking like a giant from Solar’s angle. Everyone here is so pretty. Solar thought as she looked at yet another girl to introduce themselves to her. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Sowon. It’s nice to meet you.”

                “I’m Solar, nice to meet you too.” She moved her hand from Moonbyul’s, which still rested on hers, to shake the hand offered to her. Solar had just about gotten used to the attention she had been given all day. The school was pretty much treating her like a celebrity.

                “See. Sowon is a great example of a good group to fall in with.”

                “They’ve been teasing you again, huh?” Sowon asked Moonbyul, already familiar with the group dynamic.

                “Take me as one of your own, Sowon.” Moonbyul pleaded.

                “I’m afraid things won’t be too different for you there.”

                “Are you telling me no group is safe?”

                “I’m afraid so.”

                “Perhaps, I’ll be safe in your arms then.”

                Hwasa and Sowon groaned, which only made Moonbyul laugh. The new girl was left amused and confused. Clearly it wasn’t uncommon for something like that to come out of Moonbyul’s mouth.

                “I’m starting to think, the real one she needs to avoid is you, Moonbyul.” Sowon said shaking her head.

                “As her neighbor, I won’t allow it.”

                “Ah, you guys are neighbors?” Her eyebrows raised. “Good luck, Solar. And nice to meet you, but I should get to my seat before Moonbyul can flirt again.”

                Solar waved a goodbye and turned back to Moonbyul.

                “So is that your thing, you just go around flirting with everyone?” Solar asked trying to grasp Moonbyul’s personality.

                “I’m not flirting. I’m just being nice. It’s not my fault it’s interpreted as such.”

                “What about that wasn’t flirting?” Hwasa asked with one eyebrow raised, clearly not buying Moonbyul’s story.

                “I just meant, she has nice long arms that would seem safe. That’s a good thing. See, a compliment.”

                “You have nice long arms that seem safe.” Solar told Moonbyul wanting to see the allure of it.

                “You want come over and check them out for yourself?” She stretched out her arms.

                “You’d have to buy me dinner first.”

                “For you, dinner and dessert.”

                “You think I’m worthy of such a splurge?”

                “To my last penny.” They both laugh. It’s happened before, usually it's with Wheein, but for the most part no one plays along. Generally, the girls’ reaction was to roll their eyes and sigh with a small smile. It was a pleasant surprise to Moonbyul.

                “Ugh. Maybe you’ve finally found you’re other half, Moonbyul. Wait ‘til I tell Wheein.” Hwasa shook her head and turned to the front. “Too bad she doesn’t have this class too.” She murmured quieter than the previous statement.

                “Ladies, class has started. If you want to talk, have a chat with the Principal. Otherwise, attention up here.” Mr. Son now stood up front. That was the only sentence that would have inflection for the rest of the class.

                Solar and Moonbyul quieted down, glad the attention was taken off their faces which had warmed up slightly at Hwasa’s statement. Neither of them understood their reaction. It was just a game after all.

                “It was only your first day in that math class, and I had to wake you up three times.”

                “He was so bad. You were right. I mean, it was so horrible. It was impossible to anticipate something so tiring.”

                “That was one of his good days.”

                “You’re kidding.” Solar looked at Moonbyul flabbergasted. They were standing in the gym waiting for the rest of the girls to come out of the locker room.

                “Don’t worry this class will rejuvenate you.” Moonbyul grinned at her, knowing Solar was dreading this class too.

                “I’d rather take a nap. I could have done that in my old gym class.” Solar moped, remembering her good old gym teacher. He was just an old guy waiting to retire.

                “You’re last gym class didn’t have me, so how good could it have been?”

                Solar laughed and pushed her. “You need a class in humility. Too bad they don’t offer that.”

                “If they did I would have aced it,” Moonbyul caught her balance fast and replied without delay.

                Their attention was diverted to a loud clap that came from a very fit 30 year old woman. Solar was pretty impressed.

                “Alright, first off I want to start by addressing the elephant in the room. New girl, introduce yourself.”

                Thirty pairs of eyes turned her way, by far the biggest class she’s had so far. She didn’t necessarily have stage fright, but she was certainly caught off guard.

                “Um, I’m Solar?” She responded like she was uncertain.

                “You sure?” The gym teacher asked.

                “No, yeah. Solar’s my name.” She heard Moonbyul chuckle besides her.

                “Well, now that that’s over,” Ms. Park moved on.

 Solar smacked a laughing Moonbyul after the attention was turned from her. 

“We’re going to be playing dodgeball today.” The majority of the girls groaned. “No complaining or I’ll make you do laps. Give you something to complain about.”

“No!” The girls chorused.

                “Alright, then Hani, Sejeong, you’re the team Captains.”

                “Oh my god. You don’t even know how to throw a ball properly. They really didn’t try at your old school, did they?” Moonbyul stopped mid game to look at Solar like she was an alien.

                “I told you. Don’t look at me like that-“ Solar screeched and jumped into Moonbyul.

                “At least, you’re a decent dodger.” Moonbyul caught her and chuckled moving away quickly to catch a ball that had been lobbed over the line. “But I’ll have to teach you if you want to survive.” She said as she threw the ball back over, getting another player out.

                “I think I can manage without the O so great Master Moonbyul’s help.” Solar stared across the line preparing for the next ball. She still didn’t see a ball coming from the side. Fortunately, Moonbyul was there to deflect the ball with another she’d managed to grab.

                “Oh, really now.” Moonbyul gave her a smug smirk and tossed her the ball. “Let’s see how you fare.” She starts moving away. “These girls, they have no mercy.”

                “Wait, Moonbyul!”

By the end of it all, Solar could honestly say that she’d had never been hit with so many balls. Combine all the times previous to that day, and it still wouldn’t add up. So she’s sitting in the library with fresh bruises and a hurt ego. At least, Moonbyul had the courtesy to look guilty about it. That is, after she had a good laugh.

“Look, I told you I would help you. You just have to agree to my condition.”

“I am not calling you Master Byuli. There’s no way.”

“You were the one to bring it up. I think it’s only fair.” Moonbyul insisted.

“What’s only fair?” Wheein asked finally arriving and taking a seat. Hwasa isn’t far behind.

“I got hit with so many balls today.” Solar frowned.

“Ooh, dirty.” Hwasa said with a grin.

“Ew, no! This is an all-girls school. I meant dodgeballs.” Solar clarifies.

“Moonbyul, why was Solar hit with “so many” dodgeballs?” Wheein glowered at her.

“Uh, because she’s really really bad at sports.”

“But since you were there, she still shouldn’t have been battered by balls.” Wheein replied and Hwasa snickered. Wheein silenced her with a look.  

                “Look, I offered my help, and she rudely rejected. So, if she wants my help now, she has to agree to my one condition.” She sits back with a proud smile.

                “What’s the condition?” Hwasa asks mildly amused.

                “She wants me to call her Master Byuli.” Solar reveals.

                Both of Moonbyul’s old friends start giggling. Moonbyul already knows what that means. She quickly tries to figure out where she slipped up.

“Wow Moonbyul, I didn’t know you were into things like that. To each their own, I guess.” Hwasa chortles. After it’s out in the open they start laughing too loud. They’re in the library after all. And once Solar realized what Hwasa meant, she joins them.

                “No! Stop laughing! Why do you guys gotta ruin everything? You know that isn’t what I meant. That’s definitely not- I’m not into that stuff!”

                “You girls will be quiet or get out!” The librarian hisses at them. This definitely not the first time he’s had to do that to them.

                “We’re so sorry’” Wheein wheezes out. “You want to know what we were laughing about while you’re here? Moonbyul, she’s into bd-” Moonbyul leaps across the table to cover Wheein’s mouth before anything else can slip out. But it causes them to irrupt in another wave of giggles.

                “Sorry, Sir. I’ll get a handle on them. We won’t make another peep.”

                “Mhmm.” He gives them one last glare before walking away.

                “Moonbyul, why are you so red? You know we wouldn’t judge you on that. We’re all open minded people.” Hwasa grins wickedly.

                “Stop it. You guys embarrass me too much. I don’t want to talk about other people’s kinks, okay?”

                “Ah, our conservative Moon.” Wheein drawls.

                “There’s a time and a place to talk about that stuff, and it certainly isn’t in the school library.”

                “I don’t know, Moonbyul. The library is where you learn things, and I’d like to learn how and when you got into this… interest of yours.” Solar looks at her with a smug look of her own.

                “Please don’t I-”

                Hwasa interrupts Moonbyul to say, “I like her, Wheein. Don’t you?”

                “Very much.”

                It wasn’t something many would understand, but that sort of acceptance… It forces Solar to swallow the lump that developed in .

                “So, if I had introduced myself to you this morning, would you have taken my side?” Moonbyul asks on the drive back home.

                “I don’t know, maybe. I guess it depends how charming you were.”

                “Dammit. I bet I could have been so charming,” Moonbyul mutters and they both laugh.

                “Moonbyul, I think I may like it here.” The shift in Solar’s tone causes Moonbyul to turn to her, so she can have a better look at her face.

                “That’s a good thing isn’t it?” Moonbyul asks confused.

                “It’s a scary thing.”

                “Why?”

                “It just is.”

                Moonbyul doesn’t push much to Solar’s relief. But she does reach for hand and give it a squeeze. A small assurance, but it’s all Solar needs for the moment.

~~~~