As the student council president, a lot was riding on Chaewon’s shoulders. 

But there were times when she just wanted to rest. When she wasn’t busy running the dysfunctional puppet of a council, Chaewon was also the leader of a few clubs. Namely their premier debate club and a few other niche hobby clubs like the Ice Cream appreciation club and the DnD club. And then after that, she also had work after school. On the weekdays it was as a clerk at a convenience store by her home. On weekends it was being the early morning stocker at the local supermarket. 

So it wasn’t unusual for Chaewon to get up early.

But to wake up hours before the break of dawn? Even that was too early for Chaewon. But now that she was up, she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. It was an impossibility for her. Tried and tested. But futile nonetheless. 

She took a quick shower and made herself a hefty breakfast. It was the most important meal of the day and Chaewon always reminded herself to never skimp out on a full and hearty breakfast. Chaewon looked over her Biology notes that she took the day previous whilst munching on a PB&J sandwich. As a kid, she had taken a liking to western-style lunches and would often beg her parents to make pancakes or eggs and bacon. Well, today she had a large plate of eggs and bacon with two slices of toast. A freshly washed pear sat wrapped in a paper towel next to the plate. 

The clock had barely struck 5:25 when Chaewon finished and went back up to her room to get dressed. If she remembered correctly, the gate guards usually arrived at 6 to let in the faculty. Of course, they also let in students. Most of the time it was the track and field team. They were the ones that always seemed to be there before Chaewon, no matter how early she got there. The ultimate frisbee team also had early practices usually. Mostly because they had to share the field with the soccer teams, so it was best to get their practice done with. 

Smiling at her mirror, Chaewon tied up her ribbon. It was white like the other third years. But it had a special golden trim to denote her position as the student council president. She carefully packed her notebooks and emptied her sharpener. Taking another look at it, she realized that the blades were a bit dull and thought of changing them. Chaewon shook that thought away. The analog clock on her bedside desk read 5:40. She took a look at the room at the end of the hallway. 

The sound of the TV turning on caught her attention. 

Chaewon descended the stairs into her leaving room and saw her little sister sitting in front of the monitor with a blank stare. She was still very clearly half-asleep. Her similarity to a hamster only increased as she puffed her cheeks out and closed her eyes. There was a light on in the kitchen. More importantly, it sounded like someone was beating eggs in a bowl. 

Absentmindedly beating egg yolk around in a bowl and staring out into their backyard was her mother. 

“Um, mom, I already made breakfast. There still should be some eggs and bacon left.” Her mother turned around in surprise and quickly walked over. She didn’t stop beating the egg yolk. “Yeah, there still be some breakfast.” Chaewon eased the bowl out of her hand and slowly set it down on their kitchen island. “Anyways, I’m going to be heading to class early. Also, I might be late because of work today.”

“Oh, that’s okay sweetie. Before you go can you go and check on Minjoo for me? That girl seriously doesn’t come out of her room these days.” Their mother shook her head in disapproval with hands on her hips. Chaewon swallowed. 

“Mom, Minjoo’s still filming her show at Jeju Island. She should be back by next week. They postponed filming because a storm took out the power for a few days.” Chaewon’s mother nodded, picking up the bowl of eggs and continuing where she left off. This time with the bread knife. Biting her lip, Chaewon quickly made sure the bowl and knife were as far away from her mother as possible. “Anyways, I have to go now.”

“But what about breakfast? You can’t expect to go to school on an empty stomach. Here let me make you some eggs.” By now her little sister Yuri had fully woken up and was peeking at their interaction from the doorway. “Also can you wake up Minjoo? That girl needs to eat more.”

Chaewon sighed. “Yuri! Can you go and wake Minjoo up, please?” She jerked head up towards the second floor and Yuri bolted up the stairs. “Anyways, I can make breakfast okay? Why don’t you go into the living room? I think your favorite drama is on right now.” Her mother nodded absentmindedly and gingerly walked to the kitchen. Chaewon held her by the arm as she swung her head around, looking for her mother’s cane. 

Once Chaewon’s mother was sitting comfortably on the couch facing the TV, Yuri came down the stairs. 

“Minjoo doesn’t want to wake up. Said to wake her up later.” She said before taking a seat next to their mother as Chaewon came back into the living room, a plate of eggs and bacon with a side of mashed potatoes on the side. 

“Alright. Well, I really need to go now. Okay. Take care you two.” Chaewon rushed to the foyer and put her shoes on. “Bye, mom! Bye, Yuri! I love you!” She was about to close the door behind her when once again their mother called out to her. 

“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to Minjoo? She’d feel hurt knowing that you forgot about her.” Chaewon a dime and shouted up at towards her sister’s empty room. 

“Minjoo, I hope you have fun filming for your drama and that you have a safe flight home! I love you!” Before her mother could call out again, Chaewon closed the door behind her. Dawn had broken, but it was still dark. If only slightly. One by one the streetlamps began to turn off. Chaewon checked her watch. 

It was 6 AM flat. 

The streets were empty for the most part. Fortunately, the bus station wasn’t that far a walk from her house. Still, Chaewon had to make sure that she remembered to pack her mace spray. As she waited for her bus to arrive in the empty station, someone came in and sat on the bench beside hers. At first, Chaewon didn’t really pay attention to them. She was too busy scrolling through her playlist, trying to find a song to listen to. Then out of the corner of her, she felt as though he was familiar. And then it hit her.

Kim Wooseok had his head down, staring intently at his phone. He sighed before looking up. Their eyes met. He acknowledged her presence and quickly looked away. As if she wasn’t worth looking at. Chaewon bit back the urge to say something snide. It was unbecoming of the student council president to do such a childish and petty thing. He probably didn’t even mean anything by it. But when pulled out a small book and began to read it, something in Chaewon snapped. 

She gritted her teeth and glared at him.

“Can I help you with something there Chaewon-ssi?” Wooseok crossed his legs and snapped his book shut. His gaze traveled from her feet all the way up to her head. “You seem to be perfectly fine. Is there something that I did wrong for you to glare at me like that?” 

“No, it’s nothing you did.” Chaewon lied behind her teeth. “I guess I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. And besides, you’re right. It’s unbecoming for the student council president to act like that. My apologies.” Wooseok simply shrugged and adjusted the singular strap of his bag. The ticker at the top of their bus sign pinged. Their bus was due to arrive soon. 

Wooseok walked slightly in front of her. Due to the nature of their uniforms, most students are sharply dressed. But Wooseok especially. There was not a wrinkle to be seen on his outfit and his ribbon was perfectly knotted. His eyes flitted to her for a moment before going back to the bus. 

This was the first time that Chaewon had ever seen Wooseok take the bus to the academy. And she had been taking this bus for the last few years. Was this a one-time thing? Or was it something that would be continuing in the future?  

As she sat down in the seat behind the back door, Chaewon thought of the possibilities to herself. The bus was empty aside from Wooseok and herself. She could simply ask him the question and it would be over and done with. Again he noticed her staring at him.

“I never took you as someone who would stare at a person.” He sighed and leaned back into his seat. “I wouldn’t exactly blame you, but I would rather wish that you didn’t.”

“Sorry, it’s just that this is the first time I’ve seen you take the bus. And I’ve taken this bus every day. Well, aside from weekends.”

“Well, you’d be right. This is the first time I’ve taken the bus. Before today I would usually get dropped off by my dad.” Wooseok sighed again. “But now that I’m almost an adult, he no longer wants to give a ride and instead I’m supposed to get to the academy on my own. Which makes sense I guess. I can’t always rely on people to drop me off everywhere I go.”

“True. Though I wonder why he wouldn’t make you do something like this earlier.” Chaewon answered. The bus stopped and a very tired looking nurse came in. Wooseok switched seats and was now sitting in the seat opposite from Chaewon’s. He shrugged. And that was the last they spoke until the bus came to a stop in front of their academy. “I suppose I’ll see you at the club later?”

Wooseok stopped in his tracks. “Ah. That one? What did Ms. Lee call it? The Problem Solving Club? It sounds more like a math club. But yeah, I do suppose I will be showing up.” He a dime and headed to a cafe near the school. He looked over his shoulder. “Don’t expect Choi Yena to show up though.” 

“Wasn’t planning on it.” 

With a sigh, Chaewon approached the gates. The gate guard looked surprised but nonetheless gave a welcoming nod and raised his thermos full of coffee as a greeting. There were several cars in the parking lot. Chaewon recognized the black Ferrari to be Ms. Lee’s. This was only because the teacher had offered to give her a ride home. More than once.

Chaewon often had to go straight to work after staying late for her clubs. More often than not she returned home in the very early morning and had little to no time to sleep. But Chaewon was honestly used to having only four to five hours of sleep. Maybe even less. Before heading into the main building, Chaewon went to the vending machine just outside the main lobby and bought an energy drink. 

She reached the student council room and found a stack of paper on her desk. She let out a sigh. “Whatever. Best to get this done before class begins.” Her watch read 6:15. The day wouldn’t officially begin until 9 so she had over four hours to get all of her paperwork done and maybe even get sneak some studying in. 

Sitting down at her desk, Chaewon stretched her arms out. A grimace formed on her face as she realized just how much paperwork she had on her hand. Nevertheless, Chaewon pulled out a pen and got to work. 

“Remember Chaewon, just like you always say, the best work is hard work.” She muttered under breath. Or, rather chanted for the course of the morning until classes. Whether out loud or in her head. 

Sometime in between finishing up the last club census and her studying, Chaewon must’ve fallen asleep. 

When her eyes shot back open, god rays shone in from the windows. Outside she could hear students walking the halls. Her study sheet was stained with her drool and her ribbon become undone. The mountain of paperwork was neatly being filed away by another member of the student council. They turned around and greeted her.

“Morning prez. You sure got here early didn’t you?” 

Chaewon groaned and put her head back down onto the desk. Only for a moment, however, as she sat up straight and quickly fixed her ribbon. “Hangyul, I don’t suppose you know what time it is?” The student council’s secretary of athletics, Lee Hangyul pointed to the digital clock above his head. It had been recently installed along with all the other digital clocks during the summer. Chaewon had been so used to the analog clock just above that she forgot the new one even existed. The clock read 8:50. Another groan. “Couldn’t you have woken me up like five minutes later?” 

Hangyul shrugged. “No can do. If I did you would’ve yelled at me for waking you up five minutes before classes start. It’s a lose-lose situation.” He leaned against a filing cabinet and adjusted his tie. Unlike most students who also wore the waistcoat that came with the suit jacket, Hangyul opted to discard it and wear his jacket open. No matter how many times Chaewon had to remind him of the dress code, the academy’s resident Vegan Tiger also often wore his shirt with the top button ed. “If you’re gonna tell me to button my shirt up, don’t. It’s