“What’s our star student thinking today?”

Changsub slid into the seat next to her, a lazy grin on his face. Yongsun frowned.

“Please, it’s not like your grades are worse than mine. We’re literally going to the same college.”

“Yea, but I’m not valedictorian here,” Changsub teased as he unwrapped the cafeteria sandwich. He looked at his food and frowned at the brown shade of the bread. “Whole wheat again? Is the school trying to be healthy or something? No one likes this .”

“It’s tuna salad, though — isn’t that your favorite? Beggars can’t be choosers.” Chorong placed her lunch tray on the other side of the table and flashed a smile at Yongsun, teeth pearly white. “Hey Yong. Changsub being a again?”

Yongsun snorted and replied dryly, “As usual.”

Next to her, Changsub pouted. “You guys are mean,” he whined. “I’m going to find new friends in college, just you watch.”

“Sure, go ahead,” Chorong waved him off before rummaging through her backpack. “I’ve gotta finish the calculus homework anyways, it was way too long this time. Why can’t she take it easy, we’re literally seniors.”

“Maybe she gets off on our suffering. I could see it.”

“Don’t be rude,” Yongsun retorted, rolling her eyes. She liked Ms. Lee, even if she could be a bit excessive at times. “I can help you if you want. Which problem you on?”

Shoving a bite of unnaturally red pasta in , Chorong scanned through the homework, eyebrows furrowed. “I got most of them, but the one I’m really stuck on is #15. I wasted hours on it.”

“Oh, that one was pretty hard.” Shuffling through her own bag, Yongsun gingerly got out her homework, careful not to crease the immaculate paper. She hated wrinkled papers: they were messy, showed a lack of restraint and a lack of care. Yongsun had neither. “Wanna just look at mine? It’s long to explain, and —” Yongsun checked the clock. Lunch was 35 minutes. The cafeteria line took out 10 of those. 25 minutes to finish. “You don’t have that much time.”

Chorong brightened. “You’re a lifesaver, Yong! Best friend material.”

“More like your solutions manual,” Yongsun quipped, but slid her homework across the table anyways. “Just don’t get it dirty.”

“Wow, the valedictorian and salutatorian cheating on homework. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Shut up, Changsub. Desperate times call for desperate measures, okay.” Chorong stuck her tongue out as she whipped out her pen. Reading through Yongsun’s work, her eyes widened. “Whoa, this is genius, Yong. I never would’ve thought to do it like that.”

“Thanks,” Yongsun smiled, a bit proud. Math had always been one of her best subjects.

Changsub chewed and swallowed a bite of tuna sandwich before snarking, “She’s valedictorian, of course she’s genius.”

“Shut it, Changsub. Or I won’t let you copy off my homework ever again. College too.”

At that, a flash of panic darted across Changsub’s eyes, and he immediately threw his hands up and placated, “I’m joking, all jokes here.” He gave a nervous laugh and rubbed his head before glancing at Yongsun and whispering, “You’re not serious, are you?”

Yongsun sighed. “Depends on if you give me your cookie or not.” It was red velvet today, Yongsun’s favorite. Red velvet cookies rotated only once every few weeks, she kept track — they were special. She had already finished hers.

Grabbing the wrapped dessert, Changsub offered it to her with both hands, head tilted down demurely. “Peace?”

Yongsun hummed and took it, smiling widely as she began peeling off the plastic wrap, excitement stirring in her stomach at the smell of butter and sugar. A low-quality red velvet cookie and 2% milk: one of life’s greatest pleasures. A shout across the bustling cafeteria broke her concentration, and Yongsun blinked. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked around for the cause of the noise before rolling her eyes.

It was the athletes’ table, of course. An arm wrestling match had broken out between 2 members of the basketball team, one female