“Yes!”

Ji Soo squeezed her way out of the crowd after looking at the class list for the new academic year, trying to find Mi Joo who was waiting for her at an empty corner. She wanted to check her new class too but her best friend beat her to it, telling her she would help to see hers as well.

“Mi Joo! We are in the same class again!” Ji Soo jumped into the girl’s arms as the two began skipping in circles, not caring that they were causing a scene.

Students near them were giving strange looks but it did not bother them. They were feeling both elated and relief, not experiencing an ounce of embarrassment at all. This was a good start to the new school year.

Once they stopped behaving like ten-years-old, partly because a teacher gave them a warning, they went to their appointed classroom.

“Hey, look. Myung Eun is in our class,” Mi Joo informed Ji Soo the moment she spotted the girl sitting at the last row. While the rest of the students in class were mingling with each other, she had her earpiece in, reading a book with a stoic expression.

“Should we sit near her?” Ji Soo suggested upon realising that most of the seats had already been taken except for the ones around Myung Eun. It was a free seating arrangement so it was a first come first serve basis.

Mi Joo agreed, not minding but they did not have much of a choice in the first place. Maybe they should not have wasted time skipping in circles in the beginning. All the good spots were already taken.

“Hi,” Mi Joo greeted in a cheery voice. “Is it fine if we sit here?” She gestured to two empty seats, one in front and the other diagonally across to Myung Eun’s place.

Myung Eun noticed Mi Joo and took off her earpiece. She gave a slight nod to the smiley girl’s question before placing her earpiece back and resumed her reading.

The two settled in their respective seats, Mi Joo being in front of Myung Eun and Ji Soo being next to her best friend. Despite recognising some of their classmates, they were chatting by themselves. They were just not close to them, having only exchanged a few words before. Both were still friendly to their peers, nonetheless.

“Oh! Myung Eun!”

Mi Joo got a fright at the sudden loud call. Not only her but everyone in the classroom was shocked as well. Except for Myung Eun who was still calmly reading her book despite having someone shouting for her.

And that someone was no other than Young Jae, infamous for having a loud voice and laughter. Anyone who heard it afar, knew it belonged to him.

“I forgot to mention he is in our class. I saw his name on the list but I got carried away,” Ji Soo said as the two waved at Young Jae who also noticed them. It definitely was a surprise and coincidental that the three friends were allocated in the same class.

“Myung Eun! Hey!” Young Jae headed towards where the girl was, greeting her enthusiastically.

Myung Eun took her earpiece off and closed her book as she caught Young Jae waving his hands non-stop. She wore an expressionless face, answering in a flat tone, “Hey.”

“You once said that you did not have any good memories in your first year. I would not let you say that about our class this time! I would definitely not allow you to!” Young Jae stated with determination. Unlike him, Myung Eun just blankly stared at him in return. Despite the indifferent respond, the boy was fired up to make good memories for her.

Mi Joo watched the entire scene unfold and she was impressed at Young Jae’s promise to Myung Eun. Maybe she could also lend him a hand. Besides, it was harmless to make a new acquaintance.

“Class! Please settle down!” A teacher walked in and everyone went back to their own seats. Lucky for Young Jae, there was an empty one next to Myung Eun so he quickly sat there upon hearing the teacher’s announcement.

“First and foremost, I am Lee Soo Jung. You can address me as Ms Lee and I will be your homeroom teacher for the coming one year. I hope we can learn from one another and help each other in times of difficulties.” The petite lady bowed down politely after finishing introducing herself.

“Before we proceed on with admin matters, there is a new transfer student who will be joining us. Please warmly welcome him!”

No... This could not be happening. Mi Joo’s eyes widened as the new student came in. What were the chances that this would occur? And yet, it still did. What she heard during the last day of school was right.

“Hi everyone. My name is Mark Tuan. I hope we can get along well.”

“Mi Joo… Is that not Mark from middle school?” Ji Soo asked once she remembered where she had seen him before. With no respond from her best friend, she turned to find Young Jae who was having the same thoughts as well.

With mouth slightly agape and eyes still wide opened in shock, Mi Joo only managed a soft “yes” in return. Flashbacks came rushing back to that fateful day when she met Mark again after a year.

There was nothing special about it though. All Mi Joo found out was how much Mark changed and there was no way for them to go back to how things were before. It was only a brief reminiscence. From that day, she never saw him around anymore like he had disappeared once again in her life. But now, he was here. Was life trying to play a trick on her?

“So, we meet again.” Somehow or rather, Mark was assigned to the only ava