Laughter and squeals faded until they died away. The indication that most of the teenagers were far enough away from the student council room. Traces of the party remained, however. Wheein had been opposed to the celebration there, but her classmates had insisted, and now they were running towards the freedom of the end of the school day, and she was stuck with balloons and confetti.

Wheein huffed, adjusting her round glasses and then loosening her uniform necktie. Just a little bit. She would have to clean up before leaving, after all, she couldn't leave the place like that. She wouldn't let it like this before, much less now that she had so much responsibility.

But before she could get her hands dirty, her eyes fell on Hyejin and her bored face. She yawned, resting her chin on her hand. She didn't need to say anything. Wheein shook her head. "I'll get a broom, you remove the balloons."

A grunt. "The result is barely out, and you're all bossy," Hyejin mumbled and earned an eye roll. Wheein knew her friend very well, she was sweet and helpful, but never one to stay at school after hours. But she could handle a few minutes more, right? After all, two were better than one, the job would get done faster!

As the clock ticked by, though, Wheein started to doubt that logic. Hyejin's momentary unwillingness opposed that theory of teamwork.

Then Wheein winced. Again. When another balloon popped out of nowhere. The noise was too loud for her sensitive ears. This was it. She wouldn't be able to take it anymore, she'd end the day with a headache and still have to do her homework anyway. "You can go," she said, letting go of the broom and taking Hyejin's hand, whose fingernails were a deadly weapon for the poor balloons.

Hyejin's feeble protests were mere formalities, deep down she was happy to be dismissed from the cleaning task. Wheein was sure of it. "Come on, tomorrow we clean up the room," she still insisted, however, on taking Wheein with her. A stupid attempt, as tomorrow is Saturday and the cleaning wouldn’t be done. Hyejin would never go to school on a Saturday.

"No, you go, and I'll finish here. See you tomorrow." Wheein let out a heavy breath after practically shooing her best friend away. The certainty that she would work better alone became more concrete when she saw the remains of the balloons scattered in places she had already cleaned. But maybe the truth was, she needed some time alone. To ease her mind.

How crazy. The people at that school were crazy for sure. Wheein closed her eyes for a moment, the ringing in her ears gradually fading into the silence of the now-empty room. A slow breath. Then she started sweeping again. Cleaning and organizing the place where she would now spend part of her free time. This sounded so crazy! That wasn’t what she expected at all.

Her gaze wandered around the room, then. The tidy desks and the closets were so organized. Wheein was sure that the folders on the shelf were organized by color, year, and alphabetically as well. The murals on the walls were also impeccable. Diagrams and infographics, color-coded and perhaps something else, explaining annual planning and more. The longer she looked, the less confident Wheein felt. And her confidence was already in a dangerous negative line. How would she handle that?

Another mural caught her eye. It was a small replica of the mural that adorned the hallway wall. Something less intimidating. Or maybe not, considering her position now. Wheein walked over, broom set aside once more as she admired the photos of past student council presidents. Wheein never paid enough attention to the 20 portraits, but now she took her time looking face to face.

Until she stared at the last portrait. Kim Solar, the first female student council president. Something impressive in itself, but even more so because she managed to get that school better in many ways when it seemed unbelievable. In the photo, Solar was not serious, like the other former presidents. She wore a smile, eyes in crescents, and Wheein had the feeling that she couldn't help but smile. Too happy to contain it and keep the formality.

A lone dimple appeared on Wheein's face. The memory of the first time she had seen Solar was also surfacing. What a strange sunbaenim. Always so out of line. Wheein almost couldn't believe that so energetic girl who welcomed the new students was the student council president. Shouldn't presidents be calm and collected all the time? Solar looked like chaos that first day of school. But if Wheein thought about it now, over a year after that first day, her chaos was so methodical. Things were going well under Solar's command, she knew that.

But what an interesting existence. That sunbaenim. That pretty sunbaenim. Who wasn't so good at athletics, but who was excellent at cheering up the crowd and the other athletes. Who moved everyone on stage at the drama club, and who would close her eyes in disgust, or maybe fear, whenever walking past the insect collection in the biology lab. Who was scolded more than once for laughing too loudly in the library, and who still always helped Wheein find rare books there. The dimple slowly grew in size, a slight flush-colored Wheein's cheeks, and she closed her eyes.

Wheein wanted to be a bit like Solar. Somehow. Perhaps. It was a strange feeling that had come over the year, something that grew stronger whenever she saw Solar around school, popular and energetic, responsible and serene, at the same time. Unique. Someone who deserved admiration. As a result, Wheein had been following the student council for months. Admiring Solar. Enchanted by the beautiful sunbaenim every day more.

What a shame she won that election, by sheer luck. That meant she would be farther away from Solar before the school year ended. The iPod her mother had promised her didn't seem like such an award anymore. What were the people at that school thinking when they voted for her? When Kim Solar was the other option! What madness!

"Knock-knock!"

Wheein jumped slightly, widening her eyes. Nobody knocked on the open door. Someone said that. Out loud. And she turned quickly to check who would be there at that hour, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Solar standing in the doorway. Arms crossed, leaning against the threshold, head slightly tilted to the side. Wheein couldn't read her expression, and it made her nervous. Was she mad because Wheein was in the council room? Or maybe mad because Wheein won the election? Damn. Solar had accepted the election results with a smile on her face, not a trace of annoyance on her pretty face. But maybe, deep down, she was upset. What would Wheein do to make it better? She couldn’t stand the idea of Solar being upset with her.

Silence prevailed for a few moments. Tense, somehow. Or maybe it was just Wheein feeling tense at the silence between them. She shifted in her feet and cleared , looking away when she realized she was staring at Solar. The real Solar. Not her photo on the wall.

"Your first day is only on Monday, you know that right?" The gentle voice carried a note of… amusement? Wheein must have gotten it wrong. Or maybe not? It made her look at Solar again, even though she was embarrassed all over. 

Wheein adjusted her glasses just to have something to do with her own hands. Then smoothed her uniform vest. "Yea... Hmm… it's just that the crew made a mess in the room and I wanted to clean it up." 

It was embarrassing to meet her like this. Solar was the president still, after all, and that room was still her place. Not Wheein’s. At least, until Monday. But taking a better look, Solar didn’t seem upset at all. Wheein would venture to say that she was even amused. There was this glint of amusement in her eyes.

But that was always in her eyes, wasn't it?

Wheein dropped her gaze. From the hazel irises to the lips that gently curved upwards with the same trace of amusement. Painted lips, she noticed. A soft chapstick, but it just highlighted how full her lips were. Lips Wheein shouldn't stare at. With some effort, her gaze dropped further, involuntary as she intended simply to look at something else. Anything.

But she glanced at Solar's messed uniform. She noted how she wasn't wearing her uniform vest. How her necktie was too loose, and the white shirt out of the skirt, which looked shorter than ever. Wheein was sure that if the principal measured Solar's skirt right now, she would get a reprimand for not following the school's uniform rules. Even if it was free Friday. It wouldn't be the first time, though. Another one of the unlikely things the student council president did.

Well, former president soon.

An interesting existence. In fact.

Wheein forced her gaze up again, her face heating up in the mere seconds she stared at Solar's pale thighs. And then she forced herself to close her eyes as she noticed how her gaze had landed on Solar's chest, which seemed larger when her crossed arms pressed it up. Full red face now, for sure. What was Wheein doing checking Solar up like that? Had she gone crazy like the other students?

Wait. Maybe she heard a giggle? . Her fingers closed over the broom handle again, she needed to keep busy. Focused on some task other than gawking at Solar.

But then, soft steps. And the door was closed. "So, Wheein, I have to admit it, I didn't expect to lose the election at this point. But being honest, you just fit the council president’s role.”

Surprised by that statement, Wheein turned around once more. Solar was leaning against the door now, hand on the knob. The same little smile appeared again. "I mean, cleaning the council room by yourself and after hours on a Friday? President thing, sure."

She was kidding, right? Wheein couldn't say, and how frustrating! "Hm. Well, you always keep things neat, it's only fair that I keep it up." Unconsciously, Wheein scratched her cheek. The dimple showed up at a glance as she shrugged. Solar nodded slowly.

Wheein didn't expect it, but the next moment, Solar was helping her. In silence, they gathered all the confetti scattered on the floor and removed the balloons. Way faster than when Hyejin was the helper. Two or three balloons still popped, much to Wheein's dismay. Well, of course, she tried to hide it. But a little squeak escaped, much to Solar's amusement.

A few minutes later, when everything was neat and clean again, Wheein found herself staring once more. And she hated it, why couldn't she help it? What a creepy. Solar chuckled, though. She was leaning against the desk, facing Wheein, the awkward potato who didn't know where to look or what to do with her hands. But hey! Solar was staring back. And...did she her lips? Or was Wheein hallucinating right now?

Anyway, she found herself mimicking the gesture. Her lips were suddenly dry. So she gulped, trying to look at something else. Anything. 

"You're cute, you know that? Just like a puppy."

Wheein widened her eyes, taken aback. Her face heated up until her ears boiled. And Solar laughed, her right hand patting the space beside her. A clear indication that she wanted Wheein there. By her side. After saying that out of nowhere. Was she crazy too?

"Come here, Wheein. Please." Another tap on the desk. Wheein swallowed hard, a few uncertain steps leading her there. She leaned back on the desk, stiff. Hands clasped in front of her. Eyes facing the wall. Well, not the wall itself, but the student council presidents' mural. She dragged her gaze over to Solar's picture one more time, trying her best to ignore the good smell coming from the girl beside her. Have they ever be