"Oh my God! You look so different! Who would have thought that you—! I'm shocked!

         "Haven't seen you in ages!"

         "What, how come after three years you look the same, man."

         "And here I thought you'd be skinnier by now..."

         Soobin stood at the corner, nervously biting her nails as she tapped with her foot on the wooden floor, trying to pass by as unnoticed — even though, well, those who knew her would certainly guess something was wrong, because she definitely wasn't one to hide in a corner from people, especially from people she spent three  years of high school with and that now, three years later, met up again. No, but this story isn't about Soobin or whatsoever. This story is about Soobin's best friend:

         "Why don't I see Haneul around?"

         Soobin shut her eyes tight at the sound of that voice. Harry, whose appearance didn't seem so much different from what he looked like three years ago, was curiously approaching Soobin — and that, for two reasons: one because of his question, and the second because he just found it too weird how Soobin, the always so clean, attractive type, was now trying to push everyone away with her messy, kind of lost, look.

         She moved away from the wall and looked everywhere but his eyes, avoiding looking at other people too. Harry frowned; he put his hands on his jeans' pockets and rearranged his heavy backpack with his shoulders.

         "Is there something wrong? Soobin...?"

         Soobin breathed in and forced a smile, — was she learning from Haneul, her friend? Except that her smile didn't come out as authentic as it should be. — now looking straight into his eyes. "She told me she was coming, so I guess she must be arriving any time now."

         "Oh."

         "Why the curiosity, though?" She now hid a smile, that seemed like one of amusement, but that actually hid a deeper meaning: disdain. "Don't tell me— you miss her?"

         He gave her a quick look, that could totally be translated to an 'are you nuts?'. "Uh, no? It's just because everyone's here but her, and some just told me to ask you about her."

         "I see."

         "Why don't you join us? Why are you standing there like an outsider? Are you sure everything's okay with you?"

         "Yeah, I just—" Her eyes wandered around the floor as she rummaged her mind for a gullible excuse to tell him. "I feel uncomfortable, I haven't really spoke to anyone lately."

         "Oh, so what?, we spent three years together, that's still something, no matter how long it has been since then."

         Soobin shrugged and let him pull her for the all-too-happy and excited crowd of fourteen people. She didn't get to pay full attention at everyone, but she could say everyone had changed, and not only their aspect, but their aura, too. They all just seemed... happy. Happy. A simple, small word that held too much meaning. But she was happy, too. Yes. She was.

         "What about Haneul? You girls still speak to each other?"

         "Haha you girls were inseparable!"

         "Guys, and when Haneul started dating our Harry here?"

         Some laughed. Soobin frowned, avoiding once again her gaze by looking at the floor.

         "It was so unexpected."

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