"She reminds me a little of Juhyun-sunbaenim."

Bae or Seo? They're both in the same grade, so it's a little hard to tell (though does anyone call Seo Juhyun anything other than Seohyun these days?) but Seulgi could see it going either way. Sort of. Bae Juhyun has that sort of cold look to her when you glance over her at a distance but it fades away the moment she smiles and talks straight at you. Seo Juhyun has this sort of aura about her that's kind of young and innocent but still mature and graceful -- this odd interplay between elegance and a sort of pure radiance, like staring at a stunningly white flower. 

Soojung could be like either of them, depending on your perspective.

So Seulgi just nods at Seungwan's observation, trying to figure out a way to focus on her math problem after her digression because self-study is going to go on for another twenty minutes and Seulgi would like a little less homework to have to do when she gets home, exhausted and wishing she was a middle school that ended at four thirty instead of a high school that dragged on until the sun bled red over the sky (even if her middle school experience had been horrific).

"Don't you think so?" Seungwan continues in a hushed whisper, loud enough that Seulgi can hear her but quiet enough that the rest of the class won't get mad at her. (Though, really, the rest of the class could never get mad at her. She's Seungwan.) She explains, like Seulgi doesn't know already, "Soojung, I mean."

"Sure," she says, hoping it'll shut Seungwan up. This really isn't the time.

Soojung, off in her own little world with earbuds plugged in (Seulgi should have done that, maybe then Seungwan would just take a hint), jots things down intermittently in her notebook. As far as Seulgi can tell, peeking over without being too obvious, it's a jumble of Korean and English even though the notes look like they're for history instead of languages. Whatever works for her, she guess. 

Seungwan shoots a glance over at Soojung, as though checking she can't hear their conversation, and then grins again at Seulgi, smile stretching out to her ears. 

It's only Tuesday. Seulgi would wish the week would go by faster but that would just drag her ever closer to having to do end of year exams. And holiday work. And whatever else reality wanted to heap down on her.

She's not sure how long she spends staring at that damn math problem, watching Seungwan's head bob left and right, her desk right in front of her own but the teacher eventually makes it into the room and starts the day's first lesson.

Seulgi inhales. She can make it through the day.

"Let's grab lunch," Seungwan announces in their general sort of direction.

Soojung zips up her pencil case, a practical looking clear pouch with a red zipper that's only sparsely filled with a few pens, pencils and some miscellaneous stationary, and looks up, vaguely confused, as though she isn't sure if Seungwan is talking at her or Seulgi.

(Seungwan is talking to both of them. Seulgi knowns from experience of knowing Seungwan this long. She also knows, from experience yet again, the look of Soojung's face is the caution of someone new who doesn't want to accidentally invite themselves along to third wheel with a group of people who are friends already, not without being invited.)

Accordingly, Seulgi packs up her own things, tucking them under the compartment of her desk, and says to Soojung and only Soojung so it's all very clear, "Are you coming?"

Soojung's smile is worth it. 

"When's your birthday?"

Soojung blinks, chopsticks holding up a clump of rice, and replies, "October."

"Blood type?"

"A."

"Favourite color?"

"Black?" Soojung seems unsure about it even if it's her own opinion. Seulgi doesn't really have a favorite color; though, these days, yellow-orange is starting to grow on her. Maybe it's all the sunsets and sunrises she's been seeing lately. "As long as it's not too bright, it's fine."

Seungwan leans her head on her hand, elbow on the table, food momentarily ignored in favor of the interesting new transfer student at their table. "What kind of music do you listen to? American bands? Idol pop?

"We're a little old to still be listening to idols, don't you think?"

"No way." Seungwan winks, flashes a winning smile and holds her hand in the air, fingers out like a check mark in a little salute. "High school is the perfect time."

Middle school would be a more perfect time. At least then there was free time to enjoy it. Then again, Seulgi hasn't updated the songs on her phone for almost a year and that's all she listens to and there's bound to still be some idol stuff on there.

Soojung says, "Nothing in particular. Just things I like the feel of." 

"'Things you like the feel of'," Seulgi repeats. Isn't it just a given you listen to music you like?

Soojung grasps the question in the air (she's shy but she has good sense) and explains, "Things with a good mood. Anything with a good mood."

That doesn't help Seulgi understand anymore than the ious sentence, but Seungwan seems to get the gist of it or at least pretends to, nodding along like it's all clear. "Any mood is fine? What's a good mood to you?"

"Different kinds of moods are fine," Soojung says and Seulgi isn't sure if she's agreeing with Seungwan or trying to explain herself. "Sort of...a strong emotion? I listen to a lot of things. Film scores and instrumental music to pop songs. Lyrics don't matter that much to me. The melody doesn't either. It's more how everything fits together to deliver a sort of image and feeling."

Seulgi wonders if Seungwan was expecting such a profound and thoughtful answer to her question. Maybe all those innate searches for trivia warmed Soojung up for a real conversation. It's a nice change of pace, anyway, from nothing but idle chatter about how lead actor X looked at lead actress Y. (But Seulgi's being a little bitter there too. It's not like she doesn't enjoy talking about that kind of stuff, as cynical as she makes herself seem.)

"That's cool," Seungwan says. "I like to listen to things based on genre. Right now I'm really into R&B and pop sort of things."

She starts listing off singers or maybe group names. Soojung seems to know what's going on, nodding animatedly as she occasionally pops some food in . Alright, inhales her food, more like. That's good. A healthy appetite is good. Seulgi tries to keep up. Eating is supposed to be important.

"Wendy's nice," Soojung says, not bothering to say 'Wendy' in any sort of approximation of a Korean pronunciation. Her voice is a pitched a little different when she speaks in English. Seulgi likes it. "Thanks for introducing us."

Seulgi hasn't really introduced anyone to anyone else. Seungwan just decided to introduce herself. None of this seems relevant to tell Soojung anyway. She's too happy that she's made another friend on just her second day here. They're desks are in a neat block of one corner of the classroom. 

Maybe it was just inevitable.

Soojung lays her hand on the desk, right next to Seulgi's but not quite touching it. Seulgi wouldn't mind if she did. She could reach her hand over and brush her fingertips next to Soojung's hand if she wanted. She could lay her palm down on top of it, comforting and comfortably distant. It wouldn't be weird. Soojung wouldn't mind, probably. But she doesn't and all she can do is imagine whether Soojung's hands would be warmer or colder than the stale air in the classroom.

The point is: Soojung's hand is there on her desk, very close to Seulgi's own. Soojung stares at it, the hands, presumably, unless she's trying to look through the desk, before she raises her voice. "Thank you."

Seulgi could say something now, too, but she doesn't. Soojung's voice is earnest, painfully so, and Seulgi's brain can't come up with anything that could be a reply to it.

Soojung looks up. Seulgi notices that a lot only because Soojung stares down at the ground more often then not and every time her head does manage to stay upright it seems like an accomplishment Seulgi should make note of. Not it a condescending sort of way, but a 'you can do it, Soojung' kind of way. Maybe that is kind of condescending, actually. Soojung is taller than her, but she seems like a little kid out of her depth. Seulgi feels like taking care of her, even if they're the same age. Seulgi feels like she'd spoil her if they ever got that close. It would be fine, though, because Seungwan would try and steal the attention back. Soojung would need the edge to start with.

Soojung repeats, brighter and more clear this time, "Thanks. I'm glad my desk ended up being next to yours."

Seulgi is glad too. She wishes she could say it but all she does is nod once, short and curt, and then Soojung smiles again and then there's no thinking at all, just light, and Seulgi feels like the air is lighter and just breathes.