Soojung’s bicycle has been patched up for a while now. Seulgi didn’t even notice until she accidentally tore a page off the sheet of stapled handouts being circulated around class and the accidental damage reminded her of the incident. It was only when she remembered that Soojung’s bike had been damaged in the first place that she realised she’d been seeing it faithfully roll beside its owner day in and day out.

Since it’s been so long since that happened, it feels awkward bringing it up. Seulgi’s missed her window. It’s like when Seungwan texts her and she doesn’t realise until it’s 2AM and she’s about to go to bed and she wonders if it’s even polite to text Seungwan back anymore since she’s also probably asleep and the message alert will wake her up. (But isn’t it Seungwan’s fault if she didn’t bother setting her phone on silent before heading to bed?)

The class has stopped calling Soojung ‘transfer student’ and started to call her by her name. Even in casual conversation, she seems to have settled into her comfortable, non-intrusive niche to the school dynamic without too much notice. Even Jiyoung hasn’t broached much of a topic anymore.

Speaking of which:

“Has anyone seen Seungwan?” Jiyoung says one foot in the hallway, one foot in the classroom, fingers curled around the class door.

“Seungwan went to deliver the homework for the week to the teacher’s office.”

Jiyoung takes a double take over the person who said it. She sniffs and with an expression that’s only a little bit tinged with distaste, she says, “Thanks, Soojung.”

Even if Soojung does call Seungwan ‘Wendy’, she only does it in front of Seungwan herself. Or in front of Seulgi. (Sometimes, anyway.) When another member of the class asks where Seungwan has disappeared off too or if Soojung is looking for the cheery girl, the name that comes out of is always ‘Seungwan’. Seulgi isn’t sure if Seungwan would be offend or not by the fact.

It’s good she’s getting a long with the rest of the class, anyway. Close enough. 

Yoon Bomi is packing up her bag at the end of school before her hands fumble over something and a zipper that should have been done up isn’t and things turn over and stuff just comes spilling out and tumbling down from its haphazard arrangement on her desk.

Seulgi manages to catch her phone before it smacks against the floor. Judging by the cracks running down one corner of the screen, one more impact might have been the end of it. She hands the phone to Bomi and helps her gather out the scatter papers, knick knacks and snacks as well as a water bottle that’s only manage to spill out over the floor and not on any of the other stuff.

“Thanks, Seulgi,” she says cheerily.

“It’s no problem.”

“You must have fast reflexes.”

“Maybe,” Seulgi says. 

“But seriously, my phone was headed for an early grave if you hadn’t caught it. Seriously, thanks.”

“Like I said, it’s no problem.”

“Nah, you’ve always been super cool.”

Seulgi blinks. “Cool?”

“Yeah. It’s just in, like, your aura and stuff.”

“I just caught your phone.”

“No, I mean other times too.”

“Uh, okay.” 

Bomi pats her on the back, “Keep at it. You’re as cool as guy. Who needs them when we’ve got you around?”

“Thank you?” Seulgi resists the temptation to bristle. It feels like a complement. She tells herself it’s a complement.

See sees Eunji and Naeun wave her over and Bomi, of course, waves back to her friends. Seulgi doesn’t talk much in the classroom, apart from to Soojung and Seungwan, but  that doesn’t mean she’s clueless enough not to know who everyone else is and who their friends are.

“Ah, I’ve got to go catch up to them. You catch up with yours too.” Bomi sends her one more smile before rushing off to catch up to her friends. She turns back as she’s walking away to make sure that Seulgi can see it. “See you in class later!”

Seulgi’s been seeing a lot of people’s backs lately. What did she mean by ‘you catch up too’ then?

Seulgi turns around, hands stuffed into her blazer pockets and tilts her head.

It’s Soojung there lingering in the classroom, having watched the whole event. She seems to have a talent for randomly and mysteriously appearing places and overhearing things. It strikes Seulgi as an inconvenient and possibly dangerous talent to have. Was she even in the room to start? Did she come in midway through?

“Oh,” Soojung says. “I’ve got something to do after school today, so you just go home first, okay?”

“Not walking me to the station?” Seulgi teases.

“Nah, I’ll have to exercise properly all the way this time.”

“Don’t let your bike get punctured again.” There. She has figured out a way to work it in today. 

Soojung punches her in the arm, lightly. Not lightly enough. “Jerk.” 

Seulgi just grins.

“It’s not funny!” Soojung protests. “There were a lot of holes. It took forever to patch. I might have well just bought new tires. I think I’m going to have to.”

“But you didn’t?”

Soojung deflates, pouting. “I’m lazy.”

“Then your bike is just a disaster waiting to happen.”

“Yeah, but I’ve got the kit with me at all times now, so I’m prepared.”

“How’d it get so roughed up anyway? Did you drive through something weird?”

“Hmm.” Soojung crosses her arms, frowning. “Something like that I guess.”

“You should get your tires replaces.”

“No need to nag, mother.”

“I’m not nagging you. If anything, you should be the one nagging me since you’re the October birthday.”

“So?”

“So shouldn’t you be concerned about your early year classmates?”

“Aah, that,” Soojung says. “I know it’s a thing here but since it’s just a year… To be honest I—”

“Soojung, hurry up,” a teacher’s deep voice calls. “The office needs to speak to you.”

Soojung smiles, apologetic, and grabs her back before following him out of the room. Once again, Seulgi is left looking at someone’s back.

Leaving the school gates, Seulgi seems to have accidentally triggered some unfortunate event flag because there's some strange figure lingering there, waiting. The girl is dressed in a uniform that's different from theirs but Seulgi figures it's just someone waiting on their friend.

Her assumptions are proven wrong when the girl's big round eyes light up and a smile pushes up her round cheeks.

“Sunbae!” she calls. “Kang Seulgi-sunbae!”

Is she going to regret answering? She could just pretend she's not Kang Seulgi... 

“…Yes?”

The girl claps, ecstatic.

“It’s you! You’re Kang Seulgi.” She pauses and tilts her head, suddenly skeptical. “I thought you’d be taller. You are Kang Seulgi, right?”

Seulgi’s brows furrow. She crosses her arms. “My name is Kang Seulgi, that’s right.”

The girl takes her hand and shakes it vigorously with a wide grin, shoulder high and straight, posture nothing but preening. “Wow, it really is you, sunbae. It’s an honour to meet you.”

“Um, and you are?”

“Joy!” the kid says enthusiastically. “I’m Joy.”

“Really.” Seulgi has been around Seungwan and Soojung’s idle English conversations enough to glean something different about the way that English word is pronounced. “Your name is Joy?”

“It’s Park Sooyoung, but anyway, just call me Joy, okay? There are, like, four Sooyoungs in my class alone. I don’t know what was really going on in 1996 or if it’s just this school or something but there are and I really can’t have them cramping my style like that, so Joy is fine.”

“Joy,” Seulgi repeats dully, mouth dry, forehead trying very hard to relax before she yes a headache.

“But anyway, sunbae, I really think you’re amazing.”

Seulgi stumbles back a step, pointing to herself in wonder. “I’m a sunbae to you?”

Height really shouldn’t be used as a measure to gauge age but this girl’s tall and—

Wait a second. 1996?

“You’re in middle school?” Doing her best not to be an inappropriate ert (because that was severely messed up) Seulgi glances at the girl (the kid’s) skirt. “Unroll your skirt right now! You’re in middle school, there’s no way they’d let you get away with a hemline that short.”

“Aw, sunbae,” Joy whines. “Come on, it looks way better like this.”

“Oh my god,” Seulgi groans, and smacks a hand against her forehead. Why her. Why now. Why. Not even questions. Just why. 

“How am I even a sunbae to you?” Seulgi says. She glances at the crest on the pocket of the school blazer and takes the whole uniform in up and down. It doesn’t seem familiar.

“Sunbae!” Joy protests, somewhat offended. “How could you? I went to the same school you did.”

Seulgi rattles off the name of her old middle school. It’s not something she really wants to remember. “Did they change the uniform?” Seulgi squints. Those colours definitely seem off. 

“Well, they did, sort of, but…” She trails off and shrugs. “That’s not important.”

“Okay,” Seulgi says. “Then what is?”

Joy blinks, her face a neutral blank, before her eye brows raise and her eyes light up with a dark mischief. “You seemed pretty cool just then, sunbae. That sort of glare on your face and the way you said ‘Then what it’ like that. You really get down to business. It’s so chic and direct. So cool.”

“Um, okay.”

“So that’s right.”

“What?”

“You think you’re cool.”

“Not really, no,” Seulgi says.

“But you are.”

“Wait, what?”

“But you’re so cool.”

“You think I’m cool?” Seulgi repeats, dumbfounded.

“Everyone thinks you’re cool. Cooler than a guy.”

“Is this the buzzword of the day or something?” Seulgi mumbles, mostly under her breath. “And how is it everyone?” 

Joy catches a word or two of it, because she pipes up, “I’m sure it’s because it’s a common opinion.”

Seulgi takes a deep breath in. Exhale. Inhale. “Joy, right?”

“Yep, that’s right.”

“Did you want something from me?”

“Of course I did, sunbae,” Joy says. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered talking to you.”

Seulgi’s going to get a stress aneurysm at the rate. At the very least some heartburn. “So then, please state your business.”

“Sure, no problem. Nice and direct, I really appreciate that. Well I—”

Joy freezes, spying something over Seulgi’s shoulder. THere’s nothing on the shoulder itself, no sudden pigeon landing on its mark in the middle of day, so Seulgi tries to follow where she’s looking, turning around trying to glean anything. It’s just the usual steady inflow of people turning up for school.

“You know what, sunbae? I’ll catch up with you later. Got to go!” Joy says, rushing away in the opposite direction of whatever she was looking at.

Backs yet again. Seulgi needs to stop being so gloomy thinking about these things. Middle school was a long time ago. Well, not yet, but it will be. Middle school is over.

Seulgi sighs. “Kids.”

“Seulgi! Seulgi! Wait up, Seulgi!”

Not even a third of the way to the train station, she stops. “It sound more natural if you yelled ‘Seulgi-yah’ instead. Even, Yah, Seulgi.” 

The familiar clicking of bike gears and tires slows down. It’s a bit different, clicking much faster, since Soojung’s riding her bike instead of walking it. She dismounts, stopping to catch her breath. Seulgi waits for her.

“Ah,” Soojung says. Her eyes flicker downwards “Was I mispronouncing your name? The eu vowel is a little difficult for me sometimes.”

“No, I think it was fine,” Seulgi says. She frowns. “I was just teasing, Soojung.”

“I just want to make sure my Korean stays up to scratch.” It’s barely there but Seulgi notices Soojung’s grip on the handlebars of her bike tighten. “But did I say it fine?”

“Huh?”

“Your name.”

“Oh,” Seulgi says. “ It’s fine. If anything you were over pronouncing it. You’re fine, Soojung. You just think too much about these things.”

“I guess.” Soojung forces a smile up. Seulgi knows looking at it would be better to make her feel relieved, but it makes her uncomfortable so she tries to look away as casually as she can.

“Never mind about that. I thought you said you needed to get home early today?”

“I thought I had to, but there was a change of plans, Soojung says, rubbing her arm. “But I’ve got a bike so I figured I could catch up with you the rest of the way back.”

“How gracious of you,” Seulgi says.

“Just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, what Bomi said to you today seemed to, uh, , just when you need to remember the word…” Soojung shook her head as thought trying t o shake to appropriate word down from her vocabulary memory banks. “And then I heard you looked really annoyed walking out of school today.”

“Ah,” Seulgi says. “That. It’s nothing. This middle schooler just came up to me all of a sudden and stared talking a lot. They get to be bit much sometimes…” Thank god, she was the youngest in her own family. She didn’t think she had the patience or endurance to take care of someone younger than her. 

“Okay, then,” Soojung says. One hand rubs the back of her neck and the other keeps steady on her bike. “But about Bomi… She meant it in a nice way.”

“What about Bomi?”

“Does it bother you?” Soojung tries again. Maybe she finally remembered the word she was trying for. “What she said. Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing. Little things like that shouldn’t bother you.” Seulgi feels alike a terrible hypocrite for giving this advice.

“That’s true,” Soojung says. “But sometimes they do.”

“‘Cooler than a guy’,” Seulgi repeats out loud so she can hear it more clearly than the hollow echo through her head. “Rather than being cool like a guy, can’t a girl be cool like a girl?”

Soojung’s smile goes soft and familiar and her eyes sharpen down with the ease of old experience, like she’s done this before. “I think so,” she says. “What people think of as ‘cool’ doesn’t have to be different between guys and girls either.”

Seulgi bites the inside of her cheek. In the end, all she decides to say is, “Thanks, Soojung.”

Soojung doesn’t look in her direction, only forward. Seulgi sees nothing but the easy smile on her face.

“No problem.”