“Yeah, it was me.”

 

 

“I knew it! Bae Yujin, you—“

 

 

To say that third year of high school was different was an understatement. It was a whole new world to Wonyoung, but fortunately, she had someone to keep her sane through it. Her best friend for fourteen years, Bae Yujin, her first love and first heartbreak apparently didn’t make it into SCU due to her broken ankle. But the administration did promise her a scholarship for college if she will be able to overcome her injury and continue to run. And Yujin was indeed running. She’s running so hard, trying to get away from a fuming Wonyoung.

 

 

“You looked so funny, I couldn’t help it.” Yujin had apparently posted a picture of Wonyoung, sleeping with open, on SNS.

 

 

“I have so many ridiculous pictures of you but I never posted them!” Wonyoung ran after her friend, “Well, maybe once. Or twice. But that’s not the point—“

 

 

Yujin suddenly stopped, making Wonyoung bump against her. “Hey, that hurts! You’re gonna pay for that, big tim—“

 

 

“You’re not supposed to be running, Wonie.” The two looked at the woman sitting on one of the benches near the gate, “Minjoo unnie?”

 

 

“Hey there,” Minjoo stood to give her girlfriend a hug. “Why’re you here?”

 

 

“Oh, you don’t want me here? And here I thought you missed me—“

 

 

“No! I mean yes, I-I missed you.”

 

 

Minjoo smiled and patted the girl’s head before kissing her cheek. “I’m sorry I haven’t been available for a date or anything. College is keeping me so busy. It’s so hard to adjust.”

 

 

“It’s okay, unnie. I understand,” Minjoo could only smile. Yujin has always been understanding. From the very beginning of their relationship, Minjoo asked to keep it a secret and Yujin agreed. Then college came and they barely see each other, but Yujin was still understanding.

 

 

“I’m here to pick Wonyoung up. I thought I could get to see her work in the cafe.”

 

 

It’s true, Wonyoung has always wanted to try to work in a cafe, but of course, Nayeon would never let her. But the construction of Mina’s cafe just finished and it boomed, always filled with high school students and lovey dovey couples since day one. The best thing about it is that now, Wonyoung gets to work at a cafe without her parents worrying about her that much.

 

 

“Okay,” Wonyoung walked towards the gate, leaving Minjoo and Yujin behind. She didn’t want to see any cheesy exchanges between the two.

 

 

Their car wasn’t so hard to spot, given that it’s parked right in front of the gate. She immediately hopped in and waited for Minjoo. Yujin had practice for the track team so Wonyoung knew she had to be fetched, but she wasn’t expecting Minjoo to come with. Wonyoung didn’t even think Minjoo would be free of college work because as far as she knows, college is meant to eat up every single second of your time. She knows she’s rambling and overthinking and imagining so many scenarios at once, but that doesn’t stop her.

 

 

“Let’s go,” Wonyoung didn’t see or hear Minjoo get in. But once she did, they immediately drove off. “What’s with the face? Didn’t like your daydream?”

 

 

“Not exactly.” Minjoo hummed, staring at Wonyoung’s side when she heard the girl sigh.

 

 

“How’s Chaewon unnie?”

 

 

 

 

_____

 

The cafe was packed, to say the least. It’s always been that way around that time of the day and more and more people are just coming in from school, from work or from home, just looking for a good sip.

 

 

That’s the part Wonyoung doesn’t like. When it’s so packed and there’s so many orders to take and make and it’s so hard to keep that pretty smile on, not when the manager keeps on nagging at her.

 

 

“Wonyoung-ah, get those trays.”

 

 

“Wonyoung, the register, keep it closed.”

 

 

“Wonyoung, get more coffee beans from the storage.”

 

 

“Hey, smile, Wonyoung.”

 

 

Wonyoung just wanted to explode. After the afternoon rush, only a few people were left in the cafe, minding their own business. It’s been three hours since she’s been standing behind the counter, also three hours since she’s been hearing her Manager, Kwon Eunbi, buzzing about. Few more minutes and she’s done with her shift. If only she can last that long, hearing Eunbi nag at her.

 

 

“Hey,” Wonyoung didn’t mean to space out, but she realized this only when someone called for her.

 

 

“Are you done with your shift? I’ll walk you home.”

 

 

“Just a few more minutes, Yujin.”

 

 

 

 

_____

 

Wonyoung has always liked walking, even if it would take her unnecessarily longer to walk, she still does it. She especially liked it when she had company.

 

 

“Minjoo unnie said she had to submit something around six so she left just minutes after she dropped me off.” Wonyoung and Yujin were on their way home after getting ice cream from a convenience store they passed on the way.

 

 

“You know, I’m surprised you’re this calm about not spending time with Minjoo unnie. I thought you’d cry or something.” Wonyoung teased andYujin hummed, filled with the vanilla flavored ice cream, “I mean, I understand that she’s busy and she would always try her best to message me. Sometimes, we video call each other when she has time to spare.”

 

 

“That’s cute,” The taller girl mumbled, “Hey, it’s college, it’s like the real thing. You can’t exactly expect much from them.” Wonyoung didn’t have to be reminded. She needed to be.

 

 

Wonyoung bid Yujin goodbye before the girl hopped in their car. After, she rushed into the house, “Ray, Kookeu!”

 

 

Wonyoung heard the sound of paws scurrying before she saw two dogs running. She knelt to give them pets and kisses.

 

 

Nayeon recently expressed her interest in getting another dog, a smaller one. She’s afraid that another big dog would be a total disaster, considering that Ray loved tearing open throw pillows, chewing on shoes and tipping over vases. So Mina decided to surprise her wife with a white Pomeranian one day.

 

 

“Wonyoung, come eat!” Nayeon shouted.

 

 

“Yeah, I’m coming!”

 

 

 

 

_____

 

 

good morning

 

 

Wonyoung doesn’t exactly enjoy messaging people. She thinks it’s inconvenient to leave a message when there’s a possibility for the receiver to well, not receive the message. And Wonyoung thinks that’s the case.

 

 

It’s so early in the morning, she’s waiting for Yujin to come pick her up so they can walk to school together.

 

 

“Why’re you so grumpy?” Minjoo, now a college student, has the leisure of slacking off in the morning because classes starts after 9 am.

 

 

“I am not.” Wonyoung huffed and Minjoo chuckled, sitting on the couch beside her. “You obviously are.”

 

 

“What’s the sense of asking if you’re not gonna believe my answer?” Wonyoung was indeed grumpy, Minjoo realizes.

 

 

“Woah, okay,” Minjoo stood up, she thinks she hit a nerve, “But just to remind you, it’s Friday.”

 

 

Wonyoung watched her sister walk idly to the kitchen with the dogs tailing her. She thinks about the last bit of what Minjoo said. The last Friday of September.

 

 

 

 

_____

 

Yujin had to run to get to a team meeting so Wonyoung is left walking alone in the halls, all eyes on her. Usually, she wouldn’t like the attention, but after the departure of the seniors, the throne for what they call school royalties has been left empty but were quickly replaced by well, Wonyoung. People only realized the beauty and brain that she is after Minjoo left because before, as far as they were concerned, she was just Minjoo’s sister.

 

 

“What? You were so cute and smart. I mean, you still are.”

 

 

“It’s cool. I mean, everybody liked you in middle school, so I didn’t bother to tell you.”

 

 

Wonyoung realizes that Ryujin had a point. Everybody liked Wonyoung in middle school because Minjoo was in high school. She’s a likable personality, smart and she’s been told she’s pretty, but she guesses that doesn’t and wouldn’t count when there’s an Im Minjoo.

 

 

Ryujin, Wonyoung thinks, is the other half of the fruit. She’s always been popular and people like her for her ridiculousness, athleticism, dancing skills and charming personality. Wonyoung’s definitely one of those who admire her, she thinks she’s probably the coolest person she knows. Well, second to Yujin. But she doesn’t like her like that and people don’t seem to understand that. So when she heard that ridiculous rumor about them dating, again, she just loses it.

 

 

“Ryujin unnie is dating Chaeryeong unnie, not me,” Wonyoung didn’t bother to look at them, just continued walking on her way to her first class.

 

 

It’s a mystery how people knew about Ryujin’s tiny crush on Wonyoung when they were in middle school, but it blew up in their faces one day and they’ve never been able to get over it. Wonyoung’s thought flew to Chaeryeong. She wonders how the older girl is taking the rumors. It must be hard to deal with people thinking your girlfriend is dating someone else, Wonyoung thinks.

 

 

“Morning, Wonyoung,” She doesn’t remember when she and Lucy started to talk, but Wonyoung is happy that she got to make a friend on her own, “Good morning, Hyojung.”

 

 

“I told you it’s Lucy!” Wonyoung laughed when Lucy whined. She knows her classmate doesn’t exactly like being referred to by her real name, but that makes it fun.

 

 

“Wow, she’s so pretty,” Lucy and Wonyoung turned their heads towards the cluster of students at the center of the classroom, “What are they talking about again?” Lucy’s not exactly a fan of gossiping, something Wonyoung is thankful for.

 

 

“Chaewon sunbae always gets the pretty girls, huh?”

 

 

Wonyoung doesn’t like gossiping, but her feet moved on their own, “Look, she’s so pretty.” The phone was passed to her and she sees a girl, a beautiful one, leaning against a black Benz, laughing at whatever Chaewon was whispe