This chapter was a bit weird, because I combined two ideas I had, which were "fortune cookie" and "first snow". I'm sorry I want to write funny, cute stuff but this just became cheesy.

*

Last night, Seulgi and Joy dined at a restaurant, where the owner seemed to be amazed by their appetite, and gifted them a box of fortune cookies. Who were they to refuse such gratitude? Due to that, they accepted it and brought it to kindergarten to share with their colleagues and students.

Wendy had never seen cookies in this shape, and they fascinated her. Irene had seen it, but she never understood why it was called fortune cookie. "Does it give you money?" Irene shook the package of the cookie to see if money would fall out. "Fortune here means your luck. It tells you your future." Seulgi explained as she cracked open the cookie. The bear took out the piece of paper, but the words were too tiny that she could not read it. She squinted her eyes and attempted again. "Stop it. Your eyes are small enough, don't torture them." Joy snatched the paper out of Seulgi's hand, the force was greater than either had expected. Good luck! "How helpful is this." Joy commented dully and handed it to Wendy, who was curious about the message and requested to have a look. "There's something else on here." Wendy said as she flipped to the other side of the paper. Your significant other is on her period. Take care of her. "Are you, Joy?" Seulgi asked. "I actually don't know." Joy sounded uncertain and left for the bathroom. Few minutes later, Joy reentered the room with a pale face, like she had witnessed something unspeakable. "Witchcraft. The fortune cookie was right. No wonder my mood is bad." Although that was probably not the reason. According to Seulgi, if Joy verified that something is true, then it must be true. She immediately delivered one for each person to try it out. * Seulgi urged Joy to hurry up and almost earned herself yet another smack on the head for the day. She hadn't learned from her lessons, which Joy didn't care a bit about, because it provided her opportunities to practice her punches.

 

"Hey, Seulgi, it tells me to hit your face." Joy inched closer to Seulgi with murderous intention. Seulgi stepped backwards, but Joy kept pushing forward, until they had nowhere to go. Joy towered over Seulgi and cracked her knuckles. Seulgi closed her eyes, afraid of what was to come. Today was not a good day for her, it seemed like. Hopefully there will be someone to save her from this terror until her period ended. "Look, Irene, they are going to kiss!" Wendy whispered, albeit loudly. "Can we?"

 

Actions were more powerful than words, and Wendy clearly understood it well. She pecked Irene on the lips, multiple times. Irene almost fainted, but another kiss stopped her from doing so.

 

Distracted by the side event of their students, Seulgi glanced at Joy hopefully, maybe she could get a kiss, too?

 

"Kang! Go away!" Joy blushed and shoved Seulgi away from her sight out of embarrassment. The bear almost vomited blood due to the force.

 

*

 

"Alright, let's proceed with Irene's." Joy declared, and Seulgi decided to not add any comments, necessary or not.

 

 

It was the only word written on the side Irene was looking at, she turned the paper slip over to look for another message, but nothing, naught, or zilch, was there.

 

"That's it?" Joy voiced out her disbelief.

 

"It's unfair! It didn't tell me anything!" Irene crushed the paper in her fist.

 

"It's alright, you're cute." Wendy comforted, trying to ease off the tense atmosphere.

 

"But you know that already."

 

"It doesn't hurt for me to tell you again."

 

*

 

Wendy read her message in silence. Her expressions changed in a speed that obviously went over the speed limit. Curious, confused, and lastly, content.

 

"Let me see!" Irene tried to pry but to no avail. Wendy hid her paper in her palm, refusing to let anyone else see it.

 

"It's nothing we don't know! Let's do something else? I brought you cupcakes." 

 

"Oh, OK." Wendy dragged Irene away, however, the paper fell off from her hands. Joy picked it up and her face paled.

 

 

"Dump the box of fortune cookies away. Right now. It's sorcery."

 

"Why?" It appeared to be a normal phrase, why was Joy so agitated? She then showed Seulgi the writing on the opposite side.

 

 

Joy searched on Yelp for the restaurant's information, but she couldn't, which further confirmed her theory.

 

The restaurant was a magical place.

 

"I need fresh air."

 

"Ms. Park! Let's go out!" Wendy yelled excitedly upon hearing her statement.

 

*

 

"Remind me again, why we're on the streets when it's like, thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit, which is equivalent to zero degree Celsius?" Joy rubbed her palms against each other to create heat. She regretted not wearing more layers of clothes.

 

"Because we love our students! And you said it yourself." Seulgi smiled, which angered Joy, but she could not release her hands, because they were providing a little warmth for her cold body.

 

Seulgi, who was wearing a long trench coat, hugged Joy and covered her with the coat.

 

"Better?" Seulgi whispered next to her ear.

 

It probably did, seeing as Joy's ears and cheeks reddened.

 

Irene and Wendy ran ahead of the two teachers, but were still in their sight. Plus, they were on a pedestrian-only road, so there will not be cars. Safety was guaranteed, as long as the kids do not slip on the ice. It would turn everything to a nightmare.

 

"What the heck!" Joy screamed as Seulgi slipped and they both landed on their butts. Irene and Wendy immediately came over to check on them.

 

"Ms. Park! Are you alright?" Wendy asked worriedly.

 

"Wendy, what about me?" Seulgi pouted, why didn't Wendy inquire for her well-being.

 

"You'll be fine, Ms. Kang! You're strong enough!" Wendy assured.

 

"Wendy is always right." Irene backed her up.

 

Seulgi, knocked out by team Wenrene, and welcomed her tragic and dramatic ending. What was even sadder was that her students did not care. Joy strangely, pitied her and pulled her up, albeit an abrupt pull.

 

*

 

The four of them walked around in the neighborhood. Normally, you would expect a deserted street when it was in the middle of the day, yet today was totally the opposite.

 

"Ms. Park! What are they doing?" 

 

Joy glanced over, there were a bunch of middle-aged men and women dancing. They were sweating a lot even in the cold weather. Standing ten meters away, she could still hear the chants of the crowd.

 

"They're doing aerobic exercise."

 

"Can you show us how?"

 

"Sure. Seulgi, I choose you!" Joy pretended to throw out a Poké ball.

 

Seulgi obliged and danced exceptionally well. Joy nearly put a headband on her head.

 

*

 

Joy internally cursed at the hormonal teenage couple at the end of the street. Wasn't today a school day?

 

"Look, Wendy! They're kissing. Let's kiss!"

 

"Wait, Irene--" Wendy's words were cut short by Irene's kiss.

 

Joy sighed in defeat. Teenagers were kissing. Kids were kissing. Everyone was kissing. The whole population was kissing someone else. Yet, in the end of the day, she was here, awkwardly staring. 

 

"I would kiss you, too, but you would get mad and punch me or smack me either way." Seulgi said.

 

"Normally, I would hit you. However, today, I'm feeling a little insane." Joy pecked Seulgi's lips and left before she could react.

 

This was good progress, multiple little steps will equal one big step in the end. They will take it slow.

 

*

 

They arrived at the park and snow started falling suddenly. Wendy extended her hands out and the snow melted in her palms. Irene stood opposite from her and placed her hands on top of Wendy's.

 

"It's pretty, although not when it piles up." Seulgi laughed.

 

"Shh." Joy made a zip gesture across Seulgi's lips.

 

They watched the first snow in silence until it stopped.

 

"Ah-choo!" Seulgi sneezed and Joy glared at her due to the interruption of the moment.

 

"Let's get you guys home, before we get a sick bear." They began heading to Irene's and Wendy's houses. The ground was painted white and watery when they stepped on it, hinting that the temperature had gone up.

 

"You're caring."

 

"I just don't want to take care of you."

 

Trailing behind them, Irene and Wendy listened to their conversation. 

 

"I'll take care of you if you get sick." Wendy promised.

 

"I will, too."

 

*

 

*Wendy Darling in Peter Pan.

 

Happy [late] Thanksgiving! Thank you for reading, subscribing, upvoting, and commenting.

 

Question of the Chapter: Which holiday should I write about for Kindergarten? I may end up choosing more than one.