“So are you ready to go?” the art instructor asked the sniffling Minhee as she nodded, already warming up the gray clay with her hands. It was Monday after school and the girl was one of several students who stayed behind to participate in club activities. Today they were working on an exercise where each student molded their own piece of what would become a statue after combining everyone’s work together. The instructor gave her a brief smile before turning to assist the person in front of her.

    “Are you sure you’re okay?” Seulgi asked as she hesitantly leaned in to ask her friend, wary of catching Minhee’s illness. The girl nodded, opening to respond, but cut off by a small sneeze.

    “Looks like she caught the plague. Did that guy give it to you?” Wendy asked, recalling the redhead she briefly met on Friday that asked her where the girl was. Minhee sniffled and shook her head, trying to focus more on what image she should emulate with the clay.

    “You slept through every class and we had to drag you to lunch and this is how you repay us? By not tell us about your secret boyfriend?” Wendy said, only half serious. Seulgi leaned across the empty table to her right and grabbed a few molding utensils as she concentrated more on her work.

    “He’s just a friend,” Minhee said, recalling the events that transpired over the weekend. Wendy rolled her eyes as she used her thumbs to begin molding her clump that she held with both hands. The three girls grew more engrossed with their work and barely noticed when a soft knock sounded from the door. The group always sat in the back row of the room where they could chatter about whatever they so pleased and didn’t have to worry about who overheard. This worked to their disadvantage today since it caused them to play no mind to who just walked in. Minhee asked her friends what concepts they were going for when someone pulled up a chair and sat right across from her, leaning their elbows on the table. Wendy was first to look up and seemed starstruck at who she saw. Minhee’s focus was only shifted when the person tapped their fingers right in front of her, also pulling Seulgi from her work.

    “Is this your boyfriend?” Seulgi asked, looking at the boy in his mustard yellow uniform that oddly complimented his bright red hair.

    “Yup,” Wendy answered from the other side of Minhee. This made the boy eye both of the girls for a moment before focusing on who he came to see.

    “Did my mom send you?” Minhee said, looking at his eyes for just a second before dropping her gaze down to her work, wanting to finish it.

    “Yeah,” Mark replied, letting out a huff as he leaned back in his seat, adjusting himself, figuring he would be here for a while. Minhee nodded a little and the table grew silent. Before long, the girl felt her head become clogged with thoughts and questions, so much that she smacked her half formed thing down on the table, making sure to be gentle enough so it only emitted a soft slap.

    “We need to talk, I’ll be right back,” Minhee said to her friends as she rose from her seat. Her eyes landed on Mark, signaling him to follow.

    Once the two were standing outside of the classroom, the girl looked up and down the hall, making sure no one was around. She grabbed the boy by the sleeve and tugged him with her towards an empty stairwell.

    “You don’t have actually do the things our parents as you do to,” Minhee said as she released her grip from him. The boy simply cocked a brow at her.

    “People will really start to think we’re dating,” Minhee said, a bit breathless to due her annoyance, mixed with the fact that one of her nostrils was clogged.

    “So?” Mark asked. Minhee tilted her head, not believing his I-don’t-care-what-others-think charade.

    “So? You already have a boyfriend,” Minhee said. She recalled that Friday night at the club where she first witnessed Mark sitting on the lap of a boy much taller, yet younger than him. She wat