The Beginning of A New School Year

[re: 6 months ago]

“Momo, you are in charge for interviewing the new member candidates.”

“Ne! Algesseumnida...”

I received a file provided by the coach, after bowing to him I immediately turned and walked out of the office. These piles of paper makes me almost overwhelmed, I walked through the corridors but my eyes aren’t so able to look straight ahead because I was busy keeping the paper in order to remain them stable. Even I didn’t realize someone walking quickly toward me, a second later my legs limped and I couldn’t keep my balance. When I felt that I will fall and these paper will be scattered on the floor, suddenly someone held me by my waist.

Startled, I quickly looked behind me...

“Are you okay?”

“Uh... Y-Yes, what are you doing here babe?”

“Just have a feeling someone need my help” by then she bent down and helped me with the papers. I just kept silent and watched her closely. It's been so long since the last time we walked together, but her attention to me hadn’t been changed. She always there for me even though I never asked for it, and frankly, I didn’t even resist her presence. I wonder what will my days become if she wasn’t there for me... “It’s just the first day on our third year and you already have these works, Momoring?”

I snapped out of my thoughts and blinked a few times, it seems like she realized that I was just daydreaming and she just chuckled. The sound that I longed for.

“Momoring, is being a president of dance club really stressed you out?”

“Aniii~” I hit her shoulder playfully, “The first day of school and the coach already give me a lot of work, how can I not be stressed?”

“What are these files?” She began to walk, pointing to piles of paper that is now in her hands, then looked at me made me go walking followed her.

“Files of dance club new registrants.”

“Hmm...” She nodded quietly, suddenly an idea came in my head.

“Looks like our prospective new members are all very beautiful and funny, I like them even just by looking at their photos!”

She only nodded again.

“You know what? I even heard one of the candidates of our new members are the most beautiful girl in her junior high school, I can’t wait to see the new dance club with a full amazing visual! It would be fun to work with interesting people.”

This time she was silent and showed her typical emotionless. But I will not give up until here, it become more interesting to like this.

“Ah ottoke? What if later I'm liking one of them?”

She stopped walking. I also stopped next to her and tilted my head. I know something would happen but I’d love to make her jealous and being protective again. It makes me feeling like the best girl and the most wanted person, because someone really protect me for not looking at others. But what I heard next is... “Nevermind, Momoring. I’m sure they’re pretty and all. Just make sure don’t give bad impression for your first meet.”

“Mwoya? You just let me like that??”

She turned to me and looked at me sharply, “Yes. I let you to flirt anyone. But one thing, I’m sure you can’t do that. Because I’ll flirt you more until the point you can’t love others but me.” She finished her words with smirk, a smirk I loved. The hell Momo, how can you love this person?! Then she returned to walk while I was still silent, trying to hide a smile on my lips.

“You sure know I’ll only look at you, Jungyeon-ah...”

“Each of you will be given one week to practice with one of the senior, next week the coach will assess your performance and determine whether you are eligible to join the dance club or not.”

I saw all the registrants of first year students showed their tense face, I laughed a little, maybe two years ago I had the exact same face with them. While I was busy paying attention at the first year facial expressions, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Moguri, this is the data of first-year who will be your student.”

“Huh? Me? I’m a third year how could I still ordered to train the juniors?”

“Mollaseoyo~ go ask coach for it, but I suggest you just follow his order~” Sana winked at me make me slap her shoulder, it was indeed a small slap but Sana acted like she was hit by an Ironman’s hand. “Ouch! Hey don’t so rough! I’m going to tell Jungyeon later”

I said nothing and ignore her words, my friends are always like that. Since Jungyeon told her feeling towards me during our first year in school, my friends always complain about anything I do to Jungyeon. But, of course, Jungyeon just smiled hearing their complaints because she believe me more. Talking about Jeongyeon, she asked me to have dinner together today. Honestly I was quite surprised because she doesn’t usually take me to eat together, she's not the type of girlfriend who could invited her lover to a romantic dinner or bribe a spoon for each other cutely.

I was just going to come out of the dance club room until suddenly someone came over and blocking my way, I looked up and noticed her face. She didn’t feel familiar, she must be one of those first year.

“Uhm... Sunbae-nim... I am... Ah let me introduce myself first” she tidied up her shirt and stood upright facing me, “K-Kim Dahyun imnida~ I-I’m first year student and the one who’s paired to become your student. It’s my honour.”

My eyes glanced at her flatly. This girl, Dahyun, if I didn’t heard wrong, already bowed 90° at me. I waved my hand to signify her stand upright back. “Well nice to meet you. The training started tomorrow.”

I walked past her and hoped to live apart from the girl, but it seems I was wrong.

Instead I found Dahyun walk followed and she looks like being counterbalance her steps so she could run in parallel with me.

“What should I call you, sunbae-nim?”

“Oh cool, you didn’t even know your trainer’s name?”

“N-No... I mean, yes. I know you are Hirai Momo sunbae-nim. I just want to know should I call you with Hirai sunbae-nim or Momo sunbae-nim?” she asked with a casual tone yet quite polite, her intonation also fun so it doesn’t feel any stiffness between senior and junior. I scratched the back of my neck, it’s rare to have somebody who can talk casually like this to me. Usually people will stay away from me and only talk just in need, because of my impression that looks too serious.

“You can call me anything as long as it has my name on it.”

Dahyun nodded slowly and smiled at me, I realized that smile and unconsciously I was smiling at her. What the hell, Momo?!

“Hey, Momoring!”

Both me and Dahyun snapped our face away with embarrassment. Aware of what was going on, I looked up and noticed someone who just called my nickname. That person was now running toward me.

“Have you done with the training?”

“There’s no training today, babe. We were just announcing some information to the first year.”

She only nodded and turned away to someone standing next to me, Jungyeon’s eyebrows frowned together and her gaze turned flat. Oh God I wanted to slap my own forehead, I completely forgot there was this first year student here beside me and I was just call Jungyeon as 'babe'.

Unexpectedly, Dahyun smiled again and extended her hand on Jungyeon. “Annyeonghaseyo~ I’m Kim Dahyun, first year student who will become a member of dance club soon.”

Jungyeon grabbed Dahyun's hand with her typical emotionless, “Yoo Jeongyeon. Third year.”

Wait... Just it? Aren’t you going to say something sweet like ‘Momo’s girlfriend’, ‘Momo’s guardian’, ‘Momo’s prince charming’, or anything else that indicating you’re in relationship with me??

“So you’re the new member of dance club? Well, what Momo said is true. You’re pretty, Kim.”

What the hell is that??

Did she just praising other girl?

I pulled her hand and tried to end this awkward conversation, “Let’s have our dinner, honey. And you, don’t forget the training will start tomorrow. I wish you’ll not coming late or else you’ll never be a member of dance club.”

Dahyun bowed again and smiled as she waved to us who began walking away. While Jungyeon just kept silent and let me grabbed her arm. Once I feel we already walked pretty far away, I removed my hand from Jungyeon and stared at her.

“What was that, Jeongyeon-ah?”

“What?”

“You were just saying she is pretty! While you never say that to me.”

Without answering my words, Jungyeon just walked past me.

“Aish this emotionless...”

I followed her to walk toward the basketball court, she tidied up her equipment. Then I walked over and stucked out a towel to her, because I saw her face sweating. Definitely because of her exercise and earlier she had run to pick me up at the dance club room. However Jungyeon just glared at me, emotionlessly, and didn’t even reach the towel that I offered, I sighed and gave her a drink. This time she looked at me a