“Want to do homework together after school?”

Okay.

This has gone on far too long.

“Jieun, why is a student like you hanging out with a student like me?” Haru questions, trying to keep her exhaustion as subtle as possible. She was so tired of trying to figure out Jieun’s possible motives.

“What do you mean by that?” The young girl merely looks back with such innocence reflected in her eyes.

“You – a straight-A student and me – someone who barely wakes up on time for class or turn in her assignments.” They were complete polar opposites…on either ends of the spectrum. Was that clear enough?

“Um – “

“Do you have some agreement going on with Mr. Jung? Is he paying you to be around me?” Now that Haru was thinking about it, it’s kind of fishy.

“Mr. Jung wouldn’t do that.” Jieun responds with a snort. 

“Oh, hell yeah, he would.” Ever since senior year started, the guidance counselor has been on her case about everything. 

“Well, I swear that I’m here because I want to…satisfied?”

“Not at all.”

Yet, her blunt response only encourages chuckles from Jieun’s lips. “Do you find it so hard to believe that someone wants to be your friend?”

“What do you gain from that?”

“People aren’t friends because they get something in return, silly.” 

“Silly?”

“What have you been thinking up until now?”

She sat back into her seat while Jieun started on her work once more on the other half of the Haru’s desk. 

So, what has she been thinking up until now?

***

“There’s a nice coffee shop around here – “

Haru jerked forward with Jieun tugging her by her arm. “Whoa – wait – “

“There’s a lot of work to get done.”

Unable to get away, Haru gives up and allows her body to bounce along with Jieun’s every step. 

Sitting at a table by herself, Haru decides to leave Youngjae a message as a heads-up. If she doesn’t show up today, surely, he wouldn’t be that devastated, right? And when she receives a mere ‘okay’, that was enough for her. Staring around the shop, Haru realizes that she would never step into such a place if it weren’t for being dragged here. 

Too gaudy.

And definitely, too expensive. 

“Here, a coffee for me and hot chocolate for you.” Jieun beams as she returns with the two cups.

“Can I pay you back?”

“Nope, my treat.”

Eyeing the girl as she took her seat, Haru tried to figure out more about her companion. “Do you work?”

“My parents don’t let me.”

“Allowance?”

“They just gave me a card.”

A straight-A student and loaded. How nice. “Then, do you have any worries?”

Jieun hums while in thought. “If I’ll get into the college that I want.” After her words, she looks back at Haru. “What about you?”

“…I’m just trying to get by day by day.” Long term dreams weren’t in the equation of Haru’s life. 

“Why does that sound so pessimistic?”

“I live in the moment.” Haru responds and it seems to be an acceptable answer when Jieun smiles back.

After the short conversation, Jieun focuses back on her work and while Haru tried hard to keep up. Her mind wasn’t used to such mental exertion and not before long, she had her head planted on the table while her sights were directed out of the large window to watch the world on the outside continue. 

“All finished.” Jieun exclaims in relief before also following Haru’s action. “The sun has already started to set.”

“Should we head home?” On a normal day, she would have finished her five hours with Yongguk and be already home by now. Jieun was seriously messing up her schedule but she bites her tongue this time. 

“Sure.” Jieun says and though Haru’s eyes weren’t on her, she could sense the gentle smile on the girl’s lips.

Sitting up, Haru gets to work to place all of her disorganized papers away and into her backpack. Or if you can call it that. It was basically a rag at this point and Jieun noticed. 

“Haru, is that a favorite backpack?”

“Don’t be mistaken.” She wasn’t offended in the least. “I just don’t have money to get another.” Or rather, she had better things to spend on.

The two leave the shop and the sun was starting to set quicker than they anticipated.

“How are you getting home, Haru?”

“My home is close by, I can walk.”

In response, Jieun looked up and down the street. Haru wonders if a driver will actually come and pick her up. “…There’s not a bus stop around here.” Jieun muttered to herself, seemingly in a pinch.

Sighing, Ha