[ Wendy ]

Irene has always been a leader ever since I first saw her. Always the one to take the initiative, always calm and collected, always planning ahead. I admire her for that.

I mean how many fourteen-year-olds have you seen already designing their dream home in full blueprints and designs? Only Bae Joohyun.

I hated the breaks though. The summer vacation felt long enough and I no longer have a reason to meet her. I mean, I knew that she lives at least about fifty meters down the street but I never had the courage to say hi. Yeah, where did Confident Wendy Son go? I also don’t know.

I somehow kinda bit missed her more than I want to admit but hey, don’t tell her that...!

And so, our sophomore came by in a blur. She still tutor me from time to time, but it wasn’t like before. I was a fast learner, she said. In just a year, I was already able to master my Korean speaking skills and I don’t need help in asking directions anymore.

Still, it was better when she’s around. I mean I hate to admit it sometimes, but Irene is probably the smartest person I’ve ever met, even if her intelligence irks me sometimes.

Looking at Irene was different now as well. She’s already fourteen and we’re halfway through our 2nd year. Back when we were twelve, she was pretty but I never noticed it much. I mean, it’s like almost everyone look the same when you were kids. When we slowly got older, our features changed. Truly, you need to give some time for a caterpillar to grow. Maybe I should blame puberty after all. It turned Irene into this pretty goddess I would’ve never believe existed.

And along with being pretty, also means admirers lining up to get her attention. That was the most annoying part. They would line up and peek at our classroom’s window and it was the single most distracting thing ever.

I don’t like it, not a tad bit.

“Yah, do something with your admirers Bae Joohyun! They’re making me lose my appetite!” I mumbled, dumping a slice of kimbap to my mouth, glancing at my seat mate who was engrossed in her head phones, listening to probably BoA’s album. And of course, she ignored me.

“Yah, Bae Joohyun!” I poked her shoulders and took her head phones on. She glanced—glared­—at me that almost sent me hiding behind my Mom and never look at her again but meh. I refuse to die today!

“What is it, puny brain?” She asked in an exasperated tone.

“Tell your fan boys to go somewhere and multiply. They’re giving me indigestion.”

Irene took a glance at the windows and sighed.

“Can’t do that.”

“Why? Because you like it?”

“No…” Her glare started to turn harder and deadlier. “Because I don’t talk to boys.”

“But you talked to Park Bogum earlier today!”

I saw her cheeks flush, almost dark red. Suddenly, seeing her react like that made me feel—uncomfortable? Even the thought of Irene and Bogum made me feel something totally weird in my stomach, I might have indigestion for reals.

Yeah, sure, tell yourself that, denial klutz. My brain snorted, making me almost pout.

Fine, maybe I was jealous.

Hey, it’s not every day Irene sets her attention on anyone—any boy for that matter.

I would talked on and on about how disturbing putting Irene and Bogum together in my mind but I was shook out of my train of thoughts. Joy, this tall classmate of ours, run straight into the room with a worried expression on her face.

“Wendy unnie! You’re so dead! I heard some complaints in the faculty about you cheating on your latest Physics test!”

“What? Yah, what are they on about? I’m the best math student in this schoo—a-ack! Irene unnie, that hurts!” I rubbed my arm that she pinched.

Instead of feeling sorry, Irene just pushed her index finger to my forehead.

“Idiot.”

Just at the same time, Kang Seulgi (who’s another classmate of mine) walked in the room.

“Hey Son! Mr. Kim wants to talk to you in the office. You’re in trouble again?”

I pout formed on my lips.

“Apparently… this time because of what I didn’t do though.”

Irene must’ve noticed my dampened mood, like she always do. I mean, she’s like the only one I spent so much time with anyway. She must’ve seen all my expressions and could write a book about it. She can be a writer anyway. Her words always sound like flowers and silhouettes dreams unless she was talking to me. I didn’t mind our conversations though. Even if she calls me trash, I’ll still accept it wholeheartedly. Trash is like a beautiful piece of art in her language anyway.

She tapped my cheeks and smiled.

“Don’t worry about it. Explain to them that you didn’t and if they pressed on, tell me. I’ll try to talk to them. I mean, I know you wouldn’t cheat on a math exam, Son Seungwan.”

Ok, surely that made my day brighter than it’s already soggy and gloomy atmosphere.

“Really?”

She slowly nodded her head.

You see, what made me smile wasn’t just Irene’s implicit way of saying she trusts me. It’s how she smiled at me. It takes a lot for Miss Cold girl to smile and those rare