Irene didn’t show up for the rest of the day and your plan to abandon thinking about her didn’t really pander through.

You hated yourself for being so weak.

The bell sounded all throughout the school halls and all you want is to finally get home; the stares on your new look was unnerving. As you were packing your things however, you felt a hand fall on your shoulders.

“Managed to save that girl again huh Kang?” a jeering voice came from behind you.

Great. Now I have to deal with these people.

“Well, I just did what you did for your lord and saviour Kim Suho” you didn’t mean for your voice to have that kind of tone that leads to trouble. But it did and you weren’t really sorry for that.

“What’s this? The timid friend can now talk? Wow. Makeovers sure do work wonders.”

They laughed in the way that is probably irritating on all universes existing; it was high pitched and jeering. You didn’t like it; not even one bit. So you turned to face them.

“Look” you started. “Why don’t you just mind your own business and I’ll mind my own, okay?”

You tried to push past them but they just crowded on you more.

“Someone developed a tone. Think you can take us on now huh Kang?”

“Yeah. Finally grew some balls to stand up for your little girlfriend?”

“Or did you literally grow balls so that you can finally stand up against someone like Suho and not be a pathetic loser like the one that you are?”

It was never likely for you to be short-tempered but they’ve probably done it at that moment. You gave them the most intimidating gaze that you can muster and watch them shift uncomfortably. The fine line of being polite was thrown out the window at this point.

You never really saw yourself as someone who’s ‘confrontational’ but that moment right there, you felt as if you were close to feeling it. You can even be classified as someone who’s ‘mad’ at some people.

“Think whatever you want. Just don’t cross me or her again or I swear that those big mouths of yours will say nothing else. She’s my friend and that’s it. Anything else that you think about is your own problems.”

They scrambled away from you as you stride past them. Wendy was watching everything happen from the classroom’s doorway and even she was shocked on what you just did. You gave her small smirk and she answered you with two-thumbs up and a hearty pat on the back.

“What has gotten in to you these past few hours? Is it really the effect of the hair color because WOW.”

“Might be it” you shrugged.

“So are we supposed to thank Irene now because she was technically the one who did that.”

“Meh. I wouldn’t go that far.”

Wendy gave you a searching look before talking to you again. You can tell that she’s been holding herself back from asking more and a part of you wants to tell her all that she has to know. But you also had to think about these things about Irene that you want to sort out yourself. Thankfully, Wendy wasn’t pressing on it more and just let you be.

She accompanied you to theatre practice that day because she didn’t have anything better to do. It also surprised you that Yeri and Joy were there because apparently, a teacher caught them running in the halls so they have a week’s worth of detention helping on making sets. You and Wendy saw the younger ones begrudgingly painting sets and bickering like usual.

Wendy admitted that she knew about their detention so that’s her actual reason of going there.

Both of you teased them before you excused yourself to talk to Yuri, your upperclassman. When she saw you approach her, her eyes were fixated on your hair.

“Tell me, did we happen to meet earlier in the halls or something because I’m pretty sure we did before you went off like a raging lunatic”. Her tone wasn’t angry; it was more of cheery and kind of surprised. “Looks like you didn’t want me to see that little project of yours.”

“Look sunbae I can explain-“

“It suits you” she said while grinning widely. It made you highly unconscious; compliments from pretty girls always mess up with your system. You looked at Yuri with doubtful eyes.

“You don’t really have to say that sunbae-“

“Well I ain’t kidding! This kid! Can’t even take a compliment!”

From the backstage a voice yelled:

“She’s just like that Kwon-sunbae! She panics at the sight of pretty girls!” Joy said.

“She’s a dolt when it comes to beautiful women!” Yeri added.

The rest of the theatre heard that and started snickering. Even Wendy who was at the audience seats was howling in laughter. You swore that the world has some kind of vendetta against you or something.

“Don’t mind them sunbae” you said as you glared at the other two who were hiding behind the curtain.

“Well I was called beautiful a few times so I can’t say that I’ll disregard whatever they said completely” she smiled. “What can I help my main character with?”

“Well, it’s about my hair-“

“Yep and like I said earlier, it’s gorgeous! It really suits you.”

“Again, thank you sunbae” you answered. “I’m just confirming that I can dye it back to black; for the part I mean.”

Yuri just sat there looking at you for about a minute or more. After what it seems like an eternity of sizing you up, she laughed and shook her head.

“Our story is technically a fantasy so it would make sense that your hair is like that. Don’t mind dyeing it back. It would be a total waste.”

“But-“

“No buts!” she clapped her hand to get that attention of all theatre kids. “We have to rehearse and I think that hair of yours gives Feignheart a more... intimidating vibe.” After telling you that, she gave you a wink and proceeded to help some of the other actors with their lines.

Feignheart was the knight you played the play. You didn’t exactly picture her as someone who had silver hair and you didn’t exactly have an image of her in your head because the play was totally mind boggling. Your brain could hardly keep up with the plot.

Well I guess I’m stuck with this for a while.

Practice went on for almost two hours and you excused yourself from Yuri; explaining that you have to go home as soon as practice is over because you were grounded. She understood that and gave you the okay signal. When you finished packing your things, you waved goodbye to Wendy who told you that she was going to accompany the younger ones on their detention.

With that you slung your bag on your back and fished out your phone from your pocket. You blasted some music on and sat on the bench in front of the school to wait for Henry to come and pick you up. You texted him several times and he didn’t respond to even one of them.

I swear if he ditches me, I’m gonna go berserk.

You were leaning in a little to your seat when another person sat beside you. When you turn to look at them, you were surprised when you saw a familiar face. You immediately yanked your earphones off your ears.

You never really expected to see her there because you didn’t really exchange that much when you met back then.

“It’s you!” you exclaimed.

“I see that you’re rocking that hair of yours. What’s the aesthetic? Loner who likes loud music?” she asked as she gestured towards your music that was still on. Sheepishly, you turned it off and faced her again.

That’s when you realized that you don’t really know her name.

“Errrrr....” you awkwardly said. “I think I forgot your name... Sorry...”

She tilted her head back and laughed a little; you can definitely see her eyes crinkle a lot while laughing. Her voice was softer this way compared to her tough talking voice.

“Don’t worry about it. If you’re trying to recall my name; well, I didn’t really tell you my name so yeah” she said with a smile. You didn’t remember her to be that pretty; Joy and Yeri’s earlier comments about you being all nervous around girls were kind of taking into action. She had long hair that’s dyed some shade of brown. Her eyes were really sparkling. “My name is Krystal or at least that’s what they call me.”

She didn’t exactly offer a hand for you to shake so you just nodded and grinned back.

“Cool. I’m Seulgi” you said. Repeating it inside your head, you probably sounded like a first grader. You mentally kicked yourself in the .

“Yeah I know. You signed the logbook in our salon remember? Auntie practically wouldn’t shut up about you ever since.”

“Yeah well, it’s a long process so we exchanged probably a lot when she was dyeing my hair; she kept talking to me and I didn’t want to be rude” you joked and Krystal laughed a little more. “I didn’t know that we went to the same school.”

“Yeah. I recently transferred in so I’m not officially going to classes yet. I went here to get my locker combination and all the other small stuff. Transferring as a senior is a pain.”

“You’re a senior too?” you asked a little too enthusiastically.  Me too!”

“Really?” she said. “But you look a little too excited to be one and you sure don’t talk like one. Are you really a first grader stuck in the body of a teenager?”

“Yahhhhhh”

She gave you a small chuckle as she stared at the almost empty parking lot. She paused for a moment before turning to face you again.

 “Are you waiting for someone else?”

“Yeah. I’m actually waiting for my brother who was supposed to pick me up. But-“ you scratched your head a little and sighed. “I didn’t really expect him to come. I mean, I literally shoved the chore of picking me up down his throat.”

“Really? How come?”

“Well, partly because of this” you answered her while pointing at the top of your head. She looked at you weirdly and then you added, “I wasn’t supposed to color my hair without my friend. I got grounded for it.”

“Wow. Talk about some strict parents” Krystal mused.

“It’s fine though. I’m the one who said that they should ground me” you added coolly.

“Really? Being grounded major donkey balls though. What made you think that it w