Next morning Nayeon arrived early at school as was her usual manner As she casually opened the class door, she noticed she wasn’t the first one there- an unusual thing. Mina sat in her seat, staring at Nayeon as she made her way to the back row where she sat.

Nayeon made a subtle smile at Mina, thinking just how Sungkyu became friends with her.

Mina didn’t’ smile back. She couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered, not knowing what to make of her seemingly genuine greeting. “Hi,” Mina softly said, and although Mina extended her greeting, she spoke quietly with the hopes of not receiving a response, with the hopes of not being heard by Nayeon. 

But she was heard, “Hi,” Nayeon whimsically responded.

Minutes later, the classroom became filled with students and class began. During lunch, Hoya was forced to get in some practice done by his baseball buddies. Mina sat alone for the first time in years. Even when they had separate classes, Sungkyu would always meet up with her to eat lunch. Sungkyu never missed a day, but today he was absent again. She began to miss him, and she felt like crying a little. She unpacked her food anyways and began to eat the food her father’s girlfriend made for her.

It doesn’t taste bad, it’s good, but it’s not my mothers, she thought, a thought that only further depressed her. Although quiet for the most part, Mina was always bright. Being alone took most of that brightness away.

Then the pack of girls from the day prior began to huddle around her again. They felt like bullying her a little, “No fair how Hoya sat with her, but not us! She’s got a horse face!”

Nayeon looked at them from the corner of the eye until she finally got up, leaving her friends. She chose to sit down next to Mina, “You girls should go eat before lunch ends,” she told them.

The girls left scoffing at Nayeon, ticking her off. But she held it in and quietly unpacked her own food.

“Thanks,” Mina said.

“Sure,” Nayeon replied.

“How come you’re sitting here?” Mina asked.

“How come you’re friends with Sungkyu? You’re pretty. I’m sure you could be popular too if you just talked some more.”

Mina smiled a little. Maybe she’s not that bad, she thought to herself. She replied,“Sungkyu helped me find my way around school when I first came here, and then showed me around town. I knew nothing about this city, so he really helped me out. And then, we the same classes that first year, so I just stuck around him and he had no problem with that.”

“Mhmmm.” Nayeon kept eating. “That’s good then, that you have such a good friend.”

“Good friend? I thought you hated him?”

“Oh that’s right. Sorry for speaking bad about him.”

Mina was unsure of how to feel toward Nayeon’s apology. Was she being sarcastic?

Naeyon swallowed her food, “He explained to me what actually happened. It was Woohyun’s fault. You know, that kid that moved out of town yesterday.”

Mina was puzzled, “What?”

Nayeon continued to tell Sungkyu’s story, leading Mina to sigh a sigh of relief. “I knew it wasn’t him.”

Nayeon finished her food and rested her head on her one hand, staring diligently at Mina.

“Do I have something on my face?”

“Yeah, lotsa moles.”

Mina laughed, “What?!”

“Yeah I counted three, and I have bad eyesight.” Nayeon smiled.

Mina smiled a grand smile for the first time since yesterday. Her gums poked through like usual. It was a cute smile, nice to look at, leaving those who witness such miracle filled with a sense of warmth inside.

“I can see why Sungkyu likes you,” Nayeon said.

“What? We’re just friends…”

“Sure…Best friends, right?”

“Yeah!”

School continued on and soon enough, time came for Nayeon to pay Sungkyu a visit again. She walked at leisurely pace, thinking of what exactly she should talk to him about if at all.

Sungkyu’s dad who introduced himself as Dongwoo let her in. His muzzle from the day before had grown, Nayeon took note. I wonder if Sungkyu explained himself to him, she thought as she made her way upstairs and opened Sungkyu’s door without first knocking.

“Privacy please!” he said as he put down a book he was reading.

“I was hoping to catch you in the action,” Nayeon teased.

“Haha….”

Nayeon peered at the book Sungkyu was reading, “What'cha reading today?”

“Harry Potter,” Sungkyu slyly responded.

Nayeon walked closer to get a better look. “That’s a Bible…Not the Sorcerer’s Stone…”

“Yeah, I was just kidding…”

“You read that thing every day?”

“Every now and then I guess…My dad left it with me on the day I got suspended. But I’ve read from it before…”

“Oh yeah? Before or after confession?” Nayeon smirked devilishly again, she just loved teasing people. It was always delightful to see just how people respond to her sometimes cruel jokes.

“Nah, after my moms died.”

Once the mention of death rung through her ears, she couldn’t help but feel apologetic. “I’m so sorry. I was just joking...”

Sungkyu gestured with his hands as if to say No problem.

“Did she die just recently? Is that why you’re dad seems a bit down?”

“Nope, she died years back when I was still in elementary.”

“Is her anniversary anytime soon or something?” she asked as she pulled a seat and sat.

Sungkyu sat up more straight upon his bed. “Nah, not for months…”

“Do you miss her?”

“Everyday…My dad misses her more though.”

“Is that why he looks kinda sad?” she asked.

“Nope. He got laid off and has had a hard time finding work for a month already. And I’m sure my situation only made things worst…” Sungkyu exhaled through his nose deeply, “I regret that, but he’s been worst before. When my mother died, he became an alcoholic and that got pretty toxic. I hated him during that time, so much. But…” Sungkyu picked up the Bible, looking fondly at it, “But this helped him get back on track, and after a couple of years or so, I got to live with him again after living with my grandparents.”

Nayeon’s sympathy was moved, reflecting on how her life has been as though walking atop a flowery road, with the sun shining brightly in the midst of a clear, sapphire heaven. She had dealt with bullies before, but that was nothing compared to Sungkyu’s rough upbringing.

Sungkyu smiled, “Don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past. I’m sure he’ll find work soon enough.” Sungkyu ran his fingers through his hair. His hair cascaded downward, its silkiness was the cause. “Why exactly have I been telling you this? Lol?” He smiled gently.

Nayeon smiled back, her bunny teeth poked through, leading Sungkyu to smile again as he noticed such cute pearly whites.

“Have you actually explained to him what happened at school?” Nayeon asked.

Sungkyu nodded no. He was scolded by Nayeon who only had good intentions.

 Evening was not too far off, so Nayeon left Sungkyu with the task of confessing the truth to his father. She smiled at his dad as she left, leaving a fondness inside him. At least he has good friends, Dongwoo thought.

The next day, Mina was second to arrive to class, Nayeon was the first. They greeted each other with subtle smiles. Hoya, as though led by providence entered third, a weird sight to behold as he and Sungkyu often arrived last in class. As he had made his way to the back of the room where his seat lay, he too was greeted by Mina’s subtle smile. He couldn’t help but smile back. School would continue as usual, only to be interrupted during third period when Sungkyu made a surprise comeback.

Sungkyu was seen speaking to the teacher, placing a note into her hand. His father had come with him to school and they explained the truth behind the whole ordeal that led to his suspension. Although struck by disbelief, the principal, who was an old friend of Dongwoo, had no choice but to give them the benefit of the doubt, nulling Sungkyu’s suspension in the process.

Not everything went smoothly for Sungkyu though. He walked over to his window seat in the back, taking note of the girls’ looks toward him. To him, it was as though the pupils in their eyes became a pitch black, in any form of light, their darkness only second to the darkness of their hearts filled with utter repulsion and disdain toward him. Sungkyu couldn’t help but walk with his head hung low in shame, a false guilt had lay its claws on him.

Mina, Hoya, and Nayeon were a bit surprised by his return, and only Nayeon guessed correctly as to why he was back. Their eyes too followed Sungkyu. Then the teacher called out to her class, “Settle down.”

Sungkyu sat and their class continued, all the while Sungkyu did his utmost best to avoid meeting eyes with Hoya. That shame that was forced upon him by the girls' constant dirty looks gnawed on him so bad, he just felt like crawling up into a ball and being left alone although he knew perfectly well he did nothing wrong.

Lunch came after and Sungkyu sat still in his seat, unsure of where to go and what to say. Should he go along and explain everything to Mina and Hoya? Would they believe him? Most importantly, were they still friends? Nevertheless, since Sungkyu was indecisive, Hoya pulled up his seat next to his and sat, Mina followed shortly, sitting in front of Sungkyu. They greeted him and after a deep sigh, he explained Woohyun’s folly that had led to his unfair suspension. While Sungkyu was still talking, Mina’s face shone a little; she was relieved that her friend came back and was admiring his “heroics”. Hoya couldn’t help but smile I got no other friend like you, huh? he thought to himself.

Not everything was sweet and milky though. The same group of girls that attempted to bully Mina the day before encircled the trio. Their fingers wagging at him, “You ! Don’t corrupt Hoya, he’s got his whole life ahead of him!”

Hoya got ticked off, his nose flared a little, but before he vented his disapproval, Nayeon came by and told the girls off.

“Ignore them. Their kind are the worst,” she told Sungkyu, her eyes locking onto his, “Although, I can’t help but to be sorry, seeing I judged you the same way if not worst…”

Sungkyu grinned a little, “It’s in the past.”

Mina and Hoya felt left out.

“She knew about everything?” Hoya asked.

“Yeah, I told her ‘cuppa days ago when she dropped off my handouts,” Sungkyu replied.

Mina felt awkward as she remembered she should’ve told Hoya the reason for his suspension too, instead of leaving him out to continue in worry.

"You could've texted me or something, you know..." Hoya told him.

"My dad took my phone away..."

Nayeon pulled up a desk and placed her foodstuffs down as she sat next to Mina. The four of them ate well, but they received dirty looks every now and then.

Just like that, the lot of them continued to eat together every day, Hoya leaving them to practice ball every so often. Months would pass and Christmas was now around the corner. 

Hoya had severed a tendon in his ankle and was in the hospital until he would receive surgery. Mina, Nayeon, and Sungkyu visited him there. He had a grim outlook. Hoya had begun to feel discomfort in his knees for a few months already and was hesitant to ask his doctor about it.

“Just tell him,” Sungkyu told him, “maybe he could fix it.”

Hoya would take Gyujiji’s advice, but would regret it. Turns out the cartilage in his knee sockets had begun to wear down, and as a result, the doctor advised him to take a large rest from baseball.

“Perhaps you’ll need surgery later on, but for now you need to be in observation,” his doctor told him.

When Sungkyu and Nayeon couldn’t visit him, Mina still came, compelled to do so for Sungkyu’s sake.

Hoya was angered by Sungkyu’s absence. He needed to vent, but he couldn't do so with a girl. The only one he felt would understand him was Sungkyu. All his other baseball buddies were close, but only Sungkyu actually knew the Hoya that was behind the mitt and bat. 

“He couldn’t make it. There’s been some robberies taking place around his neighborhood and his dad finally got a job at a good company… Nayeon’s father’s, I think. His dad told him to stay at home until the robbers are caught. He's said he's sorry, that his phone has no credit too, or else he would've called.” Mina explained.

Hoya was unsure as how to feel. There was a storm of emotion brewing inside, sadness, anger, fear, confusion. He was a mess, his future, once bright, was now a murky puddle. The boy’s eyes that were like beautiful blossoms had now fallen to the ground, stepped on by the misfortunes of life.

“It’s not fair,” he sighed, “I feel like swearing, man, but I can’t with you here! Where’s Sungkyu?!”

Mina pulled up a chair, “I know, life’s rotten sometimes, and my words might be sappy, but it’ll get better.”

Hoya, was somewhat moved, whimsically replying, “That’s the most words you’ve ever spoken to me, but what do you know? Your life’s perfect…”

Mina took a deep breath, letting out her gummy smile afterward. Then her eye sparkled more than usual, a restrained tear was the culprit.

“My parent’s divorced not too long ago, and my dad started dating again early this year. I hated him for it at first, but I eventually accepted his relationship. His new lady friend was good to me, she gave off a motherly warmth, although she’ll never replace my mom and I’ll never truly be her daughter. My mother’s accepted it too and has moved on, accepting her own fault in the process…”

“That’s some heavy stuff.”

“Yeah, but I was never alone. When my home made me feel bad inside, school made me feel good. Sungkyu has been a good friend, and you and Nayeon have been good to me, too.” Mina smiled again, wiping a lone tear off her cheek. She then smiled a third time, and Hoya was unsure which was brighter, her eyes that shone like glass marbles, or her smile that lit happy feelings inside him.