Umji happily skipped to class, she had woken up in a good mood that morning, she had strawberry milk with her breakfast as well.

"Be a good girl at school and remember I can help your friends if they need it. I feel like there might be more bad parents around you than there should be. It makes me worried."

The fact that Yewon's mother didn't think to move Umji to a different daycare, or even a different private school meant how much she loved this neighborhood. The closest private middle school had really good scores, and it was close enough to work for both her parents. She was willingly to fix the problems to make it her ideal.

"I promise mom, Sojung unnie talked with Yerin unnie's mom about the hitting, she said she wasn't satisfied with her response but we have to ask Yerin today."

"Okay honey. You're also not bullied in school anymore right?"

"That- I."

"Oh baby, you should have told me! I'll go talk to them right now."

Umji held her mom's hand.

"Mom! No, you don't have to talk to them about it, it'll just get worse. I've been doing okay, and I learned how to dodge them from Yerin unnie already. Please? I can handle it."

Looking her youngest child in the eyes, she kissed Umji's forehead before patting her shoulder reassuringly.

"Fine, but once it gets out of hand, the teacher is the first person you tell, then you tell me. Got it?"

Cutely giving a salute, Umji smiled brightly.

"Roger!"

Ruffling her daughter's hair one last time, she left to drive to work. Umji waved until her mom's car was around the corner. She was early today, but that was fine. She sat on the bench outside, waiting for the bell.

"Oh? You're not going to wait inside little friend?"

"Hm? Good morning security guard ahjussi."

"Good morning little one, why would you choose to sit outside in the wind than inside?"

"If I go inside, there's a chance the bullies will come to both me. I'll go in on time, don't worry."

The old man huffed and continued his job, greeting the children as they passed the gate. Umji just swung her legs absentmindedly.

"Hey."

Looking up, Umji smiled.

"You woke up in time today?"

"Of course!"

SinB jumped up onto the bench and took her seat besides Umji, easily slipping her hand in the former's.

"Did you get money for your tooth?"

"Ah, that. Uh...."

"She did take your tooth and leave you money right?"

"Y-yea, I got a dollar."

"Really?"

Umji was excited, she had been told this from her unnie and oppa at home, her mother even agreed with them. It was true!

"The tooth fairy did exist!"

"Huh? Didn't you say it existed that's why you told me to do that?"

"Nope, it was a theory I was testing."

"What's a theory?"

SinB was confused, Umji was using too many big vocabulary words. Did that mean she shouldn't have lied about getting money from the tooth fairy? When she woke up that morning, her tooth was still there so she asked her dad, he just huffed and took her tooth and threw it in the trash. Sad, but unable to show it, she had returned to her room.

"I'll explain it another time. Is your back okay?"

"It's fine. Um Yewon ah I-"

The bell rang and SinB felt Umji's hand slip from hers, she was getting off the bench.

"What is it Eunbi ah?"

"I-....It's nothing, I'll talk with you at break. Go to class Yewon ah. I don't want you to be late."

Popping up to land a kiss on SinB's cheek, Umji giggled and linked their pinkies together.

"Promise! I'll see you later!"

"Y-yea."

Blushing, SinB pulled the collar of her jacket up a bit to cover her cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Umji sat comfortably against her tree, she noticed the grass was dying away as winter neared, the floor felt mushier so she made sure the spot she sat on was dry. SinB however, refused to sit on the ground or even lay on it.

"It'll get on my clothes, the mud that is."

"I guess so. Should I ask mum for a small picnic blanket to sit on?"

"You could, but what are you going to do when it rains?"

"What are you going to do if it rains?"

SinB hummed in thought.

"Probably I wouldn't be allowed outside, you too. I'll probably be stuck inside our school gym, maybe Moon Bin's class will be released at the same time since the sounds from the gym can be heard in the nearby classrooms."

Umji nodded, her hands rubbing SinB's, SinB's hands were much colder than her own and she worried that her friend had enough warmth in her clothes.

"If I'm stuck inside, I'll go hide in the bathroom until its over I guess."

"No! Don't hide in the bathroom, that's were fight scenes happen between girls."

"Well.....the girls aren't really out for me, just the boys."

"Still!"

"Then I'll go and chat with the nurse."

"That-"

SinB was going to object because she hated the nurse's office because of the smell, but it was the best place to hide from potential bullying.

"Fine."

Umji giggled and put an arm around SinB's leg, she seated next to SinB who was leaning against the tree.

"What were you going to say this morning?"

"Um, yea that....about the tooth fairy..."

Umji looked up and SinB looked away.

"She didn't give you a dollar did she?"

"uhhhh......"

"It's okay, remember I said it was a theory?"

"But-"

"It's fine."

"I mean like maybe she was busy and couldn't visit me, or like santa, maybe I was on the naughty list again."

That caught Umji's attention.

"What do you mean by again?"

"I never got presents from santa, in fact I never got presents for christmas."

Umji's jaw dropped. Impossible, her loveable bestie Hwang Eun Bi was on the naughty list??? SinB just pulled Umji's chin back up before continuing.

"Besides, we know mermaids are real because Yuju unnie say it, so tooth fairies can be real too. You get me? Maybe she was late and I woke up too early, or maybe my dad was up too early and scared her away."

"Then are you going to try again tonight?"

SinB put her hands into her pockets.

"I....wish I could."

"Wish? Sowon unnie?"

"Um....my daddy...may or may not have chucked it in the trash."

"WHAT?!"

The bell rang and SinB pulled Umji to stand up and pushed her in the direction of her classroom.

"Don't worry about it, what could I have done with a dollar anyways?"

"You could save it in a bank!  And start saving for college!"

"What's a college? Anyways, go to class already. I'll see you after school."

"Fine."

====================

ahhhhh a bit of innocence and a bit of magic :)