Chapter 4 - Different

 

Minjoo is in the bathroom, washing her face as her sleepiness kicks in while she’s on a lesson. It’s her first day and she doesn’t want to make a bad impression on her teachers where she’d be known as the student who sleeps in class instead of studying, especially now she shares the same class as Hyewon’s beloved step-sister. Just what Chaewon will tell the eldest sister if she really did, Minjoo wonders.

And why is this thing worrying her anyway? Why she feels the need to appeal as a good student and concerned herself in the presence of the new class president?

A girl comes in the same bathroom, a lot shorter but not exactly short like her classmate, Nako who sits in front of Yuri in the class. This girl though, her red and fluffy cheeks are very familiar somehow. Has Minjoo actually seen her before?

Then it clicks her.

“Ah, you’re in my class too right? Class 2-B!” Minjoo claimed excitedly, though she doesn’t know on what reason. Maybe she’s just ecstatic to know they’re studying in the same class and decides to be friendly to her because she’s her classmate.

“Yes, we are!” the girl’s eyes sparkle as she recognizes Minjoo. “My name is Honda Hitomi!”

“Ah, you’re a Japanese like Nako too!” Minjoo nods her head and understands where the girl comes from. So far it seems like she has four Japanese classmates; the two already mentioned girls, ao Miu and Goto Moe!

“Yes, yes, we’re all a transfer student from Japan! The four of us rent a g-guest...house not...far...from this school,” Hitomi said slowly as her Korean is still very much subpar and not exactly fluent.

“I see, I see!” Minjoo bobs her head and smiles brightly.

“You’re Chaewon’s sister, right? She told me you and her sister are sisters.”

It feels really strange for Minjoo to hear Hitomi put it that way. She must have been confused of the former as her friend’s sister since she’s connected with Chaewon’s step-sister. Now, you’re all gonna have a headache with just comprehending how the whole relationships work between each other.

“No, no-” Minjoo denied and shakes her head. “Chaewon becomes a family with my sister, but she and I are not directly connected to be called as sisters!”

Hitomi frowns, having a hard time understanding the connection between Chaewon and Minjoo.

“It’s okay Hitomi, you will eventually understand it sooner or later.”

“You can just call me Hiichan!”

Minjoo smiles again, internally squealing at Hitomi’s cuteness. “Alright, Hiichan! I assume you are close with Chaewon...unnie?”

“Yes we are, but you called her unnie? I thought she doesn’t like...to...be...called unnie?!”

“Ah really?” Minjoo is actually surprised to hear that. “Actually, I never really addressed her or anything,” she continued sheepishly.

“Ah, I see. Let’s go to class then now! The teacher will be angry if...we are...late.”

Minjoo smile like a proud mom when Hitomi finishes her sentence perfectly. “Okay let’s go!”

***

It’s recess. The students are racing to the school’s cafeteria for lunch and rush to feed their starving stomach.

Chaewon however takes her time and walks slowly with Hitomi by her side, talking about the latter’s meeting with Minjoo in the bathroom.

“She said you and her aren’t direct sisters!”

Chaewon tilts her head to the shorter girl, confused. “I never said we are.”

Hitomi scratches her head in deeper bewilderment. “Then…”

“It’s nothing to be worried over for, Hiichan.” Chaewon smiles cutely and pats her friend’s head.

They arrive at the cafeteria and Chaewon instantly catches her friend already seated in one table with her girlfriend and they reserve empty spots for them. The two girls pick up their paces and sit with the awaiting girls in the table.

“You bring a lunch box right? I only want to eat your mother’s cooking!” Her friend, tall and loud, Lee Chaeyoung said.

Chaewon shakes her head to her friend’s disappointment. “I asked her to cook tomorrow instead. Let’s eat the cafeteria’s food for today.”

They queue up to get the food in a long line while Hitomi and Chaeyoung’s girlfriend, Nakyung stay at the table. Once they retrieve the food trays, Chaewon and Chaeyoung return to the table with two trays each for the other two girls and for themselves.

The girls begin to dig in once the food are set on the table. Chaewon sips the soup from the spoon first but grimaces a second later. It’s too greasy yet so plain. She turns to Hitomi and sees her friend has the same kind of reaction. Chaewon then takes the sausage fried with egg with her chopstick and eats it, but it’s too salty to her liking. She puts down her utensils and sighs in defeated. “I regret telling my mom not to cook for me today.”

A group of tall girls (except for one) are just coming into the cafeteria and queuing for the food. Chaeyoung recognizes all of them except for one girl that looks new to her. “Who’s that girl with Yujin? They seem close!”

Chaewon turns her back and looks at the unfamiliar girl Chaeyoung mentioned. She squints her eyes at the sight of the girl’s arm tugging around Ahn Yujin’s, the school’s star athlete.

“Oh, that’s Kim Minjoo, a new student but she’s in our class!” Hitomi said.

Chaewon returns her attention to the food in front of her and begins to eat deliciously as if she wasn’t complaining about it earlier on.

“Hmm inch-eresting!” Chaeyoung smiles mischievously.

“She’s Ahn Yujin’s girlfriend,” Chaewon announced suddenly, her friends gasping at the new fact.

“How do you know?” Nakyung inquired.

“She is Hyewon unnie’s half sister.”

The girls know about Chaewon’s family and her history, so this isn’t a strange thing for them if Chaewon knows that much.

“I see,” they nod their heads, except Hitomi.

Yujin sees Chaeyoung and everyone else at the table, greets them enthusiastically like the energetic kid she is. “Chaeyoung sunbaenim!” The second tallest girl in the group invites herself and leads her gang to sit in the table next to Chaeyoung’s. “We’re having a basketball game after school today, would you join us?”

Minjoo is bewildered to see Yujin naturally joins another group’s table, and it can’t be helped that Chaewon is there. She sees two other unfamiliar faces and has no idea why her girlfriend addressed the tallest as a senior. Having no choice with no other empty seat left, she sits next to Yuri, in front of Yujin which sits between her best friend Wonyoung and the senior Chaeyoung, who sits in front of Chaewon.

Which means, Minjoo is now sitting beside Chaewon (other than Yuri).

“Are you on?” Yujin is still loud about her basketball game.

“Sorry Yujin,” Chaeyoung makes a sad face to Yujin’s disappointment. “But I have promised my friend over here to help her out after school!” she said further and protrudes her chin out to Chaewon.

“Oh, is that so?” Yujin nods her head and decides not to pressure her upperclassman anymore. “How about you, Hiichan? We honestly can’t go on with the game without you!”

Hitomi pouts as she gives her adorable puppy eyes. “Sorry, but Chaewon-”

“It’s okay,” Chaewon cuts her off. “You can go with them. I have Chaeyoung and Nakyung with me anyway, you don’t have to worry.”

Her low voice sounds so attractive. Minjoo imagines that’s how an angel would speak.

“Okay!” Hitomi is all smiling and they know she’s happy to be able to play with Yujin and the gang.

“N e ways,” Chaeyoung really has a way to talk in a stan twitter language. “Don’t you want to introduce this pretty girl to us?”

A sharp elbow hits her ribcage causes Chaeyoung to scream in pain, all other students in the cafeteria are now looking at the table staring at her. She turns to her side and sees the culprit of the elbow thing is actually her own girlfriend, Nakyung, and the girl sticks her tongue out.

Yujin, Minjoo and the other girls giggle and find their banter as cute instead of frightening.

“This cute and pretty girl is my girlfriend, just transferred into this school today! Minjoo, they are our upperclassmen, Lee Chaeyoung and Lee Nakyung, say hi!”

“Hello, I’m Kim Minjoo!” Minjoo bows her head to the seniors and the two of them greet her ecstatically. “Hi there!”

In no time, Chaewon is done eating and stands up with her tray.

“You’re done?” Chaeyoung asked in surprise.

“I’m going to nap first before the class starts. See you later, Chaeng.”

Chaewon walks away, leaving the group behind, even Hitomi. The mochi-like girl is bewildered by the girl’s sudden dampen mood and wonders if she got any sleep at all. “Do you think she slept well?”

“I think she just wants to rest for a moment! Let’s leave her be!” Nakyung saves the situation with a safe answer and the rest of them don’t bother to ask anything anymore.

Minjoo leans towards Hitomi and draws a little closer. “Is she always that grumpy?” she whispered.

“Keke,” Hitomi giggled. “Chaewon is a total sweetheart to be honest, but if she excuses herself first before anyone else it means she wants to be alone because she wants to rest her mind from overthinking!”

“Ahh,” the new student bobs her head as if she completely understands her.

The reality is; she can’t understand Chaewon at all. And she rather finds her actions as disturbingly problematic!

***

On her first day at a new school, Minjoo gains a lot of new friends thanks to Yujin’s connection. Yuri, whom Minjoo becomes close with since they sit close together is also in the school athlete’s clique. There are other girls from Yujin’s class like Wonyoung, Jiheon, and Gahyeon. That girl is friendly towards everyone, even to the seniors, and has a very likeable personality. She knows now why her girlfriend ever becomes one of the top students in the school in terms of popularity.

During a short break, Yujin has texted Minjoo to meet up at the school’s gym saying the taller girl has something in store for her girlfriend. Instead of asking Yuri for the direction, Minjoo is determined to search for the said place by herself.

Unfortunately, she’s not very good at finding an unfamiliar place on her own for her first day. Instead of heading to the gym, Minjoo finds herself getting lost in the back of the school where she comes across a store and trash disposal.

And Chaewon is squatting down there, leaning against the wall of the store, smoking cigarette, blowing the smoke in the air.

“What the f-” Minjoo becomes too appalled at the sight that she cussed. Chaewon hears her voice and looks up. Their eyes lock on each other for a while, and the both of them radiate the same energy.

Feisty!

“- you smoked!” Minjoo covers her nose, obviously disliking the smell. “Yet they say you’re an angel- my !”

The angelic image she has of the older girl has gradually fades too after today.

“Where the f- is this Ahn Yujin?! This brat!” she continues to cuss under her breath, turning her back on Chaewon and texting Yujin on her phone.

Minguri 💗 : WhERE ArE YoU?

Yujinie 💓 : Gym tho…?

Minjoo feels so hopeless that she slaps her forehead.

“Yah.”

She hears a faint voice behind her sort of shouted. Minjoo turns around, and as expected, it’s Chaewon.

This is the first time Chaewon actually talks to her.

“You’ve never seen this.”

The class president throws her cigarette to the ground before stepping on it. And just like that, the first sentence Chaewon ever talked to Minjoo is warning her about today’s not so pleasant discovery.

The girl then leaves her alone, dumbfounded by herself and not knowing to get her way to the gym where Yujin is waiting for her. In the end, she gives up on her journey and tells Yujin that she’s not making it to meet her up, frustrated and getting turned off by Chaewon’s cold- personality.

***

By the evening, almost all students leave immediately after the lesson ends. An exception for those who stay for an after study and sports, the school is almost vacant.

Minjoo follows Hitomi and Yuri to the school’s gym where Yujin and a few other basketball players are waiting for them to start the game. On their way, she learns from her classmates that they all met since middle school, and Yujin has always been the top at sport, with Hitomi follows closely behind. The girl, despite her small physical is actually a hidden ace when it comes to physical activities, surprisingly. Minjoo feels bad for underestimating her.

“What did you plan to do with Chaewon...unnie this evening if not for this game?”

Hitomi tilts her head to Minjoo but keeps walking steadily. “You still call her unnie. Chaewon actually asked me to help her out with her drawing equipments, but it seems like...she’s fine with having her friends with her.”

“Hiichan,” Minjoo stops her steps as the mochi girl also stops walking, letting Yuri goes in first. “Why is Chaewon...unnie is in the same grade as us? It seems like Chaeyoung and Nakyung sunbaenim know her well though they’re not in the same grade.”

“Oh that…” Hitomi pauses, searching for the right words to say. “They’re from the same middle school, but Chaewon had a history and graduated later than the sunbaenims.”

“So Chaewon...unnie graduated her middle school the same time as us?”

Hitomi nods her head.

“Do you mind to tell me what is her history? Nobody in the house ever said anything about her like that, so I’m kinda lost,” Minjoo continued slyly.

To her dismay, Hitomi doesn’t know of the detail either. “All I  know is Chaewon started high school as we first got in too, and one day Chaeyoung and Nakyung sunbaenim came up to me and told me to look after Chaewon in the class. But that’s all.”

“Maybe she has some kind of a disease…” Minjoo guessed.

“Hmm, I don’t think so,” Hitomi shakes her head. “You’re a part of her family now, I’m sure you’ll know it sooner or later.”

And the topic is buried as they step into the gym, with Hitomi rushing to the court immediately for a warm up and leaving Minjoo alone to sit in the audience section.

***

The three friends are done shopping for Chaewon’s drawing supplies. The girl is aiming to enter for an art contest and having her project planned properly with her mother, Hyewon, and her friends which include the two seniors as well as Hitomi.

“You’re still smoking?” Nakyung asked as her nose detected the unpleasant smell.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Chaewon replied.

“How are you still not get caught by your mother…” Chaeyoung shakes her head.

“She might find out sooner or later. Minjoo saw me earlier. Who knows she could have such a big mouth to tell on me.”

“Minjoo? Your step sister?” Nakyung raises her eyebrows.

“Urgh, no- she’s not my sister!” Chaewon groans, almost upset by the words.

“Fine, fine!” Nakyung surrenders and stops bothering the girl. “Why are you so upset anyway…”

She mumbled at the last part but Chaewon can hear her. From the way Chaeyoung eyes her, Chaewon knows the tallest girl heard it too, but they remain quiet about it.

The girls head to the school art room where Chaewon will get a head start for her drawing project. She will start with a sketch and if she’s satisfied, she’ll proceed with the colours and all.

What will she draw?

Chaewon prefers to stay mum about it until the day she has to submit her drawing for the contest happens.

But something for sure, recent events in her life has inspired her to make this art.

***

The basketball game was played by two teams; Ahn Yujin’s team and Heo Yunjin’s team. Each team consists of four players. There were Hitomi, Miu, Yuri and Yunjin in one team against Wonyoung, Jiheon, Chowon and Yujin in another team. It was a really good game and well played by the two teams. Their scores kept coming up even with each other. But in the end Yunjin’s team ended with victory as Miu scored at the last second and Wonyoung made a small mistake as the defense.

Minjoo who sat alone was torn of which team she should vocal her support to. Yujin might be her girlfriend but most of her classmates and new close friends were from another team.

Once the game is over, the girls take a seat down and gulp the drink from the bottle that Minjoo distributes for all of the players.

Slowly, the girls head to the washroom together and get changed. Minjoo who’s not sweating like the others stay on the bench near Yujin’s locker. However, the locker’s owner doesn’t go straight into the washroom like her friends do. She decides to stay with her girlfriend and does what she had originally planned during the break but didn’t work out well earlier.

“Why aren’t you going in yet?” Minjoo asked as she set her phone down, paying attention on her girlfriend who currently has a naughty smile across her face.

“I wanted to see you before I get changed.”

Yujin is being so seductive that Minjoo finds it hard to resist her. The girl’s charming smile, the girl’s nice hair, her handsome face. The moment Yujin leans closer, Minjoo almost loses her breath.

“Y-Yujin…” she breathed.

The star student cups Minjoo’s nape and closes the gap. Their lips meet a second later. Minjoo closes her eyes, enjoying Yujin’s lips on hers and they kiss for a while more.

Slowly, Minjoo finds herself trapped between Yujin’s arms and her back on the locker. Yujin pulls the hair tie at the back of Minjoo’s head down and has her hair let loose.

“You smell like sweats…” Minjoo said in between the kiss and Yujin only kisses her harder.

“And you find me hot…” Yujin lures her and Minjoo knows it’s not a lie.

Because right now, she feels really hot inside with sweaty Yujin being in this close proximity with her.

Yujin continues to kiss Minjoo against the locker, having all the time and the moment to themselves, almost falling into heaven. The former can feel Minjoo is getting just as much as she does. The steamy kiss really drives their hormone crazy.

With Yujin locking Minjoo on her shoulder and dominating, she kisses her girlfriend down to her neck. Minjoo begins to sweat profusely, and Yujin loves the sight of the girl’s messy hair flips as the sensitivity of Yujin’s kiss on her neck hits her.

They hear noises coming into the changing room but all they can feel is each other.

“Hiichan!!!”

Until the presence of three girls come into the view, they finally pull away with their faces flush red for getting caught red handed.

“Please respect your seniors!” Chaeyoung scolded and gives a stern glare to the younger couple, disliking the intimate moment that she unwillingly came across while she was searching for Chaewon’s close classmate, Hitomi.

Yujin apologizes and lowers her head to the tall senior. Minjoo follows her action, covers her face in shame as she bows to apologize.

When she looks up, Chaewon’s fierce glare and narrowed eyes greet her sight, as if she’s disgusted for witnessing Minjoo making out with Yujin in a public place. Minjoo is so messed up and embarrassed that she can’t lift her head up to see Chaewon’s face anymore.

“I’m going home first! Sorry that I can’t stay and wait for Hiichan!”

Chaewon talks with an actual emotion for the first time and is that anger that Minjoo sensed from the older girl?

The red haired leaves in a hurry as Minjoo and Yujin are forced to stay, getting more lectures and reprimandations from the seniors, Chaeyoung and Nakyung about their mistake for making out in public, and with the rest of the players end up not getting an exception from the nagging.

---

***Oops, did I just make jinjoo almost-rated scene??? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Sorry if you find it disturbing that 2kim has a slow progress, but that's just how this story works. Anyway, smoker Chaewon finally makes an appearance here and it's almost seems like she has double personality or something she has a different image here compared to previous chapters xD I hope you all enjoy this chapter ^^

Btw guys, it's been a while since I last wrote a story in school setting. I love to write about adults more tbh so I hope you'll give it a pass if you see some errors okay ;))