Monday 2:10 PM

The usual jingle of a bell rang through a tiny yet ascetic coffee house signifying the entrance of two young high schoolers. Jeongyeon contemplated on engaging Momos judgements on the part-time job she successfully hides from others. Until now of course.

The coffee house was simply eye-pleasing. Reddish-Brown bricks wrapped the four side accompanying with fairy lights that dangled, lightly dimmed for customer satisfaction. The job even paid quite decently including a complimentary supply of bitter caffeinated drinks, which she preferred.

Jeongyeon directed the latter to the booth in the very corner near the window. Comfortably settling to sit opposite of each other. However, both remained awkward at initiating conversation. The unexpected rise in tenseness felt extremely deep for their likings. Jeongyeon coughed lightly to cut the silence.

“What do you w--”

“Why'd you bring me here?” Momo straightened her posture, wandering her eyes at the scenery that the coffee house presented.

‘Why did she bring her here?’ Jeongyeon recollected her thoughts, ‘She hadn't even brought the girls here once, well except for Chae-young, who accidentally caught her whilst ordering a strawberry latte. But, besides that, Momo would undoubtedly be the last person she’d ever expose her personal life too. Maybe something about that unsettling scene she saw in the studio was enough to pull her strings.

“Good question, uh” she shifted under her weight

“I have about 30 minutes to spare so I thought I’d torture you for a while.” Content with her answer she slumped her weight against the booth.

Momo eyes stayed on Jeongyeon. Her eyebrows furrowed, preparing to question the matter further. Instead, she softened her expression.

“Vanilla Cappuccino”

“Huh?”

“I’ll take a Vanilla Cappuccino”

“Oh yeah sure sure uh excuse me”

Signalling for a waiter, she attempted to ignore Momos change of behaviour. An employee made her way to the requested customer

“Jeongyeon? Your shift doesn’t start in like 30ish minutes but you can start now if you’d like?” the waiter turned her sight to the one who sat across, “Oh, I mean, you have company. I-I’m sorry about that, what would you guys like to order?”

“I'm here a little early Emma, I’ll start later of course, also uh, one Vanilla Cappuccino and an Ice Coffee for me thanks.”

“Right away” The waiter took no hesitation, advancing her way to the back counter, leaving Jeongyeon and Momo alone with themselves.

“Shift?” Momo questioned

“Yeah I work here, it’s decent so might as well”

“You work?” Her body leaned closer in curiosity

A scoff left Jeongyeons lips, “I got to make a living somehow so yes I work. It’s something us low-class commoners gotta do to survive.” Emphasizing the last few words. Either it was Jeongyeons judgemental tone or the situation in general, Momo had enough.

“Ok I don’t get you Jeong, what are we doing here? I thought you hated me so why are you bringing me to your workplace? I seriously don’t get you today, you're supposed to be mean and all, not buying me coffee a-and you know, do all this. I mean, I actually thought you would kidnap me but now this, this is scarier so what’s up? Are you gonna bring your other druggy friends to gang up on me? Do you want money or is this like your weird way of flirting?” She blurted

Jeongyeon expected this sooner or later. She knew her behaviour was off today yet her mind refused to elaborate further.

“I thought you didn’t wanna go home anyways.” She bit back

“I don’t need you involving your in my problems. So stop getting all giddy.”

“Me? Giddy? Like I give any s about you. Honestly, you wanna leave then leave.” She scrunched her expression, gesturing her arm to the nearby exit.

“I honestly don’t get you Jeongyeon”

Momo expression mixed with confusion and anger. She abruptly stood to leave without turning back. There Jeongyeon sat alone, infuriated to reconcile with the one who ran away. ‘What type of guts does she think she has? I'm even paying for her stupid coffee for christ sake’ Her anger took the best of her yet she still felt hopeless. She needs a distraction and she needs it now.

“Hey Emma, can I start early?”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:00 PM

“I swear if just wanna choke that when I get a chance” the taller girl held Dahyun in a chokehold

“Ooff get off I’m gonna puke on you.” She gagged, struggling to keep composure.

There they sat, fours girls on the edges of a cliff looking out at the breathtaking scenery the city exposed. Each with a bottle of cheap beer to reminisce in.

“Why’d you even ask Momo out, you usually go to third base first?” Nayeon snorted

“ off” she pushed the latter, “I’d never have with the likes of her”

“Unless I do” the girls were howling in laughter, amused by Jeonyeongs reactions. Chaeyoung recollected herself to speak

“But seriously why do you guys hate each other so much, I mean, you hate anybody but especially her?”

This was exhausting. Especially this day specifically. A shaky sigh escaped . The truth coming right after

“You know her dads like the CEO of Hirai Corp, the ones who make advanced technology and he owns like hundreds of businesses?”

They all nod in unison

“Well my dad used to work for the guy but after my moms' death, he started, well, getting wasted daily. So he was fired directly under the CEOs command and well that was one of the reason..” she paused, “it was one of the reasons he died so abruptly.”

The air felt colder than usual. The sudden change in mood crept faster into the conversation for anyone’s liking. They didn’t discuss sentimental things as beer and dirty jokes kept them company. Tonight was exceptionally different.

“Then why’d you take her out?” Nayeon questioned with genuine curiosity in her expression.

“I-I don’t even ing know I thought she was having family problems and maybe, just maybe, she wasn't that ing bad of a person but clearly I was wrong.”

Usually, when Joengyeon got this touchy, they would laugh at the uncomfortable behaviour of the latter. Yet they didn't. Instead, they sat watching the view as if their lives depended on it.

“You’ve gone soft” Dahyun ran a sip from the cheap beer, staring at Jeongyeon expression

“I-I need to sober up before I say something stupid.”

Something that was unexpected lifted the tension of their shoulders. They laughed, an image of girls who were considered drunken messes, rolling around on the freshly cut grass.

Jeongyeon tried containing herself but refused to let anyone get the better of her. She laughed, she laughed with them by their side until they gave up. It was these moments she enjoyed the most with her friends. They do have tendencies of idiots but they always knew how to make her laugh, make her smile. Without them, her loneliness would have taken over,  maybe even death.

‘God, that would be the most ing depressing I would ever see.’

What a way to end the first day of school.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just like that, days past like a routine. Jeongyeon oversleeping from over drinking and Ms. Park tendencies of keeping her life miserable were inevitable. Detention was turning into a subject for her. Afterschool, she and her friends would pursue in mischievous activities. She then would spend the remaining day at the coffee house in order to make a living for herself. And just like that, days passed.

She hadn't encountered Momo after their little incident. During Functions, the atmosphere each created was visible to the public, especially Ms. Park. The teacher had kept notice of their opposite behaviours. Momo was pristine. She focused in class to achieve top marks. Of course, it was her habit to follow her father's footstep after all. And Jeongyeon, well, she was the opposite. Never focusing but instead creating more distraction to others.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Friday 7:30 AM

Jeongyeons walk to functions moved slower than usual. Detention remained a habit she got used too. It comes and goes and today especially she didn’t have work to look forward too. Entering the class, she expected Ms. Parks lecture on being late and receiving yet another detention to end the week. However, the teacher resumed her discussion, despite her students giving looks of confusion.

‘Did she finally give up?’ Jeongyeon thought to herself

The class went on, as usual, leaving Jeongyeon in a shock of confusion. In the end, she was relieved at Ms. Park's understanding of the latter's behaviour. It was only time till she did.

The familiar ring of the bell signified the end of school. Jeongyeon, who was currently napping, jolted awake at the sound.

“Momo and Jeongyeon, I’d like to talk to the both of you for a minute”

A soft smile planted on Ms. Park's face. Something was up. Both girls gave questionable looks to the teacher as their classmates left.

“Did something happen Ms. Park?” Momo sweetly asked

“Well yes, I have a request for you Momo is you can please”

“Yes?”

“I’m giving you the job to tutor Jeongyeon”

Jeongyeon, who was still half asleep, snapped her head to look at Ms. Park's request. ‘Did she hear that right?’

“Wooooah woah Mrs. Park lets not do something so hasty here. I’m fine in math and I don’t need her help.” She raised her voice, pointing at Momo who stood beside.

“Yes you do, your failing miserably and Momo here is one of our top students in this school. And, your right, I am being hasty. Let me rephrase myself.” Mr. Park lifted her glasses up, “This isn't a request, this is an order.”

Momo who stood silent spoke in desperation

“M-Ms. Park, there are other top-students in this school and plus, I’m very busy with other extra-curricular activities.” Her eyes pleaded

“I already spoke to your father and he was more than happy to hear this. And also don't worry Momo. I’m only asking you to do this for 3 days a week.”

Jeongyeon interrupted. “And what about me.”

Ms. Park gave Jeongyeon a stern look, “If you don’t do this Jeongyeon, I will be having to fail you in this course.”

“Blackmail I see”

“This isn't blackmailing as this is the truth. Your education is important to me Jeongyeon and I don't want to see you fail before college.” She softened her expression. Maybe she did care about the younger student.

“What if I bail on it?”

“Then I fail you automatically”

“EHHHH??!!” Jeongyeon eyes widened violently

“ --So I’m leaving now, this would be your first study day and since you slept through class, Momo please revise the techniques we have learned today to Jeongyeon.”

Giving a sigh of defeat, Momo nodded in understanding

“I’ll be leaving now so study well, both of you” She mainly focused on Jeongyeons expression to the situation. “Goodbye”

The room remained silent in disbelief. This was too sudden for them to process the situation they were stuck in.

‘Would it be too stupid to just leave?’