[Past – Art Room]

Chaeyoung heard Mina’s low complaints. After helping Chaeyoung sort out her paint, she worked on the script of their play. Chaeyoung saw that the eldest was having a hard time – Mina rested her chin on her knuckles and then sat up straight to write but only to erase what she had written and scratch her head.

     Chaeyoung glanced at the clock: it’s 5 pm. She averted her eyes to her artwork – the painting is barely halfway done, Chaeyoung needed to do was to add more colour to the details and the highlights.

     “Why don’t we call it a day?” Chaeyoung said, stretching her whole body. “I am tired.”

     Mina didn’t listen and continued working on the script. Chaeyoung noticing this irritated her.

     She should have stopped by now. She said to herself with her eyebrows meeting and a pout. “Idiot…” She stood up from her seat and tapped the surface of Mina’s desk. “Hey dummy, take a break for a while.”

     Mina’s hand stopped from moving. She stretched her whole body, asking, “What time is it?” with a yawn.

     “5 in the afternoon.” Chaeyoung replied. “I’m halfway done with my work. I can finish it this week if I have time, so let’s go home.”

     “Okay.”

     Mina fixed her things and helped Chaeyoung with hers. “How’s the script going?” The youngest asked, opening up a topic for them.

     “Fine. Having a hard time with the casting.” Mina replied. “Jesus, why do we have to do this anyway? Plays are for kids and why the heck am I in charge of the script and the cast!”

     “Obviously because you’re Myoui Mina who excels in, let’s say, almost everything?”

     “Well, you’re not wrong. It’s expected for a Myoui like me to be in charge of a mere event like this. Why don’t they give me something even more bigger? This is just a class play.”

     “Uhuh. You say that but you are having a hard time right now. Say that when you can handle a small thing like this before you jump to the big scene.” 

      Mina pulled Chaeyoung’s necktie close to her. “How I damn hate it when you say that, shorty.”

      Chaeyoung chuckled, “Well I—” suddenly, Chaeyoung stopped from finishing her sentence. Her hand reached to her chest and clenched the surface of her uniform.

     Mina seeing her friend’s sudden reaction, fear rose up. She let go of her grip, “Chaeyoung, are you okay?” She asked, concerned. Chaeyoung took deep heavy breathes and kept clenching her chest. “Is it… is it happening? Does it hurt? Where’s your medicine?”

     “I-in… in the b-bag…” Chaeyoung replied, panting.

     Mina stood to grab Chaeyoung bag. She rummaged inside for her medicine bottle. When she saw it, she opened the lid and poured out its content, only to see a half cut pill.

     She’s out of medicine? Why didn’t she tell me! Mina said to herself, furious.

     “Here,” Mina held Chaeyoung chin up to her and opened . She placed the pill at the end of her jaw and made her bite it.

      Chaeyoung tasted the bitter and sour taste of her medicine. She took the water from Mina’s hand and drank it slowly. Little by little, the pain in her chest starts to fade away.

     “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re running out of meds?” Mina asked, looking at Chaeyoung with pity.

     Chaeyoung smiled, as if nothing happened. “Come on. Don’t look at me like that. I don’t like that look coming from you.”

     “Why…”

     While smiling, Chaeyoung said, “If I will, you’ll call one of your servants to buy me an unlimited supply. I don’t want to be in debt to you.”

     The two stayed for a bit and left their unfinished work. No one spoke, they only listened to the students walking the halls.

     “Does your family know?” Mina asked, breaking the awkward silence. Chaeyoung shook her head as an answer. Mina took a deep breath and caressed her nape while sighing with a curse. “Dammit.” She took a cigarette stick from her pocket and lighted it.

     “Mina—” before Chaeyoung can finish, she saw Mina stopped from lighting her cigarette and threw it in the garbage can.

     “I’m stopping. Don’t worry about it.”

     “I was about to say that you can try smoking at the other side of the room so that the teachers won’t see you, and it’s near the vent.” Chaeyoung said.

     Mina glanced at her and looked away, “No. Honestly, I am stopping. I stopped a week ago.” She replied. “This post-cigarette-whatever-you-call-it is revolting, you know? It’s making me really moody, making me crave for it even more.”  

     “You can smoke if you want to. I don’t mind.”

     “But I do okay?!” Mina’s outburst surprised the latter. The eldest leaned her head on the wall. “I mind… so damn much.”

     “Come on. Don’t show me pity. You know I hate that.”

     “I am not showing you pity. I am…” Mina paused. She mumbled, “…scared.”

     “What?”

     “I said I am worried. Look I am no expert when it comes to the heart but one thing I know for sure is that whatever you have right now is dangerous. I am worried. Damn worried, Chaeyoung. I cannot risk doing the things I do whenever I am around you.”

     “I won’t die… yet. I’m a strong girl, I won’t be taken down by an ill heart, or a smell of cigarette smoke.”

     “For you to have lung cancer is something I am avoiding to happen, shorty.”

     The school bell rang indicating that the students must leave the campus. Mina took Chaeyoung’s bag and went out of the room.

     “I’ll call my driver to send us home.” Mina said, grabbing her phone from her pocket.

     “I prefer walking, Mina.”

     “And what? You’ll have another attack? Not a chance, Miss Son Chaeyoung.” Mina replied, her focus on her phone.

     Chaeyoung knows how stubborn Mina can be, especially if she is worried. Mina may deny it but her affection for Chaeyoung is slowly leaking.

     “I want to walk home with you though.” Chaeyoung mumbled, which Mina heard. Mina stopped typing on her phone and looked at Chaeyoung with surprise. Chaeyoung was blushing, “Is that okay with you?”

     Cute!

     “Y-yeah! Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be okay?” Mina cleared and walked ahead of her. “Come on let’s go.”

     Chaeyoung smiled at Mina’s reaction. She scurried to her side and locked arms with her. Mina got surprised but didn’t brush the latter’s hand away after she saw the wide smile on Chaeyoung’s face. They both giggled as they walk towards Chaeyoung’s home.

     Despite getting worried to be seen by the others, Mina brushed the worry away. It was Mina’s first time to walk Chaeyoung’s home, or see her home.

     “You aren’t worried that your goons will see you with me?” Chaeyoung asked.

     The streetlight turned green and they stopped walking. The cars run pass them in speed.

     Mina didn’t reply. She thought deeply about their situation.

     “Mina?”

     “Now that I think about it,” Mina sighed, “it makes me look like a coward. I cared so much on how Somi and the others see me that I neglect how you feel about me—you know—hiding this to others. I don’t mind introducing you to them though, they’re good friends actually. I kind of feel bad though since they harassed you all thanks to me.”

      Chaeyoung saw the guilt in Mina’s face. She removed her arm on Mina and transferred her hand on the eldest’s – locking them to each other.

     “I honestly don’t mind this secret rendezvous…” Chaeyoung said, looking down to hide her flustered face. “I like it better if we’re alone, though I don’t mind to be open to others.”

     Mina didn’t reply. She looked at the opposite side of the street to avert her attention from Chaeyoung. She is flustered as well – surprised with the youngest’s approach and felt an overwhelming joy from her reply. As much as she wants to show it, she is afraid that Chaeyoung might notice her secret affection.

     Without Mina knowing, Chaeyoung noticed her unusual approach since day one. Though the thought of  Mina having the same feelings as her hasn’t crossed her mind.

     They turned to the next street.

     Chaeyoung suddenly stopped and let go of Mina’s hand, which surprised and made the latter angry.

     “Hey!” Mina exclaimed in disappointment.

     “You can leave now, Mina.” Chaeyoung said. “I can walk to the entrance of the apartment. You should return soon.”

     “I can take you—”

     Chaeyoung pushed Mina away in a playful manner. “No. You go home. I am here in front of my apartment while you, Lady Myoui, are hours away from yours. So grab your phone, call your chauffeur, and go home. Don’t dare look back and stop. If I catch you, I won’t talk to you for 2 weeks and I will keep on avoiding you.”

     Mina sighed as a sigh of defeat. “Fine. Send me a massage if you arrive in your room, okay?” Chaeyoung nodded her head as a yes. “Well, see you tomorrow, shorty.”

     “See you.”

     Mina left Chaeyoung alone. She called her driver to pick her up in an 7-Eleven store near Chaeyoung’s apartment. She turned her head and saw her standing in front of a car.

     A familiar person caught Mina’s eyes – Momo. She went out of the red Hyundai Accent and kissed Chaeyoung on her cheeks.

     “What the hell…” Mina insinuated. Anger and fear was felt. She clenched her fist to ease her anger, but it doesn’t stop.

     The next morning, Mina didn’t get to see Chaeyoung in class. She checked the art room to see if she was there finishing her artwork but she found the room empty and the artwork remained untouched.

     “Are you looking for someone?” Sana came in the room, “I keep noticing that you are acting, let’s say, disturbed. Is something wrong?”

     “Nothing, Sana.” Mina replied.  

     Sana went in the room and sat on a chair. “This art room is rarely used since most students use the new one now. Only that short friend of yours uses this and Miss Momo.”

     “Hah! Friend? That shorty? Why would I be friends with someone like her!” Mina paused, “Did you just say, Miss Momo goes here too?”

     Sana nodded her head. “Well yeah? She helps Chaeyoung with her art.”

     Now that she said it, Miss Momo seems to be fond of that shorty. And that scene yesterday, was I seeing things or she kissed Chaeyoung on the cheeks?

     “You seem to know lots of things about Miss Momo. What is she like, Sana? I am not close with her and she surely is a strange teacher, don’t you think?” Mina asked.

     “I only know a few, and she is not a strange teacher, Mina.” Sana replied, “She is actually kind, careful, caring on top of that, and really considerate of her students. Aside from that, the aura she gives whenever she is with her students every consultation hours is different from others—she is passionate. I mean, the sisterly kind of passionate. She has a sister so I guess that’s the reason why.”

     “Uhuh. Does she have a boyfriend? She looked like she is a good chase. Plus, she is good looking so she got to have one.”

     “Miss Momo having a boyfriend?” Sana laughed. “That’d be a miracle!”

     “Excuse me?”

     Sana waved her hand to Mina as a sign of leaning close to her. Sana whispered, “Miss Momo is attracted to girls.” She replied, “Especially a few years younger than her age.”

     “What?!” Mina exclaimed, making Sana to cover .

     “Shush! Don’t tell anyone!”

     “How were you able to know that?”

     Sana took her hand away from Mina’s. “Let’s say I am close with her.”

     “So…” Mina paused, “she has a girlfriend right now? Do you know this girl if ever she has one?”

     Sana just noticed Mina’s sudden interest with their teacher. She crossed her arms on her chest and furrowed her eyebrows questionably. “Why do you ask? You never like the teachers here, and for you to be this curious with Miss Momo is oddly strange.”

     “Can’t I ask?”

     “Of course you can. Anyone can. It’s just strange, that’s all.”

     The school bell rang – indicating the start of the afternoon classes.

     Sana smiled at Mina before saying, “Better keep an eye on that shorty, Mina. That girl is attracting a lot of people more than you think. You don’t want your little girlfriend be taken away now, do we?” And left the room.

     Mina’s cheeks went pink, “She is not my girlfriend! You bitc—”

     “No cursing in the school,” Momo came. “Don’t you have class, Miss Myoui?”

     Upon seeing the teacher, Mina’s chest flared not in anger but jealousy. The scene from yesterday developed a revolting feeling in Mina’s chest – a feeling she never felt before.

     “I won’t go to class. What’s the point?” Mina replied, not addressing her teacher with respect in her sentence.

     Mina wasn’t always the perfect daughter nor the perfect student. She skips class most of the time, yet she maintains her grades well. Ever since her bond with Chaeyoung grew, she stopped missing her classes out of the blue just to see the girl in the room. Whenever Chaeyoung is absent, she doesn’t have the will to go to class.

     Momo notice the student’s look in her eyes. She laughed inside her head, knowing that she can be read easily.

     “I have no class right now. Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee in the guidance office? I am practically the only active teacher there so you won’t get caught skipping.”

     Mina hesitated. Then she remembered what Sana told her.

     It is either she is hitting on me, or she is hitting on me. Mina thought. If, just an if, she and Chaeyoung are in a relationship and she is hitting on me, isn’t that cheating already? I might have her answer my question so maybe…

     “Sure,” Mina replied, smiling at Momo.

     Jesus Christ, just by thinking about Momo and Chaeyoung having a secret relationship irks me. There is no way Chaeyoung will enter a relationship with this woman.

     They entered the guidance office. “Do you like your coffee black?” Momo asked.

     “Brewed please. Two tablespoon of sugar.” Mina replied.

     I mean, Momo is a teacher. Chaeyoung won’t just bite. She is… Mina glanced at the teacher in front of her, pretty, a good teacher who taught her lessons well, a good guidance councillor to add; has a voluptuous body, her skill in art is above average. Jesus! There really is a possibility that Chaeyoung could be in a relationship with her!

     “You have something in your head, yes?” Momo turned to face Mina. “Care to share? I am a good listener.”

     “There’s nothing. I assure you that.”

     Momo sternly looked a