Long nights,

daydreams,

sugar and smoke rings

After days passed since their road trip, Joohyun was busy preparing for the new semester. She had barely enough time to even talk to Seulgi when her schedule was filled with lessons. History lessons, math lessons, literature lessons, English lessons, etc, and it was driving her crazy.

She suffocated from stress hearing her mother's constant nagging about how she should study and how lazy she was. So that made her go back to her old self, who talks only when it's necessary and always has a blank expression on her face.

Her trip with Seulgi seemed so unreal compared to the real-life she was afraid she might never experience that again.

Their evening walk was so comforting to her she couldn't help but wish they could walk side by side again.

It had seemed so short when they took a walk that day but now, she would stare out the window dreading about the next same old day.

The night seemed longer without Seulgi in her life. And that meant a lot.

She felt bad for her friend busy running around along for her next lesson. She would always say "Don't be too hard on yourself!" And sprint off waving goodbye in front of her academy.

Joohyun pondered a million times if she should just skip her lessons and spend all her day with Seulgi but she couldn't bear her mother's double nagging.

She wished she could go to college that's so far away from home and take Seulgi with her. She would skip class whenever she wanted and they would take a trip to see more than cherry blossoms.

She smiled at the thought. She let out a soft sigh of content as she rested her chin on her hands but was interrupted by a friendly, loud voice she was too familiar with.

"Good morning, Joohyun!"

She sighed before looking up and saw Wendy smiling down at her. "Sorry to interrupt your daydream but that lovesick face of yours triggered my urge to ask."

Joohyun shook her head, clearly irritated that Wendy interrupted her only source of happiness. "I don't have a secret crush if that's what you're asking."

Wendy wiggled her eyebrows in suspicion. "No way. Your eyes are screaming that you're in love."

"I was just thinking about the cherry blossoms. And maybe sugar. And maybe even smoke rings which I hate by the way." Joohyun rambled.

Wendy gave her a strange look. "I have no idea what you mean."

"What a surprise," Joohyun said mockingly. "I guess there is something you don't know."

Wendy shrugged, not even a little bit offended. "Well, that's true and I'm willing to know."

"Stop bothering me, Wendy."

Wendy frowned. "It's Seungwan, Joohyun. I told you you can call me that."

"Well, I don't want to call you by your real name," Joohyun said flatly, not even looking at the other girl.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

Wendy sighed in defeat. Knowing Joohyun, she could be very stubborn if she wanted to.

"I understand cherry blossoms since you're obsessed with them. So tell me about sugar." Wendy said, trying to change the subject.

"I'm not going to."

"Then I guess Ms. Bae will have a nice surprise about her daughter having a crush." Wendy replied sarcastically, determined not to let this slide in her watch.

Joohyun growled in frustration as she messed up her hair as if she was trying to dust off her stress.

"Sugar." Joohyun said calmly, regaining her senses, "can be used to make the coffee less bitter."

"Oookay?"

"But it will still taste terrible." Joohyun unconsciously smiled remembering Seulgi's disgusted face after drinking her coffee and Wendy frowned in confusion. "I thought you drink coffee without sugar."

"I do. But some things are not all about yourself, Wendy."

Ignoring her rudeness, Wendy gasped. "I knew it! There is someone, isn't it?"

And Joohyun had no choice but to clamp when everyone in the class was staring at them.

"Will you shut up for just one minute, Wendy?" Joohyun hissed and scowled when she saw those big doe eyes. So unlike Seulgi.

"And what about smoke rings?"

Joohyun shrugged. "I learned to enjoy watching them."

"But you hate cigarettes." Wendy said, now very confused.

"But that can help sometimes."

Joohyun smiled to herself as Wendy sent her one of her 'I-have-no-idea' looks. Wendy will never know and she liked it that way.

Then her thoughts drifted off to the moment when Seulgi sat with her on the pavement in front of the convenient store, watching Joongi smoke his cigarettes and puff out smoke rings. Enjoying their comfortable silence and their small talk.

"You like someone who puts sugar in his coffee and who smokes?" Wendy guessed and Joohyun snorted.

"Now I know why you got the lowest score in literature."

And Wendy finally gave up when their teacher entered, silencing them.

Joohyun was still smiling but it wasn't the usual mocking smile Wendy was used to. And she was dying to know what caused Bae Joohyun to smile like that.

.

It was their last day of spring vacation and Joohyun managed to convince her mother she wanted to spend her afternoon with Wendy which was a big fat lie.

Instead of calling Wendy, she raced toward the park where the girl behind the statue casually read her book but dropped it when Joohyun pulled her up frantically. Before she could even greet her friend, Joohyun dragged her to their usual cafe and ended up getting free coffee and pancakes with strawberries on top. Seulgi scrunched up her nose when the waiter put the coffee in front of her.

"Why did you order coffee for me?"

Joohyun smiled as she pulled out the straw. "Because it amuses me when you drink coffee."

"Typical Joohyun Bae," Seulgi muttered and immediately put the mug down after taking a sip. She waved her left hand signaling Joohyun to pass the sugar but her friend pretended not to see her.

"God Joohyun you're very annoying!"

Joohyun giggled childishly but still ended up giving the bear the only source that will make her drink her coffee. "You don't have to drink it, you know."

"I know. But you bought lunch for me so it's polite to savor all of them."

The younger sliced her pancake with a knife and nodded in contentment when she put one of the slices in .

"I wanted to buy it to apologize," Joohyun said quietly and Seulgi sent her a questioning look. "For what? Did you do something wrong?"

"No. I've been neglecting you for almost a week and I felt bad."

Seulgi shrugged, putting another piece in . "It's not your fault that you need to study. It's just your duty."

Joohyun sighed. "But I sometimes feel like it's too much."

Seulgi nodded showing a silent agreement and Joohyun laughed bitterly.

"What choice do I have, right?"

"You're just preparing for your future, Joohyun. Don't feel too stressed."

"I don't have my future, Seulgi." She protested. "I don't have something that I want to pursue but here I am, studying my off for what?"

"You'll find it someday." The younger said reassuringly.

"How come you're so sure?" Joohyun questioned suspiciously.

"Because I know you will."

Joohyun was stubborn. But so was Seulgi. Not when it comes to herself though.

Seulgi continued to chew her pancake and Joohyun looked at her in disbelief.

"Besides." The girl who finished half of her pancakes added. "With me by your side, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Joohyun wanted to say how come she was so confident about it but she had to admit, it relieved her Seulgi was going to attend the same school. Even though they're in different class because of their age, still that meant she get to spend time with the bear. And that was something she really appreciated. Not that she would tell Seulgi that.

Seulgi while pouring more syrup, glanced at Joohyun who was deep in her own thoughts.

"Nervous about high school?" She guessed and Joohyun shrugged.

"I'm not the one who's nervous."

She gestured toward the pancake and Seulgi sheepishly stopped pouring more syrup on the pancakes which were drenched.

"It's a real shame that we're in different classes." The older said sincerely and Seulgi glumly sipped her coffee.

"Yeah.."

"But I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends." Joohyun said with confidence.

"How come you're so sure?"

Seulgi said teasingly expecting the same answer from Joohyun.

"Because you're lovable."

Seulgi definitely didn't expect that comment and that made her blush furiously. Joohyun's intense gaze told her she was serious which made her even more flustered.

"Is that strawberry shake poisoned or something?"

"I'm a nice person, Seulgi."

Seulgi, with her blush still evident, smiled playfully. "Yeah, I guess that's why we get along."

Joohyun smirked at her friend who was trying to be sarcastic. But her pink cheeks and burning red ears proved she was still flustered.

"I guess so."

Joohyun could tell Seulgi was feeling nervous about her first day of school. The way her eyes look far away and remain unfocused. But unlike her eyes, kept moving still consuming her pancake and she couldn't help but find that adorable.

"Someone seems nervous," Joohyun said with a smirk.

"I'm not good with people," Seulgi mumbled, biting her nails.

Joohyun nodded in agreement. "Same."

"You're..... different." Seulgi sighed in exasperation and Joohyun frowned. "What makes us so different?"

Seulgi threw up her hands as if she was stating an obvious fact. "Everyone would literally die to be friends with you."

Joohyun lips twitched in amusement. "Oh really?"

"Of cour