It’s the first week of school and Jungeun already encountered a lot of interesting things. First, her best friend Jinsoul broke up with her 6 months long girl friend. Which wasn’t a big deal to her, because—in her own words— she wasn’t that interested in the first place. Jungeun can’t understand why Jinsoul prolonged the relationship. She tried to ask once but only got a shoulder shrugged. News spread fast and admirers were immediately lining up for her friend. Jinsoul couldn’t care less though. “Being single is actually fun,” she said. Jungeun never really understood her friends.

Sooyoung appears quiet and diligent, which she is in class. She studies hard unlike Jungeun and Jinsoul. It is so her parents wouldn’t find out about her partaking in the school dance group. They still did find out though during that one time Sooyoung came home late and her tongue kind of slipped. To her surprised, they were actually lenient as long as Sooyoung dancing won’t affect her studies. So, going back to the interesting thing, she’s in the dance group. The process was vague to her. Recalling Sooyoung needing one more member for their first performance this school year and then she was standing in front of the floor to ceiling mirror, counting 1/8 with the rest of the group. She thanked herself for not .

Then there’s Jo Haseul. She is a complex character. One minute she has this aura of a leader emanating from her that Jungeun more than often caught herself easily obeying Haseul’s command. It’s so easy and natural to be a follower of her with her confident and witty control of things. But there are also times when Haseul would act childish, as in highly energetic. “Hey, wanna visit this new store that just opened? I heard their ice cream is good!” she would say and no one really questions why they are suddenly in the so called new store eating different flavors of ice cream. Haseul would invite them to a lot of places and most of their time clubbing was Haseul’s idea—sometimes Jinsoul’s—they blamed it to Haseul’s contagious high spirits.

They are all amazing individuals contrasting from Junguen’s dullness. And she would be fighting them against this gorgeous new student with a bright smile that could make their grumpiest professor melt and smile. Which she did. Jungeun was a witness to it.

Her name is Jiwoo. Kim Jiwoo. They have the same surname and Jungeun don’t know how to feel about that. Anyways, Jiwoo sat in front of her in almost every class she has with her. Jungeun question its coincidence more than once.

The first time she talked with Jiwoo was when she barged inside the practice room where the woman was playing the piano that was placed in the centre of the room. Jiwoo was also singing with her eyes closed.

Jungeun stood frozen, allowing herself to enjoy the woman’s musical talent. Her voice was soft and feminine but it bounced around the sound proofed walls of the studio with power. As she pressed the last chord with her deft fingers, her voice fading with a mellow vibrato, Jiwoo opened her eyes slowly. It widened upon seeing Junguen standing still, one hand holding the strap of her backpack. It was awkward. Jungeun can feel the heavy silence on her skin which made her uneasy.

And then, Jiwoo’s face relaxed before a playful cute smile appeared. “Do you have the ticket for my concert?”

Jungeun blinked and stammered like an idiot. “Ah. I–I actually do. It was expensive but it was worth it.”

That statement made Jiwoo giggled bashfully. Jungeun focused too much on the way her heart had jumped and picked up she almost missed Jiwoo’s following words. “Thank you. Hope you’ll come back for the next then.”

“I will. With a lightstick too.”

Jiwoo laughed. “Looking forward to it,” she said as she pick up her bag beside the piano stool. She stood up and moved in front of Jungeun. The woman seemed to have a permanent smile on her face. “I’m Jiwoo. You are?”

“Jungeun.”

“Nice to meet you, Jungeun.”

Jiwoo’s shoulder grazed hers when the woman left. The scent of fresh flowers wafted to Jungeun’s nose. She turned when the door clicked close. She was alone in the room but the wholeness that Jungeun felt with Jiwoo remained until she left the room. It became her favorite practice room.

“Have you seen the new student?” Jinsoul asked before shoving a huge of bite of burger inside . Jungeun was sitting beside her and was facing Sooyoung who gave Jinsoul a disgusted look.

“Oh, Kim Jiwoo?” Haseul handed a bundle of tissues to the blonde across from her.

They’re in the cafeteria sharing lunch together as usual. The area was not as crowded as it often was but it never really got too loud there, the reason they always meet up there to bond.

Jinsoul chewed her burger first then wiped with a tissue before responding. At least she knows not to talk with full, Jungeun mused to herself. “You’ve met her?” Jinsoul asked.

Haseul nodded. “Talked with her during music class.”

“What she’s like?”

“Very nice and very cute.”

Sooyoung just finished sipping from her milk carton when she said, “Ooh, is our Haseul smitten?”

Haseul snapped her attention to Sooyoung. “What?! No! She’s just… charming. You’ll understand once you meet her.”

“There she is.” Jinsoul shamelessly pointed to the entrance of the cafeteria. Jungeun immediately slapped her hand down. She almost face palmed when all of her friends looked over to Jiwoo. Talk about obvious. But she herself couldn’t stop her eyes from searching the woman.

Jiwoo, as if sensing their gazes, looked over. In instant, their heads snapped back to each other.

“She’s cute,” said Sooyoung before stealing another glance. Jungeun wanted to do the same but controlled herself.

“Hey, wanna do something fun?” Jinsoul asked and they all looked at her with suspicion. Jinsoul’s idea of fun is sometimes dangerous. The blonde raised both of her hands, showing her palms as a sign of honesty.

“Spill,” said Jungeun, her first word since she had arrived the cafeteria.

“Let’s do a bet.” Jinsoul smiled and her eyes unmistakably glinted in a mischievous way. Jungeun prepared herself. She doesn’t like the idea already. Bets just don’t do well with her. She looked across the table and saw Sooyoung and Haseul were interested. There’s an underlying competitiveness on their expression. That was enough reason for her to withdraw from the bet.

“I—”

“Who gets to kiss the new student first?”

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to participate.