After that day, Wheein saw little of Hyejin after that. No, that’s a lie. She saw more of Hyejin. She began to notice her in the most least expected places. No, another lie. She started to notice more of her surroundings and began to notice more of the world around her. It just so happens that Hyejin is in those areas.

First, it was Homeroom. Second, it was lunch. Third, it was p.e. Finally, it was the last class of the day. 

The first, homeroom, was least surprising. Afterall, the homeroom  is where the hodgepodge of students are lumped together. Of course someone like Hyejin would stand out. The next was lunch. After their first meeting and interaction, of course she would notice Hyejin more. She became attuned to her presence no matter how far away. Despite this, they never interacted with  each other any more than the first day. Maybe a few stray glances and a few waves of acknowledgement from Hyejin, but other than that their only main thread of contact was Kim Ji Yeon.  

Some days she was with her friend group. Other days she was with Hyejin, connected at the arms. Other days, she would join Wheein, enjoying the peace to an otherwise mundane day. It all became very simple, and stagnant. The only shift in the air was the shift of the seasons from summer to fall. And maybe some group and partner projects came along with it.

“Come now Wheein, it isn’t going to be so bad.” Moonbyul stated as she moved files around from her desk, trying to make sense of the mess.

Yong would be out for the rest of the evening due to a boxing tournament and Wheein did not feel like being alone on this cool Friday night. So, she opted to lounge about in her mother’s office. Draping herself across a leather arm chair, she spilled her superficial woes to her mother. 

“I know in the end it won’t be the end of the world, but you get my point.” Wheein continued to sketch, somehow able to maintain a steady hand despite her awkward position. Her poor spine.

Moonbyul finally had enough, sighing in defeat, she leaned back and rubbed her temples. “Ah, I know...I also know that you will probably do most of the work anyway.” She gave a look of sympathy to her daughter, helpless and unable to do anything but listen.

“Exactly! Will it always be like this? Will it always be where people will take advantage of others' skills and take their accomplishments as their own?”

Ah, ever the observant one. Leaning forward, hands together in contemplation, Moonbyul gave careful thought to her next words. As much as she wanted to assure her daughter that the adult world is nothing like the highschool world, she can’t lie to her either.

“Wheein-ah…” Moonbyul trailed off, unsure on how to admit it. Despite her own best efforts, even she has fallen victim to others taking others' work.  

Wheein peered over the chair, “It will always be like this, huh?”

Moonbyul swiveled around to get up and walked towards Wheein to see across from her in the other empty chair. The wood flooring creaking ever so slightly, the lush rugs absorbing the footsteps, Moonbyul glided over to her daughter. 

Wheein watched as her mother made her way. Noting the strides full of confidence despite being in a safe space. One day, Wheein hopes to walk with such confidence one day.

Finally getting comfortable in the chair, Moonbyul finally gave an answer. 

“You’re right. If anything, it is like high school on a grander scale. Everyone will still have their groups, friends and enemies, and the need to be better than their peers despite them saying otherwise.. Ah, Wheein-ah, I wish I could tell you otherwise.”

Wheein sat up, truly facing her mother on equal footing, eye to eye. Or, as eye to eye as possible. She will forever be shorter than her mother but that’s beside the point. Right now was an important opportunity to finally tell her mother and get a little stress off her shoulder.  

“Hey, I have a side question.”

Moonbyul poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher from the table that separated them. 

“Fire away.”

“Will it get easier?”

A sip. A contemplation. 

“Define ‘it’. School? It’s a roller coaster. Life? That depends. ” 

Silence. Another sip. Another contemplation.

“Making friends…”

A silent whisper, a plea, an answer barely holding back the roaring waters of insecurities. 

“Hmmm. Did you not make some already so far?”

“Ji Yeon doesn’t count. She made friends with me. I meant the other way around. How do I make friends with someone else?”

“You’re thinking about making friends with the people who are forcefully paired with, huh? Taking advantage of a terrible situation.” Moonbyul nodded wisely, easily seeing through her daughter’s reasoning. 

A simple shrug, “Might as well right? It’s already October and  all I got from my efforts is one friend!” 

A lie, there was no effort. Why give an effort when it would be in vain? Besides, she is doing what her mom told her to do. What they both told her to do. She is focusing more on school than anything else. 

Another lie. Another excuse.

“At least you’re trying.”

She isn’t.

“What else can I do besides try?”

Actually do.

Moonbyul hummed softly, in part thinking and in part just wanting to make a noise. What more can she tell her daughter that she has not told her all her life? Be more open? Making friends is a two way street of open communication and despite Moonbyul bringing Wheein to many events to where she can observe how people interact with each other, Wheein has never been able to execute what she saw. The only thing she seems unable to do. She can watch anyone do anything with any skill, and immediately afterwards mimic it almost exactly. But usually that happens with actual physical skills, the dance of emotional understanding has always eluded Wheein. 

“Tell me, what do you do when you try to make friends?” A swirl of the glass as if the water was wine.

“Well,”  a slight squirm,“ I try to keep it casual. I look for an opening in which to interject that seems natural. Most of the time it is acknowledging a small comment that they have made. You know, showing that I listen…..” And on she droned. Talking about all the steps she takes in which she tries to make a friend. Despite her trying to pass it off as being natural, it came off as something that was a military grade plan with different possibilities and outcomes being considered. 

Therein lies the issue. Hearing Wheein speak of it outloud made it all click. It clicked and hit Moonbyul like a pile of bricks tied to the front of a freight train going at full speed towards her tied down body. Wheein is doing as she saw others doing. But she failed to notice the key in all of it. The key to emotional connection. The key to human compatibility. 

“Wheein.” An interruption to the spiel Wheein was giving. An abrupt tone accompanied by a warm gaze 

“Yes?” Regained focus. A call to attention.

“Have you ever just gone with the flow?”

“The flow of conversation? Yes.” The calculation was back. Everything can be calculated.

“No, I mean,” a brief pause. This was something she can’t just tell her daughter. Wheein will have to experience herself. What she needed was to be pointed in the right direction. A direction to where she can find the path on her own. Eventually.

“Let’s try this again. How is it with Ji Yeon?”

A confused pup.

“Huh?? We can easily talk about the mundane and every now and then we talk about aliens and things.”

There.

“And during that whole time, during your whole interaction with her, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking of what to say next in terms of the context of the conversation??”

God this kid.

“Wheein-ah, you are so smart and yet….” a small shake of her head while she reached over and ruffled Wheein’s hair. “You really do take after your mom.”

Wheein just pouted and whined, “You’re supposed to help meeee~”

The whine only made Moonbyul chuckle for a bit before she finally gave in.

“Fine, fine. My point was that when you are with Ji Yeon are you thinking or are you feeling?”

“I’m…..” A stump. Wheein never noticed until it was pointed out but everytime she is with Ji Yeon, or even back when she was with her old friends, she never thought. She never thought about the multiple branches their interactions could go. All she thought, no, all she did was feel. She did what she felt was right. Huh. The power of feeling truly was the basis of all human connection.

Upon seeing her daughter come upon the realisation herself, Moonbyul gave a proud smile. Patting herself on the back, she finished the rest of her water and leaned back. However, despite this good stretch, Moonbyul failed to remember that these leather chairs do not recline and only move a little back, and any more movement back would result in--

“The , mom! Are you ok??”