“Jinsoul-unnie!”

“Soulie-unnie!”

The said girl steps into the kindergarten with bags full of presents for the children, the brightest smile on her face when she sees the kids running towards her. Working here as an assistant is more rewarding than Jinsoul had ever thought it’d be. Having the chance to accompany others and observe the kids grow up has taught her so many lessons. An off day also means more time to think of what she can to be a better teacher. She knows they don’t really need her help for the day but since Children’s Day just passed, Jinsoul decided to grab some nice gifts on her way home.

“Yeojin-ah, this is for you.”

The pretty, pig-tailed child comes hopping to her with an ice cream cone in one hand, dripping down her tiny wrist. Well, she obviously has no qualms dirtying her overalls.  

“Thank you, Unnie!” Yeojin squeaks out of happiness, hugging the nicely wrapped box in her free arm.

Jinsoul hands out another box to a little girl named Chaewon, whose arms were linked with her best friend of the entire group of children, Hyejoo. This pair of friends probably interest her the most, because they’re the exact opposite of each other.

Park Chaewon, who typically wears princess-like dresses, plays with dolls and dollhouses, enjoys talking and playing together with Son Hyejoo, who’s always dressed in t-shirts and shorts, having a remote control for the car kept safely in her bag. Polar opposites who could get along as well as them are hard to find, much to the teachers’ amusement. The way Hyejoo brings Chaewon out of her protective shell effortlessly, and how Chaewon could calm Hyejoo’s emotions with a single smile of her own. Even right now, Hyejoo is the one holding Chaewon’s present for her on top of her own. It’s one of the cutest things to witness, though it happens every day without fail.

Her eyes narrow at the small figure huddled up in the corner with a sad pout on her face – Jinsoul has never seen this cutie before. In fact, none of the kids are shy, they’re actually rather loud and rambunctious around each other.

“Jung Jinsoul!”

“Oh… Haseul.”

The short-haired woman pretends not to notice the slight hesitation in Jinsoul’s voice, but her expression can’t hide the tiniest pinch in her heart – to think that years of friendship could just go down the drain. Jinsoul had lost contact with her after entering university, understandable considering her course and heavy workload. Haseul, on the other hand, could feel the girl was slowly pulling away from her too.

“So… what are you doing here?” Jinsoul asks sheepishly, her hands shoved deep into her pockets. She wonders if it’s too harsh of a question, not that it could be taken back. “I mean, I’ve never seen you before and I’m here almost every day.”

Haseul merely looks back at her with a smile of her own, “my daughter has been attending class here for almost a year now. She is in nursery but most of her friends are in the class above hers.”

“Oh… wait! Yeojin is your daughter?!”

***

“Hyejoo…”

“Son Hyejoo…”

Hyejoo turns to the much smaller-framed girl standing beside her, the latter’s fingers incessantly tugging on the hem of her shirt. She an eyebrow (as best as a child can) and puts down her remote control. “What, Unnie?”

Chaewon doesn’t give an audible response, simply pointing at the other girl huddled up by herself against the bookshelf. Once upon a time, she was once in that position as well. Her family had just moved houses, and this kindergarten happened to be relatively nearby. Being a new student is never easy, especially after all the other children have bonded and formed friendships with one another. Don’t talk about preschool, even as an adult, it’s difficult to actually include themselves or try to make new friends. So, how could Chaewon, a mere five-year-old then, do that all by herself?

Thankfully, there was Hyejoo – another girl who didn’t bother to play with anyone despite being alone. It had come to everyone else as a surprise when she approached Chaewon first.

“We can play with her… she can be our dog! Since you’re my wife!”

“I’m not!” Chaewon all but shrieks at the bold statement, the pink tint on her chubby cheeks giving away the embarrassment. “And don’t call her a dog! She’s a cute girl!”

Nevertheless, the two friends walk hand-in-hand towards the lonely girl with nervous hearts. It’s going to be a fun time for all of them, as long as she’s willing to play with them. After all, Yerim has been sitting by herself for the past three days or so. It’d be good to finally have some company.

Kim Yerim.

That’s her name.

Yerim just transferred to this district with her mother, having bought their own apartment and moved out from her grandparents’ house. Initially upset at the sudden decision to change schools and all, Yerim had ignored her mother for three days straight. Although both her mind and her heart were telling her that this was for the best, what else could a five-year old do besides throw tantrums? It was only after eavesdropping on a conversation she was clearly not invited to; her mother had been arguing with someone (probably her grandmother) and ended up in tears. Both of them had their dinner with tears and snot all over their faces.

“Hey…”

Tilting her head at the two girls standing right in front of her, Yerim hopes they aren’t here to poke fun at her. It’s not exactly a dream to come true to be picked on.

“What’s your name?”

“K-Kim Yerim…”

“I’m Chaewon…” Chaewon smiles shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear. She beckons her best friend to introduce herself, rolling her eyes when Hyejoo ignores her. “And this is Hyejoo… who’s being super mean right now but it’s because she’s shy!”

That statement can’t be any more doubtful, not with Hyejoo who’s not looking at her at all. She seems to be more interested in that little car moving around without restraint than an actual human being. For some reason, Yerim finds it intriguing although she’d find it irritating on most days. The vibe and aura she’s getting from Chaewon and Hyejoo differ in so many ways.

“Well, let’s go. You can be our dog, Yerim.”

“WHAT?!”

***

“Her surname is Hwang though…”

Haseul smiles at the thought of her family, the memory of her wife chasing their daughter around the apartment playing on repeat. “My wife’s last name is Hwang so we decided to go with it…”

With eyebrows furrowed and her mind in a whirl, Jinsoul can’t wrap her head around the new information. As far as she knows, her surname does not happen to be Hwang.

“Wait… did Jungeun change her last name?”

“What does my marriage have to do with Jungeun?”

The two women stare at each other in confusion; they are most certainly not on the same page.

With the way Jinsoul is staring at her, Haseul wonders if an extra ear has grown in the middle of her forehead. The last time she’s seen Jinsoul this confused is probably after their test results came out. She had even pulled an all-nighter – something she’s against – and somehow failed that particular examination. What confuses her more is why Jinsoul is confused, and why she brought Jungeun up. It’s been years since Haseul has seen the other woman too; then again, Haseul did have a very private wedding and with their families only. Her friends and other relatives didn’t even know about it till Yeojin was born.

“Okay, I think there’s a misunderstanding,” Haseul sighs, chortling at the dazed look on Jinsoul’s face. “I’m married to Kahei, and we decided to use her surname in the Korean translation for our daughter.”

Kahei was one of her mentors back in the design company Haseul used to work in. The older woman was assigned to bring her around and get her familiar with how things were organized. Their meeting was actually unlike how anyone would have predicted it to be. Kahei, known for her demure personality, had kicked up a tantrum the moment they were out of the manager’s sight.

Jinsoul stops just before they re-enter the school gate, “so… you didn’t get married to Jungeun?”

“Sweetie, we were never dating each other. Why would I get married to one of my close friends?”

…

Close friends?

With her thoughts in disarray, Jinsoul watches Haseul stroll into the kindergarten to pick her daughter up. Never did she expect to bump into people from her university, and for one of them to be a mother already. This also brings her right to the next question; what happened to the whole dating fiasco between Jungeun and Haseul? The memory of stumbling into Jungeun’s bedroom one night and finding the two on the same bed had shattered Jinsoul’s itty bitty crush on the latter. Of course, no one did anything wrong or has to be held accountable for her useless feelings, but it still hurts to this very day.

“Jinsoul?”

“Jung Jinsoul? Is that you?”

Speak of the devil.

It’s not every day your crush back in university appears in front of you, and with a beautiful haircut that could set Jinsoul back for days. She once thought about her reaction if she could ever see Jungeun again – perhaps her heart would stop racing by then – oh, how wrong she is.

“Hi… Jungeun.”

***

“STOP PETTING ME!”

“Hyejoo, stop…” Chaewon groans, trying to stop herself from losing her temper. She may be young and completely small enough to keep in a pocket, but she can pack a punch. “You’re going to make Yerim cry!”

Chaewon genuinely thought the latter was kidding about making their new friend the dog of their family, but Hyejoo had started doing everything she would to a pet. Whether it was tickling her chin or ruffling her hair, Hyejoo did all of it – and to a new girl, no less. Her best friend could be such a tyrant at times; it’s no wonder no one else approaches them of their own accord. Obviously, the new girl is starting to regret the decision of becoming friends with them. Judging by the tear-filled, glossy eyes and red nose, Chaewon can tell this will be the first and last time Yerim plays with them.

“I’m going to get mad!”

Yerim watches in astonishment as Hyejoo immediately stops her antics, pulling on her arm so they’re sitting side by side. She can’t believe that’s all it takes for Hyejoo to stop being annoying.

“Don’t get mad at me, Chaewonnie.” Hyejoo pouts, flashing those adorable puppy eyes at her best friend. “I just wanted to play with her! Doesn’t she look like a cute dog?”

“I HATE YOU!”

Everyone jumps at the unexpected exclamation, watching in stunned silence as Yerim pushes Hyejoo away from her before bolting into the classroom. Out of the many students who have been Hyejoo’s victims, this is probably the first time someone has actually done that. No one expected it to be Yerim; the girl might be quiet and all, but she typically has a smile on her face. Perhaps Chaewon’s idea to befriend her was as well-planned as she thought it was.

Chaewon crosses her arms over her chest, walking away from Hyejoo with a frown on her face. She isn’t really surprised, but she called it as soon as Hyejoo started petting the girl on the head continuously.

“Ladies? What was that screaming about?”

Looking up at her favourite teacher, Chaewon finally stops frowning and goes running into the taller woman’s arms. She wraps her arms tightly against the teacher’s neck, burying her face into her comfortable shoulder. “Hyejoo made fun of the new girl… and kept calling her out pet. Yerimmie got upset and ran into the classroom alone.” Hearing the hum in acknowledgement, the little princess retreats into the teacher’s silent but comforting embrace. She has a rather strong feeling her best friend will get away without a single punishment, but her heart doesn’t feel too good about Yerim.  

Hyejoo crosses her arms, ignoring the slight glare coming from the teacher. She’s not the least bit afraid of this woman, not when their teacher is nothing but a dork back home.

“CHILDREN! LOOK WHO’S BACK!”

The kids seem to go wild at the teacher’s voice, screaming and laughter echo across the play corner as they rush over to the said woman. Very much in contrast to the previous teacher, this one always has a wide smile on her face that can’t seem to be erased. Whether she comes bearing gifts or new books for them, everything she does is welcome. It’s no big surprise that she is the most popular teacher amongst them; her jumpy and upbeat attitude towards everything just wins hearts effortlessly. No one needs to know this either but the way her appearance calms the much taller, stricter teacher takes the cake.

“Miss Kim…”

“Yes, Heejin?”

Heejin, with a lollipop in hand, has her free one tugging on the end of Jiwoo’s dress. She holds out another lollipop that was hidden in her pocket and gives it to the teacher. “The new girl is hiding inside the classroom… I want to give her this.”

Miss Kim Jiwoo – one of the nicer and more understanding teachers in this kindergarten. Of course, none of the teachers are actually angry or scary as the children find but the smiley ones just feel warmer than others.

“I’ll go get her, sweetie. Don’t worry.”

Sighing to herself when she spots Chaewon all wrapped up in her embrace, Jiwoo already knows their resident troublemaker is once again the source of the problem. When her eyes meet the other teacher’s, she feels her heart bit just a bit differently. It’s how things have gone for years between them – to say that they had a spark would be an understatement, especially when the latter never stops staring at her. Everyone knows their relationship isn’t just ‘colleagues’ or ‘friends’ like how they say it is. The kids have even made kissy faces and mischievious little gestures at her (unbeknownst to Miss Ha, because she would whoop their asses if she witnessed that).

According to little Heejin dressed in her adorable pink hoodie, their newly transferred child – also the daughter of someone she had recently connected with – had gotten emotional and hid herself in the classroom. It reminds her so much of Chaewon when she first arrived, so it’s no wonder their tiny princess is worried about her.

“Yerim-ah…”

When there’s no response, Jiwoo walks just a bit further into the room and begins to smile. She should have known that someone else would be here to get Yerim out of her shell by now. Her gut feeling never fails to impress. At least she knows for sure the poor girl isn’t alone and is in relatively safe hands.

Jinsoul has her back facing the door, kneeling on the perfectly protected floor in front of the little girl. She can’t help but feel slightly amused at how upset Yerim looks; this might not be the first time she deals with such cases, yet it hits her very differently. Yerim has her knees huddled up to her chest again, tears streaming down both cheeks without an ounce of control whatsoever. This alone, reminds her so much of Jungeun when they were roommates back in university. Whenever the latter was extremely stressed out or had problems on her mind, she would find Jungeun sitting on the floor beside her bed in that same position.

“Can you tell me why you’re sad?”

Plopping herself onto the floor so she’s now sitting beside Yerim, Jinsoul adjusts her position and makes sure they’re comfortable as she waits for her to open up.

“C-Chaewon-unnie’s friend is so mean…” Yerim sniffles into her long sleeves, struggling to wipe her snort and tears off at once. “She thinks I’m her dog and not a human!”

After praying she wouldn’t get pushed away or rejected, Jinsoul reaches out and scoops the young one into her embrace. “Don’t cry, Yerim-ah. I’m sure she was just kidding, baby girl. You look just like a flower to me, a freshly bloomed one.” Jinsoul coos ever so gently, rocking her back and forth in her arms. She loves children so much; one, because of their pure innocence and more so, the hearts that are full of acceptance for everything and everyone. It is also, however, that same innocence that could cause them to get hurt and angry at one another. This is when Jinsoul wants to step in. The importance of friendships that can be made and misunderstandings that can be solved will be settled under her watch.

Jinsoul feels Yerim’s breathing start to stabilize after a short while, her arms coming up to wrap around Jinsoul’s neck. She feels a small blush appearing when she hears her next words. “I like you a lot, Unnie. You’re so pretty and kind to me… What’s your name?”

“My name is Jinsoul, but you can call me Jindori. No one else calls me that so it’ll be our little secret, okay?”

“Okay, Jindori…”

Usually, Jinsoul will take the initiative to rock any crying children to sleep or at least will till they calm down but not this time; not when this special kid is clinging onto her for dear life. As a matter of fact, it’s adorable that Yerim stops crying the moment she gets to call Jinsoul by a special nickname.

Only one such person used to do that.

~

“So… what did you do after graduating?”

“Well, I obviously didn’t get to do science like I hoped,” Jinsoul chuckles; she actually copes with disappointment in this manner. She isn’t at all disappointed with her choice though, it’s extremely rewarding in another sense of the word. “I’m an assistant in the kindergarten here, but I hold another job in the office.”

Jungeun acknowledges her with a smile, patting the latter on her shoulder supportively. She had never once doubted Jinsoul’s abilities or determination to achieve her goals. If she didn’t turn out to be doing science or pursuing her master’s, then there is a definitive reason for it. The older girl had stayed up several nights just to study and perfect experiments in the comfort of their dorm. Yet, the latter still found time to tutor her whenever she needed help. After all, Jinsoul was her senior back when they were in university together, and on top of that, they were roommates.

There’s a story that Jungeun never told Jinsoul though – she had pulled some strings because the head of student council was her friend and persuaded (threatened) her to put them in the same room. It’s still a mystery how Jinsoul never found out about it.

“No wonder I didn’t see you earlier…”

“You’re here to enroll someone?” Jinsoul asks, eyebrows perched high up with an overflowing sense of curiosity.

Jungeun fails to restrain her smile when she thinks of her precious, kind-hearted daughter, “no, my daughter’s only on her fourth day of school and I just want to make sure she’s doing okay.”

The expression on Jinsoul’s face becomes unreadable at that, color seemingly drained from her originally bashful state. She doesn’t know what she was expecting from Jungeun, but it certainly isn’t for her to be a mother already. For God’s sake, Jungeun never liked kids either; she referred to them as nasty devils who couldn’t be controlled by a single person in this world.

“I… I thought you didn’t want kids.”

“Well, we can’t always stick to our old comments. Look at you, now a teaching assistant when you claimed you couldn’t take care of kids.” Jungeun has a distant gaze for a split second, though her smile reappears right after. “I have to be honest though… you look really, really beautiful.”

You see; if they had met just a bit earlier and resolved the little miscommunication, Jinsoul would be over the moon and on her knees for Jungeun. She feels her heart beating like it once did for Jungeun, and it’s extremely terrible timing if she were to be truthful. As much as her heart calls out for her to make a move, Jinsoul just isn’t the type of person to break up another family. With the knowledge of Jungeun having a daughter and everything now, her initial hopes of rekindling her one-sided crush just got dashed into the ground. No wonder her gut was telling her not to go back to the kindergarten today…

“Y-You do too…” Jinsoul forces the best smile she can muster, “I… I gotta go for now. See you around.”

~

“Jindori?”

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Do I get a present too?” Yerim asks shyly, her fingers playing with the loose strands cascading down Jinsoul’s shoulder. “Chaewon-unnie and the meanie has one… and me?”

Frankly speaking, Jinsoul didn’t hear about the new student entering class a few days ago, so she was flabbergasted when she realized her miscounting of children. She just thanks God she has a habit of overbuying and showering the kids with extra gifts every year, so there were a few leftover presents from the bag. It might not be a suitable one but hopefully, Yerim can overlook that. Something does tell her, however, that Yerim won’t mind at all.

“I do but this is the first time we’re meeting, so the gift might not be something you like very much…” Jinsoul whispers, reaching out to drag the huge paper bag in the corner.

Yerim carefully crawls out of Jinsoul’s lap, sitting cross-legged opposite the teacher as she waits for her own gift. She can barely hide the excitement in her eyes, seeing Jinsoul pull out a gift wrapped with purple bear prints.

“Bring it here!” Yerim screams in excitement.

The item in the box is not like the others – stuffed toys were bought for kids like Chaewon; a nerf gun with several perks for Hyejoo and Hyunjin, and an art palette for Heejin – just to name a few. The last one could possibly be a prank kit, which was meant for Yeojin or a diary with decorative materials. Even if it’s not to Yerim’s liking, Jinsoul won’t hesitate to go and buy another gift for her.

The charm Yerim has is undetachable.

Jinsoul reaches out and tenderly pats the girl’s head, watching her every movement. “I can buy something else if you want, Yerim. It’s okay if you don’t like it, just tell me.”

When Yerim quite literally shrieks and squeals after seeing the beautiful diary sitting nicely in the middle of the box, Jinsoul unconsciously lets out a sigh of relief. There’s nothing more likeable than seeing a child hold something she genuinely adores.

Unbeknownst to both Jinsoul and Yerim, there are two other people standing at the door of the classroom. They’ve been observing the entire process since Jiwoo noticed Jinsoul talking to Yerim inside. It’s not easy to interact with children, especially if they don’t find you familiar at all. These strangers might come off as extremely scary or a form of danger. Who knew it would have worked so fantastically? It’s almost as if Yerim knows Jinsoul personally, and she’s part of the same family or something. And for someone who believes Jinsoul hasn’t changed much compared to their university days, it’s a really… nice sight.

“Unnie… Yerim’s mother is here to pick her up.”

“Shall we go?” Jinsoul asks softly, her eye-smile mirroring the one on Yerim’s face. She extends her hand out to the little girl, yelping when the latter throws herself against Jinsoul’s legs.

Yerim hugs the diary close to her chest, the other arm casually thrown around Jinsoul’s neck. She can’t really understand why she feels particularly comfortable around this teacher.

“Mommy!”

The two teachers watch in amusement as Yerim struggles to be let down from Jinsoul’s arms, making a quick dash towards her mother at the door. That sense of excitement only dies down when Jinsoul realizes who is standing in front of her.

“Jungeun? T-This is your daughter?”

“Hello again,