CHAPTER 1

“Soojin… Soojin… SOOJIN-AH!”

Soojin heavily gasp and finally wakes up from the nightmare.

Minnie fell off the bed when she was shocked at Soojin waking up all of sudden with a gasp. “Ouch! Ah…my …” She whine a little.

Soojin who is still sitting up and catching her breath slowly turns her head to Minnie who was still in confused, “Oh God, are you okay?” Soojin asked while try to calm herself down as she feel relieved that it was just another bad dream she had.

Minnie slowly getting up, fixing her white t-shirt as she answer. “Well, are you okay?”

Soojin lightly smile to assure Minnie, “Yes, I’m okay. It just a stupid nightmare.”

Minnie sat on the bed and look at her, “You’re having that dream again, aren’t you? You know, this is probably like the fifth time in this month that you’re having a nightmare. Don’t you think it’s weird though?” She gets up and walking to the mirror to fix her bang and brush her long silky black hair.

Soojin sighs while brushing her fingers through her hair, “What time is it? Are they even here yet?”

Minnie take a glance at Soojin’s reflection in the mirror before she continue to apply her lipstick, “They will be here in any minutes, you know? You should really get dress.”

“What?!” Soojin exclaimed and reach for her phone, looking at the time, confirming the time she had left to get herself clean. “Why didn’t you wake me up an hour ago? I need to shower! Ugh…”

The question had Minnie speechless and she end up replying Soojin with a sarcasm, “Wow, yeah. I might as well just waking you up from the dawn. Seriously, Seo Soojin.”

Minnie grab her oversized denim jacket and checking her outfit if it goes well with her short jeans.

She smiled in satisfaction, “Alright, I’m all set! Are you…” She turns around to check on Soojin and her face changed as soon as she sees Soojin are falling asleep again. “Oh. My. God. Unbelievable.” She sighed as she knows she has to get through waking up Soojin again.

IN THE CAR

[Uh-oh (Instrumental by G-IDLE playing in the background]

“What took them so long to just put on some clothes? Sheesh.” Yuqi complained from the backseat with Shuhua whining non-stop while playing mobile games, resting her head on Yuqi’s lap and her legs sticking out of the car’s window.

Yuqi started to get irritated by Shuhua’s child-like character, “Oh my God, would you stop your whining already? It’s not even worth it, you’re gonna lose anyway!”

Shuhua surprised by Yuqi’s words – judging her skills in playing games, “Oh. WOW. Are you trying to pick a fight with me or what? I’M THE KING OF MOBILE GAME, DON’T YOU KNOW THAT?” She replied with a whiny voice.

Miyeon in the driver seat starting to feel frustrated over Yuqi and Shuhua’s endless quarrel, “Girls, I am trying to fix my make up right here, can you guys chill for a bit, pretty please?” Miyeon kindly asked after letting out a sigh and still holding the mascara with a mirror in her other hand. “I really need a good concentration right now.”

After 20 minutes of waiting in the car, Soojin and Minnie finally visible from the orphanage house’s door, walking towards Miyeon and Shuhua’s dad Classic 1970’s brown convertible Cadillac.

Minnie greets the girls before she apologized on behalf of her sleepyhead roommate, “Hey guys, so sorry for keeping you guys waiting.”

Miyeon greet them with a pure smile, “Oh that’s totally fine. I needed the time to fix my make up as well. Hey, come on, hop in!”

Shuhua quickly removes her legs from the window and open up the door for them, her mood changed whenever she sees her beloved Soojin, “Good afternoon, my love Soojin-ie!

Soojin replied with a light smile, “Hey, Shuhua.” She gets inside and join the backseat.

Yuqi make a room for them both to fit in the backseat, “Come come come!” She greets them happily knowing Soojin’s presents would stop the quarrel she just had with Shuhua.

Miyeon check the backseat before starting the engine to make sure she’s not forgetting anyone as she saved the front seat for another friend, “Alright, let’s go!”

AT THE CONVENIENT STORE

Recommended background song to listen to for this scene:
Uh-oh by G-IDLE

Sleeveless fitted crop top with ripped jeans match with a blue worn out jeans jacket and a bucket hat over her black bob cut hair, Soyeon’s sense in fashion are always the best though it can be pretty deceiving too. People around her would always thought she is the untouchable rich kid who loves to wear trendy clothes.

Soyeon wandering around the store, looking for snacks that can fit inside her jacket’s pocket with her eyes keep checking the cashier at the counter. Her sly hands starting to move unnoticed, she manage to grab different types of chocolate bar and some packs of jelly. After she fixed her jacket a bit, she bravely goes to the counter and take one lollipop and place it on the counter with a smile. “Turns out I couldn’t find a bag of Lay’s chips in here, so just this one.” She acted in front of the cashier.

The cashier smiles back to her before he scans the lollipop for her. “Oh, we’re so sorry for that. The last bag of chips was bought an hour ago, you’ve missed it.”

She keep playing along as she pay for the cheap lollipop, “Ugh, that’s too bad.” She grab the lollipop then unwrap it and smiles to the cashier innocently before putting it into , turning away and walk to the door. Before she could open the door, a chocolate bar that she had sneak in came out of her jacket. “….” She freeze and slowly turned her head to check if the cashier sees it.

The look of the cashier changed in instant as he starts to yell at her, “YOU THIEF!”

“. . . .” Soyeon cursed nervously under her breath, still managed to quickly pick up the chocolate bar and get out of the store before she get caught.

While she running along the sidewalks, she heard a familiar car horns and voices from behind her, she begin to smile when she saw the girls came to her rescue. She ran to the passenger seat and before she enter, she throw up her middle finger to the cashier who is way behind as she shouts, “HAH, LOSER!”

The cashier gave up when he sees Soyeon getting away in a car. He cursed but did not even bother to look at the license plate. “These kids…”

Miyeon drives away over to their best spot yet to hang out. Over the hills, where you can view the city beneath you. They sit around the abandoned camp fire in circle with a bucket of beers.

[Background song fades…]

“I should have brought some snacks whenever we come up here. I only remember to bring these beer.” Miyeon said before sipping on the beer carefully.

Minnie agreed as she rub her stomach, “I didn’t get anything to eat for lunch.”

Soyeon glares at Shuhua and Yuqi, “If these two didn’t finish everything in the car just now, we still got things to eat. My effort goes to waste.” She sighed before she take a sip on the beer.

Shuhua make a sulky face as she lay her head on on Soojin’s shoulder, clinging on her arm, “But… I was hungry.”

Yuqi laugh in sarcastic way, “Wow, that’s what you call an effort? By stealing? Woooow.”

Soyeon continued to glare at her, “You just ate it.”

Yuqi stuttered as she is losing the argument, “W-what? S-so what?”

Soojin watch everyone as they are having conversations and mixed with some childish arguments and she finally joining in, “Alright, stop fighting. Hey guys, isn’t summer almost over now?” She asked as she open up a can of beer.

Shuhua looking up at Soojin, realizing that she is right, “Oh right!” She grunt then whine a little, “Noooo, I don’t want it to be over!”

Minnie chime in, “But most importantly, college are about to start this fall. And we don’t even get any feedback from the colleges we applied! Not even an offer…”

Soyeon smiles as she feel relieved, “Hah, that’s good then. I don’t even feel like studying anymore. Let’s just find a job or something. Or maybe we can rob a bank! I mean we’re even good at pranking our teachers in high school. We certainly can fool the police too.” She laughs when she had a flashback.

Yuqi once again denied, “I certainly would not rob a bank. Not before I get my Degree at least! I got a reputation too, you know?” She sighed at the thought of her parents. “I had to get a Degree.”

“Well, Minnie and I have to get into college too. Would be great if we could get a scholarships too.” Soojin replied.

Minnie agreed, “Yeah, our Mother would encourage everyone in the orphanage home to go to college when we turned 18.” She added.

Miyeon sighs as she throw the empty beer can in the trash can, “Same goes to me and Shuhua.”

Shuhua glance to her step-sister and nodded, “That’s true.”

Soyeon finishing her beer as she stays quietly listening to the girls talking about college. She lays her head down on Miyeon’s lap and watching the clear sky.

Miyeon starts caressing the top of her head, looking down to her, “Well, Soyeon, what about you? You’re not thinking of going to college?”

She quietly thinking before she give out an answer, “I don’t really have the intention to study anything. Even though I know my mom would be proud as hell if she knows I’m entering a college. But- I mean, what’s the point? I’m just a bummer and a petty thief. Am I even qualify?”

Yuqi at the side heard her and firmly say, “Hey, stop the nonsense. I know you think that you’re not good enough in studies but you’re the only champion in track field! Have you forgot your dream to be…”

A wide smile drawn into Soojin’s face as she finish the sentence before Yuqi could, “The fastest girl in the world!” Soojin imitated the 7 years old Soyeon.

Soyeon looking at her with a smile as she start to flashback to the times when she and Soojin were kids and talking about their dreams.

“Silly, you still remember that time, huh?” Soyeon giggled and turning her head back straight looking at the sky.

All of them laughs when they suddenly remembered a story that Soojin once told them when they were still 15 playing the truth or dare game. The famous fierce gangster Soyeon in high school, always feel embarrassed at herself for saying something that sounds so adorable to the girls.

Soojin smiles to herself as she’s watching the girls talking and joking around with each other. She always finds comfort whenever they are all around her. Even though she barely joining in the conversation every single time, but to her, watching them enjoying themselves is one thing she could never get tired of.

What would I even do without them? They are my strength, my comfort, the only friends that I can share every fun and sad moments with. I swear I could never ask for more and they are all that I have left.  This friendship we had is so precious and I will always treasure it, forever.

THE ACADEMY

In a big room – full of antique and classic furniture, a big, tall book shelf almost covering the entire walls. There’s an office table across the door with huge portraits hang on wall on top of the fireplace that is 5 feet away from the chair.

The smells of cigars at the hand of the Principal fills the space as he was standing, looking out of the window. Soon after, a man in suit and tie entering the door, walking towards the Principal to send a message. “They are all ready, sir.”

The Principal take a hit from the cigar and blow out the smoke slowly before releasing a command, “Good, send them away. It is time.”

TO BE CONTINUED…