Genre: Angst, Drama, Romance, Supernatural

Summary: "I had fallen before, but you helped me get back on my feet. I had chosen to give up before, but here I am now, and you're the reason."

She let the silence linger to comfort the both of them. "I could utter a thousand wishes right now, but there's one that's already granted. You're the wish that the stars gave me. You're a gift from the stars, and I couldn't wish for anything better."

Word Count: 11995

Hashtag: #JinjooFiestaS2_ClarionSkies

 

Wishing Upon Clarion Skies

 

"Minjoo-yah, wake up."

 

A soft voice gently whispered in her ears, allowing her to raise her head up. Her sleepy eyes made her vision all blurry, disabling her from identifying the leaning figure in front of her.

 

The sunrays landed on her delicate eyes, causing her to close them in reflex. She slowly opened one to take a peek, barely noticing the sun was halfway through the horizon and that everything was bathed in orange hues.

 

Scratching her eyes, the leaning figure finally came into focus. That smile, and that short brown hair never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

 

"S-sunbae-nim…" Minjoo uttered awkwardly from Chaewon's unexpected appearance.

 

Chaewon frowned and groaned at Minjoo's response. "I told you that you'd call me 'unnie' if we're alone together."

 

Chaewon leaned a bit closer, eyes squinting at Minjoo. The latter bowed her head, not wanting to meet Chaewon's gaze because she thought to herself she might pass out.

 

"Stop… teasing me already," Minjoo pleaded, turning her head a bit sideways. Chaewon let out a satisfied giggle and tapped the other girl on her shoulder.

 

"Sorry about that. I've gotten so used to teasing you because I like it."

 

"You make me look so pitiful, don't you?" Minjoo feigned a sob as a counterattack but it was futile nonetheless.

 

Chaewon playfully smacked Minjoo's cheeks. "Stop with that and let's go home already."

 

"Fine," Minjoo admitted her defeat, proceeding to sling her school bag on her shoulder to take their leave.

 

Every day would go on like that. It all began last year on Minjoo's birthday. She was expecting her friends to come but not Chaewon, who unknowingly joined her birthday party out of the blue. Minjoo doesn't quite know the reason as to why she liked Chaewon right on her birthday. She just kept on convincing herself that it was a birthday gift after wishing early on for something along the lines of "someone who'd make my days more exciting."

 

Wishes get granted sometimes, and she always reminds herself of being careful of what she wishes for. Right now, maybe she regretted wishing for that kind of someone—that someone who'd make your chest feel all tight to the point where you could barely breathe and barely grasp on to that unbearable feeling.

 

But at the same time, she's glad that she got to experience that kind of feeling.

 

"Minjoo-yah," Chaewon called out to her. "You've been smiling the whole time. I wonder what's the reason."

 

It's you, Minjoo thought to herself and in no way she'd be able to say that out loud. "Nothing in particular. Everything's just panning out the way I wanted to."

 

"Feels good to be a second year huh? Us third years are getting busier because of graduation, you know?"

 

"Having… a rough time?" Minjoo asked in concern and Chaewon seemed reluctant to respond.

 

"Actually, we've been having less classes recently and our teachers keep on reminding us to prepare several papers for college," Chaewon replied.

 

"I see…"

 

"I actually miss being a second year because it's probably the best year of my highschool."

 

Minjoo side-glanced at the older girl, waiting for a reason behind those words. As curious as she was, well she's always curious as to what goes on in Chaewon's mind, she didn't let it get to her.

 

But Chaewon, nonetheless, satisfied her curiosity.

 

"It's the best year of my highschool life because I met you."

 

Minjoo felt her cheeks heating up, swelling from those words that seemingly held a different meaning.

 

"W-what do you mean by that, sunbae?"

 

Chaewon frowned again, a heavy sigh escaping her lips in slight anger. "It's unnie, Minjoo-yah."

 

Self-consciousness washed over her, swallowing the lump in . "T-then what do you mean by that… u-unnie?" she reiterated sheepishly.

 

"Nothing in particular," Chaewon replied, not missing a beat.

 

"What? If you're not going to tell me anything otherwise then I shouldn't have called you like that."

 

Minjoo knew deep inside that she's being teased again.

 

"I'm just kidding, I'm sorry! I can't really explain how… but I feel like my life had become much better when I met you."

 

That definitely harbored a different meaning coming from Chaewon and Minjoo tried her best to keep her mind clear from misunderstanding the situation. She considered those lines as a confession of love.

 

"I-is that so…" Minjoo replied with a faint voice and ultimately kept herself silent, focusing on calming down her beating heart.

 

"Now that I've mentioned it, your birthday's tomorrow, right? That means we've been friends for a year now," Chaewon paused shortly to reminisce their times together, a sigh being heaved.

 

"Oh how fast time goes."

 

"Yeah…"

 

They kept on walking and Minjoo refused to speak any longer and let Chaewon narrate what has been happening in her life lately. Sadly, their conversation came to an end for they had to part ways because Chaewon had an errand to run.

 

"Sorry Minjoo-yah, but I'm going this way. My mom told me to buy some stuff so I'll be going on ahead."

 

"It's fine. Take care," Minjoo simply replied and bid Chaewon goodbye. She had to walk a bit then turn to her right before she could let everything out with a heavy sigh.

 

Folding her arm to her chest, she caressed her beating heart and thought to herself if Chaewon would be the death of her. After gathering her composure, she resumed walking with a smile plastered on her face.

 

    ****

 

Chaewon hummed to her heart's content as she browsed through every aisle, looking for what her mother told her to buy. She freezed when her eyes landed on a certain product that seemed so familiar.

 

It was a frog plushie that she bought last year as a present for Minjoo. At that time, she had no knowledge about the birthday girl so she just picked a random gift.

 

Something that began from an unorthodox gift to where they are right now.

 

A contented smile settled on her lips.

 

Chaewon finally finished shopping what her mother told her to and now, with a determined face, she set off to a local jewelry shop to buy something better than last year.

 

This time around, she's looking for something special.

 

    ****

 

The sun slowly rose and its rays crept over the towering skyscrapers in the city of Seoul, eventually filtering through Minjoo's window. Her alarm clock rang at exactly five in the morning, reminding her that today is your birthday.

 

She sprung out of her bed with such enthusiasm, preparing herself and her breakfast. She quickly finished her morning routine and took off in an instant.

 

She definitely couldn't hide her excitement.

 

On her way to school, she kept her eyes glued to the concrete, deep in thought. As she mused over the possible things that would happen that day, her train of thoughts came to a stop when her phone vibrated on her blazer's pocket.

 

It was a text from Yuri, a good friend of hers.

 

"Happy birthday, Kim Minjoo Tenshi!" the text displayed. Minjoo felt a bit awkward just by imagining how Yuri would say that out loud.

 

"Thank you very much, but please drop the 'angel' part," Minjoo typed her reply and sent it.

 

[A/N: tenshi is a Japanese word that means angel, referring to that inside joke recently. I just had to put it here.]

 

A couple of seconds passed by and she felt the cold breeze caressing her face. A ping came through shortly after. "You're no fun, aren't you?"

 

"Then I'm sorry if I killed the mood. It's embarrassing," Minjoo paused, thinking of what she'd add. "Let me just remind you that we're no longer kids."

 

It took a moment for Yuri to text back. "Says the one who made that wish last year."

 

A sour expression quickly crept over her face, not wanting to remember how selfish she actually was a year ago. But now's different. And the reason for that difference is Chaewon.

 

"Shut up. Everyone has their own wishes. Didn't you wish the same when you had your birthday?"

 

Minjoo freezes for a moment, contemplating about what she had been blabbering about. Yuri just texted her to greet her but she's not expecting the conversation to turn out like that.

 

"Can't you just thank me for greeting you? Whatever, I'll see you in school!"

 

And there it was, guilt washing over her as she heaved a sigh.

 

You're totally right, she thought. Making that childish and selfish wish reflects what I've become right now.

 

I never change.

 

And I wish I would.

 

Minjoo just shrugged off everything in her mind with a heavy sigh.

 

A few minutes of walking and she finally arrived at her classroom. Friends that she made here and there, along with some acquaintances greeted her a happy birthday, in which she expressed her gratitude with a simple bow.

 

After going up a flight of stairs to the next floor where her classroom was, she turned right and a red-haired girl came into her view. It was Yuri, seemingly darting her eyes everywhere and Minjoo doesn't know the reason.

 

"Yuri! Over here!" Minjoo called out to her, waving a hand. The mentioned girl flinched, stiffly turning her head to Minjoo.

 

"O-oh, Minjoo. Didn't see you there. Hahaha…" Yuri uttered awkwardly.

 

Minjoo was visibly confused from the other girl's absurd behavior. "What's the matter?"

 

Yuri instinctively burrowed her hands deeper in the pockets of her skirt. "It's nothing!" she reassured with a shaky voice, trudging behind Minjoo and pushing her.

 

"Let's just go to class, yeah?"

 

"Sounds good," Minjoo feigned agreement and let herself be pushed by the other girl. She definitely smelled something fishy.

 

"Y'know, I was actually… waiting for you to arrive because I wanted to try the new sandwich in the cafeteria with you," Yuri voiced out, and the grin on Minjoo's lips just got even wider.

 

Minjoo let out a chuckle. "C'mon Yuri, just tell me. What is it this time around?"

 

Upon hearing that, Yuri jolted and let out a short gasp. She tried shaking it off with an awkward laugh afterwards , but to no avail.

 

Heavy sighs were heaved, the frustration being obvious from how they sounded. Minjoo turned to Yuri, looking over her shoulder. Two Japanese girls came into her peripherals; one with balled fists and the other wearing a sorry face.

 

"Nako-chan, Hii-chan! Good to see you here~"

 

"Hey Minjoo. Happy birthday…" Nako said in such a low register that Minjoo didn't consider it as an actual greeting. It sounded more like a threat, if she were to be honest. Not a threat to her, but to the pitiful Yuri.

 

"I'm sorry, Nako-chan!" Yuri kneeled down and apologized.

 

The short girl just stood there with an unfazed expression and Minjoo can clearly tell Nako's gaze drilling through Yuri's already pitiful soul. But of course, Minjoo viewed it as somewhat comical, knowing how Nako usually expresses her anger that way.

 

Hitomi just stood beside Nako, trying her best to suppress the anger of the short girl. "Nako-chan, please have mercy on Yuri-chan. It couldn't be helped."

 

"Unforgivable. You're not having a slice of Minjoo's cake later," Nako said firmly, leaving the pitiful Yuri sobbing.

 

Hitomi kneeled down beside the other girl and gently patted her back. "Don't worry. I'll let you have some of mine and I'm sure Nako wouldn't mind."

 

"Nako-chan, give Yuri a break. We already know how bad she is at surprises. I just want to celebrate it with you guys," Minjoo voiced out to Nako, and the short girl returned silence.

 

"I'll let her off the hook for now, but I won't talk to her," Nako said, her tone firm.

 

"Nako-chan, please I'm sorry! I'll give you a TWICE album on your birthday," Yuri offered, eyes sparkling like that of a cute puppy appealing to its owner.

 

"Forgiven," Nako retorted, not missing a beat. Yuri finally stood up and went quickly to Nako's side. Hitomi followed suit with a smile, glad that those two quickly made up.

 

"Minjoo-chan, are you just going to stand there?" Hitomi asked, breaking Minjoo from her trance.

 

"Oh… right."

 

Hitomi slowly made her way to Yuri's side and Minjoo watched the three girls interacting and whatnot with each other. A smile unknowingly tugged on the corner of her lips and she thought,

 

I've been gifted with such good friends.

 

Her feet began moving and she quickly caught up with the other three. Nako's arms were folded over her chest with a slight frown, still trying to display her anger while Yuri kept on blabbering about how great the album was to somehow cheer the short girl up. Hitomi was just watching the two, finding Nako's cold treatment quite comical but she knew deep inside that the short girl was just feigning at that point.

 

Minjoo would like to think about what the surprise could've been and how it could've ended, but she's more curious about the gifts she'll be receiving—especially from a special someone. Just thinking about her made her feel all giddy and excited.

 

She definitely couldn't wait, and fortunately the time quickly passed by. She was too engrossed about the myriad of events that unfolded in the classroom that she didn't notice the weather had changed. The skies became all gloomy and the sun was engulfed by the thick clouds. Their class was suspended early because of a weather forecast she clearly missed out. 

 

"What are we going to do now? Is the celebration cancelled?" Yuri said, all worried.

 

"It's not going to get cancelled. We're celebrating at Minjoo's dorm and besides, we live nearby from each other," Nako reassured, packing up her things inside her school bag.

 

"We should hurry before it pours harder," Hitomi reminded them, picking up her pace.

 

As they finished packing, Minjoo was ready to go but Nako forcefully pushed her back to her seat.

 

"Minjoo-chan, you need to behave. We'll be going on ahead to prepare for your birthday so if you don't mind I'll be taking your dorm keys," Nako demanded, her palm wide open.

 

"What if I don't want to? Why do you even want to pour in some effort into something so trivial? It's just my birthday and not by some celebrity out there," Minjoo argued. Of course she's happy that her friends were doing that for her but she thought that it was too much.

 

Nako cleared , pointing an index finger to her chin as she mused over something. "So that's how you want to do it huh? If we can't stop you then you can't stop me."

 

Minjoo reluctantly swallowed the lump that formed in , anxious about what Nako was about to do. "W-what are you planning?"

 

The short girl puffed her chest out and folded her arms over it. With her head held up high, she seemed very determined to get Minjoo's dorm keys.

 

"I'll tell Chaewon-senpai that you like her."

 

Just hearing that name made her cheeks swell in an instant. She hastily leaned sideways, looking behind Nako to see if anyone, or particularly the mentioned girl was around when Nako uttered such a bold action. Much to her relief, they were the only ones left in their classroom and no one was standing by the doorway.

 

"F-fine. I'll let you do this much. You're so unfair, you know?" Minjoo fished for her keys in her bag, surrendering it to Nako. The short girl wore such a triumphant and smug face.

 

"Sorry Minjoo-chan, but you're a very special person for us three," The other two from behind agreed to Nako's words with a firm nod. "Let us do something like this just once. We'll become third years in no time and we'll have less time to have fun and fool around."

 

Minjoo bit her lips, late to realize that the seniors will be graduating in no time and they'll be the ones stepping up.

 

"I know that already. Stop acting like my mother," Minjoo uttered sheepishly, head low as she fiddled with her fingers.

 

Her eyes slowly rose up to meet the window beside her, settled on a droplet that hastily streamed down. The rain wasn't that strong nor that weak either, but it kept on pouring like there's no tomorrow.

 

"We'll be leaving now. Just kill some time while you're here. We promise you that this will be the best birthday you'll ever have," Nako assured before they take their leave.

 

As the three girls turned left upon leaving their room, they stumbled upon Chaewon just outside of their room. Nako freezed, praying that what she had said a while ago wasn't too loud to be heard from the outside.

 

"S-senpai! What brings you here?" Nako asked, her tone stiff. Yuri and Hitomi had no clue as to why Nako was acting like that.

 

Chaewon seemed reluctant at glance, eyes perking up when she snapped out of her trance. "Oh… nothing in particular. The teachers assigned some of us third years to check if students were still staying in classrooms."

 

"I s-see… Well, we'll be going on ahead and please don't forget to attend—"

 

"Sorry, I won't… make it."

 

Nako was taken aback when Chaewon unexpectedly cut her off, along with that reply.

 

"I need to study for the entrance exam and I still need to pass a few important papers… so yeah," Chaewon replied, a bit dejected but she managed to shake it off with a smile.

 

A painful smile, but of course she had to hide it.

 

"W-well, if that's the case then it can't be helped right? It's fine, and we'll be cheering for you," Nako reassured, quickly grabbing Yuri and Hitomi by their hands, and took their leave in a beat.

 

As Nako deemed that it was safe again for them to talk, a sense of relief washed over her. She looked back once more to see if there was anyone around, much to her relief.

 

"This is bad. Do you guys think senpai heard what I said to Minjoo?"

 

"Frankly, I don't even know what was happening to you back there, with your stiff posture and shaky voice," Yuri retorted. "I was busy packing up my things and the rain was pretty loud for me to hear what you guys were talking about."

 

"Me too. I was busy checking our schedules and news articles regarding this weather, so I wasn't paying attention either," Hitomi added. She got her umbrella from her bag and opened it, and Yuri did the same.

 

Nako just held hers, eyes gazing at the wet concrete. She was still worried about Chaewon finding out about Minjoo's feelings.

 

"Argh, I can't take this anymore! Let's just go and put all our minds to making Minjoo's birthday party the best one she'll ever have!" Nako affirmed, back to her former self b with enthusiasm.

 

The three finally took off with haste, not wanting to waste time thinking about Chaewon overhearing what the short girl had said.

 

The rain still kept on pouring, not showing any signs of stopping.

 

Up from above, Minjoo had her eyes trained on particularly nothing, until she spotted Nako, Yuri, and Hitomi on their way to her dorm. With a sigh heaved, she thought to herself if she ever deserved having someone who'd go lengths just for a mere birthday party.

 

She slapped herself for having thoughts like that again, reminded of how she understood what Nako had clearly said to her.

 

    ****

 

Chaewon just stood there with her back leaning against the wall and her head drooping low. The sound of the rain pouring down became white noise.

 

She breathed out a puff of air, thinking that everything was over.

 

"I'll tell —— that you like her."

 

Something along those lines, she heard it come out of Nako's mouth as she found herself overhearing their conversation. She didn't hear the name clearly, but that's not her point. Her point was Minjoo has a crush, but she has no clue that it's her. It's her.

 

Gloom crept over her eyes and she felt devoid of feelings. Those feelings that she had toward a certain person; those feelings felt non-existent all of a sudden.

 

Because her heart has been shattered, and those feelings have no longer a place in her.

 

She thought, If only it was my birthday today; If only the skies were starry clear and a shooting star passed by; If only genies existed and there's one right here…

 

I'd never hesitate to make a wish… 

 

A selfish wish, that I'd be that person who you have feelings for,

 

Under her gloomy expression, she balled her fist in anger to the point she'd no longer care if her nails were already digging through her skin. If that were to happen, it'd definitely hurt, but something else was more painful than having blood in her hands.

 

Why did it have to rain… Why didn't I hear it like there's something preventing me from knowing who it was?

 

Why… why couldn't it be me?

 

As her heart shattered and eyes welling with tears, she couldn't take that feeling anymore.

 

Streaming down her rosy cheeks, her tears fell endlessly, like that of the pouring rain.

 

And then she ran, afraid of knowing the truth.

 

Chaewon's steps echoed loudly, bouncing off the cold walls of the desolated hallways. Minjoo shifted her gaze from the view outside to the classroom's doorway, unaware that someone was nearby.

 

She caught a glimpse of the person's short brown hair before it disappeared behind the wall.

 

A certain face popped up in her mind, along with a stinging sensation she felt on her chest.

 

    ****

 

Minjoo never expected she'd fall asleep and lose track of time. Thankfully, it was only five in the afternoon and the rain had somehow weakened to a drizzle. She hastily took her leave before the weather got even worse.

 

On her way downstairs, her phone vibrated in the pocket of her blazer. Her jaw dropped upon seeing seventeen missed calls from Nako and a few messages from her other friends and acquaintances greeting her.

 

Her hasty steps came to a stop when a girl squatting down by the entrance caught her eye. Minjoo squinted her eyes to get a better look at who it was but her appearance didn't ring a bell.

 

As she approached the pitiful-looking girl, the rain coincidentally poured harder.

 

"Ah, this . What am I going to do now?" the girl said, followed by a few sobs.

 

Minjoo then squatted down next to the girl, gently patting the latter's shoulder. "Hey there! Why are you still here?" she asked.

 

The girl in question was slightly taken aback from Minjoo's sudden appearance, letting out a gasp along with it. The girl met Minjoo's gaze and she could've sworn her heart fluttered at such a sight.

 

A beautiful sight.

 

Minjoo kept her eyes on the girl, waiting for a response before the air around them grew awkward from the silence. She bent a bit forward, startling the girl and causing her to lean back even further. Minjoo waved her hand in front of the other's face, the latter's eyes owlishly blinking as a response.

 

"Excuse me?" Minjoo uttered.

 

The girl finally leaped backward away from Minjoo and covered her swelling face with her bag. "Wh-who are you?"

 

Minjoo just noticed that the girl was holding on to her blazer when she was squatting down and was later on revealed when the latter stood up. The tiny green ribbon on the girl's blazer caught her eye.

 

What's a first year doing here at this time?

 

At the same time, the girl eyed Minjoo from head to toe, ultimately recognizing the blue ribbon on Minjoo's blazer.

 

A second year? What is she doing here at this time? The girl thought, but her focus instantly shifted back onto Minjoo's face like she's attracted or something.

 

And she slightly was.

 

Why is she so beautiful? The girl asked no one in particular. Does that mean I'm still asleep and dreaming because why is there an angel in front of me?!

 

"You're a first year right? Judging from the color of your ribbon. Aren't you supposed to be home?" Minjoo asked, her tone quite comforting.

 

"Th-then, aren't you supposed to be at your house too?" the girl returned the same question thrown at her, and Minjoo really felt like she was punched right in the face.

 

She struggled to say a few words, still recovering from that. "Y-yeah… about that, I kind of enjoyed staying a few hours ago and then I fell asleep," Minjoo said, awkwardly scratching her cheek.

 

"I-is that so…" the girl reluctantly returned. She began fiddling with her fingers, not knowing what she should do because her brain was absolutely refusing to function. Minjoo on the other hand, was late to realize that the girl's blazer was wet.

 

"You don't… have an umbrella?" Minjoo asked. The girl replied with a nod, not wanting to face Minjoo due to the fact that her cheeks just kept on getting redder.

 

Minjoo took her own blazer off and gave it to the younger girl. "Here, wear this. You're probably freezing right now and let me just say a blazer is not an ideal substitute for an umbrella."

 

The girl had no choice but to accept it, and she reluctantly put it on.

 

"Th-thank you, sunbae-nim," the girl whispered under her breath.

 

Minjoo drew her hand out. "I'm Kim Minjoo, Class 2-A," she briefly introduced herself, paired with a smile that made a dent on her cheek.

 

"A-Ahn Yujin… Class 1-B."

 

"I see," Minjoo nodded a few times as she remembered something. "If I remember correctly, classes A, B, and C had their classrooms on the other building and then you guys just transferred here to the main one when the renovation got finished."

 

"Y-yes…"

 

"That's fine. It's not too late for introductions or anything. Shall we go?"

 

"Okay…"

 

They finally left, sharing an umbrella together and at the same time looking like a couple. Well, only Yujin had thought of the latter part and it wouldn't set her heart at ease.

 

Amidst that cold weather, she found warmth.

 

    ****

 

The rain subsided completely as soon as Yujin reached the bus stop. They had to part ways and it was unfortunate for her because for some odd reason, she wanted to talk more to Minjoo.

 

But she also cursed at herself for staying put, not uttering a single word when they were walking together.

 

"Um… thank you very much, sunbae-nim," Yujin shyly uttered, still with her head down.

 

"No problem. I'll be going as well. Take care, Yujin-ssi," Minjoo bid farewell and left immediately.

 

After a few steps, her phone vibrated and she hastily checked what it was because if it was Nako, she would've been dead for how long she made her friends wait.

 

It wasn't Nako at all, but rather it made her cheeks feel hot and her heart pumping.

 

It was a message from Chaewon.

 

Hey. I was wondering if you were home already. Actually, Nako invited me a while ago, but I refused because I had stuff to do. Sorry about that, but are you busy right now? I want to talk with you.

 

Minjoo wondered what it could mean, but that last line seemed to be very important. She was sad because Chaewon was unable to join her later, but she understood the situation clearly.

 

A few seconds later after getting deep into her thoughts, her phone pinged once more. I'm waiting at the intersection. You know which one I'm talking about.

 

Minjoo turned off her phone and placed it on her chest, eyes closed as she prayed for it to be something special. With no hesitance, she quickly made her way to the intersection—the one where they always part ways every time they go home together. 

 

She was genuinely excited, but a tinge of unease lingered in her heart. A few more steps before she turned right, just ahead of her was where Chaewon would be. And her heart can't help but beat louder and faster.

 

A figure was leaning against a light post dimly lit, casting her shadow a few feet in front of he