All Yujin knew is that she and Wonyoung used to go along well with each other. They bonded over their common love for their English and Literature subjects that everybody else in their class certainly despised.

They used to sit next to each other in class, have a sleep over in each other’s house, talk about everything or nothing at all, and walk together on the way home. They enjoyed each other’s company—all of those during their middle school years.

Wonyoung…

Yujin cannot fathom how the kind and cute bunny like Wonyoung who used to follow her around turned into this kind of dragon with piercing eyes- always giving her sharp and judging look as if she thinks that Yujin is flat-earther.

SLAM

Yujin jerked up at the loud bang coming from the locker door right across hers. Wonyoung’s at it again, closing her locker door with extra force whenever Yujin’s around.

‘Did the puberty hit her in the face hard?’

This has been going on almost ever since they started high school, now that they are on their second year. You’ll think Yujin should have gotten used to this now, but she still hasn’t.

Yujin was so sure they were fine, in fact more than fine, throughout middle school. Until their first semester as high school freshman year came. What made the younger girl hate her so much was still beyond her knowledge so she just assumed it was because she beat the younger and became the school’s representative for the district competition of public speaking last year- something that the both of them badly wanted.

She thought Wonyoung’s anger will falter even just a little bit and they will eventually go back to normal after a few weeks but Wonyoung just stopped talking to her again after that. The not so ‘shorter’ girl tried reaching out to her like she should, but Wonyoung never returned any single text messages she sent. She even began slamming her locker door extra hard whenever Yujin is around.

And Yujin knew their friendship was over when she was put directly to voicemail even after that one last message she sent to the younger.

To: Wonyoungieeee

Happy Birthday!!!

Wonyoung didn’t even bother greeting her back on her birthday which is literally hours after hers. Yujin stopped trying to reach out to the other girl after that. She gave up, besides Wonyoung seemed to have new friends anyway (and so is she), so she figured it’s kind of awkward for her to still try.

 Maybe Wonyoung didn’t consider her as her closest friend anymore and instead just someone who she used to share some interests with.

‘What a shame’

Shaking her head, Yujin quickly put her stuffs on her locker. She’s running late for her track and field training.

…..

“Ahndaengdaeng!” Yujin, on her training clothes, continued walking in rush. She’s almost near the entrance (or exit for this matter) marking her successful passing through this pit of hell called hallways when someone called her.

She slowly halted her steps as she turned to face the person calling her.

“Guess who’s going to watch your practice today!” Of course, it’s Minjoo. The matchless beauty she met as she’s the representative of their grade level to the competition she was in.

The two quickly clicked as they bonded over their free times during the said event which wasn’t that hard as Yujin naturally talks a lot as well as Minjoo, though the older girl was little shy at first.

“Unnie! Omo, I’m so glad you still remember me,” Yujin playfully put her right hand on then faked a sob. She then proceeded to dramatically fanning her face with her hands; she looked up, pretending to stop her tears from falling.

Minjoo pulled her aside, not wanting to block the other students’ way.

“Yah, stop it! You’re embarrassing me,” the older girl playfully shoved her shoulder. The two started walking side by side, successfully getting out of the main building and into the open.

“Tsk, this unnie is no fun,” Yujin muttered. The sophomore put her arms around the senior’s shoulder.

“So to whom do I owe this humble presence to after days of your sudden disappearance, Minjoo Angel?” Minjoo playfully rolled her eyes at Yujin’s question.

“You’re being dramatic again. What do you mean by ‘sudden disappearance’? You were the one who told me to join that English Camp, tsk. I know you missed me but yeah, it’s your fault,” Yujin smiled cheekily at the senior’s response.

“So how was it? Something interesting that happened?” she curiously asked. Minjoo took some few seconds to answer, trying to remember some things that catch her attention during the camp.

Then she remembered someone, she suddenly halted her steps. Yujin side eyed the other girl with curiosity. She then noticed the visible blush on Minjoo’s face.

Her eyes widened in realization and hastily removed her arms around the other’s shoulder before accusingly pointing her left index finger, the other hand on .

“You’re blushing! Did you me---“ Yujin didn’t get to finish what she was supposed to say when someone yelled.

“Ahn Yujin! You better get your here quickly before the cruel witch arrives!”

It was Yena, hazel brown haired lanky yet athletic senior who, as agreed by many people who saw her, resembles a duck. Many says (even Yena, herself) it was because of her lips, and Yujin thinks it’s also because her eyes and her cheekbones that makes her look like a duck. Her eyes look bright and kind, and its shape looks like a real duck’s eyes. Ducks are cute indeed.

“Coming!” Yujin yelled back at Yena then turned to Minjoo after. “You, we’re not done yet,” she said, eyes squinted at the lass. “Yeah, yeah,” Minjoo imitated Yujin’s signature expression of ‘yeah, yeah’ before shaking her head.

Yujin ran and tossed her bag on the side where other’s belongings are compiled before joining Yena who’s starting to warm up. Minjoo then sat near Yujin’s bag.

Yena insisted for her and Yujin to be partners for warm ups when Yujin first joined the track and field team as she’s (according to her) taking Yujin under her wings- which Yujin found ridiculous as Yena, if not the first one to pull pranks and other silly things, is a target for other prankster students herself because she’s most unlikely to get mad (or so it seem). But nevertheless, Yena is a good and reliable company.

….

As expected, Minjoo received a lot of teasing from Yujin after their training. Yena’s presence doesn’t really help as she joined Yujin on her teasing.

“Yah, stop it.  I don’t even know her name.” Minjoo pouted. The two girls who were teasing her stop at their tracks and blankly looked at her before disappointedly shaking their heads.

“It just slipped in my mind, okay?” she defended herself against the other girls’ judging look.

“Minjoo-gato,” the two said in unison, face palming. The three girls burst out laughing. They continued talking and laughing here and there while walking towards the waiting shed.

“I feel soooo tired,” Yena said in exhaustion before flopping on the bench. “I’m going to sleep on the bus later. Minjoo-yah, can you take the single seat today?”

“Sure.” Minjoo wanted to tease the older girl but decided against it as she saw how Yena looked like a dehydrated duck. She can just sit beside Yujin after Yena gets off anyway. They sat in silence for a while before the arrival of the bus.

…..

Yujin shook her shoulders in attempt to wake Yena up.       

“Yah! Unnie, are you planning to sleep over at my place tonight?” Yujin pretended to ask. Getting no response to the girl who’s leaning on her shoulder, she used the other girl’s hair to tickle her ear. Yena, eyes still closed, hummed and tried to block it by her hand.

“I asked if you’re going to sleep over at my place tonight” Yujin asked again.

“No, my brother’s coming home tonight,” Yena sleepily answered.

“Oh, is that so? We’ve already missed your stop though,” Yujin pretended to be serious, meeting Minjoo’s eyes who only chuckled.

On the other hand, Yena stirred awake.

“WHAT? WHY DIDN’T YOU WAKE ME U---“Yujin pinched Yena’s mouth to stop her from yelling. Yena realized that the other passengers were already looking at them. She bowed in apology before turning again to Yujin.

“Ya-“ she didn’t get to finish what she was about to say when Minjoo called her.

“Unnie, your stop,” Yena hurriedly put on the strap of her bag to get out of the bus, but not after smacking Yujin’s head.

“You, brat,” she spat.

“See y’all tomorrow,” the duck quickly waved them goodbye.

“Take care!”

Minjoo moved to occupy Yena’s previous seat beside Yujin. They just sat in silence; maybe not so silence as they both had their airpods on- listening to whatever music it is on their own playlists. Yujin felt weight on her right shoulder as Minjoo leaned on her, closing her eyes.

“Wake me up like a normal person will do,” she tiredly said.

“What’s normal? I haven’t heard about it,” Yujin playfully albeit tired answered.

Minjoo didn’t bother coming up for another remark and instead closed her eyes. Two more stops away from hers, new passengers hopped in the bus. There are no more vacant seats so some were just standing on the aisle, including the one that caught Yujin’s eyes- Wonyoung.

Yujin almost forgot that Wonyoung goes to after school academy hence why she always goes home late. Wonyoung, on the other hand, subtly rolled her eyes as she saw Yujin with sleeping Minjoo beside her.

…..

SLAM

“She’s at it again,” Yena, who was leaning on the locker beside Yujin’s frowned at the tall girl’s action. Yujin could only shrug.

Their training was cancelled since their coach needed to attend some matters for the upcoming interschool competition next semester.

“Yeah, what’s new?” the short haired girl mumbled while scanning through the pages of her notebooks to check which ones gave home works that she should do tonight and putting some of her books back on her locker.

“Yah! Yes, you beanpole,” Yena called for Wonyoung’s attention.

“Why don’t you just go take your locker with you and come to some sort of pointless protest somewhere?”

“Oh I would love to, but then, as you can see it’s actually attached to the wall and other lockers. If you’re generous enough and decided to give me some detachable locker, then thanks, I will gladly bring it with me next Sunday. Consider it as your contribution to our social movement,” she brushed her hair down.

“If you don’t want to be a roasted duck for dinner later, I recommend you to mind you own business, sunbaenim,” Wonyoung smiled innocently. “Do you have something else to say, sunbaenim?”

The duck like girl gulped and blinked rapidly then shook her head.

‘Wonyoung is just that cool and intimidating.’

“I’ll be going then,” Wonyoung just turned and walked away, not waiting for answer from Yena.

“Take care, Wonyoungie,” Yena cutely smiled and raised her right hand to wave the other girl goodbye. Then she slapped and kicked the air just when the beanpole is already out of sight.

“Urgh! Trip on your way out! That rude beanpole,” the older huffed. She went back to her previous position leaning against the locker beside Yujin’s then turned to the other girl who’s finishing packing her stuffs.

“Woah, hoobaes these days are so rude and scary. I don’t remember being like that to a senior,” Yena pouted as Yujin turned to her.

“She used to be a giant baby but now she completely turned into a Titan,” she pretended to munch something, imitating an eating Titan. Yena started recollecting some vivid memory in her head when Wonyoung used to be sweet and smiley towards her, and especially Yujin when she first met the two younger girls.

‘Puberty makes teens so scary.’

The taller of the two chuckled.

“That’s because you’re naturally friendly, even though you’re annoying sometimes,” Yujin said while zipping up her bag.

“And protests are not pointless, unnie,” she added. “That kinda sounded wrong.”

“Yah, I didn’t mean it that way. What do you take me for? Apolitical privileged kid? Woah. I’m getting offended,” Yena put her hand over her chest before titling her head on the side.

“Oh, you’re not?”

“Yah, yah, yah.”

“Just kidding, woke duck,” Yujin nudged her shoulder.

“Why would she even ask for a detachable locker for their “social movement”, Yena quoted with her fingers, like I see the disconnection!”

“Uhm. Maybe because you told her to bring her locker to some pointess protest?” Yujin suggested.

“Sigh. What I wanted to say is that, she should just use her energy being angry to some pointless protest somewhere instead of ruining her locker doors,”

Yujin was about to open but Yena beat her to it.

“And I said ‘pointless’ protest because people don’t listen anyway,” Yena said with exaggerated movement of her arms.

Yujin put her hand on and looked at Yena wide-eyed before giving her thumbs up.

“Daebak! Unnie, you sounded cool.”

 The older faked a cough.

Truth to be told, although Yujin likes her new circle of friends, she sometimes feel isolated because there are things she wanted to talk about that they have no interest with.

There are times when she’s quietly sitting then suddenly ideas comes rushing to her and she wanted to talk and debate about it or get their ideas. Sometimes, she would get some half-assed answers, sometimes there would be a heated debate among her friends until they’re not at all connected to the topic, sometimes their discussion would end up to endless teasing and bantering- depending to the topic.

But she never really had the chance to talk to them about these kinds of issues that much, so it’s quite refreshing for Yujin to hear Yena talk like this.

“Are you done?” Yena stood straight.

“Yup, let’s go.” The two girls started to walk.

…..

Weekends came and gone in speed of light. On Monday, their coach announced that they will be having a selection for the members that could join the competition.

Unfortunately, they can’t afford to include all of the members of the team as their budget is cut short because their school allocated bigger fund on the more famous sports. She gave them until Friday to prepare for the selection.

Yujin and Yena trained really hard to get a spot to compete. They would stay a little bit later running in the field. Minjoo would still wait for them to finish so they could go home together. The two would even race to the waiting shed with an almost dying Minjoo behind them trying to catch up.

“Yah. You two, stop running around already. You need to rest up! Your shoes are going to give up at this point too, look,” Minjoo reprimanded them.

Yena put down the lemon Gatorade she’s drinking. She kneeled and put her hands up.

“Yes, I’m sorry, eomma,” she playfully said.

Minjoo comically makes face while Yujin almost choke on her drink, laughing.

…..

Friday, the day of the selection came. Their coach excused them from their classes after lunch to be able to start early as she wanted to start the training for the selected participant right after the selection. Fortunately, it was a little bit cloudy so they didn’t need to suffer that much from the heat of the sun.

They took turns running in the oval. Their coach and the rest of the members recorded their time. Yena was one of the strongest candidates for a spot based on her record. Things were going smoothly or at least for Yena.

It was Yujin’s turn.

It’s no secret that Yujin was one team’s best runners. She was doing great on her turn; the only fault she made was not checking the soles of her shoes. As she reached the 350m mark, her soles gave in causing her to slip and sprain her ankle.

‘.’

But Yujin wasn’t known as someone who quits in the middle of fight. She tried to stand up but failed. She tried again and again to stand up. Her teammates was about to rush to her, but their coach stopped them noticing how Yujin wanted to continue.

Yujin didn’t notice the tears flowing on her cheeks. She badly wanted a spot, she trained for it so hard, but now all those efforts had completely gone to waste. She frustratingly removed her shoes and socks before running again- or jogging in a limping way.

Yena, their coach, and the rest of the team could only watch her finish. They were also heartbroken for the girl. Some of them, including Yena, almost tear up.

Yujin couldn’t look at them in the eyes when she finished. She’s looking down while shaking her head and made her way to where their bags were located.

Their coach sadly sighed and shook her head to before recording Yujin’s time.

“Coach, maybe we could let her do that again!” Yena yelled. The other members were all considerate because they knew how competent Yujin was if not for the accident.

Yena made her way towards Yujin who continued changing into slippers and packing her things.

“Yujin, come on! Just run again! Use my shoes!” the older was about to remove her shoes.

“It’s fine. I can just join next year,” Yujin tried to assure Yena before walking away. The older girl knew it’s better to let her be for the mean time since nothing she says could make it better for her friend.

Yena stood in silence watching her friend from distance.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, kid! I know you can wi