1

The smell of the smoke gave it away. Even without seeing who it was, Mina knew someone is smoking behind that big tree at the back of their school grounds. The place isn't really a secret, but no one goes this far that much aside from that schoolmate of hers with a surname of Im.

Grunting in annoyance, Mina marched towards the girl with heavy footsteps, they never come into an agreement about this one. "How many times do I have to tell you no smoking inside school premises?" she immediately asked even before facing the girl.

Nayeon took a puff on the cigarette while looking at Mina. She shifted her gaze away before blowing off the smoke from her chest so that it won't directly hit Mina's face. "You better move away pres, you wouldn't want secondhand smoke would you now?"

Flicking the cigarette from the woman's fingers, Mina glared at Nayeon. On the other hand, Nayeon's eyes widened from the act. "Why the did you do that?" she raised her voice a bit, pissed.

"Why won't you follow simple rules? I don't care if you burn your lungs outside, don't do it here!" Mina raised her voice in return.

Nayeon stared at Mina for few seconds before she started shaking her head. "ing unbelievable, that was my last one." she picked up her bag from the ground and soon started walking.

"Nayeon." Mina called her name.

She halted a bit to spare the younger a glance. "You promised me you'll help me arrange the detention room remember? Punishment?" Mina reminded her.

"Well I was actually gonna do it but you've ruined my mood." she answered then resumed walking.

"Yah!"

"Im!"

All of Mina's screams were left unanswered. Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she starts to head to where the detention room is. "Just great." she murmured.

Mina sighed deeply as she saw how messy the room is. She's in this predicament, why? Simply because she fell asleep during the class. It's a first, Mina's someone who's like to keep her records clean. Though, cleaning a detention room once isn't really the worst, considering that the teacher was calling her name couple of times earlier while she's asleep, with him standing next to her at the last minute. It must have been a fun encounter for her classmates. And Nayeon, the older is supposed to be cleaning with her because she was caught smoking inside the school last week, and as a punishment, she's cleaning the room for the whole week. Mina can't help but to shake her head when she remembered catching Nayeon smoking again earlier, the older girl just doesn't care.

Still staring at the mess, Mina wondered if Nayeon has been cleaning the past days. She chose to shrug the thoughts off and grabbed the eraser to start with the easiest one to clean.

In the middle of erasing the writings on the white board, Mina heard a sound of a chair scraping against the floor as the room is dead silent. Surprised, Mina ended dropping the eraser she was holding. She turned her body towards where the sound came from. There she saw Nayeon, not batting an eye on her as she continued pulling each chair away to properly clean the floor.

"I'm here, I don't want you reporting me again." Nayeon said out of nowhere.

Mina bent down to pick up the eraser on the floor. "I told you I'm not the one who reported you and even if I did, it wasn't wrong."

"I know, that's why I'm doing my punishment right pres?" Nayeon's voice was filled with sarcasm, Mina chose to bite back.

"And yet you've done it again."

Nayeon halted to stare at Mina before chuckling. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're worried about me."

"Maybe I am." Mina answered which made Nayeon laugh again. Mina squints her eyes at the girl. "I'm serious."

"That's cute but you're too good for me Myoui." Nayeon said flatly. "Anyway, let's continue cleaning."

It's not really a secret in Mina's friend group that she harbors feelings towards the older. Mina doesn't dare to deny it either. It has been like that for quite some time now. It started with a simple pairing for a report. Mina can't seem to stop herself from being drawn to the older. She finds her interesting. Like a puzzle that needs to be solved, Mina found herself gazing at the girl longer than what she'd normally do. But she assured herself that it's safe to say her feelings ain't that deep, just a simple crush. 

It startled Mina in the start, when she realized she's taking interest on someone like Nayeon, but it never came to a point where she worries about it, not yet.

Mina cleared as she placed the eraser back to the table. "If you don't mind me asking-" her words were cut short.

"Why do people ask that, and if I say I do mind then what?" Nayeon replied in a beat.

"What?" Mina asked, confused.

"See? Now you don't know what to say." Nayeon replied, proving her point.

Mina shook her head. "I was just taken aback with what you asked, but if you're looking for an answer to that, I'd stop asking if it happened to me. We ask that question out of respect."

"Don't you agree it's silly though?" Nayeon leaned lazily against a table while her right hand is holding a mop.

"I don't know, it's not for me." Mina answered honestly.

"So proper, really." Nayeon chuckled. "But please continue, I don't actually mind you asking anything. I was just being annoying."

Mina heaved a sigh, of course, she thought. She nodded. "I was just going to ask the reason why you're in the same academic year as me."

"Isn't that kind of rude?"

Mina gasped. "Ohh I'm sorry, please forget about it."

"I'm kidding. Maybe it is for others but not to me." Nayeon started laughing. Mina swears Nayeon is that annoying kid you'll met once every lifetime, the one who has no other goals aside from irritating the heck out of you. She was not able to stop herself for rolling her eyes this time. Nayeon must have noticed, but she kept that teasing smile she had on . "But to answer your question, I'm just a dumb-."

"That's a load of crap, I know you're not." Mina disagreed right away before she continued cleaning the white board where she left it. Nayeon is far from being dumb, she might be hardheaded but the older girl is running as one of the students who'll get merit in their upcoming graduation.

"Thank you for the compliment." Nayeon said back, still leaning against the table.

Mina didn't pry anymore, maybe the older girl isn't comfortable in sharing such matter to her, after all they aren't that close, though she wishes they are. It's not even about the silly crush, Mina just feels like Nayeon would be a great friend.

"Do you ever finish cleaning this room by standing and watching me erase the whiteboard?" Mina dropped a different question, eyeing Nayeon briefly.

Nayeon laughed again, stood properly then she resumed mopping the floor. "I already swept this earlier, I was just taking a break because my partner in cleaning was late."

"What are you implying?" Mina turned to Nayeon.

Nayeon shook her head instantly. "Nothing, I just didn't want you to think I'm slacking."

"You're actually so annoying. I can't believe I have a tiny crush on you. What is wrong with me." Mina mumbled but it was enough for Nayeon to hear as the room was quiet.

"Don't make it sound like having a crush on me is the worst feeling."

If Mina wasn't paying attention then she wouldn't notice that Nayeon sounded a bit different when she said those words. She closed her eyes a bit and sighed. "I never said that. I'm just conflicted because you always irk me yet I still managed to find you a bit adorable, something must be wrong in me. Do you get me?"

Nayeon stopped mopping the floor to stare at her, Mina started feeling shy with all of the attention the older girl is giving. "Sadly I don't, I don't have a crush on you." Nayeon smirked.

"So full of yourself. Give me a month, I'll forget about it." Mina answered.

Nayeon gave a laugh again but she didn't reply anymore.

~

It was around seven in the evening when they finished cleaning. Mina exhaled deeply before she picked up her bag that was lying on one of the chairs. Then she remembered something as soon as she stepped out from the room. "." she murmured. She totally forgot to inform her driver that she wont be on time.

"What's wrong?" she heard Nayeon asking.

Scrolling through the messages in her phone, Mina answered Nayeon without looking at her. "I just forgot to inform the driver I won't be there by 5."

"Won't he wait for you though?"

"Normally he would, it's just rude I didn't tell him. And he informed me earlier he can't be home late as his wife just gave birth, he asked me if he could go home earlier and I said yes."

"So he's not here anymore?" Nayeon asked again. 

Mina started walking in a faster pace to reach the parking lot right away. "I don't know." she replied.

She knows Nayeon is still behind her, just silently following. When Mina arrived at the parking lot, she scanned the area right away to search for the familiar vehicle. She immediately noticed a car with lights on near the usual spot the driver parks the car all the time. Mina jogged closer to the car, the driver got out right away to greet Mina.

"Ms. Myoui I was worried, you weren't replying." the kind man immediately said.

"Mr. Kim, I'm sorry, I just had to do something earlier. I forgot to inform you as I was preoccupied." Mina explained.

"It's okay, I'm glad you're safe." the older man bows down and was about to reach the door of the car to open it for Mina when Mina decided to stop him.

"Mr. Kim please, you can go home. I know you're needed in your home right now. I can manage." Mina denied the driver.

"Absolutely not. Your father will kill me if something happens to you."

"I have my friend here! She'll drive me home." Mina reasoned out. "It's okay I promise. I won't tell my father. I just want you to be with your family now."

"Who's your friend?" Mr. Kim inquired. Mina turned to Nayeon's direction to point at her. "Her name is Nayeon, she'll drive me home safely. I'll also inform you once I arrived so that you won't have to worry about my father."

"My dear child, I'm worried about your well being." the man answered.

"I know and I'm always thankful. I've taken much of your time even when I promised you can go home early today. Please, allow me to do this."

"Are you sure you'd be safe?" Mr.  Kim asked again.

"I will be."

"What's the plate number of the car you'll be using?" the man further asked, like he's still debating if he'll let Mina go with her friend.

Car? Mina isn't sure if Nayeon has a car, she hasn't seen her with one. Instead of answering, Mina  pushed the man back to the driver seat. "Mr. Kim I assure you I'll be fine. The house isn't that far anyway." it was the truth, it's just 15 minute drive but Mr. Kim's house is in the opposite side of the town, if she'd let her drive her home then she'd take at least 30 more minutes, without including the fact that they're wasting time talking in circles right now as well.

"But-"

The man was about to argue once more but Mina complet