Mornings were always hard especially when you are still attending school in the middle of the academic year. The sound of the alarms blaring inside her room, she lost count of how many times it had ring over the past few hours and she’s still lying like a dead log on her bed.

As the nth alarm goes off, her door bust opens causing it to fly to the other side of the room.

 

“EITHER YOU WAKE UP OR I BLAST THIS ING HELLHOLE OF YOURS.” As the girl heard that voice, everything in her body was telling her to wake the up or else you’ll die from her hands.

“G-Good morning unnie..?” her voice cracks, laughing nervously at the sight of her angry sister.

“None of our mornings are good if you keep disturbing my beauty sleep!” Although she was already shouting, Winter just can’t take her seriously when her voice sounds like a grown baby. “I know what you’re thinking. If you don’t want to end up like that busted door, you better start moving your or else you’ll get another detention.”

Winter stares at the broken door lying at the other side of her room, she felt her own saliva choking her, “Couldn’t you knock like a normal person? Asking for the repair man to fix this takes a lot of money..”

“You’re not even paying for it.”

“Now you’re just bragging.”

Her sister hisses. “Are you going or not?”

“Aye ma’am.”

 

 

After much preparing and finally done eating breakfast, Winter glances at the clock displayed on their wall. She has less than ten minutes for her to be declared late. Winter sighs, even if she were to rush right now she will still be one of the late students. She checks her bag, her mint-colored hoodie, her large headphones that hides her small ears, books, her colorful variety of pens –she’s good to go.

 

“Bye unnie!”

Before she can take another step away from their house, she stops at the voice of her unnie shouting from inside. “Yah! You forgot something!”

Winter’s brows creases, “What is it??”

 

She sees her sister coming down from her room, a teasing smile forms on her lips. Her sister presses her index finger at her cheeks, Winter is reminded of what she forgot.

 

Winter sighs smiling, “Really unnie…you’re either a brawny or an overgrown baby.”

“I’m a whole package. Bear with it.” There she is again, acting like a baby. “Now give me my kiss or you’ll get called again by the dean.”

“I’m already late as it is, I might as well make the most of it.” She jumps at her sister and give her an affectionate peck on the cheeks. “There! Now I’m going!”

“Take care~”

 

 

What supposed to take less than half an hour took half an hour for Winter to arrive at the academy. Even from outside the bus window, she could already feel the migraine kicking in her head the moment she sees that dreadful man standing at the gate and the students who are on their knees with both their arms up.

Winter heavily sighs, she stands up from her seat and buzzes the alarm of the bus. The stop was really close from the gate and the moment she steps outside of her ride, the first to greet her is none other than the reason of her headache right now –Dean.

 

“Winter Kim. You’re late. Again.” Dean greets her, his stoic face never cease to amaze her as always. He jots down every piece of information in that paper of his, along with her fellow late schoolmates who were on the verge of dropping down their arms. “You may freely join them in their demise.”

 

Winter takes her time approaching her fellow schoolmates, a pained expression greets her as Winter's schoolmates do their very best to not drop those frail arms of theirs. They looked pitiful and in pain, and Winter just wants to run away from this. But that wouldn't be a good idea so in the end, she complies and follows Dean's order.

But then, as Winter was about to kneel, she hears a familiar voice calling for her from the punished crowd.

 

“Winter! Over here, dimwit!” She looks around to see if she is who she hears, Winter finally spots the girl calling for her name. “Hi! I knew you’d be late again.”

Winter shrugs at her comment. “What do you mean? I’m always late.” She looks at the girl. “How bout you? Why are you late? Wait, let me guess –Minjoo?” at her silence, she takes it that she’s got this one correct. “Don’t tell me you stole her snack again, Chae?”

 

Chaewon Kim, one of the very few persons in her family tree that she considers as family, is her first cousin from her father’s side. The short-haired girl whom she grew up with on the very walls of the Kim Residence before she completely moved out with her sister, and also her mint-choco go-to buddy because no one likes the taste of toothpaste.

 

Chaewon stifles a laugh, “That was only once.”

“So? What cause the fight?”

Winter could tell that aside from the pain of having raise two arms up, she could also tell that Chaewon was having second thoughts whether she should tell or not. It must be really that bad. “You don’t have to tell me if its too personal. I’d hate getting mushy when we are in this kind of state.”

“We’d look weird.” Chaewon sighs. “But thank you.. for not pushing it.”

“Always.”

 

“Times up for the two of you, Chaewon and Winter.” Their conversation cuts short as Dean calls for the two of them, telling to come right in front of him –which is harder than what he expects when Chaewon stumbles from her place.

“That was only a few minutes and you went numb already? ”

Chaewon, the unlucky girl who became numb after kneeling for so long, hisses at her cousin. “I’m built different. You’re Taeyeon-built.”

“More like forced.” Winter shivers at the recollection of memories. “I got beaten like one of those sandbags in the gym, flailing as if there was nothing I can do except accepting all those punches from her. I would’ve died back there.”

“At least you can endure it.” Chaewon groans. “While I can’t even last less than a minute when sparring with her!”

“Is that why you call me Taeyeon-built?”

“What? It fits.”

“ you.”

 

 

///

 

 

“For once, I thought that the reason you did not appear in my doorstep was because you were not late. But here you are, standing infront of me.” The prefect, Miss Bae bounces her attention towards the other. “And even your cousin is late. Good morning, Chaewon.”

“G-Good morning, Miss Bae.”

 

Don’t be surprised, Miss Bae is notorious for having a sharp memory that helped her know every student that had stepped inside her office. With just one look, she will know everything about you. Winter notices her eyebag is worse than it was yesterday –maybe seeing the same face everyday must tire her out–Winter is tired of it too.