Gentle rays of sunshine greeted her this morning and she smiled while stretching in bed. Taking a nap after waking up was definitely the best way to start her day. She rolled out of bed with a lightness that came with good sleep and pranced to the bathroom. Today was going to be an exceptional day. She could just feel it.

“Karina darling! Breakfast is ready!”

“Coming soon, Mom!” Karina responded before brushing her teeth.

Moments later, Karina made her way out to the dining room and had a hearty breakfast of omelette and fried rice. After topping it off with fruit juice, it was time to go to school. She brushed her long black silky hair once more and smiled at herself in the mirror.

“Hi, Karina,” she said to her smiling self while stepping into her shoes. “Bye, Mom. I’m off to school.”

“Have a great day at school, darling.”

She waved goodbye to her smiling mother and walked out into the sunshine. Ah, what a perfect morning.

⟶

“Where are my earbuds?” Ningning asked no one in particular as she dug through her bag, in search of her precious, beloved earbuds. She was definitely using them last night so they must be in the room, somewhere. Going with her intuition, Ningning ducked and looked under her bed. Her intuition was right. Tucked in the far dark corner was her little earbuds case.

“,” Ningning grunted as she stretched and realised her hand could not reach it Neither could her feet. Today was not her day. But there was no point in crying over spilt milk or unreachable earbuds.

Picking up her phone, she considered placing an order for a new set. But what was she going to do while waiting for it to arrive? No. The best solution was to go to the nearest store from school and buy one during her lunch break. Until then, she would have to go without them. Damn, what a ty morning.

⟶

The air was crisp and fresh like baby lettuce ready for harvest. Karina took a deep breath as she walked down the path past the school gates. The gleaming arch over her head displayed the school’s crest and name in big golden letters. Kwangya High.

Her friends from middle school had discouraged her from applying for KYH when they were comparing schools, but things had been simply wonderful for the past two years. In fact, she was probably going to miss KYH after graduating this year.

The thought made her a little sad but the day was too splendid to let these thoughts spoil her mood. Karina checked her watch. As expected, she was early and had some free time to spend as she wished. So with a smile back on her face, she headed to her favourite quiet corner in the school to read a book before classes started.

Up on the balcony overlooking the six-lane indoor swimming pool, Karina had enjoyed many quiet mornings reading alone. This morning was no different. It was the perfect place. There was no swim team, so the swimming pool was never in use before and during classes.

Karina was well into the chapter when she heard chatter streaming in for the first time. The sports building was relatively out of the way so nobody ever passed by randomly. Were there actually people coming in to swim? At this hour?

Putting her book down, Karina tried to make herself less visible by lying low.

Wait a minute. Why am I hiding when I’ve done nothing wrong?

“Giselle, do you think Teacher Taeyeon and Manager Tiffany meant what they said?”

The voice that reached her ears made Karina smile. It tickled her insides like the way seeing a fluffy rabbit or puppy would. It also sounded a little familiar. And was the name Giselle. Wasn’t there a Giselle in the class next door? Too curious to stay still, Karina peered over the edge.

“I think so.”

“I’m hoping they forgot all about it.”

Two girls came into view. One had longer brown hair, half way down her back. The other had shorter brown hair, tied into a little pony tail. Recognition came to her as soon as she saw their faces. It was Giselle with the longer hair. From the third grade class next door. And the other girl was Winter. She recognised her as the second grade student in the third grade Maths class.

“Dream on, Winter.”

Winter. A-ha. I was right.

“Do you know that So Nyuh High won the girls’ GS20 for ten years consecutively? They’re scary.”

“I know. But surely they aren’t expecting us to win GS20?”

“If you’re competing in it, wouldn’t you want to win?”

“I’d be fine with second-last place.”

“Giselle, with the two of us on the team, we’d probably end up last in GS20.”

“We could work hard and try to beat one team?”

GS20? The GS20? Do we even have a swim team? Why are they talking like they’re members of a swim team that doesn’t exist?

“Good morning, girls!”

Karina jumped in her skin. Who was this lady with luxurious long black hair? And was that Teacher Taeyeon beside her?

Winter and Giselle bowed politely. “Good morning, Teacher Taeyeon and Manager Tiffany.”

“You girls look fabulous today. So young and healthy. All ready to clinch this year’s title at GS20.”

Karina decided she had heard enough. It was time to get out before they discovered her. Trying to move as quietly as she could, Karina baby-commando crawled towards the stairs at the side. However, some dust got into her nose and it began to itch.

Please don’t sneeze. Don’t sneeze. Don’t sneeze!

She tried to stop it, but her sneeze had a mind of its own.

“Haakku! Hakuu! Hakkuu!”

“Who’s there?”

“You can stop hiding now. We know you’re there.”

Karina stood up at the pace of a snail and smiled sheepishly. “Good morning, teachers and friends. I’m sorry for disturbing you. I was just about to leave.”

“No, you’re not leaving,” said the lady with a smile that rivaled the morning sun.

“I’m not?”

“You’re just what we need?”

“I am?”

“Mhm. Let me introduce myself. I am Tiffany Young, the new campus manager. You can call me Manager Tiffany. And you have just been selected to represent our school at this year’s GS20. Congratulations!”

Karina stared and gaped as Teacher Taeyeon, Winter and Giselle gave her a rousing round of applause.

“This is coming along splendidly,” Manager Tiffany said with sparkles in her eyes. “As you can see, this swimming arena has everything we need. Let’s meet back here after lunch. We will assign locker spaces to each of you and make this place a wonderful home for all of us.”

Winter raised her hand. “But we have classes after lunch, Manager Tiffany.”

“You may skip them. We’ll give you special permission for this special occasion.”

“Oh yeah!” Winter cheered, punching a fist into the air.

Karina was still in a daze. How did her perfect morning turn out like this?

⟶

Ningning could have screamed at the sign on the store’s entrance. Closed? Today of all days? She stepped closer and peered through the glass. The lights were off and there was no one in sight. As she stepped away, a stuck-on notice by the entrance caught her eye.

Closed for Our Company Anniversary Day

Business as usual tomorrow

It really had to be today. Talk about bad luck. Ningning checked the time. She had some time left to visit another store if she hurried.

So she hurried.

“What? Sold out? The earbuds are sold out?”

The store’s salesman nodded with apology in his eyes. “We’re very sorry but the new stocks are on the way but haven’t arrived yet.”

“Nooo,” Ningning groaned. Why was it so hard to get earbuds today? With her spirit deflated, she thanked the salesman and left the store empty handed. Talk about bad luck. Today was not her lucky day.

That was it. She would have to wait till the evening to buy her earbuds. Right now, she had to catch the bus or risk being late for class.

And . . . she missed the bus. Of course she missed it. That was the running theme of the day, wasn’t it? Ningning stood at the bus stop, gasping for breath after her fifty-metre mad dash for the bus that abandoned her. There was no way her day could get any worse after this.

She finally made it back to school, a whole twenty minutes late. She climbed over the wall and landed on the other side, ready to make a quick sprint to her classroom. There was still a chance of her sneaking back into class without her teacher noticing.

There was still hope.

Or not.

Because right in front of her, stood a tiny little dog, staring at her with soulful doggy eyes.

“Ningning! What are you doing here at this time?”

Ningning turned to the human speaking. “T-Teacher Taeyeon . . . I . . .”

“Oh, you’re in trouble now, Ningning. Follow me to the office,” Teacher Taeyeon said as she squatted and took a little bag out from her pocket, “after I clean up his poop.”

⟶

The excitement in Taeyeon’s chest was on the verge of bursting out as she brought Ningning to the office.

“Tiffany, look. I found our fourth and final team member.”

Tiffany looked and smiled. “How did you find her?”

“Ningning broke the school rules and came back to school twenty minutes after class had already started.”

“Teacher Taeyeon, I can explain. I went out to buy a new set of earbuds but the first store was closed and they were sold out at the second store and then the bus left without me and--”

“Oh, dear Ningning,” said Tiffany with a smile that Taeyeon was beginning to find rather disturbing. “Don’t worry, you’re not in trouble. All you have to do is join the swim team and everything will be alright.”

“Did you just say ‘swim team’? As in swimming in water, swim team?”

“Yes, Ningning,” Taeyeon clarified. “That kind of swim team.”

“But-but there isn’t a swim team in school.”

“Oh, there is one now, sweetie,” Tiffany chimed in, “and you’re the lucky one who made it in and snagged the last spot.”

“But I don’t know how to swim, Teacher Taeyeon.”

“Don’t worry about that, honey. You’ll learn to swim in a hot minute.” Tiffany’s bright smile never left her face. “Your timing is impeccable too. We are heading over to the swimming arena right now to meet the rest of the swim team.”

Taeyeon picked up Zero and prepared to leave. “Now that we have found all four members of the swim team, my job is done. I’ll get back to my proper job now, Tiffany.”

“Hold on, hold on. What do you mean proper job? This is your proper job, Taeyeon.”

“But I’m an art teacher, not a swimming teacher. I don’t know the first thing about teaching students how to swim.”

“You’re our strongest fighter, Taeyeon. I trust you.

“Why don’t we get the sports teacher to teach them instead?”

Tiffany’s eyes gleamed as though the tides were turning. “Excellent idea. I just knew you would be the one I need the most. Who do you recommend for the job?”

“Yuri is the sports teacher.”

“Great, let’s get her in. Anybody else?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “No one else comes to mind.”

“How about Sooyoung?”

“Sooyoung? But she’s a language teacher.”

“Sooyoung means ‘swim’ though. Why would her name be Sooyoung if she can’t swim?”

“Well, when you put it like that, I suppose she might know how to swim . . .”

“Great. Get Yuri and Sooyoung. I’ll bring Ningning to meet the others. You’re the best, Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon hugged Zero close and sighed. “Zero, when will this nightmare end?”

⟶