There was no Manager Tiffany at the office when Winter and Karina got there, but there was a note.

Go to the sports building. Bring your Physical Education uniform.

“Mine’s in my locker,” said Karina.

Winter’s was too, so they made a stop by their lockers. After retrieving their uniforms, they walked together, hand in hand, down the path towards the sports building.

“May I ask you a question?” Winter asked Karina.

“You may ask, but I may not answer.”

Winter stopped short, unsure of what to say next, until Karina giggled.

“I’m just teasing you. What did you want to ask me?”

“Did you know me before meeting me here?”

A little smile appeared. “Why do you ask?”

“The way you look at me makes me wonder.”

“How do I look at you?”

“Like you know me.”

Karina chuckled softly. “I’ve noticed you before.”

Winter’s eyes grew round. “Huh?”

“I’ve seen you in our grade’s Maths class. You’re a special second grader in there.”

“I-I’m not the only one . . .”

“Really? But I only noticed you.”

“Ah . . .”

“You’re so cute that you captured all my attention.”

A wave of feelings burst out of Winter in giggles.

“Do you know that you’re even cuter when you’re shy?” Karina said with a slow grin.

Winter couldn’t stop giggling after that.

⟶

“I swear, we’re not doing anything illegal,” Taeyeon squeaked.

Sooyoung looked suspiciously from Taeyeon to Tiffany and back to Taeyeon. “You’re blushing. Very red. Something is up.”

“Yes. My blood pressure.”

“What?”

“Look.” Taeyeon gestured at the weights around her ankles. “Tiffany made me wear these and--”

Closing her eyes and turning away, Sooyoung shook her head. “I don’t need to hear about the things she makes you wear when you are--”

“JOG!”

Sooyoung opened her eyes and stared. “Jog?”

“Send your mind for laundry, Sooyoung. It’s filthy.”

“Why are you jogging with ankle cuffs?”

“They’re not ankle cuffs,” Taeyeon growled.

“These are ankle weights,” Tiffany stepped forward, holding a pair. “Do you want to give them a try?”

“Er, no thanks.” Sooyoung stepped aside and squatted to tap the weights around Taeyeon’s ankles. “What are they for?”

“Training. Taeyeon found out So Nyuh High is training their swimmers this way,” Tiffany said with a proud smile.

“But shouldn’t we be teaching our girls how to swim first?” Sooyoung questioned. “Where’s Yuri?”

“We should do both during training. We need to make full use of every training session we get.”

“That sounds about right.”

“But where’s Yuri?” Sooyoung asked.

“She’ll be here soon. Now, help me to take the weights off,” said Tiffany.

“How do I take them off?”

“Press this and pull.”

Sooyoung did as she was told but it didn’t work. “I pulled.”

“No, press then pull.”

“I pressed then pulled. It’s stuck.”

“Stuck? No, no, no,” Taeyeon groaned.

“I’ll press, you pull,” Tiffany suggested.

Sooyoung got into position and held on tight. “Okay, press.”

“Pressing.”

“I’m pulling.”

“Pull harder.”

“I’m pulling as hard as I can,” Sooyoung minced while gritting her teeth.

“You’re not pulling hard enough.”

“I’m pulling hard!” Sooyoung screamed.

“Harder!” Tiffany screamed in return.

“Help!” Taeyeon wailed.

⟶

“Did you hear that?” Winter asked Karina as they got the entrance.

“It sounds like one of the teachers. She might need help.”

Together, they ran into the building and towards the commotion. Winter saw some figures moving in the locker room as they drew closer but hands covered her eyes before she could make out anything concrete.

“Don’t look,” said Karina from behind. “You’re too young and innocent for this.”

Winter tugged at the hands. “What is it? I want to see.”

“No, you’ll be scarred for life.”

“This isn’t what it looks like!” Teacher Sooyoung screeched as she pushed Teacher Taeyeon’s leg away from her. Teacher Taeyeon lost her balance and toppled onto Teacher Tiffany who ended up sprawling on the floor with Teacher Taeyeon on top.

Winter finally managed to pull Karina’s hands away from her eyes and this was the mess that greeted her.

“Wow, are you playing a game?” she asked, eyes wide open.

Karina tugged on Winter’s hand. “Winter, we shouldn’t be here right now.”

Taeyeon shook her head. “I told you the door was wide open.”

“Taeyeon, what nonsense are you spouting?” Teacher Sooyoung groaned. “Karina, Winter, your teachers are trying out the weights for your training. We’re not doing anything that should be hidden behind closed doors.”

Winter nudged Karina. “What does Teacher Soooyoung mean?”

“Don’t believe everything the teachers say,” Karina whispered. “Teachers lie sometimes.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Teacher Sooyoung shouted while standing up. “I’m not lying. Here. Put these on.”

Karina took the weights and stared at them. “Why are they so heavy? What are they for?”

Teacher Sooyoung smirked. “Sit down and I’ll teach you.”

⟶

“Giselle! Ningning! Run for your life!” Winter and Karina shouted.

Giselle and Ningning looked at Karina and Winter with questions in their eyes. “What? What? What’s going on?”

But it was too late. Sooyoung slammed the door shut and stood behind them.

“Once you’re in, you’re in for life,” she declared at the top of her voice.

“In what?” Giselle gasped.

“In trouble . . .” Winter said sadly.

Tiffany walked between them and waved hello. “Why so dejected? Keep our chins up! We have a championship to win!”

“Wait a minute. Win the GS20?” Karina was in shock. “How is that possible?”

“This is only our first time at GS20. How are we going to win it?” Giselle added.

“Winning is a lot to handle,” said Winter.

“Winning?” Ningning repeated, looking confused.

Tiffany shook her head and waggled her finger. “You girls are too pessimistic. Look at you, thinking it’s impossible before you even try.” The widest grin stretched across her face just then and she raised a fist into the air. “Everybody put your hands up in the air!”

Even Taeyeon and Sooyoung stared at her this time.

“Do the victory pose, everybody!”

Taeyeon and Sooyoung exchanged glances before putting up their fists with hesitance.

“Come on, girls. Hands up!”

Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning looked at each other for a moment before meekly doing as Tiffany said.

Once all hands were up, Tiffany smiled with satisfaction. “That’s the spirit. Now, smile. Put on your biggest, brightest smile and say ‘I can do it’!”

“I . . .”

“I can do it!” Tiffany yelled at the top of her voice, giving them a shock. Then she smiled again, radiating like the sun. “Go on. Your turn.”

“I can do it.”

“Louder.”

“I can do it.”

“Louder!”

“I can do it!”

“With every cell in your body!”

“I CAN DO IT!” everybody hollered.

“That’s how we do it around here.” Tiffany nodded, feeling satisfied. “Now, let’s get it started.”

⟶

“Somebody tell me this is not going to be happening at every training session?” Winter looked around at the others but everybody’s eyes were closed.

“It might get worse,” Giselle whimpered.

Winter groaned and closed her eyes too. There was complete silence in the locker room except for sounds of tired breathing. Jogging ten rounds around the swimming pool with the weights on their ankles had exhausted all of them. She wasn’t sure if she could even walk to her dorm at this point. She might have to spend the night on the locker room bench.

“Guys, we can’t just lie here forever,” Karina spoke from her bench.

Opening one eye, Winter spied Karina lying on her back like before. “I’ll get up if you get up.”

“We should get up together.”

“On the count of three.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

Winter turned her head and her eyes met Karina’s. Neither of them had moved. In fact, no one had moved. And the four of them burst into tired laughter.

“We’ll end up sleeping like this and feel worse tomorrow morning,” Karina continued.

“I know, but I can’t get up,” said Ningning.

“What are we going to do?” Giselle groaned.

⟶

“Today’s training session went pretty well, don’t you think?”

Taeyeon looked at Tiffany, wondering what went on in that mind of hers. “Do you really think Team Kwangya can win GS20?”

“Nothing is impossible.”

“Not everything is possible.”

“Most things are possible. If you think it’s worth going to the ends of the Earth for.”

Taeyeon blinked and stared. “That sounds wise.”

Tiffany smiled, vibrant and shiny. “It’s not wise. It’s simply true.”

“Have you ever pursued something worth that much to you?”

Tiffany nodded. “This job.”

“This job?” Taeyeon was confused. “Why is being a manager at Kwangya High so important to you?”

Tiffany smiled again, but it was mysterious. “That’s a secret.”

“Did you have to try very hard to get this job?”

“There were ten other applicants and I’m the only one without any experience as a manager of a high school.”

“You’re the only--what?” Taeyeon spluttered. “You don’t have any experience?”

“Zilch.”

“Then how did you get this job?”

“I convinced them to give it to me.”

Taeyeon’s jaw dropped. “You can be quite . . . convincing.”

Tiffany’s smile radiated confidence this time. “It’s one of my strengths.”

“What are your other strengths?”

Tiffany’s smile turned a shade of alluring. “Attractive.”

“A-Attractive?”

“Am I wrong?”

“N-No, you’re not wrong . . .”

“Does it mean you agree?”

Taeyeon’s heart thumped in her chest. “I agree.”

Tiffany’s smile turned sunny again right away. “So do I.”

⟶

“Will you be able to make it all the way back home?” Winter asked Karina out of concern.

Karina groaned as she took another step. “I have to.”

“The bus stop is really far away. If only Giselle and Ningning were here to help”

“They could barely make it to their dorms. Let alone help me.”

“I’m not sure if I can make it to the bus stop with you either.”

Karina shook her head. “Your dorm is just ahead. You don’t have to help me to the bus stop.”

“But what if you fall or hurt yourself?”

“I’ll make it somehow, don’t worry.”

“If only there’s another way.”

“Do I have any other choice?”

“You could sleep over in my dorm. It’s much nearer to us than the bus stop.”

“But I’m taller than you. I’ll take up too much space on your bed.”

“That’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“Really?”

Winter smiled. “Really.”

Karina stopped moving and bent over groaning. The bus stop was still a long distance away, down the entire path, past the main building and a fair walk from the gates. Winter’s offer sounded incredibly tempting.

“Is it really, really, really alright for me to stay over with you?”

Winter nodded and smiled more brightly than before. “It’s really, really, really alright. Come with me.”

Karina couldn’t help smiling when Winter took her hand this time and led the way.

⟶