december 9, 2019.  

"Don't forget fellow Wildcats, Winterfest tickets are still on sale!"

The school's student announcer exclaimed on the overhead.

"There's twelve days left to get yours before you regret it! Tickets are twenty dollars until before the day of the event. On the day of the event it'll be thirty dollars. So get on it, Wildcats, before winter break starts!"

The announcer moved on to other topics as the students were in maths class which was the first class of the day.

"Also to the person that broke in to my car the other day, you're dead when I find out. Anyways, Ceci Tay, if you're listening, wanna go to Wi-"

There was a screeching sound, some shuffling, muffled words, and the vice principal took over the morning announcements. Wonho sat near the front of class that couldn't really do anything when he happened to overhear a conversation from behind him. It was between Suri Viboon High School's Gossip Girls consisting of Miseol Ji, Sooyoung Bae, Hana Jang, and Somi. Somi sat two rows behind Wonho near the back through assigned seating.

"So Somi, who are you going to Winterfest with?" Hana asked.

Before Somi could even reply, Sooyoung interjected herself into the conversation.

"What guy in their right mind would ask her out for Winterfest?"

"I know right."

Miseol agreed also including herself into the conversation.

"She's just as bad as her nerdy friends and they're not even the hot type of nerdy guys either."

"I know right. None of the nerds in our school look like those in the dramas we watch."

Sooyoung commented with a laugh.

"They're all acne-faced with glasses making their eyes bugged-like."

The trio laughed loudly which the rest of class ignored since they had other things to focus on and didn't want to intervene. Unfortunately for Somi the Gossip Girls surrounded her from the left which was Sooyoung, the right which sat Miseol, and from behind where Hana occupied. Somi couldn't escape and tried not to cry so that they wouldn't know that their teasing got to her. Despite recovering from the news of her uncle, Hongjun, a month ago, it still ached. Somi focused on her book and ignored their words. Wonho's hands turned into fists as he endured the words that he knew hurt his friends. Just as he was about to say something, someone else did it first.

"Who says that Somi doesn't have a date for Winterfest?"

A male classmate, Alexander, asked the Gossip Girls. The trio, Somi, and even Wonho turned to look at him.

"You're gonna go to the Winterfest with this nerd? No way."

Miseol scoffed in disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding me. Weren't you supposed to ask me instead?" Hana stated offended by his words.

"What made you think I was going with you in the first place?" Alexander asked with a smirk before glancing at Somi.

"So how about it? Wanna go to the Winterfest with me, Somi?"

Somi's eyes widened as the attention was on her. She didn't know how to respond as she never spoke directly with Alexander before. Plus, why would he even asked her when they never interacted with each other despite being in the same class this year for maths. She opened to speak, but nothing came out. She closed it instead.

"It's okay. I'll wait for a response by the end of the day." Alexander said with a smile returning back to what he was doing earlier.

Somi went back to reading her book as the trio shot her disgusted looks but didn't further. Wonho frown as he turned back to the front wondering why he was so upset at Alexander asking Somi to Winterfest. He sighed and went back to his own workbook.

"Is it true, Somi?"

The friends of four settled down for lunch at their usual spot in the corner of the school's cafeteria. Changsub suddenly had asked Somi a question before they could even eat their meal.

"What's true, Changsub?" Somi questioned.

"That Alexander Kim asked you out for Winterfest."

"How do you know that?" Wonho inquired.

"It spread like wild fire." Jisung answered.

"I found out just as first hour ended."

"Seriously?"

Somi was surprised and suddenly became shy at the incident from earlier.

"So are you going with him?" Changsub pressed.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Jisung exclaimed.

"The Star Track and Field of Viboon Suri High School asked you out. You should say yes."

"Why are you acting so fond of this?" Wonho asked him with an amused look.

"Do you want to go to Winterfest, too?"

"Weren't we supposed to go together?" Changsub interjected before looking over at Somi.

"Well, minus Somi if she accepts Alexander's invitation."

Somi looked up from eating her lunch at her friends.

"Should I accept?"

Before the other three could respond, Alexander happened to stopped by their table.

"Hi, guys." He greeted the quartet then focused his attention onto Somi.

"I have practice today, but you'll think you could give me an answer once practice is over?"

Somi couldn't meet Alexander's gaze, but nodded nevertheless. Alexander smiled.

"I can't wait to hear a good response. See you later at five."

Alexander waved to the other three as he made his way back to his own table of friends that were also on the basketball team.

"Do you even have a good response ready, Somi?" Jisung questioned as Somi shook her head.

"I'm so confused."

Wonho patted her on the back in comfort.

"Don't worry, Somi. We'll be there to support you."

She shot him a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Wonho."

"Hello?" Serena answered the phone half-asleep.

"Good morning, Rena." Charebelle greeted her on the other line a bit too cheery for Serena's like.

"You're chipper this morning." Serena paused to check the time and saw that it was a little after noon.

"Nevermind, it's noon. What's up?"

Serena to her side so that the phone could rest against her ear and side of the head so she didn't have to use her hand to hold it up.

"I have a favor to ask."

"You ask a lot of favors and haven't delivered a few on your end."

Charebelle chuckled on the other end.

"I'll make it up to you by the end of the year. This time I promise."

Serena didn't comment as Charebelle continued.

"If I recall, didn't you mentioned that you wanted a new gaming system?"

"I did, but it's not really a high want though."

"C'mon, Serena. Please?" Charebelle whined in a cute tone to bug Serena into giving in.

"What's the favor first?"

"I need you to take one of my photoshoot job for the twenty-first in two weeks."

"Why?"

"I messed up the dates and found out that one of them clashes with another for the same time and day."

"You can't rescheduled?"

"Nope. So, could you do me one of these many favors I still owe you, please?"

Serena sighed deciding to give in as she had nothing scheduled for that day.

"Okay, Charebelle, fine. Just send me the info and let Praya know."

"Thank you so much! I'll return all the favors before the new year ends!"

"Yeah, yeah. Can I go back to sleep?"

"Yes, you can. Thanks again!"

"Yeah. Bye."

Serena hung up and closed her eyes returning to sleep and ignoring the notification that meant Charebelle had sent the information to her.

"Check it out, Hana, Acneboy is staring at you again."

Miseol mused while nudging her friend and motioning with her chin towards Wonho's direction up in the stands. Wonho was sitting within the school's field's stands with his three friends as the quartet were watching the other students' extracurricular practice after school. Alexander was currently practicing for his runs in the sprints and on the other side there was Cheer going on where the Gossip Girls were practicing.

"Hey, how much you wanna bet that if I ask him to Winterfest his acne will act up even more?" Hana asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Oh, do it. Ten bucks he'll get all flustered and do that stupid nerdy look he does with his braces and bowl cut hair."

Sooyoung took on the bet with an evil laugh.

"Seriously though. Who rocks that kind of hairstyle and wears them round framed glasses nowadays? It's so ugly."

"Apparently him and his equally nerdy and ugly buddies. Anyways, nah, twenty bucks that he'll pee himself with excitement like a dog."

Miseol disagreed and nudged Hana again.

"I'll throw in the latest eye shadow I got if you get him to believe that you'll even hug him and probably want a kiss."

"Eww, but okay. You're on."

Hana agreed as she began to make her way towards the quartet just as Somi had left to give Alexander her answer.

"Oh, Weenie, ahem, I mean, Wonho."

Hana called out to Wonho in a squeaky voice. Wonho's attention turned to Hana with surprised as Jisung and Changsub tried to fade into the background and out of her sight.

"Uh, yes?"

He didn't missed the fact that she had called him by the teasing name that she's been calling him since grade school.

"I know it's usually the boy that asks, but..."

She trailed off while trying to play coy as Wonho grew incredibly nervous by her behavior towards him. Just as Hana was going to pretend to ask Wonho to Winterfest she was interrupted by an argument consisting of Somi and one of the school's bullies, Rowoon Chae, below the stands. They're attention focused on that instead.

"Get away from my boyfriend, loser."

"Rowoon, calm down."

Alexander interferred upon Rowoon suddenly appearing when he and Somi were talking. Somi was pushed to the ground and stayed down not wanting to get pushed again if she did get back up knowing how things were with the school's bullies. Somi's friends and Hana rushed to the edge of the stands to peer below. Hana immediately descended down the steps and pushed Rowoon away from Alexander when she reached the trio.

"Why don't you get away from my boyfriend, ."

Hana shot Rowoon a disgusted look as Rowoon returned an equally disgusted expression.

"You're boyfriend? You must be dreaming. He's my boyfriend, hoe."

"Ladies, ladies," Alexander tried to get in-between them, "There's plenty of me to go around."

The pair focused their attention onto the male.

"Her or me." They asked at the same time causing him to be speechless.

"What?"

"Her or me." They repeated again while pointing from one to the other.

Wonho and company came down to help Somi and pulled her away from the scene much to her relief. Although soon enough Hana and Rowoon began attacking one another with Alexander in the middle of it. Their friends came to each side to either aid them or break it up. No one couldn't really tell until the coaches noticed and broke up the fight a moment later. Alexander, Rowoon, and Hana were sent to the principal office while the others were told to leave if they weren't part of practice.

"Are you okay, Somi?" Wonho asked with concern as the group went to gather their things.

"I'm just gonna go home. I'm not in the mood to hang out. Sorry." Somi apologized as she hurriedly grabbed her things and left the trio behind.

"Somi!"

The three males called out to her, but Somi ignored them.

"Hey, nerds."

Wonho, Jisung, and Changsub slowly turned around and saw the other two school's bullies, Minjae Kang and Kijung Ho, standing before them with their school books in hand and an equally mischievous expression on their faces.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Serena was casually sitting at a corner booth in the back of Minito Gelato with Nerok and Maofah. While she didn't eat any of the frozen dessert the other two were enjoying themselves immensely. The cats paused in their eating when they noticed the owner joining them a moment later.

"Y'know, Rena, it's unhealthy to be eating all of these while sitting alone in the dark corner of my shop at this time of hour."

Mint laughed as Serena rolled her eyes with a small smile.

"It's okay. I like being alone like this and hardly anyone is here at this time."

Mint tsked.

"If Melanie was here she would have you out and about doing some type of hangout and telling you to stop being a loner."

"Tell me about."

Serena groaned as she actually took a spoonful of the gelato closes to her.

"By the way, still no progress?" Mint asked a second later.

Serena shook her head.

"I'm sure it'll all turn out fine."

"Me, too."

Serena looked out the window towards the night sky with a whimsical look.

"But not gonna lie, Mint, I do miss doing those things with her."

"Me, too, and one of these days the two of you will be able to do it again."

Mint agreed also looking out the window before facing Serena again with a motherly smile.

"So how about them Belgium waffles with yuzu gelato?"

"YES!" Nerok yelled his eyes widened in excitement with strawberry gelato dripping all over his face.

"But with strawberry instead of yuzu."

"You don't need anymore strawberries." Maofah stated as he eyed his friend.

"You just ate three servings of it already."

"So did you."

"I didn't eat as much as you."

"You know it's so delicious, Maofah. Just a little more."

Nerok turned towards Serena with a pout and begging eyes.

"Please, NaNa. Can I have some more?"

Serena didn't look at them not wanting to alert her friend of the mysterious creatures as she faced Mint again after rummaging around in her tote bag and pulled some bills from her wallet and handed it to Mint.

"Sure, but I'll take it to go."

Mint took the offered cash with a smile.

"Sure. Anything else?"

"Oh yeah. Hold on."

Serena then remembered something while writing onto an unused napkin and handing it to her friend.

"My neighbors asked me to pick some up on my way home if I could. So if you don't mind, then could you also add in some minis of pistachio, strawberry, peach, taro, coconut, rainbow, tiramisu, chocolate, vanilla, melon, lychee, rose water, banana, and cookies and cream, too?"

"Okay, yeah, sure. I'll make them fresh and even add in a little extra something for my second favorite customer that stays until I close."

"Thanks, Mint. You're awesome.."

"I know and welcome. I'll be back."

Once Mint was out of earshot and went back and focused on inputting Serena's order before heading to the back of the shop, Serena turned to the two felines with a look.

"Don't you two have somewhere else to be besides bothering me?"

"Nope." Nerok answered while his paws after wiping the mess from his face and onto his paws.

Maofah looked at Serena.

"You gotta stop being a loner, NaNa. You need actual friends besides us."

Maofah cast her a knowing look.

"Actually better than making friends, NaNa, I think you really need to date again. Yeah, definitely need to get out there in the dating game."

"I don't need to date."

Serena grumbled as Maofah grinned.

"Uh yeah, you do. Your social skills have gone down the drain and you don't even know how to interact with other human beings."

"I do not. Besides, I don't need to be hearing that from you of all talking beings."

"At least I have friends and know how to act around people and other beings."

"You're a liar and you hate people just as much as I do."

"I've been around for centuries so of course that's a given."

Maofah remarked with a smug look as Serena rolled her eyes with a small smile.

"Actually, Maofah's right, NaNa."

Nerok inputted as Serena groaned.

"Not you, too, Nerok."

"I think since we've been together you haven't dated anyone else after that one guy, NaNa." Nerok stated after all the gelato away.

"You must be so lonely after all of this time."

"I'm not."

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