“Chin up.”

Joohyun did as she was told and leaned her head back. Seulgi dabbed her handkerchief on her bruised lip. She winced.

“Now,” the tutor said, still focused on the other girl’s lip. “What happened?”

The brunette rolled her eyes. For the first time, she wasn’t so interested in talking to Seulgi. “What’s it to you?”

Seulgi’s deadly cold eyes looked up at Joohyun’s. Joohyun swallowed. “Ah, god. Well, we were fighting about something that I can’t really tell you.” She explained curtly, trying to keep it at that. “I asked her to come with me to buy something, and she got pretty pissed about it. She was acting really weird about something. Like negative weird. So I retaliated.”

Seulgi unconsciously blew on Joohyun’s lower lip as if to stop the bleeding. Joohyun flinched.

Her breath smelled like minty peppermint tea.

The tutor leaned back, satisfied that the bleeding had stopped. She looked at Joohyun, an eyebrow raised. “Is something… wrong?”

Joohyun straightened up and shook her head. “Nah, I’m good.” “What could you have said that would make your own best friend punch you?” Seulgi said as she wrung out the water from the handkerchief and placed it to dry in front of the fan.

Joohyun laughed. “Oh, we fight. Like a lot. That wasn’t really surprising.” “That was a punch, Joohyun.” Seulgi eyed her sternly. “That’s not normal.” “No, it is!” The smaller girl insisted. “Remember 8th grade? I wrestled Seungwan to the grass?” “Why do you sound like you’re proud of it?” Seulgi sighed. “Friends shouldn’t go on punching each other like that.”

As Seulgi started preparing her notes for that afternoon’s session, Joohyun looked at her.

Has she never had a friend other than Moonbyul?

Joohyun wanted to ask her. She wanted to know her.

But after what just happened before they got to the room, she might offend her yet again.

So Joohyun suppressed her curiosity. Maybe sometime.

“You’re right,” is all she said, earning her a small smile from Seulgi. “I should stop getting into fights with Seungwan.” “And everyone else, Joohyun.” Seulgi said. “Stop picking fights with everyone. You’re not a grade schooler.”

Joohyun laughed. Seulgi sounded a lot like her mother. “Geez. I don’t randomly pick fights. I fight them for those who can’t fight back.”

Seulgi placed the textbook in front of Joohyun, then leaned back on her seat. “Oh? What are you? A hero?”

Joohyun laughed again. “No. I don’t wanna be one.” She started answering the items on the book.

There were a few minutes of silence. Joohyun liked it. She hadn’t had a peaceful silence like this one for days.

For, Seulgi however…

“Are you not done yet?”

She didn’t want to make it sound harsh, but Joohyun had to be one of the slowest writers she had ever encountered. After several words, the brunette would start chewing on the tip of her pen as she thought of what to add.

And it absolutely irked Seulgi.

Joohyun looked up. “Uhm, just a bit more time, please?” She grinned and went back to writing.

It took 20 minutes for her to finally finish. S