"Hey!" Xiaoting shouted as soon as I got inside the school. 

"Hey yourself," I greeted back and we began to walk together. 

"How did it go with Cai Bing?" I knew she was going to ask about it. There was a mischievous smile plastered on her lips as soon as I came in. 

"Mom liked her," I truthfully informed Xiaoting.

"For real? I thought she wouldn't pass auntie," her smile vanished. Did she really want Cai Bing to go that bad? As far as I know they don't have any bad blood. 

"Yup. Hey, did aunt cook you lunch? Can I have some later? Mom woke up late, she just gave me money," I tried changing the subject and she went along with it. I’m not ready to argue with her early in the morning. Plus, I really want to know, because cafeteria food is .

"Good thing mom cooked samgyupsal! We had leftovers last night," Xiaoting proudly said. 

"Good enough for two?" I chimed, looking at her face. Hmm, maybe today is my lucky day.

"Good enough for me and you," she smiled as soon as our eyes met.

♡

Classes quickly started. As a senior, we are pressured to do well since Xiaoting and I are planning to attend the same university once we graduate high school. We both got each other's back whenever one of us is struggling. That is how we roll. Because if one of us fails, we wouldn't be able to be together. And we don't want that. Because we are planning to study in Seoul—200 kilometres away from here. 

Xiaoting and I dreamt of being independent from our parents. We already planned our routine. Like how Xiaoting will be in charge of the cooking, while I manage the chores in the house. I know it's easier said than done, but having a plan is better than none, right? We promised each other that. 

Getting our parents' consent to agree was the hardest. The only option we got was having a consistent average grade of B, so Xiaoting and I aimed for the A. Luckily, we're still on our streak. This is our last year to prove that we can achieve what we want to do. As long as we got each other. I don’t know what would happen if our plan went the wrong way. I don’t want to be separated from my best friend.

"You are zoning out," Xiaoting nudged me. The teacher almost caught us staring at each other. 

"I was just thinking this is our final year in high school," I said to her even though she already knows that. Heck, every senior knows this.

"Uh-uh, and what about it?" she pushed, her eyes fixated on the board to avoid any trouble.

"That means, a year from now, we're going to live together," I can't help but to smile from the thought. "And we can attend the events in Seoul we can only watch on videos before. We can finally experience them!" 

The teacher caught me talking. 

As I was bowing my head in respect, I could see Xiaoting smiling. It wasn't mocking me—maybe she imagined our life too and all the things we can do. 

I can't wait. 

"How the heck can you shout during class?" Xiaoting was laughing for a while now when I got scolded. She finds it funny—the most introverted person she knows getting caught as a noisy student. How amusing is that? 

"Come on, that was the first. I'm still embarrassed," I told her so she would stop. It really is embarrassing. That was the first time our classmates looked at me fascinatedly. It's like seeing a ghost from me. I even saw Eunbin with a shocked impression when I got called out. What a day!

"Alright, I'm sorry. At least you experienced that before we leave high school," she pointed out. "Are you that excited to be with me after this journey of ours?" Xiaoting asked, making me blush. 

"Yes! I can't wait," It was Xiaoting’s turn to be at a loss for words. We walked to the cafeteria in silence.

/

"Where did your mom buy this? This is yum!" I can't help but to let out. I grabbed another before Xiaoting could even get one. She glared at me in a funny way.

"I think a friend of hers gave this," as usual, Xiaoting eats elegantly. Some of the students are checking her out. So shameless! Let her eat in peace, Jesus.

"Bummer. I would've asked mom to buy one," I told her. 

Xiaoting and I are very much different from each other. She loves the spotlight. Hence, why she is one of the most popular students here. She has another group besides hanging out with me. Xiaoting told me I am still her priority. I never got well with her group because:

1. They talk too much. Xiaoting knows when she needs to just sit beside me and rest. She is feeling the atmosphere first to check if I am drained or not.
2. They don't have any boundaries. This makes me wonder why Xiaoting even made friends with them. To be fair, I never see them crossing the line when it comes to Xiaoting. I guess they respect hers, but not mine. 
3. They say I'm a nerd, even when Xiaoting does the same things. We’re always the top of our classes for Pete’s sake.
4. They are taking advantage of me. Like they want to copy my homeworks. I never told Xiaoting about it until she caught one of them pressuring me to give my answers. She cut that girl off. Ever since then, they won't ask me anymore. They were afraid Xiaoting would do the same.  
5. They hate me because Xiaoting spends less time with them. That's not my fault. I spoke to Xiaoting about this and she was the one who decided to spend time with me, which I will understand if she chooses them.

So yes, those are some of the reasons why Xiaoting never brings her friends with me. I guess this is also the reason why she learned how to break people's hearts, when she met them. When we started our Sophomore year, Xiaoting started dating—like lots of guys and girls. It was also the year she came out to me and her family about her uality. We never got the dramatic coming out since I knew she might be biual and her parents are open minded about it. The Shen family is the most chill family I know. 

"Do you want to go to the newly opened ice cream store later? They said your favourite flavour—strawberry tastes great. I thought of you when Xing Qiao told me about it," my eyes lit up when the strawberry ice cream subject opened up. Xing Qiao is the only decent person