“I told you it was nothing.”

“Sure, and Sunho was just gonna back off. Yeah right. If I ever see him near you again, I’m gonna in—” 

Seungwan scowls. “Yah, language.”

Seulgi responds with a scoff, kicking her shoes off and climbing onto the bed. Her books remain a scattered mess on her bedroom floor as Seungwan worries around the room, getting her notes and textbooks out so they’re within reach for the impending study session. Joohyun just shakes her head in amusement. Bae Joohyun; the charismatic transfer student from Daegu and a fairly recent addition to their friend group. She had caught Seungwan’s attention when their yearly ranks came up and she found her name under Joohyun’s for Biology.

Studying has been Seungwan’s life ever since Seulgi’s known her, so it was surprising to Seulgi that her friend took such a liking to someone who had outranked her academically. But after a few hangouts, she could see why. Seungwan hadn't a jealous bone in her body, and no one could hate the gentle, kind person Joohyun was. 

Plus, anyone Seungwan likes, Seulgi automatically likes too.

“Seriously, Seul” Seungwan reminds with a tap of her pen, “Stop punching our classmates, Principal Hwang is gonna find out. You really should focus on getting your grades up so he gets his target off your back.”

“Yeah or else he’ll call your mum, and then you’re screwed,” Joohyun adds, making Seulgi choke on her Calpis with laughter.

At seventeen, Seulgi is their school’s featured artist, a star athlete and adored class clown. 

Joohyun sits by idly while an overexcited Seulgi play-tackles an unsuspecting Seungwan onto her back, making her squeak in surprise. “Aigoo stop stressing guys, I’ll just draw them a sorry note and it’ll all go away. Plus, I have backup. Who cares about Principal freakin' Hwang when our P.E teacher loves me and our art teacher basically thinks I’m Picasso reincarnate.” 

Seungwan squirms and whines, no match for Seulgi’s stupid bear strength. The latter just smiles down at her red-faced friend.

“Aish!” Seungwan frustratedly puffs out, “Don’t get complacent. I’m gonna end up being your mother at this rate, you stupid giraffe.” She whines again when sharp knuckles noogie into her scalp. 

“So you’ll stay with me forever, is that right?” Seulgi jovially threatens.

“Not by any choice of mine!”

“Ah! That’s not what I heard~!” 

Joohyun snorts at her tussling classmates. “Get a room for christ’s sake.” She pushes up from the floor, eager to help poor Seungwan breathe again. “Come on, this test is less than twenty-four hours away.” 

Seulgi groans. “Aye, what happened to having fun? It’s only the beginning of the year, you know. Everyone knows you party now, panic later. Hey, you know the bingsu place that just opened up? I've heard that the ajumma will give you extra toppings if you ask her about her granddaughter. And anyway Hyun, don’t you need to check on your sheep or whatever?”

The raven-haired student’s lips suddenly purse into a thoughtful line. “Hm, true, I haven’t logged on in a while. I need them to make babies already.”

Seungwan cuts in with a disbelieving tone. “Yah, yah, Minecraft, really? How old are you guys? We need to study for the Physics test tomorrow, let’s get started." She nudges Joohyun and spares her a side-eye. "Hyun-ah, I expected better from you.”

Joohyun’s cadbury eyes roll in exasperation. “Can’t blame me, Wan, this jerk is hella convincing if you let her keep talking. And you're seriously being ungrateful to the person who's just saved your life.” 

Seulgi fiddles with the blue cap on her soda. Realising her instructions have fallen on deaf ears, Seungwan lets out a defeated sigh. “Ahh, whatever. As for you, Seul, I hope you’re not expecting to copy off of me again. I risked my neck for you last month, dumb bear.” A cringe overtakes her at the memory of their teacher’s suspicion-laced questions about why Seulgi needed to lean so far forward every two minutes. 

With a mischievous smirk plastered on her face, Seulgi heavily slinks her arms around Seungwan’s neck from behind and laces her fingers together. “Aigoo look at our Wannie being so stingy! Hey listen, if I get an ‘A’, the next five rounds of hotteok and tteokbokki are on me!”

The room falls still. 

Even Seungwan can’t help but mentally drool at the prospect. Curse that perfectly crunchy, perfectly chewy texture.

“Alrighty then, it’s decided!” Seulgi proudly proclaims, patting Joohyun and Seungwan heartily on the back, “let’s get bingsu now, and cheat off our genius Wannie tomorrow~”

Seungwan blushes silently while Joohyun bristles up, somewhat offended. “Excuse you, am I not worth cheating off of? I beat Wan once this year.”

“Big whoop, Hyun-ah,” Seulgi cheekily throws her a grin as she ties the laces to her Adidas Continental 80s, “you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

The three students end up sharing a st