How long has this duration of our meeting to now? 2 months? 6 months? August..1...September...2.....October...3...November...4... December....5... January.... 6.......February 7......March.....8. From the day I met them till now its been 8 month. Do you know what’s strange? I met Minjung first. Through this expected meeting I met three unexpected people: Yoonhae, Taeyeon, and Jaenus. Seoyoung was the only one I met and brought into the group myself, but yet today I find myself surrounded by the ones I were unsure off. Today they seem to be the ones I can only trust; besides family.

“I...I don’t think we should IM for the next... 30 days,” Yoonhae mutters to me.

My eyes only linger around Yoonhae’s black iris, with brown surrounding the insides. Her face bubbles with anger, though people who don’t know Yoonhae wouldn't think it’s from anger, but I know they’re from anger. Her eyes are red from rage, not from sadness or worry. I mutter something back and watch as she and Seoyoung leave the principals office. I slightly smile with bitter tears sliding down my face.. What a mixed reaction huh? I want to cry.. I want to smile and laugh. I want to mourn.. I want to move on.

“Okay lets go Minhae,” my mom says to me. She leads me to the outskirts of the school until we reach our silver Camry. As soon as I go into the car my eyes water. Without the reminder that everything is going to be okay from Yoonhae.. without that eye-smile from Seoyoung; I don’t think I can smile. I can only mourn over this pain until I’m reassured by the people who went through this calamitous hurricane of emotions. Tears fall like rain crashing down on the shore’s of Jeju island as soon as I’m faced by my mom’s ambiguous face. What was she feeling?

“Call your dad and tell him what happened,” she tells me softly. She doesn’t question or scold me. She just hands me the phone; like she was commanding to tell my dad today is trash day or that I’m sick today. 

“Daddy..I-I got suspended today,” I choke on the words as I start to sob. I closed my eyes, expecting an outburst from my strict father.

“It’s okay,” my dad says then I hear the beep warning me he hung up. I hand the phone back to my phone and lay my head against the car’s leather seats. Though the suns rays shone brightly against my pale skin, I felt dark as the shadow’s of hell. I can’t stand this. I need to talk to Yoonhae. I can’t stand to look at my ambiguous mom, or my hidden dad. She was the only one who understand me, who knew what I was going through. She was the only one who would scowl at me when I needed to be scolded at. She was the only one who could comfort me while throwing the truth at me. 

“We’re going to stop by the store,” my mom said quietly. I drag my legs and walk outside the car. My eyes instantly feel pain as the sun seems to be giving me a permanent cataract. I hated everything about life today; with the exception of my family and Yoonhae. But even today it seems harder and harder to fit in with my perfect cut-out family. How would they look at me today? Will they whisper unspoken words behind my back or will they shun me out bit by bit? Yoonhae was the only one I was sure would look at me with the polar opposite of judgemental eyes.

“Minhae! Hey! I was abou-woah are you okay,”  I heard Sunggyu say to me. I quickly rub my eyes and look at the small, worried eyes. 

“I’m going to go ahead and go inside. Take your time. I need to pick up a lot stuff for dinner tonight,” my mother called to me as she grabbed a cart and walked into the vacant grocery store.

“Come on, follow me,” Sunggyu put his hands in his pockets and walked into the two sliding doors. He motioned for me to follow him. I smile slightly and jog to his silhouette. I follow him in silence until he leads me into the snack aisle.

“Aren’t you going to tell me the tragedy of the day,” Sunggyu asks while looking at a stack of Pocky. When I don’t answer him he looks at me and widens his eyes.

“Well it’s complicated. You see-,” I feel my lips quiver and my eyes start to water while saying the words until Sunggyu tilts his head. His eyebrows rise and he looks at me jokingly.

“I meant MY tragedy of the day,” Sunggyu jokes and observes the chocolate Pocky in his hands.

“Shut up,” I say in embarrassment,” What happened, Sunggyu?”

“Oh, we’re on first name basis,” Sunggyu jokes and nods his head in agreement and then he continues his statement,” Today I have to write a song because we have to play at least 5 songs at this gig we really want to perform at but... nothing.”

“How do you write songs,” I ask him as I look at the variety of snacks surround my eye sockets.

“First I think of a title and then I base the song from the title,” Sunggyu says and then smiles as he looks at the pocky box. This guy is getting a little TOO excited about pocky.

“But the last song you wrote the song and then asked me for the title,” I state to Sunggyu. 

“I just changed the title,” Sunggyu grins and looks at me with his eyes.

“Oh..so what’s the next title,” I ask him.

“Pocky,” Sunggyu says and then he tosses the box of pocky to me. 
 

“Don’t worry here’s the receipt. I already bought it. My treat to you,” Sunggyu yells back at me and then he walks out of the store. With my tears dry, I wait outside the car until my mom comes and takes me home. I love pocky!