Gwiboon was reading the latest fashion magazine she had subcribed 2 weeks ago.  She loved staring at those bags, those shoes, or reading those articles of ‘how to make you fabulous in a week” and kind of tips to make you becoming the center of attention. She drowned herself in the magazine that she didn’t notice the teacher had entered the class. It was until she heard a loud humph, she lifted up her face and saw her least favorite teacher was bulging his small eyes to her. Gwiboon hurriedly hid the magazine in her desk drawer and showed him her awkward smile. Everyone in class were looking at her, right... she was the center of attention now, only that she didn’t learn this from that dumb magazine.  It didn’t tell the way you’ll get the attention by getting caught reading magazine by your own teacher in class. But fortunately, seemed like the teacher decided to forgive gwiboon this time. He just sighed and shook his head over it and continued to greet the students. Gwiboon sighed in relief.

Then Gwiboon might think she knew the reason why she didn’t get any detention for getting caught reading magazine in class when she saw a new girl coming from the door after the teacher called her.

“This is our new transfered student. Taeyeon-shi, can you introduce yourself in front of your new friends?” he asked her nicely.

The new girl smiled as she nodded. She turned her head to look at the faces whichwere new for her.

“My name is Lee Taeyeon, I come from Incheon. Nice to meet you guys and i hope we can be friends”

Gwiboon never saw a girl could be that attractive in her innocent. Yes, the first time that Gwiboon thought about her judging from her appeareance and that smile was innocent. She didn’t think she’s , not like most of the girls in school she knew too well. She basically looked pretty.  Soft brown hair fell nicely through her shoulders, slim body and pretty face. Gwiboon bet the guys would soon swoon over her heels  in the moment she passed them. But who knows, she’s probably behind that innocent smile. Gwiboon shrugged suddenly feeling she’s not anymore interested.

The teacher asked her to sit a desk away in the left front of Gwiboon’s. Exactly sitting behind Jessica and in front of Yuri. That wasn’t a desk she would love then. And gwiboon was right, just right after she sat there, when all the the students were busy looking for the page of the book which the teacher just told them to open, Jessica turned her head to the new girl and smirked.

“Hi, there. I’m Jessica” Gwiboon heard, provocating her to glance at the two.

“Hi” Taeyeon looked excited when Jessica offered her hand, asking for a shake. But when Taeyeon lifted her pretty hand, Jessica turned her body back and gave Taeyon a a view of her back arrogantly. Then she heard Yuri laughed mockingly over the scene, making the new girl looked slighty uncomfortable and humiliated. Although Gwiboon wasn’t interested to be friend with her, but the scene got her a sympathy toward this new girl.

--

Gwiboon immediately found him in the cafetaria during lunch break. Eating chicken as usual while he also had a book on his left hand, reading a page after page completely unaware of his surrounding. Gwiboon ran to him with her own lunch and sure it surprised the boy as she sat and put her arms around his shoulder.

“I texted you minutes ago”, she showed him  fake pout. “It’s so hard to find you”

The boy only chuckled as he pinched Gwiboon’s nose, “I always sit here waiting for you, princess. Don’t be such a whiny”

But the girl started again, reminding him how there were times when Gwiboon waited for him in the same place here in the cafetaria and how the boy didn’t replied or pick up her call whenever she wanted. In the end though just like always, he would just apologize and threw her silly jokes to bright and erase the pout on her face. Because he knew, Gwiboon just needed to talk and complain over nothing. And just like always, it worked too well as Gwiboon immediately sighed in relax.

He is gwiboon’s friend for all these times, ever since she was seven and Jinki was eight. People would always see them together a lot. They protect each other and they are almost inseparable, like Spongebob and Patrick, Gwiboon had said it once and Jinki just laughed at it, although Jinki would say they are like Punch and Judy instead. Yet, people couldn’t quite understand why they don’t end up dating. Even Jonghyun, Gwiboon’s brother thought that whatever the relationship that Jinki and Gwiboon have was stupid. But Jonghyun was respectful enough for not pestering Jinki or Gwiboon asking about their feeling to each other.

They were eating lunch together happily when Gwiboon saw Taeyeon, walking alone with tray of her lunch looking for a place she could sit on. That girl looked lost and uncomfortable. It was such a terrible scene because not even one cared for her existence. After walking around, Taeyeon finally spotted a place near the door which just had been left by bunch of students. When she was about to sit there, Jessica, Yuri and some of their friends blocked her way and placed themself at the table, not leaving any chair for Taeyon to sit.

Gwiboon saw Jessica said something to her and whatever it was, causing Taeyeon to bow her head down before she turned around and went out from the cafetaria in a pace steps.

“Tsk..”

“What is it?” Jinki asked her

“Those girls don’t treat the new student nice” she huffed in annoyance.

“new student?”

“there’s a new student just transfered today in my class. As usual, Jessica and Yuri don’t treat her nice”

“Oh.. Jessica.. well she never treat people nice” Jinki commented.

Gwiboon snorted, “Yeah... but she treated you so nice back then” she remembered last year when Jessica was having this major stupid crush on Jinki. It was annoying how fake she was and just by thinking about it made Gwiboon sick.

“only after i rejected her, she never talk to me again. She even throws her face whenever we meet” Jinki laughed remembering those days.

“too bad you rejected her even before you had a chance to her. I would love to see her breaking so bad”, she said as she was looking at the group, who were now laughing and gossiping over students. Gwiboon missed the way Jinki’s face  blushing after Gwiboon said that.

“by the way, i’m going to go to toilet. Just wait here for minutes”

Gwiboon ignored Jinki’s protest and just headed up to toilet. As soon as she got there, it was quiet and all he could hear was soft sobbing from one of the cubicle. The young girl knocked on the door and whispered, “hey, are you okay?”

The girl inside didn’t answer, but gwiboon knew now she had stopped crying. Seconds later, the door slowly opened and Gwiboon saw her, peeking up her face still inside the cubicle.

“uhm... are you.. okay?” Gwiboon asked carefully, noticing her lunch tray on the toilet chair. Did she eat her lunch inside?

Taeyon wiped her dry tears and shook her head, “it’s nice that you ask, but i’m okay. Don’t worry”

But when you find the girl said, ‘i’m fine’ that means she isn’t fine at all. Gwiboon knew that too well.

“Here..”Gwiboon offered her tissue, “Jessica will be happy knowing that she has made you cry if she sees you like this”

Taeyeon carefully took the tissue from Gwiboon hand, “thanks..mm.?.” she softly said.

“Gwiboon,” she said, “my name is Gwiboon”

Gwiboon offered her hand to Taeyeon which was with careful Taeyeon took hers and they shook their hand awkwardly. But when Gwiboon gave her smile, Taeyeon couldn’t help but smiled back.

“Look, whatever Jessica has said to you, don’t mind her. She’s not worth your time”  Gwiboon adviced her, “she’s just ”

Taeyeon only smiled, listening to Gwiboon.

“beside, there are still nice people around”

“yeah? Like who?”

Gwiboon blinked at her few times, “what do you mean?”

“I thought people are friendly in Daegu”

Gwiboon scoffed at her words, “sure not” she said, “but there are still. You just haven’t found them yet, i guess. Just try looking for someone that the face isn’t as as Jessica”

They both chuckled as Gwiboon finished the words. Then the bell rang, a sign that the break time was over.

“i’ll see you in class” Gwiboon waved her goodbye and left her.

For the first time that day, Taeyeon felt someone in school finally treating her nice.

---

On the next day, Taeyeon finally got a place to sit during lunch. Just when she thought she could enjoy her meal without having those eyes looking at her judmentally, Jessica and her group of friends passed her table. Noticing Taeyeon was sitting there, she stopped giggling with her friends and moved her way towards Taeyon.

“Well, well... the new girl finally got a place to sit” she said with that annoying tone again, “but... of course, next to the trash”

All of her group laughed at her, making Taeyon once again uncomfortable.

“who will make a friend with you if you sit there, Taeyeon-shi? You are just pathetic, aren’t you?”

The new girl was silent as she kept looking at her lunch, feeling completely sick with all those mocking laughters they sent to her.

But the laughters suddenly stopped when she felt someone took a seat in front of her. When she lifted her face, she saw Gwiboon there, smiling at her like a friend.

“Gwiboon, why are you sitting there?” Jessica asked her. She looked shocked at Gwiboon’s sudden presence there.

“don’t you guys use your eyes? I’m eating my lunch”

“yeah.. but, that’s the place where only moron can sit. You know, next to that giant trashbin” Jessica protested, “you shouldn’t sit there”

“oh really? Moron?” Gwiboon challanged them, “hey, Jinki..here!!” Gwiboon waved to someone behind them and when they turned their head over, they saw Jinki was walking toward them. Immediately they made a way to Jinki to pass. Jinki being flirty as he was, smiling at Jessica as he passed her and gave her a wink before he sat next to Gwiboon. Damn, that Jinki. Gwiboon cursed inside.

“now, Jessica..tell me, does Jinki oppa look like a moron to you?” Gwiboon asked her now and it was enough to make Jessica’s face heaten up in flush burning as Jinki kept looking at her. Of course, Gwiboon was certain Jessica would just turn into stuttered mess when Jinki was around.

“Jinki Oppa, you are the coolest in this entire universe, i’m just a moron who fall in love with you, but please be my boyfriend”

A group of boys laughed behind them as one of them said that, trying to mimick Jessica’s annoying voice the laughters then followed by the students around, looking at Jessica with taunt on their faces.

The girl looked completely ashamed as her face turned into a burning red. She looked at Gwiboon with angry but ended up turning her heels and pushed aside her friends to escape from cafetaria, tailed by Yuri and others.

Gwiboon laughed over the scene and when Gwiboon turned her head back to Taeyeon, she saw the girl was laughing hard, still having her sight to the place where Jessica just dissapeared. When they all stopped laughing, Taeyeon looked at Gwiboon, still having smile on her face.

“What was that for?”

Gwiboon smiled gleefully, “for making me annoyed” she then turned to Jinki, “thanks Jinki”

“no problem”

Then Taeyeon looked at Jinki, causing the boy to look back at her. With bashful smile, Taeyeon just nodded at him.

“oh, this is Jinki” Gwiboon introduced her, “Jinki, this is Taeyeon”

They just nodded at each other politely.

“what makes Jessica looked so embarrassed like that?”

“Jinki.” Gwiboon laughed, “It was last year that Jessica was so in love with him. She was fangirling over him all the time, that’s just annoying. Then she confessed after the football match Jinki and his team had just played. Can you imagine? In front of the students in that arena. She was holding the mic and giving him bucket of flowers, congratulated him after winning. Then she confessed. Exactly saying like what Woohyun had said earlier, you heard him right?”

Taeyon giggled, feeling excited.

“then, what happened?”

“you can guess, Jinki rejected her.” She laughed happily remembering that moment. “it was hilarious, you know.  You should see her face when she got rejected. She missed the class for a week after that day”

They laughed at the story, but Jinki just let out a sigh, “only if Gwiboon didn’t ask me to reject her that way, i would have rejected her not in front of the students”

He earned the slap on the back of his head, “yahh! Now you feel sympathy at her?”

“I didn’t say that” Jinki defended, rubbing the back of his head.

“whatever” she rolled her eyes, but Jinki pinched her nose for revenge.

“yah, Jinki!” she slapped his arm and he sent her tongue to . Jinki laughed when Gwiboon let out a cute whinny tone for his teasing. But Gwiboon stopped when Jinki pulled her head on his chest and ruffled her hair, earning him a giggle from the younger girl as it felt tickle but warm at the same time. Taeyeon saw the scene and she just smiled at them, wondering if Jinki was gwiboon’s boyfriend. 

They three spent their lunch break together, laughing and joking over nothing, sharing stories and gossiping. That day, Taeyeon found someone that later would be her bestfriend.

---

Ever since that day, Gwiboon had become Taeyeon’s friend. They spent most of the time at school together. And for the first time in Gwiboon’s life, she found a girl-friend. Jinki had been her best best best friend for her, he had always be there for her in happy and sad. Jinki protected her and cared for her like his own sister, played and shared about everything like bestfriend, although sometimes Jinki treated her too nice like..more than just friend. But there were things that Gwiboon couldn’t share with Jinki, like she couldn’t tell Jinki about her first periode, couldn’t even ask him to sleep over and share her bed, things like girl loves such as shopping, sharing dresses and shoes, looking for some make up, go to salon and spazzing over idols. With Taeyeon, Gwiboon could do these things without feeling embarrassed or awkward. Taeyeon was a nice girl. She’s just too cute and adorable that Gwiboon wanted to keep her in her pocket. She liked to be dragged around in Mall by Gwiboon without protest, in fact her high curiousity made Gwiboon excited. Gwiboon couldn’t help but  to buy her things and pay for their meals. Taeyeon was also good listener, and that’s what Gwiboon needed since Gwiboon was more talk-active kind of person.

Gwiboon learned that Taeyeon came from lower class family, that’s why Gwiboon loved buy her things. She would gladly teach her few things too such as make up and fashion, invite her to have some experience that Taeyeon yet would never have, like spending money on things that aren’t too neccessary, eating in the expensive and cozy restaurant, watching movie in theater every week end, and more time to have fun. Most of the time they also spent it with Jinki.

It’s no longer Gwiboon and Jinki, but also with Taeyeon. As three, they were having great time together. And Gwiboon felt lucky for having Jinki and Taeyeon as her friends. They clicked just enough, and they filled Gwiboon’s days better and more exciting. She felt complete with the friendship they were building.

One night Taeyeon slept over at Gwiboon’s place. They had brushed their teeth and were ready to sleep after all night long story-sharing and gossiping. Gwiboon was pulling up the cover when Taeyeon asked her the question that Gwiboon might never want to answer.

“are you guys dating? You and Jinki oppa?”

Gwiboon blinked at her for 2 seconds before she bursted out laughing.

“what makes you think that way?” she scoffed.

“because you two seem acting like one” Taeyeon argued, “you guys always together, whenever Jinki is, there is also you”

Gwiboon rolled her eyes, “we’ve been together since we were kids. Our relationship is merely friends. Though, sometimes he acts like my brother”

Taeyeon listened to her curiously.

“You can say our bond is deep because we have spent our childhood together, with Jonghyun too of course”

Taeyeon learned about Gwiboon’s brother. They met earlier and probably few times at school. Pretty popular, handsome, supple, confident and quite friendly. He’s like a male version of Gwiboon. He saw him walked together with Jinki sometimes, just not as often as  Gwiboon with Jinki. But it’s not like Gwiboon and Jonghyun weren’t close. Taeyeon could see how actually Jonghyun cared for Gwiboon when she’s late for her dinner, he would grumble non-stop saying that Gwiboon is wasting her dinner again as if it’s annoyed him the most, or when Gwiboon forgot to bring her purse and asked Jonghyun to pick it up and send it to her –it was during her shopping time with Taeyeon- though with annoyance and arguing, he still came to bring her purse. And there were many times that Gwiboon herself probably wasn’t aware.

“So Jinki basically is like my 2nd brother, and to be honest. The best one” Gwiboon snickered. “Jonghyun can be a jerk sometimes”

“That’s typical brother” Taeyeon commented, “but Jinki oppa must be really special to you that you think he’s the best”

“Of course!” She agreed, “he never upset me. he’s like the best best best person you could think of when you need everything, he’s always there when you need him to help, always know what’s wrong with you, encouraging you to do better and well, just simply the best”

“also Jinki oppa is handsome, smart, gentle, polite, kind and just like a perfect man in any korean drama you see on TV. I mean, aren’t you interested in him at all? Like.. ually?”

“what?” Gwiboon bulge her eyes, but slowly turned blushing, “you can’t be serious Tae, we’re just friend”

Taeyeon looked at her expectantly, “really?”

“yeah... beside, if i like him that way, and he likes me that way too, we aren’t still supposed to be bestfriend right now, you get it?”

Taeyeon smiled at her now, and somehow it looked more like a relief smile for Gwiboon to see.

“anyway, it’s late. I’m going to bed now. Goodnight!”

Gwiboon turned her body around, switching off the lamp on the desk next to bed as her back facing Taeyeon. She could felt Taeyeon shifted one’s back on her and heard her taking a deep sigh before she drifted off to sleep. But Gwiboon couldn’t sleep that night. She tried to close her eyes but her mind refused to rest. Usually, when somebody asked her about his relationship with Jinki, she just brushed it off. But this time, she didn’t know why Taeyeon’s question  even it’s same like others seemed disturb her a lot. Maybe, Taeyeon was just curious, maybe Taeyeon just wanted to just like any other people. Gwiboon curled up on her bed, pulling the cover up to her chin and suddenly feeling cold. She spent  hours just to be awake and restless, couldn’t quite understand why it’s hard for her too sleep now when she felt so sleepy before. Gwiboon then grabbed her phone and sent Jinki goodnight, only after Jinki replied her goodnight message fifteen minutes later, she finally could sleep.

---

Gwiboon found the reason why Taeyeon asked her about her feeling toward Jinki few days later. When they received their algebra exam result and Gwiboon was shocked that she got her mark better than Taeyeon. All these times, she knew that she’s not even better than Taeyeon in algebra. Taeyeon was considered as 3rd best in algebra in class while she was like top 20 something. Even the teacher frowned when he gave Taeyeon her exam result. So there, during lunch break when they would see Jinki and eat their lunch together, Taeyeon told him her algebra exam result and she got his sympathy.

“If i don’t get A for the next exam, i would probably won’t be able to pass this subject” Taeyeon told her, “Jinki oppa, i heard from Gwiboon that you are are doing really great with Algebra. It’s your favorite subject. Would you mind to be my tutor?”

Both Jinki and Gwiboon were surprised at Taeyeon proposal.

“it’s only for a month. It’s just... seems like i can’t hire private tutor because it will take money to pay. But, i don’t force you, really... if you can’t then...”

Jinki smiled at her gently and Gwiboon saw it, it somehow broke her heart. “who said i would object? Sure, i won’t mind. We can have this private algreba lesson after school”

Taeyeon widened her eyes in excitement, “Really?”

“yeah..” Jinki laughed at her because Jinki found it cute.

“then can we have this lesson this week? how about thrice in a week? are you okay with that?”

“ no problem for me” Jinki smiled. “You will join this lesson too, right Gwi?”

Gwiboon who was just staring at her meal and playing it with fork startled when Jinki moved his eyes to her.

“What?” she asked blankly.

“You, will join the private lesson with me because i know your algebra ” Jinki snickered teasingly.

Gwiboon blinked once, twice for a short time feeling happy that Jinki still aware that she was there. But when she looked at Taeyeon’s crestfallen face, she smiled knowingly and looked at Jinki apologetically.

“actually i got B+ for my algebra exam” Gwiboon said to him, showing off. “I don’t think i need a private lesson anymore”

Jinki had his face frowning, “no way, B+ isn’t enough. You have to get A for it. You do need private lesson with me”

“Ohh, off Jinki” she cut it, “I’m tired with all of these study things, you know that. Beside, i don’t need a good algebra result to enter Fashion major in university”

“but...”

“Taeyeon needs you more” Gwiboon didn’t let Jinki finish his argument, “i’ve had enough of yours, Jinki. One more lesson would get me sick” she joked as she saw Taeyeon smiled at her then looked at Jinki hopefully. But the boy didn’t look very happy with this.

Gwiboon stood up and excused herself to the restroom, “ugh i need to pee” she said, ignoring Jinki’s doubting eyes on her. She sipped her lemonade through the straw for the last time in hurry before ran herself to the restroom, leaving Jinki and Taeyeon alone in that table.