Chapter Twenty Three: Towards the Future

Heaving out a deep sigh, Soojung can’t help but notice the prominent chagrin on the face of the person who has been standing in front of the mirror for minutes. She pulls a seat beside the person and settles on it. The person continues on staring at her own reflection, wondering and probably reminiscing about the things that have happened to her so far. Soojung breathes in and finally elbows the person softly, “No matter how long you stare at your reflection there, you will always be the same ugly woman I met months ago.”

“Yes, congratulations. Of course, I will miss you, too. And yes, I completely understand your heartwarming message,” Mi Ja chortles, pulling away her gaze from her own reflection. She walks towards the corner of Soojung’s room and slips into a white toga glazed with blue and yellow ribbons – the same toga Soojung is wearing. Mi Ja raises both of her arms sideways and looks over to Soojung, “What do you think? Does it look odd?”

“I don’t know, we’re both wearing the same robe,” Soojung rubs her chin, “But it seems like there’s something missing about your clothes.” Mi Ja glares at her and points at the two caps grasped by Soojung. Soojung feigns a stunned gasp, and tosses a cap to her. She grins, “Well, look at you! You look decent enough now. Should we go?”

Before Mi Ja could reply with an anxious nod, they hear a gentle knock on the door that catches both of their attentions. Soojung yells permission for the person to enter, and Seokjin slowly claps his hands – although a bit muted because of the cap he’s holding. He studies Soojung and Mi Ja’s appearances without uttering a word and they can only stare back. Seokjin then fakes a sob before slamming his back on the wall as he slides down, “My daughters are all grown up and graduating and still ugly.”

Mi Ja sarcastically laughs before grabbing a lipstick. She twists the end and points it towards Seokjin, “Hey, why don’t you come here and let us fix your makeup for you?”

Seokjin huffs and snaps his fingers, “Excuse you, young lady, my face doesn’t need any prepping up anymore. Believe it or not, this is my face when I woke up earlier.”

“Oh come on, someone as ugly as you can’t be that less ugly now!” Soojung snickers.

“Not lying,” Seokjin rolls his eyes and speaks through his gritted teeth, “Trust me, I’m not; because I have already fallen asleep downstairs while waiting for the hopeless ogres preparing themselves inside their dens! Enough with this pointless discussion, let’s go!”

“Yes, yes!” Soojung groans before running downstairs. Mi Ja trails behind her, running a bit slower. When they arrived outside, Seokjin’s already sitting on the driver’s seat of his own car – his graduation gift from his parents. He’s mumbling incoherent profanities while glaring at the two to rush them. Soojung positions herself on the seat beside Seokjin and breathes in nervously. Mi Ja grabs to her small pouch tightly and whispers to herself before entering Seokjin’s car.

“This is it, Mi Ja. It’s finally graduation.”

It’s a brand new day and surely, there should be something different about today. Although the first face that greets his consciousness was the familiar face of Mi Ja and the familiar voice of hers saying the worst things he’s ever heard, Taehyung can still hope for a difference today, right?

Still lying on his stomach, Taehyung glances at the window that has let in the sunlight without his permission. He giggles, seeing a pair of birds sitting on his pane. Hopefully, Taehyung smiles to himself, today will start and end beautifully – although Taehyung can’t actually pinpoint what today should actually be. He yawns like a mammoth and gets up. Taehyung flexes his arms and he reaches for his feet, until his fingertips reach his toes. He chuckles softly when he realizes he can still be as flexible as he was when he was in middle school. Oh, the warmth of the sunlight trapped inside his room is just wonderful. He can just bask within it, savor every moment.

Until his eyes travel down at the calendar and realizes that today is Graduation Day.

His eyes widen in surprise and terror. Taehyung slides down his bed and he clumsily drops his whole weight on the ground. He feels shaken and now, he finally tastes the wrath of reality. He runs towards his door to grab his towel hung on the back and then he leaps towards his bathroom. Before he closes the door, he peeks at the time to set a schedule for his bathing session – and seeing that he only has more or less fifteen minutes, he buries in his mind to finish his bathing within two minutes. And he does.

He slips into his clothes and grabs the paper bag containing his toga and his graduation cap. Taehyung might have forgotten, or rather, he chooses not to, but he still hasn’t brushed his teeth. That doesn’t matter now, does it? Taehyung is running late, and it’s not like he’s going to be kissing someone. Or at least talk to anybody – besides his family, who should accept him the way he is, and his friends, who are far more disgusting than he probably is. He jumps into the kitchen to alarm his parents, only to find them sitting on the table chummily with Junmyeon.

“What are you guys doing?! I can’t be late today!” Taehyung shrieks.

Junmyeon looks at him from head to toe, “Wow, you need a comb, Tae?”

“I need the car. Now. Junmyeon. Dad. Mom. And whoever you guys are, I don’t have time to remember your names. It’s Graduation day. Why are you eating breakfast?!” Taehyung yells hysterically, and his whole family just laughs. He stares at each of them in disbelief and says, “Give me the keys. I’ll drive myself to school.”

Junmyeon chuckles and walks towards Taehyung calmly, “Okay, little boy. Let’s go.” Taehyung screams his gratitude and stomps his anxiety. He walks behind Junmyeon as they head towards the older boy’s car. Taehyung nervously fiddles with his toga and occasionally glances outside. Junmyeon can notice the obvious fidgety manner Taehyung is displaying right now, and he can’t help but amuse himself.

“You know, Taehyung, this is actually the easiest part in high school,” Junmyeon smirks, “Graduation. It’s just the end. Actually, I don’t like cheesy stuff, but it’s probably just the beginning of something new. Better, I hope. Also,” Junmyeon winks through the mirror, “College is full of hot women. You’d love it there as much as I did when I was a freshman.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, but before you enter college, you should plan out your university debut!” Junmyeon laughs, “Like, maybe a new personality. A less carefree and more serious Taehyung? Girls love that. Oh, and you should show them you’re worth their efforts. Maybe a new ranking position? If you can’t reach first, then at least aim the top 20. It’s not that difficult. I can help you.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“What are you getting, anyways? I heard from you wanted to take up Political Science. You sure about that? Because, Taehyung, you need a bit of luck with that. And so far, I don’t think you have any,” Junmyeon laughs.

“Yeah, I’m planning on taking up Law after,” Taehyung sighs, “Although, it’ll be really difficult – because my grades are average. And I don’t excel in any specific subject. And also, you talk too much for a Junmyeon. Who are you?”

“It’s not my fault I don’t like seeing sad faces during a supposedly happy day. Blame my preferences,” Junmyeon sighs.

Taehyung stops talking for a while, trying to digest what Junmyeon meant, and then finally smiling. He chuckles at Junmyeon, “Thanks, Junmyeon. But I actually like your preferences. We might actually have the same taste.”

“You’re right,” Junmyeon laughs while shaking his head, “But that’s obviously not what I mean right now.”

“I know, I know,” Taehyung guffaws, “Thank you, really.”

“Ah, enough,”

“Thank you so much, Junmyeon,” Taehyung pretends like he’s crying as he wipes an invisible tear off his cheek, “Thank you for whatever gift you’re giving me later. I’ll be waiting. I don’t want to be disappointed, okay? If you really don’t want to see sad faces today, then don’t disappoint me. Thank you.”

Junmyeon scoffs, “I’m giving you two choices right now. I’ll pull over, you open that door, you walk out of th