Problem

“It feels like you guys aren’t even listening.” The math teacher stated, deadpanning. The whole class was murmuring among each other or secretly checking their messages on their cellphones.

Meanwhile Son Naeun sniffed, scrunching up her nose while blankly staring at a well-known dirty spot next to the clock that hung right above the black board. Her chin rested on her bottle’s top without much effort and she absentmindedly played with the zipper of her pink pencil case.

Naeun her dry lips, looking over to her left side. Her best friend hid her head - which lied on the table lifelessly – behind her big designer bag. Naeun shook her head with a smile. “And you call yourself the more mature one.” She looked at the front again and saw the desperate teacher shrugging. “Forget it, class dismissed! Have a blessed summer everyone!” he already started to pack his own things while all the students did the same, including Naeun.

Naeun kicked Eunji’s shin once she rounded the table and started to pack Eunji’s bag for her. Eunji winced in pain, trying to hit the culprit but failed due to her sleepy self.

“.” She mumbled while Naeun just smiled victoriously. She threw Eunji a kiss and jumped up and down. “I’m hungry, hurry!”

Eunji as well, rounded the table and followed her right up and out of the class. They walked down the big school hall and Naeun sighed as they arrived at their in each other’s nearby lockers.

The latter smacked her lips loudly, opening her locker with force. “Damn this. And damn that. Summer break is around the corner and with that I mean – next week. Mr. Woo is still trying to do math, what is this?” Naeun shook her head and started nibbling on the sandwich she had prepared at home earlier. Other muffling swear words left which Eunji was glad not to be able to pick up. “Come on, you know Mr. Woo. He’s a genuinely caring man. He just wants to prepare us.”

“Prepare us for hell?” Naeun slammed her locker shut and leaned against it, Eunji did the same while facing her. “He-“ she immediately sensed the emptiness in Naeun’s eyes and turned to where her best friend was staring at – Kim Namjoon.

Eunji chuckled with a charming smile. “I swear to god, I’ve never seen you as love struck as you are with this guy.”

Naeun just shook her head. “He’s so adorable, look at him~”

Eunji turned around yet again. “Well. He’s not ugly.” She hit Eunji with a giggle, but sighed. “But who am I trying to kid? Am I going to seduce him with my awkwardness?”

The girl in front of her just nodded. “That would do.” After rolling her eyes, Naeun glanced back at Namjoon. He was about to sit down on a table his six friends where already chatting happily at, laughing about each other.

Naeun’s heart throbbed at the sight. Oh, how she loved guys with humor. She was a socially awkward mess, but Naeun wished her future boyfriend to be just as weird as her, this was something important when looking out for love.

“Aren’t they just...so cute?!” Naeun laughed high pitched, making Eunji spun on her heels. She facepalmed loudly at one of them sticking chopsticks into both of his mouth corners. “Taehyung is more your style. I mean, than Namjoon.”

“Ew look at his face.” Naeun shook her head quickly while Eunji countered. “He’s pretty, like all of them.”

“Yeah, but he’s just not my style.” She shrugged and quickly finished her short meal. “Boy, what would I do to just - I don’t know - be cool and hang out and get to know them and show Namjoon something of myself.”

“Baby, please don’t send nudes.” Eunji snorted with a mischievous grin, Naeun could only hit her. “Nasty! I was just – I meant – “

Eunji laughed louder, but calmed down quickly. “Okay, that’s not what I mean. Back to being cool. I don’t see you being not ‘cool’ enough. You’re definitely not a loser, hell; I’d say you’re just as popular as him in our grade with our clique. I think you have a real chance with him.”

Naeun smiled warmly at her best friend trying to cheer her up. “I just want to- I want to show him that I’m not just one of those es. Not one of those Barbie dolls.”

“Look at the amount of make-up you pu-“

Naeun made Eunji shut up by raising a finger at her. “You know what I mean.”

Eunji just nodded with the cute smile of hers as Naeun suddenly remembered something. “To be very honest - right now -  I even think I can manage that...”

“Good.” Eunji tugged on her elbow before pushing her into Namjoon’s direction. “Go ahead and finally talk.” Naeun stopped immediately. “No, I mean-“ who was she kidding now? Eunji would not believe her, she would not tell Eunji.

“Are you free? I mean, do you have classes? Because I don’t.” Naeun grinned brightly when Eunji shook her head. “Still art class ahead for me.” Naeun nodded knowingly. “Alright, I’ll text you later then, I’ll go home in the meantime.”

Eunji blinked. This was new to her. Usually Naeun would stay in the big lecture hall and “study”.

She was actually just admiring Namjoon from afar who would actually be studying for real.

The friends bid their goodbyes and parted ways.

Once out of the school building Naeun already dialed her grandmother’s number. Fortunately the old woman picked up quickly.

“Hello there, grandma!” Naeun beamed into the phone and chuckled, just like her grandmother. “Oh my child, you’re always so positive! Why are you calling? Does your grandfather need to pick you up?”

Naeun shook her head for herself. “No, that’s not it...Uhm, so, how are you doing? Is your hip better?” she started off with small-talk, much to her old relative’s like. “Yes, the surgery helped a lot, thank you, what about you, my angel?” her silvery voice made Naeun smile even more. “I’m very good, my grades are going up again!” both laughed before Naeun picked up the actual topic. “Oh, grandma, about the...old Chinese woman.”

“Old...Chinese woman?” her grandmother wondered and Naeun went for it. “You told me a lot about the old lady in her small house. Everybody calls her a witch; you’re friends with her, right?”

The lady on the other side of the phone hesitated and frowned. “You might be meaning Jinxing, when did I tell you about her? I don’t remember.”

Naeun smiled. “I must have been picking it up in between your lines at some point. Grandma, do you know where I can find her?” the younger blinked nervously, her grandmother just laughed. “I guess a visit won’t do any damage, she’s a very nice woman.”

She told her grand-daughter the address who thanked her dearly before hanging up. The house was even quite in Naeun’s direction, so she almost made a run for it.

-

Naeun gulped when she entered a narrow alley, glancing around. The walls were covered in messy graffiti and she hugged herself. When looking ahead again the young student saw a quite poky, wooden door with a window on eye level. Once arrived, Naeun knocked gently, a quiet voice replying but she could not grasp the words right away.

The door opened, revealing a small woman with gray hair and a soft smile on her lips. “Yes?” she barely whispered and Naeun blinked at her weak voice. “H-hello. I’m Son Naeun, I’m the grandchild of Son Gahee, you must be knowing her, you’re friends, right?” She spoke slowly by all means, just so the old woman could follow. She nodded slowly. “Indeed, my child, you look just like her! Come in, come in, share your concern with me.”

Naeun smiled softly and got in, closing the door behind her. “Your name is Jinxing, am I correct?”

“Yes, dear.” Jinxing made a cat leap off a chair and pointed at it, “Oh, please, take a seat.” Naeun bowed slightly before sitting down. “I…am aware of what you’re able to do.” She trailed off slowly while Jinxing placed herself in a chair opposite of her. “You do?” she stirred her tea with shaky hands and smiled.

Naeun could only nod when Jinxing started staring at her rather emotionlessly. Yet suddenly she started smiling again. “Oh, my child! It’s a boy! I’m so happy for you! I’ll get it right away!” Jinxing sounded enthusiastic and got up, disappearing into a door next to the small coffee table. The lone girl blinked the blush away. But not because the old lady had been pointing out her weakness but because she actually did.

“This is so creepy.” Naeun breathed out and let her eyes wonder around the small house, wondering if Jinxing also lived in here. It looked like a not-too-clichéed-voodoo junk shop, it seemed like an actually serious type of shop. She fiddled with her fingers before the owner returned.

“You’ve been looking for a potion, right?” Jinxing sat a miniature Tupperware in front of her, the ones you would usually use to put in pills you need to take with you. But at the moment it just felt hilarious. As a so-called witch all this woman occupied was a little Tupperware.

Naeun looked up skeptically but Jinxing already patted her shoulder. “My child, I’m sorry I only had this boxing. The…magical ones aren’t in store right now.” She laughed over her small joke and Naeun threw her a polite smile before taking it. “And, um, this is going to work?”

“It’s the gospel truth, I tell you, my dear, it is save.” She the young girl’s hair back. “The pill inside is going to immediately react with a liquid. Wait for the right moment, and try your luck.”

After Naeun nodded, she stood up and bowed ninety degrees to Jinxing. “Thank you very much, I have heard a lot of you, so I hope it is really going to work.”

Jinxing smiled while patting her hands, mumbling. “Take care of it…” Naeun inhaled and her lips, leaving upon then.

►author's note:
This used to be one shot only, but I decided to divide this into 2-3 chapters, so they're a little shorter
I feel bad for only updating now after publishing such a long time ago
Leave some feedback and let me know what you think :)
P.S. I hope you all know those mini tupperware, they're so adorable