Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The scorching sun blazed down and the sound of cicadas' chirping pierced through the sky.

In a classroom on the second floor of HxG Middle School, Son stood on the podium, holding a rule while giving a lecture. His shirt was soaked in sweat.

The air was so sweat that it seemed ready to begin popping and the ceiling fan whirred loudly, but the breeze that it created felt scorching hot.

The students below looked drowsy and listless.

Son couldn't help but feel a bit irritable.

"Look at the blackboard." Noticing the state of the girl sitting in the third row, Son frowned slightly and tapped the ruler against the blackboard with more force. "Did you hear me? Look at the blackboard!"

Several students who were about to fall asleep jerked awake, their bleary eyes widening as they forced themselves to focus on the blackboard.

The girl, however, seemed not to hear him. She kept her head down, doodling with a pencil on her paper. She had a pretty and harmless face, showing a hint of youthfulness that made her appear even more endearing.

She sat upright, her demeanour serene and gentle, looking exactly like the kind of obedient student that teachers favoured.

Except for the fact that she was currently treating the teacher on the podium as if her were invisible.

Son's frown deepened as he continued, "Angle one equals angle two, angle three equals 108 degrees—"

As he neared the end of the problem, the girl still showed no sign of looking up. Son's long-suppressed anger surged, and he slammed the ruler onto the desk.

The plastic ruler collided with the wooden desk, producing a loud bang.

The noise startled the entire class, making everyone flinch. The shout that followed made the atmosphere even more tense.

"Yoonchae Jeung!"

Yoonchae finally lifted her head and looked at Son for two seconds. Then, she put down her pencil and stood up on her own accord.

Son, restraining his temper, asked, "What did I just say?"

Yoonchae glanced at the diagram on the blackboard, her expresion calm. "Angle four equals 72 degrees."

Having grown accustomed to her always acting like a model student, Son wasn't fooled this time. He tapped the desk again with the ruler and sneered, "I haven't gotten to that part yet!"

"..."

Yoonchae started to feel a bit troubled. "Then why did you ask me to stand up..."

Son retorted, "Why do you think?"

Yoonchae thought about it seriously for a few seconds and guessed, "Is it because you don't know the answer?"

"..."

Yoonchae continued, "So, you asked me to stand up to teach you?"

"..?"

"I see." Yoonchae nodded knowingly and looked at the blackboard. "Because angle one equals angle two, AB is parallel to CD. When two lines are parallel, the co-interior angles are supplementary—"

Son could no longer tolerate it. "Since you're so smart, why don't you take my place as the teacher?"

Interrupted, Yoonchae's expression turned a bit bewildered. She opened her mouth, then hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "But I can't just take away your livelihood..."

"..."

The room fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted into laughter.

Son was furious. "Quiet down! Be quiet!"

The students, still laughing, turned the classroom into a noisy market. A few boys in the back row started to cheer mischieviously.

"Sir, I think it's a good idea! Let Yoonchae take over our class!"

"Does that mean we won't have to do homework anymore?"

"Can I just not come to school anymore?"

Son shouted, "Silence!"

"Yoonchae." Son looked at Yoonchae again, his breathing heavy as he tried to keep his composure. Eventually, he lost his temper and roared, "Call your parents in tomorrow!"

The bell rang, signalling the end of class.

Son left the classroom with a stern fae, not looking back.

It was the last period of the day and most of the students had already packed up, leaving in groups.

"Why did you provoke Old Bald again?" Her friend, Mei, rushed over to her seat as soon as the bell rang. "Don't you know that he loves calling parents over for absolutely no reason? We're only halfway through the month and your mum has already been here twice."

Yoonchae stuffed the notebook on the table into her backpack and zipped it up forcefully. "I don't even know what I did to provoke him."

Mei's eyes widened. "You don't know?"

Yoonchae looked annoyed and muttered, "Didn't I answer the question?"

"Your answer was practically begging for trouble," Mei laughed. "Saying you can't take away his job? Even I would want to hit you for that."

Yoonchae scoffed softly. "Then you're just as unreasonable as he is."

"Hey, seriously," Mei continued, "Why don't you pay attention in class? And you always get caught."

"Don't you think Old Bald's voice is like a lullaby?" Yoonchae slung her backpack over her shoulder and yawned. "If I listened attentively without doing something else, I'd definitely fall asleep."

...That made sense.

Mei wanted to say more but noticed a few boys standing at the school gate out of the corner of her eye. Se changed the subject. "By the way, are you going to the bookstore?"

Yoonchae glanced at her skeptically. "Why?"

"James invited you, along with a few guys from Class 6. We're all going together."

Yoonchae asked again, "Why?"

"He said," Mei thought for a moment, "to buy Huanghou Xiong?" (T/N: Empress Xiong)

"..."

What on earth is Huanghou Xiong?

Yoonchae was silent for a few seconds. "You mean Wang Houxiong?" (T/N: referring to textbooks written by "Wang Houxiong")

Mei nodded. "Yeah, yeah, you coming?"

"No."

"Why not?" Mei gently nudged her shoulder and teasingly said, "James is quite handsome, you know."

The two walked out of the classroom side by side.

Yoonchae's expression turned indescribable. "You should get your eyes checked out at the hospital."

Mei protested, "What's wrong with my eyes? I'm not the only one who thinks he's handsome! Lots of people do!"

Yoonchae nodded and suggested again, "Then you can all go to the hospital."

"..."

Yoonchae took out her phone from her backpack. She hesitated for a moment before sending a text to Sophia.

yoonchip💗: unnie

yoonchip💗: u havent been home for a looong time

yoonchip💗: when will u come back >-<

yoonchip💗: can u come home tmr

yoonchip💗: i miss u so much T-T

Mei sighed in disappointment. "You're really not going then?"

"Nope."

"They're all waiting at the school gate..."

"If you want to go, just go," Yoonchae replied absentmindedly. "I'm not in the mood today."

Mei asked, "Is it because you have to call in your parents? So what are you going to do? How about asking your dad to come this time?"

Yoonchae shook her head. "Neither of them are coming."

"Huh? Why not?"

Yoonchae kept her eyes on her phone, waiting for Sophia's response. "I'm not going to tell them."

"...But if your parents don't come, Old Bald will call them."

"It's fine."

Before she could say, "I'll ask my sister to come," a text message came in.

sophiathepurse💟: ?

sophiathepurse💟: i can't

"..."

At the school gate, Mei said her goodbyes to Yoonchae and then walked over to the group of boys.

James' expression dimmed as he watched Yoonchae's retreating figure. He asked knowingly, "Yoonchae isn't coming?"

Mei nodded. "She was scolded by the teacher so she's in a bad mood."

James' brows twitched. "Her parents are being called again?"

"Mm."

"..."

The number of times her parents were called were almost catching up with his.

How could her, a delinquent boy, accept this humiliation?

James stood still for a couple of seconds, then suddenly turned around and walked back into the school.

Another boy quickly called out to him, "Hey! Where are you going? Aren't we supposed to buy Wang Houxiang?"

James turned back and smacked him on the forehead in frustration and said, "I've told your to read more books."

The boy rubbed his head in confusion. "...?"

"It's Huanghou Xiang you idiot."

"..."

***

Yoonchae continued to text Sophia, berating her for being heartless and uncaring, completely ignoring her fourteen year old sister who still couldn't take care of herself. She accused her of abandoning her just to go to university and leaving her to fend for herself.

After waiting for a while, Sophia still didn't reply.

She waited a bit longer.

The cold-hearted Sophia remained unresponsive.

Yoonchae's heart completely sank. She boarded the bus home, beginning to consider how she would explain the third "parent-teacher meeting" of the month to her parents once she got home.

What would she even say?

Should she claim that it was because she was too outstandiing that the teacher felt jealous of her, leading to her parents being called?

Or, something she said in class had caused a misunderstanding with the teacher, making him feel threatened in his career?

Or maybe, it was just that the weather was too hot, the teacher was too idle, and he wanted to invite her parents over for tea out of pure boredom...

Yoonchae rubbed her head in frustration.

None of those excuses seemed quite right.

Looking up, she realised the bus had just reached her stop.

Yoonchae got off and walked slowly home.

Entering the house and seeing the familiar surroundings made her feel even more uneasy about what to say.

Just then, her mother called from the kitchen, "Chae, you're back?"

She responded softly and slowly took of her shoes. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't notice the unfamiliar pair of sports shoes on the shoe rack.

Her mother called out again, "Chae, come here for a moment. Help Mum with something."

Still mulling over how to confess, Yoonchae mumbled, "What is it?"

"Take this plate of fruit to your sister's room." Her mother said as she came out of the kitchen. "She's back—"

"Mm... hmm??" Yoonchae immediately perked up, her tone rising in surprise. "Sophia's back?"

"Yes."

Yoonchae was left in complete disbelief.

A flood of surprise and joy surged within her all at once. At this moment, the annoying and unfeeling prick going by the name of Sophia transformed in Yoonchae's mind into the image of the perfect older sister—aloof on the outside but warm-hearted underneath.

Her mother continued speaking, "When you in, be mindful. You sister brought—"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Not wanting to wait for any more details, Yoonchae snatched up the plate and ran towards Sophia's room. "I got it! I'll give it to her right away!"

Her mother watched Yoonchae's unusually enthusiastic figure with some confusion. "What's up with that child today..."

Thinking about not having to face her parents' scolding, Yoonchae couldn't help but smile as she forcefully pushed upen the door to Sophia's room.

The inside was spacious and bright, with sunlight pouring in through the largr windows.

It was filled with a warm scent, but the next second, a strong scent of tobacco hit her, making her cough slightly.

She frowned and glanced around.

In the dimmer part of the room, a slender young woman was lounging on the sofa by the desk, looking down at her phone. She sat with her back to the light, her figure shrouded in shadow. One hand rested on the side and her long fingers held a cigarette with its ember glowing red.

Her build was somewhat similar to Sophia's.

Yet, she seemed unexpectedly unfamiliar/

Yoonchae's steps faltered and she hesitated. Her lips parted, but before she could utter the word "Unnie", the woman looked up.

At that moment, she finally saw her face clearly and inexplicably held her breath.

The young woman's expression was indifferent, her facial features sharp and well-defined. A smile that did not quite reach her eyes lingered on her face, giving him a gentle yet unapproachable air.

Her slightly upturned doe eyes had light brown irises and his brows and eyes were alluring, contrasting completely with the deep brown eyes of her sister.

She had expecte to see her sister, but instead, she encountered an unfamiliar person. Sophia was nowhere to be seen.

For a moment, Yoonchae's mind went blank, unsure of how to react.

The world seemed to freeze in that moment.

Both of them stood still.

After a short moment, the young woman lowered her eyes again, leisurely extinguishing the cigarette with a casual expression. She seemed to have no desire to speak and silently got up to open the window to let some air in.

Watching her actions, Yoonchae called out in confusion.

"...Unnie?"

Hearing the address, the young woman's actions paused and her eyebrows rose. She fixed her gaze on Yoonchae, her eyes carrying a gentle look with a hint of playfulness. Then, her lips curved into a smile and responded in a drawn-out, teasing tone.

"Hmm?"

"..."

This response struck Yoonchae like a bolt of lightning.

In that moment, the unclear matters in her mind were vividly shaped into a clear story by her imagination.

She finally saw her sister again, whom she hadn't seen in months, but she had turned into the person in front of her.

She was petrified and couldn't believe it at all. After a while, she finally managed to stammer out a word, "Y-you..."

She paused for a few seconds.

Yoonchae swallowed hard and cautiously completed her sentence, "You had plastic surgery?"

Chapter Text

After staring at her for a while, the young woman seemed to think of something, and a hint of absurdity flashed in her eyes. Then, her interest was inexplicably piqued. She softened her expression, deliberately lowered her voice, and said, "Mm."

"..." 

Yoonchae couldn't remain calm any longer and was on the verge of breaking down. "Did Mum and Dad agree?"

A few seconds of silence followed.

The young woman licked the corner of her lips, a smile dancing across her lips, "As long as it looks good, then isn't it fine?"

Yoonchae was once again stunned.

Compared to Sophia's voice, this one sounded clearer and more mellow. The end of all of her sentences were elongated, giving it a hint of ambiguity and tenderness.

It was completely different from her sister's always loud and irritating tone and manner.

"Kid," The young woman chucked softly, continuing, "Come over and see if your unnie looks good."

Yoonchae instantly sensed that something was off.

At that moment, there was movement behind her. She heard the sound of the door opening, followed by the thudding of heavy footsteps.

Yoonchae instinctively turned her head.

She immediately saw Sophia's face.

She looked a little thinner than she had a few months ago. Her hair was damp, and a towel was draped over her shoulder, seeming to have just taken a shower. When she saw Yoonchae, her lips curled into a smirk. She picked up a fork from the fruit plate in Yoonchae's hand and took a piece of sliced watermelon before walking into the room.

As if she had seen a ghost, Yoonchae trembled and called out, "...Sophia."

"What's wrong?" Sophia glanced at her, taking a bite out of the watermelon. "Did I impress you again with my beauty?"

"I..."

Before she could finish, the young woman behind her suddenly burst into laughter, interrupting her words.

Yoonchae rarely felt so flustered and involuntarily looked in her direction.

What she saw was an existence even more dazzling than the sunlight pouring in through the window.

The young woman's brows and eyes softened, her appearance losing some of its coldness. The corners of her eyes were slightly upturned, and her light-coloured gaze shimmered with flecks of light, full of a spring-like charm. She looked like a captivating, enchanting fox.

Yoonchae's heart skipped a beat.

It was as if she had been hit and easily gotten ensnared by her foxy charm.

Thinking that she was mocking her, Sophia looked over at the young woman and said, "Megan Skiendel, are you laughing at me—"

Because of Yoonchae's presence, Sophia didn't finish the sentence with the profanity she had intended to use. She changed the subject, picked up her phone, opened her messages and waved her phone in front of Yoonchae.

"Little Brat, what mess have you gotten into this time?"

The screen displayed their recent conversation.

That fleeting, light-headed feeling vanished completely in an instant, interrupted by Sophia's loud voice. Yoonchae immediately retorted, "I didn't get into any mess."

Sophia stared at her, her eyebrows raised. "It's best if you haven't."

"..." Yoonchae, still needing Sophia's help, could only grit her teeth to speak, "But, unnie, I need a favour..."

There was still an unfamiliar person present so Yoonchae glanced in her direction before looking back at Sophia, her eyes hinting at what she wanted to say but hesitating to voice it.

Sophia pretended not to notice.

Then, the stranger spoke up, her tone full of interest, "Sophia, is this your sister?"

Sophia walked over to the bed and sat down. "Who else could she be? My daughter?"

"..."

In return, Yoonchae asked, "Sophia, who is this?"

Sophia replied, "My roommate, Megan."

"Don't you recognise me?" Megan asked. "Weren't you just calling me unnie?"

That remark made Yoonchae recall her foolish thoughts from earlier. Her tense expression immediately crumbled, looking somewhat annoyed.

Sophia let out a light snort. "Quite affectionate."

During this exchange, Megan had already walked up to Yoonchae and crouched down in front of her. She looked at her seriously, her light coloured eyes appearing both gentle and alluring. "My name is Megan Skiendel, I'm your sister's friend."

Yoonchae turned her eyes away, her expression somewhat uneasy. "Oh."

After seriously introducing herself to the little girl, Megan turned her head and resumed her usual casual demeanour. "Sophia."

Sophia didn't even look up, continuing to play with her phone.

Megan asked, "It seems that you and I look similar?"

What kind of question was that?

Sophia stopped what she was doing and looked up. "Take a look in the mirror."

"Then." Megan took the fruit plate from Yoonchae's hands. "Why did this kiddo just ask me..."

"..."

After a brief pause, Megan chuckled again. "If I got plastic surgery?"

There was silence.

Then Sophia responded coolly, "What do you mean?"

"Unnie!" Fearing upsetting Sophia and loosing her help in meeting her teacher, Yoonchae hurriedly changed the subject. 
"Didn't you say that you weren't coming back?"

"Little Brat." Remembering Yoonchae's expression when she had first walked into the room, Sophia said expressionlessly, "Did you really think that she was me?"

"...N-no."

"You thought she was a surgically altered version of me?"

"..."

"How did you even come up with that idea?" Sophia, always overly confident, spoke with an upset and harsh tone, "Me, getting plastic surgery? And ending up looking like her—"

Seeing her go on and on, Yoonchae's temper flared up as well. "Isn't it natural that you'd want to look like her?!"

"..."

"Mum didn't tell me you were bringing a friend home!" Anger brought Yoonchae back to her true self, revealing her unruly nature. "And since there was only one person in the room, isn't it normal for me to think that?"

Sophia impatiently dug at her ear. "Lower your voice." 

Yoonchae glared at her. "Why should I lower my voice? I'm not disturbing anyone."

The siblings faced off.

Sophia showed no signs of yielding to her younger sister, continuing to stoke the fire. "You're disturbing me."

Seeing that the argument was escalating, Mgean stepped in to calm the situation. She waved at Yoonchae. “Kid, come over and have some fruit.”

With her friend present, Sophia lost interest in bullying her perpetually defiant little sister. She glanced at her phone and said to Megan, “Do you want to take a shower before heading back to campus?”

“No need.” Megan took a piece of watermelon with a fork and held it out to Yoonchae. “Let’s leave after finishing the fruits.”

Yoonchae pressed her lips together and instinctively glanced at Megan.

At that moment, the childish and embarrassing argument with Sophia replayed in her mind. Adding to it, this seemingly kind unnie had just casually exposed her humiliating actions.

Feelings of grievance and unspoken emotions welled up inside her.

She felt as if the whole world had abandoned her.

Her cheeks uncontrollably began to burn, becoming hot and flushed, and she felt a stinging sensation around her eyes.

She started to feel very embarrassed.

Yoonchae silently took the piece of fruit, her nose feeling clogged, and heat surged toward her face. She struggled to hold it back for a long time, but a sob still escaped her throat.

Megan’s movements paused.

Sophia also heard it and looked up. “…You can’t be serious.”

Those words seemed to work like magic.

As soon as they were spoken, Yoonchae’s tears were unleashed, streaming down uncontrollably. Her suppressed sobs erupted, echoing through the room and spilling into the living room.

“…”

The two young women froze simultaneously.

Hearing the noise, Yoonchae and Sophia's mother immediately came in from the living room. “What’s going on?”

Sophia reacted quickly and shamelessly said, “Megan, how could you bully my sister?”

Megan’s expression immediately stiffened.

She had never encountered such a situation before and was at a loss for how to respond.

She hadn’t even fully processed if she was the one who had made the kid cry.

But before she could offer an explanation, Yoonchae grabbed the hem of her shirt and hid behind her, looking especially frightened. She glanced at her mother, still sobbing, and pointed at Sophia with her other hand. “Mum… Wuuwuu… S-sophia…”

Their mother turned to look at Sophia, her gaze icy.

Yoonchae’s cries grew more pitiful. “Sophia hit me…”

Sophia was lost for words.

The little girl cried with such grievance, her large tears falling like drops that seemed to hit one’s heart. It was rare to see Yoonchae cry like this and their mother's heart immediately softened. She gently consoled Yoonchae with a few kind words before her expression changed. She pulled Sophia into the living room to give her a stern talking-to.

The door opened and closed with their movements.

The atmosphere cooled with one person gone. Yoonchae let go of Megan’s shirt, her sobs gradually subsiding.

Megan turned to look at her.

The little girl was still young and her development wasn’t as good as her peers. She wasn’t even 155 cm tall, only reaching her chest. Her eyes were large and, at this moment, red and teary. She was still sniffling, looking very much like a little rabbit.

She then took a pitiful bite of the watermelon.

Her sobs stopped completely.

Megan smiled and didn’t ask why she had cried. She pulled two tissues from the box on the table. “No more crying?”

With her tears gone, Yoonchae’s mood improved significantly, though a hint of shame lingered.

She kept her head down and didn’t speak.

Due to their height difference, Megan had to bend down to wipe her tears with the tissues. “Go wash your face in a bit.”

Yoonchae, used to being taken care of like this, didn’t shy away.

In the silence, a thought suddenly popped into Yoonchae’s mind.

A thought that would undoubtedly seem abrupt to a stranger.

After thinking for a while, Yoonchae hesitantly spoke up. Her voice, still soft and childish from having just cried, sounded especially endearing, “Unnie, are you leaving?”

Megan lifted her eyes and hummed in response. “Why?”

“Do you have time tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Yoonchae said quietly, “Tomorrow.”

Megan chuckled. “Why are you asking about my schedule?”

Since she didn’t clearly say she was available, Yoonchae found it difficult to explain. “It’s just… just…” She couldn’t come up with a good reason and eventually returned to her original question, this time adding a flattering tone, “Megan unnie, do you have time tomorrow?”

Megan looked down at her and lazily said, “What if unnie doesn’t have time tomorrow?”

Yoonchae panicked. “That won’t do!”

Having just offended Sophia, she surely wouldn’t help her now. The only hope she had left was this person in front of her.

She clenched her fists, threatening in a dry, desperate tone, “You must be available. If you’re not, I’ll… I’ll tell my mum that you both hit me, ganging up on me…”

“…”

Ganging up on her?

Megan pulled the corners of her mouth slightly. “Kid, why are you being unreasonable?”

Yoonchae looked at her and said without confidence, “I’m still young.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t know reason yet.”

“…”

Alright.

Megan, with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, said, “First, tell me what you want to do tomorrow.”

Yoonchae paused for a moment before hesitantly saying, “Could you pretend to be my sister, like… the blood-related one?”

Megan raised an eyebrow.

“And then tomorrow,” she felt a bit embarrassed, her voice dropping to a whisper, “could you come see my teacher…?”

Megan understood. “So, you’ve been asked to bring your family?”

Yoonchae fell silent as if to confirm her guess.

“What for?”

Remembering the reasons she had come up with on the way home, Yoonchae wasn’t sure if she would believe them. She scratched her head and hesitated, “Can I not say?”

“That’s fine.”

Before Yoonchae could breathe a sigh of relief, Megan added casually, “In that case, your unnie is busy tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

If the person standing in front of her right now had been Sophia, she wouldn't have gotten a single word out of Yoonchae about what she didn't want to tell her. In fact, she would have dared to cling to her shamelessly for a long time without revealing anything.

But now, the person before her was someone Yoonchae was meeting for the first time.

From the moment she spoke to her for the first time, Megan had been particularly gentle as if she wouldn't lose her temper at her no matter what she heard. Yoonchae couldn't see through her and because of this unfamiliar and distant relationship, she didn't dare to be too presumptuous.

As soon as there was even a slight change in her tone, Yoonchae completely lost the courage to continue hiding the truth.

She remained silent for a few more seconds before reluctantly confession, "I didn't pay attention in class."

"Mm."

"The teacher called on me to answer a question, and I got it right." Yoonchae paused, slowly organising her words. "Then he asked me if I wanted to take his place as the teacher. I thought that it wouldn't be possible for me to do that, so I refused."

"..."

Yoonchae carefully glanced at Megan, as if to gauge her reaction, then quickly withdrew her gaze. She obediently stood in place, looking very honest and naive. "Then he said he wanted to call my parents."

When she finished talking, she felt like the whole world had gone silent.

She hadn't revealed all the details, making her feel quite guilty, and seeing that Megan still hadn't spoken, she couldn't help but say, "You don't believe me?"

Megan finally spoke at that, her words tinged with amusement. "I really don't believe you."

She seemed to genuinely find this matter funny. Her shoulders trembled slightly, her chest rising and falling, and a faint laugh escaped her throat, mixed with shallow breaths. She was already very beautiful, but her smile made her even more radiant.

There were standing close to each other and Yoonchae could smell the lingering scent of smoke on her, which made her feel even more uneasy.

She forced out, "I'm telling the truth!"

Megan asked, "Hmm? You're not lying to me?"

Yoonchae nodded vigorously, looking extremely sincere. "No, it's true. If you don't believe me, you'll see tomorrow. Even if I lie to you now, the teacher will tell you the truth."

"Is that so..."

Just then, the door was opened again.

Sophia didn't look at them as she walked towards the closet, saying straightforwardly, "Little Brat, get out."

Although Yoonchae felt a bit guilty about falsely accusing her, she still wasn't willing to leave just like that. She muttered, "Can't I stay here?"

Sophia turned around, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "I need to change clothes."

"Then she..." As she spoke, Yoonchae tugged at the hem of Megan's shirt. "She should also leave, right? I don't think she wants to watch you change either."

Sophia pretended not to hear her. "Close the door when you leave."

Yoonchae took this as agreement and pulled Megan towards the door. "Alright, we'll close it."

Sophia watched them for a moment before waving her hand dismissively, too lazy to bother anymore.

Yoonchae immediately dragged Megan into her room, because it would be over for her if her parents found out about this, shut the door cautiously, and urgently asked, "Megan, are you coming tomorrow or not? I've already told you the truth..."

Megan looked down and lazily replied, "Why don't you go find your sister to help you?"

"How could I!?!" Yoonchae widened her eyes. "I just wrongly accused her like that... If I told her, she would just immediately tell my mum."

Megan was still smiling. "Sophia isn't that kind of person."

"..."

It was hard to tell if she was being serious or joking from her tone.

Even though Yoonchae had threatened her earlier, it was all just a bluff, and now she was completely out of ideas.

With no way out, she recalled the previous incident and grudgingly reminded her, "Megan, if you hadn't said those things to Sophia earlier, I wouldn't have argued with her."

Megan raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

At that moment, the door opened.

Sophia stood outside and looked at Megan. "Let's go."

As if she hadn't heard what Yoonchae had just said, Megan nodded. "Kid, see you next time."

Yoonchae couldn't believe it.

How could it end with 'see you next time'?

They hadn't even reached an agreement yet!

Realising that Megan was really about to leave, Yoonchae immediately grabbed her arm. "Are you guys leaving so soon? It's so late already, why not stay for dinner before you go?"

Megan politely declined, "Next time."

Yoonchae stared at her, showing no intention of letting go.

What next time?!

Did you forget what we were talking about just now?! Are you already getting forgetful because of your age?!

But she didn't dare to say these things out loud. Instead, she could only ask pitifully, "When is next time...?"

Megan curved her lips into a smile but said nothing.

Watching their dramatic interaction, Sophia raised an eyebrow. "What are you two doing? Fell for each other at first sight? Megan, take it easy. My sister's only 13."

Yoonchae instinctively corrected, "14."

Hearing that, Megan was a bit surprised. She looked back at Yoonchae.

"14?"

Her tone made it sound like she couldn't believe it.

As if the fact that was already 14 was some kind of outlandish tale.

This reaction struck a nerve for Yoonchae. She instantly forgot that she needed a favour, and feeling very unhappy, said, "Are you trying to say that I'm short and don't look like I'm 14 at all?"

Sophia, leaning against the door with her arms crossed, fanned the flames, "That's exactly what she means."

Megan scratched the skin under her eye and shook her head. "No."

But her words lacked sincerity.

Yoonchae glared at the two of them for a few seconds before losing her temper. "Forget it, I'm not talking to you anymore." She didn't argue back with Sophia as she had done before. Instead, as if truly hurt, she said in a low voice, "Anyway, I'm still growing."

Seeing this, Sophia felt a rare pang of guilt and tried to comfort her, "Isn't being short a good thing? When you're 30, people might still think you're only 18."

This only seemed to rub salt into her wound.

Yoonchae kept a stern face. "So is it because you're tall that people think you're my mother?"

"..."

Sophia's brief moment of guilt vanished instantly.

The young girl's eyes were still red, looking like she had been bullied, yet she remained defiant.

It seemed like both times she got upset was because of her. Megan sighed, her attitude starting to soften, and she asked, "14, second year of middle school?"

Yoonchae didn't look at him and replied stiffly, "First year."

"Which school?"

"HxG Middle School." Yoonchae hesitated, unsure if her sudden thought was right, but still added weakly, "Class 1 of the first year."

Megan dragged her words as she repeated, "HxG Middle School, first year, class 1..."

Then she bent down to meet Yoonchae's eyes.

"Kid, what's your name?"

Yoonchae pursed her lips slightly and whispered, "My name is Yoonchae."

"Yoonchae?"

"Mm." Yoonchae couldn't help but avoid her gaze.

Megan affectionately pinched her cheek. "Well then, little Yoonchae."

"..."

She lowered her voice as if sharing a secret with her that no one else should hear.

"Do you know when 'next time' is now?"

***

After bidding farewall to Yoonchae and Sophia's parents, Megan and Sophia left the house.

The sun had completely set and the evening glow stained the entire sky, adding a touch of coolness to the air.

Megan suddenly said, "Your sister seems to be quite well-behaved."

"Well-behaved?" Sophia scoffed, having somehow found a lollipop and was now biting it. "That little brat is in her rebellious phase, so hard to manage."

Rebellious phase.

Hard to manage.

It didn't seem to be that bad.

Megan considered it for a moment. Yoonchae was still a kid with an immature mind after all, and she wasn't sure if anything serious had happened, so she decided to bring it up with Sophia. "Your sister has been told to bring her parents to school and she just asked me if I could go see the teacher for her. You should figure out how to handle it."

Sophia clicked her tongue. "No wonder she kept insisting you stay for dinner. I knew that little brat was up to no good."

Megan smiled but didn't say anything.

"It probably isn't a big deal. Our parents have been called so many times already and it's always for the same reason." Sophia said as she looked down, replying to messages on her phone absentmindedly. "Are you free tomorrow? If you are, could you help me go there? I have something to do tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, huh..."

"Yeah. If you're not available, that's fine. I'll let my mum know."

Megan had just agreed to help her, but she immediately turned to tell her parents?

The kid will probably cry again.

"Even if I'm not free, I have to be now." Megan said, her eyes lowered and her tone casual. "I can't just lie to a kid."

***

Hearing the sound of the front door closing, Yoonchae peeked out and then ran barefoot to her mother. "Mum, why did Sophia come back?"

Her mother answered, "She said that she was doing something nearby, so she just came by to take a shower."

"Since it's so late, why didn't you invite them to stay for dinner?"

"Sophia's friend had something to do." Her mother wasn't too concerned about the matter and asked, "Chae, did your sister really hit you?"

"..." Yoonchae immediately felt guilty and didn't dare to ask further. She turned and ran to her room. "I'm going to do my homework!"

Back in her room, she locked the door.

Yoonchae kicked off her slippers, jumped onto the bed, and pulled a stuffed toy into her arms. Her mood was still poor, but her thoughts seemed to empty out as her mind replayed Megan's last words.

"Do you know when 'next time' is now?"

That response should have been to her question, "When is next time?"

It meant she would come, right?

Yoonchae finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned over, and started swinging her legs, humming a cheerful tune. As she looked out at the darkening sky outside, she continued to think about what just happened.

Then, she recalled that earlier...

Megan, had raised her arm and pinched her cheek..

"..."

"..?"

Yoonchae immediately sat up.

Did that person pinch her cheek just then?

She did, right?

How could she pinch her cheek?

They had just met for the first time!!! How could she just pinch her cheek like that?!

Not only did she pinch her, but she also got so close!

And... and she even called her little Yoonchae...!

Forget it.

Yoonchae tried to calm herself down, putting on an indifferent facade and repeating, "Forget it."

Since she would do her a favour, she decided to let it slide begrudgingly.

Her eyes swept across the room and landed on the mirror on the desk.

Meeting her own eyes in the mirror, she noticed her flushed face.

Yoonchae's calmness instantly crumbled.

Why do you look like you're the one who took advantage of her?!!!

In her 14 years of life, this was the first time she had experienced such an emotion.

Yoonchae collapsed back onto her bed and wrapped herself up in the blanket in a state of bewilderment, feeling the air inside grow thinner.

Then, she listened to the sound of her heart pounding louder and louder.

***

Early the next morning, after Yoonchae had finished washing up and walked into the living room, she found her parents already seated at the dining table, having breakfast. Since she had found someone to help meet the teacher, she acted as if ntohing was wrong and didn't mention anything about it.

She sat down at the dining table.

Her mother served Yoonchae a bowl of lean meat porridge.

Still half-asleep, she had no desire to talk.

The house was quiet and peaceful.

Yoonchae slowly sipped her porridge, suddenly remembering Megan's reaction to her age from yesterday. She exhaled and asked quietly, "Dad, am I a bit short?"

Her father looked at her and asked, "Did someone tell you that?"

Yoonchae nodded and immediately shifted the blame to Sophia. "Sophia did."

Her mother said, "Don't listen to your sister."

Yoonchae poked the bottom of her bowl with her spoon. "But my classmates are all 13 but they're all taller than me. Mei is already 165cm."

Her father comforted her, "You're still young. You'll grow taller."

"But you all are so tall and I can't seem to grow. When I ride the bus, people even offer their seats, thinking I'm a primary school student." Yoonchae's mood was particularly low as she asked gloomily, "Was Sophia 155cm when she was 14?"

Her mother hesitated before replying, "Well, she..."

Her father suddenly interrupted her, answering Yoonchae's question, "No."

"..."

"She wasn't that tall." He said calmly. "I don't remember exactly, but I have a vague impression. She was probably around 145cm at that time."

Chapter Text

Yoonchae's appetite suddenly improved. Holding a bowl, she gulped down the porridge. She declined her father's offer to drive her to school, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and planned to take the bus as usual.

As she hurried towards the bus stop, Yoonchae lowered her head and struggled to find her student bus card in her backpack.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a convenience store nearby and hesitated before walking in.

The convenience store was small, with the refrigerator for drinks positioned by the door. Yoonchae stared intently at the row of milk bottles, her eyes unblinking, lost in thought.

Seeing her standing there for quite a while, the cashier at the counter couldn't help but ask, "Kid, do you want to buy some milk?"

Normally, Yoonchae would have ignored such remarks, but at that moment, she inexplicably turned around and pointed to her school uniform. "I'm in middle school now. Please don't call me that."

Without waiting for the cashier to respond, Yoonchae continued, "I'm not buying anything. I just came to take a look."

After saying goodbye, she left the store and just caught a crowded bus. Yoonchae quickly boarded, squeezing her way in with the flow of passengers and found a spot to stand.

The bus jolted violently.

Yoonchae stood unsteadily, having to hold onto the hand strap and stand on tiptoe, which was quite tiring. When the bus made a sudden stop, she lurched forward uncontrollably, making her heart sink. But in the next moment, someone grabbed her backpack and pulled her back.

A continuous stream of complaints filled the air.

Yoonchae stretched out her hand and barely managed to grab a distant pole.

In that moment, she found a brief gap to look back and happened to meet James' gaze.

The boy was about 170cm, a head taller than her. His facial features had yet to fully develop, giving him a soft and youthful appearance. He deliberately put on a mature expression as he asked, "Are you okay?"

Yoonchae nodded but didn't respond.

James offered her his spot. "You can stand here."

His height was enough for him to reach the handrail, so Yoonchae accepted the offer without hesitation, saying, "Thank you."

Silence.

After a while, James blurted out, "I heard from Mei that your parents are being called to school."

Yoonchae looked at him, clearly displeased. "Why does she tell you everything?"

"You didn't go to the bookstore yesterday, so I just asked around." James seemed a bit nervous. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to let you know that my parents were called in too."

Yoonchae paused in surprise. "Your parents too?"

"Yeah."

"What for?"

James couldn't think of a way to answer for a moment, then replied vaguely, "Just not paying attention in class."

Yoonchae nodded. "Me too."

"Why didn't you pay attention in class?"

"It's too easy." Yoonchae said, "I don't want to listen."

"..." James scratched his head and said nonchalantly, "I'm the same."

Yoonchae looked at him skeptically. "But didn't you get the bottom mark in the grade for all the last exams?"

Sweat tricked down James' forehead. He looked away, gripping the handrail more tightly, but his expression remained calm. "Yeah, the questions were too easy, so I didn't bother to answer them."

Seemingly finding his explanation reasonable, Yoonchae responded with a calm "Oh" and didn't say anything more.

The atmosphere grew quiet.

So quiet that it became a bit awkward.

James cleared his throat and took the initiative to break the silence. "What was your rank in the last exam?"

Yoonchae replied, "First."

"..." James gritted his teeth, then quickly relaxed, forcing a nonchalant smile. "Alright, I'll aim for first place next time just for fun."

Yoonchae looked him up and down. "You're aiming for first place?"

James nodded, though his confidence seemed to waver. "...Is there a problem?"

"No, just a reminder." Yoonchae said dismissively. "With me around, it's not possible."

"..."

And so, their situation seemed to turn inexplicably hostile.

Afterwards, James wasn't sure what else to say. He had no experience in this area and was too embarrassed to continue pushing the awkward topic, so he fell silent as well.

When the bus reached the stop, Yoonchae got off first and hurried toward the school.

James followed behind her, wracking his brain for a way to salvage the situation. Just as he was at a loss, he ran into a boy he knew. The boy greeted him and naturally hooked his arm around James' shoulder as they walked forward.

The boys' steps were large and quick and soon surpassed Yoonchae.

James turned around and shouted, "Yoonchae, I'm heading off first!"

Yoonchae waved at him dismissively.

The other boy also glanced at Yoonchae, gave a meaningful "Oh", and then started chuckling.

James gave him a light kick and couldn't help but glance toward Yoonchae repeatedly.

"What's your problem?"

Yoonchae didn't pay any attention to what they were saying.

She didn't catch a single word and was completely uninterested. Her mind was occupied with thoughts regarding the parent-teacher meeting and the young woman she had seen yesterday.

In the rush of the previous day, with Sophia present and Megan only agreeing to come at the last minute, she hadn't had a chance to explain anything clearly. Yoonchae didn't have her contact information and had no idea how to tell her to come at 4:30 in the afternoon.

She didn't know what time she would arrive.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Yoonchae didn't pay attention in class all day, occasionally glancing out the window towards the school gate. After being criticised by a few teachers, she managed to compose herself somewhat.

The clock on the wall kept ticking.

At exactly 4:20, the class bell rang, signalling the end of the last period.

Assuming that Yoonchae would be going home with her sister, Mei didn't wait for her. After saying goodbye, she left the classroom.

With nothing else to do, Yoonchae pulled out a notebook from her drawer and continued drawing. As time passed minute by minute, she looked up at the clock again and realised it was almost 5:00 PM.

In the large classroom, she was now the only one left.

She paused.

Megan still hadn't arrived.

Yoonchae wasn't sure if she didn't know that middle school let out early or if she had simply forgotten about it. She tried to calm herself and continued drawing, but this time she found it impossible to focus, her mind tangled in confusion.

After waiting for another fifteen minutes, Yoonchae heard the sound of doors from other classrooms being slammed shut. Perhaps it was just in her head, but the silence seemed even more pronounced now than before.

Every small noise she made seemed to be magnified in the stillness.

The words Megan had said the day before felt like a joke now.

Unable to wait any longer, Yoonchae abruptly stood up.

The chair scraped loudly against the floor, the sound piercing and sharp. She stopped in place, her eyes slowly reddening. She forced herself to maintain a composed expression and pushed down her feelings of grievance.

"Forget it."

Yoonchae stuffed a few books into her backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and headed out.

The dismissal time for the first year of middle school was early, around a little past 4:00. By just after 5:00, the hallway was already empty, with only a few scattered people around.

Yoonchae kept her head down and jogged down the stairs.

Her steps were quick, and she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, like a headless fly. Suddenly, she collided with a human wall. Yoonchae stepped back a few paces and muttered an apology.

Without even looking up, she continued on her way.

At the same time, the person she had bumped into spoke up. "Miss, do you know how to get to Year 1 Class 1?"

The woman's tone was slightly raised with a naturally drawn-out ending, and her voice carried an indescribably laziness, as if it were close to her ear, with a breathy quality that tickled the heart.

It felt familiar.

Yoonchae turned around.

Megan stood by the railing, dressed in a white shirt and jeans. Her bangs were slightly long, perfectly framing her face, and her features were so strikingly beautiful that they seemed almost too perfect. She looked down and looking at Yoonchae's face, her lips curved into a small smile. "Yoonchae."

Yoonchae stared at her for a few seconds, then quickly looked down without saying anything.

It was hard to tell if this encounter was an unexpected one or not.

Noticing her red eyes, Megan squatted down to peer at her. "Crying again?"

"..."

She seemed to find it amusing. "So scared?"

Yoonchae pressed her lips tightly together and said nothing.

"Don't cry, unnie will go take the scolding for you."

Yoonchae looked at her.

Megan ruffled the top of her head and asked, "Are we going to the classroom or the office now?"

Yoonchae didn't answer her question and instead accused, "Why did you come so late?"

Megan raised her eyebrows and replied good-naturedly, "Then what time should I have arrived?"

Yoonchae spoke stiffly, "Classes are done at 4:20."

"That early? I didn't know. How about I apologise? Will that work?" Megan's tone was playful like she was teasing a pet. "Let me make it up to you."

Yoonchae's mood eased somewhat because of Megan's arrival and she managed to squeeze out a, "No need."

It had been some time since school had ended.

Worried that the teacher had been waiting too long, Yoonchae didn't continue to sulk. "Let's go."

"Where to?"

"The office."

When they reached the first floor, a left turn led them to the teachers' office.

They stopped about a five metres from the door.

Yoonchae thought for a moment, then gave some instructions. "I have quite a bit of experience with this. In a moment, the teacher will keep complaining to you, and you just need to agree with him."

Megan lazily responded with a hum.

What they were about to do was the most daring and serious thing Yoonchae had ever done.

She was conspiring with someone to deceive the teacher.

Yoonchae's expression was solem. "And, try to talk as little as possible. Otherwise, if we get exposed and caught, we're both finished."

Megan licked her lips and smiled. "Why does it sound so scary?"

Yoonchae, very nervous, blustered at him, "You need to be braver."

"Alright." Megan chuckled. "I'll be brave."

At that time, there were only two teachers left in the office.

One was Son and the other was the homeroom teacher of Class 6, who also taught English to Yoonchae's class. Their desks were side by side and Son was chatting idly with the other teacher while grading assignments.

Yoonchae walked over. "Sir."

Son looked up. "You're here?"

Yoonchae kept her head down. "Yes, my sister is also here."

Megan stood beside her, not looking nearly as nervous as Yoonchae did. She spoke openly and calmly, "Hi. My name is Sophia. I'm Yoonchae's sister."

Initially, Yoonchae was worried that Megan might be too scared to scared to speak, but she was surprised to hear the name "Sophia". She lied so calmly and composedly, her tone steady and confident.

She couldn't help but glance over at her.

Son stood up and said, "I'm Yoonchae's homeroom teacher, call me Son. Sorry to trouble you to come here. Please, have a seat."

The other teacher teased from the side, "How many times has this happened now?"

Son lowered his voice, grumbling, "Aren't you the same?"

Hearing that, Yoonchae then noticed there was a fifth person in the office. James stood silently in the corner behind the two teachers as if her were invisible.

Their eyes met.

James hesitated for a moment, his steps faltering as if he were struggling. Soon, he walked over and stood about two metres away from Yoonchae, directly in front of his homeroom teacher.

The two young students stood close to each other, and as they were about the same age and both good-looking, it was easy for people to make assumptions.

Megan, sitting on a chair beside Son, observed them with a meaningful look. Then, she beckoned Yoonchae over. "Come here."

Yoonchae obediently went over. "What is it?"

Son was busy looking for some documents and didn't notice what was happening on their end.

Megan propped her face with one hand and beckoned Yoonchae closer with her finger.

Yoonchae hesitated for a few seconds, before reluctantly leaning in.

"Kid." Megan whispered, her voice low. "Are you in a puppy low?"

At the word "puppy", Yoonchae was somewhat displeased. But the following question made her mind go blank for a moment. "What?"

Realising what Megan meant, her face immediately turned red like a small tomato, but whether it was from anger or embarrassment was unknown. Worried the teacher might overhear, she whispered angrily, "You're the one in puppy love!"

"Hmm? I wish I could."

"..."

Megan leaned back in her chair lazily. "But my age won't let me."

Chapter Text

Yoonchae wasn't quite sure how old Megan was. But hearing her say that, and then thinking about Sophia's age, she frowned and said, "You're pretty old."

"..."

You're pretty old.

Pretty old.

Old.

Although Megan didn't usually care much about her age, hearing that still felt like a stab to her heart.

Being labelled 'old' at the age of 19, Megan didn't know how to describe her feelings. She exhaled slowly and asked, word by word, "I'm old?"

Yoonchae nodded again. "You're old."

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, Megan stared straight at her, and probably finding it too absurd, she laughed. "Kid, if you think I'm old, then why don't you call me auntie?"

"Oh." Yoonchae thought about it for a moment and found it reasonable, so she immediately changed her address. "Auntie."

"..."

The little girl's eyes were round and large, clear and clean, without a trace of impurity. She spoke seriously, as if every word she uttered said came straight from the heart.

She used the most innocent response to rub salt into someone else's wound.

At this moment, Son interrupted their conversation. He handed Megan a cup of water and somewhat awkwardly said, "Sorry, please wait here for a while. I drank too much water and need to go to the bathroom."

Megan adjusted her mood and replied politely, "Don't worry about it, I'll be here."

Maybe out of boredom, after Son left, Megan turned her head and started to argue with Yoonchae about the previous topic again, "You do know that if you call me that, your sister will have to call me that as well right?"

Yoonchae answered honestly, "I didn't think that much about it."

Megan asked, "So, am I unnie or auntie?"

Yoonchae thought for a while before reluctantly saying, "Then I'll just call you unnie."

Megan's expression relaxed and she said leisurely, "You're quite protective of your sister, huh."

"What protective?" Yoonchae didn't understand what she was saying. "Why would I want to protect her? She always bullies me. I just don't want her to call you auntie."

"Why?"

"She looks older than you."

"..."

No expecting such a response, Megan was stunned and then burst into laughter. She repeated, "Sophia looks older than me?"

Yoonchae answered, "Yeah."

Despite being labeled old, Megan was still in a good mood. She cleared her throat and asked humbly, "Kid, why do you think she looks older than me?" After saying that, she added, "I think we're about the same."

Yoonchae's eyes scanned Megan's face, quickly lowered, and she said slowly, "There's still a bit of a gap."

The next moment, a young woman knocked on the open office door, looking over shyly. "Excuse me, is James' homeroom teacher here?"

James' homeroom teacher quickly stood up. "Yes! Are you his sister?"

The young woman smiled and walked in. "Yes I am."

Having been standing up for a long time, James couldn't help but complain, "Sis, why are you so late?"

Yoonchae looked over.

The young woman's eyebrows and eyes resembled James'. She wore a white dress, looking very much like a student herself, and had a delicate and striking appearance. She explained softly to James, "I came over right after class, but it's a bit far."

After speaking, she noticed Megan sitting in the chair. Her gaze lingered for two seconds and then quickly moved away, her tone seemed more nervous. "Sorry for making you wait."

The teacher waved his hand. "It's alright. Thank you for coming over."

Because of what Yoonchae had said earlier, Megan had been laughing for a long time. At this moment, her lips were still curved upwards, her gaze fixed on Yoonchae. "When will your teacher be back?"

Yoonchae looked away. "He should be back soon."

"Little Yoonchae, unnie is a little bit bored." Megan said teasingly. "Can you say something nice to entertain unnie?"

Yoonchae looked at her suspiciously. "What should I say?"

"Just say," Megan didn't even hesitate, "Megan unnie is the most beautiful in the world."

"I'm not a recorder." Yoonchae was displeased.

"Just praise me." Megan said. "I'm not treating you as a recorder."

Yoonchae refused. "No, I don't want to."

Megan wasn't angry. Dragging her tone, she teased, "Stingy."

At that moment, Son finally returned. He sat down and smiled. "Sorry, my stomach suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable."

Megan answered, "It's alright, there's no rush."

Then, she pushed the cup of water on the table towards Yoonchae and asked, "Are you thirsty?"

The 'stingy' kid didn't respond.

Megan tapped the cup twice with her knuckles. "Drink water."

Then she turned to listen to Son attentively.

Yoonchae picked the cup up and took a sip silently. Noticing the empty table and remembering that Megan hadn't had any water since she arrived, she hesitated for a moment before walking to the water dispenser to get her a cup of water.

Yoonchae was most annoyed by Son's repetitiveness. Every time he called her parents, she would say the same things. Yoonchae had already head it all several times and felt like she could even recite it backward. Looking at Son, he seemed like the 'recorder' they had been talking about before.

She was bored and wanted to yawn, her thoughts drifting away.

She suddenly noticed that the atmosphere next door was quite harmonious, unlike her side where only Son kept complaining.

Yoonchae listened carefully.

The other teacher suddenly laughed. "James is a kid with poor grades but good in other aspects. This time, it's not because he did something wrong that I called you over. He suddenly rushed into the office yesterday, shouting that he wanted me to call his parents, which startled me."

"..."

As soon as these words were spoken, James immediately looked at Yoonchae.

Their eyes met.

Silence.

Not expecting her to hear it, James' expression changed, embarrassed to the extreme, as if he wanted to find a hole to hide in.

Yoonchae found it unbelievable, silently pointing at her temples.

She was silently questioning: Do you have a problem here?

Who would voluntarily ask to call their parents to school?

James tried to stay calm, mouthing the words "I'll explain later" before looking away.

When his head turned, Yoonchae noticed that James' sister glanced her way, but she wasn't exactly looking at her.

Yoonchae followed her gaze.

Sure enough, she was looking right at Megan.

Yoonchae thought it was just a coincidence, but she later saw her look over several times.

She couldn't tell if it was intentional or not.

Yoonchae looked down, clenched her fist, and then quietly moved to block the young woman's line of sight.

***
The conversation lasted for about 40 minutes.

After Son finished complaining, he took a sip of water. "That's about it. Actually, I don't want to trouble you too much, but Yoonchae really gives me a headache. When I ask her to stand up to answer a question, she asks if I don't know the answer. I asked her if she wanted to take my place to make her pay attention to class, but she said that she couldn't take my job. It distracted the other children from learning."

Megan paused and glanced at Yoonchae. "Is that true?"

Yoonchae immediately lowered her head, pretending to reflect on her actions.

Son nodded. "I've talked to your father several times, taking up a lot of your family's time, but it's for the child's good. Yoonchae is very smart. If she studies well, she will definitely get into the best school. You should supervise her more."

"Yes." Megan said. "I'll discipline her properly when we get back home."

They left the office.

Things had gone smoother than expected and Son didn't suspect a thing. The weight that had been weighing down on Yoonchae's chest for the past two days was lifted. She looked at Megan with more affection in her eyes. "Thank you unnie."

Megan nodded. "Going home?"

"Yeah." Yoonchae blinked, her tone slightly fawning because, after all, Megan had solved her problem for her. "What else would I do?"

"Isn't it that," Megan paused, reminding her slowly, "I haven't started disciplining you yet."

"..."

Those words were like a bucket, no a bathtub full of cold water pouring over Yoonchae and her joy evaporated. Reluctantly, she squeezed out, "Are you going to nag at me too?"

"Let's go." Megan didn't answer. "I'll take you home."

She didn't respond, so Yoonchae naturally thought that she was joking. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Megan continued, "I'll nag you on the way."

"..."

The two walked side by side towards the school gate.

Megan gave her time to process, not continuing the topic on campus. Yoonchae, anxious, clutched her backpack strap and couldn't help but say, "If it was the actual Sophia who met the teacher for me, she wouldn't scold me afterwards."

Megan asked, "Really?"

"Of course, really!"

Megan stared at her, as if discerning the truth behind her words, then took out her phone. "I'll ask."

"..."

"Wait!" Yoonchae was startled and jumped up to snatch her phone. "If you ask, won't sister find out?! If she knows, it means the whole world will know! Then you came here for nothing today!" 

"But I have to ask." Megan, like teasing a cat, lifted her hand up and down, keeping her phone just out of Yoonchae's reach. "This old woman came all the way here. If I get tricked by a kid like you, wouldn't that make me very pitiful?"

At that moment, a female voice interrupted their interaction. The voice was soft, almost inaudible, filled with obvious nervousness. "H-hello!"

They both instinctively turned around.

It was James' sister. She was standing alone, with no sign of James around.

The young woman wasn't very tall and had a slim figure. Her features were delicate and pretty, with a rosy complexion. She looked at Megan and nervously pulled out her phone from her back pocket. "Can I get your number?"

The atmosphere immediately became awkward.

Megan looked at the young woman without saying a word.

It felt like a silent rejection.

The young woman's expression grew more embarrassed and uneasy.

Yoonchae's eyes darted between the two, unable to discern Megan's intentions. Before she could respond, she suddenly looked up and said something shocking. "Sorry miss, but my sister already has 29 girlfriends."

Megan's eyebrow twitched as she looked down at her.

"Don't worry, she'll probably give her number to you." Yoonchae continued earnestly and cheerfully, not daring to meet Megan's eyes. "She changes girlfriends every day and she's one short this month. She was probably waiting for you."

Chapter Text

Yoonchae's voice wasn't loud and her tone was calm. But perhaps because the words that had come out of her mouth were too shocking, it seemed as if they had been amplified through a loudspeaker, reaching the ears of everyone else in the whole world, because the silence that fell was deafening.

On the bright side, the previous awkward silence was broken, and for a moment, the tense atmosphere had relaxed. But now, it had entered an even more awkward situation.

Megan pressed her lips together but still said nothing.

Yoonchae couldn't tell what she was thinking. Was she hit in a sore spot or did she think it was just a harmless joke? The smile on her face faded and the hand holding her phone slowly lowered as she snuck a glance in Megan's direction.

Unexpectedly, she met her eyes. Yoonchae immediately looked back down, guiltily clutching her backpack to her chest.

She fumbled for her phone, wishing for the ground to just swallow her up there and then.

After a few more seconds silence, Megan looked away and said, "Mm, I am a bit of scumbag."

"..."

"And recently, I've been finding it hard to keep up to date with all the numbers I have." She chucked lightly. Then shaking the phone in her hand, she casually added, "If you want to call me, you might have to wait in line."

Her tone was so matter-of-fact that it seemed like she didn't think there was anything wrong with her words and there wasn't a hint of shame on her face. It was if she believed that having good looks made her superior to everyone else.

Megan raised an eyebrow flippantly. "Do you want to reconsider?"

The woman took a deep breath, barely maintaining her politeness. "No need."

"What a pity." Megan sighed regretfully. "How about leaving your contact information anyway? You might change your mind someday..."

Before she could finish her sentence, the young woman turned and left directly.

Yoonchae and Megan were left standing alone.

After the woman was out of sight, Megan turned to look at Yoonchae and asked leisurely, "Kid, if I can't gather thirty women this month, what should I do?"

"..."

Her tone was gentle and calm as if she was genuinely asking for advice.

Yet it also felt like there was a hidden edge to her words.

Yoonchae even thought that she would rather Megan lose her temper with her. It probably would have been less intimidating.

"One short." Megan smiled. "How will I possibly get through this month?"

"..." Yoonchae didn't dare to speak, coughing uncomfortably. She suddenly felt very timid.

Megan, standing quietly beside her, didn't say anything more. The silence between them was oppressive.

It felt like something big was brewing.

Yoonchae was truly scared now. She didn't even dare to sneak a glance at Megan, just standing obediently in place. The uncertainty of what was to come made her anxious. She swallowed hard, taking a small step back without drawing attention to herself.

Gathering her courage, she quickly shouted, "Bye Megan unnie!" Then she abruptly turned and started to run, as if escaping from danger.

Megan raised an eyebrow, effortlessly grabbed her arm, and pulled her back.

"Why are you running?"

Yoonchae had barely taken two steps before being caught. She suddenly realised that running away was almost impossible.

She gave up.

"It's late... and it's already dark." Yoonchae lowered her head nervously, her voice barely above a whisper. "If I don't get home soon, my mother will worry."

Megan glanced meaningfully up at the dark sky. "It's late. How can I let you go home by yourself?"

Yoonchae immediately said, "It's okay, the bus stop is nearby and the stop where I get off is very close to my house. You need to get back to school to or it'll be very late."

"Hmm?" Megan said, "Why didn't I notice before that you care so much about me?"

"..." Realising that she couldn't escape, Yoonchae resigned herself to her fate. "It's such a small matter. Why do you remember it for so long? It's not like you lost anything from what I said."

Megan lazily replied, "How did I not lose anything?"

Yoonchae boldly said, "You hesitated because you didn't want to give that unnie your number and didn't know how to refuse. I was helping you just then, wasn't I? You should be thanking me."

This little girl was quite good at talking nonsense without a hint of a guilty conscience. Megan stared at her for a few seconds, seeming to be amused. She smiled faintly and said, "Fine."

"But unnie, you also helped me just now." Although she responded like that, Yoonchae still felt in danger. She could only brace herself and say, "So, we're even."

"That won't do." Megan said. "Let's go, I'll personally drop by your house to thank you."

"..."

For someone her age, the two most dreaded things she could hear were probably 'tell the teacher' and 'tell your parents'.

The person in front of her always used them to intimidate her, making her lose her temper immediately. Yoonchae didn't dare to provoke her anymore, saying resentfully, "Why do you always want to tell my parents? It's so childish."

Megan raised an eyebrow, saying lightly, "I'm in a bad mood because I still don't have a girlfriend."

Yoonchae retorted, "You're here to help me see the teacher, not to go on a date."

"Okay, tell me. Did Sophia teach you these things?" Megan asked with amusement. "Changing girlfriends every day, like I'm a parasite. I'm not a rabbit in heat."

Yoonchae blinked, not understanding. "Why does that make you a rabbit? And what does being in heat even mean?"

"..."

Megan suddenly realised that standing in front of her was a young girl who had just entered middle school.

Her expression froze for a moment, then she scratched her face awkwardly before lifting Yoonchae's backpack from her arms. "It makes me a rabbit because they just go after whoever gives them food. And... they're in heat because they feel really hot after chasing different people every day."

Yoonchae pulled her arms out of the backpack straps. After thinking for a moment, she still felt like something was off, but pretended to understand.

"Oh."

The pink and blue backpack thus fell into Megan's hands.

Megan weighed the bag in her hand and changed the topic. "It's so light."

They started walking towards the bus stop.

"I don't have much to carry."

"What about your homework?"

Yoonchae's expression finally changed and she muttered, "...I don't want to do it."

"Don't want to do it?" Megan asked. "Then what do you spend your time on?"

"..."

"Kid, you need to be better behaved. Listen well in class. Don't disrupt other students, don't deliberately go against the teachers, and finish your homework." Thinking of the boy in the office just then, Megan added, "And don't start dating early. Wait until you're a little older. For now, just build genuine friendships. That's what's important."

Yoonchae glanced at her and responded with a perfunctory, "Oh."

Seeing that she wasn't taking it seriously, Megan casually added, "If you get your parents called in again, the fact that I pretended to be your sister today will probably come out and then I'll really be in trouble. You wouldn't repay kindness with evil, would you?"

Yoonchae replied, "You can just come over next time too..."

Megan didn't respond, her smile fading slightly.

For some reason, Yoonchae feared making her angry, so she quickly lost her ground. "I got it."

Megan then smiled. "Good."

Her tone was if she was giving a reward.

Megan bent down and affectionately rubbed the top of Yoonchae's head.

"Let's go, I'll take you home."

She walked her to the front of her house.

Megan had no intention of going in, so she gave her backpack back to her before saying, "Go on inside."

Yoonchae nodded, "Thank you Megan."

As she reached the main entrance, Yoonchae slowly took out the key from her pocket and slowly opened the door. Unsure if she would see Megan again, and not hearing her departing footsteps, she paused and carefully looked back.

Megan was still standing there, her eyes meeting hers.

Feeling caught, Yoonchae's face flushed red as she quickly shouted, "Bye Megan!" Them she hurriedly ran inside.

The house was empty, with no one else home yet.

Yoonchae placed her hand against her warm cheek, quickly kicked off her shoes, and ran to the balcony. Grabbing the railing, she peered down. Megan was almost out out of the street. She was holding her phone to her ear and was seemingly on a call.

After a few seconds, as if sensing something, she suddenly looked up in her direction.

Caught off guard, Yoonchae felt guilty again.

She quickly turned her back and crouched down.

Her heart pounded, feeling as if it would jump out of her chest at any moment. Swallowing nervously, she remained still. She felt inexplicably guilty and lost. After a while, she finally dared to look outside again.

However, Megan was already gone.

Yoonchae sighed.

She felt an inexplicable emptiness inside.

***

The matter had been resolved smoothly.

The teacher hadn't noticed anything amiss, her parents were none the wiser, and Yoonchae hadn't even received much of a reprimand. Yet, it seemed to have left endless aftereffects.

For one, she began to think about the same person all the time.

Something bittersweet began to sprout.

Yoonchae found this feeling strange and unsettling. She didn't dare to tell anyone else about it, feeling a bit ashamed. It was as if she had grown up overnight and now had her own little secret that she couldn't share.

She started to daydream more often.

Her scrachpad and diary gradually filled with a young woman's name, even though she didn't even know if she was spelling her last name right.

The feeling only lasted for a while.

Maybe it was because they hadn't met again and time slowly made it fade away, or perhaps she had forcefully suppressed it, trying to pretend that it didn't exist.

Soon, midterm exams ended and Chuseok arrived.

Yoonchae returned home early, took a bowl of strawberries from the fridge, and lay on the sofa, slowly nibbling on them. Her parents hadn't returned yet, leaving her alone at home with the cheerful background music from the animated show on TV.

Suddenly, the front door opened.

Yoonchae instinctively looked over and saw Sophia's face.

Surprised that she had come back for the holiday, Yoonchae was stunned for a moment, then looked away as if she hadn't seen her, continuing to watch TV.

Sophia laughed angrily. "Aren't you going to say hello?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?" Yoonchae asked, biting into a strawberry. "Mum just called and told me to tell you to cook the rice. You better get to it."

Sophia replied cooly, "I didn't even tell her I was coming home. How could she ask me to cook?"

Yoonchae's eyes didn't leave the TV. She reached for her phone and called their mother, putting the phone on speaker. "If you don't believe me, I'll call her."

Sophia ignored her and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge.

The call was answered quickly and their mother's voice could be heard from the other side, "Chae, what's wrong?"

"Mum." Yoonchae said calmly. "Sophia's back. Didn't you tell me earlier to ask her to cook the rice?"

Sophia closed the fridge and looked over at Yoonchae.

After a few seconds of silence, their mother said, "Yes, did she cook yet?"

Sophia was lost for words.

Yoonchae swallowed a strawberry and raised her voice. "Sophia, Mum is asking if you cooked the rice yet!"

Sophia stared at Yoonchae for a while without saying a word before walking silently into the kitchen. Seeing this, Yoonchae got up and followed her, leaning against the doorframe and peeking inside. "She's cooking now."

After exchanging a few more words with their mother, Yoonchae hung up the phone. She looked at Sophia's back and suddenly remembered mistaking Megan for him. After a moment of silence, she randomly asked, "Sophia, have you dated anyone in university?"

Sophia ignored her.

"No? Not even once?" Yoonchae seemed very interested, even abandoning the animated show she had been watching. "I'm serious."

Sophia turned around, sounding annoyed. "What is it?"

Yoonchae earnestly asked, "Do you want to get plastic surgery?"

"..."

Sophia almost choked on her breath. Not wanting to see Yoonchae anymore, she turned her back and sneered, "Remember the girl who came back with me last time? Do you still remember her?"

Yoonchae's chewing paused. She looked down and slowly said, "I remember."

"She said you look like me."

"..." Yoonchae was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "Did I offend her in some way?"

"What."

Yoonchae pursed her lips, unhappy. "If not, why would she call me ugly?"

Chapter Text

Sophia held back her anger and abruptly turned off the faucet. She spun around, splashing the water left on her hands onto Yoonchae's face. "I'll give you two options. Go back and continue watching your stupid cartoons, or stay here and get a beating."

"Why are you so mad?" Yoonchae wiped the water off her face, frowning. "I'm the one getting insulted, not you."

Sopha placed the inner pot into the rice cooker without looking up. "The door's over there."

Yoonchae didn't move and said seriously. "Don't tell anyone that we look alike."

Sophia snorted and turned her head. "I don't want to anyway."

With that, she pinched Yoonchae's cheek hard, snatched the bowl of strawberries from her hands, and walked out of the kitchen.

Instinctively, Yoonchae rubbed her face. Noticing that her hands were now empty, her eyes widened in disbelief. "How could you take my stuff?"

"How is it yours?" Sophia took a strawberry and bit into it. "Did you buy it with your own money?"

Yoonchae reached out to grab it back. "I took it out of the fridge."

Sophia easily raised her hand higher. "Well, then it's the fridge's."

Yoonchae struggled, standing on tiptoe and hopping. "But once I take it out, it's mine."

"By your logic, now that I've taken it, it's mine."

"..."

The two of them stood there, locked in a standoff for quite a while.

As Sophia was about to eat her fifth strawberry, her phone rang. She glanced at Yoonchae, subtly lowered the hand holding the strawberries and freed her other hand to check her phone.

Seizing the opportunity, Yoonchae jumped up and snatched the bowl back.

Sophia snorted lightly and answered the call. 'What is it?"

Someone on the other end said something.

"I went back home. Our dorm's power is out for a day because of some banned electrical appliances. I'm here to avoid that." She paused, then added meaningfully while glaring at Yoonchae, "And honestly, I really regret it."

Yoonchae returned to the TV to watch the animated show, ignoring Sophia.

Casually, Sophia said, "It's nothing, just my bad luck."

Holding the remote, Yoonchae turned up the TV volume.

Sophia, unfazed, lazily continued talking to the person on the phone. "Adela went home too. You should ask Megan if she's going back. Though she might not be at campus."

Hearing the name that she hadn't heard for a long time, Yoonchae's gaze involuntarily shifted. She fidgeted with the remote and worried about being caught, and she quickly looked down.

She silently turned down the volume a bit.

An off nervousness washed over Yoonchae. Her chest felt tight, her mind blank and her breathing grew rapid. Her attention uncontrollably focused on Sophia.

"How many times have you forgotten your keys?" Sophia added. "The janitor definitely won't give them to you, but if you want to get scolded, go ahead."

She didn't mention Megan again.

Reflecting on Sophia's words, Yoonchae had a sudden uneasy thought.

Megan hadn't gone home and might not be at campus.

If that were true, she probably had a girlfriend. A boyfriend, even.

At her age, it made sense.

Even visiting a teacher could turn into a blind date. She definitely had someone.

Not that it mattered to her.

If she had one, she had one.

It wasn't a big deal.

But the more she thought about it, the more suffocated she felt. Suddenly, she threw the plastic bowl in her hand onto the coffee table.

It made a loud thud.

Sitting at the dining table, Sophia had just hung up the phone. Noticing Yoonchae's inexplicable anger, she looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "You got this mad watching a cartoon?"

Yoonchae turned off the TV.

Sophia sighed. "Did Peppa bully George again?"

Yoonchae finally retorted, "That's not what I was watching."

Sophia wasn't interested. She drank the last sip of water and reminded her, "If you're still going to watch, keep the volume down. I'm going to take a nap."

"Sophia." Yoonchae suddenly called out to her.

Yoonchae scratched her head and hesitantly asked, "Are you the only one in your dorm without a girlfriend or boyfriend or whatever?"

"..." Sophia stared at her for two seconds before suddenly laughing. "Little Brat, why are you so concerned about my business lately?"

Yoonchae felt a bit guilty. "Just curious."

"Did Mum and Dad make you ask?"

"I'm just worried about you." Yoonchae mumbled. "I heard Mum say that Grandma Chen wants to set up her youngest daughter on a blind date. If you don't have anyone, maybe you could go."

"..." Sophia paused for a moment. "Grandma Chen's youngest daughter?"

"Yeah."

"Isn't she 40?"

Yoonchae blinked. "So what? Given your desperate situation, you can't be that picky."

"..." Sophia wanted to curse.

But she was afraid that this little brat would learn it and use it against her later.

"That's none of your concern." Sophia walked over, annoyed, and tapped Yoonchae's head with an empty bottle. "Do you now why none of my roommates have girlfriends or boyfriends or whatevers?"

Yoonchae didn't respond.

"Because they're all lining up to date me." Sophia said. "I'm home to take refuge, understand?"

Yoonchae looked at her, not arguing this time, and nodded silently.

She watched as Sophia irritably threw the bottle into the trash, got up to head to her room, and then turned back to add, "They all want me to be their girlfriend even though I'm like the straightest one there and I'm pretty gay. Next time, if you're bothered to ask again, just ask about girlfriends. It's too long to say girlfriends, boyfriends and whatevers."

Yoonchae nodded again.

But she didn't hear anything else.

She had only clearly heard two words.

No girlfriends.

***

At dinner, Sophia was eating when she suddenly brought up something. "By the way, Dad, I'll be moving to the main campus after the exams. Can I borrow your car then?"

Their dad nodded. "Do you have a lot of stuff? Need to hire movers?"

Sophia shook her head. "No need, I just don't want to squeeze into the school bus."

Their mum asked, "Main campus? Isn't that near Yoonchae's school?"

Sophia grunted in agreement.

Their dad said, "Then you can pick your sister up after school when you have time."

"..." Sophia's mouth twitched. "I'm going to university, not babysitting."

Yoonchae was also unwilling. "I don't need her to pick me up."

"That's best." Sophia scoffed, then turned to their dad, saying, "It should be early next month. You can lend me the Toyota, the bigger one. I'll also move some stuff for a roommate."

Their dad nodded. "As long as you don't bully your sister, everything's fine."

Yoonchae echoed, "Don't bully me, and everything's fine."

"..." Sophia held back her frustration. "Got it."

Remembering Sophia's mention of 'roommate', Yoonchae felt a bit hopeful and hesitantly asked, "Sophia, which roommate are you helping move?"

Sophia didn't even look up. "Why are you asking?"

Yoonchae kept a straight face. "I want to help you move."

"..." Sophia stopped eating. Thinking she must have misheard, she started to doubt herself.

Had the old age really gotten to her?

"You want to help me move dorms?"

"Yeah."

Sophia, unsure what Yoonchae was planning, reminded her, "You still have school."

"Can't you do it on the weekend? And besides, I get out of school at 4:20." Yoonchae replied. "I can help you after school. Anyway, you probably won't be done by then."

Sophia responded, "It's just a coincidence, but I'll definitely be done by 4:20."

It was a clear refusal.

Yoonchae glanced at her, pursed her lips, and said nothing.

Suddenly, their dad spoke up. "What's wrong with your sister wanting to help you? It's not a bad thing and it doesn't affect you."

Sophia said in exasperation, "No, the stuff is heavy as hell. How can a little girl like her move it? I'd have to watch out for her getting hurt while I'm busy packing. How can I have the energy to take care of her?"

"Then just let your sister watch you pack."

"..."

Sophia sighed, looked at Yoonchae, and said reluctantly, "Fine, do whatever you want."

At her agreement, Yoonchae immediately brightened up. Her round eyes curved into crescents as she smiled and said, "Okay, I'll watch you pack carefully."

"..."

Even Yoonchae herself didn't quite understand her series of actions.

She didn't know why she wanted to find out if Megan had a girlfriend, nor did she know why she had offered to help Sophia move dorms.

Many signs pointed to one reason.

But Yoonchae was reluctant to admit it.

She was just simply missing someone. That was normal. She missed her friends all the time. This was completely normal.

Or perhaps, at the age when love first awakens, a strong and uncontrollable emotion grew from deep within her heart, one she had never felt before.

All she wanted to do was let it out.

But she only dared to secretly suppress it in the depths of her heart.

Hidden in a place where no one knew.

It hurt.

***

Sophia was moving dorms on a Wednesday.

As soon as the school bell rang, Yoonchae immediately grabbed her backpack and ran out. She didn't even say goodbye, leaving Mei puzzled.

Maybe it was because of the campus relocation, but there were more people than usual along the way.

Yoonchae knew that Nanwu's University main campus was there, and she often passed by on her way home. Additionally, because HxG Middle School was too small, their school sport meets were held on Nanwu University's track.

Any of their school events or performances were also held at Nanwu University's venues.

So HxG Middle School was jokingly called the 'affiliated middle school' of Nanwu University.

Yoonchae stopped at the entrance of Nanwu University and called Sophia.

But Sophia had completely forgotten about her coming to help. When she answered the call, she was a bit stunned. "Seriously? You're actually coming?"

Yoonchae innocently said, "I'm already at the gate."

"..." Sophia asked, "Are you at the main entrance?"

"Hmm."

"I don't have time to come out and get you right now. Just go in, turn right, and keep walking straight until you see a staircase. Come up and you'll find it. Building 9, fifth floor, room 525." Sophia added, "If you're unsure where building 9 is. Got it?"

Yoonchae obediently answered, "Got it."

She hung up the phone and followed Sophia's directions.

Nanwu University had may local students.

Today, a lot of them had family members helping, so along the way, Yoonchae saw many people who didn't look like students and others dressed in middle school uniforms like hers.

After about 10 minutes of walking, Yoonchae saw a wide staircase. The area below was spacious, with several buses and a row of cars parked, leaving a three metre wide path.

She looked around, intending to call Sophia again, when she noticed her dad's car parked not far away.

Yoonchae put her phone into her pocket and walked over.

No one was in the car but the trunk was open, perhaps forgotten or for some other reason.

Inside were just a stack of books and an ugly stuffed toy.

Thinking that she was going up anyway, she decided to carry both up. Yoonchae hesitated as she picked up the stuffed toy, intending to place it on top of the stack of books to make it easier to carry.

She hadn't finished and hadn't let go of the stuffed toy yet when a shadow suddenly fell over her, as if someone was standing behind her, blocking her light.

Yoonchae instinctively turned her head.

What met her eyes was a grey shirt with "Texas is for lovers" on it.

Her gaze moved up, past the young woman's neck, jaw and lips, and finally met her eyes, which held a signature faint smile.

Megan's eyelashes lowered, her gaze fixing on the stuffed toy in Yoonchae's hand for a few seconds. Then she suddenly bent down and met her eyes. The corners of her lips pulled up as she said, "Where did this little thief come from?"

The distance between them was a bit close and Yoonchae's expression stiffened, not knowing what to say for a moment. 

Then, Megan pointed at her hand, raising an eyebrow. 'Why are you only stealing my stuff?"

After a few seconds, she asked leisurely, "Are you targeting me?"

Chapter Text

There was a sudden gust of wind by her ears.

It brought a faint scent of lime mixed with a light tobacco aroma. The sunlight fell on Megan's body, casting a golden outline that gave her a touch of softness.

After two months of not seeing her, Megan's hair was cut a little shorter. Yoonche wasn't sure if it was her illusion, but she seemed to have grown taller. However, everything else seemed to be unchanged.

She was still so carefree and radiant.

Yoonchae's heart skipped a beat.

She felt a guilty conscience as if she had been caught doing something wrong. She didn't know where to put her hands and feet, and her spine straightened involuntarily.

After a while, she stuffed the plush toy in her hand into Megan's, saying softly, "I didn't know it was yours."

Yoonchae lowered her head and awkwardly took a step back.

Not hearing Megan's response, she pointed to the books in the car trunk and explained seriously, "I came to help Sophia move. I saw there were things in the car and wanted to help take them upstairs."

She waited a few more seconds but Megan still didn't speak.

Yoonchae hesitated and added, "If I had known the stuffed toy was yours,  wouldn't have taken it."

"..." Megan raised an eyebrow and straightened up, repeating her words as if questioning her, "You wouldn't have taken it if you knew it was mine?"

Yoonchae immediately nodded. "Absolutely wouldn't take it."

"Absolutely wouldn't?" Megan's voice was lazy and slightly reproachful. "Kid, do you have a conscience?"

"..."

If she took it, she was a thief. If she didn't take it, she had no conscience.

This woman was more fickle than the weather.

Megan continued, "Don't you remember the big favour I did for you?"

At those words, most of Yoonchae's dissatisfaction dissipated, and she mumbled, "I remember."

"Then shouldn't you treat me better?"

Yoonchae glanced at her and remained silent. 

Megan chuckled lightly and decided to stop teasing her. She handed the stuffed toy back to her. "If you like this, just keep it."

Yoonchae's right hand moved slightly. Suddenly, she recalled her earlier words, 'targeting me', and quickly withdrew her hand, not daring to take it.

"Don't want it?" Megan retracted her hand. "Then I'll throw it away?"

Yoonchae paused before taking it from her.

Megan found it amusing. "If you want it, just take it. Why are you so awkward?"

Hearing that, Yoonchae was somewhat dissatisfied. "You just called me a thief."

"I was just joking with you." Megan took the stack of books out of the car and closed the trunk with her free hand. "Let's go up."

Yoonchae followed her without saying a word.

Megan glanced at her phone and then asked, "Are you upset?"

Yoonchae continued to remain silent.

Megan offered, "How about I give you the stuffed toy to make it up to you?"

Yoonchae bluntly said, "This stuffed toy is ugly."

"Ugly?" Megan raised an eyebrow and glanced at it. "It's okay."

Yoonchae suddenly seemed to understand something and asked, "Megan, did someone else give this to you?"

Megan responded, "Hmm? Maybe."

Yoonchae immediately lost interest. "Then I'll give it back to you."

"You don't like it?" Megan reached out her hand. "Then give it back, I'll take it."

Yoonchae silently handed it back.

Megan asked, "Is your backpack heavy?"

Yoonchae replied, "It's alright."

Megan asked again, "We're going to the fifth floor, can you make it?"

"Of course, I'm 14, not 4." Yoonchae frowned, unhappy that she was treating her like she was a baby. "And if I can't make it, are you going carry me up?"

Megan looked her up and down and smirked. "If that's the only way..."

Yoonchae retorted before she could finish, "In your dreams."

Megan paused and then burst out laughing. "In my dreams?"

Yoonchae pursed her lips. "Exactly."

"Okay." Megan conceded. "In my dreams."

The stuffed toy, placed on top of the books, was quite large and oddly shaped, making it particularly noticeable. Yoonchae glanced at it a few more times before looking down.

The stairway was wide, but there were many people going up and down.

To prevent her from getting squeezed, Megan walked in front, letting her follow behind her.

They walked quietly up to the fifth floor.

Yoonchae's physical strength was usually quite good, but for some reason, she felt hotter than usual. She was panting heavily, and her face was slightly red and sweat was coming out of her forehead. She wasn't sure if that was entirely due to walking up the stores. When she reached the last step, she leaned against the wall. She squatted down, looking as if she wouldn't move, saying, "I can't, I need to rest for a while."

Megan looked at her for a few seconds. "Okay, I'll come get you in an hour."

"..."

Yoonchae immediately grabbed her right leg, acting spoiled. "I just need a short rest, not a whole hour."

Megan teased, "Kid, your stamina is too poor."

Yoonchae retorted, "It's your school that's stingy, not even building an elevator. And besides, I'm not usually like this."

"It's only six floors, what elevator?"

Yoonchae mumbled, "Then you're unlucky, living on the fifth floor out of six."

"Alright, get up." Megan looked at her phone again and said, "Your legs will go numb if you squat for too long."

She seemed to be in a hurry.

This time, Yoonchae obediently stood up.

They walked along the corridor with Yoonchae following behind, curiously looking around.

Soon, they reached the door of room 525.

The door wasn't locked so Megan pushed it open and placed the books on the desk closest to the door.

Yoonchae walked in slowly, turned her head, and met Sophia's faze.

Sophia and Megan had beds opposite each other. At that moment, Sophia was sitting on her chair, her long legs propped on the desk, leisurely drinking water. "Thanks Megan."

Her posture was particularly annoying.

Yoonchae complained, "You said you were too busy to come down to get me."

Sophia remained expressionless. "I was. I just finished cleaning up and just sat down to take a break."

Hearing another voice, a young woman with bright pink hair poked her head out from the bed. "Oh, is this Sophia's sister?"

Yoonchae nodded. "Hello?"

Another young woman came out from the balcony. "Holy shit, little sister is kinda cute."

Sophia twisted the bottle cap and tossed the water bottle over. "Watch your language."

The other young woman caught the bottle deftly and tossed it back. "Who are you to talk? You usually say—" She stopped mid-sentence, realising something, and smiled. "Oh, I slipped. Kid, don't learn from me."

Yoonchae silently nodded.

Her gaze moved to Megan but quickly lowered again.

Megan tidied up the desk and then moved her chair next to Sophia's. With a small smile, she mimicked the other young woman's tone and called her, "Kid, come sit here."

Yoonchae obediently went over.

Then, Megan walked into the bathroom.

The small dorm room suddenly became lively. Yoonchae quickly understood that the young woman with the bright pink hair was Adela, and the one who had cursed was Karlee. They were both easygoing and talkative.

Sophia seemed to have a good relationship with them, chatting while pplaying on her phone and occasionally chiming in.

The conversation soon led to planning to have dinner outside the campus with Yoonchae.

Not long after, Megan came out of the bathroom, having changed her shirt. She returned to her spot but didn't join the conversation. She opened a drawer to find her wallet. 

Karlee looked at her with a playful grin and said, "Meimei, we just moved in. Let's go eat hotpot together."

"Tonight?" Megan shook her head. "You guys go ahead, I have something to do."

Yoonchae immediately looked at her.

Adela said, "What are you up to? Do you have a girlfriend or something? Absolutely not! Our dorm is a unit! If you want to find a girlfriend, you have to help me find one first!"

Karlee argued, "No, help me find one first!"

Adela stated, "I don't have many requirements, just as long as she doesn't have a bad temper."

Karlee stated, "As long as it's a girl, I'm ok with it."

Adela added, "I suppose a guy is fine too."

"..."

Yoonchae stared at them and suddenly blurted out, "Aren't you guys all chasing after my sister?"

Sophia: "..."

Karlee looked at her in horror and said, "Kid, you can't just say stuff like that!"

Adela sat up on the bed, looked thoughtfully at Sophia, and rubbed her chin, saying, "Now that you mention it, Sophia does look quite fine."

Sophia's temple twitched. "You two, get lost."

Megan silently laughed on the side, slung a pure black backpack over her shoulder, and started to walk out. "I'm heading out first, you guys talk." Halfway through, she remembered something, stopped, and rubbed Yoonchae's head. "That stuffed toy, if you want it, just take it."

After speaking, she left the dormitory.

Karlee sighed. "Then let's head out too."

Adela said, "Sure, I'm hungry."

Sophia looked at Yoonchae. "Little Brat, do you want to eat hotpot?"

Yoonchae was silent for a few seconds and then shook her head. "I'll just go home."

"Then something else?" Sophia frowned. "I'll take you home after we eat."

Yoonchae shook her head again.

Sophia, losing patience, stood up and said, "Think it over. I'm going to the bathroom."

Yoonchae silently stood up as well, moved Megan's chair back to her spot, and then noticed the stuffed toy on her desk. She hesitantly picked it up, feeling a bit down.

Adela, putting on her shoes, happened to see her action and instinctively commented, "Megan hasn't thrown that thing away yet? Is she crazy?"

Hearing her, Karlee glanced over as well. "It seems like she uses it as a decoration on her bed."

"Having that thing next to you when you sleep isn't creepy?"

Yoonchae gripped the stuffed toy tighter, mustered her courage, and pretended to be curious, "Did Megan's girlfriend give this to her?"

Karlee immediately replied, "What girlfriend? She doesn't have time for a girlfriend."

Adela added, "Yeah, she's busy like a dog."

Karlee sighed. "Why don't I have a girlfriend even thought I'm not busy?"

"Do you need to ask? Because you're ugly." Adela looked at the stuffed toy in Yoonchae's hand and thought for a moment. "I think Megan got that as a prize in some competition she participated in."

Karlee confirmed. "Yeah, last semester."

Hearing their words, Yoonchae's grip on the stuffed toy loosened and she let out a light breath.

The dorm had two bathrooms. Perhaps because Yoonchae was there, Adela and Karlee didn't change clothes in the room but instead took their clothes and squeezed into the other bathroom.

Yoonchae stared at the stuffed toy in her hand, quietly unzipped her backpack, and stuffed it inside. But it was too big, so she took it out, removed everything from her backpack, and placed the items on Megan's desk. After freeing up half the space, she managed to stuff the stuffed toy in.

She zipped up the backpack with a smile.

At that moment, Sophia and the other two came out of the bathrooms simultaneously.

Yoonchae felt like a thief. She quickly turned around and calmly walked back to Sophia's spot.

Sophia pulled out a tissue to wipe her hands and asked, "Have you decided?"

Yoonchae replied, "I'll eat at home."

Sophia nodded. "Okay, I'll take you to the bus stop."

***

At 10PM, Megan returned to the dormitory.

Karlee and Adela were sitting in front of the computer playing games and shouting battle cries. Sophia was lying motionless on the bed. Hearing the sound of Megan's return, she groggily lifted her head. "Hey, Megan."

Megan put her backpack on the table. "What?"

"My sister just called me." Sophia handed Megan her phone. "She said you left something at our house. I asked her what it was but she wouldn't tell me. Call her yourself."

Megan opened the closet, not finding any of her pyjamas inside. "You cal her, then give me the phone."

Sophia, half asleep, opened the phone to find Yoonchae's number, dialed it, and handed the phone to Megan. She took it from Sophia, put it to her ear, and went to the balcony to collect her dried clothes.

Yoonchae picked up and a voice called out, "Megan?"

Megan lazily asked, "Kid, what did I leave at your place."

"..." Yoonchae fell silent, then guiltily said, "It's not that you left something at my place, it's that I left something at yours."

"What is it?"

Yoonchae honestly replied, "Homework."

Megan responded nonchalantly, "Do you want me to have Sophia bring it to you tomorrow morning?"

"But I haven't finished it yet..."

"..."

Megan's movements paused. She was silent for a few seconds before she understood her intention.

"You want me to help you finish it?"

Feeling that her request seemed quite unreasonable, Yoonchae stammered, "I could have done it myself, but there's a 500 word journal entry that I can't finish by tomorrow morning."

"..."

Megan laughed at the absurdity. "Why don't you ask Sophia to do it for you?"

"She wouldn't help me."

"So you think I would?"

Both fell silent.

After a long pause, Yoonchae's voice came back, sounding tearful and muffled, "Please help me... the teacher is very strict. I used to dare not to do other homework, but I never dared to skip languages..."

"..."

"Why are you crying now?" Both amused and exasperated, Megan said, "Kid, here's the deal. You get up early tomorrow and go to school to finish it. I'll bring it to you early. How about that?"

Yoonchae started crying. "That won't do."

"Why not?"

"I-I can't get up early... wuuwuuwuu..."