As the last bell of the day sounded, Saebom High came to life as the excited screams and cheers of the students filled the silent halls. The ring of the bell on a Friday was special, for it meant the end of yet another stressful week of school. But, that day was even more special than one would imagine. That Friday signified the end of another semester at Saebom High.
The atmosphere reeked of excitement as the school kids gathered in groups, gushing about the day's events. The students milled about, some arranging plans for the weekend while others stood there, whining about their grades on their final tests.
Her report card in hand, Yoon-ah flicked through it once more. She chewed on her lip in quiet contemplation, while her brown eyes lingered on the fine print in the position title.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Soojin gripping the report tightly with a fixed expression on her face. Before Yoon-ah had the chance to open her mouth, the other girl held up a hand.
"Unbelievable," she spoke through clenched teeth. Her voice sounded strained. "Even with all of that work, I came in second."
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Standing silently, Yoon-ah watched Soojin throw her backpack over her shoulder and leave the class. Her saddened gaze shifted to the print on her own report card.There it was.
The top spot in the class.
From the very first day she walked the halls of Saebom High, she and Lee Suho shared the top spot... and Kang Soojin finished in second place. It had been this way for several years, and it had come to be expected by all.
After coming in second, the raven-haired girl would become notably upset and tended to distance herself from both Sua and Yoon-ah for a few days.
It was, in truth, contrary to the girl's liking.
While she would have ideally wished to be with Soojin and console her friend, she had learned to keep her distance the hard way.
Kang Soojin was known for her short temper, and she passed a few remarks in the past that had struck a nerve. Yoon-ah thought Soojin's grades were excellent. She always had. Even beyond that, the pretty girl was so talented on so many other levels. It would be nice if Soojin realized that. That she did not need to be defined by her grades and that her friends would still love her, no matter what.
All the same, she didn't want to ruin her friendship with Soojin over petty scores and thoughtless remarks.
Hopefully, she would be all right after the storm passed. No matter how impossible it seemed.
"Yoon-ah!" Sua chimed in, swiping the paper from the girl's hand in an apparent attempt to distract her. Her face lit up as she skimmed her evaluation report. "Yah! You are in first place again. My Yoon-ie is as beautiful as is smart. It's not even human."
