mirrorball // AOUAD

Chapter Twenty-Two.

"Chin down," Ha-ri instructed Mi-jin. "Extend your left arm. Don't stick out your chest too much."

"Ooh," Mi-jin mused. "This is so sexy, ooh." Ha-ri stared at her, bemused. "What's with the face?" Mi-jin frowned.

"Take this seriously," Ha-ri said sternly, "or don't do it at all."

"Stop being so stuck up about shooting arrows," Mi-jin scoffed. She drew back the string and let her arrow go, successfully hitting the white area of the target. "Yeah, didn't work."

"You thought it was easy?" Ha-ri asked.

"Anything is easier than studying," Mi-jin sighed, grabbing an arrow.

"You can get into Seoul University with good grades," Ha-ri said. "But if you're just good in archery... you can't go anywhere. We can't make the national team or get a scholarship to college. There's nothing left to do."

"Stop whining," Mi-jin said. "Everyone knows you'll make the national team. You'll go to college just by shooting arrows." She let the arrow fly and Ha-ri looked away, frowning. "Damn it," Mi-jin murmured, turning to peer at Ha-ri. "Are you not? You didn't make the national team? No college?" Ha-ri walked away and Mi-jin stared after her. Ha-ri took a seat in one of the chairs and Mi-jin sat two chairs from her. "You won't die if you don't go to college, you know?"

"I really love shooting arrows," Ha-ri said. Mi-jin turned to look at her. "All I ever knew was archery. I don't know what else to do. As long as I could keep doing it, I didn't care about colleges or corporate teams. But now I... I have nowhere to go shoot my arrows. I'm only nineteen but I feel like there's no hope."

"If the zombies were to kill all the archers in the country," Mi-jin said, "you'll automatically make the national team."

"You're nuts," Ha-ri smiled. "That's a good thing?"

"Hey, it's hope!" Mi-jin grinned. "At least you have potential to become something! Even if I survive, I'm not getting into college. CSAT? Fuck. My answers are always C or D."

"Why are they C or D?" Ha-ri asked.

"C if I'm not sure about it, and D if I'm clueless," Mi-jin answered. "I swear it's like I avoid all the right answers." Ha-ri shook her head. "All right, that's enough of that," Mi-jin said, jumping to her feet. "It's time to teach me how to shoot arrows. 'Cause even if I totally suck, it's better than you shooting alone." She turned and made for where she left behind her bow. Ha-ri tilted her head and Mi-jin pretended to draw the string and shoot an arrow at Ha-ri, who smiled.

"Dae-su," said Su-hyeok after they had all finished eating.

"Yeah?" Dae-su asked.

"How was your audition?" Su-hyeok asked.

"They said I have to lose weight," Dae-su scoffed.

"Well, you're a good singer," Su-hyeok smiled. "Sing for us. I want to hear it."

"Just forget it. I don't want it," Dae-su said.

"I actually really like that song," said Joon-yeong.

"Is that so?" Dae-su rose an eyebrow. Joon-yeong nodded. "Really?"

"It's really nice," Wu-jin said.

"You sing well," Su-hyeok agreed. Dae-su smiled and cleared his throat.

"It'll cheer us up," Wu-jin said.

"Kkeutnago gaja eudideun gaboja," Dae-su began singing. "Chaegsang wi eopdeulyeo yeoldu sigan. Jjajeungnaneun soliga kkeutnamyeon. Sonjabgo gaja."