Is This All You Want? (annyeongz version)

Chapter 12

It's the second time this week that Ryujin was sent to Wonyoung's office. And it's still Wednesday . The first time was because she hit a boy on the head because he said something mean about her friend. Something about smelling like farts, which is rather immature. They're twelve for crying out loud. Can't they come up with better insults? Okay, that's besides the point.

"Is Ms. Choi giving you a hard time?" Wonyoung pushes her glasses up so it sits up on her nose bridge. She's a classic ruffian, really, with short messy hair and eyebrows constantly furrowed in anger. Ryujin doesn't answer. Just crosses her arms with her enraged teen spirit overflowing from every fiber of her being. It's such a contrast to Wonyoung's otherwise peaceful and quaint little blue office with sunlight streaming through the blinds. The color and atmosphere and the scented diffuser are supposed to calm people down, not make them angrier, "I know she's strict but that's because she cares about you."

No answer.

Shin Ryujin is most likely unafraid of her homeroom teacher, Choi Jinni, who has been known to run her classes like the military. But she's really nice to Wonyoung! And very pretty, might she add. Probably the most feared-slash-respected teacher (for students, teachers and parents) in this school, Jinni is ironically one of the warmest persons there. She often treats some of the faculty members to meals and even includes Wonyoung, who technically isn't part of the faculty, per se . So, Wonyoung assumes she treats her students fairly well, despite her possibly stern character.

"Was it that boy, Ilsung, again? Did he call your friend a... fart again?" Wonyoung rests her chin on her palm, still waiting for Ryujin to look up and face her. She just fidgets in her seat, uncrossing her arms. Wonyoung notices the cut on her knuckles. Jinni already told Wonyoung what had transpired but she'd like to hear it from Ryujin herself, "You know, Ryujin-ah, you're one of my favorite kids in this school."

The words perk her ears up, and she looks at Wonyoung just the slightest bit. Ryujin is a kid and, really, all kids want is some attention and care.

"If not for you," Wonyoung continues, opening her planner and writing nonsense and doodling scribbles as if to look busy, "my days would be so boring."

Ryujin snorts, "School is boring. Why do you even work here?"

Why does she work here? It's been about two years since she started. This was her first job out of college. Being a school counselor wasn't exactly her dream . Come to think of it, Wonyoung doesn't really have a "dream." She thinks of the things she'd wanted to do. Get a master's degree in her field. Probably work in a clinic or hospital, somewhere she could really put to good use her knowledge. Save money for her parents and her grandmother so they can move to a bigger house. But are these considered dreams? She hasn't done anything to achieve those goals or "dreams" or whatever they should be called. Has she taken the steps to move closer to those things she'd sought out to do after graduation? Did she achieve anything worthwhile? Is her "normal life" everything she ever thought it would be? 

Now's not the time to be having a career crisis. Nor let it escalate into an existential crisis.

"Hmm," Wonyoung ponders, "I don't really know, Ryujin-ah. Why do you go to school?"

"Because I don't get an allowance if I don't come here," Ryujin scoffs.

Fair enough.

"I guess we have the same reason," Wonyoung chuckles, "But I'm not here getting called into someone's office every other day because I smacked someone's head."

She sighs, "He said my friends and I smelled like dog poop, okay? So, I hit him."

"In the face?"

She nods.