The Games We Play [Jiyoo]

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To Kim Yoohyeon, Kim Minji was not a complete stranger. Their worlds had always revolved around each other, but not quite so.

To Kim Yoohyeon, Kim Minji was just a classmate, a friend of a friend, whom she had never gotten the chance to talk to nor had she ever found it necessary. For years, they had known each other; never personally and relied mostly just what they had heard were little pieces of information about each other from their own group of friends.

Minji wasn't exactly the most popular girl at school. Her friend, Bora, however, was well-known not just among students but also among school staff. With her incredible leadership skills, astounding grades, and athleticism, it was no wonder she became the center of admiration among the students of their school. As likable as the girl was however, Yoohyeon found it quite dreadful to talk to her.

Yoohyeon was known for her mistakes. Her carelessness was both her strongest and weakest point. While there were people who found it easy to confide in her due to her open-mindedness and easy-going nature, ultimately becoming one of her friends, there were also those who viewed her as an incompetent person, a clown who took nothing seriously due to the easy smile that lay on Yoohyeon's face. She was very generous when it came to smiling.

And Bora was one of them.

Ever since the incident where the two had been teamed up for a project and Yoohyeon had messed up four times in the course, Bora had simply had enough and was resolute and unwavering when it came to her dislike of the other. Her frustrations were expressed to a few of her friends.

Unfortunately for Yoohyeon, Bora was popular, and her words had power when it came to influence.

Though it had never been known whether Bora intended for such an effect, Yoohyeon was scared of her nonetheless. For what seemed to go on for years, Yoohyeon had fallen victim to the teasing of her friends. They had never gone as far as to attack her aggressively or even lay a hand on her, but Yoohyeon could tell what sarcasm sounded like. Their words may have sounded nice to others, but she felt the intent from their constant eye contact with each other as they commented about little things Yoohyeon had done. And it hurt, so much that insecurity grew within herself. It drove her to a point where she constantly worry about how she seemed in the eyes of others.

They were twelve years old at the time.

Over the course of five years, things had changed.

Their childish manners had diminished as they grew closer to adulthood. They were only seventeen, but changes could be seen both physically and mentally compared to how they were five years ago. Bora no longer voiced her criticism of someone to the others but instead confronted them directly and voiced it right away. Her tone was less accusing and more professional, which Yoohyeon found more reasonable. Bora spoke with such seriousness and no longer worried herself as much about other people. Though this created a little bit of distance between her and her friends, one person had never left her side.

Kim Minji.

By this time, Minji had been elected as class president. She became increasingly prominent in Yoohyeon's life, as not a day went by without Minji standing up and leading the class when greeting the teachers. Minji had gone around doing errands for their class, and she was sure to be at least acquaintances with everyone in there, Yoohyeon included.

Although the two had never known each other on a personal level, their opinions of one another were still heavily influenced by their friends.

Throughout the years, Yoohyeon had improved in terms of self-confidence. The once reserved girl, driven by fear of judgment, was slowly becoming a more assured person. She no longer hid her interests or fixated overly on her imperfections, but instead indulged in one of her many artistic talents, photography.