𐙚 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐓, LEE CHEONGSAN

CHAPTER ONE，

❛ AFTER SCHOOL BICKERING ❜

she was close, you knew it. mind racing but not one coherent thought, your legs moved by themselves.

until a hand caught the back of your uniform. she caught you.

"careful, girls. no running in the hallways."

still out of breath, your chests rose and fell, each at their own pace. "yes ms. hong," you panted. the woman looked at you warily but you could see the small lopsided smile on her lips.

"well then, i'll see you two tomorrow," she smiled before walking away.

you bowed as she left. minyoung looked at you, a playful look in her eyes, and you reciprocated. the hand that was holding your shirt slapped your back, making you yelp.

"you idiot, if only you had helped me instead of running away," she said accusingly. the truth was ms. hong, the history teacher, was one of the only nice teachers in school, along with the english teacher. had it been someone else, you probably would've gotten in trouble for "playing instead of cleaning".

"i'm not gonna help you. no way i'm touching that," you grimaced, disgusted by the trash bag she was holding in her other hand. minyoung's eyes squinted the way they would when she had an idea. the devilish smile her lips formed told you everything you needed to know. start running.

this time you couldn't contain the hearty laugh that escaped your throat when you broke into a sprint. minyoung wasn't far behind you, you could still hear her footsteps along with the ruffling of the plastic bag.

and when you stepped outside in the grass, the texture change under your feet made you stumble, but you kept going. not to run from the girl chasing you, but because you liked it.

you liked not feeling the weight of your hair on your shoulders, the way the wind carried it instead, the skirt of your uniform flowing and the air hitting your bare legs, that stretch in your legs that made your muscles burn deliciously. you liked all that.

you always saw school as a waste of time. you were a smart girl, you knew that, but high school made you feel like the biggest of idiots. why waste your time locked up in a classroom, heat suffocating you, and boredom occupying your thoughts, when you could be outside?

the outside of the school was just as crowded as the inside. luckily, everyone moved slowly enough for you to avoid bumping into them, although minyoung wasn't so lucky.

"sorry!" you could hear her say a few meters behind you. you started slowing down when you felt your lungs begging you for a break. when you turned around you saw minyoung bowing and apologizing to several students.

"-ould've passed it better."

"take that!"

being the tease you were, you cupped your hands around your mouth, "minyoung, look where you're going, will y-"