Alone in the classroom, I exchange a soft greeting and a fleeting smile with Mrs. Kalley, our homeroom teacher. She's a petite figure, always ready with advice and assistance, a connection forged through my mother's enduring friendship with her from their high school days. Their bond, like an unbreakable thread, now extends to me, guiding me through the corridors of adolescence.
As the bell rings, the classroom transforms into a bustling hive of activity. Twenty students flood in, filling the space with chatter and laughter. I offer hellos to familiar faces but remain seated, observing the lively scene unfolding around me.
"We'll wait a few minutes for the stragglers. You're free to occupy yourselves, just keep it quiet and school-appropriate," Mrs. Kalley announces, her words carrying a sense of shared secrecy among us.
Lost in my thoughts, I'm startled by a tap on my shoulder. A familiar voice follows, playfully engaging me in a guessing game.
"Knock, knock. Guess whoooooooo?" Jisung says with a mischievous grin.
"Who is it?" I reply, indulging him with a smile.
"Ach!"
"Ach who?" I play along, knowing the routine.
"Bless you!!!!" Jisung exclaims triumphantly, pulling me into a hug as we both chuckle.
I can't help but notice Minho struggling to stop himself from saying something, but finally, he just lets it out. He looks at the boy who is a head shorter than him, his expression unchanged. "As a person who is good at biology, I can tell the guy has only one brain cell at most. Is he even sane?"
I roll my eyes but can't hide my amusement. "Why are you even questioning his sanity? Weren't you the one telling me about the scotch accident?" I try to sound as innocent as possible, shooting a little smirk at Lee Know. We share the same expression, like two co-conspirators devising a foolproof plan.
"Right, right, darling. I still find him crying over it in a corner of the room in the middle of the night," he says, maintaining our eye contact. "Poor thing, don't you think, Y/n?"
"You can't judge me. I was too young, too inexperienced. It was due to my natural curiosity," Jisung defends himself.
"We believe you. You were too young, too inexperienced 578 days ago," I tease, giving him a playful nudge.
"You still count it... I hate both of you."
"Guess we have something in common," says Lee Know.
"I love him," I joke, earning an incredulous look from Jisung.
"I meant it as a joke," Jisung defends himself, though the twinkle in his eye betrays his amusement.
Lee Know still maintains a straight face. "And I didn't."
Before the conversation can continue, our attention is drawn to a newcomer entering the room. Clad in a sleek black suit, he exudes an air of confidence that commands the room's attention. Despite the whispers and stares that follow his arrival, he remains unruffled, his gaze steady and self-assured.
Ignoring the distractions, I turn back to my friends, relishing the camaraderie that fills the room. Jisung's playful antics and Lee Know's wry humor provide a welcome respite from the uncertainty lingering in the air.
As Mrs. Kalley takes the floor, her words carry a blend of warmth and authority. "Good morning, everyone. I sincerely hope you rested well. It is your last year at Fave High, you need to study diligently and avoid getting into trouble. Don't forget that getting pizza at two o'clock in the morning, especially on a school day, is forbidden, right Jisung?" she directs her gaze towards Jisung, her expression playful yet firm. A few students, including myself, chuckle, but I manage to be the loudest. So she changes her target. "Y/n, I'm glad you find it amusing, but climbing a rope to the 3rd floor to share a slice of pizza with Jisung isn't a good idea either. However, I was pleasantly surprised by your physical abilities. So I know who will be in charge of all the sports competitions in school this year. It's a part of how you got into this school anyway, isn't it? Thank you for reminding."
At that moment, Jisung chuckles, to which I scoff.
Finally, the missing students arrive, completing the group.
"By the way, sorry we made you wait. Come here, dear boy. Introduce yourself, please." That's when I finally land my gaze on my deskmate, who slowly gets up from his desk and goes to the center where Mrs. Kelly stands. I know who the boy is. A figure from my past reemerging in an unexpected twist of fate. His presence, once familiar yet now tinged with the weight of time and distance, stirs a whirlwind of emotions within me.
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