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As the autumn breeze swept through the bustling streets, heralding the arrival of the new school year, two months had quietly slipped into the past.
A new tapestry of life yet some things remain unchanged. Among that is Deiji's usual struggle with punctuality. Today was no exception. She hastily threw her books into her bag, barely managing to grab a granola bar for breakfast before dashing out the door. But today, luck seemed to be on her side, or at least she hoped it was.
Her mother was sat in the car still parked. Eyebrows connecting together, Deiji leaned over to the same level of the window. "I thought you were still in your room."
Letting out a slight hum, she chuckled. She had anticipated the frantic pace of her daughters day and prepared to set out to work early. She offered to chauffeur Deiji to school.
Deiji was so grateful that she was dropped. The last thing she would've wanted for her first day back is cleaning the bathrooms as a punishment.
The drive was quite short, especially because of their nonstop talking throughout the journey. Eventually, the car came to a halt at the front of the school
"There is a lot to do at work today so I will come back home late. If you are hungry, order something." grabbing her purse, Joo ri pulled out some cash to hand it over to her daughter.
Yet, Deiji, with a subtle shake of her head, declined the money. "No it's fine, I'll make dinner," she replied, a determined glint in her eye. This took Joo ri by surprise.
Jaw dropping, Joo ri's eyes dilated, lingering at her daughters figure for a few seconds. She had never cooked before and she began to grow wary. "You've never cooked" Joo ri remarked, her tone a blend of skepticism and curiosity.
Undeterred, Deiji, with a faint scowl adorning her features, exhaled a confident retort. "I won't burn your kitchen down and don't worry the food will be edible." she reassured. With that, she gathered her belongings, before quickly kissing her mother's cheek and stepping out the car.
"Deiji!"
Spinning around on her heel, Deiji spotted Sungchan walking towards her. Joo ri looked out the car window and waved at the boy. "I'll go now. You both have fun"
Smiling, Deiji waved to her mother before heading over to the approaching boy. "Apparently our homeroom teacher is changing this year" sungchan pointed out.
Shrugging her shoulders, Deiji exhaled lightly. "Not like it would make much of a difference to me"
"Are you seriously not going to bother paying attention this year again? It's our final year of school, don't you want to go to university?" Sungchan halted abruptly, turning to face her with a mix of concern and frustration etched on his features.
Following his actions, Deiji gazed up at the boy and sent a small smile as they took a stop at the corner of the corridor.
"Education was never my strong hold, you know that. I'm going to find a job this year and gain some experience and after we graduate from school I am going to work with mum at the salon." grasping her bag straps in both hands she placed on a wider smile. "And then I am hoping to open my own business" An unexpected dedication seemed to hover across her features, catching Sungchan off guard with its intensity and unwavering resolve.
