Those days - txtzy

part 1: 一

Seoul High. Population of three thousand. And Huang Yeji was one of the unfortunate people that were one in hundreds of students. She was now standing at the entrance, others rushing through the gates around her, feeling as though she was in a stream with the water pushing furiously at her. Marvelling at the feeling of the first day of school, Yeji's reverie was interrupted with the shrieking sound of tires against the freshly-tarred road as a car pulled over and a girl sprung out. Shin Ryujin brushed her dark locks out of her face and beelined straight to Yeji with a dazzling smile. "Hey Ryu," Yeji greeted teasingly, "Where's Yuna?" The other girl shrugged, "I don't know, she was long gone after I woke up. Oh well. She can handle herself. I hope."

"It's a new year," Yeji sighed, looking excited and scared at the same time.

"Oh yeah," Ryujin cooed, "Let's do this."

-

Choi Yeonjun was late. And he blamed Taehyun for that. It was the younger's fault, to be fair, he stayed up talking to the boy just because that kid had no one else to talk to. And now he was not able to make it on time to school and on the first day of the year. "Great," Yeonjun muttered to himself, "Thanks a lot, Taehyun." Taehyun was lucky enough to stay right opposite the school, so he had the luxury of waking late. When he arrived at the school entrance, Kang Taehyun stood there, with an apologetic grin on his face and no one in sight. Yeonjun probably looked like he was about to beat Taehyun up, so the shorter boy laughed and said, "Hey, man, I'm sorry, I won't do that next time. At least we'll both get detention now." Yeonjun could only sigh as they strolled through the gates, very much in trouble.

-

Students were rushing to class, textbooks in hand and bags haphazardly slung over their shoulders. Yeonjun slipped into class, grateful that all the teacher had was a curt nod and a flick of her eyes as she gestured to the remaining desks available, two at the back, blocked in the middle by another girl. Heaving a sigh, Taehyun flopped down onto the chair and attempted to go over the notes that were being given out. Yeonjun settled down in his window seat and let his eyes drift out to the field. He was yanked out of his dazed state when the girl beside him gently tapped his shoulder and handed him a note. Confused, Yeonjun unfolded it and there were Taehyun's neat block letters: are you mad?

Scoffing lightly, he turned to Taehyun, who gave a hopeful smile. Yeonjun nodded no, and Taehyun seemed to have shed a heavy weight. Yeonjun fixed his attention on the board, where the teacher was announcing that since they were now a year older, they would have a heavier workload and longer school hours. Many students groaned and paper could be heard tearing, but Yeonjun didn't feel that irked out. Picking at his nails, the reminder that he had plans for later popped into his head, and he shelved that thought back, instead focusing on the class.

-

Two rows down, Yeji pursed her lips. The school year was already going to be pretty packed, considering how her major exam would be in just eleven months time. (Ryujin would laugh and say that was plenty of time but considering how the exam would decide whether or not you can progress to a good or even better school, Yeji wanted to take this seriously) Her fingers fluttered paper and pens as the gears in her head spun and clacked, arranging her activities and planning out her schedule.

-

School ended in a flurry of motion, classes passing quickly due to the minimal content covered today to "give them time to breathe". The clock ticked carefully and displayed the time: 3 pm.

Ryujin yawned and stretched like a lazy house cat basking in the sun, even though the classes were pretty light and they had only been in school for six hours. "Let's hang out," Ryujin suggested as Yeji swiftly slung her bag over her shoulder and threw a quick look to the clock. "I'm all alone since Jisu is busy and Chaeryeong is sick."

"Well...I think I can afford some time-" Yeji said carefully, calculating the hours but Ryujin linked arms with the other girl smoothly and sighed, "Yeji, Yeji. Why are you so hardworking?" The two released a fit of gentle giggles, only stopping as the teacher gave them a stern look and ushered them out of the classroom.

-

Three fifteen pm. The streets of the bustling city.

"Do you want to go to that cafe? It looks pretty cool," Ryujin gushed Yeji faltered, stopping before the glass windows, "It looks...really sad. Lonely, almost." "Perfect for you," Ryujin nudged the other girl and swung open the door.

A little bell chimed gently as the two girls took in the sight. "Woah," Ryujin said, mesmerized, while Yeji just breathed in the rich scent of warm coffee. It felt homely and quaint, perfect for tucking yourself away when you don't want to have to face the outside world, instead simply watching like an outsider. The clear windows stretched from ceiling to floor, giving you a perfect vision of the world beyond the glass doors.

Sliding a cautious finger over the laminated menu, Yeji pursed her lips, trying to decide what to get. "Huh," Ryujin remarked, "I've had all these foods before, like at home or at someplace."

"Well, I guess they would have familiar food that everyone would want," Yeji supplied as she made her way to the counter and politely placed her order.

Settling at a table fixed at the window, Yeji and Ryujin made small talk and discussed every topic available, enjoying the time they had together. Pristine white plates of desserts and treats were slid neatly onto their table, the waitress wishing them a good meal before she bustled off. Once Ryujin had snapped a few shots of the aesthetic spread, with much eye-rolling from Yeji as she complained of her "stupid Instagram", the girls tucked in.

When the older stole a bite of the other's strawberry cheesecake, she recoiled at the intense sweetness, holding back a cough as she spluttered, "Are you trying to give yourself diabetes? Why does that taste like an entire sack of sugar." Ryujin arched a perfect eyebrow, "Wow, excuse you, it tastes just like how my mother makes her cakes. If you can't appreciate it, don't take my food."

With a huff of annoyance, Yeji dug through her bag in search of her bottle to quench her dry throat, only to come up with nothing. Sighing, Yeji stood with a quick "I'll be back" before she went to the counter with a bottle of chilled water selected from the cooler in hand. Just as she began to scramble for change, she heard sweet, melodious singing. She snatched the bottle and bypassed their table. Ryujin twisted and yelled, "Where are you going-" But Yeji just walked, entranced by the music.