The northern sun streams six AM sunlight through the windows that are almost as blonde as Minjeong’s hair. The bright color makes rectangular lamps on the hallway floor your shoes cross, serving as a helpful guide especially because the lights of the school aren’t switched on yet.
Oh well, they never are at this time. Six AM is the earliest a student of SMTown High can arrive. That’s the hour when the security guard, too groggy and exhausted from the night shifts, just opens the gates to welcome a new school day. He already knows you and Minjeong since the two of you are the early birds, but he still acts like he has never seen you in his life when you forget your ID card.
But for just this once—meaning the three-hundredth time—he let you in. Or maybe he did because Minjeong flashed him her infamous puppy eyes, her flattery-filled words entangling him till he had no choice but to grant you entrance.
Yeah, it’s probably because of Minjeong.
At the crack of dawn here in your school, she walks with you through the aisles of blue lockers and classroom doors painted a woody brown. Minjeong is dressed in the uniform all twelfth grade girls wear: a plaid skirt and collared ribboned blouse under a jumper. No ripped jeans allowed. Neither are shorts and skirts above the knee. Pretty strict dress code for people eighteen to twenty years old, literally at the beginning of adulthood, but that’s SMTOWN High for you.
"No way. Wasn’t this Bae Joohyun’s classroom?”
Minjeong’s voice makes you stop in your tracks and look her way. Now she is standing at the doorway of a foreign classroom with her hands on her hips, eyes widened in pleasant surprise.
You recall Bae Joohyun very well. She is one of SMTOWN High’s most prominent students-or at least, was. She finally left after graduating twelfth grade some years ago. During her three years in the school, she spent her time accomplishing several of the highest honors and winning almost every quiz competition you can think of. Spelling, history, mathematics… you name it, and she probably won first place for it.
“Yeah, I think so,” you say. It does look like one of those rooms you remember spotting Joohyun in. You would leave your classroom to get a textbook from your locker and you’d catch a glimpse of her taking down notes through the window. “Why are you so surprised?”
“Oh nothing. Just remembered she promised me that she’d give me two thousand won as a growing-up gift after I turn nineteen. Now I’m nineteen, and she still hasn’t given me shit.”
You chuckle. Tugging Minjeong’s arm so she can stop fuming at the empty room, you continue your stroll down the hall. “Why would she ever make a promise like that to you?”
“Because some people are actually very lovely and generous enough to be gifted nice things. You know, not like the loser who was eliminated out of the spelling bee because he couldn’t spell ’ c ompensation ’.”
Minjeong rolls her eyes at you then continues walking. The idea of the renowned Bae Joohyun has easily slipped her mind now that she remembers one of your embarrassing moments. For guaranteed extra sting, she sticks her tongue out at you with the best glare she can muster.
“First of all, ouch,” you make a pained expression as you place a closed fist above your chest, “and second of all, what’s it to you? That was back in ninth year. I can definitely spell it now.”
She gives you a doubtful look. Meanwhile she barely misses walking into a locker with the door still thrown open if it weren’t for your rescuing arm tugging her away. “Oh yeah? Do it.
"Fine. C—”
“—While you chase me to my locker!”
Suddenly Minjeong is bounding across the hallway like a cheetah. Easily struggling out of your grip, she leaves you alone with her long blonde hair whipping into your face and the flat of her shoe almost kicking your nose.
It’s not fair at all! She’s one of your class’ star athletes while you stick to being in the science lab experimenting. This isn’t your forte!
“Oh, come on, Kim Minjeong!” you protest, although you have already started running too.
“That didn’t sound like O!”
Now she lays out a game for you, just like how the coaches at the covered court would announce the volleyball game she plays. But this one is more of a race—from Bae Joohyun’s classroom to her locker, and the additional challenge is to spell that dreaded word.
You run after Minjeong on shaky legs. Poorly drawn awareness posters and sticky notes are all a colorful blur as your shoes slam against the slippery floor. They screech to a halt upon reaching a stairwell, almost slamming you to the wall, but they manage to step up the numerous blocks of height.
“O! M!”
M is for “Minjeong”. Minjeong giggles as she runs to the right hand side of the corridors upon the end of the staircase. Now the two of you are on the third floor, bounding for each other as if you aren’t too old to be playing tag.
The floor is made of rough stone. It makes it difficult for you to run after her with ensured safety. Passing by numerous empty classrooms and libraries, you almost seize Minjeong by her arm if it weren’t for one of her long legs extending so that she can reach more steps.
“P!”
P is for “pain.” Pain wreaks through your legs as just a few minutes of running starts to take a toll on your body. But you don’t stop at all; the locker is only a staircase away.
You try to grab Minjeong as she runs up the curved side of the staircase, but you slip and fall instead. Your chin meets the rough ground.
“Ow!”
“That isn’t a letter!”
You quickly get up despite the throbbing brokenness on your face. You climb the stairs four steps at once, taking long strides so you can catch up with your girlfriend.
You run across the hallway with your eyes locked on her. The letters start to leave your gritting teeth.
“E!”
Enter the curve of the halls to find Minjeong pulling up her socks. It gives you additional time to catch up with her, but once she sees you, she gets up again and runs. You wish that you also had her long slender legs so you could run just as fast as her.
“N!”
Now railings of the quadrangle come to view. They remind you that the lockers are already close. Although your legs are burning with all the strain, you strive on. After all, you can already see Minjeong just a few more laps away.
“S!”
Soon you’ll get to her. You’re sure of it. Just a few more laps and it’s the final leap of faith for you. Minjeong is leaning against the door of her locker, screaming with both excitement and fear. You finally reach her and pin your hands to the door, trapping her in between the locker and yourself.
“A—”
—Another breath. Yes, take another breath and you’ll be fine, even if Minjeong is a laughing blur in front of you.
“—T–”
—Try your best not to let your heavy breathing hit Minjeong’s face. Your breath still smells like strawberries because of the gum you chewed on the way to school, but still that would be weird.
“–I–”
“Isn’t racing the best?” Minjeong asks cheerfully. She brushes your hair lightly away from the sweat beading on your forehead.
“O… oh, definitely… N…. not,” you spell out in between pants. Minjeong is still giggling at what you’ve just done. “Minjeong, that was not fun at all.”
“It was fun for me!” she says, kissing your nose. “Can’t believe you actually spelled it right.”
“After spelling compensation, I definitely need it for the blood and tears I shed during that race. Fuck you, Minjeong.”
“Oh? Then do it.”
Minjeong’s eyes say it all. The contact they have with yours never wavers, and her bottom lip juts out to persuade you even more.
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