Chapter LV – Girl Talk

With the hissing sound of a soda can being opened, Irene sat down next to Iseul and Nabi. Having finished lunch, the girls decided to sit outside in the courtyard while waiting for Sophie to arrive.

“You seem awfully down,” Iseul mentioned upon seeing Irene’s absentminded expression.

“Still haven’t seen Arthur, huh?” Nabi asked while taking a sip of her drink.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. . . Sorry,” Irene quietly apologized before forcing herself to smile to not worry anyone. “I’m fine.”

“No need to pretend,” Iseul sighed. “Everyone has a bad day.”

“Yeah. Besides, it’s weird not having the boys around,” Nabi chuckled. “When they’re here we complain about how obnoxious and loud they can be, but when they’re not, it just feels different. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them, and I bet they’d say the same.”

“That’s true, but it’s not the only thing that’s got me thinking,” Irene let out a prolonged sigh before glancing up at the clear sky. “There’s also family nagging me, and let’s not forget that the finals are around the corner.”

“I dread the idea already,” Nabi's exaggerated expression showed her disgust towards the week-long testing. “How’s the prep coming along though?”

“I should do just fine,” Irene modestly commented when in fact she spent countless hours preparing, wishing to beat her previous score.

“Hopefully I do too,” Iseul said sinisterly, but the two instantly cast doubtful gazes upon her as she was known for her monstrous, near-perfect scores. “What?” she looked confusedly.

“You’ve had a perfect score in literally every test but one. And even then you had a minor mistake which you cursed for a whole month,” Irene reminded her.

“You remember that?” Iseul awkwardly laughed.

“That’s around the time we met, so it left quite the impression,” Irene smirked, caught thinking about the bittersweet past the two shared. “You were so angry that even I was intimidated a bit.”

“For real?” Nabi asked in disbelief.

“Alright, alright. . . We get it,” Iseul crossed her arms but chuckled all the same. “I’m just glad our prep is going well. Nabi, I presume you’re doing well? Did the notes help you at all?”

Nabi nodded, but her attention got stolen by Sophie and Yeona who were slowly approaching the group.

“Hey guys!” Sophie appeared cheerful as always. “What’s up?”

“Just sitting around,” Irene said, gently smiling at the two.

“Hey Yeona. Good to see you again,” Iseul waved at her. “Have you been doing well?”

Other than Sophie, Iseul is the only one that knew who Yeona was due to their prior meeting when Sophie was getting Iseul’s help with studying.

“Oh, yeah. . .” she shyly answered.

“Who’s this cutie?” Irene asked.

“Oh, right!” Sophie realized she hadn’t introduced her yet. Taking a step back, she gestured towards Yeona, “This is Yeona. She’s a friend I’ve been telling you about.”

“Oh, the one from the bookstore?” Nabi asked with a welcoming smile. “Name is Nabi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“That’s the one,” Sophie answered while patting Yeona on the back.

“The pleasure is mine,” Yeona answered timidly.

“My name is Irene,” she introduced herself while making space for the two to sit had they wished to do so. “Damn, are all our underclassmen cute? I’m starting to be envious of the boys.”

While the girls chuckled, Yeona glanced toward Irene before averting her gaze.

“Thanks. . .” she became flustered, feeling awkward knowing that she had feelings for the same guy Irene was after.

“So, you gonna be joining us from now on?” Irene asked out of curiosity.

“Maybe?” Yeona kept being awkward around Irene, as she expected she’d be. “Sorry, I’m not that great when meeting new people. . .”

She tried to excuse herself since she wasn’t very talkative.

“That’s alright,” Nabi approached her. “Based on what Sophie told us, you’ll fit right in.”

“You talk about me?” she looked at Sophie.

“Of course I do. I talk about them to you as well, so what’s so surprising about that?” Sophie smiled winsomely before crashing on the bench next to Irene.

Sophie was known to blab a lot about her friends, but she always painted them in a good light. She openly avoided anyone who spoke ill of her friends or family.

“I’m surprised Ari isn’t with you though,” Iseul pointed out.

“She exhausted herself studying all night and nearly collapsed this morning. Her mom refused to let her go to school in such condition,” Sophie explained.

“Is she alright?” Irene asked.

“Yeah. Her mom told me it was nothing to worry about, and that she just needed a nice long nap. Apparently, she kept staying up the entire weekend so the backlash finally kicked in.”

“Now that’s what I call resolve. . .” Nabi wasn’t sure if she should praise or condemn Ari’s actions.

The scores were important to nearly every student attending J High. Getting into a good college was a difficult task, and many were either ambitious or had families with great expectations.

“Speaking of which, how’s your relationship now that you have studies to focus on?” Irene turned to Nabi who had recently gone on numerous dates with Hyun.

Yeona was pleased that the conversation shifted towards someone else.

“It’s been great if I’m being honest. . .” Nabi wasn’t exactly convincing, but she didn’t appear to be lying either. “I’m just afraid that my scores will reflect the lack of dedication.”

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating,” Iseul tried comforting her a bit. “Besides, you’re smart enough to know your limits.”

“Thanks. . .” Nabi whispered. “But I’ve been getting carried away these past two weeks.”

“So, what’s he like? Does he treat you kindly?” Sophie was dying to know the details.

“He’s been amazing to me. I wish we’d find more time to hang out with him together so you guys get to know him. He’s smart, kind, and let’s not forget funny. If I’m being honest, he’s quite the catch.”

“Sounds like a perfect man,” Irene commented, but she had formed somewhat of a different opinion about him based on the few interactions they had.

While she believed what Nabi was saying, she also had an uneasy feeling about his masked behavior. However, she felt it wasn’t her place to point things out, especially not before having a proper conversation with the guy. Irene wasn’t fond of jumping to conclusions, and it wasn’t uncommon for first impressions to poorly reflect who a person actually was.

“Honestly, yeah. . . He has intriguing tastes and can hold a conversation with ease. Most importantly, he’s quite affectionate.”

Seeing Nabi genuinely happy erased Irene’s doubts.

“So when are we going to organize something to hang out with him?” Sophie asked for the millionth time since the two got together.

“Probably when summer vacation starts,” Nabi pointed out. “We avoided mixing among each other’s social circles until summer comes for the sake of finals. We didn’t exactly get together at the most convenient time.”

“Depends who you ask,” Irene interrupted. “Many believe you shouldn’t date before college. Some even want you to wait until you’re done with your education as a whole, but fuck that. . .”

“My grandpa kept warning me about dating. . .” Sophie sighed, remembering the awkward conversation between the two.

“He might be onto something,” Iseul chuckled.

“What, you don’t have anyone you like right now?” Irene grinned while eying Iseul.

“Nope,” she outright denied it without hesitation. “I’ve had my fair share of unsuccessful attempts, and now I just wanna focus on getting into SNU.”

“You’re only a year older than us,” Nabi chuckled. “What do you mean fair share?”

“Well, while there weren’t many, they sure did flop hard,” Iseul explained. “Besides, there are no good guys my age that are worth my attention. All the good ones have been already taken.”

“Nothing wrong with younger guys,” Irene teased.

“Want to give me yours?” Iseul teased back while leaning closer to Irene.

“Nope, he’s one of a kind,” Irene refused to fall for her provocation by simply smiling.

“He ain’t even yours yet,” Iseul pointed out the painful truth. “Maybe I still have a shot. Not like you own the guy.”

“I might not own him, but I sure as hell ain’t giving him away.”

The two continued back and forth jokingly, but their jokes influenced Yeona’s mood as she looked lost staring at the ground.

“I knew Oppa had a few girls interested in him,” Sophie interrupted them. “But to think he could cause such a rift in our friendship. . .”

“Our?” Iseul looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t you mean ‘your’ friendship?”

“I mean, aren’t both of you trying to steal my Oppa away?” she looked saddened, tearful even.

Her expression which was cheerful a second ago took a sudden turn, appearing severely depressed. It was enough to stop both from their back and forth teasing, even catching Yeona off guard.

“Sophie. . .” Irene spoke gently, not knowing what to say.

“It’s not. . .” Iseul was left speechless as well.

Since they’ve met, Sophie hasn’t once looked like that.

“That drama club is really paying off,” Nabi called her out with applause for her performance, not believing her for a second.

“You think?” Sophie smiled, shifting back into her typical cheerful self. “I’ve been working on it quite a bit.”

“Goddammit. . .” Irene let out a sigh of relief.

“Got me for a second there. . .” Iseul chuckled, leaning back into the bench.

“To think I’d fall for it,” Irene began laughing while shaking her head in disbelief.

Yeona let out a sigh of relief but remained quiet.

“Ari would be laughing so hard right now if she saw this,” Sophie smugly bragged.

“No kidding,” Nabi agreed.

“Well, that’s a wrap for me,” Iseul commented as she looked at the time.

“You going?” Irene asked. “We still got like ten minutes left before class.”

“I gotta drop by the meeting room and turn in a report.”

Having said goodbye, Iseul took her leave.

“Our President sure works hard, doesn’t she?” Irene commented, putting her arms behind her head and stretching her legs out.

“Well, I’ll be sure to pass the praise of the school Princess,” Nabi teased her.

“Wait, is that becoming a thing now?” Irene sighed.

“Yeah,” Yeona finally spoke up. “There’s been talks about it among my classmates as well.”

“True. . .” Sophie mumbled. “You have no idea how many guys are into you. Makes it even harder for us to find someone normal.”

“You can keep them. . .” Her carefree attitude got a chuckle out of Yeona. “What about you? Got anyone you like?” Irene asked Yeona directly.

“I. . . Ugh-” She kept mumbling repeatedly while feeling lost as to where she should look, unable to maintain eye contact.

“There totally is, isn’t there?” Sophie grinned as her curiosity swept her away. “Do tell!”

She kept being awkward, refusing to answer. It was obvious by that point that she did like someone, so there wasn’t a point in denying it. However, there was no way she could say it out loud. Especially now that she met Irene in person. Her belief that she might have a shot hit rock bottom.

“Is it someone we know so you can’t tell us?” Irene guessed correctly, believing that nothing else could cause that level of discomfort.

“Now I’m dying to know. . .” Sophie kept insisting but was somewhat disheartened by Yeona’s reaction. “No need to feel pressured. You can tell us when you want,” Sophie smiled compassionately and hugged Yeona.

“Here,” Irene handed her drink to Yeona. “Share a drink with me. I’m sorry if I put you in a rough spot. Only wanted to get to know you better since you’re Sophie’s friend. Sometimes I forget that meeting new people can be intimidating.”

“Thanks. . .” Yeona let out a sigh, taking the soda can which was still half full. It wasn’t common for her to take a sip of someone else’s drink. Sophie was the only one who’d offer something like that to her. She took a few sips before handing back the drink. “Sorry. . . I’m not usually like this. It’s just that-” she paused again.

“Don’t worry about it,” Irene smiled at her. “Now that we shared a drink, let it be a sign of our friendship. Besides, you should take things at your own pace. Forgive my lack of restraint, sometimes I blab before I think.”

“I don’t think I deserve it, but I’m thankful for it regardless,” Yeona finally managed to muster a full sentence.

“What? The friendship? I’m confused as to what caused you to believe such a thing, but you’ve done nothing wrong,” Irene looked genuinely confused. “Besides, even if you did, I’m sure that we could get over it.”

“Sophie, what did you tell her about us. . .” Nabi questioned her with her arms crossed.

“Nothing bad, I swear!” Sophie pleaded innocent.

“It’s true. She only spoke positively about you guys,” Yeona confirmed while letting out a sigh. “I’m just like this from time to time.”

“Well, we’ll get used to each other's quirks since we’ll be seeing each other more often now,” Nabi said as she approached Yeona, grabbing her hand gently. “Besides, once you join, you can never leave. . .”

The girls started laughing, and even Yeona joined in on it.

“Speaking of boys,” Yeona looked at Sophie. “I’ve never heard you mention any.”

“That’s because they’re disappointing. Especially if I compare them to Oppa,” she said proudly.

“Why do I feel like I’ve heard that before,” Nabi referenced Iseul sarcastically.

With the bell ringing, the girls let out a sigh simultaneously.

“Well, guess our time is up. . .” Irene dreaded the thought of math class. “It’s been getting harder and harder lately.”

“Finals are around the corner, so the teacher is trying to grind us to a pulp,” Nabi pointed out as they walked toward the classroom.

“Will I be seeing you more often?” Irene glanced towards Yeona.

“Yeah. . . I believe so,” Yeona confirmed, giving her a soft smile, hoping that whatever happens in the future doesn’t end badly between them.

“Sweet!” she yelled out grabbing Yeona’s arm. “Another cute junior acquired.”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.