Chapter Text
"--so I was thinking that during lunch, we- Ryeon? Ryeon-ah. What are you doing."
Cho-hui has to turn around, when their linked hands have broken off. She backtracks, to where Ryeon is now standing still in the middle of student traffic.
Cho-hui’s pulling her away so she doesn’t get accidentally knocked over, runs her hand over to flatten the puff of her friend's half-ponytail affectionately. All the while, Ryeon’s just intently looking down the stairs with narrowed eyes, deep frown.
"Oh no," Cho-hui sighs, when she tracks what's taken her attention.
"What's wrong?" Ryung-gu's come back down the stairs, noting they weren't behind him.
She points downward.
To a haughty looking Park Joong-gil, in a crisp, clearly ironed, matching school uniform - Jumadeung High School, the school crest across the chestpocket . One pocketed hand, the other occupied with a book - all somehow looking his sixteen years, yet his chin is high, his shoulders back, as if carrying himself much older. His friends - two girls, and two boys behind him. One of the girls follows his own gaze, and decides to sidle up next to Joong-gil, hooking her arm loosely around his.
" What are you doing here."
"And here I thought you were ranked top of your class. Well, that will change soon enough."
"I hope to God this is a dream. Please let it be a dream. Ryung-gu - pinch me."
"I value my life too much for that, noona."
"Let me wake up, then. Dad, Auntie Gop-dan, Auntie Hwa-sa, someone wake me up."
"Trust me," Park Joong-gil says dryly, "when I say this is a nightmare, Koo Ryeon."
Messages:
Our Brat ❤️ (now)
APPA. YOU COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A HEADS UP. DON’T EVEN TRY TO PLAY DUMB.
I KNOW YOU TALK TO MR. SONG. WHO TALKS TO MRS. PARK.
I SWEAR IF HE'S IN MY CLASSES DAD I'M GOING TO
Me: 😂
Our Brat ❤️: DAD THIS ISN'T FUNNY. TELL AUNTIE TO…
"Your laugh is telling, Min-ki."
"Hm? Ah. I'm sorry." Koo Min-ki sets his phone down, still smiling to himself as he leans forward, reaching for his cup of tea.
"Is that Ryeon-ah?"
"It is, Director. She just found out that the Park's boy has transferred here to the school. She wanted me to ask you to not have them share classes."
"Oh just you wait," Kim Hwa-sa smiles as she sips her tea, "wait until she finds out about the archery club."
Then his face falls, blood draining, at a realization.
"Wait."
"Hm?"
"Ryeon makes me my coffee, always, after dinner."
"Oh," Hwa-sa says with a frown. Then, she carries on easily, "Well, that's that, I suppose. Gop-dan and her husband - I'm sure they will be happy to take in Ryeon, after your demise."
"Noona."
"Well, I certainly can't be her guardian. I'm quite busy, you know. I have my own kids - all these students, to carry through to graduation. I have the responsibility of raising the future of Korea."
He switches gears - "Director."
"It can't be helped," she shrugs, as she gets up from her seat, walks over to her desk.
"Seriously? Help me."
"As you can see, I'm rather busy this morning. Preparing. And have several school affairs to attend to before the school ceremony. File a parent's complaint at the front desk if you must."
"Noona."
They're settling in lines - summer air sweltering in the school auditorium, as the students are filtering in for the school entrance ceremony.
"So let me get this straight. This cute boy-" Heo Na-young is tracking the story with her hands, as told by Cho-hui. Ryeon is standing next to her, with Ryung-gu next to her.
"Debatable.” Ryeon says, at the same time of Kang Woo-jin interjecting, "Cute? Na-young!"
"Shhh. You're cute too. And besides, we’re good as engaged. Anyway. You hit him with an arrow in middle school, during an archery club training camp between schools-"
"Accidentally. As I kept telling him and his mother."
"And that's how it began? Your silly rivalry?"
"Snake marks the spot! It's not my fault he was in the way."
"Snake?"
"The targets were paper snakes." Cho-hui and Ryung-gu chorus, beleaguered, at the same time as Ryeon. They roll their eyes, then smile too brightly when Ryeon glares at them separately.
Jun-woong appears then - a blur, rushing past them, realizes he's missed his mark, and has to skid to a stop. He's catching the attention of some other students as he runs backwards. Runs in place as he's breathless.
"News. I've got news. Big news."
"You're slow. So slow." Cho-hui nods over across the auditorium.
"Oh shit."
"This is hell, right? I'm in hell." Ryeon groans, collapsing over Ryung-gu's shoulder. Who wasn't prepared to carry her weight, and both Cho-hui and he clumsily try to catch her fall.
"Real graceful over there, Koo Ryeon."
"MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, PARK JOONG-GIL."
Email sent by [email protected] (7:50 a.m.):
My beloved Father,
I realize I went about my request the wrong way and perhaps too aggressively. As you and Gop-dan always counsel me, I will endeavor to keep my emotions in check before they get the best of me.
I am formally asking you to consider and ask that you pass along this email to the Director accordingly.
I respectfully beseech you: please do not place Park Joong-gil and me in the same classes.
I believe it would be detrimental to both our education and indeed, our very futures, if we were in the same classroom.
- I do not wish to be a distraction to my fellow classmates. It would be quite unfair on them.
- Consider the parents that would only end up filing complaints. You certainly don't want them to be talking about me more than they already do.
He’s the worst.His mother is the worst.
(I begrudgingly admit that Mr. Park has some kind of intelligence, despite his appalling behavior in the last few years).
Even though I’m convinced that whatever makes up his brain—
You love me.
Put simply: it would be in everyone’s interests if we were able to keep to our own. That way, we can graduate peacefully, and separately.
After all, there’s only two more years.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Your most filial, loving daughter/niece.
(The only legacy you have.)
“Oh, look how cute you are in your school uniform. The school ceremony is about to start - what are you doing?"
Hwa-sa shifts slightly to peek through the curtains, sees her niece across the way. She watches, and sees it repeated: her friends waving in the background of the videocall.
“Auntie~~” Ryeon says, saccharine, in her voice and her smile. “I just wanted to say good luck, for your opening speech."
"Thank you, darling."
"And that I think you look so pretty today. And I'm sending my wishes for this upcoming school year. I really mean to do well and make Dad and you, my favorite aunt, proud."
“Ryeon, sweetie. I taught you this tactic. And I'm your only Aunt."
“OK, fine.” Ryeon huffs, “Can you please make sure the rest of my day and my classes aren’t with him? Can you confirm that for me?”
“Ryeon, I don’t set up the class list. Nor do I look up every student and see or arrange their courses."
“OK, but you have access.”
“Access, yes. But we also agreed that we wouldn’t do anything that would suggest I was playing any kind of favoritism.”
“OK, true. But please? Please.”
She laughs, “You know the school likes to encourage competition between students, so the likelihood that he is-”
Ryeon's switched out of videocall.
“I’m calling in my birthday vow.”
The Director raises an eyebrow, “Oh?”
"Oh craaap–-" one of her friends is heard in the background. Another - she thinks, Cho-hui, hissing at him to be quiet. What a sweet, steady girl.
“--I swear, Junwoong-" Some muffled, shuffling. Then, "Yes.”
“You’re running out of them, you know.”
“I know. And I’m still calling it in now.”
“And you only get them once a year.”
“Look, I’ll even give up my birthday gift, if that’s what it takes.”
“You really don’t like this boy, huh.”
She shifts the curtains again, searches out and finds Park Joong-gil. Hm. He's certainly gotten taller since the last time she's seen him, since his mother's wedding. Only a few weeks ago. Maybe a month? Goodness, time flies.
Kids, changing all the time. It’s adorable.
“He doesn’t like me.”
Ah-
Interesting.
Ryeon’s never been one to care about others and their opinion of her.
“Fine,” Hwa-sa agrees easily, “But you’re sure? You don’t want to wait, think about it?”
“I’m sure. I’m definitely, definitely sure," Ryeon all but growls. Hwa-sa shifts the curtains again, and sees Joong-gil - bland expression, but waving a peace sign at her niece - taunting.
Shortly after, and just before her name, position, gets announced for her customary beginning-of-the-year speech, she receives a photo text of Ryeon's fingerheart.
“Oh, my dongseng ,” she says, tapping at her phone. Switches to her background photo - Ryeon, her, and her parents, “Your daughter sure is a handful."
“Remember, I did ask if you were sure.” the Director simply states.
“I didn’t know that you had planned us to be co-captains of MY archery club!"
"I, for one, don't have any qualms about this, Director, at all."
"YOU! SHUSH!”