Chapter Text
Snow dispersed on the wooden community post as a singular large poster is the only thing drawing a crowd of white pajamas, though they wouldn’t have known the content if there wasn’t a figure crashing into them with a humanoid suitcase.
“IS IT OUT? IS IT?”
The kids stand down from the board as the pink-haired girl's wide eyes sweep across sweating faces, at least until a girl points out the thing on her shoulder with the least surprise.
“Mizi…I don’t think it’s safe to carry Ivan like that…”
“Oh, him? We did the test together so he could at least wake up and see how he did—IIIvaaann?”
The lengthy potato sag stirs as the boy lifts his face, sucking in a plip of drool while beaming a smile as if it’s no one business.
“Hi, Eun-Ji. What are you guys doing here?”
“I am the one asking you guys here…why is Mizi getting all jumpy with you on her shoulders?”
Ivan tilts his head to the thing behind Eun-Ji as he gasps, pointing at the poster with a slight tremble.
“Mizi! It’s the result!”
“Sorry guys, Eun-Ji! Step aside please!”
The kids create a space for the duo as Ivan crawls out of her grasp, the girl pushes her glasses while swallowing the heavy rock in her throat.
“Uhh…45, 89…WAIT!”
The kids and Ivan snap up at her voice as Mizi mumbles their names under her breath, her fists punching the sky.
“WE GOT IN!”
“Hell yeah!”
The dark-haired boy glomps over his friend as the other kids squeal, all but Eun-Ji. The jaded-haired girl droops her head before slithering away from the crowd, though her attempt surely catch Mizi’s eyes as she pushes away her taller friend.
“Eun-Ji!”
Before anyone can say anything, the girl whose name was called startles as Mizi steps closer, her smile wavering.
“Why didn’t you tell us that you take the test too–”
“I…It doesn’t matter anymore. You guys are more talented than any of us combined and it just so happens that it’s Anakt High School…hah, this is so stupid.”
“It’s not stupid! If you wait for next year–”
“WE ARE 3RD YEAR IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ALREADY, WHAT NEXT TIME?!”
Eun-Ji grits her teeth as Mizi and everyone stare at her, silence hugs the blooming spring after the white blanket’s seasonal dance. The teary-eyed girl however can only see the damp earth on her head as a voice emerges after a sliding door.
“You guys, it’s still cold out! Let’s go in!”
As the kids pour through the door frame, a hand is placed on Eun-ji’s shoulder, and the girl jolts ever so subtly.
“Eun-Ji? Do you have something to tell me?”
As the girl turns to the woman, her eyes meet with her translucent pair with the teacher’s aloof smile, even though this adult’s presence has always been in her life, Eun-ji felt her voice clogged.
“Shine-seonsaengnim…I don’t want to be here anymore…”
“Oh dear, why? Do you want to live in the dorm next school year?”
Eun-ji's neckless head nods as the woman sighs before ushering her into the chamber, Shine presses against her left cheek as a creaking door twirls her attention behind her back.
“Mizi. Do you want to go to the bathroom?”
The pink-haired girl shakes her head as she glances at the way she came out, the light reflecting on her bright daffodil eyes.
“Seonsaengnim, do you think we shouldn’t have taken the test? Eun-Ji could have gotten in instead…”
Shine chuckles as her hand strokes the girl’s puffy long hair before sighing regardless, though her grin is still visible on her pale face.
“It’s not like Ivan and you cheat back then, isn’t it? She may feel like this now but I’m sure that she can move forward on her own.”
“How do you know?”
“Eun-ji is very competitive despite her shyness, I know that because I’m your teacher~”
Mizi gapes as she nods ever so cheerfully before running inside the sliding door again, though her smile withers as her feet stop at the futon.
“What’s wrong Mizi? We have to get up in the morning to go to our new school you know?”
The girl nods but her frame inches so little one would think it was only a light brush of wind, Ivan on the other hand, stares at her with none of his toothy grin.
“...Ivan, I can just say I cheated on the test and then she would get accepted right?”
“Mizi, it’s not that simple. What if she did so badly on the test? It’s not your fault that her final grade doesn’t reach average.”
The pink-haired girl glares at him through her bangs as his black-studded eyes blink confusedly.
“What?”
“This is why the girls don’t like you, Ivan...You’re not in tune with our feelings at all!”
The boy smirks sleepily as he tucks himself in, and waves away his friend’s accusation while Mizi kneels beside him, shaking him.
“Sure, sure. Don’t need to rub your popularity on me, Mizi~”
“Aghh! What should I do? Hey, don’t you sleep on me! Come on, what should I do?”
“I…don’t…know.”
As the shaking grows faster, so does his aptitude to ignore it all and fall asleep, leaving Mizi pouted on her bed.
Ivan doesn’t help me at all…I wonder if what Seonsaengnim said is true, I mean of course but like—has she tried her best?
With that thought swirling in her head, Mizi closes her eyes easily. Morning puckering two children out of their bed, well, one at first but the second one slowly follows as they disappear into different corners of the house.
“Mizi~? Are you done?”
The door he knocks on swiftly opens as Mizi clasps tight her twin tail at one last swoosh, grinning with her nose puffing.
“Wow! Never saw you with a tie before…Maybe this time you will grow into a man for real.”
“Have I never been a man in your eyes?”
“Well, you just kinda meh since you moved in with us back then. So not really.”
Ivan smiles deprecatingly as Mizi laughs, jabbing at his elbow while they walk down the hall to the common room—but to be exact, it functions just like a dinner room also. Their teacher turns to their footsteps as the woman gasps before hopping to the kids’ side.
“You guys look so handsome! Especially you, Ivan. Oh my, I didn’t notice that you already grow so large…”
“Isn’t that the proof of how much you didn’t let us starve, Seonsaengnim?”
“Haha! So your muscles are all rice and pork huh!”
Her hand reaches to his head as Shine scratches Ivan violently, the boy chuckles as she lets him go before carrying two plates to their large table.
“Come now, or else you will be late for the orientation!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Yes, Seonsaengnim!”
Just like before, a crowd of kids–yawning or not–clump together outside with their seongsaeng as some kids take turns hugging Mizi while some girls sheepishly ask Ivan about things that he would quickly reject. All but Eun-Ji. But Mizi soon laid her eyes on her.
“I heard you’re gonna move into a dorm. Good luck on the west side, Eun-ji!"
“...No, I’m not.”
Shine and Mizi blink at her annoyance as the girl furrows at Ivan and Mizi, before flipping her head away.
“I’m going to vocational school. So I can be a better mechanic than you both combined.”
“Ooh, you wanna be a mechanic? That’s so cool!”
Mizi grasps her shoulders as sparkles overlap the stunted girl, her other friend pops up behind Mizi’s back, and his canine teeth can be seen in his grin.
“Be the best mechanic so you can help with the lightbulb, huh? So cool~”
Eun-Ji pushes the duo out of her face as she stomps out of the conversation, but before anyone can gape, Shine laughs at the whole ordeal.
“Oh gosh, she’s so unpredictable!”
“Did you know she was going to change her decision, Seonsaengnim?”
The woman shrugs as Ivan and Mizi glance at each other as a piercing beep sounds on his wrist, the boy squints at the clock before sweat fills his forehead.
“Mizi! We have 5 minutes left!”
“What?!”
“Oh dear me, go now! What are you waiting for?”
The duo sprints as if on the marathon, behind, Shine and the kids laughing at their eventual unlucky of the first day in school. Everyone including Eun-Ji.