One Plus One
After five long days of school, the sweetest part of the week had finally arrived: the weekend.
And not just any weekend day — Saturday.
Compared to Sunday, when the creeping dread of Monday settles into some corner of your heart, Saturday carried a higher value even though both were technically the same weekend. It was simply a better day.
Normally, Yeoncheong would have slept in to catch up on her sleep deficit, or headed out to the mart to do the grocery shopping — an ordinary weekend, in other words.
But not this one.
Midterms were next week.
It was a rare weekend when rest simply wasn't an option.
Given Hwaryeong High School's remedial class schedule, every student was probably hunched over their desks studying hard on a Saturday morning.
'Aaagh! Why do they have to come so early?!'
Yeoncheong was cleaning the apartment with such ferocity that her soles were practically sweating.
Even though the summer heat had eased, the beads of sweat gathering on her forehead told the story of how long she'd been at it.
Last night, the sparse trickle of texts from Suyeon suggested that talking Siyeon into coming hadn't been easy, and Yeoncheong had resigned herself to the idea that it might not work out.
She'd been swallowing her disappointment, thinking she'd probably asked for too much — and then, as if a wind had blown her way, Suyeon suddenly messaged that she'd help after all. That had been yesterday's happy news.
'I haven't even showered yet!'
Then came Suyeon's text saying they were leaving right now — which landed mere moments after Yeoncheong had dragged herself out of bed, drool still glistening on her cheek.
In other words, just now.
Setting aside Yeoncheong's bird's-nest hair, the state of the apartment was beyond words.
'I should've kept up with it a little at a time!'
Between drawing up the festival plans and cramming for exams, she simply hadn't had a spare second for housework lately — that was the root cause.
Just as she was sweating away in the aftermath of leaping out of bed, a knock came at the door, followed by a familiar voice from the other side.
"Yeoncheong, we're here."
"Gwahk!"
Crash.
Startled, she caught her own feet and took a spectacular tumble, rolling clean across the floor.
'...Seriously, why are they already at the door?'
She'd assumed they'd at least text again from the lobby of the building, but Suyeon — who knew the door code — had no reason to do any such thing.
Yeoncheong staggered to her feet and muttered under her breath.
'Should I be grateful she at least didn't try to barge straight in?'
"Yeoncheong...?"
When there was no response, Suyeon knocked again.
"Hold on! Just give me a second!"
She could hear voices murmuring outside, but Yeoncheong ignored them, gave the apartment one last desperate check, and opened the door.
"Hah... hahk... you're here kinda early, huh?"
Silence.
Suyeon and Siyeon were staring up at the apartment owner with wide, rounded eyes.
"What...?"
Yeoncheong tilted her head.
She'd thought she was greeting them with a reasonably bright smile, but...
Just-rolled-out-of-bed bedhead. A light sheen of sweat on her brow. Ragged breathing and flushed cheeks. A thin tank top slipping off her shoulder. And on top of it all, a somewhat awkward smile.
Each of these things had a perfectly innocent explanation on its own — but put together, they composed a scene that could only be described as, well, indecent.
"Um... your, your shoulder."
Siyeon averted her gaze and pointed, and Yeoncheong bolted for the bed in a panic.
Having thrown on a black tracksuit jacket, Yeoncheong scratched her cheek and spoke in a small voice.
"I-I only just woke up."
Amid the awkward atmosphere, Yeoncheong ushered Suyeon and Siyeon inside.
While the apartment's owner retreated to the bathroom for a quick wash and to fix her hair, Siyeon looked around her classmate's self-sufficient little home with eyes full of curiosity.
Suyeon, on her fourth visit already, wandered into the small bedroom with total ease and emerged carrying the big desk Yeoncheong favored as a study table.
"There we go. This is the biggest desk in Yeoncheong's place."
"Baek Suyeon, aren't you being way too comfortable about this?"
Suyeon pulled out the workbooks and reference books she'd brought and set up for studying.
Siyeon hadn't actually expected an answer, so she got her own books out too, and the two of them waited for the owner to reappear.
Not wanting to sit in the silence where the sound of running water from the bathroom was uncomfortably audible, Siyeon wet her lips.
"Hey, so... does Yeoncheong usually walk around like that?"
"Oh, right, this would be your first time seeing it. Think of it as pajamas slash loungewear."
It certainly did look comfortable, Siyeon had to admit — but that wasn't the point of her question.
"No, I mean... isn't it a little too... revealing?"
"That's fine too. I think she's aware of it and tries to be careful, from what I've seen."
Careful? Careful, from the girl who answers the door looking like that?
Siyeon's expression must have been utterly transparent, because Suyeon let out a snort of laughter.
"That's her way of making the effort."
"...Ah."
And so, completely unaware, Yeoncheong escaped yet another misunderstanding about being a pervert.
"Sorry. Did I keep you waiting long?"
Yeoncheong finally emerged from the bathroom and found her friends waiting, books laid out.
"It's fine. Take your time. We're the ones who came early, after all."
Saying this, Siyeon looked up at Yeoncheong.
"Also, let me see your phone."
"Mine?"
"I'll give you my and Seobin's numbers. If you need anything, don't go through me — just message her directly."
Apparently Siyeon had asked Seobin just in case, and she'd happily agreed.
With a reason like that, there was no reason not to hand over her phone.
Siyeon was about to tell her to unlock it first, but Suyeon beside her simply swiped the screen open.
Siyeon stared, incredulous, at the owner of the phone, who was busy applying lotion to her hands.
Studying only began once the owner, freshly washed, had taken her seat at the desk as well.
The apartment was quiet — no TV at all.
The ticking of the clock, the sound of each other's breathing, and the scratch of pens against paper were the only sounds in the room.
Without a single word of conversation, how much time had passed?
Siyeon rolled her eyes just slightly and thought to herself.
'They're actually pretty serious about this, huh?'
Suyeon, who'd tagged along for no particular reason, was quietly absorbed in her own studying, and Yeoncheong — with a bet with Nayun on the line and midterms looming right in front of her — had her face buried in her books.
Now and then, Siyeon would answer one of Yeoncheong's questions, explaining things as clearly as she did in the library.
The comfortable, quiet atmosphere, with Yeoncheong and Suyeon studying on either side of her.
Whether it was the environment or not, she could feel herself concentrating better than usual.
Siyeon thought she was glad she'd come, then bent back over her books — for a few hours.
Suyeon checked the time, made a strange groaning noise, and flopped backward flat on the floor.
"Uuugh... this is torture."
Siyeon and Yeoncheong lifted their heads a beat behind her and checked the clock too.
"Wow, it's already this late."
"We should eat lunch."
Go out to eat, or order in? Before Siyeon could even finish weighing her options, Suyeon lifted her head just enough to look at Yeoncheong.
"Yeoncheong. I'm hungry."
"You little... You only came here for this, didn't you?"
Suyeon answered with a smile so angelic it was practically weaponized.
Yeoncheong grumbled under her breath, hauled herself up, and headed for the fridge.
"Lunch — you're making it, Yeoncheong?"
"Hm? Suyeon didn't tell you?"
When Siyeon looked at her twin like, what on earth are you talking about, Suyeon's lips moved, still lying down.
"Sorry, forgot to mention it. Yeoncheong's making lunch for us. That was the deal."
"A deal? Cooking? Yeoncheong?"
Question marks filled every inch of her face.
The Yeoncheong Siyeon saw at school had absolutely no point of contact with the world of cooking, so her reaction was only natural.
But when Suyeon simply raised her chin and said nothing, Siyeon could only turn a worried gaze on the apartment's owner.
From the fridge, Yeoncheong pulled out red meat marinating in sauce, eggs, scallions, instant rice, and various other things, then set a frying pan on the burner.
"Just clear the books off the desk. It won't take long."
And her words were true.
The marinated meat only had to hit the pan to be done, and into the pan where she'd sautéed minced garlic and scallions she dropped the instant rice and cracked in the eggs all at once, whipping up a batch of fried rice just as effortlessly.
The smell alone was enough to make anyone's mouth water, and Suyeon had somehow already gotten up and swept the books aside.
"Can we use these spoons and chopsticks?"
"Yeah, thanks."
Siyeon came over beside Yeoncheong next, watching her hand out the tableware, and tilted her head.
'What is this? Why is she so natural at it?'
Doing things she never did even at her own home, here — the twin could only stand there, dumbfounded.
The finished meal was stir-fried pork and egg fried rice, freshly made and steaming hot.
"Thanks for the food!"
As if she'd been waiting for this exact moment, Suyeon picked up her chopsticks, popped a piece of pork into her mouth, and took a big heaping spoonful of the fried rice.
"Mmm~ Just as good as always."
While her twin smiled blissfully, cradling her bowl, Siyeon looked down at the fried rice in front of her and swallowed hard.
Under Yeoncheong's encouraging gaze, she brought the food to her mouth exactly the way Suyeon had.
Her eyes went round before she'd even chewed.
As her jaw moved slowly, savoring each bite, an expression of pure melting contentment spread across her face.
Yeoncheong, who knew full well this was the reaction of satisfaction, felt the corners of her mouth creep upward.
"How is it?"
"...It's good."
"See? Told you coming was worth it."
Ignoring Suyeon's commentary from the side, Siyeon moved her chopsticks rapidly toward the stir-fried pork in front of her.
"Ah, wait a sec! What am I supposed to do if you eat it all!"
Startled, Suyeon scrambled her chopsticks into motion too, and Yeoncheong broke into the brightest smile a cook could wear.
"If we run out, I'll just make more. Take your time."
Since the dishes could wait until evening, Yeoncheong sat back down at the desk and got ready to study again.
But then —
"You know what would make this perfect? A little nap right now."
Suyeon sprawled out lazily across Yeoncheong's bed.
"Hey, what are you doing on someone else's bed? Get off."
"Siyeon, Yeoncheong's bed is seriously soft. Come sit on it, you have to try."
Completely unmoved by her twin's scolding, Suyeon turned temptress.
"We always wanted a bed like this back in the day, remember? Not those bunk beds."
"...How far back are you going?!"
Siyeon's face flushed at the embarrassing trip down memory lane, and she shot a glance at Yeoncheong.
When their eyes met, the owner just shrugged.
"It's not like sitting on it wears it out. Go ahead."
"She's right. It doesn't wear out."
"Baek Suyeon, you shut up."
Siyeon hesitated for a moment, then, with a murmured 'excuse me,' perched herself on the edge of Yeoncheong's bed.
"...This is nice."
"Right? So soft, right?"
Grinning smugly as she lay there, Suyeon looked for all the world like she was the bed's rightful owner.
"Since you're sitting, why not lie down for a bit too."
"Hey, that's going too f—hey!"
Mid-sentence, Suyeon grabbed Siyeon and pulled her down onto the bed.
Siyeon landed with a soft thump, and Suyeon draped herself lightly over her, pinning her so she couldn't get up.
"See? Even better lying down, right?"
"Get off me! I said get off!"
Ignoring her flustered twin's struggles, Suyeon turned her lips toward Yeoncheong.
"Yeoncheong, wanna lie down with us while we're at it?"
"...What?"
At the ear-doubting remark, Yeoncheong's blue eyes wavered.
"I said, lie down with us."
Suyeon added with a languid, cat-like smile.
"If you do it now, it's one plus one."
At Suyeon's remark, open to any interpretation you liked —
Yeoncheong and Siyeon's faces flamed red at the exact same instant.
"You crazy woman! Get off her, now!"
"..."
Siyeon's protests from underneath her twin grew considerably more violent, while Yeoncheong bowed her head low, unable to lift her face at all.
"Haha! Just kidding. Just kidding!"
When Yeoncheong still wouldn't raise her head, Suyeon propped herself up slightly, and in that instant Siyeon squirmed free.
As if nothing had happened, Suyeon was back to her usual self, and it was only after a long while that Yeoncheong managed a small, stiff nod.
The study session, finally resumed after all those twists and turns, wrapped up just before dinnertime.
Suyeon stretched with a strange groan, and Siyeon got up to gather her books.
"We should head out."
"Can't you stay for dinner...?"
Siyeon seized her twin by the nape, hauled her upright, and said flatly.
"Make some sense, please."
"Tch..."
Collecting Suyeon like luggage, Siyeon slipped on her shoes and said goodbye once more.
"Thanks for today."
"I'm the one who invited you. If anything, I should be thanking you."
When Yeoncheong scratched her cheek, Siyeon coughed awkwardly and turned away.
"We're off. Study hard, and if anything doesn't make sense, just ask."
"Yeah, get home safe."
Stepping out of the apartment where Yeoncheong waved them off, Siyeon half-tossed Suyeon along the hallway and asked.
"You... don't tell me... no, right?"
"What if I said yes? What would you do about it?"
That was as good as saying yes.
Siyeon let out a deep sigh, her head tilting to one side.
"I thought Yeon Seoha liked Yeoncheong? Is this really okay?"
"Seoha knows, so it's fine."
"Wha..."
Siyeon let out a hollow laugh, then spoke as if something had just occurred to her.
"What about Yeoncheong?"
"Too dense to notice, probably."
Siyeon nodded.
If Yeoncheong really had known, she would have found some way to say it to her face — she wouldn't have needed to go through Suyeon, who was bound to tag along anyway.
As sigh after sigh poured out of her, Siyeon looked at her twin.
"You weren't even going to tell me?"
"You'd have figured it out the second you saw her. What's the point of hiding it?"
Fair enough — Siyeon couldn't come up with a suitable comeback.
After letting the silence hang for a moment, Suyeon nudged her playfully.
"So? What do you think?"
"About what?"
"About what? Yeoncheong, obviously."
Suyeon's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Siyeon didn't care for that sparkle one bit, and her lips moved slowly.
"She's wasted."
"Huh?"
"Yeoncheong's wasted on you."
With that parting shot, Siyeon hurried her steps, saying she was about to miss the bus.
"Hey! Aren't family supposed to be on your side?! Baek Siyeon! We've got ages before the bus comes. Walk slower!"
And so, after the Saturday spent with the twins, and the Sunday right before midterms, the long-awaited second-semester midterm exams arrived.