Morning Chaos and the Class Parent Meeting
“Onni.”
“Hm? Doosik-ah. Why?”
She’d been rolling around in bed since morning.
Getting up early had become a habit, but with nothing to do after rising, she spent her days lying around the bed scrolling through the TV.
“School today?”
Even though she was living in a hotel, Doosik never missed a day of school.
Every morning before school or every evening after returning, she’d come over and greet her like clockwork.
She’d arrived at her room again this morning.
“Yes…”
But she was fidgeting so strangely that when she sat up, Doosik was standing there awkwardly, clearly wanting to say something.
“Got something to say?”
“It’s like this. Today is the parent-teacher meeting.”
“Oh. What time?”
“Four o’clock.”
“All right. I’ll go.”
“Really?”
“Doosik’s the one who’s there. Who else would go if Onni doesn’t?”
“That’s a relief.”
“You’re dragging it out for no reason. You can just say it.”
“It’s about the university entrance interview…”
Ah.
She wasn’t even a high-school graduate, so she had no idea.
Still, she couldn’t let Cabe go to school with her.
So she handed Cabe over to Eve, saw them off to Eve’s house, then pulled out her clothes, only to put them right back.
Hm.
Too formal would look weird.
She took out the pleated skirt Doosik had bought and tossed it back in.
Even if she tried, she couldn’t wear a skirt.
So she chose jeans and a dark jacket.
Appearance aside, at twenty-three she needed something age-appropriate yet youthful.
After that, a problem she’d never thought about surfaced.
She didn’t know how to tie her hair.
It wasn’t short.
If left loose it reached her shoulder blades, so it didn’t feel like “short hair,” but she’d always tied it up tightly and never minded.
Today was different.
She had to visit the school as Doosik’s guardian.
If she looked bad, Doosik would look bad too.
Right. When you spend money, you spend it.
She remembered what the company accounting girl had said once.
“If you go to a ex-boyfriend’s wedding wearing a new haircut, something huge will happen.”
Even she’d done it and lived to tell the tale. The things that actually happened were beyond imagination.
“Where would you like to go?”
“To my ex-boyfriend’s wedding…”
She’d only gotten that far before the hairdresser changed. The one who was supposed to style her hair walked away and a mature, confident stylist took over with the scissors.
He explained to the waiting customers that he’d be busy until he finished the ex’s wedding. Sigh. That was it.
“How did you break up with him?”
“Um… well…”
She hadn’t expected that line.
For a moment she couldn’t answer and just fidgeted.
If she said anything it would be weird, so she was thinking maybe she should just say “we broke up nicely.”
“So you had a bad breakup, huh? I see. Park-san, go tell the makeup director to come.”
“Yes!”
She regretted every word the moment it left her mouth.
She’d be here an hour and a half after leaving the salon, at 3:10.
School was forty minutes away, so it was already tight, but there was no other choice—she took a taxi.
“Thank you.”
She paid the fare and stood in front of the school gate, feeling fresh all over again.
It wasn’t the school she’d attended, but revisiting the high school where she’d still found some joy in society felt brand new.
“Yeot-tke? O-sit-seu-yo?”
“I’m here for my little sister. Today’s parent meeting.”
The rough-tongued security guard stopped her, but she hadn’t committed any crime and had no reason to hesitate.
“Which class?”
Ah, she didn’t know.
“Th-the name is Kwak Doosik.”
“Ah~ That blonde girl, right? Come in. Your hair color’s completely different from your sister’s.”
“We’re not blood sisters. Hahaha.”
She forced a smile and walked inside, but a chill ran down her spine.
Some bad feeling was coming, even though nothing like that ever happened at school.
Just her imagination.
“Mom…”
“Prilli… I mean, Park Seona…?”
Of all places.
“Oh my, you came for the meeting too?”
Park Seona—Frilli—stood there in a light gray suit and brown-framed glasses, short hair framing her beautiful face.
But to her, the last person she wanted to see.
The Gwangmyeong branch leader of the Magical Girl Association.
“Didn’t know?”
“I thought you’d have no reason to be here.”
When she asked why she was here, Seona shot back cheerfully, “I’m here for my brother’s meeting too.”
She’d heard they were in the same class as Prabel, but she hadn’t known they were sisters.
But according to Doosik, Prabel’s name was Seo Jinah and Frilli was Park Seona—how could they have different last names? She’d thought about it for a second but decided to drop it.
Everyone had their own stories.
And there was something even stranger.
“How can all of you be lesbians?”
“Oh? Are you discriminating against homosexuals? What kind of world do you live in these days?”
“Doesn’t that mean you’re getting way too close for someone you barely know? You and I would never get along emotionally.”
Frilli smiled brightly.
“Nope, I heard from Eve. She said Cabe isn’t her real daughter, and that’s why I felt weird. My virgin radar is perfect.”
Turn that radar off!
“You might feel something for me, but I feel nothing. Well, I do feel something. Just not the same as you.”
“What kind of feeling?”
She shouldn’t have asked, but she wanted to hear what he’d say.
“Love?”
“Don’t say weird things with that cute face.”
“Let me ask you something too.”
“What kind of feeling?”
“The urge to curse you out. You damn bitch.”
“Already done?”
“I want to do it more.”
This was school.
If she could do whatever she wanted right now, she’d have already transformed and pelted him with several rocket punches.
But if she caused a scene here, it would only make things worse for Doosik.
So she held it in.
“Frilli, next time we fight I’ll beat you until I hear you begging for mercy. Got that?”
“Oh? Okay. I’ll wait.”
They walked together to the third floor and waited in front of the classroom for Class 2-2.
Since there was nothing else to do, she glanced at her phone and saw a post with a photo and caption: “Miss Galju’s head is so hot~”
These stalker bastards…
Class ended soon after.
When she went to school the sound of the bell was different… she couldn’t remember.
“Onni!”
Doosik.
Doosik ran over with a bright smile and hugged her tightly.
“Wow, Onni, I’ve never seen you in makeup! You look amazing!”
This was the first time she’d seen Doosik this lively.
“Onni, let’s take a selfie!”
“Uh, okay…”
Even though her face was in the background, Doosik’s was bigger in the tiny screen.
“Your face is so tiny, Onni… come on, smile!”
Thanks to Doosik poking her side, she forced a smile, but it looked awkward.
“Send me the photo later.”
“Yes, Onni!”
Doosik beamed.
She hadn’t expected her to be this happy.
“It seems Doosik wasn’t paying attention in class.”
“Really?”
Classes had ended and self-study time had begun.
She was in the teachers’ office with the teacher.
“Well, she’s been so busy with Mogumogu activities that she can’t keep up with school.”
“I see…”
“This is the notebook I confiscated from her a few days ago. Want to see?”
A pink notebook with little spring decorations and white bears rolling around.
“She was doodling instead of paying attention.”
“Yes, yes…”
She flipped through the pages. Each turn made her fingers tremble.
“As you can see… Doosik, you…”
The teacher’s voice sounded distant.
Her chest tightened.
It was like a swarm of flies buzzing around her ears.
She closed the notebook with a shaking hand and handed it back.
“I understand. I’ll discipline her properly.”
“As for grades, it’ll be difficult for her to get into a university here in Seoul.”
“I see.”
Grades weren’t the main issue, but she had to focus on this part.
“Her grades aren’t great. Especially English. She’s near the bottom of the class… so right now the best option is to look for a subject she likes and aim for a two-year technical college.”
“Is that so?”
What should she say?
She hadn’t been a good student either, but she still managed to go to university.
She hadn’t had money, so she’d just dropped out early to work, but for Doosik it wasn’t that simple.
“She still has a year left. She can change with effort. There are many entrance exams now. Don’t worry too much.”
“Yes…”
She’d scared her half to death and then told her not to worry. The teacher sounded like he was teasing.
After the meeting, in front of the office, she found Doosik standing with Prabel, Seo Jinah, and Frilli—Park Seona.
Annoying enough as it was, seeing Seona snickering at her made her blood boil.
“Onni, the meeting went well?”
“Yeah, pretty well.”
But she couldn’t show any of it to Doosik.
She forced a faint smile and offered her arm.
“Heehee.”
Doosik looped her arm through hers like she’d been waiting.
Doosik smiled and laughed as if she had no idea how complicated her feelings were.
“Why aren’t you going home? Lost your way? Want me to take you?”
“What kind of terrible joke is that? Since it’s an occasion, let’s have coffee.”
Her nerves were already raw, and his words only made her angrier.
“Coffee? What makes you think I’d drink coffee with you?”
“There are siblings to think about, you know.”
“You’re the one who’s supposed to be mature. I’m not in the mood for coffee with you, so I’m going home. Doosik, class over?”
“Yes!”
“Good, let’s go then.”
“Huh? No regrets?”
“Why would I regret it? Out of all the things I’ve regretted in life, this auntie has only one.”
Her wrist was grabbed tightly as she tried to turn.