Back to School
School had finally started. The long, endless summer break was over, and the first day arrived. I couldn't be late on the very first day, so I woke up earlier than usual. Stretching as hard as I could, I flung open the window. A clear blue sky without a single cloud stretched out above. I took a deep breath of the fresh morning air before heading to the kitchen. I threw together a simple breakfast with whatever was on hand—some bread and jam.
Back in my room, I pulled my uniform from the drawer and put it on. I checked for any wrinkles, then neatly combed my hair. All set, I slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped out the front door. A refreshing morning breeze blew in, making my skirt flutter gently. Maybe because it had been so long since I'd gone to school, I felt a little excited. I popped in my earbuds and set off down the path to campus.
On the way, I spotted a few other Haneul Arts High School students. It being the first day and all, they all looked pretty drained. In contrast, my steps were light and bouncy. With vacation season over, my schedule had loosened up a bit, which lightened my mood considerably.
"Hmm♪" I hummed a little tune as I walked. Before long, I arrived at school.
Class 1-7. As I entered the classroom, I saw the other kids chatting and greeting each other. They were swapping stories about how they'd spent their break. I went to my seat and sat down quietly. No one came over to talk to me—in fact, they weren't even glancing my way. The familiar scent of being a total loner hung thick in the air. A feeling both nostalgic and comforting.
I was sitting there alone at my desk when someone placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke up. It was Ga-young.
"...Hey. Did you have a good break?"
Maybe because it had been so long, her face looked a little shy. I waved back and returned the greeting lightly.
"Yeah, it was good."
"What'd you do?"
"Just this and that. A lot of part-time work."
Filming music videos, shooting CFs, appearing on variety shows, the occasional performance—it was too much to even explain. Not that I could tell the truth anyway.
"I see. Must've been tough."
Ga-young nodded, empathizing with me even though I hadn't explained a thing. What exactly was she relating to? I tilted my head, puzzled, just as the teacher walked in.
She greeted the class warmly first. For some reason, she seemed in a much better mood than usual.
"Hey, everyone. Hope you all had a great break. As for me..."
She started telling the class about her trip to the waterpark last week. And then she segued into the story of running into me there. The kids perked up their ears.
"So, you and Ruti went into the onsen alone?"
At those words, the classroom fell dead silent in an instant. The laughing and chattering stopped as everyone stared at the teacher.
One of the boys raised his hand with a question.
"S-so, what was Ruti like?"
The boy's face was a little flushed after asking. The teacher closed her eyes, as if recalling the memory, and hummed to herself.
"Hmm."
The longer her thinking dragged on, the redder my face got. This is embarrassing. This is next-level humiliation. I worried she'd say something weird. Finally, the teacher answered with a bright, innocent smile.
"She was cute. Mhm!"
She nodded with a goofy grin. The boy who asked looked disappointed.
...What were you hoping for, you perv?
Thank goodness she didn't spill any personal details. I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Alright, that's enough chit-chat."
Wrapping up her story, the teacher placed a paper box on the podium.
"To mark the start of the new semester, how about we switch up the seats? Come up one by one and draw a number."
The students went up one at a time for the lottery. Soon it was my turn. I drew number 7—the front-row window seat.
...Of all places, the front row. At least it was by the window, so that was some consolation. I grabbed my bag and moved there. A boy was sitting next to me—someone I'd never spoken to before.
"Hey?"
I greeted him awkwardly, and he just nodded from his seat. Then he went right back to chatting with his friends. Zero interest in me. Feeling awkwardly out of place, I turned my gaze to the window.
That's when Ga-young raised her hand and made a request to the teacher.
"My eyesight's not great, so could I switch to a front seat?"
Ga-young had been assigned the back-row window seat—my old spot. She wanted to move up front, and I happened to be right there. I raised my hand.
"I'll switch with her."
I wanted the back row anyway. But Ga-young waved it off, rejecting my offer.
"That seat gets too much sunlight. I want... that one instead."
She pointed to the seat next to mine.
"Can I switch there? Is that okay?"
She cautiously asked the boy next to me. He thought for a moment, then stood up.
"Sure."
"Really? Thanks!"
Ga-young beamed and moved to the seat beside me. Is the front row that great? So class-president-like.
I grabbed a pizza bun from the school store and headed to the bench by the athletic field. The boys were out there kicking a ball around, having a blast.
...It's hot. I'd planned to eat lunch while enjoying the breeze, but it was way warmer than expected. I wolfed it down quickly and hurried back to the classroom to cool off under the AC. The heat melted away in seconds. Science beats nature every time.
I took a sip from the water bottle in my bag and sat at my desk. Next to me, a group of girls had gathered around Ga-young, chattering away. Their desks were littered with cosmetics.
"What do you think of this tint? It's the new one—pretty color, right?"
"How'd you get it? It sold out before I could buy any."
"Reserved it online~."
They huddled together, talking about the latest makeup releases. I snuck peeks at their faces. Everyone's makeup was flawless—the base was smooth without a hint of separation, and their eyeshadow gradients were pro-level. As arts high schoolers, they all had impressive skills.
I was glancing around stealthily when my eyes met one of the girls'.
"Oho."
She looked at me with interest, then came right over to my desk. Suddenly, she stared straight into my face.
"Siyeon, you're totally bare-faced right now, aren't you?"
"Huh? Yeah."
"In that case..."
With a perfect timing expression, she casually set up her makeup on my desk.
"Wanna try some makeup this time?"
"...What? N-no, thanks."
Doing makeup meant taking off my glasses in front of everyone. No way. I waved her off, refusing.
"Come on, just once. I'll make you look super pretty. Pleeease?"
"...I'll pass, but thanks."
Her face was full of curiosity. She probably thought I'd never worn makeup in my life. If only she knew—I did it to death on the regular.
"She said no. Cut it out."
Ga-young finally snapped at her. The girl slunk back to her seat, looking super disappointed.
"Thanks."
I thanked Ga-young. She stared at me for a moment, then pointed at my fingers.
"W-well, if you don't like makeup, how about a manicure?"
"A manicure?"
"I actually got my nail art certification over break. Thought you might be interested. No big deal if not."
She glanced at me cautiously. Nail art on my hands? No big issue—not on my face.
"Sure."
I agreed readily and held out my hand. Ga-young sat in front of me with a happy grin and started pulling tools from her pouch.
"I'll shape your nails first."
Scrape, scrape—
With practiced movements, she filed my nails. First manicure ever, but it didn't feel bad at all.
"Your hands are so pretty."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Next, I'll clean up your cuticles. Tell me if it hurts."
She tidied the skin around my nails with a weird tool, then dropped some oil on top. A faint lavender scent wafted over. It was a little scary, but no pain. Then she painted my nails with a tiny brush, layer by careful layer, until she finished.
"What do you think?"
"Hmm, it's pretty."
Each nail was delicately tinted pink. Natural and neat—I kinda liked it. Then it hit me: the polish on my nails matched Ga-young's exactly. Was it just the safest color? I tilted my head, and she smiled, looking satisfied.
"Hmph."