Chapter Text
Shuhua
"Oh my god, did you hear?" Yuqi's loud voice never managed to surprise me. Others around us looked at us weirdly, well – her, but still. I really didn't know how I hadn't grown deaf over the years from being her friend.
"Heard what?" I asked seeing as she looked like an excited puppy over whatever gossip Yeorum gave her.
She just smiled at me before whispering as low as she could, which I would like to point out is not very low, "Seo Soojin just moved back!"
She looked at me expectantly as I tried to rack my brain. I honestly couldn't figure out who Yuqi was talking about. It had to be someone huge and important right? For her to get so over-excited about it.
"I'm sorry, I have no idea who you're talking about," I eventually gave up.
We were already at my locker. I opened it to dig through the useless notes to try and find my chem book while Yuqi gaped next to me. Looking like a fish out of water.
"How can you not remember? Literally nothing ever happens in here, so the house fire was huge!" Yuqi exaggerated.
"Oh yeah, I do remember. The Seo's. She was the only one left, right?" I finally understood Yuqi's excitement.
Yuqi nodded eagerly, "Yeah, my dad didn't say much after, but he mentioned that she was out, and the Cho's were also there when it happened. As in Cho Miyeon."
"Oh right, Miyeon and her mom were the only survivors actually in the fire, right?" I said finally catching up.
Yuqi nodded, "She came back yesterday and Yeorum saw her at the auto-shop. She told me this morning when I went to pick up Kkikki."
I rolled my eyes, "Seriously? If you want to ask Soyeon out so bad just ask her out. Stop dragging your poor car into your lovestruck shenanigans."
Yuqi scowled at me, "Easy for you to say! You can have anyone you want. She's practically death glared me since third grade! And anyway, Kkikki's been giving me so many problems lately its not even on purpose anymore."
"You stole Soyeon's doll. That's why she's always glaring I bet."
"To get her attention! And we were like five, can she please get over it!"
I shook my head at the pouting puppy, Woogi-ya, you're amazing and she probably likes you just the same. There is no harm in asking. And you were nine."
She rolled her eyes before leaning her whole body on the lockers dramatically, "I'd rather just wait and see if she shows interest. I don't want to embarrass myself!"
"Who's embarrassing themselves?" an amused voice appeared behind Yuqi making her jump.
I laughed at the puppy who did a double take when her eyes landed on Soyeon next to Minnie who wrapped her arm around her. Minnie being the one to speak. My eyes drifted to the arm around Yuqi. You see, here's the thing. Minnie has had a crush on Yuqi since like forever. While Yuqi is blind to it because of her crush on Soyeon. Minnie's best friend. While I'm pretty sure Soyeon knows about Yuqi's crush on her but says nothing for Minnie's sake.
"Just Yuqi, always Yuqi," I really didnt have to say much else to divert the conversation.
"Oh? What did you do now?" Minnie asked looking at her with clear amusement in her eyes.
Yuqi seemed to break from her stare with Soyeon and immediately went into defensive mode, "Me? When did I ever embarrass myself?"
I just gave her a look. Every single time that you go to that damn auto-repair shop, I wanted to say. She seemed to pick up on what I was thinking as she just glared at me.
"Anyway, I like the new hair," Minnie said referring to the now pink-haired puppy.
Yuqi beamed at the Thai girl, "I know."
I scoffed at her. Yuqi really was all about self-love. In the best way, obviously. Sometimes I wished I could have the confidence in me that she has in herself. I know she has hard times – we all do, but her ability to reassure and trust herself was amazing. Truly.
Except, of course, when it comes to her feelings for Soyeon.
Minnie rolled her eyes, but the fondness was there. I'm pretty sure even Soyeon chuckled at that. If there was one thing you could count on, it was Yuqi's love for herself.
"Okay, moving on. What were you guys talking about?" Minnie asked.
Yuqi immediately lit up, "Seo Soojin just moved back to town!"
"And why is that such big news?" Soyeon finally spoke up.
Yuqi looked at Soyeon all star-dazed again while answering quietly, "The whole fire thing. Its understandable why she left, but now she's living in that house again apparently? It's practically a carcass with I don't even know how many health violations."
Soyeon shrugged while looking uninterested, "It's her own business."
"Right," Yuqi responded quietly, "obviously dejected."
"Well, I mean it's pretty strange, I stepped in." Yuqi was interested in the news and Soyeon shut her mood down so quickly I couldn't let it stand, "To be back and staying in that house alone."
Yuqi nodded her head and brightened a bit sending me a grateful look after replying. Before we could really go further into it the bell rang. Minnie hugged Yuqi before dragging Soyeon off to their class. Once they were out of ear-shot she turned to me.
"Thank you for that."
"I'll always be on your side; you know that right?"
Yuqi squealed before suffocating my arm, "Why are you being so cheesy this morning?"
I rolled my eyes while I tried to push her off, "You're so annoying."
"Who needs Soyeon when I have you? Maybe I should be trying to get you to date me!"
"As if! I'm not stupid enough to do that with all the crazy shit you pull me into already."
"YAH!" she started hitting my arm in her fake anger.
Ow! That hurts you know, I yelled feigning hurt while trying to control my laughter which only egged her on even more.
No, but really. Thanks for breaking the tension, she eventually said now out of energy, It was weird, right? She got pretty defensive.
I furrowed my brows at her, "She seemed pretty indifferent to me."
"Really?" she asked as walked to our seats, "I thought she got upset when I mentioned the fire thing."
"Whatever, at least she sort of spoke to you," I teased Yuqi trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah," she answered absentmindedly. Probably still stuck in her head.
I turned to the front just leaving Yuqi to her own thoughts. She was right though. It was strange for Seo Soojin to be back in town. Especially after everything that happened. And why on Earth would she want to stay in a death trap. Honestly, its a surprise they hadn't turned the place into rubble.
I let those thoughts drift away as the lesson started and tried to focus on the blur of words on my page.