𝓰𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓵𝓲𝓵𝔂 ᴳᵒ ᴷʸᵘⁿᵍ⁻ᴶᵘⁿ ˣ ᴼᶜ

³ ᵀʰᵉ ᴹᵘʳʸᵉᵒⁿᵍ ʸᵒᵘᵗʰ ᶜᵉⁿᵗʳᵉ

▌│█║▌║ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴄᴄᴜᴘᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs... ║▌║█│ ▌

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It was already night when they arrived at the youth centre. Na-Ri was the first to get off the bus and happily breathed in the fresh air. She walked to the front of the bus and just enjoyed the pleasantly cool air on her skin.

Her classmates kept getting off the bus, chatting loudly. Na-Ri was used to staying in the background. She had tried in first grade, and she remembered that she was not alone. But that has changed now. She was a silent observer, a role that both annoyed and endeared her.

There were a lot of inside jokes she missed. Not because her classmates were cruel. Or even unfriendly. Nor was it because she didn't try hard enough. The reason was somehow beyond her.
It was hard to explain, but Na-Ri sometimes thought that by not being close to any of her classmates, she had become the closest she had ever been to all of them.

By quietly taking a back seat, she had come to realize many things that she might never have realized as a member of the group.

From the most obvious to the most unobvious.

So-Mi's love - Na-Ri admits that she can't really call it love, it was more of an obsession - for their class president. In fact, Na-Ri is convinced that So-Mi only went to the vice president of the department because Jun-Hee was the president.

Na-Ri thinks Jun-Hee has feelings for Yoon-Seo. Na-Ri knows that the two have known each other before, but she wasn't sure how far back it goes. And Yoon-Seo definitely loved Jun-Hee back. Na-Ri wasn't sure why neither party was making a move. But it was none of her business.

It was none of her business, yet she knew it. It's a little funny.

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The others started unloading their luggage from the bus trunk. As many of the larger boxes were taken out of the bus, Na-Ri saw Na-Hee trying to carry one of those very boxes by herself.

"Need help?" she asked, moving away from the side of the bus and stepping up beside Na-Hee. She put both hands on the other side of the box, so the two of them could lift the box together.

Na-Hee glanced gratefully at Na-Ri as they began to walk towards the front door.

"Thank you, Na-Ri, it's actually much easier this way," Na-Hee smiled, as Na-Ri returned her own faint smile. The little moments were good.

"Watch out, here come three stairy steps," Na-Ri said as she slowed her pace. Na-Ri and Na-Hee reached the lobby and felt someone lift the box from their hands.

Hyun-Ho, wearing the school's basketball sweatshirt, smiled at them. Although Na-Ri noticed that Hyun-Ho's smile was brighter when his eyes glided over Na-Hee.