FLOWER | Winrina

Chapter 3

"Still don't feel like an upperclassman, Jeno," Jimin said, chuckling. "But yeah, I guess."

"I'll see you at lunch today, right?" Jeno questioned, almost as if he was expecting what Jimin was about to say.

"Actually, I think I'm going to sit with Aeri at lunch today. Rain check?" Jimin asked, giving Jeno an apologetic smile. "So you are tired of us?" Jeno asked. Jimin was pretty sure that he meant it as a joke, but his tone was entirely too serious.

"No, Jeno, I just think that these people are really nice and I'd like to have more than just one friend in my life," Jimin stated, perhaps a little too firmly than she meant to. Jeno blinked. "Look, you're my best friend, but Aeri is really cool and I'm not going to completely alienate her because I haven't been friends with her since the first grade, okay?"

"That's not what I'm saying. It's just that that group of people is sketchy," Jeno stated.

"I'll judge that for myself, I think," Jimin muttered. "See you later, I guess." Jeno stared after her as she closed her locker and made her way to the first period.
Why were things so weird all of a sudden? Jimin hardly even felt bothered by her and Jeno having a disagreement, but perhaps that was because she knew that if Jeno was truly her best friend, he would accept the fact that she wanted to branch out her friendships a bit.

"Hey, there, Jimin!" Aeri greeted Jimin as she collapsed into the desk chair next to her about ten minutes later. Jimin smiled at the brunette.

"Hey," she returned. "You seem to be in a good mood."

"I had coffee," Aeri reasoned. Jimin couldn't help but laugh, because that definitely explained how hyper Aeri seemed to be in the morning. "Can't function without it."

"I can," Jimin stated, laughing to herself a little.

"Not everyone can be so fabulous, Jimin," Aeri teased, sticking her tongue out at the black-haired girl. "My brother would hate me if I didn't drink coffee in the morning. He drives us both to school in the morning, and without coffee, I'm such a bitch. He would force-feed me caffeine if I didn't want to for some reason."

Jimin laughed at that, and then Ning came into the classroom and groaned. "How do you have so much energy, A?"

"Coffee!" Aeri answered. "Duh! Where's yours?"

"Didn't have time," Ning muttered. "Hey, Jimin."

"Hey, Ning," Jimin returned.

"Oh! Jimin! Didn't see you at lunch yesterday," Aeri commented, giving Jimin her best pout.

Jimin gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm planning on sitting over there with you guys today if you'll still have me?" She gave them a teasing smile.

"Nah, reject us once and you'll be sorry," Ning teased back. Jimin rolled her eyes.

"Well sucks for you," she joked.

Aeri grinned as if approving of the teasing back and forth. "Do you know all of the people that sit with us?"

"Some of them," Jimin answered, about to mention having a class with Minjeong when the bell suddenly decided to ring and Mr. Sanchez began talking.

"Miss Yi Zhuo, I know that you believe that you are here gracing us with your mere presence, but if you cannot find your seat before the bell again, you'll be gracing the principal's office with it instead," Mr. Sanchez stated.

Aeri laughed at her friend, who rolled her eyes and made her way to her own desk.

"As for you, Miss Uchinaga, if you wish to stay in this class, you'll stop grinning like that at things that are not amusing - seeing as this class is not here for your amusement," Mr. Sanchez added.