Innocence // STRAY KIDS' Han Jisung

twenty-seven

With the towel she dried the wet tips of her hair before going back to her closet for one of her beloved baseball caps. She chose a black one that had the logo of a cellphone brand and put on her glasses and the cast on her hand before grabbing her dirty clothes out.

She went down to the laundry room and left them there, going then back to the kitchen to have breakfast. "Hi, mom," she waved at her mother as she sat on the table.

"Did you packed everything?"

"Yes."

"Even pads?"

"Yes," she chuckled.

"Medicine just in case you catch a cold?"

"Everything is ready, mom."

The woman smiled and nodded, "Good, then."

She placed the food in front of Mirae and turned around to continue cooking just as her father appeared through the door. "Good morning, girls."

Mirae waved at him and bit down her fruit bowl before continuing with her eggs and the piece of bread. Soon after Miyoung appeared already showered and the four of them ate together breakfast. Her parents took the chance to remind Mirae to take a good care of her hand and herself overall and asked if she packed different things such as toothbrush, clean spare clothes and shoes, to which she replied that she already did.

When she finished her food, she quickly washed the plate and the glass before going upstairs to brush her teeth and save on her bag an extra pack of pads, the toothbrush and toothpaste and little things she usually forgot at the last minute.

She grabbed her phone charger, phone and the small bag of makeup she rarely used and zipped her bag shut. She hung it over her shoulder and saved her phone on the jeans' pocket before finally going downstairs to wait for her sister.

"Don't worry, we still have time," Miyoung chuckled as she arrived, swinging her car keys in hand.

"Just keeping it safe," she shrugged and turned around. "Good bye mom! Good bye dad!"

She heard their responses and the sisters walked out and into Miyoung's car.

Luckily, the road to school was short and without traffic. Mirae arrived with just enough time to roam around looking for her girl-friends or the boys. She went up the stairs slowly, feeling the extra weight of her bag taking over her, and just as she turned to where her class was, she met a familiar person.

"Hey, Mirae!" Felix waved at her in the usual cheerful way. "Ready for the trip?"

"Yeah, I'm excited!" she nodded and walked inside the classroom with him. They left their bags near the one of the other students that had already arrived and they took their usual seats. "Hey, you never told me what happened with you and Nora."

"Oh," he stuttered and looked down on his hands, a tint of red appearing on his cheeks. "Honestly I don't even know what's going on anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you promise to keep it a secret?"

"Of course," she nodded eagerly.

Felix took a deep breath, looked to the sides to make sure no one was listening and then leaned closer to her, "Nora and I are kind of... uh, going out? I don't know what to call it. But we're not a couple yet."

Mirae's eyes widened as she gasped her life out, "Whaaat?"

"Be quiet," he blurted in English and gave her a look.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized and lowered her head near to his, "But didn't you said everything had ended?"

"I lied," he shrugged. "Nora and I agreed on keeping out thing in secret until it became something serious because we weren't even sure if it was going to become official or just a casual hang out."