Everyday life, just like always.
In the midst of days that seem unlikely to change, surprisingly, some things did.
At first glance, life didn’t seem much different from that of a first-year student, but entering the second year brought a considerably different atmosphere to the school.
Until elementary school and into first-year middle school, there was a hopeful vibe, like “Find the dreams you want to pursue!” However, from second year onward, it transitioned into the dry, rote learning that I remembered, filled with exams.
Underlining what’s important and remembering it because it’ll be on the test.
For those who had never been particularly interested in studying, this was the start of quietly letting go of their studies.
… Of course, I was included in the category of “those who had no interest in studying.”
In first year, I would answer questions thrown at me quite well.
Now that I’ve entered second year, I find myself responding to any question with a consistent “I don’t know.”
Seohyun, who remembered the first year version of me, pointed this out during break time.
“Didn’t Mary always do well in her studies?”
“The first-year me is dead.”
When someone suddenly pointed out my plummeting study abilities, that was the only way I could manage a rebuttal.
As the somewhat sensible study of first-year middle school came to an end, I was essentially freed from the shackles of studying.
Should I say freed? In reality, I ended up spitting it out before it could be swallowed.
When I showed a pretty indifferent attitude towards studying, Seohyun tilted her head, looking puzzled.
“Aren’t your mom and dad saying anything?”
“Yeah.”
My light affirmation to the question about whether my parents say anything or not.
Parents are the second most intrusive entities after teachers regarding students’ study attitudes.
Those students who are diligently sitting down solving workbooks even at this very moment surely were influenced heavily by their parents’ commands or expectations.
There was no need to mention that I had no parents to Seohyun.
As for Taehyun, he was a guy who was always in and out of my house, so I could let it slide.
Hearing my indifferent answer, Seohyun sighed deeply and started lamenting about studying.
“Ah… I’m jealous. If I mess up this test, my mom said she wouldn’t get me a new phone.”
“Isn’t there really a need to change it unless it’s broken?”
“Wow, did you just sound like my dad right now?”
When I questioned whether there’s a need to change her phone unless it’s broken, Seohyun looked shocked, saying that I sounded like her dad.
Then she started to explain the reasons and necessity behind wanting to change her phone….
“She said all of her close friends are changing to the latest phone that just came out, so I asked my mom to get me one too…”
When boiled down to the facts, she simply wanted to change it because she wanted to.
Comparing herself to her friends, she found herself with the only outdated smartphone.
In short, she didn’t want to be left behind in trends, so she wanted to change it.
That’s middle school logic for you.
They say if you follow your friends, you’ll go far, but it seems like she’s planning on draining her parents’ pockets as per her friends.
While I wonder what fashion trends have to do with the latest smartphones, it seems there’s such psychology in the world.
… If I think back a few years, is it similar to how those kids who wanted to have fun were wearing maker puffers?
If I try to bring out and shove my own logic into this, it would only lead to a quarrel.
While I mildly sympathize with the problem, I subtly ask about the materials needed for her new phone goal.
“What score do you need to pass?”
“They said over 70 points for each subject… Ah, I really hate this.”
The requirement is a score of 70 in every subject, as she says this with her head drooping and slapping her cheek against someone else’s desk.
Seventy points, it’s not that high of a target considering what I thought.
Perhaps taking into account that it’s the first exam, Seohyun’s parents didn’t set very high barriers for her.
Wow, her parents seem more reasonable than I expected.
I thought they would demand a score of 95 across all subjects or that she should be number one in her class.
“What are you talking about?”
“We’re talking about smartphones; Seohyun is getting a new one.”
Just then, Shiyeon came in from the bathroom.
She bounced behind the chair, resting her hands on both shoulders.
As if she had also washed her hands well, I felt a bit of moisture seeping into my shoulder.
In second year, this trio was gathered.
The topic about smartphones was something Shiyeon could relate to, so she showed interest in Seohyun getting a new phone.
“Phone? What are you planning to change to?”
“Not for a while, it’s only after I pass my midterms…”
“Pass?”
Compared to Seohyun, who couldn’t hide her disappointment, Shiyeon expressed confusion since she hadn’t heard the previous conversation.
To help Shiyeon, who missed the earlier talk, I briefly summarized the situation involving Seohyun.
“Her parents said she has to score over 70 in every subject to get a new phone.”
“Ah~”
“You guys are lucky; your parents aren’t pushing you to study.”
On the other side of Shiyeon’s understanding sigh, a sudden mention of parents startled her.
Seemingly caught off guard for a moment, Shiyeon’s expression stiffened, but after remembering the agreement we made earlier, she straightened her posture and boasted, “Not jealous!”
Aside from friends who could come over to her house, she behaved as if she had parents.
It wasn’t something that needed to be broadcast, and considering that being ‘different from others’ as a student could become a potential target of bullying.
Instead, it also spared her the unnecessary pity or sympathy that might arise.
Shiyeon doesn’t need special treatment; she’s not the poor girl without parents.
She’s just an ordinary second-year middle school girl.
That’s all there is to it.
“I wonder when the weather will warm up…”
As the afternoon ended after school, I let out a few words on my way home.
Even on a sunny day, the highest temperature is only 10 degrees.
The lowest temperature during the early dawn or night is 2 degrees.
Gradually, stores and convenience stores are marketing cherry blossoms, but with weather that seems set to freeze everything before it even blooms.
Isn’t it winter weather on a spring date, and summer weather during fall?
With the strange sense of time slowly flowing, I buried my face into the collar of my coat.
I wonder when I can hang my laundry on the balcony.
“Tomorrow’s high will also be 3 degrees.”
“Ugh, I really hate this.”
Shiyeon was fiddling with her smartphone, searching for tomorrow’s weather.
As she grimaced at the one-sided notification that tomorrow would have weather similar to today, she vented her complaints in a short three sentences.
With my hands shoved deep into my pockets, I bent over with a turtle neck posture while returning home.
I should just go back and get buried in bed playing games.
So, it was supposed to be an ordinary day, just like any other.
“Going home?”
“Hmm? Taehyun.”
A rare voice that I hadn’t heard in a while, Taehyun.
He popped up unexpectedly from behind and casually joined the flow of the ordinary day.
It seemed he also didn’t have a specific group today, walking with a structure similar to that of first-grade evenings.
Even though we lived in the same apartment, it felt like I hadn’t seen him for a while.
I nodded, and Shiyeon greeted him after me.
“Taehyun, it’s been a while!”
“Yeah, long time no see. Which class are you two in?”
“Did you forget again? Class 8. What about the others?”
When asked what class we were in, I chided him for forgetting and told him we were in class 8 while also looking around to see where Taehyun’s group that used to hang out after school had gone.
Now that we were in second year, we were completely separated into girls and boys.
Knowing some idea of who “the other guys” referred to, Taehyun answered while looking straight ahead.
“Most are either home or at the PC café. I have to go to the academy…”
As he said this, the distance between us subtly increased.
Somehow, it felt physically more separated than when we were in first grade.
As I took a step to the side, he took a step back.
Feeling the strange gap, the physical distance between us and Taehyun remained even in the elevator.
After getting home, Shiyeon quickly prepared to leave for her academy.
With the class hours adjusted to middle school, there was now enough time to stay home briefly.
“See you later!”
“Yeah~”
The sound of the door closing echoed, and silence fell over the house.
In an atmosphere where there wasn’t much housekeeping left to do, I fiddled with my smartphone.
Before launching the game app, I habitually opened the messenger app to check the conversations.
Game updates and messages about whether the director’s parents were around…
Even news about someone who got suspended for posting indecent pictures.
After giving the messages a quick look, I checked the long-unused one-on-one conversation threads buried at the bottom.
There was the name of Taehyun and his slightly changed profile picture.
Curious about his seemingly conscious choice to avoid me, I decided to send a message in this chat that had been inactive for several months.
[Why are you avoiding me?]
After sending that short message, I closed the chat and launched the game app.
Perhaps because it was a chat that hadn’t been used for a while, I didn’t receive a reply during the three runs of the rogue-like game I played.
As I was about to start the fourth match, round messages popped up quickly on the screen.
[Same class]
[To everyone]
[With a girl]
[If you’re seen]
[It becomes a hassle…]
When I returned to the messenger app, the messages explained the understandable reasons.
A girl I used to get along well with in the first year but ended up in different classes, and a group of boys who always gathered during breaks in second year.
If I had to choose between the two sides that matter in current school life irrespective of gender, it would be the latter.
If I were in his position, would I have made a similar choice as well?
[LOL]
[Okay, okay]
[I understand what you mean]
Clearly showing that he cared about my feelings, the messages were nonchalant.
After responding coolly to Taehyun and moving past the message, I started the fourth round of the game that had just been interrupted.
And then, that evening.
With a few words from Shiyeon sitting at the dinner table, our daily life experienced a slight change.
“I’m going to quit art academy now.”
