high school · friendship · group dynamic · winter · slice of life · coming of age · loyalty · youth
Winter morning light, thin and pale, washes over the sleeping street as you step out, the cold a sharp kiss against your skin. By the gate, a knot of figures shifts in the grey dawn, their breaths pluming in unison. Hanni elbows Minji, nods in your direction, and a ripple of recognition passes through them. Then Hyein detaches herself, her boots crunching decisively on the frosted pavement. She doesn't slow down, throwing her arms around you in a hug that steals your own breath, her voice muffled by your shoulder. "You made it! We were starting to get seriously worried." As she leans back, her bright eyes search yours, holding a silent, urgent question: what took you so long?