Stars | Wenrene

"Okay class, our lesson for today is how to count from 1 to 10. Anyone in class would like to volunteer?" 

"Here!" Son Seungwan, the smartest in the class, raised her hand. 

Her classmates were looking at her like 'here she goes again' kind of vibe. Some saw her as their saviour from getting called out by the teacher and some angry 'coz they got beaten from rising their hands first.

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7....uhm.." She hesitated the next number not because she didn't know it but because Joohyun, who's not just her classmste but also her neighbor and playmate, looked at her fiercely. Seungwan felt treathened at that, because Joohyun was always so competitive and she hates losing the most. Seungwan knew there would be a consequence for her to suffer if she made Joohyun angry. 

Seungwan gulped, afraid. She looked at the teacher like she's about to cry. She really wanted to finish counting but Joohyun wouldn't want to go home together after school if she did.  

The teacher was oblivious to Seungwan's internal turmoil, the sudden pause was overlooked and just mistaken Seungwan for forgetting what's the next number... So the teacher just waited and encouraged Seungwan to go on. 

But Seungwan doesn't want to continue anymore so she remained silent. Her silence made her hear nightmare though, her best buds whispering answers to her because they mistaken her for forgetting the next number too.

"Next number is 9, Seungwan! 5,6,7,9,10!" Seulgi whispered so confidently and Seungwan can't look at her in the eye. She mentally noted to tutor her kind-hearted but slow-witted best friend. 

"Don't listen to her Seungwan! Seulgi is wrong!" Ah, finally someone with brains from her friends, Seungwan thought. But she regretted judging quickly when she heard her continue.

"You have to repeat from the start! It should be 1,2,5,6,7,10!" Joy grinned, boasting at Seulgi like she was really correct. Seungwan felt like she cannot allow herself to slack down in her studies because she's the only hope for a better future of her friends. They'll just end up hopeless and miserable without her. 

"Guys, you're all stupid." Coming from Yeri, Seungwan doesn't expect anything correct from her. She already acknowledged long before that whatever comes out from her mouth will always be chaos. 

"It should be 1,2,10! Just repeat what the teacher said! Dumbass!" 

"Dumbass?" Seungwan was losing her mind and patience, she loves her friends but they are all way below the average IQ of a kindergartener. If IQ can be really measured that early, but that's not the point! The point is they are all way beyond stupid. 

Why do teachers passed these kids from preschool? The teachers might have been too easy and forgiving, Seungwan thought. Who failed preschool students anyways? Crashing a child's dream that early must be a crime. 

Seungwan sighed. It has to be done, and teach these stupid kids how to really count correctly so she repeated.

"1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10." Seungwan finally answered. She looked at her friends and they were all face palming as if they were all disappointed for not listening to them. Wow, the audacity. 

"Correct! As expected from our Seungwan!" The teacher said and clapped her hands so the students follow the same. They all gave Seungwan an applause. 

The teacher called Seungwan to come in front to have her 3 stars stamped on her arms. But before she did, she glanced at her friends again and shook her head in despair when the 3 were exhibiting shock, totally in disbelief that they were wrong. Unbelievable. 

The teacher was about to stamp the three stars on her arms when Seungwan stopped her and whispered something in her ears. 

During their recess...

"Son Seungwan!!" 

Seungwan dropped her food the moment she heard Joohyun shouting her name. Joohyun was stomping her way to her with dark flames engulfing her. She's furious, as expected. 

"Hyun! Don't get mad! I have something for you!" Seungwan swiftly bribed, she has planned this encounter since she decided to recite the numbers correctly. 

"For me?" Joohyun's mood changed swiftly too. 

"Yes. Here!" Seungwan showed her the teacher's stamp saying, "I'll give you the stars!" 

Joy choked upon hearing that, and Seulgi rescued by giving Joy her favorite juice. 

"I don't need your stars, Son Seungwan! Do you really think you can bribe me?! I lost to you again!" Irene huffed with her arms crossed.

Seungwan pouted, Joohyun was angry so it meant they won't go home together. 

"But I'll be lost without you, Hyun." 

Seungwan's words were like punchlines but she's just being literal. Joy and Yeri were too advanced thinking this through though. If only they used 'thinking' in their studies. 

This time it was Yeri's turn to choke on her food but no one rescued her because the juice ran out. Joy drank everything. 

Seungwan started crying and Joohyun hugged her immediately saying sorry. She can't really stay mad at her for too long.

"Come here Seungwannie.. don't cry anymore...Joohyun is a bad girl." She hugged little Seungwan in her arms and tapped her back softly to calm her down. 

"No. Joohyun is not bad. I won't like you if you're bad." 

"You like me?" 

Seungwan nodded. 

"Then take responsibility because I like you too!" 

"Aish.. I don't have appetite anymore!" Joy and Yeri stood up from their table and went away leaving Seulgi clueless of what happened. She was too absorbed in eating her lunch box. 

Still embracing each other, Seungwan continued. "Then take the stars I give you." 

"Nope. It's yours, you can have it. You did a very good job counting correctly." Joohyun finally withdrew but Seungwan doesn't want her to feel bad.

"Then you can have me... so you can have the stars too!" 

And from that very moment Seungwan and Irene shared their first innocent kiss.