Chapter Text
It's not the last day of high school, but it is the last year, and the first ever year in Minjeong’s life the word last inspires a bittersweet tang in her.
They’re at that age, when everything is starting to feel murky and uncertain and complicated — but without exception, each dawn still shimmers with possibility.
She hears the irregular thump thump thumping of Jimin’s basketball on the asphalt of the sidewalk before Minjeong sees her. Then her shadow turns the corner, long and hazy in the dim light.
On cue, Minjeong’s heart skips a beat and her breath catches. That’s a first. They’ve known each other the whole of their seventeen and a half years, through preschool and elementary and middle school up to the time Minjeong became the smartest student in their grade in high school and Jimin vice-captain of the basketball team.
Nobody knows they still observe the ritual of walking to school together in the wee hours of the morning, not even their new best friends, the head prefect Yizhuo and Aeri, captain of the basketball team.
Which has been a secret harder to keep than it sounds, since Aeri and Yizhuo are publicly known to be inseparable buds themselves.
*
Minjeong kind of likes it this way, actually — it’s not like they’re ashamed of how different they are; just that it’s nice to have this closeness all to themselves, when the rest of the world thinks they’ve long drifted apart.
Some things don’t have to be shouted from the rooftops — because they occupy the quietest corner of one’s heart.
They don’t even talk much during these meandering walks; but Jimin always takes the side of the pavement closest to the road, and sometimes she dribbles her worn ratty ball as she walks and Minjeong thinks she’ll skip dessert at recess so she can add a penny to the fund she’s saving up to buy a new basketball.
In all honesty, she’d already saved enough before Jimin’s latest birthday, and was fully intending to buy it then. But then Minjeong's birthday had come around, and Jimin hadn’t given her anything except verbal wishes on the morning of.
She’d overthought it, and felt, irrationally, that a basketball — or any gift, really — after that, would feel unnaturally momentous.
Now, Minjeong doesn’t know if it’s because she’s a bit older, or something about the morning air and sky, but that all feels petty, trivial and insignificant.
She should’ve just done what she wanted, and bought Jimin the basketball so she could have a new one for the last year before graduation.
"Are you still gonna play in university?” she blurts out, apropos of nothing.
Jimin looks over at her, expression slightly confused and amused.
"This?” She twirls the ball on a fingertip.
Minjeong nods sheepishly. The leaves rustle overhead in the faintest breeze which ruffles through Jimin’s almost messy long and silky ponytail, and she tears her eyes away, chest suddenly too full to look.
Jimin has continued walking, hugging the ball to her chest now. Minjeong glances at her delicate shoulders, then catches up.
"I don’t know, Jeong,” Jimin says, giving her a carefree smile. “Why?"
Minjeong shrugs. “No reason."
They walk a few more paces, in companionable silence, then Jimin says, “Do you want me to?"
Minjeong looks at her sharply. “What?"
"I mean — do you think I should?” Now it’s Jimin’s turn to look sheepish.
"It's up to you.” Minjeong rolls her shoulders again, thrown. “Do you still enjoy it?"
"Hmm.” Jimin plays a finger over chapped lips, and Minjeong’s eyes follow the movement unconsciously.
*
”I have something to tell you.” The words slip out of her mouth in a daze.
Jimin pauses a beat, turns to look at her with head tilted slightly and eyes narrowed with interest.
"What is it?” For some reason, she sounds almost eager.
Minjeong swallows. “Not now. On graduation day."
"Graduation day,” Jimin echoes, voice low. Minjeong just nods, throat dry.
"Okay.” Jimin nods too, decisively. After a heartbeat, she adds, “I’ve got something to tell you too."
"Huh?” Minjeong gasps, and Jimin laughs out loud at the look on her face. She counters, pretty eyes twinkling with mischief: “Graduation day."
"No fair!” Minjeong grabs her skinny shoulder, but drops her hand when Jimin eyes it. She hopes she’s not blushing. Her fingers tingle.
Jimin's blouse is creased where Minjeong’s fingerprints are left, fading. She doesn’t straighten it.
Minjeong looks up, and Jimin is still looking at her, quietly. Her expression is unreadable now, for one of the first times since Minjeong has known her.
*
”You wanna tell me now?” Jimin blinks, then cracks a smirk.
"No!” Minjeong shoves her, and her basketball rolls into the bushes. Jimin laughs easily, and dives in after it.
*
”I’ll make you spill it first,” Minjeong threatens, voice wobbly, when Jimin emerges with grass stains on her pristine uniform shirt and long ponytail tousled prettily.
"Oh?” Jimin runs her razor sharp eyes over Minjeong, from head to toe, and Minjeong swears she shivers. “We’ll see, Jeong-ah."