Eventually, I had to get ready for school. I went through my usual hygiene routine of brushing my teeth and washing my face, before putting on my school uniform. Just as I had expected, the blouse that was always roomy was very much filled. The top area was quite tight but it was something I had to deal with. There was no way I could replace all my shirts considering the  money it would cost. I also wasn't sure if this change was temporary or a figment of my imagination.

When I reached downstairs, the table was already set with food.

I sat down in front of a simple meal of some rice and soup before indulging in. My mother who was cleaning the counter tops looked over in disappointment.

“You got ten minutes left.”

My movements instantly sped up as I gulped my rice and soup like water. School was originally a thirteen minute walk but if I ate really fast and ran, I’d be able to make it on time.

Once my spoon reached the bottom of my bowl, I grabbed my backpack and began to run out the door. I looked over at my phone lock screen: I had eight minutes to go. This was enough time for me to get into the school without getting in trouble.

As my legs jumped over the cracks on the sidewalk, I moved as fast as they could take me. Not going to lie, this scene of me rushing to school made me look like a superhero whizzing through the crowd. After years of waking up late, this was a skill I honed through much practice.

Finally, I reached the school gates. I looked over at the time, and luckily I had two minutes to spare. But this was not the end of the race - no - I still had to bring myself inside the classroom before my teacher walked in. That was the only way I knew I was safe.

I ran across the front field, with only the late students and delinquents in my vicinity, before opening the doors to go inside. With some quick jumps, I made my way up the stairs and swerved myself into the classroom.

In a heavy mess, I walked across the front of the room to the back. My seat was in the third row, near the windows.

I could feel the eyes of my classmates on me. All entranced by my presence. Intense admiration filled the atmosphere as if I was a untouchable diamond.

Oh yeah, I thought. Since I was running, I'd forgotten about my new looks. 

An awkward smile emerged on my face as I sat down at my desk. Once I made myself comfortable, one of my best friends, Eunji, stood in front of me. Her eyes were glistening as a small, welcoming smile lingered on her face.

"Hey!"

I smiled back. "What's up?"

Eunji let out a sigh as she recalled what she did this morning. "I had to come early today to copy some homework I hadn’t done. My fault for being a complete idiot,” she replied. “What about you?”

I chuckled. “I had to run to school today like usual.”

A pause entered the air.

“I also feel a bit different… Is there anything wrong with my looks?” I added.

I decided to drop a question about my transformation just to obtain some information from an outsider perspective. After all, it was clear that she recognized who I was despite the huge change.

Eunji cocked her head, her eyes trailing up and down my body. “Yeah there is definitely something…”

She continued: “Your face looks the same as always, nothing has changed in your features or your body. But today, I’m suddenly realizing that you are really pretty." She raised her hands in defense. "Not that you weren’t before, but when you ran through those doors, it hit me so strong."

I slowly nodded. This was another layer that I wasn’t aware of. So basically, in my eyes I had changed a lot. This was evident because the face I had was different from the one in my memory. However, in the minds of others, I was the same person physically. The only difference being that they realized how ‘gorgeous’ I was today.

Odd. Did everyone get their memories warped or was I just crazy?

Detective Minha on this case, and was willing to do anything to get answers.

"Thanks?" I said with an light smile. "I'm not sure what changed but I guess it's a good thing."

Eunji nodded. "Hell yeah it is. From what I can see, all the boys are immersed by you." She leaned over to whisper in my ear. "I even saw Yoon's ears turning red."

Just then, someone lightly tapped the top of Eunji's head with a binder. It was Yoon in all his tall glory. On his tanned face was a grim expression with eyes narrowed. But like Eunji described, his ears were bright red.

“Stop spreading lies,” he said. While looking over at me, his eyes unnoticeably brightened up. “My ears are not red because of her.”

Eunji rolled her eyes. “Yeah right, I was with you this morning when she walked into the room.”

She pointed to his ears. “Besides, if I’m wrong, then why are they still red. In fact, I think they’re redder than ever!”

Yoon choked on his spit and coughed afterwards. His glare deepened, looks ready to kill.

Without feeling intimidated, she raised her eyebrows, challenging him for an answer. With mockery, she made another statement. “Then what else caused your bodily reaction? Erotic pictures?”

It was obvious that Eunji was joking, but Yoon did not reply immediately with a retort. Instead, he thought for a moment, making me surprised. Was what Eunji said true? I knew guys had their needs but I never expected it from Yoon, especially while at school.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

Eunji opened her mouth in disbelief. She shook her head. “You’re crazy. Are you seriously going to make yourself out as a pervert instead of saying your feeli-“

She looked over at me with a unclear expression before letting out a sigh. “Whatever, you’re a fucking coward.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “When the time’s right I will.”

Now, what were they talking about? We were all friends, I should be let on about the secret as well. From what I could tell, Eunji made it pretty clear that Yoon had feelings… But for who? It couldn’t possibly be me right?

Impossible. Ew. I didn't even want to think about it. This guy was a brother to me, and I, a sister to him. No way.

“Who are you guys talking about,” I asked. I leaned over to the two of them with sparkling eyes.

Yoon cleared his throat. “Uhm. Nobody?”

Eunji laughed as if he said a funny joke.

Well, I guess that it's a secret between the two of them. I felt left out, but it wasn’t my business to force them to tell me. I shrugged and let them drown the conversation into another topic.

Our trio started back in elementary school. In specifics, around the middle of grade six. During this time, I had just moved to the neighborhood, the new student in town. 

While playing dodge-ball in gym class, the two people left on the court was Yoon and I. With our classmates cheering for their respective teams, the two of us eyed each other with caution. The sad part about all this was that I was shitty at sports. In fact, the only reason to why I was still alive was due to me hiding in the back. But now, it had come to this ‘intense’ moment.

As a child, I knew that my only shot was to catch the ball to get him out. But of course, he was an athletic kid so the chances were slim.

Nonetheless, when he threw the ball it hit near my ankles and I tripped. My one shot of gaining friends through a win had dissipated. A total embarrassment.

And so, I ended up in the nurse’s office with young Yoon by my side.

Though I was bummed about my lost, after talking to him and conversing, we became quite close. When I first met him, I thought he was an arrogant asshole but my thoughts quickly changed. He turned out to be nice and shy. And soon, Eunji joined the conversation as she sat near him, and the three of us stuck to the hip ever since that day.

If it wasn’t for that embarrassing moment, it was possible that I would’ve never had the chance to befriend the two.