Topist’s cafeteria.
I was having lunch with Seo-yoon Unni and Woo-ah Unni.
Woo-ah Unni looked at the shrimp tempura I was eating and said,
“Do-hee is so lucky… always eating fried food.”
Seo-yoon Unni and Woo-ah Unni were having chicken breast salad.
“I agree, we only eat diet food every day while she gets to enjoy delicious food by herself.”
I grabbed my side and said,
“But I think I’ve gained some side fat. I didn’t even have anything back then, but now it’s kind of noticeable.”
When I went to the uniform shop, I was told I had a 23-inch waist, which seemed thin, but seeing the side fat means there must be some weight to lose.
Woo-ah Unni grabbed my side and said,
“Really?”
Seo-yoon Unni laughed and said,
“How nice. Soon you’ll be like us munching on greens.”
“But I mean, isn’t this just pretty enough?”
I was admiring my body in the mirror as well.
Seriously.
Of course, I’m a bit disappointed about the chest size, but I’m still in my growth period.
It will grow.
Yeah, it will grow for sure.
Seo-yoon Unni said,
“Look at me. Do you think I have fat to lose?”
“Unni, when you sit, your belly shows.”
“Hey.”
Honestly, I also kind of show a bit when sitting.
Maybe I should start eating less from now on…
Isn’t a 23-inch waist thin enough?
After lunch, I went down to the third floor and asked Team Leader So-hyun,
“Team Leader, can I leave early today?”
“Why?”
“Because I have a middle school orientation at 2 o’clock. Hehe…”
“Oh really? Hurry up and go.”
“Okay! Goodbye!”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
“Sure!”
I left the company, stopped by home, and packed my bag for textbooks.
“Then I’m off.”
“Should I give you a ride?”
“No, it’s better to go by myself, so I know the way.”
“Okay. Call me before you finish, and I’ll come pick you up. Don’t force yourself to carry those textbooks.”
“Okay~ I’m off~”
I headed towards the middle school I was about to attend.
Fortunately, I was assigned to my first-choice school, and it was just a 10-minute walk away.
But sadly, the school was in the opposite direction from my elementary school, so I can’t hold Do-ah’s hand on the way to school anymore…
When I arrived, the school’s exterior looked neat.
The playground had synthetic grass too.
The interior was just as tidy as the outside.
Oh, there’s even a snack shop!
For some reason, I had a feeling I’d need to go on a diet…
After a quick look around the facilities, I entered the classroom I was temporarily assigned to.
When I entered the temporary class, the kids were already sitting and chatting.
Some seemed to know each other from the same school and were chatting, while others sat alone, anxiously fiddling with their phones.
There was a kid, tense and just fiddling with their phone.
But the overall atmosphere definitely seemed calmer than elementary school.
I don’t think I need to worry too much about the torment awaiting me in middle school.
For now, I went to an empty seat by the window.
As I sat down, I noticed there were numbers on the desk.
Oh, do I have to sit in order of the numbers?
What number was I again?
I logged into the school website to check my name and found my number, sitting at seat number 11.
As the pre-meeting time hit 2 PM, a young male teacher walked into the classroom.
“Hello everyone, it’s great to see you. Congratulations on becoming middle school students!”
The kids in the class clapped.
They must be feeling some sort of anticipation too.
“First, we’ll do an aptitude test, but don’t worry, it won’t affect your school grades, so just take it easy.”
These days, they’ve changed the term for class placement tests to ‘aptitude test’ for a softer touch.
“Did everyone bring their computer pens? If you don’t have one, raise your hand.”
The teacher handed out pens to those who forgot and explained the OMR answer sheet.
As all the explanations wrapped up and the clock hit 2:30 PM, the teacher distributed the test papers.
“Please pass the test papers back to the person behind you. You have one hour for this.”
The test I received consisted of math and English, a total of 2 subjects.
When I started working on the questions, I could definitely feel the difficulty had risen compared to previous ones.
These questions didn’t seem designed for completion; they looked more like an assessment of level.
Of course, after completing all my prerequisites and repeating high school senior mock exams for over three years, it felt easy to me.
Once the aptitude test was done, we were to go pick up our textbooks.
Following the teacher’s directions, we went out into the hallway where the textbooks were piled high like a mountain.
Going in and out of the classroom in number order three times left me with 15 textbooks stacked on my desk.
Walking without a cart with the weight of those textbooks would surely dislocate my shoulder.
Even shoving 12 textbooks into my bag forcefully, there was no more room left.
I guess I’ll have to carry the three with my hands.
I took out my phone and sent a KakaoTalk message to my mom.
[Me: Got all the textbooks, should be done soon?]
[Mom: Okay, I’ll be out soon. Wait inside the school so you don’t get cold.]
[Me: Sure.]
Once all the students had received their textbooks, the teacher explained the changes that come with middle school.
Class times, schedules, clubs, exams, performance assessments, and so on.
He also talked about the gear we need to bring on the first day.
Indoor shoes, an indoor shoe bag, writing utensils, a locker lock, and two passport photos in school uniform to use as student ID.
I guess I should head to the photo studio later to get my passport photos taken.
.
.
.
I arrived home, dropped off my textbooks, and changed into my school uniform.
“Should I go with you, Mom?”
“No, it’s fine. Do-ah should be home soon after her academy. I’ll just take the photos and come back.”
“You’re all set, right? Sit down here for the photo!”
“Ah, yes! I’m ready.”
“Okay, just relax and smile!”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
“Say cheese!”
“Cheese!”
The flash went off, and I felt a mix of excitement and awkwardness.
“That’s a wrap! You can check how it turned out.”
I beamed as I glanced at the photo—this might just be the best school picture ever!
The uncle said.
“Alright, let’s start. Please rest your hands comfortably on your knees and tilt your head up a little bit.”
“Lift the corners of your mouth slightly~”
“Okay, I’m going to take the picture now.”
“This time, I’ll take it again with a blank expression.”
“Now, show your teeth and smile brightly. One, two, three.”
“All done! Come here and pick which one you want.”
Hmm… Since it’s a student ID, should I go with the blank expression?
“I’m going to go with this one.”
“The blank expression is pretty, but in my opinion, this bright smile looks nicer. Let’s go with this one.”
Then why did you ask?
“Yes, then please do it that way.”
The photographer uncle finished the simple editing and handed over the photo, saying,
“But wow, you’re really pretty. I’m not just saying this; I think you’re the prettiest among the students I’ve seen. You’re a goddess, literally.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“So, by the way, would you be interested in being a model for our photo studio? I’d love to display these photos. Plus, the shoot would be free of charge.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“I don’t usually say this, but you’re just too pretty. Think about it again.”
I pulled out my card and handed it to the uncle, saying,
“No, it’s okay. Please use this for payment.”
The uncle let out a sigh, seeming disappointed, as he processed the payment.
“I’m really bummed out… You’re always welcome, so if you ever change your mind, let me know.”
“Got it. Then, goodbye.”
Trying to save on the photo fee would be a bit…
Do-ah should be home by now. Since it’s a rare day at home, I need to hurry and go play with her.
.
.
.
Dinner time.
I handed my ID photo to my dad as if giving a prized possession, saying,
“Dad, this is the photo I took at the studio today. Here, take it.”
Dad seemed to have gotten used to our little family drama, shaking as he took the photo and said,
“Can I really accept something so precious?”
“I’m honoring your contributions to the family.”
“Thank you, my daughter.”
“I’ll treasure it dearly.”
Do-ah chimed in from the side.
“Dad’s acting weird now, too.”
I tried to ignore her and looked at my photo again, saying,
“But honestly, doesn’t this ID photo look really good? I think I’m really pretty!”
Mom replied,
“Well, it only shows your face. Imagine if it also captured your chest.”
Ah.
I took out my phone and bulk-ordered pomegranates through a home shopping app.
It’s getting at least one, for sure.
Me.
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