"Wow, I can't believe things like that even happen at a school like Golden High," Mei mused, cracking open a can of beer. In front of her, Zoan continued doing push-ups on the mat, her muscles trembling with exertion.
"Yeah, same," Zoan mumbled, counting under her breath. "One thousand." She collapsed onto her chest, panting heavily.
"But... does your father know about what happened?" Mei asked, watching as Zoan pushed herself up and dragged her exhausted body toward her. Zoan dropped heavily onto the mat beside Mei with a deep sigh.
"Nnnh, no. I'd rather not tell him I got into a fight. Besides, I won," Zoan murmured, rolling her eyes as Mei gave her a sidelong glance.
"That's still violence," Mei pointed out, taking a long sip from her beer.
Zoan snatched the can straight out of her hand. "Didn't I tell you to stop drinking this crap?"
Mei let out a whine, reaching for the can, but Zoan placed it just out of her reach. When Mei tried again, Zoan slapped her hands away with a click of her tongue. "Stop drinking," Zoan said firmly.
Mei pouted, her eyes wide and pleading, hoping the doe-eyed look might soften Zoan's resolve. But instead, Zoan's expression darkened. Grabbing the beer, she stared at it for a moment before tilting her head back and chugging it in one go.
"Zoan!" Mei yelped in surprise, watching her cough and gag as she finished. Zoan set the empty can down, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"That," Zoan groaned, "was the shittiest thing I have ever put in my mouth."
Mei covered her mouth in shock. "You didn't have to drink it! I could've just not drank it if you told me to stop."
Zoan shot her a pointed glare. "You wouldn't have listened," she said, wagging an accusatory finger.
Mei huffed, crossing her arms like a petulant child. "Not true!"
"Yes, it is," Zoan replied, smirking.
"Not!"
"Yes."
"Not!"
"Yes."
"Not!"
"Not."
"Yes."
Mei froze, her eyes widening as she realized what she'd just said. "You—!" she sputtered, pointing a finger at Zoan, who was now giggling under her breath, clearly amused.
"Aiya, what an idiot," Zoan teased, flicking Mei's forehead.
Mei gasped, offended, and swatted Zoan's hand away. "You can't be rude to someone older than you!" she snapped, though there was no real bite to her tone.
Zoan rolled her eyes. "You mean by three months. Mei, you're not even that much older than me."
Mei let out a small huff, pouting. She couldn't argue with that—Zoan had a point.
Still, she thought, beer is just so good. Especially on days like this. It was her way to relax, even if it wasn't exactly great for her health. She knew Zoan's concern came from a good place, though. Zoan could be insufferable at times, but Mei had to admit it was her influence that had shaped Zoan's personality.
Gone was the shy, introverted nerd Zoan used to be—the girl who let people walk all over her until she finally snapped. Mei wasn't mad about that change. Not at all.
The room fell quiet again. Mei lay on her back, staring up at the yellowing ceiling of her uncle's dojo.
"In a few years, this place will probably close, huh?" Zoan said, her voice soft and low.
"Maybe," Mei replied, glancing at her. "So far, you're his only real student. Well, besides me, and then my cousin or whatever."
"You and Qian keep mentioning that cousin. I'm starting to get curious," Zoan said, chuckling.
"I'm not close to her," Mei scoffed. "You could probably ask Uncle about her."
Zoan waved a hand dismissively. "Too much work," she murmured with a small grin, making Mei laugh. Mei flicked Zoan's cheek lightly, earning a playful chuckle in return.
The laughter faded, and Zoan turned her head to Mei. To her surprise, Mei was already gazing back at her, her expression unreadable. Zoan's smile slowly faded.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly, shifting to lie on her side, propping her head on her hand.
Mei blinked, forcing a smile as she shook her head. "Nothing. Just… worried," she admitted. "It's been years since that fight happened, but I'm scared you'll go through the same thing at Golden High."
Zoan bit her lip, her expression softening. "Now you're just worrying too much," she said, her voice gentle.
Mei sighed.
"What if I am? What happened back then was my fault. If I could have just stayed quiet, everything would've been fine for you. Now, not only did you hurt yourself, but your family hates—" Mei's words came to an abrupt halt as Zoan placed a hand over her mouth.
Zoan smiled shakily, her eyes soft. "Mei, I'm glad to be your friend. And about what happened... fuck them, alright? I don't care anymore. I'm happy now. I've realized that caring too much about what they think is what made me so miserable. And you taught me something important: it's okay to put myself first."
She paused, her voice steady but warm. "So I did. I put myself first, and that includes my closest friend—you. I don't regret what I did, though I wish it hadn't left this scar." Zoan teased, holding out her hand, the faint scar catching the light. Mei gently took her hand, tracing the mark with her fingers in silence.
They both fell quiet for a moment before Mei chuckled softly. Zoan, with all her bravado—the cool, nonchalant persona she carried so effortlessly—was softhearted. And, at times, undeniably cheesy.
"You're such a sap, Zoan," Mei teased, grinning. Zoan widened her eyes in mock offense before rolling them with a dramatic sigh.
"I spill my heart out to you, and that's all you have to say?"
"Heh," Mei smirked, her grin only growing as Zoan huffed in exasperation, giving her a playful shove. The taller girl flopped onto her back, stretching her arms over her head with a groan, her shoulders rolling.
"Anyway, I've gotta go. I have a test tomorrow, and I've been studying for days. Can't let all that effort go to waste," Zoan said, springing to her feet. Mei followed, wrapping her arms around Zoan in a quick hug and patting her head like she was a child.
"You're so eager to leave me after spilling your heart out, huh?" Mei teased, still ruffling Zoan's hair.
Zoan sighed again, rolling her eyes but making no effort to stop her.
Mei stepped back, still grinning mischievously. Then, with a sudden shift in tone, she asked, "Hey, before you leave... have you found a nice girl to date yet?"
Zoan froze, her cheeks instantly flushing a deep shade of red. "What the hell? Why are you asking me that now?" she grumbled, crossing her arms defensively.
Mei leaned in, her grin turning sly. "Look at you blushing. Hey, you're really good-looking, you know. Don't tell me there isn't a single woman out there willing to be gay for you." She poked Zoan's cheek, laughing when Zoan swatted her hand away.
"I don't care about that right now," Zoan huffed, her voice unconvincing. "I'm focused on my studies—and all the drama circulating around Golden High. I barely have time to meet anyone, let alone date."
Mei grabbed Zoan's shoulders, her grin widening. "I could help you, you know. Just send me a hot picture of yourself, and I'll do the rest."
Zoan's jaw dropped, her face somehow turning an even darker shade of red. "A hot picture?" she repeated, stepping back as Mei practically doubled over with laughter.
"Don't be such a grandma. You've got the looks, the body, and you're strong as hell! C'mon, Zoan, you've got the whole package!" Mei wrapped her arms around Zoan's waist, clearly enjoying the way her friend squirmed in embarrassment.
Zoan finally managed to push her away. "Stop that! I'm not interested in dating right now," she muttered, though her voice betrayed her flustered state.
Mei wiggled her eyebrows. "Don't act like you haven't ranted to me about being jealous of people your age who are already in relationships."
Zoan shot her a glare. "You don't have one either."
"Oh, but I do," Mei said, smirking triumphantly. "There's this guy I like—he's handsome, kind, and just my type."
Zoan's expression faltered for a split second, though she quickly crossed her arms, huffing in mock indifference. "You never told me about that."
Mei shrugged. "You're always so busy. It's hard to even get a proper conversation with you, let alone a reply to my texts. Honestly, you're like an old woman sometimes."
Zoan exhaled, her energy suddenly drained. "Yeah, well... I've got to go now. Or whatever." She grabbed her jacket from the floor, slinging it over her shoulder as she headed toward the door.
"Wait—what? Hey!" Mei called after her, rushing to catch up.
—
It was safe to say that Zoan had spent her entire Sunday rereading her notes and meticulously highlighting key information in her textbook. She wasn't one to take tests half-heartedly—especially since she'd promised both her father and herself to keep her grades up.
Studying wasn't difficult for Zoan. She was naturally gifted academically, though she often joked that she was handed a book the moment she was born and forced to read until she was tempted to gouge her eyes out. Her life was one of relentless self-study, free from distractions—even music in the background was unwelcome.
But now…
"Are you coloring your book or something?" Jiho giggled, glancing at Jovi, who let out a whine of frustration. A neon pink highlighter was clutched in Jovi's hand, and the page in front of her was glowing with so much pink there wasn't a single unmarked word left.
Beside Zoan, Ving cracked a small smile, though her focus remained on her book, while on Zoan's left, Vin rested her head lazily on her arm.
Technically, Vin was a year below the group and didn't have much reason to join them at the study café. But after an adamant declaration in their group chat, she'd tagged along. Zoan had only learned recently that Vin had joined the Art Club after Jovi added her to the chat, enthusiastically introducing her as the new member.
And, somehow, even their teacher, Miss Atiro, had been dragged into the group chat, forcing Jovi and Jiho to tone down their borderline-offensive memes.
"Here, I brought some practice tests from last year's second-years!" Miss Atiro announced cheerfully, stepping into the rented study room with a grin. She wore a long brown coat over a white dress shirt and black slacks, paired with sleek heeled boots—a look Zoan thought was both niche and neat.
"Yes! Thank you so much, Miss Atiro! You're a lifesaver!" Jovi sang dramatically as Atiro handed her the papers and rolled a portable blackboard closer to the group.
"Tomorrow's test will mostly focus on English," Atiro began, picking up a piece of chalk, "but I still want you all to review science, math, and history. Oh, and maybe a little Spanish—though I doubt it'll go too deep into that." She jotted everything down on the board while Jovi eagerly passed around copies of the practice test.
When Jovi handed one to Vin, the younger girl frowned and scratched at her hair. "Do I have to answer this too?" she asked, waving the paper in the air.
"You don't need to," Ving replied calmly, taking the sheet and placing it neatly in the middle of the table.
"Oh man, these questions look hard," Jovi muttered, glancing over Jiho's shoulder as Jiho read the material intently, mumbling answers under her breath.
"You can give it a try," Atiro encouraged, pulling a folded answer sheet from her coat pocket. "I have the answers here, so we can check together."
"Gosh, I'm so glad I can help you guys in this club," Atiro added, scratching the back of her neck. "Though I'm not really sure I'm cut out for the art part…"
"You don't need to be!" Jovi chimed in brightly. "But I can teach you if you want!" She smiled, and Atiro returned it warmly.
The group settled into silence as they tackled the practice test. Unsurprisingly, Zoan finished first—she'd already covered most of the material in her studies. Ving followed shortly after, capping her pen with a quiet click. Jiho, meanwhile, was still chewing on the end of her pen, her brows furrowed as she struggled through the questions.
"Something wrong?" Zoan asked, noticing Jiho slump back in her chair with a sigh.
"Nothing," Jiho replied, sitting up and fixing her posture. "I just… I'm having a hard time with some of the questions." She scratched her cheek, clearly frustrated.
That surprised Zoan. Jiho was smart—on par with her and Ving. It was odd to see her struggling with what Zoan considered an easy test.
Zoan frowned and leaned over to peek at Jiho's paper, but Jiho quickly blocked her view. However, not before Zoan caught a glimpse of a small chibi drawing in the corner of the page—a figure with short hair and oversized glasses.
Jiho flushed, flipping her paper over to hide it. "You're doodling?" Zoan asked, raising an eyebrow. It was clear Jiho's mind wasn't entirely on the test, especially with the faint blush dusting her cheeks.
"She's in love~" Jovi teased in a sing-song voice, only to be silenced by Jiho's panicked yelp and a hand slapped over her mouth. "Not true!" Jiho squeaked, her voice high-pitched with embarrassment.
Zoan leaned back, crossing her arms and smirking. "Geez, don't think about whoever that is too much, or you'll fail tomorrow."
While Jiho was distracted, Jovi snatched her paper and gasped. "Oh my gosh, you didn't even answer half of it!"
Jiho shrieked, scrambling to grab the paper back, but Jovi danced away, holding it out of reach. "And is this… Mr. Thead? Look how cute your drawings are!"
Zoan perked up at that, catching a glimpse of the next page—a more detailed sketch. It was the kind of portrait you'd expect from an art student sketching their muse.
The paper slipped from Jovi's hand and flew toward Zoan, who caught it mid-air. Jiho was too busy tickling Jovi in retaliation to notice.
Zoan turned to the second page, her eyes widening as she saw the detailed portrait of what appeared to be herself in her usual outfit.
"Wow," murmured Ving, leaning over Zoan's shoulder. Zoan jumped slightly, startled.
"She's got a good eye for detail," Ving observed with a faint smile. "For someone who's only met Mr. Thead once, she remembers his face well."
Zoan's face burned as she quickly covered the sketch with the first page, then set the papers down on the desk. "Crushing on an old guy… what a weirdo," she muttered under her breath.
Jiho turned just in time to see Zoan's reaction. Her face went crimson as she snatched the papers back, hugging them to her chest. "It's not weird! It's just a crush! Lots of people crush on older celebrities!" she defended herself, clearly flustered.
Zoan looked away, scratching her cheek awkwardly. It wasn't the idea of Jiho crushing on Thead that made her uncomfortable—it was the unsettling realization that Jiho's drawing wasn't of Thead at all. It was of her.
"He's not that great…" Zoan trailed off, trying to steer the conversation back.
"Really?" Jiho asked, perking up. "Do you think I could meet him again?" She twirled a strand of her hair, her eyes sparkling.
That was Zoan's snapping point. "No!" she barked, startling everyone—Jiho, Jovi, and even Vin, who'd been napping at the side. Only Ving remained unaffected, calmly reviewing her answers.
"What? Why not?" Jovi asked, confused.
Zoan turned to Miss Atiro. "We should check our answers now," she said abruptly, cutting off the conversation entirely.
Jiho pouted, guilt bubbling in her chest. She hadn't meant to make Zoan uncomfortable. After all, it was just a silly crush, wasn't it?
But Mr. Thead looks so young. Is Zoan sure he's not our age? Jiho pondered to herself as Atiro began reciting the correct answers in succession.
In the end, both Ving and Zoan achieved perfect scores, while Jiho scored 44/60 and Jovi a staggering 12/60.
"You need to read more," Zoan mumbled under her breath as they all gathered around Jovi's test sheet. Meanwhile, Jovi was busy knocking her forehead against the desk in shame and embarrassment.
"I really thought I got at least half of them right…" Jovi muttered, her voice small. Vin giggled. "Guessing might've earned you more points," she teased, as Jovi raised her head and pouted.
"It's alright, Jovi," Atiro said reassuringly. "You still have time to review the material. You can use your test sheet as a guide. After all, the tests over the years are usually just shuffled, not changed." With a kind smile, Atiro patted Jovi's head.
Turning to Zoan and Ving, Atiro added, "I'm proud of you two for getting perfect scores. Honestly, you're neck and neck at this point. Rank 1 might just end up being shared between the two of you."
Ving glanced at Zoan, watching her reaction. The girl with glasses only managed a sheepish smile, scratching her cheek. "Rank doesn't really matter," Zoan said humbly.
Jiho elbowed her lightly, grinning. "See? I told you you're really smart."
Zoan looked at her and smirked. "You would've gotten a perfect score too if you weren't so down bad," she quipped—before realizing what she'd just said.