CHAPTER 2

"Inmates: 392, 655, 267, and 810; Lin, Kang, Suuk, and Baek! You're up. Visitors."

Butterflies lifting her stomach, Yeonwha dried off quickly to pull her shirt on. The young woman next to her had a knowing grin. "Cute redhead?"

Grabbing the lanyard with her name-tag, Yeonwha smirked. "Well, my family hasn't visited me in months so can't say it'd be one of them."

Monica began tearing down the weights. "Hmm. I wonder what would happen if she knew about your... leisurely after-hour activities?" Monica snickered as she watched the retreating back of Beak Yeonwha, accompanied by a snow white backwards facing middle finger.

.

.

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The visiting hall was not too much louder this time around. It was a Tuesday, and most parents only had weekends available. Who would take time off work to see their delinquent daughters?

She stepped into the large room gridded with square tables holding chairs.

"Yeonwha!"

She looked among the river of faces in search of the familiar voice. Stepping forward, Yeonwha's heart filled to the brim with joy. "Ayeon! I'm so happy you came." The hug, though brief, was almost all the contact she needed to fully replenish her fuel reserves. Each inhale thereafter was filled with the pleasant scent of tangerine.

Ayeon smiled sheepishly in turn, still never quite used to the unconditional doting Yeonwha gave. But Yeonwha could see that she too was happy, nevertheless. They had rekindled their friendship, taking baby steps to reestablish a trust. Or at least, that's what Ayeon called it. For now, Yeonwha was just content with Ayeon being in her life.

"I missed you. How are things?" Sitting across from one another, Ayeon lightly ran her fingers across the back of Yeonwha's hand resting on the table.

"Well I just finished getting some exercise in the rec-field. I've bulked up a bit, if you hadn't notice." Ayeon's cheeks began to take a rosy tint. She'd noticed.

"I'm glad to hear you've been active. And your studies?"

It was Yeonwha's turn to shift colors. "I uh... Well I've been doing much better actually thanks to you. Your tutoring has helped me improve immensely in almost every subject. I may even be able to test out of some things fairly soon." She ran a hand through the back of her short-cut hair.

Comfortable silence sat between the two as the void filled with the atmospheric chatter from neighboring tables. "Think you might have some time to tutor me today?"

A nervous smile took form as Ayeon's eyes slid down to the side. "Well, actually Yeonwha," she said, fidgeting with her glasses, "there was another reason I came today."

Yeonwha leaned back as her finger tapped the hard plastic table. A surprise. Whether good or bad, though, she didn't know yet.

"I ...brought a visitor with me."

Oh. Her bright eyes began to narrow. It was a bad kind of surprise. Her gaze shifted in the direction Ayeon turned her head. A crop of dark hair peaked from behind a vending machine.

Yeonwha jumped. Time felt like it stopped. She wasn't sure of which emotion she should go with. It was the last person she expected.

"...Sohwa?"