✓ sorry, i love you || hwang hyunjin

[01] strawberry milk and banana bread

My teacher once told me that it was impossible to skip a grade in high school. He told me that there had never been a student in our school who had done that.

I changed that today.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" My best friend—and moral support—asked. "It seems kinda scary..." Jeongin shuddered at the thought of it. "Plus, the guys look so intimidating... and good looking..."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Yes, Innie, I'm sure. Plus, maybe my parents will finally be proud of me," I said before sipping my strawberry milk. Jeongin had bought it for me (as per lunch-hour tradition), and I had bought him some banana bread (as per lunch-hour tradition). Who knew what his addiction was with bread.

Jeongin frowned at me as he took a bite at his bread. "Hey, there's still"— he checked his watch— "six minutes until lunch is over. That's six minutes to tell Mr. Lee that you don't want to get boosted up a year."

Well, technically, I could tell Mr. Lee— our homeroom teacher— that I didn't want to, but that would waste a lot of effort. Both him and Ms. Shin (my new homeroom teacher) had worked so hard to make sure my schedule would match up with the seniors' schedules. Thankfully, we were only a month into the year, so it didn't affect everyone else too much.

"Yah," I told him, insulted that he thought I would do that. "You know I won't."

Jeongin pouted (dang his adorable features) as he replied, "But what about me? We were the Boosted Buddies." I laughed at the mention of our old group name. Both me and Jeongin started school a year early, which meant that we were always younger than our classmates. We both got hell for it (me more than him because of the way I looked), and the first few years of elementary school were terrible. We befriended each other in third grade, and that was when we decided to call ourselves the 'Boosted Buddies', since... Well, we were boosted a grade, and we were buddies.

"Innie, we'll still be the Boosted Buddies even when I'll be a senior, okay? We're bffs, so don't you dare find yourself another girl to hang out with," I threatened, pointing my milk at him like a weapon.

His jaw dropped as he registered what I had said. "Yeah, well," he retorted. "Don't get too close with the senior guys, because you're my butterfly."

I stopped laughing as I deadpanned, "Innie, you're my brother, not my boyfriend. I don't know why I would consider dating you. In fact, you're my big brother, since you were born after me." I felt pretty smug after the last comment.

My best friend elbowed me, shoving the last bits of bread in his mouth. "You did not play the younger card."

"Yes, I did."

"Hate you."

"Love you, too, baby bread," I responded, making finger hearts as I addressed him with my special nickname for him. He was a baby (hey, even though he was technically a few months older than me, he was still a baby), and he loves bread. Therefore, baby bread!

"Ewww, that's nasty," he responded to my aegyo, making a face. Before I could respond, the bell rang, and I froze. I was officially a senior. "You may be nasty sometimes, but you got this, Nabi," Jeongin comforted as we stood up with our bags. "So remember whose best friend you are when you walk into that senior classroom, okay? And if there are any idiots whose asses need to be kicked, call me, okay? Don't take their shit."

"Okay, Innie," I grinned at him. I was lucky to have him as my best friend; I really didn't deserve him. He's too good to me, I thought as I saw him pull out another strawberry milk from his backpack.

"For good luck," he explained as he pressed it into my hands. "Now shoo before you're late to class!"

"You're the best!" I hugged him quickly before leaving. It wouldn't do me any good to be late to my first class as a senior.

You got this, queen.