Gathering the cherry blossom petals, I turned to the two and asked, "Alright, what do you want me to draw?"

The first to answer was Choi Ye-Seo.

"Me! Draw a killer whale!"

"A killer whale?"

That came out of nowhere. Does she even like killer whales?

"They’re cute! Can’t you do it?"

When I just stared at her without answering, Ye-Seo puffed up her cheeks.

"Not that I can’t. Alright, fine. Soo-Yul, what about you?"

"Draw me a shark."

You’re so predictable, and honestly, I appreciate it. She might as well be a shark enthusiast at this point.

Once the requests came in, I got straight to work.

Dragging my feet across the ground, I began moving the petals into position. No need to worry about ruining my shoes—I was just wearing slippers.

I’ve had these for a while anyway. It might be time to get a new pair.

First up was Ye-Seo’s killer whale.

Honestly, using cherry blossom petals to depict colors is tricky.

After all, it’s all pink and white. Distinguishing the black parts of the killer whale’s pattern was bound to be a challenge.

But I had an idea.

As mentioned, cherry blossom petals come in varying shades of pink and white. For the black parts, I’d use darker pink petals as a substitute.

A killer whale’s pattern includes a cross shape running from its jaw and under its belly, as well as white markings near its eyes and fins.

But realistically, capturing that level of detail would make the drawing too large.

So, I decided to go for a petite caricature of just the upper half of the killer whale.

‘But seriously, where are the actual eyes on a killer whale?’

Those white patches near their eyes are so misleading. Everyone knows they’re not the real eyes, but still—it’s confusing.

I shaped the petals into an outline and filled in the details as best as I could.

In my book, a caricature should keep things simple.

"Wow! It’s adorable! I knew you wouldn’t disappoint, Ha-Eun!"

Ye-Seo leaped up to snap pictures of the killer whale art with her phone, her excitement bubbling over.

"...?"

"How do you even have a phone right now?"

"Hehe, the one I turned in this morning is just a dummy."

"You genius."

Man, why didn’t I think of that? Starting tomorrow, I’m turning in a decoy phone too.

This must be what Newton felt when he saw the apple fall.

As I smirked at my clever new plan, I noticed a pair of eyes watching me from afar.

"...You’re gonna snitch?"

"Just act like you didn’t see anything."

Exactly. Middle schoolers are allowed a bit of mischief. It’s practically a rite of passage.

Thankfully, Soo-Yul had my back. Her loyalty was reassuring.

"Hey, are you done? I need to start on the shark."

I didn’t want to gather new petals, so I figured I’d reuse what I had.

"Yep! All done."

With a thumbs-up from Ye-Seo, I scattered the killer whale’s petals to make way for the shark.

Drawing a shark, in all honesty, was much simpler than a killer whale.

All I needed was an outline, some gills, and an eye or two.

Adding a scar or two for effect wouldn’t hurt, either.

It took less than five minutes to create the shark—it was roughly the size of a human torso, so it came together quickly.

"Here you go. The shark’s done."

Soo-Yul stood to inspect it, a faint smile on her lips suggesting she approved.

She even asked Ye-Seo to snap a picture of it.

‘Looking at it now, this would make a great collectible sticker design.’

Something small and adorable like this would definitely be a hit with people who love cute things.

"Five minutes left. Let’s head back—wait, what are you two doing?"

Just as I was about to return to class, I noticed Soo-Yul and Ye-Seo arranging the petals again, this time trying to create something themselves.

‘What is that supposed to be?’

I debated leaving them to it, but they’re my only friends. There’s no way I could just abandon them.

Even if it means being late, I have to stick around for them.

Crossing my arms, I watched their ‘modern art’ unfold.

They were stomping around, trying to arrange the petals, but…

"Pfft."

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My suppressed laughter finally burst out.

Their heads whipped around, their gazes locking onto me.

Ignoring their looks, I waved a hand dismissively.

"Finish up. I’ll wait."

"...Did you just laugh?"

"You probably think we’re hilarious. Once we finish, he’ll have nothing to say."

Not likely, but sure. And for the record, I wasn’t laughing at your art—it was the way you were stomping around.

‘The way they’re moving looks like dancing squids.’

Of course, I’ve never actually seen squids dance, but it’s the best comparison I can think of.

If they joined a circus, they’d be welcomed with open arms.

To their credit, they managed to finish before class started.

"Tada! What do you think?"

Ye-Seo’s eyes sparkled as she presented their creation.

"Hmph."

Soo-Yul puffed out her chest, brimming with confidence.

Looking at their work, I said…

"A cat? Not bad. You did well."

"...It’s a wolf."

"Oh."

Their bright expressions instantly dimmed. A wolf? The tail looks more like a cat’s, though…

A moment of awkward silence followed.

Ding-dong-dang-dong.

The bell signaling the end of lunch saved me. Perfect timing.

"Looks like class is starting. Let’s head back."

The awkward atmosphere felt heavy. Despite it being spring, the air around us seemed oddly chilly.

Sweating nervously, I followed them back to class.

Neither of them said a word the entire way.

Sigh.

***

"Good work today, everyone. Oh, hold on! You, sit back down—I'm not done talking yet."

The faces of my classmates were plastered with question marks.

Our teacher usually let us out earlier than other classes, so this could only mean one of two things:

1. One of us caused trouble.
2. Or...

"I have an announcement. It’ll take a bit, so stay seated."

Yep. Something important.

After making sure everyone was seated, the teacher handed out a stack of parent-teacher correspondence forms.

"Once you’ve got your form, listen up. We’re going on a retreat. It’s probably the week after next."

"It’s at the end of the month, actually," someone chimed in.

"Oh, is it? Well, anyway. At the bottom of the form, there’s a section for whether or not you’re planning to attend. Take it home, discuss it with your parents, and bring it back by the morning after tomorrow."

"Is that it?"

"Of course not. I said it’d take a while, didn’t I? Just wait."

The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly tired, before continuing.

"If you have any allergies, there’s a space on the back to list them. And—uh, Ha-Eun."

...Me?

"Yes?"

"Yeah, you. Can you manage the retreat?"

"Um..."

I fell into thought for a moment. I’d never skipped a retreat before. I didn’t exactly participate in the tougher activities, but I got by.

‘Just the light stuff, nothing too taxing.’

I didn’t see a reason why this time would be any different. Still, the teacher’s gaze was searching, concerned.

"The thing is," he explained with a sigh, "we’re going to a military-style camp this time. It’s probably going to be pretty rough."

A collective groan erupted from the boys in class.

"Seriously? A military camp? What kind of retreat is this?"

"It sounds fun to me," one of the girls said cheerfully.

"Of course it does. You’re not a guy. Look at us!"

Sure enough, the boys looked like they were attending their own funerals.

"I’ll talk to my parents about it," I finally answered.

"Good. If it feels like too much, you can sit this one out. But you’ll still have to come to school."

Well, that’s a bummer.

Nobody reacted much to me being singled out like this—it wasn’t a surprise. By now, the entire school knew about my condition.

Most people just accepted it as normal.

"Okay, that’s all the announcements. Any questions?"

The teacher’s eyes swept over the class.

As expected, most of the girls raised their hands. The boys, even if they had questions, seemed too beaten down to bother.

"Teacher, is it really a military camp?"

"Sort of? I’m not sure if it’s an officer’s academy or a training camp, but the details should be in the form."

"What about our phones?"

"Why are you even asking? You have to turn them in."

"What?! We have to hand over our phones?"

"Yup. Honestly, I don’t get it either. Why do they always make us give up our phones?"

The teacher scratched his head, shrugging in defeat. "I don’t make the rules. I just enforce them. Cut me some slack, will ya?"

Ugh. The struggles of being an adult.

"Are we gonna get to shoot guns?"

"Are you crazy? Of course not. You’ll probably just watch from a distance."

The teacher patiently answered every question, his tone a reminder that beneath his goofball demeanor, he was still a professional educator.

"Alright, any more questions?"

"Nope!"

"Good. Be careful heading home."

With that, he left the classroom, and the students erupted into chatter.

"Look at the location on the form. It really is a military camp."

"Ugh, three days and two nights there?!"

"Why are phones and AirPods on the prohibited items list?"

It’s a retreat. What did you expect?

I stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder. Soo-Yul and Ye-Seo did the same.

The classroom was still buzzing with noise, but we were quick to escape.

Outside, Ye-Seo, who was holding onto her drawings of the killer whale and shark, seemed satisfied and back to her cheerful self.

"Bye! See you tomorrow!"

She waved and ran off, heading to her idol training.

That left just Soo-Yul and me, walking together in a comfortable silence.

"So, are you going?" she eventually asked.

"If you’re going, I’m going. What about you?"

"Of course. You know I only go if you’re there."

She smiled brightly, the kind of expression that could make anyone feel at ease.

…Which, oddly enough, irritated me a little.

"But."

"But?"

"If my parents object, I’ll just convince them otherwise."

"Got it. If you get tired during the retreat, I’ll carry you around."

Please, no. Even if there’s not much of a height difference between us.

"I’m heavier than I look."

"I’m a student athlete."

Oh, right. She’s probably the strongest kid in our grade. Fast and agile, too.

"Sure, whatever you say."

Chuckling, I reached out to ruffle her hair.

So this is what it feels like when people mess with mine.

Soo-Yul closed her eyes, enjoying it way too much. Seriously, watch where you’re going.

Little did I know, I’d end up regretting my decision to attend the retreat.

"I told you not to touch the guns!!!"

A sharply dressed soldier barked at the students, his voice echoing across the field.

The culprits flinched, their whole bodies trembling.

Yeah. I really should’ve stayed home.

This was less physically exhausting and more mentally draining.

Middle schoolers, I swear...