An interesting gal

Zoan had three more classes after lunch. It was goddamn tiring listening to them, honestly, but she let her hands do the work while her eyes blearily stared at the board.

Class had just ended, and some students were still in their seats, writing what had been on the board, while others were at the front, talking to the teacher. Eventually, the teacher said her goodbyes and walked out of the room.

Beside her, Jiho was still focused on answering her assignments.

"As I mentioned, I was the president for the first year. Now, Miss Atiro told me that we should hold a reelection," a girl at the stand said, standing straight behind the teacher's desk.

She was tall and slender, her hair as black as coal and straight, draping over her shoulders. Her eyes seemed to pierce right through you.

 Zoan stared.

"You're still our president, Lee! I wouldn't want anyone else to lead us!" a girl at the side said, a grin on her face. "Yeah! I don't think we should reelect Ving; after all, she did such a good job," another chimed in.

The raven-haired girl—Ving—only smiled politely. "Let's still hold a reelection; after all, we should let other students experience it, no?" she said, and everyone nodded, turning to each other.

At that point, Zoan decided to tune them out. She closed her notebook, shoved it into her bag, and leaned back in her seat, turning her attention to Jiho.

"How are you holding up?" Zoan asked, her tone casual as Jiho glanced at her, yawning slightly.

"Doing fine," Jiho replied, her voice soft. Zoan nodded, sitting back up and peeking over Jiho's shoulder.

"You're done already? Are you heading to work now?" Zoan asked, her curiosity genuine.

She'd once asked Elias if she could take on a part-time job just to experience it, but her father had flat-out refused. Because of that, Zoan wasn't exactly well-versed in how jobs worked—or how people even acted at work.

"Ah, not yet. I've got two more hours before my shift starts," Jiho said with a small smile.

Zoan nodded again, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. "Sheesh, you look like you haven't rested at all."

Before Jiho could respond, Zoan's gaze shifted to Ving, who was making her way around the room, handing out slips of paper. Eventually, Ving stopped at their table and handed each of them one.

"Jiho," Ving said with a quick nod. Jiho flushed slightly, grabbing the paper and lowering her head as if embarrassed.

Ving's sharp eyes turned to Zoan, who was already watching her, waiting for her paper. "I don't think I can vote. I don't know anyone here yet," Zoan admitted as she accepted the slip from Ving's outstretched hand.

Ving hummed thoughtfully. "You can always abstain," she said simply.

Zoan nodded, looking down at the slip before smirking slightly. "Kinda unfair, no? Abstaining would still affect the results... unless, of course, you know everyone's going to vote for you." She waved the paper lightly in Ving's direction, her tone teasing.

For a moment, Ving's eyes narrowed, but the expression disappeared almost instantly. "It's alright to abstain. I won't hold it against you for not knowing everyone yet," she said evenly. "I do apologize that the re-election is happening earlier than planned."

With that, Ving stepped away, leaving Zoan and Jiho at the table.

"Huh, alright then," Zoan muttered, pulling out a pen. She quickly filled in her vote for Ving Lee as president but abstained from the other positions—she didn't know anyone else well enough to decide.

Turning toward Jiho, Zoan smirked. "Do you want to be Vice President? I should vote for you."

Jiho let out a startled squawk, her face turning red. "Don't! I'm not responsible like Ving," she protested, frowning—though the way her lips pressed together made her look suspiciously like she was pouting.

Zoan chuckled to herself. For fun, she still scribbled Jiho's name under vice president. It's not like it would actually affect anything, right? This was just a small vote, after all.

When they were done, Ving walked by with the ballot box. Zoan and Jiho slipped their papers inside, Ving giving them both a brief nod before moving on.

—

Zoan came back home around 5 PM, feeling as energetic as ever, even after pedaling around the building for the fifth time. "Goodness, you look like a drenched cat!" Sol exclaimed, almost whining as she helped Zoan out of her blazer, quickly tossing it into the laundry and insisting that Zoan take a bath.

With no choice but to comply, Zoan took a shower before lounging on the couch, reading some of her textbooks to pass the time. Her phone pinged, but she ignored it until she remembered that she had given her number to Jiho, who had asked for it before she went home.

Zoan closed her book and grabbed her phone. It was Jiho sending a waving cat GIF along with a simple "Hello!" Zoan chuckled and typed a "Hello" back, stretching like an overgrown feline.

When her phone pinged again, it was a selfie from Jiho at her workplace— a café! "Oh, how interesting," Zoan mumbled to herself, enlarging the image as she tried to recall where she had seen that café before.

It was certainly near the college building. Should she go over there? Would she have to wear her usual outfit? There was no way she'd be allowed on campus looking like this.

"Man," Zoan sighed, dropping her head back against the arm of the couch in disappointment. She really hated wearing a wig.

In the end, she put it on anyway, pairing it with a shirt she found at the back of her wardrobe and some pants. The whole outfit made her look like she was trying to be cool but ultimately failing, especially with her wig styled in braids.

"Can't you change this?" Zoan asked, walking over to Sol, who turned to her, surprised, before bursting into laughter. "Miss Zoan—what… what are you wearing?" she giggled, and Zoan sighed.

"Now I understand why they say hair is important," Zoan muttered to herself as she walked out of the building, her head lowered in shame. Sol had made her change into a sweater and a long, flowy skirt to match her wig.

Now she looked more like a girl than she was used to, and while it was slightly uncomfortable, at least she had shorts underneath. Even if the wind lifted her skirt, she would be safe; it was just the fact that she wasn't accustomed to wearing this kind of stuff.

She bore the appearance of one of those archetypal nerds who seemingly couldn't dress to save their life.

Pushing the door to the cafe open, the bell chimed merrily. Jiho stood behind the counter, clad in a crisp white dress shirt and black pants, a brown apron cinched around her waist.

Her face lit up upon spotting Zoan. "Zoan! What a pleasant surprise to see you here," Jiho greeted warmly, to which Zoan merely chuckled. "We literally just saw each other earlier," she pointed out, prompting Jiho to giggle. "I love your sweater," she remarked, her gaze lingering on the cat print adorning Zoan's chest.

Suppressing a sigh, Zoan resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Thanks—I have a rather... strange wardrobe," she replied, mustering a strained smile.

"Anyway, what can I get you?" Jiho inquired. "How about you decide? I'm not much of a coffee person, so I'm a bit lost when it comes to choosing," Zoan admitted, peering at the menu, unsure of the distinctions among the offerings.

Jiho's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "Absolutely! Why don't you take a seat over there while I prepare it for you. Would you like me to include a brownie as well?" she suggested.

"Sure," Zoan agreed, nodding before settling into a nearby seat. She observed Jiho bustling around with anticipation, glancing around the cafe. Despite the brightly lit streets and students milling about, the shop remained deserted.

She half-expected a longer wait, but around the five-minute mark, Jiho returned, placing a cup of coffee topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles in front of Zoan, alongside a solitary brownie.

"On the house," Jiho declared, leaving Zoan gaping. "I insist on paying," Zoan protested.

Jiho shook her head, a grin playing on her lips as she took a seat at the opposite chair, prompting Zoan to give her an uncertain look, silently wondering if it was appropriate to sit away from the counter.

"It's fine, hardly anyone comes in here to make a purchase. They all seem to prefer Starbucks over this place," Jiho explained, causing Zoan to chuckle. "All the more reason for me to pay, don't you think?" Zoan remarked, reaching for a fork, cutting a slice of the brownie, and taking a bite.

"Hmm, this is delicious," Zoan complimented, nodding appreciatively as Jiho beamed, resting her chin on her palm. "I'm glad... What brings you here?" Jiho inquired, observing Zoan as she savored another bite of the brownie and a sip of the coffee, expressing her approval with a satisfied nod.

"Just exploring, I suppose. It's quite pleasant here. It seems like a good place to study since it's so serene," Zoan mused, tapping her finger lightly on the table. Jiho nodded in agreement.

"I actually do study here. I have a couple of hours before my shift begins, so I usually get some work done and study," Jiho shared, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "If you'd like, you could do the same here," she suggested with a shy smile.

"We also offer free Wi-Fi," Jiho added, causing Zoan to splutter with laughter. "That's supposed to pique my interest?" Zoan retorted playfully. "Well, it should!" Jiho giggled, her smile hidden behind her hand.