Episode 8 - New Friends

Taeyeon was sitting alone at the table drawing and doodling on a piece of white paper. She’s drawing mushrooms and more mushrooms.

“Do love mushrooms that much?” Taeyeon dropped her crayons and turned back to the source of the voice. It was a petite girl with pony tails tied at the sides of her hair. She was wearing a dress and holding a Barbie doll in her hands.

“Well. I.. “

“I like mushrooms too. They are yummy.” The girl said and took a seat next to Taeyeon.

“They.. are.. “Taeyeon stumbled with her words as she was being asked about a typical regular mushroom, not the human mushroom she was thinking about.

“You must be new here. I haven’t seen you around since I left.”

“I’m not really new. I’m here for about half a year.

“Really? I’m away for half away because of my parents. They kind of took me off for a world tour.”

“That’s nice. How’s the rest of the world?”

“It’s really nice! There are so much food to eat and candies.”

“I love candies! Especially gummy bears!” Taeyeon exclaimed with excitement. The other girl laughed at the silliness of this girl.

“I’m Sunkyu but please call me Sunny.”

“Hi Sunny. I’m Taeyeon.”

“Want to go grab some candies?”

“How to? Ms Kim wouldn’t allow us, will she?”

“Don’t be silly, we can sneak around to get hold of them. One of my friends is really good at coming out with ideas like this.”

“Really? That’s so cool.”

“Wait till you meet her. Let’s go find her.” The two walked around the compound of Joan to look for Sunny’s friend; there was no sight of her at the first level.

“Let’s go up to the second level. She’s abnormally tall for her age. Try to look out for her.” Taeyeon followed the Sunny’s lead and started looking out for the tallest girl in Joan. Just then, she saw a shadow behind one of room’s curtains. The sunlight casted into the room brightly, revealing a tall and skinny silhouette.

“You don’t think she is there right?” Taeyeon whispered to Sunny’s ear, afraid of alarming their “prey” while pointing her index figure towards the huge windows.

“She must be hiding from someone or something. Com’on.”

Once again, Taeyeon tailed closely behind Sunny’s back, tall people are very scary for Taeyeon.

“YAH! CHOI SOO YOUNG!” the scream startled the hidden person behind the curtains. She lost her balance and fell forward. She crashed while pulling the curtain together with her. Even when she is on the ground, she was covered with curtains. Sunny lifted up the curtain to reveal a girl with a tiny face and shoulder-length hair.

“What’s that shout for LEE SUNKYU!? I’m not deaf just so you know.”

“What are you hiding from?” Sunny helped the taller girl out of the fallen curtain and attempted to hang back the curtain. She pulled over a nearby chair, stood on it and stretch her arms to their fullness, but it is not anywhere near the hooks.

“Are you being serious, Sunny? Given your height you think you can hang the curtains back?”

“Must you be so mean? I’m trying to help you here. “

“Or are you just feeling guilty? You made me fall after all.”

“I will never feel apologetic towards an evil.” Sooyoung scoffed at her comment and took the curtain from the latter’s grip.

“I will do it.” Sunny stepped down from the chair and Sooyoung got up and hang back the curtains. She doesn’t even have to extend her arms to the fullness to reach the hooks. She not only has long body length, but long arms too. Taeyeon stood still witnessing this whole scene.

“Oh, there another person here? You are too short for me to notice just now. I believe you should know my name with Sunny’s surprise scream just now?” she brushed her arms and knee caps while talking to Taeyeon.

“Yes. I have heard. I’m Taeyeon by the way.”

“Hi Taeyeon. Stop hanging around Sunny. Or you will just be like her, like her height. I haven’t seen you around. Were you new?”

“You asked the same question like me, giant. Were you away like me? Or I suppose you were in the kitchen busy wiping out the food supply the whole day to notice Taeyeon?”

“YAH! I did not.” Sooyoung voice trailed off at the last word. Taeyeon had to compress her laughter within herself at Sunny’s comment. She breathed hard and spoke up for Sooyoung.

“I was always outside at the backyard. Maybe that is why Sooyoung didn’t see me, Sunny.” Suddenly Taeyeon mind was flooded with images of sand sculptures that Stephanie and she used to build. She was zoning out for that moment when Sunny snapped her figures in front of her face.

“Hey, HEY! Did this giant scare you? Don’t be afraid of her. She is only tall and nothing else.”

“Oh no. it’s not.” Taeyeon replied with a faint smile on her face.

“By the way, why are you two here? I was playing hide-and-seek with the Yuri. But in the end it’s you two who found me. I guess she gave up finding for me then.” Sooyoung exchanged glances between Sunny and Taeyeon while waiting for an answer.

“We need you in the plan. It is call “Get-the-gummies” plan. You should understand just by the name?”

“Yes. It’s so obvious. Why do you need me in your plan? Can’t you get any for yourself?

“Com’on Sooyoung, you know Ms Kim, she’s is like a terror to us. Plus, she wouldn’t even give us anything, more even candies or gummy bears.”

“And you want me to get into her black book?”

“Sooyoung, don’t act like you’ve never done it before when you’ve done it umpteen times.”

“Must you expose me in front of Taeyeon? She has had a good image of me until now. You totally ruin it!” Taeyeon was once again witnessing this whole scene as a third person. But when she heard Sooyoung comment, she thought otherwise. She had this feeling that Sooyoung was like a bully and loud, but she dare not voice her thoughts out, just in case she will evoke the bully.

“Oh please Sooyoung. We can share the gummies! You know, and I know you love gummies.

“That’s true. Now that you said that, I have a craving for some.”

“That’s the spirit! Let’s head down towards the kitchen!”