"Pedagogue"

Chapter 5

The clock struck eight and Soo Young burst through the doors to her shared apartment. She neatly placed her boots by the shoe rack and changed into her slippers. The coat she wore to her classes was now hanging from the stand placed right beside the shelf.

"Ruby! I'm home." -she announced while making her way towards the couch where her roommate sat, slouched with a tub of ice-cream placed on her chest.

"Welcome back, Soo. How was your day?"- Ruby inquired, voice still a little sore from the tubs of ice-cream she had scooped clean.

"Horrible. I'd never thought the first day could be such a mess. Sometimes, I wish I hadn't met that troublemaker at work. He always manages to land my ass in trouble."- Soo nagged, her hands stretching towards the tub of mint chocolate. But of-course, it got slapped away.

"Chan, you mean? Why? What has he done this time?"-The latter spoke acting oblivious to the fact that she had just stopped Soo from eating her very own share of icecream. It was the time of the month.

"Oh don't even get me started on that rat. First, he asks me to make a call for his morning duties with Professor Park, for which I arrived exactly 3.5 mins late to the Pedagogue's cabin. And he proceeded to nag at me saying ,'Punctuality, Mrs. Soo. I'd like you to be more punctual and get your priorities sorted'. "- Soo-Young imitated, trying her best to make her voice sound like that of a zombie. A lil too groggy and deep to match that of her superior's.

Ruby burst into shrieks of laughter, amused by her constant whining.
"Pedagogue? Is that what the children are naming him for the semester?"-she asked.

"Ah! Yes indeed. The graduates decided to leave him such a lovely present on his door. Crap! I'd have to get that cleaned later. I mean, I understand where they are coming from. That man has been living up to his terrifying names for years now. It was about time he was named something absurd." - Soo ranted, with her hands flailing in every direction to emphasise her frustration.

" So thats it? This is what got you mad over your colleague?"- she asked, her calm tone showing slight signs of curiosity.

"Oh no! Ofcourse not! That lil snitch promised me a lavish meal for lunch in exchange for what I had to face. And you wouldn't even have guessed where he took me! TO. THE. UNIVERSITY. CANTEEN. I was hoping for atleast steak, Lim! Like what?! That food comes straight from the bin. Revolting, really!"-

At this point, Ruby couldn't hold her laughter back from staring at her best friend. Soo-Young never fell short at amusing her every moment they spend together. And man, was she grateful for her presence in her life.

" I must say. This boy got the guts to have done this to you, Soo. "-she said in between her endless giggles, "What next? Did he get a swollen nose like last time?"-she added.

"Of course not, you know how awful I felt that week. Gosh it was so hard for me keep a straight face in my classes, his face reminded me of a clown. Ridiculous."- both the ladies laughed endlessly while rolling on the carpet this time. The very memory of Chris with a busted nose brought joy and life to the still night they shared.

"But indeed,"- she continued, " I had dragged him by his ear all the way to 'Starbucks' and offered him some broccoli juice off the menu."-she exclaimed, making sure she put enough emphasis on 'Starbucks'. A wide grin gleaming proudly on her plump lips.

It didn't take her peer, one extra minute to figure that Soo was rather referring to the old ladies drink stall behind the campus.

"OH DEAR! I CAN'T WITH YOU BOTH! Acting like a bunch of Middle-schoolers!"

Ruby's hyena laugh echoed through the walls of their living room. The two couldn't help but enjoy such real and precious moments they spent everyday day after work. Just a small chit chat to pick up on each other's lives.

" So, tell me, how is work coming up for you this week?"- Soo inquired.
With a long sigh, the other said, " Just about the same. The owner has decided to have me work extra time of Christmas and Thanksgiving. Just hoping to be off work on New Year's"-she responded.

"What?? Thats awful! Those are government holidays, she can't hold you back at work on CHRISTMAS!! What the hell, Rubbub?! Why didn't you talk against it!?"-Soo exclaimed, enraged by the shop owner's behaviour. It was only because Runy seemed to be a subtle and shy girl, that she took advantage of her innocence and bound her to such undesirable conditions.

"Oh come on, Soo! Time is money. At least for this month. And no! I wont be taking any of yours. You work day and night to earn that. We'll work it out together. Besides, didn't you say you had a deadline for the nutcracker painting? When do you plan on starting on it, my friend?"

"Averting the topic doesn't help you. You promised you would be home for Christmas this year. How could you forget that?! Its just so unfair. I can't possibly be spending Christmas and Thanksgiving alone this time. Heck, even Chris will be back home with his family for this year."-Soo whined, loud like a child and Ruby couldn't resist hugging her as Soo's eyes got teary.

She knew well enough Soo hated spending such occasions alone. Without her family, without a date, without her soulmate. But poor Ruby was helpless this time. She had to scrape up enough money for their Christmas presents. It was gonna be wild this time. Just how she had promised.

"There there, my baby. I'm so sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you."- Ruby spoke as she pat her pack to comfort her and stop her from bursting into tears. And it worked wonders on the younger's heart. After all her best friend was her haven. Just like a second mother.

"Curse you and your promises. Curse that bitch who always keeps you away from me. Like you have no one to attend on your special days. How heartless could one even be?"- Soo spoke, her voice came muffled as she dug her face further into the sweater of her dear one.

"Its okay. Its gonna be just fine. I got you."- she whispered her soothing tone allowing Soo to calm down and pull away.

She stood straight up and walked towards the washroom to change into her pyjamas before making her way back into her room to paint. But not before bidding a 'Goodbye' to Ruby, who was on her way out the door to attend her night shift at the convenience store across the road.

And so she spent the night, with a steaming cup of hot chocolate beside her table, while she her hands worked magic as she painted away in red and green to fill in her medium-sized canvas.