Blue in English, Red in Korean IC Date: July 1st 2022

When Eun-ji got out off the train she fully expected one of her parents to wait for her either in the main hall or at the Kings cross parking lot. What she did NOT expect was Charles hanging around the 9¾ platform as if he actually belonged there. His smile grew wider when he saw his 'fiancée' and immediately rushed towards her. Unlike Eun-ji, the boy didn't hesitate to hug her in greeting. He pulled her in, no questions asked. The witch still wasn't entirely sure what to do with physical affection but Charles’ embrace was gentle and warm so she decided to let it slide this time.

“Charles, what are you doing here?” She expressed her confusion as soon as he let go. He usually arrived to Chester couple of days later. The wizard chuckled. “Surprise! I got home early and so I decided to come and meet you here. I travelled with Flo network but your mother is waiting in the car. She insisted she will drive us back.” He explained. Well...that was bound to be an awkward ride. “Also I was hoping to say a quick hello to Kim. Have you seen him?” The Ravenclaw shook her head no. “He probably travelled with his friends. Just so you know, he is quite popular. Maybe you should put a dog tag on him or something.” She said jokingly. The boy pretended to be shocked as he took the suitcase from her hands. “Are saying they are all cooler than me?” Eun-ji shrugged at that. She honestly couldn't say. “No idea but they could be. You better watch out.” She grinned at him cheekily. The Ilvermorny student chuckled again. “Well...you should keep an eye on him for me then.” The witch was sure he didn't mean it. At least not in a way, he implied. He would want her to let him know if there was something wrong of course but he was not someone to spy on his friends. “Hmm, I'll think about it. Now… do you wanna take a look around and see if you can spot him?”

As expected, Charles nodded without much hesitation. After all, it was his best friend so it made sense he didn’t want to leave without at least trying. “It shouldn’t be hard to find him. He usually sticks out.” Eun-ji huffed at that. Yeah…he definitely did. What was his hair colour today?

@Kim Sato

Blue in English, Red in Korean IC Date: July 1st 2022

It turned out they didn’t have to try too hard. Kim spotted the two of them sooner than they even had a chance to look for him properly. Turning around to see the (currently) red haired boy, Eun-ji watched her ‘fiancé’ wave back in response to Kim's greeting. Once the Gryffindor got close enough however, Charles wouldn’t hesitate to hug him as well. It was a quick hug, less gentle and accompanied by a few friendly pats on the back. Eun-ji didn’t have one herself but she thought it was a fitting hug for best friends. The gesture seemed familiar to them.

“Hey there, little lion.” The Ilvermorny student greeted the boy cheerfully. “Hair looks good. Perfect colour for summer. Bet you can’t wait to learn the hair colour changing spell, huh?” The witch huffed amusedly. Yep, that sounded about right. There were no questions about how his first year of school went and she figured it was because they wrote letters to each other constantly. She was almost jealous of their bond. The Ravenclaw was scared to be this close to somebody but it must have been nice...having someone you could talk to like this.

“Speaking of summer. You are helping to organise the summer camp, right?” Charles asked, looking sincerely happy for his friend. “Oh right…good luck with that. Hope everything goes well.” Eun-ji finally chimed in. She wondered whether the two of them would even get a chance to spend some quality time together this summer. OOC: Eun-ji is unaware of the Hunt’s ball at this moment. Charles knows. Were his mandatory summer visits to Chester going to cause a rift between the two boys? She sure hoped not. While their situation was less than ideal, Charles was always good to her and she would hate to became an obstacle for him in any way.

@Kim Sato

Blue in English, Red in Korean IC Date: July 1st 2022

All in all, Eun-ji stayed quiet for most part of the conversation. Her and Charles had a long awkward journey ahead of them thanks to her mother being present so they would have plenty time to talk. Not to mention that they would spend the whole summer together. It seemed only fair to let the two best friends talk. “Yeah, I didn’t. Thought you might get into Ravenclaw to be honest but you’ll be fine. Just stay true to yourself. As far as I understand, that seems to be working for you. Apparently I’ve got plenty competitors already.” The boy smirked and gave her a quick glance but Eun-ji simply shrugged. What she said was true after all. Not that she thought Kim was ready to replace Charles but he was definitely popular. “I’ve been a bit busy yeah. My parents needed help with some things recently so I hadn’t had much time to relax.” Eun-ji raised her eyebrows at that but she supposed it was not her business. If it was in any way relevant to her, he would tell her.

The conversation soon shifted towards the upcoming summer camp. Kim was obviously the most excited one but both Eun-ji and Charles were quite intrigued by the event as well. “Yeah…it’s a shame but you know… I’m usually busy during breaks.” This one Eun-ji understood. He told her that he dedicated all of his breaks in the US to searching for his lost brother. Kim no doubt knew this as well. It was highly unlikely they would ever meet at Charles at Hogwarts unless he found Noah. The boy sounded a bit guilty as he said this, perhaps feeling that he owed Kim to come at least once but she understood his mind-set. Now that she also lost her beloved family members, the witch knew she would also do anything in her powers to find them if there was a chance they might indeed be found. “But I’ll be happy to experience what you helped to create even just from the photos and I’m sure Eun-ji will want to see it as well. Just send them to her home. I will be there.” The Ravenclaw nodded to support his argument but didn't say anything until she was addressed, which actually happened soon after.

It still felt strange hearing her name spoken in a Korean way. Not because she didn't like it or wasn't used to it but because of the familiarity of it. Given Kim's age she would expect sunbae (senior in age/ work/school etc. in Korean) or, since they were a bit closer now, at least noona (older girl/sister in Korean). The only people that used such informal version was her family and perhaps Aaron when they spoke in Korean. She was fine with that one however as they were pretty close and the Hufflepuff was older than her. “Hmm... I don't think so hubaenim.” 배님 (hubaenim)/후배 (hubae) means “junior” and someone younger or in a lower grade than you. It was clear she wasn't angry with him but it was a subtle jab for sure. Not quite but almost playful. Eun-ji had no intention to fix his habits. It was not her responsibility however, she figured it was fine to let him understand her ways a bit. “I suggested the idea to my parents but apparently my grandmother has way too many things planed for me. I don’t think I’m going anywhere this year.” She wasn't happy about it but there was not much she could do.

The Ravenclaw couldn't help but wonder if there was some kind of unspoken understanding between the two boys. It felt like she was missing something, especially when Charles looked at Kim and subtly shook his head. Should I ask? She hesitated for a moment but then decided against the idea. Usually, Charles would not keep her in the dark without reason. Surely he would tell her if it concerned her. Or perhaps it was just not the right time?

@Kim Sato

Blue in English, Red in Korean IC Date: July 1st 2022

Eun-ji watched, mildly amused, as the two boys continued to tease each other. Their words were filled with familiar endearment and there was a cheeky grin permanently plastered onto her fiancé's face. "Good...you better keep that promise dearest. Don't forget I have a spy at Hogwarts now." He retorted merrily. The witch continued to stay a silent observer up until she was addressed once again.

"Hopefully...it's honestly hard to say." She shrugged as she answered Kim's question. Because it was. Mrs. Hunt never shared her plans with Eun-ji in advance and she sure as hell wouldn't ask for her opinion. Perhaps next year, she would be able to escape her grandmother's clutches and attend the summer camp. Part of the summer away from home sounded like a treat at this point. She wouldn't say any of this aloud though. It wasn't something she wanted to share with others. Even Charles knew the hidden truth behind her simple answer only because he was a direct witness to her situation. She would never tell a "stranger".

Speaking of Charles...the young Gryffindor looked hesitant to let his friend go. It was understandable of course. There would be very little time for them to meet during the holidays considering their vastly different and busy schedules. "No particular plans but my mother in law is waiting for us in the parking lot so I think we'd better go." The witch elbowed the boy next to her not so gently. "Hey!" He didn't seem too sorry though. Perhaps Kim was a bad influence. "Still...he is right my mum is indeed waiting and the drive will be long so I don't think we can dawdle much longer. Sorry Kim. I do hope the summer camp turns out to be everything you hope for and more." At that, her fiancé nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah and if it's not, there is always next year or you know...the following five." He smiled encouragingly.

Eun-ji was almost jealous. It must have been great to have such close friend. She had friends too and some of them were very close to her heart but even to them she neglected to mention the truly bad parts of her life. She couldn't let her walls crumble in front of the people she loved unlike Charles who didn't seem to have the same problem when it came to Kim. "I'll see if I can clear some weekend in July so we can hang out before you leave for Hogwarts. We'll talk soon, okay?"

@Kim Sato