Summary

In “Adolescence, 1995-2000,” Jiyoung went to a co-ed middle school. Because the birth rate in Korea favored boys, many all-girl schools transitioned to co-ed in order to accommodate the surplus boys. The girls had to wear uncomfortable skirts and dress shoes, but the boys got to wear whatever they wanted. After complaints from the girls, the teachers started overlooking the girls’ dress-code violations. A flasher haunted the school grounds, occasionally showing up the flash the students. A group of girls got in trouble for catcalling him from their classroom window. The group, headed by the school bully, put a plan into action to catch the flasher and successfully delivered him to the police station. The girls were punished for their actions, and they never talked about the incident again.

Jiyoung started her period and wished there was medication designed specifically for cramps. She...