WARNING(?): Incoming long and angst-y chapter. I think..

“So how was school???” Yeri jumps into Seulgi’s arms excitedly after giving her unnie a hug. “got any new friends?”

“Many!” the bear relies matching her enthusiasm as the latter holds her hand and starts walking. Noticing her unnie’s quietness, Yeri quickly pulls out her other free hand to hold hers.

Seulgi being the Seulgi she is saw them and immediately shifts her place, releasing Yeri’s hand to stand next to Joohyun and holds her free hand, making Joohyun stand in the middle of the babies.

Joohyun looks up from their interwined pinkies to the bear’s toothy grin.

Knots.

But she didn’t say anything.

It’s contagious, she couldn’t help but to crack up a small smile despite her eventful day as they continued their way.

From scene went from parents holding their daughter’s hands to a mother holding her daughters’ hand real quick.

Down to a comfortable silence accompanied by Yeri’s singing to a children song, Seulgi’s grin never left her face. If spending a day at school struggling your way throughout all the attentions gained, rejecting people’s offer to walk home ( she told them that she’ll be staying at Joohyun’s because she’s close to Seungwan) but ending with being able to experience this, maybe going to school is not  bad idea after all.

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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Or was it?

because it’s the same as yesterday and the day before as Joohyun once again spent the rest of her night finishing her ‘task’, ignoring the fact that she once again denied Seulgi and her work.

Adding another page to Seulgi’s pile.

“It’s okay!” she said to herself, smiling, because Joohyun did too all the time when they went home and how she did at school. As long as Joohyun is happy.

Little that the bear know she was on cloud nine because of another bear she received as a ‘present’ for being ‘helpful’.

When Seulgi had found out about the other bear, deep inside she wants to throw it away like Joohyun’s umbrella but her master seems to really like the key chain that she refrained herself from doing so. The only thing she can do is have a staring contest with it, hoping that it’ll disappear if she won, which she never did because key chains don’t blink.

Bears should be friends.

Bogum is another topic, Seulgi also doesn’t get why her master likes him so much. To everyone’s eyes he is the (typical) nice and responsible upper levelled student, being extra handsome(?) is definitely a bonus, at least that’s what she heard from some students including Momo herself.

However, her chest burns in fury whenever her eyes meet hers in the hallway, the guts that he has to give her a wink when the person who has a crush on him is just literally walking beside him, the bear wants to go violent against him, but she had learned from a certain cartoon that violence is never the answer to any problem, full stop.

That’s just some of the part, what really gets her is whenever Joohyun speaks his name before dashing to her room.

She should be happy, she said to herself once again, because the next few days, all attentions are on her. Seulgi had shown a lot of skilled performance and her ability, very impressive to everyone indeed as she kept receiving compliments, fans, love confessions, even Pringles.

Of course she only took the Pringles.

Momo also has been a great company in the dance class. She enjoyed having her and Nayeon around as well, though the other one rarely talks to her. They did had a decent conversation before about how s your day and stuff, but that’s it, it never got more than 5 minutes. Seulgi just thought that Nayeon was the quiet type so she shrugs it off. The bear didn’t quite get why the trio would dislike them.

However, the pleasure she’s receiving somehow bothers her and she always seems to space out whenever she thinks about Joohyun.

Especially when the gummy boy is linked along.

Seulgi yearns for her attention, but to say that it’s just attention is a little out of context. Sure, her master did give her some during class, for example, a glare or a mouthing when Seulgi keeps eyeing her while resting her cheek on her palm. Paying attention in class is something to be worry not for the exchange student.

“SEULGI ARE YOU SERIOUS-“ It took almost the whole period that Youngji too got annoyed because she was sitting between Joohyun’s seat and Seulgi’s sight.

Yeah, the yearning is real.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Where are you going?” Momo asks as soon as Seulgi grabs her blazer and holds the doorknob with her bandaged hand, slightly sweaty.

“to Joohyun, I need to confirm if we’re going home together.”

“wait no!” Seulgi turns to look at her, tilting her head upon the sudden protest. “why not?”

“I-I.. Nayeon here said she wants to talk to you!”

“Eh?” the said girl who’s sitting on the floor shots her eyes up to her friend. “Me?” the latter nods signally, taking out her phone.

“No, I don’t.” she frowns but shrinks when Momo gave her a look.”I- Yes, yeah.. I do!” she quickly changed her answer.

Seulgi stares at her for a moment before turning the knob, “Sorry friend, let’s talk about it later I really have to go!” the bear waves childishly before disappearing.

“Joohyunnie!” Seulgi runs to her when she saw her but stops a few steps before reaching her. “….and boy.” There it is again, the bear’s dead-assed cold look spawning a raging bear-like aura around her when she notices who her master is walking with.

“hm?” Joohyun didn’t hear the last part though, “you’re sweating again…” she pulls out a tissue and daps it on Seulgi’s face, already used to the situation, but Seulgi’s eyes remain still at the boy. “Seul?”

“Your girlfriend here is really cold, did I do something wrong?” Bogum laughs mischievously, earning a slap on the shoulder by her. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Maybe you did.” Seulgi replies sternly, trying hard not to grit her teeth because Joohyun once told her not to because it’s rude to do it when talking to someone.

Just then Bogum’s phone vibrates and Joohyun just signals him to answer, and so he did making a distant.

“Don’t be like that!” she looks over Seulgi and notices her hand, “whoa what happened?” she lifts Seulgi’s bandaged hand , her flinch went unnoticed.

“O-oh this???” the bear finally snaps out of it, she was still glaring at Bogum. “I saw someone did this on tv and it  looks cool.”

“but there’s so many bandages…”

“the more you put, the cooler it will be!” she laughs and the latter decided not to pry further. Seulgi is dense, expect the unexpected, she thought.

“Anyway, have you seen my keychain? I’ve been looking everywhere this morning and I can’t seem to find it.” Joohyun whispers not wanting her crush to hear though he’s busy on the phone. “You didn’t take it, didn’t you?”

“No? Why would I?” and it only made her frown deeper, scratching her nape trying to figure out where else did she put it before.

“Joohyun?”

“Hm?”

“Are we going home together today?”

“Sorry Ms. Kang, Ms. Bae here will be staying back to study with me.” A hand lands on Joohyun’s shoulder, Bogum ended his phone call, smiling at her.

67%

“What?” Seulgi turns her head to her raising her brows.

“Yeah.. I’m sorry, Seulgi. Bogum said he needs my help and-“ the bear stops her before she could finish, surprising her.

“it’s okay... I’ll just pick Yeri up by myself later.” Seulgi nods to herself before glancing at Bogum. “I’ll go now.” she smiles at her master and turns on her heels.

“Wait, where are you going?” Seulgi is being unusually unusual, the bear isn’t the type to not cling at all, making Joohyun curious. She turns.

“dance class.”

63%

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It’s not revenge, nor jealousy (maybe), but Seulgi came to learn that if you go against the assistant, bad this might happen to you. She wasn’t actually worried about that, but Joohyun is included in the scene.

“Where’s Momo?” Seulgi asks while closing the door behind her when the girl is not in her sight when she entered.

“She said she went somewhere… I don’t know where...” Nayeon stretches her leg still in her sitting position before closing her eyes. “you’re back so soon, have you found Joohyun?”

“Uh, yeah.” The latter settles herself next to her. “Oh by the way, what was the thing you wanted to say to me?”

Nayeon opens her eyes and stares at their reflection on the mirror for a few seconds. She realizes that Seulgi isn’t in her usual state as her body is about to give up and just sleep. “Seulgi,” she starts.

“Yeah?”

Nayeon didn’t respond immediately making Seulgi raise her slumped head. “What is it?”

“Seulgi you,” she breathes, checking the door, “you need to be careful.”

“What do you mean?”

“Momo is kinda…” she bit her lips unsurely, “she’s kinda greedy.”

“Greedy?”

“Oh Seulgi! You’re back!” the door suddenly opens revealing the girl in topic with a couple of water bottles in her hand, the two jumps in shock. “You look parched.” She threw Seulgi a bottle which she easily catches.

Two bottle?

“how do you know?” the bear smiles thankfully, twisting the cap before chugging down.

“Just have the feeling.” Momo grins, Nayeon pinches the bridge of her nose mentally. Seulgi only chuckles.

Noticing her tired state, Momo settles herself next to Seulgi this time.

“You know Seul, sometimes things didn’t happen the way you wanted them to it’s because you’re on the wrong lane.” Seulgi sits up, looking at Momo’s reflection tilting.

“I know that look Seulgi, you don’t have to worry.” The latter makes an eye contact with her. “You’re depressed over something am I right?” Seulgi isn’t sure whether to nod or not, and so she remains. “I won’t ask you why though, it’s your privacy and I respect that.”

“The thing is, if it’s not working, maybe you should change direction.”

What does she mean? Seulgi crunches her nose. It’s almost the same as how Seungwan said to her when she sleeps over at hers.

“Shall we dance, damsel in distress?” the blonde haired girl stands up, offering the bear a hand.