falling

Yoojung almost falls off a ladder because of Doyeon but ends up falling in another way.

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a/n - lol cute dodaeng is my weakness

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"I don't think that's safe." A voice calls out from below. Yoojung is shocked at the voice because she thought she was alone in the studio and she very nearly slips to her painful death. With fast reflexes, she grabs onto the handlebars of the ladder, her body pushing against the cold bars to keep the ladder in place against the wall. Her paintbrush slips out of her hand during the commotion and clatters to the ground. She releases a hiss of breath as she feels her heart race slowing. Looking down, she sees a girl with black hair staring up at her.

Her heartbeat picks up once again.

She should feel angry at the girl who caused her concentration on her painting to deteriorate and nearly made her to fall to her death but she couldn't - not when the warm brown eyes that stared up at her made it impossible to do so. Yoojung decides to settle with a few words.

"Why are you here?"

The girl looks around. Yoojung has never seen her before. The studio usually consisted of about three people at a time. Yoojung is a regular and yet she's never seen the pretty girl before.

Yoojung would've definitely remembered her face if she had met her.

"Am I not allowed to be here?" The girl replies nonchalantly. She holds the strap of her bag with pale hands.

Yoojung feels a stir at the pit of her stomach. It was probably just the aftermath of almost plummeting face first into the rock hard floor. Probably.

"No, that's not what I meant. You surprised me."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to." The girl apologizes. Yoojung nods, her brown hair falling in front of her face. She reaches up to tuck her hair behind her ear but manages to effectively smudge some hot pink paint right across her cheek. Smooth, Yoojung. Real smooth.

There's a cute giggle and Yoojung almost topples over once again. She decides it was best to get down from the ladder before she actually falls. Carefully, she descends one step at a time. Once on solid ground, Yoojung takes in the girl's beauty up close. It feels like Yoojung had actually just fallen flat onto the ground because the air is successfully knocked out of her lungs at the sight of the girl in front of her.

"You have..." The girl says, pointing to her own face to show that Yoojung still has the paint on her skin. Yoojung brings her hand up to wipe it off. Using the same hand that had smudged the paint onto her skin in the first place probably isn’t the best idea. Yoojung now has a completely pink cheek.

(She is blushing so hard that her left cheek matches the same color as her paint-smudged right cheek.)

Yoojung turns around and grabs the dirty towel placed on the last bar of the ladder. She wipes her cheek harshly, quite ashamed at herself for doing such a careless thing.

"You're gonna scrub skin off if you keep rubbing at yourself like that."

Yoojung already embarrassed herself in front of the attractive girl enough times. She stops scratching at herself and lowers her hand.

"It's still there."

"Are you kidding..." Yoojung grumbles and uses her clean hand to attempt to wipe it off. The girl slips her bag off and pulls out a water bottle. She reaches for the towel in Yoojung's hand, her smooth fingers brushing against Yoojung's warm skin.

Yoojung watches the beauty dab some water on the towel before handing it to Yoojung.

"Here, try now."

Yoojung replaces her hands with the wet towel and she sees the girl smile a bit wider as she wipes her cheek.

"It's gone now."

Yoojung's blush isn’t gone, though.

“Sorry for messing you up.” The beauty apologizes. “Oh, you still have some.” She reaches for the towel and takes it from Yoojung, using her free hand to cup the girl’s chin to keep her in place. Yoojung holds her breath as the girl carefully wipes away the leftover paint, having to lean down with their height difference.

“There.” She pulls back and stares at Yoojung similar to the way Yoojung would stare at a finished painting. “All good.”

“Uhm, thanks.” Yoojung looks down at her feet, shy beyond belief. She isn’t one to socialize, much less around someone of such beauty.

“What’s your name?” The girl asks after a moment.

Yoojung looks up in surprise because - what? - is this girl lost? “Choi Yoojung.”

“Nice to meet you, Choi Yoojung.” The girl smiles directly at her and Yoojung’s brain turns hazy. “I’m Kim Doyeon.” She holds out a hand that Yoojung takes a hold of without thinking much.

“A - Are you an art major?” Yoojung stutters out embarrassedly.

“Me?” Doyeon raises her eyebrows in surprise, still holding holding Yoojung’s hand. “No. No way.” She laughs and Yoojung thinks she’s been inhaling too many paint fumes because her heart stops beating for a good two seconds. “I’m a dance major. I’ve just been kinda… exploring the campus.”

“And that’s why you’re here?” Yoojung pulls her hand away from Doyeon’s a little hastily because she feels like her hand is too sweaty for the pretty girl to hold and hopes Doyeon doesn’t find her rude. She’s glad to see that Doyeon just smiles.

“Yeah.” She turns her head to look up at the painting Yoojung had been doing earlier before she had entered. Yoojung admires the girl’s profile. “Whatever you’re painting looks pretty cool.”

“A flamingo.” Yoojung mutters. “It’s a flamingo.”

“That explains the hot pink.” Doyeon giggles before her giggles quiet down. “Actually…” she turns her attention back to Yoojung, “aren’t flamingos more of a… I don’t know - a peachy color?”

The question causes Yoojung to furrow her eyebrows, glancing up at Doyeon. “Are they?”

The genuine confusion from the girl makes Doyeon laugh again. “Whatever. Your flamingo can be a special flamingo.”

Yoojung feels her cheeks heating up once more. Why? She doesn’t even know.

Her eyes settle on the floor filled with different paintings.

“We should get some coffee together some time.” Doyeon says after noticing the girl’s refusal to maintain eye contact with her.

“Do you usually make friends with someone by almost making them fall off tall ladders?” The words slip out of Yoojung’s mouth before she can register them.

“Not usually, no.” Doyeon responds casually. “So, is that a yes?”

Yoojung peers up at Doyeon. “I don’t like coffee.”

“Milkshakes?”

Yoojung shakes her head.

“Then, water.” Doyeon says.

“Water?” Yoojung repeats skeptically.

The taller one grins. “I just want to get to know you better. It doesn’t matter what beverage we’re drinking.”

Yoojung’s cheeks are pink again. “Why me?”

“Because you’re cute.” Doyeon answers smoothly. “Think of it as a payback for almost making you fall off the ladder.”

Yoojung hesitates but her hesitation doesn’t last long as nimble fingers curl around her wrist.

“Okay. Okay. Let’s go get water together.”