Nayoung’s eyes scanned the room as the girls all began to stretch. A certain girl was missing.

 

“Where’s Jieqiong?”

 

“I didn’t see her after school.” Siyeon said hoarsely as Eunwoo pulled on her arms, causing her to stretch even further in her split-position. Eunwoo looked over to Nayoung. “She might be in the classroom.”

 

It wasn’t the first time a club member had skipped practice but Nayoung’s heart felt heavier at the absence of Jieqiong. Something must be wrong. You don’t suddenly skip practice for a day after going every day for three months because you just felt like it.

 

“I’ll be right back.” Nayoung murmured, walking out the door.

 

Eunwoo shoved Siyeon away. “Yeah! Go get your girlfriend!” She cheered on.

 

Nayoung ignored the yell with a blush. She headed up to the homeroom of Jieqiong (she knew it because Siyeon is in the same class) and peaked her head inside. She saw one girl sitting at the desk and Nayoung could already tell it was Jieqiong.

 

“Are you not coming to practice?”

 

The girl jumped and turned around, hand going to place over her heart. “You scared me.”

 

Nayong walked closer and sat down next to the younger girl. She looked down at Jieqiong’s desk and the papers that were sprawled over it, various tests and quizzes marked with grades ranging from the high seventies to low nineties. Jieqiong let out a sad laugh.

 

“I think I’m going to quit the dance club.” She said as she gathered the papers into a neat pile. Nayoung widened her eyes. “I really need to start focusing on my studies.”

 

If Jieqiong quit then Nayoung would almost never see her anymore considering the fact they were a grade apart but Nayoung didn’t want to try to persuade Jieqiong to stay even if she wouldn’t get to see her.

 

“Ah, really?” Nayoung mumbled. Jieqiong bit her lip.

 

“You aren’t going to try to get me to stay?” She asked quietly.

 

Nayoung looked up in surprise at the hurt in Jieqiong’s tone. “Y - You said you wanted to focus on your studies so I just figured…”

 

“But it wouldn’t hurt to try to get me to stay.” Jieqiong laughed lightly, packing up her things.

 

Nayoung hesitated before she spoke. “How about I tutor you?” She suggested, causing Jieqiong to freeze. The pause in her demeanor only lasted for a second before Jieqiong practically threw herself on Nayoung, hugging her. “That’d be nice.” Jieqiong said with a small squeal before getting back into her own seat and fixing her hair. “Sorry. I just got excited.” She said, calming herself down and fanning her pink cheeks.

 

The older girl grinned and watched as Jieqiong continued to put her belongings away. “So, are you coming to practice today?”

 

Jieqiong looked up at her sheepishly. “I didn’t bring any clothes.”

 

“Then watch.” Nayoung replied. “I’ll tutor you after practices.”

 

“Wouldn’t that be a bit burdensome to you?” Jieqiong murmured as she stood from the desk. Nayoung stood and shrugged.

 

“It’s not if it’s for you.” She said without thinking. Jieqiong’s eyes widened as she looked up at Nayoung. The other girl cleared and ignored her rapidly beating heart. “Let’s go before the girls trash the practice room.”

 

-

 

“Our Nayoungie brought our Kyulkyungie back!” Eunwoo announced the moment the two of them walked into the room.

“Hey, you really did go and get your girlfriend.” Siyeon gave a smile as she leaned on Yebin’s shoulder.

 

“G - girlfriend?” Jieqiong stammered, looking over to Nayoung for an explanation.

 

“She was just being Siyeon.” Nayoung replied without looking over to the younger girl. “Okay, get up! Practice is starting.”

 

-

 

“I don’t get it.” Jieqiong tossed the notebook off of her lap and onto the floor, huffing in frustration. Nayoung placed a hand on the girl’s knee.This wasn’t the first time Jieqiong got angry at herself during their tutor sessions.

 

“It’s fine. You’ll get it eventually.” Nayoung calmed her down, taking the notebook and placing it back onto Jieqiong’s lap. “Look. You almost finished it. You just forgot to divide.” She explained gently. Nayoung looked up to Jieqiong and saw the girl staring at her.

 

She frowned when she noticed the bags under the girl’s eyes.

 

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

 

Jieqiong shook her head. Nayoung sighed and put away the notebook, standing up.

 

“Where are you going?” Jieqiong asked her. Nayoung picked up her bags.

 

“Your health is more important than studying. I won’t tutor you if you didn’t get any sleep.” She looked at the younger girl. “Go home and rest, Jieqiong.”

 

“I won’t be able to rest if I’m alone.” Jieqiong said as Nayoung was heading to the door. “I’ll just start studying.” Nayoung bit her lip and her heel.

 

“Then walk with me to Siyeon’s house. I’ll make sure you get some rest.”

 

Jieqiong just stared at Nayoung for a few moments before standing up.

 

-

 

“We’re using your room.” Nayoung grumbled as she walked past the group of friends on the couch. Siyeon shot up.

 

“Im Nayoung! You two better not dirty my bedsheets with your - “

 

“We’re not going to do anything.” Nayoung replied monotonously over her shoulder as she opened the bedroom door and let Jieqiong walk in first. Siyeon looked towards the other girls who just shrugged their shoulders.  

 

Jieqiong stood stiffly. Nayoung placed a hand on the girl’s lower back and softly pushed her forward. “Go sleep.”

 

Jieqiong turned and looked up at Nayoung, mind blurring at the lack of distance between her and the older girl. “I have a test tomorrow.”

 

“Which is why you should sleep.” Nayoung replied, her hand now on Jieqiong’s waist. The younger one looked at her with a pout. Nayoung wasn’t having it. “Go.” She ordered. Jieqiong sighed defeatedly and walked towards the bed, throwing her body onto it lazily.

 

Nayoung opened the bedroom door. “I’ll leave so you can - “

 

“No!” Jieqiong sat up, pointing towards the bed. “Stay.”

 

Nayoung gulped as she shut the door and walked closer. “I’m not sleepy.” She muttered, getting under the covers with Jieqiong. Jieqiong hummed.

 

“Well, you’re making me sleep so you have to deal with this.” She said before curling her arms around Nayoung’s waist. Nayoung felt her heartbeat go soaring past its usual rate of beating. Jieqiong noticed this and smiled, closing her eyes.

 

“Your heart - “

 

“I know.” Nayoung cut her off, trying to avoid the following embarrassment. Jieqiong tightened her arms around Nayoung.

 

“It’s okay.” She murmured, drifting off into slumber. “Mine is doing the same thing.”

 

-

 

With each day passing, it got hotter and hotter. It was summer.

 

“You and Eunwoo are so lucky!” Siyeon exclaimed as she sprawled her long limbs on the cool practice room floor. “Hot college girls in bikinis!” The other girls laughed at this but Jieqiong just gave a slight smile.

 

Jieqiong hadn’t been her usual self since the month had began. Nayoung, as the leader and not someone who just pays more attention to Jieqiong than anybody else, noticed this immediately. She asked her about it about a week later.

 

“Jieqiong, are you okay?” Nayoung asked one day during their tutoring session, the two of them sitting on the practice room ground with the A/C blasting in the background. Jieqiong’s eyes snapped up. “What?”

 

“You’ve been acting different lately.”

 

“Have I?” Jieqiong mumbled.

 

“Yeah…” Nayoung responded. “Is everything alright?”

 

Jieqiong nodded absentmindedly, focusing back on the notebook in her lap. “I’m fine. Just distracted by school and all.”

 

Nayoung was never one to pry, but the thought of Jieqiong lying to her irritated her. “Be honest.”

 

Jieqiong’s hand placed her pencil down. “Don’t the seniors get released out of school earlier than everybody else?”

 

“Yeah.” Nayoung replied, furrowing her eyebrows. “To get ready for university and stuff.”

 

The younger one nodded and picked her pencil back up. “That’s why.”

 

“Because you won’t get released early?” Nayoung wasn’t this dense - she was just getting Jieqiong to be more direct, and it worked.

 

Jieqiong finally looked up to meet Nayoung’s eyes. “No! It’s because I won’t get to see y - “ She stopped midsentence and looked away embarrassedly. “I won’t get to see you or Eunwoo anymore.”

 

“It’s not like I’m going off the face of the earth.” Nayoung said softly.

 

“But you… a - and Eunwoo won’t be here next year.” Jieqiong stammered. “It’s going to be so empty.”

 

“We’ll come visit.”

 

“You’re going to be busy with university.” Jieqiong shook her head.

 

And that’s when the conversation stopped.

 

-

 

Eunwoo and Nayoung were showered in flowers and tight hugs when it was graduation day. Nayoung’s face had broken out into a naturally big smile, eliciting squeals and exclaims from her group of friends. Jieqiong stuck around Eunwoo more than she hung around Nayoung, which put a slight dent in the oldest girl’s mood.

 

After taking pictures and having fun, Nayoung went to the bathroom to go get changed out of the robe because she didn’t want to walk to Siyeon’s house with it on.

 

She exited the stall and was surprised to see Jieqiong in front of the sink. Their eyes made contact through the mirror.

 

Nayoung didn’t say anything, looking away and walking out the bathroom. Jieqiong closed her eyes and rushed to catch up with Nayoung, finding the girl in the hallway and grabbing onto her wrist. Nayoung’s eyes widened as she turned.

 

“W - What?” Nayoung stared at Jieqiong, shocked at the girl’s actions.

 

“I…” Jieqiong gulped down the lump in as she forced her eyes to connect with Nayoung’s.

 

She didn’t last two seconds.

 

“I just wanted to congratulate you one on one.” She looked at the ground, letting go of Nayoung. “You did rank in the top ten, after all.”

 

“Is that all?” Nayoung asked, her voice coming out a bit harsher than she intended to. Jieqiong glanced up at her and nodded.

 

“Thanks.” Nayoung murmured and continued down the hallway.

 

-

 

“Your girlfriend isn’t coming.” Minkyung said to Nayoung who was staring at the front door every few seconds. Nearly everybody in the friend group called Jieqiong Nayoung’s girlfriend. It stopped making her blush after a little while and started making her irritated. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

 

“But you want her to be.” Siyeon cut in. Nayoung didn’t deny it.

 

“Why don’t you just ask her out already?” Kyungwon asked with her head leaning on Minkyung’s shoulder. “It’s clear you two like each other.”

 

“She’s been avoiding me.”

 

“Because you just graduated!” Siyeon exclaimed as she threw her hands up. “You idiot! She’s not going to go after a graduated high school student when she still has one more year left before her graduation!”

 

Everyone stared at Siyeon, dumbfounded. Siyeon looked at them. “What? It’s true.”

 

“You just called me an idiot.” Nayoung stated. Siyeon placed a finger on Nayoung’s forehead and pushed it, causing Nayoung to slap her hand away and rub the spot on her head.

 

“Because you are one. She likes you, Nayoung. She just doesn’t want to say it because you’ll be going to college and she’s scared.”

 

“How do you know this?”

 

“I always mentioned hot college girls in our conversations to make her jealous! You’re just too dense!”

 

Siyeon shoved her off the couch. “Go get your girl!”

 

“Isn’t it illegal?” Nayoung scowled as she stood from the floor, rubbing her . “I’m an adult now and she’s still a minor.”

 

“Then wait for her.” Yebin spoke up. “You’ve waited long enough, what’s one more year?”

 

“But tell her to wait for you!” Eunwoo exclaimed. “Tell her you like her now! We can’t have her falling for somebody else while you are away at college!”

 

“I won’t let that happen.” Siyeon shook her head. “No way.”

 

“Isn’t that selfish?” Nayoung mumbled.

 

“Im Nayoung!” Siyeon shouted, pointing to the door. “Go!”

 

-

 

“Nayoung, why’d you want to meet me? It’s… late.” Jieqiong whispered as she opened the front door of her house. Nayoung felt ashamed but she could hear Siyeon’s voice in her head, yelling at her to strengthen up.

 

“Jieqiong, I like you.”

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

Jieqiong started to giggle. Nayoung opened in shock, taking a step back. Jieqiong closed the door behind her and stepped outside in just her furry socks.

 

“You really struggle to convey your emotions in your words, don’t you?” She smiled. Nayoung’s eyes were wide.

 

“I like you.” She repeated. Jieqiong nodded.

 

“I heard you.”

 

“Do you like me, too?” Nayoung asked.

 

“Of course.” Jieqiong pursed her lips. “But you’re going off to college.”

 

“Then I’ll wait.” Nayoung said. “Until your birthday.”

 

“My birthday?”

 

Nayoung shrugged. “You wouldn’t be illegal by then.”

 

Jieqiong laughed and stepped closer, wrapping her arms around Nayoung’s shoulders and placing her forehead against the other girl’s. Nayoung gulped and placed her hands on Jieqiong’s waist. The girl grinned.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay?” Nayoung asked breathlessly.

 

“Okay.” Jieqiong giggled. “Until my birthday, then.”

 

Nayoung’s arms went to fully circle Jieqiong’s waist as she pulled her closer, turning her head to bury it into the girl’s shoulder. Jieqiong laughed as she stood on her toes, holding Nayoung tightly.

 

“We took way too long, didn’t we?” Nayoung mumbled.

 

“Definitely.” Jieqiong replied.

 

“Siyeon was about to rip my head off.” Nayoung pulled away. “Were you really jealous whenever she mentioned college girls?”

 

Jieqiong pushed Nayoung away. “Yes!” She whisper/yelled. “It pissed me off so much!” She hissed.

 

Nayoung smiled widely and Jieqiong paused for a moment. Nayoung’s smile was too pretty. Too pretty.

 

“College girls are nothing compared to you.” Nayoung spoke softly.

 

Jieqiong blushed and looked away.

 

She cleared . “Did you walk here?”

 

“I took the bus.”

 

“There are no buses going around at this time.” Jieqiong whispered. She took hold of Nayoung’s hand. “Sleep over.”

 

Nayoung widened her eyes. “Until your birthday.” She repeated.

 

“Relax. We’re. Just. Sleeping.” Jieqiong raised her eyebrows at the girl’s panicked voice.

 

“F - Fine.”

 

✧━✰━✧

 

It was snowing on Jieqiong’s birthday, the girls were all gathered in the yogurt shop. They were the only ones irrational enough to get yogurt on a cold day such as this. They sang happy birthday to her loudly (even the old lady who worked there joined in) and gave her a yogurt cup full of gummy worms and sprinkles and everything Jieqiong liked. The girl was smiling widely despite the empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.

 

Nayoung had told her over phone call that because of the snow, she wouldn’t make it back home on time. Nayoung’s safety was the priority, of course, so Jieqiong told her it was fine and that another time would be okay.

 

“Present time!” Yebin announced loudly, pulling out a small piece of paper. Jieqiong furrowed her eyebrows as all the girls pulled out their own slips of papers. They all stood up and took a moment to get in a line in front of Jieqiong, who was confused.

 

“Jieqiong…” Eunwoo started off.

 

“Will…” Kyungwon read the word off of the paper. She then nudged Siyeon.

 

“You!” Siyeon exclaimed, grinning. Jieqiong’s eyebrows were raised.

 

“Please…” Yebin read her word.

 

“Be…” Minkyung said before turning her head. Jieqiong followed her line of sight and saw the girl she had been missing for nearly six months coming out from behind the counter.

 

“Mine?” She had her own slip of paper. Jieqiong jumped out of her seat and ran towards Nayoung, throwing her arms around the older girl.

 

“Is that a yes?” Nayoung whispered as she hugged Jieqiong tightly.

 

Jieqiong hit her on the shoulder. “No duh!” She grumbled. “I missed you.”

 

Nayoung kissed the side of her head. “I missed you, too.”

 

“Now, kiss!” Siyeon shouted out into the calm atmosphere.

 

Jieqiong started laughing and Nayoung couldn’t help but giggle. They pulled away, one hand holding on to another. Jieqiong leaned up and placed a kiss on Nayoung’s cheek.

 

“Awh! Boring!” Yebin booed them.

 

Nayoung rolled her eyes. It wasn’t boring - not to her.

 

Jieqiong hummed. “It was a bit boring, wasn’t it?” Nayoung widened her eyes.

 

“Later.” Jieqiong said, causing Nayoung’s face to turn bright red.

 

“JIEQIONG’S SEDUCING NAYOUNG!” Siyeon yelled out loudly, rushing to get in between the two. “We are in public!” She exclaimed, arms spread widely.

 

Jieqiong just giggled and Nayoung felt her heart swell up.

 

Even if it was below zero degrees outside, she had never felt so much warmth inside of her body.