GENERAL WARNINGS: crude language. teenagers being teenagers. immature jokes. mentions of ia. awkward teenage romance.

This was supposed to be 1000 words at most. My fingers slipped. I blame the nargles -- they're rather persisent creatures.

⭐️

one.

For all the peaceful and rule abiding student she was, Nayoung never really liked history class.

It often proved to be a dull, unecessary affair. The teacher was at least sixty years old with a bitter outlook on life from old, faded dreams, and her style of teaching left much to be desired. (As a general rule of thumb, Nayoung opted to be an at least decent person and reserved judgment until at least three classes with the teacher, but by the time of the second class, her opinion was already polished and cemented. There was no going back.)

"This is your assignment," Cho Hyojin, the teacher, announced after a lesson on their country's revolution. What was supposed to be an interesting, thought-provoking material fell flat and ended up becoming an excuse for at least half the students in her class to sleep off the effects of all-nighters. The girl sitting besides Nayoung and at least six more students in class were snoring softly, hiding their faces behind their bags to ensure the teacher wouldn't notice. "The assignment is worth an eighty-percent of your assignments grade, and your partners will be chosen by me." Cho Hyojin pursed her lips, and Nayoung's eyes widened a fraction at the announcement. Eighty-percent? That meant no slacking. Under the table, her hands crossed and she murmured a soft prayer for an at least half-way decent partner.

The teacher took a quick look at the class' attendance list before clearing , and Nayoung's grip adjusted on her pen as she prepared to scribble the partners in her notebook. She'd send it to the class' group chat later. "There will be no changes in the groups and I'll only announce this once. Listen carefully," Hyojin started, pausing to send a small glare at her students. "Is somebody writing this down?"

Nayoung raised her right hand awkwardly, letting it hover in the air for a few moments until she saw her teacher's nod, acknowledging her presence.

"Kim Minkyung and Nam Taehyun, Im Nayeon and Hong Jisoo, Kim Doyeon and Park Jimin," as the teacher announced the names, the sound of pen scratching the soft material that was Nayoung's piece of paper was heard in the room. So far, her name wasn't announced yet -- though there was a moment or two when she'd thought she was Hong Jisoo's partner, because Im Nayeon's name was so close to her own. "Kim Sojung and Im Jaebum, Zhou Jieqiong and Xu Minghao, Ahn Hyejin and Choi Youngjae, Park Sooyoung and Kim Jiwon, lastly, Im Nayoung and Choi Seungcheol." Nayoung wrote a small star next to her name and highlighted her and Seungcheol's name with her blue highlighter, closing it with the cap once she was done.

"I'll give you the last thirty minutes to discuss with your partners." Nayoung gently shook the girl next to her in an attempt to wake her up, and Jieqiong's eyes fluttered open softly, before turning to look at her seatmate with a quizzical look.

"Group assignment," explained Nayoung quietly. "You're paired with Minghao."

Jieqiong nodded briskly and sat up, stretching her limbs for a few moments until she heard a satisfying pop. "Thanks, Nayoung," Jieqiong said, grinning. "I don't know how I'd survive Miss Hyejin without you, seriously."

Nayoung's ears tinged red from the compliment, but she nodded, lips set in a thin line. "You're welcome. I'm going to Seungcheol's table," she said, nodding her head in parting before walking over towards the table in the very back of the class, right next to the window. Small rays of the sun filtered through the glass, casting light over the dark-haired boy slouched in his seat, undoubtedly asleep.

(Of course he was asleep. Seungcheol was probably exhausted, Nayoung noted, as the basketball team just finished at least three matches yesterday. Then there was also the factor of an after-game party, and being the captain, she wouldn't doubt he was invited -- those two combined simply meant there was no way he'd have gotten enough rest for Monday.)

"Seungcheol-ssi."

Nayoung tapped the table lightly, face schooled in the familiar expression of nothing. "Seungcheol-ssi," she repeated, slightly louder this time as her hand moved to shake his shoulder the same way she did when she tried to wake her brother. Just as the thought of working for the project alone came to mind, Seungcheol yawned softly, body sitting up in stiff, jerky movements she'd recognized like the way her own body moved after an accidental nap on her study table. He blinked once, twice, before he tilted his head to look at her, lips quirked in an ever-present smile.

"Can I help you?" He asked, tone bright and breezy. (Seungcheol reminded her of the wind sometimes, although Nayoung didn't know why.)

"We're partners for the history assignment," Nayoung answered easily, hands gesturing at what was written on the whiteboard. Seungcheol squinted, gaze zeroing in on their teacher's cursive handwriting before nodding, patting the seat next to him. She took his unspoken invitation and sat down on the empty seat next to him, placing down her notes and textbook on the table devoid of everything except for, oddly enough, a pillow. He must've planned on sleeping, Nayoung thought, not unkindly. "Here." She passed her notes on the assignment to him, watching as he scanned through her writing, nodding and noising quiet sounds of acknowledgment from time to time.

"Let's do Empress Myeongseong," he suggested after reading through the assignment, giving it back to her with an easy grin.

Nayoung raised a brow at his suggestion, not expecting him to be so enthusiastic on doing a report on a woman -- she thought he would've wanted to do a man instead, as most boys tended to, but maybe Seungcheol was at least a little different. "Okay," she agreed, nodding along.

Just as they finished writing the outline of the assignment, with Nayoung writing down the workloads and plans because she was a planner through and through, the bell rung, signalling the end of class. "Hey, give me your phone," Seungcheol said before Nayoung returned to her table. Confused, she took it out of her pocket and handed it to him, watching as he typed something before passing it back to her. When she searched to see what he'd written, she blinked upon seeing it was his number, and as she looked up, she felt heat creep up to her neck at the sight of his smile. (It was as bright as the sun.)

"I'll text you my skype later, so we can work on it easier," Seungcheol said, before pausing. "You don't mind, right?"

When Nayoung shook her head, she was surprised to find she felt slightly dazed.

two.

Three months in her third year of high school, sports class actually had a half-way decent assignment that was right up her alley: dancing. Of a sort. It was actually more of a rhythmic gymnastics kind of thing, but she watched last year's tapes of the assignment, and some of her seniors incorporated dance moves -- so who was to say she couldn't include some as well?

"Just make sure you get paired with kids who actually want to incorporate something cool in the moves instead of the standard hip swinging and feet stretching," Siyeon advised a week prior to the team selections. Technically, Siyeon was only starting her first year of high school, but Siyeon was wise and there was something in her eyes that made her seem much more mature than her age. Her eyes were a little jaded, in fact, though Nayoung wasn't sure if she wanted to know why. "And if you need help with the sound mixing, holla at your gal." Siyeon was also a musical genius. Not to mention gorgeous. It was unfair.

And so, on the day of the team selections when the class was seated on the soft, freshly mowed grass and Nayoung inhaled the scent of nature and land, she dared herself to hope she'd be able to get a team where they wouldn't complain to her choreography. (Were they called choreographies if they were for gymnastics? No? Well.)

"Third team consists of Kim Sojung, Im Nayoung, Park Jimin, and Choi Seungcheol."

After the rest of the teams were announced, Nayoung strode towards the boys' lines where Jimin and Seungcheol were sitting in the same line. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Sojung moving behind her as well. "Hey," she greeted quietly upon getting into hearing range, causing Jimin to look up with a smile. Seungcheol noticed her a few moments later. He grinned, and like a cliche, it took her breath away.

The four sat on the grass, forming a small circle as they did. Sojung found a quiet spot a few minutes prior, and after they hurried towards the small place underneath the shade of a tree, it was a comfortable enough place to sit. Relatively quiet, and well-protected from the scorching heat of the sun.

"I want to choreograph the moves. Is that okay?" Nayoung asked, looking around the circle to make sure she wouldn't force anyone into agreeing. Sojung didn't seem to mind, Seungcheol continued to smile, and Jimin shrugged. She took it as an okay. "I can get the moves ready by tomorrow, and since tomorrow's Saturday, would it be cool if we met up or something? Just so I can show you the moves," she added the last part as an afterthought, because nobody would like their weekend interrupted for the sole reason of Im Nayoung.

"I have a match from nine 'till twelve, but after that, I can clear my sched," Seungcheol said.

Jimin and Sojung looked at each other for a moment before shrugging. "I'm free tomorrow, so any time would be alright with me," Sojung explained with a kind smile.

"I'll check with the rest of the boys, but I'm pretty sure I'm free tomorrow as well," admitted Jimin. (Jimin was in this rapping slash dancing, kind of, crew consisting of the high school students and a few alumni as well. Nayoung was sure they were the school's pride and joy, if the school's officials were aware of the overwhelming popularity said group had on the internet -- they were a viral sensation.)

They made a group chat on KKT, as it would've been the easiest method of communication considering it was cheaper than paid text messages, and when they were asked for the leader, the group pointed at Nayoung in unison.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but she'll take it.

nayoung.
hey, so are we fixed for tomorrow?

Kim Sojung
Sure!!

S.COUPS (Nayoung noted the username with slight disdain)
as long as it's past noon i'm down!

jimin
yeah i can make it 😀
where are we meeting?

nayoung.
the dance studio near the school
do you guys know it?
it's just two blocks away
near the bus station.
[nayoung has sent a location]

S.COUPS
OH I KNOW WHERE THAT IS
good luck choreographing, nayoung!
i'm sure it'll be amazing (At this, Nayoung stared at the message oddly. However, a small smile curled on her lips an exact five seconds later. Warmth fluttered in her chest.)

The next day, Seungcheol whooped after seeing her demonstration of the choreography, standing up from the floor and giving her a loud, raucous standing ovation. "I told you it was going to be great!"

(Jimin faceplanted the floor. Sojung looked like she wasn't sure whether to coo or feel alarmed at the sudden proclamation. As for Nayoung? Her cheeks flushed a dark shade of red.)

interlude, part one.

Two weeks after her group was announced to have the highest score in the sports assignment, Eunwoo, being the ever loving and supporting junior, promised to treat Nayoung lunch, for Nayoung herself was almost as broke as a college student. "The cafeteria food is pretty good now," Eunwoo chattered as she clung to Nayoung's hand, dragging the taller girl as she did. It was a comical sight. "I'm pretty sure it's because they fired the old cook and hired a new one. I heard he's from France! Can you imagine, cooking for the French and being all Parisian until he got dumped in this hole of a high school?" Even when Eunwoo cursed, Nayoung wondered how the girl still managed to sound so... happy.

"Must be a culture shock," Nayoung said, adding her two cents quietly. Eunwoo nodded fervently in agreement. (Her mother must've fed Eunwoo too much sugar this morning. Or maybe Eunwoo managed to drink some milk for breakfast that morning -- yes, that'd explain it.)

"If I were him, I'd never leave France to work in a high school cafeteria," Eunwoo continued to talk, and Nayoung nodded and made 'ooh's and 'aah's in the appropriate moments. Call her a bad friend, but she simply found there was nothing interesting about the new cook, parisian or not. Nayoung wasn't even sure if the cook was actually from France -- maybe the cook was actually from Busan. Or Daegu. Or something.

"Thank God you're not most people then," Nayoung teased, chuckling upon feeling the nudge Eunwoo targeted at her ribs. "I'm not ticklish, Eunwoo. Try again." It was a good thing Nayoung wasn't ticklish, because everyone knew if she was, Eunwoo wouldn't stop pestering her about it. She had her genes to thank for that. 

The line in the cafeteria was staggeringly long, and it seemed like the hold up was going to last a while. Nayoung sighed, tapping her feet rhythmically on the floor, and Eunwoo started to sing a song under her breath. Nayoung tried to wrack her brain to guess whatever song it was Eunwoo was singing, but it was to no avail, though she suspected it was more because Eunwoo listened to new songs by idols for fun, whereas Nayoung only listened to them for choreographies, or in the rare occasions, to check out the dances -- and even then, she rarely paid any heed to the actual song, or even the visuals. It was always the dance.

Upon reaching towards the end of the line, Nayoung spared a glance at the menu of the day. "Oh, is that fettucini? Looks nice," she commented, and Eunwoo followed her line of sight before nodding.

"Yeah, that's one of the best menus, really. I'll get that one for you. Want some yakult as well?" Eunwoo suggested, and Nayoung nodded, causing the other girl to smile. "Alright then!"

Their lunch table was shared with a few other girls, some of the girls were in Nayoung's grade, and some were younger as well -- she recognized Jieqiong, her seatmate and one of her closest friends in class, and also Siyeon who was in Nayoung's inner circle of friends -- and introductions, they decided, were not in order.

"Wow. Nayoung's actually eating with us," Jieqiong pointed out at some point, not unkindly.

Nayoung smiled, a little uncomfortable from the attention -- but she'll live. "Eunwoo insisted," she answered, taking another bite from her fettucini. "It's kind of loud here, isn't it?" Fact was, it wasn't just loud because of the atmosphere of the cafeteria, but she noticed this table was close to a table surrounded by a crowd boys. She couldn't make out who they were seeing as she hadn't had a glimpse of their faces, but she had a sinking feeling in her stomach she was going to find out. Whether it was a good feeling or a bad one, she was yet to discern.

"Don't mind them," Shannon said, laughing slightly. "They're the basketball team. But they're pretty nice," she added the last part after a moment's worth of contemplation, and Nayoung blinked upon hearing the words 'basketball team.' 

"They're a pain in the ," Yebin remarked off-handedly, before adding, "not literally, though."

"Nasty." Eunwoo flicked her best friend's forehead with a grin, and Nayoung watched their interaction quietly, a rare smile forming on her lips from her amusement.

Minkyung, who was seated right in front of Nayoung, froze for a moment upon seeing the smile on the usually emotionless girl's face. A grin overcame the look of shock, however, and she squealed. "You're so pretty when you smile, Nayoung!" Somehow, that sentence managed to get the attention of the other girls, as their heads suddenly tilted towards her in rapid speed at an attempt of seeing her lips twitch upwards. (By then, Nayoung was startled and her smile dropped -- unfortunately, she was yet to be informed the girls gathered around the said table were determined to boot.)

"Let me try something," Jieqiong said, reaching out a hand towards Nayoung's face before they touched the skin of her features, and Jieqiong's thumbs attempted to prod Nayoung's lips into a smile. It didn't work, but Jieqiong laughed, her laughter sounding like bells chiming in the wind. "How cute!"

They laughed, and Nayoung, unsure of what to do, stayed frozen in her place, cheeks stiff from the 'smile' courtesy of Zhou Jieqiong. Was this what it felt like, being friends with a big group of girls? (It wasn't as if Nayoung didn't have any friends per se, as that wasn't the case, but she never had the privilege of being in a squad, or whatever it was called. It was certainly an... experience, though.)

"Hey Nayoung, do you want to know what you resemble?" Minkyung asked after a brief conversation with Yebin, filled with giggling and merry laughter.

Nayoung looked at the girl warily. "What?" It came out muffled as Jieqiong was still forcing a smile on Nayoung's lips, but the message was clear.

"A stone buddha!"

(And that was how Stone Buddha was born.)

three.

The third time it happened, Nayoung was starting wonder if this was just some sort of odd coincidence.

"Seungcheol, your partner will be Nayoung -- is that alright?" As far as teachers were concerned, Kim Minah was a student body favourite, though it wasn't hard as to see why. Even for a class like math, she managed to keep the students on their toes, capturing their rapt attention. A nearly impossible feat, but it was accomplished, nonetheless.

Nayoung nodded, ignoring Jieqiong's interested glance at her direction. While she never had a chance to talk to Jieqiong about how odd it was she kept getting partnered with Seungcheol or was at least a groupmate of his for the last two assignments, coincidences happened, and for all she knew, this could be the last time they were assigned to work together. The universe worked in odd, unpredictable ways after all.

This time around, the both of them discussed the project at Nayoung's table instead of Seungcheol's, and from the way the books were stacked neatly on the desk and how it was devoid of any pillows or anything that would prove as a distraction during class, the tables couldn't be any more different.

"Wow. This is neat," Seungcheol commented, whistling appreciatively.

Nayoung was taken aback at the compliment, but it didn't take much time for her to regain her calm composure. "Thanks," she said, and paused. "This is going to be a bit of a longterm project. We'll have to divide the work evenly, and I don't think just using our time in class to work on this is going to suffice."

"I was thinking the same thing, actually," Seungcheol admitted, grinning sheepishly. "Would it be cool if we did some of this after school? I like to spend the weekends sleeping in," he said the last part quietly, but Nayoung chuckled, though her face remained impassive. (It was a slightly scary sight to see, but if Seungcheol was scared, he didn't mention it.)

"That's alright. When do you have basketball practice?" It was only a few months away until Seungcheol's last game, that much Nayoung knew, as they were both third years now. Unfortunately, the schedule of a third year was more along the lines of 'study your off and get into a respectable college' rather than 'be young and have fun!', and while Nayoung was always focused on graduating and getting into a school good enough to please her family, she was friends with those who weren't used to having their workload swamped with assignments and important revisions. Seungcheol seemed to be like one of those people, and if he wanted to focus on the last few months he had of basketball, she couldn't find it within herself to fault him.

Seungcheol's eyes widened at the mention of basketball practice, and he rubbed his nape, almost embarrassed. "Wow. I'm the basketball player yet you're the one who remembers about practice." Just as Nayoung was about to apologize, he grinned easily, and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I was kidding, relax." Nayoung found herself too speechless to retort, the words dying in as she registered the fact Choi Seungcheol just ruffled her hair so casually as if he did it everyday. Noticing the girl's silence, Seungcheol frowned, but upon seeing the frozen Nayoung, he blinked, realizing his earlier actions. "I didn't mean to-- uh-- I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable," he spoke in a hurry, retracting his hand from Nayoung's head in a blink of an eye.

"It's okay," Nayoung assured, mortified when her voice came out as a squeak. She coughed, a valiant attempt to regain her composure. "So, basketball practice?"

"I'm free except for Tuesdays and Fridays, but sometimes I hang out with the guys after school. Would it be okay if you waited for me to finish basketball practice? You can sit on the bleachers," Seungcheol requested, face alight with hope.

Nayoung considered her options for a moment, before shrugging and nodding her head in agreement. "Sounds good to me. When do you want to start working on it?"

Seungcheol's brows furrowed as he thought, head bent slightly as he thought. "How about tomorrow? I've got plans for the rest of the week."

Today was Thursday, meaning the day after would be Friday -- basketball practice, then. "I..." Nayoung hesitated for a moment, but a look into Seungcheol's brown eyes, oddly resembling a puppy, cemented her decision. "I guess that's fine."

By the time Friday came around, Nayoung was out of the library with half an hour to spare until basketball practice ended -- apparently, the librarian was closing the library early for the time being, much to Nayoung's endless dismay -- and she headed towards the basketball court, fists clenched on her sides and jaw set in determination. (She was pretty sure this was going to end up being a horrible decision, but nobody ever said she was actually good at making the right decisions for herself. Create wise, rational decisions for a team? Sure. Make good decisions for herself? Hell no.)

Her movements stopped once she was only a step away from the door. There were only two possible outcomes, really: a) she'd end up being ignored and could wait for Seungcheol in peace, or b) they'd take notice of her and it would draw much unneeded attention. There were other possible outcomes as well, thoughher calculations told her the more possible outcomes were the two she'd listed, and the others were more of a 'what the ' situation than anything. You've come this far. Might as well do it, she thought, and with that, she pushed the door open.

And then, a basketball collided with her stomach, sending the girl to her knees in gut-wrenching pain. (Literally speaking.)

"Holy , is that a girl -- "

"This is why you should learn how to aim properly, ."

"Guys, is she alright?"

"She collapsed on the floor how do you think she's doing?"

On her place on the floor, Nayoung winced, struggling to get on her feet once more. It hurt like a , though she contributed it to the fact the ball was probably moving at least twenty miles an hour. At least it doesn't feel like a war's raging in your uterus, her optimistic side supplied, rather unhelpfully as Nayoung's form continued to crumple in pain.

"Do you need to go to the nurse? Hello?" There was worry in the stranger's voice, and Nayoung barely registered the hand waving in front of her frantically as she clutched her stomach tightly, feet unstable as they tried to get up from the ground.

"I'm fine," Nayoung practically whimpered as she answered, her words a blatant lie.

"I'm going to try and help you get up, I won't try to do anything funny so please don't knee me in the balls," the voice warned a little shakily before she felt something warm wrap around her waist, holding it steadily as someone holsted her upwards. Nayoung clutched on the closest thing she could tell belonged to the person -- a soft white fabric, probably wet with sweat but beggars can't be choosers -- doing her best to avoid her knees from buckling.

"On normal occasions I'd make a completely crude joke, but -- dude, is she okay?" She pinpointed the owner of the voice to someone standing in the middle of the basketball court with canine-like teeth, and a name came in mind. Kim Mingyu, one of Eunwoo's friends. (Actually, it seemed like everyone was Eunwoo's friend.)

"Let's get you seated on the bleachers, alright?" A gentle voice prodded, and the one who'd helped her up led her towards the bleachers on the side of the basketball court, seating her down carefully. Upon feeling her bum make contact with the wooden material of the seats, Nayoung retracted her hand from the person's shirt, clutching it back on her stomach. The pain was duller now -- certainly nowhere as painful and surprising as before -- but it still hurt, damn it.

Silence enveloped the previously lively room like a blanket before Seungcheol took a sharp intake of breath. "Wait a second, Nayoung, is that you?"

("Who the hell is Nayoung?" someone asked in the background, and the person next to him shrugged, the universal symbol for 'hell if i know.')

Nayoung waved, an almost comical sight as it was coupled with her grimace of pain. "Hi."

Two hours and at least ten 'this is all my fault's later, Nayoung was no longer in pain and Seungcheol was no longer groveling. Sort of.

"Again, I'm really sorry," Seungcheol said, looking at her like a kicked puppy. Nayoung took a sip from her smoothie before shaking her head, giving him a displeased frown.

"Seungcheol, I told you to stop apologizing. You didn't expect me to show up when you threw that basketball. It's nobody's fault," Nayoung said wisely, and Seungcheol sighed, shoulders sagging as he did. "I won't hold it against you, seriously." When Seungcheol opened his mouth, presumably to protest, she cut him off before he could even utter a word. "If you apologize one more time, I'm sewing your mouth shut."

"...Shutting up now."

"Wise decision." Nayoung smiled softly at the banter, and her lips curled downwards upon noticing Seungcheol's dumbfounded stare. "What?" He shook his head, smiling like a fool, and Nayoung's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Is there something on my face?"

"Nope."

"Then, what?"

"You're breathtaking when you smile," Seungcheol left it at that, and Nayoung spent the rest of the night feeling light on her feet as she walked home.

The realization they only managed to finish a little of their work only dawned on her once she turned off the lights, preparing to sleep, but it wasn't as horrible as she thought. There was more socializing than working, but it wasn't... terrible. It was actually, dare she say it, a little fun.

interlude, part two.

On Tuesday, Seungcheol was bombarded with questions.

It wasn't the first time it happened -- there were other occasions when the other members of the basketball team pelted him with their neverending questions, those little rascals -- but the reason why it made him, in Seungkwan's words, fumble and stutter like a lovestruck schoolgirl, was probably because of the fact they kept asking him about his (frankly) non-existent girlfriend.

"Who was she, cap'n?" Jun was the first one who asked, firing off the question as soon as Seungcheol stepped foot inside the basketball court.

To his mortification, the entire team seemed to have arrived before him and were already clad in their basketball attire, huddling in the bench looking like gossipping aunts. Seungcheol hovered in front of the (now closed) door awkwardly, unsure how to proceed. "Uh..."

"Yeah, yeah! Tell us!" Minghao repeated, his chinese accent lingering in his words as he bounced on his seat, looking at the leader of the team expectantly.

Seungcheol thought of himself as someone who was prepared for anything. He was adaptable. He was resourceful. He was clever, albeit not in the way one would easily expect. He was, however, untrained and horribly inexperienced when it came to being interrogated by his teammates about girls of all things, and in a true sagely manner, he gaped. "What girl?" It was an honest question -- perhaps they saw him walking with his visiting aunt last Sunday? His aunt was young, meaning it would've been perfectly understandable if they misunderstood. (There weren't many feminine figures in Seungcheol's life, much to everyone's surprise. It had been that way since he broke up with his last girlfriend nearly half a year ago, and it stayed that way. Basketball was a good enough reason to disregard love for the time being.)

"Don't act clueless." Jihoon, ever so blunt, was the one who said this. Seungcheol looked at his best friend incredulously, and Jihoon, with his pastel pink hair and intimidating 'I will cut a ' glare, didn't blanch. "Nayoung? Is that you?" He imitated Seungcheol, and the rest of the team did various re-enactments of the scene.

"Okay, guys, my voice is not that ridiculous -- Seungkwan, stop."

Looking like he had no shame at all (which, considering it was Boo Seungkwan, was completely possible), Seungkwan and Hansol stopped imitating the act of kissing. Next to them, Jeonghan rolled his eyes at the maturity of his peers while Seokmin snickered.

"Seungcheol, we just want you to be honest," Jisoo started off, and Seungcheol relaxed slightly because this was Hong Jisoo, and Jisoo was one of the calmest in their group. He was a church boy, for goodness' sake, and whatever it was Jisoo was going to say was going to be tamer than the rest of the team, right? "Are you getting some?"

Seungcheol choked on air.

Wonwoo and Mingyu patted his back, and it took him a long string of coughs and drinking half of a bottle before he answered, voice hoarse and throat sore. "We're project partners, there's nothing more and nothing less," he explained, watching as his teammates soaked in the new information easily.

"Oh. Okay then. She was pretty cute though, could you give me her number?" Soonyoung inquired, smiling dreamily at the thought of girls, because girls. (Seungcheol could relate.)

In the corner of his eye, he could see Chan smirk, although he didn't understand why. He also couldn't understand why his left eye twitched, his gut feeling something like... annoyance? Inconvenience? Unhappy-ness? (Was that even a word?)

"No."

"Aww, look! The captain is jealous! Green doesn't suit you, captain~"

"Shut up, Seungkwan."

four.

By the time fourth project came around, it wasn't funny anymore.

"Do you think the teachers do it on purpose?" Seungcheol asked Nayoung as they lounged on the well-kept grass of the school's grounds, watching the girl's actions intently as she crossed her arms and shrugged. "I mean like, no offense, but isn't it freaky how we keep ending up on these two-man projects together?"

"It's only weird if you make it weird," Nayoung advised, not meeting his eyes as she flipped her novel open to a seemingly random page. Seungcheol attempted to peek at the covers, only to make out some english words and a bright, colourful cover. Finding out what people's preferences were was a good way to read people, that much Seungcheol knew because he was used to reading people and he was good at it, but Nayoung's taste in fiction seemed to change every time she got her hands on something new. It was one of the few reasons why the girl was on his mind lately.

"Whatcha reading?" He asked, curious.

Nayoung continued to read, even as she answered his question. "I'm re-reading Harry Potter."

"Oh? Harry Potter? I love those movies!" Seungcheol exclaimed, grinning as Nayoung looked up from her book to shake her head slightly, an exasperated smile lighting up her face. "Look, I made you smile. This is, what, the fifth time?"

"You keep track?" Nayoung's carefully schooled expressions cracked in that moment, as her words betrayed her surprise. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was simply surprised, but he did know better. Nayoung was touched, and seeing the small cracks in her cold, hard exterior that managed to show her how human she was made him feel an odd sort of satisfaction.

"'Course I do. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" Seungcheol snorted, wriggling his eyebrows teasingly. "It's crazy, you know? If we never had all these projects together we probably never would've even talked. And if we didn't talk, I wouldn't be able to see your smile so often." Nayoung tensed in front of him as she placed the book down on her lap.

"Why do you talk about my smile like it's so special?" She mumbled, fingers tracing small circles on the ground.

"Because it is," Seungcheol said softly, smiling so tenderly Nayoung thought he never looked more genuine. "It's the smile that makes the world a little brighter."

He was not able to duck in time as she poked his forehead seriously. "Stop." Poke. "Being." Poke. "So." Poke. "Greasy." ... Poke. Before she managed to do something else, Seungcheol caught her wrist mid-air and directed her hand to the ground gently.

"It's worth it because I get to see your expression."

"Ughghg, stop."

A minute or two passed in relative silence except for the sound of paper flipping from Nayoung's book and the quiet chirping of the birds, at least, until a thought came in Nayoung's mind. "Why are you still here? Didn't we finish the assignment half an hour ago?" She asked, peering at him curiously. The book was slightly lowered, a sign of undivided attention, in her case.

"I want to spend more time with you." And, it was the truth.

Nayoung gaped, resembling a gawking stone, and Seungcheol chuckled. Without thinking, he outstretched his arm to prod at her jaw gently, barely noticing the pink dusting the girl's cheeks. "You would've caught flies in your mouth if you kept gawking," he said, as if that explained and validated everything. Nayoung closed her jaw without a word, and he only took half a minute before he realized her embarrassment. "...Oh."

"Yes. Oh."

"I'm sorry," Seungcheol apologized, looking at her in earnest. She avoided his gaze, and although he knew that was expected, it still stung. He covered it with a smile, though -- he always did. "I should've remembered how shy you are with physical contact." If there was anything he wasn't expected, however, it was Nayoung's vehement protest.

"No! I'm not shy with physical contact." Considering the state of her cheeks -- nearly as red as tomatoes -- and her automatic mechanism of avoiding his skinship, it really didn't take a second for someone to rationalize why Seungcheol's eyebrows were quirked in amusement. "I mean, I don't hate it or anything, I'm just... It's just..."

"It's not you, it's me?" Seungcheol supplied helpfully, and Nayoung nodded.

"Yeah. That. I'm just not used to it," the girl admitted, and for a moment, Seungcheol saw Im Nayoung without the stone-cold exterior. Just as young as everyone else was in the school (teachers excluded), just as vulnerable, just as confused as the rest of them were about where they stood in the world -- just small, dreadful little things in a big, cruel world. (Well. Maybe that last part could be scratched. Nayoung always looked like she had her together, it was one of the things he admired and liked so much about her.)

"It's not something to be ashamed of," he spoke, after a few moments in deep thought. Nayoung looked at him, meeting his eyes for what felt like the first time. (It wasn't the first time, but there was something in her eyes that wasn't there before -- a look he couldn't quiet place. But it was gentle, just as it was prodding and capable of making him feel like he was young and lovestruck again and -- oh no. Really, heart? Really?)

The moment was ruined by the bell. Saved by the bell, his .

"We should go to class," Nayoung said, voice more quiet than usual. Seungcheol nodded, wordless as he helped her gather her things and carrying their finished music project in his arms as they walked back to class in amicable silence that hid a thousand words.

five.

"Oh, it's you."

"Did you expect anything less?"

"... Are we interrupting something?" Jiwon broke their banter, and Nayoung blinked, taking in the appearance of the other groupmates. Unsurprisingly, Nayoung and Seungcheol were in the same group yet again -- by now, the whole class was aware of the pattern, and it somewhat became an inside joke amongst the soon-to-be-graduating class -- although this time, it was for a movie assignment and therefore, the importance of the statement 'the more the merrier.'

"Not at all," Seungcheol chirped, gesturing to the empty seats around his table. "Just sit down, friends."

(The seating chart was something like this; Nayoung seated next to Seungcheol, Jiwon and Jaebum in front of them, and a lone Jieqiong sat on a chair located next to the table. It was a tight fit, but it worked.)

"Dibs on editor," Jieqiong stated outright, and Jaebum stared at her incredulously -- Nayoung assumed he wanted the position as well, but dibs was dibs -- before sighing in resignation, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry, Jaebum." Jieqiong didn't sound apologetic at all, but nobody pointed it out.

"I'll be director, then," Jaebum muttered, shooting a pointed look at the piece of paper where they were supposed to write down their roles. As Nayoung was Nayoung and she had a reputation to keep, she rummaged through Seungcheol's pencil case for a pen before she scribbled down the roles on the paper, her work ethnic efficient as it was quiet. Under her own name, the pen scratched the material to create the words 'sound mixer.'

"How about you two?" Nayoung directed the question towards Seungcheol and Jiwon, letting the both of them mull over their choices.

Jiwon answered first. "I've got a camera. Might as well be the cameramen," his reasoning is more or less justified, and Nayoung listed him as their team's cameraman readily. While having a camera didn't necessarily mean you were good at using the camera, there was nothing wrong with giving a chance. If the worst happened and Jiwon was incapable of taking decent shots, well, they'll live.

"That leaves you in charge of scriptwriting, then," she acknowledged Seungcheol, ignoring his spluttered protests and addressing the other members of the group. "The theme's romance. Does anyone have any ideas?"

Jieqiong shot her hand upwards quickly, surprising Jaebum in the process, but Nayoung gestured for the chinese girl to talk. "Well, okay," Jieqiong began, voice taking on what Nayoung dubbed as the 'daydreaming' tone Jieqiong seemed to slip into whenever she started talking about... this. Whatever this was. "I finished reading this novel last night, and it was about this guy with heart problems who fell in love with a blind girl. Then he died, but it was kind of a plot device and it was a great plot twist even though everyone knew it was going to happen eventually, so. Anyways, it's totally tragic and it'd be totally perfect!" Jieqiong clapped her hands together, being the picture perfect example of enthusiasm.

"Does anyone have better ideas?" Jaebum finally asked after Jieqiong's idea brought silence to the group. His voice bordered on hopeful, and his face darkened when he saw the others shaking their head as negative. "Then I guess we'll be going with your idea," he said reluctantly, wincing as he heard Jieqiong's shrill squeal. "Who wants to be the lead?" Jaebum shared a glance with the other two male members of the group, noticing the both of them discreetly shaking their head, trying not to make their panic of being the possible lead of a sappy romance movie obvious. Idiots -- though he supposed they were endearing idiots. "Not it."

"That's so ing childish," Jiwon sulked, but sullenly added, "Not it!" at the end of his sentence.

"Congratulations on getting lead, Seungcheol," Jaebum said seriously, the somber effect ruined by the obvious glee in his eyes as he slapped Seungcheol's back in an almost fatherly manner. "I'm so proud of you, son," he took on the voice of a mother, beaming at the raucous laughter it caused. Well, except for Nayoung, but Nayoung probably never smiled -- at least, that was what Jaebum assumed -- so he wasn't all that bothered.

"Nayoung, you can have the lead!" Jieqiong chirped, eyes forming crescents as she nudged on her friend's ribs, not all that gently. Nayoung winced at the short sting, targeting a stink-eye at the chinese transfer student. "I don't really like acting."

That was a lie. Nayoung knew Jieqiong used to join a theatre club in middle school, and she was also very much aware of the fact Jieqiong was almost always the lead actress in her old theatre productions. She opened to protest, but there was that twist of Jieqiong's mouth that meant Jieqiong had something planned out -- and she also very well knew what happened when someone ruined Jieqiong's plans.

And so, Nayoung was forced to nod and look like she was enjoying this. (Which, spoiler alert: she wasn't.)

"I'm so excited," Nayoung said, and her voice fell flat as a deadpan.

Jieqiong slapped her arm. (Nayoung could practically feel the girl hissing BE MORE ENTHUSIASTIC despite Jieqiong not even saying anything.)

"I mean. I'm so excited!" She forced more cheer into her tone, and her voice cracked at the end of her sentence. She couldn't decide what was worse; the mortification of it all, or the way everyone was staring at her like she was insane. Considering her brilliant lack choices (or, lackthereof), Nayoung decided she probably was insane.

Jaebum was a slavedriver.

(What kind of person would schedule a scene shooting at five AM in the morning?)

As much of a slavedriver he was, however, nobody in their team had the guts to protest. Nayoung wasn't sure if it was because Jaebum always looked like he was going to murder the next person who sparked his anger, or if it was because everyone in the school was aware the boy had anger problems. Either way, Jaebum made them do the assignment even during the ungodly hours in the morning, and everyone else just went with it because it was Jaebum and nobody messed with him. Ever.

"I'm going to die," Jieqiong half-spoke half-groaned as she slumped down next to Nayoung, leaning her head on the taller girl's shoulders with a tired sigh. "I barely got any sleep last night editing the scenes we've shot, and you know what the er said?" She waited for Nayoung's response, and continued once she was positive she'd seen Nayoung's curious look. "He actually had the nerves to tell me we were going to re-shoot the scene because the lightning was terrible. I just lost two hours of my life, Nayoung. Two. Hours."

"At least he didn't tell you to change the script during every single revision," Seungcheol complained as he took the other spot on Nayoung's right. "It's just for a short movie assignment that isn't even going to be fifty percent of our final grade."

"The original script was fine though?" Jiwon piped up, appearing from out of nowhere and scratching his nape with his fingers in confusion.

"Too much pining," Jieqiong imitated Jaebum's voice, voice lowered and with a forced guttural growl. "I'm the one who read the novel and I thought it was perfect, but apparently he thought that kind of would've been too romantic. It's supposed to be a romance movie."

And then, like there was some kind of telepathic contact between the three of them, they looked at Nayoung with expectant, prodding eyes as if they were waiting for her to voice her complaint. Nayoung felt her cheeks flushing from the unwanted attention, and she coughed.

"It's an overkill, but are you all aware of what school Jaebum wants to enter?" They shook their heads in unison. "He wants to get into NYU's film school, I think he wants to put this movie as a reference when he applies later," she said, voice quiet to make sure Jaebum wouldn't be able to hear although the boy in question was somewhere in the building's bathroom at least two stories below them.

"It doesn't mean he can work us like slaves. We're not even getting paid," Jieqiong muttered, face contorted in a grimace.

"I know. I was supposed to be watching anime this morning but since he wanted to re-shoot the scene, I couldnt," Nayoung admitted, not all that ashamed of letting her classmates know about her liking to television. "But it doesn't mean he's not as stressed out as the rest of us."

"Who's not as stressed out as the rest of us?"

Jaebum stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and brows furrowed in confusion. His lips twitched downwards, and beside her, Jieqiong yelped in surprise.

"Tell him," Nayoung mumbled, directing it towards Jieqiong. In all honesty, Nayoung was somewhat glad Jaebum managed to sneak in, eventually setting up the chain of events that would be an awkward team talk -- but if he didn't overhear at least some parts of the conversation, Nayoung wasn't sure if Jieqiong, Seungcheol, or Jiwon would've had the guts to tell the director how they felt. (Nayoung just wanted to have a good grade, and she just knew if the team kept being divided like this -- the crew loathing the director's decisions and the director seemingly not aware of the team's ires -- the end product would've been unsatisfactory.)

"Look, man," Seungcheol said, standing up (the bed creaked from the loss of his weight) and walking towards the silent Jaebum. "Nayoung told us you wanted to apply for film school. Dreams are important, I get that, but could you have some consideration for the rest of us too? We're not machines, you know," he added the last part dryly, but Nayoung could sense his genuine concern for both Jaebum and the rest of them. Seungcheol was a leader through and through. Nayoung didn't doubt he used the same tone on his basketball team members as well.

She watched the confrontation silently, noting how Jaebum's posture stiffened at Seungcheol's words. "So, is that what you were talking about?" Jaebum murmured, meeting Seungcheol's gaze with a steely one of his own. "Why didn't the rest of you say something?" This, he directed at the rest of them -- particularly Jieqiong, who refused to meet his eyes and opted to stare at her feet instead.

"We didn't know how you'd react," Jiwon, usually bright and cheerful, said in a serious tone of voice. "Sorry."

Jaebum pinched the bridge of his nose. If Nayoung noticed he didn't seem to direct any particular ire towards her, she didn't mention it. "Okay."

"Okay?" Jieqiong echoed, lifting her head carefully.

"Yeah. Okay. Sorry for overworking you," Jaebum said, letting go of his pride for a moment to apologize to his team. "Next time you have a problem, could you tell me instead of talking about it behind my back, though? It ," he remarked bluntly, and Jieqiong flinched, but nodded all the same.

There was the sound of clapping, and Nayoung looked at Seungcheol incredulously as he beamed at Jaebum like a proud parent. "Now that we've got that settled, let's finish shooting and head for breakfast later! My treat."

"Are you sure you have any money left?" Jieqiong teased, forgetting her previous guilt and looking between Nayoung and Seungcheol with a sly grin. "I mean, you've been hanging around Nayoung a lot lately, 'Cheol. Guys always pay for --" Whatever Jieqiong was going to say, it was muffled as Nayoung's hand made contact with Jieqiong's mouth, effectively silencing the smirking girl.

"Okay, that's enough now," Nayoung said, not liking the way her voice came out higher than usual from mild panic. Jaebum stared at her oddly, Jiwon was lost, and Seungcheol was full-out laughing at her embarrassment.

"Jieqiong's right, though," Seungcheol mused, and Nayoung stared at her constant assignment partner slash friend, mortified. "I've been paying a lot for you lately, right? Food, that smoothie, oh and that one time we watched Captain America --"

"Only because you never let me pay," Nayoung hissed, glaring at Seungcheol without any actual hatred. Just mild dismay. And whole lot of chagrin.

"Are we missing something here?" Jiwon interrupted them, and Nayoung shook her head at the same time Seungcheol nodded fervently.

Somewhere in the room, Jaebum snorted. "Just date already, will you?"

(Nayoung pretended she didn't hear that remark. Jieqiong, however, could read her friend very well indeed, and took the sight of Nayoung blushing and stuttering with immense glee.)

and the one time she asked him herself.

It grew to be a routine she was accustomed to -- being partnered for projects with Seungcheol, waiting for him to finish basketball practice much to the amusement of his friends, clarifying dating rumours with Seungcheol to her friends, spending time with Seungcheol both during and outside school -- and when an opportunity to be partners with someone who wasn't Seungcheol, things got a little... weird.

"Because this assignment has a big impact on your grades, I'm letting you choose your patners yourself." That was Professor Jung, the teacher who was considered the teacher, possible ex-heartbreaker, and one of the best music teachers Nayoung ever had the privilege of being taught by. Professor Jung was, while only having worked at their school for five years, a teacher with a considerable reputation. His classes were also Nayoung's personal favourite, and it was a mix because of his teaching style (interesting, eyecatching, not yawn-provoking and rather thought-provoking) and the subject itself. Dancing was Nayoung's forte indeed, but it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy music as well. "One of you will play an instrument, the other will sing, or maybe both of you play instruments and sing -- whatever combination it takes, I want at least one person on an instrument and one person singing. The theme can be anything you want, just make sure it's appropriate. I'm talking to you, Nam Taehyun." He paused to shoot a pointed look at the aforementioned student who met his look with a smile that was too innocent to be actually innocent.

This was where Nayoung thought about her potential partners. Jieqiong was an obvious first option, and everyone knew Jieqiong could sing. Maybe she wasn't as good as Eunwoo, but Jieqiong was stable and her tone was pleasant enough to hear. That, and Jieqiong was also a good guitar player -- her covers on YouTube and the subscribers she had attested to that.

The second option was Kim Doyeon. Despite the fact Nayoung rarely ever spoke to the girl, though it was more because of their different social circles more than anything, Doyeon could sing and play both piano and the guitar. The only con would have to be the fact Doyeon was a cheerleader with a bustling and vibrant social life, and scheduling their practices could be a problem. (That was what Nayoung meant by different social circles. Doyeon was like, the school's It Girl or something. Whenever you asked someone on the halls about Kim Doyeon, their answer would be something along the lines of "oh, she's so pretty!" and "total girlcrush material." If you asked about Nayoung instead, their answer would be a simple "who is she again?")

Then there was also Youngjae who could sing his heart out, but he was going to partner himself with Jaebum -- the kid was the only one who dared to get close enough to Jaebum during his terrible moods -- and the both of them were going to sing better than everyone else in class, probably.

Almost against her will, her eyes lingered on Seungcheol who had his chin propped with his palms, gazing out the window silently. He seemed distracted, for a reason she couldn't quite fathom, and she wondered what would happen if she decided to do this particular assignment with him. He was a rapper, that she was aware of, but she wasn't sure what instruments he played. (Did rappers even play instruments?)

"Who do you want to be your partner?" Jieqiong asked, and Nayoung forced her eyes away from Seungcheol and to the girl sitting beside her. Jieqiong had a knowing look on her face as if she just knew who captured Nayoung's attention mere moments ago, and Nayoung didn't doubt it in the slightest.

"You," Nayoung answered, and Jieqiong raised a skeptical brow. "What?" It came out more defensive than she intended, and Nayoung crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're going to thank this for me one day," was all Jieqiong said as she stood from her seat, hand grabbing Nayoung's elbow to lift her upwards as well. Nayoung stood, slightly unsteady from the sudden gesture, and that was all it took for Jieqiong to push Nayoung from the area surrounding their table. "Stop gaping, Nayoung. Go."

It was in that moment Nayoung felt the realization tumbling down like bricks, causing what the Greeks called an epiphany.

"Oh my god."

"Yes. Oh your god," Jieqiong repeated patiently, grinning in a way that resembled a cheshire cat.

"Doyeon would totally make some time to practice with me. I'm going to go ask her to be my partner!"

"Yeah! Wait what -- no, Nayoung get back here!"

Jieqiong caught Nayoung's wrist just in time, forcing the older girl to stop her movements. "Then what did you mean?" Nayoung asked curiously, and Jieqiong nearly faceplanted herself to the desk.

"I'm talking about Seungcheol," Jieqiong said in a conspiratorial stage whisper. "The two of you have great work ethic together, why not give it a shot?" It was a white lie. Jieqiong's real reasons were somewhere along the lines of getting her ship together and watching as the both of them realized their feelings for each other -- a time she looked forward to, really -- but that was something Nayoung could figure out herself. (Jieqiong would enjoy watching her friend's mental breakdown when that day would arrive.)

Nayoung frowned. "Yeah, but I've been partners with him for the past few projects, wouldn't he be bored?"

"Are you bored?" Jieqiong asked pointedly, suppressing the urge to smile smugly at Nayoung's head shaking in negative. "Then who's to say he's not bored as well?"

"You're right," Nayoung breathed with widened eyes, looking like an awe-struck stone statue of Buddha. Jieqiong laughed.

"Now go."

Taking her friend's words to heart, Nayoung marched towards Seungcheol's place in the bag, receiving knowing smiles and quiet whoops from her classmates -- though she wasn't exactly sure why. She stopped in her tracks upon reaching her destination, and shook Seungcheol's shoulders lightly to get the basketball captain's attention.

He tilted his head towards her after the second shake, and blinked in confusion. "Nayoung, what's up?"

Mustering her courage with words like 'he doesn't look like he has a partner yet anyway' and 'even if he rejects your offer it's nothing personal, he'd probably be bored after spending the last hundred projects with you so don't make it a big deal', she cleared once before asking the million dollar question. "Do you want to be partners?" She asked, face blank as always, but there was a glimmer of unmistakable hope in the dark orbs of her eyes.

Seungcheol didn't hesitate as he nodded, patting the empty seat with a boyish grin. "Come sit."

postlude.

In the teacher's lounge, a certain history teacher smirked as she watched the video on her phone, ignoring the curious looks from the other teachers. After the video ended, the crowd in said video erupting in enthusiastic applause, she set her phone down on the table and reached for her coffee with a rare smile that showcased her utter satisfaction.

"Was that Nayoung and Seungcheol?" The physical education teacher asked at some point, garnering the interest of the other teachers in the lounge.

"Of course. Thank you for your cooperation, everyone," Hyojin practically sang as she directed a smirk at her fellow co-workers.

In the background, a teacher mumbled, "So that's what asking us to get Nayoung and Seungcheol in the same groups was all about."

"Out of all the things you could've used your power as a teacher for, that's what you did?" Someone asked dryly, and the history teacher nodded, beaming at the person who asked. "Unbelievable."

"Well, it worked didn't it?" The history teacher in question retorted, drawing sighs from her workmates. "I should be a matchmaker after I retire. Now that's a thought."

"They're not even dating yet, though," Kim Minah mused, blanching when her colleague seemed to take it as a challenge.

"Give it three months and we'll see."

In the smoothie place across the high school building, Nayoung and Seungcheol sneezed in unison.

fin

⭐️

Please leave a comment on your way out. :)

Some parts of this (particularly the basketball tidbit and the short film assignment) were inspired by my close friend's real life lovelife. Get together soon HAHA.

Feel free to leave prompts or pairing requests on my tumblr!