Kyungsoo have known each other since, well, forever. They met way back in nursery, but never really played together: Jongin was very tomboyish and liked to play outside with the louder kids, and Kyungsoo prefered to stay inside and paint or play with the broken barbie dolls that she found in the toy chest. This remained the status quo until elementary school.

One day, Jongin was playing football outside- the kind that kids play, using their school bags piled up as makeshift goalposts- her mid length hair tied up and her face red with exertion as she ran up and down the field. Kyungsoo was sat under a nearby tree, with a friend, sharing some grapes and chatting about a movie that had recently come out. She hadn’t been keeping an eye on the game going on nearby: that was a mistake. Suddenly, out of nowhere, something rough slammed into the side of her face, the force of the blow knocking the grapes out of her hands and onto the grass. It was only a sponge ball, as the kids weren’t allowed to play with heavier ones, but it still hurt. It was filthy too, and now her face was covered in mud. Shocked, for a few moments she sat there frozen, but then she began to feel the sting and the waterworks started.

In tears, she was escorted by her friend, Baekhyun, to the infirmary. It was her who explained what had happened to the nurse, and her who had run to fetch the perpetrator. Jongin was frogmarched in by a teacher and made to apologise, bashful. By then, Kyungsoo had stopped crying, and was holding a cool damp towel to her face, free of dirt.

“I’m sorry. It was an accident, and I won’t do it again.” Jongin said, her words stilted as though she had been coached. Kyungsoo frowned, looking at the teacher who was smiling uncomfortably. He wasn’t good with bad behaviour, and lots of the kids took advantage of that. Kyungsoo decided to push her luck.

“You’re really bad at football.” Was all she said. Jongin looked up sharply, offended.

“No I’m not!” She insisted, her little fists clenching, “I’m better than lots of boys!”

“Then they must be really, really bad,” Kyungsoo sniffed. Incandescent, Jongin scowled so hard she was almost unrecognisable.

“I hate you!” Was the best comeback her seven year old self could come up with.

“Now that’s enough,” The teacher tried to intervene, holding onto the little girl when she struggled. “Kyungsoo, don’t you think you should accept Jongin’s apology? She is very sorry, aren’t you, Jongin?” He said, eyes widening in warning. Jongin looked up at him imploringly, but he just stared at her until she nodded. Kyungsoo turned her towel over, so the cooler side was pressed to her face again.

“I suppose I will forgive you.” Kyungsoo said, as if she hadn’t already forgiven the other girl. Afterwards, the two of them were made to walk back to their classroom together, since lunch break had ended. Jongin asked her if her face was feeling better, and offered to carry her because she had bigger muscles. Jongin offered her a piggyback, and Kyungsoo took it, climbing onto the other girl’s back with glee. It was then that Kyungsoo decided that maybe Jongin wasn’t so bad after all.

Since then, Jongin had switched to lacrosse as her main sport, and Kyungsoo had found and interest in history- particularly historical novels. That’s where she is right now, seated by the window in the library, rereading one of her favourites. It’s about a girl, like most of them are, but this one is set in Afghanistan. Jongin is practicing on the field, below her, their shouts audible from three floors up. Kyungsoo chose this spot specifically because it’s the best vantage point. Jongin cut her hair short recently, so she only needs to pin up her fringe to stop it getting in her eyes. She always uses a clip with a heart on, and it’s so cute Kyungsoo wants to die.

Somewhere between getting smacked in the face with a dirty sponge football and now, Kyungsoo had fallen for Jongin. Baekhyun, on the other side of the table, clears . Kyungsoo jumps, colouring when she realises she’s been caught.

“What page are you on now?” Baekhyun asks, smirking. Kyungsoo makes a face: she hasn’t turned the page once since they sat down and Baekhyun knows it. “You know,” Baekhyun says, inspecting her nails, “Jongin’s been working out lately, did she tell you?”

“No,” Kyungsoo mumbles, sneaking another peek at the girl in question. She supposes it shouldn’t surprise her: her legs, on view in her short shorts, are looking more toned than before.

“Yeah. She’s got abs now.”

“Really?” Kyungsoo asks, mind no longer in the room. The few times she’s caught Jongin in any state of undress, flashes of warm, tan skin, they had always been of her back, or too quick for her to really see anything. Kyungsoo is drooling.

“Yes, I’ve seen them.” Baekhyun says smugly. Kyungsoo gapes,

“What!? How come she showed you and not me?” She whines, draping her body across the table in defeat, her book forgotten. “It’s not fairrrrr. I want to see too.”

“Wow, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun laughs, taking her hands and squeezing them. “You really should just ask her out, she would totally say yes.”

“But we’re already friends! I don’t want to ruin anything.” Kyungsoo laments, imagining being Jongin’s girlfriend and crying on the inside. It would be so wonderful. Baekhyun squints at her.

“Sometimes I forget that book smarts aren’t everything.”

“Excuse me?!” Kyungsoo stands up, and pretends to slam her hands down on the table, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I mean: you’re dumb. Ask her out. If you don’t, then I will be forced to resort to extreme measures.”

“You wouldn’t do anything,” Kyungsoo says, settling back into her seat with confidence. Baekhyun is a prankster, but Kyungsoo trusts her not to ruin her relationship with someone like that. Baekhyun raises her perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

After school ends, Kyungsoo packs up her belongings and heads out to the front of the school, where she normally waits for her friends so they can walk home. Baekhyun lives closest, then her boyfriend Chanyeol, and then Kyungsoo, and Jongin lives the furthest away. Jongin and Baekhyun are already there when Kyungsoo arrives, so they’re just waiting on Chanyeol. The atmosphere is tense as Kyungsoo stands there- Jongin waves awkwardly but doesn’t say anything, and Baekhyun just smiles like an angel. Kyungsoo is suspicious at first, but when neither of them do anything weird she relaxes.

“Hi Jongin.” She smiles sweetly, inserting herself between her friends.

“Hey, Kyungsoo,” Jongin replies, shifting her huge sports bag over her shoulder. She’s showered since practice, her short hair fluffy looking, and she’s wearing her uniform again, but with the top two buttons of her shirt undone. The necklace that Kyungsoo had bought her, a small silver bird, lays prettily on her chest. Kyungsoo swallows, and looks away.

As soon as Chanyeol turns up, his hair ruffled and demeanour bouncy as usual, they all head off. He easily diffuses the tension, not even noticing the atmosphere, talking about a video game level he’s stuck on. A few minutes into the journey, when the throng of students diminishes, Baekhyun starts to discreetly nudge Kyungsoo into Jongin. She apologises to Jongin, and glares at Baekhyun.

“What are you doing?” She scream whispers. Baekhyun just shrugs, and mouths the words ‘extreme measures’. Kyungsoo scoffs and rolls her eyes. Baekhyun narrows her eyes but doesn’t say anything more. Until they reach the gateway to her house.

“Hey, Jongin, hold still a moment would you?” She asks politely. Jongin obliges, stopping and looking to Baekhyun for more instruction. Quick as a flash, Baekhyun grabs Kyungsoo’s wrist, and with her other hand, lifts Jongin’s shirt. She pushes kyungsoo’s hand towards Jongin’s stomach.

“Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo gasps, trying to yank her hand away, but Baekhyun is stronger than she looks. Her palm is spread across Jongin’s stomach.

Jongin’s skin is warm, and she really does have abs. Not chiselled like a bodybuilder, but Definitely There and Kyungsoo’s mind is already going down a dangerous path involving her tongue and whipped cream.

“Uh, Kyungsoo?” Jongin hasn’t moved, her face bright red as she stares at Kyungsoo hand, still on her stomach. Kyungsoo snatches her hand back, her palm tingling

“Why are you making Kyungsoo ually harass Jongin?” Chanyeol asks, clueless. Baekhyun grins up at him,

“Because both of them are idiots!” She explains calmly. “C’mon, let’s go inside, we need to leave these two alone for a little bit,” she takes Chanyeol’s hand and walks him inside, promising to explain everything when they’re alone.

Jongin and Kyungsoo remain still for a few moments. Kyungsoo blinks rapidly, processing what just happened. They set off again at a slow pace. Jongin asks her about the book she’s reading at the moment, knowing her predilection for historical novels, and teases her when Kyungsoo says she rereading the same one again. Everything seems to be going back to normal, except for Kyungsoo’s phone vibrating every few seconds. She ignores them, knowing it will only be Baekhyun pestering her to make a move. But how can she? It’s so perfect right now, how could she ruin a friendship like this?

“....What was that all earlier about?” Jongin asks. She looks so confused, and helpless, and Kyungsoo wants to hug her, but instead she starts walking.

“Just some stupid Baekhyun thing.” She mumbles, walking faster. Jongin keeps up easily.

“I still don’t get it. Before you came, she said she might do something surprising, but I didn’t expect… why did she do that?” Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, internally panicking. Baekhyun totally did that on purpose so that she would be forced to confess to her! Her mind swirls with doubts- what if Jongin really doesn’t like her that way? What if Baekhyun is right, and she does? Kyungsoo is going to regret not saying anything. All this combined with the memory of Jongin’s bare skin against her own, and the feel of taut muscle beneath her hand.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had abs?” Is what comes out of . Not the question she should be asking, but something to buy her some time.

“Is that what this is about?” Jongin laughs, lifting up her shirt again. Kyungsoo wishes she wouldn’t because it’s difficult to not look. “It just never really seemed like a good time to say ‘hey, I have abs now’, you know?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Kyungsoo replies, her lips. It’s not much further, so she doesn’t have much time until they separate. Her cheeks are burning. “Jongin?”

“Yeah?”

“What would you say if I told you I liked you?” Kyungsoo asks, so quiet she isn’t sure if Jongin even heard her at first. Jongin falters in her gait, looking at Kyungsoo in surprise. She doesn’t reply immediately.

“I would say…. Do you mean it?” She she answers honestly, her face colouring too.

“Oh.”

“Do… Do you mean it?” Jongin asks, staring straight ahead of her, posture rigid.

“I-I-”

“Because if you did that would be amazing.” Jongin interrupts her stuttering before she can get the words out. Kyungsoo stops short, holding Jongin back.

“You-? Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve liked you for ages.” Jongin answers. Kyungsoo will probably never get over her crush’s candid nature,not when she refuses to lie when she looks ugly or too tired, but she is so glad for it now. Kyungsoo covers with her hand, determined not to squeal like a crazed idiot. Jongin likes her back! She fans herself, and turns her whole body away.

“Is this a confession? Kyungsoo..?” Jongin sounds nervous for once, leaning around to try and see her face. Overjoyed, she lunges for Jongin, hugging her tightly. “Whoa!” Jongin tries her best to balance the girl and her heavy bag, stumbling but managing to stay upright.

“Yes Jongin, of course I like you! How did you not notice?”

“The same way you didn’t notice that I’ve liked you for ages, I guess?” She laughs nervously, her hands coming round to settle on Kyungsoo’s waist. She decides she likes that, a lot.

“Now you’re my girlfriend- it’s official, right?- Baekhyun will have no reason to murder me.” Kyungsoo mumbles into Jongin’s shoulder.

“I knew it wasn’t just about me working out,” Jongin laughs, “she’s quite the matchmaker, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess I should say thank you.” Kyungsoo complains, pulling out of Jongin’s embrace, but taking her hand instead. She is pleased when Jongin squeezes her hand, as if making sure this is real.

“Probably. Do you, maybe, want to go on a date? A real one? Just let me go home and change my clothes, then we can go out somewhere.”

“Definitely.” Kyungsoo agrees, before turning bashful again, “c-can I touch your abs again?”

“...How about you come over to mine instead?”

fluuuuff i needed something sweet to write to avoid writing a fight scene lmao

please comment!