“Let’s go out right now.”

“I’m studying.”

Wheein huffs. “You’re always studying. It’s not a crime to take a break every once in a while, you know.”

Byulyi doesn’t even bother looking up as she continues to write down notes. Wheein is quick to take the opportunity to stare at the way her eyelashes flutter when she blinks and how she tucks her bangs behind her ear when her hair falls around her face for the millionth time.

“It’s unproductive. I wouldn’t get anything done if I go out with you.”

“You’d have a good time.”

“A good time? With you? Impossible.” Byulyi answers without missing a beat.

Wheein scoffs. “There goes your chance of ever being my playground buddy.”

“Thank god.”

“I’ll have you know that being my playground buddy is an honour, okay? People would kill to be offered such a position.”

“Well, I’m a staunch believer in not embarrassing myself in public so I’ll pass.”

“You’re no fun.” Wheein pouts, but her lips form a smile when she sees Byulyi glance up to look at her for the first time during their entire conversation.

“If you wanted fun, you could’ve gone to Yongsun-unnie instead.” Byulyi murmurs, turning her attention back to her textbook and Wheein gulps, eyes shifting to Byulyi’s long, slender fingers moving fluidly across the table. Her gaze slowly trails up to the older girl’s lips.

“But I don’t want Yongsun-unnie,” Wheein says quietly. “I want you.”

“It didn’t work, Hyejin. She didn’t even blink!”

“She didn’t say anything?”

“All she said was, ‘Could you help me get this book?’ and then just kept writing her stupid notes.”

“Maybe you didn’t come on strong enough. You know how dense she can get when she’s got her head stuck in those books.” Hyejin says offhandedly, more interested in studying the cookbook in her hands, legs propped up on the coffee table.

“I’m pretty sure if I came on any stronger I’d be yelling at her to shove her arm up my-“

“Language!” They hear Yongsun’s muffled shriek and Hyejin rolls her eyes as Wheein shouts back a “sorry!” and starts pacing back and forth instead. Jjing Jjing, Yongsun’s dog, follows obediently behind her.

“You get what I mean.” Hyejin nods.

“It’s like she’s made of stone. What if she’s a gargoyle or something?” Wheein gasps, eyes widening in alarm and Hyejin makes a face at how ridiculous it sounds. She stops pacing and Jjing Jjing bumps into her. “Like the ones in The Hunchback of Notre Dame?”

“Wheein-“

“No, no,” Wheein waves the thought away just as quickly as it comes. “She’s too pretty to be a gargoyle.”

“Maybe you’ve got to change tactics?” Yongsun suggests as she steps out into the living room, wet hair clinging to her neck from her shower.

“I’ve tried everything but zilch,” Wheein groans. “Nothing.”

Yongsun furrows her brows and hums, bending down to pick her dog up. “Have you tried avoiding her instead?”

Wheein looks at her confusedly. “What? I’m trying to get her to like me. Spending less time with her doesn’t sound like it’s going to help.”

“No, I mean, you’ve been spending every day with her, right?” Wheein nods hesitantly. “So if you suddenly stopped, she’ll start wondering where you went and why you’re not hanging out with her anymore!”

Hyejin and Wheein share a look.

“That’s so cliché.”

“But what if it works? You haven’t tried it yet have you?”

“You’ve got nothing left to lose. Go and give it a shot and see what happens.” Hyejin closes her cookbook and gently puts it down on the table. Yongsun crosses her arms with a stupidly smug look on her face.

Wheein is reluctant but she slowly finds herself agreeing with what her two friends are saying.

“Fine,” Wheein agrees, resolute. “I’ll give it a try.”

Yongsun nods proudly, before she seems to finally notice something wrong with the entire picture in front of her.

“Wait, how did you guys get into my apartment?”

Everything goes just as planned.

Wheein completely ignores Byulyi’s presence even if it almost kills her because it’s the longest that she has been away from Byulyi and she honestly thinks she’s going to die from deprivation.

Day 1:

Wheein takes a deep breath before stepping onto school grounds. The gates seem more repulsive than usual; she’s sure her plan will fail the instant she sees Byulyi.

“Wheein? Aren’t you going in?“

Speak. Of. The. Devil.

Wheein turns slowly, can almost hear the creaking sound in her neck as she twists to see Byulyi standing behind her, school uniform looking perfect as ever, an eyebrow raised and lips curved into an amused smile.

Lord. That’s it. I’m done. The plan failed.

But before Wheein can open to say something like, “I like your lips can I kiss you?” Hyejin swoops in and Wheein has never been happier to see her best friend than she has now.

“Sorry, Byulyi-unnie, Wheein’s gonna be indisposed for the whole day!” Byulyi blinks at Hyejin’s sudden appearance. She glances at Wheein, who shrinks behind Hyejin a little more when that sharp, sharp gaze falls on her.

She’s gonna pierce through my soul if she looks at me like that.

“Then… I won't see you in the library later?”

“She can’t make it, she’s got some favours she owes Yongsun-unnie and I and she’s paying em’ all back today.”

Hyejin ignores the horrified look that flashes through Wheein’s face at that, sneakily pinching the frozen girl to respond and back up her last-minute cooked-up lie.

Wheein winces and steps forward. “Yeah. Yongsun-unnie will probably hunt me down if I don’t show up. Y’know, university’s been making her crazy and all that.”

“Oh, okay, maybe next time then.” Byulyi says and smiles again, walks past both of them and Wheein consciously holds in her breath to avoid catching even a whiff of Byulyi’s scent because she knows she’s that whipped.

“You are so whipped.” Hyejin mutters.

Okay, I get that it was something you made up on the spot, but did you really have to make me the villain?” Yongsun whines when they recount to her what had happened with Byulyi.

“Hey, it worked.”

“But my image…”

“Trust me when I say you have no image, unnie.”

Day 2:

“How are you holding up?”

Wheein groans as they get up to leave the classroom.

“Hyejin, I’m going to die if I don’t touch her soon. Just let me her pencil and I’ll be good, I promise.”

“Ugh, don’t make me kinkshame you because I will.” Hyejin throws an eraser at her and Wheein very easily dodges, stepping out into the corridor and into a soft body with a very, very familiar scent. Books crash to the floor as warm arms hold her steady.

“Whoa, Wheein,” Byulyi’s voice rings in her ears and Wheein is struck frozen, glances at Hyejin who looks just as dumbstruck. “Are you alright?”

.

“By-Byulyi-unnie? What- why? This is the second-years’ floor-” Wheein babbles, doesn’t look at Byulyi’s face, instead quickly bends down to pick the fallen books up, hiding her quickly reddening face behind her hair.

“I… I was looking for you.” Byulyi squats to help her and Wheein can’t help but let out an internal aggressive scream. “I just wanted to know if you were going to the library today?”

Byulyi’s voice is laced with uncertainty and Wheein almost says ‘yes’ instantly, but Hyejin steps in to save her sorry from single-handedly ruining the plan.

“Didn’t you have something on later?” Hyejin asks, and thank god Wheein is quick enough to quickly smooth that into another lie.

“Oh, right, Yongsun-unnie needs me to go beat up some children.” Byulyi almost drops the books in her arms again, slowly standing up looking horrified and very concerned. “I mean, uh, cut some wood for her! She’s been having neck cramps lately and she loves some good ol’ fashioned firewood to keep her neck warm and toasty!”

Wheein swears she can hear Hyejin slap her forehead.

“Firewood? What-”

“Bye!” Wheein practically yells as she pulls Hyejin away. She listens as Byulyi’s voice trails off as they run down the corridor and out of sight, further and further away.

“Guys I’m begging you, please stop ruining my reputation.”

“Unnie, we probably improved it. I can promise you that’s not the thing you should be worrying about right now.”

“Beat up children? Cutting firewood?” Wheein’s voice is muffled into her hands. “Someone please slap me.”

“I would but you already did it to yourself just now.” Hyejin sighs in pity.

“Wait so you didn’t get any firewood for me?” Wheein and Hyejin look at Yongsun, who raises her hand and laughs nervously.

“Joking. It was a joke.”

Day 3:

“You’re on your own today.” Hyejin’s words echo in the back of her mind as Wheein wanders around the school, desperately trying not to get caught by Byulyi.

“Knowing my luck, I’ll get caught-“

“…Wheein?”

Oh, come on.

“Hey Byulyi-unnie.” She cringes at the coldness in her own voice and notices the way Byulyi flinches slightly at her tone.

“Let me guess; you’re busy today too?” Byulyi quickly says, looking away with such clear disappointment in her eyes that Wheein has to physically restrain herself from doing anything she might regret.

“Uh, I’m-“ She struggles to come up with another excuse but before she can say anything she’ll regret, Byulyi speaks up.

“It’s alright. I’ll be off first.” Byulyi quickly walks past her and Wheein gets the feeling that something has gone terribly wrong.

“See, I told you it would work! She’s obviously jealous or something. Giving you the silent treatment. Well, two can play that game; listen Wheein, here’s what you have to do next…” Yongsun’s increasingly diabolical cackles in the background go ignored.

“What’s wrong?” Hyejin asks her.

Wheein sighs. “I think something’s wrong. I mean, yeah it looks like it’s working, but it just feels off. Everything feels off.”

Hyejin looks at her worriedly. “Are you sure? Maybe you can try talking to her tomorrow and see what happens.”

“I… Okay. Yeah. I’ll go talk to her.”

Day 4:

She doesn’t see Byulyi the whole day.

“Maybe she ‘s sick? She is human, you know.”

Day 5:

Wheein pokes her head into the quiet, cosy space of the school library, eyes zoning in on their usual spot and-

I knew it.

Wheein almost breathes a sigh of relief when she recognises the dearly missed outline of a studious Byulyi, forever nose-deep in books and sheets of scribbled, ink-blotted paper.

Wheein stealthily walks up to her, but Byulyi doesn’t even look up when she stands right in front of her, on the other side of the table.

“Ahem.” She clears , and Byulyi’s head snaps up, lips curled downwards in irritation before her expression shifts to one of shock. The pen almost falls from her grasp but she is quick to scramble for it.

“Wheein? What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you.”

Byulyi looks down at her notes. “Oh, so now you look for me.”

Wheein winces at the jab thrown at her but recovers quickly enough.

“Yeah, we need to talk.” She sits herself down opposite Byulyi as usual, and the familiarity of it all makes Wheein breathe a little easier.

“How did you know I’d even be here?”

“Please,” Wheein scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Have I ever seen you anywhere else?”

“Well-“

“That was a rhetorical question. Don’t answer that.” Wheein cuts Byulyi off. “Of course I know you’d be here unnie. You ‘re always here when you have free time, always at this table, in that seat.”

Byulyi blushes and Wheein internally screams.

“I didn’t see you yesterday.” She says. “I wanted to talk yesterday but I couldn’t find you.”

Byulyi picks up her pen, starts writing in her notebook again. “…I was at the library the whole day.”

“You didn’t come to see me?” Wheein knows she probably sounds like an right now, but she wants answers, damnit.

 “I-” Byulyi looks away guiltily. “I didn’t think you wanted to hang out with me anymore. So I didn’t try to look for you.”

“What? Why would you think that?”

Byulyi shrugs, eyes flickering away from Wheein’s face again. “I always said mean things to you and whenever you’d ask me out I’d refuse. I thought you… grew tired of me.” Byulyi forces a small, tired grin; expression set in insecurity and Wheein can taste the bile that rises in .

I am going to kill Yongsun-unnie.

“Never.” Wheein grips Byulyi’s hand tightly. “I could never grow tired of you, unnie.”

Byulyi flusters, gaze darting from their clasped hands, to Wheein’s face then to her scattered notes on the table. Wheein watches, enraptured, when Byulyi’s face blows up in a dark crimson tint.

Wheein looks around, quickly noting that the few students in the library were either sleeping or listening to music.

It’s now or never.

“I like you.” The soft words taste sharp on her tongue, bittersweet with their sincerity, but heavy with doubt. Wheein holds her breath as she waits Byulyi’s response.

Byulyi’s startled gaze doesn’t leave her face. Now it’s Wheein who can feel the heat rising in the room. She tugs at her collar helplessly.

“You like me?” Byulyi says breathlessly, eyes wide in shock.

“A lot.” Wheein says and shrugs. “I’ve liked you for a long time now.”

“You like me?”

“Yes. I like you.”

“You, Jung Wheein,” Byulyi points to her. “Like me, Moon Byulyi.”

“Yes, Byulyi-unnie.” Wheein laughs.

“I don’t know what to say.” Byulyi says, looking shell-shocked.

Well, at least she isn’t outright rejecting me.

“Say you like me back.” Her voice comes out soft. “Do you?”

Byulyi looks up at her, eyes searching and deep and glinting with a myriad of emotions that it’s almost overwhelming. Wheein feels like she’s being in, and it’s so cliché, she knows, but she can’t help it that it’s true.

A fond smile spreads on Byulyi’s lips.

“Yeah. I like you.” Byulyi overturns their hands, squeezes them together tight.

Wheein decides she can put off Yongsun’s murder as she launches herself at the older girl and smothers her in a hug.

“Someone call the Genius Association of Seoul because we’ve got one in the building and she’s standing right here!”

“I’m going to die from second-hand embarrassment.” Hyejin whines, heart and soul tired from dealing with Yongsun.

“Let her live for once, Hyejin. Her plan did work, technically.” Wheein slaps Hyejin’s arm playfully, who retaliates with a quick ruffle of her hair.

“Everything.” Wheein leans forward. “Just to clear things up, I don’t beat up children, okay?”

Laughter spills out of Byulyi’s lips, carefree and light. Her eyes crinkle into tiny crescents and Wheein thinks that not even the moon could compare to such beauty.

“I can’t believe you went ahead with Yongsun-unnie’s plan, though.”

“I was desperate.” Wheein says. “And it worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

Byulyi rolls her eyes, another smile growing on her lips. She turns her attention back to studying, allows the two to fall back into comfortable silence.

“Byulyi-unnie.”

“Hm?” Byulyi answers, though her eyes still stay glued to her book. Wheein smiles, reaches out to fondly brush her hair away from her face.

Byulyi looks at her then, red quickly filling her cheeks.

“I like you.”

The red spreads further and Byulyi coughs into her hand. Wheein laughs.

“I like you too.” Byulyi whispers, soft enough for only Wheein to hear, before leaning into Wheein’s space to press a chaste kiss against her cheek.

“By the way, I don’t have a pencil. Will a pen do instead?”

im so drained from moosical and this is my first wheebyul fic i feel kinda proud that its my longest work yet too