"Move." Jiho threw her hair back as she entered the classroom. It's her first day in highschool and unlike others, she doesn't know anyone. She stood there by the doorway and her 'classmates' are all busy doing their stuff, talking to each other and everyone is too noisy. Jiho sighed. She held the strap of her bag and looked around the room for a free seat. There are still two vacant seats on the back. Should she just go there? 

Jiho was about to go and take her seat when her classmates started murmuring. What the hell is the ruckus about.. Some of them are even looking out at the windows. Jiho shakes her head but then when she saw a girl with a brown hair tied in a small ponytail behind her, she realized why her classmates are going wild. 

Jiho noticed that her classmates seemed to admire the girl. She shrugged it off and went to her seat. Jiho sat there quietly, tried her best to ignore all of her classmates hyping up the brown-haired girl until the said girl sat next to her. 

Jiho closed her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest as she waits for their teacher. She wasn't looking forward to this school year at all especially that she knows this is more of a performing arts school. 

After their morning classes, they have a 45-minute lunch break. As soon as their teacher dismissed them. Jiho's classmates rushed towards the back seat- not at hers but to her seatmate. 

She looked at her seatmate and saw how uncomfortable she looks. So, Jiho held her seatmate's wrist and stood up. 

"Let's eat. I'm hungry." Jiho said and pulled the girl with her. She doesn't know why her classmates are making a fuss about this girl or why this girl isn't telling their classmates to go away but she's sure everyone is talking about them now. 

Jiho heaved a deep sigh as she takes a bite at her sandwich. She ordered a lot of food for her lunch but the girl across her is just watching her. 

"Will you please not stare at me when I'm eating?" 

"What's your name?" Finally, finally Jiho heard the girl's voice and it suits her. Jiho thought the girl would sound like some high-pitch annoying loud voice because of her first impression but it doesn't.

"I'm Jiho." The girl smiled hearing her name for the first time. At this setting, Jiho could see the girl's face more detailed. She swallowed her food, the girl is really attractive.

"I'm Mihyun." Jiho continued to scan the girl's face. 

"I didn't ask for your name though." 

"But I want you to remember me." That's uncalled for. Jiho didn't expect it. Is this Mihyun hitting on her? She chuckled and took a note to ask her neighbors about this Mihyun.

"I don't want to remember you.. I'm not like your classmates who'd die for you." Mihyun pouted at Jiho's response. Jiho smiled and focused on eating again. After a few seconds, she noticed that Mihyun is still watching her. Jiho placed her chopsticks down on the plate and glared at Mihyun. 

Mihyun raised her hands in defeat. "Fine! I'll stop staring." Jiho scoffed and drank from her water bottle. She heard Mihyun whispering. 

"Why is she so pretty.."

Jiho choked on the water. It may be because of the choking or because of what Mihyun said but she's clearly blushing after that. Mihyun started laughing, she may have noticed it too and Jiho never felt more embarrassed in her life. She covered her face using her hands. Jiho who was too confident suddenly felt shy sitting across Mihyun. It wasn't the first time someone told her she's pretty but Mihyun.. must have some effect on her.

"Don't you get those line in the daily basis? I thought you do because you're actually so pretty." Mihyun added and takes Jiho's food. "I'll eat these if you don't mind." 

And Jiho didn't mind at all. 

"Why do you keep following me?" Jiho complained as she walked faster on the hallway. Mihyun kept following her and it's somehow annoying because she hates how she feels shy thinking about what she felt when Mihyun complimented her earlier.

"Why can't I follow you when you bragged me earlier when you don't even know me?" Mihyun complains back, she followed Jiho's steps and soon walked faster to walk next to Jiho.

"You mean 'dragged'? You looked so hopeless and I just helped you." Jiho turned her face to the opposite side so Mihyun couldn't see her smiling. Mihyun being clumsy at her words is somehow.. cute. 

"Yeah! Dragged. You have to take responsibility of what you did to me!" Pretty sure by now, everyone in the hallway could hear what Mihyun is saying and it's not that Jiho hates attention but Mihyun is being unnecessarily loud. 

"Shut up!" Jiho hits Mihyun's shoulder. "And what did I even do to you?" She whispered to Mihyun. Mihyun laughed at her and Jiho knows she's enjoying it. 

"You." Mihyun takes Jiho's hand. "Captivated." Jiho felt their fingers intertwined. "Me." 

That's how things started between them. Jiho's first impression of Mihyun is.. crazy, a dork. After what Jiho did on the first day, her classmates have grown intimidated by her. Comes with it is the fact that she's the only person Mihyun talks to. At first, it seemed like Mihyun was only crazy but adorable but Jiho realized she could be more.

"Why didn't you bring an umbrella?" Mihyun asked her as they walked out of their classroom. It's raining hard and there are many students waiting by the hallway for the rain to stop as well.

"Why didn't you bring an umbrella, Mimi? You're the big woman here!" Jiho said and scoffed at Mihyun.. which she calls Mimi now because it's cute when Mihyun is whining at that nickname. Mimi always talked about being the strong one. She openly hits on Jiho with those cheesy lines and that very reason made them closer. It just.. happened like that. Like it's the normal thing between them. 

"We have umbrellas." Jiho and Mihyun looked at the girl- or two girls behind them. Jiho knew these two, one of them is a part of the singing club who invited her to join the club while the other girl is a part of the student council that Jiho always see when there's an event at the school.

"Kim Jiho can join me and you can join JinE unnie!" The cute girl exclaimed but Mimi stopped them. 

"Wait! No- can't you just let us borrow your umbrella? I'll return it tomorrow." Jiho chuckled at Mimi. She apologized to the two and thanked them anyway. 

"We'll just go, thank you by the way!" She said and pulled Mimi by the hand. Jiho is never the kind to do funny things, particularly to get soaked under the rain holding the hand of someone she possibly likes.. but ever since she met Mimi, she started to enjoy these things. 

"You're crazy!" Mimi yelled at her as they ran together across the streets with all these heavy rain hitting them. Jiho laughed and Mimi held her closer. "We're gonna get sick!"

Soon, Mimi pulled her to a waiting shed nearby. Unlike Mimi's, Jiho's house is actually far and she often takes taxi to go home so it won't work if they'll just keep running on the streets. 

"Jiho, you'll get sick." Mimi opened her backpack and pulled a towel out from it that she always brings to school, as Jiho noticed. It's a miracle that the towel isn't soaked wet. Mimi sat next to Jiho and used the towel to dry Jiho's face, and neck and arms. Jiho chuckled and took the towel from Mimi.

"You act like I'm the only one who'll get sick." She said but still she used the towel to dry herself. 

"I'm pretty sure you won't get sick after using that." 

"Wait.. Don't tell me you used this to wipe your sweat." Jiho glared intensely at Mimi. The latter shrugged. "I don't know, but if so, you're a lucky girl."

"Ugh you're annoying! Take this!" Jiho pulled Mimi and shoved the towel on Mimi's face, the other girl whined laughing while she can't even fight back with Jiho.

It used to be so easy spending time with Mimi. As time passes by, they grew closer and closer and most comfortable with each other. Mimi sometimes picks her up from her house or she'll wait for Mimi on the school gate every morning. Jiho enjoyed every bit of it. Mimi was quite- not quite but too famous in their school. Some of her 'fans' approach Jiho a lot too. 

"JIHO!" Jiho who's quietly walking on the hallway looked behind her and saw a few girls. She furrowed her eyebrows. Who are these people..

"Are you and Mihyun dating?" Jiho gulped into nothing, she heaved a deep breath before answering. 

"No..?"

"Then why does she keep texting you?" Out of annoyance, Jiho brushed her hair back. But then she realized something.

"Wait, how do you know that?"

The girl in the middle held a familiar phone up, showing it to Jiho. That's Mimi's phone. "Hey that's Mihyun's phone!"

-

"What are you looking at?" Jiho rolled her eyes at Mimi who just entered the studio room. She winced when Hyejin unintentionally dipped the cotton with the alcohol on her bruises.. on her cheek. After she found out that the girls have Mimi's phone, she fought the girls to take it back. She hates herself for doing that and now she looks like a gangster.

"What happened to you? Why are you bruised?" Mimi asked and Jiho can't help but to scoff at her.

"Go away, I don't wanna see you." Jiho hid her face from Mimi using her hair. She doesn't want Mimi to see her like this. 

Just then, Seunghee entered the room. Mimi sat next to Jiho but Jiho pushed her away. 

"She got into a fight. Here's your phone." Hyejin opened Jiho's bag and gave Mimi her phone. The latter girl looked shocked to see her missing phone again. 

"Why do you have my phone? And wait- YOU got into a fight?" Mimi asked and takes Jiho's wrist. 

"Why do your delusional fans have your phone?" Hyejin asked back, the older girl removed Mimi's hand from Jiho. Jiho thanked how Hyejin is taking care of her. She's still not in the mood to talk to Mimi. 

"I.. I don't know."

"Jiho took it back from them, for you." Jiho heard Seunghee telling Mimi. Hyejin left the room to throw the used cottons. After a few minutes, Mimi pulled Jiho's seat and Jiho felt Mimi's hand over her head. There she leaned her head against Mimi's shoulder. At the end of the day, she still can't resist the other girl.

Jiho hated how that day turned out for her. Seeing her schoolmates drooling over Mimi but hating her so much makes her heart feel heavy everytime she comes to school. After what she did that day, all of them are intimidated by her.. and also talks behind her back. She knows she shouldn't take it seriously, she used to be a guru in ignoring people but now, it's so hard keeping up with all these hatred. 

"Why aren't you replying to my texts?" Jiho asked as soon as she met Mimi by the school gate. Mimi chuckled and shrugged at her.

"I don't have a phone." 

Jiho lightly pushed Mimi away. "Don't play with me, you have a phone." She said. It's not that she thinks Mimi is lying.. but whatever this is that's going on between them, it makes Jiho feel entitled of telling Mimi these things.

"Nah. I threw it away." Mimi wrapped her arm around Jiho's shoulder and Jiho pushed her away again. They do this all the time when walking and it's kinda normal for them.

"Why would you?"

"B-because! Our schoolmates are trying to take it." Mimi answered, somehow stuttering. Jiho knew she was lying. Mimi ran ahead of Jiho to their classroom.

"She did it because of you." Seunghee, who suddenly popped out behind Jiho patted her back. "She's an idiot." Seunghee added and followed Mimi.

Jiho smiled. It may be so hard keeping up with all these people she meets at school but still, she has Mimi. Jiho knew one day, she'd be strong enough to make things official with Mimi.

"Your new dyed hair really suits you. Your smile that always glows is my strength. We are both Kim, but why do I still like you?"

Jiho entered the room with Seunghee and Mimi sitting across each other, both of them are holding letters, particularly the letters Mimi got from those people who admires her.

"Should I laugh or what? Lol I'm also a Kim, they're getting cheesier.. ugh--" Jiho slammed the door as she sat next to her friends but Mimi suddenly stood up, taking her bag with her.

"Where are you going?" Jiho asks. Seunghee's still busy with the letters.

"I don't think the teacher is still coming." Mimi didn’t even look at her even once before disappearing through the door. Jiho frowned, Mimi started acting like this ever since their friends brought out the ‘topic’ about them not dating and her friendzoning Mimi for the nth time.

"Where is she? Oh god, what happened? Did she just disappeared?" Seunghee's worried eyes are currently on panic searching for Mimi until Jiho hit Seunghee's forehead.

"She left" Jiho pouted and fished a booklet in her bag. She was about to read the first sentence but Seunghee hit her too. Harder, she guesses.

"OUCH YAH!" She glared at Seunghee but the other didn't mind. "You should follow her. I know what you did"

Seunghee is somehow the two's bestfriend since she's always with the two, unlike JinE and Arin. Even though Jiho and Mimi keep denying, she knows the real score between them.

When Jiho left the room, she saw a few students running towards the right hallway. She knew this scene, she knows those girls too. They follow Mimi a lot. Jiho grinned, she knows where to find the other girl. 

"Mimi." Jiho called her. Mimi was there staring down at the ground leaning on the railing. 

"Why are you here?" Mimi asks her. Jiho slowly walks closer to the girl, she wants to lessen the uncomfortable atmosphere.. that should've been rare but it's pretty common between them now.

"Are you mad..?" A glance from Mimi's eyes and Jiho could tell Mimi is bothered.

"What are we? What are those sweet actions? Friends? Just.. friends?" Jiho bit her lip, her eyes trying to avoid Mimi.

Jiho sighed. "I told you already, everybody likes you, you're famous, I don't want to be hated." Jiho tried to hold Mimi's hand but Mimi didn't let her.

"I'm sorry then, fine, let's continue being friends. And.. hm.. avoid being awkward, okay?" Mimi said this while staring below them, Jiho didn't expected Mimi to say that.

Jiho thought it was just another episode of them saying these but still continues to be so close and like what they always do but no, the sudden merging of schools brought them a new kid that sent Jiho in a competition.

For Mimi's heart.

The first time was when the new students joined their club. At first she thought the girl Yooa is just another 'fan' of Mimi by the way she looks at Mimi but Jiho also noticed how Mimi always looked interested in Yooa. 

It hurts her, especially when she looked back at the window of the taxi and saw Mimi running to Yooa.

Then after that night, everything changed. Sometimes, she's with Mimi but she knows Mimi is rather interested in being with Yooa. Mimi even made a new club schedule just to adjust it for Yooa.

"Let's gather and pair up! There are numbers here, all we have to do is to pick one randomly and you'll get your partner with the same number as you picked." Mimi announced, she placed the bowl on the table and her club members started taking a number one by one. Because of the changes in the school, Mimi had to divide her club members into two, her co-leader from senior year takes care of the other group so that they can still look after and monitor each member of the club.

Jiho looked at the number she picked. "9" She didn't have to look at Mimi, she knows Mimi's number has two digits.

"I don't wanna do this." Jiho sighed behind Mimi. She saw Yooa walking towards them and it annoyed her. 

"You're not my partner, right?" Mimi asked her. Feeling upset, Jiho stood up and walked out of the room. 

"You're always in a bad mood whenever I see you." 

Jiho was quietly standing by the same railing where she and Mimi always spends time together during break when their friends are busy, when a girl joined her. She has seen this new girl around a lot recently. She's Yooa's friend, Yubin. 

"Why aren't you down there, practicing?" Jiho asked, she usually doesn't talk to people she isn't close to but she's not in the mood to push more people away.

"I can't practice without my partner." Yubin answered. Jiho chuckled, she glanced at Yubin and nodded. 

"So you're the unlucky partner." 

"I don't think I'm not lucky. I think you are lucky." Yubin told her, smiling. Jiho looked at Yubin from head to toe, she shook her head and started walking away.

"Come on, short lucky partner." 

"Yaa! How dare you call me short!" 

It continued, Mimi spends almost all of her time at school with Yooa. Maybe even after school. Jiho felt bitter about all of these, she had no idea if Mimi ever thinks about her but it's fine.

No, it's not fine at all. Jiho felt like she's about to lose her mind thinking about the two so she just does what the hell she wants, which means annoying Yooa instead. 

Although Yubin seems to be getting on her way.

Yooa placed a bottle of water on Mihyun's table. Jiho walked towards it and takes the water bottle, drinking from it without hesitation. She knows Yooa bought it from Mimi but who cares.

"Jiho, she bought it for Mimi." Yubin gave her a look before taking the water bottle away from her. Jiho saw Yooa glaring at her from the side.

"Mimi shares her water bottle with me, why can't I get a share from this?" She said. Yubin tried to hold her wrist but Jiho pulled away. She looked at Yooa.

"Because it's not yours, Mimi isn't yours either!" Yooa exclaimed, Jiho could feel the girl's anger towards her and what she said upsets her so much. Jiho was about to say something when Yubin pulled her to a corner.

Jiho was exasperated, pulling away from Yubin again.

"Jiho, what are you doing?" Yubin asked her in a calm voice. Why is she so calm, it's irritating.

"Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?" Yubin stopped at Jiho's question. Jiho noticed how Yubin looked tired.

"You're the one who said nothing's going on between you and Mimi. Then why are you doing this?" Jiho stared at Yubin, she realized that she already talked a lot about herself with Yubin that those things she said are being used against her. She feels bad, for herself.

Jiho walked out of the room but Yubin followed her again, grabbing her arm. "If you're going to side with your bestfriend, then leave me alone!" She couldn't help herself as well.

"Why don't you talk to Mihyun instead of giving Yooa a hard time?" Yubin asked after many minutes of silence between them. Once again, they're at the third floor looking at the scenery of the school grounds from the railings.

"Yooa has a thing for Mimi since they were kids. It's not impossible for them to share feelings for each other." Yubin told her, Jiho sighed.

"Yeah, it's just unfair."

"Why?" Jiho smiled a little and shakes her head.

"Because I told Mimi that I want us to stay as friends and now all she did is go after Yooa. It's like I never crossed her mind."

"You two meet here and you didn't tell me?" Suddenly, there's Arin behind them. Jiho furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Yubin in question. 

"We've met on my first day here." Yubin said and lets Arin join them. Jiho remembers when she first found out that Arin is Mimi's sister.

1 year ago

"Come oooon." Mimi pulled her, Jiho has no choice but to follow. They've been walking for 5 minutes now and they're cutting classes because Mimi said they should do something fun. 

"Where are we going?" Jiho asked, she looked at her phone, worried that Seunghee may have texted her about the class they didn't attend to. Mimi took her phone.

"To my house. Don't worry about school for now."

"Won't your mom be mad that I'd be there?"

"Why would she be when I'm going to introduce you to her?"

Jiho smiled. How could she not when Mimi is about to introduce her to her mom? She held tighter on Mimi's hand and they walked together without Mimi pulling her now.

"Wait- Why is Arin here?" Jiho asked as soon as she saw the young new girl at the school who always comes to their class excusing Mimi. Arin grinned at her. Mimi made Jiho turn her back then the other girl takes her backpack off for her, placing it to the nearest chair. Jiho sits next to Arin.

"Hellooo Jiho unnie."

"She's my sister."

Present

"Why are you siding with Yubin? She's Yooa's friend. You're my friend!" Jiho looked away from Arin and the younger girl clung on her arms. 

"But Yooa unnie is so pretty!"

"God I hate you."

Jiho learned to spend time with a new friends combination- Arin and Yubin. Although sometimes, she feels like the two would never vote for her for being Mimi's lover but she also feels like she could use this opportunity to understand why she doesn't need to hate Yooa.

It's actually working though, Jiho knew a few things about Yooa.. and she feels like giving up on Mimi.

Arin: Are you really not attending the party? It's starting soon.

Yubin: Where are you?

Jiho chuckled seeing the two new texts from Arin and Yubin. She placed her newly bought snacks on the cafeteria's table and sets her phone down next to the snacks.

Jiho: I'm at the cafeteria and I'm stress-eating.

Arin: Why's the cafeteria open?

Jiho: I sneaked in because it's fun here.

Arin: You're so weird but enjoy. :>

Jiho scanned the whole area, she isn't used to seeing the cafeteria this empty but she feels comfortable sitting here and eating her snacks.

Yubin: I think Yooa's gonna cry.

She didn't reply. Yubin told her that Yooa asked Mimi to come with her as her date on the party. Then, Arin told her that Mimi is definitely coming to the party. Lucky Yooa, Mimi didn't even ask Jiho about the party. Jiho sighed and locked her phone. She saw her lockscreen, it was a picture Mimi's hand.

"Wow, you still haven't changed it." Jiho held her chest being startled by the sudden whisper of none other than Kim Mihyun. 

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Mimi sat next to her. Jiho can still feel her heart beating so fast because of shock. She opens her phone and saw Yubin's new texts that she didn't see earlier.

Yubin: Mimi's not here.

Yubin: I hope you're not drunk, Jiho. At least reply to me.

She didn't reply, she quickly closed her phone when Mimi leaned to look at it too. 

"Why are you here? You shouldn't be here. The performance.. you practiced for days. Yooa has no partner." Jiho couldn't look at Mimi in the eye so she opened a snack and started eating.

"I didn't want to, though." Mimi muttered, Jiho looked down, she didn't expect to see Mimi here. After days of not being with Mimi, it feels like she's back to the first day she met Mimi.

"Why? You're the one who insisted about this." Mimi didn't answer anymore and Jiho doesn't want to talk either. Instead, she just stayed quiet and eats.

"Stop staring at me. I bought all of these for myself so don't ever think about asking for a snack."

Jiho had enough silence and Mimi being too openly staring at her while she's eating is pissing her off. Jiho faced Mimi but she wasn't ready because when she did, her face automatically blushed looking right into Mimi's eyes.

"Mimi.. Why the hell are you not talking? This is so not you."

Mimi chuckled and later on covered her face using her hands. "I'm confused.." Mimi whispered but Jiho could hear her.

"..With what?" Jiho isn't stupid, she knows what Mimi was talking about.

"If I was there, I wouldn't be able to focus." And that, yes, of course.

"It's Yooa.. Hah.. It's her again." Jiho takes a big bite on the bread. She chewed in annoyance.Mimi laughed a little while watching her.

Jiho glared at Mimi and latter raised her hands in defeat. "I'm sorry. It's not that."

"Then what? All you did since she came here was to avoid me. You kept looking at her! You started glaring at me for doing nothing. You always make me feel like some person you hate to see!" Jiho said while chewing the big bread on . She doesn't care if she looks unpleasing. She doesn't care anymore, Mimi wouldn't choose her anyway.

"I don't.. I don't glare at you, you're the one doing that!" Mimi pointed at Jiho while saying that, Jiho glared at Mimi then looked away after realising she's really glaring.

"Then what? You're confusing me too. You're hurting me. I know.. I was wrong to ignore what was going on between us back then but.. isn't this too unfair? I didn't even know about her. Now you have two options and everytime I see you two together," Jiho paused, she swallowed the food in and sipped from the straw of her water bottle. 

Jiho faced Mimi. "It. ing. hurts." She said, giving emphasis on those words. She's like this. Jiho is straight-forward. 

"Because she was there first. Your feelings for her were already there before I even came to your life. And it ! It to know I already lost after feeling too happy in the past year-" Jiho still has so many things to say, things she's been keeping in the past days but Mimi spoke.

"Feelings.. for her? Jiho, you have to hear me out." Jiho shook her head and takes another bread but Mimi grabbed it from her. 

Jiho sighed and looked at the bread on Mimi's hand. She frowned. "I hate you so much. You never waited for me at the school gate if it wasn't for Yooa." 

"You're being dramatic, she's just my friend. A childhood friend." Mimi seemed to notice that Jiho wants to keep eating so she gave the bread back and Jiho didn't waste any second before she started eating again.

"You didn't tell me you had one."

"I'm sorry." Again, Mimi's apologizing. Jiho sighed and finished the bread. She drinks from her water bottle but she finished all of it before responding to Mimi. damn why didn't i bring enough water.

"You know I don't need you to apologize like that."

"That's why I didn't come to the party. That's why I didn't perform with her." What does she mean? Jiho can't understand what Mimi wants to happen, what's with Yooa? Why would she waste all those days of practicing just to talk to Jiho here alone in the cafeteria when there's an opportunity for her in the party. 

"You're so selfish." Jiho said as she bit her lip, she heard Mimi apologizing again.

"Yubin told me Yooa was waiting for you, she told me Yooa likes you so much." Jiho feels so bad but she also feels happy to have Mimi sitting next to her because she missed her. 

"You're crying." Mimi cupped Jiho's cheeks but Jiho couldn't look at Mimi. She didn't even notice her tears until Mimi did. 

"Go.. just go, be with her. It's your chance to bring back what you had with her." Jiho pulled away from Mimi and pushed her shoulder. 

Mimi stood up. She started walking away from Jiho and now she can't stop her tears. The girl never felt this hurt before. She thought at least if she gets Mimi to go back to the gym, she'll feel okay knowing that Yooa will be fine but,

but a part of her wants Mimi to come back to her.

Maybe it's time to let go, Jiho.

"Here." A bottle of water. Jiho saw a bottle of water on the table and a hand held hers. Jiho wiped her tears and looked up to see Mimi sitting next to her again with a smile. 

"Don't cry, alright? I'm not going anywhere." Mimi gently pulled Jiho against her shoulder. "I don't think we talked enough about us." Mimi whispered, Jiho shakes her head slightly and Mimi pats her head.

"Are we like.. special friends, Jiho?" Jiho who was crying just earlier shakes her head again with a soft chuckle, hitting Mimi's hand.

Mimi chuckled as well and asked her. "What do you want us to be?"

"I want to be your girlfriend, Mihyun." Jiho said with a little sniff. Mimi smiled and kissed her forehead. 

"I just needed to hear it from you."