It starts when Hayoung’s grabbing her mathematics book before last lesson.

At the beginning of her senior year, she had been purely pissed off when she arrived to school to find out she was the unlucky owner of a bottom locker. She knew, in that very moment, senior year was not going to be a breeze.

Yes, she’d been a bit melodramatic at the time, but was it all that untrue when the occupant of the locker above Hayoung’s was a gorgeous, puppy-eyed nerd? So what if it’s only a few months into the school year and Hayoung’s already pining over a girl she’s never even spoken to. What’s the big deal?

The big deal is that her locker buddy was the most infuriating person she’d ever been in the presence of.

The girl was always in a rush, never paying attention to Hayoung (who’s usually unflatteringly kneeling on the cold, dirty floor tiles of the school hallway), and slamming her locker door shut. She’s dropped pencils, erasers, even books and not once did they hinder her haste to leave.

She’s never given Hayoung any reason to like her, is what she means.

So that’s why it’s the last straw when Hayoung’s head flinches back at the harsh impact of a cold metal locker door smacking into her forehead while she’s grabbing her textbook. The source of attack: Kim ing Namjoo.

Hayoung slams her book back into its place between her poetry book and chemistry textbook before standing up straight, death glare resting upon her face. She doesn’t even bother tending to the forming bruise on her forehead before she’s going off on the other girl.

“That is it! I’ve had e-ing-nough of this!”

Namjoo, who hadn’t even realized her mistake, stares at her wide-eyed, looking annoyingly like an adorable confused puppy. Hayoung, however, squares up with the older girl before she can become distracted.

“Pencils falling, that’s fine, I can handle that. Erasers, whatever,” she continues ranting while working herself up more and more. “Books? I’ll possibly put shaving cream in your locker, no promises. But this? Nope. I’m done.”

With that, she marches to the main office leaving behind an increasingly confused Namjoo staring after her.

Half an hour later, Hayoung emerges from the office, eyebrows scrunched together in a broody mood. The attendant had declined her request repeatedly to move to an unoccupied locker down the hallway.

She makes it back to her locker, which is now shut (probably Namjoo’s doing). Looking up at the clock hanging from the ceiling, she sees she’s missed more than half of her math lesson. Her last lesson of the day.

Sighing at her lack of motivation to return to class, Hayoung opens her locker to grab her bag and head out, wincing at the ache in her head. Maybe if she didn’t have a pounding headache she would’ve noticed the piece of paper slip out of the metal cubby and onto the floor.

Keys in one hand, bag thrown over her shoulder, Hayoung heads out to her car, ready to just lounge in her bed for the rest of the day.

The next day, Hayoung returns with a similar mood. She was glad to wake up to a barely-there bruise on her forehead, hoping that means it’ll fade sooner. Her disposition had soured at the memory of why she had it in the first place.

She arrives at her locker to an unfamiliar sight.

Kim Namjoo is standing in front of their shared column, looking like someone just told her she’s an untalented singer. (And okay fine, Namjoo might’ve dropped a flier for the school’s new choir program a few days ago and Hayoung may have listened in on some of Namjoo’s flawless humming.)

She looks up abruptly when Hayoung clears from in front of her. She straightens from her leaning position, patting her fringe to make sure it was still in tact.

“Hi!” Namjoo greets cutely, grinning up at the taller girl, “Sorry for being in your way, I just wanted to give this to you.” With that, her right hand shoots out from her side holding up a faintly crumbled up piece of paper.

Hayoung’s brow furrows at this. She hesitantly reaches forward and curls her fingers around the loose-leaf note. Before she can ask what it is, Namjoo’s speaking again.

“I think you might’ve dropped it yesterday before you left.”

Hayoung’s eyes shoot up from the note, eyes landing on the girl’s dimpled grin. She mentally curses Namjoo for her stupid ability to make Hayoung melt at the sight.

“Thanks, I guess,” but there’s no use because Namjoo’s already scurrying down the hall (well, as fast as she can without ramming into anyone) to her next class, almost running straight into Naeun, who was making her way towards her.

Once Naeun reaches her, she points over her shoulder with her thumb, letting a slight chuckle slip through her lips, “Yah, what was that about?”

Hayoung shakes her head, “I don’t even know,” she then returns her eyes to the paper in her hand. Naeun notices and wastes no time in pestering her best friend about it.

“Don’t you have a midget to bother?” She sneers but not unkindly. Naeun rolls her eyes and leans against the lockers, reminding Hayoung to grab her first period book. She kneels on the floor as her companion responds.

“Eunji unnie isn't here today, she has a cold,” Naeun answers, pouting pathetically at the absence of her girlfriend. “Anyway, I heard about your little outburst yesterday.”

“It was nothing,” Hayoung grumbles, standing up to her full height after slamming her locker shut. She leans against Namjoo’s locker, facing her friend with a roll of her eyes.

“Oh, sure,” Naeun laughs, “nothing is dropping your sandwich in Chorong unnie’s weird kimchi-jjigae concoction. You screamed nonsense and stormed off to the attendance office, you little drama queen.”

“Have you ever tried Chorong unnie’s kimchi-jjigae? It’s actually not that bad. You only think it’s weird because she premixes it with her rice.” Hayoung keeps eye contact with Naeun as she attempts to divert the subject. As expected, she is unsuccessful.

“Was this because Namjoo accidentally hit you with her locker door or because you’re still a pining loser who’s frustrated with the fact that she hasn’t spoken to you once before?”

Hayoung breaks eye contact as she makes a face at her long-haired friend, “shut up.”

Before Naeun can reprimand her for speaking to her unnie like that, the final bell rings forcing them to both rush off to their first lesson which they fortunately share. Hayoung already knew Naeun was never going to drop this.

Later at lunch, Hayoung sits down at her, Chorong, Naeun, and occasionally Naeun’s girlfriend’s table. While she awaits her friends’ arrivals, she pulls out the note Namjoo had claimed she dropped from where she placed it in her backpack.

Opening it, she squints her eyes at the neat but obviously rapidly written note:

Hi!

I just wanted to say sorry for hitting you with my locker.

…And dropping my pencils on you…and my erasers...

Now I know why I never have anything to write with…

Anyway! I guess stuff like that happens when a pretty girl’s underneath me. –KNJ

Hayoung’s eyes widen at the last line. Did she just…?

Her thoughts are cut off by a small figure dropping themselves onto the seat beside her. She quickly but carefully folds up the note before shoving it into her poetry book and looking up at Chorong. She mentally hits herself for being so obvious as she eyes her suspiciously.

“What was that?” she asked, pushing aside her neatly packed lunch as if ready to snatch away her poetry book.

“What was what?”

Hayoung curses her luck as Naeun suddenly sits down across from the two. She was about to deny they ever saw anything but Naeun beats her to it as she snatches the note that is slightly sticking out from her book. Hayoung tries makes a grab for it but it was too late.

“Omo, Hayoung-ah,” she rolls her eyes, unfortunately prepared for what’s coming next, “she said you’re pretty!”

Hayoung couldn’t hold back a chuckle at her best friend’s childish-ness as she snatches the note back from Chorong who had snagged it from Naeun, “what are you, five?”

“Hayoung, this obviously means she likes you too,” Naeun justifies, turning to Chorong for help. She nods along while Hayoung scoffs at her friends’ behaviors.

“She’s right, Hayoung.”

“You’re talking as if I actually like her.” She remains stoic as her two companions give her a look that says they clearly don’t believe her, adding on, “you’re both being ridiculous.”

Chorong hums as she pulls out a ziplock bag full of baby carrots from her lunch sack, “Hayoung-ah, you talk about her all the time, and when you’re not fawning over her, you’re complaining about her.”

Hayoung moves her gaze over to the small unnie, visibly offended at the accusation, as Naeun nods her agreement.

“I hate you both.”

She doesn’t wait for a response as she gets up to leave, shoving her book into her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. She knows she can’t necessarily deny her stupid crush on Namjoo because as much as she hates to admit it, Chorong was right. She was a common topic of conversation brought up by Hayoung.

Naeun yells after her as she leaves the cafeteria, “Tell your girlfriend I said hi!”

Hayoung subtly flips her off, hiding it from a chuckling Chorong.

After last period, Hayoung speed walks to her locker hoping to avoid the girl who occupied the locker above hers. Her shoulders drop in relief when she sees the space free.

While she kneels down to put her books away, she fails to notice the faint sound of an angel humming that grows nearer. She jerks up when a warm presence presses into her back causing her to slam her head into the now open top locker door, cursing loudly at the burst of pain.

“Holy -ow!” She hears a gasp from above her and a soft hand press into the throbbing area of her head. The hand is pushing aside her hair, from what she can tell, and checking for any serious wounds.

Her vision clears up as she sees a familiar face searching her head, concern painted over her features. She quickly pushes the figure away and stands up.

Namjoo’s eyes widen when she sees Hayoung stumble trying to straighten up, rushing forward to keep her upright, “Hayoung-ssi, I am so sorry, I thought you knew I was behind you-“

Hayoung puts her hand up signaling Namjoo to stop talking. She waves her hand at the girl, wincing, “it’s fine, it’s fine.”

“Here, let me help you,” she motions, grabbing Hayoung’s bag from the tiled floor, shutting her locker, and offering her arm to the taller girl. Hayoung hesitates for a moment before taking her arm, grumbling about how she’s still capable.

Namjoo begins walking out the main entrance, waiting for Hayoung to tell her the way to her car. She points out the direction and while Namjoo leads the way, she begins to realize that she’s holding onto Namjoo’s arm while Namjoo leads her to Hayoung’s car.

They briefly pass Naeun and Chorong, who are standing next to Chorong’s beatle. Naeun notices them first, widening her eyes before mouthing, ‘get some!’ while Chorong looks over her shoulder and gives her a silent thumbs-up. Hayoung rolls her eyes at her idiot unnies but stops a moment to press her hand into her pounding head.

Namjoo notices and begins coddling her, rambling on like, “oh my god, this is all my fault,” and “do you need some medicine? I can quickly run to the nurse?” and “I’m so sorry, Hayoung-ssi, I hate me too.”

Hayoung laughs at the last one because if only Namjoo knew, “Namjoo, it’s okay.” The shorter girl looks like she doesn’t believe her but pouts and continues the journey to Hayoung’s car anyway.

Once they reach the car, Namjoo searches for Hayoung’s keys in her bag without asking permission, pulling it out before Hayoung can object. She opens the driver’s door, throwing the bag onto the passenger seat.

“Are you sure you can drive home on your own?” Namjoo questions, whipping back around to face Hayoung so quickly her hair almost slaps her cheek.

Hayoung squints, not used to this side of the girl (although she’s not used to any side of the girl so what’s it to her), “Namjoo-ssi. It’s okay. I’m okay. You don’t have to freak out.”

The dark-eyed beauty nods so fast Hayoung’s afraid her neck might snap. “I’m just making sure you don’t have a concussion, or whatever. Don’t want you or one of your pals coming for me on Monday, you know.”

Hayoung almost laughs at Namjoo’s stuttering but stops herself when she realizes what she’d said. Her brows furrow together, her tone coming out a little defensive, “Wait, what? My pals?”

“Yeah, you know, the scary crowd. I mean I’ve acquainted with Naeun-ssi a few times because of Eunji unnie, but…” She makes a face, and this time Hayoung doesn’t hold in her laugh.

She leans against the side of her car, ignoring the pain in her head for a moment, before responding, “Is that why you rush off to class so quick? You’re scared of me?”

Namjoo’s head snaps up making Hayoung wince. She scoffs but that only forces a smirk onto Hayoung’s lips.

“What the he-no. No way. I’m Kim Namjoo, I don’t get scared.” Hayoung gives her an unbelieving look. “Only mildly frightened.”

“Well I can assure you. Naeun unnie’s actually one of the least intimidating people you’ll ever meet, same for Chorong unnie,” Hayoung guarantees, positioning herself into the driver’s seat.

Namjoo moves away from the open door, giving the injured girl space to move easily, “And what about you?”

Hayoung looks up at her and rolls her eyes at the hopeful look resting upon her face. She moves to close the door, sighing, “Goodbye, Namjoo.”

She pulls out of the parking space before the girl can retaliate, and maybe (just maybe) she looks into her mirror to see Namjoo’s cute confused face.

----

So...? How was it? I'm hoping that if I get some good feedback I'll continue. Otherwise, I'll just leave it as a cute little one-shot. Anyway, let me know what you think about it! Thank you for reading! (Also sorry if there were any mistakes)