high school au ; moonbyul/hwasa 

She’s suffering.

Byulyi sighs, the quietness of study hall a discomfort.  

The clock on the wall is broken, Byulyi taps her pencil against her literature book, trying to figure out what the words are trying to say.  

It’s not enough of an effort as her mind begins to trail away from her work, eyes gone soft as her mind begins to built up dreams.

She’s a dream.

A sweet sweet dream, decadent, luxurious, too good to be true.

It’s hard not to notice, the soft curves that make her, the honeyed voice that lures her in.

Ahn Hyejin had bumped into her on the first day of school, hands righting herself, apologies falling from her lips.

Byulyi had let herself be swept away, taking note of the sun kissed skin, the shy gaze that clashed with the sharp lines of , the delicate bridge of her nose.

The other girl had picked up her things, thrown back a last apology before Byulyi had mastered the courage to ask her name.

The bell rings, Byulyi closes her book, picking up her bag, making way to her next class.

-

Hyejin plays tennis.  Byulyi passes by the courts one day and watches them do warm ups.  Her eyes find their way to the other girl, taking in her dark hair shines under the sun, the way her shorts ride up her thighs.

Byulyi knows she’s blushing, the fall sun is not enough of a reason for the heat around her ears.  

She watches as they run laps around the courts, eyes caught on the way Hyejin’s ponytails bobs behind her.

The coach is yelling for them to fix their posture, pick up speed.  Byulyi turns to leave but eyes catch hers and it’s all she can do but stay.

Hyejin looks at her until they round a corner, drops her gaze.  The coach yells at her to pick up her head.  Byulyi walks away.

-

She’s always been shy, but even she’s frustrated at how she can’t manage to speak to the other girl.  Her heart betrays her time and time again, setting a fire under her skin and rustling her nerves.

Today there’s a match.  

Byulyi finds herself there, watching the matches start on the courts.  

The girls from the other school sit on the bench, leaving Byulyi at the side, standing on grass.

The pleats of Hyejin’s tennis skirt brush against the fullness of her thighs, a place Byulyi has only dreamt of kissing.  The white of her uniform contrasts with her skin, dark hair piled up into a high ponytail.

The sun begins to set by the time Hyejin gets off the court, winning a game by two sets.  Byulyi watches as she slings her bag over her shoulder, shaking hands with the other girl, getting off the court.

Her breath catches in when Hyejin doesn’t sit on the bench, instead walking towards her, dropping easily next to her.

She sits with her knees close to her chest, skirt riding up enough for Byulyi to take notice of how soft the skin looks.

“I’m Ahn Hyejin,” she says, fingers playing with the cap of her water bottle, “you’re the girl I bumped into.”

Byulyi nods, gives a forced smile.

“Yeah,” her voices strains, “I’m Moon Byulyi.”

Hyejin’s smile is more relaxed, an easy movement that has her heart running.

Byulyi can’t look her in the eye, instead focusing on the matches still going.

“When are you going to ask me out?” Hyejin asks, voice so quiet only Byulyi hears her.

Byulyi turns to look at her in surprise, cheeks flooding with color, she swears her heart stops.

“My answer is yes,” there’s a light blush on her cheeks, “in case that’s why you haven’t asked yet.”

The sun has finished setting, the air turning cold.  Byulyi is close enough to Hyejin to see the way her skin breaks into goosebumps.

She wants to say something, ask her, finally.

But Hyejin’s coach calls her over before turning to go watch the match on the first court.

Hyejin looks around, Byulyi’s not sure why until she feels the way Hyejin’s lips press warmly against her cheek.

She doesn’t say anything as she picks up her bag, running a bit to watch the match with her coach.  Byulyi presses her palm to her cheek, heart racing, the tip of her ears burning red.  

Their eyes meet for a split second and her heart feels like it's a second away from exploding.  

Hyejin has not been kind to her heart.