(from Chapter 8.)

"Ah!" Nayoung recovers from the confusion, "Mianhaeyo, I didn't know. You can sit here!" Nayoung pushes her lips into a smile while she removes her belongings from the seat next to hers. 

Chungha reciprocates her smile with a gentle yet bright one and seats herself beside Nayoung. "Heehyun's in this lecture too," Chungha adds, "but she'll be missing today's". 

"Is she?" Nayoung tilts her head a little with the question. "I never realised," she mumbles. Chungha doesn't reply her, and she starts feeling jittery. 

"Um, what do you major in?" Nayoung attempts to start a conversation while they both bring out their notes and stationery from their bags.

"Uh..." Chungha ponders for a while, "Engineering. Though not yet specialised," Chungha replies, "You?"

"Industrial Engineering," Nayoung grins, "So we're sort of similar?"

The girls laugh together but it dies down almost instantly. Soon, an awkward silence encompasses them and Nayoung begins to feel goosebumps on her arms.

"You're... Kim Nayoung ssi right?" Chungha starts, somewhat timidly.

Nayoung stiffens up, "Ne," she answers. "There's also an Im Nayoung ssi in Cheer too right?"

"Ne! Ne," Chungha releases a restless chuckle, "I thought I could've been wrong."

Nayoung's lips form a small smile and she shakes her head. The awkward silence returns, and Nayoung is back at fiddling with her fingers.

"By the way..." Chungha tries again after a cough to clear , "Are you coming later? Haein sunbae called for a gathering to discuss the seniors' farewell, so we're going on a team lunch," she asks with a small smile.

Nayoung pauses and rolls her eyes up to recall. "Right," Nayoung mutters, "I haven't been reading the messages in the group," Nayoung chuckles nervously. 

"Heehyun won't be there but there'll be others like Sohee, oh and Im Nayoung ssi who will be coming too," Chungha smiles at her.

"I should be able to," Nayoung nods her head with a smile, silently grateful for the invitation from Chungha, as well as their warm interaction despite both of their shyness.

The awkwardness does reside throughout the lecture, but Nayoung is thankful that doesn't have to go through the next hour alone, or with anyone completely foreign. 

(from Chapter 10.)

"Um..." Chungha tries a question, "Who do you normally hang out with in the team?"

Nayoung stops short. Her lips curve into a frown. "I don't talk much to the others," Nayoung reveals after slight consideration that she could perhaps trust and open up to Chungha. 

Chungha flashes an apologetic look. "Mian! I..." 

Nayoung notices her anxiety with the situation and chuckles, "It's okay. Thanks for talking to me today," Nayoung now shows a genuine smile. 

"It's nothing," Chungha smiles once again. 

"You're really close to Heehyun ssi, right?" Nayoung notices after a semester, and from their short conversations during which Chungha frequently mentions Heehyun. "Did something happen to her?"

Chungha's eyes dart left and right for a little before she her lips and answers, "We've been friends since we were children. And oh, she's just down with a flu."

"I see," Nayoung nods her head, mumbling.

"Sohee and the others are really nice too, they talked to me first when I was really early for practice one day," Chungha explains, "they even called me to go for a snack with them after that day. That's how..." Chungha's voice trails away as she gives small repeated nods. 

author's note: it's been agesssss has it?? i'm in the midst of preparation for really important exams that'll decide my future gahaha ok that's not a good excuse but... and i'm sorry that my first update in 124856years is just to inform you of a bit of changes,, miss writing this tho asdfghjkl i miss writing as nayoung :")