Doyeon had taken it upon herself to become a more constant prescense in Yoojung’s life. You would think being assaulted by her water bottle would naturally initiate a friendship, but with the combination of Yoojung’s awkwardness and the fact that they had no classes together except for shared gym classes once a week, it resulted in friendly smiles and the occasional small conversation when they crossed paths. Time to time, Doyeon would even share the blue water bottle that knocked out her tooth, when the cheerleading team and the football team would run laps together. Aside from that, they weren’t close.

So Yoojung was completely shocked to see the taller girl waiting outside her driveway the next morning, holding her bike by the handlebars and waving a thermos of coffee at her. Ever since then, the duo who walked to school together that had been made up of Somi and Yoojung, was extended into a trio that involved Doyeon. Doyeon would bike to Yoojung’s house to meet her there, and the two would cross a few streets over to get Somi, before going to school. It wasn’t much of a difference, just a bit louder to the neighbours who they passed by daily. Somi seemed to love the addition of another odd person, since it just so happened Doyeon was exceptionally strange. Who knew someone could dance to Tears with her bicycle? Or impersonate an ostrich?

Doyeon seemed to care so much more about Yoojung personally too: The other girl would occasionally text Yoojung in the evening, telling her not to pack lunch the next day to find out that Doyeon prepared an lunchbox for her. Every now and then, she’d bring an extra scarf on chilly days because Yoojung would usually forget, or Doyeon would decide to have lunch with Yoojung and share her multitude of juice boxes. At this point, Doyeon might as well declare the near-marriage proposal she made the first time they met.

After waking up a bit later than usual, Yoojung realized the time and cursed. Running around her house and saying a rushed goodbye to her mother, she grabbed her bag and two apples, sprinting out her front door to be greeted by the now familiar image of Doyeon and her bike leaning against a lamp post. The tall girl seemed relaxed, as if she hadn’t been waiting for long, and today was chewing on the remains of a granola bar. The bar would’ve been healthy if not for the mass of chocolate chips that Yoojung noticed as she walked closer, sighing as she offered the second apple to the other girl. Doyeon took it with delight, who was now reliant on Yoojung’s insistence of a healthy breakfast to supply her with extra food in the morning.

“Somi said you didn’t reply to her, so she texted me to say she was sick,” Doyeon said as a greeting, taking a bite out of the apple just given to her, “Just you and me today!”

Yoojung nodded, and as they started their trek to school, listened to the taller girl talk animatedly about a drama she had been watching the night before. She was dramatically retelling the story of some girl who got hurt by some guy, and how much she was crying when Yoojung’s thoughts trailed off, unable to focus while staring at the other girl’s face, picking out the small scar across the bridge of Doyeon’s nose.

The reason Yoojung was running late? She couldn’t sleep last night, reliving what had happened to what seemed to be so long ago, but in reality was just a month and a half ago. It had happened a few times where she couldn’t sleep because of what happened, and she had come into school the next day with dark circles under her eyes.

Yoojung was always surprised that Doyeon hadn’t run when she had seen what happens with Eunwoo and his buddies. That she had stayed, defended her and taken care of her. That Doyeon became a constant prescence in her life after that. That Doyeon just cared even more about her.

Yoojung was even more surprised with Doyeon had seemingly talked about the incident with the head of student council and the volleyball captain, who happened to be her friend, and Im Nayoung had cornered her in the hallway, asking her if she will report what happened to Eunwoo and herself, and in turn Doyeon.

She was ashamed that she said no, Yoojung will admit. Why? She’d caused enough trouble, and didn’t want Eunwoo after her again. The person in question might’ve been kept in the hospital ever since what had happened, along with his two buddies, but Yoojung was as terrified as ever. What would happen when they got out? Surely they’d be angry, and she wasn’t going to take a chance on making that anger grow on the knowledge that she had reported to the principal about what happened.

But there was Doyeon.

Doyeon, who took physical damage in standing up for Yoojung. Doyeon, who couldn’t cover up her bruises like Yoojung could, and had to face the constant questions from her family, but brushed them off to protect the privacy of what happened to her friend. Doyeon, who spent the night right after the incident baking more treats for Yoojung to take to her house, then proceeded to wake up an hour earlier than she usually does to be able to meet Yoojung before school started.

Doyeon, who Yoojung wanted to repay. In the smallest way she could, she could make sure what Doyeon did for her wasn’t in vain by telling-

“Yoojungie, you’re not listening!” Doyeon pouted, slightly frowning and pausing before looking expectantly at her, “Are you okay? Did you sleep late last night?”

Yoojung stared a little bit at the other girl, before smiling and waving it off, blaming it on the late night. The smile didn’t last long however; Doyeon had smacked Yoojung’s shoulder with her free hand, scolding her for not sleeping enough, then rambling about how it relates to how the shorter girl hasn’t grown in so long.

“You need to grow! We’re still young-“

“Ya, Kim Doyeon! Just because you’ve been blessed with superior height, doesn’t mean that the rest of us are!”
“You could at least try to sleep early.”

“That has nothing to do with it!”

Doyeon laughed then at the shorter girl’s defense, and as they passed through the entrance of school, the taller girl chained her bike up before joining Yoojung in entering the doors. The pair weaved through the large crowd of students who were making their way towards their lockers or towards their classes, and throughout the chaos of the everchanging body of students, Doyeon grabbed Yoojung’s hand, pulling her though.

“You have math first today, right?” Doyeon asked over her shoulder, trying to converse while navigating without stepping on anyone or bumping into them. Although tried, she still managed to bump into a small junior before the other girl to reply.

Yoojung nodded to confirm her question, before Doyeon turned her back and kept her full attention to going through the swarm, stopping a minute later outside Yoojung’s class.

“Thank you,” Yoojung starts, smiling back at a grinning Doyeon, who hadn’t let go of her hand yet, “For doing this every day. You don’t have to-“

“Nonsense!” The taller girl proclaims, before opening the door to Yoojung’s classroom, “Anything for you.”

The shorter laughed at the other’s little declaration, but the joyful sound had cut off as soon as Yoojung set foot in the classroom, seeing as Doyeon had taken one look inside and pushed her aside, stepping between Yoojung and the class.

“Doyeon, I have class..?” Yoojung questioned, peeking over Doyeon’s shoulder to try and see what had caused a reaction like this, something so abrupt and protective.

But as soon as she could see past Doyeon and looked into the classroom, he met her eyes and her blood ran cold.

-

AN// I'm sorry this is short, I'm trying to squeeze in writing between my studying !!