‘Nice belt Chorong, where did you leave the skirt?’

Chorong turns to the familiar voice huffing.

“I heard that, Hayoung.”

“I know, that was my intention.” She smirks and Namjoo on her side, waves.

“You took off the bandage.” The blond points out.

“Yeah, it’s almost healed and this kind of wound needs to be oxygenated.”

Namjoo seems to be amazed by this tiny detail.

‘She’s adorable.’ Hayoung mentally admits.

A grin appears on Chorong’s face and Hayoung’s eyes widen. She points at Chorong in a half-heartfelt threat.

“You- you cheater. Stop. Invading. My head. Without. My consent.” She grabs Namjoo by the hand and they leave in a rush.

Chorong giggles quietly and looks up to make her way to class.

'… with Hayoung. Chorong looks so pretty today, though.'

Chorong's lips curve in a shy smile at the echo of that voice. It shouldn't be a surprise that her filter can't possibly work in Yoon Bomi’s case. She's too interested.

''s sake Bomi, you're so jealous. You really need to get your together, it's pathetic. Stop staring.’'

Chorong can't help but glance directly at her when she pass by the girl to catch her, indeed, staring. Bomi blushes and busies herself with her phone.

The black-haired girl turns to the front and continue walking to her class, biting her lip and trying really hard to steady her racing heart.

Chorong knows it’s wrong.

One thing is not being able to control her power and other is purposely focusing on reading one specific person's mind.

She couldn't stop it either way, it's addictive.

During the classes they share, she focuses on the teacher until the husky voice rings through her mind. And even if she's getting better and better at controlling her ability, she can't seem to block her. She doesn't want to, not at all.

Every day, Chorong has a small preview of Yoon Bomi’s mind.

The auburn-haired girl usually thinks about the lesson. Lately, she has started to think about songs to dance to at the Performing Arts Club. The girl also wants to improve her singing.

Sometimes she thinks about her family or her friends and the black-haired girl gives her some privacy and sometimes, more often than not, she thinks about her and Chorong can't help but commit every word to memory.

Today in Performing Arts Club, she sits two seats away from Bomi, who immediately starts stealing glances at her. Eunji’s at Bomi’s side, scanning the room in a relaxed manner. Naeun and Namjoo are watching Hyojin trying to teach Sungjae some rap moves and laughing hysterically at the desperation the rapper is clearly feeling.

Chorong sighs comfortably, leaning back on her chair and crossing her legs.

'Holy mother of- Are you punishing me God? Is this some kind of test? Do you hate me that much?'

Chorong perks up at Bomi's thought, a little bit alarmed by what may have caused the dancer’s distress.

'Please not her legs. Anything but that.'

The black-haired girl has to bite the inside of her cheek to stop her smile. Mischievously, she decides a little teasing can't do much harm. She deliberately uncrosses her legs and then slowly crosses them again the other way around; the most femme fatal move she can manage.

'Oh God. Oh. So much skin.' Chorong hears the jumbled thoughts and leans back even further on the chair. 'How is it even possible for her to have those endless legs? And they look so... smooth. So soft, so touchable... kissable... I'd love to bite right the inside of that creamy white thigh that's peeking under that sinfully short skirt and run my hands up and up and right between- , Yoon Bomi! Get yourself together, you're like a teenage boy!'

Bomi's little internal monologue leaves Chorong blushing like a mad woman and ridiculously flustered. She hurries to sit properly and tries to cover the most expanse of skin she can. Yoon Bomi is quite explicit.

"What? What is it?" Hayoung asks avidly from her side, leaning into her.

Chorong shakes her head vehemently. "It's nothing, Hayoung-ah."

"Oh no. No, no, no, no. Not now Chorong. You just heard some juicy thought and I want to know- “

Right on cue Mrs Im arrives followed by Howon, Changsub and a very attractive brunette girl.

'This is not over, Rong.'

"Okay guys!" Im Yoona exclaims with her usual enthusiasm. "Howon and Changsub had been hunting down for new potential members for the club and I want you to welcome a new main dancer and main singer to the family.”

Said girl waves awkwardly.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" Mrs Im offers.

"Yeah, uh, well... hi. My name is Ahn Heeyeon, but most people call me Hani, I've been transferred from-"

This is all Chorong gets to hear because, just as suddenly as it always happen, Bomi's voice invade her mind full-force.

'Mh, the girl is good looking. Main singer and dancer uh? I wonder if Chorong would feel attracted to her...' The black-haired girl turns to Bomi as subtly as she can manage, only to see a small frown on the girl's face. 'I can't let that happen again, dammit! Now that she's not with Eunji she can... she... No. No. Is not like I even have a chance, why do I worry about it. You can’t like Chorong. I care about other girls... yeah… girls not called Chorong. Yes. Called Hani are better.'

Hani is belting out a song Chorong doesn't recognize, or she's just too focused on Bomi's thoughts to be bothered about it. So, the dancer thinks she's going to go after Hani? That's silly considering Bomi is the only one she’s interested in at the moment. And she's a little bit offended too; just because the girl has a nice voice and looks good doesn't mean she's going to fall for her. What does she think she is? And now Bomi is interested in Hani too? Why must she be so confusing?

Chorong huffs quietly, earning a questioningly glance from Hayoung.

"Great! That was fantastic, wasn't it?" Mrs Im asks excited. The fellow clubbers look satisfied enough and Howon and Changsub have a very pleased expression on their faces. "I think you're in then. Welcome to our little kingdom, Heeyeon!"

Practice is going to end any minute now and Chorong is counting down the seconds to make the fastest sprint to her car ever. Hayoung, at her side, looks completely unfazed by her obvious anxiety and stares calmly at the front of the class. 'Oh Chorongie, you're so predictable...'

"Let's wrap it up here and I'll see you next day!" Just as Mrs Im says this, Chorong bolts out of her chair just to find herself anchored to the spot.

"What-" She turns to see the taller girl the back of her sweater and wearing a smirk.

"Sit." She pulls the Chorong back until she falls on the chair again.

She takes a deep breath trying to gain some time. Lying would be the easiest way to escape this, she knows; but Chorong also knows that if there is someone who can help her with Bomi, is Hayoung.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Bomi getting up and walking towards the new girl. The dancer flashes her charming smile and introduces herself as Yoon Bomi. Hani looks automatically smitten.

Chorong scoffs.

"Okay, whatever! You want to know who was thinking what? Great, I'll tell you. Let's go."

When they reach the parking lot, Hayoung and Namjoo- who caught up with them seconds after exiting the music room- round her car and jump on the hood.

"Spill."

"With one condition," Chorong mutters as she sits next to Hayoung. Namjoo sits on the other side.

Hayoung groans, leaning back on the hood and shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. "What condition?"

"You can't ask for details."

"That's no fun!" She whines.

"They were having very detailed ual thoughts, I'm not giving you the details!"

"Didn't know you were such a prude."

"Do you want me to tell you or not?"

'Fine,' Hayoung thinks making Chorong smirk.

"Well, this... person, has been having... uhm y thoughts about... uhm, me."

"What? Who on their right mind would do that?" She sits up in a rush.

"I would," Namjoo states surely making Hayoung cringe and Chorong blush.

"Anyways, who's the pea-size brain that has dirty thoughts about you?"

"Bomi. It’s Bomi," she finally admits. "Bomi was having ual thoughts about me- just like she has been since I can read her mind- and other thoughts about how cute I am or how shiny my hair is. She’s been so into me and now she's flirting with what's-her-name! Just a few minutes ago she was playing a whole, detailed fantasy about my legs in her head and now she’s all over that... that..."

Silence falls upon them as Chorong trails off with her ramble. Hayoung laughs wholeheartedly and Namjoo is gaping at her like some sort of human-fish.

"Oh. My. God!" Namjoo finally gasps. "Bomi has a crush on you?!"

"Bomi has always liked Chorong, Namjoo-ah.” Hayoung turns to Chorong. “But it hasn’t been that easy for her; Eunji was with you and that dumb girl got so used to avoid you that I think her denial has reached stupid levels."

"But you like her back, don’t you?" Namjoo asks knowingly.

"I- Bomi is beautiful. Very. And she has a y voice. Not to mention how she moves so effortlessly when dancing with her well trained body and those mesmerizing eyes that-"

"Okay, okay, enough. You're gonna make me puke at this rate." Hayoung mimics to be sick.

Chorong blushes. "Well, I might like her a little too much."

"Oh Rong, you'd look super hot in this." The blonde holds up a short, black dress with a feathery skirt.

"Wha- No, Joo, I'm not-"

"It will show your legs. You have nice legs," she continues, pressing the dress to her body to check the length.

"It's quite short." 'I don't think Park Chorong The Prude would wear that,' Hayoung mentally teases.

"I would!" She argues, stomping her feet on the ground. "That is, if I were going to the school junior ball, which I'm not."

"What?" Comes the chorused question.

"It's what I've been trying to say all this past week. I'm not going."

"Wait, does this have anything to do with Bomi going to the party with y girl?" Hayoung’s eyes her suspiciously.

"She's- what?"

"Bomi asked Hani at the end of practice yesterday. I saw them.” The tall girl clarifies.

Chorong’s face falls. Jealousy mixed with anger and outrage settles in her stomach. Bomi has gone as far to ignore her feelings for her as to date a girl she only has known for a week. Does Bomi really have to take so much trouble just not to admit her attraction?

"Oh," Namjoo mumbles sadly.

Hayoung sighs knowingly. "Look, Bomi's a . A and a . She's using the poor girl, trying to deny her feelings for you... even more reasons to go to the ing ball! She needs to face the music and grow a pair and you," she grabs Chorong and pushes her to the dressing room, then throws the dress at her, "have to be there to push her."

"But, I still don't have a date..."

"You can come with us!" Namjoo exclaims excited.

Now that is official, Chorong scurries to the stall.

"Why is everybody looking at me?" Chorong asks nervously as they walk through the crowd of people towards the corner where the Performing Arts Club agreed to meet.

"`Cause you look smoking," Namjoo answers looking back at her with a smile. She is, in fact, wearing the black dress Namjoo picked up for her. Briefly looking down at herself, then at her two friends, she decides it's really not that big of a deal. They both are looking like straight out of a magazine.

Naeun is a goddess in her white dress and Namjoo is leaving broken hearts in her path in that fabulous yellow dress.

"There they are." Naeun points out. Chorong scans the group; there's Eunji, who's wearing a grey dress that hugs her in all the right places, taking a photo along the stylish overload that are Hyojin, Ilhoon and Hayoung, the three of them in different shades of red; there's Changsub and Sungjae with less casual looks than expected and Howon, wearing a cute bow tie. Much to her disappointment, there is no Bomi in sight.

"Check this out." Ilhoon is the first to spot them. "You all dressed like this for me? Aw, there was no need!"

"Shut your face, Ilhoon." Hyojin spits with an eye roll.

Chorong realizes everyone has put a special effort today to look in their finest.

"Oh look, there's Bomi." Ilhoon announces. 'And the hot brunette too.'

Bomi’s wearing a flimsy gold dress that makes her stand out in the mass of bodies and leaving no doubt that gold's definitely her power colour. Her hair is down and she looks flushed, like she has been on a rush to get there. At the last second, Chorong realizes there's an alluring looking Hani in a dark blue dress attached to her hand.

"Hey everybody," she greets. The group waves and greets them back. "Sorry we're late. As incredible as it sounds, it was Miss the-game-doesn’t-have-autosave-feature's fault."

"Well, you know... that takes its effort." Hani says.

"It's completely understandable." Hyojin nods eagerly. 'I wonder if she would like to play with me...'

Chorong snorts quietly, or so she thinks, because Bomi immediately snaps her gaze to her. 'Oh Chorong has...' her thought trails off as she really sees the black-haired girl, '...come. Jesus Christ, is this the real life?'

Bomi's skin turns a shade darker under her light makeup, her chest raising with a heavy breath and her eyes blazing. No one but Chorong seems to realize; the rest seems too engrossed in their current conversation.

'Control. Yourself. Yoon. Bomi. You're here with Hani. Your date. Not Chorong. And you shouldn’t care how freakingly hot Park Chorong’s looking or how ridiculously short her dress is or how intensely she's looking your way and you most definitely shouldn’t care how much you just want to jump her bones right now.'

Well, that was enlightening, Chorong thinks amused in the midst of her heated staring. If she's capable of getting the girl alone, she's pretty sure she'll get some progress today.

'I have to avoid her at all costs.'

"Just my luck," Chorong mumbles to herself.

"Let's dance." Bomi grabs Hani by the arm and drags her again to the dance floor. Hayoung by Chorong's side, folds her arms and puts a face.

"She's avoiding me." Chorong quips.

"No , Sherlock." Hayoung rolls her eyes. 'I don't need super powers to see that.'

"Why is Bomi avoiding Rong? She looks super cute tonight. I'd have with her." Namjoo joins them.

"Exactly, Joo-ah."

"Oh." The blonde smiles deviously. 'We can fix that.'

She grabs the two girls by the hand and makes her way through the crowd to get where the couple is dancing. "Hi guys!"

"Joo." Bomi looks surprised that her friends have found her so soon. "Hey Hayoungie and..." she takes a deep breath before rapidly facing her, "Chorong."

"Guys, this party is awesome!" Hani gushes. "We didn't have this at my old school."

"Hani, you have pretty hair..." Namjoo starts running her fingers through her hair. Hani just looks happy to be with there and leans her head for Namjoo to touch her hair.

"Oh, I know! Why don't we go get some drinks for our dates?"

"Uh..." Hani looks unsure between Hayoung and Chorong.

"Come on, Hayoungie. Let's get Rong something to drink. You too, Hani." The girl finds herself being dragged around before she can even let a word in.

'What? No! Come back here!' Bomi thinks panicking. The blonde looks everywhere but at her companion, looking for a way to escape.

'. Okay, small talk Yoon Bomi. You can do this.' "So, you came as Hayoung and Namjoo’s date?"

"Not really. Joo is just a little bit confused, you know how she is," Chorong explains. "I wasn't going to come, but she convinced me."

“Oh”

Silence falls upon them and Chorong gets desperate to get something out before her friends return.

"Look Bomi, I know you don't hate me, so drop the act," Chorong says confidently.

"Yeah? How would you know?" She scoffs.

"Well for starters, you asked Hayoung to make sure I was alright a few weeks ag-..." the black-haired girl trails off as she realizes her mistake.

'Oh my God, she told her! She’s so dead!' Bomi thinks, her eyes wide like sausages. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you so against us being friends?" Chorong throws her hands in the air exasperated. She's hardly containing herself and what comes out of , but she knows she has to be careful not to let slip how she knows Bomi likes her.

'Because if we become friends, I'll probably want more.' Bomi sighs defeated. "We wouldn't work as friends."

"Okay," Chorong steps even closer to the auburn-haired girl, looking up at her through dark eye-lashes and wishing Bomi could read her mind like she can, "what would we work as then?"

'What is she saying? Why is she so close? Oh, is that her perfume? Holy , she smells amazing. What is she looking at? Is she- is she staring at my lips? No, she can't be. She's waiting for you to say something, moron!' "I- I don't know." 'Smooth, Bomi, real smooth.'

"Let's try it.” Says Chorong, her eyes indeed, jumping from Bomi's eyes to the girl's lips. "Let's try being friends and... if it doesn't work..." Chorong wets her lips unconsciously, the proximity of the dancer affecting her like a thousand suns. "We can try something else."

Bomi follows intently the path of Chorong's tongue and holds her breath. 'What is this girl doing to you?'

"What do you say?"

"I- I-" Bomi stammers. She walks back, putting a few feet between them and feeling the air coming back to her lungs, the room suddenly doubling her size. "I guess we can try."

"Great." Chorong, who's mind seems to have cleared a bit with the added distance too, nods happily.

"We’re back!” Hani singsongs suddenly wearing a big smile while holding two cups, followed by Namjoo and Hayoung.

Chorong continues to enjoy the party with a smile playing on her lips.

Yeah, she's definitely getting somewhere.