She'd told herself she'd never love again after what happened last year.

But whenever she's around her, her heart starts to swell with desire and longing, like a ticking time bomb ready for her to blurt out the words - "I think I like you," anytime she let down her guard.

The way happiness flared in her eyes when she's happy, the way she flips her lovely, whiskey-coloured hair, or the way her smile would radiate such warmth that she would be the sun and she would be a sunburn - she wouldn't mind the world collapsing around her, as long as she could see her.

"Jeongyeon?" 

Jeongyeon shook herself awake.

"Class is over, sleepy head! It's 4.25 already."

Her eyes widened in horror.

"Crap, I'm going to miss my bus!" the girl cried out, still wearing her sweaty jersey that reeks of deodorant.

Momo giggled at her deskmate, who was currently scrambling for all of her belongings on their linked tables and shoving them aggressively into her backpack.

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" The blonde girl groaned.

The other girl only smiled. "You looked like you were having a nice dream."

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes.

"What? It's true!" Momo gave a childish pout. "Anyway, good luck catching your bus! I would hug you for good luck but you kinda smell like you bathed in deodorant."

"Sorry. I was too tired to even go change," Jeongyeon carried her bag on her back, "What about you? Going back yet?"

The other girl shook her head. "Me, Sana and Mina have dance practice later. Well, that's the only reason why I'm still here, anyway."

"Have fun in your practice then!" Jeongyeon rushed out of class after waving goodbye to her friend.

The bus stop was emptier than usual, as most of the students had already taken the 4 o' clock bus. She checked her phone.

4.28pm. She wasn't late. Jeongyeon let out an audible sigh and slumped down on the bench behind her. Usually, she would take the bus with Chaeyoung, but Chaeyoung's sick at home, so no one came to her class to wake her up today.

-

Chae bae

WaSSup?!!? 

4.28pm

So how was the relay?

4.28pm

We won!!! 

You don't know how tired I am

 I practically ran my off

4.28pm

AT LEAST YOU GUYS WON 

I'M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS :')

4.29pm

Btw, was the cute girl there? ;)

4.29pm

what

4.29pm

idk what cute girl you're 

talking about you're drunk

4.29pm

Oh you can't lie to me Jeong ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

4.29pm

Jihyo told me everything hehe

4.29pm

SHE DID?!?!?! GSJSJJSJSK IS2G IMMA ROAST HER TOMORROW 

4.30pm

wAIT SO YOU  DO  LIKE SOMEONE!!!! omg  I'm reporting this to the group chat asap

4.30pm

son chaeyoung you better not come 

to school tomorrow or else

4.30pm

My bus is here catch you later loser

4.30pm

I'm muting the group chat too btw

4.30pm

-

Jeongyeon ignored any further messages that she received and boarded the bus. The bus was not packed like usual, so she was lucky enough to find a seat. She sat on the seat next to the window, hugging her backpack on her lap. It was then when she noticed her medal's ribbon jetting out of her backpack pocket.

*

Her team wouldn't make it. She wouldn't make it. Chaeyoung's their best sprinter, but she's not here so she was replaced by their backup.

Their backup's still a fairly new athlete, so Jeongyeon really couldn't blame her when she started lagging behind during her lap. By the time she passed the baton to Mina, the three other runners were already a quarter in their next lap. Mina managed to catch up with one of them, but the distance between her and the two leading runners was still significant.

Jeongyeon got into position, preparing to receive the baton from Mina. As the team anchor, or what most people call the fourth runner, she often faces immense pressure as she is responsible for making up ground on the race-leader, or preserving the lead already secured by their teammates. Both are equally as mind gruelling.

Her eyes wandered over to the crowd, and suddenly, a particular figure caught her eye.

Momo. She's here.

Beside Momo was another girl with lighter brown hair, and Jeongyeon remembers seeing her dancing on stage during teacher's day last year. Jeongyeon doesn't remember what her name is exactly, but recalls Momo calling her 'Sana' before.

Jeongyeon started jogging as Mina got closer, ready to go all out at any moment. Even though she couldn't exactly see where Momo was looking, she could still somehow feel her gaze on her, as if she was silently cheering her on from within her heart. 

She's watching me. I can do this.

Jeongyeon took a deep breath, and the rest was history.

*

"Oh my gosh, you like Yoo Jeongyeon?" 

"Shh! I told you to keep quiet about it!" Momo shushed her friend, covering with her hand as Sana could be heard mumbling various inaudible words that were likely nothing Momo wanted to hear right now.

"What's going on?" Mina walked over to the corner of the dance room where Sana and Momo were sitting.

Sana, finally breaking out of Momo's grasp stood up and wrapped her arm around the redhead's shoulders, giggling. "My friend here has a crush on one of your teammates."

Mina laughed and shook her head. "Please don't tell me it's Chou Tzuyu."

Momo, who has probably drowned in her own embarrassment by now, whined and buried her face in her hands. "Ugh... no..." She whimpered. One day she swears she's going to duct tape Sana's mouth permanently to prevent her from leaking any more confidential information.

The younger girl laughed once again, her laughter soft yet sincere. "I believe we have not met properly before. My name is Mina. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Momo." She removed one of her hands covering her face to shake hands with the standing girl. "By the way, who's this Chou Tzuyu you mentioned just now? Just curious." Maybe the two girls couldn't tell, but Momo was desperate to change the subject of their converstation right now. Very desperate.

Mina raised her eyebrows, surprised. "You don't know who she is? She's one of the most popular girls in our school!"

"I heard her parents are owners of a famous chain of hospitals back in Taiwan, " Sana's mouth then curved into a sly smirk, "She's also really pretty, by the way."

"Don't you dare sleep with her, Minatozaki Sana."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I forgot that you're her girlfriend." Sana trilled.

"I'm not her girlfriend!" 

"Well, our entire school thinks otherwise- AHAHAHAHAHA!!"

Sana burst into uncontrollable laughter as Mina started tickling her in revenge. "I'm not dating her, Sana. I'm just her friend, " she said sternly, "Just because we talk a lot, it doesn't mean that we're in love."

Just because we talk a lot, it doesn't mean that we're in love. Those words echoed in Momo's head, and became imprinted in her heart. She couldn't help but ponder - what if Jeongyeon thought of her as nothing more but a friend, like how Mina thinks of this Tzuyu girl? 

Momo couldn't focus much during that dance practice. Her mind was filled with nothing but thoughts about Jeongyeon, Jeongyeon, and Jeongyeon.

If people call this being lovesick, Momo thinks she needs to be admitted to the ICU right now.

*

The ticking sound of Jeongyeon's wall clock resonated throughout her bedroom, accompanied by the faint melody of chirping crickets from outside her window. The inkiness of the dark sky outside was somewhat remedied by the countless stars suspended up above - rarely would you get to witness such a phenomenon if you live in the city.

Jeongyeon was ready to start catching up on the work she missed out on today due to the competition. Putting down the hot chocolate she made for herself on her study table, she rummaged through her bag, looking for her biology notebook.

"Hm?" 

What her hand pulled out was indeed a biology notebook, but something looked... off . She looked closer at the cover of the notebook.

Jeongyeon swore she almost spit out her drink.

The name 'Hirai Momo' was written out clearly on the brown-coloured cover of the notebook. The panicked girl flipped through the contents of her bag again and managed to find her own notebook.

Alright. At least I can do my notes tonight.  She sighed in relief. Momo shouldn't need her notebook tonight, given she already did her work in class.

I'm sure she wouldn't mind me copying her notes. Jeongyeon thought to herself. It shouldn't matter much, since their biology teacher makes everyone copy the same things anyway. Besides, copying from an actual physical notebook was much better for her eyes compared to straining her eyes at a small phone screen.

Jeongyeon stared at the foreign looking notebook in her hands. She was holding something that belonged to Momo, and currently, she had full access to the contents of it. Even this was enough to make Jeongyeon's heart race. 

Stop overreacting, Yoo Jeongyeon. Time to do your work. She slapped herself on her right cheek. 

She opened her own notebook in front of her and Momo's one at the side. 

Her deskmate's handwriting can be described as bubbly and cute, and Jeongyeon would definitely relate that to her personality. It wasn't super neat like hers - where the bottom of each letter would strictly stick to the lines of the paper - but at least it's still illegible. 

But what caught Jeongyeon's eye the most were Momo's adorable doodles on the blank spaces of the top and bottom of each page - it seems that doodling was her own way of entertaining herself during class. On the page she was currently on, there's a drawing of three dogs - all three of them look like some sort of Jack Russell Terrier (or maybe a Poodle... Jeongyeon really can't tell), with the names 'Lucky', 'Pudding' and 'Petco' written above their heads.

As she finished writing the notes on that page, she flipped the page, noticing a small drawing of a girl that looked very much like her on the next page.

The character looked cartoonish, sporting a bobbed hairstyle, while wearing the school uniform and blazer. Two letters - 'JY' was written beside the doodle.

JY...? Could this be... a drawing of me?

Next to the drawing, two words, 'MISSING U' can be seen, albeit in very small handwriting. 

If this was anyone else's notebook, she would most definitely feel flattered, but this was Momo's notebook. The same Momo she has been thinking about a lot lately. 

Even though it was just a small drawing, the fact that Momo was thinking of her even when she wasn't in class was already enough to make the butterflies in her stomach flutter.

Jeongyeon didn't want to get her hopes too high, but perhaps there's a chance Momo might feel the same after all.

-

MOMORING<3

OMG I just found this really hot girl on instagram

10.43pm

she's goes to our school, so she lives just nearby I think

10.43pm

....Sana pls don't do what I think you're planning to do

10.43pm

What's her name?

10.43pm

I'm not sure myself tbh, the closest I've got 

is a picture of her wearing the school uniform,

I can make out the letters A, Y and N from her name tag tho

10.44pm

She didn't include her real name in her bio or her username?

10.44pm

Nope, but her username is fluffybunny19

10.44pm

... Just don't get murdered//kidnapped ok

10.44pm

Stay safe bb 

10.44pm