Lee Kaeun. 22. Jaded College Student.

Miyawaki Sakura. 19. The Sunshine You See.

Heo Yunjin, Jennifer. 18. Pretty Tired Of Being An Extra.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Today is gone, yet I'm the only light that you see. When you needed someone, really all you ever needed was me."

The security guard by the school gates was starting to look at her funny.

Kaeun stared back pointedly, meeting his gaze and starting an impromptu staring contest of sorts. He narrowed his eyes, probably in response to how suspicious this girl in front of him was behaving but Kaeun didn’t take too kindly to people looking at her like she was up to no good. She was up to some good, at least.

The security guard was the first to look away, and Kaeun performed a victorious fist-pump in her head for having bested the grouchy-looking ahjusshi in charge of all these highschoolers. She was a champion. She rarely loses these petty games.

And then it dawned on Kaeun just how petty the game she had just played with the unwitting security guard was, and she released a deep sigh.

Yunjin was late again.

That girl would keep her waiting, eventhough Kaeun was doing her the favour of picking her up from school today. Rude, today’s youngsters. Kaeun would be a lot more miffed if she wasn’t so fond of the giraffe.

Another few minutes passed, and another sigh escapes Kaeun. She’s been standing here for half an hour, reminiscing about her youth and traipsing through memory lane and cringing at every recollection of her highschool life. She was in college now, and things weren’t really any better but at least she had a car and better clothes. That was always a plus.

The security guard has left his post, and with a huff Kaeun decides to seize the opportunity and walk through the gates, entering the school’s property although it was technically illegal for a non-student to do so. Kaeun doesn’t care. She’s a badass. And she may or may not have been humming the Mission Impossible soundtrack as she committed the act of badassery.

Now that she was actually in the school however, Kaeun has absolutely no idea where to even begin looking for Yunjin. The school was massive, as expected of a fancy private institution catered to wealthy international students. A few more steps, and Kaeun picks up the sound of laughter. It was loud. Raucous and weirdly dripping in ill intent. Kaeun had a bad feeling, and as she begins walking towards the sound she discovers that her instinct was right.

She first sees a familiar backpack on the ground, it’s contents strewn all over the gravel and dirt causing the books and stationaries to be coated in a layer of muck. With increasing speed Kaeun rounds the corner to be greeted with a sight that made her blood boil.

Three girls stood in a semicircle, trapping a fourth against the grey wall of the school’s science lab. Kaeun had managed to find Yunjin, but oh boy what a situation the younger girl has found herself in. Kaeun couldn’t hear what they were saying from where she was standing but based on Yunjin’s body language she could tell that it wasn’t anything pleasant. 

Yunjin was a tall girl. Taller than most girls her age, with a height of 171cm. A physical trait that is wasted on her because despite having all the tools to cut an imposing figure, Yunjin was a kind soul with a soft heart. She would never harm a fly, which left her defenceless against high school bullies. This wouldn’t even be the first time Kaeun has seen this very scene unfold, having had to defend Yunjin against bullies throughout the years she’s known the young giraffe. The latter’s height and beautiful features just attracted too much attention.

One of the bullies moves in closer to Yunjin, and the latter’s eyes widened in fear. Even from this distance Kaeun could see the tears welling up in said eyes, and that was the last straw. Nobody makes Yunjin cry. Anybody that does is a fool, because Kaeun and her burning fury would chase that person down to the depths of hell.

Kaeun bent down to pick up a couple of Yunjin’s textbooks off the ground before placing them in the latter’s discarded backpack. Zipping it up and feeling the weight in her hands, Kaeun decides that it’s sufficient enough for what she was about to do. Textbooks did not belong on the ground. Textbooks were for learning, and Kaeun was about to dish out some Grade A education to these entitled private school kids.

It only took a few short strides for Kaeun to close the gap between her and the snot-nosed bullies, and once they were within range Kaeun took a wild swing, managing to bonk all three girls with one violent pass of the backpack.

They never saw her coming, having had their back turned to her. Too preoccupied with giving Yunjin a hard time to see the makeshift weapon arcing through the air towards their noggins, and the next thing they knew all three of them were on the ground, clutching their heads and groaning in pain.

Kaeun loomed over them, glaring menacingly before swinging the backpack downwards, hoping to catch at least one of them but they managed to scamper away at the last second. A dull thud reverberated through the air as the backpack made purchase with the soft ground. All three girls stared at her with wide-eyed fear, as if she was the reaper herself. 

“...The next one won’t miss.”

And that threat was all it took for all three girls to run off, screaming in fear and trying to put as much distance between them and the red-haired demon that was using a raggedy backpack as a makeshift Mjolnir.

“....Thanks unnie.”

Kaeun turns around to see Yunjin pushing herself off the wall she had been leaning/cowering against, brushing dirt off her clothes and towering over Kaeun as she stood up straight. Look at that. The idiot giraffe was taller than Kaeun and she still couldn’t fend off three shrimps that wouldn’t even be included in a dollar seafood platter.

It actually ticked Kaeun off.

“How is this happening AGAIN?!” Kaeun yelled out her question, swinging the backpack so that it collided with Yunjin’s shoulder.

“OW! I don’t know! It just happens, I guess!” Yunjin whined, rubbing her shoulder and wincing when she sees Kaeun pull back for a second strike that never came.

Instead Kaeun just sighed, tossing the backpack back to it’s rightful owner who failed to catch it and whined again when it lands on the ground in a crumpled heap. The older girl rolls her eyes and folds her arms, still mad at the girl she just saved.

“You’re acting too nonchalant about this. What would’ve happened if I didn’t come to check on you?”

It was Yunjin’s turn to sigh. “Nothing would’ve happened unnie. They’re all bark, no bite. They say some hurtful things then they go off on their own merry way.”

“What were they saying to you?”

Yunjin hesitated, walking away to pick up the rest of her stuff strewn on the dirt and to physically distance herself from the conversation. “They didn’t say much, unnie.”

“Jennifer Heo Yunjin.” Kaeun addressed firmly, and Yunjin knew from the fact that her full name was used that the matter wouldn’t be dropped so easily.

“....It was the usual.”

“What’s the usual? Burger with a side of fries? What’s the usual, Yunjin?”

Yunjin actually laughed. Why was she being interrogated? “They called me a giraffe—and not in the affectionate way that you do unnie—and the fact that I’m too broke to belong here was brought up one or two times...”

That last one was preposterous. Yunjin’s family wasn’t filthy rich, but they weren’t exactly living on foodstamps either. Yunjin had just taken the scholarship route instead of buying her way into this prestigious school like rest of these dumb kids.

“It was that short one, wasn’t it? I should have hit that git harder.”

“No, no it’s okay unnie. It’s just words. I’m a big girl.” Yunjin stated, trying to prevent her unnie from committing a triple-homicide. She knew that last statement was difficult for Kaeun to swallow though. Kaeun’s taken care of Yunjin since the latter’s family moved back to Korea, so she’ll forever see the girl as a youngster.

The giraffe could see Kaeun contemplating her words. Kaeun was always protective, but Yunjin knew that the older girl knew better than to overstep. Yunjin continued picking up the rest of her stationery off the dirt floor (her notebook. Her favourite notebook. Covered in grime! The inhumanity of it all!) as Kaeun calmed herself down. 

“...Are you hurt?” Kaeun asks finally, a measure more calmly than her previous questions. 

“No.” Yunjin smiled, warm and bright and Kaeun couldn’t help but to return it with one of her own. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

Yunjin was strong. Kaeun knew this. Despite anything and everything, the younger girl always had a smile on her face.

“...I am hungry though.” Yunjin adds, and Kaeun finally laughs because that was just so typical of the other girl. 

Shaking her head, Kaeun lightly smacks Yunjin on the before leading the way towards the school’s entrance. Secretly hoping that her car didn’t get towed while she was handling this little debacle.

“You’re always hungry, you runt. My wallet can’t keep up with you.”

****************

Their parents go way back, so the story goes. Best friends since highschool or something along those lines. They’ve known each other for so long that sometimes the details of how they even met each other in the first place gets fuzzy. Yunjin would gladly craft up wild tales of adventure, each more dramatic than the last if you were to ask her. Kaeun would probably just say she found Yunjin in an alley and the latter latched onto her after Kaeun fed her or something.

When Yunjin’s family moved back to Seoul from New York, Kaeun’s mom had told her to take care of the Heo’s only daughter. That was more than ten years ago. Now Yunjin is 18 and in her last year of highschool, and Kaeun is a 22 year old grumpy college student. Best friends, sisters, practically inseparable.

“Hi! May I take your order?”

“Give us a few minutes please.” Kaeun replied, without looking up from her menu. 

She assumes the waitress heard her because she saw the woman walk away out of the corner of her eye. Deciding what to eat is tough. One of the hardest decisions one makes in life. Was she hungry hungry, or was she just in the mood to eat something that she surely couldn’t finish? Should she go for the Yakiniku, or watch her waistline and go with—

“Unnie.”

“Not now Yunjin. I’m in the middle of something important now.”

“That waitress wasn’t bad.”

Kaeun looks up from her menu, offering her friend a questioning glance. “Wasn’t bad at what?”

“At being hella cute?! Didn’t you see her?!”

“....Obviously I didn’t?” Kaeun gestured towards the menu she was holding, and Yunjin laughed because she forgot how seriously the older girl takes her food.

“Stop being so oblivious to the cuties around you unnie! No wonder you’re single!”

“Is that so? Then why are you single?” Kaeun raised an eyebrow as she asks that question, slightly surprised when Yunjin flashes back a playful smile.

“What makes you think I’m single?”

“Are you telling me you’re not single?”

Yunjin opens to reply, and Kaeun could hear the gears in the younger’s head turning as she no doubt starts to craft an elaborate story about how not single she was until she just deflates and gives up before even getting started with her story.

Kaeun was actually disappointed. She could have used a good laugh.

“....shut up unnie.” Yunjin whines, no doubt being able to guess what was on Kaeun’s mind.

“Getting bullied everyday doesn’t exactly make me look attractive in front of potential suitors y’know!” Yunjin adds on, banging her fist on the table to express her frustration.

“It’s not like you aren’t strong enough to fight back. I don’t get why you just go with it. You’re taller than all those wimps combined.”

Yunjin pouts like a dejected child, turning her gaze out the window to avoid looking at Kaeun. “....I just don’t want to, okay unnie? Violence .” 

“Hi! Are you ready to order now?”

The chirpy voice from earlier returns, and Kaeun can’t say she’s made much progress with her menu. Deciding that it would probably be rude to send the lady away a second time, Kaeun decides to pick a random dish from the specialties section and be done with it.

“Yeah. Can I get—“ Kaeun looks up and the rest of her sentence disappears in .

“Can I.....” Kaeun tries again, but it was a lost cause. is dry and her train of thought gets derailed like a bullet train hitting several water buffaloes at full speed because WOW.

Bloody hell wow.

There was a God up there. Somewhere in the sky. Maybe several, because Kaeun has trouble believing that one celestial entity was enough to create the miracle that was this waitress’ facial features. Never before has Kaeun seen somebody so...so irrationally pretty. She couldn’t even describe the reason. The waitress was a little too short and frankly her ears were 3 sizes too big but that just added to her charm.

Kaeun was dumbstruck. This waitress was just something else. She was mildly aware that she was gawking but really who wouldn’t gawk? 

“....unnie?” Yunjin calls out to her, and Kaeun snaps out of it immediately.

“—soba please. Just the soba set. With Miso soup.” Kaeun finishes her order, pretending that there wasn’t an awkward 2 minute gap wherein she had just stared at the waitress with wide open in awe.

Nope, that definitely didn’t happen.

Fortunately, the waitress doesn’t question the awkward moment and instead turns to Yunjin to get her order as well. Kaeun takes a moment to gather herself and only looks back up when she’s sure that the waitress was no longer there.

“What the heck was that?”

Yunjin had a manic smile on her face that would put Jack Nicholson to shame. Of course she wouldn’t let Kaeun live this down.

“We shall not speak of this.” Kaeun tries, but to no avail because Yunjin only laughs back in response.

“The hell we won’t! The great Lee Kaeun just went tongue-tied in front of a pretty girl!”

Heat rushed to Kaeun’s cheeks at the insinuation. “I did no such thing!”

“Yeah, yeah right. I saw her first, unnie. I get dibs!”

Kaeun feels a headache coming on, she tries to shake it off, but it only gets worse. It’s probably caused by Yunjin’s -eating grin to be honest. 

“Such a child.” Kaeun mutters, and Yunjin flashes a thumbs up in return.

Maybe she should have left those three bullies to their own devices. Heck maybe Kaeun should have asked if she could join them.

***************

It hasn’t rained in Seoul in awhile. 

Kaeun takes special notice of this, because she’s always been fond of rainy weather. It’s relaxing, studying with the soft pitter patter of rain splashing against the asphalt outside. The more romantic side of her would associate the coming of rain with washing away all the negativity in her life. Start things fresh and clean. Good things seem to always come after or during the rain.

As if to enforce that statement, the best thing to have happened in awhile had just walked into the branch of Holly’s Coffee Kaeun had been studying in, no doubt brought in by the rainy weather outside.

Sopping wet and shivering, the familiar girl attracted the attention of everyone in the cafe as if her already gorgeous face was not enough to do so. Kaeun watched in odd fascination as the girl stopped by the counter to place her order before plopping herself on an armchair in a far corner of the room, resigned to wiping herself off with some tissues she had nabbed from the cashier and looking absolutely dejected.

Half an hour passes by just like that.

Her assignment notes completely forgotten, Kaeun had been observing the girl across the room like a creep. Seoul was a metropolis practically littered with cafes at every empty corner that was even remotely big enough to house a cafe, so it was a wonder how the waitress from the other day would end up stumbling into the same one she had been studying in. It was almost like it was fate.

If Kaeun were the type to believe in that sort of thing of course. Unfortunately she wasn’t. She did however believe in luck, and after half an hour of observing the waitress sit by her lonesome looking anxious as all hell, Kaeun decides that maybe she should take advantage of this opportunity her luck has given her.

She slowly gathers her things, shoves them rather unceremoniously into her backpack and begins walking towards the antsy waitress, mostly curious as to why the girl had been fidgeting in her seat all night while occasionally glancing out the window.

Maybe she had been stood up? Preposterous. Who on earth would stand up this gorgeous human being?

As Kaeun draws closer she suddenly remembers how she got tongue-tied and speechless the last time she had interacted with the gorgeous waitress, and suddenly a wave of fear washes over her. 

What if that happens again? Oh god what if she makes a fool of herself again? Oh no she’s prettier than Kaeun remembered her to be. Abort! Abort! Abor—

“....Is everything alright?” Kaeun hears herself asking before she could even begin to stop herself.

Dammit! Curse her lack of self-control!

The waitress looks surprised, probably not expecting anybody to talk to her in this cafe. It was a fair judgement call. Kaeun wasn’t expecting to talk to anyone either. The waitress’ doe eyes widened in what Kaeun hoped to be recognition and it was the most adorable thing ever.

“You’re the girl from Wednesday....” The girl began, before trailing off as she catches herself.

“The what?” Kaeun inquires, more amused than curious. There was something endearing about the girl. Kaeun enjoyed watching her fidget and wave her arms around animatedly.

“I-I was your waitress! At the Fortune Cookie! You and your girlfriend were there for lunch and—you already knew this, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I remember you. And Yunjin isn’t my girlfriend. She’s like a sister to me.”

“Oh. Oh that’s nice.” 

Nice? Kaeun actually laughed at that. A wide smile stretched across the taller girl’s face as she caught the blush tinting the waitress’ porcelain cheeks. 

Being addressed as “the girl from Wednesday” actually bolstered up her confidence somewhat. There was a chance that this beautiful girl before her had been thinking of Kaeun as much as Kaeun had been thinking of her. The girl from Wednesday. Kaeun was sure there were many girls on that one particular Wednesday but to be called THE girl? Why, that certainly told stories now.

“Is everything alright? You’ve been sitting here fidgeting.” Kaeun repeats her earlier question and expands on it. She sees the pitiful look on the other girl’s face, no doubt embarrassed that her fidgeting was that obvious.

“I was supposed to be meeting my friend at the bowling alley across the street, but I didn’t realise that it had closed down. It started raining so I ducked in here for shelter but then my phone died and I’m just worried that she would be trying to reach me! I don’t really have any means of contacting her so I’m just worried that she’ll think I stood her up or something.”

Wow. Okay. Was that all said in one breath...?

“Would you like to charge your phone? I have a charger with me.” Kaeun offers, taking a seat in the empty armchair across from the girl and begins rummaging through her backpack for the iPhone charger she knows she carries in her bag.

“Oh my gosh really?? Thank you so much! Thank you thank you!” Kaeun smiles warmly at how ecstatic the beautiful girl was. She seemed like a bit of an airhead, but Kaeun didn’t really mind it. It was endearing. 

She accepts the charger with open hands, and wastes no time in plugging it into the nearby wall outlet. Kaeun watches the girl busy herself with her phone before said girl’s eyes widened into saucers and she froze in place. Her head snapped to face Kaeun with so much gusto the latter swore she heard something crack.

“I NEVER TOLD YOU MY NAME!” The girl nearly screams, the realisation hitting her late.

Kaeun just smiles kindly. For some reason she has the weirdest urge to swoop in and scoop the girl up in a tight hug. What a weirdo move that would be. Instead Kaeun gently agrees with the panicked girl in front of her. “No, no you didn’t.” 

The girl clears , before extending her hand out to offer a handshake.

“It’s Sakura. I’m Sakura.”

“Ah. Pretty. Like the flower?”

Kaeun accepts the handshake, and she notices the way the easy compliment makes the other girl blush.

“Yeah. Like the flower.” Sakura nods, looking sheepish.

“I’m Kaeun. Nice to meet you, Sakura.”

“Ah...Kaeun...like the flower?”

Kaeun raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know there were any flowers named Kaeun.”

“There’s one in front of me now....”

Kaeun nearly choked on her saliva at the sudden boldness that was being displayed by this previously meek Japanese girl. Mayhaps Kaeun had her pegged wrongly.

“You’re a forward one, aren’t you?” Kaeun asked with a playful smile that only got wider when Sakura returned it with one of her own.

“Sometimes. I just don’t think much before I say stuff.”

There was a lull in their conversation once Sakura’s phone had enough juice in it for her to make a phonecall to her bowling buddy. Kaeun watches as her new acquaintance animatedly talks on the phone in rapidfire Japanese (that Kaeun actually understood but she’ll keep that little bit of trivia hidden for now). She’s been doing a lot of that today. Just watching Sakura do things.

Really she can’t imagine herself ever growing tired of it though.

“Everything sorted?” Kaeun asks once Sakura ends the call. The latter shrugs and smiles weakly in response.

“She said she sent me a message about an hour ago saying she couldn’t make it. I must’ve missed it because my phone died.”

“Ah...shame.” Kaeun says, and Sakura hums in agreement.

It gets quiet again, but there was a tension in the air. It was almost as if the both of them were waiting for the other to say something, but neither wanted to take the initiative. The quiet was tip-toeing the line of being tense and awkward, so Kaeun decides to take the first step before the former grows into the latter.

“Do you...have anything else planned for the night?”

“No. I don’t. Why?” Sakura answers almost too quickly. Kaeun struggles to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her lips, just as she tries to hide the hope that laces her voice as she asks the next question:

“Would you still like to go bowling?”

*********************

“You .” Kaeun points out while checking the scoreboard. They both , to be completely honest. More dashes than slashes. They’ve gone in the gutter more times than Yunjin’s brain in an all-girl’s pool party.

“Wha—So do you!” Sakura looked offended, holding onto her pink bowling ball with worryingly shaky hands.

“Yeah. But you worse. That’s saying something.”

Sakura rolled her eyes before fixing them onto the lane in front of her. 10 pins. She could knock down 10 pins right? Pfft. Knocking things down was what she did best! She’s accidentally knocked her phone off the table at least twice in this one evening! 

Gathering up as much power and concentration as she could, Sakura whips her arm forwards and flings the bowling ball through the air, watching as it makes a beautiful arc in the air before landing onto the wooden lane with a dull thud. The ball rolls into the gutter like it was meant to go in there, much to Sakura’s dismay.

Kaeun clapped her hands slowly. “Great shot. Were you a shotput champion in highschool?”

“...bowling isn’t as fun as I thought it would be.” Sakura grumbled, folding her arms and sitting down next to Kaeun in a huff. The shorter girl looked so adorably dejected, puffing her cheeks out and pouting that Kaeun couldn’t help but squeal internally. 

“Yeah?” Kaeun inquires. There was a loose strand of hair that fell across Sakura’s cheek that Kaeun was itching to tuck behind the Japanese girl’s large, adorable ear but she wasn’t sure if such physical intimacy was acceptable this soon. She was only half-listening to Sakura’s rant about bowling, too enraptured in the latter’s beautiful face.

“—Too many dumb heavy balls. These balls are dumb. And heavy. And colourful. And dumb.”

“Anybody ever told you you’d make a good poet, Sakura-san?”

“Everyday.” Sakura replies haughtily, arms still folded, still throwing a tantrum.

“Well, I’m actually having fun.”

Sakura gives her a pointed side-glance. “Because you’re winning.”

Kaeun leans forward, grinning as she teases her gorgeous companion. “What if I told you I’ve been holding back all this while? Just to give you the hope that you can overtake my score?”

“You—You didn’t—!” Sakura’s eyes widen in alarm as Kaeun gets up to take her turn, wearing a mischievous smirk on her face.

A few minutes later, when Kaeun ends her turn after successfully knocking down an underwhelming 4 pins, she returns to stick her tongue out at a confused Sakura.

“Nah. This is as good—or as bad—as I get.” Kaeun laughs, and laughs even harder when Sakura whacks her on the shoulder after realising that the taller girl had been lying to her about holding back.

Kaeun just at bowling. She just fortunately doesn’t as bad as Sakura does.

With a sigh Sakura gets up to take her turn, going back to her tried and tested pink bowling ball. She seems to be committed to it, which doesn’t really seem to be doing well for her but heck who was Kaeun to be giving advice? Sakura winds her arm back, almost losing her grip and nearly sending the ball flying backwards towards Kaeun instead of forwards where its supposed to go.

Kaeun secretly wonders if that was intentional or not.

Sakura lets out a strangled war cry, before running forwards and flinging the ball as hard as she could. The pink bowling ball spends more time flying through the air than it does actually rolling on the lane’s slippery wooden surface. The ball takes a weird spin towards the end of the journey, and unexpectedly curves towards the center right before knocking the pins, causing all 10 pins to fall for the first time that night.

“OH! OH A STRIKE!” Sakura yells, part excited, part in disbelief.

“No way.” Kaeun’s jaw drops to the floor in FULL disbelief. That did not just happen.

“YES! HAHA! YES! LOOK AT THAT!”

“You—You didn’t even aim! You just flung it like a sack of potatoes!” Kaeun points to the fallen pins, a bright red “X” flashing on the screen right above them as proof of the miracle that had just taken place.

Sakura looked beside herself, giddily bouncing on the balls of her feet while Kaeun looked like she wanted nothing more than to die. “I’m having fun now!”

Kaeun looks up and sees the -eating grin on Sakura’s face, and for some reason a smile started to form on hers as well. Sakura’s enthusiasm was infectious, it seems. “A little confident aren’t we? Game’s not over yet!”

“Wanna put a lil wager on the line?” 

Sakura smile was challenging, goading Kaeun into partaking in her little game. The taller girl was all for it though. She had a competitive streak in her.

“Just one strike and you’re this confident?” Sakura nods excitedly and Kaeun couldn’t help but melt a little at how adorable the Japanese girl was. She shrugs, and Sakura pumps her fist in victory. “Let’s hear it then. What do you suggest we put on the line, oh Great God of Bowling?”

“Loser has to kiss the winner on the cheek!” Sakura declares a bit too proudly, as if she had just suggested something groundbreaking and scandalous.

Kaeun scoffs. “What are you, 12?”

“I’m 19! What are you, scared?”

Oh the tiny cherry blossom has done it now! Kaeun is scared of NOTHING (with the exception of frogs but that doesn’t really count because EVERYBODY was scared of frogs right?). A competitive smirk begins to spread across Kaeun’s face.

“Sakura-san, prepare to be completely and utterly demolished.”

The next few frames played were tense. Kaeun didn’t even know bowling could even BE this tense, but when Sakura’s score starts to overtake hers the older girl starts to fret and panic. They try to psych the other person out in between rounds, making funny faces and yelling out random noises to distract the other. At one point Kaeun even resorts to ing a few choice buttons from her blouse, causing a furiously blushing Sakura to send her next two throws straight into the gutter (where her mind undoubtedly went).

Kaeun doesn’t even know why she’s trying so hard. The punishment isn’t even that bad. Kaeun’s kissed her fair share of girls before, this wasn’t her first rodeo.

This was however, her first opportunity to win at a game of bowling. Yunjin’s always been able to beat her somehow and all of Kaeun’s other friends were absolutely incredible in the game for some reason (Raina-unnie was particularly merciless. She made Kaeun cry once). There was no way she was letting Sakura win this one, no matter how adorable the Japanese girl was.

Their scores were neck and neck, and it took a wonky throw by Sakura on the last frame to cinch Kaeun’s victory. It was the hardest fought 5 points of her life, but she’s done it. She’s bested her toughest rival yet.

“Noooooo!” Said rival wails dramatically, dropping down to her knees in defeat.

“Close one. You were a formidable opponent, Sakura-san. I believe you owe me a kiss on the cheek now.” Kaeun winks while helping the girl stand back up.

She feels Sakura hesitating, and it causes Kaeun to soften like butter on fire. The Japanese girl stares at Kaeun with those beautifully bright eyes and the latter swears she can see entire constellations in those orbs.  Stars. Planets. Galaxies. An infinite void that Kaeun could probably get lost in if she stares too long.

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” Kaeun reassures her, but Sakura quickly shakes her head much to the older girl’s surprise.

“C-Close your eyes. It’s embarrassing.”

That was the problem? Kaeun laughed at how pure Sakura was. She was really taking a kiss on the cheek this seriously.

“Are you going to run away while I’m not looking?” Kaeun asked, teasing an already flustered Sakura who flushes in response.

“No! Just—I can’t do it when you’re looking at me!”

Still laughing, Kaeun closes her eyes as she was told to do and waited for the kiss to happen. Without being able to see anything, her senses were heightened and suddenly all she could smell was Sakura’s perfume wafting through the air. She could hear Sakura’s breathing get steadily louder and louder as the latter moved in closer and before she knew it Kaeun’s heart was beating rapidly fast. 

She was anticipating it. She was anticipating this kiss like she needed it to breathe. Either time itself had stood still or Sakura was just taking her own damn time Kaeun wasn’t sure but it was taking forever. Enough time for Kaeun to grow nervous and antsy. She wanted to open her eyes and chance a peek but this blind anticipation was actually thrilling. Exciting, even. 

Sakura’s breath caresses Kaeun’s cheek before her lips gently press against her skin and Kaeun’s heart stops at the contact. Sakura’s lips were...impossibly plump. Sakura’s citrusy perfume fills her lungs and Kaeun’s left dizzy and lightheaded from a sensory overload. Sakura begins drawing back, and the older girl feels herself moving her face towards the withdrawing lips, trying to re-establish a connection that was far too brief.

“There! Happy?!”

Kaeun opens her eyes to see Sakura blushing a brilliant crimson, looking at Kaeun expectantly. It was surprisingly too much.

“Y-Yeah. I...I uh....” Kaeun tries to hide her face because she knew she must be blushing as well. Like a pre-schooler. It was just a kiss on the cheek! Actually, it was probably more of a peck than a kiss. Why was she losing her over a peck on the cheek?! Kaeun was embarrassed for acting this way but Sakura was just...just too perfect for her. “We s-should probably get—I’ll drop you home...?”

Kaeun suggests as a means of moving the conversation further. To ease any awkwardness that may be permeating the air.

Sakura nods and smiles warmly. “Thank you.”

The car ride was quiet, and Kaeun’s attempt to ease the earlier awkwardness was for naught because it was pretty ing awkward in the car. Kaeun couldn’t stop thinking of Sakura’s lips, which made it impossible for the older girl to look at Sakura in the face. She just made sounds of acknowledgements as the other girl gave directions to her house.

“Kaeun-san...”

“Yeah?” Kaeun responded after a beat. 

“I’m....sorry if I stepped out of line today. When I k-kissed you on the cheek. We just met today and....I’m sorry.”

Oh. Oh no. Sakura must have taken her silence the wrong way. Dammit Lee Kaeun you’re on an absolute knobhead. Now this precious angel was fidgeting in her seat thinking she had done some wrong to her when really all she did was help Kaeun confirm to herself just how gay she was.

“What are you talking about? We’ve known each other for nearly a week now.” Kaeun makes a lighthearted joke, referencing their first encounter at the Japanese restaurant. She hears Sakura giggle and her stomach does a flip.

“I guess we have.”

There was still some weight to Sakura’s voice. An uncertainty laced with worry. Kaeun decides to help ease her companion’s nerves, somewhat.

“And I uh...I liked it. The kiss. On the cheek. I liked it. It was a good kiss. Yup.”

Wow. And “eloquent” was her middle name. Kaeun knows she’s blushing again, and she would’ve opened the car door and jumped out in embarrassment if she hadn’t heard Sakura’s reply.

“It was a good cheek to kiss.” Sakura answered with a slight giggle.

That giggle made Kaeun think of church bells. Light and bright.

Great. Kaeun was already thinking of marrying the girl, after just one date. 

The least she could do was go on more dates with the girl to see if she was making rash decisions or not.

“Can I get your number?”

There was a chance that Kaeun asked that question a bit too eagerly. She might’ve said the entire sentence in less than a second.

“Y’know—In case I need to make reservations at your restaurant. Or something.”

Smooth recovery Kaeun.

“Sure. But under the condition that I’m the only one that can serve you.” Sakura wittily replies, and it was Kaeun’s turn to laugh out loud. This girl was something else.

“Someone’s hungry for their sales commission.” Kaeun teases, and Sakura laughs while lightly hitting her shoulder. The hand lingers on Kaeun’s bicep, before slowly travelling down the latter’s arm. It takes awhile. Maybe the entire journey, but Sakura’s hand finally reaches Kaeun’s open palm, and their fingers interlock with each other. They continued holding hands until they finally reached Sakura’s house, where separation was inevitable.

They bid their farewells, and Sakura even plants another kiss on Kaeun’s cheek before she exits the car. “For the road”, she says. Kaeun prays she can drive straight with how lightheaded she felt currently.

Oh wait till Yunjin hears about the day she’s had.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello!

I've...actually written a draft for a chapter 2 for this fic, but based on the results of PD48....I'm feeling a little deflated right now.

I'm not sure if I'll actually continue this. I might, and I probably will, but I might need some time. Kaeun has been one of my biases forever. I've had a Kaeun poster hanging on my wall for 5 years now, and when Afterschool went on their hiatus I just took the opportunity to stan other groups but now that Kaeun came back on TV I thought that FINALLY....FINALLY I can start writing about Kaeun.

She didn't make the group though. She might be going back into Pledis' basement. I was looking forward to writing more fics about her, but will people even care to read if Kaeun isn't even on TV? I don't know. I'm a bit distraught. Disappointed. This fic was supposed to be a celebration for Kaeun and Sakura debuting together.

Sigh.

Oh, and uh....here's a song that I was listening to while writing this fic. Random, but hey I thought I'd post it here.

Comment and upvote if you enjoyed it. Maybe it'll help motivate me to continue the fic hahahaha Thanks for reading!