Kim Chaewon always had a LOT of crushes. All guys, to be exact.

Her room had posters of her favorite male idols, even an area where she posts all of her crushes in the university she was in. From the varsity king Kang Daniel to the hottest singer Han Seungwoo, Chaewon idolized a total of 22 male crushes in their university. Equipped with a fangirl’s typical arsenal, Chaewon had no intention of averting those feelings…

…until that one day when a girl started to make her hesrt conflicted.

“Chaewon-ah~”

Chaewon looked to wave at her best friend in their class. She also brought one of her crushes and boy, was she whipped?

“Hello, Chaeyeon-ah. Jinyoung-ah.” Chaewon greeted as they seated.

Chaewon was mum, Chaeyeon was smirking, and Jinyoung was innocent and timid as ever. Chaeyeon knew Chaewon’s 22 crushes in their school and Bae Jinyoung was one of them. Having their classmate join them for lunch made Chaewon cheerful and nervous at the same time. 

So much for the spunk she usually had…

“I’ll get lunches for the three of us.” Chaeyeon spoke and got up.

“Let me come with you. My treat.” Jinyoung insisted.

“Jinyoung-ah, you can stay here. Chaeyeon and I will order.” Chaewon spoke, draping an arm around her best friend.

Jinyoung agreed while he handed his credit card. The girls thanked him and they got in line. Chaewon was ahead until Chaeyeon patted her shoulders.

“What was that, Ssamu?” Chaeyeon asked, chuckling. “I brought Jinyoung so you two can talk and yet here you are, going with me to order our food.”

“As much as I have a crush on him, I’m not committed to actually go after him and win his heart.” Chaewon rolled her.

“Sent to 21 others.” Chaeyeon grinned then cackled.

“Aish. Don’t mock me, Yeon.” Chaewon huffed and gave the list of their orders. “Having a crush is different from wanting a boyfriend. I could also consider that I have 22 males to choose from.”

“Ranging from senior Yoon Jisung to the giant baby Nam Dohyon.” Chaeyeon spoke. “You even like my best friend, Lee Daehwi. Oh! There’s also Jinyoung and – “

“Make it quick, slowpokes!”

The duo turned around, seeing a bunch of students; delinquents as the preppy and flimsy people would see. Chaeyeon cussed and got their food, walking to their table quickly.

“What timing, you two.” Jinyoung spoke. “The 99z are at it again.”

99z were the university’s delinquents. They wore uniforms but always had black leather jackets in place of the dark blue and gray cardigans. They were eleven in all – four males and seven females – and had their reputation up the system because their parents were board members of their university.

Park Jihoon was their male leader; an aspiring actor and dancer. Kim Yohan was a varsity player for taekwondo and has represented South Korea in the Olympics. Park Woojin was a skilled dancer and rapper, Lee Hangyul was the face of the group and a chick magnet.

Chaeyeon nudged Chaewon to look at the four. Chaewon had to use her hanky to hide her blush because the four males of 99z were one of her 22 campus crushes.

“Aigoo, someone’s whipped.” Chaeyeon whispered, causing Chaewon to slap her thigh hard.

“They look like delinquents but sometimes, they do just things.” Jinyoung shared while eating. “They actually defend the weak. Remember Song Hyeongjun?” He continued. “He was bullied by his classmates but the four came to his rescue.”

“Surely, both of you only share it to people you can trust.”

“Exactly.” Jinyoung said to Chaeyeon. “Jihoon and Woojin told me that.”

“And of course, let’s not forget the females.” Chaeyeon added as the three eyed another table.

While the four males were in line to get their orders, the seven girls saved two tables. One was for them while the other was for the boys. Compared to the four, they gained more popularity because of a larger ratio of male students compared to female. Also, they were more badass compared to the males.

Kim Sohye was the badass under an innocent façade; an aspiring broadcaster and candidate for Student Council President. Yoo Yeunjung was the hyper one; a jolly singer but also a savage fighter. Choi Yena was the dorkiest member yet an ace in performing arts. Choi Yoojung was the tiniest member but also an ace like Yena. Kim Doyeon was like Hangyul; a magnet that attracted many male students for her height and visuals. Kang Mina was the youngest; a cute bunny but a savage hare once provoked.

Like their male counterparts, they had a leader. Jihoon served her a whole tray of food and she ate like a graceful pro.

She was Kang Hyewon. She was also a sole reason to Chaewon’s undecided feelings towards her 22 crushes.

Chaewon was dubbed straight in the eyes of the public but Hyewon had something that made her gender preference conflicted.

“Is it me or Kang Hyewon’s looking at you, Chaewon?” Jinyoung noticed it too.

Chaeyeon almost spits her milk, even Chaewon almost choked while eating her sandwich. Jinyoung had to eat his words quickly as Hyewon drew closer to their table. The three froze as they prepare for the worst.

“Here.” Hyewon handed a bottle of Coke.

Chaewon gulped as it was handed to her. Chaeyeon and Jinyoung convinced her to accept, fearing that Hyewon will be provoked if Chaewon declined.

“Thank you…” Chaewon spoke while she accepted it.

Hyewon’s mum expression changed into a smirk. “Make sure to take your time in drinking it later.”

Chaewon nodded once and Hyewon returned to her circle of friends. Chaeyeon and Jinyoung couldn’t believe what they witnessed. The other students felt the same way but they choose not to provoke 99z by returning to their normal businesses.

“Heol. Kang Hyewon gave you that.” Chaeyeon poked the Coke. “I’m starting to think she’s gay for Chaewon.”

“Not so loud.” Jinyoung whispered.

“Why would she – gosh, that’s just nuts.” Chaewon commented. “I’m not into that, anyway.”

“True, especially when – “

“Hush.” Chaewon shoved a sandwich in Chaeyeon’s mouth to shut her up. “I’ll go ahead.”

The two bid their farewell and Chaewon walked towards her locker. She opened it to get her books when she saw her red face in the mirror. She gulped of that moment; a juxtaposition of the feelings she should’ve inflicted upon herself. 

She didn’t understand to how a fellow female made her feel those unexpected things.

Chaewon shrugged the feeling off and drank Coke. She downed a few gulps, seeing a text. She gulped down some more until it was complete visible.

Go on a date with me.

Chaewon blew her burp out and kept the Coke in her locker. She would’ve gone to the classroom when she was pinned to her own locker. She looked up to see the same smirk from before.

“Hey. Why did you put my Coke inside?” Hyewon asked. “It won’t be cold anymore.”

“You told me to take my time in drinking it.” Chaewon defended. “I saw the first text.”

“Okay. I want to hear the answer to it right now.” Hyewon spoke. “Will you go out on a date with me?”

“After our family dinner.” Chaewon spoke. “Our dads will meet for a business meeting, our mothers will talk about our schooling, and we get to be stuck with our siblings.”

“Kyungwoo and Chaerin-unnie will get awkward, though.” Hyewon added. “But okay. After the family dinner, then.”

Chaewon nodded again and got out of Hyewon’s grasp. Hyewon watched her run and had the same smirk. “When will you ever accept it, Kim Chaewon?”

+++

The family dinner was boring. The parents talked in separate tables whereas the children felt awkward and bored to death.

“Noonas, I should go ahead.” Kyungwoo spoke. “I have to play games with my friends.”

“You better not involve me if Dad will scold you.” Hyewon threatened.

“Me too.” Chaerin got up. “Can you excuse me, Chaewon?”

“Yeah…but in the end, they’ll scold you to death.” Chaewon remarked.

The two siblings shrugged the words off and left without informing their parents. Their parents wouldn’t care less because their care about themselves more. For Hyewon and Chaewon, it was the beginning of the said date.

“Did you bring the Coke, Chaewon?”

“Yeah.” Chaewon showed the bottle. “I’m curious to what you wrote here.” She looked around. “I hope nobody from the school sees us.”

“99z wouldn’t give a but for the rest? I understand your plight,” said Hyewon.

Kim Chaewon and Kang Hyewon weren’t really close. Only the parents were close and like a typical family setting, their kids would get to know each other. Chaewon and Hyewon knew each other since they were kids but their lives were different. They also meant to act like strangers in school to avoid any gossip.

They were strangers in the public’s eyes but friends in each other’s eyes.

“Drink some more…or you can pour it in a glass with ice and see the next text.”

Chaewon agreed. Hyewon hands her a glass filled with ice and Chaewon filled the glass until the second text was shown.

Don’t deny your feelings and be honest with me.

Chaewon gulped. She couldn’t help but drink the glass of Coke and get a sudden brain freeze. Hyewon chuckled and massaged her head.

, Chaewon thought. Her heart was beating uncontrollably because of it.

“Do you really like boys, Ssamu?”

She was shocked of Hyewon calling her by her nickname and of the question but the latter only ate fries. Hyewon was very patient and insisted to not let Chaewon answer in case she felt uncomfortable.

“No. I’ll answer.” Chaewon spoke. “In a way. I only have a crush on them but I don’t commit to win their hearts and be their girlfriend.”

“Even the guys of 99z, huh?” Hyewon asked and Chaewon nodded. “Well, that’s typical…but to be honest…they’re gay.”

Chaewon spits her food, leaving Hyewon to sigh and wipe . Chaewon’s heart was beating quickly again.

“You okay?”

“Y-Yeah…” Chaewon spoke. “Are they gay? Really?”

“Pft. Yeah, especially Hangyul and Jihoon.” Hyewon laughed. “Hangyul’s attracted to the ace Cho Seungyeon. For Jihoon, he had his eyes on a Taiwanese junior. Lai Kuanlin, was it?”

Chaewon was damned. First the 99z liners then those two? Those were part of her 22 crushes and now, they were off because of those revelations.

“Are you even telling the truth, Kwangbae?”

“Of course. I know those guys longer, even longer than I knew you.” Hyewon spoke. “There’s nothing wrong about it.”

“Not even me having a crush on 22 guys in our school?”

“Yeah. I mean, you’re human. It’s natural to feel that.” Hyewon spoke. “It’s better than spreading hate and stereotypical stigmas.”

That was another thing Chaewon felt attracted towards Hyewon: her sophistication. Hyewon was usually quiet but she had a way with words. She gives off the best advice and had an open mind about various issues. She didn’t care about people living their own lives as long as they don’t harm other people.

Chaewon thought it was wholesome.

“Have another drink, Chaewon.” Hyewon shared. “I can tell that you’re curious.”

Chaewon poured the content in the glass and it showed the third message. The words shocked her.

Let me test your true feelings out.

Chaewon drank her Coke quickly. Somehow, there were still hidden messages so Chaewon hastily poured Coke in the glass to see more words.

I like you, Kim Chaewon. 

Chaewon drank and poured the content out until the bottle was empty. She drank the Coke empty and had to blow her burp.

Whenever you’re conflicted with your feelings, pour it out on me.

That was the last text. Chaewon couldn’t help but feel shocked. Hyewon was unmoved yet her eyes showed determination and patience. 

“Would you really do that for me, Kwangbae?”

“Yes.” Hyewon nodded. “I could do everything for you, Ssamu. Just tell me when you want it.”

“Now.” Chaewon spoke. “I want it now.”

Hyewon nodded and brought the empty Coke bottle. They went to their parents’ tables to excuse themselves and they agreed. Chaewon and Hyewon now had the liberty to go anywhere they want.

“Kwangbae.” Chaewon called. “Can we do it at your place?”

“Maybe at my apartment.” Hyewon answered. “Are you sure you want to do this, Ssamu? You can always say no if you don’t want to.”

“It’s okay.” Chaewon assured her. “I’ve conflicted already. Despite having 22 male crushes, they contradict to what I was mysteriously feeling. Which is why…” She looked up at Hyewon. “…make me understand.”

Hyewon agreed as she and Chaewon walked side by side. As the night passes, a new perspective was on its way.

For Chaewon, she hoped to be enlightened about her feelings soon.