[CONTENTID1]Vanilla Chapstick[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]7[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]Shuhua and Soojin cuddled often. Often, as in almost every day.

Of course, there was a logical reason for this. Soojin has been helping Shuhua almost every day with her dancing. She stayed up late with the girl in order to show her the correct techniques, adjusting her posture from time to time as she diligently practiced each move over and over again. Because of how late these practices ended, Soojin stayed over at Shuhua’s apartment almost every day. And after each late-night practice, Shuhua was always adamant that they share her bed, claiming she wouldn’t be a proper hostess if she made her guest stay on a couch.

After the night of Shuhua’s breakdown, there hadn’t been any reason for Soojin to get that close to the girl again without it being awkward. Thus, they stayed on their respective sides of the bed—Shuhua on the left and Soojin on the right. 

For a couple of days, they continued to sleep with a wall of air in between them until one morning a certain someone revealed that they moved around—quite a lot—in their sleep. Soojin woke up on the right side of the bed where she drifted off to sleep; she wasn’t lying when she claimed that she slept like a princess. However, one of Shuhua’s legs seemed to join her as well, draped messily over both of Soojin’s legs which were laid perfectly parallel to one another.

A few nights later, her arm also made its way to Soojin’s side, right across the latter’s waist. A few more nights, another leg snuck its way to the right side of the bed. Each night Shuhua seemed to unconsciously move closer and closer to the taller girl. Eventually, Shuhua ended up hugging the girl, unaware of her brazen movements during her deep slumber. It only took a few weeks of late-night practices for Shuhua to abandon the left side of the bed completely.

Now, they just slept in the center of the bed. Soojin’s arm wrapped around Shuhua’s waist. Their legs tangled together. Soojin justified that Shuhua wouldn't move around too much in her sleep that way. It became normal, habitual, and neither protested the new routine—a silent agreement that they both enjoyed the affection. 

Winter never felt warmer.

- - -

Minnie knew that it was an unspoken rule that if Soojin wasn’t home at their dorm by nighttime, she was at Shuhua’s apartment. Admittedly, Minnie was a tiny bit envious of Soojin who has now become the center of Shuhua’s attention. After all, Soojin had basically stolen Shuhua from her. Shuhua was Minnie’s friend first, mind you. However, her jealousy eventually faded on one strange day in April. 

The harsh winds of Winter had lifted and were replaced by the light refreshing breeze of the following season—Spring. Spring, the season of love, had approached, and cherry blossoms were in full bloom, elegantly littering the streets with pale pink, paper-thin petals. 

It was just another Monday, like any other mundane Monday, which meant that Shuhua would meet up with Minnie for extra help with Korean, and she did exactly that. It was what happened after the lesson that was far from mundane. Shuhua sparked up a very interesting conversation once Minnie closed her Korean vocabulary workbook.

"Minnie, have you ever liked someone before?" Shuhua asked.

"Yes. I have...” Minnie replied, bemused at the younger girl’s sudden inquiry. “Why? Do you have someone you like?" Minnie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know. I don't think I've ever liked anyone before. How do I know for sure if I like someone in that way?" Shuhua said quietly, her eyes looking down at the table. Shuhua had only ever learned of love through books and movies. Love made fictional characters weak in the knees, blind to their lover’s flaws, illogical and scatterbrained, but it also made characters’ laughs more genuine, smiles more sincere, eyes more lively, and words more vulnerable. Unfortunately, that was as far as her knowledge went on the subject and fictitious characters were a terribly unreliable source.

"Well...if you have someone in mind right now, the fact that we're even having this conversation might be a big clue for you, my innocent little child," Minnie cooed, patting the shy girl on the head with a smile. Why else would Shuhua be curious about these things if someone hadn’t prompted that curiosity? "I guess I can tell you how I knew. I had a crush on this one boy back in Thailand. He was always on my mind. I would always wonder what he was doing or if he thought about me too. When I saw him in class, my eyes would always try to find him. And whenever I did get a chance to talk to him, it would make me nervous and happy at the same time. It was honestly kind of embarrassing. I adored everything he did. Even if it wasn’t funny or clever, I still found it cute. It's hard to describe, but I think you'll know it when you feel it,” Minnie explained thoughtfully.  “Actually...I think you already do know. Who's the lucky boy on your mind?" Minnie asked, still very much intrigued by the person who brought about this conversation.

And that's when Shuhua got confused. She thinks she knows, but there was one vital component missing—the boy. She felt the nervousness, the happiness, the constant thinking about that certain someone. But she felt all these things for the girl who stayed with her most nights to help her practice, the one that comforted her when she felt trapped in a hole of her own insecurities. Lost in thought, the girl gave a curt response to Minnie's spiel, "There's no one. Just curious, I guess."

Her terse response raised suspicions in the older girl. Shuhua definitely had someone in mind.

On the same day, Soojin was at the dorm sitting on the couch when Minnie returned home from her lesson with Shuhua. Almost immediately as Minnie walked through the doors, she was ambushed by Soojin with a question. Minnie was feeling like a life counselor at this point.

"Minnie unnie! What do you think of people who fall in love...with others of the same gender?" Soojin asked carefully, almost reconsidering finishing the question as it left .

Minnie flinched at Soojin, surprised by the unusually high volume of her quiet voice, "Well, hello to you too, Soojin!”

Soojin ignored Minnie’s sarcastic remark and urged her to answer with a pout.

Minnie sighed, patting Soojin’s cheek, “You’re cute, we get it. No more pouting, please. And to answer your question, I never really gave it much thought to be honest. I've never had a crush on a girl, so I guess I've just focused on my own situation. But, from what I know it's not really in their control who they like, right? I think everyone deserves to love whoever they want. It's their life anyway. I don't think we have a right to judge people for being happy. That's just stupid."

Soojin nodded, her eyes attentively were on Minnie as she explained her opinions, searching for any signs of disgust directed at the topic. She found none and smiled. "Those people are stupid, aren't they?"

Minnie hummed in reply. "But if you’re planning to profess your love for me, I have to deny your confession. Sorry, Soojin, I just don't feel the same toward you," Minnie adds teasingly, using one of her hands to fan herself for dramatic effect.

Soojin blushed, "Don't be delusional! That’s not what I was going to do at all. And, for the record, you would be lucky to date me!"

Minnie laughed at the other girl, sending her finger hearts. "Don't worry Soojin! I still love you! I'm sorry I hurt your pride by rejecting you," Minnie added playfully.

"U-unnie...you're walking on a very thin line right now," Soojin said threateningly with her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Her hands were formed into the shape of guns, held up on display, ready to attack Minnie's sides. Minnie was extremely ticklish. In other words, Soojin had quite the leverage for some brutal revenge.

"Okay, okay! White flag! Have mercy, oh powerful one!" Minnie quickly exclaimed, holding both of her hands up in surrender, foreseeing the disaster that would occur if Soojin carried out her plans. Even though victims of ticklers laughed, it was far from funny to them. 

Soojin lowered her weapons with a smug smile. “Okay, I’ll let you go this time. I’m going to head to the company now. I’ll probably be staying late. I left some side dishes in the fridge. And the rice is cooking right now, so you might have to wait a bit longer before eating dinner,” Soojin rapidly explained. “Also, just so you know, you might not be Shuhua’s favorite unnie anymore, but you’re my favorite. Bye unnie!” Soojin said as she picked up her bag and headed out the door. 

“Aww, you’re being so nice to me toda—Wait a minute. Yah! You little—I’m your only unnie in this group!” Minnie exclaimed after the girl who was rushing out the door. 

Minnie couldn’t help but wonder what prompted the girl to ask such a random question. But judging from the hurried manner accompanied by a wide smile that Soojin walked out of the dorm with, Shuhua’s question from earlier on in the day, and the insane amount of time that the two spent with each other, Minnie could make an educated guess: Her two friends might just be crushing on each other. 

- - - 

Spring eventually gave way to Summer’s heat. The sun’s unforgiving glare created a wave of uncomfortably humid days.

Shuhua had pushed her feelings onto the backburner. Between practice and classes and sleeping and eating, she seldom had time to think of what she felt for Soojin. Nevermind what it meant. There was simply too much that she needed to improve on and time was not on her side. Besides, leaving her inner feelings unresolved kept her focused, working in favor of her improvement. Her dancing had grown more fluid, her singing more stable, her Korean more fluent. So as month after month passed, Shuhua simply enjoyed Soojin’s presence, grateful that the taller girl even chose to use her time spending it with her.

Soojin also continued keeping her feelings to herself. She grew comfortable in their—for lack of a better word—situation. They were always around each other, supporting each other, and that was enough for Soojin. She was content with the relationship they had. Content with the affection it came with. Content with the laughter it brought her. So as month after month passed, Soojin simply enjoyed Shuhua’s presence, grateful that she loved her presence as much as she loved hers.

No one uttered a word about their daunting, growing feelings for the other person. Neither girl wanted to tip the vulnerable balance between platonic and romantic love. Thus, they spent summer dancing around the thin line between friends and lovers, silently and gracefully, blissfully feigning ignorance of their own feelings.

- - -

The verdancy of Spring and the haze of unbearable heat Summer brought slowly disappeared as the chilly temperature of Autumn ruined the fruitful bloom the prior seasons fostered. Leaves began to turn a dark red-orange color. They wilted brown as they reached the cusp of death and fell to the ground, leaving the branches grimly barren. Flowers, accustomed to the friendly, encouraging warmth of the seasons before, shriveled away from the wind, their vibrant hues drained by the cold. The skies became overcast, gray and gloomy. 

Despite the wavering sunshine, Shuhua thought autumn was a great season. After all, Shuhua met a new friend—Song Yuqi—in autumn. 

Yuqi was a trainee from Beijing, which aided in their instantaneous bond. Despite their differing accents, they could communicate in Mand