Picture perfect.

 

If you looked up the words “Perfect Student” in the dictionary you find a picture of Lee Gahyeon. The name Lee Gahyeon was synonymous with perfect. She was class president and word on the street is that she’s a shoo-in for valedictorian as well. Her attendance record was perfect, her school uniform was perfect, her grades, perfect, her life was in her eyes, perfect. She was never tardy to class, nor did she ever do anything to break the rules. Some would say she was the definition of boring, some would say she’s a try-hard, and some would say that she’s an overachiever. But Gahyeon saw herself as a determined young lady who was going to take over the (medical) world one day. All the people who thought badly of her will not matter to her once she’s one of the top doctors in the world. All that mattered now was that she stay on course, and finish the year with the best grades she can get, a whole bunch of extracurricular activities to fluff up the college applications, and not get distracted by anyone or anything. Gahyeon was applying for many academic scholarships, so she cannot afford to stumble, especially with her grades. So you could imagine the horror and chaos that ensued when Gahyeon’s photography teacher partnered her up with the one and only Lee Siyeon. The one person that she did not in any way, shape or form, wanted to be associated with, let alone be partnered with, was now her partner for that class for the rest of the year… Great.

 

Lee Siyeon. If you were to look up in a dictionary for the definition of Lee Siyeon, you would find absolutely nothing. No one really sees her much at school, the only people who ever talked to her was Kim Minji, but that’s only because Kim Minji was a social butterfly and somehow befriended the lone wolf that is Lee Siyeon. They didn’t hang out a lot, but Siyeon never pulled away when Minji went in for a hug. She never ignored the older girl's presence. But not many people knew that Minji was actually Siyeon’s cousin. Unlike Gahyeon, Siyeon is passing high school by the skin of teeth. It’s not like she’s dumb or anything, it’s just that she’s never at school, or she’s always late, or she sleeps in class. Maybe a few words that people would use to describe her would be independent, audacious, and weird. Many believe that she puts up a facade, that she’s not really like the bad girl she portrays to be, but in fact a very soft. Unfortunately, no one’s ever been close to her to find out, but the fact that Kim Minji is still alive and hasn’t been arrested yet, the jury is still out to find out who the real Lee Siyeon is. Minji says that Siyeon is like every other misunderstood teenager and she just needs someone to understand her. However, once the older girl left for college, it seems no one wanted to take up that mantle, except for the student councillor, Dr Kim Dasom. The only thing Siyeon had in common with Gahyeon was their last name, aside from that, they had nothing in common, at all. So when Siyeon was partnered up with Gahyeon for their photography class, Siyeon knew she was in for one hell of a year, dealing with the high school princess. I could have a little fun with this though...

 

Gahyeon reluctantly walked over to the table that Siyeon was sitting at. She did not want to be seen with let alone work with the other girl. She begged the teacher to let her switch partners, that she’ll do extra work, and she would do anything and everything, if she let her switch, but the teacher firmly said no. So Gahyeon was stuck with Siyeon, to her dismay. Siyeon had her head on the table, maybe taking a nap, maybe not. Gahyeon inched closer and closer when suddenly Siyeon’s head popped up and turned in Gahyeon’s direction. A smirk appeared on Siyeon’s face.

“Lee Gahyeon, you don’t look happy to see me. Which is unfortunate because we’re partners, for the whole year. I’ll do my best to stay out of your way.” Siyeon said as somewhat of an introduction.

“Wow, you are something else aren't you Lee Siyeon.” Gahyeon scoffed. “I already know how this partnership is gonna go.” Gahyeon sat down on the chair next to Siyeon and looked the older girls dead in the eyes.

“Oh really?” Siyeon raised her eyebrow. “Please elaborate.”

“I’m probably gonna do all the work and you’re just gonna do nothing.”

“Is that what you think of me? That I’m lazy?”

“You never turn up to class, even if you do you’re always late, and if you’re not late, you’re sleeping in class. It seems to me that you don’t want to be here, Siyeon. So, I’ll save you the hassle of trying to keep up, I’ll do all the work and give you the credit, that way when you don’t turn up, I won’t be disappointed.”

“You think you have me all figured out, don’t you princess,” Siyeon said with a smile. Gahyeon was confused. She just insulted the girl, but the latter did not take offence to it… that much. “Look, you don’t know me. I don’t have it as easy as you, scholar. But, have you ever wondered how I’m still enrolled in this school if I never turn up or if I’m always late?” Siyeon pulled Gahyeon’s chair closer to hers and whispered in the younger girl’s ear. “I’m smart, but shh don’t tell anyone.”

Gahyeon rolled her eyes, “yeah sure. If you are, prove it.”

“Why did you assume that I wouldn’t want to work on this project?”

Gahyeon opened to speak but closed it quickly as the only reason why she despised the girl was because she was lazy, tardy, and seemed like she didn’t care. “You don’t care about school?” She said more of an uncertain question than a statement.

“And who told you that?”

“Your attitude? Also, you’re a loner, so no one knows what you’re like, therefore the only impression I have of you is how you present yourself and that’s lazy, tardy and someone who doesn’t care.”

Siyeon laughed. This girl knows absolutely nothing about Siyeon. “Okay, well, you’re gonna have to know me now since you’re my partner and all. Also, I am going to do this project with you whether you like it or not. We will have clashes because obviously we’re different and have different methodologies.”

“Okay, but if you mess up my GPA, I will beat your ,” Gahyeon said holding her two little fists at Siyeon, making the older girl laugh even more.

Siyeon grabbed one of Gahyeon’s fist and rolled up her sleeve. She pulled out a marker and proceeded to write her number on the little girl’s forearm. “Text me so we can arrange meeting times and places. Oh, by the way, that's a permanent marker, have fun getting that off.” The bell rang and Siyeon stood up, flung her bag over her back, shot Gahyeon with a wink and left the shocked girl in her seat. Gahyeon looked at her forearm then rolled down her sleeve. What the was that?

 

Unsurprisingly Siyeon was late to class the next day. Gahyeon was annoyed when she saw the taller girl rock up to class, casually hand the teacher a note then walked over to Gahyeon with a smile on her face.

“Hello partner,” was the first thing to come out of Siyeon’s mouth when she arrived at the table.

“You’re late,” Gahyeon said without restraining any hint of annoyance.

“Ahh, yes I am. You know me, always late or whatever. There’s this girl who wanted to talk to me, so I talked to her, ya know, not to be rude or anything.”

“You’re late because of some girl?”

“She’s pretty too!”

“I can’t stand you.”

“Good thing you’re sitting.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Then suffer.”

“You’re the worst.”

“Nae ga jeil jal naga,” Siyeon smirked.

“Shut up, we have work to do. Read this, then let’s plan.”

“Yes ma’am!” Siyeon said, giving Gahyeon a salute.

Gahyeon rolled her eyes.

“Don’t roll your eyes so much, you don’t want them to get stuck now, do you?”

“If they do get stuck, I bet the view is better than the one I have right now.”

Siyeon grabs her chest like she’s been shot. “You’re killin’ me, smalls.”

“What?”

“What do you mean what? You’ve never seen The Sandlot?!”

“No?”

“Disappointed but not surprised.”

“Have you read it yet?”

“I’m getting there, geez, relax.”

Siyeon quickly read through the sheet that Gahyeon prepared for her, humming and nodding along as she read it.

“Simple enough.” She concluded.

“Yeah, so we’ll have to meet up at least once a week, maybe twice.”

“Just say you wanna date me and let’s date.” Siyeon teased.

“I don’t want to date you. You’re the last person I wanna date. I am stuck with you because of this project, please don’t make it weird.” Gahyeon said with a straight face, though her ears were burning red.

“Yes, ma’am,” Siyeon said with a mocking straight face. “Are you busy after school today?”

Gahyeon pulled out her planner which was thicker than most students' planners, making Siyeon’s eyes almost pop out of her head. “Damn didn’t know I had to book in advance and leave three working days for a reply…” Siyeon exaggerated.

Gahyeon ignored Siyeon’s comments. “I’m not free immediately after school, but I can do it later.” Gahyeon simply replied.

“Well, let me know when you’re free, you do have my number and let's meet at the diner. So we can get to know each other better.”

“Do we have to?”

“Yes, what’s a better way of getting to know each other than playing 20 questions? Otherwise, I will not follow your plan and meet your deadlines for this project. Because I know you probably already have some schedule drawn up.”

Gahyeon tried not to get flustered at how predictable she is, “that’s blackmail.”

“That’s life, baby!”

Gahyeon sighed in defeat. “Okay, I’ll let you know when I’m free for the diner. But will you be free?”

“For you? Always.” Siyeon winked.

“I thought I told you not to be weird…”

“I’m a weird person once you get to know me, Gah.”

“So you put on a facade so people think you’re mean instead of weird?”

“No, people just look at me and think I’m intimidating. Then they draw the conclusion that I’m scary and unapproachable and think that if I approach them it’s only because I want their lunch money or something. It’s not my fault that my parents only buy me black clothes…”

“Why don’t you buy your own clothes?”

“That would require going out and socialising with people…”

“You’re socialising with me?”

“OMG, you consider me a friend?”

“Let’s not go there.”

Siyeon chuckles, “people already see me in a certain light. People already decided what kind of person I am. I don’t want to waste my time trying to change people’s perception of me, because that’s too time-consuming and honestly mentally and emotionally draining. There are people who I get along with but most people don’t want anything to do with me. So, I’m not gonna change the narrative, it’s not worth it. I just can’t wait to get out of this hell hole.”

Siyeon stood up. “I’ll see you later, Gah.” She began walking off.

“The class hasn’t ended?” Gahyeon called out.

Siyeon turned back and started counting down with her fingers while backing towards the door. 3, 2, 1. Once Siyeon got to one the bell rang and she was out the door and gone. Gahyeon shook her head. It’s like every time I have a conversation with her, I’m always left dumbfounded.

 

Gahyeon and Siyeon agreed to meet at the diner at 6 pm. They’ll eat there and get to know each other. They’ll set rules, expectations, and guidelines for each other, hopefully leading to a smooth year. That’s what Gahyeon thought anyways. Gahyeon was surprised to see Siyeon already sitting in a booth when she arrived. She was usually late to class so she kind of expected Siyeon to be late for, well everything. Siyeon finally took notice of her and waved at the younger girl.

“Hey smalls, over here.” She called out from the booth.

Gahyeon walked over with an annoyed look on her face. “I don’t like that nickname.” She said as she sat opposite to Siyeon.

“What do you want me to call you?”

“Gahyeon or Gah is fine.”

“Okay, princess.”

“Are you purposely trying to annoy me?”

“I’m trying to get to know what makes you tick.”

“Okay, let’s get this over and done with.”

“Did you do the thing that I asked?”

“Yes, Siyeon. I took a picture of something that excites me.”

“Can I see it?” Siyeon asked eagerly.

Gahyeon fished out her phone from her bag, then opened up the app with the photo in it and turned the screen towards Siyeon. The older girl looked at the screen then screwed up her face in confusion.

“What? Something wrong?” Gahyeon asked.

“Yes. Something very wrong. You’re meaning to tell me that awards excite you?”

“No, I mean achieving things, that’s what excites me.”

Siyeon blinked at her confusingly. In her mind, that doesn’t make sense. In her mind achieving something is more like a relief than excitement. “Oh, okay.”

“What about you? What excites you?” Gahyeon asked, not wanting to dwell on her disappointment of a photo.

Siyeon smiles big and brings out her camera.

“Oh, you brought your camera,” Gahyeon observed. ‘I could’ve brought mine too.”

“No need, ones good enough. Anyways, here's what excites me.” Siyeon handed her camera to Gahyeon and Gahyeon looked at the tiny screen that was a window to Lee Siyeon’s world. She was surprised to see… “Sunrise” Gahyeon breathes out.

“Yeah!” Siyeon beams. “Wanna know why sunrises excite me?! Do ya do ya do ya?” Siyeon asks practically bouncing in her seat.

“Sure. Why do sunrises excite you?”

“Because! When the sun rises, you don’t know what that day holds. It’s a mystery. It could be the best day ever or the worst day or a mundane day. You don’t know. You’re literally going into the unknown. But despite that, the day holds many opportunities to do things, feel things, experience things. At that moment when the sun rises, that day can be anything you want it to be. At that moment the unknown is exciting and not scary. When the sun rises, it’s… it’s… the start of an adventure.”

Wow, I wasn’t expecting that from you.

Gahyeon looked up from the camera into Siyeon’s eyes which were filled with excitement and for a brief moment, Gahyeon could feel some spark of excitement too, well she thought it was the feeling of excitement. The two girls were lost in their own little world when the waiter came to their booth to take their order.

“Let’s take the food away,” Siyeon suggested. “I know a place that has a view better than this diner.”

Gahyeon didn’t know why, but she really wanted to see the place that Siyeon suggested. Something about Siyeon was memorising, endearing, captivating.

“Sure, I guess. I’ve done everything I needed to do, so I’m free.” Gahyeon answered, trying to sound neutral.

“Assa!” Siyeon pumped her fist in the air. And for the first time since meeting the girl, Gahyeon smiled a genuine smile. Maybe you’re not as bad as I thought.

 

It was decided that Gahyeon would drop her car off back home while Siyeon followed because it was easier taking one car than two. Gahyeon hopped into Siyeon’s truck after locking up her car.

“Your parents aren’t at home?”

“They’re never home. They work late, like always. Lawyer and doctor things I guess. Nice truck? Not a lot of people around here drive them…”

“Ahh yes, my pride and joy, my baby,” Siyeon said while rubbing the interior of the car. “Yeah, I needed the space for my things.”

“What things?”

“Camping things,” Siyeon said as she pulled away from the curb and began driving towards their destination.

“You camp?”

“And hike. And star gaze when the weather permits it. A lot of things to do with nature really. That’s why I’m late to class sometimes. It’s also the reason why I’m tired, a lot.”

“I see.” Gahyeon hummed.

“You haven’t seen anything yet…” Siyeon smiled as she looked over at Gahyeon.

“Keep your eyes on the road,” Gahyeon warned.

“But you’re pretty,” Siyeon whined.

“Eyes. Road. Now.” Gahyeon ordered whilst blushing up a storm.

“Yes, ma’am.” Siyeon laughed as she turned her focus back to the road ahead of them. “Not afraid that I’m secretly a serial killer?” Siyeon asked amusingly.

“Nope. But just in case, I left a note in my car saying Lee Siyeon did it.” Gahyeon smirked.

Siyeon gasps dramatically. “I would never hurt DC’s high school princess. The repercussions of that are too much.”

Gahyeon leaned her head against the window and watched the blur of cars pass by. “What was your first impression of me? Surely you would’ve heard about me. I mean you knew my name when I walked up to you in class.” Gahyeon asked in a small, timid voice.

“Of course I knew of you. You’re Lee Gahyeon, everyone knows you. They’re either friends with you or they envy you. Your achievements kind of makes you seem stuck up and kind of belittles us, mere mortals. I heard of you but didn’t really pay attention to that. When you walked up to me during class and said those wonderful things about me, I thought they may be true.” Siyeon replied. “So my first impressions of you weren’t that great, but I thought that since we’re partners I can’t let my first impression of you be the impression to stick. Hence why we’re on this spontaneous trip. I want to get to know you Gahyeon. The real you. I think that person is far more interesting than the person who I see at school. And I want to make a good impression on you too.”

Gahyeon sank into her seat. She did come off as rude. She knew better to judge people before getting to know them. She felt guilty that she already dismissed Siyeon before getting to know the girl better. “I’m sorry.”

“No need,” Siyeon answered back. “You seem so immersed in your own world that you kind of forget the world you’re living in. I feel like you have a lot of pressure to succeed, from yourself and people around you.” Gahyeon in a breath, not knowing what to do, she’s being read like a book, by a girl she hardly knew. “You’re smart Gahyeon, I know that. But, you know. Stop and smell the roses from time to time.” Siyeon gave Gahyeon her signature smile again.

“Thanks.” Gahyeon squeaked out.

“Oh, and sorry about this.”

Gahyeon looked over at Siyeon confused when suddenly the car went off-road and the car was jumping up and down.

“What the , Siyeon?!” Gahyeon yelled.

“To get to where we need to go, we need to go off-road for a bit. I did say sorry, didn’t I?” Siyeon replied back laughing.

Gahyeon held onto the grab handle for dear life. After what felt like an hour for Gahyeon, the car came to a smooth(er) path. Gahyeon opened her eyes and saw that they were in a forest.

“Are you sure you’re not gonna kill me?” Gahyeon asked.

“Nope. Plus, we’re almost there.”

Gahyeon sighed. What did I get myself into?

Siyeon suddenly swerved the car to the right and then backed up the car close to the cliff’s edge. Gahyeon’s eyes widened.

“Siyeon stop. SIYEON stop. SIYEON STOP!” The younger girl yelled. Siyeon chuckled as she stopped the car. She pulled the parking break up to give Gahyeon some ease of mind, then hopped out the car and went to the back of the truck.

“We have plenty of room left.” She yelled. “But I won’t move the car for now.” Gahyeon remained in her seat, trying to compose herself. Siyeon grabbed a few things from the back seat of her truck. She saw Gahyeon taking deep breaths and felt that she may have gone overboard.

“Hey, when you’re ready. Come outside. There’s no rush though.” Siyeon said calmly, trying not to disturb the girl. Paradise is waiting for you.

 

Siyeon was admiring the view when she heard the door shut, she turned around to see Gahyeon looking a little small compared to the towering trees behind her. Cute. Gahyeon slowly made her way to Siyeon.
“Sorry, if I made you uncomfortable,” Siyeon spoke as soon as the smaller girl was next to her.

“It’s okay. I just thought you were going to back us off a cliff.”

“I wouldn’t do that on a first date.” Siyeon teased. Gahyeon rolled her eyes on cue. “Ahh, there’s the eye roll I know and love.” Siyeon smiled. “But in all seriousness, I wouldn’t do that. I come here a lot. I know this place like the back of my hand. I won’t put you in danger, ever. I mean it Gahyeon.” Siyeon said firmly.

“Thanks, but a heads up would be nice.”

“Of course, that’s my bad.”

“So what is this place and what does it mean to you?” Gahyeon asked, staring out at the lake below them then to the trees surrounding it.

“It’s a slice of paradise in the middle of a city. It’s like peace in chaos. The calmness in the storm. It's both beautiful and peaceful.”

“It sounds important to you, so why bring me here.”

Siyeon started walking away. She got onto the back of the truck and sat there with her back against the window. Gahyeon looked at her with a tilted head, confused. Siyeon looked back and smiled. She then patted the spot next to her, indicating that she wanted Gahyeon to sit there, the younger girl didn’t refuse. Gahyeon had a little trouble getting onto the back of the truck, making Siyeon laugh, but after a little help from the taller girl, she was finally on.

“Well… are you gonna answer my question?”

Siyeon took a bite of her burger, then a sip of her drink before answering, “you look like you needed an escape. I mean your achievements being the most exciting thing in your life? Sad. Also, since we’re partners now, I’m gonna be bringing you here a lot. So, I wanted you to get used to it. You’re gonna be seeing this place a lot.”

“Won’t it lose its magic?”

“Never. Plus, you’re gonna be seeing this place at different hours of the day, so you’ll be seeing it in all its glory.”

Gahyeon threw the reminisce of her burger in the paper bag. It was getting late and they were still outside, in the middle of Siyeon’s paradise. Gahyeon sat at the edge of the back, taking in the view once more. Even if we came here every day at this hour, I don’t think I could get used to this view. Just then she heard a flicker of a camera go off.

Gahyeon kept her eyes forward but asked “Lee Siyeon, did you just take a photo of me?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Why?”

“You’re gonna want to remember this moment.”

“Me or you?”

“Us.”

Gahyeon chuckled. Us. Siyeon laid down looking up at the night sky. Gahyeon joined her, they were close, but not too close. Close enough to be sharing a blanket, but not close enough.

“What now?” Gahyeon asked.

“Admire the stars.”

“That’s it?”

“You can talk about yourself.”

“We can play 20 questions.”

“Thought you didn’t like that idea.”

“I changed my mind.”

“About what?”

About you… “About the game. I mean it’s a quick way to get to know about each other.”

“Hmm, okay. You start.”

That night Gahyeon didn’t get home until midnight. She was thankful that she got all her work done beforehand, but knew she wouldn’t enjoy the lack of sleep she was about to get. But to her surprise, she wasn’t mad at Siyeon for keeping her out late. She enjoyed talking to the older girl. She learnt things about Siyeon and realised that there was more to the girl than meets the eye. You continue to surprise me, Lee Siyeon.

 

The following weeks Gahyeon became more eager to ‘hangout’ with Siyeon. They would always get food before heading to their next adventure. According to Gahyeon, adventure became synonymous with Siyeon. There was never one without the other. Gahyeon was more determined than ever to get everything done before meeting up with Siyeon so she could stay with Siyeon as long as she could. Yes, her sleep suffered a bit, but spontaneous late-night drives to the beach, or going to fairs outside of town, or even driving to the worst-rated restaurant in town to see if was really that bad (it was really deserving of the title of the worst restaurant in happyface valley), everything she did with Siyeon was worth it. They took so many photos, enough to fill up 100 scrapbooks. Siyeon was so insistent on taking the photos. Sometimes Gahyeon didn’t even know Siyeon was taking a photo of her. They didn’t hang out every single minute of every day which made Gahyeon more appreciative of the time they did spend together. It also made her crave the time she spent with Siyeon. So she didn’t understand why her heartache when she didn’t see the girl in class one winter morning, she didn’t understand why the other girl didn’t reply to her text when she didn’t see her for a week. She didn’t understand why she felt sad and angry by being ignored. At the start of the year, she couldn’t care less about where Siyeon was and what she was doing, but 5 months is a lot of time. 5 months can change how a person feels about someone else. 5 months of caring, laughter, and memories. Where is she? The bell rang and people started filing out of class. Gahyeon packed her things and made her way over to her teacher.

“Excuse me, Mr Park. Do you know anything about Siyeon's absence?” Gahyeon asked with a voice laced in concern. Mr Park looked up from his desk to see a timid Gahyeon standing there.

“I don’t know a whole lot.” Mr Park answered. “Dr Kim told me that Siyeon will be missing a few classes.”

“Dr Kim as in the councillor?”

“Yup. She said that Siyeon wasn’t going to be in class, but would still be coming to school. I think Dr Kim may know more than me. She’s safe if that’s what you’re worried about. This won’t affect your mark in any way.” Mr Park said, trying to put Gahyeon’s mind at ease.

Gahyeon bowed. “Thank you.” She bolted out the class and beelined for the councillor’s office. She walked up to the door determined to know where Siyeon was, but when she got to the door, she froze. She realised that she didn’t have a game plan. Gahyeon sighed. This is useless. She turned around to leave when the door opened.

“I told you she would come eventually.” Siyeon smiled as she opened the door. Gahyeon's head snapped toward Siyeon's direction. She briskly walked up to the taller girl and gave her a hug before hitting her on the arm.

“What happened? Where the were you? Why were you ignoring me?” Gahyeon said angrily before whining.

“Aww did you miss me?” Siyeon cooed.

Gahyeon was about to hit Siyeon again when another figure in the room cleared . Gahyeon slowly turned her head to see a very pretty woman standing there, Dr Kim she assumed.

“Hi, I’m Dr Kim. I’ve been helping Siyeon these past couple of days. I hope you don’t mind.” The tall, beautiful doctor smiled.

“Ahh, well. I don’t mind, but Siyeon didn’t really tell me she was getting help, so I was worried. We usually hang out every day, but then she stopped coming to class and messaging me. I thought she was dead if I was honest.” Gahyeon admitted.

“Aww, you were worried about me,” Siyeon said, pinching Gahyeon’s cheek.

“Now that I see she’s fine, I would like to beat her if that’s allowed,” Gahyeon said, eyeing Siyeon up.

“That’s not allowed, but Siyeon you should have communicated better…”

“Do you want to talk to her alone, Siyeon?”

“Do I have to?”

“She deserves an explanation… doesn’t she?”

“I guess, but you know.”

“I know.”

“And if I…”

“But what if she…”

“What is she doesn’t?”

“You don’t know for sure…”

“Ugh! Fine.”

Dr Kim smiled. “I’ll be back in 10 minutes. No fighting.” Dr Kim left the room leaving Siyeon and Gahyeon. The room filled up with an awkward silence. Gahyeon could see Siyeon frowning and thinking, she assumes on how to tell Gahyeon why she ignored her for the past week, so she doesn’t rush Siyeon. Gahyeon just sits in a chair, waiting for Siyeon to initiate the conversation. Siyeon never forced Gahyeon to talk about anything she didn’t want to, so the younger girl thought it’d be better and respectful to do the same. Siyeon clapped her hands together earning the attention of the shorter girl.

“I have cancer,” Siyeon announced.

 

Gahyeon’s eyes started swelling up with tears. “What?”

“Wait, that came out wrong. I HAD cancer. But last week I got a call from the doctor saying that the cancer was coming back. Which freaked me out, so I came here, to talk to Dr Kim. But then the cancer doctor called me back saying they told the wrong patient. So, my cancer is not back. But Dr Kim kept me here for the week to talk about what if I did have it and what I would have done and since I don’t have it what I would continue to do. She also asked if anything changed from the last time they had this conversation, that would change things.” You. Lee Gahyeon, you came into my life and if I did have cancer again, you would be a person that I didn’t want to say goodbye to. I only just met you, I don’t want to say goodbye yet. “But yeah, so everything will be normal starting next week,” Siyeon said, trying to sound bright and cherry.

Gahyeon didn’t say anything. She was still trying to process all the information that Siyeon had given her.

She finally looked up at Siyeon, “Were you ever gonna tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That you had cancer…”

“I didn’t think you would care.” Siyeon blurted out.

That comment felt like a gunshot to Gahyeon’s heart. “If it did come back, would you have told me?” Gahyeon asked quietly. She shut her eyes, embracing herself for the answer.

“No. I wouldn’t have. I would’ve made you hate me then disappear.” Siyeon answered honestly.

Gahyeon frowned. “Why not?” She asked, raising her voice.

“Because you’d worry about me. You already have so much to worry about, I didn’t want you worrying about me too.”

“I care about you, Siyeon!”

“I know.”

“Do you care about me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Are you sure? Because you have a funny way of showing it.”

“Gahyeon, I care about you. Please, believe me. I care more about you than anyone else in this school…” Siyeon pleaded.

“Why did you ignore me then?!”

“Because I didn’t know what to say! I didn’t know how to explain myself! I didn’t want to scare you, Gah.”

“But you did, Siyeon. You scared the out of me.” Siyeon reached over to hold Gahyeon’s hands. They were trembling. Siyeon mentally scolded herself for doing this to Gahyeon.

“I’m sorry. I really am Gah. I’m just bad with words. My mind just goes crazy and it races like a million miles an hour. I know I should’ve at least said something. Something is better than nothing. I regret not saying anything.”

“What am I to you, Siyeon?” Gahyeon asked. “Because I feel like I’m just a temporary peace in your life right now. Like, I’m not someone you care about. That’s why you don’t tell me things.”

“I do care about you, please believe me, please.”

Gahyeon pulls her hands away and sighs. “I need space to think. We can continue doing the project, but just separately for now.” Gahyeon stood up and left. Siyeon pouted. Dr Kim came back to her office finding Siyeon crying on the ground. She helped her student up and gave her a hug.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

“She hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, she just needs to process everything.”

“She wants to do the project separately.”

“That’s just temporary.”

“I couldn’t tell her how I feel about her.”

“She’ll come around. You’ll be ready next time.”

Dr Kim let Siyeon leave school that day. She knew that Siyeon couldn’t be at school right now. Siyeon got in her car. She didn’t know where to go. The one place she usually goes is now stained with the memories of another person. She sighed and decided to just drive. Anywhere is better than here.

 

Monday rolled around and Gahyeon was making her way to class. She walked through the door and had to do a double-take because Siyeon was already in her seat. Lee Siyeon who was always late was for once in her life, early. Siyeon looked up from her seat and immediately stood up when she saw Gahyeon. She hasn’t seen or spoken to the girl since Friday afternoon. She was anxious to see Gahyeon, she didn’t know if the younger girl had forgiven her or not. She didn’t know where she stood.

“You’re early,” Gahyeon said monotonously.

“Yeah, I wanted to see you. I was wondering if we could talk.” Siyeon said sheepishly.

Gahyeon put her things down and took a seat.

“Only if you want to.” Siyeon blurted out, knowing that Gahyeon may not be ready to talk.

“Honestly Siyeon, I don’t know what to say or think. Okay, yes we were strangers at the start of the year, but now I feel like we’re at least friends.”

“We are!” Siyeon interjected as she scrambled to the seat next to Gahyeon.

“Exactly, we are at the very least friends. Yes, I understand why you didn’t want to tell me, but I didn’t understand why you didn’t at least give me something, like hey I’m not well, I can’t come in this week. I know you didn’t want me to worry, but I did anyway because somehow I’ve come to care about you a lot, Siyeon.” Gahyeon said, looking Siyeon straight in the eyes. I also may have come to the conclusion that I’m falling for you.

“I’ll make it up to you. Whatever you want. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove to you that I care about you.”

“Well, it can’t be this week. My parents have the week off and decided to hold a family gathering or whatever.”

“Oh… okay. That’s okay. You’ll have fun?”

“I will not, but there’s not much I can do.”

“When will they leave?”

“I don’t know, Friday? But I don’t think I can handle five days of family time.”

“I see.”

“Siyeon?” Gahyeon looked at Siyeon with big pouting eyes.

Siyeon's heart started thumping hard in her chest. “Yes?”

“You said that I wouldn’t care if you told me that you had cancer. Then you said that if it did come back you would make me hate you then disappear.” Siyeon regretted saying all that, if she could take it back she would. But she couldn’t and now she's sitting here, facing the consequences. Siyeon nodded solemnly.

“Why did you… why were you… why did you want to push me away?”

Siyeon grabbed Gahyeon’s hand and held them gently. She took a breath. “Because Gahyeon, I’ve come to care for you a lot.” Siyeon looked at Gahyeon. “I thought that if you hated me and wanted me to disappear. That would be easier than saying goodbye to someone I didn’t want to say goodbye to. I don’t want to say goodbye to you Gahyeon. I-”

“Siyeon, Dr Kim wants to see you.” Mr Park called out.

Siyeon looked at Gahyeon and gave her a half-smile “I’ll talk to you later.” She gave her hand a squeeze before grabbing her things and leaving. Gahyeon’s heart was racing. What was she going to say? What did she mean that I’m not a person she wants to say goodbye to.

 

Siyeon didn’t return to class, but she did message Gahyeon to let her know that she wouldn’t be attending class. Gahyeon asked if she could see Siyeon for lunch, but Siyeon said she couldn’t make it. It was now after school and Gahyeon laid on her bed. She needed to get her homework done before her family got here for dinner. She was not in the mood for the small talk that was going to take place during dinner. What are you going to do after high school? Are you looking at any colleges? Your cousin got into Harvard on a scholarship. She felt like a trapped bird in a cage. There’s no use in a dwelling, she had to do and to deal with. It’s only for five days. It’s fine. It was not fine, 10 minutes into the dinner and Gahyeon wanted to rip her hair out. Everyone had an input on what college to attend, what programme to take, things she should be doing right now. She’s had enough and she wasn’t sure if she was gonna last. I think I’m gonna go insane. She sighed. Her mother insisted that she leave her phone in her room, so she was stuck in this nightmare. All of a sudden, the doorbell went off.

“Are we expecting someone?” Gahyeon’s mother asked.

“I don’t think so… But I’ll go check who it is.” Gahyeon offered. She stood up and excused herself from the table and made her way to the door. I hope I get kidnapped. Gahyeon opened the door and gasped.

“Hi, I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Gahyeon smiled. Her parent’s joined her at the door.

“Gahyeon who’s this?” Her father asked.

“Hi, I’m Lee Siyeon. I’m in one of Gahyeon’s classes. I was wondering if Gahyeon is free to work on the project tonight. I know she’s usually on top of things, but last week I had some problems, and now she’s fallen behind a bit. This project is worth 100% of our final grade, and I didn’t want her to suffer because of my problems.” Siyeon explained.

Gahyeon looked at her parents with pleading eyes, “can I go?”

“What about dinner?” Her mother countered.

“She should be able to go. I mean they are going to be coming around every day. Missing a dinner or two won’t hurt, sweetie.” Her father insisted, taking an instant liking towards Siyeon.

“I guess....” Her mother turned towards Gahyeon. “You’re free to go, but you have to be home before midnight and you can’t miss more than two dinners.” Her mother warned.

“Of course!” Gahyeon hugged her parents.

“Thank you, sir, ma’am. I’ll wait by the car, Gah.” Siyeon bowed to Gahyeon’s parents before leaving. Gahyeon raced upstairs to grab her things, before sprinting downstairs. She quickly said goodbye to everyone before leaving. When she got outside she saw Siyeon leaning against her car, she ran to the older girl and engulfed her in a hug.

“Thank you for getting me out of that hell of a dinner,” Gahyeon mumbled into Siyeon’s chest. Siyeon felt something in her chest bloom. “Anytime.” Siyeon smiled at the younger girl. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Let’s go!” Gahyeon beamed.

 

“Where are we going?” Gahyeon asked.

“It’s a secret…” Siyeon replied.

“Boo no fun.” Gahyeon jeered.

“Oh, well if that’s the case, I guess I’ll just turn this car around and you can go back to your super awesome super fun family dinner.” Siyeon teased.

“No! I mean, that won’t be necessary. This is fine.” Gahyeon said, trying to reclaim her composure. “Why’d you come to my house?” Gahyeon asked curiously.

“What do you mean? We have a project to do!”

“I mean you knew… you’re right. Never mind” it’s stupid of me to think you cared enough to save me from the stupid dinner.

Siyeon reached over and grabbed one of Gahyeon’s hands and gave it a squeeze. “I went to your house because I heard it was going off,” Siyeon jokes. Gahyeon responds by slapping Siyeon’s hand. “I’m kidding, I'm kidding, geez tough crowd. I was serious when I said I’d do whatever it takes to show you I care about you. Kidnapping you from your parent’s dinner seemed like a logical way to express how much I care.”

“Oh yes, kidnapping me is the perfect way of showing me you care about me,” Gahyeon said in a fun tone.

“Assa! I knew it. I knew I was right!” Siyeon replied back in a jokingly manner. Not a beat later, both girls were laughing. This spontaneous outing wasn’t gonna fix everything but it was a start.

Siyeon pulled her car up to a large dome.

“You took me to an observatory?” Gahyeon asked, looking at the huge structure in front of them.

“Yes, I did. If you don’t forgive me, I will sacrifice you to the aliens tonight. Choose wisely, Lee Gahyeon.”

Gahyeon playfully smacked Siyeon on the shoulder, causing the other girl to dramatically hold her shoulder.

“You’re definitely going to be sacrificed now. E.T come get yo sister!” Siyeon yelled out the car window.

Gahyeon lunged towards Siyeon, but Siyeon was too fast and was out the door before Gahyeon could get to her. Gahyeon stormed out the car, slammed the door shut before chasing Siyeon.

“Hey, easy on my baby. She’s fragile.” Siyeon said in mock concern when she turned around to the sound of the car door shut. That was a mistake because as soon as she turned around, Gahyeon tackled her onto the grassy area surrounding the dome. Gahyeon straddles Siyeon and pins her arms down.

“You’re pretty strong, ever thought about partaking in sports such as football or rugby, maybe ice hockey?” Siyeon smiles as she looks up at the younger girl.

“You’re about to get your beat and you still manage to look cute,” Gahyeon said, a little annoyed.

“Oh, you think I’m cute?” Siyeon said cheesing so hard. Gahyeon just realised her mistake and tried to play it off.

“Stop trying to change the subject,” she whined.

“But you said I was cute.”

“I said you look cute, there’s a difference.”

“So you admit that you directed the compliment to me in the sentence you spoke before?”

“I guess.”

“Cool.”

“You’re not getting out of this that easy…”

“Can I kiss you?”

Gahyeon shifted a bit and that’s all Siyeon needed to flip the shorter girl on her back. Gahyeon groaned as Siyeon chuckles.

“You hesitated.” Siyeon cooed.

“Shut it!” Gahyeon groans into her hands which were now covering her face.

“Are you gonna answer or…”

Gahyeon stood up and made her way to the entrance of the dome. “Is there a way to get in or what?” She demanded.

Siyeon laid on her side and watched Gahyeon struggle with the door. “I have the key, it’s in my back pocket. Wanna come and get it?”

Gahyeon flipped Siyeon off making the older laugh louder, “relax, I’m coming.” Siyeon quickly ran to her car and grabbed her camera and her backpack before locking the car, she saw the smile on her face on the reflection of the car window. Only you can make me smile this big.

 

“How do you have the keys and clearance for this place?!” Gahyeon asked as they roamed around the dome.

“I know a guy,” Siyeon answered. Gahyeon gave her an apprehensive look.

“Okay, I know Dr Kim who knows a guy who’s dating a guy that owns this observatory. Okay? Namjoon is chill and so ing smart like he’s gonna be an astronaut, I can feel it in my bones.”

Gahyeon chuckles, “I’d love to meet him one day.” Siyeon grabs Gahyeon's hands and pulls her towards a set of stairs. “Race ya” Siyeon didn’t even give Gahyeon any time to react. By the time Gahyeon processed what Siyeon said, the taller girl was almost halfway up the stairs.

“Wait that’s not fair!” Gahyeon called out before moving her short legs up the stairs. Needless to say, Siyeon won the race. Siyeon didn’t win by a little, she won by a solid five minutes. By the time Gahyeon got to the top of the stairs, she was not a happy camper. She pushed open the doors ready to give Siyeon an ear full when the words got caught up in . Siyeon was grinning ear to ear. In the five minutes she won by, she managed to set up a picnic and a telescope and somehow managed to look so damn good, ready to surprise Gahyeon. And my oh my was Gahyeon surprised.

“Took you long enough,” Siyeon said, smirking as always.

“What is this?”

“A picnic under the stars.”

“Just say you want to date me, gosh,” Gahyeon said, biting her lip to hide a smile, as she quoted Siyeon. Siyeon blushed hard.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come sit down and eat. I assume you didn’t eat that much during dinner.”

“I didn’t actually, thanks.” Gahyeon took her seat to Siyeon, while Siyeon got out her go-to order from the diner. “You remembered what I ordered?” She smirks.

“Nope, the waiter did,” Siyeon said as she winked at the younger girl. They ate in silence, but it wasn’t awkward at all. Gahyeon was too busy looking around at the surroundings, marvelling at all the stars she saw. She wished the light pollution wasn’t too bad in the city, so she could just stare at them whenever she wanted to, so being out here made her appreciate them even more. Siyeon on the other hand was marvelling at something else. She had her eyes dead set on Gahyeon. Admiring her side profile. Drinking in every detail of the shorter girls features. Siyeon always knew that Gahyeon was beautiful, but she never thought she’d ever be lucky enough to admire her beauty up close and personal, yet here she was. She let out an inaudible sigh, before quietly taking out her camera and capturing the moment.

“You and that camera, huh.”

“Well, we do have a project to complete…”

“And how does taking photos of me to contribute to the project?”

“You’re gonna have to wait and see.”

Gahyeon turned her head towards Siyeon. “Okay.”

“No witty comments?”

“Not this time.”

“Why?”

“Because this is one of my favourite moments all year,” Gahyeon said nonchalantly.

Siyeon's brain short-circuited and she didn’t know what to say. “Do you want to use the telescope?” She finally let out.

“Sure, I haven’t used one in a long time.”

“Oh?”

“I used to go camping when I was younger, with my parents, before they got busy and I got expectations. It was nice.”

Siyeon smiled at Gahyeon, “well…” Siyeon looked in the eyepiece and adjusted the settings before stepping aside for Gahyeon, “I hope the stars shine just as bright as you remembered it.”

Gahyeon looked in the eyepiece and gasped. The stars looked even more beautiful than she imagined. Gahyeon could hear the shutters of the camera go off, but she didn’t care. She was in awe of the universe and its magic. She stood up and immediately turned to Siyeon and hugged her tight and didn’t let go.

“Thank you.” She mumbled into the taller girl's chest.

“For showing you the stars? I can do that more often if you want.”

“For today. I believe you. I believe that you care about me. I believe that you care about me a lot.”

“I do,” Siyeon said, as she tightened her hug on the little girl. “I’m sorry for making you think that I didn’t”. Siyeon loosens her grip a little so she could look at Gahyeon. “Gahyeon?”

“Yeah?” Gahyeon answered looking up at Siyeon with her doe eyes.

“I like you…” Siyeon breathed out along with the breath she didn’t know she was holding in.

“Really?”

Siyeon nods her head slowly and swallows the lump in . She’s gonna tell me that she doesn’t feel the same way…

“I like you too.” Gahyeon smiled.

“Well this is awkward, I knew I never had a chance with you, but this just- Wait a minute did you just say you like me back?” Siyeon asked, confused.

Gahyeon laughs and nods. “Yes you goofball, I like you too.”

Siyeon backed away from Gahyeon and pumped her fist in the air “ASSA!” she yelled into the night. Gahyeon was blushing hard at Siyeon, who was acting as a massive dork. Siyeon rushed back to Gahyeon with a new sparkle in her eye.

She cupped her face and asked, “can I kiss you?”

Gahyeon didn’t say anything. Instead, she grabbed Siyeon by the collar of her shirt, pulled her in and kissed her. At first, Siyeon was surprised by the little one initiating the kiss, but then she slowly melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around the waist of the girl she likes. Eventually, Gahyeon pulled back after needing some oxygen, which left both her and Siyeon dizzy. They rested their forehead on each other’s and had smiles that stretched ear to ear. Gahyeon didn’t only get to see the stars that night, but a whole supernova.

 

The next day Gahyeon arrived at the class, surprised but not disappointed to see Siyeon already waiting for her. The older girl had a smile plastered on her face. Gahyeon felt a smile growing on her face as she walked over to her seat.

“Hey, Gah.” Siyeon greeted.

“Hey, Si. Did you sleep well?” Gahyeon asked as she took her things out of her bag and sat down.

“I didn’t sleep a wink,” Siyeon answered honestly.

“Oh. Why not? That’s not good.”

“I was too happy. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins. Felt like I had enough energy to blast off into space.”

Gahyeon laughed. “Oh is that right? I wonder why.”

“The burger I ate was amazing. I might have to ask for the recipe.”

Gahyeon rolled her eyes and diverted her attention elsewhere.

“Ah, there’s that eye roll I know and love.” Siyeon teased.

“Is that the only thing you love?” Gahyeon shot back, making the older girl blush furiously.

Siyeon leaned closer to Gahyeon and in a low tone said, “the sassy attitude that accompanied the eye roll was one of the first things I fell for, but now there’s more to love and I can’t wait to find all the things to love about you.” Now it was Gahyeon’s turn to blush. She turned to face Siyeon, who was leaning back on her chair with a smug look on her face, satisfied with the younger girl's reaction.

“Mhmm, pretty sure you just love kissing me and that’s it.”

“Speaking of…” Siyeon pulled Gahyeon’s chair closer to hers then kissed Gahyeon on her cheek.

“You missed.”

“My bad.” Siyeon leans close, ghosting her lips over Gahyeon’s before closing the gap and kissing her delicately.

“No PDA in the classroom.” Mr Park announced as he stepped in the classroom. Gahyeon jumped back and composed herself while Siyeon just sighed and rolled her eyes, earning a snicker from Gahyeon. Mr Park started rambling on about the project and how it should be about three-quarters of the way done. He started talking about different photography techniques and how they can help convey a story when Gahyeon felt her hand being held by a slightly larger hand than hers. She turns to see Siyeon lying on one of her arms while her free hand was holding hers. She could tell that the older girl was trying her best to not fall asleep but she knew that she would be gone in about five minutes. It didn’t bother her anymore. It used to, but after getting more than a glimpse into her life, she knew Siyeon needed the rest. The old Gahyeon would’ve been annoyed, but the old Gahyeon wasn’t in love with Siyeon. Siyeon finally woke up from her nap, she picked up her head and saw Gahyeon scribbling something down in her book, while her other hand was still in Siyeon’s. Siyeon smiled at the sight, their hands fitted perfectly together.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” Gahyeon greeted a sleepy Siyeon.

“Hey, sorry for passing out. Did I miss much?”

“Not really, but we need to start printing out the photos and begin putting everything together. Then we need to try to figure out the story we want to tell from the random photos we took. Siyeon, are you listening?”

“No, you’re pretty so you’re distracting me.”

“Siyeon…”

“Can I come over tonight or you come over tonight?”

“I have a family thing…”

“I’ll hide in your room.”

“Siyeon, no.”

“Siyeon, yes! Like you said we need to sort all those things out and it might take longer than anticipated because someone is so beautiful is near damn impossible to pay attention to anything but her.”

“We kissed once and you’re acting all smooth now, huh? I’ll ask my parents but don’t hold your breath.”

“I was always this smooth.”

“Okay, sure. Let’s get to work!”

Siyeon saluted, “yes ma’am, you're the boss.”

 

“Your room is very organised and cute…” Siyeon said, scanning Gahyeon’s room before flopping on the girl’s bed.

“I brought you into my room so we could work on our project, not to be judged.” Gahyeon reminded the older girl.

“Or we can…”

“No!” Gahyeon blushed.

“Aww, the princess is shy.”

Gahyeon threw a pillow at Siyeon. “Well for one, my parents are downstairs, not only my parents but my whole family! Someone could walk in on us and then they’ll never believe me again.”

“But the doors closed.” Siyeon pouted.

“And the door can open. That’s how doors work, Siyeon.”

“So what they walk in on you making out with your girlfriend, big deal.”

“No one said anything about you being my girlfriend,” Gahyeon said as her face flushed a deep shade of red.

“I did,” Siyeon said confidently. “I’m your girlfriend” she cheesed.

“You did ask me!” Now it’s Gahyeon’s turn to pout.

Siyeon pulls Gahyeon on top of her, “Gahyeon, will you please be my girlfriend?” Siyeon asked cutely. Gahyeon didn’t respond immediately. She gave Siyeon a quick peck on the lips and smiled “I’ll think about it.” Of course, I’ll be your girlfriend, you big goofball. Siyeon groans and Gahyeon laughs.

“Okay, I thought about it.” Siyeon wraps her arms around Gahyeon’s waist in anticipation.

“And?”

“And… I will be your girlfriend… if you help me finish everything we need to do for the project, tonight.” Gahyeon giggles as she escapes Siyeon’s embrace.

Siyeon groans louder in frustration, “I don’t think the decision of you being my girlfriend should have terms and conditions.” Siyeon whined.

“Well, they do so, if you want a girlfriend by the end of the night, let’s get to work.”

“I want a girlfriend now,” Siyeon whines louder.

“We haven’t even decided about what we’re gonna tell through our photos.”

Siyeon stood up and looked at Gahyeon. A wave of nerves hit Gahyeon.

“The project said we have to take a photo every single day of our senior year. Once the photos have been taken, we’re meant to use the photos to tell a story about our year. It’s actually quite simple. We’ll just pick the photos that convey how we get that day we took it. Not all photos are going to be happy and we have bad days and one of our photos might reflect that. Some photos will have people in it, some photos won’t because we felt alone. We line up our photos side by side, along with the timeline of the year, to show how different people feel different things at different times of the year. That a good day for one kid might be a day of hell for another kid. That you can have consecutively good days, but you can also have consecutively bad days. What we’re trying to show is that everyone's experiences are different. How we see things in those experiences are different. What excites one person may not excite another. Our project will show the senior year of two different people from two different perspectives.” Siyeon blurted out.

“That’s impressive, did you think about all that right now?” Gahyeon spoke once she got over her initial shock.

No. “Yeah.”

“That’s actually pretty cool. I like the idea of celebrating and embracing differences. I mean you and me, we’re quite different, so our photos will be different and contrasting at some point, but it will be interesting to see if our photos become more similar at some point.” Gahyeon agreed.

“So…?”

“Let’s do it!” Gahyeon announced, jumping and down.

Siyeon jumped up and yelled “Assa!” Before scooping Gahyeon up into a big hug.

“Your girlfriend is very proud of you,” Gahyeon said into Siyeon’s ear. Siyeon’s heart went crazy. It was beating a million miles and minute. She was doubting her ears, wondering if she heard that right. Her heart swelled up so much that she felt like it could burst at any moment.

“Really?!” Siyeon beamed as she stepped back to look at Gahyeon.

“Yes, really. I would love to be your girlfriend.” Gahyeon laughed as Siyeon jumped around the room, pumping the air with her fist, before finally settling down and giving her girlfriend a kiss.

“You make me happy,” Siyeon said with a heart full of glee.

“And you make me so happy,” Gahyeon replies with the same amount of love and admiration. “And you’ll make me happier once we get this project done.” Gahyeon teased.

“Once we get it done can we go on a date?” Siyeon asked, unable to stand still.

“Of course babe.”

“What are you doing standing there?! We got work to do. Chop chop.” Siyeon said with an authoritative manner.

Gahyeon smiled as she shook her head. My goofball.

 

Siyeon was stressed. She didn’t get to see Gahyeon as much as she wanted because the younger girl was super busy with exam prep. Siyeon wasn’t as busy but she was too busy for her liking. When they saw each other in class, they were working on the project. They only went on dates once a week, and that was eating takeout at the lookout spot. It wasn’t much but it was a chance for both of them to de-stress for an hour or two.

The two girls were entangled with each other on the back of Siyeon’s truck. Gahyeon’s head was resting on Siyeon’s chest while their legs tangled together.

“This ” Siyeon let out.

“I know but one more week until the exams and the presentation. Then we’ll be free. We’ll have all summer to spend together.” Gahyeon reassures her girlfriend.

“A whole summer chasing adventures” Siyeon grins.

“A whole summer chasing adventures and paradise with you.”

Siyeon kisses the crown of Gahyeon’s head. I love you. “But for now we suffer.”

“At least we’re suffering together.”

“That doesn’t make it better but thank you for trying to make me feel better.”

“You’re welcome. Our project’s looking good. It’s coming along really well.”

“Of course it is. You worked on it and everything you touch is golden.”

Gahyeon hides her face in Siyeon’s chest and mumbles a thank you. Siyeon stares up into space, thanking her lucky stars that Gahyeon came into her life. Her heart was always full of love and it’s all because of the younger girl. Gahyeon was a breath of fresh air. Siyeon loves Gahyeon, yeah she loves her a lot. she just didn’t know how to say it… yet.

“What are you thinking out?”

You. “Do we have one or two?”

Gahyeon rolled her eyes, “obviously one. Two cheeks but one . The two cheeks function as one.” Gahyeon sat up earning a groan from Siyeon. “We have to go. We got a lot to do.”

“Okay, Okay. But promise me as soon as we’re done with that stupid presentation I can take you on the best date ever!”

Gahyeon leans down and kisses Siyeon. “Of course.”

Siyeon smiled. I love you, Lee Gahyeon.

The day of the presentation came by in a blink of an eye. Both girls didn’t get a wink of sleep. Their idea required them to work up to the day before the presentation.

“Capturing the stress of exams is a must.” Siyeon insisted. Gahyeon knew Siyeon was right but didn’t want to leave things to the last minute. Eventually, she agreed, and that is why they’re both running off coffee on the day of their presentation. Luckily, their presentation went off without a hitch. The class and teachers were captivated by their idea and story. Everything they hoped to convey was well received. Gahyeon was relieved that everything went according to plan, now she gets to celebrate with a person she loves dearly.

The presentation ended and Gahyeon and Siyeon walked hand in hand to Siyeon’s truck. Siyeon was nervous. Gahyeon could tell becáuse of how sweaty Siyeon’s hands were.

“Why are you nervous?” Gahyeon asked.

“I’m taking my girlfriend on a date, I’m always nervous. Like what if she doesn’t actually like me?”

“I like you, you goofball.”

“Whew, what a relief,” Siyeon said as she wiped a fake sweat off her forehead. Gahyeon rolled her eyes.

“Gah?”

“Yes, Singie?”

“I bought a Polaroid… can I take a picture of you?” Siyeon asked.

“You’ve never asked before… but sure.” Gahyeon stood on the back of the Truck. The sun shining on her gave her a glowing aura. Siyeon held her breath and took the photo. Gahyeon jumped back down, “can I see the photo?”

“No,” Siyeon said as she hastily hid the picture.

“Why???”

“You can see it on the date,” Siyeon reassures her.

“Fine… I better look good.”

“You always look beautiful.”

Gahyeon smiles, “thank you, baby.”

“Let’s go, princess. The best date ever awaits!”

Gahyeon giggles as she hops in the truck. At least I hope you think it is.

 

Siyeon’s idea of the best date ever was recreating their first date, which wasn’t really a date, but it was to Siyeon… Gahyeon went along with it because she knew that day was an important day in their lives. But this time instead of Siyeon driving to the spot, Gahyeon drove there. Siyeon didn’t think it was a big deal but Gahyeon thought it meant everything because it was like Siyeon giving her the keys to her paradise. Our paradise. They arrived without any problems. They ate their meal on the back of the truck, they talked, they kissed, they laughed, they basked in the moment that was theirs. Suddenly Siyeon sat up.

“What’s wrong Gahyeon frowned.”

“I got a present for you,” Siyeon announced. “Wait right here!” Siyeon got up and raced back into the truck. She was in there for a minute or two before coming back out with a book in her hand. She looked at the book then at Gahyeon.

“This is for you.” She said nervously as she handed the book to Gahyeon. Gahyeon hesitantly took the book and ran her hand over the cover.

Falling in love with Lee Gahyeon by Lee Siyeon.

Gahyeon hasn’t even opened the book yet, but she was already crying. At this point, Siyeon took her seat next to the younger girl. She wrapped her arm around her waist and kissed the temple of her head.

“Gahyeon-ah, please look inside the book. I worked really hard on it.” Gahyeon nodded and opened the book. The first picture was the picture that Siyeon took on their first “date”, the one they were recreating right now. Gahyeon started crying hard now, there was no stopping the tears now. As Gahyeon flipped through the pages of the book, she noticed that every single photo featured in this book was taken during every single one of their meetups. There was a photo for every meetup. Gahyeon knew Siyeon was taking photos of her, but she didn’t know this was the reason why that she was the reason why. There was one where they were at the observatory, Gahyeon was staring at the stars, not taking notice of Siyeon at all. At the bottom of the page, there was a caption from Siyeon that read, this was when I knew I was in love with you. Gahyeon looked at Siyeon, who was telling her through her eyes, to continue through the book. Gahyeon kept going, and with every turn of the page, she saw how Siyeon fell in love with her, through her eyes. She slowly got to the last page, and there was a Polaroid photo, the one Siyeon took today. On the page next to it, it said:

How to fall in love with Lee Gahyeon…

You don’t know how you actually fell in love with her.

All you know is that you do.

I did more than just fall for her, I love her too.

Gahyeon, I love you. If pictures are worth a thousand words, then this book is the story of how I fell in love with you. One frame at a time.

Gahyeon looked at Siyeon who was smiling at her.

“Do you-“ Gahyeon launched herself at Siyeon and started peppering the older girl with kisses.

“ I love it. I love you, Lee Siyeon.” The younger girl said in between kisses.

“I love you too, I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

Gahyeon cupped Siyeon’s face. “This is perfect, you’re perfect.” Gahyeon leaned her forehead against Siyeon’s.

“I’m glad you love it. Let’s take a picture!” Siyeon laughed.

“But I look bad,” Gahyeon whined.

“But this is an important moment in our relationship.” Siyeon countered, whining back at the other girl.

Gahyeon knew she wasn’t getting out of this, so she reluctantly agreed.

“I’m gonna get you back for this you know?” Gahyeon warned her girlfriend.

“I look forward to it.”

Siyeon held the Polaroid in one hand and stretched it away from the two. Gahyeon squished her cheeks against Siyeon’s.

“Ready?” Siyeon yelled. “3, 2, 1…” Click.

We can’t always wait for the perfect moment, but we can make moments perfect and at that moment everything was picture perfect.