"Kiss! Kiss!" 

The cheers of the others in the room was all Jung Wheein could hear. Her vision was starting to get blurry as she became fuddled. The alcohol in her system was enough to remove her shame as she thought 'Screw it' and decided to just get on with the stupid dare. She stood up staggering and emptied the bottle of beer in her hand before putting it down. 

Wheein approached a freshman who was sitting across her. She didn't know her, but she had drank enough to not care about who this person was. As far as she knew, this freshman was the only one who looked a little decent in the room. She bent down and pressed her lips against hers without warning. 

Kim Yongsun stepped into the room. As she looked around, she saw her best friend kissing someone. She quickly approached Wheein, scolding the others. 

"Yah! What are you kids doing?! Go to sleep, you brats!" Yongsun yelled at the freshmen and sophomores as she helped Wheein stay on her feet. 

The younger students groaned at Yongsun's nagging as they picked themselves up. They left the place smelling like alcohol, unable to walk straight. 

Yongsun turned to the juniors and gave them a deadly glare. She knew they were also at fault for provoking the younger ones to drink and dragging Wheein along. Everyone quickly left, except for one. 

"You guys know we don't drink here at the dorm. It's almost midnight, and tomorrow is Thursday. What the hell were you all thinking? How did you even get alcohol in?!" 

"Come on, Yong. It's not like we're gonna do this every time. It's hell week and the weekend is not here yet", Yong's classmate said in a drunken protest, crossing her arms. 

"So you decided to throw a goddamn party in the dorm on a school night? We're gonna get in trouble for this! You know what, you stupid corgi? Since you're probably the one who came up with this idea, maybe you should clean up. Go on, Moon Byul." 

Yong's gaze was so sharp, that if not for the throbbing of her head, Moon Byul would've felt it drill holes through her skull. 

"Ugh.. I'll clean it up tomorrow morning.." Moon Byul laid back on her bed. She could barely keep her eyes open now. 

"Make sure this place is spotless when I wake up. Or else, you know I'm telling your friends a lousy secret of yours." Yongsun smirked as she then looked at the only freshman who was left there. 

"Excuse me. What's your name?" Yongsun asked her

"I'm Ahn Hyejin", the freshman said in response. She wasn't tipsy and she spoke clearly. "I'm sorry for causing a mess, unnie. "

"Don't worry about it. You should go now. Sorry about what my friend did." Yongsun smiled apologetically.

"It's okay." Hyejin stood up. "I'll be going now", Hyejin said as she headed to the door and left. 

"Be careful.." Yongsun watched her go. She sighed and looked at the knocked out Moon Byul, and then at her drunk best friend. She could hear Wheein mumbling something, but she didn't understand or know what. 

Yong took Wheein to their room and carefully laid her down and tucked her in. As bad as she felt for her best friend, she couldn't deny how adorable Wheein still looked, even when her face was red like a strawberry. Yong smiled and gently poked at Whee-in's cheek. "Good night, Wheeinnie. Sweet dreams." 

Yong stood up and went back to Moon Byul's room. She saw her classmate and sighed. She decided to place her on the bed properly. 

"Stupid corgi", Yongsun muttered. She recalled the scene earlier. She caught herself and ignored the thought. 

Yongsun returned to Wheein and went to her bed next to Whee-in's. She laid down and closed her eyes. Sleep quickly embraced her as she fell asleep, dreaming of her best friend. 

Wheein woke up the next day with a pinch of pain in her head. She groaned as she stretched and yawned. She looked around and realized that her roommate was nowhere to be found. She left her bed to look for Yongsun. 

Wheein found Yong in the hallway. Yongsun looked at her with great concern. 

"Are you okay, Wheein?" Yong asked worriedly, as she reached out to feel Wheein's forehead after seeing her looking rugged. 

"I'm alright, Yong", Wheein answered despite not having confidence in her answer. "I just need to take a shower." She removed Yongsun's hand gently. 

"I guess you do." Yongsun replied. "Breakfast is downstairs, by the way. Eat before you go to class." 

"Yeah.." Wheein simply responded as she turned to head to the bathroom. 

"One more thing, Wheein”, Yongsun called out to her best friend. 

“Yes, Yong?”, Wheein turned her head. 

“There's someone who wants to talk to you. I told her to see you here later after your classes are done”, Yong said. 

“Is it important?” Wheein was not a fan of small talk or trivial matters. 

“I think so.” 

“Okay”, Wheein nodded her head and went on her way. 

Yongsun ran along. She had classes beginning in a few minutes. She was in a different department from Wheein. She was in Performing Arts, while Wheein was in Visual Arts. Earlier, she was approached by the freshman from last night. She learned that she had something to say to Wheein. Of course, Yongsun was concerned knowing how her best friend reacts to strangers, but she felt like it was important for Hyejin. 

Wheein finished taking a shower. She went downstairs for breakfast and then brushed her teeth. She grabbed her bag stuffed with different art materials and headed to her class at eight. Thankfully, she didn't feel as bad or as dizzy as earlier. 

The day went on as usual. Wheein finished all her classes for the day and headed back to the dorm. She reached the hallway to her room, but she jumped back when she noticed a woman standing by. “What the— ! Good grief..” 

“Oh! I'm so sorry for scaring you, Wheein-unnie!”, the woman apologized earnestly. 

“It's alright”, Wheein replied. Her heart was still beating fast from the surprise but she slowly calmed herself down. 

“I'm Hyejin. Ahn Hyejin. I'm actually here to talk to you about something..”, the woman introduced herself. 

“You look familiar. Have we met before?”, Wheein asked Hyejin. She was sure she had seen her face before. 

“Yes, we have. That's actually why I'm here now.” 

“Alright. I assume you were the one Yong was talking about earlier.”

“I probably am, Wheein-unnie” Hyejin looked Wheein directly and spoke with respect. 

“You can drop the formality. It's awkward and we're not that far apart in terms of age anyway”, Wheein responded, tugging her bag which was starting to slip from her shoulder. 

“Okay.. Wheein.” 

“Much better. Now back to business. What were you trying to tell me again?”, Wheein glanced at Hyejin, eager to hear from her. 

“I was actually thinking... Could you maybe.. Teach me how to.. Kiss?” 

There was long, awkward silence as Wheein blinked rapidly and processed the information in her head. 

“....Sorry, what..?” Dumbfounded was an understatement to describe Wheein at the moment. 

“I want you teach me how to become a good kisser”, Hyejin reiterated with resolve. 

“Whoa, okay. Here's a question.. Are you sane?! Or better yet, what substance are you on!?”, Wheein was greatly surprised and amused by the ridiculousness of Hyejin's words. 

“I'm being serious, Wheein” Hyejin answered sincerely.

Wheein was still in great disbelief. “But why me? Why not someone else? You don't even know me. I don't even know you. I can't even recall where I first saw your face. Just what—” 

“You don't remember what happened last night, do you?”

Whee-in's eyes widened as a dreadful feeling crept inside her. Judging by the way Hyejin was looking at her, it seemed like something stupid happened. 'Oh no..', she thought. “What did I do last night?”, she asked nervously. 

“You kissed me.”

Wheein quickly covered her face with her palm. She couldn't believe it. She must've been that drunk to do that. 

“You see.. I have a crush on Park Jimin. But he only dates good kissers, so..” 

Wheein's brows quickly furrowed after hearing the name. She had frequently heard from a lot of students that Jimin was one hell of a playboy and a menace.

“No. Just no.” Wheein's life was pretty much peaceful right now, and she didn't want to get involved in something dumb. She stepped towards the door to her room to go inside. 

“I'll pay you.” 

What Hyejin said made Wheein reconsider. It didn't hurt to have money. It would make things a lot easier for Wheein. She turned her head, much to Hyejin's satisfaction. 

“Five dollars for every minute”, Wheein demanded. If she was to get into something crazy like this, then at least she was going to get something good out of it. 

“Fine by me. But I want a contract”, Hyejin responded. Money wasn't a problem for her, but she wanted consistency. 

“Okay. Come to my room.” Wheein opened the door to her room and went inside. She put her bag down on a chair and grabbed a pen and clean paper that was on her desk.

Hyejin followed after Wheein and watched as Wheein started writing down sentences. 

“Here”, Wheein put the pen down and showed the paper to Hyejin. 

Hyejin took the paper and read what Wheein had written. 

“Party W (Jung Wheein) and Party H (Ahn Hyejin) will agree to the following terms:

1. Consent is a must and the two parties understand this.

2. The parties will be held responsible for the consequences of their actions. As such, everything that will happen will be within private premises and closed doors. 

3. The said parties will discuss appropriate times and schedules for the business. 

4. The agreed upon payment is five dollars per minute. Party H will deposit the money to the account of Party W. 

5. The two parties will not be involved in another form of relationship with each other except for the business. 

6. Other considerations.

This contract is effective upon implementation and will not be void unless declared by either parties. "

“Give me your hand” Wheein said after Hyejin had read the entire contract. 

Hyejin extended her arm to Wheein.

Wheein put ink on Hyejin's thumb and then on her own. She took the paper and laid it on the desk, pressing her inked thumb against it, leaving her fingerprint on the bottom left corner. 

Hyejin followed and left her fingerprint over Wheein's. 

“You're in Visual Arts and I'm in Performing Arts. Our timetables are probably conflicting”, Hyejin eyed Wheein. 

“Sounds like it. I'm free during 8:30 to 9:30 on Mondays, 10:45 to 11: 45 on Tuesdays, 2:15 to 3:15 on Wednesdays, and 3:50 to 4:50 on Fridays. I don't have evening classes, so do as you will.” Wheein managed her time well, and it was proving useful now. 

“I don't have evening classes either. I guess we can do this during evenings.” 

“Your room or mine, you choose.” 

“My dorm is just across yours. Maybe it's a good idea to alternate.” 

“That's fine, given that I have a roommate too.”

“My roommate has evening classes and she's rarely in the place.” 

“One more thing, Hyejin.” 

“Yes?” Hyejin asked

“If you do end up kissing him or anyone else, don't kiss me within 24 hours.” 

“I can live with that. I think we have a deal then?” 

“It's a deal”, Wheein replied. 

Hyejin shook Wheein's hand with a smile. 

Wheein gripped Hyejin's hand firmly. Now that they had reached an agreement, the only thing left to do was to make sure everything goes smoothly. No problem right?... Right.. 

Friday night came around and Wheein found herself looking for Hyejin in her dorm. She asked around, and discovered where Hyejin's room was. 

Wheein went up a floor and found the door to Hyejin's room. She knocked twice. 

Hyejin opened the door and saw Wheein. She gulped, knowing it was her text that brought Wheein here. She let Wheein into the room as she looked around outside before locking the door. 

“If anyone asks, just say you were tutoring me”, Hyejin uttered as she approached Wheein and met her eyes. 

“Okay..” Wheein agreed. Hopefully, Yong wouldn't get suspicious of her. 

There was awkwardness as the room became quiet for a moment. 

“Kiss me”, Wheein said. A terrible way to break the ice, but she needed to know how good or bad Hyejin was. 

Hyejin nodded and did as Wheein asked. The problem was that she didn't know where to place her hands. 

Wheein spotted trouble. She quickly held Hyejin to guide her movement. Wheein moved Hyejin's hand to her face, slightly letting her tilt her head. It was the most basic thing Hyejin needed to learn, especially because Wheein realized that she had no experience. 

Hyejin took mental notes as Wheein guided her. If she couldn't even kiss a woman right, how would she even do with a guy? She let Wheein move her hands accordingly, until she was touching Wheein's cheek with her left hand and her right hand grasped Wheein's lower jaw and part of her neck. 

Whee-in nodded, signaling Hyejin to lean in, making eye contact with her. 

Hyejin looked at Wheein's eyes and then her lips. She leaned in and felt a spark as her lips made contact with Wheein's. 

Wheein let Hyejin alone for a good second. She then responded. She found another flaw. She pulled away first before pointing the problem out. 

“Hyejin, you're tense. Calm down and relax your lips.” 

“Right.. Sorry.” Hyejin looked down like a child who just got scolded. 

Wheein chuckled, finding Hyejin's reaction somewhat homely. 

“Cute..” Wheein muttered, loud enough for Hyejin to hear. 

Hyejin looked up at the smiling Wheein. More than anything, she was fascinated by Wheein's smile. Wheein's dimples were showing. It was a rare moment and Hyejin couldn't help but take the sight in. She eventually smiled as well. 

“Have another go”, Wheein encouraged Hyejin

Hyejin nodded slowly. She leaned in once more, pressing her lips against Wheein's, this time slowly and calmly. 

Wheein noticed the improvement and responded to the kiss softly, cupping Hyejin's face. 

Hyejin broke the kiss and took a deep breath.

“That was a little better”, Wheein said. “You can still do far better, but you seem like a quick learner. Do you want to rest now?” 

“I think so.. ", Hyejin replied. “Thank you, Wheein.”

“It's just business” Wheein smiled curtly before turning to the door. 

“Good night...” Hyejin said as the other left the room. She touched her lips. Why did she feel that current when she kissed Wheein? She had no idea. She blinked a couple of times before she walked to her bed and sat on it, eventually laying down. 

Wheein walked back to her dorm room, trying to avoid as much people as she could. She didn't want to be recognized by anyone, especially those who knew Yongsun.

She made it back without much effort. She twisted the door to her and Yongsun's room and what greeted her was the worried face of Kim Yongsun as she sat on Wheein's bed. 

“Wheein, where were you earlier? I've been looking for you..”, Yongsun stood up and came closer. 

“I was just taking a walk. It gets hot in the room sometimes”, Wheein made up an excuse against Yong's concern. 

Yongsun's face turned grim. “We have air conditioning in the dorm.” 

“Oh. Right.” Wheein scratched her head and smiled awkwardly. She was a bad liar, alright. 

Yong frowned. “What were you doing, really? Don't lie to me, Wheein. I've known you for more than half my life."

“Some kid from another department hired me as a tutor”, Wheein lied again. 

“I thought you hated socializing with strangers?”, Yongsun raised her brows

“I do. But the pay is reasonable. There's no need to worry about me. I'm my own, Yong”, Wheein walked past Yong and to her bed. She laid down, looking up at the ceiling. She became quiet for a while, eventually falling asleep. 

Yongsun approached Wheein slowly. She squatt