The day’s classes passed by like a flicker of light and to be fairly honest, Sooyoung didn’t remember most of what had occurred. She had no classes with Yoona that day and except for exchanging a few names here and there, she didn’t really make any new friends either.

 

Despite her usual cheerfulness and flawless ability to socialize, Sooyoung just couldn’t focus at all. Her thoughts kept coming back to the same question.

 

How is she going to ask Sunny out?

 

Does she go about it casually to emphasize that she wasn’t ready to jump from black to crimson? Or does she plan out something elaborate to show off her charm and eligibility? Sooyoung had been asked out a few times in the past, but never has she made the first move. Boys in the past seemed straightforward when face to face and she has had the occasional love letter. But which method would be best for Sunny?Did the girl prefer confrontation or was she more into the detailed, sweet and mushy love letters from a secret admirer?

 

She was beginning to wonder if she was just overthinking the topic.

 

No.

 

It seemed too important to not overthink. However, the overthinking was driving the girl mad.

 

 

She was sitting in her dorm room supposedly reviewing the powerpoint that her professor had put up online to try to pull out some sort of recollection of today’s lecture but the process was taking much longer than expected as her thoughts kept wandering elsewhere.

 

Suddenly, her phone buzzed and the tall girl remembered that she hadn’t checked the time in a long time. With a yawn, she checked her phone and shot up out of her chair immediately.

 

“I’m late!” she screamed before scrambling to put on a pair of jeans and the closest sweater she could find.

 

Shaking her head at her absent mindedness, she prayed that Taeyeon was also late so the girl wouldn’t have to face an awkward situation without her.

 

Unfortunately, that was exactly what was going down.

 

Yuri and Yoona were extremely friendly. A little too friendly for Taeyeon’s taste. They had become adjusted to her foreign presence and were treating her as if they had been friends since childhood.

 

Both girls were resting their elbows on the girl’s head despite her protests and giggled at their height difference. They had only introduced themselves five minutes ago but the direction of the conversation went from, “what are you majoring in?” to “so how tall are you?”

 

It was Taeyeon’s least favourite question but it always managed to sneak into conversation. Even amongst her closest friends they would occasionally ask the question of whether she grew or not.

 

“You two are so disrespectful to your elders,” Taeyeon grumbled, shaking her head in a futile attempt to force the two younger but taller girls to stop teasing her.

 

“We’re friends now, Taeyeon, no need for all that formal stuff,” Yuri shot back quickly. She chuckled at the pouting and ruffled her hair with her elbow.

 

Sooyoung ran into Yoona, practically jumping on her and grabbing her full attention while also saving Taeyeon from her elbow’s wrath. She had seen the scene from afar and knew that Taeyeon needed her assistance.

 

 

“Yah! What are you two doing to my roommate?”

 

Yuri jumped back from Taeyeon and rubbed the back of her neck nervously, “Nothing.”

 

Taeyeon sighed and walked over to Sooyoung, hiding behind her back as if trying to hide from her bullies, “They were making fun of me.”

 

Sooyoung playfully glared at the two girls and grabbed Taeyeon’s arm, pulling her to her side, “No one makes fun of Taeyeon!”

 

“You say you make fun of her all the time!” Yoona protested, recalling all of the stories that Sooyoung so happily shared of her roommates various quirks and inability to reach high places.

 

“Only I can make fun of her,” Sooyoung replied before sticking her tongue out. “Now let’s get dinner I’m starving!”

 

“You’re always starving,” her best friend commented, letting out a small laugh.

 

“You’re one to talk,” Yuri retaliated, patting her roommate on the back. The evidence was evident in the amount of empty cups of ramen that were left alone on the floor of their dorm room.

 

The restaurant was rather empty for they gathered for a late dinner. Taeyeon’s class didn’t end until 8 that night so they decided to meet up after. Taeyeon felt bad for she knew how important meals were to Sooyoung, but the girl insisted that it was no problem at all. She didn’t have the time or the right mind to be hungry.

 

“So we never formally met,” Sooyoung reached her hand out towards Yuri and she accepted it happily. Her hands were warm and a little clammy but Sooyoung didn’t mind for she had a firm grip and a smile that resembled Yoona’s. Actually, a lot of her resembled Yoona.

 

“You’re Yuri right? God, you two could be long lost twins for all we know,” Sooyoung commented, openly and enthusiastically checking out Yuri’s appearance. The resemblance was practically uncanny, not to mention that Yuri’s voice was on the lower side like Yoona.

 

Taeyeon nodded in agreement, “I thought they were sisters at first.”

 

Yoona and Yuri laughed, their sounds almost falling in sync with their actions.

 

“It would’ve been a disaster growing up with this girl,” Yoona admitted with a shake of her head. “She wakes up at ungodly hours to go jogging and forces me to eat more healthy things.” She shuddered at the thought of the many gross health drinks the older girl had made for her since they moved in together. Yoona thought at first that she’d become accustomed to the taste, but even to this day, to this moment she couldn’t get the taste of raw blended ma out of .

 

Yuri rolled her eyes, “It wouldn’t kill you to take care of your health. Besides, you know you have a lot of fun with me.” She poked Yoona’s cheek before wrapping her arms around the girl’s slim neck. The two then began to push and shove each other in the most childish manner presented by two adults.

 

Taeyeon giggled at the two while Sooyoung shook her head, “You two really seem like you’re getting along.”

 

Yuri nodded as the two calmed down from their playful fight. She straightened her messy hair out before resting her elbows on the table again, “How about you two? Did you get along right away?”

 

Taeyeon smiled fondly at the loud and slightly pleasant memory of her first encounter with Sooyoung. Taeyeon was always a shy and awkward person growing up, so while she hated how much Sooyoung had forced her to talk on their first day together, she was relieved to have such encouragement. The taller girl turned out to be a very wonderful person who Taeyeon grew to love immensely. Of course she couldn’t replace her first roommate, but she was a very close second.

 

“Of course, everyone loves me once they get to know me,” Sooyoung replied confidently, patting Taeyeon’s hair affectionately. “We shared a lot on the first day.”

 

Taeyeon ignored Sooyoung’s first comment as she rubbed her hair into Sooyoung’s palm as she nodded, “I didn’t expect to talk to her much at all, seeing as I don’t talk much to begin with. She was a surprise, but somewhat pleasant.”

 

Sooyoung elbowed her roommate and gave her a pout, “Only somewhat?”

 

But before Taeyeon could give a response, Yoona clapped her hands together repeatedly like a seal, bouncing in her seat.

 

 

“Ah! You two are so cute! I love the height difference and the way you interact,” she continued to nod furiously and soon Yuri joined in with the ceremonious action. “I hope you two become even closer! But don’t you dare try to replace me, Taeyeon unnie!”

 

Taeyeon burst into laughter at the younger girl’s ridiculous action. It was the first time Yuri and Yoona had heard her laugh and boy were they surprised. Their eyes widened a little as they didn’t expect to hear such a booming laugh from a small girl.

 

“I know right?” Sooyoung said as if knowing exactly what was running through the other two girls’ mind.

 

“What?” Taeyeon asked as her laughter died down, unsure of why the two girls across from her was staring at her so strangely.

 

 

Dinner was served quickly. The group wasn’t sure if it was because of the late hour and lack of customers or because the time had passed so quickly due to their unending conversation. They went from sharing basic information like Yuri’s plan to become a personal trainer in the future to Taeyeon and Yoona’s similar collection of video games and then onto their ideal types.

 

“I don’t know, I guess I like people who are good looking?” Yoona started, looking up at the ceiling as she pondered carefully. “Someone with really clear eyes, a cute laugh and who is smart? Someone who cares about me thoroughly and with a good sense of humour would be good too. Oh, and they need to be able to cook!”

 

Sooyoung’s heard most of this before and nodded with each trait that her best friend had presented. The group then turned to Yuri for they decided to go in order of the table sitting arrangements.

 

“Um, either a girl who is shorter than me or a guy who is taller than me,” she pointed her finger into her chin as she thought, “Nice hair, pretty face and gorgeous body. They don’t have to work out like me but they do need to have a healthy lifestyle. Oh, and they have to be willing to go on my morning jogs with me.”

 

Taeyeon’s eyes shone as she immediately thought of a girl who seemed to fit Yuri’s description perfectly. Yuri caught side of this and tilted her head before shamelessly grabbing Taeyeon’s hand into her own.

 

“What’s their name?” she asked immediately, her eyes shining with hope.

 

 

The small girl sighed, upset that her reaction was spotted. Unfortunately for the girl, she gave away huge reactions that were extremely difficult to miss. But it was entertaining for everyone else for Yoona and Sooyoung snickered at Taeyeon’s horrified face and Yuri’s pleading expression.

 

“Her name is Tiffany,” Taeyeon admitted, slowly sinking into her seat as Yuri got closer and closer. “She was my first roommate last year and a good friend since high school. She’s in the neighbouring college and majoring in musical theatre.”

 

Yuri’s eyes continued to sparkle as she held Taeyeon’s hand tighter, “Does she sing well? Do you have any pictures?”

 

“Okay, hold up, hold up, leave the match making for a more private conversation,” Yoona stopped the assault of questions and pulled her roommate back. She also couldn’t help but notice that Taeyeon was getting more and more flustered by the second.

 

Sooyoung sighed and apologized silently to her roommate before turning back to Yuri, “I think you scared her a little, Yuri.”

 

“Sorry, she can be a little overwhelming sometimes,” Yoona apologized on behalf of Yuri, the latter pouting at being prevented from finding out more about this Tiffany who apparently fit her ideal type description.

 

“A little?” Taeyeon repeated, her eyes widening. Sooyoung placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder in an attempt to calm her down and comfort her. She just let out a sigh. “Anyway, she is single but let me just tell you now that she’s like us. She hides her gem and refuses to let it show.”

 

Yuri’s face sank into a huge frown, “Why’s that?”

 

Sooyoung was also curious about the reason, still not completely understanding why anyone would cover up such an important part of them.

 

“She doesn’t want to meet her soul mate because her gem told her that they’re her soul mate. She wants to fall in love naturally,” Taeyeon explained, smiling at the thought of her very romantic friend. “She wants someone to woo her and fall in love for her, for her and not for the implications of the gem.”

 

Yoona, Yuri and Sooyoung nodded in unison, taking the information in. It never really occurred to them before that some people might have just fallen in love solely because of the gem. They were confused for a second, wondering if maybe it was a better idea to cover the sacred stone.

 

“That makes sense,” Yuri replied rather slowly, still disappointed. “Well, introduce me next time you have a chance and we’ll just see what happens? I’ll cover my gem if it makes her more comfortable.”

 

Taeyeon appreciated how calm Yuri had become and returned the girl’s smile. Despite her previous over excitement, she seemed very sincere and Taeyeon decided to make note to mention Yuri to Tiffany later to see if maybe she was interested in dating. If her memory served her well, Tiffany’s last relationship ended a few months ago at the beginning of the summer. She might be aching to get out on the field again, that is if she wasn’t already dating since the last time they spoke.

 

“You don’t have to do that,” Taeyeon replied with a light laugh, “She doesn’t care if she can see it or not. Anyway, I’ll be sure to bring you up in conversation and maybe we’ll all bump into each other again in the future.”

 

With that matter taken care of, the girls moved on to Taeyeon who was next in line.

 

“So how about you, Taeyeon?” Yuri asked as she took a sip of her lemon water.

 

 

“Oh our Taengoo here already has an ideal type,” Sooyoung declared proudly before reaching over to grab Taeyeon’s phone. The older girl was too stunned and confused to realize that Sooyoung had successfully attained her phone, typed in the correct password and showed a picture of her and Jessica to the girls sitting across from them.

 

“You two are so cute!” Yuri and Yoona squealed in unison.

 

“I’m jealous,” Yuri sighed before delicately rubbing the jewel embedded on her wrist. “I’ve dated a few times before but my gem hasn’t shown any signs of glowing. Not even a tiny little flicker.”

 

“I’m in no hurry to find my better half, but it would be nice to find that special someone,” Yoona added, sighing and smiling fondly at the happy picture of Taeyeon and Jessica. “You must be very happy Taeyeon unnie.”

 

Taeyeon smiled shyly at Yoona’s words before realizing one very important thing.

 

“How did you know my password??” she asked frantically before swiping her phone back from Sooyoung’s hands. “Next time just ask to see a picture of me and Jessica instead of doing this!” She sighed before tucking her phone back in her pocket, “Now I have to change my password.”

 

“Aw, come on Taeyeonnie you can trust me,” she placed one of her long and slender arms around Taeyeon’s shoulders and pulled her closer, “Anyway, show these two the gorgeous colour on your wrist.”

 

Yuri and Yoona leaned forward, pushing away their now empty plates to get a good look at what the eldest girl was about to show them. As Taeyeon unwrapped the bandages that covered her wrist she began to feel uneasy since all three girls were just staring at her intensely. Yoona was the first to realize how scary they must have seemed and let out a nervous laugh before backing away a little, pushing Yuri back with her.

 

“So her name’s Jessica?” Yoona asked a little awkwardly, trying to fill the silence as Taeyeon slowly revealed her gem.

 

 

Taeyeon smiled sweetly as her gem started sending warm chills down her spine at the thought of her better half. Even though she had just seen the girl in class earlier, even though she spent a good portion of her life with her, even though they were just texting a few seconds ago, the thought of Jessica always brought a warm feeling into her system. It was refreshing and with every thought of the girl Taeyeon felt a new surge of energy flow through her veins. Sometimes she wondered if it had to do with the gem’s properties or if Jessica really had that effect on her.

 

Either way, it was a feeling she was certainly incredibly thankful for. And a feeling that she’ll never get too much of.

 

“Yeah,” she responded simply as she stretched her arm to give her two new friends a good look at her wrist. “She’s my best friend and my girlfriend all the same. I’m sure you guys will meet in the future.”

 

“She’s a little scary, but she’s cute.”

 

Taeyeon elbowed Sooyoung, causing the girl to wince and groan.

 

 

“What? It’s true!” she held her side and dodged Taeyeon’s next attack before giggling. “Anyway, don’t you guys think that this is a gorgeous colour?”

 

Yuri and Yoona hadn’t even heard the two roommates bickering for they were too enthralled with the beautiful shade of red that was the essence of a fully developed gem. Neither girl had ever seen it so up close, at least aside from their own parents and other older family. It was rare for someone at their age to already have the crimson colour.

 

“Wow,” the twins cooed at once.

 

Yuri reached out and grabbed Taeyeon’s hand, eying her as if asking for permission. Taeyeon chuckled a little before nodding and giving her wrist wholeheartedly to Yuri.

 

Minutes passed as the two continued to admire the stone. They seemed to be under some sort of spell and Sooyoung and Taeyeon decided to have their own little conversation while the two were still taking in the beautiful shade of crimson.

 

However, as minutes continued to just pass and pass, Sooyoung rolled her eyes and figured it was just about enough time.

 

She swiped Taeyeon’s wrist and watched as the girl rubbed her aching muscles. It must have been tiring holding her arm up for so long.

 

“You two are embarrassing you know?” Sooyoung commented with a shake of her head. “No shame whatsoever.”

 

“Sorry Taeyeon,” they apologized in unison, lowering their heads.

 

It was finally Sooyoung’s turn to describe her ideal type and upon realization she blushed a light shade of red. Taeyeon looked at her expectedly, smirking at her sudden bashful expression. Yoona waggled her eyebrows as well and Yuri took the initiative to move on.

 

“Okay, last but not least, how about you Sooyoung?”

 

“Well,” she started, looking around but not making eye contact with the other girls. “Initially, my ideal type consists of tall men with broad shoulders, a beautiful smile and a really handsome face.”

 

“But?” Yoona teased, extending the word and giggling to herself.

 

“That is the total opposite of Sunny,” Taeyeon mumbled with a chuckle, “Who would’ve thought.”

 

“Who’s Sunny?” Yuri asked, tilting her head at the foreign name.

 

“She’s um,” Sooyoung cursed the sudden fire that shot into her heart. It wasn’t a new sensation but she was certainly not used to it, and it seemed that she wasn’t going to get used to it anytime soon. She could feel her cheeks burning and the heat was almost suffocating. “She’s this girl I like.”

 

Sooyoung shared her story of meeting Sunny and discussed her past thoughts of trying to think of a way to ask her out. Taeyeon’s eyes widened slowly with each word that came out of for the girl had kept silent of her plans.

 

She kept silent however, for it seemed inappropriate to talk about it in front of Yoona and Yuri. The latter seemed incredibly interested in Sooyoung’s story. How could she not? Their meeting was rather exciting, even Taeyeon had to admit it. They exchanged past dating experiences but Sooyoung still couldn’t decide on a perfect method and just became more and more flustered as the discussion continued. Somehow Sooyoung managed to cease her embarrassment by moving the topic onto dessert.

 

It was rather late when they finished eating. Yoona made the first move to head home for she had to finish some readings for her morning classes. They shared her complaints of having an early class on a Friday morning, but they also shared their excitement for their weekend plans.

 

“I need to finish a lot of readings,” Yoona groaned, shuddering at the thought of the piles of homework that were lying happily on her study desk back in her dorm. “I can’t believe the amount of work there is.”

 

“That’s college for you,” Yuri replied with a shrug, “You get used to it.”

 

“That’s cause you never do your readings,” Yoona shot back with a shake of her head, “You lead such a good example.”

 

“Hey! I do it when I have to,” her roommate retaliated, hands firm on her hips, “Like when I have a test or assignment due.”

 

Yoona just continued to shake her head and made a mental note to never do the same and to perhaps push her friend to stop going to the gym and do her readings instead.

 

“Anyway, good night you two. Be safe on your way home!” Yoona gave Taeyeon an awkward hug, almost engulfing her tiny body in her slender arms before practically jumping on Sooyoung afterwards. The taller girl spun her around before putting her down and fixing her hair.

 

“Night Yoong, night Yuri!”

 

The walk home wasn’t too bad. Sooyoung was able to run to the restaurant in 10 minutes so the walk only took about 20. It was night time, around 9PM and there were only a few group of students hanging around.

 

“Did you have fun, Taeng?” Sooyoung asked, slipping her hand into Taeyeon’s. It was slightly chilly out and she wasn’t surprised to find that her hand was a little cold.

 

The first time she tried to hold Taeyeon’s hand while walking the other girl flinched. She wasn’t used to so much skin ship from people who weren’t her usual group of friends. But it didn’t take long for her to become accustomed to Sooyoung’s touch. However, when Jessica was nearby Sooyoung barely touched her for the other girl was rather violent and jealous when Sooyoung was being intimate with ‘her Taeyeon’. Sooyoung thought they were too cute to make Jessica too mad, that and she didn’t want small bruises to form from Jessica’s little kicks and punches.

 

“Yeah,” Taeyeon answered simply, giving her tall roommate a wide smile. “They both seem really…excitable.”

 

Sooyoung raised her eyebrow at the pause before chuckling, “You probably didn’t like how invasive they were, huh?”

 

“Not exactly,” Taeyeon replied honestly. She seemed to find Sooyoung’s laughter contagious and started chuckling herself, “It took everything I had to not scream at them to calm down.”

 

“Yoona’s actually really quiet by herself,” Sooyoung closed her eyes and thought fondly of her best friend, “When we first met actually she didn’t speak much.”

 

“You must’ve poisoned her mind with your ridiculous ways,” Taeyeon commented with a much louder laugh, “Poor girl.”

 

“I guess you’re right,” but she never felt bad about it. It was nice seeing her best friend slowly becoming much more sociable as they group up. “But she’s only really loud like that with people she’s comfortable with. Otherwise, she’s as quiet as a mouse.”

 

“Sounds like someone else I know.”

 

The lights on the sidewalk were very bright and the two couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the light reflecting on the slightly wet concrete and leaves of the trees that ran along side them. It had rained a little earlier and the result was simplistically breathtaking.

 

Sooyoung was fond of the smell of rain as well and she closed her eyes as she breathed in the scent of nature. It was calming.

 

“Hey Taengoo,” her voice was low and a little quiet. Taeyeon was a little surprised by her tone and looked at her slightly concerned. “How’s Sunny?”

 

The older girl couldn’t believe that she forgot to bring up her best friend again. After all, at the end of almost every day Sooyoung would mention the small blonde at least once.

 

“She’s good,” Taeyeon replied, squeezing Sooyoung’s hand lightly in support. “She seems happy with her current assignments and she got a job recently at a café near their house.”

 

“I see,” Sooyoung mumbled, making note to ask about where the café was and what the girl’s schedule was so she could drop by. But then she felt that maybe that was a little stalkerish. Or would the girl find it flattering? She shook her head and suddenly remembered what else she wanted to ask.

 

“What’s up Sooyoungie?” Taeyeon was curious about her roommate’s thoughts since she seemed to serious at dinner about asking Sunny out. She was a little alarmed to find out her intentions at first, until she realized that it was probably a good idea. While the gems shouldn’t determine your love life, the glowing did mean something and it’d be a shame if the two didn’t try. And if the girl needed her help, she would give it to her. Sunny has been too stubborn about dating for as long as she knew her and she knew that Sooyoung would be good for her.

 

Whether she liked it or not.

 

“Do you think I have a chance with Sunny?” Sooyoung asked, her voice a little louder. She knew she had to have more confidence in the topic of her potential soul mate. She couldn’t be shy and insecure all the time, that wasn’t attractive at all. And that wasn’t her at all.

 

 

Taeyeon hummed a little as she thought about it honestly. It had crossed her mind a few times and she would grin lopsidedly at the idea of seeing the tall girl with the short girl walking hand in hand. She loved seeing her best friend happy and she wouldn’t admit it too often outloud, but Sooyoung was also adorable when she was happy. It would be a little rocky, but it had the potential to be something amazing.

 

“Yes,” came her simple response and she burst out laughing when Sooyoung froze then began jumping up and down in excitement. It must have been the answer she was expecting.

 

“I want to ask her out,” Sooyoung admitted as the two continued their trek to their dorm.

 

“I got that much from our previous conversation,” Taeyeon teased with a roll of her eyes, “Did any of Yuri’s stories inspire you?”

 

“Not really, she kind of confused me more.”

 

Taeyeon frowned a little as she saw how defeated Sooyoung looked. It certainly didn’t suit her usual bright and energized attitude that filled her day with laughter. She wished that Sunny didn’t have to be so stubborn and that the two could’ve tried out something right from when their gems first glowed. But it’s been weeks and it seemed that Sooyoung just got more and more nervous as the days went by.

 

“Just ask her,” Taeyeon said with a shrug, “I mean, she’s never gone out on a real date before so there’s a huge chance she’ll say no.”

 

Sooyoung slumped a little, disappointed.

 

“But you’re special,” Taeyeon added, squeezing the girl’s hand again, “She smiled yesterday when I told her about how you keep asking about her. I almost never seen her smile like that.”

 

“You didn’t!” Sooyoung only heard the first part, her face turning a bright red, “Now she’s going to think I’m cree- Wait, she smiled? How?”

 

Taeyeon tried her best to imitate her best friend’s infamous but very rare eye smile. Taeyeon had to admit it was her second favourite after Jessica’s smile and it was even more special for it didn’t come very often. Sunny was a very happy girl and she certainly laughed a lot, but her eye smile was a rare sight to be seen.

 

Sooyoung burst into laughter as Taeyeon’s face twitched into something that kind of looked like an eye smile. It looked a little more scary than anything, but Sooyoung got the point.

 

“I want to see that smile,” she whispered to herself, hurting as it stretched her face at the thought of inducing such a smile on Sunny. It was painfully awkward on Taeyeon, but she figured it must be stunning on the other small girl.

 

That was it, she figured. She had to do it the next time she saw Sunny. She promised herself internally and nodded as if sealing the deal.

When they reached their building, Sooyoung stopped and opened the door for her older roommate.

 

“You’re not going up?” Taeyeon asked, her head tilting as the taller girl shook her head. “It’s late.”

 

“It’s only 9 grandma,” Sooyoung responded as she stuck her tongue out, “I’ll be safe, don’t worry.”

 

Taeyeon narrowed her eyes at Sooyoung but immediately regretted it when the taller girl started to show off her obnoxious aegyo in an attempt to appease her.

 

“Stop that!” Taeyeon yelled, looking around to see if anyone was around to see the embarrassment she called her friend. “Just text me okay? And don’t take too long.”

 

Sooyoung jumped in excitement, although she knew that she didn’t really need to have Taeyeon’s approval to go. With a tight hug and a slight teasing of her height by lifting her into the air, Sooyoung giggled happily and skipped off into the darkness.

 

Once she felt tired however, which didn’t take long since her stamina wasn’t that great, she slowed down to a walking pace. It was eerily silent out, but it was pleasant all the same. No chit chatting students or drunk hollering party people, but she wished that she at least had her music with her.

 

After walking around for another ten minutes and calming down from the high she felt at knowing that she made Sunny do something rare, she decided that maybe she shouldn’t stay out too late. She texted her roommate and told her that she’d be back in five.

 

Taking in a deep breath again, she also decided to go to a local convenience store to get some ice cream for her and Taeyeon before heading back.

 

 

Ever since her first week with Taeyeon she found out the girl had an immense affinity for the cold dessert. They had it at the restaurant, but after finding Taeyeon eating two cones at once while out with Jessica, she figured that seconds wasn’t an issue.

 

As she got closer to the store, gaped in realization that a certain blonde was there as well. She could recognize that short tuft of blonde hair from anywhere. And she could recognize that tiny height for she swore that Sunny was the tiniest person within a 50 kilometre radius.

 

Upon opening the door and politely greeting the store owner, she turned her attention to the small girl who was browsing the drinks area.

 

“H-Hey,” Sooyoung greeted, wondering if there was any way to hide the pink hue on her cheeks.

 

Sunny turned around at the sound of someone’s voice and her eyes widened when she realized who was towering over her.

 

“Sooyoung?” Sunny called out, smiling at the bashful looking girl.

 

Sooyoung felt chills run down her spine at the sound of her name and the general sound of her voice. It had been a while, a day actually but it was still a sound that she missed.

 

“Yeah, hey,” she greeted again lamely, trying desperately to find her words. Sooyoung had prided herself in being an eloquent person when the time mattered, but right now she felt like a new born child unable to voice her thoughts.

 

“What are you doing here?” Sunny asked upon realizing that the taller girl probably wasn’t going to say anything beyond a hello. She found it rather cute and she found herself giggling as Sooyoung’s mouth moved but no words seemed to come out.

 

“I’m getting ice cream from Taengoo and I,” she answered, relieved that she didn’t stutter this time. She took in a deep breath and suddenly Sunny burst into laughter. “What?”

 

“Sooyoung, relax why don’t you?” Sunny suggested as she held her stomach, “I’m not going to hurt you or anything and I’m really not that scary. Look at me, I’m half your size.”

 

Taeyeon had once mentioned that Sunny was very senstive about her height, so her using it in an attempt to cheer her up must have been good, right? She felt her body relax a little and her smile widened in appreciation.

 

“I’m sorry,” Sooyoung sighed, lowering her head, “I really want to show you that I’m not always like this but…”

 

Sunny nodded, answering before the taller girl could continue, “I understand. Taeyeon says you ask about me a lot, I’m sorry I’m not around a lot so we could talk about that without a third person being involved.”

 

Sooyoung felt her heart beating faster and she was reminded that her gem was glowing. She felt so strange whenever she thought of Sunny to begin with so the sensation of her gem was often forgotten about when Sunny was actually nearby.

 

“We should hang out more,” Sunny suggested, Sooyoung feeling her breath being away as her eyes turned into beautiful crescents.

It’s the eye smile. A smile that wasn’t meant for everyone. A smile that was meant for her.

 

“A-Actually,” she was back to stuttering, but that didn’t matter anymore. It was now or never. “What are you doing here? Isn’t your apartment a little far?” Or maybe a little later. She slapped herself internally and tried her best not to let out an audible sigh.

 

Sunny giggled and Sooyoung wanted to hate Sunny for letting out such an adorable sound. It must have been illegal to be this cute without trying. It took everything in Sooyoung’s long body to not punch the girl or hug her.

 

“Sica’s favourite drink is here,” Sunny answered as she held out a specific brand of banana milk, “The stores near us don’t have it, just this one so I biked over here.”

 

Sooyoung nodded in understanding, “You’re a really sweet friend.”

 

“More like I don’t want to hear that girl whining all night,” Sunny answered honestly with a shake of her head, “This must be how Sica gets Taengoo to do all these things for her.”

 

The two laughed together and Sunny didn’t miss that Sooyoung’s soon turned into nervous and rather awkward laughter.

 

“Are you okay, Sooyoung?” Sunny asked, genuinely concerned.

 

 

“Yeah,” Sooyoung answered a little too quickly, “It’s just that…I wanted to ask you something.”

 

Sunny walked up closer to Sooyoung as the tall girl’s voice was slowly lowering with each word. However, she didn’t seem to notice the younger girl getting more and more stiff with each step.

 

“Then out with it,” Sunny demanded playfully, holding a hand to her ear as if waiting for the question.

 

Sooyoung took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as she summoned every ounce of courage that she had in her body. What happened to her usual front that shone with charm and charisma wherever she went? Yoona used to compliment her on her ability to talk to almost anyone and everyone without any worry.

 

It was now or never, Choi.

 

“Will you go out with me?”