Jessica pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she blearily glanced at her blinking cellphone.  She was in a cubicle studying in the library.  She clearly had priorities.  But, she had a crick in her neck and she had been studying pretty hard for nearly two hours.  Hunching her shoulders a little bit, Jessica reached forward and swiped her finger across the screen of her smart phone.

    Without meaning to, the corners of Jessica’s lips curled upward as she caught sight of the name blinking at the top of her messages.

    Stephanie ^^

    Jessica hadn’t added the unnecessary emoticon but the other girl had insisted after practically tearing the phone away from her with a giggle. She remembered the way Stephanie’s tongue peeked out playfully from the corner of as she smiled so hard that her eyes closed.    

    Can you call me???

    Jessica made an annoyed noise as she leans back into her chair.  She casted a wary glance around the library.  She was on the third floor where silence was highly encouraged sans the noticeable crackle of the opening of snack foods or the clack of fingers typing on the keyboard.  With an annoyed sigh she stuffed her things irritably into her backpack,.  Slinging her bag over her shoulder she ducked her head as she studied the single message on her phone.  After they had met nearly a week ago, Jessica and Stephanie had been texting on and off. Okay, they texted every day and Jessica had to learn to say good night or good bye to end text conversations or she was flooded with a flurry of sad emojis be her clear death since she was not responding to Stephanie’s texts.  They hadn’t talked over the phone yet though and the thought made Jessica a little apprehensive.  What if their easy banter over text would translate to awkwardness over the phone? Or what if Jessica-

    Her train of thought was brought to a close as her shoulder collied with a book shelf, sending her staggering backward.  

    “Aish,” she hissed angrily, ignoring the pointed stares.  Rubbing her shoulder more so out of irritation than from pain, she stormed out of the library with her phone stuffed in her pocket.  She didn’t stop moving until she was out of the building, letting the whoosh of the automatic doors hit her with a blast of cool air.  Swallowing, she side-stepped a crowd of students rushing into the library for some last minute studying.  

    Tentatively she pulled her phone from her pocket, puffing out her cheeks.  God, she was nervous and she felt incredibly stupid for feeling that way. It was just a girl! A really cute girl who texted her a lot but still. Still. Angrily mussing up her hair with her free hand she strode toward a bench, plopping down with both hands on her phone. 

    With her eyes squeezed shut she slid her finger across the screen, flinching when she heard the distinct click of the phone unlocking.  She peeked at the message one final time before typing out a quick message.

    Fine.

    Biting her lip, Jessica quickly scrolled to her contacts and let her finger hover over Stephanie’s number. 

    “Come on, Jung, get a grip,” Jessica growled at herself.  “Don’t be weak.”

    With those words in mind she pressed down.  She nearly dropped her phone when a song played as her phone connected.  Her eyes narrowed as she tried to recall why this song sounded so familiar. It was some sort of poppy song that had been a hit on the radio. Something about twinkling?  Krystal had been singing it nonstop and it had started to grate on Jessica’s nerves.

    Before she could quite remember what the name of the song was, the line picked up.

    “Hello?”

    Jessica swallowed thickly before clearing .

    “You wanted me to call you,” she grumbled.

    Stephanie giggled at Jessica’s voice.

    “Oh, Jessi, you almost sound mad that you called me!”

    “I only called you because you asked me to.”

    “But you didn’t have to. You could have just texted me that you were busy or something.”

    Jessica huffed but said nothing as she shifted on the bench, slinging an arm over the back of it and trying to get more comfortable.

    “It doesn’t matter anymore since I called. Why did you want me to call you anyway?”

    “Because I wanted-”

    “Yah Fany-ah who are you on the phone with? Is it that person you keep texting?”

    Jessica frowned at the new voice.  

    “Shh, I’ll tell you guys later! I’m going outside!”

    There was a chorus of whines and cries of protests but they grew smaller as Jessica listened to the distinct clack of Stephanie’s heels carrying her further away from the noises.

    “Sorry about that.”

    “Nosy roommates?”

    “Haha, yeah. They can be super nosy. But I love them anyway.”

    Jessica ignored the way her heart squeezed painfully at the word love. 

    “I didn’t know we texted enough that your roommates would notice.”

    She smiled as her ear was filled with a shy laugh.

    “They like to joke that I only text someone a lot if I like them.”

    Jessica paled at the comment.  She bit her tongue as she tried to get her composure. L-l-like? She shook her head, ignoring the stares she probably was getting.  The like Stephanie was using was probably not the “like” that Jessica wanted. Right?

    “Jessi? Are you there?”

    “Uh yeah. Sorry I just got out of the library.  T-the uh connection must be bad around there.”

    “Oh, I’m sure it is.”

    Jessica swore she could practically hear the stupid smirk in Stephanie’s voice.

    “So anyway why did you want me to call you again?”

    “Oh, yeah! I was wondering if you wanted to go out and get something to eat right now.  I know it is sort of late but I would really appreciate it. I’ll even pay for it!”

    Jessica glanced at her watch.  

    21:30.

    “Fine. Where should we meet?”

    “The same book store we met at last time?”

    Jessica rose from the bench and began walking off campus.

    “Okay okay.  Just don’t make me buy a book for you.”

    Jessica rocked on her heels as she awkwardly stood inside the door, trying to look involved in the glossy magazine she was reading.  When she had finished reading about the dismal state of the world in Time she grabbed another magazine.  She shouldn’t have turned her back to the door though because suddenly warm hands covered her eyes.  The embarrassing squeak that came out of was all sorts of undignified as she jumped at the contact.  Turning with a pout she saw Stephanie standing in front of her, trying to hide her obvious giggles behind a hand.  

    The other girl looked so casual in jeans and a light grey hoodie but her eyes still had remnants of eye liner.  Even her hair was curled in perfect ringlets despite being pulled back into a pony tail.  Jessica cocked her head to side.  She had never gotten out of Stephanie what she did for a living.  Whatever it was, it clearly demanded a flawless appearance. 

    “Did you get back from a big event or something?” Jessica asked curiously as she shifted the magazine to her other hand. 

    Stephanie’s smile seemed to freeze on her face for a split second as she self conscious tugged at the bottom of her hoodie. 

    “O-oh at the office we had a big annual celebration.”

    “Office? Do you work for a company?”

    Stephanie’s lips tugged down at the question and Jessica felt herself flush with embarrassment.

    “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be nosy. I was just curious.”

    For a moment Stephanie just stared at her and Jessica felt completely scrutinized under that hard gaze.  She felt like Stephanie could see everything about her but she couldn’t get even a little glimpse into what the other girl was feeling.  The hard look transformed into softness as she reached forward and gently pried the magazine wadded up in Jessica’s tight grasp.  

    “I do work for a company. They have us work weird hours though,” Stephanie murmured gently as she flipped through the magazine.  

    “O-oh. Well if you ever need any professional suits you should come to shop at Lotte. I could help you get a discount or something.”

    Stephanie paused in her perusing to chuckle indulgently at the words. 

    “Are you trying to get yourself a good commission or something?”

    Jessica self-consciously cleared .  

    “I’m not! Just looking out for a friend,” she huffed, ignoring the infuriating way Stephanie grinned at her with an arched eyebrow.  

    “Well tell me what time you work and maybe I can stop by sometime. Bring you some coffee or something?”

    Jessica was thankful that Stephanie went back to looking at the magazine because she was absolutely positive that she was blushing.  It was just the mere thought of the other girl strolling through the luxury department store at Lotte just for her.  It made Jessica feel warm and happy and-and really stupid.      

    “Hey did you look through this magazine?”

    Taken from her reverie, Jessica focused back on Stephanie who was walking past her, putting the magazine back on the shelf.  The other girl’s shoulders seemed strangely tense in a rigid line.

    “Not really. Even though I work at a department store, fashion doesn’t really interest me very much...”

    Stephanie glanced at her over her shoulder with a blinding smile and Jessica just lost her train of thought, slightly open.  She should be frustrated with how much Stephanie made her look like a fool.  But how could she muster anything but fondness for the girl with the warmest smile she had ever seen?

    “You do that a lot.”

    Jessica frowned as a finger was waved brazenly in her direction. She blinked slowly at the offending finger.

    “I do what?”

    “Space out.” Jessica tried to hide her grin at the slight pout on Stephanie’s lips.  Mustering the confidence she had, she took a step forward and ignored the flush in her cheeks when she felt Stephanie’s finger brush against her collar bone.  The other girl’s pout was replaced with open-mouthed disbelief.  

    “People tell me that it’s one of my main charms,” Jessica murmured with a grin.  Stephanie just nodded slightly, dropping her hand to her side.  Is that red in her cheeks, Jessica wondered as the other girl turned her head away and sheepishly looked off to the side.

    “I’m sure you have more talents than that.”

    Jessica smirked and tilted her head to the side.

    “Would you like to tell me more of them? Maybe over some food?”  She took a step back from Stephanie who had been practically leaning against the magazine stand.  Stephanie straightened instantly space between them.

    “Can I pick the place?”

    Jessica nodded with a half smile. In an instant Stephanie grasped her firmly by her wrist and was dragging her out of the book shop, their laughter blending into one pure sound as they returned to the crowded streets of Seoul.

    “For someone who’s so skinny, you sure do like street food,” observed Jessica as they sat under the plastic awning of a street cart’s seating section.

    Stephanie just rolled her eyes and speared a piece of rice cake skillfully with a toothpick, dipping it thoroughly in the rich red sauce before sticking it in .  

    “This was one of the first places I came to eat when I moved to South Korea.”

    Jessica’s eyes widened at the piece of information.  She watched as Stephanie’s eyes seemed to have a dreamy quality to them as they looked vacantly out into the crowded street.  

    “I was craving American food but a friend took me here, insisting that I try some tasty Korean street food.  I didn’t like it at first.  At the time I was so full of fear about my decision to move here, you know? I was this sixteen year old girl who didn’t know anything.  I was scared out of my mind that moving to Korea was a terrible mistake. So sometimes I like to come back here when I want to remember who I was before I grew into the person I am now.”

    Jessica almost opened to ask more questions.  Why did Stephanie move to Korea at such a young age? What kind of job or opportunity would have made her drop everything to go to a foreign country with strange food and a brand new language?  But she said nothing, just simply reached across the rickety plastic table and grasped Stephanie’s free hand.  The other girl started at the contact, dark brown eyes wide with curiosity.

    “Next time we meet up, I’ll take you to a really good American restaurant. That way you won’t have to feel so sad about the time you suffered without decent American food. ”

    Stephanie glanced at their hands once before laughing loudly.  She covered with her free hand, nearly impaling her eye with a tooth pick as her sweet giggles made Jessica’s chest stop.  Jessica squeezed Stephanie’s hand and tilted her head expectantly.

    “What is it? What did I say?”

    For a little while Stephanie said nothing, just trying to catch her breath.  Jessica could not help but note how beautiful the other girl looks with a smile splitting her face and a faint flush in her cheeks.  

    “Most people would have said ‘I’m sorry you’ve had such a hard life.‘ But instead you just moved on. You didn’t linger on that.  It was refreshing.”

    They stared at each other for a moment and Jessica felt herself focusing solely on how cute Stephanie’s lips looked when they were pulled up at the corners.  She would have stared longer but she felt the silence fill with expectancy.

    “I think the past is important. But I always try to be thinking ahead to the future.  To me, the past is only useful for learning from past mistakes.”

    Stephanie made a thoughtful noise as she pursed her lips.

    “But what about precious memories? Friends and family members that only are alive in the past? Aren’t they important, too?”

    Jessica merely shrugged.

    “That’s true. I just try not to dwell in the past for too long.  I don’t have a life full of many regrets but I prefer to be looking forward more than backwards.”

    Stephanie slowly her lips at the words and Jessica couldn’t control her eyes trained on the flicker of moment by the pink of the other girl’s tongue.  When she glanced up Stephanie was looking right at her, an eyebrow quirked in obvious amusement.  She opened as if to say something when the distinct buzz of a phone came from her jacket. 

    “Sorry,” Stephanie mumbled apologetically as she slid her hand from under Jessica’s grasp, “I really have to take this.”  Jessica just nodded as the other girl stood and strode a little ways away, the phone wedged between her shoulder as she shifted her purse in her hands.  When Stephanie had her back turned to her Jessica pressed the backs of her hands against her warm cheeks. God she was being so obvious. It was so embarrassing!

    “Get a grip, Jung Sooyeon. You can be friends with this girl without seeming creepy. You can do this. Fighting!”  Jessica let out a shaky breath as she puffed out her cheeks.  She glanced to her right and listened to music coming from a store.  It was that stupid Twinkle song again.  Jessica was still rolling her eyes when Stephanie returned, stuffing her phone in her pocket.

    “What’s wrong?”

    Jessica gestured with her thumb toward the source of the music.

    “That song is so overplayed.  It drives me crazy.”

    Stephanie paused as she listened to the pop song reach its crescendo as one of the singers let out a throaty note.  A strange smile curled on her lips as she studied Jessica.

    “You don’t like this song? I heard the group who did it is very talented.”

    Jessica shrugged.

    “It’s not a bad song. My sister, Krystal, just listens to it way too much and it gets overwhelming sometimes.  Too much of something can make it unenjoyable.”

    “Do you think that applies to everything though?” Stephanie asked, batting her eyelashes with an innocent smile.  Jessica nearly choked at the positively coy way the other girl tilted her head.

    “I-I... maybe not everything.”

    “Good. I wouldn’t want you to get sick of me, too.”

    “That’s not possible!” Jessica blurted out without thinking, ignoring the way her cheeks burned with the admission.

    Stephanie giggled and shyly brushed her bangs from her eyes. 

    “You’re cute, Jessi.”

    And Jessica really wanted to protest the words but Stephanie just pins her in place with that sweet voice and that even sweeter smile.

    They were walking toward the bus stop after wandering around for a couple of hours.  Throughout their meanderings, Jessica was hyper aware of the moments when their hands would brush and her fingertips would burn with Stephanie’s touch.  But the other girl seemed not to mind and if Jessica did not know better she would almost venture to say that the she was trying to get them to hold hands.  But that couldn’t happen, right?  

    Jessica could see the light of the bus stop and the sight made her slow her pace.  For some selfish reason she didn’t want Stephanie to leave.  It was weak of her to want to be with the girl a little longer but she couldn’t help the way she would feel something stir within her when the other girl laughed at something lame she had said.  Or the way Stephanie would stare at her, carefully listening with absolute concentration.  

    They came to a complete stop at the vacant bus stop.  In the warped street lights, Stephanie’s face was dappled with chiaroscuro patterns. But Jessica could make out the slope of her cheekbones, the purse of her lips, the delicate point of her chin.  Without thinking she swayed a little closer and watched the way Stephanie’s mouth curled upward.

    “Our little date is almost over,” observed Stephanie wryly.

    “This was a date?” Jessica teased, trying to keep the hopefulness out of her voice.

    “Mm, I payed for our meal and we walked around for a few hours. Isn’t a date supposed to be about spending time together?”

    “I-I suppose.”

    “Actually I think we are missing one more thing if this is truly supposed to be a date.”

    Suddenly Stephanie grabbed Jessica’s wrist and pulled her behind the bus stop.  Her heart thudded in her chest as she gazed at Stephanie in the dimness of flickering street lights.  The other girl was leaning forward, pressing Jessica’s back into the solid plastic of the bus stop.  She reached out and tentatively rested a hand on Stephanie’s slim waist as soft lips pressed against her cheek. 

    “Thank you for the fun time, Jessi,” was whispered softly into her ear.  Dumbly, Jessica nodded as Stephanie pulled away with a soft smile.  She stood there for awhile, her back pressed against hard plastic and her eyes adjusting to the darkness of night as Stephanie ran off, leaving with the whir of a bus.  But even though she was gone Jessica could still smell her scent, sweet like strawberries. 

A/N Thank you so much for all of your patience! Since I am now done with the school year I can start to update this fic regularly. Special thanks to Limnological and Kaorujin for encouraging me (aka messaging me frequently) to update this fic. Ya'll can thank them for this update. I hope you guys enjoyed!