[SEMI IMPORTANT A/N]

"Alright, let's talk." Areum said when her and Yoomi made  it back to their rooms after dinner.

Yoomi sat on Areum's bottom bunk, with her legs crossed. "Um…right."

Areum sat across from her and raised her brow, "How about you start with why you're such a to me."

Yoomi shot her a look before her shoulders deflated, "I guess I was jealous."

"Of what?" Areum balked.

"Of…um…you and Yang."

Silence.

"WHAT THE ?" Areum yelled, her face contorted in disgust.

Yoomi rolled her eyes, "Can you not scream in my ear? And yeah, you heard me. I was jealous because Yang…liked you so much."

"So everything you did was because you like Yang and you were jealous that he was following me around?" Areum asked, incredulously.

Yoomi shook her head, "It wasn't just that. Yeah, I was jealous of you. And I hated you for it. That's why I made fun of you or tried to embarrass you. But most of it was because, the way I treated you, is the way people always treat me. So I thought, that maybe I could get the leg up, you know? If I was a to you, then maybe it wouldn't feel as bad. People were already gossiping about you, so I thought I'd bring you down to my level."

Areum paused, remembering how just a week into her first year at university, rumours were already spreading about her. Most of them started when they realized how different she was from Ara.

"So if you didn't hate me already, you also wanted me to go through the that you were put through because we both had people talking about us and you thought we were the same?"

Yoomi nodded. "But I was wrong. No matter what I did, you never looked bothered, because those rumours weren't real and you knew it. But honestly, at the end of the day, you were the only person I really had. Sure, you hated me and I was a total to you, but you were the only person who when I spoke to, I didn't feel like the of the joke, even if you couldn't stand me. So maybe, in a twisted way, I saw you as my friend. I'm not proud of the way I treated you, or what I put you through, but I just wanted to take out my jealousy on someone and that was you."

Areum rubbed her face, trying to take in all the new information. "I can't believe this."

Yoomi shrugged and hugged a pillow, " I picked on you because it felt like we were on the same boat. I guess I thought that this way you and me would have to depend on each other. I didn't know how to deal with people like you. People who aren't mean. sure you brushed me off a  lot but you never spread rumours, you never did anything to hurt me. I didn't really know how to deal with that"

Areum laughed dryly, rubbing her temples, "You know, you could've just been nice to me."

"Would you really give me the time of day? I'm the school mattress. Nice or not, you probably didn't want to associate yourself with me." She said bitterly.

"Maybe you're right. But if you were a genuinely nice person, I wouldn't care what you wore and who you slept with. I'm sorry that I judged you, but you said so yourself, I never spread a rumour about you or bullied you. If you wanted to be friends, it wouldn't have been that hard if you were just nice." Areum said honestly.

"Well, I didn't know." Yoomi said quietly, "It was just easier to assume that no one wants anything to  do with you no matter how nice you are."

Areum felt something niggling at the back of her mind until she just blurted it out. "What about you and Jackson?"

Yoomi snorted, her timid look changing into the diva that Areum was too used to seeing. "You mean that time I was coming on to him? Ha. I was just talking you."

Areum gaped at her before punching her in the arm. "What the hell, Yoomi!"

Yoomi chuckled. "I just wanted to see his reaction. I wanted to see if he was some that would just run away and believe the rumours or if he'd stick around, regardless."

Areum bit on the bottom of her lip, playing with her fingers. "And?"

Yoomi made a face, "What do you mean, 'and'? He's still around you isn't he? He chased after you like a puppy dog when you walked away that day. He called himself your guard dog and then made out with you in the middle of the courtyard. What more evidence do you need?"

Areum blinked quickly, her heart speeding up."Wa-wait, what are you saying?"

"I first thought he just stayed around because he wanted to get into your pants, wanting to capitalize on the rumours, but that boy, damn, that boy really likes you, girl." Yoomi said, shaking her head in what looked like disbelief.

"I'm not going to say something stupid like he loves you or anything. But he cares about you. More than any of these guys in our class do. I don't know what your thoughts are about him, but you should really give him a chance."

Areum's eyebrows met together before she looked Yoomi in the eye. The mean, cold girl was no longer there and was replace with a nervous girl who just wanted a friend.

"I never saw you as my friend." She said quietly.

Yoomi looked away. She hoped that the light conversation about Jackson meant that things were smoothed over but she was feeling heavy now. She really wanted to fix things.

Why?

She was sick of being alone.

She was sick of being a just to pretend she was okay being without anyone.

She wanted a friend.

A real one.

"You always made fun of me and made my life a living hell. It was like every time I was down, you just wanted to make it worse. Every mean thing someone said about me, made you laugh. Even if you thought that it didn't bother me, it really did. It ."

Yoomi gulped but kept her gaze away.

"But you know, I wouldn't mind being your friend if you were actually one back."

Yoomi looked over at her with wide, surprised eyes.

"I-I'll be your friend, if you promise not to go on those weird 'let's humiliate Areum' tangents." Areum said.

2 for 2, she was really doing a good job bartering with people. First Yang and now Yoomi.

She was on a roll.

Yoomi smiled. "I’d like that. Thank you."

"I'm glad that I have a friend." Areum smiled back and leaned over to hug the girl but Yoomi's body stilled.

"Umm…Areum? I like that we're friends and all but the hugging…"

Areum immediately pulled away. "Thank god. I don't we’re ready for that."

Both girls laughed when there was a knock on the main door.

"So…are we going to talk about how every time I see the two of you together you're shoving your tongues down each other's throat?" Yoomi teased as they both stood up and headed down the stairs.

Areum coughed loudly, chocking on air before she smirked, "Only if we talk about how Yang's a and is totally whipped for you."

Yoomi's eyes widened and an indistinguishable blush bloomed on her face. "R-Really?"

Areum shook her head and opened the door, on to be greeted by the two boys they were just talking about. She blinked at Jackson who just nodded at her before her eyes fell on Yang who was red in the face and slightly swaying.

Areum raised her eyebrows at the lump under his jacket before he pulled his hand from out of his coat and lifted up a bottle of soju.

"Who's ready to party?"

-----

When Yang meant party, he was serious.

Him and Jackson led the two girls to the fire place where a few other students were crowded around, talking and laughing.

When Areum saw all the faces, she immediately stood closer to Jackson, using his body as a shield. He looked over his shoulder to see her frowning as she stared at the fire place while she clung to the back of his sweater.

"It'll be fine." He mumbled, pulling her to stand beside him. "We're all here. I'll be right beside you."

Areum felt herself relax and looked over at Jackson who looked off to the side as if she didn't exist.

They all took their seats around the fire as a tipsy Yang started to pass cups of soju around for everyone.

"We're going to play a game." Yang said as he stood up, swaying.

Yoomi and Areum noticed how the girls that were around them were either staring at Jackson or Yang with the same amount of worship in their eyes. Which would explain why both girls sudden looked like they ate a raw lemon.

"What game?" One of the girls asked with a pitched giggle.

Yang smiled brightly and slung his arm around Yoomi was froze in her seat. Areum bit back a laugh at how Yang was the reason that one of the most cut throat girls at the university was reduced to a pile of mush.

"Truth or Dare."

-----

Jackson had to stop looking at Areum.

But the full moon was blazing behind him and he could feel it mocking him as Areum unconsciously leaned against his side because of his warmth.

It was making everything so much harder because he could sense the attraction coming off of her.

He could've easily rejected Yang's offer and escaped to the woods for a run, but when Yang asked him if he wanted to ask Areum and Yoomi to join them, he didn't feel conflicted at all.

He knew exactly what he wanted to do.

It was scary.

"Why do we need to drink for truth or dare?" Yoomi muttered while gently escaping Yang's grip.

Yang giggled, "Becaaaaauuuuuuse people are more fun when they're drunk! So take a shot before you answer. Ready?"

The girls giggled in response and the guys nodded, probably just wanting to drink.

"Who wants to go first?"

A girl from one of Areum's class raised her hand timidly and blushed when Yang pointed at her excitedly. "You! Yes! Let's get this thing rolling!"

"Mine is for you Yang. Truth or dare?"

Yang paused, and glanced at Areum nervously as if he suddenly sobered up. She knew what he was thinking but it was his fault.

Who would suggest playing drunken TRUTH of dare when you had a big secret that you didn't want anyone to know?

"Um…truth."

The girl giggle again and even Jackson could see the way Yoomi flinched, "Who was your first kiss?"

Yang let out a sigh of relief before switching back to his mood maker self. His eyes scanned the circle before they landed on Yoomi.

He grinned and bumped her shoulder, "Yoomi was."

The girl jerked her head up and gaped at him, "Really?"

"Yup. In the seventh grade at the dance." He said with a smile.

 Areum sat up and Jackson almost whined when she moved away from him, "You two went to the same elementary school?"

The two of them nodded,