Chaerin It was early Saturday afternoon when Dara and Chaerin settled down on the bleachers to watch Sanghyun and his team start their soccer game. The Hot Shots had just taken the field when Sanghyun searched one last time for his sister in the stands and gave her a short wave. It was for good luck. The brunette waved back then nudged Chaerin. "Give him a wave."

Chaerin spotted the tall young man on the field seemingly waiting for her to do just that, so she did. "He's a good kid."

A proud smile rose on the brunette's face. "Sure is. Takes after me."

Shaking her head, the blonde chuckled. "Knew that was coming." Chaerin glanced at the woman sitting next to her. "Thanks for inviting me. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you could come." Dara studied the blonde for a long moment. "I'm enjoying you."

Chaerin raised both eyebrows slightly.

Dara grinned. "I mean I'm enjoying your company."

Chaerin met the brunette's grin. "I know what you meant." She turned back to the game at hand, grinning even wider, then said. "I'm enjoying you, too."

That statement alone was enough to send fireworks blazing through the sky, but when Chaerin accidentally rubbed her long leg against Dara's bare thigh, the brunette nearly jumped out of her seat. She chanced a glance at their touching legs and gulped. It was an accident, wasn't it? She's not moving her leg though. Well, I'm not gonna move mine either. Dara was driven out of her satisfied musings when Chaerin bumped up against her.

"You know, they're playing the game on the field. Not on my leg." The blonde had a hard time trying not to laugh.

Dara glared at her friend. "Oh, you!" Her curious green eyes finally did drift off to the soccer field, but neither woman moved their legs. 

Good thing Dara was paying attention to the game because her talented and very skilled brother did a complete spin, fooling the opposing player and kicked the ball hard for a goal.

They jumped up in tandem, cheering Sanghyun's efforts. And when they sat back down, they just as easily took up the same position next to each other, finding comfort in the nearness. 

As the game played on both women were content with the comfortable silence between them. Though several times each women chanced a glance at the other one just to make sure the other one was doing okay. When one of the team players on the Hot Shots made an exceptional play, Dara would touch Chaerin's arm or leg in silent understanding. 

When Mir, Sanghyun's best friend on the team, was dribbling the ball down the field and was within score distance, Dara leaned forward. It was as if she was trying to help him get the ball into the net. "Come on." However, an opposing player crashed into Mir, knocking him down. Dara tensed up before gripping the blonde's thigh. "Ouch!"

Chaerin placed a comforting hand over the brunette's as they waited to see if Mir was okay. The blonde saw Sanghyun hurry over and check on his friend. After a few minutes, Sanghyun helped Mir up and the young man dusted himself off. "Thank God." The blonde could feel the tension leave the younger, but elected to leave her hand over Dara's.

"This is the only part I hate about the game. Getting hurt." Dara was content to have her hand held in place.

"But you'd love to get back in there, right?" Chaerin ducked her head down before turning to the brunette, searching her eyes for confirmation.

"Yeah. I would." 

Chaerin squeezed the brunette's hand. "Then I'll help you, and you can talk to your old teammates about it next Monday." 

"You know, if I do... and I'm not saying I will yet." Dara hedged her decision, basing it on her next statement. "Then you'll have to come to all my games. Just in case... I need you."

There was a twinkle in her eyes when the blonde smiled. "It's a deal. That is, if you come to all of my games."

Shyly, Dara nodded. Instead of shaking hands, they intertwined their fingers together. "I wish I would have been there last Thursday."

"Me, too. But I understand." Chaerin squeezed the brunette's hand again. 

"After Yoo in na left, I..." Daradidn't know if she should reveal this next part, but summoned her courage. "...I stopped by Belle's, hoping you'd be there."

Surprised, Chaerin gave the woman her full attention. "You did?" Dara nodded. "It was Bom's birthday. We had a little get together at her parent's house."

"Oh?"

"I meant to ask you to go with me when we talked earlier in the week."

"You did?" The bright smile on Dara's face made the sunlight pale in comparison.

"Uh huh. So I was going to ask you at the game, but..."

"Yoo in na showed up unexpectedly." Dara finished the sentence with a sigh.

"Yeah, and I didn't know how long that would take, so...."

For the first time, Dara thought about how much and how often she had been there for her friend whenever Yoo in na ran into even the slightly bit of trouble with Hyesun. The brunette realized some of the things she had missed out on because of her steadfast loyalty to her friends. Although she wouldn't change that about herself, Dara decided that she needed and deserved much more from her friend then she was getting in return. "Next time ask. Okay?"

Chaerin's grin matched that of her friend. "Deal."

With that settled, both women relaxed as they watched the Hot Shots go on to win the game one to nothing. Now it was time to celebrate. 

***********************

Chaerin stood by Dara's Ranger rover. "So where should we go eat?" The blonde looked at her friend when Sanghyun didn't answer. "Dara?"

The very astute young fifteen-year-old standing next to his sister had been carefully watching both women since Chaerin showed up at his sister's apartment right before noon. And every chance he had, Sanghyun allowed a brief moment of distraction from his game to scrutinize Dara's interaction with the blonde. Something was up between them and he had yet to figure it out, but he knew that would only take a matter of time. "Take her to Chili's. She loves baby back ribs." He moved around to the passenger's door as he yelled back over his shoulder. "You'll score lots of points with her for that."

Chaerin shot a questioning look at the embarrassed brunette. 

"He's right." Dara shrugged before climbing in her car and throwing a dangerous glare at her brother who was smiling sweetly on the other side of the truck.

"Chili's it is." Chaerin hurried around the front of the vehicle and as he did earlier Sanghyun opened the door and waved the blonde in first. He refused to sit in the middle of the two women, forcing Chaerin to sit next to the brunette. However, the blonde didn't consider that a bad thing at all. Quite the contrary, she rather enjoyed it, considering it a good bit of fortune for her. 

Dara revved up the engine, glared once more at her brother before slipping it into gear and off they went on their way to dinner. 

"Hold on!" Sanghyun yelled and pretended to be jerked back by the truck's forward movement. "She's hell on wheels."

Even though the blonde didn't openly agree with Sanghyun, Chaerin did take note of how fast the brunette liked to drive. 

************************

After dinner, the trio walked back to the truck. "See? What'd I say? You can get her to do anything you want now." Sanghyun said to Chaerin, but looked at his sister who in turn mockingly glared at him.

Dara was in a great mood except for being more than slightly embarrassed by her brother while they were eating dinner. As it happened, the brunette was trying hard to get Chaerin to taste the baby back ribs with the delicious barbeque sauce. "Here. Try it. Come on." Practically begging, the brunette held up a small bit of the ribs.

Instead of taking the offered piece, Chaerin reached over and wiped a bit of barbeque sauce from the side of Dara's mouth. Then to everyone's surprise, especially her own, she the sauce from her own finger. 

That moment froze in time as the three of them tried to process what had just happened.Dara's whole body was on fire, and not from the hot barbeque sauce. Chaerin was shocked at her behavior, but it seemed like such a natural thing to do. And Sanghyun's eyes bounced back and forth between the two women until he finally spoke. "Sheesh. You two should get a room."

After they hoped into the car, Dara asked. "Well, what next, guys?"

"Why don't we go see a movie?" Sanghyun suggested innocently.

"That sounds good." Chaerin agreed, looking at the brunette sitting next to her. 

But Dara was suspicious of her brother's seemingly innocent suggestion. "What kind of movie?"

Sanghyun shrugged as if he didn't care and then just as quickly suggested the latest scary movie playing at the local theater. "How bout it, Chaerin?"

"Okay by me." But when Dara remained silent, Chaerin nudged her friend. "Not going for it, huh?"

"I don't know." Dara refused to meet the blonde's gaze. 

"So what do you think? Should we go?" Chaerin said softly, allowing the brunette to know it was her decision.

"I guess that would be okay." Dara didn't want her friend thinking little of her for not wanting to watch the movie. 

When his sister agreed, Sanghyun let out a loud laugh. "Tonight, she'll be making a running start at her bed before she jumps on it."

Confused, Chaerin wondered what that statement was all about. "Huh?"

"Oh, he's just being a little sh..." Dara curtailed her language.

"She watched that movie the Gremlins when she was younger. Now she thinks they're under her bed and she has to jump on it." The young man wasn't about to stop teasing his sister. Sanghyun shot Dara an impish grin while pretending to scare her. "Woooo...."

Dara practically jumped over Chaerin and swatted at her brother. 

"Okay, guys." Chaerin grabbed Dara's swinging arms, pulling them down next to her. When the blonde captured the brunette's full attention, Chaerin leaned in slightly and said sincerely. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."

Settling back in her seat, Dara looked down but still felt Chaerin's hands on her wrists. "I know."

Chaerin let her hands slip from the brunette's wrist to take hold of Dara's hands then whispered. "I'll sit next to you."

Summoning a great deal of courage from those words, Dara cocked her head toward her devious little brother and boldly made her decision. "A scary movie it is."

The movie proved interesting. Sanghyun ensured that Dara sat between him and Chaerin. Even before the movie started, he leaned over his sister and gave Chaerin some sage advice. "Don't talk during the movie. She gets real pissed when people do that."

Dara's brown eyes widened at her brother's advice. She gently, but determinedly, shoved him back over. It was then his sister's glare turned too sweet for him and Dara leaned in, whispering. "One more word and I'll tell all your friends at school that you, a fifteen-year-old, didn't have anything else to do on a Saturday night, except hang with his older sister."

Knowing Dara would do just that, Sanghyun sat back in his seat, in a long sip of his soda before grabbing a hand full of popcorn. 

Seeing that her brother would heed her warning, Dara chanced a quick look at Chaerin who was smiling at her with an impish grin of her own. "What?"

Chaerin loved the interaction between brother and sister. Black eyes shot to the empty screen before returning to Dara. "I promise not one word." The blonde leaned over and cautiously asked. "Sometimes during a movie though, I'll reach over and touch or nudge whoever I'm with. Is that okay?"

"So you're telling me you've got roaming hands?" 

"Not anymore than yours." The blonde countered, remembering the last massage Dara gave her. 

Both women engaged in the light ual banter easily. 

In a bold advance, Dara took matters into her own hands. She reached over and took Chaerin's left hand in her, dropping both their hands in her lap. "There. Now we won't have to worry about where it will roam while we're watching the movie." 

The blonde wasn't about to complain, but somewhere in the back of her mind a protest sounded. This isn't how 'just' friends would act. However, the nearness of the woman beside her, holding her hand, catapulted that thought to the far corners of her mind. Chaerin sighed in contentment. 

Sanghyun, for his part, remained silent when he saw his sister holding Chaerin's hand. He was a smart young man, knowing just how far he could tease his sister. And in this case, silence was golden. 

At one particular scary point in the movie, when the FBI agent laid on the small cot in a dungeon like room, the agent was trying to get into the mind of the killer when suddenly a hand shot up through the cot's bedding and clamped around the agent's neck. 

That scene scared the brunette so much that she pulled her eyes from the screen and buried her head in Chaerin's shoulder. They were still holding hands at that point, so the blonde leaned over and whispered. "It's okay. I'll let you know when you can look again." Chaerin's right hand ran comfortingly along the Dara's upper arm to her left shoulder. 

Again, Sanghyun took note and tucked that bit of information away for another day. 

*********************** 

When they arrived home, Sanghyun bid his good-byes to Chaerin before bolting up to his sister's apartment. Dara had asked him to check on Sky since they had spent a good deal of the day away from the house.

In a somewhat awkward moment as Chaerin stood leaning on her car door with Dara just a mere foot away from her, the blonde shrugged. "Well, I guess I should go now."

"Yeah." The disappointment in her voice was noticeable. "Thanks for putting up with my brother tonight." The brunette reached up, touching Chaerin's arm.

"No problem. I had a great time. Really." The delicate touch the brunette over her forearm was causing shivers to run up her body. "Do you think it's cold?"

"Huh?" Dara was experiencing a few shivers herself. "I mean no." She immediately withdrew her fingers. 

"Dara? I..." The blonde started, but lost track of her thought when the brunette's brown eyes looked into her own. The whole world disappeared when their eyes met. 

"What is it,Chae?" They stared at each other for a long moment until a shooting star drew their attention away, breaking the spell. At the same time, an unchecked wish formed in both their minds. 

Not knowing what to say exactly, the blonde smiled. "Well..." That unformed thought faded away, but each woman realized what it meant.

"Yeah, I suppose." Dara knew it was time for her friend to leave though it was the last thing she wanted at that moment.

Chaerin stood up straight and was ready to turn when she felt Dara hug her. The blonde easily wrapped her arms around the younger woman. 

Dara's eyes fell shut as she breathed in the heavenly scent of the woman in her arms. Neither woman realized what the other had wished upon when seeing that shooting star. But they both wondered if their wish would come true. 

It took the strength of a thousand horses to pull back from each other. Their fingers lingered on the other's arms, trying to hold on to that tingling feeling both women craved. 

"Okay then." Chaerin summoned her resolve. "I'm going."

When the blonde turned to get in her car, Dara hurriedly said. "Wait!"

"What?" Chaerin wasn't sure what happened and was briefly concerned at the strain in the brunette's voice.

Upon seeing the concern in Chaerin's eyes, Dara let out a breath. "Sorry. I was just going to say... actually ask. Sanghyun and I are going to the Putt-Putt(name of some kind of golf place) tomorrow. If you'd like..." The brunette was afraid of being rejected so she let that question die on her lips.

Chaerin lifted the down turned head of her friend. "I'd love to."

That generated a happy smile on the brunette's face. "Great. How about you come by here and we'll take my car?"

"I'll be here." Chaerin promised. She gave Dara another quick hug and when the brunette stepped around the blonde to open her door, Chaerin smiled. "Thanks."

An evil grinned propped on Dara's face. "I hope you'll still be thanking me if you get a late night call."

Not quite sure what to make of that statement, the blonde hesitantly asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"If I have nightmares, I'm going to call you." Dara let out a small, but somewhat serious, laugh.

Grinning, Chaerin assured the brunette. "Dara, you can call me anytime." Then the brunette wished the blonde a goodnight. "Pleasant dreams."

Dara watched Chaerin leave before she crossed her arms and walked slowly up the stairs and into her apartment. She was in deep thought when she heard 'kissy' sounds coming from her brother.

"Did you kiss her goodnight?" He grinned at his sister, then winked. 

Dara rolled her eyes in total embarrassment as she covered her flushed face.

Sanghyun realized his question produced the effect he wanted as Dara blushed like no one's business. He fell back on the sofa laughing until his side hurt.

"Cheondung-ah!" The brunette recovered long enough to arrow a sharp glare his way. "Hush."

Sanghyun tried desperately to stifle his laugh because he knew when Dara addressed him with that particular nickname she meant business. It was hard, but he must have done a well enough job cause his sister only shook her head once before retiring to her room for the night. 

************************

Dara placed a glass of milk in front of her brother as he was eating a late morning bowl of cereal. Both siblings loved to sleep well past the early morning sun, not in any hurry to greet the day. 

"So?" Sanghyun waited until Dara was far enough away before continuing. "Where's your girlfriend?"

Glaring brown eyes met seemingly innocent brown eyes before Dara returned to her task at the kitchen counter.

When his sister dodged the question about her girlfriend, Sanghyun ran his fingers through his short dark hair before propping his chin on the heel of his hand. "You said she was going with us today, right?"

She refused to turn around; fearing the look on her face would betray her upon being asked about her girlfriend. "I told you that already. You got a problem with that?"

"Not me. I like her."

Dara twisted around suddenly. "You do?"

Realizing how much what he thought meant to his sister,Sanghyun said seriously. "Yes, I do. Very much."

Relief was evident on Dara's face as she strode across the room, mussed her brother's hair then hugged him. And for a good final measure, she kissed him on the cheek. "You're the best, Cheondung-ah."

Always happy to make his sister smile, Sanghyun scooted back from the table and uncharacteristically offered. "I'll do the dishes since I know you hate to."

She watched him pick up the two bowls, a couple of spoons and one glass from the table. "Whatever will I do with you?" As he drew the soapy water in the sink, Dara passed behind him and swatted him with a wet dishtowel.

"Hey!" He complained, but then an idea popped in his head. "I'd be careful if I were you."

Dara was walking out of the kitchen when she paused briefly upon hearing that warning from her brother.

"I've got lots of ammunition I could give your new girlfriend. If you know what I mean." Sanghyun didn't have to turn around to see the look on his sister's face. 

*********************** 

At the ninth hole, the between the two women grew in intensity. When Dara missed an easy putt, Sanghyun walked up to her, whispering. "I know you missed that on purpose. Are you trying to get her to give you a lesson on how to putt?" He chuckled before continuing. "Like you did her on the... let's see what was it? The second, third, fifth and last hole."
Dara was near giving her teasing brother hell until Chaerin walked back over after retrieving her wayward ball. "Don't know how that one got away from me?"

"You'll do better next time." Dara assured the blonde.

"I can hit a softball, putting it anywhere I want mostly." Chaerin studied the little blue ball in her hand. "Must be the size."

"Size does count." Sanghyun waggled his eyebrows. When both women shot him a chastising look, he recanted somewhat. "Guess not in every case." The slightly embarrassed young man headed over to the tenth tee. 

Dara walked with Jessie the short distance, joining her brother who had just swung at his ball. They watched it travel up and over the small incline through the tiger's mouth and come out mere inches from the hole. "Must be my lucky day. What's the score?" He pretended to calculate their . "Yep. I'm winning.


"Don't pay attention to him, Chae."  Dara nodded for the blonde to go ahead of her.

Chaerin placed the ball on the artificial green. She studied the line and carefully drew back her club. With one clean sweep, the ball traveled nearly the same path as Sanghyun's ball, but when it finally stopped, it was five feet from the hole with an odd angle for her next shot. "I'm beginning to think this isn't my game."

Dara lightly touched her friend's arm. "Oh, who could concentrate when he's..." The younger woman glared at her brother. "... bragging every two seconds." 

"Then go ahead, Dara. Show me what you got." Sanghyun taunted his older sister.

The competition was on and Dara desperately wanted to show up her brother especially in front of her friend. So she concentrated on the ball then surveyed the line she wanted it to traverse. Dara was just about ready to swing back the club when Sanghyun snickered. She backed away from the ball now that her concentration was broken. The brunette tried to regain her composure when Chaerin slipped up beside her and whispered. "You make this a hole in one and I'll buy you a nice, large hot fudge sundae."

Dara's head shot up. "How'd you know that's my favorite?"

Chaerin grinned, nodding toward the smiling Sanghyun. 

"Figures." Now that the stakes were even higher, Dara vowed. "Okay, stand back. You'll be owing me."

Chaerin leaned in again, barely brushing the tip of Dara's ear and said. "I'd pay any price."

dara gulped. Her whole being felt that mini earthquake jolt her body when she felt the warm breath of air on her ear. Without looking up at the blonde, Dara gently nudged Chaerin back. She couldn't risk looking into those magnetic black eyes with everything that was riding on this next shot. She realigned her shot pattern. As she looked at the tiger's open mouth that her ball would have to travel through, the picture of another tiger's head came into view in her mind. She focused on that picture and drew strength from it. in a deep calming breath then letting it out slowly, Dara brought back her club and with just enough force sent the small green ball on its path. 

They all watched the ball sail up the incline and easily though the open tiger's mouth. When it dropped out the other side, it curved left before smacking the side rail with just enough velocity to carry it across the green and drop into the hole. 

Dara was so ecstatic; she tossed her club and hugged Chaerin. 

Chaerin held on with one hand and her club in the other hand. "You did good."

"I did!" Without letting go of the blonde,Dara sent her brother a victorious smug smile. 

Chaerin stepped back. "My turn."

Dara bounced down the green to where her brother was standing. "Look who got a hole in one."

"Yeah, but I'm still ahead by several points." He countered, secretly happy for his sister, but he couldn't exactly let her know that or he would never live it down. "Now see if you can help Chaerin."

Chaerin was scratching her head because her ball was around the edge of the rail. Instead of straight shot to the hole, she'd have to bounce it off the rail. She tried to figure the angle. Finally, she shrugged and started to lean over the ball.

"Hold on." Seeing that Chaerin was out of alignment with the needed angle, Dara shoved her club at her brother before joining Chaerin on the green. "Here. Let me."

The blonde gave Dara her club.

"No. Go ahead, get in place." Dara grabbed the blonde by her hips and maneuvered Chaerin to stand straight over the ball. "Move your left foot just..."

Chaerin tilted it slightly. 

"That's good." Dara shifted the blonde's hips with her hands slightly. Her brown eyes traveled down the blonde's back, past her derriere along Chaerin's legs, then back up again. "Perfect."

Sanghyun heard his sister and mumbled. "She's smooth." He sighed. "I have got to get me a woman that doesn't know how to play miniature golf."

Dara brought her hands up along the blonde's arm, moving until they came to rest on Chaerin's hands. The brunette was leaning over the slightly taller woman as their bodies molded together. The woman placed her head along side Chaerin's. "Focus on the ball."

Chaerin was having a hard time focusing on anything except the nearness of the woman plastered against her. She felt every breath the  woman took and fell into the same rhythm easily. The pounding of her own heart matched that of the brunette's. When one moved, the other instinctively followed. 

With both their bodies in total sync, Dara gently guided the blonde's hands back before swiftly moving forward to hit the ball. Not letting go of the blonde, they both watched the perfectly hit ball roll toward the rail farthest from the hole before it bounced off, hitting the rail cattycorner to it. That made it slow a bit but there was just enough spin on it to travel the last few inches, falling into the hole. 

It was Chaerin's turn to jump. And when she did, she twisted around and easily fell into Dara's open arms. "Thank you." It was the first hole she made without more than five to do it. It surprised both women when Chaerin kissed Dara on the cheek.

The brief touch of her friend's lips on her face wrecked the rest of her golf game. After that, Dara was unable to concentrate, allowing Sanghyun to easily win. But she didn't care. Even the promised hot fudge sundae didn't compare to the still tingling feeling where Chaerin's lips touched. 

***********************

"But I don't get it. That's the problem." Sanghyun complained for the umpteenth time. 

"Would you stop it?" Dara grabbed the math book. "I'm sure it tells you how to do it?"

"Not in any language I can understand." Sanghyun flipped his mechanical pencil on the table.

Chaerin was watching Dara try and help her brother work through some problems for his big test the next day. When both siblings were flustered with the whole thing, Dara looked at Chaerin with imploring eyes. "You think you could help?"

"Sure." The blonde got up and scooted her chair in between brother and sister. She turned toward Sanghyun who was on her right. 

Dara leaned closer, her body coming into contact with the blonde. Both welcomed the touch.

"Okay." Chaerin read the directions. "All you have to do is construct a frequency distribution with this set of values."

"Huh?" Sanghyun scratched his head, hoping Chaerin would just do it for him.

"The numbers here at the top." She pointed to the line of numbers. "First, count how many there are." After he did, she continued. "Now we're just going to see how many fit into each class interval. All you do is count up all the scores between ten and nineteen." She watched him do that.

"Four." 

"Okay, put four in the frequency column." 

Dara leaned in even closer, trying to see what column Chaerin was talking about. In order to do so, she needed some support, and her hand found its way to the blonde's bare mid-thigh.

Instantly, Chaerin felt the contact, bringing a catch in the blonde's breath. 

Sensing the blonde's reaction, but not knowing it came from her touch, Dara asked. "You okay?"

Chaerin swung her head around toward the brunette, smiling. "Yeah, perfect."

That smile made Dara grin. A warm feeling penetrated her heart and her thumb began to unconsciously caress Chaerin's skin.

Now Chaerin was having a hard time concentrating, but desperately wanting to help Dara's brother, she ploughed ahead. "And now we'll do that for the rest of the scores."

After Sanghyun completed that task, he asked. "What next?"

"Now we need to find the relative frequency. Do you remember how to do that?"

Sanghyun thought for a long moment. "I gotta divide something, I think."

With Dara's thumb brushing her thigh, Chaerin nearly forgot what to do next. "Uh... the... the... take the frequency of each score and divide it by the total number of scores."

"That's right. Hold on." Sanghyun went about his task of dividing the numbers and placing the answers in the next column. "Now all I do is add the frequency column for the cumulative frequency, right?"

"Right." Chaerin agreed. As Sanghyun was doing that she moved her head slightly forward and a bit of Chaerin's hair fell down in front of her face. But the blonde was intently watching Sanghyun add the numbers.

Dara noticed the lock of hair. Reaching over; she pulled it back away from the blonde's face, placing it behind Chaerin's ear. Her fingers lingered, feeling the silky strands of her friend's hair. 

Sanghyun had just finished adding the column when he looked to Chaerin for her approval, and that's when he saw his sister lovingly remove the lock of hair. 

When Sanghyun gave his sister a curious look, Dara realized what she was doing, not only with Chaerin's hair, but her thumb had never stopped rubbing the blonde's thigh. She snapped out of her trance the nearness of the blonde always seduced her into. Jumping up out of her chair, she asked. "You guys want something to drink?"

"No, thanks, Dee." Chaerin took the time away from the problem to look at Dara. She immediately missed the brunette's touch, but reluctantly returned to the problem at hand. 

Sanghyun shook his head, but stared at his sister in quiet contemplation. 

Dara stood a distance away from the duo, covertly watching Chaerin help her brother complete the problem. Chaerin didn't know it, but the time and patience she was giving her brother endeared her to Dara. 

Finally, it was time to call it an evening and Dara walked Chaerin to her car. "Thanks for helping Sanghyun. I really appreciate it."

They found themselves in the same position next to Chaerin's car as they were the night before. "I was happy to help." 

Again, they found themselves in a quiet moment, looking at each other. "So what are you going to do this week?" Dara didn't want the blonde to leave without some kind of plan for them to see each other again.

"I did promise to help you get back into shape. Hyesun's got a game tomorrow night, right?"

Dara nodded. "Uh huh."

"Why don't I pick you up? You can see about getting back on the team. And if you still aren't sure of that, we can at least watch the game." Chaerin suggested.

"Sounds good." Dara wanted to hug the blonde goodbye, but suddenly felt unsure of herself until Chaerin's finger looped the rung on her shorts.

Pulling the brunette closer,Chaerin wrapped her arms around Dara. "Didn't think I was going to say goodnight without a hug, did you?"

Dara laughed. "Is that another tradition of yours?"

"Not a bad one if you ask me."Chaerin stared deeply into Dara's brown eyes.

"No. Nothing bad about it at all." It was Dara's turn to be bold as she placed a sweet and gentle kiss on the blonde's cheek. 

Chaerin reacted much the same as Dara did when she kissed the brunette. "We're just coming up with all kinds of traditions, aren't we?"

Shyly, Dara chanced a look at Chaerin. "You don't mind, do you?"

At first the brunette didn't think Chaerin was going to answer her. Then a huge smile spread across the blonde's face. "I don't think I would ever mind anything you did to me."

Uh oh! I better get out of here before I do something I shouldn't. Dara stepped back, swatted the blonde's stomach lightly and winked. "I'll keep that in mind." Once again, Dara watched her friend drive off down the road. On her way back to her apartment, Dara knew her brother had probably been peeking out the window, spying on her. As she entered the living room, the brunette saw her brother with a devious smile on his face. She pointed a firm finger at him. "Don't you dare say one word!"

And to Sanghyun's credit, he didn't, cause he valued his life.