Like it happened a few times already, Minjoo once again dreamed of a skater in a sequined skirt whose prowess could rival excellence. Some of these dreams were more absurd than others, but this one had started out so well that she forgot all about the part where Chaewon was actually Teddy and instead of being in a red dorm room together, they were in some sort of creepy cave held by an FNAF bear. The subconscious sometimes worked wonders, selective memory, as she woke up happy. Like, really happy.

Happy enough to jump out of bed at the first alarm, like in those child movies, slipping her feet into flip-flops, hopping to the little fridge to pour herself a glass of juice. Out of nowhere, a lively tune about the good day ahead, with choruses and all, resonated. Still perky, Minjoo pulled up the shutters, unlocked the window latch and opened it wide with both arms, leaning in to in the fresh air. Three blue birds circled around her head, singing, and she looked out at the sunny blue horizon, taking a deep breath of happiness until a pillow hitting her head brought her back to reality. There were no birds, no music; it was gloomy blue dawn and raining cats and dogs.

Yena muttered something, probably an insult, pulling the blanket over her head, and the hockey player promptly closed the window to avoid a flood in their dorm. Well, twenty minutes ahead of her usual opening alarm and with less motivation to do a brushing because of the rain, she resolved to grab a bag of pancakes and another glass of juice, then returned to her bed. The brief but intense night's sleep had relaxed her, though. Sitting cross-legged under her blanket, keeping her half-bare legs warm, she felt the muscle tension in them ease. Fortunately, there was only one cardio workout today before the game, after which she had the whole weekend to recover, enough to make her want to push her limits even further, even if it meant suffering.

As she was enjoying a leisurely breakfast, the reason for her early giddiness appeared on the screen. Minjoo smiled as early as seven in the morning, abandoning her review of the CCM Ribcor 100k waiting for her at home to watch the three videos that chae1kim had just sent. She was an early bird, apparently, as she had her light make-up on. Ah, right, she was already wearing her skating outfit. Warm in her bed, Minjoo once again rejoiced that she'd made the right choice by never choosing the figure skating path. It was outrageous to start the day with a technical workout, but apparently, it helped with performance.

She turned up the volume, I was planning on wearing this sweater, but since it's raining, I should just go with this and a puffer, smiling as Chaewon showed off the clothes on  her bed, then a shot of Jimin braiding her hair in front of their mirror, but the thing is; colours don't match. It wasn't the first time the skater shared her morning dilemmas, but it was the first time Minjoo had been awake when she sent them. Catching her lip between her teeth, the latter typed a reply, advising the puffer to avoid the rain. Chaewon opened the message, replying in two new videos, aaah you’re up, look, she filmed herself in the mirror, teasingly showing the back of her legging, then going back to her face, passing a hand through her bangs a few times, ready for practice, anyway, i picked the puffer but I might end up looking like a gnome. Well, Chaewon's clothing dilemma took precedence over Yena's sleep. Minjoo sent a voice message explaining why the pastel lavender puffer, patterned top, and blue jeans indeed made her look like a gnome  so it was better to replace the top with something white to be presentable. And her smile widened, hearing Jimin's laugh in the background as Chaewon was arguing back in voice message.

It felt so good knowing Chaewon's best friend appreciated her. Like, yeah, she was somehow approved by another darling of the elite national figure skater's group, right? What a privilege, she thought, chewing on a piece of pancake, answering Chaewon with one hand, wishing her a good practice as the latter sent one last quick selfie, hood settled on her head and bag over her shoulder, ready to face the weather for some spins.

In a way, this phase was one of the best. That step that some called the talking stage. It was being more than friends, but not in a relationship yet, knowing it would come anyway. Minjoo hadn't experienced much of that, in all honesty, but for all the bad things she could say about her ex, what she remembered most about their short-lived relationship was that brief stage too. Though things happened much faster with Seolha. They met at Yujin's birthday party and kissed that night, thinking everything would be pink and rainbows before they even got to know each other. They were, in fact, the less compatible persons ever and never spoke again after breaking up.

With Chaewon, it was different and more pleasurable. Indeed, in barely a month, they'd been vulnerable in front of each other in small meaningful ways. They had fallen on their butts and crashed into the rink's borders, texted for hours at night, not dared to glance at each other or doing it a little too much, joked, shared their doubts and insecurities, and got to know each other through silly facts and music. All of this before anything more than this was even mentioned. It made things more sincere. More natural, more real, letting all the feelings and the relationship develop in their own way. And they were developing well, obviously.

-

On this rainy day, the cafeteria was packed. Not a single table was vacant as Minjoo, Yena and Dahyeon went around for the third time, trays in hand, sighing each time they came across an empty chair. They could have eaten like they were punished, all separated, but that wasn't thrilling, especially on a match day when it was primordial to maintain team cohesion. That was what Yena had said to a group of four runners, and after being stared at for long seconds in utter silence, the hockey players had resumed searching for a table. So, absolutely all track and field athletes were this stuck up, and Minjoo glared at them again, meeting Seolha's disdainful stare before finally turning her back.

The others were still far back in the queue, so hoping that a table became available upstairs while they were wandering downstairs, the hockey players made their way up to the second floor. Minjoo was already in a bad mood, as Chaewon's morning videos had failed to keep the rain off her curtain bangs and sneakers. Granted, it was more her fault than the weather's, but feeling lousy walking around the cafeteria was clearly not the best thing in the world. Especially when the sound of wet rubber accompanied her every step. If she had known, she would have worn waterproof boots. To make matters worse, they just missed a free table on the ground floor since the Nationals were settled.

For once, Minjoo thought she would have preferred Chaewon to be anywhere but here. Not too far away either but at least let them have somewhere to lay their plates. Still, she looked way too pretty with her straight, long hair falling over her thumbhole white top, as Minjoo had advised her to wear. Their eyes met, and the skater only had to flash a small smile for the hockey player to melt in place. Like an ice cube under a radiant sun, except that it was raining, and at this point, they would end up eating standing up in the middle of the cafeteria. She gulped and scanned the place with her eyes again, forced to admit they would have to compromise their team meal or eat in the freezing cold. However, before she could suggest going to eat somewhere outside, Yena was already moving towards the figure skaters' table.

"Yena!" Minjoo gritted her teeth, followed closely by Dahyeon as she crisscrossed between the tables, her shoes squeezing faster. "Let's just eat in the courtyard."

"They are three for six chairs. We can try and ask them to move over," Yena retorted over her shoulder, paying no further attention to her friend urgently imploring her. Not because she didn't want to see Chaewon, but because it was far too intimidating. Nevertheless, Yena looked way too determined. And in the mood to by the defiant smile she flashed at Minjoo, still begging with her eyes as they approached the table. "Hi!"

Instantly, the three skaters devoted their attention to the N3 players overlooking their table. Minjoo wanted to disappear into her soaked shoes, but luckily a small smile danced on Chaewon's lips. Oh, dear. She was so pretty. Even more than on this morning's videos as her cheeks were lightly powdered, eyes shining, her straight pink hair falling over her pearly white turtleneck. By far, and without a doubt, the prettiest girl in the cafeteria. The prettiest girl in the whole school as their eyes met once more. Minjoo cocked an eyebrow, and the prettiest girl in the world repeated the gesture before turning her attention to the bold hockey player. Moreover, if Minjoo hadn't only had eyes for her, she would have noticed how Jimin also glanced with a knowing smile.

"Are you guys almost done? Cause we're kinda searching for a table." One thing about Yena was that she would do anything for her team. And anything to make fun of her younger teammate. After over a year of drooling over her every time they would pass each other in the rink and school hallways, Yena had to wait until Minjoo was into her to shamelessly approach Chaewon. It was embarrassing enough that her hair was frizzy from the humidity and her shoes soaking wet, but to beg for seats in the cafeteria was the last straw for Minjoo. Especially since there was nothing discreet about how Yena's eyes darted back and forth between her and the skater, unlike how Jimin and Hyunjin did it.

"We just arrived, though," the boy finally replied after observing them for a few seconds. It was also the first time Minjoo had been this close to Chaewon's well-known partner. Expressed this way, they seemed fabulous. Yet, and here was the proof, the Nationals ate in the cafeteria like everyone else—at the expense of the N3 team today—and walked the same corridors. But they were always distant, in their own bubble, among themselves, focused, cold, like the place they frequented most. Hyunjin had sharp, thin features, a look that would make anyone shiver, both on videos and in real life, and to be facing him after spending two weeks throwing his partner to heaven, Minjoo felt as timid as she was proud. Their eyes met again, the vision of his glittery brown hair doing a Salchow flashed through her mind, and she almost felt her cheeks heat up as he slightly smiled at her.

Oh good, Hyunjin didn't consider her a home wrecker.

"Have you checked upstairs?" Jimin spoke up on behalf of her two friends.

"We come from upstairs," Dahyeon chimed in, puffing his chest out a little as he stepped forward. The two girls weren't the only ones having a crush on national figure skaters, naturally. "All tables are taken. It's full y'all."

"And what do we do about that?" Only looking up, Hyunjin sarcastically questioned the hockey player, who obviously hadn't been able to catch the Asian junior figure skating champion's attention enough. The rumours were true, after all. They were unattainable, ice-cold, as condescending as their coaches, as impatient as their trainers and generally as sour as the sourest elders. Minjoo shifted her weight from one foot to another, cursing her shoe as it made a rubbery squeal, the tray beginning to weigh heavily in her hands.

"I guess you could find three seats at a table," Yena was brave. If those stares had been directed at her this way, Minjoo would have disintegrated on the spot. As an alternative, she offered a rueful smile to the skaters. "We're six."

"Sorry," Jimin shrugged and grabbed her chopsticks, nicely signalling they weren't up to compromise.

"It's fine," Minjoo spoke up for the first time, trying to get her friends to move and go back in search of a table. Not that she was siding with her crush by default, but she could understand that after early morning practice, classes, and before a second practice, the skaters wanted to eat in peace too. That is, without three second years asking them to move away. Just thinking about it made her cheeks turn redder, not even daring another look towards Chaewon. Yet the latter was smiling, very softly. "It's fine. It's fine. We'll just go eat outside."

"You’ll be cold," Chaewon's voice was heard for the first time as well. Minjoo almost dropped her tray as her arms turned to marshmallows. Her heart missed a beat, sweetness filling it. "Sit with us."

For a moment, Minjoo wanted to say yes, put her grey tray in front of Hyunjin's and admire the pink-haired girl's beauty for an entire meal. Who would have thought, really, that Kim Chaewon would offer her to eat with the Nationals'? Yena opened in dismay while Dahyeon, who must not have noticed anything, came back until he was ready to set down his plate. However, Hyunjin's glare dissuaded him before he could even settle. Minjoo met Chaewon's gaze again, soft, daring, almost expectant. Needless to say, she was dying to do it, but she couldn't dump the team for pretty eyes, could she? The guys would find it too weird, and even then, her heart wasn't ready for this yet.

"Thanks, really, but you know, team appointment," Minjoo shook her head with a sorry look. Dahyeon must not have understood why she was apologising for refusing Kim Chaewon's proposal since he frowned in confusion. Ignoring him, seeing only the way Chaewon looked at her, Minjoo whispered, "another time?"

Chaewon simply shrugged, with an eye roll that didn't get unnoticed this time, directing her attention back to her food, which must have been getting colder now. Minjoo bit her lip, knowing that she hadn't proven she was going to make things work between them by picking the team over her. After all, taking time didn't mean not taking any initiative, but it was wrong timing. She simply hoped Chaewon would understand that as they already discussed it in messages.

However, the latter quickly lifted her head as Dahyeon placed his tray on the table nonetheless, wiggling his eyebrows as if the most brilliant idea had just crossed his mind, lighting a bulb. Too late for Minjoo to stop him, and anyway, she froze when he addressed Chaewon directly by pointing at her with his chin, "Seohan's coming. Don't you wanna eat with him?"

A deadly silence fell around the table. The three skaters exchanged indecipherable looks, almost as livid as Minjoo, whose rib cage had just compressed around her lungs. Heart sinking, candy floss turning into heavy caramel. Every time the fact that Chaewon and Seohan were close came back to her mind, she had the same reaction. Only this time, it was different. She couldn't do anything about it before, let alone say anything. It was none of her business and it was almost amusing to know her team's captain, one of her best friends, had a secret crush on the girl whose name was red underlined on the team's favourite girls list. Maybe he hadn't told them for that very reason, preferring to keep, as Minjoo had, their relationship or whatever to himself. Minjoo could understand that a fortnight ago, from Seohan's side. Only, at this moment, what was weighing on her lungs was how the words were directed at Chaewon. But then again, what could she really do about it? Except waiting for an answer that didn't come. The skater preferred to conceitedly ignore the boy rather than give an answer that would have saved Minjoo from feeling her doubts flowing back, as sour as the feeling was sweet a few hours ago.

"Ah, Dahyeon... let's go," Yena broke the silence with an awkward laugh, urging her teammate, nudging his arm with her tray. But apparently, he wanted to be noticed by the figure skaters to the point he didn't mind making everyone uncomfortable as he leaned a little more over their table.

"What's going on between you two?" He wiggled his eyebrows again.The other two skaters were getting more and more annoyed by his presence. Hyunjin even quickly pushed Dahyeon's tray away from his but Minjoo couldn't help but move closer. He's just a friend to me. That's what Chaewon had said the last time she had asked, and she also knew she had to trust her on that, but this specific case of insecurity crushed all other thoughts. It was unfair to be in this position; the first and only girl. Dahyeon didn't know about that, of course. He only wanted to show off in front of Jimin and Chaewon, and maybe it was unfair to Seohan too, but at the time, Minjoo was solely thinking about her doubts that hadn't even had time to go away. And as big as they were, Chaewon managed to soothe them with one look, the one she gave her first before she finally turned to Dahyeon, who rejoiced, having his moment, "we know you—"

"How is that any of your business?" On the ice, she was gracefully intimidating, her eyes so focused, so dark brown that nothing reflected more than determination and passion. In the cafeteria, light spots making up for the lack of sunlight and large windows dripping with water, her eyes had a softer shade, and it was even more intimidating. Because unlike between two jumps and a spin, you could see what she was thinking. The reassurance that came while glancing at Minjoo was gone, replaced by justified contempt.

"Well, he's not telling us everything about you t—"

"And how is that any of your business?" She didn't look away, letting her gaze, accustomed to showing passion, envy, sadness, desire, convey all her confidence and deep annoyance. As she faced it a few times already, the hockey player could testify Chaewon being annoyed was a pretty intimidating thing per se. She was hot, not giving him a chance to talk back. And precisely because it was all visible in her gaze, Minjoo felt the tensions that had suddenly appeared in her lower abdomen slowly unwind. "If he's not telling you about it, it's for a reason, so take your food and a hike to see if you can piss someone else at another table."

Dahyeon was one of the team's defenders. A thick brute, not to put too fine a point on it, and he was way taller than Minjoo, his build alone enough to send any opposing attacker crashing to the ice. He was attractive in his genre, muscular, a Canadian hockey haircut, an eyebrow slit that made him look fierce when they entered a rink, sometimes funny... He collected flings that ended after a few pictures and sweet nothings, perhaps only considering the three girls on his team as equals. Jung Dahyeon was quite a piece of work, not the type to shrivel up in front of a doe-eyed, delicate, pink-haired skater, yet he straightened up, almost embarrassed, running a hand through his hair.

And she followed his every move, unimpressed until he finally cracked a smile, his gaze shifting from Jimin to her, "come on, man, we can't talk anymore?"

"You just don't talk to me," she replied, finally resuming eating, letting Hyunjin have the final word as he was already glaring at the hockey player.

Walking away to a miraculously vacant table, Dahyeon grumbled to save his ego. He spoke loudly enough to make sure anyone could hear if they ever listened, rhetorically wondering how Taeho and Kitae had managed to pull such a . To be sure, as a second year in N3, he saw those in N2 as some kinds of models, and of course, it was so easy to bad-mouth the one they'd managed to seduce when he'd only managed to piss her off in the space of two minutes. When Minjoo defended her friends, she forgot how stupid they were. She made sure Dahyeon regretted saying one bad thing about the skater, though, making him grumble again, all her doubts turning into a new feeling in her lower stomach because, damn it, her skater was indeed all that.

-

Slumped on the floor, her neck resting against her backpack, Minjoo pulled out her phone for the second time in the same minute, sighing as the white number still hadn't changed. She wasn't the psycho punctual type, proof being she'd been late for the first skating practice, but this was about meeting Chaewon at her locker, so she preferred to get there without looking either desperate or nonchalant. They had to talk about this, and she couldn't refuse that when the team was just sleeping on the floor instead of discussing games and strategies.

The last white digit changed, and she straightened up. Bobbing her head slightly, she glanced at Seohan. He was smiling, as usual, listening carefully to everything anyone had to say, holding his legs, sometimes running a hand through his dark brown hair. He was a really cute guy. Respectful yet y, intelligent, had never dated a girl, sweet and as loyal as a team captain could be, everything Chaewon would love. But as she said in messages during lunch, if something was bound to happen between them, it would have long ago. Besides, they were apparently close because of something in common, so Minjoo stood up serenely, leaving her bag and black puffer jacket here, knowing she would be back before the end of lunch break. She waved discreetly at Seohan, informing him she was going somewhere, and he waved back, gaze lingering on her as she went down the stairs to the second floor.

Chaewon was already leaning against the dark blue wall, arms crossed across her chest. She was staring into space, and a few days before, Minjoo would never have imagined approaching this girl like that. But things change, in a good way, as snowflakes fall in winter and the rain pounds the windows in early spring. Minjoo made a peace sign without a smile, though the corners of her lips almost defied her pride when Chaewon's gaze softened. All of the beginning of the lunch break's annoyance had disappeared, letting in the soft brown of her doe eyes that looked at her adorably.

So adorably that Minjoo preferred to make it disappear, pressing her palm in the middle of Chaewon's face rather than let her cheeks redden so quickly over a gaze. But to realise her hand was covering most of the skater's face didn't do her heart any good as the latter struggled, holding her wrist away from her.

"I was with your boyfriend," Minjoo provoked with a slightly sarcastic half-smile. Decidedly, she was even starting to use her expressions. Soon she'd begin cutting people off and refusing any contradiction... Actually, she liked that anyway. Minjoo always chose silence over words, distancing herself as soon as the situation wasn't perfectly under control while the other didn't fear confrontation ... and what could be better in a couple than complement one another? Maybe if she could get Chaewon with her on the rink during games to intimidate the opposing defenders, she wouldn't have to worry about them trying to stop her from scoring. Then again, they did make a good team. 

"Aw," so, of course, Chaewon mimicked her, then regained her seriousness, not knowing her fingers playing with the screen of Minjoo's watch made it hard for her to focus on her words. "We're really, really just friends. And we started talking because of something totally different. There's literally no chance of anything happening, trust me it’s impossible and though I'd like to tell you everything, it's really something that must stay between us for now. He trusts me. I trust him, and you need to trust me too."

Minjoo pretended to ponder the words, squinting her eyes, examining the face of the one who had moved closer again, entering all her personal space. She'd noticed this little quirk of Chaewon's, and even though it was out of character, she was beginning to enjoy having her so close all the time. For a relatively cold, resilient girl, it was even more endearing. So she let her play with her smartwatch's strap as she nodded. Chaewon's satisfied smile bugged her so much that her heart fluttered, and she brushed it off again, raising her eyebrows, "why do you sound so secretive about it? You are not James Bond."

"What if I am?" Chaewon raised an eyebrow too, but hers was playful, defiant as she took a step forward, looking up, not away for a second. "See why I can't stand hockey players? Your friend irritating as hell."

"And yours are kind of scary," Minjoo replied. Her back bumped against the lockers, and she unconsciously held her breath when that didn't prevent the skater from taking another step, lavender puffer and navy blue hoodie brushing as they were so close.

"They like you, though," she reassured, though Minjoo already presumed.

"Glad to know you're telling them about me," regaining her natural confidence once the surprise wore off, she teasingly replied, looking down at the pink-haired girl, maybe leaning in as well, not so flustered as she felt her fingers playing with her hoodie's pocket. It warmed her heart, though. It proved once again that she had no reason to doubt anything. 

"Of course," Chaewon smiled, her gaze becoming even more alluring. She was so pretty. "Every second of the day, I'm like; 'this can't pull a waltz, but somehow we can triple axel'".

"Shut up," the hockey player chuckled, pushing away the skater by her forehead, messing her bangs on purpose. They were comfortable enough to behave that way now, enough to be casual and drop formalities, feeling good to be natural. Minjoo grinned even more, watching in amusement how the pink-haired girl was sulking, arranging her bangs, and she took the opportunity to speak again. "We found a table, by the way. Thank you for your concern."

"I know," Chaewon rolled her eyes. "I was looking but I guess you're the type who acts like the other doesn’t exist at every minor inconvenience?"

Valid, so Minjoo lifted an eyebrow, "I thought we stopped assuming things?"

"It's true, though," the skater started playing with the pocket again, sliding her hands into it, her gaze as demanding as ever. "And I don't like that. You know communication is also important off-ice, right? I've explained myself about Seohan and if you're ever mad or annoyed at me about something, just tell me and we can talk it out, 'kay?"

"I wasn't mad." Was the only thing the hockey player picked up on, making Chaewon sigh before leaning even closer. "I, for real, wasn't."

"I wasn't mad then," she demonstrated her movements by leaning on one foot, biting her fingernail, slightly frowning. Apparently, Chaewon was also getting to know Minjoo's quirks, and the latter chuckled again, nudging her shoulder.

"I wasn't mad. I was just annoyed because, look," the brunette defended herself by pointing at her feet. Fortunately, they had dried a little, but the mud on the white sneakers and on the black cargo pants was explicit enough for the skater to laugh about it. As one would expect, hers were intact, how perfect she was. Minjoo rolled her eyes, not really thinking about her words, "and my ex pissed me off."

"Your ex?" Chaewon lifted a brow, the smile slowly fading out her lips.

"Yeah," too late to turn around and escape, Minjoo shrugged, trying to look as casual as possible. "She's aggravating."

"Oh..." For the first time since they met here, Chaewon lowered her gaze for half a second, almost indecipherably if Minjoo hadn't done the same when she'd found out about her being close to Seohan. She was about to retort something to reassure her, but Chaewon interrupted her, a new smile on her lips. "You still to talk to her?"

"No, no, not at all," she shook her head, unable to stop herself from wincing at the thought of talking to her again. Even less after the condescending look from earlier, she was too much of a pain in the and couldn’t compare anyway.

"I don't care, though, but just...let me know if so," Chaewon looked a bit bothered saying she wasn’t, light brown turning a shade darker. Hence, Minjoo reaffirmed the same thing, so she softened a little. "Who is it?"

"You probably don't know her." Well, maybe she did. Seolha was rather popular among second years for being particularly haughty and... quite pretty. Her parents were rich enough for it to be known around the school, and being openly lesbian gave her a surprisingly good reputation. Yeah, it was flattering for her ego to be liked by the school's popular girls, she had to admit.

"What's her name?" the hockey player insisted, though.

Naturally, Minjoo gave in, weak for this slightly deeper tone, "Kang Seolha. Track and field."

"Oh." Well, she didn't know her. This made Minjoo feel a little more at ease since... Now that she thought about it, the two of them did look pretty similar. Seolha was taller but possessed long hair and bangs that made her round eyes even more piercing, as delicate as she was bossy and obsessed over proteins. "I never asked you... Any more exes?"

"Probably less than you." Scrunching her nose a little, Minjoo realised she shouldn't have said that the instant words escaped . She could only blame herself when Chaewon took a step back, frowning.

"Why would you even say that?" She asked, her chestnut eyes metamorphosing into something that didn't look good, figuratively speaking, like when a darker cloud arrived on a balmy day. But it was already pouring outside. Raindrops crashed on the windows facing the mezzanine floor where the lockers were, and it was already showing in her eyes. 

"No, wait, I meant, no, wait-" a little caught off guard, unnerved by Chaewon's beauty at that moment, in the artificial light contrasting with the gloominess outside, her sweet eyes threatening to make the storm rumble, Minjoo stammered. The anime she'd been watching before falling asleep did her no favours as, in utter embarrassment, she almost went to scratch her neck. This made her panic even more. She thought Chaewon would run away if she had to deal with someone who considered her promiscuous and was on top, a weeb, so in another furtive gesture, she dramatically held her forehead, trying to appear as remorseful as possible. Eyes closed, she didn't notice the half-smile dancing on the lips of the one who observed her in silence. "I meant she's the first and only girl I've ever dated—and it didn't even last a week, so you probably have way m- more experience than me."

"All this just to say you don't pull and I do too much, uh?" This time Chaewon didn't try to hide her smirk, even though it didn't necessarily go with the lingering grey cloud in her caramel eyes. It was rare for her to say things like that, so Minjoo felt even worse for being clumsy with her words knowing she probably offended her.

"Not exactly..." she sighed as the other walked away, approaching the railing that overlooked the main hall, facing the windows. Minjoo joined her. "I take this very personally by the way."

"I don't know what y’all say about me, but it has to be bull. Guys will play you on, left and right, then say you're easy to everyone just because you believed them," Chaewon ignored the girl’s previous comment as she leaned over the metal railing, her gaze lost on the ground floor, the cloud more about to release a downpour than a terrifying roar. Minjoo knew it wasn't exactly her fault anymore, and although they were now side by side, she looked at her thoughtfully. "I’ve talked to many guys, but I've only really dated three. The only thing I can be blamed for is that two are best friends, and that's not even my problem to begin with." The hockey player didn't know what to respond, so the skater gave her a sidelong glance, then loudly sighed, "Ugh, practice in ten minutes."

"You're gonna face the storm," Minjoo preferred to ignore everything she had just heard. The most significant thing was that right now, they were together. "You better run fast."

"You know that rationally, over a short distance, you'd potentially get less wet from the rain walking than running," the figure skater replied, squinting her eyes as if trying to watch every drop that hit against the glass. "Something about the rain falling, how long you stay under it, how fast and how far you go."

"Yeah, but better to get out of the rain faster anyway," the hockey player replied, confused by the science part but grasping the idea, leaning against the railing as well.

"Oh absolutely," said Chaewon as if it were obvious, then looked down at the hockey player's shoes before smiling, teasing again, "and not jump into every puddle you see."

"Funny, I thought we were supposed to," amused, Minjoo merely rolled her eyes, accepting the comfortable silence that followed.

She rested her forearm comfortably against the railing, but her gaze did not focus on the windows or the students a few feet below. No, they were drawn to the skater on her right and how pretty and special she was, how incredibly unique. She was talented, gorgeous, intelligent, funny... nice. Maybe too nice as icy arrogant glares couldn't totally erase all the sweetness of her smiles and gestures. The ice princess title suited sublimely good, on ice. Because away from it, Chaewon was light and fresh as a snowflake but charming in another way, wearing perfectly fitted jeans, the white turtleneck sublimating her bust, a cropped puffer jacket elongating her silhouette... and her eyes, her eyes were so soft. Oh and her pink hair, pink like the candyfloss that was making it hard for Minjoo to breathe an hour earlier in the cafeteria.

Kim Chaewon on ice was cold stares, fascinatingly gorgeous, glitters and snowflakes twirling in the fresh air while here, in school, she was intimidatingly sweet, trouble, icy looks, candyfloss and sugar-coat smiles.

Quite incredible. Enough for Minjoo to lose all inhibitions and hesitations as she leaned on one arm, the other coming to Chaewon's waist as she did countless times to Two Weeks. They had to take their time, not rush anything and let this little game go on between them, but that didn't rule out some bold moves, did it? Minjoo smirked to herself, passing her index finger through one of Chaewon's belt loops, shifting her a bit towards her, shamelessly checking her out. She rejoiced at the sudden surprise on the skater's face and pulled her closer by the loop, "you're the hottest gnome I've ever seen."

"You're silly." As if she'd been waiting for this, Chaewon quickly snuggled to Minjoo’s right, just like a magnet drawn to another. She liked science and physics, so she should be able to explain why gravity always made them stick together somehow. Only this time, they weren’t in the rink's freshness but perched on the mezzanine overlooking the hall where all the students sheltered from the rain. It was as if it was the two of them alone anyway. "You were supposed to say I wasn't one."

"Truth hurts, sweetheart?" Minjoo cocked an eyebrow before smiling at the other girl's offended face.

"No wonder why you almost never felt a woman's touch," the skater replied, proudly lifting her chin. She was annoyingly good at talking back in every way. Precisely the kind of a girl one would dream about or deeply fear.

But she was irritating, so the hockey player made a deceptively pitiful face, "you're chronically irritable and irritating."

The figure skater side-glanced, mimicking the same expression, "truth hurts, sweetheart?"

Woah. Chaewon was one, and Minjoo was indeed in trouble for being so into her.

-

They occupied the remaining minutes joking about anything and everything but mainly about the people below them. Despite her detachment from it all and her schedule preventing her from spending much time in the halls, Chaewon was nonetheless a third-year and knew enough about a few people to spill it all without remorse. Forearms against the railing, squinting, trying to see everything despite not wearing her contact lenses, Minjoo listened to the skater's gossip. A giggle escaped her when she learned this guy accidentally broke his girlfriend’s nose with his racket and burst out laughing hearing that this girl with short hair had to compete on the uneven bars in a previous season's leotard because of stress and what it implied.

The weather was really murky, and as Chaewon seemed to get lost in her thoughts for a while, Minjoo watched the rain fall outside. The Haneulae buildings looked even whiter under those clouds, the light inside visible as the sky was the darkest shade of grey. A few students could be seen passing through the science corridors' windows, and as she squinted a little more, she could even spot a few unfortunates heading for the outdoor sports complexes, gym bags over their heads in an attempt to save as much as they could of their clothes. The trees moved gently with the wind, and the smell of the rain matched Chaewon's sweet fruity scent perfectly, just as the colours of the bad weather made her look more radiant. Even if it only lasted for a long exaggerated sigh, the skater put her head on the hockey player's shoulder who shivered. Well, their arms had been glued together, and they were so close that she could smell Chaewon's minty gum as they talked, but every gesture flustered her every time. Her presence alone was enough to make her shiver.

"My time has come," the skater sighed once more, walking away to grab the white bag left in front of the lockers, leaving an immediate void to Minjoo's right as she slowly straightened up, cursing the coaches for scheduling practice during lunch break. "Can you hold this for a sec?"

Minjoo grabbed the puffer, trying to minimise her reaction to having something belonging to Chaewon in her possession—she wasn't that miserable. Her puffer, then her hand, then her last name. This being relatively easy, the thought brought a smile to her face and it widened as she watched the skater struggle to get her hair together before putting on a hoodie. She frowned when the hood didn't fit well, and Minjoo found her irritability amusingly lovely.

Then she held out the lavender puffer, "practice well, miss superstar."

"Yeah, yeah," the superstar in question put on her jacket, growing thicker as she zipped it up, doing anything to avoid the rain. She looked cute under Minjoo’s fond gaze as she dipped her hand into her pocket, the collar zipped up to her chin and the hood only letting pink bangs out, "oh and..." she pulled out a gold chain that the brunette recognised well and handed it to her, "Lucky charm for tonight."

"Are you sure?" A little incredulously, Minjoo carefully grasped the jewel as if it were the most precious thing in the world, beaming and blushing. In any case, it was very precious to Chaewon, which signified even more. Her heart melted again, snowflakes and candy floss twirling in harmony as the skater slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Works like magic," she smiled genuinely and held out her palm. "Sleep well on the bus, 'kay? You need to rest if you want to make them all cry."

"I will," touched by the attention, Minjoo squeezed the gold chain a little tighter in her palm, high-fiving with her free one, hands lingering against one another. She could have asked Chaewon to put the necklace on her, but she seemed in a hurry, already scanning the ground-floor crowd for her partner. "Thanks, Chae."

"My pleasure."

The skater smiled a little wider, adorably, then looked at the time again. She was about to leave, and they wouldn't see each other until Monday, so Minjoo had to try a slapshot in the right corner of the goal. Quick turn, a trick, the puck going behind her back, then between the other team’s sticks, she spoke before Chaewon could turn her back, "I get a kiss if we win, right?"

Chaewon instantly raised her head, sweet eyes shining with a little glint that had never appeared before. The world stopped spinning for a split second as she took a step forward, candy floss, snowflakes and everything starting to flow around them, but she pulled back, suppressed a smile, nodded, and then quickly turned around. Only, a few feet away, she turned again, raising a fist, the words reading on her lips, "Get 'em!"

Oh, absolutely, sweetheart.