In every school there is usually at least one member of the staff that is slightly more decent than others. Mrs. Kim, head of the curriculum department at the school that Eunsook and Taeyeon were attending, was just that – a lesser evil. When she, brought on her feet by the noise in the corridor, beheld Mrs. Han, lying on the floor and cursing like a person possessed by at least three demons, she was not excited, to say the least.
“Mrs. Han!” she cried, her stilettos clicking towards the raving teacher. “Lee Eunsook may not be the student we desire to keep at our school, but a teacher should never utter such words inside the school!”
That angry sentence had a sobering effect on Mrs. Han. She stopped cursing and scrambled on her feet, helped by Kim Gwiboon, who just stayed because she didn't want to go back to her class.
“And did you forget who Lee Taeyeon's parents are?! Were you trying to ruin the image of our school?!”
Gwiboon rolled her eyes. She had a different view on the image of the school.
“But she cursed at me!” Mrs. Han screeched. “She is not the innocent flower we believed her to be!”
“That doesn't sound like Lee Taeyeon at all,” Mrs. Kim argued.
“She told me to leave her alone in a rude form!” Mrs. Han pushed Gwibbon forwards roughly. “There, she heard everything, she can confirm.”
Mrs. Kim gave the girl a questioning look, and Gwiboon's eyes flickered between the other two.
“Hm... was it before or after you grabbed her though?”
Mrs. Kim's eyes rounded.
“You grabbed a student?!”
“After, dammit!” Mrs. Han barked, making Gwiboon startle.
“I do know that you must be tired and all, Mrs. Han, but I can't confirm something that never happened.”
“Why are you lying, you stupid, ungrateful ?!” Mrs. Han yelled, leaving her reason behind for good. She hit Gwiboon's arm in frustration and the girl flinched.
“What I saw before was this charming woman chasing Lee Taeyeon and saying terrible things about her best friend whom she hates for no reason,” Gwiboon explained coldly, breaking her off. “Excuse my impertinence, Mrs. Kim, but it's finally the time for you to believe a student and not a mad person in charge.”
Mrs. Kim's features fell. The girl was right. That particular situation could not be resolved just by a detention for the student and a few words of guidance for the teacher.

They were standing, frozen in time, their hands locked, as the clouds floated far above them, throwing shadows and releasing the warm sunlight again.
A new, bothering thought made Eunsook lean back and ask, her brow furrowed in concern:
“But... what about Jinki?”
Taeyeon averted her eyes for a moment. No doubt, despite the happy revelations of that day, somewhere on the back of her mind the feeling of guilt was waiting to be remembered.
“To tell the truth… he is the first guy to have broken up with me. On his own will.”
Eunsook was surprised, to say the least.
“But how? When?”
Tae her lips.
“It happened last week. We were kissing, and I... said your name...”
It was Eunsook's turn to pretend she was suddenly very interested in the bushes below as she blushed.
“I… um... I'm really sorry.”
Taeyeon laughed.
“I'm in love with the most wonderful girl in the world, don't be sorry just because a boy walked out on me.”
“I'm kind of sorry for Jinki, though.”
Tae became serious as she thought of him, sitting in his classroom with the wound in his heart still bleeding.
“That... yes. But we weren't meant to be, and all he can do is to try to understand that.”
A question hovered on the tip of Eunsook's tongue for a moment. She wanted to ask if Tae indeed thought she and Jinki looked alike and if that had played any role in her friend's decision to date the boy. But then she realized that she didn't even want to know. It simply didn't matter anymore.
Suddenly she shut her eyes and swayed as if she was feeling dizzy.
“Eunsook, what's wrong? Are you feeling bad?” Taeyeon asked, throwing her arms around her friend to help her stay on her feet.
“No, I'm fine, really...”
“But you look pale.”
“It's nothing, I'm just... I need to rest.”
She slowly sank to the floor, and Taeyeon sat down beside her, holding her so that she wouldn't hurt herself.
“I'm feeling so tired,” Eunsook muttered without lifting her eyelids. “All of my energy has gone away suddenly.”
“You've been getting a lot of stress lately,” Taeyeon said softly, caressing the other's cheek.
Eunsook changed her position and let her head rest on her friend's lap.
“I just want to stay like this for a while.”
“We have all the time in the world now. Rest.”
She fell asleep immediately, lulled by the movement of Taeyeon's fingers brushing through her long hair gently.
Taeyeon was tired, too. Tired, overwhelmed and worried about their future. But, at the same time, she couldn't even remember when she had been so happy for the last time. For years, Taeyeon had seen herself as selfish, shallow and incapable of deep emotion, and thought that the only way she could be content was through accepting the truth and living her life without ups too high and downs too low. Yet now, she realized how deeply, deeply sad she had been all this time, how full of fear, self-doubt and, of course, loneliness. There was nothing shallow about her love for the girl sleeping now on her knee, exhausted after fighting with the whole world, and still full of light – the light that had always filled every day of Taeyeon's life, even when they had been apart or not talking to each other, even the days of darkness. That light was the reason she was still hanging on. And that love was far bigger, greater than any of the people trying to keep them apart could fathom.
She leaned down to put a light kiss on Eunsook's temple.
Put your armour away, my love. It's my turn to fight now.
Quite soon the door was open, and they were discovered. The two girls were found, but the people who disturbed their solitude could never really see or understand the feelings that had brought them there. Their love was safe inside their hearts.

Headmaster apparently decided to change his tactics this time, because he reached out his hand and asked, smiling unctuously:
“Would you like a candy?”
“No, thank you,” Taeyeon said dryly.
“Why not? Have one!”
“I take care of my teeth and I simply don't want it.”
The man's smile wavered. She was going to be difficult.
He tossed the candy away and cleared his throat.
“I am as inconvenienced by this situation as you are, trust me.”
“Are you?”
The man frowned, but decided to be patient.
“I, as Headmaster, never wanted things to come to this. An A-level student leaving our school in the shadow of a dirty scandal...” He shook his head. “All we wanted to do was to create equal opportunities for kids from different backgrounds.”
“And yet Eunsook is the only one being driven out.”
“That is... that is because she ignited the whole...” Headmaster flailed his arms in the air, trying to find the proper words. “Ghastly… thing.”
“Eunsook ignited nothing,” the girl argued. “She was provoked, bullied and received punishments she didn't deserve.”
“She had a hard time because she refused to accept the norms of our school.”
Taeyeon shook her head.
“No. The school refused to accept her.”
“The school gave her every chance to...” Headmaster began, growing impatient, but Tae broke him off:
“Choi Minjung heard you tell Eunsook that she should be grateful that she hasn't been put into a mental institution.”
She was breaking the rules of etiquette by looking the man straight in the eye, but that was the last thing she cared about at the moment.
He clenched his jaws.
“People of her kind do not belong in our school.”
“Then you should kick me out, too. Because I'm exactly the same.”
Headmaster's eyes narrowed for a second, but then he gave an unnatural laugh and shook his head.
“You are a clean, young girl from a respected family. While it's admirable that you're trying to defend your-”
“I am absolutely the same kind as her. So is Choi Minjung. Yet we're staying, because you're afraid of our parents. Talk about equal opportunities.”
“That's because that girl is past salvation!.. Now be quiet,” he commanded, pointing his finger at Taeyeon as she opened to speak again. “And listen to what I'm going to say. Lee Eunsook is leaving the school in three days. In just three days, it will be over. All I am asking you to do is to refrain from any contact with her if you don't want trouble. Or face the consequences.”
“I won't do that even if you cut off my arm. And don't you dare threaten me unless you want to face my father. If he finds out that I was chased, screamed at and grabbed by a crazy Christian witch after being spied on for weeks, you might all loose your places.” Taeyeon's voice sounded cold, sober, yet her mind was in flames. She rose to her feet. “Now I would like to take my sick friend home, and if you're run out of things to blackmail me with, I'll be off.”
Headmaster sneered, putting his fingers together.
“Think twice before running to your father, girl. When he finds out, he might turn his back on you forever, and his influence will not help you anymore.”
“If I'm going down undeservedly, I'll bring those who deserve it down with me. And also you forget that some parents actually do love their children. To be honest, I don't think you know anything about love at all.”
The man smiled intimidatingly.
“Little do you know, child. If you and Lee are not back in class in three minutes, you will both receive public reprimand and punishments, and I'll make sure that you have no reason to feel like you have any unwanted privilege forced upon you. Now get out of my sight.”
Taeyeon bowed and left the room without a sound.
Closing the door behind her, she was finally able to breathe freely. Eunsook was lying on the bench in the corridor with her eyes closed, looking exhausted.
“I'm sorry I drifted off...” she breathed out, feeling the touch of Taeyeon's little hand on her forehead. “What did they say? Do I have to go?”
“Nothing that matters. Now let's try to sit up.”
She made her friend drink the water she had brought before, and called somebody on the phone.
“Don't worry, baby, we'll leave here soon,” Taeyeon said, caressing her hand, and Eunsook's eyes smiled.

The driver, a tall young man of an athletic build, made a sour face when he saw Taeyeon approaching the car together with Eunsook, who was leaning on her shoulder.
“Um, Miss Taeyeon... I'm afraid I can only take you, as...”
“You'll have to take Eunsook as well.”
“But your mother specifically told me to...”
“…entertain her in the backseat everytime she goes to ‘Incheon’ for ‘a conference’?” Taeyeon continued, her face straight.
The young man gulped, his eyes flickering. He wasn't stupid and it didn't take him long to arrive at the right conclusion.
“Let me put your bags to the luggage rack first,” he mumbled, opening the back door hastily.
On their way to Eunsook's home, she poked Taeyeon's arm and whispered:
“Was it... really...?”
“It's a dirty, dirty world,” Taeyeon answered with a sigh. “Are you feeling cold? Shall I tell him to roll up the window?”
“No, I like the air. And you.”
They both laughed, and Taeyeon kissed her friend's face.
“You can sleep a little more. We're only half-way.”
“I don't want to sleep, I want to look at you and kiss you,” Eunsook argued with a pout before yawning. “Okay, I do want to sleep a little. But that doesn't exclude the other wants.”
Tae smiled.
“There's a time for everything. Rest your head on my lap.”
In a few minutes of silence, broken only by unnecessary inquiries and expressions of concern coming from the driver, who was anxiously trying to wheedle to her, Taeyeon felt eyelids become heavy, too. The man had no reason to worry, though - how her mother chose to spend her free time, was not a concern of hers.

Taeyeon knelt on the floor, putting her elbows on the bed where Eunsook was resting.
“Are you sure you're comfortable that way?” the latter asked, turning to her side to see her friend's face better.
Taeyeon nodded.
“I want to look at your face.”
Eunsook laughed, embarrased. She took Taeyeon's hand in hers.
“It's so strange to be talking with you like this...”
“Like how?”
Their fingers locked together.
“Like... lovers.”
“Hmm...” Taeyeon thought for a moment. “It is strange... but it's not. I'm looking at you now and I know that I am where I truly belong. Your face and body are beautiful, your soul is beautiful…” She leaned closer to kiss the other girl's fingers one by one. Eunsook's breath hitched and she felt her face heat up. Tae pressed her cheek to her friend's palm. “We are so right together. Except you have such a rich mind, and I'm... well, I have a pretty face, but other than that, I'm just… rich. Ordinary. Why are you so red?” she asked, raising her eyes.
“I'm... I'm not red, I'm...” Eunsook mumbled.
“Behold, Lee Eunsook is embarrassed.”
Eunsook pulled the blanket over her face.
“No, I'm not.”
“Yes, you are, and it is sweet. Don't hide from me.”
Taeyeon pushed the blanket away from her friend's face, still adorned with a bashful blush.
“No, you are far from ordinary,” Eunsook argued, changing the topic back to where it had been going. “Come on, what ordinary girl will lose her passport on the way to the airport when going on vacation to Europe and then mistake a window for a door?”
They both laughed.
“No, that's just stupidity.”
“Maybe. But what rich, proper girl will get herself in trouble and fight with her teacher to meet her gay outcast friend on the roof during a lesson? That's quite brave, I would say.”
Tae shrugged.
“To me it's not brave. I'd go through a thousand enraged Mrs. Hans any moment, because I want to be with you.”
Eunsook smiled.
“No matter how I tried, I could never really imagine you saying these things to me.”
“I imagined myself saying these things many times, but I was a coward. My mind was confused, my body was, too. I thought I wanted some things, but when I got them, they were never enough...”
“Are you talking about dating boys?”
Tae nodded.
“That, too. It didn't always feel wrong... But it never really felt right either. Can I ask you something?”
“Hm?”
She faltered.
“Have you ever felt attracted… to a guy?”
“Never,” Eunsook answered without taking a moment to think. “And I always knew what I was. I never strayed from my ways.”
“Not even once?”
“Not even an ounce,” Eunsook joked, grinning, and Taeyeon laughed.
“I thought the puns were never coming back.”
“My punishments taught me nothing, you see.”
Taeyeon rose to her feet, laughing, and sat on the edge of the bed to tickle her friend.
“Nothing at all.”
“Aw, don't tickle me, or all the runs will pun out,” Eunsook protested, pushing her hands away.
“I hope they do run out because they're terrible.”
“Do you wanna hear more?”
“No!” Taeyeon cried, trying to cover her friend's mouth with her hands. But Eunsook was a persistent fighter, too, and she defended herself with all of her might. Her friend climbed on top of her like she'd used to when they were fooling around in the past. Only this time, Tae was distracted by the beautiful face smiling at her. Eunsook looked divine with her long hair spread around her face on the pillow. Her laughter – that deep, hearty laughter that Tae had missed so much – was making waves that vibrated through the other girl's body, and the fluttering of the butterflies in her stomach became more tangible.
She couldn't quite register the moment when she stopped struggling and just let her eyes rest on the features she loved.
“Well, I guess I don't need them anymore, because you are the only pun I need,” Eunsook said, making her friend roll her eyes.
“Oh, stop it!”
Tae covered Eunsook's face with her own long hair. The girl shook it away and sat up, closing the distance between them. That sent the butterflies Taeyeon was feeling into quite a swirl.
“And do you know why?”
“I don't wanna know,” Tae lied.
“Because you're a cuTae!”
Eunsook laughed happily, as she always did when she thought she had come up with a genius joke.
Taeyeon hit her arm.
“Shut up.”
“Make me,” Eunsook urged with a cheeky smile.
And Taeyeon did, by kissing her on the mouth, tentatively, tenderly, like she had done on the roof. Only now there was no threat of someone coming to disturb their tete-a-tete, their bodies were pressed against each other, and the feeling was different. Eunsook was not shy anymore, too. She wrapped her arm around the girl, pulling her even closer. Taeyeon's lips parted, moving with hers, as her fingers laced into Eunsook's soft hair. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt Eunsook's hand slip under her shirt, the warm touch sliding up her back gently. She gave a sigh of pleasure as Eunsook's lips touched her cheek.
“Tell me if I'm going too far,” Eunsook whispered against her skin.
“You're not,” Taeyeon answered, her eyes closed.
She mirrored what her lover was doing, gliding her hand along the other girl's under the clothes. She felt a spark of excitement when her fingertips brushed over the wing of her bra. She longed for her.
Taeyeon's lips hovered over Eunsook's neck before pressing to again, because she couldn't get enough of her kisses.
They were not going any further, because the moment was perfect in itself.
They studied each other's faces, conversing without words. Then Taeyeon confessed:
“Kissing a girl feels so much better... Or maybe it's just because it's you.”
Eunsook gave her that broad, dreamy grin that always made her friend feel warm inside. Now, it also made her feel delightfully giddy.
“Maybe it's both,” she said.
“Eunsook.”
“What?”
Taeyeon her lips, fixing the skewed collar of the other's shirt.
“When did you fall for me?”
“Hmm, let's see...” Eunsook began, lying back down. “I think it happened one day when you were late for class. Your hair was perfectly smooth and you were wearing a peach lip gloss. You whispered ‘hello’ and asked me if the desk next to mine was taken. Maybe it was the moment you stepped into the room… or about ten seconds later.”
“Wasn't it my first day at school?”
“Exactly.”
Taeyeon laughed and leaned down to give Eunsook a chaste kiss. She was touched.
They lay on Eunsook's narrow bed, side by side, hands locked, listening to the sounds of the world moving
outside the window, savouring the intimacy of their silence.
However, they were both aware of the cloud hanging over their heads, the fear of the future lurking in the back of their minds.
Taeyeon was the first to speak.
“Are you sure you don't want to fight... one last time?”
“Fight for what?”
“Staying at our school. I'm sure I can do something, like, hire someone to hack Headmaster's computer and blackmail him... I'm sure there is some weird in there.”
Eunsook laughed, but then got quiet again and sighed.
“I think there's been enough fighting for now. And I don't want you to get in trouble.”
“But I want to be with you... I can't go back there knowing that I won't see you, not when we just got together.”
Taeyeon's voice trembled.
“Do you know what the most difficult part is when it comes to love?”
“No,” Tae sniffed.
“Finding your person. Everything else doesn't matter.”
“Not when everything else is against you.”
“Nothing matters, because now that we've found each other…” Eunsook continued, shaking the other girl's hand to tear her out of the gloominess she was falling into. “We have no choice but to be together in the end.”
“But we'll have to wait...”
“Just a few months until school is over.”
“And what then?”
“Then we'll figure something out. You'll see.” Eunsook moved closer to put a kiss on Taeyeon's forehead. “Now let's rest a bit more while it's quiet.”
The girls were woken up by the sound of the front door being opened. Eunsook's mother came back home from her shift, and was in the middle of another sermon about the mess in the living room, when, to her surprise, she discovered that her daughter was having a guest. She was flustered, confused and pleased at the same time, since she didn't expect anyone, let alone Lee Taeyeon, to still be willing to be Eunsook's friend. She fussed with the dinner, and was chattering all the time, making sure that Taeyeon could feel just how grateful she was for her kindness.
It was embarrassing, of course, but Eunsook only smiled and held her girlfriend's hand under the table, savouring her presence and her loving touch.
Taeyeon couldn't help wondering if Mrs. Lee's treatment of her would have been different if she had known that Taeyeon wasn't an angel of friendly charity, but was, in fact, guilty of the same crime (which wasn't even a crime!) as her daughter. But, in the end, she decided not to dwell on that at all, since the room was warm, atmosphere more or less peaceful, and the girl she loved was by her side. Instead, she made up her mind to enjoy the home-made kimchi dumplings steaming in front of her, because, to be honest, she was terribly hungry.