She was still sleeping and buried on her thick blankets as her body curved into a ball inside of the sheets, snoring so lowly, just yesterday she can’t deal with the total embarrassment she faced while confessing to a guy she liked, namely Mark Tuan. Nayeon probably enduring her pains through a deep sleep, it was very rare. In most days she wakes up early for school, but now it was past 8:30AM, the noise outside her dormitory’s room didn’t bothered her, girls chit-chatting, having fun and laughing all along, she just want to be alone there, escaping from reality.

”It’s already 8:30AM though, aren’t you gonna get up from there and fix yourself?” Her roommate Jeongyeon asked as she was about to take a sip of her morning coffee.

Jeongyeon and Nayeon were bestfriends since 3^rd grade and they know each other’s secrets, as their friendship policy goes, no lies, no secrets, no things should be hidden.

“I know you’re really frustrated when Mark said he’s gay and is in a relationship with Jinyoung, but you know what, staying like a dead mice there won’t help! Wake-up! The sun is shining so brightly!” Jeongyeon pulled the blanket away and pulled Nayeon’s arms up, trying to get her away from the cozy bed.

“YAH! Can you please just leave me alone?” Nayeon yelled, “And please, I don’t need anyone right now so if you may, you could leave.”

Jeongyeon in surprise got-off her hold against the older girl and said, “Fine, now don’t act like you need me because this is the nth time you pushed me away again.”

The taller girl left the room leaving Nayeon all alone, “Aigoo…” she sighed, “What am I going to do now?” she laid her back on the bed again with blank thoughts.

-------------

Jeongyeon was sitting at the gym alone as her face crumpled into a frown, she felt so frustrated that no matter how she wants to help Nayeon, she can’t because she’s being pushed away.

Jinyoung entered the gym as well and saw the girl’s figure “Hey!” he called.

“Hi!” she responded

“I bet she ignored you again…” Jinyoung began as he sat beside Jeongyeon, “Why can’t you just confess that you like her ever since 5^th Grade?”

“You know that’s impossible, she’s so into your boyfriend. All day and all night she just has one word to say, Mark Mark and Mark!”

“Jeongyeon-ah, you’re my friend since the 7^th Grade and now we’re in 12^th Grade, you’re still that great coward I know.”

“I tried it too many times, but when I’m about to tell her about that, she keeps on telling stories about Mark.”

“She has been so brave to tell Mark, now step up your game and be brave like her too.”

“What if she won’t like me back…”

Jeongyeon’s response got cut as Mark entered the gym as well with a loud greeting “Hello there!”

Jinyoung got up and greeted his guy with a hug. “Now jellybean, we have a friend to help here.”

Mark’s gaze was diverted to Jeongyeon who was still looking hopeless. “Why my jellybean, what’s up with her?”

“Well, Jeongyeon is my friend since 7^th grade and she’s liking the girl who confessed to you yesterday since they were in 5^th grade, we should be cupids for this soon-couple, jellybean!” Jinyoung beamed excitingly.

Jeongyeon looked up at Jinyoung and gave him a deadly glare “T-that’s not it…” she defended.

Mark chuckled and pets Jeongyeon’s head “Don’t worry, I and my jellybean are willing to help!”

Jeongyeon just smiled softly at the couple’s offer

“Jeongyeonnie, shouldn’t you comfort Nayeon at this rate now? I really think she’s in need of that.” Jinyoung said

“A day before she confessed to Mark, I told her about your relationship, she got angry to me and said that I was just lying, so she did it.”

“I’ll talk to her…” Mark offered, “Where she is now?”

---------------------------

The three of them walked into the dormitory where Jeongyeon and Nayeon were staying, as they got in, Mark woke Nayeon up and they talked.

“Uhm, Nayeonnie… About yesterday, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Yes, I am gay and I am with Jinyoung since 10^th grade, I hope you could forgive me and we could be friends. I know there’s someone who’ll take good care of you, better than me.”

“I am so sorry for planting feelings to you as well without me knowing that you’re already in a relationship, I was just too attracted to you everytime you play basketball for the School Team, it’s a shame, and I’m really sorry.”

“You don’t have to, feelings do come and go and you can’t prevent it from coming nor stop it from going away, open your heart to all the possibilities.”

Nayeon nodded as Mark hugged him, Jeongyeon was frozen on her seat and Jinyoung’s soothing her back, “It’ll be fine, Jeongyeon-ah…” he whispered.

----------------------

Jeongyeon was at the library as she was writing something seriously, Mark saw her and he approached her, “Hey Jeongyeon!”

“Hello there Mark.” She smiled as she offered him a seat beside her

“What are you writing? You seemed serious.”

“Uhm, a letter for Nayeon.”

“Are you gonna confess now? Ah! I thought of something! Why don’t you remain as anonymous and drop that letter on her locker?” Mark suggested.

“Do you think it’ll work?” she tilted her head.

“If you will try then, I think it would…”

So Jeongyeon continued writing the letter as Mark was texting Jinyoung a text, “Nayeon and Jinyoung are classmates for the 3PM class, right? I’ll ask Jinyoung where Nayeon is so that we won’t be caught when we put that letter on her locker.”

---------------

“Success!” Mark and Jeongyeon shared a high-five as they were able to put the letter on Nayeon’s locker.

“But wait, how did you know her code?”

“Remember she likes you, right? So I asked your birthdate to Jinyoung, and it worked.” She replied with a chuckle.

“Christmas Ball is coming in two weeks, do you want me and Jinyoung to help you more further? Like let’s give her surprises for that two weeks, then you’ll ask her at the last day!”

“Sure! Now thank you for your enthusiasm to help me, Mark. I am really grateful.”

Mark just smiled at her.

------------

“I won’t be going home in there! I don’t want a house where everyone is fighting! I can do well here at the dorm and my scholarship is enough to make me live without you! Goodbye!”

Jeongyeon entered the dorm room and heard Nayeon screaming at the phone, she walked quietly to peek at the door and saw Nayeon crying in there.

“Nayeonnie?” she slowly stepped towards the crying girl. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I heard you screaming as soon as I arrived. What’s wrong?”

Nayeon without words just threw her arms around the taller girl’s neck as she continued sobbing, Jeongyeon hugged her tight as she soothed the other’s back, “Stop crying now, I’m here…”

“I just don’t get it…”

“The what?”

“Why everyone in our house is fighting, my parents are fighting, my dad hit my brothers, and thankfully I am here, away from them, I don’t want to go to that hellish place again.”

“Arasseo, I’m here…” Jeongyeon tightened her hug as she hummed slowly, trying to stop Nayeon from crying.

---------------

“Jeongyeonnie, do you know where is this from?”

Nayeon was holding a paper and showed it to Jeongyeon, the taller girl froze on her desk seat, it was the letter she given to her.

“A-aniyo… Wae? What does it say?”

“This person wants to go out with me at the Christmas Ball.”

Mark who just got inside the classroom heard Nayeon and so he intruded, “Maybe that person is that someone who will take good care of you better, like what I said.”

“Aniyo!” Nayeon whined, “I’ll find out who gave this, I feel uncomfortable a bit.”

“Why?” Jeongyeon asked.

“I don’t know, it’s just a weird feeling.”

They all got into their seats as their teacher arrived.

--------------------

Jeongyeon was carrying a small box and a pink paper as she was heading to Nayeon’s locker, inside the box are Nayeon’s favorite candies, if Nayeon feels scared, upset or mad, candies do help her feel better, so Jeongyeon thought of giving her one.

“Aha!”

Jeongyeon panicked in fear as she turned around and saw Jinyoung making fun of her.

“YAH! You scared me!”

“Yoo Jeongyeon, do you know how scared you look at the classroom earlier?!”

“Nah, don’t talk about that.” Jeongyeon locked Nayeon’s locker as she got finished stocking it with her gifts. “You know what, let’s go to the cafeteria, I’ll buy you drinks.” Jeongyeon pulled the guy away from the area as they walked to their destination.

------------------

“Your smiles are the sweetest like these candies, smile often, be happy often, cheer-up. If life becomes tough on you, be strong.”

Nayeon giggled as she was reading the note attached to the box, she took a bite of the candies and breathed deeply to relieve her stress, “I wonder who really gave these?” she turned around from her study table to face Jeongyeon, but unfortunately, she taller girl was knocked out from the day’s activities and fell to sleep, Nayeon smiled and got up to cover the other girl with blankets, she also took off Jeongyeon’s socks which she forgot since she went to the bed straight upon arriving. She knelt down and faced the asleep. A smile curved on her lips unknowingly as she was watching the other’s sleeping figure, Nayeon’s gaze landed on Jeongyeon’s face, she looked so lovely, you can see the lovingness on her face, although she is loud most of the time, she looks so beautiful and feminine.

Nayeon’s cheek felt hot as she was blushing, she was staring on Jeongyeon for some minutes, her heart suddenly beat faster, her hands were sweating cold, “Am I starting to like you?” she asked herself.

------------------

Jeongyeon woke-up at 5AM and decided to jog, she didn’t bothered waking Nayeon who is sleeping on the other bed. She grabbed her phone and wallet along and began her exercise, after circling the field for 20 minutes, she decided to drop by a convenience store and bought Nayeon’s favorite yogurt.

On her was back, she saw Mark and Jinyoung who were jogging on the field as well

“Hey you lovebirds! Good morning!”

“Good morning to you too, hopeless romantic!” Mark replied with a laugh

“Wow thanks!” Jeongyeon sarcastically replied.

“You’re heading back to the dorm, right?” Jinyoung asked

“Yes, I will just drop this yogurt on Nayeon’s locker then I’ll be back in the room.”

---------------

Jeongyeon just finished placing the yogurt on Nayeon’s locker and walked back to the dormitory room, she saw Nayeon’s dad’s coming so she ran fast ahead of him.

“Nayeon-ah, wake-up! Your dad is coming here.”

“What?” Nayeon asked as she got up from her bed.

“I think they want to pull-you out in here, I’ll call the security.”

Just as before Jeongyeon could call for help, a loud noise scared them

“Nayeon, go out! Come home with us!” Screamed by her father

Nayeon trembled on her place as Jeongyeon hugged her, pinning the phone on her ear “Hhm, hello please rescue us here in room 504, someone is bothering us outside.”

Loud noises followed more as the angry man began banging the door, Nayeon cried again and Jeongyeon tried to stop her “Ssssh, be quiet or else he’ll hear us.”

The shorter girl hid on the taller girl’s chest as she was sobbing quietly; later-on the noises were gone.

“Sir, if you won’t stop that, we’ll send you to the police.”

“Shut up! I need my daughter to go home with me.”

“No sir, we can’t allow that.”

“Hey who are you!? Why are you handcuffing me?! Heeeey!”

And the noises come to fainter.

Jeongyeon was still cradling Nayeon in her arms as the other girl halted from crying.

“I am scared Jeongyeonnie…”

“I’m here, you don’t have to.”

---------------

Nayeon was about to open her locker when a guy approached him

“Noona, please take these flowers.”

She peered him for some seconds and shook her head in disbelief, “Are you the one who is leaving letters on my locker?”

The guy nodded his head fast.

Nayeon opened the locker and saw a yogurt and a note, she read it quickly saying “Please go out with me to the Christmas Ball.”

“So it’s you?” Nayeon looked at him again.

Jeongyeon was walking around when she saw the two talking, “Hey sup?!”

“Jeongyeonnie, he’s the guy who’s dropping gifts on my locker.”

Jeongyeon stared at him, he is tall, with clean hair-cut, glasses and holding a bouquet which she supposed is for Nayeon.

“So you’re asking my friend for a date?”

“Yes, by the way I am Jaebum.” He offered Jeongyeon a handshake

Jeongyeon shrugged, “I am Nayeon’s best friend and if you break her heart again, I will break your face, you understand?”

Jaebum nodded with a smile and took Nayeon’s hands “Noona, will you be my date at the ball?”

Nayeon nodded slowly with a dumbfounded look on her face. Jeongyeon greeted them as she walked out “I have to catch Jinyoung, we’re working on something, bye and congratulations!”

The tall girl went on the building’s rooftop as she burst in tears.

“Why do people loves hindering my feelings to you?!” She screamed in the air.

--------------------

Jinyoung was walking in the hallway when he saw Nayeon walking around, “Nayeon!”

“Have you seen Jeongyeon?” he continued.

“But I thought you two are doing something?”

“Oh jinjja, she said that?”

“Yeah.”

“I gotta go then, bye!”

Jinyoung ran away from Nayeon as he got up on the stairs to go the the rooftop, there, he saw Jeongyeon crying.

“What’s wrong?” he quickly stepped towards her and gave her a hug.

“Someone just asked her out.”

“What did she said?”

“She said yes to him, and that guy claimed that he was the one leaving letters on Nayeon’s locker!”

“That’s cruel, but I have an idea!”

“What?”

--------------------

Mark was carrying a heavy bag as he got on Jinyoung’s apartment. “Why you suddenly asked me to buy these firecrackers, jellybean?” he asked with a tired sigh.

“Well, unfortunately someone asked Nayeon and she said yes, so I have an evil plan on the ball and we have to do it for our dear friend.”

“What?! What do you plan to do?”

Jinyoung pulled Mark’s ears as he whispered the plans for the ball.

----------

Jeongyeon was lying on her bed, she was badly hurt. This time she thinks she will lose an opportunity to tell Nayeon what she felt again.

Nayeon arrived from her class as she disposed the bouquet away in the bin.

“Why did you throw it away?”

“I’m allergic to flowers, right?”

“Then why you accepted it?”

“I just don’t want to embarrass the person, so I did.”

Jeongyeon shrugged as she got up and headed to the bathroom, Nayeon was scanning the fridge, finding something to eat.

“Jeongyeon-ah, may I borrow a hairclip on you?” she yelled.

“Just see my things there” she responded.

Nayeon walked to Jeongyeon’s study table and pulled the drawer and a pink parchment paper fell on the floor. Nayeon bent down to pick it, “The paper is similar to the letters I got” she whispered to herself, she never hesitated and read what’s written on it.

“This may surprise you, but I am a fellow girl who likes you, ever since I knew you, I did liked you, you are the most beautiful woman I met, I am falling for you and to all your flaws, I love you, your bitter past and what you will be in the future. Yes Im Nayeon, I like you since 5^th grade, I never had the courage to tell you this because it may ruin our friendship, I never want to lose you permanently because you are my everything now, I love you.”

Tears from her eyes began to roll down on her cheek, Jeongyeon got out from the bathroom and stepped aback with what she saw.

“So it’s you…”

“I will explain….”

Nayeon stepped towards the taller girl and tiptoed to kiss Jeongyeon’s lips. Jeongyeon froze for a while and began responding on Nayeon’s kisses, the taller girl cupped the shorter girls face as their kisses gotten deeper, after a few minutes of kissing, Nayeon pulled away and hugged Jeongyeon tightly.

“Why you kept this on me?”

“I was full of what ifs, what if you will be disgusted on me, then you’ll avoid me for the rest of our lives, right?”

“That’s completely stupid!” she bit Jeongyeon’s arm and chuckled

“I always want to tell you that I will be the one who will protect you, remember when you went to school when we’re on the 6^th grade and you’re full with bruises? I just want to give your dad a punch in the face as well.”

“Pabo, what if he hits you back?”

“Well, he can hit me as much as he wanted, as long as he won’t hit you.”

“I can still remember when you brought your box of medicine kit everyday just to clean my wounds before, thank you for that Jeongyeonnie.”

“No one will ever do that to you aside from me because nobody loves you except me.”

“Yah! Are you being full of yourself? Should I just date Jaebum?”

“Hey! I was just kidding.”

“Thank you for biting my dad’s hand when he was about to slap me on the face, thank you for calling for security when he attempted to get me from here, thank you for being there for me ever since we knew each other, I owe you a lot, I never realized I was hurting you.”

“It’s okay, what’s important is we’re here now, right?”

“That’s right”

----------------------------

That night, Jeongyeon texted Jinyoung, “She knew it already.”

“What?! Then what did she said?”

“We’re a couple now.”

“OMG REALLY?!?!?! I am so happy for you Jeongyeonnie! But you owe me something!”

“What? I did? How?”

“We bought firecrackers to distract everyone in the ball, then Mark will take Nayeon away from the crowd and from her date meanwhile no one will notice, then we can bring Nayeon to you.”

“What? Are you stealing ideas from TV?”

“Excuse me, in TV they switch the lights off, but our plan is to distract everyone with the fireworks display.”

“Wow, how much is that?”

“Kidding! Well since you and Nayeon are a couple now then, while the two of you will have an alone time at the ball, you can watch fireworks display!”

“Hahaha, thank you Jinyoung, I do owe you a lot, and to Mark as well.”

“It’s no biggie, and congratulations again to the two of you”

Nayeon just finished her homework and crawled her way to Jeongyeon, “I’m sleepy~” she pouted.

“Let’s sleep then, my eyes are about to fall as well.”

---------------------------

The day of the ball came, everyone’s so excited, everyone’s out with their dates.

Jeongyeon decided to ditch the ball and brought Nayeon with her, they were sitting on the field with their gowns on.

“If we’ll attend the ball then I can’t have a solo time with you…”

Nayeon chuckled and poked Jeongyeon’s nose, “Selfish!”

The open night sky was filled with stars, Jeongyeon slowly grabbed Nayeon’s hands as their fingers intertwined.

“Remember when we’re still little, I would pass by your house’s rooftop, pick up you up on your room and together, we go on stargazing?”

“Of course I do! I thought before you are Spiderman’s daughter since you can go up on our rooftop. I always told myself, Jeongyeon’s dad is Spiderman!”

“Silly~”

“That’s true though!”

Jeongyeon faced Nayeon and their eyes met, silence followed but it was noticeable that they were talking through their eyes.

Jeongyeon leaned closer on Nayeon as she kissed her heart-shaped lips, and then hugged tight after.

Fireworks began to fly in the sky and they were watching it, Jeongyeon asked about Nayeon’s plans in the future.

“Well, you don’t want to go home, since your father is still a threat on you, right?”

“Without the roofed concrete nor the building built in walls, just being beside you makes me home.”

“I love you…”

“I love you too…”