RACE YOU TO HER HEART; 
Chapter 3: Chasing Im Nayeon (III)

It soon became a routine for Dahyun. She would wait for as long as she could (until she really had to leave) for Nayeon to be done with school for the day. 
 

Dahyun looked forward to it - seeing Nayeon. And each time as she waited, her heart would race at the thought of the older girl appearing any moment soon, right before her eyes. It was truly an odd feeling. Dahyun couldn't really describe it fully, but it was rather exhilarating. It was as though she had ran a race... but then again she didn't. 

Most times Dahyun would be able to walk to the bus stop with Nayeon (just that simple act made her very happy for some reason) and they would even take the bus back together. 

'Ah, I must really want to be friends with this unnie,' she had thought then.

Time flew by and Dahyun seem to have gotten her wish as the two got closer. Dahyun eventually even found out about Nayeon's likes and dislikes, where Nayeon lived, how many people were there in Nayeon's family, what Nayeon wanted to be when she grew up and most importantly, Nayeon's daily schedule so she knew when exactly Nayeon's classes would end.

Dahyun was waiting for Nayeon - as usual - one day when a rowdy Jackson greeted her, "Yo Dubu yah!" He yelled. And Dahyun was honestly quite glad to see her friend... until he placed a sweaty arm around her shoulder. 

"Eww Mandu you're all sweaty and gross!" Dahyun shrieked. 

"Oh yeah practice just ended so..." he finished by wiping some of his sweat on Dahyun's arm on purpose.

"YAH!" Dahyun screamed in horror. And Jackson immediately bursts into laughter. "Oh my gosh! You stink ew ew ew don't touch me!" 

"How about..." Jackson smirked, "No." With that the playful guy shook his very sweaty head near Dahyun... resulting in some droplets of sweat from his hair splashing onto her.

"WHAT THE HECK JACKSON WANG!"

And Jackson only stuck out his tongue before running away from his friend. He was laughing hysterically then, thinking about how funny that was...

What he didn't expect was for Dahyun to chase after him. 

"YOU'RE SO DEAD JACKSON WANG!"

"Oh shi-"

Very soon Dahyun managed to catch him. Grabbing a hold of his (gross and sweaty) shirt with one hand, she started whacking him with with the other. "How dare you do that to me!"

"Ow ow stop hitting me you monster!" Jackson cried out.

"Shut up you disgusting little... You were asking for a beating!"

"Ouch I'm sorry oh my God! I'M SORRY!"

Dahyun stopped. "You better be! That was so gross! YOU ARE SO GROSS! I TOLD YOU NEVER TO DO THAT!" She scolded. 

"Hehehe but that was super funny," Jackson admitted.

"It's not. I hate you. Why are we even friends," Dahyun muttered. She was starting to feel a little light-headed after suddenly sprinting like that. 

"Because I'm so cool and you love me to bits," Jackson mocked in a cutesy voice.

"Shut up! You're so full of yourself!"

"Hehe but wow you're still fast even though you stopped practicing. You know you should really..."  Jackson's expression changed from a playful one to a serious one when he saw Dahyun's already pale face get paler as she grabbed onto his arm for support. "Hey Dubu-yah are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy..."

"Are you sure?? Want me to call the ambulance?! Omg I'm so sorry it's all my faul-"

"Yah quiet down will you," Dahyun gently smacked his arm. "Just walk me back to the gate? I need to sit down." 

"Okay okay okay uhhh," Jackson rambled on feeling guilty. "I'll piggyback you!"

"Pftt," Dahyun scoffed, "we're not that far from school you know? I can walk there," she said, stumbling the moment she tried taking a step.

"No no no I insist!" Jackson said, bending down in front of Dahyun. "Hop on mate!"

Dahyun rolled her eyes playfully, "How old are you already, 4?" 

"Yah I'm 14! I'm 14 years young ~"

"And yet you're still behaving like you are in elementary school," Dahyun shook her head, as she hopped onto his back. 

-

Eventually Jackson had to leave (no matter how guilty he felt) and Dahyun was left to wait alone. She yawned, still in her lightheaded state, looking at her wrist watch.

5.30pm.

Nayeon should be out soon. She glaced at the school building, right pass the grey metal fence, sitting across the road. The walls were a dull shade of maroon and there were were six floors... Dahyun wondered which floor Nayeon's classroom was at. She wondered what it would be like to be in highschool... what it would be like to be in the same school as Nayeon.

Bored, Dahyun started counting the windows of that building starting from the second floor. 1... 2... 3... Another yawn left . 

Ah, I'm so sleepy. 

...

"Dahyun ah?" She later heard someone call her softly.

The weather was so nice that Dahyun had fallen asleep while sitting by the gates. Her dizziness was almost gone now. But she was super tired.

"Dahyun ah?" Dahyun blinked her eyes open slowly. They were met with an Im Nayeon bending down towards her. "Annyeong Dahyun ah~" she greeted with a smile. 

"Oh Nayeon unnie... annyeong" Dahyun greeted back sleepily, rubbing her eyes awake. "Ah, I'm still so sleepy..." she thought out loud.

She heard Nayeon chuckled softly before the older girl sat down next to her.

Dahyun found herself smiling lazily to herself. Somehow it felt like a dream to be able to see Nayeon immediately after waking up. Maybe it was a dream...

"Why are you sleeping here silly?" Nayeon asked pinching Dahyun's cheek lightly.

"Yah don't do that..." Dahyun whined. She leaned her head on Nayeon's shoulder. "I was waiting for you unnie."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah..." Dahyun mumbled sleepily, eyes closing once in awhile. It was really nice to be able to rest on Nayeon's shoulder.

Dahyun heard the older girl laugh softly. "Well now that I'm here, do you want to go home together?"

Dahyun nodded in reply with her eyes closed, a lazy smile plastered on her face. 

-

Dahyun had the privilege of clinging onto Nayeon's arm the whole way to the busstop. She practically walked with both her eyes closed, trusting in Nayeon to lead her. If one were to pass by and notice her, they would probably think Dahyun was sleepwalking.

She couldn't help it though, random occurrence of fatigue was one of the unfortunate 'free gifts' that came along with her bothersome anemia package.

"Dahyun ah, you should walk with your eyes open," Nayeon said. "What if you trip over something?"

"Can't...," Dahyun mumbled out. "Too tired... Eyes refuse to... stay open."

"Could it be that your anemia is acting up?" Nayeon asked in concern. 

Dahyun shrugged, "A little dizzy... stupid Jackson..." she mumbled.

"What?" Nayeon asked confused. She giggled, "What are you even saying?" But at that Dahyun only grunted in reply. And Nayeon gave up trying to get the half asleep girl to walk with her eyes open. Instead, she started humming a tune as they neared the busstop. 

-

Dahyun continued to rest on Nayeon's shoulder when they sat on the bus and Nayeon continued humming softly.

Halfway through the ride Dahyun started to stir, "Your voice is pretty, unnie..." she mumbled out in her state of being half awake.

Nayeon smiled to herself, "Thanks..." she replied shyly. "I'm part of a show chior after all." She boasted in a joking manner.

"Pfft..." Dahyun giggled lightly. "Are we home yet?"

"Hmm... nope, not yet," Nayeon said. "Just sleep I'll wake you up when we're near your stop." 

And Dahyun nodded, snuggling into Nayeon's arm. 

"Um Dahyun ah..." Nayeon trailed off.

"Hm...?" Dahyun answered with her eyes still shut.

"You were chasing a boy just now?"

"Yeah..."

"Well you guys seem close..."

"Uh huh..."

"Are you... perhaps..." Nayeon's voice got smaller, "... dating?"

"Pish no..." Dahyun scoffed followed by a yawn. "Mandu's gross... I'll never date him."

"Oh..." Nayeon said, "that's right, you're too young to be dating anyway..." Nayeon stated quietly as though to herself.

Dahyun didn't respond to that. Sure she never really thought seriously about dating anyone yet... but she would've argued about what Nayeon had said. 

A small part of Dahyun agrees that she was indeed too young to be dating (well at least that's what the society taught her). But another part of Dahyun was rather bothered when Nayeon labelled her as being 'too young'... Dahyun really didn't think she was considered 'too young' to... be dating? To... fall in love? Is one ever too young to be in love? 

After all, in less than a year she'd be turning 15. And pretty soon she'd be in high school... just like Nayeon.

'Wait a minute...' Dahyun suddenly thought. "Unnie? How did you know I was chasing someone? Weren't you still in school?" she asked.

"Oh yeah I was," Nayeon casually said. "It's just that my classroom's the one at the end of the building, facing your school."

"And I just happen to sit next to the window."

Those words somehow echoed in Dahyun's head and Dahyun kept quiet after that. She felt embarrassed all of a sudden at the thought of Nayeon being able to watch her every move as she sat by the school gates everyday... waiting for her. Does Nayeon knows she deliberately waits for her?

Silence soon filled the both of them as the sound of the bus engine cooed Dahyun to fall asleep once more. "Hey Dahyun-ah..." Nayeon suddenly spoke. "Do you... still like running?"

"Yeah... running's great... really great..." the younger of the two slurred out. 

Dahyun was really tired and would've been quite annoyed if it was someone else who was constantly talking to her. But it was Im Nayeon, not just someone else, so Dahyun was somehow more than okay with it.

"Well... I think you're really good at running you know?"

"Hm..."

"I'm serious. You were super fast," Nayeon continued. She wasn't sure if Dahyun was even listening to her at this point.

"And I think..."

But Dahyun was; she was always listening. 

"I think you shouldn't give up so easily." 

-
 

Dahyun began running again after that... secretly though, without the knowledge of her parents. The only person who knew at first was Jackson, who was extremely supportive and excited that his dear friend would finally be able to (hopefully eventually) run and race with him soon. Later on the school's nurse seem to knew about it too. (Since Dahyun was sent to the infirmary more often than usual...)

Dahyun would practice at a rather deserted empty field near their school. And Jackson would accompany her sometimes (whenever he was free), jogging next to her. He was there accompanying her, encouraging her, pacing her... sometimes making fun of her... most times ending up sending her back to the school's infirmary. 

Dahyun started out slow. The plan was to be good enough for her to try out for the school's track and field team before she graduates... which wasn't that long. She had about a year and a half left before she leaves middle school.

It was quite difficult at first, sometimes she could jog an entire round around the huge field feeling only out of breath and slightly lightheaded after... but most times she really felt like she could pass out. 

Today was one of those days... where she felt terribly nauseous and lightheaded after running for only a short while. 

Dahyun bent down panting, holding onto her knees. Her head was starting to hurt, her irregular heartbeat made her stomach felt sick and her vision was starting to get blurry. Usually when this happens Jackson would be here to save her... (he would piggyback her all the way back to the school infirmary before her condition got too bad) but Jackson wasn't here today. 

"Crap..." she muttered to herself. Without warning, her legs began to feel weak. She was about to fall backwards when she felt a pair of slender arms hold onto her. 

"Hey kiddo..." It was Nayeon. "I think that's enough running for today?"

-

Dahyun later found herself in a  cab, lying down on Nayeon's lap.

"Unnie..." Dahyun mumbled out. 

"Dahyun-ah you're awake? Oh gosh your face is so pale! What do I do? How do you feel? Are you okay?" Nayeon asked slightly flustered. She reached her hand out to touch Dahyun's face. "Gosh you're so cold..."

Dahyun chuckled weakly, "I'm fine unnie..." then she closed her eyes again. "Just dizzy..." she murmured out. 

Nayeon seemed to have sighed in relief then, being able to hear Dahyun's voice. Her hands dropped down to where Dahyun's one were and she instinctively held onto it. 

Dahyun could feel Nayeon's warmth radiating towards her cold fingers. "I'm glad you can even speak right now..." Nayeon sighed, playing with Dahyun's fingers. "I was so scared when you had passed out just now."

'Dizzy... very dizzy...' Dahyun thought to herself. Even in such a state Dahyun still felt that odd feeling when Nayeon's hand was on her. It made her heart flutter and her head spin. 
 

You make me dizzy...

That's right... Dahyun's pretty sure by now that odd feeling is caused by Nayeon and definitely not her anemia. 

What is this feeling though?
 

Happiness? 

...

Bliss? 

...

Nervousness? 

Somehow... It feels like some sort of disease. 

Dahyun opened her eyes to glance at Nayeon, hoping to find some answers. But instead Dahyun realised something else. She had seen another side of Nayeon that day. 

Her usual cheery self wasn't on display... that smile that felt as warm as the sun rays during spring time was gone. Instead, a slight frown replaced it, along with worried eyes. 

'She's upset and worried... because of me...?' Dahyun thought. And she didn't like that... that Nayeon was upset in any way.

"Unnie I pass out all the time... you need to get use to it now that we're friends." Dahyun tried to say in a playful manner.

"Yah... it's not funny..." Nayeon whispered. She looked Dahyun in the eyes. "Listen Dahyun-ah, I care about you." And for a split second there, Dahyun's breath got caught in . "So if running is going to make you pass out all the time then I'm sorry I ever encouraged you."

Dahyun avoided her gaze, "But..." she mumbled out. "Don't you believe in me?"

"What?? Yes I do!" Nayeon replied without any hesitation. "Of course I do! You're so incredibly talented Dahyun-ah and I find it such a waste that you aren't doing what you love! But I also don't want you to faint all the time... or worse... DIE FROM RUNNING! But then again what if you look back and regret not even trying-"

"Then please do me a favour Nayeon unnie," Dahyun cut off her rambling with a small smile. "I'll be fine. So just please keep believing in me."

Nayeon bit her lip, hesitating for a short moment, and Dahyun subconsciously found herself gazing at Nayeon's lips. The older girl then breathed an, "Okay but..."

Dahyun's gaze returned to the older girl's eyes, "But?"

"You better not die on me."

A/N: Hi there! How's everyone? I hope you're having a great Monday. :) And if you're not, here's an update to hopefully drive away those Monday blues. On a side note, it's 6 and a half days to Twice's comeback! I don't know how you guys are feeling but I feel as though I'm about to burst. And JYP just has to release stingy short teasers day by day. Ah, what a torture. I can't wait. 

I'll see you guys in the next update soon!:)

~ strangemagnet