Joohyun had seen this girl waddling around for a long time now. It was a small town after all, but that was not the full reason why she noticed her so much.

Being told she was pretty was a common happening in her life, but every time this girl walked by her she thought about it twice before really accepting the reoccurring words of “you're the prettiest girl in this town” that were frequently directed to her. Because no, she wasn't, but that girl surely was. In her eyes, she definitely was.

And now she couldn't help but notice how much her eyes encountered this girl. Even if she didn't really pay attention to what was going on around her, her gaze would just meet hers, like a crazy electromagnetic experience she didn't recall being a part of.

And with these eye locks there was also something else. That girl would just- she would just be insulting to Joohyun, by biting her lip in the iest way possible. She didn't know if it was on purpose, or if she just had the habit of biting her lip, but the one thing she knew was that it drove her crazy every damn time.

God, just thinking about it made her have the dirtiest thoughts about the girl, the stranger with alluring eyes and an insane-driving lip bite. Joohyun wanted to stop thinking about it, she wanted to just disappear or have the girl do it but the town was small and there was no way to avoid that hard time given the fact.

Of course, she also thought about just facing the girl, but confronting her in public areas didn't really seem like a good idea because, well, she would get a reputation, and who wants a reputation, am I right?

How to cope with these feelings, she asked herself every day, with no apparent answer to that question.

--

Wind is blowing, water is wet, she is hot- what? The thoughts came back when she caught herself staring at the girl again. This time, she was a bit closer. Like, a bit meaning two restaurant tables ahead.

Joohyun couldn't stop herself from watching the girl converse with her friend, and she had to close her eyes and breathe slowly when the famous lip bite reached her eyes. It was not made to be provoking, it was not like the girl was flirting with her friend, but it just deemed itself freaking fire when seen by her, especially now that she was in a close perimeter.

She had to demand herself to calm down, nervously gulp her water, and look down to avoid meeting eyes with the stranger. But she kept watching her from afar anyway, curiously eyeing the pair as the girl called a waiter and talked to him.

It was all fun and games until she pointed to Joohyun, blatantly so that it was impossible that it wasn't directed to her. She looked back- no one behind her. See, told you it was impossible, you Bae fool.

She tried to calm down again, finishing the last of her water and nervously (why did she act nervous in every move she made?) fiddling with her wristwatch. Joohyun then wished with all her might that the waiter they talked to would just go somewhere else when he started walking to her, but her might wasn't the greatest and so her wish was denied (thanks for nothing, Girls’ Generation). She smoothed out the creases in her clothes and tried to look like she was not having an internal breakdown.

Look calm and cool. Calm and cool, Baechu.

“Yes?” She anticipated the waiter’s words.

“Excuse me Ms., the woman in that table offered to buy you a drink and asked me to give you this.” He handed out a piece of paper diligently.

Joohyun took the paper, holding it dumbfoundedly with her fingers.

“Um… Can you please tell her that… She- she needs to come and give me the drink herself. Y-yeah.” She reassured the words in her mind, blinking.

The waiter just retreated his hand and bowed, leaving her table in a courteous pace.

Joohyun only really understood what she had said when it was too late. No! She didn't want to play hard to get, especially when the hot stranger just plainly offered to buy her a drink! But oh no, her mind had played this game a lot, and it was good at it. Sorry Bae, I had to.

She stopped herself from thinking too much and glanced down at the paper, only now realizing she still had this to assure herself all hope was not lost. She turned it to the other side, where a string of numbers was nicely written right below a message.

“I like your face. Call me.”

She controlled the urge not to laugh and held the piece of paper close to her chest. This surely was no Shakespeare writework, but it sure as hell was charming in its own cute, silly way.

Joohyun made sure to add the cellphone number to her contact list before leaving the restaurant, but not without glancing a last time at the girl who seemed confused but refused to look away from her, like someone who was not going to give up that easy.

--

Why not once in her life she could behave like a normal, emotionally stable human being and just press the green button on the screen? She wondered.

Just call her, it's not that hard. Call her, damnit. C-a-l-l h-e-r. Oh god…

But instead of following that order like a good behaving functioning system would do, she just stared mindlessly at the number, feeling that the recent contact add-on was knocking on her skull, mocking her with all its will.

Joohyun furrowed her eyebrows, staring at the number as to say “come at me, bro”. But her finger just couldn't do it. She demanded and taunted, but like a scaredy cat, her body didn't obey. Why is it so hard?

Okay. Just breathe, Bae, breathe.

She closed her eyes… Pressed her lips together, and clicked at the green call button. Her own action surprised her to the point where she dropped her phone, rushing to pick it up and examine it for cracks.

You klutz… You dumb dumb…

“Hello?” The voice surprised her a second time, and she caught her phone in mid air, putting it desperately on her ear.

“Uh… Hi? W-who is this?”

“My name’s Wendy… Who are you?”

“Wendy? Pretty name,” she thought out loud. “Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to say that loudly..”

“It's okay. It's a compliment anyway, not like you're gonna offend me.”

“Yeah. Sorry. Again.” God, why am I so stupid… Joohyun smacked herself.

“Hahaha. Anyway, who are you again? I don't think you told me the first time… I just don't know.” The cute laugh made her smile without realizing it.

“Ah… It's Joohyun. Bae Joohyun.” The girl who thinks you're hella h to the ot, she adds in her mind.

“Son Wendy. Nice