set during and immediately post school

yerin's really pretty, you'd have to be blind to miss that, yugyeom thinks. she's also a really great friend. 

he still asks her out, though, sixteen and quite invested in relationships.

she laughs.

'i don't want to date right now,' she tells him, 'i just moved here, and i broke up with my boyfriend not that long ago, and i kind of just want to assimilate into the group without being someone's girlfriend, you know?'

yugyeom nods, not offended. 'worth a shot.'

yerin laughs. 'that's fair.'

'promise me a date when you're ready?' yugyeom asks with a grin and yerin shrugs.

'yeah, sure.'

'wait, really?' yugyeom asks, sitting up and yerin laughs at him again.

'why not, right?'

yugyeom grins. 'sweet.'

of course, yugyeom finds himself in a relationship before yerin's ready, and while minkyung and him don't last very long he's forgotten about the promise by the time they've broken up. 

yerin and him remain thick as thieves, though, and they spend more time together than not.

'i think i'm done with guys,' yerin tells him thoughtfully when they're on the verge of nineteen.

'hmm?' yugyeom says, looking up from his phone.

'guys,' she repeats, 'i'm not really feeling it anymore. i think it's time my body becomes a girls only zone, you know.'

'huh,' yugyeom says. he can't say he wasn't expecting it. she always leant a bit more towards girls than guys. 'cool.'

it's only when she's about to leave a few hours later that he belatedly clicks.

'hey,' he says, almost indignant, 'you promised me a date!'

yerin laughs. 'buddy, you missed that train.'

'goddammit,' yugyeom sighs, a smile playing at his lips, 'bought the ticket and everything.'

yerin pats his arm. 'tough luck.'

'ooh,' yugyeom says, brightening, 'does that mean i get to say why are all the good one's gay?'

yerin laughs and pushes at him. 'you're utterly ridiculous.'

'you love me,' he says flippantly, and she rolls her eyes in reply.