It had escalated the same way it had began: innocently. And let it be known that the innocence was only on the part of Dahyun, for Sana knew exactly what she was doing, and why she was doing it. Dahyun on the other hand- at this point anyway- was completely oblivious to the developing tension between them. Later, Dahyun would learn the cruel lesson that it was this naivety and cluelessness, that led to her ultimate demise.

While Sana had readily been labeled a snake not long after her arrival, her interactions with Dahyun in particular were... noteworthy- to put it modestly. Noteworthy in that, there was something just a tad different with her flirtations when they came to Dahyun. And Dahyun’s usual acceptance of them and her eventual avid participation, surely did nothing to help the situation. The problem was, at the time, Dahyun was still unaware that there was a situation in which she should've been helping, or not helping. Unaware or in denial, only God knew for sure.

They had started subtly, consisting of mostly the batting of eyelashes and onslaught of puppy eyes. Dahyun still remembered the first time Sana had really flirted with her though, her statement at the time little more than a pointed compliment.

"What color do you think I should dye my hair next?" Dahyun posed her question to the group, though she was looking straight at the person seated beside her. The person who always seemed to be by her side these days.

"Diarrhea brown!" Jeongyeon suggested, laughing maniacally at her own joke. Next to her, Jihyo rolled her eyes.

"How about purple?" Tzuyu posed, a few of the girls nodding in agreement. Not the girl beside Dahyun though.

"Sana's hair is already purple, Dahyun can't dye hers purple too, Tzuyu-ah." Nayeon reminded the group.

"Yeah then they'll look like they got couple dyes!" Momo chuckled with mirth beside Sana, a few of the other members joining in.

"That would be so perfect for those two." Nayeon mocked, her laughter doubling when Dahyun responded by glaring at her.

"How about orange?" Sana offered animatedly, effectively bringing the subject home and ending the teasing parade. Chaeyoung's eyes immediately widened across from her.

"She already had it orange before." Nayeon disputed, once again reminding them all of when their friend had multicolored hair.

"It was only a little orange and it was underneath so it doesn't really count, unnie." Sana countered Nayeon’s point respectfully.

"Yes unnie! Orange is the color!" Chaeyoung announced and that was the end of that. Dahyun had made her decision. Though, truthfully, she hadn't needed Chaeyoung's approval, she had already made up her mind even before Nayeon had spoken on the matter.

"Orange it is then." She smiled.

The bell rang then, signaling that classes were commencing once more. A unified groan could be heard as the group of girls started standing from their seats. Just as Dahyun was about to do the same, she felt a light touch on her forearm. She looked up to meet the beautiful eyes of the girl beside her.

"I'm glad you're going with orange Dahyunnie, but honestly you look really pretty with any hair color." And then Sana smiled, and it was so agonizingly enchanting that Dahyun found she suddenly needed to clear . And cool her face. She tried to sputter out a reply, she really did. But Sana was up and following Jeongyeon and Momo to their next class before she had the chance. That's what Dahyun told herself anyway.

The flirtations only grew bolder from there, though admittedly, Dahyun was not the only person on the receiving end of them. But, as previously mentioned, things between them were just... different.

And, of course, Dahyun still remembered the second time Sana's brazen nature had left her more flustered than she cared to admit.

"We don't fit." Jihyo deadpanned, eyeing her friends with distaste as they ignored her statement and renewed their efforts to squeeze into the back seat of her car.

"Not with that attitude we won't!" Sana exclaimed, her voice a bit muffled as Chaeyoung smooshed herself further into her side despite Sana already being pinned to the door.

"This car seats five people. Five. Not seven. Only five." Jihyo tried again, this time with more agitation b in her voice.

"That's what you think." Nayeon proclaimed defiantly.

"What if two of us just sit on someone else's lap?" Mina offered, the only plausible solution anyone had come up with since the shoving had started.

"That's a good idea! Chaeng since you're the smallest, you sit on Mina's lap since she suggested it." Both girls flushed at Nayeon's command but did as they were told, Chaeyoung climbing clumsily onto Mina without making eye contact.

A beat of silence, then...

"You can sit on my lap, Dahyunnie." Sana offered in the sweetest tone, her lips upturned in what had to described as a smile, despite Dahyun's growing suspicion it was more of a smirk.

“Alright that's settled then! Let's go!” Nayeon announced to the group, taking the comfortable- and spacious- passenger seat in the front beside the glowering Jihyo.

Dahyun gulped, a knot forming in suddenly as she rounded the car with Sana in tow. Oh God, why am I suddenly dreading this car ride so much? She asked Him, glancing at the sky momentarily. Sana took her seat with poise, waiting expectantly for Dahyun to take hers- on top of Sana. For some reason, Dahyun's heart rate had started accelerating, her proximity to Sana making her stomach churn forcefully. It left her feeling as though the muscle was doing somersaults beneath her skin. She carefully ducked her head and angeled her body accordingly, setting her rear down firmly on Sana’s thighs.

It was strange, the way her body was reacting. She had been close to her friends before, she had even sat on their laps before. This was hardly novel or out of place. Yet, Dahyun's entire being was acting as though... well as though something was threatening her. God, please, what on earth is going on?

Beneath her, Sana squirmed a bit, adjusting to the added weight. This only doubled Dahyun's embarrassment, her cheeks heating furiously as they settled into a comfortable position for the ride.

That car ride, although short, had been a painful experience for Dahyun. Worsened when, naturally, Sana had addressed her during the ride. Forcing Dahyun to turn her torso towards the girl, their faces painfully close. But Sana had only made her comment, giggled at Dahyun's reply, and then wrapped her arms around her waist to hug her tightly from behind. As though they weren't already close enough. As though they really needed any more contact between their bodies. As though Dahyun wasn’t already lit aflame from the inside. Dahyun returned the hug though, brining her hands up to cover Sana’s arms with them, before quickly turning back to face the front when it was over. She tried hard not to think about her current situation. She tried hard not to think about her current level of embarrassment. And most of all, she tried really hard not to ask herself why she was squeezing her thighs together with all her might.

And, well, Dahyun was mortified to admit that there was a third time that stuck out in her mind, in which Sana had left her all too flustered.

"What does that even mean unnie?" Dahyun burst out, clutching her stomach as she doubled over in laughter.

"What do you mean what does it mean? The desk was just a desk!" Sana attempted once more, only succeeding in further igniting Dahyun's laughter.

"You know what I'm trying to say." Sana pouted at Dahyun, folding her arms across her chest like a sulking toddler.

At this Dahyun's laughter subsided, Sana's pout too adorable to resist. She had been attempting to recount the events of some story to Dahyun for the better part of an hour. The problem was that the conversation digressed endlessly thanks to Sana's still lacking Korean, her tendency to provide far more information than was really necessary, her inclination towards talking in circles, and Dahyun's mounting amusement at it all.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry for laughing at you unnie." Dahyun consoled, reaching up to hug the girl as an apology. As Dahyun was reaching for her though, Sana was moving away from her simultaneously in an incompatible direction. The result being Dahyun's arm accidently smacking Sana across the face. They both erupted into more fits of laughter as Sana whined in between.

"Dahyunnie you ruined my lipstick!" She complained while pointing to the spot on Dahyun's white shirt where her lipstick had stained the cloth.

"Sorry unnie!" Dahyun apologized once more, Sana rejecting her apology immediately by turning away dramatically. Dahyun huffed at the response.

"I said I'm sorry, unnie." Sana remained with her nose turned upwards, looking away from Dahyun, prompting Dahyun to huff once more.

"I'm sorry I ruined your lipstick," a beat of silence then a third huff, "want some of mine?" She offered.

Though, she was clearly joking. Obviously, she was joking. It was totally evident that her statement had been a total joke. Definitely a joke.

Only Sana didn't seem to think so. That, or she just didn't care that there was a possibility Dahyun had been joking. Either way, she nodded her head adorably in affirmation and looked pointedly at Dahyun's mouth. They had already been standing unnecessarily close to each other, as was the case whenever they were together, so Dahyun was sure Sana saw rise and fall as she gulped. A cold sweat was forming on her brow as Sana leaned towards her, eyes still trained on . Dahyun was searching for words but she couldn't find any, all the thoughts whirling in her mind centered on the girl in front of her... but none were appropriate to voice. Detecting Dahyun's current frozen state, Sana pouted some more.

"Hurry, you said so, so give me some of yours." Was her adorable command.

Only Dahyun was fairly certain she was physically unable to do anything at the moment. Sana's presence, and her sinister proximity, were paralyzing. For the briefest of moments, Dahyun allowed her own gaze to fall to Sana's lips, betrayed by her desires. Sana only continued to pout though. They stood like that for a tantalizing second, before the door burst open to reveal a very suspicious looking Jihyo. Dahyun immediately jumped back and away from Sana. The best way to show your friend that you were clearly not about to do something stupid.

"What were you guys doing?" Jihyo questioned, one brow raised.

But Dahyun remained unable to answer, her thoughts as tangled as her tongue.

"Just trying out different lipsticks." Was Sana's measured response.

Jihyo looked between them a few times, but said no more on the subject, opting instead to inform them that their practice had started 15 minutes ago and they were once again late. Dahyun had never been so relieved in her life to have to go to dance practice.

Dear God, this is bad, isn’t it?