Byulyi washed her hands slowly, eyes half-lidded as she ignored the burning.  If she just focused on rubbing her fingers under the scalding water she could forget the way Kim Yongsun had spun in her skirt as she sang, slim legs exposed for a tantalizing few seconds.

Even now Byulyi her lips at the memory, her heart pounding in her ears.

She’d gotten sort of blackmailed to join her high school’s music club.  Kim Yongsun was absolutely vindictive when she was on a mission.  Despite the years of bullying for being too outspoken and off in her own world, nothing seemed to have broken her spirit.  And when she’d overheard Byulyi singing in an empty music classroom while waiting for her soccer club meeting, it had become her mission to get her to join.

“You just left.”

Byulyi’s jaw clenched as she turned off the faucet, examining her bright red hands quietly.  They throbbed after being under the water for so long.

“I had to go to the bathroom.  Obviously.”

“To wash your hands for five minutes?”

Byulyi slowly turned to face Yongsun, hands falling to her sides as she took in the other girl.  She was completely oblivious to how hard Byulyi’s heart was pounding in her ears as she stared at the way the light highlighted her dark hair and that god ugly pin tucked half her bangs against her temple.

“Is that any of your business?” Byulyi half-growled as she started to try to exit the restroom.  If she stayed in proximity with the girl for too long she wasn’t sure if she’d hit her or kiss her.

“I know you don’t like me, Moon Byulyi, but I know you like singing.  Don’t pretend like you don’t like music club.  Because I know you do.”

Byulyi stopped just short of Yongsun, staring down at the shorter girl.  This close she could see the warmth and pride in those brown eyes and it felt like a knife twisted in her chest.  She thought of the dark thoughts that weighed on her before she’d go to bed, thinking of what it would be like to hold Yongsun and kiss her against the piano she liked so much.

“You don’t know anything about me,” she sneered, practically baring her teeth.

“I want to.  If you’d let me.”

Byulyi clenched her jaw at the way Yongsun stood her ground, not looking the least bit intimidated.  Was Byulyi losing her touch?

“What do you want from me?”

“I-I know you thought that I was trying to steal your boyfriend but I wasn’t! He was just asking me about the duet we’d be singing together.”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Byulyi corrected absentmindedly, not even trying to hide how her eyes were drawn to the blush rising in Yongsun’s cheeks.

“Right.  Well, you always avoided me or made your teammates shove me into the shoe lockers so I could never talk to you personally until now.  But I wanted to say sorry.  I don’t know if I was one of the reasons you broke up with Junghwan but-”

“You weren’t.”  It’s because I’m gay and I can’t quite pretend as easily when I have to see you nearly every day for practice, Byulyi thought tiredly.

“Oh well.  Okay then.”

“Are you done?”

Yongsun bit her lip and Byulyi’s eyes dropped to the movement.  God she just wanted to kiss her.

“We should get back to practice.”

“Yeah,” Byulyi muttered, not moving a centimeter. 

Yongsun looked at her oddly and Byulyi took a step closer, their chests nearly touching.  The shorter girl tipped her head back and stared right into Byulyi’s eyes, challenging and defiant as always.  A thrill rippled down her spine because she knew that every time she was stealing glances at Yongsun she was always staring right back.

“Actually.  You were one of the reasons I broke up with Junghwan,” Byulyi whispered, watching the subtle way Yongsun’s eyes widened.

“But he didn’t like me like that.”

“He wasn’t the one who liked you.”

Yongsun’s face twisted a little in confusion before her jaw dropped.  Byulyi expected a multitude of reactions. A shocked gasp.  An angry slap.  A long-winded tirade.

But she most definitely didn’t expect to be grabbed by the blazer of her uniform jacket and shoved against a restroom wall in a bruising kiss.