Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.

- Robert Frost

*

"Class, this is Hirai Momo, she's going to be in your class from now on. Momo, why don't you take the empty seat there?"

Standing next to the teacher, the new student gave a quick bow nervously before scurrying over to her seat at the left corner of the classroom. Her seat was at back of class, next to the row of clear glass panes that lined the classroom window.

She put down her bag and took out her things. Her new classmates seemed to have settled down as well, shifting their attention back to the teacher in front.

"Hey." A voice called out to her softly from her right.

Momo turned her head, only to be greeted by the girl sitting beside her. Short, wispy blonde hair framed her petite features, her obsidian dark eyes sparkling under the sunlight spilling in from the windows, almost like a pair of beautiful jewels.

"My name is Yoo Jeongyeon. Nice to meet you." The girl grinned, white canines peeking out of her flower-bright lips.

Wow, she's really pretty.

The brunette smiled back shyly. "I'm Momo. Nice to meet you too."

"Which school were you from previously?"

Momo shrugged. "I transferred from some obscure arts school overseas, so I don't think you would know about it."

"Ah, I see." Jeongyeon nodded her head in acknowledgement, "What made you want to transfer over here then? It is kind of weird to transfer over during senior year."

"Oh, nothing really. My parents just-"

The two returned their attention to the front of class, where their teacher's about to start their lesson.

"Looks like class is about to begin. Talk to you later?" Jeongyeon smiled once more.

"Sure." Momo replied, still somewhat dazed. She's still in a new environment after all, and everything still seemed really alien to her - the new people, the new school or just everything around her now in general.

Class went on, and Momo tried her best to concentrate and thoroughly digest what the teacher was talking about, knowing very well that she is already a few weeks behind on this semester's work.

However, occasionally, at the corner of her eye she would see Jeongyeon almost dozing off, her head leaning forward, eyes clearly shut as the temptation of sleep consumed her.

"Yoo Jeongyeon!" the teacher called out suddenly, snapping the blonde girl awake almost immediately.

What followed was the snickering and laughing of their nearby classmates, and Momo couldn't help but giggle along when Jeongyeon stretched her arms upwards lazily as her consciousness returned, a big yawn escaping her lips.

And before the teacher could go on to lecture the sleepy student, the school bell rang and it was break time. Students trickled out of the classroom one by one, each of them with their own respective packs of friends.

"Momo!" A familiar voice called out, and Momo already knew who it was without looking.

A slim, long-haired girl ran to the front of Momo's desk, jumping up and down excitedly almost like an overexcited puppy. It looks like she's been waiting for her outside of class.

"Sana! I missed you so much! " Momo stood up to give her old friend a hug. It has been at least two years since she moved out of their neighbourhood, and now that she's returned, Sana seems ecstatic to have her lunch buddy back.

The taller girl giggled. "Me too. I was so happy when you told me you're moving back. You haven't changed much, you know? Other than the fact that your face looks so much more..." she tilted her head, her big, round eyes examining Momo's face, "... mature now. Yeah, you look more like an adult now! Remember the times when I used to call you 'dumpling cheeks'? Guess I can't call you that anymore." Sana pouted in mock annoyance.

"We are seniors now, aren't we?" Momo sighed. "Time does fly, huh?"

Sana smiled but was eager to change the subject. "But enough of all this sentimental stuff, I'm starving. Let's go eat." Before Momo could complain, Sana had already grabbed her by her hand and led her out of the classroom.

"Wait! I was going to talk to-"

She turned her head back to the direction of her seat.

...The girl with blonde hair was no where to be found.

*

Before Momo could notice, almost a month's worth of school days had already passed. Each day there were maybe small differences in what she did or what she felt, but school life felt mostly repetitive - study, socialise, rest, and repeat.

However, there was something that motivated her to go to class everyday. Something that wasn't the food, the dance club, or the funny banter she and Sana would have.

Everyday, Momo would exchange small talk with the pretty girl sitting next to her, Jeongyeon - the both of them seem to not share any particular interests, but their personalities match well so they generally get along.

Jeongyeon was certainly interesting to Momo - she's a social butterfly, knowing almost everyone in school; yet she wasn't arrogant and unapproachable like many other popular kids that were in her previous school. In fact, she was a pretty ordinary high school student - she loves to sleep, likes Lego, has a weird sense of humour and apparently her life depends on something that she calls, 'dank memes'. (Momo still doesn't get what's so funny about the picture of Kermit the frog sipping tea that Jeongyeon showed her)

It may seem weird, but because of Jeongyeon, she now looks forward to class everyday - maybe it was her genuine longing to know more about Jeongyeon, given they only talk so little everyday, as she never fails to cryptically disappear every recess; or maybe something more. But it was way too early for Momo to judge now.

A new school day, comes with a new conversation she gets to share with Jeongyeon.

It was almost like filling in a large jigsaw puzzle - everyday Momo would obtain a new jigsaw piece, and one day, she would fill in the whole board.

It was break time, and Momo was in the cafeteria with Sana.

"Usually I would hang out with the girls in my class. But I feel like I don't really 'click' with them, you know?" Sana pursed her lips as she fiddled with her drink straw.

"You mean the gang with that thai girl who's really good at dancing?" Momo bit into her ham and cheese sandwich. School food never tasted the best, but at least the food's better here compared to her previous school.

"No, I meant the other gang. The one with-" Sana was then interrupted by a sudden burst of loud cheering coming from the school field. The both of them looked over.

Numerous curious students were already crowding around the railings facing the field, while others had already went downstairs to witness whatever that was going on.

"Any idea what's that all about?" Momo asked, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"It's the interschool track and field competition. My friend Mina told me about it. She's participating, I think."

Momo gasped. "Let's go support her then!" She quickly finished up her food and ran downstairs with Sana following her, her drink still in hand.

By the time they reached the field, the competition had already started. A literal sea of students flooded the area surrounding the field, and there were barely any seats left on the bleacher so Sana and Momo decided to sit on the stairs along with the other latecomers. The view wasn't great, but at least they didn't have to stand.

Squinting, Momo could barely make out what was happening in the field under the glaring sunlight.

But from what she can see, her school team seems to be in third place in the relay currently. Momo couldn't not recognise their school's obnoxiously neon orange jersey. Momo felt like it made the school track team look like road workers from afar (not like she'd ever dare tell that to anyone)

"Mina!!!!!" Sana screamed at the top of her lungs as the red-headed girl wearing their school jersey ran with all her might, her long, crimson-coloured locks whipping behind her like a fiery blaze. Her long, lean legs pounded against the earth likely as fast as her body could carry her, but not fast enough for her to catch up to the two other girls ahead of her.

"How many laps has it been?"

Sana furrowed her brows and shook her head. "It's already the third lap. If they don't close the distance fast, I really don't know."

"Yoo Jeongyeon!!"

"Legend!!!"

"Meme boi!!"

The crowd became agitated once again as the redhead passed the baton she was holding to her teammate. Momo had to look twice.

Yoo Jeongyeon. Her tall figure bolted forward, the baton clutched tightly in her hand. Her pace quickened, and before anyone could react the distance between her and the runners in front closed a hefty amount.

"Yeah, show them, Jeongyeon!"

"You go girl!!"

The cheering surrounding Sana and Momo was deafening, and Sana wasn't doing anything to help with her high-pitched screeching.

Yet, Momo couldn't hear any of it - as if there was no crowd, no competition, no Sana around her - just her sitting there, with Jeongyeon there in the distance, looking the best Momo's ever seen her.

She never told me she was a school athlete.

Maybe it's because she's never seen Jeongyeon so serious before, her expression intense and focused instead of the the usual nonchalant aura she used to give off; or it was because of the way she ran - each stretch, each step was executed with such precision, her form agile and nimble, as if she was born to run; like graceful lioness pouncing in the wind. Momo wondered how can one even manage to look so attractive while running so fast.

At the last stretch of the circuit, Momo watched as Jeongyeon started to accelerate to an all-out sprint, running past the first girl ahead of her, then the second, then the finish line.

The crowd went wild as the whistle went off, with students standing up shouting and cheering loudly.

The blonde girl collapsed sitting on the ground, her head facing downwards panting and her chest heaving heavily in exhaustion, but when she raised her head to meet with her teammates, there was a happy and satisfied expression on her face. She won. They won.

Momo didn't know why, but it feels nice to see Jeongyeon happy. It feels great, in fact.

I wonder if I could make her that happy one day.

"Earth to Momo!" Momo shook her head as she noticed Sana's hand waving up and down in front of her face, snapping out of her reverie."Your're blushing! Who were you staring at, huh?" Sana snickered playfully while looking around to search for the person her friend might have been looking at.

Momo cupped her face with both of her hands. "I'm not blushing! You've gone blind, Sana!"

"It's pretty obvious even in this lighting, you know."

"It's so sunny! I'm just a little sunburnt."

"There's a roof above the bleachers, Momo."

Their bickering was promptly put to a halt by a shout coming from the field, amongst the horrible cauldron of noise and celebration that was surrounding them.

"Momo!" the blonde girl shouted, "I won!" she shouted again, or at least, that's what Momo thinks she shouted.

Sana turned over to Momo, whose face was already redder than a overly ripe apple.

"Ah, now I see what's going on."