Dahyun’s eyes shot open wide and she whipped around to look at the door. Minatozaki Sana herself, looking giddy as a child on their birthday, stood in the entrance, followed closely by her friend Momo, who seemed confused by the sudden enthusiasm. Sirens blared and emergency lights flashed in Dahyun’s mind as they made their way towards the front of the classroom, Sana leading passionately and realization seeming to strike Momo as they got closer. Dahyun could feel her brain going into meltdown. Mina recognized the fear in her face.

“Have you met them?” she asked, worried. 

Dahyun was only able to stutter. “We, uh, I, she-”

“Dahyunnie!” Sana cheered again, reaching the pair and standing in front of the desk. “I’m so happy to see you. What are you doing here?”

“I, uh,” Dahyun turned to Mina, eyes screaming desperately for help.

“She came here to learn Japanese, Sana,” Mina said, subtly trying to bring Dahyun closer and into relative safety. Sana grinned, charmingly unphased.

“I know Japanese.” She leaned forward on her arms, shortening the distance across the desk. “Let me teach you.”

“I don’t think that’s-” Mina tried to refuse but was interrupted. 

“Hi, Mina,” Momo smiled sweetly, sidling up next to her.

“Hello, Momo,” she replied, exasperated and still trying to protect Dahyun as she pled silently for assistance and Sana’s eyes sparkled dangerously.

“Can you help me with something?” Momo asked. “There’s this one phrase I’ve been trying to say and I just can’t get it.”

“Momo, you speak fluent Japanese.”

Momo pouted. “You’re so much better at it though. Come on, I just need a little help.”

“No, I don’t-”

“Please?” she whined, batting her eyelashes.

“Momo, I-” Her resistance was no use. Her resolve faltered slightly and Momo took advantage, grabbing hold of her hands and dragging her away. Mina sent a last apologetic look to Dahyun, who looked like a helpless puppy, abandoned in the den of a wolf. Slowly and timidly, she turned to face Sana. The wolf smirked.

“So, you want to learn Japanese.” It was a question, but Sana didn’t say it like one. Dahyun’s brain cycled rapidly, trying to figure a way out of the situation, calculating how quickly she could maybe distract Sana and sprint out the door, but she couldn’t move. Sana’s gaze had her trapped, and she was rooted in place, blush on her cheeks growing. 

“I mean, I guess, I did, I thought-” Words and half formed sentences gushed out of Dahyun’s mouth and she couldn’t to stop them. Much to her dismay, it only seemed to amuse Sana further.

“You’re cute,” Sana giggled. The bluntness finally shut Dahyun’s mouth for her and her eyes darted around the room, searching for help or maybe just any fully formed thought to express. She met the eyes of nearly every other person in the club, staring blatantly at her and Sana’s interaction.

Dahyun, clearing , finally gained control of . “Do you need to like, start the club?”

Sana turned around, and seemed to notice for the first time that there were other people in the room. The students all returned to their conversations in a bad show of aloofness. “Oh, no, don’t worry about them. This isn’t really like an ‘official club’.”

Dahyun frowned in confusion. “Then what is it?”

Her question was ignored. Sana leaned in closer, almost conspiratorially, smile never faltering.  “They’re just jealous, you’re taking up all my attention.” Dahyun didn’t know how to let all of the people side-eyeing her bitterly know that they could they could have Sana’s attention, please take it. 

“Listen, Sana, I really just came here to learn Japanese,” and forget about you, Dahyun added in her mind.  “If we aren’t going to do that, I should go.”

“No, no,” Sana protested. “I do speak Japanese, I can teach you something.” Dahyun still wanted to leave, opening to resist, but Sana wasn’t taking no for an answer. She pouted and Dahyun’s mouth closed and somehow she found herself seated on the teacher’s desk, stammering her way through the lines of Japanese Sana gave her.

“Konnichiwa.”

“K-Konnichiwa.”

“Good. That means hello. Now, jaa mata.”

“Jaa mata.”

“That’s a more informal way of saying goodbye.” Dahyun nodded, doing her best to focus on the words and not the person saying them. Sana got a little twinkle in her eye and grinned as she said the next phrase.

“Kirei.”

“Kirei.” 

Sana lit up, bringing a hand to her chest and swooning. “Oh, Dahyun, you shouldn’t have.”

Dahyun blinked, thinking for a second she had said the word incorrectly, but Sana’s reaction suggested otherwise. “What does it mean?” Sana giggled coyly, refusing to answer. “Sana, really, what’s it mean?” She just frowned teasingly.

(Dahyun asked Mina later. Mina blushed. Dahyun blushed. She decided to abandon her pursuit of learning another language for the time being.)

Dahyun walked out of the club an hour later, dazed. It had been one of the most harrowing hours of her life. She felt on edge the entire time, Sana’s antics never allowing her a moment of rest. Her body burned, the air outside tempering the heat that built up during an hour of Sana’s eye contact and smiles and touching. Her limbs were thankful for the blood that could now return to places besides her cheeks. 

However, the cool evening air outside was nothing compared to the chilly looks she was getting from the other departing “club members”. They were more like disciples, with the way they flagrantly worshipped the ground Sana and Momo walked on. Through the entire meeting, they vied desperately for any attention they could get, but neither girl was forthcoming. They both appeared quite focused on their chosen targets for the day, making a disappointing afternoon for their loyal followers. But Dahyun was sure they wouldn’t be upset for much longer, if Sana’s reputation really meant anything. 

When Dahyun arrived at the bus station, mind still clouded from the past hour, she was drawn out of the fog by the aggressive vibrating of her phone. When she pulled it out of her pocket, she saw a zoomed-in, unattractive photo of Chaeyoung gracing the screen. Bursting to tell her friend about everything that had just happened, she tapped the accept button and prepared to launch into a rant.

“Hello, Chae-”

“Dahyun, apparently that club you were going to is just like a den for Sana and her friends’ flirting BS.”

Dahyun blinked, disbelieving. “What?”

“Yeah, Tzuyu heard it from someone in her Algebra class. They just use it as a cover, the only reason anyone goes to it is to get a shot with them.” Chaeyoung delivered this all with the urgency of a DMV employee renewing your registration. It sounded like she was eating something. Dahyun took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Chaeyoung. I know. I could have used this information ABOUT AN HOUR AGO!”

~~~

Dahyun knew that this should just be a phase in her life. Sana would move on, find someone more willing to put up with her shenanigans, leave Dahyun in peace to finish out high school. But in the following weeks, Sana’s presence virtually never ceased in Dahyun’s life, and it was much more real way now. Everywhere she went in school, down a hall, into a bathroom, out a freaking window, it seemed she couldn’t avoid her. Dahyun didn’t really think Sana was doing it on purpose, but a force up there in the Universe was getting some sick glee out of making Dahyun squeal and duck around a corner every ten minutes. In fact, the only way she managed to lose Sana was to finally get lost herself.

Squinting at the directory and comparing it to the map in her hand, Dahyun concluded that she was in the Technical Education hallway, a hall she had never been down before. The only reason she had even come here in the first place was because she heard a high, tinkling laugh somewhere near the History classrooms and bolted as quickly as she could in the opposite direction. Drastic, perhaps, but it had felt necessary. At least until Dahyun realized she had no idea how to get to the Study Hall she needed to be in right now. 

The halls were cleared of people and the bell had rung seconds ago, leaving Dahyun desperately trying to make sense of the blurry, repeatedly photocopied map she had been given at orientation. She knew she was late and the stress was increasing with every tick of the clock mounted overhead. She was seconds away from just trying every door in the school until she found the right one, when a voice called out from her left.

“Dahyun?”

The girl in question turned and felt relief rush through her body when she saw Jihyo pacing down the hall towards her.

“Oh, thank God, I need your help. I have to get to Room 307 but I can’t read the map and some of the rooms are labeled in letters and not numbers and how does that make any sense and who designed this school, did they know high school students were the ones who had to figure it out?” Jihyo’s eyes widened and she held out stabilizing hands, trying to get Dahyun to calm down.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, breathe.” She nodded as Dahyun gulped breaths of air. “You’re going to be fine.”

“No, I’m already late and I should know my way around by now, it’s been like a week and-”

“Dahyun!” Jihyo interrupted. She smiled soothingly. “It’s going to be okay. I can take you to Room 307 and if I come with you, I can tell the teacher you were helping me with something for Student Council. You won’t even get a tardy.”

Dahyun quieted, staring at Jihyo like the goddess she was. “You’re my savior.”

“Don’t mention it.” Jihyo led the way down the hall. “We just have to stop at the gym, I need to talk to Coach Kim about a Booster Club meeting this weekend.”

“Whatever you need, O Wise One,” Dahyun fawned. “You’re really saving my here.”

They reached the gym and Jihyo, with as much confidence as she did everything, pushed open the door. Dahyun trailed behind, casting a passive look around the room. Students had already changed into their uniforms and taken advantage of the teacher’s utter indifference, either playing overly-passionate games of basketball or lounging on the floor and talking to their friends. Jihyo strode across the gym, making a beeline for the teacher on her phone in the back corner, and Dahyun loitered near the doors. She idled her gaze around, vaguely following one game and moving along, until something caught her eye.

To her right, halfway down the length of the gym, playing an intense game of one on one, Jeongyeon and Momo bounced back and forth in an fierce dance of dribbling and deflection. Dahyun was moderately impressed for a moment, aware of Jeongyeon’s athletic acclaim, until a sudden thought occurred to her, and she flicked her eyes to the wall. Nayeon and Sana sat against the cinderblock, cheering their friends on emphatically. Dahyun paled and had begun the most subtle panic attack one could have when a voice rose above the din.

“Sana, isn’t that that girl you were talking to during the club meeting last week?”

Momo paused her play, having noticed the person hovering near the entryway. Dahyun froze in her freaking out as the other three girls turned their heads and they made eye contact. 

“Dahyun!” Sana shouted. Dahyun cringed. Hearing her name in that voice was starting to elicit the same reaction as hearing a gun . 

Nayeon turned to Momo. “Is this the same girl she fell on?” Momo nodded, and Nayeon looked at Dahyun appraisingly, as if sizing her up. Dahyun blushed under the scrutiny and waved awkwardly. 

Sana stood up. “Momo, pass me the ball.”

Jeongyeon squinted at her, confused. “Since when do you participate in physical activity?”

“Shush, Jeong,” Sana chided. Momo rolled her eyes and passed the ball, amused to see where this was going. 

Sana made an attempt at dribbling that gave everyone in the gym second hand embarrassment. She used both of her hands and couldn’t really walk at the same time. Jeongyeon played at challenging her, reaching out to knock the ball from her hands, but she just picked it up and held it close to her body.

“Sana, I don’t think that’s how you play,” Nayeon called from her place on the floor, observing the trainwreck. Sana squealed as Momo came closer, hardly even on offense, just openly walking towards her. She turned to shield herself, the ball clutched in her arms like it was her own child, and cowered slightly. Dahyun smiled in spite of herself.

Nayeon eyed her once more. “Looks like your girl is enjoying the show, despite your inability to play properly. Or at all.”

Flushed with sudden pride, Sana tried to shoot a basket. By some wild chance, through no skill of Sana’s own, the ball swished through the net. She spun to see Dahyun’s reaction and glowed with victory to see the smile on the girl’s face. They locked eyes. Dahyun’s grin grew bashful at the intensity and Sana beamed like the sun. Until a basketball bashed into the back of her head and she fell to the ground.

“Oh my gosh!” Dahyun rushed over, reasonable thought having vacated her mind. She kneeled over Sana’s disoriented form on the ground. “Are you okay?”

Sana looked up in daze, her vision swimming back and forth. Dahyun was suddenly struck with how beautiful Sana was. She had known, obviously, it was hard to miss, but it really hit her in that moment. The awful fluorescent lighting of the gym might as well have been heavens glow from the way it gleamed in her cheeks, bounced off of her hair, shone in her eyes. That was another thing Dahyun had noticed. Sana’s eyes were always sparkling. Whether it be in mischief or levity or beguilement, they were like two perfect stars, fallen from the sky to fix Dahyun with the most awe inspiring stare imaginable. Just as they did right then.

“I think,” Sana mumbled, “I’ll be okay if you kiss me.”

Dahyun’s mouth dropped open, at a loss for words, and Sana smirked woozily.

“Jesus, Sana, Momo just hit you with a basketball, can you stop for like two seconds?” Jeongyeon said, incredulous.

Momo whined. “It was an accident!”

They came over to help Sana up and Dahyun backed off, suddenly feeling very out of place. She didn’t know these girls, she didn’t like these girls. Right?

“Dahyun!”

She spun to see Jihyo, finished with her business and waiting, a vexed look on her face. Dahyun scurried away, giving a mumbled farewell, and met her at the doors, ready to leave as quickly as possible. Jihyo looked skeptically at the group of girls Dahyun had left behind, all now clustered around Sana’s splayed out figure on the floor, and then turned it on Dahyun herself. She averted her eyes, hoping no obvious blush colored her cheeks, and pushed her way through the double doors. 

“I told you those girls were trouble,” Jihyo admonished as they walked down the hall. “I mean, that was so blatant, it’s shameful.” Dahyun nodded fervently, still not meeting Jihyo’s eyes, wanting more than anything to move past the last five minutes of her life. 

“Hey.” Jihyo stopped, making Dahyun turn to look at her. “You know I’m telling you because I care right? I don’t want you getting your heart broken. You don’t deserve that and you have enough happening in your life besides.” Jihyo’s gaze was warm, caring. She had only the best of intentions. Dahyun nodded, seriously this time. She was honestly very thankful for the amount of care and thought Jihyo was giving her. Jihyo smiled brightly and Dahyun returned it without pause.

In that moment, walking down the empty hall at Jihyo’s side, Dahyun resolved to forget about Minatozaki Sana. She would just ignore the girl’s presence, keep going in school, let Sana move along. It would be the best for everyone involved. 

Some force up in the Universe heard this declaration and started howling with laughter.

~~~

The school library hummed. Overhead lights flickered, books opened and closed, whispers aded. Dahyun ignored all of these distractions and hunched over her Algebra homework. The worksheet was something about complex fractions, as if normal fractions weren’t complex enough, and she was struggling. It was due the next day and she wasn’t halfway to understanding it, let alone completing it.

Dahyun was by herself that afternoon. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu had to go home right after school that day, citing their own school work and strict parents, and Dahyun let them go, understanding but disappointed. They hadn’t been hanging out as much since school had started up again and it was getting a little disheartening. But nevermind that, focus on Algebra.

Even trying her best to block out her surroundings, Dahyun noticed the sudden uptick in whispers. She bent closer to her paper, trying to tune it out, but she couldn’t tune out someone pulling out the chair next to her and sitting down. She glanced up, ready to be upset internally but say nothing in reality, maybe give a disapproving glare if they weren’t looking, only to duck back down again instantly at the sight of two twinkling eyes.

“Hi, Dahyunnie,” Sana said, as bright as ever. 

Dahyun remembered her promise, internally cursing the fact that it was already going down the drain. She coughed, eyes trained on her paper. “Hello, Sana.” 

“How are you doing?”

“Fine.”

“Doing homework?”

“Yep.”

Dahyun kept her answers clipped and her eyes down, putting up the strongest front she had. Sana persisted nonetheless. She took out a textbook and a pen, acting casual, but Dahyun was so hyper-aware of her presence. She could feel the older girl’s gaze burning the side of her face and fought to ignore it, but finally was overwhelmed. She turned, opening without even a fully formed plan of what to say, but was stopped before she got a word out.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look like a tofu?”

Dahyun blinked. “What?”

“You look like a tofu,” Sana giggled. She reached out, pinching Dahyun’s cheeks.

Dahyun was stunned. She didn’t even know how to react to that. The spots where Sana had squeezed her face seared. 

“Oh, um, okay?” Dahyun faltered. Sana’s smile shined like the sun, and Dahyun found herself staring, mouth half open, for a bit longer than can be considered normal. Sana raised her eyebrows and Dahyun shook out of it, mortified.

“Right, well, thank you, then,” she stammered hurriedly. Dahyun looked back at her math, her already feeble focus ruined completely. Her head was buzzing and her cheeks, unrecovered yet from Sana’s touch, felt uncomfortably warm. 

“Dahyun?” Sana asked. 

She refused to look up again. “Yes?” 

“Can I borrow a piece of paper?” Sana requested sweetly.

Dahyun paused and nodded shortly, leaning over to her backpack to search for one. Eyes averted, she slid it over to Sana and returned to her work, scratching down numbers almost at random in a attempt to look occupied. Somewhere next to her she heard the click of a pen and something being scribbled down. Forcefully she pushed those sounds from her mind and focused solely on the next problem. It worked for maybe three minutes, until, once again unable to bear the tension any longer, she looked up.

Sana was gone, leaving behind only the sweet scent of her perfume and the piece of lined paper Dahyun had given to her, folded in half. Dahyun sighed in relief, thinking maybe now her head could be clear and she could pass her Algebra class. She eyed the paper left on the table, vowing she would just leave it, but almost instantly her curiosity got the better of her. She grabbed it swiftly, as if afraid someone would see her, and opened it tentatively. 

A message was written in cute, feminine handwriting. 

I meant it as a compliment, Dubu. Call me if you’re ever feeling more talkative.

Below was a phone number and a kiss mark in pink lip gloss. Dahyun was left once again dumbfounded, unable to form a coherent thought. Something warm simmered in the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t decide if it was uncomfortable or not.

~~~

Dahyun shakily told herself that her resolution still stood. She had crumpled the paper Sana had left behind, planned to toss it in the trash on her way out of the library, realized her first wasn’t opening to let it fall into the recycling bin, smoothed it out, and tucked it into her binder. But in the very back. Because she was never going to use it. It would just be rude to throw it away. Why waste a piece of paper? 

Her excuses were feeble, and she pointedly ignored that. She searched for distractions anywhere she could find them. Thankfully, and tragically, her teachers were being very forthcoming in that respect. She was swamped with work almost constantly. This was very good for forgetting about Sana, but very bad in literally every other sense. It was stressful and tiring and very quickly she needed a distraction from her distraction.

On Sunday, she finally had a break. The perfect opportunity for preoccupation came in the form of an invite from Tzuyu and Chaeyoung to go to the mall. Dahyun accepted instantly, excited at the prospect of being with her friends outside of school for the first time in almost two weeks. 

High school had really begun to take a toll on the girls and their friendship. It felt like there was never time for anything anymore. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung had experienced the same increase in work that Dahyun did, though they didn’t have the added pressure of Sana’s advances. The world seemed to be splitting them up, and Dahyun was fighting tooth and nail against that. Walking down the main promenade with them, shopping bags in hand and faces bright, she knew it was worth it.

Stopping at a display outside of an art store, Dahyun’s heart glowed with happiness at the sight of Chaeyoung fawning over too-expensive paints and Tzuyu consoling her with a supportive hand on the shoulder. It felt like they were a team again. They’d become friends in middle school, when the pressures of PE class forced them into repeated group activities together. Dahyun’s eccentrism with Chaeyoung’s snark and Tzuyu’s sharp albeit sporadic wittism blended together in a beautiful perfect mess. They’d been inseparable ever since, and Dahyun refused to let high school change that. 

“I missed you guys,” Dahyun said, never one to keep her thoughts private. They turned to her, sharing a look and returning her smile. 

“We missed you too, Dahyun,” Tzuyu said. “It’s not being able to hang out as much.”

“It’s just high school, man,” Chaeyoung groaned. “I swear to God if I get one more project I’m going to snap. We’re like two weeks in. Like, chill a little bit.”

The trio continued their walk through the mall. They arrived at the bustling food court and Chaeyoung stopped them, claiming imminent starvation. Tzuyu and Chaeyoung went off to buy the food while Dahyun got a table. They returned minutes later, laden with trays and news.

“Ugh, you aren’t going to believe who we just saw,” Chaeyoung lamented. Tzuyu, though silent and sipping her drink, seemed equally exasperated.

Dahyun reached across the table to get her food, looking between the two questioningly. “Who?”

Chaeyoung, playing up the dramatics, seemed too irritated to answer. “Those girls Jihyo told us about,” Tzuyu supplied, causing a sudden spike in anxiety she didn’t expect.

Dahyun’s eyes widened. “Where?” 

Tzuyu shrugged. “Over by the fountain.” 

She followed where Tzuyu indicated, whipping her head around to spot the notorious foursome seated half way across the room. Jeongyeon and Nayeon were, as always, wrapped up in each other and Sana and Momo sat across from them, drinking milkshakes and talking casually. Despite the distance, Dahyun ducked, praying for not the first time in the past two weeks that she could become invisible.

Chaeyoung, oblivious to Dahyun’s violent reception of the news, picked at her french fries. “Have you noticed they’re everywhere? Like you wouldn’t think four girls would be able to exist in every room at school simultaneously, and yet.”

Still recovering from her small panic attack, Dahyun chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, uh, you know, Sana sat down next to me in the library on Thursday. She, uh,” Dahyun tried to be casual, anticipating Chaeyoung’s reaction, “gave me her phone number.”

“WHAT?” 

Dahyun shushed her quickly, lest Sana herself hear and see them. Chaeyoung fumed. “She still hasn’t left you alone?” Dahyun, though still trying to pacify the situation, shook her head. “God, the absolute nerve! I mean she has to have noticed by now that you aren’t into it.”

Dahyun opened , unsure of what to say, but Chaeyoung wasn’t done. “Why is she so desperate to get in your pants, you’re just trying to live your life. I’m telling you, Jihyo was right, she’s the most dangerous of all of them. She’s like a damn snake. I can’t believe there are people who actually want to date her. Why do they even like her?”

“I don’t know, I mean, she’s pretty,” Dahyun said before she could stop herself. It was clearly the wrong thing to say.

“Well, Tzuyu’s pretty, and you don’t see her harassing people.” Tzuyu blinked at the mention of her name, blushing slightly, but Chaeyoung didn’t seem to notice, on a new leg of her tirade. “But why do you think she’s pretty?”

“Because she is, Chaeng, what do you want from me,” Dahyun said, flustered. Their volume was still louder than she wanted it to be and she was unbearably aware of Sana’s presence across the room.

“You better not fall for it,” Chaeyoung grumbled.

“Chaeng, don’t be ridiculous,” Tzuyu interjected. “She’s not going to fall for it.”

“Yeah, come on,” Dahyun said, indignant, working past the heat in her cheeks. “Listen she’s pretty and all, but I have a brain, okay? I swear, everyone keeps warning me away from her like I’m a five year old who wants to play in a fire pit. I’m not asking for this! And even if I was, I can handle myself.”

Chaeyoung seemed ready to contest that, but Tzuyu sent her a look and she shut . She took a deep breath and relented. “Okay, yes, you’re right, I’m sorry. I’m just worried, alright? You’re like my best friend. I don’t want you to have to deal with this.”

Dahyun heard Jihyo’s words echoed, coming from the mouth of her friend. “Listen, Chaeng, I appreciate it, but you don’t have to be worried.”

Tzuyu added in, “I don’t think Sana’s serious, she’ll get bored soon enough.” Dahyun nodded her agreement and Chaeyoung, though reluctant, seemed to accept it.

“Alright, yes, fine. Let’s just move on. I’m sure you’ve had to deal with this enough without us talking about it too.” They made their way through their meals, easing into talking then joking then laughing. It was exactly the elation Dahyun had been missing. Nothing was going to ruin it, not high school or homework, not Minatozaki Sana. 

They finished eating and threw away their trash, Chaeyoung happily telling them about some new arcade in the mall they had to visit. They started heading in that direction, Dahyun and Chaeyoung already betting on who would win the most tickets and Tzuyu looking on with amusement. Dahyun still ducked as they walked past the fountain, avoiding a certain pair of eyes, but spirits stayed high. Tzuyu ended up winning the most tickets, much to the chagrin of the other two. Despite that, it ended up being one of the best afternoons Dahyun had had in awhile. She felt nothing but warmth. Not the blistering heat she had so frequently been feeling lately, but the soft glow of friendship and happy memories and a full heart. It was so comfortable and satisfying, she felt at peace. Homework and projects, conflicting thoughts and bothersome feelings didn’t have to exist. It could just be her and her friends at the mall, shooting with plastic guns and laughing the night away.

~~~

On Friday, the entire school was dismissed for an assembly. The halls filled with students shuffling towards the auditorium, the sound of hundreds of feet and voices overlapping in a busy and discordant chorus. Sana and Jeongyeon left their shared Calculus class and met up with the other two at Nayeon’s open locker. Sana was greeted by grins and Jeongyeon was greeted by her girlfriend pulling her in by the tie, forehead to forehead. Jeongyeon groaned at the affection, but didn’t move away. 

“We are in public,” Momo pointed out, deadpan. Sana didn’t say anything but she silently agreed.

Jeongyeon pulled away, straightening her tie and wrapping her other arm around Nayeon’s shoulders. “Not for long. Whose house are we going to?”

“My parents are out for the day,” Nayeon said. “We can use the pool.” She wiggled her eyebrows at her girlfriend. 

Jeongyeon grinned. “Sounds perfect, babe.” Sana huffed.

“Actually, I’m going to stay,” Momo said. That was a surprise. They hadn’t attended an assembly since freshman year. The other three rounded on her, looks of shock on their face.

“There’s a cheerleader I’m scoping out,” she offered casually as an explanation. 

“I didn’t realize there was one you hadn’t gotten with yet,” Nayeon remarked teasingly. Momo swatted her shoulder.

“Alright, fine, ditch us for a girl,” Jeongyeon said, rolling her eyes. “ Sana, you want to stop at your place to get a swimsuit or something?”

Sana bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do right now was spend hours alone with Nayeon and Jeongyeon and their new-couple mooning. It was the last thing she wanted to do at any time really. If she went to the assembly, she could escape that torture and maybe even help Momo with her new mark. Her decision was practically made for her.

“I think I’m going to stay, too.” That earned some really shocked reactions. Nayeon’s eyebrows nearly reached her hairline. 

“Why would you stay?” she asked. Sana shrugged, looking down to pick at her nails. As true as it was, she wasn’t going to tell the couple how uncomfortable they made her.

“Do you also have yourself a girl, Minatozaki?” Jeongyeon asked slyly. “I’ve never seen you be shy about it.” Sana didn’t offer a response. “Well, alright then.” Jeongyeon reached over and shut the locker. “You losers enjoy learning about bullying or recycling or whatever.”

The couple strutted off, hand in hand. Sana rolled her eyes, turning to Momo, who was scanning the hallway for something.

“Looking for your cheerleader?” Sana asked. Momo jolted out of her focus.

“What?”

“You know, the cheerleader you said you were…”

Momo shook her head dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, right. Listen, I have to go, I’ll meet you later.”

“Okay?” said Sana, confused. “Do you want to-”

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.” Momo left abruptly and joined the stream of people heading towards the assembly. Well, that threw Sana’s plan out the window. She walked alone to the auditorium, pondering Momo’s actions. She just left, hardly even listened to what Sana was saying. It was strange, and she didn’t like the way it felt. 

Sana entered the auditorium and realized she had no one to sit with. Everyone sat in clusters around the hall, filling the rows of seats in front of the stage with a riot of noise. She was at a bit of a loss. She didn’t really know how assemblies worked and the feeling of solitude, of being without fellows, was largely unfamiliar. Scanning the room and trying to decide what to do, Sana spotted another solitary figure, seated alone in the sea of groups. Recognition dawned on her, and feeling slightly comforted, she made her way towards the person.

“Hello, Dahyun,” Sana greeted with a smile, coming up next to her.

“Hello,” Dahyun replied apprehensively.

“Mind if I sit here?” Dahyun seemed a little surprised at the asking of permission, but nonetheless allowed Sana to sit. 

“Where are your, uh, your friends?” Dahyun was wary, staring forward and not making eye contact. Sana sighed.

“Momo left me to chase after some girl and Nayeon and Jeongyeon are probably on their way to having in Nayeon’s pool.” Dahyun was flustered at the bluntness, blush on her cheeks breaking through her stoicism. “But I could ask you the same question. Where are those other two you’re always with?”

Dahyun side-eyed her. Apparently the question was heavier than Sana had intended. “They, uh, decided to skip. I don’t know when we started doing that, but I guess we do now. Well, they do. As you can see, I wasn’t able to ignore my conscience. She’s a bit intense, loud, doesn’t understand personal space very well. Funny, it almost reminds me of someone.”

Sana chuckled, and a bit of the tension melted. This joking, it was a side of Dahyun she hadn’t seen before. She liked it. “You love it. And you’re lucky,” she leant her head on Dahyun’s shoulder, looking up at her, “You have me all to yourself.” Dahyun stiffened, Sana’s weight and gaze burning up her neck. But Sana glanced away, scanning the crowd, and she started to relax, letting it happen, taking deep breaths. Dahyun turned her own eyes on the nearly full auditorium, and caught sight of something up near the stage. 

“Isn’t that Momo over there, standing next to Mina?” Sana looked where Dahyun indicated and saw that it was in fact. Momo and Mina stood in front with some of the Student Council kids, Mina with a light blush gracing her cheeks and a shy smile on her lips, Momo with a heavy smirk and cocky posture, leaning against the stage. Sana felt something red and unfamiliar burn through her at the sight, a hot ball of lead dropping down into her stomach, and she tightened her grip on Dahyun unconsciously. “You okay?”

Sana nodded absently, unable to take her eyes away from the pair. The air around her felt like it was buzzing, getting more violent as Mina lightly hit Momo’s shoulder, only egging her on further, to get closer, to lean in.

A teacher appeared on stage with a microphone, calling everyone’s attention, the assembly was about to start. The group at the base of the stage dispersed and Sana was called back to reality, Dahyun nudging her shoulder awkwardly. The teacher continued her spiel, introducing the topic of the assembly, but Sana didn’t hear, anchoring herself on Dahyun’s face of concern. “Sana?”

“Y-yes?” She stuttered. Dahyun’s worry grew.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Sana paused for a pregnant moment, before pasting a smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes. “Yep, totally.”

Dahyun didn’t look entirely convinced, opened to say more, but Sana turned away, focusing now on Jihyo who had taken the mic and begun the presentation. 

“We all know high school can get very stressful, with the grades and college, but also with the new societal pressure. So today we’re going to talk about coping with new environments, relationships, and changing friendships.”