Nayeon stumbled back, hitting the wall as she regained her lost footing. The shock is still there. She’s confused with the change in her behaviour.

Sana was kissing her?

As much as Nayeon wanted to continue kissing Sana, they needed to clear out things first. She felt like she was on a rollercoaster of feelings right now. Hesitantly, she pulls back first, confusion present on Sana’s face.

“One, you crossed the line.” Nayeon pointed out, making Sana look down. Her foot had crossed the red tape. She blushed, clearly embarrassed of the times she’d threatened Nayeon with consequences. “Two, I’m very much confused right now.” She added, covering Sana’s mouth with her hand when she tried to argue. “When I came in here this morning, you were ready to get rid of me and you didn’t even want to hear me out when I tried to explain myself. Why are you kissing me now?”

It was her honest thoughts that Nayeon was trying to express. She was extremely hurt hours ago when Sana had wanted to kick her out but now it was completely opposite.

“I’m sorry, I really am.” Sana apologised, trying to word out an explanation. She was acting on a whim and not even considering things before she went through with them. As a result of her rash behaviour, she’d hurt Nayeon. Sana was still beating herself over not letting Nayeon explain her side the most though. “Honestly, I was being stupid and silly.”

Nayeon tried to cut in to deny it, but Sana already knew that it was true. She acted like a child. She didn’t want to see the good in Nayeon and it was the worst decision of her life. Why did she need to hear it from Mina to see things for how they were? How was she going to make her relationship work if Sana wasn’t even going to be willing to let someone explain their actions?

“From the moment we became roommates, it’s been almost like a rollercoaster ride. Ups and downs, misunderstandings and kind gestures. I didn’t know what to expect anymore. When we were in high school, I had this view of you that you were heartless and uncaring but that changed so fast, it caught me off guard. I couldn’t believe you were the same person.” Sana referred to their past.

“I still don’t know what I did. Why did you dislike me so much? What did I ever do? I never had the courage to talk to you even though I liked you.” Nayeon frowned, awaiting the answer she’d been curious about.

“Do you remember, there was a girl in our year called Hyemi?” Sana revealed the name of her high school friend for the first time.

“Of course, I do. You were always with her.” Nayeon blurted out, blushing moments later. She couldn’t really be blamed when she’d been trying to gain courage to talk to Sana the entire senior year. Obviously Nayeon would notice who Sana was with, her eyes were always on her, but she just never approached her (yes, it’s as tragic as it sounds).

“She was shattered one day when she came over my place after meeting you. Hyemi had asked you if you wanted to go out on a date. She confessed to you and you heartlessly rejected her.” Sana reminded as she waited for an explanation. A part of her was hoping that Hyemi lied and made it all up – a big part of her.

“What? I told her that my heart wasn’t in the right place. I told her that I liked you. I gave a proper reason and then she just stormed off. I didn’t just reject her and walk away. That would be the worst thing to do. I didn’t want to have a relationship with someone when I never liked them. That’s what I said to her.” Nayeon was flabbergasted by what she heard. So, the reason why Sana had hated her was because of a lie that arose from Hyemi? The whole scenario was still sinking in her head.

“So… she lied. Mina was right.” Sana mumbled, feeling disappointed in herself.

“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Momo. She was there when Hyemi confessed–”

“No, I believe you.” Sana shook her head as Nayeon wanted to provide more proof. She had more faith in Nayeon than in Hyemi. The more she thought about what Nayeon had said, the more sense it made. Hyemi was always infatuated with Nayeon – she always talked about her, what she was doing, who she was with; it was like an obsession. Of course, if Nayeon had rejected her and she’d been told that Sana was the cause of her rejection, it made sense that Hyemi lied about everything. She manipulated Sana to make her think that Nayeon was the worst person to exist. And as a result, she hurt Nayeon because she blindly believed what her friend had said. “I’m sorry, too.”

Nayeon frowned. She didn’t need an apology from Sana when she wasn’t the one at fault. It was clear that she was being misled from the start. It just hurt her to know that someone took advantage of Sana’s trusting nature to turn it against Nayeon. “You don’t have to apologise.”

“I do. I’ve had this stupid view of you in my head from the start and it’s all because I believed her. Even when I saw it for myself that you were nothing like what she described, I still hesitated and contemplated what Hyemi said. I hurt you. I can’t forgive myself for that.” Sana felt incredibly guilty of her actions.

A sigh escaped Nayeon’s lips and she moved forward to cup Sana’s cheeks in her own hands. She didn’t want Sana feeling like this. She was not at fault. She didn’t need any of this guilt eating at her when the whole mess was because of Hyemi in the first place. Wanting to reassure Sana of the lack of need of an apology, Nayeon placed a gentle kiss on Sana’s forehead.

“This isn’t your fault at all. So, please, don’t blame yourself. Yes, it hurt – I won’t lie. But your behaviour was justified. I don’t want you to hold this against yourself.” Nayeon spoke with confidence. She meant it.

Sana looked up at her with teary eyes and relief washed over Nayeon as she offered her a small smile. Nayeon knew she could widen it further.

“Now, where were we? If I recall, you kissed me earlier.” Nayeon teased. Sana grinned at her and Nayeon wiped away the remnants of her tears. “Wait, why did you kiss me in the first place?”

“Uhh…” Sana blushed in embarrassment as she remembered her conversation with Mina. “Well, I was angry at you for leaving and then went to talk to Mina about it. You could say that she opened my eyes to the truth. I’m sorry I never let you explain yourself.”

“You were trying to protect yourself, I know.” Nayeon smiled at Sana softly. Her eyes shone with love and affection and understanding, overwhelming Sana.

“Stop looking at me like that. I’m going to cry again.” Sana whined, fanning her face.

“Looking at you like what? Like you’re the most cutest person to exist?” Nayeon laughed as Sana groaned, blushing profusely now.

“Stop!” Sana hid her face in her hands.

Nayeon pulled Sana’s hands away from her face, holding them. “I know we’re still figuring things out between us and there’s a lot to do from here. But I know that I want to be with you and have you by my side, officially. I really, really like you. Also, I know you’re completely jealous about Lena, Mina told me a little while ago.” Sana gasped at her friend’s betrayal. “Would you be my girlfriend? You won’t have to worry about Lena and you get me as a bonus.”

Sana giggled at Nayeon’s self-promoting, forgetting about Mina’s betrayal for the time being. She nodded, accepting Nayeon’s proposal. “I like you too. It would be my pleasure being your girlfriend.”

With those mere words, Nayeon could’ve cried. She never expected her feelings to be reciprocated after everything that had happened from high school, to now.

The anger, the pranks, the misunderstandings.

It had turning into happiness and love and cherished memories.

A smile graced Sana’s lips as she pulled Nayeon into a well needed hug.

Im Nayeon was her official girlfriend.

It still sounded weird to her. But this girl in front of her was hers, and that was all Sana needed.

“So, I can kiss you now, right?” Nayeon nervously asked.

“Why? Shying away now?” Sana turned the tables, teasing her girlfriend.

“No… I just want you to be comfortable with everything.” Nayeon embarrassingly admitted. “Isn’t it normal to ask?”

“Were you always this cute?” Sana gushed, pinching Nayeon’s cheeks.

Nayeon slapped Sana’s hands away and rubbed her cheeks, trying to erase the pain. “I just wanted to kiss you, why did you pinch my cheeks!”

“Should I kiss it better?” Sana suggested.

“…”

“Why are you turning so red? Are you sick?” Sana panicked, holding Nayeon’s face in her hands.

Nayeon’s gaze lingered on Sana as she checked her for any signs of sickness. This girl was going to give her a heart attack someday. Her heart was very sensitive when it came to Sana and her flirting wasn’t helping her in the slightest. Someone, please have mercy on her heart.

Wanting to change the owner of the power of the moment, Nayeon used one of Sana’s hands that cradled her face to pull her close. She heard Sana’s breath hitch and a smile formed on Nayeon’s lips.

She induced that reaction.

Without wasting another second, Nayeon kissed her. Sana sank in the embrace, resting her hands on Nayeon’s waist as she brought her hand to cup Sana’s cheek. Nayeon’s kisses were furious and unrelenting, yet Sana matched up to each and every one of them.

Sana was her girlfriend, Nayeon was still trying to let it sink in. Years of loving this girl in front of her where she almost gave up – she was now in Nayeon’s arms. She was now Nayeon’s girlfriend.

They stood in the middle of the room, on each other’s side of the red tape.

 “Hey, I think we have one thing left to do, actually.” Nayeon remembered as she pulled back from the kiss, basking in the sight of Sana’s swollen red lips.

In her dazed state, Sana failed to comprehend Nayeon’s sentence. “Huh? I thought we cleared everything out already?”

“I’m talking about the red tape.” Nayeon rolled her eyes. “You know, that weird idea of yours to split the entire dorm?”

“Hey, I was really annoyed with your presence!” Sana defended her use of the item.

“I just showered you with kindness and you declined it all.” Nayeon huffed.

“Kindness? That’s why I ended up eating a toothpaste filled Oreo?” Sana shuddered at the memory of the awful taste.

“If I recall, it was you who challenged me by talking about crossing the red tape! You said there would be consequences!” Nayeon argued.

“It wasn’t a call for pranks.” Sana grumbled, looking down at the line of red.

“Mhmm. I think that brought us together, actually.” Nayeon chuckled, earning a nod of approval from Sana. They hadn’t interacted until Nayeon started the pranks. “Actually, it was my goal from the start. I wanted to get you to talk so I pranked you.”

“You probably regretted it when your assignment was ruined.” Sana giggled, ignoring Nayeon’s glare. “I think, we can get rid of it.”

“You think? Doesn’t it add some colour to our dorm room?” Nayeon mocked.

“Wow, are you really dissing the thing that brought us together?” Sana gasped mockingly.

“Of course not. Such a brilliant idea Sana.” Nayeon cooed. “We wouldn’t be together without it.”

“Let’s rip it off together?” Sana suggested, eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.

Nayeon nodded and the two of them moved to the edge of the wall where the tape started. Carefully scratching the edges, they pulled it off together.

The red tape that divided them at the start.

Yet, it was the red tape that united them too, at the end.

A/N: Thank you to all of you who have patiently waited for me to complete this story! It's been a lovely journey with you guys and I hope you enjoyed this fic of mine. This year, I didn't manage to write as much as the year before, so maybe I'll be taking a break from bigger stories for a little bit. I will always be here though! Never gone :)

Also, happy early new year! I may not post anything soon, but I wish you all the best for 2019!

Love you all <3