A/N: Hi, all. Thank you for reading chapter 3 and being interested still. Here’s chapter 4, and please enjoy.

Yerim was laughing.

Joohyun couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her best friend laughing this much and hard. She can’t remember the last time the blonde laughed this hard at her expense. Joohyun tries to interrupt but each time she does. Yerim is simply laughing at her all over again.

“Um…” Joohyun tries to begin.

“Oh, my god, Hyun. I haven’t laughed that hard in so long. Why would you need advice on talking to someone? You don’t really talk all that much.”

“Why indeed?” The brown-haired omega thinks. She really shouldn’t have asked Yerim for any advice. What was she thinking? Best friend or not she really should have thought this out a lot better. Yerim finally takes a break to stop laughing.

“Wait, Hyun. What’s going on, seriously? I promise I won’t laugh anymore. You are my best friend, and I want to help you if I can.”

Joohyun knows that no matter what Yerim is her best friend, and she is always there for her. She has to simply admit the truth. She really likes Kang Seulgi and has liked the alpha for as long as she can remember. Joohyun hopes that Yerim will understand.

“I need help because I am going to meet my crush on Friday, and I don’t want to be too embarrassing.”

The other omega opens in shock. She never expected for Joohyun to like anyone ever, and especially not for Joohyun to simply admit it this straightforward. Yerim had no idea her best friend liked anyone in the first place.

“Wait, you like someone?”

“Yes, I really like her. We’re meeting on Friday to talk and I’m nervous. I just don’t want to do something foolish.”

The blonde looks sympathetic. Now she feels badly for laughing at her friend, and so she hugs Joohyun who returns the embrace. Yerim whispers an apology to her and Joohyun tells her it’s fine. It’s not as if Yerim knew beforehand that she has these feelings.

“Okay, look. The most important thing I can say is to just be yourself, Hyun. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s really all you can do. If you try too hard to be someone you’re not it’ll just be awkward. Don’t overthink either, or you might just embarrass yourself. Who is it anyway? You really don’t act interested in anyone.”

Joohyun takes a deep breath. She’s going to say who she likes and hope for the best.

“I like Kang Seulgi.”

Yerim reacts just as she expected. “Hold on!” Yerim puts her hand up. “You like Sooyoung’s friend? The one who was asking for you the other day?”

“Yes.” Joohyun nods. “I’ve liked her for a very long time, and…”

“Oh my god,” The blonde groans and puts her head onto the table of the restaurant they’re sitting in. Joohyun tires to touch her shoulder to see if she’s okay. Yerim sounds like she’s screaming into her sleeve.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay. You just had to go and like Sooyoung’s friend. Do you have any idea what this means for me, Hyun?”

“Um, not really?” The brunette has no idea why Yerim think it’s going to affect her in some way. She’s the one who has the crush on Kang Seulgi. Yerim lifts her head up from the table and sighs.

“Once Sooyoung gets word of this it’s all over. God, she’s going to think we have some sort of chance because of this.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Trust me, I know how she thinks. Well, I guess I’m glad you like someone, Hyun. I can’t imagine you liking her though.”

“Why, because I have money.”

Joohyun has to throw it out there. Although, she knows Yerim is not uppity and obsessed with her wealth. She has friends of all sorts of backgrounds and she doesn’t judge. Joohyun knows how it’s going to look to everyone when she and Seulgi start hanging around campus. Everyone will be surprised because of their obvious differences. Joohyun doesn’t care as all she wants to do is spend time with Seulgi. It’s not like Joohyun has a lot of friends to worry about impressing anyway. All she cares most about is getting to know Kang Seulgi and for Seulgi to know her more too.

“It’s not that, Hyun. She’s just kind of a troublemaker, isn’t she. She’s friends with Sooyoung.”

Joohyun thinks there is more to Seulgi than meets the eye. She doesn’t think the alpha is a troublemaker per say, but something about her seems to attract trouble.

“Ooh, maybe it’s what you like, hm. You like a bit of that troublemaker hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, yeah?” Her best friend teases her and she can’t help her red cheeks. When Yerim says it like that it just sounds like any teen romance novel. This is of course real life and no romance novel.

“I want to spend my time getting to know her, and I hope that won’t be a problem, Yerimie.”

“I just hope you know what you’re doing, Hyun. I want you to be happy, you know that.”

“Yea, I know. I should just be myself, hm?”

The other omega nods. “I like Bae Joohyun as she is, and I’m sure she will too when you just be yourself, okay.”

Joohyun smiles and thanks her best friend. She feels better overall after having talked to Yerim. She will remember to simply be herself and not panic too much.  Friday will be here before she knows it.

Seulgi gets home from her night shift at her security job and is tired enough to fall out on the couch. She sees Seungwan up and in the kitchen. It’s been a few days since she’s seen her sister feeling good enough to stand.

“Wan?”

“Hi, Seul.” The beta smiles tiredly. “I wanted to make you breakfast. I know you had to work last night.”

“Yeah, it’s just good I only have two night shifts a week. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Seul. I feel a little better today.”

“That’s good, I’m glad.”

Seungwan moves the food onto plates and sits with the alpha in the kitchen. Seulgi told her about Sooyoung letting her have the car but the blonde had the feeling there is something else going on. Seulgi simply wouldn’t elaborate any further.

“Are you sure that everything is fine?”

“Yeah,” Seulgi nods. “Everything is fine, Wan. Don’t worry about me.”

“I always worry about you.” Seungwan whispers. Seulgi is not only her sister. The alpha is her best friend and she is grateful for all the things that Seulgi has done for her. She didn’t have to work so hard to take care of her, and yet she still does.

“Well, don’t. I’m fine, thanks for the food.”

“You’re welcome. You’ll tell me when you’re able to right, Seulgi.”

The alpha sighs. She knows her sister is always going to worry about her. Seulgi thinks after she properly talks to Joohyun, maybe she can tell her what’s going on.

Friday arrives and Joohyun waits for Seulgi just outside of the main campus. She will follow Yerim’s advice and just be herself. The omega is dressed in a plain purple blouse and dark jeans.

“Okay, Hyun. You’re going to be okay, it’s just Seulgi. It’s only…”

“Hey.” Seulgi speaks as she walks over to her. The shorter girl sees Seulgi dressed in a sleeveless white shirt, biceps exposed, and blue jeans. How can one person be so gorgeous.

“I’m blushing. I have to be blushing.”

“Joohyun?” Seulgi waves her hand across her face. Joohyun snaps out of her daze and comes back to reality.

“Hi, Seulgi.”

“Hey, are you ready to go? We can walk to the park it’s not far.”

“Oh, sure.”

Seulgi leads the way and Joohyun follows. She hasn’t ever really gone places on her own. Her family driver takes her to and from not only school, but other places too. This is not only spending time with Seulgi but her first time just walking off somewhere. Seulgi isn’t wrong as the park is really a matter of blocks away. The omega follows to a park bench and looks around at the beautiful scenery. The trees, flowers, and atmosphere is so calming. She can see why Seulgi would like coming here. In fact now that she knows Joohyun thinks she too would like to come out here and read sometimes during her breaks.

“I’m sorry, did you want some water, or anything?”

“No, I’m fine. I brought my lunch with me.” Joohyun gestures to a smaller purple carry bag that has her packed lunch and water.

“Oh, okay.” The alpha nods. “I won’t keep you long, Joohyun. I just wanted to explain myself because you did me a huge favor.”

The brunette really doesn’t mind if she spent hours here with Seulgi. She is glad to even be here now with her longtime crush. Joohyun is ready to listen to what she’s saying. It looks like Seulgi is gathering her thoughts.

“Okay, so that money, it wasn’t for me. I mean I did use some of it for bills and necessities. But most of all it was to help take care of my sister. She’s not well and her medicine and bills were expensive. I really needed the money for her most of all.”

“Oh…” Joohyun thinks. Seulgi was only trying to take care of her family. It touches Joohyun’s heart to hear that her crush cares so much for family in this manner. She didn’t know Seulgi had a sister, though.

“Does she go to our school?”

“Hm, no.” Seulgi shakes her head. “She is too ill to go to school. She’s also my adopted sister too, and we’ve been out of each other’s lives for years when I was in  the foster care system.”

Now the brunette feels awful as she thinks of a smaller Seulgi in and out of foster care. She wishes she could have been of some help then, but what could she have done. They were strangers who never spoke. All Joohyun could do was look at the girl from afar.

“Did you have nice parents?”

“Nice parents.” Seulgi laughs sadly. “I don’t know what that is. If I wasn’t being used in some way, beaten, or starving, then no I didn't have nice parents.”

Joohyun feels like she could cry now. Seulgi has had it so hard but yet she smiles and carries on bravely. There was a reason why the omega always admired her. She admired Seulgi because she was so brave. Joohyun simply didn’t know for what reasons Seulgi had to be as brave as she is.

“Anyway, I didn’t tell you that to have you feel bad. I just needed you to know the story, and well I guess you should also know how I got that sort of money.”

Now Joohyun is about to find out what she did for the money. She feels anxious now as she wonders what could it be.

“What did you do?”

“A lot of odd jobs mostly. I have a pretty charming face, right?” Seulgi smiles, and Joohyun feels her own heart speed up some. Seulgi is a beautiful alpha and she is also charming indeed.

“I am a people person and my employer knew that. She exploited it as much as she could and used me to get certain tasks done. Ah, I’ve also sold drugs.” Seulgi says it as an added on afterthought.

“W-What?” The omega stutters out in shock. Her crush is a drug dealer, or was?

“Well it was either that or stripping!”

“Oh my god.” Joohyun can feel her face burning and has to now get images of Seulgi stripping out of her head. Seulgi laughs in amusement.

“No, but I’m not proud of it or anything. It’s not like I enjoyed running around scamming people, doing all sorts of random odd jobs, and definitely selling drugs wasn’t ideal. But I had a sister to take care of, and…”

“Hey, I’m not judging you.” Joohyun softly cuts her off. “I can’t imagine how hard things had to have been. But you won’t have to worry anymore. I helped you.”

“Yeah, you did. I still don’t know how I feel about not paying you back.”

Joohyun can tell this is important to Seulgi, and thinks she has an idea. She won’t bring it up just yet, but perhaps Seulgi can work for her father and make some extra money on the side.

“I already said my condition.”

“Yes,” the monolid girl nods and runs her hands over her dark locks. “Okay, you’re my girlfriend and I am yours, at least for the year, anyway.”

The way Seulgi says girlfriend makes Joohyun feel good. She knows it’s only a condition for right now. She just hopes it can be a permanent thing one day.

“We should ease into things. Our friends will probably be worried.”

“Yeah, worried.” Seulgi laughs. “That’s one way to put it anyway. Alright, you know all the important information, Joohyun. You’re going to have to tell me who you actually like though.”

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