Peace. Calm. Relaxation. Just her and her work.

Except An Yujin couldn’t shut the heck up.

 

Wonyoung and her expensive self tried so, so hard to pay attention to her work. Yujin and her idiotic, jock-y self tried so, so hard to make sure that Wonyoung wouldn’t be able to do so.

 

They were both in their second year of high school, the former excelling in her studies while the latter fell a bit behind. On the flip side of things, Wonyoung was always the last to cross the finish line in gym while Yujin was always the first.

 

All the girls at school, of course, loved Yujin and her “charms”. Wonyoung would roll her eyes whenever she heard that, because Yujin was just so loud and obnoxious.

 

Although, maybe on some level, some deep level within her soul, Wonyoung could understand why Yujin was seen as the cute charmer. True, the girl was funny. Pretty cute too. Sweet as well. But so, so, so childish, really. Wonyoung didn’t want any part of that.

 

Maybe Yujin should improve her rankings before flirting with the entire school population.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Yujin knew she was the bomb.com. Well, she also knew that she bombed all her tests, but that was okay. She’s happy. Every morning she wakes up and tells herself, “Let’s get it!”

 

She was currently laughing with some of her friends in the same class as her, being a little loud, she knew.

 

“What’d you get on the test?”

Yujin flashed up nine fingers.

Yena laughed and boasted about how she had the privilege of throwing up ten fingers.

Yujin rolled her eyes and laughed back with her.

 

From the corner of her eye, she could see Ms. Goodie-Goodie herself, Ms. Regal-and-Sophisticated, Jang Wonyoung.

 

Yujin acknowledged how beautiful she was and secretly admired her hardworking and studious nature.

 

She’d never admit that though.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

For some reason, Yujin is standing in front of a store staring at a wide-eyed Wonyoung.

 

Yujin doesn’t know why she did it, but when she saw Wonyoung standing underneath an awning and tossing her wet hair away from her face, she offered her her umbrella. For some reason.

 

Yujin’s lips quirk upwards slightly at Wonyoung’s near-comical expression. Her eyebrows were raised high and was slightly open, trying to find a coherent response.

 

“Uh,” says Wonyoung.

 

Close enough.

 

Yujin doesn’t think either of them should be standing in the cold for much longer seeing as Wonyoung was still figuring out how to operate her brain, so she smiles down at Wonyoung (a little more shyly than usual) and gestures for her to come forward.

 

All Wonyoung does is furrow her eyebrows and tilt her head.

 

At this point, Yujin has two choices: turn around and leave her with that expression or make her come with her.

 

Yujin has always been one for trying new things, even if that “new thing” was tugging Wonyoung forward and under her umbrella.

 

Wonyoung, surprised, ducks her head slightly in embarrassment, but allows herself to be tugged forward.

 

“Come on,” Yujin breathes out quietly as she realizes that she hadn’t mentally prepared herself for being this close to Wonyoung.

 

She looks at Wonyoung, smiles, and nods her head forward.

 

Wonyoung, resigning too her fate, offers back a shy but thankful smile and starts walking along with Yujin as the rain comes down around them.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Wonyoung was screaming right now. Screaming. Why in the world was she sharing an umbrella with An Yujin?

 

Although, she thought, it was very strange being with a more quiet Yujin; well, it was also odd being on the receiving end of the sweetness she regularly saw directly towards other girls. But god, just this morning she was yelling to herself about how obnoxious she found her.

 

“Where do you live?” Yujin asks while glancing at Wonyoung at the corner of her eye.

 

“Ah, just straight down here and then a right turn at XXX,” Wonyoung gestures.

 

“Me too! I guess we live pretty close to each other, huh?”

 

Wonyoung hums and a gentle silence envelops them.

 

Deep in their minds, they’re both wondering how their bodies seems to fit so perfectly together under the umbrella.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“You smell nice.”

 

It was at that very moment that Yujin realized that she was an insufferable idiot. A very big, very dumb idiot.

 

But clearly there was some god out there smiling down on Yujin and her stupid comment because Wonyoung let out a shy, breathy laugh.

 

“Thank you,” she said, “You smell pretty good too.”

 

Yujin let out a laugh.

 

“Sorry, that just came out. Great first impressions I’m giving off right now.”

 

Wonyoung’s eyes squinted slightly with a smile.

 

“That’s okay, we’re in the same class anyways, so you were already giving off terrible first impressions.”

 

Yujin mock-gasped and clutched her heart with her free hand.

 

“Is it because I’m too cool and that makes everyone else feel bad about themselves?”

 

Wonyoung rolls her eyes and, surprising herself, nudges Yujin slightly while mumbling, “You wish.”

 

Yujin laughs again with a smile that’s a little wider than before.

 

“Ah, this is me.”

 

They stop in front of Wonyoung’s big, fancy house.

 

“Thanks,” she says softly, looking up at Yujin’s genuine smile and offering one of her own.

 

Yujin shrugs with a grin.

 

“No problem.”

 

Wonyoung waves as she enters her house, and Yujin waves back with that big smile of hers.

 

Yujin waits until Wonyoung is safely in her house before spinning around and walking in the opposite direction.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

And so, as life would have it, Yujin decided that she now had the ability to go and speak to Wonyoung in class. Except at the end of class because Yujin needed the entire day to hype herself up for this.

 

Yujin was a strong, independent woman.

 

A strong independent woman that suddenly didn’t know what to say once Wonyoung turned around.

 

“Uh, hi,” Yujin said with her two brain cells.

 

Wonyoung tilted her head in surprise with her eyebrows raised, but she found a smile spreading on her face.

 

“Hi.”

 

So apparently Yujin’s brain cells decided to die or something, because she, once again, blurted out something stupid.

 

“Your house is really nice.”

 

Nice, Yujin, nice. Conversational wizard. Social queen. Ms. An Yujin, the bomb.com.

 

This was really stupid. Yujin was so good at stuff like this; it was her thing.

 

But here she was, tripping over her words and throwing garbage out of .

 

On the other hand, Wonyoung was used to side-eyeing Yujin from her seat, used to acknowledging Yujin’s existence only because she made herself known through her boisterous laughter and jokes.

 

You can imagine her confusion at this situation.

 

You can also imagine her confusion at the smile that was spreading, once again, across her face.

 

“Thanks, maybe you should come over some time.”

 

Oh my god.

 

Jang Wonyoung.

 

What.

 

They both stared at each other with wide eyes and eyebrows shooting through the roof.

 

“Uh, I mean, you know-”

 

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” Yujin interrupts with a light chuckle.

 

Wonyoung breathes out in relief.

 

“Wanna walk home together? If you’re not busy, I mean, because, you know, you’re probably busy, like, you know, all the work you have there, uh, so yeah, I mean-”

 

Wonyoung, likewise, cuts her off with, “Yeah, sure.”

 

Yujin mirrors Wonyoung’s earlier relief and lets out another embarrassed smile.

 

“Shall we?”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

And so a friendship blossomed. A very surprising, out-of-nowhere friendship. It was a little funny, a screaming Yujin jumping on Wonyoung and Wonyoung cringing at her loudness. She’d shake her head and try to shimmy away from Yujin only for Yujin to get even closer. Wonyoung would pretend like she hated it. She was good at lying.

 

For instance, she was really good at telling herself that she didn’t care if Yujin was all touchy-feely with other girls. She really didn’t care. Really. Really didn’t care. Truly.

 

Sure, maybe she felt like the happiest, luckiest girl in the world when Yujin would hug her and get really close to her. Maybe she never wants Yujin to let go when they hug. Maybe she nevers wants Yujin to hug anyone else.

 

But that doesn’t mean that she cared when Yujin hugged other girls. Nope. Wonyoung didn’t give a flying hoot about it.

 

So in conclusion, Wonyoung couldn’t explain why she was somewhat ignoring Yujin and giving her the cold shoulder right now.

 

“Wonyoungie!” Yujin yelled as she wrapped her arms around Wonyoung.

 

Yujin looked on in shock as Wonyoung shrugged her off, mumbling about how annoying she was.

 

“Wonyoung?”

 

Wonyoung stared straight at her desk, paying the pouting girl no attention at all.

 

Yujin maneuvered herself around her desk so she was looking right at Wonyoung. Well, she was trying to. The other girl’s gaze stayed firmly at her work.

 

Yujin whined and lightly tugged on Wonyoung’s sleeve, watching her eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

 

She snapped her arm back and let out an annoyed puff of air.

 

Yujin decided she would rather live and decided to just plop down next to Wonyoung as she finished her work.

 

Wonyoung was trying so, so hard to ignore the girl. She thought she would leave if she exuded enough annoyance, but clearly that didn’t work out. She was trying to focus on her work, but her gaze kept darting towards the girl who tugged the neighboring desk as close to Wonyoung as possible. Yujin was sitting with her head in her arms, taking a nap as she waited for Wonyoung to finish.

 

Wonyoung believed in herself.

 

She would never crumble.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

She crumbled.

 

She was walking home with Yujin, hands in her pockets as she refused to give Yujin the opportunity to grab them. The girl had invited herself over (as she frequently did) and wouldn’t take any of Wonyoung’s excuses.

 

“We have to study.”

 

Yujin said it with such strength and determination it left zero room for Wonyoung to say no.

 

So instead, she settled for ignoring Yujin some more.

 

Once again, she had no idea why she felt like she needed to, but she just did.

 

Even so, she found herself opening her door and leaving it open for Yujin to follow.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Wonyoung was sitting on her bed with a book in hand as Yujin sat at the table in the center of her room. Wonyoung was able to focus, somewhat, on her studies as Yujin did the same. She thought that Yujin was absorbed in her work as she looked so focused, but instead, Yujin asked,

 

“Are you mad at me?”

 

Wonyoung’s head shot up and looked at Yujin’s scrunched up face turned down towards her paper. She hadn’t prepared for what to say or do if Yujin brought it up like that.

 

“I’m not,” Wonyoung grumbles unconvincingly.

 

Yujin sets her pencil down and plops down next to Wonyoung as Wonyoung buries her head back into her book.

 

“You are.”

 

“I’m not!”

 

Yujin gets far too close for Wonyoung’s liking (or so she tells herself).

 

“You are. Why?”

 

Yujin pushes Wonyoung’s book down and sticks her head in front of Wonyoung’s red face.

 

“Stop asking me! I’m not mad!”

 

“Clearly something’s up!” Yujin says with a little more force.

 

“It’s not my fault you’re so flirty and touchy with pretty much every girl in existence!” Wonyoung screams as she pushes Yujin away and turns her head the other way, crossing her arms in rage.

 

Yujin recoils slightly.

 

A few seconds pass.

 

Then, a smile starts to spread across her face.

 

“Jang Wonyoung, are you jealous?”

 

“I’m not! Don’t be so full of yourself.”

 

At that moment, Wonyoung admits to herself that she may have been a teeny, tiny bit jealous.

 

“Hey, hey, look at me.”

 

Wonyoung resists the soft plead.

 

Well, for a little while anyway, because soon she feels Yujin’s hand lightly grasp her chin and turn her towards her.

 

She looks at anything but Yujin, and Yujin is a little thankful because Wonyoung isn’t able to see how hard she was blushing right now.

 

“Tell me to stop.”

 

Wonyoung meets her eyes.

 

“What?”

 

“Tell me to stop.”

 

Wonyoung searches her eyes for any hidden agenda, any trick Yujin might have up her sleeve. She finds none.

 

“Stop.”

 

“Stop what?”

 

Wonyoung breathes out in annoyance, but the serious look on Yujin’s face is enough to make her continue.

 

“Stop hugging other girls. Stop being so close and so touchy with other girls, ok?”

 

Suddenly, the widest, softest, sweetest smile spreads across Yujin’s face and she and her two brain cells decide to just put it all out there.

 

“Ok, but one condition.”

 

Wonyoung is skeptical again, but agrees anyways.

 

“Okay.”

 

“One date.”

 

Wonyoung is stupefied. Shocked. Confused. Slightly curious. Very happy.

 

“One date?”

 

“One date.”

 

Wonyoung and her intelligent, strong self come together to form the most beautiful of responses:

 

“Uh.”

 

Amazing.

 

Yujin doesn’t know where she finds the courage, but maybe it’s from Wonyoung’s hand that had sneakily locked with her own.

 

“You’re jealous, you make me happy, I am so embarrassed right now, I feel like a tomato on crack, and I want to go on a date with you.”

 

The whole thing comes out as a jumbled mess but she thinks her message gets across.

 

Wonyoung mirrors Yujin’s redness, but she shyly nods while averting her eyes.

 

“Hey, no fair. Look at me when you agree to go on a date with me,” Yujin whines as she tugs Wonyoung closer using their intertwined hands.

 

Her eyes slowly make their way up to meet Yujin’s own, finding that they were far too close to each other’s faces. She manages to hold the eye contact and nods again.

 

They stay like that for a little bit.

 

Then they both break into the sweetest smiles, the most special smiles.

 

Wonyoung pulls Yujin even closer and buries her head into her chest, trying to hide her red face.

 

“Yah, Wonyoung, I’m getting hot from how hot your face is right now,” Yujin teases.

 

“Yah, you’re not much better,” Wonyoung snorts as she buries herself deeper into Yujin’s embrace.

 

“Wanna watch a movie instead? I feel like we’ve studied way too much, you know?”

 

Wonyoung rolls her eyes because she knows neither of them have accomplished much in the past few hours.

 

“Hey, you owe me! You ignored me all day.”

 

Wonyoung sighs as if she were conceding to Yujin, but she admits that she wanted to get away from this work as well. She knew that wouldn’t do any of it anyways.

 

“Fine,” Wonyoung grumbles with a smile on her face.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Yujin smiles down at Wonyoung who had fallen asleep in her arms near the end of the movie. She couldn’t believe that Jang Wonyoung was jealous and ignored her because of it. It was crazy funny.

 

Wonyoung clutched at Yujin’s shirt in her sleep and snuggled further into Yujin’s sweatshirt.

 

Yujin tightened her hold on her sleeping form and placed a kiss on her head.

 

Wonyoung mumbled in her sleep as Yujin’s smile, somehow, got even wider.

 

This was all she needed.

 

And so, An Yujin, the prankster, the loud joker, the flirty athlete, let the softest smile spread across her face as she vowed to protect this one girl from all harm and give her her everything. Jang Wonyoung, the expensive model student, the quiet princess, the intelligent beauty, had Yujin’s everything, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.