She throws a pebble into the lake and watches as it doesn’t even skip once. Nancy lets out a soft whine and stubbornly sets her chin on her knees pulled to her chest.

 

Nancy needs the distraction, or really just a place to mope, so she finds herself by the campus lake. She’s been head over heels for someone for what seems like the longest time (two weeks maybe) and all of her friends are sick of hearing Nancy talk about this girl. But Nancy can’t help it. She met Hyunjin at one of the bakeries near campus and the workers there recognized them as students, and they told them to wait a few minutes since they were almost finished making new batches of fresh baked goods. Hyunjin and her got to talking during that wait, and Nancy has not shut up about Hyunjin since.

 

Nancy knows she’s been talking about Hyunjin too much when even Nayun, the nicest person in her whole friend group, looked a little fed up to hear Nancy ramble about her for the tenth time that day. Nancy understands that she’d be just as annoyed to hear anyone else talk about someone this much, but this is Hyunjin she’s talking about here! Hyunjin is better than anyone else her friends could possibly be talking about!

 

Nancy sighs and rests her forehead against her knees. She doesn’t know what she’s going to do. She’s a pining mess, and she hasn’t found Hyunjin since that time they met. All she can do is wallow in her feelings, since apparently no one else wants to hear her talk about them.

 

Nancy only lifts her head when she hears footsteps crunch the nearby leaves, and she looks up to see another girl approach from behind. When the girl sees Nancy, she freezes suddenly and shakes her head.

 

“I’m sorry!” The girl says. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here! I’ll leave you to it, I’ll go someplace else!”

 

Nancy pauses. She doesn’t know this girl. This girl doesn’t know her.

 

This girl is the perfect new victim to hear Nancy ramble about Hyunjin.

 

“No, no! It’s okay!” Nancy shakes her head, lowering her knees and turning towards the girl. “Company would be… nice.”

 

The girl looks hesitant, but she soon flashes a smile and turns towards Nancy again, walking over to her and sitting down with a few feet between them. “So...”

 

“I’m Nancy,” she says. She figures it would be a good way to start things off.

 

“Heejin!” The girl introduces herself. “So, Nancy… What brings you to the sad part of the lake?”

 

Nancy can’t help but giggle at how Heejin describes this small, hidden bank. “My friends are tired of hearing me pine about this one girl, so I’m here moping.”

 

Heejin suddenly looks intrigued, and she turns towards Nancy and leans a little closer, an excited expression on her face. “Spill. I want to hear everything about this girl.”

 

Nancy’s smile widens. Heejin wasn’t an unwilling victim. She’s perfect. “I met her at this bakery, and she’s so funny and she’s absolutely gorgeous? Like so stunning? I spent half of our conversation just staring at her as she explained to me what she loved about each type of bread and pastry the bakery offered. She’s so cute.”

 

“Aww! That’s adorable!” Heejin says with a cheery grin. “My best friend is the same way. She loves food so much, but especially bread. It’s like her whole personality.”

 

“Oh, what’s your friend’s name?” Nancy asks for no particular reason.

 

“Ah! Hyunjin!” Heejin smiles. “We’re in the same freshman seminar!”

 

Nancy blinks at Heejin, frozen. “I’m sorry. Did you just say Hyunjin?”

 

“Yeah! Kim Hyunjin! Not the guy one, though. There’s a guy in our freshman sem who has the same name as her. But my Hyunjin is the one who loves bread,” Heejin explains.

 

“Hehe… Heh…” Nancy stares at the ground between her and Heejin with wide eyes. “I’m talking about Hyunjin too…”

 

“Oh!” Heejin just laughs, but realization seems to settle in for her shortly. “...Oh. Oh my gosh. Really?”

 

Nancy just meets Heejin’s eye and nods slowly, gulping. She suddenly feels very awkward. Maybe her friends had a point. She can’t just talk about Hyunjin to anyone who would listen. No, that’s dangerous.

 

Yet Heejin barely seems fazed. “Oh my gosh! Do you want me to, like, text her and get the deets on you? I can see if she likes you too,” she sings that last word playfully, leaning a little closer to Nancy with her eyebrows wiggling.

 

Nancy feels her face heat up and she leans away, covering her face. Yet she still looks out of the gaps between her fingers, her curiosity getting the better of her. “...Yes.”

 

Heejin just nods with a smug grin on her face as she pulls out her phone. “I got you. Let me work my magic. Hyunjin could use someone other than just me and her bread stash around.”

 

Nancy spreads her fingers apart a little wider to watch Heejin text Hyunjin, watching nervously.

 

[Heejin:] heeeeeey what do you know about a girl named nancy ;)

 

The response comes back quickly, because as Heejin’s said, Hyunjin doesn’t have any other friends nor a life apart from food.

 

[bread cat:] who

 

Heejin cringes. That’s so Hyunjin of her to say that. But also so cruel.

 

“Oh no,” Nancy whines. “That doesn’t sound good at all.”

 

But Heejin is so determined to win this. “Shut up! I haven’t used the magic yet! I got this!”

 

Nancy is almost scared of Heejin’s determination and rigor at this rate. She wonders who Heejin’s doing this more for, to get Nancy out of her pining state, to get Hyunjin a damn social life, or just to her own ego by using her magic.

 

[Heejin:] a girl you met at the bakery, silly! don’t you think she’s really cute and sweet? ;))))

 

[bread cat:] girl what

 

[bread cat:] i see a lot of people there

 

[bread cat:] could be anyone

 

Heejin growls and narrows her eyes at her phone. Nancy is even more scared, not because Hyunjin probably doesn’t like her back, but because she’s afraid of what angry Heejin would do.

 

[Heejin:] she’s talked to you before!! and i know for a fact you have no friends so that narrows down who we’re talking about by a ton!!

 

[bread cat:] my bed is my friend

 

[Heejin:] HYUNJIN PLEASE

 

[bread cat:] do you know this girl. describe her to me

 

Heejin gives up. Looks like Hyunjin’s memory needs some jogging. She looks at Nancy, her face stoic and determined, studying Nancy for a moment.

 

Nancy just swallows under Heejin’s strong gaze. “...What’s happening,” she asks, nervous.

 

“Finding your most prominent features,” Heejin says, like that’s a normal thing to do, and that it doesn’t immediately make Nancy feel self-conscious.

 

Heejin seems to find what she needs, and she goes back to her phone.

 

[Heejin:] long brown hair. soft features. small eyes. button nose. can kinda pass for my sister. ring a bell?

 

[bread cat:] girl what the does any of that mean

 

Heejin huffs again.

 

[Heejin:] her voice kinda sounds like the nightcore version of another voice but that’s just how her normal voice is

 

[bread cat:] OH YEAH

 

Heejin isn’t going to question how that worked.

 

[bread cat:] you right that really is a nightcore voice i could never figure out how to describe it in my head but that’s perfect

 

[bread cat:] wait

 

[bread cat:] why are we talking about nightcore girl

 

[Heejin:] her name is nancy and i met her today and i just thought you’d be cute together ;))

 

[Heejin:] she’s pretty, wouldn’t you say??

 

[bread cat:] i mean she’s nice i guess. i didn’t talk to her for long. bread was waiting for me

 

Heejin just snickers to herself and glances over at Nancy. “I think I got her.”

 

Nancy tilts her head, patiently waiting for Heejin to finish texting Hyunjin, even if her nerves inside feel like they’re about to explode. “Really? How?”

 

“Just watch me,” Heejin snickers again, turning back to her phone with an evil glimmer in her eye.

 

[Heejin:] just nice? is that it?

 

[Heejin:] you’re not fooling me, hyunjin! not when you just admitted to thinking about her nightcore voice even though you only met her briefly two weeks ago!

 

[bread cat:] HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT INFORMATION

 

[bread cat:] I NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT SEEING HER TWO WEEKS AGO WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR FRESH BAKED BREAD AND SHE WANTED PUMPKIN PIE!!! YOU SHOULDN’T KNOW ANY OF THAT!!!

 

[bread cat:] WAIT

 

[bread cat:] OH NO

 

[Heejin:] SO YOU DO REMEMBER HER!!!!!

 

[bread cat:] listen,,,

 

[bread cat:] maybe… the memories are returning… to me…

 

[bread cat:] STILL DOESN’T EXPLAIN HOW YOU KNOW

 

[Heejin:] i’m with her right now heehee! she’s been talking about youuuuu uwu

 

[Heejin:] how about i go tell her to meet you at the bakery in an hour and you can go there and meet with her again? ;)

 

[bread cat:] bold of you to assume i’m not already at the bakery

 

[Heejin:] good, you can just see her sooner then~

 

[bread cat:] i never said yes

 

[Heejin:] you never said no either~

 

[bread cat:] i can’t believe you.

 

[Heejin:] you love me!

 

Hyunjin leaves Heejin on read for that. Heejin is offended for a quick moment before she looks over at Nancy, a wide smile on her face.

 

“Someone’s waiting for you at the bakery,” Heejin hums playfully, sending Nancy flirty eyes.

 

Nancy blinks from surprise, feeling her cheeks grow warm. “R-Really?” Nancy asks. “What happened?”

 

“Magic happened,” Heejin winks, standing up and brushing herself off excitedly. “Come on! You need to get over there as soon as possible! She’s waiting!”

 

Nancy pushes herself to her feet, still a little stunned at the whole situation. “Already?”

 

“She’s kind of already there, but ambush her! Get your girl! I believe in you!” Heejin exclaims, and she already takes a few steps away to leave. “Hurry!”

 

Nancy’s lost, but she doesn’t question it, because her confusion is outweighed by the excitement building inside of her at the thought of seeing Hyunjin again. “Hey- wait! We only talked about why I was out here sulking…” Nancy pouts her lips in a frown. “Are you okay?”

 

“Huh, me?” Heejin asks, turning back to Nancy. She smiles and shakes her head. “Oh, I just didn’t wanna do my stats homework! I’m more than fine now!”

 

Nancy smiles nervously, a little lost again. “Eh… Okay?” She says weakly. “That’s good!”

 

Heejin takes the initiative to grab Nancy by the arm and pull her away from the lake so she could get moving. “So stop standing around here worrying! I worked my magic, now you gotta work yours!”

 

“I-I don’t have any magic!” Nancy squeaks, getting dragged around.

 

“Yes, you do!” Heejin protests. “Say that again!”

 

Nancy tilts her head, confused. “I don’t have any magic…?”

 

“No,” Heejin points to her own throat and waves her hand up a few times. “Higher.”

 

“I don’t have any magic,” Nancy says in a high voice.

 

“That’s your magic,” Heejin giggles. “Just keep talking like that and you’re golden!”

 

Nancy’s lost yet again but by the time Heejin pulls her away from the lakeside, she’s let go of Nancy and started to walk in another direction. “Good luck!” Heejin says.

 

Nancy just watches as Heejin leaves, stuck in place as Heejin walks someplace else, probably to her dorm hall or something. Nancy’s dorm is in the other direction, and she just puffs out her cheeks and looks over towards her residence hall. She makes way to her dorm, making a quick stop there to put on a nice jacket and fix her hair and grab something before she heads into town, in search of the bakery where Hyunjin would be.

 

The nerves build up inside of Nancy as she walks to the bakery. She doesn’t know what she’s even doing. What on earth is she supposed to do once she steps inside and sees Hyunjin? Say hey, your friend just set us up a little, hope you’re cool with that? Or should she apologize for the whole thing with Heejin? Should Nancy just turn around and run back to her room? She sure wishes she could. But she also knows that she really, really wants to see Hyunjin again…

 

Nancy pulls open the door to the bakery and hears the bell ring at the top of the door, and she clenches her jaw and gulps, glancing around hesitantly. There’s two people in line, two people working, and one person sitting down at one of the tables. The table has notebooks and books strewn atop it, and the person sitting there has their head down on the table in defeat. Yet the bell ringing on the door causes the person’s head to lift, and Nancy’s lips part from surprise to see that it’s Hyunjin sitting there at the table.

 

Hyunjin flashes Nancy a smile that shows her teeth, and even though Nancy’s heart is beating so loudly in her ears, she manages a smile back. Nancy places her hands behind her back and slowly steps towards Hyunjin’s table, her nervousness getting the better of her.

 

“Hi,” Nancy says quietly, a hesitant smile on her lips. Her voice comes out a lot higher than it should because of her nerves, but she tries to act like her voice didn’t just crack in front of Hyunjin.

 

“Sup,” Hyunjin says back, her smile growing impossibly wider to hear Nancy’s voice. “I am very sorry that Heejin exists.”

 

“Don’t be!” That time Nancy does wince at her own voice, her left eye twitching in recoil to hear her voice crack yet again. She clears and tries to steady herself as she speaks. “She was kind.”

 

“She was kind of an annoyance, I bet,” Hyunjin teases, shooting Nancy a playful look.

 

Nancy giggles to hear that, feeling the tension ease in her shoulders a little. “Stop being mean! She’s just trying to help!”

 

Hyunjin glances down at the table and smiles faintly to herself, calming herself down. “Alright, alright… I’ll let her live… for now.”

 

Nancy lowers her head sheepishly and lets out another giggle, fumbling with her fingers behind her back. She looks back at Hyunjin and draws in a breath, straightening her posture and trying to find her courage. “Um… Have you grabbed something to eat yet? I could use a slice of pie…”

 

Hyunjin slides out of her seat quickly and steps in front of Nancy, suddenly reinvigorated at the thought of food. “I never turn down seconds. Ever.”

 

Nancy leans back from surprise when Hyunjin suddenly jumps up in front of her, her eyes widening slightly as she looks up at Hyunjin. Hyunjin’s a little taller than Nancy is, so Nancy has to look up to meet Hyunjin’s eye. Eventually Nancy flashes a hesitant smile, sheepishly raising her shoulders. “I can buy you something, if you want…?” She offers and raises her eyebrows, hopeful.

 

Hyunjin’s smile vanishes and her expression turns completely serious, and she swiftly joins Nancy’s side, locking her one arm with Nancy’s and holding onto it. “If you seriously get me food, I’m yours. Forever.”

 

Nancy’s eyes widen again to have Hyunjin suddenly holding onto her arm like that, and Hyunjin’s following words don’t help in that cherry blush that creeps up on Nancy’s cheeks. Eventually she has to glance away, a smile forming on her lips. “I didn’t think it’d be this easy…”

 

“They say the way to a girl’s heart is through her stomach, and I’m hungry…” Hyunjin purrs, leaning deeper into Nancy’s side. “No take backs. Please don’t take it back. I’m so hungry. You said you would. Please get me food.”

 

Nancy laughs and playfully shoves Hyunjin away, though she’s sure not to shove Hyunjin too hard, since she doesn’t want Hyunjin to let go. “Alriiight! I’ll get you something!”

 

Hyunjin smiles widely, and she pulls Nancy closer again. “Heejin was right, you are sweet…”

 

Nancy puffs out her cheeks in embarrassment, but she can’t ward off the smile for long before she drags Hyunjin with her to the counter. “Oh, shut up…”

 

So Nancy buys Hyunjin as much food as her poor college budget can allow, and the two of them get to talking as Hyunjin tries to explain to her the readings she has to do for her one literature class. Hyunjin complains about the one pamphlet she has to read, about an enquiry of the sublime and the beautiful, and she rambles on about how stupid it is that the author tries to set a strict definition for beauty.

 

Nancy doesn’t know what comes over her, but without even thinking, she argues that there is a infallible definition of beauty.

 

“You.”

 

Hyunjin freezes to hear it, but eventually she just breaks out into a laugh, her smile growing so wide it reaches her eyes. Nancy smiles too, her cheeks growing red at the thought of her saying something as bold as that, but she can’t help how infectious Hyunjin’s smile is.

 

After seeing Hyunjin again in the bakery, the next time Nancy meets up with her friends, they don’t hear Nancy ramble on and on about Hyunjin, the girl who Nancy met in a bakery one time.

 

No, Nancy’s friends hear Nancy ramble on and on about Hyunjin, Nancy’s new girlfriend.