Two pairs of black boots tapped the ground, perfectly in sync at the casual (but not too casual) walking tempo of 90 bpm. It was a mundane Monday, nothing special about the way the wind pierced their clothes or how the sun flushed their cheeks. Just another day.

Mina and Jeongyeon were walking back to their dorms after a long day of classes. Second semester was starting to take its toll on them, and their time together was decreasing by the minute. But they always made sure to walk back together.

Mina smiled to herself, fingers laced snuggly with her hand deep inside Jeongyeon's denim jacket.

Jeongyeon smiled to herself, too, because moments like these were her favorite, when it was just her, Mina, and happy little trees scattered on the sidewalk.

They had been quiet their whole journey, so it was very much out of the blue when Mina (Mina) was the first to break the silence.

"I like the way walking sounds."

Jeongyeon faltered in her step and Mina looked back curiously. "You what?" she asked, as they returned to their rhythm.

Mina shrugged. "I like the way walking sounds," she repeated, then flashed an innocent smile.

"I don't-" Jeongyeon chuckled, "what?"

Her eyes sparkled as she took a deep breath. "You know that satisfying hollow sound our boots make? It's so nice. Or that construction patch we pass by, where it just like pebbles and stuff?"

Jeongyeon nodded with the smallest curl in her lip, and Mina hopped in giddiness.

"That's the best. Not only the sound of the pebbles, but how they crunch under your shoes and give way to your weight? Damn," Mina sighed, "that's the best."

Laughter erupted from Jeongyeon's lips, long enough to prompt a "What?" from Mina, and boisterous enough to elicit a pout. The pout soon faded, however, when Jeongyeon reached over to ruffle Mina's hair.

"Nothing," Jeongyeon said, a bit out of breath from her fit. "You're serious, though? You enjoy the sound of walking this much?"

"Yeah, why?"

Jeongyeon smirked, untangling her hand from Mina's. Before she had the chance to protest, Jeongyeon lifted her knee to stomach level and stomped fiercely on the ground. Her opposite leg followed suit, until solid thumps obnoxiously drowned the air (and Jeongyeon's knees started to ache).

A strike to her shoulder caught Jeongyeon off balance, and the stomping weakened to a halt. "Not like that, you ."

Jeongyeon raised an eyebrow in defiance. "What about this?"

She then proceeded to tiptoe along the cement, quiet and delicate like a poor imitation of ballet (hands and everything), where Mina couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"No, not like that either." Mina's eyes were glazed, and she reached back for Jeongyeon's hand.

"How then?"

"Just normally," Mina said. "Just walk normally."

Jeongyeon grinned, but her stride reverted, and the pair's footsteps were once again in perfect sync. A silence fell over them after that, much like how their journey originally started.

Except, this time, the silence felt wrong.

Mina squinted and looked over. "You know, when I said I like the way walking sounds, it wasn't an invitation for you to stop talking," she quipped.

Jeongyeon grinned mischievously. "But I didn't want to interrupt your listening pleasure."

A soft elbow found its place in Jeongyeon's rib. "Yeah well, I like the sound of your voice more than the ground," she confessed. "I get to hear the sound of walking all the time, but I only get to hear your voice when we're together… which isn't much." She pouted.

Jeongyeon felt her chest clench a bit.

"What about at lunch? Or in between classes?" she tried.

Mina shook her head. "It's really loud then. And even at lunch, we barely get twenty minutes because our schedules are so different."

"Aww," Jeongyeon cooed, "you just can't get enough of me, can you?" she joked.

A rosy blush sported Mina's cheeks. "Shut up," she mumbled.

An idea, one that had always been scratching the back of Jeongyeon's head, blossomed fully at that moment. She'd been wanting to ask it for a while, but she had always chickened out. She supposed the defeat in Mina's voice was enough to push her over.

"Do you want to come over, then?" Jeongyeon proposed, her heart beating a little faster in anticipation. "Nayeon's got a class now, and she's always with Sana after, anyway."

Mina's brow furrowed. "Are you serious?"

Jeongyeon held her breath.

"Nayeon's had a class all year, and this is the first time you're inviting me over?" Mina nudged Jeongyeon's side playfully. "What kind of girlfriend are you?"

Rather than freaking out at Mina's casual use of the word 'girlfriend' and how they've never called each other that before and oh my god (okay, maybe freaking out a little), Jeongyeon tried to play it cool with a scoff.

"I'll take that as a yes?" she maneuvered.

Mina smiled, and despite the winter wind and setting sun, Jeongyeon had never felt warmer.

"Yes."

Jeongyeon beamed and led them off the sidewalk, past the happy little trees and into her dorm.

They shared a bed, leaning against the wall and the other for support, while watching Netflix on Jeongyeon's laptop. They were quiet, utterly content on focusing on the show, as long as they were together. The blanket was warm over their shoulders and under their fingertips, but not as warm as their interlaced hands, and still not as warm as their hearts in such a cherished time with the other. The smile on Jeongyeon's face never left, and the same could be said about Mina's light blush.

As the credits rolled and the numbers ticked down for the next episode, Jeongyen shifted her body until she had a clear view of Mina—the most beautiful girl she had the luck to be with—her signature smirk already set in motion.

Mina turned to face her, eyebrow raised and waiting.

Jeongyeon gave her a nudge.

"So, girlfriend huh?"