a/n: so we have reached the final stage of this book. firstly, i want to thank everyone who subscribed, not in a million years did i think over 700 people would be interested in something i wrote. secondly, thank you to everyone who commented, up voted or messaged me privately, you really helped me stay motivated to keep at writing this. although this isn't the longest fan fic i'm sure you've ever read, just know this is the longest fic i've ever written and that for me is a massive achievement. finally, thank you to twice and stream feel special.

Jihyo flips through her notebook, trying to find the sheet of paper that she was looking for. Tzuyu had a copy of what she was looking for but her sort of girlfriend, insisted she had one somewhere and just needed a minute to find it. She finally found what she was looking for and waved it around momentarily, celebrating, Tzuyu smiled and rolled her eyes at the older girl. She loved this side of her. That was a new development for Tzuyu, not just realising, but accepting, that she was in love with Park Jihyo. She just hadn't gotten around to telling the older girl, yet. 

"So question 1," Jihyo turned serious and Tzuyu also really loved that side of her, something, which when she told Sana and Nayeon was followed by at least twenty awful dirty jokes that Tzuyu can't erase from her memory; no matter how hard she tries, "after the six weeks of the project, how has your first impression of your partner changed?" Jihyo finished the question with expectant eyes and Tzuyu blushed a little, then smiled as she thought of her answer.

"Well," Tzuyu started, looking at Jihyo and ignoring the camera that was recording. She knew her sort of  girlfriend would edit the footage later anyway, "she cut her hair, it's a lot shorter now. I think it suits her, she looks even more beautiful than before. If that was even possible." Jihyo leaned back out of the frame of the camera to hide her blush from the younger girl's answer. "She cares, really cares. Maybe sometimes she should put herself first and be more upfront about her feelings," Jihyo nodded, fair, "but once she does face her feelings she's the most wonderful partner, and is very forgiving." Tzuyu finishes and Jihyo leans forward to kiss the younger girl quickly, the cheerleader nods at the camera and nods when Jihyo waves her away.

"The power of editing," Jihyo starts, pointing to her computer that was, as always, placed neatly on top of her desk, "people will only see what we want them to." Jihyo reasoned then kissed Tzuyu once more. This time it wasn't quick, she placed her arms over the taller girl's shoulders and tried to bring herself closer only for Tzuyu to gently pull back and point at the sheet of questions they both had. Jihyo jokingly slumped back in her chair, they would pick that up again later.

"Ideal traits you look for in a partner? Have they changed over the six weeks?" Tzuyu smiles when Jihyo winks at her, then rolls her eyes when Jihyo leans forward once more and gives her a chaste kiss once more.

"I look for someone who is not afraid of opening up about their feelings. Someone who knows what they want, and just someone who will love me for me. Unconditional love, that's all I want." Jihyo speaks, turning serious. Her gaze doesn't move from Tzuyu the entire time and the cheerleader nearly freezes. "I don't that will ever change." She finishes and Tzuyu coughs, looking down at the sheet of questions. She feels Jihyo press her lips to her forehead and rest her hand on her cheek for a moment.

"If you keep doing things like we'll never get this done." Tzuyu jokes but scolds at the same time and it has an affect on Jihyo that she can't quite explain.

"Did you gain what you were hoping to from this experience?" Jihyo asks and Tzuyu nearly laughs.

"I guess I did," she starts then takes her sort of girlfriend's hand and squeezes it, "what I had in my head and reality may have been two different things. I imagined this to be smooth sailing, but life is rarely like that; it doesn't take the course you expect it to. When I look back over the last six weeks, not many things have gone the way I would have imagined but I don't think I would be as happy as I am now if everything had gone the way I wanted. And I know I can say the same for the people around me. I'm looking forward to what the future will hold for us all." Tzuyu speaks and Jihyo is quiet for a moment, she smiles, brightly and it's not that what Tzuyu said was unexpected. Jihyo always knew the cheerleader was smart, she just didn't know she knew how to express herself so eloquently. 

"Maybe you should help Mina with her valedictorian speech instead of me." Jihyo joked then did all she could which was to squeeze the younger girl's hand even tighter, showing her she knew what she meant.

"I also got a really hot girlfriend." Tzuyu spoke then cursed herself for the slip of the tongue, Jihyo smiles at the slip up. "Sorry- I don't know if we're even there yet and maybe I'v-" Jihyo kissed Tzuyu. One, to shut her up, and two, to show her she didn't care and that they were on the same page.

"I really want to be your girlfriend." Jihyo spoke, pulling away, but only slightly. She rested her forehead against the younger girl's and smiled. "Like I really really real-" Now Tzuyu cut off her girlfriend by kissing her. 

"Let's just finish then and talk more later." Tzuyu spoke and Jihyo nodded. "Final question, were you happy with the partner you were assigned?" Tzuyu asked and Jihyo almost laughed.

"I guess you could say that." She spoke easily.

The pair decided they didn't want to edit the footage right away so made dinner instead, Jihyo cooked whilst Tzuyu hugged her. It felt, domestic, Tzuyu worried about what would happen after they graduate, but knew that if she had Jihyo, not much scared her anymore; and even though they wouldn't be as close together as they currently were, she was going to do everything she could to make it work. That's what you do when you love someone. They ate then spent the night on the couch in Jihyo's family's living room. Not needing to say anything, just simply being happy with being with one another, every so often one of them would plant a kiss on the other's cheek, or arm, it was nice. Comfortable. Something Tzuyu didn't realise she had been always been looking for. With all the people she had around her, she finally felt at home in a country that at times still felt so alien to her.

***

If anybody asked Son Chaeyoung if she wanted to graduate, she would always answer yes. But over the past few days there had been a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Like she was afraid, not of graduating but instead afraid that everything was about to change. Everyone that she knew would be spread all across the country, maybe, as much as she hated to admit it, she wasn't ready to say goodbye to high school just yet.

She spent the night at Mina's, she wanted to spend as much time with her girlfriend as she could. She was the first of the two to wake up, she laid the girl next to her's hair as she began to rise. "Happy last day of school." Mina smiled and Chaeyoung leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek, knowing if she went for the lips Mina would undoubtedly complain about morning breath.

The two got up and dressed in relative silence, Mina sensed something was up with the smaller girl but didn't want to question it, she hoped if something was wrong then Chaeyoung would come to her. The basketball player drove them to school and then left pretty quickly after they arrived, giving some excuse about her Tzuyu needed to see her. Mina didn't have chance to question her but instead made her way to class, and took her seat next to Momo and in front of Jeongyeon, heavily placing her books on the desk below her, causing the two basketball players to share a look.

"Everything okay?" Momo asked and Mina shrugged.

"I don't know, is my girlfriend not saying one word to me all morning okay." Mina snapped then shook her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't be taking this out on you. Guess the stress of my speech is getting to me as well." Mina apologised but Momo waved her off.

"She doesn't want to graduate." Jeongyeon speaks simply, she had noticed a change in the younger girl's behaviour over the last few days and deduced it could only be down to one thing. 

"Chaeyoung hates school." Mina pointed out.

"Yeah but she hates change more." Jeongyeon reasoned and Mina knew she was right.

***

Tzuyu didn't need to see Chaeyoung but Chaeyoung certainly needed to see her best friends. She told the cheerleader and the basketball player to meet her in the locker rooms, Dahyun was the first to arrive. She didn't say anything, just sat and waited with Chaeyoung for Tzuyu to arrive.

"Emergency meeting?" Tzuyu asked as she entered and sat opposite the other two girls. "Sorry I couldn't get here quicker, Jihyo and I got our grade back for our project. We got an A. Of course, she's amazing, so smart and talented and creative and not to mentio-" Tzuyu stops when she realises she's rambling. "Sorry. Why are we here?" Tzuyu asked and Chaeyoung slumped her shoulders against the cold locker behind her, it was hers and she hadn't even emptied it yet.

"I'm not ready," she started, took a breath then continued, "not ready to leave. I've spent all year being ready to leave this place behind but now it's time, I just feel like I can't. Everything is going to change, we won't see each other everyday, Mina will be hundreds of miles away; my parents will need to get a flight to visit me in Jeju. I don't know if I can do this." Chaeyoung spoke and Dahyun looked at her friend, she felt for her.

"Everything will change. Chaeyoung, we have our whole lives ahead of us. These four years have been great for us but then we have another three at university that will probably be even better. Mina will see you, you two will make it work because even if you won't admit it, you love her. We'll see each other, you really think I'll graduate then never want to see you again? You two are basically my sisters at this point and Momo and Jeongyeon and Sana and Jihyo and Mina and Nayeon. We'll always be friends, always." Dahyun spoke and moved over to squeeze Chaeyoung's hand.

"What if she goes to university and meets someone who is great and give her the world?" Chaeyoung asks now.

"Who says you can't give her the world? You clearly make her happy, and for some reason she seems to be crazy about you," Tzuyu jokes, "Mina isn't just going to go to university and forget you. You won't either. You'll make it work. We'll all make it work." Tzuyu emphasises and the two girls with her nod.

"I'm going to tell her I love her. Tomorrow, after graduation. Take her to the diner we went to after we lost the game and tell her." Chaeyoung speaks and something sets a fire inside of Tzuyu, she knows exactly what she needs to do.

***

Chaeyoung was surprised to see Mina stood at her car when she left the school building, she had guessed Momo or Sana would've driven her home. "I'm sorry." Is all Chaeyoung says before she feels herself being pulled into a tight embrace from her girlfriend. "I know things will change but us, and how we feel about each other won't." Chaeyoung spoke as Mina still held her. They pulled away and Mina told them they should stay at Chaeyoung's house tonight.

They were both so exhausted that they climbed straight into bed when they got in, Chaeyoung wearing some joggers and just her bra, Mina in one of her girlfriends over-sized shirts. "You smell so nice." Mina noted as she rested her head in the crook of the smaller girl's neck.

"Are you nervous? For your speech tomorrow?" Chaeyoung asked and felt Mi