"Why do I never get to see you after school?" Hyunjin asks. 

She's kicking this rock around, and Heejin worries that it'll hit someone's car, or even a person walking by.

"I mean, I know I'm busy with soccer, and basketball, track, and volleyball--" Hyunjin lists off, counting her numerous sports on her fingers, "but I'm free on Wednesdays. We can hang out on Wednesdays."

"I'm busy on Wednesdays. And Sundays. And Fridays," Heejin groans, "I waste so much time spinning around to piano. Two hours for three days every week! It's torture."

"Spinning?" Hyunjin asks with a cheeky grin. 

She twirls a little, imitating a ballerina pose by lifting her arms above her head and turning as daintily as possible. In her muddy soccer kit, it looks a little strange. They both laugh when Hyunjin stops and falters. 

"Alright, I'm a little dizzy now."

At her words, Heejin does her best to ground her, placing her hands on Hyunjin's shoulders. 

"Spinning, as in ballet," she explains, making a disgusted face at the word. "I hate it."

"Then stop doing it," Hyunjin says.

Heejin's heart twinges at how easy and straightforward Hyunjin made it seem.

"Stop ballet, and that way we can hang out every Wednesday!" The way Hyunjin sounds so excited about the possibility of spending more time together renders Heejin silent. "And if you want, you can join one of my sports so we can hang out even more!"

Heejin doesn't have the heart to tell her that it's a bit more complicated than just stopping.

For one, her parents are paying for the ballet classes. They'd be so disappointed if she just stopped - seven years of hard work and determination, of gruelling lessons, of practising the same portion over and over all for nothing. And Heejin knows ballet is everyone's dream for her. She can see it in their proud faces, can hear it in their words. The praises after every recital should make her feel good, but all they do is place even more weight on her shoulders.

So she tries to avert Hyunjin's enthusiasm. "Why don't you just hang out with your other friends?"

"They're cool, but Heej, you're my best friend." Hyunjin turns to her and smiles, the very same smile that always made Heejin's heart leap in her chest. "You can feel it, right? Our friendship is just… different. It's special. It's better."

"Yeah," Heejin says softly. She can't help but agree.

The knowledge that she's special to Hyunjin makes her inexplicably giddy. She tilts her head down, hiding her grin from Hyunjin.

"That's why I wanna hang out with you," Hyunjin continues, "no one else."

Two days later, Heejin obediently goes to her ballet lesson. But directly after the two hours of torture, she meets up with Hyunjin at the volleyball court. Hyunjin's already there with a tattered volleyball, which she passes to Heejin with ease. Heejin barely catches it, just grasps it moments before it reaches her face.

"Serve to me," Hyunjin commands, her hands clasped together, and legs bent to receive the ball. "It's easy."

"A-alright."

She's a little nervous - the way she always is whenever she's trying something new. Heejin hates not knowing whether she'd be good at something or not. Thankfully, she trusts Hyunjin not to think any worse of her if she ends up being terrible. She'll make fun of her, definitely, but she'd never actually think badly of Heejin.

Taking a calming breath, she lines her arm up with the ball, focusing on Hyunjin across the court. The way Hyunjin smiles at her - all supportive and believing - makes Heejin feel like she can do anything.

She tries to imitate every time she's seen someone serve a volleyball. With her forearm, she hits the ball, but every attempt either doesn't go over the net or goes too far left or right. One even ends up going behind her.

"Try again," Hyunjin says, still positioned to receive the ball.

At this point, Heejin's forearm aches from the multiple attempts. She swears that by tomorrow, a large bruise will be covering her skin. She doesn't really want to use it anymore, so she makes a fist, ready to use it instead.

Heejin tries her best, she really does, but she ends up just er-punching the ball, making it fly directly to Hyunjin's face.

"Whoops."

Luckily, Hyunjin catches it on the full. She stands properly with the ball in her hands.

"Alright," she says with a nod, "maybe volleyball isn't for you."

Hyunjin pauses for a moment before her eyes sparkle. An idea must have crossed her mind, Heejin thinks, too used to Hyunjin's little quirks.

Suddenly and without warning, Hyunjin chucks the ball over the net. Seeing the ball hurtling at her, Heejin instinctively headers it back onto Hyunjin's side. Hyunjin catches it once again with ease and bursts into laughter seeing Heejin dramatically place her hand on her head, checking if she was bleeding.

"What was that for?" Heejin exclaims, angry. Now both her head and her forearm hurt.

"How do you feel about soccer?" Hyunjin asks, walking to Heejin's side of the court.

"Well, right now I don't feel anything but pain thanks to you," she jokes.

Her head's fine, but her entire forearm burns and it's so red that it looks like a sunburn. She clutches it to herself and winces at the bursts of pain when she touches it.

"How do you do this every week?"

"Practice."

Hyunjin takes her arm and presses her lips to it for just a moment. Heejin ignores how she stopped breathing the second Hyunjin's lips made contact with her skin.

"There. All better, you big baby."

Her thumb rubs over the redness - gently, as if apprehensive about hurting her - and Heejin's face crumples again, expecting pain, but stops when she realises it doesn't hurt.

"Your kiss is magic!" she exclaims. "Could you kiss my head too? It hurts sooo bad."

Smiling, Hyunjin tucks a strand of Heejin's hair behind her ear before delicately placing a kiss on Heejin's forehead. Heejin blinks rapidly, trying to figure out how - even though it's nearing the late evening - she suddenly got so warm.

"Is that better?" Hyunjin says, her voice a soft whisper just an inch away from Heejin's skin.

"N-no." Heejin curses herself for stuttering. "Maybe you have to do it again?"

Hyunjin moves even closer, and Heejin feels so warm she almost thinks she's going to combust. Hyunjin laughs before pressing her lips to her skin again.

"Mwah," she says as she pulls away, "all better."

"Thanks."

Even though they aren't touching anymore, they're so close that Heejin's tempted to return Hyunjin's kiss - just not on the forehead.