"What are you doing?"  

Chaewon froze, her hand on the front doorknob.  

"Why are you leaving so early?" Hyejoo asked with a sleepy voice.  

Couldn't she wake up ten seconds later? But now that she was awake, Chaewon wouldn't run away. She wouldn't be the one to pity.  

"Who's Ryujin?" She turned to find Hyejoo leaning on the door that led to her room.  

Hyejoo's eyes widened in a split second as she ran back inside her room, coming back with her phone in hands.  

"This ing..." Hyejoo cursed, grasping her phone. "And why did you go through my phone?"  

"I didn't, I just wanted to see the time. We have the same phone, it was dark, I thought it was mine, and the notification was right there. Can you tell me who she is?"  

Hyejoo sighed. "One of the girls I slept with a couple times. She became obsessed with me and hasn’t stopped trying to reach me. Here." She extended her phone. "See for yourself. There's the whole conversation, it's only messages from her. The last thing I told her was that I’d be coming here and wouldn’t be seeing her again."  

Chaewon hesitated, but took a step closer and grabbed her phone, studying Hyejoo's expression before doing it. She scrolled up, reading the tons of messages from that girl, all without a single answer, except for a couple of messages right at the beginning, where Hyejoo had asked her to stop.  

Chaewon wanted to vanish. She had, once again, jumped into conclusions and judgments about something she was wrong about in all the possible ways.  

"I-I'm sorry, Hyejoo, I didn't want to be intrusive or sound bossy."  

"I don't have anything to hide from you so, it's okay. I'm sorry that you had to see it without any context. I don't want you to have a wrong idea of me."  

"I... When I read that, I thought you had lied and I felt cheated. And on top of that, I felt like a second choice to someone else you were hurting along the way."  

She expected Hyejoo to be mad or hurt after her honesty, but instead, she embraced Chaewon into a tight hug.  

"I would never do that to you, and everything I said yesterday was from the bottom of my heart. I hope you can trust me and I'll do everything I can so you never have to doubt a thing."  

As Chaewon wrapped her arms around Hyejoo's torso, she wondered if she would ever stop surprising her.  

"Answer her," Hyejoo said, pulling away. Chaewon chuckled but realized Hyejoo was serious when she stuffed her phone into her hands again. "Tell her all you’re feeling inside."  

After staring at Hyejoo for a couple seconds, she nodded and looked down, wondering what to write. She would keep it simple, short, and straightforward.  

"Done." Chaewon gave her phone back.  

"This is Park Chaewon, you can stop sending messages because Son Hyejoo is taken by none other than me." Hyejoo's eyebrows rose higher as she read it. "Wow, s-should I be scared? And I’m t-taken?"  

Chaewon irked an eyebrow with a smirk. "And I'm the tsundere."  

"What?"  

"Son Hyejoo is flustered again." Chaewon booped her nose. "I can always see it."  

"Yah, will you stop that?"  

"Maybe, maybe not."  

Hyejoo pouted. "Can I get a good morning kiss?"  

Chaewon smiled and cupped her cheeks, tiptoeing to attend her request.  

"I could get used to this," Hyejoo said, but shook her head. "Sorry, I don't wanna sound like I'm suggesting anything or pushing-"  

"I know, don't worry. Don't stop yourself from doing or saying anything because you think it's going to make me feel uncomfortable. Be yourself, and if I don't feel comfortable, I'll let you know, okay? Just like if it happens to you."  

"I don't think you would ever make me uncomfortable."  

"We never know, so please let's be honest with each other, yes?"  

Hyejoo nodded. "Wanna do something today? Go somewhere or call the others?"  

"I have a study session with Hyunjin in the afternoon, but I guess I'm free until then."  

"Is Hyunjin that cute girl that you were talking to yesterday at the party?"  

"Which one?"  

"The smaller one."  

"That's Heejin, Hyunjin's girlfriend."  

"Oh, more members for our council! I saw them talking with Haseul and Yeojin. Do we all know each other? Let's call them the next time we go out."  

Chaewon nodded and then crossed her arms. "You're fast to catch on to pretty girls."  

"Why, you jealous again?" Hyejoo smirked. "I could have all the pretty girls in the world in front of me, but I only want the prettiest."  

Chaewon shook her head, chuckling. "You don’t take a rest on being lame, do you? It’s so early."  

"Every time is lame o’clock to me."  

"Okay, now I know exactly when I should count on you to be lame. Very helpful."  

---  

Chaewon didn’t move from the couch as the front door opened and her roommates let themselves in.  

“Oh dear.” Sooyoung gasped, rushing to Chaewon. “What happened now? You spent the night at Hyejoo’s?”  

“Yeeeesssss…” Chaewon dragged her voice, as she raised her head.  

“What… What is that silly grin?” Jiwoo frowned, pointing at her. “Either something good happened or she’s gone mad for good.”  

“Hyejoo… She’s such a good person.”  

Sooyoung and Jiwoo shared a wide-eyed look.  

“Yep, she’s gone mad.” 

“Are you okay?” Sooyoung asked.  

“She said I’m not just someone to sleep around, she told me she would wait for me and that I’m her priority. And then we-” She stopped, remembering what happened next.  

“And then you had again.” Jiwoo plopped next to her girlfriend. 

“Jiwoo! Don’t say it like that!” Sooyoung turned to her and slapped her arm.   

“Yes, that’s what happened,” Chaewon said. 

Her roommates turned to her with dropped chins.  

“And you’re not freaking out about it?”  

“No. That’s good… isn’t it?”  

“Yes!” Sooyoung hugged her. “Do you wanna explain what you’re feeling?”  

“And some details?” Jiwoo wiggled her eyebrows. 

“I’m happy. Hyejoo makes me happy. I love being with her, she makes me feel good, and it makes me feel happy that I also make her feel good and happy.”  

“You must be really happy, you never said the word happy so many times in a row before.” Jiwoo nodded. 

Chaewon smiled, playing with her hands on her lap. “There’s just this one thing.”  

“What is it? Let it all out.” Sooyoung grabbed her hands.  

“How will I tell my parents that I’m having... this... with a girl? And... even though I’m trying to accept myself, it still goes against my beliefs.”  

“You don’t have to tell your parents if you’re not ready. Your religion and beliefs don’t need to interfere with your uality, Chaewon,” Sooyoung said. “But now that you’re on the path of accepting yourself... Why don’t you try coming to a club meeting with me and Jiwoo?”  

Jiwoo hit her arm. “That's a great idea!”  

“So, there’s this thing we go to every week which is the Harvard LGBT Youth Club,” Sooyoung explained. “You can meet more people who went through the same as we did. We also have a few people there who are religious and might understand what you’re feeling better than we do. There are a lot of people like us supporting each other and working together to raise awareness for our cause among our community.”  

Chaewon nodded. “I-I’ll think about it. Thank you, guys, for real.”  

---  

“KICK THE BALL YOU ING IDIOT!” Hyejoo yelled at the television with a beer can on her hand. “ing .”  

Chaewon had never seen her so nervous and swearing so much. It was just a football game.  

“Oh, my ing g-” Hyejoo cleared , stealing a glance at Chaewon. “ing . I don’t know what in the world they’re doing, they can’t lose this game.”  

“Is it that important?”  

“Of course!” Hyejoo seemed almost offended. “If we lose this, we’re at risk of not making the championship. And we can’t lose against the ing Eagles- YES! THAT’S IT, SHOW THEM HOW THE PATRIOTS DO, BRADY! That ing man is amazing, I tell you, the best player in the whole world.”  

“I don’t really understand how it works, but I believe you.”  

“Are you bored?”  

“No, I’m okay. Don’t get too nervous, yes?”  

“I’ll try. It’s almost over, though, we just got a small advantage.”  

Chaewon watched as Hyejoo cheered when her team scored. When the game was over, she jumped from the couch, spilling a bit of beer on herself in the process.  

“I wish I could see my father’s face right now!”  

“Your father?” Chaewon frowned.  

Hyejoo sat again. “He’s always been a big fan of football, and he always cheered for the Eagles. There was this time I was watching a game with him just because, and the Eagles lost against the Patriots. He got so angry he hit me.”  

“Oh my God.” Chaewon dropped her chin. “He hit you because of a football game?”  

“Yep, because I laughed. Since then I rooted for the Patriots and hated the Eagles, that’s why I was so nervous about this game.”  

Chaewon shifted closer and rest her head on Hyejoo’s shoulder. She held her hand and caressed her palm. “You never deserved any of that. Why did you have to go through that?”  

Hyejoo looked down at her. “Hey, are you sad?”  

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to bring the mood down.”  

“It’s okay, you don’t need to be sorry. I’m fine, really.”  

“How can you? Every time you tell me about another thing he did, the more I want to protect you and show you I’m here for you and you don’t need to go through that alone.”  

There wasn’t an answer, so Chaewon looked up at her. “You know, sometimes I’m even afraid to ask something because it can be related to your father and I don’t want you to remember it.”  

“But it’s okay, you can ask or say whenever you feel like, I don’t have anything to hide from you. And actually, talking about it with you somehow helps.” There was a small smile on Hyejoo’s lips, as she stared at their locked hands. “It feels like you heal my bruises whenever I expose them.”  

Chaewon couldn't hold a short giggle, making Hyejoo look down at her. “What’s funny?”  

“It’s not funny, I’m sorry, I’m still not used to this deep Hyejoo.” Chaewon cleared . “But… I’m glad and happy that I can help you. You know you can always talk to me if you’re feeling down, or even if you just need to talk about something.”  

“And you can always ask me anything. Is there anything you wanted to ask and didn’t before?”  

“Actually...” Chaewon touched Hyejoo’s left nostril, slow and caring, where a small line marked her skin. “How did you get this scar?”  

Hyejoo chuckled. “You’ve noticed it?”  

“How wouldn’t I after looking at you so many times and from this close?”  

Chaewon bit back a smile and decided not to tease Hyejoo for the color change in her cheeks.  

“Okay, fair.” Hyejoo cleared . “I decided to pierce my nostril one day and my father hit me so hard the piercing cut through my skin.”  

“Dear God, Hyejoo...” Chaewon snuggled closer, hugging her around her waist.  

“It was a stupid idea anyway, I don’t know what I was thinking.” She laughed. “Anything else?”  

Chaewon opened but closed it.  

“Go ahead, it’s okay.”  

“The one in your leg.”  

Hyejoo frowned. “Oh, on the side of my thigh? No, that was not my father. That was in a car accident.”  

Chaewon gasped. “C-Car accident?”  

“Yes, not even a month after I got my license. I was careless, and it was my fault. I was driving over the speed limit and I didn’t see a car coming in an intersection, so it hit me from the left. The other driver didn’t get hurt because he was not driving too fast, it was a matter of timing, but I was left with that scar. It’s okay though, I don’t even remember I have it.”  

“That’s why you drive so carefully now.”  

“Yes, I learned my lesson. I don’t around with safety when it comes to cars. I was lucky this scar was all I got from it.”  

“I don’t think I would even be able to drive again. You’re so brave.” Chaewon squeezed her body against hers.  

“You think so? Sometimes I don’t know if I’m brave or plain stupid.”  

Chaewon hit her arm. “Don’t say that, you’re not stupid. You’re just... carefree. And the more rules your father tried to impose on you, the more you wanted to break away and do things that would challenge them.”  

Hyejoo looked down at her. “Doctor Park Chaewon strikes again. I guess you’re right.”  

“I admire that.”  

“What?”  

“How you’re not afraid of going against some rules, and you still deal with the consequences. Like the night when you got your nose punched, you knew what could happen if you hit the guy first, but you still did it. Or how you still went to see your mother when you were strictly prohibited, knowing your father could find out and punish you.”  

“That’s why I don’t know if I’m just stupid.”  

“Maybe punching a guy was a bit too careless.”  

“Hey, he deserved it. And I'm glad I did, or else I wouldn’t end up in your dorm and sing you my so famous song dedicated to the gorgeous Park Chaewon.”  

Chaewon glared at her. “Don’t get hurt, okay?”  

“Yes, I don’t want to worry you.” Hyejoo kissed her forehead. “Anything else?” 

“I haven’t gotten an opportunity to ask about that.” Chaewon pointed at the flowerpot by the window. 

“Oh, that’s Nana, a white French rose.” Hyejoo smiled. “I was feeling lonely when we had our fight, so I thought about getting a pet, but that would be too much responsibility for me, and I eventually will leave, so a plant was a perfect idea. She’s pretty, isn’t she?” 

Yes, the rose was very pretty, but in Chaewon’s eyes, nothing could compare to Hyejoo. She knew Hyejoo asked her a question, but she was too stunned admiring her features. She found herself doing that some times, but she never got tired of doing so. How could she? When her eyes, oh her eyes, looked at her with so much love and care, and her lips, her weirdly beautiful triangular shaped lips, smiled at her, that adorable gummy smile of hers, and it was all so cute Chaewon felt like crying. 

“Gowon?” Hyejoo pinched her nose. 

“You are so beautiful.” 

Hyejoo blinked, using all her might not to smile too wide, which resulted in her looking even more adorable. “I-I’ve been told.” 

“Okay, I won’t say it again then, since you already kn-” 

“No, I don’t! Me pretty? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Chaewon threw her a judgmental look. “Sure.” 

Hyejoo pouted. “But... Do you really mean it?” 

“Yes, of course. I do think you’re beautiful, Hyejoo. Why, do you doubt it?” 

“No, it’s just that, it doesn’t matter if other people tell me that. It matters that you think that way.” 

Chaewon smiled and leaned forward to kiss her lips, leaving Hyejoo red in the face.  

“You already know you’re gorgeous yourself, but I will tell you as many times as you wish.” Hyejoo caressed her cheek. 

“Actually, you never explained what cute-smirking-smile means.” 

Hyejoo laughed. “You remember that?” Chaewon nodded, irking an eyebrow at her, waiting for her explanation. “When you smile, the right side of your mouth rises above the left. It looks like you're always smirking.” 

Chaewon frowned and whined. 

“It’s cute!” Hyejoo hurried to held her, resting her head on her chest. “It’s adorable, and your smile is beautiful, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, I’m sorry.” 

“Okay, I believe you.” 

“For real?” Hyejoo looked up with puppy eyes, and it was impossible for Chaewon not to smile. 

“Yes.” 

Hyejoo pecked her lips, this time leaving Chaewon with her ears heating up. “Can I order some food for our dinner? Too lazy to cook.” Hyejoo fetched her phone from the table and snuggled on her chest again. 

“Go ahead.”  

There was silence while Hyejoo scrolled through her phone. Chaewon closed her eyes and allowed a smile to grow on her lips, because being with Hyejoo, spending time with her, talking, studying, or doing nothing at all was already enough.  

“Excited for the Thanksgiving party tomorrow?” Hyejoo asked.  

"Yeah. I hope everyone has a lot of fun.” 

---

A/N: first of all, I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAY THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER ENDED, I KNOW IT WAS CRUEL! But I wanted you guys to feel like Gowon did keke AND PLEASE DON'T HATE RYUJIN T^T

I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the big dose of fluff plus more about what Hyejoo went through. 

You can expect a big chapter for the Thanksgiving party, and I don't wanna spoil, but.. something big is coming kekeke LOOK FORWARD TO IT!!! 

Oh and, HAPPY HYEJOO DAY!!! <3