Catalyst - an agent that provokes or triggers change.

---Earlier that day... 
 

Parking her car in the lot, Yoona cut the engine and stepped out, her gaze tracing the familiar path through the university campus. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she took in the bustling scene, students enthusiastically engaged in various booths.

The cacophony of noise made her question her decision to stay here, but she quickly refocused her thoughts. "All that matters now is Jennie," she muttered under her breath, steeling herself as she headed toward the crowd.

"Seriously?" Yoona's disbelief was palpable as she stared at the chaos in her section of the campus, where students were lined up for the kissing booth. Frustration welled within her. "Here goes nothing," she thought, rolling her eyes before attempting to navigate through the sea of students.

Pushing her way forward, she muttered "Excuse me," finding herself struggling against the tide of students, each eager to plant a kiss. "Why are they so desperate?" Irritation flared as she was jostled, feeling like a tiny boat caught in a surging wave.

Desperate to reach Jennie, Yoona sighed in exasperation. Despite her efforts, the throng seemed impenetrable. Suddenly, an unexpected push from someone sent her stumbling to the front row of the kissing booth, almost pressed against the makeshift stall.

Gazing up, Yoona's eyes met Nayeon and Sana, engaged in a heated argument. "YAH! YOU SAID I'M ALSO ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES, THEN LET ME KISS MS. IM!" Sana's voice boomed, drawing the attention of the onlookers.

"I'M THE PRESIDENT HERE, SANA! YOU WILL DO WHAT I SAY BECAUSE THAT'S AN ORDER!" Nayeon's retort was forceful, hands on hips, her authority unmistakable.

"YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE RULES BECAUSE YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT! IF YOU WANTED TO JOIN, YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID SO EARLIER INSTEAD OF SPRINGING IT NOW! IT WAS ALREADY MY TURN, SO JUST LET ME!" Sana's fury was palpable, leaving students gaping at the spectacle unfolding before them.

As Yoona was about to intervene, Jennie's voice cut through the tension. "You two, take your argument elsewhere. I'll handle things here for now." The abrupt command silenced Nayeon and Sana, their wide-eyed astonishment now directed at Jennie.

Jennie?

"Are you implying that you want Ms. Im to kiss you?" Sana's disbelief rang through the air, followed by a scoff as Jennie shot her a look. "But you said earlier that you aren't joining."

"I changed my mind," Jennie replied simply.

"Don't cause a scene here or they'll move to another booth. Step aside for now, and I'll handle Ms. Im," Jennie firmly instructed, positioning herself in front of Yoona. Yoona blinked, trying to process the situation, but Jennie's mischievous grin only deepened her confusion.

"But Jennie..."

"If I said I'll handle this, then I will. Now go," Jennie's stern tone left Sana and Nayeon no choice but to retreat to the back of their booth, continuing their quarrel from earlier.

Once the two were out of sight, the students began to cheer and shout, excited that the famous cheerleader, Jennie Kim, was now part of their attraction.

Jennie turned her attention to Yoona, her expression a mixture of annoyance and amusement. "Finally, I get to see you, Ms. Im. I'm rather irritated with your behavior," she started, leaning in closer to Yoona and purposefully tugging on Yoona's tie, drawing their faces closer together. "You ignored my calls and texts, yet you had the audacity to join the kissing booth and line up to kiss someone who isn't me."

Okay, I now know what she's talking about. 

"Uh, Jen, I think you misunderstood it," Yoona tried to brush off the situation, but Jennie's grip on her tie continued, bringing their noses close together. The students behind her whispered about the appropriateness of such an interaction between a teacher and a student. "Stop acting like this, it's inappropriate," Yoona insisted, gently freeing her tie from Jennie's grasp.

Jennie's frown deepened, her eyes reflecting hurt. "But you're being inappropriate right now. You're already in a relationship, yet you're lining up here to kiss one of the representatives. Do you think I'd let them kiss you?"

Groaning, Yoona shook her head, attempting to explain. "Look, you really misunderstood it --"

"Pay first."

Confused, Yoona's brows furrowed. "Huh?"

"I said pay first before I let you kiss me." Jennie glanced away, not meeting Yoona's eyes, aware that her behavior might be childish. She couldn't accept that Yoona had lined up to kiss one of her students. "Quick. Students behind you are getting impatient."

Stuck in a dilemma, Yoona bit her lip, not sure what to do. "You said only on the cheeks, right? Here." She took money from her wallet and placed it in the booth's money box.

Jennie smiled, nodding approvingly. She pulled Yoona closer and quickly pecked her lips, leaving Yoona pleasantly surprised. Blinking in astonishment, Yoona didn't anticipate Jennie would actually kiss her lips.

As Yoona breathed a sigh of relief that the students didn't react oddly, Jennie beamed in victory, ready to follow Yoona. But she was interrupted by a student calling her name. "What?"

"Uh, can I kiss you?"

Jennie scoffed, eyeing the student up and down before shaking her head in refusal, earning a gasp from him. "What? Why? It's my turn, so why can't I kiss you?"

"I'm quitting now. Wait for Sana to come back, I'll just call her," Jennie announced, marching over to Sana and Nayeon to summon them back to their booth.

Jennie's friends exchanged disbelieving looks as they realized the truth, watching Jennie walking side by side with Yoona. "SHE LIKES MS. IM!"

Turning her attention back to Yoona, Jennie caught up with her, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Can you tell me why you lined up there earlier?" She wanted to hold Yoona's hand or wrap her arm around her, but the school setting kept her at bay. "Were you interested in Sana? Is that why you stood in line for so long?"

Yoona bit her lip, stifling a laugh at Jennie's over-the-top thoughts. "I was pushed and squished by the crowd earlier when I was heading your way. I tried to get out of their way, but I ended up accidentally falling in line at the front. It was all a misunderstanding. I wasn't participating in the booth," Yoona explained, shooting Jennie a knowing look, which made the blush on Jennie's face deepen. "I'm not the kind of person who kisses someone just like that. When I'm in a relationship, I stay focused on one person, and that's you. Keep that in mind," she added with a smile and a wink before greeting Jennie's friends.

Jennie couldn't help but smile widely, her cheeks flushing with happiness.

---

Korean BBQ restaurant.. 

"Does our order have limits, Ms. Im?" Seulgi asked, prompting a light smack from Irene. "What did I do?"

Irene rolled her eyes at her partner's comment. "Just be a bit considerate, alright?"

The group shared a chuckle at the couple's playful exchange.

Yoona waved her hand, dismissing any concerns. "Don't worry about it. Order as much as you want; I'm fine with it. Feel free to choose whatever you like, so no need to hold back."

"Ahjussi! Can we order again?!" The "bros" called out to the old man who had taken their initial orders, clearly ready for another round of food.

Yoona couldn't help but be surprised by the extensive array of dishes they were requesting. Despite their hearty appetite, their relatively slim figures didn't seem to match the large quantity of food they were ordering. She chuckled to herself, realizing that she was no different and simply nodded, not thinking too much about it.

Jennie sighed at her friend's concern, giving Yoona a gentle nudge. "Are you sure you're okay with this? I don't want them to be the reason why you'll be broke after this."

"It's okay, really. I can spend more money when it comes to food. They need to grow more, Jen." Yoona chuckled, winking at her.

Jennie reluctantly nodded, realizing she couldn't change their minds. Soon, their orders arrived, and they began grilling meat and enjoying their meal.

Amid their lively conversation about the success of their booth, their attention was drawn to the entrance as a familiar face appeared.

"Ms. Im." Kim Jongin, the renowned soccer player, had arrived with his friends.

Yoona pursed her lips, acknowledging his presence with a nod and a respectful bow. "Mr. Kim Jongin," she greeted, performing the same gesture towards his friends.

"Hi, Jennie." Jongin waved at Jennie, who offered a small, forced smile.

Jongin chuckled before bowing once more and heading to his table with his friends.

"Wow, news flash. He and Mina are really together," Joy whispered, stealing glances at Jongin's table.

"No wonder," Yeri commented with a nonchalant shrug.

"Anyway, let's not talk about them," Irene interjected, redirecting their focus back to their meal.

"Wow, this meat is really tasty!" Lisa exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up and making a comical expression. "Heol! Park Chayeoung, taste this." Lisa fed Chaeyoung a piece of meat, and Chaeyoung's shy reaction didn't escape the notice of their friends.

After finishing their meal, Jennie excused herself to go to the restroom. Inside one of the stalls, as she attended to her needs, she overheard a familiar voice speaking outside the stalls.

"Who would have thought that we'd see that today? I told Jongin to find another place so I wouldn't be suffocated seeing her," Mina's voice rang out, catching Jennie's attention. She tilted her head slightly and eavesdropped on the conversation between Mina and her friends.

Jennie was certain that she was the target of their conversation. Her friends were well aware of this as well, which explained their disdain for Mina and her group.

"I know, right? I'm surprised to see Ms. Im eating with them. What does she even see in them?" one of Mina's friends chimed in.

Jennie's fists clenched, her anger rising as they mentioned Yoona in their conversation.

"She seems close to Ms. Im. Have you seen her being sweet to Ms. Im?" another friend added.

"Do you think she's into the new teacher? I mean, I wouldn't blame her. Ms. Im is quite attractive," a voice speculated.

Jennie seethed internally at their audacity to speculate about Yoona's feelings.

"If she is, then she's an inconsiderate . She just broke up with Jongin not too long ago, and now she has the audacity to act like a . What an ungrateful ," Mina's venomous words hit Jennie hard.

Jennie wondered why they felt the need to say such hurtful things when she had already broken up with Jongin. It was her choice, and she had the right to like someone new. After all, Jongin was now in a relationship with Mina. Jennie vowed not to get into trouble again; she didn't want to create a bad impression on Yoona, even though their hurtful words were piercing her heart.

"Exactly. She gives off that vibe. The fact that she didn't wait through the three-month rule just proves she's an ungrateful ," another friend chimed in.

Jennie gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to storm out of the stall and confront them.

She knew they were deliberately trying to provoke her with these hurtful words. Even though the accusations were baseless, being called a still stung.

"Did you hear? The principal is her father's uncle. I wonder if the reason she passed all the exams before was because of our principal. No wonder she's so lucky," another friend speculated.

Jennie felt a surge of frustration as they dragged her family into their conversation. She cherished her family, including her relatives. Her bond with the principal was strong; she used to stay at his house when she was young, playing chess together.

She didn't want her family to be dragged into her personal conflicts, and this conversation was crossing a line.

"Anyway, if that's the case, it's really unfair. We could...you know, report it directly to the main office. Just because she comes from a wealthy family doesn't mean she can get away with being mean like that," another friend suggested.

The group hummed in agreement, then concluded, "Are you all done? Let's go now."

Jennie let out a deep breath and shook her head, her frustration mounting as she heard their words.

"Ignore them, Jennie Kim. You know better," she reassured herself, reminding herself not to let their hurtful words get to her.

After stepping out of the cubicle, Jennie took a moment to freshen up before rejoining the group. However, she couldn't deny the ache in her heart caused by the hurtful words she had overheard earlier.

"Thank you, Ms. Im, for the delicious dinner! We'll head out now!" Yoona smiled at Jennie's fr