Proponent - a person who advocates for something.

(a/n: Apologies for my absence lately; I've been quite tied up with school commitments. But fear not, for I've returned with a new chapter for you! Here's the latest update, and I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much for your understanding and continued support! 😊)

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Jennie's emotions for Yoona burn intensely, a force seemingly unstoppable. Ready to risk it all, Jennie's determination is palpable. Yoona grasps the depth of Jennie's feelings, understanding the longing within the girl. But why did Jennie choose to wander alone on the streets in the middle of the night? Ignoring the potential dangers of the situation, she seemed focused solely on her own emotions.

Despite the late hour, Yoona decides to Jennie back home. At 4 am, the world is still quiet as they make their way through the streets. Jennie insists that Yoona can stay the night, but the older woman declines, not wanting to arouse suspicion from Jessica.

Arriving back home, Yoona gratefully slips into bed, eager to catch up on her sleep. However, her rest is short-lived as someone begins shaking her awake.

"Wake up, Yoong. You'll be late for work if you don't." It's Jessica, rousing Yoona from her slumber. Rubbing her eyes and stretching, Yoona lets out a groan as the prospect of work sinks in.

"What's so amusing?" Yoona questions, noticing Jessica's playful demeanor.

Jessica just shakes her head, leaning in for a kiss. "Good morning, my grumpy lover. Let's have breakfast together."

With a sigh, Yoona sluggishly makes her way to the bathroom. She's still half-asleep; after all, she only managed to get three hours of rest. Being a lover of sleep, that's far from enough for her.

Dressed in her professional suit, Yoona steps out of her room and makes her way to the dining table. Greeted by Jessica's parents, she contemplates the fact that Jessica's siblings are most likely still asleep due to their heavy slumber habits.

"The anniversary of our company is approaching, Yoona, and you know your role," Chairman Jung remarks while sipping his coffee. Yoona acknowledges with a nod.

Company anniversaries entail elaborate events, with numerous business partners and investors in attendance. Despite the occasion, Yoona harbors resentment toward the gatherings, as they force her into contact with individuals who often exploit the company's resources. The insincerity of these interactions makes her feel like she's consorting with sharks, leaving her deeply disheartened.

As they walked to Yoona's car, she inquired about Jessica's plans for the day. "Are you going somewhere?"

Jessica pondered the question briefly before responding, "Hmm, maybe I should just call Tiff and others to come over and watch movies. Why?"

Yoona shook her head dismissively. "Just wondering. I'm heading out now."

Acknowledging Yoona's tardiness, Jessica nodded. "You should, you're already late," she remarked with a playful smile, her gaze flickering to her watch. She understood Yoona's aversion to tardiness and couldn't help but chuckle at her evident discomfort. "Just go, take care while driving, okay? I love you." Jessica pulled Yoona in for a sweet kiss, followed by a gentle peck on her forehead. Yoona nodded in response, silently affirming her understanding of Jessica's words.

Jessica watched the car depart before heading inside to call her best friends, presumably to make plans for their movie night.

Meanwhile, Yoona was running late by nearly 20 minutes, a fact that didn't bother her much. She was determined to wrap up her first period quickly so she could retreat to the library for some much-needed rest – a central element of her day's plan. If students came seeking her, she was prepared to fabricate a convincing lie. After all, she was a seasoned expert in the art of deception.

When Yoona reached her classroom, she spotted Jennie leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting for someone. As she reached for her phone in her pocket, she noticed several unread messages from Yuri.

From: Kwon Yuri
           Good morning Ms. Lim, Jennie Kim is spamming me again 😪 she said she misses you and is demanding for you to explain on why are you taking so long to come to school.

Yoona couldn't help but laugh at the message, sympathizing with Yuri for being mistaken as the recipient of Jennie's messages.

Should I change my number? No, I don't want Jennie to find my real number and what's worse, Jessica might find out.

"Why are you laughing?" Jennie's voice interrupted Yoona's thoughts.

Startled, Yoona looked up to find Jennie raising an eyebrow. "Don't do that next time."

"What are you looking at on your phone? Are you hiding something from me?" Jennie approached Yoona, curious about what had caused her laughter. Yoona quickly turned off her phone and returned it to her pocket. "Are you cheating on me?!"

Yoona's eyes widened, and she glanced around them before looking back at Jennie. "Could you please lower your voice? Someone might hear us!" she whispered, her tone a mix of annoyance and concern.

"Yes or no would be enough." Jennie adopted a cold tone, glaring at Yoona. "So it's true? You're late because you were with someone who isn't me, and that's the reason you're late for the first time."

Yoona let out a deep sigh, gazing at Jennie with a sense of disbelief. "Did you smoke something? Get inside," she said, giving Jennie a pointed look. "You're the reason I'm late today."

Jennie shot her a 'what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about?' expression, placing one hand on her hip.

"We met in the middle of the night, didn't we? I only managed to sleep for three hours," Yoona groaned, longing for more sleep.

Jennie crossed her arms over her chest. "I know that, but so what? I'm not late today like you are."

Yoona sighed, unsure of how to handle Jennie's stubbornness. "Just get in, and I'll start the class."

Yoona entered the classroom, with Jennie following close behind. Some students welcomed Yoona's arrival, while others concealed their disappointment, hoping for a free period. 

"I apologize for being late today. There was an emergency I needed to address before coming to school," Yoona announced, clearing as she pulled out her lesson plans from her bag. "Alright, let's start our class."

Yoona's gaze flickered to Jennie, who still wore a glare. She averted her eyes and turned her attention to the rest of the students before commencing the lesson.

After her class, Yoona headed straight to the library, seeking a quiet spot for a nap. She closed her eyes, quickly succumbing to sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, Jennie had taken a seat beside her. She allowed her shoulder to provide a makeshift pillow for Yoona, ensuring her comfort.

"Jennie?!" a voice called out, jolting Jennie from her reverie.

Wide-eyed, Jennie looked at her friends who were beckoning her. She shot them a warning glance, signaling them not to wake Yoona from her deep slumber.

Her friends understood and motioned for her to check her phone. Their group chat notified her that class was about to begin. Jennie responded that she would be skipping class for the day. She preferred to stay with Yoona and shield her from any disturbances, even if it meant facing potential consequences from her teachers.

Jennie reveled in the feeling of Yoona's head leaning on her shoulder. She found comfort in knowing Yoona was at peace in her presence, even if it meant sitting in silence. Jennie's gaze wandered to a group of girls nearby who were staring at Yoona, clearly enamored by her. She rolled her eyes at their comments about how attractive Yoona looked.

"Omo! Look at Ms. Im, she looks so cute!!" The girls' comments earned them a glare from Jennie, prompting them to quickly retreat. Smirking, Jennie closed her eyes, content with the situation.

Nearly an hour and a half of sleep had refreshed Yoona when she gradually woke up. She scanned her surroundings, her eyes landing on the familiar figure in front of her.

"Hi."

Sitting up, Yoona discreetly checked if she had drooled during her nap, relieved to find her lips were dry. She addressed Jennie's presence, "Why are you here? You have classes to attend, Jen."

Jennie innocently met her gaze and nudged the coffee cup on the table toward Yoona. She smiled, "Here. I know I'm the reason you ended up napping here for so long."

Gratefully accepting the coffee, Yoona took a sip and felt instant relief from the warmth. "How did you know I was here?"

Jennie's cheeks tinged pink, and Yoona found it endearing to see her usually confident girlfriend blush. "I followed you after your class," Jennie admitted with shyness evident in her voice.

"You skipped class because of me?" Yoona questioned in mild surprise.

Jennie nodded, her smile bashful as she looked away and fanned herself. "Is it just me, or is it really hot in here?"

Chuckling, Yoona teased, "You... stayed here watching me sleep?" She could tell Jennie was being genuine but enjoyed teasing her nonetheless.

"K-kind... of," Jennie stammered, blushing even more.

Amused, Yoona burst into laughter, careful not to attract the librarian's attention. Jennie seemed taken aback, and Yoona found her response funny. "Why are you laughing? I'm your girlfriend, so this is normal."

"Normal? That sounds more like something a creep would do," Yoona retorted playfully.

Rolling her eyes, Jennie shot back, "You're an ." Yoona chuckled and shook her head.

"Thank you," Yoona replied, motioning toward the cup of coffee in her hand. "For this, and for looking out for me."

Jennie smiled softly, placing her hand on top of Yoona's. "Expect me to do anything for you."

The exchange of smiles between them spoke volumes. They chatted about various topics, with Yoona gently scolding Jennie for skipping her class. She reminded Jennie of the potential consequences she might face if she continued to do so.

With an hour of vacant time on her hands, Yoona decided against idly waiting and opted to play soccer on the field instead. She removed her coat, neatly placing it beside her bag on the bleachers. Rolling up the sleeves of her polo shirt and taking off her tie, she readied herself for a game. Lost in her own world, she didn't notice the students gathering on the field, fascinated by the sight of their new substitute teacher playing soccer.

Meanwhile, as Jennie was leaving the school, she overheard her friends' conversation.

"Can you be more clear?" Jennie asked, confused by their cryptic discussion.

"Ms. Im is playing soccer at the field right now," Irene replied matter-of-factly.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jennie inquired, clearly missing their point.

Irene rolled her eyes, "Seriously, why are you so slow to catch on?"

Jennie shot a glare at her friends. "I think her brain just stopped functioning," Yeri, the youngest, chimed in, earning laughs from the others.

Jennie made a face of disgust. "Remind me why I even befriended you two."

The duo just grinned and wiggled their shoulders. "Because you love us."

Jennie's friends led her to the field, where she saw a crowd of students gathering. Puzzled, she furrowed her brows.

"I don't even think she plays soccer, I mean, you don't see it in her. She's lazy and prefers to—" Jennie began to say before her words trailed off, her eyes widening as she recognized the figure on the field. "...Is she?" She turned to her friends, flustered.

"Yes, Jennie Kim, your one and only Ms. Im is playing soccer right now, right in front of us," Irene clarified, thoroughly amused by Jennie's reaction.

"Why are you taking so long? Get your phone and take a picture of her, girl!" Wendy urged, and Jennie immediately retrieved her phone from her bag.

Raising her phone, Jennie aimed her camera at Yoona. "Screw it! I'm going to film her!" She couldn't help but smile as she captured Yoona scoring a goal.

"She looks like a pro, doesn't she, Unnie?" Chaeyoung asked, her gaze fixed on Yoona.

"Yeah... she is," Jennie replied.

"Didn't you know that she plays soccer?" Wendy asked, perplexed.

Jennie smiled contentedly at the footage she had captured. She glanced at Wendy and pondered. "As far as I remember, she didn't mention it to me."

"That's weird," Joy chimed in. "You should have known, especially since you're dating her."

Jennie looked at her friends, lost in thought. "I think she's hiding something from me. She likes to be mysterious, and I find that even more intriguing."

Yoona decided to call it a day, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the students gathering to watch her. She walked