A/N: Just a few tips before reading: italic is for flashbacks, single lines indicate a short time skip (hours/minutes), double lines indicate big time skips (days/weeks). Again, in case you haven’t seen Chaewon’s scar, check it here for reference. And that’s it, good read!

Letting out a yawn, Chaewon looked around the classroom with lazy eyes. It was one of the classes she liked the least already – and the semester had just started –, none of her friends was there, what meant her only human interactions were the looks people would shoot her once in a while – most curious, some hostile, but never friendly…She knew better than mind it by now.

Resting her back against the chair, she closed her eyes and let only the reddish color invade her vision – the sunlight hitting her eyelids, its warming slowly spreading through her face. Like this, it was easy to forget about the people surrounding her, maybe she should just take a nap and forget her responsibilities for a while…Unfortunately it wasn’t an option for her.

The teacher’s voice sounded a couple of minutes later, prompting her to open her eyes and go back to reality. For people like her, trying your best was often not enough, still it was all she could do and it includes paying attention to boring lessons.

Her lips formed a small pout as she opened her notebook to start taking notes, making the three small, thin lines over her upper lip more prominent – her birth scar, something so small that could be easily overlooked, still, it was the one thing that defined her for most people. Scars like hers, ‘marks of the unborn’ like the elders liked to call, weren’t a common thing. Having one on your face was enough to keep most people away.

Chaewon wasn’t sure of exactly why or when the scars became such a big taboo, but since the day she was born, she was judged based on it. She would see people smile at her and come closer, just to change as soon as they noticed the little imperfection on her face, all the warmth giving place to coldness. Some people said that the ones with scars weren’t supposed to be born into this world, that’s why they were cursed with cold hearts and bad luck, leading unfortunate lives until the bitter ending – her parents would always told her this was complete bull, stupid old beliefs that didn’t have any base other than the fear of the unknown; her parents would also tell her she was special because of it, but she never felt like it.

Therefore, she had to work hard, harder than most, just to get the things everyone else did without much effort – Chaewon didn’t know about the other parts, but the things about bad luck were pretty accurate. Thanks to people’s prejudice she was often ignored and mistreated, and to top it she was also always prone to accidents – as if on cue, the pen just spontaneously cracked under her light grip, making her let go of it before her hands were completely covered in blue ink…The class hadn’t even started yet and she already had ruined her notebook.

With a sigh, she grabbed some tissue from her backpack – she was always prepared – to clean up the mess, throwing away the stained pages and the broken pen into a trash bin and going back to her seat with heavy steps. Knowing her luck wasn’t the best today, she kept her eyes on the floor as she walked, careful to not trip.

“Did you hurt yourself?” A voice, strangely familiar, prompt her to look up only to be met by worried eyes that belong to the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Chaewon stopped in her tracks, her eyes growing wide with surprise, her heart skipping a beat with something else.

Slowly she shook her head in a negative, looking down at her own hand where a blue stain could still be seen.

“Great! Now come on the teacher is glaring at you!” As if it was so natural to her, the taller brunette reached out for her hand, pulling her to the seat beside her. When she had come in? What was she even doing there?

The older girl was still in a daze as she tried to not look at Minjoo, focusing on whatever the teacher was explaining instead.

Or at least she tried to do so.

Something poked her cheek, gently, but with insistence, demanding her attention. Looking sideways, she could spot Minjoo’s mesmerizing smile that didn’t match the overall atmosphere.

“Stop frowning. You will scare people away.” The girl lightly scolded her, poking her cheek yet again with the blunt end of her pencil. Of course, it only made the older frown even more.

“Don’t talk to me, the teacher is already glaring at us.” She replied in an annoyed whisper. Her confusion turning into frustration. Why, out of all people, it had to be Kim Minjoo?

Minjoo’s reply was to poke her cheek again, gifting her with another annoyingly pretty smile. “He is as blind as a bat, he is not glaring at anyone.”

Although she really wanted to ignore the girl, Chaewon couldn’t help but double check – it was her second day at this class, the first was conducted by one of the teacher’s assistants, so this was her first time getting a good look at the man. A very old man. Furrowing her eyebrows, she noticed the way the man seemed to stare into the distance, rambling about the contents of some book that was old as him…Minjoo was right.

It didn’t ease her frown though. “Then why did you tell me he was glaring at me earlier?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Minjoo smiled sheepishly. “Because I thought you might try to run to the other side of class if you had the chance.” There was something more in Minjoo’s tone now as she leaned in to lightly poke Chaewon’s cheek again – with her finger this time, soft and gentle. “I can’t let you run away again.”

Their eyes met for a brief moment, the bright chocolate ones facing the chestnut with confidence.

“I didn’t run away. I just…” Chaewon gulped down, looking away. Remembering their first meeting was enough to bring a pinkish color to her ears and a skip to her heartbeats. Why, just why it had to be Kim Minjoo?

 “Forgot to call me for two months?” The other girl cut her off, sounding more amused than angry. “It’s okay, I’ll make sure you don’t forget about me this time.” Minjoo claimed, confidence overflowing as she winked at Chaewon shamelessly. “Just be prepared.”

Opening to argue, the older end up just sighing. She hadn’t forgotten about the other Kim, how could she? Now more than ever she was sure she wouldn’t be able to keep Kim Minjoo out of her thoughts for a long time. Still, Chaewon knew she wasn’t supposed to stay close to this girl, she didn’t need this extra complication in her life.

That day she had to deal with Minjoo’s cheeky remarks and mischievous smiles until the end of class, yet it was only the beginning.

The slightly taller girl just followed her around, always with that annoying smile and the bright eyes that made her look like a happy fox Chaewon had seen on TV once – how could someone be this cute and annoying at the same time?

Chaewon knew that ignoring her was the best thing she could do – for the two of them –, but ignoring Kim Minjoo wasn’t an easy thing to do.

“Don’t you have other things to do?” She tried to show all her annoyance in her voice, but her small voice was never that intimidating.

Minjoo’s smile didn’t change, her long strides easily matching Chaewon’s as they made their way down the corridor. “I still don’t know my way around the campus, I thought you could show me.”

“Didn’t you think about asking me first?” Chaewon glanced at her, still refusing to slow down her pace – it was foolish of her, as if this frog-like girl could get easily tired.

“So, you could’ve denied my request with a lame excuse?” Arching an eyebrow, the taller girl shook her head slightly, her smile becoming a little smaller now. The younger Kim decided on changing her strategy. “Please I don’t want to spend the day alone, Yuri is sick and I’m on my own today.”

This worked to some extent – Chaewon did second guess before shaking her head again. “You could just make new friends. Won’t be hard for someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” Minjoo blinked, an adorable confused look on her expressive face.

Someone normal was the first thing that came to the shorter brunette’s mind, but Minjoo was more than your average girl. “The pretty, popular and likeable type.” Gesturing the girl’s face, Chaewon watched her with sharp eyes. There was no reason for someone like Minjoo be following her when she could probably get a dozen of volunteer guides to show her around the campus and even pay for her lunch. “Your type is always surrounded by people.”

She expected Minjoo to blush and look away, her humble side coming to life like it did on their very first date – it didn’t happen.  There was still a hint of pink on her cheeks as she looked up to meet Chaewon’s gaze again, but instead of embarrassment, that annoying smirk was back on her lips.

“So, you think I’m pretty and you like me?” Hitting the older girl’s shoulder lightly, she came even closer so they could walk with barely any distance between them. “Good, because I feel the same about you.”

Now the flustered one was Chaewon, her ears warming up with embarrassment. She hadn’t mean it that way, but Minjoo wasn’t wrong, albeit Chae wouldn’t dare to admit it. “W-What? I didn’t say that!’”

“Yep you did!” Minjoo beamed at her, interlocking their arms to make the other match her quick steps. The smirk on her face more like a childish grin now, as if she had heard exactly what she wanted – and she had. “Now let’s go, my next class is starting soon and I still don’t know where it is.”

Chaewon couldn’t do anything but to follow her, muttering under her breath. “Two months of radio silence should be enough for anyone to get a hint.”

“Oh, it was.” Her words weren’t directed to Minjoo, more like her grumpy self talking to try to push away her embarrassment, but the taller woman seem to have pretty good hearing. “I’m just purposely ignoring it.”

Chae moved uncomfortably, trying to get off of Minjoo’s grip. That girl made no sense, nor the way her words affected Chaewon so much when they barely knew each other. Minjoo didn’t let go of her arm and she sighed in defeat. “But why?”

Giving her a quick glance, the taller stopped walking when they reached the exit of the building. The smile was still there, but there was a sense of seriousness in her eyes. “Because I know you missed me too.”

For this Chaewon didn’t have a reply, averting her eyes to her shoes. Minjoo, once more, was right. They both knew her presence didn’t really annoyed Chae, it was actually the opposite, and that’s why she was trying so hard to push her away before she couldn’t help but cling onto Minjoo too.

She wondered why the other would like that though.

Giving up on her act, she stretched her free hand with the palm exposed, before asking. “Let me see your schedule, I can’t take you anywhere if I don’t know where you’re going.”

Her words weren’t the answer Minjoo wanted, still it made the younger feel a little more at ease as she reached out for the piece of paper in her backpack and offered it to Chaewon to take.

They didn’t talk much after it, Chaewon only walked her to class and left after promising to come and pick her up after her own class was over – Minjoo made her promise to reply to her messages this time and the older gingerly accepted; Chaewon kept her word for the rest of the day and the ones to come, just like Minjoo expected.

To be this determined to pursue someone who didn’t seem that excited about her, may look like a dumb decision – and perhaps it was, even Yuri was looking at her weirdly at the moment.

“You know, when I told you Chaewon’s schedule, I thought you would just try to ‘accidentally’ bump into her in the corridors or something like that, not sign up to one of her classes when it has nothing to do with your major.” Jo had said, narrowing her eyes in a judgmental way as she rested her chin over her crossed arms on top of the table – they were waiting for Yena and Chaewon to have lunch. “Do you even pay attention to class?”

“I can’t bump into her every day, she would just avoid me. Now I get to see her at least twice a week and, well, not really but I can always study by the books.” Minjoo shrugged, taking a seat in front of her friend, yet keeping her eyes in the direction where Chaewon would be coming from. “Besides, it’s extra credit.”

Yuri rolled her eyes at her friend’s words, Minjoo wasn’t the type that goes around stalking her crush and forgetting her priorities to focus on charming someone – still, here she was acting like a complete fool. “I just don’t get you. You said you two got along so well, but she told me you wouldn’t be seeing each other again and never tried to contact you. And you still want to pursue her?”

“It’s not what you think, it’s not just a silly crush. I…” Minjoo hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers. “I know she is a special person and I just feel this…Connection. I just want to get closer to her.”

Yuri gave her a puzzled look, lifting her head from the spot to lock eyes with her best friend. “Even if she doesn’t want you to?”

“No, I won’t bother her if she really doesn’t want me around.” Grimacing, Minjoo averted her eyes from Yuri’s. Of course not, her intention wasn’t to become a nuisance in Chaewon’s life. She just wanted to give them a fair chance…Was it too much? Maybe, but she couldn’t stop herself from trying. “But I know it’s not the case now.” Shaking her head stubbornly, Minjoo bit down on her bottom lip, showing the insecurity she would try her best to hide from Chaewon. “I know she felt the same way that night, she is just...Scared, I guess?”

Yuri took in a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Maybe you’re right and gods know how much I think you two would look good together, and how much Chaewon really could use some happiness for once. But…” There was a moment of silent, hesitation as Jo tried to come up with the right words. She loved both girls, Minjoo was her best friend and Chaewon her beloved cousin, still she couldn’t act like there wasn’t a problem there. It would be easy to just encourage the other to go for it, still she knew that things weren’t that simple. “Maybe you shouldn’t try so hard. You know, Chaewon has her reasons to be like this.” Giving Minjoo an apologetic smile, she continued. “You could easily find someone less complicated to date.”

There was a moment of heavy, uncomfortable silence. Yuri was just stating the obvious, albeit none of them liked this truth. Minjoo was fairly popular with people, getting a date wouldn’t be hard and perhaps it would be for the best. Still, she didn’t want to look for someone else.

“I know, of course I know. That’s why I’m not giving up on her so easily.” She said after a little while, her voice almost timid as she stole a look at her friend’s face, ready to get scolded – how ironic considering Yuri was the one that introduced them to begin with.

Yuri didn’t scold her, but she still looked torn about what to do. Was supporting her best friend weird dating tactics the best? She doubted. “If this is just because that thing that happened when you were kids…”

“It’s not only that.” Minjoo cut her off right away, the stubbornness back to her voice. “Just trust me on this one, Yul, I have a feeling Chaewon needs me and I want to be here for her.”

Destiny had put Chaewon in her life three times now, it couldn’t possibly be just a coincidence and she was determined to not waste this chance.

The girl a couple of meters away from her, right in her line of vision as she waited by the theater’s door, was slightly shorter than Minjoo, with dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders and bangs partially covering her sharp chestnut eyes – not enough to hide the glimpse of insecurity and nervousness on it – she was wearing simple, casual clothes with dark pants and a dark blue jacket a little too big for her that made her look even cuter. The face of pretty features was oddly familiar to her, making Minjoo take in a deep breath as their eyes met for a moment before she averted her gaze to her friend Yuri to whisper. “What’s her name again?”

“Chaewon.” The husky voice answered, Yuri glancing back and forth between her friend and her cousin. It was her idea to bring Minjoo with her and now she was starting to get worried about how things could turn out. “She is a Kim like you.”

Minjoo nodded, her eyes going back to observe Yuri’s cousin, Chaewon. When her friend had told her she would go to a movie date with Yena, Minjoo had suggested to be their ‘third wheel’ as a joke, but to her surprise it seem to sparkle an idea on Jo’s mind. A couple of texts exchanged later, while Minjoo only watched her friend in confusion, and suddenly she was part of a double date. She wasn’t a fan of the idea at first, arguing that it would be awkward and that she wasn’t that desperate to date yet, however Yuri had insisted on dragging her to meet her cousin under the excuse that it would only be a friendly hangout and it would be fun.

Minjoo wasn’t very convinced that it was a good idea, especially when Yuri refused to even show her a picture of the said girl, still now that her eyes were on Chaewon, she couldn’t refrain from letting a small, expectant smile appear on her face. Kim Chaewon wasn’t a rare name, but she couldn’t mistake those eyes.

A giddy feeling filled Minjoo’s body, a childish excitement that only grew as they approach the two girls who were waiting for them in silence. Yuri taking place beside her girlfriend, Yena, right away and letting the Kims on their own to exchange awkward greetings.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Minjoo.” She smiled brightly only to receive a small one in return, the other girl gingerly taking a hand to cover her face in what looked like embarrassment.

Minjoo stepped closer offering her hand for a handshake – something odd, but she wanted to see the other properly and in this way Chaewon had no choice but hesitantly bring her hand down to give hers a gentle squeeze.

“I’m Chaewon, it’s a pleasure.” Chae's voice was as small as her smile, gentle but not confident.

Minjoo didn’t mind it, her big brown eyes inspecting the girl’s face in search of something – she found it right away. Chae must have noticed because she broke the contact, lowering her head before turning to their friends. “Can we go in now? The movie is beginning.”

Minjoo nodded in agreement, her eyes lit up as she followed the girl inside, a smile never leaving her face. She had noticed the little scar right above Chaewon’s lips on the left side of her face, it was subtle enough for it to require some attention to be spotted, but she knew where to look and thanks to Chaewon timid smile, the three lines were more evident. The other must be ashamed of it, yet Minjoo was actually happy to know her gut feeling was right.

This girl wasn’t any Kim Chaewon, she was the one she had been looking for and she wouldn’t miss the chance of getting to know her better now.

Minjoo was taken back to reality by the sound of Yena’s loud voice greeting Yuri with her usual loving, but slightly abrupt way. The duck like also greeted her with the open smile that was her trademark, making Minjoo force a confident smile back to her face as she noticed that Chaewon was also there – much quieter than her best friend.

They exchanged a look and Minjoo’s smile automatically grew into a grin as the older girl handed her a box of milk chocolate before taking a seat beside her – Chaewon was like that, she would complain about Min following her around, but she would still pay attention to her every detail, always there whenever she needed. She might try to seem uninterested but Minjoo knew better than to believe this facade.

During the past week Chaewon had taught her everything about the campus, and even though they had very different schedules, she still accepted Minjoo requests to walk her to class – they both knew she didn’t need any help anymore –, she would make up excuses to avoid staying around the younger brunette for long but wouldn’t resist if Minjoo asked her to stay. At first Chae tried to avoid having lunch with them, but thanks to Yena’s help Minjoo managed to make the other stick around. Of course, their interactions were still small, Chaewon always lifting her defenses whenever Minjoo became a little too bold with her flirting – it still worked, she could see by the redness in the girl’s ears and the little smile she couldn’t hide –, trying to keep them in a senior-junior relationship exclusively.

But Minjoo wasn’t one to easily give up.

“How was class?” She asked before after taking a sip of her milk chocolate, watching Chaewon do the same to her soda.

The older didn’t seem to mind the question replying in a flat tone. “Normal, I guess. Yours?”

“Not that great, we didn’t really do anything today.” Minjoo tilted her head a bit, leaning her elbows on the table as she stole a look at Chaewon’s face. “But at least I get to see you!”

Chaewon rolled her eyes. “You see me every day. Don’t you get tired?”

“Hm, I don’t think so.” Clicking her tongue, she leaned a little closer the other girl – good thing the other couple at the table was too busy with their usual quarrel to mind them. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing you.”

Chaewon averted her gaze, pink tinting her cheeks, albeit a smirk appeared on her lips soon after. “Even if I dressed up as a clown?”

Minjoo made a face, hitting Chae’s shoulder lightly. “I’m trying here, you know. Don’t make fun of me in front of them!” She whispered shouted, albeit it was useless as Yuri already looked at them in a funny way – she would definitely get scolded later.

“I’ve to practice and Yena will help me today, so I’ll see you later, okay?” Jo said, pulling a confused Yena with her as she stood up to leave. The older girl didn’t seem to mind though, giving them a grin before following her girlfriend.

Minjoo waved them goodbye and Chaewon looked conflicted for a moment, but ended up doing the same, remaining in the same spot.

She was about to try to strike a conversation when the other girl finished her drink, Chaewon’s eyes looking somewhere else.

“They like you.” Chae subtly gestured a group of freshmen that waved at Minjoo from another table. “They won’t if they know you hang out with me all the time, you know.”

Frowning Minjoo gave up halfway through on returning the waves, her focus back to Chaewon. “Then they’re not worth my time.” Her dark brown eyes inspected the other’s face, trying to understand what was going through her head – Chaewon didn’t have the smirk on her lips anymore, no smile, just an unreadable expression on her face. It was probably not the right time, still Minjoo couldn’t help but blurt out. “Chaewon, go out with me.”

Incredulity was clear in the chestnut eyes when Chaewon looked back at her. “What-”

Minjoo continued before she could say anything. “For real, not the school cafeteria or the library. Let’s go grab a coffee or watch a movie without clowns or…”

“Stop.” Just like that Chaewon cut her off, lips into a thin line now, hands grabbing onto tightly to the empty can on her hands. “Do you even care whether or not I say yes? You seem to have this big plan for us, but I never agreed on it.”

Minjoo hesitated, her confidence waving at such remark. She felt the sting of guilt pinging her heart – Chaewon wasn’t completely wrong. Perhaps she was coming off too strong and not giving the other girl room to make her own decisions, just imposing her presence. “I’m sorry.” Lowering her head, she fidgeted with her fingers. “I do care about what you want, I just don’t want you to deny us a chance just because you’re scared.” Lifting her gaze, she took a deep breath, braving up. “It’s fine if you don’t like me, but if your reason to reject me is just because of a dumb scar, that is actually pretty cute on you, I won’t accept no as answer.”

“It’s not cute. Why you keep acting like it’s no big deal!” Chaewon covered her face with her hands, clearly frustrated at the brunette’s words. However, she didn’t leave. She should have, she should just lie and tell Minjoo she disliked her very own existence, ending this little game of hers for good. But she didn’t, she just lowered her hands slowly to peak at the other girl that looked so much like a cartoon frog now – awkward and cutely timid. Her heart swelled at the sight. “Where do you want to go?”

Minjoo blinked, surprised. “Y-You will accept?”

“I just want to grab something to eat…” Chae averted her gaze, before completing in a small voice. “With you.”

She could sense the younger girl’s excitement even without looking at her, but Minjoo’s clear voice confirmed it a she replied. “I know just the place!”

Of course, she did, Kim Minjoo always had a plan and it didn’t even surprise her anymore. “Is it close?”

“We can just walk there.”

Chaewon didn’t reply, instead she just grabbed her bag and gestured for Minjoo to show the way.

The brown-haired woman felt herself relaxing, joy filling her body, replacing the insecurity and guilt she felt earlier – hope, it was hope warming her up. With a small smile, she happily came closer to Chaewon, guiding her to the small dumpling shop near the campus. It was simple, cheap and a little too packed, but just like Minjoo’s heart, it was filled with warmth and Chaewon couldn’t deny she felt comfortable there.

They waited by the counter until a table was vacant, putting in their orders. “You pay today. I already give you drinks every day.” Chaewon had said for Minjoo’s surprise, the younger quickly agreeing with a silly smile still on her face. “I’ll pay next time. I can’t leach on freshmen.”

Minjoo beamed at it. “Next time?”

“I don’t really like the cafeteria food.” Chaewon shrugged her shoulders, making it seem like it wasn’t big deal – and it shouldn’t be, but it was. Chaewon wasn’t the type to make empty promises. “So, tell me about those photography classes. I always see with that fancy camera around but you never use it.”

If Minjoo was smiling before, now she was glowing with excitement that had very little to do with the delicious food they were about to taste.

That day, for the first time, Chaewon didn’t let Minjoo lead the conversation, trying her best to keep up with the younger girl. Not only listening, but also sharing a bit about herself. She still insisted on it just being a friendly hang out, but they both knew she was making an effort now – and this was enough to give a new meaning to things.

Bearing a birth scar, life wasn’t easy for her, even if she could ignore some negative aspects of it most time. Being unlucky just means you’re not careful enough most of the time, therefore she was always careful about everything – especially her own feelings. Chaewon could get over the embarrassment and pain of falling down for being too clumsy, she could push aside the heavy feeling of the judgmental stares always watching over her, and even could even keep a strong face whenever someone would doubt her abilities as if the scar affected her intelligence. However, it wasn’t as easy to combat the hurt caused by her own silly expectations and feelings, to put aside her emotional side when someone rejected her honest affection – that’s why she wouldn’t bother trying to get dates like everyone seem to do.

Minjoo wasn’t giving her much of a choice though.

“Chae, do you want a strawberry or banana one?” Minjoo sweet voice called her, that silly smile plastered on her face making Chaewon feel a gentle pain into her chest.

The older Kim looked away, hoping her feelings weren’t shown on her face. “Strawberry, please. Don’t take too long, we need to head to class.” She replied in a small voice, still not looking at her friend – was that what her and Minjoo were? –, choosing to stay outside the convenience store while the younger woman went inside to buy them some drinks.

Chaewon sighed, lately she was spending more and more time with Minjoo and she wasn’t sure it was a good thing.

Even when the younger girl wasn’t doing anything much, forgetting the flirty persona she had tried so had to show lately, and just being her normal, cute and sweet self, she still got to Chaewon like no one else could. Being with Minjoo gave her a very dangerous feeling of normality, as if she could act like all the others, like the little scar on her face wasn’t more than just a tiny imperfection – Minjoo seem to think like this and it was easy to believe her. Way too easy to get involved in the sweet delusion of leading a normal life.

Nonetheless the cold stares were still there, the censoring looks and the way her teachers would never treat her like the others as if she didn’t have enough dealing with her classmates – they didn’t hate her, they just didn’t want a symbol of bad luck around them.

Sometimes she wondered if Minjoo was just an air head, unable to notice the way other people treated Chaewon, unable to grasp the fact that they were essentially so very different. Or perhaps Minjoo simply didn’t care, a mature self hidden beyond that silly big smile and half crescent eyes, someone who was able to ignore completely the society's judgment and only judge people for who they really are. No matter how much Chaewon wished that the latter was correct, she was having a hard time believing it.

But Minjoo had been like that since the first time they met, over three months ago.

Chaewon was feeling uneasy, twisting her hands like a child as she sat in one of the comfy seats inside the theater, a new, warm and bright presence taking the place beside her. She tried to focus on the trailers shown on the big screen, the long intro before the movie started, but her eyes kept wandering around, always finding the girl – and as soon as she noticed the other looking back, she would panic and try to pretend she was looking at somewhere else.

She was a mess.

Why had she agreed on it again? Even before the girl arrived, she knew things wouldn’t work out. After all, how could it? It wasn’t the first time her friends tried to land her a date, but she knew better they keep her hopes up. No matter how nice the girls were, as soon as they noticed the scar on her face, they would find a way to leave, giving some empty excuse that didn’t help in anything to protect Chaewon’s fragile self from the pain of rejection.

At nineteen she hadn’t even had a proper date, the more a relationship, and it didn’t seem like it would happen anytime soon – it was for the best to just focus on her studies and not think about stupid thing like dating. Still, here she was.

Not that she had much choice in the matter this time around. Yena had only dragged her to the movies under the excuse of having an extra ticket and how it would be a waste to not use it – Chaewon didn’t want to act like a third wheel for the loving couple formed by her friend and cousin but she could use some fun and a free movie ticket wasn’t an opportunity to be missed. Hence why she had come with her usual clothes, not bothering dressing up as she thought it would be just another lazy Sunday with her friends walking around the mall and eating after the movie was over. But she was clearly wrong.

Yena just informed her about Minjoo when the girls were already there and Chaewon had to do her best to not freak out and run away. Chaewon felt completely unprepared, from her clothes to her mental state. Yena had told her to just play it cool, that Minjoo was 'super nice and pretty' but it only made the Kim more nervous. She had come for a relaxing time, not for an awkward date and another rejection.

When her eyes caught the glimpse of Yuri walking with a taller brunette, she had turned to face Yena, contemplating the idea of killing the duck-like girl for dragging her into this situation. But all she had time to do was try to fix her expression and not allow her nerves to show on her face. The scar already gave people a bad enough impression, she didn’t need to make it worse by showing how socially inept she was.

When Minjoo was in front of her she had an inside battle, part of her just wanted to stare at the beautiful girl and the other just wanted to hide right away – her reaction was a mix of both, even though her insecurity took the best or her in the end. Her date, a girl that she could only define as truly beautiful, was also dressed in casual clothes that she somehow made it look so much nicer, her light brown hair was up in a ponytail letting her face exposed, revealing the sun kissed skin free of any scars, a face of classic and harmonic features, including a cute straight nose, high cheekbones and plump lips stretched in a small, expecting smile.

Chaewon mind went blank for a moment, all she could think of was how genuinely pretty that girl was and how ridiculous it was that she ended up as her date out of all people.

The taller woman’s insistent gaze made her snap out of her daze.

Minjoo’s eyes were of a beautiful hue of brown much darker than hers, yet with so much light on them – these eyes stared at her intensely, inspecting her face in a way that made her feel self-conscious, even more than usual. The girl’s voice was lovely, her tone warm as they exchanged greetings and Chaewon tried to hide her weakness from the other, pathetically failing to do it.

She didn’t look at the girl as they shook hands, trying to concentrate on the nice feeling of her hand on hers instead of the grimace that should be displayed on her face now – except that there wasn’t one. The way that the girl didn’t show any negative reaction to her scar wasn’t common at all. If anything, Minjoo was smiling even more at her and Chaewon had no idea of how react to it.

Therefore, she had just let go of Minjoo’s hand and hurry to hide inside the safety of the dark theater – still even now she couldn’t ignore Minjoo’s presence.

In the moment it was especially hard as Minjoo clings onto her arm every time something remotely scary happens in the movie – what was quite often considering Yena had choose an horror flick, even though it seems like all four of them were cowards. Yena and Yuri were just hugging each other and Chaewon was sure they hadn’t watched a single full scene yet; While Minjoo would flinch and close her eyes like the adorable thing she seemed to be – Chaewon’s own assumption – every time the soundtrack indicated something was about to happen. As for Chae, she was far from being the bravest person, but she was too busy panicking over Minjoo clinging to her to feel scared about some demon clown or whatever it was.

What was she supposed to do now? Yena had just engulfed Yuri into a tight embrace, but she couldn’t do the same for Minjoo – even if the brunette didn’t seem to have any sense of personal space for Chaewon’s despair. She wasn’t used to people clinging onto her, especially her dates.

Yet, she liked it. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Minjoo properly, still she liked the feeling of her soft warm hands through the soft fabric of her clothes, the gentle and sweet scent that the girl exuded, Minjoo’s small gasps whenever something took her by surprise…That’s was something about Minjoo that was just so familiar, something that made her want to keep the girl closer and protect her...

Infatuation, that’s what it was. Chaewon couldn’t accept to name it as more than a silly crush.

It didn’t mean she could control the fuzzy feeling in her chest, the need to get closer, to comfort and get to know Minjoo better – she was ultimately screwed.

“I’m a little hungry…Do you…Do you want to get out? I mean, to get food.” She managed to ask in a quiet voice, awkwardly leaning a bit closer so the brown-haired girl could hear her.

Relief was all over Minjoo’s face as she nodded in agreement, standing up a little too quickly – she was so willing to leave the place that it surprised Chaewon she hadn’t left earlier.

Minjoo tugged into her sleeve, pulling her with her as they made their way down the stairs – Chaewon nearly tripped a bunch of the times, her eyes struggling to see the steps, making it easier for her bad luck to kick in; however she never fell, Minjoo’s reliable hand letting go of her jacket to grab onto her wrist, keeping her close as she guided them safely out the room.

The tips of her ears were a light shade of pink when they finally reached the hallway and she managed to hide it by gently shrugging off Minjoo’s hand of hers so she could use it to fix her hair. Meanwhile her date didn’t seem to mind it, bearing a heavy sigh and resting her back on the wall opposite Chae.

“I hate clowns.” The younger Kim admitted, giving the older a small smile. “Thanks for taking us away from that place.”

“No problem.” Chaewon tried to return her smile, but she couldn’t look at her properly. “If it serves of anything, he is not a clown but a demon-”

“This isn’t better!” Shaking her head adamantly the taller Kim made a face. It was silly, but her clear discomfort regarding the movie made Chaewon take a mental note to never let Minjoo anywhere near a clown – again it was silly, she probably wouldn’t see this girl again after tonight. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think we would watch this kind of movie.”

“It’s fine, I don’t like it either.” Shrugging her shoulders, the brunette gestured towards the place where they were selling overpriced food. “If you want, we can just buy some food and walk around until the movie is over…Of course, you can leave if you want too.” She added the last part a little later, her insecurity kicking in. Chaewon didn’t want a fake date, it would be better to just end it. “I’ll just head home, don’t feel like going back there.”

Minjoo just shook her head again, her smile a little hesitating as she asked. “Can we stay here and eat, please? I want to get to know you better.”

The request took her by surprise, but when she looked up to meet Minjoo’s gaze, she saw nothing but sincerity and eagerness on her brown eyes, glinting with an expectant look. Either Minjoo was a pretty good actress or she really meant her words.

Chaewon’s ears grew warm, but so did her heart.

Averting her gaze, she nodded. “S-Sure.”

Minjoo was one of a kind and she knew she should be grateful for having met her. A big part of Chaewon didn’t want to miss the opportunity of enjoying their time together – this part was taking over her slowly now, leaving the other part, the one that feared the worst, to sit at the back of Chaewon’s mind like a constant weight onto her shoulders.

Her fears had made her never call Minjoo after their first date – this and her terrible luck that made everything go wrong after it, as if it was a signal that she shouldn’t try to reach Minjoo ever again.

However, Minjoo’s strong and bright presence was making it hard for her to listen to her senses and not her dumb heart.

So many scenarios ran through her head daily, all the ways she could proceed and what she should or not do. Going back to ignore Minjoo and ruin whatever was going on between them? She had failed already. Dating for fun? It wasn’t like her. Allowing her heart to take a leap of faith? It scared her to death, but was such an attractive option at the moment…The biggest problem was that this option came with two other options of her own: break Minjoo’s heart or wait for the girl to break hers; at least these two seem to be the only possible endings for a relationship for someone like her.

The people born with scars weren’t only unlucky in the most literal sense, always tripping over their own feet and being generally awkward, they were also known for leading unhappy lives. People like her weren’t supposed to find their own 'happy ever after', being only temporary assets in someone else’s life, never finding the true love everyone else seem to have.

When Chaewon was around eleven years old, she had met an older girl whose face also bore a scar – different from hers, it was right below her eye and it was impossible to not notice the star like shape it had –, this girl was the only person she had ever met in a similar condition and they naturally bonded, sharing their personal struggles. This girl, Hyewon, was also the first one to tell her about the fact that the ones with marks weren’t supposed to fall in love or it would end badly.

Back then Chaewon was heartbroken with the revelation, feeling as if her young dreams of a happy life in the future were impossible now. She didn’t get much time to lament her destiny, though, Hyewon giving her an even more unexpected information.

Chaewon had met Hyewon recently, the older girl was staying at a house nearby, spending her winter break with her family in the quiet province Chae lived on. There weren’t that many kids around, especially kids like her, therefore when she had met Hyewon by chance, she felt the need to befriend her right away.

Hyewon wasn’t quite like her through, while Chaewon was quiet and a little timid, Hye always had a smirk on her face and she liked to play the know-it-all, lecturing the younger about various topics – mainly, the birth scars they both had. That day, Hyewon was explaining about all things she knew about it.

“You know, I heard that if you get to break the heart of someone who really loves you, the scar will disappear forever. Just like that, poof!” Hyewon has snapped her fingers with a dramatic expression, a weird smile on her face as she spoke.

Little Chaewon watched her bewildered, all her life she had never thought something like this was possible.

“But how? The scar is…Part of me.” Chaewon had muttered, touching the lines above her lips, an odd feeling disturbing her. A way to get rid of the scar for good? To be normal? It seemed like a dream – but she didn’t want to hurt anyone. “What happens to the other person?”

Hyewon shrugged her shoulders, lifting her right hand to pat lightly on the left side of Chaewon’s chest, where her heart was. “The scar goes to them. It will stay in the hearts forever.” Her ominous tone made Chaewon flinch, but the older girl just chuckled. “That’s probably bull. Who would even want to date people like us?” Her snicker had a sad note to it, one that Chaewon could understand ell.

Hyewon had to go after it and Chaewon never got the chance of asking her how she knew about that. Hye didn’t come back the next day, the chalet her parents were renting was empty when Chaewon tried to check it, the family long gone.

She never saw the girl again, but as the time went by, her words never completely left the young Kim’s mind.

She had no idea if it was even true, for all she knew Hyewon could’ve just made up that whole story. There weren’t many people like them around, nor she had ever heard of someone who had lost their scar – many tried, all sort of medical procedures was useless, the scars always coming back to their faces in darker, uglier shades like it was punishing them.  Her rational side knew it couldn’t be true.

Still the chance of it being a possibility always left her uneasy.

“Let’s go! I brought some cream buns too!” Minjoo announced, grabbing onto her hand left hand to pull her back into motion, making Chaewon leave her complex thoughts and bitter memories behind for a little while.

Almost tripping on her own feet, Chae followed the taller girl, her eyes glued to their joint hands – her fingers naturally looking for Minjoo’s, intertwining before she even realized what she was doing. She frowned, battling inside her wish to be closer to Minjoo, before finally breaking the contact with the excuse of checking the time on her phone.

“Class is about to start. We can eat later.” With this, she sped up her steps, making a slightly confused Minjoo follow her.

“Chaewon! Why the rush all of sudden?” Minjoo said, trying to catch up with Chaewon’s long, determined strides. “There is still fifteen minutes to go.”

The shorter brunette didn’t budge, doing her best to pretend being busy with her phone. “You can stay behind and eat if you want, I’m going back.”

Of course, it didn’t work. Minjoo just used her long legs to reach her, arms coming to engulf her in a back hug. “Wait for me, grumpy! We’ll go together.” Minjoo didn’t allow her to break the contact this time, clinging onto her like a baby frog –that’s what Chaewon told her at least, receiving a pout in return.

“Just walk, froggie. You’re weighing me down.” She complained, but there was a hint of playfulness, maybe even fondness, in her voice – Minjoo didn’t miss it.

Chaewon didn’t want to earn her happiness by ruining someone else, she didn’t want to be the monster some people painted her as, pushing her pain into someone innocent.

Moreover, she didn’t want to break Minjoo’s heart.

A/N: Hello there! I can’t believe it took me over two months to get this out, but well, it’s here now! Please keep in mind I wrote is as an OS, so the format will be a little different. Even though I’m posting it in chapters here, I’m only doing it to make the reading and my own (bad) proofreading work easier. There will be around 5 chapters, and I will update every 2 days, so it will be a quick story, so please let me know what you think ;)

As usual, thank you a lot for reading and I’m very sorry about any mistakes. See you soon!