“Okay, so, you’re telling me that you’ve somehow managed to combine the university’s literature organization and the theatre arts organization?” Lisa asks Jisoo in both disbelief and amazement.

There is a glint in Jisoo’s eye and a sparkle in her perfect white teeth when she smirks proudly.

“Yep. I sure did.”

Lisa’s jaw drops.

“Wow. That’s quite the feat considering you’re also a senior. Shouldn’t you be too busy, I don’t know, practicing how to be an adult to do anything?”

Jisoo pats her friend’s head.

“Listen, my young padawan, there is absolutely nothing you cannot achieve through the right connections, proper delegation, and good supervision. I was already president of both organizations, anyway. All I did was manage to convince everyone, get them enthusiastic about it, and then sit back and let them do all the work while I played animal crossing.”

Lisa snorts.

“Of course you did that.”

The two of them were at Lisa and Rosie’s favorite on-campus cafe, a few blocks away from their dorm. Lisa’s morning classes had just ended and Jisoo called her up asking to meet and hang out. Lisa agreed, of course, not having much to do, anyways. Louis would just be sleeping in their room and she hadn’t had to worry about him much after he’s gotten used to their place.

Jisoo grins at her friend, readying her pitch.

“And that is why I am here bothering you today - I need your dance crew’s help. We need extras who will play as soldiers and who can learn fight choreography easily. You guys would be perfect for it.”

Lisa tilts her head then narrows her eyes.

“Of course. That explains why you got out of bed on your free day and went through the trouble of buying me chocolate milk and dessert. I had a feeling you needed something from me.”

Jisoo shrugs.

“Well, what are friends for, anyways? Besides, I always come to support you for your dance competitions against other universities.”

Lisa pouts and puts on her best puppy dog eyes impression.

“I thought you did that to genuinely support me, not as a means of racking up future favors.”

Jisoo laughs and waves her off.

“Oh, come on, Lalisa, of course I was there to support you. Quit acting all cute - you know I’m allergic to that - and just say yes. We both know you can’t say no to me, anyways.”

Lisa grins.

“Okay, fine. What’s the play gonna be about, anyway?”

Jisoo feels giddy at the question. The older girl starts pulling out a thick, heavy orange book from her backpack. She sets it on top of the table in between them with a thud.

“It’s gonna be a Korean adaptation of this novel, The Priory Of The Orange Tree. It’s a lesbian feminist retelling of this medieval story, but I’m changing a few things and setting it all in Korea and putting the lead princess and the lady-in-waiting who is secretly a warrior mage in hanboks.”

Lisa’s jaw drops again, trying to process all the information Jisoo just gave her.

“Wow. That’s a lot.”

Jisoo just smiles widely.

“It is but I’m really excited. It’s gonna be the best play I’ll ever write, produce, and direct in my whole career in this university. That’s why I decided to go all out for it and got the help of the literature organization, the dance crew, and hopefully the student council, too. Of course, it’s a nearly 900 pages long novel, so I will have to shave off some parts, but I’m sure it’s all doable.”

Lisa looks at Jisoo in awe.

“Wow. Who are you and what did you do to my home-buddy, can’t-be-bothered, gamer, insomniac, caffeine-dependent friend?”

Jisoo laughs.

“Well, she decided to do something in the name of sapphic love and feminism. The lead romance is between two women and this university has never had any LGBT love grace its auditorium stage. I thought it’s probably about time.”

A slow smile spreads across Lisa’s lips, happy and proud.

“Yeah, it is about time.”

Jisoo nods happily.

“So, is the dance crew in?”

Lisa holds both hands in a thumbs up sign.

“Of course!”

“Good!” Jisoo claps her hands. “Now, let’s finish our food and go find Rosie so I can talk to her and ask her for the council’s help.”

Lisa sips her chocolate milk and finishes it.

“Okay, let’s go.”

The two friends walk out of the cafe together, leaving a few bills as a tip for the baristas. The dancer pulls out her phone from her pocket.

“I’ll call her,” Lisa says and dials her best friend’s number.

The call rings once then it abruptly ends with a beep. Lisa looks at her phone bewildered for a second until it dings with a text message from Rosie.

My Rosieposie 🌹💖 10:52 am

Can’t talk. Library. What’s up?

Lisa types a quick reply.

Ok im w/ Jisoo. She wants to talk to u abt smn. We’ll js go to u there.

And then Lisa presses send and turns to Jisoo.

“She’s at the library. Let’s go?”

Jisoo nods.

“Okay, let’s.”

It wasn’t difficult to spot Rosie in the library. Besides the fact that Lisa feels a tug towards her and is always magnetically pulled in her direction somehow by the invisible string connecting them (okay, Lisa might need to stop putting Taylor Swift on loop in the shower), her tall blonde model-esque stature is a dead giveaway.

Lisa sees Rosie at a table at the other end of the library nearer the exit, her best friend’s hair pulled back in a low ponytail and she’s wearing a headband. The dancer loves that look on Rosie, loves it when her perfect jaw and neck are free for Lisa’s visual appreciation.

But Lisa’s quiet admiration of her best friend’s beauty is quickly ruined when she realizes who is sitting with her favorite person.

Jaehyun.

ing hell. Of course, he’s here buzzing around her like an ugly fruit fly, Lisa thinks.

Jaehyun and Rosie both had books open in front of them but it seemed like they weren’t paying attention to those. Instead, they looked like they were talking quietly and a little too close to each other for Lisa’s comfort.

ing Jaehyun probably thought of this ploy - coming to see Rosie in the library so he has an excuse to sit closer to her and whisper in her ear under the guise of keeping quiet in respect of the other readers and the library rules.

Normal dudebros would try to get closer to girls in parties like that, too, moving closer and whispering in girls’ ears because ‘the music is too loud’. Smarter, smoother guys try to do this in the library. Lisa knows, of course. She has enough male friends to know that they don’t just try to be friends with a pretty girl - not by constantly texting them and ‘running into them’.

The dancer is seething. She really does not like this Jaehyun dude. She does not trust him one bit.

“Hey, there’s Rosie!” Jisoo tells Lisa and tugs her towards the direction of the person they were searching for.

Lisa lets herself be dragged, stomps heavy, while mentally trying to prepare and calm herself for an unavoidable encounter with Mr. Nice Guy.

Just before the duo reach Rosie’s table, the blonde looks up as if by instinct and spots them. She breaks out into a wide grin and waves at them.

Jisoo waves back with the same enthusiasm. Lisa just gives a close-lipped smile that she hopes doesn’t look forced and a small wave.

Rosie notices the vibe coming from Lisa and she instinctively glances at Jaehyun to her right. She knows her best friend doesn’t like him for some reason and it’s been bothering her, a bit. She didn’t quite pick up on Lisa’s coldness towards him the other day when he walked her home, but she did realize it afterwards, and only with the benefit of hindsight.

Rosie lets a small sigh out of her nose. She just wishes Lisa would get over whatever preconceptions she has and see that Jaehyun isn’t so bad.

“Hey, Rosie!” Jisoo is the first to greet the blonde, bending over to give the sitting girl a hug. Rosie hugs her back with a firm squeeze.

“Jisoo unnie! Gosh, we haven’t seen each other since opening week.”

Jisoo lets her go and takes a seat in front of her.

“Yeah, the first few weeks are always busy,” the older girl agrees.

Now, the situation demands for Lisa to take the seat beside Jisoo. Which means she would have to sit in front of Jaehyun.

Lisa huffs air out of her nose in annoyance but takes the seat anyway, giving Jaehyun a small bow and a tight-lipped smile in greeting.

Jaehyun just smiles politely, too, and says a quiet ‘hi’.

“Oh, unnie, this is Jaehyun. He’s also a senior but he’s a transferee. Jaehyun, this is Jisoo unnie.”

Rosie introduces them to each other and the two shake each other’s hand in greeting.

“Hello. Nice to meet you,” Jae says.

“You as well,” Jisoo says then immediately turns to Rosie. Not being one to beat around the bush, Jisoo immediately jumps into explaining why she was there and why she dragged Lisa with her. Of course, she’s doing this with the security that Rosie was going to say yes - first, because Rosie always says yes, and second, because Lisa said yes already. The odds of Jisoo being turned down are none to negative one.

“Oh my gosh, that sounds brilliant! I would love to help you guys,” Rosie says, impressed with Jisoo’s project and motivation.

Jisoo smirks.

“I knew you would agree.”

Rosie laughs.

“Why would I say no to you, unnie?”

“Well, I just had to be ready for the off-chance that you would say ‘no’. That’s why I manipulated Lisa first with choco milk and then I dragged her here with me.” Jisoo says triumphantly, proud that her little plan worked flawlessly.

“Why did Lisa have to be part of it?” Rosie asks, eyebrows raised.

“Well, you two are inseparable, so I thought Lisa was the easiest way to convince you.”

Rosie laughs. Lisa can’t help but smirk and look at Jaehyun smugly. He was just smiling and listening to Jisoo and Rosie talk.

“Well, we’re not THAT inseparable.” Rosie protests. “We still both have our own thing going on.”

“No, we are inseparable. You can’t live without me.” Lisa teases her. There isn’t really a competition nor a race but somehow, she feels like she’s outwinning and outrunning Jaehyun today.

Rosie scoffs.

“Please, if anything, it’s you who can’t live without me.”

Jisoo rolls her eyes.

“Yes, we all get it, you two.”

Lisa grins and Rosie sticks her tongue out at her best friend. Jisoo laughs.

And then, Jaehyun interjects.

“Hey, maybe I can help with the play, too. I’m already helping with the council, anyway.”

Jisoo turns to him with a raised eyebrow, surprised at the sudden random offer from someone she just met but pleased, anyway. The more helping hands, the better.

Lisa doesn’t catch herself and a deep frown etches itself onto her face.

“Yeah, Jae can help! He’s been a great help to us already.” Rosie adds. Lisa’s frown deepens.

“Great!” Jaehyun says. “I’ll be happy to help.”

Lisa keeps herself from glaring at him.

Of course he’d be happy. He always seems to be happy to get in the way between me and Rosie.