The hourly bell rings just as Lisa's Business Math professor was right in the middle of a tirade on why - even if majority of their class were majoring in creative fields and the arts and this was only general education class - they shouldn't be lax and complacent because he would definitely not be as lenient or forgiving or generous the way they seem to be expecting that he would be.

"This class is NOT just another course you need to pass in order to get this degree. Business Math is impo-," KKKRRRRIIIIINGGGG!

The bell drowns out the rest of her professor's words.

And when it dies down and he still seems adamant to continue yapping, the sounds of students too eager to get the hell out make him look like a video on mute – chairs are pushed back across the floor, notebooks and books are shoved into bags, people pull out their phones to check messages, and mindless chatter fill the lecture hall.

Lisa stretches her arms over her head and arches her back.

She feels the knots in her lower back and she groans. These two hour gen ed lectures are the worst, she thinks. She decides she'd much rather watch Jisoo try to balance a water bottle on her head or listen to Jennie argue with people about how she's NOT short.

Lisa finishes putting her notebook and things inside her bag when the last person besides her walks out of the classroom. One of the many paradoxes about Lisa’s personality was this: as a person born under an Aries sun, she didn’t mind the attention of all the people in a room, but as someone with a Scorpio moon, she hated crowds.

Or at least, that’s what that one girl who is into astrology was telling her.

Esther, was her name, she thinks? Esther Yu?

Well, regardless, she was that one girl who auditioned for the dance troupe, got in, and started buzzing around Lisa like a fruit fly - always only a few feet away during rehearsals, or team meetings, or sometimes even in the hallways.

Lisa was famous at the school and she had her fair share of admirers, but this one was different. The young girl was obsessed.

“I read your chart,” Esther had plopped down beside her and told her one day. The dance crew was hanging out at a small patch of grass in the university’s quadrangle.

“My what?” Lisa asked, confusion plain on her face.

“Your birth chart. It’s the position of the planets when you were born and what zodiac signs fell under them. It’s a comprehensive study on a person’s traits and characteristics based on the stars.” Esther batted her eyelashes.

Lisa still did not understand a single word.

“What?”

“Anyway,” Esther bulldozed on, “to get a complete view of it, I need the time of your birth.”

“My what?!” Lisa’s pitch rose an octave, incredulous at what Esther was asking her. “How am I supposed to know?!”

“Well, if you find out from your mother or your birth certificate, let me know.” Esther smiled at her, and tried to reach out to touch her shoulder.

But before Esther could do that, Rosie coughed loudly and interrupted them.

“Hey, Lalisa!” The blonde called out for her best friend.

Lisa instantly beamed a megawatt smile.

The dance troupe captain - as she usually is - was completely unaware of anything else non-Rosie. So, she totally missed the way Esther frowned and glared at her best friend.

Rosie spared Esther a glance, raised an eyebrow and flipped her hair.

Lisa, still unaware, felt her heart flutter at the hair flip.

Her best friend started approaching her and the dance crew who greeted her.

“Hey guys,” Rosie greeted back and waved at everyone.

Everyone except Esther.

The blonde immediately turned back to Lisa.

“Let’s go home?” Rosie asked and held her hand out for Lisa to take.

Of course, Lisa took it.

“Okay, let’s go home.” She replied.

And Esther fumed silently as she watched the two walk away.

Lisa liked those times - the days when she and Rosie would walk to their shared room together.

Today is one of those days.

The moment Lisa steps out of the classroom, she immediately spots Rosie outside. Her best friend took an Ethics class as an elective and had it at the same time as her Business Math.

Maybe there was one good thing about Business Math, Lisa thinks.

Rosie’s back was turned to her, facing the 

Lisa was about to call her name when Rosie starts collecting blonde hair away from the nape of her neck and raises her arms to tie it all in a high ponytail.

Lisa’s eyes automatically follow the movements, the rays of sunlight highlighting the artist’s form. Her sight traces nimble fingers and strands of hair, a velvety scrunchie, and then an expanse of creamy neck.

The photographer gulps.

Sure, as a flaming gay, it was a struggle living with the object of her attraction and getting to see her in nearly every way, shape, and form - from her fresh post-shower look to her ‘haven’t-showered-in-two-days’ look, to her angelic sleeping face.

But it really was the small, intimate actions like tying her blonde hair back that was the killer for Lisa.

Rosie just looked so incredibly y. Lisa wants to spontaneously combust.

And with perfect timing as ever (depending on which viewpoint you look at it from), Esther Yu rounds the corner of the hallway and spots the object of her attraction.

“Lisa!” The new member of the dance troupe squeals.

Lisa is startled and turns around. Rosie is, too.

Esther runs towards her troupe captain.

Rosie sees the girl and frowns, mood immediately ruined.

Esther suddenly becomes timid and gives Lisa a small wave.

“Hi, Lisa.”

Lisa just smiles and greets back.

“Hey there, Esther! What’s up?”

Rosie looks at the back of Lisa’s head and then rolls her eyes at her best friend.

The blonde artist wonders if the photographer is truly that dense to not notice Esther’s affections or enjoys it far too much to mind.

Esther doesn’t notice Rosie at all, eyes only seeing Lisa.

“So, did you find out what time you were born?” Esther doesn’t waste time beating around the bush and goes straight to the point.

It’s the aggressive bird that catches the worm, anyway, right? Isn’t that how the saying goes?

No?

Lisa knits her brows in confusion.

“No,” the photographer answers. “I didn’t get to ask my mom. Why do you need it anyway?” Lisa probes.

Esther giggles.

“I need it to check our compatibility, silly!” The girl answers as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Our what?” Lisa brows furrow in confusion.

Rosie internally groans. She definitely needs to come to her best friend’s rescue before her best friend gets herself hurt - or worse, ends up with an obsessed psycho girlfriend named Esther without her knowing.

So the artist casually slips both arms around her best friend’s slim waist, greeting her at the same time.

“Hello, Lisaaa.”

Rosie feels Lisa jump in surprise at her touch as she drags the last syllable of her best friend’s name.

When Lisa recognizes her voice, she relaxes into the back hug.

Until it sinks in for Lisa that Rosie is back-hugging her and that thanks to the fact that she only has her backpack slung over one shoulder, they’re flushed chest-to-back against each other. Suddenly she is stiff as plywood hammered down to keep the windows and doors to her incredibly gay feelings for her bestfriend shut.

Esther couldn’t stop the way her lips curl in distaste as she sees Rosie.

Rosie was, afterall, to her, the straight that kept getting too close to Lisa and getting in her way.

Rosie sees Esther’s reaction, her lower lip and bites it to hide her smirk.

Lisa meanwhile, is breaking out in cold sweats and her brain is unsure whether she needs to flee or fight, her grey matter switching between the two at every other thought.

And then Rosie rests her chin on Lisa’s shoulder and turns her head in the lightest to whisper in her best friend’s ear-

“I’ve been waiting for you so we can go home already. I was planning to cook us something nice.”

Lisa’s soul leaves her body for three whole seconds and she stands frozen on the spot.

Then Rosie turns to Esther, and with the most unassuming smile says, “Esther, hey! I didn’t see you there.”

Anyone would be able to imagine cartoon steam rising from Esther’s ears as her face turns red.

The younger girl forces her lips into a smile.

“Hi, Rosie.” She says.

Rosie just tilts her head in a way that’s both an acknowledgement and dismissal.

Esther feels insulted, thinks of slapping Rosie’s smug face.

“So, what do you say, Lisa?” Rosie asks her again, face turning to her.

Lisa feels Rosie’s breath against her cheeks and she is powerless to stop the blush creeping up her neck and to her cheeks. She nods her head slightly, trying her best to - but futilely - hide behind her bangs.

“Mhmm.” Lisa agrees quietly.

“Yaay!” Rosie celebrates in a cute and small voice. She wastes no time in dragging Lisa away from Esther Yu and disentangles herself from her best friend to loop their arms together.

They walk towards the direction of their dormitory.

Lisa looks at her best friend and Rosie looks back with a smile.

Thoughts swirl in Lisa’s head.

See, Rosie is straight.

But sometimes she gets possessive.

And she gets touchy.

And it feels different.

So, sometimes Lisa’s brain can’t help but wonder.

And hope.

Rosie is straight.

But is she really?