Probably OOC in Ryujin’s part… No idea about Itzy’s personalities… but… My friend saw the video where Yeji was saying how she met Ryujin the first time and asked me to do a short and quick one-shot.

This may or may not be in the same universe as the Handcuff Challenge [Pre-Handcuff Challenge]… or a stand-alone. Idk lol. Lmao help, I’m now obsessed with this AU! [Handcuff Challenge is getting it's own series... stay tuned. *wink*]

Also. PS. Didn’t have time to fact check, but I used the same system as what we have in my country.

5 Times Ryujin has come on to Tzuyu, and the one time she didn’t.

(1) The first time they met was on Recruitment Week.

Nayeon had put Tzuyu on the booth on Recruitment Week. Told her something about being cute, smiling and simply saying, ‘Come join our club’, in the sweetest way she can muster.

And that’s exactly what Tzuyu did. Not that Tzuyu needed any convincing. Being the youngest in the group has had perks, with everyone looking out for her and helping her literally on anything. But she had always looked forward to being the unnie for a change. It’s just in Tzuyu’s nature to care.

So maybe, Tzuyu got a little excited and brought her A-game in recruiting? Being nice and cute has its charm.

Their first meeting was brief and Tzuyu wouldn’t even remember it later on.

“Please, come join our club! I know being a freshman is quite scary, so I’ll help you lots! I’ll help you with your schedule and your studies an—”

“Woah. You’re so pretty.”

That cut off Tzuyu’s way too nice ‘sales talk’. She blushes and smiles shyly. She turns to a short, fresh short-haired girl in front of her. “Uhm, thank you! Would you like to join our club?”

Tzuyu hands her the colorful flyer Momo prepared and the girl took it timidly, still not taking her eyes off of her. Tzuyu tried to keep her smile as sincere as she could. She’s used to people staring at her… but not this shamelessly.

The staring was interrupted by another girl coming in, putting her arms around her. “Ahh~ Ryujin-ssi. This is exciting, isn’t it exciting?!”

Ryujin turns to her and nods, “Yeji, what do you think of the Fashionista Club?”

“What?” Her friend asks.

“Pretty-unnie is here and she says she’ll help us with anything!” Ryujin says enthusiastically.

Tzuyu just smiles and puts two thumbs up. If it’ll get her more recruit, then it wouldn’t hurt to play along. Nayeon said she wants a lot of new (lackeys err…) members.

“What do you even know about fashion design?”

“Pretty-unnie can teach me. Would you like to discuss this over coffee?”

“Ahh~ Ryujin-ssi! Sorry, unnie!” Her friend bows and ruffles Ryujin’s hair. Tzuyu just chuckles and shakes her head, and told her it was okay.

But Ryujin had already written their names on the sign-up sheet and had returned it to Tzuyu. When another group of freshmen came to the booth and Tzuyu got busy with her hands, while a whining Ryujin got pulled away by her friend.

When the big pile of sign-up sheets were filtered and sorted out, Jihyo looks across the room and asks, “So who’s gonna help our new members adjust to their university life?”

Tzuyu simply raised her hand, thinking everyone would be inclined to do so. Only, when she looked around, she realized she’s the only one who is.

“Anyone else besides Tzuyu?”

“Okay, you can’t just have a special rule for Tzuyu! She says she wants to do it.” Nayeon insists.

Jihyo crosses her arms and shakes her head, “Pretty sure you’re the one who wants to have 20 new members this year. Maybe you should help.”

Nayeon waves her hand, “Can’t. Have exam on Friday.”

“How can you already have an exam this early in the semester?”

Nayeon nods solemnly, “That’s what I said! Sometimes I still wonder if I should shift Majors.”

“You’re on the Dean’s list… and is graduating on time. Shut up.”

“Wow. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Are you finally warming up to me Jeong?”

“Just stating facts. But pretty sure I gagged a little in my mouth.” Jeongyeon says, sticking her tongue out, pretending to spit. Tzuyu looks at them amused.

(2) The first time they were introduced was on the first College party of the academic year. She was keeping Momo company, making sure she doesn’t get that drunk. Sana, Momo’s buddy is off somewhere and she had left Momo to Tzuyu’s care. And Tzuyu would take this task diligently. She had always looked up to her unnies and she never wanted to disappoint them. So she’s following Momo around like a cute puppy, sometimes even dancing with her to keep the over-energetic older girl happy.

Then she felt someone hug her from behind, hitting her by surprise that knocked her Red Cup out of her hand… that spilled her drink on Momo’s white shirt. She blinks and readies herself to apologize. Momo was already screaming telling her it’s cold. Tzuyu is more worried that Momo’s white shirt is becoming see-through.

She was about to remove her jacket to give it to Momo when she feels the arms still wrapped around her. She looks down, only to see a familiar face looking up to her.

“Pretty-unnie, hi! I’m Shin Ryujin. Ahh~~ you’re so much prettier up close! Please take care of me.”

…

And Tzuyu… was left there speechless.

Ryujin slowly looks up only to see Momo’s jaw dropping.

Before Tzuyu can have an aneurysm, or worse push her away, Momo puts her arm around Tzuyu’s shoulders and say, “That’s nice, but who are you?”

“I’m the one from Recruitment! Ahh~ you sent me a text and told me to meet you here!”

“Scam… I sense a scam. Tzuyu would never.” Momo denies, now hugging Tzuyu too… (instead of… you know, pushing Ryujin away)

Tzuyu blinks, trying to remember her. But there were countless of people she met last week. But her name is familiar.

Ryujin? Ryujin…

Oh!

She’s one of the 20 members that Jihyo shortlisted! And Tzuyu did text her to come to the Freshmen’s Night because the club will be there… (not to meet her specifically).

Tzuyu puts her hand on Ryujin’s arms and nods. “Hi, Ryujin-ssi. Let’s be friends.”

Momo gasps in disbelief, but still sends a glare towards Ryujin.

On the other hand, Ryujin’s heart jumps in joy. Being up close, Tzuyu really is mesmerizing, and her beauty is no joke. Yeji, her roommate thought she was just hyping her up and exaggerating but no. She really is that pretty.

And Ryujin… is shamelessly staring… again.

She blinks a few times and winced, “I think there’s something wrong with me eyes.”

Tzuyu looked at her worriedly, momentarily forgetting about her very close proximity with this stranger and says, “What is it?”

Ryujin slowly looks up to Tzuyu and stares at her eyes, “I can’t seem to take my eyes off of you.”

…

Tzuyu’s eyes widen and Ryujin can hear Momo’s gasp.

Before someone can answer her though, Yeji was already there pulling Ryujin away from Tzuyu. Another tall girl soon followed, apologizing for Ryujin’s behalf.

Tzuyu still hasn’t spoken, but Momo had quickly recovered and had started laughing. She points at a pouting Ryujin and says, “She had more guts than Sana, our resident flirt. What did you say your name is again?” Momo puts her arm around Tzuyu’s neck and pulled her closer, nuzzling her nose against Tzuyu’s cheek, now thankful Tzuyu is free of this new bold stranger.

Ryujin’s friends started introducing themselves as Yeji and Yuna. Tzuyu nods recognizing the names. They were also part of the 20 recruits she supposedly invited to the party.

Yeji points to her jacket, “She probably recognized you ‘cause of your jacket. I think it’s really pretty.” Tzuyu nods and consciously puts her hand on her jacket with the Club’s logo on the sleeve.

“Not as pretty as her!” Ryujin chimes in but was quickly shut up by Yeji.

Tzuyu nods and smiles politely. Remembering Momo’s state, she removes her jacket and puts it around Momo. She buttons it up to cover Momo’s now stained shirt.

“Stop embarrassing us!”

(3) The first time Ryujin asked Tzuyu out was when Jeongyeon had introduced her to Tzuyu. Jeongyeon had heard from Momo about the bold girl who hugged Tzuyu during the Initiation Night. The same Ryujin that Nayeon kicked out of the club because she destroyed the dress Nayeon had been working on for 2 months… in 3 seconds by sewing the embroidered design backwards. Nayeon could’ve sworn that girl had never touched a needle in her life. But Jeongyeon was just hoping it was not her Ryujin.

Jeongyeon is graduating as well, and when she met Ryujin on try-outs, she already knew she was gonna have to take her under her wing. She sees herself in Ryujin. The one who gets flirted on not the one who flirts. She’s like her, doesn’t like cutesy-stuff, doesn’t give a , the cool jock. It can’t be, right?

“This is our rookie, Ryujin-ssi.” Jeongyeon introduced when she met Tzuyu on the bleachers right after her practice.

To her surprise, Ryujin smiles brightly and went to hug Tzuyu. “Pretty-unnie!”

But before she can envelope her arms around Tzuyu, Jeongyeon had pulled her from her varsity jacket. “No way… You’re Momo’s Ryujin?”

“Ahh~~ No, I’m Tzuyu-unnie’s Ryujin!”

Jeongyeon laughs and shakes her head, “No. No. No! You’re the one who had Sana shaking! Ah! Why are you suddenly being like this? I’ve never seen you like this even when you have half the cheerleading squad—Mmph”

Ryujin had quickly put her hands over Jeongyeon’s mouth. “When they said you have a knack of putting anyone in trouble, they weren’t kidding!” She chuckles awkwardly and smiles at Tzuyu. “Please ignore her.”

Jeongyeon had quickly snapped Ryujin’s hands away and pushed Ryujin on the side. “You’re absolutely delusional if you think Tzuyu would believe anyone else over me.”

Jeongyeon quickly went over Tzuyu’s side and put her arm around her pulling her closer. “We’re best buds!”

Tzuyu shakes her head and mumbles, “Chaeyoung is my best bud.”

Jeongyeon ignores it and gave Ryujin an affirmative nod.

Ryujin smiles brightly and fixes her letterman jacket winks at Tzuyu, “How do you like me now, unnie?”

Tzuyu tilts her head and noticed Ryujin did look different from when she saw her before. “You’re in the Baseball team as well?”

Jeongyeon told her Tzuyu is into Cool people. (But Tzuyu would deny this endlessly.) Jeongyeon's only basis on this is when they were messing around, asking who among them would they date, Tzuyu had picked her, and Nayeon had quickly quipped it's because of Jeongyeon's girl-crush vibe.

Ryujin nods confidently and flexed in front of Tzuyu… or what Tzuyu would assume Ryujin is doing. In Jeongyeon’s eyes, she was just embarrassing herself.

Jeongyeon shakes her head and interrupted Ryujin hoping to save some of her dignity. “Anyway, I asked you here so you can tutor Ryujin in Biology. She needs her GPA up to stay on the team, and I really need her on the team, Tzuyu.”

“How bad is she?”

“Not that bad, more on she has bad luck. She’s in PSJ-nim’s Biology class, and you know they do that agonizing frog dissecting for Midterms.”

Tzuyu nods and they both give Ryujin a certain look that suddenly made Ryujin sweat. “That bad?”

Jeongyeon nods and widen her eyes to add dramatics to her story, “He’s the one class you have to avoid in the Science Department. 4 or 0, that’s the only grade he gives! Momo’s lucky she dodged him, but Tzuyu not so much. Well, it didn’t matter. Tzuyu passed that class with flying colors, right Tzuyu-ssi?” Jeongyeon nudged Tzuyu, but quickly remembers the unforgettable day, she snickers and continues, “I mean… she did cry for all the poor frogs that had to be sacrificed. It was insane. She couldn’t stop cryi