Winter break passed too fast for them. But they did see each other six days a week. Yong was true to her word and gave Hyejin a position at her gym. It was even a paid position, much to Hyejin’s griping. Hyejin argued that it should just be a volunteer position since she would only be there for a couple of weeks anyway. But Yong wouldn’t have it. Seeing that the dragon wasn’t going to budge, Hyejin reluctantly agreed but only if she got paid the minimum wage. Nothing more. 

It was an intense negotiation while Wheein and Moonbyul sat there and looked between them. Their eyes flicking back and forth as the negotiation continued. But what else could they do? The elder dragon and young lion were both headstrong and determined and no outside forces could deter them from anything they set their sights on. 

They were the personification of when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force. But the result here wasn’t nothing. The result between this dragon and young lion was a squatting contest where the loser will have to accept the winner’s terms.

Simple enough.

Or it would have been.

Once they got near a hundred, Moonbyul and Wheein finally had enough. They got tired just by looking at them so they elected to leave. Leave to go lounge about in the living room while watching mindless entertainment while the other two continued their competition in the verandah.

A victor was finally decided, but since neither were there to witness it, they could only guess who won.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The days at the gym were fun and challenging. Yong made Hyejin work and train.

Yong had to catch Hyejin up on a few techniques in order to help the other students. She could have just selected a senior student to help but she was selective on who could teach. And those senior level students were only there a couple days a week and she needed someone there nearly everyday. Sure, Wheein does help her but she needed someone that could pose a real threat. Someone who was already tempered against full powered hits and can easily return them. 

She analysed Hyejin’s fight against Dimir. She found footage that captured the full fight from the beginning and she saw the potential in Hyejin. Hyejin’s form was rough but the basics were there. Her block was nice and tight. Not once did Hyejin’s defense falter. A hint of what kind of stamina Hyejin has. And then there were her punches. Clean, clear, precise, and very much like the hammer they are meant to be. Each punch went through her opponent, not once stopping once her fist made contact. It also looked like Hyejin had the basic mechanics down for throwing torque, thus making her punches much more powerful. A diamond in the rough. 

So, while Wheein helped with teaching the small kids, Hyejin helped with teaching those their own age range and the few adults that were there. It was very easy to fall into a rhythm during this time, even if it did only last a couple of weeks. 

Seeing Wheein interacting with little kids at first, Hyejin couldn’t help but get distracted at first. Seeing how Wheein helped them understand what was being taught to them. Seeing how Wheein was proud when a kid would execute what was being taught to them without a mistake. She easily encouraged them and gave them pointers on how to help remember it and things they can do to refine it even further. Once a kid becomes upset about how they aren’t getting the technique, Wheein would calmly reassure them and give them something to do that would give them the confidence boost that they need. Witnessing such pure interactions, Hyejin couldn’t help but imagine how Wheein would be as the mother to their own children.

Wait.

Oh no. 

After such a thought, Hyejin threw herself into her work and training. Quickly, she became a powerhouse and the students became nervous whenever it came to sparring and they were paired up with her. 

While Hyejin threw herself into work, Wheein faced a somewhat different dilemma. When she helped the kids, she couldn’t help but look at Hyejin from the side of her eye. It was one thing seeing Hyejin in her workout outfit, the leggings and sports bra combo, but the moment she looked back and saw the sweat that was building on Hyejin’s body, she couldn’t help but feel…..things.

It was something she never really felt before. So she doesn’t know how to interpret it.

But she does.

She knows exactly what this feeling is, but she doesn’t want to admit it. She was scared to admit it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before they knew it, school started again. And with it, better weather. Well, weather and college fairs. Even though it may seem like forever, they do only have a year left. 

“Man, school.”

“You can’t keep saying that every time school gives you a minor inconvenience, Min-ah” Ji Yeon berated him.

“What happened this time?” Wheein asked as she fed Hyejin some of her lunch.

Min-ah only crossed his arms and grumbled, “Apparently if I don’t do well by the end of the school year then I’m gonna be held back.”

“, really?” Hyejin asked through a mouth full of food.

“Yes really!”

Tae-hee patted Min-ah on the back as a condolence.

“ to be you, buddy.”

“Tae-Hee!” Wheein shot him a look.

Tae-Hee threw his hands in surrender, “What else can we do? We can do all the study sessions like last semester but it’s still up to Min-ah.”

Do-Yeon piped in, “Yea, we did all those study sessions yet Min-ah still failed a majority of his classes. What else can we do?”

“Min-ah, you actually understood the material we went over, so what happened?” Ji Yeon gently asked.

Min-ah only looked downward for a bit before finally gaining the courage to finally admit his woes. Well, courage and encouragement from Hyejin.

“Come on, man. You can tell us. We won’t judge you.” Hyejin gave Min-ah an encouraging pat on his shoulder.

With a shaky breath, Min-ah finally told him his issue.

“Well, once I get the test in front of me I, like, forget everything? I can’t even concentrate. And because of that I begin to, uh, panic? I just feel helpless, you know? Even with all the studying I did and everything. I can’t help but focus on how the others are flipping the pages as they move along and yet I’m still stuck on page one”

At Min-ah’s sombre explanation, the group became quiet. They tried to understand what Min-ah just explained to them, but they didn’t have a word for it. They had no idea what Min-ah was talking about. But Wheein knew. 

“Test anxiety.”

Everyone stared at her.

Wheein calmly nodded as she went on to explain, “What Min-ah just said. That’s all common symptoms of test anxiety.”

“Huh, I’ve heard of it but I never looked into it. I just assumed that it involved lots of sweating.” Do-Yeon admitted while the others also nodded and murmured their agreement. 

“Test Anxiety….So, there’s, like, a way to control it right? Or, maybe like, I dunno, just some way it can be dealt with?” Min-ah asked hopefully.

“Yup. There are things you can do in order to lessen your anxiety about it. Some of them we have been doing in our study sessions like maintaining focus, being prepared, have good test taking skills, yada, yada. But I also know that there can be accommodations for you, but, uh, that kinda requires talking to the counselor.” Wheein grimaced at the end.

They all know that talking to the counselor would be in vain. After how the counselor handled the fight between Dimir and Hyejin, everyone lost faith in the counselor. For whatever reason, the counselor thought it best to try to put Hyejin into anger management classes while giving Dimir a free pass. In the counselor’s eyes, Dimir was but a victim. 

When they first learned about Dimir’s free pass, everyone was worried. Worried that Dimir would come back and bother them even more. Hyejin, Tae-Hee, Do-Yeon, Min-ah, and even Ji Yeon, all made it perfectly clear that if they see Dimir even eye Wheein then they will not hesitate to punch his lights out. While Wheein may have told them to calm down, she couldn’t hide her smile. But Dimir finally learned his lesson and stopped bothering them.

“I thought school was supposed to help us!” Min-ah groaned.

“School is nothing but to make us into the perfect cogs in the grand machine known as--” Before Do-Yeon could continue his rant, Wheein interrupted. If she hadn’t then they would all have to hear his rant. For the umpteenth time. 

“How bout for the next study session we go over some relaxation techniques?”

Min-ah smiled, “Yea, that would be great.”

Hyejin smiled up at Wheein. Wheein was on her lap so it gave Hyejin an amazing angle in which to marvel. It also meant that when Hyejin gave Wheein a hug she was face level with Wheein’s chest. Just an added bonus. 

“Awww, isn’t my girlfriend the best? Yes, yes she is.” Hyejin said while pulling Wheein down to give her multiple kisses on her cheek.

Wheein only blushed while everyone else groaned at having to witness an overly affectionate Hyejin. Again. For the umpteenth time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the cold receded and the warmth encroached, so too was there a shift in their relationship. It was clear that they were past the honeymoon phase. But, unlike what they’ve seen and heard, their relationship didn’t take a turn for the worst. Afterall, their best role models are their parents

And one of the most important aspect that they observed from their respective parents was the importance of communication.

They talked about what happened after the fight with Dimir more in depth. Hyejin only hinted at what they told her in the office before but during their talk Hyejin finally admitted what they truly said. At the end, Wheein was cradling a sniffling Hyejin. Just because she’s heard those words being thrown at her so many times, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Wheein wishes that she could do something, anything, to make all the assumptions against Hyejin to go away. She doesn’t like seeing Hyejin cry over someone else's lack of decency and intelligence. 

They also talked about Wheein’s jealousy and inferiority at the party. Hyejin could understand the jealousy, but her heart cracked when Wheein felt like she was inferior and held Hyejin back somehow. It was Hyejin’s turn to cradle Wheein. She assured Wheein that she didn’t feel like she was being held back. If anything, ever since Wheein came into her life, it felt like she was being pushed forward. But Hyejin made a mental note to assure Wheein that the only person in her heart was Wheein, and will always be Wheein, on a consistent basis.

After their talks, life continued. They saw each other almost everyday during school and went out for dates during the weekend. Especially since Hyejin kept helping at the gym so it was easy to just leave work and have a fun night out. They got so used to each other that it was weird not having the other around. Sometimes Hyejin would call out to Wheein to ask her something, but upon receiving no response, she would remember that Wheein wasn’t there with her at her house. The same would happen with Wheein. She would call out to Hyejin but the only answer she would get was Ggomo’s annoyed stare. Sure they could just call each other, but that’s vastly different than having the actual person next to you. 

So time continued like the stream it was. And before either noticed, it was April. Time for Wheein’s birthday.