It was a hot summer day, on a Saturday. Childhood friends, Bae Joohyun and Kang Seulgi were chilling at Seulgi's house. Joohyun came over for a hangout (and for more) but wasn't expecting much.

As Joohyun was laying on top of Seulgi, who was laying on her bed with her tummy on the bed, Seulgi suddenly turns to Joohyun with that usual expressionless face and asks,

"How do you tell if someone likes you?"

"Well, usually when somebody's fidgety or shifts alot, you can tell that they're nervous. If somebody is nervous around you, it's usually a sign that they like you," Joohyun answers Seulgi. 

Seulgi hums in response while going back to her book. Joohyun doesn't quite understand why Seulgi asked that question if all she was going to do with the information was... nothing, really. 

"Why the sudden question, Seulgi?" Joohyun questions Seulgi. Seulgi shrugs.

"Just curious about somebody."

Somehow, Joohyun hopes that Seulgi doesn't see her fidgeting her bare feet at the answer. Was Seulgi finally catching on? Then Joohyun thinks of the opposite. Was Seulgi interested in somebody else who was interested in her?

Such a sudden question that didn't match Seulgi's usual demeanor intrigued her.

Then, Joohyun suddenly catches herself fidgeting her thumbs that were covering her phone screen. She smiles.

Silly Seulgi.

"When somebody tries to avoid eye contact with her or can't seem to bring themselves to look at you. This usually applies to situations like.... being alone and the mood is sort of, romantic, almost."

Joohyun and Seulgi were eating lunch together at school. Joohyun finds science as the most boring topic. She just doesn't understand how one could find it interesting. Well, it was interesting, just confusing. Science couldn't explain her feelings anyway. It's not like she needed to be tested and experimented on to know that she was in love.

So whenever she's in science class, her eyes slowly go towards the clock. Time goes by so slowly whenver you're waiting for it to pass. Joohyun somehow couldn't find a truer statement than that.

And when the bell rang, she would immediately find Seulgi, as it was lunchtime now.

And here the two are, sitting only a few inches away across from each other. Seulgi had asked that question again and Irene thought of the best answer she could.

She knows about it the best after all.

"I wonder what it is about someone's eyes that makes the other person so nervous to look into their eyes," Seulgi wonders while feeding herself with a spoonful of rice. Joohyun chuckles.

If only Seulgi knew how beautiful her own eyes were. Seulgi, despite being one of the top students at their highschool, was still oblivious to these kinds of things. Seulgi was usually a quiet, reserved person. She was also calm, never panicking, even in the worst of situations.

She never usually expressed her emotions, and her eyes usually seem cold, but nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, Seulgi's eyes were the warmest. The brown color of her eyes warming Joohyun whenever she would look into them. It was as if Seulgi was showing her emotions through her eyes instead of the rest of her body.

And Joohyun loved it. Because Seulgi was so different.

"Well, it depends on how that one person views it," Joohyun replied to Seulgi. Seulgi raises an eyebrow and looks at Joohyun with a confused expression.

Despite Seulgi showing Joohyun that expression many times, Joohyun just can't seem to look her in the eyes now. 

Seulgi was just too cute for her own good.

"You know blushing, right? Like in animes or dramas? Blushing is usually a sign that somebody likes you."

It was raining that day. The lovebirds had just finished school and were gonna walk home together until rain started pouring, ruining their plans.

"I know. That's usually an obvious sign," Seulgi said simply. Joohyun raised an eyebrow. Seulgi never really voiced out her opinion on things, especially not on things as irrelevant as this (or was it irrelevant?).

"I see." Joohyun cleared . "Well. It seems like we can't go together. I'll see you tomorrow then."

Joohyun was ready to run home in the pouring rain. She was disappointed that she couldn't walk home with Seulgi but nothing can stop nature. That was until Seulgi grabbed her wrist, preventing her from getting soaked.

"No. Let's go home together," Seulgi told Joohyun. Joohyun, still recovering from Seulgi's action, obeyed as she watched Seulgi scavenge for something in her bag.

"Here, I brought an umbrella." Seulgi pulls out an umbrella. Only one though. She opened the umbrella and raised it so it would block out any raindrops from making contact with Joohyun.

Joohyun thought of their distance, how close they would stand next to each other. The thought makes Joohyun blush. 

"Joohyun, let's go?" Seulgi calls out for her. Joohyun aplogizes quickly as she scurries to Seulgi, not wanting to let this opportunity slip by. 

As she walks beside Seulgi, she can't help but imagine what it would be like if Seulgi liked her back. Joohyun then locks her arm with Seulgi's and rests her head on Seulgi's shoulder.

Seulgi makes her feel warm, and Joohyun loves it, a blush visible on her face.

"Mmm... well.... I guess if somebody liked you, they would do something nice for you. Like... uh.... buying you food or something."

Joohyun was currently studying with Seulgi. They had a test tomorrow in math and Seulgi was worried for Joohyun. Joohyun, quite offended, thought that she was pretty good at math, but according to Seulgi, she was still "lacking."

"Buying food? Wouldn't anybody do that for a friend or for their family?" Seulgi asked, interested in Joohyun's words. Joohyun wasn't even thinking when she said that. She's currently too focused on the math equations on her math textbook.

Joohyun hummed in response, not listening to a single word that Seulgi had said.

Seulgi doesn't mind though. Joohyun finally finishes solving the math problem and kindly asks Seulgi to check it for her. Seulgi was quite surprised to see that Joohyun had gotten the problem correct.

"I guess you really don't need to study that hard," Seulgi said, going back on her words. Joohyun laughed.

"I told you I was smart! You didn't believe me!" 

Seulgi shrugs, zero damage received from Joohyun's boasting. 

Then, Joohyun glances over at Seulgi's paper. Seulgi finishes up her problem and double checks it. Joohyun also checks it and somehow, miraculously, finds a mistake.

"Yah! Seulgi! How could a top student make a mistake on a math problem easier than the one I just did?!" Joohyun scolds the younger girl. Seulgi only lets her paper get snatched by Joohyun as Joohyun quickly explains to Seulgi what she did wrong.

Joohyun seemed busy today, helping Seulgi with math. Only, she didn't know that Seulgi had purposely messed up for this very thing to happen.

"Oh, hi Wendy. Have you seen Joohyun around?" Seulgi asks. Wendy shakes her head.

"Unfortunately not. I think she's sick today," Wendy replies. "You can visit her after school!"

Seulgi nods and thanks Wendy. She travels to her next class and sits down at her desk. It's been a long time since Seulgi has waited for class to pass by quickly. 

Well, she didn't want to waste her time in school. She had a friend to tend to after all.

As Seulgi, surprisingly, impatiently waits for school to end, she could only rush out of school after the last bell rang.

She was never the athletic type, but she ran as fast as she could to Joohyun's house. She had arrived in no time and quickly but calmly rang the doorbell. 

Joohyun's mother had answered and greeted Seulgi.

"Is Joohyun here?" Seulgi asked. Joohyun's mother smiled.

"Come in, come in!" was all she said as she welcomed Seulgi in. Seulgi quickly took off her shoes and ran upstairs to Joohyun's room.

And there Joohyun was, sleeping softly. Seulgi sighed in relief. Joohyun didn't seem to be too sick.

Seulgi the lights and softly closed the door. But being the light sleeper she was, Joohyun opened her eyes and checked to see who was there.

"Seulgi?" she called out, shocked. Seulgi's name rolled off Joohyun's tongue so naturally. But it felt like something was missing between them. Somehow, Seulgi thinks that she had completed the puzzle.

"Joohyun..." Seulgi was silent. "Do you like me?"

Being the straightforward and awkward person Seulgi was, this was the only way for her to get her message across. Yet, sometimes being straightforward was better. 

Joohyun was never straightforward. Specifically, was never straightforward about her feelings. And being asked by Seulgi now, she can't help but lie and find an excuse.

"Huh? No way. You're only my best friend!" Joohyun exclaims, denying it. But Seulgi knows better. Her eyes were smarter than that. Joohyun's visible blush, her fidgeting toes, her constantly looking to the side instead of Seulgi, her helping Seulgi with her mistakes. It all fit together. Joohyun had said so herself.

"Joohyun, tell me the truth," Seulgi demanded softly. "You told me yourself. You would blush around me, fidget, avoid eye contact, and you helped me, a top student, with my math problems."

Seulgi then leans in closer to Joohyun. "So.... do you like me?"

And all Joohyun could do was gulp. She blinked, sweat forming on her head. Joohyun closed her eyes, thinking about how clever Seulgi really was. Joohyun nodded slowly, accepting and facing her feelings. She can't help but feel hopeful though. Seulgi caught on to her feelings, she wouldn't do this if she wasn't interested, would she?

Joohyun opened her eyes to the sight of a smiling Seulgi.

"That's great, Joohyun. Because I do too."

The next week, Seulgi had caught a fever. It was probably from Joohyun. 

Joohyun had also rushed to Seulgi's house after school that day when she heard of it. Joohyun apologized to her girlfriend for getting her sick, but Seulgi only felt deja vu from it. After all, this was a similar situation to how Joohyun was sick. And when Joohyun was sick was also the time that they got together.

As Joohyun was caring for Seulgi, she got curious.

"How did you catch on to my feelings so quickly anyways?" Joohyun inquires while placing a cold towel on Seulgi's forehead. Seulgi only smirked, deviating from her usual self.

"Well, you aren't that good at keeping things from me, anyway," Seulgi replies, only earning a hit from Joohyun. Seulgi laughed. 

"I love you," Seulgi suddenly declared. Joohyun's expression turned from pouting to surprised to loving.

"I love you too."