A/N: oops. i had finals, okay? i'll try and post more often :( 

and yes, I did have them dress in their teaser (vivi)/mv (haseul) outfits for the date lmao

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It was the day. THE DAY. The day of the date. The date? The date! The date. 

Literally every emotion that has ever existed ever played itself out inside Haseul's stomach. It was gonna be her and Vivi- just her and Vivi- with it maybe, possibly implied that this was a romantic excursion. 

First of all, before anything else....she could not believe that Vivi even might have agreed to a romantic excursion. Maybe- just maybe, Heejin and Hyunjin and Yeojin had been right. Maybe. To some small degree. 

But maybe it was like...a half date? Like, more than friends but also not? Was that even a thing? Haseul still wasn't quite sure (even after digging through google), but to her it seemed like the most logical conclusion (even if she was slightly self aware that a half date was a completely illogical idea in the first place). Vivi said it was a date, but that couldn't possibly be true, but it was her words...so, a half date it was. 

(Yes, even Haseul was exhausted from the mental gymnastics her mind participated in.)

But now, the issue was finding the perfect thing to do that could be considered a date and also could not. But could? If Vivi wanted it to be? But also could not if Vivi didn't want that. She had asked Vivi out, after all. Decisions were her worst nightmare, but it was her job to find what to do. 

So after hours of looking up "half date ideas" and "what to do on a half date" and "activities for a sort of date", and eventually deciding to just call it a date, at least in the google search bar, she decided. 

A drive in movie. Yes, it was incredibly cheesy but first of all, Haseul loved that kind of cheesy . At least in theory, well, she had never actually done any of that cheesy , but she liked the idea of it. It would be perfect: her and Vivi in perfect privacy in a car, but still in public, so it wasn't too private. It was unique and she had managed to find a drive in movie on the outskirts of Egret Cove, and maybe it was edging a little close to the romantic territory for Haseul's idea for a half date, but maybe....maybe...it wouldn't be the worst thing if it was romantic. 

As Yeojin played minecraft in the other room Haseul carefully shuffled through her closet, trying on each and every item of clothing she brought: it was what she had to do. It had to be casual, but not too casual, and nice, but not too nice. Eventually, she settled on a plain, long sleeve red dress and combat boots. Her expectations for her own appearance couldn't be too high: after all, no matter what Vivi was wearing, she'd look amazing. 

Finally, it was time. Haseul felt so alive that she felt like she was dying as she got into her car and drove the two houses down in front of Vivi's. One honk of her horn and Vivi popped right out of her house, and Haseul perished. 

There she was: pretty, pretty Vivi, dressed in a red and white striped button up and flared overall dress, the front pieces of her electric orange hair tied up in a little ponytail on the top of her head, like an apple. 

God, could anyone be cuter? 

It was that smile that did it for Haseul, though. A smile of pure joy, one that Haseul couldn't rationalize away. Vivi was excited, excited that it was Haseul and just Haseul at her door. She'd put effort into her clothes, too. To spend time with Haseul. For Haseul. 

As Vivi hopped into the passenger seat Haseul took deep breaths, in and out, in and out, just desperately hoping beyond hope that Vivi couldn't hear her heart pound in her chest. She was this bad already? God, she was screwed. Hopefully she could still drive. 

"Hi," Vivi finally spoke, staring down at her lap. Haseul spared a glance too, both looking at the sparkly, deer shaped ring on her right pointer finger. 

"H-Hey! Um...how are you?" 

"I'm great Haseul," Vivi admitted, genuinely so. She leaned against the car to look at Haseul, and Haseul stared at the steering wheel. "What do you wanna do?" 

"Um...uh, I kinda was...well, thinking of doing a drive in movie? If that sounds fun to you..." 

"Really?" Vivi beamed. "There's a drive in movie place around here?" 

"Y-yeah! Kinda on the outskirts of town." 

"That sounds so fun!" 

Haseul found the courage for about a half a second to look at Vivi before staring out the front window again. "Let's go then! It's not far." 

"Okay good," Vivi answered, and Haseul drove off. 

After a few moments of driving, Vivi turned to Haseul once again. "You planned this out, right?" 

Haseul flushed. "U-uh-" 

"Thank you. That's...that's so sweet." 

The girls shared a small smile before each turning to look out of their windows. They fell silent but it wasn't awkward- it wasn't really comfortable, either; it was nervous excitement, joy just at being near each other, alone, it was a good silence. 

It wasn't long before they reached the clearing with the projector. It wasn't packed but it wasn't empty either: Haseul breathed a sigh of relief; either way would have been a bit awkward. Haseul pulled up to the snack and ticket counter and whipped out all her tip money. She was more than ready to treat Vivi and herself to a feast. 

After paying Haseul piled everything into the car: the tickets, large sodas, hot dogs, popcorn, and bars of candy. Haseul just hoped Vivi had a sweet tooth. 

When she turned back Vivi was looking at her with surprise. "This is so much-" 

"I-is it too much? We don't have to eat it all-" 

"No! Not like that. Let me just-" Vivi paused to reach into her purse, pulling out a wallet. 

"No!" Haseul cried back. Vivi froze. "My treat. I insist." 

Vivi's surprise turned into a pout on her lips and a smile in her eyes. "Come on...." 

"Nope!" Haseul grinned and turned back to the window, driving forward to grab the perfect moving watching spot. 

Vivi sighed gently. "You're too sweet." 

"It's my treat...wait, that rhymed...." 

Both girls shared a laugh as Haseul finally parked, not hesitating to start digging into her popcorn before the film started. Vivi grabbed some from her own bucket. 

"Well, thank you Haseul." 

Haseul looked at Vivi and breathed in the way she said her name. "Thank you for coming with me." 

"No, thank you again. For inviting me. I...I've been wanting this for a while." 

Haseul was, luckily, saved from formulating a thought and response when the projector screen finally lit up. 

"Oh! What's the movie?" Vivi asked. 

"I think it's called Beach Party. Just some cheesy 50's movie, I guess. Do you mind? Does that sound fun?" 

Vivi giggled. "Of course it does. I like cheesy 50's movies. And anyways, that's not really the point of a drive in, really. It's more about the..." 

"Experience," Haseul finished. 

"Exactly." 

Both girls turned their attention to the movie and, munching on their snacks, got absorbed in. Haseul had always enjoyed watching movies and it seemed like Vivi did as well, even if the plot wasn't amazing. 

But mid way through the film, something changed. The warmth of the snacks, long since devoured (by both of them), was gone. But Haseul felt a warmth near her fingers, getting closer and closer. 

It was Vivi's hand, delicate and soft, hesitantly clasping Haseul's. 

Haseul froze. Staring at the movie but not watching, she could only think. 

Vivi was holding her hand. Vivi reached across the cupholders and gently held Haseul's hand in her own. Vivi did that. She initiated it. Hand holding. 

Well...Haseul couldn't deny it was a real, true, full on date any longer. 

And she gripped Vivi's hand right back. 

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Vivi's lips turn up in the smallest of smiles but otherwise, things were calm. Normal. Like this wasn't crazy. 

And, well, Haseul could get behind that. 

~~~~~~~~~~

The giddyness in Vivi's voice was palpable when the movie finished and Haseul drove them both home. Was it the film? The drive in environment? Or was it Haseul's hand, holding her own?

Haseul knew something had changed tonight, because she could finally believe maybe she was the reason for Vivi's happiness, at least partially. 

But her heart began to sink as she took in the cool night air, the familiar houses passing along the street, the little sigh that escaped Vivi's lips. It was over; the night was over. This magical night, with Vivi's pretty face and pretty self beside her in the car and her pretty hand holding Haseul's. It was like once Vivi got out of that car it would be over, truly over, and Haseul couldn't get that magic back again. 

Dutifully, though, she pulled up in front of Vivi's home. 

"Thank you," Vivi spoke gently, "For everything." 

"You too," Haseul managed to answer with a sad chuckle. 

But Vivi made no attempt to leave, and Haseul made no attempt to help her. 

"G-goodbye, I guess." 

"Y-yeah." 

Again, both girls were still. But suddenly impulse pushed through anxiety and Haseul was speaking. 

"I don't want you to go," she breathed out, rushed, like it was all one word. 

To her relief, Vivi's expression bloomed into a smile. 

"Me either." 

~~~~~~~~~~

And so the two girls remained, two and a half hours later, at two am, sitting in Haseul's car, talking about everything and nothing. 

They were turned to face each other, the filthy cupholders the only thing between them, and they smiled: it was like a dam had broken. The comfortable silence gave wa to comfortable, incessant talk; they couldn't shut up. 

"So it's like...." Vivi sighed. "I've never...I've never had change, right? My life has been steady, forever. I've always lived in the same town, a town that hasn't changed since the 70's, I've always had my lifeguard job as long as it was legal, I've always had the same friends, the same classmates....but it's inevitable. I chose change by choosing a college so far from home. And I'll have to face that change this fall. I thought it was what I wanted when I was applying for schools but...I don't know, Haseul. I don't know if I'm ready." 

"Your biggest fear is losing yourself? Out there in that far away school?" Haseul asked. 

Vivi nodded. "Yeah. I'm afraid of losing me...the Egret Cove in me. It's in all of us who grew up here, you know." 

"But maybe...maybe, being somewhere new will help you find yourself. You know, separate you from the outside factors that you think make you who you are." 

"That...I've never thought about that way, you know? But maybe you're right. You're change, and you're one of the best things to happen to this town." 

Haseul flushed, and Vivi cleared .

"Your turn. Biggest fear."

"Me? Alright," Haseul said, looking at her lap. "Honestly....I feel like my biggest fear is something that's already happened." 

"And that is?" Vivi asked. 

"Being utterly alone." Vivi tilted her head, and Haseul continued. "I...When I was in middle school I got bullied, really really badly." 

"Oh my god..." Vivi breathed out. 

"Yeah. It was....Vivi, it destroyed me. Really. Back then...I was utterly alone. I had nobody. I just...it felt like nobody loved me. Sometimes...sometimes it's hard to not feel that way still, even when deep in my heart, I know things have changed." 

"Haseul." 

Haseul could hear the emotion in her voice and her heart thumped so loud it reverberated through the car. 

"Haseul, god. You're loved. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that you are loved, and you deserve love, and you always have. Back then you deserved infinite love and you do now. God, I-" 

Haseul swallowed and looked away and reached for Vivi's hand and Vivi took it, her grip strong and stabilizing. Haseul mind spun. It was crazy to think her silly little struggles affected Vivi this much, the beautiful seventeen year old showing more emotion than Haseul had ever seen from her. 

They fell quiet, breathing loud. Their hands were like each other's guides to calmness, normalcy. Haseul took in Vivi's words. The beating of their hearts calmed and they managed a glance at each other, not knowing what to say for the first time in three hours. Not saying anything. 

"Wait-" Haseul interrupted their thoughts, her eyes finally turning to car clock. Vivi followed her gaze and groaned. For the moment, the intensity was broken.

"My parents are probably worried sick." 

"And Yeojin might be too. Maybe." 

Vivi giggled at that before the smile faded into pretty curiosity, looking over Haseul.

"I guess this is goodbye. For real this time." 

"Yeah." Haseul chuckled. "But I'll see you soon, right?" 

"Please." 

Haseul noticed at that very moment that the girls were leaning in, getting closer with every second, and there was an indecipherable look in Vivi's eyes and oh my god were they about to kiss? 

Vivi's eyes fluttered and for the first time that night, panic won the race against courage. Haseul hopped out of the car as quick as her legs would allow and went around to Vivi's side, opening the door for her. 

"This was fun! Let's do it again sometime, right?" 

"Right," Vivi answered, returning Haseul's cheer with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Was Vivi disappointed? Did Vivi want a kiss? That was one step further than Haseul's mind could allow. The tension was broken though; no chance of a kiss tonight. 

Vivi waved and walked to her door, Haseul watching and standing outside, watching all the way until Vivi stepped inside and shut the door. Finally, she got back into her car. 

All she could do was cling to the victories of that night. Not the kiss that might have been.