Lia can hear the whispers through the halls as soon as she makes it through the entrance. The student council vice president is never late, but today she is and she is rushing. All eyes are on her and not how they usually are. 

The stares range from mild confusion to utter shock. 

Lia tugs at the collar of her blazer--the blazer she’s borrowed--to bring it closer to her neck, but it doesn’t change the glaring fact that it does not belong to her. 

“Hi unnie! We were worried about you!” Chaeryeong chirps when Lia makes it to the student council room. 

Tzuyu sits at the head of the table, eyeing Lia carefully. “You’re never late. Is everything okay?” 

Lia feels the heat at the back of her neck as everyone in the room looks at her. It’s bad enough she’s already late. She tucks her hair behind her ear bashfully. “I’m sorry,” she bows, “there was an incident on the bus.” 

Everyone looks at her with concern. 

“It was nothing big!” Lia quickly insists as she puts her books down and sits beside Tzuyu. “Just got slowed down because of how busy it was.” She tugs the blazer under her so it doesn’t hang off the chair. “Shall we start the meeting?” 

She tries to be casual about it all but when she has to push up the sleeves to write her notes, she can feel Chaeryeong’s eyes on her, knowing full well that the blazer does not belong to her. 

---------

Chaeryeong patiently waits until the end of the meeting to talk to Lia (because Tzuyu can be a scary force when she’s in President mode). 

The thing is that Tzuyu is the one that points it out first in her nonchalant way. 

“Lia, whose blazer are you wearing?” 

There are a few other council members still in the room that actually pause to take a glance at Lia’s outfit. 

Lia can feel her back get hot at everyone’s eyes on her. “It’s mine,” she tries, hugging her books closer to her chest. “Whose else would it be?” 

Tzuyu looks impassively at her, but there’s a subtle smile on her face as she says, “Hmm. It looks bigger than usual that’s all.” 

Lia tries so hard not to look like a deer in headlights as she lies, “Ha-ha, well I just washed it, so maybe the machine did something funny.” 

“Most of the time, dryers tend to shrink things,” Ryujin chirps with a sly smile. 

Lia awkwardly laughs. “Right...I think I should go to my homeroom now. I’ll see you all later!” She quickly makes her exit before anyone can say anything else to her. 

Chaeryeong quickly follows after her best friend. “You are such a bad liar, unnie,” she playfully whispers as they turn the corner. “That blazer totally isn’t yours.” 

Lia doesn’t know how to explain it to Chaeryeong right now and doesn’t really want to because the barrage of questions won’t stop when she tells her whose blazer she’s actually wearing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Honestly, who’s blazer could I possibly be wearing other than my own?” she lies, lies, lies. She has to. 

“Ms. Hwang, please fix your uniform immediately,” Ms. Jihyo says outside of Lia’s homeroom. “You know better than to wear your tie like that. And please roll down your sleeves.” 

Lia and Chaeryeong freeze upon seeing Yeji with Ms. Jihyo. 

Yeji sighs and puts down her duffel bag. She buttons up her shirt before fixing her tie. She looks down at herself to make sure her shirt is tucked into her skirt before picking up her duffel bag. 

Ms. Jihyo stops her with a stern reminder. “And your sleeves.” 

Yeji narrows her eyes at the teacher, which is always shocking to other students because it shows so much attitude, but at the same time, Yeji just quietly complies. She rolls down her sleeves that she’s rolled up with her blazer. 

When it comes down there are two glaringly obvious things about the blazer she wears: one of the sleeves has a huge coffee stain on the forearm and the sleeves are too short for Yeji as she holds her arms out for the teacher.

The blazer is not hers. 

“What happened to your blazer?!” Ms. Jihyo sounds mortified as she stares. “Why would you wear that?” 

Yeji’s eyes go small as she stares at the teacher. “Someone dropped their coffee on me obviously,” she grumbles. “I couldn’t go home and change.” She notices some other students staring and her cat like eyes sweep the area with blatant annoyance that scares everyone into looking elsewhere. She looks back to Ms. Jihyo. “I’ll take the detention if that’s what your intention was.” 

Chaeryeong gasps beside Lia. “How is she so bold?” 

Lia is surprised too. Although, she can’t say that she is that surprised. This is Hwang Yeji that they’re talking about here. Everyone knows she has a reputation for not taking any bull.

Yeji rolls up her shirt sleeve with the stained blazer up to her elbow and undoes the tie to how she had worn her outfit previously. 

Ms. Jihyo shakes her head with an exasperated sigh. “Ms. Hwang, detention after school, please see Tzuyu later today for your task.”  

“Sure.” Yeji simply picks up her bag and goes into the homeroom without another word. 

When Yeji turns around, Lia’s eyes go wide because there’s one glaringly obvious detail about that blazer she hadn’t accounted for: the black suede padded elbows. The detail is obscured by the fact that Yeji rolled up her sleeves but trained eyes would catch that without trying. 

Chaeryeong’s jaw drops as she grabs onto Lia’s arm. “Unnie,” she quickly whispers. “Why is Hwang Yeji wearing your blazer?” 

Lia turns red in the face at how quickly her best friend notices. The worst part is that there are a few students around them that actually hear Chaeryeong’s comment and immediately start whispering.

Luckily, the bell rings to spare her the agony of explaining why Hwang Yeji is wearing her blazer. And more importantly, why she’s wearing Hwang Yeji’s blazer.

---------

But there’s no escape. This is high school. High school and students that have nothing to do but start rumors. 

Complete and utter baseless rumors. 

Except they’re kind of not. 

Everyone knows that Hwang Yeji and Choi Lia live in the same neighborhood and that their parents work at the same hospital and that they volunteer at the same soup kitchen and that they go to the same cafe on the weekends and---

It makes Lia want to pull out her hair because she and Yeji cross paths way too much for these rumors to not happen. 

The narrative has to go like this: they’re not particularly close. They can keep crossing paths because they have similar interests. And if either of them were to describe their relationship, they’re acquaintances. That’s it. She and Yeji just know each other. 

Sure, their families have dinners from time to time and they volunteer at the same places and they run into each other from time to time, but it’s not like they hang out on their own. 

At least, that’s what they keep telling everyone.

Lia is the high school vice president, who enjoys being polite and respectful to her seniors and teachers, spends her time diligently studying, and going to her vocal lessons.

Yeji is the rebel, who isn’t passionate about school, doesn’t waste undeserved pleasantries on others, practices hip hop dancing for hours to go to underground dance competitions.

They’re part of two completely different worlds. How could they possibly be dating? 

But today is the day everyone thinks that they’re dating.

---------

“They do always take the same bus together.” 

“That makes sense I heard Lia came late because something happened on the bus.”

“Hwang Yeji seems like a good girlfriend for lending Lia her blazer.” 

“I know right? Lia looks so cute in Yeji’s blazer.” 

“A true smol and tol couple I stan!” 

“Have they been secretly dating this whole time?” 

“It’s possible considering how close their families are.” 

“How could anyone date Hwang Yeji? She’s so...scary.” 

“She’s scary but that’s the appeal. Not to mention, I hear she’s a great dancer.” 

“They shouldn’t be dating. They’ll get into a lot of trouble.” 

“But doesn’t that make it more romantic? Like star-crossed lovers!” 

“That was a tragedy, you pabo.” 

---------

Lia wants the day to be over and just go home to fall asleep and wake up to a fresh start. It’s just high school and these rumors will last one day. That’s it. One day because tomorrow when Yeji shows up in her proper uniform (as properly as she decides to wear it) and Lia has a clean crisp uniform, all will be right in the world. 

The day lasts just a bit longer though. 

“I can’t stay and supervise Hwang Yeji’s detention,” Tzuyu approaches her after last period. 

Lia stops in her tracks and stares up at the taller girl with wide eyes. 

“You don’t mind spending time with her do you?” 

Damn Chou Tzuyu and her subtle double entendre. No doubt she has heard all the rumors throughout the day. For a millisecond, Lia fears that Tzuyu actually knows the truth.

Lia doesn’t fall for the trap. “What was her task?” She is still the responsible Vice President that will step in for the President when necessary. 

---------

Lia coughs for the umpteenth time as the cloud of chalk fills her nostrils. She hears a laugh beside her as she desperately waves her arms to dissipate the chalk particles. When the cloud finally disappears and she gets that good old fresh air, Lia looks beside her at Yeji with a frown to express her displeasure. 

“You don’t have to help me,” Yeji says with a gentle smile and her eyes closing into soft crescents. “I’m the one that’s being punished. You just need to supervise me.” 

Lia shakes her head. “It’s my fault that you got punished.” 

Yeji continues to clap the erasers and with her long arms, the clouds of chalk don’t get in her face and make her cough. The only victims are her hands that end up covered in remaining dust particles. “It wasn’t your fault that some guy spilled his coffee on you,” she returns with a grunt as she claps precisely three times before a big puff of chalk particles fill the air and throws the clean erasers in the bin. 

Lia can never get over how strong Yeji is. Now that Yeji’s taken off her blazer with it being after hours, she’s only wearing her white blouse that’s rolled up high on her well shaped biceps and strong shoulders. Yeji is fit because of how much she works out and spends her time dancing. It also explains why she always has her tie undone and her top three buttons open: the shirt is always tight around her neck for her size. 

Yeji turns back to Lia and takes the erasers out of her hands. 

Lia feels electric shock as Yeji’s fingers brush against hers, causing her brain to short circuit briefly. 

Yeji finishes Lia’s efforts with a single clap before turning around and throwing them in the clean bin. “You should study for calculus,” she suggests. “The exam is in two days.” 

Lia’s brain finally resets itself and she finds herself warm at the sweet suggestion. “How come you know about it? I didn’t mention it.” 

Yeji shrugs as she bends over to grab another pair of erasers. Her brows furrow in concentration as she claps them carefully away from her. “I heard you talking about it while I was napping in the library.” 

Lia gasps. “You were sleeping during school hours?”

“As if you didn’t know that,” Yeji chuckles at how shocked Lia sounds. “I always nap during study hall.”

“You should be studying during study hall,” Lia frowns at the girl. “Napping isn’t a productive use of your time.” 

Yeji claps a few more times. Now that Lia isn’t helping she can hear how long Yeji’s claps are. “Lectures are tiring to listen to. And I study when I do homework.” 

“I wish there were witnesses right now because Hwang Yeji just told me she does homework.” Lia playfully points out. There’s something pleasing about hearing Yeji studying outside of school. 

“If I didn’t do homework, how else would we be in the same year?” Yeji reminds her with a smirk on her face. She throws the clean erasers in the bin. “Everyone really thinks I’m a delinquent huh?” 

Lia feels bad that Yeji hears the rumors about herself. But there’s a strange levity as Yeji jokes about it. “I at least know you’re not a delinquent,” she offers as if Yeji needs a little encouragement.

Yeji rolls her eyes. “Of course, you know I’m not,” she deadpans, reaching for more erasers. “Do you think mom and dad would let me out of the house if I was?” 

Lia nods in agreement, thankful that Yeji’s parents are supportive and understanding of her dancing aspirations. “Don’t the rumors bother you? Why don’t you ever say anything?” 

Yeji doesn’t answer as she diligently cleans the erasers. “Why would I bother?” she counters. The clap sounds louder than before. “I don’t care. I just wanna be me. Do what I want when I want and enjoy my time how I want to.”

Lia admires Yeji in that moment. Yeji truly is a force to be reckoned with. She can see how intimidating she can be to other people that aren’t close to her. Lia feels privileged to get a chance to be close to Yeji like this. 

She doesn’t realize how long she’s been staring at Yeji until Yeji looks at her with a crooked smile. 

“Why are you staring at me like that?” 

Lia’s eyes go wide and she averts her eyes. “I wasn’t staring,” she denies as the heat creeps up on her cheeks. She turns to grab more erasers quickly. 

Just as she grabs two, Yeji’s hands cover hers. Her whole body is electrified at the contact and she looks at Yeji with wide eyes because her heart is pounding inside of her. 

“I’ve got it,” Yeji coolly says, slipping the erasers from Lia’s hands. “Just sit down and study. I’ll finish this fast so we can catch the 4:30 bus home.” 

Yeji is no longer touching her but Lia can feel the tingles regardless. Her heart is still racing as she stares at Yeji. “You’re too nice to me, Hwang Yeji.” 

Yeji just looks at her with a cheeky smile before she continues to clap the erasers. 

---------

They end up making the 4:30 bus early that Yeji gets to stop by the convenience store to buy chips for her and candy for Lia on the way. Lia insists on paying because she can’t be more thankful for what Yeji’s done for her. 

“I’ll make sure to wash your blazer and have it for you tomorrow morning,” Lia says as they walk home after getting off at their stop. 

Yeji shrugs, more interested in snacking on her chips. “You know, I have another blazer,” she simply says.

“But this is yours,” Lia shyly points out, still wearing Yeji’s blazer. She’s actually grateful to wear Yeji’s blazer in the cooler fall weather because she feels much warmer in it for some reason. “Speaking of which, can I have mine back?” 

Yeji looks between her messy hand and the bag of chips in the other before swinging her shoulder so her duffel shifts to the front of her body in one fluid motion. Lia is startled by the action. Yeji stares at her chips again, not wanting to abandon her snack.

Lia giggles because Yeji looks so confused. For someone who is talented and smart, Yeji sometimes has pabo moments. She stands before Yeji and takes hold of the duffel so she can open it up herself. 

Yeji turns pink at the realization of how close Lia is. “I had it…” 

“You only ever put your snacks down to pick up Hongsam,” Lia teases as she pulls out her blazer from Yeji’s duffel bag and closes it. 

“Because Hongsam tries to steal my snacks,” Yeji counters with a cute pout. She swings the duffel to her back again before comfortably eating her snack. “I could’ve washed that for you, by the way.” 

Lia looks at Yeji incredulously. “Yeji, you’ve done so much for me already. You lent me your blazer. You got detention for wearing my dirty blazer. You cleaned all of the erasers for me. There’s no way I could ask you to wash my blazer for me.” 

Yeji shrugs. “You have a good reputation, why ruin that? Besides you would’ve been there for hours clapping those erasers with your weak arms.” 

Lia gapes at Yeji. “Excuse me, my arms aren’t that weak!” She slaps at Yeji’s shoulder as the taller girl starts to laugh. “You’re so mean, Yeji-ah!” 

Yeji just laughs as they continue to walk. “I’m just stating facts.” 

Lia pouts. “False facts,” she grumbles. She thinks about Yeji’s words and bites her lip as they continue to walk. “You don’t have to worry about my reputation. Everyone makes a mistake now and then. I’m not perfect and you don’t have to sacrifice yourself to make it seem like I am.” 

Yeji suddenly stops walking. “Lia-yah,” she sounds serious as she turns to Lia. Had she not been holding her chips and having a dirty hand, Lia is pretty sure that Yeji would touch her. Regardless, Lia feels captured by Yeji’s gaze and stares up at the taller girl with her breath stolen by her beauty. The corner of Yeji’s lips curl up into a smirk. “What kind of girlfriend would I be if I let you get into trouble?” 

Lia’s eyes widen comically as she takes in Yeji’s words. Girlfriend?! Lia suddenly feels like her heart has taken off in a sprint and her whole body blushes. “Yah! What’re you talking about?!” She looks around frantically as if someone from school was nearby to hear them. “You shouldn’t say things like that so carelessly!” 

Yeji laughs at Lia’s reaction as she tips the bag of chips to eat the remaining crumbs. “I’m just saying,” she argues with a loud crunch of her chips. “I’m trying to be a good girlfriend.” 

Lia feels her cheeks burn as she pushes futilely at Yeji’s shoulder. “Stop teasing. If someone hears you, they’ll start believing those rumors.” 

Yeji finishes eating her chips and leans in close to Lia. “Are rumors really rumors if they’re true?” 

Lia scrunches up her nose at the smell of the crab chips and pushes Yeji’s face out of hers. “I hate when you do that,” she says with annoyance. 

Yeji takes a moment to her fingers clean, crumpling the empty bag to tuck in a side pocket of her duffel before using the hand sanitizer that Lia clipped to her bag before the school year started. When she’s done, she holds out her hand for Lia. 

Lia eyes Yeji’s hand with a frown. 

“Come on, there’s no one we know here and we still have five more blocks until your house,” Yeji convinces Lia with one of her charismatic stage smiles. Lia hates that it works with a skip of her heartbeat and the fact that she loves holding Yeji’s hand. 

Lia takes her hand and laces their fingers. Yeji smiles brightly, eyes shrinking into crescents as they start walking again. 

They enjoy the tender skinship and comfortable silence for a little while before Lia speaks up again. 

“Thank you again for today,” Lia shyly says. 

Yeji nods. “Of course.” She squeezes Lia’s hand encouragingly. “Too bad I’m not your size, then people wouldn’t have noticed the difference.” 

Lia blushes. “Actually,” she brings up, catching Yeji’s attention, “Chaeryeong noticed because of my elbow pads.” She holds up the blazer to show Yeji. 

“Ah, I forgot about that,” Yeji realizes upon seeing it. She shakes her head with a small smile. “Well, it’s okay. Tomorrow is a new day right? Someone else will come up with another rumor to feast on.” 

Lia nods in agreement. “That’s what I was hoping for.” She chews on the inside of her cheek, still uncertain as to what may come tomorrow. And she can’t help but voice her thoughts to Yeji as they continue to walk. “What do you think if I told Chaeryeong about us?” 

“If you want to,” Yeji doesn’t hesitate to answer. 

“Really?” 

“Mm hmm. She’s your best friend.” 

Lia feels her heart wrench at the reminder, but she looks at Yeji gratefully. “Are you sure?” 

Yeji furrows her brows. “Of course I am. My dance crew knows about us. Why shouldn’t your best friend know?” 

“That’s different. They don’t go to the same schools,” Lia reasons. “They couldn’t get us in trouble.” 

“Would telling Chaeryeong get us into trouble?” Yeji asks in return. 

Lia frowns. “I trust her,” she murmurs, “but it’s too risky.” 

Yeji hums thoughtfully at Lia’s predicament. She squeezes her hand encouragingly and catches her attention. “Do you want my opinion?” she asks carefully. 

Lia nods. “Of course.” 

“I think that because Chaeryeong is your best friend and you trust her, she should know,” Yeji says much to Lia’s surprise. “Because when Yuna found out about us, she was really upset I didn’t tell her. It made her feel like I didn’t trust her and didn’t value our friendship. So you know, if you trust Chaeryeong you should tell her so she doesn’t get hurt if she happens to find out.” 

Lia takes in Yeji’s words, leaning against the taller girl for comfort as they continue to walk. “It’s just scary that’s all. I don’t want either of us to get into trouble for dating.” 

Yeji shrugs. “You know the worst that could happen is you get disciplined and I get expelled?” she reminds, actually sounding cheerful. 

Lia frowns at Yeji. “That does not make me happy whatsoever. I wish you didn't get in trouble often. That's why you’d get expelled instead of disciplined,” she emphasizes. “Need I remind you that our parents want you to go to university?” 

“Our parents, who know about our relationship, want us to go to university,” Yeji comforts. “I’m sure they have backup plans if the school were to find out. Otherwise they wouldn’t let us date.” Lia remains unconvinced. “Lia-yah,” Yeji tries again, stopping in front of the shorter girl. 

Lia looks up at Yeji, who smiles at her reassuringly. And a big part of her is almost convinced just because she trusts Yeji that much. Yeji leans in and kisses her forehead, making her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She presses her head against Yeji’s lips, just so Yeji doesn’t move away just yet.

“Yeji-ah, I love you,” Lia sighs as she squeezes her hand. 

Yeji kisses her forehead again. “I love you, too.” She pulls away slowly. “Come on, you have to study and I have to go to dance practice.”

Lia pouts. “I wish you didn’t have dance practice. You should stay with me instead.” 

Yeji chuckles. “You say that all the time,” she comments as she tugs Lia along, “but when I stay with you all you do is study.” 

“Studying is important!” 

Yeji laughs before letting go of Lia’s hand to throw her arm around her shoulder. “You’re such a nerd!” 

Lia laughs as she gets pulled into Yeji’s side and slips her arm around Yeji’s waist as they continue to walk. “And you’re the school rebel.” Yeji shoots her a toothy smile before kissing her temple.

“We sound like the love stories you love so much,” Yeji points out. 

Lia hums in agreement because the nerdy vice president is currently wearing the school rebel’s jacket as they walk home together. “This is better than a story.” 

“And more real than rumors.”