The young raven-haired girl entered the class with a smile on her face, observing her surroundings to notice the same old – friends chatting, some sleeping, some trying to get their late homework done in time for class; she was, of course, looking for someone in particular, and she found her easily. Her smile grew into a grin as she made her steps quicker, approaching the girl to take the seat beside her.

“Today’s gifts for our beloved and most beautiful, the one and only, Snow White Kim Minjoo.” Chaewon announced, with a hint of amusement as she placed on top of Minjoo’s desk yet another gift – of course, it was just another present from Minjoo’s admirers. It was always the same, hearts made out of chocolate, barely alive flowers and some cringe-worthy love letters that always made Minjoo’s face contract in that funny way Chaewon grew to love – because it was honestly hilarious.

If Minjoo wasn’t very fond of all the attention, Chae couldn’t help but find it amusing. After all, she knew well how those silly admirers worked and how all of them were just too desperate to realize Minjoo wasn’t interested at all.

But well, it was a small town and people in small towns were always bored, hence why having a new, particularly pretty, kid in the school caused an uproar – one that hadn’t disappeared even after months.

The sun illuminated the classroom with lazy rays that were only enough to give the place a yellowish glow, the sleepy students only sitting straight in their seats once the teacher entered the room – with a very special new addition to the class following him behind. The small crowd had their eyes wide open, surprised to see a transferee after so long.

The girl in front of class was clasping her hands tightly, shifting the weight of her body from one leg to the other, as she tried her best to keep her head held up and high and a smile on her face – the smile was pretty, like everything about her face, it was bright and attractive, but it also showed how nervous she was. The girl was pale, but there was a light blush to her cheeks, coloring the prominent dimple in her left one, a pretty shocking contrast to her black hair. Her eyes, of a deep brown, carried a special sparkle that showed that that girl was a special one.

Needless to say, she had the whole class at her feet right away.

As for Chaewon, who only watched as the girl shyly greeted the class with a polite bow as the teacher introduced her as a new student, Kim found the newcomer rather interesting. Not because she was pretty – Chae was not that type to care about looks, and she wasn’t an hormonal teenager boy to not see past it –, but because the girl seemed so shy and awkward, even with all the praise and open smiles she was receiving, instead of growing confident, she looked like she was about to melt from embarrassment.

Chaewon thought she was cute.

“Kim Minjoo. I just transferred here from Seoul, please take good care of me.” The girl finally spoke, her voice nice and clear, albeit still a little hesitant, before she bowed again as the class cheered her up – Chaewon had to admit her classmates were pretty embarrassing; way to emphasize the small-town stereotypes.

The teacher had told her to pick a seat, but Minjoo seemed to be having a hard time deciding with who she should seat, and consequently have to deal with for the rest of the school year. The class was barely filled, with half of the seats empty – again, it was a small-town and the school was as boring as it gets –, everyone seemed to be looking at Minjoo with hopeful eyes. Chaewon figured that girl must be too nice to turn down all her new admirers, even though she would probably end up with some annoying guy hitting on her for the rest of the semester. Therefore, Chae decided to help out.

“You can sit with me.” She offered raising her hand and giving the girl a calm smile. Being so direct, it was impossible for Minjoo to not accept her offer and the girl quickly made her way towards the chair next to Chaewon’s, on the left side of the class. The sweet brown eyes met the calm chestnut ones as the girl greeted Chae with a nervous smile before taking a seat, a smile Chaewon returned with a smaller one – there was something about Minjoo that was just too hard to dislike, being her seatmate wouldn’t be so bad. “We Kims should stick together.” Chaewon said, as if explaining and gave Minjoo a glance, subtly gesturing the crowd of disappointed boys Minjoo had left behind.

The other Kim let out an airy chuckle, a sound that was both parts relieved and embarrassed. “Thank you.” Relaxing on her seat, she turned to face the black-haired girl who was now her seatmate and possibly her first friend in this new school – maybe it was a naïve thought, but Minjoo thought they would be good friends. It was okay, Chaewon felt the same. “Kim…?” She offered a hand for a handshake, her smile still shy as she noticed the hint of amusement in the other girl’s eyes – she lowered her gaze when the girl took her hand into hers, soft skin pressed gently against hers, spreading a nice warmth that was enough to reach her cheeks and tint them pink again.

“Chaewon.” The said girl introduced herself, holding onto Minjoo’s hand for a short moment that was enough to confirm her suspicion that Minjoo was as shy as she looked – and her hands as soft as the lovely eyes that peeked at their joint hands at the moment. “Welcome to this little school where nothing happens and your existence will be the hot topic for the next two months.” The comment, that was only half-joke, was done as she slowly let go of the hand and almost immediately regretted it – no, she wasn’t like the weirdos hitting on the new kid, it was just that she felt like Minjoo had relaxed with her touch and she could provide her some comfort. And, of course, she couldn’t deny the feeling wasn’t an unpleasant one. “I will show you around later. There isn’t that much to see, but I guess you would like to see the best spots for a nap outside this room.” With this offer, she gave Minjoo a grin as the teacher cleaning his throat to call the students attention so he could start the class.

They couldn’t talk much now, but later she would make sure to get to know Minjoo better – and she would find out Minjoo was also very curious about her. Chaewon wasn’t that affectionate, but that morning as they navigated the school yards, she found herself holding Minjoo’s hand as the girl smiled at her – and the feeling wasn’t bad.

Not at all.

Minjoo’s loud sigh took Chaewon out of memories, making her shake her head slightly before sliding something from her table to Minjoo’s – banana milk, the same she would buy her every day, and the only gift Minjoo would accept gladly. “I just wish they would stop. I don’t want to be rude, but this...What am I supposed to do with this?” The younger Kim made a face as she gestured the gift – a hand written acronym poem with her full name, where the amazing guy had rhymed Minjoo with ‘Pikachu’ since, apparently, he had learned she used to like Pokémon as a kid. She shouldn’t have worn her cute Pikachu bracelet to school, but again it was a gift from her friend back in Seoul and she loved it.

Men are such a headache.

“Throw it away?” Chaewon only shrugged her shoulders, using the book she had got from under her desk to cover her smile – trying to not laugh was a little hard when she noticed that Pikachu wasn’t the only Pokémon mentioned in the text. She had to give this guy a few points for creativity – and zero for his seduction tactics. “We can skip the last period if you want to avoid him.” She suggested with naturality, after all they had done it a few times now. Not that they were exactly what one could call ‘troublemakers’, but Minjoo would rather avoid dealing with love confessions waiting for her outside of class, and Chaewon would rather keep her best friend happy.

“It would be…” Mean, but Minjoo didn’t bother to finish the sentence. Unwanted weird love poems from strangers were definitely not something she wanted to walk around with – but she was still nice enough to not throw it away now, she would show some consideration and disposal of it once they were outside of school where no one would be able to find such a unique art piece. “Can we?” Her eyes lit up with the prospect of not only avoiding her weird admirers, but also skipping a boring class, and maybe even going to see the sea with Chae. “Yes, please!”

Chaewon let out a chuckle, leaning in to whisper. “Want to skip all afternoon?” Her tone was mischievous and low enough to not be heard – or it should’ve been, but apparently some high power was listening to their sly plans.

By the time their lunch break was over, the classroom was immersed in a gloomy atmosphere, not only theirs, but everyone else’s plans ruined – by the one and only Zeus. First the lightning, then the thunder and suddenly the sky seemed like it was about to collapse how strong the storm was. Any thought of running away the young Kim duo could have, was ruined.

For the third time that day Minjoo sighed and this time Chaewon couldn’t even laugh. They would have a very, very long afternoon with math – for Chaewon’s despair – and a brand-new poem from the Pokémon boy – for Minjoo’s dismay.

“Next time?” Minjoo tried.

“Next time.” Chaewon repeated.

Minjoo pressed her lips, displeased at what her eyes were seeing. For the fourth day in a row, rain fell heavily, turning the sky a grey color that reflected on the ocean in the distance – it reminded her of Seoul and its grey streets and buildings, however instead of having cars and people everywhere, the small town would resemble a desert since everyone was hiding from the rainstorm. Averting her eyes from the classroom’s windows to her own desk, she only found something equally unpleasant: another gift she didn’t ask for, from someone she didn’t even know nor wanted to. And all delivered by Chaewon out of all people – this fact just made her feel even more annoyed; every day, foolishly, she would raise her hopes as she noticed Chaewon walking towards her with something in hands, just to have it all ruined as soon as the older Kim informed it wasn’t a gift from her but someone else.

With a sigh, she crossed her arms on top of the desk, making a pillow for her head as she closed her eyes. The school day was almost over, yet she knew she would have to deal with a bunch of annoying guys following her around the moment the siren rang. Being a new kid at that school was like being a celebrity – what wouldn’t be so bad if not the fact that she wasn’t exactly ‘new’ anymore and still had to deal with all that.

“Headache again?” Chaewon’s familiar voice sounded, only loud enough to be heard without drawing the teacher’s attention. Minjoo could feel the warm chestnut eyes on her, just like the gentle touch on the back of her head – typical Chaewon, but what used to make her feel comforted, made her heart sink a little more inside her chest.

Not moving, she managed to reply quietly, “No, I am just thinking about some stuff.” Like the fact that Chaewon seemed so completely oblivious to her existence in many ways, although everyone else seemed to notice her for those exact same reasons – should she feel glad for having such a great friend, or annoyed because Chaewon would never be more than just that?

The older raven-haired woman nodded slowly, her black hair gracefully touching her shoulders as she contemplated the answer in silence. Chaewon wasn’t the quiet type – not once you know her well enough –, so the silence was a bit odd, but Minjoo didn’t bother trying to read the expression on her friend’s eyes, after all the chestnut was as pretty as it was mysterious.

The silence didn’t last long though.

Two minutes before the siren could be heard, Chaewon gently nudged her shoulder to catch her attention. “Put away your stuff, it’s almost time.” The older Kim informed, having already fixed all her stuff and helping a confused Minjoo to do the same. Minjoo wanted to ask why, but the need to leave school was stronger so she focused on making sure she had everything back inside her backpack. Chaewon gave her a half smile, with a nod of approval as she offered her hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

Min blinked, a little confused as she gingerly accepted her hand – with the familiar warmth and butterflies it comes with –, the siren sounding loudly to announce the end of another school day. Going home with Chaewon wasn’t a rare event, but that gesture was and she couldn’t help but feel a glint of hope inside her chest. “Where are you going?”

“Just come with me, we don’t have much time.” Chaewon instead of giving her a direct answer – and as if to illustrate the importance of her words, she pulled Minjoo with her, passing by a guy smiling at her from the door, reminding her about why she hated this time of the day.

Therefore, she didn’t even hesitate in following Chae outside the class, lowering her gaze to their joint hands instead of the people around them – it wasn’t hard, when she was with Chaewon it was easy to forget about the rest of the world.

The rain was falling even harder as they left the classroom, and maybe because of it, Chae’s hand didn’t let go of hers even as they made their way through the crowded hallway and to the outside – if anything, the grip only grew stronger, gentle but firm enough to make Minjoo feel all warm inside. Chaewon would look over her shoulder once in a while and give her a mischievous smile before she pushed through the crowd with a few ‘excuse me’ and ‘sorry, we are in a hurry!’, blocking any chance of anyone stopping them.

It wasn’t unusual for Chaewon to help her get rid of her admirers, but she usually took the backseat and let Minjoo deal with things first before interfering. Today, for the first time, Chaewon took to herself the role of rejecting all the annoying guys, and as if people could sense it, they made way for them to pass – Min wondered how much of it was due to the fact that they were so proudly holding hands and ignoring the school code for couples; they weren’t one, but they surely looked like one for the passerby now.

The thought, just like the captivating smile on Chaewon’s face and the soft hand on hers, made Minjoo smile brighter than a sunny day – even though the skies were nearly crashing above their heads.

They stopped by the covered patio, eyeing the gates a few meters away. Minjoo expected Chaewon to finally break physical contact as they ran for their lives, using their backpacks as a shield, but once more the older girl surprised her – she did let go of her hand, but not to run. Chaewon took out a shockingly bright mint umbrella from her backpack, it was cute but a little too small for them. She urged Minjoo to place her bag in front of her chest to avoid getting it wet. “I guess the beach is not an option for today, but we can watch the sea from afar while we walk home.” Chaewon finally revealed her plans, sweet and simple, thoughtful enough to melt Minjoo’s already soft heart.

“You planned it all?” Minjoo said, biting back a silly smile as she observed Chaewon’ ears becoming a vivid shade of red, contrasting with her dark hair, as she nodded.

“It sounded much better in my head.” Chaewon almost sounded shy now, glancing at the umbrella as if second guessing her choice – maybe she should’ve bought a bigger, less embarrassing one.

“No, I think…” Minjoo was quick to say, not resisting and showing her a grin as she quickly snuggled up to Chaewon so they both could fit just right underneath the mint umbrella. Clinging to Chaewon’s arm, her eyes gently turned into half-crescents as she added. “I think it’s just perfect!”

And it truly was – at least for her, for the half-dozen of people watching as the two girls snuggled under the small umbrella as Chaewon told Minjoo they would need to stay glued together and the younger brunette giggled so naturally, the whole scene was quite a confusing sight. But then again, it only mattered that for Minjoo – and hopefully for Chaewon as well –, it was the best walk home ever.

Their small steps made the way slowly, facing the strong wind with light laughter as they stopped to admire the revolted, yet beautiful, ocean from the high point of town and made plans to visit their old friend once it was in a better mood. The walk took several more minutes than needed, and they both had their shoes squishing with water, pants damp and messy hair as they arrived at Minjoo’s house. But the smile was still there, just like the warmth that irradiated through Minjoo’s whole body – a warmth that didn’t leave her even as they parted ways and she watched Chaewon walk home through the windows of her house.

For someone who didn’t see her as more than a friend, Chaewon was surely great at making her feel special.

The rain didn’t stop until a few days later, giving them a small break to enjoy the shy sunlight peeking through the fat grey clouds on the sky and illuminate the still rebellious ocean. Although Minjoo loved the fact that they could finally visit the beach now, she wasn’t sure if she loved this moment right now – with a quiet, pensive Chaewon sitting beside her after just dropping a bomb on her; well, maybe it wasn’t exactly a bomb, but it felt like it.

“I won’t be able to help you tomorrow with the gifts. I know it’s always a little overwhelming for you with everyone and I’m sorry.” Chaewon had informed, an apologetic smile on her face as she spoke. Of course, tomorrow would be Valentine’s day and without her, Minjoo would be submerged in cheap gifts and terrible love confessions she didn’t want to receive – she felt a little betrayed. “But I need to prepare something.”

Minjoo was understanding most of the time, but she felt herself deflating after hearing such words. Of course, her friend also had the right to do her own stuff, maybe she even had someone in mind to gift tomorrow…Still, the thought hurt a little too much. Mostly because in the last couple of days Chaewon had been so insistent in walking her home, and being this close to the other Kim reignited the spark of hope inside of her and she thought, even if so foolishly, that maybe it could mean something more.

Clearly, she had got herself a little bit too ahead of the situation. Chaewon was probably planning it since last week and that was why she had been helping her out like that, to make things easier for her tomorrow when she wouldn’t be around.

Considerate, very Chaewon. Very annoying.

Minjoo plopped down on the yellow sand, letting her gaze mirror the clouds as she muttered a simple: “Oh, I see.”

Chaewon would have to be incredibly dense to not notice the disappointment in her voice – and she wasn’t, she had never been. Hugging her knees closer to her chest, Chae rested her chin on top of them, allowing her gaze to watch the green-ish sea of the end of the morning. It was a calm Sunday, the only day they could come here this early and just enjoy the view while exchanging looks and sharing their little secrets.

It had never been a quiet moment, ‘till now.

Still, she didn’t break the silence just yet, giving Minjoo her time and giving herself the opportunity to think.

Acting on impulse wasn’t like her, even when she wanted to, every time her brain would make her think about the possible consequences and it often made her stay still, not taking the risk. For the past few days she had taken quite a few risks, risks she wasn’t sure would pay off. Being there for Minjoo was only the decent thing to do, but she had her reasons to do it. Minjoo might have a small fan club full of admirers, but Chaewon also had her own things to take care of – something she was still hesitant about.

Maybe she shouldn’t have made fun of Minjoo’s suitors so often, being in their place didn’t feel quite right.

“You hate confessions, don’t you?” She finally asked, the wind carrying her small voice to afar, almost losing the sound in the immensity of the ocean. She wondered if Minjoo even heard her, since the girl didn’t move for a while and when she did, it was only to cover her eyes with an arm.

“Yeah, I guess I do.” Minjoo’s voice sounded heavy, a hint of something Chaewon couldn’t name, lacing the usually light and warm tone. Min didn’t move her hand, keeping her face protected from the piercing chestnut eyes as she tried her best to not let her emotions out. She knew she shouldn’t be so upset and ruin their morning, but it was hard to hold back and not question Chae about what she was planning – and especially with who.

“All of them?” Chaewon insisted, her tone flat and Minjoo didn’t risk looking at her to check her expression. So, that was it, a love confession – knowing didn’t make her feel any better. She wondered who could have caught Chaewon’s interest and make her friend who was so uninterested in love, want to confess.

She felt the strings of her heart being pulled in a painful way, and brought her other arm to cover her face. “All the possible ones.” Of course, Minjoo hated it, none of the ones she ever received ever came from someone she loved back.

She didn’t miss the long sigh Chaewon let out, just like the other girl didn’t fail to notice her bad mood. Way to ruin what was supposed to be a nice day on the beach.

The older stood up first, patting her shorts to get rid of the sand before reaching out to pull Minjoo by the hands – breaking the weak shield she had built, and allowing Chaewon to see the big brown eyes dark and opaque, the pretty face blank. Minjoo was such a contradiction at times. “Let’s go, your hair is full of sand and it’s going to rain soon.” Without minding the girl’s expression, Chaewon put her hands to good work, patting Min’s hair lightly to help her clean up.

“Chae.” The younger brunette interrupted, grabbing Chaewon’s hand to get her attention. It was her time to hold in a sigh, noticing that it was the first time she faced Chaewon since the girl spoke – she found serious eyes and a stiff smile, not the expression she would like to see in someone she loved. She felt her chest heavy, this time due to her own actions. “Thank you. I shouldn’t be sulking like a child now, you already did so much for me.” She apologized, slowly letting go of Chaewon’s hand. What kind of friend she would be if she couldn’t support her? “Good luck tomorrow, I mean it.” And she really did, even if it would hurt her, it would hurt her more if Chaewon failed to find her own happiness.

Chaewon stared at her for a moment, before shaking her head slightly with a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m not sure if I will need it, at least now.” Murmuring more to herself than to Min, she reached to grab onto Minjoo’s arm and started dragging her to the nearest convenience store, not allowing the other girl to question her. “I’m hungry, let’s get something!”

Another rainy, another day Minjoo wished she wasn’t trapped in that small classroom with all eyes on her – dramatic surely, but who could blame her? If Valentine’s day was the date for young love, she felt left out. The pile of gifts on her desk was proof that she was far from being an outcast, yet in days like these only a special someone could make her day a good one. Maybe she was being too picky, too demanding and selfish, but isn’t love always selfish to some extent?

Love is about falling deep, hopelessly, for someone who may never share the same feeling or even acknowledge it. Love is about having faith you could be lucky enough to have your egoistic wish answered.

Minjoo had given up on pretending her heart was anywhere but with Chaewon, allowing her selfishness to sink in as she glanced at the brunette and bitterly watched as Chae wrote down on her notebook with a small smile on her face, a small pile of gifts of her own in front of her.

She no longer wondered where Chaewon’s feelings laid, instead she contented herself with the thought that maybe, just maybe, if she wished hard enough Chaewon would look at her.

And of course, it being Chaewon, she would do it – even if not in the way Minjoo wished for.

As usual, Chae slid a box of banana milk to her, before picking up a small box from her gift pile and handing it to Minjoo – cream-buns, she knew Minjoo loved sweets even if she refused to eat the ones she would receive everyday from her admirers. “I know you’re bored, but you still should eat.” Chaewon said in a small voice.

The siren had just rung, informing they would have twenty minutes for lunch – something Chaewon heard well, while the distracted Minjoo missed.

Chaewon was starting to think she understood the reason behind such odd behavior from her best friend.

Pulling her chair closer to the younger girl, Chae reached out to touch Minjoo’s soft dark hair, light enough to not take her by surprise, but enough to get her attention – her voice already did it, still she couldn’t resist the urge to touch her, even if ever so slightly. “Min.” The sweet nickname didn’t betray her true feelings, the feelings that made her spend the whole day focused on writing on the little notebook she made sure Minjoo couldn’t read, trying her best to ignore every time a new person would come up to Minjoo and give her yet another gift or even be bold enough to try asking her out; Chae breathed a little easier every time Minjoo would shake her head in a polite rejection. “You didn’t even need me today, you handled them just fine.”

She wasn’t sure of what she expected, but the tired sigh and the simple shrug of shoulders wasn’t it. Minjoo looked as tired as if they had just finished their final exams.

Holding in her own sigh, the older Kim glanced at her own desk, pressing her lips into a fine line.

Maybe they both were a bit too cowardly.

“A gift is a gift, you shouldn’t let it go to waste.” Instead of picking up the notebook, she focused on opening the small box of bread and holding it right in front of Minjoo’s face. “At least if it comes from me?” There was something more about that question, something Chaewon wondered if Minjoo was able to notice – if she wanted to do so.

Her only answer for a while was the fact that brunette grabbed the bread and started to eat, her blank expression slowly becoming more like her usual one – big, expressive eyes, oozing joy as she chewed on the food and a smile slowly spread to her face. Minjoo was surely easy to please sometimes.

The sight warmed Chaewon’s heart, making her feel a little more comfortable. It was Minjoo, the shy and cute girl she had met for a while now, the one she had learned to appreciate and know well. Even if the nerves were always there, Minjoo was still Minjoo and her presence always made Chae’s day a little better.

“I thought you would be busy today.” Minjoo finally spoke, hiding her expression by taking a sip on her drink as she waited for Chaewon’s reply – she knew, or at least thought so, what the other girl was up to. Yet, the whole day passed quickly, and Chaewon didn’t move from her seat to confess to anyone. Part of her was relieved, another part was anxious, knowing that time would only give her unfunded hope. “Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?”

It was Chae’s turn to shrug, her gaze facing elsewhere as she pretended to be busy unpacking her own bread to eat. “I am busy, but you are still here and…Well, I guess we need to stick together.” She repeated the sentence she had used as an excuse to stick around the new girl for a while, back then she wasn’t even sure about why, but now it was really clear. “Now we should hurry up and eat before your suitors come back with more things to make you fat!” The teasing, as expected, worked and she let out a relieved laugh as she Minjoo gently shoved her by the shoulder, puffing her cheeks in annoyance.

No rain, no admirers to bother them, not even the excuse of having to keep each other company because it was late – that afternoon, the two girls found themselves in their favorite spot by the beach again. School uniforms still on, shoes thrown aside and the waves slowly coming close to give their feet a playful slap.

Out of all the ways the next day could go, Minjoo didn’t predict one like that – to be fair, not even Chaewon planned for it to go this way, but her ‘impulsive tendencies issue’ seemed to be back to haunt her.

That time Chaewon didn’t drag Minjoo with her to disperse the silly lovestruck guys at school – Minjoo was a little too fed up with them, to the point the girl herself started to hand back every single gift she had received yesterday, with an expression so stern that even Chaewon felt a little intimidated; she had a feeling the admirers would be in shock for a while, although she wasn’t sure they were smart enough to understand it as a hint to disappear, instead of finding it another reason to try to pursue the tsundere girl.

Instead, she found herself following the slightly taller girl, with a proud smile on her face as she praised Minjoo – she got a glare because of it, but it only made her grin even more and tell her maybe they should skip afternoon class. Somehow, the duo ended up at the beach and Chae felt a nervous, exciting feeling starting to fill up her body – something telling her that maybe ‘taking your time’ was overrated.

Perhaps it really was because Minjoo was talking before she could do so.

“I got you something.” Min informed, her tone sounding a little awkward, as if she wasn’t sure if she should be saying it – and she was indeed hesitant, after all it wasn’t like there was a ‘friendship day’ or Chaewon’s birthday was close enough to be used as an excuse for it; even if there was, she shouldn’t use it. The gift, something so simple, was her way to show Chaewon her affection, even if she wasn’t brave enough to outrightly say the words. “Because you know, everyone should get something once in a while, even if it’s not a special date.” Gingerly, she reached for the gift inside her backpack, but Chaewon stopped her before she could show her what it was.

“Just wait a bit.” Chaewon gave her a nervous smile, reaching out for her own bag to get something. It wasn’t even properly wrapped yet, but she just felt like it was the right moment – she hoped it was. “I have something for you too.”

Minjoo blinked, her eyes fixed on the notebook Chaewon was holding out, baffled to notice it was the same she had seen the girl carrying around for a while now. She thought it was some sort of diary, maybe a place to practice her confession to whoever was the one she liked so much, maybe even a place to take notes for a hard subject…Anything, but a gift for her.

Gingerly, she accepted the notebook, not daring to open it. Biting down on her bottom lip, she let her gaze observe the small details of the it – it was a simple one, white cover with a few sticks, frogs and foxes, a mint colored bookmarker peeking through the top of it; it didn’t look new, albeit well taken care of, she could notice small signs of use. Now, she could recall seeing it a few times before this week, but she had never paid it much attention ‘till now. “What is that?” Braving up, she looked up to meet Chaewon’s eyes.

“That’s just…You said you didn’t like confessions. You don’t like receiving chocolate or love letters either, so…” Chaewon started, stumbling upon her own words as she tried to find the right ones to say. Love was a funny thing, she had no real reason to be nervous, but she still felt like it – maybe it was Min’s deep brown eyes over hers or the beats of her own heart so loud on her ears. “I was supposed to wait until White Day to give it since I couldn’t do it yesterday.” In fact, she was supposed to give it to Minjoo on her birthday, but instead she gave her cake and a collection of music sheets to help her practice her piano skills – just like yesterday, she had lacked courage to do it and now that she was doing, she wasn’t sure it was the right timing.

Minjoo didn’t reply verbally, only nodding slowly as she finally started to read the book – slowly going through the many pages, her expression growing serious as she read. Chaewon couldn’t see what she was reading, but at this point it didn’t matter – she could only hope for the best now.

Minjoo’s reply, though, was almost worse than a direct rejection. “Gosh, I’m so dumb!”

Chaewon looked at her a little shocked, but the other girl didn’t mind her. Opening the notebook Min found an ocean of little notes, that at first didn’t mean much, but soon became more meaningful.

‘I think we will get along well. She is pretty easy-going and I like her voice.’

‘She is a bit clumsy, but it’s kind of cute.’

Maybe dumb wasn’t the right word to define her, but definitely dense. Minjoo had seen the notebook so many times before, many times she had noticed Chaewon’s habit of writing during their lunch break – yet her silly mind had never registered what it could mean.

‘She can’t eat mintchoco at all and tried to get rid of it by giving it to my dog as if I wouldn’t notice. A total baby lol’

‘She is really good at history and english, I guess better than me. Lacks confidence though.’

The notebook was, in so many ways, a diary of their time together.

‘The guys were here again, gods they are so annoying! But she looks adorable trying to be harsh on them.’

‘I guess she noticed I was sad today, she brought me ice-cream and didn’t even call it toothpaste. Thank you, Min.’

It wasn’t a complicated love letter, nor a proper book, but just tiny, precious bits of their time together. All the time they spent creating the relationship they both cherished so much now.

‘I don’t know, but there is something about the way she smiles and that one dimple appears…Is that why everyone is head over heels for her?’

‘She sleeps like a baby on my shoulder. I think I can get used to it.’

Seeing things through Chaewon’s eyes was something special. She could recall so many of those moments, yet they sounded different with Chae’s small comments, those comments that showed the older Kim had paid her as much attention as Minjoo paid to Chaewon.

‘Minjoo saw a frog and screamed, then proceeded to save it because no one should hurt her relatives…Such a lovely dork!’

Minjoo couldn’t help but smile as she read every bit, from the most mundane ones, to the ones that revealed Chaewon’s feelings openly – reading that book was almost like seeing Chaewon fall in love.

‘She is sleeping on my shoulder again and she smells like vanilla. I’m used to it now.’

‘Maybe I can understand them too well. Maybe I also fell for her.’

Just like Minjoo had fallen for Chaewon, slowly, but surely.

It must have taken Minjoo a few minutes to read over most of things, but for Chaewon waiting for her to be done with it felt like a million years. She caught herself sighing deeply when the younger brunette finally put the notebook down, her expression unreadable as she carefully held the book against her chest.

“How long it’s been?” Was Minjoo’s first question, her voice low, almost hard to hear.

“I started writing the day we met. It was supposed to be a diary of some sorts, but then I just…It just turned out like that.” Chaewon looked almost embarrassed now, her ears red and eyes looking around, probably second guessing her decision. Was it the right thing to do? Wouldn’t she just sound like one of the creepy guys that followed Minjoo every day? Well, at least she knew her feelings were sincere and born from their time together and not only of some weird hormonal demand. It should be worth trying – even if the risk was so high. “It isn’t a love letter, just my thoughts. About you.” She managed to explain, rubbing her sweaty hands against the uniform’s skirt. “About Us.”

Minjoo only nodded, holding the notebook even tighter as she tried to control the waves of feelings hitting her harder than any wave the sea could produce. She had never felt so glad for being dense – albeit she had to admit that her friend wasn’t that much better at it than her, or else Chaewon wouldn’t be looking like a nervous cheetah cub now.

“Is it that bad?” Chaewon asked, using one hand to cover her embarrassed face.

“No! It’s…It’s making my heart explode!” Maybe a little too passionate of a description, but Minjoo couldn’t find better words to explain the giddy feeling inside her chest, making her heart beat fast and light. Happy. “Is that really how you feel about me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Chaewon let out an awkward laugh, nodding her head as she lowered her hand so Minjoo could see her. “I didn’t fall for you at first sight, but instead I fell for you a little bit every day.” She hadn’t even realized it until a few months ago. At first, it was admiration, then friendship, then just a silly crush and then it was…Love, simple and genuine. Life had brought them together in the most mundane of the ways, yet there was nothing mundane about her affection for Minjoo. “Is it too weird for you? Should I-”

“I lied.” The younger interrupted her, giving up on hiding her smile as she let her heart speak. “I don’t hate confessions! I just hate the ones I got before this one.” She smiled down at the notebook, making sure Chaewon understood what she meant. “I just feel bad because I only got you a baby cheetah plushie.”

“A…Cheetah plushie?” Chaewon’s laugh was loud, but very much relieved now. Minjoo didn’t need to say it with all the words, the bright smile on her face and the look in her eyes was more than enough – today it was brighter than the sunlight hitting the water, turning the brown in liquid gold and putting Chaewon’s heart at ease.

Of course, the tight hug she received from the girl only made it even better.

“I like plushies and I like you, so it’s perfect for me.” Chae sunk in Minjoo’s embrace, pulling her closer and not minding if the notebook she had worked hard on was now being crushed by their bodies – it didn’t matter now, she was willing to say all those things out loud everyday if it meant receiving such a smile from Minjoo always. “But I won’t mind a date, if you want to be extra kind.”

Her only reply was an airy chuckle, a very happy – and slightly teared-eyed– Minjoo holding onto her tightly as she kissed her cheeks a few times, tickling Chaewon’s skin. “Then buy me something nice now!” That was, of course, just Minjoo’s way to extend their time together and have a good excuse to hold onto Chaewon’s hand.

She didn’t need one though.

Chaewon stood up, not controlling her own grin as she held onto Minjoo’s hand tight, but instead of following her, she pulled the brunette back so she could give her a back hug. “You know, you’re the one supposed to pay today.” She said, eyes crinkling at the corners when a flushed Minjoo turned to face her – they were so close now, yet Chaewon didn’t feel nervous or worried, for the first time today she just felt like she was at the right place. “But it’s okay, our Snow White Kim Minjoo deserves only the best.” She teased, although her eyes were soft as she quickly rushed in to leave a light peck on Minjoo’s lips. It was fast, but enough to make her silly smile appear again.

Min’s eye grew wide, a smile still on her face as she hugged Chaewon back so she could risk returning the kiss – and oh, it was surely much sweeter than any cheap chocolate she ever received. Chae’s lips fit hers just right, the familiar scent of mint making it all so familiar, yet new and exciting. If her heart was happy before, it was having a party of its own now – or at least, a private one with Chaewon’s, in a moment they both would remember forever.

The sweet kiss ended up a peck, smiles exchanged as the girls pressed their foreheads together and just enjoyed each other’s presence.

Well, at least until Chaewon decided it was enough romance for now. “I will pay it as long as you can catch me first!”

Minjoo watched, baffled, as the older girl ran away as if she didn’t just kiss her like that – and made her feel all fuzzy inside, while her face was probably as red as a tomato. “Yo, Kim Chaewon!” She feigned annoyance, but her laugh could be heard as she rushed to chase the other girl through the sand, not minding if the ocean tried to reach them once in a while.

It was clumsy, impulsive and so silly and they loved every second of it.

If later when they finally arrived at home, with dirty clothes and only cheap convenience store food in their stomachs, their parents weren’t exactly happy about it, it was a small detail. After all, it was the only the first of many dates together – and this time, it would be Minjoo the one who would write about them.

‘She is a little annoying sometimes, but surely easy to love.’