Dahyun and Sana enjoyed the brisk walk to the ice cream shop. The sky was still bright blue, showing signs of only a few clouds, and the sun peeked up from the white fluff.  

When they arrived to the ice cream shop, Sana ran in front of Dahyun before she could order and pay, and ordered for herself. “I’ll get a uh... a coco... nut?” Sana nodded at herself in affirmation, before glancing at Dahyun. She forgot that she didn’t know what Dahyun liked. Dahyun took this chance to . “Um, Dahyunnie, what would you like again?” 

“Guess. Order for me, unnie, I wanna see what you think I like,” Dahyun smirked, and before Sana could say anything to counter her, Dahyun was already seen walking off to find them a bench outside. Sana glared at her back as she faded farther and farther away, before slowly turning around, fixing her glare into a friend smile to the guy who was taking her order. 

The only thing Sana knew for sure, was that she liked chocolate. So, the easy answer would be to get her a chocolate ice cream, right? But what if Dahyun was tricking her, and using reverse psychology? That’d be a twist for sure, but Sana still was scepticle. She contemplated thinking out of the box and getting banana ice cream, but she stuck with the easier, probably more correct option. Double chocolate swirl. Not too simple, but not too classy. Perfect. 

“Could I also get a cone of double chocolate swirl?” Sana asked politely. The man behind the counter offered a friendly smile before dipping behind the counter to get a cone. He then scooped the ice cream onto the cone and handed it to her. Sana payed and then headed to where she saw Dahyun head out. 

Sana left the shop and looked around, the sun beating on her skin. It wasn’t hot since winter had just passed, but she worried for the ice cream, so she shielded them from the sun. She finally spotted Dahyun sitting at a table for two and brought the ice cream to her. 

When she sat down, Dahyun stared at her, then the ice cream. “Wrong,” she muttered, before looking back at Sana. 

“Wha- but I thought you liked chocolate?! Maybe I should’ve gotten you banana after all...” Sana trailed. Dahyun kept her straight face- her poker face. 

“The ice cream is fine, but I didn’t want a cone. I wanted a cup.” 

Dahyun stared at her. Sana stared back. They had a mini staring contest until Sana felt something cold drip onto her finger. “Oh, come on Dahyunnie! You’re so hard to please, I swear someday-” A loud laugh echoed and cut her off. Dahyun couldn’t hold in her poker face anymore, and she burst out laughing at Sana’s reaction. Sana continued to stare. 

“I was joking, unnie, it’s cool,” Dahyun said, holding out her hand for the ice cream. Sana’s gaze softened, and she let Dahyun take the cone. “even though I would’ve preferred a cup-” Sana snatched the cone right back, holding it up where Dahyun couldn’t reach it. 

Dahyun whined and gave Sana her best puppy eyes. Sana couldn’t resist, and eventually gave it, handing the pale girl the ice cream. What a child, she thought, but couldn’t fight back her smile. 

--- * --- 

Once the two girls had finished their ice cream, they headed back to Sana’s dorm, like Dahyun promised. 

The girls entered the dorm, jokingly shoving each other and laughing along the way. They eventually made their way to Sana’s bedroom, and they both let themselves fall onto her bed, staring at the ceiling, letting their racing hearts calm down.  

After a while of staring at the ceiling, thinking of nothing in particular, Sana couldn’t stand the silence anymore, and got out of bed. Dahyun watched her silently, wondering what she was up to. Her silent questions were answered, as Sana pulled out her laptop and connected some speakers, playing some vibe music. The music wasn’t loud, and Sana did this on purpose. She wanted to talk to the dark-haired girl, because recently, that became one of her favorite activities to do. Sana layed back down beside Dahyun, a little closer this time, and their arms barely grazed each other. 

“Dahyunnie, do you often stare at ceilings? First time?” Sana said, attempting to make a conversation. It worked. 

“Oh no, not the first time. I stare at ceilings a lot in my spare time. Sometimes you have to admire the work the people who build ceilings do. They’re pretty cool, aren’t they?” Dahyun joked. “But being real, yeah, I do stare at them a lot. They let me think about weird stuff going on in my life without feeling judged. I’d stare at the stars, but sometimes I can’t help but feel like they’re judging me. But ceilings are just... there, you know? Plain white ceilings, they’ll hear you, but they won't reply, and they won’t judge. They're cool like that,” Dahyun said, eyes trained on Sana’s ceiling. Sana stared at her in awe. Hearing Dahyun speak like this was something she’d listen to all day if she could.  

Dahyun and her shared something in common, and that was their thoughts. No, they didn’t necessarily share all of their thoughts, or think the same things at all, but they shared the fact that they thought. They could both easily stare at nothing, or just sit in bed, eyes closed when they can’t fall asleep, and just think. Thinking things is easier than doing them, and they both knew that very well. This was something Sana saw in Dahyun, and this is what made her like her even more. It’s what made her feel a connection to the girl at the start, and what made her really strive to be Dahyun’s friend. But now, Sana couldn’t help but look at things in another light. 

Dahyun. She was perfect, not just on the outside, but on the inside. She’s everything Sana’s wanted to be, and everything she’s dreamed of being. A good, caring friend. A motherly figure who cares about everyone, even for people she doesn’t know, and Dahyun showed that when she tried to help her after bumping into her when they first met, back at the hospital. How Dahyun cared for Sana ever since then, despite not knowing her situation, and despite not having a reason to care for her. She still did. And Sana loved her for that. But the thing is, did she see Dahyun as a friend? 

No, Sana knew the answer to this question. Everytime Sana was alone in her thoughts, they always managed to somehow crawl back to the pale, black-haired girl. She thought about how she was doing, she thought about asking her to hang out, she thought about the next time they’d see each other and how things would turn out. If she’d make Dahyun laugh, and what weird jokes Dahyun would crack at her just to get a chance to see Sana’s precious smile. No, Sana knew this all too well.  

Sana liked Dahyun. No, she didn’t like her. She really, really liked her. 

Sana frowned at the thought. She didn’t know Dahyun’s feelings, and if the latter didn’t feel the same, Sana would be crushed, to say the least. Sana could feel tears prick her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away, shaking her head to fully rid them. Dahyun felt the movement, and noticed the lack of a reply, so she shifted her gaze from the plain white ceiling to Sana. Sana had been subconciously staring at her the whole time, though her mind was in a frenzy, so the second her view changed to concerned, dark brown eyes and pink lips, she snapped out of it, and smiled back at Dahyun. But of course, Sana was as easy to read to Dahyun as a children’s book, so she noticed the mood change. Dahyun thought that she had made Sana upset by something she said, so she felt guilty. She didn’t want to wallow in her guilt and ruin the night, though, so she abruptly stood up.  

Sana stared her as she got out of bed, instantly standing up with her, pulling her hand into her own and interlocking their fingers. Dahyun’s whole self melted a little, and she smiled at Sana reassuringly. Dahyun slowly walked over to the laptop and turned up the music. “Do you wanna dance? I’m not the best, but I used to take lessons back in high school, and it’ll be fun if it’s with you,” Dahyun said, eyes glimmering hopefully in the dimly lit room. Sana’s mood shifted, and she instantly hugged Dahyun. 

Dahyun fell back a little in surprise, but didn’t hesitate any more to wrap her arms around Sana’s waist. The first song was more hip hop, so the two separated and started doing dumb dances, in a competition to see who could make the other laugh the hardest. Dahyun won. 

The song changed suddenly into a more jazz, slow song. The two slowed their movements, coming closer to one another, but before they could get any closer, them being only inches apart, the two couldn’t take it anymore and burst into laughter, holding their stomachs and falling to the floor. Dahyun’s poker face made Sana laugh, and Sana’s ‘faked’ flirty and sultry face made Dahyun break. 

When they finally gathered themselves, they got back up and tried dancing together for real. Dahyun’s arms s around Sana’s waist, while Sana’s wrapped around Dahyun’s neck. The two were only centimeters apart now, and were staring into each other’s eyes, wrapped up in one another's scent and presence. It was as if they were the only people on earth, and nothing else mattered. The music faded into the background, and the only thing Sana could see was Dahuyn, and Dahyun Sana. 

The two got lost in each other, and suddenly, Dahyun felt something ignite in her. It wasn’t like how she’d felt before with anyone. She felt love, of course, but she didn’t know that feeling well. She couldn’t really pinpoint what she was feeling, so she just let it happen, and let it be felt. Sana on the other hand, was nearly having a mental breakdown, hyper-aware of their closeness. 

The two were shaken out of their trances when the music suddenly switched to another hip hop song, and the two slowly backed away from the embrace. The air was yet again tense, but this time the tension was a little different. 

 Instead of one being aware of their feelings, it was two.