a/n: i had this saved on my draft since 2019, i'd intended for it to be a multi pairing loona au, but soon after i started writing i lost interest... then recently i got into sahyo and i thought it’d be nice to try this with them. it's based on chuu's kdrama dating class from tvn d story if y'all wanna check it out :)

also happy jihyo day!!! uhul

Nayeon stared at her best friend lying on the couch on the other side of their apartment. With hair all messy and kneaded clothes, Jihyo was fully engrossed in the novel she was reading, seemingly not paying attention to her roommate.

“Hyo!” the girl whined. “You agreed.”

The younger girl barely raised an eye from her task, “What’s in for me?” she asked for what felt like the one-hundredth time. They had been having that argument for over a week now, and Nayeon still didn’t seem to understand that she wasn’t interested. Maybe she should draw, Nayeon responded better to images.

“Maybe you’ll meet future Mrs. Park, and I’ll have a blast when I give a speech at your wedding as your maid of honor. I’ll say something like if it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be here celebrating, etc. You’re welcome.”

Jihyo snickered, “I highly doubt that.” She could still feel her friend’s incredulous stare from the other side of the room.

Nayeon walked to her friend and jumped atop of her, knocking the book out of the way, “Hyo, I need my best friend there to give me support.”

Jihyo looked at her, unimpressed, “You know the moment you see a pretty girl you’re going to act like I don’t even exist. I don’t see why I need to go.” She insisted.

“You said you were going. You need to keep your word!” Nayeon retorted, making it sound as if it was the most obvious thing. Which it was. “Also Jeongie already ditched me so only you can help me now.”

Jihyo rolled her eyes, pushing the girl to sit next to her, “I told you I didn’t want way before you even asked her. Why are you blackmailing me and not her?”

Her friend flopped down onto the couch next to her with an exaggerated sigh, “Because she has a solid excuse, unlike you who has way too much free time in your hands and no offense, but could use the excuse to finally find a girlfriend. I’ve never seen you in a relationship; I don’t even remember the last time you went on a date! It was definitely over six months ago.”

Jihyo gave her a dirty look as she let fall open in mock-offense, “Uh? Offense taken? It’s not my fault there’s barely a single person interesting on campus. And you know I have anything but free time to fool around. I’ve been busy,” she said, even as she felt herself flush. It wasn’t like she’s lying.

Jihyo’s too focused on pursuing her dream of becoming a professional singer. So besides college, she conciliated her time between gigs and endless practice. Dating someone only meant more work added to her life on top of all the emotional stress that comes with it, which was everything that Jihyo didn’t need right now.

Nayeon quirked her eyebrow, “Everyone’s busy; we still manage to get laid now and then,” she sent Jihyo a lascivious grin, “And I know you haven’t had any action in forever.”

Her cheeks burned even as she scoffed but didn’t refute. Nayeon’s bedroom was right in front of hers; she knew when Jihyo spent the night with anyone.

Her friend pouted, “Come on! You haven’t even gone out with me just to have fun in months. You’ve been like this ever since you came out.”

Jihyo could feel her cheeks burning annoyingly hotter as she shot Nayeon a glare, “I just don’t want to go out; it has nothing to do with my… self-discovery.”

“Yeah, well, you’re becoming a hermit. You’re laying here on a Friday night, already in some pyjama shorts, ready to… what, read all night long?” she gestured exaggeratedly toward the book on her friend’s hand before falling back against the cushion with a groan.

Jihyo rolled her eyes, “Don’t be so dramatic. And since when binge drinking my way through the weekend is better than improving my knowledge?”

Nayeon ignored her comment, “I also don’t like that you spent months in a crisis about your uality, and when you finally come to terms with being biual, you won’t even go out and give it a try.”

“I don’t need to try anything out; I already know.” That, at least, was the absolute truth.

“Well, what’s the point in stepping out of the closet if you’re too much of a chicken to go on a date with a girl?” Nayeon looked genuinely quizzical, which made the sarcastic remark die on Jihyo’s lips.

Jihyo wasn’t in the closet per se. Not after she drunkenly made out with Nayeon during a wild night out after finals last spring, which led Jihyo to spend most of the summer agonizing over her uality. She’d never thought of herself as anything other than straight before. Because she’d always liked boys and the way she felt with them. Then there had been that kiss, and she liked that, too. She’d really liked it.

So as the summer had gone on, Jihyo finally admitted to herself that she liked girls, too, but she hadn’t made a single effort actually to go and meet them. That was too scary, even for someone as brave as Park Jihyo.

Biting her lip, she admitted, “I might be scared.”

And might be, as in the idea of going out with a woman made her stomach flip-flop so intensely she thought she might vomit. It was both fear and excitement, she knew, but… still.

Nayeon gave her a sympathetic look, “That’s exactly why you need to go with me, Hyo. You’ll get to meet women who are also into women, so you won’t have to go through the trouble of finding them, which you might not know, but it’s not as easy as I make it seem,” she informed Jihyo, as seriously as if she could master, “Plus it’s a dating class, so you’ll get to practice it, so when the real deal happens you’ll be a pro.”

It wasn't that she didn't want to dip back into the dating pool... She'd often think about going out with guys because they were easier to deal with; they were always… there. Women were harder. And, well, scarier.

The class was maybe going to help her ease into it, though. It was somewhat comforting, knowing that all of these varieties of women were out there and just as not straight as she was. And maybe (potentially) possibly, interested in her. The thought of it made her heart beat a little faster.

Jihyo sighed, stretching her arms above her head, as she answered honestly, “I dunno, Nay. I don’t think I’ll be comfortable. And you–“

Nayeon launched herself on top of her friend once again to interrupt what she knew would be a long speech. She stared at Jihyo’s eyes with a pout on her lips, “Don’t overthink this, Hyo. It’ll be good for both of us, I promise. And I also promise to buy all the bulgogi you want. And mint chocolate ice cream!”

“I can afford to pay for my food, thank you very much.” Jihyo countered, trying to shove Nayeon away, but the older girl stayed in place, preventing the girl from ignoring her.

“Just try it.”

Jihyo stared at her for a brief moment before she let out a long-suffering sign giving up. And it’s not an easy thing to do because Park Jihyo’s not known for that (at least, that’s what she likes to believe).  But her roommate is too annoying, too persistent. And that day, at that moment, she has had enough. She couldn’t take it anymore, so whatever it took to make Nayeon shut up, she’s going to do it. She will, or God help her, she’ll end up murdering her roommate… and it wasn’t in Jihyo plans an one-way ticket to jail.

She closed her eyes, groaning; she’d definitely regret it later. “Fine. But only so that I can say that I tried.”

“Why don’t we sit in the back? This is totally unnecessary.”

Jihyo looked around. They were sitting in the front row, right in front of the professor’s table. It was humiliating. They seemed desperate, and Park Jihyo did not play the desperate card.

Nayeon dismissed her friend’s words, rearranging the pencils on her table. “Because we want to give the professor a good impression and pass this course.”

The younger continued looking around. It wasn’t as full as she thought it’d be, but she still couldn’t recognize anyone. And that said a lot since everyone knows most women that are also interested in women all know each other from the moment they come out, especially when there’s so little of them, but not Jihyo.

“I can’t believe you dragged me to this class.” She hissed, turning to look at her friend.

“I didn’t put a gun on your head and forced you.