It was early in the morning and Yujin was approaching the front doors of her High School, trying to wipe the sleepiness from her eyes. Suddenly, a figure slapped her shoulder. 

 

“I can’t believe you!” 

 

Yujin turned to see none other than Jiheon glaring at her. 

 

“Good morning, best friend.” Yujin yawned. “Why are you here so early?” 

 

“I had theatre practice.” She nodded down the hallway where a bunch of girls were filing out of the drama theatre. Yujin could only recognise a few faces; Ben from science class, Lachie from Japanese class and class of 22’s Korean number 4, Jihan. “Did you know that Lachie plays drums? He filled in for the drummer today because he ditched rehearsals to watch the cheerleaders practicing.” 

 

“Ah.” Yujin said. 

 

“Which brings me back to my original point.” Jiheon said. “I cannot believe you! All this time, the girl that you liked was Vicky Jang?” 

 

Yujin threw her hand over Jiheon’s mouth. 

 

“Shut up!” Yujin said. “You’re so loud!” 

 

Jiheon smiled sheepishly. “Right, my bad. I could have at least spoken in Korean.” 

 

“I’d still be able to understand you both.” A cheerful voice cut in. 

 

“And she’d be able to translate for us.” Said a third voice.

 

Jiheon chuckled. “Hi, Jihyo. Hi, Lachie.” 

 

“Jee-hee-yo. Chee-hoe. Man, I had it before!” said a fourth voice, attempting to pronounce Jihan’s Korean name. 

 

“Yes, you did.” Jihan pat Ben’s back. Then she turned to Jiheon and Yujin saying in Korean, “He definitely didn’t but at least he’s trying.” 

 

Yujin let out a giggle. 

 

“So, Yujin, how the hell did you manage to get Vicky Jang to like you?” Lachie said. “I mean, I don’t mean this offensively like you’re pretty cool but she’s… you know… she’s Vicky Jang!” 

 

“Plus, she left THE Jacob White for you!” Ben said. “I wouldn’t even leave Jacob White for Bradley Cooper!” 

 

Before Yujin could open , a voice cut in. 

 

“I like tall girls with dimples.” said the intruder, sliding in beside Yujin with a brush of the arm.

 

Yujin flinched slightly at the contact, a bewildered look on her face when she saw none other than Wonyoung next to her. 

 

“Morning.” Wonyoung hummed, her eyes crinkling as she shot Yujin her brightest smile. To be honest, Yujin was feeling a little scared in that moment, she has never seen Wonyoung smiling before. Perhaps, she was scared because the smile seemed to hide some anger behind them. 

 

“Vicky!” the group of people minus Yujin all exclaimed at various times and tones. 

 

“Do you mind if I steal her away from you all for a little bit?” 

 

Suddenly, Wonyoung reached down to entwine her fingers with Yujin, causing Yujin to flinch yet again at the contact. She glanced at their hands and gulped. 

 

“Y-yes.” Jiheon said. “Of course.” 

 

Wonyoung just flashed them a smile, perfect pearly white teeth making everyone feel as though an angel was in the room. If anyone was feeling tired at the moment, that would have been enough to energise them. 

 

However, as soon as Wonyoung and Yujin turned around, the smile instantly dropped from Wonyoung’s face and Yujin was terrified at the sudden change. 

 

“What are you thinking?” Wonyoung scrunched up her nose in disgust as she eyed Yujin up and down. 

 

“H-huh?” Yujin had to shake her head a little to try and wake herself up. Also because she was trying to recover from the whiplash of Wonyoung’s sudden change in personality. 

 

Wonyoung reached out to touch at the fabric of Yujin’s hoodie, a scrutinising eye squinting at it. 

 

“This looks terrible! First of all, this puke green color is literally from 2015 tumblr. Second of all, it looks like you’ve been wearing this thing since 1994. And third of all, you look like a complete mess!” 

 

Yujin was speechless. dropped wide open. 

 

“E-excuse me?” 

 

Wonyoung didn’t seem to be listening to Yujin, she seemed way too deep in thought. 

 

“I think I have a spare hoodie for you in my locker,” Wonyoung said, then she gestured at Yujin’s face, “as for all this… you know what? I can fix this.” 

 

Before Yujin could say a word, Wonyoung had grabbed her hand once again and pulled her down the hall and up the stairs to the second floor. 

 

“Um, can you please tell me what’s going on?” Yujin said once they reached Wonyoung’s locker and she started rummaging through. 

 

“Aha.” Wonyoung took out a cute leather jacket. “Your skirt is cute, but that hoodie just has to go. Please put this on instead.”
 

Yujin eyed the leather jacket, one eyebrow raised. Then she shrugged and did as she was told. It was a cute jacket, anyways. 

 

“I’m burning this.” Wonyoung threw Yujin’s old hoodie into the back of her locker. 

 

“Wha-” 

 

“Do you have a hair tie? You should tie your hair up into a bun.” Wonyoung said.

 

“Why? What’s wrong with my hair now?” 

 

Wonyoung scrunched up her nose in disgust, “it’s so greasy and it looks like a mess! Please, just tie it into a bun. Actually, use this scrunchie, it goes with the outfit. Now, do you have any make-up in your bag?” 

 

Yujin was in the midst of tying up her hair when she halted her actions. 

 

“Make-up?” Yujin said. “I don’t wear make-up, I’ll have you know.” 

 

“Ugh!” Wonyoung said. “At least put on some concealer on those eye bugs of yours! They’re so deep I feel like I can swim in them.” 

 

“You’re being really rude right now.” 

 

“It’s just fashion, honey. We’re making you look presentable to the wider audience. I mean, I think you look pretty cute on your own but it’s not about what I think. Everyone will be more impressed if you do all this.” 

 

“I’m sorry, I’m not good enough to impress everyone. Maybe this isn’t going to work out.” Yujin rolled her eyes. “Ah well, at least we tried. Good luck with your plan!” 

 

Wonyoung groaned. 

 

“If I didn’t think you’d be good enough to impress everyone I wouldn’t have chosen you!” Wonyoung said. 

 

“You said it’s because I was the only one who knew!” 

 

“Yes, but still, I wouldn’t have asked you if you weren’t already pretty! Now, stop arguing with me and please just put this concealer on your eye bugs. You’re lucky that we’re the same skin tone.” 

 

Yujin pursed her lips and inhaled deeply. 

 

“You’re insufferable.” Yujin murmured to herself. 

 

Wonyoung just rolled her eyes. 

 

“Okay, here’s the plan for today.” Wonyoung said while watching Yujin apply the concealer. “Listen, carefully.”
 

“Yes, I’m listening.” Yujin said, mockingly. 

 

“Today, we’re not going to do much, we’re just going to pass by each other in the hall and smile shyly and then move on with our day. At lunch, we won’t sit together but we’ll text each other and every now and again we’ll look up and smile at each other. Got it?” 

 

“Got it, boss.” 

 

“And then after school, I’ll visit you at the convenience store and post a picture of you working on my story to make it look like we were hanging out. Does that sound good?” 

 

At this point, Yujin was already done with applying the concealer and was nodding along to Wonyoung’s plan. To be honest, it didn’t sound too bad to Yujin. She could easily do that. 

 

“Do I have your phone number?” Yujin said. 

 

Wonyoung shook her head and gestured for Yujin to hand her her phone. After typing a few things she finally handed it back to Yujin. 

 

“Now you do.” 

 

Yujin looked down at the phone, seeing a text message sent from her phone to ‘Vicky Jang’ saying; you look pretty today. 

 

“You look way better.” Wonyoung said, eyeing Yujin up and down. “Alright, my work here is done. See you later!”  

 

“Where are you going?” 

 

“I’m going to finish my makeup in the bathroom, these eyebrows won’t fix themselves.” 

 

“Sure, I guess.” 

 

“Remember the plan, Yujin!” Wonyoung said while walking away. 

 

Yujin leaned against Locker 831 as she watched Wonyoung disappear into the bathrooms. 

 

As she walked back downstairs to meet with her friends, she scrolled through her phone to find the contact ‘Vicky Jang’. Then she typed a few letters. 

 

“Much better.” Yujin smiled to herself. 

 

Instead of Vicky Jang, it was now replaced with ‘Jang Wonyoungie’. 

 

“Wait, she thinks I’m pretty?”

 

……………………………………….

 

“I have no clue why you’re insisting on working today, you’re not even gonna get paid if you work."

 

“I can’t just hang out with my unnie?” 

 

Currently, Yujin was perched on the stool behind the counter, tapping her fingers impatiently on the desk. Yena was right beside her, playing a video game on her phone. Wasn’t exactly good work etiquette but Yena thought that with Yujin right next to her, she could handle things if Yena wasn’t available. 

 

“You want something. You never want to hang out with me, you hate me.” 

 

“Unnie, I’m not that whitewashed.” Yujin said. “I’m Asian! Family is important to me.” 

 

“And? Asian siblings can’t hate each other?” 

 

“Do you want me to hate you?” Yujin turned to Yena with an eyebrow raised. 

 

Yena went quiet. 

 

“No.” She said in a small voice. Her lips pouting. “You’re too cute.” 

 

Yujin rolled her eyes. 

 

“If it helps, I still think you’re annoying also you remind me of an annoying little gremlin dwarf thingy and you’re literally so disgusting you drool everywhere and when you eat food it falls out of your grotty little mouth and--” 

 

“Okay!” Yena said. “I get it! You’re such a brat.” 

 

Yujin just smiled cheekily, her head tilting into her shoulder. 

 

Just then, the door to the Asian mart opened, the sound of the bells ringing through the shop. 

 

“Wait, isn’t that the pretty girl from yesterday?” Yena whispered not so softly. 

 

Yujin just shot her a look, shushing her with a narrow of the eyes. 

 

“Nice of you to show up.” Yujin said, giving Wonyoung her fakest smile. 

 

Wonyoung returned the smile with 100% more intensity that Yujin wanted to regurgitate the mochi she ate a few minutes ago.

 

“I know you missed me.” Wonyoung said, leaning over the counter without losing her smile. 

 

Yena looked between the two of them. Then she coughed. 

 

“I’m going to take my, uh… my break. Yeah… I’m going to the staff room.” Yena said. Then she dashed around the counter and into a door beside the aisle of various Korean snacks. 

 

“Nice job at school today.” Wonyoung said when Yena had disappeared behind the door with a thud. 

 

“Back at you.” Yujin said.

 

They were indeed pretty smooth sailing at the school. 

 

Before the first class began, Yujin and Jiheon were doing their usual morning things while hanging around locker 841 and the coke machiner. However, this time Yujin made the effort to try and catch Wonyoung’s eye, who would shoot her a smile, practiced and polished for the audience that is their schoolmates. 

 

Yujin had to try not to cringe at Wonyoung’s behaviour the whole day at school. It’s just so hard to take it seriously because Wonyoung looked so fake. Yujin thought she would be the one having problems acting but Wonyoung seemed to prove her wrong. Especially at lunch when Wonyoung had laughed a little too loudly at something Yujin had texted her. (It was literally just, right now I’m texting you something funny, I guess?) Wonyoung was laughing hard but her text to Yujin only said ‘fix your face, you have to look happier!!’.

“So, what do you want to do now? Want me to pose and smile for the camera?” 

 

Wonyoung shook her head. “No, it has to be candid. Just do your working things and I’ll just sit and do my magic.” 

 

Yujin shrugged. “Alright, then. I guess I got to straighten up the shelves of the snacks.” 

 

As she left from behind the counter and made her way towards the huge piles of various potato chips and crisps and chocolate pandas and chocolate coated sticks, Wonyoung made her way to the seat Yujin was occupying before and perched on top of it. 

 

“So,” Yujin said while organising the Pepperos by their due dates, “did you just come from school?” 

 

“Yup,” Wonyoung said, popping the P, “we just had cheerleading practice.” 

 

“It feels like you have cheerleading everyday.” Yujin said. “Didn’t you have one this morning?” 

 

“We do train everyday.” Wonyoung said.” 

 

“Even in the mornings?” 

 

“Nah, that’s just because we have a competition coming up in a couple of weeks.” 

 

Yujin nodded to herself, moving onto the next flavor of Pepperos. 

 

“Hey, Yujin.” 

 

“Hmmm?” 

 

“Yujin.” 

 

“What’s up?” 

 

“Yujin.”

“What!” Yujin turned to look at Wonyoung in exasperation, only to find out that Wonyoung’s camera was on her. 

 

“Hi.” Wonyoung giggled. 

 

Yujin just raised an eyebrow at her. “Um, hi? Are you trying to take a picture of me or something?” 

 

Wonyoung just sighed, rolling her eyes at Yujin. 

 

“I was videoing you, idiot!” Wonyoung said. “You’re supposed to see I’m videoing you and smile and giggle back! It’s just how it works!” 

 

“Well, sorry!” Yujin said. “I didn’t know, I never read the handbook on how to interact with people through phone screens.” 

 

“Whatever, let’s just try again.” Wonyoung said as to which Yujin just groaned and turned back to the snacks on the shelves. 

 

“Yujin.” 

 

Yujin turned, awkwardly and dramatically, feigning surprise when she saw Wonyoung was video her. She could see Wonyoung grimacing behind the screen, her eyes shooting her a ‘what the hell?’ kind of look. 

 

“Hi.” Wonyoung let out the same giggle from before though she was still utterly confused at Yujin’s disposition. 

 

Yujin let out a forced giggle back and shot the camera an awkward smile. 

 

Wonyoung brought the camera down slowly, judgingly staring at Yujin. 

 

“On second thought,” Wonyoung said, “I’m just gonna take a picture of you working and post it with a heart or something.” 

 

“That might be better.” Yujin agreed. 

 

“Do you have a favorite color?” Wonyoung asked. 

 

“Blue.” Yujin answered without hesitation. 

 

“Alright.” Wonyoung said. She typed a few things onto her phone. “And, done.” 

 

Before Wonyoung had even uttered the words, Yujin felt her phone buzz. When she looked she saw that it was a notification from instagram saying that Vicky Jang had tagged her in her story. 

 

“You work fast.” Yujin said, opening her phone to check the story. It was just her side profile reaching into the shelf. She had to admit, she looked pretty cute. Candid, but cute. Who knew she could make such an ugly, navy-blue, apron-looking uniform seem cute? 

 

“My work here is done, then.” Wonyoung said, jumping off the stool and grabbing her gym bag from the floor. Yujin watched as she walked around the counter to try and leave. 

 

“Wait, is that it?” Yujin said. “That’s all we got to do, right?” 

 

“For now, yes.” Wonyoung said.
 

“For now?” Yujin said. “There’s more?” 

 

“Yup.” Wonyoung said. She looked to the sky as if there were a physical list of her thoughts written on the ceiling. “Next, you’re going to hug me at school, maybe hold my hand and put some chocolates in my locker and then we’ll go on a date at the mall on a Wednesday because that’s when everyone is there. Also, are you free next Thursday?” 

 

Yujin could only blink at the information Wonyoung had bombarded at her. 

 

“Wait, what?” 

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll text you all of that later.” Wonyoung said. “Just answer the question.”
 

“Y-yeah, I’m free next Thursday.”
 

“Okay, me and the girls are going to this new sushi place opening up downtown on Thursday. You’re coming with.” 

 

“I am?” 

 

“Yes.” Wonyoung said. “And then on the Saturday we’ll make it seem like we’re on a different date, this time in a more private place. I was thinking maybe hang out at your place and take pictures of us watching some movie or something.” 

 

“Oh, I can’t on that Saturday.” Yujin said. “The Korean Community is holding one of those street party things and Yena unnie and I are going and we’re meant to be manning one of the stalls. Also, we’re going to be performing there.” 

 

“I’ll pretend I’m helping at the stall with you, then! Works out perfectly.” Wonyoung said. 

 

“I guess we do need the extra help.” 

 

“I said, I’m pretending, Yujin. I’m not going to actually help.” 

 

Yujin just shrugged. “Sure, I guess.” 

 

“Great.” Wonyoung said. “I’ll talk to you later about your band for Battle of the Bands, I have a few people in mind, already.” 

 

“O-okay!” 

 

“Bye, Yujin.” 

 

And just like that, Wonyoung was out the door. 

 

“Bye, Wonyoung.” Yujin could only murmur to herself as the door closed with a little jingle of the bells. 

 

Yujin could only stare at the door in confusion. 

 

“What have I gotten myself into?” she banged her head onto the rack in front of her, her face smashing into a pack of corn chips. 

............................

 

A/N: I didn't expect I'd get the second chapter out this quickly! I've decided to split this second chapter into two parts, because it was starting to get pretty long. 

Thank you to everyone who read and commented on the last chapter! I really appreciate every one of you! I'm really excited for the rest of this fanfic, I have it all vaguely planned at the top of my head.