A/N: Did I actually update this fic in the same month I posted it? Yes, yes I did. Achievement unlocked, .

Even more soft SoyeJin content, feat. Fitness Goddess Seo Soojin and Corgi-Legs Jeon Soyeon. (Not me yearning for someone who'd encourage me to work-out more and going on breakfast dates with them u_u)

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For all the motivation in the world (which Soyeon does have, considering that she’s going on a breakfast date with Soojin), waking up before 10AM on a weekend feels like the single, most difficult thing on Earth.

On top of that, she’s awake at eight on a Sunday morning to go jogging. A commitment she had tried once, then never pursued again.

Soyeon doesn’t know how Soojin does it. Or how she enjoys it enough to set an alarm this damn early. But when she opens the door to a nervous, yet beaming Soojin all dressed in a loose-fitting singlet that does absolutely nothing to hide her sports bra underneath and a pair of tight yoga pants, Soyeon understands how she can learn to enjoy it. (Not to mention, her golden-brown hair is tied into ponytail again. So, Soyeon can respectfully admire those well-defined shoulders up-close and her enticingly slender neck that she wants to trail kisses on.)

Holy Mother of Christ.

The captain was so caught up with other things—such as waking early to get ready on time, ignoring the spiteful voice telling her to just crawl back in bed, and now taking in the jaw-dropping sight before her—that she hadn’t really thought about how to act in front of her best friend.

Is Soyeon supposed to act friendly like she’d always been, or is she supposed to turn up the charm? Maybe flirt a little?

Also, why does she feel horrifically underdressed in her PE shirt and the joggers she used as pajamas?

“Good morning, Soyeonnie.” Soojin greets warmly, her smile growing brighter like she had just swallowed the sun. Good morning, indeed.

“Morning, Jin-Jin.” Soyeon offers back a sleepy grin, which Soojin finds utterly adorable.

Despite the energy boost she got from how good Soojin looks this morning, Soyeon’s eyelids still feel heavy with the lack of sleep. Something she blames on herself for agreeing to Yuqi and Shuhua’s Netflix marathon that lasted late into the night, until they all crashed around 4AM. Halfway through some (admittedly) interesting documentary about climate change… and cows.

Blinking slowly, Soyeon attempts to rub the tiredness away with the back of her palm as a tiny yawn slips out. Prompting Soojin to tip her head on one side as she stares amusedly at her.

“Did you just get up?” The cheerleader doesn’t try to suppress her knowing look and the small chuckle she makes when Soyeon nods lazily in response. Closing her eyes as she steps out into the hallway and locks the door behind her with a faint click. “You won’t enjoy running like this if it’s straight out of bed, you know.”

“But you said you wouldn’t drag me…” Soyeon mumbled. Her eyebrows knit together into a rare pout reserved only for Soojin, who blushes slightly while resisting the urge to just pinch her cheeks.

“Trust me, I won’t.” Soojin’s smile then softens a bit. Somewhat apologetic. “But we’re still going to jog.”

Groaning, Soyeon lets her body slump in defeat.

Soojin was completely right. She feels cold and lethargic from just rolling out of bed literally fifteen minutes ago, and she’s still in the mindset of going back to sleep with the duvet wrapped around her like a burrito.

“Yah. Don’t be like that, Soyeonnie.” Soojin whined, reaching for Soyeon’s bicep and shaking it a little. It earns her a half-hearted grunt in response. “When are you ever outside on such a beautiful Sunday morning?”

“Never.” Soyeon deadpans, but in a joking manner. She knows that Soojin will understand it. The other girl has known her for so long to take her sulky act seriously, and this is made clear when Soojin merely giggles at her apprehension. Like the pleasant sound of wind chimes ringing lightly in the summer breeze.

“Come on, you grumpy lion.” Soojin motions her head to the elevator down the hallway, beaming once more. “I’ll even show you some of my favorite spots along the way.”

Damn Seo Soojin and her innocent, romantic morning jog flirtations.

“Alright, fine… Just give me a sec.”

Soyeon plops down on her to tie her shoelaces into very tight double-knots so they wouldn’t come loose during the run and tucks them into the sides of her sneakers. Then stands back up to meet Soojin’s expression, which can only be described as smitten.

Her pretty, fox eyes have that lovestruck gaze you typically see from the couples in romance films, the high points of her marshmallow cheeks are layered in a delightful shade of pink, and her twinkling smile has turned into a shy, endearing one. Soojin couldn’t help it. Not when Soyeon had looked so gosh darn cute with the tip of her tongue sticking out as she concentrated on making sure her knots were secured.

To her credit, Soojin doesn’t once break eye-contact when their gazes aligned right after. Thinking about their Tinder conversation yesterday, Soyeon huffs. Trying to hide her own blush as she gestures for Soojin to lead the way, which brings back that picture-perfect smile on her lovely face.

Damn Seo Soojin and her irresistible charms.

“Do you mind if I listen to music while we jog?” Soojin asked when they’re standing inside the lift, airpods in hand as she plugs them into her ears. “I normally have a playlist on to motivate me.”

Soyeon flashes her an ok-sign. “Go ahead, I’m cool with it.”

Soojin smiles in thanks before opening Spotify on her phone.

Darn. I should’ve brought mine too. The captain thought to herself, but shrugged it off. She can’t be bothered with rushing up five floors just to get them, and she didn’t want to keep Soojin waiting either. Her phone is at 14% anyway since Soyeon forgot to charge it last night, so might as well maximize the heck out of it.

By the time they make it downstairs to the pavement, Soojin starts jogging already. Of course, she’s moving with great form and a quick pace. Because why wouldn’t she?

Soyeon begins to jog as well, although lagging several steps behind Soojin to see where she’s going. Partially to watch how good the cheerleader looks while running, and also because Soyeon’s short- legs of a corgi won’t grant her a speed boost to catch up with Soojin.

It’s only when she slows down a step five blocks later that the two are jogging side-by-side along the streets.

Even having moved there almost three years ago, Soyeon never really seen nor appreciated how beautiful and calm the neighborhood is on an early weekend. She just assumed that it would be like any ordinary morning, but with less people needing to be anywhere and mostly doing what she does every Sunday: sleeping to their heart’s content, and then some.

It’s weird, though. She doesn’t feel envious when thinking about her neighbors and the city folks sleeping soundly in their beds while Soyeon, in her mostly sleep-deprived state, is awake and exercising. Two things she’d never thought would be in the same sentence when describing her Sunday mornings.

The crisp air feels cooler and even fresher than it is during the other hours of the day. The streets are surprisingly quiet too. Not just of vehicles, but of people and voices. She’s only fifteen minutes into their jog, and Soyeon is positively happy that she came along (with Soojin being an added factor to make this experience all the more enjoyable, of course).

Soojin, on the other hand, is jogging—or rather, walking briskly—with ease. Soyeon is at a complete jog thanks to her corgi legs, while Soojin seems like she’s leisurely striding to the café for her morning coffee fix.

Soyeon’s been stealing glances and peeks at the cheerleader every thirty seconds or so, just because she looks stunning. She always looks stunning… but there’s something about the mellow sunlight hitting her at this angle, and the way Soyeon knows that Soojin likes her back. Something as warm as the balmy glow of the sunshine itself, and as soft as the down feathers of a fluffy blanket hugging itself around her heart.

She feels guilty, however, that her sportsy friend won’t get her usual exercise in, since Soojin isn’t even remotely jogging to accommodate the captain’s more languid haste.

Ah, screw it. Might as well.

With a deep intake of breath, Soyeon picks up the pace and Soojin matches it right away. Even then, the taller girl isn’t breaking a sweat and still has that dazzling smile on her face. The smile might have even grown too, for some odd reason.

How does she get so happy about working out harder?! The thought challenges Soyeon to move faster, her heart rate rising as her breaths become shorter and more consecutive.

This isn’t a casual jog anymore. She’s transitioning towards a full-on sprint now, and Soojin is right there beside her. Running tall with her arms at a 90-degree angle, which sway forward and backward to keep her momentum efficient.

Damn Seo Soojin and being so good at everything she does.

They’ve only exchanged a few words throughout their entire jog together. Soojin is still listening to music, and Soyeon is more preoccupied with her little sight-seeing adventure as they went further around the district’s landmarks. But for the most part, they couldn’t really speak much now that Soyeon is speeding up and losing the ability to talk coherently as she runs. Her focus goes more on regulating her breathing and jotting down a mental reminder that exercising is a horrible first-date idea.

Oh, the things you do for love…

The captain keeps constant once she’s satisfied with the pace. She can feel the sweat forming beneath the wisps and curls of silver hair sticking to her forehead. Her breaths are quick but controlled, and her entire body is warming up rapidly.

Again, it’s still (by her standards) a lot of effort—but it feels good. She feels good.

Then Soojin moves in front of her. Far enough that she has to turn her head back just to talk with Soyeon. Smiling at the shorter girl and nodding to the side, where the concrete sidewalks cut down to dirt and grass.

“You holding up okay, Soyeonnie?”

“My lungs feel like they’re gonna collapse soon. But other than that, I’m Gucci…!”

Soojin laughs that sweet, tinkling laughter of hers, and Soyeon is ready to risk it all for her best friend. Hell, she’d cross the four corners of the world if it meant hearing Soojin’s precious laugh for the rest of her life.

The distance between them is constant now. Soojin isn’t pushing Soyeon to jog faster, nor is she leaving the other girl to dust. But there’s something about the cheerleader’s enthusiasm and everlasting smile that inclines her to catch up. So, Soyeon presses forward with a burst of motivation. Matching her pace while Soojin gives a look of shock and respect. It makes her heart flutter.

When the jog becomes less uncomfortable with the increase in speed, Soojin doubles the pace. It works the same way: she pulls ahead and stays consistent until Soyeon catches up with her.

Little by little, Soyeon can feel herself really getting into it. They amp up the pace every once in a while, only ever slowing down in short moments of jogging before reverting back to a sprint. Soyeon looks around and notices that she’s never really seen this side of town, a stretch wide of trees and rich vegetation as far as the eye can see.

It doesn’t look like it’s been altered very much by human civilization. And with the speed she’s upholding, Soyeon tries to appreciate it as best as she can.

Soon enough, she can’t even pay attention to how green and healthy the trees are. Or how pretty Soojin looks this fine morning. The lush scenery is a blur, and this jog that she thought would be an easy breeze has turned into a full work-out session for her. A demanding one, at that. More so for someone who isn’t very physically active like Soyeon. Every time the captain thought she was going fast enough, Soojin would easily surpass her and she would match it.

Eventually, Soyeon can barely think of anything else. Her lungs are burning, her calves are on fire, there’s sweat dripping over her lashes then down to her chin and neck. She’s trying her damn-darndest best to center herself, to breathe through her nose, and to keep her form fluid but strong like Soojin’s.

She tries to think about all the breathing techniques she’d use during intense choreographies. But nothing is coming to her, except the flames scorching above her diaphragm.

Soyeon is about to be at her limit, and she isn’t sure of how much more her body can take.

Soojin then turns a corner again, and she follows suit as they’re running up an incline. The earth is loose, and it’s slightly hard to get some traction in. Typically, Soojin retains her full-on sprint. Not that Soyeon can appreciate how amazingly hot the cheerleader looks when she’s actually working hard just to breathe properly.

Her legs are working on adrenaline alone. Every fiber in her being is screaming at her to take a break, but she doesn’t listen. The only other time Soyeon has ever ran this fast was when she, along with Shuhua, dashed towards Tim Hortons on the last day of their “buy one, take one” promo on large-sized coffees. Soyeon doesn’t know how she’s doing this, honestly speaking. But the faster that Soojin runs, the more she wants to catch up and be at her side.

Finally, there’s one last stretch. One final push, and it’ll be home base for them. Soojin is moving like goddamn Sonic the Hedgehog, and Soyeon can barely see her with how quick she’s going as well. At this point, she’s ignoring every stop sign in her mind. She’s determined—hell-bent, if you will—to finish this alongside Soojin.

A tiny surge of energy allows her short legs to somehow accelerate even harder, putting her right next to Soojin as the latter begins to slow down.

As much as Soyeon wants to just halt in her tracks and crumple to the ground (a serious consideration), she trusts that her best friend knows what she’s doing. The captain eases up her steps in time with Soojin’s until they’ve fully stopped, then she’s swallowing thickly through a parched throat. Attempting to filter the fresh air through her nose and not in huge amounts through , while her body is bent over. Hands on her knees and her head bowed down as she tries to regain composure.

“That… was insane…” She wheezed, sounding like someone who just completed a marathon non-stop. “ing Hell…”

She lowkey wants to scold Soojin for making her come out this morning. For dragging her this far (Soojin didn’t even drag her, really. She was very patient and supportive, but Soyeon can still scold her) and egging Soyeon to run super-fast. Faster than she ever wanted or thought was physically possible of her to do, except she doesn’t.

Because when she finally wipes the sweat from her eyes and glances up at Soojin, Soyeon forgets every word she’s known and finds herself breathless for a whole different reason.

Soojin is standing with one hand on her hip, airpods gone and tucked away, while the other is clasped around a frost-blue hydro flask she has brought along. The one with those matching silicone boots that have graphics printed on them.

God, she’s such a nerd. Soyeon thinks fondly. And I’m so in love with her.

Her chest rises and falls while she’s drinking. Not nearly as heavy as Soyeon’s is, but rhythmically nonetheless. The prominent outlines of her muscles are gleaming with sweat, and her singlet is partially sticking to her damp skin and the delicate curves of her waist. But oh, that’s not even the best part.

The best part is the fact that her smile is still there when she wipes . Bright and bubbly, and vibrant like the first rays of dawn breaking across the horizon. That smile in and of itself almost makes the run completely worth it—had it also not been for the fact that Soyeon feel like she’s melting from her own body heat.

Though, it’s not just the smile’s job that made her reach this conclusion. A lot of little, but meaningful things about the run made it all worth the exertion and hassle.

Soyeon feels accomplished for simply getting Soojin to break a sweat. She didn’t think that the taller girl would be able to get a good work-out with her. And even if it’s not as hard as Soojin normally goes, she’s still sweating and breathing heavier than at rest. Soyeon calls that a win in her book.

“Next weekend,” She pants. “We…” A sharp intake of breath. “… do what I want to do. Deal?”

Tipping her head back in laughter, Soojin grins before nodding.

“Deal.” She said, not giving Soyeon the time to even feel self-conscious about already suggesting a second date.

Once Soyeon composes herself enough to speak full sentences and stand up straight when her legs don’t feel like jelly anymore, the realization dawns on her. Soojin looks exactly like she was in the selca she had sent Soyeon the other day, but better. So much better, because she’s right here with her in person. No amount of camera filters would give Soojin’s visuals the justice it deserves, nor capture her natural beauty as well as seeing it in the flesh.

Soyeon remembers what she said about Soojin looking like this along with everything she thought about, and her face heats up much more than before. For the first time, she’s thankful that her cheeks are probably too red and flustered from all the running.

“Want some?” Soojin offers her flask to Soyeon, who takes it gratefully.

“Yeah. Thanks, Jin-Jin.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Water really hits differently when it’s cold and you’re thirsty, like drinking straight out of a mountain spring after a long, grueling trek. So, it’s not surprising that Soyeon drains almost half the contents after chugging it down greedily. Unable to control herself as soon as she had taken the first, refreshing sip.

“Ah, sorry.” Soyeon wore a sheepish expression. “Didn’t realize how thirsty I was.”

Turning away from where she was gazing off, Soojin wears a smile with a reassurance on her tongue—but is shortly rendered mute by the sight before her.

Soyeon’s flushed skin gleams under the of sunlight pouring through the leaves of overarching branches above them. Basking her in a soft glow like she’s engulfed in a radiance. Stray drops of water fall from the corner of and down her slim neck, before they promptly disappear beneath the collar of her thin shirt.

Mesmerized, Soojin gulps nervously and shakes off those invasive thoughts of where those droplets might be going. Smiling once more when Soyeon hands back her flask and thanks her again in that small, adenoidal voice Soojin has grown to adore.

“Soyeon-ah, come here. I want to show you something.” Soojin gestures up the hill ahead, and she blanched.

“No, no, no. You can’t be serious.” Soyeon says incredulously, but Soojin is already walking up the slope. “H-Hey! Soojin, hold up!” She trudges forward, groaning out dramatically. “At least slow down and wait for me!”

Soojin chuckles, but listens anyway and does what she’s told until Soyeon catches up with her. Then she continues hiking up alongside the tired captain. They’re so close together that Soyeon keeps brushing against Soojin. She has no mind to precisely control her own movements right now, plus she’s not hating the contact or the way Soojin wraps her pinky around Soyeon’s when the back of their palms touched each other.

“This is my favorite spot to rest after my rounds.” Soojin spoke up, casting a glance at Soyeon who meets her gaze. “You’re the first person I’ve ever brought here. I, um, never showed this to anyone before you… Not even Miyeon-unnie or Minnie-unnie.”

A blush creeps onto their cheeks at the clear sentiment behind it. Bold and highlighted. Soojin becomes her usual, shy self, while Soyeon wants to brag to the world how special she is to be this kind of exception. To be welcomed into an aspect of her best friend’s life that nobody else has seen. It feels great.

“Can’t wait to see it then.” Soyeon is sincere.

Coming up on top of the hill, there’s an old, weathered line of fencing that prevents anyone from precariously going further and plummeting to their death from the steep drop. When they reach the wooden fence, they can see everything far beyond the distance. And the spectacular view takes Soyeon’s breath away far more than the jogging they’ve done today.

She audibly gasps at how breathtaking the vast landscape is in front of them. The large plantation below that changes into the city like a gradient of trees and buildings is so panoramic and scenic, she can’t seem to take her eyes off it.

“Oh, wow…”

Her hands touch the fence when she approaches, moving as close as possible until she’s completely pressed up against it. Soojin drapes a protective arm around Soyeon’s shoulders—ensuring that the captain is safe and stable—which spurs the butterflies into a frenzied chaos inside of her, but Soyeon can barely pay attention to them.

The woven landscape between urban and nature looks like it goes on for hundreds of miles into the horizon. The cloudless sky looks huge and endless, Soyeon makes a mental note to come back here at nighttime and trace the stars with her finger. Preferably with Soojin.

“This is so beautiful.” Soyeon whispers before turning to Soojin so she can thank her properly, only to find that the cheerleader is already staring at her. Fiercely blushing, but not breaking eye-contact. Then with the arm around her friend’s shoulders, Soojin raises her hand to slowly tuck aside a sweaty lock of platinum hair behind Soyeon’s ear.

“You’re beautiful, Soyeonnie.” The taller girl replies, her expression flooding with instant regret once she processed what was said. Soyeon cracks up with laughter at how bright red Soojin has become.

With a mirthful smile, she loops her arms around Soojin’s waist. In turn, Soojin—having placed her hydro flask on the fence post—clasps her hands loosely behind Soyeon’s neck. Their height difference is a lot more obvious now, especially when Soojin has to dip her head just to level with the shorter’s gaze.

“Thanks for bringing me here, Soojin.” Soyeon really means it. “And for getting me to hang out with you this morning. It was honestly such a fun experience, even if I still can’t feel my legs.”

Soojin laughs now too, feeling way better about the cheesy line that escaped . With Soyeon’s arms around her waist and Soojin’s hand sliding over to cup her cheek, they’re feeling so comfortable in this position. So comfortable that it just slips right out.

“Can I kiss you, Jin-Jin?”

Immediately, Soojin’s eyes widen. But she nods as calmly as she can after being asked a question she’d always wanted to hear from Soyeon.

“Yes, you can.” She breathes, full of anticipation and want.

With a toothy grin, Soyeon pushes herself up by the balls of her feet—head tilted back—and lightly presses their lips together as Soojin leans down to meet her halfway. The cheerleader is being so soft and gentle, it makes Soyeon feel like she’s walking on air. Grounded only by the touch of Soojin’s thumb as it her cheek in tiny circles, and the gracile fingers that play with the hair on her nape. A pleased shiver rolls down Soyeon’s spine in response.

When Soojin kisses her back, her lips move like the timid waves of a lake lapping shore. Soyeon kisses her friend harder while giggling against , finding Soojin to be so irresistibly cute as she pulls her closer by the waist. Drinking up the little squeak that comes with tasting the cherry on her tongue.

Once Soojin retracts from her, all pink and sparkly-eyed, Soyeon pouts. She pouts more than earlier, and even more than when Soojin was off-campus for an entire week because her pep squad had to attend some cheering competition far away in another city. Soojin then laces her fingers into Soyeon’s with a sweet smile, grabbing her hydro flask before tugging her friend along as they start heading down the hill.

“More walking?” Soyeon complains like a whiny kid. “But I want to kiss you more.”

“I-I still owe you breakfast, though…” Soojin reminds her, failing to hide her blush.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Soyeon still sounds grumpy, even though she’s about to get a free meal.

“Let’s go eat wherever you want.” Soojin suggests. “My compensation for dragging you out of bed so early just to run. It’s only fair.”

Soyeon is less sulky now, and she takes a moment to ponder on her options. “I’m feeling pretty American today. Victory and all that.” She tells Soojin, who laughs through her nose. “My favorite diner around here is open twenty-four hours. It’s close by, I think. Not a far walk at all.”

“Like, actually close by?” Soojin asked.

“Maybe. Why? Don’t tell me Miss Fitness Goddess can’t manage a short walk?” Soyeon teased while leading the way.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that same question, Soyeonnie?” Soojin’s eyes glint with playfulness, still holding onto Soyeon’s hand. “Then again… you’re not exactly a Fitness Goddess yourself.”

“You flatter me, Jin-Jin.” The captain deadpanned, rolling her eyes in a half-hearted manner. “But yeah, it’s quite close. Just outside of the park, actually.”

“Sounds good.”

As they’re walking down the streets, people begin to flock around as vehicles cruise pass to their respective destinations.

Soojin has always been a fan of mornings. No matter the time of day, her Instagram feed would have pictures of buildings glowing in the sunrise, breakfast, and people starting their daily lives across the world. There’s a newness that comes with the rising sun, like how bringing Soyeon outside to her favorite resting spot welcomed a new change to their current relationship—if that makes any sense. (Probably not, she’s not very poetic.)

They reach a café not twenty minutes later and step inside, instantly smelling scrambled eggs and fried crepes as cool, 2000s music plays in the background.

There aren’t many people besides them at this hour. A woman and her young daughter are sitting beside the window, a table of three guys are glued to their phones with looks of sheer concentration on their faces (“This dude’s a hacker, man! I swear it!”), and an elderly couple are sharing a sundae at the counter. A sundae this early in the morning? How strange.

A tired-eyed host greets them with a customary smile, telling them to sit wherever they’d like, and Soyeon guides Soojin over to a spot near the back where they settle into a two-person booth by the window. The vintage, red seats have a few cracks along them. Not so much that it’s unsightly, but it does remind Soojin of the old couch she had as a child. Little Soojin would absentmindedly peel the leather fabric off until the cushion foam was too exposed, her dad had to throw it out and replace it with a new one.

“This is my usual spot.” Soyeon says. “I come here once or twice a week, sometimes with my friends if they’re craving. I don’t even have to tell my order ‘cuz the servers have it memorized by now.”

“What do you order here, anyway?” Soojin picks up the menu Soyeon has slid her way, skimming through all of the choices.

“French toast with sweet potato fries.” Soyeon reads through her own menu, giving most of the sections a cursory glance and the salads a wide berth. “I heard that their waffles are pretty good too. Yuqi’s more of a pancake girl, but Shuhua would get two orders of their Nutella ones whenever she’s stress-eating. They also have strawberry, if you’re into that.”

“I’ll have that then.” Soojin decides, just as an equally tired waiter drops by their booth to take their orders. Seemingly unaware or uncaring of how his white uniform shirt is a bit untucked behind the red apron tied around his waist. Soyeon gets her usual, and Soojin goes for the strawberry waffles.

“I can’t believe you made me run that fast.” Soyeon pipes up once the waiter leaves, shaking her head.

“Soyeonnie… We’re best friends, right?” Soojin spoke in a semi-serious tone.

Soyeon her head to one side, eyebrows furrowed, then nods. “Totally, of course. What’s up?”

Soojin takes a deep breath, grabbing Soyeon’s smaller hands and fitting them so perfectly in hers. “I really, honest to God, did not expect that you were going to work-out with me today.”

“Way to woo me with words, Seo Soojin.” Soyeon rolls her eyes again, though she smiles easily.

“No, I’m serious! I didn’t think I was going to push myself as hard as I normally do.” Soojin admits in disbelief, giving Soyeon’s hands a gentle squeeze before releasing them. “I’m sorry, I meant that as a compliment… I just—I know you’re not a very active person, but I’m really proud of you. Honestly. You did a great job keeping up with me.”

The captain turns rosy at the praise.

“Well, thanks for motivating me to run so fast.” She said, kind of unsure if that’s something she actually wants to be thanking Soojin for. Because damn, her whole body was on fire. “I don’t think I’ve ran that fast in my entire life. Like… ever.”

“That’s amazing, Soyeon.” Soojin beamed, her tone earnest.

Despite the nickname convention they have going on between them, she’s called Soyeon by her given name plenty of times over the past years of their friendship. But this time just feels so different. So genuine, so loving, so… intimate.

“T-Thanks.” Soyeon repeats, inhaling sharply to cool the warmth that’s spreading on her cheeks.

The waiter eventually returns with their drinks—iced mocha for Soojin, and vanilla milkshake for Soyeon. He hands a plate of waffles topped with whipped cream and fresh-cut strawberries to Soojin, then places sweet potato fries and French toast in front of Soyeon. They thank him, and he bows his head politely before tending to the next patrons who’ve just entered the warm diner.

“How’s your food, Jin-Jin?” Soyeon taps on the edge of her plate with a fork.

“I haven’t had waffles in so long, but this is pretty perfect.” Soojin motions at the dish with her knife. “Do you want some?”

“Sure.” The captain carves herself a piece of waffle with a slice of fruit and then chews it, nodding her head in approval. “Oh, yeah. This is good… Guess I should change it up and order that next time.”

A giggle. “As you should.”

They eat their meals in comfortable silence, save for the light scraping of their utensils against ceramic and the occasional sips from their straws. Soyeon feeds Soojin a few bites of her French toast and shares the potato fries with her. It’s a pleasant meal, in a pleasant ambience, with pleasant company. To the both of them, it’s a perfect date.

“So, uh… How long have you liked me?”

The question sounds so childish when it leaves . It feels so sudden and out-of-blue compared to their previous topics, but it’s been on Soyeon’s mind ever since they had matched.

“Erm… for a while now…” Soojin mumbles, stirring her mocha with the straw and not looking directly into Soyeon’s eyes. “Like halfway through our first year in senior high, when I reminded you about the long test you’ve completely forgotten about that week. But I remembered it and told you because I knew you’d lose track of school work sometimes…”

She shyly peers up beneath her lashes to find Soyeon smiling softly at her. It makes her insides squirm a bit, but in a good way. A very good way. “What about you?”

“Since the moment I laid eyes on you.” Soyeon winks, smooth like the fluffy cream on her waffles.

“Soyeonnie…” Soojin whined. “Be serious.”

“I am serious, Jin-Jin. You walked into my classroom the first day and I was like holy , what a babe! Then when our teacher asked you to introduce yourself in front of the class, you were literally speaking in small font. I knew from that moment, I was in trouble. No cap.”

Soyeon confessed, heart-eyed and lovestruck, which doesn’t do wonders for poor, beet-red Soojin.

“And on that week of the long test? I thanked God to Heaven and beyond that I was so forgetful about those stuff, because it gave me an excuse to talk to you more by asking for reminders. It was a stepping point for me to pursue something with you, even if it’s just friendship.”

“Why didn’t you say anything then?”

“I don’t know. Why didn’t you?” Soyeon challenged with a smirk.

“Okay, fine. You got me.” Soojin laughs, clearly entertained as she raises her hands in surrender. “Well played, Jeon. Well played.”

“Damn right.” Soyeon takes a sip of her milkshake and grins around the straw.

“I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m just glad that we’re finally here now, from…” Soojin drags out the pause as if she was embarrassed to say what’s next. “… Tinder.”

Ah, —Soyeon has to slap a hand over to muffle the noise bubbling in . That’s how much of a surprise her laugh is.

“Why were you on Tinder, anyway?” Soojin presses on, eager to move past her initial hesitation and shyness. “Just dating around? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with a date or anything before…”

“It’s just for fun.” Soyeon nonchalantly shrugged.

“For fun?”

“Yeah. I mean… I liked seeing who I’d match with or not, and it was fun looking through profiles and chatting up some rando people with bad, cringey bios. But I didn’t want to date any of them, you know? I was too busy crushing on my best friend and falling in love with her.”

Soojin’s heart feels like soaring out of her chest, the whites of her teeth showing as she smiles from ear-to-ear. Words cannot accurately describe the stark happiness that’s pounding between her ribs, or how badly she wants to kiss the absolute daylights out of the captain. Her captain.

Seems like Minnie called it from the start.

She then explains to Soyeon exactly how and why she got Tinder, and the shorter laughs at the fact that Minnie and Miyeon goaded her into using the app to “seemingly” get over Soyeon. But in an ironic twist of events, Tinder is the exact reason why they’re together now. Amusing, in its own right.

“You should try calling them later to say thank you.” Soyeon mentions with a hearty chuckle. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here eating breakfast today. Or, you know… going out next weekend either.”

The cheerleader has loved being best friends with Soyeon. It’s been one of the most fulfilling, cherished parts of her life. Their relationship is something that she wouldn’t trade for the world. Soojin trusts her completely and knows she can always count on the other girl for anything. Soyeon is kind, considerate, selfless, reliable, and understanding. But there’s nothing like the way that Soyeon made her feel today. And the time that they’ve spent together feels the same, but just better. Closer.

“I can’t wait to see what we’re doing next weekend.” Soojin smiles at the thought of just seeing Soyeon again on a date like this one.

“It’s a surprise, Jin-Jin.” Soyeon winks again.

“It’ll be better than jogging at eight in the morning, I’m sure.” Soojin tittered.

“How do you know it won’t be worse to punish you for that?”

“Because you had a good time this morning, Soyeonnie. Even the whole running part.” The taller girl wore a smug expression at this, which has Soyeon letting out a scoff even though she’s totally ing right.

“Alright, alright. Whatever boosts your ego, Miss Fitness Goddess.” Soyeon humored, folding her arms atop the table and leaning slightly in her seat with a smile adorned on her face. “Will you be kissing me more next weekend?”

Soojin’s reaction is a delightful mix of shock and giddiness. She rests her chin in one hand and mulls over it, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. The lack of instant agreement causes Soyeon to pout for the third time today. A brand-new record.

“We’ll just have to see next weekend then.” Soojin ends up saying instead, coy and jesting.

“What about today? Will you kiss me more today?” Soyeon asked, opting to push her luck with the already flirty vixen in front of her.

Before she even realized it, Soojin gets up enough to lean forward. Running her fingers along Soyeon’s sharp jawline and bringing her face closer until she can kiss Soyeon softly across the table. Soojin lets the kiss linger for a few beats before finally withdrawing.

“Yes.” She exhales, her breath brushing gently against Soyeon’s parted lips. “Yes, I will.”

Somehow, this small kiss takes the captain’s breath away more than the view and the running combined.

It blows Soyeon’s mind that she’s lucky enough to be sitting here with Soojin right now, all because of their silly interactions with Tinder that weren’t even meant for dating.

Now, she’s here after a jog on a Sunday morning. Kissing her best friend from across a diner table as they’re having breakfast together. But—more importantly—next weekend, Soyeon would be with Soojin to do something of her choice. And, even more importantly than that, Soojin wants to keep seeing her and going on dates with her. How much luckier can a girl get?

The thought of these weekend dates becoming a regular occurrence crosses Soyeon’s mind, and it causes her heart to flutter like crazy. Very quickly, she’s already planning on what dates to have with Soojin on Saturday nights, Tuesday after practice, and Friday after classes.

But for now, Soyeon just can’t wait for next weekend to roll in.