//

 

it's summer. the heat is stifling, the morning sun rays peeking from the broad windows of the train is sweltering. the air-conditioning isn't doing a very good job at keeping the train cool, and to top that, some people are obnoxious when it comes to space. 

 

and even then, jung wheein's gaze on her is bleak, sending chills crawling down byulyi's spine. byulyi clears and defeatedly retracts her hand which had been waving at wheein slowly, embarrassingly shoving them in her pocket. the stoic girl finally breaks her chilling gaze and shifts her eyes back to her book in hand, byulyi hadn't caught the title but she's assuming it's got to be interesting if wheein is immersed. 

 

byulyi hears a choked laugh and instantly digs her elbow into an unlucky set of ribs. beside her, sandeul holds back a painful groan, puffing his cheeks as he throws a glare towards his ruthless best friend. he'll get back at byulyi later. 

 

"why do you even bother? that girl will never open for anyone." sandeul says in a low murmur, sneaking glances at the jung wheein, the girl in their class who barely speaks. many mistook her for being mute at first but the said girl just doesn't talk.

 

sandeul shakes his head just thinking about the many times byulyi had tried to get wheein's attention but to no avail. 

 

byulyi doesn't reply immediately. she lets her eyes rest on wheein instead, daintily settled on a seat with a book in the grasp of her pretty little fingers. jung wheein is attractive, has always been, but right now with the golden rays splashed upon her figure, byulyi only has one thought in mind which she can't get out of her head for the rest of the ride.

 

sunkissed wheein is mesmerizing.

 

-

 

byulyi doesn't think that wheein abhors anyone, she doesn't know why her classmates are adamant on that. sure, the girl looks at everyone who tries to talk her like they're mere pests, doesn't bother to spare a glance even, has the presence of an infamous deity who brings about trepidation- oh...

 

byulyi sort of understands where her classmates are coming from. but that doesn't change the fact that maybe, just maybe wheein is super introverted and extremely shy that her coping mechanism just happens to be intimidating everyone...?

 

"let's see... jung wheein," their chemistry teacher is one of a kind, byulyi thinks. that's because she has noticed that most of their teachers of other subjects would avoid calling wheein. now... byulyi isn't wheein, but she takes full offense when teachers do that, because it makes them look like they hold some sort of resentment for wheein just because she talks less. byulyi would roll her eyes when it happens.

 

"can you please tell me how does one test for the presence of oxygen? the rest of you, keep your ears peeled, i'll be calling names to state chemical reaction tests." he gives a pointed look across the classroom, thick brows creasing like a crumpled old bill. 

 

"he always has that look, don't you think his 43 face muscles ever get tired?" sandeul leans over from behind her to whisper, chuckling in his seat.

 

"maybe that's why his face resembles dwayne johnson... huh." 

 

"shut it." like a movie that's about to start, byulyi swiftly hushes him and places all her attention to jung wheein.

 

all eyes turned to her, peering at the girl who's gained quite a reputation for barely talking. wheein calmly stands in her place and it feels like everyone is waiting for something like magic to happen. it's one of those days where wheein would have no choice but to voice out as per requested by a teacher. 

 

"light a splint and blow out the flame to get a glowing splint, place it in a tube of sample gas. if the splint rekindles, oxygen is present." wheein speaks with a breeze, her voice silvery and unfaltering. 

 

it's spellbounding when wheein speaks, her voice resonates in byulyi's ears like a bewitching concoction. byulyi's mouth hung agape hearing wheein's voice. if you were to put a glowing splint in byulyi's mouth, it would never rekindle, because jung wheein took all the oxygen out of her lungs. (it's actually because she exhales carbon dioxide but let's just leave it at that.)

 

the room goes deafly silent for a moment until their chemistry teacher gives wheein a mini round of applause, clearly pleased with her answer.

 

"finally, someone who pays attention. thank you wheein, you may sit." he smiles with satisfaction, wheein sits down with ease.

 

byulyi feels a few rapid taps on her shoulder, causing her lips to twitch. annoying.

 

"that was the most she talked... for the week." sandeul gruffly whispers, surprise evident in his tone.

 

"i said shut it...!" byulyi turns to give sandeul a well-deserved punch on his shoulder.

 

"that hurts, you !" sandeul returns the punch without hesitation this time.

 

"you-" before the two could engage in a full-out brawl mid-class, the sound of a textbook snapping shut loudly returns their attention to the front. 

 

"moon byulyi," 

 

"yes! s-sir?" why am i the only target?! byulyi internally screams, miffed because she could literally sense sandeul's smug smirking in his seat. she stands up guiltily, face flushed. sometimes she wishes wheein isn't here to witness her embarrassing moments, not like she bothered to look back anyway.

 

"i assume you've memorised the steps to all of the chemical tests since you were busy talking away?" he arches a brow, impatient.

 

"uh no-"

 

"please enlighten me about the test for reducing agents, will you?" 

 

byulyi opens , eyes darting around the room as if searching for help. 

 

"my answer..." she trails off, an index finger raised.

 

"well?" 

 

"...will take about five to seven business days unfortunately." she nervously laughs it off dryly. at least her classmates found it funny, their laughter ringing throughout the room.

 

"so will your detention if you keep this up." he sighs into his textbook, looking at his wristwatch. 

 

"sit down, moon. i'll let you go only because that was amusing. please do pay attention from now on."

 

"yes sir."

 

byulyi sits down hastily. it might've been her imagination, but she swore she caught a glimpse of wheein's lips curling up slightly before she gazed out the window.

 

-

 

they had badminton for gym class, byulyi's forte. the substitute teacher is merciful, letting them play at their own pace. it hits byulyi that everyone needed a partner to play with, and usually for wheein it meant...

 

"the hell you waiting for? go play with her." sandeul nudges her, grinning cheekily. 

 

byulyi smiles at him gratefully, sandeul can be annoying to hell and back, but he's always been supportive. byulyi begins to jog away, but not before promising to treat him to a snack next lunch. 

 

the shuttlecock bounces off wheein's feet, she wouldn't have to participate if it weren't for the subsitute. wheein releases a long sigh, she only wants to go home and spend the rest of the day with ggomo. just as she bends down to pick up the shuttlecock, another hand beats her to it. when wheein looks up, it's none other than the owner of those cheek dimples, moon byulyi.

 

she doesn't speak, as always, standing up straight as their eyes meet. there's a twinkle in byulyi's eyes, but the brunette doesn't say a word either. wheein watches with curiosity as byulyi makes her way to the other end of the court, going under the net.

 

when byulyi turns to face her, she's already smiling. wheein doesn't understand why and what was the reason for such a broad smile, but she relents and nods as byulyi signals that she's serving.

 

it's kind of endearing seeing the sparks in byulyi's eyes every time she returns the shuttlecock. byulyi doesn't stop smiling the entire time they played either. 

 

wheein doesn't mind.

 

-

 

wheein huffs, head tilting back as she inhales deeply, catching her breath after the rally. it's a first, sweating and participating in gym class. she's surprised at herself because she doesn't feel like for the first time in her school life. 

 

now that they've been dismissed back to class, wheein starts to trudge back. but there was a tap on her shoulder and she halts, whipping back with a frown. her face contorts in genuine surprise when she sees a bottle of iced water being offered to her.

 

it's moon byulyi again, standing there rather awkwardly with scarlet painted cheeks (which wheein isn't sure if they were from the session earlier or something else, she wouldn't know anyway). 

 

noticing wheein's questioning look, byulyi shrugs, a little smile on her lips.

 

"thought you'd be thirsty. i enjoyed it, the rally earlier i mean... you play well." byulyi says, her voice coming out timid although she tried to sound clear and confident. wheein doesn't comment on it.

 

she takes the bottle in hand and dips her head a little.

 

"thanks." wheein responds curtly, but it was enough to draw that huge grin on byulyi's lips again. wheein still doesn't understand.

 

"no problem!" byulyi replies a little too enthusiastically, but it doesn't bother wheein.

 

neither said anything, but they ended up walking back to class side by side in comfortable silence. 

 

-

 

unexpectedly, it's a relatively cool morning today. byulyi thinks the air-conditioning is a little too strong in the train. the cold gets to her head and she yawns. before she could even come to a realisation that she had forgotten to cover , she locks eyes with wheein who happened to be standing a few metres away from her. byulyi's eyes widen and she immediately turns away. 

 

in her head, she's screaming at herself, drowning in embarrassment just thinking about  wheein who probably saw her uvula. 

 

she rubs her face, oh god...

 

just when she wanted wheein to see her good sides too.

 

-

 

it's no secret that jung wheein is crazy talented in the arts. she represented their school a few times, winning competition after competition as if she was made for them. jung wheein is an intellect, a star student and an incredible artist. so imagine the look on byulyi's face when she finds out that wheein's talent just doesn't end there.

 

she hadn't meant to be a creep, really. byulyi was casually strolling around the corridors of the upper level during lunch to kill time, until she heard the subtle sound of piano keys. that wasn't the main thing that attracted her to the music room, it was the honey voice that followed up that had her ears perked, eager to tune in.

 

"this voice sounds familiar..." byulyi murmurs to herself, tiptoeing closer to the door. it wasn't fully shut, there was an inch of space for byulyi to see through.

 

curiosity consumed her and she took a peek without much thought. when she did, her eyes almost fell out of their sockets and her knees almost gave in. she covered to prevent any noises from coming out. jung wheein is right there by the grand piano, hands gliding across black and white keys like the flow of water and voice as sweet as honey.

 

it was an unfamiliar slow song she's singing to but byulyi's enthralled, enamoured by the beauty that is jung wheein.

 

"god is definitely a woman..." she unconsciously mumbles under her breath.

 

byulyi doesn't know how long she's been watching until the bell abruptly rings, making her flinch. wheein stopped too, standing and ready to leave. what byulyi wasn't prepared for was when wheein turned her head to catch her gaze. she starts to wonder if wheein has a sixth sense.

 

panic-stricken, byulyi scrambles away from the door and collides back against the lockers, heart palpitating wildly like there was a stampede contained within her ribs.

 

"holy ..." her breathing starts to get ragged. not only was she caught, byulyi also came to a realisation as she starts to sprint back to class.

 

-

 

"i think i'm in love."

 

"you're 17, shut up."

 

all because of jung wheein's mellifluous vocals.

 

-

 

the next morning, byulyi warily gets on the train. she keeps her eyes peeled for a certain jung. and when byulyi spots her, wheein is leaning in a corner with folded arms, airpods in her ears and her head dipped. the girl looks a little dazed, probably because of the early hours, when the sun just started to rise from the horizon.  

 

byulyi tightens her grip on the pole she's grabbing, feeling tighten merely at the sight of wheein. she's aware of how smitten she is, but she's really starting to think her attraction to jung wheein goes beyond that. especially after the incident yesterday.

 

believe her when she says that she couldn't get wheein's melodious voice out of her head the whole day after. it's etched in her mind even now, and she desperately wants to hear more of it.

 

byulyi bites her lip, it's obvious that wheein had been singing in the music room in secret and probably didn't want anyone to know since her voice is barely heard. she realises that she could've possibly— accidentally, intruded wheein's privacy, because why else would she disappear during breaks and spend time singing alone? byulyi would want to hear more of her if she could, but god knows if wheein would want her to. for all she knows, wheein probably dislikes her after accidentally indulging in her secret.

 

byulyi grimaces, she remembers wheein's piercing stare yesterday and her heart clenches. the cabin trembles a little and byulyi almost loses her footing. she grumbles, it's the norm but she never manages to get used to it. 

 

when she lifts her head, she hadn't meant for eye contact, it just so happened that wheein was already looking back at her with an unreadable but firm gaze. 

 

byulyi didn't know what got into her at that time, but the eye contact must have affected her so greatly that she instantly whirls around and speedwalks to the next cabin, squeezing through the merciless crowd.

 

anywhere but jung wheein's line of sight. 

 

byulyi does the same the next mornings. 

 

-

 

as much as byulyi tries to avoid wheein, she knows that she could only do so much. she figures she's dumb, because jung wheein is her literal classmate and if she ever tries to avoid her, she would still have to see her at another time of the day. 

 

it's lunch. sandeul's a piece of who decides that it was best to abandon her and take the day off because he's 'feeling under the weather'. he's probably out at the arcade they frequent to, trying out the new machines they've brought in. 

 

"damn it, maybe i should've skipped the day too." byulyi sighs in annoyance and pockets her phone.

 

a part of her wanted to sneak to the music room again, just to get a glimpse of wheein and her captivating honey vocals. another part of her tells her to get rid of the thought, it's already enough that wheein might think i'm a creep and on top of that, she definitely hates me- but it's not like i meant to listen in- okay maybe i did but i never knew it was her and how could i not stay and listen?! her voice was so majestic i just-

 

"ow! , sorry are you-" lost in her inner turmoil, byulyi made a mistake of not looking straight as she walked, hence stupidly bumping into another student,"...okay..." which somehow also happened to be-

 

"wheein..." byulyi mutters out her name subconsiously. with that, wheein raises her head upon her name being called, stopping her in the process of picking up her fallen books which she borrowed from the library. it occurs to byulyi that she hadn't been in the music room today.

 

byulyi becomes rigid for a moment, lost in wheein's dark brown orbs— enigmatic yet enchanting. this moment only happens in the books she's read, and suddenly she wants to take back whatever complaints and insults she has said about this type of scene not being real.

 

the bell sounds, signifying the end of lunch just like that. internally she scowls, byulyi is starting to believe that it has something against the two of them sharing a moment (can she even call it that if it's one sided?). nonetheless, it snapped her back to reality and she squats down quickly to lend wheein a helping hand. 

 

so much for avoiding her.

 

but that doesn't stop her caring side from showing.

 

"are you alright? you hurt anywhere?" byulyi asks as they both rise, it was quite the collision, and she blames herself for not paying attention.

 

wheein clutches her books against her chest, eyes looking everywhere but byulyi. it tugged at byulyi's heart, great now she hates me more.

 

"i'm fine." she gives byulyi a curt nod before striding away. 

 

byulyi could only watch her retreating figure, lips pursed. she whines and clutches her head,"why do i have to be such a ..."

 

she should have really skipped school.

 

-

 

byulyi is displeased. 

 

first, wheein hates her. second, wheein definitely hates her. third, there's a sunshower and she despises the rain. she taps her foot impatiently, glaring up at the sky which was crying in broad daylight. she doesn't have the mood to take out her umbrella. there was even a contemplation of just sprinting to the train station, except it's quite a walk from her school and byulyi does not want to feel like garbage the next day and take the risk of falling ill. 

 

she ruffles her hair in exasperation and decides to it up, aggressively pulling out her umbrella and ventures out in the sultry wet weather.

 

-

 

it's when byulyi is halfway to the train station that she spots someone familiar standing at a veranda of a random shop. her luck is unbelievable today, because it's jung wheein once again.

 

but this time, she pushes the cowardly feeling aside and prioritises wheein's state at hand. the girl was drenched from head to toe, wheein probably sought shelter after the downpour unexpectedly became torrential. what alarmed byulyi even more is that wheein is exposed, her damp white summer uniform is going to affect her dignity if byulyi doesn't do anything about it.

 

so she jogs towards wheein with the firm intent to protect her at all costs. 

 

"hey," wheein flinches in shock when byulyi appears beside her without warning.

 

byulyi smiles apologetically, shoving her umbrella into wheein's hand who then looks at her weirdly. 

 

"sorry hold on for a sec." although confused, wheein does as told, gripping the umbrella with both hands and watches byulyi with a furrowed brow.

 

byulyi digs into her backpack hastily and sighs in relief when she finds her track jacket sitting at the very bottom, fishing it out before gesturing it towards wheein who realises her intent.

 

"you don't have to..." wheein tries to decline but byulyi isn't having it.

 

"i know but it's just that your uniform's not doing a good job at protecting you so i have to. people can be revolting sometimes you know?" byulyi offers her a kind smile, and wheein feels nothing but sincerity.

 

so she accepts the thoughtful gesture and wears the jacket carefully, byulyi taking back her umbrella. it's a little big on her but it'll do. wheein takes a glance at byulyi and realises that she has her blazer on so she concludes she was fine. byulyi notices and chuckles, raising her arms.

 

"luckily, i happen to be wearing the blazer." 

 

wheein smiles at her, and even if it was just a little, it makes byulyi's inside churn ecstatically in the most chaotic way possible. 

 

that's a first, jung wheein smiling at her.

 

they stood in silence for a while, unsure of what's next and eyes roaming the busy damp streets. byulyi tugs the hem of her blazer, head filled with uncertainty because she's probably going to regret asking what she had been wanting to for the last five minutes.

 

she scratches her nape, taking a deep breath before getting the words out of .

 

"do you... maybe, i don't know... want to walk together? i mean, if you want to that is... it's just that the rain's gotten heavier and you don't have an umbrella but i can lend it to you since you live a little further and you can return my jacket anytime no rush-"

 

"hey," wheein places a gentle hand on her shoulder, and byulyi stops her rambling in an instant, blinded by the smile gracing wheein's lips. 

 

having wheein close, byulyi gets to have a better look at the mole under her eye and she finds it so charming. her words are stuck in and she's mentally cursing because jung wheein is so, so pretty. wheein's hand on her shoulder is a pleasant warmth, her lips curved upwards is benign. 

 

"i'd appreciate it, a lot." wheein finally says.

 

and byulyi looks a little lost for a moment, until she realises that wheein was referring to her offer to walk to their destination together. 

 

she pulls her lips between her teeth, resisting the urge to grin. so she opens her umbrella and steps out into the rain, and wheein joins her soon after, the two under the little shield which just barely protects them.

 

byulyi shoves her free hand in her skirt pocket, not wanting to cause any mini accidents as they walk, doesn't want wheein to be uncomfortable due to accidental skinship.

 

she shifts the umbrella a little closer to wheein as subtly as possible when she notices that wheein's shoulder was exposed to the rain. but wheein has always been sharp. 

 

she takes a gander at byulyi and deliberately holds the handle just above byulyi's hand and adjusts the umbrella so it covered them equally. now both their shoulders share the same fate of getting drenched, byulyi didn't mind though, neither did wheein.

 

-

 

they boarded the train with soaked shoes, leaving a wet trail behind as if they were snails. it's a little chilly in the train but byulyi figures she couldn't be anymore colder than wheein who's still drenched. she just hopes her jacket helps wheein to warm up a bit. her long ebony strands are damp, there's a bit of water trickling from the tips of her hair, and some of her baby hair is sticking to the sides of her face.

 

i hope she doesn't catch a cold. byulyi's brows crease with worry.

 

as if worrying about wheein possibly catching a cold wasn't enough, byulyi catches a boy around their age blantantly leering at wheein from the seat in front of them. she clicks her tongue in discontent and proceeds to zip up the jacket a little too aggressively, completely veiling wheein's wet uniform. it catches wheein by surprise but she eventually comprehends the situation. 

 

when the guy frowns at her gesture, byulyi engages him in an intense staring contest. if looks could kill, that erted boy would've been her first victim.

 

ugh, hormonal s. 

 

wheein is relieved, finds it amusing when the boy ultimately gives in and looks away in discomfort, daunted by byulyi's unwavering glower upon him. byulyi's been nothing but kind and thoughtful to her, a little protective but wheein is all the more grateful.

 

truth be told, byulyi expected a silent ride all the way home. though it seems that wheein has other plans and she engages her in small talk. not that byulyi is complaining, she's actually so blissful because wheein is slowly opening up to her. in a way, she feels special.

 

"sorry." byulyi apologises mid conversation when the train shakes, bumping shoulders with wheein. 

 

her apology made wheein brought up a thought she couldn't let go of recently. she looks up at byulyi with furrowed brows, eyes laced with a hint of concern. 

 

"have i done something wrong to upset you?" wheein's voice was timid and a little troubled, byulyi is quick to deny her words.

 

if anyone did something wrong, it really should've been her. she couldn't even believe wheein came up with such a thought. 

 

"eh? what- no!" 

 

"you've been avoiding me."

 

byulyi gapes, it finaly registered to her that wheein was actually keeping track of her behaviour towards her. 

 

"that- oh... ah that..." byulyi shifts nervously in place, ears searing.

 

"look, the other day you caught me listening in. i'm sorry, i didn't mean to intrude. i thought you would hate me for it so i kinda... got cowardly... and avoided you." byulyi toys with her bangs anxiously as she speaks the embarrassing truth.

 

strangely, wheein doesn't give off any negative reaction. she only smiles at her, byulyi doesn't know if she is even worthy of such blessing.

 

"that's alright," wheein says, hugging herself. byulyi's jacket is warm, and it smells a lot like lavender. "if it's you, i don't mind." 

 

byulyi is in utter disbelief. "you... don't hate me?"

 

"i never did." wheein chuckles lightly, pushing a few strands behind her ears. "i thought you hated me."

 

byulyi clutches her chest, a little upset wheein had thought so but there was also a huge weight off her shoulders.

 

"woah, i could never." she breathes.

 

they exchanged shy smiles, finding their situation interesting. then byulyi's phone vibrates in her pocket, the latter swiftly picks up the call. she tries to ignore the way wheein is openly staring at her as she takes the call. 

 

"hey mom, yeah i'm on the way home. yes i brought my umbrella, i'm in the train now. i'm..." she steals a glance at wheein. "...with a friend. sure mom, i'll be home in time for early dinner."

 

wheein nods in acknowledgement when byulyi informs her that it was her mother. a sudden thought appeared in byulyi's head, she soon realises that wheein probably resides somewhere further away. after all, byulyi is always the first to alight the train between the two of them. 

 

this is another crazy offer. am i coming off too strong? byulyi just can't help that she's too kind. 

 

"wheein, your house... it's further right?" byulyi points out, eyes analysing the station board above their heads.

 

"yeah, why?" wheein tilts her head, perplexed.

 

byulyi feigns a cough, struggling to open for a few seconds. just how many times has she turned red today? 

 

"i was just thinking if you... i'm not comfortable leaving you like this so i thought-" her hands were a mess of gestures, but wheein eases her yet again by gently grabbing one of her hands. at once, byulyi stops. does wheein even realise the power she has over her?

 

"yes, i'll come to your house and dry up, byulyi." wheein agrees even before byulyi could get it out, quick to catch on her intentions.

 

"oh. that's... that's great. i mean, don't misunderstand, uh... oh god, i'll just zip my mouth." byulyi remains still, smacks her lips tightly shut.

 

then there was wheein giggling beside her.

 

"you ramble a lot." 

 

"yeah... i tend to do that when i'm nervous."

 

"it's... endearing." it was hard to hear, wheein spoke so softly but byulyi was so certain she heard exactly what she thought wheein had said.

 

"i'm sorry? did you just say ende-"

 

wheein doesn't even give her time to finish and drags byulyi out the train.

 

"we're here."

 

it hits byulyi like a truck, she even knows my stop?!

 

-

 

after battling through the rain for another ten minutes, they've finally arrived at byulyi's door step. byulyi enters the passcode and in they went.

 

"welcome to my humble abode i guess?" she holds the door open for wheein to enter first. 

 

there's a bit of pride in byulyi when wheein looks around with a glint of amazement in her eyes. then came the sound of tiny rushing steps from her room, byulyi instantly breaks into a huge grin.

 

her beloved dog comes sprinting towards her, an everyday scene when she comes back from school without fail. 

 

"janggu! i missed you too, even though i see you everyday." byulyi laughs out loud as janggu peppers her with kisses. wheein watches them with a gentle gaze.

 

"you have a dog." she states the obvious, smiling when janggu briefly circles around her.

 

"yeah, cute no?" byulyi proudly puffs her chest.

 

wheein hums, opting to look at byulyi. "very." 

 

and then byulyi is flustered all over again.

 

"byul-ah, who's that? a new friend?" her mom comes out from the kitchen, expression turning bright when she sees a newcomer.

 

"yep, mom this is wheein. wheein, mom." 

 

byulyi can already feel the embarrassment coming. she almost palms her face with how blatant her mother was with wheein.

 

"oh~ she's a beauty. and you're drenched!" for no reason whatsoever, byulyi had to take a slap on the back from her mom. as if she was the reason wheein was drenched in the first place. "byulyi take her to your room and give her set of new clothes please. i'll prepare the bath for her." 

 

"th-the bath?" byulyi stutters, panicking once again. 

 

while it was true that she took wheein to her house to dry up, it didn't occur to her that she could also take a bath. it would make sense but... the thought of wheein in her own clothes was something that totally went over her head when she invited wheein over.

 

oh my daze.

 

"what else? are you going to leave this fine young woman to freeze?" she scolds her daughter, shaking her head in disapproval.

 

"ma'am, that isn't necessary-" wheein, who seriously thinks the world is being too generous with her today wanted to decline her offer. but byulyi's mother had already sauntered off to the bathroom.

 

byulyi rubs her face, there it is, the embarrassment.

 

"i think i have to tell you that once my mom is dead set on something, nothing can change her mind." byulyi tells her.

 

"i think she's great. you've already done so much for me-"

 

"moon byulyi!"

 

"ah yes! my room's this way." 

 

that was the most stressful byulyi had been at home.

 

-

 

wheein's standing near her door awkwardly as byulyi digs in her closet. janggu's calmly settled beside byulyi, big round lovable eyes occasionally looking at wheein but most of the time, it's byulyi he's looking at. 

 

"uh here, the undergarments are new. don't worry. just toss your clothes in the empty basket and my mom will wash them for you." wheein walks up to her and takes the fresh set of clothes into her hands, their fingers grazing briefly. 

 

byulyi is quick to retract her hands from the electrifying feeling, she carries janggu in her arms instead. 

 

"thank you." wheein expresses her gratitude, and byulyi sort of wants to glue the image of wheein smiling softly in her head forever.

 

-

 

still clad in her uniform, byulyi's killing time by helping her mother in the kitchen, patiently waiting for wheein. and just as she fillls in janggu's bowl, wheein comes around the corner, fresh out of a warm bath.

 

"byulyi, where do i put the towel?" wheein asks, byulyi struggles to not get lost in her feelings right then. 

 

"there's a hanger in my room..." byulyi retorts, sounding a little dazed and dreamy. she blinks a few times to keep her sanity in check, gritting her teeth. she wants to bawl because wheein dressed in her baggy shirt and slacks is so domestic and cliché. and on top of that— christ, how does wheein look so fine in her clothes?

 

"um, i'll just... take a bath now." before byulyi could embarrass herself again, she dashes for the bathroom.

 

closing the door behind her, byulyi lightly thumps her forehead against the wood, sighing in distress. it's hard for her to comprehend that she's got it bad for someone. 

 

"this is torture... i'm a whole damn mess."

 

how is she feeling so much at 17?

 

-

 

that was a great bath.

 

a long yawn escapes as byulyi ambles to the dining room, towel hanging around her neck. wheein's sitting on one of the chairs and for a second, byulyi had forgotten her presence. she raises her brow at the scene.

 

"ah byulyi, wheein will join us for dinner." 

 

byulyi chokes on air, punching her chest because did she hear that right?

 

"mom?! you are being too-"

 

"it's fine, i told my mom and she'll pick me up after she finishes work." wheein speaks up, giving her a reassuring smile.

 

byulyi's jaw hangs loose, there's no way she's actually spending the entire half of the day with wheein. still processing the information, she settles down beside wheein. 

 

she grabs her cutlery and looks at how much she's shaking. she swallows to restrain a grin from manifesting. 

 

if god hates gays, why do i keep winning?

 

at this rate, byulyi is already yielding to her fate.

 

-

 

dinner was great, her mom is obviously more interested in wheein than her own daughter (can you blame her?). at some point when her mom disappears into the kitchen to fetch something, byulyi leans over to wheein and questions her if her mom had mentioned anything embarrassing while she was in the bath. to her relief, none. wheein is just amused with their dynamic. 

 

"i'll clean up, byul-ah. you go show her your room and play with janggu or something while her clothes are in the dryer." her mother starts cleaning up the plates.

 

"mom... you're being scary today." it sends shivers down byulyi's spine, her mom is even smiling too much today.

 

she gives wheein a sheepish look before walking stiffly towards her room with janggu on her trail. wheein follows suit.

 

byulyi leaves the door open in case her mom gets funny ideas, and partly because wheein wouldn't be too uncomfortable if need be.

 

"janggu! come here boy!" byulyi pats her knees and janggu stands up to her obediently, his little tail wagging enthusiastically.

 

wheein kneels on the carpeted floor, smiling at their bond. 

 

"he looks at you a lot. he must really like you." wheein points out, scratching janggu behind his ears when he came up to her.

 

"well maybe because we gave him a home when nobody wanted to." byulyi leans back on her hands, enjoying the sight of her two favourite beings in one frame. her mind flashes back to the time when janggu was in a small cage at a dog adoption centre, those big round, hopeful eyes had won over her then.

 

janggu would take a liking to wheein in no time, she thinks. 

 

"do you have a pet?" byulyi curiously asks, pleasantly surprised that janggu is now settled in wheein's lap as if she was his owner in the first place.

 

wheein nods eagerly, as if she was already anticipating the question. she beams and byulyi feels her heart pick up its pace.

 

"a cat, his name's ggomo." wheein takes out her phone and shows her a picture of a scottish-fold.

 

"he's my world." she adds in a soft voice.

 

byulyi smiles, a little too in love. then you're mine.

 

"you know... you've apologised to me a lot today, when i should be the one to do so." wheein says out of the blue, patting janggu's soft white fur. 

 

she shifts her attention back to byulyi and looks at her in the eye. the next words come out like an awkward mess, she just hopes that byulyi understands.

 

"listen, i might look like... i'm grumpy and i know i don't talk a lot but it's really just that i'm super awkward, detached and i barely know what to do sometimes. i never meant to scare anyone. can't help that it's my resting face." wheein chuckles dryly, and byulyi looks at her so kindly, her eyes filled with reassurance and comfort.

 

byulyi leans forward, clasping her hands together. it warms her greatly that wheein decides to confess something that might have been difficult to bring up to her. she decides that she never wants to taint wheein's trust in her.

 

"i'm really happy you told me. it probably took a lot of courage for you say that. it's really okay. i'm just surprised that i happen to be someone you'd open up to. i swear i thought i was annoying?" byulyi scoffs remembering all the times she's probably irritated wheein.

 

wheein laughs with a hand over mouth, her lone dimple showing. byulyi feels content, eyes looking at her so fondly. wheein rubs her arms, turning demure. janggu eventually returns back to byulyi, his attention solely on her again. wheein's lips curled up.

 

"at first, i was skeptical. figured you wanted to mess around with me or something but you were really genuine so i'm glad i opened up to you. also, i think i'm the one who should be surprised that you're talking to me." wheein looks at her for answers, anticipation glints in her eyes and byulyi awkwardly plays with her fingers.

 

she shrugs, embarrassed to admit. "you really just... appeal to me. sorry, is that weird?" she proceeds to look at wheein with guilt and shame.

 

"no, god no. i'm really glad." wheein dismisses her thought quickly and byulyi is heartened yet again.

 

"you're also unbelievably talented at singing. you sounded so angelic! i wanted to hear more of you." byulyi discloses, tugging at her sweats as she struggles to meet wheein's tender gaze.

 

"really..." wheein raises her brows, delighted upon byulyi's earnest praise. there's a little playful smile on her lips. byulyi nods shyly and chooses to look away before she could swoon. wheein looking at her so attentively just shuts down her system. 

 

attempting to save herself from being a flustered mess, she reaches out for janggu's nearest squeaky toy under her bed and holds it out to wheein. janggu's already looking at her with excitement.

 

"um, wanna play with janggu?" she suggests, grinning sheepishly.

 

that was how it led to the three of them running around her room like it was a playground, elated squeals and little barks filling her room. janggu absolutely loves wheein, byulyi thinks she should also add 'being great with animals' in wheein's list of skills.

 

they've caused quite a ruckus, but byulyi's mom never once came in to reprimand them about being so boisterous. janggu is the happiest byulyi has ever seen him since the adoption and of course, byulyi is the happiest she's ever been. 

 

it overwhelms her knowing wheein can make her feel so high. she wants that brilliant dimpled smile of hers to be directed to her every single day. knowing she was the cause makes her feel euphoric.

 

"ow- wheein, my foot!" 

 

"sorry!" 

 

it was a chaotic, thrilling game of tag with janggu. a sore foot is so worth hearing wheein's infectious laughter. wheein crashes to the ground, worn out and out of breath. even then, her smile doesn't leave her lips. she looks up at byulyi who's offering a hand.

 

she takes it, but yanks byulyi to the ground beside her. they burst into laughter, engulfed with bliss. who knew they'd have this much chemistry between them?

 

"that was fun. tiring, but fun." 

 

janggu lies down between them, his day fulfilled. wheein turns to look at her and agrees.

 

"yeah."

 

if one of them had realised that they've stared at each other for a little too long, none of them bothered to said anything.

 

-

 

alas, it was time for wheein to take her leave. her mother had just arrived and is waiting for her at the driveway. byulyi doesn't forget to remind her about her washed uniform, which was neatly packed in a tote bag thanks to byulyi's mother.

 

"i had a great time today, thank you byulyi." wheein clutches her bag, looking rather hesitant about something. 

 

byulyi nods, a warm smile on her face. "me too, get home safe." 

 

wheein doesn't move even after that, byulyi's a little puzzled but is patient in case wheein has anything else to say. but it was a heartwarming gesture that catches her off guard.

 

wheein gently crashes into her for a hug, arms loosely wrapped around her neck as she stood on her toes. byulyi is paralysed for a good while, unsure and swamped with surging warmth throughout her body. 

 

"thank you, really." wheein whispers and byulyi finally returns the embrace, she wonders if wheein could feel her thundering heart.

 

they pulled away with small smiles on their faces.

 

"i'll see you monday?" byulyi's face is a little red, her head is barely in the right place and her heart is hammering. 

 

now how is she going to live knowing jung wheein has a set of her clothes? byulyi would wholeheartedly give it to her without much thought. although wheein would most likely return them.

 

"see you." wheein bades goodbye and walks off, entering her mother's car. 

 

she waves again from the window and byulyi happily does the same. her eyes remained on the car until it became a blur in the distance, her hands in her pockets.

 

it takes a second for her to realise that something was in her right pocket. she takes it out and it turns out to be a small piece of paper. her stomach automatically does flips when she realises, gasping dramatically before giggling to herself like a lovestruck fool.

 

'let's talk more often?'

and underneath was a set of numbers which belongs to none other than jung wheein.

 

-