yujin noticed how obvious she was. the way she would stare at her when its their break time, when they walk home together, and when she constantly follows the older around the campus. everyone in their team knows she has a liking for their volleyball team manager, kim minju.

since the first day she set her eyes on her, she knows that she fell for her.

however, minju did find her annoying when yujin was in her first year. she often claims her to be a stray dog following her around the campus, as if she was a stalker.

"are you following me?" minju asks, once she finally noticed the younger trailing behind her since she entered the building. ever since she first saw yujin at their volleyball practice, she knew that she was trouble. and she wasn't wrong about it.

yujin and her friends earned the title of the school's troublemaker, and considering that she's a first year, she had done way beyond those who have been the former troublemakers of the school. minju was fully aware that it could get worse the longer she spends some time with her friends.

she didn't really mind that though, it's their life, not hers. of course she totally wouldn't mind if yujin and her friends would get suspended for being the cause of trouble around the campus. it would be fun to watch though.

"what does it look like?" yujin replied, in which minju returns it back with silence, but that didn't stop her from following her senior around, even when the older entered one of the school's old storage rooms, she just stayed outside and waited for her, as if she was a citizen waiting for the next cubicle inside the full restroom to be available.

once minju exited the storage room, carrying two heavy boxes, which looks like she's having trouble with, yujin couldn't let that slip and decided to offer her help.

"hey, let me help you with that."

minju crooked her head to the side to get a better view of the younger, who soon took a hold of one of the boxes, causing minju to have a train of questions pass by in her mind, "i can carry these boxes myself."

"oh yeah?" yujin replies in a teasing manner. she lets go of the box, wanting to see what the older would do with them, just in a way to .

the latter starts to walk away, as yujin followed behind her, noticing how she was struggling with the boxes she was carrying. her patience couldn't take it anymore, and with that, she ran up to the girl and finally took a box for herself.

"it looks like you really need my help, unnie." the younger said, giving the older a wink. minju opened to complain but closed it right after. she couldn't even deny anymore that she was having a hard time carrying those boxes that were needed for the team's practice. she won't accept it if she gets spinal problems right after.

besides, yujin was there to help her in some way, since she was in the practice area when their coach told her to get those supplies. at least it's not some erted guy who decided to follow her, instead it was a tall puppy who loves to follow her and even brag about her skills, maybe the teasing part can be added too.

with her junior's help, the two made it in no time, which was perfect, since their practice would be starting in a bit.

before yujin could go to her teammates' circle, she felt someone tug on her shirt. she averted her head to see who it was, only to see minju, with a small smile printed on her face.

"thank you," she simply said, letting go of the girl's shirt right after. with that, yujin smiled at her, showing her signature eye smile, making the older's smile widen. it almost made yujin's brain malfunction, but she kept herself together and excused herself.

she couldn't think properly that exact same day. as a result, she got all of the scolding from their coach, and even their captain, kim jungeun. it was surprising that she messed up a lot, more than hyejoo who would often skip practices, claiming that she was bored and tired. however, jungeun would always drag the younger to practice with them, the latter couldn't complain anymore by then.

by the end of the day, yujin was tasked to clean the court as punishment for messing up a lot in practice. once she picked up the last ball, she glanced at the court and back to the ball she was holding.

the girl was trying to practice a serve to hopefully impress minju. as a result of these practices, she broke the dog house in their backyard as she was practicing the other day. guess if you're desperate to impress someone, you end up working hard for it, not even giving time for yourself. now that she was alone inside the court, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try at least once.

yujin hummed, tossing the ball up high, her eyes were focused on the ball, not wanting her try to be unsuccessful unlike the other ones she had back in their backyard. that was until someone interrupted her, causing her to flinch at the sudden voice.

"you're still here?"

the girl turns her head towards the opened door, seeing minju standing there, it almost seem like she was curious about yujin's activity. she knows minju doesn't stay that late inside the campus. yujin let herself be distracted, without knowing that the ball was falling on her head, and when it did, she winced in pain, rubbing her head to ease it up. it felt like her brain lost a lot of brain cells due to the incident.

"are you okay?" minju asks, which the answer was clearly the opposite, she didn't know why she asked that either. she started approaching the girl who was sitting on the floor, still rubbing her head. it was hard to move on from the hit, due to the impact it had.

minju reaches her hand out, rubbing the girl's head as well. it made the latter panic, it didn't seem real at all. was it a dream? the answer is no. the younger lifted her head up, not knowing that the older's face was that close to hers. their lips almost touched, causing minju to leaned back, as she swiftly hit yujin.

"yah! why'd you lift your head up without warning?!" the older exclaims, luckily, they were the only ones left inside the court, or else it could've grabbed so much attention.

"i'm supposed to remind you when i'm about to lift my head, especially when this happens again? that's a new thing to hear."

"that's not what i meant! i don't know, it slipped off my mouth," the younger was beyond confused, but she let that slip, the older looks cute anyway. she stood up and helped minju to do so, still feeling the pain on her head, but she'll be fine, it wasn't a major injury to look after with.

"but are you really okay, though?" minju went behind the younger, tip-toeing to match the yujin's height and checked her head, noticing that there weren't any wounds or any signs of bleeding. everything was just fine.

at this point, the taller girl was just flustered, with her brain malfunctioning, she can't think right once again.

despite how minju finds the younger annoying, deep down, she also cares for her. she knows that hating her won't really do anything, and maybe yujin would stop following her around the campus.

or that's what she thought at least.

the two of them were now back with the exact same scene. with mindlessly walking in the streets with yujin following her. she didn't know why the younger had decided to follow her here, knowing that her house was on the opposite side as hers.

minju shook her head, as her feet continued to take her to her to the playground near their school. this is where she would often spend her time after school, and where she would often rant to herself about the events that happened in that day.

but this time, it'll be different. not with yujin following her like a creep, as she kept asking where she was going. like why does she care about that?

the older sighed once they arrived the said destination, as she dropped her backpack on the table nearby and sat on the swing. the place was safe and quiet, not many children would come here to play. minju was told that it used to be very crowded, but after some time, it was slowly abandoned.

although sometimes she would see a group of men sitting on one of the benches as she passes by the location. she couldn't ignore the fact that they were checking her out, so she would always speed up her pace to get away from those guys.

she felt safe, now that yujin had followed her there, and minus the presence of those creepy men. it's a good time to relax her mind.

the younger sat on the swing next to the one she was sitting on, it made a squeaking noise, making the two of them to look up on the swing. with that, yujin transferred to the other end, as an awkward atmosphere surrounded them.

minju wouldn't even consider herself to have get along with the girl since the younger's first year. she would still find her annoying at all times. with all of the constant bragging and bickering between them. they almost seemed like the new tom and jerry.

but yes, her care for yujin didn't leave yet, it would often show when the latter gets in trouble or would accidentally hurt herself in practice. everyone in the team noticed that, and would sometimes question her why they aren't close yet.

maybe now's the time to make a change.

"why did you follow me here?" the older one asks, as if the younger doesn't do that every time she sees her in the halls of their school. besides, this is their first time to have a proper conversation rather than just exchanging words from time-to-time.

"i was about to ask you if you would allow me to walk you home," she says. it was new. out of all of the times yujin would follow her everywhere she goes, this is the first time she asked her if she could walk her home, despite having to live to the other side of minju's house.

"ain't your place on the other side of mine?" minju continued to ask yujin questions, as if they were in an interview. at least she was able to build up her courage to talk to her at least. for all of those times she had found yujin annoying, maybe she was just judging what's on the outside, without digging down further to find the younger's reliable side.

"so? what's up with that, unnie?" yujin answered back. in fact, minju was caught off guard, and didn't say anything else. silence greeted them again for the second time. if it weren't for the sound of the rustling leaves, the place would've been so eerily quiet.

the younger would steal glances at her, it seems like she wanted to say something. minju didn't mind it too much, maybe yujin was waiting for her to speak. what was she expecting from her?

minju started to debate with herself which topic is to open up, she had enough of this quiet scene, "the next matches would be the last, right?"

yujin averted her attention towards the shorter girl, that really was the moment she was waiting for. she loves to hear minju's voice, it calms her a lot that it would take her to different places in her imagination. if it was a song, it would definitely top her favorite ones.

sadly, she would have to separate ways with her. after the next few matches, the third years would have to leave. it always makes her anxious every time she would think about it.

"time flies so fast, it seems like it was only yesterday since i met you," yujin muttered, losing control of what she was supposed to say. she started to panic internally. and when minju looked deep into her eyes, she lost it. her whole being was malfunctioning.

"are we on a drama or something? minus the background music of course." minju thought to herself, as she stared at the blue haired girl beside her. why is everything so dramatic? she's lost at this point.

she couldn't take it anymore, so she started to ask the younger about it, "are you normally dramatic or what?"

yujin snapped back to reality, widening her eyes as she covered . it was so awkward, knowing that the older one didn't really have the intention to be close to her, until this day came. it was only her who was desperate to get closer, and that's when she realized her feelings for her got deeper.

"forget about that, please..." yujin begged, waving her hands in front of minju, who nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. after all, yujin wasn't sure if she would be able to see minju again after she leaves. she blames those stupid graduations.

the younger observed the sky, it was almost nighttime, it was odd how they didn't notice it, maybe they were lost inside their own thoughts, both of them were awkward, "hey, unnie... it's getting dark, we can walk home together."

minju agreed to her, what could she do anyway? she was fully aware that the younger one was desperate, and even if she rejects her offer, she would still follow her like a creep, "how about you? it would take an hour for you to come back home."

"my cousin leaves near here, i can just stay there overnight," yujin says, as they both approached the table where their backpacks were placed, reassuring her that she'll be fine.

"then how about your clothes? you need to wash them, you know?"

with that being said, yujin furrowed her eyebrows, "is she telling me that i smell?" she didn't mind it though. she was okay if it was minju to tell her rather than anyone else.

the two of them started to take steps forward, leaving the quiet and dark playground. this time it was different, the two of them are walking side-by-side, unlike what they always do with yujin trailing behind.

however, there was another awkward silence that followed. the only sound that surrounded them was the sound of those annoying crickets.

"so, where are you going to study afterwards, unnie?" yujin asked, breaking the silence. she didn't want to waste such a precious moment in her life, she would regret it for eternity.

"somewhere near our house, or maybe abroad if i get my father's approval," said minju, as she left yujin hopeless. just by talking about the topic of the older studying abroad gives her anxiety. she gave minju a nod, to signal her that she understands her point.

she really was that desperate. knowing the minju for almost a couple of years, admiring her and studying the things she likes the most, maybe she should put those to the test.

"hey, unnie! can i ask you something?"

"you already did."

with that being minju's reply, yujin mentally told herself to calm down. her temper doesn't help anyways, "wait, i wanted to ask you if you're available on saturday, you know... to eat meat, stroll around or something."

minju quirks her eyebrows, "it seems like you're asking me on a date?" oh how the tables have turned. it seems like only yesterday since yujin was the one who would do the teasing. was she finally willing to break into the her world?

"no! it's not a date, it's just a hang out!" yujin defends herself, causing minju to let out a chuckle. it was obvious that the blue headed girl was slightly panicking there for a second, finding a way to protect herself from the firing.

"but yes, i would like to go with you," minju blurts out. it almost felt like yujin won the lottery. she would mark this special day on her calendar. of course she has to keep that excitement to herself to avoid showing that it was the only thing that she's thinking at the moment. she truly was imagining a lot of things.

oh how stupid of her if she were to trip as she started to daydream, if that's even possible. everyone would understand why she was totally enthusiastic. all of those days that she spent with minju, this is the first time she asked the older to hang out with her. but it seems like she's doing the move a little too late. she blames herself for being a coward, despite being obvious.

who knows what would their future be?

minutes later, minju started to skip to her house, excited to come home after a stressful school day. indeed she really wanted to flop down on her bed and skip dinner, she thinks that sleeping would be more beneficial for now.

she walks to the gate, as her hand landed on the cold metal, she glanced at the taller who had a smile painted on her face, as she watched the older skip to the gate, as if she was a kid who was excited to go to the playground. minju gave yujin a smile, "see you tomorrow.'

it felt new to her.

she was finally opening her stone cold heart.

━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━

yujin kept herself tucked under the blankets, shifting on the bed as soon as the ray of sunlight hits her eyes. she held her pillow tightly, enjoying the dream she was having at the moment. it felt too good that she wanted to sleep forever.

however, she was fully aware that her cousin won't let her sleep any further, or else the two of them would be late for class, and get the taste of another scolding from their teacher.

yujin groans as soon as she heard an aggressive knocking on the bedroom's door, as if her cousin wanted to break the door and threaten her with a chair just to get her to wake up.

"YAH! AHN YUJIN, WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE IF YOU KEEP YOURSELF STUCK INSIDE DREAMLAND!"

it made the blue haired girl sit up on her bed, slightly frustrated that she wasn't able to finish her dream. but she remembers every single part of it. she just couldn't afford to forget it.

she stands up, glancing at the bed and to her uniform. she shrugged to herself, walking up to her uniform, quickly preparing herself for another school day.

she walks up to the mirror, which didn't match her height. sometimes she just wished that her cousin was as tall as her, it was getting annoying at how much she bumps into the cabinets in the kitchen. as a result of it, she grabbed the chair nearby and placed the mirror there, and started to fix her blazer, alongside her messy hair.

once she was satisfied of her look, she grabbed her backpack and duffel bag, running downstairs to avoid being yelled at again.

she spots her cousin by the door, anxiously looking at her stopwatch. after all, they only have ten minutes before classes start, leaving no more time for breakfast. what a bummer...

"ryujin-unnie!" yujin calls, causing the other girl to look up from her watch with a frustrated expression.

"you know, i shouldn't have agreed to let you stay in here," ryujin says, as they both exited the house, quickly locking the door and ran to school. she would blame none other than yujin if she were to arrive late for class. she couldn't leave her alone in there anyway, she still cares for yujin no matter how annoying she would get at some time.

yujin pouted, she couldn't disagree that her dream was good enough to keep her asleep, and not to mention, that comfortable bed that she wanted to steal from ryujin for ages. it was her dream bed, since hers was broken after all of the jumping it had to fight.

sometimes yujin would get excited once minju posts on her social media accounts, and with that, she would often cry about it like an idiot. her admiral had come a long way, until it led to this.

her chasing for someone who was impossible to reach.

the two of them parted ways, since they study at different schools. yujin was alone this time, as she continued to run in a fast pace, trying to chase the time while ranting to herself. she was hoping that someone would be late as she was, so that she wouldn't be scolded alone.

on her way to school, she notices a familiar bunny pen that was sitting comfortably on the ground. she quickly picked it up and continued her marathon.

as soon as she steps foot inside the campus, she spots a familiar girl, running through the hallway, which looks like she's going to the direction of the school's exit. with that, yujin slowed down and called out the girl's name, "wonyoung!"

the taller girl stopped in front of her, panting due to exhaustion. she wondered why wonyoung would do such a thing when their classes would start by three minutes.

"what are you doing? classes with start soon."

"my favorite ball pen is missing," of course, that's why it looked familiar. she knew exactly what the taller's favorite pen was. she was right all along that it was wonyoung's belonging, guess she must've dropped it while entering the campus. luckily yujin noticed it, or else the younger would've had to borrow a pen from her seatmate.

"ah, you mean this?" yujin presented the ball pen she picked up a few minutes ago, slightly waving it in front of wonyoung's face. the latter grabbed it from yujin and thanked her. she really felt anxious when she had lost it on her way, she thought that she would have to buy a new one.

that's exactly one of the reasons why she doesn't want to buy a new pen, and one thing's for sure that if she were to buy one, the ink would be horrible, and sometimes it messes up the notes you've made.

the two of them walked to their classroom as fast as they can, as both of them know that their math teacher always arrives early than their usual teachers do. and not to mention, that strict attitude that their teacher has is what scares them.

once the first subject had finally started, yujin couldn't think of anything else but saturday, and minju. the volleyball team's manager always occupied her mind for some reason, making it hard to focus in class that would eventually lead her to being scolded by her teachers nonstop.

she didn't care about it though, she's used to it. having the title of the school's troublemakers, alongside her friends had made her less terrified whenever their teachers would scold them for their wrong doings, unless if it's a strict one like their math teacher.

how was she able to focus if there's someone bothering her mind?

soon, lunch had finally began, and her first mission was to find minju and hopefully follow her around until the latter had enough. she searched for her in every corner of the halls of the older's building, but found no signs of her.

so she made her decision to ask minju's classmates about where her location was.

yujin stood in front of the classroom, a little hesitant to knock on the door, since it's her first time doing it. she took a deep breath and finally knocked three times, waiting for someone to at least open the door for her.

and that is when someone shorter than her opened it, peeking outside to see who it was, and fully opened the door once she confirmed that no one was pranking them.

students in their school would usually knock on classroom doors for fun, and that includes pressing the elevator button before running away, it was infuriating that they want to get rid of those people.

"oh, yuri-unnie! have you seen minju-unnie?" yujin excitedly asked, hoping that she would get an answer from the older girl.

but yuri shrugged, "i don't know, she left the room earlier than us. try checking the court or something," with that being said, yujin's shoulder slumped, slightly losing hope that she won't see that girl that she had admired the most, which she always do every lunch time.

"thank you, unnie. i'll go check!" yuri nodded at that. all of them in their class had always noticed that yujin would often find minju around the campus, as if she doesn't want her out of her sight whatsoever.

"i hope you get her, yuj," she muttered, as she watched the younger one sprint around the hallways, bumping into some students who were in her way. it really seems like she was excited to see her. she hopes whatever plan that yujin has would end up successfully.

meanwhile, yujin ran to the court, taking a peek from the opened window, and only saw some of her teammates having lunch in there, with no signs of minju being inside.

she lost all of her hope because of that. yujin held the railings of the stairs, leading to the rooftop, and slowly climb up to get some fresh air in there.

she exited the building, as the gentle breeze welcomed her entrance to the quiet rooftop. the sun was directly pointing at the place, but she didn't care about it.

once she thought she was alone, is when she found out that she wasn't. she spots a familiar brunette who was seated on the same place where she could shelter herself from the sun. she sighed in relief once she realizes that the girl she was looking for was just in a very obvious spot all along. how stupid of her.

yujin approached the girl, noticing that minju's eyes were closed, as she listened to the music coming from her earbud. the younger smiled at the sight and sat beside the older girl, with the slight movement catching minju's attention.

she opened one eye to see who it was, and soon close it right after, once she spots the blue headed student sitting beside her, slightly getting comfortable. as expected, minju already knew that yujin would look for her all around the campus, and would sometimes have tantrums if she didn't spot her at lunch time. she's always been this childish. it makes her smile for some reason, whenever she would think of it.

and that's when she didn't notice herself smiling like an idiot, as she thinks of those times that yujin would act like a kid. of course, the younger one didn't fail to notice that smile painted on minju's lips.

she looks ethereal even with her slightly messy hair, due to the windy atmosphere of the rooftop.

minju finally opened her eyelids, and averted her head towards the girl beside her, who was obviously looking at her the whole time, taking the time to admire her as every second passes. it was typical.

she removes a bud from her ear, offering it to the younger who quickly refused. what she did next shocked the girl, who was on the verge of passing out due to how flustered she was.

minju leaned her head on yujin's shoulder, which she doesn't normally do, maybe the situation demanded her to do it. she was exhausted from her classes anyway, she didn't to loosen up just a bit.

surprisingly, the younger's shoulder was comfortable, it almost seems like she doesn't want to stop leaning on it.

there it goes again.

her thoughts were starting to talk about yujin once again.

ever since she wanted to open a soft aide of her to the desperate girl, she had started to get these thoughts that she didn't know the meaning of.

was she falling?

no, she just wouldn't conclude that.

minju snorted lightly, closing her eyes as she inhaled the younger's scent. it was something she would remember until the end of the day. once she had finally relaxed, she built up her courage to tell the girl, "leaning on your shoulder is quite comfortable, you know?"

yujin wanted to pinch herself to check if this was reality, or just one of her stupid dreams where her and minju were together. she tried a different method and purposely bumped her head on the wall that they were leaning on. it caused her to wince in pain, rubbing her head lightly.

however, the girl beside her didn't react. she poked minju's cheek to hopefully catch the latter's attention once again, but got no reply. oh great, the older one had fell asleep on her shoulder, without yujin even noticing it. she was thankful that her wincing and head rubbing didn't wake the girl up.

but of course, she would die in this position. never did once minju lean her head on yujin's shoulder, since she had always found her annoying, and just helpless. from the looks of it, she was starting to change her perspective of yujin, and the latter was loving that.

she didn't want to appear as an annoying student who was clearly in love with that certain someone in minju's eyes. she wanted to at least be known by the girl as someone she could trust, and also someone who will protect her from anyone who tries to hurt her.

that usually explains why yujin would follow minju around the campus, since she was fully aware of those erts from the fourth section of the third years. what they have done was unforgettable, but they had managed to get away with their actions.

it annoys yujin, to the point that she would feel anxious if she doesn't spot minju anywhere, even just a second inside the campus, and to her luck, she was wrong.

instead, she found a goddess who was quietly enjoying herself in the school's rooftop, and is now sleeping on her shoulder. it seems only like a split second since the older would try her best to avoid yujin so that the latter won't destroy her mood.

yujin slightly leans her head on minju's, closing her eyes to relax herself, wishing that this moment would last forever.

━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━

the blue headed girl quickly leaped off of her bed, as soon as her alarm started to go off. the day she had been anticipating of has finally come. in fact, she doesn't even know how she would function later that day, she just hopes that she won't embarrass herself in front of minju.

was she trying to impress her? maybe...

yujin went downstairs with an idiotic smile painted on her face, as if she had won a lottery. honestly, she doesn't care about that, what she cares the most was what happened yesterday.

she enters the living room, squealing happily to herself as she turned the television on. her mother had greeted her, but her mind has other things occupying it.

their practices had become harder these days, especially when their next match is approaching. all of them would end their day when it's already dark outside, leaving no more room for them to refresh their minds before going home.

yujin finds it odd that her teammates were nowhere to be seen. maybe she was excited? or maybe just for a certain someone. she lets out a sigh, setting her duffel bag on the floor before going inside the storage room to get the mop. it seems like no one has done the cleaning yesterday.

she exited the room and started to do her job, making sure to do it fast or else her teammates would all day.

until she heard footsteps coming from outside the court, and soon froze, glancing at the door to check who it was. and it was none other than minju herself.

"i didn't know you're a clean freak."

with that being said, yujin lets go of the mop, causing it to make a loud noise echoing inside the court, "no i'm not. that is not a mop, it's your imagination," she says sarcastically, hoping that her method would work somehow.

the manager chuckled, picking the mop from the floor and gave it to yujin, "it's alright, you can continue."

yujin rolls her eyes and just placed the mop on a nearby wall, as she stole glances at the older girl who sat on a bench, her eyes were focused on the words written on her folder.

yujin approaches the girl, sitting beside her to take a peek of what's written inside, only to be pushed off the bench by minju, causing her to land harshly on the floor. she started to wince in pain, "yah! i'm not even doing anything!"

minju giggles, as soon as she saw the taller girl pouting at her, "oh yes you were, don't get too close, idiot."

"says the one who slept on my shoulder the other day," yujin retorts, and soon found herself fighting a bunch of papers that minju threw at her.

she didn't do anything, and she would never approve herself to hurt her senior, the girl that she's been crushing on since the first year. instead, she picked those papers up and started to read them, and as a result, minju started to chase her around the court, trying to claim those papers back before yujin could possibly mess them up.

just a typical of ahn yujin teasing the helpless kim minju, who seems like she had run a marathon due to how exhausted she was.

the two of them fell on the floor, panting. it was surprising that everyone else were still missing in action, yujin was thankful about it though. she wouldn't have to go into another teasing session once they found out that this happened.

the younger averted her head towards minju, covered in sweat and was still panting. yujin handed the papers back to her, not wanting to tease the shorter girl any further. minju shot her a glare, in which yujin reacted by laughing at her.

minju re the bench to fix the slightly crumpled papers, and as for yujin, she went up to her duffel bag and grabbed her extra watter bottle, approached minju, and soon gave it to her.

the brunette looked at the bottle with confusion, tilting her head up to yujin who nodded at her. she got the signal, grabbing it from the younger's hand and started to drink from it.

"thanks..." minju mutters, placing the bottle on the floor as she continued her deed to fix the papers, putting them back in order.

soon enough, the whole team arrived, and the court was finally lively once again.

their practice had started after a few minutes of warm-up, getting prepared for another exhausting day ahead of them.

everything went smoothly, except for when it comes to yujin, who kept messing up every time the ball is coming for her. she even messed up one of her serves.

"ahn yujin, what's wrong with you?!" shouted her teammate, yena from the other side of the court, as the ball almost hits her.

"i'm not the problem, maybe you're just stupid," yujin says, as yena proceeds to toss the ball at her, in which she dodges in a split second.

"try again next time, yuj," jungeun says, receiving a thumbs up from yujin, who was preparing her position.

with that, yena starts to serve the ball, tossing it up high, and soon delivers it to the other side, hopefully everything would finally go smoothly this time.

or maybe it doesn't...

instead of receiving it, yujin just watched the ball coming for her, as if she was mesmerized by it. her brain wasn't thinking right that day, maybe that explains why she was acting that way.

the ball hits her face hard, causing her teammates to rush over head as she fell on the floor, holding her bleeding nose.

"see? i'm not the only one stupid here," yena tries to brag as they approached the blue headed girl. even minju seemed interested in what happened, which she normally doesn't do.

she excuses herself through the crowd and knelt in front of yujin, proceeding to give her a bunch of tissues that none of them knows where minju got them. however, it was suspicious. normally she would just observe these types of happenings, but this time, she insisted to help.

it was purely odd.

that same day, the whole team, excluding yujin, had already made suspicions between the two. it almost seems like they were dreaming when minju took care of yujin, and even told her to get some rest and just watch her teammates practice.

had they really gotten close though?

yujin didn't even notice it, but she was daydreaming, as she started reminiscing the events from yesterday, if it weren't for azzo leaping towards her, excited to see the girl who had woken up from her slumber.

the girl flinched at the subtle action, and soon pets the dog that was already resting on her lap.

of course, yujin herself couldn't wait for the time, and once it was an hour before the agreed time, she was already fully prepared. her mother even started to get weird out by her, thinking that her daughter's brain must've lost a screw of some sort.

soon enough, she left the house with a huge smile on her face, as she constantly checked her phone from time-to-time, hoping that minju will text her any time soon.

she didn't really want to think much about the older's graduation, now that she knows that she has a high chance of going overseas, and migrate there. yujin was fully aware that she could still contact minju, but she can't afford having to watch her leave without the older telling her that she likes her back.

due to her excitement, she arrived at the place ten minutes earlier. she looked for a nearby bench and sat down, watching people walk pass her. she lets out a sigh of boredom, until someone flicks her ear, causing her to wince, her hand quickly flying towards her, already red ear.

she looks back, seeing minju giggling at her. her lips formed a small smile. seeing the older happy makes her happy too.

and so, the two of them started their supposed to be, hangout. trying to find the place that minju wanted to go to recently, since she said that the meat looks good just from looking at it. of course, yujin insisted, she could never say no to her.

once they found the place, minju started to hop in joy. it was the first time that someone will take her there anyways, she was really looking forward to this day.

yujin noticed the happiness that filled the girl's eyes, it was a thing that she could cherish forever. she really does feel honored that she was the first person to take minju to this place. it makes her want to malfunction at that very moment.

she tried to contain herself as they both ate, as they started to have longer conversations, unlike the shorter ones that they usually have before. it was such a glow up of theirs. they took pictures, and even posted them on their social media.

yujin didn't really care anymore if her teammates stumble upon the pictures on the internet, all that matters the most is to make this day as worth it as possible.

after filling up their stomachs, they both proceeded to the shops nearby, or maybe it was minju who dragged her there, she didn't complain about it.

yujin followed minju around the store, as she was interested in almost everything that she sees. seeing this side of minju is really new to her.

she started to look around as well, both of them slightly parting ways inside the small store. when yujin spots the older once again, her eyes were scanning on the plushies that were placed on the shelf. yujin quietly approached minju, "unnie, look at me."

as soon as minju turns her head, yujin placed the beret she found on the other section on top of the shorter girl's head, causing minju to run confused thoughts. it was so random that she wasn't prepared for what was going to happen. when yujin stepped back, the latter gave her a smile.

"unnie, you look absolutely gorgeous," yujin praises her. minju smiles at the statement, slightly rolling her eyes as her hands flew to her head, trying to take the beret off, until yujin stops her.

"don't take it off!"

even with a slight confusion still running on her head, she took it off and examines it, "you want us to steal this beret?"

"no, that's not what i'm trying to say. just keep it there while we're here," yujin rubs the back of her neck due to how embarrassed she was at the moment. she went up to minju once again, putting the beret back on her head, "there, much better."

minju just shook her head, trying to hide the smile that was forming on her lips, she loves how playful yujin could get at some point. she used to despise it, but it seems to have changed over the past few days.

ahn yujin was that infuriating student who she would consider as stupid, and would add on her avoid list. that fact also seems to have changed too. in fact, minju starts to enjoy yujin's company, wanting to understand the younger more, and hopefully break into her world.

she's always been there for her, even in the bad times when she's stressed over her management and at the same time, her subjects that were starting to get harder, as the end of the school year approaches.

the two of them walked up to the counter, placing the things that they wanted to buy, waiting for the cashier to finish the job. that is until yujin grabs the beret from minju's head, placing it on the counter. minju looks at her with wide eyes, as she returns it with a wink.

the cashier stole glances at the two, and when she placed the bar code scanner back on the counter, she couldn't help but say, "you two look good together, i assume you guys are dating or something."

both of their eyes widened, as their blood rushed up to their face, they both answered the cashier in unison, "you're mistaken."

"you don't know what your destiny has for you. it could lead to many ways, either a good or bad ending. it depends on you two on how you interact with it. one wrong move, everything would burn into ash," the cashier simply says as she handed them the paper bags. both of them were still rethinking those words that were spoken upon them.

they were clearly aware with themselves that they love each other, but the both of them being dense wasn't helping even just a percentage at all.

it really does depend on them on how they will work it out before it's too late.

the two of them exited the facility, trying to keep another conversation running to forget the things that they had been told inside that store.

somehow, this day was worth it. not only that they enjoyed it, but also, they learned a lot of things from a stranger just because they were acting sweet with each other inside the store.

"i guess it's goodbye for now," minju says, as soon as they both arrived at the station. it's such a bummer that they have to take a one hour train ride before they reach each other's places.

"see you when i see you, unnie," yujin grinned at her.

"thank you for today, i really appreciated your company"

"oh, it's nothing. we could try it again some time, you know? i want us to hang out again," yujin confesses, which took the older one aback, but soon, a small smile crept on her lips.

"sure, i don't have any problems with that."

yujin smile grew wider, as she couldn't contain her happiness anymore, she atleast have to let it out. they bid their goodbyes to each other once again, until minju stops in her tracks, went back to the blue haired girl and planted a kiss on her cheek.

oh boy did that make yujin malfunction, she couldn't help it. she froze in her place as she observed the older get inside the train. her hand automatically flew on her cheek, she wouldn't be able to forget it, even tomorrow she would rant about it all day that her cousins that were also living in their household would want to chase her around the house with a frying pan, just to make her stop.

minju peeks on the large window of the train, her eyes were searching for a certain someone, until she finally did, she waved at her enthusiastically, as the younger one did the same. as soon as the train left, yujin turns around to leave the station with a small smile on her face.

"i won't let go until i hear those words from you."

━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━

minju was quietly seated on the school's garden, as her hand held her pen tightly, jotting down some words on her small notebook. she got a lot of free time today, and she grabbed that opportunity to find a calm place inside the campus where she could spend some of her leisure time with. and when she heard footsteps approaching her, she didn't mind it, she continued her task to write on her notes. 

until that someone grabbed the notebook from her, her initial reaction was to grab the notebook, but once she recognizes who it was, she went back to her seat and observed the person in front of her as he read was was written on one of the pages. 

"ah, i see... you're still dense."

on second thought, she wanted to have the notebook back before he could even continue to nonstop, "chanhee, give it back!"

the boy laughed it off before giving the said notebook back to the poor girl who wanted to have some time alone, "here you go, froggy."

kang chanhee, the only male student that minju trusts around the school. they've been friends since childhood days and had treated each other as siblings, or maybe sometimes enemies when they would rival over stupid stuff. luckily chanhee didn't grow up to become a ert, just like some of those students that minju despises the most. some of them even look absolutely innocent, which contrasts to their disgusting behavior.

minju knows chanhee a lot, and vice versa. in fact, chanhee knows the girl's secrets, and the greatest part is that he had always kept them, he could never afford to even spill them and possibly ruin minju's dignity. he doesn't have the responsibility to do so. 

chanhee took his seat on the floor, not wanting to look creepy, as he gets tempted and peek at the girl's notebook. he already did, but just caught a glimpse of some words, especially the ones at the top of the page. he didn't really want to bother minju's privacy, unless she talks about what was written on that notebook.

"how's it going with seokwoo?" minju asks out of the blue, as her eyes were still focused on her notebook, continuing to write those words that pops up in her mind. chanhee turns to her at the sudden question.

"seokwoo? oh, rowoon-ah? we're doing absolutely fine. why'd you ask?

"are you serious? you don't know his name? that's a shame, i guess."

chanhee shook his head in defense, "no, it's just that we got used to calling him rowoon rather than his actual name. so, what made you ask about us?"

"you know, i was just observing you and how you try to impress him," minju teasingly says, slowly closing the notebook and putting the pen aside.

"so?"

"so, you're being dense too."

chanhee only reacted by shaking his head, not wanting to take that topic any deeper, or else he could possibly say something embarrassing in front of minju.

"how about you, though? you're still writing on that worn out notebook of yours," chanhee changes the topic, as he pointed the notebook that was secured on minju's hands.

he had observed since the last few months that the girl had started to write on that notebook of hers. so in curiosity, he tried asking minju what the notebook contains, and if she was okay to share it with him.

luckily minju insisted, knowing that chanhee is someone that she could trust. until it lead to this, where the two of them would keep their secrets to each other.

minju couldn't trust anyone but chanhee about the feelings that was starting to develop for someone. only him could keep that secret to himself.

"so have you made your decision?" chanhee starts a brand new topic.

"about what?"

"about your plans," chanhee replied to her immediately, eager to get her answer as soon as possible. although he wasn't actually in a hurry, he was just curious if minju would agree to it or not.

minju opens her notebook again, writing down another set of words on the same page before setting her pen down, "ah yes, i have made my decision."

chanhee's mouth agape, as he wasn't expecting the answer that came out of the girl's mouth, "you've got your parents' permission?"

"that's what they wanted for me anyway."

chanhee didn't fail to notice how the girl's shoulder slumped, as she leaned on the bench, staring at the unbothered blue sky above them. chanhee starts to fiddle with his uniform, trying to brainstorm on what words were to say, "are you sure about it? it seems like you're forced to come with me."

"i'm willing to start a new chapter. so, my decision is final," minju says, picking up her backpack, standing up and made her way towards the garden's exit.

her mind started to think of all the memories she spent with yujin, and how much she was trying to impress her throughout the two school years she had spent with her. not to mention, the time they went out together. a day minju wouldn't forget about.

sure, she was that one student who would annoy her all day just for her own well-being, but now that she had dug deeper, she found out how reliable and caring she was. it was unfortunate how they would split up their pathways to start a new chapter.

unconsciously, her tears started to roll down on her cheeks, without knowing what was the meaning behind it. it doesn't seem to stop anytime soon either, and so she wiped them using her forearm.

"i'm sorry, yujinie..."

━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━

"wonyoung, make her stop please," yujin pleads the younger girl, as she already had enough of yena shouting and cursing on her phone screen as her eyes were focused on her game.

"wait, i'm trying!" wonyoung started to panic internally, she didn't know what else she could do to purposely make yena lose her game. it was nothing new to them, it's just that they didn't know that both of them would be in a situation just like this.

last school year, a certain student named miyawaki sakura caused a chaos after her friendship circle started to play their game inside the cafeteria, which attracted a lot of attention and it led them to the principal's office. oh what a nightmare!

"then try again!"

"you're also attracting attention due to how loud you are!"

"you're yelling too, dimwit!"

wonyoung was fully aware that it was not not her and yujin's problem if yena gets in trouble after this, but they were most certain that they would also get in trouble for being loud inside the cafeteria, especially when it's not too crowded.

the youngest among the three glanced at the duck whose face was too close on her phone, it made her wonder how she could even see what she was playing at that point.

no matter how much she would nudge yena, or remove a bud and yell at her ear, the older doesn't seem to stop yelling at her game.

that's when minju's classmate, yuri happened to pass by and sneaked behind the older girl. she sighed and looked at the water bottle she was holding. yuri debated with herself for a few seconds, before eyeing the two, and dumped the water on yena's head.

she tore off her glued eyes from her phone and groaned as soon as she noticed that she had lost the round, "i knew this was going to be a bad day!"

she turned her head to check who the suspect was, only to see yuri behind her. yena's eyes soften, she couldn't afford to get mad at this hamster who purposely dumped the water all over head head.

yena grabbed some tissues from the table, hoping that it'll help in drying her hair up.

"hi?" yuri greeted her, and sat across her, "is there some tea?"

"someone was flirting with minju-unnie earlier," wonyoung initiates the conversation, causing the three of them to lean towards her, lending their ears to the youngest.

"was that someone kang chanhee?" yuri asked, and got a nod from wonyoung.

yena clicked her tongue, softly shaking her head and leaned forward, "impossible! that guy had spent his life chasing rowoon, i won't conclude that they're flirting if i were you."

"we don't know much about chanhee, though. maybe that's just a front?"

yet, it didn't change yena's mind, she continued to shake her head as she tried to dry her hair and uniform up. she shot a glare towards yuri who smiled innocently at her. yena shook her head, crossing her arms, "but now that you've mentioned it, i think they'd make a good couple if it's real."

"no they don't," yujin muttered under her breath, which the others heard and immediately caught their attention.

all of them smirked at her, but she completely ignored them, as they were trying to make another issue out of it. she won't lie if she says she kind of love it.

"someone's jealous today, and it's a certain dog named ahn yujin. you must admit it, come on!" yuri says enthusiastically, trying to read the younger's thoughts.

yujin widens her eyes, and followed the action by shaking her head in defense, "no i'm not."

"she's lying!" wonyoung pointed at her and clapped her hands, as if she was proud of something she had achieved in life.

"how did you conclude that, huh?" yujin tried to defend herself, she won't give up that easily, especially at times like this.

"your face is red."

the blue haired girl widens her eyes for the second time, as her hands slowly made their way towards her, already red cheeks, "it is?"

the other three sent high-fives to each other, as a celebration of their success, beating yujin's pride for once. meanwhile, yujin shook her heads, crossing her arms as she shot a glare towards the three, "i hate you guys," she mutters, before standing up, leaving the other three on their table as they observed yujin slowly making her way out of the cafeteria.

"where are you going?!" yena's voice could be heard throughout the place, causing the other two who were still seated with her to scold her once again for how loud she was being. as for yujin, she completely ignored the question, she didn't know where she was supposed to go anyway, maybe she would just go where her feet would take her.

her mind had occupied many thoughts, both positive and negative that she didn't know if she were to even mind them anymore.

"see you at practice!" yena tells her from afar, as yujin sent a thumbs up to the older one, hoping that she saw that.

her feet had led her towards the school's amphitheater, to be specific, the old one they used last year, which is clearly used as a storage room nowadays. it's her first time to visit that place after a year, it felt nostalgic to her to the point that she would need some time alone. it was a special place anyway.

the place where she first met minju, and laid her eyes on her.

it was an event where some students were selected to participate, and yujin didn't know she ended up in there, but maybe her fate was on her side.

anyway she didn't care, it seems like that event caused her to meet that someone who she would admire for life. she was thankful for that day, even if minju didn't see her nor did talk to her.

she sighs, dragging her fingers on the dusty wall, making her wonder how long has that room been left untouched. was it really abandoned? or perhaps it was haunted? or maybe they're hiding a dead body inside.

her thoughts went too far, and without even noticing, she had made her seat on the chair placed in the middle of the room.

it wasn't that dark inside, especially with those tiny windows providing some sufficient light for the room to not look as terrifying as the vibe it gives.

due to her boredom, yujin stood up from the chair, and started to walk around the room, with no intentions of leaving the amphitheater as soon as possible. she even took a long at those carvings on the wall, as if students would come here often just to write useless stuff that no one would even see.

except yujin who was currently inside the room, found them a bit interesting. although some of them were stupid, she didn't really mind those.

until she was startled by the sound of the door creaking. her instant reaction was to hide behind those huge boxes, knowing that it could be a guard and she could get herself into trouble again. after all, they were actually forbidden to enter that abandoned amphitheater.

she peeks her head to take a look of the events that were happening just behind that box, as her whole being relaxed once she spotted a student inside. slowly, she left her spot and slowly observed the girl who had entered the room.

until she realized...

"minju-unnie?"

the girl flinched at the sudden call, slowly turning her head on the other side, due to the familiarity of the voice. she quickly gathered the folders she was holding and made hurried steps approaching the room's door. no matter how much yujin would call her name, she didn't even budge, that's when yujin chased for the older, grabbing her arm at the process to hopefully stop the girl's actions before she could exit the amphitheater.

to her relief, minju stopped in her tracks, as she clutched onto the folders tight, her hair hiding her face. yujin gently turned the girl around, avoiding the urge to hurt minju accidentally.

"is something wrong? did i cause you trouble?" yujin asks, concerned of the whole situation. minju remained silent, which was causing yujin to grow more and more worried for her.

did someone hurt her? she was beyond more confused than anyone would get confused in their lessons. she shook her thoughts off, as her hand traveled towards the older, wanting to tuck her hair behind her ear to see her face better. instead, the older girl pushed her hand away. the taller one stared at her blankly, trying to ramble her thoughts on what actions does she have to do to ease the situation.

yujin repeated her previous action, as her hand finally touched the girl's soft hair, moving it to the side to get a better view. the younger's eyes widened, and to her panic, she tightly held minju's shoulders, "your eyes are swollen... there's hint of dried tears too. what happened?"

once again, she didn't get an answer from minju. instead, she hugged yujin tight, to the point that she doesn't want to let go, as she dropped the folders on the floor, all where scattered around. in return, yujin hugged the brunette back, gently caressing her hair to calm her down. the two of them remained silent, as if their time aren't limited. they didn't care, as long as they're there for each other, neither of them would even care if they skip at least one subject in the afternoon.

"yujin-ah," minju mutters, which caught the other girl's attention.

"hmm?"

"stay with me, please..."

yujin was taken aback by the sudden words that minju spilled out. she was still confused, but it seems like she was to be there for the girl she loves the most. no matter what it was, yujin would try her best to stay beside minju, always.

without knowing that they'll part ways soon.

"i like you..."

"huh?"

yujin's brain was starting to malfunction, with that, she slowly parted from the hug, gaining more confusion. she didn't know what was happening or if everything was real. did she really hear those words right?

"y-you like me?" yujin mentally slapped herself as soon as she started her sentence. this was so embarrassing. her whole being started to malfunction, as soon as minju nodded at the younger, "as a what? like what is it? i'm—"

"you know what i mean, don't you?"

"i don't..."

minju smiled, as if she forgot all of her worries, except for the proof that she cried her eyes out earlier that day, due to her swollen eyes.

"she's stupid, yet she's so lovable," she thought to herself, as she continued to smile at the taller girl, as she tried to find a way to understand the main point of the unexplained words. she blames herself for how slow she was. the older one noticed that yujin was still thinking deeply, almost like her mind flew off to space.

and so she did the best she could to match her height, tiptoeing a bit, which was a huge help. noticing that the younger was still lost in her thoughts, minju smiled to herself and leaned towards the girl, as their lips finally touch. every single thoughts were forgotten. just the two of them.

they pulled away with the younger breaking down, unable to function anymore. neither of them understands how they were so distant, and now so close in just a span of one year, especially when neither of them really initiates a long conversation with each other.

"do you get it now?" minju questions, as the taller one replied to her by nodding her head, indicating that she now understood minju's point very clearly.

the two of them spent some time there, neither of them had the intentions to attend their afternoon schedule. both just wanting to cherish each other's presence. 

until sun down came, the time the two of them were desperate to get out of that room, not to mention that the lights don't work in that room, it would look and feel more terrifying if they were to stay there for a much longer time.

yujin held the doorknob tight, twisting it, and noticed that it won't budge. she kept on pulling it, as minju continued to chuckle at how silly she was. losing her patience, yujin tugged the doorknob harder than necessary, causing it to break.

she stared at the doorknob that she broke seconds ago, throwing it on the floor to forget her stupidity. yujin glanced at the older, who was still staring at the broken doorknob.

"sorry... looks like we'll be stuck here for a while," yujin quickly apologized to minju, knowing that she was the most desperate to fled off of that room. as a response, minju shook her head.

"it's fine," she starts, "because i'm here with you."

as long as they have each other, the both of them always feel alive.

━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━

three months had passed by after the events that had unfolded back in the amphitheater. if it weren't for yuri passing by that area, the two wouldn't have gotten out. 

it was surprising that they finally got their luck  with that year's championship, it sure was a win for the third years. on top of that, yujin was finally able to brag her skills to minju, who just shook her head, or would chuckle at how confident she was being.

yesterday was their graduation day, meaning that it would be a parting day.

minju strolled at the hallways of the campus once more, before she has to leave.

leave her hometown, and at the same time, leave someone special to her.

to her luck, the gate was opened, and that's how she got in. she guessed that it must be a faculty member or just some students who wanted to spend some time there, which would be so odd. she didn't mind it though, her main intention wasn't to investigate those students, or locate them around the campus, she isn't dora the explorer to do that work.

all she wanted was to walk around the empty walls, and hopefully find a memory she could keep. that's when she happened to pass by her locker when she was in her second year. the same locker where she accidentally, or intentionally hit yujin with, due to the fact that she was bothering her.

it was monday in the afternoon, another week of nightmare land starts, and is ready to invade their peaceful thoughts, replacing them with unpleasant ones. as a result, minju started to drag her feet on the floor, after a stressful subject that took forever to even finish, to the point that she wasn't listening anymore and was just fidgeting with her pen.

she walked up to her locker, searching her pockets her find her key when suddenly, it fell on the floor. what a waste of time, she wanted to go home. minju knelt down, with the intention to grab it quick, as her body was begging for rest after such a long day. luckily today's practice was postponed due to the heavy rain that had suddenly started.

minju reached out her hand to grab the key, until another person snatched it away from her. with irritation visible on her face, she perks her head up, only to see an infuriating giant puppy in front of her. she snorted, standing up to retrieve her key from the younger.

"give it back, ahn yujin," minju said in a stern tone, indicating that she didn't want to play with yujin's games, even if she haven't really did that, even once in her life she didn't even dare to join the taller's stupidity.

still, yujin continued to , like she always does. minju was used to it, but not at a time like this when she was being serious, and was already eager to jump on her bed and get some sleep.

to minju's surprise, yujin did as she was told to, reaching her palm out, waiting patiently. with the hint of hesitation written on her face, minju slowly reached for the key, and successfully retrieved it from the younger, who stood there completely still, smiling at her like an idiot.

an idea popped up on her mind to remove that smile from yujin's face, and so, she unlocked the padlock, hooking it on her hand right after. minju hurried to open her locker, so that she could put back the books she didn't need, and take those for the subjects she needed to review later.

due to the mix of frustration, and exhaustion, she couldn't think properly anymore, and accidentally opened the locker too hard, at the door harshly hits yujin's face.

that wasn't on her plan, but she guessed that it kind of work?

even if she had the intentions to wipe off the expression printed on the younger's face, minju was visibly worried for her, and was quick to apologize. at this point, she repeating the word 'sorry' over and over again, hoping that she could acquire yujin's forgiveness.

luckily, the younger wasn't hardheaded and was open to accept her apology. still, minju was worried for her, hoping that she didn't cause any damage, or else it would make her feel even more guilty.

"are you okay? i didn't break any of your bones right?" minju asks with a visible concern and panic on her tone. yujin on the other hand, shakes her head as response, reassuring the girl that she was okay.

yet, the older's full being was still stuck in panic. yujin slightly smiled at minju, grabbing her hand and pulled her in the hallway. surely she didn't mind all of the words minju threw , she was too focused on her duty to take the girl outside.

minju soon shrieks in panic, as soon as the taller one pulled her outside, giggling as the cold water from the gloomy sky hits the both of them.

"yah, ahn yujin! don't you have an umbrella?!" minju starts to complain, and found herself being irritated by the younger's actions.

"what do you mean? it's fun to play in the rain."

"if we die of hypothermia, i'm blaming you in the afterlife."

with that being said, yujin started grinning at her. she only did this to relieve the girl's stress, which she had noticed earlier that day. she gave minju a smile, before finally delivering her reply. 

"sure, go ahead."

she smiled at that memory, opening her locker, only to see a set of words written in black ink that she clearly remembers, one that said 'keep shining' on it. minju suddenly remembered that it was yujin's doing, just to get minju's attention. of course the confusing part is how she knew her password. that was the reason she changed her padlock.

minju took out her phone to take a picture of it, but was startled when she heard a familiar voice. she knew who it belongs to.

"for one second you didn't acknowledge that, and now here you are taking a pic of it."

"i mean, it's better late than never. right, yudings?" yujin smiled at that, same as for the older who started to snap a picture of the writing on the locker. the younger watched as minju tried to get the best possible angle of it, hoping that it would turn out well.

yujin also took a moment to admire the girl, and soon noticed the beret on minju's head. the same one from their hang out months ago. with that, she got closer to the shorter girl, as she started to brush on hand on the beret, "you're wearing this, what's the occasion?"

right, minju haven't told her yet.

"well, i—"

"it looks really good on you, you should be thankful," yujin cuts her sentence off, wanting to get the compliment off of .

minju lowered her head to hide her smile, but was unable to when she had to raise her head, "thanks, ma'am," she says in a teasing way, trying to ride with yujin's tactics. she was still playful as ever, she loved that about her.

"so, i forgot to tell you..."

yujin tilted her head, lending her ears to minju, not wanting her to talk to the air. it seems important anyway, she had to listen whether it really is important or not.

"i'm leaving," minju took courage to say those words. yujin's reaction was unlikely to her, as if she didn't say anything. yujin hummed at her, causing minju to grow confused.

"yes, you already graduated. i know about that."

"no, it's not that"

"what is it then?"

"i'm going to study abroad."

right, this moment would come. yujin was to distracted at the current events that she forgot about the future that'll unfold right after it. it as if . yujin couldn't even do anything. her parents wouldn't approve if she were to do the same thing, not to mention that her family is barely holding up. she knows she had to work part-time soon.

"are you serious?" questioned yujin, to which minju slowly nodded, unable. she was aware of how desperate yujin was when the topic was getting close to her, besides, if it were just their local university, they would have a chance to see each other once again.

she won't be lying if she were to say that totally appreciated yujin's hard work. especially her desperation to get her attention, even if she gets in trouble. she would miss the adorable and playful yujin that she met a year ago.

and so, minju let her tears fall from her eyes, as they ran down her cheeks. yujin was quick enough to wipe them off, hoping that she would stop soon. but when she saw that it wasn't working, she pulled minju into a comfortable hug, hoping that it would somehow calm the older one down.

yujin let herself indulge the moment, also mirroring the girl's actions, as she felt trailing off her cheeks. in fact, neither didn't care if someone would spot them like this. who even knows when they would see each other again.

losing someone whom you treasure the most, one that makes you feel at home, is like losing yourself as well.

of course...

once you feel happy with their company, that's the time they will leave you in the dust, a part of them wouldn't care if you feel left out.

without thinking, yujin muttered a set of words that she didn't know she would say to her any time soon. she guessed the the situation demanded it to be told.

"i love you."

yujin's body started to tense up once she realizes the words that came out of , hoping that rejection wasn't one of the options. she wasn't in the right mind earlier, causing her stupidity to brawl out.

the silence added up to her anxiousness, and so she started to the brunette's hair to also ease up her nervousness, closing her eyes in the process, letting herself drown in the silence.

meanwhile, minju clearly heard the words that slipped out of yujin's mouth, even smiling to herself as soon as it was. so, she built up her courage, before softly muttering, "i love you too, yudings..." to which yujin's world has put its pieces back together, as it finally finishes a puzzle, worth it to be finished even if it was too late.

they supposed that this was really the ending destined for the both of them, and there's no other alternatives. they had to face it.

there was nothing else that she could do, rather than just watch as minju faded in view. yujin silently hoped that she could've moved sooner. they could've spent more time enjoying each other's company, but it was all wasted. everything faded all of a sudden.

their story it started and ended at the same place. maybe it was really supposed to happen.

but still, yujin knows they'll meet again. it wasn't the end for them. she knows for sure that it won't happen any time soon, but losing hope won't make progress in the long run.

her first goal was completed.

even if it was a sad goodbye, she appreciated those words from her.

she will always do...

until they meet again...