"It's just the way I said!"

"No, it's not!"

"Of course, it is. How can you deny it?"

"Momo, you're wrong!" 

Sana's cheeks were getting darker with anger. It was her birthday and she couldn't understand why they were arguing about this again. Momo was smirking at her best friend and Jihyo looked amused by the situation. It all started with Momo's birthday gift for Sana: a book. 

Sana knows that her reaction could have been better, but she already got a book from Momo last year and wished to get something more exciting from her best friend this year. So her poor reaction led them to this conversation where Momo insisted that Sana doesn't read at all and that Sana was trying to prove that her friend was wrong, to no avail. 

Meanwhile, Jihyo seemed to be having fun with the conversation. Sana glared at her.

"Having the time of your life, aren't you? Do you want any popcorn so you can enjoy the show?" Sana crossed her arms at her friend. Jihyo chuckled and raised her glass of soda.

"I'm good, don't worry." Then she shared a knowing look at Momo and the girl just rolled her eyes playfully. 

"What? You don't believe that I read, do you?" Sana asked Jihyo directly. Jihyo looked away from her friend as she sipped on her drink. Momo whistled a tune from a western movie and Sana glared at her best friend. "You want me to prove that I read or what?"

"That would be interesting, yes." Momo played with the little spoon in her hands. "What was the last book you read?"

Sana felt herself beginning to blush as she tried to remember the name of the book she read three years ago. 

"I don't remember the title, but it was about a girl who got stuck inside a television."

"That's Murakami's After Dark and I lend you that book in 2019. By the way, you never gave it back." Momo gave a triumphant smile before sipping on her tea. Jihyo tried to muffle her laughter. 

"What? I read it just now, you know. I didn't remember you had lent me that..." Sana was starting to get tired of the bickering, so she sighed and raised her hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, you win. I don't read that much. But that doesn't mean I can't start reading now."

Momo's smirk only got bigger as she raised one of her eyebrows. "Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am! Right, Jihyo?"

"Why are you adding me here? I don't know anything about your reading habits." Jihyo's eyes widened and Sana gave out an outraged sigh. 

"No, but you can be the judge! You're my flatmate." Sana pointed at the distance between them but Jihyo just chuckled. 

"So you wanna make a bet?" Momo suggested. Sana was starting to get annoyed by how pleased their friends were with teasing her.

"You make the conditions. Show me." Sana leaned forward, placing her face a few inches from Momo's, who began to make kissing faces at her. 

"Okay guys, I'll write it." Jihyo took her phone out. "Sana and Momo's new stupid bet 2022."

"You'll have to read a book each month for a year." Momo used a fake menacing tone. 

"Just one? Make it two!" Sana raised two fingers in the air. 

"Are you sure? I haven't told you the rest of the conditions." Momo grinned and that's all Sana needed to be convinced.

"I don't care about the conditions! I can take two, or three, or four books a month!" Sana exclaimed, making exaggerated moves with her arms. Momo pulled away and crossed her legs.

"I'll forget you said that and we'll keep it on two." She gazed at Jihyo, who just nodded and took note of the bet. "But now you have to listen to the conditions, okay?"

Sana hated when Momo treated her like one of the kids she took care of at the kindergarten, but she did seem to have a point when all Sana could do was pout and puff her cheeks. She nodded and Momo cleared dramatically.

"The books you read must be fiction pieces and they must be at least 150 pages long, or longer." 

"That's the minimum? Make it 200 pages!" Sana prided. Momo's eyes widened and she let out a chuckle.

"You can't read that much in a month, Sana."

"Yeah, Momo can handle that because she already reads a lot." Jihyo backed her up. Sana glared at both of them. 

"Remember that you can't read Manghwas." Momo pointed one finger at her. Sana bit on her cheek from the inside and made a popping sound when she let go of it. 

"So, what's the price?" Sana asked. "What are you asking for?"

Jihyo glanced at Momo as she made a humming sound. She was smiling as she looked at the ceiling. She seemed to be seeing something that wasn't there. 

"You'll have to pack lunch for me for a year."

Jihyo gasped and turned her attention to Sana, covering in expectation. Sana rolled her eyes.

"I already knew you would ask for that. You're a fan of my cooking."

"I can't blame her though. Getting lunch from a bakery chef every day..." Jihyo gave out a dreamy sigh. "Are you sure you don't want to bet something with me, Sana?"

"Ssh! I'm thinking about my price."

Momo and Jihyo chuckled as they shared a knowing look. Momo offered her fist for a fist bump and Jihyo accepted it. Sana placed her chin between her index finger and her thumb as she thought about her price. 

"I got it!" Sana dramatically said. "You will pay me for a trip to Disneyland."

Momo's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting that. However, since she knew there was no way Sana could read all those books, she offered her hand for a handshake. Sana shook her hand and with that, and the text Jihyo wrote, the deal was sealed. 

"Let's see how this goes." Jihyo sighed. "For now, you got a first book to read. So, now open my gift!" 

"... and that was the end that started it all." 

Dahyun held her breath as she let the last words linger in the air. She placed her notebook back on the table and she looked up at the rest of the writing club. The president of the club, the famous young writer Im Nayeon had her infamous poker face on. Jeongyeon, who was sitting next to Dahyun, gave her a discreet thumbs-up. Nayeon entwined her hands and rested her chin on top of it.

"Any questions?" Nayeon asked, but everyone stood in silence, still processing what Dahyun had read. "I'll go first, then. Dahyun, what you read was lovely, indeed."

Dahyun smiled and muttered a small "Thank you."

"However, there's something that doesn't quite... click, in your writing." She made a gesture with her hands like she tried to connect two wires. "I know that everything you are writing about is a common place for love in literature. Everyone dreams about meeting a stranger who would change their lives and the way they meet is impressive, but it lacks a sense of... reality. You need to move the ideas down to earth. Think about how you have fallen in love, or think about your close friends."

Dahyun's lip made an involuntary twitch. She kept quiet because she didn't want to admit out loud that she had never been in love. Sure, she crushed on her literature teacher when she was a teenager, but she had never been involved in any kind of love situation before. However, Dahyun had a romantic soul. Ever since she started writing, she has always written love stories. It started just as fanfiction, but now she was trying to take it seriously because the writing was what mattered most to her.

"I know it may sound harsh. Shall I go on?" Nayeon carefully asked, noticing that Dahyun looked down. Dahyun simply nodded her head. "I really love how you build the characters. You know exactly where they are coming from and what they think they want. And you, as a writer, know what they actually need, what their deepest desires are. All the pieces are there, but there's a feeling that... this love comes from common places, you know, like the love you see in movies or the love we read about. It lacks the smallest details that help you build a strong desire, longing, or connection. I think you have great potential and those are the things you need to work on. Think about the smallest details. How she felt when their hands brushed accidentally. How he felt when their gazes met at the meeting."

Dahyun started to take notes of everything Nayeon was saying while nodding her head at everything. Even though she wished her writing was good already, she knew that what Nayeon was saying was a way to help her. She smiled as other people started chiming in and she thanked the good comments they left. 

When the meeting of the writing club was over, Jeongyeon placed her hand on Dahyun's shoulder.

"I'm sure you'll do better next month. I'm really looking forward to seeing your story improve." Jeongyeon winked at her and Dahyun thanked her. With that being said, she turned around and went to Nayeon's side. As soon as she got closer, Nayeon kissed her cheek. 

Dahyun smiled at the sight. They looked so cute together. Now she understood what Nayeon meant about the smallest details. Nayeon knew all the little things she loved about Jeongyeon and she knew firsthand what love was. Dahyun sighed. 

'Maybe I should ask someone... or read more.' Dahyun thought as she started to leave the room. She waved at her colleagues and she made her way to the bookstore, where her Saturday shift was about to start.

Sana was groaning as she tried to read the book Momo gave her. Her eyes scanned the page, looking for the dialogue, but they were nowhere to be seen. She whined when she tried to read another page and she tried not to look at the page number by covering it with her thumb. 

"Just 29 pages?" Jihyo surprised her, making her jump on her seat. Sana hit Jihyo's arm with the book. 

"Stop appearing out of nowhere! How can you be so silent when you want to?" Sana complained as Jihyo laughed out loud. 

"You don't like reading, do you?" Jihyo directly asked. Sana pouted. 

"I just don't like the kind of books Momo reads. They are too heavy! And darks!" She showed her the cover of her new book and Jihyo nodded in agreement. 

"So... What's your kind of book?" Jihyo asked as she leaned on the counter. Sana shrugged. "Maybe you need more suggestions. Have you thought about watching booktubers or bookstagramers?" 

"You said what again?" Sana blinked at her friend just as if she had suddenly spoken in Taiwanese. 

"People who post reviews about the books they read on Youtube, Instagram or Tik Tok." Jihyo translated as she took her phone out of her pocket. "Look, I'll send you the channel of a girl I follow. She's called 'myouimina' and she does ASMR book reviews. And then there's 'Tzu books' on Instagram, who makes really cool posts." 

Sana took her phone from her lap, leaving Momo's book forgotten on the couch. She had a look at the girl's channel and the titles of the videos seemed interesting. She clicked the subscribe button and then she opened the other link. This girl was really cute and she was posing in the latest picture with two books. 

"Or perhaps you should take a look at Momo's blog" Jihyo suggested in an amused tone. Sana sent her a glare. 

"Momo has read thousands of books. It would be like looking for a dollar in a desert!" Sana sighed as she clicked the follow button on Tzubooks' profile. 

"That comparison really shows how much you need to read" Jihyo snorted. Sana threw a cushion at her. "What I mean is that no matter if it's because of this silly bet or not, reading will help you a lot. Really! I used to have a reader block every once in a while, but when I found the books I liked, I haven't been able to stop reading!"

"And what kind of books do you read?" Sana asked, feeling curious. She doesn't remember having seen Jihyo read.

The girl made a gesture for Sana to follow her and Sana stood up to walk to Jihyo's bedroom. Jihyo showed her bookshelves, that featured her college books along with some fiction books. Sana took the one that called her attention most and had a look at the cover. 

"Science fiction?" 

"Yup! That's my ." Jihyo chuckled. "I have just finished that one. They have released a movie based on these books. I can lend you the book if you want to." 

"Dune." Sana read the title out loud. "I don't know, I don't think it's my thing either."

"Then you gotta figure what's your thing. I'm gonna tell you what we're going to do! I gotta go to my shift at the coffee store, but there's a really cute bookstore on the way there. How about you walk me to work and I show you that place? Even if you don't really like reading, I'm sure you'll find something there."

"It's not that I don't like reading! It's just that-"

"Sh, I know, you haven't found the ones you want to read. Believe me, if there's any shop in this town where you can find a book to read, it's that place." Jihyo insisted. Sana tilted her head as she thought about it and then she nodded in agreement. "Then hurry! We gotta change our clothes before we leave."

Dahyun was standing behind the counter with her notebook opened, but no words came to her mind. From time to time, she looked up and made sure everything was still calm. They had just opened the bookstore so everything was calm. Her phone vibrated inside her pocket and she took it out to check what it was. She ignored Chaeyoung's message asking her how the meeting at the writing club have gone, promising herself that she would answer the message once she got home. She smiled when she found that the notification was from her friend's YouTube page. Mina had uploaded a video about the latest book one of her favorite authors had published. 

When she told Mina that she could open an ASMR channel, the shy girl wasn't so sure about it, but then she admitted that it would be worth giving a chance. She started with her ASMR book-review channel and it grew so popular that she had also opened a second channel for playing Minecraft. A few months later she opened the third one to make videos about worldbuilding and writing. Dahyun was really proud that her friend was so successful and she was wishing to celebrate Mina's two million subscribers party anytime soon.

She looked up from her phone when she saw a customer open the door. She stood up from her seat and closed the notebook, just in case. The new customer was a girl with orange hair. Dahyun's first impression was that she was really beautiful and she seemed a little bit lost. 

"Welcome to Perfect World." Dahyun greeted her. Sana snapped from her daydreaming and bowed slightly at the salesperson. 

"Welcome you too." Sana immediately felt embarrassed for having said that. Dahyun held the laughter back and simply grinned at her. "I mean, thanks." 

"If there's anything I can help you with..."

"Um, yeah, I'll tell you. Thanks." Sana clumsily said before getting away from her. She didn't want to embarrass herself further. Dahyun nodded and sat down, returning to her writing.

"Cute." She muttered under her breath. She then remembered Nayeon's words about the small details. She opened the notebook by the pages at the end and took a note about the first meeting with this customer, to sense if it could be useful to include in a new scene.

Sana looked at the titles of each section. 'How can there be so many genres?!' She asked herself. She couldn't shake the embarrassment away from earlier. She took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. 'Focus, Sana! We're here to prove to Momo that she's not the only one who's so smart and reads so much!'

The door of the store opened again and a short girl with pink short hair entered the store. "How's my best friend Dahyun doing?" 

"Chaeyoung! I thought you were at the gym." Dahyun stood up to greet her friend. Chaeyoung pulled her into a hug and chuckled.

"I couldn't make it. I still have a lot of stiffness from exercising so much yesterday." Chaeyoung pointed at her arms and gave a small groan. "How about you? How did it go?"

Dahyun sighed. Sana, who was standing near them and couldn't stop herself from gossiping, listened to the conversation as she casually had a look at the back of a book.

"I really thought I was going to impress Nayeon this time, but she told me that I lacked experience at dating."

Sana turned her head to look at them. Dahyun was rubbing her elbow as Chaeyoung gasped. 

"That's harsh! She really said that?" 

"Not with those words, but I think that's what she meant. She said that my story looked too ideal, that I needed more small details to get it down to earth, to make it easier to believe." Dahyun explained and she then bit on her lower lip. Sana looked away, trying to look interested in the book she had in her hands, but then she noticed that it was a crime novel and she left it back where it was. 

"I think she does have a point. So, what are you going to do? Where are you going to get the inspiration from?" Chaeyoung asked as she leaned her back against one of the bookshelves. When she did that, one of the books fell, making a dramatic noise. Dahyun sighed, but not because of the fallen book. She was having a hard time deciding what to do to improve her book.

"Maybe I could read more, but that's already what I do." Dahyun took the fallen book and placed it back in its place. "Maybe I should try new things, like get really into the characters' minds."

"Like roleplaying?" Chaeyoung asked. Dahyun laughed as an answer and Sana stole a glance at her. Sana thought that the blonde girl was really cute and her laughter sounded endearing. 

"I don't mean that, silly!" Dahyun smacked her friend's arm playfully. "I think I should simply try to get to know my characters better, all the small details they could love about one another."

"That's good, but" Chaeyoung raised her hands in the air and tried to make a point. "Maybe you should just try and go on a date with someone."

"That's ridiculous. Who would want to date me?" Dahyun chuckled as she noticed that some books were out of place. She took the ladder and placed it in front of the shelve. She climbed the stairs and changed the books from their place. Sana watched her carefully, worried that the small girl could fall. 

"Anyone would love to date you, Dahyun!" Chaeyoung exclaimed. "If you made clear that you are single, there would be a line here at the bookstore with all kinds of people who would like to date you."

"Then I'm not going to say that I'm single. My boss would be worried if people made a line not to buy any book." Dahyun chuckled as she went down the stairs safely. Sana sighed in relief. Chaeyoung turned at the sound and Sana looked at the bookshelves again. Chaeyoung gazed back at her friend.

"Then what do you suggest? If Nayeon believes that you're lacking experience, maybe she's right. You have never dated yet you always write about love."

'Love!' Sana finally clicked the pieces together. 'That's the topic I would read hundreds of pages about! Oh Momo, you're so going to get me a trip to Disneyland!'

Celebrating her victory inside her head, she started to look for the romantic books section with her gaze, trying to not get away from the gossip.

"I would prefer if that just... came naturally, you know?" Dahyun looked her best friend in the eyes. "I don't want to force it. If it's meant to be, it'll be meant to be."

Sana nodded discreetly. 

"I guess you're right. But hey, if you ever need me to find you a date..."

"I'll make sure to call you if that ever happens, but I don't think so."

Dahyun suddenly noticed the orange-haired girl standing near them, looking somehow lost. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Sana jumped up slightly and her gaze met Dahyun's. Chaeyoung patted Dahyun's arm and waved her hand at her. 

"I better get going. I want to get some fanarts done." 

"Thanks for stopping by." Dahyun waved her hand at her before turning her attention back to Sana. Sana found it hard to find the words after seeing the girl standing closer to her with that eye smile. 

"I'm, I, um, I mean-" Sana started clumsily. She was starting to get annoyed by how terribly she was expressing herself with this girl. "I'm looking for books... a book about love?"

"Oh, you mean self-help books about relationships?" Dahyun asked while tilting her head. 

"Oh, no! I mean, fictional ones... Romantic ones?" Sana drew a heart in the air and she instantly felt ridiculous. It looked like those gestures Momo would do. 

Dahyun grinned at her and placed a hand on her shoulder, as she pointed at a certain bookshelf with her index finger. "Here they are. If you need any suggestions..."

Dahyun left the sentence unfinished as Sana nodded madly. "Please do! I'm lost and I made a stupid bet with my friend about reading two books a month for a year!"

Dahyun this time couldn't hold back her laughter. The sound of it reminded Sana of an eagle somehow. "Then maybe you will like the book club's 50% discount," Dahyun suggested, making the way back to the counter. "Ta-da!" 

She made some flashy moves at the book that stood on the lectern. Sana took the book and looked at how many pages it had. 

"No! What are you doing? Are you reading the end?" Dahyun asked with a horrified face. 

"What? No. I'm looking at how many pages it has. It's 243 pages long and I have two weeks, so that means I have to read at least..." 

"About twenty pages a day, more or less." Dahyun completed. Sana started to read the synopsis. The book was about a girl who is in love with her neighbor, but one night she finds out something about him that makes them closer than ever. 

"This one sounds good." Sana nodded her head in approval. "What's the book club about?"

"It's a reading club for teenagers," Dahyun explained. "It's mostly romance books. The books are suggested by the members of the club so any customer can get the book club discount for the chosen book. And luckily for you, they meet twice a month."

"Then this place has just solved everything for me!" Sana raised her arms in the air and Dahyun laughed as she nodded her head.

"I'm glad you show so much enthusiasm about books." Dahyun smiled at her and Sana couldn't help but smile back. "I would tell you to join the club, but well, I'm guessing you're not a teenager anymore."

Sana gave out a dramatic sigh. "That train left a long time ago."

Dahyun giggled, covering with the tip of her fingers. She then had a closer look at Sana's face. "Have I seen you before?"

Sana gave it a thought before shaking her head. "I don't think so, but you look familiar to me as well."

"Maybe I have seen you around the campus?" Dahyun tilted her head to the side, having a better look at the girl's features.  

"Maybe, but maybe that's because I go there to see my best friend, Momo. She's an assistant teacher there."

Dahyun's eyes widened at the realization. "You're Ms. Hirai's friend! I knew I had seen you before. Do you remember that we saw each other in the courtyard?"

Sana tried to remember to no avail. Dahyun rubbed the back of her neck. "My friend Chaeyoung gave Momo a really embarrassing Valentine's card filled with memes." 

Then it clicked in her mind and Sana's eyes widened. "I remember it! Oh my god, it was hilarious!" 

They started laughing at the memory. Once the laughter started to fade, Sana gave the book she was holding to Dahyun, who got behind the counter. 

"What's your name?" Sana asked, though she already knew that she was called Dahyun.

"I'm Dahyun, Kim Dahyun. And you are...?" Dahyun had a gentle smile on her lips as she asked.

"I'm Sana." 

"It's nice to meet you, Sana." Dahyun was used to saying that, because thanks to her job at the bookstore, she was starting to meet a lot of new people. However, she felt like she meant it more this time.

"It's nice to meet you, too." 

They stood there for a couple of seconds, looking at each other in the eyes. The sound of the door opening and announcing the entrance of a new customer made Dahyun snap back to reality. She scanned the bar code of the book and applied the 50% discount. She read the price of the book out loud and Sana nodded her head as she reached for her phone to use the contactless option to pay. Dahyun placed the book inside a bag and handed it back to Sana. She felt the urge to say something more, but she didn't know what else she could say. Looking at the flier of the book club, she found a new topic to talk about.

"The kids meet on Wednesdays, so the new chosen book is usually available on Fridays. You can follow us on Instagram to keep in touch."

Sana breathed in and decided to take the risk.

'What's the worse thing that could happen?'

"That's a nice idea, thank you. But maybe, you could tell me about it yourself if we..." Sana started to doubt herself as she watched Dahyun's reaction. The blonde was slightly holding her breath. "Um, I couldn't help but eavesdrop on your conversation with your friend earlier and... maybe you want to go... on a date with me?"

Dahyun's eyes widened and she brought a hand to her chest, surprised of having heard that. "Oh!" 

Sana started to feel uncomfortable. "Oh sorry, maybe you don't-"

"No, please, don't apologize" Dahyun shook her hand. "I mean, I'm flattered and-"

"It's okay, I shouldn't have-"

"No, please, let me explain. It's just that you're-"

"A girl, I know. I shouldn't have been so-"

"No, no, that's not the problem. I like girls. Wait, I said that out loud?" Dahyun chuckled as she covered her eyes with her hand. Sana gave out a small, uncomfortable chuckle. "What I mean is-"

"I know, maybe I'm not your type or-"

"No! You're my type, really, like, totally my type." Dahyun blurted and then she felt her ears burning. "Let me finish, please." Dahyun raised her hand, showing her palm at Sana. "What I wanted to say is that it was unexpected, and I clearly don't know you well, but..."

She took the book that was resting on her side of the counter. Sana read the title: 'Unexpected' by Im Nayeon. 

"That's how the great stories are born, so..." Dahyun walked around the counter and reached Sana's side. Sana was holding her breath as she heard her talk. "What's the plan?"

It was almost midnight and Sana was laying on her bed, watching one of the videos 'myouimina' had uploaded about the latest romance books. Since she was an ASMR YouTuber, Sana was using wireless headphones to listen to her.

"So, to sum up, what excites me the most about the new releases for this spring is that there will be a lot of fluffy and LGBTIQ+ content, which we really need considering that we are always lacking references when it comes to romance. Most of the homoual relationships portrayed in fiction are based on heteroual relationships and sometimes it's scary how many of these things affect us when we're trying to have our first serious relationships."

Sana nodded her head in agreement but the video got quieter because of the sound of a new message. She paused Mina's video and smiled as she opened a message from Dahyun.

Dahyun: hey, you're up?

Sana: yep, watching an ASMR video to sleep.

Dahyun: hmmm maybe you could be reading right now, don't you think? :)

Sana: I'm reading you right now

Dahyun: hahahaha that's true

Sana: is something wrong?

Dahyun: i just couldn't sleep and i saw that you were online a few minutes ago

Sana: oh and do you usually have trouble sleeping?

Dahyun: no, I'm usually a fast sleeper

Dahyun: as soon as I hit the bed it's snoring time

Dahyun: well I think I don't snore

Dahyun: maybe I do, I don't know

Dahyun: now I'm rambling please stop me

Sana: hehehe I'm stopping you in the name of sleep!

Sana: could it be that... you can't sleep because our first date is tomorrow?

Dahyun: no 

Dahyun: or yes, maybe that's the thing

Dahyun: maybe if you told me what we're going to do I'd calm down

Sana: sorry, it's a surprise

Dahyun: come on! I don't know you that much, I need to know what we are going to do so I'm ready

Sana: where do you think I am taking you? 

Dahyun: considering it's going to be in the evening, maybe we're going somewhere for dinner?

Sana: you're close enough but you don't have all the pieces

Dahyun: come on! why can't you tell me?

Sana: you said you liked unexpected things, didn't you?

Dahyun: but I also wanna be ready and wear the proper clothes for each occasion!

Sana: trust me, whatever you wear is going to be fine

Dahyun: so should I wear a dress and heels?

Dahyun: or casual clothes and some Converses?

Sana: okay, I can give you just ONE clue

Dahyun: I'll take it! Please give me the clue

Sana: you don't have to worry about the etiquette because we are going to be alone. just the two of us.

Dahyun: so no restaurant?

Sana: I didn't say that

Dahyun: I'm really confused

Sana: why don't you just let yourself get surprised?

Dahyun: sorry! I just like to be in control of the situation. I've always been like this

Dahyun: knowing all the facts means a lot to me

Sana: do you trust me?

Dahyun sighed and she pictured Sana in her mind. Sana, the beautiful girl she met at the bookstore, was willing to go on a date with her. Even though she didn't know the girl much, she was Ms. Hirai's friend, and she did trust Momo.

Dahyun: i trust you

Dahyun: but I don't know if my heart can handle it

Sana gave it a thought before typing her answer with a smile on her face.

Sana: well, my heart can't handle how cute you are being right now

Dahyun covered her face with her hand and tried not to squirm at the compliment.

Dahyun: you're cheesy

Sana: sorry not sorry

Dahyun: i think i like it

Sana: that's interesting because i'm cheesy all the time

Dahyun: then maybe i like you all the time

Dahyun had the urge to erase the message but they were both online so she couldn't do so.

Sana: i can't wait to show you where i'm taking you

Sana: do you think you can handle not knowing where I'm taking you and maybe get some sleep?

Sana: I wouldn't want you to fall asleep at your shift at the bookstore

Dahyun: okay maybe you're right

Dahyun: then I'm seeing you tomorrow?

Sana: of course! I'll pick you up at the end of your shift 

Sana: now I'll end the video I was watching from myouimina

Dahyun: oh she's my friend!

Sana: really? she's nice

Dahyun: yep! I can introduce her to you someday

Sana: that would be cool, thanks. But for now, I'm happy to meet you tomorrow

Dahyun: awww you don't want to share me with anyone else?

Dahyun regretted sending it, but then Sana replied quickly

Sana: of course, I want to have all your attention

Sana: rest well, Dahyunnie! See you tomorrow

Dahyun: good night Sana

Dahyun locked her phone and found herself smiling in the dark. She left the phone on her bedside table and got into a comfortable position. Sana on the other hand found herself unable to sleep now that she knew that Dahyun had a lot of expectations for their date. She turned the lamp on and she started to read to calm herself down. 

They both thought about each other before drifting to their dreams.

Chaeyoung was scrolling on her Instagram when she stopped at a post from 'Tzubooks'. She found it funny that she was reviewing the same book Mina had reviewed on her channel. 'These girls aren't hiding it so much, aren't they?' She thought as she double-clicked the picture to leave a like. She looked up from her phone and realized that she had reached the bookstore where Dahyun worked. She entered the bookstore with a teasing grin, knowing that her best friend was all nervous and giddy because of her date.

And there was Dahyun, writing all her feelings in her notebook, trying to get even the smallest details. Ever since Sana asked her out for a date, she had been trying to capture every single feeling she got from this new situation. She started to think about how would their characters react to this and she wrote down all the possibilities. 

Chaeyoung rested her elbows on the counter and tried to sneak a peek at Dahyun's notebook, but before she could do so Dahyun looked up and brought the notebook to her chest as soon as she saw her.

"You scared me!" Dahyun pointed a finger at her. "And what have I told you about trying to read from my notebook?"

"I don't remember" Chaeyoung shrugged her shoulders playfully as she smirked at her. Dahyun rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn't help but be amused by her best friend's antics. 

"What's with you? Don't you have anywhere to go? You're always hanging out at the bookstore but you never buy any book." Dahyun , although she already knew what the pink-haired girl had come for. Chaeyoung rested her head on the palm of her hands and made a dramatic thinking pose.

"Hmmmm, I don't know, I just felt like stopping by." Chaeyoung couldn't hold her laughter anymore and started to giggle. "Now, spill the tea! How are you feeling about your first date with..." she made a dramatic pause as she mimicked some kind of fan with her hands. "Sana?"

Dahyun laughed at the mysterious tone her friend had used to pronounce Sana's name. "Stop it! You're here just to tease me, aren't you?" 

Chaeyoung nodded her head as she kept laughing. "How can I not tease you? You're looking like a teenager from your book club!" 

Dahyun pouted but couldn't help but agree with her. "I mean, it's natural that I'm excited, right? It was just what I was lacking for my writing, and suddenly this girl appears and asks me for a date... I don't know, maybe it's a sign, right?" 

Chaeyoung gave it a thought before asking her directly. "Do you like her?"

Dahyun felt her ears burning. "I don't know! She's cute. I hadn't thought about her as a date so it's a little bit weird."

Chaeyoung chuckled and gave out a content sigh. "I'll always remember when you came out. You were trembling from head to toe, thinking we wouldn't understand you..."

Dahyun was blushing now, so she decided to turn the situation around. "But you grunts were gay too and you didn't tell me." 

Chaeyoung shrugged in answer. "Well, it was hard to hide our relationship from you."

Dahyun decided to change the topic completely so they wouldn't keep talking about the time she came out. "Have you seen Tzuyu's post?"

Chaeyoung nodded as she gave out an excited, fangirling muted yell. "I know! They are making it too obvious, aren't they? I'm guessing they are enjoying it hiding it from their fans for now, but come on! I think the fans must be joining the dots already."

Dahyun chuckled as she nodded her head. When Chaeyoung and Mina broke up years ago, Dahyun never expected them to keep being friends just like they used to be. They didn't end on bad terms and it was clear that they still loved each other, but Chaeyoung just didn't feel the same way she used to feel about Mina. It was a painful situation for their friendship, but they got over it and they were good friends now. 

Nowadays, Mina was dating Tzuyu, a Taiwanese bookstagramer she had met because of her YouTube channel. Mina had come out as biual on her channel a long time ago, but Tzuyu wasn't ready for that yet, so they were keeping their relationship a secret.

"Anyway, I'm not going to tease you anymore" Chaeyoung pointed at her friend with her index finger. "But just tell me, how are you feeling?"

Dahyun gave out a dreamy sigh. "I don't know! If she only had told me where are we going I would be ready, because I would know what to expect. But she's mysterious, you know? I'm guessing this is not her first date, but it's my first date and I'm getting this... trembles! And I keep bouncing my legs when I'm sitting. I just can't stop me!" 

Chaeyoung just looked at her in awe. Who could have expected her friend to be so giddy about a date? Once she got out of her initial surprise, she thought that this was all typical Dahyun and she started to feel happy for her. She deserved to feel this way and it was just what Nayeon said her writing was lacking.

"Okay then, how about you just take a deep breath?" Dahyun nodded and did as she was told. "That's wonderful, honey. Everything is going to be okay. You know that. And if it's not, I'll make sure to kick that Sana girl in the ."

Dahyun chuckled and reached out to hold her friend's hand. "Thanks for being here for me, Chae. It means the world to me."

Chaeyoung squeezed her hand as she smiled at her. "I will always have your back." 

The door of the bookstore opened and they turned around to see Sana enter. Chaeyoung flashed a knowing smile at Dahyun and winked at her. She leaned closer so she could whisper in her ear. "Have fun."

Dahyun nodded at her friend before she took another deep breath. Chaeyoung waved her hand at her friend before giving Sana a pat on the shoulder. Sana smiled at her before turning her attention to Dahyun. Once Chaeyoung was gone, they were left alone at the bookstore. Sana opened to say something, but she got interrupted by someone else.

"Oh, Dahyun! How come you're still here? I thought you had a date!" Ms. Myoui, Dahyun's boss and Mina's mother made her entrance between the bookshelves. 

"Yes, Ms. Myoui! I was about to leave." Dahyun took her apron off and hung it from the coat hanger on the wall. Ms. Myoui gave the girls an amused look. 

"Then go have fun, girls." The woman winked at her employer and she took her place behind the counter. 

Dahyun looked at Sana, unsure of what to say as a greeting. Sana reached out to hold her hand. 

"Shall we?" Sana asked. Dahyun nodded as she entwined her fingers with Sana. She gave Ms. Myoui one last look and waved at her. The woman, being quite sassy, gave her a thumbs-up. 

Once they were out of the bookstore, Dahyun asked: "So, where are you taking me?" 

"It's a surprise. But hey, I'll let you choose the music on our way there!" Sana announced, making some flashy hand moves at her car, which was parked in front of the bookstore. 

"That's your car? It's really cool!" Dahyun complimented her. "Does it have a name?"

"I don't know. Sana's car?" Sana chuckled as she caressed the car's bodywork. "I'm joking. This fierce girl is the Red Panther." 

Dahyun gave out an impressed whistle. "Nice to meet you, Red Panther!" 

"Let's get inside!" Sana let go of Dahyun's hand and opened her car with the button of her car keys.

Dahyun took the passenger seat and admired Sana taking the driver seat next to her. Sana put her seatbelt on and Dahyun copied her before she would forget how to breathe. Sana handed Dahyun her phone, with the Apple Music app opened. Dahyun had a look at all the playlists Sana had. 

"Do you find anything you like?" Sana asked as she started the car's engine. Dahyun was impressed by all the playlists Sana had created, but then she decided to choose a song herself. Sana smiled as Cyndi Lauper's Girl just wanna have fun started playing. A message notification appeared and Dahyun blushed at the content of it.

Momo: have fun with the cute girl from the bookstore!

Dahyun left the phone on her lap.

"So, are you telling me where we are going?" Dahyun insisted. Sana pretended not to hear her by singing along with the music. "Oh, come on, Sana, don't be like that!" 

Dahyun laughed as Sana clumsily tried to follow the lyrics and the tune of the song. 

"You're not getting answers from me" Sana shrugged as they stopped at the traffic light. "Will you let me surprise you, please?" 

"Okay, okay." Dahyun gave in before trying to sing along with Sana. They laughed because they were making silly faces and being totally off-key. Dahyun understood that no matter where they were going, she knew they were going to have fun. 

The next song started to play automatically and Sana tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. She started to whistle at A-ha's Take on me. Dahyun swang her body to the beat of the music, making silly dance moves with her arms. Sana stole a glance at her and smiled. The song was reaching its end when they arrived at their destination. Sana stopped the car but kept the car's sound system on as Sweet Dreams (are made of this) from Eurythmics was playing. She unfastened her seatbelt and clicked the button that opened Dahyun's door. Dahyun giggled at her new friend's antics, as she watched Sana dance her way out of the car. 

As soon as Dahyun got out of the car, she had a look around. She had no clue where they were going. It was a residential area and the only thing around was a small bakery, but the neon lights of the store were turned off and it seemed to be closed. Before Dahyun could ask where they were going, Sana appeared on her side and took her hand to spin her around. Dahyun tried to deny it, but when Sana raised her arm she couldn't stop herself and started to dance with her.

"I can't dance!" Dahyun exclaimed as Sana tried to get her dancing. She found it ridiculous, to be dancing with her on the streets, but it was clear that it was the two of them. Sana laughed as she gave some awkward, nerdy dance moves.

"Me either! Come on, loosen up!"

With those simple words, Dahyun relaxed and began to dance with her. She found each of Sana's moves hilarious and there was something about the way she tried to make her laugh and have fun that made her feel at ease. Sana was trying her best to impress the girl. She didn't know why, but there was something about her that captured her attention the first time she saw her. 

Sana still remembers the knowing smile Momo had when she came out of the closet as a lesbian. Well, mainly because the reason Sana came out was somehow Momo's fault. There was a girl who was trying to get closer to Momo so she tried to date Sana instead. It used to be a painful memory, but with the years they had learned to laugh at those times. 

Ever since she came out, Sana had gone out with a lot of girls, mainly meeting them through a dating app. Some other girls were Momo or Jihyo's acquaintances. Dahyun was the first girl she met by herself, face to face, with no apps between them. That somehow seemed like a sign to her.

Sana spined Dahyun around one last time before letting go of her hand, as the song ended. She entered the car to turn the sound system off. She took the phone from the seat and put it inside her bag. She closed the car and kept the keys in her hand as she offered her free hand to Dahyun, who gladly accepted it as her laughter started to die down from all the fun she had with all the wild dancing.

"This is where we are going?" Dahyun pointed at the bakery and Sana nodded. 

"It's a cozy place, right? Make yourself home." 

Sana opened the door with the key and Dahyun inhaled the soft smell of what smelt like cupcakes, or maybe some kind of cookie. Sana turned the lights on and led Dahyun inside the bakery, before closing the door behind them. Sana waited for Dahyun's reaction, as the small girl was marveling at the decoration of the bakery.

"Is this yours?" Dahyun asked. There was a poster on the wall where the words 'home sweet home' could be read. 

"Kind of." Sana shrugged, doubting herself. She didn't know if it was the proper time to tell her. Then she realized that she would probably tell her anyway and she sighed. "It belonged to my mother. She died two years ago. I have been taking care of it ever since, but I'm still not as talented as she used to be and I don't have enough money to open it. So, while I finish my studies, I come here every day to keep it clean." 

Dahyun didn't know how to feel. She admired Sana for keeping the bakery for the shake of her lost mother. She also felt bad because as soon as she heard that her mother had died, a light shone in her mind as she remembered that one of the main characters in her story also had a missing parent. She had been so stuck on her writing that anything that sounded like it connected with it.

"That's... wow." Dahyun didn't know what to say, either. Sana patted her shoulder as she shook her head.

"You don't have to say anything. I know it's kind of harsh, but I'm doing better now. I just want to be better and maybe, someday, open this bakery again." Sana had a look around and gave out a content sigh. 

"I would love to see that" Dahyun confessed, and she meant it. It seemed like a place filled with light. 

"Well, for now, it's clearly the best spot for a date" Sana chuckled as she pointed at the backdoor of the bakery. She offered her arm to Dahyun in an elegant manner. "Shall we?"

Dahyun nodded as she gladly hooked her arm around Sana's. "Then I guess I'm not the only one you have brought to this bakery."

Dahyun regretted having said that, but Sana just giggled. "Guilty as charged! But this is the first time I'm making this for someone. Wait for it!" 

Sana was looking forward to Dahyun's reaction as she opened the backdoor that lead to a small garden. Dahyun's eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful garden and the strings of lights that were hanging from the fences. In the middle of the garden, there was a table with all the plates and glasses ready for dinner. Dahyun turned around to look at Sana, and the orange-haired girl was turning her Bluetooth speaker on. Soft piano music started to play and Dahyun giggled as she stepped into the garden, spinning around in admiration of the place.

"This is amazing!" Dahyun exclaimed, raising her arms in the air. "This place is beautiful. I really love it."

Sana got closer to her, admiring Dahyun's reaction. Dahyun poked her side with her elbow playfully.

"Are you sure that I'm the first one you have shown this place?"

Sana nodded her head, though then she realized something. "Well, my friend Jihyo helped me to clean this. Technically, she was the first one to see this place before it looked this good."

Dahyun giggled. "That's a good friend."

"Yep, not anyone would spend a Sunday morning helping a friend clean a garden. Believe me, it looked nothing like this." Sana looked really proud of themselves and Dahyun marveled at Sana's attitude. Sana felt herself blush at the way Dahyun was looking at her. "What?"

"You're amazing," Dahyun confessed. "You're a box full of surprises, you know that?"

Sana chuckled. "I'm nothing special."

Dahyun took a mental note about how shyly Sana was looking away. She wished she could capture this. Then she realized that technology allowed her to do that, so she took her phone out and snapped a picture of Sana before she noticed. Sana covered her face with her hands and Dahyun giggled.

"I'm just taking a picture of how special you are."

Sana bit her lower lip and shook her head. "That's unfair. I want a picture of you, too."

"Then come here. Let's take a selfie." 

Sana scooted over and made a peace sign at the camera, as Dahyun tapped the button to take the picture. For the next photo, Sana made another pose and Dahyun made a heart sign with her fingers. As soon as Dahyun took the photo, Sana put on a kissy face that made Dahyun chuckle. She decided to put a kissy face as well and she snapped the picture standing a few inches away from Sana's lips. When the picture was taken, Sana kissed Dahyun's cheek and pulled away.

"Let me see them!" Sana asked. Dahyun showed her the pictures and Sana grinned at the last picture. "This one would look better if we just..." 

She made a kissy sound that got Dahyun giggling. "You're such a flirt, aren't you? But you know, the best things are kept for last." 

Sana made a mocking gasp as she brought a hand to her chest. "Do you mean you are going to resist kissing me until the end of the date? That's bold of you."

Dahyun smirked at her as she placed a hand on her hip, striking a silly confident pose. "I have a lot of willpower, believe me." 

Sana took a step closer, wrapping her arms around Dahyun's waist until her hands landed on her back. "Are you sure about that?"

Dahyun gulped at the way Sana was playing with her. She leaned back, trying to have some distance from her. "My willpower will never leave me, though you're strong at flirting, damn it!" 

Sana chuckled and decided to let the girl go. As soon as she took a step back, Dahyun found herself missing the touch. Sana decided to change the subject.

"So, do you like Italian cuisine?" Sana asked as she walked back to the bakery. Dahyun followed her just in case she needed help.

"Sure, I do! You mean, pizza or something like that?"

"Close enough! I made a lasagna." Sana entered the bakery and she put an apron on. Dahyun watched her tie her hair up in a ponytail by the backdoor's frame. Sana opened the oven and waved her hand at the light smoke that came out of it. Dahyun took a deep breath and admired the smell of grilled cheese. Sana put on some oven gloves that matched the apron and took the dish out of the open. "Ta-da!" 

Dahyun smiled at the sight and clapped her hands enthusiastically. "It looks delicious! Thank you for cooking."

"Nonsense! It's the only thing I can do right so..." Sana shrugged as she placed the dish on top of the counter. 

"That's not true," Dahyun said, taking a step into the kitchen. 

"You say that because you don't know me," Sana muttered, avoiding looking at Dahyun in the eyes. Dahyun walked up to her and placed her hand on her shoulder. 

"I'm sure it's not like that. You seem like a good girl to me, Sana." 

Sana had a look around, paying close attention to a framed review of the bakery in the local newspaper. Sana sighed at the sight of her mother with a happy smile on her face as she showed her signature cupcakes to the camera. Shaking her head, Sana decided that thinking about this right now would make the mood go down, so she looked back at Dahyun and smiled.

"Thanks. I hope you think the same when you try the lasagna."

Dahyun nodded her head and squeezed Sana's shoulder. "I'm sure I'm going to love it. It looks delicious."

"Thank you. It's my grandfather's recipe. He was half-Italian." Sana explained as she opened a drawer to take a knife out, so she could slice the lasagna. Dahyun rubbed her hands together.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked. Sana shook her head.

"Nope! Just stay there and look pretty."

"That's something I can do." Dahyun a silly pose, leaning her elbow on the wall and exaggerating the counterpoise, just as if she were a Greek sculpture. Sana laughed out loud as she looked at her. 

"That's exactly what I wanted." 

Dahyun stopped doing the silly pose and simply crossed her arms, resting her back on the wall as she watched Sana serve the Italian dish. Dahyun tried to imagine how the bakery used to be before it closed down and she gave out a dreamy sigh. She wished she had seen it before. 

Sana turned around and showed her the plates. "Ta-da! Now if you please, take your plate, and let's take this outside." 

Dahyun nodded as she took the plate and followed Sana back to the garden. They placed the dishes on the table and Sana took Dahyun's chair out in a gentle manner. Dahyun felt flattered and she brought a hand to her chest as she bowed a small thank you. She sat down and Sana took the seat next to her. 

"Well, so, as your grandfather would say... Bon appetit!" Dahyun shyly said. Sana smiled at her as she took the cutlery. "Thank you so much for cooking. I don't know what to say, I didn't expect this."

"What can I say? I'm a box filled with surprises, it seems." Sana chuckled, trying to play down her own efforts for the dinner. 

"No, seriously. This is by far the coolest first date plan ever." Dahyun made a big circle with her hands and Sana tilted her head in curiosity.

"Really? I thought this was just the usual for you. You know, you must be used to people pampering you." 

Dahyun's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She felt like her brain was having a short-circuit. "No, I, um, why?" 

To prove her point, Sana framed Dahyun's face with her hands. "This pretty face is worth gold, baby."

Dahyun playfully smacked Sana's hand as she giggled. "I don't think so! I have a pretty normal face."

"Nonsense! You're beautiful, breathtaking, gorgeous, lovely..." Sana looked for more synonyms as she brought her hand to her chin. "Outstanding!" 

Dahyun chuckled and reached out to cover Sana's mouth with her hand. "Stop it! Though you seem to have been reading lately. That's a rich vocabulary for flattery." 

Sana mimicked a gun with her hand and made a ridiculous shooting sound. "Only the best for you!" Dahyun covered her cheeks with hands and Sana giggled at her antics. "Now seriously, I'm sure people you've dated pampered you this much, too."

Dahyun looked down at her plate, deciding to take the cutlery to cut a piece of lasagna. 

"That... that's not quite true." Dahyun felt herself blushing as she admitted it.

"Hm?"

"This is..." Dahyun didn't know if it was okay to say it or not. She decided that, since Sana had been sincere from the beginning, it was only fair to tell her. "This is my first date ever, Sana."

Sana blinked once, then twice. She pointed a finger at herself. "Your first date is with me?"

Then the pieces clicked together. Sana had thought that what Chaeyoung meant was that Dahyun wasn't open to dating nowadays, but she would have never guessed that Dahyun had never had a date.

Dahyun nodded her head, feeling embarrassed because she didn't want to look like a newbie. She wanted to look cool and experienced, just like Sana did. Or maybe she just wanted to look like the characters she wrote about, the kind of people who were too busy to think about love. However, that wasn't Dahyun's case. Dahyun was ready to love, but she never sought it herself. That was why she felt excited when Sana asked her for a date.

She felt found.

Sana started to smile and she reached out to place her hand on top of Dahyun's hand.

"Then let's make this a date you will always remember." She squeezed her hand and took the bottle of sparkling cider that was inside an ice bucket next to her. "I'll toast to that. You want some?"

Dahyun nodded her head, suddenly feeling more at ease. The way Sana kept the light-hearted conversation made her feel content. Before the date, she thought she could trust her because she was Momo's friend. Now, she knew she could trust her because Sana had proven that she was worth her trust.

With that in mind, as soon as Sana opened the bottle with a loud pop, Dahyun offered her glass for Sana to fill. They raised their glasses and cheered for their first date.

"To us!" Sana exclaimed and Dahyun mirrored it with a gentle smile.

"To us."