A/N: Oh wow a note at the start? Yeah I just wanna say that I cannot write dancing (oh , there's dancing) so what you get is a... (reads palm) an attempt to whatever the hell that became. I'm nervous about it and forced my non-avid reader friends to read it they said it was aight so I hope it is. This is the chapter I kept rewriting and ing about because I'm real disatisfied with it. Oh well, tell me what you think. Happy reading!

The third quarter is fast. Almost forgettable each time. But the reason isn't because it's very boring and very short (well, maybe). At least, for Moon Byulyi, the reason is because this is the time of the academic year wherein she gets to represent her school. Several events happen at this time, for Moon Byulyi.

First: Volleyball Preseason Scrims

Second: Math District Qualifiers

Third (her favorite but she won't admit it): Solo Dance Competition

This just means that our resident girl crush is very busy, very tired, very- dry looking. The walking lamp post is in need of some bulb replacement. She lost all her light.

Yongsun knows it's normal and she'll come around. She's also busy with the roles she took in school organizations. Hyejin, on the other hand, is never busy. Well, she can be. If she actually does her work early. But Ahn Hyejin likes the thrill. Similar to a lion stalking its prey, the thrill of the hunt -in her case cramming- will always be fun.

Anyway, Hyejin is free but always tired (she is THE mood). So Byul hangs out with her more often. Wheein? Oh yeah, right.

The ace is currently unavailable. Because, very much like Byulyi, the third quarter is the time for competing and representing the school. Unlike Byul, hers are:

First: Painting Competition

Second: Graphic Designing Competition

Third (her favorite but only Hyejin knows): Solo Dance Competition

So, our ace -much like Byul-, is busy and tired and-

Wait. Wait.

Something seems to be a little too similar with their competitions...

No matter, because right now, Wheein is trying so hard to move on from an art block. Not the best time to have one. But the most appropriate time to have one - the universe would probably say.

ing- frickiting- .

What does Wheein do when she has such a block? Well, if you were asking her this a year ago, she would have answered: go to my favorite place, look at the sky and cry.

Right now though, if you ask her the same question, she'll probably answer you with bloodshot eyes, eyebags darker than your future (just kidding): I don't know anymore.

Alternatively, she stares at her lamp post friend who's lightbulb keeps flickering and just sighs. Or swoons. But that's a matter of perspective. As if things cannot be any better for our two tired protagonists -and their besties that might just be polar opposites- the solo dance competition has changed.

Before it was, each batch would hold auditions to pick a representative. Representatives from each batch are excused from some subjects to practice for one month until the solo dance competition starts.

Well, it's technically still the same. Audition per batch, pick representatives and excuse them from some subjects. The only thing is that it isn't as solo as it was.

Yeah. This year they decided to everyone up. No one can prepare for a sudden change. No winners will repeat (as the organizers assumed but never said even if it was obvious).

Yeah, the issue was that other schools have been ing about their "rotten" system because the same school wins. The "rotten" system is actually not very rotten. They’re just sore losers. Bitter haters.

The dance competition is a one week straight of performing the same routine in schools (other all girls schools) that participate. There were 8 participating schools and for two years straight, Moon Byulyi has been winning. Also for her first time, Wheein won. And she, as they say, ate that up. (a/n: i had to say it yall im sorry, its the gay in me)

The student body of each school participant has to vote (excluding their representative). Their votes make up a total 20% of the final score. The eight judges are the ones that share equally distributed 10% of the final score.

Who the hell knows how they give their scores? Not me.

But since Moon Byulyi -was a 2peat champion- and a newcomer -Wheein- literally won in the same year and were from the same school.

People -salty losers- started feeling suspicious of the system. So to avoid more salt, the organizers spiced things up a little bit. They -figuratively- added pepper. In other words, barely did but ed up everyone anyway.

Now the school -along with Wheein and Byulyi- are scrambling to reorganize their auditions. That's not the most pressing matter actually. Byulyi and Wheein, the two who had a moment during the school play, have not really addressed anything.

It wouldn't be a problem if they weren't in the same bus going to their respective competitions (painting and math). So yes, Wheein has an art block and on her way to the competition- with Byulyi, the possible reason of the block, is literally sitting next to her in the bus.

Fun. Great. Fantastic.

And if you think, Wheein is going to face her problems and talk, you are very wrong. Have you forgotten they are teenagers? High Schoolers that would probably make a lot more idiotic detours and reckless mistakes because they don’t know ?

Yeah. Exactly. Right now, she's just staring at Moon Byulyi's shoes. The one she made.The one she gave her after the play. The one where she made a matching pair in secret. The one that looks very cute next to hers.

she's wearing the matching pair.

. She could only hope that Byulyi is dumb enough not to notice.

Byulyi is not dumb. But she is very preoccupied to notice. Why? Well because she has no good sleep and she's trying her hardest to remember math concepts but it's just so very hard. So-very difficult to remember anything when your brain is fried, your blood is coffee, and your very good friend is resting her head on your shoulder.

Ah, yes. High school. Oh, . High school.

Now the two, both oblivious and panicking, have been stuck in their own head for so long they didn't realize they'd reached their stop. Ah, . They both completely forgot. They were here because of the competition.

Right, the competition.

Right… the competition they are both not prepared for.

Before the competitions start and everyone parts on their own way, they have some time to eat and get settled.

"Wheeinie" "Byulie-unnie"

Wow. Awkward. - Hyejin, probably.

Why did they have to break the ice at the same time? Now why are they both looking at everything else except each other?

Wow. Idiots. - Yongsun, highly likely.

"You go first, Wheeinie." Byulyi finally looks at her. Wheein takes a deep breath and smiles. Holy her eyes, her dimples, her soft -caring gaze- might have communicated to Byulyi more things that what she actually said.

Wait. What the hell did she say?

Even Wheein doesn't remember what she said. Because as Byulyi finally looks at her, after she said she could go first, suddenly words could not come easy. Or at all. Byulyi's look was so genuine, so bare, so honest, so selfless, so full of understanding as if she already knew what Wheein said.

Great. Both of them were taken aback by each other's looks.

They did not. Communicate. At all.

If their besties were here, Yong probably hit them in the head and Hyejin probably made fun of them already.

When their brains actually ing loaded and registered words they uttered and heard, time finally continued.

"Your shoes are nice." Wheein's voice felt strained and had a lilt to it. A joke. Byulyi, laugh.

Byulyi did not laugh. At least she smiled (tried to, anyway).

Her heart was doing too much gymnastics and her brain had a huge ‘Byulyi.exe is not working’ alarm blaring. "Well, the person who gave it was very nice." Was that even greasy? Honestly, maybe Byulyi has lost her game. What the HELL was that?! Her voice was all over the place, everyone who heard (no one) probably face palmed into oblivion.

It didn't matter because it still had an effect on Wheein anyway. God. This situation is so hard to describe. It's the classic case of "should we laugh? it's a joke, right?" The angel she is, Wheein did laugh. Maybe a little too much. Maybe she has lost it.

But even if her laugh was not her usual, it was enough to give Byulyi her brain back. Thank this angel of a human. Laughing at Byulyi's horrible -whatever the hell that was- pick up line to give her strength and courage so generously. Byulyi also started laughing. She doesn't know why.

Maybe out of respect? (do people laugh back out of respect?) Or maybe to dispel the awkward tension? Well whatever it was for, it still helped Wheein. Maybe Byulyi's laugh is the solution to her art block after all.

That holy hell of awkward actually broke the ice (thawed it) and now they're talking like the friends they were. They started messing around, playing games, doing jokes, acting like mean girls to guys that pass by (lmao gay) and you know, things they used to do.

Yes. They still have not addressed the elephant -in shoe form- in the room. And yes, it is too late. Because they've been called to compete. It's fine though. Their horribly awkward moment of laughing at whatever-the-hell-that-was-interaction-supposed-to-be helped them get their brains back.

Now to win gold and bring home bacon.

And win gold they did. (also the bacon, they brought that home too, figuratively.).

Sparing the details of boring competitions, the two went back to school and it was lunch time. The school, grateful as ever, told them to continue classes. Their reward was definitely great.

Well, it was. They got to hangout with Hyejin and Yongsun again. They were all less busy as they ignored Mr. math teacher that teaches math. The four girls went to their go-to ramen shop and celebrated their besties' victory. (Yongsun paid because Yongsun asked)

So the awkward competitions out of the way, the volleyball preseason and the graphic design competitions were boring and they happened in the background. (a/n: i swear i'm not lazy it's just gonna be unimportant filler that i don't want to write)

Because the very- very important duo dance auditions have started. Ah, yes. The supposed solo dance competition that the two very good friends really -secretly- like the most. Since those were their secret faves and they're dumb teenagers that tell their besties their secrets, Hyejin and Yongsun already devised a plan.

While they were competing and wounding everyone with cringe, Yongsun and Hyejin had a talk and devised a plan -let's be real only Yong did. The plan to make the two oblivious smitten idiots audition together. Now Yongsun has a detailed plan and will follow through.

Only thing she failed to consider is that her partner in crime -very harmless and legal crime- does not follow plans and is the master of procrastination and spontaneity. She wasn't mad about it actually, because it went well with the very big lapses of her supposedly fool-proof plan.

The very big lapses being: Wheein and Byulyi.

It's okay. Everything turned out fine.

How? One might wonder.

It was homeroom and the batch was having a meeting to decide who wants to audition and then they will use a fishbowl to decide partners. Yongsun was not the facilitator but was the person assigned to write on the board.

As people -the ones who want to audition- raised their hands, she locked eyes with Hyejin. "Ah, Hyejinie, can you help me and write down the names and put them on the bowl?" Yongsun asked, feigning exasperation as if her life depended on it.

"Oooohkay." Hyejin made sure to sound like she didn't want to do it. They cannot raise suspicions now.

And Hyejin is a very very smart girl. Why?

Because people -including her two idiotic friends- raised their hands. So, her absolute genius wrote down only the names of her friends. "Here you go." Hyejin, acting as if she needs the oscars to live, gave the bowl to Yongsun.

Yongsun, equally acting like she needed a role to pay her non-existent rent responsibilities, said, "Ah, Hyejinie, you do the fish bowl picking. I cannot understand your writing!"

She obviously, observant as ever, recited the names of six people -including her besties- that she remembered raising their hands.

And so step one was a success.

Step two and three were to actually make sure Byulyi and Wheein are the partners chosen by the batch. The partner part was easy, Yong just told their class presidents (that act like the council for the batch) to let friends be partners for the best chemistry.

The part of being chosen with 100% certainty was the reason for the huge and very big lapses that the spontaneous and planning-anti Hyejin will solve. As the six pairs left the room to create a quick dance segment with a song of their choosing, Hyejin- an Oscar winning actress in an alternate universe- started a scene.

She started crying and being the official maknae of the batch, this is her trump card. The council of their batch -and members- were concerned and asked her what was wrong.

"Wheeinie has just been having the hardest time." Hyejin made sure to stutter, to cut herself with sobs and to have eyes that would be sinful to say no to. "Wheeinie really wants to do this dance competition- an-nd she cried to me saying if it was duos she might have a hard time. I know she co-" She cuts herself off to sob.

Yongsun, understanding the assignment, joins in to comfort her award winning actress of a friend, "Hyejinie, it's very nice of you to worry about her. But to be honest, she partnered with Byul-ah and she never lost. I think they're the best bet." They knew the eyes -of everyone in the room- were seeing.

"Yongsunnie... you really think so?" They knew the ears -of everyone in the room- were hearing.

"Yeah, didn't Wheeinie also win?" They are in the spotlight. They were seen. They were heard.

Maybe in another universe these two were celebrities or at least youtubers. Because the show they just put out was not only convincing, but entirely entertaining. It got the batch members and council thinking and feeling.

This stunt does not ensure 100% certainty but it does win over the favor of the crowd. Which is the most of what Yong and Hyejin could do. The rest is up to the ace and walking lamp post.

Speaking of- the two, surprisingly, were not awkward at all. No, they were both practicing -oblivious of the set up their besties did- and brainstorming ideas. They actually first talked about their p