It's impossible to pinpoint the exact moment Seungwan fell for Joohyun. Rather, it was a build-up, an accumulation, an extended period of obliviousness on Wendy's part, in which the more the transfer student got to know the student body president, Wendy eventually felt herself always wanting to cup Joohyun's cheeks and bring her close to her chest. To bind herself to Joohyun's whole being and fall asleep. 

But she wouldn't realise this until just a week before Joohyun graduated, a month after Jaehyun broke up with her. 

***

Halfway through the school year, Jaehyun and Wendy had been going strong for almost three months. 

There was the regional round of the choir competition for high schools in Korea tonight. The couple prepared diligently; between, around and on dates as they were paired together for the lead. They were the choir's secret weapon. Students even outside the choir knew about their chemistry and their talent. 

"I'm so nervous," Wendy muttered, rubbing her palms together. She cringed at the damp feel of sweat on her hands and felt them getting picked up and held tightly in another's. She looked up, meeting Joohyun's soft gaze.

"Seungwan-ah. You're going to do amazing. They are going to die, hearing your voice. I know it. I've known it for as long as I've known you," Joohyun told her sincerely, punctuating her words with a squeeze of her hands. 

The Canadian immediately melted at Joohyun's words, her touch, or a combination of both. She sighed and smiled, letting the older's arms wrap around her in a comforting hug. "Thanks, unnie." She kept her head tucked into Joohyun's neck. Her heart which was beating incessantly just moments ago, quickly calmed, finding a gentle place that didn't thump between her ears. She inhaled a lungful of Joohyun's perfume (fabric softener) and whispered, "Thank you for coming today."

"Of course," Joohyun replied immediately, moving slightly against the other's temple. "I'll come to all of your competitions. Even if you don't have a solo part, which is unlikely because you are the backbone of the choir, especially with menaces like Park Sooyoung but--" Seungwan pinched Joohyun's waist and the older squealed, breaking the hug instinctively. Her arms retracted, hands falling to a clasp behind Wendy's neck and she summoned the most earnest smile,  "But, I will always make time for you, Wan-ah."

Wendy beamed, her eyes turning into crescents. She opened to reply when Joy's voice sounded, "Unnie! Where are you--" She appeared in the doorway of the waiting room and her feet stopped just at the threshold, eyeing them strangely. "Oh was I interrupting a moment?"

"Huh?"

"What?"

The two blinked in almost comical confusion and turned back to each other, finding their noses almost touching and Joohyun quickly leapt two steps back, bumping against a chair and she tried to catch herself by sitting down but it swivelled around. Just as she was about to hit the floor, Seungwan jumped by her side and brought an arm to hold onto her waist. 

Joy quirked an amused brow and nodded to herself. "Unnie, don't ruin Wendy's lipstick, 'kay? We're on in ten!" They heard her say and whipped their heads to the doorway to be met with the younger's retreating back. 

Seungwan cleared and didn't dare turn her head back to Jooyhyun as she quickly slipped her hand back to herself. She took some steps away, pretending to occupy her sudden racing thoughts by checking her makeup in the mirror.

"I should--" Wendy said at the same time as Joohyun.

"You should--" Joohyun felt her cheeks burn almost painfully and she averted her eyes when the younger glanced at her through the mirror. "You should..." She swallowed and took a moment before lifting her gaze. "You should get going, Seungwan. I'll go--" she took a hesitant step and squeezed the other's hand. "--find my seat down there. See how much all the other schools are going to lose to you by."

Seungwan let out an amused breath and subconsciously brushed her thumb over the other's knuckles before her hand was let go. "There's only one team left before us, unnie."

Joohyun shrugged and picked up her purse as she started to leave. "Well, there is only one I care about and it's not them," she said over her shoulder.

The older found her seat by spotting Seulgi in the front row. There was an empty seat next to her. Scratch that, it was not empty, there was a large bouquet of flowers in the spot that was quickly placed into the younger's lap as Joohyun approached.

"Those are nice," Joohyun whispered to her as she took a seat, eyes on the stage for the current performance. Joohyun wasn't worried at all, their school was definitely going to win.

Seulgi smiled and nodded, "Jaehyun bought them for Wendy."

I know, Joohyun wanted to say, I picked them out after all.

The boyfriend had ambushed Joohyun outside her class the other day, asking for her help.

"I don't know what kind of flowers she likes," he'd admitted with a pout and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. What kind of person doesn't know what type of flowers to get for their girlfriend? He then brought out his phone. It opened to a website for purchasing fancy bouquets and Joohyun's brow creased seeing the amount of digits in the prices of all the options.  "Which of these should I get, noona?"

Joohyun bit the inside of her cheek. She hated it when he called her that. It made it seem like they were close friends or something. She only complimented the flowers out of politeness--for the sake of being civil for Wendy's sake. She didn't actually have to like him. Though, it was hard not to see why Seungwan did. Joohyun admitted that he was a decent person--for a man. 

It wasn't just that he'd drop so much money for flowers, but that he'd gone to the trouble of asking one of Seungwan's friends for help. He couldn't exactly ask Wendy if he wanted to keep it as a surprise. It was--and Joohyun reluctantly admitted to herself--considerate.

"This one," Joohyun said after taking a long look. "These are the best flowers for the most gorgeous girl, with the most beautiful voice," she added, trying to add some optimism in her voice. Trying to convince him that she was happy for the couple. Trying to convince herself.

Nobody was really surprised when the judges called out their school as the winner of the competition. Still, Joohyun and Seulgi leapt from their seats and cheered louder than anybody else. Joohyun was known by many to be quiet, but as she clapped her hands and jumped up and down on the spot, her yells could be heard from the back of the hall. She shot both of her thumbs up when she made eye contact with Wendy (she was looking at her the whole time but the younger had her eyes closed tightly in anticipation, one hand in Jaehyun's and the other in Joy's who was doing the same with Yeri).

"I told you so," Joohyun mouthed and giggled when Seungwan rolled her eyes affectionately at her. 

"Thank you," was what the singer mouthed back before looking away after feeling a kiss on her cheek from the man beside her. 

"Aw," Seulgi cooed, watching as the couple broke away from a hug to celebrate with the rest of the team. "They're so perfect for each other, aren't they?"

Joohyun felt herself sit back down and nodded almost robotically, eyes trained on the way Jaehyun's gaze never left Wendy even as he hugged the others. 

"Yeah," she felt her teeth clench and she bitterly said, "Just perfect."

Seungwan didn't acknowledge it on stage--too caught up in the adrenaline of winning--but her boyfriend's hand in hers felt strange. It was almost alien. It was too big, too sweaty, too calloused. The side of her face felt like it was stinging; like she could still feel the gentle stubble of Jaehyun's face when he pressed a closed mouth to her cheek. She didn't really think much of it when she broke away quickly to hug her teammates, but caught an unreadable expression from Joy who was watching them out of the corner of her eye.

When they got off the stage, Seungwan found herself breaking into a smile seeing Seulgi and Joohyun waiting at the steps. They erupted with congratulations for the team. Seungwan didn't notice the way Joohyun's smile didn't reach her eyes.

"U-Unnie," she squeaked in surprise, eyeing the flowers in Joohyun's hands. "Are those for me?"

Joohyun didn't notice the way Seungwan's smile poured out of her eyes. She was too focused on Jaehyun's presence coming towards them.

"They are!" Jaehyun exclaimed as Seungwan accepted the flowers and sent her a wink. "I got the prettiest flowers for the prettiest girl...With the prettiest voice."

"That's repetition!" Yeri said and Seungwan let out a laugh at her comment, knowing she was having trouble with analysing some quotes for her essay earlier. "It emphasises his undying love for you, unnie!"

Joohyun's jaw tightened as she flickered her gaze back to Seungwan's bright smile. 

Perhaps she was too filled with jealousy to see that the Canadian's widened eyes were a response of surprise and a tinge of disappointment rather than a typical sign of beatific gratitude. It looked like love, Joohyun thought. 

At the same time, Seungwan wondered how Jaehyun knew what her favourite flowers were. She'd only ever briefly mentioned that information to Joohyun. She didn't even expect the older to remember, recalling that it was a comment made in passing many weeks ago as they walked past a flower shop on the way to a cafe.

Seungwan wanted to say something to Joohyun but couldn't process her thoughts, and her thoughts weren't exactly coherent anyway. She didn't know what to think at that point and just let herself get dragged to a celebratory party by the rest of the choir. 

***

Those moments happened again after that; when her brain would malfunction upon thoughts of Joohyun, upon being in the same space as Joohyun, upon feeling her hands--soft and small--in her own. 

***

"Ah, unnie wait," Seungwan said, stopping them from their walk as she directed them to a seat in the courtyard and went down on one knee before her. "Don't want you tripping and falling for me," Seungwan said with a wink as she tied the student body president's shoelaces. 

Joohyun blushed and sent that warmth up Seungwan's arms when she brought a hand to her cheek and squeezed gently. "Yah!" She cringed at the greasy line. "I can tie my own shoelaces, Seungwan. You looked like you were going to propose for a second."

Blinking in surprise, Seungwan then realised she was still on the ground and covered her flustered self with a laugh. "I think we're both a little young for that, unnie. And I wouldn't do it here," she then stood up and glanced around the school the courtyard. It was mostly empty, apart from other students who similarly had a free period. The seat Joohyun was on just so happened to be the same bench she had sat at months ago as it snowed and Joohyun came running to her with an apology for being late and a request for hot chocolate. "It's not exactly romantic." 

Despite thinking to herself that it wouldn't matter as long as it was Seungwan, Joohyun nodded in agreement. 

They exited the courtyard soon after, leaving whatever that was on the bench where Joohyun once fell on top of Seungwan.

The Canadian started to blush every time she walked past it. And if the instances of her passing through this specific courtyard--even if it made her late to class, or if her class was not even in that direction--increased as well, Seungwan didn't really think anything of it.

***

Seungwan had been enlisted.

She was on a mission. It wasn't like she wanted to deceive Joohyun. But Joy gave her little to no choice.

("If this works out, the whole school benefits. Joohyun wouldn't admit it, but it'd make her really happy. Don't you want t