This is really, really, really long. :P Over 9k words.

But I hope you guys like it anyway. I worked on it for 4 days. :0

__________________________________________________________________________________

Minjung had always been scared by the fact that she liked girls. She was brought up that it was wrong and disgusting and absolutely awful. According to her parents and the Bible, that is. But her heart pounded with joy and excitement and all the good things when she was with Taeyeon.

Taeyeon was her girlfriend, and she was just as much in the closet as Minjung. Though Taeyeon didn't think it was wrong or disgusting (like Minjung), her parents did, and would refuse to pay for her education if she came out as a lesbian.

But Taeyeon was ready. She held a steady part-time job giving dance lessons, which paid well and had flexible hours. She loudly voiced that she would rather attend public school like Minjung, and she was hardly afraid to take a city transit bus. Her parents were appalled when she said she was getting a part time job, and they were furious when she admitted to taking a bus frequently. They were rich people who didn't associate with the middle or lower class, and even though they had come to accept Minjung as Taeyeon's friend, it had taken them years.

She pressured Minjung to finally admit to her parents that she was a lesbian. But Minjung couldn't do it. Every time Taeyeon mentioned it, Minjung would either walk out of the room, or ignore the comment altogether. She shut down and blanched at the thought of her parents anger and disappointment. She wouldn't risk it. After months of it, Taeyeon couldn't take anymore.

    "Fine, Minjung. Have it your way. Don't admit it," Taeyeon threw up her hands in defeat. She looked at Minjung sadly. "But I'm gone. I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry." She didn't give Minjung a chance to say anything, she just walked out of Minjung's room. Minjung didn't bother to follow her. She cried in frustration and pain, because it had never happened before. She'd genuinely loved Taeyeon. Which made everything that much worse.

~

Gwiboon woke up to the loud sound of yelling. Sounded kinda like her mother was wringing her father's neck. She smiled wryly, thinking that her mother's way of showing affection maybe wasn't the best. Her dad didn't seem to care (He was a masochist, though, so it didn't matter. Gwiboon had decided that a long time ago.) because he yelled at her mom right back.

    "Morning," Gwiboon waved a limp hand at the yelling couple. They paused to give their daughter loving smiles before resuming their shouting match. She showered and dressed in her only uniform. No one in her school knew how she'd gotten a hold of boys uniform pants (she'd gotten them from her brother, after he'd graduated) since girls were only given the option of wearing  skirts. Gwiboon suspected the y principal had something to do with that. But technically, the school couldn't stop her from wearing pants, and they left her alone.

Her parents didn't even bat an eyelash when another girl in one of Gwiboon's oversized shirts came out. They were so used to the idea of her being a lesbian it didn't bother them anymore. When Gwiboon came out of the bathroom already dressed, she smirked at the girl.

    "Eunsook, don't you think it'd be better for you to get in uniform? As appealing as you are right now, I'd rather you didn't get into so much trouble because of me," Eunsook's eyes widened when she looked down and realized she wasn't dressed. Gwiboon heard her let out a string of swears and get up immediately. She was cheerfully eating an eggroll when Eunsook appeared 10 minutes later. Her curves were emphasized by the revealing jacket and shirt, and her short skirt didn't do much either. Gwiboon was instantly , and she growled.

    "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Eunsook's sly smile was answer enough and Gwiboon grabbed her hand. They entered the bedroom and the uniforms came off in an unceremonious heap. They were probably going to be a little late for school, but Gwiboon couldn't be bothered to care. Not when such a beautiful woman was beneath her.

They entered the double doors practically as soon the bell for the first class rang. Gwiboon thanked her lucky stars that Eunsook wouldn't get into trouble because of her. Despite her reputation as a rulebreaker, she refused to bring her girlfriends down with her. And any time she caused one of her girlfriends to get detention, as a rule, she treated them to dinner. She tried hard to be a perfect girlfriend.

She slid into her seat as soon as the bell signalling class started ringing. She only half-listened to the teacher, since she hated writing papers. It was not going to be an issue for her career choice. She didn't see the need.

Between her classes the rest of the day, she mercilessly teased Eunsook. She considered it payback for being late to school and Eunsook clearly understood that. She teased right back, and Gwiboon was sure she'd never been as in love as she'd been with Eunsook. She was smirking to herself (she rarely ever smiled, it was always a smirk) when she knocked into someone hard, sending them flying.

    "I'm sorry, I didn't look where I was going," Gwiboon said without thinking. When she looked down, she saw the school's loner Minjung. Minjung was in her grade, and even though other people had repeatedly tried to get her to socialize, she refused. There was always an undefinable sadness that anyone could see when they looked at Minjung. Gwiboon felt kinda sorry for her. She bent down to help Minjung pick her books up, and she saw Minjung smile slightly at her. It took her a moment to realize there were tear marks on her face. Gwiboon frowned. A pretty girl like Minjung shouldn't be so sad.

    "I'm the one who should apologize. I knocked into you, after all," Minjung's voice was rough with more unshed tears. "Thank you for the help." Before Gwiboon had the chance to say anything else, Minjung had walked away. Eunsook found her standing like that a few minutes later.

    "What's wrong, babe?" Gwiboon shook her head trying to clear her head. She was more interested in Minjung than ever now.

    "Nothing. Let's go see a movie," Gwiboon suggested, much to the delight of Eunsook. They argued playfully on what movie to see.

~

Minjung couldn't get away fast enough when she looked up and saw Gwiboon looking at her with concern. Everyone knew Gwiboon was dating Eunsook, the smartest girl in the school. A lot of the teachers laughed, because they were amused Eunsook would turn out to be lesbian. Minjung was just plain disgusted.

She was in the closet and in denial. She fervently hoped that it was only because a boy had never come along that suited her tastes, even though she'd already had with Taeyeon. She knew she was just telling herself this because she was afraid of her parents. She'd be thrown out. She started hyperventilating at the thought.

When her mind returned to Taeyeon, she teared up again. Taeyeon, the person who'd taken her ity. Taeyeon had waited until Minjung was practically begging for to cave. It was the best experience Minjung had ever had in her life. But she couldn't tell her parents. She couldn't tell anyone, not even her best friend Junghee.

Junghee who was just as girly as Minjung was, and who hated gays as much as she did. Minjung  couldn't help chuckling when she wondered what Junghee would think of the times she'd had with Taeyeon. It was the best, most liberating thing Minjung had ever experienced. She started crying at the memory. She just had to it up with her fear and digust of what she was.

She walked home in a daze. She didn't even care that her makeup looked gross. Her mascara and eyeliner were in streaks down her face. Her mother asked her why she looked so distraught when she got home, but she only shook her head. Minjung was sure her parents would hate her, and the thought completely destroyed her.

Junghee came over later, probably at the request of her mother. It was hard not to spill everything to Junghee. It was hard having to keep such a secret from her best friend in the first place. But the numerous times Junghee had expressed her hatred for gay people made Minjung reconsider. She didn't want to lose her best friend. So she just told Junghee she was fine and smiled convincingly.

Junghee knew that Minjung was lying, but decided not to press her anyway. She'd learn eventually.
Minjung came down for dinner that night and pretended she was fine for her parents. The relief they felt was evident in the way they talked to her. She was grateful they didn't press, because she didn't know how much longer she could battle with herself.

Minjung walked into school the next day and met up with her best friend at that school, Nichkhun. No one knew that they were friends because Minjung preferred it that way. Nichkhun didn't care about rumors, but Minjung was terrified of them. She cried when someone passed her in the hallway and muttered ''.

Nichkhun was the only person (besides Taeyeon) who knew of her uality and her struggle to deal with it. He had tried on several occasions to tell her that it was okay and her parents were just ignorant. But she stubbornly resisted. So Nichkhun stopped trying. He commented on it from time to time, but he never made direct comments anymore. Minjung stopped cold at the sight before her. She tried hard to sneak away from the pair, but Nichkhun caught sight of her before she could get away successfully.

    "Hey, Minjung! I was just about to come looking for you at your locker," Nichkhun smiled. "This is Taeyeon, she's--"

    "A freshman who just transferred here," Minjung interrupted with a white face. "We've met. Catch you later Nichkhun." She abruptly turned and walked away. Nichkhun turned to Taeyeon with raised eyebrows. Taeyeon shook her head.

    "Sorry. I can't tell you how I know Minjung," Nichkhun nodded in understanding. He didn't press.
The rest of the day, Minjung avoided Nichkhun like a plague. She knew Taeyeon would be with him, and she wanted to avoid Taeyeon as much as humanly possible. That's how she wound up on the rooftop eating lunch. Her usual spot with Nichkhun in the courtyard was not an option. She glared at the sound of a door opening and made a point of not turning around. She continued eating anchovies and rice.

    "Hey," a voice she didn't expect said next to her. She jumped and squeaked. She turned to see Gwiboon smirking crookedly. "Is this seat taken?" Dumbly, Minjung shook her head. Gwiboon sat down and figeted, hoping Minjung would break the silence. "So.. do you always eat lunch up here?" Again, Minjung shook her head.

    "No. But my usual spot was.. occupied today, and I figured there wouldn't be anyone up here," she turned to Gwiboon with raised eyebrows. "Might I ask why you're not eating lunch with your girlfriend?" Gwiboon smirked widely at the disgust in Minjung's voice, but inwardly noted the bitterness in it as well. At least Minjung knew who she was.

    "She has stuff to do for the student council. At least, that's what I assume. She sometimes just skips lunch because she's bummed they're not having chicken," at Minjung's blank stare, Gwiboon chuckled. "Eunsook loves chicken." Minjung opened in an 'o' of understanding. There was an awkward uncomfortable silence between them.

    "Why are you here?" Minjung asked suddenly. Gwiboon was thoughtful.

    "I come up here when I have nothing better to do," she wouldn't admit that she had kinda sorta stalked followed Minjung. Somehow, Gwiboon didn't think Minjung would consider it flattering. Minjung scoffed.

    "Of course you didn't," her tone was mocking. "Well, the chat's been lovely, but I'm done with lunch. I'm going to my next class." She stood up and walked away, not giving Gwiboon a chance to say something. Gwiboon hadn't learned a thing, and she was starting to suspect the only way she'd learn was if she started to follow Minjung. The couple of meetings she'd had with Minjung were enough to convince her that Minjung wasn't a loner by accident.

~

Minjung groaned. Of course the fates were against her. God was surely punishing her for being a lesbian. She glared at Taeyeon, who was sitting in the seat next to hers with a sweet smile on her face. She sat down and despite the taps on her shoulder or whispers in her ear, she ignored Taeyeon. She wanted to preserve her reputation as loner. She just wanted to get as far away as possible. At least it was already the last class of the day.

She didn't even pay attention to the lesson, with all of Taeyeon's "psst"s and "Minjung"s. Eventually she stopped when the teacher gave her a harsh glare.

    "Ms Lee, I would hate to send you to the principal's office when it's only your first day here," he said, and Taeyeon blushed when the whole class snickered in amusement. Except Minjung, who pointedly ignored the whole thing. When the bell signalling class ended, Minjung gathered her things quickly and shot out the door. Taeyeon followed her, determined to talk things out. But she stopped cold at the sight in front of her. Minjung was in the arms of some girl, and her blood started boiling.

She started to come over there and rip the two apart, but Minjung suddenly ripped herself away and grabbed her fallen backpack. She practically ran away, while the unknown girl smirked at her. Taeyeon scowled, not liking that smirk in any way. She marched up to the boyish looking girl and slammed her against a row of nearby lockers.

    "Stay the away from my girlfriend," she shoved the girl further back into the lockers and let her go. "If you don't, I will not hesitate to beat the out of you." She walked away and tried to calm down as much as she could. She couldn't lose it in the hallway, on her first day of public school, nonetheless. She finally caught up to Minjung and grabbed her wrist roughly.

    "Taeyeon, please let go," Minjung sounded like she was ready to cry. "Don't pretend you don't know. If you stand there and say that you don't care if I'm still in denial, I won't believe it. Think about it. You know I would freak out if you even acted like you knew me in school. Eventually, that would get on your nerves and you'd break up with me again. And I'm sorry, Taeyeon but I can't go through that again so soon," Taeyeon stood there speechless. She was ashamed of herself. She hadn't even been thinking of how Minjung might feel. She blushed and let go.

    "I'm sorry, Minjung. I was selfish, and I didn't think about how you might feel," Taeyeon looked at her feet miserably. Minjung hugged Taeyeon.

    "It's okay. Also... I have a reputation to uphold. Please don't act like you know me in school," Taeyeon's blush deeped.

    "Umm... That might be a problem," Minjung's eyes narrowed at Taeyeon.

    "What happened?"

    "I... uh, might have possibly told that girl who ran into you earlier that you're my girlfriend," Minjung turned pale white. Oh no. No, no way this could be happening. Gwiboon knew she was a lesbian now. . ....

    "That was Gwiboon," her voice sounded strange in her own ears. "She's dating the school council's president, Eunsook. She's been hanging around me the last couple of days because I guess she wants to get to know me better. " Taeyeon scowled.

    " that. She's no good for you, Minjung. That's the kind of girl who loves and leaves," Minjung was still in shock.

    "I don't think that will be a problem, Taeyeon. I don't like her any way," the disgust in Minjung's voice was enough for Taeyeon. She smiled then and offered to walk Minjung inside. But Minjung shook her head.

    "My parents haven't been in a good mood, so I can't have any company. Not even my friend Junghee can come over," Taeyeon was surprised. Her parents had never approved of her, but Junghee was practically their other daughter. They beamed at her.

    "Alright. Well, I'll see you at school then," Taeyeon started walking past her, and Minjung walked up the driveway to her front door. She was hounded as soon as she entered the house.

    "Minjung, why was Taeyeon here?" Minjung smiled politely.

    "She transferred to my school and she offered to walk home with me," her parents started raging and she sighed. She bore it in silence, since nothing she said would matter anyway. She wondered what it would feel like to finally stand up to her overbearing parents.

~

Gwiboon was heading towards the spot she usually met with Eunsook at when someone crashed into her for the second time in 2 days. She sighed in irritation, ready to tell the person off. But the words never came out when she looked up from her phone and saw Minjung. Minjung was pale and stone-faced, with an expression on her face that Gwiboon had never seen. She smirked and tightened her arms around Minjung's frame.

    "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were throwing yourself at me," Minjung's eyes narrowed.

    "Gwiboon. I'm not in a mood to play around," she ripped herself out of Gwiboon's arms. "Later." She headed off and the next thing she knew, the new girl had slammed her against the lockers.

    "Stay the away from my girlfriend," Gwiboon was so surprised that fell completely open. Minjung was a lesbian? No. There was no way. Unless she was in denial, which was entirely possible with the way she acted towards Gwiboon. And Gwiboon had been acquainted with enough girls who were in denial to know. She truly felt sorry for Minjung if that was the case. It never turned out well.

Throughout the whole night, Gwiboon's mind was preoccupied with Minjung. Eunsook tried several times to distract her, even going so far as to say "I want you to me", but all she got in response was a hum. She frowned.

    "Babe, what's got you thinking so hard?" Gwiboon knew if she told Eunsook, she wouldn't be especially happy that she was thinking of another girl. But she sighed and told her anyway.

    "There's a girl in my grade named Minjung who's been catching my interest recently," she held up her hands at Eunsook's angry gaze. "Let me finish first. I found out recently that she's a lesbian, and I think she's in denial about it. For what reason, I don't know. And I just.. I feel bad for her because I've known girls like that before. And because I personally know how hard that is," Eunsook's anger disappeared at the sadness and sympathy in Gwiboon's voice. She held Gwiboon to her chest, giving what support she could.

Eunsook was fortunate enough to have parents that didn't care about her uality. They were hard on her for dating Gwiboon, though, because Gwiboon was a troublemaker. And because she was student council president. They felt she should focus on school more.

Gwiboon was saddened when she thought about what Minjung was going through. Trying to deny something that's in your genes is impossible, and Gwiboon had scars to prove it. She rubbed the ridges on her wrist. She hoped that it didn't come to that point for Minjung, though she had a feeling it would.

The next day at school, she found Minjung eating lunch on the rooftop again. She sat beside her for several silent seconds.

    "I know how it feels," she finally said. "You won't listen to me, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Don't ignore who you are, Minjung. It won't turn out good at all." When she got no response from Minjung, she stood up. She turned to walk away when she finally heard Minjung speak.

    "How? How do you know how it feels?" there was no malice in her voice, just curiosity and bitterness. Gwiboon sighed. Her life story wasn't pretty, and it hurt to tell people. But if it helped Minjung...

    "I knew from about the time I was 12 that I liked girls, and I was creeped out by it. All the other girls in my class talked about boys and I was sitting there thinking about girls. I denied it for 3 years. I was afraid, and I hated that I was different. When I tried to tell my parents, they flipped. They accused me of doing it for attention, and they started hitting me." Minjung's eyes were wide with surprise. She'd never expected a story like that, not at all.

    "I couldn't take it, and so I took a boxcutter to my wrists. My aunt was over visiting for dinner one night, and she was the one who found me in the bathtub. She screamed and the rest of the dinner party came to see what it was about," Gwiboon closed her eyes. "They told me later that when she found out about the abuse, she and my uncle sued for custody of me. They won, obviously, but I was in a coma. I lost a lot of blood that night."

    "So now, my aunt and uncle take care of me. It took a while for them to come to terms with the fact that I was a lesbian, but they're completely fine with it now. I consider them my parents, and I tell people as much. My birth parents are dead to me," Gwiboon's eyes darkened with anger. She looked over and Minjung's eyes were sorrowful. Without saying as much, she was saying that she sympathized with Gwiboon. Not pitied, because she hated being pitied herself.

    "My parents are the reason I'm like this," she said softly. "They taught me from the time I was little that liking another woman was wrong, and disgusting and against the Bible. They practically shoved me and my first boyfriend together, but we were never more that friends. When I was about 14, I decided I could get a girlfriend as long as it was in secret. Taeyeon, the girl who shoved you in the lockers yesterday," Minjung cringed.

    "Sorry about that, by the way. Anyway, Taeyeon was the first and only girlfriend I ever had. She took my ity, and we were together until about a week ago. She said she couldn't handle  being with me anymore, because I'm so afraid to tell my parents. God, I'm so afraid of being kicked out on the streets and unloved by my parents," with a jolt, Minjung realized she'd just told her worst fears to a stranger. She didn't even know Gwiboon, really. She felt guilty and scared that Gwiboon would judge her, so she stood up suddenly.

    "I'm gonna go now. Bye," she ran as fast as she could, even though she heard Gwiboon shouting after her. She couldn't stop. What the hell had she just done? 'ed up, that's what I've done' she thought in a panic. She ran to the courtyard and spotted Taeyeon. Minjung ran up to Taeyeon, regardless of Nichkhun, who was surprised to see her.

    "Uhm, can I talk to you a minute?" she asked timidly, and Taeyeon immediately led Minjung to the nearest bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Minjung was wrapped around Taeyeon tightly. "Please, do that thing you do. I really need to calm down." Taeyeon wondered what had caused Minjung to get so upset but did as she asked and started singing to her softly. Soon, she felt Minjung's breath even out and her grip slackened. She let go of Taeyeon with a huge sigh. She smiled at Taeyeon. "Thanks."

    "No problem, Minjung," Taeyeon smiled back. "Can I ask what got you so upset?" Minjung sighed.

    "I was talking to Gwiboon. You know, that girl you shoved yesterday?" Minjung glared briefly. "And I completely spilled my guts to her. I don't even know her, Tae. What the is up with that?" Taeyeon smiled, but it was sad. She'd noticed that Minjung used her nickname.

    "I think you might have a crush on her, Minnie," Minjung's eyes narrowed with the use of the nickname, and the thought.

    "There's no way. I don't like Gwiboon, she's too manly for me," she wrinkled her nose. "Ew." Taeyeon couldn't help busting out laughing at the cuteness Minjung displayed. "And besides, she already has a girlfriend. Eunsook, remember?" Taeyeon nodded. Gwiboon was a lucky . She'd seen Eunsook in the hallways, and man... If she wasn't taken, Taeyeon would've been trying to get her attention.

    "Whatever, Minnie. But once you fall for her, don't you dare hit me when I say 'I told you so'," Minjung sighed.

    "I can't promise that, because I hate being wrong," she said and Taeyeon smirked.

After their heart to heart, Gwiboon sat with Minjung every day on the rooftop at lunch. She was Minjung's self-proclaimed friend. Their conversations were mostly one sided, with Minjung eating silently and Gwiboon chattering away. Gwiboon was secretly a huge fashionista, and Minjung grudgingly admitted she watched soccer religiously. Gwiboon wrinkled her nose in distaste. She hated sports. Minjung had no real experience with fashion except the stuff she saw in magazines so she figured her and Gwiboon were pretty much even on that score.

Much to her dismay, after she started opening up, Minjung realized that Taeyeon had been right. She was crushing on Gwiboon. Hard. She could barely manage to keep her blush down around Gwiboon. She was suddenly glad she wasn't in any classes with Gwiboon. Minjung didn't know how she could've managed otherwise.

    "I told you so," Minjung started slapping Taeyeon on the shoulder, while her cheeks were red as tomatoes. "You hit like a girl, Minnie." Minjung glared.

    "That's because I am a girl," she said dryly and Taeyeon smirked.

    "But really. Who wouldn't be able to resist Gwiboon? She's so cheery all the time. It's kind of annoying," Taeyeon grumbled, but she was just jealous. Gwiboon had all of Minjung's attention.

    "I know. She's so funny too," Minjung started giggling and Taeyeon couldn't help smiling. It had been forever since she heard Minjung giggle. There was so much pressure on her shoulders from her parents that she hadn't had time to live her life.

    "Let's go out tonight," Taeyeon suggested suddenly. Minjung looked up at her. "What? You can tell your parents that you're spending the night at my house, and we can go have some fun. You already know that since I'm in public school I got kicked out. So we can stay out late if we want to." Minjung shook her head.

    "Exams are coming up and my mom won't let me set foot outside the house after school. I can't even go to Junghee's house," Taeyeon was angry. Not at Minjung, but at her parents. She wanted to grab them and scream that they couldn't force Minjung to be perfect. She smiled, though, and patted Minjung's shoulder sympathetically.

    "It's okay. We can hang out after exams, for sure," Minjung smiled softly and nodded.

    "I'd like that," she agreed.

~

Meanwhile, Gwiboon was in a crisis. She had developed feelings for the mostly silent, brooding character known as Minjung, much to her surprise, because she had never figured Minjung would be her type. But she was dating Eunsook. She couldn't just leave Eunsook, it was wrong in every sense of the word. She wasn't that kind of girlfriend and she never had been. She couldn't help feeling that her relationship with Eunsook was at a standstill, though. It wouldn't go any further.

    "Ahhh!" she screamed into her pillow. She was extremely frustrated. Suddenly, an idea came to her that left her wondering why she didn't think of it sooner. She called her best friend.

    "Yeah. Hey Junghee? I need some advice," she scoffed on the other end of the line.

    "What is it, Gwiboon? I'm busy right now," Gwiboon could practically smell the nail polish through the phone.

    "Well there's this girl I like--," "Hold up. I thought you were dating Eunsook," Junghee interrupted. Gwiboon sighed in irritation.

    "You always interrupt. Anyway, there's this girl I like. She's in my grade, and I've kinda sorta befriended her. We started talking, yaddayaddayadda. You know the drill. But I'm dating Eunsook and I'd hate to break her heart. But I don't feel content with the relationship anymore, because I feel like it's going nowhere fast," Junghee sighed.

    "So, obviously, you tell Eunsook that. Tell her that you're not happy anymore. She'll get over it and maybe even thank you for not dragging her down with you one day. It won't be soon. You should know that. Anyway, out of curiosity, what's this other girl's name that you like?" Gwiboon half-smiled.

    "Her name's Minjung," she heard Junghee gasp, and she heard the thump of something falling. Probably the nail polish that Junghee had been using on her toenails. Gwiboon frowned. It wasn't like Junghee to get so surprised.

    "Don't," Junghee advised her. "Don't fall for Minjung. But... damn," Junghee groaned. "ing-a. You always manage to get into such a mess Gwiboon." She scowled. She was annoyed.

    "Stop talking in ing circles, Junghee, and explain to me why I shouldn't like Minjung. Also... how the do you know her?" Junghee was silent on the other end.

    "She's one of my best friends, and she thinks I hate gay people, you know? She has no idea that I'm gay, and I pretend not to notice that she is too. Look, all I'm going to say is that her story is worse than yours. And she doesn't even notice. Her parents are ing monsters," Junghee sounded angry. Gwiboon was surprised. She hadn't expected Junghee to know Minjung, much less be friends with her.

    "It's a small world," she murmured into the phone and Junghee nerely hummed a response. "Please? Will you tell me about her? She already knows about me, I've told her already." Junghee sighed.

    "There's nothing to tell, really. Except that she has good reason to be afraid of telling her parents she's a lesbian. Because her parents would probably manage to beat her to death if they ever found out," Gwiboon was horrified.

    "Oh my god are you ing serious? What the- Man, no wonder she's so scared," Junghee agreed.

    "And her parents have this image of her that she tries so hard to fit into, but it's not her at all," Gwiboon was truly sympathetic to Minjung. She knew what that felt like.

    "Thanks, Junghee. And despite what you say, I'm going to fall for Minjung," she smirked. "After all, you can't turn your hormones off. Or your feelings either."

    "Well, just a fair bit of warning. Minjung is highly sensitive to what other people think of her, so if you do wind up going out, she will act like she doesn't even know you in the hallways," Gwiboon nodded, and hummed in response.

    "I wonder if she'll continue to eat lunch on the rooftop with me, then," she mused out loud.

    "Minjung lets you see her eat? Man, you've got more of her trust than I thought. I was being serious when I said she's self-conscious to what other people think of her, and that includes the way she eats," Gwiboon was proud of herself. "If you hurt Minjung, I will come over to your house and kick your from here to the US." Gwiboon didn't laugh because Junghee sounded dead serious.

    "Yes ma'am," she smirked when she heard Junghee start whining about how she wasn't that much older than Gwiboon. "Anyway," she said, interrupting Junghee's whining. "Thank you for the advice. I think I might break up with Eunsook tomorrow. You know I'm kind of abrupt with that kind of thing." Junghee hummed.

    "Alright. Well, I gotta go now because my mom's screaming at me for getting purple nail polish on my floor. Later," she didn't give Gwiboon a chance to say bye before she hung up. Gwiboon threw her phone down next to her and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

~

Eunsook cried when Gwiboon broke up with her. Gwiboon felt extremely guilty, even though she'd explained that she felt like they weren't going anywhere in the relationship.

    "I unders-stand. I do. It'll take time but I'll get over it, Gwiboon," Eunsook hiccupped through her tears. "I'll b-be okay." Gwiboon still didn't feel good about the situation, and she gave Eunsook a last kiss. She didn't think the teachers would mind since it was the student council president. Or maybe they would mind more. She didn't care, and she didn't think Eunsook would care either.

Lunchtime found Gwiboon standing on the rooftop, walking determinedly towards Minjung. She wasn't going to confess today, or even tomorrow because that would make it seem like she'd broken up with Eunsook for Minjung. And she supposed that she had, in a way. But she was going to at least make it more obvious that she liked Minjung. She plopped next to Minjung and immediately started complimenting her.

    "Your hair looks really good today, Minjung," Gwiboon said honestly. Minjung touched her hair self-consciously.

    "Really?" she asked, like she'd never been told before. Gwiboon nodded.

    "Yeah. It compliments your face shape and makes you look prettier than you already are," Minjung blushed hard.

    "W-why are you saying this stuff? This isn't normal for you," it was kinda freaking her out. She wasn't used to being complimented.

    "Just because. You deserve to be complimented, Minjung. Don't ever believe that you don't," Gwiboon smiled crookedly. "You don't have to try to be perfect."

Minjung teared up, because she believed Gwiboon. Gwiboon's voice held a lot of sincerity and gentleness that she'd never heard from anyone else. Not even Taeyeon had sounded as sincere as Gwiboon. She let the tears fall while Gwiboon just held her hand.

Things seemed to get even smoother after that. Minjung got used to all the touches Gwiboon gave her, but she still teared up every time Gwiboon complimented her. Her parents were always pushing her to do better, but Gwiboon was telling her it was okay to be who she was. She didn't know who to believe. The more she listened to Gwiboon, the more she started to feel embittered towards her parents. Always ready to point out her every flaw. Even if she came home with less than an A on her semester report, they never missed an opportunity to shove it in her face.

Minjung was with Taeyeon one day after school when Minjung came to a realization. Taeyeon was talking about a random boy band that had come along and everyone was raving about when Minjung looked over at Taeyeon.

    "I think I might be in love with Gwiboon. Enough that I feel like I can stand up to my parents as long as she's there with me," Taeyeon choked on the words in . She looked at Minjung incredulously.

    "Are you serious?" Minjung nodded and Taeyeon broke out in a smile. She hugged Minjung tightly. "That's great, Minnie. I'm so happy for you." Minjung smiled a little.

    "But Gwiboon hasn't made a move, and I'm not going to make myself look like a total idiot by confessing if she's still dating Eunsook," Taeyeon looked at Minjung with surprise.

    "You didn't know? Gwiboon and Eunsook have been broken up for like a month. I thought Gwiboon would've told you," Taeyeon smirked. "But it's good for me and you at least. Since I can try to win Eunsook over, and you can finally get Gwiboon." Minjung gave Taeyeon an annoyed look, but the sting was taken out of it with the blush on her cheeks.

The next day at school, Minjung sat through her classes anxiously. She couldn't wait for lunch, when she could finally see Gwiboon and ask her why she hadn't mentioned her breakup with Eunsook. It puzzled her. When the lunch bell finally rang, Minjung couldn't get to the roof fast enough. And besides, Gwiboon was always later than her anyway. She ran all the way to their usual spot on the roof and she was startled when Gwiboon was already there. Her eyes widening were the only indication Gwiboon had that she'd startled Minjung.

    "Why didn't you tell me you'd broken up with Eunsook?" she asked softly. "Was that the reason you started complimenting me?" Gwiboon's cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

    "Yeah, it was the reason I started complimenting you," she muttered. "But I meant every word of it. I promise. And I didn't tell you about Eunsook because I didn't want to get your hopes up. I had actually planned on telling you today, but you already know." Minjung processed what Gwiboon said, and she nodded once in understanding.

    "So does that mean you don't like me? You said not to get my hopes up," she mumbled, and couldn't help feeling the disappointment in her stomach.

    "No, Minjung that's not it at all. I just meant get your hopes up for me to ask you out right away. Because it was too soon, and Eunsook was crying when I left her, and it would've just looked bad if I was in a relationship so soon after my breakup with her. It would've looked like I had left her for you and that isn't the case at all. , it still doesn't sound right," Gwiboon sat down and sighed. "Please believe me. I'm telling the god-honest truth." Minjung sat down next to her and grabbed Gwiboon's hands gently.

    "I believe you. I've never believed someone half as much as I believe in you. You could lie to me so easily," it startled and unsettled Minjung to realize just how true that statement was. It scared her a little how much Gwiboon had changed the way she thought in not even a year's time. But Gwiboon's hand squeezed hers and that signature smirk eased her fear.

    "I'd never lie to you Minjung. I respect you too much to lie to you," Minjung's fears completely disappeared at the honesty in Gwiboon's voice. She sighed.

    "Gwiboon, can I ask you something?"

    "Hm?" Gwiboon was planting kisses all along the inner side of Minjung's wrist.

    "Will you come with me today and be by my side when I tell my parents about being a lesbian?" Gwiboon's head shot up and she looked at Minjung with evident shock. "I'm terrified to tell them. But I feel like I can do it if you help me." Gwiboon nodded.

    "I'll be there," the conviction in her voice made Minjung feel much better about the situation and she smiled gratefully to Gwiboon.

    "Thanks," she leaned her head on Gwiboon's shoulder and scooted closer to make herself more comfortable. It felt even better than the first time she'd ever had with Taeyeon, and right then she felt that everything might just turn out okay.

~

At the end of the day, Gwiboon waited for Minjung at the gate. They held hands as they walked, and Gwiboon could feel the nervousness radiating off of Minjung by the way her hand was tightly gripped. Her shoulders were hunched in on each other, and she was beginning to hyperventilate.

    "Hey, shhh. Calm down," Gwiboon rubbed her back soothingly and some of the tension vanished. At the very least, Minjung could walk upright. She was starting to wonder if it was such a good idea after all. But she had no time to back out because Minjung pointed to a house on the hill signalling it was hers. Gwiboon's fingers gently wrapped around Minjung's and gave a squeeze. "If I see one time where your parents are about to hit you, we're getting out of there. But first, we're gonna go up to your room and pack your stuff. I have a feeling you're gonna need it." Minjung nodded and Gwiboon suddenly hugged her tightly.

    "I'm really glad I asked you to come," Minjung's voice was rough from the effort to not cry. "Thank you." Gwiboon nodded solemnly.

    "Of course. That's what I'm supposed to do, right? Protect you, I mean," Minjung had to wipe away a tear at Gwiboon's sweetness. She held Gwiboon's hand as she walked through the door of her house, and her parents immediately quieted at the sight of Gwiboon entering after her. Their eyes zeroed in on their linked hands, and Gwiboon had to fight the urge to bolt when they looked back up at Minjung. It was full of fury. But Minjung walked quietly to her room and shut the door. She started grabbing her most important belongings and Gwiboon couldn't help being shell shocked. She could feel Minjung's parents through the door, ready to blow. It was not a pleasant feeling.

    "Let's go," Minjung hadn't taken much. Just essentials, Gwiboon assumed. She took Minjung's hand and squeezed tightly.

Minjung's parents were waiting on the other side of the door. They looked absolutely livid, and Gwiboon was suddenly hit with deja vu. She felt like she was telling her own parents once again about her uality. Minjung was dry-eyed, her head held high.

    "Mom.. Dad. I have something to tell you, and you're not going to like it. I've liked girls for nearly my whole life, though I tried so hard to be who you wanted me to be. The perfect straight girl that no parents would be ashamed to have. But news flash: I'm not her. I can never be her. And I'm okay with that," Minjung took a breath and wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry for letting you down."
Her parents were deadly silent. Their faces had closed off at some point while Minjung was talking and they were stone-faced. Suddenly, Minjung's head snapped to the side and her mother's hand came away calmly. She stood in shock while her mother slapped the other side of her face, and then Gwiboon pushed Minjung towards the front door. Gwiboon aimed a slap at Minjung's mother. But it never hit.

    "You're the one who turned my daughter like this, I'm sure of it," Minjung's mother sounded hysteric, though her face was void of emotion. "Take care of her, dear." Gwiboon's eyes narrowed.

    "Minjung, run," was all Gwiboon could manage to get out before she felt pain radiate from her right side. She dimly heard someone scream, and then she was lost to everything else. Minjung's father was beating her to death, though she weakly tried to fight back. She out before she could get any real damage in.

Minjung was horrified at the sight before her. She couldn't believe her parents were capable of something like that, and there was so much blood coming from Gwiboon... She dimly remembered dialing 119 and asking for police assistance before her phone was snatched and thrown.

Minjung ran after that, not wanting her parents to do the same thing to her that they'd done to Gwiboon. She was running as fast as she could, but she stopped when she saw a police cruiser coming to a stop next to her. She hurriedly explained what had gone on at her address and they told her to get in before they headed towards the scene. An ambulance was called immediately when they saw Gwiboon, but her parents were sitting watching T.V. as if nothing had ever happened.

    "We don't have a daughter," they said. Minjung was hurt by the words, but she had expected them. She didn't remember anything after that because she finally saw Gwiboon. She was deathly pale, and her face was a bloody misshapen mess. She shut down, and forgot how to breathe. She was escorted to the hospital next to Gwiboon, holding her hand limply. She was unaware of her surroundings while she was waiting for news of Gwiboon. She couldn't get the image of Gwiboon's face out of her head.

When Gwiboon's aunt and uncle showed up asking what happened, she didn't respond. She didn't think she could respond. She knew at some point the police would have to question her, but she didn't care at the moment. Gwiboon was in the hospital and it was all her fault. If she hadn't asked Gwiboon to come with her... She'd be fine right now. At the thoughts running through her head, Minjung broke down and cried.

    "I-it's my fault," she murmured brokenly. "If I hadn't asked Gwiboon to come with me this afternoon, she'd be okay. I'd g-gladly switch places with her." Gwiboon's aunt was about to ask why she thought that when the doctor called for Gwiboon's family. Minjung sat in the chair until Gwiboon's aunt pulled her up and hauled her to face the doctor.

    "Gwiboon is going to be okay. She made it through the surgery just fine, and she's strong. She's young and healthy, so she should heal quickly. I don't know the specifics of what happened, but her left cheekbone was broken, her right lung was punctured by a broken rib, and several organs are severely bruised. Her right femur and hip were broken. She'll have trouble urinating for a while, and she won't be able to eat spicy food," the doctor advised. "Whoever did this to her had every intention of killing her." The doctor bowed and left them to visit her. They went in her room and Minjung let out a sob at the sight in front of her.

Gwiboon was clean, but bruises were everywhere. She looked like she ought to be dead, and Minjung felt the guilt eat at her. It was all her fault that this had happened to Gwiboon. She should have never brought someone to help her.

    "Ahh!" she moved away from the hand that had tried to cup her cheek. She looked at Gwiboon's aunt with wide eyes. She'd completely forgotten that her mother had slapped her.

    "Darling, you need to be checked out yourself," Gwiboon's aunt said smoothly. "Your cheeks are starting to turn color and swell." Minjung started crying and she shrugged away from the gentle touch on her shoulder.

    "You should hate me, I'm the reason Gwiboon's in this state," she babbled through her tears. "She pushed me away and took that beating from my father for me. It's my fault, I should've never asked her to come today."

    "Tell me what happened," Gwiboon's aunt asked. It didn't sound like a command, so  Minjung spilled her guts.

    "I asked Gwiboon to come with me today to tell my parents that I'm a lesbian. After I told them, they flipped and started hitting Gwiboon," Minjung's tears were starting to sting on her cheeks. "She pushed me and told me to run after my parents started hitting me, and I ran. I could've at least stayed with her." She was folded into a tight embrace.

    "I guess you're Minjung, then. Gwiboon talks about you quite a bit," Minjung was surprised. "She loves you, Minjung. She did this out of love, and you shouldn't blame yourself for something that was Gwiboon's conscious decision." She couldn't accept that reasoning.

    "I'm going to get myself checked out," she mumbled. She wandered the halls instead, restless and not really wanting to get checked out. She felt that her cheeks were a fitting punishment for not doing more to help Gwiboon.

~

Gwiboon didn't open her eyes for over a week. During that time, Minjung had applied for a medical leave for Gwiboon and went back to school. She held her head high and ignored the whispers as best she could. Her face was bruised, and her cheeks were still swollen, but she felt okay enough. Whenever she got to the rooftop to eat lunch and Gwiboon wasn't there, she broke down and cried.

She avoided Gwiboon's hospital room like a plague for weeks. She ignored everyone she knew, in fact. She slept in nicer neighborhoods on corners and bus stops. She saved all of her money to wash her uniform in coin laundries, and when her money ran out, she started washing her clothes in sinks. She often contemplated going into the hospital to visit Gwiboon, but every time she was actually in front of the hospital she chickened out.

Minjung considered herself lucky that she'd never met Gwiboon's aunt coming out of the hospital. But one day after nearly 3 weeks of being homeless, her luck ran out. She was just walking to the front of the hospital like she had for the past 4 days when she spotted Gwiboon's aunt coming toward her. It was no use trying to hide from her, because the look on Gwiboon's aunt's face said she knew exactly who Minjung was. She was mad, too.

    "What are you doing out here?" she demanded and Minjung flinched at the hardness. She felt tears well up when a hand clamped on her shoulder. It was painful, especially since that guy at the coin laundry had tried to mug her yesterday. Her ribs protested when she was jerked forward.

    "I-I--," "Save it. Gwiboon has been asking about you for the past 2 weeks and no one knew where you were. She's been worried sick and beating herself up over everything," Gwiboon's aunt had no idea how much pain she was causing Minjung, because Minjung refused to say she was in pain. She was still punishing herself for what happened. She didn't even realize they were already at Gwiboon's room until the door shut behind her. She turned to look at the bed but it was empty.

    "Over here," a weak voice rasped. Minjung completely forgot her own injuries as she saw Gwiboon. She was in a wheelchair, and she was sitting at a desk with papers strewn all over it. She looked better than the last time Minjung had seen her, but the sight of the wheelchair broke Minjung into tens of thousands of pieces. It brought back overwhelming guilt and she flushed. "I was wondering when you'd come to visit. After what we went through." Minjung said nothing, and she started crying.

    "I-I'm sorry. I have to go," she turned to leave but the creaking of wheels stopped her. She felt a pair of arms circle lightly around her waist and she sobbed. "It's all my fault, Gwiboon. You should hate me so much. It would be easier if you hated me as much as I hate myself."

    "Minjung, please don't leave," Gwiboon was struggling to speak. "I made my own choice so stop blaming yourself. Your parents are s, that's a fact of life, but you're not them," Gwiboon squeezed as tightly as she could, and she heard Minjung gasp.

    "Pu-please stop," she hissed through clenched teeth. Gwiboon let go quickly and frowned.

    "Minjung, what's going on?" Minjung's hands trembled as she smoothed her uniform.

    "Nothing," she knew it didn't sound convincing because Gwiboon frowned at her.

    "Tell me, please," Gwiboon had never had to beg before she met Minjung. But she seemed to beg quite often now that Minjung was in her life.

    "A-a guy in the coin laundry tried to mug me yesterday, but I didn't have any money. So he beat me up for it," Gwiboon was appalled.

    "What were you doing at a coin laundry anyway, those places are dangerous. Minjung, don't tell me you're on the streets," Minjung turned her head to the side and didn't answer. The silence was enough of an answer for Gwiboon. "Oh my god, why didn't you call someone? Don't sleep on the streets anymore, please. For god's sake, take my bed, I don't use it much. I'm always in this damn wheelchair or in therapy."

    "No. I'll sleep in a chair, that's your bed and you rest in it," Minjung wouldn't budge on the subject.

    "Alright, fine," Gwiboon consented, "But you're getting yourself checked out. You could be  really injured." Minjung finally agreed but only as Gwiboon was wheeled away to physical therapy.

Minjung was surprised to learn that she had 3 fractured ribs, and a fractured shoulder. It hadn't hurt as much as she thought it would. She secretly felt proud of herself for managing so well. She also learned that she was slightly malnourished (it was no surprise to her) and that her torso looked like a blueberry. She was extremely sore.

Every time she thought about whining, the image of Gwiboon's face after her father's beating popped into her mind. So she'd shut and not say a word. She didn't even complain about when someone jostled her ribs, she just smiled sweetly.

Eunsook and Taeyeon came to visit her in Gwiboon's room and she got yelled at for worrying them  so much she started crying. But only after Taeyeon had left. She didn't want Taeyeon to feel guilty because she felt like she deserved ever harsh word Taeyeon had said. Gwiboon felt differently and called Taeyeon after Minjung had fallen asleep.

After Minjung got out of the hospital, Taeyeon offered her a place to stay. She accepted hesitantly, and soon after found a job DJing at a club near Taeyeon's apartment. She felt free after she learned the ropes and started spinning. People praised her natural skill. Her life was looking up from the dark period she'd passed through.

One thing bothered her, and that was Gwiboon. Gwiboon had been silent and moody for several days now, even though she was out of the hospital, and it was extremely unlike her.

    "What's wrong, Gwiboon? It's okay if you want to tell me," Gwiboon just looked away from Minjung, not answering. She sighed in frustration. "Damn it. If you don't tell me what's wrong, things are never going to work between us. I tell you what's bothering me, and you don't give anything in return? It's not fair."

    "Maybe it would be better if we never worked out," Gwiboon exploded. "Because I'll never be able to walk normal again, Minjung. I'm a ing freak. You deserve so much more--" Gwiboon didn't get to finish what she was saying because Minjung's lips slammed against hers.

    "You honestly think I care about that? I don't. We've been through so much, and to throw everything away because of a limp is just a ing waste. If you don't see it that way, then I'm leaving," Gwiboon's fingers tightened around Minjung's wrist.

    "Look, I'm sorry. It's just.. being insecure about something after years of self-confidence just feels wrong and weird," Minjung walked back to Gwiboon's side and they hugged each other tightly.

    "It's okay to not be perfect, Gwiboon," Minjung murmured against Gwiboon's collarbone. "Really, it is."
___________________________________________________________________________

There you are. It's not quite how I imagined it, but I'm satisfied as I can be with it. :D

Have a nice day.

~~

Til next time, loves. ^o~ ♥♥