“I…” Bomi started and the entirety of A Pink was in a fit of squeals and giggles, even the PD’s were grinning. They knew another classic moment would come out of the pair.

Chorong hid her face with her palm and Bomi did this funny pose to loosen up before speaking up again.

“I love…” Bomi did the hand gestures as taught by the ballet teacher and Chorong bent and hid her face this time behind both of her palms with only her eyes peeking out to see Bomi’s grin as she stretched her arm forward.

“you,” and Bomi herself was giggling as Chorong looked up with a bemused expression.

“dance with me.” And when she finished Bomi briefly closed her eyes, relieved that the embarrassing mime was over on her part and she shifted her eyes shyly with her chin lowered; awaiting Chorong’s response.

Both of their smiles wide, leaving their cheeks burning but they never faltered. Chorong looked down and Bomi let out a little laugh.

“I…” Chorong gestured with her arm outstretched and palm open; shy and girlish as ever; wavering between the two possible responses.

“don’t like you.” She blurted out barely over a whisper with her soft voice, she rejected Bomi and turned from the girl with her palm up in a ‘talk-to-the-hand’ kind of way.

“That’s correct, well done.” The ballet teacher praised and just milliseconds later she looked back at Bomi and shared a light giggle then looked away, a blush and shy smile on her child-like features caught on camera.

The moment was a lot more hushed and sincere than anyone expected from the resident Tom & Jerry couple of A Pink.

--

The rest of the lesson went on as they pranced across the room; Chorong got smacked on the back again when she couldn’t take it seriously and all throughout her dopey smile had not faded.

Yookyung and Naeun were graceful and princess-like as expected.

Namjoo looked normal for a kkab.

Hayoung’s feet were confused despite really trying. But being the adorable maknae, even the teacher giggled a little.

“They’re coming, they’re coming~” Everyone was anticipating the last two who did not seem to mix too well with ballet; ironic on Bomi’s part, considering her ‘main dancer’ status.

Eunji was stiff, galloping like a giraffe and everyone had burst into giggles.

Bomi resembled a tree hugger as she pranced across the room that had erupted in laughter.

Chorong couldn’t shake the thought of how much faster her heart was beating when Bomi did the ‘I love you’ mime. And as she looked at her dorky dongsaeng – who was half-serious when she asked the seated Eunji ‘Aren’t I good?’ but Eunji only responded with a fit of laughter – her heart was beating just a few pulses faster again.

She beamed in the direction of said dork and shook her head slightly. Yoon Bomi, what are you doing to me?

--|--

Chorong was alone in the practice room at A Cube’s headquarters, working on her vocals for the songs on their first mini album. She knew her voice was a little quiet and as the leader of a rookie group she wanted to show extra effort.

She played the recorded tracks loud enough to bounce off the walls; it didn’t matter since the rooms were almost sound-proof to the outside.

She sat in front of the mirror with a mic in hand and practiced her lines along with the other’s lines just for the heck of it.

--

From outside, someone had stood, hands on the knob and heard a pulsing of beats against the room’s door.

Hmm, I didn’t think anyone was here today.

She had come to practice the choreography they had been learning and perfect them for the stage. She might have been a vocal but she was also the main dancer and second oldest, so she wanted to show that she was working hard; especially after the ballet lessons – which she wasn’t as good at as she had expected.

Bomi leaned her ear onto the wooden surface and heard a familiar voice – Chorong’s.

The song immediately registered in Bomi’s mind. It was Wishlist, and the sound of Chorong’s cool and youthful voice was soothing.

But things were just a tiny bit different between them after that mime they did at the ballet lesson. She knew Chorong only said ‘I don’t like you.’ to avoid any sticky situations and fulfill their image as Tom & Jerry.

They giggled about it and it was all meant to be light-hearted and funny but Bomi’s heart sank a little bit – okay, maybe not just a little bit – why do I feel bad about it? It’s not like it was a real confession.

Bomi’s heart twisted a little at that thought, she has long been confused about her standing on whatever was between Chorong and herself.

The way Chorong and vice-versa, it was almost flirtatious. The looks they stole between themselves, the skinship, the magnetic connection – all these things, didn’t they mean something?

It didn’t seem to all be just for fanservice.

It felt like it was naturally occurring and just happened to be caught on camera.

Maybe I want it to be real.

Maybe it is real; to me at least.

And as Bomi was caught in her thoughts, the melody that was tickling her ears had changed.

The song playing now was Boo, Bomi’s favorite on the mini album.

Bomi, in a daze as she carefully twisted the knob and stepped into the practice room, saw Chorong seated in front of the mirror. Her eyes closed as she was absorbed in the song, singing with her whole heart.

That’s right, I’m your baby

Are you surprised it’s me?

Bomi took another mic and sat beside the older girl as lightly and quietly as possible.

Tell me
You’re the only one

Yookyung’s line resonated through the walls.

In my eyes, Love you, Love you
Whenever I see you, I want you
My head is full of your
Ideas, Ideas

She sang into her mic as she glanced at Chorong through the mirror and saw Chorong’s eyes open wide in surprise and Bomi winked at her playfully. The older girl made a playful punching gesture at her through their reflections but continued to sing the next part of the chorus.

Baby I love you, Love you
I keep wanting you
All day I’m full of your
Thoughts, thoughts

“From now on, you’re mine.” Bomi outstretched her hand forward.

“From now on, I’m your girl.” Chorong put her hand on her heart and winked at Bomi, payback for the girl’s wink just moments ago.

“Only for you.” They both sang the line and looked down in giggles.

“That’s right, I’m your baby. Are you surprised it’s me?”

“Tell me, you’re the only one.”

In my eyes, Love you, Love you
Whenever I see you, I want you
My head is full of your
Ideas, Ideas
Baby I love you Love you
I keep wanting your
Thoughts, Thoughts

They were singing the song together, grinning like pabo’s but they still hadn’t made eye contact besides through the mirror.

All day long
I’m filled with thoughts about you
If your heart was full of my love
It would overflow

Chorong delivered her rap and both could feel that some things were unraveling in the last few moments.

Okay, okay, I’ll tell you today
I’ll tell you all of my hidden feelings I’ve been hiding in my heart

Bomi made Chorong giggle as she tried to replicate Namjoo’s rap and failed miserably. But it was sweet and cute in Chorong’s eyes as she could feel the sincerity in Bomi’s shy mirrored gaze.

“Baby don’t you want for me?” Chorong sang with a playful look on her blushing face.

“Baby don’t you want for you?” Bomi responded, inching her hand into the space between them.

Okay, I want to be hugged by you today
I want to be trusted with everything
This night is for you
Baby, for you
Who would contradict?

They sang together and Chorong placed her hand just beside Bomi’s.

Baby I love you, Love you

Chorong laid her hand palm up and Bomi took the initiative to place hers over it.

I keep wanting your
Thoughts, Thoughts
Baby my –

But neither finished as Bomi leaned over and pecked Chorong on the cheek. It only lasted a second or two but it felt like the result of long hidden feelings, for both of them. The outro played and the room grew silent as it was the last song on the mini.

It was then that Chorong and Bomi finally really looked at each other.

It was then that Bomi realized what the tiny difference was in the days that following the mime incident.

The two hadn’t locked eyes for more than a glimpse – until that moment.

Chorong could see the deep blush that had spread across Bomi’s cheeks and felt better about the red she could feel had painted her own from the heat rushing there as the other girl stared.

“Ch-Chorong Unnie, you didn’t mean it right? It was all for show…right?” All of the courage in her body had dissipated completely after kissing the older girl.

Chorong knew exactly what Bomi was implying but she was still momentarily lost in the latter’s gaze.

“Hm?”

“You don’t actually,” Bomi wasn’t sure how she could phrase it.

“I mean, it’s not like you don’t not, uhm…” She tried again but the words jumbled in her brain.

“That’s a double negative, Bomi-ah.” Chorong laced their fingers and giggled as she turned her body to face the younger girl head-on rather than craning her neck to the side and Bomi mirrored her position.

“Sorry, I – “

“No, I don’t not like you.” Chorong teased by using the girl’s jumbled language.

“Wha-what?” Bomi’s eyebrows furrowed and was slightly agape as her eyes were reduced to half-open slits.

“Pabo-mi,” Chorong lightly flicked Bomi’s forehead to which the dancer let out a tiny ‘ow~’ and touched the now slightly sore spot.

“Bomi,” Chorong called over the younger to move closer with a finger and leaned her cheek against Bomi’s.

“In my eyes, love you, love you. Whenever I see you, I want you. My head is full of your ideas, ideas.”

She sang the other girl’s line softly into Bomi’s ear and her eyes widened in understanding.

It was real to you too?

Bomi hadn’t realized that she had voiced out her thoughts and found a giggling, blushing, beautiful Chorong just inches from her face. Even a string of adjectives couldn’t express the perfection Bomi saw in the leader.

“Silly Bomi-ah.” Chorong then took the dancer’s face into her hands and pecked her on the lips, causing both of their hearts to hammer and the butterflies in their tummies to flutter like never before.

Bomi was too shocked to respond before Chorong pulled away.

“Payback for the one you gave me.” Chorong said but it didn’t quite match the shy disposition she had fallen into.

“Well, I guess I need to take revenge as well,” Bomi said mischievously after she recovered.

“Oh? How do you suppose you could top that?” Chorong played along, a smirk forming on her lips.

And as the many inappropriate situations played in Chorong’s adult mind, Bomi caught her off-guard and she wasn’t sure she heard what the girl had said quite right.

“What did you say, Bomi-ah?” All thoughts erased and only Bomi’s words mattered.

“I said I’m going to take you out right now for ice cream if you agree to be my girlfriend because I love you.”

“What?”

“I said – “

“Just the last part” Chorong cut the girl.

“be my girlfriend because I love you?”

Chorong tackled Bomi to the ground with a thud but she didn’t care because Chorong said ‘yes’ and ‘I love you’ like a mantra and was kissing every inch of her – yet again – reddening face.

“So, ice cream?”

“How ‘bout dakbal?”

“You never tire of that stuff.” Bomi giggled and straightened as she took her girlfriend by the hand.

“You never tire of me~” Chorong teased.

“Come on, yeobo. Careful now, you might break your hip again!” Bomi poked fun at Chorong’s age as revenge.

“Aish, look at my husband, carry me so I don’t then.” Chorong countered & hopped onto Bomi’s back.

Bomi was shocked but adjusted and placed her hands behind Chorong’s knees as the older held onto her shoulders.

“Chorongie, maybe you should lay off the dakbal and we could grab some salad instead.”

“Yah! Yoon Bomi! D’you want to die?” Chorong locked Bomi’s neck between her arms.

“A-aniyo~ I was ju-just kidding, ha ha. I should work out m-more.” Bomi choked out.

“That’s what I thought.” Chorong released Bomi’s neck and the latter gasped for much needed air.

“Well, get moving!”

“N-neh” Chorong kissed the crown of Bomi’s head before resting her cheek there and Bomi’s heart flipped.

Aish, Park Chorong what are you doing to me? Whatever it is, keep doing it.

Bomi let out a silent sigh as she brushed her nose against Chorong’s forearm and then kissed her delicate wrist.

“What was that for Bomi-ah?”

“Payback for the one you gave me.”

Chorong shook her head and smiled.