Chapter Five

Seo Juhyun walked into the library early Monday morning. She liked to get there early to go over the chapters which she'd be studying during the day at school. She did this almost every day. Usually she's alone there until around eight, so she was surprised to see a familiar person sitting at one of the tables scratching their head with a pen in a confused manner. She smiled a small smile to herself and approached the girl.

"Yoona?" She asked softly. The girl jumped in her seat and spun around.

"S-Seohyun? Um, wait, Juhyun. Sorry." The girl smiled sheepishly with a blush on her cheeks.

"It's alright, you can call me Seohyun, I kind of like it." She smiled sweetly down at Yoona, "May I sit?"

"Oh, of course!" Yoona stumbled up and pulled the chair out for her. Seohyun looked down hiding an amused smile, and sat in the seat Yoona offered.

"So what are you doing here this early? I thought I was the only one who was crazy enough to be studying this time of the morning." Yoona still had slightly red cheeks as she smiled at Seohyun.

"I have a test today, I put off studying so much that it's all pretty much last minute. But I kind of remember things better this way I suppose." Yoona pouted slightly. Seohyun giggled cutely.

"Yoona, you shouldn't leave things to the last minute like that." She scolded half-heartedly. "What is it that you're studying, maybe I can help?"

"O-oh, it's alright, you have your own stuff you have to study, I'm sure I can manage by myself. Thank you anyway." Yoona smiled warmly, as warm as her face felt because of this unintentional meeting. She couldn't look Seohyun in the eyes for too long, she got too shy and had to look away.

"If you insist, but don't hesitate to ask if you're confused, it'll make it easier for you to study more if you have someone to help."

"T-Thank you Seohyun." Yoona stuttered but couldn't look at Seohyun again so she just stared at the page she'd been writing on in her workbook. Seohyun noticed this, from what she'd seen of Yoona previously the doe eyed girl hardly seemed shy, but then again she was very close to her friends Yuri and Taeyeon. Seohyun figured she was shy around her because the girl didn't know her too well. She accepted this and pulled out her books, soon getting immersed in the words.

Seohyun was oblivious to the flushed Yoona next to her, beads of sweat were forming on her forehead as she sat completely still, staring at her page and gripping her pen until her knuckles went white. It was a good thing Seohyun wasn't trying to talk to Yoona, because even the girl’s thoughts were stuttering. Seohyun shifted in her seat to get more comfortable. She hadn't even noticed that her arm had brushed up against Yoona's. The latter girl’s brain went completely blank. White blank. She'd even stopped breathing. It was a surprise that her heart hadn't failed either, though it was going over-time, it drowned out all other sounds to Yoona.

Seohyun broke from her concentration to write down a phrase she didn't understand and would ask the teacher about later. She noticed Yoona's stiffness. The girl wasn't even breathing.

"Yoona...?" She said softly. "You alright there?" Yoona seemed to snap back to reality, heaving in a breath. All Yoona could muster was an incomprehensible drawled out noise between gasps. "Are you okay? Are you sick?" Seohyun reached forward to feel the flushed girls’ slightly perspiring forehead. Yoona didn't think she could take that. It was too much. Alone together. Close proximity. Her angelic face so alluring. Her attention was solely focused on Yoona. And her lips looked so perfect. Yoona gulped, leaning back from Seohyun's hand. The flustered girl tried to speak again, to tell Seohyun she was fine, but it came out choked. Her heart slammed in her chest, her vision had black spots as she continued to hyperventilate. Seohyun was starting to stand up, she unknowingly put her chest right in front of Yoona's face. Yoona let out a defeated whimper and fell to the floor, blacking out.

"Oh my gosh Yoona!" Seohyun exclaimed and called for the librarian. She kneeled down next to Yoona, remembering the first aid she'd done and checked Yoona’s pulse before alleviating her feet on her school bag. Yoona came to a moment before the librarian had gotten to them from the other side of the library.

Yoona peeled her eyes open. Where am I? She frowned. And why is Seohyun upside down? Is this a dream? What a crap dream, I'm dreaming of school.

"Yoona!" Seohyun exclaimed, her eyes had begun to water. "You're okay! I was so worried!" Yoona frowned further. Not such a bad dream now, Seohyun is practically fawning over me. She smirked.

"Yoona, how do you feel?" Another voice asked. Yoona tore her eyes from Seohyun and looked up at the librarian.

"Um. Confused." Yoona grunted.

"Dizzy? Nauseous? Are you in pain at all?"

"Nope." Yoona popped the p and grinned stupidly, looking back to Seohyun.

"Can you sit up?" Seohyun asked.

"I think so, I learnt that when I was like one I'm pretty sure." Yoona stated. Seohyun suppressed a chuckle and helped Yoona sit up.

"Why am I in the library? I don't even remember getting here." The teacher appeared next to Yoona, she hadn't even noticed she'd left, and handed her a glass of water.

"Here, drink slowly." Yoona did as she was told. Slowly her memories came back. Yoona sobered very quickly, her face paled. Oh good god. I can't believe that happened. She grimaced and shook her head slightly.

"You okay?" Seohyun asked concerned, leaning close to Yoona.

"Yeah." Yoona croaked. Trying to ignore the close proximity of the girl who was innocently concerned. "I think I'm going to go get some fresh air, I'll be back." She hoped Seohyun would stay so she could clear her mind.

"Do you want me to come with you? In case you faint again?" She asked, standing up quickly.

"Oh, no thank you, I'll be fine, I think I just need to be away from too much mental stimulation for the moment, don't worry I won't faint again." Yoona smiled, hoping it would be reassuring. Seohyun hesitantly nodded.

"Okay...But just be back within five minutes or I'll come looking for you." She said and Yoona knew she'd countdown exactly five minutes and go find her if she wasn't back by then.

"I'll be back in five." Yoona agreed and walked out of the library.

The whole incident reminded Yoona of the first time her and Seohyun had actually met and talked. It was a week or two ago, at the dentist.

~

Yoona made it through the front doors of the dentist office.

Just one foot in front of the other Yoong, you can do it. She told herself. She was so focused on forcing her trembling legs to move that she bumped her rib against the bench of the receptionists desk and hit her head on the perplex glass. She grunted in surprise and looked up at the lady who always had an unimpressed look on her face.

"Take a seat Yoona, the dentist will call your name." Yoona was well known in the dentist office. She was the notorious runaway patient. She took a seat, inhaling deeply. She hadn't noticed the girl who'd noticed her walking in.

"You're Yoona, right?" Seohyun asked the pale faced and nervously clammy Yoona. She looked up at Seohyun who was standing a few feet in front of her.

"Y-Yeah. Juhyun?" Seohyun nodded and smiled. Yoona felt calmer. She'd completely forgotten that she was in the dentist.

"This is an odd coincidence." Seohyun smiled, "We hardly even cross paths at school yet here we are at the same dentist." She sat in the seat across from Yoona. Yoona gulped at the mention of the dentist. Seohyun noticed this. "You don't like the dentist?"

"Mm, not really." Said Yoona, even though she really meant 'it's more frightening than snakes and spiders and bears, it's scarier than the concept of an eternity in hell it's more terrifying than all those put together plus the monsters in my closet.' But she didn't say that.

"I don't really like them either. I have to get my back molars removed." Seohyun pouted and Yoona stared. She hadn't figured out why until after the girl left. But all she thought during that time was; Cute. So cute.

Once Seohyun was called in Yoona immediately became less distracted from the problem at hand. She was about to get drilled. And prodded. And stabbed with needles. Needles. She gulped, a cold sweat formed on her brow and she looked around nervously.

The receptionists were taking bets to see how long it would take Yoona to flee, they watched her intently from behind the counter. But Yoona was too terrified to realise this.

Her legs were weak as she stumbled to the entrance, she squeezed through the automatic doors as soon as she could fit through and ran across the car park, not looking back once. She ran the whole way home.

~

Yoona shuddered at the thought. She was almost taken by those scary dentists with their white lab coats. She knew they wore white so they could see the blood of their victims contrast starkly. Yoona was certain dentists were born and bred sadists and that all they wanted to do was make you cry. Yoona shook the thoughts away and took a seat on one of the lunch tables, inhaling deeply.

The way she was around Seohyun was like nothing she'd experienced before. Every time the girl was around, Yoona felt like she was going to die. But a good kind of dying, if that makes sense.

Yoona had had crushes before. She's liked a couple of boys and for a while there she had majorly crushed on her best friend Yuri. She still kind of did like her. But Seohyun to her was like being hit by a bus of emotion. All that remained on the road afterwards was her dumb, stuttering self. She had no idea why. She didn't even know the girl properly, but there was something about her that she just liked so much, it kind of drove her crazy.

She thought about Yuri, she smiled to herself. Yuri made her happy, they were like kindred spirits they could do anything together and still have fun. She could see herself wanting Yuri around her for the rest of her life. She then thought of Seohyun and her heart seemed to flutter, it felt light. Seohyun was uncertain to her, she didn't know her well, she didn't even think they were all that alike. But she was inexplicably drawn to her.

She came back to reality, realising she should probably get back before Seohyun starts to look for her.

~

After assuring the librarian she was fine and that she doesn't need to go home, then finishing her study; Yoona went off to find Yuri and Taeyeon. She received a grin from Taeyeon and a strangulating hug from Yuri. Taeyeon excused herself to the bathroom, and when she was out of hearing distance Yuri whispered to Yoona.

"You got the stuff?"

"Yeah man." She dug into her bag as Yuri went through Taeyeon's bag looking for her lunch box. Taeyeon lived by a food schedule. Every day of the week she'd pack a different type of lunch. Monday's she packed a simple sandwich. Yoona and Yuri switched the sandwiches before carefully putting Taeyeon's lunch box back into her bag.

"Crap, she's coming back!" Yuri exclaimed in a whisper and Yoona rushed to get Taeyeon's swapped sandwich into her bag before the girl got back.

"They're out of soap. Again." Taeyeon complained as she approached.

"Yeesh." Yuri muttered and scrunched up her face.

"Keep your dirty hands away from me then." Yoona warned and backed away a step. Taeyeon glared at the both of them before sitting down. Yuri smirked at her successful torment of Taeyeon. She glanced up for a second, not sure why she was compelled to do so. Her eyes widened a fraction. Jessica was walking past with her group. The new girl, of which Taeyeon had unintentionally harassed, was talking animatedly to Jessica. The latter girl locked eyes with Yuri. Yuri couldn't stop the grin coming to her face. Jessica blushed, a small, sweet smile came to her lips. Once Jessica had passed Yuri she glanced back one last time.

"Hey, Jessi are you even listening to me?" Tiffany said in a disgruntled manner. She'd noticed Jessica looking at that Yuri girl but she hadn't realised until now that Jessica wasn't giving her any attention at all.

"Uh, yeah. I'm listening." Jessica said, in her typical 'I wasn't really listening manner'. Tiffany frowned at Jessica a moment, her eyes narrowing.

Yuri?

Yuri had captured all of her attention. Tiffany frowned further, pouting. She felt there was a connection between that and something else Jessica had said or done. Tiffany became oddly quiet for herself as she thought hard about the enigma Jessica posed. The latter girl hadn't even noticed Tiffany becoming so quiet, she was too busy hiding her blush and thinking about how amazing Yuri looked just then. It practically took Jessica's breath away. She basked in Yuri thoughts and felt warm.

"Hey Tiffany, I heard Seulong was interested in you." Sun Hi said with a smirk as they approached their table.

"Who?" Tiffany asked, feeling slight dread that the whole boyfriend thing might be coming sooner than expected.

"Im Seulong." Sun Hi pointed in a direction behind Tiffany who turned to see a group of guys sitting on the table or standing around it, talking.

"Which one is he?"

"You know Siwon right?" Tiffany nodded, "The one sitting down in front of him."

"Oh." Tiffany quickly glanced at Jessica who had a deadpan look on her face as she stared at the former girl. She wasn't getting any insight anytime soon. "I don't really know him..." He was really good looking, and seemed to have a stoic air about him.  While everyone else was talking and laughing he just sat there looking at the ground.

"No one knows him too well. He's really quiet but isn't he hot?" Mi cha chimed, wiggling her eyebrows at Tiffany.

"You should go for it, he's pretty selective when it comes to dating people." Mee Yon said, not completely interested with the conversation.

"How can he decide he likes me so much when he hasn't even met me?" Tiffany asked, frowning in confusion.

"He's probably heard about you, seen you around and such. So are you?" Mi Cha prodded.

"I dunno, like I said I don't really know him." She glanced at Jessica who just rolled her eyes and then pulled out her phone, Tiffany presumed she didn't want to be in this situation. Tiffany felt her pocket vibrate and she pulled out her phone. It was a text from Jessica.

-You idiot. What happened to your 'boyfriend' from 'back home'. Aish girl!

Tiffany's face paled a shade. She cursed herself inwardly for forgetting the plan. She typed back;

-It's a bit too late to bring that up now then I guess...

-You don't say. On the upside Seulong isn't too bad of a guy, he's pretty timid and nice. You could do a lot worse.

-Gee thanks.

Tiffany locked eyes with Jessica a moment before getting into the conversation the others were having. As usual Jessica stayed out of it, which made Tiffany wonder. Jessica was attractive yes, but she wasn't interested at all in her friends, or cheerleading so how was she even in the group? She decided to ask her later, if she could think of a way to word it to make it less insensitive.

~

Taeyeon and Yoona had met in the hallway and were walking towards their next class when the first of two strange things happened. Taeyeon felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see who it was while Yoona continued walking, off in her own world explaining why she wanted a jerboa as a pet.

Taeyeon stared up into the dark eyes of a person she knew of but didn't know. He didn't say anything as they stared at each other.

"Can I help you?" Taeyeon asked, getting slightly agitated but mostly curious.

"Um." He mumbled, his voice was rich and deep. By this point Yoona was almost at their next class and hadn't yet realised Taeyeon's absence. "Hi." He said.

"Hi..." Taeyeon raised a brow.

"Gotta go." He swiftly walked off, disappearing into the crowd.

That was weird. Taeyeon thought to herself and continued on her way to class trying to remember the guys name. She received a glare from Yoona as she approached her classroom.

"Don't give me that look, the weirdest thing just happened to-" Taeyeon stopped talking as her eyes fell upon the second weird occurrence of the day. Yoona frowned and turned to see what had caught Taeyeon's attention.

"What?" Yoona mumbled. Taeyeon continued to stare in shocked awe at Yuri, who was walking with a lone Jessica Jung. Yuri was grinning as she explained something to Jessica who was smiling happily as she kept an eye on where she was walking. The two stopped in front of a classroom, Yuri handed Jessica the books she'd been carrying and they bid farewell.

Yuri approached the shocked girl.

"What's up with you Taeng?" Yuri asked, still smiling to herself.

"You talk to the Jung?" Taeyeon managed. 

"Yeah man, she joined soccer. She's actually really cool." Yuri said with a grin. "Come on, we should get to class." Yuri walked ahead into the classroom.

"You knew about this and didn't tell me?" Taeyeon grumbled to Yoona.

"Whoa, calm down bro. I knew she talked to her during practice, I didn't realise they'd gotten that chummy." Yoona defended before walking into class followed by Taeyeon. Taeyeon almost flinched the moment she saw that guy in her class, sitting far up the back in the corner desk. How had I never noticed him before? And had he sprinted around the long way to get to class and jumped through the window so he didn't have to talk to me anymore?

"What's that constipated look for buddy?" Yuri asked as Taeyeon came to sit in her usual seat with the alleged constipated look on her face.

"Shut your pie hole." Taeyeon said shooting a glare at Yuri.

~

"Come on Tiffany, really?" Jessica said as they exited the bathroom. Those two spent most of their time together, being victims of the same situation and all. They liked it best when they had time alone together, it was so much better than dealing with Sun Hi and her heinous cow disease.

"Whaat?" Tiffany whined slightly, drying her hands off on her skirt.

"You know what." Jessica grunted, glancing up at the pleasantly familiar sight of Yuri's glorious tanned legs. She was standing with Taeyeon and Yoona in front of a teacher. It seemed like they were getting into trouble. Jessica was too busy concentrating on Yuri that she didn't hear what Tiffany had said. Tiffany's eyebrows furrowed, she followed Jessica's stare and wasn't overly surprised to see Yuri there. She got that inkling feeling again but she just wasn't sure how to piece it all together yet. Tiffany's eyes fell onto the shortest girl there, Taeyeon. She smiled, chuckling inwardly as she thought about their strange encounters so far. The short girl seemed to be in a focused and heated discussion with the teacher while Yoona and Yuri stood around awkwardly, fiddling with their bag straps.

Tiffany tried to overhear what Taeyeon was saying while Jessica was just zoning out as she studied Yuri. The girl who was still on earth saw a bubbler closer to the group and decided to casually go take a long drink so she could eavesdrop.

"I'm really not sure where you got this idea from, Mr. Kang, but I was not selling drugs."

"Well then, you won't have any issues with me checking your bag then."

"Are you serious? This again? You're a glutton for punishment aren't you?" Tiffany could hear the slight amusement in Taeyeon's voice. She was somewhat excited to finally be seeing the Taeyeon in argumentative action.

"Give me your bag now!" Mr Kang yelled, his face going red from anger. Taeyeon didn't even flinch.

"You think you can intimidate me into giving you my bag? Well, I'm not giving it to you, you have no right to search it under such pathetic pretences. You're just hurt over the fact that you lost last time, now you're trying to get back what skerrick of dignity you have left." Tiffany almost choked on the mouth full of water she'd just drunk. She was quite impressed at the guts this girl had. And she was so tiny, so easy to stuff into a bin. Tiffany wondered if she ever got into fist fights over this sort of thing, she glanced in their direction. Yoona and Yuri had shuffled slightly further away from the two arguing while Taeyeon and Mr. Kang had a stare down. A death stare down.

"I will get you suspended if you disobey me. And your parents will be the first to know." Mr. Kang growled. Tiffany was anxious to know what the petite girl would do now. She was so curious that she'd stopped even trying to be discreet, she just stood next to the bubbler watching the duo.

"You can't suspend me. I know my rights and you're trying to take advantage of the fact that I might not know them. But I do, and you're not going to win. Call my parents all you like, I won't allow you to breach my privacy." Mr. Kang gritted his teeth.

"Go to the principal's office! Now!" He yelled, two inches from her face. Tiffany was in awe that Taeyeon didn't falter at all. Her voice was still steady as she replied.

"That's a good idea actually. I'll let him know that one of his teachers is harassing an innocent student." Taeyeon spun on her heels and walked away. Yoona and Yuri went to follow but Mr. Kang stopped them.

"No, you two are free to go." He grumbled and followed Taeyeon down the hall. Yuri sighed when he was out of earshot.

"I hate it when they mention her parents." Yoona said, looking at Taeyeon's back as it disappeared around a corner. Her parents? Tiffany wondered, frowning.

"I know, I can't imagine what it's like for Taeng." Yuri said, looking down. Tiffany hadn't even noticed Jessica had sidled in next to her until the girl spoke.

"That was pretty intense. Gotta give it to her, she's got guts, I quite enjoy watching her argue."

"W- Yeah." Tiffany said absent minded.

"You alright there?" Jessica shot a curious glance at Tiffany who had a forlorn expression on her face. Jessica waved to Yuri as the girl went to leave with Yoona. Tiffany was too distracted to even notice the lingering stare of Jessica’s.

"Jessi, what happened to her parents?" Tiffany asked softly.

"I don't know the details but they're both-" Jessica faltered a moment noting the sad look on Tiffany's face, she decided to say it in a nicer way, "They both passed away."

"Oh." Was all Tiffany replied. Jessica looked at Tiffany, concerned.

"Are you okay? What's going on up there?" Jessica asked as she gently poked Tiffany's forehead.

"Oh, nothing. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry." Tiffany smiled brightly and Jessica was relieved to see it was her genuine one. "Shall we go finish lunch?"

"Sounds like a good idea, want me to buy you some chocolate milk?" Jessica offered.

"Only if I can buy you a strawberry one." Jessica chuckled.

"You strike a hard bargain Hwang. Deal."

~

Yoona and Yuri sat in relative silence.

"I wonder how Taeng is doing now." Yuri mumbled. Yoona grunted in agreement.

"Maybe we should go wait for her in the office." Yoona wondered aloud.

"There's twenty minutes left of lunch. I say we wait there until class." Yuri said after checking her phone.

"Alright." The two stood up, grabbing their bags and made their way to the front office. On the way there Yoona bumped into Seohyun coming around a corner, the girl dropped her books.

"Oh, sorry!" Yoona quickly crouched down to pick up the sprawled out textbooks.

"Yoona, how are you after this morning? Are you feeling okay?" Seohyun asked as she crouched down next to her, picking up what was left.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine." Yoona dismissed quickly.

"Feeling okay? Yoona, what happened?" Yuri asked, a frown coming to her eyebrows.

"Nothing happened. I'm fine." Yoona dismissed again, standing up with Seohyun.

"Yoona." Seohyun gave the doe eyed girl a cautionary look. "You didn't tell them?"

"What? Didn't tell us what?" Yuri started becoming slightly frantic.

"Calm down Yuri, please, it's nothing really." Yoona tried to placate the growing anxiousness of Yuri's. Needless to say Yoona was feeling pretty awkward having her long time crush and the girl she became smitten with at first glance all together. It was like an overload to her brain.

"It wasn't nothing Yoona. You promised me you'd tell them so they could watch out for you." Seohyun pouted cutely, so much so that even Yuri softened upon seeing it.

"I'm sorry Seohyun." Yoona seemed genuinely apologetic. "I didn't want to worry them."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?!" Yuri exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I fainted this morning." Yoona said simply.

"You what?! Why didn't you go home?! Oh, Yoongie, are you okay?" Yuri swapped between exasperation and concern.

"I'm fine, really, I think I was just thirsty." Yoona lied. She knew damn well why she fainted.

"You do seem fine..." Yuri pondered, feeling slightly eased. "Did you hit your head? Do you feel nauseous or tired?" Yuri started clucking over Yoona. Seohyun smiled at the two.

"No, no and no. Really Yuri, I'm fine. Can we go check on Tae now?" Yoona wanted desperately to be out of this situation, there was too much attention on her and it freaked her out a little.

"Alright..." Yuri gave in.

"I'll see you's later." Seohyun bid farewell and walked off. Yoona felt the tension ease from her chest, she sighed softly, glad that she could function a little better without both of them overloading her brain. She made a mental note to not be near the both of them at the same time.

Taeyeon was in the principal's office all lunch, so Yuri and Yoona headed off to their next class.

~

Tiffany noticed that Taeyeon wasn't in World History. She started to feel concerned for the girl. How much trouble had she gotten into? It wasn't the first time Tiffany had felt concern for the short girl, no matter how slight the concern was.