It was like the moment she heard someone say it, everything felt less heavy. Having thought that feeling like she did was wrong and abnormal had been weighing her down, and just hearing one person tell her that everything was okay let Hansol accept it all. She wasn’t weird. She wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t a little phase. She had someone on her side. Hearing Byungjoo talk about her like he was somehow made it easier to connect it in her mind that she was right. Still…

Hansol decided not to wear the uniform the next day.

Showing up to school in the girl’s uniform, while it was what she wanted, wouldn’t be accepted when it came to school and administration. Even worse would be what the other students would do. Hansol didn’t want to even begin to think about that. Besides, she was planning on taking this slowly.

The school day went like it always did, though Hansol kept more to herself than normal. She was trying to get used to feeling like this, and though it was hard, the little looks and hopeful smiles from Byungjoo were helping a lot. Every time he noticed a sad glance or a shaky sigh, Byungjoo would offer a little grin or a soft squeeze of her shoulder.

It was really helping.

As the school day ended, Hansol slid next to Byungjoo, nudging him with her shoulder and glancing up when Byungjoo looked over.

“What’s up, pretty girl?” he asked, smiling and ignoring the blush on Hansol’s cheeks as he draped his arm over her shoulders. It was a friendly gesture but it was sweet, and Hansol sighed gently.

“Can we go shopping again?” she asked softly, Byungjoo pausing and glancing over.

“Sure. What’s up, you still okay?” he asked in response, Hansol nodding.

“I just don’t want to go home yet,” she replied, shrugging as the two walked toward Byungjoo’s car. Hansol didn’t notice the looks they were getting, but Byungjoo did. He pretended to ignore them, silently steering Hansol a bit so she didn’t see them and keeping her occupied with soft conversation. “Is that okay? If you have homework or something we can go another day,” she added, Byungjoo shaking his head.

“It’s cool. I can take you there,” he said with a grin, opening the passenger door for her and shutting it once Hansol was inside. Then Byungjoo slid in as well, turning on the radio as he pulled out into the street. “Any reason you want to hit the mall or just… because?” he asked, and once more Hansol shrugged.

“I just want to look at a few things,” she said, lips pursed as she bobbed along with the song that was playing. Byungjoo just glanced over every once in a while, watching as she mouthed the words to a few lines and not noticing the quiet smile on his face.

When they got to the mall Byungjoo parked near the store Hansol had dragged him to last time they were there, and he wasn’t surprised when he was dragged there again. Byungjoo had gotten used to this routine, Hansol once again slipping off to go look at the accessories and Byungjoo following behind like usual. He glanced over Hansol’s shoulder, looking at the jewelry that was spread all over the table in front of them and picking up one of the rings. He rotated it around to look it over.

“Why don’t you get something?” he asked, and Hansol looked up at him.

“I don’t really have the money for any of this,” she replied softly, shaking her head and looking back down. Toying a bit with one of the necklaces, one that was small and elegant and in the shape of a flower, she paused for a moment and then shook her head again before letting the necklace drop back to its original spot. “It’s okay, though. I was just coming in here to look anyway,” she added, smiling up at Byungjoo and slipping off in the direction of clothes. Byungjoo looked down at the table for a moment, lips pursed in thought and glancing around before he ran off to find where Hansol had gone.

He finally found her in the midst of looking at the clothes, a pair of jeans in hand and distracted by a shirt. Byungjoo snuck up behind her, waiting for the opportune moment before snatching the jeans and looking them over. Hansol turned with a dropped jaw, one brow raised in confusion before she snatched back the jeans with a huff.

“What the hell?” she asked almost defensively, messily folding the jeans and shoving them back under her arm as Byungjoo grinned.

“They have little studs on them. They’re cute,” he replied, Hansol rolling her eyes and shoving him a bit.

“Well good. Because I’m going to try them on, so hold on a second,” she said, making her immediate way to the dressing room and leaving Byungjoo by himself. He glanced around, hand running through his hair awkwardly.

He had no idea what to do when left alone in a clothing store like this.

Byungjoo eventually took to looking through one of the racks of shirts though he really paid them no mind. He was mostly hoping that no one would come up to him and ask if he needed help with anything, because he didn’t really know how to explain the situation.

Luckily he didn’t have to wait long, because Hansol emerged only a few minutes later, jeans on and uniform shirt untucked and loose. Byungjoo just blinked.

He hadn’t realized that the jeans would be quite as form fitting as they were, and he just stared in silence for a moment, watching as Hansol looked in the mirror nearest to them. Eventually she turned to Byungjoo, an expectant look in her eyes as she pulled up the uniform shirt so the entire jeans could be seen.

Byungjoo felt himself bite the inside of his lip to stop himself from complimenting how her looked.

“They… They look… really good,” he said, still staring before nodding and smiling. His movements were almost not awkward, but that shaky hesitation was still there as he coughed and looked away. There was a long pause, Byungjoo becoming increasingly interested in the shirts again as Hansol looked back in the mirror.

“Cool. I’m buying them then,” she said, taking leave back into the fitting room.

As soon as Hansol was out of sight Byungjoo let out a shaky breath as he leaned against the clothing rack, shaking his head at himself.

Those jeans were dangerous.

By the time Hansol had finished changing Byungjoo had pushed the thoughts from his mind, Hansol sidling up beside him and walking in front of him on the way to the registers. Byungjoo quirked a brow.

“I thought you didn’t have the money,” he said, and Hansol smirked.

“I always have the money for a good pair of jeans,” she replied, Byungjoo chuckling and ruffling her hair as they paid and left the store.

The drive to Hansol’s was the same as always, the two singing along to whatever was on the radio and making jokes as Byungjoo tried not to crash. When they got to her house Byungjoo followed her inside, Hansol flopping down on her bed and turning on the television and Byungjoo closing the door behind them. He sat down as well, Hansol stopping on a sitcom that Byungjoo couldn’t identify and tossing the bag with the jeans toward the closet. There was a long silence, Byungjoo just watching Hansol quietly before he finally opened his mouth.

“So… How come you didn’t say anything sooner?” he asked softly, Hansol looking away from the television and turning to Byungjoo with a confused glance. Byungjoo just stared down at her until Hansol sat up, turning to face Byungjoo instead of the television. “I mean… You know I would’ve been okay with it. Like, it’s different, but I would’ve been okay,” he added.

“I was nervous,” Hansol replied, shrugging. “When I was little, my parents made me feel like everything I felt was wrong and gross so I just… I thought I was wrong,” she mumbled in response, Byungjoo frowning as he looked on. Hansol just sighed. “I didn’t even want to admit it until recently, and even then it was hard. I did some research and…” Hansol’s voice trailed off, Byungjoo nudging her a bit before she continued talking. “When you walked out when I first asked you, I thought that maybe I was wrong again. But then you came back with the uniform… And you made me feel normal.” Byungjoo smiled, reaching over and mussing Hansol’s hair. He almost pulled away but instead he paused, looking up at his hand and cocking his head a bit. Hansol looked up at Byungjoo’s hand before turning her focus back to his face. “What?” she asked, and Byungjoo just shook his head, fixing the hair he’d messed up.

“Your hair is longer,” he said, and Hansol immediately lit up in a smile.

“I know. I’ve been growing it out for a little while. I can put it in a little ponytail,” she said, getting up and grabbing a hairband before wrapping it around a bit of hair. Hansol grinned as Byungjoo watched, trying to stifle an amused chuckle as she continued. “It’s kind of only the size of a paintbrush, but it’s something.” Reaching out, Byungjoo twirled the bit of hair between his fingers.

“It’s cute,” he said, and Hansol laughed as she pulled away, grinning happily and taking out the ponytail. There was another silence, Byungjoo watching Hansol once more as she settled against the pillow. “Do you… Still want to be called Hansol?” he asked, and Hansol turned to look at him, curling up on her side as she thought.

“… Yeah. I mean, I’m okay with Hansol. Maybe not forever, but for now. Right now it’s okay,” she said with a definitive nod, Byungjoo offering Hansol a relaxed smile. “Can you do me a favor, though?” she asked, Byungjoo nodding.

“Sure. Whatever you want,” he replied, Hansol forever denying the smile that stretched across her features from the statement. She looked down.

“Can you… Not tell anyone at school yet? I don’t think I’m ready for everyone to know,” she requested quietly, Byungjoo reaching over and patting Hansol’s cheek.

“Sure. If that’s what you want, I’ll do that,” he replied, watching as Hansol all but buried her face into the pillow.

It was cute.

The entire night went smoothly, Byungjoo deciding not to leave until Hansol told him to go do his homework and to stop worrying about her. She had to nearly push him out of the room, Byungjoo laughing about it the whole way and leaving only after Hansol gave him some of the food her mother had made for dinner.

Byungjoo didn’t do much of his homework that night.

He was too distracted by how much he had smiled that day.

He walked into the hall at school the next day, only barely beating Hansol there as he rummaged through his locker. Hansol shot him a smile, waving as a few students looked on in confusion. About to walk to class, Hansol stopped the moment she saw Byungjoo shake his head, pointing at the locker as Hansol quirked a confused brow. Instead she turned back around, eyes trained on Byungjoo as she unlocked the door and glanced inside.

What she saw was a little jewelry box, complete with a little note on top.

Remember when you gave me your locker combination so I could borrow a book?

I do.

Hansol opened the box, biting her lip the second she saw what was inside.

It was the little necklace she’d seen at the store the day before. Hansol stared at it, mouth open to speak but instead just taking it out of the box and putting it on.

“Did you steal th-” she started, but her words were cut off when she looked and Byungjoo was nowhere in sight. Instead she was left with a grin on her lips and a new necklace around her neck.

Hansol was really lucky to have someone like Byungjoo.