Chapter Text
Hyejoo stares blankly at the wall just above the headboard of her bed while Sooyoung keeps on blabbering about things she’s yet to pack, things she has packed, and things that are Hyejoo’s that might have gotten in the things she packed. Hyejoo wants to say that if she had just channeled all that energy for actual packing instead of talking, she’d be done moving out of their shared room before nightfall. She doesn’t say it though. Because an argument will just break out between the two of them and Sooyoung won’t get to finish at all.
She momentarily takes her eyes off the wall to look at her cousin, now reaching for things under her bed.
“Hey, Sooyoung unnie?” She softly calls.
“Yeah?” Sooyoung’s voice comes out muffled from under the bed.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
Sooyoung promptly crawls out to give her an incredulous look.
“Are you having second thoughts about this?”
“Will it change anything if I am?” Hyejoo asks with a hopeful tone.
“No, it will not.” Sooyoung deadpans. Hyejoo frowns at her and grumbles.
“Hyejoo-yah,” Sooyoung calls in that patient but somewhat conclusive tone. “We’ve planned this from the start. I roomed with you for your semester to help you adjust with uni. But now that you can make it on your own, I’m going to spend my last sem being close to Jiwoo as often as possible because next year is going to be internship year and I won’t be able to see her as much as I want to then!”
Hyejoo bites on her lower lip, trying her best to keep her mouth shut but she fails.
“But you’re already together 24/7!” She exclaims. “What difference would it make?”
“A lot, actually.” Sooyoung says. “It’ll be like we’re married!”
Hyejoo rolls her eyes.
“Okay.” Sooyoung gets up from the floor and sits next to Hyejoo on her bed despite her complaints of getting dust on her fresh sheets. “Let’s talk. I know this isn’t really about me and Jiwoo.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s it about?” Hyejoo challenges.
“Oh, you damn well know it’s about you-”
“Me-” Hyejoo attempts to sass back but she’s immediately shutdown with Sooyoung’s next words.
“And your tragic crush on Heejin!”
Hyejoo puffs her cheeks out and glares at Sooyoung. That was below the belt.
“Aww, c’ mon, kid..” Sooyoung pulls at her and throws her arms around her for a hug. “I know it hurts right now and you want me to be around you to help you through it but I have to do this. I have to move out. You don’t have to worry about anything though! I’ll still be here for you! You do know that I’ll only be moving one floor up, right?”
Hyejoo melts into the hug and pouts. “It’s still not the same though.”
Sooyoung pats her back for a couple more times before she pulls away with a smile. “Don’t be like this, Hyejoo. Chaewon’s a good kid! She’s a good roommate to Jiwoo and she’ll be a good roommate to you too. I know you’ll get along well.”
Hyejoo pouts again. “But I don’t know her! I haven’t even met her! You know I don’t do well with strangers.”
Sooyoung scratches her chin in thought. “It is kind of weird that you two haven’t met yet.”
“Yeah, given all the time I actually spent playing Mario Kart in Jiwoo unnie’s dorm.” Hyejoo agrees.
“You know, I actually invited Chaewon to the New Year’s party but she couldn’t come because she had to be with her family.”
And so the New Year’s party is finally brought up. Hyejoo clears her throat loudly.
“Oops. Sorry.” Sooyoung mutters. “Anyway, she told me she’ll be moving in tomorrow instead of tonight.”
Hyejoo frowns. “Class starts tomorrow and she’s moving in tomorrow?”
“Hey, don’t judge. Some people actually like to be normal and not obsess about doing things very early, unlike you do.”
It’s in moments like this that Hyejoo takes pride in her fast reflexes because Sooyoung totally doesn’t have the time to block the pillow aimed at her face. It only takes a few seconds for Sooyoung to recover and to get her hands on another pillow. And so it erupts in a full-on pillow fight.
The cousins only stop when their door is pushed open and a girl walks in their room.
“Jiwoo unnie!” Hyejoo calls to the girl by the door.
“Baby!” Sooyoung’s face light up and Hyejoo could almost see hearts in her eyes.
It was too much of an opportunity to let go so she swings the pillow at her cousin’s head for the last time. The force of the blow causes the older girl to fall off the bed.
It elicits a loud worried screech from Jiwoo who starts to fuss over Sooyoung like she’s dying. Hyejoo swears she didn’t even hit her that hard.
She shakes her head as her satisfaction is short-lived, rolls her eyes at the sudden melodrama unfolding before her. And that’s all it takes for her to change her mind. If this is what she has to deal with every day, it might really be a good idea for Sooyoung to just move out. She just hopes that her new roommate would be as nice as they say.
&&
Her phone had been buzzing with Jiwoo’s texts all night from updates about their new living arrangements to her usual mother hen-y texts (if she’s eaten, if she’s feeling alright, if she needs her and Sooyoung to come pick her up at the bus stop). It’s morning now and it’s still doing that and Chaewon can’t help but roll her eyes. Don’t get her wrong. She appreciates her best friend’s concern but she feels that it kinda defeats the purpose of her agreeing to switch rooms with Sooyoung.
Chaewon knew she made it clear to the two of them that she wants to be more independent. Her decision to shift majors is proof of that. She liked visual arts but having the same major as Jiwoo enabled the older girl to coddle her (even though she was ahead by one whole year). It’s like she had no room to explore things on her own with Jiwoo always three steps behind her, and where Jiwoo is, Sooyoung will be also, so that makes it the two of them. Chaewon hates thinking about it but if she’s going to be honest, it does seem like those two are her parents. They worry about her way more than her actual parents do.
It’s true that she’ll need Jiwoo and Sooyoung by her side always, one way or another, someway, somehow (and really, it’s impossible to get rid of them at this point), but she wants to prove to them that she can make it on her own. Like with minimal help from them. They can stop treating her like a baby because she’s a grown-ass woman now!
Chaewon hadn’t realized she’s stomping her foot too loudly until the dean’s secretary pointedly clears her throat. She tips her head to bow in apology before she throws her phone inside her backpack to be rid of her overbearing alleged mother’s concerns. She looks at the clock on the wall and curses the dean for being an inconsiderate buffoon. It’s the first day of classes for the new semester and he has the audacity to be late? She could be in class right now but she’s here waiting for him to finalize her transfer to the theatre arts department.
The door finally swings open and in marches the dean and he’s flanked by a young woman (maybe a couple of years younger than Chaewon?). Chaewon jumps to her feet at his appearance but he doesn’t take notice of her yet as he’s too busy looking over his schedule with the secretary.
“Good morning, Dean Im. Miss Yeojin.” The secretary greets the two.
“Yes. Good morning.” He takes a bunch of folders from the secretary and speedwalks to the door leading to his office.
Unlike him, the girl takes notice of Chaewon and gives her a curious look before he calls for her.
“Yeojin, get in here!”
The girl rolls her eyes first but follows just the same. Chaewon turns to the secretary who only holds up a hand at her. Is she gonna have to wait more? Luckily, it doesn’t take as long.
The dean calls for her and gives her a quick briefing. And trust her when she says quick, because he was talking so fast he’s basically rapping. He hands her transfer papers and shakes her hand.
“I’m sorry about this whole rush but I have a meeting to get to now. Allow my daughter, Yeojin, to show you around and get you acquainted with the facilities.”
“What? Dad???” Yeojin says in protest.
“Remember what we talked about last night, Yeojin? You do want to go to Taiwan with your sister, don’t you?”
“Fine.” Yeojin accepts defeat but not without rolling her eyes at her father again.
The dean exits soon after, leaving Chaewon alone with Yeojin.
“So, where’s your class at?” Yeojin asks.
“Oh, that won’t be necessary. I can find my way on my own.” Chaewon says, waving her hands in front of her.
“Uhh, no offense, but I’m doing this for myself. My dad means it. If I don’t show you around, he’s not gonna let me go with my sister to Taiwan.” Yeojin says with a look that says it’s settled.
“Uhh?”
Chaewon still wants to argue but Yeojin rolls her eyes and snatches her papers from her. She leafs through it until she locates the printed copy of her class schedule.
“Sociology 101 Lecture? That’s in the social sciences building.” She mutters. “C’ mon.” She starts walking and Chaewon follows.
“I told you I can find my way on my own.” She says, gripping the straps of her backpack as they walk.
“And I told you that I have to take what he said seriously!” Yeojin replies.
“Okay, okay!” Chaewon says in surrender. “Can you, at least, give me back my papers?”
Yeojin does so with a huff.
They walk in silence for the next few minutes.
“I haven’t properly introduced myself. I’m Yeojin. Im Yeojin.” Yeojin starts.
“Chaewon. Park Chaewon.”
After a beat of silence, Yeojin looks at her curiously again.
“So... you’ve switched majors, huh?”
“Yeah. Are you in theater arts too?” Chaewon replies, keeps the talk small.
“Yup. It’s not exactly a good idea since my dad’s the dean. But it can’t be helped. I really like the theater.” Yeojin smiles and her eyes disappear into crescents. Chaewon can’t help but think that she really looks like a baby.
“Aren’t you too young to be in college?” She says before she could think it through.
Yeojin rolls her eyes for the umpteenth time. Chaewon gets the urge to poke the girl’s eyes.
“I’m only eighteen, yes, but I graduated from high school! It’s not my fault that I’m brilliant and talented!”
From there on, Yeojin launches on a monologue about child geniuses and about being a child genius herself. Chaewon doesn’t catch the majority of it because she tuned her out after the first two minutes.
They finally reach the social sciences building and Chaewon feels relieved that they’ll be parting ways soon. When they arrive at the classroom, she turns to Yeojin to say her thanks and bid her goodbye but Yeojin marches right in.
“Hey, where are you going? You don’t have to accompany me to class too!” Chaewon starts.
“Oh, don’t flatter yourself, Chaewon. I’m in this class too.” Yeojin replies.
It’s as if the sky has gone dark and thunder clouds have rolled in.
“What?” Chaewon asks, dreads to hear what the girl’s answer will be.
“Don’t just stand there. C’mon. I don’t know anyone in this class either. We might as well be seatmates.” Yeojin pulls at her hand and leads her to a seat at the back of the lecture hall as more students file in.
It doesn’t take long for the hall to be filled, and try as Chaewon may, she couldn’t find another empty seat to take that’s far from Yeojin. The professor stands at the podium and class starts.
“The first day of classes is really boring.” Yeojin says as she takes a sheet of paper from the pile that’s being passed around. Chaewon takes one too and smooths it out on her desktop. “See? Course outlines! We should’ve ditched this and did something fun instead.”
Chaewon stares blankly at her and she gets narrowed eyes in return.
“My dad’s definitely gonna ask you things about me the next time he sees you so you better not tell him any of this, alright? Except for the part that I was so kind and diligent with showing you around, of course.”
Yeojin’s voice was a little too loud and Chaewon was no longer surprised that some students were throwing them judgmental looks. One, in particular, had caught Chaewon’s attention - a very pretty girl decked in all black on the row in front of them. She had only thrown one look of distaste in their general direction but it was enough for Chaewon to get a good look at her - long black silky hair, high cheekbones, a sharp jawline, cute nose, slightly droopy but nonetheless enticing warm brown eyes, and the most beautiful pair of lips.
It’s not really in her best interest to be checking girls out in class but the girl was just so pretty that she can’t help but stare. It’s a welcomed distraction too, with Yeojin talking about things that Chaewon can’t even comprehend at the moment.
“... anyway, I’m saying that we should be friends. Stick around me, you know and-”
“No!” Chaewon says without thinking.
“...No?” Yeojin asks in the brink of exploding.
“I don’t mean you, Yeojin.” She tries to backpedal. “I was just… thinking about some things.”
“Daydreaming in class, huh?” Fortunately, it works. “As I was saying, stick around me. I can get you in the higher circles of the department because I’m Im Yeojin.”
Chaewon nods whatever and keeps her mouth firmly shut for the remainder of the class.
&&
Paying attention in class turned out to be a difficult feat for Hyejoo because of some students who can’t keep quiet for even ten seconds. She knew picking seats at the back of the lecture hall was a bad idea but she can’t really do anything about it since Hyunjin was the one who picked the seats and Heejin naturally just followed her. And, well, Hyejoo didn’t have much of a choice, did she? So now, on top of Heejin subtly flirting with Hyunjin, Hyejoo also has to deal with noisy classmates. Why does God hate her so much?
Still, the second one’s easier to deal with so after throwing a glare over her shoulder (just a hint for the noisy classmate to pipe down), Hyejoo takes her pen and starts to aggressively doodle on the corner of her copy of the course outline. She lets her mind wander to keep herself distracted from the reality that Heejin’s hand is now wrapped in Hyunjin’s. Her pen scratches over the paper, drawing straight lines and curved lines until she has (what she likes to think is) a time machine.
She could really use one of those now. Like she could go back in time and stop herself from signing up to the same classes with Hyunjin and Heejin (why did they even pick the same classes when they have different majors?). Or she could go back to that damned New Year’s eve party at Sooyoung’s and stop Heejin and Hyunjin from kissing! She could lock Hyunjin in the bathroom and take her place in front of Heejin when the clock strikes twelve so she would kiss her instead of Hyunjin. Or go back much earlier and exclude Hyunjin from the friendship! No, that’s too much. That’s too mean. She’s not that cruel. And it’s kind of impossible too since Hyunjin found her first and they took in Heejin some time after.
Her pen scratches the surface of the desk and Hyejoo realizes that she’s slashed a hole through it. She looks up apprehensively, sees Heejin looking at her curiously.
“Is that a...” The girl leans over her desk, looking closely.
“A design I made for a tower turret.” Hyejoo immediately says.
Heejin leans back and tuts. “You two need to lay off those videogames.”
“Can’t help it. It’s really fun.”Hyejoo whispers back.
Heejin shakes her head at her and then sidles up to Hyunjin again, resting her head on her shoulder as she turns to the front. Hyejoo just returns to her doodle, starts folding the slashed corners of the paper.
So much for using time machines to solve her problems.
&&
The professor starts making closing announcements and Chaewon sits up straight in her chair with one thing on her mind. She’s gonna bolt out of the lecture hall as soon as the class is over to find a place to hide. She isn’t about to get stuck with a whiny brat for the rest of the semester, worse, for the rest of her college life. She’s going to get Yeojin off her tail and she’s gonna do it as early as now.
The doors above them finally burst open as the professor is the first to leave followed by the TA. Chaewon quickly makes a run for it. It’s not easy because everyone else is also heading for the door and Chaewon is rather small so she gets buffeted by the moving crowd but she knows she got a headstart from Yeojin when she hears the girl yelling hey and wait for me repeatedly.
But Chaewon would rather gouge out her own eyes than wait for her so she pushes past the bodies on her way and soon, the door is within her reach. Freedom! Just a few more steps and she’s out! Except that something suddenly pulls her back and when she looks behind her, she finds a hand gripping the back of her shirt. Attached to the hand is, of course, Im Yeojin, Chaewon’s latest nightmare.
“What the fuck?” Is what comes out of her mouth.
“I could say the same! Why are you in such a hurry?” Yeojin hisses as she stands off to the side, nearly hanging over the row of seats just to reach Chaewon.
“Let go of me!” Chaewon demands, pushing herself further up the steps.
In her struggle to escape, her hands end up grabbing a hold of the person in front of her. Specifically, she grabs onto the hood of the jumper that the person is wearing. The person turns their head to look at her and Chaewon gasps because it’s the pretty girl from earlier. In her shock, she lets go of her and keels backward at the force of Yeojin’s pull.
Great. Now, she’s going to roll down the lecture hall steps on her first class in the first day of the semester. Her eyes close on instinct and she feels herself falling until she’s not.
She feels arms around her waist and feels something soft pressing against her face. She opens her eyes and comes face to face with a pair of black mounds. What?
Chaewon is gently pushed back by a pair of hands and she looks up to see the pretty girl looking at her half-worried and half-annoyed (judging by the way her eyebrows meet). Chaewon is frozen in place, all plans of escaping forgotten. For whatever reason, Pretty girl doesn’t move either.
It occurs to Chaewon that they’re in the way but, luckily, the other students pay them no mind as they head off to the exit still. The crowd thins and Yeojin finally makes her way at Chaewon’s side.
Pretty girl frowns at Yeojin then looks away with a scowl on her beautiful, beautiful face. “You should really be careful next time. Lecture halls aren’t for horsing around.” She says and then turns on her heel so coolly.
Yeojin mimes punching Pretty girl and Chaewon has to stop herself from hitting the back of the kid’s head.
“Why were you in such a hurry?” Yeojin asks, turning to her.
“Why were you pulling at my shirt? I nearly fell.” Chaewon hisses.
“But you didn’t. And you even escalated things with that hot girl.” Yeojin points out.
“I- what?” Chaewon asks, shocked.
“I saw you checking her out so just consider that as me helping you out.” Yeojin says and it makes Chaewon’s eye twitch. As if it wasn’t enough, she even elaborates. “Your face was in her boobs, was it not?”
Chaewon’s face flushes deep red and it’s very noticeable because of her blonde hair.
“Thought so. You can thank me later. C’mon. We don’t want to be late for our next class!” Yeojin walks ahead of her and Chaewon finally resigns to her fate as she follows the younger girl.
&&
Hyejoo’s too long day finally ends and she heads back to her dorm room with only one goal, sleep. The hallways and common areas are still fairly empty of loiterers which could be an indication of how early it is into the evening but she couldn’t care less. She’s tired. She nears her door and stops when she sees it open. A couple of boxes are off to the side and Jiwoo pops out from the open door.
“Jiwoo unnie?”
“Hyejoo-yah!” Jiwoo greets her and throws her arms around her for a hug. Hyejoo actually feels a bit of her exhaustion drain.
Jiwoo pulls back and gives her a signature megawatt smile.
“What are you doing here? Didn’t Sooyoung unnie already get all her stuff out?” She asks.
“She did. We’re just here to help Chaewon with her things.” Jiwoo explains. She takes her hand and pulls her inside the room, calling out baby, Hyejoo’s here as she does.
Hyejoo takes notice of two things: one, Sooyoung stocking groceries in the cupboards on the mini kitchen, and two, the blonde mane of hair sticking out from behind Sooyoung’s old closet. Jiwoo lets go of her hand and skips to the closet.
“Chaewon-ah, your roommate is here. Hyejoo’s here. Say hi.” Jiwoo says.
Hyejoo finds herself waiting expectantly for the girl to reveal herself. She’s heard a lot about her from Sooyoung and lot more from Jiwoo so she’s really curious to see what she looks like. Sooyoung did say that she was a good roommate to Jiwoo so Hyejoo allows herself to hope. As the closet door closes, she gets a look at her - a petite girl with wavy blonde hair and a cute face that Hyejoo has totally seen in sociology class earlier.
Wait. What?
“You’re Chaewon?” Hyejoo says, which she realizes is a really weird way of saying hi.
Either way, Chaewon just looks back at her with huge eyes. Without a warning, her face turns very red and suddenly-
“Chae, your nose is bleeding!” Jiwoo rushes to her and Sooyoung crosses the room to get to the two of them with a box of Kleenex in her hand.
Hyejoo blinks and watches in a daze as the three of them disappear to the bathroom.