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Chapter Text

Monday

Nayeon looked at the students passing her by and briefly wondered what it would be like to have some semblance of a normal and calm life.

“Nayeon, please,” Dahyun begged, drawing Nayeon’s focus back to her as she fell to her knees and began shaking her clasped hands in front of her. “We need your moral support. It’s our first game, and we’re very scared and very small.”

Chaeyoung nodded vigorously, her short hair flopping into her eyes, “Yes, please come! You promised you would. Tell your professor it’s important!”

Nayeon paused before speaking, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers and doing her best not to burst into laughter.

“What I was going to say,” Nayeon said, voice quavering ever so slightly, “was that I can’t come to the game early because I have a lab right beforehand. I will absolutely be at the game. I’ve been a regular fixture at the games for years. I told you: I have several friends on the team, and I wouldn’t miss you two playing for anything.”

“Oh,” Dahyun said, hopping to her feet with a bright smile on her face. “You should’ve said that to begin with!”

“I—,” Nayeon started, stopping short when Chaeyoung pulled her into a quick hug.

“Thanks, Nayeon! Love you! We gotta go to class now.”

Chaeyoung turned, tugging Dahyun with her and beginning to jog, yelling something about how they had 2 minutes to get to class.

Nayeon did the only thing she could do when Dahyun and Chaeyoung pulled her into a drive-by conversation: shake her head and laugh.

She continued to her destination, letting herself fall back into step with the dozens of students around her rushing to and from their classes. She counted herself amongst the lucky ones; her class schedule this semester was wonderfully spaced, and she only had classes three days of the week.

She slipped her phone out of her pocket, letting her eyes flicker between her phone screen and the path in front of her as she typed out a message to her lunch companion.

Annoyeon
[1:23 PM] Gonna be a bit late. Some friends pulled me into conversation. See you in five.
[1:23 PM] Also, feel free to order my usual if you’re already going to be ordering before I get there =D

She slid the phone back into her pocket and focused on making it to her destination without running into anyone. Campus was always so much more hectic during the first week of classes. She blamed the freshmen.

She felt her phone vibrate several times in her pocket and smiled to herself. She had a feeling Jihyo was sending her messages about how she was ‘reliably unreliable’, but she knew that when she got to the cafe, her usual lunch order would be ready and waiting.

It seemed like this semester was off to a pretty good start.

//

Thursday

Nayeon hesitated before pushing the door open. Pushing open this door and stepping into the lab room would make this class all the more real. The metal plate on the door was cold against her fingertips, and she wondered what alloy it was made of. Were there certain building codes that chemistry labs had to follow? Did it extend all the way to the doors in the doorframe?

The sound of a throat clearing behind her snapped Nayeon back into focus, and she pushed the door open before she could find other things to delay her entrance with.

There were about half a dozen students in the room at this point, and none of them bothered to look up when she entered. The students who had filed in behind her were now clustered around a desk at the front of the room, and when she wandered over, Nayeon discovered that there was a seating chart.

She scanned the paper for her name, hoping that next to it would be the name of someone she knew. The chances were slim, as most of her peers had taken organic chemistry years ago, but still.

As expected, the name next to hers was wholly unfamiliar, and as she made her way to her seat for the semester, Nayeon could only hope that ‘Yoo Jeongyeon’ was a half-decent person.

She settled into her seat with a resigned sigh. While organic chemistry wasn’t going to be the hardest class she had ever taken, it was one she had kicked as far down the road as she could. And today was the day she finally had to face it.

She had already taught herself all she needed to know about organic chemistry for the career she wanted. She knew which carbon bonds got her blending and fixing compounds, and she knew the basic reactions that went into synthesizing perfumes. For three years, she had asked herself why she should care about the rest of it.

The answer had come in the form of her academic advisor calling her into his office to tell her that this semester was her last chance to take organic chemistry. And so, come class registration day, she had signed up for this class.

Out of spite, she had signed up for it last. It didn’t change the fact that she had to take it, but she did feel better about it for a minute.

The workload itself wasn’t that bad. It was only two hours of class plus one three hour lab a week. Easy. Well—Nayeon looked around the lab room, wondering if ‘Yoo Jeongyeon’ was already here—easy as long as she got a decent lab partner.

The class portion was a breeze. Organic chemistry was all puzzles and instinct, and if there was one thing Nayeon was good at —besides countless other things— it was taking her impulses and running with them.

The thought of having a terrible lab partner was what made her anxious, what had her awake at 7 when she didn’t have class until noon.

(There had been a traumatic lab partner experience her freshman year in General Chemistry. While it did introduce her to two of her closest friends, she still flinched whenever Momo or Sana got close to an open flame. To this day, they each insisted the other had been the one to throw their lab coat onto a solution that had caught fire.)

So. As long as this ‘Yoo Jeongyeon’ person wasn’t the girl who had already fallen asleep or the girl she could overhear asking someone about the difference between an electron and a proton, she was good.

The minutes ticked by, and Nayeon felt the anxiety that had settled begin to stir up again as the seat next to her remained empty. There was one minute to the start of class, and the professor had already begun writing notes on the whiteboard. She tried to distract herself by looking around the classroom, but this lab looked the same as countless others scattered across campus and held nothing of note.

Six more minutes trickled by, and her lab partner was still nowhere to be found. She tried to convince herself that it was nothing, that she was worrying so much for no reason. There were many reasons someone could be late to class, especially on the first day. Yoo Jeongyeon was sure to come stumbling in any minute now.

Her eyes stayed locked on the door. The professor was still going over the lab syllabus, and she really didn’t need to listen to someone read aloud the words that were printed right in front of her. All she cared about was seeing that door open.

She was right by the door, so it was easy for her to notice a shadow appearing behind the tinted window pane. Nayeon couldn’t help but hold her breath.

The shadow paused for a moment before pushing open the door and stepping into the room.

Nayeon knew immediately that she was doomed.

The first thing Nayeon noticed about the newcomer was the look of disinterest on her delicate features. She glanced around the room before letting her eyes settle on the professor, no sheepishness or embarrassment to be found.

The second thing she noticed was the cup of coffee in the other woman’s hand, steam spiraling up from the lid a clear indicator of its freshness.

“Ms. Yoo, I presume,” The professor said.

Yoo Jeongyeon, her lab partner for the next four months, just nodded. No apology. No concern. Nothing.

“Please take your seat by Ms. Im. She’ll be your lab partner for the semester.” The professor gestured towards her as he spoke, and Nayeon did her best to muster a smile despite her building annoyance.

Jeongyeon’s eyes met hers, and she felt the annoyance spark as the other woman took a sip from her drink, not breaking eye contact. The smile never quite formed on her lips, and Jeongyeon moved her gaze after a beat, slipping into the seat next to her without a word.

Nayeon wondered if screaming in the midst of class was enough of a faux-pas to get her transferred to a different lab slot.

She had liked Yoo Jeongyeon better when she was just a shadow on the other side of the door, something that she could project false excuses onto. But now, now Yoo Jeongyeon was real and corporeal and seemed to not give a damn about this lab.

Nayeon did her best to focus on the professor as he laid out the experiments for the semester as class continued, but she found her efforts stifled by her bubbling irritation. She tried to ignore Jeongyeon, tried to ignore her sketches of weird stick figures in costumes along the margins of her syllabus.

She tried, and she failed. She wondered if she could convince any of her friends to go drinking with her after their game.

It was two hours into class when Nayeon realized that, aside from having an awful lab partner, she also had an awful professor. She’d expected him to end class after an hour or so, explaining what was in store for them and then letting them go. Instead, he seemed intent on using all of the time available to him to regale them with stories of chemistry lab mishaps and wayward students.

Yes, Nayeon had told Dahyun and Chaeyoung that she would be just on time for their game, but she had been banking on being let out early so that she could surprise them. Instead, she was stuck listening to her professor drone on and on about pointless things.

Somehow, she managed to stay awake for the rest of class. About half of the class, her lovely lab partner included, were dozing off. Jeongyeon’s head had dropped to the desk about half an hour ago, and Nayeon had fought the urge to reach over and slap the back of her head.

Finally, with 3 minutes left to spare, the professor released them, suggesting they exchange numbers in order to work on the pre-lab questions before class next week.

Nayeon turned to Jeongyeon with a sigh, ready to snap her awake, but she was met with alert brown eyes instead. Suddenly, she found herself unable to remember what exactly she had been going to say.

“Here,” Jeongyeon’s blunt voice broke through her stupor. “Put your number in.”

She reached out, taking the phone that was offered to her and entering in her number, mind still slightly jumbled. She saved her information, figuring ‘Nayeon – Chemistry' was suitable, and locked the phone before handing it back.

As she did so, she caught a glimpse of the lockscreen. She saw a tall dark-haired girl wrapped up in Jeongyeon’s arms, a smile on both of their faces; it appeared her lab partner may have a soul after all. Something about that girl looked vaguely familiar, but she didn’t have enough time to dwell on it further.

“Thanks,” Jeongyeon said as she took her phone back, unlocking it to check something. “I’ll text you so we can talk schedules and stuff.” Jeongyeon looked up at her, gaze falling back to her phone when Nayeon nodded.

Nayeon opened her mouth to start a conversation, wanting to see what information she could glean about her lab partner besides the fact that she enjoyed coffee and being late.

“So what –,” Nayeon was cut short as Jeongyeon shot to her feet, a look of terror on her face.

“Fuck! Shit, sorry,” Jeongyeon exclaimed as she began stuffing her things into her bag. “I have to leave. Text you later!”

Jeongyeon was gone before Nayeon could even begin formulating a response, and as her eyes fell to the empty coffee cup that had been left behind, she was certain of only one thing.

Yoo Jeongyeon sucked.

//

“Shit,” Jeongyeon muttered to herself as she hit another ceiling light. “Stupid fucking costume. Stupid Tzuyu. Stupid work-study.”

She adjusted her costume with a sigh, checking to make sure that the light up part still worked. Through the mesh screen in front of her face, she glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that she had about 10 minutes until half-time. Ten minutes until she made her debut as the school’s mascot and committed herself to a semester of this.

Perfect. Just enough time for her to text Tzuyu and yell at her for letting her go through with this plan. She knew Tzuyu wouldn’t see her text until after the game, but the knowledge of having sent it would be enough for Jeongyeon.

When Tzuyu had jokingly suggested that Jeongyeon take the mascot position so that she could have a front-row seat to Tzuyu playing, Jeongyeon had responded with rolled eyes and a demand that Tzuyu stop joking around and help her choose between the front desk position at the library or at the gym.

But the idea had refused to leave her brain, and as she laid in bed that night, eyes drifting over books and clothes that had yet to be packed for her return to school, she had thought about it.

And she had kept thinking about it.

And come morning she was logging onto the work-study site and hitting “Apply” on the mascot position. That afternoon, she got the confirmation email, and it was a done deal.

Well, it was a done deal that required her to come up with costume ideas and plan out how she was going to make the most of this opportunity. As Jeongyeon saw it, the advantages of going to a university that had no defined mascot and that only really had successful women’s sports teams were as follows:

1. She didn’t have to wear one ridiculous costume the entire time. She could change from week to week using the school’s budget.

2. She only had to perform for the women’s teams, and soccer was the only big fall semester sport.

And now she was sitting in the locker room with time to kill, having made her way here to prepare her ‘half-time special’. She was pretty sure she’d never seen another mascot light up before, and she needed to make sure things went off without a hitch.

She let her mind wander as she leaned back against the lockers as best she could with what was essentially a giant lollipop on her head.

Her senior year was off to a perfectly solid start. Jihyo was her roommate, Tzuyu had made it onto the soccer team, and her classes were just the right level of difficulty.

Well, except for organic chemistry. As the semester approached, she had thought many times about just dropping that class, but her and Jihyo had made a bet.

And if there was one thing she couldn’t do, it was lose to Jihyo.

The other woman would be insufferable at best, flush with bragging rights and the fifty dollars Jeongyeon would have to hand over if she couldn’t at least pull a B in the class.

Despite the fact that it meant her semester would be full of a subject she hated, Jeongyeon couldn’t help but smile as she recalled the conversation that had led to her signing up for the class in the first place.

“Listen, Park. I can do science! I was a chemistry major my freshman year. Psychology is a science!”

“Please, your degree in social work is a bachelor of the arts. You haven’t so much as counted in three years.”

“You med-school babies are so damn haughty.”

“That’s because we can do complex science.”

“Fuck you. Name a class I have the prereqs for. I bet you fifty bucks I can score at least a B.”

“Organic Chemistry.”

“You’re on. You’re a terrible person who’s going to be giving me money in half a year, but you’re on.”

The look on Jihyo’s face when she got her grades back at the end of the semester would 100% be worth the three hours of lab she had to deal with every week.

Jeongyeon winced as she recalled how her first lab session had gone. She had been nothing short of mortified the entire time. She had walked into that class five minutes late holding an Americano and immediately felt far too much like a stereotype for her comfort.

When she had left her apartment that afternoon, she had been sure that there would be enough time for her to get a coffee and get to class. She hadn't even bothered checking her watch as she waited in line at one of the cafes on campus.

And then the professor told her that her lab partner was the eye-catching woman who had been glaring at her from the moment she walked in, and Jeongyeon had wanted to sink into the floor.

Her pride needed her to get a B, and she couldn’t do that with a lab partner that hated her guts. She had tried, at the very end of class, to patch things up. The entire first half of the class period had been dedicated to planning out her costumes for the next couple months and thinking of ways to make the girl next to her realize that Jeongyeon was not in fact a slacker.

The moment she realized that she didn't know the name of her lab partner was the moment she almost gave up on the bet. The professor had said something when directing her to her seat, but she was too busy trying not to blush to commit the name to memory.

Kim? Shim? Lee? She truly had no idea.

And then. Her nameless lab partner had shifted next to her, pushing her hair over one shoulder and giving Jeongyeon an unfettered view of the column of her neck. Jeongyeon’s eyes had lingered more than they should’ve, and she had dropped her head to her desk the moment she had realized what was going on.

And when she finally got the chance to make her case? She could barely make eye contact and had bolted in the middle of the other woman’s sentence.

As she had been leaving the lab room, she knew she would regret leaving so quickly, but she didn’t really have a choice. She had made a commitment with this job, and she always lived up to her commitments.

She had to get to her apartment and back to the locker room and store her costume there before anyone saw her. If there was one thing that had been stressed to her when she took this job, it was that the identity of the mascot was to stay hidden as best as possible.

Jeongyeon let out another groan as she realized that she didn’t know her lab partner’s name and would therefore have to scroll through her entire contacts list to try and figure out who to message once she finally stopped being so embarrassed. This bet was already off to a great start.

She blamed Jihyo and Tzuyu.

The sound of the locker room door slamming open jolted her out of her plotting for revenge, and she moved off of the bench as quickly as her costume allowed her.

A figure moved into the locker room, and with her impaired vision, all Jeongyeon could tell was that this person had long dark hair and seemed to be in a hurry.

“Where the hell is her locker,” muttered the figure, beginning to move towards a row of lockers.

Jeongyeon wasn’t really sure what was happening, but she knew she didn’t want to be responsible for someone stealing something.

“Hi,” she said, raising her voice to make sure it carried across the room. “Do you need help?”

The figure jumped, hands flying to their chest as they finally saw her. “What the hell?”

Jeongyeon waved, knowing that all the intruder was seeing a giant pink and yellow lollipop waving at them. “I’m the mascot.”

“Oh.” The figure moved closer, and for probably the 17th time that hour, Jeongyeon cursed the mesh covering for reducing everyone to non-distinct shapes.

“You look a little ridiculous.” The voice had a feminine tone to it, and Jeongyeon relaxed slightly. She didn’t want to have to deal with some guy breaking into the women’s locker room to play some sort of prank.

Jeongyeon laughed before she could stop herself, cutting it off once she realized her hard work was being insulted. “Hey! This thing took a lot of time to put together.”

“What even are you?” She was right in front of her now, head craned back to take in her whole costume.

“A cheering stick. See?” Jeongyeon shifted slightly in place, causing the upper half of her costume to sway.

“You look like a lollipop.” The skepticism in the interloper’s voice was clear as day, and Jeongyeon had a feeling that an eyebrow raise accompanied it.

“Can lollipops do this,” Jeongyeon asked proudly, moving her arm inside the costume to flip the switch that was supposed to light up the top of her costume.

“Do what? Stand still?”

Jeongyeon looked up, realizing that the lights in the costume were as dark as they had been before she pressed the button.

“Fuck.”

The visitor giggled.

“Oh, a lollipop that says ‘fuck’. That’s kinda fun.” The mirth in her voice sent a small thrill up Jeongyeon’s spine, and she had to fight back the impulse to say something sarcastic to a complete stranger.

“What are you even doing here?”

“Oh, right. I’m looking for Hirai Momo’s locker. I had a rough class right before this, so I wanted to treat myself to hot chocolate, which of course some jerk spilled on my shirt while cheering, and I need a change of clothes. I know her combo, but I don’t know where her locker is.”

Jeongyeon squinted, scowling when she realized that it only made the person in front of her blurrier. “How do you know her combination but not where her locker is?”

“Momo uses the same combination for everything.”

Jeongyeon supposed she couldn’t argue. She had only met Momo two weeks ago when dropping Tzuyu off for practice, and while the other woman seemed incredibly friendly, she couldn’t really say anything else beyond that.

“The lockers are organized by number. They start at zero over there,” Jeongyeon raised her arm and pointed to the lockers closest to the door, “and circle around clockwise.”

“Oh, cool. She’s number 64. Thank you for your help, lollipop woman.” The other woman laughed once more as she finished her sentence, and Jeongyeon couldn’t help but smile slightly. She would be lying if she said she completely hated the sound of the stranger’s laugh.

Jeongyeon watched, unsure of what else to do, as the other woman moved over to Momo’s locker, entering the combination without hesitation and grabbing something from within.

It was when she went to leave that Jeongyeon decided to ask the question that had been burning on her lips.

“Wait. Who are you? In case someone asks who the person in the locker room was.”

The name was thrown over the mystery woman’s shoulder as she left, and something about it rang familiar.

“Im Nayeon.”

Jeongyeon muttered the name to herself a few times once the door had closed. She swore she had heard that name before. A glance at the clock had her filing away the question for later.

She had a crowd to amaze.

//

Friday

It was the perfect Friday afternoon. Jeongyeon had finished all of her homework for the week and didn’t have class today. She was completely free to just lay on her best friend’s bed and listen to her grumble about how annoying all of her professors were for giving so much homework.

Perfection.

Except for the fact that Jeongyeon was pretty sure she was never going to be able to talk to her lab partner.

She sighed as she once again reached the bottom of her contacts list without noticing a new name. Her lab partner had to be in here somewhere.

She glanced over at Jihyo, wondering how loudly the other woman would laugh if she knew that Jeongyeon had already messed up a relationship so crucial to their bet.

She flicked her finger against her phone screen and scrolled to a random letter. There was Momo from Tzuyu’s soccer team, Myoui Mina from a games design class her sophomore year, and absolutely no sign of anyone new.

She continued scrolling, moving into the N’s with growing trepidation in her stomach. What if her lab partner didn’t understand how her phone worked and hadn’t actually saved her number? What if her phone had deleted the number because —

“Shit!” Jeongyeon sat up fully on the bed, clutching her nose with one hand and grabbing for her phone with the other.

“Are you okay,” Jihyo asked, turning around in her chair to raise an eyebrow at her roommate. “Did you just drop your phone on your face?”

“No,” Jeongyeon scoffed. “I just saw something surprising on my phone.”

Jihyo hummed in a way that told Jeongyeon she didn’t believe her before she turned back to her desk.

Through watery eyes, Jeongyeon stared at the contact information on her phone screen. She knew that name had sounded familiar.

“Im Nayeon,” Jeongyeon muttered under her breath. “What a coincidence.”

“Okay so now you’re talking to yourself. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Jihyo please go away I’m trying to have a moment.”

“You’re in my room, Yoo Jeongyeon.”

“Well. Shut up.”

Jeongyeon fell back onto Jihyo’s bed as the other woman’s laughter hit her ears. She knew she could try explaining what had happened to Jihyo, but she had a feeling the other woman needed all the time she could get with her homework.

Jihyo let out a string of curses as she began furiously erasing something from her notebook, and Jeongyeon nodded to herself.

Her story was better saved for another day.

//

Saturday

Unknown
[8:13 AM] Hi. This is Yoo Jeongyeon, your lab partner. I’m sorry about running out on your on Thursday.
[8:14 AM] *you. When are you free to meetup before next class? I’m pretty open after 1 most days.

Nayeon had been staring at her phone for the last 10 minutes, unsure if she wanted to go tell her lab partner to choke or if she wanted to respond properly.

She had done her best to let their first meeting slip from her mind, had instead focused on getting to watch her friends play soccer. Arriving just in time, Nayeon had been able to wave to Dahyun and Chaeyoung during their warmups, the smiles on the younger girls faces lifting her mood instantly.

She knew several other players, sure. Had met Sana and Momo during her first year and Mina the year after. Jihyo had quite literally ran into her on campus last semester, starting a friendship that had quickly blossomed.

But she had known Dahyun and Chaeyoung since she was 13, had been given her very first job by their parents. It was her job to take care of them after school, a duty that she embraced even when the girls were old enough to look after themselves.

Nayeon hadn’t made friends easily, certainly not in high school, and being around Dahyun and Chaeyoung meant laughter and familiarity. Going to their soccer games followed suit, and attending their games was one of the things she had missed the most when she left for university.

So if seeing both of them running around on that field with the name of one of the most accomplished university’s in the country splayed across their chest made her tear up a little bit, well, she’d just have to hope that no one noticed.

And they had won, and Nayeon was happy.

But that was two days ago and this was today and she had a lab partner to deal with.

Nayeon – Chemistry 
[8:33 AM] Next Tuesday. Love Line Coffee. 2:30 PM. Hopefully if we meet at a coffee shop, you can get your precious caffeine and still be on time.

There. That seemed like an even compromise between getting things done and a ‘Fuck off'.

She looked up from her phone when she heard a knock, a smile easily coming to her lips when she saw one of her roommates standing in the doorway.

“You know,” Momo said, smiling “just because you borrow my shirt for a few hours doesn’t mean you have to buy me breakfast.”

Nayeon quirked an eyebrow. “Who said I bought you breakfast?”

Momo laughed lightly. “The muffins on the counter with the note that said ‘Thanks for the shirt’,” she answered, pausing for a moment before continuing. “Also, Mina told me when she said goodbye this morning.”

Nayeon scoffed and rolled her eyes as she moved to stand. “Why couldn’t you date someone that doesn’t expose me?”

“Because then I couldn’t be attracted to them,” Momo answered, her arms falling open to pull Nayeon into a hug as she got closer. “It’s important that the woman I end up with know that you’re a soft loser.”

Nayeon hummed as she settled her chin onto Momo’s shoulder, poking her in the side for good measure. “I’ll have you know I’m a hot commodity on campus. Three idiots have already asked me out this week.”

“Guys,” Momo asked, tone implying she already knew the answer.

“Yup.”

“Gross.”

Nayeon nodded, settling into the embrace and letting herself fully relax. She always did love Momo’s hugs, and it was just the thing she needed to let the last of her irritation at her lab partner bleed out of her.

A few beats passed before she broke the embrace, stepping back and properly processing what her roommate was wearing. Momo was wearing basketball shorts and a sports bra, an outfit Nayeon knew she usually only wore for one purpose.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve already gone to the gym this morning. I assumed you were asleep when I saw just Mina in the kitchen.”

Momo just grinned and shrugged.

Nayeon opened her mouth, ready to say something about Momo’s ridiculous training schedule, when something sparked in her mind.

“Do you know who the mascot is?”

Momo cocked her head to the side, surprise at the change in topic clear on her face. “The mascot?”

“Yeah,” Nayeon responded, feeling herself smile slightly at the thought of her locker room encounter. “For the soccer team. Was dressed as a weird glow-up cheering stick slash lollipop thing.”

“Oooo,” Momo responded, eyes widening with understanding. “That mascot. No I have no idea who that is.”

“Damn,” Nayeon muttered, her shoulders slumping. She knew the identity of the mascot was a well protected secret but still. She had hoped Momo had heard something around the locker room.

“Why do you want to know who the mascot is?”

“She just—,” Nayeon sighed. “I ran into her when I was changing my shirt. She told me where your locker was, and she actually made me laugh after my experience with my demon of a lab partner. Made me curious.”

“Nayeon.”

Nayeon saw the smirk curling on Momo’s lips and heard the tone in her voice and began waving her hands in protest.

“Absolutely not!”

“You have a crush on the mascot!” Momo was laughing now, and Nayeon was torn between grabbing a pillow from her bed to smack her with and continuing to protest.

“Who has a crush on who?” Sana’s voice hit her ears, and a wave of fear came over Nayeon.

Minatozaki Sana was clever, beautiful, and absolutely relentless when it came to her friends’ crushes. Three weeks to the day after she had found out that Momo liked Mina, she had all but tricked them into confessing to each other. Nayeon had gleefully participated in the scheme, texting both of her friends with plans to meetup at a restaurant she had no plans of going to, but that was completely different.

But she knew Sana wouldn’t see it that way.

“No one has a crush on anyone,” Nayeon blurted out, glaring at a still-laughing Momo. “Some people just don’t understand what friendly curiosity is.”

Sana came into view, rubbing sleep from her eyes and yawning. She blinked several times before glancing between Nayeon and Momo.

“Well,” Sana started, pausing when she started yawning again, “I feel like this is something I should care about, but I just woke up so I can’t. Is there breakfast anywhere?”

“There are muffins in the kitchen,” Nayeon said. The faster she could get Sana away from this topic, the better off she was.

Sana said something unintelligible and wandered off in the direction of the kitchen.

Momo turned to face her, likely going to start up the crush conversation again, but Nayeon refused to let that happen.

“Sana’s probably going to eat all of the muffins.”

Momo stiffened, genuine fear coming across her features before she turned and ran for the kitchen, yelling for Sana to wait for her.

Nayeon sighed with relief once she was alone again. She knew Momo didn’t think she actually had a crush on a woman she had just met, but still. It was too early in the morning for teasing.

She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and reached for it, unable to stop the jolt of irritation that came when she saw who it was.

Unknown
[8:40 AM] I’ll be there.

Nayeon saw three dots pop up to indicate that Jeongyeon was still typing, and she was very satisfied to see them disappear without any further text messages.

With any luck, Jeongyeon would show up to their meeting, do the work, and be the semi-decent lab partner Nayeon had been hoping for.

And if not, well.

There was always the screaming-until-they-transfer-you option.

Chapter Text

Tuesday

Jeongyeon fiddled with her receipt as she waited for Nayeon to show up. If the text message she had gotten on Saturday was any indication, their first meeting had gone exactly as poorly as Jeongyeon had thought.

Their second meeting was definitely more pleasant, but Nayeon didn’t know that. Couldn’t know that. The job of the mascot was a lonely one.

(Granted, both Tzuyu and Jihyo knew it was her, but that was only out of necessity. They had been sworn to secrecy, threats of neverending pranks limiting their teasing to when the three of them were alone.)

She hoped the third time was the charm. She had arrived to the cafe 10 minutes early. Her original plan was 15 minutes ahead of time, but she kept doubling back to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything she might need for their meeting.

The last thing she needed was for Nayeon to think that she was forgetful on top of everything else she must be thinking about her at this point. Jeongyeon had been unable to stop reliving every single interaction they had during that first chemistry lab. Each moment was more painful than the last, and she was determined to make sure that every interaction from here on out was flawless and smooth.

She dropped her receipt to the table with a small sigh and adjusted her glasses slightly. She should probably look like she’s doing something more productive if she wanted to start this meeting off on the right foot.

Jeongyeon reached into her backpack and pulled out the lab book, a disarmingly slim package that looked far more harmless than it actually was. It took her a minute to find the correct lab, and upon looking at it, she immediately felt stress beginning to creep in.

She was quite good at chemistry her freshman year, but it had been years since she’d had to apply any of those concepts. She could do advanced statistics, discuss human rights issues and public policy for hours, and write a 12-page paper in a day. But the thought of having to learn new things about molecules for a class she didn’t need gave her a headache.

She made a mental note to pinch Jihyo the next time she saw her.

The intangible nature of chemistry gave her pause, had been the very thing that made her decide to change majors. The equations, the theories, all of it surrounded particles so small that she couldn’t see them unaided, if at all. She could build models of molecules all she wanted, but the fact remained that chemistry gave her nothing to hold on to, nothing she could connect with.

With social work she could sit down and try to help solve problems that she could see and grapple with. The people she would be helping were real and tangible and composed of those particles that had once held her fascination. She didn’t enjoy chemistry in and of itself anymore, but she had endless appreciation for what it came together to create.

Except for the fact that it created people who decided to create labs with questions that might as well have been written in a foreign language. She bent her neck and moved closer to the page, hoping that the proximity would somehow clear everything up.

It didn’t help, and she tried to let her mind settle before she thought herself into a panic. She’d be fine. She just needed to refresh her memory.

Jeongyeon took a deep breath and picked up a pencil. Getting a head start couldn’t hurt, especially if she needed to look up every third word in the lab book. She let herself sink into the words in front of her, determined to pull her weight.

The sound of someone pulling out the chair across from her stole Jeongyeon’s attention away from the problems she had been mulling over, and she looked up to see a very unimpressed Im Nayeon. There was no expression on her face, just a steady gaze that made Jeongyeon feel like all of her flaws were being laid bare.

The other woman took her seat without a word and immediately began pulling out her things.

Jeongyeon took one last look at her phone before slipping it into her pocket. It was exactly 2:30 PM.

Nayeon dropped a pencil onto the cover of her lab book and looked at Jeongyeon with a quirked brow and expectant eyes. Her gaze continued to be steady and unflinching, and Jeongyeon found herself wondering exactly what faces Nayeon had been making in the locker room last week when they talked.

She wondered if she’d ever see her lab partner smile, or if it would be stoic glances and scowls for the rest of the semester. At least her mascot form had been able to make her laugh.

A slight tilting of Nayeon’s head snapped her out of her stupor, and Jeongyeon began speaking before she could dwell any further on what she wanted to say. She had spent countless amounts of time thinking about how best to apologize to the other woman.

“Hi. I’m sorry about last week. I didn’t exactly give the impression I wanted to.”

And that was the best she had come up with.

She paused as Nayeon let out a scoff, reigning in her instinct to scowl. She continued after a moment, pushing the irritation she felt out of her voice. “I have a commitment that I can’t miss on Thursdays, and I need to be out the door as soon as class is over. If our professor had been less annoying, I could’ve told you that instead of running out.”

She pushed forward the second drink in front of her. “I’ve come bearing a gift. I hope you like hot chocolate.”

Jeongyeon had gone back and forth on whether or not it was cheating to use her covertly gained knowledge of her lab partner to get her to like her, but then she realized that there was no harm in it. Nayeon got a drink she liked and Jeongyeon hopefully got some points back.

“I’m hoping we can start over.”

Nayeon took the drink that was being pushed towards her, silently staring at it for a few seconds. She took a deep breath, and Jeongyeon braced herself for the worst.

“Hi. I’m Im Nayeon. I’m a fourth year chemical engineering student going for my masters. I want to synthesize perfumes one day. I’m in organic chemistry because I found it annoying and pushed it as far back as I could.”

Well, she definitely hadn’t prepared for that outcome. Jeongyeon had been ready for a multitude of things: stony silence, mocking laughter, a knocked over cup of coffee.

But she hadn’t been prepared to have Nayeon smile at her. It wasn’t the most carefree smile she’d ever seen directed at her, but it was genuine and open and Jeongyeon thought it suited her.

Nayeon cleared her throat, giving Jeongyeon a look that made her realize she had been staring for the last fifteen seconds instead of responding like she should’ve.

“Yoo Jeongyeon. Senior. I’m in the social work program, and the reason I’m in orgo is because I made a bet with a friend.”

She hurried to explain herself further as she saw Nayeon begin to frown. “I’m committed to the class, trust me. I majored in chemistry freshman year. I switched because I realized I wanted to help people face-to-face. There’s something wonderful about the idea of being able to help people get closer to the lives they deserve. I didn’t connect with chemistry the same way I connect with directly helping people.”

She winced internally as she finished, knowing she had spoken more than she intended to.

“That’s sweet,” Nayeon said, a smaller smile on her lips this time. She leaned forward, and Jeongyeon found herself mirroring the motion, an invisible string of curiosity drawing her in.

“But if you make this class miserable for me by not pulling your weight, I will make your semester hell.” Nayeon smirked at her before moving away, back hitting the seat behind her so quickly that Jeongyeon found herself just blinking at the other woman in surprise.

A beat passed before Jeongyeon realized that the quickest way to move forward was to just continue talking. “Right, yeah. No plans of doing that. I promise.”

She cleared her throat, desperately wishing that Nayeon would go back to looking at her blankly. The way the smirk was pulling at her lips was distracting Jeongyeon more than she would want to admit. Ten seconds ago, her lab partner had all but blatantly said that she had no faith in her, so why did Jeongyeon feel like she was seeing a glint of humor on the other woman’s face?

“Good,” Nayeon said, and Jeongyeon recognized the tone with striking clarity. Well, at least she now had a pretty good idea of the face Nayeon had made when judging her costume.

“Have you started the pre-lab questions,” Nayeon asked, gesturing to Jeongyeon’s open lab book. Jeongyeon jolted back slightly, eyes dropping to her lab book to take in her weak attempts at starting the problem.

“Um. Kind of. I had to stop a few times because I had to double check that I still knew what a theoretical yield was.” Jeongyeon kept her eyes on her lab book, ready for whatever Nayeon had to say. If she were to ever allow herself to place a bet again, she’d place all of her chips on laughter.

Nayeon let out a short laugh, the sound crashing into Jeongyeon’s ears. “I see we have a lot of work to do, Yoo Jeongyeon.”

Jeongyeon looked up, surprise trickling in when she saw that Nayeon was looking at her with a half-smile, no judgment or scorn apparent in her gaze.

Jeongyeon nodded, unable to think of anything completely safe to say.

“Scoot over,” Nayeon said, standing up suddenly. “I can help you easier if we’re sitting next to each other.”

Jeongyeon could physically feel it, a sarcastic retort on the tip of her tongue. She swallowed the impulse, concerned that it may further upset whatever relationship they had.

She used her arm to sweep her things over, pushing herself up against the wall as Nayeon slid into her side of the booth.

She held herself close, nervous about having to share her lack of knowledge with someone who already thought poorly of her.

But then Nayeon started talking, and her voice was confident and firm. She pointed out Jeongyeon’s mistakes with a gentle tap of her pencil, and explained concepts to her that she had long forgotten about.

Jeongyeon couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment that it happened, but eventually she found herself relaxing. Nayeon had seemed to let go of their past encounter, and the other woman was talking to her as if nothing bad had ever transpired between them.

Much to her surprise, the conversation had continued even after the pre-lab questions had been completed. She had been curious to see if Nayeon had a sense of humor, and she had thrown a joke out there to see if it landed. It did, and suddenly she was sharing story after story, enjoying seeing a smiling and laughing Nayeon far more than an irritated one.

It was Nayeon’s eyes that really got her. She had been telling a story about the time her and Jihyo had snuck onto a public bus when they were 10 and spent the day riding around town when she noticed the way the light in the cafe reflected itself in Nayeon’s eyes.

And then she hadn’t been able to stop noticing them, the way they crinkled when Nayeon smiled and completely disappeared when she laughed. There was the way they seemed to light up when Jeongyeon started on a new story, and the way they narrowed when Jeongyeon told her that her laugh was impossible to ignore.

She had meant it as a compliment, but Nayeon seemed unwilling to take it that way. Instead, she had smacked Jeongyeon's shoulder, a blow that felt almost friendly. It reminded her strangely of Jihyo's habit of biting her shoulder.

As she waved goodbye and watched Nayeon walk out of Love Line, she swore that she would bring hot chocolate to all of their lab meetings. Maybe she had found a good luck charm.

//

Nayeon stepped out of the cafe and shivered slightly, immediately regretting her decision not to bring a jacket. She had expected this meet-up to last for an hour, an hour and a half at most. Yet here she was almost four hours later, shivering in the cool evening air and trying to process exactly what had just happened as she began walking home.

She had pushed open the door to the cafe already in a bad mood. She had wanted to arrive about 15 minutes early, curious to see when exactly Jeongyeon got there. Instead, she had been swept up into Sana and Momo’s argument over who got to use the shower first, one that was only stifled when Mina had stepped in, pushing Sana into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Momo’s noise of protest had been immediately cut off when Mina grabbed her sleeve and all but pulled her out the front door, saying something about going out for some peace and quiet.

And Nayeon had been left standing in the hallway by herself, slightly in awe of the quiet force that was Myoui Mina when someone interrupted her studying.

By the time she arrived, it was exactly 2:30, and any chance at observing Jeongyeon was lost. Nayeon had done her best to approach this meeting with an open mind, but jolts of irritation still shot through her at the thought of her lab partner.

Her lab partner who had been sitting at a table in the corner of the cafe, head bent low over what Nayeon hoped was their lab notebook. She didn’t know if she could handle anymore grotesque stick figure drawings.

Jeongyeon had been working on the lab, and she had apologized and had offered Nayeon her favorite drink and somehow proved to actually be a decent person.

Nayeon rubbed her hands over her arms, fruitlessly trying to generate lasting warmth. A child’s giggle caught her attention, and she looked to her left to see a small boy being playfully chased around by who she assumed to be an older sibling or babysitter. The boy was swept up into his guardian’s arms with a small squeal, one that dissolved into laughter as he was thrown up into the air and safely caught in waiting arms.

Joy spread through her chest as she grinned at the scene, the cold suddenly seeming just a bit more bearable.

She continued walking and let herself think back on the moment she decided that maybe Jeongyeon wasn’t quite the hellspawn she imagined. The look on the other woman’s face when she talked about the career she wanted had softened Nayeon almost immediately. There was a sincerity there that Nayeon had been looking for since the moment Jeongyeon walked into her life, and it made it all the harder to hate her for what did seem like a genuine mistake.

The smile that had taken over Jeongyeon’s lips when she talked about people seemed to be one she didn’t even know she was producing, and Nayeon had felt the warmth from the cup in her hands begin to spread.

Nayeon smiled to herself as she recalled the slightly panicked look on Jeongyeon’s face when she had issued her promise. It’s possible she had let herself have a bit too much fun with that one.

It certainly wasn’t her fault that Jeongyeon was fun to fluster, and after the experience that was their first meeting, Nayeon figured she was owed some teasing.

She let out a sigh of relief as she walked up the steps to her apartment building, fingers fumbling slightly to pull her keys out of her purse. Momo and Sana would be at practice right now, and she was looking forward to some peaceful alone time.

The memory of Jeongyeon laughing came to her as she began climbing the final flight of steps, and Nayeon couldn’t help but smile to herself. She had been skeptical when Jeongyeon told her she had forgotten basic chemistry concepts, but it only took about thirty minutes of review before Nayeon could see the connections rebuilding themselves.

The pre-lab questions had been completed easily, questions about precipitates and molecular structures lacking any sort of challenge for her. They had split up the problems, and every couple minutes, Nayeon would find herself briefly distracted by the faces Jeongyeon was making at her lab notebook.

They had finished, though, and Nayeon was pleasantly surprised to find that Jeongyeon had answered all of her questions correctly. She had been planning to leave, seeing no point in prolonging their time together. But then Jeongyeon had made some off-handed comment insulting their lab professor's taste in ties and Nayeon was helpless to do anything other than join in.

Their conversation had spiraled from there, and by the time Nayeon had left, she knew far more about Jeongyeon than she had really ever planned to.

She knew that Jeongyeon had a dismal sense of humor, had played the saxophone for a few months when she was 16, and sounded just a little bit like a gasping squeaky toy when she laughed.

She also had a handful of stories about Jeongyeon and her best friend growing up, someone that had encouraged Jeongyeon in doing everything from climbing shelves in a department store to sledding down a hill with her eyes closed, an adventure that had resulted in broken arms for the both of them.

She may be kind of sweet and she definitely wasn’t the world’s worst lab partner, but Nayeon knew that, without a doubt, Yoo Jeongyeon was still an idiot.

//

Thursday

Jeongyeon smiled as Nayeon took a seat next to her. “Long time no see.”

“Feels like it could’ve been longer,” Nayeon said, the playful smile on her lips cushioning her words.

“You ready to,” Jeongyeon paused as she looked down at the open lab notebook in front of her, a pulse of something hitting her when Nayeon laughed, “synthesize some asprin?”

“Born ready,” Nayeon replied, grabbing two pairs of safety goggles from one of the drawers under the desk. “No coffee today?”

“Nope. I actually got some sleep last night, so coffee was not needed.”

“I’m jealous.”

“Did you not sleep,” Jeongyeon asked, worry furrowing her brow as she accepted the goggles Nayeon offered her. She didn’t know Nayeon all that well, but her long-time friendship with Jihyo had given her a knack for pinpointing people who tended to overwork themselves.

“I had a meeting with my capstone advisor yesterday, and I was up all night thinking of what I wanted to do for my undergraduate project.”

“It’s the second week of classes.”

“Your point?”

Jeongyeon just shook her head, smiling to herself at her correct guess. She had a feeling Nayeon and Jihyo had more than a few things in common. Maybe she’d have to introduce them someday.

She shifted her attention to the safety goggles in her hands, frowning when she realized they wouldn’t fit over their glasses.

“Did the safety goggles offend you?”

Jeongyeon looked over and answered with a sigh. “No. I just hate wearing safety goggles because I have to take my glasses off.”

Nayeon looked at her for a moment before a teasing grin came to her lips. “You mean these things come off?”

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes in response, swatting Nayeon’s hand away with a scowl when she reached forward to poke at her glasses. “Shut up. This is a genuine problem!”

“That’s why smart people wear contacts,” Nayeon said, tapping her temple with a smug grin.

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to retort just as their professor’s voice rose over the noise of the classroom.

“Alright, quiet down. Please come forward and grab the required materials. You can leave as soon as you feel you’ve completed the lab.” He set them free with a wave, and half of the class moved forward to grab the materials.

Jeongyeon stood, stopping when she saw Nayeon staring at her. “What?”

“I’m waiting to see proof that your glasses come off of your face.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your glasses,” Nayeon said, slowing down her words in a way that made Jeongyeon want to throw a beaker at her. “I want to see them actually come off of your face.”

Jeongyeon looked at her, taking in the body language of her lab partner and coming to a snap decision. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what set her off, if it was the curling of Nayeon’s lips or the expectant tapping of her foot. It could’ve been the amusement in Nayeon’s eyes or the way one of her fingers was tapping listlessly against her exposed collarbone.

Whatever it was, something in Jeongyeon rose to the unspoken challenge. She put the goggles on, ignoring the way the frames of her glasses were now pushing uncomfortably into her brow to flash Nayeon the most insincere smile she could muster. “Guess you’ll have to wait.”

She turned on the heel of her foot and strode over to collect what they needed for the experiment. If Nayeon thought the entirety of their lab partnership would consist of one-way teasing, she was incredibly mistaken.

She returned to the lab bench and deposited their supplies without a word, a small thrill running through her at the sight of surprise on Nayeon’s face.

“Here,” Jeongyeon said, pushing one of the solutions towards Nayeon. “After I confused moles and milliliters on Tuesday, you told me I wasn’t allowed to measure.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re a bit of nuisance?”

“Probably not as many times as they’ve told you that,” Jeongyeon shot back, starting to fill one of their beakers with water.

Nayeon didn’t respond, shooting her a half-hearted glare before turning to look at the instructions.

//

Nayeon looked up from her preparation of the ice bath and had to stop herself from laughing. She had put Jeongyeon in charge of monitoring the heating of the flask, and she looked incredibly bored.

Jeongyeon shifted slightly, resting her chin on her hand, and the motion allowed Nayeon to see the red lines that were beginning to form on Jeongyeon’s face from where her glasses were pressing against her face.

It was a shame, really. Nayeon had been genuinely curious as to what her lab partner looked like without her glasses. She had also been curious as to how easy it would be to get Jeongyeon to laugh again, and she had once again gotten the opposite of what she wanted.

Not that she was complaining.

There had been a spark of vibrancy in Jeongyeon’s eyes when she had snapped the goggles onto her face, and Nayeon had found it delightfully compelling. She had always enjoyed verbal sparring, loved the rhythm of a good biting exchange.

It seemed like Jeongyeon may have been a better partner than she original assumed.

Granted, her original assumption had already been disproved several times over, but still. She was a bit surprised by how much she enjoyed her sarcastic exchanges with her lab partner.

She’d need a few more hours of time together to come to a final conclusion, but Nayeon was starting to wonder if an easy friendship was ever so slowly forming.

//

Jeongyeon let out a small cheer as Nayeon transferred their crystals to the vial with their names on it.

Nayeon turned to her with a grin and held up her hand for a high-five. “First lab, success!”

Jeongyeon met Nayeon’s palm with her own, a rush of pride hitting her as she realized she had done it. One lab down. Eleven to go.

Jeongyeon dropped her hand, intending to start clean-up, but she found her fingers tangled with Nayeon’s. Their hands hung between them, an unintended connection that was causing Jeongyeon’s brain to short-circuit for unknown reasons.

She cleared her throat, laughing lightly as she pulled her hand away. “Don’t tell me you’re that attached after only one lab, Im.”

“As if. We both know I’m the more irresistible one here,” Nayeon said, scoffing as she pulled her hand back. “Don’t flatter yourself. You don’t deserve it.”

Nayeon turned and began taking off her lab coat and goggles, leaving Jeongyeon to just roll her eyes at her back. She wouldn’t touch that comment with a ten foot pole.

She reached for the vial of sulfuric acid and picked it up, beginning to turn towards the table where it belonged.

“No!”

Nayeon’s voice startled her, and she flinched, the cap of the bottle in her hands slipping off before Jeongyeon could event think to stop it.

She felt things around her slow down as her eyes zeroed in on the drops of acid now moving through the air. Most of it was headed straight for the floor and lab bench, but she could see a few drops headed directly towards—

“This is one of my favorite shirts, you asshole!”

“Well then why the hell did you wear it to lab?”

“Oh so this is my fault?”

“You used the acid and didn’t put the cap on properly, so I know it’s not mine!”

“You— Nevermind. I have to go try and save this. Clean up. Don’t text me. I’ll text you.”

Nayeon rushed out of the room before Jeongyeon could say anything else, leaving her standing in front a half-cleaned lab bench and drops of sulfuric acid that were probably beginning to damage her shoes. She had no idea what had just happened.

Part of her figured it was fitting, Nayeon getting to run out on her. But the majority of her just felt absolutely awful.

The first thing out of her mouth was supposed to be yet another apology, but Nayeon had shouted and invoked an automatic response.

The professor rushed over, cleaning supplies in hand and lecture already leaving his lips.

Jeongyeon stepped back from the spill and began nodding thoughtlessly.

She had thought the end of their first lab had gone poorly, but clearly she hadn’t been thinking creatively enough.

The look on Nayeon’s face as she left the lab had told Jeongyeon that every bit of goodwill she had earned back was tarnished.

She really needed to make sure she had enough in her budget to buy Nayeon hot chocolate every day for the rest of the semester.

//

Nayeon jumped slightly as she turned the corner and caught sight of someone leaning against the door to the locker room. She relaxed as she realized who it was, and a smile readily stole over her face.

“I gotta say,” Nayeon said, “I almost didn’t recognize you outside of the lollipop costume, but your weird dance moves are kind of hard to miss.”

The mascot turned, mouth dropping open when her eyes landed on Nayeon. She seemed to be about to say something, before her mouth snapped shut again. She shook her head slightly before raising an eyebrow at her, and Nayeon wondered what exactly had just happened.

“And I don’t recognize you at all.”

Nayeon scoffed, “Please. We met last week.”

The mascot smirked at Nayeon as she answered. “Last week I couldn’t see anything because there was mesh in front of my face, but I think I’d recognize that condescending tone anywhere.”

Nayeon relaxed into the challenging tone. There was something mindlessly soothing about bantering with someone she didn’t know. There were no obligations between them, no feelings she could thoughtlessly hurt. “Can you blame me? You were a broken lollipop the last time we talked.”

“Hey,” the mascot replied indignantly, “my costume worked during halftime!” She moved closer to Nayeon as she responded, reducing the distance between them by several feet.

Nayeon stepped forward and reached out to lightly poke at the mascot’s shoulder. “The field lights were so bright that you couldn’t tell it was glowing.”

A scoff was the response she got, and the mascot shook her head quickly, her short blonde hair moving with the motion. “You’re the one who should be dressed as Pinocchio because that’s a blatant lie! There are pictures.”

“You can photoshop anything these days.”

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re annoying?”

“Anyone ever tell you that you’re very rude for a mascot?”

“Probably not as many times as you’ve had people tell you that.”

The smile dropped from Nayeon’s face as those words reminded her of how her afternoon had gone. She sighed, eyes dropping to the floor at the memory of her outburst after Jeongyeon had accidentally spilled sulfuric acid onto her shirt.

She knew the other woman hadn’t meant to do it, and she knew that it had been her who had left the cap loose. It happened so quickly that she didn’t have time to think. All she knew was that the t-shirt Dahyun and Chaeyoung had gotten her when she went off to university now had two small holes in it near the bottom.

“You okay,” the mascot asked, stepping forward and bringing her ridiculous red shoes into Nayeon’s vision.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, and Nayeon met the mascot’s eyes with a wry smile. “Just thinking about my shitty day. It was going pretty well until my dumbass lab partner spilled acid on my shirt.”

The hand on her shoulder flinched away, and the mascot stepped back slightly, mouth open and eyebrows furrowed.

Nayeon rushed to reassure her. “It’s fine! I’m fine. The experiment was even fine. I just feel bad because I yelled at her when I shouldn’t have.”

“Oh,” the mascot said.

“Yeah.”

“Well you're lab partners, so you kind of have to see each other, right? I’m sure things will be fine next time.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Nayeon said. Jeongyeon had looked so confused after the spill, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. And all she had done was put her on the defensive. Perhaps this was the reason Jeongyeon was the one of the two of them that was focusing on people based work.

The mascot reached up and took her hat off of her head, making eye contact with Nayeon as she dropped it onto the ground and stepped on it. “Fuck.”

A small laugh burst out of Nayeon, and she found herself giggling as the mascot frowned down at her now crumpled hat. She had no idea what had just happened. “What was that?”

The mascot just shrugged, a lopsided grin appearing. “I don’t know. Last time part of my costume failed and I said ‘fuck’ you laughed. You looked sad. Figured it was worth a try.”

Nayeon felt gratitude swell in her chest and she reached forward to pull the mascot into a hug before she could think twice about it. The other woman was stiff in her arms, and Nayeon heard her inhale in surprise.

She made to move back, suddenly aware that she had just pulled a virtual stranger into a hug, but then the mascot’s body relaxed. Nayeon felt arms wrap around her waist, and then they were hugging.

It wasn’t until a few moments had passed that Nayeon realized she had made a mistake. She was a tactile person, always had been, and she never hesitated to demand hugs from her friends until they gave in. She liked the reassurance of another person when upset, took comfort in knowing that someone was there for her.

And now she found herself relaxing into this embrace more than she should be. The mascot smelled like laundry starch and jasmine, a smell that amused her as much as it relaxed her. She couldn’t put her finger on it, would be unable to explain it if asked, but something about the mascot was reassuring.

She felt a hand patting her back and had to stop herself from jumping in surprise.

“It’s going to be okay, you know? I doubt your lab partner is going to hate you forever.”

Nayeon pulled back from the hug slightly, looking into kind blue eyes sitting above a gentle, if slightly awkward looking, smile. Nayeon felt her heart jump slightly, a small fluttering starting in her stomach.

She smiled. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Do you often go around hugging strangers?”

Nayeon dropped her eyes down to where the mascot’s arms where still wrapped around her waist. She raised her gaze and met the mascot’s raised eyebrow with one of her own. “Do you?”

Nayeon instantly regretted her words as the mascot’s arms quickly withdrew from her waist. The mascot continued her retreat, taking a few steps back and fixing Nayeon with a glare.

“Only when they make me.”

Nayeon winced. “I’m sorry. It’s not an excuse, but you were being really sweet and I’m a very touchy— “

“Nayeon,” the mascot said, stepping closer and cutting her off. “I was kidding. Don’t tell me you can give it but not take it?” The mascot quirked an eyebrow at her, and Nayeon felt her face heat up slightly. She didn’t know if it was the suspenders or the red feather in the felt cap, but something about the woman in front of her was knocking her off kilter.

“Furthermore,” the mascot continued, spreading her arms wide, “how do you know you don’t know me? I could just be a master of disguise.”

“I’ve never met you before in my life, except for last week, obviously.”

“Are you sure?”

Nayeon stepped back slightly to get a better view of the woman in front of her. She started from the bottom, taking in the red and white two-toned dress shoes and the suspenders clipped to red shorts. She had to give the other woman credit, every piece of the outfit was well thought out.

Her eyes continued their journey, glancing at slim fingers and delicate wrists. It was when she got to the other woman’s face that she found herself unable to continue moving her gaze upwards. Her eyes scanned over the other woman’s face, curiosity piquing when she noticed a red line across her nose.

The hair caught her attention next, the blond locks long enough to fall into her eyes ever so slightly, and Nayeon was hit with the urge to reach forward and brush it away. The smirk on the other woman’s face didn’t help matters, and Nayeon realized suddenly that, whoever she was, she was attractive.

Attractive in a way that made her pause, and in a way that confirmed for her that she didn’t know the woman in front of her. She didn’t know anyone that could wear the costume she was seeing and still make Nayeon feel like someone had put her brain on pause.

“Well,” the mascot spoke, and the sound jolted Nayeon out of her trance. “Do I look familiar?”

“Not in the slightest,” Nayeon responded, conviction in every syllable. Furthermore, she knew very few girls with short blonde hair, and none of them were standing in front of her.

She moved her eyes to a point down the hall to give herself a moment to collect her thoughts. A question hit her as she remembered why she was here in the first place.

“Are you not allowed in the locker room during Jihyo’s half-time speech?”

“Nope,” the mascot answered, leaning back against the wall. “I’m a distraction, apparently.”

“Really, I couldn’t imagine how,” Nayeon said dryly. Jihyo had absolutely made the right decision. Nayeon had a hard time focusing on something other than the figure dancing and yelling on the sidelines, and she knew she hadn’t been alone. Everyone around her had spent almost the entire first half of the game giggling next to her, commenting about how this mascot was such an improvement over last year’s.

It was only when they started losing that the laughter faded.

The mascot had done her best to keep morale up, but as the opposing team’s score climbed, even her energy faded.

“What should I call you,” Nayeon asked, remembering something that had been on her mind since the game started.

“Call me?”

“Your name. I keep calling you ‘The Mascot’ in my head.”

The mascot smiled at her. “Im Nayeon, are you saying you think about me?”

Nayeon stayed firm. “You’re memorable, what can I say.”

Another smirk. “ ’The Mascot’ is fine.”

“Okay, seriously. I think—,” Nayeon was cut short as the door to the locker room flew open.

“Nayeon,” Chaeyoung exclaimed, throwing her arms around her. “You came to the locker room!”

“Of course, Chae,” Nayeon responded, smiling down at the younger girl. “I’m a natural energy booster, and it looked like you guys could use the pep.”

Chaeyoung sighed, letting her head fall onto Nayeon’s shoulder. “You’re not wrong. I think Dahyun also needs a hug, but also I don’t want to move.”

Nayeon looked up, only to see the mascot heading into the locker room, a wink and a smile the last Nayeon saw of her as an energetic yet down looking Dahyun came flying past her and into Nayeon’s arms.

Damn that mascot.

//

Jeongyeon strode into the locker room, the buzzing she had felt from her interaction with Nayeon fading as she caught sight of a dejected looking Tzuyu sitting at the edge of one of the locker room benches.

She looked around the room as she made her way over, and the sight was a disheartening one. Normally when she walked into the locker room, she was met with playful questions about her identity and future costume suggestions. Now, no one even glanced over at her.

She walked to stand in front of Tzuyu, crouching down so that she was at eye-level with her.

“Tzuyu, look at me.”

“No,” Tzuyu muttered, and the defeat Jeongyeon heard in her voice stiffened her resolve.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“No.”

“That hasn’t worked on me since I was 11.”

“Worth a shot,” Jeongyeon murmured. “It’s okay, Tzuyu. You played wonderfully. Your spacing was incredible.”

Tzuyu finally lifted her eyes, and she flinched back the moment her eyes made contact with Jeongyeon’s.

“What,” Jeongyeon asked, concern creeping in. “Is something else wrong?”

“You have contacts in,” Tzuyu said, staring at Jeongyeon like she had never seen her before.

“What? Oh, yeah. They’re part of the costume.”

“But you hate contacts,” Tzuyu said, surprise on her face. “A lot.”

“Well it’s for—”

“I actually don’t know if I’ve ever seen you in contacts before.”

“Tzuyu, I really don’t know if this is the time to be focusing on my contacts.”

Tzuyu smiled at her. “It’s helping me forget about the fact that we’re losing terribly.”

“Then focus away,” Jeongyeon exclaimed, chuckling when she saw Tzuyu’s smile widen further.

The moment settled, and a look of concern stole over Tzuyu’s face as she looked to her right. She leaned in, and Jeongyeon followed suit.

“I think you should go see Jihyo. I know we only have about five minutes, but she’s not doing great. The first five minutes were the coach yelling at us, and the second five were Jihyo trying to salvage things. Now she’s just stoically freaking out.”

Jeongyeon looked for Jihyo, and the moment she found her, she felt a pang in her chest.

She knew that Jihyo was extremely nervous about this season, and she knew her best friend was going to put far too much pressure on her own shoulders as a result.

Jihyo was a junior, the youngest captain the soccer team had ever had, and she was determined to prove herself.

And Jeongyeon wanted nothing more than to watch her shine. That had been another part of her decision to don costumes this semester. She had wanted to be there, wanted to be a part of Jihyo and Tzuyu’s success as much as possible.

There was a time, 10 or so years ago, where she would’ve wanted to be right alongside the two of them as they ran across the field. But then she had fallen in love with science and the inner workings of the human mind, and suddenly she was looking at JYP University not because of their soccer program, but because they had world class labs and a stellar reputation for the sciences.

And Jihyo had rolled her eyes and laughed and told Jeongyeon that she was free to do whatever she wanted, but that she couldn’t expect Jihyo to ever not play soccer.

And she didn’t.

And now Jihyo was standing off to the side, eyes sweeping over her team. She looked every part the commanding captain: shoulders pulled back, steely eyes, crossed arms.

But Jeongyeon could see Jihyo pinching the skin of her inner arm between her thumb and forefinger, a habit from childhood she had never grown out of.

She shot Tzuyu one last look, received a small smile and a nod, and began making her way over to Jihyo. Jeongyeon wasn’t sure exactly what she was going to do, but she knew she had to do something.

“Ji— Captain Park,” Jeongyeon corrected herself and lowered her voice slightly before she gave anything away. Everyone in this room seemed a bit too morose to notice any familiarity she had with Jihyo, but she could never be too cautious.

Jihyo turned to face her with a raised eyebrow, silently asking what the hell Jeongyeon was doing.

“I’m having a very serious mascot issue, could you help me out?”

“I’m kind of busy, right now,” Jihyo said, and Jeongyeon could hear the disappointment in her voice.

She desperately tried to think of the best way to shift Jihyo’s mood a bit. Jihyo needed a distraction, and Jeongyeon was dressed up in bright red shorts and a yellow felt cap. There had to be something she could do with that.

“It’s very important,” she exclaimed. Jeongyeon widened her eyes, trying to get Jihyo to just go along with what she was trying to do.

Despite her best efforts, Jihyo just continued to look at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Momo, Mina, and a player she was pretty sure was named Sana, looking at the two of them.

Maybe if she played this right, she could make more than just her best friend smile. Mascots were for morale, after all.

“There may or may not be a tear in my Pinochiorts.”

She saw Momo’s lips twitch. One down.

“Excuse me. Your what?”

Jihyo’s voice held a note of disbelief. Perfect. She’d take that over sadness any day.

“My Pinochiorts. You know, my Pinocchio shorts?”

Mina let out a giggle and slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.

Two down. Two to go.

Jihyo sighed and brought her hand up to her face. Jeongyeon was glad to see it was the one that had been doing the pinching.

“How is that my problem?”

Irritation was a step down from disbelief, but it was still a step above defeat. Jeongyeon pressed on.

“It technically isn’t at the moment, but when my shorts rip and everyone sees the cartoons on my underwear, it’s going to be.”

The-person-that-was-probably-Sana covered her laugh by pretending to cough.

Three down.

Jihyo leveled her with a look that would send a lesser being running, but Jeongyeon had known Jihyo for about 20 years now. She wouldn’t let herself be deterred so easily.

“Fine,” Jihyo bit out. “Let’s go look at your stupid shorts.”

“Pinochiorts.”

Jihyo spun on her heel and stormed off to the bathroom without another word.

The moment Jeongyeon closed the door behind her, Jihyo whirled around and started whispering furiously. “Yoo Jeongyeon, what the hell is wrong with you? We have to be out there in 3 minutes, and you want me to fix your shorts?”

Jeongyeon laughed softly, stepping forward and placing her hands on Jihyo’s shoulders. “My shorts are in one piece, Jihyo.”

Jihyo blinked at her several times. “Then why—,” Jihyo cut herself short when Jeongyeon lifted her hand to push back some hair that had gotten loose from her ponytail.

Jeongyeon smiled, wanting nothing more than to be the reassuring presence she knew Jihyo would rarely admit she needed. She pulled her headband down, chuckling when Jihyo scrunched her nose at the motion. She smoothed the loose hairs back before setting the headband back into its proper place.

She let her hand linger for just a moment, briefly resting it on the top of Jihyo’s head before she moved it, tapping Jihyo lightly on the forehead as she spoke. “I just wanted to tell you that you’re doing well, Jihyo.”

Jihyo pursed her lips, and Jeongyeon saw her eyes soften.

“You’re going to be fine even if you lose. I promise.” Jeongyeon ducked her head slightly, meeting Jihyo’s slightly watery eyes with her own. She could see it, frustration outlining Jihyo’s form, and she ached to reach out and soothe it all away.

But they had about two minutes until halftime was over, and she needed to do what she could.

“I know you know what the problem is. Their strikers are too fast. They’re getting behind our defense and running free with the ball. Momo is an amazing goalie, but she can only do so much.”

Jeongyeon tapped Jihyo’s forehead one more time. “Follow whatever plan your brilliant mind has shared with the girls, okay? It’ll be alright.”

Jihyo nodded.

“And if everything still goes to shit, we can crack open a few beers and spend the night laughing at old pictures of us. Deal?”

Jihyo nodded again, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. “Deal.”

“Excellent! Now let’s get you out there and back to business.” Jeongyeon threw the doors open and strode out, confident that she had done the best she could.

Momo caught her eye as she entered the main locker room area, a raised eyebrow asking the obvious question.

“Captain Park has successfully repaired my Pinochiorts with safety pins. Your captain is truly a marvel, and you know I’m telling the truth because my nose isn’t growing.” Jeongyeon solemnly tapped the tip of her nose as she finished speaking.

She saw Momo, Mina, and the-woman-likely-named-Sana smile.

And behind her she heard Jihyo laugh.

Four for four.

Even if the soccer team lost, today would still be a win for the mascot.

Chapter Text

Sunday

The sound of her roommates’ voices coming down the hallway told Nayeon that her quiet morning was about to be interrupted. She closed her laptop with a small sigh, but she was unable to hold back an affectionate smile as Momo and Sana shuffled their way into the kitchen.

She moved without thought, going over to pour them each a cup of coffee from the pot she had made herself this morning. It was still warm, but not too hot that either of her roommates would burn themselves.

(She really didn’t trust Momo and Sana with hot things in any capacity.)

By the time the cups of coffee were poured, Sana and Momo had slumped into seats at the table, still muttering to each other through half-open eyes. It was only when she placed their drinks in front of them that she was able to make out what they were talking about.

“Sana, I’m telling you. She was so different after—,” Momo paused when Nayeon joined them at the table, shooting her a sleepy smile of thanks.

“There’s no way Jihyo would do that,” Sana insisted, becoming more awake with each passing moment.

“Really,” Momo asked disbelievingly. “Because I don’t see a reason not to.”

Nayeon tilted her head as she listened to her roommates talk. She had no idea what was going on, but both Momo and Sana seemed so confident in their answers that she was getting curious. And the inclusion of Jihyo’s name was even more striking.

“Momo seriously,” Sana whined, “there’s no way Jihyo is hooking up with the mascot.”

Nayeon flinched, jolting the table and causing both of her roommates to look at her with raised eyebrows. She felt like someone had just doused her with cold water, icy trickles of shock running down her back.

Unbidden, her mind flashed over the last time she had spoken with the mascot. They hadn’t really talked about Jihyo, but she did remember the mascot commenting that Jihyo had forbidden her from being in the locker room because she would be a distraction.

Nayeon remembered the smell of jasmine, a regrettably charming smirk, and gentle arms around her waist.

A distraction. Right.

Sana’s fingers snapped in front of her face, and her attention was brought back to the present. She saw her roommates looking at her, one with confusion and mild amusement, and the other with a slowly widening grin.

She suddenly realized that she had just made a terrible mistake.

“Nayeon, are you okay,” Sana asked, concern furrowing her brow.

“Oh she’s fine Sana,” Momo drawled, and Nayeon could hear the glee in her voice. She knew exactly what Momo was about to say, and she knew that too much protesting would only increase suspicion.

She supposed she could leap across the table and tackle Momo to the ground, but she had a feeling that would also make Sana all the more curious. Instead, she let Momo continue, glaring at the other woman with all the ire she could muster.

“I think Nayeon just might be a bit upset at the idea of her crush already being taken,” Momo finished her sentence and leaned back in her chair, smiling like someone had just handed her the keys to the kingdom.

Nayeon knew that Momo would one day extract revenge for her part in setting Momo and Mina up. She just didn’t think it would involve the university’s mascot. And she really had hoped that it wouldn’t involve Sana.

Sana’s eyes widened, and she lunged forward, palms hitting the wooden surface of the table with a loud smack. “You have a crush on Jihyo,” Sana shouted, surprising Nayeon to the point that she could only stare, wide-eyed and mouth open.

Momo barked out a laugh, hand covering her face as her eyes darted between the two of them. Nayeon regained her senses enough to reach over and smack Momo on the shoulder.

“No! I don’t have a crush on Jihyo.”

“She—,” Momo paused as she dissolved into giggles. “She has a crush on the mascot.”

Though it seemed impossible moments before, Sana’s eyes widened even further at the new information.

“I do not,” Nayeon insisted. She could feel her face warming as she spoke, but she was determined to not let this escalate. “Me wanting to know who the mascot is doesn’t mean I have a crush on her!”

She moved her eyes between her roommates, making deliberate eye contact with both of them. “I mean it.”

Momo only grinned in response, a rare teasing glint in her normally agreeable friend’s eyes, and Nayeon was tempted to send a kick at her shin in retaliation.

“Oh sweetie,” Sana simpered, and Nayeon winced, bracing herself for whatever was coming next. “I’m sorry Jihyo got your girl. I’m sure we can try and snag the other team’s mascot for you at the next soccer game.”

Nayeon dropped her head to the table, letting the pain from impact distract her from the laughter erupting from both of her roommates.

Her only saving grace was that Sana seemed to be taking this as a joke. So while she may have to deal with her roommates teasing her from now until the end of time, she at least didn’t have to worry about Sana’s scheming.

//

Nayeon looked up from the remains of her sandwich, opening her mouth and eyeing Jihyo briefly before thinking better of it and snapping her mouth shut. This morning had been nothing short of torturous, from Momo bringing Sana in on the joke to the two of them imitating the mascot’s dances for the next hour.

Getting a text from Jihyo asking her to meet up for lunch was a welcome relief.

Except for the fact that every time she looked at Jihyo, she thought of a stranger in a Pinocchio costume and wondered if what Momo had said earlier was correct. Her roommate had explained her reasoning once the laughter died down, and now all Nayeon could think of was a stoic Jihyo going into the bathroom and coming out two minutes later with a small smile on her face.

Momo’s description of the look on Jihyo’s face had hit Nayeon in a way she didn’t really want to examine. Jihyo had looked lighter and happier, and, according to Sana, had even had ‘sparkles in her eyes’.

Nayeon had made it through most of lunch without asking the question, doing her best to talk about anything else.

“Did I tell you about what my roommate did the morning after the game,” Jihyo asked, lifting her eyes from a piece of gimbap she had been pushing around her plate with her chopsticks.

Nayeon shook her head and waited for Jihyo to continue. Based on her limited knowledge of Jihyo’s roommate, it likely wasn’t something great.

“She made me conciliatory pancakes after we lost, but she’s kind of a terrible cook, so they just burned instead,” Jihyo said, laughing lightly.

“I know you and your roommate are friends or whatever,” Nayeon said, once again trying to push her question to the back of her mind, “but she sounds kind of like a disaster.”

Jihyo let out a short laugh, a fond smile coming to her lips. “Only in the best of ways. She does a lot more good than harm, trust me. The loss was rough, even if we did rally at the end, and there’s something about watching a grown woman run around the kitchen screaming about burnt pancakes that just soothes your soul, you know?”

Nayeon laughed and shook her head. “I really do need to meet your roommate.”

“I agree, but the idea also terrifies me.”

“Jihyo,” Nayeon gasped, “What are you trying to imply?”

Jihyo sighed before answering, propping her chin up on both her hands, “Just that you two would probably get up to endless trouble together.”

“Sounds good to me,” Nayeon replied, leaning back in her chair and sending Jihyo a too-wide grin that she knew would only exasperate her.

Jihyo rolled her eyes and returned her focus to her food, and Nayeon’s mind drifted back to the question she was trying to ignore.

On one hand, there was no harm in asking Jihyo about a rumor she had heard. Sana and Momo had meant no harm, and Nayeon really was curious. On the other, Jihyo might admit to a dalliance of sorts, and then Nayeon would have to process that.

Whatever that entailed.

She tried to sit in the silence, tried to feel comfortable in it like she normally did, but eventually she couldn’t hold back, the question bursting from between her lips before she could stop herself.

“Rumor on the street is there’s something between you and the mascot. Is there a romance I should know about?”

Nayeon did her best to appear nonchalant despite the rapid beating of her heart, and she blindly reached for her drink as she started asking the question. She wanted to have something to do with her hands besides nervously tapping them on the tabletop.

The reaction was instantaneous. Jihyo coughed, pulling away the glass she had just brought to her lips and fixing Nayeon with a disbelieving look. “The soccer team mascot? Pinocchio? Cheering stick?”

Nayeon nodded, unsure of exactly what emotions were flickering across Jihyo’s face. A beat passed before a clear one took hold: horror.

“Absolutely not,” Jihyo insisted. “She’s been great and seems nice, but I would never in a million years date her.”

Jihyo paused, briefly scrunching her nose before continuing. “Why did you even ask that?”

“Ah, I heard Momo and Sana chatting this morning. Apparently you and the mascot had a moment on Thursday.”

“If by ‘a moment’ you mean me having to fix a rip in her pants with safety pins like she was an overgrown toddler, then sure. We definitely had a moment.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, good to know, I guess.”

“Yes. Please tell Sana and Momo that I’m not dating the team’s mascot.”

Nayeon nodded, unable to deny that a feeling of relief was sweeping through her chest. The anxiety that had been building since this morning was ebbing away, leaving behind a simple question:

Why exactly did she care so much about whether or not Jihyo had been hooking up with the mascot?

//

Nayeon – Chemistry
[9:17 PM] Hi. I wanted to apologize for freaking out on you on Thursday and then just ignoring you.
[9:17 PM] I left the cap loose, so it being open was my bad. And I obviously shouldn’t have yelled.

Yoo Jeongyeon
[9:18 PM] It’s okay. I’m sorry about your shirt.
[9:18 PM] I’m just glad that it didn’t mean that I would be stuck buying you hot chocolate for the rest of our lives to make up for it.

Nayeon – Chemistry
[9:18 PM] I wouldn’t say no to more hot chocolate…

Yoo Jeongyeon
[9:19 PM] Tuesday at 1:30 in the library? I’ll bring the hot chocolate and you bring a nuanced understanding of what the hell we actually did.
[9:19 PM] I tried to start drafting the lab report, and I got as far as formatting the headings and listing the equipment we used before realizing that I still hate chemistry.
[9:19 PM] So.
[9:20 PM] =D

Nayeon – Chemistry
[9:22 PM] You started the lab report?
[9:22 PM] And yeah Tuesday is good.

Yoo Jeongyeon
[9:22 PM] I tried starting the lab report. Emphasis on tried.
[9:22 PM] I also put our names and the date on the document.
[9:22 PM] So actually maybe you should be the one bringing me stuff, Im. I’m really punching above my weight class here.

Nayeon’s hand flew up to cover her mouth, doing her best to stifle the chuckle that had slipped out. Her eyes darted around the common room, and she relaxed slightly when she noticed that Sana, Momo, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung were completely focused on the movie they were watching.

She stiffened back up again when she met Mina’s eyes across the room. The other woman raised an eyebrow and gestured to ask if Nayeon was okay.

Nayeon nodded swiftly, shooting Mina a smile and moving her eyes to the screen in front of them. She was glad only Mina had noticed her laughter. Mina had always been more of an observer than an instigator.

She twisted her fingers into the blanket that was draped across her lap, pulling it up to right below her neck. She did her best to not focus on the fact that warmth was curling in her chest, her mind conjuring up the image of the playful glint she knew would be in Jeongyeon’s eyes when she sent that text.

The woman on screen swooned into the arms of the male lead, cheers and groans erupting from her friends.

Nayeon thought of Jeongyeon’s crooked grin and unrestrained laugh and sunk further into the blanket she had pulled up. She pulled it even tighter around her, enjoying the feeling of the soft fabric.

They kissed, sweet nothings saturating the air between them before the leads’ lips were pressed together.

Nayeon took the warm feeling stirring in her chest and did her best to compress it, push it down until it faded away. She should be enjoying the movie with her friends, not thinking about non-chemistry topics her and Jeongyeon could discuss when they met on Tuesday.

She imagined collecting the warmth in her hands, shaping it until it was a small ball and then dropping it, letting it roll to undisturbed corners of her heart that she didn’t have to worry about.

The credits on the movie rolled, and Chaeyoung’s head fell to rest on her shoulder, the movement jolting her back to the present.

“If you ask me,” Chaeyoung muttered, breath tickling Nayeon’s ear, “she should’ve ended up with her cute nerdy friend instead.”

“Your opinion on films continues to be superior, Chae.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Remember how you were obsessed with Pictionary as a kid? I used to keep guessing wrong so that you could draw more and more clues because I knew how much you loved to draw.”

Chaeyoung pulled back with a gasp, and she pulled Nayeon into a hug before she could get another word out.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” Chaeyoung cried, voice cutting through everyone else’s conversations. “Nayeon, you’re the best.”

Nayeon laughed, patting Chaeyoung on the back. “Okay, now you tell me something I don’t know.”

She heard Sana snort from her place on the floor. “Attention Nayeon’s ego minimization squad, it’s time to get to work.”

“Dog pile,” she heard Momo shout, looking up just in time to see all of her friends rushing towards her.

Nayeon did her best to fight them off, but eventually she just gave in, succumbing to an onslaught of blankets and laughter.

//

Monday

Nayeon – Chemistry
[3:31 PM] I ended up in line at the store behind a guy in our class, and I asked how his lab report was going and he said “wait we have to do a report every week?”
[3:31 PM] And to think I thought being stuck with you was the worst outcome.

“… and then I tripped over a soccer ball and died, ending my young life right there on the practice field.”

“What,” Jeongyeon exclaimed, looking up from her phone. “You what now?”

Tzuyu looked back at her, a blank expression on her face. She held Jeongyeon’s confused gaze for several seconds before turning to Jihyo with an exasperated look.

“Jihyo, Jeongyeon is ignoring me again.”

“I’m not ignoring you,” Jeongyeon protested, sitting up to swat at Tzuyu’s knee. She let her body fall back onto the couch and crossed her arms, eyes now focused intently on Tzuyu.

“Jeongyeon. For the past day you’ve basically been glued to your phone,” Jihyo said, leaning forward on the couch to get a better look at her roommate. “Tzuyu and I have been talking to you for the past five minutes.”

“Well excuse me for wanting to maintain a good relationship with my lab partner. It’s your stupid bet that’s making me care about this class,” Jeongyeon shot back, pulling her phone protectively to her chest.

Tzuyu raised an eyebrow as Jihyo spoke. “Your lab partner is the reason you’ve been giggling at your phone for the past day?”

“No,” Jeongyeon insisted, immediately sensing danger. “I’ve also been going through the dog videos Tzuyu sent me.”

Technically, this wasn’t a lie. Over the last day, Jeongyeon had indeed worked her way through the impressive backlog of dog videos Tzuyu had sent her over the last week. And she also had spent copious amounts of time on her phone, exchanging texts with Nayeon.

But neither Tzuyu nor Jihyo needed to know about that.

Jihyo looked at Tzuyu questioningly, and she shrugged in response. “I do send a lot of dog videos.”

“That’s true,” Jihyo relented, but not before squinting at Jeongyeon once more. “How has that class been going anyway? What tragic thing will you do this week?”

Jeongyeon scowled. “Nothing. This week is going to be completely normal and fine. We’re doing something with extracting caffeine, and I’m going to spill absolutely nothing.”

Jihyo and Tzuyu just looked at her, but not before they exchanged looks of disbelief.

“Okay, listen,” Jeongyeon began, trying to defend herself. “It wasn’t that—”

“Oh my god,” Jihyo exclaimed, shooting up off the couch and startling Jeongyeon and Tzuyu. “I just remembered something that happened this weekend.”

Jihyo took a few steps, stopping when she was right in front of Jeongyeon. “Your mascot act has led to some horrible accusations.”

“What accusations,” Jeongyeon asked. She was completely lost. She hadn’t heard anything about her performances aside from praise and laughter. Had she messed something up last game?

“Apparently Sana and Momo think that we’re dating.”

“Excuse me,” Jeongyeon said, her voice climbing in disbelief with every word. “Momo and Sana think we’re what?”

“How,” Tzuyu asked, and Jeongyeon was reassured to hear an equal amount of confusion in her voice.

“I don’t know,” Jihyo said, throwing her arms out in exasperation. “I guess the whole bathroom thing seemed suspect.”

“In what way,” Jeongyeon asked, verging on shouting.

“I still don’t know,” Jihyo exclaimed. “I was asked about it and had to do my best to not burst into laughter.”

“Upsetting!”

“Tell me about it.”

“I kind of get it.”

Jihyo and Jeongyeon whipped their heads around in shock when Tzuyu finished her sentence.

“I do,” Tzuyu insisted. “Jihyo looked kind of down, but after two minutes alone with you in costume, she comes out smiling a bit and laughing. I can see why, to someone who doesn’t know you two, it may look a bit romantic. ”

Jeongyeon continued to stare at Tzuyu, unable to come up with a firm rebuttal. Jihyo seemed to be having the same problem, and a few more seconds passed before Jeongyeon was able to speak.

“Okay, maybe. But I feel like my desire to date Jihyo is so nonexistent that it should be obvious to everyone always.”

“Likewise.”

“It’s just gross.”

“Did you just call me gross?”

“No. Just the idea of dating you.”

“I’d be an amazing girlfriend.”

“Eh. I could think of better.”

“Frankly,” Tzuyu said, interrupting Jeongyeon and Jihyo, whose scowling faces were now mere inches away from each other, “I think you’d both be awful to date.”

Tzuyu finished her sentence with a small smile, a picture-perfect image of innocence. But Jeongyeon knew better.

Jeongyeon exchanged a glance with Jihyo, darting her eyes between the two women in front of her. Her best friend nodded, and Jeongyeon sat up slightly, reaching behind herself to hand Jihyo a pillow.

Tzuyu’s eyes widened at the motion, and she began scrambling backwards on the couch. “Okay, hold on a second!”

Jeongyeon smiled, grabbing a pillow for herself and scooting across the couch to get within swinging distance.

“Jihyo, I think Tzuyu was being rude to us.”

“I think so too. There’s really only —” Jihyo was interrupted by Tzuyu catching her in the side with a pillow, a move that was followed by Tzuyu climbing over the back of the couch and beginning to try and make her escape.

Jeongyeon was unable to hold back her laughter as she started chasing Tzuyu down the hallway, a yelling Jihyo right behind her. She saw Tzuyu dart into her bedroom, and was just quick enough to get her foot in the door as Tzuyu tried to shut it.

She pushed her way in, breathless and smiling, letting out another laugh as Tzuyu backed away from the door, worry clear on her features.

“I was acting in self-defense,” Tzuyu insisted.

“Sorry, Tzu,” Jihyo said, stepping around Jeongyeon to get closer. The back of Tzuyu’s knees hit Jeongyeon’s bed, and she fell with a small squeak.

“The only way forward is to get revenge,” Jihyo continued, advancing on Tzuyu, pillow poised to strike.

Tzuyu shot Jeongyeon a wide-eyed look, pleading for rescue. Jeongyeon shook her head, hesitating for only a moment before continuing to move forward. She didn’t miss the fact that, while one of Tzuyu’s hands was held up in front of her to block Jihyo’s inevitable swing, the other was slowly making it’s way across her bedspread to a pillow.

Jihyo pulled back her arms, fully winding up, and Tzuyu sent Jeongyeon one last desperate look, her lower lip jutting out in a pout. Jeongyeon shook her head, making her decision and matching Jihyo’s motion, pulling her arm back and swinging right as she did.

Her pillow smacked into Jihyo’s back with a resounding thud, causing the younger woman to swing wide and miss, her pillow going right over Tzuyu’s head.

Jihyo turned to look at her, disbelief and anger on her face.

“Yoo Jeongyeon! We’re supposed to be hitting Tzuyu!”

“She’s so cute! How could you hit—”

Tzuyu smacked Jeongyeon on the shoulder with the pillow from her bed, drawing a laugh from Jihyo and a gasp of disbelief from Jeongyeon.

“Tzuyu! You traitor! I defended—”

Interrupted again, this time by Jihyo hitting her in the side of the head.

“Jihyo!”

“No alliances. We fight like women.”

Jihyo and Tzuyu were both grinning now, and Jeongyeon responded by doing the only thing she could: leaping at both of them with a battle cry, pillow swinging wildly in front of her.

//

Tuesday

“Hey.”

Jeongyeon looked up when she heard Nayeon’s voice, greeting already halfway out of her lips when she stopped short, words catching in her throat as she caught sight of her lab partner.

Factually, she knew that she found Nayeon attractive, had been painfully aware of it since the moment she walked into their shared lab. But something about how she looked right now was putting all of Jeongyeon’s higher functioning on pause.

Nayeon pulled out the chair next to her and sat down, beginning to pull out her notes from class.

Nayeon’s sweater was forest green and oversized, and it looked incredibly comfortable. Due to where she had sat, Nayeon’s shoulder was pressing into hers, and Jeongyeon could confirm that the sweater felt as soft as it looked.

Jeongyeon caught a hint of Nayeon’s perfume as she shifted next to her, and the swooping in her stomach confirmed what she had been thinking about since yesterday.

Nayeon let out an appreciative hum as she took a sip of the hot chocolate Jeongyeon had brought.

Somehow, against any logical reasoning, she had ended up with a small crush on her lab partner, her lab partner who seemed to prefer her when she had some sort of mask or wig on.

Not that it mattered much. Jeongyeon wasn’t the type to entertain fantasies about some fairy tale love story, and she had a feeling she’d be too busy trying to keep up with Nayeon to even think about pursuing her romantically.

Nayeon shifted again, and Jeongyeon was vaguely aware of her own voice saying something back to the other woman. Whatever it was, it made Nayeon smile, and the sight gave Jeongyeon butterflies.

They started working, and Jeongyeon tried to focus, tried to do her best to ignore the fact that Nayeon’s foot was resting against her shin, tried to ignore that if she leaned even slightly to her left, she’d be pressed against soft fabric.

She managed to catch every third word Nayeon was saying, piecing together what her task was for the afternoon. She also managed to get distracted every three seconds by something. First it was Nayeon's lips, and then her cheeks, and then it was that damn foot tapping lightly against her shin.

Nayeon turned away from her and started typing, and Jeongyeon was finally able to focus on her work for a moment.

She welcomed the reprieve, staring down at her notes and laptop determined to push her feelings away so she could finish this lab report without making a fool of herself.

She couldn’t see Nayeon when she looked down at her notebook, but she could still feel her foot resting against her shin. Jeongyeon thought it was fitting in a way, that Nayeon was still flustering her even when she couldn’t see her.

She just needed to make sure Nayeon didn’t find out. It was a small crush; she could manage it just fine.

//

"Nayeon!"

Nayeon's head shot up, looking around for the source of her name. She smiled when she saw two familiar figures heading towards her.

"Son Chaeyoung and Kim Dahyun in the library," Nayeon exclaimed as they approached. "Is the end of the world upon us?"

Both of them shot her a half-hearted glare before their faces relaxed into smiles.

"We stopped by because Chae and I needed a book for our ecology class," Dahyun explained. "We saw you from across the room and had to come tell you something very important!"

Dahyun was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she spoke, and Nayeon couldn't help but be slightly apprehensive. Dahyun didn't get excited about things that weren't soccer or science that often, and when she did, it usually meant trouble.

“We have information on the mascot,” Chaeyoung exclaimed, beaming proudly.

“Wait what,” Nayeon asked, tilting her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“The mascot,” Dahyun replied, “You know? The mascot you have a huge crush on.”

The sound of something slamming into the table followed by a string of curse words caused Nayeon to whip her head to the right, concern rushing in when she saw Jeongyeon clutching her knee.

“Jeongyeon, what—”

“It’s fine! It’s fine,” Jeongyeon answered quickly, waving off Nayeon’s attempts to get a closer look at her knee. “I just got way too into a song I was humming in my head and hit my knee on the bottom of the table.”

Nayeon rolled her eyes, affection sweeping away her concern. “Are you ever not a hazard to yourself or society?”

Jeongyeon grinned at her. “Nope.”

“Idiot,” Nayeon muttered, turning her head to hide a small smile.

She started slightly when she caught sight of Dahyun and Chaeyoung standing in front of her, looks of curiosity and amusement on both of their faces.

“I’m Jeongyeon, by the way,” Jeongyeon said, waving the hand not grabbing her knee. “Sorry for interrupting.”

Dahyun’s eyes lit up with recognition. “You’re the lab partner!”

“Oh my god,” Chaeyoung exclaimed. “It’s an honor to meet you. Nayeon talks about you all the time.”

“It’s true,” Dahyun agreed, nodding her head. “My lab partner spilled this. My lab partner—”

“Dahyun,” Nayeon interrupted, sending her friend a glare, “Jeongyeon knows we had a rough start. We don’t really need to rehash it.”

“Oh no, please do. I’m curious.” Nayeon saw Jeongyeon lean forward out of the corner of her eye. “Don’t let Nayeon stop you.”

The gleeful look on Chaeyoung’s face as she opened her mouth told Nayeon that this would not go well for her if she allowed it to happen.

“What were you saying about the mascot I don’t have a crush on?”

The distraction worked. Dahyun and Chaeyoung both turned to face her immediately.

“We know who she is!”

Next to her, Jeongyeon slumped back in her seat.

“Well, kind of! After hearing about your one true love—”

“Not my true love.”

“— we decided to do what we could to find her. So we started a list.”

Dahyun reached into her bag and pulled out a folder, placing it onto the table with a flourish.

Nayeon looked down, eyebrows raising when she saw the words The Mascot: An Investigative Report scrawled across the folder.

Chaeyoung tapped her finger against the folder. “This is a collection of all of the information we’ve gathered about the mascot from our time with her. Observations. Physical characteristics. Snack preferences. We’ve decided to commit ourselves to your cause.”

Nayeon reached out, running a finger down the cover of the folder, stopping when she got to the bottom. She let her thumb slip beneath the cover, lifting it slightly before looking up at her two oldest friends.

“You two really didn’t want to study for your test today, huh?”

Jeongyeon let out a laugh next to her, and Nayeon couldn’t help but nudge her lightly with her shoe in response. Jeongyeon turned to her, still laughing, and Nayeon felt the warmth she had tried so hard to suppress come back.

Why was it that seeing Jeongyeon happy made her skin itch with the urge to get up and do something?

“So we try and help you and this is the thanks we get?”

Though her eyes were still on Jeongyeon, Nayeon was confident that Chaeyoung was pouting at her.

“It’s okay, Chaeyoung. We interrupted some serious chemistry here, and you know how Nayeon is with her homework. We’ll take our leave.”

The faux-offended tone of Dahyun’s voice drew Nayeon’s eyes to her, and Nayeon suppressed a smile to return the playful glare Dahyun was sending her.

“Come talk to me when you have some hard facts about who the mascot is. Until then, speculation just won’t cut it, kid. You know I only deal with hard facts” Nayeon punctuated her sentence by pushing the folder back towards Chaeyoung and Dahyun.

“Dammit, Dahyun! I told you that we didn’t have enough sources. We’ll never be promoted now. I promised my mom I’d buy her something nice with the pay raise.” Chaeyoung grabbed the folder from the table and hit Dahyun’s shoulder with it once before slumping into her arms as she finished her sentence, a perfect facsimile of despair.

Jeongyeon snickered next to her, and Nayeon felt her stern disposition begin to crack.

“There, there, Chae,” Dahyun said, beginning to lead her away from the table. “One day we’ll find someone who recognizes our talents for what they are.”

They got about 10 feet away from the table before Chaeyoung straightened up, giving Nayeon a smile and a wave. Nayeon smiled back, laughing lightly when Dahyun turned to flip her off.

“I’ll text you two later!”

“You better!”

Nayeon shook her head and laughed to herself as they left her sight. She was so very glad that they had both ended up coming to the same school as her.

“I like them.” Jeongyeon’s voice interrupted her musings, and she turned to see Jeongyeon looking where Chaeyoung and Dahyun had been, a small smile on her face.

“They’re pretty great,” Nayeon said, unable to hold back a grin. “I’ve known them since we were kids. Can’t quite imagine my life without them, you know?”

Jeongyeon nodded. “I get that.”

Silence settled between them, and Nayeon felt no urge to break it. In this moment, she was content.

Chaeyoung and Dahyun had always been a bright spot in her life, the mere sight of them enough to comfort her and bring a smile to her face.

And she was here with Jeongyeon, whose presence Nayeon found more and more welcoming by the day. They were surrounded by scattered notes and pencils, sitting in the middle of their university’s busy library, and all Nayeon really wanted to do right now was continue to exist in this moment, lab report be damned.

She wondered if Jeongyeon knew how pretty she was when she smiled.

“So I have to admit, I’m kind of curious about this whole mascot thing.”

She also wondered if Jeongyeon knew she was one of the most insufferable people she’d ever met, with that ridiculous lopsided smile and even more ridiculous glasses and offensively ridiculous hair that Nayeon kind of wanted to run her fingers through.

“Fuck you,” Nayeon shot back, pointedly turning to look at her laptop. She started typing, not quite sure if what she was writing was making sense but sure that it was better than her just staring at her lab partner.

Jeongyeon let out another laugh, and Nayeon felt something catch in her chest.

Ridiculous.

//

The Elder
[4:32 PM] You two free tonight after practice? We should grab dinner.

Nuisance #2
[4:32 PM] count me innnnnnn
[4:32 PM] you’re paying, right? =D

The Elder
[4:33 PM] If I must.

Nuisance #2
[4:34 PM] yay! thank you for taking pity on sad college freshwomen

Nuisance #1
[4:34 PM] Sounds good to me =] Maybe this time Chae and I can actually show you our hard work (T.T)

The Elder
[4:36 PM] 1. I don’t have a crush on the mascot. 2. I’ll find out my own way if I want to find out.

Nuisance #1
[4:36 PM] Spoilsport. Also, jsyk, Chae and I will also extend our matchmaking services if there’s someone else you have your eye on. Just, like, you know, if that’s a thing you want.

The Elder
[4:37 PM] Tempting. But I’m good, thanks.

Nuisance #1
[4:38 PM] mmmm. kk. But if you change your mind you know where to find us!

//

Wednesday

“Hey, Jihyo. I know you’re busy with homework but I have a quick question.”

“What? Make it quick, Jeong.”

“There’s these two people in my orgo class that are paired together as lab partners, and one of them has a crush on the other. That’s bad, right? Like, having a crush on your lab partner can only lead to trouble?”

“Not the worst thing, I guess. As long as the grades are good, what’s the harm?”

“Right. Okay, thanks! Have fun with your whatever-you’re-working-on.”

“Biostatistics.”

“Unfortunate. Well, have fun with your biostatistics, then!”

//

Thursday

In Jeongyeon’s thoroughly unqualified opinion, this lab had been their most successful. The work had been split almost evenly between them, and she had yet to spill anything.

Granted, she caught Nayeon looking over at her every ten minutes or so, but still. She had managed to successfully assist in extracting caffeine from tea leaves.

It was almost strange, the shaky confidence that she was beginning to acquire with organic chemistry. Memories of her freshman year classes came back to her with ease now, and she was able to follow along with Nayeon’s explanations pretty well.

There was a test next week that would show her where she really stood, but for now Jeongyeon was comfortable with being able to turn in a vial holding pure caffeine crystals to her professor.

She turned and began heading back to their lab table, almost stopping herself short when she saw Nayeon pulling her hair out of her ponytail. She kept herself moving, unwilling to be distracted by such a simple gesture.

During lab, she had managed to reign in her newly discovered tendency to be distracted by Nayeon. The discussion about the mascot on Tuesday had almost given her a heart attack, but once Nayeon had explained that it was nothing more than a friendly interaction her friends had blown out of proportion, Jeongyeon was able to settle comfortably into the fact that her small crush was one-sided from every angle.

It was easier that way. She didn’t have to worry about eventually feeling the pressure to do anything. She could just have fun with the fact that she had a harmless crush on someone she got to spend time with.

“So,” Nayeon said, smirk dancing around her lips, “looks like we finally got through a lab without incident.”

Even if that someone loved teasing her every chance she got.

Nayeon moved ever so slightly closer before speaking again, and Jeongyeon couldn’t help but get slightly excited, several retorts already running through her mind. “I should’ve known from the moment you walked into the room that the the secret to a seamless lab is to have it be about your precious caffeine.”

“Actually, I think it was because you were quiet most of the lab. Without your grating voice, my mind was able to working smoothly.”

Nayeon’s eyes flashed, and she leaned in closer, her face now only a few inches away from Jeongyeon’s. Jeongyeon looked away on instinct, a touch overwhelmed at the proximity. Her eyes caught sight of the clock on the wall, and panic took hold immediately.

She looked back at Nayeon, who had pulled back and was now looking at her in confusion. She turned to see what Jeongyeon had been looking at, and when she turned back around, it was clear she had understood.

“Your thing?”

“Yeah, sorry! It’s a really important one today.”

“No worries. I can insult you later. We still good to meet at 9 tomorrow morning at my place to start the report? I’ll text you the address.”

“Yes! I’ll see you then.”

Jeongyeon gathered her things and raced out the door and down the hallway. As much as she would’ve loved to have stayed and seen where their conversation would’ve gone, she really needed all the time she could get for this one.

It was possible that she may have set the bar a little too high today, but she’d be damned if she didn’t try to clear it.

//

“Is anyone in here,” Nayeon called out as she pushed open the door to the locker room. She’d be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t hoping to run into a familiar costumed face.

They had wrapped up the lab early, and Nayeon had made her way over to the field, content to watch Chaeyoung and Dahyun go through warm up exercises.

But then some players had gotten into a water fight and suddenly Chaeyoung was running over to the stands, begging for Nayeon to go into the locker room for her and get her an extra pair of socks.

Nayeon had relented after a few half-hearted protests, and now here she was, looking around the locker room and half-hoping she’d see a weird costume pop out.

“You know,” a voice called out, and Nayeon turned her head to try and pin down the source. “If you keep running into me in the locker room, I’m going to have to consider that you’re doing this on purpose.”

Nayeon smiled. So the mascot was in here.

“You’re right. I enjoy getting the chance to make fun of your costumes in private. What is it this week? A piece of bread?”

“Nope.”

Nayeon moved closer to the row of lockers on the far side of the room. Chaeyoung’s locker was in the opposite direction, but she had another mission now.

“Boo!”

Nayeon screamed as a dark shape jumped out from behind the lockers, and she screamed again when she got a look at the mascot’s face. Her heart rate skyrocketed at the sight of a black and white face.

The mascot doubled over immediately, muffling the noise coming from her mouth, but the shaking of her shoulders told Nayeon exactly how hard the mascot was laughing.

“You asshole,” she shouted, trying to control the pounding of her heart. She reached out and smacked the mascot’s shoulder, but the mascot stayed bent over for another fifteen seconds before straightening up.

Her eyes were wide with excitement, and the grin on her face was almost enough to wipe away the annoyance Nayeon felt.

“Ah, sorry,” the mascot said, not looking sorry in the slightest. “I couldn’t resist.”

“I preferred when you were a lollipop,” Nayeon muttered running her eyes over the costume. If not for the makeup on the mascot’s face, this would be the simplest look yet, consisting mostly of a black robe and gloves.

“For what it’s worth, some of the players also screamed when they saw me.”

“Shocking.”

Nayeon let her eyes linger on the mascot’s face, and she tried to pick out any sort of defining feature, but her eyes couldn’t process much beyond the paint. She felt another jolt of surprise when she took in the mascot’s hair, pulled back into a ponytail.

“How many wigs do you own,” Nayeon asked, unable to help herself.

“Only the blonde one. This is my actual hair.”

“Oh,” Nayeon said, wanting to smack herself in the face. She had spent the last week assuming the mascot was a blonde with short hair.

She wondered if Chaeyoung and Dahyun had this recorded correctly in their “investigation document”.

“So why this costume, then? Do you just enjoy terrifying people?”

“A little.” The mascot smiled at her again. “But it’s actually because my ex is on the team we’re playing tonight, and this character used to give her nightmares as a child.”

Nayeon’s heart, which had finally begun to settle down, picked up speed again as the mascot casually revealed she had dated a woman. That was good to know.

It would definitely help Chaeyoung and Dahyun with their mission of discovering the mascot’s identity.

“That feels like cheating.”

The mascot shrugged. “Nothing in the rulebook against psychological warfare.”

Nayeon rolled her eyes, unable to muster a response.

Silence filled the space between them, and Nayeon tried to think of something to say. She didn’t really have a reason to be lingering in the locker room. Chaeyoung had probably expected her new socks to be in her hands four minutes ago, but she didn't want to leave just yet.

“Are you going to the party later tonight,” Nayeon asked, remembering the invite Jihyo had texted her earlier today.

“You mean the ‘mood-booster’? Yeah, I’ll be there, but in full mascot costume. So don’t go expecting any hints!” The mascot finished her sentence by playfully wagging her finger in front of Nayeon, and she started to fight the urge to slap it away before realizing that she didn’t have to.

Nayeon moved a step closer as she swatted away the offending digit, and the slight widening of the mascot’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed.

“I have another question,” Nayeon said, drawing out her words slightly. “What exactly does someone have to do to get you out of your mascot costume? Is there a secret?”

The mascot’s eyes widened again, and Nayeon heard a slight intake of breath before the mascot responded. “What do you mean what would someone have to do?”

Nayeon smirked as she heard the slightly higher pitched response. About time she had the upper hand during one of their talks.

“I mean—” Nayeon stepped closer, fingers reaching out to catch the edge of the mascot’s outfit. “How hard would it be for me to see you out of this costume?”

The mascot stuttered, no proper words forming, and Nayeon wished that she could see her bare face. She had a feeling there’d be a blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Nayeon!”

Nayeon stepped back, both her and the mascot jolting in surprise when Jihyo’s voice echoed throughout the locker room.

“Nayeon, are you in here? Chaeyoung said you left ten minutes ago to get her socks and didn’t come back.”

“Sorry, Jihyo,” Nayeon called back, not breaking eye contact with the mascot. “I got distracted by something. I’ll grab Chae’s socks and be right out.”

“Maybe you can answer my question when I see you at the party.” Nayeon winked at the mascot before turning and making her way to Chaeyoung’s locker, extremely pleased at the exchange.

She most certainly did not have a crush on the mascot, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have fun flirting with her.

//

Jeongyeon sunk onto her bed with a sigh, relaxing into a familiar, people-free space. The noise from the party outside was filtering in, but the music and voices were muffled enough that Jeongyeon could feel mostly alone.

Normally, Jeongyeon would be right in the thick of things, meeting new people and eliciting laughs as often as she could, but this party was slightly different.

For starters, she was in her stupid costume, which had gotten too hot about an hour into things, but she refused to remove it. She had allowed her hood to fall down while dancing, but that was as far as she would go.

She had even left her gloves on, though those were now being removed.

To make matters even more complicated, she had done her best to avoid Nayeon at all costs during the evening. Thankfully, the presence of the entire women’s soccer team in her and Jihyo’s apartment meant that there had been plenty of people to hide behind.

Nayeon hadn’t tried to hunt her down, not yet any way, but the other woman had caught her eye at one point, sending her a wink that made Jeongyeon’s face heat up.

She kept thinking back to their locker room encounter earlier in the day, and then she kept pushing it away, reminding herself that Nayeon had said her talks with the mascot were just for fun.

But still.

Jeongyeon had liked how Nayeon was looking at her, had enjoyed the heated gaze and half-whispered words.

She liked less how she had been reduced to a flustered mess, but she’d take what she could get.

The thing that had been the final straw, that had sent her all but jogging towards her room, was seeing Nayeon with her friends.

Jeongyeon had been moving through the crowd, stopping for brief conversations and making sure everyone was having fun, when she heard Nayeon’s laughter nearby.

She had turned, and that had been her undoing.

She grunted and shook her head, trying to get herself to focus on something else so that she could get herself under control.

But it was no use.

The memory swept her away, and Jeongyeon was unable to resist. 

Nayeon had been talking with Momo and Sana, and her head was thrown back in laughter, arms reaching out to steady herself on Momo.

And Jeongyeon had been hit with the undeniable urge to go be near her, to be part of what was making Nayeon so happy.

The three women had continued talking, and Jeongyeon had just stood there, not minding that she was being jostled by the crowd.

She felt it, that familiar tug in her gut and tingling in her chest. She knew then, with striking clarity, that what she was feeling for Nayeon was more than a harmless crush.

She’d had many an infatuation, and those were full of heart-fluttering smiles and rapid heart beats.

But this, this desire to be near Nayeon for no other reason than to be there, well. Jeongyeon had experienced that with far fewer people.

She wanted to pull Nayeon close, feel Nayeon in her arms and know that Nayeon felt the same way.

She wanted those things, but she wanted them as Yoo Jeongyeon, not as a costumed individual that Nayeon barely knew.

And so she had fled, needing a respite, however brief from the realization that had dawned on her.

“This fucking sucks,” Jeongyeon muttered, raising her arm towards the ceiling and letting it fall over her eyes. “Ugh!”

She sat up, unwilling to let herself sink any further into this while a party was going on outside of her room.

She strode towards the door, determined to not let Nayeon throw her evening this off kilter.

It was only luck in her timing that saved her from being smacked in the face by her bedroom door as it flew open.

And it was only her terrible luck that Im Nayeon was the person who had pushed said door open.

Nayeon’s eyes widened in surprise, and she stumbled back a few steps. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry! I was just trying to find the bathroom, and I was pretty sure it was this door but—,” Nayeon paused as she took a step closer and peered over Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “— this does not appear to be the bathroom.”

“No,” Jeongyeon chuckled, shifting back and forth on her feet, “it’s m—it’s Jihyo’s roommate’s. Jihyo said I could step in here for a second to cool down. This costume is hot, and I guess her roommate is at a friend’s place.”

Nayeon’s eyes sharpened, and Jeongyeon realized that she had just offered herself up on a silver platter.

“So, to get you out of your costume, I just have to—,”

“Let me show you where the bathroom is,” Jeongyeon interrupted, stepping forward in the hopes that Nayeon would follow her lead.

Nayeon pouted. “You’re no fun.”

“And you’re drunk and need to use the bathroom.”

“I’m not drunk. I’m tipsy,” Nayeon declared, finally moving out of the doorway. “But I do need to find a bathroom.”

Jeongyeon didn’t risk saying anything else, and she stepped past Nayeon, ignoring the way the other woman’s fingers dragged along her outfit as she did.

“It’s the next door. You can’t miss it because you run out of hallway.”

“Thank you,” Nayeon exclaimed. “Wait out here for me, okay?”

Jeongyeon didn’t have time to respond before Nayeon was darting past her and into the bathroom.

“Why me,” Jeongyeon muttered as she slumped against the wall. Sure, she could slip back into the party, but she had a feeling Nayeon would come find her anyway, likely lambasting her for leaving.

She jumped at a pressure on her shoulder, relaxing when she turned and saw that it was just Tzuyu.

“You okay? Jihyo mentioned that you had gone to your room. It’s not like you to leave a party early.”

“I’m okay. Just hot.” Jeongyeon straightened up and shot Tzuyu a smile. “I’ll be back out there in a few. I’m just waiting for —”

“Mascot!” Chaeyoung seemed to appear out of nowhere, throwing her arms around her shoulders and pulling Jeongyeon into a hug that didn’t even last long enough for Jeongyeon to think about returning it.

“You were amazing today! That move you did with the —,” Chaeyoung illustrated her words by imitating some steps Jeongyeon had done during the game, albeit a slightly more drunken version, “— was amazing! Everyone on the bench was cracking up.”

Jeongyeon smiled, never tired about hearing how her performances affected the team. “Thanks, Chaeyoung. You played really, really well today.”

“Thanks!” Chaeyoung’s eyes landed upon Tzuyu, and she jolted slightly.

“Oh shit. Hi, Tzuyu. Was I interrupting?”

“No,” Tzuyu chuckled. “I was just saying hey.”

“Oh wow. An entire welcoming party. I’m flattered.” Nayeon appeared next to her, and Jeongyeon took a moment to congratulate herself on not reacting.

Nayeon turned to face her, and Jeongyeon had no choice but to do the same when the other woman’s hand cupped her chin. “You know, I would’ve been satisfied with just coming back to you, but I appreciate the extra effort.” Nayeon released her with a wink, and Jeongyeon cleared her throat, focusing on Tzuyu and Chaeyoung.

She didn’t miss the curious glanced they exchanged, and she definitely didn’t miss the questioning look Tzuyu gave her.

“It’s nothing,” she mouthed, and Tzuyu nodded, though she didn’t look as convinced as Jeongyeon would like.

Nayeon clapped her hands together, drawing three pairs of eyes to her. “Actually, this is perfect timing. I was going to head out because I have a meeting tomorrow morning with my lab partner. Chae, Chae's-tall-friend, can you tell everyone I said goodbye? It would take another hour to get around to everyone.”

“Sure!” Chaeyoung turned immediately, grabbing Tzuyu’s hand and dragging her back into the crowd. Tzuyu turned before she completely disappeared from view, giving Jeongyeon a wave and a look that she couldn’t quite decipher.

Great.

“And you,” Nayeon declared, poking Jeongyeon in the shoulder. “This is over tonight, but I’ll crack you eventually.”

Nayeon turned to leave, but the slight slurring of her words and uneven movements made Jeongyeon call out.

“Wait! How are you getting home?”

Nayeon turned, eyebrows raised. “I’m just walking. It’s like a fifteen minute walk from here.”

“Which way?”

“Uh, south, I think? It’s the apartments near the D-block dorms.”

“I live over that way, and I was going to head out soon. Let me walk you home.”

Jeongyeon knew it was probably best that she leave this alone. Nayeon was capable of taking care of herself, and it’s not like that path wasn’t well lit. But still.

She didn’t like the idea of Nayeon walking home by herself at night.

There was also a part of her that wouldn’t mind spending a bit more time with her.

The surprise was clear on Nayeon’s face, and Jeongyeon quickly braced herself for another flirty comment. Instead, Nayeon smiled softly, nodding her head in agreement and turning to make her way to the door without saying anything else.

Jeongyeon followed her, and they somehow made their way to the door without anyone stopping either of them.

The walk down the steps to the front door of the building was quiet as well, and Jeongyeon was hesitant to break it, used to Nayeon filling silences as she pleased.

Jeongyeon sighed as they stepped outside, the cool air welcome.

Nayeon had stopped at the bottom of the steps, and Jeongyeon turned, gesturing in the direction of her apartment. “Lead the way.”

“I just realized I’m walking home with a girl that looks like Kaonashi. Not exactly how I saw the night going.”

“Really,” Jeongyeon countered, smirking, “based on your flirting, one might assume it’s exactly how you saw the night going.”

“I—,” Nayeon stammered, looking down at the ground before meeting Jeongyeon’s eyes with her own. “You know that I’m just joking, you jerk.”

Her words were accented with a smack to her shoulder, and all Jeongyeon could do was laugh.

Nayeon started walking in the direction of her apartment, and Jeongyeon fell into step with her, aware of the fact that Nayeon was swaying slightly with every step.

“So your bark is worse than your bite, huh?” Jeongyeon tried to ignore the press of Nayeon’s shoulder into her own.

“Oh I bite,” Nayeon said, pressing her shoulder closer to Jeongyeon’s, “but only if you ask.”

Jeongyeon found herself on the end of a poorly executed wink, the only thing that saved Nayeon’s comment from hitting her as hard as it could have.

She raised her eyes to the sky and let out a short laugh, shaking her head slightly as she looked at Nayeon. “You’re one of a kind, Nayeon.”

She got no verbal response, just a coy smile.

Jeongyeon let her mind drift as they walked, though she didn’t make it far. Her thoughts seemed to orbit around the woman walking next to her. If she thought of school, she thought of Nayeon. If she thought of soccer, she thought of Nayeon.

If she tried thinking about how she wanted to spend her weekend, she thought of Nayeon.

She settled on singing a song in her head, hoping that it would distract her enough to prevent her from faltering in front of Nayeon again.

It seemed to work, and they were halfway there before they spoke again.

Nayeon lurched forward, tripping over something on the sidewalk, and Jeongyeon’s arms shot out steadying her as best she could.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Thank you. Sorry. I got distracted.”

“All good. All that’s important is that you’re okay.” Jeongyeon stepped back, hands lingering. She really just wanted to make sure Nayeon wasn’t going to fall again.

Nayeon looked at her, and Jeongyeon just looked back. It was a slightly foggy evening, and the street lights were lit, and Nayeon looked like something out of a movie.

And then one of Nayeon’s hands slid down her arm, and suddenly they were holding hands.

“Just so I don’t fall again, yeah?” Nayeon was smiling at her, and all Jeongyeon could do was nod, averting her eyes to focus on the path ahead of them.

The rest of the walk was equally quiet, leaving Jeongyeon to focus on the feeling of Nayeon’s hand in her own. She stopped at crosswalks to make sure cars weren’t coming, stepped around puddles, and noted where she was going so that she could find her way back to her actual apartment.

But that was all in the background.

Nayeon was at the front of her mind, the only thing she seemed to be able to think about, but even then it wasn’t clear sentences. She just cycled through their past interactions, let her mind wander over each smile and laugh that she could remember.

When this was over, when she dropped Nayeon off and made her way back home, she knew she’d need to process this.

But first she needed to make it through the next five minutes.

//

Never before had Nayeon so regretted arriving home after a party. The mascot’s hand was warm and soft, and sometimes her thumb would swipe over the back of Nayeon’s hand, setting off fluttering in her stomach.

She was a warm and reassuring presence on the walk back, and holding her hand had let Nayeon know that she was always there, even when she stepped farther away to avoid an obstacle or to look around a corner.

“This is me,” Nayeon sighed, reluctantly letting go of the mascot’s hand. “Thank you for walking me home. You said you’re nearby?”

“Yup,” the mascot said, nodding. “Just another minute.”

“Can you do me a favor before you leave?”

“Depends.”

“Can you take your hair down?”

“What?”

“Your hair. I have a feeling the makeup will look even more ridiculous with your hair down, and I want to see it.”

“If I do this, will you let me leave in peace?”

“Promise.”

“Okay,” the mascot sighed, and she moved to undo her ponytail.

Nayeon smiled as the mascot’s hair fell to rest on her shoulders, and she reached out, wanting to smooth out the waves the ponytail had left behind.

The mascot let out a small gasp of surprise, but she made no move to stop her.

Nayeon pushed her fingers through dark brown hair, making the bumps from the ponytail disappear with each stroke. Just as she had suspected, her hair was soft, relaxing easily under Nayeon’s ministrations.

Feeling like she had done her part, Nayeon let her fingers trail down after her last caress, fingertips dragging lightly along the back of the mascot’s neck and coming to rest near the base of her throat.

She felt the mascot swallow.

Nayeon wasn’t completely sure if it was because of the influence of the alcohol, but she was finding it harder and harder to not move closer and do something. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted, but there was an itching under her skin that was only intensifying the longer the mascot looked at her.

Nayeon knew she shouldn’t be letting her hands linger. She had told herself that there was no crushing going on here, that it was just for fun. But she found it almost impossible to take her hands away.

As she stood there, hands warming against the smooth skin beneath them, she admitted to herself that what she was feeling for the mascot was slightly more than platonic.

She blamed the singing. Though Nayeon didn’t think the other woman was aware of it, she had been singing under her breath during part of their walk, and Nayeon had been enchanted.

Until she tripped over a raised sidewalk because she hadn’t been paying attention that is.

But now she was right back in that place. The warmth that she had been associating with Jeongyeon for the better part of the week was back, and it was pushing Nayeon forward, helping her give into her impulses.

The mascot stepped back, and Nayeon’s hands fell forward, unsupported.

“I should let you go upstairs. You said you have an early morning meeting after all. Wouldn’t want to upset that lab partner of yours.”

“Yeah.” Nayeon’s hand found her pockets.

“Goodnight, Nayeon. See you around.”

“Night.”

Nayeon watched the mascot walk away, eyes straining to track the other woman's figure through the fog as well as she could. She lingered for another moment, unwilling to fully break whatever spell she had been under.

But then the mascot’s words properly registered in her mind, and she remembered that she was indeed meeting Jeongyeon in the morning.

And Jeongyeon would definitely never let her live it down if she was late. Nayeon turned to begin heading up the steps, a small smile on her lips, the warmth in her chest never wavering as she made her way inside.

//

Worth At Least Two Dogs
[11:14 PM] Tzuyuuuuuu. Any chance you could swipe me into your dorm tonight? I just realized that I can’t show up back at my apartment as the mascot. It’ll be suspicious.

Will Trade Friends for Dogs
[11:16 PM] Sure. I’m leaving in five, so I can meet you there.

//

Friday

“You forgot to underline our answers.” Nayeon jumped slightly when Jeongyeon’s voice broke the silence.

“I thought we just had to bold them.”

“We have to bold and underline them.”

“This is so stupid,” Nayeon whined, letting her head fall on Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “Why does he have so many rules?”

“It’s the same amount of rules as last time.”

“Yes, but you did the formatting last time,” Nayeon sighed.

Jeongyeon laughed, and Nayeon shifted her head slightly.

Her eyes caught on something, and she moved her head back, reaching forward to touch a white patch of skin under Jeongyeon’s ear.

“You have something white here. Do you paint or something?”

Jeongyeon stiffened immediately, hand flying up to cover the spot Nayeon was pointing at. “Oh. Yeah! I was helping Tzuyu paint.”

Nayeon was almost certain that Jeongyeon had never mentioned that name before, but something about it rang familiar. “Tzuyu?”

“Yup!” Jeongyeon had relaxed now, her shoulders lowering and hand falling to rest in her lap. “She likes to randomly paint sometimes, and who am I to say no if she wants help? She’s basically family.”

Nayeon nodded, still feeling like she was missing something. “Have you mentioned Tzuyu before?”

“I don’t think so,” Jeongyeon said. “She’s basically to me what Chaeyoung and Dahyun are to you. Actually, she’s on the soccer team, so you might have already met her.”

“Oh my god,” Nayeon exclaimed. “She’s the tall one, right? Looks like she should be on the cover of a magazine? I think I met her at a party last night!"

“That’s the one! I’m sure she’ll get there someday with soccer if she wants,” Jeongyeon declared, leaning back on the couch with a proud smile.

Nayeon opened her mouth to respond when a thought struck her. “Hold on a second. If Tzuyu is so important to you, why aren’t you at the games?”

“I—,”

“What commitment could be more pressing than that? Have you been to any of her games yet?”

The nervousness on Jeongyeon’s face caused her to press further with her questions. She knew there were countless things that could cause Jeongyeon to miss the soccer games, but she wasn’t sure which of those things would be the reason Jeongyeon looked so scared.

“Well, you see—,” Jeongyeon stammered, reaching up to adjust her glasses. “I actually have—,”

The sound of the door to the apartment opening drew their attention, and Momo and Mina walked in before Nayeon could try and get Jeongyeon to continue.

They both stopped at the sight of someone new in the apartment, and Nayeon stood, prepared to make introductions.

But Jeongyeon beat her too it.

“Myoui Mina? Is that you,” Jeongyeon asked, pure surprise in her voice. Jeongyeon got up and made her way around the couch, passing right by an equally surprised Nayeon and Momo.

“Jeongyeon! Hey! It’s good to see you.” Mina pulled Jeongyeon into a hug that was easily returned, and Nayeon felt like someone had reached inside her chest and left ice behind.

She realized then that she had never actually hugged Jeongyeon before. Jeongyeon gave off a slightly aloof demeanor at times, one that led Nayeon to believe she preferred not to be randomly pulled into hugs.

But here was Mina, now talking to a widely smiling Jeongyeon, arms still loosely wrapped around the other girl’s shoulders. She couldn’t hear what they were saying anymore, but it definitely looked like they were getting along.

She had never heard either of them mention the other.

She snapped out of it when Momo’s arms slipped around her waist, chin settling on Nayeon’s shoulder.

“Looks like my nerd and your nerd are friends,” she muttered.

Nayeon scoffed. “Jeongyeon is not ‘my nerd’. She’s my lab partner.”

“Huh. Didn’t realize Tzuyu’s friend was your lab partner. Also, I said what I said.” Momo stepped back, and Nayeon turned to face her. “From what I heard before I came over to see why you looked so grumpy, they had a class together a year or two ago.”

“Oh, okay. Also, what do you mean I look grumpy?”

Momo shrugged, dropping onto the couch and letting out a happy sigh. “I don’t know. You just looked grumpy. Did you get upset because you knew Mina and I were coming back from a morning workout and you hate thinking about exercise?”

“That’s exactly the reason,” Nayeon laughed.

Approaching footsteps drew her attention, and she looked up to see Mina and Jeongyeon coming closer.

“Hi. Sorry for just moving right by you, Momo,” Jeongyeon apologized. “I just wasn’t expecting to see Mina here.”

“All good, Jeongyeon,” Momo answered, smiling. “I too find myself ignoring other people for Mina.”

Nayeon and Jeongyeon laughed as Mina moved to stand behind her girlfriend, reaching down to swat at her head.

“Momo, we should go to your room and leave these two alone. It looks like they’re trying to do work.”

“Mina,” Momo whined, leaning her head back to make direct eye-contact, “you know Nayeon can do lab reports in her sleep. You guys don’t mind if we hang out for a bit, right? I really don’t want to move.”

Nayeon looked to Jeongyeon, who gave her a shrug and a small smile.

“Fine with us. We made pretty decent progress with the report. It’s mostly just formatting stuff at this point.”

Momo let out a small cheer and sunk further into the couch. She looked around and gestured for everyone to join her.

Nayeon settled on the other end of the couch, a very small jolt of happiness running through her when Jeongyeon took the space next to her.

“Okay, so there’s this story I need to tell you about this guy we ran into at the gym today. The summary is that I ended up bench pressing more than him and it looked like he was going to cry, but it all started when I went to go grab some water from the locker room…”

Nayeon couldn’t help but glance at Jeongyeon while Momo was telling her story, and what she saw made her want to throw her arms around the other woman.

Jeongyeon was completely focused on Momo as she told her story, laughing and cheering in all the right places.

It wasn’t that she was explicitly planning for Jeongyeon to be in her life long-term, but it was still extremely heart-warming to see her getting along so well with her friends.

It would make the rest of the semester that much smoother.

That’s all.

//

“So we’re all set until lab,” Nayeon asked as Jeongyeon checked her bag one last time to make sure she had everything.

“Yup,” Jeongyeon confirmed. “The lab report is done and dusted, and we did the pre-lab questions.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

Jeongyeon opened her mouth to reply, but then it snapped shut. She shook her head once before giving Nayeon a smile, and Nayeon suddenly felt like she was experiencing deja vu.

“Until next time! Bye Nayeon.” Jeongyeon reached forward, arms open, and Nayeon was suddenly being hugged.

It was quick, though, and she had barely had time to return it before Jeongyeon was pulling away, giving her a wave before opening the door and disappearing down the stairs.

She let her hands fall, slipping them into her pockets.

So that was what a Jeongyeon hug was like, too quick to even properly process.

It was fitting, she supposed. It suited the woman that had kept her on her toes since day one, though Nayeon wished that Jeongyeon would let her catch up and linger just once.

Nayeon smiled to herself as it hit her that Jeongyeon had been the one to initiate this new milestone. She’d have to try hugging her lab partner the next time she saw her.

Just for her own curiosity.

//

Saturday

Jeongyeon pulled her hand back, resting her head on Jihyo’s door with a sigh.

She knew Jihyo was definitely still awake, and she also knew she needed to tell someone about this. But that didn’t mean it was easy.

Jeongyeon counted to three and knocked before she could stop herself. She heard Jihyo acknowledge her and opened the door, slipping in before shutting it behind her.

As she expected, Jihyo was awake, open book on her lap and illuminated only by the lamp next to her.

“Are you okay,” Jihyo asked, closing the book and placing it on her bedside table.

“Mostly,” Jeongyeon said, moving to sit on the edge of Jihyo’s bed.

The words were simple. There were eight of them, yet Jeongyeon couldn’t get herself to speak.

She dropped her gaze to her lap and fiddled with her hands, mouth opening and closing before she eventually gave up with a sigh.

She raised her eyes, meeting Jihyo’s patient yet expectant gaze.

“You’re going to think I’m dumb.”

“I already think you’re dumb.”

“You’re going to think I’m even dumber.”

“Impossible.”

Jeongyeon swatted at Jihyo’s leg, scowling.

“Do you remember that quick conversation we had earlier this week about how this person had a crush on their lab partner in my class?”

“Not at all.”

“Wait, really?”

“Really.”

“Oh. Huh. Well I don’t know if that makes this easier or harder, but —,” Jeongyeon paused to collect herself, “I think I’m falling for my lab partner.”

“Oh,” Jihyo said, brow furrowing. “Now I really wish I had remembered that conversation.”

“I don’t,” Jeongyeon chuckled. “I was just fishing for answers without actually admitting to anything.”

“Is it serious?”

“I don't think it's anything for her, but I think it’s becoming something serious for me.” Jeongyeon hated how morose her voice sounded.

She felt the bed shift underneath her, and then Jihyo’s arms were loosely wrapped around her, head resting on Jeongyeon’s shoulder.

“Do you want to talk about it more?”

“No. Not really. Not yet.”

“Okay. Want to have a sleepover?”

“Sure, but only because it’s late and I’m too tired to move.”

“Whatever you say, Yoo Jeongyeon.”

//

Nayeon took a deep breath, eyes springing open as she realized that she was in fact still in bed. She took another deep breath, trying to calm her heart rate as she processed the dream she had just had.

She wasn’t completely clear on what she had been dreaming of, the fine details already slipping away from her, but there were a few things she was undoubtedly sure of.

There had been two people in her dream, herself and another woman. They were walking. Nayeon wasn’t sure where they had been going, but it was nice. The scenery had shifted between forests and beaches and mountains, but the person next to her stayed the same.

And then things completely changed. They were inside, sitting in a nondescript cafe, feet tangled under the table and hands intertwined above it.

Nayeon remembered laughter, coming both from her and the woman she was sitting with. And she remembered leaning across the table, pressing her lips against those of the woman across from her.

It had felt so real. Nayeon ran her fingertips lightly against her lips. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine that she was still there, the other woman’s smile pressed into her own.

And then she had pulled back from the kiss.

And Nayeon had suddenly recognized who was sitting across from her.

There, in all her glory, was Yoo Jeongyeon.

Her lab partner.

Her lab partner who had taken to texting her stupid jokes that made her smile despite herself. Her lab partner that always brought her hot chocolate, even though Nayeon had told her she didn’t need to.

Her lab partner who —Nayeon felt that ball of warmth crack open in her chest— laughed without restraint, who understood her love for Chaeyoung and Dahyun so well because she too had found her own family.

Jeongyeon had challenged her when Nayeon expected her to back down, had proven herself to be competent where Nayeon thought she would falter.

And most importantly, Jeongyeon hadn’t indicated in the slightest that she had any interest in Nayeon romantically.

“Shit.”

Chapter Text

Sunday

Jeongyeon startled awake, eyes struggling to stay open as she dealt with sudden wakefulness. She kept them open just long enough to confirm that her room was pitch black before letting them fall shut.

She could still feel the warm headiness of sleep, wanted to slip back under the silky haze, but something was keeping her awake. She tried to cast her mind back to the moment when she had woken up.

What had caused that?

She curled tighter into her covers, welcoming the soft fabric as it pressed into her forehead. She inhaled, briefly wondering when she had changed her fabric softener.

Why was she awake?

She slowly lengthened her awareness down her body, taking in the comforting weight of the blankets covering her and the fact that her arm was hanging over the side of the bed, exposed to the cool air. She tried to lift it but gave up after a few seconds. Her arm was so heavy.

She just wanted to go back to sleep.

She paused her mental scan when she realized that her shin hurt. Jeongyeon flexed her foot slightly, internally wincing at the pain that echoed up her leg.

She tried to sit up, concern piercing the veil of sleep.

Had she injured herself yesterday?

She paused when she didn’t sit up as easily as she thought she would. Her blankets were weighing her down more than they normally did. Jeongyeon wrenched her eyes open, shaking her head.

She looked down at the arm across her stomach and immediately let herself fall back into bed, a heavy sigh accompanying her fall.

She moved her leg over slightly, suspicions confirmed when she bumped into a foot that was decidedly not hers.

She remembered now. She had told Jihyo about her crush on Nayeon last night, and then she had proceeded to lay in Jihyo’s bed, listening to her go on about some new drills she was working on for the soccer team.

It had been nice, having something else to focus on besides the fact that even thinking about Nayeon made her palms start sweating. She had fallen asleep like that, Jihyo’s voice in her ears and endlessly grateful to the woman she got to call her best friend.

The images flooded her brain before she could stop them.

Seeing Nayeon for the first time, stern and beautiful.

A fuzzy blur and a teasing laugh

Teasing glances and winks across a crowded room.

Nayeon backlit by a streetlight, cheeks red from the evening chill, hands in her hair and dragging down her neck and looking like—

Looking like she was about to—

Jeongyeon flipped onto her side with a huff, wrenching herself away from a train of thought that could only end in a fiery explosion.

Nayeon hadn’t wanted to kiss her. She was swaying slightly because of the drinks she had had. Nayeon had been swaying on the walk home. That’s why she had started leaning forward.

The memory of Nayeon’s eyes dropping to her lips flashed through her mind.

She pushed it away.

Even if Nayeon had been going in to kiss her, it was to kiss the soccer team’s mascot, not her wayward lab partner.

Nayeon’s hand had fit so nicely into hers, and —

Jeongyeon lurched forward to curl tighter into the covers, immediately snapping backwards when pain exploded across her forehead.

Her eyes flew open and confirmed what she already knew: she had just accidentally headbutted a sleeping Jihyo.

She held her breath, slowly moving her hand up to poke at her forehead.

Jeongyeon let out a sigh after a few moments when Jihyo failed to show signs of being woken up, wincing when she brushed over the sore spot on her head.

Okay, so she wasn’t bleeding.

Jeongyeon took a deep breath, giving herself a just a few more seconds to think about Nayeon.

She exhaled, pushing it away. She could deal with this in the morning.

For now, sleep.

//

Nayeon fought back a yell as she looked at her clock and saw that it was only 5:03 in the morning.

She had slept terribly, attempts at sleep plagued with hazy, half-formed images of Jeongyeon that would send her jolting into wakefulness.

It was infuriating, and exhausting, and Nayeon really fucking wished she could’ve just had a weird crush on the soccer team’s mascot and left it at that.

But no. Here she was. At five in the morning. Awake. Because she couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to hug Jeongyeon properly.

She'd be less frustrated if she was having a sex dream like a normal person, but instead she was waking up, heart pounding, because she was dreaming of being in Jeongyeon's arms.

It would be nice. And warm. And comforting. Because against everything Nayeon had originally thought of her, Jeongyeon was all of those things. And more.

Nayeon smiled to herself as she thought about how fun it was to just speak with Jeongyeon, hear whatever the other woman had to say.

The verbal sparring was nice, but Nayeon found herself just as content to listen to Jeongyeon ramble on about some journal article she was reading for class.

She relaxed into her mattress, letting the idea dance around in her head for just a few more seconds.

It’s when her mind finally, finally let go of the thought of just holding Jeongyeon and moved onto thinking about slipping her hands under whatever stupid hoodie Jeongyeon would be wearing and pulling back from the hug to kiss her that Nayeon decided to just give up on the idea of sleep at this point.

She rolled out of bed with force, ignoring the heat blossoming on her cheeks and determined to spend at least a few minutes of her morning not dwelling on the fact that she suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about her ridiculous lab partner.

She made her way down the hall, doing her best to avoid the squeaky floorboards that she knew would wake Sana up. She was tired and had a headache, but she thankfully managed to pull it off.

As she caught sight of someone in her kitchen, her its-five-in-the-morning-everyone-should-be-asleep-kitchen, any semblance of tiredness left in her evaporated. Nayeon let out a yell before she could stop herself, socked feet slipping ever so slightly on the hardwood floor as she backed into the wall.

The figure sitting at the table turned to look at her, letting out a squeak of her own.

Though her heart was now trying to escape her chest and launch itself into orbit, Nayeon immediately felt herself relax as she registered the person in her kitchen at five o’clock in the morning.

“Do you ever step foot into your own apartment,” Nayeon asked, surprise coloring her tone.

Mina laughed softly, shrugging at Nayeon before returning her gaze to her tea.

Nayeon moved closer to the table, eyes scanning Mina to make sure nothing was wrong. She didn't look particularly sad, and Nayeon couldn't detect any signs of stress in the lines of Mina's shoulders.

“I prefer the place that actually feels like home,” Mina murmured, giving Nayeon a slow smile.

Nayeon blamed the feeling in her chest on her lack of the sleep, this sudden urge to pull Mina out of her chair and into the world’s tightest hug hitting her with the force of a hurricane. She might've done it, too, if not for the fact that doing so would’ve felt like too much for this time of day.

There was a stillness to the morning, and Mina seemed perfectly suited to it. The sun, barely beginning to slip in through the window shades, seemed to settle contently around her, every movement cradled by the soft light.

Her hair was swept back into a messy bun, and she was wearing a shirt that Nayeon knew Momo had gotten during a dance competition freshman year.

Held between her hands was an ornately decorated tea cup, one that stood in stark contrast to the plain white ones that were in the cabinet. Momo had gotten it for her about a year ago, claiming, half-teasing half-sincere that her ‘fancy girlfriend needed a fancy cup’. Mina had acted mortified at the time, but Nayeon knew it was the only tea cup she used.

The sound of Mina’s cup hitting the table jolted her out of her nostalgic haze, and Nayeon spoke quickly. It was far too early in the morning for the feeling brewing in her chest. This feeling, this need to gather her most precious people close and tell them, sincerely, how important they were to her, was meant for moments tucked in the dark, found between gasping laughter and 2 am conversations.

“Well, if you’re going to move yourself into my apartment when you have a perfectly good penthouse —” Mina rolled her eyes, and Nayeon had to hold back a smile, “— the least you could do is drink your own tea.”

“This is Momo’s tea,” Mina said, looking down at her cup and then back up to Nayeon, brows furrowed.

“Nope.” Nayeon reached over and picked up the box Mina had used, turning it and pointing to a small ‘N’ in one of the corners.

“Momo has a habit of food stealing. You should know this by now,” Nayeon teased, tapping Mina on the shoulder with the box.

Mina’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “I’m so sorry! I can buy you a new box—"

Nayeon cut Mina off with a wave of her hand and a laugh. “You’re good, Mina. You make up for it every time you come over here with bags of groceries and pretend that you just ‘accidentally bought too much food’.”

Mina’s cheeks pinked as her eyes dropped to the table. “Like you said, I’m over here all the time anyway. I might as well pull my weight.”

Nayeon hummed in response, taking a seat at the table before speaking again. “Well, if you really want to make the tea up to me, I could go for a trip to Hawaii via private jet.”

Mina scowled, the effect dampened by the red Nayeon could see creeping up the back of her neck. “Please let that go.”

“Nope.”

“It was months ago.”

“Well, Momo talks about it like it was yesterday!”

“She does?”

Nayeon rolled her eyes at the lovestruck smile now on Mina face. “Gross. The both of you.”

Mina just nudged Nayeon with her foot, letting the stillness of the morning settle around them once more.

Nayeon leaned forward and put her arms on the table, using them to cushion her head. Her eyes drifted over the apartment, lingering on old photographs and mementos.

Nayeon wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Mina spoke again,

“Why are you awake? I got up because Momo was dancing in her sleep again, but I’ve never seen you out of your room before 7.”

But as she remembered why exactly she was up so early, she wished the other woman had taken just a bit longer with her question.

“Just couldn’t sleep.”

Mina acknowledged her response with a small nod, returning her attention to her drink.

The reminder of what she had ran from was making Nayeon restless, and she could feel that same nervous energy that had kept her from sleeping come creeping back in.

“Do you want to go on a walk with me?”

Mina’s head snapped up, surprise clear on her face. “You want to go on a walk at,” Mina checked the clock above the stove, “5:36am?”

Nayeon smiled playfully and nodded. “Consider it payment for the tea.”

“I thought the groceries were payment for the tea,” Mina replied, already standing up.

“Changed my mind. Maybe I want to start exercising.”

The laugh that left Mina’s lips would get anyone else a smack to the shoulder, but Nayeon was unable to do anything but let a few giggles slip through.

“Or maybe I just feel restless,” Nayeon said once they had both stopped laughing. “You don’t have to come.”

Mina shook her head, moving over to the sink to place her cup in it. “No, no. I’ll join you. We should get dressed and then head out.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

//

The stone beneath her thighs was pleasantly warm, a welcome contrast to the slightly chilly morning air. The sensation was a nice one, even with the rough surface of the wall scratching her every time she shifted. Her eyes drifted over the buildings on the opposite side of the common, marveling at how different campus looked this early in the morning.

And then, when Nayeon had done her third scan of the central commons, she finally turned her gaze to the person she had been avoiding eye contact with since they took a seat.

She looked over at Mina quickly, eyes darting away when she saw Mina's familiar brown eyes gazing patiently at her. Nayeon heard Mina shift slightly next to her and knew that she was curious as to why Nayeon was acting so skittish.

Nayeon took a deep breath and forced herself to ask the question that had been on her lips ever since they stepped foot out of the apartment.

“Have you ever had a crush on two people at once?”

Nayeon looked at Mina out of the corner of her eye and waited for an answer. She needed to hear Mina’s answer, needed to know if this was as ridiculous as it felt.

Mina sighed, looking down at her shoes and bumping her heel against the wall.

Nayeon felt weightless and chalked it up to her lack of sleep.

“Freshman yeah I had a crush on Momo and Sana at the same time.”

Nayeon jolted forward, just barely managing to keep herself upright on the wall.

She’d have scrapes on her hands for days, but she couldn’t find it in her to care as she gaped at a sheepish Mina.

“I had a crush on Sana for a while, and I was finally starting to get over it when I looked at Momo one day and had an ‘Oh’ moment.”

“Holy shit,” Nayeon whispered in disbelief. “That’s wild.”

“Is it,” Mina asked, laughing. “You’ve met both of them."

“Okay, fair,” Nayeon conceded. “But still! Does Momo know?”

“She does. She thought it was hilarious. She, and I'm telling the truth, was shouting about it so much when I told her that Sana overheard and found out.”

“No,” Nayeon gasped, laughter beginning to bubble in her throat.

“Yes,” Mina exclaimed, giggles of her own starting. “Sana took it wonderfully, but also still teases me about it from time to time.”

“Of course.”

They spent the next several minutes rehashing the moment that Sana found out, and by the end of it, Nayeon had tears in her eyes.

Eventually, they both got a hold of themselves, and silence grew between them once more.

Nayeon could feel Mina looking at her now, eyes intently studying her face.

Nayeon knew Mina wanted to know what was going on inside her head. 

She also knew that Mina wouldn’t ask, would wait for Nayeon to speak first.

“So,” Nayeon began, “I have a crush on two people, two wildly different, people, and I don’t really know what to do about it.”

“Jeongyeon?”

Nayeon whipped her head around to face Mina, jaw dropping in surprise. “How—”

“Lucky guess.” Mina was smirking at her now, a sight as rare as it was damning. “She’s the only new person you’ve been regularly mentioning since the semester started, and I know you never keep crushes to yourself for very long.”

Nayeon sighed as Mina finished her answer, inclining her head to acknowledge the other woman’s point.

“It’s all just so…” Nayeon trailed off as she tried to find the right words. “Confusing. I guess? Normally when I have a crush, I just go for it. But now I have two.”

“Do you like one more than the other?”

“What,” Nayeon asked. “No further judgment?”

“No judgment at all. I do have another question, though. Who’s the other one?”

“You say no judgment now, but I have a feeling that’ll change when I tell you the story of the second one. The Jeongyeon situation is easy and straightforward in comparison.”

“Try me.”

“Well. It all started during your first game...”

//

Yoo Jeongyeon
[3:43 PM] Hey. Hey. Why is the soccer stadium so cold during the games?

Nayeon – Chemistry
[3:45 PM] How would you know how cold the stadium is when you never come to Tzuyu’s games?

Yoo Jeongyeon
[3:45 PM] Okay. Ouch. I was just trying to tell you a joke, but just rip my throat out why don’t you?

Nayeon – Chemistry
[3:46 PM] Oh. Sorry. Please carry on. Why is the stadium so cold?

Yoo Jeongyeon
[3:46 PM] Because of all the fans.

Nayeon – Chemistry
[3:46 PM] BYE

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[3:46 PM] Wait no!!! I was trying to soften you up for something.
[3:47 PM] Also, this is rude.

NayeOFF Her Rocker
[3:47 PM] Soften me up for what?? Wanting to dissolve into the earth because your jokes are so bad? And you’re one to talk.

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[3:50 PM] Would you…maybe…possibly…if you’re willing….go over some orgo stuff with me before the quiz on Wednesday?

NayeOFF Her Rocker
[3:51 PM] I kind of want to say no because that joke was horrendous, but if you lose that bet, that’s fifty less dollars for you to buy me hot chocolate with.

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[3:51 PM] You’re so very kind. 1 at Love Line?

NayeOFF Her Rocker
[3:51 PM] Do you actually mind if we do my place? I’m done with class by 11:30 on Tuesday, and I will be in sweatpants by 1.

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[3:52 PM] I respect that! See you then!

//

Monday

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[8:51 AM] Hey. What did one plate say to the other?
[8:51 AM] Lunch is on me.

NayeOFF Her Rocker
[8:52 AM] I literally hate you.

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[8:52 AM] =]

//

“Sana, Momo. Can we have an apartment meeting?”

“Sure! I mean, we’re already all in the kitchen.”

“What Momo said.”

“Right. Okay. So I need to tell you both something. I’m not ready to go into details about who, but I have two crushes right now and it’s driving me a bit wild.”

“Just like Mina!”

“Oh my god I had forgotten about that.”

“I- is that it? No yelling?”

“Listen, Nayeon. We know you, and we know you’re not going to talk about this until you fully want to. Momo and I will be here when you need us. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t think so. Not yet. Thank you, though.”

//

A knock and a soft “Hey” drew Nayeon’s attention from the homework in her lap, and she looked up to see Sana standing in her doorway.

“What’s up?” Nayeon set her notebook aside and scooted over to make room on her bed.

“Nothing,” Sana sighed, dropping to the bed and lying down. “Momo is out with Mina and Jihyo is doing something with her mysterious roommate. The rest of my friends either already have plans or aren’t who I feel like seeing right now.”

“So let me get this straight,” Nayeon said, quirking an eyebrow and turning slightly to peer down at her roommate. “I’m literally your last choice.”

Nayeon was left slightly breathless as Sana threw her arms around her waist and lifted her head into her lap, air pushed out of her lungs by Sana's tight grip. “You know you’re never my last choice, babe. I just knew you were doing homework and didn’t want to bother you.”

Nayeon rolled her eyes at the playful grin on Sana’s face, reaching down to lightly tangle her finger’s in Sana’s hair. “And what about now? I still have homework.”

“Yes but now—” Sana paused, wiggling around to find a more comfortable position, “— now I’m really bored, and you’re the closest person.”

Nayeon looked at Sana and tried her best to dredge up a will to do her homework, but the gently pleading look on Sana’s face would win out every time.“I suppose I can make some time for you.”

“Great. So I have a question. How are you actually doing with this dual crush situation?”

Nayeon jolted in surprise, not missing the wince on Sana’s face as Nayeon’s fingers caught on a knot.

Served her right, Nayeon thought as she tried to regain her bearings.

Sana sat up, rubbing lightly at her head with a grimace. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I just wanted to ask one on one.”

Nayeon had the rebuttal ready, knew that if she declined, Sana would accept it with a smile and start talking about a TV show she had watched recently.

But her talk with Mina had been such a relief, even if her reaction to Nayeon’s admission of having a crush on the school’s mascot was enough to assure her that she should keep that detail to herself for now.

“I don’t know how to move forward with either crush if I don’t know who I like more,” Nayeon admitted, slumping into Sana’s shoulder.

The arm that settled itself around her shoulder’s was comforting, and Nayeon sunk further into Sana’s hold, welcoming the familiar smell of citrus that seemed to linger around Sana even on days she wasn’t wearing her perfume.

“I think,” Sana said after a few seconds, free hand coming to rest on Nayeon’s knee, “that I can help you. After Mina’s revelation, I did some thinking about how I would’ve dealt with the situation.”

“Here.” Sana lifted her shoulder, and Nayeon straightened up, watching her with curious eyes.

“Close your eyes.”

Nayeon obliged.

“Now, I need you to just listen to what I say and think about it. Okay?”

Nayeon nodded.

“I want you to imagine that you’re sitting on a bench. It’s a nice spring day. The wind is blowing. You can smell the flowers. Are you with me?”

Nayeon nodded again, doing her best to draw up the image Sana was painting for her.

She could see it. She was sitting on the bench outside of Love Line, wearing her yellow and black striped sweater. Waiting.

“You’re here to meet someone. A date, actually. You’re excited and giddy. You were up all night just thinking about what it would be like to spend the day with this person.”

Rapid heart beat. Nervously running her finger over her ear. Bouncing feet.

It wasn’t a stretch for Nayeon to imagine that situation.

“You hear someone call your name. Do you recognize the voice?”

She tried to imagine her name being called, tried to pinpoint if it was Jeongyeon or the mascot calling out to her, but she couldn’t mentally distinguish between the two.

She shook her head.

“That’s fine. You turn and see a figure approaching. They hug you. It’s nice. You pull away. Who are you looking at?”

It was easy for her to slip back into one of the images she had dreamt up of Jeongyeon, lips quirked and eyes soft.

“Open your eyes.”

Nayeon opened her eyes and met Sana’s expectant ones.

“Well?”

“I-,” Nayeon paused. How could she explain that she didn’t properly know what one of her crushes looked like without Sana getting suspicious? The visualization exercise only worked properly if she had a clear image of both crushes, right?

“I don’t know,” Nayeon sighed. “It might’ve helped, but I may also just still be confused.”

Sana chuckled lightly. “I’ll take a fifty-fifty success rate, I guess.”

"Love is dumb," Nayeon muttered, leaning back against her headboard. "Who decided crushes should even be a thing?"

Sana squeezed her knee lightly. "I don't know, but if I ever find out, I'll kick them for you. For now, though, how about a movie?"

"Can we do a trashy drama?"

"Of course."

//

Tuesday

Nayeon rolled over in bed, trying to remember where she was and what was happening. A persistent buzzing noise drew her attention, and she forced her eyes open, alertness crashing into her when she realized that her phone was vibrating.

She scrambled for her phone, cursing when she sent it sailing off of her bed. A few groans and slow movements later, she was scooping her phone off of the ground, eyes widening when she saw which alarm was going off.

She had known taking a nap so close to having Jeongyeon come over was risky, but her morning class had been hell in the form of a pop quiz in her Heat Transfer class that she was only 79% sure she passed.

The plan had been to sleep for half an hour and then to spend her remaining time making herself look as attractive as possible while still looking like someone who didn’t want to leave the apartment.

The plan had not been to wake up ten minutes past the time they were supposed to meet, completely unprepared.

Her fingers darted over her phone screen, turning off the alarm and checking her messages to see if Jeongyeon had done her a favor by being late.

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[12:02 PM] What do you get when you cross a T-rex with explosives?
[12:02 PM] Dino-mite !!!!

Nayeon smiled, unable to deny the fact that these daily lame jokes were slowly growing on her. They especially grew on her when they were the only thing on her phone when she was running late in her own house.

After a moment, Nayeon shook her head and stood up. She glanced at the mirror by her door and grimaced. She had a lot of work to do in likely a very short amount of time.

She rifled through her drawers, exclaiming triumphantly when she found the shirt she was looking for. Heather gray, slightly oversized, and cut just slightly too low across the front.

She knew Jeongyeon was coming over to study for the quiz, and Nayeon would be damned if she didn’t help her pass. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t work on creating a little chemistry of her own.

She paused, hand on the doorknob, when she realized what she had just thought to herself. Her head fell forward with a groan. Maybe Jeongyeon’s jokes were tarnishing her sense of humor.

God help her.

She pushed her door open, stepping into the hallway and freezing when she heard familiar voices coming from the direction of the living room.

“-absolutely cheating, Myoui!”

“It’s not my fault you can’t drift for shit, Yoo.”

“I can drift just fine, but someone decided to throw a red shell at me!”

“Whoops.”

She walked slowly towards the end of the hallway to peek into the living room, hoping against hope that it wasn’t Jeongyeon’s voice she was hearing.

She saw the back of Momo’s head, but didn’t lean out far enough to see the other two people in the room.

“Momo, please tell your girlfriend she’s a cheater.”

Nayeon stiffened. That voice. It sounded like—

She shook her head, trying to focus more intently on the confounding voice. There was absolutely no way the mascot was in her living room playing video games with Mina and Momo.

“Sorry, Jeong. You’re on your own here.”

Nayeon let out an audible sigh of relief. Okay, so no mascot.

Just Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon who Nayeon was supposed to meet to study for a quiz about 20 minutes ago. Jeongyeon who definitely wasn’t supposed to see Nayeon in her actual pajamas.

Momo turned in her direction, smile readily coming to her face as they locked eyes.

Nayeon did her best to stop Momo from announcing that she was here, but the other woman was too quick, calling out her name before Nayeon could do anything about it.

“Nayeon! There you are!”

She tried her best to dart back into her room, but then Jeongyeon’s head popped into view and Nayeon could do nothing but return the smile being sent her way.

And then Mina stepped into view, gaming controller held loosely in her hand and sending Nayeon a knowing smile as her eyes darted between her and Jeongyeon.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Mina said. “We found your lab partner.”

Jeongyeon stood up, head briefly disappearing from view as she did so.

Nayeon quickly looked at Mina and frantically gestured at her outfit, only to receive a raised and entirely unhelpful eyebrow in return.

“So,” Jeongyeon drawled, stepping into view and taking a few slow steps towards Nayeon. “How does making your poor lab partner wait for 20 minutes compare to being late to class on the first day.”

“Yours is still worse,” Nayeon shot back.

Jeongyeon shrugged and smiled, continuing to move closer. “Maybe. But I brought you hot chocolate, so I can do no wrong.”

Nayeon had to fight the urge to step back as Jeongyeon came to stop only a few inches from her. She was absolutely not in a state to be this close to her crush.

“I suppose we’ll find out in a bit if you can get things wrong.”

“Okay, so maybe I can do wrong when it comes to actual chemistry problems," Jeongyeon admitted with a shrug. "Where did you want to setup?”

Nayeon looked over Jeongyeon’s shoulder, catching the curious and watchful eyes of both Momo and Mina. Their eyes darted away the moment Nayeon saw them, but she knew her and Jeongyeon would have no peace if they studied in a shared space.

“Let’s do my room,” Nayeon offered.

Jeongyeon nodded, and Nayeon noticed her eyes quickly darting up and down her form, eyes seeming to linger on the shirt she had in her grasp.

“I need a few minutes to get changed, though.”

“Why?” Jeongyeon tilted her head with a furrowed brow. “Do you have a separate pair of sweatpants for studying?”

“No, but I just woke up from a nap. I don’t want to look and feel like that.”

Jeongyeon smirked at her, and Nayeon felt her face warm slightly as those familiar brown eyes scanned her outfit once more. “You look pretty good to me.”

Great, and now she was being teased.

“Listen,” Nayeon responded, scowling, “I slept past my alarm. Go setup in my room, please.”

She turned on her heel and marched into the bathroom.

Nayeon let out a sigh of relief as the bathroom door closed behind her.

She could still salvage this. She could still help Jeongyeon ace her test and make her blush.

She once again caught sight of her hair in the mirror.

Hopefully.

//

Nayeon slipped past her slightly ajar door and stopped in her tracks.

She had been in the bathroom for at least fifteen minutes, so she had been expecting to see Jeongyeon seated somewhere: at her desk, on the floor, on her bed.

What she had not expected was to see Jeongyeon standing in the middle of her room, chemistry textbook held in her hands.

Nayeon wished she could say that Jeongyeon looked like she belonged in her room, but the other woman looked so uncomfortable that Nayeon could only grimace.

Jeongyeon shifted on her feet every few seconds, eyes rising from her book to take a quick glance around Nayeon’s room before returning to the text in front of her.

It was cute, Nayeon realized, after she had been watching this cycle repeat for a minute. But it wasn’t helping either of them get what they wanted.

“You do know how sitting works, right?”

Jeongyeon jumped when Nayeon spoke, glasses almost flying off of her face, and Nayeon fought back a chuckle.

“Sorry, I was trying to—” Jeongyeon’s stuttering came to a complete halt as Nayeon’s eyes locked with hers.

Nayeon saw Jeongyeon’s eyes dart over her and saw her throat bob as she swallowed and knew that she had made the right decision.

“To,” Nayeon asked, drawing out the vowel as she stepped further into her room.

Im Nayeon was many things to many people, and of those many things, one of the ones she took the most pride in was her ability to flirt.

There was something incredibly satisfying about being in the top 1% of her class, sure. And maybe her reputation as a good friend made her heart swell with pride.

But this?

This feeling that rushed through her as she walked towards Jeongyeon, bottom lip between her teeth and hips swaying?

This sensation that ran up her spine as she came to a stop in front of Jeongyeon and saw her eyes dart down split second before coming back up to her face, cheeks dusted red?

There was little that could compare.

Especially when the person on the receiving end was someone who made her feel the way Jeongyeon did.

“You’re cute when you’re awkward,” Nayeon murmured, reaching out to tap Jeongyeon’s cheek.

Jeongyeon jerked back from the touch as if burned. “I must always be cute, then.”

Silence fell between them for a moment, and Nayeon watched Jeongyeon’s recognition of what she just said play out on her face.

“Wait that’s not what I meant!” Jeongyeon waved her arms rapidly in front of her, almost smacking Nayeon with the chemistry textbook.

Nayeon laughed in response, delighted with what had just unfolded.

Eventually, Jeongyeon stopped waving, the only sign of her prior embarrassment a tinge of pink at the tip of her ears.

“You vex me,” Jeongyeon muttered, shadow of a smile pulling at her lips. “Worst lab partner ever.”

“Would the worst lab partner ever make sure you get at least a B on your quiz,” Nayeon queried, eyelashes fluttering.

Jeongyeon frowned and leaned away. “The faces you make upset me, but I’m intrigued by this ‘B’ situation.”

Nayeon walked over to her desk, picking up her organic chemistry notebook and offering it to Jeongyeon. “First, my face upsets no one. It’s a fact. Second, here. I have impeccable note taking skills.”

Jeongyeon took the book from her hand with a skeptical look, one that quickly fell to a look of amazement as she began scanning through Nayeon’s notes.

“How—,” Jeongyeon began, stopping herself when she turned another page.

A few more seconds passed, the only noise in the room the rapid turning of pages. Eventually, Jeongyeon raised her head to meet Nayeon’s gaze. “This is amazing,” she breathed. “Your notes on bonding are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Nayeon snorted, doing her best to ignore the pleased flutter in her chest. “Wait until you see my notes on resonance. Also, did you say there was hot chocolate? I demand payment before we start.”

Jeongyeon nodded, muttering something about the kitchen as she returned her gaze to the notes in front of her.

Nayeon walked out of her room, hopeful about how today’s study session would go despite the rough start. She had already checked one item off her list.

She walked into the kitchen, paying little attention to Momo and Mina on the living room couch as she looked around for a familiar cup.

“Looking for this?”

Nayeon whipped around in surprise as Momo’s voice sounded right over her shoulder. She saw a lightly smirking Momo holding out a cup with Love Line’s logo on it and knew the other woman wasn’t done speaking yet.

“For what it’s worth,” Momo said, pushing the cup into Nayeon’s hands, “Jeongyeon has my approval.”

Nayeon opened her mouth, unintelligible noises sneaking out as she failed to come up with a response.

Momo smiled, wide and genuine, and patted her on the shoulder before turning and walking back into the living room.

Nayeon wanted to scowl, wanted to throw a pillow at the back of Momo’s head and tell her she didn’t know what she was talking about, but the cup in her hands was warm and familiar and gave rise to a giddy feeling in her chest.

Momo would avoid questioning.

For now.

//

“— and then he dropped the friendship bracelet I made him into a muddy puddle, and that was the end of that romance,” Nayeon finished, laughing at the long-forgotten memory.

“No way,” Jeongyeon gasped, rocking backwards onto her hands for a moment. “Your first heartbreak at seven. Harsh.”

“Yeah. It was rough for awhile,” Nayeon sighed, “at least until I turned thirteen and realized that I was A. a lesbian and B. actually just sad about the bracelet.”

Jeongyeon raised both of her hands up, showing her empty wrists. “I’m a fan of lesbianism, but bracelets? They just get in the way, if you ask me.”

“Well thankfully I didn’t ask you. Glad to know you’re glad I’m gay, though,” Nayeon said, throwing Jeongyeon a wink and a look she was able to brush off with a roll of her eyes.

Jeongyeon had come to Nayeon’s apartment expecting to leave with a more solid grasp of organic chemistry. Sure, she had hoped to maybe explore the buzzy feeling in her chest she got every time Nayeon smiled at her a bit more, but she would’ve been satisfied with just knowledge.

She really, really, didn’t want to bomb that test.

And she had gotten that knowledge. Nayeon had tutored her with the skill of a seasoned pro, anticipating questions Jeongyeon had before she even got to voice them.

It was nice.

Spending time with Nayeon was nice.

And seeing Nayeon in pajamas, hair mussed and eyes still slightly sleepy had been really nice.

Seeing Nayeon after she had time to get ready, had been a whole other story. One that made her skin itch and sent a tingling sensation up her spine if she thought about it too much.

Once the studying had started, Nayeon’s play-flirting had receded, at least until they were finished. But by then, Jeongyeon had prepared herself, mentally pledging to stand firm in the face of whatever Nayeon would throw at her.

Jeongyeon wasn’t sure if Nayeon was completely serious or not when she reached out to run her fingers over the rim of Jeongyeon’s glasses, saying they suited her. And she didn’t know if the look on the other woman’s face when Jeongyeon told her that she was really good at tutoring was genuine joy or a playful dramatization.

What she knew, though, was that Nayeon didn’t rest her head on the mascot’s shoulder for minutes at a time or drag her fingers over the mascot’s wrist when explaining something.

She also knew that she should really stop thinking about herself and herself in a costume as different people when it came to interacting with Nayeon. She was herself regardless of what she wore.

“But you aren’t wearing a bracelet,” Jeongyeon observed dryly.

And if Nayeon wanted to kiss her when she had on white face paint and a cloak, well, she’d probably want to kiss her when she actually resembled a human, too.

Nayeon looked at her wrist with a frown and sighed, letting her head once again find Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “I suppose I’m still looking for a friendship bracelet worthy of replacing that one.”

Jeongyeon shifted, her right hand sliding along the surface of Nayeon’s comforter. As long as Nayeon didn’t say anything, she could pretend that she was just stretching, not moving so that she could be closer to the woman next to her.

“I’m sure one day you’ll find something worth of replacement.”

“I don’t have high standards. Just a lack of friends who would make me a friendship bracelet instead of just buying one,” Nayeon admitted, leaning further into their half-embrace.

Jeongyeon was dying to know if it was on purpose or not.

“You could ask?” Jeongyeon’s eyes darted over to look at the top of Nayeon’s head. Would it be weird if she leaned over to rest her head on top of the other woman’s? Was that too forward?

“It’s not the same if you ask.”

Jeongyeon hummed in response, letting silence slide into the space between them. She began to tilt her head downwards slightly, but then Nayeon let out something close to a sigh and her courage fled.

Instead, she ran her eyes over the countless pictures in Nayeon’s room, smiling at pictures that ranged from old to quite new. One in particular caught her attention, and she narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to determine who the other person in the photo with Nayeon was. Something about it looked familiar, but the photo was too far away for her to be sure.

“Speaking of asking.” Jeongyeon’s attention was diverted as Nayeon lifted her head and spoke.

Nayeon didn’t move away, only straightened up and continued to let Jeongyeon’s right arm support most of her weight.

There was a small smile on Nayeon's lips, and the hand not currently fisted into the comforter behind Jeongyeon’s back was fiddling with her ear.

“I was wondering if you wanted to—”

A loud knock drowned out the latter half of Nayeon’s sentence, and the sound of the door being flung open sent Jeongyeon flying to her feet.

She had no idea why she was feeling so nervous, but as her eyes met a surprised Sana’s, she suddenly felt as if she had just been exposed. Her pulse had been raised since the moment Nayeon touched her cheek, but now it was positively galloping. 

“Sana, I told you —” Momo halted as she came into view, mouth forming a perfect ‘O’.”

“Sana,” Nayeon said, and Jeongyeon wondered if she was imagining the slight edge to her voice. “There’s no point in knocking if you just throw open the door.”

“I’m really sorry,” Sana exclaimed sheepishly. “I just got some really good news back about that internship I was applying for and I wanted to share.”

Jeongyeon watched as a smile blossomed across Nayeon’s face, and she matched it on instinct, sending Sana a grin regardless of the fact that she had no idea what was going on.

“You got the job?”

Sana nodded. “All mine.”

Nayeon let out a noise of celebration, wrapping Sana in a hug and spinning her slightly, not letting go until her roommate was laughing out loud.

Jeongyeon saw the look of affection on Momo’s face as she watched the celebration unfold in front of her, and she saw how Nayeon’s attention was now solely focused on her friend.

Nayeon was giggling and jumping around her room with Sana and Momo, and Jeongyeon knew she was a goner.

She really needed to get her shit together and either ask Nayeon out or start getting over her, because the overwhelming urge to pull Nayeon into her arms and kiss her every time she saw her was starting to become a problem.

Nayeon caught her eye from across the room and something in her smile softened just so.

And Jeongyeon knew exactly which one she needed to do.

But — her anxiety spiked as her eyes landed on the notes now scattered across Nayeon’s bed — first she had a test to ace.

//

Wednesday

“Do it again.”

“Tzuyu, seriously?”

“I’m telling you, you sound way too much like yourself when you’re in costume. I have no idea how Dahyun and Chaeyoung haven’t found you out yet.”

“I do not sound like myself! I deepen my voice and everything.”

“Sometimes, but your laugh is still similar.”

“You want me to change my laugh?”

“I want you to make it through the semester with your identity a secret, just like you want.”

“No one is going to find out, trust me. I look so different every time I dress up, and my face won’t even be seen this week.”

“I still want to hear you laugh.”

“Fine, but get your feet off of my lap. You’re restricting my diaphragm.”

“In a few seconds you’re going to prove that my feet weren’t the problem, but sure.”

//

“Tzuyu?”

“What? Did you finally come up with a less distinct laugh. ”

“No. My laugh is fine. I need to tell you something."

"I'm listening."

"I have a crush on my lab partner.”

“Really? You don’t deeply hate everything you associate with organic chemistry?”

“She makes me smile during lab, and I don’t really hate it as much when she talks about it.”

“That’s really cute, actually. Do I know her? Are you going to ask her out?”

“I reserve the right to not say who she is for a few more weeks. And maybe.”

“Okay. I’m here if you need me, though.”

“Thanks, Tzu.”

“You should try asking her out, though. The longer she knows you, the more likely you are to say something and embarrass yourself.”

“I really, really, want to pinch you right now, but you’re also right.”

“I usually am.”

//

Yoo JeongyeOFF 
[1:06 PM] What kind of bagel can fly?

NayeOFF Her Rocker 
[1:06 PM] The kind I'm going to throw at your head if you keep telling me these dumb jokes.

Yoo JeongyeOFF 

[1:07 PM] Ohhhh so close! But the answer is actually "A plain bagel". Thanks for playing.

//

Thursday

Jeongyeon both hated and loved Nayeon’s penchant for putting her hair up at the exact moment Jeongyeon turned to look at her during lab. On one hand, Nayeon was beautiful and extremely distracting.

And on the other hand, Jeongyeon would rather have not dropped the TLC plates she was carrying all over the floor, drawing the ire of her professor and an amused smirk from her lab partner.

The latter wasn’t so bad, but she could go the rest of her life without another lecture from a man wearing a tie with tiny beakers on it.

//

Nayeon liked all of her labs this semester, and she especially liked the one that let her sit back and watch Jeongyeon work. It was nice, having a crush she could spend so much time with.

Especially when said crush was prone to cursing under her breath and aggressively erasing her notes when she wrote a number down wrong.

It was endearing.

Even more so when Jeongyeon would look at her, grimace on her face, and ask Nayeon to explain to her "What the fuck the humidity of the room had to do with anything?"

//

"Hey, Nayeon. Want to hear a joke?"

Nayeon looked to her right to see a grinning Jeongyeon, the effect more amusing than normal due to the fact that she still insisted on wearing her goggles over her glasses.

"Absolutely not," Nayeon said, turning back to focus on the developing chamber.

"Okay, great so here it goes."

Nayeon squinted her eyes, focusing even harder on the developing chamber.

"Why can't a bike stand on it's own?"

The playfulness in Jeongyeon's voice almost cracked her facade, but Nayeon maintained her focus. She knew that, if she broke now, Jeongyeon would never let her hear the end of it.

"Because it's two-tired."

Out of the corner of her eye, Nayeon saw Jeongyeon deliver the punchline with a flourish of her arms, and it took everything she had to not even hint at the joy she was feeling.

That ball of warmth in her chest moved closer and closer to cracking every time Jeongyeon was near her, but she'd be damned if she fully gave in due to a pun, let alone one that lame. 

//

Nayeon pushed open the door to the locker room with a bit more force than normal. Dahyun had been very insistent on needing a new jersey after an unfortunate meeting with an open cooler full of sports drink.

Nayeon couldn’t blame her. Being covered in bright red juice that was sure to become sticky wasn’t anyone’s ideal way to start a soccer game.

She headed further into the locker room, muttering Dahyun’s combination under her breath.

Her eyes caught a flash of skin and her ears heard a scream, and Nayeon immediately shut her eyes, throwing herself backwards against a locker.

“Oh my god I am so sorry! I thought everyone was out on the field.”

“I don’t know why I’m even surprised to see you in here anymore,” the person said, letting out a low and uneven laugh. The voice sounded slightly familiar, but Nayeon refused to open her eyes and confirm her suspicions.

“I’m really sorry. I was grabbing a spare jersey for one of the players. I didn’t expect to see someone in here half-dressed.”

Another low laugh, though she furrowed her brow as the pitch rose at the end.

“I’m not half-dressed. I’m just wearing a skin toned outfit underneath my costume this week. I was almost zipped in when you turned the corner and scared the hell out of me.”

Nayeon’s eyes flew open as she realized that she was indeed talking to the mascot.

The sight that greeted her sent her back against the lockers once more.

“What the fuck?”

In front of her, stepping from side to side, was a T-rex.

“You like it,” the mascot asked, putting her hands on her hips. Nayeon felt her lips twitch. “I felt like doing something a bit different this time around.”

Nayeon scoffed. “Literally every costume has been drastically different.”

“True,” the mascot mused, “but they don’t look like this.”

The mascot swayed from side to side, and Nayeon surrendered to her laughter.

“I kind of hate this, but I also love it,” Nayeon managed to gasp out.

“Actually,” Nayeon said, an idea hitting her as her laughter winded down, “I have something for you.”

The mascot stopped her dancing and looked at Nayeon, or at least, the T-rex head looked at Nayeon.

“What do you get when you cross a T-rex with explosives?”

The mascot said nothing, but Nayeon saw the head of the costume twitch slightly.

“Dino-mite.”

For just a moment, when the mascot failed to show any reaction, Nayeon was afraid that she had somehow grossly misstepped, but then the costume started shaking.

Nayeon could hear choked laughter coming from inside the costume, and she felt a wave of satisfaction.

But then her eyes caught sight of Dahyun’s locker, and the memory of why she was here hit her.

“Oh shit. I have to get Dahyun that jersey.”

The mascot moved aside, gesturing to Dahyun’s locker as she spoke. “I won’t get in your way. I have to get out there anyway.”

The mascot moved past her, the sound of shuffling plastic accompanying her every movement. Nayeon pushed down the urge to break out into laughter again and focused on getting the spare jersey.

“Hey Nayeon,” the mascot said from behind her.

Nayeon acknowledged the question with a hum, fingers rapidly spinning the combination lock.

“That joke was pretty good. Kudos to whoever told you that one.”

“Yeah,” Nayeon said, absentmindedly, “she’s pretty great.”

Nayeon was vaguely aware of more shuffling behind her, the noise slowly fading as the mascot left.

Nayeon grabbed the jersey and turned, wanting to get back to Dahyun as soon as she could. She already felt bad about wasting time talking to the mascot.

Though, she thought to herself as she opened the locker room door, Jeongyeon would probably get a kick out of knowing her joke made a T-Rex laugh.

//

Friday

Nayeon stopped when she heard familiar shouts coming from the direction of the central common. She turned, smile already on her lips, and let out a small laugh when she saw that it was indeed exactly who she thought it was.

She moved closer, easily recognizing Chaeyoung and Dahyun’s forms as they darted down the grass, passing a soccer ball between themselves. She squinted slightly at the two unfamiliar figures, one of whom was doing their best to strip the ball from Chaeyoung, a task they were failing handily at.

Partial recognition struck her when she was about twenty feet away from the game. Granted, it helped that the taller of the two mystery figures had her name on the back of a sweatshirt, but Nayeon liked to think she would've recognized Tzuyu regardless.

She couldn’t help but stare for a second, marveling at the gracefulness the younger woman was displaying as she managed to succeed where her partner did not, moving between Dahyun and Chaeyoung with an ease that looked something close to criminal.

With a flick of her foot, Tzuyu sent the ball sailing between the two water bottles that, based on the pained cries of Dahyun and Chaeyoung as they fell to the ground in despair, were serving as goalposts for this game.

The ball rolled on the grass, coming to a stop at her feet. For a moment, Nayeon debated kicking the ball up to herself with her foot, but memories of her last attempt at soccer stopped that idea in its tracks.

She’d settle for just picking it up the old fashioned way.

“Hi, Nayeon.”

She looked up at the sound of her name, meeting the eyes of a gently smiling and slightly winded Tzuyu.

Nayeon extended the soccer ball with a small laugh. “Hey, Tzuyu. You three just can’t stay away from the field, huh?”

“I would disagree, but I think you’ve caught me red handed,” Tzuyu sighed, holding up the ball with a shrug.

Over Tzuyu’s shoulder, Nayeon caught sight of the mystery fourth figure approaching. Even with her closer vantage point, Nayeon had no memory of ever seeing this player before.

“In my defense, Dahyun and Chaeyoung convinced me. I would’ve been able to get out of it, but I had a friend with me that they also roped into playing.”

The fourth player was about 10 feet away now, and still Nayeon couldn’t quite place her. She looked familiar, and some part of her mind was ringing with recognition. Something about the way this person walked looked familiar, the way she smiled even more so. It was warm and wide and —

Jeongyeon.

This was Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon without her glasses and covered in a sheen of sweat and wearing clothing Nayeon had never really seen her in before.

Clothing that happened to also be clinging to Jeongyeon’s form in a way that made Nayeon’s fingertips buzz.

“Hey, partner,” Jeongyeon said, smiling, uneven breathing punctuating her words.

Nayeon swallowed, suddenly feeling horribly out of place.

“Hey. You kind of suck at soccer,” Nayeon blurted out, wincing immediately at her first choice of words.

Tzuyu let out a snort as Jeongyeon’s jaw dropped open.

“I used to be good! Tzuyu,” Jeongyeon insisted, “tell Nayeon that I used to be good at soccer!”

“Well-,” Tzuyu stopped as another pained yell from Dahyun and Chaeyoung came from the field.

“Actually, I’m going to go deal with that and let Jeongyeon defend herself.”

Jeongyeon reached out, attempting to smack Tzuyu’s arm in retaliation as she moved away, but the younger girl was able to dodge the attack, sending Nayeon a smile before running back to Chaeyoung and Dahyun.

Jeongyeon turned back to fully face Nayeon with a roll of her eyes, and Nayeon couldn’t help but let her gaze catch the motion of Jeongyeon's shorts brushing against her thighs.

“It’s nice to actually see you out of lab,” Jeongyeon said with a small smile.

“You see me out of lab at least once a week,” Nayeon replied, eyes lingering on a drop of sweat that was sliding down Jeongyeon’s neck.

She didn’t usually hyperfocus on these things, had never really understood the appeal of people post-workout, but something about the way Jeongyeon’s shirt was dipping low across her collarbones was getting to her.

Jeongyeon shifted, and suddenly the distance between them seemed impossibly small.

“I mean, yeah, but that’s always for gross chemistry stuff. I meant in a non-school way.”

Nayeon ran her eyes over Jeongyeon’s face, and she found it almost impossible to keep her eyes still. Unbidden, memories of her dream came to her as Jeongyeon spoke again.

“I was wondering actually,” Jeongyeon trailed off slightly.

It would be easy, in a sense, to just reach out and tangle her fingers into Jeongyeon’s shirt, pulling her closer so that Nayeon could finally satisfy her curiosity.

“If it’s something you would be interested in doing—”

Jeongyeon’s hand raised to rub at her neck, and Nayeon followed the motion, inhaling softly as the desire to feel Jeongyeon’s skin under her palms crashed into her, seeping through her skin and settling into a steady thrum.

She really wished Sana hadn't interrupted her attempt at asking Jeongyeon on a date.

“— not too busy. Maybe we could —”

Jeongyeon bowed her head slightly, and Nayeon felt her hand twitch as the movement caused Jeongyeon’s shirt to slip lower across her collarbones.

She wanted to—

“— as friends or whatever. It’s been really nice—” Jeongyeon lifted her head and shot her small smile.

She wanted to kiss Jeongyeon until they were both breathless and trace her tongue over her collarbones and see what Jeongyeon’s eyes looked like right as she woke up.

Chaeyoung’s loud laughter jolted her out of her revere, and she realized with horror what she had just been doing.

“What do you think?”

And who she had been doing it in front of.

“Fuck, sorry Jeongyeon. I just realized that I have a meeting I’m already late for. Catch up with you later.”

Nayeon turned on her heel and began walking away as quickly as she could, not even waiting to hear Jeongyeon’s response.

She could feel her face heating up as the reality of what had just happened sunk in. She was barely aware of the crowds of students she was pushing through, unconcerned with people trying to get to their classes when she had just been fantasizing about her crush (one of her crushes) in front of her.

She pushed her way into the library, unsure of exactly where her feet were taking her, but needing to focus on anything other than the fact that Jeongyeon was gorgeous, and even more so when she was slightly out a breath and flushed and looking like she —

Nayeon threw open the door to the first empty study room she saw and locked it behind her, dropping down into one of the empty chairs.

“Fuck,” she muttered, letting her head fall forward into her hands.

She pushed her hair back and forced herself to take a deep breath.

Objectively, this was fine. To Nayeon, it was painfully obvious that she had been lusting over her lab partner, but it was likely that Jeongyeon just thought she had indeed been late to a meeting.

Her phone buzzed, and the noise sent anxiety shooting through her. At the sight of the sender’s name, she relaxed slightly.

Nuisance #2
[10:24 AM] why did you leave!?! =[ dahyun and I didn’t even know you were there until tzuyu told us!!!

The Elder
[10:24 AM] Sorry, Chae! I had a project meeting for another class.

Nuisance #1
[10:25 AM] I suppose that’s an acceptable reason…
[10:25 AM] Chae and I are gonna go keep playing soccer now!! Laters!

The Elder
[10:26 AM] I’ll make it up to you!

Nayeon locked her phone with a sigh. Lying to Chaeyoung and Dahyun had never been easy, but there was absolutely no way she could tell them the actual reason she fled.

Her phone buzzed once more, and this time the name on the screen did ratchet up her heart rate.

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[10:27 AM] Now I know what it feels like to be suddenly ran from during an important moment…
[10:27 AM] Karma, I suppose. Are we okay?

Nayeon squinted down at the phone screen. What ‘important moment’? She had registered hardly any of their conversation, and, thinking back to it, she could only remember a few words about being friends and lab partners.

NayeOFF Her Rocker
[10:29 AM] Going to have to be honest with you, Yoo. I have no idea what you said to me. I was busy thinking about this project meeting.
[10:29 AM] But yes. It is sweet, sweet karma to be able to give you a taste of your own medicine.

Yoo JeongyeOFF
[10:29 AM] Oh. Okay. Cool. You missed out on one of my greatest jokes, but I suppose I can forgive you this time.
[10:29 AM] Your minions are yelling at me, so I have to go play soccer now, even though I “kinda suck at it”.
[10:29 AM] Catch ya later, Nayeon. =]

Nayeon laughed to herself at Jeongyeon’s last series of messages. Her heart rate was finally slowing down again, and it was nice to be reminded that, normally, Jeongyeon was just a dork.

A dork that Nayeon had a rapidly escalating crush on, but a dork all the same.

//

Jeongyeon took a deep breath and checked the time on her phone once more. It was 2:57 pm. In about three minutes, she’d know if this organic chemistry thing was a complete disaster or not.

She really, truly, hoped it was the latter. She had kind of come to enjoy her class, and not just because she had a crush on her lab partner. The material was interesting. Mostly.

Jeongyeon winced as she recalled a question about valence rules that had stumped her for a good 10 minutes.

She winced again when she remembered how her attempt asking Nayeon out this morning had gone.

Jeongyeon looked at the time once more. 3:00 pm.

She took a deep breath and refreshed the website.

And immediately let out a yell, standing up from her desk and throwing open her door to make her way into the hallway.

She had to tell someone.

Jeongyeon reached for Jihyo’s door, ready to fling it open before she remembered that today was Friday.

And Jihyo only cared about one thing on Fridays.

She debated just stepping away from the door, but her excitement won out. She took a deep breath and composed herself as best she could before knocking on Jihyo’s door.

Her knock was answered with a grunt, and Jeongyeon swung the door open, stopping it from closing again with her foot.

She leaned against the doorframe, trying to play it as cool as she could manage.

“Hey, Jihyo,” Jeongyeon started, running her eyes over her very busy looking best friend.

“What?”

“I have a very important question.”

“Okay.”

"What's an appropriate thank you gift to give the lab partner that helped you get a B+ on a chemistry test?"

Jihyo didn’t falter. She continued looking at her textbook, eyes furrowed at what Jeongyeon could only assume was some overly complex and asinine problem.

Jeongyeon reached for a gum wrapper she had in her pocket. Maybe Jihyo would respond better to physical stimuli?

"Jewelry."

She stopped. And thought about it for a moment.

"I know you’re only half listening, but I think that was actually helpful."

"Cool."

"Do we have string?"

"Probably."

"Okay, thanks. Have fun with," Jeongyeon pushed off of the doorframe and took a few steps into Jihyo’s room, glancing over her shoulder, “biophysics.”

Jeongyeon lingered for another moment, waiting to see if Jihyo was going to register what Jeongyeon had just revealed about her chemistry grade.

She received no response.

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes fondly before stepping away. She knew that Jihyo meant no harm in this state, but it would’ve been kind of nice to have someone to celebrate with.

Her hand slipped into her pocket, fingers skimming over her phone screen. Maybe she should call —

A cacophony of sound erupted behind her, and she whirled around to see Jihyo, now standing, looking at her in pure surprise.

“Did you say ‘B+’?”

Jeongyeon couldn’t hold back a smile as she nodded. “Yup. Just got the score back.”

“That’s amazing!” Jihyo was grinning at her now, the pride in her voice only furthering Jeongyeon’s excitement.

“Yeah, you better start preparing to hand over those fifty bucks, Park.” Jeongyeon smirked. “Looks like I got this one in the bag.”

Jihyo’s smile dropped, expression shifting as she rose to the challenge in Jeongyeon’s voice. She stepped forward, stopping when she was close enough to place her hands on Jeongyeon’s shoulders.

Jeongyeon raised an eyebrow as she received a saccharine smile. “Jeongyeon, you haven’t even gotten to stereochemistry yet. I wouldn’t get too confident.”

Jeongyeon’s jaw dropped, and she before she could respond, Jihyo was shoving her backwards past the door frame.

“Congratulations! So proud of you,” Jihyo exclaimed, waving once before closing her door.

Jeongyeon stood in the hallway for at least 15 seconds, staring at the door in front of her in amused disbelief.

All she could do was laugh, shouting one last thing before making her way to dig through their kitchen drawers for some string.

“I hate you on Fridays!”

“Thank you!”

//

"Im Nayeon!"

Nayeon barely had time to process her name being yelled at her before she felt arms wrap around her, pulling her into a hug with such force that she was left breathless.

She was faintly aware of Sana exclaiming in surprise next to her.

The mystery hugger stepped back, placing their hands on Nayeon's shoulders, and Nayeon was thankful she was able to stop herself from squeaking in surprise once she finally saw who it was.

Standing in front of her, glasses slightly askew and cheeks pinked, was a widely grinning Jeongyeon.

"What—"

"I got a B+ on the test," Jeongyeon interrupted, words tumbling out of her mouth in excitement. "Your tutoring worked, you absolute genius!"

"Oh my god! Jeongyeon, that's amazing!" Nayeon smiled, warmth rushing through her at the joy on Jeongyeon's face.

"I know! I don't have a lot of time right now because I have a recitation I'm supposed to be at, but I saw you and needed to say thank you." Jeongyeon smiled at her, and Nayeon felt something in her chest catch as the full force of it hit her.

For just a second, as she tilted her head slightly, Jeongyeon's eyes caught the sunlight just so, reflecting back a gaze dripping with honey sweet warmth. And Nayeon could feel herself sinking into it, feeling endlessly happy in a moment that passed in the blink of an eye.

"I'm really proud of you, Jeongyeon," Nayeon said, clearing her throat when she realized just how soft her voice had been. "I told you those practice problems would help."

"Yeah, yeah, all hail the great Im Nayeon."

"See! I knew you'd get it eventually," Nayeon joked, reaching up to lightly slap at Jeongyeon's shoulder. As she did so, Jeongyeon's hands slipped from her shoulders, skimming down her sides as they fell, little shocks of electricity dancing over her skin.

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes and shook her head as she brought her hands down. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she scrambled for her bag.

"I have something for you, actually!"

Nayeon took a step back and raised an eyebrow at the woman currently rifling through her bag. "I hope it's not hot chocolate, because I only accept mine in non-spilled form.”

Jeongyeon stopped her harried search for a moment, glancing up to give Nayeon a look that earned a cheeky grin in response.

A few more seconds passed before Jeongyeon let out a noise, reaching forward with something in her palm.

Nayeon looked down, taking in what looked like a piece of string that had been dyed blue and green.

“What—,” she stopped when she saw a similar piece of string tied around Jeongyeon’s extended wrist.

Realization was slowly dawning her, and she looked up at the other woman, jaw working as she tried to form words.

The smile on Jeongyeon’s face could be described as nothing other than soft, and as Nayeon scanned her eyes over the other woman’s face for an answer to her unasked question, she realized that Jeongyeon seemed slightly unsure of herself.

“I-”

“It’s-”

They both started speaking at the same time, stopping immediately.

“Sorry, you—”

“You can—”

They stopped again, looked at each other, and laughed.

Nayeon waved her hand, gesturing for Jeongyeon to go first.

“You said you had always wanted a friendship bracelet, so I figured I’d make you one as thanks.”

Jeongyeon reached for Nayeon’s wrist with her other hand.

“It’s quality isn’t what I would call great, but it was the best I could do on such short notice.”

Fingers wrapped gently around her right wrist, and Nayeon hoped the other woman couldn’t feel her pulse jump.

“I was warned about stereochemistry today, so maybe if you help me pass that test, I’ll make a bracelet with more than one piece of string.”

Jeongyeon tied the bracelet around her wrist, and Nayeon saw Jeongyeon’s smile twitch slightly as she realized just how well it was sized.

Jeongyeon was smiling at her and making a joke and her fingers were lingering on Nayeon’s wrist even after she had finished tying the bracelet on and Nayeon was suddenly feeling several things at once, each of them stronger than the last.

So she did the only thing she could do, the only thing she wanted to do.

She reached forward, tangled her fingers into Jeongyeon’s shirt, and pulled.

Nayeon had, literally, dreamed about what it would be like to hug Jeongyeon for longer than two seconds, and as she felt Jeongyeon’s arms wrap around her to return the hug, she realized she had been mostly correct.

Jeongyeon’s hugs were warm, and the weight of her arms around Nayeon’s shoulders was comforting.

But Nayeon also realized that she had failed to consider a few key things.

She hadn’t considered how easily she’d be able to tuck her face into the space between Jeongyeon’s shoulder and neck, had not even considered the fact that Jeongyeon would smell like jasmine and fresh flowers.

Something about the perfume struck her as familiar, and, even though she had never lingered in Jeongyeon’s embrace long enough to get a sense for her perfume before, Nayeon experienced a burst of deja vu.

But then Jeongyeon shifted slightly and Nayeon’s lips were a hair’s breadth away from her neck and all thoughts of perfume notes exited her brain.

In that moment, Nayeon wished for a day in which there weren’t boundaries between her and Jeongyeon. She wanted to be able to pull the other woman into her arms and kiss her and know that the attention was received just was eagerly as it was given.

Suddenly, Nayeon felt Jeongyeon stiffen in her embrace, and then the hug was broken as Jeongyeon jerked back, eyes wide.

“I am going to be incredibly late oh my god. Thank you again, really. I’ll see you on Sunday for lab things.”

Nayeon laughed, trying to cover up her internal struggle. “Always late, huh?”

“It’s a talent,” Jeongyeon said, shooting her a smile. “Bye!”

And then Jeongyeon was gone just as quickly as she had appeared, all but running off in the direction of her recitation.

Nayeon exhaled shakily, very aware of the lightness in her chest. She reached down and ran her finger over the bracelet, not quite able to believe what had just happened.

The bracelet was unevenly dyed, and would probably fall off of her wrist within two weeks, but it was a gift from Jeongyeon, and Nayeon would treasure it.

“So,” Nayeon jumped as Sana’s playful voice hit her ears.

She stiffened as she realized that Sana had just seen everything. She turned slowly, knowing that whatever awaited her wasn’t going to be good.

The expression on Sana’s face confirmed what Nayeon already knew: she was screwed. The other woman had a smug look on her face, eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on the bracelet now adorning Nayeon’s wrist.

“I didn't say anything Tuesday because I was focused on my internship, but based on what I just saw and how you two looked when I burst into your room, I’m just going to go ahead and assume that was one of your crushes.”

Shit.

//

Jeongyeon closed the door behind herself as quietly as she could, endlessly thankful that there were over 100 students in this recitation. She held her breath as she walked to a seat in the back row, trying not to appear like she had just sprinted halfway across campus.

As she sunk into her chair and quietly pulled out her notebook, Jeongyeon reflected on the fact that this Friday was turning out to be kind of delightful, even if she did have a twice-a-month, three hour recitation interrupting it.

She had gotten a B+ on her quiz, and she had gotten to see Nayeon’s eyes light up when she handed her the gift. Jeongyeon glanced at her wrist with a smile.

And then Nayeon had pulled her into a hug that she really hadn’t wanted to break, but then she had started sinking into the embrace, letting herself forget for just a second that she had just tried, and failed, to ask Nayeon out yesterday.

Granted, Nayeon had completely missed what she had said, but still. Just getting those words out had felt like a herculean effort, and Jeongyeon didn't know if she had it in her to try again this week.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, promising herself she would pay attention to her lecturer after this.

NayeOFF Her Rocker 
[5:01 PM] Hey, Jeongyeon. What should you do if no one laughs at your chemistry jokes?

[5:01 PM] Keep telling them until you get a reaction.

[5:02 PM] Wow. That was painful. I don't know how you do it. Anyway. I'm proud of you =] 

[5:02 PM] And thank you for the bracelet. See you on Sunday. 

Despite her best efforts, Jeongyeon found it impossible to focus for the remainder of the class. Instead, she toyed with the bracelet on her wrist and let her mind wander, thoughts of Nayeon coming to her effortlessly. 

Chapter Text

Sunday

On the morning of her 23rd birthday, Im Nayeon woke up much the same way she came into the world: screaming and confused.

She had been sleeping soundly, undisturbed by flashes of romance with a lab partner or nightmares about showing up to her capstone presentation in her underwear.

And then a cacophony of noise and pressure pulled her into consciousness. Nayeon’s body attempted to flinch, an instinctual reaction to the chaos around her, but she found herself unable to move.

And that was when she screamed.

“Nayeon! Open your eyes!”

She wrenched her eyes open at the familiar voice, another, yet smaller, scream leaving her when she saw Chaeyoung’s face mere inches from her own.

The wide grin on her friend’s face was almost enough to calm her down, but then she saw something leap towards her and she flinched again.

“Dahyun,” Chaeyoung hissed, slapping her in the arm. “You’re scaring her!”

“I think you’re both scaring her, truthfully.” Nayeon craned her neck to see between Chaeyoung and Dahyun and saw Sana standing in her doorway wearing a party hat and holding a balloon.

And suddenly everything snapped into place.

“Oh,” Nayeon breathed.

It was her birthday. Right.

“We have presents,” Chaeyoung said, grinning. “Mine is way cooler than Dahyun’s.”

“Hey!”

Nayeon laughed, excitement beginning to bubble up.

“I will accept any and all presents once you give me a chance to shower and get changed.”

She felt more than heard Chaeyoung sigh as she slumped forward, head almost connecting with Nayeon’s shoulder. “I guess.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Sana winked at her. “Anything for the birthday girl, but make it quick. Momo is making breakfast.”

Nayeon winced as Chaeyoung pushed against her stomach to launch herself off of the bed. “Food!”

Dahyun followed suit, and Nayeon took only a brief moment to marvel at the wonder that was her friends before starting to get out of bed. Momo didn’t cook often, but when she did, it was not an experience to be missed.

//

“Happy birthday,” Sana said brightly, angling her head towards Nayeon.

Nayeon darted forward, placing a quick kiss on Sana’s cheek, giggling when she felt the other woman’s smile grow as a result.

She stepped back, taking in the collection of fond looks and eye rolls. “Another year older, another year of making my friends let me be affectionate with them.”

“We’re all affectionate,” Chaeyoung protested. “You just try and kiss people on the cheek far too often.”

“Yeah,” Momo chimed in. “You even beat Sana in sheer number of kiss attempts per day.”

“It’s true,” Sana agreed, craning her neck slightly to place a loud kiss on Momo’s forehead.

Momo squealed, attempt at squirming away thwarted by her girlfriend’s arms holding her in place.

“Unfair,” Momo whined, slumping into a laughing Mina as Sana continued her mission to kiss every inch of Momo’s face she could reach.

Nayeon’s grin was pulling at her cheeks, and it was only the feeling of someone’s chin coming to rest on her shoulder that pulled her eyes away from the havoc in front of her.

Dahyun grinned at her as their eyes met, and Nayeon didn’t resist the urge to place one more kiss on the crown of Dahyun’s head.

Dahyun scrunched her nose, stepping back as Nayeon turned to face her.

“Hi.” Dahyun grinned at her.

“Hi.” Nayeon let Dahyun’s smile and the laughter of her friends (how Chaeyoung had suddenly gotten involved she had no idea) sink beneath her skin, felt breathless from the joy of it.

She pulled Dahyun into a hug, letting the familiar action ground her. Dahyun was wearing the perfume Nayeon had been getting her as a birthday gift for years, and the light notes of sandalwood gave Nayeon a rush of nostalgia she hadn’t been expecting.

“Hey, Nayeon,” Dahyun said, voice slightly muffled by Nayeon’s blouse.

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you decided to babysit us all those years ago.”

Nayeon’s words failed her for a moment, memories suddenly slipping by her far too quickly for her to grasp at a response.

“Me too,” Nayeon managed eventually, arms giving Dahyun one last squeeze before stepping back. “Wouldn’t change a thing.”

Dahyun swiped at her eyes, and Nayeon pretended not to notice the shine to them.

A slight sniffle. Dahyun rolled forward onto the balls of her feet, and Nayeon was half expecting to be pulled into another hug.

But then Dahyun dropped back down and spoke.

“Swag.”

“Did you just say ‘swag’?”

“Maybe.”

“I miss when I used to get paid to put up with you.”

//

“I can’t believe you’re kicking us out because you have a meeting with your lab partner.” Chaeyoung pouted at Nayeon as she bent down to tie her shoes, and for just a moment, Nayeon was tempted to text Jeongyeon and tell her she’d have to cancel.

“I believe it.”

Nayeon stiffened as Sana, Momo, and Mina spoke at the same time. She whirled around, ready to yell, but the laughter that spilled from her three friends was enough to halt her.

So she just stood there, glaring, as they laughed at her.

“Are we missing something,” Chaeyoung asked, and Nayeon made direct eye contact with her three laughing friends, trying to tell them that, under no circumstances, should they mention anything about a crush.

“Is this about the fact that Nayeon has a giant crush on Jeongyeon,” Dahyun asked, and Nayeon wished the floor would swallow her whole. “Because we already know about that. We also know about the mascot thing.”

“Oh my god,” Nayeon groaned, making her way to the couch as giggles erupted around her. “Please stop talking about me having crushes on people. That’s my one birthday wish.”

She dropped to the couch with a huff, trying to ignore the glances she could see being exchanged out of the corner of her eye.

“We’ll let you off easy for your birthday,” Mina said, moving to stand in front of Nayeon as she spoke. “But you can’t blame us for teasing about about this.”

Nayeon scowled, sending a half-hearted kick at Mina’s shin, which the other woman easily avoided.

“Yeah, I mean—" hands came to rest on Nayeon’s shoulders, and when she tilted her head back, she caught the eye of a widely grinning Sana, “—you haven’t dated in like a year because you’ve been ‘too busy’, but suddenly you have two crushes.”

“Jeongyeon’s my personal pick,” Dahyun said, letting herself fall over the back of the couch to land haphazardly next to Nayeon. Nayeon tried to muster a glare, but Dahyun’s upside down grin was too infectious to resist.

“Excuse you,” Chaeyoung interjected. “Yes, Jeongyeon is funny and has good taste in jokes, but the mascot has moves.”

Nayeon couldn’t see Chaeyoung from where she was seated, but the rustling of clothing and humming of one of the mascot’s favorite dance songs behind her told her all she needed to know about what Chaeyoung was doing.

“I’m for Jeongyeon. She throws Nayeon off-kilter so easily.” Mina’s voice was soft, but her words were pointed.

“Leave me alone,” Nayeon whined, dropping her head into her hands.

“I’m for whoever makes Nayeon the happiest,” Momo said.

Nayeon lifted her head from her hands and twisted to look at her only real friend. “Than—”

“But also the mascot made me a special cheer, so maybe pick her.”

“I—”

Sana squeezed her shoulders, cutting her off.

“That’s great and all, but we’re not talking about the most important thing here, which is Jeongyeon’s legs. Case closed.”

Nayeon closed her eyes and wondered if she could pretend to slip into a coma to get out of this situation. “Please leave. Even if you live here.”

“Fine,” Dahyun relented with a sigh. “Normally my presence is a gift, but I can see I’d be doing you more of a solid by leaving. Chae, wanna go study in the library?”

“Absolutely not, but I will leave before Nayeon attacks us.”

Nayeon felt Dahyun get up from the couch, heard Mina walk into the kitchen, and noticed Sana’s hands slipping off of her shoulders.

She half expected someone to get another dig in at her, but nothing came. Dahyun and Chaeyoung said their goodbyes and left, promising to be back later that evening with cake.

She heard no more from her other three friends, only got a pat on the head from Momo as her and Mina went into Momo’s room. Sana was in the kitchen, the sound of clinking dishes and a running faucet the only noise in the apartment.

Nayeon exhaled and sunk back into the couch cushions, doing her best to push away the anxiety that was suddenly coursing through her. She knew her friends meant well, and she enjoyed the teasing 99% of the time. This just happened to be the 1% of the time in which the actual issue wasn’t something she could just ignore or move past.

Her phone buzzed, a reminder to start getting ready for her meeting with Jeongyeon appearing on her screen. Nayeon sighed, taking one last moment to let the couch support her weight, and then she was up on her feet, moving down the hallway towards her room.

She couldn’t figure out exactly what was going on with her heart, but she could at least be a punctual lab partner.

//

Dubzz
[11:30 AM] So. I went back and forth on this one, but. I know who ~The Mascot~ is. Chae doesn’t know I know, but I was able to figure it out.
[11:32 AM] It was kind of easy, actually >.> Do you want a second birthday present?

Nayeon looked down at her phone, fingers hovering over the screen. Dahyun had messaged her about 15 minutes ago, and she was still just as unsure now as she was then.

She wanted to say yes, wanted to finally put an end to the mystery that had piqued her interest about a month ago, but at the same time, the mystery was part of the fun. And finding out who was behind the costumes seemed like something she should do herself.

But.

She was tired of not having a face to put to her second crush.

She pressed down on her screen, typing out a response that would finally, finally get her an answer to her question.

And then she stopped. Remembered warm skin on a cold night and a pull she couldn’t quite explain. Remembered hearing about how important it was to the mascot to keep her identity hidden.

Nayeon sighed and deleted the message before sending Dahyun a denial.

Nayeon =D
[11:48 AM] No, I’m good. Thank you, though.

She wanted to know who the mascot was, wanted to know who had captured her attention with so little interaction, but she didn’t want to find out like this.

Nayeon’s eyes widened as she realized what time it was. She had approximately ten minutes to get all the way across campus to meet with Jeongyeon at Love Line.

Damn that mascot.

//

Jeongyeon stared at the page in front of her with a mixture of joy and disbelief. While she had been gaining slightly more confidence in organic chemistry, she still got anxious every time she opened up to the pre-lab questions.

So to see that this week had no lab questions and also to see that the lab this week would take approximately 30 minutes was quite possibly the best thing that had happened to her in a while.

Her costume for the next game was easy to put on, but she certainly wouldn’t complain about the extra time. And maybe, just maybe, she could ask Nayeon to get food with her somewhere after lab. She was determined to try asking her out again. She just needed the right opportunity. And for Nayeon to actually be paying attention.

There was part of Jeongyeon, a very small yet very annoying part of her, that wondered if Nayeon had lied about not hearing her fumbled attempt at asking her out, but Nayeon hadn’t acted any different since. She tried not to dwell on it.

Jeongyeon looked at the clock on the wall and furrowed her eyebrows. Nayeon was supposed to be here 5 minutes ago, and if there was one thing her lab partner prescribed to, aside from when naps were involved, it was punctuality.

She looked at the two hot chocolates in front of her and wondered if she should give Nayeon a call or just keep waiting. She knew Nayeon deserved the chance to know that they didn’t need to meet today, but she knew that she liked spending time with Nayeon regardless of circumstance.

Jeongyeon’s hand dropped to her phone with a sigh. She didn’t want to be selfish.

“Sorry! So sorry!”

Jeongyeon jolted back, her phone clattering to the table as Nayeon dropped into the chair across from her, sheepish and slightly out of breath.

“I got held up by something this morning and lost track of time. I hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

“Only like five minutes or so, no worries.”

Nayeon smiled at her, and Jeongyeon smiled back, happiness stretching at the corners of her mouth.

And then Nayeon reached forward, hand wrapping around the drink in front of her, and Jeongyeon saw the bracelet on her wrist.

There was a feeling building in her chest again, one that never seemed to fully go away but that seemed to grow in bursts every time she saw Nayeon.

It was stirring, and it pushed against her rib cage and made Jeongyeon want to tangle their fingers together and ask Nayeon questions about anything and everything. She wanted to listen to Nayeon tell her stories from her life and wanted to be around to create new ones with her.

It was silly, just a piece of string made with whatever she could find, but Jeongyeon thought of that bracelet as the beginning of something for them. She didn’t know what exactly, knew what she wanted but wasn’t completely sure what ran through Nayeon’s head.

Did she lay awake at night, hand tucked underneath her head, and stare at her ceiling, wondering what Jeongyeon was up to? Did she hear songs about early mornings and warm hands and think about her lab partner?

Was she on Nayeon’s mind as much as Nayeon was on hers? Jeongyeon didn’t know. But she did know that Nayeon was drinking the hot chocolate she had bought her with a smile on her face. And she knew that Nayeon’s foot was lightly tapping against her ankle.

And that was enough.

“So how bad is this lab looking,” Nayeon asked, breaking Jeongyeon out of her stupor.

“Ah, well,” Jeongyeon pushed her lab book forward and spun it around, “we actually don’t have to do anything today. I was about to reach out when you showed up.”

“Oh,” Nayeon said, flipping through a few pages of the lab book. “Weird.”

“I”m sorry you won’t be able to spend the next hour doing chemistry problems.”

Nayeon raised an eyebrow. “You know I’m a chemical engineering major, right? I literally only have chemistry problems to do.”

Jeongyeon shrugged. “Sounds like a you problem.”

“Ow!” Jeongyeon winced as Nayeon’s foot met her shin with a bit more force. “That was uncalled for.”

“Nothing I ever do to you is uncalled for, Yoo Jeongyeon.” Nayeon smirked at her and Jeongyeon fought the urge to look away.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Nayeon cut her off before she could speak. “And I’ll keep it that way in the future, too.”

Nayeon followed her words with a wink and a gentle nudge against her ankle and Jeongyeon felt her face warm slightly.

“I have a feeling we’d disagree on that front.”

But she wouldn’t let Nayeon draw first blood today.

“I would never be unfair.” Nayeon pouted as she finished speaking, foot knocking against Jeongyeon’s shin once more.

Jeongyeon laughed. “I’m sorry, but how many stories have you told me about you cheating at games?”

She liked how Nayeon’s eyes would narrow when she rose to a challenge, loved the way a grin would tug at her lips before slipping into something just a bit more dangerous.

Craved the way it made her feel, just a little bit like she imagined stepping into a boxing ring would, ready to dodge and swing and sink into the rhythm of it all.

“I only told those stories because you talked about being a prolific cheater first,” Nayeon defended, hand slapping down onto the tabletop. “If anything, you’re the sneak between us.”

“No way,” Jeongyeon laughed, shaking her head. “You told me you started stacking the deck for board games when you were in third grade! I didn’t start my loophole-finding career until high school. Granted, it was incredible once I started. But still. ”

Nayeon raised an eyebrow, a small chuckle escaping her lips. She looked down at the cup in front of her for a brief moment before looking up again, and Jeongyeon’s breath caught slightly at softening of her expression.

“We probably would’ve made a pretty good team then, huh,” Nayeon asked.

Her foot had stopped its light tapping motion and was now resting against Jeongyeon’s ankle.

Sometimes it was like they were sparring. Sometimes it was like they were dancing. Jeongyeon didn’t know which she preferred, and the contrast made her head spin in the most wonderful of ways.

“Depends on whether or not I could’ve put up with you,” Jeongyeon teased, leaning forward to put her elbows on the table and let her chin rest on her hands. “You can be a lot, Im.”

Nayeon’s smile faded slightly, a curious look now on her face as she tilted her head to the side, eyes searching for something. “Too much or just a lot?”

The look on Nayeon’s face kept her honest. “The perfect amount of a lot.”

If asked, Jeongyeon could have described Nayeon using countless adjectives, but ‘shy’ wouldn’t have been anywhere on that list.

Yet that’s exactly how she would describe Nayeon now.

She watched Nayeon take in her answer, watched how she seemed to settle further in her seat, watched her fingers wrap tighter around the cup of hot chocolate.

Watched a quietly pleased look come across her face, wanted to duck her own head to catch Nayeon’s suddenly lowered eyes.

“Good to know.” Nayeon’s voice was softer than Jeongyeon had ever heard it.

She looked up and met Jeongyeon’s eyes, and Jeongyeon felt like the sun was rising in her chest.

One-hit knockout.

//

“— birthday to you!”

Nayeon took in the familiar smiles around her before she closed her eyes to make a wish.

It was something she had always taken very seriously, a once-a-year sacrament that gave her the freedom to hope without hesitation.

(Jihyo had initially been taken aback by how solemnly Sana had handed her the matches, telling her it was her duty this year. Nayeon had felt a rush of affection for the newest member of her inner circle when a serious look had stolen over Jihyo’s face a moment later.)

Nayeon didn’t put much stock in whether or not her wishes came true; she was in it for the unbridled joy of the moment, not the reality that came after the flame had been extinguished.

But she had to pick a wish first.

As she squeezed her eyes shut and let the final notes of the song fade (Dahyun and Chaeyoung liked to compete to see who could keep the song going the longest), Nayeon cast around her brain for a wish.

She pushed away her first thought, tried searching for something else.

She had her friends, knew that if she opened her eyes she’d see soft smiles framed by flickering shadows and wisps of smoke.

Her grades were good, health just fine, and she had many years ago stopped wishing for a unicorn companion.

When she finally gave in to her initial impulse, finally let herself surrender to the spirit of the thing as she always had and dream up the image she wanted most, she took a deep breath and blew out her candles.

She opened her eyes to the sound of clapping and cheering, and she could almost imagine the feeling of Jeongyeon’s hand in her own.

Next year, successful romance or not, Nayeon swore there would be nine people standing around her birthday cake.

//

Jpuff
[10:17 PM] Is it lame to leave a party early to get some sleep? Asking for a friend.

Bulba
[10:18 PM] Tell your friend that yes it’s lame but also valid.
[10:18 PM] Weren’t you just at a friend’s place?? Party???? On a Sunday??? Park Jihyo????

Jpuff
[10:20 PM] You’re a cretin. It’s just a birthday party.

Bulba
[10:21 PM] =[
[10:21 PM] Originally I was going to fight hard to move off of Irene’s couch and get home to share space with my bff, but you’re making that harder to do.

Jpuff
[10:22 PM] Stay there forever then.
[10:23 PM] (But also let me know when you leave or if you’re staying over)

Bulba
[10:23 PM] (will do)

Monday

Jeongyeon hummed to herself as she watched her bowl spin around in the microwave. Thirty more seconds, and then that bowl of leftover rice would be hers for the taking.

Her day had been fine, completely unremarkable in the most satisfying of ways, and all she wanted to do was prepare dinner and sit on the couch. There was homework that could be done, but it wasn’t due until Thursday.

Twenty-three seconds now.

Jeongyeon fiddled with the chopsticks in her hands.

Fifteen seconds.

She rocked back on her heels as the song she was humming reached a crescendo.

Eight seconds.

Jeongyeon straightened up, reaching her hand forward so that she could open the door as soon as the timer went off.

Three seconds.

Two.

“Jeongyeon!”

She jumped when she heard her name, a smaller jump following when the microwave timer finally went off.

She looked at the microwave and then down the hall in the direction of her shouted name.

A few seconds passed, silence broken only by the beeping microwave.

She reached towards the microwave once more.

“Jeongyeon!”

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh, allowing herself a moment of mourning before she let the urgency in Jihyo’s voice carry her to her room.

“What’s wrong? Is everything ok—” Jeongyeon’s sentence died on her lips as Jihyo grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her over to her bed.

“Sit.”

Jeongyeon sat.

“Read this text message.”

She read it, looked up at Jihyo, saw the frazzled look on her best friend’s face, and read it again.

“I don’t kn—”

“This has to be because we lost that second game and our scores haven’t been as high. I don’t think the 4-3-3 is working for us anymore. We only won the last game in the last ten minutes and by one point.”

Jihyo was pacing now, socked feet pivoting so quickly on the hardwood floor that Jeongyeon was afraid she’d slip.

“One!” Jeongyeon jerked back slightly as Jihyo thrust her hand in front of her, pointer finger up.

Jeongyeon looked down at Jihyo’s phone for a third time, wondering if she was missing something.

But she didn’t seem to be.

Their coach was asking for all of the girls to come to an “important meeting” in an hour.

“Jihyo, I—”

“What if they’re taking my captaincy away,” Jihyo exclaimed, wringing her hands. “People weren’t sure if I was fit for the job to begin with, and now—”

Jeongyeon was the one interrupting this time, standing up from Jihyo’s bed and launching herself at the other woman in one swift movement. She caught Jihyo’s shoulders, shaking them a few times as Jihyo looked at her with wide eyes.

“Jihyo,” Jeongyeon said firmly. “Why the fuck are you panicking so much? You know they aren’t taking captain from you. Did you see the captain last year? A disaster. I mean, you guys won, but she was a disaster. Also! Your captaincy vote was near unanimous.”

Jeongyeon saw Jihyo inhale, shoulders relaxing just so.

“If they kept her, they’ll keep you. He probably just wants to talk about a change in uniforms or about awarding the mascot a Noble Peace Prize.”

Jihyo glared at her, and Jeongyeon smiled, wide and purposefully overbearing.

Their eyes stayed locked for at least thirty more seconds, and just as Jeongyeon was ready to throw in the towel and blink, Jihyo released the rest of the tension in her body with a sigh.

Jeongyeon’s hands slipped off of Jihyo’s shoulders as she leaned forward, and for a moment, Jeongyeon was just holding her arms out, hands grasping at empty air.

She let them fall and studied Jihyo, who seemed intent on staring at the floor.

Another moment passed, and then Jihyo looked at her and spoke, voice thin. “I’m sorry. I have three projects due this week, and my groups suck for all of them. I’m just stressed.”

Jeongyeon let out a scoff. “No shit. You never take time to relax. Your party yesterday barely counts.”

A scowl came to Jihyo’s lips for a moment, but then she was moving, and suddenly Jeongyeon found herself supporting Jihyo’s entire bodyweight.

Jeongyeon’s arms raised to wrap around Jihyo without thought, steadying both of them. The other woman responded by burrowing her head further into Jeongyeon’s shoulder, hands finding purchase in the front pocket of Jeongyeon’s sweatshirt.

A moment passed, and Jeongyeon found herself growing more and more amused as Jihyo continued to say nothing, seemingly content.

“What’s going on?”

“Relaxing.” Jihyo’s voice was slightly muffled, but Jeongyeon could hear the dry tone in it regardless.

“Do I need to be a part of this, or,” Jeongyeon trailed off, fighting back a chuckle at the puff of air she felt Jihyo release.

“It’s called friendship.”

“I feel like this isn’t part of our usual routine.”

“Apparently other people do this a lot with their best friends,” Jihyo said sarcastically.

Jeongyeon smiled.

“Oh wow,” Jeongyeon said, injecting wonder into her voice. “What’s it called?”

Jihyo stepped on her foot, and Jeongyeon had to bite her lip to stop herself from yelping. “Shut up.”

Silence settled around them, and Jeongyeon adjusted her arms slightly, trying to find a more comfortable hold. Jihyo shifted with her, and Jeongyeon now had a conveniently placed headrest.

She wasn’t sure exactly how long they stayed like that, but it was long enough that Jeongyeon vowed to keep a closer eye on Jihyo. Her best friend was brilliant, yes, but she sometimes failed to take her own health into account.

The grumbling of her stomach was what eventually separated them, and all it took was one judging look from Jihyo at her stomach for them to both burst into laughter.

“Come on,” Jeongyeon said, gesturing towards the door. “I have rice to reheat, and you probably need to eat too.”

Jihyo made a noise of agreement, following Jeongyeon as she moved towards the kitchen.

“Also,” Jeongyeon said, looking at Jihyo over her shoulder, “we’re going to need to have a discussion about you being so stressed that a text makes you freak out.”

“You and I both know we’re not having that discussion,” Jihyo said with a roll of her eyes. “But yes I know. I’m trying. I’m having a friend over on Thursday for an hour or two before the game. Next week I should be back to a normal level of stressed.”

“Wonderful.” Jeongyeon restarted the microwave. “Because I will lock you out of your room and burn your textbooks.”

“You know,” Jihyo said, and Jeongyeon heard her sit down at their table, “I actually believe you.”

Thirty one seconds.

“Good. And which friend?”

Twenty nine seconds.

“The one whose birthday party I went to yesterday and who I get lunch with a lot. You haven’t met.”

“The engineering one?”

“Yup.”

“Nice!”

Twenty two seconds.

“Can you do me a favor?

“What is it?”

Twenty seconds.

“Come with me to the meeting?”

Jeongyeon turned around, recoiling instantly when she saw a pouting Jihyo.

“Why? And stop doing that!”

“I still feel kind of nervous.”

“You’re going to be fine. Also, I can’t be seen with you, remember? Mascot.”

“You have disguises for a reason, don’t you?”

“I’m sorry. You want me to go to this meeting with you in a mascot outfit?”

“Not a costume! Just with a wig on or something.”

“No.”

“If you agree and get ready fast enough, we’ll leave early and I’ll buy you dinner.”

The microwave beeped, and Jeongyeon’s stomach grumbled once more.

Her rice was pretty plain, and she really wanted kimchi.

“Dinner and something from Love Line’s bakery, and you have yourself a deal.”

“Deal.”

//

Nayeon looked up as she heard footsteps coming down the hallway.

She was unable to stop a smile as a nervous looking Jihyo turned the corner, passing by her with a nod of acknowledgment before entering the locker room.

It was reassuring, in a way, to know that Jihyo was also nervous about this meeting.

She had just finished a problem set when sounds of distress brought her out of her room and into the kitchen, where she saw Sana and Momo aggressively discussing something over their phones.

She had heard the words “soccer” and “strategy meeting” before deciding that she was better off in her room, but then they had caught sight of her and demanded that she come along for moral support.

So here Nayeon was. Sitting on one of the benches outside of the locker room, tapping her fingers against its surface and waiting for this mystery meeting to be over.

The door shut behind Jihyo, leaving Nayeon to go back to staring at her phone.

The sound of someone coughing drew her gaze, and she jerked back against the wall when she realized that someone else was sitting in the hallway about fifteen feet away.

She squinted. Something here looked familiar: short blonde hair under a baseball cap, a cloth face mask, and sunglasses. There wasn’t much Nayeon could see, but the blonde hair and the presence at a soccer meeting led Nayeon to one heart-stuttering conclusion.

She fought back her initial urge to call out to the mascot, instead granting herself a moment to just observe.

She had never seen the mascot in casual clothing before. It was something like seeing a teacher at the grocery store, weird and slightly disorienting.

Though, Nayeon thought to herself as she let her eyes run over the mascot’s form, not nearly as unappealing.

Slumped over and fiddling with her phone, the mascot was the only calm person Nayeon had seen in the last thirty minutes. The oversized hoodie and sweatpants only helped solidify the image of aloofness.

“Don’t tell me they make mascots come to these secret meetings too?”

Nayeon laughed when the mascot flinched, phone almost flying out of her hand. Through some stroke of luck, she managed to save it from crashing to the ground.

The sunglasses prevented Nayeon from knowing where exactly the mascot was looking, but Nayeon was quite certain it was at her.

A few more beats passed, and the figure sighed, shoulders slumping even lower. Words were said, but they were too muffled by the mask for Nayeon to make them out.

“You’re going to have to come closer or take off that mask.”

Another sigh. The figure leaned back against the wall and lowered her sunglasses just long enough for Nayeon to see the playful glare being directed at her.

Nayeon fought back a chuckle. That was the mascot, without a doubt.

“I’ll come over there and remove it myself, if you prefer.”

The mascot stayed still, and Nayeon stood.

She had taken no more than two steps when the mascot shot to her feet. Nayeon smirked, sinking back down onto the bench and giving a lazy wave in response.

The mascot said nothing, just approached Nayeon and sat down on the bench next to her with a huff.

It hit Nayeon then that this was the first time she had been alone with the mascot in quite awhile. Last week had been a quick dinosaur joke and then nothing.

The mascot spun around before Nayeon could say anything else, straddling the bench and leaving Nayeon staring at her back. A hand — half covered by her hoodie sleeves, Nayeon noted with no small amount of affection — raised up and pulled down her mask, and Nayeon had to fight the urge to crane her neck around and see the mascot’s face.

“Can you turn around,” the mascot asked, voice lower than Nayeon had ever heard. “I’d like to stop wearing sunglasses inside, but I also can’t have you seeing me.”

“You do know that I’ve already seen your bare face, right,” Nayeon said, laughing as she spun around on the bench.

“You’ve seen my bare face in costume. My identity is sacred, Nayeon. I can’t risk that.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Nayeon leaned back, chuckling when the mascot jumped as their shoulders touched.

“What?”

“What? I thought you being my backrest as was an assumed part of this deal.”

Another sigh, and then the mascot straightened up, leaning back and offering support. Nayeon smiled, pleased.

“Only because I don’t want to get yelled at if you fall off this bench and break your face or something.”

“You can admit you care about me, you know?”

“I don’t like lying.”

Nayeon chuckled, quite sure she was hearing a pout in the mascot’s voice. Every exchange between them was increasing her desire to turn around and properly talk to the mascot face to face.

She had thought her crush dilemma was mostly settled, but now she was sitting on this bench, feeling a bit like she was falling even deeper. She could feel the warmth of the mascot through her shirt. Even though the other woman was insistent on masking her voice, the familiar cadence of it was enough to have Nayeon smiling.

Her comfort and familiarity with the mascot was so high despite so few interactions, and while she enjoyed the feeling it gave her, she despised the fact that it made everything more complicated.

Her fingers curled around the edge of the bench, a sigh slipping from between her lips. She didn’t want this to become a “what if?” situation. If she actually did end up dating Jeongyeon, she wanted to do it with no regrets, no questions.

The silence continued to stretch between them, not awkward, but so filled with opportunity that Nayeon felt words begin to crawl up her throat.

She could feel the mascot breathing, each inhale and exhale pushing against her back. It was a constant reminder that the mascot was right there. She was with Nayeon, no pressing soccer matter threatening to separate them.

“Have you ever had a crush on someone that got complicated?” The words left Nayeon’s mouth before she could properly think them over, and it was only her stubbornness that prevented her from immediately trying to take the words back.

The mascot stiffened against her before relaxing and letting out a scoff. “You could say that.”

“Oh?” Nayeon winced at the high pitch of her voice.

“You’re nosy, huh?”

“Not nosy! Curious.” Her voice was slightly calmer now. Good.

“Whatever you say, Im. But yes.”

Nayeon needed to know if the playfulness in the mascot’s voice was real or imagined. She could picture herself turning around, getting up and looking the mascot in the eye; she could almost feel her tongue forming demands for an answer.

But she couldn’t take it that far. There was a boundary set, and Nayeon wouldn’t be the one to break it.

“Is that all I get?”

But anything not identity related was fair game.

“Maybe.”

Silence rose between them. Nayeon wanted to push, but she also didn’t, both forces canceling each other out. She was stuck, not from indecisiveness, but from the knowledge that the right set of words could potentially unlock something she had been chasing for weeks.

“Okay, fine. There’s someone I really, really want to ask out. But I’m not sure if she likes me.”

Nayeon swallowed a gasp, wiping one of her hands along her jeans before speaking. “Oh. I’m sorry. She probably does!”

“Good to know you think highly of me.”

“Shut up. I just meant you’re not a complete disaster,” Nayeon responded, playfully shoving the mascot’s shoulders with her own.

The mascot laughed, and when she rocked back into an upright position, their fingertips brushed.

Nayeon tried to think of something to say, anything that wasn’t “Am I her?” or “Can I hold your hand?”

But then the fingers that were lightly resting against her own moved, and suddenly their fingers were tangled.

Nayeon’s thoughts came to a complete halt.

“I just really like her, you know? She makes me nervous.”

The mascot’s hands were a bit cold, but Nayeon swore they were burning her. The mascot’s thumb ran along her pointer finger, halting when it bumped into one of her rings. The motion repeated, slow and gentle. She’d miss it if it wasn’t the focus of every ounce of her attention.

She squeezed the mascot’s hand, emboldened by the firm squeeze she got in return.

“Well maybe you should just tell her.”

The mascot’s thumb stopped moving.

“Yeah, maybe.”

The strokes returned, firmer this time and impossible to miss.

Nayeon felt the mascot’s back push against her own. Her thumb hit Nayeon’s ring once more and stuttered before stopping completely.

The mascot exhaled, her back pressing even firmer against Nayeon’s. Nayeon leaned into it, not letting either of them waver.

“Listen, Nayeon, I—”

The door slammed open, a wave of noise spilling out of the locker room.

The mascot jerked away from her, and Nayeon fell back, steadying herself with the hand that had been cradled in the mascot’s a moment ago.

Nayeon felt like she was coming out of a haze, eyes blinking rapidly to clear her mind. By the time she turned to look at the mascot, she was already gone, mask pulled up and eyes covered. The mascot was walking away from her, back to her original spot, and something in Nayeon’s chest was unraveling, pulling her after the other woman.

“Hey, wait!”

The mascot stopped right as she got to her bench and turned around. Her hand raised once more.

Nayeon held her breath.

The mascot’s hand touched briefly on her mask, but then it continued, only to complete it’s journey by pulling down her sunglasses. She shot Nayeon a wink, before lifting the glasses back up and sitting down.

Nayeon wanted to scream.

Players began filtering out of the locker room, obstructing Nayeon’s clear view. She could hear them talking about scouts coming to the next game, and in the back of her mind, she was glad to know her friends’ worries were unfounded.

But even in the face of that, all she could focus on were the glimpses she was getting of the mascot through the players, slumped against the wall, playing with her phone like she hadn’t spent the last five minutes confusing the ever loving hell out of Nayeon.

She moved to cross the hallway, but an excited Momo, Sana, and Mina stopped her. By the time she got a chance to look, the mascot was gone.

Nayeon kept a straight face, but she felt her stomach drop. There had been a moment, lightning quick, where she thought she was actually going to get an answer, but then the mascot walked away.

So what the hell did that mean?

//

Jeongyeon fell back onto her bed, determined to never move again. She ran her hands down her face, letting out a groan. “I’m this close to confessing, and then all I do is wink?”

Anxiety rushed through her as she thought of how close she had been.

“I’m an idiot.”

A flash of color caught her eye, and she realized she had been wearing her bracelet, a clear identifier, the entire time she had been half-holding hands with Nayeon.

She wondered if she could convince Jihyo to knock her out with one of her textbooks.

Tuesday

“Do you really think that’s a good idea,” Jeongyeon asked. She let out a content hum as the wind ruffled her hair. The central common had been mowed recently, and the smell of freshly cut grass floated around her.

She heard Tzuyu shift next to her, legs moving across the grass. “I mean, it could be worse. Skipping a class once to catch up with another one isn’t unheard of.”

The sun was warming her skin so pleasantly, and it took everything she had to keep this conversation going. She could almost imagine herself floating away in this moment, caught on an updraft and sent spiraling into the sky. “I have no legs to stand on when it comes to telling people not to skip. So. Jihyo?”

Tzuyu giggled. “She fell asleep five minutes ago, which you’d know if you weren’t about to do the same.”

Jeongyeon opened her eyes with effort, blinking away the sudden spots in her vision.

She looked to her left, half-open eyes taking in a bemused Tzuyu and a fast-asleep Jihyo. The latter had her head in Tzuyu’s lap, sweatshirt haphazardly draped across her torso.

Amusement blossomed in Jeongyeon’s chest, and she couldn’t hold back the large grin she shared with Tzuyu.

“Park Jihyo taking a nap on a school day. A miracle.”

Tzuyu nodded. “I was shocked when she laid down, let alone when she started snoring.”

“This moment must be recorded for history’s sake,” Jeongyeon said, grabbing her phone out of her pocket as she rose to her feet.

She took a moment to stretch, enjoying the feeling of her limbs loosening and the tingling warmth that followed.

She pointed her phone at her friends. “Tzuyu, make fun faces. Please and thank you.”

Tzuyu readily obliged, and the next several minutes were a delicate balance between taking photos that Jihyo would kill them for later and trying not to wake Jihyo up with their laughter.

As it was, Jeongyeon stopped taking pictures only when two familiar figures across the quad caught her attention.

She waved when Nayeon’s eyes met hers, well aware of the fact that her heart rate was now increasing.

Nayeon stopped walking as she waved back, an action that drew Mina’s attention. The other woman saw her and raised her arm in greeting.

Jeongyeon was halfway to getting herself to maybe go over to them when Mina tugged on Nayeon’s sleeve, gesturing in the direction they had been heading.

They had a brief exchange, one of half-hearted glares (Nayeon) and smiles (Mina), that Jeongyeon would pay anything to be able to hear. Were they talking about her?

A few more seconds passed, and eventually Nayeon turned back to face her and waved once more before turning and continuing on her way.

Jeongyeon hoped she wasn’t imaging the disappointment on Nayeon’s face or the slight hesitation in her walk as she turned.

“You really need to just ask her out already.”

Jeongyeon jumped, turning to face Tzuyu and a still napping Jihyo.

“What are you talking about?” Jeongyeon tried to hide her surprise the best she could, but the waver in her voice was undeniable.

Tzuyu rolled her eyes. “I know you have a crush on Nayeon. You told me you have a crush on your lab partner, and then last week after we played soccer, Chaeyoung told me you were lab partners. You even called her “partner” in front of me.”

Jeongyeon worked her jaw for a few seconds before responding. “Oh. Okay.”

“Why is it some big secret,” Tzuyu asked, fingers absentmindedly playing with Jihyo’s hair. “From everything I’ve heard about her, Nayeon is a good person, and it really seemed like she didn’t want to leave just then.”

“I don’t know,” Jeongyeon sighed. She dropped her gaze to the ground and half-heartedly kicked at a fallen leaf. “I feel like every time I try and tell her, something goes wrong. She’ll eventually ask me if she likes me right?”

Jeongyeon looked at Tzuyu with a hopeful gaze, only to be rebuffed by her glare. “Jeongyeon, what if she’s thinking the same thing? You might like each other. Don’t let that falter because of fear.”

“Why are you so smart?”

“I spent my life doing the opposite of everything you did.”

Jeongyeon lurched forward, intending on tackling Tzuyu to the ground, but she stopped when she realized Jihyo was still asleep in her lap.

She looked at Tzuyu, scowling. “When Jihyo wakes you, you’re going down, Chou.”

Tzuyu just smirked and continued running her fingers through Jihyo’s hair.

“You have a meeting for your research methods class in 30 minutes and Jihyo hasn’t slept properly in weeks. Good luck with that.”

Jeongyeon glared for a moment longer before slumping her shoulders and conceding defeat. Her next 30 minutes of freedom would be better spent on napping, not fighting a losing battle.

Thursday

“Are you sure you don’t want to come on a walk with me?” Jeongyeon asked her question and waited, doing her best to silently will the universe to be on her side. Just once.

Nayeon smiled at her, a small and delicate thing that sparked something in Jeongyeon. Nayeon rested her chin on her palm, giving Jeongyeon a searching look.

“I want to go on a walk with you,” Nayeon said, “but I’m finally going to see my friend’s apartment while sober. I can’t pass that up.”

Jeongyeon sighed loudly, tucking away her disappointment for when she was alone. “I suppose I can’t hold standing plans against you. I’ll just walk all by my lonesome before returning to my apartment to third wheel my roommate.”

She let her eyes fall to the table, taking in the empty cups and used napkins from their lunch. When she lifted her eyes again, it was to see a bemused Nayeon looking at her.

“I’m a busy woman, Jeongyeon. If you want to spend time with me, you have to schedule it in advance.”

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. “We’re like an hour into our lab block because you sped through our lab. Technically I already have these three hours scheduled with you every week.”

Nayeon let out a giggle. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you were jealous, Jeongyeon.”

Jeongyeon scoffed. She absolutely was jealous, but that was for her to know, not Nayeon.

“How about this? I’ll take a rain check on the walk. We’ll go this weekend after we finish our lab report.”

Jeongyeon searched Nayeon’s face for any signs of this being another opportunity to tease her, but all she saw was a genuine invitation. “Okay. A walk it is.”

“Excellent.” Nayeon smiled as she stood. “I really am sorry I have to cut lunch short. I had a good time.”

A seal seemed to break as Nayeon stood, and Jeongyeon was suddenly aware of all the other customers in the cafe. The noise rushed in, threads of conversation weaving themselves around her. But all she could focus on was Nayeon.

Jeongyeon watched Nayeon tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “I did too,” she said, and she couldn’t find it in herself to care as she grinned maybe just a bit too excitedly at Nayeon.

“I’ll text you this weekend. Bye, Jeongyeon!”

She walked away from the table, but Jeongyeon’s eyes followed her. She traced a path up Nayeon’s body, enjoyed the way her ponytail moved and the smoothness of her walk.

Right before she walked out the door, Nayeon turned around, smiling when she saw Jeongyeon looking at her.

Jeongyeon resisted her initial impulse of ducking behind a menu and waved.

The wave was returned, and with that, Nayeon left the restaurant, taking a not so insignificant piece of Jeongyeon’s heart with her.

//

“I don’t know. It sounds kind of fun, actually.”

Nayeon threw herself back against the couch with a gasp. “Fun? Jihyo, this is terrible! I can’t stop thinking about either of them and what I should do. How do I know who I like?”

Jihyo stared at her, and Nayeon could see her lips twitching. “Jihyo,” she whined, “I came here for your advice, not your judgment!”

Jihyo took a sip from her cup before answering. “I thought you came here for friendship and to judge my taste in decorations.”

“I mean, yes,” Nayeon relented. “But I also wanted your help with this.”

Jihyo shifted on the couch, turning and crossing her legs so that she was facing Nayeon head on. “Okay, okay. I’ll help, but can I get some specifics besides how hot one of them looks in shorts?”

“First things first,” Nayeon declared. “You need to promise not to judge me until I’m finished telling you who both of them are.”

Nayeon moved so that she was mirroring Jihyo’s position, her eyes catching on a photo hanging on the wall opposite her. It was Jihyo with her arm around a woman with what looked like bright blue hair. Nayeon wasn’t sure if that was Jihyo’s elusive roommate, but she pledged to find out what she could about her once she was done picking Jihyo’s brain.

Jihyo raised her right hand, speaking as she drew an ‘X’ over her chest. “Cross my heart.”

“Right. So the first one is my lab partner. Sh—” Nayeon stopped as Jihyo let out out a laugh, giving the other woman a questioning glance.

“Sorry, sorry.” Jihyo waved Nayeon off, still chuckling. “It’s just that my roommate also has a crush on her lab partner. Must be something in those lab rooms.”

“Honestly, from what you’ve told me about your roommate, I’m now feeling more unsure about the wisdom of having a crush on my lab partner.”

Jihyo reached out, slapping Nayeon on the knee. “She’s not that bad!”

“Whatever you say, Park Jihyo,” Nayeon drawled. “But yeah. If you have something to say about that one, I can’t even imagine what you’ll think of the second.”

“I’m excited.”

“Well, don’t get your hopes up.” Nayeon paused when she heard the sound of a key in the door. She saw Jihyo’s eyes dart above her shoulder, saw recognition spark in her eyes. Nayeon hoped Jihyo’s roommate wouldn’t hold it against her if she ignored her for another minute. She needed to get this out.

“I don’t really know that much about my second crush.”

Jihyo’s eyes snapped to hers, eyebrow raised. “You’ve been rambling about how wonderful she is for the last ten minutes. You say she’s ‘amazing, and funny, and kind’ yet you know nothing about her?”

The sound of a door opening echoed throughout the apartment.

“No, that was my lab partner crush. I don’t even know what the other one looks like”

Nayeon would’ve laughed at the look on Jihyo’s face if her heart wasn’t beating so rapidly.

Nayeon heard footsteps coming from the entryway, heard the thud of a bag dropping to the ground. Jihyo’s eyes flickered above her shoulder again, and Nayeon fought every impulse to turn around.

“To my credit, I know a lot about the first one to make up for it.”

Jihyo raised her hand and gave a small wave. She refocused on Nayeon.

“Right, sorry,” Nayeon said, “Your roommate is right behind me, isn’t she?”

Jihyo nodded and smiled. “Yup. I ca—” Jihyo cut herself off as she looked behind Nayeon once more. Her brow furrowed, but she didn’t continue speaking.

Nayeon knew that she could just pick this up with Jihyo another time. Jihyo’s roommate seemed like a decent person, despite how much Nayeon liked to pretend otherwise, but she probably didn’t want to listen to Nayeon whine about her crushes.

“We can do introductions now! I told you everything you need to know about my crush on Jeongyeon already.” Nayeon pushed off of the couch as she finished her sentence, registering two distinct noises as she stood up and finally laid eyes on Jihyo’s roommate.

The first came from Jihyo, a choked off exclamation that echoed throughout the apartment.

But Nayeon paid that noise no mind.

Because standing in front of her was the source of the second noise: A wide-eyed and flushed Jeongyeon, who had let out a high-pitched squeak as Nayeon stood up and who apparently had keys to Jihyo’s apartment.

Nayeon’s mind whirled. Jihyo had said her roommate was here, and now Jeongyeon was here.

Jeongyeon was here.

Jihyo’s roommate had a crush on her lab partner, and Nayeon was Jeongyeon’s lab partner.

“You like me?” The hope in Jeongyeon’s voice rushed through her veins, and the look on her face was so open that Nayeon almost wanted to cry.

“So.” Nayeon jumped as Jihyo spoke, watched Jeongyeon do the same. “I’m going to assume you two don’t need to be introduced. I’m going to go on a walk.”

Jihyo walked past them, stopping only to grab her shoes at the door. Nayeon thought she saw her glance at the two of them before walking out the door, but she couldn’t be sure, because all she could focus on was Jeongyeon.

Who was moving closer to her, taking small and gentle steps, as if she was afraid of shattering the ground beneath her feet.

Jeongyeon stopped when her knees bumped against the back of the couch, and Nayeon felt the affection she so carefully held for Jeongyeon burst, splashing warmth across her body.

Jeongyeon had that little crooked half-smile on her face, and all Nayeon wanted to do was kiss her.

“You heard everything?” Nayeon’s question was half-question, half-confirmation.

Jeongyeon shook her head. “Just the end,” Jeongyeon said, smile reaching her eyes. “Just the part about you liking me.”

Nayeon wanted to smile, wanted to relish in the joy Jeongyeon was exuding.

She stepped backwards, the mere action of moving away from Jeongyeon in this moment causing her almost physical pain.

Jeongyeon followed her on instinct, upper half of her body leaning in as Nayeon moved away. Nayeon saw her catch herself, saw the flash of sheepishness that crossed her features.

Nayeon walked around the couch, and Jeongyeon met her half way. Her hands were hovering in the space between them, and Nayeon hated that she couldn’t just reach out.

Her fingers pulsed.

“I like you,” Nayeon said. “I really, really like you, Jeongyeon”

Jeongyeon’s hands alighted on her hips, and Nayeon’s breath caught at the gentle pressure of her fingertips.

“I like you, too.” Jeongyeon chuckled, and the sound cut through Nayeon, ricocheting around her chest and settling below her rib cage. “I’ve actually been trying to ask you out for the last couple weeks.”

“Oh.” They were closer now, and Nayeon had no idea which one of them had moved forward this time. She could see the ceiling lights reflected in Jeongyeon’s glasses, could see the thin scar on her forehead from a misadventure with her childhood friend — Jihyo, Nayeon now knew.

Nayeon hated how she felt. Jeongyeon liked her. But as badly as Nayeon wanted to return the sweet smile Jeongyeon was giving her, she knew she needed to take care of something else first. Her hands were hanging by her sides, fingers restless as she willed herself to move away again.

Jeongyeon looked beautiful and happy. Nayeon only ever wanted to be the cause of that, never the reason it disappeared.

“Jeongyeon, I really—,” Nayeon stuttered slightly when Jeongyeon tilted her head forward. She wasn’t moving in for a kiss; her eyes were firmly locked onto Nayeon’s. Jeongyeon was moving in closer simply to be closer.

“You really?” Jeongyeon prompted, and the thing in Nayeon’s chest sang.

“I really like you. I want to take you up on the offers you’ve apparently been giving me, but I have to do something first.” Nayeon stepped back, her shirt catching briefly on Jeongyeon’s fingertips.

“What do you mean,” Jeongyeon asked, corners of her mouth pulling downward. Her hands hesitated in the air for a moment before falling to rest against her jeans.

The desire to reach out was growing stronger by the second.

“Will you wait for me,” Nayeon asked. “Tomorrow, I’m all yours. I just need today.”

“Will I wait for you,” Jeongyeon laughed, confusion coloring one of Nayeon’s favorite sounds. “Yeah. I would wait for you, but I really don’t understand what’s going on here.”

“I want to date you. I want to kiss you.” A pleased jolt sparked through Nayeon as Jeongyeon’s eyes darted to her lips. “I want to tell you how happy you make me even if I kind of hated you when we first met. But I need to do something first.”

Jeongyeon looked at her for a long moment. Nayeon wanted to reassure her, wanted to pulled her close and tell her everything, but she couldn’t do that now.

“Okay.” Jeongyeon stepped aside, leaving a clear path to the door. “Go do that thing then.”

Nayeon pushed aside the pang she felt at hurt and confusion on Jeongyeon’s face. She walked past Jeongyeon, felt the inevitable pull towards her.

She wrapped her fingers around the door knob, contemplated turning around but knew if she did, her resolve would crumble.

“Jeongyeon.”

“Nayeon, just go. Please”

//

As she waited on the bench outside the locker rooms for the second time this week, Nayeon fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist, eyes focused on the door across from her.

She tried to ignore the anxiety creeping up her throat, but it was a losing battle.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Jeongyeon and the way the happiness had dropped so quickly from her face.

She needed to do this correctly. The next time she told Jeongyeon she had a crush on her she wanted it to be two things: On purpose and done with a clear heart.

She knew who she wanted; she just needed to make sure she started things out on the right foot.

Nayeon let her head rest against the stone wall behind her with a grimace. She needed this to not backfire.

Nayeon hoped that Jeongyeon would understand. Nayeon wanted to think that she wouldn’t have a crush on the type of person that wouldn’t.

The door opened, and Nayeon stiffened.

The players streamed out, some waving and nodding in greeting. Both Chaeyoung and Dahyun stopped for quick hug, unknowingly lifting her spirits for a brief moment. Momo, Sana, and Mina completely missed her, and for that Nayeon was grateful.

And then the hallway quieted, echoes of the team’s excitement fading with every second.

Nayeon took a deep breath and walked over to the door.

It was just her now.

“What are you doing, Nayeon?”

Nayeon started, hand painfully knocking into the door.

She turned around, and there she was, arms crossed and waiting.

“Jihyo.”

“Actually, no,” Jihyo interrupted. She took a step forward.

Nayeon swallowed. Her hand was throbbing.

“I don’t know what you’re doing exactly, but what you did earlier was not okay.” Jihyo’s voice was firm, sharp with an edge of anger that Nayeon knew she deserved.

“So if you don’t actually like her—”

“I’m here because of how much I like her,” Nayeon interrupted firmly.

Jihyo took half a step back, raising an eyebrow and sending Nayeon a skeptical glance. “I don’t understand.”

“That second crush of mine,” Nayeon sighed, “it’s the mascot. I want to make sure I firmly close that door before talking to Jeongyeon.”

“Oh.”

Nayeon couldn’t read the expression that flickered across Jihyo’s face. It looked like a mix between a smile and shock, and Nayeon wasn’t sure why.

But now Jihyo was looking at her expectantly, and Nayeon didn’t want to waste this opportunity.

“Yeah, and I’m sorry things happened the way they did. It wasn’t what I wanted. I’m going to try and talk to Jeongyeon after this, if she’ll let me.”

“I have a feeling you’ll get a hold of her just fine. Good luck, Nayeon.”

“Thanks, Jihyo.”

Jihyo sent her a tight nod, lips pursed.

And then she left, and it was just Nayeon and a door.

She put her hand against the cool metal surface, started wondering about the alloys that the door was composed of. She shook her head and braced herself. Delaying this only increased the chances that someone would interrupt them.

She pushed the door open and strode into the locker room, embodying all of the confidence she wished she was feeling.

The sight of the mascot stopped her in her tracks.

She blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing things correctly, a giggle tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

The mascot started, spinning around so rapidly Nayeon briefly wondered if she got dizzy.

A moment passed, and Nayeon felt the anxiety begin to creep back in at the mascot’s lack of response to her. Granted, it was hard to tell what someone was feeling when they were wearing a giant rabbit’s head, but the mascot usually at least waved or something.

“Hi.”

The mascot did nothing.

“I’m loving the costume.”

She received a slow thumbs up.

“I assume I’ll be seeing a lot of hopping today.”

A shrug.

Nayeon crossed her arms. She was only delaying the inevitable.

“I have to tell you something.” Nayeon paused when the mascot shifted, something that felt a bit like fear leaping into her throat when she saw hands reaching towards the mascot head.

“Wait,” she said. “Please don’t.”

The mascot paused. Nayeon saw her fingers rest briefly against the base of the rabbit head, and for just a moment she was afraid the mascot would take the head off.

But then the mascot moved again, lowering her arms and bringing them to rest at her side.

Nayeon exhaled.

“It’s selfish, but its easier for me to say this without seeing your face.”

The mascot nodded, taking a step back.

Nayeon took a deep breath.

“I have a crush on you.”

Nayeon swore she could feel the words floating between them, crashing to the ground and staying there, unable to be moved or ignored.

The mascot flinched slightly.

Great start.

It hit Nayeon, in that moment, as the rabbit ears swayed from the movements of the mascot, that she was confessing to a woman wearing a giant rabbit’s head

Years down the road when this was all sorted and she hopefully had what she wanted, Nayeon hoped that she could look back on this moment and laugh.

She took another deep breath, sliding her hands into her pockets.

“Somewhere in between laughing at your costume and having you walk me home, I fell just a bit,” Nayeon explained, letting her gaze drop to the floor.

She was hit with the terrible and sudden urge to laugh when she saw that the mascot was wearing bunny slippers in the locker room.

She cleared her throat before continuing. Im Nayeon wasn’t one to hesitate. She’d get through this.

“You make me laugh, and you’re sweet in a grumpy way, and I’m just happy to be around you. I feel comfortable with you, even if I have no idea who you are.”

The mascot shifted slightly on her feet.

“It’s not that easy, though.” Nayeon laughed and shook her head. “You talked about wanting to ask a girl out on Monday, and I don’t even know if that’s me. But it could be.”

Nayeon glanced at the string tied around her wrist, saw that the greens and blues that had begun to run together after a week of wear. She glided a finger over the string, smiling.

She looked up.

“But none of that really matters. I fell for someone else, too. Which was just as big of a surprise as finding out that I liked you, trust me. But here I am.”

Nayeon took a deep breath before continuing.

“I wanted to be honest with you, because I’ve definitely flirted with you. I don’t want to lead people on, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

The bunny head just stared back at her.

“So I’m here to tell you that I can’t, and won’t, freely return any feelings you may or may not have for me.”

The rabbit head tilted slightly to the right.

“It’s my lab partner, by the way. The other person that I fell for?” Nayeon stopped, exhaling and running her fingers over the bracelet once more.

“Well you probably don’t care, really. But I kind of accidentally confessed to her two hours ago, and I wanted to clear things up with you. To tell you about this. So that when I saw her again, I could move forward with my whole heart. Because I really, really like her.”

The mascot didn’t move, and Nayeon continued.

“So again, thank you. And I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

Silence settled between them, and, for the first time, Nayeon found it uncomfortable.

“Is there anything you want to say? If not, I’ll get out of your hair. Well,” she paused and gave the head a pointed look, “your ears.”

The mascot took a step forward, and Nayeon held her ground.

Her heart was racing, sweat beading along the back of her neck. Nayeon knew she was doing the right thing, but there was a ball of tension in her stomach nonetheless.

The mascot took another step forward, bringing them only a few feet from each other.

Nayeon watched as the mascot’s hand rose to the rabbit head once more.

She exhaled shakily. She wouldn’t be stopping the mascot this time.

The rabbit head lifted, and dark hair fell down to the mascot’s shoulders.

She had been focused on the reveal of the mascot’s face, but a flash of color drew her eye. The mascot had a bracelet on her wrist, blue and green.

Nayeon’s eyes followed the bracelet as the wrist it was on lowered. The bracelet was now only partially visible, half-hidden by the rabbit head. She could see the mascot’s bare face in her peripheral vision, but she suddenly didn’t feel like she needed to see it anymore.

It felt like the floor had just dropped out from underneath her, a rush of sudden and painfully clear understanding taking her breath away.

“So I have good news and bad news.”

//

Jeongyeon had walked into the locker room half an hour ago wanting nothing more than to disappear. Her cloth face mask and hat thankfully prevented the women on the team from seeing how terrible she was feeling.

The cheerful greetings lifted her mood slightly, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Nayeon, couldn’t stop thinking about a confession that the other woman seemed to mean and then couldn’t fully commit to.

She had believed Nayeon’s confession, had seen the sincerity in her eyes. She just didn’t understand why that hadn’t been enough.

Jihyo hadn’t said much when she saw her, just gave her a smile that was half grimace and squeezed her shoulder.

Neither of them knew what was going on, but Jeongyeon appreciated the silent support nonetheless.

It helped that her costume hid her entire face. She could frown as much as she wanted, and no one would know.

She had been able to lose herself in the excitement of pre-game discussion for awhile, found herself smiling at the fire in Jihyo’s eyes when she gave her speech.

But then the team had left for warm-ups, and it was just her.

She had turned around when she heard the door open, joke about forgetfulness already on her lips.

But then it was just her and Nayeon.

And Nayeon started talking, and everything started making a ridiculous amount of sense.

Nayeon liked her, as the mascot and as Jeongyeon.

She wanted to laugh, but it was all too overwhelming.

She couldn’t see Nayeon that clearly through the mask, but she could hear every word, hear every hitch of her breath and every raised tone.

She was being rejected.

For herself.

Nayeon was choosing her.

It was weird, being so happy about being rejected, and it certainly wasn’t the thing she thought would make her anxieties about Nayeon leaving earlier melt away.

While the handbook had stated that she was to keep her identity a secret “under all circumstances”, Jeongyeon liked to think the university would give her a pass in this case. She removed her costume head, hoping that her words didn’t come out a completely jumbled mess. “So I have good news and bad news.”

Nayeon wasn’t making eye contact, instead focused on something a few feet lower. Jeongyeon looked down, saw the bracelet, and understood.

“Uh,” Jeongyeon cleared her throat, and Nayeon finally looked at her, mouth open and eyes wide. “The good news is that I’m no longer freaking out, and you don’t actually have to make a decision. The bad news is th—”

“You’re the fucking mascot,” Nayeon muttered, hand coming up to run through her hair. “Oh my god.”

Nayeon sunk onto the closest bench, head falling into her hands. Jeongyeon couldn’t hear what she was saying anymore, but the shaking of Nayeon’s shoulders worried her.

“Nayeon,” Jeongyeon asked, slowly moving closer to the bench. She had thought a few times about how telling Nayeon would go, but none of her daydreams had ended with Nayeon crying. She bent down so that she was at the same level. “I’m really sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t really figure out how.”

Jeongyeon rested a hand on Nayeon’s shoulders, and it was only then that she realized the other woman was laughing.

Nayeon finally raised her head. “This is the stupidest thing that’s ever happened to me,” she exclaimed, still laughing.

Jeongyeon let out a laugh of her own.

“I mean,” Nayeon continued, standing up. Jeongyeon followed suit. “I’ve been freaking out about this for weeks, and you’re telling me that you’ve been both of my crushes the whole time.”

Jeongyeon nodded, still not quite believing that this was happening. “Yeah.”

“Wow.” Nayeon’s voice was softer now, all that remained of her laughter was echoes in the locker room.

Jeongyeon knew there was a lot to say, a lot of moments between them to recall and things to laugh about, but she couldn’t find the words.

Nayeon was just looking at her, eyes searching her face and darting down to the bracelet like she was also still trying to process this.

“So,” Nayeon said after several moments. “We like each other.”

“We do,” Jeongyeon agreed, giddiness hitting her.

“We’ve both tried asking each other out.”

She laughed. “We have.”

“You were the person I met weeks ago in a giant lollipop costume? And Pinocchio? And Kaonashi? And the t-rex? “

“Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Don’t think I don’t remember you stealing the joke I told you to flirt with me,” Jeongyeon trailed off as she finished her sentence, the new context making her relive that memory.

Nayeon groaned. “Please let’s not relive my greatest hits right now. I’m already kicking myself for not recognizing your voice.”

Jeongyeon resisted the urge to pull Nayeon closer. She knew now why Nayeon had left her embrace a few hours ago, but she was still hesitant to make the first move again.

“Don’t blame yourself. I’m a master of disguise,” Jeongyeon said, flipping her hair back.

Nayeon snorted. “I actually got your ‘voices’ mixed up that time I overslept, which actually means I just heard you speaking. Because you’re both of you.”

“I am both of me, yes.”

“Shut up.” Nayeon reached forward and playfully slapped her shoulder. “I was tired, okay?”

Nayeon’s hand didn’t move from its place on her shoulder.

Her eyes found the clock on the wall, urgency shooting through her when she realized what time it was. “Um. I kind of have to go.”

Nayeon sighed and shook her head, but Jeongyeon could see a fond smile dancing around the edges of her mouth. “You’re always running out on me. Okay, well, go ahead. I know there’s no stopping you. We’ll talk later.” She stepped aside and gestured to the door.

Jeongyeon didn’t enjoy the amount of space now between them.

“Hold on.” She stepped around Nayeon so that they were facing each other again.

Nayeon raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, well,” Jeongyeon’s words tumbled out of her mouth, and she just knew her face was turning red.

Nayeon gave her a small smile. “Yes?”

“Is it okay if I—” her eyes dropped to Nayeon’s lips, watched them curl upwards.

“Yes,” Nayeon prompted again, stepping closer.

Jeongyeon squeezed her eyes shut for just a moment and decided to let her words go. She opened her eyes, saw the smile on Nayeon’s face, the light blush on her cheeks, the warm brown of her eyes.

“Yes,” Nayeon said again, an answer, not a question.

She moved carefully, and Nayeon leaned in, almost caught Jeongyeon by surprise with the suddenness of it.

Technically, there wasn’t much to the kiss: a press of lips that lasted ten seconds at most.

Yet it ran through Jeongyeon, lit her up, left her with a smile on her face and the phantom feeling on Nayeon’s lips on hers.

Nayeon pulled away first, and Jeongyeon opened her eyes to see one of her new favorite sights: a smiling and lightly blushing Nayeon. “We can get back to that later. Go get ‘em, tiger.”

She pushed at Jeongyeon’s shoulders, directing her to the door.

“Hey! I’m a rabbit,” Jeongyeon protested.

Nayeon leaned against the door frame once Jeongyeon made it into the hallway. Jeongyeon couldn’t take her eyes off of Nayeon, still couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“Well,” Nayeon said, smirking. “Perform well this game, and then maybe I’ll take you out on that date we keep talking about.”

Jeongyeon’s heart leapt into her throat. “What?”

Nayeon’s smirk slipped into something sweeter. “If you want to, obviously.”

“I—”

“Mascot! Get your ass out here!” Jihyo’s voice rang through the hallway.

Jeongyeon turned, took one more look at Nayeon, who nodded in understanding.

“I’m really glad today happened, Nayeon.” And she was off, sprinting down the hallways in an effort to prevent her murder at the hands of her probably very pissed best friend. The rabbit head was a bit difficult to put on while running, but she managed.

And all the way there, the sound of Nayeon’s laughter followed her, sweet and joy-inducing.

Just like Nayeon.

Nayeon who she had just kissed.

Jeongyeon ran a bit faster.

Nayeon who had just asked her on a date.

Jeongyeon could see the tunnel opening now.

She knew what she’d find in front of her, knew she’d burst out onto the field to welcoming cheers and a half-hearted glare from Jihyo. She also knew what was behind her, knew she could run back to the locker room and find someone she liked who liked her right back.

There was no anxiety in her chest, no unanswered questions floating around her head, just the buzz of anticipation and knowledge that everything was going to be just fine.

Later, she would sweep Nayeon into her arms and tease her about how oblivious she had been. Later, she would endure endless amounts of teasing from Jihyo and Tzuyu.

But for now? She had a job to do, and a team to cheer on.

Just another Thursday for the mascot.

Chapter Text

Week 6 - Saturday

Jeongyeon started to pull her hand away, shooting Nayeon a half-hearted glare when her girlfriend tightened her grip. “Jeongyeon, seriously?”

Jeongyeon opened her mouth to respond, snapping it shut when Sana giggled. She turned to glare at the woman walking a few feet behind them, but Nayeon tugged her forward before she could.

“I didn’t realize dating you would come with a viewing gallery,” Jeongyeon grumbled, wiggling her fingers a bit to loosen Nayeon’s grip.

Nayeon said nothing, and for a few moments, only the sound of gravel crunching beneath their feet reached her ears. Even Sana and Chaeyoung had quieted down for a moment.

Jeongyeon warily eyed a goose that was wandering a bit close. She was glad she was getting the chance to take that walk with Nayeon, but an accidental run in with two of their friends and the presence of ice cream cones in their hands led to no shortage of hazards.

Nayeon’s thumb swiped over the back of her hand, and she relaxed slightly.

“Not my fault we’re a hot couple.” She couldn’t see the look on Nayeon’s face, but she could hear the humor in her tone.

Jeongyeon laughed, raising her eyes to meet Nayeon’s. Nayeon was smiling, but Jeongyeon could see a hint of concern on her features.

Jeongyeon stopped abruptly, tugging on Nayeon’s hand so that she stopped walking. Nayeon raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Jeongyeon took a deep breath before turning around, making eye contact with a bemused Sana and Chaeyoung. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Sana blew her a kiss.

“We have very annoying friends,” Jeongyeon said, turning to face Nayeon. “They like embarrassing me too much.”

“I’m sorry.” The corner of Nayeon’s mouth turned down. “I can tell them to stop.”

Jeongyeon shook her head and smiled. “Nah.”

She stepped closer, letting their handhold drop so that she could rest a hand on Nayeon’s hip. “We’ll just work on the embarrassment part.”

She bent down slightly, leaning into the excitement that rushed through her every time she so much as thought about kissing Nayeon.

Their lips met, and Jeongyeon could feel Nayeon’s surprise, feel her relax and smile into the kiss.

She heard a few claps and whistles from behind them, but by the time the kiss broke, both Sana and Chaeyoung had moved on, back to their initial mission of looking for a flower Chaeyoung wanted to sketch.

Neither of them said anything as they linked hands and continued walking.

Jeongyeon let herself sink into the silence, let herself enjoy the feeling of Nayeon’s hand in her own and the pleasant buzz underneath her skin.

She opened her mouth to ask Nayeon about what she was doing the rest of the weekend when the other woman spoke.

“The tips of your ears get red every time we kiss. It’s cute.”

Heat blossomed on her face, and she could see Nayeon smirking out of the corner of her eye.

And so Jeongyeon did the only thing she could: jostle into Nayeon right as she was licking her ice cream cone, causing her to smear ice cream across her cheek.

Jeongyeon laughed as Nayeon stared at her in shock.

“They say revenge is a dish best served cold,” Jeongyeon quipped.

Nayeon scowled, a goose honked, and Jeongyeon took off running.

Week 10 - Thursday

“Hey, hey Nayeon. I have a question for you.”

Nayeon hummed, sparing her girlfriend a brief glance before she went back to working on the problems.

“It’s rude to ignore your lab partner.”

Nayeon dropped her pen, giving Jeongyeon a dry look. “Sorry, honey.” She flashed a saccharine smile. “How can I help you instead of working on our lab problems during our lab time?”

An affronted look that flashed across Jeongyeon’s face.

“You suck, but I’m going to do this anyway.”

Nayeon gestured for Jeongyeon to go ahead.

Jeongyeon stepped in front of her, placing one of her arms on the lab table to support her weight and giving Nayeon a grin that could only mean trouble. Her other hand was behind her back, and Nayeon just knew she was hiding something.

“I’m curious,” Jeongyeon drawled, bring her face mere inches from Nayeon’s. Her glasses slid down the bridge of her nose, and Nayeon smiled.

Jeongyeon stepped back quickly, thrusting the item behind her back in front of her. “What’re you doing later?”

Nayeon took in the 3D model of a water molecule and the wide grin on Jeongyeon’s face, and was hit with such an equal desire to fall over laughing and throw her pen at Jeongyeon that she was unable to do anything other than stare in shock for several seconds.

“Jeongyeon?”

“Yes?”

“I’m breaking up with you.”

“The day before my birthday?”

“Consider it a gift. I’m setting you free to find someone who will appreciate your horrendous jokes. You’ve basically already won your bet with Jihyo. There’s nothing more I can do for you.”

Week 14 - Thursday

“I can’t believe it’s already the last regular game of the season.”

“I know. It seems like just yesterday you were in here harassing the poor team mascot.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Can’t face your past actions, huh?”

“I can’t face the shame of crushing on someone I saw for the first time in a broken lollipop costume.”

“It worked!”

“Says you.”

“I will push you onto the floor.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Only because your whiny voice is annoying.”

“Aw, babe.”

“But seriously. Please get off of my lap. I only have like five minutes before the game starts.”

“If you didn’t want me on your lap, you shouldn’t have worn a suit today.”

“It’s my costume!”

“What are you again? How is this relevant?”

“I’m Tuxedo Mask! Mina and Momo suggested it.”

“Of course they did.”

“You’re still sitting on me.”

“Fine, fine. Your loss.”

“I’ll recover somehow.”

Week 16 - Thursday

“Seriously,” Jeongyeon exclaimed, looking around at a collection of amused faces. “All of you knew?”

No one spoke for a few seconds, but eventually Momo stepped forward. “Well,” Momo cleared her throat. “It kind of became obvious after we realized Nayeon was visiting you before every game.”

“I’ve known for months,” Dahyun said, shrugging. “It was kind of easy once I figured out Nayeon’s whole crush situation.”

Nayeon coughed into her fist to cover the laugh that was threatening to escape. She felt bad that Jeongyeon’s reveal hadn’t gone to plan, but the look of shock on her face was almost too much to resist.

Jeongyeon whipped her head back and forth, searching the room for at least one surprised face.

Nayeon craned her neck to see for herself if anyone hadn’t already figured it out, but all she saw was a few dozen women in various stages of holding back smiles.

Jeongyeon locked eyes with her as she spoke. “Raise your hand if you realized I was the mascot because of Nayeon.”

Nayeon didn’t have to break eye contact to know that dozens of hands were now shooting up around the room. She could see the realization on Jeongyeon’s face, and felt a bit of embarrassment hit her.

She had tried her best to keep her pre-game locker room visits a secret, but she had inevitably been spotted going in and out of the locker room by players a few times. It was weird, being in a secret relationship with the soccer team’s mascot while openly dating the person underneath the costumes.

Jeongyeon narrowed her eyes, and Nayeon sent her a sheepish grin. “Oops?”

“You,” Jeongyeon said, pointing a finger at Nayeon. “Are lucky I love you.”

The locker room, which before had been filled with noise from muttered conversation or people shifting around, fell silent.

Nayeon could see the moment Jeongyeon realized what she had just said. Joy rushed through her, and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing now.

She barely noticed Jihyo quickly ushering everyone out of the locker room. Jeongyeon’s face was rapidly turning red, her eyes looking everywhere but Nayeon.

“So,” Nayeon crossed the room. “You want to say that again?”

Jeongyeon met her eyes briefly before dropping her gaze to the floor. “Sorry. That really wasn’t the way I wanted to do that.”

Nayeon’s heartbeat echoed through her. “You had plans?”

Jeongyeon scuffed her shoe against the floor, the noise bouncing around the locker room. “Kind of,” Jeongyeon muttered. “We were going to have dinner at my place this weekend. I was going to tell you then.”

“Oh.”

Jeongyeon finally looked up again, and the shy smile on her face served only to pull Nayeon in closer. “Yeah. I wanted to try and be the overly sappy person you secretly wish I was.”

Nayeon laughed and poked Jeongyeon in the side. “I think I accepted I wouldn’t get much sap from you when you celebrated our one month by buying me a cookie.”

Jeongyeon looked taken aback. “You ate it,” she exclaimed, false hurt in her voice. “Don’t retroactively knock the cookie.”

“I’ll apologize if you tell me you love me again.”

And the tips of Jeongyeon’s ears reddened once more. “You’re doing this to torture me,” she whined.

Nayeon slid her arms around Jeongyeon’s waist, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before speaking. “I love you, Yoo Jeongyeon. I have for awhile.”

Nayeon heard Jeongyeon’s sharp inhale, felt the muscles of her stomach tighten. The way Jeongyeon was looking at her felt like that first sip of a warm drink after coming in from a snowstorm.

There was a sense of standing on the edge of something. Of what, she couldn’t exactly say. But she knew that Jeongyeon made her endlessly happy, gave her countless reasons to smile every day. She knew that she wanted what they had to continue, knew she wanted Jeongyeon’s mornings, and midnights, and every second in between.

She had developed feelings for Jeongyeon twice to begin with, and they only continued to grow. She learned her smiles, learned that Jeongyeon had a special one just for her.

One that was being directed at her now.

A hand slid up the column of her neck, cupped her cheek, took her breath away.

“I love you, too.”

A kiss. And Nayeon let herself fall.

Week 31 - Wednesday

Jeong<3
[6:47 PM] be right down!

Nayeon adjusted her hands, looked around to make sure she was at a good angle. She wanted Jeongyeon to have no trouble seeing what Nayeon was holding.

She stomped her feet against the ground in an effort to generate warmth, but it was to no avail. It was supposed to snow later this evening, and while Nayeon loved the idea of waking up to a city coated in white, she didn’t enjoy freezing while waiting for her girlfriend to be ready to go out.

The sound of the door opening made her look up, but she lowered her hands when she saw Jihyo coming out of the front door. Jihyo caught sight of her, dropped her eyes down, and laughed.

“Seriously?”

“You know she’ll like it,” Nayeon said.

Jihyo laughed, moving closer. “She’ll love it. She should be down in a minute or so. Don’t tell her I told you this, but she’s a bit of a nervous wreck.” Jihyo lowered her voice as she finished speaking, winking.

Nayeon furrowed her brow. “Why?”

Jihyo shrugged, pulled the hat down tighter over her head as a strong gust of wind blew. “I have no idea, but I have to run. I have a study group for my mid-term tomorrow.”

“Good luck!”

“Thanks, Nayeon. See you later!”

And then it was just Nayeon.

She shifted on her feet in an effort to feel her legs again. Just as she was considering calling Jeongyeon, the door opened once more.

Nayeon got into position.

Jeongyeon saw her, smiled, and began descending the steps.

Nayeon made a note to tell her girlfriend how adorable she looked all bundled up once Jeongyeon saw what she had in her hands.

It was on the second step that Jeongyeon’s eyes dropped. She came to a halt as she read the sign that Nayeon had been holding for the last fifteen minutes, a laugh bursting from her lips.

“Seriously?” Jeongyeon was doubled over now, unable to stop giggling.

Nayeon grinned, pleased that her efforts had paid off. “It seemed fitting for a six month anniversary.”

“How?” Jeongyeon was breathless, cheeks tinged red from laughter. Some of her hair had escaped her beanie, and she looked the definition of happy.

“Because lame jokes make you happy,” Nayeon said, moving to stand at the bottom step.

Jeongyeon took the hand that was extended to her, stepping down and following Nayeon’s lead. “That one might’ve been a stretch too far, even for me.”

Nayeon scoffed. “Please. It was perfect.”

“It said ‘If you were an element, you'd be Francium, because you're the most attractive?’ That’s what you call perfect?”

“You laughed, didn’t you?”

Jeongyeon shook her head lightly, letting out another chuckle. “Okay, fair point. My gift seems so little in comparison to your efforts.”

Nayeon shot her a coy look. “So will you tell me what it is?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Fine, then I’m paying for dinner.”

“Absolutely not! We agreed to split for anniversaries.”

“Hm. Nope. I’m paying.”

“Nayeon!”

“Jeongyeon!”

//

Nayeon looked at the bracelet on her wrist, smiled as she ran her fingers over the tightly woven string. Definitely an upgrade compared to the last one.

Jeongyeon had handed it to her with a shy smile. “It’s a few months late, but you did end up helping me with steoreochemistry,” she had said.

And Nayeon had squealed, pulled her girlfriend into a hug, then a kiss.

And Jeongyeon had spent the rest of the night stealing glances at the matching bracelets on their wrists, pride poorly concealed.

She looked down at the woman in her arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Happy six month anniversary, Jeongyeon,” she murmured.

Jeongyeon shifted, legs brushing against her own. The hand resting against her hip squeezed once, twice, three times.

“I love you, too.”

And she let sleep take her, content.

Week 38 - Friday

Jeongyeon broke their kiss, regret only held back by a sense of responsibility.

“We really do have to get downstairs,” Jeongyeon said, breath hitching as Nayeon continued to kiss down her neck.

Nayeon nipped lightly at the skin above her collarbone before speaking. “If I remember correctly, we had about five minutes.”

Jeongyeon pushed down the groan that was threatening to undo her efforts and stepped backwards, not missing the pout on Nayeon’s lips.

“Momo and Sana are waiting for us. We can’t be late.” The excuse sounded weak to her ears, and the look on Nayeon’s face told her that she had found it hollow as well.

Nayeon smirked, hands coming up to tangle gently in the fabric of Jeongyeon’s gown. “Listen, either we can rush downstairs for a graduation rehearsal neither of us want to go, or we can admit that we’re just going to be late.”

Jeongyeon tried to say that they should just go, that they could do this later. But then her eyes couldn’t stop lingering on Nayeon’s lips, couldn’t help but trace down the curve of her neck and down further, stopping when the black fabric prevented her from seeing any more of her girlfriend.

Not that she really needed to, and Jeongyeon knew that it would be her undoing. Because she could pretend that she cared about this rehearsal, but she couldn’t pretend that she didn’t know what it felt like to touch Nayeon.

“It’s different for you. You’ll be doing this again next year. Besides, Jihyo—” Jeongyeon’s words were cut off as Nayeon shoved at her shoulders, an exhale leaving her as the backs of her knees bumped into her bed.

“Jihyo,” Nayeon drawled, stepping closer, “is not graduating this year and won’t be at the rehearsal, so I don’t really care what she thinks about attending.”

Nayeon’s hands slid up her neck, not stopping until they were cupping her face. Warmth pulsed in Jeongyeon’s stomach at the look on her girlfriend’s face.

Nayeon moved closer still, and Jeongyeon met her halfway, pausing right before their lips touched. She smiled slightly when Nayeon huffed in annoyance.

Her arms raised from their place at her side, wrapping around Nayeon’s waist and tugging so that their bodies were flush. Nayeon’s breath ghosted over her lips again, but this time the exhale was accompanied by her eyes fluttering shut.

The hands on her face guided her into a kiss, lips brushing together. This kiss was softer than the one they had a minute ago, and Jeongyeon let herself sink into it’s familiar rhythm.

Nayeon tilted her head, and Jeongyeon smiled into the kiss as their noses bumped into each other. The kiss was escalating again, and Jeongyeon knew catching Nayeon’s bottom lip between her teeth and gently tugging was only going to make it harder to stop.

Nayeon’s hands were in her hair now, pulling ever so slightly, the sensation sending a spark up Jeongyeon’s spine.

It was when Nayeon’s tongue swiped against her lower lip that Jeongyeon made her decision. She let herself give into the kiss for just one more moment before pulling away.

“So about that graduation rehearsal.”

There was no part of Jeongyeon that had any desire to attend rehearsal at this point, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease.

Nayeon’s eyes flew open, and Jeongyeon struggled to keep calm at the disbelief on her face.

Nayeon stepped back, hands falling to Jeongyeon’s shoulders once more. She narrowed her eyes briefly before her face slipped into a look Jeongyeon could only describe as dangerous, eyes narrowed and lips pulled into a razor sharp smirk.

Nayeon looked like she could dismantle her without breaking a sweat.

Anticipation ran through her, and her fingers itched to pull the other woman closer once more. But Nayeon was in her element now, and Jeongyeon wouldn’t dare to interfere.

“You,” Nayeon murmured, finger drawing burning circles into the exposed skin on Jeongyeon’s shoulder, “are cute when you think you have the upper hand.”

And then Jeongyeon was falling, catching herself with her arms to stop herself from ending up completely on her back in her bed.

Nayeon moved quickly, straddling Jeongyeon before she had a chance to regain her breath.

Jeongyeon wanted to laugh, wanted to continue drawing out the game, but the weight of Nayeon in her lap was too familiar, too tempting.

She spared a thought to sending Sana and Momo a text to let them know not to wait for them.

But then Nayeon kissed the spot underneath her ear that always made her shiver, and all of those thoughts fled her mind.

She was sure they’d figure it out eventually.

Week 45 - Saturday

“Hey.”

Nayeon jumped when Mina’s voice hit her ears.

She turned, automatically opening her arms to give her tired looking friend a hug.

“What’re you doing up,” Nayeon whispered once they separated. “Didn’t you head to bed like an hour ago?”

Mina gave her a slow smile and pointed to the sink Nayeon had been leaning over. “Momo wanted water.”

“Of course,” Nayeon said, stepping aside. “Don’t let me stop you. I’m almost done here.”

For a minute, the only sound in the kitchen was that of Mina filling up her cup.

When she was done she turned to Nayeon, eyes more alert now. “Why are you still awake? I stepped over your very much asleep girlfriend on my way over here.”

Nayeon leaned back against the countertop. “I didn’t want to leave a giant mess for tomorrow. You let us mess you place up; we might as well clean.”

Mina took a sip from her glass, giving Nayeon a long look. “But why tonight? You know we always pitch in when morning comes. You even said you were going to bed when Jeongyeon did.”

Nayeon raised her eyes to the ceiling, took a moment to admire Mina’s taste in penthouse selection, and sighed. “Is it really so unbelievable that I’d like to do some cleaning.”

“At 3am? Yes,” Mina said, chuckling.

Nayeon continued looking at the ceiling, wrestled down the feelings she had been gripping onto all night.

She heard Mina’s socked feet slide across the tiled floor, knew that if she looked down, Mina would be standing in front of her.

A tug on her sleeve finally broke her staring match with the ceiling. Mina tilted her head towards the floor and began crouching down. Nayeon followed, knowing where this would likely end up, but unable to resist the hazy pull of late night conversation.

Mina didn’t hesitate, wrapped her arm around Nayeon’s and let her head fall to the other woman’s shoulder. “Is everything okay? Did you and Jeongyeon fight?”

Nayeon snorted, shook her head. “No. Nothing like that. It’s silly.”

“It’s not silly if it’s compelling you to do dishes instead of sleep.”

Nayeon closed her eyes and let her head fall to rest on Mina’s. What had started as a simmer the moment she saw all of her friends gathered on Mina’s couch was roiling now, an emptiness in her stomach that was threatening to catch up with her.

The mindlessness of washing dishes had calmed her, brushed away her creeping thoughts.

“Is it so wrong to want to take care of you all?”

Mina said nothing, just pressed her thumb lightly into Nayeon’s forearm.

Nayeon gave herself one more second before sharing.

Inhale.

Exhale.

“Everything is changing. I’m scared.” Her voice was the shadow of a whisper, but Mina shifted closer and Nayeon knew she had been heard.

“Sana is staying for another year because of that job, but then she’s planning to get transferred back home to be closer to her family. You and Momo are planning on moving back when you graduate, maybe even to play for the national team.”

Nayeon tried to swallow the tremble in her voice, but it didn’t work. She was too tired, too worried.

“Jihyo is going to med school who knows where. Jeongyeon is doing her year long internship before starting grad school, and she doesn’t know where she’d want to go yet. But she might not stay nearby. I’ve been talking to a few companies for my plans after I graduate, and I might end up staying here.”

A tear escaped, and Nayeon pretended she didn’t notice. She pulled her head back to rest against the cabinet.

“Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu could end up anywhere. I don’t want everyone to split up and forget. I just—” Nayeon’s voice caught in her chest, a shuddering breath escaping instead. “God, this is stupid. I’m sorry.”

Mina moved, shifting until she was on her knees. “Nayeon,” she said, hand reaching out to squeeze Nayeon’s shoulder. “It absolutely isn’t a stupid thing to be afraid of, even if it won’t happen.”

Nayeon shook her head, laughing. “Yes it is.”

“It’s not,” Mina insisted. “I’ve freaked out about it to. Open your eyes, please.”

Nayeon opened her eyes and blinked a few times until Mina was less blurry. “You’ve cried in your kitchen at 3 in the morning?”

Mina smiled, pulled lightly on the hem on Nayeon’s sleep pants. “No. I prefer to do my crying in bed underneath silk sheets.”

“I hate you,” Nayeon said, laughing. Tears were running down her face freely now.

Mina winked. “Wait right here, okay?”

And then she was up and out of the kitchen before Nayeon could respond.

Nayeon took a few deep breaths, tried to calm herself down. It was better now that she had breathed her fears aloud.

She looked up when she heard more footsteps, expecting to see Mina returning, but was instead met with a sight that filled her with nostalgia. Shuffling towards her, eyes half-open, were Dahyun and Chaeyoung.

“We,” Dahyun sleepily declared, “are here to cuddle you.”

They dropped on either side of her in tandem, moving to place their heads on Nayeon’s shoulder before she could formulate a response.

The feeling of them pressed into her sides was a warm and welcome one, but Nayeon was unsure of why exactly they were here.

She opened her mouth to ask, barely getting a syllable out before Chaeyoung was burrowing tighter into her shoulder. “Shhh. It’s quiet time.”

Nayeon stifled a giggle. Both of them were breathing deeply now, seemingly already asleep.

She heard what sounded like two more pairs of footsteps headed towards the kitchen.

“Hi,” Sana murmured as her and Momo rounded the corner. “Mina told us you were being an idiot.”

A protest rose in Nayeon’s throat, but then Momo was pushing down on her knees, creating a space for herself between Nayeon’s legs. “Night, Nayeon. Stop being scared, please. We’re not going anywhere.”

And then Momo’s eyes dropped shut, sleep coming for her quickly.

Nayeon looked up at Sana once more, and the look of affection on her friend’s face told her everything she needed to know about what was happening. Sana moved closer, bending down and cupping Nayeon’s cheek.

“We love you, Nayeon,” she whispered. “That doesn’t change, regardless of where we live. Okay?”

Nayeon was fighting back tears for an entirely different reason now. “Okay.”

Sana’s eyes lingered on her face for a moment longer before the other woman nodded, content. She slid down to rest her head on Dahyun’s lap, sending Nayeon a wink before letting her eyes fall shut.

Another set of footsteps.

Nayeon swore her heart would burst as Jihyo walked into the kitchen, hair up in a messy bun and pillow-lines on her face.

“You,” she said, jabbing a finger at Nayeon, “need to learn to have emotional breakdowns during the day like the rest of us.”

Nayeon laughed before she could stop herself, quickly biting her lip to stifle the sound.

Jihyo stood over her for a moment, squinting and examining the cuddle pile that had so quickly formed around Nayeon. She sighed before wedging herself between Chaeyoung and the corner of the counter. “You also need to learn what the ‘forever’ in ‘best friend’s forever’ means.”

Nayeon let Jihyo settle in without another word and waited. The emptiness in her stomach was a distant memory, filled instead by the friends surrounding her.

Though, she couldn’t help but wonder where the last three members of her group were.

A couple more minutes passed, minutes during which it became extremely clear that everyone was indeed planning on sleeping on the kitchen floor, before she heard more footsteps.

She heard whispered arguing as well.

Where she expected to see Jeongyeon, Tzuyu, and Mina entering the kitchen, she was instead met with a walking pile of blankets.

The blankets were dropped to the floor, revealing a widely grinning Mina. “I figured these would come in handy. Jeongyeon and Tzuyu are grabbing the pillows."

Mina began moving around the kitchen, covering her friends in blankets.

“Mina.” She froze as Nayeon spoke, giving her a glance. “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Really. I think we all needed this.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but Jeongyeon and Tzuyu came in with the pillows and her words were lost.

Tzuyu approached her first, gesturing for her to move her head forward. Nayeon did, and Tzuyu placed the pillow behind her head.

“Thanks, Tzuyu.”

Tzuyu smiled, hints of sleep lingering around the edges. She reached forward once more, briefly resting her hand on Nayeon’s shoulder. “Don’t even worry about it, Nayeon.”

Tzuyu moved back, going to stand next to Mina, who was currently chuckling at the layout of her friends.

Nayeon redirected her gaze when she saw Jeongyeon begin to move towards her.

Her girlfriend didn’t speak until she had crouched down to eye-level, but Nayeon could see the affection swimming in her eyes. “We’re going to talk later today, you and I.”

“Yeah, I know,” Nayeon whispered. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Life sucks sometimes, but that’s why we have each other.”

Jeongyeon glanced down when Momo let out a snore, glancing back up at Nayeon with a scrunched nose. “I don’t know if I can join your cuddle fest, though.”

“It’s okay,” Nayeon said. “I’ll just get my cuddles from you later.”

Jeongyeon laughed softly. “Deal.”

“Hey.” Jeongyeon jerked backwards when Chaeyoung spoke, landing on her back. “Please stop being gross. Some of us are trying to sleep.”

Sounds of agreement came from every corner of the kitchen.

“I thought you all came here to be nice to me. Was that just a temporary thing?”

Nayeon was met with a chorus of “Yes”’s, but she was also surrounded by people she knew loved her.

Dahyun’s elbow was also digging quite painfully into her side, but she knew this was going to be one of her most precious memories regardless.

She knew that the issue wasn’t gone, that she would still have to hug her friends goodbye at the airport and wish them well at jobs on the other side of the country.

But they were here when she needed them.

Always would be.

Week 50 - Tuesday

“You’re sparkling.”

Jeongyeon looked down at Nayeon, who was currently using her lap as a pillow.

“Are you seriously trying to flirt with me while we’re watching a scary movie,” Jeongyeon asked, laughing.

The character on screen screamed as the killer started chasing him.

“No.” Nayeon rolled her eyes and sat up slightly, reaching up to run her fingers through Jeongyeon’s bangs.

She pulled away, showing Jeongyeon her hand.

Jeongyeon looked, saw the glitter on her girlfriend’s hand, and gasped.

The character on screen did as well.

Jeongyeon fumbled for the remote, hitting pause.

“How the hell?” She ran her fingers through her hair, and they did indeed come away sparkling.

She glared down at Nayeon. “What did you do?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Nayeon insisted, laughing. “You must’ve bumped into something when we were at the crafts store.”

Jeongyeon glared for a moment longer before relenting, leaning back against the couch with a huff. “I blame you. You wanted to make gigantic and dramatic signs for their first game. I’m glad we’re at your place tonight because Jihyo would never let me live this down.”

A glint appeared in Nayeon’s eyes. “Well luckily for you, I happen to have a roommate of my own.”

“Nayeon, no!”

“Hey, Sana! Come here for a second!”

“Sana, please ignore her!” In desperation, Jeongyeon hit play on the remote, hoping the noise would drown out Nayeon’s request.

“Don’t ignore me!”

“Nayeon,” Jeongyeon hissed, “let me have glittery hair in peace”

“Never.”

Jeongyeon scowled down at her. She heard Sana shout something from her room, and she knew that she had precious few seconds before the tides would be completely turned against her.

She put her hand in her hair once more, looking down at Nayeon before speaking. “You deserve this.”

Nayeon scoffed. “Deserve wh—”

Nayeon screamed as Jeongyeon began ruffling her bangs, glitter raining down.

Jeongyeon knew Nayeon would kick her for saying it out loud, but she couldn’t help but be amused by the fact that her girlfriend’s glitter-prompted screams sounded just like those of the poor camper on screen.

Week 54 - Thursday

“Here you are!” Jeongyeon returned the smile Nayeon gave her as she handed her the cup of hot chocolate. “Fresh from the stand!”

“Thank you,” Nayeon cooed, giving her a quick kiss. “Your willingness to do stuff for me if I say ‘Please’ continues to be my favorite thing.”

“Really,” Jeongyeon scoffed, knocking her shoulder against Nayeon’s. “After almost a year of dating, that’s your favorite thing?”

Nayeon held her gaze for a few seconds. “Yup!”

And then she turned and looked out onto the field, and though it was clear Nayeon was trying to keep a straight face, Jeongyeon could see the corners of her mouth turn up slightly.

For a brief moment, she was tempted to steal Nayeon’s hot chocolate and take off running. She would pay for it later, but the thought of the joy she knew would come from having Nayeon try and chase her around the stands for several minutes was quite compelling.

Nayeon looked especially beautiful when she was out of breath from laughing too hard, and the chase would end, as all battles between them did, with her girlfriend making cute faces at her until she eventually relented.

She thought about doing that, had already begun moving her hand in Nayeon’s direction, but then Tzuyu came out onto the field, causing Nayeon to yell out a greeting. Tzuyu turned around, spotted them, and waved.

Jeongyeon waved back, but she had a hard time pulling her eyes from the smile on Nayeon’s face. Affection was rushing over her now, a cascade that threatened to sweep her off of her feet.

Nayeon took a sip of her drink, smiling at the taste. Jeongyeon watched the blue and green bracelet slide slightly as Nayeon lowered her hands.

The pull she felt towards Nayeon was different now, compared to a year ago. It was a steady and pulsing thing that left no room for resistance, a reliable cadence that hummed beneath her skin.

She watched Nayeon’s fingers tap against the cup in a rhythm Jeongyeon recognized from a song Nayeon had been singing in the shower this morning.

“Do you need something, or are you just staring at me for fun?” Nayeon turned her head slightly, just enough to meet Jeongyeon’s eyes.

And Jeongyeon wanted to reach out and bring Nayeon close, let her hear the quarter notes Jeongyeon’s heart played just for her.

Stars simmered in her chest, each burst of light part of a constellation begging to be explored and cataloged, examined until every particle of stardust had a name. She knew that Nayeon would recognize the shapes, see the traces left behind by ringing laughter and early morning whispers.

Jeongyeon’s lips parted, words bumping into each other in an effort to be the first to get out. “I’m trying to figure out why you’re so lame.”

Nayeon raised an eyebrow, scoffing as she took a step closer. “You’re the lame one here, and we both know it.”

Jeongyeon shook her head quickly, let her happiness overflow, shaped it into a smile. “Nope.”

Nayeon turned for just a moment, placing her cup on the arm of her seat before turning to face Jeongyeon with a familiar pout. Her arms crossed, and Jeongyeon’s grin grew. “Take it back.”

“No.”

Nayeon stepped closer; they were toe to toe now.

Jeongyeon’s smile never wavered, and she could see Nayeon’s facade beginning to slip.

“Jeongyeon, has anyone ever told you how insufferable you are?”

Jeongyeon looped her arms around her girlfriend’s hips, and Nayeon’s readily raised to wrap around her shoulders.

“Only one particularly insufferable person. I think she’s projecting.” Jeongyeon knocked her forehead gently into Nayeon’s, pleased to see her girlfriend’s faux-annoyance melt into a smile.

The arms around her shoulders pulled lightly at the nape of her neck, and she bowed her head just a bit more, allowing Nayeon to easily place a kiss on her forehead.

She met Nayeon’s eyes with a grin, pecked her quickly on the tip of her nose before dipping down to steal a proper kiss.

“You know,” Nayeon half-whispered when they parted. “You should make sure you’re nice to your girlfriend now that soccer season has started.”

“Oh? Why is that?” They were swaying now, a gentle back-and-forth Jeongyeon wasn’t sure if she started or not.

“Well.” Nayeon turned and looked dramatically out to the field. “I hear there’s a new mascot in town.”

Jeongyeon snorted, covering her smile with her hand when Nayeon turned back to her. A moment passed, Nayeon smirking, and Jeongyeon hiding her face until she could keep it neutral.

“I’ll be careful then,” Jeongyeon said eventually, nodding. “Any tips?”

Nayeon said nothing, just applied light pressure to the back of Jeongyeon’s neck once more, and Jeongyeon complied.

She kissed Nayeon and melted. There was a laziness to the way Nayeon pressed their lips together, a meandering assuredness that made Jeongyeon wish for a sudden thunderstorm and game cancellation.

Nayeon kissed her without urgency, let her fingers trail slowly up to Jeongyeon’s jaw. There was no heat here, no sparks skittering up her spine or flush spreading across her skin. It was just Nayeon.

Her kisses were slowly unraveling Jeongyeon, catching the stars in her chest and letting them spiral outward until a new universe had formed, her and Nayeon at it’s center.

Part of Jeongyeon knew that they were at the soccer stadium, that in a few seconds Momo and Sana would arrive, that in a couple of minutes they’d be seeing five of their best friends play in their first game of the season.

She knew this, but she let it drift away, sink to the bottom of her mind.

She wanted to get lost in Nayeon.

Just a little bit longer.