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She wasn’t sure exactly when it started.
Perhaps it was when she had been hanging out with Minnie and Soojin that night a few weeks ago. They were all crammed together in Minnie’s pathetically tiny dorm, cracking up over a stupid movie they were barely watching at that point. Shuhua joined them shortly after the movie had started and wasted no time before suggesting they order pizza.
Everyone had readily agreed, and the idea even got a few cheers from Minnie and Soyeon. Soojin grabbed Minnie’s laptop from where it was plugged in on her bed and she began to order from the pizza place a few miles from campus.
Soyeon was barely paying attention when there was a hesitant knock on the door around 20 minutes later, too fixated on Shuhua’s explanation of how she had almost died on the walk over to the dorm. Apparently, she had somehow managed to trip on thin air and tumble into the large fountain at the center on the quad.
Soyeon shook her head at the girl, who was still loudly talking over Minnie’s roaring laughter.
Soojin tapped her shoulder as another knock sounded at the door, a tad more forceful this time.
“Eh?” Soyeon asked, whipping her head around to face her friend.
Soojin said nothing, simply jerking her head over to the doorway. Soyeon gave her a flat look, groaning as she stood from where she was buried under a pile of blankets on Minnie’s twin bed.
She carefully stepped around Minnie and Shuhua, who were now locked in a full-on wrestling match while Soojin looked on with an indifferent expression.
Soyeon opened the door, searching her pockets absent-mindedly while she did.
“Hi!” a deep voice exclaimed as soon as the door opened. Soyeon barely heard her over Shuhua’s loud screams. She glanced up, still searching desperately for her wallet.
Soyeon froze, however, when she saw the girl standing in front of her, clutching two boxes of pizza and wearing a near-blinding smile. Her long, dark hair was swept back into a messy ponytail, but curly strands of hair had managed to escape and now hung to the side of her face. Her eyes were a beautiful dark brown, and they crinkled in a way that made her smile genuine.
Soyeon was still frozen.
“Are you okay?” the girl asked, her eyebrows scrunching a bit, and Soyeon’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the girl speak again.
She blinked a couple times. “Uh,” she stammered, resuming her search for her wallet. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, sorry.”
She reached out and took the pizza from her hands, trying hard not to focus on the way their hands slightly brushed against each other as she took the box.
Soyeon put the pizza on the desk beside the door and finally managed to retrieve her wallet from the deep pockets of her jeans. She pulled out a few bills and handed them over to the girl. She played with her hands as the girl counted the money and reached for her change.
It was unfair that this girl could make the uniform from a pizza place look so damn good. Hell, it was just a red shirt tucked into a pair of black jeans, and Soyeon was nearly losing her mind.
Maybe it had to do with how beautiful the girl was more than just the uniform.
She blinked a couple times, becoming aware that she was staring as the girl looked up at her and smiled that cheery smile once again. Soyeon swore she felt her heart flutter as they met eyes.
“Here’s your change!” the girl said, holding out a handful of bills.
Soyeon was once again struck by her unique voice, her breath catching. “That’s okay,” Soyeon managed, forcing a smile through her sudden nerves. “Uh, you keep it.”
The girl tilted her head in a cute gesture that absolutely did not make Soyeon panic. “Okay, thank you,” she said, retracting her hand and carefully placing the bills back in her pocket.
She spared a glance inside the dorm, where Minnie was now triumphantly sitting on top of Shuhua, laughing as the girl desperately called Soojin for help. The girl raised an eyebrow, returning her gaze to Soyeon with a questioning look.
Soyeon shrugged, glancing back as well. “Movie night,” she offered, as if it explained the scene behind her.
The girl laughed, and Soyeon found herself automatically smiling at the sight. The girl’s energy was infectious. “Well then,” she said, throwing Soyeon a smirk. “Invite me next time. Movie night looks fun.”
Soyeon could barely breathe at this point. “Right,” she managed weakly.
The girl gave her one more smile. “Thanks for ordering!” she said, turning away and walking towards the exit of the building.
Soyeon’s gaze lingered on her retreating form. She could have imagined it, but she swore the girl had winked at her as she left.
“Soyeon?” came Soojin’s soft voice from inside the dorm.
Soyeon blinked, realizing that she had been staring at the area where the girl had been standing for far too long now. She shook her head, grabbing the boxes from the desk and carrying them over to the group.
Soojin gave her a suspicious look as she set down the pizza on the ground. “What took so long?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at Soyeon’s slightly flushed cheeks.
Soyeon swallowed, avoiding her eyes. “Nothing,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. She still had lingering nerves from her brief conversation with the delivery girl. “Just small talk, you know.”
Soyeon released a breath of relief when Soojin seemed to accept the answer.
And then Minnie and Shuhua noticed the pizza and Soyeon was sufficiently distracted by them tumbling over each other in their hurry to reach the food.
Sometime in the middle of the third movie, Soyeon glanced over at the now empty pizza boxes, noticing the small piece of paper taped to the top of the box.
She glanced at her friend, noting that Shuhua was knocked out, curled up in Soojin’s lap and tightly hugging her arm. Minnie and Soojin were transfixed on the animated movie they were watching, not paying attention.
Soyeon inconspicuously leaned over, plucking the receipt from the top of the box and squinting at the small print.
It took a minute, considering how dark the room was, but Soyeon finally found what she was looking for.
Printed in tiny letters at the bottom of the receipt, read the words, ‘Thanks for ordering! Your delivery person: Song Yuqi’
Soyeon’s gaze lingered on the name for a moment longer. Yuqi.
She carefully folded the receipt into a rectangle, tucking the paper into her pocket and returning her attention to the movie.
Even as she watched, the girl didn’t leave her mind.
Yuqi.
And when she fell asleep that night, crammed next to Minnie on the tiny bed on the other side of the room, Soyeon found herself looking forward to the next movie night.
The next time she encountered Yuqi, it was surprisingly outside of the group’s scheduled movie night.
Around two days after meeting Yuqi for the first time, Soyeon was sitting in her dorm, quietly studying for her music theory test that was set for tomorrow morning. It was already pretty late, and Soyeon was tired, but she was determined to get a better grade on this test.
Normally, she would have her earbuds in, as she usually listened to rather loud music while she studied. Unfortunately, she tended to get so into the music that she forgot what she was reading and ended up having to reread multiple paragraphs to try and regain some semblance of focus.
So, this time, Soyeon reluctantly studied in silence, twirling a pen between her fingers while she mulled over a particularly boring passage from her textbook.
And then, she heard a voice.
To be completely honest, the dorm building was shit. The walls were thin, and most of the time, Soyeon could hear the room down the hall holding parties and gatherings every other day. So hearing a voice in the corridor wasn’t uncommon.
But this voice.
Something about it had Soyeon standing from her desk, leaving her open textbook on the table and hesitantly walking towards her door to listen.
She rested her ear against the wood of the door and listened closely. The girl was clearly walking down the hallway, and Soyeon could hear the voice coming closer to her room.
The girl was singing softly to herself, a sad song that Soyeon had heard on the campus radio a couple times. She had ignored it then, but hearing it now, Soyeon was enraptured.
The voice was low, soulful, even. Soyeon found herself leaning further into the door to hear better as the girl passed.
She couldn't help the way she deflated as the girl passed by her dorm room, her beautiful voice fading slightly as she grew further and further away.
Without even thinking, Soyeon was grabbing the handle of her door, intent on putting a face to such a wonderful voice.
As quietly as she could, she opened her door, taking a deep breath before hesitantly peeking out of the doorway in the direction she knew the girl had headed.
Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the familiar red shirt and jeans. She couldn’t see the girl’s face, but Soyeon recognized the curly, brown hair currently pulled back into a loose ponytail.
Yuqi.
She was carrying a rather large stack of pizza boxes, humming quietly to herself as she approached the room at the far end of the hall.
Right as she began to knock on the door, Soyeon retreated back into her own dorm, afraid Yuqi might notice her.
She shut her door, taking a few calming breaths as she forced her racing heart to slow.
What was this girl doing to her?
“We should have another movie night,” Soyeon suggested as casually as possible the next day.
They were all spread out around the quad, munching on some food they had grabbed from the cafeteria for their lunch break. They normally ate lunch together, but this time, they were joined by Minnie’s friend from one of her classes, Miyeon.
“So soon?” Soojin asked quietly.
“Yeah, we had one only a few days ago,” Minnie pointed out, reaching out and plucking a fry from Shuhua’s plate.
Soyeon tried her best to remain calm, to make it seem like she was just casually asking. “Yeah, but now Miyeon’s here,” she said, gesturing to the girl sitting next to Minnie. “She needs to be fully initiated into the group, and the only way that happens for real is through movie night.”
When her friends nodded thoughtfully, Soyeon released a subtle sigh. They didn’t suspect anything.
She was unaware of Soojin watching her carefully, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“Yeah that’s true,” Shuhua said. “We should watch Aladdin this time!”
Miyeon immediately agreed, nodding her head excitedly at the suggestion.
Soyeon smiled as her friends began to chatter about possible movie options. She didn’t care what movie they watched, personally.
But she was definitely making sure that they were ordering pizza.
The next day, Soyeon put her plan into action. She spent some time with Shuhua earlier in the morning, and she casually mentioned something about how good pizza sounded.
As Shuhua groaned in agreement, Soyeon smiled. She knew exactly when Shuhua was the hungriest, and this conversation would have her thinking about pizza for the next hour, at least.
When she caught Minie between classes, she commented on how good the pizza was from the place near campus. She scratched her chin, as if she couldn’t remember the exact name of the place.
As if she hadn’t immediately googled the restaurant and saved it in her bookmarked tabs. For later.
Minnie agreed, nodding excitedly.
Soyeon smirked. Her plan was working perfectly.
When she saw Soojin later that day, a few hours before they were set to meet up at Minnie’s dorm, she knew she had to be more careful. Soojin had always been fairly perceptive, and Soyeon wouldn't be able to sway her with just the idea of food.
So, very casually, she brought up the topic of campus restaurants, noting how her professor had talked about them struggling recently.
Soojin, furrowed her brows. “Really?” she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
Gotcha.
“Yeah,” Soyeon said regretfully. “Ever since they built that Chick-fil-A a few blocks down, all the good campus places have been struggling to get business.”
Soyeon subtly smirked as she noticed the small crease between Soojin’s brows. If there was anything Soojin was passionate about, it was local businesses, considering she was looking to start her very own restaurant after she finished school.
Soyeon changed the topic after that, satisfied with having planted only a small seed. Hopefully, by the time they all met up at Minnie’s, Soojin would be fully on board with ordering pizza from the campus restaurant, as long as it helped support a local business.
When she saw Miyeon walking up to Minnie’s dorm at the same time as her, she didn’t hesitate before greeting her. “Hey, Miyeon,” she waved, joining her as they walked down the hallway.
She started a casual conversation, deliberately emphasizing how she hadn’t been able to eat yet that day, too caught up with classwork.
There.
Miyeon furrowed her brows, but Soyeon quickly moved on, intent on letting Miyeon dwell on this new information.
And so, when she fell onto Minnie’s twin bed, surrounded by her friends, Soyeon smiled. She was confident in her scheme.
Sure enough, it only took around twenty minutes before Shuhua mentioned food, suggesting they order pizza. Minnie immediately agreed, bringing up the campus place they had ordered from last time. Soojin perked up at hearing a campus restaurant as a possible option, and she quickly nodded her head. Miyeon glanced over at Soyeon, her brows creased in worry, and she wasted no time before offering her agreement.
Soyeon struggled to control her glee as she reached out for Minnie’s laptop, pulling up the restaurant’s page. Her plan went off without a hitch.
Soyeon smiled as she clicked the ‘place order’ button, excited at the thought of seeing Yuqi yet again.
She impatiently waited, excessively fidgeting as the cheesy animated movie played in the background. Miyeon, Minnie, and Shuhua were all bickering with each other on the ground, leaning against Minnie’s bed. Soyeon ignored them, leaning back against the wall and glancing over at the door for what felt like the 50th time that night.
Soojin watched her curiously, a small smile making its way onto her face as an idea began to form in her head.
An idea that further flourished when Soyeon nearly leapt from the bed at the sound of a knock on the door.
She watched with rapt attention as Soyeon approached the door, walking a bit more quickly than necessary. She disappeared around the corner, however, and Soojin cursed the layout of the dorm, which kept the doorway out of view from where she was sitting.
Soyeon took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself before grabbing the door handle and pulling the door open.
And even with her preparation, she was still struck speechless by the sight of a smiling Yuqi standing expectantly at the door.
“Hi!” Yuqi said, her familiar voice washing over Soyeon and causing an involuntary smile to form on her face. “Here you go.”
She handed Soyeon the pizza, and Soyeon wasted no time before placing it on the side table once again. She turned back towards Yuqi, fishing in her pockets for her wallet once again.
While Yuqi waited, she peeked into the dorm again, a smile creeping its way onto her face. “Movie night, again?” she asked, amusement making its way into her deep voice as she noted the way Minnie, Miyeon, and Shuhua were absolutely transfixed at the sight of Aladdin and Jasmine singing on a flying carpet.
Soyeon smiled sheepishly, finally retrieving her wallet from her pocket. “Yep,” she managed.
Yuqi chuckled. “I don’t blame them for being so into it, it’s a great movie,” she said good-naturedly as she accepted the bills from Soyeon’s outstretched hand.
With a start, Soyeon realized she didn’t even realize what movie they were watching. She quickly glanced back at the TV before nodding her agreement, a nervous smile forming on her face.
Yuqi reached into her bag for change, and Soyeon cleared her throat awkwardly. “That’s okay,” she said, trying not to focus on the way Yuqi’s eyes seemed to light up as Soyeon spoke. “Keep the change.”
Yuqi tilted her head, an action that Soyeon was beginning to realize was normal for her. It didn’t make it any less adorable.
“Well, thank you…?” she trailed off, clearly waiting for Soyeon to offer her name.
Soyeon hesitated for a touch too long, blinking a few times before stuttering her answer. “Soyeon,” she said. “I’m Soyeon.”
Yuqi’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “Well, thank you, Soyeon,” she said. Soyeon might have imagined it, but there seemed to be a hint of red dusting her cheeks. “I’m Yuqi.”
Soyeon nodded, pretending that she hadn’t dwelled on that very name for nearly two days straight.
She wasn’t creepy. Nope.
“Nice to meet you,” Soyeon offered, smiling at the girl.
“You too,” Yuqi responded, tucking the cash into her bag. She peered into the dorm once again. “I thought I told you to invite me next time?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh,” Soyeon stuttered. “I, uh--”
Yuqi interrupted her with a laugh. “Relax, I’m just teasing.” she told her.
Soyeon released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Right,” she replied breathlessly.
Yuqi gave her one last smile, retreating slowly from the doorway. “Thanks for ordering, Soyeon!” she said cheerily. “Hope to see you again soon.”
And just like that, Yuqi was walking away, making her way towards the end of the hallway. Leaving Soyeon speechless and blinking, still standing helplessly in the doorway.
The way she said that. It sounded as if it was something she said to all the customers, but Soyeon swore she saw a certain glint in her eyes when she spoke. When their eyes met.
Hope to see you again soon.
“Soyeon!” called Minnie from inside the dorm. “I’m hungry, what’s taking so long?”
Soyeon shook herself from her reverie, grabbing the pizza boxes and taking them back to her friend, smiling at how they cheered when they saw her.
She grabbed a slice and settled back onto her spot on Minnie’s bed, her head clouded with thoughts of Yuqi.
Soojin glanced at her friend with a knowing smile, noting her flushed cheeks and the way her eyes seemed rather unfocused.
She had a feeling Soyeon had a crush on a certain pizza girl, and Soojin wasn't just going to sit there and do nothing.
Knowing Soyeon, she would just keep ordering pizza until the day she died, never actually making a move.
No, Soojin decided, Soyeon needed help. And who better to help her than four amazing friends?
She glanced down at Shuhua, Minnie, and Miyeon, who were currently shouting at each other, arguing the merits of having a massive tiger as a pet.
Okay, Soojin corrected internally, one amazing friend, and three fools.
As it turns out, Miyeon already knew the pizza girl, which Soojin discovered relatively early on into her scheme.
Yuqi, as she read at the bottom of the receipt she had taken, was in one of Miyeon’s classes. It was a vocal coaching class, Miyeon explained, so she knew Yuqi from when she would sing in front of the class, but other than that, they hadn’t spoken.
Soojin filed away this information for later, hoping that it may help with her scheming.
She brought Minnie on to help with her plan, explaining Soyeon’s rather obvious crush to her friend and suggesting that they simply help her out.
Minnie readily agreed, and they immediately started planning.
The first step, they decided, would be to confirm that Soyeon was indeed crushing on this girl. Soojin was pretty convinced, but she understood that Minnie needed a bit more proof before fully committing herself to an entire scheme.
They put their plan into action the next movie night. It had basically become practice to order pizza at this point, and this time, Soojin was the one to suggest it, which was a surprise to everyone except Minnie.
Soyeon ordered the pizza as usual, and this time, Minnie and Soojin both paid more attention to her fidgeting and the barely concealed glances she threw at the door every so often.
This part of the plan was a bit mean, but it was ultimately necessary.
Right when they heard the knock at the door, Minnie quickly grabbed Soyeon’s arm, pretending to get especially scared of something in the horror movie they were watching. This was rather easy, considering the movie was genuinely terrifying, as proven by the way Miyeon was tightly curled into Minnie’s side and gripping Shuhua’s arm with a white-knuckle grip.
With Minnie grabbing Soyeon’s arm, she was momentarily distracted, providing an opening for Soojin to quickly stand and move over to the door to answer.
She made sure to fix her hair and straighten her clothes on the way over, confident that Soyeon’s eyes would be fixed on her.
She smiled inwardly. This was rather mean of her, she admitted, but it had to be done. Minnie needed proof, and what better way to provide it than getting Soyeon all jealous and fired up?
From Soyeon’s seat on the ground next to Minnie, she had a clear view of the door. Minnie was still tightly gripping her arm, and she smiled a bit when she noticed the way Soyeon seemed to slump and frown when Soojin made her way over to the door.
Soojin smiled as soon as she opened the door, giving Yuqi a friendly greeting. She made sure to turn on the charm, flashing the delivery girl a flirty smirk before taking the pizza from her hands.
Yuqi, to her credit, seemed rather surprised at the new face answering the door, and she coughed a little uncomfortably as Soojin blatantly flirted with her.
Soojin herself felt for the girl, but she continued, brushing her hands against Yuqi’s as she grabbed the boxes.
Minnie had to withhold a chuckle as Soyeon watched the interaction with rapt attention, a crease between her brows and a scowl on her face.
Yuqi quickly took Soojin’s payment, awkwardly thanking her when Soojin told her to keep the change.
Soojin gave her a flirty wink, making sure to lean against the doorframe in a way that displayed her whole frame, “Thanks so much,” she said, her voice sultry and light as Yuqi blinked, clearly confused as to where this interaction was going.
“Right,” Yuqi stuttered, hastily retreating from the door. However, Soojin felt herself smile a pleased smirk when Yuqi looked her up and down, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. “T-thanks for ordering,” she managed before turning tail and quickly walking towards the end of the hallway.
Minnie was nearly bursting in her attempt to hide her laughter, taking in Soyeon’s angry face. The girl was nearly fuming as she watched Soojin shut the door and grab the pizza.
Minnie and Soojin briefly met eyes and smiled at each other, an exchange that Soyeon completely missed, too consumed in her jealousy.
Soyeon pouted the rest of the night, scowling at Soojin every so often when she thought no one was looking.
But that night was plenty proof for Minnie.
It was time for the real scheme to be put into play.
Step Two was to make sure Yuqi was interested.
Soojin was relatively positive that Yuqi was at least into girls, considering the way she looked at Soojin that night. Now the goal was to get her into Soyeon.
So, the next movie night, Minnie and Soojin suggested that they skip the movie entirely and partake in makeovers instead. Soyeon was not enthused by the idea, but Miyeon readily agreed, and Shuhua would follow whatever Soojin said.
So Soyeon was ultimately outvoted. And, after the pizza had been ordered, she was chosen as the person to make over first.
Minnie and Soojin immediately launched into action, forcing Soyeon into a nice pair of slacks and a slick blazer. They brushed her hair and did her makeup, making sure she looked hot.
It was time to send Yuqi into a gay panic.
Soyeon was oblivious, protesting nearly the entire time. By the time a knock sounded on the door, Soyeon looked rather sharp. She threw a nasty glare at Soojin as she went to answer the door, but Soojin just blinked innocently, making sure to move forward so she could see what happened. She was quickly joined by Minnie, who leaned over next to her and grinned mischievously as Soyeon pulled open the door.
“Hello,” Yuqi began cheerily, but she froze in place, her mouth open as she noticed Soyeon’s appearance. Her eyes ran up and down the length of Soyeon’s form as she took in her outfit and the detailed makeup decorating her face.
“Hi,” Soyeon said. To her credit, she was completely unaware of the sheer panic she was currently inducing in Yuqi. She wordlessly reached out and grabbed the pizza from Yuqi’s outstretched arms, not noticing the way Yuqi’s breath caught as their hands brushed against each other.
“Aw, damn it, hold on,” Soyeon said, frowning as she realized that her wallet was still inside the dorm.
Yuqi could only watch with wide eyes and an open mouth as Soyeon paced around the small dorm, searching for her wallet. Soojin and Minnie barely withheld their giggles as they watched Yuqi nearly fall over as her eyes attempted to follow Soyeon all around the dorm. Her ears were bright red.
In no time, Soyeon was returning, triumphantly handing Yuqi the proper payment. Yuqi wordlessly accepted the money, her mouth dry. She kept her eyes resolutely on the ground as she fished for change. She was so focused on avoiding eye contact that she didn’t even hear when Soyeon told her to keep the change.
Yuqi wordlessly handed her what she was owed, blinking a couple times as she stared at Soyeon for a moment longer, not hearing her protests.
With a rapid ‘thank you’ muttered under her breath, Yuqi was gone, nearly power walking away from the door. Soyeon simply stared at the place she’d been standing, wondering what exactly she’d done wrong for Yuqi to leave so fast.
“Soyeon?” Minnie asked, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice.
“Eh?” Soyeon asked, blinking a bit as she turned from the door.
“You okay?” Soojin asked with a small smile.
Soyeon nodded, a crease in her brow. She picked up the pizza and placed it on the ground between all the girls. “Do you think she was weirded out by the outfit?” she wondered aloud as everyone grabbed a slice.
Minnie couldn’t hold in her laugh at that. Soyeon gave her a confused look. Soojin shook her head. “No, Soyeon,” she answered. “She wasn’t weirded out by your outfit. I promise.”
Soyeon nodded, but she didn’t seem convinced.
Minnie couldn’t stop laughing.
Step three, they decided, would involve a tad more intense scheming. Minnie was convinced that Soyeon and Yuqi had to spend some time together outside of just exchanging pizza deliveries. Soojin agreed, but she was unsure of how exactly to do it.
The answer, surprisingly, came from Shuhua. They had initially avoided telling the girl, because they all knew how bad she was at keeping secrets. But Miyeon had accidentally spilled, and now Shuhua was intent on helping out with their scheming,
Minnie was skeptical at first, but then Shuhua offered up the perfect plan.
And so they put it into action the very next night.
Minnie and Soojin casually invited Soyeon to hang out with them at a club they knew downtown. Unfortunately, they told her, she would have to get there herself, since Soojin and Minnie had already accepted rides from other people.
Soyeon had rolled her eyes, but she reluctantly accepted when Minnie nearly begged her to go, breaking out the big puppy-dog eyes in the process.
She told them she’d probably just take an Uber, and that they should send her the address tonight.
And with that, their plan was in motion.
Around 9:00 that night, Soojin texted Soyeon an address, and Soyeon promptly called an Uber, giving the driver the address before settling down in the back seat.
At 9:20, Soojin giggled, sitting with Minnie in her dorm as they began to order a pizza from the usual campus place. Shuhua watched as she pressed the place order button, smiling with barely contained excitement.
At 9:45 Soyeon was dropped off in an empty street, right in front of a Walgreens. She looked around, confused, but when she turned to ask the driver where they were exactly, he was already pulling out of the parking lot.
She cursed, mentally berating herself for trusting Soojin and Minnie to give her an accurate address. She checked the door of the Walgreens, only to find that it was closed. With that, she rolled her eyes and took out her phone, preparing to call another Uber. An Uber that she was definitely getting Soojin to pay her back for.
At 9:50, Soyeon was just about to open the Uber app, only for a lone truck to pull into the parking lot and startle her, almost making her drop her phone.
She narrowed her eyes when she saw that the truck seemed to be from the campus pizza place. Her eyes became wide when she realized what that meant.
Her fears were confirmed when Yuqi herself stepped out of the driver’s seat of the truck, clutching a bag full of pizza, no doubt.
She looked around the empty parking lot, clearly confused as to why she was standing in front of a closed Walgreens.
Then her eyes landed on Soyeon, who was standing frozen at the doors of the building. She smiled, beginning to walk over.
“Did you order some pizza?” she called over as she walked, clearly pleased to see Soyeon, but rather confused as to the circumstances.
Soyeon shook her head, her brows furrowed. “No,” she said, cringing a little at the way her voice cracked.
Yuqi finally reached the door, giving Soyeon a curious look. “Well, if you didn’t order it, who did?” she asked, amusement creeping into her tone.
Soyeon swallowed, asking herself the very same question.
However, as she glanced over at Yuqi and back towards the Walgreens, she started to put the pieces together.
She was going to kill those two when she got back to campus.
“Ah, I’m sorry,” she said to Yuqi, her voice apologetic. “It seems you got caught up in my friends’ idea of a prank.”
Yuqi furrowed her brow. “Explain?” she asked.
Soyeon sighed. “My friends asked me to hang out at a club tonight, but they gave me the wrong address, and the Uber brought me here. I’m assuming they also ordered pizza and gave you the same address.”
“Oh,” Yuqi said, nodding. “Why?”
Soyeon tried to keep the redness from her cheeks. “Who knows?” she said, shrugging. “They’re fools.” Who was she kidding? She knew exactly why. Apparently her crush hadn’t been as subtle as she thought.
Yuqi laughed, and the loud sound echoed through the empty parking lot. “Well,” she said. “At least we got a chance to see each other again.”
Soyeon nearly fainted right then and there when she saw the earnest smile Yuqi was giving her.
“Yeah,” she agreed, flashing a small smile of her own.
Then Yuqi frowned, glancing around the abandoned lot. “How are you getting home, though?” she asked, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.
Soyeon shrugged. “I’ll probably just call another Uber.” she told her.
Yuqi nodded, but the frown still covered her face.
“I’ll be fine,” Soyeon insisted. “Promise.”
Yuqi tilted her head a bit, clearly still unsure. Just as Soyeon opened her mouth to further assure the girl that she would be okay, a loud clang echoed through the parking lot, clearly originating from the alley beside the building.
Soyeon paled a bit as she whipped her head around, her mind flashing back towards the horror movie she had watched a few days ago. “On second thought-” she weakly murmured.
And then Yuqi was grabbing her hand, pulling her across the parking lot and towards the beat up truck she had parked a few meters from the entrance. She quickly unlocked the door, and Soyeon didn’t hesitate before hopping into the passenger seat as soon as she could. Yuqi quickly placed the pizza in the back seat, and she didn’t waste any time before peeling out of the parking lot as soon as she got behind the wheel.
It took Soyeon a few moments to calm her racing heart. She didn’t dare glance at the side of the building, too afraid of what she might see creeping in the darkness.
However, it didn’t take long for her to realize that she was sitting in the passenger seat of a pizza delivery truck, resting only a foot from the girl she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about for weeks now.
And then her heart was racing all over again, for completely different reasons.
Yuqi seemed to pick up on her sudden change, throwing as glance at her, brows furrowed in concern. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Soyeon nodded, taking a deep breath. “I’m good,” she said quietly. “What about you?”
Yuqi paused, seeming to take a moment to think about the question. “That scared the shit out of me, if I’m being honest.” she admitted.
Soyeon nodded again. “Yeah,” she agreed. “Me too.”
And then they were laughing, and Soyeon couldn’t help the way her heart sang at the sound of Yuqi laughing, her melodic voice filling the small space of the truck.
“It’s a good thing you showed up when you did,” Soyeon said as their laughter faded. “I could have been in some serious trouble back there.”
Yuqi nodded, and Soyeon nearly missed the way her face darkened at the thought. “Yeah.” she agreed.
Silence consumed the car, and Soyeon swallowed, suddenly extremely nervous. She opened her mouth a few times, determined to break the silence and at least make some conversation with her crush, but the words seemed to catch in her throat.
And then Yuqi leaned forward, casually turning the far knob of the radio, and soft music filled the area between them.
Soyeon relaxed as she recognized the song she had heard Yuqi singing a few weeks ago. It really was a beautiful song when she listened a bit more closely. There was just something different about it when Yuqi sang.
And as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Yuqi was suddenly humming along. “I love this song,” she said, a soft smile creeping onto her lips.
Soyeon glanced over, noting the way Yuqi’s lips curled slightly up and the way her nose scrunched up a little when she smiled. Cute. “Me too,” she agreed. Only when you sing it, though, she thought.
And suddenly the silence wasn't awkward at all. It was comfortable, and warm, and Soyeon felt content. Yuqi’s soft voice filled the air and Soyeon clung to every note she sang. The road ahead of them was empty and dark, lit only by a few street lights as they made their way back to campus.
After a few minutes, Soyeon finally got the courage to speak. “You have a beautiful voice,” she said quietly, keeping her eyes facing ahead.
Yuqi glanced over at her, a shy smile on her face. “Thank you,” she said, blushing a little. “Sorry if it’s annoying, I just-”
“No, no!” Soyeon immediately interrupted. “I like it! I mean, you sound great, really!”
Yuqi giggled at the alarmed look on Soyeon’s face. “Well, then, thank you, Soyeon.” she replied.
“You remember my name?” Soyeon asked, a little shocked. She had thought that Yuqi would forget her almost immediately.
“Of course,” Yuqi responded sincerely. “How could I forget someone like you?” Her voice became a little quieter.
It was Soyeon’s turn to blush.
“Anyway,” Yuqi said quickly, intent on changing the subject as fast as possible. “What are you going to school for?”
Soyeon was still caught up on what Yuqi had said before. She blinked a couple times, trying to regain her focus. “Uh, music composition.” she said finally. “I want to be a musician.”
“Dude, that’s so cool!” Yuqi said sincerely. Soyeon tried not to snort at the way Yuqi said ‘dude.’ It was cute. “I wanted to be a musician, too, when I was younger, but it just didn’t work out.”
Soyeon frowned. “How come?” she asked.
Yuqi shrugged, but Soyeon didn’t miss the way her smile became tight and forced. “My family was already sketchy about me traveling far from home to attend school. If I pursued music, too? They might disown me all together.”
She laughed a little, but Soyeon was still frowning. “I’m sorry.” she offered, staring down at her feet.
“It’s okay,” Yuqi said, smiling ruefully. “I’ve gotten over it by now. I’m working on getting my degree in accounting, now. My whole family’s been in accounting for years now, so at least I know I’ll have a job when I graduate.”
Soyeon nodded, but the conversation still didn’t sit right with her.
“So what type of music do you like?” Yuqi asked, quickly changing the subject.
Soyeon smiled a bit. If there was something she could talk about, it was music.
So, the rest of the car ride was spent discussing different music they both enjoyed, and the lengthy process Soyeon often went through when creating her own original music. Soyeon learned that Yuqi was a second year student, only a grade below her. She also wrote songs in her free time, but she didn’t really have the know-how or the materials to work on actually producing them.
“Maybe we could work together on something?” Soyeon hesitantly offered when she heard this new bit of information. “Or not, if you don’t feel comfortable sharing-”
“No!” Yuqi quickly interrupted. “I would love that! I mean, that would be so great, really.”
Soyeon smiled. “Great,” she agreed.
A comfortable silence consumed the area between them as Yuqi finally pulled into the campus parking lot. She parked in front of Soyeon’s dorm building, following Soyeon’s directions. She offered a sheepish smile when she turned off the engine. “Can I walk you to your room?” she asked, uncharacteristically quiet and timid.
Soyeon nodded, trying to keep her cheeks from turning red.
They walked up to the building and Soyeon felt her mood drop when they began to get closer and closer to her room. Finally, they were stopped in front of the door, and Soyeon glanced over at Yuqi, who seemed equally as reluctant to say goodbye.
“Hey,” Soyeon said, interrupting the silence of the hall. “I’m really happy you gave me a ride home.”
Yuqi smiled at her. “Me too,” she responded earnestly. “And even if your friends are fools, they totally did me a favor tonight.”
Soyeon furrowed her brows, a little confused at Yuqi’s statement.
Yuqi swallowed. “I think they picked up on how much I liked you,” she explained nervously. “And then they probably saw how completely useless I became when you answered the door in that suit and they were like ‘dear god, that girl is a lesbian , we really need to help her out’ and honestly, they weren’t wrong, I mean, you looked hot-”
“Yuqi.” Soyeon interrupted breathlessly.
Yuqi shut her mouth, her eyes wide. “Yes?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper and her cheeks colored a bright red.
And then Soyeon was leaning forward, her hand reaching out and cupping Yuqi’s cheek, drawing her closer. Their lips met, and Soyeon thought her heart was going to explode out of her chest. Kissing Yuqi was exactly as amazing as she dreamed it’d be. Even better.
When they finally drew apart, Soyeon laughed a little at the look on Yuqi’s face. The girl looked downright dazed, her eyes unfocused and her mouth still slightly parted in amazement.
“Believe me,” Soyeon said, a little breathless. “My friends did this because they noticed my sudden interest in ordering pizza every time we had a movie night.”
Yuqi laughed, a loud sound that echoed through the hall. “You mean you ordered pizza just to see me?” she asked, not convinced.
Soyeon nodded. “You’re not the only useless one.” she shrugged.
“Clearly,” Yuqi commented. She laughed a little again, as if she couldn’t believe what had happened. “Here, give me your phone.”
Soyeon narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the girl, but she handed her phone over regardless. Yuqi swiped the screen a few times before clicking on contacts and quickly adding her name.
She handed Soyeon’s phone back after a moment, giving her a mischievous smile. “I’ll be expecting a text, Jeon Soyeon.”
Soyeon chuckled a bit, nodding. “Of course, Song Yuqi.” she replied, a smile creeping up on her face.
Yuqi snuck in one last time, pressing a chaste kiss against Soyeon’s lips before turning away, walking back towards the exit.
Soyeon grinned as she watched Yuqi leave, the girl throwing a wink over her shoulder before exiting the building.
Yeah, her friends were fools. But, sometimes, they really came through for her.
Not that she would ever admit it.