Chapter Text
Bora was tired from her long day at work, she had been delivering pizzas for the past few hours and all of her limbs where aching from the crisscrossing over the streets, back and forth between her delivery car and the houses. She had been forced to take a part time job to help provide for her newly poor family after her father had lost his high position at work to someone else, leaving him the janitor job, they had to move from their big family house to a smaller place, now living like canned sardines. Her father had promised to find a better job soon but until then, Bora would have to help them provide so they could have food on the table and hot water in the shower. The last couple of months had been hard for Bora as she had been feeling anxious a lot for her family but with the support she always got from her best, and only friend, Kim Minji she felt stronger, knowing she wasn't alone.
As she threw her bag on the floor in the hallway she was met by a pair of arms wrap around her, almost making her stumble backwards. She was quick to respond by hugging the person back, feeling her tense body relax a little.
"Did you bring me pizza?" Her little sister Gahyeon squealed while looking at her hopefully. Bora chuckled as she pulled away from the hug and started to dig in her backpack, she pulled out a pizza box and handed it to her. "Just share some with dad, I'm sure he is hungry, okay?" Bora said and watched as Gahyeon's happy expression changed subtly and look down at her feet.
She didn't need to say anything. Their father always worked overtime to earn some extra cash and that was almost the hardest part about everything. The family was shattered in a way, they didn't have time for each other anymore, not like they used too. Their mother was a weitress so she didn't earn that much, it had been their father that had been providing for them because he earned a lot as a business manager, they had even moved to Seoul because of his position offer a few years ago. So now when he lost the position and was forced to move they had to choose a small apartment with only two rooms and a kitchen since the city was so expencive to live in. They had thought about moving away from the city but their father promised that he would get the job back somehow, or if that wasn't possible he would find another one similar to the previous one. He promised that he would make everything go back to how it used to. He said that the biggest mistake one can make is to run away from a hard situation before trying to make it better.
Bora squeezed her little sister's shoulder and gave her a compassionate smile. A smile that hid her own disappointment.
"Come on, let's share it, you and I." She said to her sister who looked up at her in surprise.
Yes, Bora was tired as the clock was already after midnight but she couldn't say no to her little sister. Especially now when she needed her the most. She felt the need to protect her from everything bad and didn't want her to feel the absence of their family. They had been used too cuddle up in their living room together every evening after school and work but now as both of their parents worked extra late they never had time anymore. Welfare in focus.
---
"Come on, please don't leave me today!" Bora whined into her phone as she spoke to her best friend Minji. She heard a sigh in the other end of the line. Bora was walking back and forth by the entrance to the university. People adjusting their speed to not crash into the stressed girl as they made their way past her and into the school grounds.
"Alright alright, but only because Yoohyeon will be there." Minji argued and Bora chuckled lightly. "Yeah yeah I know you're in love, see you in an hour." Bora disconnected their call with a smile and saw a figure moving in the corner of her eye. She could recognize that shape from miles away.
She froze as the girl she had a huge crush on walked by with her friends. Bora could swear that they where walking in slow motion, like every powerful group of girls in the movies.
She remembered when she first saw them, they had been walking into the cafeteria like they owned the place, on the first day. It was bold. As useless homosexuals Bora and Minji had almost choked on their food. She was happy that she and her friend had that in common, girls. Siyeon had caught her eye at first sight and she had already begun to plan their wedding ceremony. She still died a little inside at the sight of her, even after two years of watching her from afar. She looked at her once last year and Bora felt like fainting as her intense eyes had been looking straight into hers. Well, straight is really not the right word to use as Bora's lips had parted at the sight. Minji had to tell her that she was drooling to be brought back to reality again to throw some hands at her best friend
Bora watched as the girls dissapeared into campus, she immediately grabbed her phone to tell Minji.
An hour later they found themself in the big hall for their math lecture. Her friend couldn't tear her eyes away from Yoohyeon, the groups puppy, as they had named her. Bora smiled to herself as her friend was in a trance. She teasingly nudged her side to get her attention and held her heart while pretendig to faint, earning a punch on the arm from the taller girl. She put her hands over her head in defence and chuckled when Minji pouted.
"Are you free to hang out this weekend?" Her friend asked and Bora sighed as she shook her head and Minji just gave the girl an understanding smile, "No... I have double shifts at the pizza shop on both Saturday and Sunday." Bora put her hands over her face as she didn't feel like working, she would rather stay home and watch movies with her friend, like old times.
"Are you sure you're not wearing yourself out Bora? I'm starting to become worried about you, I know you have to help your family but you're still so young. You shouldn't have to bear this on your shoulders." Minji said while looking seriously into Bora's eyes. The girl sighed. Bora knew that she didn't need to work as much as she did but if it meant that her sister, her family was happy - it was worth it.
"I'm okay Minji, really." Bora assured her while squeezing her arm. Her friend shot her a glance interpreting that she didn't believe her. Bora just smiled weakly. Minji knew that she wasn't, she wondered if the girl had acknowledged that to herself yet, knowing Bora, she hadn't, because that would make her break apart. Minji was really scared that would happen because it happened one time in high school, they where about to have an important exam and Bora had been building up her stress inside, neither talking about or acknowledging it, making her eventually break down. She had to talk to the school's counselor once a week for two months to feel better.
Minji had promised herself ever since that day that she would always keep an eye out for the hard things in her friends life, preparing herself to catch her if she would fall again.
---
"Singnie, c'mon." Yubin pouted as she looked at her friend with puppy-eyes, bold move, the girl rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat, "Alright, movie night at my place it is. I couldn't say no to that face even if I tried" She said and her friends squealed excitedly.
"I know I'm your weakness Lee Siyeon." Yubin said while waving her eyelashes in an attempt to tease her friend but was startled when Siyeon leaped forward to kiss her cheek firmly, making her grimace and wipe the lipstick off, Siyeon laughed proudly knowing the girl didn't enjoy skinship, it was a perfect payback.
Saturday night was a night for celebration as they had just finished the first exame for the semester, they had all agreed to meet each other at Siyeon's because her house was the biggest. It was almost a habit right now to celebrate together because they had done it ever since the first term. They had all become friends at once the first day of school and when they began talking to get to know one another it almost felt like they had known each other their whole lives. They would have never expected to become the school's it girls either but it was something about them when they where together that just beamed of powerful femeninity and confidence. They didn't mind though, they kinda liked the attention. Siyeon was the one who got the most of it as she almost found love confessions in her locker everyday. She never knew how to respond or to react, it happened so often that she didn't even feel excited anymore when a letter fell out of her locker when she opened it.
Saturday came and Siyeon exhaled deeply as she looked at the cozy set up in her living room. Her friends would be arriving any minute and she had just finished setting up the last fairy light. She knew the girls liked it aesthetic, not only because they where performing art students but because she knew the girls liked to update their instagrams, Siyeon on the other hand didn't care so much about that stuff, she just wanted her friends to have a good time.
She grabbed a bowl of popcorn and went back into the living room to place the freshly popped popcorns on the table. She was just about to make a fire in the fireplace when she heard the doorbell. She went to welcome her friends inside, they had all arrived together in Yubin's car. Siyeon chuckled when her friends entered one after the other.
"Did she go fast again?" Siyeon asked with a knowing look as she saw how tense Handong where as she was taking off her shoes. Handong nodded.
"Very." She said and gave Yubin a look who just shrugged.
"Why do you always have to show off?" Handong asked in disbelief but chuckled mischieviously, "You know no girl likes that right?" She said and rose an eyebrow at her friend who frowned slightly.
"They don't?" She asked bluntly.
"At least not in a car..." Handong added and everyone gasped, she sprinted to the side to avoid Yubin's attempt to hit her with a blush creeping on her face. They all started laughing and fell to the floor before they made themselves comfortable in Siyeon's living room.
They where sitting on the couch watching a horror movie, Siyeon's pick. Yoohyeon where hiding behind Yubin as she screamed at every jump sceene. She regretted showing up today more than when she accidentaly told her teached that she got to gay instead of got to go... Siyeon had been teasing her about it for weeks after.
"We should order pizza." Handong said with a hand over her stomach as she felt it rumble against her palm. They all agreed and where looking for pizza ads on the phone and found a new pizza place that they hadn't tried yet. The ratings where good so they called and ordered two.
They where halfway into the movie when they heard a knock on the door. Yoohyeon screamed out by surprise, feeling very jumpy while watching the scary movie. Everyone gasped and held their palms over their ears.
"God, why are you always so loud." Yubin said while cringing. Yoohyeon pouted and paused the movie.
"Go get the pizza." She ordered Siyeon to change the topic, feeling slightly ashamed for being such a scaredy cat.
Siyeon went to her front door and opened it, only to see a cute girl standing on the doorstep looking at her like she had just seen a ghost. Siyeon smiled politely and was ready to take the boxes when she realized that the girl didn't move. She frowned when she felt like she had seen her before...
Suddenly the girl gave her the boxes and turned around quickly and speeded back to her delivery car as quick as she came. Leaving Siyeon startled in the doorway with the boxes in her hands, she didn't even pay?
---
"I DIDN'T EVEN CHARGE HER!" Bora screamed into the phone as she was panicking in her delivery car that she had parked a block away. She heard her friend die from laughter in the other end, what a support alright.
"Kim Bora you are useless, what did you even say when she opened?" She asked while muffling a laugh. Bora sighed and facepalmed herself.
"Nothing..." She said and cringed, already knowing her friend would laugh at her, which she did because she could hear her howl into the mic.
"Bora have anyone told you that you don't function around pretty girls?" Minji teased and laughed again, Bora felt her stomach twist. She knew that she didn't, and Minji knew that too, the last time they had been studying in the libary a girl had taken a seat beside them and when she had hovered over Bora, after excusing herself politely, to grab a pen from the case she had lost her breath and stuttered as she tried to tell her it was fine. Minji had been forced to hold in her laugh as she had watched her friend struggle with the pretty girl reaching over her. When they had left the libary Bora had asked if Minji thought that the girl was single and Minji had just chuckled and kissed her cheek,"You wouldn't be able to speak to her anyways." , she had told her and squeezed the sighing Bora under her arm.
"You know this is diffrent... She, is different." Bora sighed and Minji's laughs died down, her friend knew how much Bora liked the girl and now she felt bad for overreacting.
"I'm sorry Bora..." She emphasized."You can ask her out another time..." She just had to push, earning a yah from the embarrassed girl.
"I fucked up Minji, she must think that I'm so weird now..." Bora felt anxious, this was not how she had been planning their first meeting to be... She shrunk in her seat, just like her chances of marrying Lee Siyeon...
---
Back in the house Siyeon was closing the door after the strange incident, she couldn't get the girl out of her mind as something in her recognized her... She knew that she had seen the girl before somewhere. She walked into the livingroom again with the pizzas and stacked them on the table.
"Guess what?" She said and bit her lip as she watched her friends frown, "We got them for free!" She exclaimed and the girl's eyes widen in chock. Yoohyeon opened the boxes to see if their was any oddities but they looked perfectly fine, delicious even. The girl's mouths started watering as the smell of the freshly oven-baked pizzas where enchanting their nosetrils. They turned on the movie again and took a slize each.
"God that delivery guy must have been flirting with you Siyeon." Yubin said as she took a bite of the cheesy pizza. Siyeon chuckled as she thought of the strange girl.
"She was very cute..." Syieon said quietly earning a slap and a wheezing sound from Handong.
"You haven't fallen for anyone yet even though your locker is filled with confessions and you're really out here falling for a... delivery girl?" Handong said ironically and everyone joined in on her laughter. Siyeon felt a blush creep on her cheeks, she knew that her friend was joking but deep down Siyeon felt her stomach tingle lightly as she thought of the mysterious girl. She couldn't help but wanting to see her again.
---
"Yes, and then I just ran off." Bora stressed as she and Minji where walking to their next class with their business books clutched to their chests. Bora had followed her father's footstep by mastering in international buseniss management, she was happy that her best friend had the same plan because she didn't know what she would have done without her.
"Bora it's not that bad." Minji tried to comfort her friend but she just shot her a glare.
"I ran off, Minji, I didn't even charge her, I had to pay for the pizzas myself!" She groaned as she recalled the memory. Minji cringed as she patted her friend's back... It was pretty bad.
Suddenly the familiar group of girls came walking down the hallway in front of them. Minji looked at her friend by impulse only to see that she hadn't yet noticed them as she still covered her face in embarrassment. Minji pinched Bora's arm lightly and made the girl look up at her. Her friend mentoined for her to look forward and Bora's mouth fell open. There she was. Flesh and bones.
She felt her stomach twist akwardly as she remembered the girl's chocked face when she handed her the pizzas and ran off, she couldn't let her see her. She pulled Minji by her sleeve and dragged her into the closest classroom and closed the door behind her quickly. Minji looked at her and shook her head slowly.
"You know if you start avoiding her she won't ever notice you again." She said and looked at her friend, "You still have a chance to show her the real Bora. I bet she would recognize you now." Bora sighed and looked down.
"Yeah, as the strange girl." She said as she started to fiddle with her fingers. It was Minji's turn to sigh, she pulled Bora into a hug and squeezed her.
"You'll always be a strange girl. That's why I love you." She said and kissed the top of her head. "I know Siyeon would too." She added and heard the girl chuckle in her arms.
---
Siyeon was sitting on her seat in the classroom, bored out of her mind as they where reading about the history of buildings. She was here to perform not look at weird structures. She sigh as she rested her head in her palm while doodling in her textbook. She mindlessly drew a pizza, over and over again until she heard the teacher dismiss them. She streached as her friends gathered around her as she was the only one left sitting. Yoohyeon giggled as she saw her doodles.
"Are you hungry?" The girl asked and Siyeon frowned. They had just eaten why would she be... she looked down to see the whole sheet covered in pizzas. She quickly closed the book and stood up. Yoohyeon shoot her a challaging look but Siyeon just ignored her, she couldn't let her friends know that she had been thinking of the delivery girl. Because the truth was that she had been, she wanted to see her again, to talk to her. Something felt familiar when she looked at her, she had to know why.
Her facade was blown when Handong added while nudging her side mischievously, "Hungry for pizza girl?" She wiggled her eyebrows making Siyeon groan and slap her arm. The girls laughed as they walked out of the classroom.
As they walked down the hallway Siyeon saw a familiar figure walking towards them, the long brown hair, pretty short, small waist... she looked away for a second and the figure was gone. She closed her eyes as she shook her head, scoffing quietly, she didn't want to go insane seeing pizza girl everywhere. She had to see her again, for real.
"Girls night on saturday?" Siyeon asked and the girls turned to look at her excitedly.
"Of course!" Yubin said but her expression fainted as she seemed to think of something, "We didn't have an exam... right?" She asked and the girls started laughing.
---
Bora almost choked on her canned soda as she read the adress of the delivery again. It was the adress, the same adress where she delivered pizza to Siyeon last weekend. She started tapping her feet against the floor nervously as she let out a shaky breath. She picked up her phone from out of her uniform pocket and dialed Minji, standing up to walk in stressful circles outside the pizzeria.
"Minji!" Bora let out as soon as the girl answeread, the girl on the other line chuckled. "What's up Bora?" She said and Bora groaned into the mic, "Siyeon, I just got an order from her adress."
She heared her friend sigh, "Just talk to her this time, like a normal human being." Her friend reasoned, "This is literally your chance to redeem yourself." Bora stopped in her footsteps. Her friend was right, she had to show her how not weird she was. She thanked her best friend and hung up, she had pizzas to deliver.
As she got closer to Siyeon's street she started to doubt herself again. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel. She inhaled sharply and looked at herself through the rearview mirror and gave herself an encouraging wink, nope, didn't work. She parked the car outside the house and stood in front of it for a moment and just stared at it. She once lived in a house this big. She collected herself, she almost forgot the pizzas in her car. She grabbed them and went up to the house and rung the doorbell. There was no turning back now. She breathed in shakily as she saw a shadow on the other side of the cloudy window and then the door opened, revieling Siyeon in the doorway. Bora almost lost her breath as their eyes met.
"Uhm... Hi." She pushed out and the girl smiled at her warmly, that was all Bora needed as she felt a boost of confidence run through her body. "I'm sorry for being so akward the other night, I lose control over my own body around pretty girls." Bora let out as she sounded almost a little, flirty? She screamed internally when she saw Siyeon's cheeks get a shade of pink. The girl chuckled.
"I don't think I've met anyone like you." Siyeon answered and looked at Bora, "What's your name?" She asked and smiled as she watched as the other girl's eyebrows rise in surprise, she hadn't expect that.
"I'm Bora, Kim Bora." She let out, she didn't feel nervous anymore, something about the girl's presence soothed her, made her feel calm. It didn't feel like in school where she would panic anytime she saw her, no, something was different standing this close to her.
The girl had an image and she looked almost a little cold but when you talked to her she sounded like the smoothest of butter and had the softest smile.
"I'm Siyeon, Lee Siyeon." The girl in the doorway said and bit her lip as she studied the other girl, Kim Bora, still clueless of why she found her so familiar. Bora chuckled as she already knew that. She handed over the pizzas as Siyeon started to search her pockets.
"I'm sorry for not paying the other day." Siyeon said and gave the girl the double amount of cash, making up for the last time. She was humble too. Bora smiled, she gave her back the half of it.
"That was on me." She said and winked. Siyeon smiled shyly and ran a hand through her black hair. She bit her lip as she started to close the door. "See you around, Bora." She said and closed it shut. Bora let out a long breath and her hand found her forehead. She was in chock. She had talked to Siyeon, the Lee Siyeon, and she been acting normal? She gasped as she realized the way she had shamelessly flirted with the girl. She dialed Minji's number and chuckled, maybe she had a chance with Lee Siyeon after all.