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It all started with the day she settled at her dorm and pretty girls.
To keep it short, three of the pretty girls ended up to be her friends and the other three her professors. Her hot professors to be exact.
Gahyeon’s blood beat with far too much adrenaline on orientation day even before she met anyone and it only got worse through the day. She was set to go to college and already accepted. Knew her planner and all the paths off and to campus, including dorms and food supplies, by heart. Yet Gahyeon told herself she’d be calmer if she saw it in real life. Maybe she would find someone to befriend and make this experience a little less scary and over the top anxious.
And it did help. Sort of. Now her heart sped up thanks to other reasons.
“Name and major?” the woman in front of her asks Gahyeon with a beaming smile.
Even though she stood in line and knew once she reached the end, she’d have to talk to the pretty woman, Gahyeon stumbles over her words at the thought that she might be talking to her.
Sue her, she has a thing for pretty women.
“I- uhm sorry,” Gahyeon blushes, “Lee Gahyeon and Bioengineering.”
The woman looks through her laptop, still smiling. “No worries, Miss Lee, let’s see where we can find you.”
She has to be a little older than Gahyeon, maybe in one of her last years, considering her position, but addressing her with her last name? Gahyeon always thought people at college love first name basis. And surely, Gahyeon hasn’t been called like this often enough to feel comfortable. She quickly dismisses the thought and tires her best not to stare but the woman could easily be a model out of those idol magazines Gahyeon hoards in her room at home.
“Okay, you’re in house two. Oh, wait a second,” she turns and searches for someone or something. Then her eyes lit up.
“Yoohyeon!” wild gestures get a blonde woman, Yoohyeon apparently, to her little table. “Would you be a dear and show Gahyeon here her dorm? It’s this one,” she points at her screen and the tall woman squints her eyes before straightening with a happy smile.
“Of course,” she nods and turns to Gahyeon, “Let me show you around, roommate!”
“Wait what–” Before Gahyeon could even begin to process anything, she gets dragged across the campus by this blonde skyscraper who seems just so eager.
After a few meters, she let’s Gahyeon’s arm go and grins at her.
“So, I’m Yoohyeon.”
Gahyeon takes the wide eyes and that happy smile as invitation to share her name. She chuckles when Yoohyeon tries it out and compliments her on it, as if she had anything to do with it.
“I’ve been waiting since forever to get a roomie. You don’t know how happy I am, we’re gonna be friends and the coolest roommates on campus.”
So eager, Gahyeon grins. She loves passionate people and is ready to find her place here.
“So, what’s your major?” Yoohyeon asks between stories she heard about each place they pass.
“Bioengineering and minor in vocal arts?”
“Oh, that’s cool!” Her smile reminds Gahyeon so much of a puppy. “I have a double major in literature and vocal, so I guess I could help you with some classes if you need. Miss Kim, the one who checked you in at the table, is my professor in English Lit.”
“Wait she is a teacher here?” Gahyeon’s eyes went wide.
Yoohyeon laughs, “Yeah that’s about everyone’s reaction. She’s quite young, not the youngest though.”
“Wow okay, there are others who are even younger?” her eyebrows furrow, “I always thought college professors are some old dudes.”
They pass one of the bigger buildings and Yoohyeon tells her it’s where all the magic happens, so the canteen.
“In that case, the other two will blow your mind.” She slows her steps at the door of another big building. In cursive drawing the number two is plastered close to the entrance.
Gahyeon catches sight of two girls in the distance walking together and laughing, so she abruptly stops walking and forces Yoohyeon to do the same.
“They seem cute.” It leaves her mouth before she can stop herself.
Yoohyeon’s smile doesn’t waver. “Yeah those are speculated to be dating. But nobody finds out anything good.”
Gahyeon hums in thought. She tries to stay cool at the thought of such an open-minded campus and not ask those girls to be her friends on the spot.
“They are the other two professors I talked about though.” Yoohyeon laughs at the sound Gahyeon let out. Something between a gasp and a squeal.
Gahyeon soon settles in, the room she shares with the tall puppy is just big enough for both of their clumsy mess. She quickly learns about the duration of Yoohyeon screen protector and how to distinguish shouts for actual help due to something alike broken glass and the one when the bruises stay longer than normal.
Luckily, she also meets Yoohyeon’s girlfriend and her cute roommate, Handong and Yubin. She brags to her friends back home about all of the pretty people she’s surrounded with and happily listens to everything her new friends share.
But nothing will amaze her quite like her professor in vocal arts and music composition.
She walked into the class quite early, just to be sure, and found a nice seat. Yoohyeon shortly joined her side with a blinding smile, she mentioned that she already took this course but wanted to help through first-day anxiety of the youngest. Gahyeon could barely acknowledge her as a set of elegant stilettos entered.
“Professor Lee Siyeon.” She introduces herself with a half smirk.
Confidence. She radiates pure confidence. Her hair in a low bun and simple but exenterating make-up, she looks fierce and self-assured. And everything Gahyeon wants to become.
Even though music isn’t Gahyeon’s major, upon that point it became her favourite class of the coming weeks. She hung to everything her teacher had to say, every word, every melody. There was just something about her, that made the younger look up to her and strive to excellence.
“There will be held a performance at the end of the semester.” Miss Lee explains and everyone stops bagging up their stuff. “All of you participate with a song of your choice and my confirmation. It makes up a third of your grade of the semester so don’t just ‘swing it’.”
“What’s your favourite genre, professor?” a deep voice from the back of the class asks.
Ignoring the chuckles, the professor’s dark gaze flies over the rows. “You can hum tacky pop songs for all I care, I promise you, my personal opinion on your taste won’t affect your grade.” She stares at the student, leaning against her desk. “You just wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the whole student body.”
Maybe it was the way she handled the class, maybe it was her beauty, maybe it was her immense knowledge about anything music related that sparked Gahyeon’s amazement, but Gahyeon knew from that point on, she would learn a lot from her professor.
Yet those weren’t secrets. And Gahyeon yarned for secrets to digest and get her little hands on. So, she got Yubin to reach her fingers out too and find something for them to waste their time on. The older couldn’t resist her puppy eyes that found perfection through Yoohyeon and worked every time.
“Okay so I don’t know why and what you want with it,” Yubin says over her third cup of coffee that afternoon. “But I might have something–”
Before she can finish, the door to Gahyeon’s room opens and a laughing pair of girls enter. With them, a fresh breath of air and energy. Yoohyeon, halfway draped over Handong, never close enough, grins their way.
“We bring tea!” she exclaims proudly.
Gahyeon and Yubin just stare confused at her empty arms. “Tea?”
“Yes!” Yoohyeon frees herself from her girlfriend. “Very hot tea, the whole campus is talking about it!”
Then it dawns on Gahyeon what kind of tea she’s talking about. Her grin widens. She can do gossip.
“Someone saw Miss Lee get into Miss Kim’s car the other day!”
While they all settle on the couch, or the lack thereof, Handong supplies the details to the story. “Miss Kim Sua from Dancing, not Literature.”
Gahyeon’s eyes light up at the mention of her favourite teacher. She turns to Yubin full of hope, “This is what I’m talking about, Yubs!”
“But they could just be friends who went out together?”
“No!” Gahyeon and Yoohyeon both exclaim. Yubin and Handong just look at each other and shake their heads. “There must be something else behind it!”
“Apparently,” Handong says nonchalant as if she was talking about the weather and not important puzzle pieces to Gahyeon’s masterplan. “Those two and professor Kim Minji studied together. Makes sense considering they’re almost the same age. They’re friends. Getting coffee or spending time together is what friends do.”
“Does Miss Lee look straight to you?” Yubin asks and everyone laughs.
Handong rolls her eyes, “No, but that doesn’t mean she can’t have friends.” She looks back at Gahyeon a little softer. “I just don’t want you to get your hopes up too high, nobody really has personal information about her.”
Nothing else happened for some time and Gahyeon tracked the information about the apparent sighting down to a friend of someone who works at the one café close to campus and whose best friend studies two years above Gahyeon. Quite the mess without any useful or entertaining results. Gahyeon isn’t one to give up that easily, but maybe she got side-tracked by actually studying and spending time with her new friends.
One special afternoon however, when Gahyeon offered to pick up Yubin after her class and go to lunch together, she saw it with her own eyes. Her fire was fuelled.
Miss Lee Siyeon and Kim Sua, or Bora, that’s what Yoohyeon called the dancing professor. The former waiting just like Gahyeon in front of the room where she suspected Yubin’s class.
“Oh, Gahyeon. Hey.” Miss Lee greeted her with a smile and a little wave.
The younger immediately reciprocated the gesture. “Hi.”
“Waiting for someone?”
Her voice soft and soothing Gahyeon.
“Yeah, a friend of mine.”
“The brunette who I always see you around with?”
Gahyeon frowns. Had Miss Lee seen her that often without her noticing? Her cheeks turn rosy at the thought, maybe she should pay more attention to her surroundings.
The professor seems to have taken her silence as confirmation and lifted one sharp eyebrow. “You look cute together.”
Suddenly the doors swing open and the swarming students prevent her from saying anything. Instead Yubin’s face greets her. She can see Miss Lee smiling in the corner of her eye but only turns to her once Miss Kim emerges from the classroom.
“Yubs, what class did you just have and why, in the name of lesbian Jesus, is Miss Kim here?” her eyes never leave the professors, absorbing every little detail.
Not like they did anything. They just smile at each other and exchange some words Gahyeon can’t pick up. Seemingly friends or colleagues picking up on a little chat between work, nothing ground-breaking and Gahyeon feels like she’s missing something. Before the two turn to leave, Miss Lee waves a little goodbye to her.
“She’s my art teacher.” Yubin chuckles, still watching after the professors, and lifts a finger to put Gahyeon’s jaw back in place. “I just had art. That’s why I asked you to pick me up.”
“Oh Yubs,” Gahyeon’s shock changes to pure happiness with only a hint of mischievousness and she turns to engulf the older in a bear hug. “That’s why I like you!”
Yubin’s faint blush shielded thanks to the hug that she shyly reciprocates. When they part, Gahyeon is already planning her next moves to prove her point.
“I’m guessing you’ll be waiting for me from now on?”
And that she did. Miss Lee wasn’t always there to wait for the other professor, but Gahyeon enjoyed spending even more time with Yubin, so it was a win-win.
It’s not like knowing what’s going on between the two women would make her perform better, but maybe it would just make her gay little heart very happy. That should definitely count for something and be an enough reason for them to go through.
The next time Gahyeon comes remotely close to an interaction between the younger professors, she was barely able to acknowledge it.
Never did Gahyeon imagine, going to college is going to be this exhausting. Sure, she heard her fair share of stories that go from exhausted students barely meeting their deadlines to excessive parties and experimenting their way to graduation.
But she didn’t think she’d ever be this exhausted.
She could barely hold her and Yubin’s cup of coffee while she waited for the older to get out of her class. The rational part of her brain tells her, she shouldn’t be drinking that coffee if she ever wants to see the sun rise again. She’s leaning against the cold window glass opposite of the door, just resting her eyes for a moment and trying not to just see numbers and letters everywhere, when the class finally finished.
Yet, not one brunette Yubin in sight. Or at least her foggy and delirious brain didn’t catch her frame. And Yubin, amazing Yubin, wouldn’t just run off without her, right?
She lets out a sigh and heaves herself away from the cooling glass and finds support in the doorframe. Her eyes catch her friend picking up last pens and shoving it all into her bag. Then there is Miss Kim, her back to Gahyeon, observing Yubin’s work.
“Excellent, now,” she shifts and a very sleep deprived student comes into her view. “Oh, Gahyeon. You look exhausted.”
A smile makes it up to her lips, but Gahyeon fears it rather mirrors a grimace. “And I feel like it, Miss Kim.”
“Has Miss Lee been giving her favourite student a hard time?” she asks softly but with the intend to lift her energy a bit. “Shall I talk to her later? I’m sure I can get her to soften up a bit on you.”
“Ah no, it’s a’right, she’s amazing. Just having this big assignment due to yesterday in a week and I feel like by now numbers can talk.”
“Well, I was ready to kick her ass after work.” Miss Kim looks back to see Yubin already making her way to Gahyeon’s side, taking the coffee and offering her an arm to lean on.
“Take a break and rest once in a while.” The professor serious, pointing a sharp finger at her student, “And you make sure she does.”
Yubin just nods and manoeuvres Gahyeon towards the exit.
“Wanna hear a science pun?” She doesn’t really give her time to react, not like the younger would ever say no to puns or science. “What does a planet say when it gets hungry?” she waits for a few seconds. “I could use a light snack.”
Another few seconds of silence and then Yubin feels her shoulders shake.
“Got any good ones?” Gahyeon giggles and Yubin just smiles.
“Nah, all of the good ones argon.”
Laughter carries them back to the dorms and Gahyeon aces the assignment with flying colours.
What made Gahyeon pick up her not so secretive detective work on the secret relations of her teachers, was the view she stumbles upon another day. She was just getting lunch at the canteen, meeting the other three girls there, when she almost bumped into other students because all she could see was a table packed with professors.
Gahyeon made it barely without spilling her food to her own table, sitting down with confusion all over her face.
“You look like someone just called you stupid.” Handong nudges her out of her thoughts.
“You’re all seeing this, right?” Gahyeon looks at her three friends and back at her teachers.
Yoohyeon grins teasingly, “Professor Kim looks so smitten.”
“No, she looks like someone in love.” Gahyeon comments without taking her eyes from her teachers. They seem so unbothered and comfortable. “Like someone who needs to confess asap or she loses her chance.”
“What makes you think she loses her chance?” Yubin asks next to her.
Gahyeon snorts and finally takes a bite of her food before turning to the older. “What makes you think professor Lee would wait forever?” She looks at her questioningly for a moment, swallowing her food. “She’s a brilliant woman, probably a dozen people kissing the ground she walks on. I doubt she’s one to wait long for her partner to make a move.”
Yubin shifts in her seat and turns to her plate. “Right.”
Gahyeon ignores Yoohyeon and Handong’s stares and just continues eating and watching. Yoohyeon, clearing her throat, looks back once more to the other table.
“So what’s your guess on their relationship status? Is Suayeon sailing or not?”
“Suayeon?” Handong asks confused.
Yoohyeon groans playfully, her head falling on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “That’s their shipping name! Keep it up, babe.”
Yubin adds a bit more helpful, “A combination of their first names, Sua and Siyeon.”
“But isn’t Sua her old stage name or something?”
Yoohyeon and Gahyeon groan like they have to show their parent pictures on their phone which was just taken out of their hand to get a closer look. It is a good question but unfortunately something they decided on, wasting hours and a lot of chocolate. The chocolate was for emotional support.
“Suayeon because Boyeon sounds weird and Sira like an animated gay series for children. Now can we continue?”
“That’s right.” Yoohyeon smirks proudly and Handong just blinks, knowing it’s something her girlfriend came up with. “Now, Gahyeon, Suayeon yes or no?”
The youngest hums around a spoonful, not quite letting the professors out of her eyes just yet. “They’re obviously spending a lot of time together, outside of work. But I’ve only seen Miss Kim spilling and being obvious enough to think there is more than just friendship.”
“Maybe it’s really just one-sided.”
Yoohyeon suddenly gasps, a few other students look at her way, “We can’t just let the greatest ship in history sink without doing anything!”
“This isn’t the titanic.”
Another gasp. “We can’t have another titanic accident!”
Yubin groans, getting frustrated. “You can’t be serious,” she mutters and then adds louder, “We have no right to meddle in their private life, that we, in fact, have to idea about. They could be sisters for all we know or, I don’t know, already together and just don’t want the whole school to know.”
Gahyeon knows they wouldn’t ever share something so terribly personal like their dating history to the whole college or even just some first-years, no matter how much she could try to be a teacher’s pet. But nobody could stop her from hoping, not even Yubin’s realistic judgement.
“They’re not sisters.” She argues and Yubin just shrugs.
“Maybe they’re really not ready to out themselves?” Handong supplies. “They do have to think about their jobs after all.”
Gahyeon is getting frustrated by the second and Yoohyeon whines something about sides and girlfriends. It’s not like Gahyeon has nothing better to do and wants to push some gay-agenda onto her teachers. Maybe it’s the fact that growing up she never really had an openly out gay couple to look up to. Maybe it’s because they just look so damn good together that it would be a shame if nothing ever happened.
“Okay, I hear you. Here’s a deal.” Gahyeon gets all of her friends’ attention and gestures with her hands like she has seen people do who have very important things to say. “We’re not going to invade their privacy. We’ll respect it. But we’re also trying to get a closer look and give professor Kim a hand if she needs it.”
They all look at each other. Yubin shrugs, Yoohyeon grins and Handong just chuckles at their antics.
Then all their attention drifts to the suddenly loudest table in the canteen. Every teacher at the table falls into booming laughter and a lot of shoulders and hands get slapped in amusement. In the middle of the mess, Miss Lee, grinning like she just made the funniest joke of the century while looking down at Miss Kim with way too much affection for just a friend.
“Not in front of my salat.” Yoohyeon mutters.
“But you’re eating a sandwich?” Handong asks confused.
Gahyeon smirks with newfound mischievous and energy. “Operation Suayeon is on course and sailing, my dear friends.”
The first rehearsals for the grand performance at the end of semester went great, with nothing much to correct or complain from the teacher’s side, yet the perfectionate in Gahyeon wanted more. It really didn’t help that the last rehearsals were practically open for her friends to watch.
Yoohyeon is participating too, so it was a given that Handong stuck to her side and sits in the audience if she can’t sneak behind the stage. Yubin, ever the good friend, has probably also nothing better to do than watch a bunch of overdramatic young adults try their best at singing. But when Gahyeon made her way towards the microphone on stage, she had to not only squint at the blinding hot lights, but also the figure next to Miss Lee.
Things got even worse when she opened her eyes halfway through the song, just to see Miss Kim leaning her head against the vocal professor. Gahyeon’s inner fangirl surely squealed only a tiny bit.
After leaving the stage and finding her way towards Yoohyeon, they both grin at each other knowingly.
“So, Miss Kim is here.” Yoohyeon smirks.
Gahyeon mimics her. “And she has her head on Miss Lee’s shoulder.”
“Well my gaydar is going through the roof,” Gahyeon whispers while she watches the two teachers through the side of the stage. “But this isn’t enough. I need something to happen, more confirmation. I need proof.” She turns to the taller girl again. “Yooh, I need more proof. This is what we’ve been working for.”
“This is why you’re in science.” Yoohyeon chuckles. “Okay let’s go, boss baby. Maybe Dongie or Yubs heard something that’s proof enough for you.”
“I doubt it.”
“Where’s your Suayeon enthusiasm?!”
But then there was this irritatingly stupid, far too teenage-dream-destroying virus. School close for the foreseeable time and classes moved onwards online. That also meant, her performance was cancelled. The one she worked so hard for, overcame nerves and insecurities, just for it to simply be cancelled and postponed. Yubin was there when the announcement came and helped her through it.
Gahyeon felt really grateful, yet none of her words deemed suitable enough for telling Yubin just how she felt. But Yubin understood. One look and she understood.
There was however, one good thing that came with online classes.
Pyjamas to school.
Who would’ve thought that’d become a thing. Nobody would notice and nobody cared anymore. It was great and gave her perfect reason to wear all those onesies Handong bought for her, simply because.
It made Gahyeon feel fuzzy. And, with the amount of times Yoohyeon checked up on her and all she constantly did for the younger, like she finally found her people.
Then there came the zoom calls. Nothing too spectacular, a bit too nerve-racking for her taste, that the mute button might not work this time and the whole class just heard her commentary on ignorant teachers and all that’s wrong with what had just been said. It is one of those annoying days where everything gets on her nerves.
She lets out a big sigh when the class finally finishes and the last one for the week is Miss Lee and her vocal lesson. Yoohyeon told her earlier that the other two will be coming over sometime soon and Gahyeon fears her professor has to share her attention today. She can already see her friends making her look like a fool.
Talking about the devil, Yoohyeon bursts through the door with far too much energy. Handong smiles at her when she sees the headphones and Yubin does that charming smile and a far too adorable wave. The four of them are just mingling within their little circle, so everything should be safe.
“Why are you in Miss Kim’s class?” Yubin asks suddenly.
Gahyeon takes her headphones off and glances at her screen. She joined Miss Lee’s call, she’s very sure, even on probably a coffee too much. She wouldn’t even know how to join the art class. Or any other that aren’t on her schedule.
“What are you talking about?”
Everyone huddles around her laptop, watching over her shoulder and just blinking at the screen. It was Miss Lee’s background, her cosy living room.
Yubin chuckles and lifts her finger to the monitor. “That’s Miss Kim’s living room. I’ve stared at that ugly couch for far too long.”
Gahyeon turns to look at the others. “Dear Yubinnie, your eyes must be deceiving you, because that is most surely not her living room. I don’t even have the link for any of her classes.”
“It’s Miss Lee.” Yoohyeon says and Gahyeon nods her way.
“But wait,” then it dawns on her, “that would mean,” a little detail she failed to see, “they are living together.”
“Okay but they could just be quarantining together.”
Gahyeon huffs, “Why would they? They’re old enough to be living with a partner and not their friends. Please, do I have to convince you little suayeon-antis every single time?”
“We’re not antis, just considering realistic facts, Gahyeonie.”
“Maybe Miss Kim finally made a move?” she wonders. “If not, we need to find a way to help her make one. It’s not gonna get better with this situation.”
Gahyeon looks up at her friends when she sees them slowly backing away with horror in their eyes. Her eyes widen and she holds her breath, looking down at her headphones. She pressed the push-to-talk button and was not muted. Of course.
The other three hide next to her, just out of view for the professor, and with closed eyes Gahyeon turns to her screen.
“You are lucky that today is a solo lesson, Gahyeon.” Is the first thing she hears.
Gahyeon visibly shrinks in her seat and her eyes drift to her friends, most certainly wearing the same horrified face they have. And then there is Handong, just smirking and trying to stifle her laugh.
“Siyeon.” A stern voice sounds from her professor’s side of the call.
Miss Lee glances to her right for a moment and Gahyeon holds her breath. This isn’t ideal. Just now not only her favourite teacher of all time, but also their friends? Spouse? Parent? Listened in on her rant.
“Fine.” She turns back to Gahyeon, still no smile in sight. “You are lucky you’re my favourite.”
“Our favourite!” the other voice protests again.
“Hey!” Handong and Yubin shove the youngest back to get a glance at the screen, confusing her even more.
A chuckle on the other side and then the female voice again. “I like you guys too, but have you seen how cute Gahyeon is? I’d adopt her if it was legal.”
Miss Lee rolls her eyes and extents her arm to somewhere off screen.
“Miss Kim, if you want to participate in my class that badly why don’t you take a seat where we can all see you.”
Gahyeon’s cheek colour an even darker shade of red. How did she not realize that it was Miss Kim on the other side?
She doesn’t even have time to panic, a brunette head pops in next to the professor and as if it was a normal hangout between friends, the other three got some chairs to sit down next to her. Gahyeon sees her own confused face at the bottom of her screen and tries to school it back to something more neutral.
“Hi there!” Professor Kim smiles at the four of them and starts a row of greetings.
“So what were you saying about our couch, Yubin?”
Gahyeon can feel her shift and fiddle with her hands, good to know she isn’t the only one.
“Ah,” she chuckles, “I’m sorry, Miss Lee, but that colour is just not it.”
“It doesn’t work with the colour of your wall and the rest of what we can see of the interior.” Handong helps.
And then Miss Lee pouts.
She pouts as if someone just forbit her a favourite toy or told her there was no ice cream after dinner. And Gahyeon just can not hold a neutral face anymore. There is a lot of confusion and she wants to show it because why not.
The laughter she hears brings her eyes away from that pout and up to Miss Kim’s amused face.
“Finally, someone comments on it!” She says, intertwining her arms with one of Miss Lee, not able to sit still for even one second. “I’ve been saying this for so long and all of the other students don’t comment on it.”
“But you’ve never said it’s that ugly that students think I’m colourblind.”
“I’ve nev–” Yubin tries to justify herself but the two teachers don’t even listen nor look at the four of them. Gahyeon wonders if she’s dreaming. Or if anyone is going to comment on her embarrassing speech earlier.
“I told you to buy the other one because this one doesn’t fit.”
“Not fitting and being ugly are two different shoes.”
“Okay then, let me rephrase it. The couch is ugly and doesn’t fit. Better?”
Miss Lee thought for a while, still pouting. “What about the curtains you let me buy for the bedroom?”
“Honey, I choose that colour. It fits perfectly.”
Suddenly Gahyeon has to clear her throat because what the fuck. Are they doing this on purpose? Have they forgotten they’re still on call?
At the sound from the laptop, the two professors look at them and have the audacity to look sheepishly back.
Miss Kim grins and leans forward. “Wanna see how perfect our bedroom looks?”
“Bora, no.” She holds her back from stealing the laptop and probably marching around the house for a room tour. Instead she pulls her onto her lap and holds her close. Gahyeon really has to control herself not to squeal or embarrass herself further.
“What? I can’t have them think I’m colour-blind too! I’m amazing at interior design.”
“So Gahyeon, what were you saying earlier?” Miss Lee smirks and Gahyeon just knows she doesn’t have a good poker face. She glances down at her reflection. Neither have her friends.
At the day of the performance, a bit belated but excessively prepared, the young professors all sit together. It’s nothing too special for Gahyeon anymore, she saw how her teachers acted in their private time. There are no heads on shoulders, only prettily dressed, hot women.
And a very nervous Gahyeon.
It’s like all of her nerves piled up from all of those days before, when all she would think about was assignments and her teachers possible flaming romance she will never get to witness but then suddenly did. And now the dam is breaking. Leaking from everywhere within her. All of her thoughts stacking up to suffocate her within her own head. Why did she ever think this was a good idea?
“Are you made of copper and tellurium?” a voice behind her takes her out of her cloudy mind.
Gahyeon turns to face Yubin’s calm but smiling face. She is dressed in black suit pants and a white blouse, the matching dark suit jacket hanging off her shoulder. Yubin looks good. So good that Gahyeon’s heart might have jumped a little. But that are probably just nerves. Of course, what else, silly.
“uh- …Yubin.” She barely gets her name out without stuttering. The older moves closer and puts a strand of Gahyeon’s hair back in its place. Yep, definitely nerves.
“Because you’re Cu-Te.”
With pink dusted cheeks Gahyeon laughs and maybe a little weight lifts off her shoulders. Yubin smiles happily at her.
“It’s okay to be nervous,” Yubin tells her and takes one of the younger’s hands into her own. “Don’t worry though, you rehearsed more than enough and got nothing on the rest of them out there. You’ll rock this, Gahyeonie.”
After a while, she watches Yubin leave and settle next to Handong in the audience. Yubin really knows what to say and how to calm her down. And then there is Gahyeon, never really able to express what she was feeling around the older.
“You should make a move, you know.” A voice startles her again. For a moment she fears she missed her entrance on stage and held the entire production off.
“You’re so bright when it comes to other’s relations or school, yet so oblivious when it comes to yourself.”
Gahyeon stares at her professor in confusion. She was oblivious about what? Yubin? What had Yubin done? Other than be around her constantly and support her through it all. Of course, indulge in all of Gahyeon’s moods and crazy antics. And made her heart flutter. And Gahyeon got so used to her being around and somehow there was always a hand to squeeze and–
Oh.
Oh.
Miss Lee laughs softly and pats her shoulder. “That girl makes science puns for you. She is an art major, Gahyeon.”
Something clicked. She turns to glance back at Yubin. For once she feels like she’s really looking at her. In all of her time at college, never had been anything so clear. Between spending time on speculating about her teachers, getting the education she deserves and living the life of a student, never was the path so bright. At the end of the day, Yubin always stood next to her, smiling her charming smile.
There are words on her lips, so much she wants to say and scream out to her. A new kind of energy fills her. This is a great feeling.
“Now sing that song for her.”
Gahyeon smirks, swallowing all her nerves. “Did that work with Miss Kim? Serenating her?”
Miss Lee laughs fondly. “Go sing, you little shit. I’ll see you later.”
And it does really work. She sings her song with more feelings that she ever has. Ignoring the hot lights from above, she tries to look in Yubin’s direction. Convey that message.
Later with all of them huddled together, Yubin stands particularly close, but maybe that’s solely Gahyeon noticing for once. Their hands are barely touching and she can feel the brunette’s warmth. It makes her feel fuzzy again and her lips form a silly grin.
“Hey, Gahyeon?” Yubin says almost nervously. Their eyes meet and Gahyeon sees there is something very urgent in them. Although before she can say more, Yoohyeon yanks the peacefulness right out of their hands.
“Are you seeing this?!” She continuously slaps behind herself in order to get Gahyeon’s attention, her eyes trained, of course, on their two favourite professors. She squeals when Miss Lee pulls Miss Kim into a hug. “Gahyeon!”
“Jesus, Yooh.” She laughs. “They’re just hugging.”
“Yes, but look at them! So adorable.”
Gahyeon decides she shouldn’t indulge in Yoohyeon’s crazy obsession over their teachers. Oh, she came a long way. But the secret is lifted now, so no need to dig deeper. Not like she isn’t happy, because she is, very much thank you, but she respects their privacy.
Instead she looks back to Yubin, suddenly very interested in what she wants to say.
“I’m not sure how you feel right now, but would you–”
Again, someone interrupts. Gahyeon rolls her eyes and Yubin mutters something under her breath.
“Gahyeon.” This time its Handong who seems quite shocked, therefore she turns. “They are kissing.”
“Oh my–”
“God.” Gahyeon, ever the biggest supporter of her professors’ marriage, squeals along her friends. “They are kissing! The gays won!”
They might have been a bit loud. Why was everyone looking at them? And why are those two coming over all smiley-faced now?
“You did very well, Gahyeon.” Miss Lee smiles, her arm protectively around the other’s waist.
Yubin suddenly nudges her arm, whispering close to her ear. “Gahyeon, can we please talk before I lose my nerve?”
But as luck would have it, Miss Kim talks up the next storm and nobody seems to get just how desperate Yubin is. Gahyeon’s mind is a whirlwind and she can’t divide her attention, resulting in not being able to follow any of the conversations.
“For fucks sake.” Yubin says probably louder than Gahyeon as ever heard her when no video game was involved. It works, Gahyeon turns and everyone else quiets down.
“Gahyeon, go on a date with me.”
Yubin nearly screams her confession in the end and Gahyeon freezes.
“I really really like you and I know we’re friends and all that but please give me chance. This is not the ideal setting I thought about when asking you out, but I just can’t hold it in anymore. You looked so good on that stage and holy shit, I felt like you sang that song just for me. You probably didn’t but–”
“I did.” She whispers and Yubin halts, completely stops.
For a few seconds they simply stare at each other, taking in the moment. And then Gahyeon breaks out a big, bright smile. She nods furiously and jumps to hug the brunette, burring her face close to her.
“I really really like you too.” She hopes Yubin hears her. “I’m sorry it took me so long.”
They hug and Yubin holds her tighter. For once, Gahyeon feels all of her antsy-ness still. Everything seems so save and warm and quiet with the older. She couldn’t care less about her surroundings and just lets Yubin hold her.
“Wifey, our kid is growing up.”
Gahyeon moves to see five faces smiling down at her and she decides to deal with that another day. For now, Yubin feels far more comfortable. And maybe Suayeon’s cuteness can wait for a while.