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Being highschool in a foreign country isn't very easy easy to deal with. Minatozaki Sana, a japanese, is having a hard time adjusting despite knowing the language. It does relieve her that every freshmen are also adjusting, all of them but one.
Hands in pockets, whistling and just minding her own business, Park Jihyo. When everyone else looks like they're having a hard time, Jihyo was just there, looking so chill as if its not her first day in highschool. Sana hates it.
Coincidentally, they've become seatmates. If Sana doesn't have a positive spirit, it would've been her last straw. They don't talk, nor mind each other's presences, but Sana will always find things that Jihyo do, annoying. Like the chewing gum that she's eating even tho it wasn't allowed, her handwriting that looks cursive but it's not and the worst of all, Jihyo's natural intelligence that can make her answer every question given, even though she's not listening. Also that stupid smug smile of her.
You're so annoying, Jihyo.
Their unspoken war started when they are writing notes for a subject.
"Your pink pen is pissing me off." Jihyo suddenly talked, still writing her notes.
"Excuse me?" Sana was shocked but also annoyed with the statement.
"Your pink pen is pissing me off. It's too bright." Jihyo smirked and went back to writing her notes.
"You and your stupid gum is just as annoying but you didn't hear me complain." Sana's rebuttal made Jihyo chuckle, dryly.
"You just did." Jihyo fixed her things and stood up the same time the bell rang.
Now she's more annoying. Sana thought.
Answering the teachers, joining the same debate club and even getting the last kimbap at the cafeteria. They made everything, a competition.
.
"I was here first so this is mine!" Sana was annoyed. It was the last kimbap and as if luck is messing with her, Jihyo wants the kimbap as well.
"I touched it first, so it's mine." Jihyo rebutted.
"You didn't even fall in line, you annoying bastard!" Sana is hungry and she gets cranky.
"I don't have to, idiot. That kimbap is mine." Jihyo won't admit it but she is fascinated with the angry Sana she's facing right now.
"Both of you are stupid." A student said and got the last kimbap and payed for it. The cafeteria lady just looked at them and chuckled.
"They paid first." The lady shrugged and went back to her job, leaving the two dumbfounded.
"This is your fault, annoying bastard." Sana said and left. Jihyo just looked at her with boredom in her eyes and chuckled.
"How about that, idiot." Jihyo just got a chocolate milk and went to her table with her friends.
.
.
"Aren't you getting tired, Jih?" Nayeon, her second year friend, asked.
"I'm just eating?" Jihyo was confused.
"Pabo, I'm talking about your rivalry. Aren't you getting tired of it?" Nayeon elaborated.
"You're not like this, Jih. What happened?" Jeongyeon, her other second year friend, asked as well.
"Tsk, why does it matter?" Jihyo couldn't answer because even herself is asking what had happen to her. "I'm going, oldies. See you."
.
Why is she smiling? Why does she looks like she's not having a hard time? Why is she so bright? Why is she wearing pink? And why does her smile looks so good?
These are all her thoughts when she looked at an unfamiliar face in her class. The person looks like japanese and talks like she's from an anime.
Why am I thinking about her? She looks stupid. Why does she looks stupidly pretty? Why do I think that she's pretty?
Jihyo just rested her head on her table and stayed there until she felt a person sat beside her. It was the japanese.
What was her name again? Sana? Pabo, Sana, pabo.
Jihyo got so frustrated all day because she kept on thinking about her stupidly pretty seatmate.
That stupid smile.
.
Jihyo went back to their classroom, only to find her seatmate is sleeping. She looked at her kimbap and sighed. She might not have eaten yet. She went to their shared seat and looked at Sana.
She looks so peaceful. Jihyo thought.
Sana's arms are crossed and just sitting on the table. She uses her crossed arms as a pillow. Jihyo pushed some of the strands of Sana's hair to look at her face better. Sana stirred in her sleep so Jihyo just put the kimbap next to the japanese and plugged her ears with her airpods.
Sana woke up from her nap. She noticed the kimbap beside her arm and that reminded her that she haven't eaten yet. She look at her seatmate, who's bobbing her head a little while her eyes are closed.
Sana is wondering who gave her the kimbap. It could be her seatmate but that's just impossible. It might be Mina or Momo, her friends on the other sections. They are also japanese. She just enjoyed her kimbap. After eating, she got her new Betty Boop tumbler to drink water.
"Pft, Betty Boop." She heard her seatmate snickered. She just rolled her eyes because she's too lazy to argue.
From that day on, every time Sana will fall asleep during lunch, Jihyo will bring her kimbap. Just so Sana won't be hungry. It's still unknown to the former because when she asked her japanese friends, they kept on saying that it wasn't them.
.
.
On their second year, Jihyo is just finding out more about Sana. It's not like she wanted to, she just finds out about it, coincidentally. That's it. (Jihnial)
"How's the second year treating you?" Nayeon asked.
"It's easier to move now. I've adjusted well." Jihyo answered while eating her lunch.
"You were adjusting? Doesn't seem like it." Jeongyeon commented.
"Just because I don't show it, doesn't mean I'm not." Jihyo uttered.
"I just noticed, you're ordering kimbap but you're not eating it." Jeongyeon noticed the kimbap on her tray.
"It's not for me." Jihyo shrugged.
"Then, who's it for?" Nayeon asked.
"Sana." The two senior coughed as if they're dying. "You guys are so stupid."
"Why are you giving her kimbap? Aren't you guys rivals?" Jeongyeon was the first to recover.
"That rivalry is so stupid. If I ask her out, it would look like a joke tsk." Jihyo knotted her eyebrows.
"Just go for it. I know she'll say yes." Nayeon encouraged her.
"Tsk. Whatever." Jihyo stood up and got her kimbap. She didn't see Sana at the cafeteria so she thinks she's sleeping again.
.
Why did she become so pretty suddenly?
Jihyo was mesmerized. Sana tied half of her hair and didn't leave it as is. Her smile was so bright and contagious. Jihyo's heart was beating so fast everytime she looks at the japanese.
She just tried her best not to look but she's failing everytime. It was as if something is pulling her gaze to Sana. It feels so unfamiliar for Jihyo but she doesn't show it. No one has to know.
"Tsk, your hairstyle doesn't suit you." Jihyo commented and plugged her ears with her airpods.
It's better if she thinks I don't like her. Jihyo thought. I still hate the fact that I love that stupid smile of yours, Sana.
.
To Jihyo's surprise, Sana was awake and looks like waiting. Jihyo calmed herself down and walked towards the latter. She placed the kimbap and her unopened banana milk to Sana's table.
"You—" Sana was cut off by Jihyo.
"Your japanese friend told me to give it to you." Jihyo said and sat down. She put on her airpods and closed her eyes.
Almost got caught. Jihyo thought.
Jihyo felt some eyes are looking at her so she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw is Sana's puffy cheeks and boba eyes that's looking at her. She almost broke a chuckle.
"What?" Jihyo asked with boredom as she removed her airpods.
"Who are you listening to?" Sana curiously asked.
"Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, The Neighborhood and Chase Atlantic." Jihyo answered and opened one of her airpods.
"I'm more of a Laufey, Taylor Swift and NIKI listener." Sana said then accepted the airpods. "But they are good."
"I know." Jihyo looked away.
"Huh?" Sana looked at her, confused.
"I know that you listen to Laufey, Taylor Swift and NIKI. I heard you humming their songs sometimes." Jihyo got shy and just face-planted herself on the table. Her red ears didn't go unnoticed by Sana and that made her chuckle.
Later that day, Sana asked her friends about the kimbap again and as she expected, it wasn't from them. She kept on wondering why Jihyo have to lie about it. Maybe because of their unspoken rivalry? Sana has to know and she's gonna keep on asking Jihyo.
"Are you free on saturday?" Sana's plan of asking Jihyo about the kimbap, disappeared.
"Yeah, why you asking?" Sana answered her seatmate.
"I'm asking you out." Jihyo nonchalantly said.
"You're joking..." The japanese couldn't believe what she heard. Her rival is asking her out.
"Give me your number and address. I'll pick you up." And Sana did.
.
.
Sana hate the fact that she wanted to look pretty for thee Park Jihyo. She hated how she carefully look at herself in the mirror several times, looking for a flaw so that she can fix it. She hated the fact that she wanted to look pretty for that annoying bastard.
"Why am I even doing this?" Sana frustratedly asked herself.
She heard her phone buzzed so she immediately checked it. She mentally cursed herself for looking so excited over a text message from the person she's annoyed at.
Annoying
this is ur address, right?
im outside
pls tell me im at the right house
She didn't replied, just to make fun of her seatmate. That person have the patience of a toddler.
Annoying
come on betty boop
dont ditch me now
Sana chuckled at the thought of making her rival a little desperate. She went out of her house to show herself to Jihyo. She saw the latter, leaning on a black motorcycle, legs crossed and brow furrowed while looking at her phone. Sana chuckled and Jihyo heard it. The latter released the breath she didn't think she's holding. She was nervous that she might have got the wrong house.
"Why aren't you replying? I thought I'm at the wrong house." Jihyo snickered and that made Sana chuckled.
"Just wanted to tease you." Sana then looked at the motorcycle. "We're riding that?"
"Mhm. Here's your helmet. Hop on, princess." Jihyo passed her extra helmet to Sana and hopped in her motorcycle. Sana gulped but still wore her helmet and hopped on, ignoring her growing redness because of Jihyo's sudden endearment. "Put your hands around my waist. I will drive slowly at first then when you get used to it, tell me to speed up." Jihyo explained and Sana nodded.
Sana hesitantly wrapped her arms around Jihyo's thin waist and gulped. She then signaled Jihyo that it's okay to move so Jihyo revved up her motorcycle and started driving slowly at first. The moment that the air hits Sana's face, she felt the excitement rushed inside her body so she told Jihyo to speed up. It was one of the most exciting experience that Sana got.
They stopped at a cafe. A Betty Boop themed cafe. Sana was fascinated because she does have an obsession to Betty Boop. She went off the motorcycle and looked at Jihyo who's removing her helmet.
"I didn't know that you remembered." Sana said.
"Tsk. How can I? I see her everyday." Jihyo said, pertaining to Betty Boop. Sana chuckled and held Jihyo's hand as they walk inside the cafe.
Jihyo wasn't used to this kind of thing. Dates, affection and sudden skinship but for some reason, she doesn't find herself complaining. Instead, she just let Sana drag her inside the cafe.
"Order anything, I'll pay for it." Jihyo said to Sana.
"You don't have to." Sana pouted and Jihyo looked away because she found it cute. Too cute.
"I asked you out, which means I'm paying it." Jihyo argued and Sana just chuckled. She knows that Jihyo can be stubborn at times.
"Okay then."
After ordering, they looked for a table to sit at. It wasn't hard to find one because there's little to none people. They choose a seat near the window so they can look outside.
"So, why'd you asked me out, Jihyo?" Sana asked as she sipped on her drink. It was a Betty Boop inspired frappe.
"Do I need a reason?" Jihyo isn't good at answering questions like this.
"Of course, you hated my guts." Sana persisted.
"I never hated your guts. Well, I did but not in the way you know. When I first saw you, on the first day of highschool, I felt envious. You don't look like you're having a hard time adjusting and I do. I kept on seeing you and your stupid smile so I thought I don't like you. I thought it was just jealousy speaking because you're able to adjust without having a hard time and that infuriates me. But after seeing you so peacefully sleeping, looking so stupidly beautiful, I guess that's the turning point." Jihyo explained. It was the longest thing that Jihyo said to her until that day.
"Whoa. I thought you didn't care about me because you don't talk to me much. And also, I feel the same way about you. I was also annoyed that you look at ease on the first day of highschool. It was really annoying and after that everything about you annoys me. Your stupid gum, your cursive looking handwriting and that smug face of yours." Jihyo couldn't help but to chuckle at the last part. "But after thinking about you when you asked me out, I realized a lot of little things that you do. The way you place your hand on the corner of the table so I won't bump my head, the way you remind me of the time, the way you pushed me off so that I won't slip on the wet part of the floor and the way you give me kimbap whenever I fell asleep at our classroom."
"How do you know about the kimbap?" Jihyo asked. She isn't surprised that Sana found out about it.
"I asked my friends about it. They never gave me one and I already had a hunch about it when I caught you. You just confirmed it now." Sana laughed at Jihyo's shocked face.
"It was a trick!" Jihyo said quite loudly and that made both of them laugh.
It wasn't so bad hanging out with her. Sana thought.
The date continued. The went to an arcade and both of them became competitive about the prizes which made them both laugh again because even though they are on a date, they still have their unspoken rivalry.
Unspoken rivalry. At first it was pretty serious but now, it's just an inside joke between them.
After the date, Jihyo took Sana home. Both of them went off the motorcycle and looked at each other. None of them are talking, just them enjoying the comfortable atmosphere. Sana chuckled and broke the silence.
"Jihyo-yah, I enjoyed it." Sana smiled.
"I did, too. Thank for agreeing to do this. It might not be believable for now but I really like you, Sana." Jihyo looked away as she felt her ears are heating up.
"I believe you, Jihyo. Thank you for today, I'll be waiting for the next one." Sana lifted Jihyo's face to look at her and smiled. She chuckled and kissed Jihyo's cheek.
"Take care."
=====end=====