Work Text:
Tapping. All Sejeong is trying to focus on right now is the tapping of her pencil as she gazes out the window to the still cold spring, rather than the Korean lesson her teacher is droning on about. It starts off with a simple beat 1—3-4, 1—3-4, 1—3-4 on repeat but slowly morphs into the beat of her most recent favorite song She’s a Flirt by Baby Soul and Yoo Jia. She doesn’t know how she scored the farthest seat to the back and next to the window, but she thanks god every day whenever she’s bored out of her mind and needs a distraction. Once the song in her head stops playing, Sejeong’s tapping drifts off into silence instead deciding to scribble swirls, hearts, and really any shapes that pop into her mind.
In the corner of her eye, Sejeong notices a girl with long straight hair pulled out of her face by a thin silver headband. Mindlessly, she begins to sketch out the silhouette of her model, paying special attention to the way the girls hair drapes seamlessly over her back. Sejeong doesn’t know the girl, as they’re all first years in high school and came from a variety of middle schools, but she’s already enthralled by the way the girl’s eyes focus on the teacher, only shifting downwards to diligently transcribe notes with a pretty pink pen and a jewel on top.
Whilst detailing each delicate hair of Mystery Girl in her rough sketch, Sejeong notices her model shift positions. It takes her a beat and a half to notice that the girl is now looking back at her, likely because she could feel Sejeong’s own eyes drilling holes into the side of her head. For about ten seconds, they just stare at each other with Sejeong mesmerized by her delicate features and deep eyes. She feels air pass over her lips, which is when she realized she hadn’t breathed since the girl faced her. Not long after that, with the trance broken, the girl turns back towards the front. A few seconds later, Sejeong blinks. How could anyone be so beautiful? Silhouette forgotten, Sejeong tries to recreate the girl’s face from memory on her page. She tries to convey the girls soft but shining eyes, the softness of her lips slightly parted, and the way part of the girl’s hair fell over her shoulder. There’s no way a simple sketch could ever capture the girl’s beauty, but Sejeong tries, at least so she doesn’t completely forget it.
It’s after their first half of the day ends (Sejeong might have accidentally fallen asleep with her head propped on her palm for about an hour) and lunch begins that Sejeong sees the girl looking back towards her, with two friends around her. Sejeong immediately recognizes one of the girl’s friends, a girl with a long nose and huge smile who was the dorky jokester from her high school. The girl turns back around, continuing whatever conversation had already begun. Hurriedly, Sejeong stands up and out of her seat, quickly shuffling across to the girl’s desk, mumbling a few “sorry”s and “excuse me”s as she moved.
Enthusiastically, Sejeong half-slaps-half-pats the friend she recognizes and lets out a, “Heh-Heeeey….! I remember you from middle school…. Uh….” How could Sejeong forget her name. In such important circumstances.
“Jung Mimi,” the friend fills her in, adding on, “but you can just call me Mimi,” with a smile.
“Yes! Right! Mimi, I totally remember now. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, but I’m glad to see a familiar face around these parts. It’s totally hard meeting new people,” Sejeong finishes, a laugh tacked onto the end. She then looks at Mimi with a smile still on her face and looks between Mimi and her friends, asking them to be introduced.
“Oh, um… Sejeong, this is Han Haebin,” Mimi starts.
“You can just call me Haebin though,” Haebin interjects, offering a small wave.
“Yeah, you can call her Haebin, and this is Shin Bora, but we tend to call her Hana,” Mimi finishes.
“Hana? Why Hana?” Sejeong questions with a smile still gracing her lips, finding it difficult to hide her confusion though.
Hana, finally speaking up with the voice of what Sejeong affectionately deems “a fucking angel”, explains, “Well, it’s kind of because I’m the leader? So I’m number one? But also it means flower in Japanese and like… grace, moon, glow, happiness, and a whole bunch of other stuff in different languages. And I all find they apply to me.”
Without really thinking, Sejeong blurts out, “Yeah I agree you’re like really pretty and shit. Great name.”
A pause falls over the four girls, smile now appearing a bit awkward on Sejeong’s face as she starts to let out an equally awkward laugh which Mimi follows until all four are laughing together.
“Oh, and guys, this is Sejeong. She was like… really popular in middle school. She was the most ‘handsome’ person school. Everyone’s girl crush,” Mimi helpfully supplies.
Sejeong rests her chin in the junction of her thumb and pointer finger, with the two appendages forming a check-like appearance and laughs out, “Hahaaaah! Yes, that’s me, always the most handsome wherever I go. No one can resist me. Hah!”
Hana snorts. She fucking snorts. How could she laugh at Sejeong’s oh-so-true claims of handsomeness. But it’s not long after that Sejeong finds herself giggling too, unable to contain her own excitement at Hana’s “fucking beautiful-ass smile”.
Sejeong exchanges numbers with all the girls, totally not using “homework” and “study group” as an excuse to get Hana’s number. At least so she has an excuse to look at the beautiful girl every day.
♥♥♥♥♥
It’s barely a month after the beginning of school and Sejeong and Hana are already the closes members of their four-membered little gang. After the four would hang out together, Sejeong would always invite Hana back to her house on the premise of needing to copy the notes she missed during class due to dozing off or simply just doodling all class, something about “It’s hard to pay attention when textbooks are more interesting than your teacher. How does anyone even pay attention to them. I seriously don’t get it”. Hana always just laughs at her, but spends the extra time up in Sejeong’s room, illuminated solely by fairly-lights and candles scented like pastries.
So it’s no surprise then that Sejeong invites Hana over the Saturday before her birthday with the promise of streaming the latest cheesy drama Love Rain starring Im YoonA from their favorite girl group Girls’ Generation while they drink a sweet white wine that Sejeong whined (no pun intended…. maybe a little bit of pun intended, but not TOO much pun) for her mom to buy her for Hana. Just for one night! It was going to be their Drama and Wine night! Just for Hana’s birthday!
And that’s how Hana ends up bare-faced and snuggled up with Sejeong under the covers, both of them in kigurumi (Sejeong in a mickey-mouse one and Hana in a rilakkuma one) and on their second, very full glass of wine, bottle now emptied out. They finish off their wine and Hana, maybe a bit of a light-weight, begins to wiggle and complain about how she hasn’t had her first kiss.
“I haven’t had my first either you know,” Sejeong mentions, arms still wrapped around Hana, head resting on top of Hana’s.
“Yeah, I know most people don’t have first kisses and stuff by our age yet because we’re always just studying and stuff… but I still want my romance. I still want my cute little kisses and ugghhhhhh,” and Hana pulls the blanket over her face.
Sejeong, with the intention of teasing her best friend, moves her face over Hana’s and prepares some snarky comment with a smirk on her lips that she immediately forgets as Hana pulls the blanket down and the two girls find their faces just inches from each other. They can feel each other’s breaths on their faces, the smell of alcohol tickling each other’s noses. She doesn’t know if it’s the promise of sweet wine left over on Hana’s lips or simply how the flickering candle light makes them appear to quiver, seemingly cold and in need of being warmed, but Sejeong’s lips end up Hana’s lips, just as sweet and soft as she could have imagined.
Once she realizes what the fuck she just did, a little too late she might add, Sejeong pulls away and her eyes fly open, giving her time to watch as Hana’s eyelashes flutter before she also opens her eyes.
“Oooooh my fucking god, I’m so sorr-“ Sejeong begins her apology, promptly cut off by a maybe-slightly-tipsy Hana who learns upwards to capture Sejeong’s lips herself.
Just like that, Hana’s own arms wind their way around Sejeong’s neck, and Sejeong tightens her hold on Hana’s waist. They stay like that, gently kissing and never moving too deep. Innocent and pure kisses move away from lips and up Hana’s jaw until Sejeong’s lips meet her ear, then Sejeong moves down the length of Hana’s neck until she meets hard a clavicle. Sejeong stays there, appreciating the dip of Hana’s collar bones and the way Hana’s skin feels soft and warm against her mouth. She’s not sure if it’s half-bottle of wine or just the smell of Hana underneath her, but Sejeong can feel her heart beating in her chest and she’s starting to get light headed.
Hana’s all soft breathing coming out in short and barely audible pants until Sejeong meets the small divot between Hana’s clavicle. She gasps and slightly tightens her arms around Sejeong, but the kigurumi keep Sejeong from exploring further with her mouth. So instead Sejeong mirrors how she moved on the opposite side until her lips end up back at Hana’s, both girls becoming ever more intoxicated by each other’s presence.
Sejeong doesn’t remember falling asleep that night, but the sunlight shining in through her room proves to be too much for her. She glances up to the analog clock on the opposite side of the room, barely able to make out that it’s only about seven in the morning causing her to groan. The vibrations in Sejeong’s chest cause Hana, still wrapped in Sejeong’s arms, face snuggled into Sejeong’s chest to protect her from the intrusive sun, to wiggle just a bit in her sleep before calming down again. For about hour, Sejeong allows Hana to use her as a body pillow while she gently runs her fingers thru the pretty hair and presses chaste kisses onto the top of Hana’s head.
Her ministrations must have eventually gotten to Hana’s subconscious, as Sejeong eventually hears the cutest little grumble ever caught in Hana’s chest just seconds before the tilts her head towards the sun-light window. Sejeong thinks that in this moment, Hana really is just as radiant as her name implied, all mussed up hair, sleepy eyes, and a slight bit of dried drool on the outer corner of her lips. It takes a minute or so for Hana to orient herself, blinking at the blinding sun, and untangle herself from Sejeong’s limbs.
“’Morning, Hana,” Sejeong smiles around the words, her eyes forming crescents and she allows her limbs to stretch.
“I… I need to go home… and do homework… I think… I think my grandma’s coming up to Seoul today for my birthday and I need to get home and study because we have a test this Wednesday and I haven’t started studying and I REALLY need to study for this one, I really don’t know what’s-“ Hana continues to ramble on while climbing out of the bed and gathering the few things she’s left strewn around Sejeong’s room.
Sejeong would have totally just let her keep going on, but she was starting to get hungry. “Hey yeah, I totally got it bro, don’t worry. Want some breakfast though? My cousin who’s studying abroad in the US sent us some cinnamon toast crunch and it’s so fucking good bro. It’s like eating dessert for breakfast, 10/10 would recommend”
“Um, no thanks, that’s fine, I’m actually on a diet right now and my mom bought me special low-sodium kimchi to have with whole-grain rice,” Hana says, slightly flushed.
“Oh yeah, I get it don’t worry. I probably need to start dieting too. It’s been a while since I worked out because of school and shit. Yeah, I got it, no worries. I’ll walk you out then?” Sejeong asks.
“No! No, it’s fine, I’ve been here enough to leave on my own, don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Hana stutters.
“Chill. See you tomorrow then, bro?” Sejeong questions, moving in to hug Hana and offer one last kiss, but Hana turns her head at the last second. That’s when Sejeong notices the slightly panicked look on Hana’s face and how she’s messing with the sleeves of her kigurumi, a nervous habit of hers. “Oh…” is all Sejeong says before Hana lets herself out of her room, the door clicking shut as the leaves.
Hana’s footsteps moving down her staircase become fainter before Sejeong hears the familiar sound of, “Thank you, Mrs. Kim. I’ll see you later,” and the front door closes.
♥♥♥♥♥
On Monday, Hana avoided Sejeong, Haebin, and Mimi, leaving right after school mentioning something about needing to celebrate with her parents. Tuesday was because she still needed to study for their test tomorrow. Wednesday was because she needed to finish the other homework she missed while Studying. Thursday was just…. Because…. She was…. Tired? Yeah, that was a good excuse- reason. A good reason. That week had been hard.
That’s why when the end of Friday came and Hana was talking with Haebin and Mimi while packing up, Sejeong went over to Hana’s desk.
“Hey, Hana, I really need to talk to you,” Sejeong interjects into their conversation.
“Oh, Sejeong, I was thinking of doing grocery shopping on the way home so I was just going to-“ Hana starts.
Sejeong’s not letting her get away today though. “That’s bullshit. Your mom takes you grocery shopping ever Saturday morning.”
“I was just gonna pick up… some milk. And some more rice,” Hana continues, looking down towards her backpack. Really, anywhere but Sejeong.
“And that’s going to take so long that you can’t talk with me for what? Five fucking minutes? I’ll take you shopping if you need me to-“
“No!” Hana cuts off Sejeong. “You don’t need to go shopping with me I’m not going to waste your time like that,” Hana lets out with a sigh.
“Alright, let’s get going then. Don’t want to keep you from your milk and rice and shit,” Sejeong says, mild annoyance present in her tone as she grabs Hana’s wrist and begins to lead her out of the classroom.
They move down the stairs together, out past the field behind the school to their favorite tree still on the school’s campus. It was a tree that was thick enough to keep them hidden from the rest of school and really the rest of the world. Probably hella old, too.
Sejeong releases her hands before asking, “Why have you been avoiding me, Bora?”
“Avoiding you? And did you just call me Bora, I mean you never-“ Hana tries to switch the topic.
“Stop fucking. Trying to change the subject. Fucking hell, Hana, we haven’t talked since Sunday morning and you haven’t so much as fucking looked at me since then. You’ve never been so busy that you couldn’t even talk to me at school. We hang out every day after school this week except you keep fucking avoiding me. What fucking gives?” Sejeong continues, finally letting some of her pent-up anger seeping into her voice.
“I…” Hana starts.
“You fucking what, Bora? What is it that you won’t even fucking look at me?” Sejeong all but yelling at this point. She really doesn’t want to scare Hana but she’s just so frustrated at this point.
“I’m scared,” Hana whispers, barely audible enough for Sejeong to hear.
It’s then that Sejeong notices a few stray tears falling past the wisps of Hana’s eyelashes. She brings her hands up to cup Hana’s face and uses her thumbs to gently wipe away the droplets. “Shhh, don’t cry, I’m not mad at you, Hana. I just need you to talk to me.”
“Why did you kiss me?” Hana lightly chokes out.
“What?” Sejeong questions, a little startled by the topic.
“I asked you, why did you kiss me on Saturday?” Hana asks in her small, quivering voice.
“Because I like you.” At this, Hana looks up, eyes wide as if she couldn’t have expected this very, very obvious answer. “I’ve liked you, really since I met you. I’m gay as all hell, you know. Ever since the first day of school, I’ve been distracted by your lips, your hair, your eyes… Shit, Bora, I’ve been entranced by your fucking everything since I met you. Then that night when you were literally begging for your first kiss… and your face was beneath mine… I wasn’t thinking. And I just… Kissed you.”
“But what if someone finds out?” Hana’s volume increases slightly. “Aren’t you afraid of someone finding out? Telling the teacher? They’ll put you in ‘therapy’ if they find you, you know that.
“I do.” Sejeong states. “I’ve known since I was a kid. How couldn’t I?” There’s a pause. “I won’t let anything happen to you, you know. I’m pretty much the strongest girl in this school, ya know. Probably stronger than at least half the guys too, the fucking wimps,” Sejeong breathes out softly, a smile eventually working its way onto her mouth. And Hana laughs. Light and gentle, but definitely there, and the most beautiful girl in the entire world (as far as Sejeong is concerned) is standing there giggling and smiling there in front of her.
Sejeong really can’t help herself, she reasons. It’s been about a week without Hana, and she’s going through withdrawals, made only harder now knowing how smooth and warm Hana’s lips are. So she kisses her again. Just a peck on the lips. It only lasts about five seconds.
“I’ll protect you, and I won’t let anyone hurt you… If you wouldn’t mind being my girlfriend,” Sejeong whispers against Hana’s lips.
Hana’s reply is pressing her mouth back to Sejeong’s, and Sejeong brings her hands down to Hana’s waist to pull her closer ever so slightly. When they part after a couple minutes of light kisses, Hana let’s out her own “okay”.
“Huh?” Sejeong questions. “Okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll try dating you. But only if you carry my groceries back home for me,” Hana bargains, smile making its way back to grace her features.
Sejeong just lets out a laugh at this and places one more chaste peck to Hana’s lips before entwining her fingers with Hana’s. “Deal.”
Sejeong helps Hana grocery shopping. Mrs. Shin treats her to dinner, used to Sejeong joining their family. Needless to say, they definitely become known as the best friends of the first year girls, even if no one else really knows how