#kim lua

“Doyeon isn’t evil, she probably just wanted to change things up! Don’t worry so much,” Elly had assured you, but you couldn’t help but feel nervous as you walked up to Doyeon’s door and raised your hand to knock. Doyeon had found out about your crush when she overheard you talking to Elly and Suyeon about it, and she’d been determined to “help” you ever since. But usually those attempts had ended up in disaster, and honestly, you probably should have just pretended to be sick.

“(Y/N), you made it! Come on in!” Doyeon’s grin was big (too big) and you gave her a smile as you stepped inside, resigning yourself to whatever fate awaited you inside.

To your surprise, the first half of the night went smoothly. Doyeon had managed to set up an amazing spread of sweets and finger foods, and Yoojung had helped her with the games and drinks. All of you surprised Suyeon with a gift she’d been wanting for a while, and she cried, and then the games started without a hitch. Everyone was happy and warm and everything was normal.

So you’d let your guard down, and ended up with Lua in the kitchen.

“This years party is so much fun,” she said, the smile that had made you fall in love with her on her lips. “Of course Yoojung would be able to think up holiday-themed would you rather questions. She never ceases to amaze me.”

“Doyeon is lucky she has her,” you said, nodding in agreement. “I think this party would have probably been a lot more of a disaster if it was just her.”

“No kidding.” She giggled and grabbed one more cookie, nodding towards the doorway into the living room, where the other girls were sitting. “What do you say we get back in there before they decide to start the next game without us?” Something about Lua always made your heart jump a little, but at least now you could hold normal conversations with her without blushing or getting embarrassed.

“Let’s go, then.”

The two of you had barely stepped into the doorway before Doyeon jumped up and pointed above your head.

“Mistletoe!” Of course. Of course she did. Your heart began to beat faster as you looked up. It was mistletoe, alright. How many of the other girls had walked through here before you and Lua? Was everyone in on this?

“Doyeon,” Lua said, her voice a little higher than usual out of embarrassment. Doyeon just grinned.

“You guys are under it, you can’t break the rules.”

“So many other people walked through this door tonight, why just us?” You questioned, hoping that you face wasn’t too red. You didn’t dare look at Lua.

“You two were the only two to go through together,” Yoojung said, and you really doubted it, but Doyeon sighed loudly before you could say anything else.

“Stop stalling and just kiss already!”

Your eyes flitted over to look at Lua, and she was flushed as well, looking shyly at the ground.

“Well, I guess we have no choice.” She looked up and laughed nervously.

“I guess so.”

Somehow, you got the courage to lean in first, and she met you halfway. It was a small, shy kiss, nothing like Doyeon had probably wanted, but it still made you blush deeply when you pulled away, heart pounding.

“Awe, come on,” Doyeon complained, but Lua stuck out her tongue at you and stepped forward, out from under the mistletoe.

“If you want someone to make out under the mistletoe, why don’t you and Yoojung do it?” The smaller girl perked up and looked up at her girlfriend.

“Yeah, why don’t we do it?”

“You gave them ideas,” you groaned as you followed Lua over to the only two empty seats (beside each other, of course). She just laughed softly and sat down, blush still on her cheeks. The rest of the girls had started to protest as Yoojung jumped up and grabbed Doyeon’s hand to pull her over to the doorway, and Lucy was whining something about her “poor, innocent eyes”.

“At least the attention is off of us,” she said, and you had to agree. This was much better. Swallowing, you looked from the rest of your friends back to Lua. She was so pretty tonight. And she wasn’t disgusted. Maybe you had a chance.

“Hey. Do you want to go get coffee with me sometime?” Her eyebrows raised, and a smile began to make its way onto her lips.

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“If that’s okay with you, yes.” She was smiling again, and she shyly bumped her arm against yours.

“Guess what happened to me today.” You looked up as your friend Hyunjin dropped her backpack onto the floor and plopped down at her desk, eyes wide and a grin on her face. How the two of you had become friends, you really didn’t understand. She was quite popular, pretty, funny, and loud, and she was in multiple clubs around school. You, on the other hand, were a bit of a nerd. You spent most of your time in the library, where it was quiet (which was how you liked it), and you’d never been to a real party. The only club you were in was the math club, and you prioritized your studies, unlike Hyunjin, who was a solid C and B student.

But somehow, the two of you had sat together in homeroom freshmen year, and ever since, the two of you had been friends.

“What happened?” You asked, only mildly interested as you looked up from the book you’d been reading. In the past two years, you’d come to realize that she often found weird things to be exciting. Like the time she’d cried out of happiness over a girl giving her a piece of bread.

“Lua hit on me. The Kim Lua. I almost died.” That.... That was different. Your eyebrows went up and you put down your book, giving her your full attention.

“Wait, for real? I thought she only hit on hot girls like Lisa or Yves.” Pouting, Hyunjin kicked at your leg, but missed.

“I’m hot! Shut up!” You grinned and moved further into your desk so that she couldn’t reach you.

“Seriously, though. I guess she’s really making her rounds. What popular girls hasn’t she hit on yet?”

“She hasn’t hit on you.”

“I said popular. I’m not popular.”

“You’re friends with me!” You shook your head.

“That doesn’t mean I’m friends with your friends. I’m not in the popular group. I’m not cool like that.” Hyunjin sat back in her seat, pout gone.

“I think you’re cool.” You laughed.

“That’s just you, Hyunjin. Anyway, don’t you have a thing with that Heejin girl? Why are you so excited about Lua hitting on you?” She shrugged and unzipped her backpack, pulling out her notebook.

“I do. But having Lua hit on you is exciting! She’s really cool when she talks to you and she has a really nice smile. I’m not saying I’d date her like I’d date Heejin, but it was nice to talk to her.” You didn’t really get it. Honestly, you’d be fine if you never spoke to Lua. Her group of friends was not one that you liked being around. They cared nothing about school and thought they were so cool, pushing the dress code with their crazy outfits and hair and jewelry and throwing wild parties. Plus, they were plenty scary. Suyeon, one of the upperclassmen in the group who was on the basketball team, was known for having a quick temper and cursing a lot. Doyeon, also on the basketball team, was known for her cool and almost emotionless demeanor. 

“Whatever you say,” you said, just as the teacher opened the door and walked in.

“Alright everyone, I’m going to need you to pass in the homework I assigned over the weekend once we start class.”

“Shit! I forgot, can I copy yours really quick?” Rolling your eyes, you passed over your homework. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

“You’ve only got few minutes, you’d better hurry.”

-

Later in the week, you were sitting next to your friends outside, eating lunch. The cafeteria was much too loud and crowded for you to want to go anywhere near it, and it was a nice day outside anyway. It was a normal day: you’d made yourself a sandwich for lunch, Hyunjin had forgotten her math homework again, you’d helped your seatmate in chemistry understand hydrogen borrowing, and then you’d gathered with your friends away from the loud cafeteria to eat lunch. It was going like every other day of your life since you’d started high school.

It was normal. That is, until Chaeyoung skipped up to the group, eyes sparkling.

“You’re late,” Seoyeon said, giving her a suspicious look. “What in the world were you doing?”

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and sat down, a grin on her face. “I was talking to Yoojung. You know, the cute, short girl who’s friends with all the delinquents?”

“Why were you talking to her?” Chaewon asked quietly, curious as she peeked over her book.

“It’s a long story, but basically I tutored her in math and ended up saving her from failing, and she ended up being really nice, so we talk now.”

“I really don’t understand why she’s dating Doyeon,” you said, shaking your head. “That girl doesn’t seem like she has any emotions.”

“I know you’ve never heard of it, (Y/N), but it’s called love,” Chaeyoung said, making you scowl and throw your napkin at her.

“Oh, shut up, it’s not like you’ve ever dated anyone either.” She shrugged.

“Good point. Anyway, I was talking to her and guess what?”

“What?” Seoyeon asked, scooting a bit closer with wide eyes. Everyone else was listening well too. Even Dami had put down her book to listen.

“She invited me to the party this weekend.” The entire time she’d been talking, Chaeyoung had been hiding her hand behind her. But now, she pulled it out to reveal two “tickets” in hand, grinning widely and wiggling her eyebrows. “She told me to bring a friend too. How crazy is that? This math club member just got invited to one of Doyeon’s exclusive parties.” Everyone’s eyes widened, and Seoyeon’s mouth dropped open.

For a moment, the air was still and silent as everyone stared in shock. You wondered if you were dreaming. There was no way one of your friends has just gotten invited to such a thing. Surely, this was some kind of joke.

“Is there a catch?” Seoyeon asked gingerly, voicing your very own thoughts. Chaeyoung shook her head.

“Yoojung wouldn’t do that. I’m telling you guys, she’s actually really sweet.”

“I know she’s sweet, but what about the others?”

“She said that she’d talked to them already and they were cool with me coming. Apparently Doyeon was the one to suggest inviting me.”

“That’s so weird,” Chaewon said, shaking her head in awe. “Why?”

“She’s thankful to me for saving her girlfriend from failing, I guess? I’m supposed to meet both of them for science tutoring next week, actually.”

“The resident genius,” you said, shaking your head. “Only you, Chaeyoung.”

“So, who wants to come with me?” She asked. Immediately, Dami and Chaewon shook their heads.

“No way,” Dami said, “I’m not a party person.”

“Me neither. I’m way too shy for that.” Chaeyoung looked at Seoyeon, but Seoyeon shook her head.

“I have to babysit that weekend. Sorry.” Before you knew it, everyone’s eyes were on you. You were the only left.

“Come on, (Y/N), I don’t want to go alone,” Chaeyoung said, giving you her best puppy dog eyes.

“I-.”

“Plus, you know Hyunjin, right? She’ll probably be there so it’s not like you wouldn’t know anyone.” This was an awful idea. You had no idea how to act at parties, because you’d never been to one. Plus, the music would be so loud, and you’d heard how these parties usually went down. Still, you didn’t want to make Chaeyoung go alone.

You sighed. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

“Yay! Thank you (Y/N), you’re my new best friend.” You rolled your eyes as she hugged you, already regretting that you’d agreed. You just hoped that Hyunjin would be there too.

-

“What?! You’re going to the party this weekend? How?” Hyunjin looked just as shocked as your friends had been when Chaeyoung had announced she’d been invited. She was so shocked, she’d actually sat up from her beanbag chair, where she was usually impossible to move. You sat across from her on the smaller beanbag chair, nodding your head.

“My friend Chaeyoung tutored Doyeon’s girlfriend Yoojung and ended up being friends with her or something. Now she’s tutoring both of them, so she was invited and told she could bring a friend.”

“Wow. That’s crazy. How did she convince you to go? You’re, like, super against partying.” You sighed and leaned back, looking up at her ceiling.

“None of our other friends could go and I wasn’t going to make her go alone. She’s better than most of us at socializing but she’s still awkward.”

“True. I’m going, so I’ll totally come over and talk to you. It’s going to be weird seeing you there though.” You laughed.

“No kidding. That’s not the kind of place I usually frequent.” She was back to her normal laying-down position on the beanbag, arms crossed.

“Anything I can do?”

“Yeah. Help. I have no idea what to wear or what to expect or how to act.” She laughed, loudly. Like she always did.

“How about I come over to your place, like, an hour before the party or something to help you choose an outfit?” You looked back at Hyunjin to give her a grateful smile.

“I’d appreciate that. Although I’m pretty sure I have nothing in my closet that’s party appropriate.” Her eyes sparkled, and you felt a sudden sense of dread.

“Then shopping time it is. Get your friend Chaeyoung to meet us at the mall. We’re going to get you party ready.”

-

The day of the party, the door rang an hour early, as promised. Chaeyoung was already there, picking nervously as her nails as you ran down to answer the door. Thankfully, your parents weren’t home, so you didn’t have to explain where you were going and why you were dressed like you were. And you were spending the night at Chaeyoung’s, since her parents were on a business trip, so you could avoid having your parents be suspicious.

You opened the door to two people instead of one. Hyunjin stood with Heejin beside her, and although you’d met Heejin before, a couple times, her beauty always took your breath away for a moment.

“Oh, um, hi.” You glanced at Hyunjin, and she gave you a sheepish smile.

“Sorry, I meant to let you know that I was bringing her over, but I forgot. She knows how to do makeup better than I do so I thought it would be good for her to be here too.”

“It’s okay,” you said, stepping to the side and giving Heejin a smile. “Welcome to my house. It’s not much but make yourself at home.”

“Thank you, (Y/N).” As pretty as she was, Heejin was also sweet. “What kind of makeup are we doing tonight?” She held up a bag that you could tell was full of makeup supplies, and you shrugged, leading them back to your room.

“Whatever goes with our outfits, I guess.” Chaeyoung stood up from the bed when Heejin walked in, looking surprised.

“Chaeyoung, this is Heejin, Hyunjin’s girlfriend. Heejin, this is my friend Chaeyoung.”

“Um, hello.”

“Hello! It’s nice to meet you, Chaeyoung! I’m going to help out with makeup, if that’s okay.” Chaeyoung was taken aback at first, but quickly smiled back at Heejin. You knew they’d get along well.

“That’s okay. Should we get started?”

-

Your outfit felt tight, even as you rode the elevator up to the rooftop party. You’d never worn a leather shirt before, and you were never going to wear one again, because this one was uncomfortable. The long eyelashes on your eyes also felt unfamiliar and heavy when you blinked, but they looked nice so you didn’t complain. Honestly, you’d been surprised at your own reflection. You looked different, and you weren’t sure you liked it.

The music could be heard before the elevator doors even opened, but once they did, it was even louder. The thumping base could be felt in your veins, and you winced, hoping your ears would get used to it soon.

“The only reason they get away with it is because Doyeon’s family is rolling in money and owns this building. Otherwise the police would be here already,” Hyunjin said under her breath, just loud enough for you to hear as the four of you walked up to the party.

Yoojung was there, standing at the door behind a small table, and she smiled when she saw the four of you walking up.

“Chaeyoung! You made it!” Chaeyoung smiled back and produced the homemade tickets from her small purse, handing them over to Yoojung.

“Yep! This is (Y/N), my friend who I invited to come with me.” Yoojung grinned and leaned over the table, taking Hyunjin and Heejin’s tickets before turning back to you.

“Hello (Y/N), welcome!” Hyunjin and Heejin were already moving over to a piece of paper, and you watched as they wrote down their names. Yoojung followed your gaze and then quickly explained. “Oh, I forgot you guys haven’t been here before! I just need you to both write your names down there. For a head count, you know?” It was a bit confusing, and you didn’t understand why a party needed people to sign-in, but you wrote your name down anyway. Once Chaeyoung was done, Yoojung gave her a little wave. “You guys have fun! I’ll come find you once I’m done here, okay?”

“Sounds good,” Chaeyoung said, waving back at her with a smile. Then the four of you turned and walked deeper into the party.

The first thing you noticed was the bar, and you winced. You should have known that there would be illegal drinking here. There was also the smell of weed in the air, although it was faint enough that it didn’t seem like a lot of people were smoking it. The music was loud and coming from a DJ in the corner, and there seemed to be an area designated for dancing.

“Wow, the scale of this is huge,” Chaeyoung said, eyes wide as she took everything in. Hyunjin nodded with a grin.

“Yep. Doyeon does everything with a bang.”

“Wait, didn’t Heejin drive us here? You’re not going to drink and drive, are you?” Heejin waved her hands.

“Oh, no! I don’t drink. They have non-alcoholic drinks at the bar too. Don’t worry!” You liked Heejin more and more as you got to know her. You let out a sigh of relief, and then another thing stood out to you.

“Hey, why did we have to sign in?” Hyunjin stopped and looked at you with her eyebrows raised.

“Wait, they didn’t tell you?” You and Chaeyoung looked at each other and then back at Hyunjin, shaking your heads. “At every party, there’s a drawing for some sort of prize. Sometimes, if your name gets drawn, you get to date one of the girls for a week. Of course, if you’re in a relationship, they respect that and draw someone else, but it’s cool to see.” One of the girls. She was referring to the group of girls that Doyeon hung out with: Suyeon, Elly, Sei, Lua, Rina, and Lucy.

“Seriously? That’s actually nuts!” Chaeyoung’s mouth dropped open. “What will we do if we get chosen? There’s no way I’d survive dating one of them!” Hyunjin laughed.

“It might not be a date this time, sometimes they give out, like, gadgets and stuff. The time my name was drawn I got a necklace and earrings, but they change it up every week.” You still didn’t like the sound of it, and you glanced back at the table, regretting writing your name down. It was like Chaeyoung had said: neither of you would survive dating those girls. Both of you were complete opposites of them.

“Try not to think about it and have fun,” Heejin said. “Come on, let’s go to the bar. We’ll show you how to order.”

They did end up having non-alcoholic drinks, and Heejin ordered you and Chaeyoung two virgin margaritas.

“They’re good, I promise,” she said as she passed them over to the two of you. And she was right. The drink was sweet, but not too sweet, and without the alcohol, there was no burn. You took a tentative sip and watched as Hyunjin drank her real cocktail, rather impressed. Hyunjin acted like an adult already.

You ended up sitting near the railing of the roof, looking down at the city lights below you with your drink in hand. Chaeyoung sat across from you, and Hyunjin and Heejin had disappeared somewhere after Hyunjin’s second drink. You kind of didn’t want to know.

The music changed to something much more up-tempo and you turned to look as cheers rang out from around the dance floor. Lua was there, with Yoojung, but your focus was on Lua. The way she moved was amazing, and you let out a little gasp as she did the splits like it was nothing, easily jumping back up and continuing to dance right afterwards. Normally you wouldn’t be interested in something like this, but somehow you couldn’t look away. She was just too good to tear your eyes away as she moved across the floor to the beat of the song, doing moves that you didn’t even know were possible.

You watched, eyes glued to her, until the music changed, and she stopped dancing and let out a laugh, hands coming back up to fix her hair as she walked towards the group of girls who had been cheering, grin so wide it showed her dimples. Quickly, you shook your head and looked back down at your drink. She was still just a playgirl.

“I was thinking about dancing, but I can’t after that. How are they so good?”

“They probably practice a lot,” you said, dismissing it the best you could. “Once the floor is full, people wouldn’t even notice if you’re good or not. If you want to dance, you should.”

“Hey! Are you guys enjoying the party?” Yoojung seemed to appear out of the crowd like magic, making both of you jump. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you! I’m small, so I move around quickly.”

“It’s okay,” Chaeyoung said with a smile, waving her hand not holding the drink. “You killed it out there by the way. Where did you learn to dance like that?”

“Thank you! It’s one of my passions, so I practice a lot,” she said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. “Lua is better than me, though. She’s been dancing since she was little. She can do everything from hip-hop to ballet.”

“Seriously?” You looked back over at her as you spoke. “I would never have pegged her as the ballet type.”

“Right? But she’s honestly amazing at it. I go to all of her shows and I’m still amazed every time. She’s surprisingly girly. Her favorite color is even pink.” Now that you thought about it, she did wear a lot of pinks, even if it was on her hats and bomber jackets or those bright pink pants that the teachers hated. She was even wearing a hot pink shirt now, albeit a crop-top with a lace-up front.

You glanced over at her, and when you looked back at Yoojung, Doyeon was walking up behind her. Even just her walk was intimidating, and you swallowed nervously, but Chaeyoung gave her a smile and a wave.

“Hello, Doyeon.” To your surprise, Doyeon gave her a small smile back as she wrapped her arms around Yoojung.

“Hey, Chaeyoung. You enjoying the party so far?”

“It’s a little different than what I’m used to,” Chaeyoung admitted sheepishly, making Yoojung laugh. “But it’s fun!”

“I’m surprised you’re drinking alcohol,” Doyeon said, to which Chaeyoung quickly shook her head.

“Oh, no! (Y/N)’s friend Heejin ordered these for us. She called them virgin, which means they have no alcohol. Right?” Doyeon chuckled.

“Right.” Then, her eyes landed on you. “You’re (Y/N), right?” You nodded, unable to find the words to speak, but Chaeyoung spoke up before you had to.

“Oh, yeah, this is the friend I invited, (Y/N)! She’s somehow friends with some popular people so I convinced her that she would have people to talk to if she came with me.”

“It’s nice to meet you, (Y/N). Thanks for keeping our Chaeyoung company.” ‘Our’ Chaeyoung? Apparently they really liked her.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Doyeon looked down at her girlfriend, and her features became soft.

“Anyway, I came over here to get Yoojung so we can do the gift announcement. Sorry to interrupt.”

“That’s okay!” Chaeyoung said, “By the way, what is the gift tonight?”

“Dating Lua for a week,” Doyeon said with a grin, resting her chin on Yoojung’s head, which made the younger girl whine. “It’s been a pretty popular one, so we brought it back for tonight. Maybe you guys will get lucky.”

“Ah, I don’t think I could keep up with someone like her....” You weren’t saying anything, but you agreed with Chaeyoung. How would a nerd like the two of you be able to date someone like Lua?

“You never know,” Doyeon said, “don’t be so hard on yourself. Anyway, we’ve got to go. We’ll come back over and talk once everything is settled, okay?”

“Bye Chaeyoung, bye (Y/N)!” Yoojung said, waving at the two of you with a wide smile as her girlfriend led her away. The two of you waved back until the two disappeared into the crowd, and Chaeyoung looked back at you.

“See? Doyeon isn’t too bad. Yoojung told me that she just has a hard time conveying her emotions because she gets nervous.”

“Doyeon? Nervous?” It didn’t seem real. That girl had it all. But you guessed if it was her girlfriend saying it, it had to be real. “I would have never guessed it.”

“I know. But when I talked to her she was genuinely nice, so I know Yoojung is telling the truth.”

“They both certainly seem to like you,” you said, making Chaeyoung squeal and bring her hands up to cover her cheeks.

“Stop it! I’ll end up blushing!” You laughed at her, shaking your head, but then the music died out, making you look over at the dance floor again. At the far end, the main group of girls had gathered, and Doyeon had a microphone in hand. Yoojung was holding a bowl full of folded up papers, and your heart jumped knowing that your name was in there. You almost wanted to rush up and take it out, but you would never have to confidence to do such a thing.

To distract yourself from the feeling of imminent doom, you looked over the group. Suyeon was there, and she looked a bit different than usual with her hair up. Lucy was there too, hands in her pockets looking kind of like she’d rather be back at the bar eating the snacks. Elly was leaning over Yoojung’s shoulder, listening to whatever Doyeon was explaining, as the microphone was still off. Rina and Sei were talking, Rina with her arms crossed as Sei messed with her bangs.

“Honestly, Sei is really cute too,” you said, squinting to see her better from your seat. “How did she end up in their friend group?”

“Honestly I have no idea. I think she was friends with Lua so she just ended up joining the group when Lua did.”

Speaking of Lua, she was standing next to Doyeon, slipping back into the bomber jacket she’d abandoned when she’d went out to dance. She didn’t seem nervous at all, but she was always confident when she hit on girls so you weren’t sure why you thought she might be nervous now.

The microphone clicked to life and Doyeon brought it up to her mouth, raising her eyebrows.

“Hey everyone! I hope you’re all having a good time, like usual.” There was a loud cheer, and you looked around. Everyone who had scattered around the party before had returned, knowing about the prize and wanting to see who had won. You could even see Heejin and Hyunjin standing off to the side in each other’s arms, watching Doyeon speak. “We’re now going to announce the prize. Is everyone curious?” Another cheer, and she smiled. “Why don’t I let our Lua introduce it?” She handed the microphone over to Lua, who grinned widely and stepped forward.

“Since it was popular the last few times, we’ve brought it back. Tonight’s prize is, wait for it.... Dating me for a week!” The crowd seemed to go crazy, especially the girls. You’d known that she was a player, but you hadn’t realized that it was on this scale. The girls at this party were crazy for her. Shaking your head, you tuned out whatever else she was saying and took the last sip of the margarita Heejin had gotten for you. You weren’t really interested in any of this, dating someone out of this group was not on your to-do list, and plus, the chances of your name being pulled were slim. There were so many people here that there was no way-.

“(Y/N)! Tonight’s winner is (Y/N)!” Doyeon held up a strip of paper, and her eyes moved over to your table as the crowd began to murmur, looking around because they didn’t recognize your name. For a moment, you sat very still, hoping this was just a dream. But it wasn’t. It was very, very real, and you knew it was when Chaeyoung hit you on the arm in her shock. “Congrats, (Y/N), it looks like you’ve got a girlfriend for the week.”

You wanted to run, but you were rooted to your chair, unable to move as everyone watched Doyeon and Yoojung lead Lua your way. How were you so unlucky? You could see Hyunjin and Heejin grinning and waving at you, and you wished you’d never agreed to come.

“Wow, (Y/N), who would have guessed you’d get so lucky at your first party!” Yoojung was practically bouncing with excitement, and you stared at her with wide eyes, panicking internally. You’d never even dated anyone, how were you going to do this? Was Lua really going to be your first girlfriend?

“Don’t be so nervous, Lua doesn’t bite unless you want her to,” Doyeon said, earning her a slap on the arm from Lua as she stepped forward.

“You’re (Y/N)?” Slowly, mechanically, you nodded. “I thought your name was unfamiliar. I guess I wouldn’t know it since you’ve never been to one of our parties before. But it’s nice to meet you, babe.” Your face flushed immediately at her use of the word, and she grinned even wider, eyebrows going up. “Should we get to know each other better?” Chaeyoung across from you squealed and covered her mouth, leaning back in her chair, and you made a mental note to curse at her later. This was her fault.

“Uh, I.” What could you do? You couldn’t lie and say that you were in a relationship because Chaeyoung was right there, and Hyunjin and Heejin were making their way over, and Hyunjin looked just tipsy enough to sell you out for the laugh. And it would be rude to just refuse. Was that even allowed? You were totally stuck with nowhere to run. Swallowing, you glanced down at your empty glass. “Sure.” What else could you say? You were just going to have to ride this out.

Lua wasn’t fazed by your hesitance to accept, probably just thinking that you were nervous. With her grin still in place, she held out her hand. “Come on. Let’s go over to the bar and get you another drink.” Internally, you panicked. But on the outside, you tried to play it cool, swallowing thickly as you picked up your empty glass and stood up, glancing at Hyunjin and Heejin, who both gave you a thumbs up. You really didn’t want to take her hand, but you felt like you had no choice, so you did.

Her hand was surprisingly soft, and you just hoped that you didn’t start sweating is she gave you a smile and tugged you away from the group towards the bar. Behind you, you could hear Hyunjin whistle. She was so being added to the list of people to yell at later.

“So, what do you like to drink?” She was talking to you. You tried to remember what Heejin had ordered for you earlier, focusing on the empty glass.

“Well, I don’t really drink. Heejin ordered this for me earlier without any alcohol but I don’t remember what it was. A margarita or something?”

“Have you never tried alcohol?” You glanced at her out of the side of your eyes.

“No?”

“Oh, that’s so boring! I’ll get you something without much alcohol so you can try it.”

“Um, that’s okay, I-.”

“Come on, you’re at a party! You can let loose here! If you end up not liking it, I won’t make you drink it, don’t worry.” What could you say? She didn’t seem like she was someone who would take no for an answer, and she was determined to get you to try whatever she was thinking about. Was she drunk? You didn’t know, since you’d never actually talked to her before.

The bar was crowded, but the crowd parted as she walked up, and you could feel the girls standing there sizing you up. You really hated having this many eyes on you, so you looked down at the floor and tried to ignore the feeling of their stares.

“Hey, bartender Jihyo! Can you give me two of the usual? Make one light, though, my girlfriend hasn’t really had anything strong before.” The bartender gave her a smile and nodded, turning around to begin making something, and you shuddered a bit at the mention of “girlfriend”. This was real, wasn’t it? Your first girlfriend was really Kim Lua. This wasn’t just a nightmare.

You listened as some of the girls talked to Lua, and she laughed along with something they were saying, until the hand in your own tightened its grip and you glanced up to see her holding a drink.

“Here. This one is yours. I think you’ll like it.” You took it gingerly. It felt different than before, knowing this drink actually had alcohol in it. Jihyo slid another drink over the counter, and Lua grabbed it and stepped back. When you glanced at her again, there was a gleam in her eyes that made you nervous. “Alright, follow me. I know somewhere more private we can talk.” Some of the girls whined, but Lua ignored them as she led you away, towards a back elevator that you hadn’t even seen before. It was slightly hidden behind elaborate plants on top of half-walls, but Lua seemed to know exactly where she was going.

The elevator was even nicer than the one you’d rode up on, and you looked around in awe, surprised at the scale of it.

“This elevator is so pretty, isn’t it? It leads down to the upscale private rooms so they had to make it a little bit nicer.”

“It is really pretty,” you admitted, nodding your head. You felt stiff and unnatural beside her, the drink in your hand foreign and the hand in yours even more so. Then, it struck you what she’d said, and you panicked a little inside. Private rooms. Where was this going?

The elevator doors slid open to reveal a small but beautiful hall, and she led you out towards the last door, hand slipping out of yours to pull a key from her pocket. You waited with your heart in your throat as she unlocked the door, eyes searching for any way out.

“Come on in!” The door swung open to reveal a suite, with a large bed, an elaborate bathroom with a giant bath, a desk, and two chairs to sit on in front of the bed, not to mention the walk-in closet and the vanity. The television was huge too, taking up half the room. You stepped slowly inside, eyes wide as you took it all in. Was this normal for rich people? You’d never seen such a room in person. This stuff only happened in movies. Except now you were inside one, and it was very real, and you were definitely not in a movie. “What do you think?”

“This is crazy,” you said, shaking your head. “How are we allowed to use this?” Lua winked and sat down on one of the plush chairs, motioning for you to do the same.

“This floor is designated for Doyeon and her friends, which means us. We could stay here all night, if you wanted to.” You decided not to think about the implications of that sentence as you sat down. “Have you tried the drink yet?”

“Haven’t had the chance,” you said, glancing down at the glass as she took a sip of her own. What would your parents say if they knew you were here instead of studying at Chaeyoung’s place? You could only imagine. You’d never thought that you’d have your first sip of alcohol while you were still in high school, but there you were. Slowly, you took a sip.

It tasted almost like the drink you’d had before, but there was a bit of a burn when it hit the back of your throat and you winced a bit. Still, the sweetness took away most of the feeling, and the drink wasn’t bad. You weren’t sure if you wanted to drink it all, though. Being drunk in a room like this was not something you wanted to happen.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s okay. I’m not used to the burn,” you said, lowering the drink and hoping that she wouldn’t pressure you into taking another sip.

“I guess it isn’t for everyone,” she said, shrugging her shoulders and taking another sip of her own drink and nodding towards the desk. “There’s water and stuff in the fridge if you’d like that instead.” When you looked over, you noticed the small fridge for the first time. The door to it was clear, showing an assortment of drinks inside, and you got up and wandered over to it. Placing the drink on the desk, you opened the fridge door and took out one of the waters, then walked back over to the chair and sat down.

“This is good,” you said when she raised her eyebrows, assuring her that you didn’t want anything else. Honestly, you just wanted to go home. Although there was something about her that was... alluring, almost. You kind of understood now why Hyunjin had gotten so excited over getting hit on.

“If you say so,” she said, leaning forward. “Anyway, (Y/N), tell me about yourself. I haven’t really seen you around.” Well, you’d been around. But you weren’t surprised that she hadn’t noticed you. It’s not like you were anything close to popular enough for her.

“There’s not really much to tell,” you said, shrugging your shoulders. “I’m friends with Hyunjin and Heejin, but that’s about all the popular people I know. I’m in the math club. The only people I’m behind when it comes to grades are my friends. As for hobbies? If doing homework is a hobby, then I have one. I like watching shows, too, I guess. I’m pretty boring.” Her face was unreadable as she watched you, and it was unnerving, so you looked down at the water bottle in your hands instead.

“I haven’t known anyone in the math club before. That’s impressive, though, that you’re at the top of the school in your grades! I could never do that.”

“All it takes is studying,” you said, and she fell quiet for a moment before laughing.

“You’re interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone tell me anything like that.” You looked back at her, eyebrows raised, surprised she hadn’t thought it was rude. “I mean, it’s true. If I studied, I bet I could get better grades.”

“Do you not study?” She shook her head slightly and took another sip of her drink.

“Not really. I don’t have the time between everything else I do and doing the homework.”

“What all do you do?” She grinned, like just talking about it made her happy.

“Ballet, rhythmic gymnastics, hip-hop dancing. My dance teacher recently started training me to be more well-rounded so I can dance to anything, so that’s extra lessons too. Plus I’m a cheerleader at the school, and I’m in the dance club. And I do stuff like this. So I’m always busy.” You had no idea about any of this. You still couldn’t really imagine her doing gymnastics or ballet, but she seemed so passionate about it that it made you feel a bit bad for feeling angry about her not studying.

“How do you not get tired with that kind of schedule?” She laughed again.

“I do, trust me. But I love dancing and gymnastics so it’s easy to carry on. I think I’d die if I couldn’t dance.” That wasn’t something you’d expected to hear from her, but you nodded your head, looking back down at your water bottle. You couldn’t really understand where she was coming from. You loved school and learning, sure, and you liked math, but you didn’t feel like you’d die if you didn’t have them.

“It’s good to have something that you’re so passionate about,” you said, and she tilted her head slightly, watching you.

“I’m sure that there’s something you’re passionate about. Everyone is passionate about something. You just have to find it.” When you glanced up again, she was closer. So close that it made your breath hitch in your throat, both because of what she’d said and how close she was. You licked your lips, and watched her eyes follow it, your heart beating hard. She was leaning in, and you didn’t know what to do. You hadn’t even had your first kiss yet. Was this really how it was going to be?

Your phone rang in your pocket and you jumped up, startling her slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry! It’s Heejin, they’re all probably heading home and I have to go with them.” Secretly, you were relieved for the distraction, but when you looked at her, her face was slightly fallen.

“Oh. That’s okay. I’ll walk you back up.” She sat down her glass and stood up, giving you a small smile as she pulled out her phone. “Could I get your number?”

“Sure.” It would be weird to have a girlfriend and not have their phone number, right?

Your heart was still beating quick in your chest, and you wondered if she could hear it as you typed your number into her phone and handed it back.

“Thanks,” she said, slipping the phone back into her pocket and holding out her hand again. Although you were flustered, you took it, letting her lead you out of the room and up to where your friends were waiting by the door.

When Friday morning rolled around and your alarm went off, forcing you to wake up, you rolled over and stared at your phone. You knew your face was puffy from all the crying you’d done the night before, and your throat was still a bit sore, making it even harder to wake up. Today was the night of the ballet performance, but it was also the last day; after today, you would no longer be dating Lua.

The idea made you sadder than you would have thought when this all began, and you shoved your head into the pillow, trying not to be so negative. As much as you wanted to tell your parents to call you in sick, you knew you needed to go to your classes. This wasn’t worth ruining your hard-earned grades over, and you had tests coming up.

Sighing, you sat up and picked up your phone, blinking your eyes sleepily. There was a text, and the name of the sender jolted you awake.

-I won’t be at school today, we have rehearsal :( See you tonight?

You stared at the text, heart thumping in your chest. Hyunjin and Heejin had been right, it seemed. Lua did still want to see you.

-I’ll be there. What time?

-Starts at 7pm but my friends always come early to get good seats

-Will do

You put down your phone and rubbed your face, steeling yourself as you stumbled out of bed.

It was going to be a long day.

-

“You look like you didn’t sleep,” Hyunjin said when you sat down, making you groan.

“Why are you always like this to me. You know exactly why I didn’t get enough sleep,” you said, sending her a glare with no actual malice behind it. She just smiled and reached into her bag.

“I was just saying so because I think you’ll need this.” She held out a new stick of makeup towards you, and you cautiously took it. “It’s concealer. It’ll help hide those dark circles under your eyes.”

“Like I’ll know how to use it correctly,” you said, looking down at the object in your hand. “You know good and well that my makeup limit is foundation and some mascara, if I’m feeling brave.”

“At least try. Heejin and I can’t come over tonight to help but I thought I’d give you that.” You raised your eyebrows.

“Why? You guys have a hot date or something?” Hyunjin nodded and flipped her hair.

“You guessed it. I’m taking her out tonight.”

“Have fun,” you said, smiling at your friend as you slipped the makeup into your bag.

“Thanks. We totally will.”

The teacher opened the door, interrupting the conversation, but when you glanced back at Hyunjin, she mouthed a “good luck” and winked. You rolled your eyes at her, but it made you feel better, a little bit. Maybe today wouldn’t be as bad as you’d thought.

-

You hadn’t eaten lunch with your friends in what felt like ages, so when you approached the group, they all cheered.

“Hey, it’s (Y/N), Lua’s girlfriend!” Soyeon yelled, and Chaeyoung elbowed her, giving her a look as you winced and sat down.

“Not really. That was a week thing, remember?” Your friends looked at you, confused.

“Really? You guys seemed really into each other, though,” Chaewon said, tilting her head. “What happened?” You shrugged.

“It’s a long story. I’ve missed you guys, though.”

“We’ve missed you too,” Dami said, scooting closer to put her head on your shoulder. “But are you okay? That’s the most important thing.” You smiled and nodded, looking around at the girls you’d come to be close to.

“Yeah. As long as I have you guys backing me up, I’m good.”

“Awe, (Y/N),” Seoyeon said, putting her hand to her chest. Chaeyoung looked at you, eyebrows raised.

“Is everything a secret, or?” You shook your head and began to unpack the first homemade lunch you’d had in a week.

“No, I’ll tell everyone. Are you guys ready for the long story?” Dami sat up and nodded, looking all too interested, and the rest of them crowded closer. Chaewon pulled her tissues out of her bag, like she knew she might need them, and you took a deep breath. “Well, it started like this.”

-

Eating lunch with your friends and getting everything off your chest made you feel lighter, and there was a little smile on your face as you headed to your next class. You could still feel eyes on your back, but you didn’t let it bother you, knowing that you were just going to have to get used to it no matter what happened.

If you and Lua started dating for real, people would stare at you because you were the one who took her away, and if Lua rejected you, people would stare at you because you were the nerd who thought you had a chance. Either way, you were going to be the center of attention for a little while. So you needed to get used to it.

“Hey, (Y/N)?” You stopped in your tracks and turned around to see Yoojung standing there with Doyeon behind her. She gave you a big grin and threw her arms around you in a hug, while Doyeon stood with a hand on her hip and the trace of a smile on her lips. “What’s up? We haven’t seen you in forever!” It had only been a week, right?

“Um, nothing much. Just, going to my next class, like usual.” Yoojung let you go and nodded, glancing at her watch.

“We still have a few minutes, and we’re close to your classroom, right? Can we talk for a moment?” You weren’t going to get beat up or anything, were you?

You nodded. “Sure. What’s up?”

The two girls looked at each other, and then Doyeon stepped forward.

“We just want to know something. About Lua.” Your heart started up at the sound of her name, and you swallowed, feeling your cheeks getting hot. “Do you like her?”

“Uh-.” Yoojung didn’t let you finish searching for the words you were looking for before she spoke.

“We just need to know if you’re serious about her or not. Lua is a really sensitive person and we don’t want her getting hurt.” You waved your hands quickly.

“I’d never hurt her! Not on purpose, anyway. I- I’m serious about her. I really like her.” A slow smile made it’s way across Doyeon’s face, and Yoojung let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank goodness. I knew you were a good person and you wouldn’t lead her on but we had to make sure, you know?” You smiled nervously at them.

“I get it.”

“You’re going to her ballet performance tonight, right?” You nodded your head, and Yoojung grinned. “Great! We’ll pick you up. Chaeyoung said she’s going with you, so just have her text us your address, okay?” The bell rang, and you winced. You were late. Quickly, Yoojung waved. “See you tonight!”

“See you.” You turned as you waved and made your way towards your classroom, giving the teacher an apologetic smile as you entered.

Yoojung’s words hung in your head, and you found yourself spacing out thinking about them. Did this mean that Lua had talked about you to them? Or had they just noticed it too? This meant for sure that Lua liked you back, right? Although, her friends could just be guessing.

Sighing, you shook your head and tried to focus again, even though everything seemed to be getting more and more complicated as the day went by. Would you really be able to go through with this?

-

“It’s just concealer, I can do that much.” Chaeyoung’s voice echoed in your bathroom as she picked up the makeup Hyunjin had given you earlier, grinning. “This is the easy stuff.”

“To you,” you muttered, looking at your reflection in the mirror. You were wearing the same amount of makeup you usually did at school, other than the lipstick you’d put on and the concealer that Chaeyoung was now using on your dark circles. You’d done your hair and picked out an outfit that still felt you, but that was a little bit nicer than your school or casual clothes. This was a ballet performance, after all.

“What time did Yoojung say they’d be getting here?” She asked as she peered close, applying the concealer.

“She didn’t say, but Lua sent me a text this morning saying that her friends are always early, so they should be here soon.”

“I’m glad I sent them the address as soon as I got here, then.” She pulled away and capped the concealer again, setting it down. “See? No more dark circles.” You looked into the mirror and turned your head slightly, admiring how well the concealer had worked. Maybe this was something you needed to learn, especially during exam season when you hardly slept at all.

“Thank you,” you said, at the same time that the doorbell rang, signalling Yoojung and Doyeon’s arrival. You stood up, but Chaeyoung darted out of the room ahead of you, beating even your parents to the door.

“Welcome!” She said as she opened the door, making you roll your eyes and shake your head.

“This is my house, Chaeyoung.”

“I pretty much live here anyway,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders before turning back to Yoojung and Doyeon, who seemed very amused. “Are you guys ready?”

“Ready if you are,” Doyeon said, spinning her keys on her finger. You suddenly felt self-conscious, knowing what kind of life Doyeon lived, and grabbed your purse from the chair beside the door.

“Alright, let’s go,” you said, ushering Chaeyoung out and waving at your parents, who were looking curiously around the kitchen corner. “I’ll be back later!”

Doyeon owned a brand-new BMW, but you weren’t even surprised. Of course she would have such a nice car, if what you’d seen at the party was any indication of her life.

“Buckle in, I don’t wanna lose my license,” Doyeon said as she started the car, looking at you and Chaeyoung through the rear-view mirror. Immediately, the two of you obeyed, buckling up as Doyeon pulled away from the house and onto the main road.

Yoojung turned on some 2NE1 and began to sing and rap along, getting Chaeyoung to join in, but you couldn’t make yourself join in. Your heart was beating like crazy and you could feel your palms sweating as you looked out the window, unable to calm yourself down. The tickets and the keychain sat in your purse (you’d checked on them multiple times to make sure they were there), but as the car neared the venue, you could feel the confidence you’d gotten from your friends dwindling. You hadn’t seen Lua at all since she’d left you in the library the day before, and you felt just as nervous as you’d been at the party. It was like all the courage you’d gained throughout the week had been destroyed the day before.

You took a couple breaths to try and calm yourself, closing your eyes. But you saw Lua behind your eyelids, smiling so wide that the dimples beneath her eyes were showing. You saw that smile that had become so familiar, and quickly opened your eyes again, knowing that your cheeks were flushed. It hadn’t helped at all, and now Doyeon was pulling into the parking lot, and you were even more nervous than you’d been when you were leaving.

“Ready?” Chaeyoung asked, reaching over to grab your hand, and you gave her a weak smile.

“Not really, but I’m getting there.” She gave you an affectionate grin.

“You’ll be okay, I promise.” She gave your hand one last squeeze before she let go to open her door and get out, and you did feel a little better. Still, you took one last deep breath before getting out yourself, steadying yourself as much as you could.

The venue was huge, much bigger than you’d thought it would be, and you looked around with wide eyes.

“Wow,” Chaeyoung said, taking the words out of your mouth, and Yoojung laughed.

“Right? Lua’s ballet company is widely known, so they always have huge shows. They’re all crazy good, too.”

“So impressive,” you said, mouth dropping open as you took in the crowd waiting to get in. “When she said get here early, she wasn’t joking.” Doyeon nodded and held up her tickets.

“Yeah, but we have special passes since we’re close to her. Come on, we’ll get our seats and everything and then we can see her backstage.” Your heart jumped again, but you let Doyeon and Yoojung lead you over to the ticket booth as you pulled your tickets from your purse.

The girl behind the counter gave you and Chaeyoung a once-over, probably because she’d seen neither of you before, but she let you both in with Doyeon and Yoojung, handing both of you back half of your ticket.

“You’ll use that to get backstage,” Yoojung explained, pointing to the ‘exclusive access’ portion of the ticket as the four of you made your way into the almost-empty auditorium. A few other people milled around, other friends and family, and Doyeon suddenly stopped and turned around.

“Hey, (Y/N), we’ll go ahead and get the seats, why don’t you go back and see Lua now? She’s in the fourth fitting room.” Your heart stopped for a moment and your eyes widened.

“Alone?”

“Yep,” all three girls said together, and you resisted the urge to whimper. But the keychain still sat in your purse, and you knew that you wouldn’t be able to give it to her with everyone there. So you squared your shoulders and glanced around.

“Where do I go?”

-

It was easier than you had expected to find the fitting rooms, but your hand hesitated as you brought it up to knock on her door. Would she be happy to see her, or would you end up upsetting her? This wouldn’t mess up her performance, would it?

Your mouth felt dry, but you mustered all the courage hiding behind your anxiety and knocked.

You heard shuffling on the other side of the door, and Lua calling a quick “hang on!” Your heart beat hard in your chest, and you knew that your cheeks were flushed as you fidgeted with your fingers, moving from foot to foot.

When Lua finally opened the door, her eyes widened when they met yours. She looked different than she usually did, her hair slicked back in braids and her makeup done with a more feminine precision, turning her into the character Dorothy. She was in slippers, but she had on the dress that she’d be wearing for the show, the iconic blue and white dress, cut just a little shorter than usual to give her a full range of motion as she danced. She looked cute, and it made your heart skip a beat. The butterflies were back.

“Hey,” you said for a lack of anything else to say, giving her a small smile. She blinked, seeming to finally realize what was happening, and quickly stepped to the side, smiling back at you.

“(Y/N)! You made it!”

“I did. Doyeon, Yoojung, and Chaeyoung are with me, but they went to go get seats.” When she closed the door, the room felt like it got smaller, but you tried to ignore it as you stood awkwardly in the middle, unsure of what to do.

“Oh, you can sit down in one of the chairs! It’s just me using this room and the makeup artist already left,” she said, gently touching your arm to lead you over to a small seating area at the opposite side of the mirrors. Carefully, you sat down, allowing space for her to sit down next to you. “I’m glad you made it.” She was telling the truth, you could tell it from the way she said it, and it soothed your nerves.

“I’m glad I made it too,” you said, trying to keep it lighthearted as you looked at her. Wow, had you missed her smile. And it had only been a day. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, confident! I was a little nervous before but our rehearsals went well so I feel better.” She tugged at one of the braids, letting out a soft laugh. “I bet I look weird right now, though.”

“No, you look cute.” The words came out on their own, like they had been since you met her, and you could feel your cheeks heating up again. But you didn’t regret it, especially when it made her ears turn pink and her eyes get a little wider.

“Oh, really?”

“Really. I like the braids.” A wide smile, one that showed those dimples you liked so much, broke across her face, and she looked down at her hair again.

“Thank you.” The air still felt a bit awkward, but the thickness that had been there when you first arrived had gotten lighter, and when her hand moved over to cover yours, it felt right. For a moment, the two of you just sat there, not saying anything. Then, swallowing, you turned to look at her again.

“Um, I got you something.” Again, her eyes widened as she looked at you, curiosity crossing her face. Quickly, you reached into your purse and pulled out the keychain, displaying it to her before you could have second thoughts. Her mouth dropped open, and she slowly brought up her hand to touch the ballerina charm, almost like she couldn’t believe her eyes. “I meant to give it to you yesterday, but....” You trailed off for a moment before picking back up, not wanting things to feel awkward again. “I figured it might give you good luck before the show tonight. And I really wanted you to have it.”

There was something unreadable and soft in her eyes as she picked up the keychain and looked from it to you, and then back again.

“Wait, when did you get this?”

“When we were at the mall Wednesday,” you admitted, “when I said that I was going to buy the book keychain, I did it so that you wouldn’t suspect anything. You looked so excited when you saw it, I just.... Wanted to see you smile like that again.” She held the keychain to her chest, mouth slightly open, searching for the words to say.

“I.... Thank you. I don’t know what else to say, this is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,” she said, voice wavering, and you panicked a bit. She was wearing full show makeup, and you’d never meant to make her cry. But then she surged forward and wrapped her arms around you, holding you tight. It was the first time she’d hugged you, the first time she’d done anything other than hold your hand, and for a moment, you froze up.

Slowly, you brought your arms up to hug her back, breathing in the smell of her perfume as you fell for her even further. She was so warm, and you didn’t want to pull away.

“Lua, you have five minutes!” An unfamiliar voice broke the moment from the door, and Lua quickly pulled away, wiping gently at her eyes before looking back up and you and giving you a smile so brilliant it outshone that florescent lighting of the room.

“Sorry. It looks like I’ve got to go.”

“That’s okay!” You jumped up from your seat and closed your purse, eyes moving across her face to make sure you hadn’t messed up her makeup in any way. Thankfully, everything still looked amazing, and you smiled at her. “Good luck. I’m looking forward to seeing your performance,” you said, moving towards the door. She stood up as well and seemed to be debating whether to say something as she walked you to the door.

When you stood just outside the door, and her just inside, she stopped.

“(Y/N)?”

“Yes?”

“You’re making it really hard not to like you.”

-

Your head was spinning has you made your way over to where your friends were sitting, so spaced out that it was a miracle you didn’t trip and fall. As you got closer, you could see that the rest of Lua’s friends had joined, but that there was a seat left for you between Chaeyoung and Yoojung.

“How’d it go?” A voice sounded behind you and you jumped, spinning around to come face-to-face with Doyeon.

“Um.” You didn’t know what to say, because you were still processing what Lua had said. Was that a good thing? A bad thing? You’d been unable to respond because the stage manager had come up and shooed you away, so you were stuck with her words whirling around in your head. Her raised her eyebrows.

“(Y/N)?”

“I-I don’t know how to explain it,” you said, looking down at the floor. You hardly knew Doyeon, and she was still intimidating to be along with. But to your surprise, she put her hand on your shoulder.

“That’s alright. Why don’t we go sit back down with Chaeyoung, and if you’re comfortable, you can tell us about it then?” You looked at her, touched that she somehow seemed to know exactly how you were feeling.

“Thanks. I’d like that.”

All eyes were on you when you stepped up to your chair, and Lua’s friends waved at you, some of them looking a bit curious. What had they been expecting to happen when you went back there?

“How did it go?” Chaeyoung asked as you sat down, echoing Doyeon’s words from earlier. But with Chaeyoung there, you felt more comfortable, and you’d had a little bit more time to process it now.

“Well…. I don’t know.” Everyone’s eyes were on you, and you swallowed. “I gave her the keychain.”

“Did she like it?” Chaeyoung reached over to put her hand over yours, calming your nerves down a bit.

“I think so. But she said something.” As you spoke, everyone leaned in closer, and the lights dimmed. You glanced around, shutting your mouth, but Yoojung waved her hand.

“You’re good, the band will play before the show starts. What did she say?” Having everyone looking at you made you a bit uncomfortable, but you figured they should know. They were Lua’s friends, they might know what she meant.

So you told them what she’d said, and watched as their eyes widened and they looked at each other. Chaeyoung’s grip on your hand tightened and her other hand came up to cover her mouth.

“Wow. So she really does like you,” Suyeon said, eyebrows raising as she turned to look at Elly beside her. “I didn’t believe it at first.”

“Not because there’s anything wrong with you,” Elly clarified for her, “it’s just that Lua hasn’t liked anyone since… well, you know.” You glanced over at Chaeyoung, who gave you a sheepish smile.

“I told them that we knew about everything because Yoojung brought it up. I hope you don’t mind?”

“I don’t,” you assured her, shaking your head and looking up at the stage. Her friends had said it themselves, and as much as you could hardly believe it, it had to be true: Lua liked you too. The butterflies started up again and your heart squeezed in your chest, and you wondered if this was what it felt like to be in love. You’d never felt any of this before, and it was a bit overwhelming, but in a good way. 

The other girls looked like they wanted to say something, but the band had finished playing and the curtains were raising, so they settled back in their seats instead. Swallowing, you sat back and put your hand over your chest, willing your heart to calm down as the show started.

-

If Lua was cute doing everyday things, here she was stunning. From the moment that she came on stage, you couldn’t take your eyes off her. When you’d been with her, she’d shown that she could be slightly clumsy. She was known to be a tomboy and enjoy comfortable clothes and her mouth dropped open slightly when she slept and she was so incredibly loud when she talked and laughed.

But onstage, she was graceful and beautiful, another side to the girl you were still learning so much about. You were sure the audience would never guess what she acted like offstage, because she was so good. She never missed a step and her facial expressions were perfect, taking your breath away every time she was onstage.

As the ballet neared the climax, her eyes met yours in the crowd, and she smiled that brilliant smile that made your heart jump and stop. She was beautiful. And you really, really liked her.

The final dance ended, and the entire cast came onstage to bow, but you still couldn’t take your eyes off Lua. Somehow you even drowned out the clapping around you, and for a moment, her eyes met yours and it felt like the two of you were the only two in the auditorium. It was when she looked away that you made up your mind.

You weren’t going to be afraid anymore. You were going to pursue this, no matter where it took you.

-

After the show had finished, you made your way back to her dressing room again, following the familiar path with your heart beating hard inside your chest. Everyone else was somewhere behind you, but you were only focused on the path ahead of you that led to her.

The door was open slightly, and you didn’t hesitate this time when you reached up to knock on the door.

When she answered, she was smiling, strands of hair falling out of the braids and her cheeks flushed with excitement and exertion. She still looked so cute and pretty after giving it her best, eyes sparkling as she stepped to the side to let you in.

“(Y/N)! Did you enjoy the show?” You gave her a smile, opting to stand in front of her this time as she shut the door.

“I did. You were incredible up there.” She beamed, positively glowing, and reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Thank you, I-.” If you didn’t say it now, you’d lose the courage to say it ever. So you interrupted her, rushing over your words.

“You know, you make it hard not to like you too.” You caught her off guard and her eyes widened, mouth dropping slightly open before her entire face flushed and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth.

“W-wait, you-? What do you mean?” It was such a cute reaction, and you knew your cheeks were flushed too as you let out a nervous laugh.

“I like you, Lua. More than just as a friend.” It was like a million emotions went across her face at once.

“Since when?” She asked, slowly bringing her hand down.

“I don’t really know, honestly. Tuesday? Wednesday?” It was embarrassing to admit it and you had to fight the urge to escape the situation.

“Oh my god. This entire time, I’ve been trying not to like you, and you’ve liked me back? I didn’t have to worry about anything?” She groaned and stepped forward, putting her head on your shoulder, and you didn’t really know what to do.

“I’m sorry? I didn’t know you liked me either.” She let out a sigh, but when she brought her head up to look at you again, she was smiling.

“You don’t have to apologize. We were both a little dumb. I’m just not used to all this stuff.”

“Same here. I’ve never dated anyone,” you said, regretting it almost immediately as your face flushed again and you glanced down at the floor out of embarrassment.

“Wow, really?”

“Yeah, I mean, who wants to date the math nerd?” You said, trying to joke the awkwardness away.

“I do.” She had to stop saying stuff like this, because your heart couldn’t take it. “Also, here’s a little secret. I’ve only dated one person I really liked.”

“But you’ve dated plenty of people,” you pointed out.

“It’s not like I really do anything with them other than maybe hold their hand. I don’t do any of the things with them that... that I want to do with you.”

“Oh-.”

“Can I kiss you?” It came so out of the blue, but her eyes were so earnest, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to kiss her too.

“I’ll probably be bad at it,” you said, voice wavering.

“You won’t know unless you try.” She was so... magnetic. You found yourself moving closer, as if your body had a mind of its own. Every bit of you just wanted to be held by her.

“Then yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes, you can kiss me.” She grinned at your words and leaned forward, taking you into her arms. You wrapped your arms around her shoulders, shy because you didn’t really know what to do, and she brought a hand up to cup your cheek. Your eyes fluttered closed at her touch, and the next thing you knew, she was kissing you.

It took you a moment to tentatively kiss her back, pulling her closer without realizing exactly what you were doing.

And then she was pulling away, and both of you had matching pink cheeks. Her eyes met yours, and both of you burst into giggles, leaning back into each other.

“You aren’t bad,” she said, eyes sparkling. “But I don’t think it would hurt to teach you some more.” The butterflies started up again and you gave her a look, trying and failing to not smile.

“Your friends will be here any minute.”

“What? So they can’t see me kissing you?”

“It’s embarrassing,” you whined, and she beamed, letting her forehead fall against yours. She was so beautiful up-close, and for the first time, you noticed how dark and deep her eyes were. You could feel yourself falling into them, because they were focused on you, and only you.

“Just one more kiss,” she said, voice a whisper, and you couldn’t resist her. Everyone would probably burst through the door at any moment, and it would be embarrassing, and the two of you would probably never be able to live it down. But she was warm and inviting and your lips tingled for the chance to taste her again, so you couldn’t bring yourself to care, letting your eyes flutter closed.

When you’d gotten back to Chaeyoung’s house, the two of you had (finally) changed out of the uncomfortable leather clothes, Heejin and Hyunjin had decided to crash too, and then they’d made you spill all the details. But there really wasn’t much to spill. Lua had been surprisingly understanding, and she hadn’t forced you into anything.

“Boring,” Hyunjin said once you’d finished telling them what had happened, rolling further into the blankets. “I was expecting some juicy details.”

“You know (Y/N) isn’t going to kiss on the first date. She hasn’t even had her first kiss yet,” Chaeyoung said, making you flush and clutch the pillow in your arms closer.

“Neither have you,” you grumbled, but she didn’t seem to listen to you, arguing with a drunk Hyunjin over whether or not it was bad to kiss on the first date. Heejin was already asleep, and you wished you could sleep too. But every time you closed your eyes, you saw Lua, and the text on your phone.

-Hey baby, it’s Lua. Have a good night, I’ll see you at school on Monday!💕

You hated the way your heart jumped at the word “baby”, and at the heart emoji at the end of the text. You’d replied, only to let her know that you’d read the text, but you couldn’t just forget about it. And you couldn’t tune out your friends, who were gradually getting louder as they talked.

You could tell it was going to be a long night.

-

By the time Monday rolled around, you were so nervous you debated pretending that you were sick. Was Lua really going to go through with this, dating a loser like you? What would the popular girls think? Were you going to get mobbed as soon as you stepped foot onto the school grounds?

But you got dressed and grabbed your backpack anyway, knowing that your parents would be able to tell that you weren’t actually sick. That, and you were a bit curious. Not that you would admit it if anyone asked. Lua had been different on Friday, at least different than you’d seen her at school, and you were curious to see if she would reveal anything else about herself.

Maybe it was that curiosity that led you towards the school despite your nervousness.

Good morning! I’ll see you soon! The morning text had read, and you’d replied with a simple good morning, not sure what else to say, trying to ignore the beating of your heart. But the beating hadn’t gone away, and it was still there as you stepped onto the school grounds, looking down at your phone.

“Hey, (Y/N)! Good morning!” You looked up at the familiar voice to see Lua jogging towards you and waving her hand wildly, a huge grin on her face. She was wearing an oversize pink hoodie, ripped jeans, and pink and black converse, with a black beanie on her head. You had never noticed the amount of pink she wore before, but it stood out to you now.

“Oh, Lua. Good morning.” You hoped that you didn’t come off as cold because of your nervous answer, stalling to let her catch up to you and sliding your phone into your pocket. “How are you?”

“I’m great! Better now that I’m with you.” She gave you a wink as she spoke, and to your annoyance, your stomach twisted at the sight. “Did you have a good weekend? Rest up?”

“Yeah,” you said, knowing you were kind of lying. You’d barely slept a wink all weekend. “What about you?” She stretched her arms above her head, and you tried to concentrate on walking and looking at her at the same time.

“Well, I had a lot of practice this weekend for the ballet show I have this coming Friday, so I didn’t get much sleep. But it was a good weekend.”

“Oh, you have a show? What are you performing?” She raised her eyebrows, like she was surprised that you cared, before she smiled again.

“The Wizard of Oz,” she said, eyes twinkling, “and I’m getting to play Dorthy. It’s only my second play to be the main character, so I’m pretty nervous about it.”

“I’m sure you’ll be great.” She stopped and looked at you, making that nervous feeling start up all over again. “I-I mean, you’ve practiced a lot, right? Practice never lets you down.” She smiled again, but it seemed soft this time. Something about it made your heart jump.

“Thank you, (Y/N). I’ll do my best.”

-

The two of you had no classes together, so you didn’t see her again until lunch. As you were packing your bags up, about to take out your phone because you were sure she’d sent you a text, your friend Seoyeon let out a gurgling sound and hit your arm.

“(Y/N), Lua is at the classroom door. Do you think she’s waiting for someone?” You glanced back, and sure enough, there she was, standing there at the door and looking a little awkward. She’d probably never been near the honors math classes before. Sighing, you nodded your head.

“Yeah. She’s actually here for me.” Seoyeon’s eyes widened even more.

“What?”

“So, remember when I went to that party with Chaeyoung?” Soeyeon nodded, and you gestured at the door, standing up.

“Well, turns out that they sometimes draw the names of the guests for prizes. And Friday’s prize just happened to be dating Lua.”

“You’re dating Lua?” Seoyeon stood up, looking like she didn’t believe you, but as the two of you walked towards the door, Lua’s eyes caught yours and she smiled.

“What’s up, (Y/N)? My class gets out a little bit early so I thought I’d come over to pick you up for lunch,” she said, standing up from where she’d been leaning against the wall. “Is this one of your friends?” You nodded, and Seoyeon’s mouth dropped open.

“This is Seoyeon, she’s friends with me and Chaeyoung. Seoyeon, this is Lua.”

“Hi,” Seoyeon said, sounding strangled. But Lua gave her a grin anyway.

“Nice to meet you, Seoyeon! I hope you don’t mind me stealing my girlfriend (Y/N) here for lunch?” Seoyeon shook her head mechanically, and Lua reached down to hold your hand, laughing. “Thanks. Have a good day, Seoyeon!” She tugged you forward, and you gave your friend a little wave as she stood, shocked, in the doorway.

“Where are we going?” You asked as you caught up to her.

“Out. I can’t stand the cafeteria food here. Plus, people would bother us in there,” she said, and then turned to give you a wink. “Don’t worry, my treat.” You swallowed and tried to ignore the butterflies that were starting to form in your stomach.

“You have a car?”

“I do. What are you in the mood for?” Your mind was blank when you tried to think of places around the school, so you ended up shrugging.

“Whatever you’re down with is fine, I’m not in the mood for anything.”

“Burgers it is, then.” She pulled her keys out of her pocket, and your eyes caught on the Elmo keychain hanging from her keys. She noticed you staring at it, and her cheeks flushed slightly. “Oh, this is my Elmo keychain. My mom got it for me.”

“It’s cute,” you said, smiling as she held it up. “It suits you, somehow.”

“Really?” She smiled as she looked at it. “I’ve liked Elmo since I was a kid. He makes me smile, you know?”

“Lua, that’s seriously adorable.” She giggled and shook her head, and she looked so cute when she did it that it took you by surprise. Since when had Kim Lua been cute? “What’s the story behind it?”

“Well, my mom thought it would be funny.”

As the two of you neared her car, and she told you the story of how she’d ended up with an Elmo keychain, you began to doubt your initial thoughts. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

-

The burger place was crowded, but the girl behind the host stand managed to seat the two of you rather quickly, blushing slightly when Lua gave her a thankful smile. So being attractive really was useful.

“Order whatever you want,” she said as she picked up the menu, looking over it carefully. You’d only been here once, with your friends, so your eyes searched the menu for the burger you’d had the last time. It was something pretty small, but enough to fill you up, especially since it came with fries and a drink.

When it came time to order, however, Lua ordered pretty much the biggest burger on the menu, alongside large fries and a milkshake. At first, you thought she might have ordered one meal for both of you, until she handed her menu to the waitress and looked over at you, waiting for you to order. With a shaky voice, you did, so surprised you’d almost forgotten what you’d wanted.

“Working out as much as I do works up an appetite,” she said when the waitress left, apparently reading the look on your face. “I can eat a lot in one sitting. It’s kind of crazy.”

“I was just surprised,” you said, twisting your hands together under the table. “I can’t eat that much for lunch.”

“Normally I wouldn’t either, but after this weekend....” She trailed off and shook her head, taking a sip of the water the waitress had brought both of you before you ordered. You got the feeling that she was exhausted under her bouncy personality, and even though she was wearing makeup, you could just make out the appearance of bags under her eyes.

“Do you have a free period?” The question was a little out of the blue, but they tumbled over your lips before you could stop them. She looked up at you, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, I do. It’s 6th period.”

“So is mine. Usually I just study in the library, but it’s really quiet in there and they have really comfortable beanbag chairs. You could probably get a quick nap in.” An unreadable emotion crossed her face, and then she grinned, resting her head in her hand.

“You know, I’d like that. I didn’t even know the librarians let people nap in there.” You shrugged, trying to play nonchalant.

“I’ve never slept in there, but I’ve seen a lot of other kids do it.”

The food came out, and the conversation shifted as Lua admired the bun on her hamburger. But you got the feeling that the two of you had gotten a little bit closer.

-

Lua had ended up meeting you in the library, and just as you’d thought, she’d fallen asleep almost immediately. For the first time in your life, you found yourself distracted from your studies. In her sleep, Lua looked much less intimating and much cuter, beanie sliding off her head as she curled up, hoodie sleeves over her hands.

There weren’t many other people in the library, so nobody would be around to notice if you tucked her hair behind her ears and shifted the chair slightly so that she’d be more comfortable. And if you leaned forward at a weird angle to make sure that the sun streaming in through the windows didn’t hit her face, you weren’t going to admit it.

It was all worth it, though, when the bell rang and Lua stretched, eyes looking more awake and a sleepy smile on her lips as she leaned against you and told you that she wished she could just skip her English class. Of course, you’d never condone skipping any classes. But maybe, just maybe, the idea didn’t sound as bad as it usually did coming from her lips.

-

“So, how’s dating Lua going?” Chaeyoung asked as she sprawled across your bed, apparently tired of her math homework. You looked up from your own homework and stalled, thinking for a moment.

“It’s fine,” you said, because you really didn’t know how to describe it. It was Tuesday, and Lua was quite busy on Tuesdays with club activities, but the two of you had still spend lunch together, where you sat on the same side of the booth and she rested her head on your shoulder and complained about her extra dance classes as she ate. Nothing about it was bad, and actually, you were kind of enjoying it. She was easier to talk to than you’d first imagined.

“Just fine?”

“It’s not bad. I don’t really know how to describe it.” She rolled over and looked at you, head tilted and eyebrows raised.

“Has she tried to kiss you yet?”

“No! She’s actually really considerate. She doesn’t do anything I’m not comfortable with.”

“That’s kind of surprising. I thought she’d be the type to try and seduce you right away.”

“Maybe not,” you said, thinking back to the first night. Sure, she had leaned forward to kiss you, but she hadn’t made any kind of move otherwise. And it seemed like she wasn’t expecting to lean forward either.

Your phone buzzed, and you looked down at the text. It was from Lua, like most of your texts had been for the last few days.

-I’m exhausted, why is ballet so hard

Attached was a selfie she’d taken, laying down on the floor of her practice room. It was cute, but she looked exhausted.

-Please get some rest soon

“Yoojung and Doyeon told me that she’s actually a really nice person,” Chaeyoung said, rolling back over to stare at the ceiling. You glanced back up at her. “I told them I was a little bit worried about you and they told me that I shouldn’t be because Lua would never do anything weird.” She laughed softly. “I guess all these popular people aren’t that bad after all.”

-I will! Don’t worry about me!

“I wouldn’t say all of them,” you said, locking your phone and turning back around to start working again. “But.... Yeah. I think Lua is a good person.” From everything you’d seen, at least. You still weren’t sure what to think of her, but your negative thoughts of her were beginning to fade away one by one.

“Yeah. I think she is.”

-

“Hey, do you want to do something after school?” You looked up at Lua, who was once again sitting in the beanbag chair next to your in the library. Although this time, she wasn’t sleeping. She was wide awake and looking at you.

“After school?” So far, the only time the two of you spent together was during school hours. You’d figured that she liked it that way, that staying on the school was normal when she was “dating” someone. This was different, though, so maybe not.

“Yeah, I don’t have practice tonight, so I’m free. We could go to the mall or something.” You looked down at your math homework, pressing your pencil to your lips. Its not like you had anything going on, but the idea of seeing her outside of school felt oddly intimate. Was this a date? The idea made you too nervous, so you tried not to think about it.

“I’m free,” you said, not daring to look back over at her. “Are we going to go directly after school?”

“Yeah. I mean, if that’s okay with you. You could leave your backpack in my car so you aren’t lugging it around, and I’ll drop you off afterwards.” It sounded like a date, and you hoped your cheeks weren’t heating up too much. But you found yourself wanting to go.

“It’s okay with me.” You glanced over at her. “Should I meet you in the parking lot?” She grinned and shook her head.

“I’ll come pick you up. Don’t worry.” You let out a short laugh, shaking your head and looking back at your homework.

“Whatever you say.” She giggled, and you found yourself smiling, looking forward to your last class.

-

It was weird, knowing that someone was going to be picking you up from your class. Beforehand, you would have never thought of it, but now, you almost expected it. Especially since she always picked you up for lunch.

So when the final bell rang and you turned around to look at the door with all your things in hand, you weren’t surprised to see her standing there, backpack already on her shoulders. You smiled as you walked up to her, raising your eyebrows.

“What, did you skip last class or something? How did you get here so fast?” She laughed and shook her head, immediately holding out her hands to help you with your books.

“I didn’t skip or anything. Our classes are really close together, and my teacher let us out a little early today because we finished all our work.”

“Lucky,” you said, shaking your head as the two of you walked towards your locker to get your things. “I don’t have one teacher that I think would let me out early.”

“That’s because you’re smart and in honors classes. You have to work hard. Us dummies are just sliding by.”

“Oh whatever, you aren’t dumb,” you said, giving her a look as you stopped at your locker. Really, she wasn’t. She might not be an honors student, but she still got decent grades in her classes despite never studying. It’s not like it was bad to be a straight-B student.

“Thanks, I guess.” You put your things into your backpack and shifted it onto your shoulder as you closed and locked your locker.

“So, to the mall?” She gave you a grin and nodded, pulling out her keys.

“To the mall. I’m starving, we have to get something to eat when we get there.” Laughing, you fell back into step alongside her.

“Seriously, how do you eat so much? You had a full sub sandwich for lunch.”

“Hey, being a dancer works up an appetite!” Her hand fell into yours, and it felt natural. Comfortable. You wondered when you’d stopped being apprehensive about being this close to her.

“Are you ready?” She asked as the two of you approached her car, and you bit your lip. This was new territory. Were you ready for this?

“I’m ready.” Your mouth seemed to decide for you as the words tumbled out, and she smiled and unlocked the car.

“Awesome! To the mall we go, then.”

-

The mall was crowded, even on a Wednesday evening, but Lua didn’t seem to care, holding your hand as she guided you towards the food court.

“Food, finally. I’ll treat you!” You weren’t really that hungry, but the pizza did smell good. “What do you want?”

“Is there anything small?” You asked, peering at the menu as she led you into the line for pizza.

“I believe they can give you, like, a half slice. The pizza slices are huge here.”

“Then I’ll just get that.”

Soon enough the two of you were sitting at one of the little tables in the corner, ankles touching with plates of pizza in front of you. Lua looked excited as she took a bite, and she let out a happy little noise as she chewed, making you chuckle. She was surprisingly cute, you’d come to realize. Whether it was her love of Elmo, or her excitement over food, or the way her mouth pouted when she slept. In fact, she’d been nothing like you’d thought she was the entire week. She hadn’t tried to kiss you, and hadn’t pressured you into anything. You hadn’t heard of her flirting with any other girls, either.

The pizza was good, but for some reason, you couldn’t tear your eyes away from Lua. She talked in-between bites, telling you how her ballet had moved on to dress rehearsals, and how it had been stressful recently because the boy playing the tin-man had sprained his ankle. She was wearing a soft oversize pink sweater and black leggings, and her hair was back in a slightly sloppy ponytail, and she looked more like the girl-next-door than the playgirl you’d thought of her as.

“Do you want to get Starbucks?” She finished her food so quickly that you struggled to keep up, even though you’d gotten a smaller portion. But coffee did sound good. “I have a giftcard, Rina’s sister works there so she gives us these sometimes.” She pulled the card out of her pocket with an exaggerated movement and you laughed.

“We can go get coffee, sure.”

Surprisingly, the Starbucks wasn’t that busy and the two of you had your drinks in hand in no time. You took a sip of your drink and smiled as Lua slipped her hand back into yours, the two of you moving back into the crowded walkway.

“I need something for gymnastics, do you mind if we go to the sporting goods store?” She turned to look at you, and you shook your head, but she didn’t look away. Instead, she took out the napkin she’d gotten with her coffee from her pocket and reached over, gently wiping at the side of your lip. “You had some of your drink there,” she said, smiling and folding the napkin up. You stared at her for a moment, shocked at the softness of the gesture, before you shook yourself.

“Um, thank you. So, to the sporting goods store?” She nodded, looking away, and you wondered if you were imagining the pink in her cheeks.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

-

“Oh, this is so cute!” You turned around to see Lua looking at a cluster of keychains inside the store and wandered back over to her to peer over her shoulder.

“Which one?”

“They’re all cute, but especially this one.” Her fingers hovered over a keychain in the shape of a heart with a cute little ballerina charm and a little pink tassel hanging from it. Alongside the ballerina was a little round charm, that, when Lua turned it around, had a letter on it. “Oh, you can even get your first initial on it! That’s so cute!”

“It is really cute,” you said, eyes searching the others behind it. One with an “L” was only two chains behind, but Lua stood up and sighed.

“I shouldn’t buy anything like this right now, though,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve been spending too much money on food.” You felt a bit guilty for letting her treat you every time, and resolved to pay the next time the two of you went to eat. Still, the smile she’d had when she’d picked up they keychain lingered in your mind, and as she turned around, you reached down to grab one with a book charm on it.

“Um, I’m going to buy this one,” you said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, because you were really bad at lying. She seemed to buy it, though, and nodded towards the gymnastics area.

“Okay! I’m going to go over and grab what I need, and I’ll meet you at the register.”

“Sounds good,” you said, giving her a smile. As soon as she’d started walking away, you quickly bent down to get the ballerina keychain with the “L”.

The the time she got to the register with what she’d needed, you were already checked out, and the ballet keychain was safely stored in your pocket in case she wanted to see the one you’d bought for yourself.

-

The night seemed to fly by, and before you realized it, it had gotten dark outside and the two of you were back in Lua’s car, heading to your place. You looked down at the time on your phone, surprised at how long you’d stayed out. It was a wonder your parents hadn’t gotten worried.

“You aren’t in trouble or anything, are you?” She asked, glancing over at you with a worried look on her face. You shook your head and put your phone down.

“No, don’t worry. I was just surprised at the time.”

“Oh. Right? Time just flew by somehow.” So you weren’t the only one who felt that way. You looked out the window at the familiar scenery as the two of you neared your house, and you found yourself wishing that it would take a little bit longer to get there. For some reason, you just wanted to spend a little more time with her.

“Turn right here,” you directed, pointing to the street that led to your place. She quietly obeyed, and the two of you drove in silence the rest of the way, with just the faint sound of EXID’s “Don’t Wanna Drive” playing over the speakers. “We’re here.”

She pulled up and put the car into park, but neither of you made a move to get out. After a moment, you looked up at her, and her eyes met yours. The air felt heavy with an emotion that you weren’t familiar with, and you felt your heart beating hard in your chest. Wasn’t this a scene out of the movies, when the character’s would have their first kiss?

But Lua swallowed and looked away first.

“Hey, do you want to come to my show on Friday?” Why did you feel disappointed somehow?

“Do you want me to come?” You asked, leaning down to pick your backpack up from where it rested at your feet.

“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be asking.” Your phone buzzed, probably with a text from your parents, but you ignored it.

“Then I’ll come. Do I need a ticket or something?”

“I’ll give them to you tomorrow at lunch. You can bring a friend if you want, my friends are all coming too.” Your ringtone went off, signalling a call from your parents, and you sighed.

“I guess I’ve got to go now before they start freaking out,” you said, shifting your backpack in your lap and turning to give her a little smile. She smiled back and unlocked the doors, but it wasn’t the wide smile she usually gave you. It was unsettling not to see her dimples.

“Have a good night.” Her voice was soft as you opened the door, and you looked back at her again as you got out.

“You too. Get home safely.” When you closed the door, she waved, and you waved back before heading inside. Of course, she waited until you had gotten inside the door before she drove off. You looked back, watching her go and wondering why your chest felt so heavy as your parents called for you, asking why you’d been out so late.

-

“Dude, everyone’s been complaining about you,” Hyunjin said as she met you outside your homeroom class, her eyebrows raised. You wrinkled your nose, not used to anyone even knowing who you were, much less talking about you behind your back.

“Why? What are they saying?” You asked as the two of you headed to your desks. Hyunjin sighed and sat down sideways in her chair.

“Well, Lua hasn’t been flirting with anyone since she started ‘dating’ you. She’s hardly been around at all, and apparently some of the girls she used to flirt with frequently are upset because she hasn’t talked to them all week. I overheard a bunch of girls talking about it at lunch yesterday, and some of the girls I hang out with were talking about it this morning.” You slumped down into your seat and put your head in your hands, groaning. It was too early in the morning to be thinking about this, especially since you hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before.

“What the heck? How is this my fault?” Your friend shrugged her shoulders and hooked her foot over yours, trying to comfort you in her own, weird way.

“I guess Lua has never acted like this when she’s ‘dated’ someone before,” she said, making you roll your eyes.

“Whatever. I’m sure she has, it’s not like I’m special.” She was quiet for a few moments.

“(Y/N), what makes you think that you aren’t special?”

“Look at me,” you said, pulling your hands away from your face, “I’m a loser. I’m an honors student in the math club with no dating experience and hardly any social skills. Why would she think I’m special?” It was a bitter thing to think about, and you hated that you felt emotional about it. Hyunjin was giving you a look that you couldn’t really decipher, especially since you’d never seen her look at you like that. She seemed serious all of a sudden.

“You’re an interesting person, (Y/N). Seriously, I’ve never seen Lua act this way with someone. I think she really likes you.” You wanted to tell her not to get your hopes up, but you didn’t even want to admit to yourself that you’d started liking Lua.

“Sure,” you ended up saying instead, shaking your head. “Anyway, did you say anything to the girls who were talking?”

“Well, not yesterday, because I was with Heejin and she didn’t want me to get into a fight, because some of the volleyball girls were there and they’re crazy. But I did speak up this morning. I told them that I was your friend and not to talk about you like that because none of this was your fault and they shut up.” You couldn’t help laughing a bit.

“That’s because you’re scary, Hyunjin. You probably gave them that glare of yours.”

“I’m not that scary. I think it was because Yeri backed me up and told them that they were being jealous and should get a life.” You laughed again.

“She’s scary too! The combination of you two much have been too much for them to handle. I’m surprised they didn’t run away.” Hyunjin stuck her tongue out at you.

“If I’m so scary, why aren’t you afraid of me?”

“Because I know you’re actually a puppy underneath your scary glare,” you said, blowing her a playful kiss. She pretended to wave it away and then crossed her arms and turned in her chair, pouting. “Thank you, though. For sticking up for me.”

“Yeah, well....” She turned to look at you and gave you a smile. “You’re my friend, aren’t you?” You smiled back, and held back the urge to cry and hug her. “That’s just what friends do.”

“Still. Thank you.”

-

When lunch rolled around, your phone buzzed with a text. As you picked up your things, you checked the text.

-Hey, meet me in the parking lot today. You know where I usually park, right?

It felt... Weird, that she wasn’t picking you up like she usually did. But you figured she had her own reasons.

-I’ll be right there

As you made your way over to your locker to put away your books, you were suddenly aware of the eyes on your back. Nobody was saying anything, not that you could hear, anyway, but you could still feel them watching. If this was what it was like to be popular, you pitied Lua and Hyunjin, because it felt awkward and you hated it.

So you finished at your locker as quickly as you could and made your way towards the parking lot, shoving your hands into your pockets. It was then that you remembered that you’d slipped the keychain you’d bought for her into your pocket that morning. Quietly, you took it out and looked at it as you walked towards the parking lot. Would she be happy when you gave it to her? Or was this going to far, since you were only her “girlfriend” for the week?

As you neared the parking lot, you put it back and shook your head, trying to get rid of the negative thoughts. You swore that your grades were going to drop over all this, because all you could think about was her.

“(Y/N), over here!” You looked up to see Lua standing by her car and waving. She was grinning, like usually was, and you pushed away the dark feelings to smile back, making your way over to her.

“Your class get out late today or something?”

“Yeah. I guess I can’t always get lucky,” she said, opening the driver’s side door, but something in her voice made you glance at her out of the side of your eye as you got in the car. 

“Guess not,” you said, not wanting to show any doubts when it very well could just be your imagination. “Anyway, lunch today is my treat.”

“You don’t have to-.”

“Just let me get it, you’ve been treating me this whole time. I want to treat you for once.” She looked at you for a moment, before finally shifting the car into drive.

“Okay. I’ll let you treat me.” Again, her voice was softer than usual, and you tried not to think too much about it as the car pulled out of the parking lot and she asked you where you wanted to go in her normal voice.

-

Once again, you looked down at the ballet keychain. You hadn’t managed to give it to her during lunch, and now that you were heading to the library for your free period, you wondered if you could muster up the courage there. As you neared your usual meet-up spot, you slipped it back into your pocket and eased your expression, giving the librarian a smile as you made your way over to the beanbag chairs.

She wasn’t there yet, but that was normal. Her class before the free period usually rang a little long, and she tended to stop by her locker before she headed over. As you sat down, you realized that you’d memorized her schedule, and the butterflies in your stomach decided to start up again. That was totally a girlfriend thing to do, wasn’t it? You didn’t even know all your friend’s schedules perfectly.

You patted your cheeks as quietly as you could and then opened your math notebook, determined to get some studying done. But then footsteps sounded in the library, nearing you, and you looked up to see the girl you’d been unable to get out of your head.

It took you a moment to realize that she had a weird look on her face, and she wasn’t looking at you. She was looking at the floor with her hands in her hoodie pocket. Immediately, you were worried, sitting up as she got closer.

“Lua? Are you okay?” Her eyes darted up to you before she glanced away again.

“Yeah, it’s just. Um.” She couldn’t get the words out, or she didn’t know how to say them, stalled as she bit her lip. “Here’s the tickets for tomorrow,” she said instead, pulling two long papers from her pocket and holding them out towards you. Carefully, you took them, your nerves beginning to kick up. Had something happened? Did you say something?

“Thank you. But really, are you okay? You aren’t sick, are you?” She shook her head and shoved her hands back into her hoodie.

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry, (Y/N).” Your eyes widened.

“Sorry for what?”

“It seems like I’ve caused you trouble.... People were saying mean things, and it’s my fault. I’m sorry.” Your heart jumped in your chest and you sat the tickets down, searching for the words to say. You’d never been in a situation like this, and you had no idea what to do.

“Lua, that isn’t- You don’t have to-.” She raised her hand and gave you a small smile, finally looking up at you, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes and your heart dropped.

“It’s okay. I’ll leave you alone for a little while so they stop. I’m sorry.” With those words, she gave you a little wave and turned around, making her way out of the library. You couldn’t say anything to stop her, words stuck in your throat as you watched her go, hands clutching at the chair underneath you.

For a moment, you just sat there in shock. The world stopped spinning and you sat rooted to the spot, everything going silent around you. Then, slowly, you looked down at your math homework and felt your stomach turn, feeling like you might get sick.

For the first time in your high school career, you left before the school day was over.

“Your face is so pale, you seem so weak. You must have caught something,” the nurse had said, turning to call your parents to pick you up. Little did she know what was causing it.

Your pocket weighed heavy as you dropped your backpack beside your bed and flopped down, burying your face in your pillows.

It had been a while since you’d last cried, but apparently your body remembered how just fine, and the tears you’d been holding in for so long spilled out, burning your eyes and your throat as you cried until it seemed like you had no more tears left.

-

When you’d called Chaeyoung, voice rough with tears, and asked her to come over, she’d agreed right away.

“I’ll be right there. Do you need me to bring anything?”

“Ice cream? Please.”

Instead of one girl at your door, though, it was three. Hyunjin and Heejin stood behind Chaeyoung, and she gave you a worried look.

“You sounded really upset over the phone, and I’m not good at emotional stuff like Heejin is, and plus she has a car, and when Hyunjin heard that you sounded like you were crying she was about to go beat someone up so Heejin insisted on bringing her to keep her out of trouble,” she rambled, and Hyunjin looked down at the floor, looking both embarrassed and worried at the same time. Heejin put her hands on both their shoulders, stopping Chaeyoung from talking anymore, and gave you a gentle smile.

“(Y/N), we’re all here for you. Why don’t we go to your room and eat the ice cream Chaeyoung brought while you tell us what’s wrong?” Again, you felt tears welling up in your eyes, but you held them back, at least until you led them into your room. Then they overflowed again, and your friends quickly gathered around you, somehow managing a group hug until you’d calmed down again.

Then, as you ate the ice cream Chaeyoung had gotten for you, you told them what had happened at that day. The keychain and tickets sat beside you on the bed, and your friends sat in various places around your room, from the floor to your desk chair to beside you on the bed. Once you were done telling them what had happened, you looked down at your ice cream.

“I’m not overreacting, am I?” Heejin, who had sat beside you on the bed, reached out to rub your back.

“I don’t think so. I would be upset if Hyunjin suddenly did something like that to me too.”

“But you guys are actually dating. Lua and I....” You didn’t finish your sentence, and Hyunjin looked up at you from her spot on the floor.

“You’ve started to like Lua, haven’t you?” There it was, the thing you’d been trying not to admit to yourself or your friends. But it was true. So you nodded, too emotionally drained to even try denying it anymore.

“I’m sorry, (Y/N), had I known that this would happen, I wouldn’t have made you go to the party with me,” Chaeyoung said, and Hyunjin shook her head, holding up her hand.

“Wait. I’m being serious when I say this, too. (Y/N), I think Lua seriously likes you. I wasn’t lying when I said that she’s never acted like this before. And her apologizing for those rumors shows that she cares about you.” Heejin nodded, agreeing with her girlfriend.

“I’ve known Lua for a little bit longer than you guys, since I’ve been friends with Rina since before high school, and she and Lua were friends back then too. I’ve only seen Lua act like this one other time, and it was when she had a crush on Suyeon.”

“She had a crush on Suyeon?” You were surprised, turning to look at Heejin with wide eyes. Heejin nodded.

“Yep. She got turned down, obviously. Suyeon was nice about it, of course, and they’re still friends, but she acted like she’s been doing recently with you back then. She didn’t flirt with anyone, she tried to always be around Suyeon, and when Suyeon’s then girlfriend got angry, Lua felt like it was her fault and tried to distance herself from Suyeon for her sake.”

“Wow,” Chaeyoung said, voice soft as she leaned forward. “I didn’t know any of this.”

“Nobody at our school other than me and her friend group know. Suyeon let Lua down lightly, but assured her that she wanted to still be friends, and ended up dumping the girlfriend who got angry with Lua, because really, Lua hadn’t done anything wrong. But after this, Lua became the playgirl we all know her as today. She doesn’t let her emotions show easily, and she always tries to stay smiling. She also doesn’t get too close to people outside her friend groups. I think it’s because she’s afraid of being hurt.”

All four of you sat in silence for a moment, and your heart hurt for her. You hadn’t known any of this. But then again, how could you? It’s not like you’d known her for long, and she’d never told you any of this. Honestly, you were scared too. Scared of dating, scared of getting too close to her, scared of your own feelings. But when you thought of Lua forcing a smile, it hurt. You didn’t want her to have to do that anymore.

“What should I do?” You asked quietly, looking down at the tickets and the keychain next to you.

“Are you going to her performance tomorrow?” Chaeyoung asked, and you bit your lip.

“Well, I don’t know if she’ll want to see me after-.”

“No, (Y/N), listen to me,” Hyunjin said, cutting you off. “I know she really likes you, and it looks like you really like her. Are you just going to let it end like this? She’d be happy to see you there. She still gave you the tickets, didn’t she?” You nodded, picking up the pieces of paper. “Then she still wants you to be there.”

“Hyunjin is right,” Heejin said, “she wouldn’t have given them to you otherwise.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Hyunjin said, “and if she ends up breaking your heart, then I’ll beat her and then we’ll eat ice cream like we are now and shit talk her and her friends. But I’m one hundred percent sure that won’t happen.” You swallowed, and looked over at Chaeyoung, your closest friend since middle school.

“You’ll go with me, right?”

“Of course,” she said, nodding her head immediately. Heejin’s hand was still on your shoulder, and Hyunjin was smiling at you from the floor. Taking a deep breath, you straightened your shoulders.