written for: @mmyujun

she's born impulsive. it's the house trait. the forefront of baek ho, beyond determination and bravery and all that. and impulsion, though seldom touched on, tends to be the standard. the running stereotype. baek ho girls and their pistol mouths, sun in their eyes. so on and so on. such is tradition, is fate(?); is the personality she's known of all her life.

the brunt of it anyway.

you'll find that even now, it doesn't change. even in the face of a would-be embarrassing (awkward? humiliating?) situation. nothing has changed. at least, not at the surface. at least, not to any way or reason that serin could rationalize.

but, how else will you rationalize being avoided by your project partner? (sure, context is needed. a given. but what wasn't of them stayed wasn't. and the remnants of what's left between them. even that isn't much. not even a name. not even a hi.)

it leaves her here, tentatively armed with little good intention (to the eyes of others), slipping into the second floor boy's restroom after previously spotting one seo yujun push into its doors. it's mad, i know. but you have to understand—girls like ryu serin seldom gets ignored.

and, if she's completely, like 100% honest, she can't say it doesn't sting.

but back to the main point. back to, the infamous boy's bathroom (not really). it really isn't that different is it? kidding it is. something in the air. something about the wide-eyed first year, flushed and staring that she's quick to wave out of the room. to each and every empty stall but one.

here, there's only ryu serin, seo yujun, and the door between them. (finally. the first sign of normal. hasn't there always been one thing or another standing between them?)

then? then what do you say?

"seo yujun," his name rolls off her tongue in disheartening familiarity as she leans back, palms pressing into the sink for balance. it’s bittersweet. knowing things hasn't been the same since she's returned. it's obvious. he's awfully transparent or she's terribly sensitive. either way. it just won't do.