#1.
Son Seungwan's first memory of those mysterious brown eyes was back when she was sixteen.
Initially, she was uninterested. Sitting at the upper left most portion of her classroom, the notorious, energetic Seungwan was tapping mindlessly while looking at how the trees slowly sway, matching the rhythm of the morning's lull.
Classes are drag. My teacher’s voice is a drag.
Son Seungwan is a firm believer that youth should be spent at each heart’s content. Youth should be a fun memory. Well, once they grew up, there’s no way they will talk about their childhood like how their teacher continues to blabber about mathematics or describe how the planets are aligned.
She will always think classes are a drag.
She just wanted the day to be done to finally play ball throw with her best friends, like Sooyoung and Seulgi. Those two girls are the only people that she considers making her youth enjoyable.
Classes are a drag. She hates it.
“… Okay now, class. I have an announcement.” Their teacher briefed. “I’d like to introduce a new classmate starting today onwards. I’d like everyone to make her feel welcome in this school.”
Seungwan won’t deny that this piqued her interest… only for a little. She glanced albeit slightly to the small movement of the door, revealing an unfamiliar petite girl peeking with a tinge of nervousness on each step she makes.
Interesting . Seungwan didn’t ponder much about her tiny, blooming interest about the transferee. Anything new is interesting. It’s normal. It won’t hurt much to listen to her introduction because well, why not? It’s much more interesting than the chirping of the little birds from the tree that she had been boringly looking at for countless hours and days.
The new girl slowly scanned the unfamiliar ocean of people.
“…My name is Bae Joohyun. I am seventeen years old…” she bowed. “…Nice to meet you. Please take care of me starting from today.”
Hmm?
That’s weird. Like, totally weird. How is it possible that a voice can sound that sweet?
Seungwan unconsciously started to look directly at this weird girl.
“Our Joohyun here recently moved from Daegu to Seoul. I want everyone to accept her and guide her in and out of the classroom, is that clear?”
A collective “Yes, ma’am”s ringed in Seungwan’s ears and she didn’t bother joining in. The girl was weird. She feels braced, defensive and kind of threatened for some unknown reason.
The teacher pointed out to Joohyun an empty seat at the back and gently ushered her. An obedient girl she is, she unquestioningly followed, her head shyly down as she walked along Seungwan’s aisle as it was the quickest route.
That’s the first time Seungwan looked properly at those pairs of brown eyes.
Small but pretty, hesitant but determined.
A haze of a purple backpack moved within her peripherals. That small haze slightly bothered her like that won’t be the last time that she will look at it.
Okay, she will admit. Maybe this new girl is new and really interesting.
Seungwan shrugged. At least, there’s finally something interesting in this classroom. She can live with it.
“…So the transferee is in your class?”
Kang Seulgi precisely threw the ball to the questioned Seungwan. Like an expert, she caught it with vigor before replying.
“Yeah… Kinda an uproar when she entered.” She rolled the small ball within her palms. “Everyone kept on looking at her until the end of the class. Everyone’s going weird for her.”
“I mean, you can’t blame everyone .” It was now Sooyoung’s turn to receive the ball to which she slightly raised her hands. “I peeked into your classroom during lunch, and girl, she was really, really pretty.”
“Really?” The brunette raised her brows confusingly. “I think she looks… normal.”
“Are you serious?” Sooyoung hastily threw the ball to Seulgi. “Her eyes, nose, mouth… I can go on for a long while. Her face is like, a perfect ratio.”
“That’s ridiculous. You’re giving the transferee too much credit when you only saw her for a second.”
“Maybe you’re the one not giving the credit, Wannie.” Seulgi threw the ball a bit harder than her usual to Seungwan. “I was with Sooyoung when she peeked, and I agree. She’s really pretty.”
That’s weird. Seungwan tilted her head out of disbelief. Maybe it’s her that’s weird.
She admits she looked at Bae Joohyun a few more times, just barely enough. She looked at her during class and she noticed how attentive she was, scribbling every word each of their teachers uttered despite her adjustments and her new condition. She looked at her during lunchtime before she reunited with her best friends that were, unfortunately, assigned to a different class, and Joohyun was silently eating alone the whole time. She noticed how some of the girls talked to her for an invite, but all of them received a shook of a head. Seungwan also looked at her after dismissal, how she neatly organizes her books and notes inside the sturdy purple bag before slinging it into her right shoulder and then timidly exits the rowdy classroom filled with kids like her, excited for the freedom they’ve been waiting for since morning, unlike Joohyun .
She only looked at her at those times. Rather than pretty, Seungwan internally defined the new girl as weird, and maybe interesting, but only that much; nothing more, nothing less.
“You guys have weird tastes, you know that?”
“Ugh. Seulgi, why are we close friends with such a person with a bland taste?” Sooyoung rolled her eyes annoyingly.
“Yeah. Words can’t express how much I agree with you, Soo. Imagine not liking Mint Chocolate? That’s our poor Son Seungwan over there, missing a lot of things.”
“You asses…!”
Seungwan threw their white play ball with a heavy force to answer their playful mockery, and the universe somewhat loves to play with her sometimes, as well.
Like on cue, a strong gust of wind aggressively wafted their tiny space along the school’s backyard. The cold breeze of spring tickles the trio’s skin and instinctively pull up their tightly worn scarves for a little bit of protective cover.
The wind calmed down after a few odd seconds and the trio thought it was their sign.
“All right, let’s go home.” Sooyoung was the first to open up. “I’m shivering now.”
“Same.”
“Seconded. But you guys go first, I’ll just…” Seungwan pointed in the opposite direction. “I’ll just go fetch the ball. It blew off.”
The brunette didn’t wait for the replies anymore and just proceeds to jog mindlessly following the huff of winds.
But it was weird.
She was sure the ball flew off in this direction.
After jogging for a few meters, it was weird that their playball still could not be seen. With its white color, she was almost sure she would notice it in just a glance. No one misses a white color.
She slowly scanned the area with skepticism.
Connected to their school’s backyard wherein lies the waiting shed where numerous benches and pavilions are located. It stretches long and wide, which kind of serves like a hall connecting two buildings; One allotted for their everyday classes, and one for club rooms and extracurricular activities. It’s not an understatement to say that the said path felt like a portal every dismissal. Students flock in and out like ants lining up, it goes on and on endlessly that sometimes staying too long in one place stagnant would make you feel out of place.
And Seungwan currently felt out of place. She just wanted to find their ball. Why the hell did it roll in this crowded place, out of all locations?
The exasperated woman heaved a heavy sigh. If the worst has to come then she should just replace it with a new one, right? She almost gave up until she, once again, saw a hazy purple shade in her peripheral vision.
She saw Bae Joohyun, in the same stagnant place, with a non-stop flow of people surrounding them.
Once again, Seungwan watches her.
Those pretty, nervous eyes flickered into her right hand. Holding a spherical object like what Seungwan had been holding just a few moments ago. Oh. That’s her ball.
Thank you, universe. For giving me wrong situations and wrong people all of the time. Great.
Actually, she doesn’t hate Bae Joohyun. She doesn’t have any ill feelings at all. The woman was silent, resilient, mysterious, and they don’t have any interaction at all so far. That enough, Seungwan thought, was weird. And she kind of doesn't want to be involved in anything she feels weirded of, and actually, she knew why.
Seungwan was starting to get curious, and she knew she can get easily attached to anything that interests her. She’s an unknown, and unknown is a scary place.
She just had to shrug it off as soon as she got the ball, she declares.
In small steps, she walked into the direction of the woman she just eyed out with a heavy heart. Finally, in just a few centimeters away, Joohyun turned, causing those alluring brown eyes to land into her own.
Seungwan is a social butterfly, if she can define herself. She can talk to everyone easily, blend in easily, and befriends anyone easily… But now she looks like an awkward hamster in front of this new woman.
This woman, Bae Joohyun, is weird.
“Uhhmm…”
Joohyun remained still with her stoic expression.
“The ball you’re holding…” Seungwan pointed timidly. “…That’s mine.”
Joohyun looked at the ball with eyes filled with understanding. “Ah.” It was a short and brief response.
And cute.
No. No. No. No.
Thank goodness Joohyun voluntarily cut through her reverie as she handed over the small ball. “Yours.”
Seungwan grabbed the ball with a tint of hesitation and she didn’t know where that feeling came from. “Thanks.”
“No problem.”
As soon the transferee answered, another heavy gush of wind infiltrated their space causing their hair to get blown aimlessly. Seungwan felt her lips quiver with the cold, she’s very grateful she remembered to carry and wear her scarf.
And that’s when she noticed that Joohyun didn’t have a scarf.
She really hates her curiosity and guts sometimes.
“…Aren’t you feeling cold?”
The way Joohyun shakingly hugged her own body with her arms doesn’t go unnoticed from the keen observer, Son Seungwan. But wait, she’s not observing her. It’s just a coincidence that she’s looking. That’s it. That’s only it.
“..I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You’re trembling.”
“…It’s okay. I can manage.”
Okay, so this woman is stubborn.
Challenged, her gut instinct went ahead once again over her mind and body.
“Wait.”
Seungwan unrolled her scarf and after stretching it out, she stepped forward and looped the scarf around Joohyun.
“…Excuse me, what are you doing-“
“Stop being so difficult and just accept it.”
Seungwan rolled the scarf around Joohyun’s neck clumsily.
“I’ll go home soon, anyway. You’ll need the scarf more.”
There. She looked at her briefly. She noticed the scarf fitted Joohyun perfectly. Her blue scarf complimented her firm face shape which defined more of her features, the way her sharp eyes can pierce anything she stared into, supported by her nose shaped sturdily like a work of art, and her lips that looked so soft and gentle which sums up to the perfect balance.
I see. So, this is what Sooyoung meant. The perfect ratio.
And Joohyun was extremely beautiful. That she realized, in the close distance, in the brief exchange of indescribable stares.
As Joohyun moved her lips to almost say something, Seungwan stepped big backward. “Gotta go. You know, before the wind starts acting up again. Take care on your way.” Seungwan turned around faster than a snap and marched forward.
Forward. Forward. Don’t look. Forward. Damn it.
She gave her favorite scarf to Bae Joohyun. Damn it.
Her friends are right. She’s the one that’s weird.
Just a few moments earlier she was whining that she’s going to interact with the raven-haired woman and now, she just gave her favorite scarf to her casually, just because she looked shivering and suffering? That’s crazy.
Oh well, it’s just a little interaction, anyway. It won’t mean much. It’s blatantly obvious that Joohyun doesn’t want any involvement with her as much as she does as well. She can shrug it off… maybe.
She will miss her beautiful scarf, though… But her beautiful scarf was worn by a beautiful person… it’s not a bad combination, it seems.
#2.
Son Seungwan was perplexed.
She was pretty sure the four-months-younger Son Seungwan would laugh at her and scream, “Look who’s eating her words now? Dumbass!” Damn. She internally nodded. All right, all right. She will acknowledge it. She is an idiot. But sometimes being an idiot has it perks, you know? For example, having an exclusive lunch with the most beautiful person she had ever seen in her life, Bae Joohyun.
She didn’t expect things would escalate like this.
The next day after she gave her scarf to Joohyun, during their lunch time she steadily stood in front of Seungwan’s desk, still wearing her scarf, and it made her stomach churned kinda weirdly … and placed a neatly packed lunchbox without accepting any defiance. “I have to thank you, somehow.”
“O-Oh, you don’t need to thank me.”
“I insist.”
Okay, so this woman is really stubborn.
Of course, Seungwan gave in. There’s no harm in it, right? She convinced herself that this might be a one-time thing, with just a full intention to thank her. Maybe Bae Joohyun is accommodating enough, and that’s one puzzle piece added to Seungwan’s hidden puzzle of how mysterious Bae Joohyun is within her mind.
After sending a quick text to her best friends. They settled in a small table within their cafeteria. She could feel numerous eyes glancing at them, especially since Joohyun is starting to garner a reputation with that perfect face and gallant aura. Seungwan actually considers herself to be well-known too because of her friend connections, and to be in the same table with the transferee, recently two known names, she could somewhat understand why it could raise some attention more than as necessary.
Gossips are easy to shrug off. After gaining popularity, it was frequent. She didn’t mind, she grew up living with it, so she proceeded to open her packed lunch as she should.
And she was surprised.
An unidentifiable shape of sunny-side-up egg greeted her.
“Hey, Joohyun... Did… Did you make this?”
“…Yes.”
Damn.
A loud burst of laughter echoed all throughout the whole cafeteria, Damn it. She didn’t care about those heads that turned around into their direction.
Bae Joohyun is really something.
“Are you mocking me, Son Seungwan?!” Despite the efforts of Bae Joohyun’s furious glare, the brunette still won’t stop laughing.
“Hahahahaha-pfft N-no really, I am so amused by this…. Hahahaha-oh my god. I love this sunny-side-up.”
“…If you’re just going to laugh at it then don’t eat it-“
“No!” Seungwan pulled her lunch box before Joohyun could retract it. She calmed down afterwards “I’ll eat it. You made this for me. Thank you, Joohyun.”
Still silent and unmoving, Joohyun looked at her own lunchbox solemnly. “…I don’t know how to thank you properly. I just thought a lunch treat would be enough. I-I am not a really good cook but…”
“No, really. I appreciate the thought. I’m going to eat it well.” Seungwan then clapped her hands and ate enthusiastically. The egg, surprisingly despite how it looked like, tasted decent enough.
“I noticed you also had a packed lunch yesterday. Not fond of the cafeteria food?”
“I haven’t tried it yet… I’m trying to… save a budget. I’m avoiding buying things when I could’ve made them myself.”
Strong-willed, this woman. Another piece in the big Bae Joohyun puzzle. It would not be a lie to say that she was impressed.
“Would you like me to pack lunch for you tomorrow?” Seungwan inquired after swallowing a big portion of an egg serve. “It may not look like it, but I’m a great cook.”
“What? N-No, no.” Joohyun waved her hand hastily. “You helped me enough. I don’t want to burden you further.”
“No, I insist. You’re not the only difficult one here.” Seungwan smirked. “I’ll show you a recognizable sunny-side-up egg tomorrow.”
“Yah.”
It started with that. The next day, Seungwan packed Joohyun a sophisticated plating of a sunny-side-up egg for lunch. It was a ridiculous exchange of appreciation, but with the way Joohyun raised a brow out of amusement, she will enjoy a splash of ridiculousness in her life once in a while then, if it will make someone like Joohyun smile.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. It was their new norm to have lunch together. Also, multiple times Joohyun was invited along with her best friends, and it was amazing how the four of them clicked in a flash.
In their everyday hour of consistent rendezvous, she learned so many things about Bae Joohyun. For example, she moved to Seoul from Daegu to live with her grandmother since both of her parents are working overseas. It made her grow up mentally faster. Because of her grandmother’s old age, she was the one mostly entrusted in managing the household concerns. From groceries to laundry, from bills to necessities.
She had been distant to people because she decided to prioritize her responsibilities than managing relationships. It did not bother Joohyun much, because she wanted to be the daughter her parents had entrusted her, and she wanted to as well for her own growth. Honestly, it made the woman in front of her more amazing. Bae Joohyun was amazing.
She also discovered that the day they met back within the waiting shed was because she was contemplating joining the school’s Dance Club. Dancing was Bae Joohyun’s passion, and on the same day that she auditioned, she easily passed. Wow. Seungwan won’t admit it, but she kind of, a little bit, maybe wanted to see Joohyun dance someday… If Joohyun would trust her enough to watch her dance.
And of course, Seungwan seemingly shared a bit of her life as well to the beautiful transferee. She lived in an ordinary and lively household. They were a happy-go-lucky and determined family in nature, with her one older sister away from them to faithfully study Medicine. Her sister was Seungwan’s favorite person, if she could describe her. She admired her and wanted to be as successful as her, and with their close bond, her sister will always be her constant inspiration to strive and be happy with life.
Seungwan also unveiled to Joohyun her passion for Singing. Flowing along with the melody is Seungwan’s haven, and within her inner thoughts, she wanted Joohyun to hear her sing. Especially her. She doesn’t know why. Maybe it’s the excitement of sharing the things you love to a friend you’re slowly starting to value. Maybe that’s it. Maybe she’s starting to see Bae Joohyun as her friend.
And fast forward to four months. It has been known to every classroom that a choir audition will be held on the same day. Seungwan was perplexed, and Joohyun was excited. The whole lunch, the raven-haired just kept on encouraging her to join. “Go there, Seungwan-ah! Show the world how powerful you are!” Seungwan just pinched her nose out of frustration, but the latter’s words were surprisingly doing her wonders.
Now she actually wanted to join.
It was finally dismissal time. Joohyun, wearing her favorite blue scarf, and it looked really perfect to her , walked into her desk instantly like it was the natural thing to do. Like going to Seungwan was a natural thing to do.
“Let’s go. You need to audition.”
“Hey, Mom. What about my own decision?”
“You’ll feel the urge to join eventually. Let’s just go to the Practice Building, first.”
Joohyun pulled Seungwan’s wrist like a little kid nonchalantly despite the latter’s exaggerated whining. It’s weird. It’s weird how their relationship developed. It felt like they were pulling each other out of their own comfort zones. Strangely, Seungwan still found comfort in that.
Now they’re at the waiting shed. The place where they met.
Joohyun turned around to look at a pouting Seungwan and she involuntarily noticed the small smile too beautiful to flash to an already too beautiful face. The brunette felt her heart thumped. Yeah. She’s just nervous . That’s all there is.
“Seungwan-ah. This is your chance.” The raven-haired’s hold to her wrist gripping harder. “I believe in you. You love singing, I know you can do it.”
Joohyun was always a woman of few words. Few, but powerful. And Seungwan liked it, nevertheless.
“…What if I won’t pass?” Her voice was breaking unexpectedly. “What if I won’t pass and I’ll hate singing because of it? I want to continue to love singing… I don’t think my heart can take it if I’ll fail-“
“Seungwan-ah, look at me.”
Seungwan raised her head only to meet a pair of breathtaking brown orbs.
Joohyun then released her hold on her, and she slightly missed the warmth , unrolled her favorite blue scarf and gently stepped into Seungwan’s fragile personal space.
Her breathing hitched.
After stretching the scarf, like what she did before, she looped it behind her neck and slowly rolled around her neck with a new warmth caressing her chilling skin out of nervousness.
A new warmth, it’s different from the warmth she felt on numerous occasions she wore this scarf before. This warmth… it’s different. She liked it.
It’s weird that she’s starting to like anything that involves Bae Joohyun lately.
Satisfied, she took a step back for a breathing space between them and saw Joohyun’s eyes glistened with amusement.
“This scarf was my good luck charm before. Wear it.”
“It was mine before, you know?”
“…You’re right. Thank you for being the bridge.” Joohyun slightly chuckled. God, what a music to her ears. “But it has my warmth now. I can’t be with you inside, so this scarf will be my stand-in for the meantime.”
And now it’s Seungwan’s turn to laugh.
Bae Joohyun is so endearing.
An inexplicable warmth in her heart was oddly calming her down. This woman is so mysterious. What is she doing to her?
“All right, I’ll go in.” Seungwan heaved a breath. She’ll go brave with the love of music as her courage, and an encouragement from a dear friend as her push to walk forward. Dear friend?
She exchanged smiles with Joohyun before walking two, three, four steps forward… But before anything else, of course her gut feeling will always betray her in the most unnecessary time.
“Joohyun, wait.”
She turned around and slightly pulled the raven-haired woman’s left wrist onto her direction.
Seungwan swore to all the gods at that moment on why they gave her this kind of cursed gut, but right now, she had to, she knew she had to.
She wrapped her arms around Joohyun with a surprising tender affection.
“Thank you, Hyun. I’ll give you good news later.” She instantly let go of her after whispering and marched forward to the Practice Building.
Unbeknownst to her, Joohyun with a mild tinge of red in her ears, stood at the same area for around thirty minutes to process what just happened.
…
After a few hours, the first person she called was, of course, Bae Joohyun.
She passed the audition, and she’s the person Son Seungwan wanted first to know.
Oh boy. That was it. That was her sign.
Son Seungwan is starting to get attached.