Almost, Always

          Kitty stood in front of the mirror, holding up a soft lavender top to her chest. She tilted her head, then frowned, tossing it back on the bed where several other outfit options already lay in defeat.

“Why is this so hard?” she muttered to herself, eyeing the pile. “It’s not like it’s prom.”

Her phone buzzed on the desk. A FaceTime call. She didn’t need to check to know who it was.

“Hey!” she greeted, propping her phone against a stack of books. Lara Jean and Margot’s faces filled the screen.

“There she is,” Lara Jean said brightly. “How’s it being at KISS so far?”

Kitty flopped onto the bed, dramatically raising a hand to her forehead. “Great. Amazing. I’ve been here two days and I’ve already panicked about what to wear to a party.”

Margot snorted. “It’s just the welcome thing, right? Not a red carpet.”

“Try telling that to my closet,” Kitty grumbled. “I want to look nice but not like I tried too hard. And I’m trying to make a good impression without looking like I’m trying to make a good impression.”

“You’re spiraling,” Lara Jean noted.

“I know.”

“Okay, show us what you’ve got,” Margot said, sitting up straighter. “We’ll pick.”

Kitty angled her camera to show the chaos on her bed. Lara Jean leaned in, squinting.

“Ooh, what about the black skirt and that yellow top?” she suggested. “It’s soft but still confident.”

“Yeah,” Margot nodded. “With the silver earrings.”

Kitty held up the outfit to the mirror. “Okay. Yeah. This might work.”

“You look good,” Lara Jean said. “Nervous?”

Kitty hesitated, then shrugged. “A little. I mean, I know Yuri and Dae, but everyone else is kind of new.”

“They’ll love you,” Margot said simply.

“You’ve always been good at making friends,” Lara Jean added. “Remember that girl on that ski trip? You shared one granola bar and suddenly you were pen pals.”

Kitty smiled faintly. “Okay, fair.”

There was a pause. Kitty glanced at the time.

“Oh—shoot. I’m not even dressed yet,” she said, scrambling to stand. “Yuri’s picking me up soon.”

“Ohhh,” Lara Jean teased. “She is, huh?”

Kitty rolled her eyes but said nothing.

Margot smiled. “Text us after, okay?”

“I will.”

Kitty ended the call and quickly changed, brushing her hair into soft waves and sliding on her docs. Just as she was fastening the second earring, her phone buzzed again.

Yuri:I’m here.

Kitty grabbed her jacket, took one last glance in the mirror, and headed out.

***

Yuri was waiting just outside her room, leaning against the wall like she hadn’t a care in the world. She looked up as Kitty approached, eyes flicking over her before a small smile tugged at her lips. 

“Hey,” Yuri said. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Kitty nodded.

“Great, come on. It’s this way.”

Yuri reached out and gently took Kitty’s hand, guiding her toward the elevator. Kitty didn’t say anything—just followed, letting the familiar comfort of Yuri’s presence settle her nerves.

Inside the elevator, it was quiet. Kitty glanced down at her phone, scrolling aimlessly, when she noticed Yuri looking at her.

“What?” she asked, glancing up.

Yuri smiled slightly. “You look nice.”

Kitty blinked. “Oh. Thanks. So do you.”

“You’re welcome.”

For a second, that was it. And then Yuri stepped closer, reaching up to tuck a piece of Kitty’s hair behind her ear.

“It was sticking out,” she murmured casually.

Kitty froze—then the elevator dinged, the doors opened, and Yuri grabbed her hand again like nothing had happened.

“Let’s go.”

***

          The rooftop was glowing with soft golden light, strung overhead in delicate strands. Music drifted through the air—low, warm, and inviting. Clusters of students were already gathered in little groups, sipping drinks and chatting easily.

Kitty paused just inside the entrance, taking it all in.

“It’s pretty,” she murmured.

“Told you,” Yuri said. “Come on—Dae and the others are over here.”

She pulled Kitty toward a table where a group had already gathered. Dae stood up and waved when he saw them.

“Kitty!” he greeted. “You made it.”

“Hi,” she smiled, letting go of Yuri’s hand.

Dae reached to pull her into a brief hug, then gestured to the group. “You remember Eunice, right?”

“Of course.”

Eunice smiled warmly and stood to hug her. “Hey, I’m so glad you came.”

Next to her sat a boy with dark curly hair and an easy grin.

“This is Quincy—Q for short,” Eunice added.

Q grinned. “Finally, the famous Kitty. I’ve heard about you for, like, three years.”

Kitty raised an eyebrow. “Famous?”

“Yuri’s told us plenty,” he teased.

“Q,” Yuri warned lightly.

Kitty glanced at her, amused. “Oh? Should I be flattered?”

“I plead the fifth,” Yuri muttered, grabbing a drink.

Q laughed. “Nah, it’s all good things. You were basically already part of the group by association.”

“That’s... oddly reassuring,” Kitty replied, smiling.

Kitty found a spot beside Yuri as the rest of the group continued chatting.

***

“So, Kitty,” Q said, leaning forward, “be honest—are you more excited about the classes or the cafeteria food?”

Kitty grinned. “Is that even a question? The food. Obviously.”

Eunice laughed. “That’s valid. You haven’t lived until you’ve had the tteokbokki here at midnight.”

“Oh no,” Jin said with mock seriousness, “don’t get her started on midnight food runs. Q practically lives for those.”

“I’m a man of refined tastes,” Q said, placing a hand on his chest. “What can I say?”

Kitty raised a brow. “Refined tastes or just a bottomless stomach?”

“Wow.” Q gasped, then turned to Yuri. “Your best friend’s mean.”

“She’s not wrong, though,” Yuri said, fighting back a smirk.

Dae jumped in. “Okay but seriously, what classes are you all dreading this semester?”

“Calculus,” Eunice groaned. “I barely made it out last year alive.”

“History,” Yuri said, without missing a beat. “I swear that professor hates joy.”

“I actually like history,” Kitty added.

The group went quiet for a beat.

Q blinked. “That’s…brave of you.”

“I like the stories,” Kitty shrugged. “It’s like reading drama with context.”

“See, that’s why Yuri always liked you,” Dae said, grinning. “You find the bright side of everything.”

Yuri rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away.

“You’re making it sound like I’m a golden retriever,” Kitty teased, nudging Dae with her elbow.

He laughed. “Hey, if the shoe fits.”

“Yuri’s the black cat in this scenario,” Q said thoughtfully. “Cool, aloof, judgmental—”

“Still here,” Yuri interrupted, raising a brow at him.

“And beautiful,” Q added quickly, hand over heart. “So beautiful.”

Eunice snorted. “Nice save.”

Yuri shook her head, but Kitty noticed the way her lips twitched like she was trying not to laugh.

“So, Kitty,” Jin leaned in. “Be honest. What’s it like being Yuri’s best friend? Did she always have that ‘mystery girl in a music video’ energy, or did that develop later?”

Kitty burst into laughter. “You’re not wrong. I swear she’s been dramatic since we were, like, five.”

Yuri gave her a look. “I am not dramatic.”

“She used to pretend she was a princess being held captive by an evil queen,” Kitty said, grinning. “Except the evil queen was usually her mom.”

The table broke into laughter.

“Oh my god,” Eunice wheezed. “Please tell me there’s video footage of this.”

“There is,” Kitty said sweetly. “But it comes at a price.”

Yuri groaned, covering her face. “You’ve been here five minutes and you’re already exposing me?”

“I’m making up for lost time.”

“You two really are just as chaotic as Dae said,” Q said with a grin. “I love this for us.”

“I’m chaotic?” Kitty asked, raising a brow.

“Oh, you’re low-key chaotic,” Jin confirmed. “The deceptively sweet kind.”

“I’ll take it,” she replied proudly.

          Just then, a server walked by with a tray of drinks. Kitty reached out and grabbed one, inspecting the fizzy pink liquid with curiosity. Before she could even raise it to her lips, Yuri smoothly plucked it from her hand sniffed it, and took a small sip before passing it back

Kitty blinked. “Did you just…”

“What?” Yuri said innocently. “Just making sure it’s good.”

“Seriously?” Kitty groaned “You always do that” 

Yuri shrugged, unbothered, and handed it back. “What? I’m just making sure it’s not trash.”

Kitty narrowed her eyes, taking the glass back. “It’s my drink. You know, the one I picked for me.”

“You’ve made worse choices,” Yuri teased.

Kitty scoffed. “Okay, rude.”

Yuri smirked. “Accurate”

Kitty took a small sip, trying not to smile. “One day, I’m going to steal your stuff first.”

“Please,” Yuri said, cocking an eyebrow. “You already do.”

Kitty didn’t have a comeback for that—because, okay, maybe she did. Occasionally.

She shook her head. “You’re the worst.”

“And yet, here we are.” Yuri said with a smile

“Oh my god,” Q whispered, leaning over to Jin. “They’re already sickening. It’s day one.”

“I know,” Jin replied. “It’s beautiful.”

“I can hear you,” Yuri said flatly.

Q sipped his drink. “Good.”

“Okay, so wait,” Kitty said, shifting in her seat, “what’s the actual dynamic here? Like, who’s the mom friend? Who’s the menace?”

“Dae’s the dad friend,” Eunice said immediately.

“Excuse me?” Dae frowned. “How am I the dad?”

“You give solid advice but you’re also constantly confused,” Q supplied.

“He did try to use duct tape to fix his charger last semester,” Jin added.

“That worked for three weeks!” Dae defended.

Kitty snorted. “Dad energy confirmed.”

“And I’m obviously the cool, fun one,” Q said, flipping his hair dramatically.

“Menace,” Yuri corrected.

“Same thing,” Q shrugged.

“What about me?” Kitty asked curiously.

“You?” Q tapped his chin. “You give off… warm chaos. Like, you’d help us bury a body but also bake cookies after.”

“She totally would,” Jin agreed. “You’ve got soft menace vibes.”

Kitty blinked. “That’s oddly specific.”

“Welcome to the group,” Eunice said with a wink. “You’ll get used to it.”

Yuri leaned in. “They’re like this all the time.”

Kitty smiled. “I like it.”

          She really did. There was something about this group — the way they bounced off each other so effortlessly, the ease in their teasing — that made her feel like she belonged. It was more than she expected, but exactly what she needed.

“Okay, but let’s settle this right now,” Q said suddenly. “Who would actually survive a zombie apocalypse?”

“Me,” Yuri said without hesitation.

“No hesitation?” Kitty laughed.

“I’ve seen her pack for a trip,” Dae said. “She’s terrifyingly prepared.”

“I believe it,” Kitty said.

“You’d survive too,” Yuri told her.

“Really?”

“You’d figure out how to make the zombies your friends.”

Everyone burst into laughter again, and Kitty tried not to grin too hard at the compliment—or the way Yuri had said it like it was just a fact.

“Okay but Jin would die first,” Q pointed out.

“Excuse me?” Jin gasped. “Why me?”

“You’d get distracted trying to save your skincare products,” Eunice teased.

“They’re expensive!”

***

          As the night wore on, the buzz began to blur into background noise. People wandered between friend groups, music pulsed low under the chatter, and the stars peeked through the Seoul skyline. Kitty laughed at something Eunice said, but her fingers were already pushing her glasses up again—a habit Yuri had seen a thousand times before.

She leaned in closer. “Hey,” she said lowly, just for Kitty to hear, “we’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Eunice said without question, caught up in her own conversation with Q and Jin.

Yuri gently took Kitty’s wrist and tugged her toward the edge of the rooftop, where a string of fairy lights cast a soft, golden glow. They stopped in the quietest corner, away from the main crowd. For a second, neither of them said anything. Kitty just took in the view, the city stretched wide beneath them, glittering and alive.

“You okay?” Yuri finally asked.

Kitty let out a breath. “Yeah. It’s just…a lot. In a good way. Your friends are great, but being around so many people at once makes my brain feel like it’s short-circuiting.”

Yuri smiled. “You don’t have to explain. I know how you get.”

Kitty glanced at her. “You do?”

Yuri nudged her shoulder. “Obviously. You’ve been adjusting your glasses every five minutes.”

Kitty laughed softly. “Okay, fair.”

“It’s okay to feel overwhelmed,” Yuri said. “You’re not expected to be ‘on’ all the time.”

Kitty looked back at the skyline. “Thanks for pulling me away. I didn’t want to seem rude or anything.”

“You weren’t. They all really like you, by the way.”

Kitty looked at her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Yuri said, softer this time. “You had nothing to be worried about.”

Something in Kitty’s chest fluttered—not big enough to name, but just enough to notice.

She bumped Yuri’s arm lightly. “You’re not bad at this whole friend thing, you know.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Yuri teased, but her smile lingered.

For a moment, they stood in comfortable silence, watching the city flicker below them. It felt like one of those rare pauses in life where everything just…settled.

Then Q’s voice rang out in the distance.

“Yuri! Kitty! Are you making out or can we play a group game now?!”

Kitty burst out laughing, pressing a hand to her mouth.

Yuri groaned, shaking her head. “We’ve been gone five minutes.”

Kitty giggled. “To be fair, it was suspicious.”

Yuri turned, already walking back. “Come on, before they start rumors.”

Kitty followed, still smiling.

***

Back at the table, Q threw his hands up. “About time!”

“We weren’t gone that long,” Yuri said, reclaiming her seat like nothing happened.

“Long enough for me to come up with at least three fanfic titles,” Q replied.

Jin leaned in conspiratorially toward Kitty. “One of them was Beneath the Seoul Stars.”

Kitty blinked, laughing. “You wrote a fanfic title? In five minutes?”

“I’m extremely talented,” Q said with a dramatic hair flip.

“I believe it,” Kitty deadpanned.

They all fell back into easy chatter — less chaotic now, with people stretching out across the seats, sipping on the last of their drinks, and letting the night slow down.

Eunice glanced at her phone. “It’s past midnight. No wonder I feel like I’ve aged.”

“Time is fake,” Q replied. “Also, I refuse to accept that I have an 8am class in two days.”

“Wait, school starts in two days?” Kitty asked, eyes wide.

“Yes,” Dae groaned. “And we all suffer together.”

“We’re going to a cafe tomorrow to emotionally prepare,” Eunice said, pointing at Yuri. “You’re coming too.”

Yuri glanced at Kitty. “You in?”

Kitty hesitated. “I mean, I don’t want to intrude—”

“You’re not intruding,” Q said, waving a hand. “You’re officially one of us now.”

“Exactly,” Jin added. “You can’t escape.”

Kitty smiled, a little shy but warm all over. “Okay. I’m in.”

***

The party was starting to quiet down. A few students lingered by the railing, others trickled out in small groups, voices softer now as the night stretched on.

Yuri nudged Kitty gently with her elbow. “Wanna head back?”

Kitty nodded. “Yeah. I think I’ve reached my social limit for the evening.”

          They said their goodbyes to the group — a few hugs, a couple inside jokes from Q, and a promise from Eunice to drag Kitty to brunch soon. Then, it was just the two of them, stepping into the elevator. The walk back through the building was quiet, the hum of the party left behind as the elevator doors closed behind them

“I know I’ve already said this but it’s weird,” Kitty said, glancing over at Yuri. “Being here.”

Yuri raised an eyebrow. “Weird how?”

“I don’t know… It’s just—this school, Korea. It always felt like a summer thing. A vacation thing. Now it’s real.”

Yuri hummed in agreement. “Yeah. But real doesn’t mean bad.”

“No, I know,” Kitty said quickly. “It’s just… a lot.”

Yuri gave a small nod, understanding. “Takes getting used to. But you’ll find your rhythm.”

Kitty smiled faintly. “I hope so.”

They walked in silence for a beat, the hallway mostly empty now, save for the occasional flicker of fluorescent lights or the distant sound of a door closing.

 “Do you remember that summer when I got sick the second day I arrived?” Kitty asked suddenly, looking over at her.

“Yeah,” Yuri replied, smiling faintly. “You spent half the week on the couch, complaining about the heat and making me bring you popsicles.”

Kitty laughed. “And you actually did it.”

“I’m nice like that.”

“You also yelled at me for trying to go outside with a fever.”

“Because you’re an idiot.”

Kitty bumped her shoulder into Yuri’s playfully. “A lovable idiot.”

Yuri grinned. “Debatable.”

They reached the dorm hallway. It was quieter than the rest of the building, most of the doors already closed for the night. Kitty slowed as they reached her door.

Yuri looked at her for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, with a tilt of her head, she said, “You’ll do fine here, Kitty.”

Kitty met her gaze, something steady and warm fluttering in her chest. “Thanks.”

There was a pause. Not awkward—just quiet. Familiar.

Then Yuri took a step back, shoving her hands into her pockets.

“Get some sleep. Tomorrow’s orientation. I’m dragging you there whether you like it or not.”

“I’ll set three alarms,” Kitty replied.

Yuri smirked. “You’d better.”

She turned, already heading down the hall. “Night, loser.”

Kitty grinned and rolled her eyes. “Night Yuri.”