Chapter Text
“Can you change the song?”
“It’s a good song though.”
“Yeah I know, it just doesn’t fit the vibe right now.”
I chuckled a little bit, glancing at her.
“This is why I don’t listen to music with you.” I say, teasing her.
“Look, I’m just very serious about it!” She grins.
I grab my phone from my pocket and go through my playlist for her. I click the skip button a few times, looking at her expression for approval each time I press, since she wants to find the perfect song for a bus ride to school so bad.
As soon as we find a good song, I put the phone down and rest my head on the back of my seat. She settles her head on my shoulder and exhales heavily.
“You okay, darling?” I say, gently poking at her cheek.
People usually find it weird that we call each other ‘darling’ because it makes it sound like we’re dating, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Her and I are fairly close and are comfortable with the term so I don’t see why it’s considered weird.
She nods, her head still resting on my shoulder.
“Mhm, I’m just kind of nervous, since it’s the first day.” She says, slowly reaching for my hand.
“Everything will be fine, you were also like this last year, but it ended out alright, didn’t it?” I say, in hopes of reassuring her.
“Plus, the others will be here with you! Everything will go okay.” I add.
It takes her a few seconds to nod in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right.”
I wonder how the others in question are doing right now.
Wonyoung’s probably feeling fine, considering she practically rules the school, being the student council president and everything. Plus, she’s loved by everyone, including the teachers, which is understandable considering she’s got everything anyone could ask for; looks, great personality and pretty good grades. I still can’t believe she’s even a part of the friend group despite it being 2 years, she feels out of our league, so it was surprising to have her stick with us. Despite her being insanely popular, she’s a really nice person and is very caring, she’s cheerful and always makes sure everyone feels included.
Then there’s Yujin, who’s also pretty popular but doesn’t really seem to be paying attention to it. She’s the calm and composed mom friend of the group, always caring for us and protecting us with her life (especially Leeseo, her being the youngest.) We can always depend on her, as she always wants the best for others. I’m sure she’s not that nervous, knowing how organized she is, she probably already has the whole day planned out.
Now, on the opposite side of the spectrum, we have Gaeul. The oldest out of all of us, and also the coolest. She definitely does not care enough to be stressed out. That girl does not care what anyone says, she will do whatever SHE wants to do and does not listen to anyone. Because of that, she often shows an attitude to the staff and intimidates everyone (even the strictest teachers.) She also almost NEVER does her homework nor does she study, yet, she passes all of her classes with ease. Due to contrary belief, she will only fight someone if it’s absolutely necessary since violence is her last resort (very ironic, I know.) She’s actually very sweet when you get to know her, and like Yujin, she’s very protective of us.
The younger sister of the group, Leeseo, is also the biggest sunshine you’ll ever meet. She’s super optimistic and always cheers us up whenever we’re upset. Despite being young, she always gives great advice and is really understanding. When it comes to the academic side, she gets the best grades out of all of us and is also a huge goody-two-shoes. Ironically, she’s very close with Gaeul and sometimes scolds her on the way she acts which is very funny to watch. She’s probably very happy to be coming to school.
Now when it comes to Liz, the one sitting next to me right now, she’s the shy friend. She’s the equivalent of a princess and is the nicest person you will ever meet, she’s so kind and puts others before her, so much that she sometimes forgets to be kind to herself. Like I said, she’s pretty shy with strangers but is very outgoing with the people she’s close to. She’s also insanely clingy to everyone, but especially towards me, since we’ve known each other for longer, she’s the human embodiment of a golden retriever. One thing I’ve noticed is that she takes compliments to heart, they make her so genuinely happy (hence why I love giving them, she deserves the whole world.) She knows everything about me and I know everything about her. She’s truly the best friend anyone would want.
And then there’s me, not exactly nervous but not exactly excited either. I’ve always been neutral about things. People would call me cold, and mean (I just like being straightforward and not sugar coating things.) If I were to describe myself, I’d say I don’t like talking. Not that I’m shy or anything, I just don’t enjoy talking all the time. Liz has told me that whenever I do, though, I sound incredibly sarcastic and that I ‘supposedly’ have a glaring problem. She said that I used to glare at her before I became her friend, when in reality, I just thought she was pretty (which I can’t lie, is kinda funny.) She says I remind her of a black cat, so I guess it matches our dynamic. She keeps telling me that we’re platonic soulmates, which I can kinda see.
My train of thought gets lost as the bus drops us off at school, we both grab our bags and head for the door.
All I hope for is no homework today.
__________
“Okay! For today’s homework, you will have to complete pages 24 to 30.” The teacher says, making everyone groan in frustration. He always gave out unnecessary work to do, so nobody really likes him. Plus, he’s kind of mean.
“It’s the first day man, can we not??” Gaeul says from the back, loud enough to make everyone shift their attention to her. Shit was about to go down and we all know it.
“Kim Gaeul. Please, do not complain or I will make you do more pages.” He firmly says.
“Go ahead, see if I do them or not.” She replies back, making everyone look at each other in fear of what’s about to happen.
“Gaeul, change that tone right now and just do the work.”
“I. Don’t. Fucking. Want. To. Nobody does. Why are you giving us work on the first damn day, huh?” She leans back on her chair and puts her feet on the desk, crossing them.
Liz and I take a quick glance at each other, eyes wide open in shock, also slightly smiling. If the school gave out awards for the student with the most balls, Gaeul would most definitely win. We can faintly hear Leeseo whispering in her ear telling her to calm down and not start any problems with the teacher.
I mean, she isn’t wrong when she says no one wants to do the work.
“Alright, get out.” He coldly says to her, pointing at the door.
Right as the troublemaker was about to stand up, Wonyoung gets up from her chair to intervene.
“Sir, I believe Gaeul is just frustrated and upset due to her goldfish’s death. She was rather attached to him and he died yesterday. I ask that you give her a second chance and understand that she’s going through a rough time. She will do the work, I’ll make sure of it.” She politely affirms. Moments like these make me realize why she’s the student council president.
The teacher, looking as confused as ever, decides to give her the benefit of the doubt.
“Fine. You can stay seated. But I do hope you do the work.” He says, looking at Gaeul.
Gaeul, still sucking on her cherry lollipop, pulls her hands out of her pockets and sits comfortably man-spread. Leeseo sighs in relief, followed by the other students. Wonyoung sits back down on her chair.
About 20 minutes later, the bell rings and everyone eagerly gets their stuff and stands up to go to their next class, including us.
Liz and I wait right outside the classroom for the others to come out. From here, we can hear Wonyoung, Yujin and Leeseo scolding Gaeul for acting that way in class.
“Seriously, can’t you just listen to the teacher for once? You could’ve gotten in trouble again!” Yujin says, hitting the back of her head.
“Ow!” She exclaims, then giggles afterwards.
She glances at Wony with a confused expression.
“Where did you even pull that goldfish story from?” She says, grinning like an idiot.
“Look, I had to think of SOMETHING, okay? Plus, it helped you so don’t even say anything.” She cockily says, smiling.
“Yeah but, a goldfish..?” Liz says.
A good 2 seconds of silence passes and everyone but the president is wheezing as we walk to our next class, she rolls her eyes, trying to hide the fact that she clearly wants to laugh too.
“The funny part is, Gaeul WOULD get all upset over her goldfish dying!” I add, out of breath. The uncontrollable laughter carries on for another 5 minutes as we arrive in our classroom for the next period.
I sit down next to Liz and get my stuff ready. I look at her, and she smiles at me. Her dimple is a lot more visible when she smiles, it suits her very well.
She’s so pretty.
I smile back at her.
Today wasn’t looking so bad after all.
__________
The day passes pretty quickly, it’s already 3:04 PM and people are getting ready to go home. Liz is coming over to work on the project our English teacher gave us, it wasn’t long but it was definitely a pain in the ass. Thank god it’s in groups of two.
“Ugh, we already have work due and it’s the first day!” I groan out in frustration.
“It’s okay! We’ll just get it done quick.” Liz tells me, putting everything in her bag.
I nod as I do the same.
“Alright, you ready?” I ask her.
“Mhm!”
We eagerly close our lockers and head for the exit. As we’re walking, I reach for my phone and give it to her to choose the song. Once she does, she gives it back and I put it back in my pocket. She grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers together, keeping us pretty close to each other.
It’s a routine and we’re both used to it so I don’t stop her. People sometimes ask us if we’re a couple, we usually just clear up the confusion and say we’re best friends, but it’s not an insult or anything. Hell, it’s kind of a compliment for me. If I could date her I would.
Unfortunately, I don’t feel that way towards her.
As we wait for the bus, she looks at me. I look at her back, in slight confusion.
I chuckle, “What?”
She chuckles back, “Nothing! I just noticed that you have pretty eyes.” Then casually goes back to scrolling through Instagram.
“Ah.. Thanks.” I say, kind of taken aback by the sudden compliment. Whenever she praised me or anything of the sorts I would always get nervous, I can’t seem to figure out why. Weird.
The bus pulls up in front of the stop, we get up from the bench and walk toward the doors.
At least 15 minutes pass, and we arrive at the stop that’s next to my house. We walk for about 3-5 minutes and talk about random stuff. Once we arrive, I ring the doorbell since I'm too lazy to look for my keys, plus, my mom is always home.
After a bit, my mom opens the front door and her eyes light up when she sees the one who’s standing next to me.
“Liz!! Welcome! Welcome back Rei!” She happily says with a wide smile, signaling us to come in.
“Thank you Ms. Naoi!” She says back, just as happy as her.
“Hi mom!” I reply.
“Make yourself at home Lizzy, I’ll get some cookies ready!” And just like that, she walks to the kitchen, practically skipping.
“Let‘s go upstairs.” I tell her, she nods, and follows me.
I open the door and immediately throw my bag on the floor and jump on my bed while groaning. She gently puts her bag next to mine and has the great idea of jumping on me.
“Wh- AGH!“ I get cut off by her landing on me, it’s not exactly painful but it’s not exactly enjoyable either. Liz starts uncontrollably giggling, she always jumps on me whenever she has the chance to.
“Did I hurt you?” She asks me, still laughing.
“Well, kind of?” I tell her.
“Ah, let me do it again then-“
“NONONO that was already bad enough I think I’m good!” She starts laughing harder, her body still laying on mine. I start laughing as well.
Once she goes to stand up, she puts her hands on my bed next to each side of my head, and pushes herself away from me, making it look like she’s on top of me.
Instead of actually pulling away, though, she stays in that position and looks at me with a blank face, I look at her back with a confused expression. Did her brain freeze or something?
“Is there something on my face?” I ask her, still confused as to why she’s staring at me, and kind of getting flustered at the same time.
“Have you ever kis-“ Right as she was gonna finish that sentence, we hear my door creaking open and my mom walks in on this, very, questionable looking situation. Liz and I slowly turn to look at her.
“Oh. Oh my.” She neutrally says, eyes slightly open, clearly taken aback by what she’s seeing.
“NONO mom I promise this is NOT what it looks like!” I loudly say as I push Liz off me, who is back to LAUGHING like an idiot.
“Yeah I won’t even ask what you guys were doing, just take the cookies and TRY to be quiet.” She says, now looking completely unphased.
Liz gets up to grab the plate and puts it on my desk, next to the bed.
“Thank you for the cookies miss!” She politely says, sitting back down on the bed, as if this was a completely normal thing to get walked in on. I try to explain the situation to my mom but she closes the door before I can properly form a sentence.
I look at Liz in disbelief, who is still grinning.
“Great, now my mom thinks we’re fucking.” I tell her, making her grin even wider.
“You should be happy she didn’t freak out instead.” She says, which is not wrong.
“Still, it’s weird to think about!” I whine out, she giggles.
I look at her for a moment, “What did you want to say though? Before she, you know.. walked in.”
“Oh, I was gonna ask you if you’ve ever kissed anyone.” She says as she’s reaching for her bag.
“Have YOU?” I do the same and get my English binder out so we can work on the project.
“I have, but it was a dare and I didn’t even like him. He taught me how to kiss though!” She says, I mean it’s not like I’m surprised, every girl who’s at least 17 has kissed someone before.
Except for me, apparently.
“Oh, I see.”
“So, back to my original question, have you kissed anyone?” She asks, yet again.
“I.. I haven’t.” I awkwardly admit.
She hesitates for a moment,
“Do you want to?” She’s got this weird expression, something between curiosity and.. nervousness.
“Like. Like, with you??” I ask her. What’s up with her lately?
“Yeah, I could teach you how to.”
How is she saying this so casually.. I start getting nervous but, it’s not the bad kind of nervous. More like the excited kind.
For some reason, I really want to. I want to kiss her.
“I mean.. I wouldn’t mind.” I slowly twirl my hair into little curls, looking away from her, trying to avoid eye contact.
She crawls closer towards me. “Are you sure? I don’t want to pressure you or anythin-”
“No, I.. I want you to kiss me.”
Her eyes light up and open a bit wider than they were, as if she wasn’t expecting me to say that.
“Okay, but not like this. It’s kinda awkward to kiss you like this.” She giggles nervously, which makes me realize that she’s on all fours in front of me. I chuckle.
“Could you lay down for me?” She adds. I nod, then nervously lay down on my back, keeping eye contact with her. She positions herself the same way she was when my mother walked in. This time closer to my face than before. I’ve noticed that she looks redder than usual, maybe she’s just as nervous as I am.
“You’re really pretty up close.” I tell her.
She turns redder and smiles awkwardly, “Don’t just say stuff like that out of the blue..”
I giggle at her reaction.
She looks at my lips for a bit, then my eyes, “Can I?” She nervously asks. I can’t seem to form words to answer her, so I just slowly nod instead. I can feel my heart beating out of my chest, or is that hers? I can’t tell.
I don’t know why I’m feeling like this, she’s just teaching me how to kiss. No big deal or anything.
She breathes in, and out, then closes her eyes and slightly tilts her head. I, too, close my eyes (mostly because I'm too embarrassed to even witness all of this.)
I can suddenly feel her lips on mine, they’re soft and tender, and taste sweet. Did she put chapstick before this? I thought it would feel average, but it surprisingly feels nice. Right as I was starting to melt into the kiss, Liz pulls away.
“Is it okay if I… Use tongue? You don’t have to say yes obvious-“
Before I could let her finish, I pull her back in for a small peck, before pulling her away again.
“I’d like that.” I say, she smiles warmly, then presses her lips onto mine again and slides her tongue against my lips, asking for entrance. I gasp at the sensation, letting her in.
Oh my god.
Who would’ve thought that making-out would feel this nice? I don’t know if it’s just Liz making it enjoyable but I would definitely do this again. Kind of like a reflex, I cup Liz’s cheeks and pull her closer as she does all of the work. The more time passes, the faster her tongue gets. Naturally, I decide to move my tongue the same way she does and she whimpers against the kiss in response, probably not expecting it.
I think something inside of me just awakened.
She could definitely feel that we were both out of breath, so she pulled away and slowly opened her eyes, panting. I do the same.
A good 5 minutes of nothing but staring into each other’s eyes and giggling, she decides to sit up next to me and let me catch my breath. She looks at me again, and I look back at her. This time, my gaze shifts to her lips from time to time.
“So. How was that?“ She asks, clearly nervous about what I have to say.
“It was. Great. I would not be opposed to doing it again. You’re really good at kissing, Liz.” I casually tell her, she seems embarrassed by that last sentence though.
“Heh.. thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.” She’s avoiding eye contact. I hope she wasn’t too overwhelmed with it.
“Anyways! How about we actually start working now?” I offer, trying to make her forget about the whole thing since she seemed embarrassed about it.
“Yeah, you’re right! Enough making-out!” She says, giggling, not as nervous as she was about this whole situation.
Right as we get started, we both get a notification on our phone. We check it, and it turns out it’s the group chat.
_____
gal pal:
‘bro i can’t believe i have to work with leeseo’
_____
fetus:
‘I go to the bathroom. For ONE SECOND and you’re already on your phone..’
_____
wonyy:
‘PLEASEFJEJR’
_____
gal pal:
‘oh shit mb💀💀’
_____
jinjin:
‘I just know gaeul’s about to get beat LMFAO’
Then, I can see Liz typing.
_____
darling<33:
‘RUN GAEUL RUN 😭😭’
I decide to type a message of my own.
_____
myself:
‘bold of yall to assume she can even run, her legs prolly got cut off BAHAH’
_____
wonyy:
I’M SCREAMING girlie is gone for sure
I turn off my phone and Liz does the same, we won’t progress in our work if we just sit around on our phones all day. Yet, we’re still laughing about the whole Gaeul and Leeseo situation. These two are the complete opposite, so it’s funny seeing how they’re always partnered up.
__________
After a long while of working, we decide to end it there. We’ve progressed enough, we already got half of the project done so we were off to a great start. We also finished the math pages our teacher gave us. It was getting pretty late so Liz thought it was time to get ready to go back home. I send her off with a kiss on the cheek (like usual) and she’s on her way.
Once I close the front door, I turn around to go back to my room but I see my mom staring at me with a smirk on her face, leaning against the wall.
“So. Did you guys do anything? I always knew you two liked each other!” She tells me, grinning widely.
I immediately turn red when I remember the fact that we DID make out, but it was in a platonic way so it didn’t count!
“Agh we didn’t!! And, for your information, I see her as a friend and a friend ONLY.” I say back to my mom. Instead of looking convinced, she looks unphased and smug.
“Uh huh. Sureeee.”
I go back upstairs and go into my room, then I flop face first onto the bed. First thing I do is open my phone to text Liz.
_____
myself:
‘text me when you get home safely<3’
Then I position myself comfortably so that I’m laying on my back. Once I’m comfy enough, I think about my whole day. It was pretty weird, wasn’t it? School itself was average, but the fact that I just made out with Liz like that. I mean, I’m not complaining at all but, it came out of nowhere. A pleasant surprise, if you will. I wonder if we’ll ever get to do it again.
Oh well, only time knows. I better change into some more cozy clothes for the night.
I wonder if she’s thinking about it right now. A part of me kind of hopes that she is, and that she enjoyed it.
Because I most certainly did.