Soojin had crushes before, several actually but never really confessed to any of them which is the result of being shy and quiet; Most of her crushes didn't even know she existed and that was okay because she could get away with watching them from afar until her feelings went away. But that was the first time she had a crush on someone she was close to, and it was Shuhua of all people, maybe she was just like anybody else and was too enchanted by her out of this world beauty, maybe it was how her eyes seem to carry the universe inside of it and how much passion there was in them. 

Or maybe it was how Soojin's shyness was gone whenever she was around and how despite their constant bickering, even after Shuhua had offered a friendship, they still managed to work great together, like a good fit for each other. 

"We took this one when Father took us camping at the start of the year" Shuhua said, pointing at the picture on her phone while Soojin, with her cheeks red as a tomato, rests her head on the younger's shoulder; The photo in question was Minnie, Shuhua and Yuqi posing, Minnie had her arm around Shuhua's shoulder as they both glanced, with a bit of disgust, at the second eldest of the trio who held a fish up with her fingers and had this proud look on her face that had Soojin giggling as she tries to imagine the moment happening.

She remembers that weekend as the weekend Miyeon wouldn't stop whining over missing her girlfriend, after a few weeks together, it was the first time they were far apart and so Soojin and Soyeon had to endure her complaining about it all day, well not complaining but wishing that she could go too but Shuhua was clear with the invitation: ' No Miyeons allowed '

"She looks really proud," Soojin said, pointing at Yuqi.

"Yuqi was on her survival show phase," Shuhua said. "She would watch those survival shows and act like she was ready to survive in the woods with only a pencil and enough courage" She swiped the picture and the next one was a picture of Shuhua holding several branches while looking very upset at the camera, Soojin decided not to mention the girl looked extra adorable with the oversized jacket she was wearing, only her fingertips poking out, but then she frowned once she noticed the bunny logo on it.

"ain't that Miyeon's coat?" She asked, she saw the elder wearing it so many times it was basically stuck in her head; She watched how Shuhua's smile turned into a frown, as if she was offended by the question.

"No, It's Minnie's coat. She gave it to me because Yuqi dropped coal on mine and ended up burning it" She mumbled; Now it made sense why she saw Miyeon wearing it so much, it was likely Minnie gave it to her. "We were in charge of creating a campfire" Shuhua swiped through more pictures. "Yuqi almost burned her arm off that weekend" 

"That would be bad-"

"Yeah, I'm sure Soyeon would miss her fingers-" Soojin slapped her shoulder. "Ouch!"

"Behave."

"Yes ma'am!" Soojin giggled while Shuhua swiped through more pictures, one of them was Yuqi inside her sleeping bag, sleeping like a rock while one of her arms was still out and her hand had a firm grip on Shuhua's arm, who was sleeping next to her. "Did I ever tell you Yuqi sleeps like an otter?" 

"Really?" Soojin asked, suddenly the reason why Shuhua cannot see Yuqi as anything other than cute, even if the chinese girl tries to appear tough and strong, made sense. 

"It started in middle school, when we had sleepovers," She explained. "She would get homesick sometimes so we would hold hands until she fell asleep" 

"That's cute-"

"Shh, Don't let Yuqi hear you say that '' Shuhua laughs along Soojin before she points to the picture again. "Minnie took this picture before she drew all over our faces with her hands dirty with coal, I had to wash my face three times!" Hearing about those stories somehow was really interesting and Soojin smiled as she glances at Shuhua as she talks with a big smile on her lips about those moments she shared with her friends, She hates realizing this stupid crush now because somehow it made every little detail about the younger girl stand out so much to her eyes.

Like how Shuhua blinked a lot when she spoke or how she would look up when trying to remember which korean word to use in the sentence, she was so focused on talking that she didn't even seemed to mind Soojin's head on her shoulder or how the older has been caressing her right arm, for enough time to notice the mole on her hand; Soojin didn't expect her to notice, she was used to crushing from afar, without having the spotlight on herself and she also knew that Shuhua's eyes were focused on someone else, and even if Soojin didn't know who it was…

She still wished that she was that girl. 

.

.

.

Stupid Crush!

She felt like this was karma, like she was somehow paying for her bad actions from some past life, and for every time she said she would never like anybody who was like Shuhua, and this was the best way to make her pay; She couldn't think of any other explanation to her situation right now. Soojin knows that being aware of her feelings for the basketball player meant that everything she does either looks ten thousand times cuter, and attractive, than it actually was and sadly for her weak heart, staring so much made her notice Shuhua's habit to constantly lick her lips, or how she would attractively run her fingers through her hair as she pushed it back.

But that's fine , She can live with that unresolved sexual tension as all she needs to do is not stare so much; However being aware of her feelings for Shuhua also meant another thing she didn't consider before; She was also aware of her as a whole, like suddenly someone light up a spotlight on top of the taiwanesse and now if she walks into the room, Soojin's eyes immediately fall on her, But of course that also meant that Soojin was also aware of every single girl in the building that interacted with Shuhua and much to her displeasure her stupid heart decided to beat faster for the girl who flirts as easily as she breathes and somehow has all the girls around her enchanted.

It was annoying, not to say it made Soojin absolutely livid, how every single girl decided they wanted a piece of Shuhua as soon as Soojin realized how she felt. 

Life really was some sick game and Soojin was the single player currently struggling on the love level. 

"You should come over to my place today" Soojin said to Shuhua who was texting someone, probably one of the girls currently on Soojin's black list. "My parents have a day off" 

It's been a few weeks since her brain decided to light things up and point out how she feels about the younger girl and since then Soojin was doing a great job at hiding it, Shuhua didn't seem to notice it at all but the girl blamed that on how she probably had her heart closed to any girl that wasn't the one she wanted so she had a feeling that even if she tried she still wouldn't get the girl's attention, at least not in the way she wanted.

"You want me to meet your parents?" Shuhua asked as she put her phone down, then smirked at Soojin. "I didn't think our relationship was moving so fast," She said, teasing as always but Soojin laughed, rolling her eyes.

"They like meeting my new friends" And making sure she was around good people and not some troublemakers that would somehow push her into a bad path. "But if you don't want-"

"Of course I want to" Soojin felt her cheeks burning at how eager the younger sounds to meet her parents, she almost forgot to remind herself that Shuhua's meeting her parents as her friend, nothing else. "I would never miss the opportunity to see your hot sister" She added and Soojin's eye twitches while Shuhua goes back to her phone again as soon as she hears the noise from a new text notification. 

In the past few weeks of hiding her feelings from Shuhua and the rest of their friends too, Soojin realized that she was a jealous person, and also came to the conclusion that jealousy made her an impulsive person because it didn't take more than three seconds for Shuhua's words to make her react. 

Physically.

"Ouch!" Shuhua complained when the older girl hit her shoulder. "Ouch! Ouch!" She said once Soojin hit her again. "What 's wrong?! I thought we were friends!" She said, trying to escape the other's sudden fury.

"You just ruined the mood!" 

"Sorry your sister is hot?" Shuhua tried, only for Soojin to hit her harder, this time with the magazine she was previously reading . "Stop attacking me, I'm sick!" She forced a cough right away to try and escape from Soojin; They were sitting by the stone, round tables outside the school building and the students passing by didn't even bat an eye to Soojin coming for Shuhua's blood as it became an everyday thing. Some students made bets over what they would fight and when said fight would take place, it was like a main event everyone liked to attend, what kept everyone from having a bad day.

"I don't want you to come anymore"

"Come on, I was joking-" 

The duo are then joined by the Mimin and Yuyeon couple, as they sit next to them not really minding their usual fighting, whoever Yuqi watched curiously at how they were fighting that day, which was different from their usual arguments; Soojin trying to beat the hell out of the younger wasn't something new and honestly the Chinese girl believed that Shuhua actually found it pretty funny otherwise she would've hit back by now, which she never did, there wasn't a single moment that Shuhua had ever lifted a finger against Soojin; But this time it was different in Yuqi's eyes because instead of the usual hitting followed by more teasing from the Taiwanesse, She was met with Shuhua trying to explain herself to the angry cheerleader and that felt oddly… couple like, like watching Miyeon and Minnie argue. 

Weird. She thought as she placed her food tray on the table, looking at the two of them arguing about something related to Soojin's sister.

.

.

.

" It's not a date "

"Sounds like a date to me"

" To me as well "

" That's your problem then "

Shuhua, Yuqi and Minnie stood in the parking lot talking to each other in mandarin, to keep others from listening to their conversation while the two youngest tried to keep their words simple for the older to catch up, The taiwanesse had briefly mentioned going to Soojin's place later that day and somehow that drove both of her friends crazy, especially Minnie while Yuqi was focused on listening to her arguments of how that wasn't a date. 

" Her parents will be there! " Shuhua argued, crossing her arms, pointing out the obvious reason why it wasn't a date. " Who would have a date with their parents around? " 

Yuqi shrugs. " Well- "

" Besides your grandparents, Yuqi, " Shuhua said. " Plus it's Soojin, come on " 

" Exactly! " Minnie joined in. " The same Soojin who has been cooking for you and taking care after you, I told you she was falling for your charms. "Minnie smiles. " Soon enough we'll be three couples! " 

" Wait, hold on, you're planning way too far ahead," Shuhua complained. "How did it go from Soojin liking me to couples?! " She asked. " You're under the assumption that I would like her back, which I don't " 

Yuqi rolled her eyes. " Yeah, Shuhua only has her eyes on one girl "

" Don't start! " Shuhua warned, starting to get really annoyed. " Also, I have no plans to date anyone. I'm fine being the way I am right now " She added, ignoring the way Yuqi was looking at her, as if her eyes were saying that she was just waiting for her special someone to get single. 

"Well you should," Minnie said, switching back to korean. "You look lonely these days" She makes a pause. "Are you still into that girl?"

Yuqi interrupts. "She never got over her, always looking at her with the most stupid puppy eyes" 

Shuhua turned around to Yuqi, ready to start an argument but Minnie was quick to spin the girl around so she could look at Shuhua again. 

"Is there a possibility for this girl to like you back?" She asked and Shuhua looked away, knowing the answer but not wanting to admit it to herself. "I mean, I'm not saying you have to move on with Soojin, I'm sure there's a lot of girls who would love to date you" She pat her cheeks softly. "You're a good kid." 

It only took a second before Shuhua remembered she had a tough girl image to maintain so she moved Minnie's hands away from her face as she loudly complains about how she's not a kid anymore, much to the older amusement as she continues to talk to her with a baby voice and Shuhua uses Yuqi as a shield, forgetting how they were about to fight seconds earlier, accusing Minnie of being around Miyeon too much. 

.

.

.

Being raised in a strict household meant following several rules no matter if you agree with them or not, Shuhua was used to living under the idea of whatever her father said being the law of the household and her mother didn't seemed to mind either as she was also just as strict when she wanted to; So knowing that it wasn't surprising how they gave her a full lecture about good behavior once the girl has told them she was going out to meet a friend's parents that night, Her mother made her get ready about 30 minutes early so she would get there in time while her father told her to remember to keep her accent to herself so she would make a good first impression. 

So when Mr. Yeh stopped the car in front of the Seo Household, Shuhua had to endure the man fixing her jacket and her hair to make sure she looked as perfect as possible before he allowed her leave the car, around 5 minutes before 19:00, the time she was supposed to show up but there was no harm on being a little early. Her parents told her it shows good manners and so she walked out of the car but not before calling her again.

"Yes?"

"Remember what I said about the accent" He warned, nervously, like he was back on her first day at school worried about other people's reaction; Shuhua nods and smiles softly as if to ease his worries; She was aware he wanted her to behave as korean as possible.

"I know" She said before walking towards the front door, checking her watch quickly. 2 minutes till 19:00; She looks back as her father drives away and then stands by the door, knocking and then listening to the voices talking inside and judging by the one voice whining like a brat, it was her Soojin for sure and that had Shuhua chuckling before the door opens, revealing the blonde who had a small smile on her lips. 

"Hey!" Soojin checks her own watch. "Woah, You're just in time" She added, surprised as she moved to the side, gesturing for Shuhua to come in, which the younger quickly did as she removed her shoes at the entrance and got caught off guard when Soojin started to take off her jacket.

"I'm glad you're covered up properly before coming" The older said. "It's cold outside, how is your throat?" She asked, holding the younger's coat against her chest with one hand while the other was on Shuhua's shoulder, looking at her with this worried look in her face and the taiwanesse tries not to think of Minnie's words from before, knowing that Soojin is just a caring and kind person in general and that she's just showing that side of her more because they've become friends. No romantic feelings involved, that was just the voices in Minnie's head speaking.

Shuhua thinks this is somehow Miyeon's fault.

"I'm fine, Don't worry" The younger one said softly and Soojin smiled which had Shuhua smiling back; Then the older placed her coat on the hanger before holding Shuhua's hand and guiding her to the dinner room, where she saw Soojin's parents and her older sister.

Shuhua takes a deep breath and smiles, hoping to make a good impression.