𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 - 𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐮

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟏𝟐

𝐝𝐞𝐜 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟒

"i can't dance at all." yunhee told aerin as they wandered through the courtyards behind the boys.

"neither can i." aerin replied, huffing. "that sucks. do you have to attend the yule ball?"

"i mean, i'd love to attend a ball. it sounds so exciting! like cinderella." yunhee exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

"like what?" aerin scrunched her nose from the cold. yunhee stopped to tighten the younger girls's scarf around her neck to keep some warmth in.

"it's a book i used to read. i'll explain it another day. let's catch up with the boys." the two girls linked their arms as they ran forwards to join the others conversation. "what are you lot talking about?"

"how are we supposed to get dates? this is going to be impossible." chenle groaned. 

"surely mark will have no issue getting dates. he's so popular — actually all of you are." yunhee said and at their looks of confusion, she gasped. "you're telling me you haven't noticed all these fans trailing behind you?"

the group turned around to see a group of girls following them and when they were noticed, they dispersed, yelling and screeching.

"jeno, the amount of people who have asked me to ask you to go to the ball with them is so gross. why don't you go with one of them?" aerin complained.

"but i want to go with someone i actually like." jeno mumbled, shaking his head. "none of those girls."

"good luck with finding dates then. i plan on not going." renjun said.

"what? no, renjun, you have to go!" yunhee exclaimed, grabbing his arm and shaking it.

"i won't be able to find anyone. there's no point." he replied, stopping her aggressive shaking.

"at least try and if you can't find anyone, i'll go with you." she said and he shook his head, not having registered what she had said. when he did, his face turned red at the thought of going as dates to the ball. his lips parted to agree but he was cut off by chenle.

"wait!" he exclaimed. "if none of us can find dates, then we can all go together as a group of friends."

"that sounds like a great idea!" jeno agreed.

"yeah, you all have fun with that. i have my eyes set on an older guy so i can attend the ball. see you all later." aerin hugged yunhee then left to find her friends. 

"mark definitely needs a date though. he's a champion and has one of the first dances." renjun said.

"yunhee, you can be his official date, but we'll all still go as friends." jeno suggested, elbowing her to get her attention since she was too busy trying to catch snowflakes.

"that could work. two weeks to get a date! good luck!" yunhee yelled.

she ran after aerin who was by the fountain with her friends. recently, she had starting hanging out with them because she decided she needed more girl friends. being around boys all the time could be suffocating. 

"got a date, yunhee?" one of the girls, a ravenclaw, asked. "i'm jealous that only fourth years and above can go."

"no, not yet."

"why aren't you going with mark? aren't you two a thing?" someone else asked.

"we're just friends." yunhee replied, laughing.

and just like that, the following day, the rumours, the glaring, the harassment, all stopped. everyone went back to either ignoring her or being nice. all it took was for one person to ask and find out the truth.