DREAMLIKE ✔️

- 35 -

"Thank you."

The librarian hopped off the bus, letting out a sigh as she walked away from the leaving crowd.

'The bus can't always be empty...'

Chaewon had asked her to meet up at her literature class today after her classes let out, which would be one of the only reasons why she would take public transport.

The other being her dad asking her to.

Minju walked into Chaewon's university, looking around casually when a voice caught her attention.

"Chaewon-unnie?"

She walked over, voices becoming clearer as she turned the corner.

"Ah sorry- I'm kind of busy today."

"Whattt but you're always busy! Come on Chaewon-ah~ It's almost the end of the school year, why not take a break and hang out with us for once?"

Minju froze watching from afar as the radish tried to nicely decline the student's constant offer as she took a step back, uncomfort written all over her expression from the student trying to link arms with her.

'I forgot Chaewon-unnie was practically famous...'

To her and their friends, she was just a normal college student trying to live her life, it often made them forget what the girl was dealing with at school and well, everywhere else.

'There's so many people...'

Minju had always seen her within the safety of her father's literature classroom, and she swallowed a lump in her throat from the amount of people that stood in front of the older girl.

But she watched the girl's constant uncomfortable expression, and without a second thought, the librarian ran and hugged Chaewon's arm protectively.

"H-hey! Leave m-my girlfriend alone!"

'Wait what-'

'WHY DID I SAY THAT-'

"M-Minju?"

Minju tried to hide her panic, hoping her eyes weren't shaking as she stared at the fan in front of them.

The female student raised an eyebrow, startled from her sudden appearance, "why should we believe you're her girlfriend? You don't seem very confident in saying that."

Another student spoke from the crowd, "yeah, who do you think you are huh?"

To that, the quiet girl started to regret her choices, slightly cowering from their words. She startled when Chaewon pulled her arm away, only to wrap it around the younger girl's shoulders.

She spoke out in a tone more confident than Minju's, "yeah, I'm her girlfriend. I better not hear any of you talking bad about her."

Chaewon then glanced at the frog with a smile, "ready to go Min? Hope you weren't waiting long."

After a few moments of shock, the crowd slowly dispersed as the older girl grabbed Minju's hand, watching as they walked away together.

The whole way to the classroom was deathly silent, but as they continued to walk, Minju felt Chaewon caress her held hand with her thumb ever so slightly.

"Hello girls."

"Hi Kim-ssaem." "Hi Appa."

Reading the atmosphere in the room, Mr. Kim stood up after cleaning up a stack of papers.

"I need to go get something from the staff's lounge, I'll be right back."

"Do you need any help?"

The man waved it off with a chuckle, "it's alright, don't worry about it."

As he left, the duo sat down at the front seats, both thinking of what to say as one stared at her twiddling thumbs while the other stared at the front of the classroom aimlessly.

Then the radish softly chuckled, glancing over to the frog, "I'm your girlfriend?"

Minju flustered up in embarrassment, covering her face as she spoke in a panic-stricken manner.

"I-I'm sorry unnie I-I don't know w-why I said that."

Chaewon barked a laugh, resting her head on the younger girl's shoulder with a smile.

"It's okay, thank you for saving me back there."

"W-well I couldn't just w-wait around if I saw you like that."

'Stop stuttering stop stuttering stop stuttering-'

Chaewon sat up, gently caressing Minju's cheek with her thumb as she slightly leaned closer.

"I'm proud of you Min, when I first met you, you wouldn't have spoken up."

The librarian blushed once more from the contact and compliment, getting caught off guard once again as Chaewon let out another laugh.

"Although I wouldn't mind you being my girlfriend."

Minju looked away, "yeah... To make people stop bothering you."

Chaewon gasped, dramatically placing a hand on her chest, "do you think that lowly of me, Kim Minju?"

If keyboard smashing could be audible, it'd be what Minju felt right now.

"N-no o-of c-course not!"

The radish laughed, "I'm kiddingggg Min, I know you don't..."

She then grinned, leaning in closer in a teasing manner, "I can see it..."

"See what?"

Her smile softened, "the love in your eyes... It's different from everyone else's... And even when I told you who my mom was, that light never changed."

A rosy pink peppered the librarian's cheeks, "i-if you knew... Why didn't you say anything?"

Chaewon's smile subtly dropped to a sad one as she looked away, "because in this world... It's hard to trust if people really love you. I knew you wouldn't do anything bad but..."

"You were scared..."

The older girl glanced back as Minju continued to speak, "you were scared that I'd leave after getting whatever I wanted from you."

She replied with a weak chuckle, "yeah, I was scared..."

A few moments of silence passed until the younger girl chuckled as well.

"There is something I want from you."

To that, Chaewon stared at Minju, an unknown expression passing her brown orbs as she stayed silent.

"You."

The older girl startled, Minju nervously smiling at her, "and just you."

It was now the radish's turn to fluster up, "o-oh y-yeah?"

Minju nodded, only to turn away fully with her back turned to the older girl as embarrassment caught up to her.

Chaewon quickly recovered with a chuckle, scooting her chair closer, "Minju-yah..."

Before the girl could turn back around, she was grabbed from the back of her shirt, pulled into a back hug by the older girl.

Chaewon hugged Minju tightly with her chin at the crook of her neck, as if afraid this would all be another dream if she let go.

"I want you too."

The librarian softly blushed, hesitantly leaning back onto the older girl as she started to smile.

And in that moment...

The two girls were lost in their own, real daydream...