Nobody Like You

Bullied Into A Relationship

Lia

The buzz of my phone wakes me up.

I feel for it on the nightstand and bring it to my face. It's a video call request from Chloe. Rubbing my eyes, I accept the call.

"Hey, Chloe."

"Good morning, Lia! Oh, you're still sleeping? Sorry ah!"

I squint at the time above Chloe's bright expression. Eleven a.m. I groan. "Oh my god, how did I oversleep so much?"

"Aiya, you had a midterm yesterday mah!" Chloe giggles. Unlike RJ, Chloe makes no attempt at hiding her Singaporean accent, and I appreciate it. "How did it go?"

"I think it went well..." I trail off as I stretch my arms. My left hand hits something soft and warm. What?

"Lia!" Chloe's mouth drops. "Is that... Are you sleeping with someone?"

That jolts me up. My blanket falls off, and the abnormally cool breeze on my body shocks me—I'm naked. Fully naked. What?

I yank the blanket back up, and my elbow hits the soft, warm thing next to me again. No, not thing. It's a person, and she's groaning at my accidental assault.

Yeju.

"What? Lia Choi is sleeping with someone?" I hear RJ's voice, followed by loud footsteps as she rushes to the phone.

"Ah, goodbye, talk to you next time!" I yell before closing the call. My phone proceeds to explode with messages from the group chat.

Heat crawls up my face as I glance to my side. Sure enough, Yeju is next to me, as naked as I am, rubbing her face and wincing in pain.

"You didn't have to punch me in the face to wake me up, you know," she grumbles.

"S- Sorry, Yeju, I forgot you were here. I wouldn't have picked up the call..."

Yeju frowns as she turns toward me. Her brown hair sprawls over her arms, embellishing her flower tattoos with branches and twigs.

"Is that why you have been calling them from inside your room?" she asks softly. "Because of me?"

Ever since that fateful burger-kicking day, I have been avoiding RJ's and Chloe's calls in the common area, and I guess Yeju must have noticed that.

I slump back down to the bed. "Well, yeah, you kinda blew up at me the last time you saw me talking to Chloe."

Her eyes flicker. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. She's your friend. You shouldn't have to keep your friendship a secret or anything."

"So, do you not hate her anymore?"

"I've never hated her. I was just..." She slides a hand over her face. "Well, I'm over it, and I won't blow up at you ever again, I promise." Reaching towards me, she swipes at my cheek with her fingers. "I'll treat you right from now on, like I promised yesterday."

The tenderness in her voice melts my heart, and I find myself snuggling into her. Her arm drapes across my shoulders, and I trace her tattoos with my fingers while she plants kisses into my hair. Her biceps are so toned; I never realized how fit she is.

Memories of the night flood my mind. I had sex for the first time, and then the second, and the third. And Yeju was both gentle and wild, in all the best ways possible. My body begins to warm from more than just Yeju's body heat.

"Last night was... nice," I whisper.

"Just nice?"

"Shut up... You know what I mean."