Kalon

Chapter 26

Their first official “date” is not exactly how Jihyo had planned it out for them.

She told Y/n to choose a public place, somewhere that would prove to Sana that Y/n didn’t mind others knowing about their feelings for each other.

They ended up choosing to go to a bookshop instead, and Jihyo literally facepalms when Y/n tells her about their plans.

“Babe, that’s cute and all, but a bookshop... is like, the last place I would’ve chosen to go public with my relationship.”

“We’re not going public.” Y/n sighs. “I just want to… I want to go about it like a normal person would. I asked her out on a date, and she was fine with it. What’s wrong with that?”

“Oh Y/n.” Jihyo starts gathering her things and empties her cup of coffee. “You have so much to learn.”

“Well.” Y/n picks up the cleaning cloth and tray from the table, standing up together with Jihyo. “That’s what I have you for, right?”

“What’s the point if you don’t listen to me?” Jihyo snorts. “I told you to take her to the campus café or the mall or something. Somewhere a lot of people will see you.”

“I didn’t feel comfortable with that.” Y/n mumbles, thinking about how much courage it took her to ask Sana out at all. It felt like she was asking her to be her girlfriend but Sana reassured her that she knew what it meant and that they were just going to hang out together like they would at the spectacle store, just somewhere else instead.

It calmed Y/n down a little, but made her feel guilty at the same time.

It’s something she’s been feeling a lot lately when it comes to Sana; guilt.

“I know.” Jihyo sighs and leans in to give Y/n a hug. “You’re doing good, I’m just joking, you know that right?”

“Yeah.” Y/n walks with her to the door and tries not to roll her eyes when Jihyo sends a wink in Nayeon’s direction.

“Hey, Y/n.” Jihyo stops before she steps out of the door, giving Y/n a warm smile. “You seem a lot better lately, did you notice?”

“Better? In what way?”

“You look a lot more… carefree. Happier.”

Y/n wasn’t aware there had been a change in her demeanour. “I… do?”

“You smile a lot more.” Jihyo shrugs. “I think we both know who’s responsible for that.”

Before Y/n can say anything else, Jihyo leaves the café and Y/n stares at her retreating back with a fuzzy feeling in her chest and only one name in her mind.

“Why are you smiling again?” Nayeon asks with a raised eyebrow when Y/n joins her behind the counter a moment later.

“I’m not.” Y/n denies, but the smile lingers on her face, and so does the gentle throbbing in her chest.

-

It’s already been over two weeks since they told their friends and Y/n has yet to tell Chaeyoung that she’s been lying to her this whole time.

She decides to do it before her first official date with Sana, just so she can tell Sana that she isn’t scared of people knowing about them anymore, and because she wants to start trying to face her fears more.

And coming clean to people about her thoughts and feelings has got to be one of the things Y/n fears the most in her life.

They’re watching a horror movie, Chaeyoung getting the popcorn anywhere but her mouth, and Y/n thinks things haven’t been going so well between them as it is, so she might as well just get it over with.