the warmth that came with a breeze

[loveheizt]

 

fandom: elris

pairing: sohee/chaejeong

rating: T

word count: 2.7k

other tags: high school au, she was a punk she did ballet could i make it anymore obvious?

A/N: old work from july which i treasure deeply

🖤

There are a couple of things you need to know when you settle at Jihye Academy.

The first being, senior Kim Sohee runs the school fair and easy.

Kim Sohee is the talk of the talk. 

Her auburn hair is tucked behind her hair as she struts down the hallway full of hushed whispers. She carries poise and grace all into a walk. Her arms hold the endless amount of notes that shall win her the title of future valedictorian of the year. Kim Sohee is beauty, grace, and has been known in her freshman year to roundhouse kick a man in his face.

A petite girl in a red plain skirt and a white loose button-up blouse somehow manages to reach Sohee’s locker before the owner. There is a cheeky smile on her face as Choi Yoonah begins with a small, “So. I just heard a very interesting rumour.”

“If it’s something from Karin then I expected better from you, Yoonah.” Sohee opens her locker and reaches for her History textbook. “You know sophomores don’t exactly have the best gossip.”

“Fair point. Fair point.” Yoonah nods, eyes focused on her nails painted hot pink and black. Sohee thinks it is a mystery how none of their teachers has caught her friend yet. “But also, the rumour is about you.”

Sohee laughs. “What’s new? My hair is actually a wig glued to my scalp with a hot gun?” Yoonah does not join in on Sohee’s laughter. She bites down on a smile instead.

“I heard a rumour from Karin that…”

“That? Come on, Bella. You know I don’t have all day.” Sohee closes her locker. All of her attention fully rests on her best friend who is doing a horrible job at sharing a small piece of gossip.

“You, Kim Sohee, have a crush on one of the skaters. The ones famous for wreaking havoc at the entrance of the school. The skaters who, may I remind you, murdered our glass doors in protest of the ridiculous dress code.” 

Sohee blinks. Once or twice.

Then she gives Yoonah a tiny laugh. Yoonah flashes a toothy grin. “So, is it true?” 

“Nonsense!” Sohee exclaims. Though the tight grip on her three heavy textbooks starts to loosen, telling a different story. She turns on her heel and stomps to her classroom. “You know I’d tell you if I liked someone that way.”

“So who is it then!” Yoonah still prods, despite Sohee’s answer. Her legs are strong from all of the swim team practice so she catches up with Sohee in no time. “Lee Chan? Wait. No, could it be? Jung Wookjin?”

“Wookjin and I have been very close friends since kindergarten and we intend for it to stay that way. Thank you very much!” Sohee snaps. Yoonah however does not catch on, and instead gasps.

“Childhood friends to lovers? Is that what I hear? Sohee!” Yoonah nudges the girl in the shoulder. “Didn’t take for you to be such a hopeless romantic!”

“Yoonah,” Sohee hisses. She is about to go all psycho on her best friend when suddenly, a figure towers over her. 

Well, what do you know! Speaking of the devil, Wookjin in all of his glory gives a small wave. 

“Hello, Sohee.”

“Wookjin!”  Sohee greets her friend with gritted teeth. As tense as she is, she is not one to not say hi to her companion no matter how more real it will make a rumour look. 

Wookjin opens his mouth to reply but something, no someone. Someone else catches Sohee’s eye.

Time around Sohee feels like it has turned to a grand halt as Sohee takes in the appearance of the figure hidden behind Wookjin. Her deep violet hair tied into braids and her glittering makeup make it hard for Sohee to not notice her at all. That day, Sohee remembers the girl wearing a black denim skirt with a deep red blouse to complement the black lipstick the girl had put on.

Sohee wishes her heart never raced whenever she landed in the vision of none other than Lee Chaejeong.

Wookjin, darn that smart boy, follows Sohee’s gaze and gives her a tiny smirk. Sohee desperately wants to leave right now.

“I should get going,” she mutters, eyes flitting from the girl to her textbooks. Wookjin hums in reply. Yoonah holds in a high pitched squeal.

When Yoonah and Sohee leave the two skaters to their own business, Sohee feels the brush of her hands against soft fingers. If touch could electrify, Sohee swears she would be caught dead on the spot.

“You soooo have a crush on him. Like. It’s so obvious, girl,” Yoonah remarks. Sohee simply rolls her eyes and shakes her head. She definitely did not have the heart to tell Yoonah how wrong her assumptions even are.

 

---

 

The news about the protest had spread like wildfire. The school glass entrance doors were smashed to bits so the entire student body had entered the school doorless. In the end, the school decided to fix the situation themselves by removing the door frames completely.

Sooner or later, people started to realise that the culprits had been the skaters themselves.

Chaejeong still remembers the adrenaline rush she had felt when she splashed paint onto the school’s exterior brick walls with shades of all colours. It felt like the freedom she had been longing for since a very long time ago. 

Moving from state to state had been exhausting for her, but she always had to keep up a calm facade to not disappoint her parents or whatever. Our father is already providing so much for us. Don’t you dare be disrespectful! Her older brother had nagged when Chaejeong had thrown a fussy fit over leaving her friends in Busan for Seoul all because their dad had been relocated.

Chaejeong rarely spoke to anyone. She turned down invites to sit with them at lunch and partners for pairworks. To make matters worse, everyone spoke differently. It was hard for Chaejeong to catch onto the syllables as well as the slang even.

It went on for a week. Until Jung Wookjin entered the picture.

Chaejeong remembers it clearly: her sitting in the front row of the bleachers quietly munching on the sandwich she had made in the morning. A boy in her year with black floppy hair attempting to skateboard on the track before them. The boy frowns every time his small journey on the piece of board does not end up smooth. Chaejeong simply stares and wonders how long the boy would go skateboarding on a rough surface. 

The boy eventually gives up and resorts to lying down on the ground. Chaejeong watches. Down goes another bite of her sandwich.

“Skateboarding is hard,” the boy remarks. Suddenly, he turns to face Chaejeong. “Do you know how to play?”

Chaejeong shakes her head. “But I do know that a running track would definitely not be the best setting for skateboarding.”

The boy scoffs. “Of course it isn’t! That’s why I’m challenging myself!” The boy gets up on his feet and goes over to Chaejeong. It is the first time Chaejeong manages to actually take a look at his face and — oh wait, he’s actually pretty cute if she says so herself.

“I’m Wookjin. What’s your name?” the boy asks with a smile that almost causes Chaejeong to keel over. 

She mumbles her name and sooner or later, she finds herself recruited by the skaters of the school. Apparently to Wookjin, she needed a little adventure in her life. He wasn’t wrong. Being with the skaters gave her the exact thrill she was seeking for a very long time. From the tricks they taught her to the philosophical talks on moral principles, Chaejeong feels like her life just might be interesting after all. 

Over time, Chaejeong manages to get to know the rest of the group. First, there is Lee Chan who is an absolute monstrosity when it comes to skateboarding. If the senior couldn’t get any cooler, he happens to dance too. Like, at an insanely good level. Despite how intimidatingly talented he may be, Chan has the heartiest laugh, a warm heart and is often teased a lot by the others.

Then there’s also Lee Taeyeob who happens to date Wookjin. (Chaejeong lost her feelings for the latter quickly after hearing.) Taeyeob is very popular amongst them, no doubt. He happens to have friends from all kinds of social circles. If he is not doing another flip on the board and chatting up with a buddy, he’s all holed up in the computer room editing the next issue of the school magazine.

Then finally, there is oh so sweet, Yoo “Karina” Jimin. Rumours have floated around that the girl had a fire too strong to even cool but well, rumours are rumours. Karina always gave her the best advice on school and is right beside her to roll her eyes too whenever the boys in their friend group tend to act foolish.

So Chaejeong made some friends. The bonds she had with them were definitely the strongest in her life.

That is until Thursday evening comes by. A lovely brunette leans over the barricade in front of the bleachers, intensely watching Chaejeong and her friends skate.

To say Kim Sohee is a beauty is an understatement. 

The moment Chaejeong laid her eyes on the girl, she like the mess of a pansexual she is, may have almost lapsed into an epiphany. Sohee, she realised at that point, practically had to be the most stunning person she had ever met in her 18 years of living. 

So when Sohee gives her a small wave and introduces herself, Chaejeong obviously freezes. 

“Hello? Earth to Chaejeong?” Wookjin’s voice brings Chaejeong back to reality. She blinks and shakes her head.

“Sorry?” She mutters.

“I said, come meet my best friend, my love of my life, my ONE AND ONLY!” Wookjin then gestures towards Sohee with jazz hands, as if presenting the stage. “Kim! So! Hee!”

“Hi,” Sohee greets, a small smile on her face. 

“Chaejeong.” Really? That’s it? Chaejeong might as well just die right now. 

“You look new to the squad. Do you like it here in school?” Sohee decides to ask, probably to keep the conversation going. To you know, be nice.

“Uhhh no, not really. No offence. School is school anyway. Education sucks.” Chaejeong is now starting to ramble. Way to go, Chaejeong!

Sohee peers at her for a little bit. Then, to Chaejeong’s shock, she laughs.

It is a short and sweet laugh but it is all the more enough for Chaejeong to literally short circuit and uh oh, she’s malfunctioning!

“You’re cute,” Sohee declares. She bats her eyelashes, which is more than enough to drive Chaejeong insane, and then asks for her number. 

Chaejeong’s mind can literally only take such brain damage.

They get to know each other for a few weeks or so, managing to go on dates every so often. Chaejeong really likes Sohee’s company and vice versa so it didn’t take long before they began to get serious. They never really talk during school due to different friend groups and classes and whatnot. But Chaejeong meets Sohee at her locker after school ends and they go home together, hand in hand.

The feeling is nice. Chaejeong really likes Sohee and Sohee really likes Chaejeong. What they had was comfort tucked away in a tomb that no one could even make see. (Unless, they were Jung Wookjin who introduced Sohee to Chaejeong in the first place and begged Sohee to finally ask Chaejeong out.)

Everything was great.

Until the damn rumour came about.

 

---

 

Sohee meets Chaejeong at her locker that afternoon, agitated as hell. The skater gives her a small wave as she stores her book into her locker and decides what to study for the night. Sohee can barely even stand still.

Chaejeong, being her doting girlfriend, notices. “You okay?” 

Sohee shakes her head. “Can we talk? Soon?”

Chaejeong raises an eyebrow.

They exit the school building but don’t reach for each other’s hand until Sohee ensures that they are at least one block away.

“You heard the rumour right?” Sohee prompts the first thing. Chaejeong nods.

“People have been betting on either Wookjin or Taeyeob,” Chaejeong says. 

Sohee purses her lips. “Like hell I would break them up.”

“Right?”

There is a bit of long drawn silence before Sohee pipes up again.

“What do you think happens if people end up finding out it’s you?” 

A pause. “I don’t think they’d make much of it. Probably just move on? Feel relieved that they didn’t lose any money?”

“That’s oddly positive.”

Chaejeong looks confused. “Do you not want it to be?” 

“Yes? No? I don’t know!” Sohee breaks her hand away to cover her face in frustration. “I just don’t want you to get hurt…”

Chaejeong laughs. “Now why would that even happen? I’m strong enough to tackle a few slurs here and there. I can even break their faces with a skateboard if they even dare to try anything.”

Sohee can’t help it. From behind her fingers, she cracks a tiny smile. 

“It would be nice to see a homophobe get flattened in the face with a skateboard,” She comments. Chaejeong’s eyes flutter. 

“Is that what you’re afraid of? Being judged?”

Sohee turns to look at her girlfriend and ever so slowly, nods. Chaejeong takes in a sharp breath. (Sohee knows this means she is thinking real hard. The last time she did that was when Sohee requested for their relationship to be a secret.) Guilty, Sohee mutters an apology.

“Hey, don’t say that. It’s fine to feel that way.” Chaejeong moves to place a string of Sohee’s hair behind her ear. The proximity between them is so close, Sohee swears she could literally kiss her girlfriend right there and then.

“Is it alright if I still apologise?” Sohee asks, hushed tone and all. Chaejeong suppresses a small smile. She nods.

“I’m sorry we live in a world where people go bonkers when they see two girls kiss.”

With that, Chaejeong bursts into laughter. Sohee joins in not too long later. They laugh, laugh, laugh. Until a few seconds pass and both Sohee and Chaejeong go quiet. Their foreheads no longer touch the moment they part away.

“Is it just me or is it weird that our sense of humour lies in internalised homophobia?” Sohee notes. 

Chaejeong’s eyes widen. “Woah, I just realised that too. That’s so messed up. How the hell did we end up being so messed up?”

“Major mind-blowing thought for the soul or whatever.”

Chaejeong mimics the sound of a volcanic eruption. Sohee giggles. She studies her girlfriend for a good minute, both their eyes locking with each other as if performing telepathy or something.

“You know what we have to do right?” Sohee mumbles. Chaejeong sighs. Her sweet grin returns.

“If you’re a hundred percent okay with it, then go ahead.”

Sohee fumbles while opening the zipper of her backpack. Once successful, she whips out her mobile phone and opens the camera app. Chajeong sidles up next to her side as Sohee angles the camera to make way for the Greatest Selfie Ever Known to Mankind.

Her finger ever so slightly near the capture button. Chaejong pressed against her side, her warmth strong enough for the red in Sohee’s cheeks to rise. Sohee eyes the preview on her phone, blinks, curses the world.

She presses her lips to her girlfriend’s left cheek with a dainty smile. The camera flash goes off.

When Sohee returns home (her mouth tingling from all of the sweet cherry kisses from the evening), she is met with the sight of notifications overflowing on the screen. Mostly: comments on her most recent post.

sohee_kiiims with the love of my life: my little skater girlfriend. 7 months and counting <3

comments

eeejayyy UM??? HELLO??? CHAEJEONG???? SOHEE???? UGH HETS COULD NEVER

karinminmin so happy 4 u, unnie!!!

choi_bella AKDHSKDJKSJS YOU GIRLS ARE SO CUTE GODDDD IM GOING TO CRY!!!!!! <3 ily both so much :((

hyeseongsun_99 <3 ily gonna give u two all the love

yu_kyung_ss never quite expected the validity of the rumours to go this way. nevertheless, i am so proud of you, unnie. wishing you all the best for you and your wonderful girlfriend

chxaejexong <3