Slender hands trembled slightly as they held the rather thin envelope. Acceptance letters were never this small. Discouragement and unease settled deep inside the pit of her stomach. She was never going to get out of her small hometown.

It seemed impossible now.

She couldn’t bring herself to open the envelope for she knew she was not ready to be rejected. Her hands would not stay steady as she flipped a finger under the flap to open it. The flap was slowly removed from the adhesive that kept it shut. Al that was left to do was pull out the papers.

Open. Close.

Dread filled her lungs and she let out a shaky breath in hopes of calming her nerves.

Open. Close.

Another sigh was released and a moist tongue her suddenly dry lips. The envelope had been in her hands for over thirty minutes and now and she barely even opened it.

Steeling her nerves, she flipped the envelope over as she slip the flap open. Her hands finally pulled out the papers and placed them face down on her desk.

This was it.

This was the point of no return and the hopes of a promising future. The same slender hands flipped the papers over and began to read.

~

“Taetae! I made it!”

The volume of her voice through the phone gave the receiver a headache but she couldn’t blame her close friend, “Congratulations Miyoung-ah~”

Tiffany was so elated and didn’t even get mad at the use of her despised Korean name, “Maybe we could be roommates!”

Taeyeon laughed at the exuberant girl, “Unfortunately we can’t, Miyoung-ah. Incoming freshmen dorm together.”

She pouted for a moment before perking up within seconds, “Oh, well no matter. My best friend also made it so maybe I’ll get to room with her. And I get to see you! I miss my favorite cousin.”

“I miss you too, Miyoung-ah. When you get here next term, I’ll give you a tour of the place. And I guess I’ll finally get to meet this best friend of yours.”

“You’ll like her Taetae! I can’t wait til I get there.”

There was a sound from the other side of the line before Taeyeon began to apologize, “Hey Miyoung-ah, I have to go to soccer practice. I’ll talk to you later okay?”

“You’re such a soccer jock, Taetae. I’ll let you go for now. Love you!”

Taeyeon chuckled and returned the sentiment, “Love you too, Fany-ah.”

~

Tiffany threw her body onto the fluffy mattress, following the example of her tall best friend. Her body bounced twice before coming to a rest. The two best friends turned to each other with wide grins.

“We’re finally here!” Tiffany exclaimed.

Sooyoung grinned and let out a happy sigh, “We’re going to rock this campus, Fany-ah! I can just feel it.”

A small chirp was heard, alerting the pair of a received text message. Sooyoung looked over at Tiffany, knowing the sound didn’t come from her phone for hers was on silent. Tiffany wiggled around on the bed before pulling out her phone from her skin-tight jeans.

“Omo, Taetae’s asking for our dorm number,” Tiffany said after glancing at the message.

“Your cousin?”

“Yeah, she said she was going to give us a tour.”

Quick fingers typed out a reply to let the older know of their whereabouts. Not more than fifteen minutes passed and two firm knocks were heard at the door.

Tiffany jumped off the bed followed by her best friend, “Taetae!”

Standing before the door was a petite girl wearing the college women’s red soccer uniform, “Hey Fany-ah, I brought cookies as a welcome to campus gift.”

Sooyoung smiled widely at the news of cookies being brought to her, “Cookies?”

Tiffany giggled as Sooyoung grabbed the plate and Taeyeon smirked, “I didn’t know your best friend was such a giant.”

The smile on Sooyoung’s face was replaced with a frown and spoke with her cookie-filled mouth, “Yah, you’re just short, you midget. I didn’t know your cousin was so rude Fany-ah.”

Tiffany rolled her eyes and gave Taeyeon a pointed look.

Taeyeon laughed and gestured with her hands outside, “Let our tour begin?”

~

The pair of best friends was currently in the library, supposedly studying for their first exam of the term. Tiffany looked over at Sooyoung who was gloomily chomping on chocolate chip cookies, ironically the same kind of cookies that Taeyeon brought them when they first arrived. The duo had been in school for a month now and the sight of a sad Sooyoung was beginning to be a regular thing.

The tall girl let out her fifth sigh in the past two minutes. Tiffany set her books to the side and rolled her eyes, “What is it this time? You’re not even studying.”

“Nothing,” Sooyoung replied quickly as she uselessly opened her untouched textbook.

Tiffany shook her head and narrowed her eyes at her best friend, “It’s about Taetae, huh?”

Sooyoung tossed the bag of cookies to her side, “Am I invisible to her or something?”

“She talks to you everyday. A day doesn’t go by where you two aren’t picking on each other. I’m pretty sure she sees you.”

“No, I mean as more than a friend. Am I not dropping enough hints?”

“Well, when you verbally attack her like that, it’s a little hard to know what are hints. And also, my cousin is dense enough as it is.”

The tall girl exhaled in frustration, “It’s not like I can just come out and say that I like her. She needs to work for it.”

Tiffany quirked an eyebrow, “Sometimes it doesn’t even look like you like her. Why do you even like her?”

“Because! I just do. Ugh. I don’t even know myself. What does that midget do to me?” Sooyoung buried her head in her arms as she groaned.

Tiffany sat in silence for a bit, knowing they wouldn’t get back to studying if she didn’t resolve this issue with Sooyoung.

“Well, how about you try making the first move.”

Sooyoung immediately shot up with a shocked expression, “I don’t want to do that! Why would I make the first move?”

She received a nonchalant shrug in return,  “You’ve been waiting on her to do it and look where that’s gotten to you.”

Tiffany had a point and Sooyoung rested her head back against the table, her cheek pressing against the cold surface as she looked at the far wall. She pursed her lips as she thought of a way to do it.

“I know!” she shot up in her seat again. “I just have to get her to ask me out.”

Tiffany sighed, knowing this was going to be a bad idea, “It’d be easier if you ask her out yourself.”

~

One week later, a fed up Sooyoung screamed at Taeyeon. She demanded that the shorty stop messing with her feelings and to go out with her. Taeyeon said yes.

Tiffany totally saw it coming.

~

Days after that, Sooyoung dragged her along to watch the first home soccer game of the school year. Tiffany was apprehensive at first until she saw her cousin zoom past several lockers and score a goal. She found herself standing to her feet alongside Sooyoung and letting out a loud cheer. She was completely unaware of a pair of eyes on her.

~

~

~

“Let’s go ladies!” Coach Kim screamed at her players as they ran up the stadium’s bleachers.

The team won their last game but it was a close game. They became over confident and made careless mistakes. Right now they were going through punishment practice and were not allowed to touch a soccer ball. It was one drill after the next and they were finally don their last exercise with runs up and down the stadium.

The shrill of the whistle signaled that practice was over. Most of the players collapsed onto the field. Taeyeon was face up with her arms outstretched, her legs feeling like jelly. Another petite body collapsed on top of hers. Taeyeon let out a grunt and weakly pushed the head that was resting on her stomach.

She wasn’t very successful, “Jesicaaa~”

The ginger ignored her roommate, “Tired.”

“Heavyy,” she whined with another weak push.

Jessica refused to budge and instead repositioned herself atop the shorter girl, “Taengoo’s comfy.”

Taeyeon gave up, “Ugh. Fine. Coach is killing us today.”

“I thought morning practice as intense, but this is pure torture,” Jessica complained.

Taeyeon nodded, “Worst thing about it is that I’m itching to touch a ball.”

Her legs and lungs were burning, as was her desire to kick a soccer ball.

“Mmm, I think that’s what coach wanted.”

“Well, it’s working.”

Jessica laughed and the two friends became quiet, doing their best to cool down after the hard workout. Laying under the sky blue skies, Taeyeon could feel herself falling asleep. Her eyelids slid shut and her breathing slowed.

“Taengoo…”

“Hmm…?” she responded to the soft voice of her roommate.

“Who as that with your girlfriend?”

Taeyeon cracked open an eye and looked down at Jessica’s profile, “What?”

Jessica turned her head to the left to look up at the smaller girl, “Your girlfriend brought a friend with her to our last two games. Who is she?”

“Oh, that’s my cousin, Tiffany.”

Taeyeon then grinned as she ran a hand through Jessica’s hair, pressing it back to reveal a perspiring forehead, “Does somebody have a crush?”

Jessica rolled her eyes at the teasing tone and swatted away the hand off of her forehead, “Does somebody have a problem with my crush?”

An ahjumma laugh escaped her lips. Count on Jessica to be so cool about it, “If you need any help there, just ask.”