another quick note: all chapters start with something in bold :D

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VALOR WOKE UP, Soobin's head on her shoulder, which was drifting down to rest on her collarbones. He had slept in her room last night, worn out from their late-night talks. She glanced at him, lightly nudging him with her shoulder. Soobin groaned, moving closer into her neck. Valor went red.

"Hey, Soobin-ah," Valor shook him a little and the boy rolled over.

"What?"

"Good morning, fool," Valor managed a chuckle.

Soobin turned over again, squinting his eyes. He looked at her, and that at his surroundings. Valor watched everything hit him all at once, propping her head up with her arm. His mouth fell open, "You kissed me... and we ended up... here... "

Just as Valor was about to nod, they heard the lock to their dorm's door click open, "It's me, Noah! I have muffins from your friendly neighbors next door!"

Valor and Soobin's eyes widened, glancing at each other. Valor shoved him out of her bed gently, getting up after him and helping him up. She watched the door knob to her room turn, "Noah, don't come in, I'm... naked!" Valor put herself against the door and immediately grimaced, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Oh, well, alright!" Noah stammered, taken aback. "I'll leave them on your counter! Also there's this press conference about the whole Han hotel scandal, Dae's on TV."

"He's--" Soobin began, and Valor clamped a hand over his mouth, finishing his sentence for him, "He's on TV?"

"Are you okay? Your voice sounds a little worn out," Noah asked. "Can I come in?"

"No, you cannot, I don't want you catching... this," Valor bull-shitted, giving Soobin a scolding look. "Just go, I'll come round in a few minutes. Soobin's at the gym."

"Of course he's there at the ass-crack-of-dawn," Noah exclaimed, and the pair sighed in relief when they heard the door shut, Soobin resting his head against the door, glancing down at Valor with a light smile.

Valor took her hand off of his mouth, her hand making itself comfortable on his shoulder. She noticed him beginning to lean down, and the air around her had suddenly become incredibly thin. She didn't want to risk their friendship, but the connection they had shared the previous night lingered in her mind.

"Soobin, if we're going to do this," Valor whispered, putting her hand on his chest. "no strings attached. I really don't want to hurt you." 

Soobin nodded, "I know. I'm going through shit right now as well, I could use a healthy distraction."

Valor returned the nod, a smile on her face, "Care to fill me in?"

They both grimaced.

Unable to resist the magnetic pull between them any longer, Valor leaned in, capturing Soobin's lips in a tender, lingering kiss. It was a silent affirmation of their agreement—to explore the newfound intimacy while keeping their emotions in check.

As their lips parted, Valor and Soobin shared a knowing look, their unspoken understanding filling the air.

Valor huffed before running to retrieve her towel, "I call dibs on the bathroom!" Soobin's eyes widened as he tried chasing after her, but he stumbled, slipping on the living room carpet. Valor laughed evilly, and Soobin kicked his feet around like a little child.

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Valor and Soobin walked into the other dorm, fresh and ready for the school day ahead. Q and Minho had Noah's laptop open on their kitchen counter, audio playing out of it, "It is important for me to own up to all my decisions... "

"Damn, is this the Han hotel shit?" Soobin asked as he took off his shoes, walking over to stand in between Q and Minho. Noah was bending down in front of the oven, retrieving another batch of muffins that he had baked. 

"It's blowing up," Q commented, and the door chimed open again after the two visitors had entered. "Yo, Dae, check this out."

"I bet Yuri's loving this drama," Minho commented.

"Kill yourself," Valor said, light-heartedly, receiving a sarcastic smile from the British boy as Noah slid them all a plate with a muffin on it.

"Kitty, you're here! Muffin?" Noah asked with a smile, Minho and Q whirling at the girl's name.

"I don't particularly care," Kitty responded, and Valor's eyebrows raised, and a glare sharp enough to cut through stone had formed on Minho's face. "Not about the muffins, I will gladly accept, they smell amazing." Kitty Song Covey had just stopped an all-out war. "I meant about the broadcast."

"Kitty," Q said in recognition. 

"I thought you left," Minho grumbled.

"I did, but then I decided to stay," Kitty concluded. "And not that's it's any of your business, but this isn't all about a boy."

"Oh, sweetie," Q began, but Kitty cut him off.

"My mom went here, and-- I don't know," Kitty shrugged. "being here just makes me feel closer to her than I ever have. And-- wait Dae's on TV?"

They all turned to look at the laptop, Noah jogging around to the other side of the counter, bumping into Minho slightly, "Sorry." Noah patted his shoulder.

"Don't be," Minho assured, patting Noah's waist.

"but for my family... Family means everything to me," Mr Han said on the screen. "And so, I'd like to apologize for my behavior." They bowed.

They watched Dae get asked a question, and he expertly and charmingly moved on. "Well played," Q complimented.

"Since when were puns his thing?" Valor pondered aloud.

"Never," Noah answered.

Kitty pushed herself in between Q and Minho to get closer to the screen, watching Yuri reach for Dae's hand, but he snatched his hand away. "Oh, my God. He's faking it. That's a fake relationship!"

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Valor despised the skirt, but wore it nonetheless. She had gotten used to it by now. She had her flask full of coffee with her. She could feel her phone buzzing repeatedly in her pocket, and she pulled it out, immediately shoving it back into her pocket at the sight of Yuri's name.

"Hey, Yuri?"

"Hm?" The Han girl glanced down at the Choi, who held the bottle of vodka.

"We're juniors this coming semester, that's crazy," Valor drawled drunkenly, and Yuri took the bottle from her, taking a swig herself. 

"Since when do you care about that stuff? Your whole thing is supposed to be my dreamy best friend," Yuri looked down at her. She had read in books that it was all in the eyes, and it was a true thing, even more so in movies.

"Whoa, Han Yuri thinks I'm dreamy? Wow," Valor smiled wolfishly up at her, and now, I know this is going to sound incredibly cliche, but Yuri didn't think that her smile would trigger butterflies to explode in her stomach. "There's no way!"

"Oh, shut up," Yuri responded playfully, jostling her shoulders. Valor was laying on Yuri's lap, waiting for them. Valor tilted her head back, looking up at Yuri with a smile. And there was this sparkle in her eyes, and Yuri didn't want to look away.

Valor initially thought that something was reflecting off of the light in the closet, since Yuri's eyes seemed to sparkle as she glanced down at her. It was incredibly alluring. 

And then their faces were inches away from each other. Valor had no idea when she leaned up or when Yuri leaned down, all she knew was that the air around her was incredibly thin and it was getting hard to breathe. 

"Hey, you've got English now right?" Noah bumped into her shoulder.

"No, I'm walking around aimlessly with a huge flask of coffee," Valor responded, looking him up and down. "I'm trying to get there earlier so I don't get verbally assaulted. You should get to Chemistry, down the hall, last right."

Valor walked past Dae and Yuri, moving past Dae, "Excuse me." She walked by them, walking down the hall before she was pulled into the janitor's closet. A hand clamped over her mouth just as she was about to yell, but Valor recognized who it was and they removed their hand, "Juliana, jesus, dude. You know I'm claustrophobic."

"You've never been claustrophobic," Juliana's brow furrowed.

"Wow, is that how you greet your best friend doing all the secret keeping for you?" Valor teased lightly, the girl punching her in the arm. "Yuri's walking down the hall, by the way, in case this is a whole reunion."

"Oh, the whole thing between you two is something I'm going to get to in this confined meeting," Juliana gestured to her, Valor's playfulness dissolving in an instant. "Sorry for using the word 'confined.'"

"Shut up, just grab her already," Valor gestured to the door.

"How about you do it?" Juliana said, walking away from the door and leaning against the wall. "I know you're using my situation to avoid her, Val. Sure, it works, but you can't keep it up forever. I know you."

"If you knew me at all, you'd know why I'm avoiding her because of your secret," Valor commented, cracking the door open slightly. "You know I can't keep shit from her for more than 30 seconds." She saw Yuri parting with Dae, holding some paper in her hands. Valor took a step out and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the janitor's closet.

"Ow! What the hell?" Yuri swatted her arm as Valor continued to pull until her eyes landed on Juliana. "Juliana, you're here!"

"Hi," Valor watched the pair embrace. "I'm only here for a second. Listen, my parents are sending me to Oakham."

"No," Yuri whined, still holding onto her. 

"I know, at least it's not a nunnery," Juliana reasoned. "Listen. I'm gonna tell you that way Valor doesn't nuclear combust."

"I would never," Valor grunted as Juliana draped an arm around her shoulders. "Okay, maybe I would but not with you guys." She mumbled and Yuri pinched her cheek, the Choi whining in response.

"This is all my fault. I should've been more careful, Lily should've been more careful--" Yuri began a whole tirade of apologies.

"Speaking of Lily, where is she?" Valor gently took Juliana's arm off of her shoulders. 

Juliana looked down at the ground, Yuri and Valor glanced at each other, "I... I haven't been able to reach her. All of her socials are gone. My texts aren't going through and I'm honestly really worried... "

Valor grabbed Juliana by the shoulders, making her look at her. She shook her a little, "Hey, it is not your fault." She grabbed Yuri by the collar of her blazer, tugging her towards her. "and neither is it yours, alright?" She looked at both of them sternly before letting them go. "God, we're all so gay."

"What are we supposed to do here without you? Everything sucks." Yuri pouted.

Juliana chuckled, a little tearfully. "You guys still have me, even if we can't talk for awhile. You two have each other as well."

"Valor's been annoyingly cold," Yuri pouted again, Valor's brows furrowing. The Choi was barely in the conversation, constantly adjusting her collar. This entire time in the janitor's closet was making her feel choked up.

"Yeah, that's partially my bad," Juliana confessed. "I texted her about Lily and I getting caught, I told her not to tell you until I could in person. Sorry." When Yuri glanced at Valor, the Choi looked down, constantly messing with her collar.

"We won't get to do all the things we planned. What if we don't get to go to Iceland? The Northern lights? Valor's ambitious ski agenda?" Yuri listed off.

"We will get to do that, all right? Hopefully with Lily too," Juliana assured her. "but for now, talk to each other. You two need to have each other."

"D'you know Valor's got a boyfriend?" Yuri mumbled to Juliana as they hugged, the girl pulling back to look at the other girl.

"You have a boyfriend?!" 

Valor's eyes widened, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Soobin Kang? Your roommate? Does that ring a bell?" Yuri said almost spitefully. Valor took a step back. 

"He's not... you know what... I don't need to explain myself to you, considering the things you've kept from me," Valor said, arms crossed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Alright, guys, let's not do this here?" Juliana tried diffusing the situation.

"Dae. He's had a penpal girlfriend for four years and it takes you two one summer to be all it couple and shit? I'm not buying it," Valor explained, leaning forward.

Yuri was incredibly tempted to yell at her: IT'S ALL FOR YOU! but she held firm. This was not how she wanted things to happen, least of all when their best friend is being sent off to England. She bit her tongue. The first warning bell rang. Valor walked towards Juliana and hugged her, "We're gonna miss you, buddy. Don't miss us too much."

She walked out after that. Yuri stared after her. "I'm sorry I won't be here for you," Juliana said, gently rubbing her shoulders. "but even though she's acting like this, Valor will always be here for you."

"I just... Juliana, I... she's... " Yuri struggled, and Juliana held her hands in an attempt to calm her down. "I really like her, and I want to talk to her about what happened that night, but she keeps ducking me and ignoring my calls. What if I... What if I disgust her?"

Juliana cupped her face, wiping away her tears, shaking her head, "Yuri, you know I don't like meddling in things between friends, but I can tell you one thing for sure, you will never disgust her. Ever." She let go of Yuri. "Now, go, it's your first day. Principal Lim will literally flay you if you're late."

"I'm gonna miss you," Yuri sniffled, hugging her for the final time, at least for a few months. "Val and I will see you in Iceland."

Juliana chuckled. "I promise," the Han girl reassured before pulling away and reluctantly leaving.

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"Many students come to me with a lack of exposure to anything but the basics of Western canon," Professor Lee said to his class, and Valor took a few sips of her coffee flask. Soobin was her desk mate in Literature class. Valor watched Yuri put an arm around Dae and whisper something to him before being shut down by Lee lightly tapping his book on their desk. "expect that to change here."

The bell rang, thankfully putting Valor out of her misery. "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Dae, you and Yuri are adorable. Do you guys have other classes together?" Eunice commented after packing up her things.

"Ms Choi, you had queries about this?" Lee waved a black folder in Valor's direction, and times like these were the only time Valor genuinely liked Lee. "I just have one thing to attend to, and then I'll be right with you."

Since her major was music and creative production, Principal Lim had introduced her to Professor Lee on her first day since he was once an aspiring rockstar. After that day, Lee made little Freshman Valor swear not to tell anyone that little detail even in a matter of life or death.

He was her consultant of sorts, and Valor often turned in her lyrics for a song or two to him whenever she felt like there could be double or even triple meanings to her words. Majority of the time, she was right, and they would sit there in his classroom raving about music and all sorts of artists.

"Uh, yes, Professor," Valor nodded, glancing at Soobin. "I'll see you later, yeah? Tell Doobin to not buy caffeine, he's gonna get all jittery and he always forgets his routine of not buying coffee at this time."

"All right," Soobin stuck out a hand and ruffled her hair, to which she responded by ducking like she was boxing him.

"Miss Song Covey," Professor Lee caught Kitty on the way out whilst Valor packed up her things at her desk. "After looking over your test scores, I've decided to forward your name to the tutoring offices."

"Oh, great, I used to tutor kids back at Adler High in Portland," Kitty beamed before being cut off by Lee.

"--Not as a tutor. To be tutored," Lee said. "You're well below the level of your peers, and the work only gets more challenging."

"Oh."

"Report to the library immediately after school. They'll assign you a tutor."

"I'm pretty sure that there--"

"You can go," Lee said dismissively, walking past Kitty to sit at his desk, pulling up a chair with him to place in front of his desk. "Alright, Ms Choi, lets just start this off... these are no joke." He held the file. "Honestly, your natural talent keeps slipping my mind. These lyrics are... fantastic."

Valor nodded, hands on her crossed over legs, "Was that sarcastic? I struggle to comprehend you sometimes."

"No, it was genuine, Valor," Lee stated, leaning forward slightly as he opened the file. "Which artist is this for?"

"Legally, I cannot say, but it's for a group having a comeback soon," Valor answered with a smile.

"I keep up with a lot of groups, this guess-who game is going to be tough," Lee clasped his hands together, looking at the file again. "These lyrics run deep."

"Yeah, I based it off of hard-to-define feelings that a lot of people experience when it comes to... well... love, I guess," Valor shrugged before adjusting her blazer's collar. "I... Professor Lee... is it possible for someone to develop a phobia because of another person?"

Professor Lee studied her for a moment, leaning back in his chair. "Please don't just sit there and become a statue, this is literally one of my very emotional moments... " Valor said, a little choked up.

"I'm not exactly a psychology teacher, Miss Choi," Professor Lee said in response. "but I can tell you from literature, yes, it is possible for someone to develop a phobia as a result of a traumatic or distressing experience involving a specific situation, object, or event, and in your suggestion, a person." Lee moved his chair forward.

Valor nodded bluntly. "Miss Choi, is something wrong?"

"No... not really. Back to the lyrics," Valor attempted to move on, and it seemed like Lee was going to give that to her. "this part, the bridge-- "

"Extreme emotions... In this enclosed space," Lee read. "Look at me, understand me. Right where you are." His eyes moved up the page. "Valor, this verse... "

"Which one, the second one?" Valor's eyebrows raised, her head tilting.

"'Since that night, from that moment,'" Lee read. "'Fear started spreading in our closeness. My heart tightens in confined spaces. What should I do with these feelings? It's spreading, spreading, like my ribcage is being squeezed utterly air-tight.'" 

"What about it?" Valor asked.

Lee looked at her blankly, before getting serious, "Is it DPR Ian?"

"Sir," Valor deadpanned.

"Alright, alright," Lee chuckled, and Valor hesitantly grimaced. This was one of the first times she's ever seen him chuckle or even laugh at all. "These words are definitely relatable, Ms Choi. Also, if you ever need someone to talk to... though I'm as frigid as they come... you can talk to me."

Valor offered a smile, "Okay, Professor."

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"Soobin, you bought me a cupcake?" Valor questioned as she found the boy in the cafeteria, sitting beside Q and Noah. Valor glared at another boy that was taking up her seat, and he up and moved, letting her sit down. "God, if you weren't so sickeningly sweet, I'd be in love with you."

"Are you asking me to be mean? Because I can make adjustments," Soobin said through a mouthful of rice.

Noah glanced between the two of them, chewing on his cupcake before shaking his head. "Hey, guys, what's up?" Kitty's voice was incredibly close to them, and Valor turned around, finding the girl standing near her seat. 

"You're the Portland--"

"Portland Stalker, yes. I have a serial killer name on day one," Kitty said with a sigh, sitting down beside Valor, who didn't mind. Valor shot Q a glance.

"I really shouldn't be talking to you," he said, and Valor rolled her eyes, accepting Soobin's cupcake and taking a bite out of it. "I gotta be on Team Dae."

"You're ridiculous," Soobin commented, stabbing his fork through one of Noah's olives that he always left on one side of his tray. 

"Well, does Team Dae know that he and I have been together for years, and this whole Yuri thing is weird and probably fake?" 

"Weird? Yes, but fake? Come on, life ain't a K-drama," Q said in response, and Kitty's gaze drifted away from him to someone who had just walked into the cafeteria, before jolting out of her daze like she just had a horrible epiphany.

"You saw the heat crackling between us this morning, right?" Kitty asked Q before nudging Valor. "Basically we were seconds away from kissing-- "

"You know what? I'll be fine with my context clues," Valor nodded, Kitty turning back to Q, who shrugged.

"Maybe he's torn... and confused."

"He's not confused, he's miserable," Kitty said, turning to the other table opposite theirs to find Yuri fixing Dae's hair whilst the boy looked incredibly sullen. Q moved his head in a form of somewhat agreement. "I know what I'm talking about, trust me. My sister, Lara Jean, was in a fake relationship with her boyfriend, Peter. It was actually kind of my fault, then eventually it turned real, and they're still together. But that's not gonna happen with Yuri and Dae." She nodded. "I know, I'm a matchmaker."

Q then yawned whilst staring off at something, or someone behind Kitty. At the same time, Valor burst into a coughing fit, turning away from her. Kitty followed Q's gaze first, spotting a boy reading a book in Q's line of sight, "Okay, I still don't--"

"You like him," Kitty concluded with a smile before looking to her left, watching Yuri turn away immediately after Valor did. Kitty chose not to reveal this, deciding to focus on Q instead since Valor was somewhat on her side.

"Florian? No, no," Q denied.

"Well, he yawned, then you waned, and yawns are contagious, so... " Kitty connected, and before they all knew it, Q was giving it all away.

"He' an elitist," he said. "He thinks not liking Marvel movies is a personality."

"Sure, buddy," Soobin said before flicking his chin. "Wipe the drool off of your chin."

"Well, you're hot, he's hot, let's move on it," Kitty said decisively, beginning to stand up but Valor put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down just as Q waved his hands in a 'no' gesture. "Sorry. God, I forgot I wasn't in Portland, and I should not assume that you're gay or assume that you're out, or assume anything-- "

"I'm gay," Noah suddenly blurted out, the group turning to him slowly.

"Thank you for sharing," Kitty said.

"We been knew," Valor said in response, flicking a cashew nut at him.

"I am out," Q assured Kitty, patting Soobin. "He's bisexual." He pointed at Noah. "He's gay." He held a hand out at Valor. "She's also bisexual."

Kitty glanced between Soobin and Valor, eyes narrowing somewhat. "Don't get me wrong, compared to the US, Seoul isn't exactly gay-friendly... but I have family in Iran and the Philippines so I basically spend every vacation in Hetero Cosplay Summer Camp."

"And my father is a hard-core German," Soobin chimed in as he shoveled rice into his mouth. "My mother's a hard-core Catholic so... I'm out in school but not everywhere else."

"We're both out," Valor gestured to herself and Noah. "At home. Not so much here, but we don't exactly hide it."

"Also, even if I was interested," Q went back to the topic of Florian. "he wouldn't be. He hates athletes, and my thighs are tree trunks."

"Come on, let me help you," Kitty tried.

"Thank you, but no thank you," Q said with a smile, standing up. "I'll see you guys around." 

"See you, dude," Noah waved, and then four remained.

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so basically valor's has some minor claustrophobia because of the near kiss with yuri 😀

i've got to stop torturing my ocs and let them live in the fan fiction world.