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The way to win Im Nayeon’s heart is simple.
It’s simple enough that she even listed down the steps as to how you can make her fall in love. All someone has to do is follow these steps one by one, and it’s a surefire way to get her to be their girl.
And oh, she should add that there isn’t a catch. She’s not evil enough to have someone follow the steps and toss them aside halfway through. Still, the first step is the most crucial—stray away from that and the whole list would fall apart.
Which then leads Nayeon to the list scrawled on her notebook.
1. Be Kim Dahyun
Yes, Nayeon wrote that down correctly. And no, she doesn’t mean ‘be like Kim Dahyun’ or any of that nonsense. You literally have to be Kim Dahyun if you want a shot at winning her heart, otherwise, things just won’t work out.
And if you aren’t…
Well, you just kissed goodbye to any meager chance you might have had at winning Nayeon over.
If you ever even had any, that is.
But anyway, if you aren’t Kim Dahyun, then you’re free to leave.
To Jihyo’s annoyance, Nayeon sighs for the nth time that morning when Dahyun passes by them in the hallway, leaving a trail of other dreamy-eyed girls swooning after her. She’s with Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, soccer ball in hand and a grin so wide and toothy it makes Nayeon’s heart flutter a little.
“Seriously, how can she-“
“-be so attractive,” Jihyo finishes without thinking and rolls her eyes. “For the love of God, Nayeon, just do something about that stupid crush of yours.”
Nayeon makes a strangled noise of protest at the back of her throat. “Excuse me. I don’t have a crush on Dahyun. I’m just saying that she’s attractive.”
“Right,” Jihyo deadpans. “Because you swooning and making heart eyes over her isn’t you having a ‘crush.’”
Nayeon huffs and crosses her arms over her chest, though her eyes continue to follow Dahyun who is busy talking about soccer plays with Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon.
It isn’t a crush. Nayeon tells herself it’s just plain admiration on her part, even when Dahyun’s eyes catch hers and crinkle into a smile in a silent greeting.
And if you saw her blush and bite back a shy smile in reaction, then no, you didn’t.
2. Be Kim Dahyun and say my name
Nayeon almost drops her pen when Dahyun takes the empty seat right next to her, despite there still being plenty of unoccupied seats in the classroom. Dahyun smiles at her in greeting and Nayeon smiles back, knee bouncing out of slight nerves as Dahyun places her soccer ball and duffel bag on the floor.
It’s not a crush, Nayeon reminds herself as she watches Dahyun shrug off her jacket and drape it over the backrest of her chair. I’m not staring at her arms, no ma’am.
Except, she does stare at Dahyun’s arms, then swiftly averts her gaze the moment Dahyun turns to glance at her. Her pen lies unforgotten on the ground, until Dahyun bends down to pick it up and offers it to Nayeon.
“Here, I think you dropped this,” Dahyun says with a chuckle.
Nayeon glances down at the pen, cheeks turning pink as she takes it from Dahyun’s grasp. “T-thanks,” she manages to say, thankful that Jihyo isn’t there to witness this because Nayeon is sure she’d get shit for it.
“No problem,” Dahyun says with a grin and sits back against her chair, a perfect picture of casualness in her white shirt and skinny jeans.
More students then start to flood into the classroom, and Nayeon spends half of the class actually listening and taking down notes, then the other in a dreamlike haze while she sneaks glances at the outline of Dahyun’s nose and jaw from the side.
For the last part of the class, their teacher gives them an activity to be done by pairs, and Nayeon’s cheeks turn from a bright pink to a darker shade when Dahyun slides her chair closer to Nayeon’s.
“Hey, Nayeon-“ a giddy feeling swells within Nayeon at hearing Dahyun say her name, “-do you want to be my partner?” Dahyun asks, and really, how can Nayeon find the heart to say no?
“Sure,” Nayeon agrees, bunny teeth showing as she grins at Dahyun.
Nayeon spends that part of the class replaying the way Dahyun said her name like an endless loop.
3. Be Kim Dahyun and save me from falling flat on my butt
Oddly specific and maybe a little too embarrassing, Nayeon knows, but how could she not add that to her list when Dahyun looked so much like a dashing knight in shining armor that day?
By some stroke of bad luck, her alarm clock’s batteries died out in the middle of the night, which resulted in Nayeon waking up thirty minutes later than usual. In her panic, she tossed on the first set of clothes she managed to grab from her closet, ran down to the kitchen to grab a piece of toast, and drove as fast as the law would allow.
Of course, that meant that the only parking spaces left are the ones far away from the entrance, causing Nayeon to groan and knock her forehead against the steering wheel. She slips out of her car and slams the door shut, then breaks into a run towards the doors.
She looks at her watch and curses herself.
Seven minutes left before first period starts. If she runs fast enough, she can make it to the classroom with at least a minute to spare.
At least, that’s how it was supposed to go. Until her shoelaces come undone and causes her to trip over her own feet, her eyes squeezing shut as she braces herself for impact.
“Whoa there!”
It all happens in a dizzying rush. Nayeon stumbles backwards, but a pair of strong arms manages to catch her just in time. When she opens her eyes again, she finds Dahyun’s face hovering above hers, eyebrows knitted in concern and beads of sweat trickling down her forehead.
Nayeon gulps.
Three minutes left.
“You okay?” Dahyun asks with a small frown as she helps Nayeon steady herself.
“Uhm, y-yeah,” Nayeon stammers, heart racing faster at the feeling of Dahyun’s hand on her lower back. “Thanks, Dahyun-ah.”
“Yeah, no problem,” Dahyun says as she lets go. “The floors are slippery from the wax, so be careful.”
Nayeon nods and checks her watch again, eyes going wide when she realizes that she has two minutes left. Dahyun seems to sense her dilemma, as she encourages Nayeon, “Go. I heard Miss Lee is going to be a bit late for class, so you’ve still got some time.”
Nodding rapidly, Nayeon ties her shoelaces and breaks into a jog, feeling Dahyun’s eyes on her as she makes a sharp turn around the corner.
When Dahyun is out of earshot, Nayeon buries her face into her hands and squeals over how cool Dahyun was, showing up out of the blue just in the nick of time to stop her from falling.
Later that day, Jihyo reaches her wits’ end and tells Nayeon to shut up about it.
4. Be Kim Dahyun and make me laugh
Let it be known that Nayeon doesn’t laugh unless she finds something genuinely funny. Or in this case, someone—and that someone is none other than Kim Dahyun, of course.
By a lucky turn of events, Nayeon ends up sitting at the same lunch table one Wednesday with Dahyun’s group along with Jihyo. Maybe with some begging on her part to let Jihyo agree with her tagging along, since it was Jeongyeon who invited Jihyo to eat with them.
Dahyun sits sandwiched between Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, with Nayeon and Jihyo sitting across them. They’re talking about their classes and teachers, with Dahyun mimicking their calculus teacher’s poker face and imitating his slow drawl.
“And this, class, is how we arrive at the answer,” Dahyun deepens her voice, expression solemn as though speaking at a funeral instead of talking about numbers.
Nayeon bursts out laughing, earning her amused looks from their friends as she doubles over. Jihyo, meanwhile, groans and facepalms, looking as though she wishes the ground would swallow her whole.
“God, what did I do to deserve this?” Jihyo laments, but Nayeon is too far gone to care.
Jeongyeon whistles and shakes her head. “Damn, Dubs, looks like you finally found yourself a girl who actually thinks you’re funny.”
“What the hell?” Dahyun huffs, annoyed. “I’ll have you know I’m plenty funny.”
“Right, sure, whatever you say bro,” Chaeyoung dismisses her.
Dahyun fixes Chaeyoung with an incredulous stare and goes in for the kill. “Yeah, like Sana isn’t the only one who laughs at your lame jokes, too.”
“Hey! Foul! Red card!” Chaeyoung cries out in protest.
Dahyun snickers and shoots Chaeyoung a smug smirk, while Nayeon giggles at their antics—at Dahyun’s mostly.
She’s fairly sure she spends the rest of their lunch break giggling at Dahyun’s impressions of their teachers, and Nayeon finds that she loves how naturally funny Dahyun is. Dahyun could crack a simple joke or fire back at Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung’s teasing taunts, and it would be enough to make Nayeon laugh.
And every time Dahyun would make a witty remark, her gaze automatically lands on Nayeon, as though gauging whether she would find it funny or not.
Needless to say, Nayeon does, and her heart jumps when Dahyun whispers that she’s cute when she laughs.
Nayeon ducks her head and giggles, more out of giddiness this time.
5. Be Kim Dahyun and tell me my bunny teeth are cute
When she was younger, Nayeon admits that she used to be insecure over how big her front teeth are. It didn’t help that some of her classmates teased her about it, either, and even more so that her crush was one of them.
As an eight-year-old, it hurt to have someone you like poke fun at her appearance, and Nayeon moped about it for a while.
So far, however, Dahyun hasn’t made a comment about it, until she finally does one day.
She’s sitting alone on the bleachers when Dahyun rushes over to her in the middle of soccer practice, a crooked grin on her face as she leans over the handrails. Dahyun is breathless, skin shiny with sweat, though for some strange reason she still manages to smell nice.
Nayeon flushes and pushes the thought away, then tilts her head in confusion when Dahyun smiles at her and asks, “Hey, Nabongs? Can I tell you something?”
“I- sure?” Nayeon furrows her eyebrows together, puzzled.
Grin broadening, Dahyun rests her arms over the handrails and leans closer, then says, “I think your teeth are cute.”
And then Dahyun winks and runs back into the field, leaving Nayeon sitting frozen in place with her mouth hanging open in surprise and a deep blush spreading throughout her cheeks.
It’s the first time anyone has ever told her they think her teeth are cute, and Nayeon starts to feel warm and fuzzy all over despite the sheer randomness of the compliment.
She grows to love her teeth even more because of that, and every time she looks at her reflection in the mirror from that point on, she thinks of how Dahyun ran over to her just to tell her this. A giddy smile blossoms across her face each time the memory crosses her mind, her feet kicking in the air as she squeals in delight and buries her face into the pillows.
And if Nayeon didn’t have a crush on Dahyun before that, then she surely does now.
6. Be Kim Dahyun and watch cheesy, tear-jerking romance flicks with me, even though you’re not really into them
For as long as she could remember, Nayeon has always loved watching romance movies. There’s just something so captivating about how the lead couple grow to fall in love with each other—all with their twists and turns and how they fight against all odds to be together.
Still, it doesn’t mean that there’s always going to be a happy ending waiting to happen. Sometimes, the couple end up together, but other times they don’t. Either way, Nayeon cries, whether it’s out of happiness or heartbreak over how the movie ends.
She knows she should be embarrassed, what with the tears streaming down her face for Dahyun to see as they watch the couple bid their final goodbyes to each other and part for good. And yet, she’s far too immersed in the movie to feel the slightest bit of shame over the fact that she’s crying over a fictional couple’s breakup.
Just as she’s about to reach for another tissue, however, Dahyun tilts her chin so that they’re facing each other. Nayeon knows she must look like an absolute mess, but the soft look that crosses Dahyun’s eye melts her even more than the cute moments she’d been watching mere moments ago.
“Sorry,” Nayeon apologizes, sniffling. Then, she chuckles and adds, “I’m being silly, aren’t I?”
“Nah, you’re fine,” Dahyun reassures her, swiping her thumb underneath Nayeon’s eyes to wipe away her tears. Then, as if that isn’t enough to make Nayeon swoon, Dahyun cups her face and kisses her forehead, too. “I don’t think it’s silly that you love these movies.”
Despite the movie’s sad ending, a happy noise bubbles out of Nayeon’s throat as Dahyun hugs her close and tucks her chin on top of her head, then reaches for the remote.
“Here, choose another one,” Dahyun says with a smile, pushing the remote into Nayeon’s hand.
Nayeon tilts her head back and stares at Dahyun with wide eyes. “H-huh? But it’s your turn to pick the movie.”
Dahyun chuckles and shakes her head, then murmurs, “It’s fine. I can’t think of anything to watch, anyway.”
Eyes lighting up, Nayeon rests her hand above Dahyun’s knee and plants a solid kiss on her cheek. Dahyun laughs and wraps an arm around Nayeon’s shoulder, her gaze flickering back to Nayeon ever so often while the movie plays onscreen.
More than the movie, Nayeon enjoys the warmth of being wrapped up in Dahyun’s embrace even more. And if she’s being honest, no amount of romance movies could ever come close to what Dahyun makes her feel.
7. Be Kim Dahyun and keep me safe from thunderstorms
If there’s one thing Nayeon hates with every fiber of her being, it’s thunderstorms. Well, she can’t stand loud noises in general, but thunderstorms are especially terrifying because she can’t anticipate when they’ll happen.
A particularly loud one booms in the distance, causing Nayeon to flinch and shriek in surprise. Then she dives underneath the covers, whimpering in fear as the rain beats down on her windows.
To make matters worse, she’s alone in the house since her mom and younger sister left to visit her grandparents. Nayeon suddenly regrets deciding to be left behind to work on a project for school, which lies untouched on her desk because this damn thunderstorm had to happen.
Seconds later, her phone starts ringing, and she blindly reaches for it to answer the call.
“H-hello?” Nayeon whimpers, then cringes at the flash of lightning that follows.
“Nabongs? Can you come open the door?”
A flood of relief courses through Nayeon at the sound of Dahyun’s voice, and she nods and answers, “Y-yeah, I can-“ she then freezes and croaks out, “-wait, what did you say?”
“Uh, could you come down and open the door? I’m in front of your house…”
Nayeon immediately jolts out of bed and rushes out her bedroom and down the stairs, heartbeat picking up when she swings the front door open and finds Dahyun standing outside, phone in her right hand and an umbrella in her left. Then, through heavy sniffles, Nayeon flings herself at Dahyun and whimpers into her chest.
“Shh, it’s okay,” Dahyun murmurs soothingly, stroking Nayeon’s hair until her whimpers die down. She leaves her umbrella by the door and waddles them inside, since Nayeon refuses to budge even a single inch.
“W-what brings you here?” Nayeon asks through hiccups.
Dahyun kisses Nayeon’s nose and softly answers, “You said you’re going to be alone today and that you hate loud noises, so I came to check if you’re alright.”
Call her dramatic, but Nayeon whines and crushes Dahyun into a tighter embrace, causing Dahyun to gasp for air. Still, Dahyun doesn’t squirm away and instead pats Nayeon’s head.
Dahyun is far too caring and protective in the sweetest ways possible, and Nayeon thinks that maybe she’s falling in love with her.
“Stay with me, Dahyunnie?” Nayeon whispers, eyes wide and pleading.
“As long as you want me to,” Dahyun says with a warm smile that eases Nayeon’s growing fears.
She takes Dahyun by the hand and leads her up the stairs and into her bedroom, where they settle down together on the bed and make themselves comfortable. Dahyun pulls out a pair of headphones from her backpack and places them over Nayeon’s ears, the gentle melody of a piano being played helping drown out the sound of thunder and the heavy rainfall.
Halfway through the song, Nayeon’s eyelids begin to droop, and the last thing she remembers before she falls asleep is the sensation of Dahyun kissing her cheek.
Nayeon smiles in her sleep, content and secured in the safety of Dahyun’s embrace.
8. Be Kim Dahyun and kiss me in the pouring rain
They’re almost at Nayeon’s house after one of their morning walks when rain starts to pour without warning, soaking the two of them down to the bones within a mere few seconds. Though, instead of walking faster to find shelter, Dahyun pulls Nayeon in by the wrist and laughingly touches their foreheads together; Nayeon giggling as she wraps her arms around Dahyun’s neck.
Nayeon feels as though she’s living a scene in a romance movie, looking straight into Dahyun’s loving gaze while the rain continues to drench them without any mercy. And strangely enough, she isn’t cold at all.
Rather, she feels warm, the tips of her fingers tingling as she scratches at the back of Dahyun’s neck. The corners of Dahyun’s lips pull into an affectionate smile, the sparkle in her eyes drawing out a series of giddy giggles from Nayeon.
“You know,” Nayeon starts to say, her voice a breathy murmur as she bats her lashes at Dahyun, “I’ve always wanted someone to kiss me in the rain.”
“Yeah?” Dahyun breathes out a quiet chuckle, gaze flickering down to Nayeon’s lips before moving back up to her eyes. “We can make that come true right now,” she says in a quiet whisper that’s full of promise.
Heart beating faster, Nayeon closes her eyes and starts to lean in, expectant. Dahyun releases a slow exhale, breath hitching the moment their lips brush and escaping her altogether when their lips meet at last.
It’s everything Nayeon has ever dreamed of and so much more, a dreamy sigh passing between them as Dahyun kisses her once, twice, and until they finally run out of breath.
There’s no denying it now.
She wants to be Kim Dahyun’s forever girl.
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Nayeon glances up from the list scribbled down on her old notebook to meet Dahyun’s gentle gaze, a smile making its way across their faces the moment their eyes meet. They’re older now, no longer the teenagers they once were when Nayeon grew to fall in love with Dahyun, though the weight of her feelings from back then have remained with Nayeon throughout the years.
The same goes for Dahyun, who hasn’t lost even a single ounce of her charm that can still make Nayeon giggle and fall head-over-heels, crazy in love with her.
Nayeon closes the notebook and gravitates into Dahyun’s waiting arms, into her home.
“Just you,” Nayeon murmurs, reaching to thumb the ring wrapped around Dahyun’s finger. “Always you.”
Dahyun pulls back to tuck a lock of hair behind Nayeon’s ear, then dips her head to kiss her softly.
And as Nayeon kisses her back, she thinks back on the last step she wrote on the list—the very same one that she wrote after she and Dahyun exchanged their wedding vows three years ago.
Be Kim Dahyun and stay with me forever.