the yin to my yang [everglow] ✩

one

"Rennie, hurry up!"

Yiren couldn't help letting out a loud, carefree laugh as she ran as fast as she could behind her long-legged friend. It was dark outside due to how early in the morning it was (2 am), and it was pretty chilly outside since it was autumn. But Yiren didn't care as she dodged the few people walking on the sidewalk at that time, doing her best to catch up to the taller girl in front of her.

Had you told her that she would steal alcohol from a convenience store at 2 in the morning before she moved to South Korea, she wouldn't have believed you. She was Wang Yiren, A+ student who wouldn't dare do anything to hurt someone else, never mind doing—not one, but—two illegal things in one night. Nobody would've suspected her to doing anything of the sort, not even herself.

It started when Yiren moved to Korea, due to her parents wanting to get a fresh start with their lives. Her dad had a new, better job, they lived in a better home, and hopefully Yiren would go to a better school.

She had been taking a walk around the neighborhood, trying to familiarize herself with her surroundings, when she met Eunji at a nearby store. She was buying some candy when Yiren walked into her accidentally, too busy staring at a magazine stand.

Eunji immediately befriended her and offered to show her around so Yiren wouldn't get lost. From there, Yiren was introduced to the rest of her friends who were littered throughout the store; Jiwon, Sihyun, and Serim. They were all so friendly towards her, welcoming her to Korea, and promising to hang out during school when they found out they'd all be attending the same school. Her anxiety was gradually melting away. She was making friends, so she didn't have to go to a new school alone and face as much awkwardness. It would be all okay if she just stuck with them.

That was, until she met Aisha.

Aisha wasn't her real name, it was Yoorim, but she preferred to go by the nickname she gave herself. She looked pretty normal, just really tall. Yiren was easily intimidated by her just by that observation alone. The girl sat in the back while Yiren sat near the front, behind Serim, but she could feel eyes on her throughout that day and the days that followed. But she didn't officially meet Aisha until a week after Yiren transferred.

It was in the most unexpected places. Okay, so it wasn't that unexpected, but Yiren wasn't anticipating seeing Aisha walk into the same store Yiren met Eunji and the others her first day in Korea. She almost dropped the drink she was reaching for when a tall figure sidled up beside her.

"Chill, it's just me," Aisha had said, an easy-going smile on her face as she held her hands up. Being so close to her, Yiren noticed what pretty big eyes she had.

"Yiren, right?" Aisha questioned.

Yiren nodded, closing the freezer door and clutching her drink to her chest.

"I'm Aisha," she introduced herself.

"That's a pretty name," Yiren complimented, causing the taller to smile bigger.

"Thanks. It's not my real name, but I prefer to be called that."

The air about Aisha was cool, calm and collected. The way she stood, relaxed and the complete opposite of Yiren's anxious, stiff posture, was...well, relaxing. She must have a lot of friends. She seemed like an easy person to get along with.

"I hope we can become friends," was the next thing out of Yiren's mouth.

She's not even sure if that was a mistake or not, if she should regret saying that. Because as soon as she said that, her life changed almost instantly.

"Really? That's great, cause I've always noticed you in class. I wanted to befriend you."

Yiren's head had lowered, and she stared at the red converses Aisha wore. "Because I'm the new girl, right?"

Usually everyone either wanted to befriend the new girl or dislike her for some personal reason. Yiren was no different. So she expected for Aisha to say something like that.

"Not really. I think you're really cute."

Yiren blushed a bright pink and refused to meet the other's gaze. She ignored the cold wetness seeping through her shirt from her drink. "Th-thank you. I-uh—"

"Wanna hang out? Like, right now?"

Straight-forward. Yiren wasn't sure if she liked that or was taken aback. But she agreed anyways and let Aisha pay for her drink before taking her out for a night on the town in her car. So she didn't have a license, of course, and Yiren panicked the whole time because 'what if we get caught?!' And Aisha just laughed and called Yiren cute before reassuring her that she had luck on her side. And that did nothing to ease Yiren's worries until she was dropped off at her own house almost at midnight, and with Aisha's jacket draped around her shoulders. Looking as if she went out on a date.

The next day she asked her friends if they knew Aisha, and they all said they didn't know her too well. They just knew that she was tall, pretty and smart. And that made Yiren question her assumption about Aisha, how she was a great person to get along with. Did she not get along with only her friends? Or people in general? Who did she typically hang out with, then?

Yiren didn't speak about Aisha to her friends, especially not about the bad things she did. She knew they wouldn't approve. Or would they? Yiren still wasn't close enough to know for sure of their reactions to underage driving.

But that didn't make her stop hanging out with Aisha. By the time a month have passed of Yiren being in Korea, she's had more exciting stories to tell than the whole time she's lived in China. Majority of it involved Aisha driving around in her car and scaring Yiren half to death, even when Yiren always tried to tell her to stop driving around illegally. At the end of the day, Yiren was smiling to herself as she went to sleep, thinking about her friend.

Nothing was ever gradual when it came to Aisha. One minute she was just driving through a less busy neighborhood, the next she somehow convinced Yiren to help her steal a bottle of alcohol.

Okay, not exactly. Yiren had no idea of Aisha's intentions when they went into the store. And even as Aisha hid the bottle in her back jacket, Yiren still didn't process what was going on. She only caught up when Aisha started running as soon as she got out the store and began running behind her, grinning despite her also panicking mentally.

They both made it to Aisha's car before the taller put it into drive and peeled out, Yiren looking back to see an angry employee chasing after them with his fist in the air.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Aisha asked. She had to yell because the windows were down and the wind was deafening to their ears.

"That was insane!" Yiren yelled back, still smiling as she turned to Aisha.

The taller girl laughed loudly, slowing down as she threw her head back. Yiren never heard a laugh so genuine and raw before.

Nothing was gradual about Aisha. Except for Yiren falling for her, day by day.

i forgot to say this in the note thingy, but thanks to @Nancypitolargo for giving me the idea to do this fic! without them, this story wouldn't exist, no exaggeration nsndnddn