HELIOTROPE ↻ NCT DREAM

twelve

The young freshman was in her locker, picking up things for her morning class and stacking those that aren't needed, neatly. Her hair was slightly disheveled from the windy morning breeze, but it still flowed gracefully on her shoulders. Ayeon's thoughts were aimlessly drifting, zoning out in the process which resulted in slowing down her pace. Not surprising as she was not a morning person after all and believes that her brain fully functions past 9 in the morning, or when she finally drinks a cup of hot choco.

The owner of the locker on her right arrived, a girl in the same college program as her. Ayeon knows her to be Saeri who has child-like features that made her look cute. Her eyes were round and glassy, and her long wavy hair was pulled into a high ponytail, keeping it in place. Saeri greeted her with a warm smile to which Ayeon returned.

"I'm genuinely happy for you." Saeri gave her a sincere smile, closing her locker shut. "Your feelings have been reciprocated." She added upon seeing Ayeon's confused face.

To that, Ayeon's actions halted. She was indeed puzzled. She wondered how the word got out quickly when she was certain that only close friends of Hyuck knew about them dating.

"I'm sorry but may I ask how'd you know?" Ayeon asked, genuinely wanting to know the answer. Turning towards Saeri upon closing her own locker and leaning on it.

"Oh uhm.. you kind of have another tattoo behind your right ear." Saeri answered, explaining. Her voice soft, afraid that she wasn't supposed to see and know.

Upon hearing the girl's words, Ayeon's hand immediately jumped up to her neck, definitely bewildered. Her eyes round and eyebrows rose. "Can you please take a photo of it using my phone? I haven't really seen it yet." Grabbing it inside the pocket of her coat and reaching it towards Saeri who hummed and took it from her grasp softly.

"Click!" The sound of the shutter signaled that it was already taken.

Inspecting the photo, there behind her ear, down until the middle of her neck was a new tattoo. An ambrosia.

"Reciprocated love." She whispered to herself, remembering the information that she had searched for when her first tattoo appeared. She remembered exactly how nervous she was when finding what the purple heather meant. In the end, Ayeon had educated herself with the rest of the flowers, trying to familiarize herself just in case another one blooms, and just like what past Ayeon had in mind - there did become a second one. Fortunately, it was a flower that held a positive meaning.

"Wanna go to class together?" Saeri offered which broke Ayeon's train of thoughts.

Ayeon hummed and nodded in response, taking the other girl's offer. "What's that on your cheek? Did you paint?" She questioned Saeri, finally noticing the cerulean blue smudge of paint near her jaw.

Their steps were slow, taking their time to bond with each other as they still had enough time before the clock strikes 9.

It was Saeri's turn to get surprised, her cheeks turning into a shade of pink in embarrassment. "Do I still have paint on?" Her hands were busy using her handkerchief to wipe out any trace that was left. Ayeon only hummed.

"I swear I washed my face last night. I even had my skin care routine. I also took a batch earlier!" Saerin exclaimed, defending herself to which Ayeon chuckled.

The two young women quickened their pace and went to the nearest washroom as Ayeon offered to accompany her. Upon seeing her face in the mirror, Saeri's mouth hung ajar and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't believe it. There, she saw a smudged paint near her right jaw.

The girl was certain that there was no paint last night as she indeed did her night routine. She was baffled, and couldn't explain how it happened. Fortunately for her, she was able to wash it away without the need of rubbing it harshly.

As the rest of the morning flowed by, Saeri's mind was still somehow occupied by it. She was absent minded during the first half of their 3 hour class. Nodding to her professor's discussion every once in a while as if she understood a thing.

The same with Saeri, Ayeon's wasn't fully focused on the lecture. She was beyond happy. She was overjoyed that her feelings were reciprocated. She couldn't even stop looking at the picture of her neck that Saeri took earlier. The phone was underneath her notebook, the upper part was partly covered for it not to be obvious. Her hand eventually made its way to where it's supposed to be. Despite not feeling it under her touch, a hint of smile appeared on her lips, knowing that it's there as she has a picture. A proof.

Saeri then shook her head, clearing her thoughts and didn't dwell on it furthermore as the professor bid them farewell.

"Hey! Wanna eat together?" Spinning around towards Ayeon who sat on the second row behind her, packing her stuff.

Ayeon glanced up and grinned at Saeri as she sensed that the girl was talking to her. "Of course! I'd love to ditch my boyfriend for you."