this was commissioned! | check out my other college!aus here
*ill be addressing iu as jieun in this au
major: literature | concentration: publishing
clubs: head of the book review club on campus, part of several social justice groups, volunteers at a children’s shelter on the weekends
jieun is probably the most well respected senior in the literature department,,,
and it half has to do with the fact that she’s so naturally talented - born with this amazing ability to articulate critique and edit like a goddamn machine
but the other half is her work-ethic, her organized and level headed “never give up!” attitude
and even though she doesn’t indulge much in appearances, it’s hard to not say that she’s also breathtakingly beautiful
with this aura of something almost,,,regal,,, in her warm, welcoming brown eyes
dashing from one class to the other, backpack covered in pins with slogans supporting women’s rights and anti-capitalist agends
she’s got her hair up in a messy bun, a pen sticks out from behind her ear
and in just simple jeans, a cute t-shirt - sometimes her glasses on or stuck at the bottom of her bag
she still manages to be considered a campus goddess
but she brushes that off, what matters to her is her major - her future, bright career in publishing
her participation in marches, rallies, - always giving up her free time to volunteer
because jieun knows what it’s like to have very little - even sometimes nothing
and that to beat her way up to the top she has to work for it - and be selfless
her friends can barely ever pull her out to just hangout
jieun: “if i have time on my hands, i cant spend it sitting in a cafe giggling over tv shows or idols - i need to go out and help someone!”
suzy: “ok wonder woman sit down and have some damn salad with me, then you can fly off to save the world, ok?”
even with her strong will and humility, jieun still has super cute little quirks about her
she’s not the most graceful person when it comes to doing physical things,,, so if she’s running somewhere it is common to see her trip
she’s on several occasions gotten lost in the city and had to text people to google where she is LOL
her guitar string was once untuned and she didn’t even notice, striking a cord that could be heard through her entire dorm
the RA on her floor is always like “jieun, someone told me you left your backpack in the commons again?”
sometimes she doesn’t realize she’s whistling to a melody she likes in the library
and these things just make her all the more approachable and likable really
even if jieun herself, a senior, still gets worked up about having to talk to new underclassmen
basically she’s totally good at college, has more internships under her belt than most publishing majors, genuinely loves and has a passion for publishing
but she’s also 100% the type to go to the movies alone, but forget all her money in her dorm LOL
and since jieun is a senior, she’s buried in applications and essays for graduate school
which you, being her underclassman, can’t even begin to imagine yet
but, as much as jieun is rather timid with new people
she’s very very open and loving with people she considers close friends
and you had actually met her through suzy, who’d come to like you after you helped her out in one of her elective classes
she’d introduced you to jieun, and since you and jieun shared the same ‘never give up!’ attitude (and music taste interestingly enough)
at first jieun was a bit tense, as if she was trying to figure out your borders before she got too close
but soon enough - it came to light that you and jieun were affectionate, loving friend types
meaning that unlike chic suzy, you and jieun had an appreciation for holding hands or linking arms - long hugs, resting each others heads on each other shoulders
even kisses on the cheek became a norm
“sometimes you two act like a couple”
was the overarching notion about you and jieun,,,,,even though you guys always insisted it was strictly platonic
to be honest,,,,jieun had once ruffled your hair and said to someone “they’re like a younger sibling - well no,,,,,like a very close friend who i trust with everything!”
at the time you were over the moon to be called a ‘very close friend’ because this was lee jieun
she was the student everyone dreamed to be, the girl with a face everyone dreamed to be born with
and she felt comfortable enough to put her arm around you, to hug you long and close, to fall across your lap while you two studied on her bed
sometimes you’d meet up with her after her weekend volunteer gigs and she’d just run out, grabbing your hand on instinct
“do you want to eat at a stall or go back to campus?!”
she’d ask, cute smile and all
and you don’t know when exactly you started ,,,, kind of HATING the ‘very close friend’ label
maybe it was when you looked up from your computer, jieun sitting across from you with her hair in a high pony tail and her glasses perched on the end of her nose
her lips parted in thought
and your first instinct was to lean over and kiss her
maybe it was when you heard her humming, fingers flipping the pages of her magazine
and you realized,,,,her voice,,,was the most beautiful one you’d ever heard in your life
maybe when she pulled you in for a hug, resting her face against the side of your neck
the warmth passed between you like a blanket you never wanted to climb out of
“im so tired, graduate school stuff is so draining,,,”
she’d mumbled and your heart felt as if a sharp nail had been pushed right through it
any one of those moments could have sent your emotions into overdrive
but you were only sure of one thing definitely, and that was that you could not tell jieun how you felt
her skinship, her openess and trust in you
it was too valuable to lose
even as the days dwindled and the winter semester crawled closer and closer to it’s end
you kept your feelings inside
and it seemed as if jieun didn’t notice, she continued holding your hand when you walked to class together
you continued to get teased by others for being too lovey dovey
you continued to watch jieun grow toward her goal - study hard, help others and get ready for her future
her future outside of this school, maybe even outside of this city - of this province
and as much as you felt you had your love for her under control
you still found yourself up at night, looking at the glowing phone of your screen where photos of you two pressed cheek to cheke
made your head spin and your heart do flips
her instagram full of pictures of her with her publishing mentors, her fellow volunteers, it all made it more daunting
that jieun was living by your side for now - but that reality was going to end,,,,,soon
and clutching your chest you had felt tears well up countless nights - knowing the person you loved was soon to start a journey far far away from you
you don’t notice you’re doing it, but everyone else
your subconscious shying away from jieun to protect yourself
pulling away from hugs faster, making excuses as to why you couldn’t see her after book review club or class
and jieun, who had never been much confrontational in her life, didn’t know what to do about it
and she’d cornered you outside of the library with an intense gaze
“i know how you feel about jieun.”
you averted your gaze, but suzy’s held strong
“and you better tell her before she’s really gone. you know she’s going to be unstoppable in graduate school. she’s going to study abroad, she’s going to meet people - and you’re going to stay her friend but i know that’s not what you want.”
she motions for your phone and you hand it to her, powerless against her energy
she types something out and presses it back into your palm
“me and some of jieun’s friends are taking her out after her volunteering gig on saturday. you better come and you better say something to her.”
suzy’s tone softens as she sees your shoulders twitch a bit
“jieun deserves to know,,,”
she adds, almost in a whisper and then walks off as you lean against the wall
suzy isn’t like jieun, jieun who assumes things are her fault - that she did something wrong if someone is acting weird
no, suzy sees right through you and you know it
to be honest, you hate the fact that jieun might be second guessing how you feel about her - you’d tried to be subtle, really
but maybe ,,,, maybe you should just tell her
that night you get a text from jieun, nothing out of the ordinary, she’s just telling you about a song she’s been working on on the side
she sends you a sample, and her voice lulls you into this beautiful fantasy
that you feel your head rest against your pillow and suddenly you’re in a hazy dream
where jieun is sitting beside you on a park bench, somewhere beautiful and scenic
and she’s got her hair up, some small strands framing her face
a simple denim skirt, with a loose button up tucked into it - you feel jieun’s hand in yours
“im glad our first date was in spring, i like things like this. easy things.”
her voice sounds like it’s coming from another room
but you look at her anyway
“how do you feel right now?”
“right now? ,,,,, im fine. truly fine.”
she smiles, squeezing your hand in yours
it’s like a scene - straight from a movie
and when you wake up to the sound of your roommate coming back, you sit up and rub your eyes
no wonder it was so perfect, it was a dream
saturday comes faster than you want it to and you show up where to the address suzy had put into your phone
surprised to see jieun standing outside, the cold breeze around the two of you
“why don’t you go inside?”
you ask and jieun almost automatically links her arm with yours as she presses closer for it to be warm
“the others aren’t here yet, i don’t want to get a table without them. to be honest, i told suzy we don’t have to do this,,,,i haven’t even gotten accepted to any programs yet.”
you mean to be encouraging, but you feel like it’s come out too harsh
jieun doesn’t seem to notice as you two hear a barrage of familiar voices coming your way
the restaurant suzy has chosen is small, but packed
it’s new and popular and you’re basically squished against jieun
who doesn’t mind at all,,,,and had this been three months ago neither would have you
but every movement of hers is amplified in your heart and the redness in your cheeks isn’t from the indoor heating
everyone makes small talk, jieun talks a bit about this one program she really wants to get into
you think you can actually make it through, when you feel a foot nudge you under the table, you look up and suzy is literally glaring your soul down
she whispers and you blink, but her eyes dart to jieun - whose too busy looking at desserts
you give a little shake of your head but suzy pulls back her lip and you sigh
even saying her name takes effort for you know
she looks up, bright and curious “hmm?”
“can i tell you something,,,in private.”
someone opens there mouth to make a ‘oh you can tell all of us’ kinda comment - but suzy elbows them and motions for the people to get up and let you and jieun through
weirdly enough jieun doesn’t look confused and doesn’t ask “why do we need to talk?”
she follows behind you and when you two shrug on your coats and go out into the cold you regret not just telling her inside
but the coldness at least makes everything more crisp, more easy to say
“i know,,,i know a lot is on your mind these days,,,,,but i want to tell you something before - before you graduate.”
the tiny hairs wisp around her in the wind, but she waits for you to finish
“you’re my best friend - really, i mean it. but - but i want - im in love with you,,,,,,,,,,,romantically.”
the last word is just added for emphasis, you know that jieun is incredibly smart but sometimes she can misinterpret things
(like the millions of confessions she’s gotten throughout her time in school)
but you know jieun understands this one
you can tell from the way her eyes widen, but then her hands reach toward you and pull you forward by the front of your jacket
you think she’s going to hug you - maybe tell you she’s sorry she doesn’t feel the same way and comfort you
but she just pulls you in and her lips, slightly cold from being outside graze against yours
“is that why you’ve been distancing yourself? that’s a dumb reason, from now on keep being close to me.”
she laughs against your skin
and it takes you a moment but you look at her again
“yes, i love ,,,,,,,,,,, you too.”
she drops her eyes from yours, coyness coming over her
she adds and you feel like suddenly the cold wind and weather is gone
your entire body feels as if it’s been overflowed with warmth and jieun takes your hand
squeezes it, and leads you back inside
suzy is the first to see the blush on your cheeks - everyone thinks it’s from the wind but she knows
and when you’re all leaving the restaurant she throws her arms over you and jieun
“FINALLY, you two are a couple! i cant wait for my wedding invite!”
you and jieun both get embarrassed and she twirls away to join the others
jieun holds your hand again and this time she goes “can i kiss you while they’re not looking?”
obviously, you happily oblige
jieun isn’t that much different when you’re dating her - the skinship is there,,,,,just now there’s more kisses and cuddling involved
her never-ending, yet unsuspecting cuteness basically radiates off of her
when she touches your noses and then gives you a forehead peck
when she’s eating whatever snack, eyes glued to her book - yet still offering you some
(sometimes accidentally shoving it against your lips or chin)
the way she hand writes a little note for you about a week after you confess and it’s a list of ideas for a first, actual date
which is where you learn jieun wants to either a) sleep in and watch movies or b) wake up at the crack of dawn to go volunteer at the childrens shelter
and even though you can’t believe you managed to wake up at 5 am,,,,,,,
cleaning up the toys and setting breakfast for kids
who all flock to jieun in droves because they adore her
and you see how much she loves them
and you’re pretty sure you think like 1001092 times that ‘oh my god i love her more than before - is that even possible?!?’
after volunteering you guys are both beat, yet once you get back to campus and you’re resting your head in her lap
jieun is back on her laptop, finishing her apps and taking in-between breaks to rack her hands through your hair
the best part about dating someone you are best friends with is like,,,,there isn’t really an awkward phase with lots of the usual stuff
like,,,when you tell your friends you’re an official item no one - like literally no one is surprised
some people even go “wait,,,,you weren’t dating before???”
which makes jieun all giddy because “was i really that touchy with you???”
suzy: you guys were basically sitting in each others lap everyday SO
that, and you both know so much about the other person that it’s like,,,,,you don’t have to test out anything for the most part
it’s like, you know what jieun loves to eat - what her hobbies are - what books she’s been dying to read - what type of face mask she buys from the cosmetics store
and jieun knows what you love to eat, your hobbies, your plans, and she sometimes surprises you
like when you’re facing each other, under a big blanket and she’s tracing the skin of your arm
circling a little birthmark you have and going “ive always loved this mole of yours. it looks a little like a heart”
and it’s like ,,, you’re not even like did you just notice that
because you can tell in jieun’s voice that no,,,she’s loved that mark for a long long time
jieun doesn’t take much time to get ready, for classes or for dates and you don’t care
her comfy style is always nice, especially since you two are worn out students
and when she sees you, running into your arms for a hug and a kiss - you’re always happy to see her wearing a sweater of yours or even once of your simple accessories
“it’s not your stuff,,,,,you left it in MY dorm”
“jieun,,,,,,,,,,”
her grad school apps are long and even when shes’ done with them - you can tell she’s nervous about it like everyone else
but you know how to calm her down, you know what her comfort shows are and what games she likes
you might suck at monopoly but if jieun wants to play it for hours to get her mind off of things - then by god you’ll do it
suzy describes your love for jieun as completely, utterly smitten
and she’s not wrong - you really are freaking smitten
but it’d be a lie to say jieun isn’t smitten too
because she absolutely adores the little things about you that you don’t even notice
she even made an instagram post about this little habit of yours of collecting clippings from the school’s newspaper that you like
and she was like ‘look at how adorable and sentimental my s/o is’
tbh people you don’t even know are like “oh! you’re dating jieun!” and you’re like how,,,how do you know and they’re like lol her insta
suzy drags you two to go shopping for jieun’s graduation because ‘no you’re not ging up there in jeans’
but both you and jieun are more interested in cute kitten videos on youtube then you are in getting jieun a dress or heels
and when jieun starts trying on things each one is better than the other and you’re just like
“jieun you’re beautiful, pick any of them - you look ennchanting”
and jieun is like heart eyes oH stop
and suzy is like you two,,,,cornballs,,,,better make a decision
jieun getting excited about teaching you a bit of guitar or a bit of piano even though she jokes that she’s bad at it
and her hands are over yours and it’s just so intimate and NICE
the night before her graduation ceremony you show up at her dorm
with her favorite flowers and a letter you got from her younger brother
and it brings her damn near to tears and she’s hiding her face in your neck and you’re like jieun,,,
and that’s when you just feel her pull back and start kissing you
and as shy, composed and sweet as she is - jieun has a firey passion and it goes to show when you fall back onto her bed
and the next morning at graduation jieun is like “im happy we picked a high collar dress,,,”
but she’s also like a big butterfly kiss and eskimo kiss
like she’s so cute and soft but you know,,,,two sides to every coin AHEM
once she graduates and you start your first semester without her on campus, you guys still skype as much as possible and send text updates
you,,,,won’t admit it to anyone but you have set good morning texts and they’re really cute because jieun calls you her goddamn blueberry and you don’t know why it’s just sO CUTe
you call her cherry,,,,,,,,,
but you keep in contact, sometimes even falling asleep on the phone together
and you get packages from her sometimes, with books she recommends and diaries with pressed flowers in them
and on one of your anniversaries she surprises you with coming back to campus and serenading you on her guitar
like actually sob as jieun combs back your hair and kisses away the tears
and ok gOSH you two are so cute at some point you probably get lil matching behind-the-ear tattoes
and basically suzy was right, invite me to your wedding LOL
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