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Chapter Text

It was a gorgeous morning, the clear blue sky, the warmth of the sun on the skin, the cool and crisp morning air and the sound of birds chirping.

As the phone buzzed, Yerim fished it out of her backpack to check her messages. It was a text from BBC to drop by after school to sign an official contract and discuss her concept and image.

For the entire day she couldn't hide or control her excitement, eagerly anticipating what her representative animal would be. The revealed LOONA members already had a rabbit, cat, white bird, frog, deer, owl and blue betta fish.

The scuttlebutt she heard was that BBC picked their animals based on the images each member projected. Following that line of reasoning, her animal should match her bright, positive sunshine like personality. Her imagination was running wild as she daydreamed about a cute squirrel running around in the bright green grass across Teletubbieland.

As soon as the bell signaled the end of class, Yerim snapped back to reality. Quickly, she stuffed her notebooks in the beige backpack and rushed out the classroom.

With light and springy steps, she entered the company building and greeted the receptionist with a bright smile. She was directed to a meeting room where the BBC creative directors were having a heated discussion, presumably about her concept and image.

BBC "Hello there, Yerim. While we decide your stage name, we wanted to let you know your representative animal will be a fruit bat."

She blanked out for a moment with a quizzical look "Huh? I didn't quite get that. A fruit what?"

"Fruit bat. It is a type of bat that eats fruit." BBC explained

Dude, Halloween is over Yerim thought. What kind of vibe did she give off for them to pick, out of all possible animals that exist in the world, a bat?

Despite the shocker, being the vitamin that she is, she looked at the positive side of things. With the best fake smile she could muster, she attempted to salvage the situation "Ahhhhh, I see. It is very... interesting. I will... show how bright and positive a bat can be!"

Yerim realized she shouldn't dismiss the creature purely based on her preconceptions. After all, every animal must have their purpose and role in the animal kingdom.

Her fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard of her phone to search F R U I T B A T.

'Fruit bats have a thick furry coat, large eyes and pointy ears. Some species of fruit bats can have a wingspan of up to 6 feet'

Yerim rolled up her sleeves to inspect her arms and legs. They weren't furry.

Standing next to the mirror in the dance studio, she pulled her hair back behind her ears. They weren't pointy.

The owner of the longest arm in LOONA was obviously Hyunjin, the sleeves on their stage outfits always looked too short for her.

'Nocturnal, sleeping or resting upside down for most of the day and going out for food at night'

She may have sneaked out a few times to satisfy her craving for late night snacks. No way, did BBC spy on her?

'Fruit bats are also important to the environment, helping to pollinate flowers as they fly from one to the other to consume the flower nectar. In addition, the fruit seeds they spit out onto the forest floor may grow into more fruit trees and plants.'

This must be it! Beneath their dark and furry exterior, they are creepy, no cute, beautiful animals that made positive contributions to society and spread happiness to the world, just like Yerim.

Haseul and she became trainees around the same time and they lived closed by. After a while, they became close friends. Today was no different; they left the BBC building and ride the same bus together on their way home.

"Why do you think BBC chose a bat as my animal?" asked a puzzled Yerim

"I have no clue what they are thinking. Hyunjin's animal is a cat and she does a million different dog imitations all day long. Did you know Jungeun sleeps at 10pm sharp and wakes at an ungodly hour? Despite that, they gave her a freaking night owl."

Haseul continued "They knew I'm terrified of birds and still made it my animal. Now I have to draw the damn bird at every fan sign!" Haseul shuddered at the memory of these creatures "My point is not to over think this. I have learned to accept BBC's weird ideas, concepts and come to terms with it."

Yerim listened intently, amazed at how fast Haseul can talk without taking a break

"Honestly the animal does not matter. This is all part of LOONAVERSE, something for the fans. What does matter is that you will finally debut and we will be in the same group!!!" Haseul was so happy for Yerim and gave her a big warm hug.

As the vehicle pulled into their usual stop, they alighted from the bus and waved goodbye.

Yerim went back to the search results from earlier. Under related search terms for bat, she found 'blind as a bat', 'bat an eye', etc... The result that stood out to her was 'bat cave'.

Coincidentally, her class was going on a two day one night camping trip to some mountain. As Yerim searched for activities and interesting areas nearby, she found a bat cave near the campsite.

After participating in the mandatory activities they were given free time. Yerim made a lame excuse to ditch her friends and turned on the GPS of her phone. Following the directions of the robotic voice, she reached the entrance of the bat cave.

A stream ran through the cave with crystal clear mountain water. It must have filtered through a number of layers of rock and soil before it reached the cave. The actual cave is a cool, clean odorless place with a crisp and clean feeling. Yerim could hear water dripping off stalactites and the sound of her footsteps echo in the cave.

Based on her research, for caves that have bats, they are mostly near the mouth of the cave.

Yerim was approximately 150 feet into the cave when she spotted the furry animals she was looking for.

Lifting her head high, she stood and watched in awe as a family of bats hung themselves upside down in the ceiling.

Truth be told she wanted to feed an actual bat but she resisted the temptation as rabies and debut doesn't mix well. Instead, she left a few cherries for the bats to eat when they wake.

Yerim took a good long look at the furry creatures and copied its pose, content that her curiosity was satisfied.

At that moment, she heard a loud cluck, like the sound of metal hitting the rocks. She ducked instinctively before turning her head back towards the direction of the cave opening.

Shielding her eyes with her hand, all Yerim could see was a dark silhouette against the bright lights of the sun. Step by step she cautiously walked towards the tall figure at the end of the tunnel. As she got closer to the dark shape, she could feel her heart racing... every single pound in her chest.

This person was tall, dark and excluded a mysterious vibe. The light reflected off of the gold trims, almost blinding Yerim. A long fabric draped over his back, resembling a cape and two pointy ears sticked out at the top of the head.

Yerim felt the tips of her ears shaking "Batman oppa?"

Chapter Text

Yerim found herself drawn to the dark shape at the end of the cave like a magnet. She knew it was dangerous to walk towards the unknown armed with nothing but a bag of cherries but she couldn't help herself. Curiosity killed the cat, not the bat. In her gut, she had a feeling this was going to be a life changing moment.

With each step, Yerim felt her heart flutter in her chest as butterflies stirred in her stomache. She was excited and nervous at the same time. The dark figure with pointy ears and a cape held one hand out, moving it around as if trying to find the right angle. On the hand was a rectangular object that resembled a phone.

Yerim rubbed her eyes, blinking a few times. She couldn't believe it. Batman was in front of her... trying to take a selfie?

With a quick snap of the wrist, Batman flicked the cape. Like some glorified sports replay in slow motion, the black fabric spread and rippled in the air, covering the only source of the light illuminating the cave.

For a second, possibly the longest second in her life, everything disappeared into the darkness. All she could hear was the sound of a few camera shutters. All she could feel was a hurricane that stirred in her heart, bloated to its maximum.

When she least expected it, she was blinded by the sunlight outside. She wanted to return to the light, however, the light burns.

"BATMAN OPPA!! Wait for me - mee - meee - meeee!"

Yerim's desperate shout echoed through the cavern, unintentionally waking the bat families residing here. In an instant, the cave was filled with the sound of loud bat screeching noises. Yerim turned back as she covered her ears, only to see a swarm of bats flying in her direction.

Oh no, like her nightmares, this was the end... Up until now, Yerim shone the light of love on everyone and tried to live a beautiful life without regrets. At the moment her life flashes before her eyes, she remembered all the things that was still on her bucket list... eat a whole tub of Neapolitan ice cream directly from the container, get a barista certification to serve unusual concoctions, raise a fruit bat, the list goes on and on.

Just when the swarm was about to hit her, she felt someone pull her by the wrist, spinning her away from imminent danger. The tall figure covered them with the cape, creating a shield from the incoming barrage. For a few terrifying seconds, she shut her eyes and held tightly onto Batman as a wave of bats flew over the makeshift shield. They were close enough for Yerim to feel the heat radiating from the other and smell the fried chicken from what must have been Batman's latest meal.

When it was over, Yerim slowly opened her eyes. She glanced up to find parted lips, almost in the shape of a triangle and a concerned gaze from the masked crusader's dreamy brown eyes.

Yerim was still dazed from what just happened. Once her words were no longer stuck in her throat, she managed to ask "What's your favorite color?"

In response to the rather unusual question, the ends of Batman's lips curled up to form a smile before pointing at the black fabric. Content that she was safe, Batman quickly took ran off along the rocky cliff where the cave was situated and disappeared into orange glow that stretched endlessly across the sky.

As soon as she regained her senses, Yerim ran after Batman as fast as she could, as if her life depended on it. It was too little, too late. Batman was gone in the blink of an eye.

Disappointed, Yerim headed back towards the camp. One day, she will find Batman again.

Yerim knew the idol life was going to be physically and mentally draining, and Choerry's schedule was hectic. She could deal with it all, except for the Lipsoul phenomenon.

The odd number of members in OEC and the undeniable chemistry between Jungeun and Jinsol left her to be the third wheel day in and day out. While Yerim was happy for the two, the struggle was real and she dealt with painfully awkward situations.

She was always the odd one out when it comes to pairing, whether it was on the plane, at the hotel room, on the roller coaster. Lipsoul was always together, leaving Yerim with the staff.

Whenever they dined out, she always sat on the forever alone side of the booth, watching the two feed each other, exchange not so subtle glances and laugh at inside jokes. Yerim felt so alone; she wanted to be an insider.

At the dorm, Jungeun cringed at Jinsol's yellow lemon shorts and swore she would never be caught wearing one. Until one day, Yerim woke to the sight of both of them wearing matching shorts. Jinsol was the happiest person on the planet while Jungeun had this look of disbelieve in her eyes, attempting to hide it with an oversized t-shirt.

Yerim's hands automatically move to cover her eyes, trying to wash away the mental image from her mind. It was too late, what's seen cannot be unseen. Jinsol must have had something on Jungeun.

"Fashion terrorists!" Sooyoung exclaimed. Yerim thought as much, but didn't have the nerve to call them out. That is what she admired about Sooyoung. You can always count on her to point out the elephant in the room with no filter whatsoever.

One morning, she walked into Lipsoul bickering like a married couple.

Jungeun raised her voice "Why can't you explain anything?!?!"

"It's you who can't get anything right!!!!" Jinsol fired back

Yerim immediate backed away from the two, pretending not to notice, pretending not to hear anything.

Whenever Lipsoul had an argument, both of them try to get her to pick sides. It's a lose-lose situation for Yerim. Crossing the leader of the long jacket squad was a big no no. Jungeun's killer glance shut her down in less than a second and she didn't want to spend the rest of the week in the leader's doghouse. Not siding with Jinsol would result in constant nagging from the blonde.

Yerim loved Valentine's Day until it turned into Singles Awareness day. On February 14th, everyone was lovely dovey and made heart shaped cookies for each other. Now that she thought about it, all sub units had their natural pairing. One third had 2jin and Viseul, OEC had Lipsoul. Even the two who debuted after her was a pair the fans affectionately named Chuuves.

Of course Yerim was happy for them, but she can't help but feel left out, like she was the official third wheel of the group. They might as well rename the subunit to LOONA Odd Girl Out. At this rate, she'll become the nation's third wheel.

Sometimes she wondered if she was becoming delusional. That is when she remembered the bat cave and, if her memory was not playing tricks on her, the brief encounter with what she thought was Batman.

Everywhere she went, all her thoughts belong to the masked crusader. Yerim couldn't stop thinking about her 'moment' with Batman oppa, however brief it was. She replayed the encounter repeatedly in her head. She recalled the warm embrace, the texture of the cape's fabric and the smell of fried chicken.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Batman's smile. She dreamt of the bat every night, wondering what was behind the mask. At fan signs and music shows, she did a double take whenever she saw someone dressing in all black or had pointy ears.

Anyone could tell Yerim was distracted, often getting lost in her own thought and looking into the distance, as if she was waiting for someone, hoping someone would show up. This has not gone unnoticed by the Jungeun, who confronted her about it.

Yerim was not ready to discuss how she was crushing on someone she'd met for a few minutes, whose face she haven't even seen and may never see again. She reassured the leader that everything was fine. It wasn't the first time she hid things from the rest and it got easier each time she lied to them. She could tell Jungeun was not entirely convinced, but let it go as long as it didn't jeopardize the group.

One evening she walked into Jungeun and Jinsol making out. The leader shot a look at Yerim's direction, demanding some privacy. She didn't need to be asked twice as she bolted out of there. This was probably going to take a while so she decided to grab a tub of ice cream and made her way to the rooftop.

The dark night sky was clear with the moon glistening on the dark blue ocean. She made her way over to the ledge and scooped a spoon full of ice cream. Yerim took a deep breath as she soaked in the view of the city with its bright lights under the moonlight. It was beautiful but her mind was preoccupied, thinking about the masked crusader that stole her heart.

Yerim was so worked up she couldn't sit still anymore; she had to do something. If what she heard was true, there is a way to meet batman again. She must... make a bat signal!

Rummaging through the storage closet, she dug through a collection fan gifts until she found a stash of bat shaped items and a large round searchlight. With everything she needed, Yerim made her way back to the patio on the rooftop.

Using tape, she affixed a stylized emblem of a bat onto the searchlight. And with the click a button, a bright ray of light shone, projecting a large bat symbol onto the skies.

Yerim waited in eager anticipation as hummed the batman theme song 'dunna dunna dunna dunna batman'

Chapter Text

Lately in dreamland her usual nightmares have been replaced by adventures with the bat. Even when the alarm rings she repeatedly hit the snooze button. Subconsciously she didn't want to wake up to reality, even if it was only prolonged for a few seconds.

Under the moonlit sky, Yerim couldn't help but daydream again about the dark one.

Without realizing it, it has completely taken over her life. All she could think about is batman and fruit bats. She inquired about the process of raising a bat. She imagined what batman looked like underneath the mask and wondered why there was a need to hide behind it. She wanted to know more but she had no idea if the other felt the same or if they would ever cross paths again.

Yerim was still lost in thought when she heard a familiar voice shouting her name.

"Hey! Choi Ye Rim!"

Yerim opened her eyelids to someone snapping and waving their fingers dangerously close to her face.

"HELLO? Earth to CHOI YE-RIMMMM!"

Turning her head towards the owner of the hand, she muttered "huh... oh, hi Hyejoo" She could've sworn the other called by her full name at least once per day.

"Spacing out again?" Hyejoo shook her head "You've been doing this a lot lately. Mind telling me what is going on in this empty head of yours?"

"Uh, nothing..." Well, it wasn't nothing but she wasn't sure how to explain it.

Hyejoo didn't seem to be convinced "It sure doesn't seem like nothing... what is going on?"

Yerim wasn't sure if it was the smell in the air or the ambience. At that moment, she couldn't help but think how different Hyejoo was from her initial impression. It was hard to believe the same person who was extremely quiet and shy at first turned out to be complete opposite.

Although they went to the same school, they never spoke in order not to spoil the reveal. Once 'Olivia Hye' was announced officially, Yerim was elated as it was no longer a secret; secrets were suffocating and hard to keep. She could finally stop pretending she didn't know Hyejoo in front of everyone. Yerim couldn't help but smile at the thought of having a 'bus buddy' as well as the snacks and stories they'd share.

Yerim caught Hyejoo glance in her direction and sensed Hyejoo wanted to be friends but didn't know how to make the first move. Being her usual cheerful self, she walked straight towards the low energy one with the brightest smile, extending her hand to offer friendship "Let's be friends!"

Yerim was literally photosynthesis in the human form. She sought to be a positive influence on everyone. In contrast, Hyejoo had low energy and a bit of a dark aurora around her. Something inside Yerim compelled her to cheer Hyejoo up everyday.

Hyejoo was rather quiet and reserved, mostly listened to her chatting away at whatever was on her mind, only occasionally chiming in with the odd remark. But that is alright, Yerim just enjoyed her company. Initially Yerim did most of the talking until Hyejoo felt comfortable enough to open up. With each bus ride to and from school, she could sense Hyejoo felt more comfortable around her. Yerim wasn't sure exactly when, but eventually Hyejoo's true personality came out.

"OLIVE??? OLIVE-VIA HEYYY? OLIVIA HYEEEE?" Hyejoo was perplexed at the stage name she could barely pronounce herself "Why the hell did BBC give me such a long name? Do I look like a foreigner?"

"But isn't it unique? I bet there would be no results if you search it online." Yerim tried to salvage the situation.

With a straight face, the other retorted in her usual monotone voice "If you like it so much. Why don't you take O-LI-VIA HEYYY instead?"

"Uhhh, I almost ended up with CHARLES. Can you imagine introducing yourself as CHARLES when this is supposed to be a girl group? So Olivia heyyy isn't that bad..."

She voice faltered as Hyejoo shot her a cold stare.

"...relatively speaking." Yerim could tell this wasn't helping so she took out her phone, rapidly tapping her fingers to perform a search on the most popular portal site "See. There are zero results. Zilch. Nada. You are the very beginning of the search results!"

Somewhat skeptical, Hyejoo leaned over to get a better look at the screen so that she could confirm for herself. The ends of her lips rose and a smiled emerged at the thought that there was something in the world that only belonged to her. Yerim sure knows how to cheer her up.

Yerim was still reminiscing when she heard Hyejoo's voice again. "Yerim is a fool! You weight as heavy as a bear!" Hyejoo continued teasing until there was some response from her.

Hyejoo seemed to get a kick out of teasing her, laughing in her face when she lost at games, even scolding her clumsiness at times. Yerim didn't mind as long as it made her day.

"Sorry. Did I drift off again?"

"Yeah. What are you thinking about?"

Yerim kept this bottled up for a while. It was starting to drive her crazy so she decided to tell Hyejoo about what happened at the bat cave. Everything from how she was saved, the way her heart bloated to the maximum and how she can't stop thinking about it all day long.

She noticed Hyejoo shifting her feet nervously upon hearing her story. She wasn't sure why. I mean, it wasn't like Hyejoo knew Batman. Maybe she was reading too much into the other's body language so she just dismissed the thought.

"See that over there?" Yerim pointed in the sky where the bright logo shown through the clouds "It's a bat signal!"

With one eyebrow raised, Hyejoo questioned her sanity "Do you really think this will work?"

"Absolutely!" she was positively sure it'd work... someday.

"I wouldn't bet on it."

"Why so negative? Just smile and everything will work out somehow. I know just want you need!"

Hyejoo couldn't help but smile as she felt Yerim's hands reach over to tickle her. They laughed and chased each other in circles for a while until their lungs was about to collapse.

After another exhausting day of school and practice, Yerim opted to relax and feel the cool crisp air at the roof top. The night sky was clear as the rain just stopped. As usual, she set up the bat signal before making her way over to the ledge to take in the sight of the bright city lights.

Being her usual clumsy self, she slipped as she stepped over a puddle of water, dangerously close to tripping over the railing.

Right at that moment, someone grabbed her arm, pulling her back and saving her from falling off the roof.

She was still in shock from the close call and held tightly onto whomever it was that saved her from certain death. When she regained her senses, she slowly opened her eyes to find the one she had been waiting for... the masked crusader.

Yerim was instantly energized by the appearance and couldn't contain her excitement. Her arms automatically move to give the other a hug. "WOW, you're really here. I can't believe it worked! If only Hyejoo could see this."

When she finally let go, Yerim could tell the other was surprised by something, which she assumed was the sudden hug. The one in black pointed to the signal, asking why she wanted to meet.

"Ahhhh, that. I wanted to give you this." Yerim rummaged through the pocket of her jacket until she found the hand drawn card she made during art class.

Pointy ears opened the purple envelope to find a card with a purple bat drawn on the cover. A 'Thank you' note was written inside and it had a cherry shaped signature and a 10 digit number at the bottom.

Before she could say anything else, Batman nodded and disappeared again.

Although it was short, Yerim was content the other knew of her existence. She had the sweetest of dreams that night.

There was bound to be some friction when twelve different people with completely different backgrounds and personalities live and work together day in and day out. Today, Jiwoo and Hyejoo had a fight over how much she scolded Sooyoung on national television.

One thing led to another and before they knew, Jiwoo threw Hyejoo's stuff out of the small room shared by YYXY, leaving a messy pile in the living room. Yerim, who happened to be there, helped clean up the mess. She noticed Hyejoo had a lot of black clothes. There was one particular piece of clothing that caught her attention. She couldn't believe her eyes. It was a batman costume.

There was only one logical conclusion...

Hyejoo must have been a Batman fan!!! Now they can join the fan club together and bond while fan girl-ing after batman.

When Hyejoo finally calmed down, she went of the room and proceeded to collect her stuff. She walked right into Yerim, who held the batman costume in her arms. Hyejoo froze, visibly shaken. "Uh, how did this get here... listen, I can explain... um..."

"I didn't know you were a fan of Batman!"

"Oh, you think I'm a fan...I thought... yes, I'm... a fan."

When she handed the costume back to Hyejoo, something fell out. With cat like reflexes, Yerim picked up the oddly familiar envelope before the other could get to it. It was the very card she personally hand drawn for batman, the one with the purple bat.

"This is... how... why do you have this?" asked Yerim, whose eyebrows knitted close together in thought.

For what felt like the longest minute of their lives, an awkward silence filled the air. Hyejoo bit her lower lip to prepare herself mentally for the fallout. She knew she was busted; there was no escape from this.

It took a while, but Yerim finally put two and two together.

OH. MY. GOD.

NO. NO. NO.

Yerim couldn't believe it. There were so many signs... the school trip, triangle lips, the dark aurora, the costume and the final nail in the coffin, the card with the purple bat.

She was so caught up in her imagination, she never noticed the signs. Yerim felt played, and at that specific moment, the biggest fool in the galaxy. Everything came crashing down.

But there has to be a reason... right?

Chapter Text

Hyejoo gulped as she watched the purple envelope slowly floated down, making a few twirls until it landed on the floor. Her hands automatically reached for it but it was too late.

She could only watched in anxiety as Yerim picked up the familiar purple envelope. The warm smile, the one she has grown fond of, slowly disappeared.

"This is... how... why do you have this?"

The answer to how that card was in her possession was obvious by her lack of response.

Yerim had very expressive facial expressions, which meant she could read her like a book most of the time. To the point where she could tell the exact moment when realization hits Yerim harder than a bullet. Crap. Hyejoo didn't expect to be found out this quickly, and certainly not like this.

"I..." Hyejoo, who was usually good at thinking quickly on her feet, was at a loss for words. She wasn't sure how it was possible to get out of this without hurting Yerim.

At the moment the tension reached it greatest intensity, they were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"You two have school tomorrow. Go to bed now!"

Haseul rounded them up and dragged Yerim into the other bedroom, still in disbelieve.

Hyejoo tossed and turn in her bed. Sleep will not come to her because her mind was overactive, thinking about how it all unfolded, how she was going to explain it all and what scared her most was the possibility of losing Yerim.

They still had school the following morning and she could feel the lingering effects from last night's event. Something was wrong, very wrong. Instead of the usual noisy chatter, breakfast was unusually quiet. The awkward silence was only interrupted by the sound of her growling stomach.

Hyejoo stole a glance at the one sitting across from her.

Judging by the bags under Yerim's eyes, neither of them slept well the previous night. Yerim, who normally looked forward to breakfast, was not her usual cheery self. She looked broken and you could see the light die inside her eyes.

Hyejoo felt like the worst person on the planet, as if she just shot a puppy. Her lips, usually in the shape of a triangle, looked more like a pout today.

The silence continued until she heard a soft 'ding'. It was followed by the smell of burnt toast in the air, signifying their breakfast was ready. She turned towards Haseul, who tossed the partially burnt toasts to their plates. Upon receiving her food, there was nothing but chomping sounds on the crunchy toast.

Before she knew, Haseul shoved a lunchbox into her hand and herded them out the door, towards the bus stop. Fight or not, it was no excuse to skip class. It wasn't like this was the first time they fought. They had fights before, just not at this scale.

There was that time Yerim clumsily knocked over Hyejoo's diet lunch box, which she spent the whole morning prepping. She was really angry and had to hold herself back. Now that she thought about it, she was always the one to get angry. It would appear that the tables have turned.

This unfamiliar awkwardness continued as they boarded the bus. Yerim, who usually dragged Hyejoo to sit next to her, didn't hold her hand. Yerim, who was normally chatty, didn't say a single word. Their usual banter was gone, replaced by the hissing sound of the bus engine.

THIS. This is exactly why Hyejoo wanted to keep the truth hidden. School was hard and tiring these days, but at least she was with Yerim. It was nice to have someone to talk to. Sure, there were others kids in her class, but they weren't going through the bizarre idol life and the situations they found themselves in.

Fan signs were the place where she practices the art of gently turning down delusional fans without turning them into antis. There was always someone trying cheesy pick up lines on her. There were always weird requests they had to handle diplomatically.

How could any of her classmates understand what they were going through? Some of them only pretended to be close so they can get a signature and sell it on eBay. It was awkward with them and most of the time she looked forward to breaks during the day to hang out with Yerim. But now that she drove Yerim away, she couldn't even do that.

Hyejoo didn't know what to say, what to do or how to explain it. Honestly, anything she says at this point would only sound like an excuse. So she kept silent as guilt washed over her on the inside.

What she didn't know was that it only made things worse. With each passing day, the distance between them grew and it became more difficult to approach the topic. Ever since they've been apart, time seems to slow to a halt. Fried chicken, which was her favourite, didn't taste as good anymore. Even her favourite game wasn't fun anymore.

She would tease, make the occasional mean remark and this time she had done it, really done it. Hyejoo could've said something, could've stopped at any time but she didn't. She kept up the ruse and now she has gone too far with her antics. She hurt the one she cared for and she regrets it so much. She lost the best thing that happened in her life.

All she wanted to was to surprise Yerim since she wanted to see Batman so much. At this moment, Hyejoo really wanted to burn that costume. It'd be hard to get her hands on a lighter or a match. But that's ok; she figured it won't be long until the next kitchen fire, courtesy of Chaewon.

She didn't understand why BBC chose a wolf as her animal at first. It seems BBC knew her better than herself; a wolf set to destroy everything around her.

Yerim shook her head and closed her eyes.

She was having a mental breakdown. She didn't know what to make of all this. For the first time in her life she was so confused. As bright as Yerim was, she was still a human being with real feelings and emotions.

She welcomed Hyejoo and brought her into her world. She knew Hyejoo need time to open up to her and waited patiently until she was ready. She gave Hyejoo the benefit of the doubt, assumed good intent.

Yerim had given everything she could and more, what more could she do?

Was it so bad to be positive? Did she become that girl that everyone was mean to because they think she can't be that nice? Was she too nice, too much of a push over? She has done so much for Ollie. Was it even reciprocated?

If this was just a misunderstanding, why wasn't Hyejoo explaining herself?

Did Ollie have to go this far? Was it all a joke to her? She could take a joke. I mean, Hyejoo made fun of her all the time and she didn't mind as long it made her happy. But this time was different. Maybe because it was because she was too invested, thinking she found the love of her life, only have to have it shatter like that.

Was she blinded by the light at the bat cave? When her heart bloated, was that just her imagination? Why did it tug at her heart? And most importantly, did she fall for Batman?

If only she read the signs. If only she wasn't so head over heels for Batman oppa. Nope, that would be Olivia Hye. No, Son Hyejoo.

Her eyes widen and popped out at the sudden realization.

NO WAY

Did this mean she was... gay??? I mean, most of her friends were girls and there were girls that she admired, but she never considered that possibility.

Yerim was losing confidence. Perhaps BBC was right after all. She was blind as a bat. She just didn't know it herself.

If Hyejoo truly valued their relationship, whatever it was, she needed a sign. Nothing was going to change if she continued to be push over. Instead of going to the other, this time she was going to wait for Hyejoo to come to her.

Chapter Text

There were times when Hyejoo caught Yerim looking in her direction and their eyes met for a mere second.

A split second was enough for her to convey feelings with her eyes. Hyejoo could tell how Yerim was burning with curiosity on the inside from so many unanswered questions yet trying to remain positive at the same time. Questions she did not dare to ask.

Hyejoo couldn't help but wish Yerim could read her eyes as well, so that she would know exactly how she felt.

Thanks to Yerim's inability to listen to alarms, Hyejoo had a legitimate excuse to be around her every morning of every school day.

Hyejoo couldn’t help but smile at the one sleeping soundly, entranced by the cute rhythmic snoring noises, the way she drooled over the bat plush salvaged from the set of 'New'. It made her want to move that loose strand of purple hair off Yerim's face and hug her right there and then.

She didn’t know exactly what it was about Yerim. Maybe it was the way she would blab on, telling her every single thought without any filter. Or how her eyes would light up, get all giddy and excited over a simple snack.

It was amusing to tease Yerim; she loved the way Yerim innocently fell for every single one of her silly pranks and she lived for that slightly annoyed expression the moment she realized what happened.

And most of all, she missed how Yerim made her feel. Her impossibly bright and bubble like personality was more infectious than the flu, her voice made even the most ordinary and mundane things sound so pretty. It made Hyejoo do things she would normally be too embarrassed to do and say things she would never have imagined herself saying.

To Hyejoo, it was a precious moment that felt a little bit like heaven.

“You're staring.” Heaven was interrupted by a certain someone who was most definitely not a night owl. “Either you are a creep or you like her!”

Failing to control the sudden fit of rage inside her, Hyejoo grabbed the drool stained plush and flung it like a batarang towards the direction of the irritating voice.

“So? Are you just going to stare at her forever or are you going to tell her?” Jungeun dodged the sudden attack and continued to push her.

Hyejoo replaced the empty spot next to Yerim with a wolf plush before muttering “I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“And why is that?” questioned Jungeun with a raised eyebrow

She shot a look over at Jungeun before letting out a sigh. There was no point hiding it “I did something stupid. She hates me.”

“You don’t know that. Yerim is not the type to hold a grudge. Did you try apologizing to her?”

Figuring Yerim could wake from this conversation at anytime, Hyejoo started to leave “No. It’ll just sound like an excuse.”

“If you made a mistake, you should own up to it. And if you like someone, you should tell her instead of pranking her.”

Jungeun was right. Maybe if Hyejoo was actually Batman she would be brave enough to confess.

Yerim was always bright, no matter what happened. This is why the recent change in demeanor made it obvious something was off. The face that normally lit up like sunshine is gone. She was spacing out more than usual. It wasn’t like her.

Whatever happened, they usually made up by now. Instinctively wanting to help resolve the situation, Haseul took Yerim aside.

Holding her hand, Haseul looked straight into Yerim's eyes "Is everything ok? Tell me so I can help you. You know you can talk to me."

Yerim trusted Haseul more than anyone else. Even though she is a bit quirky sometimes, you can always depend on her.

She paused for a second, trying to find the right way to phrase this so she doesn't die of embarrassment "I'm asking for a friend of a friend of mine."

Haseul nodded to encourage her on.

"What happens when you thought you knew someone and they turned out to be completely different? You see, my friend fell head over heels for Batman but then it turns out to be a girl she knew."

"OMG, your friend has been cat-fished!" Haseul blurted out before she could stop herself.

Yerim's brow furrowed in confusion "Cat? Fish?" She paused for a second, wondering what that could possibly mean "What does Hyunjin and Jinsoul have anything to do with this?"

Haseul shook her head at the face-palm worthy moment. Innocent Yerim has probably never heard of the term before and took what she said literally. "Nothing. Forget what I just said. Do you know why?"

"She never explained."

"Maybe your friend should give her a chance to explain. Do you think she meant well?"

"I mean, that person did save me.... I mean my friend"

"I see." Now that Haseul clued in on what exactly happened between the two she could help remedy the situation "It doesn't need to be so complicated. As long as their intention was good, isn't that enough?"

Haseul was right. Despite everything, the fact is Hyejoo saved her twice. Maybe she was overreacting.

Her chat with Haseul, although slightly confusing, made her feel a bit better and for the first time in a while, Yerim got a full night's sleep. In fact, she slept so well she couldn't wake up the next morning. Without Hyejoo waking her up, Yerim was late again.

She hurriedly got dressed and rushed out the door. With a lighter state of mind, Yerim skipped downstairs while humming her favorite tune to the entrance of the apartment.

The moment she stepped outside, she received the surprise of a lifetime.

"GAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Yerim instinctively shut her eyes and ducked her head. After the noise was gone and she felt safe enough to remove her hand, she looked up to find none other than Hyejoo, teasing her yet again.

Yerim stood there, dazed and confused. In that moment, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This was their first interaction after their 'cold war'. What was this supposed to mean?

Knowing Yerim didn't have enough time to grab breakfast, Hyejoo waited at the outside of the apartment building while she built up the courage to talk to Yerim.

And of course, the only way she knew was to tease and prank.

Finally remembering the reason why she was there, Hyejoo timidly offered her favorite cookie. "I know you hate me but you should still eat something."

Yerim didn't know what to make of it; she was still trying to process what just happened. She looked at the chocolate chip cookie in Hyejoo's outstretched hand, then back to Hyejoo.

"Listen, I want to apologize to you. What I did was really shitty..." Hyejoo's voice was broken.

Yerim was the light in her life. She was her only friend and she didn't want to imagine life without her by her side, cheering her on. But it was her fault to begin with and she had no one to blame but herself.

After what must have been a prolonged staring contest, Yerim finally broke the silence "Why?"

Hyejoo knew exactly what Yerim was referring to. She took a deep breath, as if she was trying to prepare herself mentally. It was time to come clean.

"At camp, I saw you daydreaming and smiling for no apparent reason. I wanted to talk to you but I didn't know how to. When you disappeared, I went to your last known location and ended up at the bat cave. Then all of a sudden you were there yelling 'Batman oppa' with the bats were screeching in our direction. So I just covered us both with the cape. I mean what was I supposed to do?"

Realizing she was spitting words out like she was in a rap battle, Hyejoo slowed down "I wanted to tell you... but I didn't know how to. I was just going to keep that hidden forever. Then you made the whole bat signal thing. I wanted make you happy, like the way you make me feel."

Hyejoo took a breath so that she could carry on "I really like being around you... you always made me feel special, whether I was Batman, Olivia Hye or Hyejoo. So I kept up with the ruse... I didn't mean for you to find out this way. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Yerim was silent again.

"I've grown to like you. I'm really sorry. Don't leave me... please."

Yerim just stood there because she didn't know what to make of the sudden confession.

Hyejoo figured asking for forgiveness was too much and she expected it as much. She didn't think she would be forgiven just like that. If someone toyed with her like that, she certainly would not forgive them.

Chapter Text

It was eerily quiet, too quiet. For Yerim to not say anything, Hyejoo naturally assumed the worst. That she must have hurt Yerim for real and didn't deserve forgiveness.

Only when she was about to lose Yerim, Hyejoo finally realized who made her smile, who she looked forward to teasing every day. Yerim was the only one she ever wanted and she didn't want to let her go. If there was something she could do to fix it, she would. But right now, she is at a loss. She questioned herself, wondering where it all went wrong.

Her gaze slowly moved down to the cookie in her hand, the crumbs started falling to the ground from the pressure of her grip. Like the cookie, her heart felt as if it was crumbling bit by bit, on the verge of breaking.

The silence dragged on and she lost track of how long it has been. As far as she could see, it was over. She couldn't bare it anymore, turning away to show herself out until Yerim held onto her arm.

Hyejoo, confused by the situation, gave her a questioning look.

"You are so mean, you know that right?" Yerim finally broke the silence.

Hyejoo couldn't deny it; some of pranks she pulled were borderline mean. But to her credit Yerim never tattled to Haseul and she was grateful she lived to prank another day.

As a symbol to signify the acceptance of her apology, Yerim took the partially crushed cookie from her hand "But I don't hate you. And I forgive you... Batman oppa."

How was this possible? Hyejoo stared at her, speechless like she couldn't believe what she just heard. All the crap she pulled was forgiven, just like that. Instead of feeling resentment, Yerim chose to focus on the positive things Hyejoo has done for her. It made her wonder if Yerim's heart was the size of an ocean.

Suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of emotion which felt a lot like relief, Hyejoo felt a steady stream of tears roll down her face, staining her shirt. Before she knew what happened, Yerim wrapped her around her arms, engulfing Hyejoo in the warmest of hugs. The warmth that washed over her was reminiscent of sipping hot chocolate on a cold day.

There was no doubt in her mind she has inadvertently associated Yerim with that smooth cocoa drink, in the same way Yerim will forever be reminded of her when it comes to Batman. It was something special that only belonged to them and no one can ever take that away.

~~~

Something seemed to have changed after that moment, as if Hyejoo made a mental note to appreciate and treat Yerim better.

For reasons unknown BBC decided to dress them in pirate ruffles shirts and rearrange their positions this comeback. Hyejoo chose a spot next to her even if this meant they weren't in the center spotlight.

Fierce cold wind or not, they had a fan meet. Yerim watched the tree branches sway back and forth and then looked at their clothes full of holes. She automatically reached for her favorite fuzzy jacket while Hyejoo opted for a blanket because 'cool kids don't wear jackets'.

Despite the cold weather, Yerim smiled and interacted with the fans as much as possible like any other day.

Suddenly she felt Hyejoo's arms around her, draping both of them with her pink 'My Melody' blanket, holding onto her like she would be there to catch her if she falls. Yerim didn't know if it was because her white fuzzy jacket was warm or if Hyejoo wanted to be closer, or both. Honestly, it didn't matter at this point. She just liked the feeling of Hyejoo next to her, the way Hyejoo looked and smiled at her.

When she least expected it, Hyejoo held her hand. It has been a while and it was still as soft as she remembered. Every once in a while she felt her hand being squeezed and they would look into each other's eyes for absolutely no reason at all.

"What is with the squeezing?" Yerim had a feeling she was walking into a trap but curiosity got the better of her.

A mischievous sparkle lit Hyejoo's eyes "I just felt like it. What are you going to do about it?"

Yerim wasn't sure if this is supposed to be a prank. Well, she didn't mind if it was. Out of every joke Hyejoo has played on her, this was definitely her favorite. She returned a smile "Nothing. I like it."

At some point Hyejoo started laughing at her jokes and funny faces, instead of laughing at her. The change may have been subtle but it made a world of difference to her. It made Yerim feel like Hyejoo enjoyed being around her, like she was appreciated.

She hasn't really seen this side to Hyejoo, who always seemed a bit cold towards her. These simple little things made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, like she was valued for whom she was and she meant something to Hyejoo.

They say your eyes are the window to your soul and Yerim could feel the sincerity behind them. She couldn't be happier at the turn of events, because she could tell the affection was no longer one sided.

She didn't understand exactly what it is that she felt for Hyejoo. But did it matter at this point? They were together and felt comfortable around each other.

~~~

"There is one thing I still don't understand." While Yerim was grateful for the change in attitude, there was still something that confused her. It was like a puzzle made of pieces she just cannot find, no matter how hard she tried.

"Hmm? What is it?" Hyejoo wondered what in the world could possibly bother Yerim.

"There are a lot of superheroes out there, why Batman?"

Oh, that.

"Batman is my favorite superhero." Hyejoo hoped Yerim would drop the subject because she was not sure if she was ready for it.

Sensing there was a bit more to it Yerim pressed the topic "No really? Why?"

"Because your animal is a bat and I like black." Hyejoo blurted out. She hoped this was enough of a hint to express the turmoil brewing within her.

Unfortunately, it confused Yerim even more "I don't get it. Why did you take after my animal?"

Oh, for heaven's sakes. Nope. Take a hint, she did not. Hyejoo felt her cheeks start to warm "Really? You really don't know why? Isn't it obvious?"

Hyejoo could tell from Yerim's expression and puppy like eyes that she was really clueless. This was one of her charms even if she did not know it herself.

"Fine, if you insist..." Hyejoo swore this was going to be the end of her. All of the feelings and emotions she had kept bottled up for the longest time starting to surface and overwhelm her. She had been practicing what she was about to say for some time now, but it didn't make it any easier.

Digging deep from within, she mustered whatever courage she could find "From the moment I looked in your eyes, I knew I couldn't let you go. I had to meet you and get to know you. I barely had enough time to audition and join BBC." Hyejoo's smug face came out "Remember, I won them over in one day. That is skills you know."

Yerim gave her one of those slightly annoyed look that she secretly loved.

"Do you know how hard it has been? Even when I was in Iceland, I see a snack in the mart and it reminds me of you. I spot a toy ostrich with a moving head and all I can think about is that time you danced like a water snake." Hyejoo didn't realize she was starting to blab on. Spending more time around Yerim must have rubbed off on her.

"Don't you get it? I can't help myself. All I can think about is you. I uh... I want to be the only person who gets to tease you!" There. It was done. She finally said it after struggling for so long. It felt as if a heavy weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

"Oh." Yerim finally understood what was going on.

Yerim's response confused Hyejoo to no end. What was that supposed to mean? Honestly she expected more after she just poured her heart out.

"Oh? Just oh? That's all you have to say after making me confess like this? Wow, I'm disappointed Choi Ye Rim." Hyejoo couldn't help but pout at the thought that her feelings may not be reciprocated. She never considered that possibility. I mean, she was charismatic and charming as hell. Who would dare reject her? After all, didn’t Yerim say she fell head over heels for Batman? No way, was it because she wasn't a guy? At this moment, she felt so vulnerable, having just exposed herself.

There was still no response from the other. Suddenly Hyejoo's heart, the portion Yerim unknowingly and gradually took over, felt a little constricted.

"Ah, I see." Hyejoo attempted to regain her composure and hide the pain she was going through "Forget this ever happened." But the harder she tried to pull herself back together, the further she came apart.

Yerim was simply stunned by the sudden confession. Knowing she couldn't let Hyejoo go, Yerim snapped out of it "Wait. Don't go. That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?" Hyejoo couldn't hide the hint of anger and disappointment in her voice.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me. You have always been kind of cold towards me." Yerim sheepishly looked away, trying to hide the blush in her cheeks "and uh, I... I like you too."

Hyejoo breathed a sigh of relief. She had not been rejected.

Wait a minute. Did Yerim pull a fast one on her? We can't have that "By the way, your animal is an ostrich now."

"My animal is a what???" This was the second crisis that Yerim had to face in as many days.

"Ostrich. You know that bald looking bird.” Hyejoo replicated the water snake dance.

What part of her resembled an ostrich? Yerim thought. In her panic, she ran to the closest mirror to check her scalp. Once she confirmed there were no bald spots she realized she fell for another one of Hyejoo's tricks, again.

"Yaa!" Just as Yerim was about to protest, their eyes locked at that moment. They both realized they were bickering, the same way Jungeun and Jinsol did.

Hyejoo pulled Yerim close, holding her as tightly as possible, smiling to the point where her cheeks were starting to hurt. It took a long time for them to get here but everything felt so right, like they belong together. Without saying another word, they stayed like that for a while, never wanting this moment of bliss to end.

Hyejoo learned she can just be herself and Yerim will accept her for who she is. She isn't perfect and that is perfectly fine. And at the end of the day, Yerim knew Hyejoo will always be there for her and only one bat signal away!

- FIN -