~~Chiyeonn~~{Book 7}

Growing Closer

Chiquita sat on a bench in the university courtyard, her laptop balanced on her knees as she typed away at their group project. The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the pages. She was engrossed in her work, but her mind was also wandering to thoughts of Ahyeon, who was sitting beside her, flipping through a textbook.

"Chiquita," Ahyeon said, breaking the comfortable silence, "do you think we should include more visuals in our presentation? I think it would make it more engaging."

Chiquita looked up, surprised by how easily the conversation flowed between them now. "Yeah, definitely! Maybe some graphs to illustrate our findings?"

"Exactly! You always come up with the best ideas," Ahyeon replied, a warm smile spreading across her face. "You're really good at this."

Chiquita felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thanks. I just want to make sure we do well."

As they continued to brainstorm, Chiquita found herself stealing glances at Ahyeon. The way the sunlight highlighted her features made her heart race, and she couldn't help but admire how effortlessly beautiful she was. But just as quickly as the thought came, Chiquita shoved it aside, wrestling with the confusion that had started to swirl in her mind.

---

**Meanwhile, Across the Courtyard**

A group of girls was gathered, their eyes fixed on Chiquita. "Did you see her new look? She's so hot now!" one of them exclaimed, biting her lip as she watched Chiquita.

"I know! I can't believe how much she's changed. I'm totally into her," another girl chimed in, giggling with her friends.

Ahyeon felt a pang of jealousy twist in her stomach as she overheard their conversation. *Why do they always look at her like that?* she thought, trying to focus on the project in front of her. *It's just unfair!*

"Hey, what's wrong?" Chiquita's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Ahyeon forced a smile. "Nothing, just... thinking."

"About what?" Chiquita pressed, tilting her head slightly.

"Just school stuff. You know how it is," Ahyeon replied, but her tone was off, and Chiquita could sense the tension.

"Right." Chiquita bit her lip, uncertain. She had noticed how often other girls seemed drawn to her, how they would stare and whisper when she walked by. It was flattering, but it made her feel strange—especially since her heart was starting to lean toward someone else entirely.

---

**Later That Evening**

Chiquita returned to her room, her mind still racing. She sat down on her plush bed and let out a sigh. The more time she spent with Ahyeon, the more complicated her feelings became. There was something about the way Ahyeon laughed or the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about her passions that sent butterflies fluttering in Chiquita's stomach.

"Ugh, why is this so confusing?" she muttered to herself. The changes her body was going through only added to her confusion. One moment, she felt confident, feeling her new muscles and boyish charm, but the next, she was overwhelmed by feelings she didn't quite understand.

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**The Following Day**

Chiquita was heading to her next class when she spotted Lisa in the hallway. She instinctively turned to walk the other way, but Lisa called out. "Chiquita! Wait!"