// biochem lab.

@chinhwa "O-okay, good," Soohyun sighed with a breath of relief. She hadn't misunderstood. Good. Good. It was never fun when people misunderstood what he said. Sometimes he wouldn't think things through enough and say something short that ended up hurting people. He didn't want to hurt Chinhwa. She seemed really nice.

Soohyun shrugged his shoulders as she spoke. "I don't know. They are what they are, living their own little lives the way they want to... I don't dictate them much in any way." He glanced up at her and smiled. "Maybe a little bit. But it's fine. We all overthink stuff."
He hummed lowly before nodding his head. "Yup. Whatever it is, I tend to just blurt it out. It can be a little rude, I don't always notice." He made an awkward expression before his ears perked up. "I... Don't know. I can hardly keep up talks with normal people. If I were to talk to myself... T-that would never work."

@kim soohyun (Oh, alright >.< *hugs you back*)

Chinhwa continued her soft humming, her ears perked up atop her head. "I'm glad you appreciate them, Soohyun. I know, I know. And that's sweet of you to say." She nodded slightly, her dark brown eyes shifting from the branch to glance at her surroundings, realizing that the campus was much quieter than she thought when classes were in session.

"It all depends on how you wish to portray them. You're the one saying them, not me, so whether they're considered compliments or thoughts is up to you." She let out a light sigh. "I didn't think you said them to win against me or win me over. And I have a feeling that you wouldn't be able to win me over anyway. I'm a bit more stubborn in cases like that, not that a situation like that would occur anytime soon anyway. So perhaps I'm overthinking a bit." She shrugged her shoulders yet again. "So basically you're speaking whatever comes to mind?" Her dark eyes found his once more as she continued. "Yes, more of you. I believe they would if given the opportunity to realize their similarities."

@chinhwa [ Oh, don't apologize~ *hugs you* ]

"Oh, I'll live," Soohyun hummed as he looked back up at the leafy branches above their heads. He hadn't had many compliments thrown in his direction before, he wouldn't feel no loss with none being slung his way now either. "Now that said, I do appreciate your compliments. I'm not saying I don't do that. J-just to clarify. Your compliments mean a lot," he added, nodding his head affirmatively as he kept staring up.

The panda paused for a moment, thinking through her words before humming. "Well, I guess you could call them compliments too... But I don't necessarily say it to win an argument, or to win you over. I say it because I think it. I voice the voice in my head. If that voice calls you cute, well, then I'll call you cute," he explained, finally pushing himself up to look at her. "More of me? I don't think that's a good idea. No one would ever dare talk to each other~"

@kim soohyun (I'm almost done with it and it's a really nice read to be perfectly honest. You'd think it would be a really cheesy romance but the attraction takes a while to develop, much like real life, so I love it.)

"Well I still believe that it's a bit of a shame that you don't, but you're rather humble as it is. So...I suppose I shouldn't complain." Chinhwa stared at the large branch beneath her, admiring every little detail about it as she listened. "How you look is a part of who you are, nonetheless." She began to hum rather softly to a tune that she didn't even know. "Thank you once again, but I'm still going to disagree. I am not cute." She knew everyone was entitled to their own opinion, but there was no rule that stated that one could not disagree with the opinion, which she did. Most would figure she was saying that only to fish for better compliments or be self-defeatist, but she wasn't. She just simply didn't see herself as cute in any way, shape, or form.

"Well they sound more like compliments, but if they are actually just thoughts, then I guess I'll consider them as such." She cocked her head to the side. "We need more people like you in the world, Soohyun. Someone who sees the world differently."

(I'm sorry I took so long >.<)

@chinhwa "N-no, no, not a bad thing," Soohyun quickly answered, letting out a small breath as he smiled a little wider, still feeling shy. "It's just... unusual, for me. I don't get a lot of flattering compliments." He hummed silently, listening to what Chinhwa had to say. "Oh! I... Well, it has to do with who you are. Not how you look. So, when it comes to your personality... You're cute."
But her next words had him tilting his head, a confused expression on his face. "It does? I don't know." Soohyun leaned back, trying to think back to everyone he knew. Was it really so that your outward appearance related to how you were as a person?
"I'm n-not... I'm complimenting you because you think of my thoughts as compliments," he defended himself, giving a sharp nod of his head. "Well, I don't. Don't judge a book by its cover."

[ Don't think I've ever read that one ]

@kim soohyun "Is that a bad thing?" Chinhwa blinked a few times, her eyelashes tickling her pale cheekbones. "I figure it will, with the exception of my tail and ears of course." She bit down on her lower lip in thought. "I always figured the word cute was meant as a physical aspect." She tilted her head to the side. "Personal? Can you explain please?" She shrugged her shoulders, still in thought at the boy's words. "Then I'll most likely be different because appearances tend to be related to how someone is on the inside. I suppose I'd still be Chinhwa but I still feel like I'd be different." Her eyes fluttered closed as a soft hum left her pink lips. "I guess, Soohyun. You do know that you don't have to flatter me just because I'm complimenting you, right?" She then added, not really thinking about what words just left her lips. "Most others would beg to differ. Most believe that appearance would be the immediate deciding factor, although I do appreciate your kind words."

(ugh my friend has me reading eleanor and park (it's an amazing book and I'm like 77 pages into it) and now I think of chinhwa and soohyun O.o)

@chinhwa "Y-you keep flattering me, Chinhwa," Soohyun hummed, still feeling his cheeks as red as before.
"Maybe your appearance will change... But cute is not a physical aspect. Cute is more... personal, I guess you could say?" the red panda retorted when he heard her words. "So, what if your outwards appearance changes? You would still be Chinhwa, would you not? Would you change just because your human body did?"
Soohyun leaned back and stared up into the crown of leaves above them.
"Being Chinhwa is what makes you cute. Although your face does add to the cuteness, it is not the factor that decides whether or not you're a cute creature~"

@kim soohyun "You don't think so?" Chinhwa glanced at him through her dark eyelashes with an expression of curiosity. "Suit yourself and your humble nature." She nodded slightly. "Your welcome." Her lips parted into a small smile, her tail swinging back and forth behind her. "You really are a kind soul, aren't you?" She mumbled to no one in particular, casting her eyes down to the tree bark, admiring how it differed from branch to branch in design.
"Really?" She blinked a few times, her gaze still on the bark as she listened to the panda-spliced boy. "Gravity, yes. The universe, yes. Me being cute, no. That is an opinion that can be disagreed upon. Truth or not, it is not ultimate because it is something that can change. Gravity on earth will not change, and we will almost never see the universe changing with our own eyes. My appearance however will change over time and me being cute may not be a true statement anymore."

@chinhwa "O-oh," Soohyun stuttered out, feeling another blush creeping onto his face. Why would him smiling make her feel special? It wasn't like he regularly kept off smiling or something.
"Well, I don't really think so," he mumbled and shrugged. "W-we get the complimenta we get. I am plenty happy with those I am given already... But none the less... Thank you." He smiled warmly as he looked back up at her, his ears wiggling lightly.
"Oh, but certain things are ultimate truth. Gravity, the universe... Certain things just can't be disagreed with when it comes to being true. I think that you being cute... Is one of them."

@kim soohyun "I just keep feeling more and more special every time I manage to make you smile." Chinhwa remarked ever so softly, her tone almost a murmur. "So you claim. I found it to be sweet, but almost too respectful." She chuckled lightly, her eyes going back to meeting Soohyun's.
"Mhmm, it's a shame because you deserve more compliments than you seem to have been receiving in the past." She nodded, gently drumming her fingers against the tree bark in a random melody as she leaned over more, her chin still upon her arms. "I suppose, but isn't the truth much like beauty? I mean, with the phrase that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Isn't the truth just as opinionated? Nonetheless, I still appreciate you're honesty and the fact that you're still managing to make me more and more curious about you."

@chinhwa "Y-yes, I'm smiling again," Soohyun mumbled before smiling awkwardly. "U-uhm... The m-miss thing was a joke." The awkward smile on his face spread, followed by a shy laugh. Oh well, better tried and failed, than never tried at all.
"It's a shame...?" Soohyun didn't quite understand how it was. He wasn't the one to grant himself compliments, so what he got was more than enough for him. "Well, no need disagreeing with truth," he hummed, shrugging his shoulders lightly.

@kim soohyun "You're smiling again, Soohyun." Chinhwa's smile grew ever so slightly, her teeth showing as she did so. "You are welcome, Soohyun. And just Chinhwa is fine. The Miss isn't needed, especially since you're older and all." She shook her head, having flinched slightly at the respectful title. No one had ever called her Miss before. "Well it's a shame you don't hear them much, but I'm happy you're humble when you do receive them." She allowed her legs to swing beneath her, her hands holding the branch she was straddling. "Thank you, Soohyun, as much as I wish to disagree with you. I suppose I'll take the compliment this time." She chuckled once more, her lips brought back into a sweet smile. "And thank you for your innocent honesty." She nodded, reaching out her arms and crossing them enough to prop her chin upon, which she did so, her eyes still on Soohyun.

@chinhwa Soohyun blushed, glancing shyly away from Chinhwa's eyes. His sharper canines pulled at his bottom lip, unable to hide the smile that was spreading on his face. "T-then I thank you very humbly, Miss Chinhwa," he gracefully hummed, feeling his heart beat a little faster. "I don't often get compliments, so those I do get count a lot for me." He glanced back at her, clearing his throat a little. "You... You're pretty adorable too~" Soohyun paused for a second before smiling shyly, looking down. "Just... s-so that is said~"

@kim soohyun Chinhwa's deep eyes widened, her ears perking atop her head when a laugh had split apart the silence. It wasn't a loud obnoxious sound nor was it a noise so soft that you wished it would be repeated again in order to actually hear it. His laugh was actually rather endearing in a way, a noise she wouldn't mind hearing again sometime. "Mhmm. I could have, but the key thing is here that I didn't." She nodded cheerfully, a smile of her own appearing on her lips. It seemed laughs and smiles really were contagious. "You are very welcome. I honestly don't give compliments often so you better be happy. Or not. It's up to you."

@chinhwa Soohyun burst into laughter, a clear sound filling the air around them. He held on tightly to the branch so he wouldn't fall off, one arm across his stomach. "Y-yeah, I guess you could have," he answered her with a bright smile, unable to stop laughing. "I'd be stuck never getting to class."
The red panda shrugged his shoulders lightly, not sure if to pout of smile. "T-thanks you?"

@kim soohyun "Oh, you guess?" Chinhwa raised a brow at the boy. "I could have left you to fend for yourself, you know Soohyun." She stuck her tongue out at him the way a young child would, with the exception of the raspberry sound effect. "Yes, of course I'm talking about you hun." She chuckled lightly, leaning back more against the tree. "What? Did you think I was talking about the birds flying through the sky or the flowers set to bloom beneath our feet or something?

@chinhwa Soohyun watched as she shifted about, getting more comfortable before staring back up at the sky above them. She looked sort of cute, staring at the leaves like that. "Well, t-that is very nice of you, I g-guess," he joked, scratching the back of his neck a little. "H-hmm? I... L-look.... adorable?" he repeated after her, pointing to his face as if she was unsure who she was talking about. "M-me?"

@kim soohyun Chinhwa let a sigh pass from her pink lips. "That's a bit of an understatement when you include internal and external. We have a need to be perfect when perfection never existed to begin with." She scooted over and around and rested her back against the tree itself, her arms crossed over her chest with a leg on each side of the branch. "That's because I genuinely wanted to help you out. Plus, you looked rather adorable looking so lost that I couldn't help it." She shrugged her shoulders, her eyes gazing over the leaves once more. "Nonetheless, making friends really isn't that simple. And I don't think I'm very good at it. Thank you for your kind words though, I appreciate them."

@chinhwa "A little, yes. But us humans are such broken creatures, filled with flaws and imperfections," Soohyun hummed, turning his gaze away from the leaves.
"Oh, I know you didn't try... Or more... It didn't feel like you had an ulterior motive to helping." The panda shrugged his shoulders. "But you still made a friend. So... Surely you could make more? You're very good at it."

@kim soohyun "It's sad though, isn't it?" Chinhwa frowned as she glanced at Soohyun, her ears lowering and her tail swinging lower in response to her emotions. Society really wasn't all it was cracked up to be in any way, especially with people like those attending this school. They weren't like anybody else and that was abnormal because of society's standards. She blinked several times when she heard Soohyun speak as she tried to put together what he had said. "You? I didn't try with you though. We just talked and I offered to help you out and then we ended up here. I didn't have to try and be social or anything like that."

@chinhwa "Well, you're not wrong there," Soohyun mumbled, eyes directed up at the leaves above. Light played down through them, a soft mix of greens and golden clashing together with shadows. It was like a small ballet amongst the branches as the wind passed by. It made him feel somewhat content. Chinhwa's words caught his attention though and he sat up a little, eyes back on her. "You gained one very easily," he commented, shrugging his shoulders lightly.

@kim soohyun "Point being, I'm very determined so we'll see about that." Chinhwa mumbled, shaking her head. "I am not and even if I was, you're still more so." She disagreed and then looked at the panda-spliced male. "I'll definitely make sure to get back to you on that one then."

"Mhmm, really." She nodded, her eyes observing the bouncing branch as it tried to return to its place. "Nonetheless, they have more figured out than they think they do. They just have to realize it." She sighed, knowing she was talking nothing but nonsense. "That's because society is a screwed up system based on stereotypes and assumptions." Her eyes made their way back to the ground before she looked back at Soohyun. "The fennec fox is a very social animal, the sociability an ability I received from being spliced. And even though I'm considered social doesn't mean I can gain friends easily."

@chinhwa "Point being, it's going to take a whole lot to convince me otherwise. You're cute, and I'm sticking by that though," Soohyun explained, moving his hands behind his head. "And you'll have to make sure I get those results. Would be very exciting if it worked."

"Really? Most people my age that I've spoken to think they have it all figured out, but I'd tell you that most of them haven't. They think they do, but in secret they're just trying to fit into a society that doesn't give them the role they want... The role they need," Soohyun hummed thoughtfully. But her following words were starting to worry him. "Y-you said you were a social person... Surely you have some friends... No...?"

@kim soohyun "I'm stubborn too, what's your point?" Chinhwa gently tugged at one of the leaves, bringing it closer to she could look at it in more detail. Leaves were so simple yet so beautiful. "I suppose we'll have to see about that one then." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'll go test my convincing words on a snake and get back to you on that." She raised a brow in Soohyun's direction. "Not really."

She slowly released the leaf, watching the branch bounce back into its place. "So? Most people our age have it all figured out." She felt her tail cease its movement, reflecting her internal emotions. "But who would I go to? My support system doesn't exist." She frowned deeply, her hands now clenching the branch. "What if I don't have anyone close to me then?" She tilted her head slightly, the frown still just as evident upon her lips.

@chinhwa Soohyun smiled as she looked at him, slowly shaking his head when he heard what she had to say. "I'm stubborn. So, all I can say to you wanting to change my mind by being convincing... Well, it better be convincing enough to charm even snakes." He caught the small expression of happiness on her face and quickly added. "And you're adorable."

"Well, plenty of people do. We're still young," Soohyun hummed and leaned back. "We haven't quite found our spot in this world yet and that makes us unsure about things. We need those around us to make sure we find out way and that we always have someone to support us. It is not so weird for you to base opinions on how people treat you... But... I think it would be better to angle it so you listen more to those who are close to you."

@kim soohyun "Yeah, that is true." Chinhwa's deep eyes stayed on the leaves, admiring how simple they looked on the outside when on the inside they were more complex than one would care to think about. "It does when the word is used in a positive manner. In a negative manner, the proper term would be freak, outcast, etc. But strange is a less harsh word."
She glanced at the boy yet again. She seemed to keep doing that. "By being convincing in general. I could somehow coax you into altering your opinion somehow. I'll kill you with kindness and if it doesn't work, I'll figure something else out. And I'm still not as cute as you are." She smiled ever so slightly that if you would have blinked, you wouldn't have seen it.

"Not the only one with ever-changing emotions and overthinking problems." She elaborated briefly, sighing once more. "Does that help at all? And I'm saying that I base my opinion of myself on assumptions as well as how people treat or react to me, both in the past and now."

@chinhwa "Well, people think differently... I for one think that strange just means unique. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with being unique. It makes you special," Soohyun hummed, nodding his head slightly. "Makes you one of a kind."
He glanced over to see her touching the leaves ever so carefully. He smiled weakly and hummed.
"I don't see how that would make me believe you more. If you hugged me tightly, I'd just consider you even cuter than you already are. I'd always lose there," he answered with a light giggle, wanting to reach out and rub her back, but decided it might be better not to.

"W-what do you mean not the only one...?" Soohyun asked, tilting his head in confusion as he looked at her. "I'm a-afraid I don't fully understand."

@kim soohyun Chinhwa nodded assertively. "Alright then." She nibbled on her bottom lip as she continued to glance at the panda spliced boy, knowing she really was on the strange side.
"It depends on your viewpoint. Mine is that it's endearing and so I use it as such, but someone else can use it and it'll have a different meaning. That's why I explained myself when you asked me." She sighed lightly, reaching a hand up to brush her fingertips against the leaves, knowing they'd turn colors and fall into a beautiful mosaic of colors in only a few months time. "Also I will say that you're lying to me. You are much cuter than me and don't you dare deny it. Or so help me god I will come over there and hit you. Okay, maybe not hit you, but probably hug you until you manage to believe me."
She nodded once more. "It's nice not to be the only one. And not really. It's not that I don't want to. It's that there's not really anything to talk about anymore. Think of it as an opinion of yourself based on observations and assumptions at the same time." She mumbled, knowing she probably wasn't making much sense to begin with.

@chinhwa Soohyun thought about it for a moment before shrugging his shoulders again. "Your guess is as good as mine," he mumbled, not knowing who would be right. It wasn't like he had thought much about it before. Why would he? He was who he was, why try to find the reasoning for all he did?
"Hm... I'll try... But... No promises," he answered, glancing over at her before blushing.
"If it's so endearing... Then shouldn't me saying you're strange be a good thing? I don't see it as something negative," Soohyun asked, settling in a little better so he could look back at her. It was still a little awkward, but he was slowly opening up to her. "And if I'm cute... Well, then I don't know what term to add to you. You're cuter than me."
"O-oh, I see... I do that sometimes too..." Soohyun fumbled with his word, chewing on his bottom lip as he debated what to do. "Do you... W-want to... To talk about it?"

@kim soohyun "Perhaps it's just more comfortable that way?" Chinhwa attempted to guess, not knowing much about pandas since she'd never encountered anything close until she met Soohyun.
"Well I've got myself covered so again, as much as you probably want to, don't worry about me. Alright?" She gave the boy a light smile, her eyes still staying on him as her tail slowly waved back and forth.
"Mhmm, I find it endearing. I'm a er for things that are out of the ordinary so I like when people are strange and unusual. Like you're strange but cute at the same time, so I use the nickname as a replacement for my usual endearment terms which is hun or sweetheart." She really wasn't quite sure how to explain herself in all honesty, but she tried to do what she could.
"Your welcome." Her voice fell almost coldly, her gaze finally leaving the green grass after a few moments. "Hmm?" She slowly raised a brow when she suddenly realized she had been asked a question. "No, you're fine. I just tend to overthink and so my emotions change quickly. It has nothing to do with my animal though..its all me."