Meeting Nayoung is such a refreshing change in Sejeong’s life. The day Chungha called her and broke up with her as they lean on Chungha’s car in the parking lot, she nodded her head and accepted the reality that things will change, for the worse and for a very long time.

But then the two Hyuns messed with her life once again and she found herself in Hire-A-Jellyfish’s messy office and agreeing to pay Nayoung a fairly huge amount every day. And it’s exactly eleven days since then, which means eleven days of payment out of her bank account.

She never would’ve thought it’d last this long. But Heehyun told her she shouldn’t stop until Chungha says it with her lips that she needs Sejeong back. So that gave her eleven days of fake dating, eleven days of Nayoung. Eleven amazing days with Nayoung and the other jellyfishes. Ten nights where, instead of crying her eyes out over Chungha, she chuckles to herself over the events of the day.

The Jelly Office (which is how Mimi and the youngest ones call the office, and now she can’t help but call it that too) has become a place to go to when she doesn’t want to go home yet.

They have a huge LED TV there, and she likes to watch movies with Sojin and Hongbin as they jot down details from each movie. It’s disturbing how they turn such lazy activity into a chore, but Sejeong still likes curling up between the two as they furiously scribble in their notebooks about how the story goes, how it should’ve been done, and how it shouldn’t have been done. Sometimes, Hakyeon joins them to look at the directing and other technical stuff.

So now she’s not only Nayoung’s fake girlfriend, but also the jellyfishes’ real friend. And it’s one of the most amazing things that ever happened to her. Something about the way they just are is so heartwarming and overwhelming that sometimes Sejeong has this urge to hug them all. The love’s so genuine between them that she just knows nothing would ever change this friendship, no matter how awkward some of them may be with each other.

And while Sejeong’s getting friendly with Nayoung’s group, Nayoung’s also getting closer with Doyeon, Yeonjung, and Sohye (Jieqiong and Chaeyeon too, occasionally). Especially ever since The Trio met The Duo (aka Hyeyeon and Mina) and started ruining Nayoung’s days as a five piece wonder.

It’s the perfect scenario, almost like she never hired Nayoung and it’s just pure romantic love between them, and Nayoung’s trying hard to get the approval of Sejeong’s friends while her own friends automatically warm up to Sejeong.

If only she never meets Chungha’s gaze with her own.

Because every time she catches Chungha’s sad gazes, every time Chungha attempts to talk to her, every time Chungha reaches out, tries to crawl back in her life, her heart remembers its owner and she can’t help but know, and feel with all her senses, that this is all fake and Chungha’s the one she really loves.

Good thing is all these dramatic things going around her head are really helping her through her Creative Writing class, or else it won’t be worth it at all.

“Do people have two faces?” their professor, named as Eunyoung but known better as Cheetah because of her fast and deadly words when she's mad, asks that Thursday, looking at everyone through dark, insightful eyes.

Mimi raises her hand. Cheetah nods at her. “Does it count if someone pretends to love you but they really don’t?” she asks innocently, still raising her hand. Her face is calm, but her eyes stare hard, a thunderstorm brewing within. “Or does that have something to do with the hearts instead? If it does, does it mean they have two hearts?”

“Why don’t they admit they don’t love you?”

“Because they’re scared you’ll get hurt.” It dawns on Sejeong, then, that it’s not the agency Mimi’s talking about. And it also dawns on her that Mimi knows whatever it is between Hana and Nayoung. She watches her face, watches it twitch in all the subtle ways.

Cheetah purses her lips together, shrugging. “Then they must love you. Just not that way. Humans have infinite amounts of hearts,” she says this to everyone, looking around the cramped room. “They give them out to each person they meet. I gave each one of you hearts full of parental loving. You give your friends hearts full of platonic love. Lovers, hearts full of romantic love. It’s not really taking a piece of your heart and giving it to someone, because you never run out of it. There’s always a heart for someone new you meet.”

Her stare stops on Mimi. “It’s not that they don’t love you. It’s just that they gave you a heart that’s very different from what you might’ve given them.”

Mimi nods, and Sejeong notices her gulping hard. “So does that mean they have two faces?”

“Does anyone know why I asked everyone about two faced people?” A few heads shake here and there, Cheetah takes a deep breath the way she always does when she’s about to talk about something deep. It’s like her words are always as deep as the breaths she takes, as meaningful and essential as each one. “There is no such thing as a two faced human being.”

A few people snicker in disagreement.

But then Cheetah talks again and people listen. “Humans have so much more faces than just two. The face you show your parents, the face your show someone you respect, the face you show your childhood friends, and that one elderly lady you gave your seat to in the subway train. They’re all different, although sometimes the differences are too little to notice. You never actually know which face is the ‘real’ one, because there’s no such thing as just one real face, they’re all part of you.”

This time, it’s Sejeong who raises her hand. “What if you’re acting?”

“Then that’s the face of an actor. A performer. Still a real face, just mimicking a personality they were supposed to mimic.”

“So the personality’s not a real face?”

Cheetah blinks, and a small smile forms on her face. “The more time they spend mimicking the personality, the realer of a face it becomes.”

She nods, leaning back on her seat. She can feel Mimi’s eyes boring into her soul, asking questions only Sejeong’s heart can answer. But she ignores her and keeps her eyes trained on their professor.

“As your homework, I need you to write at least two pages about all the different faces you know you have. Times New Roman, font size 12. Page margins should be set to normal and spacing is single.” She smiles. “Dismissed.”

Sejeong opens her back pack and scoops her notebook and pens on the table and drops them in her bag as Mimi meticulously fixes her own bag.

Cheetah walks to their place, tapping Mimi on the shoulder, and with a sincere voice, says, “Tell her. Don’t keep it bottled inside.”

“What?” Mimi blurts, looking up at their professor in that fearless way Sejeong has never seen anyone do. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She bites her lower lip, nodding slightly in respect. “We’re okay, I promise.”

“Still using the word promise so carelessly?”

“Please.”

Cheetah sighs, rolling her eyes. “Fine, but I told you, okay? Also, tell Sojin I need the final-final draft of the script this weekend. We still haven’t figured out how to do the ending.”

“We’re not doing the middle of the street scene?”

“Too much of a hassle. It’ll be easier to rent a place.”

Mimi nods. “Tell you what, I’ll go talk to everyone about it this Sunday so we can all brainstorm together. You can come if you’re free.”

“Uh, I have an appointment on Sunday morning but I’ll try to drop by.”

“Great. I’ll tell the others.”

Cheetah bids them goodbye, gathers her things, then leaves the room. Mimi looks at a confused Sejeong and shrugs. “She’s our script coach. She helped us with the script of our first play, then continued helping us.”

“Ah.” She nods, then walks off and Mimi follows her, “Hey, what’s the play about? Everyone else’s too secretive about it.”

Mimi’s face distorts into one of pure thought, probably deliberating whether to tell Sejeong or not. She in a breath and sighs.

“Don’t tell anyone I told you.” Sejeong nods. “It’s about this guy, Taekwoon will play him, we named him Moon, that’s actually his last name but everyone in the story likes calling him that better. He has OCD and will not touch anyone at all. He’s crazy about it. But then he meets this girl, played by yours truly, whom he’ll be drawn to. It’s mostly about Moon trying to overcome his illness to be able to be with my character.”

“That sounds nice.”

An eyebrow flies up and Mimi sends Sejeong a look from the corner of her eye. “I leave him in the end and he lives in a house of unlocked doors and open lights even though those terrify him just because he’s always waiting for me to come home.”

The smile drops off her face. “Why?”

“Because not all stories have good endings. The last scene was supposed to be him in the middle of all these passing cars in a busy street and just staring off to the sky without a care in the world. When he used to care a little too much about everything.”

“Why would you make him suffer like that?” she exclaims, eyes widening in disbelief. “He deserves so much better.”

Mimi shrugs, making her bag bounce against her back. “That’s what everyone says about their own lives. ‘Why would you make me suffer like this? I deserve so much better. Why me?’ but their lives don’t change immediately. Why the need to pretend life gets better when for some it doesn’t?”

Sejeong frowns deeper, leaning close to Mimi while still simultaneously walking. “Why are you so cynical?”

Mimi mimics her, eyes squinting. “Just accepting realities.”

They pull away from their staring contest and Sejeong looks around, finding themselves in front of Mimi’s car. “So, where are we eating today?” she asks as she climbs in the front seat.

“Nayoung’s apartment,” Mimi answers, entering her side of the car.

She looks up, frowning. “But she has a class this period, right?”

“Yeah, but I know her passcode. And she knows I know. I drop by unexpectedly whenever I want to.”

Sejeong blinks, pulling the seatbelt around her. “Oh, you’ve been friends for a long time? I mean, I’ll never trust Jieqiong with my passcode.”

“Childhood friends. Then went to the same performing arts high school. Got accepted here and we’re still friends.” Mimi’s face pulls downwards in a frown as she tries to maneuver her car out the crowded parking lot. “Now that I think of it, an awfully long time being friends. God, no wonder I get annoyed whenever I see her face. I’ve seen it every day for almost my whole life.”

Mimi laughs in a way that so beautifully fond and teasing at the same time. The sound makes Sejeong’s heart smile fondly, warm at the genuine platonic love in Mimi’s laugh.

“You think she’ll be okay with me coming over? I mean, I’m not you.”

“You’re her girlfriend though.”

Sejeong tilts her head and Mimi looks back at her, questioning. “Is the face Nayoung’s showing me fake? A personality?”

The subtlest of emotions pass through Mimi’s eyes as she focuses her gaze on the rearview mirror. “Well, it’s definitely different from the face that I see every time I look at her. But then again, she is acting.”

“So, it’s fake?”

“Just… different.”

Sejeong nods, throat tightening. “Fake.”

“Nah, you heard what Cheetah said, not one face is any realer than another.”

“Yeah, but she’s mimicking a personality she doesn’t really have.”

“Nayoung can be cool when she wants to. She’s a huge loser, but she’s a-” Mimi pauses blinking and eyes flitting from one mirror to another, “-um, she’s an ideal girlfriend. One who’s probably the best for everyone. Like, I wouldn’t be so mad if someone picked her over me.”

“Nah, she’s a huge nerd.”

Mimi looks at her, eyes serious as she stops at a stoplight. “Each to their own, I guess. But I really wouldn’t get mad.” And then Mimi’s eyes are fixated on something. Like she finally found what she was looking for. Then she adds, “Because I know she’d be in good hands” before driving again.

“What?”

“Hm?” there’s a silent ‘don’t’ in her eyes, a begging ‘no, don’t say it, it’ll hurt more coming from another’s lips’.

So Sejeong shakes her head, sends her a smile, and changes the subject. If only it was that easy to change events and feelings too.

-

She sits on a stool by the bar in Nayoung’s kitchen, watching Mimi cook something she’s not sure is even edible (simply because it’s Mimi and she doesn’t really look like the best cook, that’s more Haebin or Hyeyeon). But she’s starving anyway and she’s sure she won’t die. (Or at least hopes so).

Getting bored of just sitting and watching Mimi cook, she leaves her seat and walks around the studio apartment, fingers tracing the furniture like the cliché protagonist she likes to think she is. She kneels down in front of the TV and finds a whole lot of video games, games she doesn’t really think Nayoung likes playing.

“Those are mine,” Mimi tells her from the kitchen, looking up from the potatoes she was chopping. “I didn’t have enough space at my place so I put them here. Besides, Nayoung’s a bore. She doesn’t have games, so I saved up to buy her game players each year on her birthday.”

Sejeong hums, closing the glass cabinets. On top of the cabinet the TV’s on, Sejeong finds a stack of Young Adult books, each one romance.

“Hana’s,” comes Mimi’s answer to Sejeong’s unspoken question. “Again, no more space in her own place. And she likes reading here more than in her own place, she says it’s because you can see the city life right outside.”

Again, she hums, thankful for the answers. “Everything here something of someone else’s?”

The answer comes after a long pause filled with the knife’s edge hitting the cutting board after slicing the potatoes in half. “Not everything. She owns the furniture. The fillers, though, most of them are stuff from everyone else’s. Even about one-third of the plushies are Hyeyeon’s, Mina’s, and Sanghyuk’s – don’t tell him I told you. But yeah, the books on the shelves are hers. Some of the figurines too.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

She rolls her eyes, not in the mood for the game Mimi plans on playing. “Why doesn’t she have that much stuff of her own? In her own place?”

Mimi smirks. “Well, she doesn’t like spending money. She’s really thrifty.”

“She’s rich though.”

Mimi shakes her head. “Her parents are rich. She doesn’t like to think she is. She does use her parents’ money, but she saves up most of them once they’re in her hands.”

Another thing Sejeong didn’t know about her. She nods. “What for?”

“Her dreams.”

“She has a coffeehouse, she has a white sports car. She’s an Architecture major who gets paid to fake-date people. She’s part of the drama club. What else could she ever dream of?” she asks, only mildly sarcastic. If she were to be honest, sometimes she envies Nayoung and all her rich girl privileges.

And it seems like Mimi can sense. Her gaze softens and she stops chopping, shoulders slumping. “Sejeong, if you knew what’s going on in Nayoung’s head, you wouldn’t think that way.”

“The thing is, Mimi, I don’t know Nayoung.”

“Yeah? Not a lot of us do.”

“I’m serious,” she exclaims, annoyed in an absolutely embarrassingly childish way. “I don’t know anything about her. But she’s very friendly with her ex-fake girlfriends. How can I be that friendly with her if I don’t know her at all?”

Mimi laughs. “I wasn’t kidding, Sejeong. Not a lot of us know who Nayoung is. I even get confused too at times. And I’ve been her friend for like, just our whole lives. I was there when she was born, Sejeong. Hakyeon was there, and obviously Taekwoon too. But we can’t read her as easily as we can read, say, Sojin.”

“But Sojin’s hard to read.”

“Exactly my point.”

She lets out a huff of breath and stands. “Why is it ‘obvious’ that Taekwoon was there the day she was born?”

“Taekwoon’s her cousin.”

“What?”

A confused look passes through Mimi’s face. “You… don’t know that?”

She groans. “See? I didn’t even know that.”

“Wow, you’re practically a stranger. Nayoung’s really proud when it comes to telling practically everyone that Taekwoon’s her cousin.”

“So are you and Hakyeon related with them too?”

“No, um, close family friends. Then Hana came along when we were seven, Nayoung was turning five, and we were inseparable since. Nayoung was like our baby, you know. Everyone doted on her, especially Hakyeon. Taekwoon too, but he manages to hide it well.”

“Really? She doesn’t seem like someone who likes to be doted on. Or someone people would dote on.” Her eyes squints accusingly. “And you always .”

“I do. We all do. But when she cries, we all get really protective. She’s a damn softie, you know.”

“I don’t.”

Another laugh from Mimi. Sejeong used to think the jellyfishes’ laughs were nice to hear, but now she’s irritated. “I keep forgetting you’re a stranger. But seriously, none of us would ever want her to hurt.”

She huffs, looking around the apartment dejectedly. “What got her the special treatment?”

The silence that comes tells Sejeong that it’s something Mimi doesn’t really want to tell anyone. “Just… she’s the youngest among the five of us, you know. And she cries… a lot. It gets annoying so we try to prevent that.”

She nods, accepting defeat. She doesn’t want to dig too deep. “I just don’t know her at all.”

“Don’t worry, you will this weekend.”

She stands straighter. “What’s happening this weekend?”

Mimi looks up, she’s now frying something. “You… don’t know? She hasn’t asked you yet?”

“No, why?”

“Hmm.”

“What ‘hmm’?”

“I’m sure she’ll ask you later today.”

“Ask me what?”

The sound of a pan hitting the table fills the apartment and Sejeong winces. Mimi grins her usual gummy smile from the kitchen. “I’m hungry, let’s go eat?”

-

Mimi drives her to her swim practice and they spot Nayoung’s car already parked there. “Quite the charming girlfriend, isn’t she? Always there,” Mimi mumbles, rolling her eyes. “ing show-off.”

Sejeong laughs. “Geez. Don’t worry, you’re much cuter.”

“Hey, I’m not your fake girlfriend, Nayoung is.” The older reminds her sternly. But then her face breaks out in a grin that Sejeong has grown fond of. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the compliment. Now go on, you, and swim your way to Chungha’s heart through jealousy , in Nayoung laps.”

They stare at each other, comprehending how ridiculous the sentence was. And then Sejeong laughs. “Oh my god, that’s so stupid.”

Mimi smiles sheepishly. “I know. Don’t tell anyone I said that.”

She smirks. “A treat to that cool ice cream shop with the smoke and everything can convince me to.”

“You’re taking me for granted, Kim. But since I’m just oh-so-generous sure.” Then she flicks her wrist. “Now go on and make Mimi proud.”

“God, I can’t believe Nayoung’s been putting up with you and your embarrassingly big mouth since she was born. Respect.”

Laughing, she escapes before Mimi could hit her with one of those stuff she has littered around her car. She pokes her head in the car though, and sends her a warm smile. “Thank you.”

Mimi rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Go on. You’re starting to look ugly to me, must be because I see you all the time.”

With one last laugh, she closes the door. Then she watch as Mimi drives away. With lightness in her heart and a bounce in her step, she walks in the building and looks around for Nayoung.

She spots her by the bleachers, talking to someone animatedly. Some kind of heaviness replaces the lightness she felt a while ago as she notice a bow and some arrows next to them. Trying to psyche herself into being a bit more energetic, she strides to them. “Hey.”

She grimaces. Too high.

The two look up: Nayoung’s hands in air, mid-sentence, and the other girl in mid-laugh. Nayoung smiles warmly. “Hi, Sejeong. This is Nahyun. Nahyun, this is my girlfriend, Sejeong.”

Nahyun nods. “I’d offer to shake your hand but they’re a bit cramped from practice earlier. Nice to meet you, Sejeong.” She turns to Nayoung. “A real one?”

“You know I never tell you when I’m fake-dating or not, Nahyun.”

“The fact that you said that instead of a simple ‘yes’ means it’s a no, then,” Nahyun counters with an easy smile that makes Sejeong feel totally inferior.

A smile lights up Nayoung’s face. “Smart cookie.” Then she looks at Sejeong again. “Where were you? I arrived like an hour ago.”

She blinks, takes a deep breath, then shrugs. All to prepare her voice so it doesn’t sound as nervous as she feels. “Oh, Mimi cooked me food in you apartment. Sorry about that. And sorry for making you wait too.”

Nayoung waves a hand dismissively, both she and Nahyun follow it with their own gazes. “Nah, it’s okay. Nahyun saw me and went here as soon as her practice ended. We’ve been talking since. I was left in good hands.”

“We have archery practice in the gym behind this,” Nahyun adds, smile as genuine and gentle and easy as ever. “I guess I can come here and talk to Nayoung whenever she’s waiting for you to finish practice. She’s not really the most patient person ever.”

“I am too,” Nayoung contradicts, a playfully disbelieving look in her face. “I went with you to that museum for your History class and how many times did I complain then?”

Nahyun nods thoughtfully, “Just a few hundred times.”

They both laugh, as easy as their smiles and touching. Sejeong adds a few awkward chuckles of her own to the harmonious sound, feeling too much of an outsider inside the place she spent most of her time in, in front of the person that made her feel like she belonged the past few days.

“Sejeong, go change," their leader tells her, sending the other Nayoung a distasteful look. “We’re going to start in five minutes.” Then she leaves without another glance.

Nayoung lets out a soft laugh. “Why does she hate me?”

“People tend to hate those who share their name,” Sejeong answers nonchalantly. “And you’re always here messing with the three kids during practice. She hates disturbances.”

“She must hate you a lot then.”

She glares at her, defensive. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing," Nayoung swiftly answers as she leans forward and takes Sejeong’s hands in hers, making her heart do that thing it does when Nayoung does these girlfriend things. The jumping and prancing around and tripping over itself and hurting as soon as the moment overs. “But go change ‘cause The Im’s practically stabbing me with her glares.” Nayoung says as she beams childishly at Sejeong. “Go on, I’ll go annoy Nahyun while you’re gone.”

Sejeong frowns as she remembers the other girl. And there it is, her heart falls, trips, and gets another bruise, adding to her collection of bruises and scars. She sends the girls a small smile before sprinting to the lockers, cursing the beating mechanism inside her as it continues to cry.

-

Chungha sidles up to her immediately as soon as she exits the lockers, eyes turned into slits as she sends the bleachers an undecipherable glare. “What’s she doing talking to her ex-girlfriend?”

Sejeong follows her gaze, trying so hard to breathe through just so she doesn’t smell Chungha’s scent. How can both Chungha and Nayoung have this effect on her stupid, easily fooled heart? “Nayoung? Socializing. What are you doing talking to your ex-girlfriend?”

She receives a raised eyebrow, halfway between amused and annoyed. “Socializing.”

“Great, you two have a lot in common," she replies sarcastically.

To be frank, she is not in the mood for Chungha and the way she sends her heart running around her rib cage right now. Especially since the inexistent space between Nayoung and Nahyun’s making her heart do something else. Instead of prancing around her rib cage, it feels like her heart’s hitting itself against her ribcage. Hurting itself on purpose. She remembers Creating Writing class and almost curses out loud.

Two ing hearts, one hurting and the other begging to be set free – to jump to Chungha.

“You know I can probably beat her up if you ask me to.”

She looks over at Chungha with a disbelieving stare, ghost of a smile trying to light up her lips in an entirely sarcastic way. “You can’t. And won’t. Don’t even try to touch her.”

“Protective, are we?”

“You can’t beat up anyone, Chungha. You’re a softie.” She almost whispers, aware that Im Nayoung’s staring at them from her seat. She bends down to touch her toes, stretching her body.

Chungha does the same and, with a strained voice from the position, says, “I will. Just ask.”

She glares. “I forbid you to.”

Chungha just shrugs and does her own stretching. Sejeong sighs, thankful for the sudden peace.

But she still sends glances towards Nayoung and Nahyun, finding them in the middle of a laugh, a playful hit on the shoulder, or a serious talk with both of them leaning closer each time.

Her heart continues to ram itself against her rib cage, and her rib cage constricts each time, making the collision harsher. More painful.

She almost misses the whistle.

-

She missed the whistle a few times after the first ‘almost’. And she is not amused. Neither is Im Nayoung but she’d rather deal with that later.

She finishes changing faster than anyone else and walks out with a frown evident on her face. Nayoung looks up from the bleachers (Nahyun gone already, thankfully) and jumps up, running to her in that awkward, un-sporty way she does. “Hey, you seem out of it today. Anything wrong?”

“Nothing. Chungha just said something and I just-” she stops, in air. Then she shakes her head. “Nothing.”

Nayoung’s lower lip juts out thoughtfully as she nods. “Okay. What do you want me to do to make her jealous?”

“Nothing.”

Again, Nayoung nods – like the understanding fake girlfriend she is. “If you’re sure…” she drags it out, like she’s waiting for Sejeong to interrupt her.

But Sejeong doesn’t. And Nayoung’s pout becomes more evident. Feeling bad, Sejeong sighs. “I’m serious. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay,” is all she replies. Like she always does.

Sejeong sighs loudly, rolling her eyes. She’s feeling totally annoyed for an entirely unreasonable reason, and she’s basically throwing an adult fit in front of Nayoung.

Who nudges her softly and whispers a “Hey.”

She looks up and finds concerned brown eyes moving ever so subtly as they search her own. “What?”

“You okay? You want to go somewhere or do something to get your head off Chungha?”

Looking away, she almost misses the hurt look that passes through Nayoung’s eyes. “No, I’m going to head home and sleep.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes, Nayoung, I’m fine. Besides,” She looks around and finds an empty place. “No one’s around. I’d appreciate it if you stopped acting so concerned without anyone watching.” Then she walks off to Nayoung’s car.

Nayoung doesn’t follow her, and she only realizes as she reaches the car. She leans against it, watching Nayoung stare at her from the doors of the building. She can’t exactly see Nayoung’s face, but she feels her looking at her with the inexplicable hurt in her eyes.

She almost wants to say sorry, wants to hug her and tell her she didn’t mean anything. But it’s the truth. Actors don’t need to act without an audience.

Nayoung finally starts walking towards her. And as she reaches her, she sees up close the hardness in Nayoung’s expression. Nayoung opens the door for her silently, walks to her side silently, and drives her to her place silently – the silence crushing Sejeong underneath it, blaming her for the sudden sadness in Nayoung’s happiness.

But she keeps quiet, stubborn against the dead air’s weight.

-

Nayoung doesn’t drive to their apartment building. Nayoung drives to somewhere else. And she realized this the moment they took a wrong turn, but she merely sends Nayoung a look, finds her staring straight ahead as she grips the steering wheel, and goes back to looking out her window.

They stop by an empty low cliff. Nayoung wordlessly exits the vehicle, and Sejeong follows her to the edge of the cliff. The ground below the cliff is probably just Sejeong’s height away, but it continues to slant down for a few more before the rocks turn into sand and a few more before the sand turns into water.

“I come here all the time when I’m mad," Nayoung speaks. Sejeong turns to looks and finds her staring at the sea. “I’m pretty sure the locals around here thinks there’s a ghost here that screams every once in a while to let go of its anger. Little do they know it’s just me. Those kids will be so disappointed.”

“You’re never ‘just you’,” Sejeong says, though she isn’t sure why. Probably because something about the way Nayoung says ‘just me’ brings a certain kind of ache to her heart. Nayoung looks at her and she looks away instantly, watching the waves roll around. “Does it make you feel better? When you scream here?”

“Yeah. It does.”

“Why did you bring me here then?”

“Because… you seem to be really unhappy a while ago.”

She nods. “And why should that concern you?”

“You’re my friend. I don’t want you to feel any kind of unhappiness.”

Heartbeats. Heart beats itself against her ribcage. “Thanks.”

Sneaking a glance, she finds Nayoung smiling at her softly before turning to look back at the horizon. “And the sun’s about to set. It’s beautiful up here.”

“We’re not that far up.”

“I know. But no matter the height, the fall is terrifying.”

She shifts, sits in a more comfortable curve on the rocks, and bows her head, nodding subtly. She clears . “Yeah. Terrifying,” she whispers.

They sit in silence, looking at the sun slowly setting, the car behind them and Nayoung’s presence enough to make her calm down. She doesn’t even understand why she wasn’t calm earlier.

Once the sun has completely set, and after a few minutes of gazing into the dark sky, Nayoung talks, “Hey, um, you free this weekend?”

“Hm?”

“This weekend? The whole of it?”

She blinks, trying to remember her schedule. “No. Just swim practice on Saturday.”

“Oh. Well, I already asked about that. Can you come with me to my grandparent’s 50^th wedding anniversary?”

She pauses, making sure she’s hearing right. “What?”

Nayoung’s eyes turn wide in alarm. “Don’t worry, Mimi, Hana, Hakyeon, and Taekwoon will be there too. And every time there’s a family thing and I have a fake girlfriend, I always bring her. My parents are also very cool with me dating girls, although my dad’s not too fond of me dating too many girls. If only he knew, huh?”

“Sure.”

Nayoung stops. “What?”

“I’ll go to your grandparents’ 50^th anniversary.”

“Great. We’ll go drive there Saturday and go home by Sunday night at most,” Nayoung tells her, shifting her weight to her right and leaning closer to Sejeong, just so Sejeong could see the smile appearing on her face. “This really means a lot to me. I just can’t go see my grandpa without bringing anyone with me, although he almost always forgets who I bring anyway.”

Sejeong mimics her. Their voices turn into whispers, like no one else’s supposed to hear. “Really? Why not?”

“He’s the one person in the whole world I never want to see disappointed. He gets this really sad look on his face whenever I don’t bring a date because he thinks no one’s taking care of me.”

“Good for him, I’m taking care of you.”

Nayoung smirks. “You’re not doing a good job though.”

She moves away slightly, “Hey!” but Nayoung’s stare draws her back. And she’s back to leaning closer and whispering, “I make sure you don’t drink more than one cup of coffee a day, how is that not a good job?”

“Um,” She rolls her eyes mockingly. “Exactly what you said? How is it a good job if you’re taking me away from my one true love, caffeinated drinks?”

She leans closer, glaring at her challengingly. “I’m making you live longer, you .”

Nayoung scoffs. “No thanks.” She pulls away from the lack of space between them and leans back on her palms, staring at the sky directly above her, neck in full view. But almost immediately after, she lifts her head and goes back to their shared bubble. “Although, if you suffer with me, I probably can deal with it.”

Sejeong smiles, nose now a few inches from Nayoung’s. “I vow to never leave your side during this whole suffering.”

“Great. Mimi never would’ve vowed to do that,” Nayoung replies, breath touching Sejeong’s lips. “Isn’t it almost funny how easily we became really close?”

Sejeong feigns a disagreeing shrug, but they smile and continue to stare at each other, faces moving quarter of a millimeter each moment. And without any warning, Nayoung raises her lips.

And they land perfectly on the tip of Sejeong’s nose, trapping the littlest of spaces between them. She pulls away almost too soon after, and smiles. “You have the cutest nose, you know that?”

“Well, well. You’re quite the charming one, you know that?” She shoots back, masking panic and yearning with a teasing quirk of her eyebrow. “Hey, our first kiss.”

Nayoung laughs. “Romantic, isn’t it?”

“Well… I have some other more romantic things in mind,” she blurts easily, lips lifting at the corners. But as soon as she realizes what she said, she sways backwards.

Nayoung stares at her, eyes discerning, curious, but also almost… scared.

She clears . “So, what kind of woman should I be during this weekend? I don’t want to disappoint your parents.”

A small smile passes by Nayoung’s lips as goes back to leaning on her palms. “Don’t worry, I’m sure my parents will love you as much as I do. Which isn’t a lot but still.”

She slaps her arm playfully. “Shush with the lies, love. I’m sure you love me a whole lot. I’m, like, the best fake girlfriend anyone could ever have.”

“I’m the one who should say that. But I guess you’re not too bad yourself.”

She smiles. And a question pops into her head. “Question: will I get to know Kim Nayoung this weekend?”

Nayoung shrugs. “You already do.”

Sejeong stops before she can reply, trying to form a good enough sentence in her head. “Remember when you said it’s almost funny how easily we became really close friends?”

“Just about a minute ago? Nah."

She laughs softly. And proceeds to draw invisible circles on the rock with her finger. Nayoung's gaze focuses on them too. “I don’t really know you. I’m just really, really comfortable with you. But I don't know you much deeper than 'Kim Nayoung' and 'Fake Girlfriend'”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“How do I know how to act around you if I don’t know what might piss you off?”

“I don’t really get pissed off that easily, don’t worry.”

“Nayoung, please?”

A sigh escapes Nayoung’s lips. “Fine. I’ll introduce you to Kim Nayoung this weekend.”

She smiles. “Well then," She grabs Nayoung's hand, surprising both of them. But she keeps her hand where it is. "I’m officially excited. This weekend might become the most interesting one I’ll have in a while.”

And there’s this subtle ringing in the back of her head slightly mocking her as she looks back at the twinkling stars, still holding Nayoung's hand. Telling her how right she is, and how that’s not really good. And how interesting might just become synonymous to damned.

Things might be a bit easier, less confusing, if she only had one heart.

A/N:

Hello. Okay, first of all, I’m very sorry for not updating in two decades. I was too busy with college – reviewing for midterms, taking midterms, failing midterms – and didn’t have time to write. And after that, I was too tired to write (so I rewatched all seasons of FRIENDS. Yall can’t be mad at me for watching a masterpiece). But here it is, I finally finished this chapter. Also, I might get a bit busier after this because midterms to finals is just really two months of hell. But I’ll still try my best to write when I can.

Title from Halsey's Is There Somewhere.

I hope y’all liked this. Thank you so much for reading.