“You know, I think she likes you.”

Jieqiong’s mouth dropped. “What?” she exclaimed, “no way! That can’t be.”

Taking a sip from your drink, you glanced up. “Why not? I mean, during tryouts her eyes were practically glued to you.” You moved to take a bite of the bingsu. “She wasn’t even the one taking notes down—Dani was! I mean, as a captain, don’t you think she’d be more inclined to actually pay attention as to who would make the cut?”

“Maybe she was worried that I was getting bored? And I think she trusts Dani enough with her judgement on who should make the cut,” she said defensively. 

“Dude. You were screaming the whole time! If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that you made a bet on who’d make the cut. Besides, I doubt that’s what was running through her head at the time,” sighing you rubbed your temples trying to organize your thoughts, “okay, but the last time I met her, I got the impression that she’s the type of person who’s super in control? She has the student council running better than any well-oiled machine I’ve seen.”

“Okay, I see your point.” Jieqiong hung her head in defeat, “But that still doesn’t prove that she likes me 100%.”

You rolled your eyes. “Anyways, I don’t know exactly what your relationship with her is like, but if you like her then just go for it y’know?”

Jieqiong groaned.

“You might lose your chance if you keep stalling,” you shrugged your shoulders.

//

“So? What do you think?” Dani looked up expectantly.

Nayoung scanned over the sheets of paper in front of her, then stopped once her eyes reached over an unfamiliar name. She held it up with a frown on her face, “Won Hyoseol? You think she’s good enough for the team?”

“Her endurance and agility are above average, and she’s got excellent pace. She could a use a bit of work on her dribbling, but overall she’s a promising asset.”

“What Dani said,” Somi nodded in agreement.

“Oh please. You were almost falling asleep during the game.” Dani sighed.

“Was not!” She exclaimed.

Nayoung sighed. “Guys, cut it out. This is serious, I really want to win this year.”

“And we will,” Dani reassured, putting her hand on Nayoung’s shoulder.

As much as she didn’t like the other girl, she could put her pride aside for the sake of the time. At least, having Hyoseol on the team would allow Nayoung to keep an eye on her and Jieqiong’s budding relationship. Besides, Nayoung trusted Dani’s judgement. She had an eye for evaluating and finding talent in people. She was also a promising assistant coach who helped with designing the team’s training regimens and strategies. And so, if she thought that Hyoseol would get a good addition to the team, then by all means she’d take her word for it.

“I guess I’ll start contacting the girls then. Somi you wanna come with?”

Somi smiled and grabbed the pile of papers. “Unnie, we’ll take care of this, so why don’t you leave early today? You said your head’s been hurting all day…”

“You should go home and get some rest.” Dani looked at her worriedly.

“I’ll do just that. Thanks guys, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Nayoung waved goodbye tiredly as she picked up her bag, then closed the door behind her with a soft click.

“Isn’t it obvious that she likes her back?” Dani pouted.

“What’s obvious to you and I, may not be so clear for our dearest captain, unnie.” Somi sighed.

“But the signs are all there! Like you have to be blind not to be able to tell!”

“Well, if that were the case, then I wouldn’t have to feel like I’ve been watching a drama for the past few years.” Somi grumbled.

“They should just confess to each other!” Dani exclaimed passionately, “should we help them?” She looked up expectantly with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“No way, they have to figure that out for themselves.”

Dani pouted, and crossed her arms. “You’re such a killjoy. It’s times like these I wonder how I’m the older one, and you’re not.”

Somi let out a breathless laugh, “well… when it comes to love, it’s never as simple as it seems. And it’s definitely not obvious to the people involved.”

Dani seemed to ponder those words. “Well, I guess that’s true. Maybe it’s like that for me too. I’m a little jealous though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… I mean she has someone who loves her so much that she’s scared to confess their feelings. I wonder what it feels like to be loved like that.” Dani looked down at her hands with a sad expression.

Somi gulped nervously. She could feel a tingling growing in intensity from the pit of her stomach traveling upwards throughout her body. Cold shivers ran down her spine. If only you knew. If only. Was this her chance to confess? Could she confess? Rather, did she have the right to tell her how she felt about her?

“Well, maybe I’ll never get to experience that. I doubt anyone would ever like me. After all, I’m just Dani, plain Dani.” She looked up expectantly, “how about you Som? You like anyone?”

Somi’s eyes widened. You. She wanted to say it. That one word. How could one word be so hard to say? It was as if it was stuck in , making it hard for her to breathe. I like you.

Dani tilted her head slightly, waiting for an answer, when suddenly her phone rang. Somi snapped out of her thoughts just as Dani answered the phone.

“Sorry, I have to take this,” she smiled sheepishly, then walked out of the room with the phone against her ear.

It was if all the tension in the room suddenly disappeared the moment Dani walked out of the room. Somi collapsed against the wall. She didn’t even realise that she had been holding her breath the whole time. “What was I thinking?” she berated herself out loud, “am I going crazy? Was I seriously going to confess to her right now?” She closed her eyes, and rubbed her forehead absentmindedly to calm down.

Somi unclenched her hands and wiped the sweat that formed on her palms. “If I say it out loud… then that means it’s real, isn’t it?” She opened her eyes and stared at Dani’s face through the window, “if I say it out loud… will I lose you?”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I think I know what Nayoung and Kyulkyung unnie feel now. I feel like I’m suffocating.”

//

Nayoung walked along the path to the school gate when she noticed a familiar figure in the distance. Nayoung quickly picked up the pace and just when she was within screaming distance, the familiar figure suddenly stopped in front of a taller girl who was beaming brightly. Nayoung felt her heart drop. Jieqiong looked up at Hyoseol with a huge grin and proceeded to wrap the taller girl in a bone crushing embrace. Hyoseol hugged her back, and they stood there motionlessly.

A wave of despair washed over Nayoung. Her blood ran cold, and she felt as if her body suddenly lost all its strength, forcing her to take a step forward before suddenly kneeling on the ground on one knee. She watched the scene unfold, with every second that they were embracing, she could feel her heart physically crack.

Hyoseol was the first to let go, and she patted the top of Jieqiong’s head affectionately. The two then started towards the school gate.

Why is my heart breaking? Tears started to form in her eyes. I know we can’t be together anyways. So then why am I like this? Why does my chest hurt so much? A single tear ran down her face. “Are you finally walking away from me? Have I already started to lose you?”

“I thought… I would be okay with letting you go, but this is harder than I thought. Is there any use to fight against our fate?”

Nayoung grabbed her chest, “tell me why it hurts so much… tell me how you still managed to sneak your way into my heart.” Another tear spilled down her chin, staining her heart. “I don’t want to lose you to anyone else.”

//

“Have you finally calmed down?” Yeonjung stood in front of Doyeon impassively.

Doyeon glared at the shorter girl, but then relaxed her features as she admitted defeat.

“You were right,” she sighed, “I can’t expect her to know what’s wrong without telling her directly. I just don’t want to sound like I’m crazy.”

Yeonjung looked at her empathetically, “you’re not.”

Doyeon glanced up, “it feels like I’m dying Yeonjung. Every time I’m with her it feels like I can’t breathe, and I have to pretend like I’m okay and happy when in fact I can’t stand the fact that she’s with Eunwoo all the time.” Doyeon dug her face into her arms. “The worst part is that I can’t even tell her how I feel about her.”

“What if she likes you back?”

“What do you mean if she likes me back? There’s no way. She’s straight as a ruler that kid.”

“How do you know that? Aren’t you just assuming?”

“All her crushes were boys, so she’s obviously straight! It doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out.”

“Well, you never know. She could also not be straight. Maybe she has feelings she hasn’t acknowledged yet?”

“What’s the point if those feelings aren’t for me?” Doyeon sighed.

“Well then, at least you’d have a better chance, wouldn’t you?” Yeonjung smiled.

Doyeon groaned and rolled over onto Yoojung’s desk. “You’re killing me man.”

“I’m just trying to help.” She chuckled.

“You’re the only thing keeping me sane at this point.” Doyeon rubbed her eyes.

“I try my best.” Yeonjung glanced at the clock, “class is starting soon, you wanna have lunch at the cafeteria today?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Doyeon watched as Yeonjung took her seat in the front of the class. She glanced over at the empty seat where her best friend was supposed to sit.

 “Where is she…? She’s usually not this late. Did something happen?” She looked at the desk worriedly.

Just then, the door opened. Doyeon tilted her head to get a better look from her seat, when she notice Yoojung walk in, completely out of breath. Yoojung made a beeline to her desk, which Doyeon’s head was now resting on.

“You’re late. Did something happen?” Doyeon noticed she had her glasses on.

“I ran out of contacts! And if that wasn’t bad enough, I couldn’t find where my glasses were!” Yoojung huffed.

Doyeon tried her best to stifle her laughter.

“Do you think this is funny?!” Yoojung glowered angrily, but her expression softened immediately after seeing Doyeon smile.

“Good. You’re smiling.” Yoojung’s eyes formed crescents as she couldn’t help herself grin at the sight of her best friend’s happy expression. “I was starting to think that you were mad at me,” she slid into her seat, next to Doyeon.

Doyeon’s heart started to speed up. She swallowed thickly. And there it was, those half-moons that could have her heart skipping beats and have her wrapped around her finger. That smile that made it impossible for her to stay angry at Yoojung for long. Because the moment she looked at her, Doyeon could feel her anger instantly dissipate.

Suddenly, Yeonjung’s advice floated from the back of her mind, reminding her to be honest about her feelings. Swallowing any last doubts on her mind, she heeded her advice. Yeonjung had never steered her wrong.

“I was mad.”

Yoojung looked surprise and taken aback.

“I—I was mad at you. And I guess I still kind of am…” Doyeon looked away, feeling a pang of guilt.

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Yoojung held Doyeon’s face and turned it so that they were facing one another. Doyeon avoided her eyes by glancing down. Yoojung lifted her chin slightly, so that they were looking into each other’s eyes. “Tell me…” She pleaded softly.

Doyeon almost became undone at the sound of her pleading. She felt guilty for having these feelings. She could feel the hurt in Yoojung’s voice, although she did her best to hide it.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids, I don’t want you to hide anything from me… Did I say something that hurt you? I’m sorry Doyeon-ah, I didn’t know. Is that why you were so distant from me recently?”

I definitely am the worst… I’m making her apologize when she didn’t even really do anything wrong… Doyeon smiled sadly before resting her head on Yoojung’s shoulder.

“If anyone should be sorry, then I guess it should be me… I don’t know why I’m feeling this way Yoojung-ah.”

“What are you feeling?” Yoojung ran her finger through Doyeon’s long black hair.

“Sad. Mad. Mostly sad though, like my heart just might burst.”

“Did I make you feel that way?” Yoojung looked down melancholically.

“No… Yes, but it’s not your fault. It’s not you, it’s me. I get so jealous and sad when you’re spending time with Eunwoo and not me. I know it’s childish, and you have your own friends, but I still can’t help but feel this way. Does that make me a bad person?”

Yoojung wrapped her arms around Doyeon, “I’m sorry… I didn’t know you felt that way. I didn’t realize I was neglecting you…”

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry. I don’t want you to feel like you have an obligation to stick with me… I just don’t know why I feel this way.”

“Still, I’m sorry. I’ll spend lunch time with you, is that okay?”

Doyeon nodded against her shoulder, “I’m having lunch with Yeonjung at the cafeteria today.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Okay class is dismissed.”

Hyoyeon stood up while facing the teacher. “Attention!” She bowed 90 degrees to the professor, with the rest of the class following, “thank you very much!”

“Alright, have a good lunch everyone.”

The class started buzzing lively as the students got up from their seats and began conversing.

Doyeon began putting away her notebooks while talk with Yoojung about a new group she was into. She didn’t notice Yeonjung who stood over their desks. Yeonjung knocked on the desk, “I’m going to be a little late, you can go to the cafeteria first.”

Doyeon sat upright, “Yoojung’s coming too, we’ll save you a seat!”

“On second thought, that’s all right, you guys can just go without me.”

Yoojung chimed, “it’s not a problem! We can save one for you.”

“Nah it’s okay, I’ll catch you guys later.”

“Are you sure?” Doyeon inquired.

“Yeah, I’ll see you guys next period.” She gave Doyeon a quick smile, before retreating into the sea of students.

“Are you sure that’s the only reason why you were mad at me before?” Yoojung pouted, “I just feel like there’s something else you’re not telling me.”

Doyeon coughed awkwardly, and looked at Yoojung.
“Well, whether you tell me or not is your decision, but you know I’ll always be here to listen if you ever need me.”

“Thanks.” Doyeon fiddled with her chopsticks anxiously, “I mean it.”

Yeonjung exited the self-serve buffet and noticed Doyeon and Yoojung sitting together. Huh, I guess they already made up. That’s good to see. She smiled unconsciously, and then looked for an empty seat in the busy cafeteria. 

A spot freed up close to where she was standing and she quickly walked towards it, but someone had already sat there before she could get there. Looking around she noticed an empty table in the corner. Figuring that she wouldn’t get so lucky again, she sat at the table and prepared to dig in. To her surprise a girl was already sitting there picking at the food on her tray.

“Oh, I’m sorry… I didn’t know there was someone sitting here. Can I sit here?”

The girl looked up and nodded.

Yeonjung thought she looked familiar, and stared at her face before realizing who she was sitting with. “Oh! Aren’t you Kim Sohye? You sit at the back corner of the class, right?”

Sohye’s eyes widened in shock from someone recognizing her. She nodded mutely. “You know who I am?”

“Yeah, we were in the same homeroom for a couple of years. Sorry I didn’t recognize you at first.” Yeonjung smiled brightly and held out her hand.

Sohye looked at it tentatively, before reaching out to shake her hand. “It’s no problem, I’m just glad you knew me at all.” She laughed awkwardly.

Yeonjung took a bite of her kimbap before asking, “how are you feeling? I heard what those girls did to you, I can’t believe there are still people like that,” she growled, “if you ever have a problem, you can tell me. I’ll help you out.”

Sohye smiled gratefully, “thank you.”

 Yeonjung handed her cellphone to Sohye, who only looked at it quizzically.

“Write down your SNS. You’re the only one in our class who I don’t have on my phone.”

Sohye took the phone carefully, “are you sure? You want my contact information?”

“Of course, we’re friends now.” Yeonjung grinned.

Sohye nodded and entered her information, then handed the phone back. Yeonjung started tapping on her phone, and then a few seconds later Sohye’s phone buzzed. She received a text from her. Yeonjung leaned over and pointed at the screen, “here, save my contact information. You can text or call me any time!”

“I—I can?”

“We’re friends, of course you can! Anytime like I said, I’ll reply to you as soon as I can.”

Sohye could feel herself relax at the presence of Yeonjung’s bright personality. She looked down and smiled at the number saved on her contact list. Yoo Yeonjung. “Thank you,” she whispered shyly.

//

You stretched your legs in an attempt to loosen some stiff muscles in your legs. It had been a while since you’ve done the beep test, but it turns out that no matter where in the world, that was still hell.

Sejeong sat down next to you silently.

“Good morning,” you waved.

“Oh good morning, did you sleep well?”

“I did, and yourself?”

“It was okay.”

You winced in pain as you slowly dragged yourself to sit upright. The muscles in your body throbbed with a painful ache.

Sejeong noticed this and looked over worriedly at you rubbing and massaging your arms.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

You stole a glance at her, “yeah, it’s just that my muscles are still sore from the soccer tryouts a few days ago. It’ll go away in a few days, no worries.” You gave her a thumbs-up.

“You should get some heating pads to put on where it hurts.”

“Oh? Should I? I’ll buy some on the way home then, thanks!”

Chungha walked into homeroom to Sejeong and Hyoseol talking with one another. Her heart dropped. Seeing her ex talking to someone she has feelings for made her unsettled. She cursed at the gods above for having her face this impossible situation. Chungha sat down at her desk and noticed that Hyoseol seemed to be in pain.

I wonder if she’s going to be okay… Chungha grimaced watching you contort your face in agony every time you bumped into something.

Chungha dug around her locker. “I know it’s here somewhere… Aha!” she smiled triumphantly, “found it!” In her hands was a box of heat plasters for muscle pain. She usually had a bunch on hand, being a dancer, having these saved her a lot from suffering. Smiling, she slammed her locker door shut, and set off to look for Hyoseol.

Sejeong stood in front of a convenience store. She didn’t know why she was skipping out on her free period just so she could buy Hyoseol some heating pads. It wasn’t any of her business, but somehow her feet took her here without realizing it. Sighing, she entered the store. Since she was here, she might as well buy them for her.

Sejeong thanked the cashier before leaving the store. With a black plastic bag in one hand, she lifted it up to inspect it. “What am I doing?” she muttered under her breath. Her heart sped up at the thought of seeing Hyoseol. She pounded her first against her heart, “why are you like this?”

You stood outside of Jieqiong’s class to wait for her free period to start. She sent you a text telling you that she had something to give you. Leaning against the wall, you winced again. It felt like you got ran over by a bus and a train, your movements were sluggish and slower than usual.

After waiting a few minutes, Jieqiong came out holding a tiny box with Chinese writing on it. She opened the box, unscrewed the cap of the ointment, squeezed a tiny amount on her finger, and started dabbing it on the bruise on your right hand.

“I figured you didn’t bring any of these Chinese ointments with you from home,” she held the tube up, “so I brought mine just in case.”

You chuckled, “thanks, I owe you one. What would I do without you?”

“Be in more pain, that’s what.” She let the briefest of smiles show on her face.

Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she applied the last dab on your skin.

“There! All done,” she grinned triumphantly.

You felt the hot and cold sensation that provided a soothing effect on your bruises. You closed your eyes and let out a sigh of relief. “That feels so much better.”

Jieqiong suddenly held your hands. “Promise me you’ll take better care of yourself. I hate seeing you hurt…” She looked up at you wistfully.

Your heart throbbed slightly. “Sorry for making you worry,” you patted her head, “I promise I will do just that.”

A faint click echoed the silent halls.

“Keep the ointment, you probably need it more than I do.”

“Thanks again, Jieqiong.” You waved goodbye and turned to head to an empty study zone on the 6^th floor of the school.

The sound of huffing and puffing rang through the empty halls. “Free period is almost ending! Shoot.” Sejeong sprinted to the floor that Hyoseol was on. After twisting and turning through the school, she stood behind Hyoseol, out of breath and with her hair completely disheveled.

You turned around at the sound of running, and to the sight of a sweaty and breathless Sejeong. You got up from your chair and wiped away the sweat that formed from her forehead.

“What was so important that you had to run all the way here?” you asked quizzically.

Sejeong blushed at the sudden skin contact and shifted anxiously.

“Why? Did something happen you? Are you okay?”

“Everything’s fine, I just… here,” she lifted the plastic bag and handed it over to you, “I bought the pads for muscle pain relief. I figured that you might not have time to buy them… so here.” She looked away in embarrassment.

You took the bag gratefully and looked at Sejeong in awe. You smiled and stepped forward.

“Thanks Sejeong-ah, it means a lot.” You leaned forward and wrapped your arms around her. You could feel her heartbeat running away through your chest.

Chungha wondered through the halls before finally finding the sign to the study zone. I hope she’ll like this. Chungha made a turn, and saw you and Sejeong embracing one another. She saw Sejeong’s arms encircle your neck and the plastic bag in your hand.

Chungha dropped the box she was holding, and quickly hid behind the wall. “Why?” she whispered, “why is this happening to me?”

You felt her arms pulling you closer, and you leaned in to hug her tighter. You bent your knees to match her height and you could feel your muscles aching again, but you didn’t care. Holding the girl who made your heart race made it worth the pain.

You leaned back and placed your forehead on hers, looking deep into her eyes, you could feel yourself melting away. Her breathing became faster, and her eyes unfocused. You swallowed thickly and exhaled. You, who made the never-ending downpour in my world end. Kim Sejeong.

“Sejeong-ah…”

Chungha covered in shock at the scene unravelling in front of her. Why is this… what is this? Please god, don’t tell me that what I think is true… Chungha felt time slowing down, and her heart shattering into tiny little pieces. All the color drained from her face, and her breathing quickened. She collapsed on the floor against the wall, and put her hand against her hands.

Yeonjung noticed a girl collapsed against the wall. Worried, she went over to check on the girl. Once she stood in front of her, she realized it was Chungha. She bent down and shook her, “hey, are you okay?” Noting the lack of response, she peered behind the wall to see Sejeong and Hyoseol gazing into each other’s eyes.

Yeonjung quickly put two and two together, and looked at Chungha worriedly. “Unnie,” she whispered, “don’t look.” As she saw the two figures lean in.

“I want to kiss you…” you leaned in so that your lips were almost touching hers.

Sejeong closed her eyes in anticipation, and whispered, “me too.” She inched closer and closed the gap between you two.

The butterflies in your stomach fluttered intensely as you were overwhelmed with the sensation of her lips on yours. You could feel Sejeong humming against your lips, her fingers gripped the back of your shirt tightly, urging you to continue. You kissed her softly at first, you didn’t want to hurt her by being too rough. You her bottom lip and cupped her cheek, eliciting a satisfied moan from the older girl. Sejeong pulled you closer and deepened the kiss. She bit your lip and grazed her teeth against them, the sensation made you dizzy from euphoria as you struggled to stand properly. You wrapped your arms around her waist to stabilize yourself.

Yeonjung felt like she was intruding and watching something she wasn’t supposed to. She quickly looked away, and she felt a hand grabbing her wrist, pulling her down. Chungha looked closed to tears as she was overcome with emotion. Yeonjung was at a loss for words, so she leaned over to hug the older girl.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered while rubbing Chungha’s back. Yeonjung felt a wet patch forming on her shirt. The warm tears flowed freely, as the cold rain showered Chungha’s heart.

 “Why? Why can’t it ever be me?” Chungha choked, “why am I always one step too late?”

“Unnie…” Yeonjung felt helpless.

“Will someone ever pick me?” she sobbed. Chungha didn’t know what was worse. Her ex kissing her crush. Or her crush kissing her ex back. Although she had broken up with Sejeong, there was still a tiny part of her that truly did love her. God had to be extremely cruel to have her witness them kissing. She felt her heart being crushed to dust.

I'm posting this as IOI's last Time Slip concert is ongoing. I'm so emotional, I cried three times already. It's 3:08am right now where I am. I feel so sad, I really love IOI so much, I still can't believe they're disbanding. This past year felt like a dream, and I had a lot of hard times, but the girls always cheered me up. It's so sad that I won't hear the greeting, "Yes, I love it!" anymore. I wish the best for our 11 stars, and I am so thankful to have been able to follow their journey from PD101 to IOI. I hope that they'll succeed in their individual groups and as soloists, and Sohye, as an actress. I've been listening to their ballads non-stop and I can't help but tear up. As their first album was titled "Chrysalis," we have seen their transformation into butterflies. This journey was an emotional one, I will forever love IOI. I will be waiting for the day when they reunite. 5 years will come soon right? I hope so... Until then, I will be waiting and supporting the girls in their groups. You brought me so much happiness: Nayoung, Chungha, Sejeong, Chaeyeon, Kyulkyung, Sohye, Yeonjung, Yoojung, Mina, Doyeon, and Somi, I know that your future will be bright. Yes, I love it." Thank you so much IOI, may we meet again, although this is goodbye for now, we will meet when the downpour ends. Our time was short, but I'm glad I was given the chance to love you so dearly. 

I just want to let you guys know, as you've probably figured out that I won't be doing weekly updates like I used to anymore, since I messed up my last semester unintentionally. I'll try to update at least once a month or something. Although IOI is disbanding [hinggg], I will finish this story. Thank you again to the readers, I wish you all the best. 

IOI, our dream girls... may we meet again in 5 years. Thank you for making me so happy, I will miss you beagles...