GFRIEND’s reversal of 2015 had taken the K-Pop world by storm. The girls’ professionalism and knifelike choreography on a stage drenched from the summer rain had given them the foothold they needed to make it into the industry. A little over a year since their debut and a little less since their rise in popularity, GFRIEND was making it big with their newest track Navillera and their first full-length album LOL.

Their weekly fansign events were going extremely well. The girls received much love, praise, and gifts from Buddy. Eunha continued to collect compliments from everyone on her new haircut, the short length and bangs enhancing her lovely appearance. When it was your turn to meet with them, you gave them each a cute hairpiece that you’d made yourself, linking hands and smiling.

“You’re back again,” SinB squinted at you, her lips pursed. “Do you want to make this obvious?”

Smiling at her, you offered the elaborate, beautiful hair ornament. “You can wear this for chuseok if you’d like.”

SinB’s eyes grew wide as she took the hairpiece in her hands, turning it over. “Did you make this?”

“Mm. Do you like it?”

Ever so chic, ever so mischievously evil, SinB drew her composure with indifference. “It’s alright, I suppose.”

You giggled, rolling your eyes at her. SinB was the last member and you were the last fan on this set before their next break. The rest of GFRIEND were already interacting with Buddy while SinB took her sweet time autographing your copy of their album.

“Why do you keep coming? I told you I would give you a signed copy in private.”

“You can still give it to me later. Call me when you have time.”

SinB’s eyes glowed with a fierce fire. “Hey. Keep it down.”

“Oh, c’mon SinB, we’re classmates. Everyone already knows we know each other personally.”

Taunting her, you raised your hand for a high-five. SinB, aware of the fansite cameras, had no choice but to let you take her hand in yours. There was something special, magical, about an idol’s skin; it was so much softer than anyone could ever image or hope to achieve. The feel of SinB’s hand in yours was one of your favorite things.

She pulled it back after a couple of slow seconds. She finished signing your album and shooed you away. “Go. I don’t want to see you.”

Smiling, you returned to your seat, noticing from afar how SinB, with the help of a staff member, tucked the hairpin behind her ear.

“Wow!” the girl next to you sighed. “That pin is so beautiful!”

Your smile broadened, proud at hearing your handiwork being complimented so sincerely. “Thank you!”

The girl turned her attention to you, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “Did…you give it to her?”

“I made it.” SinB always complained about how easily you bragged about your work, but you spent so much time on each piece you couldn’t really help it.

“Oh my gosh! Did you really? It’s so beautiful! Are you an artisan? Someone’s apprentice? Wait, do apprenticeships still exist nowadays?”

“Well, I want to work with jewelry, so I have to go to school for that.”

“That is so amazing!”

Somehow, that is all it took for her to take a great liking to you. She drew herself closer, hugging your arm, talking excitedly and asking questions. You couldn’t believe such a small thing had become so big. You could hear GFRIEND talking in the background, Yuju and Sowon’s voices projected by the microphones. The next session would start soon, but the Buddy next to you would not relent.

There were several occasions of deep aw-ing and ooh-ing that you missed because she would not let you pay attention. Finally, a staff member started gathering the next batch of fans. Relieved, you watched as she was ushered away, your eyes meeting SinB’s unexpectedly.

A sour expression contorted her pretty face. It wasn’t the usual sass that resided in it, but something darker and meaner. She glared at you, cheeks flushed; her hand came up to her hair, removing the hair ornament and tossing it aside. The careless manner in which she treated it upset you. It made your stomach burn with anger and annoyance.

Even though you were classmates, even though you had graduated together and spent the greater part of your youth side by side, she had no right to treat you that way. Especially when she was fully aware of how hard you worked making each piece. You could take anything from her, her sass, her petulant attitude, but not this.

Without another smile towards her, you gathered your things and walked out of the venue.

“You won’t be able to come back in if you step outside,” a staff member warned.

“That’s fine. I don’t want to come back in.”

SinB watched you go, shocked that you’d leave halfway through. She had no chance to ask a staff member to call you back in or hold you back; fans continued to flow and they all deserved her attention. She smiled lovingly at each of them in turn until the girl that had been sitting beside you much too closely arrived before her.

“SinB!”

“Hi!”

She clasped hands with her, loving her for being a fan, hating her for flirting with you. She tried her best to pay attention to her without being rude. It proved to be much more difficult than expected, especially when she reached for the hairpin.

“This is even prettier up close! You’re so lucky! I’m going to have to go visit them at their shop.”

SinB looked up from the album she was autographing. “Excuse me?”

The girl smiled. “The fan that gave you this, they’re going to be a jeweler. They have a shop and they told me I could stop by and commission a hairpiece! SinB, don’t you think they’re amazing?”

SinB nearly cracked the marker she held. Her lips quivered, her smile a painful grimace. “Y-yeah. That person is really talented.”

Thankfully, the fans were ushered along, the race against time on once more. SinB waved at the fan, clutching her hairpin underneath the table. She bit her lip, a nasty feeling bubbling in her stomach, burning her chest.

You were in trouble. She would chew you out. SinB swore to it.

It had been nearly two months since you’d last seen or heard from SinB. You were bent over your work, your neck and back cramping over from long, tedious hours of work. It had not been long since you’d started learning the basics of jewelry making and already you were exhausted.

Your fingers were nimble, though, allowing you to get most of the tiny details done. Music flowed in your work station, the soft sounds of Yiruma’s piano easing your weary mind. You wrapped the wire around the tiny tone, sighing as you finished the day’s work, finally.

The door opened, slamming close. You winced, expecting your mentor to yell at you for one thing or another that you’d done wrong. You started apologizing before he had the chance to scold you.

“I just finished my assignment. I’ll have the area cleaned up in a second!”

“Why aren’t you playing Navillera? You said you always worked best when GFRIEND’s songs were encouraging you. Was that a lie too?”

You spun around, finding a very upset looking SinB standing a few feet away. She had a cap pulled low over her eyes, a mask resting underneath her chin. Her eyes were glowing coals.

Sighing, you laid your tools back on the table with more ease, turning away from SinB.

“Where have you been? Why haven’t you contacted me?”

“Does your manager know you’re here? Aren’t you too far away from your dorms? Go back. Someone can recognize you.”

SinB stomped over, taking you by the shoulder, spinning you around so that you were facing her once more. “What’s with the attitude?”

“Attitude? SinB, that’s your specialty, not mine.”

She winced, hurt. “What did I ever do to you? If anyone should be upset at something it should be me!”

“You? What should you be upset about?”

SinB resisted the urge to kick your shin, to hit your shoulder, to pull your hair out. Tears gleamed in her eyes as she remembered the girl cozying up to you, her arms wrapped around yours.

“You flirt with everyone as long as they compliment your work!”

“W-what?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about! That girl from the fansign. You let her hug you and flirt with you because she said she liked the hairpin you made. You’ve always been like that. And I hate it. I hate it!”

“S-SinB, wait, what—?”

“I know that I can’t do much! Especially now that I’m an idol! I know that I promised we’d always be together, but I have to work to make my dream come true!”

You took a step back, ambushed by her fierce emotions. Angry tears spilled out of her eyes. You would have wiped them away had you not been afraid that she would bite your hands off. SinB, however, took care of them herself, swatting them with her beautiful fingers.

SinB stepped closer.

“I swore to you, didn’t I? I swore that I would never let you escape.”

“S-SinB that was in third grade.”

She reached for you, taking your shirt into her hands, crumpling the fabric within her fists. She jerked you forward, her lips crushing yours. They tasted of cotton candy and lip balm and years of being in love with this very difficult girl.

SinB kissed you until you had to fight for breath. Holding her by the shoulders, you watched her; her own chest heaving. Her lips were swollen and plump.

“You’re mine. Do you get that?”

“SinB.”

“If you ever do that again, I’ll come after you again. Understood?”

“SinB,” your brow drew together with uncertainty.

She attacked one more time. Her jealousy burning your lips.

“You. Are. Mine.”

In the end, all you could do was sigh. “Yes, SinB.”

She smiled, satisfied. You really had no idea what had just happened, but that didn’t mean that you didn’t enjoy it.

“Make us couple rings. I’ll wear mine whenever I can. You have to wear yours all the time, okay?”

“That’s a bit much.”

“Make. Them.”

You laughed. “Yes, SinB.”