"Can I walk you home?"

Nayoung and Kyulkyung both reluctantly decided to bring an end to their 'date' at Han River at around 7pm, the sun finally beginning to set which brought a welcomed chill to the girls. Things had grown a little awkward between the two, Kyulkyung solely being to blame after her texting incident with Minkyung (still unbeknownst to Nayoung) but that didn't stop determined Im Nayoung from trying to lighten the mood at any moment she saw fit. And so she thought asking the younger girl if she could accompany her home was a smooth idea.

"You don't have to, I wouldn't want to trouble you." Kyulkyung replied, somewhat shy.

Nayoung wore a perplexed expression, "I don't know why you think that every second I spend with you is somehow an inconvenience to me Kyulkyung but it's not like that, I like being around you" she explained, standing up from the bench they were both seated on and heading in the direction of Kyulkyung's home. "So just let me walk you home for God's sake."

It would have been futile for Kyulkyung to argue with the taller girl and so she too stood and followed in Nayoung's footsteps, jogging a little to catch up with her.

The two walked quietly for a few minutes, Kyulkyung making a few odd comments on how pretty the blooming flowers were, how the fading sun hit the river just right and how (though she didn't say this aloud) breathtaking Nayoung looked, the sunlight hitting her face perfectly as the walked together. Kyulkyung tried her best to forget about Minkyung's texts, to not focus on what they could have meant and all the things she truly didn't know about Nayoung and her personal life. Admittedly, she could've tried better.

"I probably have no business asking this," Kyulkyung paused, "but what's the deal between you and Kim Minkyung?"

It's safe to say Kyulkyung regretted asking this question the moment those words left .

She saw the way Nayoung faltered a little in her step, discreetly shaking her head, before exhaling loudly and replying, "I don't know."

Kyulkyung processed the older girl's answer, taking a few seconds to consider what she wanted to say next.

"You two just seem pretty...close." She despised herself for how bitter her words came out, laced with envy. Still she tried to look at the taller girl, to see if her words had trigger something in Nayoung, anything to indicate what was going on inside her head. Nayoung, evidently had noted the change in Kyulkyung's voice and turned her gaze in Kyulkyung's direction to catch the girl looking back her, waiting for a response.

"Are you jealous, Zhou Jieqiong?" Nayoung making a valiant attempt at correctly pronouncing the younger girl's Chinese name. Despite the accusation, Kyulkyung couldn't help but let her lips twinge into the tiniest of smiles at the use of this address.

"Would you hate me if I said yes?"

Well, that was an answer Nayoung was definitely not expecting. So of course the older girl was taken aback, flustered at Kyulkyung's words as she tore her eyes away from the other girl and started staring at the ground they were walking on. Nayoung couldn't formulate a sufficient reply for the smaller girl and so thought better of it, allowing yet another silence to fall between the two.

Kyulkyung's next words shattered the quiet like glass as she dared to ask, "Do you like her more than me?"

"Kyulkyung, it's different."

"That's not what I asked."

Nayoung didn't like where this conversation was going. She didn't like it one bit. She hated how persistent the younger girl was being, how she kept asking questions even Nayoung didn't know the answer to.

"Would you just answer the question." Kyulkyung spoke again, annoyed, as Nayoung refused to reply.

"No." was the only word Nayoung managed to get out.

"Whatever." Kyulkyung spat out, abruptly turning on her heels and walking in the other direction, planning on finding a new route to get back to her dorm. Before she could make any progress however, she felt a warm hand tightly grip hers and pull her backwards.

"I mean no, I don't like her more than you." Nayoung's confession finally came. "I like you both equally, for different reasons. Hell, maybe I even like you more. It's just, it's not a competition you know? I shouldn't have to choose." she tried to explain, pleading the other girl to try and understand.

Kyulkyung nodded, thankful that Nayoung had opened up to her even just a little, told her how she felt. "I get it," she began. "You like us both, for different reasons. Different reasons being the fact that you don't like me the way you like Minkyung." Kyulkyung paused, as if she was swallowing her emotions back down again.

"You don't like me...like that."

This stopped Nayoung in her tracks. As per usual, she didn't know what to say. She stared dumbfounded at the younger girl, as if looking at her would help Nayoung understand what exacty she was trying to say.

"What? What do you mean? Like what?" Nayoung questioned, meeting Kyulkyung's gaze with a puzzled expression.

"Like that." the other girl repeated, emphasising those two words, as if that made any difference whatsoever.

"I do like you," Nayoung told her, voice softer as she stepped closer to Kyulkyung so the two were only inches apart. Then again, with more confidence, "I do."

Kyulkyung shook her head. She knew Nayoung was trying, trying to express herself well, telling her what she wanted to hear. There was just something missing for Kyulkyung. Something important.

"You don't get it." Kyulkyung sighed, giving the other girl a sad smile before turning to walk ahead again.

"Then help me understand." Nayoung's voice came booming back as she stood her ground, having more volume and solidity than ever before. It wasn't a suggestion, but a demand. Kyulkyung couldn't help but turn back, surprised at Nayoung's determination. Now that Kyulkyung was facing her, she could see that her eyes were glossed over, as if she was fighting back tears, her face wearing an expression