Yewon was confused as to why Siyeon kept pacing around the practice room. They were having their break time, so wasn't she supposed to be taking an actual break?

"Siyeon-ssi," Yewon says, making the younger girl stop to look at her. "I don't mean to pry but, today's choreo is very strong and requires a lot of energy. I think you should rest your legs for a bit. Ah, I mean you can keep going if you want to, it's just that I didn't want you to get tired."

Siyeon was certain that Yewon was the cutest among all of them, especially when she was antsy about something, which was always. She let out a small chuckle. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Yewon-unnie. I was just... thinking."

"Well you could tell me if you'd like, I might not be a big help but I can try! Oh, but if you don't feel like talking about it, then that's okay too." she flashed Siyeon a smile, the kind that could end wars. The latter had always had a soft spot for the older girl.

"I was..." Yewon stepped closer so she could hear better. "I was wondering what it felt like to be in love."

Siyeon could see the light pink hue that spread on Yewon's cheeks as she said the "L-word". She internally cringed at how cute and innocent the other girl was being. "O-oh," she stuttered. "Uhm, I don't really know much about that topic."

"I can tell, unnie."

"Ya!" Yewon pouted. "But in my opinion, ah, if you still want it though, well, I think that the process of falling and being in love is different for everyone. It can be a happy one, but for some, it's really, uhm, complicated. It can make you question everything, even your own beliefs, especially when you haven't really come to a conclusion with what you actually feel about that person."

Siyeon was surprised at how eloquent Yewon actually was. She admits that she's underestimated her a bit before because of her personality, but the older girl was actually very reliable. She makes a mental note to never do it again. "But how do you know for sure? That it's actually love?"

"Don't you think it's when you start to have those days when all you can think about is that one person? Then those days start to get even more frequent and now you just want to be with them because the thought of them isn't enough anymore. I think that's how you can tell."

"Sounds a bit greedy to me," Siyeon replied, furrowing her eyebrows.

Yewon wondered who might have caused the all-knowing Siyeon to think this way, and she thinks that the tall girl she has in mind is the one to blame. But she merely gave the younger girl a fond smile. "But then again, I also think you can never really be sure. With love, you just... know."

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Siyeon kept thinking about Kyungwon as she braced herself from the fact that Eunwoo, the boy who she now loathed, was actually about to kiss her. She could feel his breath against her face, and she knew he was getting closer by the second. She regrets for the nth time for being an idiot and actually taking the movie tickets. The younger girl was not informed that when it came to receiving things from guys, it immediately makes them think that it's okay for them to get something from you too. Apparently, consent wasn't even a thing anymore these days. Siyeon was not one to depend on others, but she may have just prayed to every god known to man for a miracle she wasn't even sure was going to happen. This was surely their way of punishing her for thinking so highly of herself, always assuming she could do everything on her own. She tried to accept the fact that some guy she had just met was going to steal something precious from her, even if she hated it.

But instead of lips, Siyeon was greeted by a pained grunt. "I guess gods really do listen to your prayers," she thought to herself. She made a reminder to herself to make sure to properly thank them later. By now, Eunwoo had finally taken both of his disgusting hands off her face and Siyeon opened her eyes to examine who and what had just saved the day.

"What the?!" Eunwoo exclaimed as he rubbed his forehead. He was now a few steps away from Siyeon, and he bent down to retrieve a white rubber shoe that had hit him.

"Get away from her, you creep!"

Siyeon felt the corners of tug upwards as she saw Kyungwon in front of her, who was missing one shoe. She was threatening to throw her other one when Eunwoo backed off, creating more distance between the two, with his hands raised to his head. "You're crazy."

"You bet I am." Siyeon tried her hardest to suppress a snort at the tall girl's reply. "Now don't let me see you again or I swear I'll throw my whole freaking shoe closet at you."

Eunwoo muttered another curse word before looking back at Siyeon, as if to say he wasn't going to let this go, but another one of Kyungwon's shoe to the head made him take it back in an instant. He groaned in frustration as he screamed one last, "Okay, I got it! Jeez, woman!" before walking away annoyed.

Kyungwon ran to Siyeon as soon as the boy seemed to be far enough. Kyungwon had cupped her hands on the the other girl's cheeks, repeatedly asking if she was okay and if she was hurt anywhere. Siyeon laughed, causing for the older girl's brows to crease at her response. "Ya, Park Siyeon, be serious when I'm trying to talk to you for once. And wipe that stupid grin off your face."

Siyeon composed herself eventually, but she still could not believe that it was Kyungwon who had managed to find her in that situation. "I'm just so happy," she said softly.

Kyungwon was the one who found her. Even when she was being so stubborn. She followed her even when she was being so difficult to handle. Kyungwon was the one who saved the day, and the sole fact that it was her made Siyeon even happier. And though Siyeon was not one to depend on others and usually would have just huffed a small 'thanks' if you helped her out, she never did mind if it was Kyungwon. She really didn't mind at all.

"Stop being weird," Kyungwon was looking right into her eyes as if she had gone mad. Siyeon thought she probably might have. "Do you know how anxious I got because of you? I mean, God knows what could have happened! What the heck are you so happy about?"

"It's because you came for me, unnie." Siyeon's eyes sparkled the way they always did whenever she smiled up at her, in the way that always managed to make Kyungwon's heart skip a beat. The latter pulled the younger girl closer to her, enveloping her into a hug.

"Never," she sniffed. "do that again, you dummy."

Siyeon wrapped her arms around the tall girl's waist. "Don't cry, Kyungwonie. I won't."

❀❀❀

"So let me get this straight," As if on cue, all of the members sigh simultaneously. "I, Jung Eunwoo, a member of the female population, actually share the same name as that guy?"

"Yes, unnie. For the fourth time, you and that stupid Eunwoo share the same name."

"That is so cool! I mean, it wasn't cool that he did something like that to you, and that he was jerk and all, but think about it. We share names. So. Freaking. Coo--"

It was Nayoung who made her shut up. "Eunwoo-ssi, be quiet." The blonde could only murmur a small "Yes" in reply. Their leader eyed Siyeon before finally placing a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"She's right, Siyeon-ah," Jieqiong chimes in. "I was lucky on my end, but to think that that guy actually touched you... I'm getting shivers just thinking about it."

Everyone in the room nods in agreement, and Siyeon appreciates the concern her members are showing her. "Thank you for worrying about me, unnies, but I really am fine." She sneaks a peek at Kyungwon, who was busy playing on her phone.

"Kyungwon-unnie must have looked so cool earlier, no shoes and all," Sungyeon joked, pulling at the older girl's cheeks.

The girls burst into a fit of giggles after Kyungwon had merely shrugged. "It’s not my style, but I can pull anything off.”

"But seriously though, Kyungwonie," Siyeon teased. "How'd it ever get into your head that throwing a shoe closet at someone would be a serious threat?"

"I can't believe this," Kyungwon throws her hands up in mock frustration. "I save you from that idiot and this is how you disrespect me?"

Another fit of giggles erupt.

❀❀❀

It was common knowledge that Kyungwon was a huge fan of going shopping with Jieqiong. Kyungwon loved going outside, in general. She loved their Saturdays off, but she had decided she preferred lazy Sundays best. It is on these days when she would enjoy hot cup of tea and video call her dog, Kongie, just because she misses him. Or she would treat herself to a giant bowl of extra hot ramyeon, because she always seemed to be craving. But it is on these days when Siyeon would climb onto her bed bunk and they would just lie there, talking.

"Do you think I'd look good if I dyed my hair?"

Kyungwon props herself up on her elbows, taking a long look at Siyeon, probably imagining what she would look like without the raven black she had already grown so familiar with. "I think you'd look good in any color."

The older girl had decided not to wear any contacts that day, but she could have sworn she'd seen the slightest blush creep on Siyeon's cheeks. "Pink," she blurts out, making the latter raise an eyebrow. "It's a hard color to pull off, but I think you'd be able to do it."

"I really don't like pink that much..." Siyeon trails off. But she mumbles an inaudible, "but if you say so" right under her breath.

Kyungwon was half-joking when she had said this, you could say it was merely because of a hidden urge she had to see what Siyeon would look like in the color she knew the younger girl was uncomfortable with. But when she enters the practice room the next morning and sees the girls huddled in a circle, she sees a pink-haired Siyeon right in the middle of it all. Kyungwon finds herself with the toothiest grin plastered on her face. "Told you," she mutters under her breath.

❀❀❀

Siyeon was back alone in their room, flipping through Taeyeon's photobook to kill some time. Kyungwon had left earlier with Jieqiong and Eunwoo ― it's going to take a while for her to stop getting chills whenever she hears that name ― to grab some snacks at the convenience store nearby, claiming they were doing it for a meokbang.

She hears a knock on the door and she raises her head excitedly, and subconsciously lets out a sigh when she sees Yewon peeking out. The latter steps inside and takes a seat next to Siyeon, who was lying on her stomach. "You don't have to make it so obvious that it wasn't me you wanted to see, you know."

Yewon put on such a cute pout whenever she was being sulky and everyone always found it hard to stifle a giggle. Siyeon mumbles an apology and proceeds to ask her why she decided to pay a visit.

"Oh, I, uhm, just wanted to check if you were really okay." The older girl was back to her usual, caring self. "And, well, if you're still alive after witnessing how cool Kyungwon-unnie was, saving you and all."

Siyeon looks at the girl who had the brightest smile on her face skeptically, tilting her head in confusion. "Why's Kyungwon suddenly dragged into the conversation?"

"I thought you like-like her?" Yewon asks, mimicking Siyeon's reaction. The question makes the latter sit upright in a quick motion and she feels her eyes bulge.

"You think I like-like Kyungwon-unnie?"

"Well, uhm, everyone can tell, Siyeon-ssi. You go heart eyes whenever you look at her, plus you do pretty much everything she wants you to," As if Siyeon wasn't already taken aback, Yewon pushes even more. "In fact, I think you love her."

The older girl says the last sentence almost like a whisper, a secret no one knows about. Heck, even Siyeon didn't know about it. She was wise enough to know about the concepts of love, but she was still too young to actually know it. Sure, she had done Kyungwon's bidding all the time, but that was because... well, she wasn't really sure why. Something about respect, she guessed. She had been feeling all sorts of things whenever she and Kyungwon were together, but she honestly didn't think they would be adequate to escalate into love.

"I don't really think that's enough to serve as a basis to prove that I'm actually in love with her, unnie."

Yewon was aware that Siyeon never liked backing down, not even when she was about to lose. But she was also aware that Siyeon was a human being who was struggling to understand their own emotions and a teenage girl just like her, who was fighting to suppress them. "No," she starts. Before Siyeon is able to give another one of her witty remarks, Yewon continues. "But you will never be able to find an accurate basis to prove what you truly feel for her. It doesn't work that way, Siyeon-ah. You just... feel it."

A part of Siyeon wanted to scream. She wanted to swear at the girl in front of her for confusing her even more, but another part of her agrees. No matter how hard she tries to deny it, that part of her knows she's always looked at Kyungwon that way, and that she was longing for Kyungwon to look her way too. But the thought of being in love had terrified the young girl, so she tricked herself into thinking that what she had been feeling all this time was something lesser than.

"Then how," Siyeon cries out. She tries to blink back the tears but her vision is blurry. "How do I know?"

The sudden raise in the younger girl's voice shocks Yewon, but she doesn't even blink. Instead, she flashes Siyeon a fond smile and the latter feels a wave of nostalgia surge through her. "I told you before, didn't I? With love, you just know."

Yewon leaves Siyeon feeling dazed, yes, but somehow, enlightened. Tears of whatever emotion they may be subconsciously fall from her eyes as she lets out a small chuckle. "So much has happened today," Siyeon thought. She decides not to wait for the others to come and turns off the lights. But she remembers to say a silent prayer to the gods after crawling into her bed, thanking them for how everything's unfolded. She thanks them for bringing her into this lifetime. She thanks them for having been able to meet Yewon, and for using her to make her realize the most important thing. And finally, Siyeon thanks the gods for bringing both a headache and a blessing into her life, in the form of a tall short-haired girl named Kang Kyungwon.

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i could just end this right here tbh lol also i enjoyed writing this chapter waaay too much. decided to give y'all a longer one bc the prev two were only like 1k+ words ?? (￣▽￣*)ゞ lemme know what you think in the comments hehe (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ