Most kids find friends at an early age. And there are people who had friends as long as they can remember.  But for Joy it was different. She never had friends.

Ofcourse she talked to some of her classmates about group works and studies but she wouldn't label them as her friends. Because, for her friends held a deeper meaning. Friends does not only talk about group works and studies.

The main reason why she does not have friends was because of her father's work who had to move from one country to another from time to time. She couldn't stick around to make friends. Joy didn't complain to him about it. She knows that he wants the best for his family.

It was her mother who noticed that Joy didn't have friends and decided to take the big decision of staying at one place. So at the age of nine, her family finally decided to stay in Korea.

"Come on sweetie. Look at all the kids playing outside" Her mother had said pushing her out of the door. "You'll need friends in your life. Life is easier with them around"

Young little Joy had listened to her mother. She had walked over to the nearest group of kids who were playing around. All of their eyes were on her when she stopped infront of them and introduced herself.

"Hi I'm Joy. Can I be your friend?"

The girls simply laughed at her with someone muttering 'go away' harshly at her before continuing their game.

Joy had tears in her eyes as she started retreating towards her house when she heard a sound.

"Psst!"

She turned to the direction of the sound only to see a big old oak tree. She started moving again when she heard the sound again.

"Psst! Hei come over here"

This time she walked towards the tree, head turning to every direction possible to find the owner of the voice.

"Up here new princess"

It's only when she looked up that she saw two curious pairs of eyes staring back at her on a branch high above the tree. One of them was leaning against the trunk of the tree while the other one was hanging upside down like a monkey looking at her with sparkling eyes.

"You live in that castle don't you. You must be a princess" The sparkly eyed one hanging upside down spoke. And Joy realised she was the one who had called her over.

"Stop being delusional Seulgi this is not a fairytale movie" The other one spoke. "How many times do I have to tell you it's a mansion and she's definetly NOT a princess. Her family is just rich"

Ignoring the other girl's words the girl named Seulgi spoke again. "What's your name princess?"

She eyed the way the other girl kicked Seulgi's side muttering 'I TOLD YOU SHE'S NOT A PRINCESS' almost making her fall. What a weird duo they were. So Joy contemplated on whether she should talk to them or not while Seulgi pouted muttering 'That hurt Joohyun. I'll definetly take revenge for that'

Her mother had always warned her not to talk to strangers. And this duo was the strangest strangers she had met up until now. But on the other hand, her mother was the one who had pushed her outside to talk to strangers.

"Hi my name is Park Sooyoung. You can call me Joy if you want" She said finally deciding that it won't hurt to introduce herself to them.

"Okay Sooyoung! I'm Seulgi and this is my best friend Joohyun" Seulgi said finally moving to an upright position on the branch while the girl apparently named as Joohyun according to Seulgi opposed saying "No! My name is Irene" while glaring at Seulgi.

"Anyway we saw you trying to make friends with them. Let me say they are really mean. So we decided to give you a chance to be friends with us" Seulgi said.

And it seems like Joohyun or Irene always had something to say against Seulgi. "Not 'we', It was 'you' She said pointing at Seulgi before imitating her cheerful voice "Oh look Joohyun finally the princess came out of her castle"

"Stop being mean Joohyun. We can give her a chance right?" Joohyun looked like she was about to protest but what Seulgi said next seemed to soften her icy demeanor "She's alone and lonely in this new place Joohyun. She's like us"

But Joohyun wasn't as easy going as Seulgi. "Fine but only if she could climb up here"

Seulgi's face brightened up at that. "Come on Sooyoung. Climb up if you want to be our friend"

Joy had never climbed up a tree. But she was determined to have friends in her life. So Joy tried gripping at the trunk of the tree. She slipped and fell. Again and again and then again.

Seulgi watched her with a pout on her face while muttering things like 'you can do it Sooyoung' and 'This time Sooyoung don't give up'. On the otherhand, Joohyun watched her uninterestedly commenting unencouraging words such as 'weak' and 'This is going to take ages'

Indeed, she was weak. Joy was someone who used her brain rather than her strength. That was when a light bulb glowed on top of her head.

Joy started running towards her house not stopping even when she heard Seulgi's shouts. She cameback again with a rope in hand.

"Hei you cameback. Don't give up Sooyoung' Seulgi cheered again while Joohyun looked at her curiously as Joy tried to tie the rope around her foot.

When she was sure she had tied the rope securely around her feet, she hopped towards the tree. She remembered watching a video of a man climbing a coconut palm tree with his feet tied.

Although she wasn't as fast or precise as the man on the video it definetly did help as she was able to climb up to where the duo were.

"Well look at that Joohyun. She made it" Seulgi said with a wide smile that showed her teeth and made her eyes dissapear which made Joy fill up with a sudden warmth. Joohyun also had a smile on her face although it wasn't as wide as Seulgi but it made Joy smile as well.

"I must say that was very clever of you" Joohyun said scooting away to make space for her on the branch which Joy gladly accepted. ​​​​​"Welcome to our gang Park Sooyoung"

Their ages were different. Seulgi was one year older than her while Joohyun was four years older.

Joy always asked herself how the two had met and become friends because they had completely different personalities. Seulgi had told her that they were friends for as long as she can remember.

Seulgi was a ball of sunshine with her bright smile and round cute face smiling at everyone and Joy wondered why the girl hadn't had any friends. Maybe because Seulgi was kind of stupid. Joy realised it the day the girl answered, Science of classifying living organisms as Racism. The girl had a habit of sleeping like a log and was clingy with her friends which is only Irene and her.

Joohyun on the otherhand was a bold girl and only smiles once in a while. Joy learns later on that she smiles when she feels genuinely happy and only around people that really mattered to her. She is a person whose as caring as a  mother. Her cold ignorant persona, which she named as Irene is only a facade she puts up to protect Seulgi who trusts people way too easily and got hurt many times. 

Joy was overwhelmed the day when Joohyun protected her from a group of bullies on her first day of school along with Seulgi who tried her best to look as scary as Joohyun. Obviously failed. But it still made Joy's heart swell at the action. she felt like she had a place where she belongs to. Somewhere she fits in. They were only three but she felt complete. She would never ask for more.

Joy was so happy to have met Joohyun and Seulgi that she promised herself she would give them anything they wanted. Anything. She was rich so she could give them anything they wanted right? All it would take was her big teary eyes and pout to persuade her father to give her anything she wanted.

And that seemed to be the biggest mistake of her life. Cause Joohyun and Seulgi seemed to have totally different kinds of requests.

Like the time they invited her over to Seulgi's house about a month after they had met. 'Yaay! We're finally going to take a shower together' Seulgi had said raising her hands up in the air. Joy had thought Seulgi was only joking but she screeched out loud when Joohyun and Seulgi started taking their clothes off 'Are you crazy? Stop that' She had covered her eyes with her hand. It was Joohyun who talked her into it after removing her hands from her face allowing Joy to see her stark form. 'Don't be shy Sooyoung. We're friends. Let's say it is a way of getting closer to each other' The first time it was uncomfortable for Joy. But she did get the hang of it later on. Thankfully, they stopped that after Joohyun turned sixteen with Joohyun's excuse of growing up which twelve year old Joy thought was very weird (little did she know Joohyun had started having feelings for Seulgi from then on)

There was also the time the duo had dragged her to the edge of the cliff and told her to jump down to the lake along with them. They were well aware of the fact that Joy had acrophobia. 'It's about trusting each other. You trust us right?' Joohyun had asked effectively shutting any and every protests that were on the tip of Joy's tongue. Joohyun was always good at persuading. Joy still has acrophobia, though she must admit it was fun holding each other's hand and feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins as she faced her worst fear.

Well having friends was not all sunshine and rainbows. Joy learned that. They are also downright embarrassing.

For example the time when her mother couldn't make it to her parent teacher meeting so Joohyun who was seventeen years old then, attended it on her mother's behalf. Her teachers didn't believe Joohyun was seventeen and even accused her of  being younger than Joy who was thirteen at that time. 'You should have put on some make up that makes you look older' Joy had said to Joohyun on their way home.

Then there is Seulgi who was the ultimate definition of embarrassing in her dictionary. When she had told Seulgi that she had gotten her first period, Seulgi had yelled out loud 'Hei Joohyun! Our maknae finally got her period. She's already growing up' infront of all the people(probably everyone in the neighbourhood) who attended the talent show. Even Joohyun who was on stage to announce the winner hid her face in embarrassment.

Seulgi thought it was a good idea to cheer at Joy's spelling bee competition. She had cheered 'P-A-A-K-U-S-U-Y-A-N-G-U' loudly infront of a very silent crowd when Joy had walked up on stage and cheered 'J-W-O-I-Y' When she had walked down after finishing. Joy didn't know what was more embarrassing, the loud cheering or Seulgi's horrible misspelling.

There was also that time when fifteen year old Joy was about to make her first ever confession to her crush. But Seulgi just had to ruin it, hurriedly cycling over to where Joy and her crush were on her bike. 'Joy I just heard from Joohyun that you are finally going to confess to Charlie. I just wanted to say good luck' Seulgi said huffing and puffing after all the cycling  she had done. Her crush who had definetly got a shock turned her down later when she properly confessed.

 'Ow! how was I supposed to know that Charlie was a girl?' Seulgi muttered when an angry Joy had put her in a head lock while Joohyun fell from her bed laughing at what had happened. 'Why in the world would you cycle all the way from Joohyun's house to school just to wish me good luck?'  Joy was ofcourse furious at Seulgi that time, but later when she really thought about it, she found out that it was a heart touching gesture.

First kisses was a topic that would always give her nightmares. Sure she wasn't someone who had reserved her first kiss for the love of  her life. She did want it to be with someone special. Not that Joohyun wasn't special, she was ofcourse. But her first kiss didn't happen the way she thought it would.

Joy was only fifteen when the nineteen year old Joohyun had called up to meet her. Joy didn't think it was weird as they did meet up often when Seulgi was at dance practice.

'It's embarassing to say that I'm nineteen years old and didn't even have my first kiss yet' Joohyun had said with her puppy face with her bottom lip jutting out to make the perfect pout. 'please Joy help me out'

'Why can't it be Seulgi?'  Joy had asked wishing desperately that Joohyun would go to Seulgi with that, because she couldn't say no to Joohyun with the promise she had still been keeping.

Why the hell did Joohyun go to her in the first place? Joy had figured out by then. She wasn't blind not to see that Joohyun liked Seulgi more than just a friend. For Joohyun, Seulgi's always the first priority. It was obvious in the way Joohyun looks at her. But ofcourse, Seulgi was too dense and slow. Sometimes Joy feels like hitting the girl's head to see if the gears in her head starts working.

'Don't be stupid Joy! If I kiss her, I'm pretty sure I'll end up telling her that I have feelings for her'

'And that's a bad thing. why?'

'I thought you were smart Joy. I'll end up ruining our whole friendship'

'How are you so sure? What if she accepts your feeling? It would be much better right?'

'I don't want to risk our friendship Joy. You of all people should know that I put our friendship ahead of anything else'

Joy still wanted to argue. Because she had seen Seulgi and Joohyun's friendship go through thick and thin. Never once did they leave each other's side.

'Please Joy' And at that she was again obliged to keep her promise.

She sighed reprimanding herself for making such a promise. 'Fine! Let's just get this over with'

Joohyun was the one who initiated it by awkwardly cupping her cheeks not in a romantic way like how Joy had seen in movies, more like squeezing her face to make it look even more round. To make matters even worse she just had to say 'That's my cute little Park Sooyoungie' before pressing her lips against Joy's for a brief second. Yes, it was a total nightmare for Joy .

If her first kiss was a nightmare, she didn't even know what to say about her second. One thing for sure, it was much more worse than the first.

Just a few days after, when she was still recovering from her first kiss incident, Seulgi barged into where she was, shouting Joy's name at the top of her lungs as dramtically as she could. And where exactly was Joy? In her BATHTUB at her BATHROOM taking her much needed bath(Joy did curse at herself for the bad habit of forgetting to lock)

'WHAT THE HELL SEULGI! GET OUT NOW!' She yelled dipping herself lower into the bathtub to hide her self. But did Seulgi care? Nope.

Seulgi walked towards her as if it was completely normal to walk into someone's bathroom like that.

'Get out before I throw you out' Joy tried again with a threat.

'You'll never believe what Joohyun just admitted to me'  Seulgi said ignoring the harmless threat.

Joy let out an annoyed 'what?' trying to think of an effective way to make Seulgi go.

'She had her first kiss'

Joy's whole body froze trying to read the look on Seulgi's face. She even forgot the state she was in. Was that a look of anger or dissapointment in Seulgi's eyes? Maybe it was Jealousy. Joy wasn't sure. But she was afraid. Does Seulgi know that Joy was the one Joohyun had kissed? Why else would Seulgi be here.

'So what?' She said, her voice coming out a little shaky. Seulgi doesn't get angry much, but when she does, that person might aswell bury herself.

Joy was holding her breath, bracing herself for the worst that could happen(maybe a punch on the face) but what Seulgi said wasn't something she was expecting at all.

'Kiss me!'

'WHAT?' 

'I know you heard me. Just kiss me Joy' 

'B-but Seulgi' Joy whined triying to think of something, anything that could Seulgi change her mind. 'let's clear our mind and talk about this later okay? For the love of god, look at the state I'm in and you want me to kiss you' She said pointing at herself whose still in her bathtub.

'Please' And just like that all her efforts go in vain.

'Fine. Atleast let me get dressed first' But Seulgi didn't heed to her request and completely took her by surprise giving her a peck on the lips quickly running away before Joy could say anything. What a great way to have your second kiss!

An angry Joohyun complained to her the next day saying that she would kill the person who kissed Seulgi if she knew who it was. Thankfully, Joohyun didn't notice the unusually quiet and nervous Joy. 'Maybe it's Kai. I saw him talk to Seulgi after practice' Joohyun had muttered.

She should have known that some secrets cannot be kept for too long. Seulgi was high on anaesthetics after removing her wisdom tooth when she accidently slipped out that she had her first kiss with Joy.

If it was anyone else, Joy knew that Joohyun wouldn't hesitate to beat that person up. Joohyun just decided to give her the cold treatment instead, knowing very well that for Joy it was worse than getting beaten up. Joy literally had to beg her for forgiveness. When Joohyun finally forgave her, Joy made sure to make Seulgi suffer by decreasing the supply of Pringles. It was her fault after all.

Joohyun later on explained to Seulgi that she also had her first kiss with Joy. Thankfully Seugi wasn't angry at her. And the duo just had to laugh over it later with Joy crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance. She didn't know what was so funny about it, after all that she had went through for them. But she was glad that they weren't awkward with each other, though the three of them still go stiff whenever someone mentioned first kisses.

They chose entirIey different career paths. Joy started law school, Seulgi with her passion for dance chose to be a choreographer while Joohyun started a course of interior designing.

After graduating high school, Joy moved in to a shared apartment with Seulgi. Joohyun already had a roommate. The three of them usually hang around Joy and Seulgi's apartment.

'Why do you invite us over here only when your roommate is out? Is she a serial killer or something?' Joy had asked one day curious to why Joohyun never introduced them. 'She's a sweet girl really. She's busy most of the time with med school and all. But she's a huge play girl. That's why I keep you two away from her' Joohyun said dismissing any other talk about her roommate.

But God had other plans for Joy as she finds herself in a stranger's room one morning, after a long night of celebrating the end of law school. She had woken up in an unfamiliar room with no memories of what had happened after several drinks. Seeing that the other side of the bed was empty Joy tried to assume that she didn't do anything stupid, though her clothes lying on the floor and the red marks on her body said otherwise.

After having an internal battle with her mind she had picked up her clothes and decided to finally leave the place before the awkward confrontation. The familiar living room didn't register to her as she was too occupied with trying to remember what had happened. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a voice all too familiar to her.

​​​​​​'Yerim! I made breafast come eat'

Joy's head turned at the direction of the kitchen where Joohyun was too busy to notice Joy's presence, carrying plates to the dining table. Thinking of the worst that could have happened, Joy had screamed out 'Nooo!' ​​​​​​at the top of her lungs with her hands covering her ears dramatically, no doubt scaring Joohyun out of her wits in the process.

"J-Joy! What the hell are you doing here?" Joohyun asked before her eyes flickered over to where Joy had came out from. "And why did you come out Yerim's room?"

A moment of silence passed as Joohyun finally took in the unorganized appearance of Joy, the gears in her head finally turning as she understood the situation meanwhile Joy closed her eyes sighing in relief at the fact that her initial thought was false (If it was true, how would she explain to Seulgi that she accidently had drunken with Joohyun?)

"God! Joy!" Joohyun seemed to be in denial. "tell me this is not what it seems like"

Joy wished she could tell Joohyun that. She herself had trouble believing what happened. How can she when she didn't even remember it. Did it really happen? 

"It's exactly what it seems like" Came a voice from behind her and Joy had to turn around to look at the person.

Shoulder length blonde hair that seemed to be blow dried just seconds ago, eyes that seem to have a mischievous glint in them and a smirk on a much younger looking face. Joy must admit the girl was strikingly beautiful even with her bare face and messy blow dried hair.

That would be the first time she saw Kim Yerim-(the first time that she could actually remember)-the girl who was going to turn Joy's life upside down.

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A/N: This has been in my draft for too long and its been a while since I have posted a story so why not.

Honestly, I don't know if I have the motivation to write the next chapter or not. Well hope you all like it.