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KBS breaking news! Manhunt underway after Seoul bank robbed. Tune in live to our reporter at the scene.

“This is the scene over at KB Financial Bank. We are across the street where a bank heist took place at predawn. CCTV footage shows three burglars exiting through the fire escape with duffle bags of money. Police have reported zero casualties, but the culprits are on the run after engaging in a shootout with patrolling security. Local authorities say the culprits are armed, dangerous, and fleeing, and advise all citizens in the area to maintain caut-”

The T. V screen turned off.

Yena rubbed her eyes, wondering if it was her imagination; She was groggy from waking up moments ago, but the morning news had excited her curiosity.

“Who turned off the T.V?” She turned and asked.

    Eyeing her immediate surroundings gave the impression she was a lone survivor of a brutal war. Bodies littered every inch of the floor, and because there were more girls than the floor, some were laid on top of others. There were three bottles of Soju for each person down, but somehow, the reek of throw-up was all Yena could smell.

Looking up towards the couch, she found her culprit.

“It’s too loud,” Tzuyu said while already falling back to sleep. Her head dropped onto the cushion and she started snoring; and probably wouldn’t remember waking up to turn off the T.V.

    Yena reached over for the remote on Tzuyu’s lap and then stopped. A large vibration shook the ceiling. She looked up towards the noise and saw, through the staircase railing, Nayeon dragging down a suitcase.

“Is that you, Yena? Could you help us bring our luggage to the car?”

   Rubbing away the sleep from her eyes, Yena pushed herself up with one knee but regretted it as sickness traveled up her stomach. A tear flew down her cheek as she swallowed back her throw-up.

“I’m never drinking again.” She moaned in between desperate breaths.

The sound of footsteps approached her.

“Good morning.” Mina walked down the stairs.

   Unlike Yena, Mina showed no sign of a hangover. She looked refreshed from showering, and her skin radiated a white glow from the morning sun. Studying Mina’s eyes, though, gave signs of weariness—undoubtedly caused by yesterday’s wedding.

“Mornin’,” Yena replied.

Mina opened her arms, and the two hugged each other.

They stood like this for some moment, and as Mina was ready to break the hug, Yena leaned deeper into her shoulder.

“Falling asleep?” Asked Mina.

“Just a little,” Yena replied. “I think you’re curing my hangover… sorta reminds me of when my mom hugged me while I was sick.”

Mina smiled at the compliment and she squeezed into Yena.

Again, Mina felt Yena falling asleep again on her, but she allowed it. After all, this would be their last hug for some time.

One last earthquake rumbled on the staircase as Nayeon came down with their last suitcase.

“Do you know where my sunglasses are?” Nayeon hurried past the two girls and disappeared into the kitchen.

“In the island table drawer, my love,” Mina replied. She patted Yena’s back before breaking the hug and following Nayeon into the kitchen.

Yena groaned as the acid in her stomach returned. The desire to sleep again was tempting, but she fought on, knowing her time with her two unnies was limited.

   Inside the kitchen, Yena watched Nayeon open drawer after drawer, collecting various items and then clumsily shoving them into her pocket. Nayeon patted down her sweatpants in a lazy attempt to confirm whether she had everything needed. She walked three steps in no useful direction, changed her mind about not properly checking her belongings, and then unloaded her pockets onto the counter.

“Keys, wallet, passport, phone,” Nayeon whispered to herself.

Nayeon reached into her back pocket and produced a large fold of money.

   Yena counted the money as Nayeon did and confirmed the 700,000 won were accounted for. She did not understand why Nayeon needed that crazy amount of cash, but what surprised her was when Nayeon asked Mina. “Babe, do you have another 700,000 on you?”

“It’s in my purse, my love,”

Nayeon rushed out of the room and headed into the garage.

This time, Mina did not follow. She instead stood perfectly tranquilly at the kitchen counter.

“Coffee, Yena?” Mina offered.

“No, thanks.” Yena rubbed her stomach. “The thought of drinking anything other than water scares me.”

   Yena mentally replayed a timeline of yesterday’s event. It felt like getting dressed and taking bridesmaid pictures in the morning was a lifetime ago compared to the chaos that transpired last night. It was the first wedding Yena had attended since she was a child, and she forgot how much sitting and waiting was involved. The hours leading up to the ceremony where Mina and Nayeon exchanged vows felt like days, and she suspected this was why most of their friends were so eager to party after the ceremony.

   Mina chuckled, “That was the most I’ve seen you drink. Same for everybody else in the living room. Mina paused to consider her thoughts. “Besides Jihyo, and oddly enough, Hitomi. Hitomi holds her liquor well. Look alive though, Nayeon is coming back.”

   Nayeon’s footsteps were clumsy as she returned to the kitchen. In her hands was a food bag for Hoo. Nayeon poured a generous amount into the dog bowl, and in her excitement, spilled a majority onto the floor.

“I’ll clean it in a moment!” Nayeon stammered out, not allowing Mina to say anything to her first.

Mina, however, had no intentions of bringing it up, but she said “Yes, my love.”

“It’s already 7:00 A. M. We’re going to be late for our flight,” Nayeon blurted out, obviously in great distress. She started pacing around the kitchen again in a panic.

“We still have plenty of time.” Mina paused for a moment then added,” My love.”

“Oh, would you stop that!” Nayeon replied while returning her items from the counter back to her pockets. “It would be great if you could help me finish packing!”.

Nayeon was unaware, though, that Mina had already conveniently placed her lost sunglasses and the AirPods she’d forgotten with all her other belongings.

“Yes,” Mina smiled,”-my love”

   Nayeon threw a frustrated side glare. “You’re going to be the death of me, Im Mina!” She began marching towards the front door but immediately stopped. “Im Mina,” she repeated to herself, this time in an adoring voice.

“Yes, my love?”

Nayeon’s face grew sour. “That one was too easy! She angrily walked away. Yena heard Nayeon mention something about a cigarette as she passed her.

“Lovely, my turn now.”

   Mina started collecting her own travel necessities with perfect efficiency. She knew exactly what she needed and knew precisely in which cabinet to get it. Meanwhile, using her feet to sweep food pellets into a concentrated area, and then poured water into Hoo’s bowl—which Nayeon had forgotten to do.

   Yena watched Mina with great interest. Not because of the packing, but because she had noticed ever since Nayeon said “Im Mina”, Mina’s cheeks were a shade pinker than before, and she wouldn’t stop grinning to herself.

   Ten minutes went by and both girls had finished packing. A few of the previously snoring girls woke up and were waiting to say their goodbyes to the newly married couple.

“Have fun on your honeymoon!” Wonyoung said as she hugged Nayeon and then Mina.

“Take lots of pictures. I heard Vegas is beautiful,” said Sana.

Minju added in, “I hope you like the new matching hats I got for you; speaking of which, do you know where my white bucket hat is?”

Then at the end of the line stood Yena.

Mina took Yena in for one last hug. “Don’t miss us too much.”

   “Now that you mention it, I think I will,” Yena replied. There was melancholy in her heart after realizing she wouldn’t see her two favorite unnies for some time. And even when she sees them again, things will be different now that Nayeon and Mina were officially married.

“Nothing is going to change, Yena,” Mina said with a loving grin.

Yena leaned into Mina’s shoulder as a last show of affection.

“Chaewon is going to be upset that you didn’t say goodbye to her,” she mumbled over the fabric of Mina’s hoodie.

“We tried waking her up before we packed the car.” Said Mina. “She couldn’t lift her face from the toilet seat.”

   “Oh my goshness, Unnie, I can’t believe how much she drank at your wedding last night.” Yena broke the hug and placed both her hands on her hips. “True, Tzuyu and Jeongyeon unnie kept pressuring her with drinking games, but knocking out drunk before you could cut the wedding cake? It’s a crying scandal! Mina Unnie, did you know she threw up on me on the car ride home? What am I going to do about her?” Yena said with growing tension in her forehead.

   Mina chuckled in response. “See you in a month, Yena” Mina’s smile inverted, and she looked upset.” I’m going to miss you. It’s a shame Nayeon wouldn’t let me take you and Chaewon.”

   “Rightfully so!” Yena said with the same amount of disbelief as when Mina first offered to take Chaewon and her to Vegas. “It can’t be much of a honeymoon if you have us around, unnie.”

“I know. It’s just- I think you two would love Vegas.”

“Oh, boo hoo.” Nayeon interrupted them.

As Nayeon approached closer, Yena had to pinch her nose to avoid the cigarette smell.

   Nayeon continued, “After Yena and Chaewon graduate and make enough money, we can all go to Vegas together.” Nayeon put her hand on her chest. “I, for one, will enjoy my two-week vacation away from you brats. This is the first time Mina and I will have alone time since we first met Yena! Can’t you believe that? It’s been two years since Chaewon started sleeping in our house. Ridiculous! I was foolish to think that by now maybe, just maybe, Chaewon would move out and live with you and your friends.”

Nayeon stopped to point at Minju–as if Chaewon’s living situation was somehow her fault.

   “but no, instead, the reverse situation happened, and now, I even have Ahn Yujin paying rent from our couch. Believe me, when I say I will be in absolute paradise, being far away from you brats.” Nayeon nodded her head. She then saw the guilty look on Yena’s face then added, “even though I still love you.”

Mina reached for Nayeon’s crocs hanging from her book bag and slapped it hard across Nayeon’s arm. “Don’t say that.”

   “But I already have!” Nayeon replied. “I can’t take back what’s already been said,” She shifted her attention solely to Yena “Look, I don’t care if you, Chaewon, whoever, wants to have their own vacation at my house” She then pointed towards her home. “As long as when I return, there isn’t a pile of burnt rubble. Do whatever you guys please.”

“You make us sound like villains,” Sana said.

   Nayeon nodded her head, “Oh yeah? After our wedding yesterday, I think the title of villain is generous!” Nayeon then switched topics as if nothing previously was said,” By the way, do you have the picture of Chaewon at the Bores table? I want to see Aunt Meiwaku’s face after Chaewon threw up on her.

Minju took out her phone excitedly. “I have a video!”

   “Send me that please” Nayeon leaned over and watched Minju scroll through her camera roll.” Oh, and the one of Hyewon drunk dancing. Wait, is that Nako posing next to Chaewon on the toilet?”

“Okay, it’s time we leave.” Mina interrupted. “I’ll text the group chat when we get through airport security!”

“Don’t call us for anything either!” Nayeon added.

 ♡----------------------------------------------♡

Later that morning,

   Oddly enough, Chaewon didn’t wake up with a hangover. Sure, she had a few unexplained bruises on her thigh and legs, and the obvious dehydration left a sore throat, but it turns out, getting drunk prematurely meant recovering early as well.

   Breathing in deeply brought the scent of maple syrup and kitchen smoke. From her side, she could hear Mr. Seok call for food orders while shouting profanities from the kitchen.

   “This is exactly where I need to be.” Chaewon rested her head on the cushion. “How are you guys feeling?” She turned her head towards the inside of the booth (Chaewon always claimed the outside).

   Hyewon was face down on the table. She would have been mistaken for dead if she wasn’t squeezing a fork. Tzuyu was on her phone and sat on the other side of Hyewon. Then across the table sat Yuri and Chaeryoung. They were going through the wedding pictures. And last, there was her Ducky, who was fully concentrated on a T.V screen across the diner and had not said a word to her all morning.

   Chaewon thought to wave her hand at Yena’s face, but she changed her mind. She knew Yena was upset about her drunk behavior at the wedding; which was still not her fault! She thought it best to leave her girlfriend alone until they started eating.

   She felt bored and so started looking around the diner. At a long table, all the older girls, plus Minju and Chaeyeon, were talking and nursing hangovers. A startled cry from the opposite side of the diner brought Chaewon's attention towards Yujin (no surprise) as she was bullying Nako. Her stomach growled and now she grew irritated as she thought about her urgent need for food. At such moments, the more she grew impatient, the more she felt like telling Yena.

   Words left , but a sudden change in heart made her hide them in fake coughs. She glanced towards the other table to avoid any embarrassment. A childish urge in Chaewon caused her to fake another few coughs into her arm. She thought this would surely alert Yena. She waited, but Yena showed no interest in her. It was as if she was suddenly invisible!

She coughed louder into her arm.

“If you’re gonna die, die quietly!” Tzuyu hissed.

Chaewon flinched from the unexpected comment, but why was Yena ignoring her?

   It’s natural for a person to overthink the action or lack of action from the person they love. Half of falling in love is overthinking about said person. Chaewon, who was feeling the consequence of not having any of her girlfriend’s attention for the past few hours, was at the point of overthinking hysteria.

Does she not love me anymore? Is this how we’re going to break up? She thinks I’m unlovable now, doesn’t she? Oh, my gosh…. Yena thinks Im ugly!

“Chaeryoung!” Chaewon impulsively called out.

Yuri and Chaeryoung looked up from their phones.

“Yes, unnie?” Chaeryoung replied.

Chaewon looked at Yena, and then looked at Chaeryoung, who was sitting next to her. “Switch seats with me.”

“Me?” Chaeryoung said in disbelief. She knew that Chaewon hated sitting anywhere besides the outside, while she was in the least desirable seat, the middle seat.

“Quickly,” Chaewon insisted.

Instead of standing up and sliding into the booth like a normal human being, Chaewon folded herself like a worm and went under the table.

“Oh, I, I, guess” Chaeryoung looked at Yuri, who looked equally confused, but urged Chaeryoung to listen.

As they crawled forward and began passing each other, Chaewon’s temple hit Chaeryoung’s ear

“You go left, I go right.” Chaewon scolded while rubbing her forehead.

“My left or your left?”

“Just pick one!”

They bumped into each other’s heads again.

“Lee Chaeryoung!”

“You bumped into me. How is that my fault?”

“Just wait till I get up, and then you can get up after.”

    Chaewon pushed herself from under the table and was now seated between Yuri and Yena. A little after she got up, Chaeryoung found her seat as well, though she didn’t look thrilled about it.

Even sitting next to Yena, Yena still wouldn’t look at her. She thought maybe holding her hands would change that and did so, but again, she stopped herself.

What if she rejects it? Is Yena really breaking up with me?

Chaewon’s heart ached with guilt. Only now did she feel miserable about knocking out drunk so early.

When their food was finally served, everybody ate but Chaewon.

    The mental wall holding back Chaewon from crying was collapsing. She figured that by any second, the choking feeling would travel up her chest and she would cry like a newborn. A tear was already forming in her right eye, but she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Out of instinct, she faked a yawn and faced her soon-to-be ex-girlfriend. “Yes, Ducky?” she said.

    Yena was not aware of the self-inflicted mental turmoil Chaewon was suffering, but she did catch the developing tear in Chaewon’s eye and curiously rubbed it away with her thumb.

“Tired still?” said Yena in a calm voice.

“Yeah” Chaewon responded. “Just a little”

Yena held up Chaewon’s fork where a slice of pancake and strawberry was already waiting. “Eat, you’ll feel better”

On order, Chaewon opened and took a bite.

By the time she swallowed, another bite was waiting for her.

    Chaewon didn’t take the bite, and she was silent for a moment to gather her thoughts. Considering the circumstances, Yena’s undeserving show of affection was unsettling.

“... Are you mad at me?” Chaewon said in a guilty voice. As if already knowing the answer, she said with the full weight of her sorrow, “I’m really sorry”

Yena’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Sorry? What is there to be sorry about Wonnie?”

“Because I got drunk at the wedding last night.”

Yena was silent, but at last, she spoke. “I can see you would think that, but no, I’m not upset at you.”

“Are you saying that because you don’t want to fight or do you truly, in your heart, still love me despite my drunkenness last night? Said Chaewon.

   “Mmm, I already knew Yujin and Jeongyeon planned on getting you drunk, so it was expected. And besides, you always take care of me. Even before we started dating, and I out at Jihyo Halloween party...you took care of me and thinking back, it was probably then when I knew I had fallen for you, I felt safe when I was drunk with you and so taking care of you last night was me paying tribute to that.” Yena grinned, “And besides, now I have more embarrassing stories to tell about you,”

Yena raised her fork again and pushed it into Chaewon’s already open mouth. “Keep eating.”

Chaewon was shell-shocked by the unexpected love confession. If one person could fall in love with the same person again, Chaewon fell hard for Yena right then.

Realizing that she was moments from choking on a mouthful of pancakes, Chaewon continued chewing.

Not hesitating this time, Chaewon held onto Yena’s hand.

“How am I supposed to eat Wonnie?”

“I’ll feed you!” Chaewon dropped her fork and reached over for Yena’s.

Tzuyu scorned across the table. “Disgusting .”

   “Have you guys not passed the honeymoon phase yet?” Said Hyewon. Secretly, she thought the interaction across the table was endearing, but once hearing her girlfriend Tzuyu react negatively, Hyewon followed her ride or die.

Yuri said, “Yah, can’t we just eat without the nonsense? Even dogs eat in peace. Why can’t we?”

“Take another bite.” Chaewon smiled as she went to feed Yena again.

Yena’s attention, however, was glued again to the T. V screen.

Instead of getting annoyed as she usually would, Chaewon looked at the T. V screen herself.

   “We are back at the scene at KB Financial group where police have dubbed the biggest bank heist in East Asia. The manhunt that started earlier this morning ended in a car collision after local authorities cut off the suspects on a highway leading out of Seoul. Two of the three suspects are in custody, and the whereabouts of the third are still unknown. A police helicopter spotted the suspects’ abandoned and wet clothes nearby the Han River. Police warn again; that the remaining suspect is armed, dangerous, and fleeing, and citizens are advised in the local area to maintain caution until said suspect has been taken into custody. We are now going to show an image of the remaining suspect in question.”

   Chaewon squinted her eyes to study the image. The suspect looked to be an average male, perhaps a bit on the thinner side. It helped little that the suspect was wearing a black mask, but the intensity of his gaze stood out. She imagined being stared down by the suspect and goosebumps crawled up her arms. Looking at the image made her feel as if she’d be cursed with bad luck, or that some misfortune was about to fall on her, and now her mood was ruined.

“We know nothing about him.”

Both Yena and Chaewon turned and saw Jeongyeon sitting on top of the divider that separates the booths.

    “He’s a phantom. Headquarters and NSA can’t identify him from their databases.” Jeongyeon took out the lollipop from and turned to face the two girls. “And I was this close to grabbing his arm after their car crashed, but he was desperate, and a desperate man acts accordingly in that nature; Actions that a regular person could never really imagine.”

“What type of actions?” Chaeryoung asked.

    The former shrugged. “He jumped straight into the Han river, which was predictable. He had no other means of escaping, but it was the fact he survived which shows his desperation.” Jeongyeon reenacted with one hand the image of somebody jumping twenty feet off a bridge and into the water.

    “Now, normally, I’d just straight in for him, or at least put some lead into the water.” She patted her back pocket, which was probably where her revolver was holstered. “Can you imagine the promotion they’d give me for catching him? I mean a woman working for the government! Even worse, the police department? I’ll never make it up the ladder at this rate.”

   Tzuyu listened to Jeongyeon with a look of horror. “Maybe you’ll never climb the ranks because you disclose information about an ongoing investigation to your friends!”

“Oh yeah, just forget I said any of that.”

    “Ace rookie detective, my ,” Chaewon mumbled under her breath. She would have spoken louder, but she knew it was a one-way ticket for having a foot up her about last night.

Chaewon noticed Yena looked unwell.

“Everything okay, Ducky?”

“I hope Mina and Nayeon get to Vegas safely.”

Chaewon scoffed, “That’s it? I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

Yena turned her back on Chaewon; which was girlfriend 101 for being upset.

Chaewon hesitated, and she appeared embarrassed that she somehow still upset Yena. “What did I do?” she said in a tone of shock rather than guilt.

“It’s obvious,” said Hyewon.

“You dismissed how she felt. Of course, that would upset her,” Yuri explained.

Chaewon said, “I didn’t mean to! Honestly, I just don’t see why they wouldn’t land in Vegas safely.”

“From what I know, the remaining suspect may sneak into the airport hoping to escape the country with all the money,” Jeongyeon said.

“Hard to believe a wanted man could get on an airplane undetected,” Tzuyu argued.

   Jeongyeon shrugged. “I’m sure the security at KB financial thought the same about their money before one of their vaults was ransacked, and much of the police thought surely he couldn’t survive that jump into the Han river. But like I said, he’s desperate, and a desperate man is dangerous. There’s that old saying he who has a why; can bear any how.” Jeongyeon used her bowie knife to scrape off dead skin from her cheek. “Why… why.” She repeated to herself. Thinking out loud, she said,” I wonder why they set up the bank heist. What is their motive? If I can figure out why they needed the money, I might find him before he escapes.” She jumped off the booth divider. “And I might know where to find more information.” Jeongyeon reached over and grabbed half of Tzuyu's sandwich, “consider it a tax payment” She then walked out of the diner while deep in thought.

Most of the girls sat at the table with confused looks on their faces. Chaewon, however, hadn’t listened at all.

“I’m going to die if you don’t forgive me, Choi Yena!” Chaewon clung to Yena’s shoulder.

Yena didn’t budge. For one, she was reflecting on everything Jeongyeon said and two, she NOW was upset at Chaewon.

“Pleaseeee.” The latter said again, practically throwing herself onto Yena.

“Okay, okay, just get off of me,” Yena replied. She was still displeased with Chaewon, but she decided this wasn’t worth the public embarrassment.

Chaewon was cheerful again, and she promised not to upset Yena for as long as Mina and Nayeon were on their honeymoon.

Empty stomachs and plates of food distracted the girls from any more conversations.

   Just as it seemed their lunch would continue peacefully, Chaewon said, “By the way, how come nobody woke me up before Mina and Nayeon left? I never got the chance to say goodbye.”

“Oh, shuD uP” Chaeryoung exclaimed in a rare outburst.

Most of the girls could hardly believe Chaeryoung had the guts to stand up to Chaewon as she was a long-term admirer of the latter and her music.

The table interrupted with hysterical laughter.

Chaewon’s mouth hung dry as she felt betrayed by her “fan”, but eventually, she too found herself unable to contain her laughter and joined the chorus.

“I’m serious though!” She continued with a smile on her face, “I really wanted to say bye to them!”

“We tried waking you up, dufus.” Tzuyu explained, “Every time we lifted your face from the toilet seat, you complained about letting you die in peace.”

   “Die in peace! I thought you would surely want the opposite for me.” Chaewon laughed. She stopped once, realizing she was the only one laughing. In fact, Chaewon was sure none of the girls had heard her because, at that moment, their attention focused on the front door of the diner, and behold, the first of Chaewon’s many feared misfortunes was upon her.

   The hair on Chaewon’s neck alarmed her that something was not right. All the noise in the diner stopped. Even Mr. Seok peeked his head from the kitchen window. All eyes were fixated on a single man who had entered through the front door.

    Chaewon felt Yena frightfully grab onto her arm, which freaked her out even more. She couldn’t make out the face of the man from that far, but she recognized the taller lady that followed him, only because she was a splitting image of herself.

Miss Kim walked around the diner with her sight only on finding one person. “Where is my daughter Kim Chaewon?