This chapter contains stories that includes peace, chaos and peace and chaos at the same time.

 

It started about more than a month after the roadtrip when a woman moved to the house across the street. Having a new neighbor, a new face that the girls didn't see for the whole 6 years. Not that they're tired of each other, it's just that new people are exciting. That excitement drove them crazy.

 

The new neighbor's name is Sunmi. Yooa and Hyojung were the first ones to see her when they bumped into her one time after buying groceries on the mart in the neighborhood. Sunmi is a known celebrity, has done a number of successful midnight shows. With that, the woman is given as that 'famous and cool' neighbor that they always wanted to have.

 

And as that is what the girls always wanted to have, they've become very... very -- in Jiho's term, "Excessively showy.", about it. Almost everyday, the girls give her snack supply. And according to Yubin, it's "Very unnecessary because that woman is rich and can buy her own pizza.".

 

Uhuh, pizza, cookies, cupcakes, name it. 

 

"What should we write? What should we write?!" 

 

That's Hyojung panicking as Hyejin held the box of cupcakes. They're both incredibly fascinated about this woman and want to send their regards welcoming her in the neighborhood- for the 6th time. 

 

Just write 'Welcome'? What's so hard about that.. god. Jiho was up at the eldests' rooftop once again that morning. She was supposedly watching the blue skies and cirrus clouds floating above them but Hyojung and Hyejin have been so loud about this box of cupcake they're about to give to the woman across the streets who is visibly working out on what could be the living room of the house. 

 

Jiho can't tell if she's watching her unnies because she's annoyed or because she thinks it's funny that they're going crazy about this one simple thing they have to do- give the cupcakes to the new neighbor. 

 

"They act as if they're about to confess to their highschool crush." Jiho whispers to herself while scratching her head at Hyojung and Hyejin's unusual behavior. 

 

Jiho was alone that day. It's one work holiday where everyone is at home but Jiho is instead spending her morning at the rooftop. Arin was so busy with Seunghee earlier and she couldn't in plus she doesn't want to so she just knocked at Hyejin's and chose to go skyseeing.

 

As Hyojung and Hyejin went out of their residence and crossed the street to ring Sunmi's doorbell, Jiho leaned back and decided to go back home. 

 

Halloween is coming. Last year, they had a whole party for the group and went treat-giving on the streets. It's Arin's idea, the eight of them going out and giving candies to the kids that walk pass by them. 

 

This year.. Jiho's unsure. Firstly, all of them might take the two-day holiday to rest. Secondly, she's lazy. And lastly, her friends are too busy feeding Miss Sunmi their attention.

 

Heading out of the beige house, Jiho saw the bulk folders sitting at the center table. As she could remember, Hyejin was the one scannign through all these wedding plans when she got here. Jiho smiled, busy days are about to come for the older couple.

 

Back when Yubin and Seunghee got married, their parents took care of everything. That's why it wasn't so hard for them and didn't take too long to prepare. It seems like Hyejin and Hyojung wants to plan their own. I wonder if they'll ask for our help. 

 

Talking about couples who needs help, Jiho's just about to walk pass by their houses. Mimi and Yooa seem to be doing good but still adjusting. From Jiho's perspective, the two have gotten used to talking a little as most of their time goes to their respective careers. 

 

"Hi Jiho!" Yooa called from the living room, waving at her outside. Jiho waved back and looked forward again while smiling wide. There she saw Seunghee coming from their house.

 

Something about Jiho's friends pull out the best of her: the happy version of her.

 

"Hey Jihoooo." Seunghee gave her cheek a small pat before walking towards her own house. Jiho was almost caught offguard but Seunghee had been doing it a lot these days. She's sort of getting used to Seunghee's sudden affections.

 

Who knows? Maybe I'm her favorite friend now.

 

"Seunghee, you're out so early.. Where have you been? I told you, we have to talk about our weekend schedule." 

 

 

That's Yubin coming out from her main door, walking to take Seunghee's hand. Seunghee smiled and wrapped an arm around Yubin's waist instead. "Sorry Bin, I was with your sister. We gave Sunmi unnie a box of pizza." 

 

A BOX OF PIZZA?

 

And Yubin had the same reaction: stopped walking and gave Seunghee a look. "A what?!" 

 

"Pizza...?" Seunghee's voice toned down from her usual talking voice, she does this when she's scared of Yubin's reactions.

 

"So you're saying you bought a box of pizza and it didn't even enter our house even just its box." Yubin raised her hand to her head, gently massaging her temple. "Because you want to give it to someone else that's not any of the unnies?" 

 

Yeah right, when was the last time we had pizza together? Jiho just continued walking to her home while her bestfriends continued talking while walking into their respective house. 

 

"B-but Sunmi is our unnie!"

 

"We don't even know her!"

 

"I know her! I watch her shows!" 

 

"The hell, Hyun Seunghee. You're spending money for that and didn't even prepare breakfast for your wife."

 

And then they fight.

 

Jiho didn't want to hear all of those but she also wanted to. It's always quite a sight to see how Seunghee and Yubin engages into a fight, or find out the reason why the two fight. Mimi and I sometimes play a game called 'Why is SeungBin fighting?'. The one who gets it right after counselor Seunghee tells the real reason gets an "I owe you" card.

 

As soon as Jiho stepped onto the concrete pavement to her house, she stopped after seeing her fiancée by the gate with Mimi who just got her hair dyed dark red. This woman loves trying new things and she never fails making the best of it each time she does.

 

"Seunghee unnie and I gave her a box of pizza." Arin proudly stated after pointing at Sunmi on the next street talking to Hyojung and Hyejin. Mimi let out a small chuckle and a slight shake of head before leaning on the gate. 

 

She received a small pout from the younger. "Oh sorry, it's just that me and Yooa gave her a box of cookies."

 

"Really? Hyojung and Hyejin unnie just gave her a box of cupcakes." Unlike Arin who's been obviously watching their neighbor, Mimi just lowkey glanced across the street again then went back to facing Jiho and Arin's house.

 

Now looking at the second floor of the residence, Mimi noted in mind to go there later at night when she continue working on a building project. Mimi has her own space to draw at home but sometimes, she gets these good design ideas when she's somewhere out home. 

 

Jiho and Arin have this very wide second floor, those two maximized their house lot, that's why they seem to have this huge space all for resting. Knowing Jiho and Arin, they do love resting. Jiho used the money her parents saved for her for college, but she didn't use it because her aunt paid for all her college fees. That's after she lived with her relatives years ago.

 

"Hmm, she received a lot of box today." Mimi muttered while playing/tapping randomly on the steel gate. She heard Arin sighing.

 

"I feel bad. She still has a lot to unbox. Hope she'll like the pizza.."

 

Mimi finally turned to face wheere Arin is looking at. She saw Sunmi still talking but only to Hyojung now. Hyejin may have gone back home. "Don't worry, she's not talking about your pizza right now."

 

"How would you know that?"

 

"I learned how to read lips." I'm amazing. I know.

 

"How- Jyo!" 

 

Mimi slightly turned to her back and saw Jiho grinning behind her, which she responded with an ear-to-ear smile. 

 

"Hey, wow. Mimi, looking hot." Jiho formed scrissors on her fingers of right hand and acted like she's cutting Mimi's new dyed hair. Yes, red hair. I'm amazing, again. I know.

 

"Thanks. Now I want to change it back to black." She joked and watched Arin cling on Jiho. Now she's suddenly thirdwheeling. But still, seeing these two happy just made her smile. 

 

"Duh, you were in a hurry wanting to color your hair again."

 

Mimi gave Jiho a small slap on the shoulder. One thing she could only do once in every 3 years. It's more of her friends hitting her like that than her hitting them like that. "Hey- Don't tell Shiah!"

 

"I won't! I won't. Damn, you're intense." Jiho's furrowing eyebrows and lightly patting her shoulder that's been hit but then she turned to Arin. 

 

"Have you had your breakfast at Hyojung unnies?" The youinger asks, locking her hands with Jiho's. Mimi rolled her eyes at the sight. When this happens, you should know that you have to go because Jiho and Arin just always gets too much into their own world. 

 

"No, I haven't."

 

"Come on, let's eat together."

 

"Just eat, right?"

 

"And talk about our weekend schedule." That's my cue. Mimi taps Arin's shoulder and whispered she's going now. The two nodded at her and started walking back to the blue and gray house. 

 

"Ugh, I don't want to. I'm busy every weekends."

 

Mimi gave Jiho a small pat on the head and waved at them. "Mimi unnie! Tell me how to read lips next time!" Arin says with a giggle as she disappears into the door with Jiho.

 

Reading lips.

 

This is how. After years of living with Yooa- the busy studious girl, Mimi learned that she couldn't just go to the living room and turn on the TV making noise all over the place while her girlfriend is trying to memorize bunch of medical procedures. Yooa wants it quiet when she studies.

 

It first happened 4 years ago at Yooa's apartment. 

 

"Shashaa! I'm home!" Blonde hair Mimi entered Yooa's apartment, locking the door behind her. She's spending the night here but she's welcomed with her girlfriend, in a oversized white shirt, reading glasses, hair tied in a bun; sitting on the dining table with many books and reviewers surrounding her.

 

"Hey-" Yooa stood up from her seat and gave Mimi a tight hug, and then pulled away so quickly. "Mihyun.. I'm gonna study, okay?"

 

Yooa looked at her and Mimi felt that the girl's serious and she can't talk her to at least spend a few minutes with her. 

 

"Oh right. Sorry." Mimi placed her backpack on the couch while Yooa went back to her studying area. 

 

"Gonna watch Shrek instead!" Mimi exclaimed as she hopped on Shiah's couch. 

 

Yooa threw crumpled paper at her. "Mi! I said I'm studying."

 

"Sorry." With a small chuckle, she took the crumpled paper and opened it. Written on it was 'I know, I said we'll spend the night together. I'm really sorry. I love you.'. And Mimi was relieved the whole night.

 

Next, at Mimi's apartment where they lived together.

 

"Happy anniversary Shiah." Sitting beside Yooa on the dining area, Mihyun leaned to kiss her girlfriend's cheek. Yooa smiled and opened the small rectangular box Mimi placed on the table where she's writing down her reviewer. 

 

It's a new pair of reading glasses. Gold and roundy. Just like what she wished the other month. "Happy anniversary baby, thank you so much for this. I'm sorry we can't go out today.." 

 

Yooa leaned to kiss her, arms wrapping around her neck and just when she's about to hold the girl's waist, Yooa pulled away.

 

Mimi smiled widely, "It's okay. We can do that next week. Movie tonight?"

 

Teeth sunk gently on Yooa's bottom lip as she looked at Mimi with that look again. Can't today, I guess. "Um.. That too. I have to study. I'm a day behind my schedule because we stayed the weekends at your parents." 

 

Okay. That's my fault.

 

"You were busy last year too."

 

"Hey. I'm sorry.. I'll make it up to you. I always do. You know that, right?" 

 

I know. So she nodded and gave her an assuring smile that she's fine.

 

"I'm fine. Sorry, I just missed you, I guess." She admitted. Not really the type of person who would say that straight up to her girlfriend but she just really do miss her.

 

"Promise, you won't be sleeping alone tonight." Yooa giggled softly after giving her a soft kiss on her cheek. 
 

"Okay." Mimi stood up to give her time to start doing what she has to do and went to the sofa. Her hand automatically clicked on the ON button of the TV remote and the next moment, she heard Yooa behind her.

 

"Mihyun. TV." 

 

"Oops- Yeah, sorry."

 

Now, finally in their house together, Mimi has become a trained soldier and knows that she should put the TV on mute when she wants to watch or else she and Yooa will fight.

 

After bidding a goodbye wave to her neighbors Arin and Jiho, Mimi went back inside and like how she usually does it, she walked to the living room and opened the television but it remained on mute. Peaceful. Quiet.

 

Mimi was resting her back comfortably on the couch while looking at the people on this afternoon show's lips when someone talked so sudden.

 

"Baby, why are you watching like that?"

 

"Aaa! Shiah- how long have you been there?" Mimi jumped out of the couch and looked behind her, Yooa was sitting on the dining table. 

 

"Um, since earlier? I asked you to throw the garbage right?"

 

Ah yes. Mimi did throw the garbage and met Arin, and forgot Yooa is in the house. She got used to not having her partner around at this time of the day.

 

"Oh. Right, I got occupied with Arin. Sunmi unnie got boxes of cupcakes and pizza from the girls too." Mimi went back to her seat when Yooa stood up to join her on the couch. 

 

"But she liked ours, did she?" 

 

"Yeah she did." Mimi grinned and wrapped an arm around Yooa's shoulder as they sat together, like every night but this time, it's early morning.

 

"Give me that." Yooa took the remote from Mimi's lap and unmuted the TV.

 

Mimi chuckled, realizing. "We're done with my muted TV era?" Her girlfriend held her hand and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. The same feeling from 5 years ago when they were just starting dating came back to her. "Yes, sorry about that."

 

"Hm, it's okay." The smaller girl leaned her head on Mimi's chest. She said it was okay, but she still thinks she and Yooa have a lot of catching up moments to do. 

 

Anyway, the next day, the two woke up early because they'll be having breakfast together with Sunmi at Yubin and Seunghee's patio. As said, that excitement of having Sunmi in the neighborhood drove the girls crazy, except Yubin and Jiho who can't seem to figure out what's so fun about the new neighbor that their friends and girlfriends are having breakfast there with Sunmi at the patio and didn't even budge about asking them to join. 

 

"Can you believe them?" Yubin rolled her eyes as she walked inside Jiho and Arin's living room, plopping down at the sofa bed in instant. Jiho just finished taking a bath and is cooking ramen for herself. 

 

 

"I can't. Arin didn't even kiss me before leaving the house." Jiho turned the stove off and transferred the ramen to her favorite bowl. 

 

"You don't need to kiss everytime." Yubin replied just instantly.

 

Jiho glared at Yubin who wasn't even looking at her but instead, on the ceiling. "I want to." 

 

"You're so clingy." Yubin finally sat up and watched Jiho eat on the table alone. Jiho grinned at her before taking a slurp. Afterwards, she gave Yubin a scoff.

 

"You're just jealous because Seunghee wouldn't kiss you unless you begged for it."

 

"Just- Shut up, okay?"

 

The two of them rarely get together alone in the same room. Not because they're awkward but it doesn't really happen often. First, Yubin is usually getting dragged by Seunghee and secondly, Jiho only goes out of her house when she's at work: with both Seunghee and Yubin, or when she stays at Hyojung and Hyejin's rooftop: with Mimi. 

 

"I won't even ask why you're here."

 

"I won't ask why you're still here." 

 

Jiho just smiled, she placed her chopsticks down for a moment and waited for Yubin to talk again. I know she would.

 

"What's with that Sunmi? Why are they so fancy about her?"

 

I knew she would.

 

Even when Jiho and Yubin don't talk a lot like she talk to Mimi or how Yubin talk to Hyejin and Shiah or Hyojung, she still can tell what she's thinking. "We'll never know unless we go there." She replied and took a sip of water from the glass next to her bowl.

 

"But I won't." Yubin answered, or decided.

 

"Yes, we won't." Jiho supported her, and also, she doesn't want to. It's clear that their friends are too interested with the new neighbor and if they wanted, they would've asked them to come and join. No hard feelings, by the way.

 

"Want to go over Yooa unnie's and ask her?" Jiho heard Yubin asking. 

 

"What, she's not with them?" She asks back, as far as she knew, Yooa is one of the Sunmified. Sunmified, huh.

 

Yubin nodded and got off Jiho's sofa bed. Jiho grabbed her bowl of ramen, ready to go out. "I didn't see her, maybe she's showering or something."

 

They walked out and walked pass by the patio, the girls didn't even give them a glimpse and are so busy listening to Sunmi talking about her life. It annoyed the two even more.

 

Were they jealous? Yes.

 

Were they feeling out of place? Literally yes. 

 

"Shiah unnie?" Jiho called. Yubin opened the door for her and she went straight to the couch to continue eating. The television is still on but no one was watching so Jiho did that job for this household. Yooa was wearing her earrings, walking downstairs now that they called. It seemed that she just took a bath.

 

"Hm? Oh. Hey, what's with the ramen, Jiho?" The girl being questioned looked up at Yooa standing by the couch and then muttered, answering, "They're all busy having breakfast with the new neighbor." 

 

"Ah, Sunmi unnie. She's amazing, right? I'm just about to go there." The eldest of the three didn't even try hiding the excitement in her voice. 

 

"Oh.. Okay." Yubin sat down next to Jiho and Mimi and Yooa's TV. It's just casual of them to do it, they're always welcome to use Mimi and Yooa's living room just like back then when they were still at apartments.

 

Yooa, after finally tying her hair in pigtails paused from stepping out of her house and turned to look at her miserable friends. 

 

Even with the noise coming out from the television, it's obvious that the two sulking girls are still waiting for Yooa to respond and at least join them. This isn't the first time that this happened, but this is the first time Jiho and Yubin are together after a whole week of eating breakfast alone.

 

One soft hum from Yooa who was standing by the doorway and the two poor girls already turned their heads with hopeful eyes wishing she would stay. 

 

Knowing she can't resist Jiho eating ramen like a kid on the couch and Yubin with round cute eyes blinking at her, Yooa sighs. "Fine, I'll stay here but Yubin and I will cook since you won't give us even a sip from that, Jiho."

 

As the three sat down at the dining table, Yooa starts glancing at the two younger women whose eyes were fixed at their food. Jiho's ramen is still not finished and it's so not-Jiho. On a normal day, Jiho would've finished that fast so, this certainly isn't a normal day. Yubin hasn't touched her bacon too and Yooa knows Yubin, she loves food. Why won't she touch her food?

 

"Okay. What is it?" No one responded.

 

"You two have problems about breakfast?" Yubin and Jiho both shook their heads lazily.

 

Yooa sighed and took the last sip of her iced coffee. "I will leave if none of you talk."

 

"What''s with the new neighbor?"

 

"We should all be together on holidays but you're all hung up on her."

 

"We.. We're just welcoming her?"

 

"You've been welcoming her for a week."

 

Yooa chuckles as she pointed at the two set of eyes avoiding her gaze. "Are you two jealous?" 

 

"Wow, I never thought Bae Yubin and Kim Jiho would miss the group this way." Her small comment just walked pass Jiho and Yubin's head as if they didn't hear it. They didn't even smile at Yooa's teasing. Scratching her head, she sighed once and tapped on the table to grabbed their attention.

 

"How about this, tomorrow we'll all go to Sunmi unnie's house for breakfast. Just try to get to know her! She's awesome, really."

 

And they couldn't say no to Yooa who stayed with them throughout the whole breakfast. 

 

Before 'tomorrow' comes, there were three different conversations going through each couple the night before. 

 

Hyojung and Hyejin.

 

Hyejin just finished washing dishes. She's drying her hands with the small kitchen towel hanging by their refrigerator.  "Hyojung, have you received a reply from your aunt?" 

 

"Uh. About what?" Hyojung looked confused. Has she forgotten? No, Hyojung didn't. But for a moment, she did.

 

"We talked about her singing on our wedding, you forgot?" Hyejin's look kind of made Hyojung panicked.

 

"Ah! Sorry, yes. Uhm, I mean no, she hasn't replied yet." The older of the two walked to the living room and glanced outside to the house across the street. Sunmi unnie invited us for breakfast! What should we get for her?

 

She took the folder on the center table, planning to check it out later before going to sleep. How about I ask Hyejin to go on a date this weekend? It's been long since we had a date with just the two of us alone.

 

Hyojung had many thoughts in her head. It's as if she was panicking but she can't lay out the reasons why she feels this way. She sat down and tried to think in silence. They have work again after two days. There's still a day to be not busy. 

 

Hyojung seems occupied. Isn't it ironic that she's hugging our wedding plan folder but forgotten about that slight detail I asked her to? Hyejin took a deep breath and sat beside Hyojung on the couch. "Okay. What are you thinking about?"

 

What am I thinking about? 

 

"Nothing.. Oh, we should get that two slots for the Sunmi show live tomorrow morning when we talk to her." 

 

Seriously?

 

"Yeah, sure. We definitely should." Hyejin said anyway and gave up. She knew Hyojung is thinking about something else. She can tell.

 

Mimi and Yooa.

 

Mimi just finished brushing her teeth. Yooa is sitting on the bed, waiting for her girlfriend to join. It's not much of a long day. All they did was eat lunch, order pizza and have that movie date Mimi had been asking for the past years. 

 

It's worth it. But the movies they watched aren't that as good as the once they used to enjoy before. Maybe it's because Harry Potter is too good and nothing else, aside from Spiderman, can compare. 

 

Their movie dates back then is almost the same enjoyable dates because they rewatch their favorite films together. Mimi thought watching new sets of movies would give them a new start.

 

Yooa and Mimi were both all quiet the whole time. They just talk when it's ended or when they ate pizza. Clearly, it's not that good. Or maybe we can try again next time.

 

When she finally reached upstairs. Yooa was sitting silently on the bed. Mimi looked at the ceiling for some excuse to think about "Oh! Jiho said I look good in this hair."

 

Yooa, in pigtails and an oversized pink shirt, sitting on the edge of the bed while slowly stomping her feet-- was humming while watching Mimi walk around the area. What is she doing? Still cute.

 

"Yes, Mim. You look hot." It was an honest comment. And also, honestly, she wanted to tell her girlfriend that she likes the red dye as soon as Mimi got home that day but the woman was rather busy looking for some cat pictures that Seunghee sent to their groupchat.

 

Should I ask her about the cats? Yes. Aside from their mini-everyday-celebration of having Sunmi around. If Arin has a thing for  puppies, Mimi and Seunghee have been talking a lot about cats.

 

"She did say that too."

 

Should I open a new topic?

 

Mimi heard Yooa humming. She's done letting time pass by walking around and her feet are not tired so she decided--

 

to lay down on the bed, humming along with Yooa.

 

At this point, we could just record this harmonizing slash trying to make things unawkward tonight.

 

"Uh."

 

"Yes?"

 

"Nothing."

 

Okay. This is so sad.

 

"Let's sleep now?"

 

"Okay."

 

Yooa switched the lights off and joined Mimi on the bed. And it's not so dark because of the lamps. Something's wrong here.

 

They hugged comfortably, like they always do. It is peaceful.. but it's also unsettling, so awkward how they couldn't find anything to talk about. 

 

It's freaking just 11:30 PM. We're sleeping at 11:30 PM after that awkward conversation ending. 

 

What's missing here..? What do I have to talk about with Mimi? I feel like I have to say something more. 

 

"Mihyun?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"I love you." And that made her smile.

 

"I love you more, Shiah." Now it feels better.

 

Seunghee and Jiho and Yubin and Arin.

 

"Have you talked about it?" That's Arin asking as she walked from their door to Seunghee and Yubin's door. Jiho and Seunghee are sitting together at the big couch in SeungBin's living room-- looking at something that would possibly be the cats Seunghee had been keeping an eye on.

 

 

"About tomorrow? Yes! Yubin will take a bath first and I will clean the house before we go to Sunmi-" Seunghee was talking about her morning plans, they've been invited to Sunmi's tomorrow at breakfast and she won't stop talking about it.

 

That's why Yubin rolled her eyes when she entered the house and heard Seunghee talking about Sunmi again. The same Sunmi who's the reason why their patio was so dirty. Seunghee wasn't like this before. She's a clean person who would clean the mess in her own home but Yubin still had to clean the patio for her.

 

"No! About when we'll spend the weekend with our parents." Arin said and took the phone to get Jiho and Seunghee's attentions. The latter two huffed like kids on the couch while sisters Yubin and Arin stood in front of them with arms crossed.

 

"Ah, yeah. On weekend." Seunghee joked, to lighten up the mood because the sisters seemed to be too serious right now. Jiho laughed to support her but stopped when they saw no change in the looks given to them.

 

"Seunghee-" Arin had enough of it. Maybe Yubin felt the same too. The four of them need to talk about when are they visiting and staying at Yubin and Arin's parents, which both Jiho and Seunghee are trying to avoid. 

 

The plan was to talk by themselves, couples first, before they discuss together- like this. They initially wanted to do it every weekends. That was their deal back when they agreed to live together in these homes they have now. 

 

It's gotten pretty hard to do that, especially when their partners don't want to. But after the deal Jiho and Yubin had when they went to a summer trip, there's no turning back now. 

 

Yubin took the remote from beside Jiho and turned off the TV. "She's joking. How about on Christmas?" The woman in control right now is Yubin, even Jiho who usually has something to say is just following along what's gotta be done. 

 

They moved to the dining area and sat in a circle. This way, Jiho and Seunghee won't be distracted by the TV or whatsoever. "Wait- I thought you said on December, not Christmas day. How about my family?" Seunghee asked, my parents would be jealous if I only went back in town for Yubin's family.

 

Yubin nodded as if she knew this would be raised to her. "Then, we'll spend the new year's eve on your parents' house." 

 

A head dropped on the table with a loud grunt, the head is Kim Jiho's. "That's unfair! It means I'll spend both christmas and new years on Arin's."

 

And Jiho's shoulder received a light slap from her fiancée. "And you're complaining?" YES, I AM.

 

"I'm not!" Yes, I lie. "I mean- Fine. Then if that's the plan, we have to tell the others about our year end holiday plans, they should celebrate theirs with their parents too."

 

It's supposedly the first Christmas they'll be together as a group.. One time before, they talked about spending both holidays together in these new houses they have but maybe they can just do it next year. It's all Jiho's fault for losing to Yubin on that dodge game, river version.

 

--

 

"Hey, you two. Stop fondling each other. Arin, sit beside me." Sitting with legs crossed on Mimi and Yooa's couch, Seunghee flapped her hands repeatedly, telling Arin to come to her. Jiho didn't have the energy to bicker and take Arin back. She takes a sip from her morning choco, made by Mimi. 

 

Arin woke up early to take a bath and so, Jiho had to do the same and follow the younger to Mimi and Yooa's house. They're having breakfast at Sunmi's place and the girls gathered at MiYoo's first. 

 

"Oh you haven't seen them in their sofa bed." That's Yubin, just arriving from next door. It's a given that Seunghee and Arin are more excited than Jiho and Yubin. And that's why Jiho didn't want to waste her energy talking to Seunghee but Yubin is on the same level as her at this moment. 

 

"Stop invading our privacy!" Jiho shrieked, not wasting the chance to annoy her soon-to-be sister-in-law.

 

"Then pull down the blinds so I can't see you two!"

 

"Don't look!"

 

"It's not my fault you have a big transparent glass door across my living room."

 

Jiho couldn't say another word because when she was about to sip on her hot choco again, Yooa who came from upstairs and done with her morning routines suddenly took the cup from Jiho. "Hey! That's mine."

 

Mimi walking downstairs chuckled as she saw what happened. "Sha, I thought you don't want hot choco." The red-haired woman walked around the kitchen aisle and prepared another one for Jiho. "Here you go." 

 

And a wild grin formed on Jiho's lips, moving on from thief Yooa. This happened a few times and Mimi's just glad the two can still keep up with each other. There's a slight tension being Mimi's bestfriend and girlfriend sometimes.

 

"Wait a minute." Seunghee stood up from the couch, leaving Arin with Yubin. Two squirrel fingers pointing at Mimi and Yooa's clothes. "Why are you two dressed?"

 

The couple in question didn't answer. Yooa continued whatever she's doing: staring at the refrigerator as if she's very busy there. Mimi suddenly looked busy cleaning the kitchen table. "Yah, we're just having breakfast. Do you have plans?"

 

"Nothing. We just want to be presentable." Yooa's lying. 

 

This early morning when she woke up, Mimi is already cooking downstairs and asked her out on a date. This date however, has come to Mimi with the fact that she and Yooa needs some more alone time with each other and;

 

that she saw Hyojung's text to Yooa about Sunmi's plan to invite two, just two, from their group to join the live audience for tonight's show. 

 

Of course, they want to be chosen later and better ready themselves. That's the real reason why they're dressed up very nicely. 

 

"Now, I want to change clothes." Arin pouted. It should be fair that everyone looks presentable in front of the famous Sunmi today. She thought.

 

"Me too."

 

Before Arin and Seunghee could leave their seats, Yubin spoke out. "No. No one's changing now. We're going there like normal neighbors." 

 

Jiho grinned when the two followed. Mimi and Yooa felt relieved they're not busted.

 

Once Jiho and Yooa finished their drinks and the eldests-- Hyojung and Hyejin called them from the yard, they all came out. 

 

Winter season is coming gradually and the skies are not as too bright as it used two a week ago. Arin and Seunghee are clinging to each other, excitedly hopping as they walked out of the door. They saw Hyojung and Hyejin there, both dressed up like Mimi and Yooa.

 

"What the.. Seriously, what's going on here?" Seunghee's still skeptical. But before they could go into another argument, Yubin and Jiho pushed the two. The group walked across the street and saw Sunmi waiting for them at the balcony.

 

--

 

They sat around Sunmi's long wooden table at the front balcony. Mimi with Yooa next to Yubin with Seunghee. Hyojung with Hyejin next to Jiho with Arin. Sunmi is sitting on the head chair, Mimi on her right, Hyojung on her left. 

 

The start of the breakfast was good and all. Sunmi listens to their stories and it seemed like a friendly talk for the woman. But from Jiho and Yubin's perspectives, it is chaos. Their topic was "When we were in college..", and it went like this.

 

"When we were in college, Seunghee used to borrow my notebooks for general subjects." Hyojung shared after she finished a piece of bread. "At first, I thought she's a very hard-working student but turns out, she's copying my answers on the quizzes!" 

 

Sunmi laughed, Hyojung too, and the rest followed (except Seunghee). 

 

"Well, when we were in college, I did borrow Hyojung unnie's notebooks and found out that she once changed her quiz score. The right answers and the final score don't match!"

 

"For your information, my professor already recorded the real scores and I only changed it to flex it to my parents!"

 

Yubin and Jiho exchanged looks. The first time, they thought it's just another funny scene that they're friends are causing in front of someone outside the group but then,

 

"When we were in college, Hyejin unnie flirts with men in my class to do her a favor." 

 

"Yah! I did- ...NOT do that on purpose!"

 

"Oh really?" 

 

"Well- how about when Yooa used to purposely send mixed signals to men in her class, giving them the chocolates Mimi sends her so that they'll do her a favor!"

 

Mimi gasped and faced her girlfriend. "YOU GAVE MY CHOCOLATES AWAY?!" 

 

Yooa shook her head immediately, denying... lying. "It's not entirely true!"

 

It's true. Her defense is that Mimi used to send her a lot back then and she can't eat everything. I'm just thinking smart!

 

"Oh really?" Mimi repeated the same sarcastic question but to Yooa now. The latter sighed out and raised a hand on Mimi's face. "I'll explain later."

 

"No! Tell me why now! Are my chocolates that bad?" Mimi and Yooa continued to argue, Hyojung and Hyejin with Seunghee kept ranting about each other on their pre-college and college's unspoken rants. Right in front of Sunmi. Yubin shook her head when she saw the amused Sunmi eating her breakfast while still trying to listen and catch up on all the backstories and arguments served on the table. 

 

Jiho was thankful enough that Arin wasn't included in the chaos until the girl's name came out from whoever it was. She can't tell anymore because everyone's talking. 

 

"How about when Arin used my university ID to enter the grounds, huh?" 

 

"What- why, where's your ID?"

 

"I kind of lost it for two months."

 

"I was not flirting with those guys!"

 

"I work HARD for those chocolates!"

 

"I ATE SOME, OKAY."

 

"It was supposed to be a secret! I found my ID right after!!!"

 

"I don't copy your quiz answers! I just check the possible answers!"

 

"That's the same thing!"

 

That's it. 

 

"STOP! EVERYONE SHUT UP." 

 

It wasn't Jiho. She was going to grab Arin away from their chaotic friends but Yubin stood up and slammed her hands on Sunmi's table. 

 

"What are you doing? All those for what? Trying to impress Sunmi? Where is she? She left! You're all fighting for whatever childish reasons for nothing."

 

Sunmi left minutes ago, Yubin watched the woman rush outside and into her car. It seemed like there was some sort of emergency, maybe at work but still, the older woman left these strangers alone in her balcony with all these breakfast and plates. 

 

She trusts us this much? Me and Jiho who she never talked to, and these girls who fought like kindergartens? All eight of us who she barely knows. At least by then, Yubin felt honored to be trusted this much. 

 

"Sorry."

 

"Sorry."

 

"Sorry."

 

"Sorry."

 

"Sorry."

 

The girls all looked for Hyojung pouting at her seat. "Sorry... I guess we all wanted to impress Sunmi unnie because she told me she's planning to bring two persons to her live show tonight."

 

That's a small information only Hyojung, Hyejin, Mimi and Yooa knew so when Seunghee heard about it, everything made sense.

 

"What? Aha! I knew it! That's why you four disgusting cheating people are dressed!" Seunghee grabbed a bread and took a big bite like she won something out of it.

 

Mimi crossed her arms, Hyejin gave Hyojung a bread to bite too while Yooa couldn't help responding, "YA, you can't call us disgusting when we're dressed like this and you're dressed like a stuck-on-bed-sleepy person!" 

 

Yubin pulled Yooa back to her seat before another bomb went out of tick. "Okay- Okay. Stop that right now."

 

"Obviously, she brought none of you." Jiho speaks, drinking the last sip of her water bottle. She takes Arin's hand and gently pulled her fiancee with her., standing up from their seats. "Arin and I are going back now. We still have to clean our living room." 

 

"Let's go, Seung." Seunghee didn't complain when Yubin pulled her out of the table too and went back to their house. The girls left on the table decided to clean up the table and close Sunmi's doors and gate.

 

Whatever errand or work emergency Sunmi has, it's too important to leave the house like that. Anyway, the both Jiho and Yubin noted the unspoken given responsibility and trust to them to look after the house across the street while Sunmi's at work.

 

--

 

"What are we doing? We should be preparing for our wedding.." Hyojung says as they entered their living room. Hyejin felt relieved after hearing that though, she's been worried Hyojung is forgetting what they should be doing by now. 

 

"Jjung, we are doing it." Hyejin pulled her girlfriend on the sofa. Hyojung had been staring at the floor, reflecting. 

 

"I kind of went out of track for a while.. I've been wanting this wedding for so long and I'm scared things won't go the way I dreamed it to be like." She explained, her lover continued to pat her shoulder, willingly listening to Hyojung letting out what's been in her head for days.

 

"It's alright. We're gonna slow down for you, is that fine?" Hyejin asks softly, and Hyojung nodded with the candy smile showing comfort. 

 

"Whatever happens, I'll still end up waiting for you at the end of the aisle." That's the sweetest thing Hyejin ever said to Hyojung.

 

--

 

"We should be spending quality time together.. but not like this." Mimi scratched her head, they're still by their front yard and it seems like both of them don't want to go in their house yet. 

 

Mimi heard a small giggle from Yooa. She looked over at her girlfriend and realized Yooa is giggling at her. 

 

"What? Am I that funny? Hey, don't forget you owe me all those chocolates you didn't eat." Yooa ignored her and continued to chuckle as she dragged the clueless Mimi into their car. 

 

"Shiah, you don't drive-"

 

"That's why you're driving. Take me on a date." As soon as they settled in their seats, Yooa fished her phone from her pocket and connected it to the car speaker. Mimi started the engine but she still doesn't know where they'll go.

 

"Wait. I haven't planned anything for this instant date-"

 

"Just drive, we'll find new stuff to do." Mimi drove out and they had a new refreshing date. A kind of date where Mimi wasn't in the most comfortable state but she surely had fun because she's with Yooa. 

 

Sometimes, we don't need to always stick ourselves to where we are right now. We could try and step out of that zone from time to time. Life would make us do that either way and one would be surprised to see how fascinating new things are. It won't hurt to welcome new people in your lives, to do new stuff once in a while, refresh and make new memories together, spice up your everyday happenings by challenging yourselves, and accepting what was behind you as you welcome every 'tomorrow' that comes.