A week had passed since that disastrous night and Dahyun was not in very good shape: she was sitting on a sidewalk with a cigarette between her lips, her clothes were dirty and she didn't smell good. Passers-by gave her looks of pity or disgust, but she didn't care the least about the thoughts of others.

She felt that she had lost everything in a simple and quick snap of fingers, to the point of having led her to think that she deserved that miserable existence steeped in pain and bad decisions. She just wanted to disappear from the face of the earth without leaving the slightest trace of her passage.

As if the bad luck of the last few days weren't enough, the only person who shouldn't have seen her in those conditions had stopped in front of her, hands on her hips and a worried look "Dahyun? What the hell are you doing sitting on the ground?"

"I'm having a treatment on the buttocks, sitting on the asphalt is good for your health and also improves your posture, but I don't expect someone like you to know certain things"

"Stop being sarcastic and get up immediately, you smell so disgusting" she was holding out her hand "I'll take you home"

"I don't want to go back, I prefer to live like a tramp"

Sana had lowered to her height to look into her eyes "then I'll take you to my house to jump into the shower, what do you think?"

This time Dahyun had decided to accept the hand extended to her, slowly getting up so as not to fall from her head spinning. She hadn't eaten for at least two days so she didn't expect to feel fit, but she found it humiliating how she had to be supported to Sana's house.

The auburn was a great hostess and it took very little to give her a very high pile of different towels "use the ones you prefer, not knowing your preferences I preferred to take various types. These colored ones are softer, I highly recommend them"

"They are used to dry, I don't understand" she was observing them with a confused look, weighing them with her hands.

"When you are done give me your clothes, in the meantime you will put these" she had taken a pair of jeans and a t-shirt "they should fit you, but if not you will have to keep them for a short time and you will just have to bear"

Dahyun's disgusted face spoke for itself "don't you have anything less colorful? Pink is a color I hate and it doesn't reflect my style at all"

"In my opinion it would suit you well and no, I won't give you anything else. Don't be ungrateful and go wash yourself, in the meantime I'll prepare something to eat" her fake authoritative tone made her adorable in the eyes of the brunette, who to avoid to argue had followed orders.

The bathroom in that house alone was to be worth the whole apartment she used to live in and she couldn't help but wonder if she and Sana could ever live together. She shook her head hard, slapping herself on the cheeks "concentrate, you have to wash properly"

She used to clench her fist on the pearl she wore around her neck, it always gave her some hope and peace, which were however followed by the sadness of a future that could not have come true "I'm really a rejection"

Being under the jet of hot water had helped to sadden her thoughts, but smelling the food had been like a sweet reminder to take a break from what was her miserable life.

"Are you feeling a little better?" the table was perfectly set and full of different things to eat.

"Yes, I really needed to get back on my feet"

Sana had reached her to rub her wet hair with the towel she had on her shoulders "I don't care if you get wet on the floor, but if you don't dab them well you'll get sick" every gesture of her, like every word of her, conveyed so much sweetness. 

Neither of them would have expected the reaction that followed: Dahyun's eyes were closed and her body completely relaxed, to the point of making her seem more helpless than ever. She even grabbed the tallest girl's shirt with her fingers, without pulling, to feel more confident.

"I can hug you if you want. Just ask" talking in a low tone wasn't like her, but she didn't want to ruin that intimate moment with her shrill voice.

"By doing so I would give you permission to destroy me"

"Then we can stay like this for as long as you want, no problem"

That very brief exchange of phrases had made Dahyun come back to herself "I'm very hungry and I would like to take advantage of your hospitality to fill my belly" she had quickly moved away, leaving the emptiness in the hands of the auburn.

They ate in silence, looking at each other when the other wasn't looking, but it was the ringing of the bell that interrupted that special moment.

Sana ran to greet the guest, a man in his thirties elegantly dressed and with his hair pulled back. Very nice, but nothing special in Dahyun's eyes "who is this fop?"

"What did you call me?" he was surprised by the adjective used by the brunette, but he smiled immediately after grabbing Sana's hand "I'm the boyfriend of this beautiful woman"

The rice Dahyun was eating had slipped from and her gaze had quickly turned hostile "her boyfriend? But she doesn't like boys"

"Let's go over there and talk about this, Sam will be waiting here" Sana took the other girl's arm to pull her away, closing the door of the room they had entered "was it really necessary to make those comments?"

"Absolutely yes, I'm sure you like girls"

"I prefer them, but I'm open to more options" she felt uncomfortable, so much so that she had to scratch her neck to keep herself occupied.

Dahyun's heart was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of her negative emotions "I believed.. Yes, I mean, I believed that you.."

"What did you think?"

"In anything, it is not important"

"You are pale, do you feel bad again?" Sana's hands were ready to touch her face to make sure it was all right, but they were stopped abruptly "now I can't touch you anymore?"

"No, you can't. No more" she couldn't keep her gaze up "have fun with that jerk, I'm going home. Thanks for the help, I'll give you your clothes back after I've washed them"

Sana wanted to stop her, but she stood still knowing it was going to be a losing battle from the start. She took a couple of minutes to recover before returning to Sam as if nothing had happened "I beg your pardon, my friend had a bad morning" her smile was more fake than a toy phone, but man hadn't paid any attention to it.

Cuddling was an action that Tzuyu would never again allow herself to underestimate and, although it made her strange to admit it, having the person she was learning to love in her arms made her feel great "I'd be like this all day"

"Me too, plus your couch is very comfortable" Mina had closed her eyes for a while and was about to fall asleep a couple of times "you are a very sweet person, Tzu"

"I behave this way only and exclusively with you" she couldn't help but kiss her often, whether it was on the forehead or on the lips it didn't matter, and she did it with the aim of making her feel safe and loved "and then, honestly said, it seems impossible not to treat you with respect and kindness"

The other girl moved a little to get comfortable, placing one leg between Tzuyu's and putting her face at the same height as hers to look into her eyes "you're too good to me and I don't think I deserve it"

"Give me valid reasons why you don't deserve to be treated with due regard"

That request had surprised the brunette to the point of making her look away and sit down so as not to be looked at "I don't know how to explain it in words, but I don't think I'm a person who deserves to be loved. I learned to live with this belief and that's also why I love reading and watching the people around me; I'm just a spectator who, as such, must stay out of the spotlight"

Even Tzuyu had abandoned the soft cushions, with the aim of making her feel her presence "listen, I respect your thoughts and I would never allow myself to oppose you if our opinions do not coincide, but I find myself forced to disagree because I assure you that what you think is absolutely not true"

"Thank you for thinking so"

"I will teach you to love yourself as you deserve and I will tell you more: you will learn to trust others, starting to do it with me" she took her hand to rest it on her cheek "would you like to try? I have serious intentions with you and do this journey together could really make us two soulmates"

Mina was smiling and in the meantime she was making an effort not to cry like a child "would you like to be my soulmate? Are you serious?"

"Why not, on balance you are the only person I would like to keep close even when I would prefer to be alone and you are the only one who can keep me calm in any situation. You can't even imagine how long is the list of things I love about you"

The vibration of a phone had interrupted the exchange of glances that would surely have led to a kiss of those impossible to forget and the tallest one had thrown herself back on the huge cushions of the couch, snorting.

Mina answered quickly, completely changing her expression during the call and getting up immediately after interrupting it "Chae's parents invited me to have a snack with them, I have to go"

"Don't you even have five minutes to spare? I'd like a goodbye kiss" she pouted.

"Tzu, I'm not going away forever" leaving the phone on the glass table and throwing herself at Tzuyu was unexpected but completely natural "what are you going to do today?"

"I will think intensely about the person I like and I will try to establish a dialogue with my best friend, I think she needs me" she was her lips with her thumb "but it doesn't seem like the time to think about the things we need to do, so kiss me"

One of the things Nayeon particularly loved doing was visiting her friends, she did so often that she knew the code of each of their houses and didn't need an invitation. That day she felt the need to talk to Jihyo, the only one aware of what happened during the holidays, to try to make a local mind and understand what she should do.

She knew that her friend's parents no longer lived with their daughter and she felt less embarrassed to enter the house suddenly, announcing her presence with a warm shout "I'm home!"

There was no answer, but judging by the light on in the living room there was necessarily someone "maybe she's cleaning the other rooms, I could help her"

She left the bag on the couch and the bag with the snack on the kitchen table, walking into the corridor quietly and following the music that grew louder with every step. The bedroom door was ajar and it was no problem to open it abruptly to make a triumphal entry "I brought some-"

She was petrified to see a scene she never expected: her friend was not alone and, as if catching two people kissing was not embarrassing enough, both she and Momo were completely . And cling to each other.

Jihyo was blushing to the point of rivaling the bright red of her hair "you don't know how to knock!?"

"I've never done it since we met and I didn't expect.. This. Hi Momo, nice " she wanted to bury herself, but now the damage was done "that is, I meant that.. Let's wait for you in the kitchen" she closed the door with such speed that it slammed, pinching herself to punish herself "how stupid you are, you shouldn't leave the house for shame anymore"

Momo seemed totally at ease as she got dressed, one corner of raised up in a mischievous smile "if that doesn't work between us I would know who to flirt with, having a second option is a great thing"

"Just try and see what the consequences will be"

"Are you jealous? Adorable" she had grabbed her cheeks to test their softness.

Jihyo had rolled her eyes, totally unable to hide the annoyance "yes, I'm jealous. Problems?"

"No problem, but it's not necessary because I have eyes only and exclusively for you. There is only one Park Jihyo and I can't let it slip away"

"Are you sure about what you just said?" she looked like a child, but the brunette knew how much insecurity was in those words and she just kissed her forehead "you didn't answer my question"

"Words can lie, gestures can't" she kissed her again, but on her nose "and you know very well how much I love you"

It was undeniable: Jihyo loved hearing those three words, she loved the effect they had on her body because they were able to fill her stomach with fluttering butterflies and make her heart beat faster. The only problem was her not being able to answer, her voice refused to come out to communicate how mutual the feeling was and she felt tremendously guilty.

Momo was aware of everything and did not feel any discomfort, she felt her heart melt like butter whenever her girlfriend proved vulnerable "I have told you many times that you do not have to feel obliged to tell me, regardless of whether you think it or not, and then I already know how you feel about me. The gestures speak a lot, you know how I think" she gave her a chaste kiss on the lips "now I propose to go for a snack, I'm starving and I would like to prevent that crazy woman from coming back to disturb our privacy again"

They reached the kitchen with two different gaits: Momo felt perfectly at ease and had even winked at the person sitting at the table, Jihyo seemed undecided whether to escape or return to lock herself in the room to avoid more embarrassment.

"I will never enter this house again without ringing the intercom three times, I don't want to be scandalized a second time" she was emptying the envelope, revealing some sweets she had bought.

"That would be really nice of you" the redhead had already bitten into a chocolate muffin, immediately feeling calmer "I only forgive you because you went to buy this stuff in my favorite shop"

Nayeon seemed proud of herself "I know your tastes, I'm a fantastic friend"

"I would have to complain about this, seeing and considering that you interrupted us at the most beautiful moment"

Momo was looking at them amused, intent on choosing what to eat "no need to argue, concentrate on the food and forget what happened. As far as I'm concerned it's already a thing of the past, after all my body is a work of art that deserves to be seen and appreciated"

"Do you hit her or do I have to take care of it?" the older of the three wanted to take away that smirk.

"I propose to destroy her together, alone we have no hope against a person who trains a lot"

"Now I understand why she has that fantastic body"

"Im Nayeon!" Jihyo's eyes seemed ready to shoot fire "don't you dare repeat it or I'll tell Jeongyeon"

In response she received a dreamy look "she sure has a body to be admired all the time, she is nothing short of perfect"

The brunette had immediately extracted her cell phone from her jeans pocket, happy to be able to share that information in the chat with Jeongyeon and taking advantage of the chatter of the other two "I love playing the part of Cupid"

Tzuyu couldn't tell if the situation she was in was positive or negative: Jeongyeon had swooped into her apartment to let off steam and, even more surprisingly, Dahyun had done the same. Those two together were a huge load of negative energy and bad thoughts, so much that it was almost scary.

"What brings you here?" she had asked that question after going to get something cool to drink, sitting on the armchair to look at the two girls sitting on the couch "has something happened? I can almost see some demons around you"

"Nothing happened and that's the problem, Nayeon continues to feel uncomfortable in my presence and she does everything she can not to be alone with me"

"As far as I know not even you are doing something to bring her closer, you can't complain if you stay still and things don't change"

Jeongyeon had her hair unkempt from running her hands "I know you're right, but I would like to complain without receiving a lecture" her gaze had shifted to the person she was next to "since when are you wearing colors other than black?"

"They're not my clothes, they're Sana's" She was sipping on her soda, making little grooves in the plastic bottle due to her grip that she was exerting on it. Before the other two could show enthusiasm for that news she tried to talk again "nothing happened between us, she just found me sitting on the asphalt and in pitiful condition. She literally dragged me to her house to take a shower and to give me something to eat"

"If that's the case then why do you look furious?" Tzuyu had raised both eyebrows, knowing perfectly the body language of her friend was always useful in those situations "you are about to destroy the bottle and I would like to keep my beautiful and expensive couch clean"

"The problem is that, this week without hearing from her, she got engaged to a poor idiot who dresses like an old man"

Jeongyeon looked the most shocked "Sana with a guy? I don't know her well, but she just doesn't seem like the type to be with a man"

The brunette had immediately agreed "that's right, what's more he's too ugly to be with such a beauty" judging by the looks they were giving her, she knew she had said something that should have remained in her thoughts "I talked too much, right?"

"I wouldn't say, we already knew of your interest in her. The only one who hasn't understood it up to now was you, but it's not your fault if your head is harder than a wall" the tallest of the three had launched herself in the middle of the couch to hug both of her friends "let me tell you: you two are a disaster when it comes to relationships"

"Something like that said by someone dating a person who is in a relationship is really funny" Dahyun wanted to slap her, but she felt fragile and that gesture of affection, even if minimal, was helping her not to make her fall into a thousand pieces. 

Jeongyeon was also relaxing, gaining the knowledge that she needed it for days "we're just idiots, how did we get down to this?" what she was unaware of was the fact that there was some fantastic news among her messages, all thanks to Momo.