Sana had to come to a halt when walking down one of the store's aisles after noticing something. "This snack," she said, laughing. And when she reached for it, she couldn't help but smile. A vision from her past came flooding back to her.

Nayeon likes spicy foods, but she is unable to consume the Xxtra Flamin' Hot Cheetos. It tastes bitter rather than spicy to her. Sana, on the other hand, had always enjoyed it. The first time the two went grocery shopping as a couple was also the first time Nayeon learned about it.

"I can't really eat this," Nayeon said to herself as she took one of the bags. In any case, she was only looking. She had no intention of purchasing it.

Sana arrived a little late because she was browsing for other munchies in the same aisle. "Wow," she exclaimed when she realized what Nayeon was looking at. She took three bags of it without hesitation. "These are my favorites," she said quietly, smiling lovingly at Nayeon, who was speechless.

Later that night — it was movie night for the two of them, and Sana suddenly needed to use the restroom for a short while. After finishing up there, Sana snuck behind Nayeon, hoping to startle the woman.

However, she had to come to a standstill when she realized Nayeon was trying to eat those hot Cheetos. The woman's little grunts indicated that she hated what she was eating.

"These aren't for me," Nayeon said quietly, breathing in and out a little too strongly as she reached for a water bottle on the table. "But Sana enjoys it," she said to herself, not realizing Sana could hear her. "I should get used to it so we can enjoy it together."

At the end of that reminiscence, Sana could only sigh. "I have to say she has been really nice to me as well," she said quietly, placing three bags of them inside the shopping basket.

 

After an hour, Sana went home to see that Nayeon had left. She was certain, though, that the woman would return because some of her belongings were still there. And Sana was absolutely correct.

Nayeon eventually returned, going straight to the kitchen after hearing some noises in there. It was as though someone was cleaning out the fridge.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Nayeon inquired, standing nearby. "If you were going to the supermarket." "You could have used my help," she pointed out.

"I could use that right now," Sana replied, smiling fondly at Nayeon before shifting her gaze to the boxes of goods. "Hurry up," she said, but the woman just stood there, as if she was holding something in her pockets. "What is it?" Sana had to ask, but all she received from Nayeon was a shake of the head.

"I'll go to the room first and return here to help you."

"Sure," was all Sana could say before returning her focus to cleaning the fridge.

 

Nothing notable had occurred in the preceding moments. Sana remained in the same location, softly humming a melody till Nayeon returned.

Nayeon went to open the boxes without saying anything. The first thing she noticed were those three packages of Cheetos, which made her laugh. "I'm excellent at eating these now," she said, drawing Sana's attention back to her.

The woman laughed as well after realizing what Nayeon was talking about. "Really?" she inquired. "Too bad, they're all for me," Sana teased, wriggling her brows.

"Can't you be nice and just give me a bag?" Nayeon inquired. "After all, you didn't get me a present."

"I did," Sana said quietly, but clearly enough for Nayeon to hear.

"Where?"

Sana then turned to face Nayeon without saying anything. The woman, on the other hand, looked baffled. After a few seconds, Sana shrugged and turned her back on Nayeon.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nayeon wondered to herself.

Just then, Sana's phone rang, causing her to swiftly stand up straight. She reached for her phone in her pocket, checking the caller ID before answering.

Nayeon continued to organize everything Sana had bought, inadvertently overhearing Sana's replies to the caller. She couldn't help but wonder who it was, but it wasn't her business.

"I'll finish up here quickly and meet you right away," Sana remarked as the connection ended. "Yes, I will, and please be careful on your way, too," the woman sweetly said.

Nayeon felt apprehensive for some reason, worried about something she couldn't understand. "Nayeon-ah," Sana said, grabbing the woman's attention. "Let's hurry up because I have somewhere to be," she added.

"Yeah, sure," Nayeon responded subtly.

 

Dahyun, on the other hand, was working on her laptop in a coffee shop. There's a reason she's here today, and it has something to do with her need to prove something. She was watching a group of people at a table from the corner of her eye.

Dahyun did the same thing they did when they stood up, ready to leave the place. She did, however, leave her belongings behind and pretended to be heading to the restroom.

It was perfectly planned for her to bump into one of those people. Even if it wasn't an accident and Dahyun may be held responsible, the individual was courteous enough to bow his head and say, "I'm sorry, ma'am."

Dahyun stood up straight and bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry, it was my fault," she apologized.

"Seriously?" And there, everyone's attention, including Dahyun's, was drawn to the young man in the suit. It was Zhang Cai Zen, the man her father had ordered her to work with — only that she refused firmly. Cai Zen wore a sly smirk on his face, shaking his head in disbelief before sighing. "When did men begin to bow down to women?" he questioned arrogantly.

Dahyun stayed silent, allowing the man to say whatever he pleased. After all, this is what she wanted to see, and she's relieved that her plan worked smoothly.

The young man moved closer to the other man who had run into Dahyun. He then gripped one shoulder tightly, forcefully tapping it, and said, "Don't bow down to someone who is lower than you." Hearing that made the man swallow hard, clearly scared of his boss. "You can only bow to me," he emphasized. "Do you hear what I'm saying?"

Dahyun found it amusing, though she had to keep a straight face. She felt a sense of relief deep within her. Even though she felt guilty for dismissing her father's request, it turned out that it wasn't such a bad decision after all. Dahyun could never work for such a haughty — pompous man.

"I'm... sorry, boss," the man murmured, his voice trembling.

"At least we understand each other," Cai Zen grinned, gazing over at Dahyun, who was staring him down. "Let's get back to business," he remarked. "We still have a lot of work to do."

The men moved rapidly, as Cai Zen had commanded, passing Dahyun, who remained motionless. She could only laugh after a while, looking back. "This is why men get a poor reputation," she explained, "because of these egotistical jerks, who are a bunch of morons anyway."

"Kim Dahyun?"

Dahyun turned around when she heard that voice. Her eyes widened at the sight of her former block mates, particularly those from college. Dahyun seemed displeased to meet them for some reason, though.

"Woah..." Dahyun exclaimed, feigning a smile and chuckle. "Nice to see you in here," she said, then mumbled to herself, "I guess."

"You haven't changed all that much," one of the ladies commented. "Well, I'd have to say, you're a little hotter," she said, leading the group to laugh. Dahyun had to laugh as well, even though she didn't want to.

"You're not responding to our direct messages," another woman said, eliciting agreement from the others. "We've always wanted to invite you to lunch outside."

"Ah," Dahyun sighed, "I've been so busy, especially these days." She looked over her table and said, "See, those are my things. I try to work even on Sundays."

"That's unfortunate." "Sundays should be reserved for rest."

Dahyun merely nodded her head as she hummed. "Yeah, thanks for reminding me," she could only respond awkwardly.

"Hey, Irene is getting married! You should come and congratulate her!"

"I didn't get an invitation, though," Dahyun replied.

"That's not possible; she said she'd send our entire batch one."

"Oh, since we're already talking about it... Dahyun, are you finally dating someone now?" Someone eventually asked the question Dahyun is dreading to hear. When it came to talking about relationships, she was always that one friend who didn't fit in.

"Dating... someone?" she muttered, at a loss for words.

Just then, she noticed a familiar person approaching from the side of her eyes. Dahyun turned immediately in that direction, realizing that Sana had finally arrived after a long wait. She had a business matter to discuss with the woman. But the timing of Sana's arrival had prompted Dahyun to make an unexpected decision.

"Of course," she said to her old friends.

Dahyun then approached Sana, abruptly taking her hand in hers and gently guiding the woman in front of them. "Her name is Minatozaki Sana," Dahyun added, perplexing Sana. The latter had no idea she was about to meet new people, but being the pleasant person she was, she greeted them enthusiastically with a bow.

"...my girlfriend," Dahyun said, causing Sana's jaw to drop. It took some time for her to react and gaze at Dahyun's face.

"Yes?" she inquired gently, drawing a meaningful glare from Dahyun. It was as if the woman was trying to express the words 'save me'. As a result, Sana could only swallow hard and smile awkwardly at the others. "Nice... to meet you," she remarked quietly.

Dahyun sensed the uneasy feeling as well, but in order to maintain the act, she placed one hand on Sana's shoulder. "Perfect timing, isn't it?" she asked sheepishly.

"Dahyun-ah, you have a girlfriend?" a voice from behind Dahyun and Sana said. Dahyun didn't need to hear it again because it was sufficiently recognizable.

She could only mutter, "," before turning around. There she found her mother standing, stunned. And Dahyun had no idea this would result in a serious problem later on. "Why is everyone in this location now?" she grumbled under her breath.

Sana stared at her with a troubled face but said nothing. It prompted Dahyun to just say quietly, "I'm so sorry, Sana."