"YUJIN."

And as if she was just waiting for that call, Yujin quickly turned to the girl beside her. The three of them ended up going to the cafe Yujin was talking about in the morning. It's just in front of the hotel where Professor Bae was staying so they chose to just wait there. Jimin went out to make a call, probably contacting her inspiration and the two were given some time alone.

"Yes, Min?" Yujin asked, eyes were sparkling, looking really happy that Minjoo called out to her.

Minjoo just stared at her for a while which made Yujin blush a bit. "I-Is there something wrong?"

"Hmm... Nothing." Minjoo sighed before looking away. "I am just worried about you being broken-hearted. You've been harbouring feelings for her since last year, right?"

"Ah? Is that what's bothering you?" Yujin also looked in the opposite direction while scratching her cheek. "Don't worry. I am very much okay. Actually, that revelation really helped me to confirm my feelings even more."

"Confirm your feelings?" Minjoo repeated, taking a peek of Yujin.

Yujin just nodded before taking a stretch. "Thanks to recent happenings and to Professor Kang, I think I realised something really, really important that I have been clueless about for a long time."

Minjoo's gaze then got fixed on Yujin. The latter was definitely glowing while talking. She could see the light blush on her cheeks and the hint of nervousness in her eyes and lips but she could sense happiness in her overall aura.

"C-Can you... tell me more about it then?" Minjoo hesitantly asked.

"I..." Yujin took a pause as she pivoted towards Minjoo. "I really want to tell you about this as soon as possible but I don't want to rush things up while not being 1000% sure about this. But as of now, I can tell you that I am already 100% about it."

"W-What is it that you're talking about? Please stop talking vaguely like that. It's making me nervous." Minjoo slouched a bit. She's really worried about whatever Yujin was talking about. She couldn't help but to be worried that the other girl could've found another love interest since she's not that worried about Jimin being in a relationship. She's gotten really popular after the match anyway. It's not impossible that someone else would've taken her interest. Take the centre of the girls' basketball team for example.

"What's making you nervous?" Yujin asked, she genuinely believes that she should be the one getting all nervous.

"I don't know... You aren't the type to talk vaguely like this. You always go straight to the point. Sometimes other people even think that you lack family education. It just feels weird... I guess..."

"Right..." Yujin placed her elbow on the table before resting her chin on her palm. "My tail only gets down in front of my parents and love interest. I usually speak my mind in front of everyone else."

Her eyes then rested on Minjoo, connecting their stares. Then there was silence. Minjoo then flinched when she felt something on top of her hand that was on the seat. She looked down and saw Yujin holding her hand.

"Y-Yu–"

Minjoo suddenly forgot how to speak when she saw Yujin looking at her so intently when she looked back at her. Those eyes were telling, trying to convey something. Just the other girl's gaze was enough to make her heart go crazy, she felt dizzy but in a good way. The distance between them doesn't help at all, it makes her head blank. She felt Yujin's hold on her tightened as the girl tilted her head to the side.

"To avoid confusion... Should I really just go straight to the point?"

Yujin moved a little closer which took Minjoo aback. Her flinching became a signal to Yujin not to get any closer but there's no way she'd step on her breaks.

"Minjoo... actually I–"

"I'm back~"

Minjoo quickly pulled her hand away from Yujin when Jimin suddenly appeared. The other aspiring writer looked really confused at Minjoo's reaction and at the atmosphere between the two best friends.

"Did something happen?" Jimin innocently asked as she took the seat in front of the two. "Don't tell me you guys fought again."

"We didn't fight." Yujin slid down forward on the table. "It's the second time today, Jimin..."

"Second time? What are you talking about?" Jimin started poking Yujin's cheek.

"It's nothing..." Yujin sighed. Minjoo just looked at Yujin with her heart running wild.

'What is it? What is it that she was trying to say? She's actually what? What is it Yujin-ah!?' Her head was about to explode with her heart. Yujin never looked at her like that. She could feel it. She's not dumb. 'Something has shifted!? What on earth happened?'

"Oh, look at that!" The two looked at where Jimin was pointing. "It's the professors!"

Seulgi and Joohyun were already making their way towards the cafe. They were expecting that the two would be holding hands but the two had this awkward space between them. Seulgi, just like usual, has that silly smile on her face while Joohyun is back with her stoic face.

"What's with this atmosphere?" Jimin asked but the two could only shrug their shoulders. "I can't say if it's a success or not. I guess convincing Professor Bae to come back is a success but hmm... Let's go meet them up."

The three stood up and headed outside with Jimin leading the way. Yujin let Minjoo go ahead of her and just followed but there's this annoying feeling inside her that she just couldn't get rid off. Minjoo was right, it was not like her to fiddle like this.

Considering all of that together with the outpouring feelings she's having, Yujin took a deep breath and faced what she had to face. Whatever happens after it, she'll just let her future self face it head on.

She sneakily held Minjoo by the arm to put the girl on a stop. Before Minjoo even managed to face her, she leaned closer to the other girl and whispered, 

"Minjoo, I believe I am in love with you."

"H-Huh–"

Minjoo wasn't even able to answer as Yujin just walked past her. She wasn't able to have a look at the other girl's face at all. Her world stopped, just like that.

"Huh!?" Minjoo repeated when she came back to her senses. The other two were already out and she was the only one left inside. "I-I-Is that really a confession!?"

Her phone then suddenly vibrated, pulling her back from space. To her surprise, it was a message from Yujin.

[It's not a prank. Don't even think about it. I am serious.]

[Give me your response whenever you're ready. I am ready anytime.]

[Come out already. Please don't be awkward with me. Don't make me regret confessing to you.]

"S-She typed too fast..." Minjoo took a peek of Yujin who just put her phone back in her pocket. Her hands then automatically went to feel the beating of her heart. It was racing so badly, she felt like fainting. "Yujin... is in love with me?"

SEULGI just finished smoking when Yujin came to the garden. It was almost time for dinner, their last in Jeju as they will be going home early the next morning.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Seulgi asked as Yujin just stood there not saying anything. She then tossed a menthol gum to that she always has ready. 

“I just want to discuss something with you.” Yujin walked towards one of the seats around the unlit bonfire. “Do you have some time?”

Seulgi just smiled and sat in the seat opposite to where Yujin was standing. Yujin also took a seat the moment Seulgi sat. “Is this about your story?”

“Yes. I already have a plot in mind.”

The student then explained the plot to her professor and Seulgi eagerly listened. After Yujin finished talking about her plans, there was a satisfied smile on Seulgi’s face.

“It’s good. I will be waiting for the final output.”

Seulgi was actually expecting Yujin’s face to brighten up after the compliment but the poker face remained. The professor crossed her arms and nodded. “Let me see… You confessed, right?”

Yujin suddenly raised her head. “H-How—“

“Told you, Seulgi senses~” The professor then tilted her head to the side. “How did Minjoo respond?”

Yujin felt her skin crawl. “Y-Y-You also know that it’s Minjoo!?”

The writer just chuckled at the reaction of her student. “I am well aware of your admiration towards Jimin but I am also well aware of your feelings towards your best friend and how deeper it is than your admiration towards Jimin.”

Seulgi’s stare landed on the pet turtle by the aquarium. “Even if you don’t say it, some feelings are just so loud, wanting to be noticed and be appreciated. You might not be aware of it but you have been subconsciously acting upon your feelings.”

"Am I... really that obvious?" Yujin asked, her head lowered a bit. 

"Well, at least for me. Most of the time, we are the only ones oblivious with our own actions. We all need a little bit of a push."  Seulgi leaned forward in excitement. "So, how did it go?"

There went a sigh from the student. "I don't really know. I realised my feelings for her because of the basketball incident. I didn't know that I would hate seeing her with the guy I am actually pushing her unto." Yujin then started fidgeting with her fingers. "I felt really annoyed that it caused such a rift between us. There were days that I couldn't even sleep because of thinking about her but I couldn't just tell her right away because I was so stupid to not admit it to myself at first."

Yujin's face started to turn red as she coiled while remembering what happened earlier. "I was planning to take things slow. I invited her out with just the two of us which is really not new because we hang out a lot. My invitation has the intent of dating her but I get blocked a lot just for today. In the end, we couldn't go out with just the two of us..."

Yujin just smiled while remembering what just happened. She couldn't believe that she did that. "I guess I was so irritated at not being able to express myself right away. Even Minjoo was weirded out by my actions because I was beating around the bush which is not so me. So yeah, I told her... that I am in love with her..."

"But then?" Seulgi looked so excited even though she already had a hint of what happened. 

"But..." Yujin sighed and brushed her hair with her fingers. "I was so afraid to see how she would react that I walked away right after confessing."

"You what?"

Yujin felt like she was about to cry. It's the first time in a long while that she felt helpless like that. "I walked away... I am afraid that how she treated me after the basketball event was all just because of friendship and nothing more. I am afraid that she would drive me away and that our friendship would be over just like that..."

Seulgi pressed her lips together while looking at her student. She was somehow reminded of her past self. She was reminded of that time when she was so worried and afraid to face her own feelings. That time when she couldn't sleep at night, running simulations in her mind and thinking about how three words might end a precious relationship or take it to the next level. 

She felt a string get tugged then she remembered the first time she said those three words. That was the first time and also the last time. The pain she felt that day planted a trauma in her mind. She could not say it anymore if it's not in the past tense. That fear got a hold of her neck and even destroyed her future relationships. Just three simple words managed to turn her life upside down and are controlling her up until now.

"You did well."

Yujin looked up to her mentor after hearing that praise. Her heart melted after seeing the kind and warm smile on Seulgi's face. "P-Professor..."

"Congratulations on finally making the first step. Congratulations on finally facing your true feelings." Seulgi leaned forward, still giving her student that assuring smile. "I am always cheering for you, pup."

A tear suddenly rolled down but Yujin was quick to wipe it away. She took a few deep breaths to somehow control her emotions. "Y-You knew it from the beginning, right? You know that I am in love with my best friend... You made me investigate the woman you're marrying by uncovering the inspirations of your famous books because you don't want me to repeat the same mistakes as you did... Am I right? That’s why you showed me [LFI] first…"

Seulgi just smiled and just shrugged her shoulders. "If that's how you want to interpret it..."

"That's so sly of you, Prof."

Seulgi wanted to calm Yujin down. She wanted to tell her that it's going to be okay and that she kind of envies her because her best friend feels the same way but she didn't want to spoil the story to Yujin. She wanted her to enjoy how the story unfolds. Her role as the side character for Yujin to realise her feelings is already done. Everything lies on Yujin's hands now. 

"Prof..." Yujin called.

"Eung?" Seulgi responded. 

"