Soojung hasn’t seen Taemin for two weeks. She has not received calls, replied messages or anything. She shouldn’t really be surprised. It’s finals week. Taemin had told her a few weeks back how he has been failing some of his subjects and if he doesn’t study harder, he would be held back for a year. Taemin is busy and Soojung understands.

(Soojung misses Taemin as well. But she’ll never say it out loud.)

“Play soon my ,” Soojung grumbles, stabbing her rice with her chopsticks and imagining it was Taemin’s face. “Yeah, right.”

“What’s wrong, Soojung?”

Soojung sighs, turns to the left to face Jinri. Jinri is smiling, carefully taking her lunch out from her bag. For the first time in weeks, she and Jinri will eat together. She has missed her best friend so much. (But not as much as she misses as a certain someone.) And she wouldn’t want to ruin it by boy problems. “It’s nothing.”

Jinri casts a worried look at her and asks her if she’s alright. Soojung assures her that she is but Jinri doesn’t think so. She doesn’t push the subject further but instead asks her if she wants to watch a movie this afternoon since they don’t have any club activities after school. Soojung agrees and she can’t wait for their little girl date.

The movie they watch is a romantic comedy set in a household with a fake family living in it and the fake brother and sister falling in love.

Soojung didn’t particularly like it (because she still prefers tragedies over everything) but she didn’t hate it either. There was too much plot twist in it and her mind was still preoccupied by the M.I.A. Taemin. She feels guilty because she practically left Jinri hanging while her friend gushed about its superb plot. Soojung tells Jinri that her taste in movies but Jinri tells her Soojung’s a grump who likes grumpy stories.

While they talk about movies that constitute as a grumpy story, Sang Hyun spots them and comes over to say hello.

Despite Taemin’s abrupt disappearance to her life, Soojung has gained another male companion: Sang Hyun. She never really sees Sang Hyun much unless they’re in tennis practice but lately, he’s been around a lot. It’s not that she hates it but is more so surprised by how interesting Sang Hyun is. Sang Hyun is a sunbae but he treats her like they’re the same age. He’s terribly funny and it feels refreshing to be around a boy who doesn’t treat her like a sister (Jonghyun) or like a good- maybe-friend (Taemin). Sang Hyun is special by his own right and it’s just nice being around him.

When Sang Hyun leaves, Jinri stares at her.

“What?” Soojung asks, frowning.

“You like Taemin, right?”

Soojung chokes on her coke. Jinri hands her a tissue. Wiping , Soojung nervously asks how she knows.

Jinri tells her that she’s her best friend and she ought to know those things. “It’s very obvious when you like someone, Soojung-ah.”

Soojung blushes. Her friend chuckles at her behavior. Soojung is very endearing when she’s flustered. But soon Jinri’s smile turns into a purse line and she becomes very quiet. “Actually Soojung… the reason I called you out was because I’m upset with you.” Jinri rants. “You used to tell me stories about your relationship with boys but now you don’t anymore. I know the reason why but I swear to you that I won’t steal Taemin from you! The boys from before… well I didn’t mean any of that and it won’t happen again, I promise.”

Soojung is surprised by Jinri’s unexpected outburst but then again maybe she shouldn’t have been. She’s been trying to avoid this talk for a long time now, and it was high time they deal with it. Soojung doesn’t blame Jinri for anything because she understands how boys can be very misleading and stupid yet she can’t help but resent her friend a bit. Soojung knows she’s also in the wrong.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m also upset with you too but it’s not your fault honestly. I’m a bit of an idiot for not opening to you about this.” Soojung reaches for her friend’s hand and squeezes it.

“I’m sorry too.” Jinri gives her a reassuring smile. “We’re okay now, right?”

Soojung nods, happy with their reconciliation, but she finds herself frowning. She remembers Jinri’s earlier mention of Taemin. “Am I really that obvious though?”

Jinri catches on her worry and shakes her head with a smile. “Just to me. I don’t think he knows so you have nothing to worry about.”

“You sure? Because we haven’t been talking lately and I think it might be that he does know and he thinks that I’m ruining our friendship so he’s staying away to wane down my feelings. He did say that he would busy but that could be an excuse right?” Her insecurity is showing, Soojung knows but she can’t help but wonder. If Jinri says she’s obvious, then there’s a possibility she could be obvious to other people too right?

“Calm down Soojung, you’re hyperventilating.” Jinri pushes her glass of water to Soojung, who declines it. “He did say he was going to be busy. Do you think he could be lying?”

“I’m not sure. There’s still a lot that I don’t know about. Sometimes when he jokes, I don’t know if it’s sincere or not.”

“Do you think he’s a good person?”

“Yes? I think?”

“Does it matter if he knows?”

“Of course it does… I think. I don’t know Jinri. It’s very confusing.” Soojung sighs. “I’ve never been confused in my life.”

“It’s okay, Soojung-ah. Do you like him very much?”

“Yeah, I like him even though he’s stupid at times. I like him because of his stupidity too by the way. See why it’s confusing?”

Jinri laughs and Soojung laughs at her laughter. A while later when their laughter has subsided and they are about to separate, Jinri comforts her friend with courageous words. “I think it doesn’t matter whether he knows you like him or not because at the end of the day, they’re your feelings, Soojung. And you yourself must treasure your own feelings to protect yourself. If he likes you back, then that’s great but if he doesn’t, it’s his loss. Remember Soojung, you are beautiful and so are your feelings.”

Soojung tears up a bit and proceeds to bury Jinri in a tight bear hug. She thanks her over and over and declares her as the bestest friend one could ever find.

Later that night, she doesn’t think about Taemin.

NOTES

OK NO SHE DIDN'T STOP LIKING TAEMIN OK IT'S JUST THAT SHE'S HAPPY BECAUSE SHE AND JINRI ARE GOOD NOW AND SHE DOESNT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT TAEMIN ANYMORE BECAUSE I WROTE IT THAT WAY

DON\T BE TOO OVERDRAMATIC GUYS STOP

NO IM NOT BEING THE DRAMATIC ONE HERE SHHHHH

STHAWP

OK LEAVE ME SOMETHING ELSE RATHER THAT "CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER"

BYE