The morning sun peeked through the curtains and illuminated Jinah's face. Her eyes slowly opened and she stretched. Looking at the time, Jinah gave herself a pat on the back. 7am. She still managed to wake up at her usual time even at someone else's house. Jinah had a habit of waking up this early. The early bird catches the worm anyway, right? 

 

Rubbing her eyes, she got out of the sofa and folded the blanket neatly before getting to her shopping bags. She picked out a tank top, polka dot cardigan and ripped denim shorts to wear for the day. Of course she didn't forget the cute bambi underwear which she also got. Hehe. She carefully stepped over the snoring log aka Mingyu, and tiptoed into the toilet. 

 

"Tsk, this boy needs to fix the tap," Jinah noticed the sink tap running when she entered the small bathroom. She gotout a towel and some toiletries from a cabinet labelled "Guest's". This guy isn't bad, Jinah thought as she nodded at Mingyu's thoughtfulness for the guests he had over. She then stepped into the shower for a nice cold bath. 

 

Meanwhile, Mingyu woke up grumbling. He rolled around on the floor and knocked his head on the coffee table. Cursing, he slowly got up, "Why does that faucet keep leaking every night?" 

 

Half awake, he dragged himself to the toilet and opened the door. 

 

"AH ERT," Jinah screamed when Mingyu opened the door. 

 

"AH WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE," Mingyu chorused, his eyes widening as he jumped backwards. 

 

Jinah slammed the door shut and grabbed a towel to cover herself. Thank god that she bathed fast and had already worn her clothes. 

 

"What the hell. You don't just open the door when you hear someone inside!" Jinah shouted from the toilet, drying herself up. Both of them were still in shock. 

 

"Why didn't you lock the door then?" Mingyu stuttered, standing in front of the door awkwardly. 

 

"I did!" Jinah shouted. 

 

"You didn't!" Mingyu shouted back. 

 

"I did!" Jinah brushed her hair. 

 

"What's going on here?" The ruckus was interrupted by Minji who was standing at the doorway of the bedroom. Eyes still closed, hair in a mess.

 

Jinah slammed the door open, her clothes from yesterday cradled in her arms, "What happened was that this guy," She stabbed the air next to Mingyu, "Tried to see me bathing," 

 

Mingyu gasped, "No, This girl didn't even lock the door!" 

 

Minji blinked a few times before looking at her two friends, one in a towel and one in ultra man pjs. She just shook her head, "So this was what woke me up?" 

 

"Yes!" Jinah and Mingyu said simultaneously and then glared at each other. 

 

"Whatever, I'm going back to make breakfast," Minji yawned and went to the kitchen. 

 

"I feel violated," Jinah said as she shoved past Mingyu. 

 

Mingyu rolled his eyes. 

 

~

 

"Who are these for again?" Mingyu asked as he watched Jinah put in small packets of some animal food into her bag. 

 

Jinah put on her snapback, pushed up her round sunglasses and said, "For my baby Leo," 

 

Mingyu choked, "Baby?" 

 

"Not that baby," Minji laughed, "Leo as in the dog," 

 

Mingyu choked again, "That horrid yellow thing? Holy shouldn't he be dead by now?" Mingyu recalled the bad memories of him being chased around by the canine. 

 

"He's not horrid. Be nice," Jinah slapped Mingyu's before walking to the door to leave, 

 

Mingyu and Minji followed. Mingyu opened the door and the three were out. 

 

"Wait here, Wonwoo's fetching us," Jinah told her 2 friends and then added, "I mean, if you don't already have a ride to school," She looked so hopeful. 

 

"That's great. We'd love to-" Minji started. 

 

"No actually we both would be fine with taking the bus," Mingyu interrupted. 

 

Minji pinched his arm and he yelped. 

 

"Be nice, Gyu," Minji uttered. He made a face. 

 

Jinah started up the road, down the familiar path towards Minji and Mingyu's old kindergarten. As soon as she saw the golden retriever, she ran towards it, smiling widely. Mingyu, on the other hand, tensed up. 

 

"How's my boy doing?" Jinah ruffled Leo's head and he her hand in glee. She fed him some treats and sat down next to him, cuddling it. 

 

Mingyu stayed behind but Minji pushed him forward. 

 

"Um, hi?" Mingyu waved at the dog, bending down to its level. 

 

Leo barked, startling the tall figure. Minji and Jinah laughed. 

 

"Leo, this is Minji," Jinah pointed to the smiling Minji, "And this is Mingyu," She pointed to the sweating Mingyu.

 

Jinah fed Leo some more treats and hugged it. 

 

"How does it not bite you?" Mingyu asked Jinah, careful to not look at Leo. 

 

"He's a little anti-social at first, but once he knows you, he'll be all over you," Jinah patted Leo's side and Leo snuggled into her. 

 

Soon, a car pulled up next to them and it's horn beeped. The three looked at it and sitting on the driver's seat was Wonwoo, next to him was Jieun. Wonwoo rolled down the windows and Jieun yelled, "Morning everyone!" Wonwoo flicked his head to the side, "Get in,"

 

"You guys go in first, I got to brush him," Jinah waved Minji and Mingyu away. The two then hopped into the backseat of the car. 

 

"Are they very close?" Minji leaned forward to face Jieun. 

 

"Who? Jinah and Leo?" Jieun asked, turning to face the dog and Jinah. 

 

Minji hummed, "Mhmm," 

 

"They're more than close," Jieun sighed sadly, "All they have in this place is each other," 

 

"What?" Mingyu asked, staring at Jinah who was fondly brushing Leo's golden fur. 

 

"She didn't tell you?" Jieun turned around to the back seat, "Jinah lives alone because her dad went to live with his mistress and their kids. Jinah's Mom passed away when she was young. And well, no one else likes Leo," 

 

Mingyu gulped, remembering what Jinah said the night before about her living alone. Minji's face fell, pitying her friend. 

 

"Ayyyy!" Jinah swung the car door open and hopped in, squeezing in beside Mingyu. 

 

Everyone turned to look at her. She smiled widely, a questioning look on her face, "What?" 

 

"Nothing," Jieun turned back to the front. 

 

"Let's go," Wonwoo started the engine. 

 

-----

 

It was the first time she went back to school after the incident in Lovely Day. Minji avoided all the areas where she thought Soonyoung would be in; the gym, the music room, the male's toilet corridoors. It was lunch now and she hadn't bumped into him or any of the soccer boys. So far so good. 

 

It was time to introduce Ninth line to Jieun and Jinah. They'd found a longer table and sat around it, ninth Line on one side, the two girls on the other. 

 

"So um, this is-" Minji started. 

 

"Hi, I'm Jinah!" Jinah chirped and waved to everyone on the opposite side. 

 

"Nice to meet you. My name is Jieun," Jieun bowed. 

 

"Lee Jihoon," Jihoon bowed slightly. 

 

"Yao Mingming," Mingming waved and gave his signature eyesmile. 

 

"Mingyu," Mingyu chewed on his chicken. 

 

For a moment, they all looked at each other, smiling awkwardly. 

 

Jieun cleared , "Uh, Minji, I heard that you're going up for class president?" 

 

Minji swallowed her salad before saying, "Yeah, I am. Not that excited as before though," 

 

"Why?" Jinah asked, stabbing her chicken with her fork. 

 

Minji shrugged, "I haven't done my preparations and besides, Jang Doyoon is going for the same position," 

 

"We'll help you with the posters," Jihoon offered. 

 

"Yeah, I could paste them up," Mingming nodded. 

 

"Thanks guys," Minji was genuinely thankful, "I'm gonna go return my tray now," She stood up to leave. 

 

Just as she turned around, she came face to face with none other than Kwon Soonyoung. She gasped, tripping over the table's leg. But, of course Soonyoung caught her. Everyone at the table turned to watch. Jinah and Jieun looked at each other, already feeling pity for Soonyoung and Minji. "

 

She doesn't know what really happened," Jieun mouthed to Jinah. Jinah winced. 

 

"Glad I caught you," Soonyoung looked her in the eye. She had forgotten how his voice sounded like but now she remembered. Husky and unique. 

 

"Thanks, i guess," Minji lightly brushed his hand away from her arm. Looking down, she started walking away. This time, Soonyoung went after her. 

 

"Hey," 

 

She looked up at him. 

 

"I know I owe you and explanation and-" 

 

"Save it," Mingyu suddenly appeared behind them. 

 

Soonyoung locked eyes with Mingyu and then walked away. 

 

"What was that for?" Minji turned to Mingyu and snapped.

 

Mingyu swallowed, "I don't know…" 

 

"Ugh, Kim Mingyu," Minji groaned before looking around for Soonyoung but he had already disappeared into the crowd. 

 

-----

 

 

 

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A/N: OMG THIS CHApTER IS SO BAd