Jooeun liked Heehyun.

She liked her a lot.

As these things usually did, it had started out as a small, harmless crush. Heehyun was, after all, beautiful, cool, talented, and unexpectedly...warm. Jooeun found the other girl intimidating at first, but as she spent more time with her, she slowly learned the reasons as to why her fellow members liked to tease their leader for being a 'softie'.

Heehyun rarely ever expressed her affection so blatantly. Rather, she demonstrated her affection through small gestures, subtle expressions, and gentle words. For Jooeun, this meant that Heehyun would remember what Jooeun liked and what she hated, thought about what would make her smile and what would make her laugh, and what she preferred to do on those days when she's feeling happy or when things were particularly rough. Other times it meant that Heehyun would quietly hold her hand from beginning to end when she sensed that she was feeling anxious, or silently sit beside her and hand her tissues when she broke down into tears. Sometimes, she'd hold her close and let her cry into her shoulder if she wanted. And during those rare times, Heehyun would try her best to put her feelings into words, to comfort her, and Jooeun would laugh. However, she wasn't laughing at Heehyun; she was laughing at how she herself had somehow fallen deeper for Heehyun when it just didn't seem possible.

Jooeun really liked Heehyun, and Heehyun seemed to like her too.

That's why she didn't mean for any of this to happen.

All she had needed out of that confrontation was for Chaeyeon to be more honest with herself and for her to admit that she did have feelings for Heehyun - namely, the kind which extended beyond that of platonic admiration for a leader. With that out of the way, the two of them could then have the real and truthful conversation that Jooeun had actually wanted in the first place: what to do with the fact that they both liked Heehyun. Jooeun felt like a proper discussion with Chaeyeon was necessary before any actions could be taken. Otherwise, it simply wouldn't be fair. Chaeyeon was here first; she'd always been here with Heehyun, from DIA's debut, through Produce 101, up until now. Jooeun, a newcomer, couldn't just barge into their lives and ruin everything they had - even if it was clear that Heehyun was making advances on her. They were nonetheless advances that Chaeyeon obviously didn't appreciate. Jooeun couldn't commit herself to Heehyun knowing that she'd make Chaeyeon feel miserable.

Jooeun certainly never expected the younger girl to react the way she did when she finally addressed the situation. It was supposed to be a small push here and there but the conversation escalated out of control and Chaeyeon kissed her. Then she was left speechless and frozen in shock as Chaeyeon stormed past her towards the direction of the dorm. It couldn't just end there, of course, as she realized that Heehyun was standing not too far away. She looked just as stunned as Jooeun felt. She wasn't sure of how much the other girl had heard or seen, but she knew it couldn't be good for either her or Chaeyeon.

Heehyun spoke up first.

"What happened?" She questioned, carefully approaching Jooeun. The shorter girl could tell from Heehyun's voice alone that she was shaken by what she'd seen. Jooeun realized that she felt somewhat relieved that it was Heehyun and not any of the other members who'd witnessed her and Chaeyeon kissing (though she didn't think Chaeyeon would feel the same). Maybe because Heehyun seemed to be the most interested in knowing and understanding her; she knew Heehyun would actually listen to her instead of rushing to any conclusions based on assumptions and preconceived notions.

"What did you see?"

"I just came down to help you two carry your bags...and you were..." Heehyun struggled to finish her statement, opting to give the other girl a knowing glance instead.

Jooeun had to think fast. She could tell her anything but the truth.

"Sorry, it's all my fault. We were messing around on the way back and I took my joke a step too far. Chaeyeon is probably really upset, but I'll apologize and talk to her later." Jooeun lied in the calmest manner she could conjure in that moment. She bit her lower lip as Heehyun appeared to process her answer, mentally checking if everything added up. She eventually nodded and picked up the bags that Chaeyeon had left behind.

"...alright. I'll leave it up to you. But let me know if there's anything I can do to help." Heehyun appeared genuinely concerned - even more concerned than Jooeun was.

If only she knew.

"I will, thank you."

"Where's Chaeyeon?" Jooeun asked Eunjin after she couldn't find the girl anywhere in their dorm.

Eunjin didn't glance up from her phone once as she answered, "She left. Said something about a schedule."

"This late?"

Eunjin shrugged.

Jooeun didn't know what time Chaeyeon arrived to the dorm, but she looked absolutely exhausted. She hadn't said a word to any of the other members since they'd woken up that morning, and she still looked lifeless even now. She simply stared ahead as her make-up artist complained about the bags underneath her eyes. Heehyun probably knew when Chaeyeon had finally returned since they were roommates. The worried expression on her face said it all.

It didn't feel right to bring it up then, when Chaeyeon looked like she was barely hanging on.