"So... What did you tell her after you finished the session?"

Taemin decided to tread softly,  his eyes careful to catch every little bit of emotion Ji Eun let slip out. He still couldn't believe that some girl he thought was just cold and unsocial had actually so many scars. Though he didn't hear the whole story, he could already tell this wouldn't end well, not only because of her presence in front of him, but the way her words felt like the very essence of anything negative. It was thick and gooey, Taemin didn't want anything to do with it (because it reminded him too much of himself), but he couldn't help wondering what was inside the unclear goop of emotion.

".......I just told her that there was nothing special, she seemed somewhat relieved and it just passed like a cloud." Ji Eun responded, "It's just that..."

Taemin's ears perked up, his eyes darting to clock.

Okay, 30 minutes left of lunch.

He didn't care that he was hungry, in fact he couldn't really feel it.

What he was hungry for, was only the words that flowed out of Ji Eun's mouth. His lips strained to keep down a seeping smile, his heart knowing that even though he was truly happy in this moment, he couldn't show it. He covered his lips with a delicate hand and leaned forward in his chair, his eyes never leaving Ji Eun.

All this time she was talking, he'd never seen a girl look so... pretty.

He found it surprising to admit it to himself but he swore he felt his heart skip a beat every time her eyebrows scrunched together with sadness or anger. He knew he was sort of a sadist, but wow.

Was he in love with her or her agony?

Taemin bit back a chuckle, his hands itching to reach out and grab Ji Eun. Of course, anyone who didn't even have a knack in analyzing people, would know that Ji Eun was not the type to welcome love in her arms, nor was it the time or situation to. Taemin swallowed back disappointment, which wasn't hard, since he wasn't in a big rush.

He could wait.

He could wait for this sudden first love of his, no matter how long it'd take.

It was a brave confession but Taemin knew that Ji Eun and him were so alike in the way they thought, the way they felt, and even the way they lived that he was sure they were made to be. It especially pushed his ego when he noticed that Ji Eun would accidentally hint that Taemin was as good looking as he thought he was (which he began to doubt when Ji Eun showed no reaction) with a little lip bite or a shy dart of an eye, which would force him to hold back and not hug her right then and there.

Sure it was crazy, saying that some girl he first talked to not even an hour ago, was his first love.

But Taemin was sure of this feeling, whether it be towards Ji Eun or her sorrow.

At the time the heart of this adorable girl in front of him was bubbling over with sadness and anger, his heart was doing the same with happiness.

It was love and Taemin found no wrong in that.

Taemin loved to play with things he liked.

"Hey girls! Come in, come in!" Woohyun grinned brightly, opening his door wide, his white turtleneck cozily wrapping around his neck with a pair of comfortable looking gray jeans. He smiled when the two girls both said their greetings and made sure to bow back at Ji Eun who was still having the stubborn grip of keeping her relationship and Woohyun very, very formal.

"You can sit over there, in the middle. If you need it, the smaller blanket is by the dresser so if you feel cold you can put it over yourself." Woohyun motioned slightly to Eunji's flouncy skirt, smiling in a gentlemanly manner.

Eunji elbowed Ji Eun in excitement, her face pink. Ji Eun made a face and shook her head in pity, stepping into the apartment casually.

"You live here alone?" Ji Eun looked around the apartment, fairly small but enough for two people to live cozily. The white walls were clean (too clean, Ji Eun thought), friendly brown wooden boards creaked with cheap age, and the simple hand me down furniture greeted them warmly. Nothing too expensive was adjourning the place, except for the slightly opened wardrobe that seemed to have a more variety of clothing than Ji Eun's. It also seemed a bit cramped, like it was stuffed with extra stuff.

Ji Eun reached over to close to wardrobe door, her eyes sneaking to the darkness inside, wondering what type of clothing a college student would wear-

SLAM!

Ji Eun jumped with shock, her eyes wide like two black pebbles and she looked over to the hand that hurriedly closed the wardrobe door.

Her eyes traveled up a white long sleeve and to the very owner of those clothes and she furrowed her brows together, frowning with confusion and offense.

"Sorry... Sorry." Woohyun laughed sheepishly, "You can't just open a boy's closet like that."

Ji Eun let the fact he thought she was going to pry into his personal space slide and instead crossed her arms.

"Why not?"

Woohyun's eyes shook and he let out a weak laugh, his eyes darting to Eunji nervously.

Ji Eun peered through her eyes, curiosity that wasn't there before, starting up.

What's with this guy?

"I didn't want to say it..." Woohyun shrugged and threw his hands up as if in defeat and leaned over to Ji Eun. "You know... I've got... them... Undergarments in there..." He whispered, just loudly enough to let the worrying Eunji to hear, his ears red with panic.

Ji Eun froze and nodded slowly.

"I... See.. Excuse me, I wasn't going to open it, I was just going to close it." Ji Eun tilted her head in a slight bow and retreated to Eunji's side, huddling behind her. Eunji let out a deep breathe that turned into a loud laugh, one that she was holding ever since Woohyun leaned closer to Ji Eun.

"Geez! An' ah thought it was somethin' illegal or somethin'! You could've told us, no biggie in underwear. Everyone wears underwear." Eunji giggled at Woohyun covering his ears in embarrassment as he groaned upwards to the ceiling.

"Please stop saying that word, Eunji! I'm embarrassed enough." Woohyun let out a weak laugh, giving Eunji a sideways glance and a sly smile that sent Eunji's heart thumping.

Eunji grinned, her lips hanging on her ears and her eyes folded adorably into half circles.

Ji Eun unknowingly let out a small smile and hid it with her scarf. She shook her head and let out a silent chortle, perfectly understanding why Eunji was so in love with such a college dork.

Woohyun blinked with shock and straightened his back at the sight of Ji Eun's small smile, he himself smiling widely.

"Hey! You smiled." He pointed out and let out a disappointed 'ah' when Ji Eun shifted her body away from Woohyun, her smile hardening to a thin line. He let out a pout and shrugged, smiling softly.

"You have a pretty smile. I like it." Woohyun grinned.

Ji Eun felt the air stiffen.

The emotions she could feel without analyzing the two people in the room were deafening, both piercing her with totally different emotions from every pore of their bodies.

One of them was curiosity mixed with something else, something much more sweet.

Dangerously sweet?

Ji Eun didn't have time to analyze what type of feeling it was, when the one right next to her hit her like a thick black bag of putrid rotting trash. She couldn't believe how strong the emotion was, but it was directed at her for sure.

Ji Eun couldn't turn around.

She wouldn't turn around.

The bag of trash was full to the brim of... jealousy, and it wasn't far from rotting into hate.

Ding dong!

The friendly ring shook the clashing atmosphere with its familiar chime, managing to shake the emotions, the individual bodies them up in an instant. Only then, Ji Eun could breathe, and she volunteered gladly to open the door for whoever saved her from the terrifying moment.

"Coming." Ji Eun said, her voice almost cracking. She swallowed it down and shook her head from the thoughts that once again clawed their way in, but she couldn't shake the glaring eyes on her back.

It kind of physically hurt.

"Hello." Dongwoo smiled immediately as Ji Eun opened the door and she smiled back widely in gratefulness. Dongwoo's eyes lingered on Ji Eun's smile and he simply walked in, thanking her politely.

Ji Eun could feel the same curiosity waver off of him, but it didn't suffocate her unlike a few moments before.

She noticed the eyes piercing her back had lifted off of her and gone who knows where. She let herself carefully turn around, double checking her facial expression and fixing it to it being neutral and calm.

Her eyes first darted to Woohyun, who was smiling widely at Dongwoo and greeting him roughly with a headlock and noogie, then her eyes slithered to Eunji, hesitant and careful.

She sighed of relief inaudibly when she saw the adoration that gushed from Eunji's eyes and very being as she smiled at Woohyun's actions, greeting Dongwoo as a second option.

The three laughed with small talk flowing from their mouths and Ji Eun stepped towards the group, not realizing that she faced her body towards Dongwoo. The atmosphere that choked her had left its red finger marks around her neck and the problem was that she didn't know where it came from or where it went. Ji Eun had to be careful of the two.

It could come back at any given time.

She almost choked at the thought of being wary of her best friend, but that level of emotion had set off any moral regulations. It was too scary to think of morally. She would still hold back in analyzing straight up, but she'd not refrain in defending herself if she had to.

Ji Eun held back a glare at Woohyun, her heart heavy and cold.

Something was off about this guy.

"So! Someone said they had a question about the Arts Departments?" Dongwoo started, finally bringing out the real reason why they even came to the college boy's apartment in the first place.

"Yeah! I was just wonderin’ if you could give me some materials on how to get into the Vocal Department." Eunji chirped, her eyes glowing with the passion that was absent whenever she opened a thick textbook.

"Oh! It was you?" Dongwoo nodded absentmindedly, and set down his bag, being the first to huddle next to the cold wooden table. Eunji hesitated but then sat down across him, looking up at Woohyun expectantly.

The boy seemed to not notice since he was looking at Ji Eun, but he sat down casually next to Eunji making her beam.

Her eyes glanced at Ji Eun and for a second Ji Eun thought she saw something behind all the love she had for Woohyun.

Stop analyzing, you'll only make things worse for yourself.

"Is there a problem if it's me?" Eunji joked, motioning Ji Eun to sit down next to Dongwoo with a teasing and flirtatious wink.

"No no, I just heard so much from Woohyun that Ji Eun is apparently really good at singing so I assumed that she was the one that was applying." Dongwoo shifted to the left, making more room for Ji Eun as she sat down quietly next to him, right across a smiling Woohyun.

"He did?"

Ji Eun and Eunji both echoed each other, the amount of surprised equal.

"I did." Woohyun chuckled, "Eunji told me so much that I guess I ended up talking about Ji Eun as well."

"Oh."

Eunji smiled, but it was weak and small. She was trying to remember just how much she unknowingly compared herself to her best friend. Just how much she accidentally may have made Ji Eun look better than her.

She felt fill with nasty slime and her eyes flicked towards Ji Eun.

She was looking at her.

What if she was analyzing her right now? What if she found out that she was feeling jealous of her? Of her best friend?

Why was she analyzing her?

Eunji didn't realize the small timid voice had risen it's volume quickly shouting with anger. It was cursing at Ji Eun, yelling for her to stop looking at her in that way, and Eunji almost let the voice come out but then Ji Eun smiled at her.

Her smile was small and nervous, and Ji Eun quickly looked away, joining the small conversation Dongwoo and Woohyun were having.

I don't analyze people I like, Eunji. Especially you.

Guilt ripped through the angry voice, ripping it forcefully to shreds and Eunji wanted to apologize right then and there. Never in her life would she have thought that she would have turned into an ugly green monster in front of the two people she loved.

How could she think like that? Over a boy? Over skills?

She knew it wasn't as simple as she was putting it, but her relationship with Ji Eun wasn't either.

Eunji smiled brightly, but the fists under the table were shaking from the force she was putting on herself.

Sure she felt bad, she felt horrible in fact that she would ever be suspicious of her best friend. Jealous, even. It was worst that Ji Eun hadn't even analyzed her in the way she usually did but still found out either way that Eunji was thinking the way she was thinking. The fact that Ji Eun had caught her in the act made Eunji feel , scratched all over, and bone crushingly disappointed in herself.

But on the other hand-

YEAH! SO YORE THA SMART AN' TALENTED ONE! YA THINK YA CAN JUS' GIT AWAY WITH MAKING ME LOOK BAD IN FRON' OF MA OWN BOYFRIEND?

Her fists shook.

What the hell am I thinking about?

What do ya MEAN? Of course ya can think like this. It's only natural! She's the one that's been a ing !

Stop.

HAHAHA! Ya know yew want to show her that yore better. It's jus' somethin' called ah lil' friendly rivalry.

But we're not like that.

SHE'S ANALYZING YOU the .

Stop!

Shh shh, caint let ourselves get caught can we? We're in front of our oppa, we caint let him know this side of us.

This isn't me.

Eunji looked down, pretending to look for something in her bag, pawing the empty air in her bag. She tried to ignore the soft cackling laugh, crescendoing in volume, eventually booming in her ears and blocking all sound.

This? Isn't it a bit rude to call yourself 'this'? We both know that yew ain't the happy go lucky girl you wanna be. So GIVE UP! I'm always going ta be here, there's no use in holdin' me back. How'bout letting me loose huh? You’ll feel much better anyways. How’bout it? Let me loose!

Go away.

Hehehehehe, ahh...

The voice took a deep sigh, Eunji could almost hear it leaning back in a chair comfortably and it infuriated her.

Yore goin' ta let me out very very soon, Ah know it.

No.

Oh believe me. The way ah see it, we hate that Ji Eun better. We hate that our sweet Ji Eun is prettier. We hate that we caint be as smart as our dear Ji Eun. We hate that she can sing better. We hate that she clings onto us! We hate that Ji Eun always mocks us! We hate that even Oppa likes her as soon as they met! We hate THAT OPPA IS LOOKING AT HER!

Eunji's mouth opened quickly, her voice seeping out.

I SAID SHUT UP!