The first thing Wheein saw when she woke up was the sleeping face next to her.

Her brain was jolted awake almost immediately.

She started to sit up, but quickly stopped.

It was rare to find Byulyi not awake before her. She thought that she should savor this moment as much as she could.

So Wheein settled back down, resting her head on her hand as her eyes carefully studied Byulyi’s sleeping features. It made Wheein smile as she remembered how that long nose scrunches every time Byulyi smiles and how that triangle mouth can produce such a devilish smirk when Byulyi was up to no good.

Just like that, Wheein’s mind wandered to the duet they sang together last week.

Wheein half-expected something to happen between them after that, but nothing changed. They were still sharing the same bed, cuddling at night and waking up next to each other in the morning. Just like any other roommates.

Just like that, Wheein started to wonder what would happen if she did a non-roommate thing to Byulyi right then and there. Her heart hammered against her chest and Wheein found herself leaning closer and closer to Byulyi.

Just then, the corner of Byulyi’s lips lifted and Wheein’s heart almost stopped.

“Y-You’re awake.”

“Yeah,” Byulyi opened her eyes slowly and a full smile bloomed on her face, “it was hard not to when I feel such a piercing gaze directed at me.”

If Wheein wasn’t so mesmerized by the sunlight dancing in Byulyi’s eyes, she would have been blushing furiously. Even her own heartbeat was drowning out the morning traffic and their housemates’ voices outside their room.

Wheein didn’t know if Byulyi was surprised by the closeness of their face because Byulyi’s poker face were hard to read. But Wheein saw something flitted across Byulyi’s eyes and instinctively, her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed a little and her lips, as if anticipating something to happen.

Suddenly, Byulyi blinked and sat up.

Wheein felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured on her head followed by a heavy feeling sitting in the pit of her stomach.

Disappointment? Relief? Regret? Anger?

Wheein wasn’t sure.

“I-I forgot. I have morning classes,” Byulyi was saying as she jumped off the bed and bustled about the room, not even looking at Wheein once, “and I’m super late.”

Byulyi was saying something else under her breath, but Wheein was too distracted to hear her. Her brain was still trying to process what had just happened – or what didn’t happen – and so she laid there on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Wheein instinctively knew they had a moment there, but she didn’t know why Byulyi backed out at the last minute. She was so sure that Byulyi wanted whatever was supposed to happen between them to happen just as much as she does.

But maybe she was wrong.

Wheein sat up, wanting to ask Byulyi about it, but Byulyi was already long gone.

***

A few days passed by and Wheein still didn’t get to talk to Byulyi about it.

It wasn’t Byulyi’s fault; Wheein was busy preparing for the dance competition next week. But it was a little frustrating that Byulyi was making herself as scarce as possible whenever they were in the same room. Byulyi was barely sleeping at the house either.

Wheein was confused, but she couldn’t do anything about it. Instead, she decided to focus on the competition and aim to win it with her team.

Just like that, one week passed by and the day of the dance competition dawned upon Wheein and her team.

The competition was held in the neighbouring town and Yongsun and Hyejin already promised to come and cheer for Wheein. But no one knew if Byulyi would be there too.

“I’ll drag her if I have to,” Yongsun had assured her with a confidence that Wheein wished she had.

“Thanks, unnie. But you don’t have to force her if she doesn’t want to…”

“What do you mean she doesn’t want to?” Hyejin had sounded concerned when she heard Wheein’s words. “It’s Byulyi-unnie. She would never miss your competition, Wheein-ah.”

Wheein had just smiled, but she didn’t dare to hope.

Remembering that exchange was messing with her mindset, so Wheein took a long, deep breath, pushing that memory far, far away to the back of her mind.

Because it was her team’s turn to take the stage now.

***

Byulyi arrived just as Wheein and her team took their positions on the stage.

She saw Yongsun and Hyejin standing near the front of the stage, but it would take too long for Byulyi to wade through the crowd to reach them. So Byulyi hung at the back of the crowd, making sure that she was at a spot where she could still see Wheein and her team performing.

The team started powerfully, mixing their signature moves into the routine at certain points. Byulyi enjoyed the performance thoroughly, feeling especially proud of Wheein. Because, even at the distance she was standing, Byulyi felt the charisma and confidence emanating from Wheein.

But who was Byulyi kidding?

Her only focus from the start of the performance had been Wheein and Wheein only. She would be ashamed to admit it out loud, but she was fine admitting it to herself.

Then, Wheein started her short solo dance.

It was no question that her fluid movements captivated Byulyi. So much so that Byulyi felt her cheeks became warm and her heart beating erratically. The pride swelling her chest was mixed with something else. Something that she had been suppressing for days now.

When Wheein finished her dance, Byulyi thought their eyes locked momentarily. Byulyi felt like her heart was in , waiting to see if it wasn’t just in her head. Then, Wheein flashed a smile so dazzling, it made the crowd roared.

Byulyi smiled back, feeling a little happy when she thought that smile was for her. But then, she quickly berated herself; Wheein’s smile was for the crowd, not for her.

Suddenly feeling sick in the stomach, Byulyi quickly moved away from the crowd towards the bathroom.

After splashing her face with the cool water, Byulyi felt a little better. But as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, Byulyi knew that she couldn’t deny or suppress her feelings any longer.

“Well, .”

***

Wheein couldn’t believe it.

Byulyi was there, watching her and her team performing.

That feeling of elation powered every move that Wheein made on stage. She didn’t spare any energy either when it was time for her solo dance.

But once the team was done performing, Wheein glanced out at the crowd, hoping to see Byulyi cheering along with their supporters. But there was no sign of Byulyi.

Wheein felt the tears springing up from inside her, but she pushed it down. She didn’t want to worry her team members.

But when the announcer declared Wheein’s team as the winner, Wheein couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. No one would know which tear she was shedding and Wheein was okay with that.

The downside of crying when you win a trophy is being teased about it at the afterparty. Wheein was too exhausted from crying to fight back the teasing, so she just nodded and smile.

Yongsun and Hyejin had dropped in earlier, congratulating Wheein and her team before driving back home because Yongsun had work tomorrow. Wheein felt a little lonely after they left because the supporters who came were mostly friends or relatives of the other members.

Wheein grabbed a can of beer and walked up to the team leader. “Unnie, I feel a little tired. I’m going out for some fresh air.”

“Feel better, Wheein-ah,” the team leader patted her back with an understanding smile, “remember that you’re our ace, okay?”

Wheein just smiled in response before making her way towards the door leading to the backyard garden.

The inn they had the afterparty at had a beautiful garden in their backyard, complete with a pond and a small gazebo.

Wheein felt a little better as she breathed in the cool night air. She softly hummed a random song as she walked along the rocky path. The path was lined with neatly trimmed bushes on each side, giving a sense of isolation as one walked deeper into the garden. Wheein felt at peace and her mood was lifting with each step she took.

Suddenly, Wheein heard a loud sigh from around the corner. Wheein felt a little wary; she thought she was the only one here.

Slowly, Wheein peeked around the bush and stifled a gasp.

“Byulyi-unnie?”

Byulyi looked up, startled. When she saw that it was Wheein, she smiled. But it wasn’t her usual smile; this smile was lifeless, adding a troubled and exhausted look on Byulyi’s face.

“Congratulations on the win, Wheein-ah.”

“Thanks, but,” Wheein slowly closed the distance between them, her eyes roaming Byulyi’s face with concern, “are you okay, unnie?”

Byulyi opened , as if she wanted to deny it, but she just sighed and smiled another lifeless smile.

“Um, no. Actually,” Byulyi glanced briefly at Wheein, “there’s this girl I like…”

Wheein felt her heart dropped to her stomach and she really thought she was going to be sick.

“…but she didn’t seem to like me back.”

Almost immediately, that feeling of sickness Wheein felt was replaced by anger.

“What? Why not? Who is she? Let me talk some sense into her.”

Byulyi stared at Wheein, looking a little taken aback. Then, she gave a quick glance around and smiled.

Wheein was too distracted by the idea that there was a girl that didn’t like Byulyi back to notice that Byulyi’s smile was actually her signature devilish smirk.

“Come,” Byulyi grabbed Wheein’s hand, sending little jolts of electricity up Wheein’s arm, “I’ll show you.”

Wheein was hyper-focused on how their hands fit together so well that she didn’t realize Byulyi had dragged her to the edge of the pond.

When they finally stopped and Byulyi let go of her hand, Wheein looked around, expecting to see a tall, beautiful girl waiting for them.

“Where is she, unnie?”

“Over there,” Byulyi gestured at the pond, grinning from ear to ear, eyes watching Wheein with playful glee, “I can’t wait to know what you’ll tell her, Wheein-ah.”

Wheein looked at Byulyi and then at the pond, confused. There were three reflections in the pond: Byulyi, Wheein and the moon. It took a full second before Wheein realize what Byulyi meant.

Wheein’s head whipped towards Byulyi, her eyes wide as saucers. “Um, am I supposed to talk to me?” she asked dumbly, pointing to herself. “The person you like…is me?”

“I thought it was obvious…”

Byulyi looked down, her smile faltering a little. Wheein glanced down and saw the slight tremble of Byulyi’s clasped hands. Wheein realized then that Byulyi’s nervousness belied the casual tone of her words. Wheein wanted to just hug Byulyi right then and there, but they needed to talk this out first.

“I’m confused,” Wheein said slowly, her brain fighting to catch up with what’s happening, “you’ve been MIA around me for days and now you’re saying that…you like me?”

It was Byulyi’s turn to look confused.

“I didn’t think you want me around,” Byulyi frowned, looking like she was also trying to process what’s going on, “because you never said anything after we did the duet…I thought you didn’t like me back.”

“Oh,” Wheein blurted, her cheeks warming up, “I didn’t realize you were using that song like that. I mean, I had an inkling, but I wasn’t sure so…”

Byulyi stared at Wheein for a moment and then threw her back, laughing hard. Byulyi’s laughing fit made Wheein even more confused.

“What, what? What did I say?”

“No, no. Not you. Oh my god. OH MY GOD haha,” Byulyi was breathless when she finally came down from her laughing fit, “I’m so sorry, Wheein-ah. So, so sorry. I just realized I never actually told you…”

Wheein cocked her head to one side, waiting patiently for Byulyi’s next words.

Byulyi took a deep breath, smiling her usual soft smile that she reserved only for Wheein. Then, she gently took Wheein’s hands in hers, her thumbs slowly caressing Wheein’s knuckles.

“Jung Wheein, I like you. I like you a lot. Will you go on a date with me? Romantically, of course,” Byulyi quickly added, not wanting anymore misunderstanding between them.

Wheein laughed at the late addition. She was still smiling when she gently squeezed Byulyi’s hands.

“Okay. Let’s date. Romantically. Oh and I like you too,” Wheein rushed to say, “just to be clear.”

Byulyi laughed and pulled Wheein into her arms for a tight hug. Wheein hugged her back, nuzzling her face in Byulyi’s neck.

When they finally pulled away, Byulyi placed a chaste kiss on Wheein’s cheek. Wheein stared at her in offense.

“On the cheek?”

“We’re not dating yet!”

“I thought this is our first day!”

“Let’s get through the first date and then we’ll see.”

Wheein rolled her eyes and pouted, but Byulyi just chuckled as she wrapped her hand around Wheein’s waist and guided her back to where the afterparty was just wrapping up.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N:

Thank you for continuing to read this series of oneshots. I know it took me too long to update this series, but thank you for your patience ^^

I'm thinking of one or two more chapters and this series will be done.

Once again, thank you for all the support! ^___^