Ryujin has never felt this much awkwardness in her entire life. 

She looked at the people around her, wondering what's going on. Yuna looks unbothered, just using her phone while tapping her foot on the ground in rhythm. Aeri is glancing around, looking normal as ever. Though her quietness gives it away. Aeri is never quiet. She is anything but that.

Minjeong, although she's quiet most of the time, she will appear relaxed. But she isn't, as of now. She looked more tense than relaxed. 

"Uh, guys?" Ryujin called them all. Aeri and Yuna glanced at her, while Minjeong didn't. The latter looked so lost, at the same time, occupied. Ryujin doubts that Minjeong had heard her. 

"Why?" Yuna was the first one to respond.

"Why are we here in front of the parking lot? Aren't we going home?"

"We're waiting for Jimin and the others." Aeri answered. "We're going to bid goodbyes to them before going home."

"Oh, okay?" Ryujin doesn't know why they need to do that, but she guess it's alright. She wants to see Yeji too.

She glanced at Minjeong who's still not saying anything. She approached the girl and tapped her back. 

"You okay, pup?" 

Minjeong flinched. "H-huh?"

"What's happening to you?" Ryujin asked in worry. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Minjeong looked at Aeri. "I need to talk to her."

"Talk to…what?"

Minjeong didn't say anything and left Ryujin. The girl approached Aeri and held the latter's wrist, dragging her away.

"…What the hell is happening?" Ryujin muttered to herself as she watched the two. 

"I honestly don't know." Yuna said beside her. "They were silent as heck during our lunch break! You won't believe how much tension I felt earlier!"

"What?" Ryujin faced her. "Tell me what happened earlier."

"Jimin talked about staying in Minjeong's house last night—"

"SHE WHAT?!" 

"Oh my God, don't shout! You're hurting my ears!" Yuna shouted back. "Do you want to know what happened or what?!"

Ryujin sighed deeply, trying to calm herself down. "Okay…okay, tell me. Tell me everything that happened. Don't leave any details."

Yuna rolled her eyes at her before telling everything that had occurred earlier, and as Ryujin commanded, without leaving any details behind. Her cousin is just staring at her the whole time with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she's hearing.

"…and that's what happend." 

"W-what happened after that? Did they fight? Did Minjeong get hurt?"

"No, why would they fight?" Yuna exclaimed. "They didn't do anything. Although there was a long silence after that. I was even the one who spoke first because I felt like they're just planning to stare at Minjeong. The puppy is looking down the whole time."

"…This is a mess."

"Mess? What are you saying? Do you know something that I don't?"

Ryujin didn't answer. Before Yuna could say anything again, Jimin and her friends had already arrived.

"Hey girls!" They cheerfully greeted the two. Jimin scanned the whole area before speaking.

"Where's Mindeongie and Aeri?"

How should they explain it? That Minjeong just dragged Aeri away out of the blue?

"Uhm…"

Ryujin can't come up with a reason. Not like she needs to, because Minjeong and Aeri came back before she could even say anything. 

"Hi guys!" Aeri greeted in a happy tone. Minjeong is just silent beside her.

Ryujin immediately went to Minjeong and dragged her to the side.

"I heard what happened. What did you do, Minjeongie?"

"Ryu…" Minjeong trailed off. "I told Aeri that I like Ningning so she doesn't have to worry about me."

"What? Why?"

"I don't have a choice. I don't want to lose Aeri." Minjeong said sternly. "I don't want to create a mess in our friendship."

"And you're letting go of Jimin?"

"She's not mine in the first place." Minjeong frowned. "I'll continue avoiding them."

"You know you can't do that. In a few weeks, we'll have a trip to Japan. You can't avoid them forever."

"I don't know what to do anymore, Ryujin." Minjeong gripped on Ryujin's shirt tightly, as if she'd fall on her knees if she didn't. "I feel trapped."

"We need to go home." Ryujin said immediately and held Minjeong's shoulders. "Do you want a ride? I'll take you home."

"Okay—"

A car suddenly stopped in front of them, which took Ryujin and Minjeong's attention, as well as their other friends who were talking on the side. 

"Ningning…" Minjeong muttered when she saw the familiar car in front of her. As if on cue, the owner of the car went out.

"Hey girls!" Ningning is wearing a cap and a mask. But the red hair was already a dead giveaway. 

"Hey, Ning!" Aeri was the first one to react as she hugged the girl briefly before backing away. "Why did you come here?"

Ningning looked at Minjeong. "I'm fetching my puppy."

"Your puppy?" Aeri teased.

The singer glanced at the girl beside Aeri for a moment, before looking away.

"Yup. My puppy."

"What is she saying?" Ryujin whispered to Minjeong. The latter shook her head, also clueless.

"Don't ask me, I don't know either."

"Are you two…together?" Yeji asked the singer.

"We're not…yet."

No one spoke. No one reacted. Except for Aeri who squealed.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed. "There's really something going on between you two!"

Ningning just smiled. She turned to Minjeong, he