“How do you know when you like someone?”

“Pardon?”

“Interesting question, unnie. It really depends on the individual and their behaviours when they’re around that particular pers-”

“Hold on. Why are you asking this question?”

Yuri thought it was completely reasonable to ask something like this. Well, at her old school anyway. She didn’t expect to be questioned about it.

“I’m just wondering…”

“You don’t just wonder about these things.”

Yuri frowned at that retort. “Sure you do. Everybody wonders.”

“They wonder to help answer their own problems.”

Hyoyeon agreed with the shorter girl. If it were just them two, she’d kiss her for being exactly right.

“I don’t have problems.”

Behind that façade, the blonde knew her friend was lying. How weird is it to ask something like this out of the blue?

“I am honestly hurt. We are your friends and you decide to keep secrets from us?” Sunny faked a sob and held her hand close to her chest. “That is not what our group is about, Kwon Yuri.”

Yuri snickered and shook her head. She resolved into ignoring her group and continuing her study, assuming they were going to let go of the topic sooner or later.

But, oh, was she very wrong.

“So…any hot guys around the school, lately?” Hyoyeon whispered mindlessly as she doodled in her assignment paper. She could feel the black pearl’s glare burning a hole through her head.

If they weren’t revising notes at the library, Hyoyeon wouldn’t even be whispering. She was louder than the school bell itself, and that blaring sound was enough to awaken every student in the school.

Sunny thought it would be funny to join in the fun. “Ah, there’s quite a few. What do you think, Seo?”

“Boys are disgusting, unnie…”

Silence emitted through the air as the youngest said that. It was so blatant, but her three unnies couldn’t help to agree. Not aloud of course, but it was still true to them.

“Okay…what about you, Yul? You got your eye on someone special?”

Yuri knew what they were doing. A simple name was all they wanted but the person she was thinking of was not what they would expect.

She kept mum, only set on finishing her essay. If only she hadn’t asked in the first place, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

“She’s not answering.”

“Yuri-unnie, you’re hesitating.”

There were certain things Yuri’s friends were good at, and one of them was interrogation. They never gave up when they wanted something out of her. She’d gotten used to it, but sometimes, it could get annoying.

“What do you want me to say?” Yuri’s eyes never left her book.

“What do you think?”

She sighed before placing her pencil down. Her full attention was now on the girls in front of her.

“You like someone, don’t you?”

“I…I don’t know…”

Hyoyeon could only frown. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

Yuri didn’t want to tell them. Heck, she wasn’t even sure if her feelings were true. She hadn’t liked anyone in years, making her foreign to the common emotions when dealing with a crush, if that’s what she’d even call it.

“I mean…I don’t know what it feels like to like someone. I don’t know if it’s just infatuation or if I actually do have a crush on her. I have no idea what to do…”

When none of her friends replied, Yuri looked up to find all their faces washed with confusion.

“W-what?”

“Uhm…” Sunny looked at the other two before turning her attention towards Yuri again. “Her?”

If there was a time Yuri thought she was at her dumbest, it was right then. She was so absorbed in talking, she hadn’t noticed the slip of the pronouns. What was worse was the fact that she had no control over what she was saying.

“I-I meant b-ber!”

“Ber? You mean Amber? You know Amber’s a girl too, right?” Hyoyeon was so confused. She had expected Yuri to crush on that Taecyeon guy. Not a girl, more specifically, Amber.

“No! Not Am-”

“Shh!” The librarian glared at Yuri, as if she was threatening her with her own eyes. Yuri gulped and mouthed a ‘sorry’ before turning back to her friends.

“So it’s not Amber?”

“No…it’s not her. I know she’s a girl.”

So is she gay or?

“Unnie, just be straight with us-” Hyoyeon and Sunny snickered at that statement, thinking of it in a different way than how maknae thought of it.

“Straight-forward.”

They cleared their throats before signalling the taller girl to continue.

“Are you straight, unnie?”

“I…uhh…”

“C’mon. We’re your friends. Do you think we’re going to judge you?”

Sunny was right. Yuri just wasn’t sure if she actually had a crush or not. But honestly, she knew she didn’t only get attracted to men. She knew she’d had a few girl crushes too.

So why was she hesitating?

The girls’ reassuring smiles were enough to get Yuri to spill.

“I’m not…”

Hyoyeon leaned in her chair and looked at the maknae. “Well, looks like you’re the only straight one here, Hyunnie.”

Yuri’s eyes immediately widened.

“Wait what?”

“Seeing as we’re all exposing our secrets, Sunny and I are-”

“-dating!” Yuri had beaten them to it, but was immediately hushed by the librarian once again. She glared before turning back to her friends.

“I knew it!” She whispered.

“Are we that obvious?”

Yuri and Seohyun both nodded.

“You guys make a cute couple.”

“You think we don’t know that?” Hyoyeon asked as she snuggled closer to Sunny.

Yuri merely rolled her eyes, knowing the two were going to get touchier now that she knew about their relationship. She should’ve just resorted to saying nothing at all.

“You still haven’t told us who you like though…”

“You don’t need to know that.”

Hyoyeon looked at her suspiciously. To be completely honest, now that the girls knew of Yuri’s ual orientation, it was quite easy for them to peace the pieces together.

And judging by how close Yuri was to only certain girls, the suspects were simple.

“It’s Sooyoung, isn’t it?” Hyoyeon’s voice was tight, strangling her emotions.

“What? No, it’s not-”

“Don’t lie. You’re just denying because you know I’m going to get mad at you.”

Hyoyeon wasn’t going to believe anything that came out of Yuri’s mouth.

“Hyo, I swear I don’t like Sooyoung in that way.” She was slightly offended by the fact that her own friend wasn’t listening to what she had to say.

“Who else could it be then? You’re always with her or Taecyeon. Even during the auditions, she was right next to you.”

“Believe me, Hyoyeon. It’s not her.”

Sunny reached out and gave her girlfriend’s arm a soft squeeze. “C’mon, hun…”

Hyoyeon looked at Sunny and her furrowed brows instantly halted. She loved how the world stopped every time she looked at Sunny. She loved it.

Hyoyeon turned back to Yuri, seeing concern in her friend’s eyes. “Who is it then?”

It took a while for Yuri to respond. If she didn’t, Hyoyeon was going to keep assuming it was Sooyoung. And anything involving that shikshin always ended badly.

“It’s…” The name was at the tip of her tongue, but for some reason, it wouldn’t leave. Just the simple ‘Yoo’ syllable was impossible to say. “Uhh…it’s…”

“Im Yoona.”

Everyone’s head turned to the maknae. She had been quiet this whole time, observing Yuri’s body language.

“You like Yoona?” Sunny asked incredulously.

Yuri was scared stiff. She wondered how Seohyun was able to decipher her. She didn’t think she was being that obvious at all.

“I-I…”

“Out with it, Yuri.” Hyoyeon was getting frustrated.

The tanned girl only stayed quiet. The answer was all too clear for the other girls.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Hyoyeon rested in her chair, disappointment washed over her. Yuri knew how much Hyoyeon despised the whole group, but she found it comical how rude she was acting.

Seohyun and Sunny only sat there in silence. They weren’t completely shocked Yuri wasn’t straight, but it was quite surprising to know she had been crushing on the populars. Even though Yuri was basically considered popular.

“You know how she is, right? She sleeps around all the time.”

“She hasn’t been doing it recently, and even if she’s done it in the past, it shouldn’t be something we can judge her about.” Yuri didn’t know why she was defending Yoona, but for some reason, she felt she had to.

“I just don’t want you getting hurt. You of all people would know how she’s like.”

“I promise you…” Yuri stared deeply into Hyoyeon’s eyes, “…I won’t let her hurt me. She never will.”

Hyoyeon was still sceptical about the whole thing, but the way her friend’s eyes glimmered with hope was making it hard for her to accept it.

“I swear to god, Yul. If she tries anything I’m coming for her head.”

Yuri chuckled. “I’ll be the one to go for it first.”

Hyoyeon simply smiled. She knew she was acting a bit over-protective, but she’s heard the things Yoona does, and she didn’t want any of that happening to Yuri.

“Tell her my threat when you see her this afternoon.”

 “I’m not seeing her after school.” Yuri scribbled on her book, trying to ignore the pain in her chest.

“Don’t you have tutoring?”

“She had to cancel. She has other important stuff to do…”

Hyoyeon knew Yoona long enough to realise that was just an excuse. Being friends with Sooyoung, the dancing queen felt as if it was just a game to the younger girl.

She would watch from afar, Hyoyeon decided. She would make sure nobody hurts her friends. Especially, Yuri.

Because the last thing she’d want is more scars upon the tanned girl’s skin.

***

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

“Relax! We haven’t been here in ages. This used to be your favourite place.”

“Used to.”

Sooyoung shook her head in disappointment before looking out at the group of sweaty people on the dance floor. First timers wouldn’t even be able to step foot past the door. The smell was revolting and the place was basically hell filled with , frustrated drunks.

But to Yoona, it was normal to her. Her nose was so used to the scent, it past by like a breeze.

Yoona looked down at the untouched cup of beer on the counter. She hadn’t drunk alcohol in months. And honestly, she missed it.

She ran her finger along the rim of the cup, casually playing with it.

“Jeez. Just drink it, dude. Aren’t you happy I found our fake IDs?”

“I guess…”

Sooyoung sighed and pushed the glass closer to Yoona. “Get drunk. You’re funnier when you’re drunk. Take this as a celebration for our failed attempts to get into the dance team.”

Yoona chuckled as her friend nudged her on the shoulder. She unhooked one of her buttons and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to loosen up.

“I lied to her.”

“Is that why you’re upset?!” Sooyoung asked in disbelief. “Dude, you don’t expect to study every day, do you? Who are you, man?”

“But I should’ve just told her the truth.”

“As if she’d be okay with you ditching your tutor lessons just to get drunk. What excuse did you even use?”

“I…had important stuff to do…”

Sooyoung flicked Yoona on the forehead.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Honestly, do I have to babysit you every day? You’re a child.”

Yoona frowned and looked down at her cup. “Children don’t drink, though.”

Sooyoung grabbed her friend by the shoulders and made her face her. She needed to get Yoona drunk. She’d been bummed for too long.

“Listen. I’m going to get you drunk, and you’re going to have a great time, okay?”

“I won’t even remember it.”

“Who cares? It’ll get you off this lonely island you’ve been sitting on. C’mon, Yoong…”

Yoona looked at Sooyoung, and then back at the cup, and then back at Sooyoung again. She was there already, she thought. Might as well make the most of it.

She turned and grabbed the cup, lifting it up to drink all its contents. It went down like fire, burning against her. She slammed the cup down and immediately, a smile broke out on her face.

“That’s my girl! I’ll get you another!”

Overtime, Yoona had forgotten why she was sad in the first place. Slowly, she was losing her mind.

***

An hour in and Yoona was tipsy. She had figured she’d be drunk by now, considering how much bottles she’s finished.

She looked out into the crowd and realised she hadn’t danced once. A lot of people had come up to offer her, but she casually brushed them off. She’d rather be dancing with a certain black pearl.

Sooyoung had gone around flirting with a bunch of people, sending winks here and there. You could tell she was better at this than Yoona.

It was getting stuffy.

The young deer found herself fanning her forehead at times and playing with her collar. She sent a quick text to Sooyoung, informing of her whereabouts before taking a bottle and making her way outside.

The moment she stepped out, the neighbourhood already looked too familiar to her. It was quite a poor place, and the chilly breeze was enough to make her toes curl.

Yoona opened her bottle of beer, and drank a quarter of it. Her head was getting dizzy. Her mind was at a blur. Without really knowing, Yoona begun wandering around the neighbourhood.

She really shouldn’t have, but the place enticed her to. It felt like she had been around here before.

She continued her drinking and walking, not understanding where the hell her legs were taking her.

***

“Be sure to cook it properly this time! Your steak before tasted like .”

Yuri stood in the kitchen as she heard her father yell from the living room. He had forced her to prepare his dinner.

It’s midnight and he wants me to make his stupid food. I should be asleep!

She harshly cut up the steak into small pieces, and growled. In all conscience, she was tired. She hadn’t been able to get enough because of her father’s needs, and he wasn’t even pregnant.

She finished up with cutting and laid it on the coffee table.

“Here.”

He sat up and grabbed a fork, smashing it into a piece of meat before the food disappeared down his throat.

Yuri was scared. If this tasted as bad as the one she made before, she’d be getting more than she’d asked. She just wanted to sleep.

Her father chewed for like forever, before brushing his daughter off. No thank you. No smile. It was just ‘leave’.

Yuri thought she had gotten used to that by now, but it still hurt her. It hurt how her father didn’t acknowledge her like he used to.

It was his face and his body, but it wasn’t her father in there.

Yuri turned to make her way towards her room, but the sound of several knocks on the front door prevented her from moving any further.

She groaned and went to answer it.

Who’d be at this house so late?! Jahovah’s witness?!

Yuri opened the door without asking who it was, but instantly closed it the moment she came face to face with a pair of doe eyes.

WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?

“Who’s at the door?” Her father called out.

“N-no one…Jahovah’s witnesses!”

He said nothing else after that.

Yuri peeked her head out the door and found the figure still standing there. Her face was completely neutral. She looked…lost.

“Yoona, what the hell are you doing here?” She harshly whispered.

Yoona stumbled against the door frame and casually leaned into Yuri’s personal space. “This your house, m’lady?”

Her breath smelt of alcohol and the bottle in her hands was able to prove her thoughts.

She’s drunk! She ditched our lesson to get drunk! Are you kid-

“You gonna let me in or?” Yoona slurred, her head bobbing from side to side.

Yuri didn’t want her to come inside. Her father would catch her for sure, and he’d smell the beer. If anything, he’d probably ask for some too.

But she wasn’t stupid enough to leave her out here. She wasn’t going to just let her walk off drunk. Who knows what could happen to her at a place like this.

Yes, Yuri was mad that ‘getting drunk’ was more important than ‘being tutored’ to Yoona, but she had to put that to the side. She had to keep the younger girl safe.

She looked back to find her father still watching TV. Yuri grabbed Yoona by her hand and pulled her in.

“Oh you like it rough-”

Yuri slammed a hand over Yoona’s mouth, almost stopping the latter from breathing.

“Will you be quiet?” She turned to see her dad hadn’t heard anything. Quietly, she tiptoed with Yoona following close behind, not letting go of each other’s hands.

As they were creeping, Yoona’s lips found their way beneath Yuri’s ear. She whispered. “You don’t mind if your dad hears you my name?”

Yuri blushed a bright pink, trying to ignore the hot breath on her skin. She tiptoed faster, thankful the man was paying too much attention to the TV screen.

Yuri led Yoona into her room, silently closing the door behind her, she sighed in relief before she realised Yoona’s horrible stench had made its way to the older girl’s nose.

“Yoona, you’re stinking up my room.” Yuri pinched her nose.

Yoona only threw herself on the bed, rolling around and enjoying the soft feel.

“Oh my god. Your odour is gonna seep into the mattress!”

Yuri ran over and pulled Yoona up to sit on the edge of the bed. She grabbed the empty beer bottle and placed it on the bedside table.

“I wasn’t done with that.”

“It’s empty, Yoona.”

She took off Yoona’s jacket and hung it up on her doorknob.

Yoona only watched in fascination. She was quite bold the first five minutes she stepped into the house, but now, it seemed she talked less than a mouse.

Yuri proceeded to open her window, letting out the foul smell. She then went to sit beside Yoona on the edge of the bed.

Neither said a thing. Yoona was drunk, and she didn’t even know she was at her crush’s house. She won’t even remember her first time being there.

“Yoona, I find it really-”

“My name’s Yoong. I don’t know who this Yoona person is…”

“Uhm…” Yuri was somewhat confused, but the girl wasn’t in the right state of mind. Of course she was going to say stupid things like this. “Yoong…”

“Hmm?” Yoona only hummed in reply.

“I find it really-”

Yoona intertwined her fingers with Yuri and laid her head on the older girl’s shoulder. It was so unexpected, it threw Yuri off.

“Uh-I…”

“Go on.”

“N-nevermind. How did you get here?”

“With my legs.”

Yuri rolled her eyes. Bits of Yoona’s personality was still evident in the far-from-sober deer. A few moments ago, the former craved for sleep, but being beside Yoona re-energised her. Only by a bit.

Yoona played around with Yuri’s hand. She ran her fingers along the older girl’s palm and stopped completely as they landed on the bruised wrists.

“Uhm, I wear my watches pretty tight…”

Yoona stared intently, but her mind wasn’t there. In her state, these bruises meant nothing to her.

“Do you know who I am?” Yoona resorted back to holding Yuri’s hand.

“Are you my future wife?”

Yuri snickered. “Nice try, Yoong.” The name past her lips as if she was born to say it.

Yoona rubbed her eyes, feigning interest. “You’re not my type anyways.”

Yuri felt as if she had swallowed her own heart.

She knew that under the influence, people tended to be more honest rather than lie through their teeth. So Yuri couldn’t help but care.

She slipped her fingers out of Yoona’s and placed them on her own thighs. She didn’t want to talk anymore. She didn’t want to hear anymore, but Yoona continued.

“To be honest, there’s this gir- don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Yoona stuck out her pinkie, waiting for the other girl to take it. Not feeling up for it, Yuri flicked out her pinkie anyways, linking it with Yoona’s and stamping their thumbs.

“You gotta sign too.”

Yoona opened out her hand, waiting for Yuri to ‘sign’ it.

A kid.

She faked a signature as Yoona did the same.

“Okay so there’s this girl that goes to my school, right?”

“Mhm…”

“And she’s got the most beautiful smi-” Yoona hiccupped. “-smile. Sometimes, she reminds me of honey because her skin is golden, like honey. But she’s also sweet, like honey. Oh! And she’s busy like a bee which is an insect that produces honey or something? I don’t know.”

Yuri smiled. As much as it hurts, she could never control her excitement whenever Yoona talked about something or someone she was passionate about.

She hiccupped again.

“She’s also really talented. She can swim, dance and do maths. Interesting enough, she’s my tutor for it.” Yoona giggled. Yuri gasped.

Her ears perked and her heart jumped. The veins in her body circulated faster than normal. She wasn’t functioning properly. Was this her?

“I was supposed to go tutoring after school, but I ditched her for my best friend. Savage, right? Soo wanted me to go coz we haven’t drank in ages!”

Yuri tittered.

“It was okay. I would’ve preferred tutoring though.”

Yoona stopped talking and looked at Yuri. “You actually look a lot like her.”

Yuri’s eyes glimmered. She didn’t know if Yoona was joking or not. She didn’t know how she should even react.

The person she was infatuated with liked her back? That never happened to someone like her.

“Like…a lot…”

Yoona gulped, examining the older girl’s appearance. Another hiccup left before she scooted closer to Yuri.

The latter was frozen in her position. What was she supposed to do? Move closer or move away? She didn’t want to move further apart, but she didn’t want to get nearer. She just wanted to be there. With Yoona.

The younger girl softly gripped Yuri’s arm, rubbing her thumb against her skin.

Yoona leaned in, her eyes set on Yuri’s lips. As she got closer, the smell of alcohol had gotten stronger, but Yuri didn’t mind. She was so close to losing it and so lost in her own desires, all she wanted was to feel Yoona’s lips on hers.

She was scared but excited. If she went along, she knew one day, the girl in front of her was going to break her heart. She couldn’t stay on one girl for a month.

Then again, maybe things would be different. Maybe Yoona had actually fallen in love with Yuri. Maybe Yoona had finally found someone worth fighting for.

Yuri wasn’t one to take risks, but she didn’t mind taking one for Yoona.

Closer and closer they had gotten but at the slightest touch, Yoona’s lips had completely left the tanned girl’s, making her kiss Yuri’s shoulder instead.

“Y-Yoong?”

She was wearing a muscle tee, and Yoona’s lips were grazing along her bare skin, sending shivers through Yuri’s spine.

Yoona was drunk.

Yoona was drunk.

“Yoo-”

All of sudden, a loud snore came out of the younger girl’s mouth, instantly making Yuri’s eyes widen.

“What the!” Yuri grabbed Yoona by the shoulders and looked at her face.

She fell asleep!

Yuri was supposed to be mad, but the peacefulness upon the younger girl’s face was so mesmerising, it was impossible to be upset at.

Yuri chuckled. “What a choding…”

Another snore erupted from the younger girl as Yuri giggled. She tucked her into bed before slipping in beside her, staring at Yoona’s face. The only source of light was the moon, peeking through the slit in the curtains. It shone on Yoona’s face and expressed her ethereal beauty.

It was enough to make Yuri smile.

Throughout the quiet space, Yuri whispered.

“Goodnight, Yoong.”

She turned so her back was facing Yoona, and once again, fell asleep with a smile.

...

__________

OH MY GOSH YOU CAN TELL I RUSHED THIS

I’m SOSOSOSO sorry this is late! :( I hope people are still reading. I have so much things to do but so little time. I’ll try to update faster for you guys. I know this is shorter than my other chapters, but I didn’t want to keep you all waiting.

Y’know…exams and stuff. But I have 3 weeks left till holidays :)) dw.

Again, I’m really sorry :( Thank you for those still supporting though! I appreciate it very much! :*

On a side note: This happened

They wore matching costumes??? WHY DO THEY LOVE MAKING ME SUFFER