______ woke up late. It was the weekend, and she had spent Friday night eating ice cream, making creative desserts, and crashing from her sugar high at 1 am.

Which is why today she woke up at 11 am, way later from her usual 7 am.

But it wasn't too different from a normal weekend, lazing around and such, until she checked her phone and realized that she had 34 messages. ______ usually didn't get more than 3.

It was from a group chat of all her friends...except Irene. What's going on?

So ______ scrolled up all the way to the top.

Seulgi: Did you guys get the news?

Wendy: omg yes, everyone knows

Yeri: guys Irene told us in the group chat of course we all got the news.

Joy: Yah, ______, get in here!

Wendy: ______ where are youuuuu?

Yeri: guys shes probably sleeping. You know she sleeps like the dead.

Seulgi: well someone wake her up this is BIG NEWS

Joy: ______ WAKE UP

Wendy: guys yelling over text obviously isn't going to work

Seulgi: well u find a better idea

Yeri: why dont we just wait for her to wake up.

Joy: but we gotta PLAN

Yeri: we can plan without her and just tell her the plan. ______ won't be much help making this plan anyways

Joy: tru

Wendy: tru

Seulgi: tru

Joy: SO HOWS IT GONNA GO

Wendy: WHOS BUYING FLOWERS

Seulgi: YO ______ WE GOTCHO BACK

Yeri: WHOS WRITING THE SPEECH

Joy: ok anyone got a real plan?

Joy: I'll take that as a no

Wendy: do that stereotypical thing like "oh im so sorry let me comfort u, u know i lov eu"

Seulgi: who are u kidding this is ______ she's not going to be that straightforward

Yeri: ______.....come onnnn

______ had no idea what was going on so she checked the other group chat. The one with all her friends, including Irene.

Joy: hey anyone free today

Yeri: I am

Wendy: mmhm

Irene: I'm free

Seulgi: don't you have a date with Bogum?

Irene: we broke up

Joy: excuse me WHAT?!

Yeri: WHAT OMG

Seulgi: I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT NEVER BREAK UP

Wendy: excuse us all for a moment Irene

There was nothing else, and ______ guessed that Wendy made the new group chat after that.

Oh, no wonder why they were texting me so much....so they broke up...I have a chance!

______: guys, I'm going to Irene's house. Advice?

Joy: OMG UR HERE

Wendy: DID U SEE EVERYTHING

______: yeah

Yeri: bring cookies and food and stuff.

Seulgi: bring money

Wendy: what? Is she going tto pay Irene?

Seulgi: no, she can take Irene out and buy her something or do the entire arcade thing again

Yeri: ooh thee arcade thing that was gooood ;)

______: I regret telling you abt that

______: ok im going now with cookies and money

Yeri: stay safe!

Seulgi: dont kiss her on the first date

Joy: actually kiss her if u can

Seulgi: no stop being. A bad influence to the bb

Wendy: just dont creep her out ______

______: im goinnnggg byeee

There might have been more, but ______ turned off her phone and put it in the back pocket of her jeans. She grabbed the bag of store-bought cookies she never started eating and her wallet, following her friends' instructions before walking the ten steps next door and knocking. She greeted Irene's parents and ______ made her way upstairs.

"Irene?" ______ knocked on her door. "Baeeechuuuu"

"Come in, ______."

She went in and sat down on the bed beside Irene, who was just lying there, eyes closed.

"You okay?"

"Yeah...just thinking."

"...a cookie for your thoughts?"

Irene opened her eyes and laughed when she saw a cookie hovering over her face and sat up, leaning against the headboard. She patted the seat next to her, and ______ scooted over so they sat side by side.

"You saw the chat, right?" Irene said quietly. ______ nodded.

"I was just thinking about the breakup." Irene took a bite of the cookie.

"What about it?"

"I'm not as sad about it as I should be."

______ was silent, motioning for Irene to continue.

"Like, it was a mutual breakup. He said he wanted to talk and he said that I was too quiet and talked more about my friends than myself, and that he didn't feel like he really knew me. I wasn't like his girlfriend, just a close friend. He said I should put him first, but he saw us playing at the arcade after I told him we were studying."

"Mmhm..."

"And I thought that he was right. He was breaking up with me but I didn't even cry. I don't think...I don't think I ever really loved him."

"It could have just been a friendly, sibling love, but you love him nonetheless."

"I guess that's true."

"So what was bothering you?"

Irene was silent for a few moments.

"It's just that...I feel like I played him somehow cause like, if I never really loved him like a boyfriend but I dated him for so long...and without developing feelings for him..."

______ shook her head. "You didn't play him, Irene-ah. Feelings are hard, you probably didn't realize you didn't really like him until now. And just 'cause you spend time with someone doesn't mean you will develop feelings for them."

Just like you and me.

Irene smiled. "When did you get so wise on love, where did little innocent ______ go?"

______ just smiled sadly, but Irene noticed and nudged her.

"Come on, my entire speech said that I wasn't sad, so don't worry about me. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Nuh-uh, tell me what's wrong, ______. I've known you for so long. I know there's something wrong."

It's too early to confess, Irene-ah. You just broke up.

"Here, a cookie for your thoughts?" Irene handed ______ a cookie from the almost empty bag.

_______ smiled at her and took a bite.

"It's just that I like someone who will never like me back."

"Who?"

______ smiled and shook her head and Irene didn't pry.

"What are you going to do now?"

"Maybe I'll confess later. Maybe when that person can love me back."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Irene asked, resting her head on ______'s shoulder.

"You were with Bogum. I didn't think you would understand liking someone who didn't like you back."

"______, even if I didn't understand, I would still be here for you. Did you talk to anyone else about this? You couldn't have been alone...unless it was the week that you didn't talk to anyone?"

______ nodded. "I needed to...come to terms with myself and get some advice."

"From who?"

______ laughed. "When did this become about me, anyways? This was supposed to be about you and Bogum."

"Well Bogum and I are fine and neither of us are sad. ______....you may not want me to know things, but I'll always be here for you. Talk to me."

"Thank you."

Maybe when you can love me back.