Eunbi gave herself a once over in the mirror before leaving her room. With light make-up and a cute tee/jean combo, she thought she looked perfect for tonight. She never wore skirts or heels for her dates, but it wasn't in fear of overdressing. It was just that whenever she went somewhere with Yuju, particularly at night time, they more often than not ended up running off somewhere, climbing fences, and doing far too much for a simple date. She'd accepted the fact that it just couldn't be helped.

 

“Hey, dad, I'm leaving now!”

 

“What?” he barked back, the TV in the living room a bit too loud to really hear anything.

 

Eunbi made her way in and leaned against the doorframe. He saw her come in, but he didn't turn the TV down at all.

 

“I'm leaving! I'll be back later tonight.” she explained again.

 

“Leaving? Where are you going?”

 

“Remember? I said I was going to the mall with Soojung tonight.”

 

He laughed, “Sure. Soojung. You don't have to lie to me about who you see, Eunbi.”

 

He finally muted the TV. As soon as their gaze met, Eunbi could tell he'd been drinking. He'd probably started as soon as he'd gotten off of work.

 

“As long as you don't come home pregnant, I couldn't care less about who you're hanging out with.”

 

Deciding to not even bother defending herself, she just mumbled, “I'll be back before ten. Keep the back door unlocked.”

 

“Why the hell haven't I gotten you a key yet…?”

 

“Because you don't trust me.”

 

“Oh, yeah. Right.”

 

Eunbi made her leave as soon as the roaring sound of the TV came back. It was a bit chilly outside, but she already knew Yuju would give her a hoodie. Crossing her arms around her body in an effort to stay warm, she waited at the end of the driveway. Yuju pulled up within the next five minutes. With a grin, Eunbi hurried in the front seat of her car.

 

“Cold?” Yuju asked.

 

Nodding, Eunbi caught her breath as a hand took her chin to hold her still. Yuju went in for a kiss with no hesitation. She left a smile on Eunbi’s lips when she pulled away.

 

Eyes filled with nothing but playfulness, she rose a brow, “Better?”

 

“Better.” Eunbi took a moment to collect herself and admire Yuju before buckling up and demanding with fake impatience, “But no, forreal. Give me a jacket or something.”

 

Yuju reached in the backseat to pull out a dark blue hoodie of hers, and she just laughed when Eunbi snatched it from her hands as she muttered, “Really, what kind of girlfriend are you?”

 

She couldn't pretend to be serious for very long. Excited about what the night would bring, it was hard to wipe the smile off of her face.

 

:::

 

Mina was glad that she'd brought Chungha with her. She was sure she would've been wasted by now otherwose. Maybe going to club to take her mind off of things had been a bad idea. All it was doing was making her more depressed. Seeing other people happy wasn’t lifting her own mood at all.

 

“So, wait, I don't get it. He sounds great. Why don't you want to be with him?” Chungha stayed close so they could hear one another.

 

Maybe it was the liquor already in Mina’s system or maybe it was how fed up she'd become of her situation since Momo’s outburst several days ago. Whatever it was, it made her confess without a second thought.

 

“He is a she.”

 

Chungha pulled back, her eyes looking as if they would fall out of her skull. Mina couldn't even look at her. Anticipating what was coming next, tears welled in her eyes. They burned even more than they should have because Mina wasn't just scared. She was relieved as well, and that feeling made her even more fearful than she already was.

 

None of this was right.

 

“A she.” Chungha echoed, “Are you forreal?”

 

Mina could only bring herself to nod.

 

Chungha was in her ear again, “It’s Hirai, isn't it?”

 

Shocked, Mina didn't even know how to respond. How did she know? Was it that obvious to everyone? Chungha just held her gaze, and it seemed to tell her all she needed to know.

 

“Is that why she hasn't been coming to class?”

 

“I- I guess so.” Mina made a strong effort to pull herself together. She'd been crying enough already.

 

“Wow… Are you- Are you gay?”

 

“I don't know.”

 

“Don't worry. I won't tell anyone.” Chungha insisted, grabbing her hand and letting their fingers intertwine.

 

Mina was beyond glad that Chungha hadn't reacted badly. She was someone she could trust. They'd been friends since high school. Maybe if Mina had confided in her sooner, she wouldn’t be in this situation. She hadn't been able to talk to anyone about her situation at all.

 

Really, she hadn't even been able to talk to Momo about it.

 

:::

 

Nayoung spun around upon hearing Jieqiong groan again for the nth time. She'd fallen back on the bed and was just gazing up at the ceiling. She must've felt Nayoung’s gaze because she repeated what she'd been saying all night.

 

“I hate your friends.”

 

“That's such a mean thing to say. You don't hate them.”

 

“But I do.” Jieqiong abruptly sat up, “They hate me too.”

 

Nayoung walked away from her closet to go and stand in front of her. Holding her cheeks in her hand, she found it hard not to admire Jieqiong’s childish gaze as she rested her chin on her stomach. Nayoung's words didn't come out as sternly as she'd wanted them to, and she ended up smiling.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Seriously, they probably don't even wanna hang out with me.”

 

“Yoon likes you.”

 

“Too bad he's lame.”

 

Nayoung rolled her eyes. Doyeon, one of her friends, had invited her to go one a “triple date” type thing with her boyfriend and two others from their Chemistry course. Since they were going to a carnival, she hadn't even bothered making sure Jieqiong would be up for it. Everyone loved carnivals, so she hadn't expected there to be any problems. She should have known better.

 

“Seriously…” she whined, unsure of how else to convince Jieqiong to lighten up.

 

“Let's just go… and ditch them once we get there. I'm sure they won't mind.”

 

“I'm not gonna make you go, okay? I should have made sure you wanted to before saying we'd go. It's fine.” Nayoung backed away and focused on finding her favorite coat in the closet. She was slightly frustrated, but it was her fault.

 

She cried out in annoyance as she felt arms wrap around her from behind. Jieqiong shook her around in her hold and just hugged her tightly.

 

“As if I'd make you go by yourself.”

 

Her soft voice made Nayoung’s chest warm. She was hopeful that Jieqiong would be glued to her hip the entire time. Then, she wouldn’t even need her jacket.

 

:::

 

Even though Yuju had paid for the movie and their candy, she'd been the first to suggest that they ditch all of it and leave the theater. The movie had been alright, but Eunbi’s interest in it hadn't been completely there thanks to Yuju’s restless hand on her thigh.

 

They'd raced outside to Yuju’s car, and Eunbi had won with ease. She was too busy doing her victory dance to prepare herself for Yuju forcing her weight onto her. In the blink of an eye, Yuju had charged straight into her and hugged her. Eunbi squealed as she was forced back against the car.

 

“I win!” she sung as Yuju just waddled while holding her. Eunbi was given no choice but to move with her.

 

“Congratulations.”

 

“You can let go of me now.”

 

“I don't wanna.” Yuju childishly insisted.

 

“Are we just gonna stand here all night?”

 

“As long as I can kiss you while we do.”

 

Yuju just laughed when Eunbi gave her shoulder a strong whack. When she pulled away to meet her gaze, it was even harder for Eunbi to rid her smile. Somehow, she managed to put on a deadpan expression.

 

Yuju followed. As competitive as Eunbi was, she tried to stay emotionless for as long as she could. Their staring contest came to an abrupt end thanks to fingers pinching her waist. She jumped in reaction and just whined once she noticed Yuju’s grin of satisfaction.

 

“Take me home.” she demanded.

 

“As if. I didn't just wanna leave for no reason. I have an idea.”

 

Eunbi rose a brow, not sure what to think of Yuju’s mischievous smile.

 

:::

 

Mina shifted nervously in front of the door. She hadn't been confident enough in her sobriety to drive, so she'd let Chungha take her to the apartment complex. She hadn’t been to Momo’s or even seen her since their fallout. Wary was an understatement, and the alcohol in her system wasn’t helping. When the click of the door lock hit her ears, Mina froze.

 

Her heart, suspended in mid-air by courage, dropped and fell to her feet as she took in the smiling figure holding the door open.

 

“Hi- Mina? Oh, hey!”

 

Nayeon, the studio’s marketing manager, was easily recognizable since she worked the desk in the lobby all of the time. Mina didn't know her personally. She hadn’t thought Momo did, either. It was obvious that she'd thought wrong. Hair damp as if she'd just come out of the shower and wearing nothing more than some short gym shorts and a tank top, Nayeon looked like she knew Momo quite well.

 

Maybe they'd only gotten to just know each other recently.

 

Mina swore she could see it in Nayeon’s eyes. She could see it past the oblivious smile on her lips. It was radiating off of her. Getting to know Momo personally was impossible to hide, she knew. But she'd always tried her hardest to do so. Nayeon wasn't even trying. She didn’t have a reason to.

 

As heartbroken as she was in that moment, Mina could only think about how lucky Nayeon was for not having one.

 

“What's up? Momo’s in the back. She just got out the shower. Give her second.”

 

Nayeon whipped her head towards the hall to yell for her, and Mina flinched, “Momo, Mina is here!”

 

A voice yelled back, “What?”

 

“Mina is here! Your old dance teacher!”

 

It stayed quiet after that, and Mina took the opportunity to make her leave as fast as she could.

 

“I didn't even realize how late it was. I'll just come by later.” she hastily mumbled.

 

Ignoring Nayeon’s confused gaze, she hurried off back down the hall.

 

Her mind was swimming with an endless amount of thoughts, and it wasn't even the alcohol’s fault anymore.

 

:::

 

Nayoung wasn't even looking, but she could just feel the fake smile Jieqiong was wearing.

 

“About time you guys made it!” Doyeon beamed as they joined them near one of the rides.

 

The carnival was full of people, as expected. It was getting colder out thanks to the slight breeze, but Nayoung was content. Jieqiong had taken the liberty of warming her up quite a bit in the car, which was why they were late.

 

Wheein didn't seem to happy to see Jieqiong, but everyone else was glad they'd made it. Nayoung paid attention to Jieqiong the entire time. Watching to see how she was interacting and talking with everyone was a must. Because Jieqiong’s true feelings about Nayoung’s friends could have easily made themselves known without her even realizing it. Knowing Jieqiong, she was probably going to test the waters and let them show on purpose.

 

“You guys wanna get food first?” Yoon suggested.

 

“Hell yes.” Jieqiong was the first to answer, and her hand slipped from Nayoung’s as she made her way towards all of the food trucks.

 

She left all of them behind, and Nayoung stopped herself from calling out to her. It probably wasn't worth it.

 

“Has Jieqiong gotten the girlfriend of the year award yet?”

 

Wheein’s sarcastic comment immediately got under her skin, but she just smiled in response.

 

Doyeon’s teasing wasn't as passive aggressive, “Does she even know she's your girlfriend?”

 

She kind of understood Jieqiong’s dislike for some of her friends. Sometimes, she didn't like them too much either.

 

:::

 

If it wasn’t for Yuju being with her, she probably would have been a bit scared. The walking bridge that she had taken her to wasn’t lit at all. The only lights were coming from the city that was miles away from where they were at. Eunbi figured that was the beauty in the place. The river water under them looked unreal.

 

It was completely deserted. The sounds of their footsteps and bugs quietly surrounded them. It was nice. Fingers intertwined with Yuju’s, Eunbi was at ease.

 

“How far does this go?” she wondered.

 

“Awhile. I don’t know. We don’t have to walk down the whole thing. I mean, look.”

 

Yuju let her hand slip from her grasp to walk to the bridge railing. She leaned over it with her gaze looking out along the river.

 

“This is what I wanted to show you anyway.”

 

“It’s pretty.” Eunbi waltzed over to join her.

 

“Not as pretty as you are.”

 

Eunbi just shut her eyes in embarrassment as she felt Yuju’s lips press against her cheek. They both ended up laughing, “You’re so gross.”

 

“Hey, cut me some slack. I try to be romantic.”

 

“You’re greasy.”

 

“And you’re perfect.”

 

Eunbi couldn’t resist and gave into her urge to hit Yuju. She gave her a hard shove, and Yuju reached out for her as she stumbled back. With Yuju leaning back against the railing, Eunbi ended up being dragged right in front of her. Yuju’s hands took her waist. Gazing into soft eyes, Eunbi’s heart started to flutter in her chest.

 

Yuju pulled her even closer as she asked, “What did you tell your dad?”

 

“That I was going to the mall with Soojung. He doesn’t even really believe me anymore.”

 

“I really don’t want you to end up getting in trouble because of me.”

 

“It is what it is.” she shrugged, “I mean, what are we gonna do? Stop going out?”

 

“That would .”

 

“What’s the worst he could do?”

 

Eunbi’s optimistic smile wasn’t very genuine. The concern in Yuju’s eyes was, however. They both knew good and well the answer to that question.

 

:::

 

Mina really didn’t have anywhere to go, not like she had anywhere she wanted to be. She didn’t even want to go home. She figured she’d get around to calling an Uber at some point, but, for now, she was fine with sitting in the middle of the empty park she’d escaped to. The breeze felt nice, as did the peace and quiet. She was hoping it’d give her a piece of mind.

 

However, she figured nothing would help her get rid of how dumb she felt.

 

She wasn’t even surprised that Momo was already messing around with someone else. That was what she’d done before they’d gotten together. Mina even taught a girl who had fallen victim to Momo’s charms in one way or another. Momo was a bit shameless when it came to her ways. Mina thought she’d been different, but apparently not.

 

Momo was already back at it.

 

Which, it didn’t completely make sense. If Momo wanted to be with her so badly, how could she already be sleeping around with someone else? Had she really wanted a relationship in the first place? Mina couldn’t help but wonder if she had been getting played. Just the thought of that made her heart hurt.

 

It was hard to keep lying to herself, especially now.

 

She was so focused on ridding her tight throat that she didn’t even notice her phone vibrating in her pocket. In a haste, she pulled it out. The name flashing across her screen made her watery eyes burn even more. Hesitant, Mina brought the phone to her ear.

 

She cleared before speaking, “Hello?”

 

“Why did you come by earlier?”

 

“I… I wanted to talk.”

 

“You could have just called me.” Momo bluntly insisted, not sounding very happy.

 

“Would you have answered? Nayeon… She was there.”

 

“She’s inside.”

 

“I-”

 

“So, say what you want to say.”

 

Mina didn’t even know where to start. The line stayed silent for what felt like hours. Mina just sat there, watching a beetle crawl along the ground as she tried to put all of her feelings into words. None of it sounded right, not even in her head. She just wanted to be honest.

 

“I’m sorry that I’m not happy with me.”

 

After that, her words flowed effortlessly off of her tongue.

 

“It really because it scares me that I like you so much. I don’t want to, but I do. I do, and I’m sorry. But do you even like me like you say you do? You’re already hooking up with someone else. I can’t even think about doing that right now. I don’t want to.”

 

“I don’t want anyone but you, and I don’t know if I’m gay or what. But I just know I like you. I’m sorry I’m not okay with it. I know- I know nothing’s wrong with it, but I just… It’s hard. I’ve had little crushes, but nothing like this before. You’re special.”

 

“Chungha knows, and I don’t care. I won’t care anymore. I’ll try not to, because I want to fix things. I didn’t want for any of this to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt you because of me. This wasn’t what I wanted at all.” Mina’s voice wavered as she explained, “I’m sorry.”

 

Silence took over the line as Mina tried to get a grip. When Momo sounded as if she was about to speak, she held her breath in fear.

 

“Are you drunk?”

 

:::

 

The electronic crowd booing was overpowered by Jieqiong’s groan of defeat. The strength-test hammer game had been her favorite so far. If only she was strong enough to actually win a prize from it. Nayoung watched and tried not to roll her eyes as she gave the man another ticket to play again.

 

“Babe!” Nayoung whined. She’d been standing there watching her play for almost ten minutes now. The others had already wandered off to different games.

 

“Just let me do it one more time. I almost got to four hundred!”

 

Her excitement about the silly game rubbed off on Nayoung. She really didn’t mind watching her have fun.

 

Jieqiong lifted the hammer as high as she could and brought it down just as hard. Even Nayoung whined in disappointment when the bell barely made it to four hundred again.

 

“Forget it!” she playfully snapped before tossing the hammer to the ground.

 

“Yah! Don’t act like that.”

 

Jieqiong just wore a silly grin as she made her way back to Nayoung, “Where’d the losers go?”

 

“Stop...” Nayoung warned before explaining, “And I actually don’t know. They went off to something else because you were taking too long.”

 

“They’ll be alright. I guess we have to go find them now, huh?”

 

Just nodding, Nayoung offered her hand and smiled when Jieqiong grabbed it. They ended up finding the group at a shooting game, one that Doyeon was miserably failing. Her noises of frustration made Jieqiong laugh.

 

“Thought we lost you guys.” Yoon smiled as they walked over.

 

“Wanna see who can hit the most?”

 

Jieqiong’s challenge seemed to be one that Yoon was up for, and they both hurried to two free spots so they could play. Nayoung was glad that Jieqiong seemed to enjoy Yoon’s company. She probably wouldn't admit it, though.

 

“They're like kids.” Sehun, Wheein’s boyfriend, uttered in amusement.

 

A smile formed on Nayoung’s lips as Jieqiong let out a roar of victory. She seemed to be doing well, “Cute ones.”

 

“Hey, hyung, tilt the gun some! Thirty-five degrees to the right.”

 

Yoon listened to Sehun’s advice, and he started hitting targets one after the other. Jieqiong cursed and started paying more attention to him rather than the targets in front of her. She tried to mimic the way he held the gun, but she wasn’t quite getting it.

 

“What the hell is a thirty-five degree angle?!”

 

Instead of actually trying to aim it right, Jieqiong lost her patience as fast as it had come. She started shooting randomly, not hitting as many as Yoon currently was.

 

“You got lucky, Nayounggie.” Wheein insisted, “Cute and dumb.”

 

Nayoung tried not to give her a reaction. That was all she wanted. As irritated as Wheein’s sarcastic comments about Jieqiong made her, she knew that getting angry over them wasn't worth it. She knew Jieqiong better than anyone. That, and it didn't matter what other people thought.

 

In her eyes, no one was more perfect than Jieqiong. If only her friends thought so to.

 

:::

 

As chilly as it was, Eunbi was now dying to get out of the hoodie Yuju had given her.

 

Her skin was warm thanks to the way Yuju’s was running along it. They'd switched positions, and Yuju was keeping her against the railing with just her kiss. It being so quiet outside, their wordless conversation was quite audible. Yuju’s hands had slipped under everything to hold her bare waist. Eunbi’s mind was a mess, and it was making it impossible for her to stop things from going any further.

 

Her own desires were to blame as well. It was getting harder and harder to ignore them. Yuju’s persistence only played a small part of it.

 

It had become more and more of a, for lack of a better word, problem lately. Yuju’s shameless desire to take things further than just kissing didn’t have to be a problem, but Eunbi wasn’t ready to cross that line. They hadn’t even been dating a year yet. Taking that step forward so soon made her feel a bit uneasy. However, her body thought a bit differently than her mind did.

 

When Yuju’s hands went even higher up her shirt, Eunbi was finally able to get a grip.

 

Breathless, she insisted as she pulled away, “We can't.”

 

“No one is going to come out here. We're alone.” Yuju muttered, getting closer to her again.

 

“You know that's not what I'm talking about…”

 

“I wasn’t even doing anything.”

 

Despite her defensive tone, the smirk on Yuju’s lips showed that she knew she was lying. Eunbi put her hands on her waist to push her back some, but she still held her.

 

“But you want to.”

 

“Well, of course I do. You’re my girlfriend.”

 

Eunbi let out sigh, “I want to too, but…”

 

“I don’t wanna pressure you. I know you’re not ready.”

 

“It’s not even that. I just feel like we should wait, you know?”

 

“I know.” Yuju smiled softly. She held her gaze for a moment before reaching in her pocket to fish for her phone. She took a quick look at it before adding, “We should probably start heading back. You told your dad ten, right?”

 

Eubi nodded. She could feel Yuju’s shift in mood. She didn’t want to make it seem like she was rejecting her. Even though Yuju said she understood, it was obvious that it bothered her. They walked back to the car hand-in-hand in silence. Eunbi was trying to keep her thoughts from conflicting each other, but it was difficult with Yuju near. She knew that she’d made her feel bad.

 

Despite her obvious feelings, Yuju still held her under her arm as they drove back home.

 

Eunbi kept herself occupied by tracing shapes along Yuju’s thigh. She was trying to think of a way to explain everything in a way that wouldn’t make Yuju feel the way she did. She couldn’t hide her true feelings. Her trying to hide them made Eunbi feel even worse about her decisions. How many times could she reject Yuju before she finally got sick of it? It was something that worried her.

 

“I hope you don’t feel like I’m rejecting you every time…” she muttered, unsure of how to bring the topic back up.

 

Yuju made a noise of confusion. It took her a moment to actually respond, “I don’t.”

 

“Don’t lie to me.”

 

“I told you I get it. I know I’m impatient.”

 

“A little bit.” Eunbi smiled as she spoke.

 

“But, you know…”

 

She gazed up at Yuju as she seemed to find words to say.

 

“We can still make-out and stuff without actually, like, doing it. You don’t have to stop me every time.” she finished, hints of embarrassment in her tone.

 

Eunbi had a grin on her face by the time Yuju finished. Rarely ever embarrassed about anything, seeing Yuju so sheepish was not only amusing, but adorable. As much of a ert as she was sometimes, it was hard to believe that she was actually embarrassed about this.

 

“Are you embarrassed to say ?”

 

“No.” Yuju scoffed.

 

“You totally are.”

 

“Just shut up.”

 

Eunbi laughed loudly, burying her face in Yuju’s side as soon as she caught her glare. She was content under her arm the whole way home. The rides back home were always far too short. Before she knew it, they were in front of her house. Yuju unbuckled, and they both ended up shifting around to face each other.

 

“So, are you working tomorrow?”

 

Eunbi gave her a nod as she absentmindedly reached for her hand to start playing with her fingers.

 

“Great.” Yuju huffed.

 

“Are you actually going to go to school?”

 

“I don’t want to.”

 

“I want you to.”

 

“You should hook me up with a job at the restaurant, then we could be together more. Plus, if I’m working I can just drop out.”

 

Her words made Eunbi’s eyes widen, “What?”

 

“I wanna drop out.”

 

In disbelief,  she just gazed at Yuju. She was definitely serious. She often joked about it, and it made Eunbi worry. Now, Eunbi didn’t know what to think. Yuju’s mind made up was a powerful thing. Yuju’s expression stayed blank as she waited for her to speak.

 

“You know you can’t drop out.” Eunbi hesitantly insisted.

 

“What’s stopping me?”

 

“Me.”

 

“I know you think I should stay, but school is doing nothing for me. I hate it. I hate the teachers. I hate everyone else. I hate everything about it. It . If I was working just like you, then I wouldn’t just be doing it for nothing. I could work all of the time and save money to move out.”

 

“Your parents aren’t going to let you.”

 

“That’s why I’ll leave.”

 

“And go where?” she challenged her. It was scary to see that she’d already been thinking about a plan.

 

“I don’t know yet. I have a few friends I may be able to stay with. I don’t know.” Yuju turned forward to throw her arms over the steering wheel so she could lean over, “I just really don’t want to be there anymore.”

 

“Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do, you know? We only have one more year after this anyway.”

 

“It isn’t worth staying. I’d rather leave before I flunk out anyway.”

 

Yuju’s chuckle didn’t amuse Eunbi at all. She wasn’t even sure what else to say. She knew that none of it would make Yuju consider staying. Even when she got angry at her for skipping classes, it didn’t affect Yuju much. She didn’t take school seriously at all. Eunbi knew that it didn’t matter what she thought or how she felt.

 

It was frustrating.

 

“We’ve had a good night…” Eunbi sighed as she leaned her head against the seat, “I don’t wanna get into this with you right now.”

 

“It’s not gonna change anything anyway.”

 

Her brow furrowed. It was a big deal, but of course Yuju didn’t think so. There wasn’t much that Yuju took seriously when Eunbi really thought about it. When they’d first started dating, their relationship hadn’t even been that serious to her. The more they had gotten to know each other, the more that had started to change. Not only had it changed their relationship, but it had changed Yuju herself. Eunbi liked to think that it had been for the better.

 

“Hey.”

 

She locked eyes with her as Yuju reached out to her to grab her attention.

 

“I really think it’s what will be best for me. You don’t have to agree with it, just be here.”

 

“Of course I’ll be here… Someone needs to make sure you don’t end up a homeless bum.” Eunbi tried to stop a smile from taking her lips as she sarcastically insisted.

 

A grin appeared across Yuju’s face, “You’re the best.”

 

“I know.”

 

Eunbi didn’t move at all as Yuju leaned in closer. The cramped space they were in was irrelevant as Yuju held her cheek and kissed her. Eunbi was disappointed that it ended so quickly.

 

“You should probably go. I don’t want you to get in trouble with your dad.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” she waved off Yuju’s concern as she started to get out of the car. She didn’t even think about taking off her hoodie. It was now hers for the time being.

 

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

 

“Thanks for tonight.” Eunbi sweetly uttered before she shut the door.

 

Walking down her driveway, she listened to Yuju’s car zoom off into the night. None of the porch lights were on, so Eunbi blindly made her way to the back yard. She cursed as she ran her foot straight into a corner of the gate and didn’t stop grumbling until she got to the back door. Her expression completely fell as she tried to open it.

 

It was locked.

 

She shouldn’t have been surprised. She doubted her dad had even gotten up once since she’d left. He was probably passed out in the living room. Eunbi didn’t hesitate to pull out her cellphone as she sat down on the stairs. A few rings hit her ear before Yuju’s surprised voice did.

 

“Eh?” she questioned.

 

“Can you come open my window for me again? He forgot to unlock the back door for me.”

 

Eunbi felt like a burden as Yuju sighed.

 

“Turning around now.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Why not just come stay with me tonight?”

 

Every single time this happened, Yuju proposed the idea. Eunbi knew better, however. Her dad would be furious if she wasn’t around to wake him up in the morning. She needed to be at home. Plus, she didn’t like the idea of sneaking around Yuju’s parents. None of it sounded like a good idea.

 

“I’ll be out back.”

 

“Gotcha.” Yuju muttered before hanging up.

 

Eunbi let out a heavy sigh before resting her chin on her knees, feeling a bit too low to keep her eyes up on the stars above her.

 

:::

 

Despite how hazy her mind had become, it was easy for her to focus on Momo. She was her knight in shining armor. Mina didn't hesitate to fall into her as the elevator slowly took them up to her apartment floor. Momo had picked her up from the park, and now they were heading back to her place. Momo had told her in the car that she'd sent Nayeon home, but a part in the back of Mina’s mind still felt wary about the whole situation.

 

Yet, things still felt right in Momo’s arms. Mina didn't want to ignore that anymore. She wrapped her own arms around Momo’s waist as tightly as she could before burying her face against her chest.

 

“I'm sorry.” she mumbled.

 

“You're drunk.”

 

“I've been honest tonight. I really have. I'm sorry.”

 

“I know.”

 

“I've missed you.”

 

Momo scoffed quietly, “Well, it's your fault I had to leave.”

 

“It's my fault you went to Nayeon too.”

 

It was quiet after that. It was hard for Mina to keep her hurt contained. She knew that she was in the wrong, and she didn’t want Momo to feel bad. Momo shouldn’t have felt bad. All of this was her fault, not Momo’s. At least that meant she could make everything right.

 

“I… I doubt Nayeon has feelings for you like I do.”

 

“I don't want her to anyway.” Momo insisted with a mutter, “I just wanted to get my mind off of you, but I shouldn't have done something like that.”

 

Before Mina could respond, the elevator doors rolled open. Momo silently urged her to let go so they could leave. Body heavy, she trudged out of the elevator. Momo beat her to the door, and as soon as she got it open she went in. Feeling unsure, Mina closed the door behind her and just stood there.

 

Momo leaned back against the door frame near the kitchen, gazing at her with a furrowed brow.

 

“Do you really want to fix things? You want to make this work?” she finally uttered, chasing away the silence.

 

“Yes.” Mina gave her a nod, “I don't want to keep feeling like this.”

 

Momo’s reaction surprised her. She scoffed before pushing off of the door frame and heading into the kitchen. Mina stood there in surprise. She was confused, rethinking the words she’d said in an effort to figure out why she'd made Momo angry.

 

She came back out, and Mina stiffened as she got close. She hadn't even noticed the glass of water in her hand.

 

“Even when you're drunk, it's still just all about you, huh…” she quietly teased as she offered her the drink.

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

Her eyes didn’t leave Momo’s face as she stepped away to just put the glass down on the table. She couldn't read her expression, and it made her scared.

 

A sigh of relief came from her as Momo’s came and wrapped her arms around her tightly.

 

“Me too.” Momo muttered in her ear, “I'm sorry too.”

 

:::

 

Nayoung had known exactly why Jieqiong had been so persistent about going on the ferris wheel. At least, she'd thought she had. Frozen at the top of the ride, instead of Jieqiong all over her like she'd expected her to be, Jieqiong was taking in all of the scenery below them with a soft gaze. It was hard not to admire her profile as her eyes roamed. Hand in hers, Nayoung squeezed it tighter just because she could.

 

“I heard Wheein talking about me…” she suddenly muttered.

 

Her heart dropped, “What did you hear?”

 

“Do you really think I'm good for you? You should be with someone like Yoon. All I do is slack off and party.”

 

“I don't want to be with someone like Yoon.”

 

Jieqiong was obviously hurt. Feeling awful, Nayoung sighed and let her eyes fall elsewhere. She hated when Jieqiong doubted herself. As confident as she was, it actually happened quite often. Nayoung’s annoyance towards her own friends turned into something more as Jieqiong continued to speak.

 

“You can't relate to me… and I can't relate to you.”

 

It was far from the truth, but Nayoung decided to hold her tongue about it. Jieqiong’s past was far worse than hers, but that didn't mean she couldn't relate.

 

“Every time I hang out with your friends, I really realize how different we are.” she added.

 

Her eyes flickered up as Jieqiong huffed before resting her arms on the safety rail so she could hide her face in her hands. Nayoung's heart fell lower. It wasn't right that Jieqiong felt this way so often.

 

It needed to stop. Getting rid of her friends, or at least her friends’ attitudes, was the first step. The second step was the words that Nayoung had suddenly changed her mind about not uttering.

 

“You’d be surprised how much I can relate to you.”

 

Jieqiong instantly leaned back some so she could gaze at her, “What do you mean?”

 

“You know those couple scars right here?” Nayoung subtly pointed to the top of her thigh before continuing, “I lied about those. I did them myself.”

 

The sounds of the carnival below them were the only thing that chased away the silence for a moment. Her nerves making their appearance, Nayoung kept talking.

 

“It was back in grade school, though. But I… I’d wait for them to heal. Then, I’d go right back over them when I was struggling. It helped.”

 

“Are you forreal…?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Jieqiong studied her cautiously. Fear of an uncomfortable silence led to more and more words flowing endlessly out of Nayoung's mouth.

 

“But that's why they're such an issue for me. That's why I don't go swimming. That's why I don't like you touching my thigh. That's why I don't like you seeing them either.” she shyly explained as to why she liked it to be dark when her and Jieqiong were intimate, “I don't like remembering they're there.”

 

“School was hard for me. You know how crazy strict my parents are… I'm not depressed anymore. I mean, it definitely isn't as bad as it used to be. But, trust me, I can relate. I understand why you are the way you are and why you do the things you do.”

 

“None of that will ever change how I feel about you.” Nayoung gave her a soft smile as she insisted, “Ever.”

 

Due to her confession, Nayoung's heart was thumping in her chest. She hadn't planned on telling Jieqiong that any time soon, but she was glad that she had. Weight she hadn’t even realized she’d been carrying was now off of her shoulders. Jieqiong’s surprise still hadn’t left her expression, and Nayoung wasn’t sure what else to say. She didn’t feel the need to say anything else once Jieqiong’s hand found hers.

 

“Can we just go back to the dorm after we get off?” Jieqiong muttered her question.

 

Just as sick of her friends as Jieqiong probably was, she didn’t even think twice about saying, “Yes.”

 

“ this carnival!” Jieqiong playfully yelled as she scooted closer to take Nayoung under her arm. Laughing at how random her exclamation had been, Nayoung swatted her side.

 

“The carnival didn’t do anything to you.”

 

“Then, your friends.” she insisted a little more quietly this time.

 

“I agree.”

She ignored the surprised stare Jieqiong was giving her. Feeling content, she snuggled into her as the ferris wheel started moving again.