Light. A bright, white light was all Sowon could see. She felt weightless, yet heavy at the same time. And there was a strange metallic taste lingering at the back of . She furrowed her brows as her eyes tried to refocus and make sense of what she was staring at. But suddenly, a figure appeared in front of the light. Its face was cast away in shadows from the brightness, yet Sowon sensed a strong familiarity. Squinting her eyes, the figure’s face slowly became visible. 

Pipsqueak? 

There she was, Umji, gazing down at Sowon with the most angelic smile and surrounded by beams of sunlight. She looked unreal, too good to be seen by the eyes of a sinner. Sowon began to wonder about the state of her own existence. Was she still alive or did her crude antics drive her to her demise? 

Umji laid a hand on Sowon’s forehead. The warmth of her palm felt so soothing. Sowon couldn’t resist but to close her eyes and bask in the moment. 

To be relaxed for once. To not have to feel so insignificant. To not feel like she had to constantly prove her self-worth. To be in the presence of someone who deeply cares for her. For Sowon, this was her heaven. 

But before she could be completely at ease, the sound of muffled voices disturbed her peace. Annoyed, Sowon opened her eyes. She flinched from the sudden sting radiating from underneath her left eye. As she came back to her senses, the surreal illumination was replaced by a dull fluorescent glow. And instead of Umji, she was staring directly at SinB’s quizzical expression. Sowon immediately grimaced. 

Now this is my personal Hades. 

Blinking repeatedly, Sowon realized that she was lying on a hard, wooden work table. She tried to sit up but found it impossible since her waist and arms were tied to the table with rope. Uselessly, she squirmed in hopes to free herself, but her strength was diminished. Sowon gritted her teeth in frustration, eyes circling around the dingy, dusty room. Umji was standing to her right while SinB and Yerin stood by her left. 

“Where the hell am I?” drawled Sowon, voice a bit raspy. 

“You’re in my garage, Unnie,” said Umji timidly. 

Sowon turned her head in the Sophomore’s direction. “You shot me,” she said rather calmly.

Regretfully, Umji nodded. “I didn’t want you and SinB to keep hurting each other.”

With a sharp intake of breath, Sowon addressed the bounds of rope restraining her. “Why am I tied up?”

“Just a precaution,” SinB spoke, demeanor serious and steely. Yerin quickly caressed her girlfriend’s arm, calming her temper before she could erupt in anger. SinB exhaled a therapeutic breath before she resumed talking, this time in a gentler tone. “What happened last night, Sowon? Why did you call me? What was the point of our meetup this afternoon?”

“Easy, Wolfpup. One question at a time,” Sowon quipped, regaining her snarky attitude. “I called you last night because I had just found out that my time was severely limited.” Surveying the confused faces in the room, Sowon called for Umji. “Pipsqueak, check my left pocket, will you?”

Sowon gestured to her pants pocket. With some minor hesitancy, Umji followed the older girl’s order and retrieved a folded piece of paper. She proceeded to unravel it and noticed that it had been previously crumpled up. Nevertheless, Umji read aloud the contents of the paper. 

“Save the date! You’re invited to the wedding of Shim Changmin and Kim Yongsun. Please join us in this beautiful celebration of unity and new beginnings.”

“Your sister is getting married, Sowon-ssi?” Yerin asked. Both she and SinB were equally surprised by the news. 

Sowon sighed deeply as if not wanting to confirm it. “Yes. To an Alpha werewolf. It’s an arranged marriage.”

“How are you so sure that it’s arranged?” SinB questioned. 

Sowon stared at the ceiling, clenching her jaw before answering. “Because I know my parents, and I know that they’ve been trying to merge with Shim Industries for over a decade. They used my sister as bait, presenting her as the perfect wife for their bachelor son. The Shims took it, and now the ‘happy’ couple will be having their stupid wedding by fall. And my family will finally be graced by an Alpha in our bloodline like they’ve always wanted for centuries.”

Alpha? SinB’s attention perked up. Suddenly, it felt like things were beginning to make sense. Sowon training her. Sowon pretending to be her girlfriend to make Yerin jealous. SinB doubted the Beta did those things out of the kindness of her heart. Sowon was well-aware of her family’s yearning for an Alpha. And with SinB returning from America as a new, gullible werewolf, it must’ve been the prime opportunity for the cunning Beta to be the one to achieve that goal instead of her adored, older sister. To, for once, be better than her Unnie. 

SinB reasoned, “That’s why you were so hellbent in your efforts to train me and try to forget my feelings for Yerin. You were going to use me somehow to become Alpha first.”

“I would say that I was surprised that it took you this long to put two and two together, Wolfpup,” Sowon said. “But considering how dense you are, I’m not surprised one bit.” 

SinB rolled her eyes. “Just get to the point,” she said, pinching Yerin’s elbow when a giggle escaped her girlfriend’s mouth. 

“There are two common ways of moving up the ranks as a werewolf. The first way is through marriage and the blood ritual that occurs once the couple says ‘I do.’ I thought that if I could try to convince you, Wolfpup, that your feelings for Yerin were causing more harm then you would focus less on her and more on reaching your potential. I had hoped some kind of romance would stir between us. But let’s be honest, that kiss on our double date was terrible. And as fate would have it, Yuju turned out to be a cheater and Yerin was secretly hiding her feelings for Wolfpup all along.”

“The second way is through a battle to the death, which I attempted to do this afternoon after I realized that I had a zero chance of seducing Wolfpup earlier today.” Sowon stared at SinB. “When you said that you and Yerin had officially become a couple, it was like the final straw of my sanity had snapped. I was mad. Furious. Feral. You were the last chance I had at actually becoming an Alpha before my parents took it away from me and gave it to my sister on a silver platter. I believed that I could actually take you down because… because it wasn’t my first time doing something like that.”

The room had gone silent, taken aback by what Sowon had potentially implied. 

Finally, Umji took a step closer to Sowon. “Wh-what exactly do you mean, Unnie?” she asked, trying to mask the apprehension in her voice.

Sowon had to look away from Umji. She trained her sights on the wooden railings of the ceiling. “Last summer vacation, my sister’s ex-boyfriend grew obsessive and began stalking her. He was a werewolf, too. A Beta. One night, he trespassed our house and snuck into her room. I was in my bedroom sleeping at that time, but I woke up with this haunting sense that something wasn’t right. I decided to check on her, and I saw the bastard forcing himself on her. My body went berserk and I shifted. From that point, I don’t remember much. I guess I out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. My father told me that ‘arrangements’ were being made to cover up my ‘mess.’ My mother then handed me a mirror and instructed me to say that I had some work done over the summer if anyone asks. When I checked my reflection, my face had completely changed. They say that when you go up a level, certain imperfections become… ‘perfected.’ When I asked about my Unnie, they said that she was already on a flight back to England for university.”

“So, you were originally an Omega,” SinB realized, a tad distraught that Sowon admitted to killing someone. “But I thought you said that the parents’ rank usually gets passed on to the child.”

“Usually, being the keyword,” Sowon stressed. “There are exceptions. And unluckily for me, I was the runt.” Closing her eyes tightly, she held back the painful tears that nearly burned through her eyelids. Emotions subdued, Sowon slowly exhaled. “My parents have been ashamed of me my entire life for being born different. I heard that my father accused my mother of having an affair. He took a paternity test and learned that he indeed made up the other half of my chromosomes. Even when I defended my sister and incidentally became a Beta, they still loathed my existence. I figured that if I either start dating an Alpha or become an Alpha myself then they would actually see me as their daughter. Their own flesh and blood. Someone who desperately and enthusiastically wants to continue the legacy they built. Someone who just wants to feel that love that I know they’re capable of giving.” Sowon shook her head, the tears now overflowing and trickling down her face. “Sounds pretty foolish, right?”

“Yearning for a basic human need isn’t foolish,” said Umji, gently taking Sowon’s hand into hers.

“Not one bit,” Yerin added, grabbing a kleenex from a nearby tissue box and blotting away the streaks of tears.

Overcome with empathy, SinB bit the inside of her cheek to suppress her own waterworks. In the words of Sowon, Alphas don’t cry. 

“Look, Sowon,” SinB said sympathetically, “I’m sorry that your mom and dad are probably two of the worst parents in the world. I really wish that I could give up my Alpha status to you without some kind of marriage ritual or murder being involved. But since I can’t do that, then I want to try being a better friend to you. It’s hard to believe that you’re the same girl Yerin and I met back in elementary school. We all thought you were just awkward and shy, but the reality is that you must have been going through some really tough times at home. And the sad part is that you’re still experiencing it. I think it’s incredible that you’re willing to do anything for your parents’ love. And I’m sure that deep down they love you and truly are grateful that you exist in their lives. But whenever you do feel neglected and not good enough, just know that you have a Pipsqueak, an Angel Cake, and a Wolfpup who really care about you.”

Sowon breathed out a laugh, smiling through the subsiding sadness. “Lucky me.” 

The atmosphere felt instantly lighter. Umji exchanged a glance with SinB who nodded her head in response. Upon SinB’s approval, the youngest of the bunch released Sowon’s hand to quickly untie the knot, loosening the rope. SinB assisted Umji and Yerin as they freed the Beta. 

Sowon sat up, stretching her arms and rolling her neck. Her gaze fell to the floor, culpability knocking at her conscience. Though she tended to be prideful and stubborn, she knew that her previous actions warranted an apology. Briskly, she cleared before she had second thoughts.

“I’m sorry for the things I said to you about Yerin,” Sowon’s words tumbled out. “How I tried to discredit your feelings for her. And, if we’re going to do some reminiscing about our childhood, then I would like to recount the time when you made a Valentine’s Day card for her during arts and crafts in the 3rd grade. You were going to give it to her, but got too embarrassed when that boy Moon Bin gave his own card to her first.” 

Yerin swatted SinB’s arm. “That’s why you kept aiming for him during dodgeball.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that he was the easiest target,” SinB refuted, cheeks growing red.

Sowon smirked before staring at the floor again. “I guess I knew even at a young age that the two of you were meant for each other. It makes me cringe to admit this, but I honestly thought my new looks would be enough to capture Wolfpup’s heart. But I guess physical appearances don’t stand a chance when you’re already blindsided by feelings of true love.”

SinB glanced at Yerin whose hand made her way to her own. As their fingers intertwined, SinB couldn’t help but smile which caused Yerin’s eyes to smile back. For most of her life, SinB tried to avoid falling in love with her best friend. No relationship is perfect, but seeing her parents suffer through it all these years certainly scarred her. Yerin, though, was always there for her. She was the thread that weaved her way into her heart to close those scars. And because of that, love finally felt like a possibility. 

Shaking her head in amusement at the smitten pair, Sowon jumped off the table and coughed exaggeratedly to get the couple’s attention. “I know an apology isn’t going to make up for the tyranny I ensued. Still, I would like to say sorry for my behavior. Angel Cake, I’m sorry for scaring and attacking you. Wolfpup, I’m sorry for taking advantage of you and your friendship and for wanting to brutally rip you apart so I could selfishly fulfill my dream of being Alpha. But hey, on the positive side, at least you can shift freely now. No need to worry about ruining your clothes or tattering your underwear.”

“Thanks,” SinB said sarcastically with a scowl as Yerin chuckled.

“We accept your apology, Sowon-ssi,” Yerin amended, swinging SinB’s arm to get her to lighten up. 

“But, you’re right,” SinB swiftly mentioned. “It’s going to take a lot more than saying sorry for the trouble you caused not only today but for the past couple of months since you had started your scheme.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Sowon prefaced, walking up to Umji and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “When you two eventually get married… I’ll pay for the honeymoon.” With a mischievous grin, Sowon rushed past them and out the door of the garage, using Umji as her shield.

“Shut up,” a flustered SinB groaned.

“But we’ll consider the offer!” Yerin, cupping her hand like a megaphone, called aloud.

SinB, Yerin, and Sowon decided to hang around Umji’s house for a while. After the two werewolves checked on the condition of their injuries, Umji brought out a tub of Chunky Monkey ice cream for the group to share. It was Yerin’s first time tasting it. SinB smiled adoringly as she watched her girlfriend’s expression blossom into euphoria at the glorious combination of flavors. 

About an hour passed of talking and consuming the ice cream to its last spoonful when Umji excused herself to go to the garage. She had to hide the crossbow before her parents returned from work. Picking up the crossbow, Umji examined it before taking a stray rag and giving it a quick polish. 

*knock knock knock*

Umji’s eyes darted to the door. Standing by the threshold was Sowon who had her hands up in mock surrender. 

“I come in peace,” Sowon said. When Umji gave her a confused look, the older girl gestured to the crossbow that was seemingly aimed at her.

The Sophomore’s eyes grew large, and she immediately settled the weapon on the table. “Sorry,” she sheepishly apologized.

“No worries,” Sowon coolly replied, putting her arms down and walking closer to Umji. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m heading out now. SinRin are canoodling on the couch, FYI. With how sweet they’re being with each other, you might want to hose it down with bug spray to keep the ants away.”

“I’ll set up a couple of mouse traps, as well,” Umji replied. “Yerin’s pet names for SinB are incredibly cheesy.”

With a wide grin, Sowon gave Umji two thumbs up in approval. Inching closer to the younger girl, Sowon crossed her arms and leaned on the table. “I left my car in the school parking lot, so I have to make the trek back there.”

“I can walk with you, Unnie,” Umji offered. 

Sowon shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. Besides, it’s getting dark and it looks like it might rain soon. I’ll be compelled to drive you back to make sure no creepers snatch you up. Heaven knows that your cuteness pulls people in like a magnet.”

Umji giggled at the flirtatious remark. Shyly, she looked down at the makeshift crossbow and fiddled with a random component.  

“Did you make that on your own?” Sowon asked, a certain gentleness in her tone that was quite rare to hear.

Umji glanced at the tall girl. Sowon’s gaze was so soft, so attentive. Umji felt her heart thump faster. Subtly, she gulped before speaking. “My brother and I did. It was our last project together before he went to the army. Originally, he wanted to build it so we could have something to defend ourselves during a zombie apocalypse. Zombies were his favorite. We would ‘borrow’ supplies from our parents’ art studio. Wood and metal scraps. Tools to cut the pieces and rivet them together. Spray paint to give it a camo look. We named it ‘BULLSEYE 3000’ which was ironic since the arrow would get jammed constantly. I’ve made some modifications to it since then, and I think it may finally be worthy of its name.”

“Yup. A perfect hit right into my side.” Sowon imitated the sound of an arrow flying through the air. “Bullseye.”

Umji pressed her lips together guiltily. “Is it really going to heal within a couple of hours?”

Sowon had mentioned that while werewolves are capable of getting injured, they heal a lot faster than the average human. For example, the scratch under Sowon’s eye that SinB inflicted was now barely visible. When it comes to injuries caused by silver, though, it usually takes longer for the healing process to complete. 

“Yeah.” Sowon lifted up her shirt slightly to where the silver-tipped arrow had pierced her body. 

The wound was closed, eroded with dried blood. A sense of relief washed over Umji. But as she continued to stare at the older girl’s torso, lean and surprisingly toned, a secondary feeling erupted within her. 

“See, it’s almost a scar,” Sowon reassured, pulling her shirt down. She nudged Umji’s arm. “You must’ve plucked the arrow out just in time before it could do some real damage.”

Realizing that she was swooning over her friend’s physique, Umji hastily picked up her crossbow and turned away to place it safely in its case before concealing it behind a bunch of boxes on the other side of the garage. “I was concerned that it might’ve poked through your vital organs. I’m beyond relieved it didn’t. I don’t know what I would do if the injury had been more serious. I’ll probably offer to be your personal tutor for the rest of my life,” she joked with a skittish giggle.

Sowon remained silent, though. Too silent. Umji slowly turned around and saw the older girl staring blankly at the work table. 

“Pipsqueak,” Sowon uttered, “I hope what I said today about doing what I did to save my Unnie didn’t scare you or anything. Although I don’t clearly remember what happened, it’s still a heavy thing to process. Knowing that I had another person’s blood on my hands. As a werewolf, I should be proud. But as a human being…” 

“It was instinct, Sowon-unnie,” Umji spoke, lessening the tension in the small room. “Sometimes you don’t have control over it. But that doesn’t mean that you have to feel proud of it. You have the right to feel however you want to feel about the situation. Honestly, I was a bit freaked out at first when you told us. And even though you tried to do something horrible today, I still don’t see you as a bad person. Because I know that you have a lot more good in you than you think. It’s just a matter of putting behind what you did in the past and embracing what you want to become in the present.” 

Sowon nodded, eyes flickering to meet Umji’s. She began to walk toward her with an air of confidence.

A warm, appreciative smile stretched the corners of Sowon’s lips. “Thanks for being there today and stopping me before more damage could be done. I could turn into a real when I’m hostile and stubborn.”

“In both the literal and the figurative sense of the word, I presume?” Umji snarkily asked.

Sowon playfully tapped Umji on the nose. “I should start calling you ‘Smarty Pants’ instead.”

Umji shook her head in disagreement. “I think we’re both too attached to the ‘Pipsqueak’ moniker.”

A brief laugh left Umji’s mouth. But when she glanced at Sowon, the older girl’s demeanor remained neutral. Their eyes locked on one another. Sowon’s gaze was so intense that Umji felt as if she was being cast under an enchanting spell. All of a sudden, Sowon swooped down, closed her eyes, and placed a kiss on Umji’s cheek. The young Sophomore stood motionless like a mannequin as her face grew warmer and warmer. It took her a moment to notice that Sowon was already by the door, smiling at her and waving a single hand goodbye. 

“See you mañana… Pipsqueak.”

***

In the living room, SinB was waiting for Yerin to return from the bathroom. They too felt like it was time to leave. SinB wanted to walk Yerin home. But as indicated by the gray clouds that were painting over the golden horizon, she would have to ask Umji for an umbrella to borrow. Hopefully, it would be a light sprinkle of rain instead of heavy pellets that will surely get them drenched. Whatever the weather turned out to be, SinB just wanted to spend more time with Yerin before she had to return back to her Aunt’s apartment in the bustling city. 

SinB looked out the window and surveyed the yard of her past home. The red FOR SALE sign now had a large sticker on it that read ‘SOLD’ in big, bold letters. Wistfully, she remembered all the fun times she and Yerin had playing on that once green yard when they were kids. The endless games of tag and hopscotch. The competitive rounds of soccer and volleyball. SinB’s mom would get so mad whenever they went inside the house with grass stains on their pants and dirt covering their palms. But the older they got, the less time they had available to play. It’s the way of life. And though SinB missed the simpler times, she’s grateful for what her life had become now. Because now, she has someone to love. Not only that but she has Yerin to reciprocate her love. 

Speaking of her best friend turned girlfriend, SinB’s ears alerted her to the sound of slow, faint footsteps approaching from behind. She sniffed and easily detected Yerin’s indescribable scent. Her lips curved into a smile as the stealthy steps quickened. The next thing SinB knew, she had Yerin’s arms encircling her waist as her girlfriend snuggled against her back. 

“Hey, Sinooby Doo!” Yerin cheerfully exclaimed. “Did I scare you?” 

SinB’s heart was racing, but it wasn’t from the scare tactic. 

“Of course not, Yerin-ah,” SinB replied. “I practically heard you creeping up towards me from a mile away.” 

“Curse your werewolf abilities. y abs and all,” Yerin joked.

SinB laughed but her attention soon returned to her childhood home. Noticing the pining look on her girlfriend’s face, Yerin stared at the window to gauge what SinB had her eyes transfixed on. 

“Oh yeah, the house was bought a couple of weeks ago,” Yerin informed. 

“Umji told me that a family will be moving in next month,” SinB spoke. “A mom, a dad, and their five-year-old twins. I really hope my parents and I didn’t curse the place.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine. All it takes is a little love and compassion to banish years of door slams and arguments.”

“It feels so bittersweet, like saying goodbye to an old friend. But it’s good to know that its new occupants are most likely normal and well-adjusted.”

“Who knows? Maybe they’re actually a family of vampires. Well-adjusted vampires.” 

SinB couldn’t help but chuckle. She turned around and met Yerin’s smiling eyes, bright and warm as a summer afternoon. 

“Yeah, normal shouldn’t be part of the criteria considering my situation,” SinB said, placing her hands on Yerin’s waist. 

The older girl proceeded to lay her hands on SinB’s shoulders. They stood there in comfortable silence, occasionally swaying to the rhythm of their own heartbeats. Yerin began playing with the holes on SinB’s shirt created by Sowon’s claws during the fight. Tentatively, she slid her fingers through the torn cloth and felt smooth skin rather than the puncture wounds that were previously there just a few hours ago.

“SinB-ah,” Yerin said softly, catching the girl’s bold and beautiful eyes, “before that incident with Sowon happened, I was planning on surprising you with something that I’ve been holding on to for far too long.” Releasing her arms from SinB, Yerin reached into her back pocket and brought out a small, flat box covered in wrapping paper with the insignias of the four Hogwarts houses. She gave it to SinB who was completely astonished. “I bought it for your birthday last year, but I was scared that you might freak out by how expensive it was and the message that I was trying to convey. So I kept it and gave you that Big Bang album instead.”

As carefully as she could, SinB tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box. Low and behold, a sterling silver necklace with a heart-shaped locket laid marvelously in its velvety confines. With Yerin’s encouragement, SinB took it out of the box and opened the locket. Inside, there was an engraving: Just like now, just like today, will you be with me forever?

SinB was at a loss for words. To think that Yerin held onto the birthday gift for almost an entire year. Things would certainly be different had both of them confessed to their feelings sooner. Oddly enough, SinB believed that the timing of their relationship was perfect. She didn’t want to admit it, but Yuju was right when she said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. If she hadn’t left to study abroad, if Yerin hadn’t started dating Yuju, if Sowon hadn’t gotten involved, if Yuju hadn’t been caught cheating. So many obstacles stood in the way of SinB and Yerin ever getting together. Yet, here they were standing face-to-face with SinB holding a memento of what could’ve been but just wasn’t the right time. Because at this moment, it finally was. 

“It’s beautiful,” SinB breathed out, overwhelmed with joy. 

Yerin nervously rubbed the back of her neck. “I was worried that the message would come off too strong. Forever is a long time. Like, would anyone want to spend the rest of their life with the same person, with me nonetheless? But then I thought about it, and I was really able to imagine spending each day with you. Being with you even if it was only for a minute. I don’t know. I should’ve left it blank, but the salesperson said that they would throw in a discount for an engraving and I couldn’t refuse a bargain so I just told them the words that I’ve been wanting to tell you for so long. And I know it sounds cheesy but—”

Yerin was cute whenever she rambled. But SinB could indicate the growing anxiety in her girlfriend’s speech. Thankfully, her lips were enough to not only calm Yerin down but also shut her up. Caught off guard at first, Yerin slowly eased herself into the kiss, placing a hand beneath SinB’s jaw and pressing their bodies closer. SinB wished that this moment would never end. But then she remembered that they were making out in Umji’s house and it would be awfully awkward if the Sophomore or her parents walked in on them. Before things got more heated, SinB pulled away. 

“Forever doesn’t sound so bad, especially if I’m spending it with you,” SinB replied. Her chest burst in happiness at the sight of Yerin’s toothy grin. “Now, quit being a dork and help me put this necklace on.” 

Handing the necklace to Yerin, SinB turned around and held up her hair for easier access. Yerin quickly latched the two ends of the dainty silver chain together. SinB spun back to face Yerin, adjusting the locket so it was hanging near the center of her chest. Eyes twinkling even amidst the sunless sky, Yerin leaned in and kissed SinB once more while the light pitter-patter of raindrops served as their background music.

A/N: Hey, everyone! Thank you so much for the warm welcome back. Sorry that I couldn’t get this chapter out sooner. I might be stuck at home in quarantine, but that doesn’t stop me from being lazy XD.  Anyway, please continue to be safe out there, and I will see you in the next update! Much love to you all ❤︎