A/N: A little warning. Y'all better get your tickets ready for we are about to board the angst train~! Decided to make the first part telling a little something about NaPink's past so y'all better be ready for one emotional train ride~.

 

P.S. You might hate me because of this chapter.

 

 

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It has been 2 weeks ever since the opening ceremony. The classes in Uthopia University has not started yet since some students are still enrolling and submitting final requirementst to be an official student of the school. This time of the year, the student council starts to get really busy since they help with the distribution of students in their rightful sections, arranged according to the results of their entrance exams. The student council, not taking any breaks, is stuck in Nayoung's office, papers scattered everywhere, pencils in hand, glasses hanging by the bridge of their noses, Nayoung's office being a total mess. Nayoung helps with the arrangement of the students for the 1st section, the A section, and of course, she still remains on the top, making her stay at the A section. She sees Chaeyeon's name as well, Somi, Sohye, Yeonjung even Chungha and other students that she presumes are non-royals joins the list of the new batch of students in the A section.

 

How the heck did that girl still manage to stay at A? She's been gone for a week! She even slept through the exams!

 

Nayoung shakes her head as she analyzes the other documents, looking for a certain girl's name. She sees it, being in the C section. She frowns. She's noticed that before, a few months after their break up, she sees how the girl seems to be not so interested in class, just staring at the window. Whenever the teacher calls her to answer a certain equation in front of the class, she ends up just looking at it and not even trying. Okay, it really sounds like Nayoung's spying or stalking her, monitoring her every move.

 

Okay fine. It is stalking. She always monitors her grades, how she's doing in class. She's been really worried about her. Like really really worried to the point that she's even skipping out classes just to check on her, looking from a very far spot. She even misses out on her council duties just to follow her around but Chaeyeon understands.

 

That cold, ruthless girl being so understanding, it is actually kind of unbelievable.

 

The girl seems to be really struggling months after their break up. And look at her now, she used to be in A section before, with Nayoung. She even sits beside her during classes, the teachers not being able to do anything about it. Two years had already passed ever since that fateful day, and she notices that the girl is still not over her.

 

Jieqiong's still not over her.

 

Well, truthfully enough, Nayoung is not over her either.

 

She notices how Jieqiong's failing most of the subjects. She's still fortunate to land on the C class, because if she goes lower than that, the school will contact her father and of course, comes to the worst scenario.

 

Jieqiong will be taken away and brought back to China.

 

Nayoung doesn't want that.

 

Nayoung notices how someone seems to shift their position, a head on her shoulder, looking at the paper she's been staring at. Nayoung catches the smell of her vanilla shampoo, smelling so sweet. She realizes that it is Chungha, looking at the list she is holding. Chungha just places an arm around her, giving her a small hug. She must have noticed the reason why she's looking at the list. Nayoung mutters a quiet "thank you" and Chungha smiles at her, before going back to scan the documents she was reading earlier.

 

Chaeyeon looks at her with a rather understanding smile on her lips. She moves to sit near her, documents still in hand.

 

"Look, Nayoung. Why don't you take a break from all this work for a while? You've been here for days, continuously working. You deserve a break.", Chaeyeon fixes her glasses and looks at her solemnly, "Plus, you're thinking about her again. That just adds to your stress.", she says this quietly, as if afraid of letting the people with them know about it.

 

Well, Sohye and Chungha did hear what she said, stopping whatever they are doing to look at Nayoung with worry written on their faces.

 

"Yeah, Nayoung. You should stop for a while and let Chungha handle all the work here, you know, as punishment for missing for a week.", Sohye suggests. Chungha rolls her eyes at her and nudges her side with her elbow.

 

"That's not really helping me."

 

"We're not helping you. We are helping Nayoung, so stop assuming that we were talking about you in the first place.", Sohye shrugs, going back to scanning the papers she is holding.

 

Chaeyeon ignores them and looks at Nayoung straight in the eye, "Sohye's right. Go take a break and we'll let Chungha take over your work.", she says and Chungha lets out a loud grunt.

 

"That's not really fair now, Chae. Why do I get all the work?", Chungha whines with a pout.

 

Chaeyeon turns to her, "Because that's what you get for missing for weeks. Now, stop whining before I add more to that work of yours."

 

Chungha goes back to her work, muttering words in German, with a pout on her face.

 

"Chungha, I can still hear you and I can understand you muttering curses at me. That's extra work for you, missy."

 

Chungha smiles sheepishly, "Kidding, Chae. Kidding."

 

Nayoung laughs at them as she shakes her head, "Don't worry, guys. I'm fine. You know that we have to finish all these this week, right?", she reassures them with a smile.

 

"We have to finish all of these this week so we better hurry.", she orders them. "And no slacking off.", Nayoung looks at Chungha as she says this and her reaction made the 3 girls laugh. Chungha looks at them incredulously, her eyes wide. She points to herself, "Why is it always about me when it comes to slacking off?!"

 

Chaeyeon rolls her eyes, "It's true though. You're abusing your position here, always using it as an excuse so you can slack off and skip classes."

 

Nayoung stops them, her voice being authoritative, "Alright, stop it. Get back to work, everyone."

 

Chaeyeon just shrugs at the glaring Chungha and stands up to get more documents on Nayoung's desk. Chungha takes a deep breath before going back to sorting out the papers. Sohye makes sure that Nayoung's office stays clean so she starts to clean up the piles of paper scattered on the carpeted floor.

 

Nayoung stands up and grabs her laptop from her desk. She opens it and looks for the video of her when she was giving her opening speech two weeks ago, in front of the entire student body as well as the teachers and staff in their school. This has been a habit of hers, always reviewing her video speeches. She always checks if everything went out fine during her speech, making sure she did not stutter when speaking, not using fillers, proper posture and usage of facial expressions (though, in Nayoung's case, I don't think it is evident), looking confident as ever.

 

As a future leader, Nayoung always makes sure that she's good enough to stand in front of the masses and speak. While the video is playing, Sohye sits beside her, watching it as well.

 

"Why do you keep watching your video speeches?", the girl asks, looking at her for a second before going back to the screen.

 

Nayoung shrugs, "I just want to make sure that I did great."

 

"But you always do great in whatever you do so you shouldn't worry. And I'm amazed how you can still make your face completely emotionless while giving your speech." Sohye points out.

 

Nayoung just smiles at her, focusing on the laptop's screen. Sohye squints at the screen, trying to get a better view.

 

"Why do I feel like you're looking for someone?", Sohye asks her which surprises Nayoung.

 

How can she tell?

 

"What makes you say that?", Nayoung asks, going back to her non-emotional state, glancing at Sohye.

 

Sohye shrugs, "I don't know. I just feel it." Sohye then looks at her, "Well, are you?"

 

Nayoung looks away and shuts her laptop off. She ignores what the younger girl had said, trying to busy herself with the folder which contained the new school rules. Sohye notices how Nayoung's mood changed so she drops the matter off. She then just goes back to her cleaning.

 

So it is really official. Non-royals are living among them, studying in the same school as theirs. Fair enough, when Nayoung read through the papers where the new school rules were listed, each and everyone of them has their own rights, meeting all their needs. In this school, royals and non-royals will be treated equally and never differently. I guess they are aiming to make this school like their training grounds since most of them are being raised and educated to be the rightful leaders of their own home countries.

 

Nayoung paces around the room, reading them one by one. As she was pacing, she didn't notice how a little box drops from her pocket. Chungha notices this and picks it up. She eyes it curiously. She notices how it has a cute little pink ribbon tied on it, completely sealing it off. Chungha thinks that whatever is inside must be really important.

 

"Nayoung, I've noticed this box before. Why are you always carrying it with you? What's inside of it?", Chungha asks all these question all at once, showing the tiny box to Nayoung.

 

Nayoung's eyes grow wide as she sees it in Chungha's hands. She immediately snatches it away from the younger girl's hand, putting it in her pocket.

 

"It's none of your business, Chungha.", she says, slightly irritated at how the girl's being too nosy.

 

Chungha raises her hands in surrender, "Chill out. I was just asking."

 

Nayoung turns to Chaeyeon, ignoring Chungha, "Hey, Chae. Going out for a bit for some fresh air."

 

She turns to the door but stops when she hears Chaeyeon's question, her hand on the door knob.

 

"You're not planning to go there, are you?"

 

Nayoung contemplates, thinking of the answer. After a few seconds, she tries to form a smile on her face before turning to the younger girl.

 

"No. I'm not planning to."

 

Chaeyeon looks at her for a moment, trying to read her mind. After a while, she just nods at her before going back to her work. Chungha looks at her curiously as well as Sohye, probably wondering what Chaeyeon is talking about. Nayoung smiles at the two girls before turning the door knob to leave. She just really needs some fresh air right now.

 

 

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Nayoung is a really horrible liar.

 

She lied to Chaeyeon about not going there, but look at her now. 

 

I'm sure she'll understand.

 

Nayoung sits on the bench, underneath the sycamore tree that is in the middle of the school garden. This garden is only one of the campus' gardens and is located a little far from the school's main area which means only a few people goes there which is why Nayoung likes to hang out here a lot. It brought her peace of mind and comfort, what she really needs at this point. She's really stressed out because of this entire thing about adding non-royals here and also add her previous ordeal into the mix making her entire being a total disaster. This spot gives her the relaxation she needs at this moment.

 

Nayoung likes to hang out here a lot and she goes here to escape the world she's living in. She also goes here with Jieqiong and they just talk and talk. Mostly random things and she just enjoys watching Jieqiong giggle and laugh. It was her paradise, her salvation that saved her from being entirely consumed by all the stress and pressure of impressing her father, impressing everyone.

 

This is their favorite spot. Or rather, this was.

 

Nayoung looks around the area, seeing that it didn't change much since she last visited. The last time she's here was two years ago, when she decided to meet up with Jieqiong, a few days before the Christmas ball. She swallows the lump that forms in and she can feel her eyes tearing up, all the old bitterness beginning to well up inside her again.

 

Waves of memories return to haunt her again. She remembers everything like it only happened yesterday as a lone tear escapes from her eye, she places a hand over , stopping her sobs from escaping .

 

 

 

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Nayoung waits patiently for Jieqiong to come. She's currently in their favorite spot, sitting on the bench undeneath the old sycamore tree. A gentle breeze passes by, making Nayoung slightly shiver into her jacket. She can feel winter's breath on her skin. It whisks heat away leaving her nose slightly red and her appearance slightly pale.

 

She looks at the sycamore tree above her and notices how the leaves of it are starting to grow little ice crystals, the branches getting covered in pure, white snow. She lets out a breath and she sees how it immediately turns into vapor, indicating that Christmas is just around the corner.

 

The biting cold chills her fingers into clumsy numbness and she can feel the coldness of winter spread painfully throughout her feet as if she was barefeet on the pristine icy whiteness rather than sneakers. Nayoung's teeth start to chatter like a pneumatic drill. She looks at her phone and realizes that she has been waiting for Jieqiong for only 25 minutes but she feels like she's already been out for hours. It is almost midnight anyways, that's why it is so cold but she still blames the winter wind and she wants to slap herself for not wearing thicker clothing.

 

Nayoung looks at her phone's calendar and she realizes that in just a few days, Uthopia University's most awaited annual Christmas ball will take place. This ball is so prestigious that the entire world sends out broadcasting media teams just to cover the said event. 

 

She also realizes that within a few hours, it'll be Jieqiong's birthday. 

 

Such bad timing, Nayoung.

 

Such bad timing indeed but she has to do this. Her father told her so. She has to do this one thing that will change her life and probably end it as well.

 

Nayoung decides to walk around to hopefully, warm her up because she might freeze to death if she does not move. And also, to hopefully calm her mind that is currently on a rampage. She is currently contemplating on how to tell Jieqiong all about it, how would the younger girl react upon hearing those words escaping .

 

After a few minutes of walking around, Jieqiong appears before her, clad in a white sweater that is quite familiar for Nayoung and she has a smile on her face that can probably melt away this entire winter.

 

She is wearing the sweater that Nayoung gave her, on their very first anniversary.

 

It made Nayoung's heart flutter but there's still this painful ache that she feels whenever she remembers what she has to do. It made things harder for Nayoung because seeing Jieqiong, looking so beautiful and radiant in the sweater she gave her, made her feel a thousand times worse because of what she is planning to do.

 

"Sorry for making you wait in this winter.", Jieqiong apologizes as she stops infront of her. "It was such a short notice that I didn't know what to wear so it took a while for me to figure it out.", she smiles and plants a kiss on Nayoung's cheek, probably as an apology for being late.

 

Nayoung feels like melting right away after what Jieqiong did. It made her feel warm enough that she thought that Jieqiong's warmth is enough to save her from this freezing weather.

 

But it is not enough to save her from what she is about to do.

 

"So, what is it that you're supposed to say in this ungodly hour?", Jieqiong glances on her wrist watch, "It's almost midnight and we still have classes tomorrow."

 

Nayoung swallows the lump on . She looks away for she cannot look at Jieqiong's eyes because what she's about to say is unforgivable. So with one final intake of breath, the words escape from , leaving it tasting quite bitter. She can feel it also getting numb, as if she just placed buckets of ice cubes in it.

 

"Let's break up.", she tells Jieqiong, her face portraying no emotions.

 

"W-what?"

 

Nayoung didn't want to repeat herself because she feels like dying right now. Her saying that felt like a stab in the heart, causing her pain each second that passes by. Nayoung looks at the younger girl and her heart breaks at the sight before her. She sees how her tears flow uncontrollably out from her eyes, rolling down her cheek like a stream, the tears leaving frozen track marks on her beautiful face. Nayoung begins to feel horrible and she just wishes that someone could just bury her alive or shoot her even.

 

She has to stay strong, firm and stick to her decision. Jieqiong looks at her, tears still continuously flowing from her eyes. Then, she hears the younger girl mutter the question that she knows she'll hear, one way or another.

 

"B-but why?"

 

She swallows again, gathering her strength to look her straight in her sad, painful-looking eyes.

 

"Just because, Jieqiong. You don't need to hear my reason why."

 

Nayoung can feel it, the imaginary knife that is stabbed on her heart getting deeper, causing her intense pain. She can't really stand seeing the girl she loves in so much pain. But she had to do it. She just has to. She had her reasons but she's just really scared of telling Jieqiong why.

 

She's being a coward again. Just being the typical Nayoung she had always been.

 

The younger girl continues to sob in her hands. Nayoung just watches as Jieqiong collapses onto her knees, onto the ground that is covered with white, powdery snow. She wants to hug her so badly but she she has to finish what she already started. The pain she's feeling in her chest doubles as each second passes by and she feels like she's getting suffocated.

 

She wants to cry. But she tries her best to hold back her tears.

 

She needs to stay strong, to make herself more convincing of what she is trying to say.

 

Jieqiong continues to cry until her loud wails turn into quiet whimpers. She stands on her feet again as she wipes the tears from her eyes. Nayoung just looks at her with a stone expression, contrasting the storm of emotions that she is feeling inside of her.

 

And then, Jieqiong speaks in a voice that is barely above a whisper, "Okay, Nayoung. I'll do as you wish."

 

After uttering these words, she turns on her heel and walks away from Nayoung.

 

That is not Nayoung had expected to happen. She expected that the girl would lash out on her, spitting out curses, hitting her repeatedly and probably even attempt to kill her on the spot. But it already happened.

 

She watches as the love of her life slowly moves away from her. Slowly exiting her life.

 

Nayoung collapses on the bench as the tears that she has been holding up since earlier started to flow out of her like a dam. She releases all her pent up emotions as she cries. Her anger, frustrations and most especially her pain. She can't believe that she just let go of the girl that she has loved with all her heart. She can't believe that she allowed her father to take over her life once again, manipulating all her choices in life.

 

She could have fought for her, for their love.

 

But in the end, she chose to be a coward.

 

She hated it.

 

She hated herself for it.

 

Nayoung's hands curl up into fists as her sobs quiet down. She looks at the sky as it starts to light up.

 

I forgot about that.

 

That was supposed to be for her other plan for today, but she had to change it.

 

The fireworks immediately lights up the dark, cold winter night, the spark it creates spreading into the sky, firing it up with its vivid colors. The light could have given Nayoung a smile on her face and happiness since she's always been a fan of fireworks, marvelling at its beauty, but right now, instead of that, the colorful wave of light that the fireworks emit either gave her dread and worry but most of all, hate.

 

Nayoung smiles bitterly at the sky as she grabs the box that she has in her pocket.

 

She is supposed to give it to Jieqiong today. She remembers the promise that comes along with it.

 

She had promised Jieqiong one thing.

 

She promised that she'll never hurt her no matter what happens.

 

And she is ready to commit on that promise forever and has decided to prevent it from happening in this lifetime.

 

But looks like she broke that promise on Jieqiong's birthday.

 

Way to go to things up, Im Nayoung.

 

 

 

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Nayoung wipes the tears that escaped, and taking in a deep breath to control her feelings. She can feel that aching pain in her heart again as she remembers all these things. Chaeyeon knew about that day, when she broke up with Jieqiong. Chaeyeon practically knows everything that has happened to Nayoung. Except for one thing though.

 

She didn't know about her other plan.

 

Nayoung fishes the box out from her pocket, looking at it carefully. She carefully removes the ribbon on it and opens it gingerly. It was her mother's and she has decided ever since she met Jieqiong, that she'll be the one to wear it.

 

There, in the middle of the box, is a ring forged from white gold, a small but shiny diamond as its center stone.

 

 

 

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A/N: Yes. You must be wondering why the title of this chapter is "Those Three Little Words" although no one really said "I love you" in this chapter. (because normally, that phrase means that). You should look again and you'll see what I mean. Sorry I am being evil D;

 

*looks again*

 

*sniffs*

 

*sits in a corner*