When Chaeyoung turned the knob on their front door and walked inside their place, the first thing she saw was a family set-up breakfast of her friends in the building. Dahyun and Tzuyu were situated in the dining area as they eat Jeongyeon's menu like it was their usual morning routine. "Jeong, you really need to stop feeding these freeloaders. You can't have them eating these full-course meal for free," the cub commented as she pointed Dahyun's puffy cheeks. "We are just filling the room since you are missing in action for today's breakfast," Dahyun said, spooning rice from her bowl. Chaeyoung seated herself, too, "You two especially you, Dahyun," she pointed to the eagle, "Were here the other day, and the other, and the other–"

"Okay, we get it," Dahyun elbowed the cub beside her. Joengyeon eyed her best friend before she slid a bowl of rice to her spot, "So how was your night?" she asked sternly. "I swear, I didn't plan to drink so much last night," the cub defended, "But I met a friend last night and we kind of catch up with another."

"Friend?" Tzuyu asked because it was vague who the mentioned friend was. "Yeah," Chaeyoung replied as she took a bite of her breakfast for herself, "She sort of comforted me in a bar when Jeongyeon and I fought." The silver haired girl clapped her hands — calling the attention of the so-called freeloaders, "Ah, mojito girl," she nodded in understanding. Of course, she knew because the cub had definitely told her about the girl. "Yeah, we got drunk and she offered me a place to sleep in for the night," Chaeyoung continued. "So basically, you two did it?" Dahyun pointed at Chaeyoung's chest.

Jeongyeon furrowed her brows while she remained listening to the full story. "But isn't she like almost thirty, Chaeng?" the dragon asked. The cub sighed loudly, "We didn't do anything," she said. "So what, you two just cuddled when you slept over?" Tzuyu savagely butted in. 

Chaeyoung laughed at their accusations. She was disappointed but not that surprised since one-night stand was like a bundle deal to the tiger cub. "For starters, she has a couch and I slept there," she replied, "And she has a girlfriend who she described as someone who is very fluent in English." 

"We didn't do anything and I don't like her like that," she added to clear up the story of her night. "Really?" the eagle smirked which made the cub to scoff back. Chaeyoung stood up, still not finished with her food, "Yeah, really. I'm going to take a bath because I don't want to be late for my classes today," she declared to her friends. Jeongyeon looked at her roommate with wide eyes, "When did you start caring about getting early in your classes?" she asked with so much confusion in her expression. "Just now because my grades are really going downhill!" the cub loudly explained as she slammed both of her hands on the table. "Not just with Park Jinyoung!" she added as she dramatically held her face.

The tiger cub rushed into her room without hearing her friends' reactions while thinking about her new found motivation for her classes. For heaven's sake, she might as well study for this week since the next one will be their hell week. She just needed to fulfill her duty to her latest artwork and study for her exams then she could breathe again free from university responsibilities. Everything was going great to her — she even cleared Mina and her little misunderstanding —except the fact of the downfall of her grades. 

She quickly took a towel and clean clothes before she walked out of her room. She spared an envious glance to her eating friends who had allotted time for an actual breakfast and then she entered their bathroom to commence her business inside.

-------

Mina hugged her knees as she waited for Jihyo because she said that she will come and visit her. Her friend heard her crying after all and she just couldn't left her alone. The penguin was crying again with the same reason, Son Chaeyoung. 

Her eyes were red and her bottled up tears were now flowing down to her face. Her head throbbed and there was a stormy sea inside her chest. She gritted her teeth while firmly clutching herself in her position. She hated her right decision, she hated for being jealous over something she didn't have the right to, and for most of all, she hated herself for falling for her. It would be easier for the both of them if she hadn't pursued her. It would have been easier if she shoved down her feelings at the back of her mind and never let the seawater drowned her.

She shouldn't have walked deeper inside her den and trapped herself with her. She shouldn't have mindlessly enjoyed everything like there was no possibility of it backfiring at her. She shouldn't have fell for her smiles and her loving personality. For a very rational girl, she was pretty dumb and naive with her poor decisions towards her feelings. She hoped for the best and she was only served with the worst. Now, look, she was hurting again for the uncountable time.

The fact that Chaeyoung might have had with her neighbour hurt her. Not because of the cub's unimaginable sinful act to her neighbour but the truth that even after all the time she had spent with her, it seemed like her role never progressed. Not seemed like, but her role never really progressed over their time together. 

The elegant girl knew, that at the back of her head, she knew that her decisions and actions were futile. That from the very start she entered a losing war. She rubbed her tearing eyes roughly. She realized how deeply she was attached for Son Chaeyoung to the point of turning blind eyes to the truth and further indulging herself with the lies. Under her spell, she painfully thought. 

She sobbed as she tasted her role of a friend fueled by the smell of catnip to the cub. Despite everything and despite the truths, she knew at the same time that she didn't want to stop and she wouldn't lie about her feelings. She loves her, loves her too much that she's hurting herself — hurting herself really bad. "I am giving up," she whispered again the painful words, thinking that maybe by saying it will convice her heart to do so. Even if she declared it over a thousand or a million times, she knew that she was only pretending. It wasn’t like she was giving up but she wanted to give up. She was only rephrasing her words just to sound strong and certain about it.

Myoui Mina wanted to give up but she didn't have enough power to do it. She was both weakened to let go and to give up on Son Chaeyoung. Mina was stuck — engulfed in the consequences of the choice of her heart. 

The sobbing girl heard barging urgent knocks on her door that demanded to be instantly attended. No questions, it was definitely her worried friend, Park Jihyo. She dragged herself to the door and opened it. She looked at Jihyo without a care about her tear-soaked appearance. 

Jihyo's heart broke upon seeing her friend. "Mina," she cooed, "What happened? Are you really going to give up on her? On Chaeyoung?" she asked as she let herself to enter the apartment unit.

The penguin rubbed her left arm, seeking comfort with the action, "I am," she nodded to her. Jihyo directed for her to sit back down on her couch, "But why?" she asked with worried look. "I'm not even progressing to this," Mina's voice cracked as she came clean to her friend.

"To her," she looked Jihyo right in the eyes, "And there's no point of denying it any longer to myself."

"I'm clinging so badly at her and I don't even have the right to do so," the penguin added as her tears fell from her eyes. "I hate being a complete mess, Jihyo," she rubbed her face again, trying to wipe her overflowing tears.

Jihyo reached for the crying girl's hands. She held it and kept it in place. To be honest, she was quite tearing for her own good, too. She intensively observed Mina. She knew the penguin so well for all the years of being friends and classmates. She knew that the quiet girl was the type to bottle her own feelings just to avoid worrying the people around her, but not for this time. Jihyo knew that Mina had reached her breaking point. The breaking point where Mina couldn't handle her own pain — where she hopelessly cries herself out. 

"For all I know, she only fancied me because of my similar smell to catnip," the penguin whispered and sarcastically chuckled to her pathetic state. "What about not giving up on her like the others?" Jihyo couldn't help herself but to ask a very important question. "Words are just words, Jihyo," Mina replied as a new batch of tears flowed down to her cheeks.

Mina removed her hands from Jihyo. She clutched her painful chest, hoping the constricting feeling will magically vanish. "I want to mean it and reason it like as simple as that," she closed her eyes shut and prevented her tears to fall, "I wanted it to end like words that I didn't mean to."

"I wanted to give up and stop everything but I know I'm not capable of it," she gritted her teeth — she hates herself, "I'm too weak and powerless."

Mina bit her lower lip in deep anger and hatred for herself, "All I can do is cry about our unfruitful relationship, and it hurts so much."

Hearing and seeing Mina opened up to her, Jihyo felt sorry for the penguin and she felt quite at fault. "I'm sorry, Mina," she embraced her friend dearly, "I feel like I shouldn't have captained for the two of you." Jihyo's heart was also broken for her, "I shouldn't have urged you especially when I know this could happen," her voice hitched because of the heavy lump in .

The penguin shook her head, not very fond of the idea of her friend blaming herself. "It's all my fault," she muffled in Jihyo's chest, "I was stubborn and naive. I was blinded and full of myself. I deserve this. I'm sorry."

The older one could only hug and warm her in her embrace. She wanted to tell Mina that she didn't mean any of what she had just said. She wanted to make her understands that she only loves the cub deeply. She wanted to keep her away from her negative thoughts — her demons — and just encourage her back to Chaeyoung. Jihyo wanted to be the friend that can assure the sullen penguin's heart. Someone who can lift her down feelings but she just can't. Mina was cracked and broken, and Jihyo wouldn't say something that can completely shatter her into pieces.

So instead of comforting and encouraging words, Jihyo only hugged the penguin. She gave everything that she could offer — just an actual human contact. She painfully hugged her friend as she knew it was futile. She offered warmth in her cold and frozen state. She stayed with her, hoping that she could fend off her demons away but she wasn't enough. 

-------

"So you were with Mina that's why you're not in the campus this morning?" Jeongyeon asked as she spooned her girlfriend. Jihyo nodded, "I intended to stay for the whole day but you know Mina," she sighed, "She lectured me to go back to my classes."

The two — Jeongyeon and Jihyo — were lying on their sides on the silver dragon's couch as they watched a drama on the television in the middle of the afternoon . They were squeezed together to fit on the couch. The couple were spooning — Jeongyeon as the big spoon while Jihyo as the little spoon.

Jeongyeon hummed at her reply, "You could've texted me," she nuzzled her face to the back of Jihyo's neck. "Should I be jealous of Mina?" she playfully added as she buried her face in her silky hair. The silver haired girl expected a chuckle, a laugh, or a playful nudge from her girlfriend but all she had was silence from her. Jeongyeon loosened her hold on the younger's waist. "Hey," she cooed worriedly, "What's the matter?"

Jihyo moved and sit up, forcing her girlfriend to follow her actions. Jeongyeon looked at her with pleading eyes. It was crystal clear that she wanted to know what happened with her visit. "She was crying when she called me, Jeongyeon. She said sh