Chapter IX - Defying Expectations, Comically

But enough nonsense.

I'm digressing and starting to sound like I'm drunk or something.

Beside, you want me to get back to that morning after, right? That morning after our first night together.

Yuna didn’t release me when SinB left. In fact, she held me tighter, her limbs becoming a blanket draped over me. Her head rested on my shoulder, nestling into the crook of my neck as she enjoyed the physical contact. I leaned back into her body, craving the same contact. As I did, a small ache released from my chest. This feeling… It’s unquantifiable how comfortable I was in her embrace.

“As much I’d love to stay like this, we do have to leave the bedroom at some point,” I smiled, turning my head a bit so that my cheek rested against hers. “You know. ‘Time to face the music,’ or something like that.”

“Oh yeah. Break a leg, unnie~!”

“You say that like you’re not coming with me.”

A forced smile appeared on her face.

I retaliated with a look of derision.

“Do we have to?”

“...”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding~!” she smiled for real this time, hugging me all the same.

Despite her words, she lingered there, not moving. Attempting to make some sort of progress in getting up but failing miserably.

It's funny because I get it.

I understood why she was so hesitant.

This.

All of this between us.

It almost felt fleeting and at any moment it could be taken away from us. Ripped from us. Like if we took a step out of this room, we’d wake up from this dream into some terrible reality without one another.

A nightmare where I live without her.

A hell where she lives without me.

I was starting to freak myself out too but I was getting hungry.

“Come on, let's go eat~!”

I heard her stomach make a sound that made me laugh. She nodded her head in agreement, letting me pull her up from the bed.

After freshening up a bit, we headed out to the hallway and down the stairs to the living room below. Yuna decided to hold on to my arm and hobbled behind me as we descended. She was taking in a lot of deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

SinB and Umji seemed to have moved the TV and my PS4 Pro back to the living room, currently entertaining themselves with a game where you hunted large creatures with your pet cat. As Yuna and I rounded the corner on the stairs, SinB jumped in her seat at our approaching noise. Clearly perturbed by this morning's events, she gave me that cold stare that could probably kill me if she tried hard enough.

“I hope you started your own save file,” I smiled, slightly threatening. “If you killed my game progress, I won’t heal for you and your friends anymore.”

A statement that didn’t make much sense to anyone but SinB. Her eyes narrowed but given the claim, she thought better of her actions and proceeded to continue playing.

Umji, on the other hand, gave Yuna and me a small wave. Bless her, she was innocently greeting us despite her girlfriend.

Oh. Hmmm... Hold on a second. Now there's a thought. Somehow, my mind hadn’t gotten that far yet… I guess I’ll have to fix that later.

“Sowon unnie~!” called Yuna. She patted my arm and motioned that she’d come back before letting go and slipping over to the modelesque girl in the kitchen. “Wha~! You made so much food!”

She then proceeded to excitedly hug Sowon.

“H-hey, hang on!,” Sowon cautioned. “I'm still cooking! Morning, Yerin!”

As she turned away from Yuna to greet me, her face suddenly scrunched up and she started mouthing words to me.

“What did you do?” her words seem to say. Confused by what she meant, all I could do was shrug. To be fair, I’m not fluent in reading lips so I could be wrong.

Unsatisfied by my response, she mouthed another word before continuing cooking.

“Later.”

What did that mean?

“Man, I'm starving,” Yuna nodded her head as she started to make her trek back to me.

“I'm not surprised…” SinB scoffed quietly from the couch. Just enough for me to hear.

I quickly turned around and widened my eyes at her. The action was so sudden that SinB swiftly turned back around and continued playing her game.

Hmmph. Only I'm allowed to make those kinds of jokes.

Yuna sat down at the dining table and I joined her.

“Hey, thanks, Sowon unnie. This looks great.” I said, digging in.

Sowon placed the last of the food in the center of the table and joined us.

“Sure, sure. I mean it was your birthday after all,” Sowon smiled at me. But then a pause. Her look turned confused and worried as she started to give me a closer examination. “Oh, Yerin! What in the world happened to your neck?”

“...” I responded.

“...” Yuna responded.

“Pfft~!” SinB responded.

“Omo~!” Umji responded.

Well this is awkward.

Why did I think no one would notice?

I mean, I knew why. It’s because it’s me we are talking about here and I just love getting into trouble. But I wish I wasn’t so self destructive. I’m seriously my own archenemy.

And of all the people, why innocent Sowon? Sigh… This will require more effort than not.

Ah, whatever.

‘Dilly dally, shilly shally’ or so the quote goes.

Stop wasting time, Yerin, and get on with it.

It’s true that I could skirt around the issue and probably get away with it…

“Oh, that was Yuna,” I smiled, exposing more of the neckline of my nightgown and revealing more of the bruises and scars. Compared to last night, it has healed considerably. It was mostly the scratches that seem unsightly. “She got kinda crazy last night.”

...or I can say ‘ it’ and deal with the aftermath later.

Sure, we can play this game of ‘Will they? Won't they?’ all we want but, let's face it. This is far more entertaining! It’s the kind of response that throws people off balance.

SinB, had pressed the pause button on the controller, seemingly dumbfounded. I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of holding this over me somehow.

“UN-NIE~!” Yuna looked at me wide-eyed, unable to comprehend what I just did.

“SinB already told them,” I shrugged and continued eating. “It can't be helped.”

“I-I know! But still!” Her voice wavered a bit. She had both hands on her cheeks. It was cute how red they were becoming. “I just didn't think you’d be so blunt about it! It’s f-fine though…”

“That's good. Glad to hear it! By the way, Sowon unnie, this food’s great~!”

Sowon stayed silent.

Her eyes moved from me to Yuna to me again. She wasn't as shocked as I had expected. Her eyes narrowed into curiosity and contemplation.

“So, are you two dating now?” Umji asked.

Ah, right on cue!

The question I was waiting for.

All sense of subtlety flew out the window as Umji and SinB peered over the couch and listened in on our conversation.

“Ah! Good point, Umji-yah! I won't accept you if you’re just a ert or a weirdo though!” declared SinB. She put on a haughty pose. Umji did the same, amplifying the effect. “As Yerin unnie's best friend, it my responsibility to take care of like that.”

“Good job with that by the way. You're about 10 hours too late,” I scoffed before turning back to Yuna. “Now, I was about to ask- Huh!?”

Yuna’s face was still red but stern. Clearly, she was aggroed by SinB’s claims but I wasn't sure what she was thinking. Especially as she dropped her utensils on her plate and walked over to the younger couple.

Hesitant steps.

But steps forward nonetheless.

The two younger girls didn't know how to handle the sudden advancement and their confidence drained.

“Ch-Choi Yuna...”

She bowed awkwardly, hands clasped in front of her.

SinB and Umji were stunned.

This taller girl, their senior no less, was bowing to them and… introducing herself?

As Yuna rose, she turned her attention to SinB.

“I-I-I’m a music major with an emphasis in s-singing and performance… Um. I got into the uni-university on recommendation from the dean. My hobbies include composing music, playing guitar, and singing… Ah, but I'm sure you could have guessed that. Ehehe.”

“Ehehe…” was all SinB and Umji could responded with. The looked at each other nervoisly, unsure how to proceed.

“Ye-Yerin unnie said you were her closest friend…” As she paused, she turned to look back at me that I could only return with a smile. She started to gain momentum then. She even reached out and held SinB's hands in hers. “That means you’re special to her. I-I want to be special… to her too… And... I want... to be with Yerin unnie… So, let’s get along… okay?”

Speechless.

I was speechless.

We all were. 

Like my head was filled with all sorts of words but they are just synonyms for the word “blank” or “empty.”

Hell, this exchange has gotten my mind all ed and I couldn't even think straight. Not in a million years I would have thought she would do something like that. Especially for someone as terrible as me. 

“W-Well, I guess... you're fine…” SinB stuttered. “Just- Just don’t any weird stuff while I’m around. I hang out here too…”

“Okay~!” Yuna nodded, spinning around and giving me a V sign for ‘victory.’

I think that's when it finally happened.

The feeling inside my chest expanded from an ache to a want.

A need.

A…

Well...

Not yet.

I'm not ready to admit THAT yet.

But it's funny when you think about it. It could have happened at any moment during our time together last night. And yet it had to happen now. Now of all times.

Yuna looked really cool right now... and that made my heart flutter...

Ah~! Finally! Back on track. So. How was that for a confession? Kekeke. This was actually inspired but another writer here Fandom_Gaydom who wrote in a chapter of Highschool with GFriend that "YeJu fanfics, that I've read, Yuju is the one who is love first. Yerin is the one who confesses and Yuju bursts into tears and says yes to Yerin." I actually don't know if this is true or not but I decided to do the reverse and have Yuna be the one to declare her  feelings first. Hehehehe. Ah, so much fun.

ALSO!!! This is the first time I've used the word 'heart' in this fic... There are a lot of words i'm purposely not using for this fic until the right moment... I'm sure you can figure the other word I haven't used. Kekeke. 

Of course, that begs the questions....

What is Sowon so confused about? What game was SinB playing? AND!!!! WHERE THE EFFF IS EUNBI~!?!?!?!

SHAMELESS SELF PLUG!!!!! LINK:  The Games We Play - Press Start (Twice Side)

I HAVE ANOTHER STORY!!!! Read it if you want! Twice side! MiChaeng GOODNESS! For fans of this fic, expect a lot more innocent story compared to this one... That is until it isn't. Kekekeke. Takes place in the same universe as this one. ALSO SINB IS IN IT!!!