Nancy walked straight ahead. Her anger was clouding her every emotion. It blocked everything that she didn’t notice how her heart skipped a beat when she saw Yeonwoo again.

 

She was about to exit the school campus when she saw a group of girls again. This time, it was her teammates.

 

“Where are you going?” Ahin asks as she munches on a popsicle, “It’s already late.”

 

Nancy didn’t answer. She walked past them like what she did with Yeonwoo. 

 

In her mind, all she wanted to do, was just to hurt and teach the guy who lusted over her soulmate. 

 

“Hey!” Jane glares at her and grabs her arm before she can leave, “We’re talking to you.” 

 

“You don’t care.” Nancy coldly says as she struggles to get out of Jane’s grasp. 

 

“We care! We’re your friends!” Daisy says but then softens her expression, “Are we not friends anymore?”

 

Nancy looks at them for a while. She was angry with her friends because they couldn’t accept Chaeryung, but in the end, they were still her friends. Her precious teammate whom she had shared countless fun and sad moments. She couldn’t just cut her ties with them. 

 

She’s already lost Yeonwoo. She couldn’t bear to lose her friends too.

 

“I’m going to go teach a guy from Chaeryung’s university a lesson.” She says.

 

“What?” Hyebin looks at her in disbelief, “You’re going to fight someone?!”

 

“He sends Chaeryung ual letters and keeps on lusting over her!”

 

“I get that! But you don’t have to go over there to fight him!” Hyebin reprimands, “What if you get hurt?”

 

“I can’t just let him do that to Chaeryung!”

 

“You can talk to him and tell him that she’s already taken! Report him to the campus advisers or something for his vulgar actions. You don’t have to engage him physically!”

 

But Nancy just shakes her head stubbornly. She struggles to get out of Jane’s hold.

 

“Let me go!”

 

“How do you expect to fight a guy there if you can’t even move away from my grasp? And you’re in their territory. He probably has lots of friends! You’re going to get yourself killed!” Jane glares at her. 

 

Nancy growls in anger and forced her arm away from Jane’s hold, “Don’t get it my way.”

 

She says as she continues walking to leave. 

 

“She’s gone crazy.” Ahin sighs in disbelief, “We can’t just leave her like that! She’ll get hurt!”

 

The captain stares at the ground to think. She ruffles her hair when she thought of a solution. 

 

“We need to go with her.” Hyebin says as she looks at Nancy’s disappearing silhouette.

 

“You’re crazy!” Jane says. 

 

“She’s our friend no matter how stupid she is. We can’t let anything happen to her.” Hyebin seriously says. 

 

“I’m surrounded by a bunch of idiots.” Jane grunts. She then walks to follow their maknae. 

 

“You complain but you really care about her don’t you?” Daisy teases Jane and occasionally pokes her sides. 

 

“Shut up.”

 

Hyebin was walking when she received a call from Yeonwoo.

 

“Hey Dabin. What’s wrong?”

 

“I think something’s wrong with Nancy. She looked angry! I’m scared she’ll do something stupid.” 

 

Hyebin was silent for a while. She didn’t know if she should tell Yeonwoo about them literally off to go fight a guy. 

 

“Hyebs?”

 

“Oh! Uhm...Yeah.”

 

“What is it? I know you know.”

 

Hyebin sighs, “The thing is, she’s planning on fighting some guy who’s lusting over Chaeryung.”

 

“What?!”

 

“Calm down! That’s why we’re following her so she wouldn’t get hurt.”

 

“Hyebs this is dangerous! Since when have you guys gone off to a fight?”

 

“First time actually.”

 

“Oh my gosh. Please stop now. Please stop Nancy! This won’t end well! Even if you guys don’t get hurt, you’re going to be reported. You’re athlete scholarship might get removed!”

 

“I know. But the girl you’re inlove with is stupid and stubborn. We couldn’t stop her.”

 

The last she heard was a grunt before the call was ended. Hyebin seriously thinks her decision was wrong because Yeonwoo would be so worried over them now. Especially at Nancy.

 

—-

 

Nancy growls angrily as she was waiting. She asked the guard of the university to tell Yeongjong that someone was looking for him.

 

Soon enough, a group of guys came into sight. There were about five of them, all taller than her and had good builds. 

 

“What do you want?” The guy in the middle asked. He was clearly a body builder judging from how his muscles literally flex without him doing anything. 

 

“Which one of you is Han Yeongjong?!” She growls at them, clearly not intimidated by the five men standing in front of her. 

 

“That’s me.” The guy in the middle says and smirks at her, “What does a beauty like you want this late? Is it a one night stand? Why not baby?”

 

The guy moves closer to her and she snarls in disgust. When the guy was close to her, she hurriedly grabs his arm and twists it. 

 

“Argh!” A grunt came from Yeongjong as he looks at Nancy who was holding his arm in a tight grasp.

 

“Don’t ever touch Chaeryung again.  Don’t send her those lustful messages! She’s mine!” She shouts at him. 

 

Her confidence was short lived though, when Yeongjong suddenly pushed her away. He sighs as he massages his arm that was twisted by Nancy.

 

“Oh.” He smirks evilly, “So you’re Nancy huh? The infamous volleyball player and Chaeryung’s soulmate.” 

 

He laughs and signals his other friends to trap Nancy in a circle. Nancy glares at them when she notices that all five of them are surrounding her.

 

“Chaeryung’s really amazing though. She’s able to have you in her little hands.” Yeongjong laughs, “You’re cute. A lot cuter than Chaeryung. Your genes would go to waste if you stay with her. Why don’t we make a baby ourselves?”

 

“You disgust me!” Nancy shouts at him.

 

“I don’t really care!” He smirks and all of a sudden, two guys are holding Nancy by the arm. She struggles to move but it was no use, the guys were a lot stronger than her. 

 

“.” She whispered. 

 

Only then did it dawn on her. She’s obviously outnumbered. These guys are also a lot stronger than her physically. 

 

This was a ing bad idea. 

 

She let her anger cloud her judgement and decisions. 

 

Maybe Hyebin was right after all. 

 

She’s gotten aggressive. 

 

Nancy wouldn’t normally go off and rush to confront someone. She was very calm and forgiving. 

 

What the heck was she doing? Getting herself in this situation just because her emotions got the better of her.

 

Yeongjong laughs again and Nancy, although didn’t want to admit it, was terrified. 

 

He crunches his knuckles and looks at Nancy with a menacing smile, “You’re very pretty. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to put a small wound on your face.”

 

That was his words before acting to throw a punch at the girl. 

 

Nancy grunts and closes her eyes for the impact. 

 

But it didn’t come. 

 

A few grunts and gasps where heard, and when she opened her eyes, she saw her friends scattered around her. 

 

Ahin and Daisy were fighting the three men while Jane holds someone in her tight grasp. 

 

Hyebin was infront of her, she blocked Yeongjong’s punch with her own body. 

 

Hyebin coughs when the punch made impact on her stomach and Nancy swear she almost saw blood. 

 

“Reinforcements huh?” Yeongjong laughs, “And you all look pretty damn fine.”

 

“Idiot!” Hyebin shouts as she looks back at the frozen girl behind her, “We can’t win this! We need to go!” 

 

Nancy struggles to say a word but she couldn’t when she saw how Yeongjong slapped Hyebin.

 

Hard. 

 

She then looked around only to see Jane being pushed harshly, Ahin and Daisy were also hit by the men.

 

Her friends were all in the ground, looking beaten and hurt. 

 

And Nancy almost cries. It’s her fault. She brought them into this.

 

She wanted to rush to Yeongjong and punch him, but she knew that it would be futile. She’s far weaker than him. Any of them for that matter. 

 

“A bunch of weaklings. Why do you girls even think you can fight against us!” Yeongjong laughs. He moves closer to Nancy and tilts his head as he wears a satanic smile. 

 

“Where’s your courage now?!” He screams, “You’re nex-“

 

“STOP!”

 

A shout was heard and all of them looked towards the direction of the sound. 

 

They saw Chaeryung there, with Yeonwoo at her back. 

 

“Touch her and you’re dead!” Chaeryung glares at Yeongjong.

 

Yeongjong just raises up both of his arms in fake innocence, “I won’t anymore baby.”

 

Nancy looks at Chaeryung who looked back at her with a worried face. 

 

“Leave!” Chaeryung told the boys and soon enough, they hurriedly left the scene. 

 

Chaeryung rushed to Nancy and crushed her with a hug.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

But Nancy could only nod. 

 

She was so stupid. She got everyone involved in her mess and in the end, she couldn’t even do anything. 

 

She looks up a bit, and her eyes found Yeonwoo.

 

Yeonwoo runs towards them, each checking her other teammates if they were fine. 

 

She first runs to Jane, then Ahin and Daisy to ask if they were fine.

 

Jane, Ahin and Daisy just nods as they huff in exhaustion and pain. But they had no serious injuries.

 

Nancy follows Yeonwoo’s actions. And she almost thinks that Yeonwoo would ask if she was alright next.

 

But Yeonwoo just moved past her. 

 

She crouched down to attend to Hyebin who was clutching her stomach and coughing. 

 

“Hyebs?” 

 

Nancy could hear the worry in her voice. 

 

“I’m fine.” Hyebin says as she sits up and catches her breath. 

 

“Thank God.” 

 

And Nancy felt even more stupid. 

 

How can she be hurt that Yeonwoo didn’t ask if she was fine when they weren’t even friends anymore? 

 

“Baby? I need to go back to my dorm now. Can you get home by yourself?” Chaeryung asks Nancy when she moves out of their hug. 

 

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Nancy says dejectedly, “I’m sorry for being an idiot.”

 

Chaeryung just smiles at her and kisses her forehead. 

 

Nancy then found herself alone, with her teammates now standing up. 

 

She wanted to say something. To say sorry. 

 

Guilt was slowly eating her away. She felt herself going numb as she sees her teammates help themselves up. Daisy assisting Jane and Ahin. Yeonwoo has an arm around Hyebin to support her. 

 

Nancy was fine. She didn’t get hurt. And that was the problem. She brought this to them and they all ended up getting hurt instead of her. 

 

“I...”

 

She starts. 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

A tear rolls down her cheek. 

 

She looks down and tries to keep her tears in check. She had no right to cry. 

 

She wasn’t even hurt and in pain like the others. 

 

This was her fault. 

 

She was so lost in her angry thoughts about herself when she felt a lot of arms around her. 

 

Soon enough, she was in the middle of a group hug.

 

“It’s fine.” Ahin laughs sincerely. 

 

“But you’re hurt. It’s my fault. I was stupid and-“

 

“Shhh. We know you’re stupid. That’s old news.” Jane snarkily replies, “But you know...we care about you. And that will never change no matter how stupid your decisions and actions may be.” 

 

“I’m so so sorry.” Nancy cries. 

 

“Let’s go home kiddo.” Hyebin ruffles her hair. 

 

And Nancy nods. 

 

She doesn’t fail to notice Yeonwoo though, who was just looking away at them and standing there. 

 

She looked so cold.

 

She felt so far away that Nancy can’t even reach her anymore.

 

And she suddenly felt empty again.

 

—-

 

“So-as I was saying! He jumped over the kid and caught all the things that fell down! It was amazing!” Seongwoo tells his story with so much enthusiasm that it almost gets Yeonwoo to smile. 

 

Yeonwoo just nods and turns the page of the book she was reading. 

 

“Why aren’t you answering?” Seongwoo pouts. 

 

“I’m reading.” Yeonwoo shoves the book into his face jokingly. 

 

“I see that. But listening to my story and reading a book is simple multitasking. I’m sure a girl as amazing as you can do that.” 

 

Yeonwoo looks at him and smiles a little, “I’m not as amazing as you think I am. You literally found me sitting on the ground with a bunch of people kicking and shoving me around. That doesn’t sound amazing.”

 

“What makes it amazing is that you’re all fine after that! You’re actually really brave!”

 

Yeonwoo looks away and sighs, “I wish I was brave. I can’t even confess to someone I love.”

 

“That’s easy!” Seongwoo laughs.

 

“No it’s not!”

 

“Yes it is. Want me to show you?” He looks into her eyes and smiles. 

 

Yeonwoo raises her eyebrows at him in amusement, “Go ahead then Mr. Brave.”

 

Seongwoo takes a deep breath and stands up from the bench they were sitting on. He then suddenly kneels down on one knee infront of Yeonwoo and smiles his charming smile. 

 

“I like you.” He grins. 

 

Yeonwoo’s mind stopped functioning for a bit but she then regains control and blushes slightly. 

 

“Stop joking around!” She says as she slaps his shoulder, “And stand up! You’re being embarrassing.”

 

Yeonwoo looks around and sees a bunch of students watching then curiously.

 

“I wasn’t joking though.” Seongwoo laughs, “I really like you.”

 

Yeonwoo looks away and sighs, “I just told you I liked someone else.”

 

“I know. And that’s why I just went in with my confession.”

 

Yeonwoo looks back at him in confusion

 

“You see...love doesn’t need to be reciprocated. It’s enough that you admire or love someone. If you feel those feelings towards him/her, you should just go for it and tell him/her how you feel.”

 

“That’s wishful thinking.” Yeonwoo shakes her head and looks down, “Everything would change if I did that.”

 

“Maybe it would. But that just means it isn’t meant to be. You would feel sad that you’re rejected of course, and you’d cry countless of days, but you’ll eventually get over it. Who knows, maybe one day, that person realized that she loved you back. And you’d live happily ever after.”

 

“You’re an idealist. It doesn’t work that way especially when you have soulmates in this world.” 

 

But Seongwoo shakes his head and with a sad smile says, “My soulmate died.”

 

Yeonwoo looks at him wide eyes. She reached over to comfort him but he seemed fine.

 

“In another lifetime, we’ll be together. I’ll make sure of that.

But now that...I’m destined to live life alone, I have nothing to lose anymore.” Seongwoo smiles.

 

He takes her hand in hers and looks into her eyes, “You’re still talking to me. Nothing has changed. Even if I confessed to you.” 

 

“That’s because you were only joking.”

 

“I’m serious. I really damn like you.” He looks into her eyes.

 

Seongwoo notices how distant her eyes are. How there was almost a protective layer in it that didn’t let him see what was inside. 

 

“You don’t have to answer to my feelings. I know you’re confused as well because of Nancy.”

 

“How did you-“

 

“It’s obvious. You two are really popular here so lots of rumors had spread. And besides, I see how you’ve been so out of yourself lately. You always feel so tired and broken that I can see through it even if you smile.” He laughs and let’s go of her, “You’re angry at her right? For picking a fight with some boys from another university. Set out your feelings with her. Whatever happens, I’m here for you. As a friend...or maybe even more.” 

 

Yeonwoo thinks about it. His words strangely feel like home. It feels right. 

 

“What happened to just being friends?” Yeonwoo laughs at him.

 

“Well what can I say? You’re really pretty and kind and warm and...perfect. I don’t know why Nancy doesn’t see that.”

 

“The people who we want to notice us, are those who turn a blind eye on us I guess.” Yeonwoo shrugs. 

 

“Speak for yourself. You see someone else when I want you to see me.” Seongwoo laughs. 

 

It was a very healthy conversation. It was not like any other that Yeonwoo had. 

 

They talked about the reality of being in love. The pain of your soulmate dying. Your love being unrequited.

 

But it strangely felt comfortable and fine.

 

—-

 

“I’m sorry I’m late Hyebs.” Yeonwoo says when she gets home, “How are you feeling?”

 

When Hyebin didn’t answer, she hurriedly finished removing her shoes and entered the living room. 

 

She stopped in her actions when she saw Nancy there. Sitting down on their sofa and once again, making Yeonwoo almost break the walls she built for the past week.

 

“Unnie.” Nancy says as she sees Yeonwoo standing there. 

 

Yeonwoo looks at her coldly before ignoring her and proceeding to go to Hyebin’s room. 

 

“Hyebin unnie is out with the others to eat.” 

 

Yeonwoo removes her grip on Hyebin’s door knob and she then walked to her room. 

 

Before she could even reach her room though, Nancy appeared infront of her. 

 

“I know you’re angry at me.” 

 

“Well looks like you aren’t so dense this time. You actually know what I feel.” Yeonwoo rolls her eyes. 

 

Nancy scrunched her face in confusion but she just sighs, “I’m sorry. For putting Hyebin unnie and the others in danger.”

 

Yeonwoo just looks away and folds her arms in her chest, “Shouldn’t you be apologizing to them and not to me?”

 

“They’ve already accepted my apology.” Nancy scratches the back of her neck, “And...I heard that you asked Chaeryung to come with you the moment you knew that we were going on a fight. Thanks for bringing her there. I...I really needed her.”

 

Yeonwoo’s breath hitched. She was honestly thinking of throwing all the books she was carrying to Nancy’s face. 

 

“I...I didn’t know what could have happened if she wasn’t there to stop those men. If I were to get hurt, she surely would have too. And I’m glad that didn’t happ-“

 

“What are you really here for?!” Yeonwoo shouts at her. 

 

Nancy was taken aback when Yeonwoo raised her voice at her. It was the first time she saw Yeonwoo so angry and so...hurt.

 

She was nearly crying and Nancy was doing her best to ignore the slight clutching her heart felt when she saw Yeonwoo trying to keep herself from crying.

 

“Did I say something wrong?” Nancy worriedly asks. 

 

Yeonwoo glares at her and lets go of her books. She couldn’t control it anymore so her tears suddenly fell down. 

 

“The first thing you tell me after not talking to each other for a week is how thankful you are for having your soulmate? I get it Nancy! You’re happy to have her! Why do you have to say it again and again! What are you even here for?”

 

Nancy was tempted to wipe the tears on Yeonwoo’s face but decided against it. 

 

“I’m here to apologize and to thank you.”

 

“You already did. You can leave now.”

 

“I thought you were happy for me.” Nancy sadly looks at Yeonwoo, “You said you were happy that I found my soulmate. Why are you so angry now?”

 

Yeonwoo took a shaking breath and looks away. She was trying her best to keep her emotions at bay. 

 

“I’m sorry for avoiding you for the past weeks. Chaeryung said that I needed to do so. I love her so I did what she wanted.”

 

Yeonwoo tries to keep calm because she knows that any second now, she’d burst from all her frustrations and sadness and everything would just end between them.

 

“So why are you talking to me?” Yeonwoo coldly asks.

 

“I-“

 

“She told you to avoid me so why are you here?! Why do you have to make me feel things again?!”

 

“Unnie-“

 

“Why is it that whatever I do, I can’t freaking get my feelings for you to get away?! Why is it that I still freaking love you even after everything that happened?!” Yeonwoo plops down on her knees and cries, “I still love you so freaking damn much and not seeing you for a week hurt so bad.”

 

And it’s done. 

 

Yeonwoo feels herself falling deeper into her emotions and she can’t do anything about it.

 

“You...you love me?” Nancy questions amidst her confusion and emotions. 

 

“Yes idiot! I love you! Ever since I first saw you, I felt myself falling for you already. It got too deep and I couldn’t stop it anymore.”

 

Nancy kneels down to be face to face with Yeonwoo but Yeonwoo has her face burried in her knees. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“I tried. But it was scary because I know that you’re waiting for your soulmate and that isn’t me.”

 

“Unnie-“

 

Nancy was about to speak when her phone rang. Chaeryung is calling her. 

 

“I...I need to go.” Nancy stands up and tries not to look at the broken Yeonwoo infront of her. 

 

She knows that if she does, her own feelings would get even more tangled into this mess. 

 

“If you’re leaving, do it for good.”

 

Nancy just nods and whispers, “I’m sorry.”

 

When Nancy got out of the dorm room, she heard Yeonwoo sobbing. And it was the most heartbreaking thing she heard. 

 

She wanted to open the door and hug Yeonwoo. Tell her that it’s going to be fine. 

 

However, she knows it won’t help if she does that. It won’t be fine because Nancy has Chaeryung now. She can never reciprocate her feelings.

 

So she does the one things she’s best and trained at. 

 

She runs.

 

—-

 

A LONG CHAPTER TO MAKE UP FROM ALL THE DRAGGING I DID THE PAST THREE CHAPTERS I THINK. 

 

SO MANY THINGS HAPPENED HERE I FEEL LIKE I CRAMMED IT ALL INTO ONE CHAPTER BUT THE NEXT ONES ARE EVEN GOING TO BE MORE ANGST SO LET’S PREPARE OURSELVES AHAHAHHAH.

 

Thanks to everyone reading this fic. I really love you guys.

 

Also I’m not going to be updating regularly anymore because my classes started already but i’ll try my best.