‘'Ahhh, this dreadful period of exams has finally finished!’', Sooyoung cheered as she raised both of her arms in the air. ’'I can finally sleep again and live normally for about a month now. God bless winter break. In 3 days, we won’t be seeing this cursed place for four weeks! 

The taller girl pulled Joohyun into a hug while she jumped out of excitement. 

‘'Ah. Sooyoung. You. Are. About. To. Crush. Me!’', Joohyun shouted between each jump. The taller girl’s enthusiasm gave her the giggles which made it a bit more difficult for her to breathe properly. 

‘'Sorry, sorry’', she apologized, loosening her grip around the older girl. ‘'I just waited way too long for this freedom.’' 

‘'Yea, I get what you mean’', Joohyun smiled. 

She had missed spending time with her friends. The thought of being free for the following four weeks was almost too good to be true. 

‘'We should celebrate this. Have some fun you know?’', Sooyoung tapped her cheek, something she would do whenever she was busy brainstorming. 

‘'Do you have something in mind?’' 

‘'I was actually thinking about going to a karaoke bar. Sing a bit, drink a bit’', the taller girl suggested. 

Joohyun frowned upon hearing the word ‘karaoke’. She had been to those places before with Seulgi a few times. It was fun. 

However, the thought of having to sing in front of four people did make her feel pressured. Specially since she was not kind of person to be comfortable having the spotlight on her. 

Then again, it was not as if she was obligated to sing as well. She could just simply join them and have a good time without having to fully participate.  

Besides, she didn’t want to miss all the fun. After one month of rarely being able to talk to her friends, Seulgi being a bit of an exception, she looked forward to every possible gathering. 

‘'It’s okay if you don’t want to though, I understand’', Sooyoung smiled gently. ‘'We could always think of someth-’' 

‘'Let’s do it.’' 

‘'Wait... what? You sure?’', the taller girl blinked a few times, being caught off guard by Joohyun’s unexpected answer. 

‘'Yea, it sounds like fun! I’m sure the others want to go as well.’' 

She knew one of Seulgi’s hobbies was going to karaoke rooms. The latter would sometimes go by herself to relieve some stress. 

‘'Great! Then I will put it out in the group chat and check whether the others agree’', Sooyoung said, pulling out a phone out of the pocket of her long burgundy coat.  

Joohyun’s mind drifted off to how their time together in the karaoke room would possibly look like. 

Would she really watch everybody possibly scream their lungs out, while sitting in the corner doing nothing but sipping on her drink? 

Would the other four try to convince her to join them? Would she give in? Would she make a fool of herself?  

What if it actually turned out to be fun to be in the spotlight for once in a while? And what would the others think of her? What would Seungwan think of her? 

Seungwan. 

The thought of seeing her again, felt almost like a dream, as if someone was trying to deceive her, trying to make her believe in something that would not happen. 

They had rarely spoken ever since the dreadful month of exams began.  

Joohyun had felt her heart ache every time she thought of the time she did not get to spend with the blonde. 

However, even though she desperately wanted to reach out to her, she knew that it would only screw up her focus on her studies. Both hers and Seungwan’s.  

She had decided to work hard on getting good results, knowing that she would be rewarded four weeks of freedom.  

She especially looked forward to resume the conversations with the blonde late at night on the balcony. Doing their thing again. Their place. Their moment. 

A smile creeped up on her face, catching Sooyoung’s attention. 

‘'Oh, you sure seem happy... what are you thinking about?’' 

Joohyun felt the blush on her face grow at the sudden question, and immediately avoided Sooyoung’s eyes, attempting to hide her embarrassment. 

‘'Just, you know, vacation. And the five of us being together again after pretty much a century.’' 

She looked the younger girl in the eyes and smiled, trying to radiate some confidence in her untrue statement. 

It wasn’t entirely a lie. She was thrilled to spend time together with every single one of them.  

Yet, one particular face kept popping up in her thoughts, making her heart flutter with joy. 

Sooyoung hummed. 

‘'...sure’' 

The taller one did not sound one bit convinced. 

‘'Hey! Why the ‘uh-huh’?’', Joohyun asked with a defensive tone in her voice. 

‘'Oh, I don’t know...’', Sooyoung tapped her chin, a smug smile appearing on her face.  

‘'Perhaps the fact that you were blushing, running away from my gaze, trying to convince me by putting on an obviously practiced so-called confident smile... and the fact that you have a bit of a defensive tone in your voice. And I know you are shy and all that stuff, but you have been behaving a slightly boldy than 2 months ago. And I know that isn’t a long period of time, but I think I can say that I do know you a bit better by now.’' 

The taller girl snorted in amusement, before putting both her hands up. 

‘'Then again, must have been my imagination.’' 

Joohyun was pretty sure the pink blush on her face, had turned into something as red as a tomato by the time Sooyoung had finished her argument. It seemed like the latter had learnt something from Seulgi’s debating skills.  

…please help me get out of this embarrassing situation and make vanish into the air, thanks. 

‘'Well, you sure did take a good look at me’', Joohyun scoffed. 

‘'Yes, that’s very true’', Sooyoung wide grin turned into a gentler smile, the tone of her voice slightly more serious. ‘'The smallest details can tell us a lot. The ones who tend to go unnoticed by most. But I think that if someone pays attention, it can make a huge difference. They just have to possess the power to not go too far, you know? Notice the details, but don’t let them consume you. Because if they do, you might can indulged in information that makes up a fictional story. Distorting facts into something untrue. Paying attention to the small things in life can either give you happiness or misery. That’s why it’s up to you and your own system to know what to do.’' 

The older girl blinked a few times, letting the new amount of information sink in. She couldn’t help but try to apply what Sooyoung said to her own life. 

Joohyun was an overthinker. Paying too much attention to details had made her feel miserable, and she wished for a change of mind.  

Where she would no longer concern herself with the tiniest aspects of things.  

However, she had never really thought of details in a more positive light. The perspective where paying attention to them, can give you happiness. 

‘'After these months of hearing you come up with all sorts of life lessons in every situation, it still surprises me when you come up with stuff like this’', Joohyun chuckled. She admired Sooyoung’s ability to get so much out of so little. 

‘'I believe that you can find meaning everywhere. Even in something that seems like the dullest thing on earth.’' 

‘'I see...’', Joohyun’s eyes wandered around as she wondered what kind of things could have meaning in life. The trees? The sky? Maybe even the buildings or the lamp posts on the street? 

Just when she was about to completely zone out, she felt someone press their weight down on her right shoulder. 

Her head snapped to the right, her eyes landing on a short-haired girl who was laughing as she put her hands on both her shoulder and Sooyoung’s left shoulder, as she lifted herself up. 

‘'Freeeeeeeeeeeeedoooooooom!’', Yeri yelled enthusiastically. 

‘'I think you just murdered my right ear’', Joohyun stated with a deadpan voice. 

‘'Yeri, could you please like not try to assassinate us for once?’', Sooyoung frowned.  

‘'Come on, it was not that loud. Besides’', Yeri grin grew wider as she stretched her arms over her head. ‘'It’s a nice preview of tonight. I promise you, this will be the most fun karaoke night you have ever experienced. I’m going to join you guys, so that’s a given.’' 

‘'Oh, because you are supposed to be the most fun person huh?’', Sooyoung raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms.  

‘'Duh, I thought it was pretty obvious that I’m the only not-boring person in our group. Besides Seulgi. She’s a second place though’', Yeri stated very matter-of-factly, earning a slap from Sooyoung on the back of her head.  

Joohyun let out a laugh at the sight of the amusing scene playing out in front of her, before checking the time on her phone. 

It was already 5:13, and she had yet to go home, take a relaxing and well-deserved bath, possibly change her clothes and have dinner. 

Which reminded her... 

‘'Guys, what time are we meeting up? It’s already past five.’' 

‘'What about at 10? We could stay there until 11 and then walk around the city, and buy more drinks or something? Unless you guys want to eat before going out?’', Sooyoung suggests. 

‘'I am so in for food. Food is never a bad idea’', Yeri rubbed her hands as she thought about mouth-watering meals. 

‘'Yea, sounds good’', Joohyun said. ‘'But it’s better to throw that idea in the chat. I don’t know if Seulgi and Seungwan will agree or not.’' 

Joohyun felt her heart speed up and the fluttery feelings in her stomach increase when she mentioned the blonde’s name.  

Her hands were slightly shaking as she tried to hide her feelings from the two younger girls. 

‘'Smart’', Sooyoung typed a new message and sent it in the chat. Her phone vibrated twice. ‘'They are both in!’' 

The oldest girl could’ve sworn there were so many butterflies in her body that they had gotten stuck in , which was the reason that she found it hard to breathe at the thought of seeing the person she longed to be with later that day. 

‘'W-’', Joohyun quickly gulped. ‘'Well, I’ll go home then. Want to relax for a bit before tonight.’' 

‘'So, meet up at 7 to eat? Maybe a bit late, but it’s almost half past five, so it’s already late.’' 

‘'Yea, yea, it’s fine’', Yeri shrugged. ‘'We could meet up at that BBQ place near the mall?’' 

‘'Sounds good. I’ll also put that in the chat’', Sooyoung nodded. 

‘'Alright, I’ll see you later!’', Joohyun smiled, before walking away eager to have a nice bath. 

She grabbed her earphones and plugged them in, ready to escape from the external world by daydreaming away about different scenarios. 

More specially what could happen later tonight.  

About someone who seemed to be a crucial part of her mental escapades; the person who had a lead role in her dreams. 

*** 

The warmth wrapped her body like a blanket, the tension in her muscles flowing away as her fingers played with the water and her mind emptied as her head slowly bobbed to the beat of the music that played through the speakers from her phone. 

Her brain created all sorts of ideas and fantasies as a love-themed song started playing, the same face appearing in every scenario. 

Joohyun quickly shook her head and splashed her face in order to forget all sorts of thoughts she was having. 

What she seriously thinking about someone while in bath? 

Nononononono, abort mission, abort mission! 

She immediately dunked her head under the water, before sitting up and rubbing her face repeatedly. 

‘'Oh my god, why do I feel like such a ert, honestly?’', she whispered to herself, sighing in frustration. 

‘'What is even happening in there?’', Seulgi asked from the other side of the door. 

‘'N-nothing! Nothing...’' 

‘'Uh, are you sure? Because I heard a lot of splashing and whispering... unless...’' 

The older girl raised one eyebrow at the silence. 

‘'Joohyun...’', Seulgi continued, this time using a teasing tone in her voice. ‘'Are you perhaps ma-’' 

‘'SEULGI, DO NOT DARE TO CONTINUE THAT SENTENCE!’', Joohyun yelled, feeling her cheeks getting hotter and hotter. 

‘'Wow, Joohyun it’s okay! Being single since birth isn’t easy. It’s okay if you are that desperate’' 

The black-haired girl could see Seulgi’s grinning face in front of her and buried her face in her hands. 

‘' I just wanted to have a nice, relaxing bath, without being disturbed, but I guess I can’t have that either’', she sighed. 

She took a look at the screen. 

18:18. 

Time to get out.  

She dried herself and changed herself into some new clothes for the night. 

As she took a