Her stomach growled as she stared at the ticking clock hung up on the wall. She groaned and banged her head on the table. "I'm hungry." She said, looking at the boring movie playing on the LCD. She looked at the teacher and found him dozing off. Seeing this opportunity, she carefully slid off her chair and went outside the classroom. She let out the breath she was holding as she successfully escaped the classroom. "Hey." She jumped out of shock from the sudden greeting. "H-hey." She greeted back. She rested her hand on her thumping chest. "Why're you here? Break time's half hour away." Her best friend, Sowon, asked. "I-I was getting- W-wait, why are you here?" She asked, her eyebrows quirking up. Sowon smiled sheepishly and held the back of her neck. "Well I was getting hungry." She admitted. "Come on, the cafeteria's finally selling pizza." She excitedly said, grabbing Umji's hand and intertwining it with hers. 

Umji looked at their hands and was amazed how well it fits. Her cheeks were burning as Sowon ordered their food. Their hands stayed like this the entire walk from the counter to one of the tables. Umji wished it would last, but every thing comes to end. Sowon started eating, letting go of her hand in the process. Umji was disappointed, but she decided to just study Sowon's side-profile. It was mesmerizing, Umji thought. "How's the talent show going?" Sowon asked, still munching on a slice of pizza. Umji shook her head as she registered the question for her. "Uh-it's okay. I composed a song to perform."  She said, eating her own food slowly. She sneaked a peek at Sowon and was again, enchanted. She tried memorizing it, even when she know that no kind of imagination could replace in real life. Sowon, who was busy devouring her 2nd slice of pizza just nodded. Then there was silence. Umji didn't know if it was an awkward or comfortable one. She was busy observing a pineapple on top of her pizza when she felt a warm hand interlace with her cold hand. It made her smile. She looked at Sowon and found the latter smiling too. This sweet moment was interrupted by the loud Hwang Eunbi. "Unnie." She shouted, earning looks from the students coming in. Umji looked at the clock and realized how fast the time flies. "What?" Sowon asked her, somewhat looking annoyed. "Jin oppa is looking for you, he's waiting in front of your locker." She informed the eldest. Sowon instantly brightened up. She nodded, gathered her things and quickly left. The smile Umji was wearing is now a frown. 

They settled into a small chatter, talking about the new tattoo Sinb just had. "Does it hurt?" Yerin asked, touching Sinb's tattooed arm. The inked drawing was covered in red marks that it made Yerin worried. "No it doesn't, don't worry unnie." Sinb said and smiled at her. Eunha then looked at Umji's defeated face. "Doesn't it hurt?" She seriously asked, her ayes staring right into Umji's soul. "Huh? What're you talking about?" She asked, knowing full well what it meant, Eunha's the only one who knows. It was just a simple question, but why does it hurt? 'Doesn't it hurt?' She asked herself. Watching someone you love, love another person hurt, of course it does. It's heartbreaking, but you'll get used to it, everybody does eventually. Don't you think it's beautiful to love someone from afar without expecting to be loved back? It's all she can do, besides, it's better than rejection. Eunha shakes her head and crossed her arms. "Nothing." She said as the others looked at her weirdly. Umji just wore a smile despite the pain she's feeling. Eunha sighed as she watch Umji wear a fake smile the whole time she's talking to Sinb and Yerin. This whole thing is making her tired, everyone can see that Umji's utterly in love with Sowon and it's making her wonder how these 2 beagles in front of her can't see it. Sowon on the other hand is a major oblivious fool. It's right in front of her face, but she just can't stop hurting Umji. "You're to selfless Kim Yewon, too selfless. You deserve all the love in this world." Eunha whispered to herself. 

Their happy moment was quickly ruined when Sowon entered the canteen. Umji, recovering from her laughing fit, went breathless. Kim Sojung is indeed enthralling. It was all good, until she saw the hand holding Sowon's delicate hands. It didn't fit in, it was odd. It was then she realized it was Jin's hands. She observed them. It was too big, too clammy and just...weird. She was then nudged by Sinb sitting beside her. "Huh?" She asked, confused, Sinb looked at Sowon and Jin, gesturing with her lips. It was quite heartbreaking to say the least. Sowon's eyes was shining brightly. She was really happy. And for some reason she prepared her heart for more heartbreaking. 

"I asked Sowon to be my girlfriend and I was hoping to get your consent as you are her friends." Jin said, proudly holding their hands out. Sinb and Yerin excitedly nodded. "Of course, we'd be really glad Sowon unnie will not be forever alone anymore." Yerin joked, which earned a slap from Sowon and a laugh from Jin. The only one not speaking was Eunha and Umji. 'What did you just do, Sowon, stupid.' Eunha thought. "I'm okay with it, but how about..." She said, not finishing her sentence instead, looked at Umji. She looked tired and defeated. "Umji?" Sowon asked, looking worried, and it made Umji's heart ache knowing it's not because of the current state she was in but her lack of response. "I'm okay with it, don't worry unnie." She said, collecting her things. "Now if you may excuse me, I need to do s-something." She said, stuttering near the end. She bowed her head down, she's trying so hard to keep the tears at bay, but it hurts too much. She scurried off the scene, not even gaining attention from the others. At this, Eunha stood up, collecting her own things. She was disappointed in her friends. "I'll go too, I forgot to do the homework in Math." She said and followed Umji. "But there's no homework given." Sinb said, but Eunha ignored her. 

Eunha searched the hallways, going through bathrooms and empty classrooms. She can't find Umji. Then she remembered something, there's only one place where Umji likes to be alone, the garden.

She sat on the ground, her back against a tree. She's hugging her knees as she looked at the bright sky, which contrasts her emotions right now. It hurts. That's the only thing she could think of. Pain everywhere that she could start to feel it physically. She rested her head on the tree trunk with her eyes closed, tears silently spilling out of it. "Yewon?" Someone called out, snapping Umji out of her thoughts. There's only one person who calls her by her real name. She wiped her tears away and smiled at her unnie. Eunha sighed the umpteenth time today and sat beside Umji. She combed Umji's hair as the latter rests her head on Eunha's shoulder. They stayed like this for what felt like an hour when Umji suddenly spoke. "Why does it hurt unnie?" She asked, clutching her clothed chest. "That only means you love that person." Eunha replied, cradling Umji's head as she continued to cry. "How can I make it stop then? It's too much." She asked, her red and swollen eyes looked at Eunha. "I don't know Yewon, I don't know. But I will always be here if it ever hurts." Eunha said. 'From now on, I promise to try to protect you, my little Yewonnie.' 

Ever since that day, Eunha and Umji is closer than ever. It's day the of the talent show, and Umji was nervous. She kept walking back and forth at the back stage and it's making Eunha really dizzy. She held her shoulders. "Hey, hey. Can you stop being so nervous, you're making me dizzy." Eunha said, making Umji smile a bit, but nervousness can still be seen on her face. "Why are you so nervous?" She asked. Umji looked down and fidgeted her fingers. "I-I'm just worried, w-what if they don't like it?" She asked, now biting her nails, a habit of hers whenever she's nervous. Eunha smiled fondly and held Umji's cold hands, blew air unto it and rubbed it with hers. "Don't worry, Yewonnie. Everybody would love your performance. Everybody knows that you'll win this talent show, so go and kick some . Fighting!" Eunha encouraged Umji. "Now let's all welcome, Kim Yewon!" The MC said, Umji jumped up and down, wiggled her fingers and released the breath she was holding. Eunha patted her back and sent her off to the stage.

Umji stood at the center of the stage, the lights blinding her vision. But despite that, she can see Sowon. Her stunning smile across her face made Umji smile in return. She released a deep breath and held the mic stand. She started singing.

Sowon looked at Umji as she sang, all these emotions, all these feelings, she can feel it all. It's too painful.

In another life, my teeth and tongue
Would speak aloud what until now I've only sung  

Umji sang like it's the final song she will sing. The audience can't help but admire the way she sang it, it made them feel something. She closed her eyes, feeling the pain, feeling the heartbreak. It's making her cry, but she held it in, like she always does. 

She opened her eyes, it was when she set free the tears she was holding. The first thing she saw was Sowon, with tears in her eyes, but smiling. But what really made her heart break was Jin hugging and comforting her. She wants to be him. She wants to be the one comforting Sowon when she's sad, and it breaks her heart even more that the only thing she can do is be there for her. But now that Jin is there, she can't do anything.

'Cause I would die to make you mine
Bleed me dry each and every time
I don't mind, no I don't mind it
I would come back a thousand times  

As she sang the last note, she quickly got off the stage after doing a bow. The applause was very loud and can be heard all throughout the whole gymnasium, but she doesn't care. She's done. She's tired, she's hurt. She went backstage, she ignored Eunha's worried look and went out.

She ran like it's the last thing she can do to escape this pain. She finally reached her favorite place, the garden. She dropped down on her knees on the grass, all the running made her legs tired. She let the tears fall, dripping down the grass. She gripped her hair and let out a scream that soon turned into a sob. She expected this, she expected this heartbreak, but she never expected that she'll love Sowon this much that a simple smile, a simple laugh, knowing that she's not the reason for it, would rip her apart. But it's okay, as long as she's smiling, as long as she's laughing, as long she's happy, Umji would be very happy to experience this pain so it would stay that way. She hugged her knees, leaned on a tree and looked at the bright sky. She can't do anything about the pain, she chose this, she chose to be quiet, she chose to be a coward.