“OOOOOOH, JINJJA!!!! BARBECUE BOGOSHIPEOSOYO~” JooE exclaimed when she smelled the aroma of the barbecue. Take note, they just walked inside and they’re causing a ruckus again. In JooE’s defense, it was because she haven’t eaten barbecue for so long even the charcoal smoke seems edible to her.

“Aigoo, unnie. Calm down!” Nancy giggled when she didn’t stop and when she inhaled the whole atmosphere inside the restaurant.

People were looking, of course. They were one of the loudest girl groups in Korea—I daresay, they own the crown when it comes to that sort.

“Isn’t that Nancy?”

“Ooooh, jinjja?!”

“Waaaa, yeppeuda Nancy-shi!”

Camera shutters were heard. And flashes of lights came from the people who noticed them.

Nancy looked away immediately and she felt the familiar weight in her heart. It was guilt.

It was coming and going, that feeling of guilt. She was the only one in the group who’s getting the most attention and it’s really irritating and bugging her out. She doesn’t want for her unnies to feel left out because of her.

Suddenly, the camera flashes were vague. She looked at the figure who blocked the lights.

It was...





 

Their leader, Hyebin.

Because instead of long, rose-smelled, burgundy red hair, she saw a pixie cut dyed blonde. A sigh escaped her lips.

Nancy didn’t know why, but her heart sunk. Disappointment, maybe?

Who was I expecting? Ahin-unnie? Nayun-unnie? Taeha-unnie? Or... Nancy trailed off and finally knew who she was really expecting to protect her. Her eyes found the tallest person in their circle. She was just behind Hyebin. The action in Yeonwoo’s heel haven’t left yet and it was as if she wanted to race Hyebin to Nancy’s distress.

Yeonwoo stepped back and sighed.

Too bad. She thought. It seems like Hyebin already sensed something, huh? Yeonwoo tries to find the maknae and sees a pair of eyes looking at her direction.

It was the pair of eyes she was craving to find.

When Nancy noticed that they locked gazes for a second too long, she looked away immediately and went to the VIP room of the restaurant.

What did I expect? She was just acting like my unnie and I’m just here overanalyzing things. Nancy bitterly said in her head and tried not to mind the foxy, cold eyes still looking at her from behind.

***

Hyebin-unnie’s our leader. Of course, it’s only natural for her to do that. Nancy said inside her head. But why am I not stressing over her like how I stress over Yeonwoo-unnie?

While Nancy was in her own reveries, little did she know that her unnies are trying to get her attention.

“Ya, Nancy!”

“MAKNAE!”

“Is she asleep?”

“Why don’t someone with an inexplicably loud voice call her?”

“Are you pertaining to me, Jane?”

“Yes, JooE.”

JooE cleared . “YA, LEE SEUNG RI!!!!!!!!!” She shouted with all her might that the rest of MOMOLAND (except Nancy who was still unaffected) winced.

Ahin waved her hands in front of Nancy’s eyes but nope, nothing changed.

Daisy flicked her fingers in front of the maknae’s eyes but Nancy’s drifted off somewhere deep beyond their reach.

“Why aren’t we pushing Da Bin into this? After all--" Taeha outbursts her thoughts and she obviously regretted it. She put her hands around and threw an apologetic look to Yeonwoo. "...err."

Everyone looked at Yeonwoo with pleading eyes. The beef was already in their table but they can’t start eating without the maknae now, can they?

Yeonwoo sighed and stood from her seat.

Finally, she thought. I have to thank Taeha for this. She told herself as a devious idea forms inside her head. Yeonwoo smirked. Hyebin was about to interfere when JooE restrained her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

Hyebin was about to shrug her off when JooE said: “Aren’t you curious on how Nancy will react?”

“But look at Yeonwoo’s eyes and smirk...” Hyebin’s voice was grim and JooE tapped her shoulder.

“Let the sly fox do the trick, Unnie.” JooE glimpsed at Yeonwoo who was still smirking and was now standing beside Nancy.

Yeonwoo leaned in the closest gap possible to Nancy’s ear and whispered something. Afterwards, she does something with her ear and pulled away.

Nancy was definitely awake now and not to mention, crimson red. They can definitely feel the heat of Nancy’s face—especially her cheeks.

“Is it just me or—“ Daisy whispered to Jane but Jane completed her thought.

“Or the is so thick we can cut it with a knife? Nope, it’s not just you.” Jane said as she studied Nancy’s expression and Yeonwoo’s successful smile.

Yeonwoo winked at Nancy and walked back to her seat. The rest of MOMOLAND gave her a round of applause as a reward.

“You really drifted off, Nancy! I was really hungry and we can’t start without you, you know!” Ahin complained to her and Nancy only smiled apologetically.

Her heart was still beating frantically as if it wanted to get out of her ribcage. She breathed a deep inhalation of oxygen then turned towards Ahin again.

“Sorry, Unnie. I was just a bit deep in my thoughts."

“You call that a bit?” Nayun interjected and smiled knowingly at her. Nancy blushed a deeper shade.

“What did Yeonwoo-unnie said to you though?” Ahin asked. Suddenly all ears were on her. All the members have their attention on what Nancy is about to say next. Even Yeonwoo who has an intrigued smile on her face.

AAAAAAIGGGGOOOO!!! Nancy remembered what Yeonwoo did to her again! Of course, what stays between them stays between them, right?

She cleared before saying: “O-Oh, she said that everyone’s already hungry and I’d be getting the cold shoulder tomorrow if I’m left in my own world any longer.” It was obviously a lie! Nancy thought. Uuuu, I hope they won’t see right through me!

The Young Girls looked at each other and mockingly nodded their heads. “Ooooh... nothing INTRIGUING after all...” JooE emphasized every word that the YG laughed leaving the OG confused.

Nancy facepalmed but her heart wasn’t calming down at all because the truth was:

“Stop thinking about me too much. I would’ve protected you if it weren’t for Hyebin... that is if that’s what you’re thinking about...” Yeonwoo’s raspy voice was what Nancy was hearing all throughout the dinner instead of loud, petty quarrels between JooE and Daisy about how the sky is blue.

And not to mention, Yeonwoo her e