(25) Drifting Apart

Something has changed.

Something definitely has changed.

Sinb propped herself on her chair as she tried to think about what was happening to her relationship with Yerin. It has been days since Yerin was acting strange with her. Just what happened?

Try as she might to remember things she had done in the past days that might turn Yerin off, she could not think of any. Except one thing though, she thought. Does her blushing turned Yerin off? Oh no.

That could not be possible right?

“Oh fudge, but what if it is?” Sinb worried. She felt defeated by the sudden thought and she decided to slack off work a bit. Today was not that hectic since the director just finished submitting the much needed data to the chairman.

“No matter how you think about it Sinb, you will never get the answer if you don’t ask her.” Yuju commented as she placed some folders over Sinb’s mahogany table. Sinb had ranted to her about the ‘supposed’ strange behavior of Yerin towards the latter and Yuju just dismissed the idea. She was having a hard time verifying her friend’s statement since Sinb was on fluctuating hormones.

How will she know if Sinb was not exaggerating?

Sinb has been possessive about Yerin, telling the latter’s name here and there. Her friend was definitely crushing over that woman, Yuju thought. No one could deny that fact though Yuju must admit that Yerin was also being tad numb not knowing how Sinb was head over heels about her.

Yuju sighed, they definitely need some helping right now.

But how could she help when Umji was stopping her?!

Umji told her that the fake couple would soon realize their feelings. But Yuju could not just wait in the corner. They have not done anything to make Sinb and Yerin realize their feelings and Yuju felt bad about not having a hand on those two.

“How can I ask when every time I do so, she would just find a way to get away from me?” Sinb whined. She was getting frustrated on why Yerin was doing that.

“Later at lunch. Try to talk to her,” Yuju advised. “She will deliver your lunch here right?”

“Well I hope so,” Sinb answered her.

Yuju quirked an eyebrow at what she heard. “Why are you hoping? She does it every single time.”

“If you’re paying attention enough, Yerin has stopped going to the office for days now.” Sinb flatly replied. Really, where was Yuju when it’s lunch time? Haven’t she noticed it?

“Aww poor girl,” Yuju boss and Sinb glared at her. “Alright, I’ll try to think on what I can do about that.”

----

Umji visited the flowershop and was shocked to see that it was closed. Why the heck did Yerin not open today?! Doesn't she know how important these days were?!

Umji opened the front door using her spare key and went inside. Flowers are neatly stacked to their baskets and everything seemed to be in place. Umji was thinking on what kind of reason would Yerin close the shop without prior notice. Was it because of Sinb again? 

Just then, she heard some clanking in the staff room. Oh. So some duck by the name of Yerin might be behind those clanking sounds. 

Umji slowly went to the staff room and took a peek at what might be a down Yerin with her crestfallen face. Just what happened?! 

"Unnie?" Umji asked as she went inside. Yerin was seated in the corner of the room with arms enveloping her knees. And in front of the brunette was a moss green lunch bag. "What are you doing?" 

Umji knelt beside Yerin who was just staring at the lunch bag in front of her. Umji never seen Yerin so down like this before and by the looks of it, her partner may have cried for a long time. Umji looked at the lunch bag and thought that it might be for Sinb.

"Did you and Sinb had a fight?" Umji started questioning. Yerin just shook her head no. "Then why haven't you delivered this to her?"

"She might not like it," Yerin answered in a coarsed voice.  

Umji quirked an eyebrow at that. Did she heard it correctly? Then why still make a lunch that Sinb would not like? It baffled Umji and soon she began to think otherwise. "You're not telling me what really happened between the two of you. It was not about the lunch, am I right? Just what happened?" 

Yerin just kept silent. She was the older of the two and yet she looked pathetic in front of her partner. Plus, she does not want to make Umji worry about her though she was sure Umji had already seen her in that  state. 

Well, she could not help it. Her chest felt so tight and her stomach felt like churning especially when she would be reminded of that day. Just how she wished she never went out to the backyard and heard it. Maybe things would still be the same. 

"Unnie?"

Yerin shook her head and wiped her face off of her dry tears. "I should be going now to deliver this. Would it be okay for you if I will continue our business operations when I get back?" 

Umji just looked and observed Yerin. Here she goes again keeping it all to herself. Sometimes she wished Yerin woud not look at her like some youngster but rather of the same age and that she was free to tell her anything. She would be more than willing to help. But it was not the case usually, and Umji was left to her own devices to piece the whole story. 

"Don't worry about the shop unnie, I'll take care of it." Umji assured her. "You need some rest. No one would ever buy flowers if the attendant's a crying mess you know." 

Yerin curtly smiled. She was grateful that Umji did not try to force the issue. "Then see you later?" 

Umji just nodded.

----

Yerin's heart was pounding when she took a step inside the building. It has been one hundred forty four hours since Eunseo came busting inside their house. No, scratch that, Sinb's house was the more appropriate term, she thought. 

The employees already knew her and she received special treatmet from them. A courtesy as the previous replacement of Jessica and Sinb's 'fake' girlfriend. Suddenly, she felt bitter when she thought about her relationship with Aphrodite's daughter. 

The elevator dinged and out she came from it and slowly walked towards Sinb's division. Yerin sighed a burdened one. She does not want to see Sinb right now, if only Umji did not caught her being emo inside the staff room with the freaking lunch bag. 

Why did she even made lunch in the first place?! 

But Sinb needs to eat, she thought. She knew Sinb to be a workaholic and would not eat unless someone would remind her that she needs to. Yuju was doing that job alright, but Yerin does not want to bother Yuju with some personal matters regarding Sinb's eating habits and so she still continued making lunch for the latter even if she was avoiding to meet Sinb. 

Some things we do. 

She reached for the door knob but was still having second thoughts about going inside or not. She felt her chest tightened once more and that disgusting feeling of her stomach churning returned. She found it hard to breath like the air inside was suffocating her. 

But she has to. 

She went all the trouble just to get here and deliver her lunch. She should at least make Sinb eat at least a few serving. She bit her lip as she twisted the doorknob and whispered to herself, "Just give it and excuse yourself if you still don't want to see her." 

----

Sinb's office was the perfect definition of chaos. Everyday was chaotic alright but that particular moment was the most chaotic if we were to ask Yuju.

It all started when Jessica announced that she will be taking an emergency leave for a week. Of course, everyone was elated at the news. Plus, they know that Yerin would replace the intimidating director in her behalf. They just know it, but no Yerin replaced Jessica. 

Right after the announcement, everyone was ready to grab their lunch, including Yuju. But she could not leave her chief behind since Yerin was still not around. She called the brunette that Sinb would like to eat the lunch she will make and will wait for her inside the office. Yerin agreed and all the more Yuju suspected that Sinb was really exaggerating things. 

But just as she was about to go inside Sinb's office did the division's door swung open and Yuju swore that her day was ruined. 

Because right in front of her was Eunseo looking for her chief. 

The freak?! 

Of course Yuju did not let Eunseo inside Sinb's office but Eunseo just walked past her and told everyone that she has been the replacement Jessica was talking about awhile ago. Yuju was stunned. She thought Jessica did not favored Eunseo, how in the depths of hell did that happen?! 

Just what the effing freak is happening?!

"What are you planning you cunning two timing ?" Yuju sneered. Her temperature was rising every second Eunseo was inside their division. "You'll ruin Sinb again, huh?" 

"I don't know what you're talking about." Eunseo flatly answered. "Her mom just called for me as her replacement and I just want to be friends with her again so...yeah, that's just about it." 

" it. I won't let you be friends with her." Yuju answered back. 

"That's not for you to decide." Eunseo smirked. 

Then Sinb went out of her office and was surprised to see Eunseo. Eunseo immediately clung to her and raised a hand showing a lunch bag. "Wh-what are you doing?" Sinb asked while trying to break free from Eunseo's grasp. 

"Let's have some lunch together! I heard you're not eating well so here, I made your favorites." Eunseo said cheekily. 

"Sinb, remember Yerin will deliver your lunch," Yuju reminded Sinb. She felt disgusted at how Eunseo was suddenly acting in front of Sinb. And all the more to Sinb for not retaliating against Eunseo.

Why was Sinb even acknowledging this snake inside their division?! 

She will never let Eunseo have Sinb again. 

Yuju and Eunseo were exchanging unpleasantries and it was obvious how tensed the area was. Sinb could not hold off the two from strangling each other that other employees were helping her to separate them. It was in this kind of situation that the most awkward and hurtful thing happened. 

----

Everyone froze when the door opened. 

Especially Sinb.

Because right inside the room was her past wanting to create something again with her and what she thought of her would be future frozen in her spot. 

How could her life get any more complicated? 

Yuju immediately went closer to Yerin and tried to motion for the woman to come inside. But Yerin did not budge from her place. She just continued to stare at Eunseo whose arm was linked to Sinb and was super close to the latter. The lunch bag did not go unnoticed too by Yerin. 

So much for even making lunch for Aphrodite's daughter, when someone was already taking care of it. 

But it was not the lunch bag that made her stop but rather the way Sinb did not even try to untangle herself from her ex-girlfriend. Yerin does not know what to feel at that moment. All she knows was how her chest felt like bursting and her heart stopped beating at that.

She was feeling emotions so foreign to her and none of it were making her at ease, but rather a pang of pain. Why was she feeling it anyways? 

The room was filled with silence and even Yuju did not attempt to break it. She was confused on Yerin. The brunette should at least even question who was Eunseo or be angry about the cheating woman since that was what friends are for right? 

But no. Instead, Yerin looked at her with those eyes... Oh no, Yuju thought. Had Yerin been crying? 

Yerin withdrew her gaze at the confused Yuju and looked towards the 'original couple' in front. She gulped down the lump in that was slowly forming and blocking her from speaking. "I-I'm here to bring you your lunch and t-to say that I won't be accompanying you for today. So uhm..." Yerin trailed.

"Sinb and I will have lunch together," Eunseo informed her to which Sinb tried denying it but the former beat her into saying, "We just talked about it days ago, right Sinb?" 

"What?!" Sinb answered perplexed. "What are you even talking abo--"

"Well that's good, I guess." Yerin said. One more minute inside and Yerin was sure she would stop breathing. 

So they have talked about 'it.' That is good, she thought. If they decided to be together again, then she should be happy for Sinb. It is good this way, but not for her. 

Definitely not for her. 

"Guess I shouldn't get worried over Sinb not wanting to eat," Yerin nervously chuckled. She then went to face Yuju and gave the lunch bag. "I-in case the food's not enough, you could eat this." 

"T-that's it?" Yuju warily asked Yerin. 

"Yeah." Yerin shortly answered. 

"Why would you get worried? Who are you to her anyways?" Eunseo pressed. 

Yerin smiled a bitter one. Eunseo nailed the one thing that Yerin does not want to face yet. Just what is she to Sinb? 

Yerin  has yet to know it but it seemed she got her answer. 

The answer was already in front of her and it was slapping her face with the cold hard truth.

She was never an option nor someone who could call herself a friend of Aphrodite's daughter. Heck, Yerin did not aim for it to happen too. Hers was different from the middle of all this unexpected things happening.  She long abandoned that idea of being friends with her.

Because what she aimed for was a sustainable family. One where the baby would grow with complete parents by her side. She wanted to have that. 

She wanted to complete that hole inside Sinb and 'their' baby.

But the truth was, she could never fill in that spot. Because that place was reserved for Eunseo only. And now that the ex-girlfriend was back, she was not needed there. 

Yuju was about to retaliate when Yerin stopped the redhead from commenting. "I'm just... just someone concerned." She never imagined herself saying that. But now she knew her place--she's just someone Sinb needed to share one sin they committed. Someone to share the blame. 

Now she get it. She now knows her relationship with Sinb. Yerin tried to look at Eunseo in the eyes. She stared for a bit like checking her out and forced herself to smile.  "Anyways, I should be going now." 

And Yerin left the scene as fast as she could. 

----

"That's it?!" Yuju's voice pitched at Sinb. "You're not even going to follow her?!" 

Sinb was rooted like a tree to her spot. She was having mixed feelings about what just happened. She does not understand Yerin's behavior towards her and why did the latter just went out without even hearing her side of things? She was feeling both frustration and confusion. Just why? 

Yuju got enough of the Eunseo-Sinb tandem. She was disappointed. No, more than that. She was pissed at Sinb for not doing anything. 

Yuju scoffed. "I never knew you could be this passive. I hate you for it!" Then Yuju went out of their division.

Then as if Sinb woke up from her trance, she forcefully untangled herself from Eunseo's grasp. Never mind the bruises she might get, she needs to follow Yuju. "Wait Yuju!" 

----

Yerin ran towards the elevator, her right hand covering half her face. Her bright eyes were bloodshot from crying and tears are still flowing down her face. Her eyesight are getting blurry by the time she was just three steps away from the expecting elevator. 

Then the doors opened, and Yerin swore the Gods were not with her today because she saw one of those people she least wanted to see. For there inside the waiting elevator was Jessica staring right back at her. 

Jessica was surprised to see Yerin's presence inside the building. She thought she would not meet her again, but then again, she was oh so wrong. She was expecting another figure to see but guess it could not be helped, since Yerin was still her daughter's girlfriend. 

But something was wrong. Why was she crying? Jessica does not know, and maybe she does not care but those eyes that were surprised when she saw her, were immediately replaced by hurt. Jessica knew just by looking. 

Because Yerin's eyes were one of those creations that could not lie. 

And she was sure that Yerin was supposed to take the elevator but the latter did not. Instead, Yerin with her hand still covering half of her face and was struggling containing the rush of sobs within her, bowed to her in greeting and rushed towards the emergency exit. 

"Yerin!" Jessica tried to call out to her. She used that intimidating tone everyone would be scared off. She was hoping that Yerin would get scared and stop in her tracks but Yerin did not.

Yerin just took a glance at the calling figure, eyes begging Jessica to just let her be. She dared not to talk back for she knew her voice would crack. And once Jessica stopped calling her and stared, Yerin just bowed again and went downstairs. 

----

Yuju tried to locate Yerin by calling her but Yerin's phone was busy. She should have followed her immediately once the latter had stepped out of the room. Now she was having a hard time locating her. 

Just then, her phone beeped and saw Umji calling  her. "Yes Umji?" 

"Did Yerin went to your office?" Umji inquired. "I saw her slumped in a corner at the shop and I was worried if she and Sinb had a fight. I never seen Yerin so... hurt." 

Yuju stopped in her tracks. She was now outside the building and was looking for a cab. Her first intention  was to go to the shop because Yerin might get back into it. But now that she was talking to Umji, she knew Yerin would not get back to that place. 

"Uhh Yuju?" 

"Hey Umji, I'm going to tell you what happened earlier." Yuju told Umji as she hailed a coming taxi. "Sinb's good-for-nothing girlfriend came back and Yerin just so happened to see them. Together."

"What?!" Umji could not believe her ears. Why would Sinb's ex made a comeback?! 

"And Yerin just left the building so I was looking for her. I'll tell you the details later. I just want to ask if there could be somebody aside from you that Yerin would most likely come for comfort?"

"Why did you ask?"

"Because by the looks of it, Yerin might not return to the shop anytime soon since she didn't disclose anything with you. So I was thinking if there could be somebody that--"

"Sowon unnie," Umji answered in haste. "I'll call unnie to meet us too. I need to know what really happened between them."

Yuju smiled at what she heard. Is it a yes now for Umji? "I thought were not going to interfere?" 

"Ugh Yuju! Yerin's my friend. I need to know the whats and hows of this freaking stupid relationship! I want to help Yerin."

"And I want to help Sinb too." Yuju commented. "Alright, let's decide whether or not we would pose as matchmakers after we learn the truth." 

Umji ended the call and grabbed her things. If only that was easy. But Umji was having a hunch, someone was putting a play before those two. She just could not pinpoint who could it be.

----

Yerin did not went home that night. 

And Yuju was not picking up her phone. 

Sinb felt lonely inside her lonely abode. She was still having mixed emotions as everything came to her in a flash. Just how would she react?

First, Eunseo came back and told her that she was willing to win her love again. To tell the truth, Sinb was waiting for it. There were days where she would still imagine that kind of scenario and what would she do. And now that Eunseo did, all plans she had in her head became a mess. 

She would like to give Eunseo a chance. 

But half of her was struggling to give chances. 

Why you ask? 

Because half of her was giving Yerin that chance to be what she should be to her. 

But Sinb was having a hard time. She felt that Yerin was giving her  mixed signals. Telling her things that made her think that her cute reckless being might have feelings for her too. But she would always take back what she said through jokes and teases. 

The retraction Yerin would always give her made her confused and frustrated. Like what was happening to the both of them right now. All those months she felt how to be taken cared of by Yerin was being retracted by that same person by walking away from her...

Sinb was hurt. 

She does not know what happened and she was not getting any clue. She just want to understand what was happening to Yerin or what she had done so she could make amends. But no one was willing to help her this time.

Her only friend walked out on her without even hearing her thoughts out that she does not want what Eunseo did. She understood where her weird friend was coming from... but can not she understand hers too?

Sinb sighed as she went to her room and stared at the bed. She knew she was craving again. But what could she do? 

"I'm not craving," Sinb told aloud. "This feeling could never be craving." 

She went to bed and curled herself. She grabbed Yerin's yellow pillow and hugged it tight. She was frustrated that she wanted to shout, but she could not.

Her frustrations became silent cries and whimpers. She got no one to vent out the massive and messy feelings inside. So she hugged the pillow tight as it became wet of Sinb tears. 

She could no longer stand how lonely she was. 

Her mind was still a mess but when the night got deeper, there was one clear thing that was happening to Sinb. 

While she was sleeping with a troubled heart, she was unconsciously calling out one name to stay with her.

She was calling Jung Yerin.

-oo0oo-

(26) Friends to the Rescue