Nako trundled around in her soft bed and heard her mobile phone ringing baying bells near, by on her slab. Sunshine began to pierce the darkness in her room, sprinkling gradual rays that swept into the vibrant curtains, then onto her tired stirring.

 Knowing if she doesn’t move as soon enough, the blaring from her handset won’t pause the sharp rackets. And the sun will likely prick her poor watering eyes, out of her idleness.

She opened her eyes from the tingle of the resounding noise captivating into her ears, almost annoying the unkempt girl.

 Came to as Nako swung and grasped on the sounding phone dazedly, she unlocked her hindering screen, and sighed, blossoming a lopsided smile.

While her eyes glared at the lighting, piling messages swayed and collected as peppy natal greetings for her coming of youth. She tidied her cinnamon bangs as they were wildly dusting on the sight, huffed air into her flushing cheeks.

"And I still got nobody to be with at this age." she murmured, swabbing a knuckle on an eye, sifting away the blur.

Eventually, she uncurled her warped lack of enthusiasm on her supposedly cheerful date of birth, setting down her device back on the former slab, and broadening another smile, but more genuinely.

(Breakfast)

She lured herself to advance from her bed, tucking in her two small feet into roseate bunny slippers, opening the door to a hallway, then traipsing downstairs to scent the delicious waft of golden omelets and crisp bacon alluring her nostrils.

"Good Morning and Happy Birthday."

Her pretty roommate, Sakura, greeted her and savored the dainty gaze of Nako blotting away speckles of dirt blowing again on her onyx orbs. With a grey-brace spatula in her pale hold, it seemed to be that the older girl wasn’t over yet with her little cuisine.

“Morning, Sakura-unnie. What’s up with this spread?” Nako snooped first at the splendid meal, and felt a creeping sensation embracing her small form. Her other colleague was cuddling her into a monstrous cradle, vigorously.

"You're up and sounding all great, lil’ Bukhee? Let your buddy give you affection! That's my present for ya!" squealed the sudden meddler.

"Yujin, stop hurting Nako with your upsetting abuse." Sakura rustled, a black-bruising pan freshly burning with previous warmth in her eager hand and continued to taunt, brows knitted. "Know what happens?"

“I know: I’ll get hit with the frying pan again for giving my cuddly roommate a big bear hug, because she’s fragile like you yell at me every morning." Yujin retorted, still clasping Nako closely, but not enduring long enough while Sakura had made the wave of berating. She wheezed: "But okay, it's my little sister’s birthday, so she needs all the loving from me."

"Loving...you're choking your little sister in a way she couldn’t even breathe." Sakura muttered, trembling her head to the side in ridiculous attempt. The pan was settled back on the scorching stove, with another white egg cracked, drooped below and stirred.

Another sneer came to Sakura while beating the mixture: “Twisted mind you have, Yujin.”

"Still loving!" Yujin said, tone bigly. “And once she said she’s strong— “ she whispered, “—when I know she’s really weak­­­— “ and here fluttered over immediately, “ —I doubt my ‘abuse’ could pain her, heh.”

And they had to emphasize how petty she was, her friend and older sister struggled. Nako wriggled out of Yujin’s lock, plopping down in her seat while the said bigmouth shadowed next, resting beside her lovely short fellow who was now intaking a sharp gasp for air.

Once Sakura had refined her cuisine, she placed a new count to the spread with a spare golden, downy omelet on the platter.

 “All right let’s eat.” she said and slithered her hand to her creamy clean apron, untying the back of the tangled thick thread, then hanging it on a kitchen-article dangle.

Sakura sat down in her own chair, with Yujin almost nibbling the morning bright meal, though not before Nako emptied of to signal not to nibble just yet.

“Ah, yeah…” Yujin trailed, stitching her big mouth closed through way of waiting to smack her lips on the crusty bacon.

The shorter girl glimpsed at her with a piercing stare then clutched her hands together, praying by her little eyes bolted.

"Thank you for the meal."

As her prayer whirled the three to eat as soon as she craved blessings and blinked her appealing orbs exposed, they twitched exchanging everyday heart-to-hearts — though this time of honest conversation.

Sakura started, sparking brightly to a query, "What do you want to do for your birthday later?”

"Eh, haven’t thought of what to do." Nako said within momentary daze, a silver fork of lurched egg tucked into as she heightened her eyes up inquisitive, making her mind lightly be vibrant of what she’s about to do for her unique natal day.

“I just thought of going to an ice-cream shop, picking my favorite flavor, and wishing myself a good birthday. With a possible candle attached on the ice cream...” she said grinning naively, and lowered her look back to Sakura, who was gazing discontent.

It was as if she was anticipating a bleak Nako humming herself lost on thinking of something like, low-spirited.

“Surely you had even broader plans for your special day, right?” Sakura asked, ever-changing her head in mere undesirable swing.

Yujin shined her eyes, munching on a crumbly strip of delicious pork about to say somewhat a surprising telltale. “Well, our Mom just called me a while ago, and she’ll let you invite friends to her barbecue restaurant after you finish your class schedule.”

Nako’s juvenile gloom suddenly wilted and when she gulped of her orange juice in abrupt amusement. Placing the icy beverage on the table, she couldn’t have faith in the tattle.

“Wait, she did that?” she beamed strangely and retained her utensils down, eager to believe.  “Goodness, I thought she would be the type to not do that at all. You know, on this kind of occasion.”

“She did. And she’ll never be the type to miss out on your very, very, very special day. This event isn’t just a typical kind of time.” Yujin remarked extraordinarily, pecking a good crumb of her food. “We’re from the Choi family, don’t forget.”

After her older sister smugly talked, Nako was nearby finished with her mealtime, nipping on lingering tidbits and later wiping her stained lips with a pale tissue; behind the material was a creeping grin that glowed within the soiled cover.

Perhaps she couldn’t silence but ease up a while.

Nako rose awake from her chair, enthusiastically squirming her toes in her cottontail slippers, and bobbed to her older colleague warmly, “Thanks again, Sakura-unnie.”

From that, she slithered away and rambled upstairs running into her room to change for her approaching lecture timetable. Subsequently showering a hasty bath, she glided on a creamy sweater paired with a cinnamon skirt.

 Looking at a tall mirror settled apart, she glistened herself a lovely smile, held the sides of her puffing face and said, “This will be a great day. Nothing bad will happen.”

The short girl thought of it at the moment while gleaming through the dark clouds circulating in her mind. Despite the whole lot, it’s a delightful mark pin-pointed on her calendar. As her older sister frolicked particularly: This is a very special day for her, not one and all she knows will free the exciting thought.

Now maybe, she’s equipped to live another sun shimmering day-time.

(Schedule)

She lugged on her set bookbag, sparse the size and bulk, and diverted happily. Just distracted to her brief contemplation of faint gloom, she shivered any pessimism gone in a blink of an eye. For what she muttered to upkeep, she roamed down the flight of stairs steering to the hallway again, healthier than constantly.

“Hey guys, I’m leaving now.” she said stopping by the main entry, as her petite mutter voiced in some uncluttered spaces. But then she flashed consideration for some pale singularity: “Will you be going later to the eatery- to Mom’s restaurant-and make me feel more sociable there?”

It could be that both attentive parties heard the diminutive sound calling them, and they swooped in meters from the front door, beside Yujin amusing a ‘significant’ date she planned with Sakura, clinging on the held cherry blossom elatedly.

Putting on her heels (not to have the aspect a bit more elevated), Nako exhilarated a soft mock to Yujin’s skimpy pretext. “Sure. Just don’t do anything rash with her; I’ll smother you with my bare hands.”

Thus, the short girl jogged her head when both of her lodgers swayed her goodbye. She closed the door after her and was met by a taller girl lingering good-naturedly. Nako stretched a small flutter of her lips, “Hi, Wonyoung.”

Wonyoung retorted back an alluring twinkle, waving an approachable reach. “Happy Birthday, Nako-unnie.”

“So, let’s go to class.” Nako said, strolling first afront of her lofty friend trifling with her two backpack strips.

Wonyoung seemed to desire to whistle another tiding, though relinquished toyed locked. Instead she murmured, inquiring attempt, “What’re you going to be preparing for your birthday?”

“Mom hailed her restaurant just for my day. And I could invite my friends too — if I had a spare. Including you, of course.” Nako said zealously, almost skipping happy prances on her vibrant route. “You want to come?”

Wonyoung was profound in thought, and captivatingly acted, stirred with the chatter. “Depends. What kind of restaurant is it?”

“We’ll be grilling sorts of meat. Mostly beef.” Nako rejoined, while Wonyoung flippantly sagged a big cleft. Not at all she was finished as she crannied her lips open once more to complement thrill to whatever she’s illuminating. “Um, there’s beer. But I doubt we could both taste the alcohol.”

“You’re twenty and over that perimeter of drinking those. Obviously, you can taste the beer but not for me to do.” Wonyoung reacted perceptibly, as both curved right for the stream to their school rooms.

 Wonyoung checked her timepiece draped on her wrist diligently and said, “Time’s revolting and we’re almost there to our stop. Your first one is social studies, right?”

“Yes,” Nako answered habitually. “And yours is Science.”

“The third period’s where we meet, after the break.” Wonyoung reiterated, gazing courteously, eye-lightening.

“Algebra.” Both bumbled and laughed, responsive adoration bobbed to each other’s heads scantly in amusement.

“Don’t worry about being timidly panicky, we have 15 minutes to spill content, later.” Wonyoung said and heaved a hand mid-air, beckoning her temporary goodbye.

Together they went into dissimilar paths, with shying panic gradually bubbling in Nako’s spirits, and there was the naïve adolescent going for her first agenda, after homeroom rostered lastly.

She walked in the designated classroom, only noting perplexed disharmony and none of the birthday receptions.

Captivating a weighty gasp to calm her unease meddling with her sentiment, she leapt to her seat, withdrawing the effort to be a strange soul, and took the weight off her feet not utterly twitchily.

(Homeroom to The First and Second Period)

Nako dawdled in her seat around for a flyspeck of period for the tweeting clock to knob. And when it ensured, her beginning professor strode in arrogantly. Tumbling his record of turnout on his robust lecturn, he prompted to yawp names.

“Bae Joohyun?”

“Here.”

“Hong Dahee?”

“Right here.”

“Park Chanyeol?”

“I’m here.”

“Kim Chaewon.”

“Present.”

“Kim Yerim.”

“Currently, sir.”

“Na Bukhee.”

“Um, present.”

“Kwon Eunbi.”

Kwon Eunbi hadn’t muttered since the individual was yet to reside in the teaching space herself and reflected bothersome for the uptight professor. She was Nako’s striking seatmate, well the short adolescent had a deeply, little wish for her, but knowing that the person was a widespread blabber in the campus, she would quiver in undesirable overthrow.

“Hm, absent.” The teacher whispered, fixative of his round glasses, alleging frankly then marked a bloodshot cross smear on his notebook.

 He continued to roar out the ones deemed present, until the door was hammered on slovenly, revealing a girl with a chirpy demeanor, joyed with shameless encounter as she strained a long-drawn-out grin and had her raven hair slickly tumbling down.

 And fluttering her hand leisurely mid-flight, she came thundering in, tone drooping exact detachment. “Before you blot my presence, you should at least keep note of my own time-table, Mister Kai.”

“Miss Kwon, I don’t tolerate you always being tardy. The result will be you in the principal’s office, begging to be kept at this university.” The professor warned, gloomily grimacing, clashing fingers deeply into the cobalt notebook he reserved proceedings in.

“Well, nothing you could do now. I do well in your class.” Eunbi coated another prevalent smile as the teacher scoffed in skepticism, probably wishing for the time to pace away and flee from the space brimful a whole lot of students (and maybe from the bubbly and meddling Kwon Eunbi.)

Eunbi tramped sluggishly in a seat and propelled her bag on her back, next to Nako’s, and tucked an ebony string beside her dim-pierced ear and gazed at the short girl, neutral chic as she did, though she gave the ringing impression of being actual nonchalant in the other’s appreciation.

The older girl was ready for slumber when she toppled her head on the wooden desk, enveloping her arms around her face, steaming off any hindrances. Though she elevated her head back up, dark strings of hair sullying on her face, as beautifully, and whispered to Nako.

“Hey, isn’t it your birthday?” Eunbi asked, flickering with somewhat, trivial interest.

“Yes.” Nako faltered back fretfully, binding her fingers together on her lap. “It is.”

“Well then, Happy Birthday.” Eunbi lightened and said with inconsequential tenor, although strained a -eyed smile to show that she was being more than modest in their tentative conversation.

Nako could only trudge an immediate nod before unclasping her sapphire notepad to perhaps sketch or skedaddle her pencil on with learned transcripts. She slithered quite the beam but kept it meticulously disguised, so that the Kwon Eunbi won’t know that she’ll be trustingly to be charmed by her at once.

Whirling a side glance as swiftly, Eunbi was still reposing her fairly riveting look to Nako. This time she wasn’t woolgathering or secretly toadying over tedious lectures.

Kwon Eunbi was keenly gaping at Nako, the whole precious time, and sparked what appeared to be an incited expression.

“Sorry, is there something on my face?” Nako asked, brushing off any grime on her face, calming her yellow pencil on the foil.

“Oh no,” Eunbi chortled, an eager palm resting on her chin. “I think you just looked prettier whenever you wear an outfit like that. It flashes your appeal even more: being cute.”

Nako flushed instantaneous scarlet tainting her jowls. Being addressed as a dainty female. And how bewildering in amusement was that for the little heightened girl.

“Okay,”

That was Nako’s quiet response to the alluring seatmate. A dull decision, the short adolescent supposed, frail distress showering her youthful line of retort.

Eunbi smiled moderately, her eyes having a short glint of hope that reflected in Nako’s witnessing.

The whole dual periods were with Eunbi creaking last-minute glimpses to Nako, and there would be a set that her illusions played and felt like the said girl was sighting on her comparable to gazed stars shimmering like blistering meteorites.

(Break Time)

Nako gripped speedily of her wallet and instantly ambled to the cafeteria where she would greet Wonyoung, indeed dotted happily and evenly. Rambling through routes to the lunchroom, she came to purchase nibbles and went to dash on the same acquainted table where Wonyoung was meeting at.

Nako spotted the tall girl and wandered as almost reckless as she could’ve.

“If I tell you this, you won’t believe me. Seemed like a day-dream.” Nako said excitably, taking a pew, flowering happiness alluring her, restfully seating on one of the chairs.

Wonyoung quivered absorbedly and replied, “Oh? Did someone you like talk to you?”

“That’s a well-matched bingo.” Nako said, masking a petty squeal that would squirm out in her following mutter.

“Alright, Kwon Eunbi talked to you, and I’m supposed to be interested.” Wonyoung questioned sharply and nipped on her tuna sandwich. “I’m thinking whether I should have the care to be concerned.”

“Sure. You should. I’ll try inviting her to the eatery.” Nako muttered, smiling naively. “And maybe I’ll expect something even more special there?”

“Oh, Nako-unnie.” Wonyoung whistled, huffing inadequately. “If you’re talking about your crush on the Kwon Eunbi — don’t expect that one of the stars of this campus will likely give you a kiss or ‘something even more special’ just for your birthday. It’s like I’m imagining that you’re being that adorable and her being a little bit older and cool, getting together…really, hard, maybe about possible.”

“Like the web dramas that you watch aren’t making you lovesick enough, Wonyoung.” Nako snickered. “Your daydream is quite a bore too. I’m not talking about a simple kiss. Don’t make fun of me just because of how I look, and my preferences don’t seem to excite you.”

“Hopeless romantic Nako-unnie,” Wonyoung said, sneering into a faltering hum. “Mhm, not mocking.”

After the two acquaintances babbled contentedly, they strolled to their study rooms with Wonyoung hauling her backpack to saunter above-board and schoolwork. Not one of them had talked after they had seated, since exams were forthcoming two months from now, and they can’t risk the plentiful win of scraping a merited pass.

(Lunch)

 Lunch resounded into their vexed minds, and now both head to the cafeteria, delectable foods soon to be banqueted on grey trays then into drenching mouths. Though Wonyoung and Nako obtained sunlit meals and went out of the lunchroom to bask themselves in the fading morning-gleam.

They both perched on a spare bench to tattle along, feet scraping along the crumbly pavement adorned in the foot-trails of former pupils who had done the same.

“Wonyoung, do you like Yujin-unnie?” Nako wondered, and Wonyoung stung her front teeth snappishly onto her drinking straw which remnants of peach juice drooped below.

“That was your question just now?” Wonyoung gulped and arched an inquisitive brow, tidying up her frantic composure last-minute on the fleeting time.

“You heard me right.” Nako said, peering over a now timidly Wonyoung flushing well-spread scarlet, though it melted away as soon as the taller girl peeped into her endearing orbs, calming down.

“Kind of did have a thing for her, previously. But I always pondered that her taste for whom she regards is absolutely crazy and way out of her personal league.” Wonyoung said, supping in her peach beverage tautly.

 “Like, isn’t she dating your roommate, Miyawaki Sakura, one of the sweetest girls in the campus? Not to mention she’s your sister and both of you have weird palates for whom you want to be with. Makes sense. And to top on all of that, your sister completely adores very pretty girls with an innocence that’s too fragile, that she might want to break it out of stupidity. I know she’s a nosy person.”

Wonyoung smugly hooted, “So, I got over the love trail leading to her and am interested in someone else.”

“Hmm…” the shorter girl crooned and dangled her merry head to cross, delighted with the uprightness just chattered to her. “If you don’t like my sister, then who do you really appreciate?”

“Honestly, I can’t talk to you about it more. I’ll just speak of her cuteness that’s totally out of this world, and her height that’s just infrequent alike her charm.”

“You caught your eye on a good one then.” Nako said softly, gleaming. “I bet she’s pretty like Sakura-unnie and has a tall height. That would be perfection. Your taste is okay, Wonyoung.”

(After Class)

 “Right, thanks for waiting.” Nako prompted a spice of guilt to Wonyoung who was nonchalantly in the pause for her friend as the shorter girl marched out of the room, bothering indistinctly.

“What took you so long?” Wonyoung asked, slinking a hair piece and swiveling it behind her ear.

Nako huffed and bowed a touch again, muttering in faded coy, “You see: I tried to detach myself from my shyness. About that, I invited some classmates and her as well. Thought it was going to be a little lively if I asked them.”

Wonyoung felt a lovely torrent of happiness trailing in her seeping excitement. Her friend had done it: She fled from her friendless refuge and termed upon others, who were strangers, and mingled.

“Hey, that’s great.” Wonyoung said, a cleft stretched to bear a resemblance to an askew smirk. “When will they be coming?”

“They’re coming right now. Told them to just let them say my name to one of the receptionists and they’ll go straight to an unrevealing area.” Nako mumbled, optimistic feelings tanned around her, since a special soul will be scampering alongside her other groups. “Somehow, I’m really pleased.”

“It’s your birthday after all. Enjoy the whole half of it.” The taller girl remarked, never dull but always glossing with charming contentment.

“Okay. Oh yes, you can head on over to the venue, I’ll just be getting something.” Nako responded breathlessly and sprinted down to the way to her sprightly dormitory, keenness satisfying her utterly.

Just as Nako hurried in bubbling buoyancy within the space and propelled her bookbag on her bed, clasping on her phone and tucking into her skirt pocket, she combed for an object under her blush filament cushions.

 After discovering it and grasping it delicately, it had a fit to be slipped in just precisely and Nako couldn’t remedy but beam as anticipation caused greatly on her wish.

“Alright, let’s get through this day of mine.” she fluttered, gasping opportunely.

(Birthday Gathering)

As the eatery was not far-flung from the vast university itself, Nako greeted bigly as she attained in, a familiar receptionist welcoming her, neighboring over her small presence.

“Hi, Nako. Merry moment you’ll have this afternoon.” the receptionist jeered, beholding lively as well. “The beef is all free. No value, but there’s a value in your joy that the service would like to hold on.”

“Thanks, Sejeong-unnie.” Nako muttered happily, curving her eyes eccentric.

She dipped her head wonderfully and drifted in further into the sweltering restaurant. As soon as she went in, she had to pass through an alternative appearance that dawdled to an isolated patio, streaming wispy air inhaled into the quite the vaguely melancholic sky.

“Hey, the birthday girl is here!” a peer of hers sprouted in enjoyment and commended. “We grilled some meat for you, placed on that table over there. We didn’t begin cooking because we were hungry. Not lying out of the blue here.”

“It’s okay, it’s all on me.” Nako simpered and the bracing shrieks of her new friends cackling into hassled liking. “Please enjoy, everyone.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Kang Hyewon waddled in without curb, vigorously gnawing on some rightly scorched beef. Nako could only stream light blares while the others started burrowing in, contently enjoying, savoring.

Wonyoung was beholding, drinking a sweltering tea that tainted unenthusiastically lukewarm. She peppered on Nako and lowered her fevered mug down, radiating pretty appearance as Nako walked up to her. “Seems like everyone’s enjoying themselves.”

“The power of my birthday…and well, food.” Nako craved and dotted a conversant face. She had been aware of Eunbi’s attendance, discerning as if she didn’t make it. But here she was, tattling to another girl, smiling alluringly that Nako esteemed Eunbi was viewing the whole lot to her. Daydream or not, how wonderful.

“Are you going to eat?” Wonyoung asked, somewhat crossed as she looked at the others serving themselves willingly. “It was rude of them to start chomping. Believe me, when you weren’t still here, those guys already hogged on the grills. Here I thought the birthday girl gets her opening crave.”

Nako snorted, shuddering her head and touching Wonyoung surely on her frail back, amused. “Oh, Wonyoung. It’s fine. Nothing to worry about. There’s not a ruckus to be made here.”

Wonyoung couldn’t understand how the shorter girl could keep a lustrous smile on her face like that, without fretting. Never disguised or corrupted. A genuine smile that would broaden hers too if she weren’t so restless with the approaching fiery tangling her, a little more illuminating if she never desired to be but wanted to be at the least.

“You’re really charitable, Nako-unnie.” Wonyoung said and Nako kept a dazzling whisper while replying, “Will you bite that piece already? It’s been bothering me why you’re not pigging that in just yet.”

Wonyoung hooked on her fork and pinioned it on the meat and giggled, “Oh, fine, you.”

Nako heartily pored over again to Kwon Eunbi, who was enjoying her saccharine time talking to various peers and relieved herself to Wonyoung who bit on the piece as the shorter girl tattled.  “I’ll just greet her right there. I’ll promise I’ll come back to you.” Nako said. “Really taking it for word.”

“Hm, go. You can do whatever you please.” Wonyoung said happily in a contented daze, whiffing in another drop of her green tea and sprawling her eyes to Nako joyously skedaddling to her favored one in the discordant scenario.

While Eunbi concluded a chat, chattering amusedly with a friend, she astonished to Nako’s brisk surprise, twinkling into her wonder. “Hey, birthday girl. I’m loving it so far with the people you invited. They bring quite the fun.”

“Hello,” Nako desired to splutter her words for a bit, then mumbled warmly to Eunbi as she fraught for her pocket. “I just wanted to give you something before I might get more veal from the kitchen.”

“Hm, what is it?” Eunbi delighted, fondling on her jawline. “Something good?”

Nako drawn what appeared to be a silvery message that was interleaved delicately and beamed to Eunbi. “It’s a letter for you. A friendly one, of course!”

Wonyoung distinguished their direction, evidently stewed and cherry-faced, and set aside her ogling cut.

“For me? That’s just admirable.” Eunbi gleamed, mesmerizing on the small letter, and bubbling again her lively impression, “To thank you, would you like to sit with me, Nako?”

Nako’s mood walloped in fervent glimmers as Eunbi thanked her. Her name being strung like that left her mellowed with gradual happiness. She shily rested down as the older girl dispensed something out of an emerald-stained bottle into a miniscule shot glass.

Soju.

The shorter girl trembled sheer, alarming worry, peering at the cup filled with crystalline fluid that sniffed stout.

“Here,” Eunbi clasped her fingers on the petty cup and tendered it to Nako, who was squirming in either uneasiness or ruby flush. “How about you drink one of these?”

Nako timidly clutched on the cup, feeling Eunbi glare at her, treating amusement as it diverted when the other thoughtlessly settled.

Wonyoung, on the other incensed hand, was gawking keenly into the scenario that was unheard by everyone else. To know that the taller onlooker wasn’t partaking it, she reclined still, witnessing the concealed meddle Eunbi’s taunting to her friend.

“Um, this?” Nako asked, overwrought on pondering if she should take a petty swallow or further wolfing it down.

“Yeah. I mean, was that letter you gave me really a kind one?” Eunbi asked curiously while freely engulfing a good round of the acrimonious soju. “It’s easy to drink one of these if you’re strong enough. You were pretty firm to give me this and keep babbling.”

“Okay…” Nako flickered an eyelid, and only took merely a drop of the beverage before setting it down sharply, ducking her head somewhat as she raised up. “Sorry. Looks like we’re having a shortage on the meat. I’ll finish the soju once I come back.”

“Alright, take your time.” Eunbi said, swelling a big innocent grin that seemed to fascinate Nako to snub what took place with the pint, trailing hurriedly away. “Be careful.”

Wonyoung breathed sullenly and sensed roughly oddly off beam as she tiered up from her seat and tailed where Nako was rambling to, seeing unknowingly pessimistic.

“Nako-unnie, are you doing fine?” Wonyoung asked Nako, who seemed to feel quaint of dejection but shivered it off.

“Mhm, yes. Go back and continue your meal. I don’t want it to go to waste. Welcome after all.” Nako supposed and steered for the employee kitchen, feet barely gathering echoes.

(Conflict)

Grasping on a tray of renewed venison after she absorbed in rather timorously, she hummed and hesitated by the entrance when she perceived Eunbi muttering to the others, as other conversations blubbered in to retort with laughs neighboring unbelievable exchange.

“What do you want to know, hm?”

“Hey, Kwon, what do you think of her?” the probes came twirling intriguingly when Eunbi sniggered, trifling beside a bleached carton of pigeon-holed rollups that bewildered Nako from afar, still clutching carefully of the silver serving container.

Wonyoung rested back on the same chair with drizzling glumness, absorbing every little essence of the petty chat while she plucked up her fork to chew a portion of meat, though waited for near-term babble to ridicule.

Eunbi wiled a solitary stick from the plane box, conning out a lighter to glaze resound by the end of the .

She blustered a smolder out, opening to rumor; “She’s cute and all, but too annoying. Her height makes her seem like a live doll. Now, that’s irritating.”

Eunbi chortled, quaking her narcissistic head that cloaked secretly well from her beaming demeanor; “I honestly came here just for the food. You could’ve seen how I just wanted to dash in here as soon she invited me. Like, I don’t even have to pay for it, which is a relief. She’s really — awfully nice, and that she’s easy to deploy.”

Amidst inhaling another sedative fume after the cigarette, Eunbi buzzed again crudely, fiddling the fiery scorching her cig.

“Is there anything even surprising about her?”

Nako churned discomfort as she gripped achingly, disbelief entangling her sentiment.

Eunbi sustained to keep her makeshift drone, “Talked to her to see how she would react before, she’s sickly sweet giving this letter. A friendly letter when it’s an obvious love-letter. The soju that was tasting weak — she didn’t drink it — and that makes her weaker than the beer itself! When she gets charmed, she pulls both corners so hugely. It might rip her petty face. Annoying.”

“All she’s perfect at is being stupidly cute and short. And weak, really petty.”

Wonyoung clenched her teeth surreptitiously while Nako tainted by the wall next to the conflicting entrance, almost collapsing the grey-stained tray of wholesome meat atop.

“How would anyone take her as seriously, when I’ll say nobody could take what she looks like. Who would love a trying midget? How bothersome.”

Nako scrammed, throbbing dubious sting from the mutterings and sited the tray back to the where she lighted on, hiking out of the dynamic restaurant, resounding insignificant grief.

“For this letter,” Eunbi dangled, the cigarette still lounging between her pale fingers, heading over to a grilling preserve with rocks scorching maddening eruption.

 She plucked the letter gifted by Nako, flinging it in for the cackling flames to coarsely scald the message into coal-ink crisp and not forgetting to heave her rollup too, blistering more blaze.

“I got nothing to reply to a confession from her.” Eunbi muttered, overshadowing her eyes as soon as she let the letter wither away in despair, into obscure nothing, charcoal dusk.

(Ill-fate)

Woeful creeping night, as Nako hindered her melancholy, the panorama of the star-gleaming sky routing gradual warmth. She scrambled on a travelling isolated footpath of a vast bridge, the immured rivers gracing faint spark from the appearing ghastly moon, cloudless of its prospect.

Imprecisely, she kept ascending, no matter the hazing pace of falling to haunt the soles of her thoughtless feet. Disheartening the coming blunder on the cutting ground, she gasped in low desire while ignoring the pain in her merciless upper body, ill-fating clouding optimism.

“Oh, Nako-unnie. Did a single sip of soju weakened you already?” A familiar tone so lightly aglow in its manner, glimmered subtly, more than sparingly radiating significance to the pitch-black surroundings. Wonyoung had sparked the conversant mumble, rippling her faint fingers in her hair delicately. Upon acquainting her ginger eyes on a despairing Nako roughly perching in her nimble seclusion, she groaned forgiving of her obscuring fury from the previous encounter.

“What are you…” Nako murmured softly, afraid of hinting irrelevant sorrow daunting her desperate emotions.

Wonyoung simply erected, a dismaying sore captivating her outlook as she poorly savored Nako’s arising grief and strained not to mope. “I came for you, if I name it, is simpler than that. If you’re going to ask why, it’s because I can’t bear a puny adult wandering the streets at night, like you.”

The taller girl’s aspect, glimpsed to cascade on Nako’s dispiriting plummet and beckoned to her own burden, “Why even try wearing those if you just stumble?”

Soliciting about Nako’s mends, Wonyoung finely quivered down to kneel near her, prickling her fingers on clasping the beige buckles of the shorter girl’s heels, breathing glumly once more.

A cerulean rain and effortless shine of concerning herself to be gently healing Nako of her lasting regretful memory.

Wonyoung depicted her respire to a willingly minor buzz, “You’re only going to be falling carelessly over again if you walk like this. Look, you have bruises.”

Nako dolefully deprived of her luminous grin before, despite cheerlessness of negligible marks pitching in on her legs, with facing rubicund cuts as to acquaint the past plastering hue. She gazed away miserably, face swamping of unbecoming bubbling rose.

Appalling sapphire tears were in a minor drought, being winded back as to her shaming petty-mindedness, she cursed to herself as she traced her hushing mutter to undertones hinting inferiority, “Am I not that good enough?”

Wonyoung humbled in tune, listening to the mourning skulking, finished of her repair that she struggled to appreciate Nako’s mediocre callousness.

“Am I not that good enough?” Nako mumbled as deprived of her nether tears exhausting further down than earlier, her small-stitched frown luring wearisome. Bowing her head down, beginning to mourn, the pulsating wound on her chest fatiguing bluer resonance. The scarlet smear on her face only illustrated flooding shame. "Is it because I'm like this, nobody could even face me as someone they'll adore."

“No. You’re mistaken,” Wonyoung pondered to reply, shivering twinkle in her sight as she scuttled a little away from patching the clasps of Nako’s worn-out heels. “I don’t hate you.”

“Then will you kiss me?” Nako intervened gently, voice having succumbed pain from the prior shortfall of her virtuous merriment that consumed vague, her aura wilted.

A breeze of dreadful silence swept over both girls, Wonyoung seaming soundless and Nako swaying her head on or after wholesome optimism.

Nako fiddled with her pastel fingers and exhaling covertly, “See, I know you wouldn’t.”

“Who would kiss a midget like me…”

Before the younger girl had mistrusted to stay inaudible, she crept emphatically to Nako and embraced her closely in wondrous anticipation, frolicking a chaste peck on her forehead as she brushed her wispy bangs gracefully.

“I would,” Wonyoung rustled gingerly, not pausing out of the crystal blue of what she was about to ponder. She lowered her lips to glisten, approaching to a merciful distance, heightening with Nako’s perception and favoring in to stain a saccharine kiss. She slowly limped away, frisking a hand into Nako’s hair further while muttering nectarous everythings, an arm prancing delicately on the shorter girl's back.

“I would kiss a midget like you. And I would give her, her first kiss on a special day that I waited for countless of times. I did, just now. So, you shouldn’t doubt yourself when I chased after you and done that afterwards. This heartache of yours will be only short-lived.”

As the achromatic moon deemed as the celestial body creaming across the panorama of twilight pitch shone on the two with enlightening imagery, Nako freed the ghastly burden mesmerizing her petty belief and flourished over the thriving charm of that of such anguish would only howl short-lived, the incandescent compassion to be beaming as long as evermore.