Days have passed since the sleepover and every girl is busily preparing for finals and the big winter festival; in which their esteemed university throws to mark the end of the fall semester. And the beginning of Christmas break.  

Its a wednesday afternoon and all the students on campus are trying to do last minute craming for the last of their finals. Yena’s small frame is slumped over a long table inside the library. Her books and animal orientated pencils lay sporadically over her seemingly dead body. 

“Drink this” Yuri returned to her place at the table with a caramel frappuccino for herself and hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and cinnamon powder for Yena who refuses to drink coffee because of a lying tabloid she read.

The blonde girl turned her head. “Yuri-ah, let’s drop out. Let’s just move into a small place and raise dogs for the rest of our lives together.” She sulked as she scratches her messy hair. 

“Don’t be stupid, your mom and dad will murder you. They didn’t sell kimbap at sunrise for five-plus years for you to make it this far and drop out.” Yena immediately frowned as Yuri always brings up her family’s situation when she complains about school.

“We haven’t even finished practicing our duet stage for this Saturday, I think I'm going to die before I take this last final on Friday too.” She innocently pouts to her best friend as other students begin hissing complaints of their loudness.

“Just drink this” Yuri made an irritated expression

“Owie-”

“It's called HOT chocolate for a reason” 

“But I didn't think it would be THAT hot.” Yena was completely done with anything and everything that had to do with life. In the back of her head, she still couldn’t forget about her conversation with Eunbi. She was even more saddened that she refused to still contact Chaewon because of that fact. Maybe she should text Nayeon unnie she thought before Yuri cleared .

“Speaking of the winter festival, I have to cancel.” 

“You WHAT!?” Yena sprung back to life with feet planted on the ground, and her face in a scowl. “You can’t cancel on me now, we’ve been talking about doing this for years!” She grabbed onto Yuri’s shoulder and shrugged it pleadingly. 

“Relax Martha, we can always do it next year. It’s not my fault my parents are coming to town from the countryside this weekend to visit me.” She rolled her eyes, not being pleased that she couldn’t perform either.

“Can’t you just bring them to the festival with you? Don’t they know you and I are performing?” She continued to beg while holding onto Yuri’s arm. 

“It can’t be helped, my dad had already made reservations for a restaurant that takes a year in advance to reserve. He gave you his best regards and there’s a special gift for you this year.” Yuri patted her head before pushing Yena off before she cut off all circulation from her arm. Yena smiled slightly thinking about Mr. Jo who always acted like a second father since her own was always busy working. 

“So what, are we just going to drop out now?” Yena’s face drained in the thought of not being able to perform this Saturday.

“You wouldn’t call me your best friend for a reason if I didn’t formulate a backup plan” She gave the girl a smug look. “Don’t worry, I found you a replacement.”  “I’m not doing it if its Minju Unnie again.” Yena's eyes faltered back to a flashback of standing next to Minju at their high school talent show. The poor girl forgot the song lyrics and began dancing like a monkey to avoid embarrassment in front of a crowd of hundreds of students and parents

Yuri cringed at having the same flashback whereas she was only in the audience with strep throat watching Minju dance directly. “This replacement is A+” Yuri reassured the girl

“Is it Kim Taeyeon?” Yena was on her feet again. “No it’s Chaewon” She responded as she dragged her best friend back into her seat before they really got kicked out of the library. 

Yena’s facial expression darkened. “I can’t do it”

“Oh yes, you can. Hyewon and I already went through the trouble of asking her in person the other day. Though I am surprised how easy Chaewon was willing to agree to do it. Yuri chewed on her lip. The other girl's cheeks flushed in disbelief and affection for her best friend. “You really talked to Chaewon for me?” 

“Disgusting, look how big you’re smiling already” The girl points out which Yena immediately masked.“Look, I don’t know what's going on between you two that made you stop talking to her but I know when my best friend is head over heels; and you’re wearing eight-inch heels right now.” Yena shrugged too drained of energy to argue. “Do yourself a favor for once and stop being pessimistic. This is why people stomp all over you.” Yuri’s thick Busan accent showing gave weight to her annoyance at the older girl.

“Either way, she’ll be here any second now. Hyewon and I told her you were meeting her here to talk about the logistics.”

“NOW!?” I look like a mess.” Yena her phone camera to see a rotting image of herself

“This is a meeting not a date, you dork” Yuri began packing her backpack of studying materials.

“I’m going to bounce now and let you love birds do your thing.” The girl finished zipping her bag and stood up. “Good luck” she teased. “I love you” Yena looked up with big eyes in admiration. 

“Who wouldn’t” Yuri gleed in shameless pride. She her finger and tried cleaning up Yena’s bangs. Even though Yena was her best friend she couldn't help but admit that the girl looked like a homeless person that found her way into the school library. 

“Am I interrupting something?” The familiar smooth and sarcastic voice was promptly identified without even looking by Yena who sank her hand and desk, not wanting Chaewon to look at her.

“Right on time actually, fire-head .” Yuri faked a smile not wanting Chaewon to think she fully accepted her best friends choice as a potential lover. “What’s with the duck” Chaewon responded unphased by Yuri’s remark.

Oh she’s just stressed about school, but she’s all yours” She walked up to Chaewon and clapped her hand on the girl’s shoulder before saying goodbye.

Chaewon took a seat across from Yena who still had her head down. She unpacked her book bag and took out a notebook that held fairy stickers and sparkles which seemed in contrast to her personality. The girl made herself comfortable and continued to stare at the unmoving blonde for what felt like minutes at a time. Being impatient in her nature Chaewon finally gave in to break the ice by leaning over and tapping Yena with the of her pencil. 

The girl didn’t budge.

Chaewon sat back down, her pride slightly hurt from Yena not responding. She continued to stare before repeating the same action.

No response.

“Choi Yena do you hear me?” Anger was rising in Chaewon’s voice.

At least ten minutes passed before Chaewon finally heaved a sigh. Using one hand, Chaewon arched over Yena and tilted her head before parting Yena’s hair. What she saw in return was not what she expected but not totally strange to her either

The poor blonde was knocked out cold sleeping. 

A tiny smile crept out the cheeks of Chaewon as she studied the girl for a moment. The lengthy bags under Yena’s eye gave a note to the absolute lack of sleep the girl was on. The smeared eyeshadow showed how much she was rubbing her eyes to fight off the sleep. Carefully, the girl placed Yena’s head back down into her sleeping arms.

She sat back down and concluded that they could discuss the duet when she woke up. Besides, it was a useful opportunity to at least do some studying she reflected while taking out a textbook she neglected to open all year, not that she needed it though. Thirty minutes passed as Chaewon ceaselessly scrunched her eyebrows trying to write notes and darting her eyes up to Yena’s awkward sleeping position. 

Making a small tsk, the girl stood up and moved her stuff, so that she was sitting alongside the snoring girl. Chaewon tenderly rose Yena’s head and allowed the girl to lean on her own shoulder as she slept. The position was reminiscent of Yena’s drunk sleep state when they were on the taxi ride home from Jihyo party. Chaewon defended h