Pie was taking a shower when Kim got back to their room after her training. Evenings were the usual highlight of her days. It's the time when she can get to talk to Pie to catch things up, eat dinner together, and just spend the entire evening with her.

But something on the bed drained all the excitement in Kim's body.

"Flowers? From whom?" Kim whispered to herself. She waited a bit to see if the shower will stop running before looking at the card attached to the flower.

Thank you for always making my day complete. -Mike

"Mike?" Kim's eyebrows furrowed. She started asking herself what the message meant. Was Pie doing something to him to make his day complete or is he just being mushy?

Kim heard the bathroom door open and immediately went to her closet, pretending to fix her stuff.

"Kim, is that you?" asked Pie, stepping out of the bathroom.

"Yup."

"Did you just arrive?"

"Yup."

"Something wrong?" asked Pie, walking over to her closet.

"Nothing. I'm just... hungry."

"Me too. I'm gonna message Jane so we can meet up in the canteen."

Kim walked over to the bed and pretend to just notice the flowers. "From an admirer?"

Pie smiled. "I dunno. Maybe."

"Well, I can tell, based on his message. Who's Mike? You never mentioned him before."

"He's a transfer student. Quite a hottie. A lot of girls are already drooling over him."

Kim didn't like what she heard so she inquired further, "Do you think he's hot too?"

"Hmm. He's a nice boy..." said Pie, typing on her phone.

"Is he like courting you now?"

"I dunno. He never said anything. He just gave me those flowers after school."

"If he asks you out, will you go out with him?"

Pie looked up from her phone and smiled. "You're not jealous, are you?"

Kim looked away immediately. "I'm just... I just want to know the guys you're going to date... I want to get to know them first so I can approve them."

Pie chuckled. "Wow. So, you're like my dad now?"

"No. I just want to make sure none of those guys will hurt you, in case you decide to finally date."

"I'm too young to date, Kim. I haven't really thought about it that much," said Pie, looking back at her phone. "Besides, why do I need someone to date if I have you to take care of me, right?"

Kim just smiled. "Totally right, Pie."

Pie's phone beeped. "Let's go. Jane's already waiting for us there."

Kim felt at ease that night. However, as days go by, Pie kept on receiving those flowers. Kim is starting to feel jealous seeing Pie slowly starting to like receiving those from Mike.

Aside from that, she started hearing Jane mention Mike's name several times now, giving Kim the impression that Pie's telling her best friend something that she's not telling Kim.

It was one of those nights when Kim went home from the training when she spotted Pie dressed up and fixing her hair in front of the mirror.

"Wow. Going somewhere?" Kim went to her study table to drop her bag.

"Yup, I've got dinner date with Mike," said Pie putting a clip on her hair.

Kim froze for a moment, then looked over her shoulders. "You finally agreed to it, huh?"

"He's been asking me out for a month now. I'm running out of excuses on why I shouldn’t go out with him."

"You can just simply tell him you don't like him."

It was Pie's turn to look at Kim over her shoulders. "I can't just tell him that, you know. He's really nice and I don't think going out with him once would hurt me."

Kim leaned her on the study table, her hands inside her pockets. "So, you like him now?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I'll find out later I guess."

It was hard for Kim to take. She huffed. "Okay. Enjoy your little date." Kim was heading to the door now, not wanting to talk more about this boy.

"Where are you going?"

"Dinner. Conan is going out with Pim and her friends. I'll just join them."

"Pim and her friends? Those girls are drunkards, right?"

Kim shrugged. "I dunno. I never have really hung out with them."

"What if they asked you to drink?"

"I'm old enough to drink, Pie."

"I'm going to text Conan to make sure she looks after you," said Pie, grabbing her phone and typing on it. "I don't want to sleep beside someone who smells alcohol later."

Kim just rolled her eyes. "Enjoy your date, Pie. I'll see you later." Without waiting for another word from her roommate, Kim left the room.

---

Pim and the gang invited Conan and Kim to a bar in the town. Kim agreed to whatever the girls wanted to do because she wants to take her mind off something. The idea of Pie enjoying her date somewhere in the city is killing Kim.

"Three! Two! One! Shot!"

Kim and Conan grabbed the shot glass in front of them and drunk it up. Kim's face grimaced at the foul taste in and the burning sensation in .

"Want another round, Kim?" asked Pim. They were sitting on the sofa with bottles of liquors at the table in front of them.

"Nah, I'm all good. I don't want to go home drunk."

"C'mon, Kim. Don't be a killjoy," one of Pim's friend said. "It's not every day we get to hang out with the two most popular students in school."

"Yeah. The other students here are thrilled to see you together," said another girl. "Why don't you two have fun with us for a while?"

Kim looked around and finally realized that the bar is filled with mostly students from their school. She turned back to Pim and the gang. "But I, I need to be home. We have a curfew, right?"

" the curfew. Let's go home tomorrow. It's holiday anyway," said another girl. "Besides, your lady guard is busy dating the new boy in town."

Kim furrowed her eyebrows. "Lady guard?"

"It's Pie," said Pim, refilling the glasses with wine. "We couldn't help but notice how she keeps on warding everyone away from you."

Kim is fully aware that Pie has been trying to protect her from the wrath of the girls in school, but she didn't know that's how others see it.

"By the way, you said the new boy in town. Is it Mike?" asked the other friend.

"Yeah. I saw them eating in the restaurant nearby on my way here. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company."

Kim's nose almost flared at what she heard. She's grabbed one of the shot glasses in front of her and downed it right away.

"Wow. Wow. Wow. Take it easy, bud," said Conan, getting the glass from Kim's hand putting it down the table. The other girls are now busy chatting over Mike. "I don't want you going home drunk. The princess is gonna kill me."

"She won't mind. She's happy with him anyway," Kim scoffed. "Look at these girls, they all wanted to date that Mike. What are the chances of Pie not liking him?"

"But she's worried about you..." Conan trailed off, seeing her phone beeped. "Speaking of her highness, she's asking where we are right now."

"Don't mind her. Just enjoy the party, Conan."

"I can't! I wouldn't want to deal with an angry Pie. You should text her yourself."

"I left my phone in the room."

"Aish. What am I gonna do with you?" Conan was about to reply when her phone rang. She showed the screen to Kim, displaying Pie's name. She put the device next to her ear. "Yes, Pie? Huh? I... I can't hear you... C-could you repeat that? It's too loud here..." Conan got up to her feet and headed outside.

Kim was about to get up too but one of Pim's friend grabbed her by the arm. "Hey, Kim. Don't go home yet. We're just getting started."

"I... I just..." Kim was pointing outside at Conan's direction but couldn't continue as the girl pushed her down to sit back on the couch.

"Getting bored? Let me entertain you." The girl straddled Kim with her legs. She picked up one of the lemon slices and put it in between Kim's lips. "Now, hold that for me, darling."

Kim, curious with what's going to happen next, simply obeyed and held the lemon in between her teeth.

The said girl grabbed a glass of tequila from the table, drank it down, and leaned forward to bite the lemon on Kim's lips.

Due to shock, the lemon almost fell from Kim's lips but the girl grabbed it at the right time, making it look like they almost kissed.

Kim just stared at the girl in amazement, somehow imagining if Pie could do that to her. But as the girl pulled back, giving a better view of the people at the back, Kim's eyes widened after seeing Pie standing beside Conan, arms folded, having that impression that looks like she's already massacred the girl in her head.

---

Kim has never been this scared in her life, not even when she’s facing those monsters.

She and Pie just got back to their room. After seeing Pie in the bar earlier, Kim immediately stood up from the couch, with the girl on her lap falling on the floor. Kim helped the girl get up and apologized but followed Pie right away when the latter started storming out from there.

Pie called a cab and Kim rode with her. There were silent inside the car but Kim could feel the fuming heat emitting on Pie's side.

And now, they are back in their room, Kim sitting on the bed, waiting for Pie to get out of the bathroom. The shower has been running since Pie went in there.

Kim could swear she could literally feel her heart thumping when the shower stopped. Seconds after that, Pie went out in her white nightgown.

Pie looked like she just cried and was trying to hide her sniffs.

Kim couldn't handle the silent treatment any longer. "Pie..."

Pie ignored her and went to the closet.

"Pie...?"

"What?" asked Pie, her voice stern.

"I'm sorry..."

"For?"

"For making you angry."

Pie sighed. She walked over to the other side of the room and fixed her other stuff.

Kim felt she needed to say something more. "I-I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Done what exactly?"

"Going out with Pim and her friends. I know that it made you angry."

"Made me angry?" asked Pie, turning to Kim, both her hands on her waist. "Why do you think I'm angry?"

"B-because I was drinking with Pim and her friends?"

"Seriously? Is that the best you could come up with?"

Kim tried to think of other logical reason for Pie's reaction. "Y-you don't like Pim's friends, right? They're drunkards."

"Then why did you still went out with them?"

"I just need some company for tonight, Pie. I'm feeling lonely."

"Feeling lonely? You could've told me that instead of going out with them, Kim."

"I… I don't want to ruin your date," said Kim instead, trying to hide the fact that Pie is the actual reason why she's feeling lonely.

Pie sighed again, looked around, and bit her lip. "So, you were lonely? Is that the reason you're making out with one of them?"

Kim's eyes widened. "I was not!"

"'Not.'" Pie quoted with her fingers. "So, that girl is just casually sitting on your lap even though there are lots of vacant seats in there?"

It was Kim's turn to sigh this time. "We didn't do anything. She sat on my lap and just took the lemon from me. Nothing happened apart from that."

Pie closed her eyes and grunted.

"Pie, please. Stop being angry at me."

Pie stepped closer and looked at Kim's face. "Why do you think I'm angry?"

Kim couldn't contain the pressure. She looked down at her foot, not saying anything.

"I know that deep inside here you know the real reason," said Pie, pointing at Kim's heart. "You're just too afraid to admit it to yourself."

"Will there be any difference if I admit it to myself?"

"Yes, there is!" said Pie, flailing her arms out. "Because I can't take this anymore!"

"You can't take what?"

"This. Us. You. Me. I don't know about you, Kim. But I'm tired of this game we're playing for more than a year now."

"Well, I'm not playing, Pie!"

"Me neither!"

"Then why are you going out with that... that... Mike...?"

Pie averted her gaze as she runs her fingers through her hair. "I don't like him. I just went out with him today because I wanted to know if going out with him will make me feel something." She shook her head. "But all that time I was just thinking about you. I couldn’t stop myself from texting Conan. When I found out that you're just near, I went in right away to see you..." Pie paused and slowly sat on the bed.

Kim remembered the scene earlier, remembering how Pie looked after seeing them.

"What am I to you, Kim?"

"You're… you're someone I don't want to lose..."

"Then why are you being a coward?"

Kim could swear she can hear her heartbeat. She knelt in front of Pie, her arms resting on the bed. "I was afraid that you don't feel the same. I'd rather have you beside me as a friend than lose you completely."

"Masochist," Pie scoffed. "What about me then? Don't you think I'm having a hard time dealing with this?"

"Pie, I'm --"

"I'm tired of this, Kim," said Pie in a somewhat tired tone. "I'm tired of us pretending to be friends when we both know deep down inside that we feel more than that."

Kim looked down and sighed. "Pie... I'm not sure if I'm capable of this. I... I don't want to hurt you..."

"You're already hurting me, Kim, by holding back..."

That made Kim look up. "Believe me, there's nothing in the world I want right now but to be with you. But I'm scared. I've never felt this kind of attachment to anyone before."

Pie held Kim's hands. "I know what you went through when you were a child. I know it's not easy. But you have the right to be happy, Kim. You deserve another shot in life."

Kim looked at their hands playing with each other. "I'm happy like this with you."

"Me too."

Kim kissed Pie's hands affectionately. She looked up again. "Be my girlfriend?"

A tear fell from Pie's eye. She looked up to prevent more tears from falling but then they just fell down her cheeks. "Heck yes," she finally said, crying tears of joy.

Kim's eyes started to feel warm. "I can't believe this is happening. It's like a dream come true to me..."

"Well, it is real, Kim," said Pie, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on Kim's cheek.

Kim knelt up to kiss Pie's temple. After that, she hugged her. "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too, stupid," said Pie, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

Kim helped in wiping the tears with her thumbs. After that, she looked at her girlfriend's eyes to make sure she's not dreaming. Once her heart's been filled with love and adoration for the girl, she leaned forward and kissed Pie's lips, the latter kissing her back.

For the first time since her dad died, Kim felt whole and secured again.