˜”*°•.˜”*°• 04 •°*”˜.•°*”˜
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Chaeyeon watches as Sakura takes out the futton from the closet, well in this case tries to. The futton was as tall if not more as the model but it is definitely bigger. She continues to watch as Sakura struggles with the other end which Chaeyeon could see is stuck between the bottom corner. Of course she wants to help but she can't bring herself to move since she is still in shock. Why? Well because she is currently at Sakura's condominium, specifically the model's own room. She stands in a trance, eyeing the place as if doing so could help her nerves at the situation. Chaeyeon thinks back how she ended up here in the first place.

Flashback to 20 minutes earlier

"Come live with me"

"Ehh???"

"I know you don't have a place to stay tonight."

Chaeyeon opens to say something, clearly a denial, but Sakura immediately cuts her off "I talked to your friend the orange head, I went to your apartment"

Chaeyeon's eyes widen upon hearing. She had wanted to avoid this but like meeting the model it just seems to be ineveitable. Like she was bound to know either way. But she can't embarass herself further, she tries to think of a way out. 

"I do have a place. I was going to stay at Eunbi unnie's place" Chaeyeon explains confidently, she looks at the model who was shaking her head and sighing.

"Stop lying. I know Eunbi is out of town. The woman from the coffee shop told me"

Chaeyeon is speechless. She doesn't know what to say. How can Sakura have all these rebuttal at her disposal. Did she somehow plan this? Is this a show? Are they being filmed? She looks around to look for imaginary cameras hidden. This is too embarassing. Sakura takes the girl's silence as an opportunity to continue. "I know I may not be the direct cause but I did give that man a reason to fire you so let me help you at least, for my sanity."

Chaeyeon remains quiet. She does not know what to do. Truthfully, she didn't want to go home. She doesn't think she could bear to see the disappointment in her parent's eyes. But what Sakura is offering is not something to take lightly. She barely knows the girl! And she'd have to at least pay her which she can't exactly do at the moment.

Sakura sighs at Chaeyeon's silence. She knows the younger is still thinking of ways to reject her offer, she isn't exactly thinking right now as well but she just can't let the feeling go. This feeling of seeing Chaeyeon's back slowly disappearing until she couldn't see it anymore bothers her. "At least stay with me until your Eunbi unnie comes back"

Sakura looks to Chaeyeon and sees the girl in deep thought, she rolls her eyes. "Stop standing there like a statue and help me here" she says 

Her voice seems to start Chaeyeon up and the photographer quickly makes her way to help. "RIght. Sorry!" The two managed to take it out after a few minutes dropping it on the floor as they catch their breath. Chaeyeon looks at her and gestures to the futton.

"Let's place it beside my bed" Sakura says answering the younger's silent question

Sakura could see Chaeyeon was about to decline again, so she beats the younger to it. "It's either that or you sleep beside me in my bed"

"I could've stayed in the storage room, though" Chaeyeon insists. This is a whole level of embarassing, not only was she able to stay at the model's place and now she was to sleep in the same room? 

Sakura sighs, "I told you it's messy and dusty."

"The couch then?" the younger was hopeful and the model sees that. Sakura sighs exasperated "I can't let you sleep there, it is not exactly a comfortable couch"

"But.."

By now, Sakura had enough "We could keep arguing the whole night, you know by now, I don't take no for an answer. I'd rather sleep but if you keep on insisting then we can both stay up till the morning arguing about where you sleep" Sakura says in finality, leaning back and crossing her arms. She waits for the younger's rebuttal with a slight head raise and quirked eyebrow, challenging her.  

It doesn't come as the younger finally relents, quietly taking the end of the futton, Sakura smiles widely at her victory taking the other end and they finally carry the futton placing it beside the model's bed. Sakura returns to the closet and hands Chaeyeon pillows and a blanket which the younger readily accepts without words making Sakura smile more. 

"You can wash up, the bathroom's outside on the left" she says as Chaeyeon places her stuffs on the futton. Chaeyeon looks up at her and nods. "Thanks"

While Chaeyeon is washing up, Sakura lays on her bed with a thud. She sighs as she looks to her left where the futton is placed, beside it Chaeyeon's luggage and precious camera. She looks up towards the ceiling as she ponders about her decision to let the young photographer stay with her. After meeting Chaeyeon, Sakura has started feeling weird. Normally, she wouldn't spare a glance to anyone she doesn't know much more a person she just met. But there is just something about Chaeyeon that she can't exactly point out, spending time with the younger has made Sakura feel the need to be around her. She thinks back at her last conversation with that orange-haired acquaintance at the studio.

Flashback

"Are you Kim Chaewon?"

Chaewon looks back at the girl's sudden appearance. "Depends." she answers raising a brow at her

"Why was Chaeyeon fired?"

"Oh, cutting right through the chase, I see" Chaewon replies as she puts down the bag she was holding and crosses her arms "Who wants to know?"

Sakura rolls her eyes, the audacity of this girl "I did ask the question so yeah I do"

The two stare at each other. Neither says anything for a few minutes. It seemed that they have this staring contest which both don't seem wanting to back out. Chaewon thinks this girl is very hard headed , she might've met her match when it comes to being stubborn. Chaewon watches as the girl which she finally recognizes as the model stare at her intently with no signs of stopping of doing so until she says anything. She recalls her last conversation with Chaeyeon where the younger had asked about this girl. Miyawaki Sakura the model. She thinks that maybe just maybe telling the model doesn't seem like a bad idea.

So Chaewon sighs as she breaks their glaring contest uncrossing her arms and sits on a chair nearby  She gestures to the other chair which the model takes. "The boss fired her because of iced americano" she says as the model takes the seat.

In amusement, she watches as the girl in front of her widens her eyes at the information while gripping the chair. "What?"

She continues, leaning back on her chair. "Well part of the reason anyway. The real one is because he was intimidated. Chaeyeon is very talented even at a young age, he saw that and didn't want to nourish it in fear of being pushed down." she explains while moving to rest her head on her palm 

"He was just waiting for that last draw so he could fire her" she observes as Sakura processes what she had told her. She watchs as her expressions parades a look of a mixture of surprised, anger and is that guilt? She does not know what the relationship the two have but it seems the model may have some sort of connection to what happened to Chaeyeon yesterday. 

She looks at the model showcase different emotions when she hadn't seen any of it during the two days that they have done the shoot with her. The model never betrays any emotion, in fact she always had this professional outlook but just now hearing about what had happened to Chaeyeon the model's facade cracks a bit and a little humanity seeps through which in truth suprises Chaewon.

"How do I find her?" the model finally says after a moment of silence and Chaewon watches as her mask slowly comes back again.

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The door to her room opens, breaking Sakura's train of thoughts. She lifts her self on her elbow to watch Chaeyeon stumble in the room. When their eyes contact, Chaeyeon smiles which the model returns. Sakura stands up and walks to Chaeyeon. "I'm going to wash up too" she says as she walks towards the door. Before she could leave, Chaeyeon grabs her arm and smiles.

"Thank you really Saku chan" she says with utmost gratefullness.

There is that warm feeling again, Sakura places a hand on the younger's hand on her arm and squeezes it. "Don't worry about it."

--

The next morning, Sakura is woken by sounds coming from what she assumes is the kitchen when she hears the clanking sounds of a pan and the sizzling of food being fried. She sighs as she rubs her eyes, annoyed by the thought that Yena must have been in the mood to cook today. And the heavenly smell seems to indicate that the food is for once, edible. She turns her body and was about to close her eyes again when she sees the futton on the ground, the pillows and blanket made. 

She sits up and finally remembers what had transpired last night. Chaeyeon. She almost forgot about the photographer in her sleepy state. And it seems Yena is there too, when she hears her bestfriend's quacking. She quickly stands up and marches towards the kitchen.

The scene before her stops her tracks. the first thing she notices is the photographer with her back towards her,  she notices Chaeyeon was still in the clothes she slept in underneath a pink apron covered in cherry blossoms - she didn't know they own one of those, cooking what seems to be pancakes, from the smell. She looks to the right and sees her best friend also in her sleeping clothes animatedley talking to the said girl with both her hands cradling her head watching the younger cook.

"It's been so long since I had any home-cooked breakfast. You're an angel Chaeyeon ssi!" says Yena excitedly as she bounces her feet on the stool. The photographer laughs at the comment, flipping the pancake on it's other side.

"Don't you cook Yena ssi?" she asks without looking back

"Oh no. I've tried but, it did not turn out so well"

Chaeyeon hums "I wasn't actually good the first time too, how about Saku chan does she cook, I mean this is her apron right?"

Yena stops her bouncing as she stares at the photographer's back. When Chaeyeon does not hear any reply, she turns back to look at Yena. "Yena--sii" her words dies out when she sees Sakura standing behind Yena and it appears that she had caught the girl's head in a headlock.

"Mer--cyy" she could hear the girl's struggle as she watches the two.

"Uh Good morning, Saku chan" Chaeyeon finally says in hopes that it would stop the model's choke hold on the girl.

It works when the model releases her hold on Yena. "Yah unnie!" the girl cries as she coughs.

"Good morning" Sakura answers nonchantly as she takes the seat beside Yena.

"Sorry for not asking permission but you seem to be in deep sleep, I didn't want to disturb you. And I just wanted to repay your kindness for letting me stay" Chaeyeon hastily explains.

"It's okay. You didn't have to but it is appreciated"

Chaeyeon smiles as she turns her back again to continue cooking. Sakura smiles at the younger's back and only now did she noticed her best friend's curious glance at her she ignores it, as she continues to stare at Chaeyeon's back.

"I didn't know you and Yena ssi live together" asks Chaeyeon saving Sakura from Yena's teasing. 

"Yeah well she's a loser so I had to let her stay, she mooches off me though" Sakura shrugs making Yena slap her arm "Yah unnie! I don't!"

Chaeyeon looks back at them and laughs. She thinks their bickering is cute, it showcases how close they are.  

"So, care to explain this arrangement unnie?" Yena asks after while.

The question succesfully wipes out Sakura's smile as she sighs. She knows her best friend has a lot of questions. She did just bring Chaeyeon here out of the blue. Knowing her best friend, she won't stop pestering her about it. 

"Chaeyeon needs a place to stay for while so I said she could stay here" 

"Just for 2 weeks though Yena ssi" Chaeyeon adds as she places the plate with hot pancakes in front of the two. She looks to Sakura who was looking back at her, silently asking the question is it okay to tell her?, which Chaeyeon answers with a nod. Yena observes the two, the explanation does not answer Yena's question but this is something new coming from the model. She'll have to ask Sakura to explain more in private later, so for now she accepts the vague response.

Yena eagerly takes a piece of pancake with her bare hands as she passess it between her hands before taking a bite. Sakura shakes her head at Yena's barbaric actions. "Have you even washed your hands duck?"

Yena shrugs in return as she continues to chew which makes Sakura shake her head at the action "You can just call me Yena. Don't be so formal if we are living in the same roof"

"For 2 weeks" reminded Chaeyeon "Then you can call me Chaeyeon too"

"You don't have to repeat it, we know einstein" Sakura chuckles. Chaeyeon pouts but she smiles right after. "You're teasing me again Saku chan"

Yena's eyes widens at the scene. Her unnie is smiling. And was that a joke? Is it the end of the world? Did these two become close without her noticing. And what's this? Saku chan? She definietly needs to talk to Sakura later. Her musings were stopped when a plate of Sunny side eggs and a glass of orange juice are placed in front of her. She looks up