She made sure they were alone in the corridor before facing the younger girl, who looked at her expectantly. 

"Yoon Bomi, don't tell me you're making moves on me," Chorong tried to say in the most casual manner with a stable voice. Her heart was thrumming a little under her calm facade. 

During the interview they just did, Bomi claimed she wanted to marry her—again. 

Okay, now it was just getting too much. Chorong had to address what all this marriage stuff was about. It was making her feel weird.

The younger girl looked her directly in the eyes; a playful glint in chocolate orbs.

"So what if I am? Unnie," Bomi responded just as straightforwardly, going as far as to intertwine their fingers along with her answer.

There was no doubt what Yoon Bomi was implying here. Chorong's heart was pounding now.

"Don't..Don't say things like that!" Chorong huffed, looking away, her ears feeling hot at the revelation. Bomi grinned goofily. 

What a flirt! 

"A-Anyway, hurry up and let's join the others..."

Chorong blinked herself awake, resting safely on the softness of a hotel bed. There was no Bomi, no interview they just did. Chorong just awoke to this scene sticking out vividly in her memory. 

It was a realistic dream—one that strangely made sense when she thought about it. She could've been fooled by its believability, but the details were just unlikely enough that Chorong concluded it couldn't have happened. She never confronted Bomi about any of those things she said.

Her own mind was playing a cruel trick on her. Even her subconscious was trying to squeeze in Bomi's "I love you" through these creations. 

That "I love you" moment had really stuck with Chorong and she found herself sitting on it more often than not as she counted the days till Bomi's return.

It wasn't a confession, but the sincerity behind it sure felt like one. If she had ever received a love confession without the person actually confessing, this was it.

Was it possible that the younger girl had romantic feelings for her? 

Chorong flashbacked intensely to all those times Bomi acted strange or hinted at feeling something more, like someone in her head had decided to press play on a short film of their past.

Kisses. Bomi was always so generous with kisses, but kissing her on the wrist felt like another thing entirely.

Warmth. Feeling heat in Bomi's tinted cheeks, Chorong would check the younger girl's forehead, but more often than not, there was no fever.

Tension. Sometimes Chorong would feel Bomi's muscles tense up from under her when they did skinship. Like, when she would hug the girl, or touch her stomach. A fuss would also be made if Chorong offered to apply lipstick on for her. Bomi just couldn't stay still for some reason.

And the things that girl would say. All those nice things and kind words seemed to come out of nowhere just to embarrass the leader and make her blush. But most important of all, Bomi expressed wanting to marry Chorong...

"Unnie... I love you."

But maybe it really was nothing. Maybe Chorong was just seeing things in her twisted way; how she wanted to see it. Like some kind of false hope.

Maybe she wanted Bomi to look at her like that, for reasons still unknown to her.

Chorong shook her head.

I'm thinking weird things because Bomi isn't around...

——

"Eyy!! Hey!! Park Chorong! Park Chorong-ssi!"

God— Seriously, again?? Of course he's here.

Chorong had been praying for nothing of the sort to happen at this important event as it had been very peaceful lately, but it seemed that destiny wasn't listening to her wishes. There appeared the annoying suitor who had been giving her a hard time.

The girls glanced at her worriedly but she didn't meet anyone's eyes. She was rooted to the spot, hesitant to meet the owner of the voice that had called her so flippantly. A metaphorical battle raged between them, clearly with different feelings involved, as Chorong shot daggers at how the idol was already looking at her so triumphantly. He must have caught on to the news that Bomi couldn't be here with them, and with no Changsub in sight either, he decided to advance. 

Unfortunately for Chorong, the interaction couldn't be avoided now. They were stuck. Apink needed to walk past him in the corridor. 

Chorong was taken aback when her members surrounded her, standing close around their leader like bodyguards. Huddled together strongly, they greeted their fellow idols politely in a mixture of bows, smiles and sharp looks to one in particular.

That defence wouldn't be stopping Chorong's unwanted suitor, no. He continued forward with his plan as it might be his last chance to see Chorong. Propelling himself towards the girls, his hand came raised in greeting but the trajectory looked like he would reach over to grab Chorong's shoulder—

No!

——

"Cadet No. 127, standby!

Bomi grimaced in pain as she held her position for dear life. She couldn't flip over on the rope like this—she was so close! The soldiers had been inching themselves across the suspended rope, the cold elements of the winter rain beating at their skin. But the unnie in front of her slipped off violently, shaking the rope she was holding onto, and the team were now doing their best to pick up the fallen soldier swinging from the harness. Bomi was instructed by her superiors to hold on and wait, and that she did. 

Her muscles were screaming on fire all over as she closed her eyes, choking back tears. 

"Ahh. It hurts—"

"I'm sorry!"

"It's okay. Cheer up!" she still called to her teammate, whose remorse only grew for keeping the young cadet unfairly hanging in there. Time went by agonisingly as Bomi's joints screwed tightly in place, the strong grip making it harder for her to start moving again. 

"Uaarggh!" The flame in Bomi ignited once more as she was finally given the okay to push on, everything feeling cold and tensed up as she tried to move at a consistent pace; grasping the thick rope with both hands and hauling herself forward in two steps.

Even when it was hard, she'd pull off something that was not expected of her, without giving up. Bomi succeeded in crossing the 34 metres without flipping over.

——

Plaaak!

With the sounds of gasps, an invisible wave surged through the corridor, parting the hall like the Red Sea. The cold atmosphere that settled kept everyone back, unsure to what happened. 

Goddamn! The idol's cockiness had been wiped off his face completely as he retracted his outstretched hand with a whimper. He was rubbing the blow to his arm, feeling extremely embarrassed. 

It was like Bomi's haunting energy was still there, or— no. He had underestimated Chorong and the bond of her group. 

Humiliation worked to subdue him as Apink filed behind their scary leader, leaving the scene quickly. Even they weren't quite sure what had happened in the blur. But one thing's for sure. Don't mess with these girls, or you'll have it coming. 

Shaken and alone, the idol didn't notice a set of dark eyes creeping up on him until a big mighty slap came to his behind and he yelped into the air.

"Ow!! What the—"

"You punk! This is where you've been? We've been looking for you and you're chasing girls?? What did I tell you!"

"No, no! It's not what you think—"

But his mate was already pulling him by the ear angrily. 

"I saw everything, you unkillable cockroach! Embarrassing." 

"You think I don't know that?? Wait no- Ow ow ow!! I'm sorry!! Nooo—"

It was never going to happen and it was about time he realised that. She really rejected him. Annoying her, pressuring her, wasn't going to do anything to change that. Scoffing to hide his defeat, the pursuit of Park Chorong finally came to an end. 

"So he won't be coming back..."

Yah Yoon Bomi, you lied. He came back.