Huffs of fatigue leaves Yves's lips like a tape on repeat whilst walking through her door into the bedroom. She throws her schoolbag onto the floor and drops face first on her soft bed. Exhausted and running low on caffein yet she finds herself unable to shut her eyes. Ever since that night, she's been having trouble sleeping - at times waking from nightmares that involve Hana. 

Hana. 

When was she gonna get over Hana? Yves laughs dryly. Who was she kidding? She was never gonna get over the girl, not any time soon anyways, especially when she thinks of the girl in everything she does. Even after the girl wounded her so badly, ironically, instead of getting angry, she's just sad - she misses Hana. 

She misses her kisses - sweet, soft and passionate all mixed together. The way their lips just fits and the fire running through her veins when their bodies are flushed together. She misses Hana's smile, the endearing nicknames that Hana would call her with; her husky, velvety voice and her playful teasings. The more she thought of Hana, the more hurt arises when Hana's words come to mind.

Call it petty but Yves was and always will be the one that puts heart over mind - that feels more than she thinks. Blame the stupid MBTI test she took a while back that revealed that she was an INFJ! Now that Yves had time to mull over things, she realizes that Hana's words were the ones that got the ball in Yves's head rolling. 

Did Yves mean so little to her? Because to Yves, Hana meant everything. 

Were the times they spent so insignificant to Hana? Because those were precious to Yves.

Were the kisses, the hugs, the affection and everything Hana had done just for show? Because it gave Yves hope. Hope that maybe Hana was the one and yet somewhere along the line, something changed or maybe, nothing did and everything was just in Yves's head. 

A call from Jiso interrupts Yves's internal monologue. The door into her room opens wide as Jiso steps in with a small frown on her face. 

"Miss Yves, the front desk called. Someone is here to see you," Jiso purses her lips. "It's Miss Hana." 

Yves freezes, her eyes widening in shock. She believes she's heard wrong, asking for Jiso to repeat her last words. 

"Miss Hana is waiting for you downstairs, Miss Yves." 

Yves unconsciously holds her breath, balling her fists - lost in her thoughts until Jiso calls for her again. 

"Miss Yves, what do you want to do?" 

Yves ignores the voice at the back of her head telling her not to go and just ignore Hana but yeah, that! She scrambles off the bed, tripping over her duvet - scaring the out of Jiso who yelps, reaching out her arms to catch Yves in case she falls. Yves's quick reflex saves her from breaking her face. 

"I'M FINE!! NO WORRIES!" Yves yells out, grabbing her phone and barreling out of the door.

She could hear Jiso telling her to be careful and not run as she speeds down the steps and catches the elevator, pressing the L button, anxiously jamming her finger against the close button. As the elevator descends, she chews on her bottom lip - her nerves getting the best of her.

Why was Hana here? 

That was the question on her mind. After days of silence and not meeting each other, why now?

To apologize?

To do more damage? 

What was it? The uncertainty and endless possibilities drives Yves insane as the elevator ride down suddenly seems daunting and she fears what happens when she steps out of this box. The elevator chimes as the doors open. She gulps down her fear and forces her legs out of the elevator as she drags her feet against the marble floors, dreading what was supposed to be a tearful reunion (Okay, she's exaggerating. She's dramatic. Leave her be)

She turns the corner and spots Hana's back from afar, standing in the middle of the lobby. The fear kicks back into her system as her heart begins racing at the thought of seeing Hana. She stays rooted in her spot, watching as Hana whirls around, gasping when she sees Hana's battered up face. Was that an eyepatch on her right eye? In her shock, she fails to recognize Hana's teary eye, staring at her with desperate yearn. Hana moves, taking big strides towards Yves, unable to contain her desire to wrap her arms around the brunette and pull her into a tight hug. 

Yves finally registers Hana walking towards her at an alarming pace, stopping a couple steps away, looking extremely nervous - her eyes darting between the floor and her. Now that Hana was an arm's length from her, she could see the extent of the bruising - deep purplish blue marking most of her face, it was harder to find a spot that wasn't bruised. It didn't stop Yves from admiring how beautiful Hana was even with the bruises. She watches Hana open and close , shyly rubbing the back of her neck as she struggles to speak. 

So, she takes the initiative to do it first. 

"What are you doing here?" Her tone coming out harsher than she intends and she watches Hana flinch - instant regret fills Yves's body. 

"Can I take you somewhere? It won't be long and I understand if you reject me," Hana answers meekly. 

Yves contemplates it for a while before nodding as Hana shoots her a small smile. Hana steps aside and gestures for Yves to walk first. Hana then follows, a step slower than Yves as they slide into the Range Rover parked out front. The driver departs from the penthouse grounds as awkward silence fills the air in the car. 

"Where are you taking me?" Yves questions in the midst of the silence. 

"Where the truth lies," Hana replies vaguely leaving Yves confused. 

The ride over was dead silent with neither of them speaking. Conscious eyes glancing at each other every once in a while but never for too long. Soon, they pull up in front of a commercial building. Hana is first to slide out of the car as she opens the door for Yves who hops out, landing onto the gravel with a soft thump. Hana escorts Yves into the building as Yves scans the black and white marble interior which made her wonder what this place holds. 

They walk pass the reception table into the elevator, stopping on the fourth floor. They step out of the elevator as Hana leads Yves down a white hallway. They stop in front of a pair of double doors towards the end as Hana produces a key from her jacket pocket, inserting into the keyhole and opening them. Hana has Yves walk into a dark room first, scaring her - is Hana attempting to murder her? Is that it? Oh my god, is this it? Her crush murdering her? 

Yves jumps when she hears the light switches click in the background. Her jaw drops when she realizes that she's standing in middle of a big room with mirrors lining every wall - a dance studio. Yves could feel memories of her past flowing back into her mind. The studio brings back a lot of childhood memories since dancing used to be her passion.

Why... Why was she brought here? She could see Hana in the mirror, taking slow steps to get to her, stopping when she was close enough for Yves to hear her. 

"Is...Did you bring me here to dance?" Yves asks innocently. 

Hana smiles wistfully as she shakes her head.

"This place is very dear to me. It holds a lot of memories - good and sometimes bad. I brought you here because I promised you the truth."

Yves turns to look at Hana with a look of disbelief. 

"I want to be honest with you. I want to let you in. I know whatever I say may seem like excuses but I don't want to keep hurting you. I never thought that I would fall for you, Yves," Hana says sincerely as Yves goes slack-jawed at the confession. "When I first saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I tried to convince myself that it was a mere infatuation but the more I saw you, the more I got to know you, the more I fell. I tried not to, I distanced myself and told myself to forget that you ever existed but you were already carved deep into my heart." 

Yves stands speechless as Hana continues to speak. 

"That night, I really hurt you and I'm so sorry, Yves. I regretted the words the moment it left my mouth but I was stupid enough not to apologize when I wanted to so badly. After that, I felt like a complete and I spent days trying to believe that you were better off hating me instead. I wasn't worth your loving or anyone's for that matter. That was until Jinsoul came and gave me a beating. When she did, I finally came to my senses and I knew I couldn't lose you. I need you." 

Hana takes a step closer to Yves, carefully sliding her hands into Yves's and holding it gently as she gazes into Yves's watery eyes. 

"I'll tell you everything about me. All my flaws. All my horrible and imperfect sides. Everything that I've hidden from the world, I'll tell them to you. All I ask is for you to trust me, to give me time to let you in - can you do that, Yves?" Hana's request comes from her heart and Yves could feel it. 

Yves nods gently. As long as Hana was willing to let her in, Yves was more than willing to trust her and wait. Hana draws Yves into a tight hug as Yves finally allows herself the relief to bury herself in Hana's embrace. All the stress and darkness from the last couple of days fading as she replaces them with happier thoughts. Hana pulls away, smiling shyly as she tugs Yves softly towards the front mirror. She brings Yves down to the floor with her to sit as they lean with their backs against the mirror and Yves's body close to Hana's. 

"This dance studio used to belong to a dear friend of mine," Hana starts with Yves tuning in attentively. "She had a natural gift for dancing. I used to tell her that she was born to dance and we would spend hours and hours in this studio with her dancing and me being the audience." 

Yves sees Hana's expression dropping with her next words. "Growing up, I was pretty dense and I wasn't aware of her feelings towards me. All the skinship - hugs, kisses and teasing - it was all fun and games to me but my actions undoubtedly led her on and I was a fool not to see that." Yves's grip on Hana's hand tightens as the story goes on.

"We were on a trip when she decides to confess to me. I didn't know what to say because I didn't feel the same way and because of my rejection, my friend took off and something bad happened to her. I blamed myself after that. I was guilty because if I didn't reject her, nothing would have happened to her. It's all my fault," Hana chokes out. "That's why I couldn't - I was afraid that if someone were to fall for me again, bad things would follow and I can't - not to you. I would die before I let anything happen to you." 

Yves leans her head on Hana's shoulder, her hand holding Hana's tightly for support. 

"I'm not scared," Yves says as she sits back up. Hana turns to look at her with sad eyes but Yves was determined. 

"As long as you're with me, I'm not scared. The only thing I'm scared of is you pushing me away. I trust you, Hana and no matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you to let me in. Even if it takes my whole life," Yves adds. 

Hana gazes at Yves, full of adoration and admiration. She really is stupidly, crazily and utterly in love with Yves and this time, she isn't going to run away. She's hellbent on making it work. 

"Thank you for trusting me," Hana says, leaning her forehead against Yves. "I love you and I'll do right by you. I promise." 

Yves's heart melts at Hana's proclamations, smiling brightly as they are engulfed by comfortable silence and the presence of their significant other. Hana was finally opening up to her and Yves was more than glad that Hana did. They pull away from each other as Yves avoids Hana's intense stares, burying her face in Hana's neck. 

"Hey, Yves." 

"Yeah?" 

"Would you be willing to be my girlfriend?" 

Yves shoots up as she stares at Hana for signs of lies but she sees none. 

"Are you serious?" 

Hana chuckles, nodding, "Yes, I'm very serious." 

Yves squeals as she jumps onto Hana, bringing them both to the floor as Yves circles her arms around Hana's neck. Hana laughs happily as she hears Yves saying yes over and over again in her ear. Yves releases Hana from her grip, pushing herself up with her hands on either side of Hana's body, hovering over Hana. Yves's long hair cascading down in flawless waves as Hana stares at her longingly, her eyes trailing down from her brown orbs down her perfectly sculpted nose and finally stopping on her pink lips. 

Hana reaches one hand up, hooking it behind Yves's neck and pulling her down into a searing kiss. Yves returns with equal fervour, feeling the softness of Hana's lips moving against her own - it was so addictive and Yves wishes for it never to end. It does end however when Yves accidentally touches Hana's face, forgetting that she was heavily bruised as Hana winces in pain, pulling away from the kiss. Yves panics but Hana only laughs, filling the massive space with them - joy radiating out from her laughs. 

As Hana and Yves's eyes meet, Yves couldn't help but chuckle - Hana's laugh is contagious and it enchants Yves. A wave of warmth washes over Yves as she prays that they were this way forever - happy, content and in love. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The next day, Hana and Yves arrives in school hand in hand as people around them begin to whisper and gossip about the nature of their relationship. They ignore the other students, deep in their own world as Hana cracks a few jokes that has Yves in stitches. Most were shocked as they have never seen Hana smiling and laughing so much.

"Well, well, well. I see the two of you finally got your together."

Hana and Yves stops as they turn around to see Jinsoul and Lip staring at them with scary glints in their eyes. The rest of The Roses and the student council arrives behind Jinsoul and Lip looking at them with smirks and a few glares though mostly centered at Hana.

"Anyone up for tea?" Vivi asks but it was more of a statement than a question. "Let's go then."

The group turn and heads for the greenhouse with the new couple following behind, whispering in hushed tones.

"Am I going to get killed?" Hana whispers.

"I don't think you will. Maybe a few beatings but you won't die," Yves replies. Hana's eyes widen as she stares at Yves fearfully.

Yves pecks Hana's cheek and says, "I'm kidding, Hana. You'll be fine. The worse case is Jinsoul going she-hulk on you again."

Hana groans as Yves laughs under her breath. Hana told Yves about her encounter with Jinsoul and since then, Yves has been bringing up to tease Hana. The group arrives inside the greenhouse as the Roses make themselves comfortable while the student council stares at the place in awe.

"You guys have been hiding a place like this ages!" Yeojin exclaims.

"We haven't been hiding it. It's a known fact that only members of the Roses are entitled to this place, Yeojin-ssi," Yerim answers with a smile.

Yeojin blushes and nods as she runs to join Hyunjin on the couch. Yves wasn't alien to the place considering the time Hana brought her inside before. She sighs when she realizes how much time had actually passed since then. As Yves looks fondly upon her girlfriend, she's just glad that they are together now after everything that's happen. She lays her head on Hana's shoulder, receiving a loving peck on her forehead.

Just then, Vivi and Haseul returns pushing a metal tray though initially nobody saw them even disappear. They gather at the sitting area while the older girls hand out cups of piping hot tea and plates of macarons. 

"So, the two of you are finally together? No more problems? No more heartbreaks?" Jiwoo questions, her eyes narrowing upon Hana.

Hana and Yves exchange smiles as they nod. Their friends clap and whistles, cheering happily for them. 

"THANK GOD! We don't need to hear Yves's constant where is the love of my life? Or her puppy stares whenever someone mentions Hana's name," Yeojin utters dramatically as Yves's cheeks flushes pink. 

"Her moping around phase was worse. She practically burned a hole through her phone, waiting for Hana to text and she made it so obvious that she was going to see Hana," Chaewon adds. 

Yves hides her face behind Hana's shoulder as the others burst out laughing. Yves whines and begs them to stop while Hana reaches out her hand to rub Yves's head comfortingly. 

"Oh please, you should have seen Hana. She was basically a hot mess. Jungeun blew a couple of fuses trying to get her to admit that she's head over heels for Yves but I have to admit Hana running like a headless chicken was still iconic," Hyejoo laughs. 

"Hey! I did not run like a headless chicken!" Hana protests. 

Hyejoo holds up her phone and smirks, "The video I filmed says differently." 

Hana groans, burying her face in one hand as Hyejoo shows the others video of Hana running away each time Yves came with her own edits. Even Yves comes out of hiding to watch Hana's stupidity.

"Did you really do that?" Hana hears Yves ask softly. 

Hana turns to look at Yves, embarassed by her previous actions as she nods her head timidly. Yves chuckles, showcasing a big smile, gums in full view. Hana lays her head on Yves's chest, unable to hide her blushing face.

"We have two useless gays in our friend group," Chaewon says in between laughs. 

"At least we're not single anymore! Hah! Who are the useless gays now!" Hana fires back. 

"Not us," Hyejoo and Chaewon says together, holding up their intertwined hands earning tons of screams.

"Not us too," Vivi says as she kisses Haseul on the cheek, the short haired president blushes in surprise. 

The next confession has Hana screaming at the top of her lungs as Heejin grows bold, kissing Hyunjin on the lips. 

"JEON HEEJIN! WHAT THE !" 

Heejin pulls away from a dazed, heart eyed Hyunjin as she sticks her tongue out at her cousin. 

"Details!?! I want them right now!!" Hana utters with complete excitement.

"I'll tell you separately," Heejin replies as Hyunjin nuzzles into her side comfily. 

Hana's eyes goes to Lipsoul who glances at each other before turning away. Hana shakes her head. 

And yet, they called me the useless gay in this group! The audacity. 

"Okay, enough lovey-doveyness for the day! Jesus!" Yeojin exclaims with a little pout. 

"We can add to them if you like," Yerim utters with atmost innocence. 

"I..I.." Yeojin sputters, unable to find the right words to say. 

"OOOOOO!!!!!"

Lip nudges Yerim who merely smiles and shrugs. The council members were teasing Yeojin who was using her fingers to block her ears, yelling lalala to cover their noise. 

"Okay, okay. Enough teasing. If not, Yeojin's going to kill all of us," Haseul says as she tries to reel in her teasings. 

The others finally settle down as Jinsoul finds room to say her peace. 

"Hey, Hana!" Jinsoul calls out, drawing Hana's attention towards her. "About your face, I'm really sorry." 

"It's fine. I want to thank you actually," Hana says. "If not for you, it probably would have taken months for me to even apologize to Jungie let alone to Yves."

Jinsoul chuckles, saying, "Maybe I should have hit harder then." 

Hyejoo snickers. "Yeah, she probably would have ended up in hospital if you did."

The whole room bursts into laughter as they spent the whole afternoon conversing and having fun, sharing stories about their respective groups.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With an anxious heart, Lip hesitantly steps through the doors into Sejong Center's concert hall. Jinsoul had sent her a text telling her to meet at Sejong Center's hall without any explanation. Cold, still air breezes by Lip causing goosebumps to rise on her exposed arms. She curses silently, she really should have worn a blazer over this dress. As she walks down the stairs, she halts when she sees a huge spotlight shining upon a grand piano as Jinsoul materializes from the shadows.

Lip stares at Jinsoul slack jawed, completely at awe at how beautiful she looks in a white satin blouse and black pants. Jinsoul grabs the microphone off the top of the piano, turning the switch on as her eyes move to locate Lip, smiling brightly when she does. 

"Hello, Jungie! Welcome to the 2020 Jinsoul Jung concert exclusively crafted for one amazingly stunning Kim Jungeun." 

Lip chuckles at Jinsoul's goofiness. She didn't expect Jinsoul to book the whole Sejong Center for her but then again, Jung Jinsoul was known for her grand gestures so where was the surprise? Jinsoul holds her hand out towards Lip, her eyes inviting Lip to come closer. Lip makes her way down the stairs and approaches the stage as Jinsoul kneels down close to her. 

"All this mystery for such a massive thing?" Lip questions, quirking one brow up. 

Jinsoul laughs melodiously. "It'll be worth everything. I promise. Can you please take a seat while I prepare, Miss Kim?" 

Lip snorts when she hears Jinsoul referring to her by her last name. She does as she's told anyways, backing away to the row of chairs as Jinsoul shoots her a cute wink before going to sit on the piano bench. Lip settles comfortably on the cushioned seat as she watches Jinsoul fix the microphone onto a stand and levelling it to her lips. Her hands floating above the piano as Jinsoul's fingers press down onto the keys, moving swiftly across them as a pleasant, mellow tune resounds throughout the large hall - piercing deeply into Lip's heart. 

Jinsoul's beautiful voice flows along with the music, the lyrics bringing tears to Lip's eyes as she tries her best to keep them from rolling down her cheeks. She doesn't keep her word because when Jinsoul hits her final note, Lip's tears pour out like waterfalls in the Southest Asian rainforests. She quickly wipes her tears with the back of her hand, unaware that Jinsoul had already seen her. Jinsoul rushes off the bench, hopping off the stage to get to Lip. 

"Are you okay?" Jinsoul asks worriedly. 

Lip sniffles as she feels something soft dabbing the excess tears off her face. She looks up to see Jinsoul using the sleeves of her blouse to gently wipe off her tears, staring at Lip with her large doe eyes filled with distress. Lip catches Jinsoul's hand as Jinsoul's eyes move to gaze into Lip's. 

"I'm fine. It's all your fault. You made me cry with such a sad song," Lip says. 

Jinsoul opens , her eyes bulging as she stammers, "B..But I made the song so you would be happy; not sad. If I knew you would cry, I wouldn't have sang this song. Hana said this would be a good idea. I knew I shouldn't have listened to her." 

Lip giggles while listening to Jinsoul ramble. She uses her free hand to cup Jinsoul's mouth, "I'm kidding, Jindollie. I loved the song. I'm crying not out of sadness but because I'm happy." 

Jinsoul's shoulders slouches down, her face visibly relaxed as she softly pries Lip's hand off , looking at her tenderly. "Good. I was really worried the entire time when I was practicing. I didn't think you would like it." 

Lip's heart melts as she says, "It's amazing, Jinsoul. I really love it. Thank you." 

Jinsoul smiles as she finally realizes that she still hasn't done the most important task.

"Jungeun." 

Lip hums in response, waiting for Jinsoul's next words. 

"I may not be the best at words and that's why I thought that with music, I could freely express myself and show you how I really feel. I want you to know that I love you so much and I will continue to love you through every life for all eternity. Cringy as it may be, I fell for you the second I saw you in the final year of middle school - I just didn't know how to tell you. It's taken me a long time and a lot of internal monologues to finally get to this point," Jinsoul says, taking a large breath, exhaling to release all her nerves as she asks, "Kim Jungeun, will you do me the biggest honour of being my girlfriend?”

Jungeun gasps, nodding eagerly, “Yes!!”

She then surges forward to hug Jinsoul tightly, tearing up again. "A million times yes!" 

Jinsoul reciprocates the hug, her own eyes fills with tears as she holds her entire world in a tight embrace with no plans to let go.