"Aren't the others coming?"  

"No.  I want to talk to you tonight."  Jeongyeon said while taking shot of soju.

"Okay."  Dahyun sat down and helped herself with the soju.

Jeongyeon observed her friend who was sitting in front of her, messaging someone on her phone.  She never wanted to admit it, but she was jealous of Dahyun's accomplishments.  She was the 8th student in the whole country, and all the others who ranked above her came from wealthy families that could afford expensive after-school tuition fees.  Jeongyeon never asked about Dahyun's ranking in medical school, but she figured that with her friend's performance in high school, it wouldn't be bad.  She always thought Dahyun would never be good in the field of relationships, yet tonight, Dahyun have proved her wrong. 

"How long have you two been dating?"  She asked.

"We are not dating,"  Dahyun replied.

Jeongyeon always hated this part about her friend.  Dahyun's pride.  The doctor never liked it when someone was to expose her inner thoughts, as she was always hiding something in her mind from the outside world. After they have moved in, this issue became more prominent to her.  Jeongyeon always hated her behaviour; acting she was on top of everyone.  But why would Jeongyeon provoke her friend purposely? 

"Don't you dare to break her heart..."  Jeongyeon's eyes beamed at Dahyun's, "I am sure Nayeon would say the same thing too."

"She only cooks and does the chores for me."  Dahyun restated, "We are not dating."

"An extra spicy tteokbokki~,"  The owner said while placing it on the table.

But their eyes remained fixated on each other.   

Dahyun chuckled, "But I have got to admit, you are not as oblivious as I thought you would be."

It was supposed to be a typical meeting with her friend, but things have escalated and turned into some showdown.

"I am starving; let's dig in."  Dahyun quickly picked one of the rice cakes out using a toothpick.  "Crap, it's hot."

Dahyun was trying to avoid this topic by eating, so Jeongyeon switched to another one.

"I read the book."

The doctor slightly tilted her head to show her confusion, while chewing her favourite food. 

"Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky,"

"Why aren't you eating?"  Dahyun said, "It's good."

Jeongyeon sighed, "Why do you like tteokbokki so much?"

"Because it is delicious,"  Dahyun said while finishing the last piece, "sorry, I kinda ate all of it."

"It's fine."

Dahyun then signalled the owner for another one.

Jeongyeon watched her friend. Out of all the street foods, tteokbokki was not the top pick for Jeongyeon.  She never understood why most Koreans could love something as plain as rice cakes.

 "Why do you like the book so much, Dahyun?"

Because it got the perfect ending that I wished for.

Dahyun mumbled something in which Jeongyeon could not hear.  

God damn it.  

"Why do you have to be such a pain in the ?

Jeongyeon snapped.  She knew at some point during the dinner; she wouldn't be able to hold back her emotions.  So what Dahyun was the 8th student in the whole country?  So what Ms Park adored her?  So what she was considered the tragic one in the four of them?  She didn't care, because she was sick of Dahyun acting all mighty and her being the inferior one in the group.  

"You better let go of your stupid pride."  Jeongyeon grabbed her friend's collar, wrinkling her perfectly ironed shirt. 

Did she do it for you as well?  Jeongyeon thought in her mind when she tightly clutched at the doctor's shirt.  She never understood why her other best friend would be in love with such a person like Dahyun.  Is she out of her mind?  Dahyun would never like you back, or even anyone.  

"Can we settle this outside?"  Dahyun said calmly.  Jeongyeon looked around, and everyone in the tteokbokki stall was looking at them with a frightened look.  A sense of embarrassment took over her.  Eve