No way, Eunbi tells herself. What on earth was that thought?

“Right, by the way, so as I was speaking with my mom, it's decided that I'm going back to Ilsan on the evening of the thirteenth*,” Yuna speaks with her eyes in the distance. She turns to face her housemate when she receives no response. “Eunbi?”

“Yeah?” Eunbi is shaken out of her daze where time seemed to have stopped for her. She lets her eyes fall on Yuna's face as she recalls her prior realisation, and she lets it slowly sink in. Something makes her want to believe that it's true.

Whether I'm in love or not, Eunbi says internally to herself, it's okay, I'll try to take time to decipher.

Eunbi sleepily drags herself into the kitchen and remains standing before the water dispenser as she takes sips from a mug with her eyelids still partially closed.

“Hwang Eunbi, that’s my cup,” she jumps upon Yuna’s sudden appearance.

“Ah, mianhae!” Eunbi puts the mug down.

Yuna chuckles, “It’s okay. I’m gonna get going, see you tonight okay?”

The smile on Yuna’s face takes Eunbi’s breath away as she shines like the morning sun. Eunbi feels now the change in their relationship after her realisation last night.

“Eunbi?” Yuna waves a hand before her, seeing Eunbi’s reaction (or the lack thereof).

“Hmm?” Eunbi blinks.

“I’m going now, goodbye you sleepyhead,” Yuna releases another hearty chuckle.

Maybe being in love with Yuna unnie isn't a bad thing after all, Eunbi thinks. She smiles, “Okay.” She watches as Yuna turns around and approaches their entryway to put on her shoes. Deciding to embrace her feelings for Yuna upon a strong urge to be forward with them, she takes a deep breath and rushes to the entryway and wraps her arms around Yuna’s waist from the taller one’s back.

“What’s with you?” Yuna is taken aback, but gladly accepts Eunbi’s behaviour. Chuckling, she gives Eunbi’s arm a few pats.

“See you tonight, unnie,” Eunbi grins.

After Yuna has gone, when the electronic lock sounds, Eunbi holds her arms close to her body as she giggles to herself. I can’t believe I did that, she thinks and covers her face in unease, but her frown is instantaneously flipped upside down when she recalls the warmth of Yuna in her arms.

Yuna hears Eunbi to be on the phone as she walks past the closed door of the latter's bedroom. Eunbi's animated and lively voice makes Yuna halt in her footsteps; who could that be? The man she’s been meeting from the blind date?

Yuna feels like a weight has been lifted off her chest when she hears a familiar calling: “Yahh Kim Yewon”, in Eunbi's signature crude tone that amuses Yuna. What a tsundere, she thinks as she shuffles away to her room. Her best friend must have been very tolerating. Yuna chuckles upon the hypothesis.

Yuna doesn't recall nor question her initial suspicion and anxiety that it could have been that man that Eunbi is on the phone with.

“Wait, if I’m in love with Yuna unnie then what was everything Yoon Jeonghan ssi made me feel?” Eunbi sits hugging her knees before her mobile phone placed on her dresser, with the call on speaker.

Yewon remains still on the other side of the line.

“Yahh, are you even listening to me?”

“Are you listening to your heart?” Yewon’s question effectively silences Eunbi.

Eunbi listens with a blank mind as Yewon takes a breath and says again, “What does your heart tell you?”

Yewon finds an answer and decides to give it to Eunbi, “You know it too, you were flattered because he’s such a nice person and he’s been treating you so well.”

“That’s true,” Eunbi finds no fault in Yewon’s answer. “But Yuna unnie, I need her in my life,” Eunbi states rather softly. “That’s it, I need her,” Eunbi repeats herself, with more conviction this time.

Yewon does not reply but purses her lips together into a smile.

“Yewon ah, do you remember the percussionist sunbae I mentioned to you back in the conservatory? Kim Chungha sunbae,” Eunbi her lips and says.

Yewon pauses to recall. “I remember,” she plainly replies.

The two stay silent for a while, in mutual understanding despite not knowing what more words they could say.

“How similar?” Yewon breaks the silence.

“I thought about it. It’s stronger this time, because we literally live under the same roof. But because we live together and I see her too often, I don’t get to process what I feel before seeing her again and having to do things with her again.

“About Chungha sunbae... I used to admire her for both her playing and her gracious, compassionate personality. I was most definitely in love with her when she became a source of joy in my life, coincidentally studying together and leaving after our individual practices together, staying in the same floor in the hostel hence the walks together, her straightforward and adorable yet charming character… Wow, talking about this just brings me back. I don’t think I ever really reminisced my feelings for her, or anything about her,” Eunbi releases a weak laughter with tears forming at the corners of her eyes.  

“Yuna unnie is also a warm-hearted and compassionate person. I don’t think I see her as a replacement to Chungha sunbae though. I think we both know that I’ve long gotten over Chungha sunbae even though she left midway on a scholarship. We were just not meant to be. This time, it’s different because it feels like something is telling me for sure, Yuna unnie is the one I need in my life. She means everything to me.”

The passage Eunbi reads from her thoughts only registers when she listens to her own voice and recalls what she has said. A memory of their sweet moment from the morning causes Eunbi’s heart to flutter. “Ah, I think I really like Yuna unnie. I like her a lot,” she buries her face in embarrassment.

“Eunbi, I’m happy for you,” Yewon smiles sweetly.

Eunbi clicks her tongue. “Don’t say things like that!” Eunbi awkwardly handles the expression of affection. She hears Yewon’s giggles over the line and sighs, “I remember I used to hate you.”

Yewon wrinkles her nose, “I was not afraid of you, but I did feel wary.”

Eunbi chuckles, “I was jealous of you. I technically had a stigma to every piano major because of my circumstances. A superiority complex that hey, if I continued piano I’d be better than you. But I can’t not love you, adorable little thing before you lost all your baby fat, with your wit and big heart.”

“Well, I’m honoured,” Yewon laughs along.

“I told Yuna unnie about my switch from the piano to the clarinet,” Eunbi mentions in the flow of the conversation. “Well but, due to financial difficulties she, too, gave up the piano for the cello.”

“That far?” Yewon chuckles.

“Right! You’re the only other person who knows,” Eunbi speaks with disbelief in herself. “Well, you seem to know everything about me,” Eunbi shrugs, “thanks for being such a responsible best friend.”

“Is there anything I don’t know about you?”

“Is there anything you don’t know? With that mind of yours,” Eunbi returns the question. “Do you think she’ll like me? I mean, you used to like me,” Eunbi steers the conversation away.

“Heol. What do you want me to say?” Yewon blinks, never expecting her past feelings for Eunbi to be mentioned in such a way.

“Okay, I loved how you effortlessly made me- and everyone- laugh. l admired your determination when you set yourself to work hard and achieve your goals. I loved also, though it could be annoying, the way you pretend not to care but in fact worry and try your best to help always,” Yewon laughs. “Still do, but I don’t think I was ever truly- or deeply- in love with you because we do know the story that came after.”

Eunbi laughs with her best friend. “But that was a confidence booster. I just hope I mean to her at least half of how much she means to me,” Eunbi says before a sigh.

“That being said, I’ll have to thank my umma for making me go for a blind date and letting me realise what I feel towards Yuna unnie,” she says before they share another chuckle.

“Wait, then there’s still the problem about Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. What should I do?” Eunbi doesn’t let their call come to an end.

“You’ve said it yourself, it’s not really about performing with your Yuna unnie but about whether it’s a good time for you to take on this challenge. Right?” Yewon simply reminds Eunbi of her own feelings. “I think you know what to do,” she says with a firm faith.

Eunbi blinks. “So you do read my texts,” she starts off savagely, narrowing her eyes, before going on, “I think I know. I’ll let the decision sit for a while.”

“Take your time,” Yewon smiles. “For everything you want, take it slow.”

Yewon’s advice reminds Eunbi of her own decision to take time to comprehend her feelings, but this time, she is reminded of the need to do the same in taking this step for the opportunity of her dreams.

“Wait, who are you to be calling her Yuna unnie?”

Yewon chuckles. “I’m sorry, it’s because you’re referring to her like that! And yahh, is that how you’re going to thank me?”

*The thirteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar refers to two days before Chuseok, which falls on the fifteenth. In Korea it is a public holiday from the fourteenth to the sixteenth. It refers to the Mid-Autumn Festival which other countries like China, Hong Kong and Japan may also observe, and families often reunite at their hometowns for the festival.

a/n: decided to give an update now bc i realised almost all my updates are in the middle of the night lmao xD well, wise words from yewon that i myself should follow. HAHAHA i’m sorry they had such a long conversation?? i hope you don’t be disappointed that a bulk of this chapter is their phone call haha and the introduction of more (minor) characters~ i’m not yet sure how much of a role yewon will play in this story but at least we do know, some stories of the past will remain in the past and are only mentioned for the sake of remembering. ALSO! GFRIEND STANS yall remember when hwang eunbi hated yewon bc she came in as a newbie while she was in the entertainment industry since she was a kid? i know this isn't a fact to be proud of but i'm so glad their friendship blossomed so well from there i decided to make a similar story in here as well. hahaha anyway, if you're lost, yewon was introduced when eunbi was away to incheon one sunday to spend time with her “best friend” in chapter six and the linked oneshot! well, hope you guys enjoyed the update xoxo i'm so sorry but the next update might take some time bc it's a little messy rn with all the scenes xD