She can’t feel the sweat dripping from her body nor the throbbing ache in her muscles. Chaeyeon continue to dance, repeating the choreo for probably her tenth time since Sakura had left. Even though the woman wouldn’t be able to come to her dance presentation, she promised to bring healthy amounts of food to Chaeyeon. She won’t be eating at the cafeteria for a few days and Chaeyeon is elated. Anyone would be elated when fed by Sakura.

Chaeyeon didn’t the notice the door open neither the voice of Momo greeting her. Eunbi followed behind Momo and immediately walked over to the speaker. She pressed the stop and it took a few seconds for Chaeyeon to quit dancing.

“Killing yourself again? Want me to call, Sakura?” Eunbi’s tone held no joke and Chaeyeon instantly scrambled to her.

“Don’t. Please. I’m going to take a break right now.”

“Ooh, that’s our Eunbi-unnie,” said Momo, stretching with a teasing smile.

“I also have someone to call for you, Momo, don’t start.” Eunbi showed her phone in a way a serial killer would hold a knife. She sent a pointed glance at both Chaeyeon and Momo before beginning her own stretching.

Chaeyeon sat down, wiped her sweat off, and watched them from the side. A while later, she got bored watching the two do the same routine they’ve done a hundredth times before. Her mind drifted over Sakura. The almost kiss left her awake at night, she did her best to cover up the dark circles beneath her eyes this morning. Then, Sakura was more affectionate than usual that Chaeyeon can’t help but notice. She was certain she could have easily wiped the smudge on her face by herself without Sakura wiping it gently with a napkin, lingering on her lips (where the smudge was nowhere near) and then planting a kiss on her cheek after.

Her face heated at the extra attention. No way she’ll bring it up and admit that she actually secretly likes it.

Sakura was the same as ever. She didn’t change one bit. Still caring and gentle. Being a hyped kid, Chaeyeon always get herself hurt a lot. She remembered Sakura holding her hand through the pain as her grandmother treat her wound. And when it was cleaned and protected by the band aid, Sakura would place a gentle kiss that was almost phantom. She remembered Sakura being her hardest goodbyes and her favorite hellos. She remembered loving the feeling of being admired from the awed look of Sakura as she watches Chaeyeon dance. She remembered Sakura. The girl she spent her most precious time with through out her whole three years of childhood in Japan.

A fool she was for lying, but she’s not only a fool, she’s also scared. What if Sakura doesn’t remember me? What if she doesn’t have any recollection at all? The last thing she would want to do is weird out her friend away. Sakura’s too precious to risk their friendship for such simple thing. I remembered we were childhood friends, so what? Sakura doesn’t have to know.

Chaeyeon jumped to her feet. “I’ll refill my jug,” she said even though her jug was barely empty. She needed some air. She took her jug and walked out of the studio. She made her way to the mini garden with a small water fountain surrounded by benches. The early sun shining against her skin, warming her from cold of the morning. She sat down and breathed deeply with her eyes closed. She suddenly crave a hot chocolate and decided to buy one at the cafe near the school.

Stepping inside the cafe, she recognized a friend of hers. Han Jisung. He also majors in dance though they’re not that close to the point of talking to each other everyday. He brightened upon noticing her.

“Yah, Lee Chaeyeon, good morning.”

“Good morning, Jisung.” Chaeyeon stepped beside him on the line. The cafe is silent with only a few sleepy customers present. She scanned the board for the hot choco she was craving when Han nudged her.

“I’m about to order, let me treat you.”

“Eh? It’s fine, you don’t have to.”

“I want to, now come on,” he said before turning to the barista and ordering his preferred coffee. Chaeyeon found something for her craving just in time Han turned to her.

She smiled at the barista and ordered herself, “Marshmallow Swiss Miss.”

Then Han led her to a seat near the claiming area. He pulled a chair for Chaeyeon and she gave him a forced smile, not used to the gentlemen treatment. Then just as he seated down Chaeyeon said, “Thank you for treating me but I’ve got to pay you back someday.”

“Is that an invitation, Chaeyeon-ssi?” he said with a glint on his eyes that told Chaeyeon he was not being serious. She could only imagine how awkward it would get if he wasn’t joking.

“So what brings you here?” Han asked when Chaeyeon didn’t comment about his previous statement.

“Craving some hot chocolate. You?”

“Morning routine actually. I go here for my coffee.”

Silence settled among them until their order was called to be claimed. Han invited Chaeyeon to walk to the studio together. Chaeyeon agreed subconsciously, too happy with her free hot choco.

“How’s your dance for the presentation?” Chaeyeon asked even though she’d watch him dance to his before. Which was a group presentation.

“We’re ready actually. But a few more days to master won’t hurt. How about you? I think you’re ready too, your solo was awesome the other day.”

Chaeyeon noticed the “other day”, she remembered not being able to focus yesterday which probably made her dance less than… amazing.

“Thanks. Just have to leave some personal things behind and I’m ready as I can be.”

“Ahh…” Han nodded as if having immediately understood her performance yesterday. “I wish you the best.”

Chaeyeon hesitantly squeezed his arm as a show of gratitude before allowing silence to settle between them.

***

“Where are you going, Chaeyeon?” Eunbi asked the woman who is seemingly in rush. Chaeyeon received a plenty of questioning looks when she immediately hurried to her belongings as soon the song ended. Usually, she would stay for a while to clean some of her moves so it was shocking when the woman headed to the door first. Even their teacher, Hyoyeon, was surprised.

A smile made its way to Chaeyeon’s face as she explains, “I’m eating with Saku-chan. Sorry. I forgot to tell you I won’t be coming with you guys to the cafeteria.”

Eunbi gave Chaeyeon a long look that made the woman uncomfortable. She began tapping her shoes to the floor and with her bag hanging on one shoulder, she glanced at the door.

“Well, enjoy yourself.”

With that said, Chaeyeon scurried out of the studio.

They decided to meet at the greenhouse, having learned its serenity. Chaeyeon arrived huffing to the stone bench encircling a stone table. It was a sunny noon but a large tree provided shade to the table.

Sakura sat with a book in her hand. A collection of tupperwares already set on the table. The red head looked up when Chaeyeon placed her bag on the bench.

“Recipe book?”

Sakura nodded with a smile blossoming on her face. “You know, you didn’t have to run. The food won’t run.”

Chaeyeon wiped her face with a handkerchief as she scan the variety of food in front of her. Then she stood up and asked, “Is there a washing area in here?”

Sakura hummed and looked around the greenhouse. Then her eyes caught a tiled cube property. She pointed at it and turned to Chaeyeon. “Check that one out.”

Chaeyeon’s eyes followed where Sakura had pointed and nodded. She took a shirt from her bag and slide out of bench only to slide in back again. She bent down towards Sakura and placed a kiss on her cheek, catching her off guard. “Thank you, Saku-chan. I’ll be right back.”

Chaeyeon can feel Sakura’s gaze on her back as she walk to the hopefully washing area.

She came back fresh and clean, well at least the upper part of her body is. Sakura had brought out a paper plate along with the utensils. With tupperwares opened, Chaeyeon begin to drool as her eyes devour everything. She sat down beside Sakura then made an audible sniff. “You’re the best, Saku-chan. Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do, after blowing you off like that.”

Chaeyeon turned her head to Sakura. A gust of wind blew the hair covering Sakura’s face and revealed her misty eyes. Chaeyeon threw her damp shirt on the top her bag carelessly before straddling the bench. “Hey. Saku-chan, look at me.”

Sakura sniffed and faced her. Seeing her best friend’s on the brink of tearing up, Chaeyeon wrapped her arms around Sakura’s shoulder and embraced her tightly.

“I’ll be okay Saku-chan, don’t worry. I do understood your circumstances. Just like I said, there would be next time,” Chaeyeon leaned forward and placed another kiss on Sakura’s cheek. “Give me a smile,” she said before kissing the tip of Sakura’s nose, eliciting a genuine smile from the woman.

“You’re so adorable. Now let’s eat!”

***

"Well someone's in a good mood."

Sakura gave Chaewon a glance before focusing on stuffing her things inside her locker. "Really? Who?"

"I don't know you tell me. Where did you disappear during lunch?" Chaewon asked.

Sakura closed her locker and sighed happily. A smile blossomed on her face as she says her next words, "I ate with Chaeyeon."

"Figured." Chaewon smiled teasingly when Sakura gave her a confused look. Sakura just shook her head and started walking. Chaewon followed alongside, carefully avoiding bodies of fellow students.

"You talked with her this morning?" Sakura heard a particularly loud voice but decided to ignore it.

"Yeah, I treated Chaeyeon—" Sakura halted, ignoring Chaewon's questioning look. "A hot chocolate and we walked back to studio together. Now can you leave it?" A man said. Sakura turned and discreetly looked for the owner.

"I bet you're jumping inside from happiness." Sakura's eyes landed on a man who is noticeably blushing, or maybe he just have a really flushed face but Sakura was convinced he was the guy crushing on Chaeyeon. He looked very familiar and Sakura thought maybe she'd seen him at the studio. Probably watched him dance. A student from dance major.

"She's really nice and beautiful," said the blushing man.

Sakura felt someone tugging her shirt. "Sakura, what's wrong?" Chaewon asked behind her. Someone bumped on her shoulder but she ignored them, they're still standing at the crowded hallway. And the men that were talking about Chaeyeon were leaning on—Sakura deduced—their lockers.

She gave Chaewon a sharp look, "Listen." Then she turned around but kept her ears open.

"You know it's bad to eavesdrop," said Chaewon, receiving a glare from Sakura.

"I know but just listen."

"Look at you getting all mushy and red because of a girl," said the other guy, his voice laced heavily with tease.

"Chaeyeon isn't just any girl."

Sakura watched the realization happen in Chaewon's face. Her jaw dropped and she gasped with her eyes widening. "Damn... you two sure are popular."

"That doesn't matter right now, he said a while ago that they spent time together. Chaeyeon hadn't mentioned him to me."

"Probably because he's not worth mentioning," Chaewon raised her brows and got another glare from Sakura.

"Relax, he won't be able to take Chaeyeon away from you. I'm 99% sure of that."

"Where's the remaining 1%?"

"I have no idea who that man is, especially to Chaeyeon. But I highly suspect he's just an acquaintance or less, never mentioned him you know? Even to you. Maybe he's just one of Chaeyeon's many admirers." Chaewon winked and Sakura visibly relaxed. It's not that she doesn't want for Chaeyeon to make other friends, a man or a woman. But she felt uncomfortable knowing someone out there could possibly snatch Chaeyeon away from her. Her heart tightened painfully when an image of Chaeyeon being lovey dovey with a man appeared in her head. Suddenly, feel sick.

"Hey, are you okay?" Chaewon asked and Sakura nodded weakly.

"I'll ask her out when the perfect moment comes."

"There's no such thing as a perfect moment, you gotta take the moment and make it perfect." And with that Sakura trudged away.

***

Sakura just closed the door of her dorm when her phone rang. Dropping her bag to the floor, she fished her phone from her pocket and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Sakura-chan." The familiar warmth of the voice brought a spark through Sakura's body, removing all of the tiredness she felt earlier. She was removing her shoes and almost stumbled, she missed her grandma.

"Oba-chan!" she replied almost overtly cheerful.

"How's my little Sakura-chan?"

Sakura sat on her bed, unconscious to the huge smile on her face.

"I'm not little anymore, Baba," she giggled. "I'm probably taller than you by now but anyways I'm doing great, how about you? How's Okaa-san? And... Otuo-san?"

"Still strong for my age Sakura." She can hear the kind smile from her grandma's voice and all of sudden she felt homesick. "Your mother is the same as usual, your father... well my son is never home, but that's old news. Tell me something about you, what keeps you busy there?"

"The people here have been very kind to me. And my friends, they are really good... friends." As if it was anyway possible, her smile grew wider thinking about Chaeyeon. "I have a best friend, her name is Lee Jjaeyeon. I met her on my first day of school."

"Oh really? Tell me about her." Her grandma sounded really interested, Sakura couldn't stop from rambling.

"I almost cried Oba-chan, the campus is gigantic and I can't speak Korean well nor read and understand the signs. But then she appeared, like a knight in shining armor—I know that's overused—but that's what I would describe her that moment well, a tenshi is accurate too anyways, her Japanese is really good. For a second, I thought she was a Japanese but one she doesn't look like it, two she's in Korea, studying in a Korean school, and is very good with Korean, so obviously she's a native and—I'm sorry I'm rambling."

"No, it's okay continue. Though, I gotta say you talk about her the way a girl on your age would talk about their boyfriend."

Sakura felt her whole body flushed. She's like an open book and was very glad her grandma can't see her at the moment, because with one look she'll instantly discover what Chaeyeon is to Sakura.

"Well, she's that amazing..."

"And she's just your best friend?" Sakura recognized the hint of teasing and skepticism in her grandma's voice.

Sakura nibbled her lower lip for a second before letting out a sigh. "I might have a little crush on her." Silence came over the line and Sakura feared her grandma's reaction. What if she thinks it's wrong and hates me for it? She was about to say she was just joking when her grandma's voice fluttered through the phone.

"I don't think that's little, Sakura." Then she heard her grandma snort. So she was hiding her laugh the whole time.

"You would like her too, Oba-chan."

"I'm sure I would. Anyone who could make my little Sakura sound like that is great person to me."

"I miss you, Oba-chan." Sakura's voice cracked and her nose began to sting.

"I miss you too, Sakura-chan. I'll talk to you soon. Take care, okay?"

Sakura sniffed and wiped the tears that stubbornly left her eyes. "You too."

"Oh Sakura-chan... don't cry, I'm always gonna here waiting for you. I love you. We can talk about your Jjaeyeon more when I call again. I feel excited and I don't know why."

Sakura giggled through her eyes. Her grandma acts like a teenage sometimes and it's adorable. She wants to see her again and probably bring Chaeyeon with her if she can and if Chaeyeon wants to. Maybe someday. She ended the call with a hopeful smile on her face.

***

Sakura woke up to her phone ringing. She groaned and aimlessly reached for phone in the dark. She answered it without looking at the caller.

"Hello?" Her voice croaked and she cleared her voice. Then fumbled with the table lamp.

"Open your door." The light illuminated the room partially waking her up, just partially because as soon as she heard the voice she scrambled to the door.

"Jjaeyeon?" She opened the door to a fresh just-showered-recently looking Chaeyeon. She gave Sakura a sheepish smile as she tugged on the straps of her backpack.

"Good morning, Saku-chan." Her voice was shaky and Sakura noticed the cold temperature. She ushered Chaeyeon inside but not before checking outside. Dark. What time is it exactly?

"What brought you here? Not that I mind, just surprised and confused and a bit too excited."

Chaeyeon set her bag on the floor as she remove her shoes. Sakura all of the lights and got herself a glass of water.

Chaeyeon walked up to her in the kitchen. "I came to cook you a breakfast," she said and opened Sakura's fridge. "What are you in mood for?"

Out of nowhere, she wanted to say, "You." But she shook her head, her libido catching her off guard in such an early morning. "Just cook what you want to cook. I'm just delighted that someone would like to cook for me for a change."

She moved closer to Chaeyeon and when the woman closed the fridge to face her, Sakura leaned up and placed a kiss on Chaeyeon's cheek. "Good morming," she said softly before heading to the bathroom.

When Sakura walked out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her body, Chaeyeon almost set the kitchen on fire. She gawked and hide it with a cough but Sakura remained oblivious. Her eyes fleeted over and over to Sakura, she yelped when the ham popped and tiny drops of oil flew and mildly burnt her hand. Sakura dropped the clothes she was carrying in surprise.

"Jjaeyeon! Are you okay?!"

"Ye—yeah... I uh... don't worry about it, continue what you're doing. Please," she mumbled the last part. She can't cook properly with a half Sakura standing just across from her.

***

“Want to accompany me at the cafe just along the corner?” Chaeyeon asked after washing the dishes that was spotless for they had gobbled all of the ham and toast.

Sakura’s pleased face turned reflective then brooding. “I didn’t know there was a cafe there.”

“I went there yesterday. So? Will you accompany me then?”

“Who were you with?”

Chaeyeon raised her brows confusingly. Sakura’s stare unwavering as if testing her. “Some guy from my class, Han Jisung. Wae?”

Sakura shook her head in dismissal. Relief went through her body when she recognized the detachment in Chaeyeon’s voice upon pronouncing the guys name.

“Just curious. Shall we go now? Or stay here for a while?” Sakura stood from the stool and went to get her back pack. She checked inside and made sure she had everything she needed. She found Chaeyeon staring at her when she looked back to the woman.

“Let’s stay for a while. I seem to be longing a cuddle these days.” Chaeyeon smirked at Sakura who playfully sighed before plopping down on her bed. Then with her fingers, she gestured for Chaeyeon to come to her.