N O T • H E R S 🍂🍃

The room’s temperature was cold. It was lower than 16 degree celcius, and it made her shivered in the room, plus with the thin outfit she was wearing, it wasn’t helping either.

She looked at the figure in front of her and the latter probably felt the same way as she did. The glass in her eyes couldn’t possibly deceive her. She probably felt so cold too that the girl before her had water formed inside her eyes.

“I’1m sorry,” the girl in front of her said. She could already feel her tears started to fill her eyes.

It was too cold.

“I’m dating her”, the girl continued.

Chaewon nodded her head, slightly trembling when she felt the coldness creeped in her bone. She spun on her heels, walking to the door to exit from the room.

She just got rejected by the love of her life.

*/*

The drink that she just swallowed in had made her turned a little bit tipsy. Who wouldn’t, when she already finished two bottles of alcohol and was on her way to empty the third bottle.

Since when did she start to like drinking so much anyway?

Oh right, it’s because she’s having a hard time trying to deal with the broken pieces that was her heart.

The pink-haired young woman was about to pour more drink in her glass when someone stole the bottle away from her.

“Stop drinking, Chaewon! You already had so much tonight!”

Chaewon blinked her eyes sleepily. It was obvious that she’s not in the right sense of mind anymore. She had to be stopped from taking more alcohol.

“Give it back Yena! I need to finish the bottle first before I stop!”

She tried to snatch the bottle back from Yena’s hand but she was sloppy and clumsy, thus Yena dodged it easily.

And, there’s no way Yena would let Chaewon touch the bottle again.

“Come on Chaewon, forget about her already! You have to move on!” Yena said with a little pressure in her tone. She was pressing her drunk friend about her unsuccessful love confession.

“Forget her? Move on?”

It was easy for Yena to say, but hard for Chaewon to do. How could Chaewon forget the girl she loved, when the latter was her own, very best friend?

“Come on, let’s not think about her tonight! Let’s have fun dancing on the dance floor!”

Yena stood up from her stool and dragged her along to the middle of the dance floor, where everyone in the club was going crazy dancing to the loud music blasted by the dj.

Despite being bitter and upset over Yena’s words about not taking her feelings seriously, Chaewon followed the former’s moves grooving to the upbeat song. Seeing how energetic her company was on the dance floor, Chaewon could feel the same excitement started to warm up in her body.

She was slow at the beginning. But then she started to pick up her speed and became just as high as Yena.

They were dancing hard, so powerfully until they’re sweating and panting like crazy. The effect of the alcohol and their hard work for the dancing finally took a toll on them until their heads were spinning and became dizzy.

After felt like so many hours wasting themselves in the club, the two women finally went back home.

*/*

“Yah Choi Yena!”

It was the next morning when Chaewon heard a familiar husky voice called for her company’s name from last night, faintly. She was still very much sleepy so she couldn’t open her eyes despite the demanding tone.

“Yah, wake up now, you brat!” the husky voice went again but this time raised her voice higher.

“Aish, why is it so noisy so early in the morning?!” she heard Yena groaned in annoyance but both the latter and her refused to open their eyes.

“Wah, so you really don’t want to wake up now?!” the intruder said.

Suddenly Chaewon heard another type of noise and felt a gush of wind passed by her face. And out of sudden Yena was whimpering and yelping, then Chaewon no longer felt the warmth of Yena’s embrace.

“Urgh, Yena, don’t leave me and come back here!” she whined at the lost of warmth and strangely, she knew where to find Yena, which was lying on the floor (after falling off the bed) and dragged her back to bed by her arm, although she never raised her eyelids. The pair was back cuddling in the bed.

“Yah Kim Chaewon, not you too, you brat!” the husky voice scolded and tragically, Chaewon was next to become the victim of the caller’s pillow punch on her face.

“Wake up, wake up, y’all useless old hags!”

“Ow, Ow OW!” Chaewon jolted up instantly in sync with Yena when they felt the continuous hits were getting harder and out of control.

“WAKE UP!!!”

Both sleepers opened their eyes after the loud scream on their faces. They found two girls stood in front of them with angry expressions and having their arms crossed.

“J-Jo Yuri,” Yena realized she was in deep trouble and called the name of the girl who had showed no mercy on waking them up earlier sheepishly.

But Chaewon was fearful of the taller girl beside Yuri more.

“M-Minjoo…”

*/*

She let the running water filled her palms before slowly raising them up to wash her face. Her head was spinning the moment she woke up this morning thanks to last night’s wild drinking session at the club with Yena. And now she had to borrow the latter’s bathroom to wash and freshen up herself.

Once the third round of washing her face ended and she felt awakened enough, Chaewon sighed as she stared at her reflection on the mirror before using the towel Yena lended her to wipe her face dry. Her face was bloated, and there were eye-bags under her eyes. She had to recall how many times she cried her eyes out to Yena last night, and remembering that, she became embarrassed of herself. Indeed, she cried countless of times before the drinks and dancing in the club woke the wildness inside her up.

What’s more embarrassing was that, the person that caused her to cry was here this morning and witnessed the mess that she was.

“Aish, this is embarrassing!” she muttered before lightly throwing the towel to the sink.

She stepped out from the bathroom and headed downstairs where everyone else was waiting, with Yena’s mother’s home-cooked meals.

To her misfortune, the only seat left was beside Yena and opposite of Minjoo, her best friend who came with Yuri this morning. Not enough that the girl had seen the state she was in the earlier morning, and now she had more access to stare at her during breakfast as well. Just great!

She started to eat as everyone else had already started digging in way before her. Yena’s father was talking and saying how great his morning had been to see all the angels (the girls, he meant) in his house and having breakfast together. His wife, Yena’s mother was all smiling as well and couldn’t stop telling all her guests to eat and finish the food.

Yena’s older brother then suddenly started to ask something that made Chaewon almost lost her appetite, though the fresh spicy hangover soup Yena’s mother made was making her all ecstatic.

“Why did you get so drunk last night anyway? You’re lucky my friend who worked there called me and I picked the both of you up before any random men could take you home.”

“Aish oppa, how could you say something like that? Be grateful that your sister is safely home instead of assuming awful things like that!” Yena retorted.

“Sungmin, leave them alone! And say thank you to your friend for kindly informing you to take them home!” her mother interferred. The brother, Sungmin only smiled cheekily after Yena’s sulky remark and saluted his mother after being told off like that.

“Yes ma’am!”

Chaewon beamed briefly. Yena’s brother had always been kind and warm, making more reasons for Chaewon to feel comfortable around the former’s family. However, she could feel an intense gaze fixed on her from across the table and Chaewon was uncomfortable once again

She wasn’t dare enough to lift her eyes and meet with the owner of the intense gaze. She could only wish for her to avert the gaze away from her, but it didn’t happen.

Minjoo, you’re going to melt me like that~

*/*

It was a lonely night at the hostel. She was alone, lying down in her bed, feeling bored. Playing with her phone gave her nothing but pain. The constant messages that came in through the groupchat she had with the other friends were the sources of her bleeding heart.

The sad love song playing through her earphones from her playlist only just put her in a greater pain. It tore her heart apart, broken too much that tears began to roll down from her eyes, falling on her cheeks.

She heard the doorknob clicked and the noise from outside, so she quickly covered her face with her favourite pillow. A gift from her.

It’s just her roommate coming in their shared dorm, and her girlfriend, much to her dismay. They’d only rub the salt to her already stinging wound.

She heard laughter, but she ignored them. It wasn’t very succesful when a familiar voice started to boom in the room while calling her name.

“Chae~won-ah!!! I bring home chicken and beer!!!”

It was Yena, and her little treats. Lately she always brought home food and drinks for her although she wasn’t Chaewon’s actual roommate. Her roommate was Yuri, yet Chaewon was closer to her roommate’s girlfriend than her.

But Chaewon didn’t budge. Not when her tears were still flowing although the sad love song had stopped playing. She had long turned the playlist off once she felt it was too much for her to take. The lyrcis were too sad and the fact that she could relate with them was also hard for her.

“Oh wow, look at our chatroom! Hyewon really spilled all the details about Yujin and Minjoo, huh! Disgustin- OWW!”

Yena didn’t finish her sentence. It was probably Yuri hitting her or something, but Chaewon could careless with that. She’d thank Yuri even for shutting that loud mouth of her girlfriend’s off.

“Chaewon, are you still sulking about that? Oh come on~ you can’t avoid this forever! We’re all in the same group of friends!” Yena continued, now her voice was a lot softer and persuading. She almost gave up for that voice but she resisted. Her wet cheeks and runny nose were the reason she held back from pulling the pillow off of her face.

“Hey, you know my brother is quite interested in you, right? Why not you try and go out with him?”

Upon listening of that, she instantly uncovered her face and glared at her roommate’s girlfriend. Yena flinched for a little, but it was probably the effect of seeing her absolutely terrible condition.

“And give your brother false hope? No way!” she interjected and took the pillow as her face cover once again.

“I don’t want to hurt him. He’s too nice!” she added. Her voice was muffled against the pillow, and it was cracked. She couldn’t hide the fact that she had been crying, again, from them.

“Hey Chaewon,” Yuri spoke this time, most likely to lighten the atmostphere when Yena had obviously ruined the mood. “Maybe it’s not too bad at all. We’re not forcing you to accept him blatantly, but maybe just go out to find some new friends and breathe a new, fresh air.”

She pretended to not hear them and continued sulking. After a moment of silence, she uncovered back the pillow from her face and came down from her bed to sit on the floor. She began digging in the fried chicken that Yena brought home as the latter was glad to see her eating before Yuri eventually joining them on the floor and ate together as well.

Mayhaps the fried chicken was worth dropping her moody attitude for.

*/*

It was the next morning when she finally read the flood of messages in their group chatroom.

[hopes and dreams are inside hitomi’s cheeks gc]

hyewon: yujin came again tonight

hyewon: remind me why we still haven’t switched rooms again

minjoo: because yujin always brings food with her :]

hyewon: =]

hyewon: good point

yujin: and that’s why I’m broke everynight :=

eunbi: I wanna be hyewon

eunbi: so I can see what my babies minjoo and yujin are doing everynight in the room

eunbi: I support and love them

eunbi: BUT THEY’RE MY BABIES

hyewon: unnie

hyewon: trust me you won’t even stand a second with these disgusting lovebirds

hyewon: all they do is saying mushy words of flirts

hyewon: and kissed

hyewon: and-

yuri: hyewon stop

yena: send sos if you need our help to get you ouf from there

hyewon: don’t worry I’m fine

hyewon: they bribed me with food

hyewon: so I survived although I heard countless weird noises and moans-

yuri: NO!!!

chaewon left the groupchat

She suddenly hated Yena and the fried chickens. If not for them keeping her distracted from the constant ringing of phone because of the notifications of the messages, she would’ve already read the earlier contents of the messages and stopped Hyewon for filling in unnecessary details. Now everyone could see her leaving the groupchat, and they’d think she’s pathetic.

Well, she is pathetic. Ain’t nothing got to deny that.

Suddenly, there was a pop up in her phone, and there was a message from Minjoo.

[mingjoo 🐸💟]

minjoo: are you okay? =/

She wasn’t sure what to reply. It was already too late to leave to be honest. Hyewon’s and Yuri’s last messages came in at 2 in the morning, but there she was, only reading and leaving the groupchat at 11 am.

In the end, she thought of what’s the best solution for herself to them.

chaewon: new phone whos dis

*/*

She eventually got a new phone.

After the last message sent to her best friend, Chaewon went to the mall by herself and visited the cell phone store. She didn’t restore nor back up anything from her old phone, despite the manager of the store asking her countless of times, to throw all the memories inside the device far away from herself.

“Are you sure you don’t want to save back up at all?”

She slightly shook her head and formed a thin line on her lips.

“I just want a brand new phone. Please set it up appropriately.”

“Y-yes,” the boy stuttered, most likely felt intimidated because of the way she conveyed her words, deadpanned.

She was strolling alone in the mall when she came across a macaroon shop. Then a thought came crossed her mind. Eunbi liked macaroons, also Wonyoung, and then there’s Minjoo.

Minjoo.

She liked macaroons.

Should she go buy them as a compensation for pretending to not know her in the chatroom when she could clearly see her pictures (with Yujin, and that stung her heart) in her profile?

She hadn’t decided anything but her legs were already dragging her there.

To her (so much) luck, she saw about four familiar faces were having the best times of their lives in the same macaroon shop. She was about to spin around and pretend not to see them, but when she heard her name being hollered by one of them, she had to cancel the plan.

“Oh- Chaewon!”

She approached the table where the four other guests were seated and stood beside it.

“Hi guys, surprised to see you all here,” she said, with no hint of excitement.

“Where were you going?” asked by the only Japanese girl with a short hair in the group.

She was calculating inside her mind. What kind of lie she should put up to them to make them convinced she got a new phone before she read those (nasty) messages Hyewon sent in their groupchat?

“Well, my phone was, uhm, smashed on the floor, so I had I sent it to the repair shop and got a new phone. I went there again today but unfortunately, I couldn’t restore anything from the old phone so I lost every data, included photos and everything else, Sakura unnie.”

“Oh, that’s too bad!”

“Why not you join us here, Chaewon? We haven’t seen you around that much nowadays, anyway.”

“But I shouldn’t interrupt your double date, Eunbi unnie. I respect your privacy.”

“Oh, no, not at all, Chaewon. You can always join us. We’re all friends anyway!”

“Nevermind, Yujin. I had plan to see Yena and her brother later today, so I’d get going first.”

“Chaewon, can we talk-”

“See you tomorrow at class, Minjoo! I’m afraid I’ll be late if I install more time. So, see you tomorrow.”

She turned around and never spared a glance to the back.

She knew that look from Minjoo earlier when the latter said she wanted to talk to her.

Minjoo was disappointed, desperate. Yet Chaewon gave her no time to show her the mercy.

She was just as desperate as Minjoo, but to get away from her.

*/*

She had History & Ethic class that morning, meant she’d see Minjoo and Yujin together for the two hours of lecture. It dampened her mood.

“I hate History & Ethics!” she said to no one and proceeded to the mirror, tying her hair into a ponytail and monitored her appearance for that morning as she watched her own reflection.

“You only hate it because you hate to see them together. Honestly, aren’t you tired of faking your smiles whenever you sit beside them in class? Even I got tired of your pretenses! Just move on, Chaewon!” her roommate said.

“If you’re tired to see me like that, then I’ll do better from now on, trust me!”

They all took the same majors but Yujin was in the same class as Eunbi, Yena, Yuri and Hitomi, which was different from her, Minjoo, Chaeyeon, Hyewon and Sakura. Another pair of mutual friends they had, Wonyoung and Nako were in the third class of the major, but they’d all always be sitting together for History & Ethics class. It was the general subject for all of them.

Upon arriving at the lecture hall, she spotted Hyewon and the couple was already sitting together at their usual seats. And it seemed like Hitomi was sitting in the line below them.

“There’s them! Let’s go!” Her roommate tapped her upper arm before leading the way into the cold hall. She followed the former’s steps lazily but unlike usual History & Ethics’ lectures, she aimed to sit with Hitomi that day, which she thought must have caught Minjoo off guard.

Minjoo would always save the seat next to hers (after Yujin) for Chaewon, but this time she didn’t give a damn about what the former had done for her. She wouldn’t want to sit with her, who made her felt sick in the stomach.

Hitomi gave her a look of confusion when the vacant chair was suddenly filled by her. Chaewon just gave her a toothy grin.

“Don’t give me that look! You only tempted me to bite your cheeks!”

She was only joking, but Hitomi wasn’t that much amused.

“It’s hurt to see them together every time, right?”

Hitomi really saw everything through her. She gave the former a small nod and a sad smile, but said nothing afterwards. She felt herself was pathetic once again.

[jjoyuri roommate message you]

yuri: is this what you mean you’ll do better???

chaewon: I’m doing good, right? ㅎㅎ

yuri: I’m- …….. =/

She closed the chatroom when their other friends started coming in one by one. Strangely Yena also chose to not sit with Yuri when she saw Chaewon was in another seating arrangement as well. The seat beside her was quickly taken by the ducky.

“Eh, Chaewon, you’re not sitting with Minjoo today?” Eunbi started attacking her with a question that she badly wanted to evade, but she wasn’t very successful.

“I feel like grouping with Hitomi today, so I’ll pass. You can sit there with your “faVOuriTe babies”!”

She quickly turned to the front and ignored Eunbi’s offended face expression. Almost everyone turned their heads at her, stunned by her sarcastic tone.

Suddenly she felt like crying for doing something wrong while everyone else was judging her now. When she felt the tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, she clapped Yena’s thigh.

“I’m going to the toilet for a while, please excuse me, Yena!”

As soon as she stepped out from the lecture hall’s door, she ran to the bathroom while her tears were already overflowing.

*/*

It was Friday night, and she had decided to go watch the movie she swore Minjoo was excited for so much, alone.

She remembered asking Minjoo two weeks ago before the movie’s release.

“The movie that you said is good is going to be released next week. Should we go to watch it on Saturday, since I’m feeling like going to the cinema too?”

She watched as Minjoo’s face expression changed, to guilty. She just started to warm up and got back to the friendly talking terms with her unrequited love, but the term seemed to be ending sooner than she expected.

“I’m sorry, but Yujin had booked me for the movie premiere. We’re going to watch it on the release day.”

“.......oh. I had plan on that day so I’ll just watch the movie later with somebody else. Hitomi is excited to see the movie as well! Maybe I should ask her.”

But she never asked anyone, though Hitomi asked her out to watch it together. It was probably Minjoo who told the “cheeks” girl to keep her company, but she ain’t receiving her sympathy.

A Star Is Born was playing in the big screen. She was sitting at the very far side in the movie theater so she wouldn’t be standing out for going to watch a movie alone if ever she sat in the middle. She didn’t want them thought of her as loner.

Mayhaps she is a loner, but it wasn’t their business to mind about her.

After the end of the movie, she came out from the theater with tears-stained cheeks, for crying so much. Why did it have to be so emotional and touch her heart like this? She had no idea she would be crying this much over a movie.

Or perhaps she’s crying because she thought of Minjoo who rejected her offer to watch this together while her eyes were fixed on the screen, for the show’s premiere with Yujin.

Of course. What was she thinking? Watching the premiere was the best, and with Yujin, tops her choice more than anything.

She was nothing, compared to that.

“Chaewon?”

She heard the familiar voice that she swore to avoid seeing nor hearing the most right then. Why was luck never on her side?

She tilted her head to the right and found the face that she grew to, once, be fond of and fell for, but now she wished nothing but for it to disappear from her eyes this instant.

“Minjoo…”

“What are you doing here alone?”

She said nothing, and just kept her lips shut tight together. Slowly, she saw Minjoo’s companies started to appear one by one. She wasn’t alone with Yujin.

“What about you guys?”

“We came here to watch A Star Is Born. You know how much I love this movie, though Yujin and I had watched it last week, we had no problem watching it again since Hitomi, Nako and Wonyoung really wanted to watch it together with us. Sakura unnie and Eunbi unnie are here as well!”

“I asked to watch it with you, Chaewon but you refused a couple of times. What made you here tonight? Don’t tell me you come to watch the movie alone?” Hitomi asked, with her large eyes staring at her in so much concern.

‘Thanks Hitomi, for openly saying of me being such a pathetic loser,’ she thought, sarcastically.

“E-Eyy, no way…” Minjoo was in denial.

“Hey Chaewon, I have been searching for you.”

An unexpected newcomer probably had saved her from this awful situation, and she had to say thanks to this guy for his mere presence. She turned to find Yena’s brother, walking up beside her with two cups of cider.

What a coincidence!

“Oh oppa, did you wait for long? Sorry for wandering off by myself after coming out from the toilet. I didn’t see where you were waiting!”

She beamed until the smile reached her eyes, and casually took one of the cups from his hands. He coolly let her be although he had no idea what she was up to. He didn’t look surprised at all.

“I came with Sungmin oppa actually. We promised to watch this together since it was released last week!” she turned to her friends and showed off.

Showing off her lies, but maybe it’s not too bad. She’d rather do that than telling the truth.

“Yena and Yuri didn’t come with you guys?” Eunbi asked.

“Nope, Yena said she had other plans with Yuri,” he said.

“Yuri told me Yena asked her out on a date at the amusement park. They wanted to ride the ferris wheel at midnight,” she added for him, and she was stating the fact this time. No lies.

“Chaewon, do you want dinner before I send you back to the hostel? I feel like eating the curry rice at the Japanese store that Yena and I like so much.” Sungmin asked her with hopeful eyes.

“Sure! I’m kinda hungry anyway!” she said without objection.

The accidental pair bade goodbye to the group before parting from the mall. Sungmin was really going to drive her home and they’d go eat dinner at the said restaurant near the mall before he’d do that.

“Thank you for coming out of nowhere and saving me from them. And I’m sorry I had to drag oppa to pretend with me and abandoning your friends,” she said when they were in his vehicle.

He chuckled, which brought a light inside her dark heart.

“No worries. While, honestly I was surprised with how things turned out to be, I kind of glad to help you out because I knew about your situations since my sister had enlightened me. And I was third-wheeling my couple friends when we watched the movie too, so it’s not exactly a good experience. When I saw you coming out from the cinema, I thought of going after you because you seemed to be really sad after the movie.”

Like she said, he was really kind and warm, and she liked him like how she liked Yena.

“Thank you,” she was genuine, and she felt the burden being lifted up from ber chest. She was really grateful towards him.

Throughout the dinner, he did nothing but made her laughed, and it was enough to heal her heart that was shattered before and after the movie incidents.

*/*

She skipped the morning class since she woke up late, but she had another tutorial to attend two hours after the first class that day, at 10 am.

Thirty minutes before the next tutorial started, she met up with her friends alongside Yuri and Yena, who had also woken up late like her, at the cafeteria. That’s just roommates kind of thing, she guessed.

It was like a promise for all members of the group of friends to be there once they stepped their feet at the said cafe. With the exception of Wonyoung and Nako who’re probably attending their own tutorial at the moment, and Chaeyeon who’s absent because she had a ‘date’ with her mother, everyone else was waiting for them.

She nonchalantly sat next to Hitomi and pretended to not see Minjoo’s hand waving for her over to sit beside the latter. She ignored the disappointed look on her best friend’s face and then there was Yuri to become the savior, while Yena was glued next to her instead of following Yuri, for some reason.

“Have a rough day last night?” Hitomi asked cheekily. She smiled at the cute “cheeks” girl and proceeded to pinch the chubby cheek.

“You have no idea! Yena and Yuri forced me to sing at the karaoke room all night yesterday and I had to drink as a punishment if I skip a round. I prefer to get my drunk rather than losing my voice for screaming all night!”

The group chuckled at her story-telling, aware of how she was so done with the loud mushy couple that was her roommate and her girlfriend.

“Guys, it’s been a while since we all hang out together. Why not we all have a barbeque party at my parents’ restaurant tonight?” the oldest among the girls, Eunbi suggested as she side-hugged her short-haired, Japanese girlfriend.

Chaewon shook her head and waving her hands at the same time in disagreement, shocking her friends.

“I’ll pass. I have an appointment tonight, sorry unnie!”

“What appointment?” Sakura blinked as her eyes were fixed on the orange-head.

“Appointment with my brother at the club. Believe it or not, I told my brother that Chaewon is quite a wild dancer when she’s high and he wishes to see it tonight,” Yena interferred mischievously while nudging her ribcage teasingly.

“C-Club?” Minjoo was bothered for a little and she noticed that but paid her no mind.

She gave her roommate’s girlfriend an annoyed look before shoving the side of Yena’s face playfully. “Get off of me!” she remarked before leaning towards Hitomi to plead for the latter’s shield.

Yuri eventually had enough of Yena constantly bothering Chaewon in that flirty manner that she got up from beside Minjoo and charged all the way towards the both of them.

She was saved by Hitomi, but Yena had to suffer from the power of Yuri’s strong ear-pulled skills. The poor girl shrieked in pain before all the other girls slowly stood up and leaving the violent couple behind alone.

When Yena wanted to avenge her girlfriend for shaming her in public, unfortunately she was only left with fuming Yuri still without any of her other friends to back her up. The ducky felt betrayed.

*/*

She came to the club dressed in black one-piece, layered with the black leather jacket that she borrowed from Yuri, even put on the earings that Minjoo had gifted for her birthday around two years ago. She was satisfied and confident with her appearance, and when she saw Sungmin’s jaw dropped as he saw her coming in, she knew she’s winning it.

The guy was attractively hot himself. He worked as the part time dj in the club, and he looked really cool when he was handling the machine that played the loud club music. She enjoyed seeing this side of him.

After showing her off with his skills, it’s time for her to show him what he wished to see. Her dancing!

While he got his colleague covered for him at the dj booth, she went to the middle of the dance floor with him on her tail. She was less wild unlike when she was drunk, but she danced as equally hard as if she felt obligued to impress Sungmin.

He did, and he always clapped his hands excitedly as she continued to dance, hyping her up like she’s really the only girl ever. She was really overjoyed thanks to his superb reaction.

However, she couldn’t have too much fun in the world, apparently, when it was cut short because the corner of her eyes had caught a certain scene that was very, absolutely unpleasant for her view.

What she despised the most about clubbing, was that, the trashes that she always called as men always seemed to be bothering women and made them the victims of those bastards who were erted, lustful beasts.

And the thing that boiled her heart up to her head the most right then was that, the very victim of this awful act in front of her was none other than her best friend, slash the (unrequited) love of her life, Minjoo.

Kim Minjoo.

The poor girl was pressed by force to the wall by the bald head old man that she believed was a VVIP customer (like Sungmin had showed her way earlier) and Chaewon clenched her fists and teeth when he kept touching Minjoo’s cheeks despite the girl’s strong resistance.

She wasted no time and charged towards the old man who dared to lay his freaking dirty hands on her love.

“Chaewon- wait! You can’t fight him alone-”

Sungmin tried to warn and stop her but she was faster. And as she neared the scene of his crime, she unfearfully grabbed the glass bottle from the table before his and smashed the same bottle on his head with all her might, until the glass was broken into pieces and his bald head turned bloody red.

The other customers quickly were drawn towards them as she finished him in one shot. Luckily for her, this VVIP was alone at the moment and none of his men were around to beat her up for knocking their boss out easily.

She rotated her head from the passed out VVIP to the scared Minjoo. The girl was scared of him before, and then she was even more scared of Chaewon because of her unexpected violence. Even Sungmin was stunned a few feet away behind her.

She stared at Minjoo furiously, before seizing the latter’s wrist, wrapped around her hand and dragged out of the club forcefully.

“What were you thinking?!” she yelled at the girl after letting go of her arm.

“What are you doing here alone?! Where is your girlfriend when you need her to protect you?!” She couldn’t contain her anger any longer and just burst out, scolding the poor girl without mercy. There were wrinkles on her face, and at the sight of that scared Minjoo off to her nerve until she was shaking.

Minjoo’s body was trembling. The girl was happy, flying beyond the cloud when Chaewon saved her from the awful, erted man. But when the orange-head girl snapped at her like that, she felt nothing but a pang on her face and a stab in her heart.

The traumatized girl began weeping, sobbing when she couldn’t suppressed her upset feelings anymore.

“Why...why are you crying?”

She breathed and clenched her teeth in frustration. She felt Minjoo was too weak, but she was weaker because heart started to soften up when Minjoo cried like that.

She hated herself for feeling this weak.

“Ch-Chaewon,,,” the taller red-head sniffled before covering her face with her palms. “Wh-Why,,,we can’t,,,just be like,,,before?” The girl sobbed between her words. After stalling some time, she finally recovered for a little and dropped her hands from her face, not before wiping the remaining tears in her eyes and on her cheeks.

“We were best friends. We did everything together,,,we were the best pair. So why we can’t be like before? It’s,,,like, I’m so hurt to see you drifted away,,,and,,,distanced yourself away from me…”

“You’re a-avoiding me, and it hurts me like h-hell…”

Tears were rolling down on repeat from Minjoo’s eyes. It made Chaewon felt bad.

“You’re my friend, Chaewon, so please s-stop, stop keeping a wall between us…”

“Stop avoiding me. You’re my best friend, and I miss you so much…”

It was a selfish request. She hated how she only grew more furious towards the red-haired girl.

“Wh-y...why are you so selfish? Why you can’t see that I’m hurting? Why you can’t understand that my heart is breaking when you only thought of me as a best friend and dates another girl that isn’t me, that the reason why I avoid you every time is because, I feel nothing but more pain whenever you’re near me but with her?”

“It’s not fair for me...that you get to be happy with another girl and still have me as your best friend, but I have to suffer alone because-”

She stopped, nibbling her lips, searching for the right word. What was it that she wanted to tell Minjoo? That her love was unrequited? That Minjoo didn’t belong to her?

“B-Because…”

What was it? Her lips were quivering.

“Because you’re not mine…”

Minjoo wasn’t hers, that was it! The girl was not hers, and she had to suffer forever for that.

“Because you’re not mine...but I still love you, a lot.”

She lost to her pride. She didn’t want to on her feelings by herself anymore, thus letting Minjoo knew, though it was deadly embarrassing, and pathetic.

And Minjoo was breaking down because of her. The red-head let out a loud cry shamelessly, and Chaewon lowered her head, weeping in silence, clamping her lips together.

“I loved you since our first year taking diploma together, when you were my roommate for the entire years. But I had to suffer when you suddenly fell for and had dated Chaeyeon, our classmate. Then you guys broke up, I could only comfort you as a best friend because I still wasn’t brave enough to confess to you.

“When we moved to our degree study, I still kept my feelings to myself though Chaeyeon had told me several times to make a move on you. But as I finally have the courage to confront you about my feelings, you’re suddenly dating Yujin, though I already expected you have…’something’, with her. I was broken twice!” She quickly wipes the droplet that fell on her cheek with the back of her hand.

“I’m sorry…” the former uttered in the most apologetic way.

The orange-head shook her head before slowly lifting her head up.

“Don’t be, Minjoo. Don’t make me feel like an absolute loser.” She scrunched her nose and wiped the remaining tears in her eyes, though her words didn’t calm Minjoo just yet.

“I’m still your best friend, Minguri. And you can find me whenever you feel troubled. I will always be there for you. But, please give me some more time and space.”

“I need time to heal my broken heart, and find my own way to pick up all the scattered pieces and patched them back to the right place.”

“I’m s-sorry, Chaewon-ah…” Minjoo cried.

Chaewon, once again, shook head, before, this time, stepping closer towards the red-head and wrapped the girl in her embrace.

“I’m still your best girl, Minjoo. Don’t feel like you’ve lost me, yet.”

Minjoo continued to weep in her embrace, and soaked her black dress with tears.

*/*

Minjoo’s birthday was nearing, but Chaewon was nowhere to make Minjoo feel better like she promised the girl that night.

In fact, the red-head felt the gap between her best friend and herself was bigger than ever. She wished she could have Chaewon back, like before, on her birthday. It would be the happiest birthday present for her, ever.

Chaewon checked her phone after a good an hour of napping in her dorm. Her roommate, Yuri had gone out way earlier, leaving her alone after seeing the girl in such a bad mood.

[day-5 until 🐸’s birthday]

hyewon: guys, yujin is throwing a birthday party for minguri this saturday at eunbi’s restaurant. y’all better be there and make this plan successful

eunbi: it’s my parents’, hyewon, not mine. besides why are you telling us this? it should be yujin who broke the news to us

nako: if it’s not obvious enough that someone in this group will be hurt if yujin did, idk what is inside your head, unnie

hitomi: nako - _ - do you really have to say it in this group?

eunbi: are you talking about chaewon?

wonyoung: eunbi unnie *facepalm*

chaeyeon: guys….. *zip mouth*

sakura: idk her =3

yena: let’s use [redacted] from now on

yuri: yena, not you too…

yuri: anyway, [redacted] is sleeping rn so y’all better delete your messages above

yujin: I’d appreciate if you guys can just...come, this saturday

She sighed as she closed the groupchat. Those girls never deleted their messages despite Yuri’s warn. Nobody had seriously cared about her feelings, she thought.

Chaewon then read the message that Minjoo sent to her separately from the other chatroom. The upcoming-birthday girl must have thought it’d work better that way.

[mingjoo 🐸💟]

[5:04 p.m.] minjoo: pleaee come this saturday. I know it’ll be hard for you to see us together like you said, but for the sake of our friendship, please come.

[5:10 p.m.] minjoo: yujin and I have a surprise for you.

Briefly closing her eyes, she tapped her phone’s screen and began typing her reply.

[5:52 p.m.] chaewon: I’ll try, but don’t hope too much.

[5:54 p.m.] chaewon: and advance happy birthday to you, minjoo. You know that I like you a lot, right? Don’t forget that.

*/*

It was Saturday, and it meant the birthday party for Minjoo in a few more hours.

Yena had forced her to go, though she was too reluctant to do so. She didn’t know why, but it felt like this was going to be the last time, and her heart felt too heavy for some reason.

She was walking along the shopping street in Hongdae alone to kill the time before going to the restaurant. She hand been searching for the perfect gift to present Minjoo, yet she walked around with nothing in her hand.

Her phone blasted her ringtone. She looked at her screen and saw Yena’s name. It’s probably just the girl pestering her again to go to the party.

“Hello Yena?”

“Hey Chaewon, please make sure you come this afternoom or I’ll break your neck! Or you want me to go pick you up so we can go together with Yuri?”

“Don’t ever bother, duck! I’ll go right after this, so don’t worry. I’m just buying some stuffs, then I’ll see you all there afterwards!”

“Okay, don’t be too late. And please, stay safe!”

“Okie dokie! I’m hanging up now, bye!”

Her legs were already stopping in front of a store before she put her phone down. She thought it was a perfect present for Minjoo, and probably for Yujin too. Without setting her mind elsewhere, she pushed the door opened and stepped in as the promoter greeted her sophistically.

After purchasing the item that she intended to buy, she didn’t realize that she was actually been followed by someone, tailing behind her the moment she stepped out from the store.

And when she felt suddenly being covered and her neck getting locked by a strong arm from the back, that’s when she realized she was being attacked at an open but empty place.

Then she out and fell unconscious.

*/*

The party had already started. They all were already gathered and singing happy birthday for Minjoo, yet there was no sign of Chaewon coming in.

Minjoo tried to appear happy and enjoying the party that her girlfriend initiated, but she couldn’t lie to herself that she was highly expecting for Chaewon to show up and she’d be utterly disappointed if the orange-head didn’t.

She was anxious after half an hour the party started, and she began to bite her nails when Chaewon’s face still didn’t emerge from the door.

Hitomi came and sat beside her. “Waiting for Chaewon?”

“Yeah, I really hope she’ll come. She even promised me that she will.”

Yena was tapping her foot (more like stomping because good gracious knew how loud she stomped her foot to the ground of Eunbi’s parents’ barbeque restaurant) as she grew impatient of Chaewon for breaking their little promise.

“Aish, why is this brat not picking up her phone? Is she putting it off on purpose?” she started nagging and her jaw was tense the entire time of attempting to get in contact with a certain orange-head.

Yuri was getting tired of the impatient Yena who was on her feet for 40 minutes long just to wait for Chaewon and went to sit with Hitomi, Minjoo and Nako instead. As soon as she sat down and looked at her phone, her phone was ringing and the call came from Yena’s brother, Sungmin.

“Hello?” she spoke in her usual Busan dialect.

“Yuri? Thank God you picked up! I’ve been trying to call Yena but it’s always engaged!” he sounded panicking and Yuri thought if something was going on wrong with him or his and Yena’s family, until she heard he broke the unexpected news to her.

“Ye-Yena,,,” she almost dropped her phone and her eyes were already getting watery with tears.

“What’s wrong Yuri?” she heard everyone asked her, but Yena’s approaching figure and her worried face concerned her more.

“Ch-Chaewon...she,,,”

Everyone was shook. Yena and Minjoo almost fainted at the news delivered by Yuri that she got from Sungmin.

*/*

“She was stabbed at the right top of her back and on her left abdomen. The attacker also seemed to have hurt her face with punches and a blade. Her cheekbones are broken. She had this long line of wound from her cheek down to below her lips.”

“D-Doctor, will she be a-alright?”

“The knife made a really deep cut into her body, unfortunately. The patient might stay unconscious for a while, but I couldn’t predict how long will it be.”

“Uncon-conscious? Does it mean she’s in a coma?”

The doctor sighed. “Similarly.”

“I-I don’t understand...Why would someone do that to her?” Yena was shaking her head in denial and tears were already streaming down from her face. She just came out from the ICU room that Chaewon was located at, and it was horribly terrible. The patient Kim Chaewon didn’t look like the Kim Chaewon that she used to know.

This was too much for her. The sight of Chaewon’s distorted face made her wanted to vomit.

“It was...” Sungmin spoke, garnering all the visitors’ attentions. “One of the men of the guy who had his head hit by her in the club last week. My friend who worked there told them she was my girlfriend and quickly told me after he exposed her identity.”

Yena enlarged her eyes. “Why would she fight someone in the club? She never messed up with people just randomly!”

Upon hearing that, Minjoo quickly interrupted before the former could get mad at her own brother.

“It’s because of m-me. Chaewon was sa-saving me from that guy and she accidentally broke a glass bottle on his head.

“I’m sorry...”

The hallway turned eerily quiet. Nobody said a thing after what she had just revealed. She could feel judging stares coming from her friends, and no one said a word to comfort her, at least until Sungmin broke the silence.

He had always been kind and warm.

“It’s not your fault, Minjoo. If Chaewon didn’t do it, no one knew what your fate would be like if he continued to harass you. Even I wasn’t brave enough to go against him, knowing how powerful that old man is.”

“B-But-”

“Shut it, Minjoo. Don’t blame yourself anymore!” Yujin had saved her from further self-blaming and came in front of her, cupping her face. “Shh, it’s alright. Chaewon’s gonna be alright. Let’s all pray for her.”

Seeing the scene unfolded in front of her, Yena was reminded of Chaewon and her current condition. It felt like her heart was being ripped apart and she gulped before quickly looking away.

She walked away from the hallway and fastened her steps, with tears began running down on her face yet again.

*/*

It was Monday. They all had a class that morning and started gathering in the cafeteria after classes, with the exception of Chaewon who’s still lying unconscious in the hospital, everyone else was there.

Yena was unusually quiet after the incident last Saturday. She was less cheerful, and everyone in the group was getting worried of her, but nobody dared to ask her anything, although Yuri tried, she was unsuccessful.

The taller brunette was sitting in the farthest left corner of the table while waiting for the others to come back with their food and all, except Minjoo. The red-head was just as less energetic as Yena after knowing what had happened to Chaewon. Her birthday party that she was anticipating for so much had actually turned out as a nightmare for her.

Yujin came first to the table, followed by the rest of the group. Yena watched how the short-haired came back with food and a cartoon of strawberry milkshake for her girlfriend. Minjoo beamed meekly while Yujin patted her head with some sort of affection.

Yuri was sitting next to Yena when the latter suddenly spoke that stunned the whole group.

“I feel sick in my stomach as I see the both of you right now. I don’t know how you guys did it without feeling sick, or guilty.”

“Yena!” Eunbi was alerted when she sensed Minjoo and Yujin were getting tensed at Yena’s staring. “Stop it! Everyone is sad about what happened to Chaewon, so don’t make this worse!”

“No, unnie, you don’t understand!” Yena snapped before rising on her feet, startling Yuri and everyone else. “I saw her everyday. I saw how she poured her feelings out, how hurt and painful it was for her. But what did I do? I simply told her to move on, and find someone else, other than Minjoo!”

She started crying. Her eyes and nose were getting hot with outcoming tears. She shook her head, her face grimaced.

“And I regretted for telling her just that instead of comforting her.”

“You know how much Chaewon means to me. She’s like my own little sister, but I only broke her heart more for not taking her more seriously.”

“Yena...” Yuri held onto Yena’s wrist as her own tears fell down in sync with her girlfriend’s.

“I’m sorry, Yujin and Minjoo. I love the both of you, and I have always supported your relationship, but it’s hard to see you together right now. I understand how Chaewon felt when she wanted to avoid the both of you, and I’m going to do the same thing, so please give me some time and space to myself.”

The brunette walked away, leaving the rest of them behind but Yuri followed her. The latter was running to catch up with the former’s fast paces, and she managed to catch her on time while seizing her wrist.

“Yena, you can’t just run away like that!”

“Please Yuri, all I need is only time and space! I can accept their relationship, but I can’t see them right now or anytime soon, at least not until Chaewon is alive, safe and sound! Please,,,just give me some time...”

Yuri slowly let her own hand loosened around Yena’s wrist, and the latter quickly ran away again.

Their friendship was unexpectedly breaking apart caused by one unfortunate incident.

*/*

It was that evening when Minjoo came to the hospital, bringing in a basket of fruits and a heart full of hope.

Chaewon had been moved to a more private ward, and it was her luck that she had to share the visit time with no one other than the patient’s mother. The middle age woman greeted her with warm smile, though she could see the sadness painted still on her face, seeing how her daughter had been immobile even after three days.

“Thank you for coming, Minjoo. Oh yeah, I found something peculiar in Chaewon’s bag. I think she meant to give it to you for your birthday. Oh, and, happy belated birthday, dear.”

The peculiar thing that Chaewon’s mother claimed was a case of what seemed like from a famous jewelry brand. The woman stepped out from the ward to give her some privacy, and it was just the exact thing that Minjoo needed.

She opened the case, and came to a shock after discovering what was inside the box. She covered , and tears started welling from the back of her eyes.

It was a matching, silver couple bracelet, with some initials engraved in the open.

민주것 (Minjoo’s)

And a letter.

Minjoo-yah, happy birthday. I made two bracelets engraved with the same word because I wanted to say they’re yours and had one for myself, but since I’m not yours , you can give it to Yujin. Have a merry, happy birthday. From me, who could only dream of you to be mine, Chaewon.

Minjoo instantly cried and sobbed after reading the short birthday message. If this was Chaewon’s last wish, she was ready to fulfill it right away.

The red-head took one of the bracelets off from the case and put it on, around Chaewon’s tiny wrist.

“This is yours from now on, Chaewon. Please come back, don’t leave me.”

Tears fell from her eyes down to Chaewon’s hand. She slowly lowered her head down, and smooched the patient’s skin gently.

Please, come back.

T H E E N D

A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the crap ending, but I did warn you about the amount of angst in this fic. The original plot for the ending was even worse than this. I'm going ✈ depression writing this fic for torturing my poor baby Chaewon's heart. 2kim might be the (one sided) main pair in this, but I  also adore ssamyen very much, so I had to add that scene of Yena. Chaewon is her baby >.< Anyway, happy reading everyone (^_^)/ #2kim #HeartbreakAU #NotHers_fic