N O T • H E R S • 2 . 0

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Waiting for Chaewon to wake up from her coma felt like forever.

But Minjoo thought even if it'd be thousand years before Chaewon could be conscious, then she'd wait for her best friend forever.

It was another night. Seeing the girl bedridden with all the life-saving wires around her made Minjoo felt sick in the stomach, but she'd never get tired of staying with the patient.

Chaewon's mother had given up on telling Minjoo not to stay the night, since the young girl was persistent on doing so. If Chaewon's mother couldn't accept that she’s doing this because Chaewon was Minjoo's best friend, then the folk should take this as if Minjoo was compensating for ruining Chaewon's life like this.

“What happened to Chaewon, is not your fault,” the middle age woman said.

“You could only say this now because Chaewon is still alive. If one day, Chaewon's no longer fighting for her life, the blame will eventually fall on me.”

Not only that Minjoo felt absolutely responsible for the incident, but she also felt terribly guilty for putting her best friend through the heartbreak that she had planned herself.

“Minjoo!”

She heard her best friend hollered her name. They had just finished a tutorial. Chaewon had been edgy throughout the class but never said anything when Minjoo asked if anything was wrong.

But when Minjoo was rushing out to see her new girlfriend that she had yet to announce to her group of friends, her best friend held her back.

“What is it, Chae?”

The girl stood taller in front of her due to the small stairs Chaewon was stepping on.

“Can I be really, really honest with you, for the first time?”

The question not only caught her off guard, but also made her nervous. Nevertheless, Minjoo nodded her head and let Chaewon spoke until the end.

“I like you, Minjoo-ya.”

Her heart dropped. Her eyes were enlarged and getting slightly watery. She never saw this confession coming, albeit being friends with Chaewon the longest compared to the other members in their group.

“Like, like more than a friend could. Like, longer than when you started to like Chaeyeon and before you two eventually dated.”

There was a pang to her face and a stab to her heart. Chaewon's feelings for her was longer than she could imagine, but how could she miss it all these years? How could she tell her that…

“I'm sorry,” Minjoo finally spoke after a minute of silence.

She saw Chaewon's eyes started to get teary as well. Maybe the low aircon temperature had finally taken its toll on her.

“I'm dating her,” she declared for the first time.

Minjoo stared at her best friend. The latter was nibbling her lower lips as tears started to fall from her eyes. Her heart broke for the girl, and for herself.

Chaewon nodded her head before eventually left Minjoo in the tutorial room alone first. With that cue, Minjoo also left the room and came back to her hostel room.

Instead of meeting her girlfriend, her roommate was the one who welcomed her home.

But Minjoo didn’t mind Hyewon.

She fell on her knees in front of her bed as soon as she reached inside, making her roommate panicked by her outburst.

Minjoo started crying- no scratch that, she was bawling her eyes out while holding onto her bed sheet while another hand clenching to her shirt, to where her chest was.

“AAaaaaaahhhhhh,” she wailed, completely scaring Hyewon. The girl took the option to contact Minjoo's current girlfriend, Yujin and informed her about Minjoo's scary condition. She was the only one who had known about the couple's relationship at the moment.

Yujin rushed to their room and when she finally showed up, she anxiously embraced her emotional girlfriend.

“What’s wrong, my Minjoo?”

“Yujin, did you do something terrible until Minjoo cried like this?!” Hyewon asked accusingly.

“No way! I'd never hurt my Minjoo!”

The subjected girl held desperately onto Yujin's shoulder and wailed on her chest.

“Yujin-ah, what should I do???! My Chaewonnie…”

If only Chaewon confessed to her three years ago…

If only Minjoo bravely confessed to her best friend three years ago when they were still pursuing their diploma study…

If only Minjoo didn't listen to Chaewon's admirers about wanting to ask the girl out…

Her phone beeped briefly. There was a message coming in from the said best friend.

Chaewonnie 💚: I figured out. You seem a lot closer to her lately, even more than me. Though I'm hurt that you didn't tell me, at least you know about what I truly feel for you for the past years now.

Minjoo was more emotional now after reading the message and started hitting her chest, as if it could make the pain inside her heart disappeared.

Yujin and Hyewon were terrified but also were too hopeless to do anything. They let Minjoo took her time to calm down no matter how much she made them worried.

But her heart continued to bleed and never stopped there.

Especially more when Chaewon started to create the distance between them, no matter how much Minjoo wanted to make it as if the confession never happened.

“Minjoo?”

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Minjoo slowly lifted her head from Chaewon's immobile hand and looked up. It was Yena, the other friend that she hand't spoken to in awhile.

The both of them decided to sit outside the ward and have a talk. Yena had always looked childish within the group, like she’s younger than Minjoo herself but this was her first time to see the older girl actually looked so matured.

“You're never tired of waiting for her, don't you?” Minjoo asked in a soft voice.

Yena clicked her tongue. “Speak for yourself.”

“I heard from auntie that you come here every night,” she added.

“You can stop doing that now, Minjoo. Yujin will be upset if you take care of Chaewon everyday. It’s only been a month. What if it takes years, or worse, she’ll never wake up until her last breath?”

Minjoo kept mum. She wanted to retort if she’s not the one who'll take care of Chaewon everyday, then who else will? But she knew Yena would turn down her debate somehow. Chaewon still has her mother, and Yena. Minjoo wasn't the only person ever existed in Chaewon's life.

“You know, Yena, sometimes I wonder how you and Chaewon got so close with each other. It's like you're her best friend more than me now.”

Yena was silenced. She had nothing to say against that statement. Maybe Minjoo was right after all. Chaewon probably had thought of Yena as her best friend more than Minjoo, after the unsuccessful love confession.

“You're still number one in her heart, Minjoo. No matter how badly you hurt her.”

“I don't hate you, never was and never will. But if you keep doing this, you'll hurt not only Yujin's feelings but most probably everyone's too. Remember when you told us all off before? If you're responsible for what happened to Chaewon now, so do we to her.”

Minjoo's tears fell down on her cheeks and she quickly wiped it away. Yena reminded her of her own words that she had told her friends, in respect of Chaewon's feelings and to avoid from hurting the girl further, she said.

“Let's just pretend the confession never happened. Even if we're aware of her feelings for me, let's just never discuss it. You all know I'm dating Yujin now, and that's all that matters. Chaewon will learn to move on. We won't prolong on hurting her that way.”

Oh, how that was such a fatal mistake!

*/*

Minjoo had just finished class and was walking alongside Sakura when she checked her phone.

[Yena🐥 messaged you]

Yena🐥: Have you done with class?

Mingjoo: Yup!

Mingjoo: Why?

Yena🐥: Chaewon has woken up.

Her eyes widened at the message. She was excited and jumped on her heels, startling Sakura, even received a smack on her arm for that.

“Chaewon is awake!” she declared excitedly.

“Seriously?!” Sakura couldn't hide her shock, yet she was very happy at the news that she covered her opened mouth and was getting teary eyes.

Minjoo wasted no time and typed on her phone's screen furiously.

[Pray 4 Chaewon 💐 gc]

Minjoo: IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT📣!! IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT📣!!

Eunbi unnie: what is it Mengjoo?

Minjoo: YENA SAID CHAEWON HAS WOKEN UP!!! GUYS, OUR CHAEWON HAS REGAINED HER CONSCIOUS NOW!!!

Chaeyeon: WHAT??!!

Nako: SERIOUSLY??!

Wonyoung: OUR CHAEWON FINALLY ㅠㅠ

Hitomi: Our prayers have been answered ㅠㅠ I miss Chaewon ㅠㅠ

Hyewon: Wow, I'm tearing up ;;

Yujin: That's great

Yujin: where are you right now Minguri?

Minjoo: I'm heading to the hospital now and will see Chaewon right away! Sakura and I are taking a taxi to go there

Eunbi: Be safe girls! See you later

*/*

But their excitement didn't last long. The glowing yet overwhelming smiles that painted on the pair’s face slowly faded when they saw Yena, sitting on the waiting chair outside the ward, looking hopeless and sorrowful.

The usually cheerful and the official clown of the group was crying soundlessly on the chair.

“Yena,” Minjoo and Sakura approached the ducky cautiously. What could be happening that eventually triggered Yena to cry this hard?

“Why are you here and not inside? Why are you crying? What happened to Chaewon?” the Japanese began bombarding the silenced girl with questions. She and Minjoo started to feel uneasy because of her reaction.

“We better not see Chaewon now…” was all Yena responded, which made Minjoo enraged.

“Why not?! She's already awake now, doesn’t she?! Of course we should go see her!”

She didn't spare the ducky more time and charged towards Chaewon's ward room though Yena looked like she's about to retort. But as she arrived at the door and stole a peek at the patient, her enthusiasm went down and her heart dropped.

Chaewon was with her mom, who was hugging her tightly to prevent her daughter from throwing more stuffs. It was already a big mess in the room.

She saw Chaewon was wailing her heart out on mother's shoulder, and Minjoo had never seen her best friend like that.

“No matter how different you look now compared to before, it still doesn't change the fact that you're my daughter, and you are still our Chaewon that we knew.”

Minjoo listened to what the folk was saying carefully, and she could already guess what was happening before she and Sakura came.

“Chaewon was all smiles when she woke up, but she started throwing tantrum when she saw her appearance on the mirror,” Yena’s voice took her attention away from the mother and daughter pair.

“She was disgusted with herself, and kicked everyone out from the room while throwing stuffs.”

“That's why it's better for us not to see her now,” she added.

Minjoo would say no to answer Yena, but seeing Chaewon like that was too much for her heart as well, so she gave up.

“Okay,” she said and walked away dejectedly.

*/*

From day 1 until the third day Chaewon woke up from her coma, Minjoo never got to see her best friend properly in the hospital.

Every time she came to visit the girl, Chaewon would always reject her presence, even threw stuff so Minjoo wouldn't draw closer.

“Don't come close! You'll be terrified because of my ugly face!”

“What are you talking about? I had seen you the way you are when you were still unconscious, everyday!”

“That's because!!!” Chaewon yelled at the top of her lung. “I wasn't awake!”

“Go away! GO AWAY!!!”

However, Chaewon was accepting when it was Yena who came to see her. Unlike Minjoo who was kicked out, the ducky got a free pass and even had it easy to hug Chaewon although it was just an attempt to make the girl calmed down.

“She will probably have seizure due to her extreme paranoia at this point. Please just leave her alone, Minjoo, at least for the time being.”

And so she did. But there would always be an unsettling feelings remained inside her, for getting outcasted by her own best friend.

*/*

Chaewon was traumatic after the unfortunate accident, explained her paranoia. Her face was visibly battered, and there was a long line of stitches on her cheek to below her lips. Her left eye was almost blind, and she could barely open it, due to receiving excessive punches.

She also had tremendous amount of hair loss post the injury for her head. When the accident occured, Chaewon got hit quite hard on her head before she fell unconscious. And that was also partly the reason how she ended up in a coma for a month.

Everyone understood her, or at least, trying to. Even Minjoo. But the hardest part was to accept the fact that Chaewon was pushing all of them away, except, Yena.

Why and how did Yena become so special and more important in Chaewon’s life more than Minjoo herself? She couldn't understand that.

Or maybe, she already long lost the title as Chaewon's best friend ever since she hurt the girl's feelings for Yujin.

*/*

It was no better when Chaewon started attending classes again two weeks later.

Sharing the same class was worse. It'd probably be way better if they're in the same place and not talking to each other, rather than being in the same freaking room but acted like complete strangers.

Chaewon came in wearing an oversized, black hoodie sweater and the same-coloured cap. It was her first appearance in the college in awhile, but Minjoo was disappointed instead of being happy when the orange-haired went passed her table and sat at the farthest back of the class.

The professor however, was unhappy of her outfit.

“Student Kim Chaewon, I think you forgot the rule that caps or snapbacks are not allowed in my class!”

The whole class paid their attention on the mentioned student, most likely causing the poor girl to be more edgy.

“Take off your cap right now or I'll take it off myself, and this is my final order!”

The professor was known to be very strict, and although Chaewon was his favourite student at some point, he wouldn't tolerate her for breaking his rule.

Knowing Chaewon was very insecure about her current appearance and using the cap only as a shield to cover her balding scalp, Minjoo was itched to defend her best friend from the professor.

But Chaewon herself, beat her to it.

The girl hastily walked to the front and confronted her own professor.

“There is something I should talk about with you, professor.”

The lecturer and the student then left the class to talk in private. Minjoo, Sakura, Hyewon and Chaeyeon had an idea what the topic was all about, and they hoped it'd benefit Chaewon in the end.

*/*

The group was having lunch together in the cafeteria when Yena came to their table. It had been awhile since Yena joined them, and to see the ducky returned to the group after feeling all better made them relieved.

“I'm sorry for running away from you guys. I probably made you all felt bad, so I apologize for that.”

“Especially, to Yuri, I’m sorry for making things bad between us. I shouldn't turn my back on you, but I still did,” she added.

“And also, Minjoo and Yujin, I wasn't mad at the both of you, so I’m sorry if hurt your feelings. I'm very, very sorry, guys!”

Yuri teared up when she saw her girlfriend was being so apologetic about the matter. Yena was overwhelmed with her emotions as well that she also shed tears.

Yujin stood up after Yena finished apologizing and hugged the ducky. The group applauded for the pair's fixed friendship, and half of them started to be emotional as they watched the pair.

“That's right, it's weird to see Yuri without you, but it's even weirder that you and Yujin didn't get along during the hard times,” Eunbi remarked as she wiped the tear that fell on her cheek.

“The both of you are partners in crime, but also best buddies when it comes to comforting each other, so it didn't feel right to see you two fighting,” Chaeyeon added.

Yena broke the hug as she pulled away from Yujin.

“Yeah, I guess it's really weird. But Chaewon made me realized that staying natural was the best I could do to salvage our friendship despite how much I wanted to stay by her side and fight with her.”

“C-Chaewon…” Minjoo lifted up her head when she heard her best friend's name. The former was the only member that was absent from the group, and she missed her so much.

Minjoo turned her head to the corner. She saw Chaewon was standing in between the pillars, silently watching them from the distance, in her black hoodie sweater and cap.

The moment their eyes met, Chaewon quickly looked away and ran off from the scene immediately.

Minjoo abruptly stood up from her seat and wanted to chase after the former when Yena caught her wrist.

“Chaewon might have pushed me to you guys, but she wasn't ready to return to us like normal. Let her have her time for now.”

Minjoo silently balled her fists under the table. Nobody saw or understood her frustration. Every time she attempted to get close to Chaewon, Yena was always there to hold her back.

She knew Yena meant no harm other than to help Chaewon gets back on her feet, but she also almost drove Minjoo insane for consistently keeping her away from her own best friend.

She had been bottling her feelings and keeping the agony of losing her best friend to herself. No one noticed her struggle, and that only made her felt more mad and frustrated.

She felt like crying her heart out, letting everyone knows about it.

But no one even looked at her, not even sparing a glance at her silent reaction.

Except maybe one person.

*/*

“You're okay?”

Yujin found her girlfriend at the farthest corner in the cafeteria that night. They didn't plan to meet up, but right after Hyewon informed her that Minjoo hadn't returned to her room, she went out to search for the girl.

“I guess,” Minjoo simply replied, and the way she spoke was lacking the truest expression.

“I guess you're not,” Yujin said as she sat down next to her girlfriend.

“What's wrong my Minjoo? You seem so out of it lately and don't look happy at all though we knew Chaewon made it alive, so please tell me what's disturbing your mind.”

Minjoo sighed as she held onto Yujin's arm. “Thank you for coming to me, Yujin. Before you, it's always Chaewon the only one who asked me and cared about me every time I'm struggling emotionally. Thank you, really!”

Yujin played with Minjoo's bang as she the latter’s hair gently. “So, it's about Chaewon, I see. Actually, I had assumed about it already.”

The younger held Minjoo's pinky finger like it was the most fragile thing in the world.

“Chaewon will eventually return to you one day. I'm sure she will. Let's just give her some more time.”

Minjoo was touched with her girlfriend's wise words so she leaned to the front and hugged Yujin dearly with teary eyes.

*/*

It was that time of the week, where they had the common class, History & Ethics.

Chaewon stood behind the door of the lecture hall, feeling reluctant to go in, with her not-so appealing appearance.

She was forbid from wearing any cap on her head after the last confrontation with her lecturer. But she was given the pass to wear binnie during classes. Although it wasn't the best choice to cover up the scars on her face, Chaewon took it because it was better than nothing at all.

It went well for her classmates as they knew what she had gone through, but the common class was different. A lot of the students from other classes involved didn’t know about her condition. Chaewon was embarrassed and insecure to step inside, afraid of the others’ reactions.

However, before she could run away, a hand took hers and dragged her inside as she held onto Chaewon securely. She turned to the hand owner and found Hitomi smiling at her, while Yena was on her other side, making the two newcomers to sandwich her protectively.

The two friends took her to sit with them, and as soon as they sat down, Chaewon realized the whole gang was actually tailing behind them, included Minjoo and Yujin.

Chaewon was seated between Hitomi and Yena while Yuri took the seat next to her own girlfriend. Meanwhile the rest of the group took the vacant seats above the four, making it all twelve of them were finally together after awhile.

Chaewon stiffened in the middle, lowering her head down while all her other friends were noisily chit-chatting. Among her friends’ voices, she heard coherent whispers from other students that were her fears and caused her to shrink more.

“What happened to Kim Chaewon? She used to be so pretty!”

“Gosh look at that big , disgusting scar!”

“So gross!”

“She doesn’t look angelic anymore but a devil!”

“She becomes so ugly lol!”

Hitomi had enough with the mean whispers and slammed her table that caused every student in the lecture hall to stop and stare at her direction.

“Say one more word about my friend here and I’ll kill you!” she threatened.

The students were immediately silenced and resumed doing their things that didn't involve Chaewon on their lips. The whole group cooed and looked at Hitomi proudly.

Chaewon lowered her head still and stole a few glances at both Hitomi and Yena by her sides.

“Aish, this is embarrassing!” she mumbled with a crack voice.

Hitomi noticed Chaewon didn't take her outburst in a good way and reached out to hold the latter's hand.

“What are you ashamed of? You have nothing to be ashamed about, to be honest. You still look pretty in my eyes although you have that scar. If anyone else has the same scars like you, I bet they still won't be as pretty as you!”

“Besides, we are the one who should be ashamed around you. I'm sorry we are still shameless despite what we had done to you. But, at least only for today, please stay with us. I want you to stay by my side,” Hitomi continued with a soft voice.

Chaewon nodded her head in comprehension and mutual agreement with Hitomi's request.

“Okay, I'll stay here with you today.”

*/*

Chaewon was at her parents’ house, unpacking her clothes in the huge luggage and bags, when her mother knocked the door and came into her room.

“Sweetie, your best friend came to see you.”

The girl was execting Yena but later Minjoo showed up at the door while her mother slowly retreated away from the room.

“Hi...long time no see…”

There was an awkward silence engulfed between the two (once) best friends. Chaewon stiffened as Minjoo stepped closer, and she quickly hid the scar on her face when the latter closed the distance.

“W-What are you doing here?”

“Not even an offer to sit down?” Minjoo teased, but upon seeing Chaewon's expressionless face, she chuckled bitterly and dropped her playfulness.

“So, what's your plan after this? Yuri was already upset that you no longer live with her, but now you're dropping out entirely.”

No matter how hard her friends tried protecting her, Chaewon gave in to the pressure and submitted a letter requesting to drop out from the college.

It wasn’t something that her friends did, but Chaewon became more and more insecure as time passed and it led to depression post the accident. She tried standing tall as Yena and Hitomi told her to, but it only worked temporarily. She ended up quitting as she felt really stressful whenever she was alone in her room.

“I have no idea,” Chaewon shook her head and avoided eye-contact with Minjoo.

The latter felt tears were threatening to fall down from her eyes and bit her lower lip.

“Chaewon, what happened to us?”

The girl was keeping mum, making only silence was answering Minjoo.

“Chaewon, I miss you…”

“...so much.”

Tears began pouring out uncontrollably. It was true she had missed her best friend a lot, but the girl never gave her the chance to express nor explain her feelings.

Only until now.

“And I'm sorry…” Minjoo sniffed, becoming a sobbing mess as she couldn't hide her emotions anymore.

“I'm sorry for everyt-thing…” she choked on her tears.

Seeing Minjoo emotionally distorted in front of her eyes was devastating for Chaewon as well. Just how much did she hurt Minjoo by drawing a huge gap between them, when they were literally best friends?

Chaewon quickly wiped the tears dropped from her eyes and sniffed.

“I'm sorry Minjoo-yah...I'm such a terrible friend to you, and can't keep my promise to you.”

She turned her face away from Minjoo and stared at the heaps of her clothes.

“Now, if you're done, can you leave me alone? I'm having a headache and need to rest now.”

Dejected by Chaewon's rejection, Minjoo roughly wiped her tears-stained face and walked out of the door immediately, without a step of hesitance.

Unknown to her, the moment Minjoo stepped out of the door, Chaewon immediately shoved the pillow on her face and became a sobbing mess afterwards.

*/*

[7 years later]

Minjoo waited in the bride's waiting room alongside Sakura, Hitomi, Nako, and Wonyoung while the rest were most likely accompanying Yena before they'd go into the wedding hall to witness the bride and her “groom” exchanging vows.

“I still can't believe you and Yena are finally getting married,” Hitomi sighed as she softly Yuri’s hair.

“Yeah, the last time I remember, Yena swore she would just date you and not marry you,” Nako snorted.

“Who knew Minjoo and Yujin's marriage life would trigger her to propose Yuri in the end,” Sakura added with a smirk.

Minjoo was smiling smugly as she playfully raised her eyebrows at the bride.

“Wonyoung, whom are you texting? You were so busy and distracted on the phone!” Yuri frowned at the tallest woman in the room as the latter quickly hid her phone away from her friends.

“N-Nothing, just waiting for Chaeyeon unnie's cue before we could go in.”

It wasn't exactly long after that, Yuri was called to get ready so she could walk on the aisle and get officially wedded to Yena. As the remaing three stayed with Yuri, Minjoo and Sakura left the waiting room for the wedding hall first, walking to their legit spouses, Yujin and Eunbi respectively.

“How was Yena?” Minjoo asked as soon as she arrived by Yujin's side before the couple sat down on the bench.

“A nervous mess!” Yujin replied that cause the both of them to gigle softly. The former then leaned forward to kiss her wife's forehead.

“Have I told you that you look really pretty today?”

Minjoo blushed at Yujin's remark before timidly hitting the latter's shoulder.

“You told me that every time you see me…”

The ceremony soon started. Yena came into the wedding hall first, looking nervous yet proud to be marrying the woman she dated for many years.

Following after Yena, Yuri then slowly started to walk into the hall with Nako, Wonyoung in the middle, and Hitomi tailing behind her.

When the couple was finally declared as official husband and wife, Yena encircled her hands around Yuri's waist and went in to kiss her official wife in front of the guests.

The event continued with the newly wedded couple gathered their peers in the middle before Yuri could throw her bouquet. Once everyone was on their feet, Yuri turned her back on them and was ready to toss the bouquet to the back.

Her toss however, went to the sideline and the bouquet ended up caught in Sungmin’s, Yena's brother, arms.

“Woah!” Yena gasped excitedly.

“It looks like you're really the next to marry, oppa!” Yuri .

Sungmin became shy while staring at the floor. “Well, as long as the girl accepts my proposal.”

The guests cooed.

“You already have someone in mind, Sungmin-ssi?” Eunbi asked on behalf of the other curious friends.

He hummed timidly. “She's on her way here by the way!”

Everyone was looking forward to see the woman of Sungmin's choice. The moment the door of the hall was opened, they immediately turned their heads and was greeted with great shock.

“WONYOUNG???!!!”

The youngest's name echoed in the medium-sized hall, and Wonyoung just sheepishly started drawing closer to her obviously-shocked friends.

“Seriously?” Nako’s eyes were enlarged.

“I'm sorry guys…”

“IT'S TRUE???!” Chaeyeon gasped loudly.

“...but I don't know what you're talking about.” Wonyoung said and shook her head.

“Eh???”

Just then, the door was opened once again and a thin woman came in rather elegantly.

“Did I just miss the wedding of the year?”

“KIM CHAEWON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Yena, clad in her wedding attire still, immediately rushed to the newcomer and came to hug her best friend without hesitance.

“Chaewonnn!!!” Yena cried as her hands quickly wrapped around Chaewon's neck, hugging the smaller tightly. “I miss you!!!”

Giggling softly, Chaewon slowly hugged Yena back as she received kisses on her cheeks and forehead endlessly from the former.

“Miss you too, Yena!”

Everyone else, however, became semi awkward with Chaewon's presence. It had been a while for the group to see her, despite knowing that Yena still very much closely kept in contact with her.

“Hi Chaewon…” Yujin greeted the latest guest when the latter came closer.

“H-Hi everyone…” Chaewon greeted her old friends as she scanned everyone of them. The last time the group gathered was two years ago, when Yujin and Minjoo had their wedding of the year, but without Chaewon.

Probably the last they had seen of her post her leave from college was 4 years ago, before Eunbi and Sakura got married.

Yena finally released the poor, suffocated Chaewon from the hug but still hung her arm around the latter's shoulder as she turned around.

“Everyone, let me introduce you all to my future sister in-law, Kim Chaewon!”

The subject and Yena’s brother both blushed at Yena's announcement although nothing was confirmed, yet.

“Y-You're Sungmin oppa's girlfriend?”

Chaewon said nothing but smiling at Minjoo's question while Sungmin reacted shyly.

“N-Not to that extent yet, but I did p-propose her.”

Everyone cooed at Sungmin's statement but Minjoo. The latter gulped as she waited for Chaewon's answer.

“And you haven’t said yes yet?” Sakura asked excitedly.

“Chaewon-ah, Sungmin oppa caught my bouquet today so  you better answer him fast!” Yuri added with a hint of teasing.

“How am I supposed to answer him when he propesed me through video call because I was in Japan?! He should have proposed me face to face!” Chaewon pouted.

Sungmin became speechlessly shy and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Chaewon giggled at his cute reaction as she approached the guy.

“But my answer will always be yes anyway, no matter what!” she added.

“WOW, THAT'S A FREAKING YES???!!!”

“YES YES YES!!!”

“YEAYYYYY CHAEWON IS GOING TO BE MY SISTER IN-LAW!!!”

Yena was the happiest next to her brother upon Chaewon's acceptance. Well, everyone was fairly happy for the new couple as well.

Although Minjoo was a little indifferent.

She was feeling bittersweet at the moment. The promises they made to be best friends forever was crushed when Chaewon drifted away from her.

And now, Minjoo not only lost her best friend, but also the one who once took the most special place in her heart.

‘And now, you’ll forever never be mine.’