Byulyi had just slept over with Hyejin and Wheein, the two girls reluctant to let her go and anyways she was too tired to back to the apartment. Too tired to pretend like she didn’t know Yongsun. Too tired to pretend like she didn’t love Yongsun. Too tired of pretending. 

But giving up the act was never an option and Byulyi would never let the thought even attempt to grace her mind. If she allowed the idea of freedom to fester, Byulyi would have no chance of winning this game.  Not even Yongsun could change the game, Byulyi hoped. Not now. Not for anyone. This was for the best. Byulyi could be happy. Her parents would be happy. Byulyi would be happy. 

Byulyi loves Yongsun. Everyone but Yongsun knew. Byulyi promised herself, Yongsun would never know. For if she knew, Byulyi would have nothing stopping her from falling into Yongsun. 

Now it wasn’t just Byulyi involved. She also had to care about Sandeul’s situation. They were on the same page but the wrong page in the wrong book. The book was in a different language, both had no idea what they were doing but hoped they could forget. 

Byulyi attended her classes, went to work, came home, studied and cried herself to sleep. 

Loneliness crept into the cracks of heart. Seeping in everywhere. It felt as if she wore gray tinted glasses, the world just wasn’t the same anymore. Even the sun didn’t shine as bright lately. She was just slogging through each day. Slowly forgetting why she needed to live. Why she did anything anymore?

The apartment and home were two different places. Coming to the apartment was something she dreaded everyday. She couldn’t talk to Yongsun. Yongsun wouldn’t talk to her. Yongsun didn’t need her. Byulyi couldn’t need her. 

But she continued each day. 

Wheein and Hyejin never talked about that day but now they knew and understood her now. They never said anything but Byulyi knew she had them, regardless of what had happened with Yongsun. The two younger ones did their best to visit her without Yongsun knowing or so they thought. Yongsun knew she couldn’t ask them to pick sides between her and Byulyi. She wished they didn’t have to sneak around her though. She was okay really. She was fine. 

She and Byulyi are the oldest but lately is felt like Wheein and Hyejin took care of their two older friends more. They dragged Yongsun out in her free time to try to get her to meet someone knew. Just to get her to open up to new people not even to date someone. Yongsun would go just to appease them, she felt she owed them that much at least for their unceasing efforts. 

Tonight they had gotten drunk, well more like Yongsun had gotten drunk after some light drinking while the other two made sure she didn’t get into any trouble. Yongsun danced some and made a fool of herself in her inebriated state under Wheein and Hyejin’s supervision. The two watched, laughing at their friend’s antics, relieved she had found a way to let go of her sorrows even if it was just for one night. 

They had work early in the morning tomorrow so they decided it was time for them to collect Yongsun from the dance floor where she danced alone deliriously, her bizarre movements successfully driving people away. 

“Unnie, come. It’s time to go. Its late now. We have work tomorrow”, Hyejin coaxed. 

Yongsun began some incessant babbling in response but nodded to her words. Seeing Yongsun’s nod of approval. Wheein wrapped Yongsun’s arm around her shoulder and carefully guided her towards the exit. Yongsun’s head lolled finally resting against Wheein’s shoulder. Her gibberish finally stopped. She had quieted down and Wheein assumed she had fallen asleep as they were walking to their car outside the club. 

“Byul byul where are you? Byullll come back”, she slurred. Yongsun’s mumbling finally made a little sense to Hyejin and Wheein’s ears. 

They had no idea what to do. They felt Yongsun’s pain but she also understood Byulyi’s troubles. Neither of them had a monopoly over hurt. Something had to be done. Clearly no one was doing alright. But they knew it wasn’t their place to force them to reconcile. Only fate, Byulyi and Yongsun had that right. 

After Yongsun’s drunken pleading for Byulyi, she went back to her unrecognizable mumbling. 

The two younger ones maneuvered the older girl into the backseat of the car and Hyejin sat with her while Wheein started up their car in the front. They began their journey back to Yongsun’s apartment then their dorm in silence now filled with Yongsun’s deep breathing indicating she was actually sleeping now. 

“Wheein can you turn the radio on?”, Hyejin quietly asked. 

“Yeah sure give me a second”, Wheein complied. The radio sprung to life and the gentle hum of the music enveloped the three girls. One sleeping. The other two wondering about how they would quietly get Yongsun home without Byulyi noticing. A confrontation no one really needed. They both had no idea how