~Somewhere later that night~

It was one of those days when Joy insisted Seungwan to hang-out in a bar near their university. Their examinations just ended so Joy thought it was a perfect opportunity for Seungwan to distract herself from moping around. Luckily, the girl agreed with a soft nod and said, “I need to blow-off some steam as well,”

Joy knew.

She knew that the recent events pained Seungwan but the girl tried really hard to hold it in by herself. To top it all, Seungwan did not even know that the whole dating thing was her idea. She felt guilty as she knew that the pain was somewhat caused by her.

“Unnie, you know you can always talk to me right?”Joy consoled the older. The two were seated at the far booth of the bar with Joy drinking her fourth bottle already while Seungwan was at her third. Joy knew she needed to get this off her chest or else the guilt would surely eat her up in the future.

Seungwan shook her head dismissively and let out a sad smile. “I know-I know that Joy,” Joy observed the older and noticed that Seungwan’s eyes were already droopy and her cheeks were already red, a clear sign that the older was already drunk.

“Then let me be honest now,” Joy said in all seriousness this time. She felt tipsy but she still had a good grasp of what was happening.

Seungwan tried with to put all her attention at the girl. “What do you mean?”

“The fake dating thing…” Joy trailed off as she tried to assess the older’s reaction. “It was my idea,”

There was silence in the table.

The blaring music was the only thing Joy could hear that time.

A beat.

Then a fist slammed loudly on the table, toppling the bottles over.

“You knew all along…” Seungwan breathed, still in disbelief. Joy noticed how the older’s veins were already visible.

Joy rambled, “I didn’t know that Joohyun unnie was still into Jennie nor they are to be wedded. But…but… the time we spent with Joohyun unnie was worth it, right?”

Seungwan stared at her in disbelied. “How could you, Joy!”

Joy bowed down and said in a small voice, “I’m sorry, I really didn’t know things would go like this. I was supposed to tell you but then I saw how you and Joohyun unnie were getting closer… I got afraid,”

“You were the one who told me to get away from her,” Seungwan said accusingly.

“I thought it’ll benefit you both…I feel like whatever’s happening was all my fault,” Joy was already tearing up as she said the last words. She only started to realize the gravity of her actions and she could not believe that she hurt her precious unnie. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

“It’s not entirely your fault, Sooyoung-ah,” Seungwan said tenderly as she lifted the girl’s face and wiped her tear-stained cheeks with her hands. Joy was shocked at Seungwan's reaction. She expected to be shouted at or be driven away by the girl but it was the exact opposite. “I agreed to this thing knowing that it will eventually end. I just… I didn’t expect that I’ll like her this much,”

Joy let out a sad smile as she covered Seungwan’s hands with her own.

“Don’t worry, unnie. You’ll always have this beautiful face beside you,” Joy said playfully as she made a flower pose for the girl, even though tears continued to roll down her face.

“Good thing I’m drunk or else you’re dead already,” Seungwan quipped and threw a balled napkin at the girl.

“I want a two weeks worth of Gongcha, capiche?” Seungwan ordered to which Joy nodded enthusiastically and wiped her cheeks with the balled tissue she caught.

After a few moments, “Thank you for telling me… then can I be honest with you too?” Seungwan slurred as she leaned back on her chair.

Joy scrunched her eyebrows in response and waited.

“I have a fiancé, too”

Just.

Like.

That.

Joy wasn’t even done wiping her cheeks and a new bomb just dropped.

“What?!” Joy exclaimed as she stood up from her seat. “Are you sh*tting me right now?”

“No, my parents set us up even before I entered the University. He’s my friend since then but I’m not sure what will happen in the future,” Seungwan explained as she drank from her bottle again.

Joy did not even have time to process what the girl said when Seungwan’s eyes lazily darted from Joy to someone behind her. There was a look of surprise on the blonde’s face so Joy hesitantly looked back as well.

"Oh! My dearest,