SinB wandered around the festival slowly, trailing behind an excited Yuna who was floating between the stalls and getting all the free stuff that they were handing out as Yewon who was right behind her, looked like a high schooler to them. Yewon would have said something to retort that she wasn’t a high schooler but already enrolled and taking classes here, but the way that Yuna got all excited about getting random free things prevented her from saying so.

“Are you not enjoying yourself?”

SinB looked up immediately, making eye contact with Sojung. The older held out her hand and SinB hesitated to hold it.

“Just blanking out a bit.”

“Thinking?”

“Maybe? I don’t remember.”

Sojung hummed and took SinB’s hand, forcing SinB to walking a little faster and closer to Yuna and Yewon.

“Is it about this morning?”

“Morning?”

SinB did think about this morning, but it was just her wondering how she had managed to find Sojung’s hand the first time she had woken up with Sojung’s warm grip. The first time, Sojung was doing homework and holding her hand, which meant that Sojung had taken her hand when she was sleeping, or she had somehow found Sojung’s hand in her sleep. This time, she had taken Sojung’s hand before she had fallen asleep and even after waking up, Sojung had held her hand and let her sleep.

Also, at this moment, Sojung was holding her hand on her own accord, was it her desire to hold a hand, or was it Sojung’s?

“You seemed confused after waking up, then your complexion was better, unless you put on make up when I wasn’t looking?”

Sojung teasing smushed SinB’s cheeks to which SinB blushed and pushed back.

“S-stop! I didn’t! I just had a good dream!”

The grin on Sojung’s face had SinB quiet, but it wasn’t like she was lying. She was just confused and still very stuck to Sojung’s side because of their hands. Walking after Yewon, SinB occasionally looked over at Sojung, who only looked at everyone and everything with a rather dull expression, the youthful boys at the stalls would approach, seeing how tall and skinny Sojung was, only to back away when she glared at them a little, was it because Sojung didn’t put on glasses today? But Sojung’s glasses had no prescriptions on them, so she wasn’t glaring out of nearsightedness or anything. What could it be? The way she looked today was a little different to SinB, but it was interesting to note that she had noticed in the first place, since, SinB was now used to seeing Sojung without glasses in the apartment.

Thinking about it, Sojung also wasn’t wearing an oversized hoodie today. Instead, Sojung’s long and pale arms were shined upon by the sunlight in her loose t-shirt. Holding onto Sojung’s hand a little tighter as the crowd thickened a little from nearing the just after noon peak that came with parents and students who came after the lunch rush, SinB felt calm despite the chaos that soon lost her the sight of their self-proclaimed figure skater and number one best friend.

“Ah! Eunbi! I didn’t think I’d see you out here.”

A hand grabbed her other arm and pulled her to a stop, Sojung who had been following SinB’s lead halted immediately, did she just squeeze SinB’s hand? SinB looked over to the slight shorter Eunbi, giving a small smile and a hopefully less than shaky hello. Today, she didn’t feel that scared.

“Hello unnie.”

“Are you feeling okay? There’s so many people around that could accidentally bump into you!”

“I-it’s okay. If they’re not paying me any attention, it’s fine.”

SinB almost felt like she had developed a sixth sense of detecting other people’s stares and looks of disgust when she was in her past environment, here, whether she had lost that sense of stares or that she wasn’t being looked at weirdly kept her at ease with the thought that no one know who she was.

“Is that so?”

Eunha finally noticed their intertwined hands and her own slide down to thread into SinB’s fingers. SinB unconsciously squeezed Sojung’s hand, to which the older looked down to make sure.  Sojung looked back up and noticed that a student worker for one of the food stalls were coming through with a tower of boxes, some she could read the label as bread, probably for hotdogs, and ketchup. Why would anyone decide to carry such a large box of ketchup along with the bread instead of making two trips? Sojung quietly ignored the Eunbi’s conversation, focusing only on the warm hand in her grip and watching the teetering tower of boxes.

Then, the worker accidentally bumped into someone and lost balance, Sojung had the luxury of sighing quietly to herself before realizing the direction in which the boxes were falling. Acting fast even if she didn’t care much for the shortest girl, Sojung grabbed Eunha by the collar and yanked her forwards, narrowly dodging the box of bread that came crashing down where she stood. The exploded ketchup made it look like a horror scene and Sojung murmured a quiet apology for grabbing Eunha’s collar.

That tiny girl seemed really shook up by the thought of being dragged by her collar, but what else could Sojung do when all she could reach was that? SinB was also looking at her and Sojung began to feel a little guilt thinking about what SinB would have to say about it, should she have just reached that full step forwards and yanked by the other arm? Sojung was holding SinB’s left hand, and Eunha was holding SinB’s right, if one gave it just a little thought it was really difficult to cross the distance to grab Eunha’s right arm from Sojung’s position.

“Th-thanks.”

Sojung just nodded, her hand had separated from SinB’s in her swift move and now she just shoved them into the pockets of her trousers. SinB glanced down for a split second but held back from reaching to take Sojung’s hand back, closing her left hand in a fist, she was then called by Eunha to go check stalls with her. Eunha hadn’t specifically invited Sojung, and Sojung was a little irked by it, I mean, SinB isn’t first come first serve but, come on?

By the time that Yewon and Yuna had managed to find Sojung who was still trailing behind the two Eunbi’s just out of worry for SinB’s wellbeing, at least that’s what she told herself, Sojung’s manager had called three times to warn her of her appointments.

Wanting to tell SinB that she was going but also not wanting to bother her roommate who seemed to be getting along even better with Eunha, Sojung just patted Yewon on the shoulder and said she had to go.

“I know the company has been lax with you, but the connections can’t be treated the same way.”

“Be quiet, I know.”

She just couldn’t just leave SinB without having Yewon as backup for her. After getting a physical done and a half hour of the doctor nagging her manager, the company had finally listened to her tired pleas and allowed her a little more freedom, about as much as lessening the load just by five percent. Running her hand through her hair, Sowon’s eyebrows drew together.

“What am I doing today?”

“After a shoot, a salon trip.”

“Salon?”

Her manager nodded and Sowon checked her calendar, it was true, today was the day that she was due for a trim, her hair was long and almost reached the small of her back when straightened. Tugging on it, Sowon wondered.

“Give me your phone.”

“Eh?”

“I need to call the boss.”

“Eh??”

Nonetheless, Sowon had managed to fish his work phone out of his jacket pocket and sat back. Dialing her CEO’s number, Sowon leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

“Hello?”

“Does blond suit me?”

“Sowon? Of course! You’ve never dyed your hair though, are you sure?”

“Just this once.”

It was true, in her career as a model, she sported the same dark brown hair color, only sometimes putting on a wig for a runway, or adding extensions and highlights via clips.

“Go ahead.”

The rest of the festival had been alright for SinB, she finished visiting all the stalls with Eunha and managed not to stutter when Eunha finally let go of her arm that she had linked together halfway through. Thinking about it, Eunha must have seen that she was making much more progress towards behaving normally around Eunha and taken to that quickly, initializing their old ways of walking together.

It wasn’t like she hated it, but after a while, SinB felt as if it were missing something. Something wasn’t quite the same from before their fall out. Suppressing a shiver, SinB turned around and found Yewon looking at her with a closer to sad than emotionless face.

“Where’s Sojung unnie?”

“She went to work around 3pm.”

SinB looked at the clock on her phone and realized that Sojung had been gone for an hour. Why didn’t she say anything? This was also around the time she had started to feel something was missing, but she hadn’t thought too much of it, too focused on keeping up with Eunha. Then was the question about Sojung looking at her and the moment her gaze was gone, the weird feeling begins? That would mean that she was still conscious of looks, but certain ones.

“Sojung unnie said she’ll be back around 1am, so you should sleep early.”

“Oh.”

Yewon walked with her back towards dorm, Yuna had gone off somewhere, she had a project to do or something and needed materials. It felt like Yewon wanted to say something, but even up to SinB’s floor in the elevator, Yewon stayed quiet.

“Today, I can’t have dinner with you.”

SinB stopped and Yewon stepped out of the elevator.

“I have a meeting to go to. If I see Yerin, I can ask her for you?”

“It’s okay.”

It wasn’t like SinB was a child, eating alone from time to time was fine. Sure, it was lonely, but it wasn’t something one couldn’t get over easily. Yewon looked at her one more time before patting her shoulder and leaving.

Sojung snuck through the dark of the streets, but stayed near the streetlamps, even if she was after curfew, it was still dangerous to be alone in the dark like this. Hurrying in the gates and making sure her hood wasn’t falling back as she ran, she breathed a silent breath of relief when she made it into the elevator.

There were rarely students out at this time, especially because it was still the end of their break week before the next quarter. Usually, there might be a few going around for parties and the like, but thankfully none had seen her, for surely she would appear as a suspicious person.

Closing the door to the apartment slowly, Sojung sighed again, relaxing her shoulders and taking off her shoes. Because she was relaxing, she wasn’t ready for the dark figure who sat up on the couch suddenly, causing her to yelp and fall over.

“Hng? Sojung unnie?”

Sojung groaned and reached one arm up to flip the light switch from her seat on the floor, she hadn’t turned it on in case SinB was asleep, but it seems that SinB had been sleeping on the couch and randomly woke up, catching her in the middle of her return.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

Sojung rubbed her sore tailbone and waddled over to SinB, naturally placing her hand on the younger’s head, petting softly.

“What are you doing sleeping out here?”

“Hnh?”

SinB looked at Sojung and blinked a few times, but neither one was able to open all the way and a grin spread on her lips.

“Sojung unnie is blond again.”

In fact, Sojung’s hood had fallen back in her fall and SinB could only tell when Sojung came close. She was half awake, and definitely not aware that Sojung had actually bleached her hair. Sojung just giggled a little and leaned closer.

“You’re dreaming of me again?”

SinB’s goofy nod warmed Sojung’s heart and she held back from hugging the other. If she triggered anymore of SinB’s senses, she might wake up completely.

“Hey?”

SinB’s half complete words pulled Sojung’s thoughts from wondering how to bring her to a bed, whether her own or Sojung’s.

“Can I sleep witchu?”

Sojung smiled and patted SinB’s head again.

“Get in bed first, I need to wash up.”

“Come quickly. Okay?”

“Promise.”

===============

ain't that sweet? just wait till she wakes up next to her, AGAIN hahahahaha