Strictly No Dating

Chapter 30

Kwon Eunbi was sitting on a seat in the dressing room, waiting for the others to get ready. They had just finished appearing on The Show, snatching another win for Fiesta, it was also another enjoyable stage performance with her members.

Things have been hectic and emotionally draining for her but she tried to appear fine in front of others. 

She had already changed into her normal clothes, sitting comfortably in her white padded jacket with both hands in her pocket. She leaned her head on the wall, tired. A long yawn escaped , and she only partially closed it with her hand. She saw Yujin was snickering at her, with a phone in her hand. She probably snapped another derp-looking photo of her, but she was too tired to scold her.

"Unnie, let me take a photo for you! You can post it on private mail later! " Yuri said.

The leader didn't notice her coming but there she was, smiling cutely like a baby hamster with green streaks.

Eunbi smiled lazily at her, and sat up straight.

"But I'm already in casual clothes, Yuri-ya. Do I look okay?"

"You always look good, unnie! Look at those collarbone, ooooh they're so y!" said Yuri. She was more excited than Eunbi herself.

Eunbi chuckled, and she was convinced. She just realized that she didn't take much photos for private mail that day. She pushed back her padded jacket, revealing her inner clothes. She was wearing a low white top and white coat inside, but not too low. It's just the right amount of skin showing. She gave Yuri her phone and put on her favourite filter, it's the kind that makes the photos look like they're taken on film camera from late 90s.

She did a few poses, and Yuri was snapping away like a photographer. The younger girl even bended her knee and knelt to get the right angle for Eunbi. That's why she is currently Eunbi's favourite photographer, and she was so proud of it. She forced Eunbi to tell fans that the great photos were taken by her.

"Unnie, look! You look so pretty in these!" said the younger girl, excitedly showing her the phone's screen.

Eunbi smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Wow, these are amazing, as expected of you... thank you Yuri!" Eunbi said while Yuri smiled sheepishly on the side.

"Why is Yuri amazing?" asked a accented voice.

Eunbi knew who it was without looking. She looked to her side and smiled as her eyes met hers. Sakura had just finished changing and she looks comfortable in her white padded jacket, and also her favourite pink zipped jacket underneath. She sat next to Eunbi without being asked and side eyeing Yuri.

Yuri snorted, "Eunbi unnie was just talking about the photos I took! Why Kkura unnie? Are you jealous she's praising someone else?"

Sakura pouted her lips, sulking. Eunbi can't help but smiled watching her girlfriend.

She's aware that Sakura is the jealous type, and though she always appeared as if she was unbothered, she sulks a lot and always want special attention from the leader. Even if it's just among the members.

They haven't been spending time together lately, and honestly things have been quite sour between them after their last fight in Sakura's room. At times she avoided her, and she felt guilty for doing that but she can't help it. She could feel Sakura stiffened up beside her. 

Eunbi threw her arms around the Japanese girl's body and hugged her sideways.

"Of course you're amazing too, Kkura-ya. You did great today," she said softly to her.

Sakura's mouth crept up and she smiled. Her cheeks were red as she turned to look at the leader. 

"I know right? You did amazing too, unnie! It was a great performance!"

Eunbi didn't say anything back. Instead she hugged her tighter and rested her head on the younger girl's shoulder. 

"Our unnie must be tired, huh?" said Sakura patting the older girls's hand that was clutching tightly on her shoulder.

"Poor baby..."

"Awww that turned out well!" said Yuri suddenly. She was still there watching them for some reason.

"What is?" asked Eunbi, confused. She was blinking her eyes repeatedly while still leaning onto Sakura.

"I took the photo of the two of you," said Yuri, handing over Eunbi's red iphone to her.

"Aww these are really good! Haha I look so comfortable hugging Kkura! Can I post it on private mail? I really want to share this photo!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Our photo? I thought you're always conscious about sharing our photos because it's risky..."

Eunbi sighed, "You're right. But this is a really good photo and I just want to share it with the fans..."

Sakura chuckled, "It's up to you, unnie."

Eunbi looked at her phone's screen for a long time, thinking.

"Then, what if I do this?"

Eunbi posted a photo of her hugging Sakura, but she cropped her out, leaving only her hair and ear to let people guessing till this day. 

Even if it was for a moment, the feeling of Sakura's warmth eases her heart.

She will enjoy it, for now. 

**

Eunbi just cannot control the tears that was running down her cheeks.

She tried hard to stop crying but that only made her cry even harder. The managers were handing her tissues and she felt the pats on her back, and the murmured words they were saying as they were trying to console her, but it was no use.

She still cannot stop crying.

She thought she was strong enough but she wasn’t.

Eunbi didn’t expect it to be like this.

She read those comments, she knows how much it hurts the members. She was there to comfort each of them. She hugged Wonyoung and Nako to sleep, let Yujin make fun of her, crack jokes with Yena and Chaewon, songwriting with Yuri, went stress shopping with Minju, cooking with Chaeyeon and Sakura, eat cheese with Hitomi, she even let Hyewon hug her as long as she wants.

She kept telling them that it will all be okay, but truthfully, it was just words.

She’s scared, terrified, even.

She had pictured their comeback day in her head over and over again. She imagined they were meeting the fans on stage, and then suddenly they were insulting them, right at their faces, her babies, and there’s nothing she can do to protect them.

Will there still be people who support them? Three months is a long time, and maybe the fans won’t be able to wait that long.

Maybe they don’t have any fans left.

But she was wrong. Dead wrong.

Their album sales were making history for girl groups, selling hundred thousand copies for the first week. Their songs were charting high on digital charts too, not just the title track, but all of the B-sides charted within the top 100. Winning music shows were too easy for them.

She can’t even give their winning speeches because she gets all choked up.

She didn’t expect that they’re loved this much.

A female fan came up to her during fansign earlier, a familiar face. She looked so excited, a smile plastered on her face as she approaches. Eunbi remembered her, from Japan hi-touch events last year. She flew all the way there to meet her, lining up at her lane faithfully.

She’s still here, she’s still her fan, even after everything that happened. Not just her, but she noticed so many familiar faces in the crowd, the fans from long ago, they're all there to support them again, unconditionally.

Eunbi wonders if she ever deserves the love she’s receiving from wiz*ones.

WIZ*ONES…

“You came…”

And then tears just streamed down her face, and it won’t stop. She had to be taken backstage for a while. She wanted to stop crying, she wanted to go back and meet the fans. Chat with them, joke around with them, like old friends do. But, she can’t do it without getting emotional.

Sakura went to meet her after the event, asking her how she’s doing. Eunbi knows the girl was concerned. She’s worried and it was shown on her face.

But she can’t bring herself to lean on her, and she didn’t know why.

So she pushed her away, telling her that she needed space.

Dating Sakura is an illegal privilege.

And she’s not sure if she can continue do