Strictly No Dating

Chapter 32

It was so noisy in Dorm 1 that night.

The usually peaceful dorm was infiltrated by Hyewon, Yujin and Yena who came to eat supper. Chaeyeon posted on their groupchat that she's making some ramyun and minutes later the three of them came in through the front door. Chaeyeon had to cook more for them.

Sakura was aware of the commotion but she didn't bother to join them. She was sitting at her desk with a notebook and pen in one hand. She was wearing headphones, listening to their upcoming new song, Secret Story of the Swan. She and Nako was given the opportunity to write the Japanese lyrics for the song.

But she's stuck. It was just really hard for her. She only got the first verse done. Nako had done her part, but Sakura is still struggling with hers.

"Saku-chan what are you doing? Let’s eat ramyun," asked a voice behind her.

Sakura turned to her side and saw Hyewon coming towards her.

She looked away, "I'm writing lyrics."

“Oh is that the Japanese lyrics for Swan?” she asked, coming closer to her.

“How is it coming along?”

“It’s hard.”

Hyewon sat on the bed and crossed her arms, “Maybe you should ask Eunbi unnie’s help.”

Sakura tensed up as her name was mentioned.

Hyewon continued, “She’s really great at writing lyrics. She’s been writing a lot lately, some pop songs, and at times sad ballads, just strumming on her guitar…”

The Japanese girl nods, “Oh, well, she’s talented, unlike me.”

“Hey, you’re great too. Maybe she can give you some pointers-

Hyewon paused when she realized Sakura was staring at her. The younger girl gulped.

“Oh yes I forgot that you guys…

Sakura sighed, “Can you please leave, Kangchan? I just need to finish this.”

“Is this about what happened yesterday? Look Saku-chan, I hug her all the time but it doesn’t in the slightest means any romantic interest-

“Please leave.”

“Saku-chan…”

“Leave. Now.”

**

“Eunbi-ah, let’s grab some lunch together,” said one of the composer of the Psycho Rabbit team, Sungmin.

The IZ*ONE leader smiled and nodded, “Okay, let’s go to that place that you recommended the last time!”

She had been there since morning, cooped up inside one of the studio at Planhear Sound to do the final mix of her song, With*One.

“I’ll wrap some things up first. Wait for me here, okay?”

“Is Youngsoo coming too?” asked Eunbi. Youngsoo is another member of Psycho Rabbit composing team.

Sungmin shook his head, “No. He has a meeting with another client today, oh, it’s your friend.”

“My friend?”

He nodded, “IZ*ONE Sakura and Nako are here too today. They just arrived. They’re gonna go over Sakura’s translated lyrics for Swan.”

“Why didn’t you know it? You’re their leader,” he asked with a smirk.

Eunbi looked away, embarrassed, “Well, sometimes the managers didn’t inform me of the others schedule.”

He sighed, “By the way, Sakura is just so beautiful, huh? I’ve heard about her beauty from others but seeing it with my own eyes-

Eunbi scoffed, “Yah Jung Sungmin, she’s my girl-

“I-I mean my group member, okay? Don’t have any ideas.”

Sungmin chuckled, “I don’t! I’m just admiring her beauty, that’s all. I’m just a man, you know?”

He gulped when he realized that Eunbi was staring at him with deathly gaze.

“I’m gonna see Youngsoo for a bit, and then we’ll grab lunch together, okay? Wait here, or maybe you can check on Sakura and Nako? They looked nervous earlier.”

**

Eunbi stood by the door, watching through the glass, of a girl sitting at the desk.

Sakura was there, alone, burying her nose inside her notebook. Nako wasn’t there, maybe she went to the toilet, Eunbi thought. Back to Sakura, the Japanese girl seemed so focused, her eyebrows were creased as she was checking her lyrics.

Eunbi can’t help but smile.

“She’s so cute,” she said to herself.

Her hand reached to the knob to open it, but she paused. She put a hand on her chest and took a deep breath. It’s unlike her, and it feels silly to her, but she’s nervous to be alone with Sakura. She thought of just leaving without greeting her there, but then she asked herself why must she avoid Sakura?

They had ended things on a positive note. It was mutual, wasn’t it?

She mustered her strength, and then she grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open.

"Kkura-ya," she said.

Once Sakura realized who it was, she sat up straight and pushed the strands of her hair behind her ears, as if that would make her look like she's being casual.

They're just co-workers now, anyway, Sakura thought.

"Eunbi unnie, what are you doing here? Do you have schedule today?"

The older girl smiled and made her way to Sakura. She pulled the chair next to her and sat down.

"I was working in the studio next door, and then I found out that you're here too. I thought I wanna see how you're doing."

Sakura smiled, "I'm doing fine, thank you."

Eunbi chuckled, "I mean with the lyrics."

"Oh."

“But it’s great to know that you’re doing fine too,” Eunbi muttered.

She quickly adds. "Hyewon told me that you were stressed out with songwriting. So, how's everything going?"

Sakura sighed, "Well it's not easy to write lyrics. I don't know how you do it so well. Your songs are great, unnie."

Eunbi’s face turned red, flustered, "Oh come on, I'm not great or anything."

"Don't be modest, I love Spaceship and With*One so much. You don’t just write the songs, you also produces them, not anyone can do what you do."

Eunbi was smiling from ear to ear because of the compliments. It’s not just from anyone, it’s from Sakura.

"Thank you, Kkura-ya. These days writing songs is… my escape. I've been writing a lot."

Sakura nods, "Yeah, I’ve noticed that you've been spending a lot of time at the studio. You're always out.”

She shrugs, “I guess it's true that songwriters write songs easily after break ups. You must be really inspired these days."

Eunbi shook her head and looked away, "What are you saying, Kkura? It's not like that."

They sat there silently and the awkwardness immediately sets in. Sakura fiddles with her pen while Eunbi just looked elsewhere but Sakura.

The older girl sighed, "Why are you always picking fight with me lately? Are you upset with me or something?"

Sakura raised her eyebrows, "What? Oh come on."

"If you're mad at me just tell me."

The Japanese girl sighed and looked at the leader, “Let’s not do this here, unnie.”

"What is it? What did I do this?" asked Eunbi.

"Other than dumping me? Hmm let's see."

Eunbi scoffed, "Yah, Sakura. You said you were okay with us breaking up. Don't act like I did you wrong."

Sakura shrugged.

The older girl scoffed again, "You said it was okay to break up. You didn't argue with me, you didn't even cry!"

Sakura was taken aback, "It was what you wanted, unnie. You made the decision to break up with me and suddenly it was my fault?"

Eunbi gasped.

Sakura leaned forward, her face inching closer to the leader.

"You want to know why I'm upset? Well, learn to wake up early on days you have schedules. Why did I have to go to your room to wake you up?"

Eunbi scoffed, "Wow, I didn't know it was such a burden to you to help. I overslept, once."

"Yes it's a burden to me! Why do I have to go into your room and see you snuggling with another woman in your bed?!"

Eunbi looked at her, speechless. Sakura bit her lip, after realizing that she had said something that she shouldn't.

Eunbi nods, "Oh, so that's why."

Sakura gulped.

"It was just Hyewon though. She hugs everyone."

"I-It's not what you think, unnie. I may have worded it wrongly."

"Oh really?"

“Y-Yes! I don’t care whoever you’re hugging with! I mean you and I are nothing but… co-workers!”

Eunbi scoffed softly, “Co-workers??”

“Yes, that’s what we are now.”

They looked at each other, not saying anything. Their gazes locked for a whole minute, and none of them want to look away first.

Sakura gulped.

She felt like she was into the older woman’s gaze and now she was in another's world. A world where nothing else exist except the two of them. Despite the words that was coming out of , she has the urge to do the opposite. Her eyes were locked on Eunbi’s slightly parted red lips.

Only God knows how much she missed those lips.