"I think I like you, Chaeyoung."

 

Those words rang in Chaeyoung's head for several minutes, until it finally sunk in what it meant. This was all new to her, and she was never told this by anyone before, so she panicked.

 

And by panic, she meant slamming the door on Jennie's face out of reflex.

 

Chaeyoung leaned against the closed door, and clutches her chest. Her heart was beating too fast she thought it would jump out of her chest. She stayed like that for a couple of minutes internally debating whether she should come out and apologize to the brunette for slamming the door, or just let things be for now.

 

She wasn't able to decide when she heard Jennie's car sped away already.

 

'Damn, Chaeyoung', was what all she could say to herself.

 

She knew she kind of overreacted at that part, but who could blame her, though? Jennie's the first person who has confessed to her like that. And although she was already seeing the signs, it's still different when the person actually told you what she's feeling towards you.

 

But what really made her cower was the realization that she doesn't know what she will reply to the girl.

 

She doesn't know...yet.

 

Chaeyoung limps straight to her room, and slumps herself on her bed with a sigh. Her phone suddenly beeps inside her pocket, and she fished it out only to find a text message from the brunette.

 

From: Jennie

 

I'm sorry.

 

She groans and tucks her phone under her pillow. What exactly is she sorry for? If anything, she should be the one who's sorry for walking out on her.

 

Chaeyoung sighs and closes her eyes as she waits for sleep that she knew will never come.

 

Another sleepless night. Just great.

 

~•~

 

"Wait- you what??", Joy blurted a little too loud on the other line.

 

"I kind of...slammed the door on her face?", Chaeyoung bit on her lip.

 

"Oh, man. That was harsh", Wendy commented, too.

 

Chaeyoung decided to facetime her two bestfriends that Tuesday morning, and told them what happened last night. She still doesn't know what to do, and she really needs someone to knock some sense in her brain at the moment.

 

"I know. And I really feel bad", she juts her lip in a pout.

 

"You should feel bad, Park Chaeyoung", Joy agrees, "I mean, after everything she's done for you."

 

"I hate to say this, but I'll have to agree with Joy. I was skeptic at first, but when you told us that she fought for you when you got injured, and she carried you all the way to the hospital, and watched the stars with you to complete your camping experience", Wendy sighs, "The girl is inlove with you, Chaeng."

 

"Yeah, and you just broke her beautiful heart", Joy shakes her head in disappointment.

 

"I— guys, whose friends are you, seriously?", Chaeyoung whines, "I told you, I panicked, okay?"

 

"You didn't have to slam the door on her face, though", Joy points out.

 

"It was out of reflex! I swear I, too, was surprised at what my stupid self did."

 

"Still, the poor girl deserves at least a decent answer from you, you know? It's not that easy to confess", Wendy said.

 

"And what am I supposed to answer to that? 'Um is this a prank?' Or maybe, 'Is it April fools today?'", Chaeyoung groans, "I didn't know what to answer, okay?"

 

"You should've told her you like her too. Easy peasy", Joy replied.

 

"What??"

 

"What? Don't you like her too?"

 

"I—"

 

"Don't you even try to deny it, Chaeng", Joy wags a finger at the screen, "We know you since forever. We know whenever something's bothering you. This whole Jennie thing, it's been bothering you, right?"

 

Chaeyoung nodded hesitantly. She really couldn't hide anything from her friends.

 

"It's bothering you because you're starting to feel a little something for that gorgeous brunette."

 

"Was the adjective necessary?"

 

"Yes, of course. I had to point out that a very gorgeous and extremely rich human being, is inlove with you."

 

Her two friends made a virtual high five in the screen, and she facepalms herself. She doesn't know if calling them was a good idea.

 

"I cannot take back what I did, though", Chaeyoung sighs, "Now, can someone just tell me what to do 'cos I really feel bad right now."

 

"We told you already. Just tell her the truth", Joy encourages, "She's done a really good job being honest with you. It's just fair for you to do the same."

 

"But, I don—"

 

"Don't lie to yourself, Chaeng. You exactly know the answer. Think about it, okay?", Wendy spoke this time.

 

"And we really think it's time to finally get yourself a girlfriend", Joy smirks.

 

Chaeyoung just shakes her head, "I'll try to talk to her."

 

"One more thing, Chaeng", Joy added, "Does she make your heart beats fast?"

 

"What?"

 

"Whenever you see her, or whenever you're talking to her...do you feel that somersault in your stomach, like you're nervous, but not really?"

 

Chaeyoung knows where this is going, and she knows she's busted because she's actually feeling it all...towards a certain small brunette.

 

Joy smiles knowingly, "Little Chaengie is inlooove!"

 

"I— I'm nooot!"

 

"Alright, then. Maybe not inlove yet. Just, um...inlike. Yes, you're inlike."

 

"You're crazy! Both of you", Chaeyoung puffs her cheeks.

 

"But we're your bestfriends, so bear with these crazy beautiful faces."

 

They all shared a laugh, and they decided to end the call there as the two girls still have their classes.

 

Chaeyoung spent the rest of her day moping around, internally debating whether she should text Jennie or what. The thing is, Jennie hasn’t texted her either since her message last night. She must’ve really hurt the girl, and she knows she should do something.

 

But what?

 

~•~

 

“Hold up, Jennie Kim. You mean to say, you finally confessed to her?”, Jisoo jumped on her brunette friend’s side with a stupid smirk.

 

Jennie and Jisoo were lazying around their private lounge when the brunette decided to tell her friend about what happened last night.

 

“I guess I did”, she shrugs her shoulder.

 

“And what did she say?”, Jisoo was ecstatic.

 

Jennie just stared at her friend before posing a thumbs down, “She slammed the door on my face.”

 

It was a good 10 seconds before the purple-haired digested what she just said, and stared at her dumbly.

 

“Oh my god.”

 

Jisoo started cackling, and Jennie would’ve smacked the heck out of her if she’s not her friend.

 

“Where is Lisa when I need someone to laugh with”, Jisoo jokes, “Wait, how do you feel, though? You’ve never been turned down in your entire life.”

 

Jennie heaves out a sigh of frustration. Last night when Chaeyoung walked out on her, she stayed still for a couple minutes thinking if she should knock and apologize to the girl or just let things be. She chose the latter and drove away in defeat.

 

She was honestly hurt. Not just because it’s the first time someone turned her down. But majorly because it’s also the first time she chose to be honest to herself. It may sound cliché, but she has never felt like this before. If it’s other people, she maybe wouldn’t have minded.

 

But it’s Chaeyoung. 

 

God knows what Chaeyoung did to her that all she could think about was the girl. She thinks about her smile, her laugh, the way she scrunches her nose, her chipmunk cheeks. Literally anything about her.

 

And it’s frustrating her that whatever it is that they had started to build, will just crash down because of one stupid confession.

 

“Chu?”, Jennie calls out.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Let’s end the game.”

 

Jisoo squints her eyes, “What do you mean?”

 

“I don’t want revenge anymore”, she replied honestly.

 

Jisoo bites back a smirk, everything is just going according to plan, “And what are you going to do now?”

 

“I’m gonna pursue her. I don’t care how many times she slam the door on my face. I just...I want her.”

 

The purple-haired clicks her tongue knowingly, “Oh, Jennie Kim, don’t tell me...?”

 

Jennie looks at her wearing the most sincere smile she’s ever seen from the girl, “I like Chaeyoung. For real.”

 

~•~

 

Chaeyoung was preparing for bed when her phone suddenly rings. She dives to where her phone was immediately, actually expecting a certain small person’s call. Her lips jut out in a pout, though, when she read Yang’s name on the screen.

 

“Hey, Yang?”, she answers.

 

“Hey, Chaeng. I just called to check on you”, the guy said on the other line, “How was your foot?”

 

Chaeyoung glances at her left foot which was wrapped in a bandage, “It still hurts every now and then, but not as painful as before.”

 

“We’re sorry we didn’t do anything when it happened”, she heard him sigh.

 

“Hey, it’s alright. No one has expected that to happen.”

 

“I swear our blood’s boiling when we saw the look on that girl’s face. She doesn’t even look sorry. Do you know why she did that to you?”, Yang asks.

 

Chaeyoung shakes her head even though the guy can’t see her, “I honestly don’t know. I’ll try to talk to her when I get back to school— wait...what happened to her, by the way? Did Jennie really kick her out?”

 

“She was given disciplinary action, but she’s lucky she didn’t get expelled”, Yang replied, “We were actually confused. As far as we know, Jennie Kim never backs out on her word. Especially when she’s really mad. So we’re surprised she didn’t kick out the girl.”

 

Chaeyoung pauses and ponders for a moment. Why does it seem like she knows why Jennie did that—

 

“You have something to do with it, don’t you?”

 

“I...well”, she stutters, “I kind of told her not to expel the girl and just give her disciplinary action.”

 

Yang made an ‘uh oh’ sound, “You know what I’m thinking, Chaeng?”

 

“What?”

 

“I think Jennie’s whipped for you.”

 

“W-What??”

 

“Jennie Kim never takes other people’s command. She’s the boss. So for her to actually do what you requested, it’s really something, Chaeng.”

 

“I— I don’t know.”

 

“This time, I’m sure. Jennie likes you”, the guy says, “Can I just ask you something, though?”

 

“W-What is it?”

 

“Do you like Jennie?”

 

Chaeyoung fell silent and clutched her phone a little too tight. Everybody’s been asking her that same question.

 

Is it a sign?

 

Is it time to finally stop denying and just admit it all at once?

 

Chaeyoung recalls Jennie’s words last night, and she remembers the girl’s nervous but hopeful smile as she told her what she feels.

 

And she thought, maybe she really knew the answer all along, she’s just too in denial to admit it.

 

Maybe...just maybe...she really likes Jennie, too.