Chaewon lost track of how much passed since the last time she talked to Hyejoo. And she couldn’t hide, not even from herself, that she missed her so bad.  

She missed her jokes and her smiles and her random cheesy compliments. She’d even grown to miss the smell of cigarettes.  

When she studied, she read pages and pages, but after a while, it was as if she’d read nothing.  

In class, she was unable to keep her mind present and attentive. It was always somewhere it shouldn’t be, but when she realized she was at it again, it was always too late and she could never stop herself from doing it.  

Almost as if she had given up on trying to fight it.  

But she still did it. She had to, when it went too far, to places she was scared of.  

Of course, Sooyoung and Jiwoo noticed how her mood changed and always tried to cheer her up and encourage her, but even some of her classmates noticed.  

She wanted to apologize, she wanted things to go back to what they were, but Hyejoo said she wouldn't be coming for a while. It wasn’t never. She would come back when she was ready, right?  

“Hey, Chaewon,” a voice called. “It’s like the tenth time you fall asleep today.”  

She raised from the warmth of her arms and blinked. “I was not asleep…” she mumbled, returning to the depths of her arms.  

“Okay, let’s call it a day, we’ve been studying for almost three hours. Or maybe it was only me, you seemed very out of it.”  

Chaewon glared at her. “What do I do, Hyunjin…”  

“First of all, let’s leave this place. Then I might help you with whatever you’re talking about,” Hyunjin said, dragging her out of her chair.  

She groaned but finally stood up.  

“What’s troubling you? You haven’t been very… you lately.”  

“What does that even mean?”  

“You tell me.”  

Chaewon stared down at her feet as they walked down the library staircase, without knowing what to answer.  

“Maybe I’m overworking. I haven't been sleeping very well, with all the things to study and-” her eyes found the ones she hadn’t in too much time.  

Her feet slowed down until they came to a stop, or else she would probably fall down the stairs, because her eyes were still locked with Hyejoo’s, behind her round glasses. A look that hurt, because there was no hint of a smile in her eyes.  

“Chaewon?” Hyunjin’s voice brought her back, as she blinked and looked at where she stood, a couple steps below.  

“Yes! W-What was I saying?” Chaewon rushed down, gripping on the straps of her backpack.  

“That was your friend Hyejoo, right? Wasn’t her hair different, though?”  

Chaewon looked again to where she was sitting a few seconds ago, but she had disappeared. But Hyunjin was right, and Chaewon hadn’t seen it wrong after all. There were no more faded blue ends. Instead, all her hair was jet black now.  

“It was.”  

Hyunjin kept silent and Chaewon could feel her eyes on her as they walked.  

“What a weird vibe. Did you fight?”  

“W-What?”  

“Is that why you’ve been like this?”  

“It’s that easy to see?” Chaewon gave her a sad smile.  

“Well, it’s been a while since the last time I’ve seen you with her when you used to be together all the time, and the look you gave each other just now sent chills down my spine.” Hyunjin rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “What happened?”  

Chaewon sighed. “She’s mad at me.”  

“Okay, have you apologized for what made her mad?”  

“No… She doesn’t want to talk to me.”  

“Why do you say so?”  

“She told me to mind my own business.”  

Hyunjin rubbed her chin. “Did you mean the thing that made her mad? That thing you said or did.”  

“No...” Chaewon stared at her feet.  

“Then that means you know people say and do things they don’t mean when they’re mad. She’s no exception.”  

Chaewon met her eyes but didn’t know what to say.  

“You miss her, don't you?” Hyunjin asked, and she sure hit all her soft spots. “Then go talk to her.”  

“I-I’ll think about it. Thank you, Hyunjin.”  

Chaewon felt a thump in her chest. She did miss her, more than she was supposed to.  

“Hyunjin!” Someone called.  

A girl, very pretty when Chaewon took a proper look, waved at them. At Hyunjin to be more specific, whose face was way redder than it was mere seconds ago. 

“I-I gotta go, sorry.” She scratched her neck. “Root for me.” The corners of her lips curled up, making her canine show up.  

“Okay, good luck with... whatever it is.”  

Hyunjin looked back at her and took a deep breath. “A date. A freaking date with Jeon Heejin!” she whispered, her face radiating with excitement. “Okay, I don’t wanna keep her waiting, make sure you talk to Hyejoo. Bye!”  

Chaewon observed as Hyunjin rushed towards the girl, Heejin, who yanked at her arm and kissed her cheek the second she was next to her.  

But wait... a date? Chaewon didn’t see that coming.  

When she first saw Hyunjin, she seemed very unapproachable. She always had a strong vibe. And even though her features were rather cute, she always kept a serious expression in class. But that one class she sat beside Chaewon and asked to see her book because she had forgotten hers, that changed. Her cute smile melted the scary aura around her, and all that made her very much like Hyejoo.  

Since then they became seatmates in class and study partners, but they never talked much about personal stuff. Even so, Hyunjin didn’t hesitate in worrying for her and helping her. Chaewon could only be happy for her because that date seemed to mean the world to her. And Chaewon seemed to have some sort of magnet for befriending girls who were into other girls, but at this point, she had already become used to it. Hyunjin seemed the happiest about that date, and that was all that mattered.  

It should matter if Chaewon was happy too, but she couldn’t. Everything she could see was Hyejoo’s sad expression when she looked at her.  

Chaewon had to do something, but for now, she would go home and study. This study session had been anything but productive. 

--- 

Chaewon lost track of time, and when she let go of the pen in her hand, she noticed how her stomach grumbled.  

She sat in front of the TV with a sandwich in her hands when the front door opened.  

“Hey, guys,” Chaewon said without taking her eyes off the TV.  

Chaewon felt two more weights on the couch beside her as they greeted her.  

“Hey, Chaewon,” Jiwoo said, making her turn her head. “Were you with Hyejoo today?”  

“No, we still... we’re not talking yet.”  

“Not even today?” Sooyoung asked. “You guys should let go of that at least for today.”  

“Why today?”  

“Oh my, you don’t know, do you?” Sooyoung bit her lip. “It’s Hyejoo’s birthday.”  

Chaewon froze. “Her b-birthday?”  

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to rub salt on your wound.”  

She shook her head, eyeing Jiwoo as she grabbed her phone. “There’s still time.”  

Twenty minutes left for the day to be over. Twenty minutes should be enough.  

"But, how am I supposed to know where she is? She must be partying or something."  

"Jungeun told us Hyejoo didn’t feel in the mood to party. She must be home. And judging by her ‘not in the mood’, she must be missing you. You know what that means." Jiwoo smiled at her.  

"Go." Sooyoung squeezed her hand.  

Chaewon didn’t have time to ask them how they knew it was her birthday, or how they knew Jungeun. Only Hyunjin’s words from earlier rang in her brain. Chaewon shot up from the couch and ran to her room to fetch her jacket and bag.  

"I'll see you later."  

---

A/N: This chapter was slightly shorter, BUT I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER I PROMISE ^-^

And what would a story of mine be without 2jin right keke