Dahyun didn’t know who she could talk to about this. She felt guilty, but she didn’t think she could talk to Momo and Sana about it. Not yet at least. Her head still spun with thoughts of yesterday’s conversations. What was the love that she was feeling? She was certain that the love she felt for six of them was very similar to what she'd felt for her family and friends. Yet she truly was not sure about the last two. And if she was right, then how was that meant to work with two people? Should it work? She wondered if that even mattered. She did not plan to stay forever. She couldn’t stay long. They would catch up to her. She would either flee or be captured. Fleeing would be the better of the two options. 

“Something on your mind?” Joy asked. They were in the library, working on math together. The other, and much taller, girl understood differentiation far better than her. Especially the word problems, which could have sent Dahyun running. "People, school, or something else?"

"People," she admitted. 

“Guys? Girls? Or both?” A wink. “I know, I’m being immature.” 

Dahyun tried not to be too obvious that she wasn’t sure what they were talking about. “Girls?” It was true. 

She grinned, setting down her pencil. “Care to explain?” 

“I’d like to, but can’t.”

Her eyes softened. “Confused?”

She nodded. How could she phrase this without it sounding really strange to human ears? “How do you know if you like someone?” Too obvious, but it was too late to take it back. 

Joy just chuckled. “Sure it’s not two someones?”

Dahyun couldn’t hide her surprise. It heated her entire face. 

“You’re cute.” Her eyes turned into crescents as she laughed. “I don’t wanna say it like this, but you have eyes for two of the hottest girls in this school.”

Dahyun mulled over those words for a moment. Were her strange feelings so obvious? “As in heart eyes?” 

“Oh they’re full of hearts alright,” Joy winked, “but it’s not one-sided. Even if one of them is busy playing someone else.” Her smile faded. 

“What do you mean?”

Dahyun saw sadness mixed with flickers of purple and pink. 

“She doesn’t make it a secret,” Joy muttered. “But Sana never stays long in one place.”

In one place. Sana hadn't exactly moved anywhere, unless one counted walking from school to the house and everywhere in between. Dahyun was pretty sure that wasn't it. Another odd figure of speech.

“Sana?” Those odd emotions were tied to the girl. There was also disappointment. What could have caused that? It was more severe than the disappointment the girls felt when she wasn’t sitting at their table. 

Joy gave her a look. “You’ve heard the stories, right? I think she’s been with three people since you arrived.” More disappointment. “Including Irene and me." She frowned. “Momo was also with Irene.”

With her as in dating? From her emotions, she didn’t have to ask this time. She was at least picking up on that aspect of romance. 

“I don’t blame you for liking them. Go right ahead if you want,” she said. “Just be careful.”

“Careful?” Dahyun repeated. Was this that element of fear in love? The way Joy was describing it was that both Momo and Sana wouldn’t be around for long, but not in the way that Dahyun wasn’t supposed to be around long. It was an emotional presence, she supposed. Joy was missing Sana’s presence?

“Everyone hopes they’ll be good enough for her.” She shrugged. “Nobody is. Joo-Hwan got his hopes shattered, Irene got a double disappointment.” Then she smiled slightly. “I wasn’t with her long before she lost interest. Jennie’s probably in for heartbreak too.” 

Heartbreak. Normally if your heart broke, that meant you died. So was the sadness related to a lost opportunity at love? Was that what Dahyun had avoided by not leaving? Perhaps a different type of it. The other was purely on the level of romantic attraction, because the flickers of love she saw in Joy weren’t strong. Yet she had seen a great deal of sadness in Momo, but also some in Sana, though it did pale in comparison. 

Did that mean Momo already knew how deep the heartbreak could go and Sana did not? Was it the fear of that pain that made Sana so uncertain around Dahyun? Very likely, if she knew she’d lose interest soon. Was it a bad habit that arose from immortality? Whatever the case, Dahyun didn’t think this was the right way to go about things. People were getting hurt because of it. Did Sana know that? 

“On to less depressing things,” Joy said. “To answer your question, you know you like someone usually when you can’t get them out of your head. Or if you manage that, when they come in the room, your attention goes straight there.” 

She’d experienced the latter. Twice. “Do you feel really happy?” 

She smiled. “You should. Liking someone shouldn’t always mean you’re a bundle of nerves around them.” 

Lucky for Dahyun, she rarely knew if she was nervous in that sense. At least until she noticed her heart was racing or her face was warm, then she really did feel nervous. 

“Thank you, Joy.” 

“Sooyoung,” she said. “I don’t know that many Joy’s, so most people call me that. But Sooyoung is my real name.” 

“Both fit,” Dahyun replied. She meant it. She saw the bright green very frequently in the human. She didn’t look further for the sake of privacy, but she was quite sure Joy’s core emotions would include happiness as well. 

A small silence. 

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” It was only fair. 

“What do you plan to do?” Joy asked. “This whole love triangle thing you’re in is complicated. I don't envy that, but these are two girls everyone wants to date.” She waggled her eyebrows. 

She didn’t ask what a love triangle was. It sounded pretty self-explanatory. Instead, she thought about the question. What was she supposed to do? She hadn’t planned on doing anything. Was she supposed to? What would happen if—when—she had to leave? If she pursued anything, wouldn’t there be more pain? 

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’ve never, uh, dated anyone before.” That was true, and she felt it was alright to say. 

“What?” Her eyes widened. Shock covered the other emotions. “You’re kidding.”

She shook her head. Was this so unbelievable? She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. 

“I guess that explains why you’re so clueless.” Joy grinned. “Three people are into you and you don’t pick up on anything.” 

“Who?” 

Joy raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, two Japanese girls, and,” her eyes widened, “nevermind.” 

Momo and Sana. And the third. Who might that be? She combed her head for the people she’d talked to before. Then she remembered the jealousy from other students, from the other girls. 

“Irene?” 

The shock strengthened. 

“I didn’t say anything to you about this!” she said. “She’ll kill me.” 

Dahyun wanted to ask why something like that should be a secret, but she resisted. She’d asked too many questions already. 

Irene was beautiful in both the physical and the emotional world. Her core emotions were comprised of calm and humours. Both had shone through during the Hamlet project, as her patience with Dahyun had been marvellous, even when she’d been very unfocused. After the Helen attack, she'd hardly been affected when Dahyun’s emotional aura had been lashing out. 

“Anyway,” Joy started to stack her papers, “I think you should just let things play out. If you really don’t know what to do, go with what feels right.” She gave her a grin. “Be natural.”

______
“What are you frowning at?” Jeongyeon asked. 

“How long has Dahyun been here?” Momo was staring at her calendar. “I don’t know why, but I can’t remember when she arrived.”

“Well, it was probably the Mon—” Nayeon stopped, then frowned. “Tuesday?”

“Wednesday,” Jihyo said. “Closer to the weekend.”

“Then it must have been a Thursday,” Sana replied. 

“We could just ask her when she comes,” Mina said. 

“She won’t be coming,” Chaeyoung said. “She didn’t get the unit and Joy offered to help.”

“Help?” Sana repeated. Her brow furrowed. 

“What?” Jeongyeon winked. “Worried all your exes are gonna make their move?” 

The once pink-haired girl scowled. She’d gone to a pale brown colour. Then she shook her head. “I guess that’s it,” she shrugged, “but I’ve got a weird feeling.” 

“About them?” Jihyo looked from Sana to where Irene was sitting. 

“Not exactly.” A sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.” 

“We’ll keep an eye on them,” Nayeon said. Sana might have gotten jealous easily, but she was rarely paranoid. 

Momo looked back at the calendar. She also felt weird. It wasn’t anything huge. She just felt uncomfortable. And a little hungry. Maybe that was it. 

Dahyun smiled at her when she walked into Physics. It was a broad one. Momo couldn’t help but return it. Her chest almost felt light, the weirdness of the day fading. 

“Hey.” Momo went over to the place in front of the desk Dahyun shared with Chaeyoung.

“Hi.” The fairy fixed a surprisingly intense gaze at her. “I finished the book.” She rested her chin on her hands. “The one with hobbits. We have a lot to talk about,” she smiled, “if you like.” 

“Definitely.” She poked her cheek.

“Great,” her smile widened, “I’ll see you all at the house then later.” 

“Going somewhere?” Chaeyoung asked.

“Meeting someone actually,” she replied. “Irene’s friends might join, but I’m not sure.” 

There it was again. A stab of jealousy that Momo tried desperately to push down. She had no right to be this jealous. It wasn’t fair, and it wasn’t justified either. 

Then again, she thought, you did cuddle with her. In a bed. Yet as the thought crossed her mind, she reminded herself that Dahyun wasn’t aware of how intimate that was. She didn’t even know anything about kissing. At least not much.

A tiny kick jolted her out of her thoughts. Momo saw that Dahyun was looking at her, brow furrowed and lips pursed. The physics look. Before class had even started. Momo saw the questions forming in the fairy's mind. Then class actually started. Momo left to go to her seat. 

“I hate to say it,” Jeongyeon whispered. It was one that couldn’t be heard by anyone except probably a werewolf, but not Dahyun. “But you couldn’t have been more obvious. “

Momo sighed. “I know.” With her disappointment came a weird feeling again. She felt tired, hungry, and almost sick. Maybe she’d have to buy the book tomorrow. Then again, maybe she just needed to walk around. Plus, she wanted to see Dahyun smile. She’d buy the book today. 

______
It was dark when they left the