A/N: Pretty Yena on cover credits to Wind Bunny

Now in December, Yena finally had some day-offs. She has been taking on so many projects this past half year. Her body and mind was exhausted from overworking too much but she is satisfied with what she gained so far. She has been making steps to climb the stairs with all her sweats dripping down on it. She could feel all of her effort has always been being paid-off too.

And she wanted to climb another step on the stair in her life.

So she called Yuri’s number and waits for the girl to pick up the call.

“Hello Yuri-yah! I’m going home early today, my work is almost done for the day,” Yena started cheerfully.

“O-oh that’s good, do you want me to cook and prepare dinner for you?” Yuri replied, she doesn’t know why Yena would suddenly announce she’s going home early. Truthfully, she doesn’t even remember how Yena’s voice sounded on phone anymore before today happened.

“No, there’s no need for that,” Yena shook her head while couldn’t contain her smile albeit the latter can’t see her currently. “Let’s have a dinner at the restaurant we usually went to, there’s something I want to talk to you.”

“Ah okay, there’s something I need to tell you too.”

Yena narrowed her eyes for a second from the sound but her happy feeling brushed it off aside. “It’s settled then. I still need to go somewhere first so we’ll meet there, okay? See you later and love you.”

“Alright, take care and I’ll see you later,” Yuri replied simply, ending the call.

Around an hour and half later, Yena arrived at the restaurant. For some reason her heartbeat races up while she enters the familiar place as she walked across the room. She saw Yuri’s back in one of the furthest table, or their favorite spot, and she sigh a relief, making her way to sneak into… the restaurant’s kitchen.

After quite some time, Yena went out and finally make her way to Yuri’s table; surprising Yuri with a light peck on cheek before she sits down right across the girl. A waiter came to their table afterward, giving them both menus to look at and choose what they want to order.

“What do you want to eat, Yuri-yah? You can order whatever you want,” Yena asked, giving liberty for her girlfriend to choose anything she wanted to eat.

Yuri hummed and answers, “I think I’ll order the usual.”

Like a bulb with a light on, Yena fully knows what the usual menu that Yuri wants. Yena told the waiter their orders and the two girls being left alone.

“You said you wanted to tell me something? What is it, Yuri-yah?” Yena opened up a conversation to fill their time as they wait for their foods.

“Ah, that, I guess it’s better to talk it out later after we eat,” Yuri suggested. “What about you? What do you want to talk?”

“Uhh, the thing is, I’m planning to tell you later too,” she scratched her cheek, a gesture that indicating that Yena is being nervous over something. “It has been a while since the last time we got here, yeah?” she smoothly changed the topic while she tried to relax her nerves.

“That’s… true. We usually come here like once a week way back then,” a small smile graced Yuri’s lips, good and nourishing memories when they used to date a lot at that place comes to her mind.

“I’m sorry… But I’ll make it up to you, don’t worry,” Yena assured with confidence.

Then the waiter walked over to their table once again with tray of foods in his hand, placing it carefully in front of Yena and Yuri one by one. It’s a Korean meal course set with bibimbap as main dish, other healthy side dishes complete with a bowl of soup along with the set too. And the two began to gobble their meal after the waiter left their table.

Yena who was already hungry eat her food like there’s no tomorrow, enjoying every bits of the meal while sometimes stealing glances to her girlfriend who eats so calmly. Putting the soup bowl back on the table, Yena finished all of her food, grabbing a tissue to wipe . She then put her hands on the table, placing her chin in between them to support her head while she stares at Yuri who was still finishing her soup.

Feeling the intense gaze, Yuri put her bowl down, raising an eyebrow. “What are you trying to be cute for?”

“Thank you for calling me cute,” Yena winked, receiving Yuri’s chuckles as the result. Now that they both finished their meal already, Yena brought up the topic once again. “So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Do you want to go first?” Yuri offered a chance for Yena to talk first.

Yena slowly shook her head while she smiles brightly, “I’m alright, you should talk first.” She thought it would be best to let Yuri talk first, she could wait and wrap this dinner nicely with what she prepared to say to her girlfriend.

Yena’s smile was so bright that Yuri’s chest started to tighten by it, she felt bad with what has been happening. She then inhaled a deep breath, gathering all her courage to tell Yena what she had in her mind.

“Yena…” she started, her eyes eventually going down as she couldn’t bear to look at Yena’s face who was still smiling. “… I think we should break up.”

“…”

“Hahahaha, nice try, Yuri, but I won’t fall for that kind of joke,” Yena winked again, still being the confident girlfriend she is so she just laughed it off and shoved Yuri.

The reply made Yuri to look at Yena in instant. “Yena… No, I really mean it…”

Staring into Yuri’s pair of eyes, Yena finally realized that the girl was being serious. And Yena’s expression changed drastically, frown apparent in her face now, replacing the smile she had just a moment ago. “W-why..?” she honestly doesn’t want to ask but she needed explanation. Though, she could point one or two reasons herself, she still wanted to hear it directly from Yuri.

“Well… You were too busy with all your work, I mean, I’m happy for you but I feel lonely at the same time, Yena…”

“Yuri-yah, I apologize that I have put you to go through all that. I can understand that I made you lonely and I really am sorry for it, I promise I can fix this for you… and for us…” Yena’s voice cracks into wintry air, she sounded weak.

“I feel like I somehow become invisible in your eyes, not a girlfriend to you… And………”

“And...?”

“There’s something else… This gonna sound so wrong to you but I want to be honest with you…” she paused and swallowed hard before going on. “I… I started to like another person in your absence…” Yuri dropped a fire into a bomb’s axis.

The confession made Yena’s eyes started to shake, her whole body began to tremble. But she still tried her best to pull herself together. “W-who is it?” she questioned although she knows it would only hurt her more.

“It’s Hyewon-unnie. She keeps on being by my side when I need it the most and it’s very comforting to me. Meanwhile you… you were always been nowhere beside me. And so my feelings toward her grew until to the point I couldn’t contain it anymore. I don’t want to lie to you about this feeling I have had for a while… I just… I just couldn’t bear the hard time you have been giving me all this year… I know that this is unforgiven but still, I’m really sorry that this happened, Yena…”

Now the bomb exploded.

Shoulders gone down, Yena gasped as she really didn’t see it coming. All the words coming from Yuri coming in like a thousand sharp blades, piercing and slicing her without mercy. She could feel her heart bleeds immediately by it, shattered, broken into tiny pieces. Her jaw still dropped, her breaths labored heavily. But Yena managed to stand up from her seat, bringing her broken self to stand all the damage that she just received.

“I…” she paused for a whole ten seconds, it stings too much for her to gather the next words. But she had to. “I wish you two find happiness then. Thank you for everything and goodbye, Yuri…” Yena forbid her farewell, forcing an indescribable smile. Barely holding the tear that has been swelling up badly in her eyes, Yena took her leave quickly with a heavy heart from the place, leaving Yuri who seemingly was also fighting back her tears.

It hurt her too to breakup with Yena like this, her chest pounded, crushed into dust. The seven years she had known Yena, the seven years she has dated Yena gone in instant on a one not-so-fine evening. But… at least she managed to be honest rather than hurting both sides more than this.

She has cheated.

She has defiled their relationship.

And she thought ending it with Yena was just the right thing to do although it’s painful. So awfully painful that she felt like she was dying at that moment.

Then a waiter came again to her table, he delivered a very unusual dessert. But Yuri didn’t budge to check, she doesn’t want the waiter to see her face right now so she just said a simple thank you, signaling the waiter to leave her alone. Once he left, Yuri’s empty eyes being drawn onto the table. There was a bouquet of red tulips with a small card in the middle of it.

Yuri let a tear escaped from the corner of her eyes before she took the bouquet closer to her. A tiny box dropped onto the floor right away as she took the bouquet. She grabbed the box and placed it on the table, she then read the card between the tulips.

“Will you marry me?”

She opened the box, revealing a pretty ring inside it. At that moment Yuri realizes that all this time Yena has been working hard for this, sacrificing all her time and body for this, putting all her efforts and passion for this.

This.

An eventful day that supposedly be the happiest time for any couple, an eventful day before two souls officially tying knot and become one, an eventful day that supposedly filled with smile and tears of joy.

Yet what Yuri got is tears of regret, now.

Yuri broke down with all the mess she has created. All those happy years she has spent with Yena vanished before her like it was all just a sweet dream. A sweet dream that anyone could have in their sleep until they wakes up, discovering ‘what a pity’ feeling in the next morning. Except, for Yuri’s case, it’s more than a simple ‘what a pity’ feeling, it’s a lot bigger than that.

It was a huge remorse feeling.

And what pains Yuri more was that this all happened because of herself. She has failed to see the light that Yena has been keeping lit alone, even cold-heartedly tossing it aside, so far that Yuri couldn’t see nor torch another light for them.

But what’s done is… done.

And Yena deserves better.

A/N: Alright, that’s a wrap! The plot actually was inspired by a close friend of mine who I occasionally talk with when it comes to IZ*ONE, suddenly sending a Hyeyulyen picture along with a brief AU theme. So, if you’re reading this, thanks to you, fam, I created an angst product and hurts my fave ship LOL

Q: Author-nim, does that mean Yuri and Hyewon get together in the end?

A: Yes, Hyeyul shippers can rejoice!

As a Yulyen shipper myself, do I regret writing this? Absolutely NO. I really do enjoyed writing this story and had fun with it to the point I stayed up so late (it was 2AM when I check the time), I was feeling so motivated and wanting to put all the ideas down, shaping it into hopefully a fun reading for all of you.

So lemme appreciate you all, the brave souls who finished reading this story and bearing the pain while doing so, I have warned you before so… Here, have some Hyeyulyen!

Thank you guys so much for reading “Wasted”! Have a good day and see you all again!