Part 1

 

(‘Can you stop biting your nails like that? The sound is giving me shivers and I’m trying to study here! What’s the big deal, Wonyoung? We already know that she likes you back!’

 

‘No— well, I mean yes I do know, but no that’s not it, unnie.’ 

 

‘I’m an idiot and even I know that she’s crazy into you.’ 

 

‘It’s just that— ugh Yena unnie, I just want everything to be perfect for her. We’ve been best friends for 10 years, Unnie, this is more than just a simple crush confession, you know? She deserves the perfect confession.’

 

‘And how do you plan on doing that?’

 

‘Um… I’ll figure it out.’ 

 

‘A nightmare. Lit rally a nightmare. Look, here’s what I think.’ 

 

‘I didn’t ask for your opinion.’ 

 

‘But you’re getting it anyways, brat! It’s simple, really. Yujin is clueless, just look her in the eyes and tell her straight up.’)

 

……..

 

‘Ahn Yujin!’ Wonyoung burst through the door of her best friend’s bedroom.

 

Wonyoung winced when she heard various crashing and thuds coming from the girl in the room. A lone plate rolled its way to Wonyoung’s foot. 

 

‘Wonyoung!’ Yujin jumped up from where she landed on the floor. ‘What’s wrong?’ 

 

Wonyoung stomped her way over to Yujin. 

 

‘I!’ Wonyoung pointed her finger at Yujin. The other girl slowly backed up into the wall, a scared expression on her face. 

 

‘You…?’ 

 

Wonyoung lowered her finger. ‘Uh… hi.’ 

 

‘Hello.’ Yujin smiled innocently, not questioning Wonyoung’s behaviour. Sometimes Wonyoung couldn’t believe the naivety of this girl. 

 

Wonyoung watched as Yujin picked up the plate at their feet, examining it and sniffing it slightly. She grimaced and pushed the plate away from her face, gagging a little bit. 

 

‘I don’t want to know.’ Wonyoung said.

 

‘I wish I didn’t.’ Yujin shivered. 

 

She walked to the side of the room and placed it in a black trash bag that seemed to be filling up fast.

 

‘I’m glad you’re here, Wonyoung. I have something I need to talk to you about.’ Yujin said, sitting on the bed and patting the spot next to her. 

 

Wonyoung swallowed nervously. ‘Okay.’ 

 

‘I got a really weird call from Yena unnie the other day.’ 

 

Wonyoung’s swallow turned into a big gulp. 

 

‘At first I didn’t see anything fishy about it, but last night before going to sleep I had a sudden euthanasia!’ 

 

Wonyoung blinked. 

 

‘Do you not know what a euthanasia is?’ Yujin said when she noticed Wonyoung’s expression. 

 

‘Oh, I do. That’s the whole problem. It makes no sense in this context.’

 

‘Euthanasia? It’s like… a realizashun… today. Yah know the meme?’ 

 

‘Reali— Yujin do you mean epiphany?’ 

 

‘No, silly. Why would I be talking about putting down animals?’ 

 

Wonyoung couldn’t believe her ears. This girl was truly one of a kind.

 

‘Anyways, I had a euthanasia before I went to sleep. That Yena unnie was acting really strange all of sudden. And not her like, normal Yena unnie strange stuff. It’s like STRANGE strange, yah feel me?’ 

 

Wonyoung nodded. 

 

‘She kept asking about confessing to the person you like and how I personally would like to be confessed to and she kept pestering me about it and kept using you as an example.’ 

 

‘Using me?’ Wonyoung felt the sweat dripping down her forehead. 

 

‘Yeah! She was saying like, hypothetically if you were to confess your undying love for me, how would I want it to go?’ 

 

‘That damn duck…’ Wonyoung muttered under her breath. 

 

‘During my euthanasia, I finally realised why she asked me this.’ 

 

‘Yujin, I—‘ 

 

‘Wonyoung, I think Yena unnie likes Hyewon unnie.’

 

Wonyoung’s mouth froze open. Did she just say what I thought she said?

 

‘Why are you so shocked?’ Yujin laughed. ‘It’s not really surprising, isn’t it? I mean sure, Yena unnie and Hyewon unnie haven’t really hung out that much, nor do they have each other’s phone numbers… but I can totally see it happening.’ 

 

Wonyoung pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. She had no idea how she planned for this confession to go but she definitely did not expect this turn of events. 

 

‘I mean, I thought it was either that or you have a crush on me and unnie was trying to help you figure out how to confess to me.’ 

 

If Wonyoung was drinking water, she would have spit it all over Yujin’s face right then and there. 

 

Yujin laughed. Hard. Her eyes were crinkling into lines and she held her stomach. 

 

‘But that’s impossible. You would never like me like that. That’s literally madness luv…’ Yujin thought for a bit before adding a quick, ‘xx.’ 

 

Wonyoung stood up quickly, pressed into a tight thin line.

 

‘And what if I did? What if I was to come here right now and tell you that I was in love with you? What would you do?’ Wonyoung said. 

 

Yujin chuckled, unbothered by Wonyoung’a sudden outburst. ‘But you’re not, so we don’t have to worry about it.’ 

 

‘But, what if I was?’ Wonyoung softened her voice. Bending down to kneel in front of Yujin, she took one of her hands gingerly in her own. 

 

‘What if I came here and did this?’ Wonyoung brought Yujin’s hand to her lips, kissing her knuckles as soft as she could. 

 

‘Yujin?’ 

 

‘Yes, Princess?’ 

 

‘I like you.’ 

 

The room was silent. All Wonyoung could hear was the blood rushing through her ears. 

 

Yujin’s expression was unreadable. Wonyoung couldn’t bring it in herself to look away. 

 

Then suddenly, Yujin smiled. 

 

‘See?’ Yujin said. ‘Literally madness luv xx. It could never happen.’ 

 

Wonyoung froze in spot. She felt her ears starting to itch. 

 

No way. No way that just happened. 

 

They heard the faint sound of a car pulling into the driveway and without any warning, Yujin jumped in shock, her face laced with worry. 

 

‘Mom’s home!’ Yujin yelled wth dismay.

 

‘What’s so bad about that?’ 

 

Yujin raced out the door, stumbling over the clothes on her floor. 

 

‘I forgot to cook the rice!’ 

 

……..

 

Wonyoung sat in Yena’s dorm room, staring out the window as Yena used her phone to rewatch Jo Yuri’s covers on her instagram. She opened the window to try and drown out Yena’s creepy giggling. 

 

As much as Jo Yuri was good at singing, Wonyoung was tired of seeing her unnie acting all lovesick, especially when Wonyoung was on weird terms with the girl she liked. 

 

On the way to Yena’s dorm, Wonyoung had passed by a cute couple. The red head, who Wonyoung recognised as Yena’s roommate, was protectively holding her girlfriend who was insisting that she was fine. Wonyoung had found them cute, until she realised that they reminded her too much of how her and Yujin would act, thus, causing a frown to come on her face. 

 

Ever since Wonyoung’s “confession”, something was amiss between the two. They still hung out like they normally did, but Yujin seemed evasive if any conversation that wasn’t light hearted or about other people. There was an awkwardness to the two that one would get if they were not very close. Almost like Wonyoung was Yujin’s acquantaince. 

 

‘She’s an angel.’ Yena sighed dreamily while watching the phone. 

 

Wonyoung forced a smile as she nodded at whatever it was her Yena unnie said. She was giggling over some girl she’s never talked to before, someone who didn’t know that she even existed. It was actually kind of sad. Pathetic, perhaps. Maybe a little bit creepy.

 

‘Look! She likes Japanese cheesecake! We’re perfect for each other!’

 

The only thing that was keeping Wonyoung afloat was the fact that she was at least in a better position than her Yena unnie when it came to their love lives.

 

………

 

(‘Wonyoung! Guess what? I confessed to Yuri and she said there’s potential for us and I took her out for dinner and I was flirting with her! At least I hope I was but she was blushing and getting all shy and I guess you can say this is our first date or something? The universe doesn’t hate me? Can you believe it?’

 

Apparently Wonyoung wasn’t in a better position than her Yena unnie.)

 

………..

 

Wonyoung knocked on Yena’s dorm, her duffel bag over her shoulder.

 

The girl was surprised to see not Yena but her roommate open the door. 

 

‘Oh, hi!’ Wonyoung bowed. ‘Is Yena unnie around?’ 

 

Chaewon shook her head. ‘She has a physics lecture. But she’ll be back in half an hour.’ 

 

‘Oh.’ Wonyoung shifted awkwardly on her foot. ‘May I wait here for her?’ 

 

Chaewon nodded and opened the door wider to let Wonyoung in. 

 

Wonyoung shyly walked into the room, watching as Chaewon went straight back to her bed and started texting whoever it was. Though Wonyoung guessed by her small smile that it was probably her girlfriend. She remembered Yena briefly telling her the name of Chaewon’s girlfriend before she returned to rambling about anything and everything to do with Jo Yuri. 

 

One thing Wonyoung did remember Yena telling her was how intimidating Kim Chaewon was, and how that girl would never talk to you. 

 

Which was why Wonyoung opted to sit on Yena’s bed and rewatch her routine for the dance team tryouts later today. 

 

‘Oh? The dance team routine?’ Chaewon piped in when she heard the familiar music mix. ‘Are you trying out?’ 

 

Wonyoung was a little surprised that Chaewon talked to her first but nonetheless she nodded. 

 

She thought it would end there but Chaewon kept talking. 

 

‘Are you nervous?’ Chaewon was looking away from her phone now and staring directly at Wonyoung. 

 

Wonyoung nodded. She was incredibly nervous. That’s why she was there at Yena’s dorm. Yena was always good at calming people down or at least distracting them. Yujin too, of course, but she could only come later in the day. 

 

Chaewon pursed her lips and nodded, as if she was deep in thought. Wonyoung thought that this girl looked kind of adorable, like a puppy. Completely different to how Yena described her. 

 

‘Just remember this.’ Chaewon said. ‘The dance captains look for more than perfection and technical skill.’

 

Chaewon wasn’t smiling, was actually frowning a little, but when Wonyoung looked closely, she could see the softness in Chaewon’s eyes. 

 

Chaewon noticed Wonyoung studying her. 

 

‘Something wrong with my face?’  

 

Wonyoung jumped a little, bowing her head slightly in apology. 

 

‘N-no, sunbaenim.’ Wonyoung said. 

 

‘Then why are you so stiff?’ Chaewon asked. 

 

Wonyoung scratched her head. 

 

‘The thing is, I’m just surprised that you’re talking a lot to me. Yena unnie told me that you don’t really talk to her much.’ 

 

Chaewon sighed. ‘That’s because she’s always busy talking to ME.’ 

 

Wonyoung was silent for a moment. Then she let out her huge belly laugh.

 

‘Oh my God.’ She said in between the laughter. ‘I can totally see it, now. You’re so right. That unnie is mad annoying.’ 

 

And as Chaewon laughed along with Wonyoung, she realised that Yena’s perspective of Chaewon was all wrong because Yena was always in her own little Yena world. 

 

………. 

 

‘Are you sure you saw Wonyoung walk into the dance studio?’ Yujin stretched her legs. 

 

‘I told you before.’ Yena flicked Yujin’s forehead exasperatedly. ‘I am positive. I walked her here and I’ve been waiting here the whole practice. I’ve seen people coming and going from the studio and believe me, I have not seen that kid leave.’ 

 

‘Maybe she left using a secret exit?’ Yujin said. 

 

‘, why would she use a secret exit when everyone else used the front exit?’ 

 

‘Maybe she’s avoiding me.’

 

Usually Yena would continue on with the flow of whatever Yujin said. It usually ended up in throwing teasing insults at each other. But something about the way Yujin’s eyes being downcast made Yena stop in her tracks. 

 

‘Well,’ Yena thought about her words carefully, ‘is she?’ 

 

‘I don’t know.’ Yujin shrugged. ‘She seems kind of… mad at me, nowadays? I don’t know what I did, though!’ 

 

Yena scratched her head awkwardly, knowing full well what Yujin did. Or at least, what she DIDN’T do. 

 

Before Yena could say anything though, a group of people started to walk out of the dance studio. One of them was none other than Wonyoung whose face was red and sweaty. 

 

‘Princess!’ Yujin jumped up and smiled, waving like a maniac. 

 

Both Yujin and Wonyoung’s eyes widened when they both realised what she said. 

 

Though it was Yujin’s nickname for Wonyoung (because Wonyoung always made jokes about Yujin being like a street rat prince from Aladdin),, they never really used it in public. 

 

Especially in front of older college students they didn’t know too well. Kwon Eunbi and Lee Chaeyeon to be exact. 

 

‘I-I mean, hi unnies! Long time, no see, huh?’ Yujin said, referring to the karaoke session they had before. 

 

Eunbi raised an eyebrow at the strange behavior. Then she shook her head, remembering how weird the girl was from the karaoke. 

 

‘It’s been awhile.’ Eunbi waved back to her and Yena. ‘It’s good to see you two, again.’

 

‘Guess what?’ Wonyoung clapped her hands excitedly. ‘I made it to the team!’ 

 

Yena and Yujin jumped up and down and engulfed her in a Yenjin hug. Well, technically it was Yena being engulfed by the youngest’s towering figures. 

 

‘That’s amazing!’ 

 

‘I knew you would!’ 

 

‘She’s pretty talented.’ Chaeyeon said. ‘We’re so excited to have her on the team.’ 

 

Wonyoung blushed and bowed. ‘I promise to work hard, sunbaenims.’ 

 

Eunbi waved her hand. ‘Please, we’re teammates now which means we’re practically family. Just call me unnie.’

 

‘Okay, unnie.’ Wonyoung shot them her cute smile and Yena could practically see Eunbi and Chaeyeon becoming putty in her hands. That girl was the biggest unnie collector. 

 

‘Would you like to join us for dinner? Our treat. We want to get our new maknae better.’ Chaeyeon said. Then she turned to Yujin and Yena. ‘You guys are invited, too.’

 

‘We’ll invite Sakura and Hitomi so you can get to know them better, too.’ Eunbi added. Then she smiled cheekily, casting a quick glance at Yena. ‘Which automatically means their best friends are going to come too.’ 

 

Yena perked up at this, knowing full well who Hitomi’s best friend was. 

 

‘Free food?’ Yujin clapped her hands. ‘We’re in!’

 

………..

 

‘Unnie.’ A giggle could be heard just above the background noise of the rest of the chatter in the restaurant. 

 

‘Hmm?’ 

 

‘Unnie.’ The giggle got even louder. ‘Yah! Unnie, unnie, unnie, wait a minute, wait a minute yah!’

 

It was Jo Yuri, laughing giddily at whatever it was Yena was doing with her next to her. What it was, exactly? Who knew? All everyone knew was that Yena was teasing Yuri through their weird telecommunication they had going on. 

 

Next to Yuri, was poor old Hitomi, who looked like she was ready to shove her chopstick straight into Yuri’s face. Yujin caught Hitomi’s eye and made an over dramatic grimacing face while secretly pointing at Yena and Yuri. Hitomi couldn’t help but laugh at the younger girl’s antics.

 

Next to Yujin was of course, was Wonyoung. But, Yujin was starting to feel a little lonely seeing how the girl was preoccupied with, not just Eunbi and Chaeyeon, but also Sakura babying her! She had just met Wonyoung and was instantly whipped from the youngest girl. And the girl on her right? She was busy hanging out with the love of her life: cake. Yes, she was having cake for dinner. A whole cake.

 

‘Oh, can you ask for some more water please?’ Yujin heard Wonyoung ask from beside her. 

 

‘Of course!’ Eunbi was quick to react. Her hand shot straight up to try and get to waiter’s attention, but Yujin could see that they were all pretty busy. 

 

Yujin looked at her empty glass, then to Yena’s full one. 

 

‘Yah!’ Yena narrowed her eyes when Yujin grabbed her water. Yena’s hand shot out to grab hold of Yujin’s arm. ‘That’s mine.’

 

‘You can share with me, unnie.’ Yuri said cutely and Yujin (and Hitomi) both had to resist the urge to gag. 

 

Yujin took that distraction as a way to finish what she was doing.

 

She tapped Wonyoung’s shoulder and for the first time at the restaurant, Wonyoung turned to look at her. 

 

‘Here, Wonyoung! Have mine.’

 

That wasn’t Yujin’s voice. 

 

Yujin watched with the drink still in her hand as Sakura beamed at Wonyoung who cutely accepted her glass of water. 

 

‘Thanks, unnie~’ Wonyoung said and Sakura almost had a heart attack. 

 

Yujin deflatedly put Yena’s drink back where it belonged. 

 

‘Wonyoung ssi, you’re so cute! Have you ever been in a relationship before?’ Sakura suddenly asked. ‘I bet you had so many confessions.’

 

Wonyoung shyly shook her head. ‘No, I haven’t been in a relationship. And I didn’t have a lot of people confessing.’

 

‘Now that’s a lie.’ Yujin blurted out before she could stop herself. ‘What about Huening Kai?’ 

 

‘Ooh~’ Chaeyeon cooed.

 

‘It was one date and I told you, it didn’t really work out between us.’ Wonyoung said.

 

‘But it could have?’ Yujin said. ‘You should have given him a chance, I liked him.’

 

‘Well, then you date him instead.’ Wonyoung stuck her tongue out at her. ‘I never really liked any of the guys at our school. I mean, Huening Kai was nice and I do like basketball players just not any from the Enozi High boys basketball team.’

 

(But the captain for the girl’s team was pretty cute). 

 

‘What about you, Yujin ssi? Date anyone in High School?’ Eunbi asked. 

 

‘No.’ Yujin laughed. ‘Ball is life. I never dated.’ 

 

Wonyoung rolled her eyes. ‘That’s because you never wanted to try it. A lot of people asked you out.’ 

 

‘The grind never stops.’ Yujin flexed an arm proudly. ‘Besides, between basketball and taking care of you, how will I have time to date, anyways?’ 

 

‘Then, why don’t you just date Wonyoung?’ Sakura joked. 

 

The rest of the table (minus Yena and Yuri, of course) broke into laughter. However, Wonyoung and Yujin awkwardly shifted in their seats. 

 

‘Yeah, why don’t you?’ Wonyoung laughed awkwardly to the plate in front of her, not being able to meet Yujin’s eyes.

 

‘It could never happen.’ Yujin laughed awkwardly back. 

 

Wonyoung could only huff into her seat. 

 

‘Anyways,’ Yujin said, ‘I find dating overrated.’ 

 

………...

 

Chaeyeon: Unnie, something’s going on with those two, right

 

Eunbi: why are you texting me ur right next to me 

 

Eunbi: and Yena and Yuri? I thought everyone’s established that already?

 

Chaeyeon: because I don’t want them to hear us??

 

Chaeyeon: and not them. Wonyoung ssi and her friend.

 

Eunbi: Wonyoung and Yujin? Oh my God, you’re right.

 

Chaeyeon: but why do they seem kind of awkward? Didn’t they say they’ve been best friends since they were 8?

 

Eunbi: cause something is going on with them, duh?

 

Chaeyeon: idk unnie something seems off with Yujin

 

Eunbi: ur gonna meddle aren’t you

 

Chaeyeon: heh...

 

Eunbi: Whatever ur gonna do ask Chaewon to help you out. I only trust her in this house

 

Chaeyeon: we gonna make those two get together even before Yena and Yuri let’s gooooo 

 

………….