When Eunbi called Chaewon to the living room, she initially thought that Yena and her band of pranksters we're in trouble yet again and the oldest needed her help to deal with them. Naturally, she sighed and got ready to deal with any annoyance that came with the trouble.

That was until she realized that Eunbi had said "Chaewon-ah, can you come here a sec?" with a questioning lilt in her voice rather than "Chaewon, I need your help," with chagrin present in her tone.

So there she stood facing the exit of the room in a panic. Was she in trouble? Had the leader found out about her frequent escapades during the night? Did she figure out the thing between her and Hitomi?

"Hey? You there?"

She shook herself out of her stupor, "Y-yeah, I'm coming."

Chaewon opened the door and prepared to face the main dancer, "Did you need- uh what?"

Instead of finding the leader by herself or with the usual culprits, Eunbi had all of the members currently at home congregated in the living room. Everyone was facing the phone in Wonyoung's hand.

As it turns out, Eunbi had called for a meeting after receiving news from Yeojin. And although the Master Memers weren't physically present, Yena somehow managed to screw up. Leave it up to the duck to message something dumb. Though, there was one message that amused them all and caused a certain someone to pick her fingers.

Wonyoung: For the sake of not getting scolded, I'm just gonna pretend Yena unnie didn't contribute anything throughout this entire conversation.

Yena: Wow, okay then child.

Chaewon: Wonyoung said that she was just texting Yeojin when she suddenly dumped the info unto our maknae.

Nako: Wait, Wonyo why were you texting Yeojin anyway?

"Uhm…"

Everyone looked at the youngest, her face scrunched in confusion but had a faint pink dusting her cheeks.

She yelped suddenly, "Ah! What am I supposed to tell her? Yeojin unnie and I were talking about Nako unnie, wouldn't it be weird if I told her that?"

Then Sakura cooed at her, which caused everyone to follow her with their own "Awww".

Wonyoung ignored them and still struggled within her internal crisis. Her phone vibrated and she yelled again, "Oh no! She texted again thinking I'm avoiding the question. Uuuuuuhhh what am I gonna do?"

Chaewon felt bad for standing by, so she came to the maknae and gingerly took her phone.

Wonyoung: Sorry Nako unnie, the others were talking to me I didn't see the text pop up.

Wonyoung: Oh and Yeojin unnie and I were talking about being the maknae of the group.

Nako: Is that something all maknaes do?

Yujin: Just don't ask.

Nako: It was a genuine question.

Chaewon rolled her eyes at the banter between the two, then she spotted Wonyoung from the corner of her vision. The girl engulfed her in a hug that partially blocked her nasal passage, causing her to have trouble breathing.

"Won-"

"Thank you for saving me unnie! You’re so cool!” Wonyoung stared at her with bright eyes, her face showing great appreciation.

The radish fairy pat her back, “That’s great but I can’t brea-”

The maknae hugged her even tighter, “I love you~”

“Yah, Wonyoung-ah she can’t breathe, you’re killing her.”

The center stopped and looked at the source of the voice, then she rubbed the back of her neck, “Oop, sorry unnie. I would’ve killed you if Hitomi unnie didn’t tell me.

“Right… well, I’m glad to help,” Chaewon sighed and rolled her shoulders, “and thanks, Tomi.”

Chaewon made eye contact with the Japanese woman and felt a shiver run down her spine, steeling herself from the intense gaze coming from the latter. It was something that happens often between them, though never in the direct presence of more than three members in the vicinity (they would also take care to not have a staring contest when the few members were interacting with them). And right now, five of their group mates are staring at them trying to figure out the weird tension between the two girls. Well, everyone except Chaeyeon, who was trying her hardest not to laugh at the scene unfolding before her.

Yuri coughed, “Cool, so is that all for this impromptu meeting, Eunbi unnie?”

“Yeah, you guys can go back.”

Perhaps if Chaewon and Hitomi looked around, they would have noticed a certain baby bunny and a frog fist-bumping over the latter’s reaction over the maknae’s interaction with Chaewon.

As the dwellers of the other dorm headed out the exit one by one, Hitomi glanced at her and then left. Chaewon knew that look well, having been on the receiving end of it several times now, but this one seemed different.

She waited for Eunbi and Minjoo to at least forget about what transpired between her and the bread lover and let them find something to do. Minjoo entered her room and Eunbi began watching dramas on her phone in the kitchen, but she waited a little bit longer just to be sure. She used this time to think of an excuse to say to their leader if she asks where she plans on going.

“Chaewon, don’t you usually go and meet Hitomi at night?”

The younger Woollim woman’s blood went cold, and a bead of sweat traveled down her forehead, “U-uh… what?”

Eunbi didn’t even lift her head from the phone screen, “I know you leave the dorm almost every night. I didn’t know why until Chaeyeon told me that she noticed that Tomi was going out at night too.”

“It’s nothing bad, we just talk about stuff. I swear."

Now she looked at her, “I wasn’t insinuating that. I don’t know where you guys go but I know that you guys always come back before midnight.” She sighed but then smiled, “I’m just telling you guys to be careful, okay?”

Chaewon let out the breath she didn’t even know she was holding, “I- yeah. Yeah, okay, we’ll be safe.”

Hitomi was a person that willed her hardest to overstep her boundaries to become a better version of herself. However, there were times where she thought that overstepping was a not so ideal choice and should not have done it as her first choice. These last few days fell in that category and it also fell into a category that confused her a lot.

Standing around the back of their dorm building was not a good look for her, especially in her hoodie and sweatpants. She wouldn't be surprised if someone thought she was about to do something shady. And it doesn't help that it was mid-afternoon, she's just lucky that no one ever goes here unless it's the landlord or their hired help cleaning.

"Hey."

Hitomi searches for the familiar voice and finds her leaning against the wall. Her usual calm demeanor was replaced with a nervous one.

When the younger woman did not reply Chaewon continued, scratching her chin, "So, you called pretty early today."

Hitomi could sense that this exchange would end in the same way it has always been, and she tried her hardest to make it so that the outcome would be different. But she could feel herself making a witty remark, smirking to beckon the older closer.

They shouldn't do this in broad daylight regardless of the fact that they were behind a building. They don't know if someone would check on them and do something rash.

Chaewon preyed closer, her initial expression changing to one Hitomi has become well acquainted with. Her eyes were never clouded with lust but there was definitely some longing in them.

She shook her head. No, she had to say it. She can’t let it end the same way it always does. Not today, anyway.

“Actually, there’s a different reason why I asked to be here.”

The older raised her eyebrows, “Oh?”

Hitomi sat down on the floor, crossing her legs, “Remember when I told you that Nako knew about us?”

“Yeah,” Chaewon followed the younger’s example, cautiously e