A/N: Hi again and thanks for sticking around for both the story and the comeback! You must be thinking, why, if Eunbi was the one who's fallen for her fastest and hardest, would she say no besides the obvious fact that they are sisters. I've given some clues here and there throughout the story, and there will be some more plot dev this chapter too, but let's keep the suspense a little bit more and see how Sakura deals with this loss. Here we go, enjoy!

I misread it again...Sakura repeats to herself as she walks down the hallway with a stack of sketches and storyboards. Her eyes are still swollen from all the crying last night. After rejecting her, Eunbi ran off, leaving Sakura sad and shocked as she wandered aimlessly around the lake till the park closed. She ended up calling Hyewon, spending a night at her place, which happens to be a huge apartment with an extra bedroom. Hyewon didn’t ask about anything. She just allowed Sakura to destroy her sweater as she cried uncontrollably in her arms. She did try to order chicken and play a round of games with her-- but seeing that Sakura looked too depressed to get into it, she ended up forcing some water down and carried her into the guest room, rubbing her back as she sobbed away into sleep.

Hyewon was going to let her rest in the apartment, but Sakura felt like she needed some distraction and went to work in the end. She couldn’t fully concentrate in the meeting just now, but at least, she made some progress and collected some ideas to go through later, while half of her mind kept thinking what went wrong. 

Eunbi Unnie said she doesn’t like her. 

She thought she did, and she was sure about it ever since she slowly got her way into flirting and doing many things to her. She was sure that she liked it. Even Minju and Chaeyeon convinced her to move forward. It was supposed to be different this time. But then again, hasn’t she made the same mistake before-- misreading someone’s intentions and falling for the wrong person?

So...she did it again-- she misread, and she made the same mistake?

Thump! Sakura felt a force pushing her back as the papers in her hands flew off and she fell into the ground. She was too engrossed in herself and hasn’t been watching where she’s going.

“I’m sorry--” The person who collided with her crouched and helped as Sakura collected the scattered documents. “Ah--it’s Saku-chan!”

“Irene-ssi?” Sakura looked up in surprise. Bae Irene has been keeping in touch on and off to give her support to the project, but she’s never met her again after that fateful first meeting, where they had lunch together afterwards and became close acquaintances.

“Here.” She handed the papers back to her and they both stood up. 

“Long time no see Irene-ssi… what brings you to WizOne Games?” Sakura asks as she reminds herself how awful she’s looking today, wearing a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants only, while the executive looks as glowing as ever in her slim, red suit that is accented by gold laces. 

“Oh, Minsoong-ssi and I were just meeting with Mr. Ji to catch up. Saku-- you don’t look well. Let’s sit down and you shall tell me more about it.”

Before Sakura could protest, Irene made her drop everything at her desk and dragged her out of the office into a nice restaurant nearby. This time, Hyewon isn’t around, so it’s just the two of them.

Irene spent some time updating about her impressions of the project so far, but quickly their topic shifted towards playing a rival company’s game and how to solve the puzzle she’s currently stuck at. Sakura doesn’t look particularly in the mood of helping today-- but she tried her best to keep up.

“You really look quite pale and out of it…” Irene finally couldn’t stand seeing Sakura just nodding and staring into the blank, and reaches over to touch her forehead, bringing Sakura back to her senses.

“Sorry, I was spacing out…” She apologizes meekly.

“I don’t mind that~” Irene shrugs. “I care more about what made-- no, who made-- my little genie so down.”

“I...it’s not about work.”

“Of course I know it’s not about work.” Irene says flatly. “Whatever it is--you can tell me.”

“I…” Sakura tried to fight back her tears and not embarrass herself in front of her business partner. “I’m fine really… I just got rejected, that’s all. I will make sure I recover fully as soon as possible and you have my word that the project won’t be impacted.”

“Saku-chan…” Irene’s features soften to a pained smile. “I don’t care about the project. I mean I do, but I also care about your personal well being. Whoever that bastard who rejected you was, he really doesn’t know what he is screwing up…” 

“It’s not a guy. It’s my sis… she is a friend.” Sakura looks down. Now she sort of understands. She kept thinking about how she is prepared to face the world with Eunbi as her girlfriend, but when it comes to it, she couldn’t even utter their current relationship properly. “I’m so useless in the end…”

“Then she must be blind. Saku… you do look like a troublesome kid, but even I know that you are far from being useless. I’m sure you will get it sorted in the end.”

“Thank you, Irene-ssi.” Sakura found it strange that she would talk about her rejection with someone like Irene, and more so that she’s the first person to hear about it. Regardless, she felt slightly better now that she’s shared her burden with someone.

“Just call me Unnie. Also… if you are dealing with a particularly stubborn piece of blockhead, Feel free to ask me about it. It’s my specialty.” She took the cup from the saucer and sat back relaxed as she sips her coffee, sizing the hoodie-gamer with amusement. “It’s good to be young…”

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It’s been two days since, and Sakura finally managed to get back home to face the puzzlement of Nako, and the cold shoulder of Eunbi. She acted like nothing had happened, but she has been avoiding her as much as possible, going to bed early each night so there was no time to talk.

Staying in the room where they’ve spent nights cuddling each other, giggling together, and talking about dreams or nothings proved to be too hard to bear.

“Unnie,” Sakura calls out to the other side of the room, where the girl lays sideways with her back towards her. “I know you’re not asleep yet.”

“...”

“I have been thinking…” Sakura shifted out of her bed and sat up. “I know I’m too naive when I said that I don’t care about what others think. I do. But I think that my love for you is stronger. I will work harder from now on. I will make sure I succeed to a point that you don’t feel unsafe being with me anymore, so wait for me, I…”

The older girl finally flips to the other side and sprung up, glaring back at Sakura with red, fiery eyes.

“Kkura, I don’t want you to work hard for this goal. This whole thing...it’s not something you can work on. Stop pestering me and doing nonsensical things. Have some respect for your older sister.”

Sakura took a deep breath and held it as she’s lost for words. Does Eunbi Unnie hate me now?

“I mean…” Eunbi softens her harsh voice a bit. “It’s probably my fault. I must have done something to mislead you. But you’re my sister, and you’ll always be, so it’s time to come to your senses.”

“So, there’s not even one bit? One little voice that tells you that you like me back?”

“No.” Eunbi looks away and closes her eyes.

“Okay. I’m sorry that I have mistaken. Good night, Oneesan.” 

Sakura swallows the lump in and dashes off. She’s suffocating in this room and she doesn’t want to breathe this air anymore. She changed into a dress she could find in the storeroom and left the house, walking around aimlessly until she decides that she needs a drink.

Taking a cab downtown, she went into a random club that looks posh but crowded, and sat on a stool as she down shot after shot, drowning her sorrow with the club music. Before long, her dizzy head feels like it’s spinning around, and she can finally stop the memories of the lakeside from playing in her head, and laugh at how silly she is. One, two, three, four… as she’s counting her empty shot glasses out loud, a man approaches her.

“Oh what’s this lovely doing here all alone, let oppa treat you to a drink.” He sat down beside her but Sakura was too drunk to respond, so she just let him talk until he placed an arm around her bare shoulder.

“Stop it!” She tried to fling him off, but the man grabbed on tighter, and even started caressing her her arm.

“Get...off...me…” Sakura struggles but her weak frame and her drunken state are doing no favors to her. Realizing that she might be in trouble, her annoyance changed to panic, as she got dragged off her seat.

“Just where do you think you’re taking this lady.” A cold voice rang and somehow it’s able to overpower the loud banging of the bass music.

“It’s none of your business.” The man hisses. “Do you know who I am?”

“Well, then do you know who I am?” The woman who first spoke up walked towards them and twisted the man’s arm as she pulled Sakura away into her arms.  The man grimaced in pain as he held his arm and wanted to leap towards them, until he saw her face clearly.

“That’s right, Jo Sejoon, I am Bae Joohyun. If you don’t want me to ruin you and your father’s political career, then you better disappear from my face right now.” She kicks the man on his shin causing him to crouch in pain, and turns around, walking Sakura out of the club.

“Saku-chan, Saku~ Are you okay?” The older woman asks as she sits Sakura down on a stone roadside block, while she gets her keys to the car. She shoos the guards who are now surrounding them. “I’ll be fine on my own.” The black suited men then disappeared into thin air.