"Well, if ever you were born as a guy, who would you date?"

As the three are having group study at the library Taeyeon suddenly dropped the question to Yuri out of nowhere.

The two besties remained motionless after hearing it and looked at each other like what-the-fudge-is-wrong-with-her?. Taeyeon is just playing it cool as she's switching glances between the two. She knows she triggered something.

"Wa- wwhat?" Ask the girl in question. Giving the impression of 'will you change the question or can you play dumb and act like you didn't ask it.'

"Hey? I mean we all have girl crush you know. Hmmm okay okay, if you're not comfortable with the question don't answer it. So how about you then, huh Hara?"

She put a hand on her chest- "HUH? Yah! Yuri why can't you just answer it. No malice. It will never happen anyway." Then she returned back on switching pages of the book she's studying, leaving an impression that she doesn't care about what Yuri will answer.
 
.....Yuri releases a sigh. "Do I really have to be a guy to date a girl?"

The two stop on what they are doing and focused on Yuri has to say.

Yuri switches her sight between the two who look like kids waiting for a bedtime story and shrugged.

"What??"

"I ask you guys a question. Do I have to be a guy to date a girl?"

"No, but technically Ye-Yes." Hara answered while bitting her pencil not looking at Yuri

Taeyeon looks at Hara with narrowed eyes and shook her head. "No. No. You can date anyone you like in the name of love. Dating the opposite is the known right thing to do. It's the norm. But hello? We're done with that era."

Hara keeps on tapping her pencil now on her book and her eyes are empty, looking blankly to it.

"Okay let me revise the question. If you get a chance to date a girl regardless of what people has to say or let just say homouality is not a big deal in all humankind. Who would you date ???" This time Taeyeon is a bit serious facing the two.

"I'm not gay." Yuri answered as she's gritting her teeth and pressed her lips then harden her look at Taeyeon but the girl seems like not getting how Yuri wanted her to stop from here or we can say she's refusing to be manipulated.

"This is just a what if why so defensive? Just answer the question."

"Why this seems a big deal to you? Just answer the question!" Hara burst out.

Yuri sensed how her heart aches as it beats as she hears that tone of distress for the first time from Hara. She remained her sight to her.

"Uhmm. I wouldn't take the risk of losing you so I would have to exclude you."

It made Hara squint and her expression turned dull as she hears it from Yuri. She can sense Yuri's this is why I don't like to answer the question because the answer can't be you. Then she saw how quick that look fades.

"I-- I would date, uhmm maybe the new girl at our school. I would want to know her better. I would ask her why of all school she choose NHS. And most of all it's because it's  likely not gonna happened. HAHA! And I haven't seen her face tho I hope she doesn't look like a frog. HAHAHA" she continued.

Yuri laughed at her answer but she's just keeping it in low considering the place they are in causing her face to burn out red.

Hara bump at Taeyeon's eyes and saw the same confusion as hers then turn her sight to Yuri who's still dumbly laughing then  weakly she looks back at Taeyeon then Yuri, then look down to her book looking like she's fighting back her tears, the two didn't notice how she clench her teeth and fist, how a line appeared between her brows and how the corners of her eyes crinkled. 'So even in the alternate universe where he's a man she'll never choose me? Then how much more now?' she thought as she holds her heart that's currently slowly shuttering. 

"Yah! Have you taken your medicine?? Weirdo!"

Hara pushes her chair back as she suddenly stood up, the two then looked at her in surprise. Hara gathered all her things then walk away leaving the two. This cause a scene in the library but it didn't last long

"Hara!" Yuri called but her best friend didn't bother to look back and continue to walk out of the library.

"Yuri, you just said your not gay but you confess your love to Hara?"

"Does it really looks like I confess my love?"

"Uh-huh?!" Taeyeon answered while shaking her head horizontally out of disappointment. "Your eyes don't lie." she continued.

"Is this the time where I as well will walk out and not talk to you anymore after putting me in this situation?" Yuri ask sarcastically while her hand is on her cheek.

Taeyeon smacked Yuri's shoulder with furrowed brows and  bitting her lower lip out of frustration. "I actually deserve a "thank you" from you. I thought we already talk about this huh? But go on. Be coward!"

Yuri hopelessly smile as she noticed how her friend is being serious. "Maybe I'm a coward. And yes! THANK YOU! I told you I'm not ready for this. Hayyst"

Yuri glanced up to the ceiling. "I shouldn't be gay Tae, my mom would kill me."

Taeyeon slammed her hands on the table in disagreement of what she just heard. "Mrs. Kwon seems open minded and besides there is nothing wrong about falling inlove."

"I know but we're both girls. You're aware that my mom is a teacher in our school right? This will embarrassed her. And I don't want that. In this reality, we can never be. I can't handle the stress. This will cause attention. I will hear bad things from people whom I looked up to or even to people I don't care about. I can't live with that."

"Is this really gonna kill you?"

"I don't know! You tell me?? And Tae, I'm too young to leave this world."

Taeyeon rested her face on her hand, looking at her unnerve friend and how that tears of frustration are trying its best not to move out from there shelter. She felt sorry for Yuri and her poor love.

"You know right? You know that Hara loves you the way you love her?"

"I don't know." Then she remembered the terrace moment where they almost kiss, she smiled and said "Maybe."

"Well I know she loves you the same. You can deal with your families. They will not bury you because you choose to love your best friend and not your brother's best friend Yureee-ah!"

Silence filled up the two.

"Or. They don't have to know --yet! I mean, make yourselves exclusive for each other. Besides you already looked like a couple. I'm actually a fan of "HaRi" [quoting using her fingers]. OBVIOUSLY! Hahaha but seriously, Let your relationship remain a secret until you're ready. But it's not that easy as it looks like."

Yuri cupped her own face and sighed for the 9th time today, "Why do I have to fall in love with my bestfriend! I didn't know love can this be so absurb!!"

"Love is beautiful, what you are feeling righ now are insecurities and fear. You--"

"But it's because I'm in love."

Taeyeon just shook her head in disagreement. "Listen, you have two choices; you tackle it, take the more difficult route and face everything head-on, or you sit back in the shadows and lie in your misery, not able to be yourself and constantly being on edge."

"Since when you've been a love guro for confused people? Huh? You're surprising me Taeyeon-ah." Yuri asked while her chin.

And that makes Taeyeon to start scratching the side of her neck with one finger. "Aiyyysh! C'mon we need a plan. Hara must be trying to cook a poison for you cos you choose the newbei over her!"

*********************

"Talking about what ifs: what if Hara will just hate me for this. What if this is not what she wants. What if we're just getting a wrong message from her actions. That I'm just really only a friend. That she likes somebody else. THIS WILL RUIN OUR FRIENDSHIP TAE!"

"Alright,