If there was one thing Moon Byulyi still envied Yongsun for, it was definitely her best friend’s ability to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep. True, she had fallen asleep relatively easy after the fulfilling meal and even more fulfilling company she’d had the night before, but as the sun crept over the horizon, shining through a crack in the curtains of their hotel room, Byulyi found herself wide awake with a pit in her stomach. At first she’d waved it off as too much food at dinner and pre-game day jitters. As the morning trudged on though, and after a quick trip to the restroom where she confirmed the time and location of her lunch appointment, Byulyi was able to put together the reason behind her malaise. She flopped down on her bed, untouched from when she and Yongsun decided to enjoy a night of talking about their worries about the distant future and their plans for their immediate futures and fell asleep. Unlocking her phone, she went back to her social media account. Lee Dahee had not only found and followed her account, she’d even messaged Byulyi, inquiring about an informal interview over lunch together. Who was Byulyi to refuse? 

The upcoming meeting wasn’t what bothered her, though. Sure, she was nervous to meet her sort-of celebrity crush, but it was deeper than that. As their message thread unfolded, Byulyi found herself feeling surprisingly comfortable with the highly successful commentator. Lee Dahee had a layer of authenticity and a down to earth side Byulyi had never expected from the seemingly otherworldly woman. She puffed her cheeks with a sigh and rolled over, facing her roommate’s sleeping face when it dawned on her. 

She hadn’t told Yongsun that Dahee invited her. Though she could reason that it was an honest mistake, Yongsun wasn’t her mother or girlfriend and had no sayso what Byulyi did with her time or who, so long as it didn’t impact the team, Byulyi couldn’t shake the rock in her gut. This somehow felt different. They’d just talked about voicing their feelings better. Wasn’t this a betrayal of the promise to work harder? 

But this wasn’t about feelings, Byulyi wasn’t so naive as to think she ever stood a chance with the Lee Dahee. Yet still, guilt twisted her insides almost painfully. She considered her options.

Break off the meeting with Dahee, saying something came up.

Ask if she could bring Yongsun and invite Yongsun as a surprise when she woke up.

Tell Yongsun as soon as she woke up. 

Her first option just seemed silly, even Yongsun would complain if she found out Byulyi had a chance at a lunch with Dahee and cancelled, both childish and cowardly. Her second option depended on two very big ifs. She could invite Yongsun if Dahee was ok with it. She could ask Dahee if she told Yongsun. Her final option swirled around her mind. The option she feared most: telling Yongsun. 

Aside from delay in telling Yongsun, how would Yongsun react? Would she be happy for Byulyi, insisting she wear her best outfit and be certain she was on time? A loud voice in her mind screamed “Yes you idiot, she’ll be stoked for you!” A quieter voice, though, one more insistent whispered “She’s going to be angry.” 

But why? Why would Yongsun ever be angry? Sure, Byulyi waited until the last minute to tell Yongsun about her meeting, but it wasn’t unforgivable. She could space out sometimes, especially when she and Yongsun got started on one of their deep talks. She had genuinely forgotten to tell Yongsun. It seemed unimportant compared to the rare display of vulnerability both allowed themselves after dinner. Byulyi rolled to lay on her back and puffed another sigh. 

“This is weird, I’m being weird about this.” she muttered in the dimly lit room. Yong had no reason to be angry with Byulyi for hanging out with someone else for lunch. If Yong had plans for them, they could easily work around her lunch meeting. Byulyi grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it close to her chest. 

Yong had no reason to be upset. None. Byulyi had nothing to worry about in telling Yong about Dahee. And yet-

“Byul-ah,” Yong husked from across the space between them. “When did you go all the way over there? It's cold, come back and be useful.” Yong rolled over and scooted further away from the Byulyi, a silent invitation/demand for Byulyi to reclaim her space under the blanket. Standing, she shuffled back over to her spot behind Yong, curling up and bringing her nose close to the nape of Yong’s neck. She didn’t really have to tell Yong yet, she could wait until after she knew why Dahee wanted to meet her. It could wait until both she and Yong slept until a more appropriate hour. 

The second time Byulyi woke up, her head was heavy with the excess sleep. She shuffled to the lights and flickered them on and off, chuckling as Yongsun protested the rude awakening. Dutifully, she headed to Wheein and Hyejin’s room, reminding them of their morning practice. Though all four prefered to not wake up earlier in the day, early practice meant early freetime for all. 

Their practice went as smoothly as any practice they engaged in would, meaning they at times played more than they “played”, but even Yongsun seemed in good humor, inviting Hyejin and Wheein’s antics and even entertaining Byulyi’s teasing. Returning to their respective rooms to shower and change, they’d continued their play, chasing one another in the hallways and lobby of the hotel as though they were children away on a school trip. Yongsun’s wide smile making Byulyi’s own cheeks ache in how infectious her good mood seemed. Byulyi considered the last time they’d had a night like last night. Sure, they’d had a few heart to hearts, a number of fights and resolutions, and one particularly bad drunk night where  Byulyi’s slurred confessions that Yongsun was her soulmate had earned her the title of a gross drunk, but it had been quite a long time since they laid under blankets well into the night, face to face as their shared whispered secrets and fears. She’d have to commit to making more time for them. Yongsun was rarely vulnerable with anyone, but any time she and Byulyi bared their souls for one another, Yongsun always seemed lighter the next day, freed from the burdens being leader often brought her. 

Walking out of the bathroom freshly showered and dressed, she sat on the bed as Yongsun typed a message on her phone. 

“Have any plans for today?” Byulyi threw the towel around her shoulders at Yongsun’s face. 

“Joohyun invited me to have lunch with her today, just us.” Yongsun glared at Byulyi before throwing the towel back. 

“Sounds like you guys need that, you two are almost never alone.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“I know, Seulgi can be so clingy.”  Yongsun scoffed at Byulyi’s comment with a small smile. 

“You won’t be too lonely will you, crybaby?”

“No, I can always see what Seulgi is up to, Un-nie” Byulyi looked down at her phone and sent a quick message to Seulgi to meet up later. Maybe over coffee.

“Oh ho, someone is popular.” 

“You’ll always be my number one, try not to get too jealous.”

“You are way too full of yourself sometimes.” Yongsun stood and made her way to the bathroom. “I should be back around dinner though, she said she wants to go for a walk after so I’m not sure how long I’ll be out but they have a game so not too late.” 

Byulyi nodded thoughtfully as she confirmed a time and place to meet with Seulgi and sent another quick message to Dahee to tell her she was about to leave. Yongsun placed clothes on the bed and set back into the bathroom, laying out her cosmetics and toiletries. Byulyi made eye contact with her through the bathroom mirror. 

“Quit trying to peek, you ert, at least let me see what kind of undies you have so I have something to lord over those toddlers.” Yongsun shut the door in Byulyi’s laughing face. 

“Hey! Do you want to get dinner just us again? I don’t think your toddlers are going to leave their room until the party tonight.” Byulyi yelled against the bathroom door. 

“Something greasy and with carbs if we’re drinking tonight.” Yongsun yelled back before turning on the shower and drowning out any protest or snide comments about Yongsun’s drinking Byulyi had. Slipping on her shoes, Byulyi grabbed her coat, wallet, and hotel room key before heading down to the lobby and out into the street. 

“Do your cheeks always puff up like that when you eat? It's really very endearing.” Dahee had her chin resting in her palm as she watched Byulyi eat, her own lunch long forgotten. 

“Uh, sorry, force of habit. We’re always so busy with classes, homework, practice, and games, I’m used to eating like I don’t have time. Byulyi sat up straighter and placed her spoon and chopsticks down before dabbing with a napkin. 

Dahee laughed, and oh what a laugh it was. Byulyi felt its warmth hang in the air and melt the rest of the world away for just a second.

Yong’s laugh did that too.

“No, no, it wasn’t a critique.” Dahee leaned forward as though she had a big secret she needed to reveal to Byulyi. “I just think it's really cute.” She punctuated her statement with a wink that had Byulyi swallowing her half-chewed food painfully in a gulp. 

“Well, I don’t know about that. I’d like to think I’m more the chic type, don’t you?” Byulyi smirked, raising one eyebrow flirtatiously. 

“I wonder if that’s RBW’s secret.” Dahee sighed wistfully.

“Being chic?”

“Hm? No,” Dahee laughed lightly, “I wonder if the secret to your success is the fact that all of you are just yourselves. Usually with these big teams, they have the school image to uphold. They can’t be seen doing this or that, they always have to look as though they’re living breathing personifications of athleticism. Then there’s your team.”

“Huh?” Byulyi tilted her head in confusion. 

“So! Off the record… do you girls get along like that all the time?” Dahee put a hand on her chin and waited expectantly for an answer to a question Byul couldn’t quite place.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing too dramatic, I just see how you two get along. I’ve got a lot of film to watch and it’s a very thrilling plotline.”

“Now what does that mean?” Byul asked with more emphasis

“You and Yongsun have a certain chemistry as teammates, and, it seems to me, as friends.”

“What? Like what? Like best friends” Byul asked nervously. Dahee laughed that amazing laugh again.

“Never mind, I got my answer” A wink accompanying the remark.

“We’re a family. It may sound dramatic but fate brought us all together for a reason.” Byulyi set her jaw in determination. “There’s no explanation beyond the fact that it was destiny that brought us all into the same team at the exact time we needed each other.”

“Ah, Byul ah don’t be so serious, this is just a casual conversation.” Byulyi blushed at Dahee’s words. 

“Ah, sorry. I can be a little intense sometimes. But it’s how I truly feel. Wheein and Hyejin are childhood best friends, Yongsun is...well, she’s my soulmate, if that makes sense.” Byulyi ran a hand through her hair nervously. 

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