//Flashback//

“Jjoyul~” Yena said to the girl next to her, trying to disturb her while she was working.

“What now unnie?” She said, irritated. Yena just kept quiet knowing that she doesn’t want her girlfriend to be mad at her.

Yuri noticed how the older girl suddenly became quiet and she stopped working and approached the sad girl. “I’m sorry unnie… It’s just that work has been piling up and its stressing me out.” She said and Yena gave an understanding smile.

“Its alright. Just go continue your work and I’ll make us dinner, hm?” Yena said as she patted Yuri’s back and Yuri was about to talk when the door suddenly closed.

The couple ate the meal Yena made, albeit quietly. There was tension in the atmosphere surrounding them and both were about to talk when the door suddenly opened revealing a very sad Hyewon.

“Hyewon-unnie!” Yuri exclaimed, dropping her utensils, and immediately running towards the tired girl. Yena was shocked to see Hyewon tired but more shocked to see her girlfriend’s reaction. She started having these thoughts that she knew were wrong, but she couldn’t help thinking about them.

“Oh, Yuri-ah…” Hyewon said as she held Yuri’s hand and smiled at her. “What happened unnie?” Yuri said and Yena was still at the kitchen cleaning up.

“I’m just tired from work, you know.” She said and Yuri was laughing, but Yena was not. She knows that her best friend rarely gets tired from work, but she dismisses her negative thoughts.

A few days have passed, and more work has been piling up the couple. They rarely saw each other but when they did, they treated that time as the time for them, the time for them to enjoy themselves and appreciate each other’s presence, until it suddenly stopped.

“Yuri-ah, I’m coming home early from work. Wanna grab something to eat? I’ll buy you-” She was cut off when Yuri suddenly spoke.

“I’m so sorry Yena, I’m packed with all these papers that needed approval. I might come home late. I’m so sorry.” Yuri said and Yena, knowing that her girlfriend is very passionate about her work, just nodded.

“It’s ok, Jjoyul… I’ll just come home. I’ll just wait for you ok?”

“Ok, Yena… I’m really sorry…”

Yena was about to go home when she passed by a convenience store that was empty. She went inside, wanting to buy a drink when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

“Yena?” The person asked and Yena was shocked to see the person, or people.

“Chaewon? What are you doing here? Oh, hey Tomi-yah.” Yena said, waving at the chubby-cheeked girl while the short haired girl beside her just glared.

“How come you immediately asked me why I’m here but to Hii you just greeted her?” Chaewon said, obviously sulking.

“Awww my Chaewonnie ish sho kyuute sulking uwu” Hitomi said which made the duck puke and the fairy blush.

“But seriously, why are you guys here? In a convenience store?” Yena said while searching for the drink she wanted.

“Oh, we own this store. I said that we didn’t need the store since Chaewon’s rich, but she said she wanted to use the money that she earned and not coming from her parents… She’s trying to be independent I’m so proud…” Hitomi said, tearing up as she said the last part which earned her a laugh from Yena and a smack from Chaewon.

“How about you, unnie? How’s life with Yuri?” Chaewon asked and Yena sighed.

“I don’t know… It’s been awhile since we hung out… Work taking away all our time. One of us comes home early, the other vice-versa. Just moments ago, I called her and asked her for dinner, but she declined, saying she had so much work to do…” Yena said and Hitomi stiffened.

“What happened, Hitoma? You ok?” Chaewon said as the former was staring at something.

Hitomi saw Yuri… and Hyewon?

“Unnie, I thought Yuri was at work?” Hitomi said and Yena was confused. “She was, I just called her a few minutes ago, why?”

“Oh, nothing unnie…” Hitomi just laughed but the worried expression from Chaewon showed that something was off but Yena paid no attention to it. “Well, I’m gonna buy this beer and I’ll be on my way. Thanks for the chat guys.” Yena said as she bought the drink and went off.

“This is bad. Kkura-unnie told me about this when we met up. Yuri’s cheating on Yena.” Chaewon said as Hitomi gave her a confused reaction. “How could Yuri do that? Yena-unnie gave up everything just to take care of Yuri!” Hitomi said, furious.

3

Yena arrived at her apartment, tired from everything that happened that day. She knew something was up with everyone she met. Yuri having too much work, Chaewon and Hitomi suddenly appearing after their wedding, her best friend Hyewon coming home “tired from work”. She knew what Hitomi saw when she went to their convenience store a few hours ago.

She knew what was happening behind her back, she just refused to believe it. She had too much faith on her relationship with Yuri; she thought that whatever happens, they’ll have each other to lean on. But apparently, while Yena struggled on her own, Yuri had someone else to lean on. But she still refuses to believe that her girlfriend is cheating on her with her best friend.

But this had to stop.

/Winter, 2020/

It was a cold day, to say the least. Yena went to her workplace, not realizing that the winter season was approaching. She woke up early, readied herself and took all her necessities for work. She did not even bother to wake up her girlfriend since her trust towards her is slowly fading.

The day went pretty bad for Yena; her boss burst when one her co-workers was found with another co-worker, making out in the janitor’s closet. That co-worker was her boss’ girlfriend. Her boss went out and fired the two workers and he went home, gloomy. Yena was starting to feel the same thing, but she still wasn’t sure since she hasn’t seen it before her eyes.

Until she went home.

//At home//

“Hyewon-unnie~” Yuri said as she clung onto the said girl’s arm as they finished the movie they were watching. “What is it, babe?” Hyewon took her eyes of the food and onto the girl beside her.

“What if Yena catches us? She’ll be really mad. I can’t even imagine how mad she’ll be if she catches us dating behind her back…” Yuri said but Hyewon holds her hand and caresses it, giving assurance to the girl.

“She’ll never find out about us. No one even knows about us. 2 years. 2 years we’ve been together. I don’t even know what you saw in Yena anyway. The important thing is, I’m here with you and you’re here with me.” Hyewon then hugged Yuri and watched some videos on YouTube.

They didn’t even realise the door opening revealing a very tired and very mad Yena, but she tried to keep it quiet so that she’ll see how far the extent of her patience is.

“Hey babe?” Yuri said to the girl currently eating Yena’s favorite chips.

“Yes, Yuri?”

“What will we do when the time comes that she finds out about us?” Yuri asks, scared to think that Yena might snap.

“Hmm… how about we think about that when that time comes hm? It’s getting late anyway; she knows you’re at work so she might not even be home yet. So how about we get some rest, and I’ll leave early in the morning, so she won’t find out.” Hyewon gave Yuri an assuring smile and Yuri gave on back.

They were about to go to Yuri’s room when they heard something that almost came out of their nightmares.

“How about the both of you ing leave!” Yena said, angry at the two people.

“Y-yena!” Yuri said, clinging onto her girlfriend who was fuming. “How’s work babe-”

“Get off me”

“W-what do you mea-”

“GET THE OF ME JO YURI!” Yena said as she yanked Yuri’s hand of her arm.

“Yo what the hell, Yena! How could you do that to your girlfriend?” Hyewon asked, trying to help Yuri up.

“2 years, Yuri… 2 ING YEARS! I gave you everything you wanted! I even skipped work just because you bumped your knee on the table! I took care of you even more than I took care of myself! I left my home, even got disowned by my parents just to be with you… AND THIS? This is how you return all the effort I did? How? By cheating behind my back with the one person I trust besides you?” Yena said, trying to keep in her tears but failing.

“Babe, it’s not what you think… We aren’t dating, Yena.” Yuri said, trying to convince the girl but failing.

“You know what? Don’t leave. I’ll be leaving. Enjoy your ing affair. I’m done with this bull.” Yena said as she went to her room and packed all her stuff.

“Yena…” Hyewon said as she approached her best friend.

“Leave me alone Hyewon.” Yena said as she finished packing her stuff and was about to leave the room.

“Dude, I’m sorry… I can break up with her, I can leave her and not disturb your relationship, I can-”

*SLAP

“You already ruined our relationship! I TRUSTED YOU! We knew each other ever since we were young… I never thought that my own best friend, the sister I never had, would be the one to ruin my life…” Yena slammed the door as she exited the room, leaving the two girls quiet, and guilty.

//Flashback End//

“That’s how I ended up here in your house…” Yena said, tearing up again.

“So that’s why no one talks or even acknowledges them anymore” Sakura said and Yena kept crying.

“Don’t worry Yena, we’ll be here for you. Whatever happens, you can always rely on us. There’s also Chaewon and Hii-chan, Eunbi-unnie is also in town… Wonyoung and Yujin are also apparently living in the same roof, while Minju and Nako are still studying for med school. We are all here for you, Yena. Don’t you worry.” Chaeyeon said, caressing her sister’s hand, assuring her that everything will be ok.

But it won’t.

At least for Chaeyeon and the others.