23

         “Wow, I’m so tired, Yujin-ah.” The former Vice President of their batch’s Supreme Student Council commented, wiping off her nonexistent sweats while putting up a poker face making everyone chuckle…

Except for Yena, “Yah, Unnie! I’m ashamed.” Who disagrees while holding a few boxes she’d been carrying since they arrived at the beach resort.

“The banderitas I’ve hung are ashamed, Sakura-unnie, really.” Everyone (Wonyoung, Yujin, Chaeyeon, Eunbi) laughed, even Sakura, who tried keeping that dull face, especially when Yena pouted, making those duck lips more prominent.

“Okay, okay, we acknowledge your hard work, Yena-ssi.” And just like before, whenever the Tom and Jerry of their circle are bickering, it’s Eunbi who would make it stop, the one who always has the authority and leadership.

Now letting the laughs to subside, they all continued their tasks, decorating the stage and table, blowing balloons, hanging fairy lights and banderitas, simply making the place look more extravagant with its already, eye captivating scenery, until one of them got curious, “Yujin…”

It’s Eunbi, “Don’t tell me, you rented the whole place for this too?” Looking at the whole place, realizing there are no other people and the resort seems like a mini private one with only a few small rest houses. More like, a retreat resort, it is.

Yujin timidly nodded, “Seriously?!” And their heads snapped in surprise.

“Minjoo wrote in the deal she would give me eighty percent of our joint savings to pay for all of the investments I’ve spent for her, but I decided to use half of it now, here.”

“Why not, right? It has been years since I did something like this…”

The silence engulfed them, while only the wind whistled through their ears, embracing their bodies, letting them shudder in the coldness of the breeze.

The point was there, and they couldn’t deny that. Yujin would yearly ask for their help to surprise Minjoo, yet there was no request for the past years just until now. It’s proven, even without a careful thought about it, that Yujin did change the way she treats Minjoo.

“You know, Yujin…”

“It’s okay.”

“Not everyone can make it up to their love ones after committing a mistake, and not even many can admit their own shortcomings.” Wonyoung, it was the youngest who spoke first and was seconded by Sakura…

“Especially after experiencing betrayal from the very same person you committed mistakes to. To lack in some fields such as showing affection and attention is still acceptable, right? But to cheat, it’s harder for you to accept, supposed to be, yet here we are, preparing for a big event.”

That was right, and yet, that somehow gave them an idea too…

“Wait, right…”

An opposing one towards the other side.

“It’s unacceptable, Minjoo might be reasonable, but still, the action was unacceptable. Why are we even doing this?” And it was Yena who first spurted it out.

Yujin could only bow her head, eyes down on the hands, holding the same banderitas and keep herself hushed.

Yes, it is unacceptable, but still, with the reasoning: Minjoo didn’t do such act just because she fell out of love for Yujin, but because of Yujin’s poor time management and inconsiderations, it is still… reasonable and might as well, considerate the feelings of the subject.

“Yena, maybe, your pouty mouth shou-…” Chaeyeon tried to joke around, however...

“I love her.” Everyone was, once again, silenced.

At times when Yujin will utter these types of phrases, most of them would cringe, find it cheesy and would bully her, but now? It did hit incongruously. It’s as if Yujin is torturing herself – a martyr, she seems to aim like.

And the sight of it is painful, as the set of people who used to be the couple’s witness on how they got close, grew together and loved each other, as the people supported them all the way through, it’s beyond frustrating to even witness how one betrayed the other.

Yena scoffed, feeling really agitated, “If only Minjoo would see this.”

“It’s late, what we’re doing is actually late, Yena.” Chaeyeon, this time, uttered seriously.

“Yujin already failed to do these things before, if Yujin didn’t fail, then Minjoo wouldn’t as well. It’s not solely Minjoo’s fault. To see and hear Yujin now won’t really grant anything, but more guilt. Relationship consists of two, and so, everything is because of them both.”

Yena, as goofy as Yujin, supposed to be, looked at Chaeyeon with such intimidating eyes, while the latter softened her gaze, trying to plead the other to just do what they were told and stop complaining or throwing remarks full of , condemnation towards the subject they are all here for.

“Yujin invested so much, she could’ve thought of those things Yujin did sacrifice for her.” In a low tone, Yena voiced out, “What she desires for was just being physical-…”

“And that’s part of it, the relationship.” Sakura halted her, stealing the spotlight, arguing once more for Minjoo's point of view.

“Are we going to neglect what Minjoo felt?”

“I said, Minjoo may have done something worse, but Yujin’s at fault too.”

That statement made Yena frown, even more. Sakura, their former Supreme Student Council Vice President thinks this way? Oh, right, her values are always opposed to most of them. It is always how it is, and Yena always admires the older for her own principles, for being wise, yet this time?

“Are you siding Minjoo, Kkura-unnie? Are you really… tolerating that?” Yena then questioned, earning a heave from the older.

“I’m not tolerating it, I will never do. But I also don’t like to invalidate whatever that is in her mind, whatever that she felt.”

“Yujin bought the house for them to live in there together, but she barely goes home. She married Minjoo and promised to be with her all the time but was only there for financial supports. She was supposed to be there with her, they vowed together, and they’re supposed to fulfill each and every promise they have, together. Just like what Chaeyeon said, relationship consists of two."

“It’s always the two of them, both in goodness and badness. That’s what they promised in front of us and the altar the day they of their wedding. Now, if one can’t fulfill then the other will surely won't be able too.”

They are the actual Tom and Jerry, yet by that current time, Eunbi's authority has no place to stand. She and Wonyoung, and also Chaeyeon remained silent, contemplating whether to approach Yujin and comfort her, but one thing's for sure, they are not going to stop Yena and Sakura. All of them had the full gist of it, both have points, and also...

“But it’s never ours to say…” It's never theirs.

“Yujin said she loves Minjoo, that should be enough, right? We’re just here to help, Yena.”

“As friends. They are no longer the college couple we kept on teasing before even though they had fights, we are all grown up. Yujin knows what she’s doing and she’s just asking for our help, not for our advices or opinions.”

“Let’s just do whatever we need to and see what’s going to happen next.”

Feeling it sink in, Yena’s head unconsciously bowed down as her eyes avoided Sakura’s firm gaze.

“I’m…”

“I’m just worried for Yujin.” Not only her, but everyone is, of course, "We all are, Yena."

The younger chuckled, making all eyes lift to see her, “I’m okay, Unnie. It’s okay. Whatever occurred and occurs, I’ll accept it.”

Concluded, it is then. It’s Yujin’s decision, and right, they’re only here to help her to prepare and make her plan happen, if it won’t work then they should be there to comfort her but altering her decision and mindset will never do. That’s it, that’s all.

After on, they went back to decorating the place minimally, not so much are there, but still giving off a romantic vibe. Yet after the outburst and argument between Yena and Sakura, Yujin had to look at them, at their friends, watch and reminisce…

“Yah! Yah! It’s not in the center, lift it up a little more, no, n-... okay, right there.” Yena looks like one of the student council officers who’s facilitating an event, she’s been the loudest ever since they started, and she’s been more perfectionist than Yujin firsthand, who planned all this.

“Yena-yah, relax. Are you Minjoo’s girlfriend?” Eunbi asked, pumping the plunger of the balloon air pump.

“No, but Yujin is our best friend, we would be proud if everything is perfect and Minjoo will appreciate this to the fullest. But she’ll surely like it, it’s us who prepared anyway.” Yena answered with such a teasing tone and expression, even flipping her hair before turning her back.

While the youngest scoffed and , “Woah, so full of yourself, Unnie!” Shaking her head in disbelief upon seeing Yena just smirking while wandering around.

“Guys…” They then looked at Yujin…

“Thank you for helping me.”

They softened, looking at Yujin who looks so new and innocent about these things yet wants to be that good at surprises kind of girlfriend.

“Ey, it’s okay. It’s your first anniversary. You know…”

“You can hire us every year, a lunch or dinner will do for the payment.”

All the good memories they had in doing the same things years ago, every year to be exact. And then again, have it in mind that they all just stopped when Yujin di