Dahyun flipped through the pages of the assigned book for her class, she didn’t share the class with Tzuyu but they had the same professor. The two of them were sitting at Dahyun’s favorite table in the shop. After her test, she had decided to head straight to the cafe and hang out there. She had to work the afternoon shift and she hadn’t felt like going home yet, the exam was fine. She thinks it was anyways, she thought she might cry but held it in and tried not to panic. 

“I just don’t get why we have to read about boys stuck on an island.” Tzuyu says playing with her pencil and staring at the text. 

“It’s supposed to be a metaphor for society, the nature of man and all.” Dahyun responded. Not that she really got it either, what does the nature of man have to do with women. In her opinion if a bunch of girls got stuck on that island they would’ve had a working society by the end of the first afternoon. Dahyun goes back to highlighting lines she thinks might be good to use for essays when the bell attached to the door rings and she hears a familiar laugh. 

“Nayeon, it wasn't that funny. Quit laughing at me.” Dahyun hears her cousin say as they join her and Tzuyu at their table. Jeongyeon continues trying to convince Nayeon to stop laughing while the other tears up and hits her, laughing even harder.

“Is she okay to order or should I make a guess?” Jihyo asks when she gets to the table, already marking Tzuyu and Dahyun down for their refills. Nayeon composes herself and orders a drink and something sweet for the table. Dahyun is about to go back to her reading, but Tzuyu starts putting her school things away. When Dahyun looks at her confused, she sees that Tzuyu is paying attention to Nayeon. Said woman is staring intently at Tzuyu with a look that appears to be asking something. Tzuyu nods and Nayeon is immediately animated. 

“So, did you hear anything about the party? I didn’t see you there, and I know Dahyun wasn’t there. Which I was devastated about.” Nayeon squeezes Dahyun’s cheeks as she puts down her book and protests the affection. 

“Depends on what you think I would’ve heard.” Tzuyu smiles a little at her response.

“Chaeyoung.” Nayeon gestures to the girl on shift, currently busy getting their drinks and snacks ready. “Did you hear who she was hanging off the arm of all night?” Dahyun was a little confused, Chaeyoung had been hanging off someone's arm? Who? She hadn’t heard anything about this. She stays quiet as the others gesture Chaeyoung over to the table, Jeongyeon getting up to help bring over the drinks. 

“What?” Chaeyoung says when she arrives, carefully studying Nayeon and Jeongyeon. In Dahyun’s eyes they look like predators waiting for their prey to slip up, or in this case reveal something and die via teasing. 

“Who was your date Chaengie?” Jeongyeon starts, and Chaeyoung’s face lights up red as she turns to leave. Dahyun smiles and grabs her wrist, this is something she wants to know.

“No one!” 

“Ooooh she's blushing, why are you blushing Chaeyoung?” Nayeon joins in on Jeongyeon’s teasing.

“I’m not blushing! It’s because you're teasing me!” Chaeyoung looks desperately at Dahyun, and she sees something click in her friend's eyes. “Why don’t you ask Dahyun about her da-” Dahyun rushes up to cover Chaeyoung's mouth with her hands. 

“No, they would much rather hear about your date to the party. I would.” She leans in and whispers to Chaeyoung, “I’ll kill you.” When Chaeyoung her hand she lets go and, disgusted, wipes it on Chaeyoung’s shirt. 

“It wasn’t a big deal, I promise.” Chaeyoung looks like she wants to be anywhere but here.

“You met her dad, didn’t you?” Nayeon says, it’s worded like a question but the tone indicates its a statement. All eyes fall on her friend, who looks as red as a tomato at this point.

“I did. But it’s not like that!” Everyone stays silent. 

“Okay maybe it's a little like that.” Chaeyoung says, looking down. 

“Who are we talking about?” Dahyun finally interrupts, thoroughly lost on who Chaeyoung could’ve been with at the party. A noble? Nayeon’s face lights up and she grabs Dahyun’s hands.

“Myoui Mina, the princess’s cousin. The silent, first love beauty that everyone admires! She's so cool, and now I want to know,” Nayeon starts, looking at Chaeyoung again, “why you met her dad. Are you dating?” 

“Wait wait, the princess’s cousin? So she's royal?” Dahyun's brows furrowed in confusion, dating a member of the royal family as a commoner? That doesn’t make any sense. Nayeon nods in response to the question, still looking at Chaeyoung.

“She wanted to introduce me so she didn’t have to hide anything. That's what she said anyways, he was very nice and we got along.” Chaeyoung states, turning to walk away. Dahyun lost in her thoughts about royals and commoners dating doesn’t even notice.

“What would that even be like, dating a princess, wouldn’t it be intimidating?” Dahyun wonders outloud, not realizing she’s caught her friend's interest until she sees Chaeyoung’s hand on the table in front of her. She looks up and sees Chaeyoung staring deeply into her eyes, almost like she's searching for something. Her friend gives her a look, but Dahyun has no idea what it’s supposed to mean.

“I wonder.” Chaeyoung mutters. She straightens herself before speaking again, looking directly at Dahyun. “It’s not as difficult as you’d think. I mean even if she was the next in line for the throne, she’s still just a person like you and me. The only thing that matters is that she’s true to herself and cares about me, as long as those things are true then her being a royal shouldn’t matter to me or anyone else.” Dahyun isn’t sure what Chaeyoung is trying to tell her, it feels too pointed to be a casual response. Before she gets time to dwell on it and understand, Chaeyoung switches the subject.

“Speaking of the party, did any of you see that girl? The one who kept coming over to the table and glaring at the workers? I don't know what that was about, but it seemed like she might’ve been looking for someone or something.” Chaeyoung’s gaze moves off Dahyun and onto the rest of the table.

She feels her stomach sink, was it Sana? Had she been there? When Dahyun had finally turned her phone back on she saw so many missed calls and texts from the noble from last night. She had been worried if Sana was okay, but the last of the texts had read ‘im okay i just miss you’ and there was nothing after that. She found it endearing but she hadn’t had the energy earlier to text back and check on Sana. She had forgotten about the texts and calls after that until just now, but if Sana had been looking for her then. Then what?

“Really?” Dahyun casually says, looking up at Chaeyoung and watching Chaeyoung meet her eyes with record breaking speed. She takes a breath. “What, uh,” She swallows, trying not to get nervous about such a simple question. Chaeyoung seems to be leaning closer, expectantly, like she knows exactly what Dahyun wants to ask and is more than happy to tell her. Dahyun never gets a chance to finish the question.

“Oh you mean the princess? Yeah I don't know what that was about either, I was kinda surprised. Wonder what got her all riled up. Speaking of-” Nayeon continues, but Dahyun slinks back into her seat. It wasn’t Sana, she probably wasn’t even at the party. Dahyun had heard it was a small one, she was shocked that Nayeon had even gone. Whatever Nayeon was going to talk about now didn’t interest her, she opened up one of her for fun books and started reading, only half paying attention. She vaguely hears Nayeon ask Tzuyu about the princess’s dating rumors, but Tzuyu refuses to comment. Not that it mattered to her, if it wasn’t about Sana, then Dahyun didn’t really care to know.

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

Sana woke up stretched out on her bed in pain, and feeling very dry in the mouth. S