"You didn't tell us you've found yourself a Girlfriend" Chaeyoung suddenly appeared beside Dahyun, arm resting on Dahyun's shoulder as they walked out from the Music and Art Room. It's Lunch break.



 

Dahyun chuckled, "Stop teasing me, goof" and she playfully nudge Chaeyoung's side.


 

Both of them watched Gahyeon who was walking ahead of them. "What? Aren't you guys dating or something? You guys looks like a musician lovey-dovey couple awhile ago" she wiggled her eyebrows at the older.


 

"I was just teaching her some piano notes, stop putting assumptions" Dahyun grumbled and removed Chaeyoung's arm from her shoulders.



 

"Now you don't like me clinging on you? Why? Because you already found your girlfriend?" Chaeyoung furthermore teased and Dahyun had enough of it that she faced Chaeyoung with a done face.


 

Dahyun was about to protest but another voice appeared behind Dahyun, "Girlfriend? Who?" It was Mina.



 

"Yes, love. Dahyun finally found someone. She doesn't want  me anymore" and Chaeyoung faked a cry on the arms of her Girlfriend. This .


 

And Mina never left Dahyun's eyes, observing, "You do, Dahyun?" She asked curiously. Dahyun immediately shook her head, denying.


 

"Don't believe on whatever that bean is talking, Mina. Don't let her stupidity run through you" Dahyun stated and Chaeyoung gasped, acting offended.


 

"Oh please, why can't you just see that Gahyeon--"


 

"Enough, love. I don't wanna live life as a widow" and Dahyun chuckled at that.


 

"You should listen to Mina. One more word and I would definitely strangle you, Strawberry" Dahyun jests



 

"Stop calling me, Strawberry!" Chaeyoung whined, looking at Mina as if wanting her to defend her but the Japanese girl was just laughing at that.


 

"Why, Strawberry? Don't you wanna be called as Strawberry princess when we were young--"


 

"Yah! Fine, I'll stop teasing you, just....just stop calling me that, you white !"



 

Mina, who was watching the two bickering each other, suddenly remembered something important, "Almost forgot.." and the two best friends looked at her, stopped from bickering, "You guys coming for the camping program, right? That's only for two nights. Dahyun, are you coming?"


 

"Yeah, dubs. All of us are coming, you should too" Chaeyoung spoke excitedly


 

All..
 

So that means she's coming too..


 

"I'm..I'm not sure actually" Dahyun smiled apologetically, "Is it required to come?"


 

Mina and Chaeyoung shared a look. "It's not really required to come but.." Mina stated, "It would be a great experience, Dahyun. We would probably enjoy that two nights in the forest"



 

Dahyun bit her lip for a second, thinking. 




 

Because after Dahyun realized that Sasha's indeed avoiding her, ignoring her...she also decided to give space despite not knowing what was the real reason for the sudden avoidance. And of course, it frustrates her, because she's trying to find any reasons why Sasha's acting strange, but she couldn't really come up with anything..


 

Sasha is someone who is straightforward and transparent, and if she did something that could make the latter act differently towards her, why can't she just tell her?

 

"Dubs?" And Chaeyoung snapped her back from her thoughts, and Mina looked at her in concern.



 

"I...I'll just inform you, guys. I still need to ask permission to Miss Irene, you know, weekend's crowded in the club" she stated.


 

"Oh, right, you must be very busy this weekend" Chaeyoung nodded in understanding, but there was a little sadness right there on her eyes, she was probably hoping Dahyun would come. "Then call me anytime, today's Thursday and you have one more day to think about it, white " 


 

Dahyun chuckled. "Noted"

 

And they finally reached the cafeteria, and as soon as her eyes landed on a pair of honey brown eyes, the latter immediately avoided her gaze and focused on talking with their friends.


 

She could only sigh before approaching them.

 

----------------

 

And maybe she underestimated Chaeyoung and her circle of friends,

 

Because after they found out that she might not come, they immediately came up with any blackmails, threats that they would never stop bothering Dahyun her whole life, and many more reasons. And of course, Sasha was silent the whole time, and it bothers her a lot, but she could only try to shake that thought away,





 

Give her time. Give her time. She reminded her self.









 

"Do you have everything you need?" Dahyun's mother asked and Dahyun nodded, gripping on the sling of her bag.

 

"I'm going to miss you" Her Mother hugged her and whispered dramatically. Dahyun snorted.


 

"Ma, It's only for two nights, you're acting like I'm going abroad or something" she chuckled and her Mom just ruffled her hair.


 

"Still, I wanna see that squishy white cheeks everyday even though it's not that squishy anymore" Her Mom stated, "Are you sure you don't need to bring a tent?"



 

Dahyun rolled her eyes playfully, "Chaeyoung reassured that they're bringing plenty of it and that I don't need to bring one" 


 

"She was probably excited that you'd come" And Dahyun smiled at that.


 

"She even wants to pick me up, but since my car's finally fixed, there's no need" she cheekily stated.


 

"Yeah yeah, dork. Glad your oldie car is back" Her Mom teased. "See you on Sunday, honey. Take care, okay?"


 

Dahyun hugged her one last time, "I will. Stop being dramatic, Ma" 


 

"You better enjoy there"



 

"I will…"


 

-----------------

 

Sasha sighed in satisfaction as she looked around the spot they're on inside the forest. Few students were already here and it's still early. They just finished placing the tents properly and some of them were preparing a food to eat.


 

This us actually what she needed, a break. She was glad that the Dean came up with this idea. No school stuff. Just them enjoying and a few Professors who can guide them and introduce anything in this forest. An experience, they said,




 

So that's why she immediately agreed to come.






 

Nana would probably like this kind of things.. she thought.






 

"Have you been avoiding Dahyun? She seems a little off lately" Mina brings up, standing beside Sasha, also observing the surrounding.

 

Sasha looks away in guilt, telling Mina everything there is to know.





 

"Are you trying to cut yourself to the quick by avoiding Dahyun?" She asked in concern.


 

"Obviously" Momo appeared too, a can of coke on her hand, she also gave Mina and Sasha one.




 

"I'm just doing what's right" Sasha stated.




 

"Yeah? When I thought you're finally going to do something about your feelings towards her, this is the least I expected" Momo truthfully said, and Sasha felt more guilty about that. She can't even hide the fact that it does hurt her too. 





 

It is hard for her to play dumb that Dahyun notices it. That she knows she's avoiding her. She couldn't even look at Dahyun in the eye anymore. 




 

"You're like banging your head against the wall" Momo added.

 

And what Momo said was indeed true. It's like she was trying to make a progress.but ended up running in circles. There's nothing new. Still the same. And she was still hiding her feelings towards her. Still the same.






 

Sasha dismissed her thoughts. She's exhausted and unable to concentrate. So instead, her gaze was once again transfixed by the view of the forest.





 

Then she heard Momo once again before the Oldest Japanese walked out. "You can't runaway forever"



 

And Sasha could only watch Momo walk away and approach their friends, then she looked at Mina who sighed heavily.


 

She knows that Mina wants to say those words that came out from Momo too, because that was all true. She can't just runaway from things like this. She needs to face it. But Mina isn't that vocal nor wanted to meddle on their problems unless she needed to.





 

"Finally!" They heard Chaeyoung exclaimed,



 

And there she was, 


 

Dahyun…


 

------------------


 

It was getting darker, the sun is setting down.

 

After a few activities they did like games and exploring, the Professor announced that they're going to create a bonfire, and to create is to find woods or branches to use to set a fire.




 

They are informed to find a partner to find woods or fallen branches to use.






 

Dahyun's eyes went to the direction where the Japanese Cheerleader's standing, and she watched how Eunha approached her with a smile, probably asking her to be her partner, and when she thought that Sasha would turn her gaze on her direction, she immediately averted her gaze.



 

She really wanted to ask Sasha why she's been avoiding her, but she knows she can't. If she's going to ask her, she'd probably lie or deny the fact that she's not avoiding her, so maybe, it's best for her to wait for her to explain, but until when? She's bothered by the fact that Sasha's acting strange towards her but not to her friends..


 

Just why?




 

"Hey, Dahyun" Her attention shifted to the person who called her, and she smiled to greet Gahyeon. She was holding two flashlights.


 

"Have you finally found a pair?" She shyly asked, but Dahyun automatically shook her head,




 

"And because you approached me now, you're gonna be my partner" Dahyun cheekily stated and Gahyeon averted her gaze, shy once again.


 

"Gladly want to" Gahyeon stated and reached the one flashlight for her.




 

Dahyun knows Gahyeon likes her, but the latter isn't vocal about that, or was too shy to confess and so Dahyun just lets it like that. After all, she doesn't even know either what to do.



 

"Shall we proceed now?" Dahyun asked, trying to shake off her messy thoughts once again.


 

And so they walked through the trees and grasses to find some fallen branches.


 

-----------------


 

But they got called by the Professors, announcing that there might be a sudden rain as the sky looks too cloudy. It began to get colder and the cold breeze was hitting them harshly,


 

And the thunderstorms..



 

Thunderstorms…


 

Eyes of Dahyun searches for a certain person through the crowd. She couldn't find her. Her friends too, were looking for her.



 

"Where's Sasha?" Dahyun asked Chaeyoung was trying to fix her flashlight that fell.

 

Chaeyoung looked up and  eyebrows raised in question at Dahyun, "What's with the sudden curiosity?"



 

"Because she's not yet here" Dahyun stated, sounded so concern.



 

Some of the students were in their tents now, probably not wanting to get soak by the rain, and the bonfire was cancelled because of the sudden weather.


 

"She's with Eunha, they're probably on their way here" Chaeyoung calmly said when she noticed the growing frown on Dahyun's face.



 

Then her heart starts to beat frantically out of fear when she spotted Eunha alone, walking in hurried steps through their friends' direction. Eunha approached Momo, and she looks panicked, and so Dahyun starts to walk through them, in hurried heavy steps. She grew more nervous when she saw how Momo's frown turned into fear.


 

"Why would you leave her alone in this place?" Momo's voice were getting louder out of worry



 

"I...I told her to just stay on that spot and let me pick those branches, but when I returned there...she wasn't there anymore. I'm so sorry...I-