The weather that night was calm, no turbulence during their flight too. It’s a bit cold as usual, especially during the flight at night. Yena looked to her left side and found Yuri was looking out of the window, staring at the night sky while hugging herself. Yena shook her head slightly at the view. She took the hooded jacket that she placed on her lap and did her best to cover Yuri with it using only her left hand. It gained Yuri’s attention though as the younger turned to look at her.

“I’m fine, unnie.” Yuri assured Yena, knowing Yena must be worrying over her.

Yena raised her left hand to turn on the knob for the aircon to shut it off for Yuri. Eunbi who sat on the next row, saw that and she got up to get a blanket from the overhead compartment and gave it to Yena and Yuri. 

“Thanks, unnie.” Yena told Eunbi and Eunbi gave Yena a nod and a small smile before getting back to her seat.

Yena piled the blankets on Yuri, making the younger buried in it. Yena let out a soft laughter, finding Yuri becoming so small in it. Yuri gave a playful glare but just let Yena do whatever the older wanted. All Yena would say as she fixed the blankets was how cute Yuri was, causing soft blush adorned the younger’s cheeks.

Yena shifted on her seat to get comfortable. It’s going to be a long flight. She felt Yuri scooted closer to her, changing from her earlier position where she leaned slightly on her side towards the window. Still buried with Yena’s jacket and the blankets, Yuri went to hug Yena’s left arm and rested her head on Yena’s shoulder. Soon enough, their fingers intertwined under Yena’s jacket.

The plane was silent, main reason because most people were asleep or busy doing their own thing. Yena slightly tilted her head to look at the crown of Yuri’s head. Yena smiled before turning her gaze back to the seat in front of her. Yuri was only getting comfortable, just like how Yena was feeling at that moment.

“Unnie… I’m nervous.” The whisper came from Yuri.

Yena understood what Yuri meant. ‘I’m scared’ the unspoken words from Yuri that Yena also heard underlying. Running her thumb over Yuri’s, she rested her cheek on top of Yuri’s head.

“Don’t be. I’ll be around. We’ll be together now. I won’t let you face fear alone now. I’ll make sure to be right by your side, holding your hand like this.” Gently Yena squeezed Yuri’s hand and she could feel Yuri hug her left arm even tighter. Yena wouldn’t miss out being by Yuri’s side, after losing all those years. 

“And.. if I’m not around, trust your members.” Yena said after a moment of silence.

Yena felt Yuri’s head moving underneath her cheek, making her tilt her head down to look at Yuri only to find Yuri was already glaring at her, cheeks puffed up and lips forming a small pout. 

“I don’t like it when unnie speak that way.” Yuri muttered weakly. The glare stayed. 

Yena understood the dislike that Yuri displayed. It did sound like she was leaving the younger when in fact she didn’t mean it that way. A small chuckle left her lips. This kind of view, she missed it a lot and Yuri started to pout again at Yena’s chuckle. 

“Sorry… sorry…” Yena quickly apologised for her words earlier and also the chuckle that escaped her lips.

“It’s not like I could be with you 24/7. So, you’ve got to learn to open up. Besides, I only ask you to do it with your members, the people you trust. Unless, you don’t trust them.” Yena gently hit her forehead against Yuri before she smiled. 

“But don’t go to others that aren’t your members. You don’t know how dangerous others could be.” Yena gave the younger a warning. There were a lot of idols or staffs that tried to approach others with underlying motives and she definitely didn’t want Yuri to get into possible harmful situation.

“Said the person you always go to visit and befriended everyone.” Yuri’s words got no bite in it, just a way to tease the older.

“Yeah.. but I failed to befriend you.” Yena retorted, her tone was playful. 

“Serve you right though.” Yuri snuggled against Yena. There’s a smile on Yuri’s face. 

“Yeah… Now, I won’t do things that could create bad reputation of myself.” 

“And I’ll make sure unnie stay in the right lane.” Yuri told Yena, being the one who always watched over the older when they’re kids.

“I know you will.” Yena whispered. It’s something that Yena knew without a doubt Yuri would do and she wouldn’t stop Yuri do that because it’s for her own good. 

***

They fell asleep like that, Yuri hugging Yena’s arm with Yena resting her head against the top of Yuri’s head. Yena woke up in the middle of the night though. She looked at Yuri, finding the younger was asleep, loosely hugging onto her arm. Carefully, she pulled her hand out of Yuri’s hold, didn’t want to disturb Yuri’s sleep. She felt like snacking on something from feeling hungry so suddenly.

Carefully bringing her backpack up, that’s located on the carpeted floor in front of her feet, by trapping it in between her legs. Once it’s high enough for her left hand to hold, she carefully pulled the bag to her lap. She took a pack of jelly out and opened the package. She started eating, placing the package on top of the bag on her lap. 

Yena brought the table down and placed things like the jelly and her phone on it. Then she placed her notebook down with her pen. Maybe she could do some reading with how far she had written for her song. Although she knew it probably far from making any progress.

Yena was going to zip her bag and placed it down by her feet again. However, one particular item caught her eyes. The yellow ribbon made the contrast to the black surrounding in her bag. Could this be the right time? She only brought it with her with no plan to give it to Yuri at first, knowing they hadn’t mended their friendship but now they were fine, maybe she could give it to her.

Taking the black box with yellow ribbon wrapped up around it, she opened the box up with her left hand, slightly shaking it to open it up. Placing the cover on the table, she looked at the new bracelet. After pondering for a moment, this was probably the best time to give it to Yuri. With how Yuri acting up earlier, it made Yena wanted to give Yuri the bracelet even more. She did ask Yuri to open up but seeing all this time how Yuri still drew a line for Rose’s members, she knew Yuri might need a bit more time.

Looking at Yuri for a moment, who still slept so peacefully while resting her head on her shoulder, Yena had a smile on her face. Sleep well. I know you must be tired from taking care of me. Turning her gaze back to the bracelet, she took it out of the box and loosened the knot, doing her best with her left hand. Yena let out a soft ‘Yes’ once she managed to do it. She carefully held Yuri’s right hand, bringing it up and placing it on the table in front of her. Pulling the sleeve to Yuri’s sweatshirt up as slowly and as careful as she could be, she then took the bracelet from the table and slid it into Yuri’s hand. She carefully shifted closer to Yuri so that her right arm that’s being immobilised could reach the other end of the bracelet. Holding the two ends of the bracelet, slightly struggling with her right hand, she pulled the strings to tightened the bracelet. 

Yena sighed in relieved after she managed to put the bracelet on Yuri’s wrist. She looked at it and it brought smile to her face. It looked so beautiful and bright against Yuri’s milky skin. It should shine together with Yuri, brightened Yuri up. Giving a caress once on the bracelet and Yuri’s wrist, Yena pulled the sleeve back to its original position, covering the new bracelet that she had presented the younger.

Yena kept the box into her bag and placed her bag down on the floor again. She took some jellies to eat, somehow feeling nervous now, wondering how Yuri’s reaction would be if the younger found out about the bracelet she gave her. Taking a deep breath, she then sighed. It helped a bit to calm herself. She just hoped when Yuri noticed that new bracelet, Yuri would give her that look of wonder like how it was when they were kids.

Deciding to distract herself, she opened up her notebook. She stole another glance at Yuri who was still sleeping so soundly against her shoulder. She randomly drew figures on her notebook, praying for inspiration to come to her. Then she wrote ‘what you did to me?’ on the page. Came to think of it, she indeed did a lot of things just to bring smile to Yuri’s face.

Flipping to the new page, she decided to write something. Let’s start simple and with proper direction. Yena looked to her side when she felt Yuri stirred in her sleep. It made her frozen on her seat, thinking that she woke the younger. Luckily she didn’t. Just then, in her brain it’s like there’s a bulb being . Why didn’t she wrote about their story? So, the pages started to fill with random words, phrases and sentences. 

It started with the flashes of when they were kids until they part ways as she wrote the words down.

철없던 우리 어린 날의 약속 (the promise we made when we were young)

Then she continued with her thoughts of Yuri whenever she was missing the younger. 

우리 처음 만났던 날 (the day we first met)

짧았던 마냥 행복했던 기억 (short but happy memory)

유난히 그리운 날 (I’m missing you today)

Pausing for a moment, she wrote simple word like 사랑? (love) and 이별이란? (farewell). She wrote question mark behind those words because she wasn’t really sure on what to do with those word just yet. Compared to what she had been doing the past few weeks, today was the most fruitful one. Maybe it’s the power of having Yuri by her side that she got affected by the younger’s skill in writing. Stopping, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to think of how she felt, what she was thinking, everything that happened around up until she met Yuri again. Then she opened her eyes and continued writing. Scribbling and crossing the words off a few times, she finally managed to continue with the words she wanted. The handwriting was terrible from writing with her left but she didn’t want to lose the inspiration that finally came to her.

다시 만날 설레임도 (the anticipation of seeing you again)

그것마저도 그리워 (I miss everything)

기억나니? 서툴기만 했던 너와 나 (Do you remember? you and me, we were so awkward)
맴돌기만 했던 우리들의 지난날들 (We only circled around each other all this time)

언제나 여기 서 있을 거야 그래 (I’ll always be here, that’s right)
그 날처럼 (Just like that day)

Yena looked at those words that she managed to produce. It was still far from becoming into a song but it’s a progress, a huge one even. Placing the pen down, she took a few jellies to eat. She rested her head against her seat and got comfortable while thinking for more words to be written in the notebook. She definitely would fill it with words that she wanted to convey to the younger, to let the younger know of how she felt all this time. This was the whole point of her trying song writing. She wanted to be able to give Yuri a song that really came from her heart about them. With that objective in mind, she got the word and phrases that she wanted. 닿기를 (reach) was the word that she should say represent this whole thing. She had been wanting her words and her feelings to reach the younger ever since they got separated. So, she decided it to be the title, 너에게 닿기를 (to reach you), writing it huge on top of the page. Then she stopped to think again on what to fill more to the page. In the end, Yena dozed off, tired from thinking too much, leaving the book opened because her left hand was pressing on top of it. 

***

At some point, Yuri slowly stirred awake from her sleep. She felt the weight on top of her head and she knew Yena was asleep although the older must have awaken from how Yuri saw Yena’s table was down and with jellies, Yena’s phone and her notebook on top of it. The older must have written something. She wondered what was so urgent that made the older decided to write even with her left hand. 

Yuri slowly moved away from Yena’s shoulder, so she would’t wake the older up. She smiled at the cute face of sleeping Yena, lips slightly parted and the older’s lips pouted slightly, forming her signature duck pout. Bringing her table down, she moved Yena’s phone to her table and took some jellies to eat before placing it down to the table. Carefully she lifted Yena’s hand up and placed it down the older’s lap. She then went to the notebook and saw what’s written in it. Even if she tried not to, it’s so hard when it’s written really huge on top of the page on the open notebook. Yuri understood that it’s not right to read but it piqued her interest after seeing what’s written on top of the page. 

She took the notebook and spared a glance in it. She directly knew that Yena was trying to write a song. However, she would continue to look at it later. Looking to her side, she carefully tilted Yena’s seat, so the older could have slightly more comfortable sleep. Then she took the blankets from her lap to cover Yena with it, to keep the older warm. Yena’s jacket was enough for her right now. 

Getting back to the notebook, now she properly read what Yena had written. The more she read about it, the more she couldn’t stop her heart from racing. It felt so close to her heart. She had understood the words written all too well. Now, she felt a bit guilty in reading it. It sort of contained words that she probably couldn’t say to Yena ever. Well, she could but it’s kinda difficult. The feeling of the words on the tip of your tongue but could never get it out. For sure, one needed a huge courage to say that. That’s also probably why Yena wrote it down and at some point, Yena would sing it. Could that be counted as a confession when that happened? Maybe. How would she react to it?  Not sure. It’s just that she always wanted the older to know that she felt the same although it would be way too fast if they dived into it now.

So, she filled the pages Yena had written with her words, her story, her point of view regarding things. Maybe in a way, she could indirectly tell Yena how she felt like how the older did, which she accidentally saw. Taking the pen into her hold, she was going to write something until she felt something pressing on her right arm. She raised her hand up to look for what was poking her. Finding nothing, that’s when she realised it came from under the sleeve of her sweatshirt. Pulling the sleeve up, that’s when her eyes locked into the familiar colour of the bracelet, something she thought she wouldn’t be able to see against her wrist anymore. Yuri took a closer look to it and she tried to blink away the tears in her eyes that started to form from how affected she was from Yena’s gesture. She didn’t expect this to happen. Just how Yena could make one for her. It was much better than the older one and also she noticed the change in the duck and hamster that’s dangling at each end of the bracelet. She smiled at the small metal duck and hamster, also noticing the little Y engraved on the duck and hamster. Learning from the new bracelet, she knew Yena was planning to give this to her for a while and maybe was looking for the right time until now. 

“Thank you, unnie.” Yuri looked at sleeping Yena. 

How she fell in love with Yena was most probably because of this reason. Yena wouldn’t only look after her in front of everyone but the older would always do the same behind her, secretly without her knowing. That’s also probably the reason why she always felt safe around the older. Without she realised, a smile grew on her face when she thought of Yena and unconsciously her habit came back, running her fingers on the new bracelet on her wrist. Looking at Yena’s notebook, she took the pen to start writing, heart feeling so warm because of Yena.

서툴고 어색해도 바라만 봐도 (Even if you are clumsy and awkward)

Yuri slightly chuckled after she finished writing that down. She reminded of the time whenever Yena was around in the past to talk with her group but she was the one putting a wall in between them and how Yena tripped on her feet when they properly talked for the very first time. That sentence suited their interaction so much.

전하지 못했던 그 말 너에게 닿기를 (The words I couldn’t say, I hope they reach you)

서로가 애탔던 그 맘 이제는 닿기를 (I hope our feelings reach each other)

비록 멀리 있지만 (Even though we’re far away)

아직도 잊지 못해 (I still think about you)

어때 넌? 너도 그런 생각 하니 (what about you? Do you feel the same?)

Yuri continued writing with words that represented how she felt all this time when she was away from Yena. She prayed and wished for Yena well being every night before sleep and also how she also wished for Yena not to forget about her, to hold onto the promise the older told her. Yena indeed was so smart in picking that title. Because it did say a lot about what they wanted to tell one another after all this time being apart from one another.

가끔 난 너를 꿈속에서 만나 (sometimes I meet you in my dreams)

지나간 시간 속에 널 만나기를 (After all this time I still want to meet you again)

Yuri wrote another sentence in it before placing a pen down. She stared on the two words Yena left behind. The two words that the two had experienced before, the two words that had contradictory meaning. Love and Farewell, Yuri was staring at those two words for a very long time, even tapping the pen on the empty page on the side, creating one black dot that grew bigger at each time passed.

Yuri repeatedly wrote the words love and farewell on the empty page, trying to figure out what to write with it. The simple words yet the most difficult ones to write. She managed to put ‘love’ and ‘special’ together while for ‘farewell’, she paired it up with ‘painful’. That’s what she could think of for now. Taking a break, she placed the pen down and munched on the jellies while staring at the bracelet on her wrist. Once again, it grew, the feeling of warmth in her chest and she glanced at Yena before slightly smiling at the heartwarming view. Indeed, being with Yena was so easy like there’s nothing change from how it was when they were kids. It was great but scary at the same time as she realised how fast she fell more for the older.

***

Yena woke up and the first thing she saw was Yuri’s back. The younger was busy munching something and she saw it was just their favourite jellies. Yuri was staring at her phone, her AirPods in her ears but Yena didn’t know exactly what Yuri was doing. Yena looked at Yuri’s back for a while, smiling when she noticed Yuri was using her jacket to cover herself. Pressing the button to her seat, she brought the seat back up straight. She saw most of her things were on Yuri’s table. Yuri must have moved it to give more space for her. Yena saw her notebook and phone was on Yuri’s table. 

She was suddenly nervous. Suddenly, a lot came to mind. Has Yuri found the bracelet? Did yuri read what’s in the notebook? Yena silently huffed, trying to calm her heartbeat that started to race in her chest. Then the what ifs came. What if Yuri didn’t like it? What if yuri read what’s written in the notebook? What if Yuri didn’t find it good enough?  

Yena personally didn’t mind Yuri to read what she had written — despite that others most probably would — even if the song meant as present for Yuri. It’s just that she hoped that she was’t embarrassing herself way too much in front of the younger. She was literally doing her best to impress the younger. It’s just like what everyone was doing when they had someone they liked and they were doing their best to impress and get the attention of that particular person. Yena was just doing the same.

Busy with her thoughts, Yena didn’t realise that Yuri was aware that she had woken up and looked at her with a soft warm gaze. Feeling gaze on her, she tilted her head slightly up. She locked gaze with Yuri. Beautiful. That word directly came front to her mind. The entire plane was dark, just the light from Yuri’s side, creating the spotlight for the younger. She could see Yuri had placed her AirPods down on top of her phone, eyes looking at her with the gleam that she couldn’t really understand. 

Too fast. It’s fun and exhilarating. At the same time, it’s scary too. Maybe that’s what people meant about the rollercoaster feeling when you fell for someone. Yuri and Yena agreed with that expression so much right now. It stayed in mind, unspoken. It’s the time when one was silent, clinging to the fear more than the fun when they’re in the ride.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Yena was the first one between the two to break that silence. 

“Nothing.” Yuri shook her head and leaned closer to Yena.

Yena just acted cool after that, not paying too much attention on Yuri, counting it as taking a little break from the rollercoaster of feeling. She felt Yuri leaned closer to her, most probably was just going to cling onto her. It’s just one of Yuri’s habit that didn’t change at all and she wouldn’t be complaining at all about it. What Yena was forgotten about in this rollercoaster ride was that one could have the sudden courage to shout or to take a peek on what’s going on in the ride. That few seconds of courage was what Yuri had at that moment. Yuri leaned in, wrapped her arms around Yena’s neck and pressed a kiss on Yena’s cheek. It last a second but the warmth coming from it had just started, slowly spreading in Yena and Yuri’s chest. 

Yena’s heart almost leaped out of her chest when she felt Yuri’s pair of soft lips pressed against her cheek, when she thought Yuri was only going to hug her. Slowly, Yena turned pink, from her neck to the tip of her ears. Her cheeks turned redder at each moment passed. Yena could feel Yuri rested her forehead against her shoulder. She guessed that the aftereffect finally caught up with Yuri. She believed she would do the same if she ever had the courage to do that. 

Yena tried to speak for a few times but nothing could pass her lips. She suddenly lost her ability to talk. Looking at Yuri who’s hiding herself in her shoulder, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Her nervousness disappeared at the cute view in front of her.

“Why are you hiding when you’re the one kissing me?” Yena teased the younger.

Yena felt Yuri buried herself more against her and she heard Yuri whined. She patted Yuri’s head gently. Finally, she managed to get Yuri’s attention again because she could see Yuri tilting her head up and Yuri rested her chin on Yena’s shoulder. Yena could see the blush on Yuri’s cheeks. 

“And… what’s that for?”

“A thank you.” Yuri answered and tilted her head down again from shyness. 

“A thank you?” Yena asked to make sure on what Yuri was actually thanked her for.

“Unnie, you’re pretending not to know, right?”
“No, I honestly don’t know why you thank me. It might be for different reason. What’s in your mind wouldn’t be the same as mine.” 

Yena rested her head on top of Yuri’s once more, pretty much at ease right now. She’s the one gaining confidence now. Slipping her hand into Yuri’s, she intertwined their fingers. She would save this moment since she knew once the plane landed in Korea, they wouldn’t have this privilege anymore, the privilege in being just Yuri and Yena. 

“The bracelet.” Yuri muttered and Yena’s started to race again.

“Ah…” Yena paused a moment, hiding her nervousness. “You don’t like it?”

Yena felt Yuri’s head shaking to quickly deny her statement. “I love it, unnie.”

“Then my hard work doesn’t go to waste.” Yena stated. 

“And you better like the new one better.”

“Hmm…. I’ll miss the old one but I love this one too.”

“It has a better meaning to me than the old one.”

“I wonder what unnie see in the bracelet. Clearly, we see it differently”

“Hmm… the old one gives ‘goodbye and hope to see you again’ feel while the new one….” Yena thumbed Yuri’s wrist once and smiled at the younger. “means ‘I will always by your side to stay.’ So, what did you see in the bracelets?” Yena could feel her cheeks heated up but she just boosted her confidence up, braving herself through it.

“I see my source of strength in the old one. It accompanied me through a lot of thing.” Yuri explained, reminiscing the time she spent telling her days to the bracelet as the replacement for Yena. 

“While for the new one… I don’t know.” Yuri said and found Yena pouting, making Yuri laughed because she was only teasing Yena. “For the new one, I see it as unnie will always keep your promises to me and definitely be my new source of strength, especially during the time unnie isn’t around me.” 

“One of the reasons for me giving it to you, for you not to lose that comfort you’ve gotten from the bracelet all this time.” Yena told the younger before that she squeezed Yuri’s hand in her hold. “And… those promises I’ve made or the ones I’ll make, I’ll definitely keep it.” 

Yena wouldn’t tell Yuri the length she had done for the younger all this time, just to find her. She went back to her old hospital at each chance she got and asked the nurse around, just so she could to have a possible glance at her or at least getting the news of her. Then hiring the PI which came to think of it, she forgot to cut the service and she should definitely do it once she got back to Korea.

“Unnie… if my bracelet isn’t broken, when are you going to give it to me?”

“Hmm…. Not anytime soon, despite I do bring it everywhere with me.” Yena replied after pondering about the question.

“Lucky enough is that, I stole your bracelet once. If not, I won’t be able to make it exactly the same. Well, except our duck and hamster.” 

“I notice that too.” 

“Count it as them growing up like us, stronger, more beautiful too. But the bond between us would never change.” Picking the strings to their bracelet the same, indirectly emphasised the meaning of the bracelet even more although at first she just wanted Yuri not to notice the change in it.

“You’re saying I am beautiful?” Yuri teased the older this time. The banter as usual was so easy with Yena. The theme changed from they were kids, that’s definite. Now, it’s a bit playful and flirtatious.

“Are you even listening to me?” Yena playfully scolded Yuri and Yuri looked at Yena with a pout. 

The two shared a playful glare, not wanting to give in to the other. Yuri wanted Yena to say ‘yes’ to her earlier question while Yena wasn’t going to do that at all. A second went to two and a sigh escaped Yena’s lips. Yuri knew she had won in that playful glaring contest they had. 

“Fine… you could count it that way too.” 

“It’s a simple yes and no question. What’s so hard to answer?” Yuri slightly sulked and Yena didn’t know how it ended up that way.

“Where did the obedient Yuri, I’ve known gone to?” Yena joked but seeing the pout on Yuri’s lips started to form, Yena quickly turned serious. 

“Yes, you are beautiful. So beautiful that I couldn’t take my eyes off you.” Yena honestly said with pink blush on her cheeks and she saw Yuri’s cheeks slowly turned pink too. 

Sliding closer to Yena, Yuri hugged Yena’s by her waist and hid her face on Yena’s shoulder. Yena chuckled at the cuteness. Well, it’s Yuri. Sometimes the younger couldn’t be predicted. Sometimes she could be the most confident person ever and the next second, she could turn into this cute and shy person, like how the younger was right now.

The nerves that Yena had about the bracelet and the notebook was long forgotten. She didn’t even care if Yuri read what’s written in the notebook or not. 

Yena and Yuri could feel that flicker of light that they tucked away for years started to grow into a bigger fire, ready to burn them with the love they had for one another. Their heart longed for each other but they knew it’s not something to rush. The two would be there for each other, no one would leave. That uncharted water could be explored together once they built their friendship even stronger although the two also knew that reason was just something they made up because they just weren’t ready to make the first step into that uncharted water, fear of getting lost and what might come to them.

***

When the plane landed, the reluctance to part was clearly seen in Yena and Yuri’s eyes. Yuri handed most of Yena’s things to Eunbi and also the manager. At least the group was still walking together with Chaeyeon and Eunbi talked together, about things that only leaders understood. Hitomi, Hyewon and Nako walked together while chatted. Hyewon’s eyes stayed on Yuri though, staring at Chaewon, Yena and Yuri who walked together ahead of her. Yuri told Chaewon of Yena’s schedule for taking her medicine and doing her therapy, also how to help Yena putting on the arm sling.

“Unnie, you better eat the medicine right on the schedule and don’t miss out any of it.” Yuri warned Yena and Yena nodded, definitely would listen to the younger.

“Chaewon unnie, I trust Yena unnie to you.” 

“Yah… I’m not a thing that you could randomly give to anyone.” Yena argued.

“Just ignore her.” Yuri and Chaewon said at the same time, laughing after that seeing Yena’s frown.

“Seriously though, unnie. It’s for your own good and don’t forget to go to the hospital and check your arm and ribs.” Yuri continued, being serious this time and Chaewon just looked at the two, finding it really interesting. It’s evolving again, what’s going on between the two.

“Promise me that.” The moment Yuri said that, Yena knew she would be in deep trouble if she agreed to it and didn’t keep it.

“It’s something that I couldn’t do just that easily.” Yena said and a warning glare was given to Yena. 

“I promise to get better as fast as I could though. So I could annoy you.” Yuri’s glare softened while Chaewon rolled her eyes playfully.

“You’ll get trouble for it, Yuri. Yena could be really annoying.” 

“I know and Chaewon unnie, if she annoyed you or other members right now, just let her win.” Yuri told Chaewon, slightly joking at first before getting serious on the next sentence. Yuri knew how Yena had that habit of hiding what the older truly felt from others, especially towards her. It’s just that she had learnt to understand that, so she knew what was actually in Yena’s mind. 

“If Yena gives too much trouble, all of you could just call me. I’ll be the one listening to her or scolding her.” Yuri looked at Yena with a smile and Yena just silently listened to Yuri and Chaewon’s talk. It still amazed her on how much Yuri truly understood her although she shouldn’t be when it’s not a new fact that she had learnt for the younger.

The moment they stepped into the baggage claim and they caught a glimpse of the reporters and fans outside, they reality finally hit them. Yuri started to get nervous. The negativity came hit her hard that made the younger stood frozen on her spot for a moment. Before Chaeyeon or Hyewon got to Yuri, Yena pulled Yuri to the side, hiding them behind the pillar.

“Hey, look at me.” Yena tried to get Yuri’s attention while Chaeyeon, Hyewon and Rose’s manager walked closer to them.

“None of this is your fault. You should remember that. Okay?” Yena literally gave Yuri a pep talk, didn’t want Yuri to have a breakdown. 

“I am fine. You clearly see it.” Yena gently squeezed Yuri’s hand. 

“It’s me saving you, remember? It’s my decision, not yours. They don’t have right to blame you.” Yena rambled all of her thoughts out.

“But unnie, what if they hate me?”

“They won’t. They would see why you need to be protected instead. See these cheeks? It’s one of the reasons.” Yena tried to pull a joke as she poked on Yuri’s cheek and when she saw Yuri smiled and hit her left arm, at least she knew it worked.

Then Yena seriously looked at Yuri for a moment and she leaned in to whisper to Yuri. Yena didn’t know where her courage came from. It’s just that she wanted to assure Yuri that they shouldn’t really focus on the hate. It would only bring them down.

“If it reaches a point to everyone hating you, just remember that there’s always one who would love unconditionally and that’s me. Understand? So, hold onto that instead of the hate. Besides, your true fans would always love you, just like me.” Yena told the younger in a soft whisper before stepping back. 

“I promise you that.” Yena continued, just so Yuri knew that she was serious and meant her every word. 

Yena was slightly blushing, Yuri too. However, from Yuri’s glint of eyes, Yena knew that the younger was fine by now. Taking her mask, she was going to put it on until Yuri decided to be the one helping her with it before helping her fixing the jacket that she hung on her shoulders. Then, she saw Yuri put on her mask and Yena smiled to Chaeyeon, despite it was hidden by her mask now.

Yena gave Rose’s leader a nod, assuring that everything was fine now since she could see their groups were waiting for them. Yena looked at Yuri one more time and when she was sure that it’s fine for the younger, they went to join their group. 

What Yena did, was a confession given to the younger although it’s an indirect one as a way to cheer Yuri up. It didn’t stop Yuri’s heart from racing though and reminded her of how much she loves the older because whenever Yena went unexpected direction, it would always be so full of surprises that knocked Yuri’s off her feet.

Standing with their respective group, Yena bid goodbye to Yuri and reminded Yuri that she could always call her whenever needed. They walked out of the arrival gate and instantly the flashes of cameras greeted them. Some reporters tried to ask questions to them but were quickly pushed away by the bodyguards. The groups were just doing their standard procedure regarding this kind of thing, ignoring those questions unless there was an official interview or press conference about it. They didn’t need to add fuel to the fire, because none of them knew exactly the condition back in the country after being away for a week.

Leaving the reporters behind, they got into their vans. Once they were in the safety of their vans, what Yena did first was taking her phone out and dialled Yuri’s number which was directly picked up on the second ring. Yena mostly checked on Yuri’s condition before the two ended up talking about the road, the sky and everything that came to their mind as their vans brought them back to their respective dorms while the members weren’t even surprised about it any longer as they knew how much they longed for one another.