Yena got out of her car, carrying her backpack and walked into their apartment building. She took her phone and decided to text Sakura while stepping into the elevator. She was preparing herself in facing her members whom she knew she had hurt with her words earlier. She didn’t mean it but her frustration and anger took control of the situation.

Reaching the front door of the unit, Yena took a deep breath and sighed before she pressed the numbers on the keypad to unlock the door. She pulled the door open and she nervously walked in. She took off her shoes and arranged it to the side. Usually she wouldn’t do that at all, but today she dreaded to meet with her members eye to eye from the guilt she was feeling. So, a second longer was good for her because it meant it’s a second more to prepare herself.

She stepped into the living room and every single one of them was somehow waiting for her. She couldn’t feel more self conscious than this. She scratched the back of her head, a habit when she’s nervous.

“Um..” Yena started, didn’t know what to say. However, she knew that she needed to get the apology out.

The members looked at Yena and Yena locked gaze with Eunbi. Yena gulped, feeling extremely nervous. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Let’s get this done.

“Unnie.. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean what I said earlier. It’s just a spur of moment and I know what you said is always for my own good.” Yena bowed to the leader before she looked at the rest of her members.

“I’m sorry to all of you.” Yena continued, giving a weak smile, slightly unsure on whether they would forgive her or not.

Yujin was the first one to break the silence. She literally jumped off the couch and ran towards Yena, hugging Yena tightly. 

“You make all of us worried.” Yujin said pretty loudly and it made Yena slightly winced at the loudness as she returned the hug.

“Don’t pull stuff like that again. Especially saying something like getting out of the group.” Chaewon got up from her seat and went towards Yena, giving her a slap on her arm before hugging the latter after Yujin let go of Yena.

Yena then walked closer to the center of the room, Nako hugged her too and she smiled at what Nako had said. “All forgiven. But don’t you dare say something like that again.”

“Yes, baby Nako.” Yena gave Nako a salute before she got another slap on her arm. Yena laughed heartily at it. 

Yena then looked at the visual of the group. Minju still had gloomy look on her face, almost crying even and it made Yena felt guiltier.

“I’m sorry, Minju-ah.” Yena sincerely apologised and earned a hug from Minju. 

Yena patted Minju’s back a few times to calm her down. She knew Minju got emotional easily and she honestly felt extremely guilty. Minju was with her when she hugged Yuri and then the fight happened too. She could sort of feel how Minju was feeling right now, the latter might blame herself for not stopping her. Hugging Minju for a while longer, she took a step back before facing their leader.

“Unnie…” Yena guiltily looked at Eunbi. She knew she was being too rude earlier. “I’m really sorry.” Yena apologised once more and gave a proper bow towards the older.

Eunbi held Yena’s shoulders and asked the latter to straighten herself. Both of them were at fault anyway.

“I’m sorry too. I wasn’t supposed to say things regarding Yuri, especially knowing how sensitive you are about that.” Eunbi said with teasing tone.

 The leader must admit that she was being too hard on Yena earlier. They should have talked it calmly instead on shouting towards one another.

“I know I shouldn’t have hugged Yuri in front of everyone. I feel guilty in dragging Yuri and the rest in it. Supposed to do that somewhere with less people.” Yena was pushed by Eunbi at what was said.

“Yah!! It’s not okay to hug Yuri.” Eunbi whined as she scolded Yena. However this time it’s more like a friendly way kind of scolding.

“I don’t regret doing that, unnie and you better listen to me first before scolding me again. She’s my Yuri, okay? I’m almost 100% sure.” Yena said, slumping herself down on the couch, not bothering that she was leaning on her backpack. 

Everyone gathered up seemingly curious on what Yena had to say about Yuri. Some took seat close to Yena on couch, some on the floor while Yujin seeking attention from Yena and crawled towards Yena and hugged the older.

“I went to their waiting room earlier to look for one item that I gave to Yuri when I was a kid. It’s a yellow and orange friendship bracelet that I made. But I couldn’t find it. So, I decided to make sure of it by hugging Yuri and whispering her nickname that I gave her. I could see something in Yuri’s eyes but I couldn’t understand what. I wanted to ask further but everyone was so angry so, I took a step back.” 

Yena could see the look on Eunbi’s face. Eunbi was going to tell Yena that it might just be coincidence because Yena clearly couldn’t find that solid proof of Yuri. 

“Don’t you dare say it’s a coincidence, unnie.”

“But, Yena-yah…”

“Unnie… you never know or feel how it is when you hug someone you love so much that anything doesn’t really matter as long as you could see that brilliant smile on her face. It’s different. So different from hugging you, or anyone here.” Yena argued, trying to convey her feelings towards her members, wanting them to understand that she wasn’t making all of this up. “Only her that can bring that effect on me.” 

“Then how could you be so sure of what you feel? Sometimes when we lie to ourselves and keep on telling ourselves that it’s true, it would create that fake idea that it indeed is true when in fact it’s wrong. How can you know that it’s not like that, when you’re hugging Yuri?” Eunbi wasn’t trying to diminish Yena’s feelings towards Yuri but she must be the voice of reason at times like this. It’s her job as the leader.

Yena ignored the part of explaining her hug towards Eunbi and the rest. They wouldn’t understand anyway. She definitely wouldn’t mention anything regarding Yuri’s scent. It sounded really creepy if she said it out loud. That part, she would keep to herself. 

“She ate the same brand of jellies that I always eat and with Yuri’s favourite flavour too. And there’s a sign of my bracelet in one of the videos I watched. See… how many proofs I have? All I have to do is to find that bracelet so all of you don’t think that I’m crazy.”

“And how do you think you’re going to find it?” 

“I will have my way. Don’t worry, unnie. You should just trust me with it.”

“I never could trust you with anything, honestly.”

“Unnie, how could you be like that to me?” Yena pretended to be offended. 

“Well… I don’t think anyone could trust you with stuff like this, unnie.” Chaewon said, knowing her roommate tend to create more troubles than actually solving one. “You don’t even know which girls are having a crush on you.”

Everyone directly nodded at what Chaewon had said. It’s a fact that the whole group know. Yena only heard it from people but if you asked the latter who were having a crush on her, she couldn’t even mention a name.

“I-I know, of course.” Yena quickly defended herself.

“Then tell us who?” Chaewon challenged.

“Uh… um…” Yena tried to think on who possibly could have a crush on her.

“Just give up unnie. You didn’t know a thing.” Yujin teased with her signature laughter.

“Like you know who.” Yena pouted, lips jutted out like a duck.

“let’s just say a lot, that we’re now too lazy to count.” Yujin told Yena.  

“For sure, we could point out those that have interest on you the moment we see them.” Chaewon added.

Yena turned quiet with it. How could she not know a thing? She tried to read things further when her members mentioned it for the first time. However, she couldn’t see a thing and she even said her members were sort of delusional once because of it. Until now, she couldn’t understand that at all.

“That’s the most difficult thing for me to figure out.” Yena muttered.

“I thought Yuri is the most difficult one to figure out.” Chaewon said while watching the TV. 

Everyone finally could relax that there was no longer fight or tension in the air. Yena could easily talk to them again regarding her worries and basically everything and asked for their opinion about it.

“Well… that too. But at least I have a bit of a basic in breaking whatever walls she’s building and the distance she created. As long as I don’t stray away from that path, I think it’ll be good.” Yena muttered while planning for various way for Yuri to acknowledge her.

“Whatever it is, just don’t create more trouble. I could get older faster because of you.” Eunbi told Yena.

“Unnie… just asking for your opinion. Can I go and apologise to them tomorrow? A proper one and I won’t do any shady stuff.” 

“That sounds good. You even should buy something as a sign of apology. Remember, no shady business. If you created another trouble, don’t blame me for smacking you.” Eunbi warned Yena with a serious look.

“I think we should get a treat too for hurting us.” Nako quickly brought it up and Yena already had a bad feelings about it.

“That’s true.” Everyone was so quick to agree on Nako’s idea.

Yena groaned loudly. Just what did I get myself into? Yena sighed then pursed her lips. No escape route it seemed. Her members also knew, despite the reluctance Yena showed, Yena didn’t really mean that. Yena cared for others way too much. It’s her strength and also weakness.

“Fine fine. I’ll get some ice-cream for us tomorrow after performance. I’ll text our manager to get it for us and Rose.” Yena earned an exclamation from Nako, the ice-cream enthusiast and thumbs up from the rest who seemed agree to that idea. 

“You’re the best, unnie.” Yena heard Minju said. Yena shook her head and smiled. If it could make her members happy, why not?

***

On the next schedule that Violet had together with Rose, Yena did her change and makeup first compared to others. Because, as promised, she would go to find Rose to properly apologise to the group. The gossip was still around. It wouldn’t die down that easily, Yena knew. It’s still fresh anyway.

Yena walked down the hallway, heading to Rose’s waiting room. She was going there alone this time. At first, Eunbi disagreed with it but Yena told the leader to relax because she wouldn’t do anything that could cause trouble.

Yena high-fived some of other idols, she met on her way there, not bothering much of what was going on. She knew if she acted normally then people would know that the news was just a fake one. On her way towards Rose’s waiting room, she even talked to one of Everglow’s member, Sihyeon as the two were heading to the same direction before she bid goodbye to the latter since she had reached the front door of Rose’s waiting room.

Yena gave a knock on the door and opened it. She found no one in the room, except for the group’s manager and stylist. Yena bowed to them, greeting them politely. The manager told them that they’re on the stage at the moment and Yena nodded understandingly. Yena told the manager that she only came to apologise and asked the manager to text their manager about the members’ ice-cream flavour as she would treat them. Yena didn’t forget to tell the manager and stylist to write down theirs too as she would treat them too.

Yena told the manager that she would wait for them and before that she did another apology towards the manager for creating trouble for what she did. Walking towards the seat available she looked around for the bracelet, when she knew she wasn’t supposed to do that. It’s just that she couldn’t ignore her curiosity. 

Yena couldn’t find it though and she sat down awkwardly alone in the room. Eyes still wandered around in the hope to find the bracelet but it seemed that she wouldn’t get to see it unless she rummaged through Yuri’s things which was impossible to do.

It made her felt relieved and worried at the same time. She was relieved because Yuri must have kept it somewhere safe and worried because she might be wrong. Yena started to feel slightly anxious with the idea if Yuri wasn’t her Yuri. 

Maybe she should just get some snacks to keep herself busy. If not her mind would be too busy in thinking about Yuri not being her Yuri which would absolutely devastate her if that happened.

She asked for a permission from the manager in the room if she could take some snacks from Rose’s snack table. Just something to keep her company until the members were back. Of course, the manager allowed her to do that which Yena thanked politely.

Yena walked towards the snack table, looking at various choices available and then she noticed a yellow and orange bracelet on that table, close to a package of jellies. Her gaze directly turned emotional as she stared at that piece of bracelet that she made when she’s a kid. It indeed wore down. She saw all the threads poking out here and there, the plastic miniature of hamster and duck slightly losing its colour but she knew it was being taken a good care of. Carefully she ran her fingers over the bracelet. It felt so real now and her heart raced like crazy in her chest. Yuri is indeed my Yuri.

Yena was a bit upset though seeing where her bracelet was placed after she slowly calmed down from her rush of emotion. Thankfully no one really saw it or more to no one really bothered with her presence. They only thought of Yena spending time in picking her snacks. Snack table… really? Now, the signature pout of Yena could be see on the latter’s lips. Maybe she should give Yuri a bit of a lesson of not randomly placed her things. So, she took the bracelet and the jellies on the table with her. 

Yena opened the package and started munching on the jellies. Still upset that Yuri randomly placed the bracelet although she knew she must be thanking Yuri for it. It made her now sure of her identity.

After waiting for a while, Yena decided to go back. She bid goodbye to everyone in the room and told them that she would just come back a bit later. She would think on how to confront Yuri. The latter couldn’t escape now as she had complete proof. How could see not acknowledge her? Just with the thoughts brought a new pout on her lips as she started sulking. 

***

Rose came back off the stage not long after Yena walked away. The first thing Yuri did was heading to the snack table. She needed to keep her bracelet. She left it on the snack table earlier because they’re on a rush. 

The moment they stepped into the room, Yuri directly rushed towards the snack table to look for her bracelet. When she couldn’t find it, she directly had teary eyes. It’s the most precious thing she had. 

“What’s wrong?” Hyewon asked, noticing the change in Yuri. The latter was way too quiet.

“I lost it.” Yuri said, voice breaking while rummaging through the snacks.

“What is it?” Chaeyeon came joining, hearing the little fuss coming from the snack table.

“No idea.” Hyewon replied still watching Yuri lifting the snacks around.

“My bracelet. It’s gone. I placed it here earlier before going to the stage.” Yuri’s pout was visible, slightly biting her lower lip to stop herself from crying. 

“We’ll help you look around. Are you sure you place it here?” Chaeyeon asked, Yuri already wrapping her arm around Yuri’s shoulder to calm the latter. 

Yuri nodded as an answer. She slightly wiped the corner of her eyes with her thumb. How could she be that careless leaving it there? She should have just bring it with her to the stage. She was blaming herself again for the loss of her most precious belonging. 

The members, the manager and even the stylist went to help looking for the yellow and orange bracelet that Yuri always had around her wrist after Chaeyeon announced it. Everyone never saw Yuri this panic before. Yuri was ready to break into tears in any second. Just then the manager remembered of Yena’s presence. Could it be? But better tell them. 

“Actually Yena was around earlier. She was waiting for all of you to apologise. I don’t know if this related to any of this but I think all of you should know.” The manager told the members in the room.

Yuri was like hit by a thunder. If it’s taken by Yena, how could it be possible for her to ask it from the older when she was trying her best not to acknowledge the latter? She’s in deep trouble now. She was sad at the feeling of loss of her bracelet and at the same time angry at Yena for taking it and also at herself for being so reckless.

“Ugh… I’m so dead.” Yuri muttered to herself softly although Hyewon and Wonyoung who’re right by Yuri’s side, heard it and turned to face the latter. “Why she gotta be that annoying?”

Yuri headed out of their waiting room and decided to head to Violet’s waiting room. Chaeyeon and Hyewon followed suit behind Yuri, worrying over the younger. Yuri and Yena were in the situation where one was avoiding and one was trying her best to get close to the other.

Yuri expected Yena to give up after she ignored the older but Yuri was proven wrong when she lost her bracelet, knowing for sure it’s taken by Yena. She didn’t know what she would do once she got to Yena. What she knew was she needed to get her bracelet back, despite it’s taken by the person who gave it to her. 

Yuri barged into Violet’s waiting room, behind her was Chaeyeon and Hyewon. Yuri could see Yena was waiting for her with a smug smile. Oh, Yuri somehow could guess what’s in Yena’s mind. Yena wanted her to admit who she was. Not in a chance. Yuri felt riled up now and everyone could see how furious Yuri was at that moment. If you want it to be like this, two could always play this game, Yena unnie.

Yuri could see Yena was waiting for her to confront her and she could see the other members were looking at her with confused look. There wasn’t a chance for Yuri making it easy for Yena.

“Oh.. Yuri, Chaeyeon and Hyewon, what make you guys come here so suddenly?” Eunbi asked Rose’s members that came visiting them.

“Just come visiting since I heard that Yena unnie came to visit us earlier.” Yuri replied with her own smirk. Forget the tears, time to make Yena frustrated as well.

Chaeyeon and Hyewon only nodded in agreement, not understanding a thing about what’s happening. They would just follow Yuri’s lead regarding this because seemingly the plan had changed.

“Oh yes, I was going to apologise, earlier. I’ll do it now since you’re here, Yuri-ah.” Yena called Yuri fondly. 

Yuri honestly hated how she was feeling right now. It’s unfair for Yena to call her that sweetly and with that look of warmth in her eyes. It brought her back to their old times when they’re kids. 

Meanwhile, Chaeyeon and Hyewon looked at one another at the way Yena called Yuri. The two was questioning on what was going on in Yena’s mind. Yena’s members were cringing at Yena.

“I’m really sorry for what I did, hugging you.” Yena bowed at Yuri, this time stating it seriously before she straightened herself and beamed widely at Yuri.

“It’s alright. There must be something troubling you, so everything is cool now, Yena unnie.” Yuri sounded extremely formal. 

Everyone could feel at how Yuri drew an invisible line in between the two. Yena definitely didn’t like it at all. Yuri could see the pout forming on Yena’s lips. My duck is still the same. Yuri decided to hold back her smile. At least, Yuri got a little payback. 

Instead looking for Yena, Yuri changed her target and looked for Minju instead. The two talked before and found that they had hobbies in writing songs and whenever the two met, they would talk regarding song writing. So, this time why not doing the same. Besides, she’s closest to Minju in the group and lately she’s also getting closer to Nako.

Chaeyeon was the one ended up talking with Yena about dancing stuff. However, Yena’s eyes only on Yuri, wondering why Yuri still wouldn’t acknowledge her. Did she do something wrong? She believed she had made herself clear enough on who she was. 

Hyewon remained by Yuri’s side and occasionally joined in the talk between Yuri and Minju. Of course, Yena saw everything and she felt threatened by the presence of Hyewon. Her gut feelings was telling her that Hyewon was sort of a threat towards her. Was she going to lose before she got a chance to get close to Yuri? Yena felt like shouting but she couldn’t do that at all. She shouldn’t embarrass herself in front of Chaeyeon, Hyewon and especially Yuri.

Yuri decided that maybe she needed to sacrifice her bracelet at how things came to play now. She would solve on how to handle her nervousness later since she didn’t have the bracelet to depend on anymore. She would just ask for Yena to return it after she was ready to face the older. 

Yuri noticed that Yena kept on staring at her. Still, she wouldn’t go talk to the older and acknowledge Yena. If she did that, she knew she would be forced to confront and deal with her feelings on Yena soon and she preferred to avoid that. 

In the end, what happened was the two were trapped in a game of staring. Yena was confused and still questioning herself on what making Yuri didn’t want to admit who she was to her. Yuri missed Yena but was too scared of her feelings towards Yena. Yuri didn’t want to get hurt if Yena only thought of her like those girls around her.

***

Yena was holding the bracelet above her face as she stared at it. The proof was there right in her hand but why Yuri still didn’t want to acknowledge her. Yena eyebrows creased and her pout was even more prominent, thinking hard on every possible reason but being a dense person, she definitely didn’t know why.

“Chaewon-ah….” Yena called her roommate who’s playing something with her phone by her side.

“Yes, unnie.” Chaewon took a peek on Yena and found a rare sight of a thinking Yena.

“Why do you think Yuri didn’t want to acknowledge me? The proof is even here.” Yena weakly muttered with her pouty lips, making her sound like a sulking kid.

“Unnie… honestly, the only person who wouldn’t smack you when you bring back that bracelet is only Yujin.” Chaewon told the clueless Yena.

“As a charismatic person on stage, you’re terrible off stage. I’ve never met such dense person like you. It sometimes makes me question on what those girls see in you.” Chaewon continued. 

Yena was too busy in wanting to know of what Chaewon had to say regarding the possibility of Yuri ignoring her rather than to be mad at her roommate. Yena pushed herself up and sat down to face Chaewon.

“So, you might know why?” Yena asked excitedly, at least she would have a new perspective on things.

“Not a hundred percent answer to your problem. But, I don’t think I would want to forgive someone who steals my bracelet. Not to mention if that bracelet is so important as she’s still having it until now and you also told us that you saw her wearing it in one of their shows.” Chaewon gave her opinion to Yena. Yena just nodded here and there as a sign that she was listening.

“Seeing how everything play out, you really should work hard in earning Yuri’s trust which is a really difficult job for you, knowing how clueless you could be at times.”

“Then it’s sort of a mission impossible for me.” Yena exaggeratedly said and slumped herself back to the bed. 

“Just when I’m so excited finding her again, this happens to me.”

“Count befriending Yuri again as your homework then.” Chaewon replied as she looked at her phone again.

“You clearly know that my feelings for Yuri isn’t changing right? So, not just making Yuri as friend but girlfriend.” Yena corrected Chaewon that earned a hearty laughter from the younger.

“Well… don’t think of second stage when you haven’t beaten down the first stage at all. It’s still a long journey for you, unnie.” 

Yena went to look at the bracelet again and ran her fingers  on it and gave a soft warm smile at the reminiscence of her struggle making it. It’s crazy when she thought of it on how the younger self of her could make something like this.

“No matter how clueless I am, I wouldn’t give up. I’ll just hit on every obstacle head on. Besides, I’m the optimist here. If in the past, I could make Yuri as my friend, I don’t believe I can’t do it now.” Yena stated, gripping on the bracelet in her palm. 

Yena smiled softly as she already had an idea on what to do as the first step in getting closer to Yuri. She spent her night thinking and arranging plans to make Yuri forgive her, now a proper one without stealing or making the younger mad, until she fell asleep.

***

The torture without her bracelet could be felt vividly by Yuri. It made her restless whenever she couldn’t feel the item whenever she reached over her other wrist to run her fingers on it. 

Her members noticed the nerves in Yuri and they had been helping Yuri to calm down during all the schedules they had ever since Yena took Yuri’s bracelet away.

Her members must say that they never saw Yuri as nervous as this. Usually they could see a hint of Yuri’s nervousness but would be gone after a while. This time, it seemed that the nerves stuck on Yuri.

Yuri had been repeating her parts over and over. She did that whenever they’re going to perform. However, Yuri felt like there’s still something wrong with it when the members had been convincing the latter that she’s doing good, just like every other day. 

So, in the end, Yuri went to the corner to calm herself down. She hugged herself by her knees and honestly her members wanted to go there and hug Yuri but somehow they’re afraid to cross that line that Yuri had set. 

“I really wanted to punch Yena for taking the most important thing to Yuri.” Hyewon said with a sigh, once again feeling protective of Yuri.

“There’s nothing we could do anyway. Yuri didn’t ask for it because she didn’t want to give Yena that acknowledgement. So if we ask it from Yena, it is just the same as giving into what Yena wants which is the opposite to what Yuri wants.” Chaeyeon said and everyone sighed once again.

Their turn came soon enough and Yuri followed behind her members quietly. The people that they walked passed by could sense the nervousness on Yuri. No one ever saw this Yuri before. It even made her members tense. 

They stood on the backstage, waiting for their turn. Chaeyeon and Sakura tried to make some joke to ease everyone down, especially Yuri but it didn’t work at all as they could see how stiff Yuri’s posture was. Still they didn’t give up and did their best to calm Yuri’s nerves. 

To Yuri, everything felt wrong. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was, for sure it’s wrong, extremely wrong. She hated that feeling and the idea that she didn’t get any reassurance and strength from the item that she had been depending all these time only made it worse. She wasn’t wrong when she said that the bracelet was her lucky charm all this time.

Just when Yuri almost fell into a complete meltdown, suddenly she felt like she was being surrounded by people. She knew her members wouldn’t cross that line so she knew it must be some other group, joining them to talk for a while until they needed to go up the stage. Yuri then felt someone’s hand slipped into hers and intertwining their fingers. Yuri felt a gentle squeeze and she looked to her left to find Yena right beside her. Chaewon was standing to her right. Then, she noticed Yujin stood behind her before wrapping one arm around her shoulder and the other around Yena’s. 

Yuri ended up looking at Yena and Yena had that sincere smile. Yena gave Yuri a nod. Don’t worry. I’m here. It’s what Yuri read from the exchange of glance. 

“You’ll do great. Just relax.” Yena looked ahead to the stage, to watch the group performing. 

Yuri didn’t answer Yena and this time, seemingly Yena didn’t expect an answer from Yuri. Yuri tried to calm herself down and slowly her nervousness disappeared. Yuri always term it as Yena’s effect. The older always had that effect on her, being the person to bring smile, safety, strength and warmth for her. 

“Won’t return your bracelet just yet. But trust me that I will whether you acknowledge me or not.” Yena continued her monologue.

It’s Rose’s turn now and Yena had let go of their hands which Yuri didn’t notice at first. Yena’s warmth lingered, not just on her hand but on her heart too. It’s something that she had been missing, despite she didn’t want to admit it. Yuri looked at Yena for a moment. The proud smile of Yena remained on her face. Maybe this was how it was supposed to feel if they were never separated before. Yuri was a lot calmer now and she took her steps away from Yena. Yuri took the mic and headed for the stage. When Yuri spared one glance, Yena had walked away with her members, Yujin and Chaewon. The three talked and laughed. It somehow brought smile to Yuri’s face.

Yuri might not be ready to acknowledge Yena just yet but she knew Yena had gotten herself closer towards it as Yuri could feel her resolve started to break. It’s always Yena who easily made a dent through the walls that she built. This time, she would take her time and she knew Yena allowed her to while the older tried to really close the distance and completely broke down all of those walls to earn her trust once again.