It's been a while since Sana was face to face with Dahyun. Mid-terms were coming as deadlines for clients. It doesn't help that Dahyun was doing all that and training for baseball finals while also going to physical therapy. Of course Sana could blame all that or use it to hide the real reason. After Dahyun spent the night with her and the morning after, Sana felt an odd sensation of homeness. She didn't have to dream or imagine it this time, Dahyun was there in her bed and then in the kitchen making breakfast. Sana felt like she would explode from the euphoria, her heart could barely contain it. Reality came in as Dahyun went home and Sana was left with a bittersweet taste in .

That night served to show her that she can't handle being friends anymore, so she decided to listen to Chaeyoung and Jihyo's advice. She would confess. But that was harder than she thought it would be. She was used to saying charming words and she could do it so easily but nothing ever prepared her to state her real feelings for someone. Every time Dahyun entered the room she felt like the awkward and clumsy teenager that she was years back. Fumbling for words or tripping on even ground. And she couldn't figure out the words to say it was all easy on her mind.

I like you. I like you more than friends and I want to be with you.  

Why can't she say it aloud?

"Sana, this was your idea, you wanna say something?" Jihyo nudges her. 

"Hm?" She looks up from the papers she was doodling, biting the pen as she thinks. "Right, I suggest we hire Daniel." 

Jihyo wipes her head to stare at Sana just as everyone in the room. It wasn't just to mess with Jihyo or a plan to get them closer, Daniel was dedicated and talented. He would do fine in the creative team and they need someone, fast. She was the one that suggested it. Dahyun was having a hard time conciliting everything. Although she doesn't say anything, everyone can see it, that she is visually affected by something and it's probably the amount of stress and work she has. Mina and Chaeyoung aren't doing much better. Mina comes home so tired that she doesn't even eat dinner, just goes straight to bed. They need help on their team, especially with exams coming. Sana talked with Jihyo, so she brought it up in the monthly meeting.

Jihyo was shooting daggers at Sana with her eyes. 

"That's impractical." Mina is the first one to opine. 

Everyone else seems to be thinking about Sana's idea. Sana glances at her front, where Dahyun was sitting. She was scribbling something on her notebook, a pensive expression with a tiny frown on her forehead as she bites her lower lip.

"What do you think Dahyun?" Jihyo turns to her too. 

Dahyun raises her head, gaze longing at Sana for a moment before falling on Jihyo. "I agree with Mina. It's impractical." 

"You're not just saying you don't agree because you don't want to hire somebody, right?" Jeongyeon asks, tone suspicious.

Dahyun pokes the side of her teeth with her tongue, mouth slightly open, a sign that she has a lot of things to say but doesn't wanna say them aloud afraid of being mean. Dahyun shakes her head, turning the pen on her fingers. "I agree we need more help since I can't do much and Mina and Chaeyoung are being overworked because of that." Her voice trembles a little, the guilt still present even if she tried to hide it. 

Chaeyoung and Mina promptly deny it vehemently.  

Dahyun cuts them, saying that it's fine. She drops her pen and settles for squeezing tightly under her fingers like she is still fighting with the words she wants to say. "I'm saying that… he already has a good job. Besides, if we hire him that means that we will have one less person in the server room, so it would be like shooting our own foot."

Mina nods, agreeing as Dahyun apparently explained what she meant.

Jeongyeon nods two, seeming a little guilty for doubting her. Sana gets her, Dahyun is extremely difficult to admit she needs help. However she is reasonable and she would never do anything to harm the company or her friends, she can see that Chaeyoung and Mina are not doing okay with all the work. Sana is a lot better at reading Dahyun now, she can see how it affects her and how guilty she feels that she can't do more and that's is the point where Dahyun is unreasonable. That's why Sana wants to hire more people, they need more hands on the deck.

The room goes silent for a moment, Jihyo being the only one brave enough to break it. "Anybody has a better idea? Mina? Nayeon? Dahyun?" 

Mina shakes her head as Nayeon ponders. 

"Hiring a professional wouldn't take too much money? Besides, the addition will go to Dahyun's team. Their dynamics are perfect. What if it affects that?"

"Fair point." Jihyo agrees. " But… they do need help right?" She asks Dahyun for confirmation. 

Dahyun doesn't say anything, biting her lip she looks lost in thought. Everyone looks at her as the silence stretches again. Dahyun was almost glaring at the piece of paper in front of her and Sana wonders what's going through her mind.

Just when Jihyo was about to call her name again Dahyun interrupts her.

"We don't need a professional."

"What do you mean?" Nayeon asks.

"None of us completed our degree yet but we are all here… We just need one or two part timers who can help with the work." Dahyun glances at Mina and Chaeyoung while explaining as if asking for backup.

"That's actually a good idea." Mina is the first one to agree, smiling at Dahyun, amazed expression.

Dahyun seems to lighten up at Mina's reaction, taking it as encouragement she continues "We can hire a student, like an intern. I don't know how the legal part works but my friend works in a company that pays for the interns tuition, transportation and food and for some they pay a salary too."

"Wow, can they hire me?" Jeongyeon jokes. 

"Yeah, me too." Nayeon joins in.

"That's a good idea but your major is too expensive. That would cost more than hiring a professional." As always, Jihyo is the voice of reason.  

Dahyun drops her head to the papers again, nodding as the cute twinkle in her eyes fade as she realizes Jihyo is right and Sana feels a little bad that Dahyun's plans were crushed before even being planned so she tries to save the idea. 

"We don't have to pay for their tuition, we can try to make a deal with the Uni or do our own type of contract but I like Dahyun's idea better, it's totally better to hire students."

Dahyun glances at Sana as she hears her name and the way that her lips tug up as Sana speaks makes Sana satisfied to open .

"We can pay for books, give them cafeteria money or transportation and give them a part time salary, doesn't it work?" Dahyun asks, looking directly at Jihyo. "We can come to an agreement with the Uni, one of my professors said that the Dean likes those kinds of contracts because they keep students motivated and in school. Wouldn't it be good to help struggling students like us?" She completes and that's all it takes for all of them to agree. 

When Dahyun has an idea and she passionately explains it it's hard to refuse or decline help because Dahyun has a way of charming people and lure them in. And Sana always feels a little too proud when Dahyun achieves one of her goals, it's not like she has anything to do with it but she can't help but support and root for Dahyun just like she does for her.

Jihyo finishes the meeting and it is Sana's turn to clean up. Their meeting room consisted of a large wooden table in their break room. The projector that was sometimes used to play games on their break time was still on, broadcasting the lock screen of the PR team tablet. She disconnected it and turned off the projector proceeding to organize the mess in the table. She was picking up the folders, papers and scattered pen's going around the table when she realized she wasn't the only one in the room.

Dahyun was standing in the middle of the room like she hadn't left with the other girls like Sana thought. She was biting her lips and staring intently at Sana. 

The way that she looks at Sana like she has so much to say makes Sana stunned into silence. The younger girl slowly makes her way to the japanese. 

There's a feeling on Sana's stomach that rises with every careful, unsure step that Dahyun takes.

"Thank you." Dahyun almost whispers when she is close enough for Sana to hear which apparently means with a little more than a step away from Sana.

Sana blinks, a little taken aback by the sudden intensive gratitude. "What for?" She breathes out, her tone just as quiet as Dahyun's.  

It takes a minute or two for Dahyun to respond, it was almost like she was frozen in place only staring at Sana. It makes the older girl itchy, wanting to reach out and hold her. Maybe it's Sana's imagination but it seems like Dahyun wants the same thing, her fingers flexing and then fumbling with the ends of her shirt. 

"For always backing me up." Dahyun says, her voice as soft as cotton candy. 

And it's those moments that Sana can't hold back, she can't stop herself when Dahyun shows her feelings. It's rare and it's precious. It makes her savor it more because Dahyun doesn't often say things like that she is more of a showing it kind of girl but when she expresses herself there's so much emotion, a lot of feelings that she keeps bottled inside shows and it's beautiful. Dark eyes shine with a lot of sentiments, like seeing a shooting star in a pitch black sky. Dahyun's dark eyes and the shining light of her feelings, a shooting star that appears once in a lifetime. Like magic. 

Sana's heart translates in her actions and she impulsively kiss Dahyun cheeks, missing her lips by just a inch. The warm flowing from her tingling lips to her whole body. Her lips stay on the soft skin for longer than ever before. When she backs away, she is almost too proud to see a blush coloring Dahyun's pale cheeks. 

"You can always count on me." Sana whispers, staring directly at those dark chocolate eyes. 

Dahyun doesn't break eye contact right away. They keep staring at each other until the younger girl says that she has to go. Sana for once doesn't feel sad to see her leave. Her heart was almost satisfied this time, especially when she caught Dahyun's folder and the papers above. There were scribbles around the graphics the PR team did about the most used characters in their game, the public reception to the new characters and other ones like the public age. Dahyun guessed correctly the one that Sana did, writing her name, a smiley face on the side with a "good job!”  following. Sana smiles wide seeing Dahyun's appreciative comment on her work. 

Then her eyes fell on the end of the paper. Daniel’s name was written two times, messed up letters like it was written forcefully, nothing like Sana's name which was cursive, carefully handwriting. One of them was risked just as roughly and the other had interrogation points on the side. Then there were other names that Sana was not familiar with: Hyejoo, Hyunjin, Jeongin, except for one Ryujin. The freshman engineering student that is in one of Dahyun's and Mina's classes that managed to impress even Mina. Sana analyzes the names, maybe it was a list of possible additions to the company? 

But why is Daniel's name so angrily rejected?

-

Sana was bouncing on her two feet, unable to stay still, she watches as Dahyun leaves the building holding a few folders and a brown envelope. Sana turns on her side, showing Dahyun's backpack on her shoulders when the younger girl is a few steps away from her. She refused to let the girl hold it because even though she said it was fine, Sana could see the muscle tape under her sweater