Flowers. She always adored them—always incorporating them into her paintings in one way or another. They had meanings. Red roses typically meant love while red spider lilies are associated with your last goodbyes. The flowers were the same color yet were entirely different things. In her personal opinion, red roses were to be frightened of. 

Because red roses were what she felt when she was given a smile from her or when she simply received that text a few days ago. Red roses could be considered a blessing. However, they didn’t know the thorns that pierced her skin.

Eunbi shook her head, rolling her neck back as she kneeled at the flower bushes in front of her dorm building. 

The roses were beautiful. It was May and spring—a perfect time for nature to flourish. Yet somehow, Eunbi couldn’t wait until autumn came when all the plants die. Even with her birthday at the end of the month. 

“I wonder what Yuna’s doing.” She muttered to herself. “She’s probably studying.” Eunbi walked away from the flower bushes, kicking the grass before she stepped onto the concrete.

They’d just texted two days ago yet Eunbi couldn’t wait until the weekend. She’d see her again. A smile covered her lips, looking downward at the sidewalk as she walked mindlessly.

Boredom filled the girl. She didn’t have to study for her exams; Eunbi could recall all the prominent artists throughout the centuries and history that most people don’t even remember—much less care to learn. Countless thoughts passed through her head. Some including: how would Yewon do her final exam? The girl was a culinary major! Eunbi tapped her chin curiously. SinB’s dance studio would probably make her do something Eunbi couldn’t imagine doing herself. With her friends busy with studying and memorizing dance moves, she couldn’t help but feel in the dark.

“Maybe I’ll go paint or something.” Eunbi said with puffed cheeks. She shook her head. “Maybe not…”

Digging into her pocket, she pulled out a royal purple handkerchief with embroidered edges of gold and name that read Choi Yuna. Eunbi sighed to herself.

“Why did I even bring this with me?” She scratched her head awkwardly, clutching the fabric tightly between her fingers. 

Eunbi tore her eyes away from the concrete and looked up at the sky. The bright blue blinded her for a millisecond before her vision became clear. White clouds filled the sky, scattered across the blue neverland as the sun shined bright. 

Then it hit her.

The smell of lavender. Eunbi didn’t realize she lifted the handkerchief to her nose, gently smelling the fabric as lavender filled her nostrils.

Memories flashed through her head, to the night her and Yuna reunited under the spring rain. of paint swiped against the sky. The dark sky being lit up by the moon that seemed to shine brighter than the street lamps. That night, Eunbi was expecting her heart to be so stricken just from that one encounter.

“Eunbi?”

The said girl was pulled out of her own thoughts, being thrown back to reality. In front of her stood a tall girl, towering over Eunbi with a blush tinting her cheeks.  Her small body was washed over by a wave of heat, a blush filling her whole being. Eunbi, flustered by her sudden appearance, crumpled Yuna’s handkerchief and smiled.

“Sojung-eonni!” She bit her tongue back from stuttering. Without knowing, Eunbi’s eyes raked from the girl’s legs to her face—soon flushing at the realization. “Are—were you studying?”

The girl shook her head shamelessly. “No, I just came back from an agency.” A grin spread on her lips. “Also, keep your eyes up here Eunbi.”

Eunbi flinched. A single drop of sweat rolled down her temple as she covered her face behind her hands.

“Oh my god, I didn’t mean to do that—“

Sojung simply laughed. “It’s okay, if it's you then I don’t really mind.”

An alarm blared in the latter’s head. “What?!”

“Wait wait! I didn’t mean it like that—'' Sojung flailed her arms in the arm, the long noodles almost smacking Eunbi in the face. “—I mean like I’m just comfortable with you and like…” she paused. “Did I mess up?”

Eunbi pressed the back of her hand against her lips. “I didn’t know you could be so cute.”

“Ahhh how embarrassing…” Sojung laughed. “So… you’re out for a walk?”

For a moment, Eunbi forgot she was spacing out in the middle of campus. Mentally slapping herself, she nodded.

“I guess you could say that.”

Rather than a walk, it was more of Eunbi thinking about Yuna but she would never admit that—especially not to Sojung.

“No need to study for anything then?” 

The two girls began walking side by side, their feet unintentionally synchronizing with each other.

“I’ve already memorized what I need.” Eunbi hummed. 

Sojung gazed at the girl. Her eyes trailed from Eunbi’s lips down to her shoulders and finally to her hand. They were clenched—holding something tightly as if it would fly away from. Sojung tilted her head, curious. She moved closer to Eunbi, letting her hand brush against hers.

The latter immediately stiffened at the contact.

“Um so, what about you?” Eunbi looked down at their touching hands yet she couldn’t find herself pulling away. 

Sojung shook her head. “Actually, I’ve been signed into a modeling agency.”

“What?!” Eunbi screamed. “Isn’t that kind of a big deal?!”

Sojung shushed the shorter girl, playfully, a grin forming on her lips as she bounced around. “Well I guess but my parents own the agency so it’s not that big for me.”

Eunbi’s jaw dropped. First: she finds out Yuna’s rich as , second; Sojung is literally a daughter of a modeling agency! What’s next? Yerin’s family owns a chain of hotels?

“Are you guys all rich or something?” Eunbi asked, simply as a joke but Sojung continued to nod.

“Yeah, Yuna’s family got a business and Yerin’s parents own a chain of hotels.”

She threw her hands in the air. Turns out she was surrounded by a group of rich people yet she didn’t even know! Eunbi pinched the bridge of her nose. Although the new information wasn’t exactly important—she could care less about how much money Yuna, Yerin and Sojung had.

“Oh Eunbi you dropped this.”

Looking up, she thanked the girl. “Thanks—“ she paused.

In Sojung’s fingers dangled a royal purple cloth with golden embroidery and the name Choi Yuna in the corner. Panic arose in , reaching to snatch the handkerchief but Sojung had already noticed the familiar print and pulled it back to inspect it closer.

“Isn’t this Yuna’s?” 

Eunbi’s heart dropped. There’s no point in lying, is there? Sighing in defeat, she nodded softly.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Why do you have it?

The question she was dreading was thrown at her like a rocket. Eunbi refused to look Sojung in the eyes, fiddling with her fingers to distract the anxiety crawling up her back.

“I—um, we ran into each other and yeah…” she ended up shortening the story.

“Oh, do you need me to return for you?” Sojung asked genuinely but before Eunbi answered, she jerked her head up and took the handkerchief out of her fingers.

“No! It’s okay, I don’t want to cause any trouble for you!”

Sojung furrowed her eyebrows. “But we’re roommates—“

“No it's fine really! Plus Yuna said she has this pet peeve where she can’t use things when other people used it and yeah so, I’ll just keep it!” 

Eunbi clasped a hand over . She did not mean to say that. A cold sweat washed over her body as Sojung stared at her with confused eyes. A part of her wanted to run away but that’d only make Sojung more confused and she didn’t want that.

“You two are good friends, hm?”

Eunbi froze.

“I knew Yuna was a social butterfly but it seems you guys are closer than I thought.” Sojung frowned.

Friends. Right. The red rose in Eunbi’s heart wilted away, vanishing in mere seconds. She was disappointed. Why? Eunbi looked down at her feet as her face burned up in embarrassment. For a second: Eunbi thought she could be something more to Yuna than just a friend.

“Yeah, we’re pretty good friends.” Eunbi said with a smile yet it didn’t nearly reach her eyes like it should’ve.

Sojung smiled back. “Eunbi?”

She hummed.

“I’m going to be straightforward.” Sojung’s smile fell from her face. “Do you like her?”

Despite only hearing a pronoun, Eunbi pressed her lips together as Yuna’s face flashed before her eyes. Her cheeks burned. 

Deep in her mind, where she couldn’t see, a small flower budded alive. Eunbi always liked flowers as they had many different meanings. A red rose meant love yet a red spider lily meant a final goodbye even though they were the same color. She never liked red roses—love was something Eunbi avoided. It was too much of a problem caring for someone. In her mind, a deep red bud sprouted open and revealed itself to Eunbi. 

What did deep red mean?

Eunbi looked at Sojung, her eyes fighting to not waiver and smiled.

“No, I don’t.”

Sojung’s shoulders visibly relaxed. 
 

“Good.”

I kinda liked hiding things but it didn't go as well as I thought so I'll just speed it up ig... also stuff from last chapter is in here so nice if u saw that—sorry for any typos or grammatical errors

stay safe and stan gfriend ^^