Everyone likens Eunji to the sun.

She’s happy and bright and always full of energy. A person who can see the silver lining in every problem and can keep a positive outlook on almost everything. She can naturally lift everyone’s spirits, so it’s no surprise that she’s popular wherever she goes.

And her smile, her smile is absolutely blinding that if you haven’t fallen for her yet, then you probably will after she’s given you her signature grin.

But that isn’t all she has in common with the giant ball of flames.

Just like the sun, Eunji is also an unstoppable force of nature— stubborn and hot-headed; and wild just like its fire. If she wants to, she could burn down everything she touches. That's why she keeps her distance; why she chooses to only linger and never get too close to anyone— not that Eunji ever wants a lot of people to make her the center of their universe like the burning star. She’s only ever wanted one person to do that, really. But she only orbits at a distance, constant, and never really going near even when Eunji takes a step forward.

Eunji thinks that maybe the sun isn’t the center of the universe after all.

—

To Chorong, Eunji is like the sun.

Not just because of her personality, but also because Eunji has been with her ever since she could remember. Eunji is someone she sees a few hours after she wakes up in the morning, and a few hours before she sleeps at night.

She hovers around Chorong, catching everyone’s attention as the other girl goes about her day quietly like the complete opposites they are. She’s the one who catches everyone’s attention, so it wouldn’t be on Chorong instead— to let her shine quietly. She’s a dear friend, even though they don’t agree on most things.

And if people were to be honest, it’s Eunji’s strong fire that emphasizes her glow, just like how the moon gets its glow from the sun, outshining the stars.

But Chorong doesn’t realize.

—

To Eunji, Chorong is the moon.

Calm, cold, peaceful. And she glows and shines elegantly no matter what you throw at her. Like the moon chilling in the night sky as she illuminates the darkness. Just like the moon, she doesn’t shine flamboyantly like Eunji, she prefers to help out Eunji would tell Chorong they make a great team— because Chorong is the moon, and she’s the only person who can ever weaken Eunji’s fire; make it seem calmer to everyone else without ever putting it out.

And Eunji doesn’t tell Chorong, but the girl has always questioned whether the sun really is the center of this universe.

She’d argue that it’s the moon. At least, in her world, it is.

—

But despite Chorong being Eunji’s moon, she’s still human.

And a person has never been really able to look at the sun as one looks at the moon.

If you’ve been around them enough, you’d realize that the first name Chorong always shouts at the start of the day is Eunji’s, followed by a tired sigh and frustrated nagging. It’d be about assignments not done, or breaking rules, or sleeping during the first class of the day, or Eunji teasing her.

And if you got close to them like a few of their friends have, you’d notice the pining on one side, and the obliviousness of the other. Eunji never denies her feelings once questioned, but makes everyone swear to never say a word. And everyone obeys (because the last time one of their best friends, Bomi, decided it was time for Chorong to be aware of Eunji’s feelings, the girl tied her upside-down on a tree.)

Losing the friendship is what she fears. It’s reasonable, considering that they’ve been together since they were kids— and Chorong has never shown her any affection more than what a best friend does. It has always been a warm smile, and a supportive hug and nothing more. And god, has Eunji been waiting for even just a hint of affection, that maybe Chorong has begun to like her more than just what they are now.

The years pass, and Eunji’s frustration increases as the time goes by. She has resorted to being more affectionate, more vocal and more suggestive of her feelings. Sometimes, she even slips and basically confesses, and she and her friends would stare at Chorong’s face and watch her reaction— for her eyes to finally show realization that, Hey! Your best friend has been hopelessly in love with you for years! Only to be shrugged off, or get called sappy, or be jokingly called gross. It pinches a little in her chest, yes, but Eunji takes it positively because that’s how she is. And at least it isn’t a rejection, just Chorong not seeing what she’s trying to show her. Maybe Chorong has had feelings, and is hiding it. (the girl has expressed wanting to smack a teacher right in the face before, but has kept the desire from showing on her face as she listens to another one of the said teacher’s misogynistic rambles). Maybe she isn’t ready to see it just yet.

But Chorong, Chorong ironically, is apparently not one who could hide her feelings of affection.

It happens during senior year, when a quiet, shy, and insanely pretty Joohyun moves to their side of the city and enrolls in their school— and by the greatest of chances for Chorong, and Eunji’s secret demise— finds herself in the same class as theirs.

Eunji watches Chorong fall in love with someone so similar to her, and maybe (she assumes), that’s why Eunji has never had a chance with her best friend.

She watches them fall for each other, and as much as she wants to hate Joohyun, she couldn't. Not when the girl is polite and sweet and kind; not when she makes Chorong smile like Eunji has never seen her before.

So when the opportunity of moving on in the form of an athletic scholarship offer from a university in a neighboring city comes her way, Eunji takes it without a second thought. It's the only other thing she's ever been passionate about anyway.

—

Chorong finds out about it only after she arrives at her university and looks for Eunji’s name in the long list of accepted freshmen— welcoming them into the academic year. She wasn’t sure if the girl has been avoiding her the whole summer, but she is now.

“Eunji.” Chorong’s voice is angry and strained as she talks on the phone, like she’s about to cry. “Where are you?” she asks, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’m sorry.” Eunji replies, “I was just so busy with the moving and the scholarship requirements, and my mom forcing us all into a van for a vacation in the mountains… I just…” she lies, “I forgot to tell you.”

“That’s mean.”

“I’m sorry!” Eunji immediately apologizes again. Guilt creeps up her chest for keeping Chorong in the dark and for feeling a little happy that Chorong is upset. That at least she’s still important enough to make other emotions come out of her. “I’m literally just four hours away. I’ll come home every weekend.”

“You promise?”

Eunji swallows silently. There goes her plans of moving on. “Yes.” She knows this is a big mistake, “And whenever you need me.”

Chorong takes her promise after eight months. The words Joohyun, moving, and broke up, are the only w