Ever since Sooyoung got off on the wrong foot with Irene, it seemed like the latter had declared a full-on war against her. Any attempt to win back her customers was met with retaliation from her rival.

Her first goal was attracting customers. Sooyoung decided to offer a 10% discount on all hot drinks as the temperature started to drop. However, Irene countered with a 15% discount on all her loaves.

The second goal was retaining customers and preventing them from moving next door. Sooyoung called her internet company to install a better router for free wifi. However, the installer inadvertently went right next door as Irene had also contracted the same package on the same day.

The third goal was getting new customers. Fortunately for her, Seulgi was nifty with designing and was happy to make some visual content for their social media. A few days later, as Sooyoung was about to make a post, she saw Irene’s Bakery grand opening on the campus’ official page.

“She’s doing this to torment me,” Sooyoung complained while angrily mopping the floor.

It was the end of another Saturday, and the group was gathered in the coffee shop after classes had ended for the week. The end of the semester was nearing, and most students would be out of town for the holiday season.

“Sooyoungie, you’re going to ruin that mop if you don't calm down,” Seulgi exclaimed from the counter she was currently wiping.

“You know, Irene’s the same these days too,” Wendy commented while snacking on a bread roll she had gotten from next door.

Good. Sooyoung thought, feeling relieved that her efforts were having some negative effect on her rival.

"At least I’m not going down alone." Her slight smile does not go unnoticed by her friends.

“Sooyoung, I’m saying this as your best friend,” Yeri says, putting both her arms around the girl’s shoulders, guiding her to sit on a stool. “You’re losing it.”

“You need a break; we should go out tomorrow night, get a drink,” Wendy suggests.

“Wendy, tomorrow is the staff meeting,” Sooyoung quickly makes an excuse, trying to get up from her seat with no success.

“So you do know when those are,” Wendy counterattacks.

“I still shouldn’t, rent’s due in a week.” And she was right; having a good next week would pull the weight off her shoulders before the school break. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of taking Sundays off like before.

“We can close after lunchtime” Seulgi tries to convince the girl "How about we grab a bite at Rosé’s place and then go karaoke? There's a discount for groups with more than 5 people."

“We can take Rosé unnie along too,” Yeri teases, mischievously raising her eyebrows at Sooyoung.

Sooyoung had recently become acquainted with Rosé through Yeri. They had a lot in common, and she felt a level of understanding she didn’t quite have when talking to Yeri about running a food business. Rosé's undeniable attractiveness only added to the equation. Following that day, Sooyoung's subtle crush became another teasing point for Yeri, but she hadn't gathered the courage to ask Rosé out just yet.

“Fine,” she sighs in defeat. “But I’m not drinking.”

-

December in Seoul wasn't the best time to be outside, the temperature had dropped after the first snow, and stores were already shutting down for the holiday season

The campus was serene as Sooyoung strolled with Yeri towards the university's main entrance, where they had arranged to meet Wendy and Seulgi.

Sooyoung sported a casual look with a red hoodie under a black puffy jacket, cut-off blue jeans, and chunky white sneakers. She had to admit, she looked good in red.

Yeri about whether the outfit was chosen with a certain someone in mind, but their banter ceased as Sooyoung noticed the figures of Wendy, Seulgi, and a third person approaching – definitely not tall enough to be Rosé.

Wait-

Sooyoung suddenly grabs Yeri's arm and steers her to the side.

"Why is Irene here?" she whispers loudly.

“Promise it wasn’t intentional” Yeri reassures. "Rosé unnie couldn't make it, and we need at least five people for karaoke."

“Why her?”

“She’s new to the city, we’re only being good friends.”

“Why does that still sound like you guys are up to something?”

“Don't worry, Rosé unnie will still get to see you in red” was the last thing Yeri said before running away towards the group.

“Kim Yerim!” Sooyoung yelled while running after the girl, coming to a stop to greet her friends and offering an awkward wave to Irene, who seemed just as surprised to see her.

This was the first time Sooyoung had seen the girl up close and with proper lighting. Irene held a brown jacket on her arm while wearing a beige hooded knit sweater with fitting jeans. Her dark, silky hair draped over her shoulders, complementing her doll-like face.

Wendy and Seulgi were looking for any bad reactions from Sooyoung on the surprise party member, but she hadn’t spared a second glance at Irene.

After a few minutes of idle chatter, mainly driven by Yeri, Wendy, and Seulgi, they started walking toward the burger joint.

This is gonna be a weird day.

-

Sooyoung was genuinely surprised. Irene was sitting across from her, blending in with the group effortlessly.

She had heard people chattering in her café about how Irene was quiet and beautiful. To Sooyoung, the girl looked unapproachable and cold, granted the first impression she got was not the best.

Now, however, she was witnessing a different side of Irene who was laughing and cracking jokes along with their friends. The only awkward moments so far have been when they both made eye contact. It seems like the environment was not only tense for Sooyoung.

Between their chatter, Sooyoung noticed Lisa, Rosé’s business partner, walking up to their table. She wondered where Rosé was since those two were usually attached at the hip.

“How you like that?” Lisa asks.

“This is the best burger I’ve ever had!” Seulgi exclaims with her cheeks full.

“Glad you like it, unnie. We should thank Wendy; this place is still afloat this month.” She smiles at the girl. “Produce was getting overpriced because of the season, and she helped close the deal with a local vendor.”

“You guys praise me too much!” Wendy chuckled, already a bit tipsy from her beer

"Which is still not enough," Irene chimed in. "You helped me a lot with getting things in order too."

Maybe she and Irene could be friends after all.

“Unnie you must regret moving here during winter, Seoul is best during spring,” Seulgi says in between chewing and swallowing.

“Maybe Joy can finally take us to Jeju this year,” Yeri says, tired of asking the taller girl.

"Oh?" Irene's curiosity was piqued, and she looked at Joy, who had been notably quiet, eager to know more about her.

“Oh right, she’s not from here either,” Yeri says quickly while hiding behind her drink. “Unnie and Joy have a lot in common actually.”

And Sooyoung’s guard goes up again.

She must've had some physical reaction to what was just said as Irene visibly hesitates over her next question.

“Did you also move here to open your cafe?” she asks Sooyoung quietly.

“No.”

Irene was the last person she wanted to talk about her failures with.

“Well, do you like it here?”

Yeah, it was great until you came along.

“I do.”

The ambiance was engulfed in an awkward silence. 

“I think I hear a table calling me,” Lisa makes an excuse to leave, and Wendy quickly cuts the tension by changing the subject. 

Sooyoung, aware of her recent rudeness that was uncharacteristic of her, finished the last bite of her burger and rose from her seat. “Be back in a bit,” she said as she left to clear her head.

-

Joy paces around the bathroom, attempting to unravel the situation she's found herself in. Her friends wouldn't have persuaded her to come along just to see her suffer. In reality, the day had been going well until she made it awkward.

Coming to a standstill in front of the sink, she gazes at herself in the mirror. 

There’s no going back from that awkward moment now, just own up to it Sooyoung!

“So Park Sooyoung actually came to visit?” she hears a voice behind her.

Sooyoung immediately perked up, recognizing that accented voice; she turned around to find a woman with long blonde hair.

“Rosé!” Joy exclaims, launching herself at the girl. “I’ve been looking for you since I got here.”

“Why are you hiding in here, then?” Rosé asks, gladly hugging back.

“I’m not hiding,” Joy asserts, releasing the girl and continuing after a short pause. “I’m just pondering.”

“Hmm, pondering your next move is against Irene?" Rose asks, surprising Sooyoung.

“I can't get anything past you” Joy sighs in defeat leaning back on the sink basin "I can’t believe I’m having a friendly Sunday meal with my business rival. This is taking ‘keep your enemies close’ to another level."

"From what I heard from Lisa, you weren’t that friendly," Rosé says, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms.

“I know, I know,” Sooyoung sighs again. "I'm not ready to extend an olive branch just yet, I can't forget she’s the reason for my business woes.”

“Really? ‘Power Up’ has been quite active lately though” the blonde girl notes, recalling the recent flurry of social media activity.

“It's because she's been pushing me to do anything I can think of,” Sooyoung explains “I’ve been thinking of a million ideas to get ahead.”

“Is that a bad thing?” the blonde girl asks genuinely.

“Not you too,” Sooyoung says, giving up.

"All I'm suggesting is that a little competition might be good for Park Sooyoung, keeping her on her toes," Rosé says, putting a hand on the other girl’s shoulders "She's not a bad person. You two should talk it out."

Sooyoung sighs, "You really can't join us for karaoke?"

With a smirk, Rosé grabs her arm and steers her toward the door. "Come on, you've been contemplating in here for too long."

As they return, the four girls are already gathering their bags to leave. Yeri is the first to spot Sooyoung, and then her gaze shifts to Rosé beside her, prompting a wide grin.

"I was wondering why it took you so long, but now I get it."

"Kim Yerim!" Sooyoung exclaims, giving her friend's arm a playful slap.

-

Once again, Irene surprised Sooyoung. It became clear why her friends insisted on bringing Irene along. The girl was an amazing singer and an even better rapper.

Sooyoung was well aware of Irene's competitive nature, but witnessing someone being this competitive about karaoke was a first. Irene and Wendy's high note battle had her tuning into frequencies beyond her usual hearing range.

How do people so short have voices so big?

Six hours of karaoke set a new record for the group. Approaching midnight, everyone was exhausted after belting out 'Psycho' for the fourth time.

Sooyoung and Irene sat on a couch with Yeri between them, scrolling through the song list to make the next pick. Wendy collapsed beside a thoroughly inebriated Seulgi, who had succumbed to sleep after a hearty round of drinks.

Sooyoung had promised herself not to drink much, but she ended up having a glass or two. It turned out to be a good decision as it made her feel less awkward around Irene.

“Ya, Yerima I don’t think I can even get up,” Irene says, her voice a bit hoarse.

“Yeah, I’ll skip this one too,” Sooyoung concurred.

“You guys are getting old,” Yeri teased, picking out a solo song and standing up from the couch to grab a microphone.

As the first chords of the piano started playing a slow song, Sooyoung couldn't help but find her gaze fixed on Irene sitting next to her. Thankfully, the other girl appeared absorbed in watching Yeri’s performance.

Perhaps having had a bit too much to drink, Sooyoung found herself fixating on the details of Irene’s face and how the purple light made her eyes twinkle. she had heard many people in her café talk about Irene's beauty, she hadn't paid much attention to it until now; in this moment, she couldn't look away.

“And I’ve been tryna fill all of this empty. But -”

“Kim Yerim!” Irene and Joy shouted in unison, swiftly locking eyes. Sooyoung immediately averted her gaze, feeling the need to take a big gulp of her drink.

Yeri, seemingly unfazed by the interruption, carried on with her singing. Irene hadn’t made an effort to start a conversation since the awkward café incident, so Sooyoung decided it was her turn to initiate.

“You’re good at singing” she starts.

“Thank you” she could see the other girl slightly taken aback by her comment. “You’re very good too, I like your voice” now it was Sooyoung’s turn to be taken aback.

“Do you guys come to this karaoke often?” Irene asked, changing the subject.

A simple yes would have sufficed, but Sooyoung didn't want the conversation to end so quickly. She surprised herself with what she said next.

“Yeri and I used to come here almost every day after our classes had ended so we could unwind for the day.”

“Oh, you were a student too?” Irene asks cautiously.

“I was but it didn't work out,” she says, taking another sip at her drink “Still, I couldn't be too far away from the campus for some reason.”

“I think we all know where we need to be. Even if you fight against it, you end up there in the end,” Irene says. She seemed to be thinking of something personal, so Sooyoung kept quiet after.

-

“You guys should be ashamed, letting the maknae take care of you,” Yeri says, closing the back seat door of the taxi where Wendy and Seulgi were tucked inside.

“Walk safely you guys!” Yeri adds as she enters the front seat of the taxi.

“Yerima, don't forget to text me when you get home” Irene reminds her.

“Our maknae is the best!” Sooyoung hears Wendy say before the car drives off, leaving the two girls alone at the side of the road.

Sooyoung had volunteered to take Irene home since the latter didn't know the streets very well, and they both lived near the campus. Besides, she wanted to talk to her and couldn’t think of another time they could be alone together. But now she was soberer, and looking at the girl, she didn’t feel as courageous anymore.

The cold had gotten worse this late at night. She could see the fog from Irene’s every breath; her cheeks and nose had gotten flushed from the temperature plus the beverages. Irene had put on her brown jacket, which, unlike her sweater that fit her perfectly, was way too big for her. Sooyoung had never seen her look so tiny.

“Let's get going then,” Irene says quietly, her voice still a bit hoarse.

She’s cute. Sooyoung couldn't believe this was the woman she would’ve been glad to fight just earlier in that day.

About halfway towards their walk home, Sooyoung had painfully noticed they hadn't said a word to each other, and it would remain that way until they cleared the massive elephant in the room; she took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry about earlier at the table and for that day by the dumpster and for throwing that keychain at you,” she started strong but faltered halfway through.

“I’m sorry for that day too; I didn’t mean to get angry at you for something so small,” Irene says, putting her hair behind her flushed ears.

“No, it should've been my responsibility to know in the first place. I should really stop skipping those meetings,” she quickly follows up after realizing, “I mean, I skipped today, but it doesn't count because you’re here too.”

“They’re a bit boring,” Irene gives a small laugh. “Last time Soo-man kept going on about how to stop the ‘increasing interaction between staff outside of the meetings’ to avoid unprofessionalism and distraction” she says, quoting the old man, clearly annoyed at the initiative.

“He better start thinking of how to stop the increasing rent too,” Sooyoung says a bit frustrated, recalling the previous meetings where she had almost stormed off.

“I know right!” Irene says, suddenly filled with passion. “That’s going to kill my bakery before anything else has a chance to.”

Irene suddenly seemed to have realized who she was talking with and hid deeper in her jacket. The moment hadn’t turned awkward like before, but now they were walking quietly towards the campus.

"I think I can manage from here," Irene says softly as they near the entrance. "Thanks for walking with me," she adds, a hint of gratitude in her eyes.

“No problem, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sooyoung replies, her tone sincere.

“Yeah, have a good night Joy,” Irene said before putting her hands in her pockets and walking away. It hits Sooyoung that this is the first time Irene has referred to her by name.

Sooyoung grappled with conflicting emotions, unsure about where they stood. Sure, her perspective of Irene had changed but she wouldn't call her a friend, it’s not like their situation had fundamentally changed. She wasn’t even sure how she was going to treat Irene tomorrow.

Opting not to ponder over it extensively, she acknowledged that she was still tipsy tonight. It seemed wiser to let things unfold when the time presented itself.

Sooyoung turns from the entrance of SM Institute and walks away.