“Soyeon, let’s break up.”

“YUQI-YAH!!”

Soyeon quickly woke up in a jolt, trying to catch her breath while her head pounded in pain but she quickly dismissed it to search for a particular person. As soon as she felt the familiar arm that wrapped loosely and protectively around her petite figure, however, she breathed a sigh of relief, leaning closer to the person’s chest to listen to the sound of her heartbeat. Immediately, it calmed her down.

“Soyeon? I’m here, I’m here.”

She heard Yuqi whispered in her ear while her fingers continuously ran through her hair. She whimpered, burying her head closer to the crook of Yuqi’s neck.

“I thought you left,” Soyeon muttered, clutching Yuqi’s shirt harder than she intended.

“Why would I leave?” came Yuqi’s reply, planting a soft kiss on her lover’s head.

Soyeon let out a shaky breath, trembling slightly with last night’s memory, or dream? She doesn’t know exactly since she barely remembers a thing or two, and her headache only getting worse the more she tried recalling what happened. As long as Yuqi’s by her side, she doesn’t really care.

“You broke up with me.” Soyeon felt Yuqi stiffened, but Yuqi was also quick to wrap her arms tighter around the older girl. She didn’t realize that tears were already streaming down her eyes when she tried to tell Yuqi what conspired last night in her thoughts. “You were cold. I couldn’t recognize you. Then… then,”

Before Soyeon could even finish her sentence, she broke down into a crying mess, chanting Yuqi’s name in her breath as if it was the only thing that mattered at that moment.

Yuqi furrowed her brows, her lips tight as she cradled her lover in her arms.

“I’m not going to break up with you,” she assured, but her thoughts meant otherwise. ‘I was supposed to.’

Yuqi’s mind momentarily went back to where she was talking with Lucas and telling him her plan of actually ending things with Soyeon, seeing that the latter was better with focusing on their career instead, and Yuqi doesn’t want to further distract her. Their comeback was near, and the only thing she did with Soyeon was to argue non-stop, and she could see how it had been affecting Soyeon and the group for a month now. Her heart couldn’t carry anymore all the guilt, frustration, and shame she caused just because of her insecurities. But when she saw the Soyeon last night, passed out with dried tears in her cheeks, and the vulnerable Soyeon right now in her arms, she just doesn’t have the heart to break and shatter Soyeon further.

And god forbid that Yuqi doesn’t break soon either.

“I thought you’re breaking up with her?” Shuhua asked casually, munching the muffin Soojin made for her. They’re currently at the cafeteria at Cube to pass time until their next class, while their other members were either busy practicing, or making songs for their next comeback.

Yuqi sighed, playing with the muffin in her hands. “I don’t know…” She muttered. “I mean, you did notice the change, and it wasn’t like before.”

Shuhua just hummed in agreement.

“You see, she was never like this. She has never been this consistent, and she’s making it hard for me to just... do it.” Yuqi burrowed her face in her palms, an exasperated sigh following afterward. “I honestly don’t know what to do. I’m confused!”

It has been a month since the encounter with Soyeon’s vulnerable side after the club incident, where Soyeon was literally passed out on the counter, and the rest of the members decided to go home already since Shuhua had been getting out of hand, and Soojin’s complaining non-stop, while Minnie didn’t have a choice since Miyeon, being the kind-hearted spirit she was, offered and insisted that she drove the kids home. Minnie was hesitant, but agreed eventually as she saw the drunken state of her two members. She made sure to bring home more drinks just so the older ones can further enjoy the night.

Soyeon became affectionate, so to say, to Yuqi after that day. She doesn’t exactly know why, but the latter, despite her busy schedule because of their upcoming comeback, had been visiting her studio late at night to either hangout or remind her to eat dinner, Soyeon bringing food for the both of them. There were even several instances where Soyeon would purposely on-cam and claiming her like how Shuhua claims Soojin. Added to that, Soyeon, as much as she could, had been choosing to sleep in Yuqi’s room to cuddle with her, and surprisingly, to let out her frustrations about their work to Yuqi.

Not that Yuqi complains, in fact, she honestly loved the Soyeon right now. It felt like the old Soyeon she once fell in love with back in the days, but she was confused, highly, and extremely confused with the older girl’s recent attitude and behavior towards her. Yuqi had been asking herself, of all the time where Soyeon could be like this, why now? Why now when she internally decided to end things with her?

The more Soyeon becomes loving, the more Yuqi becomes tight-lipped. She tried once to finally let out her thoughts and put an end to whatever they have, but as soon as she entered the small studio, and was greeted by a cute, yellow figure that hugged her like there was no tomorrow, she knew her heart would never dare erase that bright smile in her lover’s lips. For that reason, all the previous scripts she internalized in her head were quickly forgotten and thrown away. Soyeon had never been that excited to see her before.

Yuqi snapped from her trance when Shuhua kicked her under the table, a groan escaping her lips and she shot the maknae a confused glare.

“Incoming,” was all Shuhua replied.

“What do you—”

“Jagi-yah!”

And there she was, the topic of the day, hopping her way cutely towards a blushing mess of a Chinese girl. With Soyeon’s large, yellow hoodie that almost made her look like a kid, and her black, cat-hat ears that bounce when Soyeon squeezes the tail, Yuqi could only stare blankly with a huge grin on her face as she anticipated Soyeon’s arrival. Shuhua, on the other hand, just smirked at the view of her lovesick friend.

“Yah!” Yuqi scolded softly as soon as Soyeon crash-hugged her before the latter sat on her lap while still playing with the cat ears. “Why are you here?”

Soyeon pouted, “Can’t I see my girlfriend?”

“Oh jesus, I’m out!” Shuhua quickly interrupted and made a gagging face before she scurried away and went to find her girlfriend instead.

Yuqi shook her head, a soft chuckle reverberating her chest; a sound that Soyeon so lovingly adored, and a sound that reminds her of home. “What I mean is, don’t you have work?” Yuqi inquired, a tinge of sadness brie