Many days passed and what Dahyun said still lingers on Chaeyoung’s mind.

How she looked at Mina, how Mina treated her, and about confessing.

“How do I really look at her? My eyes, it’s all written in my eyes as Dahyun said.
‘Eyes are the windows to the Soul’ as people say; eyes are the window into how you feel or what you are thinking is what they meant. Indeed, I’m not good at lying but really? Do I really look like that? Like, like I’ve already fallen in love? Surely not!”
 

“Have I?” Chaeyoung questioned herself.

Now, she tried to remember how Mina treated her or act when she was with her.

“Sometimes, I catch her looking at me; or is it her catching me looking at her?” Chaeyoung goes back to her wandering
“Then there’s she being all touchy with me like hugging me, holding my hands, SQUEEZING it, assuring me that everything’s fine, making sure that I’m not upset” she added

“She’s not even like that with her other friends. Even with Sana, who’s been friends with her for years.”

“She makes sure that I waited for her after work. So, I could accompany her going to the terminal”

“She’s more than willing to come with me when I invited her with coffee dates even if it’s just the two of just; not that she knows it’s a date, she doesn’t have to know.”

She’s still in deep thoughts that she didn’t notice Somi entering her room.

“Eomma! Chaeng is daydreaming again!” Somi shouts.

“I’ve been calling you for the nth time and you’re not responding.” Somi, sticking out her tongue before running downstairs to escape from her Unnie’s wrath.
“You!”  Chaeyoung pointed a finger at her sister before running downstairs to answer her mom’s call.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“So, that’s what happened Chou” Chaeyoung again found herself confiding with her best friend Tzuyu.

“I see, but why are you even asking about it. You do like her right?” Tzuyu inquires.

“I was hoping no, at least not yet; not that deep yet” Chaeyoung replied in a small voice.

“Seriously?” Tzuyu look at her

“I mean,” Chaeyoung tried to explain herself.

“You always talk about her whenever there’s a chance. Even out of nowhere, you would suddenly say ‘You know what, Mina unnie is this, Mina unnie is that.” Tzuyu starts. This cub is giving her a massive headache.

“That’s because...” Chaeyoung tried to explain but Tzuyu was not finished yet.

“Whenever we’re together you talked about her, most of the time, if not always, you would text me whatever you’re feeling, like when you panicked, she held your hand, or you suddenly thought about her; even if that’s 3 in the morning.”

“That’s...” Chaeyoung again tried to interject.

“Dude, you even plan to go to places with her; you didn’t even know if she would be coming with you”

“Now tell me that you’re not in deep.” Tzuyu challenged Chaeyoung.

“I ~ ah – I~” Chaeyoung sighed, she knew it was her defeat. Tzuyu only looked at her, goading her.
 

“Fine! I like her, like super like her I might say I’m in love with her” Chaeyoung exclaimed after a minute of contemplating.

“Ugh! I don’t know anymore! What if I confess then she said ‘no’, that will hurt, big time” Chaeyoung thinks out loud.

“But what if she likes me too and only waiting for my confession? Wait, if that’s the case, why would I be the first one to confess?” she continues. Discerning what’s the right action to make. While Tzuyu can only shake her head listening to her friend.

“I mean, she didn’t treat her friends like how she’s treating me. Even with Sana, they’ve been friends for years, but she didn’t stay out late with Sana like how late we part whenever when we were together.”

There’s a chance to be hopeful, right?” Chaeyoung turn to her friend and asked. But before Tzuyu can reply, she added.

“But what if she’s just friendly? Maybe she just likes my company and only sees me as a friend?” the confused cub continues her battle with herself.

“Then tell her. Tell her so there’s no more “What Ifs and Maybes”. No more assumptions and only the truth.”
“You’ll never know, maybe she liked you too”
“With the way she treated you, with your stories, let’s gamble to the idea that maybe she likes you too.”
“If not, then move on. Move forward. It may be hard, but you will have your answer. You can now continue living without thinking that you never told her.” Tzuyu can’t help herself but stop Chaeyoung’s pondering. The cub looked at her with pleading eyes. She really appreciates Tzuyu’s in the times like this. Even if her frankness sometimes gives a knock on her head, she knew that Tzuyu knew her better than anyone else and only wants the best for her.

“Does it worth gambling? Is the thought occupying Chaeyoung’s mind after her talk with Tzuyu

“You can do it! Okay?” she remembers Tzuyu’s words before they part.
 

“Yeah! I can do it. I am Son Chaeyoung. I can do anything if I put my heart to it” Chaeyoung cheered herself up, nodding her head with her fists in the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chaeyoung practice her speech. What words to say, how to say them, when to say them, where to say them.  It is all planned and prepared.  Now she’s ready to confess.

Or so we thought. That’s what she thought too. But the little cub is eaten by her fear. So, she continues to hang out with her friends with the confession at the back of her mind. Their coffee dates (as Chaeyoung wanted to call them) continue too.

One morning, they were all in the pantry when someone asked for Mina. It is Mark. Chaeyoung really doesn’t care who he is. She doesn’t have time to think about others when Mina is all she’s been thinking about lately. When Mina and Mark are out of sight, that leaves the trio in the pantry.

“What do you think about them?” Dahyun asked no one in particular.

“Huh?” Chaeyoung confused with Dahyun’s query

“Don’t they look good together?” Dahyun said while sipping her coffee. The two beside her look at her like she grows another head.

“What are you talking about?” a hint of annoyance is evident in the cub’s voice.

*coughs* “Now that you mentioned it, I heard Mina likes Mark; they seem to be close,” Jeongyeon said after recovering from the surprise.

That doesn’t help Chaeyoung. How can they? They both know that cub fancy the penguin. Chaeyoung feels betrayed.

“He’s not that good-looking though” she commented. She doesn’t want to show that she’s affected. Now Dahyun and Jeongyeon look at her like she’s the one who grows another head.
“Yah! Chaeyoung-ssi, I’m only interested in an easily annoyed bunny, but I know that Mark is good-looking,” Jeongyeon says the obvious to the cub.

“Yeah, we’re only interested in girls, but we are not blind” Dahyun seconded Jeongyeon, nodding her head.

“But I’m still cuter, right? Right?” she demanded an affirmation from her two friends which Dahyun withhold from her.

“Yeah, say that to Mina unnie,” great Tofu said.

” Hey Chaeng, what would you do if Mark really is pursuing Mina?” Jeongyeon suddenly asked.

“Nothing, I bet she would just sulk in the corner while watching Mina happy with Mark because what did she say again? “I’m contented being just her friend and seeing her happy”. Yeah, that’s probably what she would do” The great Tofu answers making fun of the cub.

“Yah!” Chaeyoung hit her friend lightly.

“I’m just saying, you know” Dahyun replied shrugging.

“I hate you both” she can’t help herself but exclaim before storming out.    

‘Do you think we might have overdone it?” Jeongyeon asked worriedly as the cub left the two of them.

“Yeah, I think so too.” Dahyun nodded her head; eyes on the retreating Chaeyoung.

“But she needed it,” Dahyun sighs as she finishes her coffee and started to leave. Jeongyeon can only sigh tailing Dahyun. She’s right, Chaeyoung might just really need the push. Dahyun may look like she doesn’t care but she’s also worried about the cub.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Again, Dahyun’s words haunted Chaeyoung. Not only that, but Jeongyeon’s words also echoed in her mind.

“Mina likes Mark” which infuriates her more.

“Ugh! Stupid Dahyun! Stupid Jeongyeon!” the cub tries her best to forget all of it and continue her work.