Unnie!

Hi Chaeng!

I like you!

...

...

...

...

You’re a bit late for April Fools Chaeng. Haha!

I know

You see through me.

Of course, I already know all your tricks. Haha

You know me. Haha

Hey Unnie, I forgot I have something to do.

I’m just checking up on you. See you on Monday. Bye!
 

Oh, I see, take good care Chaeng, see you on Monday!

Chaeyoung keeps staring at her phone with tears in her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I see, and you told her that it was just a joke?” Tzuyu asked as Chaeyoung finished her story of how the confession went.

“How are you feeling right now?” she added as the cub nodded as an affirmation to her question.

“It’s still hurting. I mean,” Chaeyoung starts.

“Technically she didn’t dump me, right? Or said no to me” Now she’s in denial.

“I thought you will never tell her. That you’re and I quote ‘happy with just being with her- as a friend” Tzuyu said. Using dramatic gestures to emphasize Chaeyoung’s words.

“That’s the initial plan. And I was planning on keeping it ‘til the end but with how she treated me, cares for me, I can’t help myself but fall.”

“Until it’s not enough anymore. I become greedy. I want to know her more and spent more time with her. How can I not assume or hope for something, with the way she’s treating me; her hugs, jokes, being worried about me, running to me whenever she’s in trouble; how can I not assume”?

“Especially with that guy Mark kept on hitting on her” Chaeyoung added inside her head. Tzuyu doesn’t need to know that. She doesn’t want to look more pitiful than she already is in Tzuyu’s eyes.

“So, you decided to tell her,” Tzuyu stated the obvious.

“Then I decided to tell her.” Chaeyoung smiles bitterly.

“I mean, I know that the chance that she likes me back is as small as a grain of rice!

 It hurts! It hurts like crazy!” Chaeyoung said crying her eyes out.

“I even anticipated it, but I didn’t ready myself with this level of pain. My heart is crushing like someone is squeezing the life out of me”
 

“Then, why did you do it? why did you tell her?” Tzuyu inquire.

“Because I want to know! I want to know how she feels about me. Ugh! I should've not told her! Damn! Just thinking about it, I already feel like my heart is about to explode.” Chaeyoung exasperatedly said. She's angry with herself.
 

“At least now, you know where you stand. I mean, I think, having no closure is a closure itself”. Tzuyu said while giving Chaeyoung comforting taps. After a couple of minutes of silence, low sobs from the cub are the only thing you can hear filling in the quietness of the night.

“You can now move forward you know. You'll be fine.” her tall friend added when Chaeyoung’s sob subsided.

~~~~~~~~~~

Monday comes and Chaeyoung will be seeing Mina.
She surely wants to see the girl but not today. Not when her heart is still hurting.  She’s not ready. Not yet. So, she decided to stick with Yeri. From breakfast, to break, even when it was time to go home, she insisted to be with Yeri. And not give a glance in Mina’s way.

“Is there something going on with you and Mina?” Jeongyeon and Dahyun interrogate Chaeyoung. It is totally expected especially when a certain cub who usually sticks with a penguin suddenly sticks with Yeri. It’s been like that for a week so the two ask the cub.

“Nope” Chaeyoung tried to be nonchalant about it but the two see through her lies and give her a ‘don’t with us' look. Chaeyoung sighs, she knew that they would know eventually.

“Fine! Let’s talk about it after work” she said to silence her two friends.

“Okay!” “Hmm!”  Jeongyeon and Dahyun agreed before they went back to their respective chairs.

~~~~~~~~~~

“So, what’s your plan now?” Jeongyeon and Dahyun inquires
“I don’t know, keep my distance? Give her space? Disappear?" Chaeyoung sighed. She's tired. Tired of everything that is happening to her.
“Or you could talk to her about it and have a clear answer” Dahyun wants to add but Jeongyeon signaled her not to say anything.

“If that’s what you want” Jeongyeon comforted Chaeyoung.

At first, Mina tried to approach Chaeyoung but the cub seems to have some Mina radar because the moment she looks for her, Chaeyoung is already nowhere to be found. This occurrence continues until it becomes normal, and Mina didn’t notice it until Sana inquires to her about the cub.

“Since when did Chaeyoung and Yeri become so close?” Sana asked pointing at the pair sticking with each other.

“Huh?” Mina takes a glance at the pair before answering Sana.

“Maybe Chaeyoung wants Yeri to be comfortable. Yeri is a newcomer anyway and it is in Chaeyoung’s nature to be friendly with anyone.” Mina continues, eyes still with Chaeyoung and Yeri who are happily chatting.

“You’re right, but I miss Chaeyoungie you know. She doesn’t hang with us lately” Sana grumbled cutely.

“But aren’t they cute?” Sana said suddenly as if realization hits her.

“I heard Yeri might have something with Chaeyoung” she adds.

“Yah! Stop meddling with other people’s life. Come on! Let’s go back to work” Mina said giving a last glance to Chaeyoung and Yeri before going back to her station.

“Wae? Wae? Did I say something wrong? I’m just saying…” Sana thought before following her friend.

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

One day, Chaeyoung is on her way back to the office after having her lunch outside, she’s the only person in the elevator when someone stops the closing elevator door and enters. There he is. It is him. Mark, the one who they say is pursuing Mina and she likes him too, as what they say. Chaeyoung is a curious lad, but she’s only curious about things that she has an interest in and not about people that don’t concern her. But because someone she liked seemed interested in this person, she decided to take a closer look.

‘Okay, he’s a bit taller than me. I mean it’s only 14-16 cm, I guess. That’s not much. Height is not always a requirement.’ Chaeyoung commented internally observing the guy before her. Giving him a look from head to toe.

‘He’s a bit good-looking. I’ll give him that, but I’m much more good-looking than him though. I’m cuter too; much much cuter.’ She continues.

‘I heard he’s a great guy and funny fellow. Ha! I don’t even see any trace of humor with this guy.’ Still discerning how people see these Mark

"I heard that MIna has a thing for Mark", Jeongyeon’s words echoed through her head.

“Ugh! What did she even see with this guy?” Chaeyoung groans softly which earn a glance from the guy beside her. And she doesn’t like it. So, she gives him an unfriendly glare. Then immediately regretted and apologize as she realized how weird she looked acting aggressively.