Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: Bets are usually harmless things--until they're breaking someone's heart twice. Does Hitomi still have a chance on Chaewon after their history? Only Nako knows, featuring the not-yet-fried pet quail of hers, Jirocho.

Word Count: 8922

Hashtag: #SSBB_3rdTimesTheCharm

Third Time's the Charm

Hitomi boarded the elevator, on her way to a new job. Wearing her new faint pink cardigan, she was thrilled for the day to unfold. The company was one of the best ones in her area, and the application process was hard enough. So getting in the company was one of her best achievements yet.

As the elevator rose, so was Hitomi's excitement. However, it suddenly stopped at the 7th floor, a yet unknown floor to her. As it opened, it revealed a face too familiar to her—Kim Chaewon. As their eyes met, both expressed a bit of shock.

'She works here?' Hitomi thought with half of her enthusiasm vanishing. Who knew she would bump to Kim Chaewon of all people after all these years?

Who knew she'd meet her ex-girlfriend?

Getting into what was their relationship deeper, the two dated twice. The first relationship fell as fast as it rose, and the second relationship was just a plain game. And now? Years after their last break-up, Hitomi wasn't sure if the older was still in love with her. They didn't exactly end on good terms with Hitomi just breaking the older's heart the last time they saw each other. The older probably hates her, she assumed.

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

The two had their first relationship in high school when Chaewon asked her out when she was still a freshman. Sure, it's no big deal—except if Honda Hitomi herself had a huge crush on her (a really huge one). Of course, while maintaining her utmost dignity, Hitomi answered yes. (She did screech after getting back to her dormitory—much to Nako and Yuri's chagrin.) 

Their relationship started cutely: Chaewon would always accompany her in the library, have walks in the park with her, praise her cooking—the usual dating stuff. Hitomi couldn't understand how Chaewon could sound so confident around her while she's a stuttering mess on small things such as giving Chaewon her lunch. Not that the older doesn't mind. Hitomi was a cute stuttering mess, and she thinks anyone would want to see it.

But things started changing after their first month.

Suddenly, Chaewon became more doting, and Hitomi would catch the older looking at her more—which is peak whipped culture, but Hitomi didn't mind; they're dating after all. Another was that Chaewon cut off her ties from her friends—whom Hitomi met a day into their relationship, maybe except Eunbi, who Chaewon still has contacts to.

Still, she wondered why Chaewon wouldn't talk to her about it. She tried asking, but all she got was a pat on the head and an invitation to a date. Not that she'd refuse though. And she wondered why Chaewon thinks that the answer to all of her questions is the sophomore holding her hand and a kiss on her cheek. (Yes, it is an alternative answer to all of her questions. Very much so.)

Chaewon probably knows a lot about her that moment that if they ever broke up, one of Hitomi's options would be to hire a hitman to make sure none of her secrets would be leaked—a joke she'd often tell her peers. Chaewon didn't mind though. Perhaps. Maybe. Probably. Hitomi does know one thing about Chaewon though—that she likes Hitomi.

Or so she thought.

8 months into their relationship, she was taking her time inside a cubicle in the restroom when she heard familiar voices outside. The voices belonged to people who used to be Chaewon's friends.

"That Chaewon. I hope she's having the time of her life fooling that girl into thinking she actually likes her."

Wait, what? What bet are they talking about?

The other girl stifled a laugh.

"Yeah, she's already 4 months away from completing the bet anyway."

The two girls left the room with Hitomi's confidence and trust. Was everything a lie? Were all those 8 months a game for Chaewon? She decided to call the number she knew by heart—her heart that was slowly letting doubts get the better of her. As expected, the call was quickly answered.

"Hitoma? What's the matter?" Chaewon asked, 

"Unnie… Were you just fooling me all these months for a bet?"

The words made Chaewon's blood run cold.

Nervously, Chaewon replied, "… Who did you hear that from?" The complicated gears in her mind were now turning and turning—and it's not for the good reasons.

Hearing the reply, Hitomi's mouth was left agape.

"You're not denying it…" 

This made Chaewon gulp. She wanted Hitomi to hear her side of the story, but it seems that the whole thing is swiftly crashing down, like a sandcastle after huge waves swallow it whole. 

"Hitomi, listen to me. I can explain." Was there anything left to be explained? She was not denying it.

"So it's true, huh…?"

"No, Hitomi. I…" Chaewon paused, trying to gather her thoughts as her mind spirals down and down the rabbit hole. Her breathing became irregular; her heart started beating faster and faster. "I really love you. I really do. Yes, it did start as a bet, but I…"

"So it was all a lie, huh… I hope you're happy after fooling me all these months."

No good. Hitomi was not willing to listen at all. Was there any reason left to explain? Chaewon's senses started getting more sensitive as everything around her became too much to take. She felt her surroundings starting to spin rapidly.

'Please don't say those words. Please. I wouldn't be able to take it.' Chaewon's breathing sped up.

"I don't want to see you again."

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

Eunbi had been caring for Chaewon for a couple of weeks now. Chaewon wouldn't eat or drink anything which forced her to feed the girl herself.

Ever since their break up, Chaewon wouldn't go to school—something that scared Eunbi.

"Chaewon, your porridge is getting cold." Eunbi watched Chaewon stare at the bowl with the latter's eyes seemingly devoid of life.

"Do you think she's eating well, unnie…?" The girl drawled, her eyes still fixated on the not-so-warm porridge that had been sitting in front of her for 10 minutes now. "When she's sick or sad, she really likes spicy soup…"

"Please eat first, Chaewon. You can worry about her when you've taken care of yourself first." This was followed by a sigh.

Truth be told, Eunbi was not aware of the bet at all, only hearing it from Chaewon and their two other friends after the fact. It did start as a plain bet, as far as she knows, until Chaewon slowly fell and wanted out of the bet to turn it into a serious relationship. As expected, the other two wanted to keep the whole circus going, and so, Eunbi convinced Chaewon to end their friendship. 

The senior might allow a simple prank from time to time, but serious matters such as love are out of the question. The sophomore had been trying her best to give Hitomi her love and affection, but of course, Eunbi knew that it was only a matter of time until this happens. And so, she was left with Chaewon, trying to help the younger pick the pieces of her broken heart up.

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

Several months later, Chaewon started her life as a junior. So far, she had been doing her best in her studies, away from anything to distract her. Eunbi was a very good influence to her; the older had basically converted Chaewon into being a studious student—good enough to have above-average grades at the very least. As far as the now-junior's heart would go, it still contains one person, and Chaewon knew that it was very unlikely that she would be given a chance with how things ended between them.

Now, on her way home after finishing the last class for the day, her phone emitted a familiar tune—one that she would immediately check a few months prior.

…

Of course, who was she fooling? She immediately checked the phone to answer it—her hands shaking the whole time—and put the phone on her ear with an anxious expression on her face.

"H-hello…?"

"Unnie. It's me."

Her heart started to beat fast at that very moment. Why did the now-sophomore call her? Was this a joke? Did she just use up all of her luck this year? Chaewon did not care anymore—she just wanted to listen to what the Japanese has to say.

"Oh. It's… been a while, hasn't it?" Chaewon wanted to slap herself. Why did she pause? Was she nervous? Of course, she's friggin' nervous! If she knew she'd be receiving such a call today, she would probably prepare herself mentally, as she repeatedly mutters the mantra Eunbi taught her to recite whenever an ex calls her: I am a strong independent woman. An ex is an ex; do not regress.

But of course, if the mantra were effective, Eunbi would not be getting back with her ex-girlfriend as well: the ace of the drama club in their school, Miyawaki Sakura. So yes, screw the mantra, she loves Hitomi.

"It is." A pause. "Are you… free at the moment?" 

A gulp. 

Could this be it? Was she getting another chance? It's not bad to hope, right? Chaewon wished that this was a good sign.

"Of course. (For you.)" She couldn't let the last two words to be heard. Eunbi told her not to appear easy, but she is—for Hitomi, that is.

"Great!" Another pause. "You see… I know things did not really end well between us, and I…" The younger paused, "really couldn't get you off my mind, unnie."

Chaewon wanted to pinch herself. Was she hallucinating? Was Hitomi really saying those words? Maybe, maybe not. All she knows is that she loves Hitomi a lot. She snapped out of her reverie when she heard the girl's concerned tone, however.

"Unnie…? Are you there? You haven't been talking."

Panicking, Chaewon tried putting her thoughts into words, but that seemed to fail drastically.

"I… No! I'm…" She paused, obviously trying to regurgitate the words into their correct positions while trying to recheck their meanings. Ah, screw that. She's toast. "I'm…"

The girl from the other side of the line chuckled, melting what was left of Eunbi's teachings away from her mind. Screw everything; she's whipped. 

Smiling like the whipped creatures that she is, she replied, "I… also couldn't forget about you."

The sophomore giggled, making the older fall for her deeper. 

"I guess… I can't just let you go."

"Likewise, unnie."

It was only a day after her birthday, and yet, Chaewon felt that it was the best present she could ever have.

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

"Are you sure you're going to do this? If you do, you won't be any different from her." A petite girl said to her friend. Sure, she was supportive of her friends, but this was not a good idea.

"I just want her to have a taste of her own medicine. And besides, she started this. If she can bet on things like this, then I can too," returned the slightly taller friend who was busy perusing her exchange with someone else.

"That's… not… how it works, but okay," retorted the vertically challenged student.

"I bet that this won't end well," a hamster-looking sophomore replied, sighing afterward.

"Must you ruin every conversation with puns?" The smallest among them acquainted her hand to her face in disdain, walking away afterward. "Anyway, I need to make a trip to the washroom. I'll be back."

As the girl exited the room, her eyes widened in shock—someone was listening in on their conversation.

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

Chaewon and Hitomi started dating again. At first, there was a noticeable awkward atmosphere between them. After all, the previous relationship did not really end well for both of them, and only their friends knew how much they suffered.

But in time, they were almost as close as they used to. Chaewon would always fetch Hitomi to and from her dormitory and take her out on dates. Hitomi reciprocated the effort by bringing lunch to her every day—homemade ones, which boosted Chaewon's spirits. 'Who wouldn't want them?' Chaewon would muse herself.

What was Chaewon feeling about this? She did not really know how to explain. While the feelings were there, her heart was somehow still bothered. Still uneasy. As if anytime, she's going to explode, probably drown in an unknown sea inside her chest, the sea of feelings she couldn't tell anyone—save for a certain person.

As months went on, they appeared happy, peaceful, even sweeter than before. Hitomi would visit Chaewon's room, watch movies with her, and sometimes even stay over, which would always prompt Chaewon to sleep on the couch in the living room instead. The girl didn't mind. She was happy seeing Hitomi being comfortable around her again, was happy seeing her cute sleeping face on the Korean's bed, was happy watching from afar…

… as her heart started to falter.

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

"Why are you doing this to yourself? Aren't you hurting?" The question hurt more than it should.

"I don't mind. As long as she's happy then I'm content with it—even though it hurts the longer we play this game," she answered, her eyes looking weary as she starts drinking her coffee—something she previously did not like to drink at all but learned to love as it was bitter, perhaps as bitter as what her chest feels at that very moment. No sugar, just plain ground coffee beans. And the multitudes of painful thoughts in her head.

"You should tell her the whole story. It's not fair that I'm the only one who knows, y'know?" If things were quite simple, the older would totally ride on this idea.

But it wasn't.

"I still started it the way she believed it to be. It's still my fault," said with a hopeless smile on her lips.

The younger girl sighed. She tried thinking of solutions—cliché to outrageous—but nothing would solve this dilemma.

"I wish I could help you."

"Just keeping it a secret is enough." A smile appeared on the older's lips, one that the younger understood in an instant—it was one of hopelessness, and yet, there was still so much love in it.

"Don't you ever tire from this?" the younger asked, wondering as to how the older could keep acting like everything was fine. Like a puppet pretending to still be under the influence of its puppeteer.

"I do, but… Whenever I see her smile, I just… hang on to whatever I have left. She's good at this, y'know? It's not too hard to fall for her, over and over again." The older replied, her chest constricting the more she tried to breathe. It was getting harder for her. She smiled, however, as this was something she's used to feeling every day now. She's afraid she's getting used to it. (She was, but she can't do anything.)

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

August 1.

A very important day in Chaewon's life, not only because it's her birthday, but also because it's her anniversary with Hitomi.

She heaved a sigh, a deep one. Now a dependable senior, she knew that the year would be the busiest one in her life yet, and she could already feel the incoming dread accompanied by it.

Her day was great so far—Hitomi and she ate lunch together. Her girlfriend's homemade lunches had been her favorite ever since she first tasted them. Yes, she's a er for them, but don't tell anyone. On her way to Hitomi's class, she saw Nako waiting for her in the corridor with a concerned look on her face.

After seeing the girl's face, Chaewon knew.

It was time.

"It's a good thing that you'll be the one to break the news to me." Chaewon smiled, adding to the Japanese's guilt.

"You can still go back, y'know?" Nako offered, giving the senior a sidelong glance. "I'll pretend I didn't see you, and—"

"Nako, it's fine. I've had my time. And I…" Chaewon paused to catch her breath. She had prepared for this day for months, and yet, she didn't expect that she would still feel dreadful on the day itself. "I was happy." A sad smile took over her features. The smile looked like this whole fiasco was normal. As if this thing was just a prank that didn't take a year before the rug was pulled from under her feet.

"Why are you being like this…?!" Nako couldn't take it anymore. "You were happy?" A dry, disbelieving laugh could be heard from Nako. "Every time I look at you, you're on the verge of breaking! And yet, you have the gall to say you're fine!? You're not fine!" Nako started crying.

Chaewon's mask was on the verge of breaking. However, she had to continue. It was the final day after all, and she has to make a believable performance. It became harder to breathe as she took each step.

"Thank you for crying in my stead, Nako. I owe you a lot."

Chaewon finally opened the door, and she saw what she expected to see: Hitomi was kissing another girl, another Japanese whose name she wasn't keen on remembering.

'This is it, Chaewon.'

"What's the meaning of this, Hitomi…?" She asked, remembering the lines she'd read whenever Hitomi wasn't staying in her room. Chaewon couldn't believe she got used to the line, the first few times she read it, she just lost it and cried.

Hitomi immediately pulled away, her face not even showing any remorse.

'Was this how she felt while she was talking to me over the phone at that time?' Chaewon thought to herself. "Tell me, what's the meaning of this…?" Chaewon breathing hastened.

"You haven't noticed? It's all a bet, unnie. Unlike you though, I completed my side of the bet." Hitomi answered with an unconcerned look at her face.

"I see…" Chaewon thought she'll get used to it if she imagined the scene repeatedly, but seeing it in real life hurt more than her brain could. She was a few lines away. Just a couple of them. She needed to get them out, before her mask breaks.

"Was I a worthwhile target?" Chaewon's gaze was now on the floor, hoping that her final act was a good one. She can't cry. Not yet. On the months prior, the fear of losing the person she loved the most crept again and again, but Chaewon knew it was not time yet, but now, that fear was going to become very real, and she knew that couldn’t do anything about it.

The question baffled Hitomi. She had fooled Chaewon into thinking she really liked her these past few months, but this question was unexpected for her. She thought Chaewon would just run away in tears, but this wasn't in her plans. As her brain processed the question, the days they spent started playing in her mind. And somehow, Hitomi could only see how doting and caring Chaewon was. Yes, it was in her plans, to make Chaewon fall for her deeper, to partake in everything that could get her out of suspicion, to do everything that would make her win the bet. 

Seeing her soon-to-be ex-girlfriend speechless, Chaewon looked at her for the last time, with tears slowly making their descent.

"I see. Thank you for the best year of my life then."

As Chaewon left the room, Hitomi just looked at the older girl's back, 'Why must you make it hard for me all the time, unnie?'

Hitomi and Chaewon never spoke to each other again after that day. It was a good thing that Chaewon was busy in her final year—it got easier to take everything off her mind. When Eunbi got wind of what happened, she wanted to storm Hitomi's dormitory, thank goodness Chaewon begged her to stop.

("I told you not to let your guard down!" 'Mad' doesn't even describe how Eunbi was feeling. She was fuming. "Ex is an ex; do not regress, remember?!" She added, even though it was funny in a normal setting, the words made Eunbi more and more ballistic.

"It's not that easy, unnie…" Chaewon reasoned. She wanted to tell Eunbi about her time with Sakura, but it wasn’t the right time to open old wounds, specially after the couple broke up due to Sakura’s schedule making it almost impossible for the two of them to meet.

"I'm telling that scoundrel off…" Eunbi rolled her sleeve, preparing to wage war.

"Unnie, please… It was my decision to keep it going. And even though it hurts, I was happy…" Chaewon tried her best to smile, even though her lips were trembling. Was she really happy though? The past year made her keep her guard up almost all the time, only to fail consistently after seeing her ex-girlfriend’s smile.

Seeing how the younger still wanted to protect the felon, Eunbi could just sigh as she broke down and hugged Chaewon. She hoped Chaewon's next love won't hurt as much as this. She believed the girl did not deserve it.)

As for Hitomi, well, she couldn't understand why Nako suddenly got distant.

Nako warned her a year ago that she shouldn't do it, that it was no better than what Chaewon did. But Hitomi wanted to get even, at least to make the older experience the pain of betrayal. What she did not expect was that final question. The question that kept resounding in her mind that it annoyed the living hell out of her.

After that, Hitomi had gone in and out of many relationships, most of which she broke off for a reason she couldn't figure out. Was she being picky? She must be.

♠️ ♠️ ♠️

Back to the present, she was currently in the elevator with her ex-girlfriend. Suddenly, the memories came in. And so did the question.

As the elevator rose, the silence continued. It was awkward, really awkward. Hitomi felt a sickeni