Song recommended: Fallin by Why Don't We

His expression looked calm but by observing how he took a few deep breaths and blew them out so hard, everyone knows he's struggling with nervousness inside. His stare towards the finishing line 100M afar from him never parted away, because he knew that's the goal for his existence on the track at this moment.

 

"On your mark!"

 

Along with the other runners, he prepares himself at the starting line, loosens up his muscles, and making sure his feet and fingers are in the right position.

 

"Set!"

 

He holds his breath as he watches the gun getting raised pointing up to the sky and the sudden loud sound coming from it after that shocks everyone there but for the runners on the track, it's the sign for them to give all-out next.

He pushes himself forward, sprinting as hard as he could. Every step he took hitting the concrete track, sending shockwaves to his body and brain, reminding him to keep sprinting forward and never mention a question of stopping. It was so intense because it is now one-on-one between him and the runner beside him. 50 meters left and the crowd cheering occupied his ear, he pushes his last limit and he knows it will be worth it. Yes, he won the race!

 

Minju hops forward and clapping non-stop as she watches the intense race. Asashi who represents her class won the race.

"The way you were so immersed in watching him, I start to doubt is it Chaewon unnie or him the one you like right now." Yujin raises her eyebrow. She too watches the boy getting congratulated by his friends, classmates, and his fans she guesses? He's quite popular in the school for his athleticism, but despite having a good record in running, he chose to join the basketball team instead of the track club. it doesn't matter, he is clearly a germ in that team.

Minju sends a death glare that actually quite captivating if you ask Yujin about it.

"I can't support my own classmate? If I support him, so I like him? Is that how you gonna address it?"

"Chill girl. I was just joking." Yujin raises her both hands. She never thought the girl would take it so seriously and she takes back that captivating thought she had just now.  

Minju purses her lips. Darting her eyes at the younger, she addressed firmly.

"My feeling towards her is never a joke."

"Yeah yeah. I know that. You told me every day about it." Yujin tugs on her earlobe. She ignores the sulking girl beside her and wanders her eyes around. She then caught a suspicious scene. 

 

"Hey."

 

"No. It's from my class and I won't share with you." Minju hides the precious drink behind her back and pouts to the younger.  This time she would not sacrifice her precious yogurt milk.

Yujin shows her uninterested expression.

"Our class provides us a premium taste of watermelon juice from **** company for your information. There. Are they fighting each other?" She points her finger to the other side of the field. What Yujin means is about the suspicious and obvious distance gap between Yena and Yuri that she noticed since the beginning of the Sports Day today. They were not talking and even seem to avoid each other.

Minju follows the gesture and catches the question later on.

"I don't know the detail but Yuri said Yena unnie confessed about her feeling." she addressed and Yujin's eyes widened.

"Yena unnie? To Yuri unnie? For real?! Wait, let me sort this out. If Yena unnie confessed, then they should be lovey-dovey not that scary icy treatment towards each other." Yujin analyze the situation.

"I know right." Minju rubs her chin.

"Wait, I sense something." Yujin watches out of the corner of her eyes. Her forehead wrinkles as her head turned left and then right and back to the left watching the main characters of their discussion.

"What is it?" Minju drew closer to gain some hints but Yujin instantly drags Minju away from the place.

 

"You don't have to know. For now."

 

*** *** ***

Yuri chews her inner cheeks as her eyes stuck on the two persons that have been buzzing in her mind since yesterday and it hurt her head so much and drained her energy that she looked like a girl who just finished a 400M run right now while in fact, she didn't even join any event today and just be the silent audience since the beginning. 

'The person I like is in front of me right now.'

And Chaewon unnie was in front of her too. And the way she smiled when Chaewon unnie appeared.

It somehow dragged my hope down. I waited all night, wishing she will text me if it was me the one she meant in the confession but no. I didn't receive anything.

Her stare is still glued on the two busy girls in the middle of the field. They are inseparable since they arrived here and constantly in their own world, talking, laughing, and right now practice passing the baton between each other in the middle of the field between the crowd of other students. Yuri can't help herself but keep watching them even though it continuously shattering her inside. To be honest, it was Chaewon most of the time she has been keeping her eyes on.

No way she would have feelings towards Yena unnie. Yena unnie said she liked Minju so I don't have to worry about it. Right?

She definitely not confident with her monologue right now. From her observation all this time, she might think wrongly.

I could be right. I could be wrong. Only that person knows the truth and she's so good at keeping it to herself.

Yuri can't deny her jealousy towards the short-haired girl and for some reason, she is low-key not fond of the presence of Chaewon since day one. She knows it sounded so childish and selfish but she really cannot ignore that impression in her.

I'm not hating her, I just dislike the fact she was so close with Yena unnie and snatched the place that should be mine.

 

"If a stare can kill, they could have been dead by now."

 

Hyewon taps the top of Yuri's head with the cold yogurt milk in her hand before settle down herself beside the girl.

Yuri turns to the voice with her knees buckled. Her small finger points towards the yogurt milk that caught her attention right away.

"Isn't that from our class?"

Hyewon nods and takes a sip of the drink while getting watched by the younger with a drooling face.

"I asked it from Minju."

She definitely was lying. The truth is she stealthily took it from Minju when the girl was concentrating on her bicker with Yujin just now.

"Want some?"

Yuri's eyes sparkle when Hyewon brings the drink towards her but Hyewon pulls it back when Yuri is about to grab it. The younger scowled leading to a chuckle from the older.

"Tell me first, what's with your death stare towards them and your zombie's face right here?" She pokes the fluffy cheek with her other fingers.

 

"I looked like a zombie?"

 

"More like a cute version."

 

Yuri smiles at the smooth answer.

 

"You like getting complimented as a cute zombie?" The older shows her disbelief face. She wonders what kind of zombie image pops up in Yuri's mind that makes the girl smile proudly.

 

Yuri shows a half shrug before turns her sight back to the painful view she had before.

 

"Because it has 'cute' in it."

 

Hyewon snorts at the reply and follows the younger gaze afterward. The classmates they are looking at right now are happily teasing about each other's running styles, and their voices, especially Yena's, could be heard from their place. Her loudness literally can't be stopped and Chaewon surprisingly can play along with it. They look so good together but Hyewon knows Yuri would not be happy to hear that.

 

"Are you just gonna watch and do nothing?"

 

Hyewon knows she asks the right question because of the younger's quick turn to her and is currently in hesitation to answer.

"If you don't go out on the branch, you're never going to get the best fruit."  She offers back her drink to the younger after taking another sip of it.

Yuri sighs at the words.

"It's a risk to tell her. What if it doesn't work out?" Her voice is full of worry and her hands holding the drink keep fidgeting.

 

"Then what if it does?"

 

Yuri glances up and their eyes locked in a shared understanding of the words muttered just now.

"Unnie-" Yuri breaks them off later on. She can feel her own cheeks flushed at that intimidating gazes of the older.

 

"-It felt weird to hear those from you."

 

"Because I like you?"

 

Yuri glances back at the voice.

 

"Would you be okay?"

 

"If I said no, would you be mine instead?"

 

That counter clearly turns Yuri speechless. She can't find the right words for the unexpected question and Hyewon already predicts the silence.

"If it won't change anything, there is no other reason for me to say no." Hyewon speaks further as she throws her sight into the distance.

Yeah, that's so sad. I know.

She already did everything she could to win but in the end, she still had to accept the fact she will become the loser of this love triangle. She already loses the game when Yena confessed before.  When she captured the smile from her best friend before the confession, she fully understood its meaning.

 

I'm sorry, Hyewon.

 

That's the end for her.

 

"I'm afraid she would say no." The younger finally speak after a while.

 

"You never know if you never try."

 

"What if-"

 

"Hold up."

 

Hyewon brings herself up and lets out a small groan, refuse to hear more from the younger. Yuri looks up and want to continue but got cut off instantly.

"If there is still that stupid 'What if' in your mind, you will be witnessing them-" Hyewon lifts her fingers, pointing towards the two best friends and Yuri follows the motion with her eyes.

 

"-Becoming lovers next."

 

Yuri shakes her head aggressively, showing that she is opposed to the idea.

 

"Then, no more thinking. If my team wins the relay race later, you must confess to her." 

 

"What?"

 

A confused look can be seen on Yuri's face. She needs more explanation but Hyewon chooses not to talk more about it. Everything is decided and her expression shows it as she departs away.

"Unnie, Wait. You are joking, right?" Yuri quickly gets up and stops the older by pulling her wrist when Hyewon is already a few steps away. The older turns back around due to the force.

"I say what I said." The voice sounded deep serious which send a sudden chill to Yuri. The hand on the older's wrist, she quickly drops it off in fear.

"I- No, unnie.." Her lower lips trembles a little.

"If you want me to tell her for you, I can do it."

"No!" Yuri accidentally raises her voice but it sinks in the middle of the crowd noise cheering for their classmates. Her eyes looking around to make sure no one is watching them when a sudden caress on her left cheek makes her flinches.

 

"Be brave now so you won't regret it later." 

 

The deep serious tone just now changed into the softest tone Yuri ever heard from the older. Little did she know, the calm looking outside is swallowing thorns for each word coming out from her lips. A long, pained look was given towards the younger as her fingers carefully give a last brush on the soft cheek before she pulls them back and portrays her weak smile next.

 

"This might be my last time to say it."

 

She pauses for a while as she feels a sudden tightness in . The younger reply her gazes. A really soft gaze as if they will be the last time Hyewon will receive it. In the middle of the cramped place with the loudness from the cheering crowds and the rushing students around them, they are in their own space, gazing at each other, while one is reciting meaningful sentences in her mind and the other one waiting patiently for what is coming from that pretty lips in front of her.

 

"My feelings towards you are still the same. I will wait behind, even as your second option if you want. Be happy, Yuri ah." Her voice cracks a bit when she mentions the precious name but she covers her poker face, as usual.

While Yuri doesn't understand why her eyes don't want to leave the face she's staring at right now.

 

Is it because we are in the same shoe? Longing for a person that can't be ours.

 

It is not that she's playing deaf and forgetful towards the confession from the older. She doesn't ignore it. It is just because she doesn't want to give hope. She like Hyewon. She really likes the way the older care for her even in this situation that only brings pain to her. Yuri really appreciates it from the deep of her heart. But, she is stuck. Stuck in love with Yena. Yeah, that's right. She likes Hyewon, but she can't love her.

 

I love Yena unnie. I love her so much I just want her, not anyone else.

 

"I'm sorry-"

 

"No." She got cut quickly. "Say it to me after you confess to Yena."

 

I'm not ready to hear your rejection yet, Yuri. I feel like I still have the chance. I don't know why but I can still feel it.

 

"Unnie! Unnie!"

Both of them break their gazes, pretending nothing happens when Minju and Yujin approach them. Too bad, they can't escape from the sharp-witted Yujin.

"I smell something fishy here~" Yujin coo.

She knows both of them won't tell about it and she won't urge them either. Chaeyeon told her before to not interfere with their drama and she will obey it. Maybe for now.

"Is it because you are sweaty?" Hyewon casually asks.

"Are you trying to say I smell like a fish?!" The maknae retorts and sniffs herself afterward.

Yuri and Minju snort. Sharp-witted Yujin can be naive sometimes.

"Unnie, someone stole my drink just now. It happened so fast I couldn't have a glimpse of the culprit." Minju turns into a kid complaining about her life to her mom.

"You mean this?" The older lifts the small empty bottle with no guilty shown on her face. Instead, she felt proud about it. 

"Unnie!" Minju screams out as she points to the drink. She recognized her drink because of the straw. She has a habit of biting the end of the straw and there she sees a few bites on it.

"Yeah, it's yours." Hyewon plots her playful smile, showing off the empty bottle to the younger to .

Getting confused, Yuri turns to the older with her furrowed eyebrows.

"You said you asked for it?" She still remembers clearly what Hyewon told her back then.

"I did. She was just too busy to notice it." Hyewon clarifies.

Abruptly they heard applause and it was from Yujin.

"Amazing! Unnie, you should teach me so I can steal-"

"So you want to be a thief? Not a president anymore?" Minju cut her off with her crossed arms. With that question, the second round of bicker between those two begins.

Yuri and Hyewon roll their eyes.

 

"I'm outta here."

 

"Me too."

*** *** ***

 

"Are you gonna ghost her forever?"

 

Chaewon sends her judging look when the older reached the seat beside her after took off to get some refreshments for both of them from the class booth. She asked that because just now she witnessed the moment where the older met by chance with Yuri in front of the booth. Yujin and Minju were there too and Yena had a small talk with them except Yuri. The younger was just acting like a bystander and Chaewon was quite fascinated that both of them can survive the awkwardness by pretending not to notice each other's existence.

"I'm not ghosting her. I just don't want to mess up everything we already planned. I'm being so careful right now, you know." Yena defense herself.

She passes the other mineral water to Chaewon before gulping hard the one for her. It's for the sake of calming herself down after barely surviving just now.

"Yeah, don't want to mess up your plan." Chaewon repeats back what she heard.

In her mind, she thought the idea of ghosting the girl just made it worse. But because she's not the mastermind, she should keep that thought to herself only.

"Have you decide on what to say for your confession later?" Yena cuts the short silence and Chaewon furrowed as she take a sip.

"If we win, we both will confess to our crush. You didn't forget the deal, right?" Yena explains further when she recognized that puzzled look of Chaewon.

Oh.

The younger stops drinking halfway, gulping down the one in carefully as they look at each other.

"Of course I remember. What's the point of joining the event if not for it." She mutters while diverting her eyes to other places because if she keeps staring, the girl will catch her shaking pupil.

In truth, she only remembers Yena's part in the deal, not hers. 

I'm too focused on her and I forget mine. That's right. If we win, I need to confess to someone I like and she's beside me, looking at me right now. What am I going to do about it?

"Ooohhh~" You can't wait to confess to Minju?" Yena shoots her teasing smile and she's successfully making the younger pissed off. Not because of the tease, it's because this overconfident girl still think Chaewon likes Minju.

Chaewon chooses to be silent about it. She continues to finish up her drink, and almost spit it out back when the older pull her into a hug and rub their cheeks together.

"Awww, you are so cute when you shy shy." the older coo in a small cute voice.

 

Who is the cutie right now..

 

"Get away from me, you sweaty." Chaewon pushes Yena away slowly but the older refuse to back away. 

"You know, acting cold won't hide your cuteness." Yena giggles at the end of her words. She's still in the same position, hugging the girl tight but her eyes...

 

They are soft, so soft you can melt in that stare. They are so obvious and Chaewon always notices them every time and they are only for that one girl. It's so weird that girl doesn't have any idea about it.

Yeah, only for Yuri. She's looking at the girl right now as they are heading this way.

 

Because of the way you look at her, I know you are so into her. What am I supposed to do if we win the relay? I still won't win your heart. Not just your heart, I might even lose our friendship.

 

"Why are you looking at me like that? Are you mad I call you cute?" 

 

Chaewon snaps out into reality when she realizes the girl's attention is on her right now. She just managed to shake her head as her response.

 

"Unnie, if you lose later, you have to treat me every weekend." Yujin and Minju arrive including Hyewon and Yuri behind them. Minju already got a new yogurt milk thanks to Hyewon's confrontation with their class representatives. Confrontation with her beauty and sweet talks. Surely Hyewon got one for her too. What a jackpot.

Yena pulls away the hug and both of them turn their heads. Chaewon throws away her expression, leaving only her calm look. Well, everyone is staring and she doesn't want to be suspected of anything especially from that girl.

"We are not gonna lose. And do you think I want to waste my time looking at your face every weekend? That's not gonna happen." There is a smugness in Yena's face and she doesn't want to hide it. It's the pride of being one of the best track and field members that she should protect. Yujin did her part. She wins the gold medal for 100M individual. Yena wants to win too.

Not just that.

 

I will definitely win this so it boosts my confidence to confess to her.

 

She leans forward a little to get a clear view of the mentioned girl who is hiding well behind Hyewon and their eyes meet just for a second before Yuri looks away as if it never happen. 

"You sounded so cocky." Hyewon interrupts with her savageness. "Make it happen if you don't want to back what you spit."

They are already best friends for a long time and Yena knows Hyewon is this type of friend, she was not bothered by those words. She just gives her pointed look to Hyewon. Apart from that, where the hell she learns those words?

"Hey!" Chaeyeon approaches next followed by Sakura and Wonyoung behind her. Nako and Hitomi are not with them because Minju said they are preparing for the closing ceremony. Preparing for what? None of them know.

"Do your best. Bear in mind this is one of our assessments. Keep your eyes on your time." Chaeyeon firmly addresses Hyewon and Yena as the team leader while taking out her phone, showing the screen to them. It's the time record for all the club members that participate in this Sports Day. There are a few names highlighted with red color, indicating that they failed to maintain their time record. 

"Yes! I beat my own record." Yujin found her name and celebrates it by hugging a figure beside her not realizing the person.

Yena lets out a fake cough to make the puppy realize what's she doing and the others hold their laughs.

"Breath Wonyoung  breath." Sakura mutters in a teasing tone seeing the tall girl is already red.

Hearing that, Yujin gets hold of herself immediately, releases the tight hug.

"S-sorry. I was just too happy." Yujin rubs her nape, avoiding everyone's stare.

"I- it's okay. Congrats." The maknae replies in a low voice, lowering her gaze to her feet to hide her blushed face.

As the others ganging up to tease the two cute maknaes, Minju shoots a sideways glance at Chaewon standing two steps away from her. The older just keep silent the whole time and obviously not into the interactions because of the pensive expression showed on her face.

 

This is weird. She looked so happy before running around and laughing with Yena unnie.

 

"Unnie." She puts up her courage to speak to the girl.

Still, no response, and Minju calls her again but this time with a tug on the older's sleeve. In the end, she successfully gains attention from the older, and silent stare from Yuri.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Chaewon nods.

 

"Why?" She asks back.

 

"Oh, because you seem so quiet." 

 

Stupid Chaewon. She notices.

 

"Am I? Chaewon try to play it cool. Knowing that she's getting stared at by two girls in front of her, Chaewon puts back her mask on her face. The same calm-looking mask like before.

"She is just nervous for the race. Right, Chaewon?" Yena hops into the conversation out of nowhere, hugging Chaewon's shoulder. Here come the troublemaker. 

"I think so." Chaewon answered shortly, pinning her eyes to her side, hoping this brat won't talk more because she doesn't feel good about it.

"Oh.." Minju is convinced by the reply.

"You should look forward to the race, Minju. Something good gonna happen if we win." Yena mutters resulting in a puzzled look on Minju's face next and caught Chaewon off guard.

I told ya.

"What do you mean?"

Chaewon already curses hard in her mind while sending a death glare to the older.

For God's sake, can she think before saying something for once?

"Do you mean she will treat all of us?" Yujin chipped in.

"Yes!" Chaewon quickly answers. That's the best way to cover the mess up. She feels so light after getting her revenge and now Yena's expression is exactly the same as Chaewon's just now. 

"Call! That's a good deal!" Yujin said happily.

 

Serve you right.

 

"Yah! Yah! Yah!" Yena exclaims, making the others laugh including Yuri. 

They suddenly got interrupted by the announcement from the speaker, asking the participants for the last event to get ready. It is also a sign for other students to fill up the audience seats because the most anticipating event gonna happen soon and no one want to miss it. 4x100M relay is special because it is the only event that involves participants from all batches in the school. It means if your team wins it, you are the best among the best. Only the team that has the best runners will dare to join it and obviously, the winning team will contribute the highest points to their class which is 500. Curious what will the class with the highest point get? A privilege to choose their own theme for the School Festival and Prom Night. Not just that, each runner in the winning team will be wearing a special badge on their uniform indicates that they are the special student that will receive free special meals from the cafeteria until the next Sports Day. Worth it, right? Oh! The last-mentioned gift is a new addition to the grand prize, thanks to Soojin's idea in the previous meeting with the school management. Yena and Hyewon don't know about it and Sakura didn't tell them because Chaeyeon won't let her. She wants these girls to prove their best regardless of the prize.

"Here come the show. Do your best!" Chaeyeon pushes Yena and Hyewon forward, urging them to go join Gaeun waiting for them at the field.

"Fighting, unnie!" Wonyoung gestures her thumb up and Sakura sends her reassuring smile with the same gesture as the maknae to the three runners.

"Win and treat us unnie~" Yujin stuck her tongue out to Yena.

"Suddenly I feel like want to make us lose." Yena mutters while kneeling one leg down to tie her shoe.

 

"Good luck." 

 

She lifts her head up and her heart skips a beat when the voice owner replies to her gaze.

 

"Thank you... Yuri." 

 

Two words but already enough to bring her to the moon. She stands solidly, clenching her fists at her side. She can feel the sudden rush of adrenaline and her heart can't stop beating at the moment.

I definitely do it no matter what happen!

She beams a smile to the younger and energetically rushes to the field with that eagerness. Yuri sends her crush off with a relieved smile. Congrats to herself for being brave to wish the older.

 

"How about me?" 

 

Yuri flinches when Hyewon leans to whisper. 

"Kidding." The older continue with her right corner of the lips curled up a bit, almost smirking.

 

"Good luck to you too."

 

"Yeah, good luck to us."

 

*** *** ***

[Writer's note] 

Too many words so I made Part 2 for this chapter. Enjoy the roller coaster everyone ~