The weekend soon came and passed as Monday arrived, which means another school day for Minjoo and her friends. There was still no notice on when the contest was actually going to start now that the players have been chosen. For that reason, Minjoo and the rest still needed to go to school that Monday morning.

It was bad enough that Minjoo had to endure all the thoughts swirling inside her head for the whole weekend just because she was overthinking about the contest even after deciding that she wanted to win it. To add insult to injury, she had to ignore all the whispers and chatters that she kept on hearing and all the dirty looks that her fellow schoolmates were giving her as she passed by the corridor that morning.

"I don't get why people are talking about me and giving me those looks. It's not like I wanted to be paired up with her." Minjoo murmured, after passing by the fifth group of students today who gave her the angry/jealous look.

Over the weekend, the pairings and the happenings during the celebration last Friday night circulated throughout the whole school that felt like almost every student was present that night. News spread about who got in, those who didn't, and the pairings that were formed that night—including who Yujin's partner is.

"Just ignore them." Yuri says as she tries to match Minjoo's pace while walking. "They don't have anything else better to do than to pry on other people's lives just because their lives are boring."

Minjoo scoffs, then chuckled. "You've got a point there." By the time that Minjoo said this to Yuri, they already reached their lockers where they started gathering their stuff for the day.

"Minjoo unnie, I like how you're really brave and ignoring all those people. I don't get why they say those mean things about you even when you did nothing wrong." Wonyoung stated, eyebrows furrowing as formed into a pout.

Minjoo almost forgot about her other friends that were there with her. She was too busy ignoring all the stares and whispers that her schoolmates were giving her that she forgot to notice her friends, except for Yuri who tried her best to be beside her the whole time.

"Ohh, ah... yeah." Minjoo started. "But don't worry, Wonyoungie. I'm not letting them get to me." She finished, smiling.

As Minjoo began to look around to get a proper look at her friends, she noticed that one of them was missing.

"Wait, where's Kkura unnie?" Minjoo asked the others as they began to look for Sakura as well. All five of them were near the lockers that time, except for Sakura who they noticed were missing just now.

"I could've sworn she was with us when we entered the school, and that was just like 5 minutes ago." Hitomi says.

"Yeah, but I think she went on a different path just before we got--" Chaewon begins to say but didn't get to continue as her eyes drifted into a different direction.

"Unnie, what are you looking at?" Yuri asked the older beside her until she looked at the same direction where Chaewon was looking.

In about 15 feet away from them, Sakura can be seen talking with Yujin and her friends. It seemed like Sakura had told them a funny joke that made the rest laugh and even Yujin to chuckle.

All the five gazes' were stuck to the group, Minjoo being surprised at what she was witnessing at the moment.

Few seconds have passed and Sakura must've felt their gazes on her. She looked back and saw all five of them staring. As soon as she saw them, she put one hand up and waved at them. The others were too stunned at the scene that they didn't get to wave back.

Before going near them, Sakura said something to the girl beside her (which Minjoo wasn't sure who) and went to where they were.

"Hi, guys! Have you met Chaeyeon and her friends yet? They seem pretty cool and chill to talk to. We've been talking for about some time now and they asked me if we wanted to hangout with them together after school." Sakura tells her friends.

Minjoo wanted to ask why they would want to hangout with them even if they didn't even know them nor talk to each other during class hours. That's when something in Minjoo's mind clicked. Chaeyeon. She heard that name before. Chaeyeon? As in Lee Chaeyeon who is Sakura's partner? Ahh... there it was. That's why Sakura was with them. It was because her partner was part of Yujin's friends.

Oh, and speaking of, Minjoo might have forgot to mention who her friends' partners were. She didn't know if the universe hates her or simply she isn't fate's favorite child, but things just didn't come easy for her. And as it turned out, almost all her friends got paired up with someone from Yujin's group, with the exception of Chaewon and Hitomi (Minjoo was still a bit sad about this) and two other girls from Yujin's group. Were their names Eunbi and Hyewon? Minjoo wasn't quite sure.

Her Kkura unnie was the first one who started communicating with her partner and her friends over the weekend after the party last Friday. The pairings went like this: Sakura and Chaeyeon, Yuri and Yena (as what Yuri told Minjoo back at the party), Wonyoung was paired up with Nako, and of course, the pairing that Minjoo disliked the most—her and Yujin.

"Did she invite all of us or just you guys? Can Hiichan and I still come?" Chaewon asked, as her and Hitomi were already partners. She thought that the others wouldn't want them to come seeing as they aren't paired up with one of them.

Sakura nodded her head earnestly. "Of course. You guys could totally come. I don't think they'll mind."

"Oh, cool. Then I guess we'll go." Chaewon glanced at Hitomi then smiled at Sakura.

Sakura looks at the three, waiting for them to speak. "Yul, Wonyoung, Minjoo? How about you guys?"

"Well, I don't have any plans for later. So sure, I'd come." Yuri answered.

Sakura faced Wonyoung who was slightly pouting, her eyes furrowed and she looked like she was deep in thought.

"Hmm, I think Nako unnie and I haven't talked about our strategic plan for the contest yet. Also, I don't think we got properly acquainted with each other last week. Yeah, I think I'll come." Wonyoung says, smiling after, seemingly happy with the thought.

Minjoo still hasn't answered. Sakura had her eyebrows raised as she looked at Minjoo expectantly.

"Uhm... can you guys excuse me for one second?" Minjoo says, grabbing Yuri at the process as they went five feet away from the group.

"Do you think me coming will be a good idea?" Minjoo asked, whispering so that the others won't hear her.

"I think it sounds good. It is for the contest and you'll get to take a break from school for a while. You know, not worrying about homeworks or whatever for one day." Yuri answered.

"Well, I guess you're right about the school part. But besides that, I wanted a break from Yujin, not with her. And if I do come, I'll be forced to interact with her the whole time. I know you've got your own partners to deal with wherein I have to deal with her." Minjoo huffs out.

Yuri sighs. "I know I can't change your mind once you start talking like that. It's fine if you don't want to come, just tell Kkura unnie your answer. She's waiting." Yuri motioned her head behind her where their other friends were. The others were talking amongst themselves while Sakura was peeking by their side every after five seconds.

"Okay. I'll just tell her I need to study later that's why I won't be able to come."

After Minjoo said that, both Yuri and her went back to their friends where she told Sakura about her not being able to come for their hangout after school.

Wonyoung pouted when she heard her unnie's answer. "Aww, but I wanted to spend some time with you later, unnie."

"Sorry, Wonnie. I still have some studying to do. I didn't get to catch up with my lessons last week due to the contest and all. I promise we'll get to hangout next time." Minjoo promised.

"Ahh, that's okay. I'll just tell Chaeyeon about it later." Sakura tells Minjoo.

--

School has ended for the day and Minjoo can be found being in her bed, feeling bored as she does absolutely nothing—just rolling in it and constantly changing her position.

In her current bored state, a quick thought entered her mind. She wondered if her friends were enjoying themselves and was thinking how did their hangout went.

She shook her head. "No. I shouldn't be thinking about that. Why would I like to know how their hangout went?" Minjoo asked herself. She was waiting for an answer in which she knew wouldn't come to her.

A few more rolls in her bed, checking the time with her phone, and reading a book in which she wasn't really reading, Minjoo decided to check if her friends posted something about their hangout earlier. She thought they'll be home by now as it was already 15 minutes past six.

The moment that Minjoo opened her account and refreshed it, she saw a post from Yuri. It was a picture of them, all of them to be exact—including Yujin's friends. It had the caption, 'Went out for a bit and earned some new friends'. Minjoo noticed how each one of them were near their partners at that time, the moment they took the picture. Yuri with Yena, Sakura with Chaeyeon, and so on. It seemed like they really used their time to get closer with one another. Maybe to prepare themselves for the contest?

The only one who didn't have someone beside her was well, Yujin. She was standing at the far left of the group, holding up a 'V' sign while having a faint smile on her face. Yujin looked so lonely with all of them being paired with one another as she stood there on her own. Even if it was a group photo, you can feel that each one of them had a their own little group along with their partner.

It made Minjoo wonder what it could've been like if she went with them. Maybe she could've been part of the picture too and maybe she was standing right beside Yujin for the photo?

Wait, no. A voice in Minjoo's head says. You're only thinking this because you have nothing else to do today. It's not because you want to be with them... or her.

She then lets out a hysterical laugh. "Yeah. I think that's it."

She turns off her phone