Jieun didn’t want Hanteo to pick her up looking like crap. She couldn’t stop sobbing – it’s like her tear ducts have an excessive supply that the tears won’t stop falling.

This is so annoying.

Her intuition was right – something was completely off. Jihoon’s detached demeanor, the ring, the almost perfect dinner..it’s like when your boyfriend decides it’s time to break things off on amicable terms. She got wined and dined only so he could break her heart “gently”. The only difference is that they were never really an item. All they had was six months of friendship, a great week together and one kiss. That’s all. If she would calculate the amount of heartache she’s feeling, it wouldn’t be proportional to the heartache that she’s supposed to feel. Maybe it’s the expectation that things would turn out well between them that did her in.

Expectations always hurt us when we least expect it.

Many thoughts filling her mind, Jieun dialled a familiar number on her phone. At such emergency situations, Inna is the one to call. She’d probably get an earful from her friend, but Inna will never turn her away in moments like this.  When Inna picked up, she couldn’t even speak, but Inna understood that it was an emergency. She texted her location instead, and Inna came to pick her up in a few minutes.

She heard her friend sigh audibly when she got out of her bike and took a look at her.

“Come here” was all that Inna had to say before Jieun gave her a tight hug. They stayed like that for a few moments – Inna soothingly her back while she cried her eyes out. No questions. No nagging. Inna knew what Jieun needed was a shoulder to cry on.

When her tears subsided, Inna said that they should get going because it’s getting late. They drove towards Jieun’s house in silence.

Ironically, the same night sky she was looking at earlier looked unperturbed in its beauty. The stars still looked so bright, yet everything didn’t feel the same at all.

Like a caring mother who knows exactly what Jieun needed, Inna stopped by their favorite chicken place to pick up some snacks. When they finally arrived at Jieun’s house, she spread a huge comforter on the living room floor, asking Jieun to make herself comfortable. It’s another one of Inna’s sleepover specialties.

“You always know how to make me feel better. I don’t deserve you.” Jieun said, taking a seat on the floor.

“You’d do the same. Heck, you did more for me when we were younger.”

Inna recounted how many times Jieun and her mother took her in whenever her parents would fight. She never felt like she was a guest at the Lee household; she was more like a second daughter.

“Presenting, Yoo Inna’s heartbreak sleepover package!!” Inna proudly announced, as she took out the stuff she bought. One big bucket of half and half fried chicken, soju, caramel popcorn, facemasks and nail polish.

“I don’t think we can do the nail thing, tonight, Inna. I just want to stuff my face.”

“Please, you won’t be able to resist the nail polish.” Inna teased.

Jieun laughed mirthlessly as she reached for one piece of chicken. It seemed ridiculous to her how the last time they did this was when the Duality project was just starting and she was having a hard time working with Jihoon. Now she’s calling an emergency sleepover because she’s having a hard time believing that the same man wouldn’t want to be more than her friend. She wished they just stayed enemies. That would’ve been better.

“Inna, I wish I listened to you. I knew it was dangerous, having feelings for him. But as usual, I’m the fool who seems to fall for the wrong person.”

“Aish. Stop blaming yourself. I don’t know what happened, and I won’t force you to tell me unless you’re ready, but we can’t really stop these things from happening.” Inna munched on her chicken and looked at Jieun thoughtfully. “You know,  it’s actually better to nip it in the bud. It could’ve been worse if this went on longer.”

Jieun stared at her friend. “Funny. That’s exactly what he said. As if he’s doing me a kindness by breaking things off early.”

Inna pursed her lips, thinking that she might have said the wrong thing.

“No, its okay. I think he did me a favor. He was so damn…nice and I hate it.”

“He’s nice huh? So what happened?”

“He wants us to go back to where we were before..before the kiss and everything.” Jieun almost stuttered. She still couldn’t believe that Jihoon said those words. Something in his eyes seemed to contradict what he said, but still. He said what he said.

“What?”

Jieun shrugged, unable to explain further.

“Did he tell you why?”

“He said a load of crap about not wanting to hurt me and all that. But I don’t know….I don’t buy it. I think there’s something he’s not telling me and I feel it’s about his ex.”

“Taehee? What about her?”

Jieun made a face, because she was thinking if she should tell Inna about the ring.

“Come on. I know that