Yuri’s POV

Luckily, Yena unnie actually came to see me perform. Honestly, I didn’t expect much. I mustered up the courage to invite her last week, it was my first time talking directly to Yena unnie. Before that, I could only stand and watch her from afar. And I just thought that if I had her cheering, I would definitely do my best, then I performed as if Yena unnie was watching. That made me braver on stage, but the fact that she came here makes me so excited.

Tick! Tick! Just thinking about having lunch with her makes my heart beat like this. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my composure until then, it’s even more shaky than when I’m about to go on stage. I hope I won’t do anything too stupid.

“Unnie! Are you still sitting there?”, Yujin is talking to Yena unnie on the phone, “I know, it’s my fault, I left you alone!”

“I’m sorry! But I’ll make it up to you with something wonderful. Hehe! Please come to the canteen now! Hurry up or you will regret it. Unnie, annyeong!”

“Are you done talking? Shall we go?”, Minju is reaching out to Yujin? Wae? What about me? Am I not her best friend here?

“Nae! Let’s go!”, Yujin also naturally held Minju’s hand. It was as if they had remained close all these years, as if they had never been apart. I’m so jealous of Yujin.

Yujin-ah! You’ve always been with Yena unnie playing and having fun, and now you’re taking away Minju, my best friend?

Yena’s POV

What? Canteen? It’s not like Yujin and Minju go to eat together on the occasion of the reunion but she is too shy and asks me to go there? Are you going to force me to be the third wheel?

Anyway, I can’t leave, Yuri’s contest isn’t over yet, it’s boring to continue sitting here alone. There’s no better choice than Yujin’s suggestion. But why did she say I might regret it, what is this Puppy trying to do?

...

After a while of searching and asking, I also found the cafeteria area. That’s Yujin! But why is she sitting alone? Where’s Minju?

“Yena unnie!”, she noticed and she’s waving to me.

“Yaah! An Yujin! How dare you leave me like that? I didn’t expect that one day I would become an extra person for you”, I don’t know how she’s going to make up for it.

“I know it’s my fault. But I have a surprise gift for you!”

“What gift? Why are you sitting here alone? What about Minju?”

“Minju unnie is buying food for us with “my surprise gift for you as an apology”, Yujin winks. What’s the game again?

“What are you saying? I don’t understand anything!”

“Actually... we’re here to have lunch with Minju unnie and Yuri unnie, and they’re buying food over there.”, Yujin is pointing. Huh? I looked in that direction and saw two little girls in front of the counter. It’s really Minju and Yuri. I understand about Minju, but why is Yuri going with her? Do they know each other?

“What? Yuri? Why is she here?”

“You must be wondering if they know each other, yes, they are friends, very close. And you know what? I will tell you a secret. Yuri unnie seems to like you too!”

How can she say that? Is it true?

I looked at Yuri again. She looks so petite... and cute. I’ve been sneaking a peek at Yuri since the day I happened to see her at the park, where Yujin used to drag me to every Sunday. Luckily, I later found out that Yuri and I were in the same school, which gave me the opportunity to observe her from afar.

Actually, there were a few times when I was caught by her while peeking, and she also responded with a smile. Maybe she felt my presence too. But to be honest, I never dared to approach and ask to get acquainted with Yuri.

And the most surprising thing is that she was the one to initiate the acquaintance. Yuri suddenly gave me an invitation to the contest while I was being punished and cleaning up the classroom after school. It still makes me feel so embarrassed. Although she took the initiative first, and I was very happy, and also hope that we can become closer. But what Yujin just said seems a bit too much to be true.

“So that’s the surprise you say? Yuri is Minju’s best friend, not you.”

“But if I hadn’t done that crazy thing, we wouldn’t be sitting here, right?”, Yujin’s smile looks like she wants to get spanked. But what she said is also true, even though it was all a coincidence, it was a surprising one. If Yujin hadn’t had that crazy way of thinking, I wouldn’t have had this chance either.

“OK! Thank you!”

“So consider it a tie! Prepare yourself mentally! We will go over there to help them.”

Yuri’s POV

“You look so happy, don’t you? Probably because you are going to meet your crush”, Minju is just like me, but acting like she’s not excited to see Yujin.

“Do you think you’re feeling normal? I’m sure your heart is racing too”, I also have to answer her.

Kim Minju starts to blush: “Yaah! Yujin and I are just friends. Not like that kind of love of yours!”

“Haha! “That kind of love”? I feel this is very normal. There’s no shame in liking someone like Yena unnie. And you, you’ll be “gay” soon, too. Why? Because I’m walking in your belly.”

“No way! I won’t like girls!”, so why does she have to blush like that?

“Will see! Haha!”

“Here you are!”, the employee in the counter brought out two trays full of the meals we just ordered, along with four glasses of soda.

They look quite heavy and I’m not sure I can lift a tray by myself, fearing that if I try, the tray will spill halfway.

“Let us help you”, this voice...

“Yena unnie? Yujinie?”, Minju turned her face towards the direction the voice came from. I also look back. Yena unnie and Yujin have been coming closer to us ever since.

“We’ll bring them back to the table, can you help us with the glasses? We thank you both for buying food!”, Yujin smiled brightly and took the initiative to take the tray of food. She looks really charming. Even though she’s a year younger than me, Yujin is even taller than Minju and Yena unnie, whom I can only stand by their ears. Yena unnie looks so gallant too.

“Yuri, are you okay? Can you gently step aside so I can go ahead and get the tray in order to help you?”, Yena unnie...

“Yaah! Jo Yuri! You’re staring at people and just standing there. Want to help me hold these two glasses of water?”, Minju called out my name urging and at the same time she pulled me out of my lost state.

I feel like both my cheeks and ears are getting hotter than ever, maybe they have changed to a very vibrant red.

“Oh! Um... I’m sorry, unnie! Sorry Minju”, I immediately had to avoid Yena unnie’s eyes and look at Minju. Then I hurriedly get out of the way for Yena unnie and move closer to Minju who was laughing at my stupid embarrassment. Ugh! It’s so embarrassing!

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Yuri-ah. By the way, I’m glad we can have a meal together. Thank you!”, Yena unnie is looking at me and makes me melt under those gentle eyes. She doesn’t seem to mind the stupid things just now, maybe I should be more calm too. But indeed this is very difficult to do, because Yena unnie’s words make my heart beat like a drum.

“Shall we go to the table?” Yujin’s voice broke the awkward atmosphere, but maybe I’m the only one feeling embarrassed here.

“Let’s go!” Minju signals and they start moving. And Yena unnie is smiling at me. I quickly grab two glasses of soda and quickly follow Minju.

“Don’t smile at me like that, Yena unnie! I’m gonna drop my heart here! It’s completely out of my control”, I’m muttering weird things to myself.

“So cute!”, Yena’s whisper in the back almost makes me jump. And maybe my stupid monologues just now will come true. But if my heart falls, I hope Yena unnie will pick it up and take good care of it, I volunteer to let it happen.

Yena’s POV

“So cute!”

Oops! Lost my mouth. Did she hear it? How could I be so stupid to let my thoughts out in the open like that? Pff! I’m trying to be cool and I’ve been doing really well.

But it’s okay if Yuri hears it by mistake. Let’s just say I showed her a little bit of this love first. Anyway, sooner or later I have to confess directly. Now I need to enjoy this wonderful lunch.

Thanks to Yujin who bravely walked towards Minju at that time, this opportunity happened. Today is a very good step, I’m a little closer to Yuri.

Thank you, Puppy!