Fully recovered, Jihyo had returned to work for a few days, able to manage better her moments of weakness. No longer worrying that her sisters were getting sick at school was making her feel calmer and she was proud to see them wearing the new school uniforms.

A negative note was that Momo was always very busy with work, her mother's physiotherapy and her private things, taking away from them the little time they had to spend together.

The latter was intent on making photocopies while she was humming to a song she had heard on the radio that morning, feeling the need to silence the bad feeling she had since she had opened her eyes to turn off the alarm.

Cassandra walked into the small closet, making sure to cast a long glance at the girl who was already there "this could be called a great start of the day"

"Good morning, you are in a good mood" Momo was very clear what the sentence pronounced by the redhead was referring to, but she had decided to ignore it for a quiet life.

"I've always been in a good mood ever since I get the chance to see you every day. You are a real show, do you go to the gym?" she was smiling mischievously.

A nod of assent preceded her response "I go there three times a week, it helps me a lot to release the stress I accumulate every day"

Cassandra's hands rested on her hips "you can get rid of stress in many ways, did you know that?"

The cheeky person who loved to flirt took possession of common sense and Momo gave a charming smile "really? I may be interested in learning about any of these methods"

"I can teach you, you just have to close your eyes and I'll do the rest, but you can contribute too" she winked.

Momo was about to reply that the offer didn't really interest her and she was ready to put an end to that game, but seeing Jihyo on the threshold of the closet prevented her from speaking: she was crying. She immediately moved Cassandra, approaching the other girl "are you okay? Are you feeling nauseous again?"

"No, I just have my heart in a thousand pieces" she dropped the sheets she was holding in her hands, turning her heels and walking away at a brisk pace. Reaching her apartment she allowed herself to cry loudly, not even knowing the reason for all the pain she was feeling.

After some time she heard a persistent knock on the door "Jihyo, let me in. You shouldn't be alone at times like this. The boss saw you go away and told me to join you because it is obvious that you aren't feeling well. Open the door, please"

The younger did it, keeping her gaze down so as not to show her red eyes "I don't want you here, call Sana if you really don't want to leave me alone"

"May I know why you are acting this way?" she took her hand gently.

"I don't think there is anyone in the world who would be happy to see the person who loves flirting with other people"

Momo sighed "I flirt with everyone because for me it has always been a game and I even do it with Sana when I'm bored, but that doesn't mean I want to do with her"

"It's only been a few days since we were together, but apparently it's easy for you to forget what we did" she hastily wiped her face, not wanting to look pathetic "I don't even understand why I'm so upset, after all you're not mine and you will never be"

What was more painful: saying those words or hearing them? The brunette didn't know the answer, but she knew they were both in pain and decided to try to lighten the mood "are you jealous, huh? You have red cheeks and you look like a lovely little girl" she placed her hands on her face, smiling amused.

"This situation isn't funny at all, but at least your ego will be enjoying the show" she was looking into her eyes, which conveyed anger and sadness at the same time "stop playing with my feelings, please. My reaction was excessive and I apologize, but seeing you happy with my crying fit makes me feel even more ridiculous"

"I was trying to play down, I had no intention of hurting you" she took her hands off her cheeks and put them in her jacket pocket "I did nothing wrong because we aren't a couple, so I have every right to flirt with whoever I want. I'm sorry I hurt you, I'll pay more attention from now on" she took the door knob "can I leave you alone or you aren't feeling well?"

"I'm fine, Nayeon should be here soon"

Momo had often heard of the three sisters' roommate and was happy with the affection that girl was showing towards them, but she couldn't deny that she felt a little jealous "okay, if you need anything feel free to call me"

Sana had received a message from Dahyun: it was a photo of the girl in her new school uniform, with the jacket over her shoulders and the sleeves of her shirt rolled up at the elbows. She smiled like a fool "she gets more and more cute" while zooming on the photo she saw some bruises on the bare arms of the girl and she worried a lot about her.

'It really looks good on you and that color looks good on you too, but I noticed some bruises.. Are you okay?'

The answer came almost immediately 'thank you for the compliment! I'm fine, don't worry'

'What happened?'

'It's a long story'

The redhead hastened to write and send yet another message, before losing her courage 'I have the whole afternoon off, if you want to come and see me'

'I'm taking the first bus!'

Sana immediately got up from the couch to prepare the snack, making sure to put only the sweets that contained chocolate on the table. She was intent on letting the girl vent and she knew how much she liked chocolate "I'm ready to bribe her and make her talk about everything"

The younger was greeted with a smile, but the latter didn't just return it and she threw herself into the arms of the older "thanks for inviting me, I was bored to death since my sisters and Nayeon are very busy"

The redhead closed the door before returning the squeeze "you don't have to thank me, did you tell them you came out to come here?"

"They know I went to Mina, no problem" she had a radiant smile, which had expanded at the sight of all the sweets on the table "this is my favorite!" she quickly grabbed one with her eyes sparkling.

"Eat it, I got it especially for you" she was making hot chocolate "so.. May I know why you are wearing a different uniform? Jihyo told me she received an email, but I think there is more"

"There was another fight in the old school and to avoid getting beaten up Mina called her sister, who turned out to be Yoo Jeongyeon. I don't know if you know her"

The redhead nodded "I happened to hear her name somewhere, how could you not know that she was connected to your friend?"

"Mina had signed up with her mother's surname so as not to have favoritism or problems of any kind" she had already finished one of the sweets "but I don't mind not knowing it before, thanks to her both Tzuyu and I can go to school in all tranquility"

"It was lucky in misfortune" she placed the cup with hearts in front of her before sitting down "are you sure you're okay?"

Dahyun nodded yes "I like to see you so thoughtful with me, I should get hit more often if this is the result"

"Don't even say it as a joke, you idiot" she gave her a grim look "try to get yourself in trouble again and I'll make you pay for it myself"

"Will you spank me like in adult movies?" the younger was smiling mischievously.

Sana was staring at her intently "I would never allow myself to do such a thing, not to you"

"Can I see the rest of your apartment?" Dahyun asked after a few moments of silence "only if it doesn't bother you"

The redhead motioned for her to follow her, not making any problems in showing her all the rooms "and this is my room, I decided to put it at the end of the corridor to avoid waking up because of the noise, but also to stay close to the bathroom"

"Is this the quietest room?"

"Exactly, even if sometimes the noise of the cars in the street is heard loud and clear" she opened a desk drawer, taking a tube "it's a bruise cream, can I?"

Dahyun took off the jacket of her tracksuit, remaining short-sleeved "maybe it wasn't a great idea to dress so little, I'm dying of cold"

"Look on the bright side: it will be easier to reach all the bruises on your arms. Sit down" she pointed to the bed, sitting next to her and working hard to put the cream on every single bruise "tell me if I hurt you, okay?"

The girl was delighted to receive all that attention, to the point of smiling even when she felt a little pain. She watched Sana go to the bathroom to wash her hands, remembering she had forgotten a bruise.

When the older returned to the bedroom she immediately covered her face with one hand, barely resisting the temptation to peek "why did you take off your shirt?"

"I have a bruise on my stomach and that's what hurts me most of all" she pointed to the purple patch, ignoring the fact that she was half "we should put the cream on here too, right? Are you listening to me?"

"No, I haven't heard a word" Sana was finally looking at her, showing all the interest that she had kept repressed until then "you should get dressed"

"What would happen if I didn't?"

That defiant phrase, accompanied by Dahyun's confident gaze, made Sana's common sense come to her, prompting her to approach the younger. She was her hips "you already know what would happen and it's wrong"

"There's nothing wrong with our feelings and you know it very well" she loved the feeling of the other girl's hands on her skin "do you really want to just think about what you want to do? Wouldn't it be much better to give a damn and act for once?" she held her close, looking into her eyes.

Sana's right hand slowly followed Dahyun's curves until it reached her cheek "I hate to agree with you" she whispered before kissing her on the lips, silencing her negative thoughts and focusing only on who she was kissing.

Dahyun's impatience was quite obvious: she had pulled her lips from Sana's to get rid of the latter's shirt, not hesitating even a second to touch her skin. She was looking at her with desire "this is so much better than what is shown in "

Sana couldn't hold back a chuckle "you are irrepressible" she turned serious after giving her a kiss on the shoulder, immediately moving the bra strap with her teeth "if touching me makes you think this I dare not imagine what you will think after having tried everything we are going to do" she pushed her onto the bed.

"Can I stay on top of you for a bit? You know, to get used to the idea and to catch up on some missed kisses. You owe me a lot and I'm going to collect them all"

The older leaned against the back of the bed, letting Dahyun sit astride her lap and giving the girl her full attention, making sure to from time to time and enjoying her reactions. The trust the younger had in Sana was almost touching and it wasn't long before she felt ready for that new experience.

Tzuyu was sitting on the carpet in the living room, reading a book assigned to her by her teacher to make some practice. The new school environment stimulated her a lot and her performance had certainly improved, plus still having the chance to have lunch with Dahyun and Mina made her get up every morning with an overwhelming enthusiasm but well hidden by her perennially serious expression.

She frowned at a word she didn't know, marking it in the notebook to be explained by her older sister "how long does it take to take a shower? I'm not understanding anything and I need help" she had pouted.

She took her cell phone, smiling internally: in her home screen there was a photo of her with Nana and Nayeon, while in the block one she had chosen one with her sisters. She enjoyed living with them, even though she sometimes felt the urge to escape because of the noise they caused.

"Are you still reading?" Jihyo sat down on the couch, taking a peek "you're already halfway there, that's great!"

"Could you help me with this word?" she read it aloud to her, writing down her sister's short explanation "it was really easy, I'm stupid"

The older gently pulled a lock of her hair "you don't even have to think about it, you know very well that you are very intelligent. You are a bit slow, but you always work hard and I can assure you that your brain is working very well"

"Consoling people has never been your strong point"

"You're right, but at least I tried"

Tzuyu took her hand "I heard you cry, did something happen?"

"I had a bad morning, nothing to worry about" she kissed it gently.

"Did you have a fight with Momo?"

Jihyo smiled without cheerfulness "and you have the courage to call yourself stupid. Yes, we discussed, but it was my fault and the lack of control I have over my emotions"

"May I ask you a question? I've been wondering for some time" she looked into her eyes "why haven't you and Nayeon become a couple yet? Wouldn't it be much better to be together and avoid suffering for people who don't want to be with you?"

Those questions made Jihyo speechless, prompting her to think of Nayeon and their way of behaving whenever they spent time alone "we are friends and, as special as our relationship is, it doesn't bind us that feeling necessary to love each other in a romantic way"

"It's a shame, you would be a beautiful couple" Tzuyu had taken the book in her hands, isolating herself from the world and leaving her sister to reflect.

The glass that Nayeon had emptied in one gulp was placed on the wood of the counter with a soft thud "another one please!" her cheeks were flushed and it was nearly midnight.

"You're exaggerating, you'll end up in hospital" Chaeyoung had crossed her arms at her chest, looking at her sternly "you should go home, take a shower and throw yourself on the bed. You've been here for two hours"

"I would do it if there was someone to have wild with" it was clear that she was drunk "there is nothing better than doing it and then cuddling with the person you love"

The pink-haired girl handed her a glass of water "I don't know what it's like in those cases, the person I love doesn't even look at me"

Nayeon had pouted in front of the alcohol-free liquid "I hope you can have this experience as soon as possible, it's really worth it. I want Jeongyeon" she had rested her forehead on the counter, complaining for an infinite time.

"Call someone to take you home, you can't drive right now" she pinched her cheeks to get her to recover a little.

The older, in response, had taken her cell phone and started a call "Jeongie, what are you doing? I'm all alone" she was doing the voice as a child "I'm bored and I'm very "

"Don't tell me you're drunk"

"Am I drunk? But if I can handle alcohol very well!" she couldn't contain a laugh "come here and drink with me, I want to be with you"

"Tell me where you are" she had already taken the car keys "you are lucky because our daughter is with her grandparents or it would have been a problem to come and get you"

After she told her the name of the place the call was cut off and the older managed to get another drink "flirting with guys always works, they give me what I want" she said before swallowing it all.

When she was about to order another one a hand rested on her shoulder "stop drinking, now come away with me"

"Jeong, you are really y dressed like that. You were with your colleague, huh? Did I ruin your night? To make up for it, I'll buy you something to drink"

"I was at my parents' house, I told you that Nana is with them. I won't drink anything, I almost had a bottle of wine at dinner and I'm tipsy. Get up, don't let me tire" she pulled her lightly to get her off the stool, holding her body tight to keep her from falling "you shouldn't have drunk, you know it hurts you and could interfere with the medications you take"

Nayeon laughed in her face, grabbing her cheeks "you're even ier when you scold me. Give me a kiss"

"You can forget it, walk" it was a real struggle to convince her to get in the car, considering the amount of alcohol present in the body of both "do you remember the code to enter the apartment where you live?"

The older shook her head, starting to laugh immediately after "I don't even remember the one of our house"

Jeongyeon decided to take a detour, quickly finding herself in their apartment. She dragged the drunk girl into the bathroom "take a shower, you'll feel better. I'll get you a change" she made sure she was stable on her legs before going to the room to get her some pajamas.

However Nayeon had other plans and had decided to reach her object of desire "I want to make love with you. Now"

"Nayeon, please" she turned to her, struggling not to gasp at that provocative vision "now I remember why you never drink alcohol"

"Give me a kiss and do what you want with me" she whispered her from her lips, slipping her hands under her shirt "just for tonight, pretend you love me one more night. Please" her eyes were full of tears.

"I have no need to pretend" the way Nayeon was touching her was causing her both pleasure and fear at the same time, but the latter feeling was weakening with each touch "and I can't do what you asked me, I'm sorry"

A tear slowly fell on Nayeon's cheek, who had lowered her gaze and bit her tongue to hold back the emotions she was feeling.

Jeongyeon managed to pull herself together and kiss her on the lips, slowly and passionately enough to set off the spark they both believed they had lost forever. Their clothes were immediately piled on the floor, followed by the walls that had built around them.

"Nothing's going to change, we're not together anymore" Nayeon gasped, clinging to her.

The other girl silenced her with another passionate kiss, incredulous and excited to be able to do it without feeling choked with fear and grateful for the bottle of wine that had accompanied her throughout the dinner with her parents "I'll make you change your mind" she went down with her lips, intending to give the best of herself to win back the person she loved.