Dawon tapped on Luda’s shoulder as they a few steps before the cafe’s door. Luda turned to face Dawon and snickered at her expression. 

“Yah, they are just my friends. Don’t worry too much. Be normal, just like how I met Juyeon,” Luda tried to hold her laugh at seeing Dawon’s worry face. Luda slowly reached Dawon’s hand and gripped it tightly to channel a support for her. “You got this,” Luda smiled.

Dawon smiled back and took a last deep breath. “Let’s go.”

 

“Hi, unnies,” Luda greeted Jiyeon and Hyunjung brightly. 

Jiyeon and Hyunjung looked up and saw Luda with a tall girl beside her.

“Hi! You must be Dawon,” Jiyeon greeted back. “I’m Jiyeon.”

“Hi, Jiyeon unnie,” Dawon welcomed Jiyeon's hand and shook it.

“I’m Hyunjung,” Hyunjung said in a low voice. She glanced at their holding hands. “Have a seat. What do you guys want to drink?”

“Okay, I’ll be back,” Hyunjung walked away to the kitchen.

Jiyeon cleared before speaking. “So, Dawon, what do you do?” Jiyeon initiated the conversation, tried to set Dawon at ease.

“Nothing much, unnie. I just produced songs,” Dawon replied nervously.

“Oh, wow! One loves music and one loves games. Such a perfect pair,” Jiyeon said facinatesly.

Later, Hyunjung joined them and talked more about themselves as they get along very well. 

“Hope we can meet again, Dawon,” Jiyeon remarked.

“Yes, I’ll let you guys meet my friend, Juyeon.”

“Urgh, they will be so loud then,” Luda sighed.

“YAH!!” Jiyeon and Hyunjung shouted at Luda simultaneously and made Dawon laughed.

 

-

 

“Where are you going?”

“Out. With Luda,” Dawon said while fixing her hair and make-up in front of the mirror.

“You have been spending so much time with her, Unnie. When will you ask her out?” Juyeon asked in curiosity. “For real? Ask her to be your girlfriend.”

Dawon’s hand stopped moving and fixed her eyes to Juyeon. “I…urm…I didn’t know if she feels the same.”

Dawon’s confession made Juyeon facepalm. “Unnie, you both have spent so much time together these past months, texting, calling and even almost everyday going out for your “friendly” date,” Juyeon quotes on air the word friendly as what Dawon told her every time they went out. 

Dawon sighed. 

“You have another concern, right?”

Dawon sighed again. “You know ther-” Dawon’s word cut by a ringtone and saw Luda’s name flashes on the screen. 

“I will talk to you later. Okay?”

“Anytime, unnie,” Juyeon left Dawon in front of the mirror, answering the call.

“Yes, Luda?”

“Can we meet at Hyunjung unnie’s cafe first?”

Dawon frowned for a while. “Alright, see you there.” She sighed again.

 

Dawon entered the cafe and walked straight to their designated spot. Her footsteps became heavy when she saw Luda and Hyunjung laughing sweetly (in her eyes). Her eyes turned round when she saw Luda hit Hyunjung’s shoulder lightly then laughed again. ‘They are friends…right?’ Dawon quickly brushed her thought and fastened her footsteps. 

“Hi, Luda..Hyunjung unnie,” Dawon greeted them with the sincerest smile she could form. She pulled the chair beside Luda and sat there. 

“Dawon-ah,” Luda greeted her joyfully. “Have you ordered yet?”

“Yes, they will send it later. What are you guys talking about?”

Luda laughed.

“Hyunjung unnie made a lame joke. Like a really lame, unnie,” Luda glared at Hyunjung after her last sentence. 

“But you laughed. So, I’m good,” Hyunjung said proudly. 

A few minutes later, a waiter came with Dawon’s drink in his hand. When he wanted to leave the table, he accidentally swung his hand in Luda's direction where Luda, currently holding up her cup to drink, made Luda spill her coffee a bit. 

“Yah, you’re okay?” Hyunjung’s reflex was faster than Dawon and even faster than Luda herself. She quickly gave the tissues to Luda and used some of it to help Luda wipe her hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss. I’m so sorry,” the waiter non stop bowing and apologising meanwhile.

“It’s alright. No biggie,” Luda smiled at the waiter, reassuring him that she’s fine.

“I’m sorry, miss. I’m sorry Ms. Hyunjung,” the waiter apologised again to Luda and Hyunjung before he walked away. He smacked his head on his way to the counter. 

“Unnie, I’m fine,” Luda said again to Hyunjung after Hyunjung mumbled in anger. “Don't be mad at him. Just small mistakes.”

“I’ll teach him later. Sorry, Luda-ah.”

Luda put her hand on Hyunjung’s hand on the table to soothe her. “There’s no need, unnie. I’m good.”

“No, I mean, he has worked here for a long time but this is not the first time he did that. Remember when we…” Hyunjung suddenly remembered that Dawon is there and she did not know anything about it, yet. “Okay, I’ll just remind him again.” Hyunjung left the two of them at the table alone and walked to the waiter just now.

“Dawon, I need to go to the ladies. My hand feels sticky.”

“Be careful.” Dawon is stunned at all the things that happen at once. She tried to process anything but her mind went blank. 

 

They are walking at the lake garden after watching musical theatre that Dawon has helped in producing some of their songs. 

“That’s a good musical. I love it! And the songs are great too. Thanks Dawon-ah,” Luda said while walking side by side with Dawon.

Dawon smiled. “Thank you. I’m just happy that you enjoyed it.”

They went silent again when suddenly Luda stopped walking.

Dawon turned around to Luda and saw her staring.

“What’s wrong?”

“You tell me if there is something wrong.” Luda non-stop staring.

“Huh?”

The smaller girl lessened the distance between them and held the latter’s hand. 

“You seemed so lost today. You know that you can share anything with me.” Luda brushed her thumb on the taller’s back hand. 

“Luda-ah,” Dawon called the slightly older girl softly and brought her hand to her soft cheek. “I’m sorry for doing this.”

Before Luda could say anything, she felt a soft quick touch on her lips. Luda's flabbergasted reaction made Dawon smile.

“Let’s go. It’s getting chilly and your cheeks are cold,” Dawon broke the silence.

 

-

 

Luda couldn’t sleep that night and what had happened at the lake garden just now keeps replaying in her mind. 

‘She kissed me? But why?’

‘Does that mean she likes me too?’

“But she didn’t say anything after that.’

'ARGHHHHHSJNDHDIJDKSD'

Luda let out a frustrated groan. 

“I can’t sleep and that moment keeps replaying in my mind. What should I do~~” Luda whined to herself. 

“Should I tell Jiyeon unnie?” Luda quickly shook her head. 

“She will just tease me.”

Luda decided to play some games to distract herself from getting nonsensical thoughts.

 

-

 

Juyeon woke up to go to the bathroom but saw a dim light from the living room. She looked at the clock and the hour hand pointed at between number three and four indicates that it has past 3AM now. 

“Unnie, why are you still awake?” She approached the older girl whom she has known since high school and got closer since then. “Wine? You okay?” Juyeon saw a bottle of wine and a glass on the small table. She knows Dawon very well. Dawon would only drink wine when there is really happy news happening or when she has so many thoughts with her. 

Juyeon took a seat beside Dawon on the couch.

Dawon sighed for the umpteenth time today. 

“I kissed her.”

“What?”

Dawon looked at Juyeon with indistinct eyes.

“I kissed her. Luda.”

“O-kay…then?”

“I don’t know, Juyeon. I want her. I want to proclaim that she is mine. I want to get jealous if other people get her attention. I want to be by her side. I want to ask her everytime she is okay or not. But, I don’t think I can, Juyeon.”

Dawon looked at her in baffled and hurt eyes.

“Hold on, unnie. What do you mean?” Juyeon was puzzled.

“Hyunjung unnie… she seems like she has something with Luda.”

“I seriously didn’t get what you are saying, unnie. Tell me everything so I can digest it well,” Juyeon urged Dawon to tell her the details.

Dawon proceeded to tell Juyeon what she saw and what the relationship between Luda and Hyunjung mayhaps have been like. 

Juyeon waited for Dawon to tell everything. She tried to be rational and look from a different point of view that Dawon may be misunderstood but she knows very well that Dawon is very thorough and she will never let ridiculous thoughts pester her. So, maybe there is really something between Luda and Hyunjung. 

“Have you asked Luda unnie? You may be wrong, you know. They three have been friends for so long, like us,” Juyeon spit out some logic.

“Not yet. Maybe another time,” Dawon massaged her temple before continuing to speak. “I can see the difference, Juyeon. How Jiyeon unnie treats her and how Hyunjung unnie TREATS her,” Dawon emphasised when it comes about Hyunjung. “That is what is stopping me from confessing to her.”

The living room was quiet for a few minutes before Dawon spoke again. 

“Jiyeon unnie didn’t tell you anything? Or maybe she slipped out of tongue?”

“Not a thing, unnie. That’s why I felt clueless.” Juyeon felt apologetic to the girl beside her. “I will try to talk with Jiyeon unnie later.”

“Thank you, Juyeon-ah but please don’t force her, okay? I don’t want your relationship with her to go the wrong way because of me. It’s good that you both are faster than me and Luda…” Dawon chuckled a little. “...so please don’t fight.”

“Sure thing, unnie. I have morning class tomorrow, I’m sorry I can’t accompany you tonight.”

“That’s fine. Go to sleep now. Goodnight.”