꧁𓊈𒆜 02 𒆜𓊉꧂

CHANGE

★⡀.•☆•.★

Chaeyeon approaches Yena who was busy playing on her switch, “You were wrong.”

Yena looks up but did not have time to react before Chaeyeon abruptly leaves almost bumping into Nako on the way. Yena and Nako watches the girl until she disappears behind the door.

Nako walks over, confusion written on her face, “What’s wrong with Chaeyeon unnie?”

“I don’t’ know…” Yena answers already feeling something is wrong. She tries to think what she did that may have upset Chaeyeon, but she comes up with nothing.

She asks Chaeyeon later that day while they were on the way to practice but the girl seemed to have a 180 change.

“Oh that. It’s nothing. I just realized what to do. Don’t worry.” she shrugs as she started stretching.

Yena was still skeptical and had continued to observe the girl while they practice until Chaeyeon finally calls her out after her second mistake.

“I’m really okay. Come on let’s finish this so that we can post it for the fans soon.”

It took a while, but Yena ultimately relents and finally decided to focus on the practice.

“Alright. Let’s start from the top.”

While Yena and Chaeyeon were at the dance studio, at that same time, the rest of the members are also doing their own thing. Since the group were still in the middle of their rest after their successful comeback with Fiesta, they are fully enjoying their time off.

The four 01’ members, Nako, Hitomi, Yuri and Minju, are out deciding to eat together at this new ice cream place Nako had found. Hyewon and Yujin went out to shop for clothes, Eunbi and Chaewon are hanging out with some of the Rocket Punch members while their maknae Wonyoung had went home to her family for the weekend, leaving the ichiban unnie alone at the dorms.

Usually, Sakura would spend this time playing games...

And that is what she was intending to do... but she finds herself laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling instead.

Just staring, thinking about last night. About her conversation with Nako. About Murashige’s call that started it. About the person she’s closest to ever since they met at the show. The person who appeared and changed her life.

She thinks of her best friend, Lee Chaeyeon.

This isn’t the first time Sakura had thought about her relationship with Chaeyeon. She knew right from the start that what they have is special. From the very first time they met; Sakura knew right there that she found a friendship that will last forever. Being friends with Chaeyeon is so easy, comfortable and so so much fun.... and safe. But that just it, it's a friendship, nothing more.

And yet, why is she so affected by Murashige’s queries about her and Chaeyeon’s apparent closeness as of late. It’s not like it’s anything new. They have always been close. But remembering the seriousness laced on the girl’s voice that night, Sakura can’t help but really dig deeper into it.

She recalls the past few months. They had just undergone one of the most stressful time in their run as Iz*one, being stuck in the same place for 3 horrible months— not knowing what will happen. At that time, they relied on each other a lot. They leaned on the people who knows exactly what they are feeling. The people who could understand what they are going through.

Each Other.

And together they grew closer because of it.

Sakura knows that what happened in those dreadful months had made them closer not only as a group, but they grew into a family, too. But even amongst the members, she also knew that she and Chaeyeon grew exceptionally close, closer than they were before.

When they were having a hard time because of the controversy, when they thought that everything was going to end just like that. She saw that Chaeyeon is taking it the hardest, seeing her slowly slipping away. Sakura did everything she could to hold on to her. She tried so hard to keep the girl from giving in.

She remembers Chaeyeon looking at her so anxious and utterly devastated.

“What if…...”

“Hey stop. Don’t you dare. In fact, you should never even consider that type of thinking Chae. You deserve to be here. We all do.” She reaches out for Chaeyeon’s hand, gripping it in assurance.

She’s glad Chaeyeon did not give up then. She’s glad Chaeyeon held her hand back.

Because Sakura needed her to. She needed Chaeyeon to stay. She needed Chaeyeon beside her. She can’t do this without her.

When their manager told them that they can keep going as Iz*one, she remembered looking at Chaeyeon across the practice room, as the younger met her eyes. And the instant relief she felt, knowing that they can still be together.

“Saku Chan…”, that was all it took before both rushed towards each other, closing the distance as they embrace.

After that, Sakura noticed that Chaeyeon had been clingier than before. Not that Sakura hated it, she just didn’t know how to handle it sometimes. She was never the type to be clingy. She and Murashige are very brute with each other. Which is why having someone like Chaeyeon as a best friend, is an all-new ball game. Chaeyeon is very caring towards others. In fact, she may be too caring to the point that she keeps forgetting to think about herself. Always going out and beyond just for other people. And Sakura is one of those other people, in fact she's probably who's receiving it the most.

It started subtle in the coming months, like how the girl would start waking her up in the mornings to eat breakfast, or when she always wants to hang out, and the frequent messages, just little things like that here and there.

But ultimately it grew overtime. And Sakura didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to handle the way Chaeyeon gets blatantly affectionate towards her or the way the girl would get jealous whenever she hangs out with other members instead of her.

“You’ve changed Saku chan…”, Chaeyeon pouts as Sakura comes back from the other dorm after playing.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You don’t hang out with me anymore. You’re always with Kwangbae and Yena...”

Or the way the girl would constantly ask her where she was or what she was doing. Or the regular “I miss yous”, even though they were just together a few minutes ago.

What are you doing?

I literally just left the room… I’m walking towards the kitchen.

Oh okay. Hurry back…I miss you.

But despite all that, Sakura was trying her best to get used to these things since it seemed like that is how Chaeyeon is. Because in those instances, she could clearly feel that Chaeyeon is leaning on her a lot more.

And that’s totally fine. In fact, she’s glad she could be someone Chaeyeon could lean on because she had done the same, but…sometimes it gets too much, at least too much than she’s used to.

And now It came to the point that Sakura almost felt trapped, cornered by it, resulting to multiple calls to Shige and her recent talk with Nako last night.

The first one she had told was Shige. Albeit it wasn’t intentional, they were video calling when the girl had just spoke out about her and Chaeyeon’s growing friendship.

“So, which one is it? Me or Chaeyeon?”

Sakura rolls her eyes, “What the hell is that question?”

“You guys are becoming closer and closer hmmm”

She knows that Murashige is joking. She could see it in the girl’s eyes, the glint of mischief, and that annoying smirk, and yet Sakura looks at her with a glare, “Stop it.”

Murashige is surprised, “I’m not doing anything?”

Sakura does not add anything until Murashige’s tone shifts, “What’s wrong?”

Sakura sighs, shaking her head, “It’s nothing… just”

Sakura does not know when or why she feels irritated by it. She knows it was harmless, but she started getting peeved at the way people always associate them together all the time. The way it’s always Chaeyeon and Sakura, Sakura and Chaeyeon. Never apart.

Murashige, the members and most especially the fans are not helping this irritation to disappear.

★⡀.•☆•.★

Present time

Shaking her head, Sakura finally sits up, heaving a deep sigh as she wipes at her face. When she had talked to Shige after her conversation with Nako, both had the same advice. Which is to talk to Chaeyeon.

It was a simple thing to do. Plus, it’s not like they don’t see each other every day. But Sakura honestly doesn’t know what to say. Should she just say it out front? Be like, “Hey Chae, can you like lay off with the clinginess?”

She shakes her head. Of course, she couldn’t say that.

Or say it in a roundabout way? Like, “Hey Chae, don’t you think we should hang out more with the others too?”

She shakes her head again, feeling dizzy at this dilemma. She knows she won't get anywhere only by thinking about it. She has to put it into action before things intensifies. After calming down, she stands up from the bed and decided to just start playing. Thinking about it right now will get her nowhere and will only give her a headache.

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