It's been three days and Kazuha hasn't even seen Yunjin once. Not in campus, not in the cafe that Yunjin previously worked at, not at today's club session. All she wanted to do was to return the things that Yunjin had lent her the other day, but Yunjin's no-show is starting to make it impossible for her to do so.

 

A sigh escapes her chest as she watches over the dance practice mindlessly.

 

If it weren't for Chaewon - who's assigned to oversee the session today with her, Kazuha would've probably let her mind wander off for the rest of the day.

 

Kazuha turns to look at Chaewon with a baffled expression when the latter pats on her cheek to catch her attention.

 

“Zuha, you're not listening. Are you?”

 

“...Sorry, what were you saying just now?”

 

“Never mind that,” Chaewon crosses her arms over her chest, eyeing the other girl in interest. “What's up?”

 

“It's nothing,” Kazuha attempts to brush it off, but nothing slips away from the great Kim Chaewon.

 

Chaewon is her friend, slash house mate and it has been approximately four years since they had gotten to know each other.

 

Her friendship with Chaewon is Kazuha's longest one as of yet - although it started in a rather... odd way.

 

Her first impression of Chaewon when she first met her in high school wasn't exactly a great one.

 

Everyone was terrified to approach Chaewon at the time, for the latter stares at people as if they're pests or bugs in her way so she spends most of her time alone, refusing to make the first move to interact with the very same people who were terrified of her.

 

Kazuha's situation was somewhat similar to Chaewon.

 

At first, girls used to surround her, wanting to befriend her for how pretty she was but as quick as they were to approach her, they turned to hate on her.

 

Alienating her the second one of the school's heartthrobs lays his eyes on her.

 

And Kazuha hates being alone.

 

Being an only child in her family with parents who were absent most of the times, Kazuha's childhood had been a rather lonely one.

 

Thus, her only way of coping with it was to accept whatever attention that was given to her and since none of the girls wanted to befriend her, Kazuha went along with the advances from the guys who harbours interest in her.

 

That was when it all started.

 

The unnecessary hate. The rumours. The judging eyes.

 

Her involvement with Chaewon began when the latter happens to be subbing in for the interclass basketball tournament, with Kazuha watching in the audience with her so-called male friend.

 

As much as they fear Chaewon, no one can deny her athletic abilities.

 

From being recognized as one of aces in the school's track team in her first year to being at the top of her class when it comes to physical education, there's nothing that she can't do.

 

And Chaewon was never the type to stick her nose into someone else's business.

 

There's nothing to gain from it anyway, especially if everyone avoids you like a plague.

 

So, for Chaewon's sense of justice to suddenly jump into her out of nowhere when she sees Kazuha's 'friend' getting a bit too handsy on Kazuha in the audience was a really, really rare occasion.

 

Chaewon wouldn't have paid it any heed if Kazuha was okay with his advances but the look on Kazuha's face tells Chaewon that she was far from okay.

 

When it was Chaewon's turn to handle the ball, she accidentally loses her aim, letting the ball slip away from the court and right onto the douchebag's face.

 

Long story short, the guy ends up going home with a broken nose, while Kazuha earns a friend on that very same day.

 

Kazuha could still recall what Chaewon first said to her as she comes up to the bench to retrieve the ball.

 

“Clearly you can do much better.”

 

Looking back at it, Chaewon never changed much.

 

She's still as blunt as ever, staring people down with her piercing gaze and unfazed expression but if there's one thing that's changed about her now, it's probably the way Chaewon is slowly opening up, letting more people into her circle.

 

All thanks to Sakura.

 

“Nothing my ,” Chaewon eyes her in scrutiny. “Now spill. You know I'm not letting this go until you tell.”

 

“...Fine,” Kazuha eventually gives in, sighing in defeat. The music finally stops, and their conversation comes to a halt when Kazuha tells the newcomers that they'll be going on a five-minute break. “You know Yunjin, right?”

 

“Who?” Chaewon pauses, as if trying to squeeze her brains out in an attempt to remember who the said girl was. A look of recognition flashes by on her face when she recalls who Yunjin was. The pretty girl who came with Sakura to their booth. “Oh, her. What about her?”

 

Kazuha slightly hesitates. “I haven't seen her.”

 

“...Why are you looking for her?”

 

“I just need to return some stuff.”

 

“Huh,” Chaewon was quiet for a split second. It's rare for Kazuha to show this much interest in seeking for someone. “Are you friends with her?”

 

“...Not quite.”

 

“Then?”

 

“The usual happened to me again,” Kazuha ultimately admits, slightly leaning her frame back against the wall of the practice room. Her eyes dart away to the corner of the room. Kazuha knows how Chaewon in particular, reacts to the news of Kazuha getting 'terrorized' by other people. “Someone threw their drink at me.”

 

Maybe it's the years in their friendship that is talking.

 

Or maybe Chaewon is just very protective of her friends in general but the last time someone tried to humiliate Kazuha in public, Chaewon did not even hesitate to pull on the girl's hair just before she gets to reach Kazuha in their school's cafeteria.

 

“...And you didn't tell me this the other day because?”

 

“You were out with Kkura-unnie. I didn't want to bother you,” Kazuha says with a teasing smile. “Pretty sure you'd appreciate spending time with her without me around.”

 

“...Ew, what are you even implying. I can't even stand her.”

 

“Okay, but I'm not the one who's willing to tag along with her every time she goes on her shopping spree.”

 

“She's treating me to ice cream every time, I can't say no to that,” Chaewon raises her hands up defensively. “Anyway, Yunjin. How does she come into the picture again?”

 

“She--” Kazuha opens to speak once again but she wasn't sure of what to tell her friend when all in all, it's actually pretty simple.

 

Yunjin was kind enough to lend Kazuha her spare change of clothes the other day and Kazuha is now looking to return them back to her so why is it so hard for her to explain it to Chaewon?

 

Should she mention on how she and Yunjin first met? On how she was about to get assaulted by a former 'boyfriend' and that Yunjin was quick enough to step in?

 

Or should she mention the part where she is slightly concerned about Yunjin's well-being after seeing her getting soaked in the rain after lending even her own jacket to Kazuha?

 

Yeah, let's leave those out.

 

“Her clothes,” Kazuha continues after finding the appropriate answer for Chaewon's question. “I was soaked in coffee and Yunjin offered me her spare. I want to return them to her, but I can't even find her anywhere in campus. I don't know her number.”

 

“Huh,” Chaewon's eyes roam around the room to look for the figure. None of the faces looks familiar enough to her, so maybe the girl really is absent from their club session. “She's not around for today's practice?”

 

“Nope,” Kazuha shakes her head, sinking her nails onto her crossed arms. Maybe Yunjin did fall sick because of the rain and now she feels bad for it.

 

“Oh my sweet Kazuha, you do know that technically, we do have her number on the club's registration form, do you? And the captain has her own group chat with the new members, you can ask her for Yunjin's number, no?”

 

“...Wait, you're right. You're kind of smart for once.”

 

“Rude ,” Chaewon curses under her breath and rolls her eyes. Kazuha only laughs at this and instantly links her arms with the other girl for truce.

 

“You know I love you right?”

 

 

It doesn't take long for Yunjin to respond back to her texts. The girl actually agrees to meet her an hour later at a nearby Starbucks and to add more to Kazuha's surprise, Yunjin walks into the store with a mask on, eyebags clearly weighing under her eyes.

 

Just one glance at Yunjin is enough to confirm her suspicions.

 

Kazuha doesn't even know why Yunjin agreed to meet her in the first place if she were still feeling under the weather.

 

“You're sick,” Kazuha couldn't refrain herself from voicing out her concern the second Yunjin makes her way to her. She purses her lips, eyeing Yunjin from her seat.

 

“Isn't it basic courtesy to say hi first before anything else?” Yunjin manages to joke around as she slides to the booth to sit across Kazuha, taking off her long-padded coat before settling into her seat. Kazuha doesn't seem to be the least amused at this.

 

“...Why did you agree to meet me here?”

 

“You texted me, so I came?”

 

“I wouldn't have asked if I knew that you're--” Kazuha pauses, waving her hand in front of her own face as a gesture. “Looking like this.”

 

“It's fine, it's not a big deal. I'm hungry so I wanted to get food for myself here too. So, I might as well see you on the way,” Yunjin sinks back into her seat, tilting her head to briefly scan the menu hanging above the counter from a distance. There was a brief moment of silence until Kazuha began to speak her mind out again.

 

“Are you always like this?”

 

For whatever reason it is, Kazuha couldn't seem to stop her honesty from seeping out in front of Yunjin.

 

“Like wha