“Aeri, pleaseeeee, can you come along... Chenle is having band practice today after school and I want to watch him, but I don't want to go alone" Yizhuo pleaded her best friend as they walked towards the cafeteria of their university 

 

"Ugh, okay fine, only because my bestie is a cutie" Aeri eventually gave in to her best friends pestering

 

"YAYYY, THANK YOU BESTIE, YOU'RE THE BEST" Yizhuo squeals and hugged Aeri in excitement, even with all the books she was carrying

 

Of course, how could Aeri refuse the younger. Yizhuo has always been the cute best friend Aeri could ever ask for. Aeri could never dare refuse Yizhuo’s request, she was simply too cute to refuse

 

Yizhuo was still clinging onto Aeri’s arm, who was carrying both their food trays to their usual spot, where Jimin and Minjeong were already sitting down

 

“Are you sure you two are not a couple? Because you two seem more lovey dovey than us” Minjeong blurted out the joke out of nowhere, to which Yizhuo rolled her eyes playfully and Aeri trying not to react to Minjeong

 

“Oh, someone’s shy” Jimin directed at Aeri. Aeri seems to shoot daggers at Jimin through her eyes, who was currently joining the teasing by her girlfriend

 

“Maybe you need to step up your game with your dear girlfriend, Ms Kim Minjeong” Yizhuo retorted back at Minjeong, whose mouth is currently opened ajar from that statement. The two continued to make a ruckus, to where Jimin and Aeri were just watching them both in endearment when Yizhuo’s boyfriend came over to the table.

 

“Hey beautiful, how are you? So you’re coming later right?” Chenle walked to Yizhuo and hugged the girl, kissing her forehead

 

“Yes, my handsome mister, I am bringing Aeri along too, if that’s alright?”  Yizhuo acting all cutesy towards Chenle

 

“Sure, no problem, let’s just hope we don’t make her uncomfortable with our affectio-”

 

Snap

 

“Oh wow, Aeri, are you okay?” Jimin asked, as all of them looked at Aeri, whose plastic fork is currently in 3 broken pieces

 

“Oh, huh, yeah I am fine, just realised something shocking”

 

“Haha, I will let you girls go back to your meal. Yizhuo, Aeri, I will see you guys later” Chenle walked off back to his friends. Aeri went off to quickly get a new fork. Shortly after,the four girls continued their meal while catching up about their lives, before proceeding back to their classrooms for their remaining lessons of the day.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

Soon enough, lessons were over, and Aeri and Yizhuo were making their way to the performing arts hall for the band practice

 

“You know what Yizhuo, maybe this is going to be awkward”

 

“Come on Aeri, it will be fine, at least I am here right?”

 

“Okay fine, but don’t wake me up if I fall asleep, I would rather be at home sleeping after burning the midnight oil last night”

 

“Please, it’s a band practice, how could you fall asleep with the noise”

 

Aeri and Yizhuo were bickering as they walked, until Aeri bumped into someone

 

“Oh gosh, I am sorry”

 

“No it’s fine, I didn’t see- wait– Aeri???” The tall silhouette spoke

 

“Wait, Jeno?”

 

“Oh my gosh, hi, how are you?”

 

“I am great, what about you? What are you doing here?”

 

“I am having band practice. After moving here a few weeks ago, I auditioned to be part of the band and I got the lead singer position. I was just heading to the toilet”

 

“Oh wow, that’s great, I am here to watch the practice with my friend. I will talk to you later”

 

“See ya”

 

Jeno and Aeri exchanged waves, where Yizhuo was just standing there confused. Aeri then continued walking with Yizhuo, who asked a question, “Aeri, who was that?”

 

“He’s Jeno, we met when we were both part timing at the same restaurant last summer break”

 

“Oh, I see, he seems nice” Aeri only shrugged in response. This was until Chenle came over, “Hey guys, we are starting practice soon, for now, you guys can make yourself comfortable at the front row seats”. “Sure thing, Chenle” Yizhuo replied, giving Chenle a kiss on the cheek.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

After a good 2 hours of Aeri trying not to be fidgety and Yizhuo constantly dropping her jaw in awe at her boyfriend’s guitar skills, band practice was over. The nine other students watching got up to move towards the other band members to commend their efforts. Aeri and Yizhuo were getting up, when Aeri heard her name being called

 

“Hey Aeri, can you come here for a sec” Jeno tried to call out in midst of the commotion

 

“Oh” Aeri looked at Yizhuo, who was giving her a nudge to go talk to Jeno, “I will go look for Chenle meanwhile” Yizhuo then walked off immediately, before even Aeri gives a response

 

Yizhuo went through the few little people, but couldn’t see Chenle at all. Strangely, there were only about fifteen others here, surely Chenle should have been easily spotted

 

“Hey, do you know where’s Chenle” Yizhuo asked one of the band members

 

“Oh, he’s backstage, he is talking to someone”

 

“Okay, thanks”

 

Yizhuo proceed to the back of the stage. Spotting a shadow behind a certain curtain, Yizhuo was smiling, about to open her arms wide to embrace her boyfriend into a hug, until the shadow moved out of the curtain

 

It was Chenle

 

With a girl clinging on to his right shoulder

 

“Babe, hold on for a while, my girlfriend is here, let me dismiss her first then-”

 

“...babe?” Yizhuo muttered out, while in shock

 

All this while, Chenle, the best, sweetest, kindest boyfriend Yizhuo has ever known, has been seeing another girl behind her back?

 

Yizhuo could not believe the sight right in front of her eyes

 

Chenle and the girl looked equally shocked. “Yizhuo baby, it’s not what you think it is” Chenle reached out to grab Yizhuo but Yizhuo was quicker. She ran off from the stage, covering with her hands to prevent the sobbing noises from coming out. As she ran, Aeri, who was looking for her after being done with Jeno, spotted her

 

“Yizhuo? Why are you running? What happened?” Yizhuo didn’t stop running, nor did she answered Aeri, she continued running out of the hall. Aeri wasted no time standing around and ran after her. Luckily, she did track and field, she managed to catch up to Yizhuo, who was in the toilet, breaking down

 

“Yizhuo, what’s wrong? What happened?”

 

“He cheated, Aeri…”

 

“WHAT, Chenle???”

 

“I thought he was the one for me Aeri…”

 

“I swear, that is going to pay” Aeri was about to find Chenle but looking at how Yihzuo was uncontrollably sobbing, she decided to stay to console Yizhuo.

 

“It’s okay Yizhuo, I am here… let it all out”

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

A glanced over her phone. It’s 7.27pm. It has been about an hour and a half since Yizhuo ran out of the performing arts hall.They have moved out from the dirty toilet to an empty bench in the campus. Aeri has been accompanying Yizhuo all this while, but spoke no word at all, just waiting for Yizhuo as she sob, holding tissue after tissue to occasionally wipe Yizhuo’s tears. Yizhuo sobs and uncontrollable choking has been dying down slowly. Not long later, Yizhuo finally spoke

 

“It’s late, you need to go back the dorm”

 

“Not without you, I am not. If I recall correctly, I am your roommate too. And I am not letting you sit here all alone this late” Aeri responded, and grabbed Yizhuo’s hands all of a sudden, putting them in between her palms

 

“Yizhuo, I can’t imagine what you are going through right now. I am sorry for everything. Chenle is clearly the for taking you for granted. He is an idiot for choosing a trashy girl over a gorgeous, amazing, wonderful tressure. You are way out of his league”

 

“...thank you Aeri, it’s just that I really loved him…”

 

“It’s okay, it takes time to get over this… but whatever you are going through, I will be here for you, at every step you are take”

 

Yizhuo burst out sobbing again. This time, was because of Aeri’s words. She leaned into Aeri’s chest while sobbing

 

“I love you so much Aeri, I could never ask for a better best friend”

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

It’s been about two weeks after the whole heartbreak. Jimin and Minjeong now knows about the whole thing too. Whenever Chenle tries to reach out to Yizhuo, Aeri will always give him a death stare to scare him off, pulling Yizhuo away. He even tries to reach out to Yizhuo when the frie