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“Are you not feeling well? I can take you home.” Baekhyun says. He’s been observing his girlfriend for the past hour and he can sense that there’s something wrong with her. His suspicions are confirmed when Taeyeon doesn’t say anything back. She keeps rolling the piece of steak she previously cut but hadn’t eaten. It’s their month-anniversary and Baekhyun decided to take Taeyeon to an expensive restaurant to celebrate. It’s too much of a date for a couple of high school kids, but not if their parents are totally rich as .

“Taeng…” He calls out again. This time he succeeded in catching the girl’s attention. Taeyeon’s head snaps at Baekhyun, eyes displaying guilt.

“I was asking if you’re okay. You haven’t touched your food.” Baekhyun calmly repeats. Taeyeon puts her head down in embarrassment. “Did you not like it?”

“I…I do!” Taeyeon all but spits out. “It’s just that…” She continues but she isn’t exactly sure what to add next. It’s just that what…?

Truthfully, she knows. She knows how to end that sentence. Problem is, she can’t ever say that in front of Baekhyun… Or in front of anyone else. Not even Sooyoung.

There it is again.

Sooyoung.

Her best friend has been haunting her thoughts weirdly these past weeks. She hasn’t stopped thinking about her ever since she saw her with that new girl Yuri. Sooyoung feeding her, Sooyoung laughing at whatever the girl said, them walking home together… And maybe a bunch of other things she doesn’t know about. Sooyoung said Yuri isn’t her friend but they’re acting the opposite. They’ve been inseparable, like how her and Sooyoung used to be.

What’s bothering her more is that she’s thinking about these things while on a date with Baekhyun. It’s their anniversary for god’s sake and she has to be interested or listen to what her boyfriend says like a good girlfriend should be. However, she’s aware that she hasn’t been one. It’s not like you can blame her. You wouldn’t if you learned the whole story.

“Just what?” Crap, she forgot that she’s having dinner with Baekhyun again! Taeyeon wants to bang her head on the table for being so stupid. She doesn’t want Baekhyun to ask more questions she doesn’t want to answer. Or let alone answer questions she can’t.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m not feeling that well. I’m sorry, I know it’s our anniversary so I wanted to celebrate with you. I thought I can get by but I was wrong. I’m really sorry.” Nice lie Taeng. That was really natural.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a lie per se. It’s true she doesn’t want to disappoint Baekhyun and she wants to celebrate their anniversary, but she’s sure she didn’t want to go earlier, not because she wasn’t feeling well, but because she’s preoccupied about some things. Things that are better unsaid.

“You should’ve told me.” Baekhyun says sweetly while reaching for Taeyeon’s hand across the table, it gently. “I would’ve understood.” Taeyeon stares at their joined hands. She’s supposed to feel something by now right? Like that melting hot feeling inside your heart when your boyfriend does and says these things to you. Sadly, she feels nothing.

Instead of looking disappointed, Taeyeon displays a weak smile so her boyfriend wouldn’t suspect anything. This succeeded because before she knows it, she’s outside the restaurant and she’s on her way back home.

With a kiss on her cheek, Baekhyun says goodbye and he slips inside his family’s car. Taeyeon waves robotically, watching the car disappear into the night.

She stands their unmoving, with no intention to enter their house which she knows is empty like always. That’s the problem of kids who have rich parents. They’re always busy and always out.

Taeyeon checks her phone for messages but there isn’t any. She sees the time and it says 8:30pm.  She sighs deeply, feeling a sudden emptiness in her chest.

A cab passes by her house and without thinking; she hails it and slips inside.

“What did you say?” Taeyeon asks.

“I already said it. It’s not my fault you’re deaf!” Sooyoung retaliates.

“Just say it again…” Taeyeon calmly says, clearly not up for an argument. Sooyoung plans not to give in but when the word “Please…” escapes Taeyeon’s lips, softly begging, her resolve crumbles.

“I love you.”  

“Huh?” Taeyeon says again. Didn’t she just make her repeat those words?

“I said I love you!” Sooyoung almost yells. Taeyeon is making her frustrated.

Taeyeon’s mouth is moving but Sooyoung can’t decipher what she’s saying. The ground she’s standing on starts to shake and her first impulse is to run after Taeyeon who’s slowly fading into the darkness.

“Taeyeon!” She yells.

“Sooyoung!” She hears her name. There’s no mistake its Taeyeon’s voice but she can’t see the girl anywhere.

“Yah Choi Sooyoung!” The shaking is growing violent. She needs to escape… She needs to…

“What?” Sooyoung mumbles incoherently. It sounded more like a groan. She opens her eyes and meets another pair staring worriedly at her. She adjusts her vision, clearing the sleepy fog that hinders her from seeing…

“Taeng?” Sooyoung sits up in surprise. Taeyeon’s left hand is on hers and the right one is on her sides. She automatically backs up on her headboard away from her friend, away from her touch. Taeyeon just sits there unmoving, a bit hurt on how Sooyoung reacted upon seeing her. “What are you doing?” The places where Taeyeon’s hands touched are still burning and Sooyoung restrains herself to not jump her friend just to have one more contact. But she already moved away. It is her fault.

“I…” Taeyeon says unsurely. She went to Sooyoung’s in impulse. There’s actually no reason other than she misses her best friend and she wants her to make her feel better. But when she arrives, Mrs. Choi said that Sooyoung is already sleeping but the older woman let her in anyway. So she’s here, in Sooyoung’s room, staring creepily at the girl while she slept. Until…

“You were having a bad dream so I decided to wake you up.” The older girl says simply.

“Oh.” Is all that Sooyoung could muster. She was dreaming earlier huh? What was that dream about again?

Her eyes widens at the memory. Oh no.

“Uhm…” The shikshin starts. How will she even ask it? Taeyeon is acting a bit weird. She’s avoiding eye-contact. Well, for the record, they both are. But still. She needs to know or she’ll feel anxious.

“Did you uhm…” Taeyeon is looking at her now, but still a bit awkwardly or shyly, she can’t tell. She’s sure the girl is asking her to go on and continue whatever she’s about to say. So Sooyoung swallows hard and asks, “Did you hear anything when I was sleeping?”

Taeyeon’s face scrunches, recalling the past 10 minutes. “M-my mom says I sleep talk sometimes.” Sooyoung adds for good measure. If Taeyeon didn’t hear anything, it would seem suspicious as to why she asked that question. Like she’s hiding something. Like Taeyeon wasn’t supposed to hear something.

“Uh you were definitely mumbling.” Sooyoung’s suddenly feels nervous.

“W-what was I saying?”

“Something like, an earthquake? And a word that sounded a lot like mushroom.” Taeyeon relays and