"Yah, anyone home?" Dara yelled as she knocked on the door. She heard a thud, followed by someone unlocking the door. The door creaked open and revealed a girl with a messy hair bun and glasses. "What are you doing here Dara?" she asked. Dara smiled and pulled out her english textbook. "Time to study! Did you forget Ji Eun?" (Lee Ji Eun is IU's real name). Ji Eun pouted and nodded. "Yeah...come on in."

"Fwaaah!" Dara yelled as she grabbed Ji Eun's Hello Kitty pillow and plopped on the bed. "So where is your dongsaeng? He usually answers the door." she said, throwing the pillow into the air and catching it as it came back down. "Sehun had night school today. He won't be back until dinner time." Ji Eun said, adjusting her glasses and sitting down at her desk. "Why do you come here to study anyway? You know I don't go to school very much..."

Ji Eun's parents split up two years ago. Her mother gained custody of her and her brother, but she's been on a business trip to Japan since the beginning of the year. She only left so much money for them to live on, so Ji Eun often spends time working day shifts at her job to provide for her younger brother.

Dara continued to toss the pillow in the air. "Just because you're not in school, it doesn't mean you can't study." she said. "And what if you do go back to school? Do you want to be behind?" Ji Eun took off her glasses and looked at Dara. "Liar." she said softly.

Dara caught the pillow and stared at it, trying to avoid Ji Eun's gaze. "Not only do you come here to study, but you're here on weekends too. Cooking, cleaning, staying for dinner some nights and sleeping over others. You come here because you are alone...don't you?" Dara let out a sigh as she pressed the pillow to her chest. "Yeah...I am really alone." she said.

There was an uncomfortable pause before she said anything else. "Staying in that house by myself...it suffocates me. Knowing there is no one to wake me up for school, to make me pancakes on weekend mornings, to greet me when I come home from school..." Dara gulped and blinked back sudden tears. "To comfort me when I'm sad...it's really..." Dara's voice trailed off as a tear escaped the corner of her eye.

Ji Eun sat on the bed next to her and squeezed her hand. "Are you sad?" she asked. Dara nodded. "Why?" Dara sat up and wiped her face. "I think..." she dug her fingernails into the pillow's bow and took a deep breath. "Say it really fast and sudden. That way it comes out easier." Ji Eun said. Dara nodded and took a bigger breath. "ITHINKCHUNJIISCHEATINGONME!" she shouted.

Ji Eun put a startled hand over her heart. "Aigoo, you scared me! But...what did you say?" Dara hugged the pillow closer. "I think Chunji is...seeing another girl." Ji Eun's eyes widened in shock. "W-what? H-how can he be seeing another girl when...he's the one who confessed to you!" she asked, slamming a fist into the bedding.

Dara nodded. "I know...I wasn't sure at first but the signs have become clearer lately. He's distant when we're not in school...we don't shop on the weekends, or get street vendor food after school. We haven't even been on a date in a month." Ji Eun's hands gripped the bedding tightly as she tried to contain her anger.

"Dara..." she said quietly. Dara didn't respond as she petted the pillow's head. Ji Eun cleared and tried again. "Dara-shi." Dara's eyes widened and slowly turned her head to see Ji Eun's flushed face. It was never a good sign when she spoke to her formally. "Y-yes?" Dara said, afraid of what her friend wanted to tell her.

"Do you know what you do...when you find out a boy is cheating on you?" she asked in a serious tone. "Dara shook her head like a maniac. "N-no...and please don't tell me!" Ji Eun raised her hand slowly. "You grab his head..." she said as she raised her other hand. "And you shake it like this!" she said, snatching the pillow from Dara's trembling hands and shaking it violently. "And then you hit him, like this!" she said as she smacked Hello Kitty's face over and over.

Ji Eun's tantrum finally ended as she tossed the pillow back on the bed. "Dara." Dara uncurled herself from the paniced huddle she was in on the floor and slowly reapproached the bed. "Yes?" she asked. Ji Eun looked her in the eyes, this time with sorrow. "Please...breakup with him. He doesn't have to know that you suspect him of cheating, just do it. You've been hurt by so many people already...I don't want to see you hurt anymore." she said. Dara hugged Ji Eun with all her strength. "I can't promise I'll do it right away...but I'll think about it. Thankyou." she said. Ji Eun smiled as the hug ended. "So, you want me to-" she made punching motion with her hand. Dara laughed. "No, leave that to me."

I was feeling generous today^^. Also, I felt bad about leaving such a short chapter after being gone for so long. This chapter was pretty serious huh? I'll try to make the next one a bit happier^^. Readers fighting!!!!!