“So I heard Choa and Shinwoo are a couple now. That only took them about a whole year” Baro said, letting out a laugh before he began to sip his coffee. “I know, right?” Gummi agreed, rolling her eyes and laughing along. Baro and Gummi were once again drinking coffee together in a coffee shop on campus. They always did this after their Wednesday morning class since they both had an hour wait until their next one.

“It won’t be long until Minsun and Gongchan are officially a couple” Gummi sighed, shaking her head. “What? Sad all your friends are getting boyfriends?” Baro asked jokingly. “No!” Gummi assured, waving her hands in the air, “it’s just that it took them FOREVER and I was the one hearing all their damn whining” Gummi explained.

Baro nodded his head, “That’s how Sandeul and I feel with Jinyoung” Baro revealed. “Does he talk about Ellin THAT much? ….never mind, ignore that questions, I already know the answer” Gummi said.

Baro’s expression turned serious for a moment. He looked Gummi in the eye and asked her a question he genuinely didn’t know the answer to “do you think they’ll ever get back together? I know it sounds stupid and anyone would answer no but… for some reason I think those two will eventually” Baro predicted.

Gummi slowly nodded her head “it’s not an obvious no, I agree with you. Who knows though… I’m pretty sure Ellin is scared because at this point she understands why Jinyoung did all those awful things in the past, she obviously didn’t admit this explicitly but… when she was talking to me it sounded like she was on the edge of a cliff. If Jinyoung says or does one more thing that’s impactful enough she may just fall back into him again” Gummi sincerely replied. Both her and Baro were looking at each other worriedly at this point, both were thinking the exact same thing “if they get back together…it’ll all just repeat…” Baro let out, Gummi painfully nodding in response.

“I thought Gongchan and you were already a couple?” Ellin asked as she combed her hair. Choa, Soyul, and Minsun were all sitting in Ellin and Soyul’s dorm.

“It sure looks like that, but we are still in this everlasting ‘some’ relationship” Minsun sighed. “So then why don’t you just be like “let’s date loser” like you usually do and change that?” Ellin asked with a chuckle.

“I don’t know… sometimes I think that we aren’t meant to be serious with each other. Like when you look at Shinwoo and my sister you know their relationship is going to be a serious one but with Gongchan and I? He’s never treated me seriously even once” Minsun pouted.

“Ya, don’t say that! Gongchan really likes you!” Soyul comforted.

“Shinwoo and I look serious?” Choa suddenly asked, confused. “Stop asking obvious questions Choa” Ellin replied. “Eh? Really? Why?” Choa asked. “Because you’re both losers who take life too seriously,” Ellin answered, making everyone laugh. Choa just nodded her head in defeat.

“Honestly who cares if Gongchan wants a serious relationship or not, because neither do you Minsun, right?” Ellin questioned.

Minsun realized that she actually wasn’t eager to start a serious longterm relationship with him “you’re right… it’s not that I don’t, but I don’t want it either. Plus, I kind of like our playful relationship; I mean, at least Gongchan and I have only fought like once whereas Shinwoo and my sister have been in like four?” Minsun said, smiling at her sister. Choa’s eyebrows furrowed in response “whatever loser, you can’t even handle anything serious. Don’t come running to me when you’re a single 60 year old cat lady” Choa joked, making everybody laugh.

It was now the next morning and Ellin woke up incredibly hungry, but something always stopped her from leisurely going to the kitchen. Ellin hadn’t seen Jinyoung since the incident, mostly because she made it her absolute mission to avoid him at all costs. She would either wake up super early to eat breakfast or just buy breakfast outside so that she wouldn’t run into him. She only left her dorm when she had a class and the girl’s would always come to her dorm to hang out since they knew she was scared of running into Jinyoung if they met anywhere else. Ellin knew she was acting crazy and that she couldn’t keep this up forever but she was going to continue doing this until she was finally caught… that day arrived sooner than she thought.

Ellin was sure that Jinyoung had a class and therefore she decided to go to the kitchen to get a snack. As she was rummaging through the cupboards for a snack that had one of her friends’ names on it she suddenly heard someone walk in. She turned around thinking it was one of the girl’s about to yell at her for stealing their snacks but she was met with an even worse situation.

She quickly turned her head back around “, what the heck is Jinyoung doing here” she worried as she pretended like she was still looking for something, she could feel him stare at her. She didn’t even hear him move which made her only freak out more “whatever, just act cold like you usually do and ignore him” Ellin decided, she quickly grabbed a couple of snacks and quickly made it to the door.

“Ellin-ah” Jinyoung called, stopping her before she could even get past him. Ellin just shook her head and took a step forward, but Jinyoung only took one step backwards and stood in front of the door, forbidding her to leave.

“Yah! Jung Jinyoung, don’t you have a class to go to?” Ellin suddenly blurted out in frustration, she quickly cursed herself afterwards “great now he knows I know his damn schedule”

“I skipped it today… how do you even know...? So you have been avoiding me” Jinyoung said, crossing his arms.

Ellin let out a deep sigh and looked him straight in the eye “so what if I am? Can you really blame me?” Ellin said. Jinyoung nodded “no but… why do you care all of a sudden? I’m use to you avoiding me, but not like this… not with this much effort” Jinyoung pointed out.

Ellin’s eyes shifting from side to side, trying to come up with some sort of sassy reply but she couldn’t, especially with the way Jinyoung was looking at her. Every time she saw him she felt sorry for him, but she shook it off as anger and annoyance instead.

“Jinyoung… I really don’t feel like talking to you right now, okay? And I don’t know if I ever will be able to… s-sorry” she quietly said before lightly pushing him to the side and finally escaping from the kitchen.

“S-sorry?” Jinyoung mumbled under his breath. He was taken aback, he hadn’t heard that word come out of for years, and he was confused why she even said it. “Something has changed… what if…” he quickly shook his head and proceeded to leave the kitchen. Jinyoung had actually skipped his class so he could “accidentally” bump into Ellin since he knew very well how dedicated she was to avoiding him. He desperately wanted to talk to Ellin even more than he did before so he was determined to bump into her again. He felt like if he could get her to talk to him just a few more times he could slowly get her heart to move back to him.

“Ellin-ah, open up” Choa called as she knocked on Ellin’s dorm door. “Ellin-ah, if you’re up let’s go get coffee together” she continued to call until someone opened the door. It was Soyul.

“Choa, sorry I was in the bathroom. What’s up?” Soyul asked, signaling Choa to come into the room.

“Oh, hey Soyul… is Ellin not in there?” Choa asked, scratching the back of her head. “No… she went to the kitchen and never came back…” Soyul alerted, looking a bit confused herself. “Oh… alright… Well bye” Choa said awkwardly.

Truthfully, Soyul and Choa were still a little awkward with each other. They still hadn’t spend time together alone and always chilled as a group. “Choa, wait” Soyul said, grabbing Choa’s hand. “L-let’s go get coffee together” Soyul offered.

Choa looked a bit surprised “huh? It’s okay, you look busy” Choa said, “No, I’m not… let me just get my jacket, okay?” Soyul said with a reassuring smile. Choa just slowly nodded her head in defeat.

“So how did you know I wanted coffee if you were in the bathroom?” Choa questioned, breaking the silence as they walked to the coffee shop downstairs.

Soyul bit her lip “uhh… you wanted coffee? I just offered since I wanted some… what a coincidence” Soyul said with a dry laugh.

Choa let out a deep sigh as if she was trying to let out every one of her troubles; it was so loud it startled Soyul. “Aish, let’s stop being so awkward, it’s killing me,” Choa finally brought herself to say, putting her arm on Soyuls shoulder to stop her from walking.

Soyul let out a small laugh “so you feel it too?” Soyul asked with a sigh. “Uh-huh, I’m sure the girls even feel that we’re still awkward. How can they all get along so well while we remain like this… it’s not fair. That spoiled loser Ellin hurt us a lot too!” Choa joked, making Soyul laugh. “Tell me about it, you, Minsun, and Gummi should treat he awkwardly just to piss her off” Soyul added. “but really… it’s because we’re originally the awkward shy ones of the group… well at least I am… you’re more rude when you feel shy aka when Shinwoo’s around” Soyul reasoned, making Choa grumble.

“I was rude to Shinwoo cause… cause he was annoying!” Choa lied. “sure thing Choa” Soyul laughed. “Really! I only started liking him recently! I’m only dating him since I feel sorry for him” Choa was just word vomiting now. “Aigo, you’re still the same as high school, always in denial and all. If it wasn’t for me you and Shinwoo would probably still be in your first fight” Soyul reminded, a huge grin appearing on her face.

Choa just let out another huge sigh “you’re probably right so I’m not even going to argue with you anymore… let’s go freak” Choa said, locking arms with Soyul and dragging her to the coffee shop forcefully. They were both suddenly reminded of the times they would go buy banana milk together. That Banana milk now changed into coffee and they both knew it would become their new tradition to get it together.

“That’s it, I’m going to ask him to be my boyfriend. Who says only guys can do that? It’s not the 1950’s!” Minsun convinced herself as her and Gongchan walked side by side. The day had turned dark and they had once again gone on a date that they didn’t call a date although they both knew it basically was. Minsun had had enough of these passive dates, she was ready to directly and fully date Gongchan. She was sick of teasing, and she was even sicker of him teasing her. She found the teasing exciting at first but now she was tired of it. She thought about the conversation she had with the girl’s previously and reminded herself that she didn’t care if Gongchan wasn’t completely serious about her, because she honestly wasn’t that serious either and didn’t want a serious relationship either. What Minsun wanted was a change in their relationship that was the same since senior year, and she was hoping that this change in relationship would eventually show her that Gongchan really did match well with her since she wasn’t the type to easily be convinced that a boy was ‘the one,’ she didn’t even know if such a thing existed yet.

“Gongchan… I have something to say” Minsun suddenly let out before they opened the door to their residence building. She grabbed his arm and made him face her so that he wouldn’t walk in the building. “This seems serious… which is unlike you, what is it?” he asked curiously. “You aren’t going to yell at me for locking Shinwoo out of the room again, are you?” Gongchan added, letting out a chuckle.

Minsun sighed “no” she replied. “Look, I know you don’t view me as a girl you want to have a serious relationship with, and I’m cool with that since I’m not into serious stuff either, but I think we should quit this flirtatious relationship and just admit we’re basically dating…” Minsun let out, Gongchan’s expression slowly stiffened as he gazed at Minsun. He seemed to be taking in what she had just said, Minsun was unsatisfied with his reaction so she decided to continue “I mean, if you saw me with another guy, you’d be pretty mad right? or at least jealous? I’d probably be if I saw you with another girl and if we’re at the point where it would be wrong of us to go dating other people then doesn’t that mean we’re a couple?” Minsun asked, waiting for a reply.

Gongchan slowly began to shake his head “You’re wrong” Gongchan said, he looked hurt which made Minsun extremely confused. “What? I’m wrong? So you think we can date other people?” Minsun asked, not even sure if she was asking the right question.

Gonchan shook his head again, “No, you’re right about that” he replied, “then…?” Minsun said, unsure of what he was thinking, “You’re wrong about me not thinking about being in a serious relationship with you” he answered, Minsun was taken aback by his response. “I can’t believe you thought otherwise… Minsun… isn’t it kind of obvious that I’m…” he hesitated for a moment before he decided to finish his sentence “in love with you” Gongchan said, looking her straight in the eye. Minsun’s heart sunk, those were the last words she thought he would say to her. Her high school boyfriend had said those words to her before but they were said so loosely and childishly that she didn’t even remember. She felt strange, it was a new feeling and she didn’t know how to react. Her heart undeniably liked the words, but something inside of her stopped her from saying the words back to him…did she perhaps not feel as deeply as Gongchan was feeling about her.

“Minsun…? Are you just going to stand there and say nothing?” Gongchan asked, a little annoyed by her lack of expression. “Uhm… I… I can’t say that back to you…” Minsun replied, biting her lip, “I’m sorry… I should have never brought this up” Minsun said, brushing her hand through her bangs, “I don’t know” she let out before she opened the door to the building, but Gongchan quickly pulled her back in front of him. “You can’t leave like this Minsun, you said you wanted to talk about our relationship. You’re different than Choa, you need things settled like me, isn’t that why we get along? We never let some small drama ruin our relationship and we were always honest about what we wanted from each other-” Gongchan said, but he was soon cut off,

“then why are you telling me you’re in love with me only when I brought this up? Huh? Why did I have to bring this up? Why the hell haven’t you asked me to be your girlfriend if you’re in love with me? You’re making no damn sense Gongchan, maybe we can settle things when you organize your heart. Are you even sure you’re even in love with me?” Minsun let out a huge sigh of frustration, “such bull” Minsun suddenly mumbled.

Gongchan’s face was steaming hot now, his eyes were filled with rage “What? Bull? Why do you think I never told you, I knew you would act this way because it’s actually you who doesn’t want a serious relationship with me. All you do is act like I’m the bad guy, like I’m the flirt, when it’s really you. Why do you think I asked you to confess to me that day? It’s because it was a way I could lightly show my feelings to you, otherwise it would scare you, like me telling you I’m in love with you is scaring you now. Everything has to be light for you, and you calling my feelings bull is the last straw I’ll take” Gongchan was furious now, he let out all the feelings he had out and Minsun was in complete and utter shock. She would have never thought Gongchan even had these many worries. She felt like the biggest fool and she wanted to burst out crying because everything he was saying seemed true, although she was still so incredibly confused. “G-Gongchan why-”

“Talk to me if you want to be in a serious relationship with me, otherwise… let’s just ignore each other… you can get tips from Choa of how to do that” he said coldly, and those were his final words before he left Minsun outside in the cold. As soon as the doors slammed behind him she fell to the floor and began to cry, she felt like such child for being so weak to his words but she couldn’t be the tough girl she taught herself to be anymore, Gongchan had found her weakness and just like that her walls completely fell down.

“How could things end up this way, all I wanted was to be his girlfriend but I somehow ended it instead?” Minsun thought as she sat there crying in the cold, but this was Minsun; After a while of crying her heart began to ache from anger, she was now feeling incredibly pissed off at Gongchan and she wouldn’t sleep until she made him feel the same way.