Jinyoung’s hand slowly moved away from Ellin’s face and fell down. “You…you what?” Jinyoung asked in disbelief.

Ellin took a deep breath “I have a boyfriend Jinyoung…” Ellin replied, worriedly looking at Jinyoung’s face. He looked shattered, as if Ellin had just ripped his heart out of him. Ellin bit her lip “I- I have to go” she said, shaking her head vigorously.

Jinyoung grabbed her wrist before she could leave “Why” Jinyoung asked.

“Why…?”

“Why do you look so sorry… Why Ellin?” Jinyoung said through a shaky voice. A shiver ran across Ellin’s body, she was scared Jinyoung would see right through her. “I- I have to go Jinyoung” Ellin simply repeated, taking his hand off of her wrist and quickly turning around to leave. He was left there between the shelves, tears slowly forming in his eyes as his fists clenched. He knew it made him awful but he hated the thought of Ellin moving on, he couldn’t handle the thought of her with someone else.

“Minsun, you have to go out if you’re going to get over this whole Gongchan thing!” Soyul advised, “That’s if she even wants to get over him” Choa mumbled under her breath. Gummi nudged her and gave her a look telling her to shut up.

“I don’t feel like going out, okay? I’m just not in the mood for it, it has nothing to do with him!” Minsun denied. The girl’s, minus Ellin, were all in Soyul’s dorm, about to leave to go eat dinner.

“Denial is the first stage” Choa mumbled, “Ya, one more peep out of you and you’re out!” Gummi scolded. Choa just shrugged and let out a deep sigh. “You want us to remind you of the dumb fights you and Shinwoo had before you became a couple?” Gummi brought up, Choa shot Gummi a dirty glare in defeat.

Suddenly, a banging was heard at the door. “Whoever that is needs to chill” Choa said as Soyul ran to get the door.

Soyul opened the door full of annoyance, which soon turned into confusion “J-Jinyoung!?” Soyul called, the other girls now looking at each other with the same confused expression on their faces.

“What’s wrong? Why do you seem so tense…well more than usual” Soyul asked, and she was immediately met with an answer “Ellin, does she really have a boyfriend?” Jinyoung asked. Soyul’s face quickly became frozen, her eyes shifted from side to side before she forcefully pulled Jinyoung into the room by his collar.

“It’s a lie, isn’t it? She’s lying, right?” Jinyoung continued to bombard Soyul with questions and only stopped once he met eyes with everyone else in the room. The girls all gave him dirty glares as usual.

“Soyul, what’s going on? Why is this rat knocking on your door and asking you personal questions?” Minsun asked.

Soyul turned to look at them and gave them a look; it was a look that told them to not say anything and that she would explain everything to them later.

“Jinyoung… what did Ellin tell you?” Soyul said, shifting her attention back to him. “She told me she has a boyfriend…” Jinyoung stated. “What did you do for her to even reveal that to you?” Soyul questioned.

“I…” Jinyoung moved closer to Soyul so that the other girl’s wouldn’t hear him “I tried to kiss her” Jinyoung confessed.

Soyuls eyes blinked tightly in frustration, she crossed her arms and shook her head at him “you have got to be kidding me Jinyoung, are you this impatient? The girl is-” Soyul stopped before she revealed something to him that he shouldn’t know “…never mind” she sighed.

“I don’t know why, I just felt like she… like she wanted me to” Jinyoung admitted, embarrassed.

“Boys are such idiots,” Soyul mumbled.

“Are you not going to answer my question?” Jinyoung reminded.

Soyul looked at Jinyoung’s distressed complexion for a few moments before replying. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she knew what answer Ellin would want her to give him “It’s true… she has a boyfriend. Ever since summer break she’s been seeing this guy… he treats her well so just… just leave her alone now” Soyul said, looking him in the eye.

Jinyoung shook his head, he was still in denial “she doesn’t love him” Jinyoung finally uttered.

“W-what? How do you even know-”

“Because, she still loves me!” Jinyoung continued. Soyul just looked at him speechlessly. Her and the rest of the girl’s couldn’t help but pity him. “Jinyoung, maybe she doesn’t love him… but that doesn’t mean she loves you. It would be a miracle if Ellin loved any guy at this point, so don’t easily think she has forgiven you…” Jinyoung looked at Soyul, heartbroken at her words.

“I think you should leave now, before Ellin comes back,” Soyul advised. Jinyoung slowly nodded and she directed him out of the door.

Once she came back inside she was met with three suspicous gazes “You seem a little close to Jinyoung” Gummi mentioned, arms crossed patting her foot on the floor. Soyul didn’t even try to get herself out of this “it’s true… Jinyoung and I are… not on hateful terms,” Soyul admitted.

Choa’s eyebrows furrowed at the sound of that “What!? Why?”

Soyul sighed, “Because we share our awful luck with awful parents that force us to do awful things” Soyul explained, the girl’s didn’t fight her after that and just nodded in understanding.

“Okay, now back to the real issue here. Ellin has A BOYFRIEND?” Minsun yelled.

Soyul let out a laugh “she doesn’t. There’s this guy, he goes to this university too. Anyways, he’s really into her but Ellin is just friends with him… although she kind of uses him to distract herself from Jinyoung” Soyul explained.

“Amazing” Minsun plainly said.

Gummi looked to be awfully confused “why does she have to go to these lengths though?” Gummi finally said.

“Huh… what do you mean Unnie?” Choa asked.

“Not only does she have a rebound… boy…friend? But she lies to Jinyoung that she has a boyfriend in order for him to stay away from her? Like since when does Ellin go to these lengths for Jinyoung? It looks to me like she’s either trying to protect his heart from feeling hurt or she’s trying to avoid confronting her feelings for him… either way she seems to care about him…” Gummi speculated.

“This… this is bad… right?” Minsun asked, completely unaware of the answer.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, what’s the big deal with you guys. Whether it be you and Gongchan, or Ellin and Jinyoung, you both like each other, so much that you cry yourselves to sleep and yet… you either avoid them or hurt them like you’re saving yourselves from something” Soyul raged.

“Whoa, Soyul has finally lit on fire” Choa commented, letting out a chuckle.

Minsun let out a deep sigh before looking up at Soyul

“It’s because we are saving ourselves from something, from getting hurt again.”

The next day soon arrived and Minsun sat in her 8:30 AM lecture that she decided to go to since she had slept in the last time. The lecture hall sat 300 people and yet Minsun could still clearly see Gongchan seated a few rows after her. As soon of the class was dismissed, Minsun quickly picked up her stuff and made her way out before the rush of eager students erupted through the doors. Once she made it out alive, she felt someone put their hand on her shoulder. Before turning around she already knew who it was, she knew just by the feeling of his grip around her shoulder and her heart went into panic as she turned around, forcing a cold expression on her face.

Minsun didn’t say anything and just stared at Gongchan before he spoke “let’s talk” he stated. Minsun’s eyes blinked a few times before she nodded. They walked over to an empty corner that was less chaotic for conversation.

Minsun turned and directed her attention back at his, she was feeling a little nervous but at the same time relieved and hopeful that maybe they would resolve things. Well, that was until what left Gongchan’s mouth.

“Look Minsun, this fight we’re having is unnecessary” Minsun nodded, liking where his words were headed “and I think we could easily resolve it” Minsun continued to nod, loosening her expression a bit “if you just apologize about what you said we can put this all behind us” and that’s where it ended, Minsun’s understanding complexion turned into a dumbfounded one.

“You’re full of ” she scoffed, gaining a stunned reaction from Gongchan. “Me? Apologize? You just want to protect your pride, that’s all this is” Minsun spat before she furiously walked away from him.

Gongchan’s head fell down in frustration, “aish…” he sighed, his hand now placed on his forehead. He didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to resolve it. Minsun’s words cut him deep, but the only one’s he wanted her to apologize for were the words that fueled his anger in the first place;

“Are you even sure you’re even in love with me? Such bull”

He just couldn’t move on until Minsun apologized, but he was beginning to give up because he knew Minsun would never easily throw away her pride.

Minsun walked into her dorm extremely irritated, throwing her bag on her bed. As she put her coat on her desk chair she noticed some unfamiliar papers on her desk. “What the heck are these?” Minsun asked her sister who had just walked out of the shower. Minsun picked up the papers that looked to be school related.

“They’re handouts and notes of that 8:30AM class you barely ever go too. Gongchan gave them to me a while ago… like before you were in a fight. I forgot to give you them, Sorry” Choa explained.

Minsun let out a deep sigh in reply. Choa looked at her sister regretfully “I shouldn’t have mentioned the Gongchan part…” Choa muttered under her breath.

Minsun looked down at the papers in her hand that included photocopied versions of Gongchan’s notes. It shot a sharp pain into her heart, and Minsun hated this feeling more than anything.

~

“Ya, stop sleeping, this prof doesn’t put anything online, you have to take notes or else you’re going to fail!” Gongchan nudged Minsun who was trying her best to fall asleep. “Ya, just leave me alone, okay? If you like my vital skin then you better leave me be” Minsun said, making Gongchan let out a quiet laugh, “and you’re writing notes, aren’t you? So I’m good,” Minsun said, giving Gongchan a devious smile. “Aish… what would you do without me” Gongchan sighed, “fine, go to sleep” Gongchan said, puling her hat down towards her face until it was covering her eyes. He smiled to himself at how completely relaxed Minsun always managed to be.

~

Minsun laid on her bed with the notes in her hand, letting out a deep sigh.

“Was I really like this when Shinwoo and I were fighting?’ Choa muttered to herself as she dried her hair with a towel.

“Yes” Minsun replied, Choa turned her head at Minsun’s unexpected reply “Was not-”

“You were worse Choa. I told myself I’d never be like that but here we are… ” Minsun sighed.

“Just kiss and make up already then,” Choa groaned. Choa’s head rose a little at a sudden realization “wait… that’s literally how Shinwoo and I stopped fighting… It seems too easy thinking about it now”

“Maybe Soyul’s right” Minsun suddenly said.

“About what?” Choa asked.

“Nothing” Minsun replied, shutting her eyes in attempt to fall asleep.

“Ellin-ah, what’s up with you today? You seem really out of it…” Ellin was eating lunch with her friend Dongwook, the boy Ellin was using as a distraction from Jinyoung, and now the boy she would use to make Jinyoung let go of her, or maybe it was her trying to let go of Jinyoung.

Ellin wanted to tell him about the lie she told so that he would help her out but she just couldn’t, she felt too embarrassed. She also knew that Dongwook liked her more than a friend and she knew it would be inconsiderate of her to ask such a favor of him.

“I’m just full” Ellin smiled “let’s go? Since we’re both done eating,” Ellin suggested. Dongwook nodded his head.

As they both got up, Ellin spotted Jinyoung entering the cafeteria doors. She began to panic and didn’t know what to do. She knew it was selfish of her, but her top priority at this moment was to make Dongwook seem like her boyfriend. She quickly grabbed Dongwook’s hand and turned her head to look at him. Dongwook stared at her in confusion “Ellin… what are you doing?” he asked.

Ellin bit her lip, “Dongwook… can you do me a favor?” she asked nervously.

Dongwook slowly nodded in reply “what is it?”

“Act like my boyfriend, I know it makes no sense now but I’ll explain everything later. Just, just act like my boyfriend. Please?” Ellin pleaded.

“Alright, don’t worry, I’ll do it” Dongwook agreed, “You don’t have to beg me Ellin-ah” Dongwook smiled. But it only made her feel worse to see him agree so willingly “th-thanks…”

As they both walked towards the doors, Ellin inevitably locked eyes with Jinyoung, who was just standing their staring at her and the guy holding her hand. Ellin quickly looked the other way, unconsciously squeezing Dongwook’s hand tightly as her pace quickened.

Before Ellin knew it, she was trapped. Jinyoung ran in front of her, blocking the door. Ellin’s heart sank at the sight of Jinyoung’s face. He looked outraged, but at the same time, so disappointed and heartbroken.

“Why are you doing this to me? Why are you making me go crazy?” Jinyoung asked, looking Ellin straight in the eye and ignoring the existence of the person beside her. “Why Ellin!?” He cried.

Ellin didn’t reply, she just stood there, speechless and in complete panic.