Yeonji wasn’t sure when was it when something just suddenly shifted. The seventeen-year-old stared at the specific member across the practice room, she wasn’t sure why, she just felt a deep connection.
Her heart is fluttering.
“Enjoy the view?” Yeonji jumped a bit when a warm breath and a familiar voice hit her ear. The girl turned around to see Hayeon looking over her shoulders, towards the direction where she was staring at. “Is Soom looking extra good today or what?”
Yeonji’s ears turned redder and redder each second, it’s almost like she was caught red-handed. Hayeon wasn’t blind to not notice it too, the older girl brought her hands up to flick Yeonji’s tomato red ears. “Nooo~ I wasn’t looking at her, okay?”
Soomin ran behind Yeonji, trying to catch up with her. She had something secured tightly around her arm; a box wrapped in duckling pattern wrapping paper. “WAIT!!” Yeonji turned around to the loud voice calling her out and stopped in her tracks.
“Unnie?”
Soomin linked her free arm with Yeonji’s and dragged her back to the dorm. “I have a surprise for you, come on, let’s go back to your haus.”
The night walk was long and silent, with a hint of coziness. The street lamp shone brightly on Soomin’s face, while Yeonji stared and stared, without the older one noticing. Is it normal to stare at your best friend like this?
A pair of enemies appeared on each side of Yeonji’s shoulder, one in white, with a golden ring floating above its head, while the other one, has two horns on its head, wearing all black. “No, it’s not normal.” The one with horns began speaking.
“You’re wrong! It’s normal to adore your best friend!” The one in white argued back but the one in black just crossed its arms.
“Hmph! Whatever you say! But it’s definitely not a platonic thing to do so!” The conversation between the two enemies ended when Soomin snapped her fingers in front of Yeonji’s face.
“You good?” Soomin asked. Yeonji made a little noise and quickly nodded her head. “Come onnn let’s walk faster.” The older girl pouted and looked up at Yeonji.
Fuck. Yeonji felt like her heart is about to beat through her chest every millisecond she’s looking back down at Soomin. She can also feel something else going up beside her heartbeat, and that’s the level of redness of her face.
“Unnie, you there?” Yeonji knocked on Xinyu’s door twice.
“Come in.” Xinyu answered back and the younger member opened the door and invited herself in. “Sup?”
“I’m good, I just need…a little bit of help.” Yeonji spoke softly and shyly.
“Hmmm let me guess…tarot reading?” Xinyu can tell from the younger’s expression and being exposed, Yeonji can only nod in silence.
“Okay, question?” Xinyu asked.
“Do you think I have a crush?” Yeonji asked innocently, while Xinyu blinked in confusion.
“What?” The Chinese couldn’t believe what she is hearing at that very moment. In her eyes, Yeonji is still like a 5-year-old that just giggles and yap her day away. “Um, the usual, pick three cards.”
Yeonji handed Xinyu three cards after carefully picking them out. The tarot reader placed the three cards in front of Yeonji and looked at her. “Bingo! Wait, let me ask you a question, do you just have this confusing burning feelings for another member?”
Upon hearing that, Yeonji blushed in agreement. “I guess so…”
“Would you mind telling me who?” Yeonji looked up to Xinyu in surprise and stared at the older one for a good minute before she clears her throat.
“I think it’s Soomin.”
“WHA” Before Xinyu could yelled out ‘what?’, Yeonji had covered her mouth with her hand.
“Shush!”
“Ok ok…”
Yeonji smiled while she hugged the plushie that Soomin got for her tight. It is a teddy bear wearing a duck onesie, which just looks like her. The girl inhaled the soothing scent of the teddy, it smells just like Soomin, Yeonji thinks.
“My god, why is my mind full of her.” Yeonji rolled back and forth on her bed before drifting into her dreamland.
“Yo bro, what’s on yo mind lately.” Chaewon crept up behind her best friend, Soomin who is still in the dining room by herself at 1 am.
“Why are you here? Go back to your haus.” Soomin jumped in her seat and looked back to see Chaewon in Nien’s alien headband and glasses.
“ALIEN INVASION!” Chaewon yelled but Soomin was fast enough to tackle her down to the ground and shutting her up. “Owh!!!” The older friend pouted in pain. “You haven’t answered my question yet! Why are you still awake at 1 am.”
“Says you too!” Soomin sat back on the chair while Chaewon joined her immediately. “So why are you in my haus.”
“I can sense that you are still awake and I can’t sleep too so here I am!” Chaewon’s eyes sparkled.
“Ew do you have a crush on me or what?” Soomin made a disgusted face and Chaewon was taken aback, placing her hand on her chest pretending to be offended.
“Ew??? You have to be the luckiest person on earth if I have a crush on you.” Chaewon paused. “SO HEY! Why are still awake? Got a lot on your mind?”
“No…it’s just about…Yeonji.” Soomin whispered the last word, which Chaewon couldn’t hear it clearly.
“WHO?”
“Yeonji…”
“Hello? I know I’m not 60 but that doesn’t mean you can challenge my hearings.” Chaewon hit Soomin on the arm.
“FINE! I said, I am thinking about YEONJI.” Chaewon stared at her friend blankly for a while to process what she have heard.
“Gasp…you like…Yeonji?” Chaewon blinked twice.
“I said I am thinking about her doesn’t mean that I like her.” Soomin got flustered at her remark and looked away from Chaewon’s direction.
“Hey, don’t lie, I’ve seen the way you look at her.” Chaewon started her endless teasing, until the younger one has to pull out her phone and texted someone.
The luckiest person earth apparently (Hayeon)
Soomsoom: Hey are you awake
Before Soomin can even wait for a reply, Chaewon had snatched the phone out of her hand and deleted the message. “Aww man I thought you asked your little hero Yeonji to come and save you.” Chaewon spoke bitterly when she saw who her friend is texting.
“No, I texted your Hayeon to come and get you away.” Soomin showed Chaewon her puppy eyes just to be smacked in the face by her.
“What do you mean by MY Hayeon.”
“Who else does she belongs to?”
Hearing that, Chaewon’s tears began to drop down from her eyes to her cheeks, which Soomin’s face immediately softened. “I’m sorry, you okay? What’s wrong?”
“I think she’s straight.” Soomin choked on air a second after hearing that. That was the most unbelievable nonsense and shit that she had ever heard in her life.
“Are you insane? Go to sleep right now.”
“N-No! Let me expla-” Just before Chaewon could explain, she got pushed out of the dorm through front door by none other than her own best friend.
“…I’ve seen the way you look at her.” Soomin kept thinking about this over and over. Has she been that obvious? If she is, then she hopes that Yeonji never notices it, she doesn’t want to ruin the friendship between her and Yeonji.
“Morning my baby.” Soomin smiled ear to ear and hugged Yeonji who just arrived at the office, while Chaewon was scoffing beside them.
“Kim Soomin, where’s my morning hug too?”
“You can ask from Hahahahahaha…” Yeonji was confused in why is Soomin laughing all of the sudden, and why is Chaewon looking flustered.
However, she couldn’t ignore the warmth of Soomin’s embrace and the pet-name…baby
Her poor heart can’t handle this early in the morning.
Gosh…what if she just explodes on the spot.
Yeonji confirmed, she’s actually in love.
Now she just has to find the right time to confess
She doesn’t care if Soomin returns her the same feelings or not
She is going to get it out of her heart.
The girls were given a ten minutes break after practicing non-stop. This was the best opportunity for Yeonji to pull Soomin aside to the corner of the office pantry.
“Unnie…I can’t hide this longer anymore…” Yeonji began. The close distance between Yeonji and Soomin made the older one blushed.
“I-Is this what I think it is?” Soomin held Yeonji’s face.
“I-I…if you think I am gonna confess my love to you…then you’re right.” The taller one grinned and held Soomin closer. “Unnie…I don’t think we should be best friends anymore…I want to become someone that means more to you.”
The tension between them was thick. Soomin blinked and without replying to the younger one’s confession; she closed the distance between them.
A short kiss that means more than just a kiss to them.
“Hmph! I was going to be the one that confess first!” Soomin pouted.
“So is it a yes?”
“Yes of course you idiot!”
“Why are you two gone for so long?” Hayeon questioned suspiciously with a Chaewon beside her, raising her eyebrows at the new couple.
“It’s none of your business.” Soomin sticked her tongue out and walked away with Yeonji.