The young Hwang was currently in her bed staring at the ceiling, in the same position she's been in for the past—well, who knows. She stopped keeping track after an hour. Last night was crazy for reasons that are better left unsaid. However, her best friend was well on her way to her place already, so Yeji knew a talk was inevitable, probably even against her will if she told her no. Lia wouldn't let this go, not that easy.

Yeji didn't exactly invite her, though. She told Lia what happened after being questioned about the silence and lack of expression she had in the car when she dropped her off at home. At the time, Yeji insisted she'd tell her later. Later ended up turning into this morning, and the reaction she received as a result was expected.

As of now, Yeji despises the thought of Monday rolling around. In fact, she hated the thought so much that she was planning ways to convince her mom she's sick enough to stay home for a day or two. She didn't want to face Yeonjun or Ryujin yet. Not Ryujin because she's afraid of an argument or confirming her feelings. Not Yeonjun because she has a gut feeling the guy might still try to pursue her.

Yeji could've stopped him, but she didn't. He suggested this. He insisted it'd give her confirmation, and she's sure his confidence behind it means he thought it'd end in his favor. But that misled confidence backfires on him in a matter of seconds.

Deep down, she expected this answer. Yeji knew she never had a connection with Yeonjun, not in the way she swoons over a particular Shin, and it's the reason she ends the kiss as soon as it starts. It only felt weird and out of place, wrong and, uhm, awkward...? Yeah, everything about it was just uncomfortable.

Terrified of what this might mean as she quickly pulls away, a tear trickles down her cheek. She doesn't want it to be true, but now that she understands Yeonjun simply left her flustered from time to time, and that there are no romantic feelings involved, she's afraid that the same can't be said about Ryujin.

"Wait." Yeji presses her hands against his chest to ease him back, gently pushing him away from her. "I can't do this."

"I- I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"No, this is my fault. I shouldn't have let you." She sighs, evidently regretful. It's not an expression Yeonjun would like to see. It only fuels his rage toward Ryujin. "But it's more than that. Confused isn't the right term for how I'm feeling and... Actually, I'm not sure why I'm telling you this." Yeji laughs at herself. "You're a great guy, but I'm just not interested, Yeonjun. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand." He takes a step back, shoves his balled fists in his pockets to hide his anger, then clears his throat. She could tell he was upset, and it made her feel guilty for not stopping him sooner.

That guilty feeling still lives on. After all, the events that unfolded occurred last night. She won't lie and say she isn't thankful for the situation, though, considering it pointed out the one thing she didn't want to acknowledge. Perhaps she's never been confused.

'I'm in denial.'

PING!

Her phone pings and the door downstairs opens directly after. Footsteps march up the steps hurriedly, her best friend stomping her way through. "YEJI!" Lia barges into the bedroom. "Why didn't you tell me about this last night??"

"Well hello to you too."

"Haha, very funny. Answer the question."

"The answer is simple. I didn't want to talk about it yet." Yeji groans and sits up against the headboard of her bed. "Actually, I don't want to even now. It's not exactly a thrilling topic for me."

"Which is why you should've talked to me sooner." The younger moves to sit on the mattress as well, wasting no time in continuing because she's concerned. She thinks she knows already, but she needs to hear it. Yeji's rarely been like this before. "Now explain."

"There's not much to say. We kissed."

"I know. You texted me that. How?"

"You don't know how a kiss works?"

"Oh my god, Yeji. I can't believe you even asked that... What happened?"

"First I got into a little argument with Ryujin."

"With Ryujin?" Shocked, despite assuming their friend would be mentioned sooner or later, Lia's brows knit in the center. Apparently Yeji forgot she had left that part out when they were texting back and forth this morning. "About what?"

"About me and her."

"I wasn't aware you two were a thing."

"Wh- What!?" Yeji nearly chokes on air at the latter's words. The second she feels her face heating up, she pulls up a sheet to shield herself, making it more obvious. "No, Lia! I meant about my friendship with her!"

"You're so lying!" Lia gasps loudly, yanks the sheet down out of the brunette's grasp. She merely said that to test the waters because of a talk she and Chaeryeong and Yuna had last night. "Since the sleepover, right?" 

"No! I don't know what you're talking about but you must have heard me wrong. She's been avoiding me lately, so I confronted her about it."

"I see now~ "

"Oh, god."

"You're both crushing on each other! It's so obvious, how did I not see it?"

"What the— no, Lia! It's not like that!"

"Oh, wait. Hold on, that can't be right. You kissed Yeonjun."

"Technically he kissed me."

Exasperated, she threw her hands up in the air. "Well how am I supposed to know? You haven't told me everything yet."

"You haven't let me!" Yeji throws herself backward, flops down on the mattress with her limbs spread out. She feels restless. Her mind won't stop running. "So can I explain or what?"

"My bad." Lia lays down next to her friend, nudges her to scoot over so there's more room for her without falling off the edge of the bed. She reaches down and pats Yeji's wrist a few times to signal her to continue. This is something they do whenever Yeji feels like she can't say what she's actually thinking to Lia's face.

"As I was saying, she and I were talking. Then Yeonjun showed up. Ryujin and I sort of argued and she left. I got mad. Yeonjun tried to give me advice. I told him how I was feeling. He asked to kiss me. The end."

"You seemed to have left out major details in your explanation."

"Like what?"

"How did you feel about the kiss?"

"As harsh as it sounds, I felt nothing. With Yeonjun it was just flattery. The kiss wasn't memorable nor did it feel natural. There was nothing there." The more Yeji speaks regarding this topic, the more she shifts uncomfortably. Admitting to this out loud only makes her wish things were different.

"So that explains why you texted me saying you told him you weren't interested. But why are you moping around? It's not like it's the end of the world."

"Because," she sighs for the nth time today, mentally naming off the times she's spent with Ryujin. Lia insinuating what she's thinking makes her believe it must be correct since another has pointed it out. She's not the only one, either. Yiren seemed to have pointed it out too. "Because I've been thinking about someone else."

"Ah, my precious Yeji. My oh my. Who would've thought you'd be crushing on Shin Ryujin of all people? Oh, wait. That'd be me and, oh! Not to mention Chaeryeong and— "

"You guys have talked about this behind my back!?"

"Yup. Last night. Obviously you care for Ryujin in a way I thought you would've for Yeonjun, but WOW was I wrong." Lia turns to face Yeji and teasingly pokes her ear. "You've been in similar situations with both of them yet your ears get embarrassingly red only around Ryujin."

"Seriously??" Yeji's jaw drops as she cups her ears. "And you're telling me this now??"

"Oh, hush. It's only noticeable when your hair is up. Honestly, I didn't even notice until Hyunjin pointed it out."

She narrows her eyes at Lia, inhales and exhales a few times to calm herself down because she has a gut feeling her face is red. "I- I've never really had a crush on anyone that isn't a celebrity so I don't have an experience to compare it to. I'm sure I just admire her... a lot... "

"What a nice way to say you like her."

"Could you stop with the false statements?"

"It's not false. It's the truth."

"What has you so convinced it is?"

"You stuttered, and I can prove it to you," Lia smirks mischievously. "Tell me what you like about her."

"N- No!"

"Aha! See?? Your ears are doing it again." She sits up excitedly. "Yeji, you don't have to be in denial about having a fat ass crush on our friend."

"I— " She stumbles over her words, the fear in her eyes that come with Lia's accusations no longer subtle, not to mention the term she used against herself before Lia even arrived. "And if I do?"

"What do you mean?" Lia's brows furrow. "Are you admitting that it's true?"

"L- let's say you're right, okay. For a second, let's pretend it's true." Yeji grips her thigh anxiously, worriedly looks at her best friend for help. In that instant, the atmosphere around them changed, and Lia knew now there had to be more to Yeji's denial. "What if she doesn't like me back?"

***     ***     ***

"Are you done whining?"

"I wasn't even complaining." Out of frustration, Ryujin tosses her phone on the cushion next to her. She looks to Chaeryeong, who's eyeing her worriedly. Their conversation hasn't been going too well during the thirty minutes prior to this moment. It's practically become a repeat of their recent discussions revolving around Yeji. "Chaeryeong, I want to do something crazy."

"What do you mean?"

She stands up from the couch. "I want to do something to my hair."

"Well, that's random." Chaeryeong continues to question where Ryujin's mind is at. Of course she knows how she feels, but it's not like she can confidently claim she understands entirely. "Haven't you done enough damage to your hair?"

"But I've only dyed it once— "

"Ah-ah. You've dyed it twice." She corrects her friend. "Why is it you want to do this all of a sudden, anyway?"

"My roots will be noticeable by the end of the month, which is like two weeks away."

"And???"

"And Yeji helped me dye it during the beginning of last month when I had to touch them up. If I have to dye it again, I might as well change the color, right?" Ryujin holds her chin as she debates what she'd like to do, paces back and forth to somehow aid her thoughts. Every time she notices the dark color up against the pink, she can't help but think of Yeji. The sight alone incited a reminder that made her heart ache. "I want a change. I think it'll help me move on."

"We've been through this. You can't avoid her."

"I'm not going to, but I'm determined to get over her. So please. Come with me." She clasps her hands together into a prayer formation, practically begging at this point. She'd rather have a second opinion while she's there and not go alone.

"Why are you so determined when Yeji and Yeonjun don't seem to be going anywhere?"

"That's where you're wrong. I heard they kissed this time after my game. Mia said she was down the hall when it happened." Ryujin frowns at the thought that she's already cried about. She didn't believe she had any more tears left to shed for it but it still made her sad. "Look, I'll do it anyway, with or without your approval, so just come with me."

Her tone was serious, and although Chaeryeong thought it was impulsive, she didn't see that much harm in it. Thus, she agreed with the athlete and left the house with her straight to the nearest salon after stopping at a gas station for some snacks for herself while she watches this new look unfold.

Finally at their destination, the young Shin found herself sitting in a chair. A man with a mustache and a heavy Spanish accent, who escorted her over here, asked Ryujin what look she was aiming for as he ran the brush through her hair, closely examining the color and texture. "What is it you're looking to do?"

"I don't know, but something different. I'll take on anything you suggest."

"For color and style? Are you sure you're okay with anything?"

Ryujin eagerly nods her head at the man now who's currently tying an apron around his customer's neck. She takes one long, deep breath before stating, "My head is your canvas."

"Alright." The hairdresser stands in front of her, hand on his hip, analyzing her features before picking up a binder on the vanity in front of them. "I see your hair is pink. You look fabulous, but... " He flips through a few of the pages, and, with his scissors, points at a specific color while looking in her direction. "How do you feel about this?"

.

.

.

"OH MY GOD!" Chaeryeong's phone immediately slips out of her hands and onto the floor. "You weren't kidding about crazy."

"Doesn't she look even more fabulous!?" The man holds out his hands as if he was presenting Ryujin as an elegant piece of artwork, which he technically was. As she stares into the mirror, the athlete would like to admit that she's quite happy with the result. Surely she's considered this color before, but never did she think she'd cut her hair this short.

Chaeryeong was quick to agree with him before Ryujin thanked the man and paid, leaving a pretty generous tip. She promised to visit him whenever she decided she wanted something different again, an idea he loved.

Shortly after, she and her best friend step outside and head right to the car. Neither had spoken just yet, but only because the girl on the passenger's side was too busy giggling. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Chaeryeong."

"Fine. It's just... " To avoid Ryujin possibly getting insecure about her new look, Chaeryeong temporarily halts her laughter and smirks at the driver. "I bet she would love this look on you."

Scoffing, Ryujin rolls her eyes at the teasing comment, though secretly hoping that it turns out to be true even though she knows she has to get over Yeji. It reminds her of their time at the park when the brunette complimented her on her pink hair.

"Anyway, is this the only thing you planned to do on your path to renewal?"

"Actually, no. There's one thing left." She ignores the mocking voice, leans over, and grabs Chaeryeong's hands, pressing them against her own face. "I need a favor."

"No."

"Pretty please~ "

"Still no."

"But I need to return her jacket. Help your bestie out." Ryujin wipes away her fake tears and attempts to pout convincingly while swaying her head back and forth.

"Not a chance. You said earlier that you wouldn't avoid Yeji, and you put yourself in this situation. All. On. Your. Own." Chaeryeong withdraws her limbs from the older's grip and pokes the athlete's forehead with each word. "You can give it to her."

"I only meant that when it comes to school, though."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. Quit being a chicken."

"UGH." The athlete sighs dramatically, blows the strands of her out of her face, and sinks into her seat for a moment. "I'll give it to her on Monday then."

"I bet you twenty bucks that you won't do it within the hour."

***     ***     ***

DING DONG!

"Ew, am I the only one who thinks doorbells are kind of creepy sometimes?" Lia laughs before she notices the weird look on her friend's face. "Oh. Were you not expecting company?"

The pair were in the living room, watching the drama Lia yelled at Chaeryeong over several days ago. It was certainly interesting. So much that Yeji would now deem Lia's reaction reasonable. By now, she's already lost track of what episode they were on. Lia refused to begin where they left off since she had already watched it, claimed "the drama was too good to wait any longer" and just clicked on the episode she last started.

"Not really. I'll go check the door. You stay here."

Of course, the younger of the duo doesn't listen to her and peeks through the window, too curious to sit back. This was as expected, though. Yeji's not sure why she bothered to say anything.

"Holy shit! Is that Ryujin??" Lia whisper yells, somehow startling Yeji enough because the oldest swears she nearly jumped out of her own skin.

"You're joking??" Thanks to Lia's comment, the brunette suddenly felt really excited. However, when she takes a glimpse through the peephole, she realizes it's smudged. Therefore, she can hardly see the person out there without having to open the door. Still, color differences were clear enough. Ryujin has pink hair, and it wasn't this short. This can't be her. "Lia, that's obviously not her."

"I don't know what you're seeing, but that's Ryujin." Lia peered through the curtains once more and looked back at Yeji. "I might seriously be gay now."

The latter's confidence really threw Yeji's mind for a spin. She doesn't hesitate to open the door and see for herself, thoroughly surprised to see such a familiar face. Unbelievably, it is Ryujin, and with a new look, too. She cut her hair and dyed it blue, something Yeji assumes was done within the past few hours.

To say Yeji thought she looked beautiful was an understatement. Despite her extensive vocabulary, she doesn't have the words. Rather, her heart's busy racing. It doesn't normally beat this fast, but after last night and her numerous eye-opening thoughts, she can't help feeling both thrilled and scared.

"Ryujin... Hi."

"So the color didn't throw you off this time?" Ryujin jokes, and she mentally slaps herself for it. It was a habit to tease the brunette by now. "I, uhm, came to drop off the jacket I borrowed."

"Oh." Yeji can't help noticing how soft her friend's voice was, little to no ounce of confidence in it. She accepts the jacket, continues to stare very noticeably. So noticeably, in fact, that she didn't even realize Ryujin had anything in her possession, let alone anything of hers, not until she said so. And it made Yeji sad now that she knew. She didn't expect it to be returned so soon.

Despite the obvious staring, Ryujin refuses to buy into any of Chaeryeong's words considering the girl couldn't confidently claim what Yeji's actually feeling. Besides, remembering what Mia had seen made the answer to why Yeji was staring very simple. It's natural for people to find others attractive. That doesn't necessarily mean there's hope. "How was your test by the way?"

"I'm confident I passed."

"That's good to hear."

They stand there, silence filling the entire moment aside from the sounds coming from the television in the living room. For a moment, Ryujin taps her leg while puffing her cheeks, seemingly on defense about what she wants to do. 'Oh my god, she's so damn cute,' Yeji thinks to herself.

"Well... I should get going now."

Something in Yeji tells her to yell "no" and pull Ryujin back but honestly, she didn't have the guts to follow through. Instead, she mumbles a quiet "okay" and shuts the door. She moves to the window, silently watches the athlete walk off. An aching pain in her chest reminds her of the past. It's a similar feeling, although not as strong.

"If you don't go after her, I might."

"Lia... "

Yeji stares down at the jacket in her possession, nose catching on to its new scent, and it smells like her. As of now, she's positive this is more than enough confirmation for herself. She's not just impressed by Ryujin or busy admiring her. She likes her, and not only in a friend type of way.

This confirmation leaves her unbearably sick to her stomach, the thought of rejection or losing her friend again makes her want to cry. "What do I do??"