I woke up pretty much early today because of my alarm. I don't remember setting one but as soon as I woke up, my things were already arranged neatly. I don't know who it was but I guess that person wants me to get out of the house already. But as soon as I felt something on my finger, I knew who it was. But I'm not sure...

It's either Y/n or Mrs. Bong. Y/n must've told Mrs. Bong to return the engagement ring then arranged my things. I also never get to see Y/n leave so I guess I'll never see her again until she comes back.

"Bye" Ruiqi sarcastically said as I entered the van. I am set to go to WakeOne to meet the new members. I never heard who are they but I'm pretty sure Youngeun is still a member.

I reached the company and I was the member who was the last one to arrive. I did my make-up longer than usual because my eyes were still swollen.

"Sojung unnie!" Youngeun ran to me then hugged me tightly. My daughter.

I looked at the other members and Hikaru arrived already. She was giving me this salty look the motioned for me to come to her side. I didn't hesitate then pulled Youngeun with me towards Hikaru.

"I thought you were going to fetch me to the airport with my unnie earlier," Hikaru told me. So she was waiting for me earlier? "I only saw Y/n unnie there, Ziyin unnie sent her off" She continued to talk as if she's not angry at me. Did she forget about me and Y/n breaking up?

"Let's go shopping later" Wow, what happened to Hikaru and why is she asking me to go shopping with her...

"Welcome, all of you. We apologize for the problem earlier. It's not us at fault, MNET gave us the wrong ranking" The CEO finally appeared. I never met him in such a long time. He's kind but my current CEO is much better.

"Do you want to know what will be the group name?"

"Ne!"

"It's going to be... Kep1er!"

...

Kep1er? What in the world is that name?

A month has passed and finally, Xiaoting got her temporary freedom from the Kawaguchi's hands due to heavy training and recording. Y/n on the other hand got her freedom as well. Freedom of being single this time. If she and Xiaoting are still together, there's a high chance that Xiaoting would forbid her from getting close to some girls.

"Unnie, Rimika, and I are going to the theater tomorrow, wanna come?" Kotone asked as they prepare their dinner. They don't have Mrs. Bong or Ziyin at the apartment so Y/n cooked the food all by herself. The Japanese kids surprisingly liked Chinese cuisines that made Y/n proud.

"What about me? Aren't you going to ask me?" Asked Ruan.

"Go with Momoka, isn't she your best friend?"

"What are you- whatever" Ruan then grumpily walked away from the two. "You two are quarreling again?" Y/n chuckled while Kotone nodded. Kotone and Ruan are an inseparable duo but after Ruan hangs out with Momoka and Rinka 2 days straight, leaving the others at the apartment, Kotone felt jealous then avoided Ruan the next day. "It's her fault anyway, she left me for her other friends"

"Yah, don't get jealous of her friends, Kotone-chan. Ruan must've missed them after months of training in Korea"

"No, unnie... it's just... you know, what if she replace my title as her best friend? I'm worried"

"I'm pretty sure she won't, you two are like twins, always beside each other" Y/n tried to enlighten Kotone but that only made her frown more. "Twins? Is that what you think when you see us, unnie?" There's a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Why? You don't like it?"

"I don't look at her as a sibling, unnie... well, I'm not sure but... I kind of like her" Kotone confessed. All this time, she was developing a special feeling towards her best friend. She was unsure at first because both of them are girls but as they came to the group and Hikaru told them that Y/n and Xiaoting are dating, Kotone thought it is possible. But does Ruan like her?

"Ah, I see... since when?"

"We went home together after the competition... I was unsure until I knew about yours and Xiaoting unnie's... how did the two of you find out that you like each other?" Kotone curiously asked. She took off her apron as she finished cutting some vegetables, sitting beside the counter, and waited for her sister's reply.

"Why are you interested at the sudden?"

"You two were childhood best friends, how did you develop feelings for each other?"

"It's a long story but for me, I just realized that I liked her after she got all jealous of my secret admirers in high school" Y/n chuckled. When they were in high school, Xiaoting was really against Y/n's admirers, even the letters she received. Have Y/n mentioned about the letters sounding like a "joke", that the people who sent them to her were sounding not serious? It is actually because of Xiaoting changing the words and phrases as she reads the letters for Y/n. Most of the time, Xiaoting reads them so she knows the contents too but every time a certain letter with a hello kitty sticker was sent, Y/n would take it and read it all by herself because it was from Lin Shuqing.

--

"Aiya~ these letters are awful" Xiaoting scratched the back of her head as she reads the letters one by one. Y/n was doing their assignments so Xiaoting will read them for her.

"First letter," Xiaoting announced as she held up a single piece of a paper note. "This is from initials WYJ... Wang Yijin, I know him. That basketball player who's playing with other girls, should I still read it?" Y/n shook her head then Xiaoting secretly smiled. There's no Wang Yijin basketball player, Y/n thought. Xiaoting is trying hard to make the senders look bad or twist the words so Y/n would say no to them.

"Next one is from Wu Bosong. Ah, that guy who always gets caught playing a game on their class, skip or nah?"

"Skip" Xiaoting pumped her fist into the air. "A girl is next... why do girls send you letters? Is there a possibility you'll like them back?" Xiaoting asked curiously although it's obvious that Y/n does like girls especially those pretty celebrities on the TV.

"Possible, if they're kind and hardworking" Xiaoting once again pumped her fist into the air that Y/n saw in the reflection of the dark computer monitor in front of her. That was the time when she asked herself, "what is she doing? does she likes me?"

"What about you? Do you like anyone? Our classmate? Your dance classmates? Your dance partner?" Y/n asked curiously. Xiaoting never told her love interests at Y/n. She never liked anyone but her, anyway. Xiaoting never ever had a crush on anyone because she's a hardworking girl, always busy, she got no time to love. Not until she felt something different towards her best friend, everything changed.

"Me? I don't know... I'm not sure" Xiaoting shyly confessed.

"Is it a classmate?"

"Uh-huh," Y/n felt her heart skip a beat all of the sudden. Her guts telling her that it is possibly her. But she doesn't know if Xiaoting likes the same gender. "You can tell me, I'm your best friend" Y/n swiveled, facing Xiaoting who's comfortably sitting on Y/n's bed. Xiaoting was sitting there for hours, waiting for Y/n to finish their assignments. "What about you? Do you like anyone?" Xiaoting countered.

"Answer my questions first, Shen"

"No~ if I answer right away, I will miss a chance to know yours... I know you, Yang" Xiaoting crossed her arms in a cute way that made Y/n's cheeks heat up for some unknown reason. Her heart starts beating fast as well because the atmosphere seems intense.

"I do like someone at the moment" She was talking about Lin Shuqing, their classmate. Xiaoting on the other hand doesn't know what to feel. She likes Y/n for a long time, if Y/n likes somebody else, it will hurt her.

"Any clue? I want to know"

"No, Shen Xiaoting. Answer my question earlier first"

"What was it again?"

"Who's the person you like?"

"I never heard you asked that" Y/n never asked that, she said 'You can tell me, I'm your best friend but that's the same either way. "So what, now answer my question"

"I'll answer that if you give me another clue about your crush" Y/n sighed, there's no way Y/n will escape Xiaoting now. Now that the other girl knows she likes somebody, she will annoy and annoy Y/n if she has the chance.

"You first, I answered your question a while ago"

"Promise me not to tell this to anyone?" Y/n nodded her head.

"Okay, fine. The first clue about her is that she's a her, is that okay?" Y/n was confused at first but she collected the idea right away. "You like a girl?" Xiaoting nodded. "Is it fine with you? I mean, I don't want you to get uncomfortable-"

"No, no, it's totally fine. I also like a girl so we're the same... we live in Gaydu, what do we expect"

"You're-"

"I like a girl and that's my clue, goodbye, the end. No more following questions. Periodt" Y/n turned her chair around then continued on their assignments. "Yeah sure, your clue is enough... not enough totally" Xiaoting whispered the last part but Y/n heard it all. 'She sounds sad' Y/n thought.

'But there's no way she likes me if that's me'

--

"I and Xiaoting grew up together. I was seven when I first met her. She confessed to me in France in 2017 and in addition to that, she told me she had liked me since 2013. Love takes time, Kotone-chan. Who knows, Ruan might be developing special feelings for you"

"Not sure about that, unnie"

"Don't worry, I got you. I can change Ruan's mind like what I did to Luofei" Y/n laughed on her own. Speaking of Su Ruiqi and Zhang Luofei, they've been dating since Y/n pushed them together. "Luofei? Zhang Luofei unnie? What did you do?" Tone asked.

"Well, I made a video entitled "Send this to your crush" and Ruiqi sent it to Luofei, it worked. Do you want to try it?" Kotone giggled as she shook her head. "After promoting, unnie. I don't want the atmosphere between us to worsen while promoting..."

"Sure... anyway. I just realized both of us like a certain group"

"LOONA sunbaenim?"

"Yeah, that's why we're gay. Orbits are gay"

Xiaoting's POV

Hikaru was sticking with me all the time. I don't know if Y/n told her so or she just doesn't want me to flirt with others.

The group was kind of awkward at first because of the issue but we got along so well now. I'm still sad for those who got into the problem but most of them now debuted. Suyeon with Billlie and Yurina was said to be gearing up for a solo. Yurina and I talked about the affair thing and surprisingly, she told me something I don't know too. She told me she likes Xingqiao and only likes me as a friend. That made me relieved but now, our main problem is her mother.

Speaking of Mrs. Kawaguchi, she's not texting me any more. Well, I changed phones. Hikaru told me to buy a new one since the last one was outdated and she said "You're rich anyway, you should buy a new one"

On my new phone, only my family members, Y/n and her family, and YXY members were the only saved numbers there. Y/n has never talked to me since that incident in the bathroom so my life is now... boring.

"Hey, your phone has been pinging multiple times, are you deaf?" Hikaru tapped my shoulders. She's my roommate with Mashiro but the other one is not yet home, went shopping with Youngeun.

"I hope it's not her" I whispered, pertaining to Yurina's mom, but Hikaru mistook it. "You don't want Y/n unnie to talk to you? Fine, I'll tell that to her"

"No~ not her, I-- it's not Y/n, Hikaru" I can't tell her about Yurina's mom because that will make her think I'm close to her family already.

I grabbed my old phone and sighed at who it was.

Zhou Shiyu

Where's Y/n?

We can't contact her

It's been a month and mom is worried

But your mom said she's in Korea with you so we were relieved but why isn't she contacting us back?

Shen Xiaoting

Hey, Shiyu

She's in Japan

She didn't tell you?

Shiyu never replied but another notification appeared.

Mrs. Song

Are you serious?

Xiaoting

Yes, mom

I thought she told you about it already...

Mrs. Song

Aiya~

Did you two forget about the restricted areas outside China?

I told you two that you can't go to Japan, Hong Kong, and Russia

Are you in contact with her?

Did she change numbers?

Please tell her to contact us ASAP

Xiaoting

Will do, mom.

I'm sorry

How can I forget about those places?! I never knew the reasons why they don't allow us to go there but I'm sure it's about business.

"Hikaru" I called for the other girl who was applying a face mask on the side. "What"

"Can you call, Y/n? It's urgent. Her mom is looking for her"

"Are you serious?"

"Come on, Hikaru. It's urgent" Hikaru sighed, putting aside her things then dialing something on her phone.

"Oh- Anny- yeah Konichiwa~ unnie! Your mom is looking for you!"

"Who told you?"

"Xiaoting unnie"

"How did my mom know? Tell her to tell my mom that I'm with her" Xiaoting shook her head then went to snatch Hikaru's phone. "No, Yang. You're bad at lying. Your mother is asking me where are you right now because you don't reply to her and your sister"

"Unnie has a sister? I thought-"

"Not now, Hikaru. Y/n, please contact them. They're worried as f- hell. Remember what mom told us? We can't go to Japan"

"Why-"

"Not now, Hikaru. Contact them, A.S.A.P"

"Okay. Later"

"No! Do it now"

"Yes bo- I mean, Shen. You can go back minding your own business now, thanks for letting me know, bye"

"Bu-" Beep. The call was cut off. She still hates me. I thanked Hikaru as I gave her phone back.

"If she's not allowed in Japan, she or you should've told us" Hikaru complained. "What if there's something bad in there that might hurt unnie? Should we tell this to the CEO? We should go to the co-"

"No, Hikaru. I'll take care of this. But first, give me Y/n's new contact number"

"To flirt with her, sure, here"