"How have you been? Did you have fun back there?"

"Not that much... I thought I got the freedom to go out of town but they kept me in Hainan to study... it's boring to study without you, you know" walking while bumping each other on the dim street, Xiaoting decided to go home to YXY's house instead of her dorm. She still has 2 days of vacation left before practicing again so why not spend it with Y/n?

"You've studied for a year without me, was it boring?"

"No? I have my college classmates back there, last month was all by myself and my dad's employees"

"What did you study all about though? You spent 80% of your life studying, aren't your mind getting tired?" Y/n chuckled then sighed. If she wasn't mistaken, since she was 3 years old, she was already studying in advance. Her parents were quite surprised their child can read paragraphs at the age of three. During pre-school, Y/n was beyond intelligent than her classmates, but everything stopped when she was almost kidnapped. She was homeschooled after that until the age of seven where she first met Xiaoting in school. She was homeschooled once again but during those years, she got a friend, whose name is Shen Xiaoting, by her side.

"I guess I spent most of my time studying but my brain is still 50% unfilled. We're still 23, we still have a lot of things to learn, Shen" over the distance, Y/n saw the glimpse of their vehicle and called it over. "Are you coming home with me?"

"Do you want me to leave me here?"

"No, it's late-night already"

"Then I'm coming with you" Xiaoting lifted one of Y/n's luggage and helped her get in the car. It was already morning and Bahiyyih and Mashiro walked home already. "Where are we going home?" Asked Xiaoting.

"To the group's house? Where else?"

"Ah... I thought we're heading to the family house..."

"We're not a couple anymore, we don't need privacy" Y/n giggled. "What so funny?"

"Nothing, just some random thoughts..."

Making the way downtown, the resident van waited in front of the Youth Entertainment as Y/n told the driver so. "Sorry for making you wait, Mr. Kim"

Y/n and Xiaoting finally made it back to the house, greeted by a sleeping Ziyin on the couch. She waited for Y/n but eventually fell asleep. "Jie-jie" Y/n shook her older cousin. Ziyin stirred up and then smiled, but that smile eventually faded as she saw Xiaoting beside Y/n.

"Why-"

"Xiaoting's staying here for the night"

"In your room?"

"Of course not! She got her room, she's sleeping there..." Y/n awkwardly replied. Even when the two were still dating, Ziyin doesn't really want them to sleep in the same room. Y/n hasn't even told Ziyin about the hickey situation because for Ziyin, Y/n is still a baby. The same goes for Jiaqi but eventually, the oldest already let them do anything because they're at their right age anyway. Flashback to the time Y/n told them Xiaoting kissed her for the first time, their reaction was cringed. They can't relate because they never tried to be in a relationship whilst being the oldest...

"And we're not dating," Y/n told Ziyin.

Ziyin inspected both of their faces carefully whether they were just lying but they don't look like it. Y/n can't even lie to her. But as Ziyin's eye landed on Xiaoting's finger, the engagement ring was still there.

"Not dating but you two still have those engagement rings?" Y/n turned to Xiaoting and indeed, the shorter still wears her engagement ring. Her lips curved into a smile then pulled out her necklace to show hers. "These are expensive Mrs. Shen money, we just can't throw it away, and... these are trackers as well. Who knows if any of us got lost..." Roada just stared at her cousin, eyebrows raised in one eye. 'She acts like a mother to me', Y/n thought while holding her laugh. Ziyin's face is so funny when she's dead serious sometimes.

"Okay... go sleep now, Jia has something to announce tomorrow"

"What happened?"

"She has plans for us... for you and the already revealed girls... you'll know it tomorrow... good night" Ziyin plopped back down to the couch and then wore her sleeping mask on. "Oh, and turn off the lights when you leave..."

"Good night, grandma"

Y/n's POV

I headed towards my bedroom with Xiaoting tailing me. One of my bags is with her because she insisted to help. I guess this is the way she pursues me. She never pursued me before because our relationship just popped off after confessing.

"Are you going home right away tomorrow?" I asked. She shook her head and then smiled. "I have a whole free day tomorrow... and Hikaru's staying here so I must stay as well"

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?"

"With who?"

"With me" I pointed to myself. She got flustered a bit then bit her lip after. Aigoo, I'm making her heart flutter.

"Sure, why not?"

"Nice, so uh..." I looked around, my room was neat and cold because it was left for a month. Even when the AC's off, it's cold already. "Let's catch some sleep, it's almost 1 in the morning already" Xiaoting agreed then made her way out of the room. I'm glad she's not that persuasive Xiaoting like she is when we were still together. Back then, when I tell her to go out and sleep away from me, she will never do it and persuade me to let her stay. She was annoying. Annoyingly cute.

I watched her disappear from the door frame then smiled to myself. Oh, how I love her.

Still smiling at the air on the door frame, she came back peeking at me. "Good night"

"Good night, bao"

"Good morning, and welcome... Miss Yoon will come any minute now" The group was gathered in the living room. Y/n and Xiaoting were clueless about the situation. It's been a month since Y/n left and she noticed a lot of things changed.

Su Ruiqi being not so talkative anymore,

Ruan and Kotone sitting far away from each other,

Jiyoon staring at Ruiqi a lot,

Mrs. Bong is off duty at the moment.

It feels weird and new to Y/n. She feels like she missed a lot of things.

"Shh... everyone, please welcome... Director Yoon Jia!" Roada introduced as everyone gave Jia a round of a pause. "Why are we clapping?" Y/n asked Manami whos sitting beside her. "Jia unnie is going to make a project"

"Thank you, thank you~" Jia bowed and thanked everyone for the warm greetings.

"Since everyone is here now, I would like to make an announcement!" Jia took out a thick folder behind her. "Ahem... Youngeun and I wrote the script..." She giggled, making Hikaru, who's also sitting beside me, giggle too. Did I miss something for real?

"Kyungsoo sunbaenim already gave me the go signal to do our own content which is doing a mini-drama... is everyone in?!"

"YES!" I'm so proud of her. Jia already once told me that she wanted to become a producer or director and now, she's doing it.

"Good! Thank you! So today... I'm giving you guys the script.., the unrevealed girls, as for this season, cannot join, sorry, but I will make a way to get you guys in after your debut" I got my script, and noticeably, I got the thickest folder.

"A gay story, I see" Hikaru chuckled. "Youngeun is really fishy," I heard Xiaoting behind me say. "I know right" I replied.

"Youngeun and I made a decision, I hope no one gets angry about this but Y/n unnie will be one of the main characters, are you okay with that unnie?"

"My pleasure to be the main lead"

"Good... anyone who would like to be her partner" Wait, me? I looked at everyone and they were eyeing me back, although Ziyin, Dayeon, and Ruiqi are looking at Xiaoting instead of me.

"Youngeun suggested to put Xiaoting unnie but she hasn't still debuted with us yet..."

"Me?" I looked up to Xiaoting. She was sitting on the couch while I and the other kids were sitting on the floor.

"You two looked great together, don't take that seriously, that's just for the role" Jia nervously laughed. She's afraid that she might mistake their genders since she still doesn't know about the engagement thing.

"So... anyone?"

"I think I can do it" Everyone turns to Manami who's just right beside me. "Agree, Manami can do it" Hikaru pushed my shoulders so I could bump into Manami, who's currently wiggling her brows at me. "Don't worry, unnie. I don't bite"

"Do you think I can act?"

"Why are you asking me that? Didn't you do acting in your solo MV already?"

"Ah, yeah... did I do well?"

"You did great. I never saw you act like that because you told me before that you will never pursue acting" Walking side to side in the Han River, it was an orange afternoon. Many people were there also but not one laid an eye over the two of us.

"I was broken at that time"

"Why?"

...

"Uhh... because I found out that you're cheating?" Xiaoting nodded as she avoided my gaze. I also noticed that she's growing, I can't let her surpass my height again because she'll only make fun of me. "Can you stop eating almonds?"

"How did you know?"

"Because you're growing, stop it" It was a silent walk, we never had this for a long time. By the way, her hair is now red. It's for their new comeback, I think.

"How are you and Yurina?" I changed the subject to the one that she really hates the most. I know she doesn't hate Yurina but every time she hears her name, the mother comes to her mind. "She debuted as a soloist that made her mother forget about me a bit... she told me she's going to study soon"

"What study?"

"Business"

"You sure do like businesswomen, Shen Xiaoting?" I purposely bumped her shoulders which made her lose balance, stumbling to the side. "Sorry" I helped her up, our hands being in contact again. When I was about to retreat mine, she gripped on me tight. "I do like a businesswoman, an unemployed one"

"Too bad I'm employed, who's the lucky person, huh?"

"You're not employed as a businesswoman, Yang. You're so bad at lying" Pulling me with her, she leads us to one of the stairs in the river. Her fake nails are digging into the back of my hand, I really hate long nails. She motioned me to sit down beside her on the side where fewer people will recognize us. "What makes Yurina study business?"

"Her mother's dream, not hers" What kind of mother is her mother? She can't just force her daughter!

"That sucks"

"I know right, her mother wants me to study with Yurina too... like, hey! I graduated college already, Mrs. Kawaguchi;, don't make me study again!... and I don't want to be a businesswoman, I want to marry one" she bumped my side once more. Okay?

 It's already September and it's getting colder. My birthday is next month, our supposedly fifth anniversary too.

"It's my birthday soon" I reminded her. She nodded her head, seems like she knew it was coming. "I know..." That's it? Or is she going to surprise me that's why she replied short? Last birthday, she wasn't there to celebrate it with me. That's my first birthday without her, excluding the time when we still haven't met.

"What do you want to do on your birthday?" Xiaoting asked. Every birthday, it's just a simple celebration with parents and relatives. Since we're a bit free now, why not spend it outside?

"I'll go on a vacation"

"To where?"

"Doah showed me a peaceful place in her home province... I want to go there again" Xiaoting scrunched her forehead. This is the first time I told her I went somewhere with Doah.

"You went out of the city with Kim Doah?"

"I did. Remember the three days I didn't come home? She took me somewhere because we coincidentally met at the airport while I'm waiting for you... but you didn't come so I spent my days with her" I saw her pout in the corner of my eyes. She's probably jealous, again.

"Are you going there alone? Or with the other members?"

"I'm going there alone" I'm used to celebrating my birthday on my own anyway. I remember my 20th one, both my parents were on a business trip and Xiaoting has a rehearsal for tomorrow's event in their agency. I spent my birthday all alone at home. It wasn't that sad anyway. The same night, Xiaoting went to our house, a box of cake in her hands. That birthday was also memorable. That was the same time I shared my first kiss with my first love.

"I can take a break from my work so I can go there with you" I was brought back to reality when Xiaoting squeezed my hands. "No, it's fine... you should prioritize your work, not your best friend" I untangled our fingers together, bringing my hand on top of her cap. "I'll celebrate it with the members first then the next day, ill take a vacation"

"I don't want you to go there alone, what if someone wants to kidnap you there? Doah-"

"Doah? She's never going to kidnap me, dummy"

"Who knows... and there are a lot of mafias in the countryside... I don't want you to die alone, take me with you" I pushed her head playfully. Why is she thinking like this anyway? No one's going to die.

"If I die, I'm going to ghost you for your entire life. Even your future family"

"If you die, I'm never going to fall in love with anyone ever again, and no, there's no future family if it's not y-"

"Unnie?" Xiaoting stopped talking as we heard a deep voice speak behind us. Sounds like Jeon Heejin but no,

"Doah?" I immediately noticed her short hair under the cap

"Unnie..." she lifted her hat revealing her red puffy eyes. Did something happen? It's just a month since I left, why's everything not normal?

"Why are you crying?" I stood up, then went to wipe off her tears. "What happened?"

I was taken aback when Doah all of the sudden hugged me, her face buried in my chest. My eyes landed on Xiaoting who's sending Doah death glares.

"Please help me"

I was about to ask her why but I felt my head being pushed, my lips crashing into another. Wait a damn minute,

My eyes were wide open, it was Doah. 

Doah kissed me.

Infront of Xiaoting.