chuutacked, CHUU-VES [✓]

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"Everyone! The reason I asked you all to come out tonight is that Jiwoo has some exciting news to share!" Yerim quickly and effectively gathered the attention of the other three girls at the table with her loud voice. Sooyoung looked up at Yerim in confusion, while Hyejoo and Chaewon appeared to be slightly more on the annoyed side, as their conversation had been interrupted. 

Beats of silence passed after Yerim's announcement, and Jiwoo was positive the others could hear her heart throbbing loudly as if it were some form of a snare drum. "So?" Hyejoo grumbled, raising a dark eyebrow at Yerim, "You said there was news, why don't you share it?" 

"I think Jiwoo should, it is her news, after all." 

Jiwoo gulped, panic threatening to swallow her whole. Should she lie, or tell the truth? Doing either could completely ruin everything for her. She could lie, making up the story of some handsome, charming man and how he'd stolen her heart- but what if they asked to meet him? She didn't have a real handsome, charming man. 

She could also tell the truth, and tell them all that she'd not fallen for some man but instead, for Sooyoung. She could tell them that Sooyoung was beautiful, sweet and quite entertaining and that she wouldn't mind spending the rest of her eternity with her. But, this wasn't a concept accepted wholeheartedly in South Korea.. What if it scared her friends away? What if it scared Sooyoung away? 

Jiwoo sighed, trying to force herself to sound joyful over her situation, "Yes.. I met a guy today.. His name is.. Seungshin? He's very charming, very handsome too," Jiwoo rambled before she was interrupted by a screech from Chaewon. "Really? Jiwoo, when you said you'd given up on love, Hyejoo and I were worried sick. I've always firmly believed that everyone needs some form of love to be truly happy.. Jiwoo, I'm glad you've found someone," 

Sooyoung felt her heart drop from her chest and smash against the floor, shattering into billions of tiny pieces. Miniature shards of hope and affection smashed into nothing but jealousy and despair, love turned into hate in milliseconds. Her heart ached and without even meeting him, she hated this Seungshin; she hated him for stealing her opportunity. 

But, through all her hate and anger, there was a particular person she felt the most jeering detest for in the moment. Herself. 

None of this was Jiwoo (or even Seungshin)'s fault, all the blame was her own. She had allowed herself to fall for someone she knew she could never have, someone miles out of her league, someone who she had just met hours ago. This was her fault, all her fault. 

Jiwoo herself wasn't feeling spectacular, despite Chaewon's praise and Hyejoo's warm smiles, for she didn't love a man named Seungshin, she loved a girl named Sooyoung. She turned to look at Sooyoung, to view her reaction but was met with nothing but a blank stare. She wasn't smiling as she had been earlier, she wasn't laughing, she wasn't congratulating, she was just staring off into the distance. 

Jiwoo wasn't quite sure what to make of it. 

After staring at the wall for a considerable amount of time, Sooyoung sighed heavily and excused herself for the restroom. She moped into the bathroom before throwing herself into a stall, leaning against the wall, trying not to cry. 

Crying would be selfish, Sooyoung thought to herself. If you truly loved Jiwoo, you'd want her to be happy, no matter what.. But, do you love her? Is it possible to love someone you've just met? I think it is, because I thought I loved her..

Jiwoo followed after Sooyoung, sensing something wasn't entirely right with the girl. She watched as Sooyoung threw herself into the bathroom stall, leaning her back against the wall before sliding down it, resting her head on her knees and letting small sobs escape her. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door gently, "Sooyoung? Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine.. Go away, Jiwoo." Sooyoung sniffled, burying her face further into her knees, slightly distraught that she had been caught crying in the bathroom by her crush. Jiwoo sighed, "I'm not going to go away, you might as well just tell me why you're in here," 

"You," Sooyoung sighed, wiping the tears from her face with her palms, "See, Jiwoo, I've liked you before I met you. I discovered you on SNS, browsed through the pictures you took for people that you posted often before eventually finding a picture of you. I thought you were beautiful and I desperately wanted to meet you, so I came to your studio, I didn't really need pictures taken but I did really need an excuse to meet you," 

Sooyoung pushed herself off the bathroom floor, instead leaning her body forward on the stall door, "So, I like you, Jiwoo. I've been stupid, I know. I should've assumed someone as perfect as you would have a boyfriend, right? But, I didn't, because I'm stupid and am full of false hope. You probably think I'm a creep, maybe even a stalker now, right? Maybe I am. Maybe, I never should've came to your studio and instead just continued admiring you from afar as I did before. I'm so sorry Jiwoo, I hope you can be my friend still." 

Jiwoo blinked a few times, trying to process everything that Sooyoung had just rambled to her from inside the bathroom stall. When she met Sooyoung, she had been charmed by her good looks and beautiful personality, she figured she was the desperate one. Desperate for her attention, desperate for her to have feelings for her. But, Sooyoung had sounded awfully desperate from inside the bathroom. 

"Sooyoung.." Jiwoo started, before she interrupted, "I'm sorry Jiwoo, I'm really sorry. I hope everything works out with Seungshin." 

"Sooyoung, there is no Seungshin." Jiwoo blurted and Sooyoung peeked at her from above the stall door, "Huh? What do you mean no Seungshin?" 

"You see, I've always had a natural aversion to love and all my friends knew that I was passionately against it.. So when I met you, I got excited because for once in my life I finally felt the butterfly-ish feeling all the books and movies described. I told Yerim, who was equally excited and said we should have dinner in my honor. I didn't want to tell them it was you, Sooyoung, so I lied. I made up Seungshin, he was fake, you were real." 

"So.. You like me back?" Sooyoung asked, unlocking the stall door and peering at Jiwoo through the crack, "Yes, Sooyoung." 

Jiwoo didn't have time to react as a pair of arms clung to her, holding her so tight that she could barely take in any oxygen, but she didn't mind. She hugged back equally tight, waves of relief and comfort washing over her. 

Maybe, I was meant for love after all.