Okay but Lele looks so fluffy in the pic, don't ya think? uwu

Chapter 32

"Noona, ice cream?" Chenle asked.

The girl shook her head and just buried her face in her hands. Her friends looked at her with worry.

The moment Mark went to his room, they immediately took Eunmi out so that she wouldn't think about it for a while. Well, they tried.

"Yah, it's okay..." Yeri hugged her.

"It's m-my fault... I didn't know that he l-lost his job just because I-I... I... practically ignored him... I-I... never knew..." She sobbed.

Winwin handed her a bottle of water which she gladly took. "Th-thanks, oppa..." She tried to smile.

"What happened back there?" Taeyong asked, sitting in front of Eunmi.

They were at an ice cream parlor, but this time, it wasn't the one that was inside their school premises.

"I left you guys for a while to talk about things and I came back with you two crying..." Taeyong sighed and looked at the girl who was currently looking down. "I'm sorry if he's being an ass, Eunmi-yah..."

She just nodded, "I... understand... it was my fault, oppa... and even if you say that it's not... it's clearly my fault..." She buried her head in her palms.

"Noona, ice cream." Chenle placed a bowl of chocolate flavored ice cream in front of Eunmi. The younger smiled sheepishly, "I know you badly want your comfort food, noona... it's okay."

Eunmi smiled at the younger, "Thanks, Lele." She said, taking the spoon that Chenle is handing her.

She ate the ice cream quietly while looking at her phone that was on the side. It lit up when an app notification popped up and saw her wallpaper. She just sighed, not bothering to think about it anymore.

"Yah." Seulgi called her and sat on her left.

She looked at the girl and tilted her head on the side, "Why, unnie?" She asked.

Seulgi sighed, "I can't believe I'm saying but... you're the most suitable for Mark..."

Wendy laughed and quoted the words "most suitable" in the air. Seulgi just glared at her.

"As I was saying, you two..." She sighed. "You've been through a lot... and I suggest that for now... just breathe... and let loose..." She smiled at the girl who was busy eating ice cream.

"Thank you, unnie." She hugged the older and sobbed.

"Hey, don't cry... don't think about him now... just... relax and try to forget about it even just for a little while." Seulgi rubbed the younger's back.

She pulled away from the hug and nodded while wiping here tears away.

***

"Karaoke? Seriously, Haechan?" Eunmi asked while laughing.

They were at the arcade, and they were standing outside the karaoke. Luckily, it was big enough to fit all of them.

Haechan just laughed and opened the door. "I know you want to express yourself through songs... Mark-hyung used to do it too, but—" He covered his mouth when he realized that he's been talking too much. "I'm sorry..." He apologized.

The girl just nodded, "It's fine, Haechan-ah.." She smiled.

"So? What song?" Wendy said, opening the song list.

***

"Yah, pabo-yah!" Jisung snatched the remote away from Chenle who kept on pressing the wrong numbers. "Noona said 3, not 4!" He said.

Chenle could only glare at the other guy who just took the remote away from him:

The music started to play and Wendy silenced everyone by saying "shh!" out loud.

Eunmi laughed, "Mwoya~ Why this song? I thought you would hype me up but what—" She couldn't argue anymore when Haechan already gave her the microphone.

"Noona, fighting!" Haechan gave her a fist sign.

She sighed.

"jjijeojin jongitjogage
damanaen naye jinshime
seonmyeonghaejyeo somethin' bout you"

On a ripped piece of paper
I wrote down how I really feel
And it gets clear, somethin' bout you

She was singing a song that she could relate to.

Everyone just watched and listened to her as she sang.

"Yeah nareul manhi dalmeun deut dareun
neon hokshi nawa gateulkka jigeum
gwaenhan gidaereul hae"

Yeah, you and I are similar but different
Do you feel the same way?
I'm getting my hopes up

"YOU DON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY ANYMORE!!! I DON'T HAVE MY HOPES UP!!" She exclaimed at the middle of the verse, causing the others to burst out laughing.

She isn't drunk, right?

"haru han dal il nyeonjeum doemyeon
seoro dareun ilsangeul saraga"

When one day, one month, one year passes
Will we be living different lives?

It was only five months, and yet here they are... acting like total strangers, as if nothing really happened between the two of them.

"naneun aniya
swibji aneul geot gata
yeojeonhagedo neon nae haruharureul chaeugo
ajigeun aniya
babocheoreom doenoeneun na
ipgae maemdoneun mareul samkil su eopseo
It's not fine
Ah ah ah ah it's not fine"

Not me
It won't be easy for me
Still, you fill up my days
Not yet
I tell myself, like a fool
I can't swallow the words that linger in my mouth
It's not fine
Ah ah ah ah it's not fine

And she thinks it would never be fine.

She continued singing even if she wasl already at the verge of tears.

"meoril jikkeun mukkeun chae
eojireoun bangeul jeongnihae
chatgo isseo somethin' new

gakkeum ireoke gamdanghal su eopneun
mworado haeya hal geotman gateun gibune
gwaenhi umjigigon hae"

With my hair tightly tied up
I'm cleaning up my messy room
I'm looking for somethin' new

Sometimes, I get this overwhelming feeling
Of having to do something
So I move around for no reason

She studied hard, even staying awake all night if she needs to. She did everything just to graduate early and go back to Seoul earlier, but fate wasn't on their side.

Maybe Eunmi's red string was tied to someone else, same goes with Mark, who already gave up.

"haru han dal il nyeon geujjeumimyeon
useumyeo chueokhal geora haetjiman"

When one day, one month, one year passes
You said you'd probably smile and reminisce but

She just sang the song while crying, not even thinking about what she looks like.

She held the microphone tighter, afraid that it might fall because she's getting weaker.

"naneun aniya
swibji aneul geot gata
yeojeonhagedo neon nae haruharureul chaeugo
ajigeun aniya
babocheoreom doenoeneun na
ipgae maemdoneun mareul samkil su eopseo
It's not fine
Ah ah ah ah it's not fine"

Not me
It won't be easy for me
Still, you fill up my days
Not yet
I tell myself, like a fool
I can't swallow the words that linger in my mouth
It's not fine
Ah ah ah ah it's not fine

She wiped her tears away and continued singing, even if she was crying. Her voice was cracking as of the moment but she couldn't care less.

She was thinking about forgetting everything.

But she just could not.

"uimi eopneun nongdam jugobadneun daehwa
saramdeul teume nan amureochi ana boyeo
mudin cheok useumeul jieo boimyeo
neoran geuneureul aesseo oemyeonhaebojiman"

Between the meaningless jokes, back-and-forth conversations
And all the people, I look like I'm fine
I pretend to be numb and I try to smile
I try to turn around from your shadow but

The song was about to end but she wasn't feeling any better.

Her friends looked at her with worry.

They could see how the girl still loves Mark, but they also saw how Mark suffered in the five months she's gone.

He lost the job he really wanted, and something was stopping him from doing the things he love.

But it's love.

You have to get hurt one way or another.

"uri majimak
geu sungani jakku tteoolla
jal jinaeran mari jeonbuyeotdeon damdamhan ibyeol
ajigeun aniya
babocheoreom doenoeneun geu mal
ipgae maemdoneun mareul samkil su eopseo
It's not fine
Ah ah ah it's not fine oh
Ah ah ah it's not fine"

I keep thinking
About our last moment
The words "take care" was it for our plain breakup
Not yet
I tell myself, like a fool
I can't swallow the words that linger in my mouth
It's not fine
Ah ah ah it's not fine oh
Ah ah ah it's not fine

The song ended and she immediately handed the microphone to Haechan and sobbed silently.

Jaehyun stood up and sat beside his sister. "Eun-ah..." He said, patting her back.

She immediately hugged her brother and whispered, "Oppa..."

"Shh... time will heal everything, Eun-ah..." Jaehyun said. "Everything's gonna be fine..."

It's not gonna be fine....

—tbc.
Song: Fine (Taeyeon)