sera doesn't quite believe it when she unboxed the album. she won the ticket to the fan sign. the house filled with shrieks. she won't stop talking about it. never in a million years did she think this could happen.

'I got you the album,' naeun told. the older sister had to take credits. after all, it was her hard-earned part-time money. it's not like the parents couldn't afford to buy it, but naeun always wanted to get it for sera.

bringing sera her university for watching an m/v shooting turned her into his faithful fangirl.

'it's the best gift. love you!' sera hugged her. it was something she had always dreamt of.

'so sweetie, I can return the phone?' mr. park asked, bringing back the latest model they got their younger daughter. he playfully hid it while sera tried getting it.

'pops please!'

'don't use it too much. it'll strain your eyes.'

'you and naeun are the same,' sera snatched it away. thanking her mom and dad.

'study well now. you promised,' mrs. park replied, squishing the younger's cheeks.

'first, let me post in the forum,' sera ran upstairs to update her online friends about the presents.

'are you sleeping enough, princess?' the father turned to his eldest. who simply nodded, eating her breakfast. 'your face is saying otherwise,' he continued, pushing back his glasses.

'naeun, did you eat the fruits I left you last night?' mrs. park asked. she did not need an answer. she knew it. 'I don't what keeps you locked in a room the whole day.'

'mom, I was busy. like just understand, it's last week, I don't wanna fail the semester.' naeun replied. she can't let them find out their supposedly smart daughter has not been doing things on time and the assignments just piled up.

'taking care of health is important, princess,' the father stated. his natural doctor instincts showing up.

'one stays all night to study, the other to fangirl.' mrs. park complained.

' naeun went on me, ' the man commented 'I am sure sera got it from you.'

'doctor park! what do you mean by that?'

'oh really? did you never go I'd die for shinhwa? you even took me to that concert!'

'mom?' a surprised giggle escaped naeun.

'stop! it was supposed to be a secret!' mrs. park hit her husband for revealing her crazy teenage days. 'if sera finds out, I'll disown you both,' the mom threatened the father-daughter duo.

〔*.☽ .*〕

naeun rubbed her forehead at the pile of balance sheets in front. last-minute assignment submissions are the worse. she could blame no one but herself.

'stupid business law. I hate you, huh,' she pushed the textbook aside. all she had been dealing with for one week was stress, frustration, and fear of not turning in the report on time.

she pulled the phone off its charging stand. calculating the time difference, she dialed her long-distance boyfriend.

'hi naeun'

'sorry, were you still sleeping?'

'we submitted our thesis, so went out last night.'

'great,' naeun mumbled. hyujin's got excellent time management skills, there was no arguing. but it looked like he had time sorted for everything but her.

'how's your final week coming? you are barely online,' the boy stated, his voice sounding that of a hangover.

'you could just call me. I would have come online,' naeun told, adjusting the sheets into the binder. so much for the promise of texting each other every day.

'I just did not want to disturb you, naeun.'

'but we hardly speak'

'what's there to talk about each day?'

naeun paused a moment to think about what to say. maybe even her mum went through the same, dealing with her busy surgeon dad. but he always made sure to make them feel loved no matter how hectic his day was. but right now she did not want to sound like an insecure clingy girlfriend.

'right!' she tried to sound cheerful. 'hyujin, sanah's calling I need to go.'

'okay, all the best for exams.'

no her best friend wasn't calling. she thought talking to hyujin would lighten her mood but it doesn't seem to. worse it made her more insecure about why they can't have daily normal conversations.

cutting the call short, she returned the phone to the charger. sanah would be here to pick her anytime. they planned to go finish a test together, so naeun decides to take a shower before she steps out.

〔*.☽ .*〕

'done!' sanah stated, closing the book with a thud. however, the librarian wasn't pleased by the echo it created. naeun looked up from her book. she's still got sixty pages to go through and then write the report. it's already past ten, so she is absolutely doomed.

'I might stay back,' naeun confessed.

'I'll stay with you no issues,' sanah told, stretching her arms.

'no, it's fine. your parents might be waiting,' naeun said. she did not want to bother her best friend while she was pulling an all-nighter.

'naeun, please, I am fine staying back with you,' sanah stated firmly. 'I'll get you a strong coffee, don't worry,' the taller got up determined. she'll stay no matter what the other says.

'thanks,' naeun smiled, handing her the car keys. it felt grateful to have sanah voluntarily stay.

'take your time,' sanah told walking out of the library, her boots roughly clicking on the wooden flooring.

naeun has skipped few pages. it's not time to go through the whole book. she should have started it last week but business law isn't her forte.

pulling her phone from the bag, she thought to text sanah. thirty minutes since the bestie went to grab drinks. the lights in the library were turning off one by one as students left. 

unlocking, she found the reason. sanah snapped her a picture of a traffic jam on the main street, three minutes ago.

thinking to take a break, naeun decides to walk around a bit. her legs felt numb after sitting in the same posture for four hours.

zipping her bag, she left books on the chairs, to make the seats seem reserved. even with fewer people around, it was like a habit.

shoving her hands into the hoodie, the girl took a few steps along the university street. with many departments graduating before them, the roads looked estranged. something caught her eye as she tried stretching her neck.

it did not feel feeling normal watching a guy standing on the edge of the terrace, looking down intensely. at a very unusual hour.

it's never good to make assumptions about people, that's what her dad taught her. but here the situation was like she had to do something.

'hey!!' naeun waved, trying to get his attention. the boy continued staring, without responding to her. is he going to jump. no he shouldn't.  should she go run back and call someone from the library? no what if it's too late.

naeun takes it on herself to do something before anything happens.

'hey please stay there, let's talk, I am coming up,' naeun shouted, she continued to watch him as she took the lift.

'please, please, please, don't be something I am assuming,' naeun grew impatient as the digits on the tiny screen changed. the lift opened on the fifth. she rushed to the staircase, skipping a few to reach the terrace.

〔*.☽ .*〕

'it's beautiful'

'not more than you darling'

naeun slowly opened her eyes from what seemed like an endless slumber. theres white sheets, white curtains, and the smell of disinfectant.

the girl shifted to notice the person sitting next to her. 'sera?'

'omg you are awake,' the younger cried happily, embracing the patient. 'I thought it was a coma.'

'what happened?'

'you'll get a lecture from mom and dad. just wait for it.'

naeun blinked, thinking how she ended up in a hospital. a needle pushed into her vein.

sanah's eyes brightened at the scene. she quickly handed minho, the fruit bags she bought in and ran to her conscious friend.

'you scared the shit out of me,' sanah voiced out. finding her friend collapsed on a street isn't a pleasant sight for even a tough cookie like sanah. she panicked, dialing the 911 with a shaky voice.

'naeun, how could you not take care of yourself?' minho complained, slumping on the mattress.

'what happened? will anyone tell me?'

'doctor says you fainted due to sleep deprivation. it's almost nineteen hours since you passed out,' the youngest informed.

'what? my business law report!'

naeun eyes widened at the thought of her deadline. sure she is in a hospital but that did not mean she couldn't worry about the f grade.

'we took care of it,' sanah told, settling on the stool beside the bed.

the confused one raised a brow. 'what does that mean?'

the other two in question looked at sanah. It scared them to tell, so they pushed it on the bestie. sanah sighed. for obvious reasons naeun wouldn't like what they did, but she has to know.

'well... we cheated,' sanah pressed her lips together looking at naeun's horrified face.

'no! we just bribed someone with the fan ticket and then copied their whole assignment. don't worry we made minute changes, you'll pass,' minho explained. he has to justify it wasn't cheating.

'oh please, your handwriting was the worst,' sera pinched him.

'I also got you snacks!' minho complained, nudging the high schooler back. 'you both eat so much.'

'stop it! she might get a headache,' sanah told. naeun's expressionless face is scaring her now.

'I am sorry sera, you had to give up your precious chance away for me.'

'naeun, don't say such things. we are family, you before fanmeets anytime,' sera told, rubbing her shoulder.

'I am sorry,' naeun said, hiccups dominating her voice. 'I am sorry. you guys had to go through all this. I should have never kept the things till last,' the girl sobbed uncontrollably.

'hey no no it's alright. why would even say such things,' sanah replied. she glanced at minho urging him to say something.

'if you really mean that, take care of yourself naeun. none of us are angry about writing reports for you,' minho told, his smile reassuring her. 'but not gonna lie, your choice in elective subject sucks, girl. business law? seriously?'

the atmosphere turned light as the male continued to make further jokes.

naeun's eyes are moist, touched by gratitude. she opens her arms, inviting them into a hug.

the four humans embraced in a group hug. nobody moved for several seconds, before naeun hesitantly told minho he was blocking her iv drip and the girls burst out laughing.

〔*.☽ .*〕

soon the couple left and it was just the sisters by themselves. the parents were minutes away and naeun was getting prepared to sit through a solid scolding session.

'what's this?' naeun asked, picking a little box from the side table.

'oh I forgot to mention earlier,' sera took it from her, revealing a pretty pendant. 'mom got it as a protection.'

naeun looked astonished. a pendant is to protect her? from what? failing exams and sleep deprivation? superstitious mama park.

'you know mom believes stuff like that, right?' the younger asked, earning a confirmation. 'just wear it for her sake. otherwise she'll just fuss more about evil eye getting to you.'

naeun put it around her neck, touching the little blue stone attached to it. its cute.

.
.
.

'baby, does it ease your guilt now?'

'yes. the stone is now where its supposed to be.'

──── 🥀 ────

#platonic relations in stories are important. trust me and don't believe anyone who says finding the special one to feel loved is the main objective (I know its important for the plot, but just understand what I am trying to say). life isn't everything about the love interest. the love and comfort we receive from parents, siblings, friends and sometimes even strangers need to be appreciated.

so yeah these things aside, what do you think happened on that terrace?