Chapter Text
“I’ll be leaving for Paris soon,” Jiyeon says, looking up as an airplane slices through the sky.
The other two stop messing around and turn their attention toward her. Jiyeon faces them with a sad smile, her elbows still resting on the metal railing.
“Hey… why the long faces?” she asks.
“Ayee, what are you saying? Hyunjung unnie, Jiyeon unnie is trying to make a joke,” the tallest of the trio says, nudging Hyunjung’s side in an attempt to lighten the sudden heavy mood.
But Hyunjung stays quiet, studying the look on Jiyeon’s face. She doesn’t look like she’s joking this time.
“When? And for how long?” the oldest finally asks.
The two friends move to stand on each side of Jiyeon, leaning their backs against the railing while looking up at the sky. Another airplane passes overhead as Jiyeon sighs.
“I think in two weeks? And probably for a long time… My mom has work there, and they’re thinking of enrolling me for the new semester.”
The three of them fall silent, staring at the slowly setting sun. After a moment, Jiyeon nudges both of them.
“Yah! We still have time, you know. Before all of this is over.”
She steps up so the heels of her feet rest on the railing and throws her arms around their shoulders, pulling them into a side hug. Her signature smile appears—eyes curling into crescent moons, gums showing, perfect teeth on full display.
“So let’s not waste precious time!” she announces brightly.
Hyunjung can’t help but smile at her antics before nodding.
“Let’s make the most of it.”
Juyeon, on the other hand, is unusually quiet. Out of character, even. Jiyeon notices and looks back up at the sky just as another airplane passes.
She hops down from the railing and points up at it.
“Juyeon-ah, I’ll be there soon if you don’t say something now.”
“Yah, Jiyeon-ah, don’t joke like that. Aish, it’s already a sad moment,” Hyunjung says, chuckling as she pinches Jiyeon’s cheek.
Juyeon only gives them a small, sad smile before turning toward the railing again, elbows resting on it as she watches the airplane disappear.
Hyunjung and Jiyeon go back to bantering, already walking a few steps ahead while Juyeon stays behind, sky-gazing. Jiyeon keeps glancing back at her, checking in.
Finally, she turns fully and waves her over.
“Yah! Quit being sad. Let’s go back to my place!”
Juyeon sighs but forces a smile before jogging over. She tackles both older girls by throwing her arms around their shoulders.
“Let’s go!”
These three friends have been together through thick and thin—from childhood fights where Juyeon and Jiyeon defended Hyunjung from kids teasing her hairstyle, to Hyunjung and Jiyeon acting as Juyeon’s wingwomen whenever she liked someone.
And now, one of them was about to leave.
It was their turn to be there for Jiyeon before she went to Paris.
After they escorted Jiyeon home, Hyunjung and Juyeon were left walking to their own houses. Normally they would be bickering, but tonight they walked quietly side by side. Hyunjung looked deep in thought, so Juyeon slung an arm around her shoulders.
“Alright, tell me what’s on your mind, shaki?”
Hyunjung gives her a small, sad smile, eyes on the ground as they walk.
“It’s just weird, you know? I didn’t think the three of us would… separate.”
“Well, life happens. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see her again someday.”
“I know that. It’s just… sad.”
Hyunjung stops walking and turns to Juyeon, who raises an eyebrow at her.
“What?”
“I love her, geundeok…”
“I know that already. I’ve always known—especially the way you smile at her, Shaki,” Juyeon says with a grin.
Hyunjung’s jaw drops. “A-Am I really that obvious?” Her face turns bright red.
Juyeon laughs and shakes her head as they resume walking.
“Well, not really. I noticed, but if it were that obvious, Jiyeon unnie would’ve known too.”
Hyunjung groans into her hands before throwing her arms around Juyeon, ranting about how embarrassed she is. She eventually opens up about her feelings for Jiyeon as they walk, until they reach Hyunjung’s house.
After saying goodbye, Juyeon walks alone, shoving her hands deep into her jacket pockets, her baseball cap hiding her frustrated expression.
Juyeon also carried a secret of her own.
She, too, was falling for Jiyeon.
She didn’t even know if it was serious—she fell for people often—but with Jiyeon, every time she smiled, warmth blossomed in her chest.
And the worst part? She kept those feelings buried because she always knew how Hyunjung felt. She believed Hyunjung could take better care of Jiyeon than she ever could.
But when Jiyeon announced she was leaving… something inside her cracked.
It hurt and it definitely frustrated her.
She slipped on her headphones and kept walking.
Right now, she absolutely hated the sound of airplanes.