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━━━ " 📂  " ‍..⃗. ༉

𝙍 𝙊 𝙈 𝘼 𝙉 𝘾 𝙄 𝙉 𝙂

! chapter ninety-eight ─── ʚĭɞ

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"Let's check out this store." Soojin said, leading her, Miyeon and Jugyeong into a clothing store.

The three girls had met up not long before, the earlier time arrangement making Miyeon late by a couple of minutes - Jugyeong and Soojin had been waiting for a little bit before she arrived, but understood why she was late here she explained where shouts she was.

Since then, they had been shopping, Miyeon finally upholding the promise she had made with Jugyeong long before. It was the first time she had been properly shopping with the Im girl, the couple other times they had embarked out into the shopping area near them had ended up with them mostly sitting in a windows eat drinking coffee, smiles on their faces as they completely forgot about their aims of the day and ending up with less items than they planned to get.

"Do you want to buy a cap?" Jugyeong questioned as they moved through into the store, Soojin stopping at a stand near the entrance.

"Yes." Soojin nodded, reaching out and looking a couple. "Which one would be good."

"How about this one?" Miyeon pointed out one, spinning around one of the lower racks.

"It'll look good on you." Jugyeong agreed with the Hwang girl's find, twisting it upwards so that Soojin could see it more easily.

"Ah.." Soojin began, and wide-eyed the two looked up - they hadn't expected that reaction. "It's not for me." Soojin admitted upon seeing their gazes. "I want to give it to Suho."

Miyeon's eyes widened even further and she barely even felt her hands slip away from the hat she has pointed out in school. She didn't even dare glance at Jugyeong, but in her peripheral vision she could see the smile upon her facing rapidly.

"To Suho?" Jugyeong repeated, her expressions thankfully not betraying her entirely, and she sounded more as if she was making sure she had heard it correctly.

"Yes. His family and mine ate together a few days ago." The dark haired girl began to explain. "And he saved me."

"What do you mean he saved you?" Miyeon asked, leaning forward to get a better look at Soojin, simultaneously reassuring Jugyeong with a squeeze of her hand.

Soojin paused, hand twisting one of the caps and a fond expression on her face. "Well.. I felt suffocated because of my dad, he suddenly goes: 'We have to get to a study Soojin, let's go.' and he got me out of there." She explained, turning towards the two friends beside her. "He's so cool."

"Ah.." Jugyeong sounded rather weary as she nodded, movements limited by her emotions. "I see."

"How about this?" Soojin questioned, holding up another hat. "Do you think it'll look good in him?"

" Jugyeong, you have a brother so you must know what guys like - and Miyeon you're close friends with a few of boys." Soojin said, taking the dark blue cap off of the rack and turning to the pair.

Miyeon blinked, wondering for just a moment if there were certain things implied in that sentence - but she shook it off as it was technically true. She was close with Seojun, Suho and although it was a little while ago, she had been close with Seyeon. All of them very different types of guys. "I.. I think he'll like it." Unable to think of a reason to deny it, Miyeon replied with what she could, reminding herself to apologise to Jugyeong over this later on.

Jugyeong couldn't seem to get any words out for a moment, head tilting to the side as she examined the hat. "Yes. It looks nice." She agreed, voice gentle and a little hesitant, but her smile was a little more confident.

"Really? I'll get this then." The Kang girl seemed to have a genuine smile on her face that made Miyeon feel bad for an instance. "He'll like it, right?" It was confirmed by Jugyeong and Miyeon reassuring her with a flurry of almost hesitant nods.

"Jugyeong. Should I ask him out when I give it to him?" Soojin asked, and Miyeon froze, breath catching in her throat.

"What?" Jugyeong's wide eyes and blank expression seemed to convey her shock well, just as still as the Hwang girl was besides her.

"I wonder if he'll be shocked. But we've been friends for ten years, so he wouldn't disown me, right?" Soojin had a smile on her face once again, but there was something a little different about it and it reminded Miyeon of the time she spotted the necklace that Jugyeong wore. "I really don't know where or not to tell him how I feel. Regardless, you'll cheer me on right?" Soojin turned to her friends.

Jugyeong glanced away for a second before her phone began to vibrate in her pocket, and she hurried to get it out. Miyeon's eyes cast down to the screen, carefully not to let her expression change as she clearly saw Suho's contact name at the top.

"Who is it?" Soojin asked. "Answer it."

"Oh." Jugyeong breathed out, expression similar to that of a deer in the headlights. "It's okay." And with that, she pressed the decline button, typing out a text and slid it into her pocket once more.

It was only moments later when Miyeon felt her own phone vibrate in her pocket, and with a sigh she extracted it, seeing a text from Suho on the screen, worrying about something to do with Jugyeong's dad. Having no idea what he meant, Miyeon quickly typed out the reply of: 'everything will be fine. you worry too much. dont read into things, call me later.' and put her phone away, hoping the Lee boy wouldn't work himself into a crazy panic before she could talk to him properly.

Miyeon followed Soojin to the cash register, watching her pay before they continued on to a few more shops, until it was time for Jugyeong to go to work.

"Yes." The Im girl replied to Soojin's question of what she was doing next. "It's near here."

"It must be tiring." Soojin said, before exclaiming and holding up two small bags, turning to the girls beside her. "I thought they were cute, so I got them when I bought the cap." She explained, peering in a bag and handing it to Miyeon, and the other to Jugyeong. "What do you think?"

Opening it, Miyeon saw a scrunchie - it was white and pastel pink and purple. Jugyeong had a matching one, and when Soojin held out yet another bag, it showed that she had her own as well.

"It's really pretty. Thank you." Jugyeong said, Miyeon repeating her own gratitude after her.

"No, thank you." Soojin insisted. "You couldn't rest and hung out with me before going to work. You'll be late, you should go."

"I'll walk with you." Miyeon offered, slipping the scrunchie  back into the bag and pulling the handle over her wrist.

Moments later and they had exchanged their goodbyes, Miyeon and Jugyeong waving back at Soojin before continuing on to her work. "I feel awful." Jugyeong admitted. "She seemed so happy about it.. and she's just going to get rejected."

"I feel bad as well.. but it's not your fault Ju. A lot of the time close friendships like theirs develop different feelings. And most of the time, they're unrequited and unreciprocated." Miyeon encouraged her, conflict bubbling in her stomach. "Suho has feelings for you. If he had feelings for Soojin then he's had ten years to ask her out."

Miyeon didn't mention the hints of malice she had seen invade Soojin's smile, or the return of the expression that came with seeing Jugyeong's necklace. "Is this your work?" She asked as they approached the cafe.

Even from there, she could see Seojun hard at work, and wanting to give him the best chance, she decided to say goodbye to Jugyeong at the door. "My apartment's pretty close, so if you want to come by afterwards then just text me and I'll send the address." They stopped in front of the doors to the cafe. "Good luck Ju, you'll do great."

"Thank you." Jugyeong smiled, wrapping her arms around her in a brief hug. "Thank you for coming today as well - it would've been awful to face that alone."

"Don't mention it. I'll gladly be there when you need it." Miyeon replied, pulling away and waving back at her friend as she began to walk away.

And with final goodbyes exchange, Miyeon continued in, glancing through the window and somehow catching Seojun's eye, winking at him and holding her thumbs up, hurrying off before he could question her.

She knew that Suho wasn't going to let go of Jugyeong easily, and the girl was content in her relationship and didn't seem to have any romantic feelings for Seojun. That was clearly not the same on his end and whilst Miyeon kept hers bottled up, she could only do her best to support the Han boy.

It was getting rather exhausting, but as long as she kept a fight from breaking out and she kept her feelings hidden, then she had accomplished a great thing.