{A/n: unrelated, but wow Yooa looks gorgeous in this gif}

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"Park Yebin, there you are! Thank god!"

The very girl was nearly tackled down by a great force the moment she unlocked the door to the apartment. Yebin didn't hesitate to hug her back, in which her best friend desperately needed.

After spending half of the day at the house with Sian, it was about time she should leave before any unwanted visitors came along. And after such a revealing day, Yebin knew she couldn't procrastinate on what she had to do. She had to come back home to Hanui... and Hojun.

Luckily, Hojun wasn't home right now. Yebin knew that he would go to his club early for preparations. She could breathe just a little longer.

Hanui pulled away from her, hands gripped on her shoulder and a deadly glare to her eyes. She then dragged her over to the couch and forced her to sit down. Hanui towered over her with arms crossed and a haughty look on her face.

"Okay, now that I know you are safe and sound, I need to know what's happening! One moment, you and oppa were enjoying your date, and the other, he comes home alone and angry!" The girl before her nagged, throwing her hands into the air. "Like, I get it. Sometimes, oppa can get a bit impatient and a bit jealous but you know damn well how much he cares for you!"

Yebin's lips pressed firmly together.

Right.

That has always been Hojun's way of caring, wasn't it?

"First of all, were you really at a sauna last night? You can tell me! You weren't right?" Hanui asked.

Yebin peered up at her. "No, I was at a friend's place," she admitted.

Hanui blinked in surprise. "A friend?" She was in deep thought. "Which friend?"

"Hanui... I have friends besides you guys, you know."

"Of course! Of course, but I only know of your online ones, none that actually live in Korea. Unless they came to visit?"

"None of them, this is a different friend. A close friend whom I've known for a few months," Yebin continued, feeling the nervousness swell in her chest. It was about time to let it all out now. Hanui is her best friend, she has the right to know. "This is the one guy that I met in one of my busking events."

It was obvious Hanui was appalled; her already big eyes grew wider. "Wait wait wait! What was his name again? Youngho right? That same one?!" She blew up. Yebin could only nod at Hanui. The other plopped herself down on the couch besides her, her head laid back, eyes towards the ceiling. "You are fucking crazy, Yebin. Why on earth would you keep in contact with that guy? You know how Hojun hates him."

"But why does Hojun's opinion on him have to change my friendship with Youngho?" Yebin shot back.

"Hojun is your boyfriend though! Was he the reason why you and Hojun fought? Hmm?"

"Yes..."

"Then he is bad news, Yebin!"

"He's not. If you knew him, you would know he's not a bad person." Yebin exhaled, as she collected her thoughts. "He really isn't. You have no idea how much he had helped me out."

"Helped you?" Hanui scoffed. "He helped you with something that neither me or Hojun could help you with?"

Yebin furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, actually. You remember that party with your friends? The one that I performed at?"

"Well yeah, that happened only a couple weeks ago and the police went to arrest Seungmo and a few others... those creeps. I heard that they had those date rape drugs stuffed in their pockets!" Hanui shivered at the memory. "The news spread all over the school after that party. I can't believe Seungmo flirted with me. I could have been a victim!"

"Ha, funny how that is," Yebin murmured in a low tone. "Because I was definitely a victim."

Hanui gawked at her. "What did you say?"

"Hanui, I was fucking drugged by that guy. I was going to be his victim that night."

"No way, Seungmo knew you were dating Hojun though..."

"That wasn't going to stop him, you know." Yebin ran her fingers through her hair. "Neither you or Hojun wanted to leave, and I messaged you I was going to go home and Youngho happened to be in the area so he was going to get me home. Just when I was waiting outside, Seungmo came out and gave me a drink with that drug in it..." Yebin could see the horror on her friend's face. And honestly, Yebin felt sick to her stomach to retell this damned story, but she had to get her point across. "If I hadn't been messaging Youngho, I... Hanui, he saved me that night. And last night too, he came to my rescue when Hojun drove off without me. I'm not going to let anyone else's words sway me about my friendship with him."

"Yebin..."

"There's so much I realized, Hanui. This life we live in, saying how we just need each other to survive and we'll be fine. You guys might think this is all dandy but I haven't been fine, and I don't think I have been this whole time," Yebin told her. Watching her friend's expression become more and more saddened pained Yebin to see, but it had to be said. "And I think it's because I've been so afraid of change."

"Yebin, slow down... what are you saying?"

"I'm not happy with how I've been living, Hanui. And I think I need to do something about it." She turned, and grasped onto Hanui's hands. Her friend could only stare back at her. Yebin gulped. "Don't you think that this relationship I have with your brother has been... messed up? Don't look at it as a best friend and a sister, you have to see it as another person's point of view. You have to have noticed how toxic it is. Its been so suffocating, Hanui."

Hanui's eyes glistened with tears. "B-But, you love him, don't you?"

"Not like that, Hanui. Not anymore... not for a while."

Now that she had said it aloud, she knew it was true.

Park Yebin had tried to hold onto the image of what she wanted Hojun to be to her. Supportive, caring, patient. The kind of boyfriend that would only shower her with love. However, after so many bad fights and heated arguments over minuscule things, how could Yebin go on like that? The jealousy, the rage; Yebin has had enough.

She was tired of the crying, she was tired of her weak voice, she was tired of the bruises.

She already suffered one bad relationship with her family and it made her so broken inside. She has to leave this one when she has the chance.

If Youngho hadn't come into her life...

Would she still be around today?

"Hanui... I'm sorry. I know how much he has helped me in the past, but in the present, I can't go on like this."

Yebin's heart crumbled as she watched Hanui break down in heavy tears. She continued to hold her hand, squeezing it for support until Hanui could breathe and calm down. It didn't stop, it only flowed more down her pale cheeks. "Why are you apologizing you, idiot? You're the one that has been suffering this whole time! I-I should've known, you're my best friend!"

Hanui gripped Yebin's hands tightly. "I have always noticed... how dull you've been before. You used to have a spark to your eyes before back when we were in grade school together. Despite the shit with your family, you always seemed so free and outgoing, without a care in the world because you, me, and Hojun were a team. And... that sparkle, I didn't realize until now how it had been gone for years. But you have it, again, just a little but it's there. And I see now that it wasn't me or Hojun that brought it back, but because of Youngho... I'm the worst fucking friend..."

Yebin engulfed Hanui in a hug. "No, you're not, Hanui. You're not... I'm the worst for not telling you any of this sooner. I don't know why I've been trying to fix everything on my own and continue on like it's nothing. You should've known. I'm sorry."

"I said to stop apologizing..." Hanui muffled into her shoulder, only hugging her tighter.

After a couple minutes, the two ladies finally calmed down their rampant emotions. They stayed on that couch for a good few minutes in silence, until Hanui asked about Youngho. She wanted to know a bit about him. Reluctantly, but with pleasure, Yebin told her about the tall boy. She discussed his likes, dislikes, ambitions. (She left out how Youngho could possibly be in NCT later on, just in case). She even brought up how Youngho originally came from America and was going to visit his family there later in the week. The two girl talked long enough for the living room to be filled with darkness, night has arrived. Yebin was thankful to have Hanui alongside her, who have always tried to understand her, despite how ditsy and busy she sometimes is.

She knew she had kept it all in because she didn't want to ruin anything between the siblings. However, she was cutting off her own happiness by doing that. And she should separate herself and stop trying to please everyone, when she should only try to please herself.

All of a sudden, the sound of the front door opening caught both of the girls' attention. Yebin's leapt to her feet, shocked. Hojun doesn't come back from work until late at night, what could he be doing home already? She glimpsed over at Hanui, which answered her internal question already. The guilt on her face was evidence enough.

"You needed to talk to him."

Just as Yebin turned her head back towards the door, she was then faced with a tired but relieved Hojun. "Yebin..." he breathed out. He stepped forward and just before he could wrap his arms around her, Yebin backed away. It earned a very confused expression.

"I'm going to go ahead and buy some stuff at the convenience store," Hanui hastily mumbled out right before she fled from the apartment.

It felt like some kind of showdown as Hojun and Yebin stared each other down. "You know how worried I was?—"

"No, I don't know actually," Yebin cut in coldly. "You left me out there to find a way home."

"And yet, you didn't come home! You were with him, weren't you?"

Unbelievable.

Utterly unbelievable.

"Hojun, are you listening to yourself? Do you not know how much it hurts for you to say that in such a disgusted tone?" Yebin grumbled. "Yes, I was with him. But nothing happened between us, Hojun. He helped me out because my so-called boyfriend left me outside, ways from home, to fend for myself! This friendship I have with Youngho has been supportive and innocent. The way you don't believe me, your girlfriend of six fucking years, it hurts so much."

"How can I believe you? You've been talking to him this whole time even though I don't like him—"

"Because you don't know a thing about him, Hojun!" Yebin pinched the bridge of her nose, so frustrated and tired of this repeating argument. "I can't keep doing this."

"Why don't you just admit it to me, Yebin? You like that guy, right? Right?!"

"FINE! I do!" She screeched back at him. Yebin bit down on her tongue. Did she... did she really confess that? Right now?... It's too late now, wasn't it. "I do... but I realized it only recently that I do. But, I respected this relationship, okay? I haven't done anything that would be remotely noted as cheating."

Hojun gritted his teeth, as he processed the information thrown at him. "Fine. Fine, Yebin. But, how would you feel if I had said the same to you, huh?"

Yebin furrowed her brows, discomfort beating in her chest. "What? Like having a friend that's a girl? You have plenty of those, I know and I've seen."

"Oh? And it doesn't bother you that I could be particularly close to any of them?" Hojun forced out a laugh. "I can't stand the fucking thought of you running around with some asshole, Yebin. It doesn't sit right."

"I never complain about you being around girls, Hojun!" Yebin snapped back. "You basically see Sojin at the club more than you see me!"

At the sound of his coworker's name, a smirk tugged at his lips. He stepped towards her. "What if I told you that Sojin flirts with me all through the night, huh? What if I told you that she always likes to grab onto me whenever I'm around the bar?"

Yebin frowned.

What the hell was he doing?

"What if I told you that Sojin would whisper in my ear? Or if she gives me winks or stares throughout the night? Or what if she left kisses on my cheek just because she wanted to? If I wanted to?"

"What the fuck, Hojun! What are you even saying right now?!" Yebin shouted, her anger growing within her. "How could you even say that to me?"

"Do you feel that rage, Yebin? That's swirling inside you after I said all that shit? That's what I feel whenever I hear that douchebag's name," Hojun growled. "You're not allowed to fuck around with him, Yebin. He's a fucking delusion to you. You think he could give you what you wanted? Huh? Newsflash, we're both fucking deprived out of this relationship of ours. When was the last time we had sex, huh?"

"Are you insane?!" Yebin screamed. "Out of all of this and you're worried about your blue balls?!"

"Insane, huh? I've had my own self control, you know? Because I love you, Yebin. You don't know how many fucking times Sojin had come up to me and asked to play around. You don't know how close so many of those times I almost agreed!"

That was it.

The last strand that could've repaired this relationship.

It snapped.

Yebin snarled, "Fuck you, Hojun. Seriously, fuck you. We're done."

"What?"

"You heard me, Hojun. I'm done. We are done. We clearly don't have the respect for each other anymore to keep this up. You can fuck as many girls as you want now, I will allow you that."

"You can't say that shit to me, you bitch—"

"Hojun, get out."

The voice didn't come from Yebin. They turned to see that Hanui had returned back from her convenience store trip... which may have been a lie as she was empty handed. Her eyes were bloodshot, wet with tears again. Yebin frowned.

Oh god.

"Hanui..." Hojun's voice got soft.

"Hojun, this... this, I'm so disappointed in you," Hanui sobbed out. "You need to leave, now. As the apartment is under my name, I have the right to say it."

"Hanui, listen to me, didn't you hear what Yebin said?!"

The Yoo lass stepped into the apartment, petite yet enraged. "Yeah, I did. And I can't believe you had the audacity to say that shit back to her. You don't deserve to have Yebin or even be near her. If you don't leave now, then we're done too."

"So you're going to drop your own brother? Your own blood?"

"I'm not afraid of cutting you out of my life if you're really this bad of a person, no matter if you're family to me or not. This... all this, should've ended sooner."

Hojun was speechless. He nodded his head, clicked his tongue, before he turned his heel and left.

And like that, he was gone.

The three had been together for so long. They didn't know how to open to anyone else except themselves. But life, it changed them, morphed them into beings that became more selfish or more secret. But that was how time works, you can't help but grow up.

The three who thought would be against the world together forever, all crumbled into nothing in a flash.

A/n: Oof, this one was a bit of a doozy... I think... this is the climax, the turning point of this story. So now, hopefully more happy things to come for Yebin!

If you liked the chapter, please leave some comments and a vote!

I'm finally in the (neo)zone now that the comeback is right around the corner! And, btw, who watched the MV teaser and DIED like I did?? There was so much to take in from that ahh.

But, anyway, until the next update, loves!
—Bianca