Just Friends!

Meltdown

It should be comical, about how the shocking revelation is supposed to be handled, I mean.

But the moment Chaewon lands a loving kiss on Hitomi's forehead, something inside Minjoo snaps.

I don't like it.

Minjoo forces out a burst of laughter in replacement of a dissatisfied growl that threatens to escape her throat. "W-Wow, Top 10 Anime Betrayal. My best friend is dating my crush." She tries to joke, but it only makes her friends frown, not laugh.

That's not right. They are supposed to laugh.

"Minjoo," Hitomi begins guiltily. Not Minmin, not Daddy. Minjoo doesn't understand why it hurts. And not just hurt, it's freaking painful that Minjoo wanted nothing but cry. Bawling like a crybaby she is. "I'm sorry."

Minjoo can guess Hitomi is feeling guilty because it's supposed to be Minjoo who is with Chaewon. And while it's what she initially thought, she doesn't feel that it's right.

It should be me. She thinks, her mind replaying back to where Chaewon gives a loving kiss on Hitomi's forehead. No one else but me.

That thought is followed by a loud shriek of "HOLY SHIT" in her mind, and a meltdown.

She gotta escape and cry now.

"The heart wants what it wants, I guess," says Minjoo, sighing a little as she sniffed, fighting back the urge to just start her meltdown already. She glances at Chaewon, wondering why it doesn't hurt as much as looking at Hitomi's guilt-ridden expression. She wanted to throw up. "I-I'm not hungry. You can finish my share, Nako."

"Sure," Nako mutters absently, watching as Minjoo's figure parts the silent crowd.

Yuri only watches, too, when Hitomi quickly scrambles to stand and follows her best friend. The hamster then moves her gaze to Chaewon, and invites her to join them for lunch.

Chaewon nods as she smiles -- a little sadly, but knowingly. She takes her seat on the now empty seat, facing Yujin. Nako silently pushes the bowl of untouched ramyeon to Chaewon, and the older girl gladly accepts it. She knows their motto of a ramyeon a day keeps the broken heart away.

"Sucks, huh?" Yujin opens up a conversation, sounding too understanding. "When you like someone who unknowingly likes someone else who happens to be your rival," she sighs, a little too sadly, then continues in a very small voice, "or your sister."

Chaewon's ears perked up. She caught the last sentence. Then, she gives the younger but taller girl an encouraging smile.

"The heart wants what it wants," mutters the radish avatar, echoing Minjoo's words.

Yujin smiles back at her. She offers her hand. "I'm Yujin."

And Chaewon quickly accepted it. "I'm Chaewon."

Nako turns to Yuri. "Not again."

Yuri blinks. "My deepest condolences."