⥽ 　chi delta sigma.

@⁰¹ minju k. "are you kidding me?? of course i'll go! did you even have to ask? yes a thousand times dude!" there's a crack in his voice as he practically yells in response. he grabs minju by the shoulders and shakes her, almost jumping in place. "you're the best best bestest friend joey you never let me down, have you done your groceries yet? I'll do it for you. laundry? I'll do it for you." his shaking stops but his hands are still on her shoulders. he's gushing is a mixture of excitement and gratefulness. their eyes lock and next he's tackling her, trapping her under him in a big, tight, bear hug.

@⁰² donghyuck l. she clicks her tongue to the roof of upon his expected smugness. "just good, not great," her words are to spite him, she's sure he knows, but as the brief, pleasant silence blankets the two best friends and time seemingly stills, she notices his scrutiny laid over her daintier hands, now wriggling her fingers to fit between his to garner his attention. "kidding. lovie loves you, so i guess i do too." her previous gratitude washes away as he blatantly drops her hand, his voice expressing more excitement than he's showed her in the past thirty minutes. "yeah, the cute girl you were talking about," she says, softly raking her nails through lovie's fur. "i met with her earlier and she told me she's having a ballet show tonight, so i just thought maybe you'd like to go. i know it isn't your type of thing to go to, but—"

@⁰¹ minjeong k. it wasn't enough. it was never enough. little by little, inch by inch. the faults that lied within him had surmounted—slipping, sliding and falling—accumulating every fallen piece that it had obliterated, had ruined. the snowball effect. everything that had frozen over, the basis that jaemin had held ground upon, was deteriorating—chipping, crumbling away. he was losing his footing, at a loss to where he stood. the solid ice that he thought was underneath, was melting away. as he hears her laugh resound out, jaemin raises his head. he watches at some distance, of winter at a chance of happiness. it was then that jaemin realized that this was her world—a winter wonderland, and he was merely living it. she's truly happy, and he knows this, because he too has had the privilege of seeing her happy, truly happy—with him, and not someone else. he no longer was treading on thin ice, he had fallen in—he was drowning. hands that once held onto his—had reached out to take his, were now letting go.

it was a mistake. a mistake for having let her go, for having let her walk out his car that night without holding her back, asking her to stay. it was all just one big mistake. straying to someone else instead of her—kissing another girl that wasn't minjeong. it was wrong of him to be here. it was wrong to wish she were still his, wishing that he take it all back—have everything that he had taken for granted. wishful thinking—that's all it just was, and that was all it ever was going to be. there is no coming back. he knows, as soon as she asks. he shouldn't be here. but he doesn't have an answer. jaemin has never had an answer for her. even when it was and has always been standing right before him. "i..i-i um was waiting for a friend." he finally responds, speaking slowly, trying not to think nor recall anything he had just seen.

@⁰² jaemin n. the past weeks had been a flurry of emotions; nights spent weeping over a relationship long buried and left in the past, mornings spent reassuring herself by her mirror, and now laughter shared with a newly acquainted . . . someone. friend? a little more than that? minjeong couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of their relationship, but as she walks alongside him, shoulders naturally brushing against the other as another giggle spills past parted lips, she didn't really care what label existed between them. all she knew was how happy she felt — in a long while. it was nice to have someone care for her. of course, she had her sister who was always willing to rush over at the first buzz of her notification. but this was a different type of care.

she admits it. minjeong had missed the feeling of being adored, to be treated with such gentle affections, to be looked upon with such fondness as if each word she spoke bore a million unasked questions waiting to be answered, as if her eyes held galaxies just wanting to be explored. and he. . . well, he gave her just that. he made her /feel/ wanted. some may say he fell right out of the sky and landed into her arms during a time when she needed someone the most — and for the most part, she agreed. however, there was still this lurking, undeniable feeling that gnaws at her heart once in a while. it'll appear when she's tearing up from laughter, or when his hand skims along her knuckles. it'll appear in moments where her heart is fluttering only to cease it into a flatline. and deep down, she knew what that feeling was.

she knew what that feeling was related to all too well because the second minjeong lifts her eyes away from her accompaniment, noticing the lone, slouched figure by the top of the steps to her sorority, the feeling returned. her steps immediately halted in place, anything remotely happy or colorful that had bubbled up within her from before now drained into a void. 'why is he here?' even in the dark, with the streetlamps barely illuminating his feature, she was sure of who it was. how could she not when she's spent years fawning, doting, kissing over said features time and time again. "hey, uhm. . . thank you for tonight, but i think i'll head up myself." she saw the look that took over the latter's visage — he knew, she's mentioned it briefly before. but with a reassuring squeeze to his hand, she's bidding her date goodnight, turning away to take heavy steps towards. . . /him./ jaemin, once the boy who appeared when she needed someone to stop her from sinking. now is the boy who appeared when she's afloat, dragging her back down like an anchor. and as she nears his figure, taking her time to walk up each stair despite it being a shortway up as a whole, minjeong swore she could feel her chest tightening. "what are you doing here?"

@⁰¹ minju k. the soft touch to his side makes him snort and he's quick to retort in a playful voice accompanied by the suggestive wiggling of his brows. "are you admitting that i'm a good friend? just good? not great?" after all, he did pride himself on never failing to miss an opportunity to tease his childhood friend. her hand is soft against his and it makes him think that it's probably because he was the one she forced to do all the heavy work, growing up and even up til now. despite being distracted by his internal evaluation of minju's hands, he immediately perks up at the mention of the familiar name. excitement making him let go of her hand. "yewon? yewon that cute girl i was talking about? yewon with the good hair or yewon the goth from engineering?"

@⁰³ mark l. it's her fault, it's all her fault. how could she let lovie slip past without her noticing? she swears to haechan that she only let the front door open for ten seconds. "wait, why can't you come look with me? ... because you're going to ask yewon to the gala? wow, (dog) father of the year." her head snaps at the sudden ring of her doorbell, shuffling over before she impatiently bids haechan goodbye. "hello?" she calls out, her head peeking from the door until her eyes land upon her puppy cradled in someone's arms. "you found her! oh my gosh, i was just about to go out and look for her and—" as her arms outstretch to retrieve her dog, it doesn't take long for her gaze to trail up to the male's, flashing him a grateful smile. "thank you, i mean. before i start babbling about how worried i was, haha. thank you, really."

@⁰¹ minju k. it's the first time he's ever made his presence at the chi delta sigma house—despite his three years in the greek community at saebom, he's never done so. though gamma beta and chi delta sigma worked very closely with each other, it's almost strange how the large sorority house is an enigma to him. standing outside, with a small dog in his arms cuddling up to his chest, mark would have never imagined this to be his first venture to the building. the pup makes small whines against his chest, nestling into him as he raises a hand and rings the doorbell.

@⁰² donghyuck l. at his awkward grimace, she flashes an apologetic (not really apologetic) smile towards him and rests her head onto the curve of his shoulder, the affection he utmost immediately gives lovie resulting in her reciprocating it. her arm slings around his waist to softly squeeze herself to his chest, nodding. “i know, a lot of boys are yucky and sleazy. especially at frat parties. i’m just glad i have good friends around me, y’know?” with this, she barely pinches at his side to subtly indicate he was one of them… actually, he was the best of them. but he already knew that. “hey, i’m not a handful! if you ignore the fact that i have a huge bruise on my ankle that i didn’t treat.” she huffs jokingly, though finding herself distracted as he cradles her hand in his, a fondness laced in her gaze whilst outstretching her fingers to then compare their hands sizes. “good. you owe her a lot, i’m sure, pft. but hey, you remember that girl you told me about, yewon? how interested would you be in attending her ballet show tonight?”

@⁰¹ minjeong k. it had been gnawing at his conscience and mind for the entire week. it was all he could think about. /she/, was all his mind kept diverting back to, no matter what the occasion, no matter who he was with. minjeong. he had to do this, he needed to, or else it was just going to destroy him from the inside out. whether it had been an extended figment of his intoxicated imagination from that night, or what had actually happened, the scene in which he had seen his ex-girlfriend from across the room, just moments after he had kissed another girl, had been continuously replaying over and over again. it had left him unsettled, that and the heart wrenching car ride they had shared. he had wanted to do what minjeong had asked, to stay away as much as possible, but how could he, knowing that she was hurt—badly too, because of him.

unintentionally, he had seen her social media posts; had read the private statements—had seen the old photo that she had uploaded. at first, jaemin had done nothing, had no reaction to it, had drowned it all out with the company of friends, the thrill of potentially seeing someone new, school, hockey. until, she started seeping into all that he could do, readily tainting the blank canvas he had tried to make for himself. he had to make things right, jaemin had to. it was the only way he was ever going to get a clean slate—a second chance.

he needed to just do it too, without thought, without any of his worries or his fears holding him back. because with hesitation, came a long, drawn out wait, and with passing time, the further they grew apart. the longer it would take him to say such words, the more they held no meaning—irrelevant. just like how it had all began, their downfall. she deserved to know the truth, jaemin owed her that. he owed her an explanation, an apology—of everything left unsaid. so he waits, sitting atop the step of her sorority, liquid courage again drenching him on the inside, to prevent any inhibited, filtered version of him from appearing. admit fault, but also to admit feelings; jaemin wasn't over her.

@⁰¹ minju k. her words make him momentarily freeze, neck craning downwards at her lap to verify her claims. surely enough, the small dog had awakened from her slumber. his eyes squint in an awkward grimace when he realizes what he's done. "oops. my bad buddy, didn't mean to wake you." he apologizes as he rubs their noses in an eskimo kiss when she presses her to his face. he gives cat's fur a few more pets, loving how soft his fur is against his skin before he trains his attention back to his friend. "sorry ju, i was just worried. i know some dudes can be super sleazy." he responds in a low voice, her actions managing to calm him before he gets even more worked up. "i'm glad your friend was there to ward them off though, i should thank him for taking care of you. you must've been a handful." he chuckles, relaxed demeanor coming back. the touch on his knuckles is ticklish and he ends up opening his palm to scoop hers up in a loose hold. "yeah she's okay, i made sure to check on her. she texted me a few days ago, i think it's healing well."

@⁰² donghyuck l. his abrupt retort has lovie’s head snapping up alarmingly, not to mention minju’s equally boisterous laughter that erupts too, and jokingly, she puts him at blame, knocking her head to his shoulder. “you’re so loud and for what? you just woke her up!” to soothe his exaggerated moping, she raises lovie up to his face to boop their faces together softly, but as he questions the nameless guys from the party and lays careful scrutiny over her frail body, she lowers her back onto her lap. “no, they didn’t,” she reassures him, the change in his tone having her hook a finger beneath his chin to direct his eyes to her, murmuring. “hey, i’m good. don’t worry, chan. if they did, i would’ve immediately gone to you. probably have you show them your muscles so they’d get intimidated.” her attempt to fend his worries off comes with a smile, hoping it’s enough. but now, it’s her time to flash him a confused frown, blinking. “a guy was talking too loud and so you swung at him? tch, i knew you’d jinx it when you said you wouldn’t start fights,” reaching for his dominant hand, she now smooths her fingers over his knuckles. “is she okay? was it just a bloody nose?”

@⁰¹ minju k. a resounding "ohhh" accompanied by multiple head nods is what he responds to the latter, letting the pee mat conversation die off. figuring she was most probably right since she was, afterall, the one who owned a dog. "TWO?" comes his boisterous retort. his hand clutching at his chest as his brows shoot right up, giving her the most incredelous, pained expression he could muster up. "it was at least THREE times" he adds, now forcing a teary eyed expression but clearly still joking as he childishly huffs and tucks his arms underneath each other. "s were asking about you??" he prodded, joking mood from jusy a few seconds ago disappating as his voice comes out laced worry at the revelation. "they didn't do anything to you right?" his eyes scan her entire figure in a quick sweep he doesn't know what exactly he's looking for but he checks anyway, noting if there were any changes he missed in her appearance and sighing in relief when he sees nothing is amiss. "i, uh, i was drunk and the guy beside me was um he— he was talking too loud so i got angry and tried to punch him but he ducked and jinsol was behind so she got hit instead." he relays the events of the party leading up to the punch but omitting out the part where the men talked bad about her, thinking it was better off not to tell her.

@⁰² donghyuck l. now, she shoots him a quizzical expression as he questions her dog's pee mat, thinking that he surely must've been kidding. "that's for cats—she's not an actual cat!" nudging his shoulder with hers, another laugh sounds from her. "let me count how many walks you've taken lovie on... two?" she clicks her tongue to the roof of as feigned disappointment. "kidding. lovie technically wouldn't be here without you, so i /guess/ we need you." eliciting a thoughtful hum, her mind wanders back to that night—his friends didn't bother her, so to say, but definitely must've bothered /him/ about her. "i don't know, they must've congratulated him or something. i think i'm a pretty good actress, hah. but uh, i think it started because they were... asking about me, or being complete s — probably both," she waves the thought off with the shake of her head. "i'm just letting you know in case rumors spread, but i don't think they will, luckily. anyway, why'd you punch your cousin, huh?"

@⁰¹ minju k. "pee mat?? dogs have that? doesn't she have a litterbox or something?" he exclaims, catching onto her joking tone but also bewildered by the fact that she has a pee mat for her dog. even after all these years with cat, he had no clue dogs had pee mats. "exactly. who's gonna take you and cat for walks if i'm not around?" he adds, nodding, voice laced with confidence "hmm," he can only hum in response to her, ​investment in her story unwavering even as she squeezes his finger. "how did his friends react? did they bother you?"

@⁰² donghyuck l. her pout doesn’t even last another second upon his response, her doe eyes mirroring the twinkling glint in his own as she then eagerly wriggles in her spot. “hehe, good. that means you can regularly throw away lovie’s pee mats for the evening!” she says in feigned excitement, but she’s sure they both know it’s simply just him she wants, like their old high school days. with the squish and pinch of her cheeks, she jokingly frowns, attempting to speak sarcastically through his playful antics. “oh no, why would i ever want to get rid of you? you’re the pride and joy in my life.” prying his hands off, she keeps a hold onto them, their pinkies intertwining. “well, it’s kind of complicated. i think his friend was talking about me and so he was just like, ‘you can’t have her, uh, she’s mine’, and i needed to play along with it, so we went in a random room and just—“ she snorts, squeezing onto his pinky. “we were just trying to moan and stuff because his friends were outside listening like s, and god, it was funny at the time to us, but now i’m embarrassed explaining it.”

@⁰¹ minju k. her attempt at making sound effects make his eyes twinkle in endearment and he bites his lips to try and hide the ear splitting grin that marked his features. he loved the sight of her playing along because she never failed to complement him in everything and that's probably why they get along so well and why they still remained friends even after all these years. "of course, loser. i thought you inviting me over already meant me staying for a sleepover?" her acting cute never really affected him anymore, he had grown accustomed to seeing it after so many years of being exposed to her puppy eyes everytime she tried to ask him for a favor but nevertheless, he palms her cheeks with both hands, pushing and pulling them apart slightly. "woah there you think you can get rid of me after you find a boyfie?" he ends up pinching her cheeks, sticking his tongue out. "do...? what...? your closeted gay friend wanted to do /it/ with you because he wanted to act cool?" he confirms with a raised brow, relaying everything she just told him back to her.

@⁰² donghyuck l. feeding into his childish antics, she mimics his whooshing noise, her fist missing his face. “matrix.” she utters in an attempt at a slow-mo’ed voice, chuckling. “yeah, maybe a bit. i’ll complain again for you; we haven’t had a sleepover in forever. maybe we can tonight?” she asks impulsively, protruding her lower tier out in a pleading pout. puppy eyes aren’t exactly his weak spot when it comes to her, but she hopes that maybe he’ll give in this time. “just until ‘my time’ comes! then i’ll be out of your hair, tch.” as he releases her and returns the question, she pauses in thought — oh yeah, she should tell him… but isn’t that technically blowing her friend’s secret? “i actually got into a little predicament before i could find her,” she starts, picking her words carefully as she passes him her now finished popsicle stick for him to also shove in his pocket. “my friend, he’s gay but he’s also still in the closet about it all, y’know? totally fine with me, but i think he wanted to act cool, so he told this guy he was going to… /do it/ with me, and it was just…” she shivers dramatically, laughing from second hand embarrassment.

@⁰¹ minju k. as if they were in a video game, he makes a 'whooshing' sound with his mouth when maneuvers his head away from her faux jab, tilting his head back to dodge it completely. "are you complaining? is this a complain i'm hearing?" her laughter was a pleasant sound to his ears and it made the smile on his lips grow wider. making minju laugh had always been one of his most liked activities. "are you a grandma? why are living vicariously through me, you weirdo." the poke to his side cues him to release her from her hold, not wanting to accidentally hurt or add anymore bruises to her skin. "anyway, what about you? anything interesting happen at the party? did you get to meet your sister?"

@⁰² donghyuck l. once she catches sight of his mischievous gaze, puckering his lips to , she presses her knuckle to his cheek as a light punch. “actually, i get too much affection from you two, tsk. am i being spoiled?” her nose scrunches at him goofily until he loops her into a light headlock, the playful gesture of it resulting in her finger prodding into his side. “hey! i’m not — i mean, no, i don’t have a boyfriend or anything,” inevitably, her stomach tenses in slight pain from her laughter that he induces, but she welcomes it, for no one really quite makes her as happy as he does. “i’m just living vicariously through you.”

@⁰¹ minju k. he finishes the rest of his popsicle with a big bite and discards the rest of it into the pocket of his pants before tilting his head back to look at her. there's a mischievous glint in his eyes when their gazes meet and seconds later he's pushing his lips into a pucker when he speaks, "am i not giving you enough affection huh? are cat an i not enough for you huh?" slinging his arm across her neck, he pulls her towards him and traps her in a headlock, playfully ruffling her hair with other hand. "why are you suddenly so interested in romance? are you dating someone? do you like someone? does little joey have a crush?"

@⁰² donghyuck l. his reaction is one that comforts her, oddly enough. his leisure laughter and pats of her knee, she should be more embarrassed than she is, but he helps it fizzle away within his reassurance. biting her popsicle over the thought, she then lifts her head from his shoulder, once more resting her chin atop of it to face up at him in casual proximity. “i know it’ll come in time, but i’m a hopeless romantic, what can i say? and i like the affection,” her words evoke a chuckle from her, briefly etching herself close enough to nudge her nose to his cheek. but, as she listens to the way he explains his fleeting infatuation, she wonders — “do you think there are people that think of me in a good light like that? … do you?” it’s a dumb question, she surmises, but who better to ask than someone that knows her best.

@⁰¹ minju k. "good, you better." with that, he drops the topic before it gets any more serious or repetitive. her actions prompt him to take a bite out of his own popsicle, mimicking her. nodding smugly when she admits, albeit the acknowledgement being in jest. the sight of her hiding her face in embarrassment is amusing to him, causing a low bubble of laughter to escape his tiers. he rarely saw minju being shy and when he did it never failed to make him laugh. the stark difference from her normal, easy going personality to this shy girl infront of him was great. his hand finds her knee and pats it comfortingly, encouraging her to speak up. "you'll get your time to shine in that department when the time comes, ju." he hums in reply, leaning his head on top of hers, his cheek resting on her forehead. "she's probably a nice girl but i don't really know her enough to like her. at surface level, like yewon, yeah i definitely like her. i think she's stunning but it doesn't go any deeper than that."

@⁰² donghyuck l. "i know. i'm sorry, i'll let you know next time." she murmurs out for him, hoping that would cease his worries, as she bites at her popsicle once more, her free hand raking through lovie's fur. "yeah, yeah, you think you know me so well." it's playful, clearly, for he's the only one that /would/ know her — which is why she attempts to hide her face from him as she utters her next words. "i'm just..." unable to find the words, she shrugs, a timid chuckle sounding from her. softly, she knocks her head to his shoulder, letting it rest there comfortably. "i guess i'm jealous. it's been two years since i've had my first kiss and it's only ever been that guy, so, i don't know. but that doesn't mean i'm not glad for you. do you like her?"

@⁰¹ minju k. "that's not a very good excuse and i hope you know that," his hands curl over her unfolded legs, careful not to touch anywhere near her bruise. he was sure his legs were going to cramp sometime soon under his best friends limbs that felt more like logs but he stayed still nonetheless, not minding their casual proximity. "i don't think, i /know/ you are," he retorts, playfully rolling his eyes at her. "yes, we kissed and stuff and yes it felt very nice." he says laughing at how invested she was at his revelation. "why are you so interested you weirdo,"

@⁰² donghyuck l. "hey, i'm a vet science major, not premed," she whines out, as if his words weren't already common knowledge, she just forgets sometimes. as he rolls her pants back over her ankle, she's found herself comfortable in the position already, but instead, she readjusts to outstretch both of her legs across his lap, replacing lovie to settle atop of hers, the three of them stacked. "it was the skateboard, tsk. you think i'm /that/ clumsy, huh?" she squints up at him with a fond smile threatening to curl her lips, which it does, before she takes a bite of her own popsicle, the coldness of it sending a slight shiver down her spine. "... so, you guys kissed and stuff?" she lowly asks, obviously curious. "how was that?"

@⁰¹ minju k. "yeah but it heals faster if you ice it, numb nuts." sighing in defeat at her answer, he tenderly pulls her the leg of her pants back down to cover it. making a mental note to ice it for her later. "are you sure her skateboard rushed into your ankle or your ankle rushed into her skateboard." he teases her like always, taking a huge chunk out of his forgotten popsicle, brain freeze no longer getting him because of the slight drop in the ice cream temperature from being outside the fridge for too long. "yes, very pretty. it just happened, we were both going through it and you know birds of the same feather flock together and yeah? she's kind of...? a friend?"

@⁰² donghyuck l. "i... no, i didn't ice it," she says hesitantly, figuring she might receive an earful from this supposed premed student — which is what he does with the barrage of concerning questions and light scolds, but she doesn't mind it. if anything, it's a nice reassurance to know that he cares, scrunched up face of his and all. "i didn't get into a fight, this girl's skateboard just rushed into my ankle and—" she abruptly winces upon his feathering touch, not that it hurt, but because of the fear that it /could/ hurt her. what can she say, she was also a big baby. " i know, i should've told you, but i didn't think it'd be a big deal. bruises usually heal. but hey," with this, she leans closer to prop her chin atop of his shoulder. "was she pretty? how'd you guys even... get to almost sleeping together? is she a friend?"

@⁰¹ minju k. his fingers lightly graze the skin near her ankle, leaning his face closer. "that's kinda big, ju. did you ice it?" he shoots her a barrel of questions, worry evident in his voice and in the crease of his brows as he continues to examine her bruise. where did you get it? did you get into a fight?" he adds to his queries when he finishes surveying her injury. "you should have told me when you got it, are you doubting my medical skills kim minju? you know i'm a premed student right?" he chastises, scrunching his face up in an attempt to appear scary. "just someone, i don't think you know her anyway."

@⁰² donghyuck l. though she wasn't trying to give attention to her bruised ankle, as he urges for her to let him take a closer look, she maneuvers around to then subtly settle her leg across his lap, sure to playfully nudge lovie. "just don't touch it." she warns with a slight whine, rolling the hem of her jeans up enough for him to see. but, she's well distracted as he then leisurely explains his rather wild night, her eyes widening in shock, ignoring his apparent pickiness with his popsicle with the roll of her eyes. "you, what! you punched your cousin in the face, made her bleed... then almost slept with someone? who?"

@⁰¹ minju k. "come sit," patting the space beside him, he gestures for her to sit down so he can take a closer look at her leg. skeptic about her nonchalant dismissal. "at the party? nothing big, i just pinched jinsol in the face and maybe made her nose bleed and then almost slept with someone. " he shrugs in reply before taking a bite out of his popsicle, grimacing in a pause when it gives him brain freeze. the cold is bearable but the flavor is what catches him off guard, "cinnamon? why do you have cinnamon flavored popsicles??"