| Kim Minjeong

"First of all, let's all thank our best girl Ningning for providing this private jet for us!"

Yuna exclaimed as everyone cheered Ningning's name which made the girl beside me laugh.

"Can't believe they bought it." She whispered to me. 

I chuckled.

"You're rich as hell, Ning. Of course they will believe you."

"Yeah, but not as rich as Jennie Unnie." 

The private jet was from my sister. 

I told her yesterday that I will go to Japan with Ningning, and she immediately offered her private jet to us. Obviously, I declined at first, since my friends would definitely ask me as to why I have a big jet. 

Ningning suggested that she would pretend to be the one who owns it. Of course she can't let that private jet go away. 

"And second, thank you for agreeing to my seating arrangements." Yuna added.

"Just say you want to sit with Chaeryeong!" Ryujin retorted.

"Says the one who forced me to partner her with Yeji!"

There are some seating arrangements, courtesy of Yuna. It wasn't really necessary, but I guess she just did it to have a chance to sit with Chaeryeong. Lia is by herself since she wants to sleep for the whole flight. Ningning is my partner.

Which means Aeri and Yuji will sit beside each other. 

I don't know what happened yesterday. Ningning brought me home and she left immediately because she still had to prepare for the trip. I didn't answer any texts or calls from my friends because first, I was busy preparing too. And second, I just know that they would ask why Ningning and I suddenly left.

I don't know what happened to Aeri and Jimin, and I have no plans on knowing it. 

Whatever happened between the two of them yesterday is not my business.

I am letting go of Yuji. 

I need to. For the sake of the three of us. 

I don't want to fight with Aeri. It's not even my intention in the first place. 

I need to stay where I was before. Just watching. From afar. 

"Sit down now, Yuna." Chaeryeong calmly said to the girl in front of us and Yuna happily obliged to her.

Whipped. 

"What do you want to visit when we arrive there?" Ningning asked me. My eyes shifted from the window to her. 

"Akihabara?"

"The Anime place?" She chuckled. "You watch anime now?"

"No. I just heard it from Ryujin, she wants to go there." Ryujin really likes anime, as far as I can remember. "I don't really know anything much about Japan."

"I've been there, actually. I had a concert in Tokyo."

"Did you roam around?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "I didn't have time to. I need to fly to Korea after that." She looked at me with a teasing gaze. "Because apparently, a puppy was sulking in Seoul, saying she wants to be with me."

I playfully rolled my eyes at her. 

"Shut up, that was one time."

"Oh? remember when—"

"Yizhuo!"

She just laughed at me. 

"Okay, lovebirds. We know you want to be sweet and all but tone it down, please!" I heard Yuna say.

"Oh, sorry! We'll tone it down!"

"Ningning." I hissed. She really likes teasing me. 

"What?" She faced me with a smile. "She said we need to tone it down."

"But…"

"But we're not lovebirds, is that it?" She completed what I was about to say—or rather, what I wanted to say, but I have no will to say it out loud. 

I didn't answer. I just looked at her.

She's smiling, a playful smile that she always wears. She doesn't look like she's faking it. 

"Don't worry about me, Minjeong." She muttered, as if she's sensing what's in my mind. 

"I'm here beside you 'cause I want to."

But I don't want to hurt you. 

Would you still stay beside me if it will hurt you in the process?

Do you plan to take care of my broken heart while yours can be broken too?

I sighed and held her hand. 

She intertwined it with hers.

"Thank you." I muttered.

"I'm here." She muttered back. I smiled. 

It's funny, how we keep chasing for the one who's never meant for us, while there's someone who wants us as much as we want who we chase. 

Ryujin is right, there's someone out there who actually sees me as someone who's perfect.

That someone is Ningning.

What a surprise, right?

Or I guess, I shouldn't be surprised, because she's been here all along.

She has always been.

I wasn't that dumb. I know that she does have feelings for me, for some obvious reasons. But I guess I was still doubting myself.

I am always doubting myself. 

She could've liked someone who's better than me. Like Aeri, like her co-workers, like anyone else who's in her league. But she chose me, she chose to like me.

Or did she really choose it?

We can't dictate our hearts. We lov