| Ning Yizhuo

"Ningning," Jennie Unnie held the girl beside her. "This is Minjeong, my baby sister. Minjeong-ah, this is Ningning, my friend."

You just looked at me, as if you're waiting for me to do the first move. 

I smiled at you and offered my hand for a handshake.

"Hi, Nice to meet you."

"Do you like snacks?"

I was a bit taken aback by your sudden question, but I answered nonetheless.

I'm not that fond of snacks.

"Yes."

But if it'll make you satisfied…

"Cool, I like it too."

Then I am.

_

"Ning…"

"Hmm?"

"I can't sleep."

"Why?" I held back a yawn. I am so tired. I just had three concerts all over Korea in one day. All I wanted was to go home and sleep.

But you called. 

"I watched a horror movie." I heard your embarrassed voice which made me chuckle.

"You do remember that horror movies scare you so much, right?"

"Yes."

"But you still watched it?"

"Yes."

I sighed and shook my head. 

"Alright, fine. I'm going there."

"Thank you, Ning!" I heard you exclaim. "Okay, drive safe. Love you!"

The call ended. But the smile never left my face.

"Love you too."

_

"I just realized," You shifted closer to me. "That maybe I am too hard to love."

I just looked at you, letting you speak freely without interruptions.

"I'm aware that I'm kinda weird, and very stubborn." You chuckled. "I make a lot of impulsive decisions, I'm very sensitive, I'm scared of so many things. I have all the factors that you won't need in a partner."

"Loving you can never be difficult. It will never be difficult." I finally said. You looked surprised, but you didn't say anything. 

"Someone will love the way you smile, the way you laugh, the way you walk, the way you talk." I glanced at you. "The way you scrunch your nose every time you're trying to focus, the way you need to hold someone's hand every time you're scared, the way you get annoyed when people say that you look like a kid." I chuckled. "Someone will find you perfect, just being like that. Someone will love all of you."

"Even the weirdest things?"

"Even the weirdest things, Pup."

You don't realize it, and I don't think you ever will. 

But that someone already came, Minjeong.

And that someone is just beside you.

_

"I could hurt you."

You said to me after you recovered from your shock. A few minutes after I confessed to you. 

"I could hurt you, Ning. I don't want that." You pleaded. 

"I'm staying because I want to." I cupped your cheeks. "I want to stay beside you. Is that bad?"

"Ning…"

"Let me stay." I said, I could almost hear myself pleading. "Let me like you, Minjeong."

Let me love you. 

I want to show you how much you mean to me.

How much I love everything about you. 

How perfect you are to me.

Let me love you, Pup. Even just for a while. 

Let me get hurt by staying with you.

_




 

The moment when I heard Aeri's heavy footsteps coming closer to us, I knew there was something wrong. 

She passed by the living room, bolting through the door that I could barely even see her face. But I heard something from her. 

A sob.

It was quiet, but I managed to hear it. 

She went outside, but I was too shocked to even move an inch. The scene happened so fast that I didn't have a chance to run after her.

I wanted to ask why.

As to why Aeri ran outside. 

As to why she's crying. 

As to why I feel a heavy feeling inside me as if there's something wrong going on. 

But it was all answered.

As soon as I saw Minjeong going downstairs at a fast pace while Jimin was following her, it was all answered. 

"Where's…where's Aeri?" Minjeong immediately went to me. Her eyes are bloodshot as if she's trying to hold back her tears. "Did you see her