[General POV]

 

A heavy sigh escaped . Sakura stood outside the apartment door, looking out of the beautiful blue skies that completely contrasted her clouded mind. 

 

 

"Did I do the right thing? " She asked no one.. maybe she asked herself.. or was she expecting some voice out there to reply to her?

 

 

It wasn't like her to confront people like that. She was always open about her feelings for the older woman, dropping 'I love you's and different suggestive comments here and there but she never straight up confronted the woman about it.

 

 

She was carried away; That was the only explanation she had in mind. 

 

 

"I guess having my feelings avoided for 10 years really got to me, huh? " She let out a bitter laugh. She got kicked out. That's what happened. 

 

 

After calling the older woman out, she said that the two of them needed some 'time off' and sent her out. 

 

 

As she stood there, she played the events over and over in her head - How she finally got tired of Gaeun's avoidance and how even til the end of it, Gaeun avoided her. 

 

...

 

"Can you just stop this?"

 

 

"Stop what, Sakuchan?"

 

 

"Unnie.. Until when will you play me like this?"

 

 

"What.. are you talking about?"

 

 

"That. That's exactly what I'm talking about."

 

 

Sakura sighed before looking Gaeun in the eyes. "How much longer are you going to deny my feelings? I feel like it would be better to just get rejected than get treated like this."

 

...

 

"I really said that, huh? " Sakura sighed again, she doesn't know how many times that makes today, before she continued to play the scene in her head. 

 

...

 

 

"I don't think I understand what you're trying to say here, Sakuchan.."  Gaeun gave her a concerned look, keeping the older sister stature she always exerted whenever she talked to Sakura.

 

 

"I.. I've loved you for as long as I remember, Gaeun." Boldly, she dared to drop the honorifics despite the 6 year between them. 

 

 

"And I've told you before, Sakuchan.. this is just because we're always together." Gaeun said what she had always said, the lines that always irked Sakura whenever she heard them. "If you took the time to look at other people, you would realize that." 

 

 

"Why do you have to keep saying that?!" Sakura unintentionally raised her voice.. just a little bit. "If you don't feel the same way, reject me! Stop trying to downplay my feelings! It's incredibly insulting."  

 

 

"I'm not trying to downplay your feelings. That's not what this is about. I'm trying to tell you that this is all a misunderstanding-"

 

 

"It's not a misunderstanding! Do you really think I would love you for 10 damn years due to some misunderstanding?! Puppy love?! Give me a break."

 

 

"Sakuchan.. Just listen to me."

 

 

"Why don't you listen to me for once, Lee Gaeun?"

 

 

"....."

 

 

"I don't really know why you're so intent on denying this.. but let me tell you something. I'm not expecting anything from you. The best thing I could hope for is for you to just.. take my feelings seriously."

 

 

Gaeun had stopped talking at that point. Sakura looked at every single movement Gaeun made, noticing how Gaeun's eyes seemed to be shaking.. she didn't know where to look, what to say, what to do.

 

 

...

 

"That.. was the first time I ever saw her make that expression." Sakura smiled sadly. "Was it worth it? " 

 

...

 

 

"Unnie." Sakura called out, gently, affectionately.. "Look at me. I'm not asking you to accept my feelings. I'm fine with what we have now. I can still be your little sister.. we can still be a family.. but I can't just run away from my feelings.. and you can't keep running away from me either."

 

 

"Sakuchan.. I really believe.. that this is all a mistake." Gaeun didn't look at her. "Your feelings.. It's not what you think it is."

 

 

"...Are you.. really going to keep being like that?" 

 

 

"Sakuchan.. I've known you for so long... Look.. We need some time off.. okay? You should go." Gaeun said sternly, breaking Sakura apart in more ways than one. It wasn't her heart breaking.. her entire being was breaking. 

 

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

 

Sakura looked back at the door, wondering if she should knock again... Of course not. "You pushed it this time, Sakura.. You can't walk back in like your usual fights.." 

 

 

After letting out one more sigh, Sakura begun making her way to the stairs . There was no use standing around there.. She can't take back what she said. She had to move forward from there.

 

 

Silence surrounded her as she descended - she felt like she was going insane.. but the closer she got to the bottom, the more she heard what sounded like a heated argument and it got much clearer as she finally reached the last step.

 

 

"Chaeyeon! Listen to me!" 

 

 

That was a voice Sakura wouldn't forget. Kwon Eunbi. The student council president who's had her fair share of speeches in the assembly and always takes the podium on events. 

 

 

"Look, there's nothing for you to explain. I get it, Eunbi."

 

 

Peeking from a corner, Sakura looked over to see who Eunbi was talking to and sure enough, she knew who that was. It was Eunbi's rumored girlfriend, Lee Chaeyeon - rumored because there's no way the student council president would outright admit that she swings that way. She'd probably get in trouble with the teachers if they found out.  

 

 

Watching the scene unfold, Sakura figured the rumors were true. It seemed like Eunbi lived in these apartments and Chaeyeon was visiting. Of course, that's all Sakura's assumption. 

 

 

"We can work this out, Chaeyeon." Eunbi sounded like she was pleading.

 

 

"We can't force it, Eunbi. I saw it in the way you looked at her.. You didn't look at me that way anymore." Chaeyeon was holding back her tears and was obviously trying to suppress her anger by trying not to raise her voice too much.  

 

 

"Am I watching a break up right now? " Sakura whispered to herself, finding no opportunities to leave anytime soon. It would be extremely awkward for her to just casually pass by. 

 

 

"Chaeyeon.. I.." 

 

 

"Enough.. Please.. Don't make this more painful than it has to be." 

 

 

Sakura watched as Chaeyeon appeared to push Eunbi into the room and closed the door. There was obviously some struggle. There were signs of Eunbi trying to open the door from the inside but Chaeyeon managed to keep it closed until Eunbi seemed to stop trying. 

 

 

She leaned on the door, placing her forehead against it as she said, "Don't come after me Eunbi... That's only going to make it harder.."

 

 

Once Chaeyeon felt that Eunbi had truly given up, she just fell to the ground, crying without making a sound. It was just a heartbreaking sight to see for Sakura. 

 

 

They were two people who were broken on the same day and there was an obvious difference in the way they reacted. There wasn't a single tear that fell from Sakura's eyes yet Chaeyeon was crying her eyes out. 

 

 

Her mind was nagging her to just quietly leave without Chaeyeon noticing but she felt like she would be complete to just ignore the girl. 

 

 

"Okay, Sakura.. What's better.." Sakura started to measure the consequences. "Is it better to just leave and they'll never know I was here.. or talk to Chaeyeon and expose the fact that I was eavesdropping...? Oh god.." 

 

 

In the end, she decided to slowly approach Chaeyeon, regretting ever single step she took closer to the girl. She knelt down beside the girl, whispering, "Are you okay..?" 

 

 

Chaeyeon was too overcome by her emotions to be shocked of Sakura suddenly appearing. Seemingly out of it, she wasn't really paying attention to anything anymore. "No." 

 

 

Sakura pressed her lips together. "Right.. Stupid question.. you don't look okay."

 

 

Chaeyeon just stared at Sakura, streams of tears still falling from her eyes. 

 

 

Yep. She's completely broken; She doesn't function anymore. Sakura thought to herself. "First things, first.. you should really get up from there. It's gonna cause you problems if anyone sees you."

 

 

Sakura tried to help the girl up and the younger girl was just complying with everything. That apartment was really close to their school so many students and teachers lived there. It's one of the worst places for Chaeyeon to be considering how people that know her could be there.

 

 

"Ahh- Look- Stop crying.." Sakura took a handkerchief from her pocket and started wiping Chaeyeon's tears. She was really used to taking care of people. She usually took care of and was close to her juniors in the theater club. "How about I take you somewhere?"

 

 

Chaeyeon looked at her with a questioning stare. 

 

 

"Arcade?" 

 

 

"I'm not really into games.." Chaeyeon finally seemed like she was starting to function. 

 

 

"Ah!" Sakura remembered that Chaeyeon was known in her school as a dance machine. "Pump it up?" 

 

 

Sakura smiled once she noticed a small smile forming on Chaeyeon's face and that the spark in the younger girl's eyes appeared even if it's just a little. 

 

 

"You know? I think I might be feeling up to that." 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ + ~

 

 

 

 

 

"How the ." Sakura forgot to filter her words, gaining laughter from the younger girl. "How did you do that song on Double??? I can't even do it on Easy-" 

 

 

"Well, well, well~ I'm the ace of the dance club, you know~ My reflexes are top notch." Chaeyeon bragged playfully. While she can't completely take her mind off Eunbi, she was able to release some stress from dancing. It was also fun hanging out with Sakura. It was really funny seeing the gap in the older girl's personality. 

 

 

Sakura had this image of a serious student who was always in the higher rankings. She was also mature and was considered the ace of the theater club and always had this professional aura around her... Today, however, she was just some game addict who's eyes sparkled at the sight of the arcade. 

 

 

"You feeling better now?"

 

 

"A little bit.. Moving around really helped... Hanging out today was a good change of pace. Besides, it's only fair for me to hang out with someone else too."

 

 

"What exactly happened between the two of you?" Sakura asked but then quickly followed up, "I mean- You don't have to tell me.. It's not my place to know.

 

 

Chaeyeon leaned on the handrail. Would it be okay to tell Sakura about it? She does have the reliable aura but they only started talking.. then again, she realized that it would be a lot easier to tell Sakura than any of her friends so she decided she might as well. "Since you already spied on us, I guess I could give you details."

 

 

"W-Well.. I'm sorry about that. I felt like it would be weird to just walk by you two there." 

 

 

"Yeah.. I get it.. Actually, I saw her with someone else yesterday. They weren't doing anything suspicious or anything weird.. But it doesn't take a genius to know what someone who's in love looks like.. specially if you know exactly how it feels to be in love." 

 

 

"Ah.. So you kinda just.. figured it out?"

 

 

"Yeah. I came over so we can talk about it.. I was willing to let go and accept it, you know? But then she just.. had to.. make things seem like it could work and telling me things like we can get through it.. When I already decided with myself that I won't force myself onto her.. she starts making me feel like I can, you know?" 

 

 

"...Did you properly hear her out?" 

 

 

"I tried, unnie. I tried.. but the more she tried to assure me, the more it hurt. I didn't want her to say those things out of responsibility.. because I'm her girlfriend. I already.. started noticing that she was becoming less affectionate towards me.. At first I thought she was just busy since she's the student council president and all.. but yesterday I.. I realized that wasn't it."

 

 

"Are you sure about what you saw?"

 

 

"Of course I am, unnie... After all.. she used to look at me with those eyes.. I know what they mean."

 

 

Sakura took a moment to take in everything Chaeyeon said... and then she asked, "Can I tell you something too?"

 

 

"Sure." Chaeyeon nodded. "Since you took time to take me out and even listened to me.. least I can do is do the same for you." 

 

 

"Well.. I... can't even get rejected." Sakura laughed though it wasn't happy laugh. 

 

 

"...What does that mean?"

 

 

"I've loved the same person for 10 years.. but she just won't acknowledge my feelings. She doesn't reject my feelings.. she rejects the existence of it. She keeps trying to tell me that it's a misunderstanding and that I don't actually love her that way.. downplaying it, basically."

 

 

"That's just terrible.. Rejection is one thing but.. her refusing to recognize your feelings is just.. horrible.." 

 

 

"I know." Sakura smiled sadly at Chaeyeon. "She won't accept me.. and she won't reject me.. She just.. doesn't do anything." 

 

 

"How can she.. treat a feeling you've had for 10 years as a misunderstanding.. she's just running away.."

 

 

"Maybe it's because of the gap."

 

 

"What gap?" 

 

 

"She's 6 years older." 

 

 

".. Wow.. I thought I was brave when I courted a senior.." Chaeyeon was beyond impressed by Sakura. 

 

 

"You were brave.. I was just stupid." Sakura shrugged. "I already knew that I'd probably live my life as just a kid to her but.. ugh.. if only she'd face me straight on and reject me firmly.." 

 

 

"It's strange how you seem to be strongly wishing to be rejected.. normally that would be something we all want to avoid but.. it's been too long for you, huh?"

 

 

"Yeah.. it's been 10 years. I'm ready to let go and move on and all but.. I really need her to take me seriously just once so I can gain some closure and feel complete again."

 

 

"Love really hates us, huh?" Chaeyeon just blamed it on the existence of love. She didn't know who or what else to blame.

 

 

"Love isn't for everybody?" Sakura added.. and Chaeyeon just sluggishly nodded in agreement.

 

 

 

 

~ + ~

 

 

 

 

After spending a day together to just enjoy and temporarily forget about their issues, the two decided to go home. The two of them actually stayed in the same dormitory albeit on different floors and they have seen each other a few times but never really talked much. 

 

 

Getting to know each other was a good way for both of them to loosen up and feel just a bit better about life even when the world seemed to hate them both. 

 

 

"This is my room." Sakura stopped as they reached her room, 104.

 

 

"Ah.. Then my room must be directly on top of your's then." Chaeyeon showed Sakura her key which had this cutely designed key chain, one that their dorm mother personally designed, which had 204 on it.

 

 

"Makes it easier to contact you, I guess." Sakura joked. They probably wouldn't contact each other through their windows unless they wanted to feel their dorm mates' wrath. 

 

 

"I'll be going then." Chaeyeon waved before heading off. Sakura kept waving until Chaeyeon climbed up the stairs at which point she enters her room to see her roommates and an extra person inside. 

 

 

"Kkura~ You're finally here~" A classmate and close friend of hers, Choi Yena, greeted her as she walked in. 

 

 

"You're here again?" Sakura shook her head. 

 

 

"Yah! I don't even come here often." 

 

 

"Isn't it fine~?" One of her roommates, Honda Hitomi, said as she played around with Yena. 

 

 

"She's fun." Nako said in between laughter as Yena continued to mess around. 

 

 

"I guess it's fine as long as you're getting along." Sakura dropped her stuff somewhere and flopped down on her bed. She got a solo bed while Nako and Hitomi had a bunk bed on the other side of the room. 

 

 

"What's wrong? You look tired." Nako walked up to her, sitting on the edge of her bed. 

 

 

"It's a long story, Nako.." was all Sakura said. 

 

 

"Why, why? " Yena stopped playing with Hitomi and asked. "Did something happen?"

 

 

"Right now.. I just want to sleep." Sakura just went under the covers. 

 

 

"Aren't you going to change first?? Isn't it uncomfortable sleeping like that? Change first." Nako started pulling her off the bed.

 

 

"Cha.. Change? Ah! Change.. Yeah, go change first, Kkura."

 

 

"Ugh.. Okay! Okay.." 

 

 

Forced to get back up, she started actually preparing to sleep and it didn't even take her that long to change and wash up. In no time at all, she was back in her bed, comfortably in sleepwear and ready to just drift off.

 

 

 

 

 

~ + ~

 

 

||a/n: Hi there! It's been a while~ Broken officially starts with Chapter 1!! To the people who're reading a story of mine for the first time, welcome to Broken~ To those who have read Misled, welcome back to the series~

Unlike Misled which was heavy on internal monologues and descriptions, Broken will have a shift in writing style. Broken will have more dialogue as unlike Yuri who had trouble voicing out her feelings, Kkura and Jjae (along with other characters in this story), are a lot more open so we'll be getting things directly from them rather than looking into their minds all the time..

Anyways~ Sorry for making this angst from the start. I really greeted you guys with tragic SakuKaeun and KwonChaeng.. We just had to start the story on a bad day..

Don't worry though! It gets worse~! \( ≧ ▽ ≦ )/ I'm kidding... maybe.

This is just the beginning~ We have more to come~||