𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙮 / 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡

~ 𝙭𝙭𝙫𝙞𝙞𝙞 ~

Yerim directed Jungeun to the private pool on the balcony of Jinsol's room. The vice president looked around the balcony but couldn't seem to see the older girl. "Jinsol?"

It was silent for a few moments until suddenly Jinsol emerged from the water, swimming towards the ledge and leaning on it, perching her head onto her arms. "Jungie, wanna join?"

"I think I'll pass." Jungeun let her own suppressed smile come to light as Jinsol looked up to her, eyebrows raised, and eyes wide, she looked like an adorable puppy. "Ugh, fine. I'll dip my legs in but that's all you're getting from me tonight Miss Jung."

"Yes ma'am." Jinsol saluted as she backed away from the ledge, letting Jungeun slip off her heels and dip her legs in the cool water. "So..."

"So... that was some speech huh?"

Jinsol looked away and laughed nervously. "I just hope it was enough for you to forgive me."

"I do forgive you." Jungeun started, giving Jinsol some hope. "But I think the damage is done. It's not going to be the same between us anymore. We can't go back to how we were when we hated each other but we can't go back to us when we became friends either."

Jinsol furrowed her eyebrows in thought as she hovered in the water. Jungeun eyed her tentatively wondering what was going through her head until she was startled by a hand shooting up towards her. "Let's start again. No Minho. No Jae. No rivalry or lies. Just us."

Jungeun contemplated the offer. It did sound like the perfect opportunity to have the final weight lifted off her shoulders and to get to know the girl she'd been falling for all over again. She locked hands with Jinsol and they stared into each other's eyes, the moonlight shining down on the balcony. Jungeun felt herself leaning down until she was suddenly pulled into the pool. "Jinsol!"

Jinsol jumped on her, clinging onto the younger much like a koala as they waded in the pool. Jungeun wrapped her arms around the drunk girl's waist to keep both of them steady but almost dropped them as she felt a long kiss being pressed on her cheek. By now, both girls knew Jungeun's cheeks were probably becoming bright red but that didn't matter as they'd found their comfort once again. The comfort they had shared with only each other.

But Jungeun and Jinsol never really did have the best luck.

The peaceful moment was broken by the sound of Jungeun's phone ringing loudly, and as much as the duo tried to let it go to ring, whoever was calling was extremely persistant. Jinsol released Jungeun from her grip and gestured for her to go answer it which she reluctantly did. "Hello? Dad?"

"Jungeun, finally you answer."

"You literally just rang."

"That's besides the point. I've been monitoring your management of the store closely the past few months and I've come to the conclusion that you're not fit to be the heiress to the Kim Department Store chain."

"Well, that's good because I don't want to anyway. I'm sick of being part of something that I don't feel passionate about Dad, so I'm sorry but you're going to have to find someone else to be your heir."

"You took the words right out of my mouth. I've actually made an... arrangement with another Kim family enterprise. A merger of a sort. Long story short, Kim Woojin will be my new heir as his brother and I formed a merger with our companies."

"Kim Woojin?! Dad, you can't be serious? Don't you know what he's done?"

"Those stupid rumours don't change the fact that he's being trained to be a good businessman Jungeun."

"Well I don't want any part of this company if he's going to be involved."

"That's going to be a bit hard darling. You see the merger I made with the Kim family was one of a marital nature. An arranged marriage to be precise. After your graduation this year, you're going to marry Kim Woojin."

Jungeun felt her body go numb as she dropped her phone into the pool. There was no possible way her father just said what she thought she'd heard. "Jungeun, is everything okay?" Still in shock, Jungeun turned to see Jinsol who had just gotten out the pool and had a towel slung around her shoulders. The student couldn't hold back as she practically flung herself into Jinsol's arms, the older girl not hesitating to hold her. Just as she felt the pieces of her life fitting back together again, her father's words destroyed them completely.