THEN.
Time passes. Chaewon starts her final year of middle school while Yunjin goes off to high school, and she has to get used to not having Yunjin around at lunch or when they're walking to and from school.
It's not like Chaewon isn't expecting Yunjin to make new friends once they're spending all day apart, but it still catches her a little off-guard when she arrives at Yunjin's on a Friday night in April, Heejin and Jiwoo in tow, for their weekly movie night, to find a surprise guest already sitting on Yunjin's sofa — in Chaewon's corner spot — scrolling through Netflix.
The newcomer's name is Haseul. She and Yunjin share a few different classes, and they're both new additions to the high school's cheerleading team. Heejin and Jiwoo take to her immediately, and Chaewon hates how weird and stupid and jealous she feels when it's Haseul that Yunjin sits next to while they watch some gruesome zombie apocalypse movie that Heejin picked, when it's Haseul's shoulder that Yunjin hides in when someone on screen gets graphically eaten.
God, they're fifteen, not five. She thought she had grown out of this childish need to keep Yunjin all to herself.
Apparently not.
Haseul hasn't even done anything wrong, Chaewon rationalises with herself. She's nice, and funny, and does her best to try and get to know all three of them, including Chaewon, even when all Chaewon offers in response is cYunjinieped short sentences. All Haseul did was befriend Yunjin, and Chaewon can't exactly blame her for that. She's well aware of the power of Yunjin's gravity.
"Hey, you were really quiet today. Is everything okay?" Yunjin murmurs later that night, when they're curled up together in bed.
The green-eyed monster in Chaewon's chest had been soothed a little when Haseul had left earlier with Jiwoo and Heejin. It's comforting to know that even with her the option of new, cooler, older friends presented to her, their Friday night sleepovers are still just for the two of them.
"It's nothing," Chaewon replies, because it's easier than explaining the irrational jealousy that's been simmering under her skin all evening, all because Yunjin made a new friend. "I was just tired."
"It didn't seem like nothing," Yunjin says, shuffling closer. Their knees bump together under the blanket. "Does it have anything to do with Haseul? Did you not like her?"
"No, Haseul seems nice." And then, because Chaewon's an idiot and her defenses are always weakened around Yunjin, she ends up blurting out, "I'm glad you found a new best friend."
It's silent for a few moments, and Chaewon keeps her eyes squeezed shut, not wanting to see Yunjin's expression in the dim light of her bedroom. Yunjin breaks the quiet with a soft chuckle. "You're so dumb, Chaewonnie."
"Excuse me?" Chaewon objects, eyes opening immediately to glare at Yunjin. The moonlight coming in through the window is providing enough light for Chaewon to see the fond smile on Yunjin's face, and something flutters in Chaewon's chest when she realises how close they are.
"I haven't found a new best friend. Why would I want one when I already have you?" Yunjin's hand comes out, groping about in the darkness between them until she finds Chaewon's hand so she can link their pinkies together. "Haseul's great, but she's not you. You're still my best friend."
"You promise?" Chaewon asks, hating how small her voice sounds. "You're not going to leave me for her?"
Chaewon hadn't even realised how deep her insecurities ran until this exact moment when they come spilling out of her before she can stop them. Haseul is older, friendly and outgoing, the exact opposite of Chaewon. Chaewon wouldn't really blame Yunjin for wanting to upgrade her boring, grumpy childhood friend to a newer, shinier version.
"I promise," Yunjin replies, squeezing Chaewon's pinky and immediately chasing away all the insecure thoughts lurking at the edge of Chaewon's mind. "You'll always be my best friend."
Eventually, Chaewon begrudgingly admits that Haseul isn't actually the evil older girl swooping in to steal Chaewon's best friend away from her. She's sweet and funny and as she starts to become a more permanent fifth fixture at their movie nights, Chaewon begins to view her as her friend as well, instead of just Yunjin's friend.
Chaewon has enough loud people in her life already, and Haseul seems to be someone who can appreciate a bit of peace and quiet, which Chaewon likes. Although her little sister Yeojin, who befriends Eunchae quite quickly and becomes a regular guest at the Huhhousehold, is even louder than Jiwoo and Yunjin put together, which is a little terrifying.
Plus, it helps to finally have someone on her side when the endless argument of does pineapple belong on pizza gets brought up for the billionth time.
YOU ARE READING
all my nights taste like gold / purinz
Fanfiction#3 purinz "It's not like- it won't be the first time we've kissed," Yunjin says. Slurs, really, her voice lower and her sentences slower than usual, which is just another reminder that neither of them are really in the right condition to be consider...
