Stuck. Ssambbang AU

Chapter 22

-Nako POV-

"Nako-ah, why are you dragging me out here? You know I would much rather camp home alone and just huddle up in bed, right? There is no practical reason for me to be present there as I would serve no proper purpose and just be a distraction or worse, a hindrance."

"Shush, that is exactly why I brought you out, to both not huddle up in bed and be a hindrance." I bet the next sentence she would say will be 'Are you in your right mind?'

"Are you in your right mind? A normal Nako wouldn't allow a single hindrance when she has work to do." I jinxed it. "I have thought through every outcome of this choice of mine, no worries." No, I didn't. That was one blatant excuse to drag you out here so that you can forget about what will happen in the next few weeks. I trust my acting skills are enough to fool you, Minju. Hopefully, I can get some opinions from the two giants... I am really clueless about what to do.

After walking some distance, we finally reached Zone Beanery. Damn, that was quite the workout. Took a quick peek to figure out where the two giants are at, seeing how noticeable the two are. "Unnie! Here!" Is it just me or are those two unusually excited to see me?"

"Unnie, I love you for saving me from boredom. I was so damn close to crashing my head on the wall just to see whether it would crack."

"Unnie! You are the best! Unlike Hitomi unnie, who abandoned me once she got Chaewon unnie as her girlfriend." After giving Minju a side glance, the both of us chuckled. "Not that we are good or what. You guys are just too dependent on the couple as best friends and a hangout partner. It is what it is, now you have both me and Minju, no worries. Let's eat before going to the library, shall we?"

-Wonyoung POV-

Despite the joyfulness in Nako unnie's tone I could sense that she felt troubled by something. I can efficiently observe the expressions and tones of everyone I meet and Nako unnie is not an exception. It might be inaccurate, though. I wonder what is on her mind... "Wonyoung-ah, is it just me or is Nako unnie being weird today? I can't exactly pinpoint how but I just feel it." Looks like Yujin unnie also figured it out.

"I feel it too. She is worried about something, I just do not know what that thing is." Just as I was about to sigh in defeat, Yujin unnie comforted me. "No worries, we will surely pry it out of her." That brought back an unexpected smile to my face. "Let's hope so, I do not want her to be troubled while finishing the project." Yujin only let out a light chuckle, seemingly to mock me for something.

"Yujin and Wonyoung, anything you guys want to eat? Both me and Nako are fine with anything, so choose the meal for us, or rather the cuisine." Minju unnie faced towards us and flashed us a smile after finishing her sentence. I swear I heard Yujin unnie mutter "Wow," at that moment but I don't hold it against her, she is practically an angel from heaven. How did Nako unnie manage to not fall for her visuals... Is she perhaps straight... There goes the hope of me dating Nako unnie.

"Hello? Earth to the two giants? Are yall ok?"

"Minju-ah, let them be. They are probably fawning over you internally because of how pretty you are, no worries. They will reply soon." Wait what, how did Nako unnie guess it so easily?

-Time skip-

"I am extremely bloated now." Nako unnie pouted and intentionally took a deep breath to make herself look like an absolute pufferfish, how cute. "Let's head to the library, shall we?" As we were standing up, Minju unnie's phone rang. "Excuse me, I have to take this call." There was a slight hint of shiver in her voice, not quite obvious, but it still put a frown on Nako unnie's face. "Alright... If there is anything, just text me, got it?" Minju unnie nodded and headed out, while Nako unnie let out a heavy sigh before turning back to the both of us. "Library? We got a project to rush through. Hurry." I am pretty sure Yujin unnie caught that sigh.

-Yujin POV-

There must be something wrong with Nako unnie today, and it has something to do with Minju unnie. What could it be... As Minju unnie left the room, Nako unnie let out the heaviest sigh I ever heard before, even louder than what Chaewon unnie makes. Is she ok? Now that we are walking to the library, her aura was not the normal menacing aura, it seemed like a 'thinking in process' aura as she faced down while walking.

"Wonyoung-ah, you know what is wrong with Nako unnie? It seems the thing she is worried about probably relates to Minju unnie." She shook her head. Damn it. That is a dead end. While racking my brains for an answer, Nako unnie received a notification, which definitely brought some bad news as she cursed and kicked the nearest light post. "Fuck, I knew it."

If things could get any worse, her aura instantly turned into one with murderous intent. She could kill. "Wonyoung-ah, let's not mess with Nako unnie later. She will gladly make our heads roll." Wonyoung quickly nodded in agreement. "Minju unnie won't be coming to the library later." That was the bad news? Does she hate us so much that she cursed out her best friend for leaving her with us? "No. I hope not at least. There is probably something more to it, something the both of us have no clue about, they are hiding something from us." Wonyoung said.

"Before you ask me anything, I don't have any info, just a gut feeling. And before you ask me anything AGAIN, you were saying your thoughts out loud."

-Hitomi POV-

"Chaewon unnie, what are you up to?"

"Lunch, for the both of us." This felt oddly familiar to me as I sat in front of the television while Chaewon unnie prepared lunch. The irony being that the difference here is Chaewon unnie cooking the lunch right now, instead of warming it up.

-Flashback-

"Hiichan, wait here while I heat lunch my mum prepared for us. It's gimbap for lunch." A smile appeared on my face as Unnie mentioned the dish name, the one dish I like the most from the hands of Chaewon unnie's mom. While waiting for Unnie to prepare the meal, I wandered around the living room, ending on the couch.

"Unnie, this couch is comfy!" Just to my liking. "Hehe, thank you for approving my choice of couches."

-Flashback End-

Now that I am back here in Korea, and back in the same house I was in 4 years ago, and with the same person I was the closest too, I took in the new surroundings. "Unnie, did you guys renovate the house? It looks different from what I can remember." Her shocked eyes surprised me, but her response was the real shocker.

"You still remember that much? You really are good at acting then. I really thought you forgot about us the first time we met, seeing how harsh you were to me."

"Unnie, that hurt me more than it hurt you. No arguments."

"Yes arguments, you didn't know how sulky I was after you were so harsh to me, Hitoma. You really hurt my feelings then. And now I am here cooking lunch, while you piss me off." She is sulking again. "Unniee~ don't sulk, it makes me sad, cheer up for me, please?" Giving her a back hug while at it.

-Chaewon POV-

Oh no, it is the aegyo skill with added back hug buff; I am definitely dying internally from this. "Big no, I ain't falling for your tricks, Hitoma. I have suffered from it multiple times and today won't add on to it. Your aegyo won't work on me. Not even with the back hug buff."

"Are you sure about that, unnie?" I am in it for a big time, why did I even say that? Just as she finished her question, Hitomi tightens her grip, sufficiently to make me unable to escape, just short of strength to suffocate me, while tiptoeing. "Unnie~ Stop sulking, please?" If I was in a game right now, that whisper would have caused a pop-up that states 'Hitomi used Whisper, it was super effective on Chaewon. Chaewon has fainted.' SINCE WHEN DID SHE LEARN THIS?!

"Ah! Is it just me or is it getting hot in here? Hitoma wait here, I will go turn on the air conditioner." God damn, what the hell was that? I nearly died from my heart beating too fast. Hitomi, just what effects do you have over me? I am so weak for her, what even. I should be the one wearing the pants in this relationship. I am taller, stronger, and more sane compared to her. Okay, the other two are not quite so, but one thing is for certain, I am taller than her.

"Hitoma, go back to the living room and let me continue cooking. Don't you dare try that on me again. That was horrible, so horrible that I would prefer Nako dating me than experiencing that again." Shit, I think I said something wrong.

"Kim Chaewon, what did you say?" I am so screwed. Yujin, please play some IZ*ONE music at my funeral if I don't come back to you alive.