赤い糸 - Red String of Fate

Chapter 13 - 생일 축하해

Jeongyeon woke earlier than usual, groggy but strangely restless. For a second she thought she was still dreaming—because right there, on her bed, Sana was sleeping soundly.

Her first instinct wasn't to panic. It was... to poke.

She lightly pressed her finger against Sana's cheek. Soft. Too soft. She poked again, like tapping the same button on a game controller, grinning like an idiot with each bounce.

Sana-ya, why are you SO CUTE!?

Then reality slapped her harder than her own finger ever could.
Wait—what am I doing??

Jeongyeon yelped inside her head and pinched her own cheek. "Ow!" The pain was real. She wasn't dreaming. Which meant... Sana, the ever-chaotic Minatozaki, was really sleeping in her bed.

Her heartbeat thumped in her ears. Jeongyeon tore her eyes away from Sana's peaceful face before she got caught staring, scrambling to the couch and burying herself in a book she wasn't actually reading.

.

.

Ding-dong

The doorbell chimed. At this hour, it was obvious who it was.

"Hi again, Tzuyu," Jeongyeon said as she opened the door.

"Is Sana still asleep?" Tzuyu asked, holding up a breakfast bag like usual.

Jeongyeon nodded, about to answer when she noticed movement behind Tzuyu. A penguin had appeared. A very mischievous penguin.

Mina.

She was pulling faces behind Tzuyu's back, making it impossible for Jeongyeon to keep a straight expression.

"ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ—" Jeongyeon snorted, trying to hold it in.

"??" Tzuyu frowned and turned, catching Mina mid-silly pose. Mina immediately froze, face blank like nothing had happened.

"...."

"Come on, let's go inside," Tzuyu sighed, though a smirk tugged at her lips.

They set the food on the table and headed upstairs. Tzuyu was the one to flick Sana's forehead awake.

Jeongyeon's bed? She slept at Jeongyeon's bed!?  Tzuyu got a question mark again, and froze for seconds...

"Yaaah, Chou Tzu-yu!!" Sana groaned, rubbing the spot.

"ㅋㅋㅋ Wake up, Minatozaki Sanaaa~"

Tzuyu teased mercilessly, while downstairs Mina and Jeongyeon quietly finalized their "big plan."

This time, Tzuyu had brought four drinks and four toasts so Mina wouldn't be left out. But guilt was starting to creep in—every morning it was always Tzuyu footing the bill. So Jeongyeon finally brought it up.

"Everyone, I have an announcement," Jeongyeon declared between bites.

"Go on," Sana said.

"From tomorrow, let's take turns buying breakfast. Tzuyu, Sana, me, Mina. Which means..." she paused dramatically, "...tomorrow is Sana's turn!"

"ㅋㅋㅋ Then tomorrow we might not eat breakfast at all," Tzuyu deadpanned.

"I'll do it, you brat!" Sana glared.

The table erupted in laughter.

.

.

The day rolled on with lectures and lunch, but Jeongyeon's nerves buzzed underneath it all. She kept sneaking glances at her phone, waiting for the right moment. When class ended, she sent the message.