She

Chapter 4

While the players resumed their activities down below, the 5 were still frozen in place, stunned at what the eldest among them had just said.

Yeji once again had her head down, body trembling as she tried her best to stop her hiks and her sobs, trying her best to maintain composure.

Jisu knew Yeji's parents, in fact all 4 of them did. 

Though they were no longer around in high school as they had moved away to the United States to handle their large entertainment empire while Yeji chose to stay in Korea, not wanting to leave her best friends and the girl she loved behind. 

Jisu, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna all had memories of Yeji's parents from middle school. They were good people and it reflected on their daughter, Yeji.

Past

The four remembered their first meeting with Yeji's parents back in middle school, the year the 5 came together after being coincidentally placed into one group by the teacher for a school project not knowing back then that it was the catalyst to a life-long friendship and even romance for some of them. 

The moment they entered Yeji's house, they were immediately greeted by Yeji's parents with a warm and welcoming hug.

Yeji grinned at the way the four were taken aback by her parents' actions as she introduced the 4 to her parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong and Yuna," gesturing towards each of them respectively. 

"They're here to work on a group project so we'll be working upstairs in my room."

"Look at you Yeji, already making friends the first day of middle school," her Dad proudly spoke.

Yeji's face turned red, slightly embarrassed of her father's remarks as she gestured for the 4 to follow her upstairs into her room.

That afternoon, the 5 went from middle school kids who barely knew one another aside from Ryujin and Chaeryeong who prior to this were already familiar with each other, to students tasked to work on a project together, to recognizing each other as friends, all within 24 hours, as they spent their time getting to know one another, finding out what they had in common and what made them unique from each other, their eyes that were filled with caution and coldness slowly began to fill with warmth. 

The once awkward and cold air between the 5 sitting in Yeji's room gradually faded, replaced with the sound of laughter and fun. 

Jokes were thrown around the room as they began to be comfortable with one another, opening their hearts to the possibility that maybe it wasn't just a coincidence that they were put into the same group, that they were fated for one another. 

Both Yeji's mom and dad could hear them from downstairs, smiling at the thought that Yeji may have found a new home, one that could shelter and protect her when the two were often busy with their company. 

The 5 lost track of time and before they knew it, it was already late. 

On their way out, Yeji's parents offered to drive each one of them home for it was much too late for middle schoolers to be walking outside. 

The 5 squeezed together in the back of the car while both Mr and Mrs. Hwang took the front seat and the wheel as giggles and laughter was heard throughout the ride. 

With each stop of the way, Yeji's parents never forgot to say thank you to each of the girls, a purposeful thank you that was a little too meaningful for the young girls to understand at the moment. 

It was only years later that they realized what Mr and Mrs. Hwang had meant. That the two adults could see that a special friendship and bond was blooming right in front of their eyes.