Fourteen

Siren sits back on her chair looking extremely exhausted. They just finished making the soup, but it felt like she just came off from a war with the constant battle of her trying to remain calm and to keep her sanity in check. She thinks that the more she gets closer to Peach, the more she feels like she's going crazy may be because there's nothing going on in her mind lately rather than the kiss and it pisses her off.

'I shouldn't have apologized to her. Now, my mind is even messier.'

"Siren!" Hana's loud voice disrupts her from thinking.

"What?"

"I said its lunchtime. Aren't you going to eat?"

"Oh? Yujin! You're here already!" Hana happily skips towards Yujin who is waiting outside their classroom. "Let's go, Siren. I'm hungry!" She shouted once more while waving exaggeratedly to catch her attention.

'Right. I haven't talked to her since I ran away yesterday.'

She purposely walks slowly and lets Lea and Hana walk away a few inches ahead before grabbing Yujin lightly.

"Yujin, can we talk?"

With her head hung low, Yujin nods. Siren brings her to their favorite hang-out while texting Lea and Hana to grab her and Yujin some food to eat and promising to pay them later.

'With the crowded cafeteria, I'll have at least ten minutes to talk to her.'

They both sit on the stairs quietly.

'So awkward. I really hate this kind of atmosphere.'

"So... I wanted to apologize for suddenly running away yesterday-"

"No! I-it's fine... Please don't apologize..."

"But what I did was really rude and I shouldn't have done that."

With her head still low, Yujin shakes her head violently while grabbing onto the hem of her uniform.

"You were saying something that day, right? I'm sorry, I might misunderstand something here."

"I really like you, Siren." Although a whisper, Siren can still hear it clearly.

"As a friend?"

She shakes her head slowly and looks up at her.

"M-more than that."

'I knew it.'

"Why?"

Yujin blinks twice as she stares at her as if looking for an answer to her face.

"Was... Was it weird? Because we're both g-girls?"

"What? No! I didn't think that way! I... I was just curious. Why do you like me?"

"I don't know."

"Ha?"

She looks down again while her grip on her uniform is becoming even tighter.

"I just... Whenever I see you... My heart, it's going crazy... And it's scary... B-but I feel so happy every time I get close to you and I wish I could stay by your side forever..." She meets her eyes and she can see tears forming in them. "I'm sorry... For liking you... I just-"

Siren silences her by hugging her.

'How do I answer this?'

"Siren?"

"I don't like to see people crying so don't show that face to me again, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Honestly... I don't how to answer you, I'm sorry."

Yujin shakes her head as she gathers all of her courage to hug her back. "I really don't need an answer. I just want to get this off my chest." She hugged her even tighter, almost afraid of letting her go. "But Siren... Will you still be my friend?"

She chuckles lightly. "Of course. As long as you're fine with it."

"And..."

"What?"

"T-the amusement park..."

"Again with the whispering. Speak louder, My hearing's kind of bad."

"The amusement park... Can we still go there?"

Siren lightly pushes her away. "Of course. We already planned it all out."

For the first time since yesterday, Yujin can finally flash a sincere smile that Siren can't help but smile back.

'I should definitely give her an answer one day. Even though she says she doesn't need it... Still, it's not good to be left hanging like that.'

Hana approaches their way with her hand full of food. She rushes and almost throws the food at them.

"So tired! You don't know the hardship we experience just to get that." Hana complains as she sits beside Yujin while fanning herself.

"Thanks. Where's Lea?"

"Oh. She said she had a stomachache."

"Stomachache? Why?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Dunno. She's acting weird, actually."

"Why?"

Hana repeats the same gesture and answers. "Dunno."

"Tsk. You shouldn't have left her alone!"

"And what? Smell her poop? She just wants to release it! I don't have to be there! Besides, it must be so urgent because she suddenly complained about it when we are almost here."

"Ha?"

"Just let her be. Let her release whatever she has to release."

Siren glares at her almost unable to eat her bread. "You're gross and I want to smack you for that." She then turns to Yujin. "Are you okay? Can you still eat?" Yujin nods at her as she takes a bite of her bread.

"You're the only one who finds it gross, Siren. Stop imagining it already."

Unable to keep her annoyance any longer, she kicks her lightly in the leg.

"What?! That's what I'll get after all I've done for you?"

"What are you, my sister?!"

"Ha, I'm prettier than her."

"Yeah, you both look ugly."

Hana glares back at her, ready to fight. "What did you say?!"

"G-guys... Stop fighting please..." A terrified Yujin tries to stop them. They both stare at her before laughing.

"W-why?"

"You gotta get used to this, Yujin. We're always like this." Hana answers as she puts her arm on her shoulder. "It's actually, even more, worse when Lea is here."

Siren nonchalantly nods while taking a sip of her favorite choco milk.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. But we don't really fight. We're more like... Verbally fighting, throwing insults with each other." Siren stands up and stretches. "Let's go back, maybe Lea's there and finished."

"Ask her about it later."

"Shut up already!"

Hana's laughter echo as they walk back to their classroom.

- - -

She doesn't really know how long she's been in there that she might have missed if the bell rang already. Her legs and feet are numb from sitting on the toilet bowl for too long. But no matter how long she stayed here, she can't get an answer why is she acting this way.

"I usually have no problem with seeing them together but why..."

Images of Siren and Yujin hugging keep flashing in her mind. She takes a deep breath and tries to calm herself.

"This isn't like me... What is wrong with me?"

She stares at the closed door in front of her, completely baffled at the sudden realization that struck her.

"No... I-it can't be..." She rests her head on her lap, almost wanting to pull her hair in annoyance. "I can't like her! There's no way..."

A soft knock disrupts her from thinking.

"I know you're in there, Lea. Open up." A calm voice echoes outside as the soft knocking continues.

"The class has already started and if you didn't come out there, our teacher won't accept you unless you bring your parent in. I don't think you would want that."

She slowly stands up and opens the door.

"There you are. Let's get back to class."

She grabs her by the arm before she could walk away.

"W-wait..."

"What is it?"

"Can I talk to you later?"

-