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[Night after the encore]
Yunjin and Chaewon and Kazuha were round Sakura and Eunchae's dorms tonight and they had pizza and watched movies together. Sakura had excused herself saying she felt unwell and Sakura had seemed very off the entire day. It worried Yunjin. Sakura never normally showed any weaknesses in front of them. They had all been apprehensive today knowing the hate they often received after encores or anything lately.
Everyone had focused on making sure Eunchae didn't get down. It made Yunjin feel guilty because who took care of Sakura? They all leaned on her but never the other way around.
Eunchae had gone to bed early and Chaewon had made makeshift beds in the living room that her and Kazuha were laying in. Yunjin gets up from her position on the sofa to wash up before bed, when as she heads towards the shared bathroom she hears something as she passes Kkura's bedroom. Was that crying she heard?
Yunjin reacts without thinking and opens Sakura's door and looks inside. It is dark, the room only illuminated by a single lamp. And Yunjin finds Sakura crying in bed, covering her face with her hands and shaking slightly. It startles Yunjin because she had never seen Sakura like this.
"Kkura unnie, whats wrong?" Yunjin says in shock and she rushes over to Sakura's side on the bed. "What is it? Why are you crying?" She asks with concern and when Sakura does not respond, continuing to sob, Yunjin notices Sakura's phone discarded and playing a video from TikTok on the bed beside her. Yunjin looks at it, and see's it is a clip from the encore from today. Yunjin see's the caption written over the video. 'How is she an Idol, she can't sing'. Yunjin quickly locks the phone turning off the video which had been playing a clip of Sakura singing, over and over and then she wraps her arms around Sakura in a bear hug. She had never dared to be this close with Sakura before, they were the not closest in the group (that spot was reserved by Eunchae for Sakura) and Yunjin knew that Sakura was shy and did not like skinship very much but Sakura lets Yunjin hold her, she doesn’t protest and after a while She even leans into Yunjin, her hands finding and tugging on Yunjin's t-shirt.
"They are right" Sakura says in between sobs. "I don't deserve this group" She admits. "I will only drag you guys down" She says, her voice cracking as she continued to cry.
Yunjin holds her tighter. "Don't be ridiculous. There is no group without you. You complete us Sakura. You can sing. I love your voice. Do not listen to these people online. You had a cold. So what." Yunjin says, sharply. Angry Sakura could ever believe such a thing.
Holding Sakura likes this, makes Yunjin's heart do somersaults, feeling Sakura holding her shirt. She had to quiet her delusions. Sakura was hurting. Now was not the time.
"You promise you mean it? You are not just being nice" Sakura asks. "To spare my feelings?".
She pulls back to look at Yunjin, having managed to calm herself down enough to stop crying. Yunjin had never seen Sakura like this. So vunerable. Her eyes were red and puffy. Tears still visible on her cheeks. Yunjin loosens her hold of Sakura to wipe some of Sakura's tears away. Her hand shaking slightly with nervousness.
She'd never been like this with Sakura before. She’d worried her affections for the girl would show too much but those worries were gone tonight. Sakura was hurting and needed her.
"I mean it. You are amazing Sakura. I have never met someone who deserves to be an Idol more than you" Yunjin admits honestly. "I envy you honestly." She adds and blushes at her honesty.
Sakura smiles shaking her head. "Now you are going to far".
"I think you might be biased Yunjinnie. You've always liked me too much" Sakura notes.
Yunjin blushes and sets her hand down, feeling shy. So it was obvious then?
And if it weren't for the beers she had drank with Chaewon, or the vulnerability of the moment with Sakura being so open and raw or their closeness and Sakura's hand still on Yunjin's shirt, she might have left it at that. Instead she says. "I do have a massive crush on you but I can still be impartial."
Surprise flashes in Sakura's eyes. Her hands let go off Yunjin's shirt. "Yunjin, are you drunk?" She asks. "What are you saying?".
Yunjin smiles at her. "A bit but it's still the truth. I think your beautiful. Even like this" Yunjin admits.
"Yunjin" Sakura warns. And there's something in her eyes. Yunjin can see it. "You can't say things like that to me" Sakura says suddenly very serious.
"Why not?" Yunjin asks and she touches Sakura's cheek, amazed by how soft it is. She’d always wondered what it felt like. God she was drunk, what was she doing? She must be crazy.
Sakura swallows, "You should go." but there is no conviction in her voice and she does not move away from Yunjin.
"I'm staying right here, by your side. I won't leave you alone after finding you so upset Kkura. So lean on me. Let me be here for you like you are always there for me and the others." Yunjin insists refusing to back down.
Sakura leans forward then. Impossibly close. She looks conflicted. It seems a number of emotions cross her features till she seems to have made a decision. She swears quietly, under her breath and pulls Yunjin towards her connecting their lips, taking Yunjin by complete surprise.
She holds Yunjin's face in her hands carefully as she kisses Yunjin with a confidence only earned from practice. It takes a moment before Yunjin responds and she kisses Sakura back, her hands finding Sakura's hips, needing something to hold onto.
They lose themselves in the kiss and Sakura runs her hands through Yunjin's hair as Yunjin's hands move higher tracing her abdomen. God her body was perfect. Yunjin's heart was doing somersaults and she felt flushed, hot.
Sakura pulls back before it can escalate further. She looks shy, and slightly dazed. "I'm sorry I..." She says, looking regretful. She swears then as Yunjin catches her breath and tries to calm her racing heart. "Shit...I shouldn't have done that".
Yunjin blushes. She still couldn't believe it. They'd kissed. Made out. Yunjin removes her hands from Sakura, feeling shy and rests them on her lap. "Well I am glad that you did" Yunjin admits. "I have wanted to kiss you for some time" Yunjin adds. She might as well be completely honest with her. They had been honest with each other tonight. It was only fair.
Sakura looks like a deer in headlights.
Yunjin laughs. "Sakura relax" she says softly and rubs the girls shoulders in a comforting gesture. "You've done nothing wrong". Yunjin reasons.
Sakura swallows, looking sheepish. "No, I shouldn't have done that Yunjin. I wasn't thinking".
"Why? If you want to kiss me Sakura, then you should". Yunjin returns.
"I can't give you anything" Sakura admits, shy. "I am not good at relationships. I don't know anything about love."
"It's okay, I am not expecting anything. But I like you Sakura and I won't deny it anymore. I won't hide it". Yunjin admits.
There silent for a while and they recover for what had transpired between them.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" Yunjin asks quietly. Before Sakura can respond Yunjin adds. "I know the response from our encore performance hurt you deeply. I won't let you hurt alone. I want to be here for you." Yunjin insists.
"Okay, just for tonight" Sakura says after a long pause.
Sakura goes to her ensuite to wash her face and while she is out of the room Yunjin slaps herself lightly on the face to make sure she isn't dreaming. She just kissed Sakura. Sakura had kissed her. She has a mini freakout before Sakura returns. Yunjin lets her settle in bed before she gets in beside her. It is large enough there is plenty of space for both of them and Sakura lays on the very edge of the bed to give Yunjin plenty of space but Yunjin pulls her towards her. "Can I hold you?" Yunjin asks.
"Yes, okay" Sakura responds and leans into Yunjin, closing her eyes and she falls asleep shortly after.