Fatum: tied by an invisible string - Michaeng

Chaeyoung cycled so fast that she didn't realize she had almost arrived at her destination until her stinging lungs and aching legs forced her to stop. Letting her bike and bag fall to the floor, her hands gripped the sides of her neck as she bent over, hoping it would calm her breathing down and trying to get air back into her body - which refused to cooperate.

She gasped for air and fell in a heap to the grass. It didn't matter that it was all covered with snow or that her pants would probably be soaked later, she couldn't bring herself to care. The girl felt something wet on her face and looked up just in time to see tears falling from her eyes as she tried to catch her breath.

Many feelings were going through her at that moment, but - by far - the one that carried the biggest weight was humiliation.

In the distance, she could see Dahyun looking up from her phone, worry flashing across her face as she walked through the door and onto the sidewalk. "Hey." Raising her leg, she softly tapped with her slipper on Chaeyoung's leg. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alive if that's what you're worried about."  The words sounded bitter, not like Chaeyoung meant them to, but rather because they came out so naturally from between her lips.

Chaeyoung wiped her cheeks with both of her palms before slowly straightening herself out in a manner that showed no signs of distress. She took a deep breath and then turned around to look at Dahyun, who was still standing there waiting patiently. "Hi."

"Hello, Chaeyoung. To what do I owe the pleasure?" The older extended her hands out, helping her friend get up.

"I just wanted to hang out?" It was supposed to be a statement, but her voice getting higher in the end made it sound more like a question.

"Sure," She didn't believe her, but they would get to talk about whatever had happened later "Let's go inside. I'm fucking freezing." Dahyun said while wrapping an arm around the shorter girl's shoulders.

The younger nodded quickly. If there was something to keep her mind off everything, she would take it.

---

"What the fuck are you doing?" Dahyun made a weird sound with her mouth, something between disapproval and confusion.

A transparent plastic bag had been emptied over the wooden table, scattering products Chaeyoung had previously bought at the convenience store. There were some chocolates, plastic gloves, a shower cap, and most importantly: a box that had a brunette with shiny hair on its cover. "I don't think there's a lot to figure out."

"What happened today?" The older silently pointed with her eyes to the chair beside her, inviting the blonde to sit there. "You shouldn't worry about the exams. I'm sure you did a great job, Chae."

The younger chewed on her lower lip, debating whether it would be a good idea to open up about what had happened earlier. "I told Mina." She answered in a small voice, looking down at the table and twirling a lock of hair around her finger as she waited for a reply.

The older's eyes opened wide for half a second, dragging her chair slightly forward to support her elbows on the table and be closer to her friend. "You told her how you feel?"