TWICE x Reader- “Doughnut”: PART 7 (FINALE)
Happy 13K reads! Thank you so much everyone!
Btw, this is the chapter where I really did my best to explain everything what happened in the MV from my own created story even though I admit that I honestly suck at explaining. Some of these didn't "that" happened accurately but serves as it's symbolism instead. Honestly I wanted to add more pictures to show what part am I telling but I remember that Wattpad has its own picture limit in a chapter.
So yeah, I hope that this will still end up as a nice ending to give for you readers then.
Enjoy!
Previously on "Doughnut" PART 6...
You hummed in response, agreeing to what she said. YN: "And I'll be staying here for tonight like what I said."
Jihyo: "That's great! Atleast you finally went true to your words.", she said, smiling smugly.
YN: "Hey, that sounded like I am more recognizable at being a liar huh?", you remarked at her sarcasm towards you.
Seulgi: "Isn't that true anyways?", your cousin playfully sided with Jihyo, making your situation a 2v1 and a very unfair to your part since you are being outnumbered.
YN: "I hate you, noona.", you glared at her.
Seulgi: "And I love you too, couz.", she smiled widely and pinched you in the cheek, making you groan in annoyance.
Jihyo: "That look definitely tells a lot of horrible story behind there.", she said as she pointed at your pair of eyes with her index and middle finger.
YN: ""You're correct, and don't worry... I'll get my revenge regardless," you smirked. "All right, here's your lunch I bought for you," you said, handing her the take-out chicken donburi from Momo's restaurant. She thanked you as you eventually made your way inside, removed your shoes, and shut the door to begin spending your night with them.
The planned movie night you had with your cousin Seulgi and bestfriend Jihyo just finished when the end credits for the second film rolled.
Jihyo assisted Seulgi in cleaning the dishes as you went outside to get some fresh air and fix the area where you and Jihyo will spend the rest of your spare time together.
Seulgi was wiping the plates with a cloth when she called Jihyo, who was taken aback by the sudden call from her bestfriend and sister-figure.
"Jihyo," she called out, her gaze fixed on her task.
"Oh, unnie?", Jihyo side glanced at her.
"You're ready to do it?", Seulgi asked. Jihyo's face dropped a bit, knowing what her unnie is referring at.
"I am, unnie. I have to.", Jihyo said, stopping at washing the dishes to heave a sigh.
"Uhh, I heard something from YN a while ago back at the resto.", Seulgi said, she stopped too at what she's doing to focus more on their conversation.
"Oh, what is it?"
"Jihyo, you ain't the only one who'll confess to him. In fact, there were actually many women that are way ahead now of you. Seven, to be exact.", Seulgi said. Jihyo's eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise.
"How did he said that to you?"
"He was actually asking for my help about how he's going to pick one of these friends of his who share their true feelings for him.", she said, recalling what happened back then at the restaurant where she had dinner with you.
"I just told him that he has to do again what he did before on how to get a girlfriend. Be aware too that he also mentioned that her three exes before Ryujin were all after him now too.", she continued. Jihyo's lips were curving downwards the more her unnie speaks.
"You wanna know why I'm telling this to you now, I just wanna know if still despite after all this... would you still be able to continue what you're planning to do?", Seulgi asked Jihyo concernly, leaning her face a bit closer.
"Knowing that I have many contenders for YN's heart this time? I... I don't know noona.", Jihyo shook her head. "I'm actually thinking right now if he already decided and it makes me scared. I guess... I'm already too late again.", Jihyo sighed heavily.
"Maybe he is or maybe he isn't yet, why don't you still try?", Seulgi said, pinpointing her advice for the younger. "Jihyo, think about this. Unlike before, YN is free now. Setting aside all these women who are chasing for YN, you know you have an opportunity this time.", Seulgi said, stepping closer at Jihyo and joined her to lean their back at the edge of the sink while standing.
"So why don't you still try, hmm? Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky.", Seulgi shrugged. Her arms then went on to wrap around Jihyo's arm and grab her left arm, shaking her body lightly like as if she's rocking her.
"I just want to boost your confidence more, Jihyo. I didn't meant to scare you but I just want you to realize more that you must not let this one pass when the chance is now here. But I'm not forc-", Seulgi's words of advice were cut short when they heard your voice shouting from the outside, which they kinda both cringed because you weren't aware that it's midnight already and all the neighbors are probably comfortably sleeping right now for them to be disturbed by your loud voice.
"Jihyo, I'll get set up the blankets outside, just come here if you and noona are done there!"
"O-okay, YN!", Jihyo just decided to shout back instead since her words she'll about to say are just short. She looked back at Seulgi after. " I-I'll still do it, noona. You're right.", she nodded. "What I'm doing here is for him and only him anyways. I must not get bothered at anyone."
"Goodluck, Jihyo.", Seulgi said, patting her shoulder to support the younger.
"Thank you, noona.", Jihyo gave a flat smile in return for her unnie's help.
(AT THE BACKYARD)
"When was the last time we went stargazing together?" you asked Jihyo, your gaze fixed on the telescope you held in front of your eyes to examine the stars above.
You and Jihyo were both resting down on the blanket you had spread out on the lawn, with beverages and midnight snacks on your sides.
It was a relief when you spoke since Jihyo was plainly drowning out in her thoughts about what she and Seulgi had just talked about a while ago while staring up above like you, so your abrupt voice helped her snap out of it."I-I don't remember much, honestly. But I'm pretty sure it's when we were back at college days. 2nd year, I guess?", Jihyo responded, shrugging.
"Pretty long time, then.", you said. "Wow, well, it's great that we're doing this again, and the night is with us right now; so many stars tonight," you said as you withdrew the telescope from your eyes and handed it to Jihyo. You then took your bag of chips and picked a piece to eat.
"There's definitely a constellation formed along with those," you said, pointing to a spot of the sky where you noticed one. "It's a Cassiopeia one if i'm not mistaken", Jihyo then followed the direction of your finger you used to point out the spot.
"You know that whatever it may be, that won't still change the fact that they'll be all sparkly beautiful. They'll always be such a sight to see.", she said. You agreed with a hum.
"How are you doing these days, Ji?"
"Doing well, schedules keep piling up, but with the support of my lovely staffs, I can still finish it all off and call it a day," she replied, setting the telescope aside to fetch her own snacks. "You?"
"Same, but it's kind of a bit... confusing to me too at some point."
"Something bothering you?"
"Yeah"
"What is it then?"
"Love," you replied. Jihyo just stopped and glanced at your side profile after you chewed some potato chips. What she had heard from her Seulgi unnie earlier began to play back quicker in her thoughts.
"You know, I'm hoping that just staring at the stars will assist me with my problem," you said, your gaze fixed on the night sky. "That... I'm hoping it'll give me an answer about who can make my heart beat in an unexpected way again."
"You're suffering," Jihyo simply said what you were trying to say.
"Yeah.", you nodded.
"That you can't determine whether one of those women who poured their secrets of admiration for you would be the lucky one to get picked, doesn't it?" she rapidly replied, prompting you to turn your head to the side and face her with your puzzled expression.
"H-how did you know?" you asked, your eyebrows furrowed. You just stared at her for a few more seconds since Jihyo wasn't replying until you realized what gave her the idea. "Aish, Seulgi," you said with a shake of your head.
"But, yes... you're correct."
"That's what me and Seulgi unnie discussed while you're preparing here," Jihyo said. As she moved her head away from you, the volume of her voice decreased.
"Why did you guys talk about it? Why did Seulgi-noona say that to you?" you asked. You then reached for your can of soda and sipped it, but what made you finish taking a sip wasn't satisfaction; it was the sound of her sniffing.
You hurriedly dropped your Coke can and sat up, tugging her arm back up with you. Jihyo is still covering her face as her sniffs became stronger, now accompanied by her cries.
"Jihyo, why are you crying? What is it?", you asked Jihyo worriedly while you stroke her hair to ease her off.
"B-because...", Jihyo tried to speak between the heavy breaths she's takinh while sobbing.
"Because what?"
"I... I planned something for you today, and the right time for me to do it was you and I alone together in a sky full of sparkling stars scattered around us," Jihyo began slowly, but you patiently listened to her.
"But I didn't know that I was late. Again. I'm too late already.", her sob went back again from being loud. Your concern for her grew as you approached the moment where you were about to understand what she was attempting to tell you.
"Too late for what, Jihyo?"
"...to tell you how much I love you," she said. It caused you to pause in your soothing her for a moment as what you heard from her took you completely by surprise, leaving you staring at her in awe of what she said.
You're not even sure whether you're hearing things correctly since... Park Jihyo, whom you have called and treated as a bestfriend and similar to a little sister from childhood, is... in love with you?
As you're still in amazement over what you just learnt from her tonight, a flood of questions began to run through your thoughts.
You'd had this many times in the previous few weeks, but her personal confession literally stunned you to your core because... She's the one you didn't see coming.
She was completely out of your mind when it came to your love dilemma since you assumed she was far away from it. That she's like Seulgi in that you look up at her as if she's your own sibling.
But no.
Jihyo is looking at you in other way around.
"Are you serious, Ji? W-when... I don't know... How?" you asked, both perplexed and intrigued. You were just sitting alongside her, motionless, while you watched Jihyo sob beside you.
"It had been going on for a very long time now actually, I wasn't aware of it back in our childhood days but it helped me realize when you had Nayeon while we were in college at that time," she added, recalling memories she shared with you during your first and second years of college.
"I felt something different, something unique, something interesting inside me that instead of feeling good as a supportive friend, it went backwards," she continued, flashbacks continuing. "Perhaps I was born to be an idol, since I already knew how to act appropriately at that time, as if I wasn't hurting anytime you're with her, and it still won't stop until the present," she remarked as she gathered all the moments she observed where you and Nayeon are alone together... or even when she's standing right next to you.
She also included the one in which you and Nayeon hugged in the dancing studio. At the time, she felt like her heart was exploding in pain.
"But... you had a boyfriend, right? How can you still be in love with me?" you questioned, puzzled, remembering how she stayed in love with you over the years despite having a past relationship with someone. "How does it-," your quick questions were cut short when Jihyo spoke out.
"About me and Daniel before? We were separated because we both realized we were falling out of love with one other now," she stated further, eagerly elaborating on your concerns. "Like him, I just know I'm more interested in someone else again, and that's you," she said, her eyes reddened from the tears that streamed down her cheeks like a waterfall.
"After all this time, i'm still into you.", she said as she started to wipe away the stains of tears away from her face.
"I know that there's other woman like me who wants to steal your heart away these days but I don't care anymore.", she said, shaking her head. "I waited for so many years already but I kept on being held back by the world."
"Now that I figured out that I finally have my chance here I shouldn't waste, I'm going to take it no matter what. No one can stop in my way this time, even if I'm already late again... but it sure does better than never.", she said, her tone of voice suddenly changed into a competitive, motivated and confident one as you can feel the emotion of the words she's saying. All you can do was to just continously watch her in awe.
"So, YN... I hope it'll made you finally ease your mind on deciding after this, and I hope it's because of me.", she said and the next things just came over to you like a flash of a light.
Jihyo then pushed herself between you and her, raising her body to match your face with hers and match your lips in a heart-pounding kiss.
It didn't take a minute, but it felt like hours as you felt Jihyo's plump lips crashing and grinding against yours, as if she was enjoying the flavor of your own and combining it with the heat of her love for you.
She made a slight popping sound as she slowly freed her lips from locking onto yours. At that intense and rough moment, both of you breathed heavily.
When she realized what she's done as she got right back from consciousness, her eyes widened after she looked again at you.
"S-sorry... I-I should go to sleep now, YN.", she said as stood up quickly from her feet.
"W-wait, Jihyo.", you tried to stop her but she just ignored you when she stood back up from her feet.
"Bye, YN. Goodnight.", she said while taking away her eyes off you.
"Wait!", you tried to call her again but she didn't minded it still as she returned back from the house, running away from you who just got left out alone in the backyard, now became speechless after what you just had with her tonight.
(THE NEXT DAY / MORNING)
You just had breakfast with Seulgi and Jihyo, which was embarrassing and cringe-worthy because you were seated next to your bestfriend, but you just had a very deep passionate kiss after that mind-blowing confession you received from her the night before.
You were ready to assist Seulgi in cleaning the dishes when Seulgi stopped you from taking up the plates from the table one by one.
"I'll take care of the dishes. You go to her, now."
"W-what?"
"Do you really think I won't notice what's going on at the table?" Seulgi said bluntly, lifting an eyebrow and crossing her arms. "God, the awkwardness was awfully uncomfortable, YN!" she groaned, her jaw clenched.
"So you knew she'll confess too yesterday?" you asked, remembering Jihyo telling you about her chat with Seulgi before she went stargazing with you.
"Y-yeah, she told me. Way before we head to dinner at your friend Momo's resto.", she revealed. "What happened, by the way? Did something go wrong?" she asked. Seulgi has no idea what transpired after Jihyo's confession because she fell asleep in her own room afterward. She truly wanted to observe what was going on, but her exhaustion from the day before took over.
"I don't know actually. How it ends was either good or bad. But I'm going to hold the responsibility for it. I was the one who didn't say anything about what she told me.", you said, feeling guilty for what you did that might caused also Jihyo to run away in shame from you.
"And why is that?"
"Noona w-we... we kissed.", you said as you pointed your lips twice.
"WHAT?!", Seulgi exclaimed in shock.
"Shhhh!!!", you quickly covered her mouth to make her shut up immediately. You gestured one more to make her silent and thankfully she followed.
"Okay, okay," she murmured, pushing your hand away from her. "Oh, that's why... well, she's upstairs, you can take your turn to talk about it now," she remarked, looking up at the stairs leading to the next floor above.
"I'll do it," you said, nodding. Seulgi returned your nod, and you proceeded upstairs to her room. You stood in front of her door and knocked twice to get her attention from inside.
"Jihyo, it's YN, can you let me in?" you said cautiously. Jihyo answered the door after a brief delay, but her head was down and she avoided looking at you.
"Hey, YN. W-what is it?", she said, stuttering. You can her the nervousness and fear on her voice.
"I wanted to talk about yesterday, please.", you begged softly. Gladly, she accepts as she responded with the answer you wanted to have in return.
"O-oh... all right, come in," she said. Jihyo cleared the way for you to enter. She was going to close the doors when you stopped her.
"There's no need to lock the doors, noona knows," you said. Jihyo understands it with a faint gasp. "I'll exit right after this anyhow, so... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for having you wait," you stated as you began to plan your meeting with her for today. Jihyo's face was still hidden from you.
"I'm sure you were sending me some clues about how much you actually care for me after all this time, but I just completely ignored it since I wasn't paying close enough attention to you," you said. "And I appreciate that you finally had the confidence to speak out about it, but the kiss you gave..."
"Are you upset about it?" she asked, interrupting you. You caught a sight of her shaking hands. Now that you know she's probably afraid about confronting you because of what she did yesterday, all you wanted to do was comfort her, so you took a step forward to get closer to her.
"No. I swear, I am not, Jihyo. If that's why you're avoiding me this morning then you're thinking wrong.", you said, correcting her. "It just went... really out of nowhere for me.", you shrugged.
"S-sorry if I took advantage of your unawareness," Jihyo replied as she slowly raised her head to meet your gaze. Her expression was unhappy, and your perspective had shifted because Jihyo was looking so adorable that you just wanted to cheer her up.
"It's alright, Jihyo," you assured her. You seized the initiative to bring her into yours, widening both of your arms and gently surrounding it on her body, sealing her into your comfortable embrace. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Ji, and I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for so long," you explained. Jihyo flushed hotly at your physical contact against hers, a bittersweet sense lurking behind her lovely grin.
She's happy that she gets to have such intimacy after she presented to you her love while also sad about that she knows she only has a less possibility that she will succeed on creating a romantic relationship with you in the future.
(3 DAYS LATER)
You were sitting quietly in one of the back seats of your doughnut shop when your manager approached you.
"You ain't usually like this, boss," Bang Chan said after setting his phone on the table and taking the seat in front of you.
"H-huh?" you said anxiously when he surprised you.
"Setting yourself apart from everyone, then stay silent with your gaze as deep as your thoughts to focus, this isn't the typical you, boss," he remarked, clasping both of his hands as he faced you.
"You noticed?"
"Not just me, but them," he replied, gesturing to the rest of your staff who were working around the shop behind him. "We couldn't even talk to you properly for the majority of the time earlier since you seemed like you were zoning out, so sure, I'm here to confirm our guesses."
"Yeah, you're right," you said, feeling awful about what he said. "I'm thinking about something-no-someone right now," you said, changing the phrase to something more specific.
"Is that so? Then who causes you to become so disconnected from reality?" he asked, shaking his hand as if tracing you up and down.
"So I spent some time with them over the last few days," you explained. Bang Chan already knew what you meant when you said "them," so he adjusted his seating posture and listened to you more intently since he knew this was going to get interesting.
You've already informed Bang Chan about your "harem" situation. Bang Chan, like Seulgi, was either impressed or found it hilarious to hear that your looks could actually make many ladies fall in love with you at the same moment.
But he is also concerned since he knows her stepsister is one of those women who is attached to you and is also his friend and boss.
"I already expected from some that they'll pull off some moves towards me to impress, and they did... they really did. It's just... it wasn't enough yet.", you said, wincing at your struggle with your chosen words a bit.
"Wasn't enough? Like how?", Bang Chan asked, eyebrows furrowing in curiosity.
"For my heart.", you simply said. "I mean what they're doing wasn't enough to reawaken this familiar feeling I used to get before to my past relationships.", you said, still showcasing the troubled self of yours. "But... there was an exception among them..."
"And who is this one?", Bang Chan asked as it piqued her interest.
"Her name's Jihyo. I- she... she is my bestfriend for more than a decade now.", you answered as you also starting to introduce Jihyo at him too. Although, Bang Chan's expression along with his heart dropped a little when he heard that but still he remained to try and become fine on front of you.
"Was that the short haired girl who came here in the shop and covered your eyes while she hides at your back?"
"Yeah, that's her.", you chuckled. "Since when we were kids we already built a friendship together. Turns out, throughout most of our time we spent together... I didn't realize that the way how she sees me as a friend became more than that. She's been stuck into a one-sided love for many years already.", you shared, releasing a sigh.
"What makes her differ from the rest though?"
"I don't know it's just... she wasn't even trying but she easily... gets me.", you said, gesturing your hand like you're grabbing in front of the middle of your chest. "I guess because I'm too connected with her. Ever since that night when we... uhh...kissed....", you removed your sight away from Chan in embarassment when you said that.
"YOU KISSED?"
"She did it first!"
"And you let her?"
"I didn't know she will do it okay?", you defensed again, stating your side. "It was too fast. It happened to some too but... I'm even more affected to hers.", you said, groaning as you feel confused and troubled again.
"I still can't get out of my head., along with my entire memories being with her.", you placed both your hands to hold each side of your head. "I started to act strange when I'm with her, I became even more excited, I got easily disappointed when our time was over and what's even worse is that I can keep on complimenting her mostly about how beautiful she is and all of it makes me go crazy up until now."
"She's... Jihyo is the only one occupying my mind right now, Chan," you completed your explanation by summarizing all you had just told him.
"You sound completely in love," Bang Chan joked, rolling his eyes. "Are you saying that-" he was going to say when you cut him off in the middle of his sentence because you know what he's about to say.
"I guess I am... because I know what will happen when I have this," you said, pointing to the top of the table. Bang Chan responded with a hum. "I can't deny it no matter how hard I try; I've gone through this before, and trust me, it's inevitable."
"I... my heart is betting for Jihyo right now as from what I could describe.", you shrugged.
"But YN... I don't want to burst your bubble but... are you really sure about what you feel for her?", he asked after waving his hands off to emphasize how he doesn't intentionally want to destroy your rainbow-ish story with Jihyo. "We all know love is complicated and you're experienced already about these things but.. about what you told me that you found out that she's grown affection towards you for so long, are you sure you love for her was true or it's just because you feel pity for her and you just wanted to end it?", he asked for clarification.
" I do feel sorry for but I'm sure with this, Chan.", you answered with all tough. "I experienced this before and my empathy for her was way behind my reasons how I do fell in love with Jihyo."
"I say... it was more than a help for me not just an excuse, and she was right.", you said, your voice going lower in volume as you end. "She did helped me find that someone who can love and stay with me, willing to suffer with me just to avoid losing each other in our lives... and who's she talking about is none other than her all along.", you said, feeling more confident at the decision you made; with the image of Jihyo remained present in your mind.
"How about the rest? When are you gonna tell them that..."
"Like my cousin told me, I must not make them longer... since it will only increase the pain," you remarked, repeating one of Seulgi's advice from the dinner. "So I guess I'll have to do it... but first I'll confess to Jihyo before I go to the rest, starting tonight."
"Good luck with that, boss; I sincerely hope and wish that Jihyo is the right person for you," Bang Chan said, proud of you. You answer the supporting grin he offered you with a grateful one. " As always, you have my full support."
"Thanks, Chan.", you bowed your head as you kept the huge smile plastered i your face. It did vanished for a moment as you took time to say this after realizing also one of the consequences of your choice today.
"Hey... about Sana... I know she's one of the "others" I'm talking about. I-I'm sorry.", you said, an apologetic frown replaces the grin you're having for a while.
"It's fine, YN.", he waved it off, chuckling nervously at your sudden worriedness. "I admit, I feel sad for my sister and I really do ship you two but what can I do? I can't be against on two people who I think they match each other when they aren't even destined to be together. I can't force you to love her just because I want to make her happy.
Love doesn't always end up that way.", he explained as he wanted to assure you.
"I hope she finds her own soon, Chan. Knowing Sana, a gorgeous woman like her certainly deserves nothing but happiness with the right person for her," you added as you praised Sana, making Bang Chan believe in you.
"Yeah, my sister is the best woman I've ever known; no offense to my mom, but Sana noona's always been there for me through everything," Bang Chan agreed. He then extended his one free hand to you. "So, what you can do instead is talk to her honestly about it; I'm ready to comfort her once she knows, don't worry."
"I will.", you accepted his favor and took his hand to seal the deal with a shake. Both of you smiled at each other in contentment.
You then heard your phone rang when it got a notification. Bang Chan excused himself as he went back to service to left you once again alone.
You opened your phone and looked at the message you received which was coming from Mina.
"YN, can we talk later? I'll go there tonight. I can't specify the time but I promise I'll be there, just wait for me will you?", she said through the message she sent.
"Noted, Mina. I won't go away not until you visit here. Have a nice day!", you replied back to her and pressed the sent button. After you closed the phone, you took a note in your mind on what you need to do later tonight:
Meet Mina at the shop and then confess to Jihyo after.
(LATER THAT NIGHT)
Your doughnut shop has just closed its doors after serving one more client. Bang Chan said goodbye to you and his coworkers as they all departed together.
It's just you alone in the shop now. You chose to clean your office while waiting for Mina because you had nothing else to do.
Meanwhile, Mina has just finished offering veterinary advise to a client who has a Shiba Inu pet dog that has become food poisoned.
She was about to leave her workplace when this client begged her to help him save his dog because there are no more pet clinics in his neighborhood available left open.
Despite having second thoughts, she just accepted it since she doesn't want to disappoint the client and let the dog die, especially because she is a pet lover. She simply chose to sacrifice her time in order to arrive early for YN.
Back to your situation: you had just completed minding your own business in the restroom after successfully cleaning your office when you heard the main door of your shop clang.
"Mina?", you loudly called her name after you dried your hands from washing it.
You walked out of the wash area and went to the front of the cashier, standing at the front door. You rotated around and you didn't even see any trace of Mina.
You furrowed your eyes in confusion as you opened the door and looked around outside the shop to find Mina, but Mina's car wasn't even around the parking lot too.
"Mina you there?", you asked.
You kept on looking around back and forth.
"Hey, it's not the right time to play hide and seek, you penguin!", you loudly said as you still think Mina is just messing around with you.
But after a minute of finding Mina, you gave up as you already know that Mina won't bother hiding around the place in such a dark area. You know that penguin, she easily gets scared of the darkness.
"Maybe it's the wind.", you reasoned out as you just believed yourself that it caused the door to clang.
You closed the door and walked back inside as you went towards the cashier and grabbed the doughnut to give it a bite before you go back to your office when something made you halt in your steps.
The door clanged again.
You got terrified as you face crumpled and your eyebrows met again in confusion on what made the doors clang again this time.
So you turned around slowly.
Your eyes widened as you saw the doors now swinging in and out of the shop after it just got opened by... someone.
But you only saw that through your peripheral vision, because your sight is mainly focused at this familiar figure standing in front of you...
... holding gun as it was pointed straight at you, its finger clutching the trigger.
After that, a loud sound of a gunshot was heard around the shop and its nearby places.
"Why isn't he replying?" Mina wondered as she nervously waited for any response from you on her phone. She just texted that she's on her way to your doughnut store and apologized for having to serve a client first due to an emergency.
She came at your shop a few minutes later and parked her car in one of the available spaces. She stepped outside and walked through the door.
But she hadn't been able to fully enter her place because what she had just seen in front of her eyes had caused her to come to a stop in her tracks.
Mina just noticed you laying down on the tiled floor, blood pouring from your body and forming a tiny pool.
Her eyes welled up with tears as she gently stepped back into the shop to get a better look at you, although she realized it was a terrible idea.
The closer her steps got to you, the more she felt like her heart was being crushed into little pieces and her body was losing its balance.
Mina's heavy sobbing resonated across the room as she repeatedly yelled your name, full of anger, devastation, sorrow, and rage.
The police and ambulance arrived at the doughnut shop. Other people who are close to you like Jihyo and Seulgi arrived at the crime scene first, followed by Chaeyoung after getting notified by Mina through your phone.
They all experienced the same reaction that Mina had when she saw your bloody lifeless body on the floor, as expected.
Even the others who learned of your untimely death in their own different ways. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, and Tzuyu heard and saw the news on the radio, TV, and social media, while Sana learnt about the murder through her stepbrother Bang Chan after Chaeyoung informed him.
A week later, there was a funeral for your burial. All nine girls, along with their friends and some of your acquaintances, attended, including your former favorite professor back in your first year of college, Mrs. Song, your friend and manager Bang Chan, your cousin Seulgi with her girlfriend Irene, Chaeyoung's friend Somi, Tzuyu's friends Shuhua and Taehyung, along with his boyfriend Jungkook, and even your ex-girlfriend Ryujin with her girlfriend Yeji.
Days later, the nine girls who met during the investigation of your murder case and your burial began to get to know each other through their arranged meetup.
As their topic turned into their own revelations that they all love the same person who just tragically passed away and never to be seen again for the rest of their lives, it landed back on the question if you had decided already who could be one of them that you chose to love the same too.
Until someone revealed it for you...
"Jihyo."
" Yes?", she responded back at the girl who called her name. It was Chaeyoung.
"It's you. YN fell in love with you," Chaeyoung stated solemnly. After hearing that, everyone's gaze was drawn to Jihyo.
"M-me? Is that t-true?" she chuckled nervously, still perplexed by what Chaeyoung was on about. "H-how do you know-"
"Chan told me," she asked. She rewinded what she talked about with Bang Chan in the shop's kitchen when she visited, which was the last words Chan heard from you.
"He told me that YN and him discussed in his last moments, and their entire topic? You," she continued, piercing her eyes further at Jihyo, who is beginning to cry over Chaeyoung's story involving her. "He was telling how he felt after you confessed to him, and it helped him clarify things... about what he thinks of you too," she stated as the girls continued to listen even if their hearts were broken by the outcome they were anticipating to hear from you.
"Jihyo..., YN fell in love with you because he felt the strongest connection with you, therefore I think it's safe to say that... out of all of us here, you suffered the biggest loss. I'm very sorry, Jihyo," Chaeyoung expressed her condolences to the girl who had suffered more than she could bear.
Jihyo's love loop reminded Chaeyoung of the pink doughnut that stayed well baked among the eight burnt doughnuts in the oven. Jihyo's love loop was the sole well-baked doughnut, while the rest were the girls' love loops. You are the oven, and your heat was the love that enhances color to their love circle with you, which you maintained for Jihyo by giving her the same exact amount of that heat of love she needs.
"I didn't meant to hurt you more for this, I just want you to know about it because... that's what YN actually wanted to happen if he didn't died.", Chaeyoung said. The rest agreed, except for one of them who still side eyeing Jihyo with her secret burning glare.
"T-thank you... thank you for telling me...", Jihyo said before she went on sobbing heavily as one of the girls beside her, Jeongyeon conforted her by caressing her back.
Few days have passed again, the suspect for killing you was found and arrested, revealing to be Wonpil, your former employee which you fired due to his misbehavior towards a customer.
He stated that he killed you because he blames you for being the cause of getting his life ruined after you took away the job he only need to live normally. He was sentenced for many years in jail after and the girls felt that you finally received the justice you deserve.
The nine girls still remained grieving on your passing in their own respective ways for months.
Thanks to Tzuyu, the new owner of your doughnut store, Nayeon once ordered a doughnut for herself and Mrs. Song, whom she brought along with her at your newly renovated doughnut shop, as Tzuyu fulfilled her promise to you that she'll help your business improve and grow even if you're gone.
When she was ready to receive it back, she looked at the server and hallucinated that it was you at first, but was quickly reversed when Bang Chan, who was actually serving her, asked her if there was something wrong.
Nayeon's sole response was that she remembers you, causing Bang Chan to sigh and comfort her noona in return.
Jeongyeon also went to the shop once and thought it was weird that you weren't there anymore.
She also dyed her hair back to blonde because she believes her former baby blue colored one will be meaningless to maintain because you were the only one who asked her to keep it because you liked it, and now that you're gone, t
here will be no one to enjoy and appreciate Jeongyeon's haircolor.
Sana had the impression that you were still sitting in front of her, even though she was alone at her table, because she remembered her previous time with you, when she consoled you after your breakup with Ryujin while also confessing her feelings for you.
Sana then whispered "I love you" to the air as her indirect message for you as she smiled with love, longing and sadness in it before she continues to sip her hot coffee alone.
While thinking deeply about you, Dahyun unconsciously wrote an "I miss you" message in a spilled sugar at the shop. She was the most envious of the girls, and she was the one who gave Jihyo a venomous glance when Chaeyoung told to them all that Jihyo was the one you chose. When she heard that, her frustration and hurt about your death rose, prompting her to ponder more vigorously for the past few days.
She revealed once that she imagined about killing Jihyo everytime she sees her in order to make her feel what she felt after you died, including their encounter back at the gathering as one of the possibilities she could envision; but she has no plans of doing it for real because she knows she ain't that type of person.
Tzuyu, the new owner of your shop, just went by Dahyun's table after checking on the customers and observed her lost in her thoughts once more. She glanced at Dahyun worriedly, recognizing the "I miss u" she wrote on the sugar, and soothed her with a swift hug. Dahyun was astonished by Tzuyu's touch, and when she realized what Tzuyu's hug was for, she buried her face in the crook of her neck.
"This isn't right anymore...", Dahyun sobbed, shaking her head quickly as she realized her situation was getting worse all because of you and she wanted to stop it right away.
Tzuyu, who got what she's talking about since she's thought the same when she heard about Dahyun's story of imagining killing Jihyo once; just nodded back at Tzuyu and ease her tears out with her soft, gentle hums.
(8 MONTHS LATER)
Mina and Chaeyoung, who became friends, were discussing about you and even Jihyo while laying on the floor after taking a break from preparing the gifts and the decorations when Chaeyoung brought it up as a topic during their stay at one of the rooms they rented during their Christmas season holiday in Japan, together with Seulgi, who is now married to her girlfriend Irene.
"I'm more concerned about Jihyo.", Chaeyoung said, full of pity on her voice.
"She suffered the most. I mean, the pain you must take along with the fact that you won't be ever to see anymore the one who made you understand what love is? That must be unbearable.", Mina said.
"Agree. She really took YN's passing like a gunshot to her stomach that was once full of butterflies going crazy only because of him.", Chaeyoung said while nodding her head, making Mina hummed at her in agreement as she understands what Chaeyoung meant that she's putting in her head.
The two went outside along with the rest of the girls, except for Seulgi and Irene who explored Japan by theirselves. They let the couple enjoy their own time together instead so the nine of them just visited a park near the hotel they're staying at.
Jihyo remembered making a snow angel with YN while looking at the other one that had formed on the snowy surface. She then lay by it, remembering her time with you while she imagines making her own snow angel with you, pretending that you're the one making the one alongside her.
Tzuyu wanders throughout the park, rotating around the snow. She then remembers the time when you and her danced after you had a proper closure with her.
She was returned to reality with her final swing of her body, just as you were when you let go of her to conclude your dance with her song together in her mind.
Mina was standing along a wall in one section of the park, imagining herself running around while being followed by you, as she recalls doing the same with you when she teasingly snatched your house keys after seeing them fall from your pocket while both of you were talking.
It came to a halt when you successfully pursued her and uncontrollably fell on top of her while lying on the ground, signaling the beginning of her intense deep attraction through you the instant her eyes landed on your closed up face.
While she was savoring the beautiful memory she shared with you, she noticed snowflakes begin to fall in front of her, drawing her attention and, sadly, dragging her away back from reality.
Momo on the other hand, got called by the rest of the girls after she saw the snowman as she recalled the snowman she puts a scarf on along with her happiest memory of her life she had with you, which is when she first developed her romantic attraction to you while she's fixing your scarf during your time with her together.
She noticed the snow starting to fall again from above before she responded back to the girls.
"Wait for me!", Momo shouted after she stood up. She then joined the girls and gathered to form a circle as they decided to pray for you.
After ending their prayers, they admired the snow falling around them, along with their own message for you one more time.
They promised to you silently that they will now reach their acceptance stage by finally letting go and moving on from your love, freeing theirselves from their love loop that was being toxic already because of their too much attachment at you even at your death...
...except for one of them who thinks differently from them, still unable as she struggle to remove herself from her own what ifs and regrets.
(EXACTLY 1 YEAR LATER/ BACK TO THE PRESENT DAY)
NOVEMBER 2022
All of what happened suddenly played quickly right backfrom the beginning.
Returning back to the present, it was to a snowy nighttime under the dark sky with stars sparkling covering it , a street with many people are gathering around along with police cars and ambulance cars parked outside of a doughnut shop.
The policemen are trying to guard these civilians who are curiously watching what's happening from entering the crime scene.
Inside the shop has some evidences which has been marked, but there is one which if you look at it, you will think that is the most important one out of all the evidences that has been found by the policemen and detectives.
A bitten white doughnut with red syrup flowing from its inside is seen laying on a floor with police barrier tapes around its space.
From the dark corner of the shop, a woman slowly appears near to the bitten doughnut.
It was Mina who is dreaming of visiting back the crime scene during her sleep, she sat and looked closely at the bitten doughnut.
A frowning expression in her face can be seen as she remembers everything what happened before this unexpected tragic moment....
... and now, finally able to do the right thing just the same as what the other girls did; a drop of tear flowed out of Mina's face.
"I love you YN, but if I will remain my heart linked for you... I'll never recover.", she whispered while sniffing during her cry.
She knows that the love loop she created which is like a doughnut she used to love made from you, it was such a sweet and sensational feeling she experienced rotating around its hole in the shape of you; but now she realized that although it is a loop which has no beginning nor end, it doesn't mean it can't be changed, disrupted or replaced.
Just like what the other girls did, they all made it possible by breaking their own instead and prevented its negative effects. She can see it already from them, especially from Nayeon, Jeongyeon and Jihyo who are already recovered and currently living back with full of happiness. Since, that's what Mina wanted to have and she believes you also wanted it for them too, she decided to follow what the girls did.
Standing slowly, she looked one more time at the bitten doughnut you ate before you were shot dead as it laid right next to your dead body when she saw you before leaving away from the crime scene along with her love for you; simultaneously ending her own love loop too in the process before her alarm wakes her back from her dream with a stain of teardrop visible in her face while still unknown for her whether she'll wander to another new love loop to start again.
THE END
-🐰🐶🐿🐹🦄🐧🦅🐯🦌-
