Love is always complicated, and while you can't choose who you fall in love with, you can choose how to get through it. Just try not to hurt yourself more in the process.

***

YINI POV.

I cling to the door frame with all my might, feeling the blood leave my hands, turning them white from the pressure. I silently pray that the frame will not give way.

“Yini Fellington, you're going to that apartment if it's the last thing you do!”

“I refuse!”

“Either you get there on your own two feet, or I swear I'll drag you down to their filthy welcome mat!” Kira intensifies her grip, pulling me with a strength that surprises me. How can she have that much strength?

“Kira!” My voice comes out almost as a squeak, trying to talk some sense into her, but her determination is unrelenting, “But.... ahh!” My fingers give way, unable to resist any longer. Kira drags me out of the door frame and into the street, before I can even think about running back inside. In an instant, Kira is on her feet as if reading my thoughts, blocking the door with her outstretched arms and steady legs.

“No buts! I haven't spent all morning arranging for you to just refuse your fate!” Her tone is dramatic, “What about all my efforts, do you know how hard I've worked to make that makeup look perfect? You're just going to let it all go to waste?”

I approach her, worried about the neighbors who might be peeping from their windows, but they should be used to Kira's rambunctiousness by now. At least they don't call the police anymore.

“First of all, you came to my house unannounced and dragged me out of my bed. I almost had a heart attack!” I complain as I advance toward her. "Secondly, you pushed me into the bathroom and I almost fell. Now I have a bruise on my knee that hurts like hell,” I point to my sore knee even though it's barely noticeable under my tight jeans. "And thirdly, I was your rag doll for three hours because you didn't like ANY of my clothes. I had to change outfits about a hundred times until you decided this one was more or less acceptable. And then, you covered my face with a bunch of makeup and-” I try to continue listing my complaints, but Kira interrupts me to stop me from talking further.

"You always exaggerate! I didn't put that much makeup on you, remember what I always tell you? Your beauty is natural, so I just highlighted your eyes with very light, natural makeup. Besides, why did you give me a key if you don't want me to enter your house without knocking?” Kira triumphantly shows me the copies of the house keys she has in her possession, along with a key chain of a stuffed octopus. The keys swing in front of my face, making an annoying noise as they clack against each other. Her indignation is evident in her tone and gestures; I've told her she doesn't know how to lie, but he still ignores me.

“Does a wine-colored lipstick look natural to you? Besides, I gave you the key for emergencies, not for you to come and eat my chocolates in the middle of the night!” The real outraged one here is me. How is it possible that I can't hide my own chocolates from this crafty friend of mine? Somehow, she always manages to get them no matter where she hides them. I try to grab the keys that keep swinging in front of my face, but Kira hides them before I can touch them.

"The wine color is perfect for your skin! Plus, this way no one will stop looking at your lips. And FYI, this is clearly an emergency!” I know my friend is doing her best to support me, but sometimes she's a little over the top. “Kaiden moved into his new apartment early this morning!”

"Y... what does that have to do with me?” I try to feign indifference, but how could that news possibly not matter to me at all? Kaiden, the guy I've been in love with for years and who used to live just a few meters from my house, has moved somewhere else.

“Of course it has to do with you!” Kira speaks as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. “Because you're going over there to help him set up his new apartment and display all your charms until he can't keep his hands off you and give me nieces and nephews!”

“KIRA!” My scream overpowers her this time. I try to cover her mouth with my hands to stop her from continuing to speak, but in an instant she swipes her tongue across my palm, leaving a trail of drool.

“Gross!” I withdraw my hand immediately upon feeling that goo and wipe it off with her clothes.

Kira triumphantly shows me her tongue, trying to move my hand away from her clothes. “Okay, maybe that was too much, but you know what I mean.”

“Besides, I don't have any charm like you say.” I avert my eyes and my voice sounds in an almost inaudible, embarrassed whisper. I still don't understand why Kira always says the same thing when she knows perfectly well that I don't have those charms she's talking about.

A sigh of resignation escapes Kira's lips. "My brother is an idiot, but he's your idiot, girlfriend. You just need to go over there and claim him before someone else does it for you," Kira's words always seem sure of themselves. If only she could have that assurance, “Don't you think it's about time to confess your feelings for him?”

As soon as Kira utters those words, I feel like I want to hide under the covers of my bed again. Confess my feelings? That's easier said than done. Kira knows better than anyone the endless nights I've spent making plans to confess once and for all, only to regret it at the last minute. I try to push Kira out of the way and walk back into the house, but her body, despite being no taller than mine, blocks my way.

Did the chocolate give her all this colossal strength?

“Yini, you have to leave your nerves behind!” Kira stops my attempt to step over her and grabs my hands, looking me in the eyes defiantly, “Girlfriend, I just want you to be happy with the one you love,” Her tone of voice is sincere, I know, but my nerves make me want to just run away when it comes to anything related to Kaiden, “You know I'm doing all this for you, I want what's best for my best friend and if that's being with my fool of a brother, then I have no choice but to support you until you get it.”

“Kira...” She's always been like this with me. Ever since she deduced my feelings for her brother, she hasn't stopped supporting me unconditionally, even though we're not on good terms. And no matter how crazy the plan is, we are always there to support each other. I can't throw away all her effort just because I don't have the guts to face my own feelings, "Well, I've made up my mind. I'll go there and confess if it's the last thing I do."

“Now who's the dramatic one?”