Crush Me Not (English)

"REENA, for heaven’s sake, where the heck are we going?" Maze complained with a deep frown. Her best friend had been dragging her around for a while now, acting as if she were following someone—only to suddenly hide the next moment. The sun was blazing. The heat seeped through their clothes, and they were practically drenched in their own sweat. It was Saturday—no classes. The plan was simple: stroll around the mall, check out the latest fashion trends, and maybe buy something if they liked it. But somehow, their little outing had turned into an unpredictable adventure. "Oh my, girl! My whitening supplements are going to waste because of you!" Maze huffed in frustration, her expression twisted in annoyance. Instead of feeling guilty, Reena just laughed at her. She turned to her friend with a mischievous grin. "Mazey, just relax! I’ll take care of your whitening regimen later," she said casually, as if everything was under control. "Just trust me on this, okay?" Maze let out a deep sigh. She had no choice but to go along with it. What else could she do? She couldn’t just leave Reena to whatever crazy scheme she was up to. After all, she could never really say no to her best friend. Right now, they were hiding behind a huge tree—just like undercover agents in an action movie. A girly, fashionable version, of course. "Seriously? Don’t tell me we’re stalking someone again?" Maze raised a suspicious brow at her friend. She had lost count of the times Reena had dragged her into situations like this. At this point, she was used to her best friend’s antics, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t getting tired of them. "Hey! I already told you a couple of times—the word ‘stalking’ does not apply to goddesses like us!" Reena argued, glancing at her with a mock-offended look. "Oh really? Then what exactly do you call this?" Maze shot back, sarcasm dripping from her voice. She rolled her eyes. No matter how ridiculous Reena’s reasoning was, she always found a way to justify her actions. "This, my dear, is called ‘Hashtag Goddess Boy-Hunting Goals 101!’" Reena declared proudly, as if she had just discovered the cure for a deadly disease or invented the next big thing that would change the world. "You’re unbelievable!" Maze smacked Reena’s shoulder in exasperation. The stress she felt at that moment made her think she was aging faster. She could already imagine herself growing gray hairs and wrinkles just from dealing with her best friend. She shook off that thought quickly before turning to Reena again. "You know what? You’re always obsessing over guys. Just stop already!" Reena gasped dramatically, clutching her chest as if she had just been deeply wounded. "That hurts, Mazey! It’s just harmless crushing!" she pouted. Maze let out another deep sigh. "Crush? Reena, let me remind you—this isn’t normal anymore. It wouldn’t be a big deal if it were just one guy, but seriously? You have way too many! There’s Greg, Fin, Jacob, Ken, Andrew, and... who else? There’s more, right?" She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. "I can’t even count them all using my fingers anymore! Gosh, Reena! If I were you, I’d listen to what I’m saying. This is for your own good!" Reena lowered her head, lost in thought. She knew Maze had a point. If she were to really think about it, she had liked so many guys that even she had lost track of them. Just like now—this wasn’t the first time she saw a random guy and decided to follow him like some sort of stalker. After a few moments, Reena sighed and pouted her lips before attempting to defend herself again. "Maze, I’m just really... appreciative, you know? It’s like when you see a piece of art—you can tell when it’s a masterpiece." She even made exaggerated hand gestures to emphasize her point. Maze was not having it. She shot her friend a deadly glare. "Appreciative? Masterpiece? Damn. Kiss my ass! Don’t even try to sugarcoat your nonsense with your ‘art’ talk. If we weren’t friends, I swear, Reena—I would’ve smacked some sense into you by now!" Ever since they became best friends, Maze had always tagged along with Reena’s antics. And now, she partly blamed herself for enabling them. Maybe if she had corrected her earlier, Reena wouldn’t have developed such a habit. Reena pouted. "Okay, okay, I get it. You only say these things because you love me. You’re just worried about me, right?" She then flashed a cynical smile. "That’s why I love you too, Mazey." Reena then attempted to tickle Maze, who quickly dodged away. "Don’t even think about it," Maze warned, shooting her a threatening glare. Reena sighed dramatically. "So mean!" she teased. "Fine, I won’t. But come on, you know I love you. In fact—" She suddenly stopped mid-sentence. Panic flashed across her face. "Maze! He’s gone! The cutie from earlier—he’s disappeared! Maze!" Reena wailed dramatically, looking around in distress. "Holy—are you serious right now?" Maze looked at her friend like she had lost her mind. "You’re so over-the-top! It’s just a guy!" she teased, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, you deserved that for dragging me into this mess." Reena stomped her foot like a child denied her favorite toy. "But he was so cute! I didn’t even get to ask his name!" Maze laughed. "Girl, with the number of crushes you have, losing one is not a tragedy. Unless, of course…" she paused and smirked. "Unless this guy actually made you want to change. Maybe... be loyal for once?" Reena blinked. Then again. Maze crossed her arms, waiting for an answer. "Well? Is the ‘Campus Casanova’ finally ready to settle for just one guy?" she teased. Reena immediately snapped out of it and shook her head so fast it almost looked violent. "N-no! Of course not! That’s ridiculous!" she stammered, looking flustered. "Hmmm… is that so?" Maze smirked, clearly unconvinced. "Oh, come on! Stop looking at me like that. What you’re saying is ridiculous!" Reena huffed, looking slightly annoyed. Maze just chuckled. "Relax! I didn’t even say anything." Reena let out a deep sigh, her expression turning serious as she stared into the distance. "I will never focus on just one guy, Maze. You already know that I can’t get attached to just one person, right? That’s just... not possible." She sighed again, a strange look passing through her eyes. Maze raised a brow. "Oh, right. I almost forgot. Here comes your irony again—liking so many guys but refusing to be attached to any of them. You’re really weird, you know that?" she said with a laugh. Reena simply gave her a serious look. "I already told you my reason. I’m still too young, Maze—" "Oh, please! You’re already seventeen, turning eighteen soon. You’re not a kid anymore. Other girls your age have already had several relationships! That excuse doesn’t work anymore." Maze narrowed her eyes. "If you ask me, I think you’re just avoiding something." Reena fell silent. Because Maze was right. But instead of acknowledging it, she quickly changed the subject. "Whatever, Maze! Let’s just go home." Maze sighed but didn’t push further. "Fine. But I’m staying over at your place. Let’s binge-watch K-dramas. I’ll call for a ride later if it gets too late." Reena’s face instantly lit up. "K-drama?" "Yeah, what else? Are you on repeat mode?" Maze teased. Reena beamed. "Perfect! I have a new series I want to watch! Let’s go!" She grabbed Maze’s arm excitedly, dragging her along. Maze just shook her head and followed, smiling to herself.