The bedroom door creaks open, the light from outside fills up the space, a familiar face pokes through. Mina sits upright, tucked in bed.

 

Sana is never this serious about anything, she hasn't look this exhausted, she almost looks starved. Mina has a wiped, blank expression painted on her face and she can't say anything, what the hell is there for her to say?

 

"Mina...I read your texts, I know what has been happening with.."

 

A name doesn't need to be mentioned. Sana breaks into tears and hides her Crimson-red face, she quickly pats the waterworks dry. Mina now understands, well, half of it.

 

"Sana I don't understand, those texts with Momo aren't anything meaningful, I had invited her for some drinks at the cafe and so? Is it wrong for me to be with friends? I love you more than anything Sana please don't be this way..."

 

Sana is slowly recovering from the unexpected outburst of emotions, her speech is almost impaired and she's having trouble explaining herself.

 

"If that's so, please tell me that kiss meant absolutely nothing to you.."

 

"What kiss are you insa-"

 

"The game, Mina."

 

It clicked. Saturday just last week, their 1-month anniversary as a group, quite exciting. The members were absolutely wild that day, a night of no mercy and soon enough, all (but the maknae's of course) were past drunk. 

 

The glass bottles sitting on the counter, though her memory is a bit fogged, Mina can remember sitting in a circle, Nayeon to her left, Sana to her right, Momo directly in front, and the other members on standby. Momo volunteered to be the first spin, and so she went, a flick of the wrist, the green bottle spun, whirling slower...gradually...slower...stopped. Cheers and whistles arose behind her.

 

The members jokingly shoved the two closer to one another, Mina was practically paralyzed. Momo leaned in closer, and without hesitation, cupped the latter's face. Mina felt numb, her senses almost watered-down. In a state of shock, she's aware that she's  intoxicated, she has no idea why the hell she's doing what she's doing but she's trapped, she knows it. 

 

And when the space in between the two finally closed in, the doors opened. Those wine-stained lips had Mina only wanting more, the kiss lasted longer than they had both originally planned it to be. She sunk deeper into Momo's touch, within seconds it had transitioned into a full-on battle over dominance. Mina hooked an arm around Momo's neck, not realizing the situation they were in. The intimate scene played out, for the rest to see, though they acted as if they were doing it in complete isolation. 

 

"Yah!" Nayeon yelled, "This is a game, get a room!"

 

Snap, right back to reality. Mina and Momo disconnected, yet didn't dare to break eye contact. Heaving, had Mina really done this? And why did she feel this way, hell she also felt guilty but from there she told herself over and over that it was none more than the  drinks. 

 

And back to where she was right now, conscious, aware. Hella nervous, too.

 

"Oh my god Sana you know it was the drinks and nothing else, had I had such feelings for her I would've told you"

 

Sana looks absolutely lost, her eyes tell it all. She approaches Mina, any step closer and Mina is sure that her heart will burst out of her chest. Sana leans closer to Mina's face, Mina isn't even breathing right now.

 

"Tell me, tell me that you love me more than Momo, and that you're telling me the truth. Tell me it was the drinks, tell me you were just fooling around, just show me you're worth it."

 

Flashbacks. And Mina just now remembers it, how Momo had her in bed, Sana in the room across the hall, totally oblivious to what the two were doing. Mina remembers how well Momo had done her, how messed up she had left her. How she finished her off and Mina knew that it couldn't possibly stop here. She could smell the alcohol in her breath as her face was wedged in the crook of her neck, but she's taken back by the touch of Momo's lips, traveling down her body to the sacred treasure that she promised to save for her truly beloved. She's one hell of a tease, and temptation is a curse. And so Momo was in fact her first, and she didn't want their intimacy to end just there.

 

So when Sana was awoken by the bedroom door creaking open, the culprit tip-toeing her way to bed, sneaking herself into the absence beside her, she was sure of it. What the two had was now broken, because the scent that lingered off of the latter told the story for her, no questions needed. And so on she had a whole new perspective on things, it brought stress upon her. Her ways of dealing with it were that beyond the other member's comprehension. Excuses of "I need to practice on my own" and "I'm just homesick" excuses whom the members were easily fooled by.

 

"I'm so sorry...but I just"

 

"No, it's okay Mina, I get it. But if I can't have you, then what do I have left. I love you so much...understand that. If you love her as much as I love you, then go."

 

"No Sana please I just-"

 

"Go."

 

And with that, Sana is already at the door, the last thing she has to say for her

 

"And if you ever feel lonely, know that Jungyeon isn't sharing a room with Momo anymore. She has room for you."

 

Mina doesn't reply. She doesn't understand. She doesn't care about Momo right now, she feels absolutely sick, at the borderline of insanity. 

 

----- (9:24 am, the morning after) -----

 

Mina managed to get some sleep, an hour at the most. She's hoping that it was just a dream, she's been telling herself that since she's awoken but she notices the empty space beside her. Mina steps out of her room, and the members are gathered in the living room, all turn their heads at her appearance.

 

"And where did Sana go?" Tzuyu softly spoke, the piece of paper in her hand. Mina isn't surprised, of course Sana left, obviously on another walk around the block, she always had done that in times of stress. She remembers their time during SIXTEEN, and she'd always catch Sana sneaking out at the wee hours of the morning, to "get it together." 

 

But the note said otherwise.

 

"Let me see that" 

 

The paper read, in Sana's writing,

 

Mina is silent, the teardrop that falls and smears the last words at the corner.

 

"Goodbye."

 

----- (2:32 am , leaving the dorm) -----

Sana is here, at the bridge. The river below it sparkles in the presence of the full moon just above it. It's breathtaking, it gives her some comfort. Her hands placed on the concrete railing, she inhales the air. The scenery is absolutely beautiful, she remembers the most important thing that happened here. 

 

(Flashback)

Sana is new to Korea. She's entered into JYP as a trainee, she's travelled here from Japan. She isn't the only foreigner that's entering the company, she isn't the only one from Japan, that is. At first it was her and Momo, they attended the auditions together, best friends since elementary. 

 

Together they danced, learned the language of their new home, everything. Then came next year's audition, this time another Japan trainee is invited. Her name is Myoui Mina, she's soft-spoken, an introvert, parallel to Minatozaki Sana. The company instructed Sana to teach her the same things that she had been taught (at arrival.) Mina looked up to Sana the most, and was comfortable in the presence of some one of the same blood. She was taught the Korean language, she was introduced to the culture, with that they learned about one another. As closer friends rather than trainees, Sana had the confidence,

 

"How about after this, we go to the river? You know, the two of us."

 

Mina knew this was her chance. The two knew their "deeper" feelings for one another was mutual but the both would shy away at any opportunity given. So when they were standing there, both looking upon the sparkling river that reflected the full moon just above it, Mina had said it, in the broken Korean that Sana had handed down to her,

 

"I really like you."

 

And Sana could only say the same for her.

 

----- (2:41 am at the bridge) -----

So here she is. Same place as the most important event in her life, yet whom she shared it with is far from her reach. She is aware of the emptiness beside her, in her heart.

 

She can't go on. Sana is in horrible pain, her mind isn't where it should be. She looks down, at the river that looks to be miles beneath her feet. The teardrop that falls into the water sitting below her.

 

"I love you Mina. Do you love me?"

 

She asked the river below, it gives no response. She lets her feet dangle over the railing,

 

"I get it, so this is really Goodbye, isn't it? Hm, even if you don't love me the same way,  just please don't forget me..."