"So.. you're telling me that your parents did a background check on me and forbid you from hanging out with me?" Momo asked in disbelief. 

Mina nodded, not daring to look into the girl's eyes. "I'm sorry Momo, it was really uncalled for for them to do that, but I know they would do it if I didn't stop spending time with you. I couldn't let that happen to you Momo, I couldn't let my parents kick you out of the school for no reason. I was so scared Momo, I didn't want to lose you, but I didn't know what to do. I-"

Mina's eyes were teary as she rattled on, until a single action from Momo made her freeze. Momo cupped her face, making her look up. "Silly, you could've told me about it."

"I-" Mina did not finish her sentence as Momo pulled her into a hug. She just rest her head on the other girl's chest.

"So.. what's going to happen now that you left your house?" Momo was cautious about asking it, she was unsure of how Mina felt. She watched Mina frown and simply gave a shrug as a reply.

"You can stay here for as long as you want," Momo offered, "but you got to tell your parents."

"What for?" Mina was still unhappy at her parents. "They're not going to be happy if I tell them I'm staying at your house."

"You got to let them know you're safe, Mina. They must be worried after you ran out of the house." Momo pat Mina on her shoulder. She knew that the girl was just experiencing a short-term anger and eventually she will just miss her parents a lot. Although Momo was rather distant with her parents before she came to Korea, there were still days she missed them a lot.

"Alright." Mina gave in, taking her phone out to send a message.

"Also... about what you wrote in the letter..." Momo hesitated, it was hard bringing up the topic out of nowhere. Fortunately, Mina got the hint.

"Don't say it if it's not something I'd like to hear." Indirect rejection was always better than a straightforward one.

"I... I like you too, Mina. In fact, I've liked you ever since the first time I saw you sitting alone." Mina tried to have eye contact with the girl who was speaking, but the latter turned away, embarrassed by her words. "Although it's mutual, I'd like it if we took it slowly and just see how things go."

Mina nodded and hummed, showing her agreement. She snuggled closer to Momo. "I'm tired, shall we go to sleep now?"

***

A few days passed and true enough, Mina started to miss her parents. Actually, they have been calling her and sending her messages throughout the few days, but Mina never read the messages nor picked up the calls.

Momo was in the kitchen once again to prepare something to fill her stomach, while Mina was studying at the table. This had been the case for the past few days. Momo was constantly satisfying her hunger, while Mina was always satisfying her hunger for knowledge. Then, Mina's phone rang again. Momo did not even have to be anywhere near the phone to know who was calling.

"Minari, pick up the phone. You've been ignoring them for long enough." Momo said, eyes still fixated on her own actions. She continued when she heard no response from Mina. "Come on, you've got to at least hear what they have to say."

Hearing some movements, Momo turned to look, a smile forming on her face as she saw Mina take her phone and walk towards the balcony.

"So, how's it?" Momo's arms naturally found their way around Mina's waist once the girl was done with the phone call.

"They said they realised their mistake," Mina's voice was shaky. "That they had overly high expectations of me all these while. That they should not have used caning as a form of punishment. And they said that... that they were sorry." Mina was feeling overwhelmed by the words she heard from her parents, those were the things that she always wished her parents would realise, and now they did.

"That's great, Mina, that's wonderful. I'm so glad you managed to get out of all those terrible circumstances. So will you be going back?"

Mina nodded. "Tomorrow, I guess."

"Aww, it's going to feel different without you here." Momo wanted Mina to go home, but she wanted her to stay here with her as well.

"I'll call you, I promise." Mina looked up and searched for Momo's eyes, wanting to assure her that she was still going to be here for her.

"Sure," Momo said with a grin. She was glad that she had Mina back by her side, but she knew that the future would be tough. Her irrational fear was going to make it hard for them to progress, yet there was nothing she could do to control herself from thinking that way.

A/N: Not a very eventful chapter but I guess important things happened here - their mutual feelings are (finally) revealed and Mina's parents reflected on their mistakes. Now all that's left is Momo, huh?

Do comment! ^^

Thanks for reading! (: