It had been 2 months since their breakup.

Yongsun stared at the mug of hot coffee sitting on the table in front of her listlessly. Her face was bare of any make-up. The dark circles under her eyes were more prominent now but she didn’t care anymore.

There was no one to look pretty for anyway.

“Yongsun, don’t do this to yourself.” Byulyi said from across the table. Yongsun looked up, the familiar bitterness pricking at her insides. Her eyes wistfully traced the sharp outline of the younger girl. From her long slender fingers, folded neatly in front of her, to the crisp blazer that complimented her figure perfectly.

“Do what?”

“Torturing yourself like this. You deserve to be happy.”

“I can’t be happy. Not anymore.” She locked gazes with Byulyi, feeling the familiar swell of want in her chest as the words left her lips in a painful whisper. “Not without you.”

Byulyi smiled sadly.

“You know that can’t happen.”

“Can’t,” Yongsun leaned forward. “Or won’t?”

“Both.” Byulyi answered, words ringing resolutely in the relatively quiet space of the cafe.

“Do you still want me like I want you?” Yongsun asked, desperate.

Desperate for a love that didn’t exist, that had been blown out like a flame, that had left behind the broken shards of a future that would never happen.

Left her blistering, struggling, after a love gone too soon.

A chase that had no end.

Byulyi’s answer was to place a hand over hers.

“Yongsun-unnie, what are you doing?”

Yongsun looked up, almost ready to lash out at the intruder for daring to interrupt them, but any anger she had disappeared instantly when she saw Hyejin’s stern face, fingers gripping the handle of her bag so tightly that Yongsun could see her knuckles turn white.

“Hyejin…”

“Unnie, let’s go home.” Hyejin grabbed her hand and pulled her up, eyes cloudy with an emotion Yongsun couldn’t decipher.

“But Byulyi-”

“There’s no one there.” Hyejin looked at her, clearly upset. “You were talking to yourself again, unnie.”

Yongsun turned to look at the seat opposite again.

It was empty.

All that was left was a lingering warmth on her hand and a cold cup of coffee.