It was a cold late night; everybody was probably tucked comfortably into their own bed. But there is a certain girl who can still be seen wandering around the street, Myoui Mina.

“Stupid.” She said to herself.

She’s usually calm and collected but getting lost in a foreign country that you’re not yet familiar at past midnight with your stomach begging for food, isn’t the nicest thing that can happen to a girl.

Her stomach growled again.

“Aish! Can you stop?! It’s your fault why I’m lost anyway!” she said talking to her stomach as if it has its own mind.

All she wanted was to go to a convenience store to grab some late midnight snacks to stop her growling stomach and getting lost isn’t part of the plan.

“Why didn’t I bring my phone with me?” She plops down on the cold ground. And kick her feet like a 5 year old kid who’s having a tantrum.

Mina has three choices.

First, she can try and walk again to find the way back to her apartment. But she might get more lost.

Second, she can knock on the houses around and ask for help but she’s afraid they might mistake her as a robber. She doesn’t want to end at a police station.

Third, she can just lay on the cold hard ground and wait for morning to come. But that can probably cause her to freeze to death.

Mina pulled her hair because of frustration.

“You might go bald if you keep doing that.” Mina heard an unfamiliar voice causing her to stand up and go on a defensive stance.

Who knows if it’s a murderer or a or a robber or worst, a ghost?

“Who … who are you?” she said, her voice are shaking just like her whole body because of fear. The figure walked closer and revealed herself to Mina.

Oh, it’s a girl. Mina thought and she quickly release a sigh of relief.

The girl came closer and looks straight into her eyes and it made Mina felt like she’s melting. Even though it’s dark, the girl’s doe eyes looks like its glowing under the moonlight.

“What are you doing on the street at this hour?” the stranger asked but got no respond. Mina was still deep in trance of the girl’s doe eyes.

The stranger fakes a cough causing Mina to look away. “Uhh ... I-I’m uh l-lost.” She said stuttering as she can feel her cheeks became hot.

“Do you want me to help you?” the stranger asks and Mina’s face quickly lifts up.

“You would do that?” Mina asks.  

“Yup” the smaller girl said popping the p.

Mina’s smile quickly turned into a frown and she eyed the girl suspiciously. She’s still a stranger and you don’t know what she can do to you. Mina thought.

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m not a bad person!” The smaller girl said like she knows what’s going on inside Mina’s head.

Mina kept shut.

“Look here, I know you’re a foreigner because of your weird accent and I just want to help you because you look like you’re lost or something like that. I am not planning anything bad against you, okay?”

Mina still kept shut. Not saying anything. She’s contemplating what to do.

The stranger releases a grunt probably because of annoyance. “Fine, if you don’t want my help! I’ll go now.”

She turned her back away from Mina ready to walk away but Mina grip on her wrist with teary eyes.

“D-don’t leave ... me ... p-please.” She said trying to fight the tears and sob but failed.

“Oh . I … oh hush will you? Why are … Don’t cry!”  Chaeyoung said while patting Mina’s back.

Mina cried harder and louder. All Chaeyoung can do is pat her back to help her calm down.

After minutes or more Mina stopped crying.

“I … help me.” Mina said calmer now and wiped the remaining tears on her face. Chaeyoung smiled at the sight. Beautiful. She thought.

“I’m Chaeyoung, Son Chaeyoung.” The smaller girl said and offers her hands to Mina while smiling.

“I’m M-Mina, Myoui Mina.” She said and shyly shakes the girl hand. Chaeyoung can’t help but giggle.

“So what happened?”

“I… I got lost. I was p-planning to go to c-convenience store. And I-I don’t know how to g-go back to my a-apartment.” Mina shyly confessed. Why am I getting shy and nervous all of the sudden? She mentally slaps herself.

“Woah I was planning to go to the convenience store too.” Chaeyoung said followed by soft giggles.

That giggle made Mina smile. It’s like a soft melody to her ear.

“How about we go to the convenience store first before finding where your dorm is? It’s better if we’re full, right?” Chaeyoung suggested.

Mina nodded and showed a gummy smile. Making the smaller girl heart to skip beats.

“A-alright let’s go.” She said and holds Mina’s hand like it’s a usual thing to do when you just met a stranger.

Mina on the other hand, got startled by the sudden skin contact and felt her heart beat faster than its usual rate.

“Where did you come from?” Chaeyoung asked breaking the silence between them.

“Japan.” Mina said and the smaller girl just nodded at her. “How come you’re so sure that I didn’t come from here?” it’s her time to ask.

“Your accent is different.” Chaeyoung said with a smile.

“Ahh” was all Mina could answer before she saw the 7/11 sign. She smiled; finally she will get a snack for her long forgotten hungry stomach.  

--

“Why are you adding ketchup on your ramyun?!” Chaeyoung ask, eyeing Mina’s bowl disgustingly.

“What? Ketchup is delicious!” Mina said while adding more of her precious ketchup to her bowl.

Chaeyoung almost vomit because of the sight. Mina noticed this and scoffs. “Don’t act like this is disgusting. Didn’t you know that ketchup is a precious thing in the world?”

“Precious?! It’s disgusting!” Chaeyoung said hysterically. “And weird!” she added.

“Disgusting? Weird? Says the dwarf who’s eating ramyun with strawberries!”  Mina fired back that made Chaeyoung agape .

“First I’m not a dwarf! Second, strawberries are more precious than gems!” She said and Mina just rolled her eyes.

They just met but the atmosphere around them is not awkward and they can even joke around like that. It feels like they know each other a long time now.

“Why don’t we switch our bowls?” Chaeyoung suggested.

“What? No, I love my ketchup.”

“Oh come on, it’s just a onetime thing.” Chaeyoung said again making Mina look at her with a different aura.

“W-what?” Chaeyoung asked nervously because of Mina’s look.

Hearing the world onetime made Mina’s heart ache, she didn’t know why but she knows that she want to hang around Chaeyoung more.

“Fine.” Mina said and switched their bowls.

--

“Didn’t know strawberries can go well with ramyun.” Mina said.

“Same for your ketchup.” They both shared another laugh.  

Chaeyoung eyes widen when she saw the time on the clock hanging in front above them.

“It’s almost 5 am.” Chaeyoung said and that made Mina’s eyes to widen too. They were too busy talking about nonsense while eating that they forgot the time.

“Let’s go find your apartment now?” Mina nodded. “Alright, let’s go.” Chaeyoung then hold Mina’s hand again pulling her to get up and walk out of the store.

“Can you describe what your place looks like?” Chaeyoung said while playing with Mina’s hand. Good thing it’s dark or she will see Mina’s now beat red cheeks.

“It’s umm … white and there’s a big tree beside it? With umm … a nearby playground!” Mina said and Chaeyoung laugh.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you look so cute.” Chaeyoung said straightforward making Mina to blush more if that’s even possible.

“S-stop teasing m-me.” Mina said shyly lowering her head.

“I’m not teasing you. For your information that’s 100 percent real.” Chaeyoung said again and Mina hit her playfully.

Chaeyoung can’t help but laugh more. “I know a playground nearby.” And she pulled Mina to walk beside her.

--

After minutes of walking Mina suddenly shouts startling Chaeyoung. “That’s it!” she said happily pointing to the apartment making the smaller girl giggle.

Mina walks faster because of excitement not noticing the sadness on Chaeyoung’s eyes.

“Yah? What are you doing? Why did y—“Mina’s sentence was cut when she realized something.

She finally found her apartment, Chaeyoung can leave now. Mina’s smile turns upside down upon the realization.

Mina just stood in front of her gate. The smaller girl walks towards her with a straight face. “Why don’t you enter now? It’s almost morning you need to sleep.” Chaeyoung said in a low tone.

Mina doesn’t want to go inside. If she does that she’s not sure if she will see Chaeyoung again. She doesn’t know why but there’s something about the small-cub-looking girl that made her heart beat faster. All she knows is that she wants to see Chaeyoung again.  

Chaeyoung look at Mina’s eyes and Mina does the same. Piercing each other with their gazes.

“T-thank you.”

“R-right! W-welcome! I-I should g-go now?” Chaeyoung said sounding more like a question. Mina nodded not trusting her words.

 Chaeyoung turned her back and started walking away. Mina’s heart was beating crazy and her head is spinning. Her palms began to sweat. She’s contemplating. But she might lose her chance forever if she wouldn’t do it now.

“Wait! Chaeyoung!” Mina shouted making Chaeyoung to stop on her track and look back at her.

“Will we see each other again?” She saw Chaeyoung smile.

“What do you think?” Chaeyoung shouted back.

Mina showed her gummy smile before answering. “I’ll get lost again!” and with that Chaeyoung sent her a final smile before completely walking away.

Mina smiled to herself.

It’s not too bad to get lost sometimes.