"Heechul oppa! Fancy getting a call from you," ShinB chuckles, "how have you been?"

"Amazing as always," the reply makes ShinB want to roll her eyes. "You?"

"I'm okay," Heechul hears the drop in her voice.

"You sure?" Heechul immediately questions it. 

ShinB bites her lip, knowing that it has always been hard to hide anything from Heechul who seems to know it all. 

"I'm okay," ShinB says again with more conviction, although she knows it's not going to convince Heechul at all. 

"You know, I heard you became acquainted with BoA," Heechul decides to go straight to the point, "you seen her recently?"

ShinB gulps. Groaning inwardly at how precise Heechul's words have been, she ponders hard for a response. 

"No, why?" she replies in a rough voice after a quick decision to keep things simple. 

"She said she hasn't heard from you recently either," Heechul answers her question anyway.

"Are you calling me just to tell me that?" ShinB lets the annoyance show in her voice.

"Well, just checking for her if you're alive," Heechul decides to stop stressing the girl out. "But hey, I hope things will be fine for you soon. You sound tired," he adds earnestly. 

ShinB inhales, and exhales. "Thank you," she breathes into the phone when she realises that Heechul always means good, and it's completely fine even if he knows more than she wishes he does. 

"Sleep earlier, ShinB yah! I'll hang up now," he says in a brighter tone. 

"Mm," ShinB hums, "good night."

When the call ends, ShinB lies alone in her bed, a mind too exhausted for any thoughts. 

ShinB aimlessly scrolls through her playlist. Her earphones have been plugged in for the last minute, but ShinB doesn't know what her ears (or her heart) want to listen to. 

She finds a handful of BoA's songs and her thumb freezes in scrolling. Unknowingly her breaths shorten. She hasn't been listening to any of BoA's songs ever since BoA had broken the news of her relationship to her, although before that ShinB looked forward to each time she could have her earphones in just so she could listen to more of BoA's voice that warmed her heart. 

The silence is shaken when ShinB hears the door open. 

"ShinB yah, what are you doing?" Eunha pops her head into the bedroom, her tiny head looking up to ShinB's bunk. "We're thinking of completing today's Japanese homework together in the living."

ShinB wrinkles her nose, feeling lazy and wanting to be alone. "I'll come on out a little later," she says, flipping herself over to look at Eunha as she speaks.

"Okay," Eunha smiles and soon ShinB is left alone again.

Japanese homework, ShinB thinks and releases a sigh. She used to be good at studying, when she was a student, but her progress with the new language has not been very favourable.

As if a bulb has lit in her mind, ShinB finds an idea to listen to BoA's Japanese releases.

Instinctively she shakes her head, not wanting any association with the said singer, but it dawns upon her that she has to stop and that their current situation has been causing ShinB too much stress. ShinB knows, and even the members know, that she hasn't been herself these days. And it isn't exactly her fault either, ShinB thinks in her head, who am I to get sulky when she's finding her happiness?

ShinB releases a hard sigh that sounds tinted with sorrow. Part of ShinB doesn't like it that BoA's seeing someone right now, but all of her knows that she misses the company and confidante she has found in BoA.

ShinB releases yet another sigh, through her nostrils, before her fingers begin readily typing in the search bar for BoA's Japanese music. 

The tension within her dissipates and by the end of the fourth music video she's been watching, the anger and frustration of blocking out anything associated with BoA have vanished. ShinB lets her fingers manoeuvre their way into her messaging application, and then to her chat with BoA. 

The last message BoA had sent her glares at her from her screen. ShinB, you've been busy?

ShinB takes in a deep breath as she tells herself, I can do this. This is nothing. 

Sorry for the late reply! We've been busy. Also, Japanese lessons are hard.

BoA almost drops the phone upon receiving the notification. 

Looking around, she finds her manager shooting her a weird look, before lightly chuckling. BoA sheepishly laughs for a second. Her fingers fumble to regain composure as she racks her brain for a reply. Finally, she starts typing: Japanese lessons! Hwaiting :) A Japan debut coming up?

BoA taps her fingers anxiously as she waits for a good five minutes. She feels her heart strongly beating in her chest, hearing each beat clearly. 

We don't know, but hopefully comes a dull reply, but BoA is still yet excited to finally hear from one that she has dearly missed for weeks. 

I recently had a new Japanese OST, BoA's quick fingers hurriedly replies.

"Wait, no-" BoA lightly slaps herself on the forehead for the mistake from being jittery. I mean, an OST for a Japanese programme but it's completely in English!

How has unnie been? the question comes in and sparks an enormous joy in BoA's heart. 

Not many activities, but I feel okay :) BoA delightedly replies. 

The next message is unexpected. BoA suspects hesitation on the other side, for ShinB is seen to be typing for a whole minute.

It's crazy late but unnie, can we meet? You could help me with my Japanese homework. 

In a flash, ShinB is dressed and out of the dorm as soon as BoA sends her her address (with the reason that everywhere would be closed at such a time in the winter). The members watch, agape, but relieved to see such life in her as she never had in the recent days. 

ShinB slips through the subway and through streets without a single thought in her mind. ShinB doesn't know why, but she knows that she wants to see BoA immediately. 

After a journey of hurrying through gates and stairs, ShinB finally finds herself before her destination. Slowly, she raises a trembling hand and presses on the doorbell. 

The door opens and she sees a wearied figure much smaller than the baggy shirt and pants that hang loosely from it. 

"U-Unnie," ShinB stutters, her eyes on BoA's. As they breathe, the air around them is still. 

"Come in," BoA's voice cracks when she invites her guest in, after a tense pause at her doorstep. 

"So, Japanese homework?" BoA says as she tries to make herself at ease, closing the door behind them. 

ShinB turns around to face BoA once again. 

BoA's trembling orbs begin to turn watery when she takes a good look at the face she hadn't known how much she has missed till this moment. 

Suddenly, ShinB feels the urge to plunge forward. Fearlessly, she throws all caution to the wind and wraps her arms around BoA's tiny body.

Shocked at first, BoA lets ShinB fall into her arms. 

ShinB's tears uncontrollably begin to fall as warmth gushes into her heart when BoA closes the embrace. 

When ShinB chokes on a sob stuck in , her arms tighten around BoA's, and BoA reciprocates the gesture. 

"Unnie," ShinB sobs into BoA's shoulder. The startled latter gently rubs ShinB's back, whilst feeling also the urge in her tears to fall. 

"Unnie, I'm sorry," ShinB apologises in her sobs. 

"Don't say that," and when BoA speaks, she, too, starts to cry. "It's okay, unnie is here," she then says and continues to softly pat ShinB's back. 

ShinB remains sobbing with her arms tightly wound around BoA, filled with remorse and guilt yet feeling the warmth and comfort of finally being in the arms of the one she has missed terribly. 

"Thank you," she speaks again, pouring her heart into her words as the gratitude overflow in her heart.

"Unnie is here," BoA repeats herself, this time softer. 

"sparks an enormous joy" coughs coughs i've obVIOUSLY been watching kondo marie LOL i'm sorry if some parts of this chapter feels out of place! i got inspiration to write this again after listening to GFriend's new album, esp Love Oh Love which strongly give off the vibes of BoA's old music. also, happy new year everyone! hope 2019 will be another amazing year for all of us :)