Momo woke up and saw a shadow overhead. Her shock at the appearance of the shadow disappeared when she recognised Sana as the one sitting on her bed. She was running a comb through Momo’s hair and she settled back down on Sana’s lap. She could sense that Sana had something to say and stayed silent as the comb went through her every strand of hair. Eventually, Sana said what was on her mind. “You really need to remember to dry your hair before you sleep. You can’t just sleep right after taking a shower,” she began.

‘Anyway, I wanted to say, whatever your plan to capture Mina’s heart is, it’s not working. When I came home, Mina looked very miserable. She didn’t tell me what happened and I don’t want to know. All I’m saying is that you should try harder to respect Mina’s feelings as well and that she deserves an apology. You can’t talk about the guys she’s dated if you’re going to be the same.’

Momo made to respond but she stopped the words in as she realised there was no justifiable reason for her actions. She’d acted like a jerk towards Mina and Sana had been exact in her description. She swallowed the unspoken words and sighed. “You’re right. I’m going to go apologise to her tomorrow,” she said. She sat up, crossing her legs and sighed again. Sana continued brushing her hair from behind before adding, “I got some takeout if you want some. And if you feel like it, it’s not that late and I saw Mina’s light was still on.” Momo smiled at the nonchalant tone of voice and shook her hair free from Sana’s hands. She patted Sana softly on the head and walked to the kitchen.

Smiling as she saw the pizza box on the counter, a smell of baked dough wafted in the air as she opened the lid and grabbed a slice of Hawaiian. She dusted off the slice but remembered that she had another reason for getting up. She walked over to Mina’s room where sure enough the light was still on. She knocked cautiously and footsteps came before Mina’s face peered around the door.

She looked surprised at being visited and even more at seeing Momo. Momo waved and asked, “Can I come in?” Mina nodded and opened the door wider to allow Momo to enter. She sat back down at her desk where she had been working and Momo sat on the bed. She didn’t say anything at first but realised that there was no point is prolonging it.

‘Mina?

‘Mm. What’s up?’

‘I just wanted to apologise for before. I was a bit huffy with you. I’m sorry. I was just a bit sweaty and tired and it made me annoyed.’

Mina turned around and looked at Momo. Silence settled for a moment before she replied softly.

‘It’s alright. It doesn’t really matter. I was just a bit surprised is all.’

Momo hummed agreement and moved closer to mirror Mina’s action from before. She hugged Mina once before returning to her room. Sana was lurking in her doorway and raised her eyebrows in question so Momo nodded and went back to her room to sleep. However, this time as she lay on her bed, she found it hard to be calm as her mind was in disarray. She realised that she could never hate Mina however she tried and it was a sad reality that she may live her whole life seeking something that would remain out of reach. One lonely tear rolled down her face at the thought and when sleep finally found her, the last thing on her mind was Mina.

When Momo woke the next morning, she made a promise to herself that she would treat Mina the same regardless of who she saw. As she had once told Sana, she was happy just being by her side and although that might not have been completely true, seeing Mina smile even if she was not the cause, soothed her aching heart. A consolation to her love troubles was that she was now able to focus solely on her performance.

She logged tens of hours in the dance studio provided by her instructor and working off a sweat as she danced to Taemin’s smooth voice helped calm her mind. She was able to sing along to the Japanese song and the lyrics in play with the sombre tone helped to inspire her ideas. She had a clear idea of what she would be dancing and it was only a matter of perfecting her craft to show on stage.

With two weeks left until the Seoul International Dance Competition, Momo spent nearly every hour she had refining her dance at the university campus in the studio. The competition was renowned around the globe and Momo knew that if she failed there, her future would remain in the dark. Sana and Mina went out of their ways to aid her by doing extra chores or cooking, anything they could do to help. They knew that Momo would have done the same if the roles were reversed and though Momo felt embarrassed to admit it, she was grateful for their thoughtfulness.

Having been selected as one of the many few to represent, Momo was able to garner some help from her fellow classmates and in particular one female called Bora. Bora, a tanned blonde, was an excellent dancer and although Momo was picked to represent ahead of her, she held no ill will and had great insight as to how to best bring out Momo’s best. They spent quite a few days dancing late into the night and they became quite familiar with Momo once joking that she’d have to remember that it was a solo competition. Bora laughed at that and put an arm around Momo.

‘Why don’t you, as payback for my help, accompany me to my favourite hotspot?’

Momo, a bit curious, asked her, “A bar? Well I suppose but I’m not drinking.’

Bora nodded and they showered before heading to Itaewon where Bora introduced her to a club called B One. It was a lounge club away from the well-populated clubs in Gangnam and was below street level where at 10 p.m. was still relatively quiet. Bora gained entry easily, chatting with the doorman. They made their way to some seats and Momo sipped a lime bitter whereas Bora ordered a stronger beverage; a martini.

She watched fascinated as Bora went to the dance floor after guzzling a few glasses and showed her moves. People noticed her and began gathering around and Momo smiled amused as Bora seemed right at home with some techno music, claiming the spotlight. Bora danced with ease and her movements were sharp in contrast with the alcohol she’d consumed and Momo could see why she was such a respected dancer.

Bora sauntered back after the song changed and began drinking again. “You should be the one dancing at the Seoul competition instead of me,” Momo commented. Bora looked at her knowingly and replied, “Of course not. I’m only good at freestyle and hip hop and anyways, what’s the point of coming to a club if you’re not going to dance?” dragging her to the dance floor. Momo laughed as she followed the headstrong Bora and though she felt a bit embarrassed, she built on her experience and danced to the music’s flow as best she could. She danced for one song but found herself breathless as she was caught up in the pace of the music and she returned to her seat with a few cheers from onlookers. She was soon joined by Bora and she let herself be persuaded into drinking a margarita. She enjoyed the blend of the liquor with the stronger tequila and soon one glass turned into two and three.

~

Momo walked along the pier and tried to steady herself, feeling dizzy. She’d downed one too many drinks and she was now feeling the effects. She stumbled and Bora who was leaning on her nearly fell. They sat down on some nearby benches and watched as the river flowed. The scenery at night was amazing as the moonlight reflected off the waves and the wind blew through the city but it was somewhat spoiled as Bora moved off to the side and threw up. She joined Momo after a minute and Momo rubbed her shoulders as they walked towards a taxi hailing area.

They caught a cab and headed towards Momo’s home first where Bora carried her inside her house as she was too tired to walk. Momo called a slurred goodbye and Bora left, stumbling along the footpath back into the taxi. Mina was apparently still awake and helped her in the dark to her bedroom. She fell back on her bed and went to sleep still in the clothes she’d worn outside. She heard someone whisper goodnight and drifted off.

~

Momo woke up with a groan and immediately felt glad that it was the weekend. She had a blinding headache and she now regretted having the few drinks that Bora had managed to pour in her. She glanced at her phone screen and saw a text from Bora commenting on their night out.

‘I had a great night. We should do this again sometime. You danced pretty well for a first-timer. We had a nice duet. ^^’

Momo smiled amused, biting back her thoughts on what had happened. She vowed to never drink again, feeling the full effects of her hangover. She walked into the kitchen and rummaged around in the drawers until she found some aspirin. She downed two with a glass of water from the tap and rubbed her temples before realising that Sana and Mina were seated at the dinner table watching her. She groaned again before saying, “How long have you guys been there?”

‘Long enough to hear you curse some unholy god as you searched around for some aspirin.’

Momo closed her eyes to Sana’s grin and leaned against the kitchen sink. Memory of her outing last night came to her in flashes and she recalled the questionable actions she’d taken. “Do you want a cup of tea?” asked Mina as she walked over. Momo nodded and felt calmer as she listened to the whine of the kettle. She could hear the other two chatting so she poured herself a cuppa and hissed as some water splashed onto her hand. Mina ran to her side and grabbed her hand, holding it under the tap. Frustrated at herself, Momo pulled her hand away and wrapped a wet towel on it. She sipped her tea and felt slightly better as the hot liquid washed down . Her calm was interrupted as Mina asked her a question.

‘So who was that person who brought you home last night?’

Still not feeling in the right mind to converse properly, she fired off a short response.

‘Just a friend.’

‘Really? She seemed quite close with you. You were wearing her coat and she bridal carried you here.’

Momo opened her eyes and looked up at Mina who had crossed her arms and a stubborn look on her face, pouting. In a better mood, she would have found the pose cute and gone to hug her, but her hangover and irritation from the conversation she’d overheard from the other day had not left her mind. “Who cares? It’s not like you’re my boyfriend so I don’t know why you’re prying into my personal matters. Go to your boyfriend you seem to be chatting to so happily and leave me alone!” she snapped with more force than intended. Tears began welling up in Mina’s eyes and she ran out of the house. Momo looked over to Sana who began walking back to her room and caught the disapproving frown on her friend’s face, the anger fading from her as quickly as it had brewed. “You should go after her,” Sana called out as she closed her door.

Momo took a deep breath and sighed, regretting her words already. She knew she should go and apologise immediately but her brain was still not and she finished her cup of tea. She placed her empty cup in the sink and took a shower, changing out of her sweaty clothes. Feeling refreshed with her belly calmer and her body clean, she stepped out of the house and looked down the street hoping that Mina would be sitting at the kerb. As expected, Mina was not and Momo began walking to the park, knowing it to be a place where the girls had gone to a few times for some peace of mind.

Sitting on the old swings, she observed the empty streets; the wind blowing the fallen leaves about. She looked up at the grey sky and felt suddenly melancholy. She knew that Mina didn’t deserve to be the bearer of her harsh words and there was nothing she could do to take them back now. Closing her eyes to the world, she apologised to Mina, wherever she was, aloud.

‘I’m sorry. It always ends up to me saying something mean and then you accepting it eh? You’re too good for me. I don’t know how you can live with such an idiot like me. Anyways, I’m sorry. I guess words just leave my mouth before they enter my brain. If only you could see in my heart, you could see the pain I feel. I love your smile, your shining eyes; everything about you. I wish that you’d know I would never intentionally hurt you. That you’re the most precious thing that’s ever happened to me.’

Momo fell silent and the slow hush of the wind was the only sound before she heard something drop behind her. She turned around thinking that it was Mina but it seemed to only be the spitting of rain. “It’s only fitting,” she thought. “Rain is a precursor to a storm. Only to hope that the storm leaves its destruction behind and only moves things into their place.” She got up slowly from the halted swing and trudged along, heading home.

Luckily, as she lived close to the park, she made it with only a slight wetting of her shoulders. She changed into some warm clothes and waited in her room silently to hear the click of the front door signalling the return of Mina. However, the falling rain was calming to her fatigued mind and body and she fell asleep in her chair still waiting for Mina to come home.