Clinging onto hope for something usually concludes with either getting rewarded in the end or getting time wasted from false hope. 

Hope cannot exist without two things: desire and patience. Hope has already crumbled down when even one of those things falter. 

Yet, when thinking about it, what exactly are the factors that make us lose hope? What are the factors that make us continue to have hope? 

Why do certain things automatically make us continue to pursue? Why do certain things automatically make us give up? 

This doesn't solely apply to romance, it can also apply to our careers, a project we are working on, family, friendships...the list goes on and on. 

But focusing on romance, for some reason, things such as our love getting married to another automatically makes us give up on that love versus when our love breaks up with their significant other automatically assumes that we have a chance. 

But what if, it comes to a scenario when the person you love directly tells you that they do not held romantic feelings for you? 

Of course, there are those that gave up and found another love and those that didn't give up and either ended up with the person they love or ended up with a broken heart. 

We can think of those three endings as completely different from each other, but in reality, there is something that each have in common:

Time. 

Consideration of the time matters a lot. It all determines whether we want to contribute our whole time to that special individual, including the risk of knowing that there is a possibility that the time is wasted if things did not proceed to what we hoped for. 

Thus, what did Sana decide to do? 

If you thought she had hope, then no, she never had hope. 

Well, maybe it can be described as hope, but there's a better word for her situation.

She yearned. Yearned for something, someone who she never had in the first place. 

- - - -

Despite texting Mina to give me back the ticket, she utterly refused. I knew Mina hated me, but I can't believe that she'd be petty about it. There goes my plan for seeing that actress in the premier. 

Though honestly, it is also my fault for giving away the ticket in the first place. 

I sighed, my breath turning into a small fog as I then realized how cold the weather was. I looked at my phone and decided to dial Sana's number. After a lot of rings, assuming that it would go to voicemail, Sana then suddenly picks up the phone at the last minute. 

Hello?

For some reason, hearing her voice in this shivering cold weather calmed me. I displayed a small smile, despite knowing of course that she wouldn't see my expression right now. 

Hey. Can we hang out in your house later?

Oh. Of course. I'll be late going back home since I'm meeting an old friend...but feel free to let yourself in the house. You know where the key is.

Okay..bye.

Bye.

I'll wa-

"-wait for you..."

Before I get to finish my last words, Sana already hung up. 

- - - -

Sana could've sworn that she heard you say something, but it would be too embarrassing and awkward to call you just to only hear what you said, plus there was the possibility that you actually didn't say anything.

Nevertheless, she decided to go to the bar where she was supposed to meet her counselor-like friend, Jeongyeon. 

If she had to be honest, Sana used to be very awkward with Jengyeon because the latter initially held romantic feelings for Sana. Sana rejected her, which Jeongyeon then avoided Sana for awhile at first until Sana found out afterwards that Jeongyeon began dating Tzuyu, her friend's sibling that she knew through their family's connections. 

Sana wasn't close with Tzuyu at that moment, but despite that for some reason when Jeongyeon found out, Jeongyeon confronted Sana for permission to date Tzuyu. Sana said yes of course, since technically  there's no need for anyone's permission to date or love anyone. And ever since then, Sana somehow became a love-expert type of person with Jeongyeon always talking about her relationship with Tzuyu despite the fact that Sana does not exactly have any relationship experience. 

At one point though, Sana accidentally blurted out about being in love when she was trying to help comfort Jeongyeon with relationship problems. Ever since then, it then wasn't as one-sided as it was before since now both talked and helped each other out with their relationship/crush issues, even if that only involved listening to what one has to say. 

"Yo" Jeongyeon waved, greeting Sana who just entered the bar. Sana sat next to her, seeing that there was apparently already a drink ordered for her. 

"I got you the usual." With that said, Sana then proceeded to drink in one go. 

"Oi, slow down won't ya? You know that I didn't come here just to see you drown in drunkness right? You called for a reason." Jeongyeon was right, this was why Sana refered her as an 'old friend' since its been a long time since they talked. Jeongyeon's relationship with Tzuyu was peaceful and she wanted to keep it that way, which was why she was actually glad inside that she hasn't seen Sana to talk about herself, but of course if Sana needed a listener anytime, then Jeongyeon wouldn't hesitate to be there for her friend. 

"I think it's time for me to give up." Sana repeated. Yes, not said, but repeated because in the other times when she talked to Jeongyeon in the past, that would be the first thing that she would say before then changing her mind after seeing you in person. 

"You should know by now that when you include the words 'I think', it means that you're not fully certain about giving up." Jeongyeon said, drinking until her glass is half empty and then proceeding to look at Sana. Sana only sighed, asking the bartender for the same drink. 

"But its only right for me to give up at this point. It's what she would want. It's what society would want. Things would work out for the both of us if I gave up right now, but why the is it so hard to do just a simple thing?!" Once the bartender gave Sana her drink, Sana then proceeded to drink in one-go once again. 

"Because, having the option to give up isn't exactly the most simplest thing."

"...Huh?" Sana stared at Jeongyeon, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Well, maybe not confusion, rather her mind right now was battling between being drunk and being fine, with the side of being drunk leading towards victory at the moment. In any case, Sana wasn't the best drinker out there since a few drinks would make her instantly tipsy. 

"Giving up is only simple when it becomes the only choice that we have. As an option, giving up seems difficult because if you think of it this was, its as if we are cutting off a string of attachment to a particular desire that we wanted. Once we cut off that string with a scissor, only time will tell whether its possible to reattach the separated strings into a knot or whether we find out that the string is already tied into a different string." Jeongyeon pauses for a bit, drinking the remains of her glass before continuing. 

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