Eventually, Dahyun knew she would become burdened with the responsibilities of adulthood. She would get a job to help shoulder the tuition for college and begin saving away to provide for herself in the future. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles in this world.

        You fend for yourself. You make something out of nothing. It’s just what needed to be done. Dahyun knew she would discover what her life’s work was meant to be. She knew she’d spend the rest of her life pursuing that passion. Her youthful glow would dim, the life would begin to seep out of her skin, and she would grow old.

        Sighing at the thoughts that haunted her, Dahyun carefully weaved her way around other partygoers until she found her way into the kitchen. A change of scenery would do her good, she hoped. Watching the jumble of bodies surrounding her had been making her feel a little queasy.

        She poured herself another drink, filling half of her cup with vodka before splashing in a touch of red Hawaiian Punch. Deep bass vibrations thrummed against the girl’s ribcage as she leaned against the counter and nursed her drink.

        Someone had found the sound system in the basement and had their phone rigged up to it, blasting hip hop songs Dahyun didn’t know the words to. A familiar tingling sensation spread throughout her body as the liquid flowed through her veins.

        It hadn’t been her intention to get raging drunk tonight, but it looked like the events were unfolding that way. Not that it mattered, anyways. She was on summer vacation, her parents weren’t home, and she had yet to scope out another summer job for herself.

        Besides, she could always worry about her hangover later. Her sweeping eyes surveyed the throngs of familiar faces occupying her house party, noting how odd it was that every single one of them were connected in one way or another.

        Seongnam was small. Dahyun’s been to smaller places, tiny towns tucked into places no one hardly looked. This city was just the right size where Dahyun knew most of her classmate’s names from memory.

        She could recognize each by both face and name, had been to a few of their birthday parties when they were younger, even remembered funny stories about some of them from middle school.

        The hostess finds herself making her way upstairs with an unopened bottle of vodka in hand and her half empty cup in the other, seeking comfort in escaping to her own bedroom. At least up the staircase, the sound of the shaking bass lessened its steady boom.

        She passes by at least three couples engaging in heated make out sessions in the upstairs corridor. Thankfully, Dahyun had taken the precaution to lock up every room save for her own before the party began.

        It wasn’t that the hostess didn’t trust the party goers to not go into any of the closed off rooms, she just didn’t feel like cleaning up more of a mess in the morning than she had to. Tucking the bottle of vodka underneath her arm, Dahyun freezes in front of her door.

        It was slightly ajar, though dark inside. For a split second, she worried there might be someone inside of her room, cursing herself for forgetting to lock it back up after helping her friends set up everything downstairs. With a deep breath, Dahyun braced herself, and then pushed her way through the threshold.

        Nothing. Just as empty as she’d left it. Thank god. She wasn’t sure how she would’ve dealt with a couple rolling around in her sheets. Dahyun flicked the lock on the door, ensuring she wouldn’t be interrupted for the rest of the evening.

        Next, she slowly leans over the bed and flips on the lamp next to her bed. She settles down on the comfortable mattress with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. She takes another swig of her drink, thinking over the muffled beats of the music pounding downstairs.

        Dahyun wondered if she should just go to bed now and worry about cleaning up tomorrow or not. She quirked her lips. Maybe she’d finish off the rest of her drink and help herself to a quarter of the Smirnoff first.

        She flopped over onto her bed and craned her neck to look at her alarm clock for the time. 10:59 PM. The night was just beginning, but Dahyun’s eyelids were already drooping shut.

        A hand goes to lift the hem of her shirt to get changed into her pajamas when she spots someone lingering outside her balcony, staring out at the night sky in silence.

        “What the hell...Sana?” Dahyun asks herself in a hushed whisper, unsure if her mind was playing tricks on her or not. She props herself up on one elbow to get a better look. The possibility of the older girl actually being there caused her to shoot up from her bedspread.

        With disbelief written across her features, the high schooler stepped towards the pair of French doors leading out onto the balcony hesitantly. The long, transparent curtains billowed in the warm breeze flowing in from outside.

        How had she not noticed the draft earlier? Her eyes fixated on the stranger, trying to make out their features in the low light. Sana had told Dahyun she wasn’t coming back to Seongnam for a few more weeks, tops. Apparently, the older girl stuck on her college campus in Seoul trying to move all of her stuff into a new apartment.

        The odds were much more in favor of the silhouette belonging to some drunk partygoer who’d wandered into Dahyun’s room by accident. Regardless, Dahyun allowed herself to hope. She always hoped when it came to Sana.

        “Unnie?” Dahyun tried, raising her voice, halting right behind the stranger. The night air warmed against her, but she felt her body temperature skyrocket even further when the person turned around, finally revealing their identity.

        With the moonlight shimmering over her, Dahyun thought to herself that Minatozaki Sana had never looked more beautiful. “You sure are a sight for sore eyes,” Dahyun breathed out, barely concealing the giggle that threatened to escape from her lips.

        “Thought you’d come by sooner or later,” Sana chuckled cheekily, running a hand through her light brown locks. Relief flooded through Dahyun, like she was coming back to shore after enduring a long storm. “How’d you know?” Dahyun asked, unable to keep herself from beaming.

        She’d been waiting impatiently for Sana’s arrival back from college and wasn’t sure how much longer she could go without seeing the older girl again. With the college girl here, so close and so heavenly, Dahyun almost pinched herself to see if she were dreaming.

        Sana leaned against the steel railing surrounding the balcony with a dazzling smile and tipped her own glass of wine towards the younger girl in a toast of sorts. “I remembered how you almost always come up for fresh air during a party.”

        Dahyun joined her in the act of leaning against the banister, and the knuckles of their hands brushing against each other as the younger girl clinked their cups together. Dahyun tried not to shiver at the simple touch. It had been far too long.

        Her whole heart and soul screamed for her to get closer to the older girl, to take Sana in her arms and kiss her until they both disappeared into the galaxy. “Something on your mind?” Sana asked knowingly, taking a small sip from her wine.

        She nudges Dahyun’s shoulder with her own, prompting the high schooler to speak her mind. “I know you didn’t come up for air for nothing.” Blushing, Dahyun shrugs, trying to breathe in the scent of Sana’s Prada perfume as discreetly as she could.

        It had been two years. She’d almost forgotten the scent of Sana’s trademark fragrance of an expensive Prada perfume. The pair stare out into the dim lights of Dahyun’s neighborhood, far off into the distance at the hints of downtown Seongnam dotting the horizon.

        A string of stars came into view when she craned her neck up. “I’ve always loved this view,” Dahyun sighs in