Sakura wakes up with her eyes feeling sore. She did not have a good sleep last night after realising that she now likes girls. Discovering how much she enjoys more than just being around the older girl, but also cherishing the moments and actions, kept her up the entire night on how unacceptable this is in her part of the world. Sure, the world is a different place now when one compares to five years ago, but she has been raised thinking all along she is waiting for a prince charming. She has never really questioned how people in Japan, if they knew they like the same gender, had already exhibited signs. Thus for Sakura, just discovering that she is breaking out of her norm into a new territory scares her - Eunbi scares her.

But she will scare me no more because it will end.

Eunbi’s door is already open when Sakura steps into the living area. She carries on with her morning routine, making her cereal bowl when Eunbi hears the noise and comes out.

“Morning Sakura.” She stops by the kitchen island.

Sakura turns around and first sight of Eunbi after all those thoughts last night hit her. Sakura sees why she likes Eunbi; the girl is beautiful even in the morning and her smile just instantly makes her worries go away. However Sakura is determined to end this temporary sidetrack of her confused soul and so she puts up a smile, a shield to hide her crumbling self.

“Morning Eunbi.” Sakura replies nonchalantly while she keeps the milk and cereal back into the fridge. She starts moving away.

Sensing that Sakura is going to leave the kitchen, Eunbi jumps in. “How’s the writing last night? You spent quite a while I sure hope it was productive.”

“It was great. I have learnt a lot. Thank you so much for it.” Sakura’s answers are straight to the point, leaving no room to carry on the conversation. “If there is nothing else, I’ll head back to my room now.” Sakura adds, holding her cereal bowl.

“Sure, no problem.” Eunbi is shocked at the detached Sakura. Although there is a smile on her face, she can’t feel the warmth the younger girl usually emits. Dammit Eunbi, you crept her out. As she watches the departing back, Eunbi decides the awkwardness should not be prolonged. “I hope nothing is wrong between us. If I stepped over the line on anything…”

Sakura pauses in her tracks. You sure did. Yet she turns around to face the older girl, “Don’t worry, all is good.” Again, Sakura puts up a smile before continuing back into her room and closes the door behind her.

She never closes the door.

The morning went by with silence in the house as the girls each stayed in their own rooms, until Sakura steps out fully dressed with her backpack and sketchbook in hand. She puts them on the kitchen island while she heads to the sink to wash her cereal bowl from just now. After cleaning it and putting on the rack to dry, she picks up her belongings and heads straight out of the apartment. She heaves a sigh and begins making her way.

Eunbi was focusing attentively on the sounds Sakura was making when she finally came out of her bedroom. When she heard the front door close, she was confused at how homebody Sakura is leaving the house on a Sunday. To confirm, Eunbi takes a peep into Sakura’s room and noticed that the stuffs she usually takes to school - laptop, sketchbook, backpack - were all not around. Eunbi goes into the kitchen and stares at the cleaned cereal bowl. First she cleaned her bowl then she goes out on a Sunday. All after you backhugged her last afternoon. Why did you do that Eunbi! She forms a fist and slam it down on the kitchen island.

Just then, her phone beeps from her room. Eunbi heads back and picks up her phone to see a message from the said girl. “Don’t worry about me today, will be out. Please go ahead and eat without me!”

Eunbi locks her phone in frustration, feeling so helpless in this. Yet she does not want to give up so easily. She unlocks her phone and types her reply, “Will you be back for dinner? There’s still meat in the fridge that has been there for days. It is portioned for the both of us. Shall we have that?” She grins and sends it. It is half true; there is meat but not for days. Eunbi had replaced them because last time when Sakura was in school, she was hungry and she used it to cook up a big meal for herself.

Eunbi moves to lie flat on her bed staring aimlessly at the white ceiling. Then what she is waiting comes, “Alright sure. I’ll cook tonight then.” As agreed before, the girls take turn to cook so the load can be spread. But there are times where they will cook together where the other is free to help the one in charge. Today will be one of those nights, Eunbi smiles gleefully.

After sending out the reply, Sakura locks her phone and places it face down on the table. She had decided impulsively to get out of the house as she wanted to be in a place where she wouldn’t be preoccupied with her thoughts. However, seeing as she is a natural born homebody, she did not know where to go and that is how she ended up in the school library, like a true nerd. At least now, I can focus on my work. She takes out her laptop and lays the sketchbook aside. As Sakura had planned, this time turned out to be very productive. Not only did she manage to revise her earlier paper, she started on the next assignment bearing in mind tips she received from both Yena and Eunbi. While it is still not graded, Sakura has a good feeling after writing it so she slumps into the chair, glad to have achieved something today. She checked the time on her phone and jumps up. She took longer than expected and is nearly late to start cooking dinner. Sakura hastily packs up her belongings and rushes back home.

Once she arrives, she drops her belongings in the room and rolls up her sleeves to start preparing. Eunbi hears the ruckus and decides not to make the same mistake twice and walks out of her room immediately.

“Anything I can help you with?” Eunbi comes to stand behind Sakura at the sink.

“It’s okay, I can whip the food up quickly. Sorry I started a bit later than usual.”

“No no, don’t worry I am not rushing you. You must had something you were busy with. I just wanted to help.” Eunbi intentionally baits Sakura with her words, hoping to find out where she went and whether yesterday had anything to do with it.

“You can help with this.” She hands Eunbi the vegetables and the chopping board. Sakura then starts preparing the marination for the meat by the kitchen island, a safe distance away from Eunbi at the sink. The girls work in silence, nobody knowing what to say to the other.

What can I ask without her avoiding to answer?

Better not be too close to her otherwise I might end up saying something stupid.

The silence inadvertently helps with the efficiency. Aside from having a productive study s