After she lost her father on her 17th birthday, she thought nothing would ever make her complete anymore. Right after her dad died, she decided to give up her scholarship from the South Korea Institute of Art just so she could stay with her remaining family in Bucheon. Yet, her stubborn mother threatened to kick her from home if she ever did that. So, with a heavy heart, she decided to stick with her first plan. 

On the day that she left Bucheon with a fake smile, she broke up with her girlfriend. YooA cried so hard on her shoulder while trying her best to accept Byul’s decision. With the absence of her father, the future director couldn’t help but realize that she could no longer prioritize YooA like she used to. The only remaining thing on her mind was to become the greatest director in her generation so she could take care of her family better. 

Nothing less, nothing more. 

In short, Byul was determined to not let anything break her concentration on making her dreams come true. Heck, she even chose her slightly-far-from-university apartment in Seoul due to this reason. Because, she didn’t want to be attached to anybody, aside from her family. 

But then, Kim Yongsun entered her life and somehow, everything started to crumble. 

At first, it was pure curiosity over the very existence of an arrogant Seoul girl. She couldn’t get how a person that looked so cute could act so cold and insensitive. Being a director and also a psychology enthusiast made her feel the need to know more about this weird human subject. But the weird human subject turned out to be someone that made Byul finds life is worth living again. 

Maybe because of Yongsun overflowing love over cinema that reminded Byul the reason why she chose the film-making path in the first place. Or Yongsun’s mind that will always fascinate Byul whenever they’re having discussion. Or Byul’s eagerness to protect and take care the clumsy girl all the time. Or it might be as simple as how Byul couldn’t wait to see another day just so she could see Yongsun’s beautiful smile over and over again.

But whatever the reasons, Byul knows she had ruined her own plan of being the lone wolf. 

Yet, it wasn’t until she knew about Yongsun’s stupid promise with her big sister that she realized how ed up she actually is. How close she is to letting Yongsun become an integral part of her self. And more importantly, how close she is to put herself in other possibilities of being hurt by someone who’s not even related by blood.

She is sitting with Mino in a 24-hours family restaurant while waiting for the destroyer of her life to go back from the restroom. She drummed her fingers to the table to distract her stupid minds from thinking about her and Yongsun’s situation. 

How could her short visit to Bucheon have not helped her at all? And actually, it’s getting worse that each day she’s getting weirder and weirder. It is so maddening that even the insensitive Mino could sense it. 

“Kid, we only have 6 weeks of finishing our projects. I don’t know what happened between you and Ice Princess but get a hold on yourself quick!”

Her bottling up emotion spilled out in one big groan which surprised her older friend. Mino is staring at her with confusion as the purple-haired girl starts to look around the restaurant in nervousness. Byul spun around and whispered, “I’m on it. I really do, Oppa. But how could you know it’s Yon-”

“Oppa! Where’s the camera guy?”

Yongsun’s big voice startled Byul so much, she almost dropped her drink. “, Kim Yongsun!” 

Her best friend ignores her complaint and casually sits beside her like she made no mistake. Byul can’t help but feel mistreated as Yongsun kept conversing with Mino like nothing happened. And then again, she finds herself ridiculous for reacting so childish. So, she takes Yongsun’s hand into her under the table while rubbing it with her thumb to ask for some forgiveness. The older girl responded with the same gesture. 

It’s such an intimate moment until both of them have to let go of each other’s hand as soon as Mino waved towards the restaurant entrance and shouted someone’s name, “Jay!! Over here!!”

The so-called Jay guy is approaching them with a big smile, Byul can’t help but feel threatened by his presence. It might be because of his good looking face or his easy-going manner or how his body covers in so many tattoos but really, it is simply because Jay is a stranger. On top of that, an attractive stranger. 

She tilted her head on the side to look at Yongsun’s face before looking up and down to check the older girl’s appearances. Yongsun is pretty but not that pretty because she’s not wearing any makeup and only wearing a casual wardrobe now. Which is good because Byul had seen a pretty Yongsun before and this look is ain’t it. Byul gripped her own wrist tightly to reassure her that this situation is going to be okay because today’s Yongsun won’t make other people fall in love with her easily.

Okay, I just need to make sure Yong will always look this ordinary and everything will be-

“So, Jay, this is Kim Yongsun. But, I’d rather call her our Ice Princess. She might be arrogant but she’s smart as hell.”

“Ah~ Oppa. Waee~?” 

As Byul realizes that Yongsun has shown her cute whining voice towards Mino which is obviously being heard by the tattoo guy, she knows right away that nothing will be alright. Especially, when the Jay guy tried to comfort her best friend in a way that she hates with all of her heart, “Yah, I saw Yongsun-ssi’s smile from the outside of the restaurant. She has like the warmest smile I’ve ever seen. You should stop calling her Ice Princess, bastard.” 

The three of them are laughing together but Byul, she just hopes she could drag Yong out of the restaurant.

---

“Byul-ah, how could a music major student be good in camera?”

The purple-haired girl who keeps looking down on the road as they’ve both walking towards Yongsun’s apartment in silence suddenly stopped her steps. “You- You took interest in Mino's Oppa friend?”

Yongsun rolls her eyes, “Noooo, I just find it weird.”

Byul sighed and finally told what she knew about this Jay guy from her past conversation with Mino, “They used to be in the same film club.”

“Ahhh. I see.”

She grabbed Yongsun’s wrist out of a sudden as the older girl started to walk again, “Why? Why did you ask that?”

“Nah. I just think that it must feel nice to be Mino-Oppa. He has someone that likes the same thing as him before university.” She paused, “I used to be alone, you know. No one really cares about my dream and there is no film club in my high school. So, yeah, I kinda-”

“Jealous?”

“Sad.”

She is staring at Yongsun’s glum face for a second before pulling the older girl into her embrace, “You have me, now.”

A familiar chuckle comes out from Yongsun, “I know. See, you’re the one that likes to make a scene in public, Byul-ah.”

She tightens the hug while smiling, “Don’t care.”

---

It is such a miracle to find this beautiful old theater near Seoul. From three short film projects that they’re going to do in the next 5 weeks, the most worrying part is Yongsun’s film shooting location. Because the film needs a projectionist room with an old cinema projection and in this contemporary and digitalized world now, it isn’t something that easy to find. 

Especially when the director is Kim Yongsun: the most brilliant, perfectionist and yet the pain in the kind of person. 

“Yong, this is good, right?” with a slightly annoyed tone as they've been bickering non-stop for the last three days because Yongsun kept saying that all the theaters that they’ve been visiting before weren't the right one. Byul regrets her question when she realized how Yongsun has already sat in the middle of theater with tears falling on her cheeks. Even from her position on the second floor of the theater, she knew every hurtful word that they had been saying to each other was worth it at the end. 

She is happy. 

Well, she could be happier if Jay wasn’t the one that found the place. And thank god the man can’t make it today. But whatever, since when she’s become so petty, really?

“Byul-ah?” as she heard Yongsun call her name from the first floor. 

“Um?”

“This is perfect.”

She smiled at her best friend’s remarks, “Yes, it is.”

“Come here.”

“Why?”

Yongsun is looking up and staring at her deeply, “I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“For being a ?”

She chuckled, “Okay. Pizza, your place, tonight.”

After three days of handling stressful Yongsun which only consisted of sarcastic and cursing words, she finally could see the beautiful smile on her favorite person’s face again.

Yup, totally worth it.

---

“Okay, listen up and stop drinking!”

Yongsun is clapping her hand twice to get her and Mino’s attention with an annoyed face. Byul suddenly put her glass down when Yongsun pinched her thigh which made Mino aware of the danger. As soon as Yongsun is sure that she got all the focus, she continues, “So, all the preparation for our three movies have completed. But, please, take care of your health because the schedule was packed as -”

“No cursing, Yong.”

“Sorry, Byul-ah. But anyway, starting next week, we will have six shooting days with one day to rest for every two work days. So please, don’t act like an i-”

“No cursing-”

“Immature child.” 

“Good.” as Byul patted Yongsun’s head, “We get it, okay? We just wanna have fun before the no sleep days come. Right, Oppa?”

Mino nodded. “Relax, Ice Princess.”

Yongsun is giving them her legendary pouting face, “Okay. I’m going to sleep first.” 

Both of them hummed at the same time as Yongsun walked towards her room. Right before she stepped into the room, she called out her bestfriend, “Byul-ah. Don’t sleep too late.” and get into the room quietly.

Another five seconds of holding their breath and staring at each other, Mino breathes out and says, “I don’t know what you and Jay see in that girl. Seriously.”

What, Jay?

“What?”

“You’re dating the Ice Princess, right?”

“No, yes, ah . Just tell me more about the Jay part?”

“Ah, he kinda wants to ask Yongsun to go on a date after shooting but I said, she’s already taken by you. Am I wrong?”

She remained silent for a while before, “No, you’re not.” She poured out the soju on Mino’s bottle with a satisfying smile, “No, you’re not. You’re like the best film brother, Oppa.”

“Aish, still. You should find another woman, kid. She’s crazy.”

“She’s my kind of crazy, so shut up and just drink!”

---

Byul walked towards the room while leaving the already asleep Mino on the couch alone. She came into the room as quiet as she could before joining the already sleeping Yongsun on the bed. Byul’s sudden hug woke Yongsun up, “Um, what time is it?”

“Three- No, four in the morning? I don’t know.” as she put her chin on Yongsun’s shoulder which made the older girl complain, “Ugh, you stink. Go away.”

“No~”

“Whatever.”

Another beat of silence, “Yong.”

“Hm?”

“Turned around, please.”

“No.”

“Please.”

Yongsun turned around despite her rejection. Byul put her hand on Yong’s stomach, “What is it, Byul-ah?”

“Talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“Anything. I want to hear your voice. I miss you.” as she lessened the gap between the two of them but still in the right distance to look at Yongsun’s eyes. 

Yongsun chuckled, “Omo, Moon Byulyi is being drunk and cute.”

“Talk~”

“Okay. How about you tell me more about my character in your movie?”

“She’s a director-”

“No, I mean, what kind of film that the character has to direct?”

She avoided Yongsun’s curious eyes, “It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course, it matters. How could I get into the character when I have no idea what kind of film I should direct as the director?”

“You could think about anything that makes you emotional, okay?”

“It’s weird of you to separate the script for each performer.”

She rolls her eyes, “I’ve always done that and tell you what, it’s always got a great result.”

“Yeah, yeah. You won so many times at film festivals and all that .” as Yongsun started removing herself from Byul’s embrace, the younger girl stopped her, “God, Yong. Can we stop arguing? I just want to hear your voice. Can’t you do that?”

The older girl slapped Byul’s chest, “I want the missing puzzle part of the script, okay?”

The purple-haired girl sighed, “Okay, okay. It’s about my latest breakup.”

“Huh? But, both of the characters are two girls-” Yongsun looked at her in shock. 

“Why are you not finishing your words?”

“No, I just- You never told me that you-”

“Gay? I think you knew.”

“Well, kinda. It just- You never talk about your love life with me, you know.”

“Why should I? It doesn’t matter, right? Or is it?”

“I don’t know. I wish I knew more about it.”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

“Tell me about you first, then.” She paused for a while, “Ah, . I forgot you never had a lover before.” while smirking. Of course, she’s lying. 

Yongsun gasped, “But I have gone to many dates too, you know. Boys and girls.” She said it like she is proud of herself. 

Byul chuckled, “So, Miss Kim is a biual and also a player?”

“I never label myself so I don't know and I’m not a player.”

The younger one looked at the other girl’s eyes before slowly looking down to her lips, “Have you ever kissed before?”

Yongsun shook her head nervously, “You?”

As she realized how stupid the question is, she continued, “Ah, of course, you did.”

“Thank you for noticing your own stupidity.”

“Shut up. There is still the possibility that you had an innocent relationship. You’re 17.”

“Small possibility, though,” Byul smirked. 

“Ah, whatever!” Yongsun turns around and gives her back to the younger girl. But, she’s not complaining when the familiar warmth wrapped her body once again. She couldn’t help but ask one last question of the night, “Byul-ah, why are you asking that?”

Byul snuggled herself more into Yongsun, “I don’t know. I just need to know it. Stop questioning me and let me sleep.”

The older girl sighed but stayed silent as she let herself go back to sleep as soon as she heard the soft snore from behind.

____

Yes, Jay Park and I don't know why I chose him, though. XD