!! DOUBLE UPDATE !! READ PREVIOUS CHAPTER FIRST IF YOU HAVEN'T

"Mom, I'm not sure if I still like him the same way I did before, okay? May I remind you it was over ten years ago."
 
"I know. But admit it. At some point, you're still fond of him, right?"
 
Minju stared at her mom for a long before she breathed out. She knows her mom is right. There's this part in her, no matter how little, that is still attracted to Hangyul. And she doesn't know if it will continue to shrink or--who knows--grow, eventually.
 
"Just try going out with him for like a month and see if anything would spark between you two. If it doesn't then you tell him. I believe it's enough time for him to rethink his feelings too, right?"
 
"Mom--"
 
"A month won't hurt you, darling. The least I could hope is for you to become good friends if this really won't work out. If after a month you'd realize that he's not the right guy, then I'd stop bugging you."
 
Minju knows that there's no way she could win this argument. "You promise?"
 
The woman nodded. "Just for a month."
 
---
 
Minju is staring blankly at the ceiling, reflecting on what she and her mom talked about earlier.
 
She is supposed to be happy because this is what she wanted before--to get Hangyul's attention. And the fact that her mom has two thumbs up for him should be good news.
 
Instead, she's in a dilemma.
 
No matter how much she tried to convince herself she's morally better off with Hangyul, she can't set aside the fact she's still feeling something for Sakura too.
 
The problem is she's not sure how serious her feelings are for Sakura. It's too underrated to call it a crush but is it that serious to call it love? How would she know if it really is love? And what would she do if it really is love? She can already imagine her mom objecting to it.
 
Minju turned to her side and curled up. Sleep won't come to her yet. She was hoping Sakura would call her just to confirm if she's arrived or what. She feels so lost right now all she wanted is to hear Sakura's voice.
 
She glanced at her phone to check the time: 12:07 am
 
She buried her face in the pillow and sighed.
 
"Please let me see you tomorrow, Sakura. Please."
 
---
 
Sakura let out a sigh of relief after finally setting foot on the ground.
 
"Phew! Home sweet home!"
 
If she had known how much of an encumbrance that storm would be, she would not have gone to Indonesia. It was torture missing Minju for a week, and what's making it worse is she can't even make a call because the electricity was out for days because of the wide damage the storm caused.
 
But her agony is over. She's finally home.
 
Her enthusiasm is building up on the thought that Minju missed her too. She couldn't believe it herself at first, but after their trip from Haeundae, everything seemed to have changed between them. They grew closer, in a more special way than friends could be. She knows it's too early to assume anything but she can't help raising her hopes up.
 
That's the reason she wanted to have that talk with Minju, to clear things out. Maybe it's about time to confess to the woman.
 
Having plans to call Minju, Sakura checked the time on her phone: 12:07 am
 
"Oh. I guess she's already sleeping."
 
She puffed her cheeks and blew air out. She pulled her bag straps over her shoulders as she walked towards the exit. There's an excitement that's quickly building up inside on the thought that it'll be just a few hours from now before she goes to work.
 
She can't wait to see Minju.
 
---
 
Monday – 7:11 am.
 
"What the--"
 
Minju purposely went to the office early that day with the objective of putting her chocolate present before Sakura arrives--or before anyone arrives and sees her. It never occurred to her she'd be competing with a pile of wrapped gifts, cards, letters, and some stuffed toys.
 
She bit her lip and stared at the chocolate on her hands, unsure if Sakura will even like her present.
 
"Hey, good morning," said a voice who just entered the room.
 
Minju's heart raced. She knows that voice well enough to make her panic. She turned around and hid the chocolate behind her back.
 
And then there she is, the person Minju has been longing to see since last week, standing there with one hand holding tight to the strap of her bag and a smirk on her face.
 
"Hey. What are you doing here this early?" asked Sakura.
 
Minju wracked her brain for some excuses. "I... uh... submitted a report to Hyunjin."
 
"At this hour?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. "And why are you at my table then?"
 
"Umm. I happen to see the mountain of gifts and I thought I'd check."
 
Sakura chuckled. "By any chance, were you checking if I'm already in?"
 
Minju rolled her eyes. "Duh. Why would I?"
 
Sakura made quote signs with her fingers. "You have no idea h