Summer break finally came to an end. It’s their first day after their summer break, starting their university student’s life back.

“Hi, Sojung unnie,” Luda greeted when she and Dawon approached the table at the campus’s cafeteria. “Where is Soobin unnie?”

Sojung replied by only pouting at the long line to buy some food. Luda saw Soobin in that line. Thankfully, Soobin’s turn was not that far and she didn’t take much time to buy food.

“Hi girls,” Soobin came with a tray of food in her hand, sitting beside Sojung, who was confronted with Luda and Dawon.

“Oh, Dawon-ah, I heard your faculty will get a new abroad student. Have you seen her?” Sojung asked.

“Mine? No, I don’t know. How and where did you hear about it?”

“I heard rumors,” Sojung grinned.

“I don’t think it’s a groundless rumor. I heard she wanted to finish her final year at this university because of some reasons. She has a pretty decent background that everyone talks about her. Pretty, beautiful, tall, has a good voice, smart and many more,” Soobin added.

“How come I didn’t hear any of that?” Dawon frowned in dissatisfaction.

Sojung noticed something was wrong when Luda didn’t join their conversation. She was dreamy. Sojung exchanged eye contact with Dawon and Soobin, slightly raising her eyebrows.

“Urm, Luda, are you okay?” Sojung asked carefully.

“Uh, yeah unnie?” she was back to reality.

“Are you not feeling well? How’s your summer break?” Sojung changed her question, asking in consideration.

“I’m okay, unnie,” Luda tried her best to give a sincere smile. “Just as usual. Nothing’s fun”.

Everyone at the table could see it was a fake smile, despite her effort to mask it.

“Nothing? We have invited you to go here and there, but you refused. We should force you if we know about it,” Soobin sighed. “Why didn't you tell us, Dawon?”

“Erm…” Dawon scratched her head although she did not feel itchy.

“No unnie, I just don’t have the mood to go out. I finally can play my game peacefully though,” she once again tried to sound cheerful.

Their conversation was halted when Luda got a notification of incoming messages.

“I’m sorry, unnie. My group mates wanted to have a group discussion now. Will catch up with you later, bye”. Luda picked her books then left three of them.

“Did something happen during the break?” Soobin asked Dawon.

“Yes, unnie. There was one day, we went to bingsoo café at that corner, you know that famous one,” Dawon continued after she saw Soobin and Sojung nod. “Then, she bumped her tray into this blonde girl. After that, she was acting strange. She stared at the girl and even after the girl left, she was staring at that door. Then she suddenly said Jiyeon unnie’s name,” Dawon told them what had happened at the bingsoo café on that day.

“Why was that?” Sojung couldn’t comprehend.

“I have no idea. But then she told me that she feels Jiyeon unnie was there too”.

“What? How come…” Sojung couldn’t finish her own sentence.

“Ah, then that night, she had those dreams again,” Dawon told everything – more like reporting.

“What?! But she hasn’t had those dreams for a while now,” Soobin said in shock.

“Yes, unnie. That’s why I am very worried about her. It’s about time for her to move on, to let Jiyeon unnie go,” Dawon was concerned about her friend’s condition. “I can’t bear to see her back to that state again”.

“We too, Dawon. We were there too, witnessing everything. Of course, we didn’t want to see her back to those times too,” Sojung complied.

“There must be something about this blonde girl,” Soobin was being sceptical. She was also worried about Luda. It takes Luda almost a year to finally pull herself to continue her life after Jiyeon left. She, Sojung and Dawon were there, seeing broken Luda, depressed Luda. She was almost like a live corpse.

“Blonde girl… Can you describe her, Dawon-ah? If necessary, I will find this girl,” Sojung asked Dawon, her face showing determination, worry and care at once.

“Hm, firstly yes she is blonde with her full bangs. She is slightly shorter than me, so I think she is about your height, Sojung unnie. She has a slender body and distinct jawline too. At first, I felt intimidated by her but when she smiled, I could say that she is friendly. Ah, she is pretty too, unnie,” Dawon tried as best as she could to describe the blonde girl she had met briefly.

“We can try to go to bingsoo café again. Maybe she is a regular customer there,” Soobin suggested.

“Hm, I don’t think so, unnie. The chances to meet her there are very slim,” Dawon voiced out her logic.

“Okay, I think we just need to pay more attention to Luda. Just to make sure she didn’t do that thing again. We’ll see how she’s progressing. And Dawon, tell us if anything happens, okay? We are here to help. Jiyeon’s left, doesn’t mean we are too,” Sojung looked at Dawon.

“Thank you, unnie. I don’t know how I can handle this alone, if you two are not here”. There is sadness in Dawon’s tone.

“We gotta pull this through together. She needs us”, Soobin patted Dawon’s hand that was placed on the table.

 

 

-

 

“Girls… boys, gather up here! I want to introduce someone to you”. Dawon heard their professor calling all the students to gather in the middle of the room. They were all having their practices with their partner, spreading all over the room.

Dawon walked over to the professor. Her eyes went round in shock, she gasped a little, and couldn't hide her surprise. It was the blonde girl that Luda bumped into at the bingsoo café.

“This is a new student. She was studying abroad but will finish her final year at our university for some personal reason, and I specifically asked her to join in our class. So, I hope you all can get along well,” the professor spoke, then gestured at the new student to introduce herself.

“Hi, my name is Hyunjung. Please teach me well,” she bowed. Her eyes met Dawon’s. ‘So, she remembered me,’ Hyunjung thought after she saw how surprised Dawon was.

“Okay, that’s good. Now, please continue on with your practices. Especially, some of you are still awkward when you want to convey the emotions in the line. If you can’t improve yourself, no one can help you,” the professor dismissed the group. “Dawon, come here,” the professor called her.

“Hyunjung, this is Dawon. My best student. She’s really good at delivering the emotions, either in her acting or singing,” the professor introduced Dawon with some compliments.

Hyunjung stretched out her hand, to shake hands with Dawon. Dawon returned it.

“Dawon, I hope you can work with her together,” the professor said before leaving them.

“So, you still remember me?” Hyunjung initiated.

“Erm, yes. At bingsoo café, right?” Dawon hesitated.

“That’s right. Your friend bumped my hand,” she laughed a little. “How is she? She looks fazed on that day”.

“Y-yeah. She’s okay. Urm, so you are older than me, right?”

“I think so, but I don't really care if you want to call me unnie or not,” Hyunjung replied like it’s not a big matter.

“I’ll feel comfortable if I call you unnie. Erm, excuse me, unnie. We’ll talk again later,” Dawon smiled politely.

Dawon immediately pulled out her smartphone, sent messages to Sojung and Soobin to meet her at cafeteria after class, then continued with the rest of her class.

An hour later, the professor dismissed the class after giving them a few reminders about their next task.

“Unnie, do you want to go to the cafeteria with me?” Dawon quickly asked Hyunjung before she left.

“Yes, why not? You can show me around too”.

 

Dawon brought Hyunjung to the cafeteria she and her friends always go to. From far away, she saw Soobin and Sojung at one of those tables. She felt relieved when she noticed there was no Luda there.

“Unnie…” Dawon greeted as soon as she and Hyunjung arrived at the table.

“Hyunjung unnie?!” Soobin shouted.

Hyunjung smiled when she saw Soobin and Sojung. “Hii, Sojung-ah, Soobin-ah. Long-time no see”.

“Unnie, you know them?” She looked at Hyunjung in confusion. “By the way, unnies, she’s the new student in my faculty that you talked about,” she shifted to Sojung and Soobin.

“She’s our old friend, Dawon-ah,” Sojung explained briefly. “Dawon, can you buy us some drinks?”

“Yes, unnie,” she left Hyunjung with Sojung and Soobin.

“Unnie, when did you come back? Why did you want to finish your studies here?” Soobin eagerly asked Hyunjung.

“I’m here because of Jiyeon,” she said in a slow voice.

“Jiyeon?” Sojung was baffled. “Wait, did you meet Luda at the bingsoo café?” Sojung was shocked after she connected the descriptions that Dawon told her this morning.

“No wonder Luda has been like that since that day,” Soobin shook her head.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Hyunjung is concerned.

“It’s a very long story, unnie. Oh, Dawon is coming”.

“Please don’t tell Dawon or Luda about my relation, yet,” Hyunjung quickly warned before Dawon could hear them.

“So unnie, please tell me how you know each other,” Dawon said while putting cups of drink on the table, pulling an empty chair beside Sojung, because Hyunjung had sat beside Soobin.

“We have been friends since elementary school,” Hyunjung replied simply.

“Elementary school?” Dawon knitted her eyebrows – thinking. “So, you know… Jiyeon unnie too?” Dawon hesitated.

Hyunjung eyed Sojung and Soobin before replied. “Yes, I know her”.

“I don’t know if I should let you meet Luda again,” Dawon mumbled.

“Why?” Hyunjung asked.

“She finally improved after one year, but then when she met you at bingsoo café on that day, she’s back to her old self, depressed”.

“Dawon-ah, maybe there is a reason behind this. We never know if Hyunjung unnie could help,” Sojung persuaded.

“No unnie, after what I saw, after what I heard on that night. I can’t let her go through that phase again. She’s talking about death again, unnie!” Dawon raised her voice slightly. “I’m sorry for raising my voice”.

“It’s fine, I understand but-” Sojung paused when she saw someone near their table. Dawon looked up to the front – saw Luda standing there.

“Luda…”

Hyunjung turned around to look at the directions. Luda gasped when she saw the same blonde girl that she met at the bingsoo café are with her friends. She didn’t know what she should do. Her heart told her to go to them but her mind told her to run away. She chose the latter.

“No, I’ll go after her,” Hyunjung quickly ran after Luda. The others followed her from behind.

“Luda-ssi, wait!”

‘She’s small but she really did run so fast’ her thought crossed her mind while she tried to bigger her stride.

“Luda-ssi, wait,” she finally could grab Luda’s wrist.

Luda finally stops, feeling jolted at the sudden touch. She pulled her hand right after.

“H-how did you know my name?” Luda's face looked pale.

“I’m Hyunjung and I…”

Luda collapsed – Hyunjung immediately wrapped her arms around Luda’s waist and held her firmly.

“Unnie!” Hyunjung heard the others calling her.

“Faster, she fainted!” Hyunjung shouted.

 

-

 

Luda slowly opened her eyes. She felt her surroundings were familiar – ‘it’s my room’ she thought. She saw Dawon at the corner on the bed, using her smartphone.

“Dawon…” she called faintly.

Dawon put away her smartphone and reached Luda. “Are you okay?”

“I saw her, Dawon. She knows my name. That blonde unnie. I saw her,” Luda said, scared.

“Hey, calm down,” Dawon held her both arms.

“I can’t. I felt Jiyeon unnie was with us… when she was there too. Jiyeon unnie…” Luda’s eyes were b with tears.

They heard knocks on the door. Dawon opened the door just enough for her to talk to the other person.

“Let me talk to her, Dawon,” Hyunjung said in a slow voice.

“She’s still unstable unnie. I can’t…”

“Please, I know what to do. Let me,” Hyunjung firmly said.

“How can I when I barely know you?” Dawon is frustrated – dilemma whether to let Luda meet Hyunjung or not.

“Trust me”.

Dawon sighed. “Please don’t push her or anything”.

“I know,” Hyunjung entered Luda’s room.

Luda was surprised again when she saw Hyunjung approaching her. She looked at Dawon who was standing at the corner of the room then looked at the blonde girl again.

“Luda-ya…”

Luda heard her name calling in a very soft tone. She felt those familiar feelings again. Her heart tingled.

“Luda-ya…”

Luda’s tears dropped after the second call. “Jiyeon unnie?” Her eyes stated her fuzziness.

Hyunjung pulled Luda into her hug. She hugged her tenderly, patting the girl’s head.

Slowly, Luda felt the same warmth when she was with Jiyeon. Luda returned the hug tightly – to tell her how much she missed her.

“Jiyeon unnie… why did you leave me?” Luda unconsciously called Hyunjung as Jiyeon.

“She’s not leaving you. She is here, in your heart. Shhh… don’t cry, dear,” Hyunjung comforted her. “I’m sorry I took too much time to come back here. No one will be leaving you again,” she said in regret.

“Jiyeon unnie?” Luda called her again.

“I’m not Jiyeon unnie, dear. I’m Hyunjung,” she replied in a very soft tone.

Luda pulled her away, looking at her in puzzlement. Her eyebrows were knitted, with slightly pouted.

“I’m Hyunjung, Kim Hyunjung,” Hyunjung paused before she continued – after she saw Luda had calmed down. “We met at bingsoo café weeks ago, remember? And I’m in the same class with Dawon, starting today,” she continued.

“I… I know Jiyeon and I’m here to help you out,” she gulped. Hyunjung herself still couldn’t swallow the fact that Jiyeon has gone, but she knows she must be strong, to fulfil Jiyeon’s last will. Hyunjung lifted her left hand, caressed Luda’s head. “Remember Luda-ya, she’s not leaving you. She is here, in your heart,” Hyunjung pointed at Luda’s chest.

“How- How did you know Jiyeon unnie? What do you mean by helping me?” Luda’s voice was raspy because of her crying just now.

“I’ll tell you later. Let’s go eat. Dawon has cooked you some porridge,” she smiled.

Luda wanted to cry again, seeing Hyunjung’s smiles.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Hyunjung hugged the smaller girl again.

Dawon at the corner of the room, observed her friend and the new girl they knew just now. ‘She truly resembles Jiyeon unnie. Her smile, her talk, her gesture, that’s why Luda was like that’ she could agree now.