- Year 2029 -

Regardless of the problems she had created in the past for herself, if she takes a step back and looks at the big picture she will realize that everything is fine. 

Her grandmother’s cancer diagnosis is fortunately a scare. Her parents are forever loving and supportive despite their own difficulties. And she still has the successful career that was handed to her at the young age of 23, eleven years ago. Besides, the most beautiful woman to ever walk into her life is hers. 

So why does her life feel so stale? 

Why can’t it be like the clear azure sky that blankets Seoul? 

Is a touch of excitement that would send her heart racing too much to ask for? 

Can’t someone, anyone, just hand her a reason to get up and out of bed every morning? 

“Knock knock,” a pitchy voice sits Yujin up on the patio bed. 

“Wonyoung?” She blurts before whipping around to see an attractive woman in a creamy, cozy-sleeved top and light blue shorts coming up the set of stairs. Her visitor stands 164 cm tall and has straight dark hair that cascades down the middle of her back. The woman’s curved and narrow forehead easily gives her away and immediately Yujin loses interest. “What do you want, Gaeul?” She asks sharply, disregarding the woman’s girl-next-door archetype. 

Although Gaeul, full name Kim Gaeul, might have been an on-and-off friend since preschool; she’s not one to normally get on Yujin’s nerves. Surprisingly. However, she can’t help it as Gaeul isn’t the person she has been waiting for the past few months, and mostly, she just wants to be left alone to stew in her own juices. 

Rather than answering, Gaeul helps herself to the daybed opposite of Yujin. Thinking she isn’t going to get an answer, Yujin presses, “Didn’t you hear m—”

“Ever since your grandmother and parents,” Gaeul cuts off Yujin with a much gentle tone, “have gone to Ulsan to visit distant relatives you have been hiding up here every day. When will you tell me what’s bothering you?” 

Yujin might not have wanted Gaeul’s company but when the other’s voice is sweeter than nectar she can’t help but tone it down. “Even if I tell you, it’s not like you would understand,” 

“...try me,” Gaeul pushes back a few heartbeats later. 

Yujin sighs, mentally. 

She and Gaeul have nothing in common in the three decades they have known each other. Growing up, Yujin enjoys overeating, skateboarding, sports, and disrespecting anyone and everyone who disrespects her first. Teachers and principals included. Whereas Gaeul is the opposite. Her meal portions were planned out to the tee. She loved anything hot pink and attended ballet and modeling classes. She’s respectful to everyone and can never tell when jealous peers are picking on her. Unless Yujin said so. 

Gaeul is generally a good girl with good looks who’s lucky to be born into a rich and reputable family. Her father is the vice-president of an oil company and her mother runs a publishing company. While Yujin’s grandparents were all farmers, her dad is a retired professional footballer due to a serious knee injury, and her mom is a corporate worker whose life dream is to become a housewife and mother; a thankless job. 

If they had anything in common, it would be that they are both in the entertainment industry. 

Yujin, the rockstar, and Gaeul, the actress and model. 

Yujin dismisses Gaeul’s provocation, “Perhaps next time. I’m starving, treat me to some delicious barbecue, will you?" She stands up and heads toward the staircase on the right side of the four-story building without waiting for Gaeul. 

As expected, the restaurant of Gaeul’s choice matches her profession perfectly. As a popular actress, Gaeul has to be picky about her surroundings in the like of unwanted scandals. 

The restaurant is located in a safe and not-so-busy location with a lot of lighting, predominantly towards the front and back of the business. Since most schools are across the city, they didn’t have to worry about college and high school students who may be fans of Gaeul who would come up and bother her for autographs. Best of all, there won’t be traffic jams. 

Yujin breathed in deeply, inhaling all the thick but mouth-watering smoke from all the grilled meat around them. 

Once a waiter brings out their order of raw steak and bacon strips, Yujin hastily lays them out on the grill that is one with the table. With every sizzle, her mood illuminates until she can’t stop smiling, “I can’t wait to eat all of this! Do you see the fat on these?!” Yujin happily sticks the end of her chopsticks into to stop herself from picking up and eating the food raw.  

Unlike Yujin’s merry state, Gaeul sounds more serious than ever. “You know, I wasn’t going to ask because you were so tense before but earlier on the rooftop you called me Wonyoung. Is she the Korean girlfriend living in Japan?” 

Taking the sticks out of , Yujin is slightly shocked as she doesn’t recall ever letting Gaeul in on the secret. “You knew?” 

Gaeul leans back in her chair, rubs her folded arms, and then dodges eye contact. “That you like women or that you have a girlfriend you’ve been hiding in Japan? Yeah. Remember when your parents took your dogs in? Seongmin told me then that they belonged to you and your girlfriend. Is that true or was that one of his many pranks?” 

The corner of Yujin’s lips twitches. Not because she never thought to keep the truth from Gaeul but because it was her ungrateful, younger cousin who outed her. 

Ahn Seongmin is the only son of Yujin’s uncle on her father’s side and when her uncle and aunt passed away, Yujin’s parents raised Seongmin as the son they never had. They spoiled and treasured him as much as they did Yujin when they were still under the impression that she was a devoted high school and university student. 

In the moment, Yujin tries not to imagine Seongmin’s cunning face or she might lose it on Gaeul. 

Leaning forward, Yujin chooses to confess, “It’s true. I’m seeing a girl and we have been together for more than ten years. Her name is Wonyoung. It wasn’t a mistake I called you by her name earlier. Although we agree to separate and reconsider our relationship a part of me wants to see her.”

“...and what does the other part of you want?” 

“The other part of me…misses her like crazy and wants her to show up in front of me.”

Gaeul appears to let out a modest scoff, “Wh-why? I mean, there has to be a reason you both chose to separate after 10 years together, right?” The shakiness in her voice is apparent but Yujin doesn’t question it. She didn’t need to. 

There’s a reason she hid her orientation from Gaeul and it has nothing to do with trust. 

While removing the cooked meat from the grill, Yujin hums, “You’re right. But there are also reasons we have been together for eleven years and if you think about it, that’s one-third of both of our lives. That’s why we’re taking this time apart seriously.” 

After Yujin’s confession, she and Gaeul spend most of the afternoon in silence. And part of the evening. 

Soon it’s time to eat again but Yujin only has an appetite for the dusky sky. 

Sitting beside her on the patio, she hears Gaeul can be heard scratching the cement floor with her tennis shoes. It’s obvious there’s something on Gaeul’s mind but Yujin doesn’t care to ask as she knows that if Gaeul can no longer handle it, the other will blurt it out herself. “Can I ask what Wonyoung is like? What do you like about her?” Gaeul questions, finally breaking the ice. 

“Wonyoung?” Yujin repeats aloud, testing to see if the name still rolls off her tongue like honey. It does and instantly Wonyoung’s smile flashes across her eyes. “She’s…perfect.” 

“I’m serious. No one’s perfect. And you’re not just saying that because she’s your girlfriend are you?” Gaeul asks without missing a beat. 

Yujin shakes her head and rolls her eyes a little, “I wish that was the case. But Wonyoung really is perfect in every way imaginable. Even now, I still can’t believe someone like her saw something in me.” The silence between them thickens and surprisingly Gaeul is genuinely interested. Or so it seems. While looking up at the endless sky, Yujin thinks of all the words that would best describe the woman in question. “Wonyoung is…determine. Whatever she desires, she accomplishes. She cares whether you ask her to or not. Even when she neglected herself, she took great care of me. She gave me everything and expected nothing I couldn’t do in return. She’s smart, beautiful, successful, professional, and hardworking.”

“If she’s that great…” Gaeul speaks for the first time in a while, “Then why are you hiding here?” Even though she knows, Yujin simply shrugs. Hoping to get Gaeul off her back but it only prompts Gaeul to continue. “If I had to guess, I would guess that you don’t love her anymore. Before you disagree, having love for someone and being in love are two different entities.” 

Yujin knit her brows. In the 10 seconds, it took her to understand Gaeul’s words, it took Gaeul less than that to lean in and plant a kiss on her right cheek. Pulling back and up onto the wooden bed, Yujin hurriedly wipes her cheek with the back of her palm. 

“Argh! What the heck, Gaeul! Are you crazy!?” 

Before Yujin knew it, Gaeul got up and ran off. 

Groaning, Yujin debates if she should follow or let her go. Ultimately, she chooses the latter. After a moment of stillness, Yujin can hear the sound of her heart beating rapidly against her chest. 

With a hand over her chest, she begins to question if this is the touch of excitement that she wants to send her heart racing. And if Gaeul is that someone, the reason to get her up and out of bed every morning? 

“It can’t be…I’ve fallen out of love with Wonyoung…?” 

The future she had planned with Wonyoung—where have they gone? Or has she been in the process of having Wonyoung become someone of her past?