The closed sign was put on. Sighs and bright smiles were painted on each and every one’s faces as they soon cheers for the hectic day that has come and passed.

They all made it.

They truly did.

But everyone knew it wasn’t a good idea to celebrate as soon as Areum and Krystal broke into tears as Suzy hugs them. The shop had suddenly turned quiet in the midst of their celebration.

Jiyeon had a small smile on her face that couldn’t reach her eyes just minutes before now it turns into a frown as she stood by watching her staff saying goodbyes.

The obvious emptiness had magnified as the kitchen brigade and service staff got herded by Shinyoung into a hug, the small gesture of camaraderie wasn’t lost to the sadness of losing one of their teammates and with the obvious absence of their head pastry chef.

No one dared to question it, seeing how Eunjung had stormed out twice yesterday. Nor did they try to question why Hyomin had been hanging around their boss like a shadow with worry in her eyes.

The whole day, they got by. The point is, they managed to get by without Eunjung and everyone knew they’d manage without Suzy.

Goodbyes just didn’t feel pleasant and Jiyeon would have to say goodbye to two of her best friends too.

Jiyeon looks towards Hyomin’s silent figure as they closed up and Jiyeon then gave Suzy a long and tearful embrace.

It was strange how goodbyes happen so often, and they happen so quickly. It was what Jiyeon had wondered as Suzy finally says her final goodbye to her along with her sincere words of gratitude and then she was gone.

They’ll probably see each other around the city. Maybe one day Suzy would decide to come back. The doors will sure be opened for her. For now, Jiyeon laments at the fact that one of her best chefs had turned a new leaf and all she could do was to say goodbye with a tearful smile.

She was never good at goodbyes, she never will be.

It was when everyone had turned to leave did Hyomin make a move.

“What are you going to do now?” Funny, she just asked that from Hyomin a while ago.

She looks towards her best friend with a small but sad smile on her face as the last of the shop’s staff disappears into a corner.

“I still don’t know. I want to get away but I can’t,” Jiyeon whispers with all her honesty.

“You…you asked me that question earlier and I…” Hyomin looks down, her hands patting her back pockets in obvious hesitation. “I thought about it.”

“About what?” Jiyeon asks, curious.

“About what you need to do.”

Jiyeon looks on, still unable to contain her curiosity.

“I know what to do, I’m just not sure if you want it,” Hyomin says.

“Tell me.”

“It’s more of a thing,” Hyomin says, then turning to the end of the alley to smile at the man waiting for them.

Jiyeon frowns at the sight of Sean leaning against the dreary wall with an impish smile on his face. “What are you doing here? I thought you left with my parents and your dad? Where’s Mavin?” Jiyeon asks her brother-in-law as they got closer.

Knowing Jiyeon was distracted, Hyomin gingerly takes her hand slipping in something she’s hesitated about the whole day, taking Jiyeon’s attention.

“Obviously, I’ll let you two decide how you’re gonna go about your life. But you have to think it through, Jiyeon. Don’t be like me or Sunny,” Hyomin tearfully says. “You need this and you have an open-ended return ticket so you can decided whenever you want to come back.”

“What is this for?” Jiyeon softly asks, reading through the details of the ticket her best friend slipped in her palm.

“Your ticket out for a bit of an escape,” her best friend chuckles. “Some time away to think. Go and visit your brother.”

“But—”

“That’s why I’m here,” Sean speaks up. “Mavin’s gonna stay with dad for the time being. I will be staying over at a hotel nearby which Hyomin booked. I’ll take care of the shop for you if you want to go.”

Jiyeon’s mind had immediately wanted to go on the trip, but leaving Sean alone at the shop was enough to make her hesitate. A good part of her really wanted to get away, she doesn’t even know if she stayed at Eunjung’s another night would be good for her sanity. That part of her was scared of what might happen when she gets home, she’d never know what Eunjung is thinking after last night. She doesn’t even want to go home at all, and Hyomin must have seen through that.

But there’s also a part of her that doesn’t want to leave.

She looks down to her ticket in contemplation.

When Sean lived with Eunjung along with Mavin, he did help them in the shop often, mostly with paperwork. He and Jiyeon did tag team it through with babysitting Mavin throughout the day while Eunjung was busy in the kitchen, the lack of staff back then was also an issue. That was how they managed that time Sean was still struggling looking for a stable job and trying to get his books published and juggling that with a baby to care for.

There wasn’t supposed to be hesitation on her side if she left the shop under Sean’s care for a week or two. It wasn’t hard to figure this hesitation came from not wanting to leave Eunjung at all, even if it was difficult to still live with her and it was even more difficult to face her.

If she were to leave, Jiyeon knew that would be the beginning…

It would be the beginning of the separation they both needed and somehow, one way or another, wanted.

It would be the separation that’d mark the end of their relationship; the relationship that started for convenience and turned nothing but. Her departure is only going to be the beginning of moving on, a long and arduous task after a breakup she had already decided for them.

“But—”

“When Hyomin told me about what’s been going on and what her plan is, I thought it was ridiculous at first when she told me what she’s getting you, but if you want to go away for a while then here it is. You said so yourself earlier, you want to get away but you can’t. We all know why you can’t. The departure date is tomorrow at dawn, if you want to leave, then you can leave. I’m here to help, you can trust me with the shop,” Sean softly says.

“You have a lot to think about, and more so you have to talk about. You won’t be able to think here with Eunjung and the shop. Whether or not you’re gonna get back together will be up to you in the end, we’ll all respect that. So why don’t you go home and talk to her tonight,” Hyomin says, “after that, decide and give me a call and we’ll take you to the airport tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Eunjung should be home by now,” Sean says. “Mom took her home hours ago.”

“Mrs. Ham came over?” Jiyeon asks in surprise as she bites back a sob, suddenly overwhelmed at the thought of Eunjung’s reunion with her mother. She never expected her to come. When she saw Mavin, then her father-in-law, and Sean showing up, she figured she wasn’t able to convince her. But now…now that she knew, Jiyeon is happy. At least there was something to be happy about, that Eunjung’s life was getting better in some aspects.

Even if she’d be away, Mrs. Ham would take care of her.

Hyomin smiles, saying, “Yeah.”

Jiyeon had stood quietly before them, none of them speaking as she contemplated. But there was no reason to stay; there is but that reason is also why she wanted to go away for a while. What was the point?

“Then I’m leaving,” Jiyeon finally agrees.

-

“Jiyeon came over a few days ago, she came to talk to me and gave me an invitation, that’s why I’m here. Didn’t she tell you?”

“I thought she was visiting her parents,” Eunjung had said despite her shock.

“She probably did but she did say she came all the way just to see me.” Eunjung was stumped when her mother had casually said to her after she asked how she knew about the shop.

She and her mom had parted ways with a lighter feeling inside but Eunjung was plagued with a new worry.

That short few hours she and her mother spoke, she had filled a puzzle piece in her mind as to what Jiyeon might have done when she insisted on taking a long drive back home all the while she was in the shop worrying over Hyomin and Suzy.

All the while she was bothered by Lizzy, attending to Hyomin and ‘may or may-not-be’ flirting with Suzy, Jiyeon was thinking of her, planning a surprise for her.

This small realization had made Eunjung take a step back and rethink her judgment. It was as if someone had to slap her to realize that small accusation she gave might not have been anywhere near accurate.

But where was Jiyeon after visiting her mother?

Where is Jiyeon now?

Eunjung looks at the clock in worry, and unable to get over herself and just press the call icon on her phone. The luggage inside the bedroom was already distracting enough. She had gotten off the couch, pacing around, glaring at the luggage, her heart pounding so hard it was almost painful living as she decides to shut the bedroom door in her anger.

She wanted to talk to Jiyeon.

She didn’t really want to break up.

No.

If there was truly one thing she regrets right now, it’s what she said.

She didn’t mean all of that.

It wasn’t true and she wanted Jiyeon to know that.

She wants to apologize.

She doesn’t want to hurt like this, she doesn’t want to hurt her wife. She was an idiot.

Where is she now? Why isn’t she home yet?

The shop closed an hour ago.

Click.

Eunjung found herself in this familiar situation once again, just like yesterday night, but this time she couldn’t get herself to say anything.

When Jiyeon quietly enters the door, assuming Eunjung was asleep, Jiyeon sees a calmer Eunjung looking at her before hesitantly looking away.

Jiyeon braced herself as the atmosphere changes. The words Eunjung had said the night before had come back to her like an unexpected wave she just accidentally swallowed. Tears had pooled in her eyes while Eunjung sat still unable to look at her. Eunjun