Jiyeon had embraced Hyomin a little tighter, her tears at bay as they stood in the middle of the crowded airport, apologetic as her best friend cries openly for the world to see

“I’m sorry I can’t send you away. Now it’s me you have to send away instead.”

Hyomin chuckles, burying her tear-stained face on Jiyeon’s shoulder. “I know. I thought you’d be the one doing this to me later. God, I’m going to miss you a lot.”

“I’m gonna miss your alcohol stink,” Jiyeon playful says, sniffing her best friend until they both broke down in laughter. “You need to hold it together, Minnie. You didn’t even get a wink of sleep last night.”

“Why the hell are you still worrying about me right now, this is about you since you’re leaving first,” Hyomin tearfully says.

“You’re the one who got me a ticket,” Jiyeon exclaims playfully, pulling away from the embrace, chuckling and crying the same time. Her emotions are a mess, goodness, her mind can’t even make up itself.

Hyomin laughs wiping away her tears, wiping them furiously as she asks, “When do you plan on coming back?”

“Well, you gave me an open-ended return ticket. So, I don’t know when that’ll be,” Jiyeon murmurs with a shrug.

“Don’t make her wait too long.”

“She might not be around when I come back,” Jiyeon says with a sad smile.

“Did you break up with her last night?” Hyomin asks, holding Jiyeon’s hands in hers that were already trembling trying to keep her tears from falling.

“I’m not sure. But I guess this is it…I made sure this happens, I’m not going to be surprised to come home without her…but…it hurts like hell right now, I can’t even,” Jiyeon chuckles as a tear suddenly left her hold and she was soon back in Hyomin’s embrace after another fell, and then another. Jiyeon had tried to laugh it off once more, but the longer she tries to keep her tears, the more she felt like breaking even further on the inside.

There was nothing to compare this…this feeling she feels. Maybe it felt as close to dying a painful death. She thought it might as well be.  

“You know, she has more contacts in Europe than here. What if she really leaves for Paris again? Will you be okay?”

“No…But then that’s good, I guess. I’ll be fine,” her actions spoke differently as she further breaks down in soft sobs in Hyomin’s arms. Would she be? She asks herself. She doesn’t even know if she’ll ever be fine at all.

This was it, she thought as she tries to compose herself. She couldn’t cry like this in the airport, she probably looked pathetic but it hurt so much she couldn’t even describe it. If Hyomin hadn’t kept her up she would have been on the floor.

She had never left the state at all, opting to stay where she was but here she is, preparing to leave first.

Jiyeon knew this was for the best. If she couldn’t be any stronger now…if she stays, it would be harder to see Eunjung go. There was no way she can see that time Eunjung would leave her. There weren’t any reassurances Eunjung was ever going to come back if she did.

But it would be harder to see Eunjung stay because she herself stayed too.

There was only one way she knew to get this over with, and it was if she left before she did. Yes, this was for the better, but it didn’t mean it hurt any less.

As a call for the flight begins, Jiyeon soon forces herself away from Hyomin’s embrace, turning to Sean with her unkempt look and tear-streaked face with a sad smile, “Keep a lookout on Eunjung for me while I’m gone.”

Sean smiles sadly in return. “Don’t worry. Take all the time you need.”

-

Eunjung had found herself alone.

Waking up had ever been that heart wrenching, nor was it that torturous just to get up from where she slept knowing Jiyeon might not be around when she wakes.

Hyomin had come home in the middle of the night last night, not even surprised to have seen Jiyeon packing, probably because she was half drunk and half dead. But even then, her best friend had went on to drunkenly help Jiyeon with her belongings.

Eunjung wasn’t so surprised that all the boxes, cases and luggage in the living belonged to her best friend either when Hyomin started drunkenly dragging around her boxes near the door. They both had the understanding that Eunjung didn’t want to talk, and based on her curling in a ball on the couch in vehement tears, Hyomin couldn’t even dare strike a conversation in that state, sober or not.

There was nothing to be said as Eunjung watched both of them just ready to go. It was uncomfortable, other than being it painful to have just sat there and watch pretending to be mum when all she wanted was to beg on her knees to ask Jiyeon to stay.

Eunjung was completely at a loss ever since she hesitantly agreed to Jiyeon leaving for her to think. How would she even start thinking when all she thought about was Jiyeon finally leaving her for the first time?

And can these tears just stop for a second?!

Eunjung angrily wipes away her tears, sobbing as silently as she could, trying not to catch Hyomin’s attention.

She was a bit angry at her best friend for not even trying to convince Jiyeon to stay. She’s even angrier at the thought that Sean is still in town and even went to send Jiyeon to the airport with Hyomin. It actually felt like this was all set up.

“Where is she going?”

Hyomin yelps in surprise, coming to a stop from packing the last of her clothes. “To her brother. Hyojoon’s gonna take care of her, talk some sense into her too, I guess,” Hyomin says.

“Were you the one who told Hyojoon? Is that why she got a ticket to see him?” Eunjung asks lifelessly.

“Yes, I told Hyojoon you had some problems but I never went into details. He’s the best person to take care of her. Hyojoon would know what to do. And I was the one who bought her the ticket,” Hyomin softly admits. “I had to do it.”

“Why’d you do it?” Eunjung asks, feeling even more cheated into this situation.

“Jiyeon needs to be away from you. She can’t live her life thinking she’s never going to survive without you. And you need to realize that for yourself too,” Hyomin confidently but carefully answers.

Hyomin could easily read through her best friend; Eunjung isn’t pleased with her explanation.

“Eunjung, all you ever did was love each other. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when it gets too much, it can be catastrophic. Jiyeon, I think she knows that now, after what happened. Jiyeon needs to find herself. She’s not even confident about herself, she’s been scared because all her life, she’s depended on her parents and you.”

“That’s not ing enough, Hyomin,” Eunjung hisses. “If she loves me, why can’t she even take a hint that I’m here to stay? I can decide to stay, she doesn’t have to go away. She can find herself here whatever that is!”

“Can you hear yourself right now? Eunjung, you’re hurting her as it is,” Hyomin exclaims. “You may choose to stay now but who knows tomorrow you’d want to go. Now, you’re just being selfish. You’re not even choosing her anymore, you’re just staying because you want to keep her around! How do you think she’s going to stand if one day you’re going to blow up again and leave her, abandon her? She doesn’t stand a chance. Jiyeon wasn’t the same person when you went to Paris, she was depressed until Lizzy came to fill the spot that you left behind.” Hyomin continues, getting annoyed at Eunjung’s behavior.

Eunjung frowns in thought as she heard the last bit.

“That’s right. All Lizzy had been was a spot that needed to be filled. If Lizzy wasn’t so similar to you in character, Jiyeon would have never even noticed. That was why they broke up,” Hyomin says, and this detail irked Eunjung a little more. “What do you think would have happened if you never returned? Even then she was slowly dying not knowing how to live without you if it wasn’t for Lizzy.”

“That cheated on Jiyeon with someone else, that’s why! It isn’t because of me,” Eunjung angrily says, sitting up. “If I never returned she would have been fine!”

Hyomin chuckles, sardonically looking at her best friend, “Yeah right. Fine? You never knew what she was like without you, how do you even know she was fine back then? Heck you never even told her how much you went through when you were in Paris, and so did she while she was here waiting.”

Eunjung wanted to retort but Hyomin puts up a hand to stop her.

“Tell me, why do you think Lizzy wanted to find affection from someone else?” Hyomin challenges, never backing down. “You were already around Eunjung. Lizzy couldn’t stand a chance with you around and always calling Jiyeon even in the middle of the night. It was because of you; because Lizzy had always known Jiyeon loves you. But she stuck around waiting for the day Jiyeon would notice her like she does to you,” Hyomin says. “They slowly fell apart.”

“How would you know?” Eunjung says, albeit sarcastically with a scoff. The words Hyomin had said had affected her, but she didn’t want to back down. It was preposterous, she thought.

There was no ing way Lizzy is the same with her in character. no.

“Lizzy told me herself, because I confronted her, the night you and Jiyeon broke up.”

This time, the beast within Eunjung woke up as she glares at her best friend.

“So that’s why you’re defending Lizzy?! Did she get into your head too? So what, are you two best friends now?! Go, go ahead and have some tea together, go camping. I don’t care. I’d be happy!”

In disbelief, Hyomin scoffs at Eunjung’s reaction. One thing Hyomin was aware of, Eunjung’s ego was bad if it was already bruised. But what she has was an ego that was as insatiable as Eunjung’s too. She knew Eunjung inside out, she and Jiyeon does. But she was the most who knew how this felt, she’s just as ambitious and egotistical as her best friend anyway. Hyomin huffs in disbelief.

Hyomin had still felt a bit lightheaded from the drinks she had earlier on before coming home after sending Jiyeon off. This didn’t help her flaring temper with the rate of their conversation. There was no stopping Hyomin from saying, “Can’t you, for one second, get a ing grip and look at yourself?! Jeezus!”

Eunjung was startled, and she was about to fight back but Hyomin rudely shushes her.

Hyomin wasn’t going to have any of it. 

“Can’t you see now that Jiyeon chose to leave because of this too?! Because of your ing pride! Admit it, in everyone’s eyes Lizzy is better, technically she’s achieved more than you ever dreamed of but your borderline obsession of knowing you’re better is hurting your ing ego. You have a thirst you need to quench, a hunger you need to relieve, and an itch you can’t scratch and that’s why you’re frustrated! You have a dream you left and that dream you let go, and that’s the dream Jiyeon wants you to realize because if you don’t try or do anything about it, you both are doomed for a ing divorce whether we like it or not. Look at you now! Jiyeon told me you almost hit her with a ing iPad and you even grabbed her and flung her away! I saw her ing bruise.”

Eunjung opens to defend herself but she was stopped once again.

“Shut up! You know it’s true. Look at the TV!” Hyomin gestures to the cracked television. “What? Should we wait for the next time for you to become a monster and physically hurt someone or in this case, your wife? The next time it happens, Eunjung, I swear to God, you won’t only be facing me, but you’re going to face everyone in yours and her family, if you’d have any face to show at all. So stop being so sensitive about Lizzy and do something about the ing career you’re obsessed of having! Your pondering, whining, and doing nothing else won’t make you any better than her; because of those exact reasons is why she’s totally better than you. Don’t let this ing desire take over you, and putting it out on your wife!”

Eunjung was stunned into silence for a minute, gaping and unable to get anything out to defend herself for her actions as she’s slapped by harsh reality in the face by her best friend. It hurt like a , of course. But there was nothing she could defend herself with from her shameful actions because Hyomin was right. Throwing the iPad was due to her anger and if her aim was on point, Jiyeon could have gotten a concussion. There was no way she could get through that with an explanation, she’s still ashamed of it. “I would never hurt her,” Eunjung mumbles, trembling in her tears, breaking into sobs.

“Physically, you almost did,” Hyomin says, her breathing labored. “Emotionally, you already did.”

“It wasn’t my intention,” Eunjung sobs. “I would never hurt her. I love her, Minnie!”

“Well, Eunjung, if I was her, I’d probably put a ing restraining order and call the cops! How can you almost hurt her like that in your anger? Huh?” Hyomin breathes out in frustration, appalled. “Would that happen again if you two fight in the future?”

“I would never hurt her, Minnie,” Eunjung whimpers softly, lost in her mantra as if it could save her from this. “I would never hurt her like that. I won’t…I never will…I was just confused. I was angry. I was hurt.”

“We can hurt the ones we love, Eunjung, so can they hurt us back. That’s a risk we’re all taking when we fall in love. Promises about never hurting the other is plain bull. We do that, we hurt and we hurt back, even unintentionally. But when it gets physical, then that’s a different story,” Hyomin mutters, her gaze hard on her best friend.

Eunjung sobs to herself, propping her elbows on her knees and her head on her open palms, listening to every word her best friend said with guilt.

“Jiyeon needs to find herself too, Eunjung. She’s sacrificing being with you just so you could go do what it is you wanted while she needs to find herself. If you want to pursue your dreams, you can, and she is giving that to you. If you need to find some self-gratification, she needs it too. You both need to learn it the hard way. And we both know who got the short end of the stick here; we both know it isn’t you. At least you know what you want. Did you really think Piece-Of-Cake is all that Jiyeon ever wanted other than her wanting you?”

Eunjung is once again speechless.

“It’s about time Jiyeon find out what she wants in life too,” Hyomin concludes. “After all, it can’t all be about you.”

-

Eunjung stands in the airport, at a loss for the second time that day as she watches Hyomin’s assistants, both talking on their phones, a distance from them. It was almost night time, and Hyomin was all ready to go and her bags checked in.

Seeing how this set up went, it was almost funny to think that Hyomin had been in this airport twice today, once to send her best friend away, and second time for her to move away and had forced her other best friend to send her.

They stood there by the café full of airport passengers, awkwardly watching the flight information flash on the screens.

Eunjung couldn’t stay angry at Hyomin, not when she’d pleaded for her to send her off, something Hyomin wouldn’t really do whenever she went away. She had agreed without words said, now keeping a level head despite the argument they had earlier.

She had a good point that was hard to argue with and even now, it was difficult for Eunjung to fathom.

“Look, I’m sorry,” Hyomin says, “about not telling you I went to see Lizzy. Or the fact that I screamed at you…and also the fact that I had given Jiyeon a ticket out the state, but I obviously had a reason why I felt like I needed to give her a push away. It’s not because that I’m scared of what you’re gonna do to her, partly maybe. Ultimately, you need some space. But it’s not the end for the both of you, Jungie. Don’t be like me,” Hyomin laughs to herself.

“It’s okay… I just…need to think about what you said,” Eunjung mumbles, shifting her feet, her eyes trailed to Hyomin’s jeans as her best friend turned her attention to a commotion happening behind.

“Can you hide your flask better next time? It’s peeking out of your pocket.”

Hyomin looks down, her hands feeling her back pocket with a sigh.

“Give that to me,” Eunjung says blankly but Hyomin wasn’t in the mood to argue. “I hope Vic scheduled for you to see a professional when you get to Italy.”

Hyomin smiles impishly, handing her the flask she’s hid all along. “You do know I have an unlimited supply of alcohol once I get in the air, right?”

“Don’t worry, Eunjung, I got your back,” Victoria sudde