Author's note:

Legend:

Italic = flashback

----------------------

“Any luck today?” Siyeon asked, approaching Minji who was lonely in the counter, staring into nothingness.

 

“Nah...” she sighed. She has been awfully quiet and so not like herself ever since the move. It was a big step, one she halfheartedly took but was bound to happen anyways. She’s just glad the terms they ended in are quite okay. But that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt because it ing does. 

 

“How long til your hair is finished?” Minji returned a question, seeing the woman’s hair wrapped in foil. “Around 20 more. Yours turned out so well.” She smiled, her smile different from ones she made in the past. This one displayed no hesitation, worries or fear. “The heavens must’ve sent an angel!” Siyeon clapped, seeing Bora with her new hair. Her heart racing as she approaches her girlfriend, cupping her cheeks and examining if she was real. “Tell me, where’d you hide your wings, beautiful?” Bora unleashed her unique laugh, telling Siyeon to stop by hitting her in the chest lightly, suddenly feeling shy with her girlfriend’s compliments. 

 

“God save me.” Minji interrupted the couple. 

 

The three of them laughed, knowing how exciting this new start would be. A reset to forget and follow dreams. And what better place to do it all than this place, the only place that offers the best of both worlds. An escape and a home at the same time. That’s what California is to the trio.

 

-

 

“Minji...” Bora frowned, pained to see the woman hurting and all she can do is comfort her. 

 

“It’s so annoying. It’s not supposed to be this hard.” Her sobs grew louder. 

 

“Just let it out,” Bora fixed Minji’s hair, making sure her face isn’t blocked by it, the hue different from when she met Handong, now it’s of the shade of violet. Red hair she once loved she can’t go back to because it reminded her of all the time she was with Handong. “I’m here. Whatever you need.” Bora whispered, holding onto the woman.

 

-

 

“Bro! It’s so amazing in here!” Yoohyeon excitedly showed Siyeon where she’s at. It was beautiful. Nature colliding with old buildings. It’s like she took a time machine to the past with these amazing architecture and serene yet bustling surroundings. 

 

“Isn’t that your dream place?” Amused, Siyeon asked her friend. “Yes. I can confidently say my job took me places. I’n gonna cry!” Siyeon laughed, trying to pat Yoohyeon’s head from the screen. “There, there.”

 

“Unnie! I’ve been looking all over for you.” Gahyeon’s lips were pursed, her arms folded on her chest. Yoohyeon hurriedly said goodbye to Siyeon and went to the student and clung on her. 

 

“Your new school is pretty cool! How’s your class?”

 

“I was thankful I took as many English classes as I could.”

 

“Memorise the tube map too!” Yoohyeon joked, trying to . 

 

“I’m trying... I need some time to adjust okay!”

 

-

 

Handong is roaming between Regent and Oxford street, seeing which spaces she’d like to have with her second assistant. Her name’s Hyelin. Canvassing the area was never an easy task but all that work is done for her. Just right across, she sees Chinatown. “Perfect,” she said. 

 

“Any places to suggest in Chinatown?”

 

“You’ve come to the right person. I won’t disappoint, Miss Han!” Hyelin slipped her phone out, tapping on it to reserve at the best restaurant she can think of.

 

To: Yoohyeon

 

Meet me in Chinatown for dinner. Bring the little one if she’s not too busy.

 

-

 

No one’s too overdressed in restaurants around here. Busiest ones aren’t exactly the most expensive which means paying more doesn’t exactly equate to the best food around. This was a perfect place to be loud yet no one would bat an eye to your direction because that’s what everyone does as well.

 

“Are you really gonna sell out your friend’s info? The betrayal!”

 

“Excuse you, girl-who’s-got-a-plan, it’s my time to shine.” She winked at Gahyeon, arguing with her as they wait for Handong. 

 

“I wish they didn’t end, though.” She sighed, looking around to see if her sister arrived, seated with the view of the door, feeling sad for her about what happened with her and Minji. 

 

After a few minutes, Handong was there with one of her secretaries. Her hair was quite messy due to the wind, looking as if they walked all the way here. Oh well, typical day in London.

 

“Sorry I’m late. I never knew the chaos of walking to Chinatown that was just few streets away.” 

 

“Something about Europe making you relax, isn’t?” Yoohyeon said, knowing exactly how Handong feels. Most famous mode and fastest public transport in here are your feet, they’d take you anywhere you want to go in a fashionably manner. Speaking of fashion, Handong be looking more fierce as she hurts for a failed attempt of happiness. Shoulder length bleached hair, always lacking of colour so she compensates with her clothing. Lively colours trying to hide her paleness. 

 

“Hyelin recommends this place so I brought her with me.”

 

“Go wild, folks. Nothing in this menu is bad. My personal favourite though would have to be eel dishes.” Hyelin confidently said, having ordered it all in the past. But she won’t admit that it’s all consumed in one sitting! You can never coerce her to do so! 

 

“Does that mean you’ve eaten every single thing on this menu?” Gahyeon speculated, surprised at what the woman said. 

 

“There’s like 100 items...” Yoohyeon tried to count. 

 

“Give her a break.” Handong tapped Hyelin’s back, noticing that she was being pressed to answer, chuckling slightly to ease up the atmosphere. She read Hyelin’s file. She knows that she’s a woman who’s into food, her other passion other than fashion is eating, actually. 

 

-

 

“Yoohyeon, any update?”

 

“She’s in Los Angeles. Her hair changed. Would you like to see?”

 

Handong had to stop eating at the news. She chose between business schools in California or London. Stanford would’ve been as good as where Gahyeon is going to right now. But Europe is her next target. 

 

For the next 4 years, she’ll try to focus in stabling her brand in Europe. That means heavy work load but that doesn’t mean she can’t explore Europe while she works, right? 

 

Having something to look forward to before everything is settled keeps her going. 4 years until she can relax. She can do what she wants after. 

 

-

 

“Yubin! I miss you.” Gahyeon stared at the screen, smiling at the person on the other line. 

 

“Hey. How have you been? Adjusting well I hope?” The junior doctor wanted to sleep for a while but she couldn’t restrict herself from answering her girlfriend’s call. She just finished a presentation for school and being back on her dorm for the first time this week feels like the best break ever. 

 

“I am. How’s school?” Gahyeon noticed the tiredness in her voice, knowing she didn’t have quality rest in a while. 

 

“Exhausting. But my dreams are sweeter than this bitter hardship.” Gahyeon nodded at Yubin’s words, smiling ever so widely. 

 

“Go get some rest, babe. I’ll talk to you soon ok?”

 

“Hmm...” Yubin answered, half asleep already. Gahyeon ended the call and set her phone aside. She just needed some energy boost to last her all night studying, something she can only get from Yubin, well, besides wanting to check up on her to know if she’s taking good care of herself. It’s hard not to fall ill with all the hard work and shifts Yubin is doing. Ever since they got together, the woman barely had any time for herself and the one time she did, she met Handong. 

 

They decided to make this long distance relationship work. It gives them space for their studies. Something this low maintenance isn’t hard to keep. Yubin will be a doctor after years of rigorous training and studying. Gahyeon would be ready to help with management after years of getting an MBA.

 

To think this all started in Over The Sky Breakfast Club. She can still remember how it went. 

 

How Yubin was reading a book in the corner, iced coffee in front of her and coincidentally, good illumination towards her way. 

 

She’s been observing her ever since they entered the diner with their only goal to fetch her dear sister’s breakfast but they ended up ordering some for themselves as well because the smell from the kitchen is irresistibly good. 

 

It was also funny how Yoohyeon just came up to the woman and stole her drink. Yubin couldn’t complain and was ready to order another one when Gahyeon offered her untouched iced coffee. 

 

“Here. Take mine.” Gahyeon’s drink who was still in the cup holder that they give when you order way too many drinks and can’t carry on your own. 

 

“No, no. It’s fine.” Yubin declined, Yoohyeon quietly enjoying her free drink. And the rest was history. 

 

-

 

“Minji?”

 

“Dongie?” Minji joked, trying to test if Handong was trippin’. 

 

“Gahyeon and I are going to leave soon...”

 

“She needs to study overseas and I’m coming with her to expand.” Handong had to grip Minji’s hand to finally squeeze it out of her system. It’s hard for her to tell her about the news but she’s already finalising everything. It’s about time she talks about specifics because she actually knows now. 

 

“Oh...For how long?” There was a sudden change in her tone from a while ago. 

 

“4 years, if not more.” Handong couldn’t stare at Minji, she kept avoiding her gaze, distancing herself from the woman. All she knows is that the nurse was shocked but it’s just delaying what will happen. She doesn’t want to but have to. “I think we should stop seeing each other soon.” Coming from her, it also sent a dagger of pain towards her chest and what more if she was on the receiving end? 

 

Minji didn’t know how to react. Yes, she knew it was coming. It was just a matter of when. This why they couldn’t be more than what they are now. She almost forgot about it when she got reminded of it now. 

 

“I’m really sorry, Minji. I can’t stay.” With those words, she couldn’t help but embrace the younger woman, burying her head on Handong’s back. 

 

“Shhh...I understand.” As much as it hurts to say those words, lying would make this all easier. There’s no point showing and saying how she truly feels when it’s already ending without her even staring.

 

-

 

In the quiet, spacious, and soundproof room, Minji’s thought were free to run. Words just came to her, in tranquility, they played with her. 

 

“Dongie?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Are you happy?”

 

“With you? Very.”

 

“Dongie...” Minji sighed, trying to shake off these thoughts from hurting her own self. Her voice is filled with sadness, her longing for Handong isn’t making it easier either. For it to end abruptly like this... it shouldn’t have started. 

 

But Handong was the best part of her life. 

 

She can’t just wish for it to have never happened. Maybe we were all meant to hurt before we figure what we really want. 

 

“Minji? How’s everything going along?”

 

A woman with long blonde hair stood there, checking up on Minji. Minji who was daydreaming. “I think I have something. Thanks for letting me into your studio.”

 

“Your friends are lovely, I’m sure, but they’re too loud. So I completely understand. Mine are that way too,” the woman laughed.

 

“They can be too much! God bless your soul, LE.” Minji handed the paper to her friend, a well known producer in the area who’s also from Korea. She’s been writing and making music for singers in Hollywood and she was so glad this woman got back to her with an offer to a collaboration. “I can see how this would sound,” LE said excitedly, going to her laptop and opening a programme, working on adding some sounds.

 

-

 

A month after Siyeon, Bora and Minji disappeared, Handong came by Over The Sky Breakfast Club. She haven’t visited in weeks and wanted to stop by before her flight. There was a notice that the place is closing down in two weeks due to financial problems in the particular branch. It apparently wasn’t making enough money to meet all of its obligations so they decided it was wise to just shut it down and continue with business in other branches that are much more profitable than the main one. 

 

This can’t be. 

 

She has nothing to come back to? 

 

Nothing to reminisce back to? 

 

She leaned on one of the chairs to avoid from falling. She lost her balance reading about the situation of the diner. 

 

On the same spot that Minji dragged her to, her mind played their last meeting automatically. She has no control over her thoughts. It’s hard but all she can do is let it play.

 

“I guess this is it?”

 

“It is.”

 

“If in 4 years, you’re still thinking about me, meet me in the same place you first saw me. I’ll be waiting.”

 

“After I’m done with one last task, I’d be ready to start something much more than I can give now.”

 

“Then I have something for you in 4 years. So, please, even if only on for that day, think of me.”

 

Calling it quits on the first hurdle in their so called “arrangement” is basically just giving up. But if what Minji said would be put into action, then maybe it’s giving themselves time to prepare for the long run. 

 

An end doesn’t have to be the last one because life continues to thrive until you physically can’t anymore.

Author's note: For finishing this story and y’all reaching the end of it, let’s both be proud of ourselves. I hope y’all enjoyed the journey, may it be good or bad. xD