Hyewon is just sitting on her bed staring at the opened violin case, she smiles sadly – full of regret and sorrow. She looks at the polaroid pasted on the corner, Sora smiling widely in the middle holding her bow – maybe if she didn’t leave that night, Sora won’t meet Jaehyun.

Regret. That’s what she has been for the past 3 years, 3 years since Sora left her – since Hyewon failed her. She cries, that’s what she always does, the only thing she could offer is her tears – she should have been the one who died that night. Sora shouldn’t have pushed her away; she should have just let Hyewon be hit by the car.

Hyewon should have not let her emotions get the best of her, she should have controlled it – let Sora explain. If she had done that, then Sora wouldn’t be storming out in the middle of the rain, they wouldn’t have that fight – but most importantly, Sora would still be here beside her.

She then pulled the sleeves of her hoodie up, revealing her wrists – the reminder that she lost her. Surgical scars from that one fateful night; Hyewon doesn’t know what to feel at that moment – to know that you lost your other half and at the same time your passion. Therapies after therapies.

But it is still not the same. Nothing is the same, not when Sora is not there beside her – which is why she stopped. She didn’t pass anything for their final requirement – she doesn’t deserve to graduate. She just stopped. Just like how Sora stopped breathing right on top of her that night.

Hyewon stopped – but she knows she couldn’t fully walk away, not when she is always reminded of Sora. Their promises to each other, to always play, do their passion – but that’s the thing, they will always do it together. But now, Hyewon just doesn’t know.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t fulfill my promise to play Sora,” Hyewon cries, “How can I, when you’re not here?”

“I miss you.”

/

Minju just stands there with Yujin looking at her with sorrow in her eyes, she could see her lips trembling – the tears building up. Minju looks, trying to understand what the younger girl just said. Then she remembers, the violin case in Hyewon’s room. How Hyewon helped Yuri one day with music. How Hyewon said that she doesn’t prefer reading letters.

“No.” Hyewon answers, “That’s not mine.”

“But letters are not my thing.”

Twin sister.

Kang Sora.

Minju gulps, piecing everything together – something terrible happened, that’s the only conclusion. With how Hyewon always look so lost, like she doesn’t have a will to live anymore. How she played the piano that one time, the pain in her voice. Everything.

“What are you – “

Yujin shakes her head, making her stop her question. “Just be there for Hyewonnie. She needs someone. Especially today.”

Minju didn’t voice out the question on the tip of her tongue, but it seems like Yujin knows what she would ask. The latter looks at and inhales.

“It’s Sora’s death anniversary.” With that, Yujin left Wonyoung and Minju – going inside her car. Minju watches Yujin and she quickly turns to her cousin.

“You go with her,” Minju orders, “Yujin needs someone too. I’ll go back home. Okay?”

Minju quickly walks over to her car and starts the engine, completely driving off as she sees Wonyoung entering Yujin’s passenger’s side. She grabs her phone trying to call Hyewon but the latter is not answering, she cursed out loud and throws is back on the side.

She needs to stay calm, Minju still doesn’t know the full story – but she’s sure that Hyewon is having a hard time. She thinks about that morning, how she just noticed the way Hyewon watched the news about a prominent couple arriving – it was her parents whom she didn’t see for the last 3 years.

Minju’s grip on her steering wheel tightened, feeling the anger rising with how the couple acted earlier. With how they blatantly denied the existence of Hyewon – their daughter. She doesn’t know the full story but she knows that Hyewon needs someone – Minju realizes that this is the bubble Yujin is talking about.

How Hyewon has this space only for selected people, because she doesn’t need much – not when she has a twin sister. Minju realizes that their bond must have been really strong, and to lost it all of a sudden – Hyewon would be lost. She is lost.

Minju inhales and drives, she needs to get to Hyewon as soon as possible.

Minju gets off of her car and quickly enters the elevator, pressing her floor. Hyewon is still not answering her calls and she is starting to get nervous – there is a reason why Yujin asked her to look after Hyewon, and the panic from that morning says everything.

Getting out of the elevator, she stomps to her apartment and enters it. Hyewon is not there on the couch nor in the kitchen. Minju quickly looks up and Hyewon is not at the second floor, she walks over the latter’s room – and there she sees her.

Hyewon curled up on her bed, crying with the opened violin case on the side. Minju walks over to her slowly, and she could see the polaroid on the violin case – the very same one she saw on Eunbi’s wall that day. She stares and she could see how Yujin looks slightly younger, and the unfamiliar person in the middle – smiling widely holding her bow, while Hyewon is beside her.

The latter sporting a small smile, but Minju could see the big difference. The Hyewon on the picture just screams happiness, just with her soft eyes – like everything is in the right place. She looks at the girl in the middle, Sora.

They’re fraternal twins, but Minju could see the slight similarities – the eyes, and lips. But as Hyewon sports a small smile, her sister is smiling widely at the camera. Minju could feel her energy radiating just from looking at the picture.

Minju then looks at Hyewon still curled up, crying silently. She walks over to the bed and sits on its edge, touching Hyewon’s shoulder slightly.

“Hyewon, hey.” Minju calls, and she didn’t expect an answer so, she moves closer to the girl. “Hey, Hyewon. It’s Minju.”

The older girl looks up and Minju’s heart clenches – Hyewon looks vulnerable. Minju then lays down beside the girl, on the side facing Hyewon. The latter just stares at her, letting tears stream her face – not even bothering to hide it.

Minju just wants to take away the pain that Hyewon is feeling, she doesn’t know how much pain she’s in but she wants to take it away – even a small amount. Minju quietly scoots closer, brushing Hyewon’s fallen hair away from her face. She’s scared that Hyewon might pull back, that she might want to be left alone – but she’s thankful that the girl leaned in to her touch.

“Do you want to sleep?” Minju quietly asked, only for the two of them to hear.

Hyewon just closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly. “I may not want to wake up.”

Minju loudly inhales at the answer, but she calms herself. This is not the time to panic because Hyewon is still there – in front of her, laying down. Nothing will happen because Minju is with her – Minju won’t let anything happen.

“Do you want to be alone?”

Then suddenly, Minju felt Hyewon’s arm wrapping around her waist. Hyewon scooting closer to her, burying her face against MInju’s clothes. It was so sudden that Minju did not expect it, she could only freeze on the spot. She then feels Hyewon shaking her.

“No,” Hyewon quietly said, “Just stay here.”

Minju heard it, then she wraps her arm around the older girl softly – and Hyewon’s body shakes, she is crying. Minju just let her, she just lets Hyewon cry against her – not being bothered by the tears staining her clothes. Instead, she tightened her hold around the older girl.

She lets her cry, not letting go. Minju did not let go, she just rubs Hyewon’s back softly – hoping for it to give some comfort. She didn’t let go, and Hyewon never pulled away. Minju didn’t let go, even if the older girl fell asleep.

//

When Minju woke up, Hyewon is still there snuggled against her body sleeping peacefully. She looks down to see the tear stained on the latter’s face, and she just knows that Hyewon’s eyes would be swollen once she wakes up. Minju just stayed there, not moving any muscle – not wanting to wake up the older girl.

She may not know how Hyewon ended up like this – broken, lost, vulnerable. Now she understands the first conversation she overheard when Hyewon is moving with the help of Yujin.

“You need someone to live with, Hyewon.” Yujin didn’t even bother with the honorific anymore. Sitting up from her position, she stares at the older girl. “You need to live.”

“I am living.”

“You’re barely surviving.”

“At least I am.”

Because right now, Minju could see that the girl is really just surviving – she is barely living. Then there is something inside Minju, something that makes her want to change things – to help Hyewon. She just stares, remembering Hyewon’s face every time she breaks down, hearing the brokenness – raw pain in her voice.

Minju takes a breath, pulling Hyewon closer – knowing what she wants to do.

She will wait for Hyewon – no matter how long it takes.

And then she feels someone touching her face, Minju looks down to see Hyewon’s eyes – the latter already awake, looking at her.

“You’re crying.”

That’s the only time that Minju realized that she is indeed crying and she just laughs. Minju released a breathy laugh because she finds the situation funny – how this roommate of hers became the reason she is crying, not because she causes pain. But because she made Minju realized things about herself – that maybe, she found herself liking the girl in the process of getting to know her.

She found herself wanting – needing to be inside Hyewon’s bubble.

Hyewon who was very rude during their first meeting, only giving her short answers. Hyewon who suddenly cooks her foods, the girl who has a really soft spot for the devilish toaster in her kitchen. The older girl who loves to watch anime, the girl who prefers to have night shifts despite having classes the next day.

Minju laughs and Hyewon just looks at her.

“Sorry, I just remembered something.” Minju finally answers.

Without warning, Hyewon pulled away from her body standing up causing for Minju to sit up and look at the older girl. It was just then that she realized that Hyewon’s sleeves are pulled up to her elbows, and she noticed it – scars on her arms. Now she realizes why Hyewon always opted to wear long sleeves – there’s always a story behind the older girl’s actions.

Hyewon knows that Minju already saw her scars, she didn’t bother to hide it anymore. Not when Minju saw her in her most vulnerable state, not when the latter chose to hug her to sleep asking no questions. She then glanced at the still open violin case, then started walking over it – Minju’s eyes following her.

She leans down letting her fingers run over the instrument – the violin that Sora loves so dearly. Hyewon then glances at the polaroid, her fingers touching Sora’s smiling face. Closing the case, she leans back and looks at Minju – still quietly watching her from the side.

Hyewon just smiles at the younger girl, “Breakfast first, questions later.”

With that she went out of the room, and she could hear Minju’s feet shuffling. Following her out.

/