Their lips touched for the first time after three years. The sweetness of Moonbyul's kiss, the warmth of Moonbyul’s touch overwhelmed and embraced Solar all at once. The pain in Solar’s heart slowly filled itself with joy. As if she had returned to the beginning. Back to those moments where she knew only happiness. Back to a place she’d experienced nothing but bliss. Her mind went blank and Moonbyul became her one and only world again.

Solar caressed Moonbyul’s face under the moonlight and whispered, “everything will be alright.”

Moonbyul closed her eyes and rubbed gently against Solar’s hand. She smiled at Solar’s words and replied, “I know.”

She placed her hand on Solar’s, she never thought she could feel the warmth of Solar’s touch again. She knew it was just a dream, but this moment felt precious to her all the same. She opened her eyes and smiled brighter at the sight of the person she had never stopped loving.

“I know it’ll be,” she spoke sweetly, “because you’re here.”

They looked into each other's eyes. The sense of longing they had for each other was pouring out. Their hands tightly intertwined as Moonbyul lowered Solar to her back. Their lips touched once again, more passionately this time. Moonbyul gently bit Solar’s ear and kissed her neck. Her hand caressed the curves on Solar’s body.

Solar couldn’t refuse Moonbyul’s embrace. It was as if the devil’s sweet temptation had reached out its hand and without thinking she accepted its offer. It pulled her down the cliff that stood before her, not knowing if she could survive. In that moment, even the slightest intention she had of escaping was vanquished.

She was ready to accept any punishment the heaven would deal upon her heart in exchange for this momentary bliss. At least that was what she thought. Without realizing it, tears escaped from her eyes. She had no intention of crying, yet she could do nothing to stop them.

“What’s wrong with me?” Solar spoke in a trembling voice.

Moonbyul stopped and smiled as she wiped away Solar’s tears, “it’s alright,” she said sweetly.

She kissed Solar’s forehead before laying down next to her. She placed her hand over her eyes as tears silently fell. They laid there without speaking. They felt the distance between them frozen in time. They wanted to get closer, but a raging river stood between them. They wanted to reach for each other, but afraid the currents would sweep them further apart. They wanted to walk away, but their feet wouldn’t listen. They could only stand there watching one another, each standing on one side of the river. The sense of longing was the only thing that stayed with them.

Moonbyul eventually drifted off to sleep. Solar sat up and looked over at her. She reached out her hand to feel Moonbyul’s warmth once more but stopped midway. That momentary happiness had passed and now a trail of pain was left behind in her heart. Her tears wouldn’t stop no matter how much she begged them to. She smiled bitterly as she cried.

I wish we could go back. I wish all of our bad memories were just a dream. I wish all of our pain would go away. But no matter what we do, we can’t erase the past Byul ah. She placed her head on her knees and wept silently as she watched Moonbyul.

The sunlight crept in through the window and embraced Solar’s feet. She looked up and smiled at the welcoming sight of a new day. She stood up and glanced at Moonbyul one last time. Good morning Byul ah. I hope you have a good day. Let last night be our bittersweet dream. She turned away and walked out the door, gently closing it behind her. Once she got into her room, she dropped onto her knees. An unbearable pain crept into her heart.

She gripped her chest, “bittersweet dream—” she chuckled bitterly as her tears dripped onto the floor.

Moonbyul awoke with the sun shining brightly into her eyes. Her tears still lingered at the tip of her eyelashes. She raised her hand against the sun and watched its light pass through the crevasses of her fingers. She tried to squeeze it in her hand as if she could vanquish it.

“Why couldn’t you stay away?” She cursed under her breath. “It wasn’t a beautiful dream—” she paused for a moment, “but I didn’t want it to end.”

She slowly sat up and tried to glare back at the sun, but could only sigh in defeat. She chuckled before letting out a groan. She perked up and tapped her cheeks lightly.

“It’s a new day,” she said cheerily. “It’s nothing to be sad about. Even if it’s a dream,” she smiled at the thought, “I gotta see her at least.”

She went outside and got the bucket she had tucked away in one corner of the yard, filled it with water, and proceeded to wash up. She noticed that the air was getting warmer. She looked up at the sky and realized that winter was really coming to an end.

Spring will be arriving soon, Yong-Sun ah. How are you doing? Are you also looking up at the sky? Are you thinking about me? Do you miss me as much as I’ve missed you? She smiled bitterly.

When Solar heard Moonbyul’s door open, she felt as if her heart had leapt out of her chest. With each step Moonbyul took, she wondered if Moonbyul knew about last night. A part of her wanted Moonbyul to know, and yet she was scared of the events that would follow. When the footsteps disappeared, she felt a sadness looming over her, but a sense of relief also embraced her.

Her phone had been buzzing for a while so she decided to check it. There were a lot of messages and missed calls from Whee-In, but she was too tired to deal with it. She placed it back down and sat on her bed, burying her face into her hands.

The landlady arrived as Moonbyul was drying off, “hey! You’re back!” she said excitedly.

“Hello ma’am. It’s been awhile,” Moonbyul greeted her respectfully.

“Don’t be so courteous,” she almost sounded as if she was scolding Moonbyul. “How are you? Where were you?”

“I’m good. I’m sorry I haven’t been home much. Work kept me busy.”

“You shouldn’t overwork yourself. Here’s some food,” she handed Moonbyul a tray filled with plates of food. “You’re too skinny. Take better care of yourself!” She scolded.

“Thank you, but how did you know I was back?”

“I didn’t!” she exclaimed.

“Then why did you bring food here?”

“Oh, there’s a new tenant living here.”

“A new tenant?”

“You haven’t met?”

“No, we haven’t.”

“She’s not up then?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged.

“Well, she moved in yesterday. Nice girl. Very beautiful too,” she nudged Moonbyul jokingly.

“I’m sure she is.” She played along.

“You don’t have to sound so sarcastic about it.”

“I’m not. I swear,” she tried to sound serious.

“I’m sure you are,” the landlady rolled her eyes. “Well, help me make her feel welcome,” she looked at her watch. “I have to go. You should come home more.”

“I will. I will. Take care of yourself.”

“You too.”

Once the landlady was out of sight Moonbyul let out a sigh. She carefully carried the tray with food inside and placed it on the kitchen counter. She went over to Solar’s bedroom door and knocked a few times. She heard no response and decided to knock some more before calling out.

“Hello? Are you awake? Hello? Miss?”

When Solar heard the knock on her door, she thought her heart had stopped for a moment. She looked up at the door and knew who was on the other side. A few more knocks came, with each it felt as if they were directly hitting against her heart. She got up and walked toward the door. She placed her hand on it and closed her eyes.

Byul ah, can you feel me standing here? She wanted to respond but couldn’t find the courage.

When Moonbyul spoke, Solar felt each word as though they were a sharp knife slowly bleeding her. As though a single door had caused them to become strangers. If I open this door, will we become closer? How will she react? She reached for the handle but stopped, even if we were to reunite, will it make us happier?

“The landlady brought over some food. I’ll eat it all if you don’t wake up.”

Solar smiled as if Moonbyul had told a joke. You were always a big eater.

Moonbyul sighed, “kids these days,” she mumbled.

I’m older than you.

Moonbyul looked at her watch, “crap, I’m gonna be late.” She quickly scribbled down a note, placed it next to the food and dashed out.

Don’t go Byul ah. Don’t go—

Solar couldn’t find her voice or her courage to ask Moonbyul to stay. She limped against the door wishing Moonbyul would return. Although, she knew it wouldn’t come true and even if it did, she wouldn’t be able to face Moonbyul.

Why did I even wish for it at all?

She slid down the door and planted her face into her knees. She stayed there for a while before she dragged herself over to her bed and dropped onto it. Would I be able to sleep in this state? The comfort of the bed gave her a slight sense of peace. Her heart, her mind, and her body were all exhausted. She eventually dozed off.

A loud noise woke Solar from her sleep, as if an eternal alarm clock were planted by her side. She had silenced it many times but it kept on coming back. She grunted and grumbled but no matter what it wouldn’t go away. She finally opened her eyes, feeling tired and sluggish she begrudgingly picked up her phone.

“Hello?” she spoke in a weak voice.

“UNNIE!” Whee-In screamed, “are you okay!? Did something happen? I've been trying to reach you! Why are you hanging up my call!?”

“No—I'm not okay—”

“WHY!? What happened!?”

“I just fell asleep and you woke me up,” she grumbled.

“Sorry,” she said apologetically. “So nothing happened last night?”

“What are you asking?”

“Nothing,” she laughed nervously. “Just making sure you’re okay.”

Solar sighed, “if you're asking about Moonbyul,” she paused and Whee-In became silent, “yes—I saw her—”

“Did—did something happen?” she asked hesitantly.

“I’m not sure—”

“What do you mean?”

“It's—” she paused again and Whee-In waited patiently for her response, “it was just a dream, nothing more.”

“A dream?”

“Yes, a dream,” she said sadly. “Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going back to bed. We’ll talk later, okay?”

“Okay—”

Whee-In ended the call but she couldn’t help but feel worried. She paced around her house wondering what she should do. Stupid. Stupid Whee-In! If you didn’t take her there she wouldn’t have ended up in this situation. How can I help her out of this predicament? No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind.

Hwasa was greeted by the sight of a worried Whee-In when she came out of the bath. She smiled and gave Whee-In a hug from behind.

“Relax,” she whispered into Whee-In’s ear.

Whee-In smiled when she heard Hwasa's gentle voice. It helped ease her mind and calmed her down. Hwasa led her to the sofa and hugged her tightly.

“Don't worry.” She ran her fingers through Whee-In's hair. “They're both adults. They can handle themselves.”

“What if they can’t?”

“What’s the worst that can happen?”

“I don’t know—stuff—”

“Stuff?” She raised an eyebrow suggestively.

“You know—”

“Then, I’m sure it’s consented.”

“That’s not the problem.”

“What’s the problem then?”

“What if Yong-Sun Unnie leaves again?”

“She’s not that weak,” she assured.

“But—”

“No buts!” She firmly stood her ground. “Stop worrying. Don’t furrow your brow anymore,” she tried to push them upward.

“Alright,” she accepted hesitantly, “what should we do then?”

“Nothing.”

“What!? Why not?”

“Unless they asked, I think we should stay out of it.”

“But I can’t stop worrying.”

“Try your best.” She got up from the sofa. “Besides, Moonbyul still hasn't found out.”

“What?” Whee-In was confused, “but Yong-Sun Unnie said she saw her.”

“Simple,” she laughed, “she hasn't blown up my phone yet.”

Solar couldn’t fall back asleep after the call. She tried multiple times but it felt impossible. The glaring sunlight wasn’t much help either. She sat up and let out a long sigh. She lifted her heavy body off the bed and proceeded to the door before stopping in front of it. As if frozen, she stared blankly at it.

She wasn’t sure if anything else had happened while she was asleep. Is Moonbyul back? Her heart quivered at the thought. What if Moonbyul is on the other side? What should I do then? She took a step away from the door. What if something like last night happens again? Can I resist her? Will I resist her? Her head felt as though it was going to explode. This migraine is killing me.

After debating for a while, she opened the door to take a peek. There’s no one here. She walked towards the front of the house and looked outside. She’s not back yet. Solar felt a sting in her heart. She smiled wryly as she stared at the sky. She turned around and noticed some food on the kitchen counter. When she came closer, she saw the note Moonbyul had left beside it.

Hello and welcome. I’m Moonbyul, your housemate. The food is probably cold by the time you read this, so heat it up before you eat it. You might get a stomachache otherwise. If you do, I'm gonna get a scolding from the landlady. So don’t. Take care.

A smile silently crept across Solar’s face. She sighed a few times as she stared at her meal. She considered eating them cold but knew she would instantly regret it. She slowly heated them up one by one. What she wanted most was to collapse onto the floor, but she knew her eyes would refuse to shut. She sighed again before she sat down to eat. As she was eating, Whee-In barged in, almost causing her to spit out her food.

“Yong-Sun Unnie! I came to visit you!”

“What are you doing here? I told you I was gonna rest—”

“But you're not! You’re eating.” She smiled, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep.”

“You know me so well—”

“Of course I do. I’m your best buddy after all,” she proclaimed.

“So what brought you?”

“I came to help you get some sleep!” she exclaimed confidently.

“How?” she said skeptically.

“I’m hurt,” she jested. “You don’t believe me?”

“Not really—”

“I’ll prove it!” She pumped up her chest. “Finish your meal.”

As Solar was eating, Whee-In went into the kitchen and prepared a drink for her. She was too tired to notice that Whee-In had slipped something extra in it. Solar thanked Whee-In for her kindness as she slowly took a sip. Once she finished her meal, she felt her body become heavier. As if energy were slipping away from every inch of her body. Whee-In helped her back to her room and laid her down on her bed.

“So how are we doing this?” Solar was still skeptical.

“Simple. I’ll stay by your side till you fall asleep.”

“Just like that? You think I’d fall asleep?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“You sound confident.”

“Because I am!”

“If you say so.” She shrugged and shook her head.

“How about we sing a song together?”

“What should we sing?”

Whee-In thought for a moment, “how about, No Cool I’m Sorry?”

Solar smiled, “that brings back memories. Alright, let’s sing it,” she said happily.

As they sang, Solar felt that it was getting harder for her eyes to stay open, until eventually she fell asleep. Whee-In chuckled as she had masterfully carried out her plan.

“See Unnie. My plan has never failed me,” she carefully tucked Solar in, “sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She quietly left the room and went into the kitchen. She helped Solar with the dishes and cleaned the house in the process. When she was done, she glanced around one last time and made sure nothing was out of place. She was satisfied with the result so she proceeded to put on her jacket and shoes. With her purse in hand, she turned around to leave but something unexpected happened.

She glanced up at the tall figure, “Moonbyul—you’re home—” she mumbled, caught off guard she must have looked like she had just seen a ghost.

“What’s with that reaction?” She raised an eyebrow, “you really don’t want to see me that badly?”

“No—it’s not that—”

“What is it then?”

“It’s nothing.” She sighed, she was at a loss for words.

Moonbyul could see her friend was having a hard time so she changed the subject, “I haven’t seen you in forever. Give me a hug?” She extended her arms.

“Of course.” She smiled and hugged Moonbyul.

“I missed you!” She lifted Whee-In in the air and spun her around before setting her back down. “I thought you hated me.”

“Of course not,” she said sadly, “I’m sorry I didn’t visit more.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad to see you.”

“Me too,” she paused, “I’m glad to see you’re doing fine.”

“You don’t seem happy. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Whee-In reassured her.

There was a momentary silence before Moonbyul spoke again, “what brings you here?”

Whee-In had anticipated this question and wished that she wouldn’t have to answer it. It came nonetheless as she knew it was unavoidable. She was standing in her friend’s house, whom she hadn’t seen in many years. It would be weirder if Moonbyul didn’t ask her why she was there. That didn’t keep her from wishing for the impossible though. She sighed before she spoke.

“I—I came because—”

She wasn’t sure how she should explain why she was there. Should I tell her that Yong-Sun Unnie is living here? Should I just be straight with her? What should I say? She pondered to herself.

“I’m here because—”

She paused again. She knew in doing so, she must have seemed strange to Moonbyul. She looked down and sighed. She was fidgeting with her fingers trying to find the best way to approach the subject. After pondering for a few moments, she thought it would be best if she told Moonbyul the truth. She was about to answer Moonbyul’s question when Moonbyul surprised her once again.

Moonbyul could tell something was bothering Whee-In. She didn’t want her friend to be put in a difficult situation, so she decided to help her out. She provided the reason for Whee-In.

“Are you here because you’re worried about me?”

“What?” She was caught by surprise when Moonbyul spoke.

“I found out she came back. Is that why you’re here? You came to check on me?”

“I—”

“It’s alright. You don’t have to say anything. I understand.”

Without thinking, Whee-In just went along with the reason Moonbyul provided. They stood there looking down at their feet, an awkward silence crept over them. Moonbyul glanced outside and noticed the sun was setting. She checked the time on her watch and pondered for a few moments before she asked.

“It’s about time for dinner. Do you want to stay?”

“Alright—” Whee-In accepted. She felt guilty and couldn’t refuse the offer.

Moonbyul was elated that Whee-In accepted to stay for dinner. She was almost certain Whee-In would refuse, but to her surprise that wasn’t the case. She was really happy and thought of inviting the new tenant to join them as well. She went over to Solar’s door and was about to knock when a noise caught her attention.

“DON’T!” Whee-In screeched.

She was taken aback when Whee-In suddenly screamed. She turned around and looked at Whee-In. “Is something wrong?” She raised an eyebrow.

Whee-In realized she could’ve done that differently. She panicked a little as she scrambled to find an excuse. “I—I—”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She laughed nervously. “A-are you looking for that girl?”

“You met my new housemate?”

“B-briefly—S-she left already.”

Whee-In wasn’t sure why she was spouting one lie after another. She felt guiltier as she looked at Moonbyul, but she couldn’t stop herself either. It just flowed out naturally and she decided to follow along.

“She did?”

“Yeah, not long before you got home actually.”

“I see—”

“Did you need her for something?”

“I was gonna ask if she wanted to have dinner with us.” She smiled sweetly.

“Are you two closed?”

“Not at all,” Moonbyul replied without hesitation and headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner. “I’d say we’re practically strangers. She just moved in yesterday. I still haven’t met her.”

“I see—” she said sullenly. “Do you need any help?”

“I’ll be fine. Just sit there and wait,” she assured her.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Whee-In glanced over at Solar’s bedroom door and sighed sadly. Unnie, am I doing the right thing? She turned away and looked up at the night sky. The moon was bright and beautiful yet her heart felt heavy. She was always the most cheerful person and yet at this moment even she found it hard to crack a smile. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on her chest, she had hoped in doing so it would ease her guilt. She smiled wryly. I’m glad it didn’t.

“Hey, you okay?” She snapped Whee-In out of her trance.

“Y-yeah.” She looked up at her and smiled.

“What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing important.”

“Well, dinner’s ready.”

Whee-In turned around and saw that everything was already set. Moonbyul had placed the dining table near the door so they could enjoy the night view with their meal. It was something she had always done. Atop the table were two bowls of stew, steamed slowly escaping from them. The aroma filled the air and tickled Whee-In’s nose, making her hungry. Besides the stew were plates of vegetables, each with its own unique charm.

“Thank you for the meal. Sorry I wasn’t any help.”

“Don’t worry about it. I hope you’ll like it.”

“They look delicious.”

When Whee-In took a bite of the stew; she felt a warmth embracing her as if she had found a fire in the midst of a winter storm. Moonbyul's kindness had helped calm her troubled heart. She looked up and smiled at Moonbyul, silently thanking her. She felt the tears building up in her eyes.

“How is it?”

“It’s really good,” her voice trembled slightly, almost as if she could break down in tears at any given moment.

“If it’s bad, you don’t have to force it—”

“It’s delicious. I mean it.”

“But—you’re—” Moonbyul was worried.

She smiled, “I was just thinking that this was nice. Having dinner together.”

Moonbyul was relieved, “I think so too.”

They ate in silence while nature played for them a cacophony. The whistling wind acted as the foundation, the chirping insects and whispers of animals provided the instruments. They knew they would never be in-tuned so they tried to outdo one another, each singing to their own melody.

“I kissed Yong-Sun last night,” Moonbyul said without realizing.

“WHAT!?” Whee-In choked on her food, “you did what?”

“Oh, did I say that out loud?”

“You kissed who!?” Whee-In’s mind was occupied with Moonbyul’s comment.

“Ah.” She was taken aback by Whee-In’s reaction. “It was just a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yeah. I had a dream about Yong-Sun.” She felt a bit weird as she answered Whee-In, “we kissed in my dream.”

“A-a dream? Y-you two kissed?”

“Why are you reacting that way?”

“I—I—”

A dream? Didn’t Yong-Sun Unnie say the same thing earlier? Did that really happen between them? Whee-In was speechless as she tried to process the information.

“Are you okay?”

She looked up at Moonbyul, still a bit shocked, and replied, “yes.”

“That’s good—”

Moonbyul felt that Whee-In was a bit off somehow, but couldn’t figure out what. The awkwardness between them was building up. They both tried to speak at one point or another but decided against it. In the end, they finished their meal in silence.

“Let me help you clean,” Whee-In offered.

“It’s fine.” She looked at her watch, “it’s getting late. Hwasa is gonna be worried.”

“But—”

“I don’t want to be lectured by Hwasa.” She rejected Whee-In’s protest.

“Alright then.” She sighed in defeat.

She grabbed her belongings and Moonbyul called a cab for her. They walked outside and waited for a few moments before it arrived. Whee-In hugged Moonbyul, thanked her for her hospitality before getting in the cab and bade her farewell.

When Moonbyul got back into the house, the first thing she did was set aside a meal for her housemate. She placed it in the fridge and attached a note to the door. She proceeded to clean the dishes and kitchen before she went out to the porch. She closed her eyes, stretched out her arms and took in a large breath of fresh air. I dreamt of Yong-Sun. I got to see Whee-In again. What a good day! She smiled brightly as if a burden had been lifted from her heart.

She laid down on the porch and stared up at the sky. It’s truly a beautiful night. She could see the lights from the city not far away. They sparkled and shined as though they were the stars in the sky. She closed her eyes and hummed a soft melody. She fell asleep as the gentle wind caressed her face.

A loud crash woke her from her slumber. Where did that come from? She got up and looked inside the house but no one was in sight. Where is it? She carefully walked in. She made sure to check her surroundings. Then she heard it again. The other tenant’s room? What is she doing there? She sighed and went to knock on the door.

“Are you okay?” She asked grumpily, “what was that noise?” No one responded. “Hey! Can you hear me?” There was still no reply so she placed her ear on the door. She tried to assess the situation but heard nothing else. “If you don’t say anything I’m coming in! Hello?” Moonbyul waited for a few moments but there was only silence. “That does it,” she mumbled, “I’m coming in!”

Solar was on the floor, she held her hand to her forehead, her hair covered most of her face. The light of the moon was shining into her room, embracing a part of her body. Moonbyul the light and rushed over to her side.

“Miss, are you okay?” She shook Solar’s shoulder.

Who’s there? Solar felt dizzy, everything was hazy. She couldn’t hold herself up and fell into Moonbyul’s chest.

“Miss, you’re being too blunt,” she tried to crack a joke.

Is someone calling me? What is this feeling?

“Miss? Miss?” She shook her.

Let me stay like this for a little while.

“Say something. Miss? Hello?” Moonbyul was worried, so she placed her hand on Solar’s forehead to check her temperature. “She’s burning up.”

She brushed the girl’s hair aside to check if she had sustained any injuries, but what she saw made her freeze in place. The person she had longed for was right in front of her. Tears fell down her eyes and the only word to leave her lips was—

“Yong-Sun—”