Acceptance.

It was when you allowed something to happen.

It was when you were willing to tolerate the outcome no matter what it was.

Even if it was against your presumption, you let it be.

Even if it wasn’t what you wanted, you let it go.

Sometimes, this was easy to do. It wouldn’t take great effort to simply understand that things could never go your way all the time.

But sometimes we just didn’t understand, and that made accepting a near impossible task to achieve.

Our flight to Osaka had been delayed.

The voice from the announcement said so and I wasn’t too glad about it.

I wasn’t too amused that I would have to wait another hour to get on the plane.

“Hey, chill out. It’s okay.”

Momo was by my side the entire time of my exasperation. She held me in her arm and told me we were going to get to Japan soon.

Just let it go, I told myself as I rested my head on Momo’s shoulder. I exhaled. Just let the flight be delayed.

Our second weekend break had come.

It was the weekend I would be visiting my family in Kobe.

And it was also the same weekend I would be telling them about Momo and I.

If I had to compare the apprehension I was having there to the apprehension I had when we first had our comeback promotions, the latter was more to bear and I was shaking in anxiety inside the Incheon airport. 

I couldn’t say how overwrought I was feeling.

“Are you excited to see them?” Momo asked.

I lifted my head and pretended I was. I smiled. “Yeah, I am. I haven’t seen them in a while so…”

“But are you sure it’s cool we visit my parents first?”

I nodded.

When we would land, we would be going to Kyoto, where Momo was from.

I hadn’t been to her home.

I had been to Sana’s at Osaka but never to hers.

“Hana can’t wait to see you,” she said.

Momo pitched the idea of visiting her parents when I said I would be visiting mine.

I honestly thought it was the best idea she had ever had.

“Mom and dad can’t wait to see you too.”

Her parents and her older sister had already known. She had told them days before we would leave for Japan.

They were okay with it.

So okay.

Momo was so casual talking to them on the phone that I thought she was joking.

The day after that, she even put me on FaceTime with them.

Her family was so cool.

During the video call, I was probably the only one taken aback by the ease of Momo telling them about me.

But I was relieved.

One down, one more to go.

And I decided dropping by at her hometown first was the best idea ever.

Because even if my hometown was closer from the airport, 36 minutes inside a car wouldn’t be enough for me to gather all of my courage to face my family.

“Hey,” she said as she my arm.

“Hmm?”

“Whatever happens in Kobe, I will always be here for you. Nothing will change.”

“I know, but I’m scared, Momo.” I dug my face onto her shoulder.

“Don’t be scared. Your parents love you.”

“But I don’t know how they will react.”

She brushed my hair. “That’s why you should tell them. And I will be there for you every second, every step of the way.”

I didn’t say anything.

I let Momo talk me out of my worries.

“I love you, Mina, whether they say it’s right or wrong.”

I loved her too, very much, whether the entire world would say it was wrong.

The plane had come and almost two hours later, we were in Osaka.

We were both styled ordinarily, not wanting to catch anyone’s attention or be recognized. Back in Incheon, no one ever turned their head to look at us. The all-black hoodies and hats might have really worked, and so did in the Osaka airport.

“I wish it was always like this,” I said to her as we made our way out of immigration.

Momo laughed. “Me too. It’s so peaceful without the cameras and the people.”

Momo’s dad had offered to pick us up, but Momo declined.

“So, how are we gonna get to your house again?” I asked.

She flashed me a confident look, and I held into my laughter. “A cab.”

“Remind me again why we are taking a cab. We could’ve just booked a car to pick us up if you didn’t want to trouble your dad.”

She stopped walking. “Can we just be normal people for once?”

I shook my head laughing. “Okay, okay.”

Normal people—I couldn’t remember the last time we were actually normal people and not famous people.

“Oh, look.” She hailed the taxi. “It’s a cab.”

The ride to her house wasn’t quite a bore.

“Where to, miss?” The driver said.

Momo spaced out and looked at me helplessly.

“Mina, you talk to him.” She said in Korean.

We actually had been speaking Korean since we got there and we didn’t notice.

“What?” I blurted back in Korean. “Why don’t you do it?”

Then Momo leaned into my ear, “I… just… Just do it.”

I laughed really hard. “You’re unbelievable.”

The driver was in front staring at us oddly.

“Are you both from Korea?” He asked.

“Yes,” I answered, since the woman with me was incapable or really just shy or something.

I