Nayoung wasn't sure when it all started.

Jieqiong came home late one night. Then two nights. Then three. Eventually, it became a regular occurence. Nayoung always patiently waited. She always watched the hands of the clock make their way around each number. With every tick that went by, her frustration accumulated. The anger and despair built up inside and sometimes Nayoung wondered if everything was just going to combust one day.

They started fighting more.

The Chinese started coming home with marks. Deep red and purple marks around her neck, her thighs, her shoulders. Jieqiong said they were bruises from working out. Nayoung can see straight through the lie.

"Why are you being like this! I just want some time to myself, is that so hard to ask for?!" Jieqiong screamed, her breath reeking of alcohol.

"I understand that you want some alone time but you do this everynight!" Nayoung retaliated, "Do I not matter to you? Am I boring you?"

"Maybe you are! Maybe I don't want to be around you anymore! Maybe I don't want to be with someone that looks like she hates her life half the time!" Nayoung couldn't believe her ears. Her girlfriend, the one that changed her from a stone, cold person into a loving woman is hurting her; telling her that she wasn't good enough for her anymore.

"Are you... are you cheating on me?"

"Why the would you even say that!?"

"Those hickies, the alcohol, those late returns home and the way you're treating me..." Nayoung choked, her eyes welling up with tears.

"For sake I told you those are just bruises and I just want time to myself. God you should learn how to take some criticisms once in a while!" Jieqiong kept screaming, "You know what I can't do this anymore, I'm getting out of here!" 

With that, the younger girl slammed the door and ran away; far away from her problems.

Nayoung felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her knees lost strength and her lower body made contact with the cold hard ground. How can Jieqiong do this to her? The lies, the excuses. For so many months it has been like this.

Nayoung called in sick the next day. Her eyes stung when she woke up; she had been crying all night. Her phone started ringing. 

It was Sejeong.

"Yah, what's up with you? You feeling okay? You haven't been out of that apartment for weeks." Sejeong asked worriedly.

"I... I don't know. I don't know anymore..." Nayoung replied, hurt laced within her tone.

"I'm coming over right now."

____________________________________

Sejeong spent the entire afternoon comforting her best friend, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, saying how Jieqiong doesn't deserve her.

"Nayoung, you should probably know this. I didn't want to say anything to you because I didn't want to cause you any unnessecary pain but I can't let her hurt you anymore. I caught her Nayoung. I caught going out with this girl so many times. And they were doing more than just talking."

Nayoung couldn't believe it. She doesn't want to believe it.

"I... I don't get it. We were so in love... I don't get it Sejeong-ah." Nayoung sobbed, "I can't stay here anymore... I don't want to see her when she comes back. I don't know if I can do it anymore."

"Stay with me Nayoung-ah. Please let me do this for you."

"I don't want to burden you."

"Nonsense! Honey, we've known each for so many years, you think I'm just gonna leave you alone?" Sejeong genuinely said, "You're coming with me whether you like it or not. Come, let's pack your things."

"What about Jieqiong?"

"Don't worry about her."

__________________________________________

Jieqiong woke up abruptly from a nightmare again. The nightmares won't stop. Nayoung was always in them. She always was the one getting hurt. Jieqiong could only watch on. She could only watch the love of her life either be abused, attacked, anything. She hated it. She hated not being able to do help her lover. She always woke up with Nayoung's last words to her being "You did this to me."

Jieqiong was so in love with Nayoung and a couple of months ago, if you'd ask her if she'd ever cheat on the older girl, she'd just laugh and tell you that you need to visit a mental asylum.

But that wasn't until she met Chaeyeon. One night, the couple had a little disagreement. Frustrated, Jieqiong decided to visit a pub to drink her anger away. Bad mistake. With the alcohol affecting her mind, she went home with a girl where lust had overtaken her sense of logic and ultimately her love for Nayoung.

And it didn't stop.

Jieqiong became obsessed with this Chaeyeon. They met up everynight. Jieqiong eventually stopped caring about her morals and stopped worrying about what Nayoung would think. 

They fought more. They fought so much. She would lie straight to her face and Jieqiong would end up finding comfort within the arms of Chaeyeon. 

However, deep down Jieqiong still had that spark of guilt within her. The last fight the couple shared almost tore her apart. Seeing Nayoung break down nearly killed her. Not wanting the shame to overtake, she took off again. She allowed the sin of lust to save her from drowning in her miseries.

But eventually, the nightmares started coming. The guilt had built up so much. Jieqiong longed for Nayoung arms instead of Chaeyeon's after their sessions ended.

"What's wrong babe?" a sleepy voice asked, wrapping their arms around her waist.

"I'm not your babe. Chaeyeon... we need to stop this."

"Mmmm, you say that all the time but you always end up running back to me. Nayoung's such a boring girl, you're obviously not satisfied with her."

"Shut up. Don't you dare say another word about her. She's... she's the most amazing woman I've ever met in my life. She makes me so happy." Jieqiong stood up from the bed and gathered her things.

"You think she's gonna take you back? After all we've done together? You really amuse me sometimes. I actually thought that we had something together."

"It was nothing. This was nothing. Nayoung... I'm in love with her. I always have been... I need to make this right again." Jieqiong said her last words to the girl before dashing back home.

Home to Nayoung.

_________________________________________________

"Nayoung!!!" Jieqiong screamed out as soon as she opened the door. She got no reply.

"Nayoung-ah, please tell me you're home."

No reply again.

The apartment was quiet. Very quiet. 

Jieqiong checked each room. The kitchen, the living room. Nothing. 

The awful, sinking feeling in her stomach intensifies with each passing second. 

"Where is she?" she thought to herself. It wasn't until she entered their bedroom where she saw the drawers open and the closet doors half closed.

Her heart pained as the realization hit her.

"She's not here. She left... she left..." Jieqiong whimpered to herself. 

Jieqiong frantically called her lover. Calls and calls went by. None of them were picked up. For every call, there must have been at least ten messages sent.

Desperate messages. Messages filled with love; with concern. None of them were replied to.

On the verge of giving up, legs unconciously led her to their shared bed and her body immediatly collapsed into the mattress.

The scent of Nayoung was intoxicating. It was everywhere; on the pillows, on the sheets, on the blankets. Jieqiong couldn't escape it. 

And she didn't want to. She hugged the pillows and blankets tightly, not wanting to let them go. At least for now, she can have some piece of Nayoung with her.

The Chinese girl winced in pain not knowing where the love of her life was; if she was okay; if she was even coming back.

With Nayoung's scent in her nose and her