Seoul, October 31st

“So you guys left your work and came to see me, only to talk about Heehyun? Wow, I have the best friends ever,” (Kim) Nayoung rolled eyes as her friends were taking a sit around her hospital bed. She just got back to her room after talking with Hana. “Heehyun is an adult. Let her solve her own problem, we don’t have to do anything unless she asks us to.”

“But we have to help her, don’t you see how the media began to corner her?” Minhyun said, looking upset. It’s rare to see him upset over the news about his friends, but Heehyun’s news this time seems bothered him.

“That’s Heehyun’s fault for not releasing any statement until now, I told you that already,” said Seongwoo. He turned to Sungjae. “What do you think, Mr. Vice President of Global Broadcasting System? Anything you can do to help our dear friend?”

“Nothing much, even if I tried. The articles haven’t stopped coming ever since, and I don’t even want to check the comments,” answered Sungjae as he ruffled his hair. “Nayoung-ah, tell her to stop being quiet. She must clean up this news as soon as possible before Y2J’s comeback.”

“Clean up? She doesn’t even know what she wants to do or how she feels,” (Kim) Nayoung just shrugged, remember her talk with Heehyun in the morning. “You guys have to admit that she is being a jerk and she hurts Chaeyeon here.”

“Aren’t you being too hard on her? Are you like this because–”

“No, I’m not like this because Chaeyeon is Sejeong’s best friend, you ,” Nayoung glared at Sungjae. “I just want Heehyun to be responsible for her stupid act.”

“What do we do then?” (Im) Nayoung who had been silent since they arrived at (Kim) Nayoung’s room finally opened . “How about ask Cho Sojung and Kim Jiyeon to talk to her?”

“Talk? More like they gonna beat her up,” Seongwoo laughed. “It’s a surprise that they didn’t return to Seoul as soon as the news broke, or else Heehyun won’t stay alive till now.”

“I still think that we can’t do anything for now,” (Kim) Nayoung insisted. “Until Heehyun asks us for help, then we just wait and stay quiet about it.”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea?” asked (Im) Nayoung. “Not that I disagree with you, but maybe Heehyun needs a push.”

“And perhaps a kick, too,” Seongwoo added.

“I don’t think kicking her would help, Ong,” (Kim) Nayoung hit his arm. “Listen, all this time, I always thought they were dating each other, as you can see how Heehyun treats Chaeyeon… Or at least, I believe that she attracts to her. Chaeyeon also interested with Heehyun so their feeling is supposed to be mutual, isn’t it?”

“Then what happened?”

“I don’t know. She told me that she doesn’t have a feeling for Chaeyeon and what they did was a mistake, and I don’t understand why. Both of them were sober, not under the effect of alcohol… Or,” (Kim) Nayoung stopped to think before looked to her friends, “Maybe she just scared, without she realized it?”

“Scared of what?” Sungjae asked.

“Of being in love?”

They stared at her confusedly.

“Where is this comes from, Naong-ah? We saw her being with so many girls and boys since high school, and now you said that Ki Heehyun scared of being in love?” Minhyun asked.

“Hey, I was just guessing too, I don’t know what she thinks or what she feels,” Nayoung said. Minhyun about to say something else but (Im) Nayoung stopped him with her sharp stare, as she saw (Kim) Nayoung’s hand clutched on her stomach, the place of her wound. “I was saying… What if she scared of being in love after her parents’ divorce?”

They went silenced at that.

“The trauma of not believe in love, being love, or to love others? That’s possible, I guess,” (Im) Nayoung wondered. “Has she ever talked about it with you?” she asked, knowing Heehyun spent her time the most with Nayoung.

“No, she never talks about it, I can completely wrong about it, no one knows,” (Kim) Nayoung replied. Only Heehyun knows what she was thinking or what really happened and Nayoung will wait until her best friend ready. She looked at her friends with assuring smile. “Whether it’s true or not, we can only wait. I’m sure she is going to do something. I know she’s annoying and dumb and all but let’s believe in her a little more.”

***

Doyeon walked down the hospital corridor, obviously looking tired and pale after non-stop working since morning: meeting with Orion that lasts longer than usual, skipped her lunchtime as she sneaked in to meet Mimi, and then straight ahead to the hospital for the consultation sessions with several patients till evening.

But more than anything, the phone call she just received a while ago from her father’s secretary gave her the most headache.

With the usual timid tone, the secretary informed her that her father will return to Seoul in a week. A nightmare that Doyeon didn’t expect would come so soon. It was a routine for the Main Commissioner of The Orion to return to Seoul once a year for several days to check on the company. But Doyeon knows his visit this time is going to be different because he just came to Seoul a few months ago. Doyeon could only guess that her father will hold a Commissioner Meeting next week and that Nayoung will be forced to attend it. The thought of Nayoung have to attend a meeting when she should be on her recovery period was enough to give Doyeon a headache.

“Doyeon-ah, are you okay?”

Doyeon flinched as she heard a familiar voice called her from behind. She turned and saw Sejeong, who looking back at her. Worried was obvious in her face as she approached Doyeon.

“You stand in front of the vending machine for a minute that I thought you fell asleep. Are you okay?” Sejeong put her hand on Doyeon’s forehead. “You have a fever.”

“I’m fine, Unnie,” Doyeon held Sejeong’s hand softly and tried to smile. What happened lately certainly was more than tiring for Sejeong and Doyeon doesn’t want to give her more burden. “Just tired and needs sleep, that’s all.”

“Have you eaten anything?”

Doyeon shook her head, making Sejeong frown and suddenly pulled Doyeon’s hand to follow her.

“Unnie, if you want to take me to the canteen, I don’t−”

“I’ll take you to my office.”

Doyeon smiled as she heard Sejeong’s answer. Knowing Sejeong for years, Doyeon has been visiting her office for too much that they call it as Dodo’s playground.

When they arrived at the office, Doyeon was surprised to see the amount of food and snacks on the table.

“Oppa and Unnie brought it,” Sejeong pulled Doyeon to sit next to her. She gave one of the chopsticks for Doyeon. “Come on, eat it.”

“Oppa and Unnie?” Doyeon accepted the chopstick and started picking the food. “Who?”

“Nayoung Unnie’s friends came and brought too many foods. You know she can’t eat those for now so I keep them here.”

“They came? Then why are you here and not with them?”

Sejeong smiled as she started eating too. “No, I figured Nayoung Unnie needs time with her friends.”

“What happened? She asked you to leave the room?” Doyeon asked.

“No, of course not, she’s too nice for that,” Sejeong shook her head, chuckling along. “But I just want to give her some time with her friends, just like how she never bothers me when I’m with my friends. We never really discuss it but I guess it just happened. Let’s say we value our time with our friends.”

Doyeon stared at her, for a moment forgetting her food, before she could open again.

“You and I are only 3 years apart but why do I feel like a kid whenever I talk to you?” Doyeon chuckled, always amazed at how mature Sejeong is. “So, Nayoung Unnie can be cool like that? I thought she would stick and clingy with you all the time.”

“Both of us are actually clingy to each other, you know, but do you think I would hug her all day long in front of her friends? Also, I don’t really know her friends,” Sejeong replied. “It’s different with you who already dating Yoojung for six years. Of course, you are already friend with her friends.”

“You’re right,” Doyeon nodded as she took another bite and munched it. “Yoojung even once went on vacation with Mina, my very own best friend since the day we born, when I was at Seoul. I was so mad at Mina at that time.”

“Hey, you also had a vacation once with Sohye, who is Mina’s girlfriend. You guys are just the same, why can’t you forget it?” Sejeong laughed as she remembered one time her dongsaengs were fighting and that she had to be the mediator and helped them.

“I didn’t! I didn’t know that Orion would hold a meeting with S&P and that Sohye would be my business partner. I attended the meeting only because Nayoung Unnie was still in California. And then, the meeting was finished sooner than we expect and while we waited for our flight back, we just hang around,” Doyeon explained to defend herself. “Nayoung Unnie only gave me trouble and that’s exactly why it’s a surprise to hear that she can be cool when she is with you.”

“I’m curious about one thing, Do,” Sejeong said, “Why did you always talk as if Nayoung Unnie were a baby?”

Doyeon snorted. formed a pout when she looked back at Sejeong. “Kim Nayoung is my friend. I’m a baby so she’s a baby too.”

Sejeong laughed at that, “Then who’s the unnie?” Sejeong asked, amused at how similar Nayoung and Doyeon sometimes. Nayoung said the same thing too when Sejeong once questioned her childlike behavior. ‘I’m a baby, you have to love me’, answered the older girl at that time, completed with the same pout as Doyeon’s now.

“Our Unnie.” Doyeon bit her lower lip, “and I hate her.”

Doyeon put her chopsticks and took the water bottle beside her, drank it until it remained the half of the bottle. The gesture that Sejeong knows too well. The frustrated expression that always showed on her face when whenever she talks about their oldest Unnie.

“Please don’t tell Nayoung Unnie that I contacted her –our Unnie– and told her what happened to Nayoung Unnie,” said Doyeon as she leaned back on the couch. “Long story short, her response disappointed me. I’m sure she won’t come back even when one of us dies.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” Sejeong frowned, didn’t like the tone of Doyeon’s voice. “You always tell me you want to meet her. I’m sure she will come back one day.”

But Doyeon looked more frustrated as she faced Sejeong. “But I asked myself again, Unnie, why do I even want her to come back? She left and ignored me and Nayoung Unnie for ten years... What exactly is she doing out there?” Doyeon sighed. “What kind of sister who leaves her younger siblings without farewells or anything to prepare them to face the world? If she was that kind of y stepsister on tale story that hated us since the beginning, I probably would accept her leaving easier... But she’s not like that. She wasn’t like that.”

Sejeong noticed Doyeon’s eyes were tearing up. She held the psychiatrist’s hand softly as Doyeon continued with choked voice, “Even though we were born from a different mother, she was the best sister anyone could ask for. She always called me and Nayoung Unnie at least once a week when she was staying abroad for her studies. She would come home as quick as she could whenever she heard either I or Nayoung Unnie was sick and left only after she was sure we were fine. When she was working in Orion, she always tried to spend her weekend with us. She never forgets our birthday and always brought present for us. She always gave us a Christmas gift and vacation at the end of the year. She filled the fridge