Once again,

Please, pay attention to the time in every scenes

***

Six years ago

Tokyo, February 14th

Sejeong stared at the field in front of her campus that filled with the students. Her right hand reached out and grabbed her coffee cup and sipped it. Once again, her gaze was focusing on the laptop in front of her. Trying to get back to concentrate with the research report that she have to submit this weekend. In the vicinity, some college students talked about Valentine’s Day. Party, chocolates, and couples are the three things she’s been hearing for an hour she sat there and she’s starting to get sick of it. For the countless times she checked the watch on her wrist. Hana should have arrived half an hour ago, but she’s nowhere to be seen till now.

“Ngg... Sharon-nim?”

Sejeong lifted her face and found a girl standing in front of her with a big smile. Sejeong frowned, not recognizing the figure in front of her.

“Can I help you?”

The girl shook her head.

“Hana Unnie asked me to tell you to wait for her wherever you are right now.”

Sejeong smiled at the mention of Hana’s name. She motioned the girl to sit in the chair in front of her as she started tidying up some of her things on the table to give space for the girl.

“She should have arrived here half an hour ago.”

“Ah, Hana Unnie was late because she had to pick me up at the airport.” She looked guilty, but Sejeong waved her hand with a big smile.

“It’s okay. Then where is she? Why is she not with you?”

The girl pointed toward the park. Right under the tree, Sejeong can see Hana in the middle of conversation with someone on the phone.

“Her friend called from abroad.”

Sejeong frowned. But soon she nodded understood as she realized who the person on the phone with Hana is. She turned her focus on the girl in front of her, unconsciously observing the girl. Her black hair framed her exotic-looking face. Her spherical eyes and y lips become a perfect combination with the shape of the nose that not too sharp. With a height of more than 170 cm and S line body shape, she looks like a model that is ready to walk on the catwalk.

“Sharon-nim.” The girl’s call alerted Sejeong. Sejeong smiled awkwardly as she realized that the girl added ‘-nim’ behind her name.

“How old are you?” Sejeong asked.

“Nineteen years old.”

“Just call me Unnie then. Not that Sharon-nim.”

The girl nodded with a big smile.

“How long have you been waiting for Hana Unnie?” The girl opened the conversation between them.

“Approximately an hour.”

“An hour?! And you keep listening to their talk about Valentine’s Day?” She pointed to the group of girls not too far from them, still discussing about Valentine’s Day. “If I were you, I’d be so bored, Unnie. I would leave this place as soon as possible.”

Sejeong smiled at the question. From the tone and the way she talked, the girl seems troubled by the topics of that group of girls.

“I can’t help. This is the only seats left when I arrived.” Sejeong laughed. “Wae? Valentine is fun, isn’t it? Look! Everyone seems happy,” Sejeong asked back. Looked interested and curious as to what kind of response from the girl in front of her.

The girl pursed her lips and shook her head.

“For me, Valentine’s Day is nothing but an ordinary day in which people flocked to show affection in symbolic form. Letters, flowers, chocolates, , whatever, you say it. I don’t know what Cadbury thought when he introduced chocolate as a Valentine’s gift in 1868. I don’t understand why Shakespeare makes a character like Romeo who madly falling in love with Juliet. Why did Romeo write a thousand love letters to Juliet if they were going to end tragically? He died in the name of love. Juliet too. They’re so hopeless. And that’s not romantic. Besides, if we learned from the history, the Valentine’s Day is not a happy story, Unnie.”

Sejeong laughed at the girl’s long talks. She’s indeed unique and interesting too, Sejeong admitted.

“Have you ever falling in love?” Sejeong asked curiously.

“I’m in love every day and I’m not talking about love that specific for one person only. Based on what I learned from Maslow’s needs theory, everyone needs and has a desire to love and to be loved. It is the third stage that must be reached after needs of physiological and needs of security was fulfilled. And when we’re talking about love, love has so many forms that Storge, Eros, Phileo, and Agape. They’re all different. When we talk about Storge, it is a feeling of affection between the parents and the child and vice versa. Eros is the love that filled with lust, lust, and only lust. Phileo can be said as a form of affection between friends and those who have no blood relation with us. Then Agape-”

“Wait.” Sejeong raised her hand to stop the girl’s rambling. The girl just successfully made her speechless with her explanations. “Who are you?”

“Ne?”

“Who are you? I’ve been known Hana Unnie for four years and she never mentioned anything about you. Who are you?”

“Ahhh...” The girl nodded as she realized she haven’t introduced herself yet. She reached out her hand with a big smile. “Angel.”

“What?” Sejeong looked at the girl as if she was joking.

“I’m Angel.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“I’m not kidding. I’m Angel. My name is Angel.” The girl looked serious. “I know you got the nickname of God Sharon in your class because you always got a perfect score on each subject. You graduated from medical school with Laude and now you are currently studying to become surgeon like Hana Unnie. I’m not that perfect but I’m Angel. God and Angel finally met. We’re compatible, Unnie!” The girl looked strangely enthusiastic.

“Happy Valentine!!” Suddenly someone hugged the tall girl from behind and kissing her cheek.

“YA! WHAT THE-!” The girl turned around and looked surprised to see her friend handed her a box of chocolates. “What is this?”

“Chocolates. Giri-choko. Happy Valentine’s Day, Twins.” A slant-eyed girl with adorable chubby cheeks back-hugged the tall girl.

“Giri-choko?” She looked at the box in her hand with a frown.

“Wae? Do you think I’ll give you Honmei-choko? In your dream, Kim Doyeon. You’re not my type. Not even close!” The chubby girl sticks her tongue out and ran away.

“YA! KANG MINA! YOU’RE GOING TO BE A DEAD MEAT IF I CAUGHT YOU!” Doyeon, the tall girl ran after Mina. Leaving Sejeong who’s staring at them with a look of astonishment. Can’t believe the child-like behavior from the both.

“Sejeong-ah.”

Sejeong turned her face and saw Hana walking toward her.

“Sorry, I’m late. I was trapped in traffic jam from the airport and Mimi just called me. She’s sick and stressed because of her thesis. Have you met Doyeon yet?” Hana put her bag and sat beside Sejeong.

“Who?” Sejeong looks confused.

“A tall girl with-”

“Ah, Angel?” Hearing the word ‘tall girl’ made Sejeong quickly understands whose Hana talking about.

“Angel? She introduced herself by the name of Angel?” Hana tried to suppress her laugh.

Sejeong nodded and Hana’s laughter breaks.

“Hhhhhh... I thought she must be joking. That girl was lying to me,” Sejeong sighed after she saw Hana’s reaction.

“Ani. She wasn’t lying. Her name is Angel,” Hana replied between her laugh.

“Really?” Sejeong stared at Hana in disbelief.

Hana nodded, still trying to stop her laughter.

“Where do you find such creature, Unnie? That Angel.”

Again, Hana laughed because of Sejeong’s question.

“She’s the daughter of my father’s friend,” Hana said as she started to turn on her laptop. “How about your report’s progress?” Hana poked her head to look at Sejeong’s laptop screen.

“What did she study?” Sejeong didn’t answer Hana’s question and instead asking about Doyeon. Seems interested to the tall girl.

“Who? Angel?” Hana asked back and Sejeong nodded. “Hmm... She’s in her second year at psychology major. Wae?”

“No wonder, she’s... Weird.”

Hana chuckled at Sejeong’s answer.

“Trust me, you guys are compatible to each other.”

“Yah! What is that supposed to mean?” Sejeong exclaimed, making Hana laughed again. “No, we’re not. Never and ever. You must be kidding, Unnie.”

***

Present

Seoul, August 8th

Nayoung wore a protection goggles and pulled a handgun from the holster in her waist. Her eyes narrowed as she focusing on the target board not too far from her. She took a deep breath and calming herself. Her right hand lifted up the gun to prepare to shoot. After she felt sure, Nayoung pulled the trigger.

The first shot wasn’t exactly on the center of the target, making Nayoung lowered her hands and stared at the gun in her hand. Score 9 for her first shot. Not perfect but still very good considering that it has been several months since the last time she held her M & P9.

Nayoung adjusted her posture and relaxed her stiff shoulders. She tightened her grip before lifting her hand again and focusing her gaze on the target again. But right before she pull the trigger, her phone just rang loudly. She pressed the bluetooth headset in her ear.

“You didn’t come to the meeting this morning.”

Nayoung raised an eyebrow at the familiar voice in her ears.

“So?”

“I know you’re upset but you just made the situation getting worst. It doesn’t fix anything. Where are you? Why did you not you come?”

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