A/N: Hello. I am still alive and I did not abandon this fic! Alright, two things. 1) Marking the story complete as this is the last chapter 2) I never said there isn't going to be an epilogue. Keep that in mind. Now, prepare for a roller coaster of an update.

Word count: 3,172 words

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Saturday.

The sun shines brightly overhead. The air smells of salt and sea foam. The rotating motor blades of the boat creates streams of swirling white bubbles against the deep blue waters. This is what has Nayoung captivated, what has her leaning against the metal railing of the ferry’s deck in a trance.

“Careful now. I don’t want you falling in again.” Sejeong’s voice breaks her off that trance as she settles next to her with a light smile on her face. Their elbows brush in contact and their eyes meet - calm, quiet, comfortable.   

Still there’s a certain look in Nayoung’s eyes that Sejeong can’t quite identify yet but the girl still gives her a smile of her own and takes in a breath, a deep one at that.

Silence dances in the air, thoughts of the future filling their heads. “Time flew by so fast. It feels like yesterday when you scammed me for a bus ticket but now it’s Saturday and our trip’s about to end.” Nayoung tries to break the surface.

“Excuse me? I didn’t scam you! I asked very politely and you gave them to me on your own free will.” Sejeong scoffs, gives her an incredulous look with her eyebrows raised. She lets Nayoung have her laugh before she continues. “Also, are you getting… sentimental now?”

The smile slides of Nayoung’s face as she shrugs and looks down on the water again. “Can you blame me?”

Yesterday was spent getting real and honest about their feelings. Things she never imagined she would say to anyone had been said. Maybe things she wouldn’t even admit to herself. So, no, Sejeong thinks she can’t blame her.

She finds it in her to smile again, to keep the ball rolling.

“Well, all that’s left now is to enjoy the last day together.”

She thinks that there isn’t anything she could say that is more fitting without getting too emotional. She musters up a smile again, hopes it isn’t as bittersweet as it starts to feel, and links her arms with Nayoung.

“Right. For one more day, let’s go look for new friends and make more memories together.” Thankfully, Nayoung agrees.

Goodbye looms over them on the horizon like a dark cloud. Now that’s something no longer new to Sejeong. She’s had too many week-long flings than she could count with her fingers. It shouldn’t make her feel this way but-

No.

She stops herself at that thought.

Nayoung isn’t just another one of those flings to begin with. Nayoung is more. Nayoung is so much more.

Deep in her heart she knows that, knows that maybe, there could be more for them but Sejeong can’t bring herself to think about it right now. So, with another smile she starts to hope, hope against all hope that if this is really goodbye for them it would be a good one, as good as goodbyes can get.

--

The villa Nayoung had reserved has a romantic ambiance to put it simply. Hard-oak furniture, white lacy curtains, and aromatic candles everywhere. Sejeong didn’t know how or why but it had somehow slipped her mind (for maybe a good hour) that Nayoung was supposed to be here with Suhyun so the sight caught her off guard. Maybe she had been too caught up in the warmth of the other girl’s company or her own nervous energy? She mentally chides herself for forgetting and tries to not be bothered with the heat rising up her face.

They move from the living room and into the only bedroom. At this point, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s only one bed in the lodging and it’s littered with a thousand rose petals that Nayoung sweeps off with her arms, her face flushing bright pink.

“I should’ve called in to tell them that there’s been a change of plans and that we are totally not on a honey moon.” She mutters, proceeds to kick the petals under the rug then moving to the nightstand to blow out the candles.

Sejeong laughs, decides she’s just going to humor the other girl. “Well, it could be?”

“What?” Nayoung asks, looks up from what she’s doing.

“We could pretend, I guess?” Sejeong says, crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the poster of the bed.

“Sejeong-” Nayoung starts with a look of disapproval on her face but Sejeong cuts her off.

“For the sake of our last day together! You paid for a honey moon. We could at least get the most out of it, right?” Sejeong replies.

Nayoung’s face blushes even redder and she rolls her eyes.

“I meant with exploring the island and such. I know you like me but get your head out of the gutter, will you?” Sejeong laughs again and bops her on the nose.

Nayoung turns on her heel and heads for the bathroom to hide. She slams the door hard behind her and groans very loudly when Sejeong teasingly yells “Don’t take too long, honey!”.

--

The two of them head out for lunch on a quiet beachfront restaurant. They take their time to feast on good seafood and get in a couple of drinks. Despite Nayoung’s eagerness to find new friends, Sejeong makes it a point to not talk to anyone but her. This has Nayoung’s eyebrows rising in curiosity but she doesn’t comment on it. After lunch, Sejeong signs them up for a quick tour of the what the island has to offer – a mini zoo and a rough road extreme buggy ride.

To her amusement, Nayoung turns out to be a big scaredy cat. How did she not notice it before? And the girl’s incessant shrieking over, basically, everything, from seeing an animal up close to the revving of the buggy’s engine, is going to plague her dull waking hours for the next few months.

Throughout the day, Sejeong decides to keep herself busy, takes pictures with her camera whenever possible, determined to capture these moments they have. The last ones, she thinks. And Nayoung, Nayoung serves as her oblivious subject. The image of Nayoung so engrossed in exploring, in experiencing is so beautiful that the urge to preserve it is too strong to deny. And truthfully, seeing her like this makes Sejeong feel proud of her.

Putting her shrieking aside, Nayoung still takes the courage to try things out and she succeeds. Sejeong most definitely can tell that she’s gotten so brave now and she’s so happy for her. Maybe she’ll make a whole lot of friends after this is over. Maybe she’ll go to more places on her own. The thought makes her smile. Nayoung will be fine. She’ll be fine. They’ll both be fine.

After they tire themselves out, they head back to the villa, fall side by side on the bed without saying anything, and drift off to nap the rest of the day away. When they wake up, it’s to get dinner and to confirm that the stars are indeed much more beautiful from here.

--

They pitch a tent and set up a small fire on the backyard of the villa, overlooking the sea, just like Nayoung had mentioned they could do. Sejeong had agreed to do it because when else would they get the chance to do it again?

The sky is a large expanse of indigo, scattered with millions of tiny sparkling white stars, and a single pale blue moon. Not a cloud is in the sky. It was a perfect picture of a paradise, a perfect night.

They sit in silence, listening to the sound of the waves and the singing of the tourists in the far-off distance. Sejeong recognizes the song they’re singing and she hums along. Nayoung, on the other hand, closes her eyes and savors the sound of the girl’s voice.   

Somewhere after the second chorus, she starts to wonder, if it could be the orange glow of the fire light, the twinkling of the stars above them, or Sejeong sitting so close to her that gives off so much warmth that she could feel it deep in her bones, could feel it fill the hollow confines of her chest, could feel it threatening to make her poor heart burst. The answer occurs to her like the dusk, unstoppable and all at once - it’s the sum of it all. This moment is just right and it’s too much to take in that she has to open her eyes.

She didn’t even notice that Sejeong had stopped singing so when her eyes flutter open and she finds her already looking at her, there’s just no helping it, the hammering of her heart against her ribcage, threatening to jump out, and make itself known.

Sejeong doesn’t say anything though, just smiles at her. Nayoung wants to open , wants to say something but she finds that she couldn’t. After a minute, Sejeong breaks eye-contact and then looks off into the distance. A serious look takes over her beautiful face.

“I’ve heard it said many times that we can’t choose where we come from but we can choose where we go from there.” Sejeong starts.

Hell is probably where she came from, Nayoung thinks. Or maybe a battle she had lost years ago without her even knowing. Not that it matters anymore. What Sejeong is saying makes sense. Had she not decided to go to this trip, she never would have met her, never would have found such great friends, never would have experienced any of this.

Nayoung allows herself a moment to feel proud of herself. Her foolhardy decision to go on her supposed honeymoon turned out to be somewhat life-changing.

“Our trip is coming to an end, Nayoung.” Sejeong continues. “So where to now?”

Nayoung follows Sejeong’s gaze to the shore as she thinks. “Back to Seoul. I’ve a family and a job to come back to. Also, an empty bank account to fill.” She states the obvious and Sejeong chuckles at her answer.

“What about you, Sejeong?” Nayoung asks, gaze falling on Sejeong yet again.

“You know what, I’m actually not sure. Maybe I’ll go to Jeju. Maybe I’ll go to Pattaya. Macau could be good too.” Sejeong says as she looks up at the stars again.

“What for? For work?” Nayoung doesn’t want to judge her, never wants to judge her but she just has to ask. “Or for running away?”

Sejeong lets out a small smile before answering. “You’re very brave, Nayoung. And I’m proud of you. You should know that.” She whispers.

“Brave and foolish are two different things.” Nayoung replies. “You didn’t answer my question. You’re not running away again, are you?” She presses on.

Sejeong sighs. “No. I’m not running away. I’m just going to… try and forget.”

“Forget? About Chungha?”

Sejeong looks her in the eyes again then nods. Her hand reaches for the silver chain around her neck, pulls at the two rings there, turns it over with her fingers.

“There isn’t anything left for us.” She says. “I’m never going to have her anyway. I just have to forget that I’m in love with her so I can start being a friend that’s there for her. Like she was for me.”

Sejeong smiles a bittersweet smile and Nayoung looks off into the distance again, nods slowly.

“And really… I think it’s time for me to grow up.” She mutters. “No more playing around, you know?” She adds with a chuckle and a nudge in Nayoung’s side.

There’s a hopeful tug at Nayoung's heartstrings that she tries to ignore as hard as she can but everything about tonight and Sejeong being too close is already putting her weak heart through so much. Still, she has enough strength left in her so she purses and nods.

There’s no point in wishing when Sejeong doesn’t feel the same way, no point in wishing when we’re about to part. She repeats these thoughts to herself until it’s become a mantra.

Silence finds them again. Only the sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the insects singing their songs into the dark night could be heard.

There’s no point in wishing when Sejeong doesn’t feel the same way, no point in wishing when we’re about to part.

The fire burns and crackles by their feet. Sejeong throws in some firewood and pokes at the logs with a stick.

There’s no point in wishing when Sejeong doesn’t feel the same way, no point in wishing when we’re about to part.

Her heart beats rapidly still, and it’s suddenly all she can hear. Her mantra steadily gets drowned by it and before she knows it, Sejeong looking at her again because of something that she’s said.

“Will we see each other again after this?”

Sejeong smiles a sad smile as she looks away from her and down at the fire again. “I don’t know, Nayoung. I’ve been thinking of that too.”

“Would you want to?” She looks intently at Sejeong, lets herself hope maybe just a tiny bit.

Sejeong purses her lips.

A moment goes by and Sejeong’s taken too long to answer. Nayoung slowly drops her head and acknowledges the reality.

“You don’t…”

Sejeong sighs. “I feel like it’s the same thing with everyone we’ve met, Nayoung. Heehyun, Chaeyeon, the kids, Nayoung, Jieqiong, and the three musketeers… there will always be people that we are only meant to cross paths with once in our lives and never again.”

“So you’re saying that’s the case with us? That you never want to see me again?” Nayoung asks, picks up a stick and starts drawing random lines on the sand by her feet to serve as a distraction.

“No, Nayoung. I’m saying I’d like to see you again but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to.” Sejeong says, frowns at the ground.

“Why so?” Nayoung swallows because she’s starting to feel a bit choked up already. If only her heart can stop twisting, she’d be really grateful.

“Because I have a job that requires me to be away a lot.” Sejeong says, takes a few seconds to continue. “Because I have other ed up reasons why I think it would be best if we don’t see each other again.”

“Reasons like?” Nayoung’s voice has now gotten so small it was a wonder that Sejeong still heard her.

But the words have to run through Sejeong’s head in circles and circles before they finally escape her lips. “Like I might’ve fallen for you too.”

Nayoung is stunned into silence. When the ability to speak returns to her

“I-I thought you didn’t like me. You didn’t even want to sleep with me.” is all she could say.

An intense look brighter than the fire in front of them burns in Sejeong’s eyes.

“I do! And I did want to. I just stopped myself when you told me about how your girlfriend stood you up at the altar. It wouldn’t have been fair to you. It wouldn’t have been fair to anyone.” She looks away before she continues. “Then you and I got to know each other and I couldn’t even think about my feelings for you because I shouldn’t, because it’s not right.”

Nayoung still can’t believe what she is hearing but now her heart is back to its torturous thumping.

“You had just gotten out of a really bad relationship. I still need to settle things with Chungha. The timing just isn’t right.” Sejeong says. “And it’s scaring me to think that there might be something for us. That the future could hold something more for us.”

Sejeong turns to look at Nayoung to catch her expression but Nayoung is already closing the distance between them. She captures Sejeong’s lips with her own and it feels so much like a breath of fresh air after being underwater for so long.

Sejeong takes a second to process the sudden turn of events but the sentiment is shared and she finds herself reciprocating so easily.

Nayoung pulls away, rests her forehead against Sejeong’s as her hands cup her cheeks.

“I thought you didn’t like me… I was starting to think nobody would ever want me after what happened with Suhyun and I-”

Sejeong doesn’t let her finish. She throws her arms over Nayoung’s shoulder and pulls her even closer, kisses her deeper. She doesn’t want to hear more, knows already what Nayoung is thinking. And Sejeong really would never understand how Suhyun could choose someone else over Nayoung because Sejeong’s never seen someone more beautiful than her and she wants her to know.

Throwing all her reservations aside, she pushes the girl down on the tent floor. Her fingers tangle in Nayoung’s hair as their lips moving against each other’s. Nayoung’s hands wind around her hips as she pulls her closer and closer. Sejeong catches the hand that moves to her shirt, intertwines their fingers and rests it against her chest.

She pulls away from the kiss and rests her forehead against Nayoung’s, breathing the same air.

“Nayoung… I have to tell you something first...”

Nayoung’s eyes burn with curiosity, a look that holds so much uncertainty, vulnerability, and hope, all at the same time, that makes Sejeong even more sure to say the next words. Here in front of her, refusing to look away despite the fear in her eyes, is a girl who has been through so much, who came out so strong and so brave. Sejeong can’t comprehend how it ever came to cross Nayoung’s mind that she’s undesirable when even the ocean in front of them or the stars that hang above them hold nothing in comparison to her.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Don’t let anyone make you think otherwise.” She tugs at the silver chain around her neck until it comes undone.

It may have fallen with a clatter to the floor when it was tossed away but Nayoung cannot be sure because Sejeong has started kissing her again.

Sejeong only pulls away for one more time that night before they completely lose themselves in the repose, and that is to whisper those three words in Nayoung’s ears. “I love you.”

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A/N: So, how was it? I think it's rather messy. But I didn't want to keep the ending hanging for much longer. We all deserve the closure. If y'all have any questions, I suggest reading the previous chapters for reference. If that doesn't make things clear, don't hesitate to ask me. The epilogue will be up in a couple of days, if not tomorrow. Thank you all for reading!