Their eyes met for a second before Mina decided to avert her eyes from Chaeyoung’s being that was in front of her. After all, she had promised to Sana that she was letting go of the tiger cub. She began to move her feet again, slowly, as she tried to make the least presence in the hallway of the eighth floor. She must’ve visited her friend next door, she thought while keeping her gaze down on the floor. With eased heart, nothing happened and she had entered her room safely. It was a very foreign feeling for her — the feeling of detaching herself to Son Chaeyoung and stopping her thoughts to swim back to her.

She closed the front door and walked to her bedroom where Chaeng-Chaeng was seated in between her pillows. The sight of the actual Chaeyoung didn’t even last for a minute, yet she felt a numbing feeling coursed through her body and she wouldn’t lie that her heart didn’t clench over nothingness. It still hurt her being — still hurt her as a whole — but she had to stand her ground and accept it. For now, she will allow herself to still feel something for the cub. Because after her trip back home to Japan, she wouldn’t allow herself to dwell on it. When she came back from her parents, she would’ve fully detoxified and readied herself to let go of her because that was what she had promised to her friends, and she will make sure to fulfill that promise.

Ironic as it may looked how she went back to get the tiger plushie, but she realised it on the last minute that bringing Chaeng-Chaeng back to her home was necessary. Mina was smart and she knew that Chaeng-Chaeng was just an encapsulated memories of Chaeyoung encased in a lifeless stuffed toy. She will take the plushie back to Japan and leave it in their attic because that was her own plan. She will try to leave everything that was related to Son Chaeyoung in Japan — the memories of her adorable eyes, her bright smile, her pleasing laughter, her warm touch, and her soft lips. The penguin slowly reached for the small cub and looked at its beady eyes, “This is also our goodbye, Chaeng-Chaeng,” she whispered to her lifeless companion, “Thank you for everything.”

The penguin waddled back to where she came, opened her bedroom door, and walked out to meet up again to that troubled cab driver. Once again, she was caught off guard by her sight. "What are you doing here, Chaeyoung?" she directed — she must've forgotten to lock her door due to her haste. Chaeyoung was standing in front of her again. Her breath hitched when she heard the cub spoke, “Where are you going, Mina?” the girl asked.

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Chaeyoung couldn’t move and couldn’t believe with her eyes. Even after all the hardships she caused the elegant girl, faith and destiny were still merciful to her. The stars had given her another chance to talk and see Myoui Mina before she left her completely, because Chaeyoung knew that was the only reason for the quiet girl's departure from Korea. The lack of mobility only allowed her eyes to look and observe the penguin. She was way too entranced by the sight of her that she couldn’t move from her spot.

In the irises of her eyes, Mina looked thinner and paler than before. When their eyes met, an electrifying shock shot through every bone inside of her — leaving her more paralysed than ever. Mina’s eyes were dull, heavily fogged and in a quiet storm. The penguin was utterly exhausted and was still in a prolonged pain that the cub had inflicted. The tiger's heart stung at her sight and it further cry when Mina averted her eyes from hers. Truthfully, she understood why the girl reacted that way towards her but she didn't like any of it. Chaeyoung realised that she was being too selfish right now because she had caused all of these to her. She was the reason why Mina was acting that way, but hell will bend and laugh at her small being if she hinted for even a slightest that she could accept the aversion of Mina's eyes because she couldn’t and wouldn't. Her eyes followed her every movement because she was still stuck and tongue tied to her spot. She watched her passed her paralysed body.

The guilt of what she had caused to Mina chained her body from moving when all her best friend advised her was to simply make a move to her. Move, she internally screamed as she heard the penguin's door clicked. She hated how Mina averted her eyes and walked past her. The cub breathed in, she was buzzing with contained feelings and in any minute she could explode.

The short girl turned around and worked her feet back to the elegant girl's apartment door. Taking a big whiff of oxygen, she slowly turned the knob while hoping the heaven could work its magic in her favor once more. It was unlocked and she made a mental note to scold Mina about it when everything was settled between them. She entered the room and locked it properly before she roamed the room in search for the penguin. It took a minute or two before Mina emerged from her bedroom.

Once again, the baby cub froze upon seeing her elegance and beauty. Sure, the girl wasn't in the most perfect state, but for Chaeyoung, the sight of her holding the stuffed toy in her right hand was still exceptional. Somehow, being enclosed in the privacy of the penguin's place eased her nerves slightly. "What are you doing here, Chaeyoung?" Mina softly asked to her as she slowly blinked her tired eyes. Had Chaeyoung really wore Mina's heart out?

"Where are you going, Mina?" the cub asked through her sullen heart. It was like there was a magnet and Chaeyoung was being pulled by its force. She closed the empty gap between their bodies, but not too close to invade and scare the penguin away. "I'm going back to Japan for a couple of days," the penguin quietly replied. 

Mina tightly held onto Chaeng-Chaeng's arm, "To forget about you," she forcefully whispered the words out. The taller girl stepped once and then another. She closed their gap again until it was less than a foot because she had to properly and clearly declare her next words to Chaeyoung. She blinked her eyes again — she really didn't want to cry in front of her because surely it'll worry her, "I'm letting go of you," her voice cracked as she declared her promise to the shorter girl.

Pain engulfed Chaeyoung when she heard Mina's honest answer to her. "No," she desperately replied back with clenched fists as she kept her focus on the floor. She was stubborn and wouldn't just accept those said words. Mina tried to smile and ease Chaeyoung's worry because the cub was giving that scrap of care that was never enough for her — was pulling her back unconsciously. She really did try but instead, a tear escaped her eye and her voice started to tremble, "Sana and Momo," her chest constricted and interrupted her words. She swallowed the lump in before she could talk again, "Think that this is the best for me."

"And I think it's the best for us," she added in defeat. Everything hurt again inside Mina and it hurt her even further as Chaeyoung showed her worry and pity for her pathetic being. Her wounds were still raw and bleeding for the tiger cub.

"No," Chaeyoung voiced out again, a little louder than the first one. She understood Mina but she really hated everything that was coming out of . She was being selfish and insensitive but she really hated everything that was in between them — the pain, the hurting, and the distance between their hearts.

What do I want? the question invaded her head in tenfold now that Mina was within her reach again after the painful days of their sufferings, and she realised that seeking for its answer was a lot harder than she thought before she mindlessly rushed and hoped to talk to Mina as soon as possible. It wasn't like she had any other choice than her current state because Mina was already set to fly back to Japan and leave all of their shared memories there for good. Truth be told, she was deeply lost with herself. She didn't know where to steer her course in the stormy sea she found herself violently sailing into.

Chaeyoung was confused but all she knew was that she absolutely hated everything in between them right now and she wouldn't accept any of it. "No," she firmly stated before she looked right through Mina's eyes, "I don't like this." She knitted her brows in defiance, "I don't like any of these," she repeated with  a louder tone of her voice. Yes, she was angry for everything that was in between them. And yes, she was being an absolutely selfish and insensitive tiger cub in front of the penguin. Chaeyoung was erupting because she couldn’t contain her feelings anymore. 

"I don't like this distance between us," she angrily stated, her fists still clenched. "I don't like it when you walk past through me, Mina," she said. Chaeyoung was bursting and she was fully aware of it. Mina's head spun to her words. "I kept on pulling you but all you did was push me away," the cub let out. "You always turn your eyes away from me," her fists unclenched as her anger subsided and was replaced by sadness, "I don't like that," she tried to express her words with her own eyes, "Only look at me."

"Only look at Chaeyoung," the cub desperately plead to the penguin. 

Every word that was formed in Chaeyoung's lips stabbed Mina's heart. Once again, she expected something or some words from her that could reciprocate her feelings but nothing followed after her demand.