Chapter 2

Three years ago.

Joohyun liked putting flower near the window. Seulgi tells her it’s a waste because it will wilt away eventually. For the past three years, Joohyun has been replacing the wilted flower with a new one. It would take about a week for the flower to be wilted completely.

Momentum. It is defined as the strength or force gained by motion. A series of events in Joohyun’s life is getting more complicated.

It’s time to replace the flower now. Joohyun went outside to buy a single tulip this time. The flower shop owner knows her too well now.

“Tulips are nice these days”, Joohyun tells the owner.

The owner gets a piece of the flower because without a doubt, she knows it’s always just one. Every week. “Here you go. There’d be more variety of flowers next week. Look forward to it”, she tells Joohyun while handing the carefully wrapped stalk.

“Joohyun, are you home?” Seulgi shouts when she hears the door chimes sound.

“Yep, I went in to get a tulip. That baby breath I put in last week completely wilted now,” Joohyun replies as she hurries and takes out the dead flower from the little vase. She hurries to the sink to fill it up with new water too.

“I just don’t get why you do that every week”, Seulgi tells Joohyun while staring.

It’s waiting for the right momentum. Right moment and timing to chase things around. The moment Joohyun sees a flower for the first time, she’d see it as something very delicate. When she puts it in the vase, she’d wonder when a petal would fall. She hasn’t seen the petal fall yet with her own eyes. It’s really hard to catch up to the perfect timing of checking it out. She’d visit the flower by the window in different times.

“You’re graduating soon, what do you want as a present?” Seulgi asks coolly.

“I don’t need one, you know.” Joohyun stands up to cook for lunch. Hell week has already past. There’s only graduation left and she’s not going to be a student anymore. She wonders if Seulgi knows she loves her. It must be pretty tough to be able to pretend like that for three years.

She chose Seulgi out of the twelve applicants for the apartment tenant. Not only that the apartment is near the university, but with the kind of vibe it possesses and low rent, no one would want to pass that opportunity. She ended up interviewing Seulgi first. And the rest was history. It was like love at first sight. Though Joohyun doesn’t believe in that. She thinks Seulgi is a good choice and cancels the other interviews. Seulgi’s bubbly personality would be interesting for her to handle since Joohyun is so introvert.

Both of them are in the living room eating lunch while watching Joohyun’s favorite noontime drama. Joohyun is so engrossed in watching that she doesn’t hear Seulgi ask her a question.

“Joohyun, what will you do after you graduate?” Seulgi repeats after noticing Joohyun not answering.

“I don’t know, stay like a bum and wait for you to come home from school?” Joohyun looks at her shrugging and then getting back to watching.

“You’re so wife-material. I’d like that”, Seulgi replies as she pinches Joohyun side.

Joohyun doesn’t actually know how to react to that. Seulgi’s been clear she isn’t biual but knows Joohyun is. Seulgi’s actually popular in Arts building. Most guys are throwing shade when Joohyun is with Seulgi. Seulgi is never touchy but Joohyun is an exception to that. They hold hands when they walk to university grounds. Seulgi would always drop by Joohyun’s building to fetch her and they’d eat the cafeteria together.

Joohyun’s heart is restless. She doesn’t know whether Seulgi is in it for her. Or Seulgi’s just being a close friend too attached because they see each other every day. Joohyun doesn’t want to feel this for Seulgi, but Seulgi is just too nice and caring and Jooohyun never had any company like that before. In her early years, Joohyun was always the daughter of JH Entertainment’s CEO. No one bothered to be friends with her. Since then, she likes being alone altogether.

A few days later, it was a day before Joohyun’s graduation. Seulgi wakes up at ten o’clock because classes in the junior years are already finished. She knocks on Joohyun’s door to see if she is awake.

No answer.

Seulgi tries to turn the knob. She’s surprised the door is unlocked. She knows Joohyun’s room is off limits. Seulgi respected that. She sees nothing but a bed. All of Joohyun’s things are not in. She walks through the closet and opens it. There’s no sign of Joohyun. There’s a note in Joohyun’s study table.

Don’t wait for me.

I’m not coming back anytime soon.

• J

Seulgi tries calling Joohyun. It rings and rings but Joohyun doesn’t answer. Seulgi is puzzled. She tries checking out Joohyun’s social media accounts. Nothing is new. At least she isn’t blocked. But she isn’t online. Even with that, Seulgi is panicking.

“What is wrong with Joohyun”, she whispers to herself.

The day of the graduation, Seulgi attends the ceremony hoping that she could talk to Joohyun. When it was the time for the valedictory speech, Seulgi is surprised it was Joohyun standing at the pulpit. Seulgi knows Joohyun is very smart and studious but didn’t know she’s this smart. She tries listening to the speech.

My fellow graduates. I know now, we can look back at all the memories we had and tell ourselves this is not the end. It is only the beginning. I’ve tried so hard for this. No one knows, as I haven’t told anyone that my dad is the CEO of JH Entertainment. I didn’t want any special treatment for me because I am not entitled to anything. I hid it because I want to prove myself that I can be independent. I rented out an apartment instead of living in our house. I learned to wash my clothes, to cook, and do chores and all.

What you are today is a stepping stone for tomorrow. To my parents, you are the greatest pillars of my existence. Thank you for being supportive in spite of my stubbornness. To my professors, I congratulate you for producing and nurturing such students to be future of the working class. To my friends and classmates throughout my college years, this award is for you. Friendship is something that must be treasured. Make your dream mean something to others.

It might be too late to say it but I’ll say it anyway, to the person I love, goodbye.

The last sentence just had pierced into Seulgi’s heart. Was that for her or does Joohyun have someone else? On the screen, Joohyun’s eyes are red and teary. She exits the stage. Lost in the moment, Seulgi stares at her shoes. She is as puzzled as yesterday. What is wrong with Joohyun, she asks herself.

After the ceremony, Seulgi tries to pinpoint where Joohyun might be. But to no avail, Joohyun is nowhere to be found. Seulgi tries to ask Joohyun’s classmates, but they all said Joohyun went away after giving her speech.

Seulgi tried calling Joohyun for days. Those days turned to weeks. After months of trying to call Jooohyun, Seulgi concedes and tells herself that Joohyun will never answer.