The sun’s rays penetrate the translucent curtains that cover the sliding doors to the balcony. The colors spread throughout the master’s bedroom. The light feels welcoming as if it was the one who was greeting you ‘good morning’. And yes, the rays managed to radiate Mina’s soft and flawless skin. It made her glow.

Monday mornings, Mina is not quite fond of them. No one usually is, but certain things have to be accomplished. Mina still has to work as an elementary teacher. She was of course still a dance teacher during Saturdays or anytime she wanted to.

Mina loves children. She wanted to become a mother as soon as possible since she felt like she’s getting too old. Mina and Jeongyeon have been married for 3 years and Mina wanted to build a family with her wife. She got excited when Jeongyeon mentioned the thought of having children back in their private plane ride. She couldn’t wait.

Mina continues to lie on the bed. She grabs her phone which was placed on a wireless charger on top of the night stand. Mina turned off the night light. She usually doesn’t sleep with lights on but she was alone in a spacious room last night. It terrifies her.

Mina checks her phone and searches for any messages from Jeongyeon. None. Mina sighed, deeply. She was obviously sad. Jeongyeon seemed to disregard her but, Mina, always being the understanding one let go of the thoughts.

‘She’s out for work Mina...’

‘She needs rest too…’

‘But I have been calling her over and over again.’

‘Isn’t it irrational if she doesn’t call back?’

‘I’m her wife.’

‘If she does that, what am I really to her?’

Mina talks to herself. She usually does this to vent out her stuck up thoughts, and it’s quite effective for her.

She opens her messaging app and decides to text Jeongyeon. ‘Good morning Jeongie… Did you have a good sleep last night?’

Just when she was about to send the text, her phone rang. And yes, it was Jeongyeon. Mina answered the call without any hesitation.

“Hey Jeongie… Good morning.”

“Good morning to you too Minari”, Jeongyeon replies. “Did you have a good sleep last night?”

“Not quite baby, I was alone, you know”, Mina whimpered through the phone. “I even slept with the lights on.”

“I’m sorry for that baby, I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”

“How about you? Did you get a good rest?”

“Not quite, I drank a bottle of wine by myself last night. I was a bit tipsy.”

“Hey! Yoo Jeongyeon, you’re not allowed to drink much alcohol. You have low resistance, who knows what you may have been doing while you were drunk”, Mina scolds Jeongyeon.

“Uh… nothing much. Look, I have to prepare myself, I’m heading to basecamp.”

“Okay baby, take care of yourself there. Eat your meals and be safe. I love you Jeongie.”

“I know. You take care of yourself too Minari… I love you too.”

Then Jeongyeon hung up.

This little conversation was more than enough for Mina. She just wanted to hear her wife’s voice and wanted to tell her to take care of herself.

Such oblivion. Too innocent for this cruel world, Mina is. She was unaware.

Mina went out of bed and arranged it. She wasn’t all too good with arranging stuff like Jeongyeon but she still manages to make things look tidy. Mina flattens the bedsheet to the point where there are no visible lumps. She leans the pillows towards the bed’s headrest. Then she tucked in the comforter throughout the bed. Her penguin plushies, put in a line in front of the pillows.

Mina took a shower. She was excited to get over with the day. She knew she was going to pick up her wife in the airport tonight.

After taking a shower, she went down and ate her breakfast. She wanted to fulfill her wife’s wishes of her to be healthy. And she was expecting to be a mother soon, this inspired her even more to eat healthy.

Mina never forgets her salad. She seldom eats greasy food. And she always gets a healthy dose of fresh fruit juices and fresh milk.  She always loved this kind of breakfast, and it would have been better if Jeongyeon was with her this moment.

Mina prepared all the stuff she has to bring as a teacher. She never forgets to bring candies as prizes for those who are able to answer her questions. She puts all her personal stuff in a leather handbag, while the others are put inside an office worker’s briefcase.

After preparing, Mina grabs a black blazer, a black pencil skirt, and a lavender button down shirt. Then she heads to the dresser to apply a touch of makeup, not too much though. Just enough to enhance her elegant features which were with her naturally. She added a pair of golden earrings and a black swan necklace. Then to finish the get up, she picks a black, velvet closed toe heel as her footwear of choice.

It took time for her to prepare but she still managed to leave out some extra time for her to be able to arrive early in school. She calls the driver to send her to her workplace.

Jeongyeon felt her world breaking apart as soon as she realized she had lied to Mina, again. She headed back to her room only to spot a bare-backed Nayeon reading a fashion magazine. Jeongyeon could see the wanton woman’s flawless back, the lines that go through her spine and suddenly arch towards Nayeon’s firm bottom. Jeongyeon was quick to turn her head to another direction to avoid the unholy sight.

“Hey”, Jeongyeon calls out and Nayeon turns her head to Jeongyeon’s direction. “Can you at least put some clothes on?”

“I’m comfortable when I’m ”, Nayeon replies with a smirk. “It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve seen me like this.”

“I know, but I was drunk that time”, Jeongyeon says rising her tone a little.

“Who gets drunk from wine anyways?” Nayeon rolls her eyes as she questions Jeongyeon. “You’re just making excuses you know. Don’t act like you didn’t like it.”

“I was literally drunk!” Jeongyeon had enough of the teasing. “It isn’t an excuse, plus, I have a wife Nayeon. How could you drive me to doing what you wanted?” She adds with a sense of disgust to herself.

Nayeon furrowed her brows, “Then you should have pushed me away then. It’s as simple as that.”

Jeongyeon knew that she took part in this and she could reply no further anymore. “Can you please leave this time?” she asks Nayeon politely.

Nayeon hesitated to leave for a moment but she felt the seriousness inside the room, she wanted none of it. She clothed herself in the clothes she was wearing the night before. She got up from the bed and walked seductively towards Jeongyeon’s direction. The pilot took a step back until her back hit the wall with a thud.

Nayeon kissed Jeongyeon’s cheeks which were already red prior to the kiss. “See you next time, First Officer Yoo Jeongyeon”, Nayeon whispers to Jeongyeon’s ear and pulled her head back then flashed a sly smirk. She then continued to head towards the door and exited the room.

 Jeongyeon was left alone in her room. She buried herself underneath the sheets. She was beating herself internally. She really regret what she have done. Jeongyeon wanted to tell her wife about what happened but her judgment says not to, hoping that it will just pass.

She took a shower hoping to shake up her thoughts. Then she prepared herself to head towards basecamp.

Jeongyeon went out of her room early, hoping to avoid any other workmate, especially Nayeon. But as she approached the car waiting for her outside the hotel lobby, she could see a woman’s outline inside. She knew it was Nayeon. Jeongyeon avoided the car and took a cab instead.

Nayeon noticed that Jeongyeon took a cab instead of riding the car with her, so Nayeon signals the driver to head towards basecamp instead.

Jeongyeon arrived in the basecamp early, she went up the building and approached the Human Resource office.

She knocked thrice and entered the room. She saw a pair of eyes glare at her. Jeongyeon wasn’t at all familiar with the woman sitting in the office chair in front of her. She thought that the officer may just be newly hired.

“Good morning Ms. Chou”, Jeongyeon greeted the woman as she saw the nameplate placed on top of the desk stating ‘Ms. Chou Tzuyu’ then under the name was ‘Human Resource Officer’.

The seriousness inside the office was clearly felt as Chou Tzuyu examined Jeongyeon from bottom to top. The latter stiffened to this serious treatment.

“Good morning to you to Mrs. Yoo”, Tzuyu finally replied, coldly.

Chou Tzuyu’s coldness and objectivity clearly fits her role as a human resource officer since she is in charge of interviewing job applicants. Job interviews were always scary. Tzuyu made sure that only those with strong will and determination can be accepted into the company. And she always disregards any relationship with the applicant to keep a fair treatment.

“And what is it that you came here for?” Tzuyu asks the pilot.

“I would, uh, like to talk about the reassignment”, Tzuyu makes Jeongyeon stutter. Her very aura is suspenseful, even her face adds up to the overall cold feature. But these features added up to Tzuyu’s overall beauty. It truly fits her.

“Have a seat then Mrs. Yoo”, Tzuyu gestures the young pilot to sit down on a chair by the office desk to which Jeongyeon gladly took.

“Would you like something to drink?” Tzuyu asks, to break the serious mood, her tone is not helping her though. “Tea? Coffee?”, she smiles to give a sense of comfort, at least.

“No thank you, I believe I’ll only be here for a short while”, Jeongyeon replies, this time more relaxed as she sees the officer’s innocent smile.

“So about the reassignment”, Tzuyu steers back to the main objective of Jeongyeon’s visit. “What is it that you want to talk about?”

“Uh”, Jeongyeon hesitates to answer. Her thoughts were filled with fun and excitement over that will be felt once she was reassigned to the tropics. But the sudden thought of her wife straightened her thoughts. “I want to turn down the offer.”

Tzuyu raised her brows to this. Unsure why the young pilot could turn down such an offer. “Any reason to do so?”

“Yeah”, Jeongyeon prolonged her answer. “Big reason actually.”

“And what may that be?”

“I can’t leave my wife in Japan”, Jeongyeon sighed. She felt accomplished to be able to say this.

“Hmmm…” Tzuyu processes and fidgets with a metal pen. “I’ll take note of that.”

“And I’m sure many others are willing to replace you”, Tzuyu adds. “This offer is a deal-breaker and could bring you to seniority.”

Jeongyeon thought about her whole career as a pilot, how the said offer could spring her up. But she wanted to lift burdens off her chest. “I’m sure of my choice”, Jeongyeon replies. “I guess I’ll have to look for more opportunities in the future then”, she adds and manages to put some sense of humor to it earning a chuckle from the officer.

“And by this, I reckon that you love your wife very much to decline such an offer.”

“Of course”, Jeongyeon confirms but the guilt from yesterday night flashed before her eyes.

Tzuyu could notice the pilot’s state, “Anything that bothers you?”

“Nothing worth to be noted”, Jeongyeon replies with a smile.

“So, I guess this is everything you wanted to discuss?”

“Pretty much it.”

“I’ll be processing your request. The head office will be sending you a letter and until then, please do think about your decision”, Tzuyu says emphasizing the last phrase.

“Will do”, Jeongyeon stands up and shakes Tzuyu’s hand. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome”, Tzuyu replies flashing a smile.

Jeongyeon went out of the office and headed to the elevators. She presses the down button and stood a safe distance away from the elevator doors.

The calm and welcoming atmosphere of the hallways brings Jeongyeon to relax herself despite the struggles she had the past day. She breathes deeply, “Everything’s going to be okay after this”, she says to herself.

As the elevator doors opened, she waited for the occupants to exit the elevator. Then she walked in the lift and pressed the ground floor button.

Jeongyeon felt the elevator slow down at a certain floor. Then it came to a complete halt. The doors opened, revealing a woman.

“Ah, it’s Nayeon again”, Jeongyeon mentally spoke to herself.

Nayeon stepped inside the elevator smiling all too much for Jeongyeon’s liking. The doors slid shut and started its motion going down.

“You’re avoiding me aren’t you?” Nayeon speaks up to break the awkward atmosphere inside the small lift.

“Does it feel like I am?” Jeongyeon replies with a question.

Nayeon sighs, “It does. You took a cab going here.”

Jeongyeon doesn’t want to say much, she just wanted to get out of the situation and head back to her hotel room.

“Look, I have a wife”, Jeongyeon could feel her phone vibrating in her pocket. She picks it up and reads the name displayed on screen. “And she’s calling me now.”

Jeongyeon answers the call. A soft angelic voice can be heard on the other end of the line.

“Hey Jeongie.”

“Hi Minari, anything that concerns you?”

“Nothing, just wanted to hear my wife’s voice, you know.”

“Awwhh, that’s sweet of you baby.”

Nayeon stands in a corner of the elevator, annoyed by the phone conversation that Jeongyeon had with her wife. She rolled her eyes since she was getting uncomfortable.

“I’m at school right now, I missed the kids.”

“Come on, you’ve only been away from them for two days”, Jeongyeon teases her wife. “Besides, I know you wanted to have a child of your own.”

“Thanks for taking my hints Jeongie”, Jeongyeon could hear her wife chuckling meekly.

“You’re getting one soon though”, Jeongyeon’s smiles could reach her ears as she was indulged with the conversation with her wife whom she misses a lot.

“I know, you better be home by tonight.”

“Of course I’ll be.”

“I’m heading to my next class now baby.”

“Okay then, take care Minari. Love you”, Jeongyeon prolongs the last two words.

“I love you too Jeongie. See you later.”

 Then the conversation was over. Jeongyeon almost forgot that Nayeon was with her inside the elevator.

“See? I’m not planning to leave my wife ever”, Jeongyeon addresses Nayeon.

“Doesn’t feel like you’re true to your words”, Nayeon wears a smug look on her face. “I know you like me.”

Jeongyeon was struck. She couldn’t deny what Nayeon said either.

“We even spent a night together”, Nayeon added with a sultry expression on her face.

The pilot didn’t budge and was motionless. All the memories of last night started to strike her once again. This time, all the guilt that was left forgotten was once again remembered. She tried her best to forget but it is of no use.

“You didn’t avoid my flirtatious acts before”, Nayeon says playfully to the speechless Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon gathered up all her guts to escape her current state right now, “Yes, I did