A BRIGHT smile curved up off Minjoo's lips once the waves of Haeundae Beach met her eyes. Yujin somehow felt a strong feeling of déjà vu after seeing that beautiful smile. Minjoo turned to where she was and was about to invite her but then a certain Japanese girl jumped on her girlfriend which made the two of them fall down on the sand.

“Ya, Big Ears! Who told you to tackle Minjoo like that!?” Yujin immediately shouted after seeing Minjoo fall down. Minjoo was laughing though but it was just Yujin’s overprotective girlfriend side surfacing. But her eyebrows scrunched even more when Sakura turned to her and stuck her tongue out to .

Yujin’s fists balled. She couldn’t do anything but brush her hair backwards to somehow cool herself. “Why do these people have to tag anyway?”

“Are you really saying that while gritting your teeth?”

Yujin turned to the person who just spoke and slapped off the hand that the said person placed on her shoulder. “Whatever.”

Hyejoon’s jaw dropped with that reaction from Yujin but then a smirk lit up her shocked face. He arched his arm around Yujin’s neck and dragged the girl down to the shore.

“You can’t be that selfish, you know. You are with Minjoo every day. Why can’t you let her spend some time with other people, huh?” Hyejoon ruffled Yujin’s hair to the point that the latter couldn’t see anything because her face got covered with her ruined hairdo.

She tried to shake Hyejoon off but the said guy has the strength of a bull. No wonder he was able to beat death. While Yujin was trying to escape the hands of her cousin, she saw another girl running on the sand barefoot and the said girl is also heading to Minjoo.

“What the— JANG WONYOUNG!”

“Minjoo-unnie~!” Jang Wonyoung, the legendary first year student that called Yujin ‘master’ in front of many people, ran as fast as she could with those long legs of her just to reach Minjoo and steal her from Sakura.

“Minjoo-unnie~!” Wonyoung called once again while rubbing her face on Minjoo which she successfully stole from Sakura. “You are now my most favourite person~!”

“YA!” Sakura slapped Wonyoung by the shoulder. “I am the best friend here so you better—“

“Nope! Minjoo-unnie is mine!” Wonyoung buried her face on Minjoo’s neck before peeking to Sakura and sneaking her tongue out.

“Wait a minute—“

“YA.” A huge shadow then casted to the three. They all looked up only to see the cold, glaring eyes of Ahn Yujin upon them. The Ahn Heiress stretched her arm to Minjoo while the latter just automatically reached for her hand.

Yujin pulled Minjoo up from the sand and led her away from the two just like that. She was even fixing Minjoo’s hair instead of fixing her own hair. Hyejoon just shook his head while looking at the couple. “So this is what one year of being in a relationship looks like, huh?”

“What’s up with that deep sigh, Hyejoon?”

The glasses guy then turned to Professor Kwon who had just finished parking their car. Standing beside her is Professor Lee and the both of them are all set to rock the beach with their beach outfits.

Hyejoon just gave out a faint smile and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s nothing, Professor.”

Eunbi then started nagging, asking Hyejoon how many times she should tell him not to address her professor outside since it will make her look old. During that time, his eyes met Chaeyeon’s stare and the eyes of the other professor completely said that she could see right through him.

Chaeyeon just gave him a smile and Hyejoon was left with nothing to do but to smile back.

“Minjoo suddenly got popular, didn’t she?” Eunbi stated while looking at the students. Wonyoung and Sakura succeeded to steal Minjoo away from Yujin once more, making the Young Master run and then throw a skillful taekwondo kick to the two just to let go of her girlfriend.

“Minjoo has always been popular. But all the time she was thinking that people are thinking ill of her. I guess she just couldn’t see how other people admire her.” Chaeyeon placed their cooler box under the beach umbrella that Hyejoon quickly assembled.

“So tell me first how Jang Wonyoung suddenly got clingy to Minjoo. What did I miss?” Eunbi asked straight after opening a can of beer. Chaeyeon and Hyejoon just looked at her, clearly asking why she’s going with a can right away. “What? We are here to enjoy ourselves. Don’t look at me like that. Hurry up and tell me what happened.”

“Well…” Hyejoon sighed and took out a can of beer for himself. Chaeyeon's eyes just widened. “Just like everyone here, Wonyoung got an invitation from Minjoo to join this small vacation. Wonyoung wasn’t expecting anything from Minjoo but she saw how Minjoo is helping her in getting close with Yujin…”

The only guy of the group took a gulp of his beer before continuing his story. “And as we all have seen earlier at the airport, Minjoo also found a way to make Yujin and her mother meet. Guess who is winning the Daughter-in-Law of the Year award.”

What Hyejoon stated is all true. Minjoo invited all of them to go on a trip to Busan. The news of her doing well in Seoul and even getting really good grades even though she is away from her family reached her relatives. Her uncles and aunts decided to raise money to send her to treat herself to something. They even told her how everyone is so proud of the progress that she is making.

Minjoo, being the crybaby that she is, was moved into tears after knowing that her relatives do care for her and are watching her growth. She thought of sending the money to her family but her father passionately declined and told her to use the money to thank the people that have helped her to improve so she decided to invite everyone on a trip.

The money wasn’t that big so she told Yujin that she would want to go somewhere nearby, like Caribbean Bay for example, but then Yujin was actually thinking of going on a trip to Busan with Minjoo. She knows that Minjoo loves seas so she thought that bringing her to the best sea there is in Korea would be great so she insisted on going to Busan.

Minjoo, being conflicted, started a conference call with all the people she invited leaving Yujin into a shock. She asked them if it would be fine for them to go to Busan with their own money and even before Yujin could protest, everyone already answered yes.

Yujin was suddenly filled with disappointment but seeing the excitement on the face of her queen just made her quiet. Minjoo wants to accomplish something. She wants to show how grateful she is to the people who have always been there for her. And Yujin knows well that she can’t be selfish at that moment. Minjoo is inviting everyone for a good reason.

Minjoo told her that Wonyoung would be going as well and that’s when Yujin started asking things.

“Wait, Wonyoung? What did she do to help you? She didn’t do anything, right? Why are you inviting her? I am fine with the other people but Wonyoung? Remove her.”

Minjoo saw all of those questions coming. Wonyoung really didn’t do anything special but she did one thing that helped her realise something. With that Minjoo answered,

“W-Well… If it isn’t because of Wonyoung then y-you won’t kiss me like that… t-that night…”

And that’s when the dreaded, dimpled smirk surface once more. Minjoo immediately added that Yujin did say that she would make an effort to be a good older sister to Wonyoung but Yujin acted like she didn’t hear what she was saying and there she went teasing Minjoo until the latter’s whole face turned red.

If only Eunyoung didn’t suddenly knock that time then Yujin wouldn’t miss the chance to kiss Minjoo again. The truth is Yujin clucked so hard when the mood was destroyed. She always finds it hard to set a proper mood for a kiss and that was one good chance that she missed.

When Wonyoung received the invitation from Minjoo, she was so shocked. She never thought that Minjoo would be there to bridge her and Yujin when she technically tried to stand before the two of them. She was so jealous that Yujin could be so good to Minjoo while she can’t even let her call ‘unnie’ at least for once.

She thought that Minjoo is really like an angel so Wonyoung immediately asked her parents for permission to go on a trip with this angel. Her mother gave an audible gasp after hearing that the girl who invited her is Yujin’s girlfriend and Yujin would also be going with them. Wonyoung’s father immediately gave her a go signal. He knows that Yujin is a responsible child even though she seems cold to Wonyoung. She would be there to take care of her.

He even gave a nod to her wife, a gesture clearly saying that she should go and drop Wonyoung to the airport so she could go and see her child. Yujin stopped seeing her mother after she graduated from grade school. She believes that she doesn’t need someone who could easily leave her just like that.

And then after many years, they were finally able to look at each other’s eyes. Yujin, even though she was wearing her usual poker face, gave a polite greeting to her mother. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t let her emotions show on her face. Just that one look and then she made herself busy with something else but then Minjoo stepped forward and greeted Yujin’s mother.

“Hello, Madam… I am Kim Minjoo. I am the one who invited Wonyoung to this trip. Please don’t worry about Wonyoung because we will take good care of her.”

For a moment, Yujin and the others were all surprised at how Minjoo acted. She was the type that would just hide in the back of Yujin whenever they were meeting other people but there she went introducing herself to Yujin’s mother so comfortably. The confidence that she gained made her look more elegant.

“Also, I am Yujin’s girlfriend.”

Hyejoon and the professors almost choked with what they were drinking when Minjoo suddenly introduced herself as Yujin’s girlfriend without any trace of nervousness. She didn’t even look like she was talking to the mother of the girl that she loves.

Yujin couldn’t look even prouder while watching Minjoo and that showed on her smug face. Hyejoon wanted to give her a smack on the head for giving off that expression. Indeed, being together brought positive changes for the two of them and it shows. Hyejoon is really happy with it.

Minjoo and Yujin’s mother chatted for a bit before the woman left because she still had matters to attend to. She knew that Yujin won’t speak even a single word to her so she entrusted everything to Minjoo. She left just like that but she didn’t forget to express how thankful she is for Minjoo, for the chance that she gave her, the chance to see Yujin.

“Minjoo is reaching out for the young Yujin.” Hyejoon whispered to himself while watching the couple walk by the shore hand in hand. Wonyoung and Sakura gave up bothering the two and are already building sandcastles. “Someone who is willing to reach for your deepest wounds and heal them…”

Hyejoon chugged his beer down and then looked at the professors.

“How about we run wild today?”

(Note: Everyone in the story is already an adult and are all in the age to drink...)

EVERYONE has grown tired of playing on the beach so they went back to the place that they rented using Minjoo’s money to eat some barbeque for dinner. The supposed guardians are all already drunk since they have been drinking since afternoon. The teachers just agreed to Hyejoon’s suggestion of going all out so they could relieve all the stress they accumulated from school.

“Haru-san…” Sakura worriedly called out to Hyejoon. “You should stop drinking already. Do you remember that one incident when you got really drunk?”

Hyejoon just turned to Sakura who was sitting beside him; a huge smile pasted on her face.

“I am not drunk yet. Here, how about getting a drink as well.” He tried pouring soju into Sakura's shot glass but he spilled more than what he poured. She guided Sakura’s hand to pick her glass and made their glasses clink. “Kanpai~~”

Yujin shook her head. She could feel that something is definitely wrong with her cousin. He isn’t the type to drink hard. He would rather choose drinking hot chocolate than alcohol but here he is now getting drunk to his heart’s content.

The Ahn heiress took a deep breath. If Hyejoon won’t share it then she won’t mind as well. Her attention was then caught by Minjoo and Wonyoung coming back from the nearby convenience store. They bought some ice cream to cool them down after dinner.

Minjoo gave her a smile right after she met her stare. She didn’t even notice that she’s already smiling at her as well. She moved closer to Sakura so she could make space for Minjoo to sit at. The girl saw her and happily took the seat she prepared for her. Wonyoung then sat in between Chaeyeon who was busy roasting meat and Hyejoon who was busy getting drunk with Eunbi.

“What took you so long?” Yujin whispered to Minjoo, trying hard not to be obvious to the others. She immediately placed roasted meat on Minjoo's plate before the girl even lifted her chopsticks.

“Wonyoung was so amazed by the gacha game at the convenience store. She was trying to get her favourite character but she always ended up getting the character that she dislikes until she ran out of change.” Minjoo answered in the form of a whisper as well.

Eunbi who was sitting right in front of them saw everything and already had her eyes squinting even before Minjoo took the seat. “Do you really have to whisper to each other?” She grabbed a bottle of soju and raised her voice, “Glasses up! We are all young and free today!”

Yujin lazily picked her glass. “You are free today but not you—“

“Continue, Ahn Yujin. Just try.” Eunbi’s challenging smirk somehow surprised Yujin. She returned another sinister smile to the said professor.

“Are you challenging me, Professor?”

“Hold up!” Chaeyeon meddled by putting meat on their plates. “You two don’t have to be so competitive in this table. Let’