“I have to go.” Sana’s words echoed in Dahyun’s head. They way Sana’s voice cracked haunted Dahyun.
 

/I’m sorry.

The last thing she saw, she wished to forget. That look on Sana’s face. It utterly destroyed her. Sana’s face after the kiss screamed fear and confusion, but this one--this one was heartbreak. Dahyun saw it in her eyes and she couldn’t get the image out of her head.

Mina caught up to Dahyun who was standing by the closed elevator doors on the brink of tears. Neither of them could have predicted what had happened. Sana hadn’t been home since the previous night and she was supposed to have another class.

“Dahyun, I’m sorry. I didn’t-”

“No, Mina. It’s fine. I did this. I should have done something. Last night, I should have kissed her back, but I didn’t. I should have ran after her, but I didn’t. I should tried to call her, but I didn’t. I did this.”

“You know, it’s not too late. You could still catch her if you take the stairs. This elevator is notoriously slow.”

Mina didn’t have to tell Dahyun twice. She immediately bolted towards the stairwell and made her way down. She could feel her heart thumping against her chest. Her breathing was starting to become erratic as well. She was going to try this time.

She hoped she would make in time to catch Sana. She wanted to apologize for everything that had happened between them recently. She wanted to explain how much the older girl meant to her; though Dahyun really didn’t know what exactly Sana meant to her just yet. She just need to talk to Sana.

As she reached the bottom and exited the stairwell, her eyes began searching the crowded lobby. There were some other students, but no sign of Sana. Dahyun tried calling the girl on her phone but she was immediately hit with the dial tone. She quickly ran toward the exit; Sana couldn’t have gotten far if she’d left the building. Dahyun scanned the crowd for any signs of Sana, but she had no luck. The girl was nowhere to be seen. Dahyun then tried calling the girl again but there was still no response.

Clearly, Sana didn’t want to be found. Dahyun cursed under her breath, frustrated at herself for being too late. She didn’t really believe in fate but if she did, fate seemed to be making it hard for her and Sana to be anything. It was one poorly timed event after another.

When she realized she had no other means of finding Sana, she let out a defeated sigh and sat at the base of the stairs in front of the dorm building. Maybe Sana would come back. She had to. Dahyun decided she would wait for her to come back no matter how long it took.

“Do you want me to message the rest and ask them to call you if they see Sana?” Mina appeared placing a hand on Dahyun’s shoulder.

Dahyun shook her head. She didn’t want to involve other people in her personal life. Furthermore she wasn’t sure if Sana would want other people knowing about what’s going on between them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want people to know she had feelings for Sana. She just felt that it was something the two of them had to deal with first.

Mina, being the lovely person that she is, volunteered to sit by Dahyun. Maybe she felt somewhat responsible for what had happened between Dahyun and Sana. Maybe she was just being a good friend. Still, Dahyun appreciated her presence.

Two hours they sat there. Dahyun didn’t speak for a while. She just kept replaying the scene in hear head over and over again. She couldn’t forget the hurt in Sana’s eyes or the way Sana’s voice failed her. The next thing she knew, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek.

“Hey, it’s okay. She’ll be back. I know it. Sana just needs some time,” Mina offered Dahyun a smile as she wiped the tears away.

“I’m sorry you got dragged into this, Mina. It’s all my fault. You didn’t even have to sit here with me.”

“It’s fine, Dahyun. This is what friends do. Plus, I know how you feel. I almost lost J-- my person once. I sat in my room crying for hours until Sana came back and found me. She held onto me until I’d calmed down. She knew I didn’t want to talk so she just sat with me. That’s the kind of friend Sana is.”

Hearing that made Dahyun smile. Sana was truly one of the most beautiful people she’d ever met. Not because she’s visually stunning -- which she was -- but because she was really genuine when it came to her relationships with people. She cared for her friends and put their needs before her own.

The hustle and bustle of New York City never stopped. Crowds came and went, but still no Sana. Dahyun and Mina continued to wait. They waited until the sun had set and the streetlights lit up the pavement in its place. It didn’t look like Sana was coming back. Not today at least.

“Maybe you should go back to your place, Dahyun. It’s been a long day and I don’t think Sana’s going to show up any time soon. I’ll ask around if anyone has seen her.”

Mina was right. Dahyun knew this.

Even though she wanted to wait, she was really exhausted. Maybe not physically but emotionally and mentally she had been drained.  “Thank you, Mina. For staying and keeping me company. For everything.”

Dahyun’s short walk to her dorm building was excruciating. Being alone, she let her mind get the best of her. She thought about what could have been if she’d only done certain things. She tortured herself with images of Sana because she felt terrible for hurting her.

When she walked into the suite, she found Tzuyu and Chaeyoung studying in their respective tables. When they noticed her, they both dropped what they were doing and made their way to Dahyun.

“Dahyun-unnie, you look terrible. What happened to you?” Tzuyu asked.

“A lot. I guess. Today was just a mess.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Chaeyoung said pulling the older girl to sit b