THE TAXI stopped right in front of a certain grill restaurant. Getting off from it is a girl that seems to be in a hurry. After telling the taxi driver to wait for a while, she hurriedly went to search for someone. Worry is written all over her face. She ran straight to the restaurant but immediately went out when she didn’t find her target there.

She looked around and saw the girl that she’s looking for sitting on the pavement while foolishly smiling at strangers. She would even wave at them at times. The older girl watched the younger one drop her head as if she had already given the world up.

“Ahn Yujin!” she called the girl sitting on the pavement. “What are you being so drunk for!?”

The girl slowly raised her head after hearing her name. She turned to the caller and smiled widely revealing her deep dimples.

“Minjoo-unnie!” Yujin greeted while groggily waving her hand. “Why you here?”

Minjoo’s eyebrows scrunched. She walked towards Yujin and pulled her up by the arm that she’s waving. “Who told you to be this drunk, seriously!? Getting into university doesn’t mean you can drink carelessly like this!”

Yujin just laughed at her. Her eyes were half-opened. It did seem like she drank a lot. Minjoo checked if her wallet and her phone was still with her and she’s glad that everything is still attached.

“Let me bring you home.” Minjoo hung Yuijin’s arm to her nape and helped her to walk towards the taxi.

“Minjoo-unnie…” Yujin called out, still wearing the same foolish smile. “I asked you why you are here… Why you not answer me?”

The older girl rolled her eyes. “Your classmate called me through your phone. They told me that you are really drunk and don't want to go home unless I come and pick you up and now you are asking me why I am here? They all left you already because you are being stubborn!”

Instead of feeling and saying sorry, Yujin gave another tired laugh. “I just really wanted to see you… I missed you so much…”

Minjoo wasn’t able to say a thing. It has been a while since Yujin started distancing from her. When did it start again? Ah, right… It was when she introduced to her the guy that she’s dating. Yujin stopped eating lunch with her, messages from her drastically dropped close to zero. She doesn’t even greet her whenever they meet at school. She would pretend that she didn't see her when they just met each other’s stares.

For some reason, Minjoo is quite sure that it was because of her boyfriend that Yujin chose to distance herself. She knows how much the other girl thinks of her as her own older sister. She often hears Yujin saying how much she wants an older sibling to avoid the responsibility of being the first born. She wanted the care that firstborns don’t usually get and she found that treatment from Minjoo.

The older girl treats her really well. At first, Yujin didn’t like it. It was awkward and she doesn’t like appearing weak in front of other people. But it became different as time passed by. Minjoo has become her fortress. Whenever she feels down, she shows it to the other girl. Her inner child is comfortable with Minjoo. She wants to be the same for the other girl. She wants her to depend on her as well…

But then…

Minjoo found a stronger shoulder to lean on…

“Let’s just go home, shall we?”

Minjoo carefully made Yujin ride the taxi, making sure that her head won’t bump at the roof. Yujin sat like she’s so done. Her head is leaning on the window while her eyes are shut closed.

The older girl tried to make her more comfortable by making her sleep on her shoulder but Yujin immediately went back to her former position with an angry moan. Minjoo’s jaw dropped at the stubbornness. Yujin likes leaning on her shoulder as far as she can remember.

She watched her head bumping against the window countless times and Minjoo couldn’t handle it anymore. She tried to pull Yujin back and made her lean to her again but then Yujin opened her eyes and held her tightly by the wrist. Minjoo was taken aback.

“Y-Yujin-ah—” she felt like she swallowed her tongue after meeting Yujin’s angry yet lonely stare.

“Stop pulling me back.” She stated, more of a command. Her voice is so cold.

Minjoo took a peek at the taxi driver who doesn’t seem to mind what’s happening behind him.

“Yujin-ah, it hurts—”

“Yeah, Unnie… that hurts…” Yujin scoffed and let her hand go with a sway.

“I just want to make you comfortable! What are you being angry about!?” Minjoo couldn’t bear her stuffy heart anymore. She’s been feeling this ever since Yujin started avoiding her. “I came here to take you home just as you wanted and here you are treating me like this!?

Yujin’s stare got more intense. “Who are you to complain about treatment?”

“H-Hey—”

“We talk everyday even if we don’t see each other at school. We share almost everything with each other but then I would just find out that you are dating someone for months already and all of a sudden we would dine together with him!?”

Minjoo couldn’t move backwards anymore when she felt Yujin hand on her lower back. This is the first time that she felt fear from the usually happy Yujin.

“I don’t know if you are just numb or also really dumb… Don’t you think I would give up Seoul University and enrol in the same school as you because I just like to? Do you think I would go against my parents’ wishes because I want to see you dating someone else?”

“Y-Yujin… You—”

“I like you, stupid! No, I am in love with you!”

Minjoo was silenced, her eyes widened and her heart started beating louder. Did she just hear her right? Yujin’s fiery eyes suddenly turned back to those sad puppy eyes.

“But I couldn’t say it… I am afraid that I will lose everything that we have. What we had was already precious to me. I couldn’t be honest with myself and be selfish… I wanted to tell you how much I love you but then… you just…”

Yujin suddenly covered . Minjoo already knew what’s going to happen so she asked the taxi driver to stop for a while to let the other girl puke. Minjoo was still in shock. She was not able to say anything after Yujin’s confession until they came back to the car.

‘What is this?’ she asked herself while peeking at Yujin who fell asleep after getting back on the taxi. She held her arm by her chest. ‘Why am I happy after hearing that…? Why do I feel so… relieved?’

Finally, the two arrived at Yujin’s house. The drunken girl is still asleep so Minjoo took all the effort to take her to the floor where her family is living. At that time, the older girl just couldn’t stop smiling to herself. She doesn’t know why but she really feels happy after hearing Yujin’s true feelings.

‘This just confirms it, right? The feeling that I have been unsure of for a long time… This is real, right?’

Minjoo’s heart still hasn’t calmed down when she rang the doorbell of Yujin’s house. The door immediately opened which revealed Yujin’s mother who was flabbergasted after seeing Yujin so drunk for the very first time. She took a look at Minjoo and then invited the girl inside the house.

The girl was told by Yujin’s mother to have a seat while she takes care of her drunken daughter. It is as Minjoo has expected. Yujin fits the description of a model student. She’s smart and is really hardworking. She isn’t really fond of going out at night with friends for some alcohol but here she is getting home drunk. Her mum was surely shocked.

When Yujin’s mum got back to the living room where Minjoo is, she gave the girl a cup of hot cinnamon tea. Observing the lady, she seems to be in a lot of stress lately.

“Minjoo, dear…” The lady called, which made Minjoo sit straight. “I know that we have talked about this before. Yujin being so clingy to you isn’t healthy for her. She gave up her dream school just to be with you and is now working part-time just to be able to study on her own. And now she is coming home drunk with you? Please tell me what’s going on…”

Minjoo’s heart became heavy after rec