Chapter 28

Dreams

Eunbi smiled as she was watching Sakura's sleeping face.

Are you an angel?

You must be.

She gently ran her hands on her girlfriend’s arm upwards, all the way to her bare shoulders. The younger girl stirred from her sleep, but her eyes were still closed tightly. Eunbi froze, trying not to wake her up with any movements. She even held her breath. Suddenly Sakura moved closer to her and tightened her arms around her.

"Don't leave me…" she mumbled.

Eunbi can’t help but let out a chuckle. Sakura sometimes talking in her sleep and it’s adorable. She slowly pressed her lips on the sleeping girl's forehead.

"My lovely napkin."

Eunbi continues to stare at Sakura's face as her heart was gushing with mixed emotions.

"You are the girl of my dreams," she whispered.

The image of her first real meeting with Sakura suddenly replayed in her head.



"Oh my god, it's you."

"I'm sorry, but do you know me?"

"Sakura, I'm Eunbi. Your soulmate!"

"Woah, wait a minute, how do you know my name?!"




Eunbi smiled at the memory, "You even spilled milk on my coat."



"Maybe dreams do come true."


Eunbi grinned at the memory of her trying to win Sakura's heart.

She leaned closer to Sakura's face.

"Did you remember our first kiss, at the ice skating rink?" Eunbi whispered to the sleeping girl.

"It was the sweetest kiss, the best kiss in my life," Eunbi added with a smile.



"I think… I'm in love with you."

"Finally."




"Then I made you lost in the snow.."

"I was an idiot," Eunbi said with a sigh.




"Are you...trying to...?"

"I'm trying to keep you alive!"

"Then why...your hand is...caressing my thigh?"

"I'm...trying to keep you warm."

"Per..vert."






"To be honest-

Eunbi paused.

“I was ."

Eunbi let out a small laugh.

Suddenly the older girl bit her lip, and her expression changed. She brought her hand to Sakura's back and slowly traced her bare skin.

"I can never forget our first night," She whispered.

"It was so beautiful."

Eunbi closed her eyes, trying hard to hold back her tears. All of a sudden the image of them together at the hotel appeared in her head.



"Will you really love me forever?"

"Forever and a day."



Eunbi can no longer contain her emotions. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She quickly wiped it with her hands.

The older girl slowly climbed down from the bed and stood by the sleeping girl. She can’t tear her eyes away from the beautiful girl. As if it was the last time she'll ever see her.

"F-Forgive me, I-

She paused to hold her tears.

"I can't keep my p-promise," she said, slightly sobbing.

She kneeled down by the bed, staring lovingly at the girl.

"You are the only one I love."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips gently on her lips. It was so gentle, their lips were barely touching.

Sakura stirred again.

"Eun..." she mumbled.

Eunbi wiped the tears that now won't stop rolling down her cheeks.

"G-Goodbye, napkin."



**



"Saku-chan, are you up yet?" the older sister, Rino asked before knocking on the door again.

She had been standing there in front of Sakura’s room since minutes ago. But there was still no answer.

"Hurry up, we have to get you ready," Rino said as she continued to knock on the door.

But there was still no answer. Sakura was supposed to get ready, it was her wedding day after all. The older sister gulped. Something doesn’t feel right. She grabbed the knob, and realized that it wasn’t locked. She pushed the door open.

She saw her younger sister, sitting on the bed. She was wrapped inside a blanket, hugging her knees and burying her face in tears. She slowly walked to wards her and sat by her side.

Sakura looked up and turned to her sister. Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been crying for hours.

"E-Eunbi, my Eun…. she left me…" she said, amidst her sobs.

Rino could feel her heart clenches inside. The sight of her crying sister was affecting her. She immediately threw her arms around the younger girl’s body and wrapped her into her embrace. She rubbed her back and rocked her body back and forth. It’s how she used to soothe Sakura when she was crying, back when they were just little.

She wished she can say something to make her feel better, but she can't find the right words.

Sakura pressed her face on her sister’s shoulder.

"S-She really left me…"

The older sister continued to rub her sister's back, hoping that it will ease the pain somehow.

But Sakura continues to cry harder.

"Just hang in there," Rino suddenly said.

"If you believe that you and Eunbi are destined for each other, you two will still be together in the end."

Sakura stopped crying, confused with her sister's words. She was consoling her?

"No matter how long it takes," she continued.

Rino pulled away from the hug and stares at her younger sister.

"So don't stop believing."




**




"Wow, she looks so beautiful!"

Sakura was wearing a white wedding dress while being surrounded by her relatives. Among them, there are some that she never even met before. They're just here because Sakura is getting married with someone famous.

Rino held tight to her sister's hand, trying to calm her down. It’s the only thing she could do for her younger sister at the moment, though she wasn’t sure if it helps. But feeling Sakura’s hand squeezing her back make her feel relieved. She knows that her sister was grateful for her being there.

"You’re so gorgeous," Minju said, her voice slow but Sakura heard it.

Sakura gave her a faint smile. The younger cousin reached for her free hand and held it tight.

Don't worry, unnie.

"Are Hyewon and Yena here yet?" asked Sakura suddenly.

Minju gulped.

"I-I don't know," she answered nervously. The question took her by surprise.

Sakura looked at her cousin, noticing that she was acting a bit unusual. Feeling eyes on her, Minju quickly let go of Sakura's hand.

“Ah!”

“What?”

"I-I have to go, Chaewon is looking for me," said Minju as she pointed at her phone.

The girl smiled awkwardly at her before turning around and left the room. Sakura was left puzzled.

The phone didn't even ring..

"Congratulations," a voice said in Japanese.

Sakura turned to the direction of the voice and found a young woman smiling at her. She was smiling as if they had known each other before. But Sakura couldn’t recall anything. As she was confused, the girl suddenly hugged her.

W-Who is she?

When they parted, Sakura smiled at the stranger.

"You don't remember me?" she asked, a bit disappointed.

Sakura shook her head, "I’m sorry."

She sighed, "I'm Juri. Takahashi Juri."

Sakura tried to recall the name in her head.

Juri sighed again, "I was your neighbor when you lived in Japan."

Sakura continued to stare at the girl, trying her best to recall the memory.

"We were best friends when were 10!" she added.

Sakura looked at her blankly.

Juri?

Oh Juri!

And then it slowly comes back to her.

"Ah Juri-chan!" she shouted.

"You finally remember?!"

"It's been a long time since we last met!" Sakura said.

"We never met each other anymore since your family moved," Juri replied.

"Gosh, you grew… taller!"

Juri rolled her eyes, "Don't tease me."

The two young women held each other hands, and looked at each other. Sakura was still in disbelief that her childhood friend came. They haven’t met in more than 10 years. But Juri was her closest friend when she was growing up. They did everything together, and shared secrets.

"So you decide to marry a guy in the end, huh?" asked Juri suddenly.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "W-What do you mean?"

Rino who overheard it was surprised too. This kid knows?!

Juri looked at the sisters who kept staring at her with curious gazes.

"What are you talking about?" asked Rino, impatient.

Juri gulped, “Hey, I was only referring to your dreams when you were little.”

"My dreams?" asked Sakura, confused.

Juri nodded, "Don’t you remember? You told me that you've met your soulmate through your dreams. A girl."

Sakura gasped. A girl in my dream?

Juri sighed again, frustrated, "You even drew her face in a journal, and said that you wanted to marry her. You can’t stop talking about it almost every day. It was so annoying back then. Gosh, don't you remember anything at all?"

"I-I did?" Sakura asked, her eyes widen.

"Did you lose your memory or something?" Juri asked, confused.

"Is there anything else that you remember about the girl I told you about?" Sakura asked, desperate.

Juri looked down, thinking, "You told me her name. It was-

She paused, trying to remember.

"What was her name?" Sakura asked.

"It’s E… something."

Sakura and Rino looked at each other.

"Eun…

Juri paused.

"It’s E-Eunbi," Sakura said, her voice cracked.

"Yes! Her name was Eunbi!" Juri said, excited. But the second she turned to look at Sakura again, she was startled. Her old friend was on the verge of tears. Rino was holding tight to Sakura’s arm, but her face was pale, as if she just heard something shocking.

Juri cleared , "Hey, Saku-chan, are you okay?"

But suddenly Sakura fell on her knees.

Eunbi..

You are my soulmate..

Her older sister kneeled down beside her, "Sakura…"

The relatives started to gather around the crying bride.

"That's why…" Sakura muttered to herself.

Rino was still stunned, she froze, and her