The Past is in the Past

"Where are you taking me?"

Chaeyoung dragged Mina into her house, past the living room, through a hallway, and stopped at the last door. Mina felt Chaeyoung's hesitation. She didn't know what the other girl was going to do next, but somehow she feels like she shouldn't be afraid.

After a few moments of Chaeyoung frozen in place, she finally got herself to grab a key from her pocket. She slowly inserted it through the doorknob and twisted it, unlocking the door. She grabbed the doorknob. Her hand lingered there for a while. Mina watched the whole game of hesitation play out in front of her. She wanted to ask what was going on, but Chaeyoung opened the door slowly which stopped her from doing so. Chaeyoung gently lead Mina into the room.

The walls were filled with shelves. On top of them were variations of pictures, figurines, and toys. In the middle of the wall they were facing hung two heavily damaged articles of clothing. Chaeyoung and Mina stood in the middle of it all. Mina looked around, her mind grasping the situation. She slowly scanned the shelves from left to right. They were a bunch of pictures of Chaeyoung, her mother, and her father. Mina's hand lingered on a worn down tiger stuffed toy. She noticed a picture of four people. She picked up the picture frame and observed closer. It was a panicking Chaeyoung holding a crying baby with their parents laughing beside them. She searched more. It was the only picture with the four of them in it.

Mina felt tighten. How much pain has she been through?

Mina slowly walked over to Chaeyoung who had her hand tucked in her leather jacket and her feet awkwardly tapping the floor. Mina slowly reached out to the shorter girl's face. Her left hand gently cupped Chaeyoung's cheeks.

"Chaeyoung.." Mina's sweet voice filled the silence of the room. Chaeyoung leaned in to her touch, feeling safe and secure with the girl in front of her. She's never felt this safe since the last time she talked with her parents. It's been so long, she thought.

"You didn't have to show me." Mina said. She felt like she was intruding into something very personal to Chaeyoung. Chaeyoung just shook her head and looked at Mina with glistening eyes.

"I wanted to show you. I want you to know who I really am and why I'm like this." Chaeyoung began. "I don't want to keep any secrets from you. I really like you Mina, I really do. And I'm afraid that my past would keep me from loving you." Tears started to fall from her eyes. Unlike all those years she cried alone, Mina was here to gently wipe away her tears and tell her that things are going to be alright.

Mina's heart swelled. She knew that Chaeyoung wasn't really the kind of person to share anything personal to anyone. But having the girl show the past that molded her into the person she is now, the past that haunted her and left her alone for all these years without anyone by her side, she felt honored and loved.

"No matter how dark your past is, I'll always love you for who you are." Mina Chaeyoung's wet cheeks one last time before placing a short but meaningful kiss on Chaeyoung's forehead. "I promise I'll never leave you."

Chaeyoung looked at her with hopeful eyes. She looked like a lost puppy who just found a new home. "Promise?"

Mina smiled. remembering how everything started with a pinky promise. "Pinky promise." She held out her pinky finger towards Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung couldn't help but laugh, tears still flowing out her eyes. She gave Mina a smile and kissed their linked pinkies.

"Pinky promise."