//

“i’ll be going now, eunbi unnie!”

“okay! get home safely and don’t forget what i said, kid!”

“i won’t!”

turning over her shoulder to give the store owner a final wave goodbye, minjoo exits the boutique with a sigh of relief. clocking out from work never fails to grant her the immense feeling of alleviation. she’s feeling extra merry tonight due to the praises of her constant hardwork bestowed upon her by eunbi, the boutique store owner.

aside from that, her brief conversation with the said woman earlier has greatly boosted her morale. talking (gushing) to eunbi about the acclaimed ‘fairy kim’ has become a norm between the two of them, though minjoo would make sure she doesn’t talk extravagantly about the said kim because she knows eunbi might just combust.

after all, the poor older woman has to constantly listen to minjoo’s incessant jabbering about chaewon almost every time she has a shift. despite that, minjoo is indebted to her because eunbi is always all ears when it comes to her hopeless, love-sick gabbing regarding her crush. 

prior to her clocking out, eunbi had given her the last push she desperately needed to finally act on her feelings.

“kim minjoo, my ears have suffered way too long having to listen to your endless chatter about this chaewon kid. so you better woman the hell up and unleash your feelings before it’s too late or you’ll be fired!” 

well let’s just say eunbi’s way with words is a little bit on the stern and rigid side but minjoo understands what she was trying to deliver nonetheless. minjoo doubts the last bit — about the possibility of her getting fired if ever she is unsuccessful in professing her feelings — but it’s better that she doesn’t jinx it.

(eunbi is unpredictable.)

the sudden, relentless, chilly breeze ramming into her body jolts her muscles awake, sending a militia of chills crawling down her spine. the air is frigid, enough to make an irking feeling thrive imperceptibly inside of her which eventually displaced the calming feeling she previously felt. 

minjoo embraces herself from the ruthless cold, cursing under her breath for wearing insufficient layers of clothes in this type of merciless weather. 

trudging her way to the 24 hour café near her unit (it’s also where sakura works at), minjoo’s mind began to swirl merely thinking about confessing to chaewon. 

she doesn’t think about the outcomes though, what matters is that she’s going to free her feelings and lift the humongous weight off her shoulders once and for all. 

tomorrow! i’ll tell her tomorrow. the voice in her head sounded peculiarly determined and brave.

but she’s unsure if she would be able to vent out her feelings physically without sounding like a broken record, having wobbly knees and clammy palms.

minjoo’s train of thoughts wandered further, after she confesses... then what? what about sakura’s game?

sakura.

thinking about her one-of-a-kind roommate, minjoo’s lips drew into a thin line. her pace abruptly slowed and her grip on the straps of her bag tightened. 

minjoo is aware of the undesirable outcomes of the game, yet she’s disappointed with herself for getting caught up in sakura’s uncanny web. she’s highly disappointed in herself because she had basically signed up to shatter her own best friend’s delicate heart— which doesn’t deserve to be taken for granted at any cost.

what was she thinking? 

minjoo raises her chin, the familiar café entering her sights, and she puts on a determined expression. 

she wants to put a stop to the game, it has to be the best decision. she doesn’t want to break sakura’s heart more than she already did (she’s aware). she’s decided, once she gets home, she’s spilling the beans to sakura without delay. 

it’s for the best. the voice in her head which once sounded courageous, turned wistful and weak.

minjoo puffs out, feeling worry, relief and anxiety all at once. she knows that it’s going to be hard for the both of them (harder for sakura), but it’ll all work out in the end. she just has to hope.

hope for the best even though it could also be the root of affliction.

she’s nearing the café, her steps airy and nimble, she’s contemplating about getting a delectable cup of hot caffé machiato. 

sounds delicious and relaxing. her mind enunciated gleefully.

she couldn’t wait to get coffee in her system after a demanding day. coffee, a beverage which is an exceptional blessing in disguise to the human kind, one that could eradicate the blues overpowering an individual.

however, the bliss was ephemeral. within a few meters away from the glass door, she halts her steps. sitting by the window in the café are chaewon and by the looks of her distinct chubby cheeks, hitomi. 

immediately, minjoo stood anchored to the ground. she’s robbed off her speech, the size of her eyes doubled and her muscles turned rigid. 

she would have been fine, would have carried on with her day if the pair was casually chatting away in the café by the big window.

but they aren’t, casual chatting doesn’t involve intertwining hands as if they’re lovers. casual chatting definitely doesn’t involve chaewon leaning over the table to caress her lips against hitomi’s.

it doesn’t. 

so when the back of starts burning as if set aflame, her breaths start quickening almost as if her lungs are running out of air, and blurriness starts to obscure her vision; she runs. 

she runs because she never knew her heart could be filled with this much grief. she runs because it just hurts so ing bad— because she’s foolish.

foolish because she dared to think of confessing the following day, foolish because she dared to think that she even had a chance in the first place. foolish to fall for someone whom she knew is out of her reach.

she runs as fast as her legs could carry her. her muscles are begging, imploring for her to stop but she doesn’t, she can’t, she won’t. her head is spiralling and she suddenly feels like throwing up. 

it wasn’t because of the fact that she was too late.

it’s simply because she never once stood a single chance in the first place.

///

sprawled on the sofa, sakura is in repose due to boredom when the abrupt resonance of the door bell jerks her whole being wide awake.

in a flash, she leaps off the sofa knowing who stood outside the door. she has memorised their schedules by heart to the point where she remembers the estimated time minjoo would arrive home. tonight, she was a little late.

all the while sakura is briskly walking towards the door, she’s wearing her usual small smile on her face which she would greet her roommate with whenever she comes home. 

“finally, you’re back- eh?! why the hell are you crying?!” 

when sakura swings the door open, she’s horrified and astonished to be greeted with a tear-stained minjoo. the redhead’s eyes are bloodshot red, rosy cheeks damp with tears and her whole body is trembling uncontrollably.

sakura’s brows corrugated in a deep frown seeing minjoo’s current worrying state. instantly, she’s overwhelmed with concern, anger slowly seeping into her veins when she starts to overthink the cause of minjoo’s tears. 

sakura pulls her in and shuts t