Eunha was sad. Her relationship didn’t go well. She just got to know that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend. Something that she never thought it would happen to her. She was on her working trip to Busan when she knew about it from her other best friend. It was not just tear her apart but also sickening knowing that her boyfriend and her best friend has been in a secret relationship for almost half of their relationship. She thought that she could never trust anyone anymore. But she didn’t know what to do. She really wanted to go back and catch them while they’re together and cut the relationship with both of them but it’s not that easy.

First, because she couldn’t leave Busan yet. Second, because her parents already met his boyfriend and expected him to propose to her soon. And the last was because she and that best friend of hers had been friends for more than 12 years. It was not that easy for her to cut her off of her life, but if she didn’t do it, it was not easy to see them together. Eunha’s head was on mess that night, so she decided to go the convenience store, bought 2 cans of beers for herself and walked around the beach which is located not too far from her accommodation.

While holding a plastic bag of beers on her right hand, Eunha walked along the part of the beach where the streetlight flashed on. There were some big stones around her. After walking around 500 meters, she saw something near the shore. It was not something but someone. Someone lying on the ground close to the water. ‘Is she dead?’ Eunha cannot see it clearly but she was sure it was a woman. A sudden fear crept into her. ‘What if it’s really a dead body?’ She thought of going back and call someone to check it out. But there was no one. And the closest place she had seen someone for the last time was at the convenient store quite far from where she was.

She took a lot of courage to get closer to the body. It didn’t move a bit. The woman put both of her hands on top of her forehead with both of her eyes closed. She might be realized someone was near her from the sound of the sand sinking beside her, she opened her eyes. ‘Oh she’s alive.’ Eunha thought. A bit surprised but more relieved.

“Thank god.” Eunha said.

The woman looked confused.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Ah no, I just walked around here and see someone lying on the ground. I just wanna see if you’re still alive or not.”

“...."

Eunha sat beside that woman. The woman didn’t move a bit.

“Beer?” asked Eunha while handing one of the beers she bought before to the woman. The woman just looked at the beer then to Eunha for some time without saying anything. Eunha just smiled at her and reach out her hand to the woman and gesturing that it's okay she can take the beer. The woman sat up and took it before she put it beside her.

Eunha opened hers and drank it while looking at the dark sea. They didn't talk for a while. Feeling quite safe, the woman also opened the can and drank the beer Eunha gave her. She took a good look at the can then at Eunha.

"Are you supposed to come here with someone?" She asked.

Eunha looked at her.

"No."

"Why did you bring two cans of beer?"

"I bought it all for me."

They fell into silence.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Eunha.

"Just laying down. I always come here, almost every night."

Eunha didn’t get a chance to see the woman’s feature better before because of the lack of lighting. But as they sat close to each other, Eunha could see it clearer. She has a very nice feature. She has this pointed nose and small lips. Her long hair came out from her black hoodie. Eunha was not sure if it was brown or simply dark hair.

“Something bothers you?” asked Eunha.

“Something bothers you?” the woman asked the question back to Eunha.

Eunha look away avoiding the woman’s gaze.

“Relationship problem?” she added.

Eunha nodded.

"You too?"

"No, my life in general."

"That's why you're here every night..." Eunha paused. "Do you live here?"

"Born and raised. Never been to any other place in my life."

"But you have no accent." Eunha noticed that the woman has shown no sign of accent in her speech. Not even once. It was quite unusual for someone born and raised in that city because her colleague who are originally from Busan have accent.

"My parents are from Seoul. I have no friends beside my TV and internet now. So pretty much sum up everything." The woman laid back to the ground.

Eunha followed her and laid on the ground with her hand behind her head. She could see the stars clearly. It’s weird, she thought that there was no star that night, but she could see plenty. It was more calming than she thought it would be. She understood why the woman likes to do this, but then when she looked at her, she just realized that she always closed her eyes. Laying side by side with that woman who was probably a few years older than her made her able to feel that woman’s scent. She smelled really good, the kind of smell that Eunha never smell before but felt so familiar. It brought some sense of calmness.

“My name is Eunha.” said Eunha. “What’s yours?”

The other girl hasn’t replied for a while.

“Sowon.”

Eunha didn’t say anything for a while, as if she was putting her words carefully.

“You know Sowon, I just got a call from my friend that my boyfriend cheated with my best friend.” she paused. “I’ve been with him for 3 years and they have been together for more than a year. Almost half of our relationship is full of lies. Can you imagine that?"

Eunha’s eyes started to feel heavy. Her voice shaken a little when she said the last sentence. But Sowon didn't answer.

"ing bastard." Shouted Eunha while lifting her body to sit. "AAAAAAA!" She shouted and took out all of her anger at once.

Sowon didn't move a bit.

"Sorry, I need to release all my anger." said Eunha realizing that she probably shocked Sowon with what she just did.

"It's okay. Go on."

Eunha continue shouting her heart out loud. As loud as possible as if her voice would reach her boyfriend. Eunha usually is a calm person. That was probably the first time she ever shouted so loud.

"Just leave him." Sowon said.

"I want it too but I still have to stay here for a few days and I don't want to break up through phone. I want to catch them being together and shout to them about what they’ve been doing to me all these times, so everyone knows how terrible they are."

"And then what? It won't change the fact that they were together and might be together after you leave." she said. "And I’m pretty sure your mind will change if you wait until you get back."

Those words got into Eunha. Sowon’s probably right. She might forgive her boyfriend and trying to find a way to keep both him and her best friend. But breaking up through phone really against her principles. She took out her phone and look at it for quite a while. Then she turned her head to look at Sowon. Eunha flinched. She was surprised to see the girl was also sitting and looking at her.

“Gosh! You almost make my heart jump.” Eunha said. “I thought I’ve seen a ghost.”

Sowon didn’t say anything.

“What?” asked Eunha.

“Nothing.” Sowon laid back down to the ground.

Eunha understood that Sowon didn’t do anything but somewhere somehow from her action was making her think that she mocked her for not being able to even press call. It was probably only happened in her head, and what she wanted to think about the situation only. Nevertheless, Eunha was triggered. She unlocked her phone and open the dialer before finally called her boyfriend. There was no answer for a while. It was quite normal because it was already late and her boyfriend has probably sleeping. Eunha thought that it was probably a good thing. She was actually afraid if her boyfriend picked up the phone. She wouldn’t know what to say.

Then, just before the last dial, someone picked up the phone. It wasn’t her boyfriend. It was a woman. Her voice was familiar even though it was clear that the woman picked up the phone half awake. Eunha recognized it. Her best friend.

“Halo? Who’s this?” she said.

Panicked and shocked, Eunha didn’t say anything for a while.

“Halo?” she repeated.

“Suyeon.” Eunha said when she finally got control of herself.

The sound of the girl’s gasping can be heard over the phone. She was probably surprised and realized that she was picking up Eunha’s call from her boyfriend’s phone. There was no response from the other side but there were some noises.

“Ehemm…” his boyfriend cleared his throat. “Halo.” he said

“What is Suyeon doing with you at this hour?”

“Ah...uhh...you must’ve misheard it. It’s not Suyeon.”

“Oh, then was it another girl in your bed?”

“Uhm... it was me. I was half awake so my voice was kinda change.”

“Pffft…don’t be ridiculous. You really think I’m that stupid, huh? That’s why you cheated on me with her for almost half of our relationship?” Eunha's heart started to boil. "Some people are really shameless."

"How..."

"How do I know? That's none of your business."

"Listen to me first."

"What? What do you want to say? It's all just a mistake? Put this on speaker."

"But…"

"I said, put it on speaker! I want Suyeon to hear it too."

There were a few moments of silence. But Eunha knew that her boyfriend did what she told him to do. He put it on speaker.

"I can't believe you do this to me. Of all people in the world...do you really have to ruin my relationship?? We were best friends for Christ sake!" She paused. She almost burst. She might already burst, if Sowon didn't hold her hand. Eunha was surprised, she looked at Sowon. It lasted for quite a while before she turned her head and speak on the phone again.

"I was there a few years back then in school when people spread rumors about you and accuse you for something you didn't do. I was the only one on your side. Even until the recent things when I had to drive you for 4 hours in the middle of the night because you got a call that your mother was sick." Eunha can feel Sowon's grip to her hand tighter. "How could you?"

"Eunha I'm sorry...I really am… but it was just..."

"What? What is it? Is it a misunderstanding that you are on the same bed with my boyfriend now? Picking up my boyfriend’s call?"

Silence crept between them.

“Let’s break up. Me and you guys. I don’t want to hear anything from any of you anymore.”

“Can we…”

“I’ve heard and know enough. Good bye.”

Eunha hang up the phone. Put it down on her side. And started crying. Crying as much and as loud as she could. She didn’t think about anyone or anything else. She only wanted to let it out.

Sowon cried a lot in her life secretly for many reasons, mostly because nothing ever goes well in her life and she was tired, but that night, for the first time she felt like crying for something else. That night, when she thought that she no longer has a space for emotion in her life, something comes up to the surface of her dry heart. As if it was awakened from its long sleep, as if it was finally found its way…Sowon’s heart shaken.

She let go of her grip to Eunha’s hand. Taking it to her chest before moving it slowly to wrap Eunha’s shoulder. Pulling the shorter girl close to her arms and let her head leaned on her chest. The dark night on the beach that was usually filled only with cold wind suddenly felt a little warmer. The thought of running to the middle of the dark sea when horizon was not so visible slowly disappear from Sowon’s mind. It made her a little bit scared. The whole feeling of wanting to keep living made her scared.

‘What if I can’t handle this feeling?’

‘What if I can’t meet the expectation this feeling gave me?’

She wanted to let Eunha go from herself and keep the distance so maybe the feeling would disappear but the more she tried to do it the harder she wanted to hold the smaller girl. She was just a stranger to Sowon. Someone she knew for only probably an hour. It all didn’t make any sense for her.

Time passed for Sowon didn’t know how long. But there was no more sound or movement from the girl in her arm. So, she moved her head to check on her. She was already asleep. ‘yeah, it must be tired crying that hard.’ She thought.  She slowly put her down on her lap to get a better position. Trying to be as careful as possible so she didn’t wake her up. She wanted to cover Eunha’s body with something but she didn’t have anything so she just rubbed both of her hand together to make it warm and put one of it on Eunha’s hands. Looking at the smaller girl’s side profile, it made Sowon realized how beautiful Eunha actually was. She couldn’t understand how a guy could do that nasty thing to her.

‘It was definitely his lost.’

She lied back down again and looked at the stars. There were so many of them that night. Probably the sky has the most star that night. She suddenly didn’t feel lonely anymore. She tried to find the constellations like her teacher used to tell her but she could never find one. Everything looked the same for her. She stared at it for so long she didn’t realize she fell asleep too. But not for so long. At least not as long as Eunha.

The sun was slowly rising. It would be clear in a bit and people would start coming. It was her time to go. So, she sat up and remove her feet from Eunha. Again, she did it so careful the other girl didn’t even realize something was moving. She looked at the sleeping girl once again before she left. She really wanted the best for her and that she would find someone to replace that man as soon as possible. As a goodbye to her short-time friend that she had after a while, she kissed Eunha’s forhead.

“Good luck.” She said with all her sincerity and left the place.

Eunha was still sleeping until a few minutes after Sowon was gone. She opened her eyes slowly as the light had come and shone her. She could see the blue sea and the horizon clearly now. She sat up on the white sand trying to recognize the things around her and found 2 empty cans of beer. But she didn’t find the girl that was with her last night. The long-haired girl with a hoodie. So, she started to look around farther. There were already some people came at the beach but none of them was Sowon.

For Eunha that morning, the fact of her ending the relationship between her and the two closest people in her life suddenly just not a burden anymore. For her that morning, she just wanted to find Sowon. She hadn’t said anything to her. Thank you, for example, for helping her getting through that horrible moment. For lending her a shoulder to cry on.  For – even though she couldn’t be 100% sure – lending her a lap to sleep on.

She stood up straight and started to run around the neighborhood. Hoping that the tall girl hadn’t left too long and still somewhere nearby.  She went around and around but couldn’t find her.

‘I guess this is it. I’ll never meet her again’ she thought. And strangely for her as the thought came to her mind, she also felt a big fear came along with it. Why did she feel like that? She just did. She couldn’t find any reasoning. ‘I should go back.’ She said to herself at last knowing that it was probably her time to prepare to work.

So, she took a turn from where she was and walked back. One step, two step and after another few steps right when she passed a junction, something tickled her feeling. She turned to her left and found a tall girl with a hoodie at the end of the road to her left. She quickly changed her course to the woman’s direction. Just the right time before she turned to another direction, Eunha shouted,

“Sowon!”

She waved her hand.

Sowon stopped and turned her head to the girl who called her. She saw her waving and jumping with a big smile on her face. She reciprocated with giving the smaller girl a little wave with her left hand. Without her notice, she also gave her a little smile on her face.

The smaller girl came run to her.

“Give me your phone.” She said.

“What?”

“Your phone.”

Sowon took out her phone slowly from her pocket. Without taking a lot of time she grabbed the phone from Sowon’s hand and started typing her number. She dialed it until her phone rang then gave back the phone to Sowon.

“That’s my number.” She said. She looked at the taller girl that was also looking at her.

Eunha just gave her another big smile then left the place without saying anything. Sowon stared at her back that was getting farther and slowly disappeared. But then her phone rang.

“Thank you.” Eunha said soon as Sowon picked up her phone. “And sorry because I need to go now. But…you said you never leave this place, right?” the taller girl didn’t give any answer and just listened to Eunha’s voice carefully. “Do you want to have the adventure with me? Start from lunch. I’ll wait you at a restaurant around Gukje at 1PM. How about that?”

There was a quite some time before Sowon answered.

“Okay.”