As Hitomi gets ready for her third date with Chaewon tonight, there is an unmistakable loss of the fluttery feeling that comes with the prospect of meeting her. The confrontation with Minjoo lingers at the back of her mind and the love triangle that Hitomi always thought would be in the background has moved to the foreground. 

Hitomi freezes when she arrives. Chaewon is waiting for her at the spot where she had left off the other night; instead of the leather jacket, tonight she has chosen a blue striped shirt along with her black jeans. They had agreed to complete what they planned to do: stargazing. When Chaewon notices Hitomi, she leads with a gentle smile that was missing this morning in school. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Hitomi brings herself back to the familiar tingles that are associated to being with Chaewon.

“I brought us some snacks and I am not too sure what drink you would like so I guessed?” Chaewon raises the plastic bag she is holding and Hitomi spots two green drinks. “Matcha latte for you and mint chocolate for me. Is that alright?”

Hitomi nods fervently. Even with a guess she got it right. 

They trek up the small hill with Chaewon guiding her every step of the way. It is not a long walk before they reach the clearing. Hitomi notices the fair amount of infrastructure in this somewhat secluded hill and Chaewon seems to understand her interest. “In the daytime people do come up here to run since it isn’t too steep and somewhat close to the city yet far enough to feel nature.”

“I can see why. It is so calming here.”

Chaewon smiles, glad to see Hitomi’s shoulders loosening somewhat. She had observed Hitomi’s posture from when they first met, sensing that her fight with Minjoo is still bothering the Japanese girl. “We can sit here.” Chaewon guides Hitomi to the bench that faces away from the city to an open space of greenery which they can’t make out given how dark it is out here. However it is this darkness that enables them to see the stars above. “Woah… you are right. You see more stars here than in the city.”

Hitomi takes a sip of the drink Chaewon had bought and stops to think about the present situation. This date with Chaewon under the stars amidst nature where there is no one else is one of the most romantic set up Hitomi can imagine. She thinks back to the nights she spent fantasizing about something like this and now, a hard to ignore bittersweet feeling creeps up. 

“Chaewon unnie.” Chaewon turns over to the girl who called her. 

“Tonight is our third date right?”

Chaewon is not sure where Hitomi is going with this but the reminder that it is already the third hits Chaewon. She never thought when she said yes it would lead to three. Chaewon nods, awaiting Hitomi to continue.

“H-how do you feel about it?” Hitomi cannot help but stumble. She is nervous because she was hesitant to ask but it is an answer she desperately wants.

“I have been enjoying it.” Chaewon isn’t lying because their time spent was more pleasant than she expected.

“But that is all to it, isn’t it?” The agent’s answer tonight is not a ‘no’ but Hitomi can’t ignore how it isn’t a ‘yes’ either. 

Her follow up question is heavy but that is because it carries Hitomi’s feeling of defeat. She left the mansion feeling resentful, determined to keep the budding relationship working if Chaewon continued to say yes - after all why should Minjoo be given the chance if Hitomi was the one who found feelings for Chaewon first. She doesn’t want to be the hurt one in the love triangle. Yet when she saw Chaewon at the start of this date, Hitomi wondered if persistence is the answer. There were so many signs today from the way Chaewon lingers her eyes on Minjoo for the entire duration of the class to her expression when Minjoo left for recess with Yena. Ignoring the two points in the triangle, there is still a third and that is Chaewon and for Hitomi, she matters. 

Chaewon keeps her silence because she cannot deny the truth in Hitomi’s question. It seems like the third date is all she can get to. 

 “I am sorry unnie for bringing this heavy mood.” Hitomi realises what she has caused.

“No, don’t. It is fine.”

“Everything is always fine for you. You are so considerate and I did fall for you for a good reason. But I guess this is all it is right?” She looks at Chaewon and she knows, three dates barely wavers Chaewon’s feelings for Minjoo and the thing is, Hitomi doesn’t know how many or even infinity would ever do. 

Hitomi takes in a deep breath before she continues, “I truly enjoyed it too, unnie. Thank you for trying even though I am not the person you want to be on a date with.” 

“Hito-”

Hitomi shakes her head, determined to finish her words. She had her chance. Past tense even though she is living in the present as she clutches onto the drink Chaewon bought for her - the sweet taste is the only thing giving her comfort tonight. She never thought that she would be the one to end things. 

“I thought I had a taste of escaping the nonreciprocal longing but I am just deluding myself. For what is worth, I am glad one of us got out of it.”

Chaewon is confused but Hitomi only smiles knowingly. Moreover, she has one selfish request left for the night. “Is it okay to ask if you can hug me?”

Chaewon’s confusion is overridden by surprise but she knows it is something she cannot deny and really, she doesn’t want to. Could she have loved this girl? Chaewon will never know but what is clear is that she is a person she treasures. Chaewon opens her arms and wraps them around Hitomi’s small frame, allowing the Japanese girl to put her head on Chaewon’s shoulder. Hitomi takes in Chaewon’s minty scent as her thoughts settle in her mind.

The longing she has for the supposed unreachable was momentarily quenched and that will be all she can take her comfort in. 

-- 

Sakura stretches her upper body after she has completed another round. She casually clicks on her phone’s lock screen, 11.12pm. She doesn’t even get surprised anymore at how time really passes when she is gaming. Thankfully there is still this outlet she can turn to to take her mind away from things she doesn’t want to think about. Though briefly at the start of her session, Sakura was pissed at the noise disruption from the sound of the grass cutting. To a gamer, the full experience matters: from the feel of the keyboard buttons to the sensitivity of the mouse, the quality of the visuals and of course, the specifics in the sound. If any of them are interrupted, Sakura’s gaming experience falls. Thankfully, the grass cutting today was much shorter because she nearly thought her one stress reliever would be disrupted and is thankful that it didn’t. 

Just then, her stomach growls and she remembers her mother’s words. “Please have your dinner. There’s kitchen staff so there is no excuse to miss your meals.” Sakura leans back. Calling the kitchen staff to prepare her meals feels odd for Sakura who grew up not getting that luxury. She wonders if she can get permission to cook her own meals. Maybe if I play the principal card like Minjoo. 

Sakura slowly pushes the kitchen door open, popping her head in to check if anybody is still working. For a second she doesn’t see anybody but Mrs Yoon suddenly stretches up from behind the counter. The older lady groans as she straightens her body. “Ah, I thought I heard somebody. Miss Sakura, finally hungry for your dinner?” Mrs Yoon smiles and from afar Sakura can see the wrinkles deepening on the lady’s face. 

“I wanted to cook myself some ramyun, is that okay?” She asks sheepishly, feeling odd in this kitchen. To her surprise, the older lady agrees readily; Sakura really thought she had to put up more of a fight to be able to get her hands cooking.

“It is your house after all, you can do whatever you like. Ramyun’s over here.” Mrs Yoon brings Sakura over to the cupboard and unveils a wide variety of ramyun options. “We have a lot since Minjoo and the agents like having them. Plus there is the benefit when the family owns some of the brands. Oh! Your favourite one isn’t here.”

Sakura stares confused at the older lady. She doesn’t know she has a favourite and Mrs Yoon is amused by Sakura’s reaction. “Remember when you and your friends had ramyun one night? They recommended a brand and you loved it so much you had two packs?” 

Sakura’s eyes widen when she recalls just that. She had instant noodles her whole life, just not one as good as that. Sadly, her smile doesn’t stay long when the disappointment sets, until Mrs Yoon starts scrambling over to the other side of the kitchen. Sakura winces slightly when she sees the older lady bending down again but Mrs Yoon’s happy squeal refocuses Sakura entirely. “I thought I remembered wrongly! Seems like you have your ramyun tonight after all!” She shows Sakura the packets. “I was busy this afternoon when Captain came in with these so I absentmindedly kept them.” 

“Captain?” Sakura isn’t sure if she is hearing things but Mrs Yoon’s nod confirms it again. “So thoughtful of her to buy more when she knows they are finished. She doesn’t even eat these! So, you wanted to cook right? You can use the stove over there.”

Sakura’s body moves automatically to Mrs Yoon’s instruction as her mind is preoccupied. Is it just a coincidence? There’s greed in wanting to think it is not - that Eunbi bought it because the house ran out and she knows Sakura likes it so she got more - but Sakura’s rational side is telling her to snap out of it. It is just a coincidence, she chants to herself.

“You alright on your own?” The older lady watches as Sakura sets the water boiling. “I am going to prepare to head home.”

Sakura nods. “Do you always head home this late?” She politely strikes a conversation.

“Most of the time I leave at 9pm but I let the younger ones leave first today. They should get nights off earlier so they can go out and date or whatever. This old lady doesn't need to especially when her husband could knock off early today, I don’t have to worry about him. Strange for Captain to ask him to skip t the grass on a particular area today though…” Mrs Yoon leaves her pondering aside to continue tidying up but she leaves Sakura in a deeper thought.

T grass…? Sakura’s heart starts pulsing quicker. “Your husband, he works here too?”

Mrs Yoon nods, “The Kims are very nice to hire my husband and I and for such a long time giving us good pay and benefits. It is hard to find such good employers and because of them, we are able to send our kids through college. This is also why we love working for the family so much and I treasure that little Kim like my own child.” 

Sakura didn’t hear much of Mrs Yoon’s words after the first confirmation because Mrs Yoon unknowingly just dropped an information bomb on her - Eunbi asked the gardener to stop t the grass outside her room this afternoon. Sakura was going to get really upset at the uncontrollable circumstance (she would never have found the balls to tell someone to stop doing their work, especially when she still feels foreign to most of the staff here). Yet Eunbi was actually the one who helped appease that - unknown to Sakura… until now. 

“Are you ready to go Mrs Yoon? Lightning is waiting out front.” Eunbi bursts into the kitchen with a bowl in one hand and Sakura freezes in her spot. Eunbi is likewise shocked to see her until Mrs Yoon screams over.

“Miss Sakura! Your water is boiling!” 

She quickly turns to the pot in front and lowers the heat. Her mind is in places from the discovery and then to Eunbi’s appearance, she can’t think properly about cooking her noodles. 

“Would you like for me to cook it before I leave?” Mrs Yoon offers, already putting her bag onto the counter top but Sakura immediately refuses. 

“It’s okay Mrs Yoon. It’s very late, please head home and have a good rest. I’ll be fine.” Sakura puts on a reassuring smile, as steady as she can despite the racing mind. 

Mrs Yoon looks warily before Eunbi chimes in. “Yes Mrs Yoon, you had a long day already. I’ll be here, it's alright. Lightning is waiting.” Eunbi’s words seem to reassure the older lady because she picks up her bag, pats Eunbi on the shoulder before leaving Eunbi and Sakura alone in the kitchen.

“I’ll be fine.” Sakura says in a low tone as she pretends to busy herself with the noodle - though there isn’t much she can do now aside from opening the packet to throwing the noodle in and waiting.

“I know.” That is all Eunbi says as the agent casually walks over to the basin. She coolly faces her back to the principal while washing the bowl she came in with. But it is Sakura who now can’t take her eyes o