“Morning, girls!”

“Someone woke up on the right side of the bed.” Sakura lazily yawned. “I wish I had the same energy.”

“What’s happening here?” Minju entered next. “Why is the room so gloomy?”

“The works drained my soul. I don’t think I can function right now.”

“Maybe you should rest first, Saku. Let us do the tasks.” Min suggested. “Have you had any breakfast?”

“Err, some piece of bread I found on the ref.”

“And you, Nako?”

“Oh, I’m going to grab some tea.”

“Good! What tea?”

“Yours.” Nako smugly smiled before pulling her chair towards the girls. “So… What’s the decision? To date or not to date?”

“Yah! It’s early in the morning!” Sakura hit Nako with a magazine. “Let Minju breathe.”

“Sakura, I live for the gossips. I’m Sooyoung, just the cleaner version.”

“Well, actually, I haven’t decided yet.” Minju admitted. “I don’t really know… You guys said listen to my feelings but it’s like there are two sides fighting inside me. What should I choose?”

“Depends… Who’s winning?” Sakura finally joined the chat. 

“Not sure. If I could only know then I wouldn’t have to ask.”

“Also, that’s wrong, listening to who’s winning.” Nako rebutted. “What if that’s winning only because you’re in denial, or because it’s less complicated?”

“If your brain is not helping you, then I think you should not think about it.” She continued. “You should… Feel it.”

“What d’you mean?”

“Something like… Signs.”

“Signs? Like what, compatibility of our zodiacs or-”

“No, not that kind of signs! I mean… A feeling. Yeah, any unusual feeling you’ll suddenly feel while looking at her or being with her.”

“Huh? Well, what if I thought it’s the butterflies but it’s just a stomachache? What about that?”

“Gosh, Minju…” Nako already gave up. “Just… Feel it! You’ll be able to figure that out some time, trust me.”

“My head is aching more because of you two, I’m out.” Sakura stood up. “Just gonna grab some coffee. I’ll be back.”

The gal went out to their food bar when a pair of hands covered her eyes. 

Sakura smiled. “I told you it’s already so used, Hye-”

She removed the hands and was caught off guard to see her girlfriend. “... Chae.”

“What were you about to say?”

“Oh, uh, nothing.” Saku nervously chuckled. “Why? You need something?”

“Nothing… I just missed you.” Chaeyeon grinned from ear-to-ear. 

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Last time we met each other was not even 24 hours ago.”

“Still…” Chae pouted. “So, how’d you got home? You got a cab easily? Or by train?”

Hyewon insisted on giving me a ride.

“B-By a cab. I used an app on my phone.”

“Good. I got worried yesterday-”

They were interrupted by a person entering the tiny room. “Oops, sorry.”

“... Hyewon?”

“Hey, Chae.” The architect responded. 

“You’re… Back.”

“You bet I am. I already resigned from the past project so yeah,” Hye explained. “Morning, Saku-chan.”

“M-Morning.” 

“I guess you’ll start working here again?” Sakura felt Chaeyeon’s protective arms on her waist. “We’ll be glad to work with you again. Me and my… Girlfriend.”

“Sure, I’ll be happy to collaborate with you two again. You and…”

Hyewon faintly smiled.

.

.

.

“... Your girlfriend.”

************

“Hi.” Yujin timidly greeted the daydreaming Min.

“H-Hi! Hi…” Minju said back.

“Uh, mind if I sit with you?”

“Hmm? Of course, not,” The frog answered, moving her food tray a bit. “Here.”

Yujin took a seat in front of her after she rested her own tray on the table. “Thank goodness.”

“For what?”

“For this.” Yujin replied. “I really thought we’ll be really awkward with each other after I… you know… yeah.”

“I thought so, too. I mean, we were really conscious yesterday but I think we just need to take things as adults. I think we’re both mature enough to do that, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, I agree… Guess that’s how it works,” Yujin smiled. She then grabbed a bit from her burger. “So… What’s wrong?”

“What?”

“You’re not yourself the whole day, Min.” The manager replied. “You were not listening the whole meeting, and sometimes you’ll just space out for no reason. Nako and Sakura are worried ‘cause you might be having a hard time. If it isn’t too personal, can you share it with me? I want to help you in any way I can.”

“Uhm, it’s nothing really. Just…” Minju bit her lip and tapped her right feet lightly on the cold floor.

“Just?”

“Just… Would you tell someone the truth even if it’ll hurt them?” The analyst finally let out. “And you know that there’s a possibility that they won’t be able to handle the truth? I want to tell her what she needs to know but… I’m afraid she’ll end up like…”

“... Like who?”

“Like the young me.”

“What? In what way?” Yujin wants to know more but she figured that this is the boundary of what Minju permits her to know. 

“Okay, okay, I understand, I’m sorry for intriguing you.” The manager apologized. “If you’re going to ask me… Yes, I would- I mean, I should. Everyone deserves to know the truth, especially if it’ll affect them. You won’t want them to lose trust when they found out that you hid it. Though it’ll be hard, you need to do what’s fair.”

“Even if she’ll be heart broken?”

“Even if.” Yujin’s principle still stands.  “It might be difficult, but you’ll be there for her, right? Whoever she is, as long as she has someone who can completely understand her, and will never make her feel like what she negatively thinks, then it’ll be fine.”

The taller then grabbed her fork, dipped its end in the sauce, tasted it and bitterly smiled.  “She has to face her own truth, and don’t be a coward like me.”

Minju’s face turned into a frown. “Yujin-ah…”

“Let’s face it, Min. I’m a coward who doesn’t want to face the truth, who wants to act like nothing dark happened in my past. Now, I’m left with nothing. All I know about myself is something I fabricated, something I adjusted to how I want people to see me. But did it work? No.”

“She has to know whatever the truth is, and learn how to accept and move forward. Because if she will treat it the same way I did, she’ll just realize that what you’ll do, the past will always haunt you.”

“I-I know that, Yujin, but… It’s just too hard for me. She’s very close to me and I don’t want to see her change because of it.”

The other gal heaved a deep breath. “Alright. If you can’t do it alone… Then let me go with you.”

“H-Hm?”

“I said, let me go with you. I won’t get too close if that’s what you’re worrying about. I just want to be there for you… Please, Minju.” 

Slowly, Yujin reached for Minguri’s right hand that was resting at the table. The girl was flustered but tried her best to hide it. 

“Lean on me, even just once.”

“I-I’m planning on talking to her later. I won’t force you to go but if you really want to-”

“Great,” Yujin smiled and looked at her sweetly. 

.

.

“... I’m in.”

************

“I… Thought we’re going to that person you need to talk to.” Yujin said, looking around the familiar alley they’re going in.

“We are…” Min answered, holding a paper bag of food. “We’re here now.”

The frog looked forward and saw the children playing. She used all her strength to smile and call them just like how she always used to. “Kids!”

“Minju noona!”

The boys dashed towards their favorite sister. Jaehyun was first and he quickly grabbed the paper bag before running back. “Thank you, noona!”

“Yah! Share it with the others, alright? You won’t want your brothers to be hungry.” Minju reminded him. 

She then looked around, sensing that something’s wrong. “Where are some of you-”

“Minju unnie! Yujin unnie!”

“Eunjin!” Minguri yelled, not in joy but in fear because the little kid just crossed the street nonchalantly, not minding the cars that may hit her, in excitement to see her big sister.

“Unnie-”

“Eunjin-ah!” Minju dropped down on her knees to check if the little lady got any injuries or wounds. “What did I tell you!? Never cross the streets alone, right? Why are you not obeying me!?”

Yujin, along with the other kids, were surprised to hear Minju furious. It’s her first time to raise her voice in front of them.

“I… S-Sorry, unnie… I’m just happy you are here…I won’t do it again, pinky promise.” Eunjin reasoned, lowering her head.

“I… ” Min immediately calmed down and hugged the girl tightly. “Forgive, unnie, please? I didn’t mean to scold you, I was just… scared. I’m sorry, Eunjin-ah.”

“Eunjin-ah! Who told you to leave alone?” Jinwoo, along with two more boys just arrived, panting a bit. 

“Where did you guys go?”

“I’m really sorry, noona. I got a bit of money from singing at the park, and I brought some of them to the bakery to buy bread. Eunjin got mad all of a sudden and ran to go home.”

“I… Okay, okay. Just next time be more careful, okay? You’re the oldest, you must guide them,” Minju said, tapping Jinwoo who’s full of guilt. “Don’t worry, it’s not your fault, alright? I just don’t want anything bad to happen to all of you.”

“I know, noona. I will be more careful.”

“Great. By the way, Jaehyun has the food. Eat it with the bread.”

They are all about to leave to share the food they have when the frog suddenly calls softly. “Eunjin… Eunjin, come here.”

“Why, unnie?”

“I, uh… Need to tell you something.”

That moment shocked Yujin. The girl Minju was talking about…

… was Eunjin.

“What is it?” The little girl asked, grabbing a big bite of her piece of bread.

“It’s about… It’s about your mother,” Minju started, trying her best to stop her voice from cracking.

“My mama?!” Eunjin dropped her bread in excitement. “Yena unnie found her? Yaaaay!!”

“Yeah,” Min emitted a low chuckle. “Yena unnie finally found her…”

“Can I see her now? I really miss her,” Eunjin pleaded. Her once empty eyes are now full of sparkle that Minju has never seen before. She doesn’t want to take that from the little gal…<