After her first meeting with Ms. Kang, Dahyun left with mixed feelings. It was the weird nice feeling of sharing her feelings and thoughts with someone. Sharing them without any malicious intent. And she would do it every week for a while. That thought definitely still scared her in a way, but she was ready to commit. She was also kinda ashamed at the same time. Because she decided to go there only to make Rosé come back. And she knew that it was not the solution to it. But at least, she really decided to frequent the sessions. Her original goal surprisingly worked out pretty soon. When Rosé actually showed up at her house two days after. The first minute was awkward. They were just standing on each side of the door and were avoiding eye contact. The tension lasted for as long as Dahyun didn't see Yeri's head peek from behind a bush. 
"Am I to assume Yeri dragged you here?" Rosé snorted and looked behind with a smirk.
"And Chaeyoung. I think they were ready to kidnap me. But I actually am here because I want to." Dahyun smiled softly at the comment. That was the moment she has been waiting for the past month. But considering how they left things off, she could only act a bit distant until they both apologized. So she welcomed Rosé inside and lingered in her spot for a moment to see Yeri and Chaeyoung trying to sneak close to the door. She waved at them and then closed the door. She knew they would walk in anyway. 
Rosé was already waiting for her in her room. Standing in the middle and playing with the button on her jacket. And when Dahyun walked in silence ensued again. The thing that helped them get the tension down at that time, was their joined voices. They tried to start at the same time and it made them chuckle. Rosé gestured for Dahyun to continue, but she shook her head. So Rosé prepared herself for her speech.
"I know that it's been a month. And I am probably the worst person at apologies. I am sorry. I know I was rude and my words hurt you. And I admit that was my intention. But I didn't want to truly end our friendship. I just wanted you to get help. I am seriously proud of you for meeting Ms. Kang. I hope it was fine." Considering that Rosé has never apologized, Dahyun could feel the sincerity. She wasn't even angry about the things Rosé had said. They were all true. But she was upset. Dahyun took a deep breath and began her apologies.
"I am sorry as well. I am a honestly. But I know why you have said all of that. And it was all true. So I want to change. I won't be back to the old me, but at least I won't be full of hatred. I actually think it was okay. Ms. Kang is really nice and it's not that hard to talk." Rosé's face brightened upon hearing that. And Dahyun has achieved her goal. She probably had to be honest with her. "But, I have originally planned to agree to the therapy just so you come back. I want to continue though. It's better than I thought." 
"Of course. I am glad that at least it's not the reason anymore. And you were honest." Dahyun nodded to confirm what she said. But Rosé didn't seem like she was done. And it unsettled Dahyun. "What about Sana?" 
All the good thoughts she had vanished and she didn't feel like talking anymore. Rosé sighed when she saw the scowl on Dahyun's face. But it was not surprising. She would be hoping for the impossible.
"What about her? I haven't seen her since that day." 
"Why?" Dahyun couldn't believe they were having that conversation. What was she even talking about? Sana was the last person she wanted to see again. So why would she seek her out? Rosé was just confusing her. 
"Are you forgetting what she has done? Why would I go to her? You were upset that I have gone to her the last time." Rosé rolled her eyes and it didn't make the situation better. Dahyun had made her decision. And she wouldn't want to change that.
"I didn't forget. But I have been thinking, if you really want to get rid of all those negative emotions, you should talk with Sana. And I don't mean make her feel like . I mean, try to learn her truth and maybe forgive her. I am not saying that you have to do it. Just try. It would make you feel better." Dahyun didn't want to listen to that. But she had to. But it didn't sound appealing at all. She didn't need to forgive her. She didn't forgive those guys either. It was enough that she showed mercy when she didn't sue her. 
"I don't want to. I don't need to. I don't have to acknowledge her existence anymore. Let's just forget Minatozaki Sana exists and be at ease." Rosé gave up. There was no point in fighting again. She didn't want to lose Dahyun after all. And if Dahyun could somehow let go anyway, maybe she could let that be. 
"Fine. I still think you have taken a huge step." Rosé then embraced Dahyun to settle the things once and for all. And after a moment of silence, Yeri walked in yelling 'finally' and she put her arms around the two. And it was probably the second time Chaeyoung actually felt a bit better. It was a nice view after all. She could feel their relief and joy. But she also started wondering about Rosé's words. Would she feel better if she talked with Mina again? Or would it make things worse? She wanted to let go and finally get rid of that painting. If she was just honest with Mina and she heard honesty from her, maybe it could help. 
"Hey, bro. Come here." Chaeyoung looked at them with confusion. Dahyun was inviting her for a hug. Chaeyoung wasn't exactly used to hugs. She has kinda stopped giving them. And something about hugging them made her nervous. But they were truly trying to invite her. Yeri opened her arms as well. So Dahyun and her were waiting with smiles for her. 
"Come on. I swear we won't choke you. Rosé." Dahyun said the part to Chaeyoung with a smile but changed it into a glare for Rosé. The mentioned girl sighed heavily and slowly opened her arms. But the look on her face actually made Chaeyoung laugh.
"What's your deal?" Rosé ignored Yeri and Dahyun giggling beside her and just focused on Chaeyoung.
"You just look like you're in pain."
"Just accept the hug. I am generous." Chaeyoung didn't move for a few more seconds. But she finally joined the hug. It was a nice feeling. The one she missed. And she was finally able to experience that again. She hoped it would keep happening in the future as well. And that they would remain her friends. That was all she was asking for.

She didn't count the time that had passed since she first took her phone. Even though the clock was right in the left corner. She was fully preoccupied with thinking about her words. Words that she would use in a message to Mina. How was she supposed to just casually text her after that day? Chaeyoung didn't exactly remember what had happened after Mina dropped the bomb. She just vaguely remembered walking away after her sobbing had calmed a bit. Not even looking back. But she decided she needed to settle things with Mina. And get rid of the painting together with her feelings. Even if it would be easier to get rid of the painting. 
She had actually excused herself from meeting Dahyun, Rosé, and Yeri for that matter. She didn't tell them. It would just lead them into a fight. So she was alone with that. But finally, after hours most likely, she managed to type a simple message. Just asking if they could meet. And she tried not to overthink it and freak out because she might've written something wrong. And then she remembered that she should've called because Mina is blind. And she is a total idiot. And she had destroyed the chance she had forever. The thoughts stopped though, as soon as she saw a reply from Mina. She agreed. Chaeyoung couldn't believe it for a moment. But then she recovered from that and thanked Mina. Then she asked her to meet in an hour outside of the subway station they've met the last time. The last thing she did was to dress up and leave the apartment. Walking to her destination and wondering what she was supposed to say.

"Hey." Was the only thing Mina said so far but somehow it made Tzuyu feel like what would come next would be serious. "I know that we are having this tea date. But Chaeyoung wants to meet me and it's actually a big deal."
"Hold on. Chaeyoung? Since when are you talking with Chaeyoung?" Mina lifted her cup and started drinking to avoid speaking. Tzuyu rolled her eyes. But she waited in silence. There was no way Mina wouldn't explain that. And soon Mina put the cup down.
"Well, I didn't say anything because we all had a tense beginning. I have met Chaeyoung on a subway and we talked and we arranged a meeting. The meeting was great for the most part. Until I have told her that I am with Sana." It was probably all that Tzuyu needed to hear. Mina's tone was also very telling. She sounded sad. And it awakened something inside of Tzuyu.
"What has she done to you?" Mina actually lifted her head in shock and immediately shook her head. 
"No, it's not like that. I have broken her heart, Tzuyu. I am at fault here. I mean, you knew that she had a crush on me."
"A crush. Not that she actually had strong feelings for you. Why are you meeting with her now?" Mina thought for a moment. Chaeyoung didn't give her any reasons. So it would be wrong of her to speculate. She decided to shrug.
"I have no idea. But I want to know. And I want to somehow set things right. I have to tell her all the truth." Mina was sure of that. She would tell Chaeyoung what she was thinking back then. Definitely would make it worse, but Chaeyoung deserved the truth. 
"Alright. Where we have to go?" Tzuyu drank the rest of her tea and got up from the chair ready to leave.
"We? Tzuyu, you can't go. It's supposed to be just me." Of course. Tzuyu knew that, but she wanted to try. But still, she wasn't going to let Mina go alone. 
"I will be close somewhere. I will intervene if something bad happens." Mina scrunched her nose at the thought of Tzuyu barging in. But perhaps it wasn't a bad idea. She would feel safer that way. The last time she was left alone and she didn't know where she was. And due to her emotional state, she didn't think for a moment that she could use her phone to navigate. She must've looked comical. She didn't blame Chaeyoung for leaving though. It was probably the only right thing to do.
"Fine. I will tell you everything outside. I have to call Sana real quick." Tzuyu wasn't going to argue with that. But she imagined Sana hopping onto the first bus she could spot and go to the meeting place. That's why she would be there to stop her from doing something reckless. Tzuyu collected their cups and put them into the dishwasher as Mina dialed Sana in the living room. And once it was all done, they left.

Chaeyoung was waiting just outside the entrance and was agitated. She wanted to be done with it. And see if it all would work the way she wanted it to work. She ignored all the weird or concerned looks from other people and just focused entirely on what she was going to say. But when Mina actually appeared, she had an empty mind. Nothing that she rehearsed was left in her head. She managed to approach Mina though.
"Thank you for agreeing." That was an appropriate thing to say as the starter. At least that was what she thought. And Mina definitely didn't look like she was offended. 
"No, I think I should be thanking you for wanting to see me again." Chaeyoung didn't know how to respond to that. It was a big deal for her. But she didn't want it to be perceived as if she was taking pity on Mina.
"Eh, we should probably move somewhere else."
"Yeah." They were walking in silence. And the awkward air was most likely strengthened when Chaeyoung held unto Mina's sleeve. So Mina wouldn't get lost. But she tried not to think about that. She wanted to make things better between them. So she had to act it wasn't a big deal. Chaeyoung stopped them to spot their previous meeting took place. She wasn't sure why. But maybe it was the best choice. When she stopped them, she immediately let go of Mina's sleeve. Chaeyoung cleared , even though she had no idea what to say. Mina saved her from that though.
"I need to tell you something. You deserve to know the truth. And you will most likely hate me even more. But it is for the best." Mina's words and distressed voice didn't make things better. But Chaeyoung stayed quiet and let Mina talk. "I always knew that you had feelings for me. It wasn't hard for me to notice. And I was actually scared of anything. To tell you that I don't feel the same and spare you the heartbreak. Because I thought that you could just get over it after a while. And then... I thought I could fall for you as well. Because I was scared that Sana would not want to be with me. I hate that I did that. What was I even thinking? Everyone thought I was this perfect human being. But I chose to use you like that. I am sorry. You don't have to forgive me. I wanted you to know." Mina was met with silence. She hoped that Chaeyoung wasn't crying. But she probably was. And she could only stand there with her fists clenched. On the other hand, Chaeyoung was actually stunned. What Mina just confessed didn't sound like Mina at all. Mina was always thoughtful and she wasn't selfish. She couldn't believe it. So all that time, Chaeyoung wasn't being delusional that Mina was reciprocating her feelings. But... It was just a play. She didn't even know what she was feeling at that moment. It was a lot. She tried not to cry though and answer with anything.
"It's unbelievable. I would have never thought you would think of something like that. You made me think you like me back. I still didn't want to believe it, but deep down I thought so. God." Mina was a bit surprised that Chaeyoung's reply was that calm. She expected her to yell and cry. It was perhaps better without that. She thought for a few seconds and started her answer.
"I am sorry. I have done things that are not perfect at all. And I regret them all. I can't fix them. But I can try and make it up for them. I know you are incredibly hurt. But I think that the truth could help you to move on. I am sorry for all the pain I have caused you." Chaeyoung bit her lower lip to keep her emotions intact. It still felt surreal. But she had to accept it. And Mina always was right. She wanted to move on. It could help. Knowing that Mina had never loved her and just played with her feelings. It should make it easier. 
"I am glad you have told me. I definitely fell for you gradually. And then got stuck after the incident. I had never let go. I still love...loved you. I thought I was crazy." Chaeyoung stopped for a moment. She looked for a few seconds at Mina. It was fine to tell her. "You probably know I was always drawing you." Mina nodded slowly. Chaeyoung had thought that Mina never noticed. But of course, she did. "I e into a painting. And I still have it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't throw it out. Or destroy it. Because I was so hung up on you. I hope this will help. I don't want to feel like this anymore. I have been hurting the whole time, but it's the worst now." 
"My words don't hold any meaning to you, probably, but it's alright to be hung up on somebody. It's normal. It is hurtful though. And I hope this can truly free you. We won't meet, we won't speak, we won't call. You should take your time. You should take care of yourself. Do what you always wanted to. Make the best out of your days. And one day, you will look back and don't feel anything at the thought of me." Mina's words definitely held meaning to her. She needed to hear it from Mina. Chaeyoung believed her words. Even after she learned all of the not so great things. What she did next was also needed. She couldn't walk away without it. She slowly put her arms around Mina's waist and enjoyed the last time she would ever be close to her. Mina hugged her back and didn't let go until Chaeyoung didn't break the embrace. And after that, it was the time for their last words.
"Thank you, Mina. I wish you all the best with Sana. And I am sorry about the things that I have said to her. Maybe I should've talked first. Farewell."
"Thank you. I will tell her that. I wish you all the best on this new road. I hope it will be worth the wait. Farewell, Chaeyoung." And Chaeyoung walked away. With tears running down her cheeks. But it was fine. She would feel better one day. And, even though she felt horrible, she somehow felt like her heart was a little lighter. And it gave her hope. That she definitely needed. 
Mina stayed in her spot and wiped the tears from her eyes with her hands. She was sure Tzuyu would walk to her soon and it would be over. But she didn't expect to hear Sana's voice out of nowhere.
"Mina, oh my God. I was on the edge the whole time. I didn't know what she was going to do. But Tzuyu grabbed my arms and held them behind my back. Rude much. I couldn't move one millimeter. I didn't know we had a security guard with us. Was it fine? What did she say? I can still catch up to her and give her a lecture." What would Mina even do without Sana? She managed to cheer her up without even trying. She definitely owed Sana an explanation. After Sana would tell her what she was doing there.
"First of all, what are you doing here?"
"You literally called me and told me about it. I know how all the meetings with Chaeyoung went so far. I wasn't risking it happening again. But then you hugged and I thought that it was fine after all." Mina wouldn't call it fine. But it definitely wasn't bad. The best way to describe it was probably successful.
"I understand. It was successful. I was honest with her. I told her about the thing I did. That I played with her feelings. And she told me how she was feeling. And she walked away. Hopefully, she will be able to move on. And she is sorry for everything that she said to you." Sana trapped Mina's head between her arms and truthfully, slightly suffocated Mina with her chest. But Mina couldn't force herself out of the hold.
"Can any of you tell me what is exactly going on?" Tzuyu finally voiced her confusion. Mina was her best friend and it seemed like she didn't tell her everything. So they were going to have a long talk. A very awkward talk. And Mina explained everything when they were back at the house. Tzuyu couldn't help but knock Mina over the head after hearing her confession. If only her friend told her about it, she would've helped her. But Mina obviously, had to keep it hidden. Because she created it, so she had to deal with it. It could've been worse. So at least, that was a small success.

When she walked into her apartment, she didn't go into her room or the kitchen. She lied down on the couch in the living room and grabbed the TV remote. She was able to focus on a movie for once. She got the closure she needed and it calmed her thoughts. And after that, she was able to cook something. Without being distracted. She decided though, that she would tell the rest of the meeting. No matter how mad Dahyun would be. She needed their support for it. She wanted it. Also, for the first time, she didn't sleep at her apartment. She went to her parent's house and spent some time with them. On talking honestly. It was a good idea even if she ended up crying. At least she had their support as well. She went to bed and ended up playing on her phone until she felt sleepy. She still wasn't able to fall asleep easily. All the bad thoughts were the strongest then. So she still had to take the pills. But they worked well. Chaeyoung was able to sleep through the night. Even if she wasn't rested enough it was fine. It was a new day. It was a day to begin her new road. So after she left her parent's house, she went to meet the others. She set the meeting at Dahyun's house. Just to be safe. Mrs. Kim would probably interrupt if the situation was getting heated. And finally, she had found herself in front of Dahyun, Rosé, and Yeri. They waited patiently for her. After opening a few times and then closing it again, Rosé was fed up.
"Chaeyoung, I know we have time, but this is awkward. Come on, it's fine." Rosé was the most confusing person to her. Only she could say something in a rude tone and then switch to somewhat nice words. 
"I met Mina yesterday."
"You did what?!" Dahyun rose up from her bed and looked at Cheyoung as if she was crazy. That was expected, but it still made her feel nervous. On the other hand, Rosé and Yeri looked calmer and Yeri even tried to pull Dahyun back on the bed.
"Listen. I did it to get closure. I needed to settle things between us so I can truly move on. And it actually helped. I feel hopeful now. I even feel a tad bit better. She was honest with me and I was honest with her. No hard feelings. I think it was a good move." Dahyun still looked with disbelief at her, but she sat back down. Then she put her head into her hands. And let out a groan. It meant that she had accepted it. Chaeyoung was glad. She didn't elaborate on anything. She thought it was just between her and Mina. And it should stay that way. She hoped that Dahyun wouldn't ask for more information.
"So because Dahyun is having an existential crisis. We are glad to hear it. I think it was a good thing. It's usually best to resolve everything before moving on. You got this and you got us." Yeri smiled at her brightly and gave her a thumbs up. Chaeyoung smiled back and thanked her. It was a great thing to hear. She wanted them to be there with her. So she wouldn't be alone anymore.
"I am glad as well. If it helped then I don't mind. We will support you, bro." Dahyun finally collected herself and moved over to Chaeyoung and put her arm around her shoulder. It was still weird that it was going so well. Chaeyoung was totally ready for a fight. But maybe Dahyun was truly committing to the change.
"Alright. You know we are here for you. Don't be afraid to ever ask." She hoped she would get used to Rosé being nice to her one day. Because it would be usual. But for how the things were between them. It was enough. And Chaeyoung appreciated that. She was finally able to think clearly. Think positively. Maybe all those years meant something in the grand scheme of things. She hoped so at least. She only knew that she was going to use the time she had for the best.