AHN YUJIN

7.00 A.M. 

My stupid alarm which I had forgot to switch off last night, woke me up abruptly. I fell off the couch in a heap of a blanket burrito along with pillows and hit the cold, hard ground.

“, this sure ing hurts” I murmured to myself.

Suddenly, I took a whiff of myself and smelt Minjoo’s jasmine perfume on me.

The hell, why is her perfume sticking to my clothes? Also, I smell burnt pancakes.

I tried to untangle myself from my little blanket burrito, but I just gave up and inched my way to the kitchen.

There, I could see a messy bun Minjoo morning look, which was my favourite on her when we were dating, tending to a completely black pancake.

Damn, if it weren’t for the fact that I got accustomed to the smell of her burning food, I would have assumed that it was a hockey puck from how thick, small and utterly dark it was.

Minjoo the balls of her feet to face me who was wrapped in a huge blanket burrito.

I could see her try to stifle a giggle while holding up the frying pan.

“Okay, can you stop whatever you are doing and turn off that damn fire first before you take any pictures. And, yes I allow you to take this glorious picture of Ahn Yujin wrapped like a damn burrito on a kitchen floor.”

She then proceeded to switch off the fire and went over to help me.

But, before she could do so, she burst into a huge fit of giggles, which made me pout angrily at her and whine out loudly.

“Minjooooo, please up from this damn burrito, I promise to wash up after we finish breakfast. Now, can you please unwrap me?”

She tried to pick up herself from her laughing state but failed to do so when she realised how funny I looked in the picture she had just taken of me on her phone.

Meanwhile, in her laughing state, I managed to wiggle my right hand free from my blanket and managed to pull on Minjoo’s brown hair in her messy bun which grabbed her attention immediately.

“Are you done laughing?” I deadpanned.

“Yeah, yeah I’ll help you if you stop trying to snatch my hair, you giant” She yanked her hair out of my right fist.

She then proceeded to pull me out of the blanket, but I wondered why she didn't just unroll me from the blanket. But I just mum on the subject and watch her put in a lot of effort in trying to pull me out. Maybe, a bit too much effort because the next thing I see is her weight pressing down on me and her warm, hazelnut eyes staring into mine.

“Well, uhm ” We both said simultaneously.

We held up in that awkward position for a solid ten seconds, before I spoke up.

“Did you happen to binge eat, after we broke up? Cause I swear, you are really mothertrucking heavy”

She gave me a look of disbelief, as if she expected me to be a gentlewoman.

“Why, you tall . Fine, suit yourself, you will get out of this burrito on your own and not be able to taste my majestic soufflé pancakes” while rolling herself off my body and stalking away to the direction of the kitchen. 

“Bleh, bleh whatever you say grumpy grandma” sticking out my tongue playfully to mock her attitude.

Luckily for me, I was able to wriggle out my left hand and managed to roll out of the blanket eventually.

I folded up the blanket and hobbled over, owing to my sprained ankle from last night to Minjoo who was folding in the pancake batter in the circle tins in the pin.

“So what seems to be the special occasion, my dear Minjoo?Why are you whipping up such a fancy breakfast when we just have our fat selves call the delivery man for a Big Breakfast?”

“Well, Yujin if you don’t want to eat this special pancake made with my utmost car. You can gladly walk out of the door with an empty stomach.”

“Okay. Okay. I will eat it”

There was another awkward moment of silence.

“Say, Minjoo, did you happen to sleep beside me last night, cause I can smell your perfume on me.”

“No, I didn’t. Besides the clothes I gave you were mine so must have been smothered in a bit of my perfume. And the pancakes are done, so be a good dog and set up the table”

“Aye, aye captain, before rushing to grab the cutlery and glasses of chocolate milk for myself and a glass of soy milk. Like our past. 

She set the plates and I have to admit, it does look appetising.

“Besides, from gaining weight, you manage to become a master Chef. I am thoroughly impressed, Minjoo”

I dug into my soufflé pancake which was topped off with slices of strawberry on the sides and honey drizzled over it. I finished the meal off and told her to leave the dishes for me to wash as gratitude for her cooking the meal.

I hobbled over to the sink, balancing the dishes on my arms precariously.

I proceeded to wash up the dishes and felt something unsettling behind my back.

Suddenly, a pair of slender arms, wrapped around my torso, clinging on tightly  me like a koala hugging a tree.

I paused, trying to not let my own self turn instinctively and kiss her. Minjoo, why are you doing this? Don’t you have a girlfriend? Isn’t this like cheating on her? I mean, I admit I enjoy this feeling of warmth, but especially with you choosing to cheat on me with her, doesn’t unsettle the fact that we are ex-lovers and it must remain at that. Unless, I score that impossible goal of taking you back.

I felt her head rest on my back and with a muffled voice, “I know this is wrong, but please, let me enjoy this moment. I haven’t been feeling well nowadays”

I gave a small hum in response and proceeded to clear up the remaining dishes.

She soon detached herself from me and proceeded to go to the living room. As if we hadn’t hugged just a few minutes ago.

I wiped down the kitchen counter and proceeded to collect my belongings.

“Hey, Minjoo, I’ll get going now”

“Oh, okay, have a nice holiday ahead Yujin. Don’t put so much strain on that ankle of yours”

I closed the door, watching her stare blankly at the empty television screen.

But I couldn’t bear to leave the place, it held so many memories which were sparked again. 

Tell me Minjoo, should I truly pursue that impossible goal of getting that heart of yours? You have been sending me so many mixed signals. I really want to go back to you but you're supposed girlfriend, Chaewon, is just in our way. I know you aren’t in good terms with her but at least tell her your side of the relationship. And tell me also, if you still want me back in your life, just as a friend. Since, getting you back as my girlfriend is an impossible dream just like how winning the floorball national ‘B’ Division championships is.

KIM MINJOO

Yes, Yujin I had slept beside you last night, but I’m guessing in your tired state you had said ‘yes’ since you had brought it up while I was cooking, seemingly as if you had no recollection of last night. For the second time, I was able to get a good night’s rest after we had broken up. I’m pretty sure you did since you didn’t seem to want to let go of me when I woke up secretly to make the soufflé pancakes made with my own love. It wasn’t any special day or any other bull. I wanted to tell you that I want to return to our daily life bit by bit, since I had missed your presence. I guess, I overstepped the boundaries that separated us as ex-lovers. You know what screw that stupid label, I am just going to straight up tell Chaewon that I want to end this miserable relationship. I know getting back with you as girlfriends would be a decision that I will perhaps regret. So, I will take baby steps.

Suddenly, I heard a sniffle.

I identified the source from the front door.

Was it Yujin? Had she not taken her leave yet?

There, I saw her crying, with her shoulders shaking badly.

It was only then, I realised the extent of my consequences of my own desires. Giving in to Chaewon and ultimately breaking the girl who had her own image locked up in my heart. I realised how much these consequences had affected you and damaged you to the point where you lost passion in floorball. It broke my own heart too, realising how the team wasn’t itself without you as the leader, the backbone of the team just like how you were the backbone of the relationship we had. I want to reach out and hug you. But maybe perhaps, you just need to be by yourself and have your own thoughts to yourself, without any influence. So that you can find and restart that passion within you. Perhaps, I should do the same and find that passion in which I fell in love with you.

I broke down, eventually, not being able to take in the immense pressure of my own confusing, conflicted thoughts and emotions.

THIRD PERSON POV

And just like that, the two ex-lovers sat with their backs facing each other, with a door just to separate them from reaching out to comfort each other. 

A relationship built on pure love which slowly led into a of miscommunication and distrust. Finally, in the heat of the moment, they didn’t speak to each other. 

Silence

Their own selves couldn’t bring themselves to face the harsh reality of their current label of their relationship and resorted to become the worst, impossible versions of themselves.

One had turned from a sweet loving girl, who didn’t wear a mask to show her true feelings and affection to her lover to a foul cheater who wore a mask to hide the tragic emotions within her and resorted to doing overly excessive displays of greedy, untamed love to another poor soul. 

The other had turned from one who was a passionate, fiery person in the sport she played nearly all her life and the lover she had thought would be with her for an entire lifetime to a dying spark of fire which didn’t take in any other fuel to support herself to get going in life without her lover and a future in the sport she loved.

Looking at this from your own eyes, it seems like a tragedy for both lovers as they have nothing left but their own raw, conflicted emotions which are in a growing turmoil with masks to hide their true feelings for each other.

Parallel it to how a team can make a huge loss in any match be it important or friendly, with a large score difference, which is seemingly impossible to overcome in a game where time is running out with every passing second time.

Now, let’s push in a little bit more effort, have the emotions laid out bare for everyone to see and put fuel in that dying flame, to have it burning brighter again.

Noise

Now, you see that the tragedy was overcome with the two main roles, showing their true feelings for each other, no masks to hide the emotions. It is laid out bare for both to see. And they are able to understand each other’s love for the other, even if they aren’t able to do so fully, they are able to understand a part of each other’s hearts. They speak out their lines. Wait, no it is their true emotions that are spoken out from the deepest pits of their own hearts. The only one that can be opened by the person standing opposite of them

We move on to how the team gave in the last booming cheer full of passion, before starting off the last period of the game. And the buzzer sounds, signalling the start, they struggle with the fact that they might be on the losing end, but each of them contribute a bit of their own fuel to the drying flame which erupted like a huge bonfire of their desires to take away a win. Slowly, the impossible score gap difference closes till they reach a tie. With one final push of energy, a measly drop of fuel in that fire, and they clinched that goal and a shiny, shimmering trophy.

Now, you see, with every downfall or setbacks, there will be the little push that you need from yourself or from others to get you back on your feet. It’s like watching a baby taking his own first few steps.

We see this in the couple, who had fallen but they would eventually rise again to try and have it work round again.

But, wait there’s an obstacle.

Well, it won't be easy as it seems.

To aim for that goal.

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well, from the little 3rd POV, you can foreshadow what would happen. Bless, my literature skills(which I thought I wouldn't be able to use) to allow me to pack these emotions into sentences. And thank you for the new upvotes and subscribers. If you want to follow me for new stories or have a sneak peek at future chapters or works, you can follow me on twitter @rightheart18. Do make sure to take a break every now and the and have a good morning/afternoon/night wherever you are. Jdchrt is gonna take a break.