Jihyo woke up and felt cold sweats on her forehead. Although she doesn’t exactly remember what her dream was, it felt sad.

She shook her head and looked at the time. It was ten in the morning. She got off from her bed and opened her window curtains.

She smiled when she saw it was snowing.

She had always thought the snow was just a part of the weather, a hindrance that made everything cold and blue. But now she looks at it in a different way. She now thinks of the snow as something that gives warmth. With the cold weather it brings, it makes people long for other people’s touch to keep them cozy and warm.

She smiled when she remembered what happened last night. She remembered the comfort she felt in Sana’s embrace. Jihyo felt so much happier now. It’s as if she had been given a bridge to another world. Another light.

They didn’t continue on starting the project as it was already late by the time they got out of the garden. So, they agreed on meeting again at the art gallery on Friday, which is tomorrow. She felt excited to see Sana again.

She giggled when she thought, again, of how she had somewhat loathed her just a week ago. And now, she just wants to go out more with her.

Funny.

Jihyo wants the project to be the best one she will have ever made as it is for Sana. She wants her to smile the widest when she shows her the outcome. She wants Sana to see how much her understanding about art had changed because of her; how much she, herself, had changed because of her.

I’ll always make you smile.

She stretched and showered and then sat down by her desk. She smiled as she started sketching her ideas for her greatest project.

 

 

It was already almost noon.

Chaeyoung just got out from a store near the bar. She bought the items they need that Jeongyeon listed and told her to get.

As she was heading back, she saw Mina across the street carrying a bunch of brown bags. Luckily, Chaeyoung was only holding one bag so she can help Mina carry some.

“Mina-san!”, Chaeyoung called as she walked faster towards her as she crossed she street.

“Chaeyoung, I didn’t see you there.”, she smiled at her.

“Maybe because I’m small?”, she laughed as Mina giggled. “Let me help you with that.”

“Oh, thank you. I’ve been trying hard to keep them on my hands.”

Mina smiled at Chaeyoung as she gave some of the bags to her.

Chaeyoung had always liked Mina although she doesn’t show it much. Mina had always been like an older sister to her since she treats her kind and well. She doesn’t take it seriously, though. To her it is more of a senpai-kohai relationship. She is genuinely happy for both Jeongyeon and Mina. After all, she is her hyung and she is very supportive for both of them.

“Are you heading to the bar?”, Chaeyoung asked as they started walking.

Mina nodded, “Jeong told me to meet her there again. She’s lucky I’m off from work today.” She let out a soft sigh and Chaeyoung just laughed at her.

“Aren’t you cold?”, Mina asked when she noticed Chaeyoung wasn’t wearing a coat under the cold weather. It was also snowing so she should be at least wearing something thick.

Chaeyoung just shook her head. “Nope.”, she said as she lightly shuddered.

Mina stopped on her tracks and put down the bags.

“Oh, what are you doing?” Chaeyoung also stopped and looked at Mina who was removing her scarf.

“You’re really stubborn, Chaeyoung. Just like Jeongyeon.”, Mina said as she put the scarf around Chaeyoung’s neck. “You should always take care of yourself. You’ll get sick if you’re always like this.”, Mina scolded her as she fixed the scarf.

“It’s just a short walk. Besides, it’s warm inside the bar.”

Mina let out a sigh and she smiled at Chaeyoung.

“Just leave it there, okay? You’re sounding more and more like Jeongyeon and I don’t want you to be like that stubborn idiot.”, she said as she picked up the bags. “Let’s go?”, she smiled.

Chaeyoung nodded and they continued walking.

When they the corner, they saw Jeongyeon outside the bar talking to three other people. And she looked really unhappy.

It was the two women again who went looking for Jihyo. But this time, they had another person with them. Mina also realized that it was the same people she saw outside of Sana’s complex.

“What do they want now?”, Chaeyoung sighed.

Jeongyeon invited the three inside.

“What was that about?”, Mina asked as she creased her brows.

As they got inside the bar, they saw Jeongyeon and the three other women sitting by the table and they looked serious.

They turned their heads when they saw Mina and Chaeyoung come in.

“Perfect timing.”, Jeongyeon grunted as she stood up. She noticed the two gave a confused look at the strangers. “They’re from the intelligence agency so it’s fine.”

“What?” Both Mina and Cheyoung were surprised as they weren’t expecting them to be. They have always thought that the ones looking for Jihyo were some bad people.

“I know. I was also surprised when they showed me their badges. I also told them we’re friends of Park Jihyo.”, Jeongyeon sighed.

The three stood up and bowed at them and Mina and Chaeyoung did too.

“I’m Im Nayeon from Korea’s agency. And these are my subordinates, Kim Dahyun, also from Korea, and Hirai Momo, from Japan.”

“From Kyoto branch to be exact.”, Momo smiled as Nayeon just sighed at her.

Mina still had a look of doubt and Jeongyeon noticed.

Jeongyeon asked once again with a grumpy suspecting look, “Are you sure you three are from the agency?”

Nayeon got a bit annoyed at the question. “Are badges not enough for you? What else do you want? Our certificates?” She batted and looked like she was about to throw a fight. Again.

But Dahyun was quick enough to hold Nayeon back. Momo just stared at the two and looked like she was having fun watching them. While Mina, on the other hand, just stared and looked worried.

The air between the two got thicker and dense.

Jeongyeon felt a nerve twist when she saw Nayeon buffed up against her. “Did you forget about those bruises already? Do you want to be reminded of them?”, Jeongyeon said as she was about to raise her arm but Chaeyoung stopped her and she pulled her arm down.

“Hyung, stop. It’s jail you’ll be in once you start this again. You’re lucky they didn’t put you there last time.”

“I’d rather go to jail than let this rabbit hop around my bar.”, she pointed at Nayeon and gritted her teeth.

“What did you say?!” Nayeon tried to break free from Dahyun’s grip while Jeongyeon refrained herself from doing anything stupid. If Mina wasn’t here, she would’ve definitely been fighting this woman before her right now.

“Alright. Alright. Stop.”, Momo rushed between them. “We can settle this later. For now, let’s just talk about the important things.”

Dahyun let Nayeon go and made her sit as far away as possible from Jeongyeon.

They all sat around the table and calmed themselves. Mina and Chaeyoung introduced themselves before they actually started talking.

“So, are we all okay now?”, Chaeyoung eyed everybody to make sure. And everyone nodded.

“So, what’s this about?”

“Are you here for Ms. Park?”, Mina asked.

Nayeon, who is now calm, looked at Mina with seriousness. “Not exactly. We’re here to ask about the person she beat up a couple nights ago.”, she said as she pointed at Jeongyeon.

“Me?! It was you who started it.” Jeongyeon was about to stand up when Mina and Chaeyoung pulled her down.

“Anyway…”, Momo butted in. “That person is now dead. Did you watch the news two days ago? It was that guy who fell from the bridge.”

Mina stirred in her seat when she remembered that it was the man she saw at the company.

“We were actually interrogating him the night we were here. But we weren’t able to get anything because he was awfully drunk.”, Dahyun added. “We were also told that he comes here a lot too. So, we wanted to know more.”

“Oh. That’s true.”, Chaeyoung suddenly said. “He comes here usually late at night during my shift. Sometimes with a bunch of different people.”

“And who might they be?”, Nayeon asked.

“You don’t expect her to remember every single one of them, do you?”, Jeongyeon spat.

“I didn’t ask you.”, Nayeon squinted her eyes at Jeongyeon. “Anyway, do you remember someone in particular?”

“Actually, I do. I think he often comes here a lot with that person.”

The three detectives suddenly became more focused as they leaned closer to the table.

“Can you describe him?”, Momo asked with a close look.

“I don’t remember much but he is kind of an old man. I think I’ve seen him on art magazine or something.”

“Is it the head of Creative Productions?”, Mina suddenly blurted.

The three detectives were utterly in shock when they saw how Mina looked so sure and serious with her assumption.

“What made you say this, Ms. Myoui?”

Mina was hesitant at first, but she realized that it’s important to tell them. She looked at Jeongyeon to see if it’s also okay for her and she nodded.

“I work at the company and I saw him there. Last Friday, I was called to the head’s office and I saw him walk out from his office right before I was about to go in.” Mina looked at them as she paused. “But then it was a little odd when the head’s assistant suddenly asked for me to leave instead, right after that man went out. I heard the company’s name on the news, and I was surprised when I saw the man had died.”

The three looked at each other and nodded. They altogether stood up and bowed.

“Thank you everyone for your cooperation. Your names will not be disclosed under any circumstances for giving us this information.”, Nayeon said and she went out of the bar and Momo followed her.

Dahyun approached Mina. “Please excuse our senior’s behavior. She barely sleeps so she gets that attitude. And please call us if you happen to know more.”, Dahyun smiled as she gave their card.

“Wait.”, Mina stood up. “What does this have to do with Ms. Park?” she looked at her with concern.

There was a slight pause.

“Nothing at all. Your friend is fine.”, Dahyun assured her with a pat on her back and then they left.

Dead silence.

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung felt the air around Mina got dense.

“Well.” Jeongyeon clapped her hands as she stood up. “It’s snowing and Sapporo is covered with a whole lot of it. I’m sure a lot of people will come to drink away the cold. I better get ready.” She headed to the back room to change her clothes.

“I should probably stay and help hyung since there’ll be dozens of people. Plus, extra pay.”, Chaeyoung sighed as she stood up and went to the back room to change as well.

Mina wasn’t quite convinced with what Dahyun said earlier. She was worried for Jihyo. But then, Jihyo told them not to worry at all since she said she will take care of whatever the situation is. She just hopes nothing bad will happen.

 

 

It was past four in the afternoon.

After many papers and attempts, Jihyo had finally finished sketching her concept for the project. Even for just a sketch, she wanted it to look exactly what it will be. And she is very well satisfied with it. While sketching every detail, she thought of what Sana had been telling her over and over. That it's not always about the guidelines and perfection. That it's not always about the physical aesthetic of the piece. But it's about its meaning.

With her piece, she will bring out the value of memory.

She smiled as she looked at her sketch knowing that Sana will be happy with it too once the whole piece is finished. She wants to make her smile as much as she wants to see her smile. Always.

After hours of work, she felt hungry and she thought of rewarding herself with food. Again, she wasn't in the right mood to cook. So, she decided to go to that sushi place again and eat there.

She changed her clothes and went down. As she got out of the building, she noticed the lights in Odori Park were already lit up. People were hanging banners and lanterns from tree to tree. There were also a bunch of crews cleaning the area and some setting up an ice rink. She saw many people around the park as they watched the crew set up the place. It already looked amazing even if it hasn't been fully set up yet. It will look even more stunning once it’s finished.

As she was getting closer, she can already smell the flavorful aroma of the sushi place. When she arrived, she was greeted by the store owner. On his head is a bandana that has an illustration of glowing sushi.

"Park-san! I'm so happy to see you." He said with a big smile as he chops fish for the sushi. "You've been coming here often. That's good!"

"What can I say? Your dishes are really good, J-san." Jihyo smiled at him as she sat in front of the sushi bar. She noticed the gauze pad on his nose from the punch she had blown against him. “I hope your nose is okay now.” She said with worry.

J-san chuckled. “It is far better now. I think you actually put it back in place.”, he laughed and Jihyo chuckled.

The restaurant is an open type where there are no doors at its entrance. A person would just come in and tell their order to any of the cook and everything will be done. But one has to make sure to pay the right amount. Otherwise, the two huge bodies who stand guard by the entrance would be more than happy to pull out anyone who wouldn’t dare to pay.

There are three sushi bars in the store, one at the front, and one at its side, and one on the inside. There are about over a dozen tables inside where each table could only fit three to four people. The place is cozy and friendly, and it’s great for small gatherings. The interior is made fancy to match the expensive and ambient taste the food gives. But even for a small sushi place, it still gets a lot of customers. It is labeled as the best sushi place in Sapporo owned by The Great J-san. Even though the price of the food is costly, people are well-over satisfied by the great service and food.

"So, what's it for today?", he asked joyfully as he smiled widely at Jihyo.

"I'll have takoyaki and yakisoba. And make it spicy please." Jihyo politely requested as she handed the money to him.

"Good choice, good choice." He smiled. "Saké? It’s free." He put a shot glass in front of Jihyo and held out a bottle of saké.

Jihyo remembered the first and last time she drank alcohol and it was beyond unpleasant. And the succeeding events that happened was close to a horrifying experience. Just thinking about it made her feel dizzy and nauseated and a bit regretful.

"No thank you.", she smiled politely.

J-san chuckled at her. "My saké then.” He poured the drink in the shot glass and drank it. "Ah, good saké."

He smiled as he put the bottle down in front of Jihyo and started cooking.

Jihyo looked at the park again and saw the crew continued setting up.

"J-san."

"Hmm?"

"What is it they're doing there?" Jihyo pointed to the park where the ice rink is almost done for its set up.

J-san smiled at Jihyo. “You haven’t been here before right?” He chuckled and Jihyo shook her head as she smiled.

“Every February, Sapporo celebrates a big, big festival. It’s called the Sapporo Snow Festival and it has been always put up there at Odori. And it’s really huge!” He stretched out his hands as he emphasized how big it is. “It usually lasts a week but this year it’s from January 31^st to February 11^th. You’ll see many, many kinds of food here in every street all around Odori Park. The big part is the giant sculptures that people make. A lot of people from different regions come here to celebrate it. And many people from different countries come here too. Some even join the snow sculpture contest. You’ll see the whole park filled with snow and snow sculptures.”

“I’ll make sure to set up many sushi booths all over.” He laughed.

“Oh, that’s really amazing. Japan really has a lot of festivals.” Jihyo said as she nodded at the amazement. She thought the timing was too bad because she has to leave on February 1^st. She’s needed back in Korea for her other projects that her clients had been pestering about. She then recalled that there will be the Snow Light Festival at the art park this Saturday on the 25^th. At least, she’ll get to attend that festival. She got excited that she will get to meet Daniel Karavan, the great sculptor of Israel.

“The Minatozakis are a big part of it too.”

Jihyo felt her insides tingle when she heard the name. Then she remembered the news mentioned that the she had made contributions for the festival ever since Sana took over the company.

“It’s really a blessing when the heiress took over. She always gives the best to the people. She made charities and foundations to help other people. She gives free keepsakes to everyone every night during the festival. I should say her company also makes one of the best sculptures in the festival. She truly is the definition of generosity.” He sighed in bewilderment.

Jihyo smiled at the thought that Sana really is too kind for this world. “She really is, isn’t she?”

“Oh yes. And that one right there is one of the keepsakes I got from last year’s festival.” He pointed at a small glass sculpture on the shelf by the wall. It’s a figure of two little girls building a snowman.

J-san put the Takoyaki and yakisoba, still sizzling, in front of Jihyo and smiled. “There. It’s spicy and tasty. Eat it while it’s still hot. I’ll have to go for now. I need to buy some goodies and crab meat.” He said as he wiped his station and removed his apron and bandana.

“Enjoy yourself, Park-san.” He smiled at her then he went to the back room.

As expected from Sapporo’s best sushi place, the splendid taste of both the Takoyaki and yakisoba spread as Jihyo took a bite from each. Since she had been craving for it, Jihyo gobbled them down with her chopsticks.

“You’re going to choke if you eat like that.”

And Jihyo did choke as she was startled by the person beside her, suddenly coming out of nowhere.

Out of impulse and afraid of dying, Jihyo reached for the bottle of saké that J-san placed in front of her and drank from it. A lot of it.

Jihyo coughed and caught her breath as she put down the bottle that is now almost empty. It’s free so she didn’t have to worry about paying. What she’s worried about is getting drunk at a sushi place.

The person laughed beside her. “I’m sorry for jumping out of nowhere.” She patted Jihyo’s back.

Jihyo was about to pound on this jerk when she saw it was that detective, Im Nayeon.

Jihyo was a bit startled when she saw her. “Nayeon-ssi! Don’t creep up on people.” She lightly pushed her shoulder while Nayeon just laughed.

“So, are you here to bother me again?” Jihyo asked, not surprised, as if she had been expecting Nayeon to come and nag her.

Nayeon sat beside her and ordered a nine-piece dish of Sapporo Sushi.

“Nope. I’m hungry and I’m here to eat sushi.”, she laughed as she reached for the bottle of saké and poured herself some in a shot glass. “But yeah, we were looking for you. I didn’t expect to see you here, though. You always eat in those big-named restaurants back in Korea.”

“Well, I saw a new side of the world and I want to stay there for a while.” Jihyo laughed and thought of what Sapporo and its people had shown her.

Nayeon put her hand over pretending to be in shock. “I didn’t expect that Park Jihyo would be like this.” Jihyo just laughed at her and pushed her shoulder again.

Outside the detective business, before Jihyo went to Japan, Nayeon and Jihyo have gone quite close because of their interrogation routine for months. They consider their relationship as somewhat of a close friendship. If she’s with the right people, Nayeon could be very talkative and extroverted. And Jihyo was “lucky” to be one of those people.

“It’s really good to see you after a while, Jihyo. You didn’t even tell me you’re going to Japan. We asked a bunch of people where you live here and then I suddenly find you eating here at a sushi place.”

“You know you could’ve sent me a message. And I didn’t bother telling anyone since it’s my career here. And I knew you’d follow me and sadly, here you are.” Jihyo joked and they laughed.

“Aish, I know you wouldn’t even bother replying.” Nayeon drank and poured some more.

“You’ve made good friends, Jihyo. I met them earlier this day. I like them all except for that one cheeky barmaid.”

“Jeongyeon? I also had a bad taste for her at first. But trust me, she’s a nice person.” Jihyo laughed as she took another bite from the Takoyaki. “So, did you guys ask for me?”

“We went there for a different reason. Besides, I could easily talk to you if there’s something.”

“They told me you and Dahyun were looking for me and I just told them not to worry about anything. I was going to call you anyway. So, there must be something.” Jihyo looked at Nayeon.

Nayeon sighed and drank another shot and again, poured some more. She was thinking whether to tell Jihyo everything. She has the very right to know about it since it’s related to the incident that killed her mother. However, all they have right now concludes to another assumption and not a proven fact. So, they cannot just let go of any information that doesn’t have any sureness in it.

And it might be too much for Jihyo especially that she clearly doesn’t remember anything about the incident.

“Now is not the right time to talk about it.” Nayeon said when she saw her order already done. As soon as it was placed in front of her, she started eating each piece in whole.

“Well, if you have anything, better ask me now.”, Jihyo said. She started to feel a little light-headed and she can feel her face slowly burn. She put her head down and let it rest on her arm on the table.

Nayeon, itching to ask, blurted out with full, “Do you remember anything about the incident? Or at least anything about the time you lived here before? At least a little?”

“No. And that’s insensitive for you to ask, by the way.”

“You told me to ask and it’s my job to ask. I can’t do anything about it. But okay, I’m sorry.”, Nayeon chuckled.

Jihyo, with the alcohol slowly seeping through her brain, sluggishly looked at Nayeon who was munching down on her sushi. “It’s alright. I don’t remember anything, right?” She laughed as she mumbled.

“Aish, you should be at least remembering something.” Nayeon laughed and ate her last sushi.

She put her chopsticks away and gave the payment to the cook. Nayeon noticed Jihyo’s forehead and face are slowly turning red because of the saké. Her eyes were slowly drooping, and she constantly tries to open it. She tried to get herself together, but her intoxicated mind just pulls her sober consciousness away.

Nayeon sighed as she knew that she would have to take care of this since she can’t just leave Jihyo drunk and incapable of herself; especially that it’s already almost six in the evening.

Nayeon snickered at the sight of Jihyo trying to focus on her surroundings. “Are you alright? C’mon. I’ll give you a ride. It’s not safe-”

Jihyo put her hand up to stop Nayeon from talking. She put her head up and slowly stood from her seat, trying to act normal and sober. “I can take care of myself. My place is just a few blocks away. Thank you, Nayeon-ssi. I’ll see you next time.” Then she started walking slowly.

“Oy, Jihyo-ya!”

 

 

At the other end of Odori Park, Sana just got out from the company building. She noticed that Odori had been much brighter and livelier. She saw the different colors of the lights and lanterns that hung on the trees and how it reflected on the nearby buildings’ windows. The grass had been covered with snow where some crew flattened it for the giant sculptures that will be built for the festival. They had put up a large arc at the park entrance and on its top is a huge glowing sign that says, “Sapporo Snow Festival 2020”. The view displays a great contrast to the snowy night sky.

She just went from a meeting with the board about the company’s plans for the festival since it will be starting next week. And just like every year, they decided to give free tokens and keepsakes to everyone. The company had started making them months before to get ahead of the production since many people will definitely come this year. They also decided on building more ice sculptures, even bigger this time. Even their booths would be made from ice to give it a unique look from everybody else’s. Their booths have different themes – food, games, unique souvenirs, etc. And the one that people give most attention to are their charity foundation booths where people are given opportunities to participate in their philanthropist motif. And each year, they gain more and more people.

Just like any other day, Sana didn’t have her car with her. She had always loved walking as she was used to it ever since she was young. With her lots of energy, she is very bubbly and playful after all.

She still has to meet Tzuyu, who invited her to dinner at eight. She still has a lot of time so she decided to take a stroll at the park.

She admired the light from each lantern and lightbulbs from the trees and along the walkways. There were still many people in the park. There are some children playing with themselves and their parents talking to each other. There’s a group of friends laughing loudly and shamelessly while other people looked at them weirdly as they pass by them. There were people sitting alone and looked at their phones with smiles as they send messages to their loved ones.

As she was getting close to the other end of the park, she saw a pair who just sat side by side on the snowy ground, not minding the snowfall as they talked endearingly to one another. It was like they were each other’s worlds. The look they give to each other is, without a doubt, full of care and quiet joy. One look at them and Sana knew they were deeply in love with each other.

Sana smiled as she looked at them and remembered how she once had the same moments before.

She got distracted when she heard someone shout. Even though the park and streets were covered with different noises, she still heard it.

She couldn’t see well because of the snowfall. But when she looked over, she saw across the street were two people by the crosswalk who looked like they just got out from some kind of wrestle.

A wrestle with drinks, I guess.

The people, who also waited at the crosswalk, stayed away from a small distance as they looked at them weirdly and cautiously. The person who looked unstable had her arm rested on the other one’s neck as she held on to her waist to support her weight. When the lights went red, the cars started honking at them as they crossed the street really slowly as they both staggered because of the drunk person whose feet kept on dragging as they walk.

After a long while, they finally reached the sidewalk at the edge of the park.

“Go home, Nayeon-ssi! I can take care of myself.” She grumbled as she tried to remove her arm from the sober person who held her tighter to not let her slip and fall.

Sana knew whose voice that is.

“Aish, Jihyo-ya. You’d die if I leave you like this.” Nayeon sat Jihyo down on a bench to take a rest. “You shouldn’t have drank that. You know you can’t handle alcohol.” She scolded.

Oh, it’s Jihyo.

“Pabo-ya, it was because of you!” Jihyo shouted as she accusingly pointed at Nayeon.

Nayeon just sighed as she tried to not let Jihyo fall out of the bench. “Be quiet. People will think we’re crazy. We’ll rest for a bit and we’ll get you home, alright?”

She thought that Nayeon is a stranger who’s dragging Jihyo into something bad. But it didn’t look that way since she was just trying to help Jihyo get her way to wherever it is she’s heading to.

She looked at Jihyo who looked half-assed wasted. She thought what could have caused it this time. Sana felt worried that it might be something bad again since the last time she saw Jihyo like this, it was because of that. And that was something really bad. She shook her head and thought to ask Nayeon and see what’s happening.

Sana was about to approach them, but she stopped when she saw Jihyo lean on Nayeon’s shoulder. And she noticed how she looked really comfortable with her.

Ah, I see she’s in good hands.

So, Sana just turned and walked ahead to the bus stop where Tzuyu will pick her up.

 

 

Meanwhile,

Jeongyeon and Mina are having a good time at the park. They were the pair that Sana saw earlier sitting on the snow. But it was snowing so Sana couldn’t see well and didn’t recognize Mina.

Jeongyeon got off early from work since Chaeyoung told her that she can handle things by herself. Chaeyoung was really thoughtful and understanding as she knew that the two had to spend their time together since they haven’t been on an actual date ever since they started getting back together again. This is the date that Mina owed Jeongyeon for helping her carry Jihyo who got drunk as hell.

“I’m really excited about the festival on Saturday. We’ll get to do a lot this year.”, Mina’s eyes gleamed as she looked at the lights that hung on the trees.

“Will you give me a kiss then?”, Jeongyeon made a pouty smile and looked at Mina.

“You’re a bit demanding, you know? We’re not even actually together again.”

Jeongyeon just rolled her eyes and snorted at how Mina could be passively aggressive at times. Then she thought of teasing her again.

“I’m starting to think that Ray is the actual reason why we’re here now.”, Jeongyeon teased and laughed. “If it weren’t for him, we’re still probably ignoring each other right now.”

Mina pushed Jeongyeon’s head and pouted at her angrily. “Why can’t you just say that you actually love me and face the truth. It’s not that hard.” She crossed her arms and turned to face the other direction.

Jeongyeon, who’s still laughing, poked Mina’s cheek. “Mina-chan, I’m just joking. I’m sorry.”

But Mina ignored her. She was still looking away, her back facing Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon suddenly panicked and became serious and worried. She repeatedly tugged Mina’s arm lightly to get her attention.

“Mina-chan. I’m sorry.”, Jeongyeon said with sincerity, looking really worried now.

She sighed and removed her hand from Mina’s arm and she slowly wrapped both of her arms around Mina.

She rested her chin on Mina’s shoulder and whispered, “I love you.”

Mina couldn’t hide her smile from those words. It was unusual for Jeongyeon to say it out loud because she always show her affections through actions like how she is hugging her right now.

Mina faced Jeongyeon and saw she was sweating because of guilt and worry. And then she giggled at how adorable it is whenever she does this.

“I was just kidding, Jeongyeon. I can’t stay mad at you.” She said as she wiped Jeongyeon’s sweat and kissed her forehead.

“That’s not nice. I could’ve cried you know.” Jeongyeon pouted and still sounded a bit nervous.

“Aw, poor Jeongie. But you didn’t, right?”, Mina laughed as she playfully patted Jeongyeon’s head.

“Now, let’s go. It’s getting late. We still have work tomorrow.” Mina stood up and pulled Jeongyeon up.

Hand in hand, they walked quietly through the park while their feelings spoke to each other very loudly. Most of the time, they’re like this. Even without any words, they both know how they felt for each other.

But it wasn’t quiet anymore when they both heard two people shouting at a distance. But they didn’t mind since they can’t be distracted with something so silly. They just thought those people were another bunch of lunatics.

Well, Nayeon and Jihyo do seem like lunatics at this point.

 

 

Finally, they reached the entrance to the apartment complex that Jihyo lives in.

As they entered, they both tried to act natural. And Jihyo tried to not look drunk as the security guards might be weirded out by them. Not that they have problems with anyone getting drunk inside the complex, but the two were more concerned of having to embarrass themselves for doing something stupid in front of the people, who looked at them as they walked towards the elevator.

As they passed by, one of the security guards greeted them and looked at them in uncertainty. “Good evening, Ms. Park.”

Jihyo, trying hard to look sober, slightly slurred. “Yeah, it’s a good evening, indeed.” And the security guard just looked at them as they reached the elevators.

When the elevator opened, fortunately, there were no other people inside. They immediately went in and hoped no one else would follow. Because, at a close distance, anyone could smell the saké from Jihyo.

“Jihyo-ya, you’re lucky we made it alive.”, Nayeon sighed in relief as she leaned on the wall. Even though it was cold, she was sweating.

Jihyo, on the other hand, held on to the railings, trying not to fall on the floor. She held her stomach and felt like she was about to throw up.

Nayeon saw her hurl and at the exact time her vomit came out, she covered Jihyo’s mouth.

Nayeon gulped in horror as she felt the vomit slowly spread on her hand. She couldn’t wait for them to reach Jihyo’s floor. She felt like every second is costing her half of her life.

Finally, the elevator doors opened.

Nayeon rushed to Jihyo’s apartment door.

Oh no, the key card.

“Jihyo-ya, please be a good person and swipe your card.”, she said.

Jihyo sluggishly reached for her coat pocket.

Not here.

She reached for her other pocket.

Not here either.

She reached for her other inside pockets.

Oh no.

“Yah. Don’t tell me it’s not with you.”, she said in shock, still covering Jihyo’s mouth.

Jihyo, not worried at all, muffled and smiled, “I think I dropped it somewhere.”

“Aish, Park Jihyo! Do you want to die?!”

Luckily, there was a restroom just outside her apartment.

 

 

As she walked to the bus stop, Sana thought about what she saw earlier whether the woman was Jihyo’s friend or not. But it didn’t matter since it looked like she was fine and safe. She seemed to be taken care of.

But she couldn’t stop thinking about how Jihyo was, again, drunk. Was it because of something that had cost her? Or was it something drastic that it made her want to drink that bad?

While she was in her thoughts, she stepped on something that clinked.

She picked it up and saw it’s a car key, with a bunch of other keys, and a key card to an apartment.

She checked if there’s a name written or embedded, but there isn’t. There’s only the name of the apartment complex and a floor number – 9^th.

Sana got worried that the person might have gone almost insane for losing such important belongings. She checked the time and she still has about an hour before eight. So, she decided to head to the complex since it isn’t that far. It’s only on the other side of the park and she’s halfway to it.

She wasn’t wearing the right coat today because she didn’t know there would be a snowfall like this. The snowfall was getting heavier, so she had to walk faster.

When she entered the complex, there were only the security guards and a bunch of other people at the ground floor. She was going to give it to the receptionist but there weren’t any people at the reception desk.

So, she just headed to the elevators.

The people eyed her since she is very well-known in Sapporo for all the works she and her company had done throughout the years. Not only that but of course, she looked so stunning that anyone would turn their heads to see such a beautiful lady.

One of the security guards, holding a package, called to her since she hasn’t been here before, and she clearly doesn’t live here.

“Excuse me, Minatozaki-sama. But what’s your business here?”, she asked.

Sana can’t say that she just mysteriously found someone else’s key card. So, she has to say something else.

She looked at the security with a neutral face to make her look believable enough.

“I have a friend who asked me to come over so we can talk about a project.”

The security didn’t budge for a moment but then she suddenly remembered that there is only one artist in the building that could have definitely been working with the Creative Productions. And that, of course, is Park Jihyo.

“Ah, right! Of course. Uhm, if you will, can you also please give this to her. I didn’t get a chance to give it because it seemed like she wasn’t feeling well when she came back.”, she handed the package to Sana and immediately left as it seemed that she has to go to the toilet.

“Ah…”, she didn’t get to call her back since it’s already too late as the security went running to the restroom. She was unsure why would anyone assume that she knows any person in the building, except for the fact that she lied. Until she saw the name on the package.

“Oh.”

So, this is where she lives.

Even though she had the package, she still wasn’t sure which apartment she lives in. The package didn’t have any floor number in it, just Jihyo’s name and the name of the apartment complex.

Then she thought that she should just ask the person who owns the key card she found. Each apartment owner in the building should know each other since there are only about ten of them in the building since each floor is one apartment.

The elevator opened and she went in.

She looked at the package. Not that she was sniffing into Jihyo’s business, but she got a bit curious. She felt that it was just lightweight, and it seems that there were only papers inside. The package is a bit see-through, so she raised to the elevator lights to see but then the elevators opened.

Sana felt a bit guilty and stupid for trying to do that. She was just curious anyway.

She walked out and looked. It was quiet and nobody was there. There was only the restroom and the apartment doors.

She pressed the doorbell, but nobody was answering.

She pressed it again, but still nobody was opening the door.

She felt agitated. She looked outside the window and the snowfall had already gone much heavier. Now, she’ll have trouble going to the bus stop.

Out of impulse and impatience, she pulled out the key card and swiped it. Then she cautiously opened the door.

“Hello?”, she whispered as she slowly crept in.

The lights were still on and she thought how much of an energy waster the owner is. She saw a bunch of papers with sketches pinned on the wall. There were a bunch of acrylic and oil paint placed on the floor, arranged by the same hues and colors. And beside it, she saw a canvas in front of the window with an unfinished painting of the view of the Odori Park from the window. With Sana being a perfume enthusiast, she suddenly sniffed the Aerin scent that covered every corner of the apartment and it smelled very and dangerously familiar.

 

 

After Nayeon washed her hands and got rid of the oozing smell, she looked at Jihyo who looked a bit sober and capable now, as she eliminated the excess alcohol from her body through vomiting.

Jihyo pulled her sleeves up and washed her face. She then leaned back on the sink and faced Nayeon.

“God, that was crazy. I’m sorry about your hand.”, she laughed.

“You owe me.”, Nayeon soaped her hand again.

“Alright. What can I do then?”

Nayeon sighed and thought that they really needed Jihyo to come to the agency and cooperate with the investigation. Because without Jihyo, they probably will never be able to get enough evidence.

“Listen, Jihyo-ya. The agency really needs to talk to you about the case. Again.” She said as she rinsed the soap and wiped her hands. Nayeon thought that Jihyo would refuse again since it seemed that she wasn’t interested in all of it. But to her surprise, she finally agreed. And she sounded willingly this time.

“Well, that sounds easy. I’ll call you when I’m finished with my current project.”, Jihyo smiled at her.

She chuckled and smiled at how much Jihyo had changed. Because before, it would take several attempts and calls just to have Jihyo answer one question.

“Alright. Are you okay by yourself now?”

“I can manage. I can just ask for a spare key card.” She said as she nodded.

“How about your other keys? And your car key?”

“I have another set inside. Don’t worry. Go home now. Really thank you, Nayeon-ssi. I’m really sorry for the trouble.” Jihyo smiled as she patted Nayeon on the shoulder.

“Aish. Next time drink water instead of saké. Don’t forget to call me.”, she laughed as she took her coat and left.

Jihyo washed her face again and made sure she wasn’t feeling drunk anymore. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw her eyes and face were a bit red. She lightly hit her cheeks to make sure that she is awake enough to walk. But she still felt a little dizziness and uneasiness in her body.

She sighed and thought that she’ll never touch any alcohol ever again, which she said to herself last time. Yet here she is, close to meeting the threshold of her body, barely sober enough to think just how bad alcohol can be, destroying every bit of neurons in her brain.

She rolled her sleeves down and took her coat.

When she went out of the restroom, she saw her apartment door was slightly open. She thought that it couldn’t have been Nayeon since she already left and of course, she wouldn’t have the key card with her.

She then thought that someone might have broken in.

She quietly went behind the door and readied herself.

She kicked the door open and someone screamed.

“Sana?!”

 

 

At the bus stop across the complex, there are two men whose backs face each other as they stood.

“Did you give it?”

“Yeah. They said they’ll have it delivered.”

“Good. I wonder what’s inside, though.”

“We were told to just deliver.”

“I know. But this should be a part of his plan, right?”

“Yeah. I suppose. He’s some scary guy.”

“He really is. He had that guy killed and swimming on the river just because they saw him getting involved with the police.”

“Geez, what a psycho. I wouldn’t want to mess with him.”

“I wouldn’t either. He even had that old Minatozaki killed years ago.”

A patrol across the street whistled at them and signaled to get off the bus stop if they’re just loitering.

The other one stood up and sighed, “Don’t do stupid things. Or your head’s rolling off next.”, he said as he left and the other followed.

 

 

“Sana?!”, Jihyo was shocked when she saw Sana standing in her living room. “What are you doing here?! How did you get in? Who gave you the keys?” Jihyo sounded very confused when she saw the keys in Sana’s hand.

Sana, who’s also in shock, tried to look calm and collected her thoughts. “Wait. Let me explain.”

She told Jihyo that when she was on her way home, she happened to see the keys and thought it was someone else’s. And with her very kind soul, she went to the complex and originally planned to just give it to the receptionist who was unfortunately not there by the time she arrived.

So here she is in Jihyo’s apartment, sitting on her couch while drinking tea that Jihyo offered.

But she didn’t mention anything about when she saw Jihyo drunk. Because it felt somehow awkward for Sana to talk about it especially that she saw her with a friend.

Sana also noticed that Jihyo is sober now. Quite sober.

“Well, it’s good it’s you who got it. I’m sorry for the trouble. I just had a, uh, delay along the way and dropped it there. Thank you, really.” Jihyo sat across her, trying to sit straight.

Even though Jihyo wasn’t quite in the right mind, she still can’t believe that Sana is in her apartment right now. She felt her cheeks and ears burn a little. She thought if it’s because of the alcohol making a retaliation or if it’s something else.

“I hope that delay wasn’t too much on you.” Sana resounded with a sharp tone. She wasn’t talking about Jihyo getting drunk.

She looked outside the window and noticed the snowfall had gone down. She looked at the time on her watch and saw it’s already almost eight. Tzuyu messaged her that she’ll be at the bus stop near the complex in a few minutes and pick her up.

She put the cup down when she finished the tea and stood up. “Well, thank you for the tea. I’m going now. See you tomorrow at the Art Park, Jihyo.”

Again, Jihyo couldn’t control her pulse going out of rhythm when Sana calls her by her name. It was the second time now.

The alcohol is slowly taking up the space in her brain again.

“Wait, Sana.” Jihyo felt a slight shiver when she called out her name.

She stood up as she picked her coat up from the couch and walked towards Sana.

“I’ll come with you.”, she smiled at her with a bit of drunken tone and her eyes a little droopy. But she was, at the very least, in her right consciousness.

When they entered the elevator, Jihyo noticed that Sana had been really quiet. She was just standing closely and silently beside her while she looked straight at the doors.

Jihyo couldn’t take in the silence hovering all over so she asked her, “Are you okay?”

Sana smiled at her as she tilted her head and said, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Jihyo couldn’t help but think how Sana could just be so adorable even with her smallest movements.

Aish, you’re going to be the death of me.

“Am I really that beautiful for you to stare at me like that?”, Sana said as she looked at Jihyo with teasing eyes.

With the alcohol still running in her bloodstream, Jihyo wasn’t able to hide her smirk. So, she just continued to stare at Sana. Jihyo didn’t care if Sana saw her blush because she just wanted to see how beautiful her smile is right now.

As much as she wanted to say yes, Jihyo thought it would be too weird for her to say it. So, she just looked straight back at the doors.

“No. You wish.” She scoffed under her breath as she tried to look neutral.

“But that’s not what your eyes tell me.” Sana smiled as she looked at Jihyo.

“Then what do they tell you?” Jihyo looked back at Sana, their faces only a step away as they now stood really close to each other.

When Jihyo landed her eyes on Sana, she saw how Sana’s eyes had brought back its gleaming brown color. The lights reflected on her eyes gave its true lush colors, revealing its beautiful bright brown hue tinged with sharp orange. Jihyo thought how perfect and possessing her eyes are, capturing her attention from its steeping depths. Slowly, her eyes moved down to her tall nose. Then irresistibly moved further down to those rich red lips that she had been cautiously avoiding looking at, for she is at risk of not being able to return to her sane and conscious thoughts once she lands her eyes on those tempting shades of red. She wants to paint this close view in a large canvas as a memoir of something unparalleled and golden. Of something so ethereal.

With the alcohol taking over and the deadly crave creeping through her nerves, Jihyo was about to move closer but Sana smirked as she looked away.

“That’s exactly what your eyes say.” She smiled softly. “You should know your limits, Jihyo. We’re not close like that.”

Jihyo suddenly snapped herself back to her consciousness. She felt her heart pounding out of rhythm as if her veins were about to be blown away.

What was I doing?

The elevators dinged and opened when they finally reached the ground floor.

When they got out of the building, Jihyo felt the chills climb up to her face because it’s really cold.

They both stopped in front of the building.

“Thank you again.” Sana smiled as she faced Jihyo who nodded to her thanks.

“I should be the one thanking you.” She laughed. “Are you going to wait for the bus?” Jihyo asked as she looked at the bus stop across the street.

“No. Chou-san will meet me there instead. She invited me to dinner.”

Upon hearing the name, Jihyo felt a light twist from her stomach and chest. She remembered the little secret that Tzuyu told her – Her confession to Sana.

Jihyo smiled as she thought that Sana and Tzuyu really are for one another. They have known each other for years. And they already had something between them before, so it must be right for them that they get to see each other again after a long time. And then maybe start again with their new something. Besides, Sana is very happy with her.

But behind these alibis, Jihyo felt the twist tighten.

“Oh, I see.”, she smiled.

Jihyo noticed that Sana wasn’t wearing the appropriate coat because it was too thin for this very cold weather.

Without second thoughts, she removed her coat.

“What are you doing? It’s cold.”, Sana creased her brows at Jihyo.

Jihyo moved closer to Sana and put the coat around her. She tugged it tight and fixed it.

“Next time, wear a thicker coat, okay?” She sighed as she smiled at Sana who looked at her with concern.

“What about you?”

Jihyo chuckled, “I have a lot of coats up there.” And then she looked at Sana in the eyes and smiled as she said, “Besides, I’m okay as long as you’re warm.”

Sana smiled and hugged her. She looked at Jihyo and said, “Thank you, Jihyo.”

Then Sana saw Tzuyu arrived at the bus stop, so she pulled away. “See you tomorrow.”

“Enjoy your time. See you.”, Jihyo waved at her as Sana crossed the street. She went in the car and then left.

Jihyo sighed as she watched the car slowly drift away and turn to the corner.

She smiled to herself and then went back to her apartment.

She slumped herself on the couch with Sana’s words replaying in her head.

“You should know your limits, Jihyo.”

“We’re not close like that.”

What a day.

Here I thought-

Who am I kidding? I’m just stupid.