Namjoo had been keeping herself busy, running back and forth between the boutique she owned with Naeun and the newly opened diner she owned with Bomi and Wheein just down the street. 

Today is the opening of the internet cafe that Byulyi had opened for Hayoung, and while Namjoo and Byulyi are cordial, Namjoo still didn’t want to make up with her even though it’s been almost four years. 

In two weeks’ time, Hayoung will be released from prison and the girls were determined to make Namjoo come around by then. If Hayoung deserved anything more than her own internet cafe, it’s Namjoo. 

When Wheein told Eunji and Naeun that Namjoo wasn’t feeling well and had been curled up in bed, the older women didn’t buy any of the word they heard. There was no way Namjoo fell sick on the day that they were gathering together for the opening of Hayoung’s internet cafe. 

Naeun wanted to go soft on Namjoo, but Eunji said the period of “being soft and understanding” to Namjoo was long over. Namjoo needed someone to give her a wake up call. 

“You cannot let Eunji unnie talk to Namjoo.” Naeun was at the diner after Eunji sent her a text saying she’d be going to Namjoo’s apartment later. Naeun had quickly put up a lunch break sign by the door of the boutique and headed to the diner. 

“Nangni, if you can’t control your girlfriend, do you think I can?” Bomi laughed while taking orders for a customer. 

“She’s gonna be harsh on Namjoo! Namjoo can’t take it.” 

“How long has it been, Naeun? She can’t keep running away. All of us have been understanding but it’s time she put the past behind her. You can’t keep protecting her and giving her everything she wants, Naeun. This is why she doesn’t respect you and kept being a brat to you all these years.”

Naeun didn’t like anyone calling Namjoo a brat, and she didn’t like what Bomi said, but she knew the older woman was right. Namjoo got away with everything for the past three years just because she was still miserable over the heist. 

Having nothing to fight back with, Naeun returned to the boutique. She decided to close early and head to Eunji’s gym on the opposite side of the street. 

“Hey! Look who’s here!” Eunji skipped to Naeun as soon as the younger woman walked through the door. It’s been well over two years since the two started dating and Eunji still acts like a puppy every time Naeun is around. 

“If you’re busy I can wait for you. I closed the boutique early.”

“That’s okay, I’m closing early too. I need to go to Namjoo’s and make sure she gets ready before seven.”

“About that... Can I talk to her instead?” 

“No. Babe, you know she will just disrespect you and act like a child.”

“Why does everyone keep saying Namjoo doesn’t respect me? She does! Let me talk to her, please? Being tough with her won’t do anything good.”

Eunji sighed, she hated herself for always giving in to Naeun just because she flashed a little puppy eyes for her and showed a little aegyo. But what could she have done? She’s head over heels for the younger woman. 

• • •

Naeun knocked before unlocking the door with the residence key. They entered the apartment when Namjoo didn’t come and get the door.

Eunji stopped by the kitchen and had found that the younger woman haven’t been taking care of her refrigerator. There was literally nothing edible in there. Even the apples and oranges are rotten. 

Naeun headed towards Namjoo’s bedroom, the door was opened so Naeun invited herself in. The brunette could’ve swore she saw Namjoo’s blanket moved, and that it was now covering the younger woman’s entire body. 

“You can stop hiding. It’s just me, Eunji unnie is in the kitchen.” Naeun laughed when Namjoo poked her head out from the blanket. 

“I’m sick, unnie.” 

“And I’m sick too.” A deep and strong voice came from behind Naeun, and the youngest of the trio hid under her covers again. 

“Unnie, I told you to let us talk in private for a few minutes.”

Eunji ignored Naeun but joined her on the queen sized bed. “I’m sick of you running away from your problems, Namjoo. You’re so hurt that you don’t even care about the people around you. You don’t think we’re hurting? You were grieving, you were hurt, you were upset, you were angry, but so were we. You forgot to ask if we’re okay, too. Ever since the heist you behave like you’re the only person who’s sad and hurt around here. This is not the Namjoo we fell in love with. You can’t change the past, Namjoo, but you can change the future. If you want to feel whole again, you need to say goodbye to the past.” 

It was obvious to the two older women that Namjoo wasn’t going to come out from under the covers soon, so they left her alone. 

Namjoo was crying under the covers like she was a child who dropped her ice cream on the ground and her mom refused to buy her another one. 

But she eventually did come out from under the covers. Namjoo rolled to her back and stared at the ceiling for a good few minutes. 

She knew she had something to do.

• • •

“Namjoo? I thought you were sick.” Hwasa tossed her bag of chips onto the table carelessly and walked towards Namjoo to check her carefully, as if inspecting a precious prize.

“Yeah, sick of you.” Hwasa gave Namjoo’s forehead a flick, causing her same age friend to let out a squeal of pain.

Hwasa and Wheein had come earlier to help Byulyi with the food and drinks. Byulyi didn’t want anything big or grand, just a simple opening with her favorite girls. Chorong and Solar both sent flower wreaths and it definitely helped draw attention to the internet cafe even though it wasn’t officially opened yet. 

“Where’s... Um... Where’s Byulyi unnie?” It felt weird, hearing Byulyi’s name from her own mouth. She hadn’t said Byulyi’s name for as long as she can remember. 

Wheein sprung to her feet, surprised at what came out of Namjoo’s mouth. 

“Did you just say Byulyi unnie? As in Moon Byulyi unnie?”

“Yes, Buttercup. Now where is she?” Wheein pretended to vomit at the nickname Namjoo just used but pointed to the direction of the office. 

Namjoo took a deep breath and both Hwasa and Wheein pulled her in for a group hug. 

“You made it, you’re here. Now go in and see what’s really there, okay? No more running away, no more bull, no more hard feelings, no more anger, no more hurt, no more pain.” Hwasa whispered against Namjoo’s ears, making sure she heard each and every word crystal clear.

Namjoo nodded so slightly that she didn’t know if her friends noticed it.

The door to the office was open, and Namjoo poked her head in. Byulyi was buried in a mountain of papers and Namjoo cleared to try and get her attention. 

“Um... Unnie?” 

Byulyi looked up, a surprised look painted across her face. 

“Namjoo? Are you okay? Naeun told me you were sick.” Byulyi didn’t dare to go too close to the younger woman. Instead, she kept her distance.

“Well, I’m not, and I’m here.”

“Do you want me to go?” Byulyi was walking towards the door when she felt a hand on her arm. 

“No. I want to talk to you.” 

That almost brought Byulyi to tears. She wanted nothing more than to talk to Namjoo in the past four years. She waited and waited, and in the process of waiting she almost gave up. 

Namjoo sat across Byulyi at her desk, and the older woman laughed, she turned her head towards the door, “Ahn Hwasa, Jung Wheein, stop trying to listen to us!” 

When Byulyi was sure the two had left them alone, they sat in silence again. It wasn’t one of those awkward silences, but rather a comfortable one. 

See what’s really there. 

Namjoo heeded Hwasa’s advice and started to see what’s really there.

Across from Namjoo, she saw a woman who is smiling so slightly, but what’s really there was a broken woman underneath. The woman who was once happy and contented, but got blinded by greed and the need to seek the perfect heist for her dead sister that she forgot to seek for her own happiness. 

“Are you okay? If you’re not ready yet you don’t have to stay. I’m really happy, Namjoo.” 

Namjoo shook her head, “No, no. I was just seeing what’s really there.”

Byulyi didn’t know what that meant, but she let it be. 

“I don’t hate you.” Namjoo said, looking down. Though, she said it so softly she didn’t know if the words even left . 

"For a hot minute, I think you really hated me, Namjoo."

"I don't. Not even for one minute. I guess I just wanted to blame someone, you know? You were the easiest target. I guess seeing Eunji unnie and Naeun unnie, you and Solar unnie made me think about how Hayoung and I would be if she didn't take the rap for you. I guess I was so hurt that I didn't ask if you were okay. And I'm sorry."

"I'd rather have you blame me than to have you making the wrong choices."

"I miss you." Namjoo wiped a tear that escaped her eyes.

"I miss you too, Joo. But I know someone misses you more."

Namjoo looked up, knowing exactly who Byulyi was referring to.

"Do you want to go visit Hayoung with me?"

"No."

Byulyi was met with disappointment again, but before she could try and convince Namjoo to go with her, the door bursts open. "She doesn't want to go with you because she wants to go alone!" Hwasa jumped at Namjoo, while Wheein sat on Namjoo's laps.

"Get off me!" Namjoo was being surrounded by her friends, and could not move an inch.

"Really, Namjoo? You want to visit Hayoung alone?"

"If that's okay. I know you've been visiting her everyday."

"Of course it's okay! Hayoung will be so happy to see you!" Byulyi jumped out of her seat and hugged her dongsaengs, once again almost suffocating Namjoo.

Byu