Yujin quickly knocks on the apartment door, the owner hasn’t been responding to her texts. When the door finally opened revealing a sleepy Chaeyeon she frowns. Then she noticed another figure walking out of a room – Sakura.

“What the actual ?”

“Yujin!” The said girl just rolled her eyes and entered the apartment, “I’ve been texting you and you were not answering.”

Sakura just scratched her head, “I was sleeping.” Yujin scoffs glancing at the other girl inside the room.

“Yeah, right.” Chaeyeon blushed at the implication and quickly slaps Sakura’s arm making the latter groan.

“This always happen! You better explain it to her!”

“Did you see Hyewon asking for an earlier shift?”

That made the two girls pause and looks at her with surprise, Yujin nodded her head to confirm her statement. Seeing her nod, the two quickly went inside the room shouting at her to wait and they will just change.

A few minutes after, Sakura and Chaeyeon are much completely presentable – no sign of sleep in their faces. Yujin stands up, “I’ll drive you guys.”

“You better tell me what’s happening.”

Before she could open the door, she said the first thing the two should know. “Minju saw her playing the piano last night.”

Yujin could hear Sakura muttering a curse, the older girl quickly fishing out her phone sending a quick text to Yena.

Hyewon is already at Jung’s. Go accompany her for some time.

On it.

/

Yena stands up from their bed with Yuri looking at her with a pout. They had a long day, with Yuri just got home from one of her classes and wanting to just cuddle. Yena feels guilty for leaving the girl, so she gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

“I thought you don’t have a shift today?” Yuri asked after she pulled away, Yena just scrunched her nose.

“Kura-unnie texted me,” Yena said showing her the message to Yuri. “Hyewon is at the Jung’s alone pushing her shift earlier.”

“Oh,” Yuri nodded then frowned, “Wait, what date is it – “

“It’ll be tomorrow.”

Yuri sighed and nodded her head in understanding, she sat up and hugs the older girl by the waist. “Will she be okay?”

Yena felt herself tearing up with the question – they’ve been asking themselves that for 3 years already and they all have the same answer.

“I don’t know.”

/

Hyewon is not used to have a shift where she could still the sun and not the moon, but she’s here now serving the very few customers that they have. When she arrived, Joohyun was surprised to see her – asking her what she’s doing and she just answered that she wants to push her shift for today earlier.

That’s partly true, she also wanted to end the conversation with Yujin. She knows that the latter won’t stop talking about it, so in the end she did what she does best – avoiding it. So here she is now serving some kimchi to some group of friends, when the bell above the door rung – indicating that someone just entered.

Looking at the entrance, she saw Yena waving at Joohyun who is just frowning – because they both know Yena doesn’t have a shift today. Hyewon just rolled her eyes, she knew who did this. The girl just approached with teasing smile.

“Oh, we’ll be working together!” Yena joked earning a groan from Hyewon, walking away from the group of friends. The former just followed and she entered the staff room.

“Kura-unnie texted you, didn’t she?” She didn’t bother to beat around the bush.

Yena also didn’t bother to make up an excuse and nodded her head, “Yeah, we’re worried.”

“You don’t have anything to be worried about.”

Yena rolled her eyes opening her locker to get some change of clothes, “Doesn’t stop us from worrying.” Hyeon just let out a scoff muttering ‘up to you’ and went out of the staff room. Yena just glanced at the door and fished out her phone to send a text.

Here already. She’s pissed, good luck to us.

It’s been 45 minutes since Yena arrived and since there are only a few customers, the latter kept talking to Hyewon making her really annoyed. She knows that her friend is just worried, she’s not blaming her for being worried but Hyewon is just seriously wanting to do her job peacefully.

As if on cue, the door opened and it revealed Sakura and Chaeyeon. Hyewon raised her eyebrows slightly opening in disbelief, she glanced at Yena who just shrugged her shoulders.

“What are you two doing here?” Joohyun asked as she went out of the kitchen holding a pitcher of water. Sakura just smiled and Chaeyeon pointed at the Japanese as if telling her she was just forced by the former. Sakura slapped the finger and Hyewon let out a chuckle.

She noticed a familiar car driving off away their restaurant and rolled her eyes.

“Just felt like doing a double today.” Sakura answered, “Anyways, we’ll get change in a few.” She quickly grabbed Chaeyeon’s arm to pull her inside the staff room glancing at Yena which the latter quickly followed the two.

“Will you follow them?” Joohyun asked and Hyewon shrugged doing her work.

“I think you should, Sakura and Chaeyeon might do something inside there.”

Hyewon choked on air and looked at the older girl with surprise, “You knew?!”

Joohyun just chuckled, “They’re just really reckless.”

“Now go there, I can handle this.”

“But Yena’s already there.” Hyewon whined.

“Didn’t stop them before.”

Hyewon felt like puking pushing away the older girl slightly, “Too much information unnie!”

Joohyun just laughed and nodded her head, “Now go.”

Hyewon begrudgingly walks to the staff room hearing hushed whispers inside, she rolled her eyes and opened the door – successfully stopping the three girls inside from talking and looking at her direction. She closed the door and leaned against it, crossing her arms.

“Mind telling me why you guys are here?”

“We just wanted a double.” Sakura answered and Chaeyeon grunt, “You’re the only one wanting a double.”

Hyewon raised her eyebrows, “You made Yujin drive you here?”

“No!” Sakura quickly answers and Hyewon gave her a pointed look making her sigh, “Okay, yes. She volunteered.”

“Good, I saw her car driving off.” Hyewon shrugged, “You really don’t have to worry.”

“But Kang-chan – “

“I’m with a roommate, remember?” Hyewon reminds them pushing herself off from the door, “She doesn’t even know about me.”

Sakura frowned and discreetly glanced at the other two, grateful that Hyewon didn’t notice it. “But still, we’re worried.”

“Why don’t you stay with us for tomorrow?” Chaeyeon questioned and Hyewon just shakes her head.

“I don’t want to be a bur – “

“But you’re not!” Yena chimes in, “You will never be a burden.”

Silence.

“Eunbi-unnie is waiting for your answer, you know?” Sakura says softly, “She said that you’re always welcome in her apartment.”

Hyewon looks at her friends softly and smiled. She gently shakes her head, “They’re already a crowd.” She then walks over to the eldest in the room and smiled.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” She says.

“That’s the same thing you said last time.” Sakura answered. Hyewon just stared at the older girl and the latter stared back. Hyewon knows what she’s talking about – and as much as she wants to deny it, she knows she can’t.

Hyewon clicks her tongue, “Don’t worry.”

//

Minju has been staring blankly at her wall since Yujin left her apartment. Her mind thinking about her conversation with the younger girl before being interrupted, she then thinks about her father asking – demanding her to go to some dinner tomorrow with Taeyong’s family, and lastly Yujin’s request before leaving earlier.

Many things are happening around her and she could not even keep up, she thinks about the dinner with her father – she would gladly ditch that dinner if not for her father personally asking her to go, which means this is all about business. She didn’t notice the time – she realized she’s been overthinking for about three hours now and she hasn’t even had a dinner yet.

Standing up from her seat, she walks over to the kitchen only to stop when she remembered that she told Hyewon not to cook any dinner for her. Minju just groans out and decided to have a toast – a freaking toast for dinner, and she just hopes she could use the toaster properly.

Hyewon hasn’t taught me yet. Minju thought and she just prays that the devil incarnate would cooperate because she could feel her hunger already.

Grabbing the bread, she pulled out two slices and walks over the toaster and she stares at it first before deciding to get the recently opened bottle of wine.

“I think I’ll need this.” Minju said to herself while drinking straight from the bottle.

Three sets of burnt toast after, Minju is cursing the toaster for not doing anything right – her hunger is really driving her crazy, if not for her father suddenly visiting then she would have been eating dinner with Chaewon at some restaurant now.

“Why don’t you just ing work?” Minju hissed slapping the toaster. She’s too into her toast that she didn’t hear the door opening earlier, and as she was about to take another sip from the wine someone grabbed it from her – surprising her.

“What the – “

“Drinking wine won’t help you with my toaster.” Hyewon deadpans, and pulled the wine away from her putting at on the counter top. She looks around the kitchen to see a mess of crumbs and burnt toasts.

“Sorry I took so long, I brought you some take-outs from the restaurant.” Hyewon said raising a plastic bag to show to Minju. The latter keeps staring at the girl, not understanding what’s happening.

“I thought you have a shift?” Minju finally asked.

Hyewon nodded walking around the girl, “Yeah took an early shift.”

“Why are you here?”

Putting down the plastic bag, Hyewon started cleaning the counter top and turned off her toaster. She walks over the trash bin and threw the burnt toasts there.

“I assumed that you won’t be having dinner outside,” Hyewon answered putting the take-outs on the table and opening them, the savory smell of the meat and side dishes spreading all over the apartment. “So, I took an early shift to grab you some dinner because I didn’t cook.”

Minju just looks at the older girl, smiling at her gesturing for her to take a seat. She just looks at the take-out in front of her, and then back to Hyewon. She takes a deep breath and nodded her head, “Thank you.”

“Sure, just don’t murder my toaster next time.” Hyewon jokes.

“It’s a devil incarnate!”

“Doesn’t mean you have to break it.” Hyewon shrugs and as Minju is about to answer back a piece of meat is shoved inside making her shut up – and blush.

“That’s the hunger speaking, now eat.” Hyewon smiles satisfies with her work, she passed some chopsticks to Minju and nodded at the girl. She then turned back to her own food and started to eat as well.

Minju looks at the older girl for a moment – her chest suddenly feels like bursting, and maybe she wants to know Hyewon more. Because the girl in front of her is not the girl she saw last night – but still, she wants to know every side of the girl.

“It’s not something to look forward to.”

I’ll be waiting until then. Minju thought and finally started eating, glancing at Hyewon who also glanced back at her at the same time – giving her a grin.

/

After eating their dinner, the two of them decided to lounge on the couch and watch some series – Hyewon actually wants to watch her anime but Minju ignored her, saying she needs to have their occasional dose of Netflix.

So now, Hyewon is just frowning at the show in front of her not knowing where the plot is going because it is very much obvious that the killer is their friend – she glances beside her and she saw Minju being into it.  Maybe it is the curiosity in her or that she’s just really concerned – it is very apparent that Minju doesn’t get along with her father, and Yujin just confirmed that earlier.

“Hey,” Hyewon called her attention and Minju just hummed her eyes still watching the show, “How was the talk?”

Minju quickly looks beside her to see Hyewon looking at her with concern, “Tiring and stressful.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Minju chuckles, it’s funny how Hyewon just casually asks these questions to her and yet she couldn’t even directly ask the older girl some questions. “Sure, but in exchange you answer my question.”

Hyewon thinks about it, staring at the younger girl. She then thinks about how Yujin said that she and Minju are not far different from each other – which is why she saw herself nodding. Much to Minju’s surprise.

“Yeah, I’ll answer as best as I can.”

With that, Minju paused the show and turned her body to look at the older girl properly. “Okay, you go first.”

Hyewon thinks about it, a proper question that Minju can answer. “How’s your relationship with your father?”

Minju nodded, the question fair enough for her to answer. “Strained.”

“I need more than that Minju.” Hyewon said glancing at the girl, making Minju chuckle.

“It was not always like that; we were really close when I was young but then the company happened and I just felt neglected.” Minju paused remembering her childhood, where father is still acting as a father, and not as a businessman. “Nothing I do can make him acknowledge me, the only time he did is when I graduated and the first thing, he said is that I’ll be handling the company. Not even a congratulations or an I’m proud of you.”

Hyewon stares at the younger girl beside her, maybe Yujin is right – maybe she and Minju really is similar to each other. She smiles at the girl, “Well then Kim Minju, I’m proud of you.”

Minju looks at the older girl and she sees her smile, and all she could see is her eyes – not screaming of pity, but of understanding. “My turn. When did you start living in Japan?”

This made Hyewon raised her eyebrow, “You know about that?”

“Sakura said it one time,” Minju shrugs, “Now stop dodging and answer the question.”

Hyewon just chuckles but still answered it truthfully, she doesn’t know why she finds it easy to say these things to Minju – as long as it doesn’t get serious. “I lived there since I was born, only going back to Korea when I was 18.” She glances at the girl who is sporting a surprised look.

“My turn, how’s your relationship with your mother?”

Hearing the question, Minju smiled remembering her mother – no matter what happened between her and her father, her mother has always been her constant. “She’s the best.”

“I can see that,” Hyewon looks at Minju softly, “Seeing your father, I can assume you look like your mother.”

“What?”

Hyewon just hummed, “Well, you got his eyes the only difference is that yours gives a different vibe.”

Minju looks at the older girl with amusement, “And what vibe is it?”

Hyewon tilts her head, staring right into Minju’s eyes – making the latter somehow conscious. “A vibe that I like.” She nonchalantly answered. Minju does not have any idea if Hyewon knows what she’s saying, but hearing the nonchalant answer just makes her feel things that she shouldn’t be feeling.

“How about you, what’s your relationship with your parents?”

And Hyewon stilled in her seat. The question expected, but it still caught her of guard. She thinks about it, an answer that won’t raise new questions. “Strained.”

“Oh.”

“We haven’t seen each other in 3 years, they went back to Japan and I stayed here.” Hyewon said, but there’s a lie in there.

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