“Yong, I’ll do better, I promise.”

“Stop lying to me. You say that every time we argue and guess what? Nothing has changed! If you meant it, you wouldn’t have forgotten about my competition last night. Will it kill you to show some support? It’s the finals!”

“Listen to me Yong, I really mean it this time. I thought it through last night. I know you’ve been very patient with me…”

“Byul, stop. I thought it through last night too and I had enough. I’m done trying. You can go back to your games, your selfish antics, whatever makes you happy.”

“Yong, don’t…”

Before Byulyi could finish her sentence, Yongsun slammed her dormitory door shut, leaving Byulyi outside, holding a handmade roll of gimbap that was meant to be a peace offering. She knew that the older girl had a debate competition the day before, but she was too engrossed in MapleStory. With her headphones on, she did not realise that Yongsun had called her for a number of times. By the time she ended her game, the competition was nearing the end and she decided that there was no point in attending already.

That was not the first time she neglected Yongsun. In fact, she had lost count of all the times she had disappointed the older girl. Maybe she would actually recall if she tried hard enough, but she saw no reason to sit through all the replays of that slight twitch by her lips milliseconds before her face fell. Yes, Byulyi noticed it. She noticed all the little things Yongsun did. However, she knew better than to allow them to manifest, to give them the opportunity to become the tiny shrapnel that would leave her wounded eventually.

She had sworn that she would not fall in love carelessly again. She was supposed to be carefree, and thus, happy, now, so no way was she going to succumb to her sensitivities. “Happy. Give me a smile will you?”, she sighed out loud as she rolled her chair across the room to her mirror. She placed her hand on her reflection, tracing the outlines of her upturned lips. “Moon Byul Yi, are you enjoying this?” With a swift movement, she tipped the closest black baseball cap off the hook on the side of her wardrobe, and fixed it on her head. A walk was what she needed to clear her mind, before dealing with Yongsun, the Yongsun whom she knew will forgive her as long as she came up with a good excuse.

Byulyi stepped out into the cold night air. She took a deep breath, allowing the cool air numb her insides. She knew she needed a distraction from herself, so she headed towards the busiest street in the area. The street was as packed as it could be on a Saturday night. She maneuvered through the crowd, taking in the sights and smell listlessly. As she neared the end of the street, she caught hold of a familiar melody she had not heard in a while. A clean, soft voice wafted through the air, seemingly above the dull noise from the chatters and clanging of cutleries by the street hawkers.

Interest piqued, she followed the voice that gradually became clearer. A girl with a tiny frame was standing by a wall, delivering an early 2000s classic sentimental song that did not match the hustle and bustle of the street. Byulyi froze momentarily when she saw her. At that same moment, the song ende