Finally parking in one of the parking slots of a convenience store in the middle of the nowhere, Chaeyeon breathed heavily, looking at her hands that were still gripping tightly the steering wheel. She had been driving for 6 hours non-stop, trying to drown her own thoughts with the loud music coming from her car speakers, but she knew that, despite her own anger and anguish, she could not continue drviing for longer without crashing onto another car. She needed to get her thoughts in order before continuing, and, maybe, a cup of noodles would do some good.

It still took her a moment to collect herself before she could open the door. She entered the store quietly, not wanting to attract the attention of the clerk.

Looking quietly for the aisle with the noodles, she made a mental note to look for a hotel while she ate, as she knew her body and mind had reached a level of tiredness unimaginable. She spent little time inspecting the noodles. To be honest, she didn't care what brand they were or if they were this flavor or other. Grabbing one packet, she walked towards the cash register, where the clerk was reading intently, a giant book covering her face.

"Good evening," Chaeyeon greeted tiredly, wanting to already sit down and eat.

"Good-" The woman, who had lowered the book to check her noodles, choked at the sight of her, shocked beyond belief about what she was seeing. "Chaeyeon?"

"Chaewon…" Chaeyeon whispered, sudden memories filling her mind. It was almost as if she transported back to their last conversation before she…

"Is… are you just buying this?" The question made Chaeyeon both feel relief and disappointment. She knew she had no right to feel like this.

At Chaeyeon's nod, Chaewon checked the noodles, silently reciting her total. Chaeyeon paid, also without a word, convinced that, most likely, Chaewon wanted nothing to do with her. After she had rejected the receipt, she walked towards the machine kept at the back of the store to pour water onto her noodles.

While the cup filled with water, Chaeyeon wondered if it would probably be a better idea to just leave, feeling too raw to even add her memories with Chaewon to the mix of misery. Moreover, she had no right to be in Chaewon's presence, not when she had done what she had. She was too immersed in her own mental debate to realize what was happening until she was already screaming in pain.

"Chaeyeon! Are you okay?" Chaewon ran towards her, looking surprised at the mess on the floor. It was in that moment that Chaeyeon felt shame fill her entire body.

"Yes, yes, I am-Sorry, I just… Give me a mop and I'll clean… I'm sorry," Chaeyeon stuttered, the pain still burning her hand.

"Come, let's get your hand submerged in cold water." Chaewon tried to grab Chaeyeon's hand, but that seemed to burn more that the scalding water.

"No, I… I'm sorry. Just give me a mop… I'm so sorry, Chaewon. I never meant to…" Chaewon, quickly understanding what Chaeyeon tried to say, hugged the latter, not letting go despite the resistance.

"It's okay," Chaewon soothed, caressing Chaeyeon's hair. "It's okay."

Chaeyeon cried silently, a few sniffles being Chaewon's hint to what was happening. She didn't let go, not even when she felt her shoulder get wet.

"It hurts," Chaeyeon croaked.

"I know it hurts. I know," Chaewon answered, though she knew it wasn't about the burn at all.

The embrace lasted for a long time, as Chaeyeon seemed to finally show her exhaustion. When it did end, however, Chaewon wordlessly took her to the back of the store to help with the burn.  None of them said much until they were again settled in one of the tables at the front of the store, with Chaewon insisting that Chaeyeon should eat.

"How are you?" Chaewon asked as Chaeyeon blew her noodles. The question made the latter stiffen, but she tried relaxing her shoulders. After all, it was just Chaewon… but that was exactly what was scary.

"I'm not okay," Chaeyeon confessed quietly, looking to her left, not wanting to see Chaewon's victorious expression, already anticipating a deserved 'I told you so'.

"What happened, Yeon?" The nickname made Chaeyeon bristle.

"You already know. You've always known. You were right, and I was an idiot." Chaewon frowned at the wording.

"You're not an idiot, Yeon."

"I am," Chaeyeon declared, her heart now filling with the rage she had suppressed throughout her long journey. "I should have seen it coming. I should have seen it coming miles away, but I was too blind to understand what was happening." She turned to look at Chaewon. "She cheated on me, after I poured myself to help her achieve her dreams, after I abandoned my own dreams to help finance hers, after I left my family and friends behind to follow her to a country where I didn't know the language nor the culture, where I had no job and all I could do was sit for hours in front of the tv, wondering if she would even come home that night."

The description made Chaewon sigh, feeling for the friend she hadn't seen for a long time. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Chaeyeon deflated again. "It's just that… I really thought things would be better between us if we left, if I left with her. And then, as more time passed, and she spent less time at the apartment, I just couldn't deal with… with feeling lonely. I missed my family, I missed my friends, I missed… you." The admission made Chaewon's chest flutter.

"You're not an idiot," she asserted again. "You're just human."

Chaeyeon sighed. "Well, maybe this human should have really listened to you when she had the chance."

The memory made Chaewon frown, but she didn't comment on it, regardless. "Maybe you could have," she admitted. "But there's nothing you can do now. Regret… regret serves no purpose now, other than to make you feel miserable." Chaeyeon nodded listlessly, but didn't rebutt Chaewon's statement. "What are you going to do?"

Chaeyeon sniffed. "I don't know. I don't want to go back to my parents yet. They were always so enthusiastic about my relationship with Sakura, that I'm just scared to break the news."

Chaewon nodded, her mind brewing a suggestion that, at some point seemed ill-advised (she could almost hear Yena's chastisment). She voiced it out anyway. "Do you want to stay at my place? You know, until you feel comfortable with telling your parents," Chaewon explained when Chaeyeon turned to look at her, her expression shocked.

"Are… are you sure?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Chaeyeon's voice was hesitant. "I don't know… Why would you want to deal with me when I did what I did…"

Chaewon smiled, patting Chaeyeon's leg. "I already forgave you long ago."

Chaeyeon's eyes became misty, and suddenly Chaewon was engulfed in a hug. "Thank you."

Oh, lord. Chaewon just knew Yena was going to kill her.