CHAPTER 2

            “Marry me, Dahyun.”

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            Three Years Ago—

            A younger Dahyun and Sana were found on a hill which provided the best view of Seoul’s city skyline. They were huddled up together, embracing each other under the swarm of beautiful stars spattered across the sky. Silence enveloped them like some kind of warm blanket, never needing to verbally communicate to share their feelings.

            “I love you.” Sana would often remind the insecure Dahyun. There were times were it just called for Sana to say it out loud, amidst her deep conflict with the expression.

            “I love you too.” The younger girl looked at Sana’s eyes with warm eyes, melting Sana’s pain and worries away.

            They rarely had these kind of vulnerable moments. Being vulnerable was something the elder girl hated, something she carried along from her life living under her father’s care. Vulnerability, to her, immediately translated to weakness.

            “Listen, Dahyun…” Sana’s voice had a hint of fear. Dahyun, knowing Sana to the depths of her core, immediately looked at her lover in concern. “I don’t want to lose you.”

            “With you, I feel like it’s okay to be weak. There’s this sense of… safety, when I’m with you. And I’ve never felt like I could be myself around anybody. I don’t feel the need to hide anymore.” At this point, the younger girl had tears forming, daring to fall down on her cheeks.

            Sana straightened her back and cleared , still evidently nervous. “Marry me, Dahyun.”

            “S-Sana.. I-..” Before Dahyun could finish, Sana held her hand and gripped it tightly. “It doesn’t have to be now. I’m asking you now because I don’t want to be a bitter killjoy if there comes a time that I’d see you walking down the aisle with someone else.” Tears were running down Dahyun’s face. The other was trying hard not to let herself cry, but seeing the girl she loved like nobody else in such a state, she had no choice but to give in.

            “…Sana.” After Dahyun’s sniffles calmed down, albeit still sobbing her heart out, grabbed Sana’s face and pulled her in for a warm kiss. “You promise you’ll marry me, Sana?”

            “I promise.”

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            “Baby?” Momo’s voice blurred back in from Dahyun’s trip to memory lane. Her cheeks were freshly wet from her tears, being overwhelmed.

            Dahyun didn’t want to admit it, but her feelings were all over the place. She used to be so sure. Now she’s just left in a desert of confusion. She was torn in all ways possible. Why did memories have to come back now, she thought.

            “Listen, M-Momo…” A voice filled with pain tried its best to croak out a sentence. Say yes, Dahyun. Her feelings were screaming at her, tearing her mind apart.

            “Sweetie, I know it’s gonna sound stupid, but my knee’s hurting over here.” Momo chuckled light-heartedly, still smiling at her. Stop smiling. It hurts. Dahyun’s heart was beating loudly. She couldn’t silence anything. She stared at the ring Momo was holding up and bit her lip. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

            Let go, Dahyun. She’s not coming back.

            “Y-Yes! I’ll marry you, baby!” Dahyun finally shouted. She took a sharp inhale of air and gave her hand willingly to Momo. “I love you, Kim Dahyun!” Momo shouted in joy, hugging her lover and picking her up to swing her around.

            Wiping away her tears, Dahyun sniffled and hugged Momo tightly. Somehow, it didn’t sit right with her. She’s happy, but it just wasn’t right. Her memories had to bother her at the worst time. Maybe this is what I’m supposed to do. “I promise I’ll take care of her, Mr. and Mrs. Kim!”

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            The ride back home was filled with little, cheesy conversations. Momo had a hand in most of the conversing though. “Sweetie, do you feel sick? Maybe you caught a cold out there. You seem silent. Did I do something wrong? Was it too sudden?” Her questions kept coming, only to be silenced by Dahyun’s soft hand above hers.

            “I’m just tired, Moguring. Sleepy, and overwhelmed with emotions.” She did her best to chuckle. Momo didn’t protest out of the concern of putting her lover under stress after such a big decision.

            It didn’t take long for them to get back to Dahyun’s home. Afte sharing a few goodbye kisses, Dahyun got out of the card and headed back inside the house carrying a heavy heart, with Momo’s eyes burning her back.

            With the sound of the door creaking open, Chaeyoung walked towards it to greet her sister and help her with her things. They might want to pull each other’s hair out, but they hid a genuine concern over all the bickering and playfights.

            “Welcome back, how was your little date?” She teased as she helped her older sister take off her coat and hang her back on the rack. Dahyun only sighed, appearing to be tired. “Yikes. Didn’t go well?”

            The elder chuckled and put her left hand up in front of Chaeyoung’s face. In the first few seconds, she only blinked in reply, but once the thought sinked in, she jumped and her eyes widened. “SHE PROPOSED?!”

            Realizing she might have shouted out of excitement a bit too loudly, Chaeyoung clasped her hands over to suppress her joy. “I’m so proud of you!” She whispered as she jumped around the room.

            Dahyun sighed and sat down on the couch, palming her face in stress. Her gesture didn’t go unnoticed by her little sister, though. “Something tells me you’re not so happy about this. I’m not even the one getting married?” She questioned and squinted her eyes at the girl.

            “I.. I am. I’m just tired. I’m heading to bed.” She retired, leaving Chaeyoung in the living room, still frozen from her sister’s behavior. She blinked.

            Wait a minute… She whipped her phone out of her hoodie’s pocket, staring intently at the date, specifically the year. Three years ago.

            She immediately went to her inbox and created a group text with Nayeon and Tzuyu.

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            The headlights of a car turned off after pulling into a garage of a familiar house. Momo burst out of the vehicle in a carefree manner, her stride being proof to her joy apart from the toothy grin on her face. The keys jangled when she brought them out to unlock the door connecting the garage and the living room.

            “Ah, wait, that’s right.” Momo grabbed her phone from her pocket, closing the door behind her. Scrolling through her list of contacts, she attempted to text a certain person. “Did she change numbers? That’d be a pain in the .”

            Before typing a message, she headed up the stairs and into the master bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiles softly. She was thinking of Dahyun. The thought of coming back home with the love of her life fills her with the giddy feelings.

            Sorting through her contacts, she presses an old contact that was on her favorites list.

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            Momo wasn’t kidding when she said goodnight. Feeling accomplished, she headed to bed with a light mind and a happy heart.

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            The sound of multiple shoe heels tapping against the marble floor was heard throughout the vast lobby of the Minatozaki Corp. Bulding. Employees rushing to check in for work with their coffee in one hand and documents in the other. It was a busy, crowded day.

            You wouldn’t say the same for the atmosphere for the top floor of the building. It was silent. You would hear the air humidifier beep every now and then, but that was it. Matching the peaceful atmosphere inside Sana’s office, Mina was sitting cross-legged on one of the couches. She’d been here for a couple of minutes already, waiting for a certain someone to burst in.

            Just when she took a sip of her iced Americano, the glass door opened to reveal one groggy Sana Minatozaki. “You look like you were run over by a u-haul.”

            “Alarm didn’t wake me up on time.” The cold girl replied as she set down her things on the desk. “Why are you here? Jihyo never informed me you had an appointment with me.” Mina squinted her eyes in d