[2003]

“Are you not curious?”

Mina and Jeongyeon are currently sitting under the orphanage’s tallest and widest tree near the gate while watching a car approaching it. 

Inside that red car is one of their friends who found a new family and on their way to their new house- a home.

Jeongyeon is peeling a tangerine for her and for Mina when the younger one asks her a blurry question.

“Curious about what?” Jeongyeon asked back while giving Mina a peeled tangerine.

When the car passed by across their location, they waved their hands in hope that their friend inside could see them.

The moment that the car disappeared on their sight and the gate closed, Mina sighs and lays her back on the grass. Jeongyeon follows and they watch how the tree’s leaves dance along with the wind.

“What does it feel like to have a family?”

----

[Present]

“Minari!” 

Mina lifted her gaze upon hearing that someone calls her by her old nickname.

She smiles the moment she sees Jeongyeon approaching her. She calls her by her nickname once again and she immediately felt that her cheeks were getting warm because she noticed that people around her were looking at them curiously.

They are actually giving her a few glances the moment she parked her car, went out from it and waited for Jeongyeon in front of the green gate (which was specified in the text message that Jeongyeon sent her), but the attention intensifies the moment Jeongyeon calls her by her nickname.

People around them raised their eyebrows and exchanged whispers.

“Good morning!” 

Mina flinched and held onto her chest when Jeongyeon jumped in front of her. She didn’t notice that her friend arrived on her spot. Jeongyeon’s cologne invaded her senses that made her shiver.

Jeongyeon is wearing a plain white shirt, faded jeans, her school ID and a backpack. Her cheeks are red and her chest is moving up and down softly as a result of running towards Mina. 

She has this lopsided smile on her lips and the younger can’t help but to chuckle because Jeongyeon seems so excited to see her. Mina thought that It feels so nice to think that someone is actually excited to see her.

“Good morning..” Mina replied and gave her a smile.

Jeongyeon giggles like a kid after that. It feels so nice to be in front of Mina and to be able to see her again. She can’t point out which part of it makes her feel delighted but ever since she found Mina, her heart can’t just shut up about it.

Dahyun even wondered and was suspicious, especially when she told her what happened during their first meeting. Her sister told her that she’s being too comfortable with Mina and that she should at least be careful because they didn’t know the adult Mina yet.

But Jeongyeon is so sure that Mina is as good a person as she was 19 years ago. She can’t believe the fact that Mina is a newly announced CEO of a very big company yet she paid time to meet her on the very first Saturday when she received her letter. Maybe that is one of the reasons why she is happy. Because Mina seems to be as happy and as excited as she.

And that they both valued their time they spent together in the orphanage.

“Why?” Mina asked her curiously. She noticed that there’s a string of hair on Jeongyeon’s shoulder so she picked it up and removed it from the older girl.

“Anyway, are your parents still at home? I just want to greet them so they'll be aware of who you are with.” Mina added.

Jeongyeon just shook her head to answer her second question then proceeded to answer her first question.

“Nothing. I just can’t believe that I really found you.”

Mina stares at Jeongyeon’s face as if she’s searching for something then she opens the car’s door for Jeongyeon. The older one thought that the car smells like Mina and it makes her calm for someone who’s riding a car for the first time.

Seatbelts are all good and Mina was about to start the engine when she remembers something.

“I remember that you have a sister, where is she? She’s the one who answered my call when I dialled your number last Saturday.”

“Dahyun doesn't have a class every Monday,”

Mina started the car’s engine and maneuvered her car off from the slim road of Jeongyeon’s neighborhood. She had to concentrate to get the car on the highway so Jeongyeon let her before she continued.

“And it’s not my number, it’s Dahyun’s.”

“Oh, so I am texting Dahyun’s number all this time?”

Jeongyeon looks on Mina’s side while Mina’s eyes are on the road.

“You’re texting her?”

“I thought that it’s your number so I sent a few messages last week and after our first meeting,” Mina laughed when she recalls Dahyun’s response when she answered her call.

“No wonder that I never received a reply and she said that I’m a prankster when she answered my call.” 

Jeongyeon groaned out of embarrassment and pout.

She knows what Dahyun is like when she’s annoyed and she knows that Dahyun is not yet comfortable about Mina’s sudden appearance in her life, so she can’t imagine what she could’ve said to Mina during that call.

“I apologize. I should've given you a heads up that it’s not my number. Dahyun just doesn't have any idea that you would actually respond to my letter so she’s not expecting your messages.”

Mina glanced at Jeongyeon so quick, but enough for her to see her embarrassed expression towards her. ‘What’s with the pout. OMG she’s so cute?!’ Mina thought.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. I was just wondering why you didn’t put your own number instead. Is your phone broken?”

Mina had to give a quick glance to Jeongyeon once again because of her silence after her question. She found Jeongyeon looking outside her car’s window.

“Yes, it’s broken. I will just buy a new one once there’s a chance.” Jeongyeon replied.

“What do you mean by chance? Are you that busy?”

There’s another silence and Mina had to turn her car right to enter another road.

“I mean, I’ll buy a new phone once my budget cooperates.”

Mina noticed the change in Jeongyeon’s voice. She almost whispers her words and she hasn't given Mina a look ever since she asked her about her phone. So she checks her through the rear mirror and she sees this weird thing in her eyes.

Jeongyeon is still staring outside the car’s window and it seems like her mind is travelling somewhere else. 

“Jeongyeon?”

That seems to interrupt Jeongyeon’s thoughts. She looks at Mina’s side and smiles at her.

“This the part where you offer to buy me a new phone, isn’t it?”

The question shocked Mina and made her snap her head towards her childhood friend. Her heart is beating so fast in a negative way. 

Growing up in a wealthy family gave her an opportunity to meet different kinds of people. Mina met a lot of people along the way and most of them just wanted to be close to her just because of the luxurious things she can offer.

She never thought something like time about Jeongyeon because her heart tells her that she’s the same person she adores back in the orphanage. So hearing those kinds of words from someone she trusts so fast made Mina’s heart race. She almost thought negatively towards Jeongyeon if only she didn’t see her wide teasing smile towards her.

‘Of course, Jeongyeon is just kidding. She’s different.’ Mina scolds herself before she smiles back at Jeongyeon.

“Do you want me to buy you a phone?” Mina joked back that made Jeongyeon laugh. Mina swears it’s adorable, she opens when she laughs.

“Nah, I don’t think that I need a phone that much. Most of my important contacts are in Dahyun’s phone already so I think buying a new phone can wait.” Jeongyeon added.

They arrived in front of the university’s gate. A part of Mina and Jeongyeon is disappointed that they have to cut their time together this soon again, but the good thing is that they have every incoming morning to catch up and see each other. 

Mina is carefully parking her car when Jeongyeon speaks,

“And I can’t accept a brand new phone or any gifts from you, Ms. CEO. The last thing I want to happen or implied in that pretty head of yours is that I reached out to you just because of your wealth.” Jeongyeon said. Mina turned off the engine and turned to Jeongyeon. The latter is still smiling at her.

Mina got startled when Jeongyeon suddenly pulled her for a hug.

“My intention is far from that. When I saw one of your interviews on a convenience store’s television, all I wanted to do is to see you and ask you if you’re doing well. I’m not expecting that you would actually want to see me more than once so I want this friendship to be as genuine as possible.” Jeongyeon whispers while hugging her. Mina returns the hug. 

She wished she could return the warmth that Jeongyeon brings in so she caressed her back.

“Noted. Thanks for calling me pretty.”

Jeongyeon laughs and Mina took a note to always make her laugh. The sound of her laugh is so contagious and Mina can’t remember if someone can make her smile by just listening to their laughs.

Jeongyeon breaks from the hug first, but she’s holding Mina’s shoulder still, staring the way she always stares towards Mina.

“I said, ‘pretty head of yours’, but okay. I can’t argue because you are indeed pretty in your office’s suit.” Jeongyeon said before removing the seat belt from her.

Mina cleared and was thankful that Jeongyeon didn’t stare further or else she would have witnessed how her face turns red because of her friend’s compliment.

Mina would like to walk Jeongyeon to her class but the latter insists that it’s not necessary and that she should go ahead to her office or she will be late. The older one told her that she should be punctual even though she's the CEO already. Jeongyeon basically scolds her before she gets off her car and Mina remembers that Jeongyeon always scolds her too in the past. 

It made Mina smile and she wonders how many times she smiled that morning.

“Take care!” Jeongyeon said and waved her hands.

Jeongyeon smiled at her once more before turning her back but Mina thought of something. She lowers her car’s window and shouts Jeongyeon’s name not minding the other students who gave her a questioning look.

“Jeongyeon!”

Jeongyeon stops and looks back at her.

“You still talk in pout!” Mina shouts while laughing. She closed her car window right away and started her car.

“Silly!” she heard Jeongyeon shouts back.

----

The next day, Mina appeared in front of Jeongyeon’s house earlier than the first day. She wanted to knock on the gate but she was so afraid about the possibility of meeting Jeongyeon’s parents so she settled on waiting outside her car.

Not long after, the gate opened and Mina saw a pale girl come out from it. She stops on her track for a while when she sees Mina. The pale girl made eye contact with Mina and the latter tried her best to not to be intimidated by the way the girl stared at her. It’s as if the girl can read her mind and is trying to get into her inner thoughts.

The pale girl walks towards Mina and stands in front of her, still staring at the CEO.

“You must be Dahyun.” Mina said and offered her right hand for a shake.

Her act of politeness was ignored. The girl crossed her arms on her own chest while checking Mina from her head to toes.