Hyewon, along with her friends Sakura and Yena, entered the same university. Although the three had different degrees, the three managed to come across each other's path in an elective course, as if destined to meet, and a friendship bloomed from then on. The trio even solidified their relationship by staying together in one apartment until they graduated. The three friends created memories both fun and despicable in their university.

The very same university where Hyewon met Minju. 

College student Hyewon was different from the employed Hyewon, as testified by her friends. The Hyewon now was serious and thorough with her job, and barely has time to enjoy herself but college student Hyewon was more carefree, a bit reckless, a risk-taker. This was the Hyewon that met Minju on the last week of her junior year. It was finals week; Hyewon was cramming tons of requirements to be passed while simultaneously reviewing for a few finals exam. Blame the days of procrastinating partnered by nights of drinking and hanging out with her friends, blame that. It so happened that one day when she was roaming around her department's building that she came across a pretty girl. She described the girl to her friends as "an angel who descended from above to let puny humans get a glimpse of what heaven is like." The beautiful woman who was clothed with a simple white tee and ripped jeans looked confused in the eyes of Hyewon, and she took it as an opportunity to talk to her. She gently tapped the woman's shoulder but still managed to surprise the girl. Hyewon was about to apologize when the girl flashed a sweet, sincere smile with eyes twinkling as if it holds the whole universe. And it took Hyewon all her strength not to stagger in her position. 

"Hi!" Hyewon exclaimed a little too loud for her liking but continued. "I notice you're hanging around looking quite confused, and I've never seen you before. Are you lost? Maybe I can help you."

The girl smiled even more widely if that was possible, exhaling in relief.

"Well yeah, I don't know where to go. I'm supposed to go here," the girl replied as she shyly showed Hyewon a piece of paper with an address written on it. "But yeah, I lost my way until you saw me." 

As shy and reserved her actions were, the words that were uttered took Hyewon by surprise. Hyewon swore it sounded like a pick-up line but let it go and focused on the address. 

"Oh funny, I'm going to Mr. Kim's office too, we should go there together, miss?"

"Minju, call me Minju."

---

The trip to Mr. Kim's office was too short for Hyewon's liking, and as they approach the professor's room, she thought of ways to stall or perhaps just get to the point. 

"Well, this is Mr. Kim's room," Hyewon said, and as Minju was about to thank her, she said something more. "And the reason why I helped you is that the moment I saw you, I was already drawn to you. And I'd like to ask you out, maybe for coffee or lunch or dinner or anything just as long as it's with you."

Minju was taken aback naturally, and it took her some seconds to respond, which felt like hours to Hyewon. "But-"

"No ifs, no buts. Just yes or no," Hyewon cut in coolly even though she felt her tummy flopped a thousand times already. But Minju's answer flushed all her anxieties away.

"Yes." 

---

"You're telling me you got a date with a random girl you saw in your department?" 

Yena said in an accusing tone over the sound of the games they're playing in their shared apartment. Yena and Sakura were playing Mario Kart while Hyewon was busy preparing for her dinner date with Minju. It was the day after they met in the university, and the two agreed to meet up that day.

"Woah, woah, woah. You're already going out on a date with a girl you just met yesterday?" This time it was Sakura who fired up questions. "And you're skipping the 'get-the-number stage' you religiously follow when interested in someone?"

"Damn, that girl got Hyewon down so bad."

The two teased Hyewon until the last minute she got out of their apartment. Hyewon was still thankful for those two dorks for making her less nervous through their jokes and teasing. It seemed like they noticed how nervous Hyewon was, compared to her other dates.

And Hyewon really was nervous as hell, especially when she arrived at the restaurant they agreed to meet in, and Minju was there already, looking all glorious in her floral patterned dress showing her perfect collarbones, with hair loosely tied in a casual yet elegant manner, and with a light makeup bringing out her beauty even more. Hyewon held her breath as she takes in such a sight in front of her. If not for Minju waving at her with her face full of concern, she would not have snapped out of her thoughts. 

Hyewon made her way to the girl and rambled out lame excuses on why she suddenly just spaced out like that, but Minju just laughed it off. And a burden was lifted off Hyewon's chest as she heard her date laugh like that as if angels were literally around them and the heavens were shining down on them. It was a memorable moment for the both of them as they talked about everything and nothing. It was until Minju mentioned something that made Hyewon's heart drop.

"Hyewon," Minju started, a bit uneasy as she spooked their dynamics by uttering one word. "I got to tell you something." 

When Minju heard no response she continued.

"I really love your company, I really do. When I first saw you too, I admit I find you pretty and all. Then you actually talked to me, and you're just so cute. I'd really love to continue knowing you better, but I know where this is going, and I'm not yet ready for anything. Not when I don't live here."

"Oh, that's cool. We can just meet up weekly. That's not a problem. And I'm not rushing you. God no, I just want to get to know you better too."

Minju laughed, and Hyewon concluded that it's pretty easy to make her laugh, something she can do. And the same humor makes bonds stronger. Hyewon was already thinking of the future when Minju said something she never expected.

"I live in the states. I'm only here for a month or so until I go back. Not so easy for the weekly meet-up, huh?" Minju chuckled weakly, failing miserably to hide the frustration in her voice. Hyewon should have been discouraged with that, but probably she was high up the clouds to think better. But Minju liked it.

"Then let's spend that one month wisely, together."

---

And after that date, they spent more time together, be it going out on dates or just getting groceries. The both of them just enjoyed their time together, but all good things must come to an end.

It was a day before Minju goes back to the states, and the last day Hyewon will be seeing her. As much as Minju wanted Hyewon to see her off, she does not want his uncle Mr. Kim, which is Hyewon's professor, to see them together. Hyewon agreed as she also did not want to see her professor, whom she gave a headache. Ironically, they spent their last day together in the same building they met.

"So," Hyewon said, catching Minju's attention, who was then looking around to see if his uncle was in their proximity.

"So..."

Hyewon took a deep breath before facing Minju. Looking into each other's eyes, Hyewon braced herself for whatever reaction she might receive. "The past month has been so exciting, and I think I've never enjoyed a break like this before. Thanks to you for making this supposedly boring month bearable. And I know we are on a time limit, but I took that thought out of my system and just enjoyed every single second spent with you. By doing that, I think I was the happiest when I'm with you, and I sure as hell will still want you in my life, even if we're oceans apart. Kim Minju, you're the best thing in my life so far."

"So far?" Minju interjected, a little intrigued with the last sentence.

"So far," Hyewon replied, tracing marks of quotes in the air. "because we're not together yet. Until then, I could not declare that it's the best thing in my life. Period."

And there it was again, the hearty laugh coming out of Minju's lips. A laugh Hyewon knew she would miss. 

"And I'm telling you once more, I'm still not ready for anything," Minju said, getting serious after a good laugh. "And I really like you, but I don't want you caught up in this. In us. So, save yourself from a heartbreak."

Hyewon was silent, but not for long.

"So, you like me?"

"What?" Minju asked, clearly perplexed with the reaction she never expected. Not when there was a proud smirk across Hyewon's face when she was told to stop their thing.

"Well, it's the first time you said you like me verbatim, so it kind of stuck in my head and did not hear what you said," Hyewon remarked, earning another laugh from Minju. "But I do want to get caught up in this. I'd wait until you're ready. I mean it. Don't laugh, dear god, please no. I'm not being funny this time."

And Minju just smiled, a smile making waves of emotions wash over Hyewon. Minju did not laugh. Instead, she took Hyewon's hand in for a handshake.

"Then it's a deal," Minju said with a warm smile all over her face.

"And every deal must be sealed with a kiss?" Hyewon jokingly suggested but was surprised when a pair of lips touched hers in a swift second. It was a chaste kiss, one that probably Hyewon never had for all she had was wild ones from all the partying and stuff, and it lasted only for a millisecond, but it was the most memorable kiss in her life.

"Sealed with a kiss."

---

Then it was a rainy night in some remote province, and Hyewon was talking to a worried Minju over the phone. Suddenly, Hyewon wished she was talking to Minju in person, then she would feel how gently Minju wraps her arms around her body as she checked on her. How she wished for Minju to looking at her in the eyes, even if her eyes were pooling with concern and distress, for her own worries vanishes in the eyes of Minju. How she wished for time to stop that last day they were together for even though she was hopeful with the future, she was also dying inside with the present. But those things could not happen. She was in some inn stuck with work while Minju in the states studying. 

"Hi, Minju. I'm doing a-okay," Hyewon singsonged to feel a cold reaction from the other line.

"Not today, Hye. Tell me what happened at work."

Hyewon went to tell what happened in her day so far but sparing some details such as the stranger she was sharing a room with and all other Yuri-related stuff. Hyewon rationalized that Minju was asking about her work, but Yuri was, in essence, not work-related. But as she finished her story, she wondered why she spared that detail. As if it meant anything.

"Please, please, please. Take care of yourself there. Don't do things that will harm you, you hear me? I still want to see alive and kicking when we meet," Minju tried to joke to mask her desperation but to no avail. Hyewon could clearly hear how worried and hurt Minju was, who was probably also yearning to be with Hyewon in flesh at this very moment. Hyewon could not help but smile, albeit sad, at the futile attempt. The two shared a few more minutes of talking until Minju bid goodbye to get back to her studying. It was only at that moment when she ended the call that Hyewon realized she was still in the dining room and that Yuri was awkwardly waiting for her at their table alone. And when she got back, she expected Yuri to ask her but she did not and they just agreed to go back to the room.

And when they were walking back to the room that's when it dawned to her, that she was indeed going to spend a night with this stranger, Yuri, maybe share the same bed, and it disturbed her deeply to her core that she did not tell Minju. And she thought once more that in retrospect, Yuri was still part of her work and her rationalization was completely wrong. But what's horrible was that Yuri noticed that when they got back in the room.

"Hyewon, are you okay?" Yuri cautiously asked and let some silence sink in before she continued. "Are you and your girlfriend okay?"

Now that shocked Hyewon. Minju was not her girlfriend (yet) and someone saying it out loud scared the hell out of her. Were they girlfriends? What does it mean? On what grounds do you call one your girlfriend? Sure, they were acting all girlfriend-ly, but they're not, and now it scared her if she and Minju would never be girlfriends. And now the word girlfriend has been stuck in her head that she even wondered if girlfriend was a word. Hyewon knew she was spiraling and it was happening too fast and too crucial with worthless thoughts even. Then there was something cold on her cheek that made her jump like a spring.

"Woah Hyewon, calm down. You're freaking out," Yuri uttered softly, handing the cold carbonated drink to her. "Here, drink this. And, maybe, just stop. Stop thinking for a while. I can hear your thoughts from a mile."

And Hyewon knew that Yuri was trying to make her head clear, but little does she know how it made her heart unsettled.