The sound of footsteps echoes down the hall, keys dangle in the air as the knob is turned and the door is opened, the hall lights illuminate and reveal to Jihyo an unfurnished apartment, the once bright colors of the walls are now fading, the lights were off and the windows didn't seem to be open for a long time. 

The feeling of nostalgia invades her being, and if she closes her eyes tightly, she will be able to imagine and smell the food being prepared on the stove, the sweet perfume that emanated from that apartment and the loud laughter of her friends. Jihyo can still remember the last time she met her friends in this apartment.

It had been a few months since Jihyo had signed and contracted with a prestigious Seoul entertainment company. So now she was about to debut a single with two copyrighted songs, she had also finished recording her MV, so everything was ready for release. 

It would debut the next morning. Now, Jihyo was reunited with her friends in the living room of her apartment, while Mina and Tzuyu shared space in the kitchen, preparing a special breakfast to celebrate Jihyo's debut, while Sana was cuddled up with the singer on the sofa, claiming that Jihyo there would be no more time for her after the premiere, Dahyun was still sleeping, now beside Chaeyoung on a mattress in the living room.

Mina and Chaeyoung slept in the couple's apartment that day, as Chaeyoung didn't want the hassle of getting up early and crossing town to go to the girls' house.

Dahyun and Sana arrived at the small apartment at dawn, unable to contain the excitement that their friend would become famous, the couple ended up sleeping between Jihyo and Tzuyu in the large King size bed that Jihyo had recently split in the card .

Jeongyeon and Nayeon lived in the building next door and were probably on their way, but Jihyo didn't expect them to arrive early anyway, she knew her best friend was a lazy bunny.

"Is breakfast ready yet?" A lazy Sana asked, lazily dropping her head in Jihyo's lap.

"If you came to help it would be faster." Mina replied, going into the living room to see if her Chaengie was already awake.

"No Mina Unnie, the younger ones have to make the older ones breakfast, right Jihyo?" Sana asked, blinking her eyes sweetly at the singer.

"Exactly Minari." Jihyo smiled, Mina rolled her eyes and went back to the kitchen, but there was an amused smile on her face.

"Then why are neither Dahyun nor Chaeyoung helping?" Tzuyu emerged from behind the sofa, walking towards the mattress where DubChaeng was sleeping comfortably.

"Because we're lazy young people and we're older than you." Dahyun muttered, still with her eyes closed and hugging Chaeyoung

"Dahyunnie~" Sana slurred, getting up from the couch to throw herself on top of Dahyun on the mattress, kissing his plump cheek she murmured. "Good morning my Tofu."

Dahyun muttered something Jihyo didn't understand, she just looked at Tzuyu, she thought Tzuyu was beautiful, hair tied and clothes bigger than her, the bruises on and collarbone revealed what they both did last night.

The disgusted look Tzuyu was directing at Dahyun and Sana was charming, but his charm ended after he kicked the mattress so Chaeyoung woke up.

"Don't be a mean baby TzuTzu." Sana grumbled, watching Tzuyu go to sit beside Jihyo and shamelessly beg.

Jihyo kissed her lips lightly, not satisfied, Tzuyu tried to go deeper, but the singer wouldn't let her, just smiled and shrugged, leaving Tzuyu sulking.

"Later, honey, we can't do this in front of the kids." Jihyo spoke, and Sana pretended to be vomiting, the singer started kissing Tzuyu's neck, shamelessly the marks on the Taiwanese's neck, the younger one doing nothing to hide her delight, much to Sana's displeasure.

"No one will help me anyway?" Mina yelled from the kitchen, Jihyo held Tzuyu in a tight hug, not allowing her to leave.

No one answered, so the apartment door opened and Momo emerged, with Jeongyeon and Nayeon following her.

"I can hear Minari's screams from the elevator, and those aren't the screams I'd want to hear at this time." Nayeon said, already irritated by all the noise she had to endure in the car.

"Good morning to you too, queen of the bad mood." Jihyo said, still with Tzuyu in her arms, and by this point she had already given up on leaving her girlfriend's arms.

Momo went straight to the kitchen to greet his Japanese sister and try his luck to see if Mina would advance her share of breakfast.

Nayeon sat next to Tzuyu on the couch, the younger one putting her legs over the older one's thighs, Jeongyeon just looked at the scene curiously.

"Tzuyu, when did you become so sassy ?" Nayeon asked pushing Tzuyu's legs. "Jihyo is spoiling you!"

"And when did you become such a grumpy rabbit?" Jihyo asked, 'protecting' Tzuyu from the evil bunny.

"Tzuyu deserves to be spoiled, she tries very hard." Jeongyeon comments to Nayeon.

"Chaeyoung is drooling on the mattress." Dahyun commented, pushing the youngest off the mattress, making her wake up immediately.

"I will kill you." Chaeyoung muttered as he stood up, raising a fist at the pale girl.

"I love a morning fight!" Jeongyeon commented clapping his hands. "Especially if it's midget fight. "

Jihyo still remembers that day well, and how they spent the day together, with silly fights and evil laughter. Tzuyu didn't let go of the singer during the day, as he knew that once Jihyo officially started her career, she wouldn't have that much time with her dear little owl.

If Tzuyu had played the lottery that day, maybe she would have won, she was so sure of nothing, but that she would have been right.

If Jihyo imagines it correctly, she can still feel the welcoming kisses that came from her girlfriend, the teasing of Jeongyeon and the sweet laugh that came out of Tzuyu when they parted.

"Welcome, Unnie. I missed you." It was how Tzuyu greeted her whenever Jihyo opened the apartment door and saw Tzuyu sitting on the couch with Gucci in her lap.  

But now Tzuyu wasn't there to receive her, nor was Gucci there, he wouldn't come running to greet his other mother, he wouldn't come barking asking to climb into her lap.

Jihyo takes a deep breath and finally enters the apartment, closing the door behind her and taking off her shoes and leaving them by the door, she turns on the lights and can see better, the sofa is no longer there, there is no furniture in the living room, just a few big pillows in the corner of the room, next to an electric keyboard that's also on the floor.

"I'm at home." Jihyo spoke to the empty apartment, feeling her chest tighten as she didn't hear Tzuyu's warm voice welcoming her.

She calmly walks into the kitchen, opening the cupboard and taking out her red mug. Tzuyu had given it to them on their first valentine's day, before they'd even adopted little Gucci. Jihyo stares at the mug, smiling sadly at the gift she has used for so many years. 

"I bought this for you… I know we're saving up for the washing machine, but don't let it pass you by." The Taiwanese woman said shyly, placing a white-wrapped box in Jihyo's hands. 

"Funny, I bought you something too." She said with a giggle, Jihyo went to her bag and pulled out a small paper card, decorated with colorful hearts.

"Oh that's so cute Unnie, I loved it so much." Tzuyu said, when he finally finished reading, it was a simple card bought at a convenience store. But inside there was something that couldn't be bought, the lyrics to a song, written by Jihyo herself for her sweet girlfriend. 

Jihyo closes her eyes again so she can remember all the times Tzuyu brought her tea in that mug, all the times the Taiwanese woman asked Jihyo to sing that song while they were both lying in their room.

The big-eyed woman wrapped the mug in her sweater and placed it in her bag carefully, too afraid it would break. She continued walking to the apartment suite, where she and Tzuyu shared a bed for about 3 years, the door was open and the photos on the wall were missing, Jihyo didn't know their whereabouts, the bedroom was the only room still furnished, his big bed was still in the center.

"What am I doing?" Jihyo wonders, she sits on the bed, still soft, it was amazing how Tzuyu's sweet scent still completely filled that place.

The room still looked the same.

Gucci's small bed was still in the corner of the room, along with his bowl of water and food. Tzuyu's bow and arrow was still on top of the wardrobe, still all dusty. The Taiwanese woman's clothes were still lying on the bedroom floor, as Jihyo was no longer there to help with the tidying. Soda and beer cans were lying on the side of the bed, along with food packaging. All empty and discarded randomly around the room. 

The singer still remembers the moments she spent with Tzuyu in this room, in this bed, she remembers all the kisses, all the silly hands that led them to something else. She remembers how Tzuyu woke her up every morning, with kisses on the back of her neck and a little whisper saying: I love you baby before getting up.

Park Jihyo also remembers every Saturday morning that she would go out for a run or to meet her older sister. 

"Jihyo, don't go, please~" Tzuyu whimpered, pulling on Jihyo's sweater as she tried to cover her own .

"My girl, I'll be back in less than two hours, don't worry." Jihyo would speak, lightly kissing his forehead, Tzuyu would wrap his arms around Jihyo's waist and lay his head on her s.

"I want you to continue sleeping here with me." Tzuyu would pout and lightly kiss the owl necklace Jihyo had worn since their first meeting, when Tzuyu gave it to her.

"Sleep now Tzuyu, I promise that when you close your eyes, and then open, I will be here with you." She reassured her.

"Promise?"

"Yes." Tzuyu would go back to bed and face Jihyo. "Close your eyes Tzuyu, and I'll come back when you open them again."

And yes, she would always come back.

Until one day she didn't come back.

Jihyo gets up from the bed, going to the wardrobe. When she opens it, she sees only Tzuyu's clothes, the few clean clothes that were hanging on hangers. It was the last clothes Jihyo washed and passed it to her (they liked this division of tasks). Jeongyeon and Nayeon came to the apartment to wash clothes that day, as the couple's washing machine had broken down.

"Jeongyeon be quiet, do your commoner service and keep folding your wife's ." Tzuyu said rolling his eyes, Jeongyeon stuck his tongue out at his Maknae.

It was like seeing a mother and daughter arguing.

"Like your girlfriend isn't folding yours." Nayeon said, pointing to Jihyo on the other side of the room, who was passing Tzuyu's freshly washed work clothes, including her clean .

"Jihyo-ah! I told you I didn't have to!" Tzuyu spoke loudly and hurried to the woman who gave him a confused look.

"Baby? I always do that and you never said it was unnecessary." Tzuyu smiled and kissed her lips lovingly. But she didn't miss the laugh that Nayeon and Jeongyeon shared.

"Have you seen Nayeon? Jihyo always irons Tzu Tzu's ." Jeongyeon teases the Taiwanese woman, who rolls her eyes and throws her a pair of socks that were on the couch.

"I still have to sort your socks by color because you confuse them. You're not much different from her, Jeongyeon." Nayeon says, taking a laugh from Jihyo.

"Big baby."

The singer closes the wardrobe doors, leaning her head against the door, she closes her eyes, if she keeps her eyes closed she will be able to remember the sound of Tzuyu's loud laugh. Jihyo leans against the wardrobe door and looks at the bed again, finally noticing the pair of slippers on the right side of the bed, her place on the bed, they were small slippers, so she assumed Dahyun would be sleeping with Tzuyu. 

Jihyo walks to the bathroom, the door is open as usual, she turns on the light and walks in, seeing that nothing has moved she feels strangely relieved, her toothbrush is still in the toothbrush holder, her shampoo is still on the shelf, but now it's almost gone, opening the cabinets below the sink she finds her towel, now clean, and her hairbrush.

She opens the medicine cabinet and still finds hers there, Jihyo also finds another variety of medicines she has never heard of, medicines that have never been there before. The Korean takes only hers, keeping in the bag she was carrying.

She leaves the bathroom, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she makes a decision. Jihyo opens her eyes and stares at the room with determination, she puts her bag on the bed and starts to collect the cans around the bed, going back to the kitchen and putting them in a black garbage bag, she removes all the empty containers from the room and throws in the trash.

She picks up Tzuyu's clothes on the floor and puts them in the laundry basket in the bathroom, she folds her clean clothes and puts them away. Jihyo goes back to the bathroom and grabs her skin care products, putting them in her bag. 

The singer smiles contentedly at the tidy room, but soon the smile fades with the realization that this will be the last time she tidies or sees that room, a room that was once the scene of fights, discussions and reconciliations, as well as lust sessions and love. Jihyo closes her eyes again, trying to hold back the tears that form in her eyes.

She snaps out of her stupor when she hears the apartment's front door open, hearing small paw sounds resonate throughout the apartment. Hope thudding heavily in her chest, Jihyo walks quickly into the living room. The singer begins to hear her son's barking, who runs to her and scratches her legs, the happiness was barely contained by the dog.

"Gucci!" Jihyo crouches down so the dog can her amicably. The singer picks him up and hugs him, Gucci the tears that run down the woman's face. 

"What are you doing here?" That was not the voice Jihyo had expected to hear when he heard the door open.

"Dahyun?" Jihyo gets up and faces the younger woman, who is holding some garbage bags and cleaning supplies. 

Gucci sits comfortably beside Jihyo's feet, as if he fears his other mother will disappear again.

" What was it?" Jeongyeon enters the apartment, a bag of vegetables and cooking ingredients in his arms and a confused expression on his face. "Why did you suddenly stop?"

"I knew I recognized that car from somewhere." Dahyun mutters angrily. "Your boyfriend isn't waiting for you downstairs Park Jihyo ?"

The quoted woman averts her eyes, hurt that Dahyun doesn't call her Unnie. 

"It's been a while, Jihyo, I thought I wouldn't see you anytime soon." Jeongyeon says bitterly, walking past Dahyun and leaving the supplies on the counter.

"I just came to get some things I had forgotten." Jihyo muttered, playing with the edge of her shirt, a sign that she was even more nervous. 

"Yeah, but the the main thing you had to pick up, stayed here for two months, and now you're not going to take it, are you?" Dahyun spits angrily. 

Jihyo swallows hard, she knows very well that Dahyun is talking about Tzuyu. 

"II'm on my way out, I'm just going to get my bag from the bedroom." The singer mumbles nervously and goes back to the room to get her lap bag and say goodbye to the room once more, Gucci goes running after her mother with big eyes.

"Hope you go and don't come back."

"Don't be so hard on her, Dahyun. Jihyo is hurt too." Jeongyeon puts a hand on Dahyun's shoulder to calm him down.

Dahyun wouldn't calm down, Jihyo had left Tzuyu to be with a rich playboy. She had hurt little Chewy and Kim Dahyun would not forgive Jihyo so easily. After all, it wasn't Jihyo who found her best friend crying on a beautiful Saturday morning after discovering that apparently her "girlfriend" was seeing a wicked playboy.

Jeongyeon already knew Jihyo's reasons for making this decision, perhaps it was the only one Jihyo had told. So yes, Jeongyeon was mad at Jihyo, but he still understood what the singer was doing.

"I just want her to leave, Tzuyu, Sana and Nayeon will be arriving with Ari in a minute." Dahyun replies grumpily, she leaves the cleaning items in the middle of the room and walks to the kitchen. 

Jihyo returns a few minutes later, her face swollen from crying and her eyes red, her bag in her hands, Gucci faithfully at her side.

"Forgive me for all the harm I've caused." Jihyo bends 90 degrees, apologizing to Jeongyeon. 

"You shouldn't be telling me that , Hyo." Jeongyeon sighs, pulling her into a hug. 

When they separate Jihyo doesn't have time to respond, her cell phone rings from inside her bag, the singer easily catches it and answers it when she sees the name on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Where are you? I've been waiting for you in this damn car for over an hour, hurry up soon." 

"I'm on my way down. Just wait a little longer, Daniel." Jihyo yells into the phone.

"I've already waited too long, if I'm not down here in 5 minutes I'll leave without you." 

Call ended.

"Pathetic." Jihyo hears Dahyun pronounce.

"Goodbye Gucci." The singer kneels down and the dog leans on her lap, knowing it's goodbye, Gucci shakes her tail and her hand. "Take care of mommy for me, alright?" 

The dog barks and goes back to stand next to Jeongyeon, who gives Jihyo a tired smile.

"Well, I gotta go…" Jihyo says goodbye to Jeongyeon. " Goodbye Dahyun." The singer screams before running out of the apartment.

...

Tzuyu freezes at the sight of that car, she holds Nayeon's hand tighter. Sana is further back with Ari so she doesn't notice the taller girl's sudden stop. She watches as the man in the car ends a call, obviously annoyed.

The Taiwanese takes a deep breath, closing her eyes painfully hard. If she keeps her eyes closed she can imagine herself in his shoes, waiting for Jihyo to get into the car, pasting the GPS en route to Dokseodang Children's Park . With her eyes closed, she can imagine her stepping on the gas, leaving aimlessly with the person she loves most in the world.

If she keeps her eyes closed, Tzuyu can imagine that Jihyo hasn't actually left her, and that she'll be in the apartment when she goes upstairs.

Even with her eyes closed, she can feel a hand running softly on her back, then she recognizes it as Nayeon, her almost Korean mother. With her eyes still closed, she remembers everything she's been through in the last few months.

Park Jihyo not coming home, the breakup, Jihyo's move to another place, the news that the famous singer Kang Daniel was dating an amateur singer, the bills coming and the rent late, the living room furniture sales to pay the debts, Dahyun's going to live with Tzuyu. 

Tzuyu got depressed, but Jeongyeon, Dahyun and Nayeon pulled her out of that deep hole. Tzuyu knew that everything had an explanation, she couldn't be mad at Jihyo, she couldn't even stop loving her. 

If Tzuyu keeps his eyes closed, she can imagine Jihyo is still there. 

When Tzuyu opens her eyes again she sees Jihyo coming out of the elevator from a distance, taking something out of her pocket and putting it in the mailbox in their apartment, Jihyo says goodbye to the doorman and gets in the car with Kang, who yells at her as he she puts on the belt. Jihyo is still beautiful, Tzuyu notices her new haircut, showing more of the neck than it should.

The Taiwanese woman waits for the two to leave before finally entering her building, with Nayeon and Sana at her side. They greet the doorman and enter the elevator, Sana takes Dahyun's little puppy in her lap, kissing and talking to the white puppy.

"Actually Unnies, go ahead, I need to check my mailbox." Tzuyu smiles uneasily, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"I know you Tzuyu." Nayeon rolls his eyes but smiles with understanding.

"We're waiting for you up there Tzu Tzu." Sana ruffles her hair and pats her head.

Tzuyu exits the elevator and runs to the mailbox, opening the box to her apartment she sees Jihyo's keys there, along with a well-wrapped envelope, the Taiwanese woman leaves the key there and takes the envelope. 

She goes up the fire escapes, when she gets to her floor she sits on the last step of the stairs. Slowly opening the envelope, she finds a handcrafted letter and a silver necklace and a pendant in the shape of a deer.

Stag was the animal Jihyo said Tzuyu looked like when they first met. Tzuyu opened the letter slowly, soon recognizing Jihyo's incredibly perfect handwriting. The Taiwanese took a deep breath before closing her eyes for a few seconds.

God, say Jihyo still loves me, please say Jihyo still loves me.  

Tzuyu opened her eyes again, then she started to read the little letter.

 

My dear Tzuyu,

If I know you well you must be reading this letter on the steps of the building. I still know you, I don't know? Tell me yes, forgive me for leaving without explaining… Forgive me for leaving without a goodbye kiss. I know it's asking a lot, but please Tzuyu, don't stop loving me, I still love you with all my heart, I don't love you, I don't love KD, I love you Tzu, I'll explain everything to you in a few months if you he wants. Meet me in that place, in our place. Do you remember where it is? Busan is still our place, still our kingdom.

On 16.10.2021 , meet me at our house in Busan, if you go, go with the necklace I left you, so I will know that you still love me and that you are willing to talk to me. I'll keep in touch… 

Yours, always yours, Park Jihyo .

 

Tzuyu could barely contain the tears in his eyes, holding the letter to his chest. She knows that Nayeon and Dahyun would be angry to learn that Tzuyu is considering going there.

She stays for a few minutes, crying alone in the silence and darkness, until the emergency light in the hallway comes on and Jeongyeon appears, like a rider in an apocalypse, sitting next to her and hugging her tightly, while Tzuyu continues to cry on her shoulder .

"I will go with you, TzuTzu." Jeongyeon spoke, kissing her head.

Tzuyu didn't know how the hell Jeongyeon knew the contents of the letter, but assumed the eldest helped Jihyo with it, or even found her during her visit to the apartment, but one thing she knew, She would go after Jihyo no matter when or Where. Tzuyu would always go after Jihyo, just as a moth is drawn to flames, Tzuyu was drawn to Jihyo. But unlike the flames, Jihyo didn't burn it, on the contrary, welcomed it.

The flames burn, but Tzuyu didn't burn when he touched Jihyo, she merged with her.

So maybe it's the strength of trying to merge again. Or. Burn trying. Just once more, Tzuyu will close his eyes.