3 years ago

"Take it off."

"Why?"

"I bought that coat for you when I went to Japan. We're not together anymore, so take it off."

Yewon clicks her teeth and removes the coat from her shoulders. Handing her the coat, Yuna takes it and drops it to the ground beside her.

"Take off your sweater." 

"What?!" Yewon scoffs. 

"It's our couple sweaters."

"It's literally winter. And I bought this!"

"But everytime you'll wear it, you'll think of me!" Yuna steps forward and grabs the hem, pulling it up.

After a struggle, Yewon moves away and throws it off herself, being left with only her thermal shirt now.

They both huff as they exchange glares.

"Your shoes now."

She didn't argue because she knew the older really did buy it for her. Ignoring the stares of a few passerbys, she throws them off without undoing the laces.

"Your socks."

"Why my socks too?"

"I bought those," Yuna growls.

"When did you buy me socks?"

"When I got you those princess ones."

"But..." Yewon's voice shakes. "...feet are the second heart! I can't take it off!"

She ended up walking to the bus stop barefoot. The ground was freezing, and so was the air. It pierced her skin, and all she could do was shake. Yewon decides to do some jumping jacks, stretches, high knees— whatever exercise she can do to work up a sweat. People stared at her because she looked crazy, but she couldn't care less. She's cold.

"Put these on," a woman says beside her, putting down a pair of fuzzy slides. "I saw you two fighting earlier."

"Oh..." Yewon mutters. She bows formally, "Thank you." She lets out a sigh of relief when she wears them, feeling her toes warm up already. 

"Would you want to wear this too?" she says, handing a jacket.

"Oh, thank you so much." Before she could put it on, she spots a logo on the front of it. "This is yours?"

"Yeah, it's from my high school."

"***** high school?"

They pause. After a click, they both say, "Taekwondo?!"

"Did you just graduate?" Yewon asks.

"Three years ago."

"I graduated four years ago!"

The other gasps. "No wonder you look familiar! I'm Jeon Somi, fourth degree black belt," she bows.

"Nice to meet you," the older bows back. "Do you always carry these with you?" she asks after seeing a box at the other's feet.

"I passed the police entrance exam today, so I've been moving out of my apartment." Somi smiles in pride as Yewon congratulates her. "When I saw her hitting you with her bag, it really hurt me to see it. Maybe because we're both from the same school, I was able to feel that way."

The older sighs and leans against the post. "Y'know, I bought her that bag. You ever been hit with a bag?"

Somi chuckles. "It must hurt."

"But that's life for you. What else can I do..."

---

Present 

"What are you doing here?" Yerin asks the moment she steps into her office.

"I'm looking for that letter opener I gave you a couple of months ago." Sojung continues to shuffle through her drawers of files, not minding the other.

"Why?"

"Because I wanna borrow it."

"I don't know where it is."

The taller turns and narrows her eyes at the other. "But apparently you still have that nail polish she gave you," she says as she holds it up. 

"Hey! Don't touch that!" Yerin tries to take it, but Sojung holds it up, using her height to her advantage.

"Yerin, it's been over a year. You need to move on. It's not going to help if you keep these stuff she gave you."

The younger stomps her foot as she gives up trying to reach for it. "Look who's talking! Don't think I forgot what you did when Eunha broke up with you." 

*

2 years ago 

Eunha shoots her a glare as she steps out of the cafe. She walks towards the alley, with Sojung catching up to her with a box in her arms.

"What are you doing here?" the smaller spits.

"Uhm... You weren't answering your phone."

"Why would I? We broke up."

Sojung sheepishly looks anywhere but her. "What do I do with these then?" she asks, shaking the box.

"Throw it away, like I told you."

"But I can't just throw them away... like I told you." Sojung cowers at the other's gaze.

"Okay. I'll do it."

Before Eunha can reach for it, Sojung holds it away. "Waaait wait wait, okay okay. I'm sorry. I messed up. I'm sorry."

"Why are you telling me this now? I thought we were done. That's why you brought these— to finish it properly." 

"I'm sorry. I pretended I was fine." Sojung takes a deep breath and puts the box down. "I'm not. I don't want to break up. Bringing this here was an excuse to see you again. I want to be with you... again," she pouts.

"But I don't," Eunha snaps. She takes a step to walk away, but the other stops her.

"Wait." She creases her eyebrows in thought. "I still have more things to give you. And same with you. We would have to meet like twenty more times."

"Then you should've brought it all today."

"There's no way you could carry it all! This box is heavy enough as it is!" Sojung purses her lips when the other doesn't respond. "You gave me a big bunny for our first anniversary. You told me to hug it whenever I missed you. That itself is like half my weight.

You gave me a cactus when I got my own office. You gave me a coat our second Christmas together which! by the way I need to pick up from the dry cleaner. You bought me a pair of boots when mine broke during that hike we did on your birthday." She takes a breather. "I would need a sixteen wheeler to give it all back to you."

"Then use your car and drive to my place," Eunha says blankly.

"So... I can come over to your place?"

The younger raises an eyebrow.

"You told me I was banned when we broke up."

Eunha shrugs. "Like you said, I can't carry it all by myself. So, you have to bring it."

"...right." Sojung nods slowly. "When...I do come over... could I spend the night?" she smirks.

Eunha inhales sharply, looking around. "We broke up," she tries to say seriously, but is flustered by the older— so she laughs. "Why would you sleep at my place?" she chuckles. 

The older felt proud she was able to break down her walls, just like always. "I said I don't want to break up!" she laughs as well.  "If you don't want then... we'll have to meet up twenty times, like I said. I'll give you a box everytime." Sojung smiles. "Why don't we meet at your favorite teokbokki and dalkbal place each time?"

Eunha tries to suppress her own smile. She looks down into the box and sees a stick-on mustache. "What's that? Did I give you that?"

Taking it out and putting it above her lips, she pouts. "You don't remember? Our first date at the carnival."

"You kept all this? It's been years." 

Sojung looks into Eunha's eyes and watches it sparkle. There is no trace of anger left in her irises. 

"How about we go to the amusement park? I'll stick this on my face and mess around for you." The taller winks, and it draws out a smile from the other girl.

"Hmmmm..." she leans up and gives a quick peck on her lips. "If you wait until my shift is over, I'll reconsider our break up." Eunha starts to walk out of the alley, with Sojung repeating many thank you's behind her.

*

"That's different!" Sojung argues. "We had a fight and it was in the heat of the moment. We were three years going at that time! I knew her. And she didn't disappear."

Yerin puts her hands on her hips and lets out a heavy exhale.

"Why?" the taller asks.

"Why what."

"Why do you still keep these?"

The team leader flops onto her couch and rubs her face. "It's because it's all I have of her." 

"What do you mean?" 

"You know I have cameras. Of course, I brought some to Yangyang. But... she has them. At least, I hope she still does. The film, more importantly."

*

One year ago: Yangyang

"Lookin' nice." 

Yerin brushes off any dust on the boards and stands them up. Grabbing one of her cameras, she squats to take a picture— capturing both in the frame. As it prints and develops, she sets up her smaller camera: an old one that