“What the hell is this?!”

Dara jumped in surprise, clutching at her heart in shock at the scathing demand Jiyong threw at her the moment she appeared in the shop’s counter. Her eyes travelled to the paper he was clutching in his hand before her gaze focused steadily into his disbelieving one.

“Dara?”

“Stupid me for leaving that out. Do you mind not putting any creases on it?” she turned away from him to put the blueberry cheesecake she'd retrieved from the back kitchen in the display fridge.

“Do I mind?” Jiyong demanded.

Dara's head snapped up when she heard the crunching of paper and yelped when she saw the deformed piece in his hand.

“We have one fight and you're running away? What the hell were we fighting about anyway?”

“What the hell are you doing?! Give that back to me!” she raged, running over to grab it from him. The application had come by courier today and, at this stage, she would have to wait another three days before they could send her a new one. She yanked it from his grasp. He didn't let go.

“Tell me why you've been acting strange for the last few days and we'll sort it out.”

“Nothing is going on,” she glared, “did you think I was going to stay here forever, Jiyong? Working in a coffee shop all my life, waiting for you and your busy friends to drop by whenever you're at a loose end?”

Jiyong eyed her reproachfully. “They're you're friends too, Dara.”

She almost faltered. She felt bad about what she said but it was like word vomit—she couldn't stop the hurtful words coming from that she knew weren't the full truth. She took a calming breath.

“I know that... but I have to broaden my horizons. It's the right time now.”

“But does it have to be to a place ten billion light years away from here? Away from us?” Jiyong asked.

“It's only three hundred kilometres away—it's an agricultural school. I want to learn about flowers...” she said self-consciously, “and this is the best school to go to, not to mention