As the wind lightly caressed her black fringe, Yena pressed a fingertip onto the digital lock, her lonely apartment greeting her as her mind whirred noisily.

Mentally noting to take down her laundry before the rain decided to catch up and target her clothes, she set down the roll of gimbap that a certain Climate Energy Engineering Student had given her.

It was a simple act. Just one roll of gimbap. One shouldn't over think it through.

Yet it drew out a complex equation of emotions, ones that she had no answers or merely couldn’t be bothered to solve them.

She already wasted her efforts on a certain person only for the system to reject the thought of their love pushing on beyond the temporary labels.

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips, pushing away these looming thoughts knowing well that the incoming rain would catch up to her before these thoughts arose.

Yena shuffled around, ticking off each item on her mental list till she got down to the roll of gimbap that she received. Being full from the one and a half rolls consumed earlier, Yena stowed it away in the fridge not before hesitating before the door, her hand hanging precariously atop the door.

Perhaps, a certain Kim would be enjoying this too.

Reminiscing about their short lived memories at a makeshift gimbap stall.

But then who was she to be thinking about this certain Kim's feelings in depth to the point that she finds herself wanting to drown in it.

She couldn't.

Not at least.

At the moment.

This moment held the momentum that kept her relationship with the other. Going faster and harder till it crashed into a barrier, shards of love scattered into the ground, waiting to be swallowed up by society's remarks that tortured her. Making her scream into the abyss only to receive an abysmal whisper in return.

She couldn't let herself get into it.

Not at least when she felt warning signs.

At the moment, she could feel sparks that trailed up her spine as though she felt Kim's fingertips pressing into her spine, a slow tantalising dance of emotions.

Sparks that served as a reminder that they weren't a match made in the system.

In heaven, would be the better word but when you had grown up in a society in which heaven is on the same page as the system, distinctions are blurred and you could only find yourself going towards right, left, up or down. It didn’t matter. So long you kept moving, fast enough that the system approved of it and slow enough so that your emotions could still overrule your mind.

The thing is Yena and a millions others had been running in this system. It's only when those that pause to take a breath then would they get stomped upon, by a stampede of runners. She wanted to stop now, but memories kept her jogging, her own feet running the treadmill of the film. Her own film. Maybe she could decide her own ending. Alas, that's some wishful thinking she got there, especially since she's not the one writing the story.

Letting out a sigh, she tossed it back into the fridge where it lay in a haphazard mess against a carton of carrot juice, the container of kimchi that her aunt prepared for her and some other side dishes that she was too tired to think of its name.

Glancing round the apartment, which lay still like an unfinished drawing torn out from someone’s notebook. The red scooter she owned, lay forgotten at the side. Her bedsheets adorned with cartoon figures of her childhood that she couldn’t bear to part from. Not at least, for now. A cup of black tea which lay forgotten. Knowing that it was stone cold, the best way to perhaps enjoy tea, Yena arguably says in her mind.

She chugged it down, allowing it to wash away the solitude freebies that came with the weather. Settling it down in the sink, she figured that she could wash it later. Besides, there wasn’t anyone to nag at her. Now.

Yena missed that voice. The voice that sang her sweet lullabies of the days they spent together. The voice that berated her on the little quirks she held. The voice that told her that she wanted all of this to return to what it was like in the past.

A voice that called in the morning. Informing her of a new attraction, a new field to explore. A voice that she could have declined. She should have declined it.

Letting the memories slowly trickle in, exhaustion slowly soothed her into a deep sleep. The constant taps of raindrops that beat against the window in a dry hum. All of these accompanied her into her afternoon nap. Yena deserved it, especially with the voice sitting at the back of her head, refusing to leave when the owner already left for a new head to occupy.

“Yena? Are you still asleep? I brought fried chicken for us to enjoy.”

Groaning to herself, Yena dove deeper into the covers. The comfort of her fluffy hand stitched quilt, inviting her into a longer nap under its warmth.

However, a frosty touch to her neck was enough to make her muscles clench, forcing her eyes to peek out under a quilt. With a glare on her puffed face, it was enough to elicit a stifled chuckle from the owner of the frosty touch.

With a second groan, Yena grumbled as she settled back down into her bed, complaining about losing sleep.

“Fried chicken again? Seriously, you can’t expect me to survive off this diet, Yujin.”

“Well, there’s this promotion and I want to save up to buy a new shoe and-”

“My mom told you to check on me.” Yena completed the sentence as she got up, stretching her limbs so that a bit of senses could return to her. She knew the same old story to the point that she could recite it backwards. Even in a new language to make it challenging.

A meek ‘yes’ from Yujin was enough to confirm the request.

Yena sighed internally and returned a knowingly sad smile before forcing on a brighter one. Just to comfort the dejected look on Yujin’s face.

“Anyways, let’s eat. Can’t have this going cold or your stomach won’t like it, eh.” Taking a drumstick, she placed gently upon Yujin’s outstretched hands.

Forcing her eyes from lingering even if it was a split second on the faint lines which tattooed itself on Yujin’s forearm, she closed Yujin’s frosty hands upon the drumstick.

The heavenly smell of deeply fried chicken, one that Yena couldn’t shy away from most of the time. However, this time her appetite might just have to sit out on this for the meantime. Besides, the sight of Yujin enjoying her chicken, filled her up pleasantly.

With stuffed to the brim with chicken, Yujin questioned her.

“When will you come back home?”

Tutting at the sight of chicken bits spewing over her quilt, Yena grabbed a couple of tissues before wiping Yujin’s mouth which was decorated with oil stains and stubborn batter of the chicken round her pale lips. Only then, did she proceed to wipe up Yujin’s mess on her own quilt.

There wasn’t a point to fix the habit especially when Yujin learnt it from her. She wanted it to keep a part of herself to remain in Yujin, given that she gave everything only for nothing to return.

Yujin asked the question again, this time with a part of herself lingering in the question.

“When will you come back and play with me?”

Yena’s breath hitched upon it, knowing well enough that she needed to give an answer or simply face a tirade of other worthless questions.

With a well crafted lie, or just the same old line, Yena spoke softly.“Soon. My term break is in about a month. And-”

With an air of excitement surrounding Yujin’s smile, one that held so much hope for a simple activity, Yujin jumped straight to Yena’s sentence, cutting it abruptly.

“We can play the new games that my mom gifted. She gave so much, you know? I even reached the highest level on Super Mario Maker. That’s how much time I had.”

“That’s… that’s good.” Returning an answer that would please Yujin’s mind, knowing well enough that Yujin was internally berating herself for letting run loose. It wasn't said aloud but Yujin was simply an open book in front of Yena

With an attempt to mask the sadness creeping back into her heart,Yena forced another drumstick onto Yujin’s frosty hands. Yujin’s favorite part of the chicken, given that it was the easiest to enjoy.

‘I should turn up the heat. At least that way, some colour can return to her skin.’ Yena silently thought as she noted down the pale face which held barely noticeable eyebags. The eyes which sunk slightly within its own curve in the skull, as if peering out into the world instead of jutting out with joy. She just wasn’t used to it. For now.

Excusing herself from the bed, Yena reached for the control, hoping that at least the heat would warm Yujin’s soul. Knowing that they had a long day, Yena resorted to letting Yujin speak her mind out, besides the pattern of sentences was enough to lull her mind into a period of rest.

It was the same pattern. From Yujin voicing out her constant admiration for a certain girl whom Yena could faintly recall as Wonyoung. Her surname, she wasn’t sure but perhaps Yena would see her soon. But other than that, the base of her admiration didn’t stem from outer beauty but simply what laid in her Wonyoung’s heart.

Yena listened intently as Yujin added on to the pile of words she had in store for Wonyoung, knowing well enough that someday, Wonyoung would be able to pause and listen to her friend’s heart yearning for her. She watched as Yujin’s animated expressions began to take form, a warm glow bringing a darker colour to her cheeks. From the description of her own love or from the heat that was settling in the apartment, Yena wasn’t sure but she knew well enough. Yujin knew the answer too. The problem was just that Yujin had yet to face it.

Chuckling to herself, watching as Yujin fumbled about with words trying to piece together her own description of her own Wonyoung.

It was simple love. Love at the basics. Not tainted by expectations or fear, grappling it at the edges.

It was simply love.

None of that magnet’s bull pulled Yujin’s love down for Wonyoung.

Just as Yujin was about to wrap up the last scene, the clock striked down on them. Time making its appearance in their little session.

Yena could feel Yujin wanting more, to complete the last sentence, to finish the last words she had in mind but curfews had their way of wrapping their hold onto Yujin.

Bidding farewell, Yena watched as Yujin pulled onto t