Chapter One

I had a pretty good dream.

A young woman took hesitant steps towards the wooden table while holding a pot of steaming soup. Her hair was messed up, and her face appeared to be damp. Her skin was directly contacted by the smoke from the stew.

"Where was I?" she wondered before setting it down and sliding a chair across the table to sit.

"Nowhere," another young woman whispered before closing her book and gently setting it away. "You haven't even begun," she remarked.

"Oh, I didn't?"

"Yeah, you mentioned you had a very beautiful dream, and that's about it," the woman giggled before lifting a spoon containing a small portion of soup. She breathed on it steadily, tasting it immediately and murmuring in delight. "This one is wonderful, Sana."

"Well, I think I'm in the mood because that's what made the meal taste better," Sana joked, prompting the other to concur without hesitation. "You are one terrible friend, Mina," she said to her pal, frowning.

"I just agreed! How did that make me a bully to you?"

"Whatever," Sana could only say in hushed tones. She used her lips to bite on the end of the fork as she tried to remember her dream accurately. "Lake Geneva," she said, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"Was that where you were in your dream?" Mina said calmly, hoping for additional information.

"Yes! In Switzerland!" Sana said before shouting her lungs out inaudibly. "I had this tiny holiday cottage with a White Maltese puppy beside me when I was crocheting some—I'm not sure what—sweater, I think," she explained.

Mina laughed, "it sounds like my grandma and her mornings," and Sana paused for a second, recognizing that it did indeed seem like an elderly person's life. "I know I've had you in your thoughts agreeing to me."

"Come on, Mina," she said. "I'd have more enjoyable mornings when I'm older, who knows, maybe I'll be paragliding on the mountains by then."

Mina could only comment, "Your grandkids would be extremely proud to have such a cool grandma."

"Exactly how they should."

Mina cleared as if she was thinking about what she was about to say. "You really want to go there, don't you?" she questioned, prompting Sana to grin and softly nod her head. "Even if you had arranged it with—"

"Yes," Sana broke her off abruptly because she didn't want to hear that name again. "Going there was initially my intention, anyhow. That fellow simply wanted to come along and—promised he would, then changed his mind," she added, faking a grin. "He's a dickhead."

Mina couldn't help but giggle at that offhand remark. Her buddy did, after all, tell the truth about her ex-lover, and Mina despises that person as well. Only after she broke her closest friend's heart. "Indeed," she said quietly. "Well, you've got to demonstrate to him you're capable of getting there on your own."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about."

"I've got your back; you do you, and I'll be there for you all the way."

Sana could only gaze at her friend, puzzled as to how she had been so fortunate to discover her match. She is grateful to Mina for a variety of reasons, and it is difficult for her to find appropriate methods to express her gratitude to her comrade. For the time being, she could only hope that her buddy felt her gratitude.

Mina seemed compelled to speak up since Sana was silent. "Were you alone in your dream?"

"Oh, that," Sana said, squinting her eyes. "I don't believe I am, and I don't recall who I was with either," she whispered.

"You should keep a diary," the other girl said. "Put it under your pillow so that when you wake up, you may write down everything you dreamed about before you forget it."

"But I think I remember it perfectly," Sana said quietly, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's just... I don't recall seeing that person before; perhaps I haven't ever seen her."

∙ ∙ ∙

"I'm leaving for work, Mom!"

"Taehyung-ah!" exclaims an elderly woman from the kitchen. "I brought you a lunch," she added. In front of the mirror, the twenty-eight-year-old man quietly waited for her, softly adjusting the top of his hair. "Did you say goodbye to your little sister?"

Taehyung smiled shortly before shaking his head and pulling the woman's packed lunch from her grasp. "I didn't want to disturb her," he explained. "You know she's sleeping at this hour," he said casually, drawing his right arm's sleeve up to check his watch. "She dislikes being bothered."

"Well, you're not entirely wrong," the older lady mumbled. "All good. Go ahead and open the shop now."

"Yes, mom."

"If your Aunt Aera comes up to you and asks about me, tell her I'm doing the laundry today."

Taehyung could only laugh. "Aren't you done with the—" He has been immediately stopped short by a soft tap on the arm.

"Tsk! I don't have time to chat around! You know how loud she is," she said, puckering her lips. "Could you please do it for me?"

"All right, I'll do it," Taehyung said as he walked to the door. "I'll try to close the shop on time!" he exclaimed as he walked outside. "I hope this research group stops lingering around too late at night," he remarked almost whisperingly, "since I can't close the shop because of them."

"Oppa!" The voice from the window on the second floor of their house halted him in his tracks. When he turned around, he saw his little sister waving her hand and smiling happily. "I'll catch up with you later," she said.

Taehyung looked around to check whether there was anybody else around who could hear their talk. "Okay," he answered quietly, making an okay sign with one hand. "Be careful, Dahyun-ah!" he advised before returning an adoring smile.

(1) Text Message Received:

Mina: I'm shopping for clothes with your mom. She's asking if you want a Hawaiian or plain cheese pizza.

Sana: Uhm... plain cheese? Though, I won't be back until dinner. I'm out to look for a summer job or just anything to do.

Mina: Yep. When you can just sit around and enjoy this summer vacation. Classic Sana, looking for something to stress her out. :P

Sana: You know me so well. :))

"Hiring," Sana said to herself as she rested her phone on her side. She is glancing at the signage on the milk tea shop's glass wall. "Let's see..."

"Hey," a voice from behind her stopped her from moving. When Sana turned back, she noticed a younger woman—a college student. She couldn't be older than twenty, based on her appearance. "Hold on to this."

"What?" Sana exclaimed as the younger one snatched her hand to place her already opened bag of chips. Even though she was perplexed by what was going on, she just observed the girl remove her school blazer.

Inside her thoughts, questions are buzzing. First, why did this student approach her out of all the individuals strolling nearby? Second, it's summer break. Why is someone still dressed in a school uniform—complete with a coat? Even bizarre, this young girl is dressed in pants rather than a skirt. This means that it is a boy's uniform.

"Stay there and raise your arms a little," the student suggested to Sana. "Why are you staring at me? Do it." One thing is certain. This youngster is a little impatient.

Sana had no option but to obey. The younger girl went behind her at that moment, and Sana felt two arms holding her about the waist. "What are you doing—" Something else held her body tighter. When she looked down, she saw that the student had wrapped the jacket over her.

"Didn't you know it's that time of the month?"

Sana felt a flush of heat on her cheeks. This is an awkward situation, but she had no idea. She didn't feel anything at all down there. "I—" Sana said in hushed tones that only she could hear.

"Come in," the younger girl replied, grasping her bag of chips in one hand, and grabbing Sana's wrist with the other. "I'll go through the drawers in here to see if there are some pads somewhere."

"Does she own this place?" Sana questioned.

"Oppa!" said the girl to the man waiting near the counter.

"Ah, Dahyun,"

"So, Dahyun is her name."

"A friend?" Taehyung asked, having seen Dahyun's grip on the woman's wrist. "I had no idea you had friends," he said.

Dahyun beamed as she rolled her eyes. "She's a long-time friend," she stated before turning her attention to Sana.

"Really?" the man responded, with his expression astonished. "Since how long?"

"About two minutes ago, she was standing in front of this store," Dahyun said, giggling somewhat. "I have no idea what her name is," she continued.

"Sana," the taller girl said hesitantly. The thing was, she wasn't sure whether Dahyun really wanted to know her name.

"All right," Dahyun said flatly. "She introduced herself as Sana."

"What are you up to, Dahyun?" Taehyung could only scratch the back of his neck. "A normal person does not drag someone they merely met two minutes ago everywhere."

"Oh, sorry," Dahyun grumbled before releasing Sana's wrist. "Do you have any pads in here?"

"Pads?" Taehyung asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "Do you think this is a convenience store?"

"If you want to sit," Taehyung responded sweetly before gesturing to a chair with both palms. "If you walk, the convenience shop is a bit far from here, so Dahyun could take a little longer to return," he said.

Sana nibbled her bottom lip before staring down at her waist-tied jacket. If she sits, she may stain the fabric, which would be much more embarrassing. "I'll stand," she said tentatively to Taehyung's offer. So, before things got too weird, Sana said, "you two are siblings?"

The man nodded his head after a tight-lipped smile. "My name is Kim Taehyung, and I'm Dahyun's brother," Taehyung said. "We're nine years apart, and she turned nineteen just a month ago."

"She's a Gemini," Sana said to herself, but Taehyung overheard and chuckled. "Ah, I'm kind of into astrology," the woman reasoned before scratching her chin.

Taehyung murmured, "I thought so..." "But what about Dahyun being a Gemini?"

"I'm a Capricorn," Sana hummed, "and I heard that our signs, Gemini and Capricorn, don't match. They don't end well." Taehyung remained silent, his intrigue growing. "The relationship won't even last long."

"I'm a Capricorn, too," he revealed.

"Really?"

"Yep!"

"Do you get along well with your sister?" Sana inquired. Taehyung paused for a minute, looking at nothing while thinking about it.

"We fought a lot when we were younger, but now we're incredibly close," he explained. "Sometimes it's not about what's written in the stars; it's about taking the risk of going against what's predestined."

Sana gave a sincere smile before saying, "you sound like someone who took that chance."

"I feel there are higher dangers in the world," Taehyung remarked, "but what I'm trying to convey is that making every relationship work involves a lot of effort."

"Well, you're correct," was all Sana could say.

"Capricorns and Sagittarius don't match either," he continued, extending his left hand, which was adorned with a ring. "However, I've known this individual since high school, and we chose to marry last year."

"Wow, that's incredible," Sana said, surprised. She is really astounded by couples whose signs are ostensibly incompatible but managed to make it all work.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, and she had been thinking about it for some time. So, when she said, "why is Dahyun, your sister, wearing a boy's school uniform?" she didn't intend it to be taken another way.

"W-what...?"

"I'm back!" screamed Dahyun, holding a plastic bag in the air. "I also bought pain medicines in case it hurt as well."

"Wow, you're unbelievably sweet to her, Dahyun," Taehyung said, folding his arms across his chest. "Might it be for free?" he said, eliciting a chuckle from the youngster.

"Of course not," Dahyun said before handing Sana the receipt to show her how much she had spent. "Pay for these as well," she said as she showed the older girl the two bags of chips, she had purchased for herself. "Let these be your reward for my efforts; I detest being in the sun, you know, it hurts my skin," she said softly, caressing her arms.

Sana could do nothing except shake her head in bewilderment. "All right, here's your money,” she nearly whispered. "...for your goodness." Dahyun chuckled as the older girl scornfully smiled at her. "Thank you," Sana finished.

Dahyun and Sana sat together at one table while Taehyung was busy serving a few customers. They were surrounded by silence since there was nothing they needed to talk about. Sana, on the other hand, is still intrigued by Dahyun. She simply lacked the nerve to ask the girl the question.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" the younger girl eventually noticed, despite the fact that her gaze was fixed on the Rubik's cube. She's been stuck at the third layer for a while now, becoming more and more upset as it just gets ruined.

"Huh?" Sana stammered, shaking her head swiftly in answer. The second girl narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze drawn to the cube on the table's surface. She appeared enthralled by the fact that she felt Sana's eyes on her merely seconds after a glance. "Sorry, don't mind me," murmured the elder female.

"Sure," Dahyun said bluntly. She then leaned back in her chair, elevating the cube in the air as if it would aid her in solving the final piece of the puzzle. "How do you do this again?" she pondered.

"Lift the right side and rotate the top to the left side twice," Sana said abruptly, making Dahyun bob her head. She grinned, maybe not expecting the other to see what she was doing. "Do you get it now?"

"Yeah," Dahyun said. "Thanks."

"Since I helped you," Sana said, settling into her seat and leaning forward to cross her arms on the table. "You should just answer this one question."

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry if you find this offensive, but..."

"Okay...?"

"It's just..." Sana struggled for a moment to find the appropriate words. "It's like a disease," she explained. Dahyun then hummed in return, signaling to Sana that she is paying attention. "I'm so curious that I can't think about anything else until I have the answer I need, you know, for my own peace of mind," she explained. "So..."

"Just go ahead and ask," Dahyun said casually.

"How come you're dressed in a boy's uniform?"

As predicted, there is a moment of quiet.

"I... did insult her, huh?" Sana thought to herself as she stared directly through Dahyun's eyes, expecting an answer she would never hear. She may have felt compelled to say anything additional now that the situation had become unpleasant. "NOT that it is bad, OR weird, OR, ugh!" she went on to say, as the younger girl merely gazed blankly. "I have nothing against it; I'm just intrigued, and I'm sorry."

"I can't answer," Dahyun said after a time. "Not because I don't want to, but because there isn't anything else, and it's comfy, so I wear it."

"Is that... everything?"

"I'm not a big fan of skirts."

"I see," Sana said quietly, nodding her head many times before asking another question. "But I thought it was already summer vacation?"

"There are summer classes."

"D-Dahyun... Dahyun-ah, Dahyun-ah!" Taehyung frantically said as he approached the table where the two ladies were seated together. "Mom's here. She's coming," he muttered hesitantly, causing his younger sister's eyes to widen. Sana could see something bad was about to happen if Dahyun stayed. "You must hide!"

"H-hide...? Where?" Dahyun questioned, her gaze turning to the vast glass walls. After seeing her mother's figure approaching the shop's door, she felt shivers go down her spine. "What should I do?"

"Sit across from me," Sana stated after opting to assist the two, despite the fact that she has no idea what is going on. "You don't have time to hide; just act like a regular customer on a date."

"With you?"

"A friendly date."

"All okay, but mum knows how a single strand of my hair looks, and she'll recognize me even if I'm on my back!" Dahyun explained, only making her brother nod. He just couldn't come up with anything else to do but hide.

"Trust me," Sana pleaded. "Oppa, go distract your mother."

"Mom," Taehyung whispered gently, gripping the back of his head in exasperation. "I thought you'd just be at home today; what brought you here?" he said as he led the lady inside.

His heart has been tensing since Dahyun chose not to hide at all. Taehyung is becoming increasingly concerned as the older woman appears to have her gaze fixed on his little sister's back. There's no way she wouldn't be curious.

"Uhm, Aunt Aera did not come by today, not yet, I think," he blabbered, attempting to divert the lady's attention. "You shouldn't stay too long, otherwise you'll eventually end up running into her."

"Ah, I just wanted to... check on how the business is going," she replied, narrowing her eyes, thinking the girl turning her back seems like someone she knows. "Few customers today, eh?" the woman observed, taking little steps towards Sana and Dahyun's seats.

"She's getting closer," Sana said quietly, with lips pressed together and her fake grin directed towards Dahyun. "I'm sorry," she whispered once more before standing up and pushing the chair back with the back of her knees.

"What are you doing—" Dahyun's sentence was cut short as she felt Sana's hand on her cheek and a thumb over her lips. She was mindful of being distracted by seeing the other girl's face-up up and personal. If beauty was a person, it would have been Sana, she pondered.

It happened far too soon.

A kiss.

Taehyung was taken aback when he saw the two exchanging a kiss. Though he couldn't see it well since Dahyun was turning her back on them. He felt a whack on his arm and said, "ouch!" His mother was glaring at him.

"What's with that gasp? Are you homophobic? Tsk! Girls can do that too! They're in love. What are you going to do about it?" She snapped at her son again, even striking him on the arm at the end of her statements. "How would you respond if you had a daughter and she turned out to fancy another girl?"

"Of course not! I was only shocked since that is D—" Fortunately, he caught himself. His mother should not be aware of Dahyun's presence, or else he will be cursed for all eternity. "Ah! I... I was surprised!" Taehyung said before moving his focus to the two. The girls are now gazing at each other, presumably taken aback by what has just occurred.

"Tch," the older lady hissed before continuing, "Right, I have to leave now; I just checked on you, and here..." She captured Taehyung's hand in hers and handed him money. "Go to the mall and pick up a small present for Dahyun; I'm not sure what she likes."