“Unnie, have you heard anything from her? Juyeon? Did you ask Juyeon where she is?” Luda asked Jiyeon desperately.

Jiyeon sighed. 

“You have asked me this for the umpteenth time, Luda. And I’ve told you so many times that even Juyeon didn’t know where she was. She has cut all contact with us since that day,” Jiyeon explained patiently.

“You lied!”

“Up to you, Luda.” 

Jiyeon feels sorry for Luda especially since she saw with her own eyes how miserable Luda was since Dawon left. But she also has promised with Dawon and she respects what the girl wants. Seeing how depressed Luda and how hurtful Dawon is made her stuck in between them. 

“Sorry, I’m late,” Juyeon came and sat beside Jiyeon. 

“Juyeon-ah, can you tell me where Dawon is? She must have told you her wherebeings. Please Juyeon,” Luda begged her as soon as Juyeon sat beside Jiyeon. “I want to meet her.” Luda’s eyes started to water.

Juyeon raised her eyebrows and looked at Jiyeon. Then she focused back on Luda. 

“I’m sorry, unnie. I didn’t know either,” said Juyeon apologetically.

Hyunjung came with a tray of drinks with her and set her place beside Luda. 

“Hey, are you crying?” Hyunjung asked Luda when she saw her glistening eyes.

Luda shook her head and took one of the drinks. 

Hyunjung sympathised with Luda but she couldn’t help much. She is the reason for their broken relationship and she is afraid she will cause more sorrow to Luda. Actually, without her friends knowing, she knows where Dawon is. She saw Dawon’s picture on one of her acquaintance's updates on Instagram a few days ago. But she was not sure if Dawon was still there or not.

“Luda, I think you should take a good rest. You look so depressing. Maybe go for a holiday?” Hyunjung suggested. 

“Hyunjung unnie is right. You have been miserable since Dawon left and it has been over a month. Plus, you didn’t even focus on your work anymore. Take a leave and go somewhere,” Jiyeon gave her input to Hyunjung’s idea.

“Yup, doesn’t have to be far. How about Jeju?” Hyunjung suggested for the second time that Jiyeon and Juyeon looked at Hyunjung simultaneously. 

“I’ll take care of everything, don’t worry. You just have to apply for leave for a few days from your company,” Hyunjung ignored the look from the two girls. 

 

-

 

Luda texted in their group chat that she had arrived at the hotel Hyunjung booked for her. She ended up having a healing trip at Jeju Island after everything happened. They all wished her to enjoy her trip and forget everything while she's here. ‘I hope it will.’

Hyunjung on the other side of South Korea wished for good luck for Luda and hoped her plan turned out well. She wanted to redeem her mistakes toward Luda and Dawon.

This is Luda’s first time at Jeju Island and she scrutinised the booklet and brochure she took at the receptionist downstairs. She also has to take note of the place that her friends told her about, she just plans to do it spontaneously and doesn’t want a fixed plan that will intoxicate her head. 

The first thing she wanted to do is have a good sleep and go to the nearest beach in the late evening, maybe watching a sunset. 

 

-

 

Luda strolled at the beach alone, relishing her ‘me time’ while she could. Today is her second day on this island and she hasn’t been anywhere since she arrived except her quick visit to this same beach and the same time yesterday. She planned to do the same thing despite her friends’ nagging on their group chat for not going sight-seeing. 

She dragged her feet lazily and felt the wind hit her face softly, watching her surroundings that were full of a group of friends, families and couples too. Wondering how she should move on from her grief and regret because of her own stupid actions. 

Luda’s eyes fall onto a woman who is standing alone and kicking the sand softly. Her attire is definitely not for hanging out, especially at a place like this. She is wearing a white loose dress shirt paired with a black pants that made her look captivating and sophisticated.

Luda didn’t stop staring at the woman as she somehow felt something that attracted her to keep looking at her. 

“UNNIE!”

Luda heard a voice calling from her back and she saw that woman looked up in her direction. 

Luda was stunned to find out that the woman she has been staring at is the woman she has been longing for a month. They made eye contact for a few seconds before another calling from behind her back was heard again.

Luda couldn’t move her feet nor could she say anything. She was just standing there and staring at her.

 

-

 

“Okay, see you there.”

Dawon hung up the call then looked at her attire. 

“Urgh, too lazy to change. Aish, why did she want to meet at the beach?” Dawon nagged in her small studio alone. 

 

Dawon arrived at the beach earlier than the time they had promised to meet. She let herself drown in her thoughts while unconsciously kicking the sand tinyly. She wasn't aware of her surroundings until she heard a familiar voice calling unnie in her direction.

Dawon looked up to the familiar voice calling but another person caught her attention first.

That person’s long brown hair fluttering at the hit of wind and the gleam from the sunset sets on her face make the pictorial more ethereal. ‘She’s so beautiful…like always.’

Dawon thought she was day-dreaming because how can the person that she loves and misses so much standing a few steps away from her, especially on Jeju island which is far from Seoul.

They made eye contact but Dawon broke it first when she was called again.

“Unnieee!”

The girl that called her passed where Luda was standing and hugged her tightly. 

“Unnie, I miss you so much.”

“Huh? Oh, I miss you too,” Dawon returned the hug hesitantly and looked at that person again to confirm whether it was a reality or her fantasy because of her too much longing.

The girl loosened the hug when she didn’t get a reaction that she expected and noticed Dawon is looking at something else. “Unnie, what are you looking at?” She turned around.

“Do you know her, unnie? Why does she look so familiar?” She racked her brain to recall everything and remembered something. She gasped. “Is that Luda unnie? Your phone’s wallpaper?” She walked closer to Luda. She remembered that one time when Dawon drank past her limit and got drunk, which is very rare to see, she rambled about the woman on her wallpaper, but she never got to know or see her herself. 

“Yah! Dayoung-ah!” Dayoung has walked over to Luda before Dawon could stop her.

“Hi, Luda unnie, right?” Dayoung greeted Luda cheerfully. “I’m Dayoung. You know her, do you?” Dayoung pointed at Dawon who was standing a few steps from them. 

Dawon saw Luda and Dayoung talking but Luda’s eyes seemed to focus on Dawon more than the person she’s talking with. They made several eye contacts.

“Do you want to join us for dinner?” Dayoung asked Luda.

“Erm, I don’t want to bother both of you.”

“What? No! Not at all. And you know each other after all? And I want to get to know you as well. Let’s go, unnie. I didn’t accept any rejection,” Dayoung linked Luda's arm as soon as she’s done talking and dragged Luda to Dawon.

“She will join us. Come on, unnie,” Dayoung linked her another arm on Dawon. 

“Yah!” Dawon yelled.

 

-

 

“So how long have you been here, unnie?” Dayoung asked Luda while they were eating some good recommendation that was claimed by Jeju’s native, which is Dayoung herself. 

“Today is the second day.” Luda replied quietly.

“OH! You will stay here until…?”

“Wednesday.”

“What are you gonna do? Do you have a plan?”

“Dayoung-ah…” A threatened voice asked Dayoung to stop. 

“What? I’m just trying to help her, unnie. Not like you didn’t want to know about her too,” Dayoung mumbled her last words.

“It’s okay,” Luda looked at Dawon and smiled. “I don’t have any plans yet, Dayoung. I will just go and do what my heart wants me to do.”

“That…sounds like a plan,” Dayoung nodded. “Ah-ha why not, unnie go out with Dawon unnie? She’s been staying here for a month but she still hasn’t gone anywhere,” Dayoung proposed the idea. “And you will leave soon too,” Dayoung looked at Dawon sadly.

Luda lifted her eyebrows at the fact that Dawon has been in Jeju for a month and will be leaving soon. ‘Leaving where?’

“Im Dayoung! That’s it.” Dawon put her spoon on the table and took a deep breath. “Please, Dayoung-ah,” Dawon half-begged Dayoung to stop. 

Luda was hurt at Dawon’s actions but she tried to diminish it because she knows she is the reason behind it. “It’s alright, Dayoung. I prefer to be alone.”

“But, Dawon unnie…”

“Hello, Yeoreum-ah. Do you know that Dayoung is in Jeju now?” Dawon waits for the other side to speak while Dayoung seems panicked when she realises that Yeoreum must be angry knowing she flew to Jeju without telling her.

“Unnie… please…” Dayoung begged her.

“Okay, you should call her number. Please give her lots of scolding on behalf of me, Reumie,” Dawon hung up the call. A moment later, Dayoung’s phone rings and flashes ‘Yeolleum’ on the screen. 

“Pick up the call, Im Dayoung.”

Dayoung scoffed then grabbed her phone before leaving the table.

“I’m sorry on behalf of her,” Dawon apologised diplomatically. 

Luda once again, hurt at Dawon’s behaviour but she knew she caused it and she deserved this.

The table was full of silence, both of them didn’t know what to say to each other as they didn’t expect they would meet here. 

Dayoung came a few minutes later with an unsatisfied face then passed her phone to Dawon and made Dawon lift her eyebrows. 

“Yeoreumie wants to talk to you”.

Dawon took the phone.

“Yeah, Yeoreum-ah,”

“Thank you so much Reumie. I know I could count on you. Hm.. please look after her for me. Okay ba-bye.”

Dawon gave the phone back to the owner. 

"Unnie, do you really have to go?"

Dawon is silent. 

"Luda unnie, do you know that Dawon unnie will go to-"

"Finish your food Dayoung. It's getting late," Dawon cut her words coldly before she could finish her sentence. 

 

-

 

"Unnie, my cousin will pick me up. Don't worry," said Dayoung as soon as they walked out of the restaurant.

Dawon nodded then looked at Luda. 

"Where do you stay? I will drive you."

"Urm.. You don't have to. I can go on my own. I don't want to bother you." Luda said in a small voice. 

Dayoung wanted to interrupt but then she remembered what Yeoreum told her just now about Luda and Dawon past relationship. 

"If it bothers me, I wouldn't offer you. But it will bother me if I let you go back alone at this hour." Her tone is flat and Dawon's face looked more serious than ever that Luda had never seen before.

Since they met again just now, she felt like Dawon is another person. A person that she has never met before. She’s cold and always serious, not like her Dawon before where the girl is always smiling, attentive, caring and softie. ‘Did I make her change?’

After a few minutes of silence, Dayoung voices out again. "Unnie, my cousin is here. Bye.. Ah unnie, I'm sorry I can't send you to the airport. That's why I asked you to meet today." said Dayoung apologetically.

"That's fine, Dayomi. I appreciate that but sometimes you need to tone down your energy and read your surroundings before you act."

Dayoung grinned. 

"This is why everyone loves you, unnie. You're so kind but we all miss the old you." She hugged Dawon then bidded Luda and Dawon a goodbye. 

Luda pretended she didn't hear what Dayoung was saying.

"I hope we can meet again, Luda unnie!!" She shouted before hopping in the car.

"Come on, I parked my car there," Dawon led the way to the car park that was a bit empty and dark.

Luda followed Dawon then slipped her hand onto Dawon's arm and clenched her arm's shirt that made Dawon look at her in question. 

"I- I'm sorry. I just.. I'm scared," Luda's voice was a bit shaking. 

"What's wrong?"

"It's so dark…"

Dawon sighed then took Luda's hand from her arm and held it tightly. She realised how she missed holding Luda's hand and the fact that their hand fit perfectly. She ignored her tingling heart.

 

Dawon pulled the handbrake then looked at the woman beside her. She’s been thinking while she’s driving whether she should just go with Dayoung’s idea or not. Maybe this is really her last time to spend time with this girl.

“I don’t know…”

“I think…”

Both of them flustered. “You first,” Dawon gave Luda a chance to say first.

“Urm, I don’t know that… you know urm.” Luda’s fingers fiddling in anxiety.

“Let’s go out together… tomorrow.”

Luda immediately stared at Dawon in disbelief. After seeing Dawon’s reaction at the restaurant just now, she thought she would never have the chance to meet her again or even spend time with her. 

“Are..are you serious?” 

“Maybe this is the last time we could spend time together. Meet me in the lobby at 10AM.” Dawon tried to not let her dwell in her own emotions. 

“Dawon-ah, I-” Luda contemplated for a while but sighed. “Nothing. Thank you for the ride and the second chance. See you tomorrow.” Luda walked out of the car without turning back. She was afraid of her own expectation and assumption on what’s happening right now.

Luda couldn’t sleep well thinking of how tomorrow will turn out. She missed Dawon so much, she’s happy that finally she met her, but at the same time, she was afraid of how much Dawon has changed and what if Dawon hates her for what had happened. ‘Where will Dawon go? Is it that far that Dayoung has to say that? For how long?’ She couldn’t shut off all the questions that keep invading her thoughts.