In Korea, everyone turns a year older the moment they enter a new year.

Likewise, 18-year-olds are most frantic, and excited for this day, this particular morning.

Why?

No, it has nothing to do with getting drunk or being able to get a license where you can drive down the suburbs alone.

And no, it's not something that requires a bed. Or to be legal.

Rather, this is the day when they'll get eye colours. Doesn't seem like much since the majority is born with one.

The normal colours are brown and black, sometimes depending on the saturation of their colour whether it's toward the lighter or darker side. Everyone is able to see them.

However, there are colours that can only be seen through their soulmate's eyes. They can be purple, pink, blue, or yellow. Every imaginable colour apart from brown and black.

The thing is, they can't see their own colour.




 

It's been a whole month for those who have turned 18. Even if it's an important milestone in their lives, school has to meddle with it.

A girl walks up to another who shut the locker door. "Why are you sulking?" The tall girl sighs softly, adjusting the books in her arms. "No one can see my colour." Yujin shook her head despairingly.

"Have you tried Yena unnie?" Minju follows beside her while they walked to class. She gave her a weird look. "Yena unnie? There's no way she's my soulmate."

Minju rolls her eyes faintly. "Soulmates don't necessarily mean you'll have to marry them in the future."

"Yeah, but Yuri already saw her colour. It's obvious they're getting married." Yujin tittered softly, mind going about those two who were practically made for each other the moment they knew of each other's existence.

"Right. No doubt." They entered the class, sitting at their seats. Since the teacher wasn't here yet, Minju decided to occupy the seat beside Yujin.

"Can you see mine?" she asked, looking at the girl with vast, twinkling eyes. Yujin inclined forward, staring seriously into them, unsure why she was hoping to see something but shook her head.

Minju pouted, leaning back into the chair. "Why are you sulking? I don't wanna be yours."

"Just checking." the girl stole Yujin's notebook and flipped through it. "Yah, yah."

"Why? Are you hiding something from me?" Minju turns, preventing her from getting the book back. She chanced upon a name and a phone number, pausing.

Yujin drags her palm down her cheek and shut her eyes. Minju turned to face her. "Wonyoung?"

The taller girl takes the book from her hands, softly slamming her head on the table.

She shakes her head. "I don't wanna talk about it." Minju's little frown slowly turned into a tiny grin. She nudges Yujin's arm. "You like her!" she exclaims, immediately having Yujin shut her up.

"What's wrong with you?!" she quietly yelled, glaring as Minju giggled in her palm. She takes her hand off, seeing how Yujin let out a brief sigh.

"I knew you'd like her." Minju shrugged.

"I didn't say that."

"You can't lie to me." she looks at that blank gaze of Yujin's. She got curious, shifting her body to face the girl. "How did that happen?" she asked.

"What?" Yujin reaches under her table, taking out her pencil case. "She gave you her number."

"She gives everyone her number ever since she stepped foot into this school." Yujin shakes her head. "Then how come I didn't get it?" Minju wondered, blinking.

"She just doesn't like you." the taller girl teased, earning a pinch to her shoulder. "You need to stop that," Yujin warns, pointing her finger at Minju.

"Why...only you let me do it."

"Go do it to Chaewon unnie." she shooed the girl away but halted. "Wait." Yujin made her sit down. "Did she see your colour yet?"

Minju looks at her, diverting her gaze to her hands as if she had something bothering her. She shook her head. "I heard she saw Hitomi's colour."

Yujin widened her eyes at that fresh piece of information.

"When?" Minju shrugged. "This year I guess. Hitomi's the same age as us." The taller girl tilted her head, taking her arm away from Minju. Something felt off between the couple she was used to seeing.

"You heard? She didn't tell you herself?" the girl shook her head. "Yena unnie told me." Minju pressed her lips together, not knowing why she would keep it from her.

Yena and Chaewon are housemates. They have been living together since they were 16.

Yujin then looked at Minju again. "Is she lying? Chaewon unnie." the girl looked at her weirdly.

"Why would she lie about something like this?"

"I mean, you guys are together. I don't see why you're not hers." Yujin takes her pen. "Then would you break up with her if she's not yours?" she asked, knowing how Minju has this concept or goal in her head to marry her soulmate one day although she herself said that wasn't the whole point of this colour fate.

She sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know."

"You don't have to take this whole colour thing too seriously, you know? Like you said, soulmates don't need to marry each other. Hitomi can just be someone Chaewon unnie's bound to meet and nothing else." Yujin shrugged, receiving a notification on her phone.

"Ah, I need to go help the teacher." she taps on Minju's shoulder, standing up. "She's coming soon, go back." Yujin sprints out of the class, being the class president while Minju let out a hefty sigh.

Seems like she's not the only one who hasn't found their soulmate yet.





 

Yena was busy making some hot chocolate, humming to a new song when the door lock beeped. She glances over the wall to see Minju coming in.

"Why are you here?" she turns, holding onto the cup with warmth seeping through her skin, leaning against the kitchen island.

"Chaewon's not back yet."

"Where did she go?" Minju takes off her shoes, settling them aside. Yena stirred the cup, thinking. "She said she needed to...what did she say...meet someone?" she looks at Minju who had both eyebrows raised.

"Who?"

Yena shook her head. "I have no idea. Probably Hitomi." she saw how the colour flushed away from Minju's face. Maybe she should've kept shut.

"Why?"

"How would I know—and don't." Yena raised her finger. "Don't tell her I told you about the colour thing. I don't wanna deal with her."

Minju let out a small sigh, sitting on the couch. She tried thinking about more positive things. Her whole appearance here today was to confront Chaewon about the grey area of their relationship anyway. Her mind's trying to stay calm with endless scenarios of their time spent together being worthless after this new phase in her life.

"Where's Yuri?"

"Showering." Yena sat beside her, reaching for the remote. "Wanna game?"

Minju shook her head. "You always say no." Yena sulked, leaning back with her Nintendo switch.

"You always scold me for losing."

"Typical Kim." Yena continued with her game while the girl slouched on the couch.

She looks at Minju and thought about how she has been practically bunking in their house the past few months since she started dating Chaewon. "You sure you don't wanna move in?" Minju hummed.

"It'll be easier and free. You don't have to pay school dorm fees." she snickered.

"I can't just leave Yujin alone."

"Right, that kid's your roommate." Yena puckered her lips. "Oh yeah," she remembered.

"Do you know she's going out with Wonyoung today?" Minju sat up as if it had anything to do with her.

She was bound to know since Yujin tells her everything in her head. It's hard not to when they sleep in the same room—have been sleeping in the same room—two beds, for the past two years or so.

"Wonyoung? The transferee?"

Yena nodded. "She didn't tell you?" the girl shook her head. "But it's nearing 9."

The dorm curfew is 10 pm.

"Then why are you here?" Yena nudged her shoulder. "I mean, she doesn't have anywhere else to go. If I miss the curfew I'll just stay here."

"Unless..." Yena smirked. "She stays over with Wonyoung. I heard she's rich, and doesn't live in the dorm."

Minju smacked her shoulder. "Hey! What? Are you jealous that your roommate is independent now?" she frowns, fingers tapping on the buttons.

The girl rolls her eyes, crossing her legs. "If things go well, Yujinie will finally have someone." Yena mumbles, tugging on her bottom lip while killing her enemy in the game.

The bathroom door opened, revealing Yuri. At the same time, the main door opened.

"You're gaming again?" Yuri frowned, pausing Yena's actions. She knew she was getting a full-on lecture there and then by a junior she met a year ago.

"I need to run," she whispered to Minju before flying into her room with Yuri chasing after her. Perhaps to murder someone who promised to spend time with her other than a bunch of non-player characters.

"Oh? Minju-ah." Chaewon slips her socks off, looking up. She expected a hug or a kiss but nothing came.

The girl was just sitting there.

She ignores the thought, goes to the back, and dumps her used socks in the laundry before coming back out. "Have you eaten?"

Minju nodded. She's way quieter today compared to her lively self a few weeks ago.

Chaewon walks to her, sensing something was wrong.

She sits on one leg beside Minju, planting a kiss on her crown. "What's wrong?"

The younger girl looked at her. "Where did you go?" she asked, having her hand taken by Chaewon.

"Dinner. With my friend."

Minju's eyebrows furrowed, feeling Chaewon's thumb the back of her hand. "Who?" She didn't know why she had to ask despite Yena's revelation earlier. But if Chaewon had nothing to hide, it wasn't a big deal.

Chaewon chuckles lightly. "Why do you want to know? Since when do you ask these things?" she ran her fingers through Minju's hair.

The younger girl felt her avoiding her question.

"Who is it?" she looks directly into Chaewon's eyes, hopelessly hoping she'd see a colour. But there was none.

The older girl's heart skipped a beat, probably out of fear of how dark those orbs looked.

Chaewon gulped softly before sighing. She had to tell her anyway.

But before she could explain herself, Minju says, "You went out with Hitomi, right?"

The older girl merges her lips into a thin line, slowly standing up. She grabbed Minju's hand and got her to stand up.

"Come here." She was hesitating. Minju couldn't take it.

"Unnie!" she half shouted out of slight anger. She didn't like how she knew everything about Chaewon through their friends, not directly from her.

It has been like this since they entered into a new year.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. Can we just talk in the room?" Chaewon pulls her but the girl resisted. "Why do I always have to find out from others?" Minju asks, following her to the room even when she didn't like how contained it would feel.

"I'll explain everything to you."

That was the last thing Chaewon said before closing the door.

...

Yena's ears perked up when she heard subtle shouting from next door. She looked at Yuri who was doing her work. "Are they fighting?"

"Oh no..." Yena started to panic. She probably shouldn't have spilt anything to Minju but the fact that she's Chaewon's girlfriend, she had the right to know.

"Go check on them."

The older girl got off the bed and headed out of the room. She put her ear to Chaewon's room door.

"Why didn't you tell me yourself?"

"I was about to tell you as soon as I found out—"

"As soon as you found out? It's been a month unnie." She heard a pause.

Yena's heartbeat started to accelerate.

"Was it that hard to tell me you could—"

"It's not my fault I can see hers! Do you think I want this to happen?" Chaewon accidentally yelled, seeing how the brink of Minju's eyes moistened with tears.

"You could've at least told me."

"And what? What if I told you earlier? Will that change anything?"

"No-but—"

"You're the problem here Minju-ah. Why are you being so sensitive?"

Yena widened her eyes.

"You're the reason why I can't see your colour," Chaewon says. "You clearly don't love me enough that's why we're not meant to be together."

Minju frowns, looking at how the girl clenched her jaw. "You know that's not how it works. Why are you blaming me?" she asks. "If you could see mine, everything would've turned out perfect."

"Perfect?" Chaewon scoffs. "You're little dream of marrying your soulmate? That would never happen if you have someone else in your mind." she spat out.

"You think I didn't know?" she puts her hands on her hip. "You were out there meddling with other people while I'm here working my off."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ahn Yujin. You're always with her."

"She's my roommate."

"So what?" Chaewon raises both eyebrows as if she were talking to someone other than her girlfriend.

Never in her life had she wanted to speak to her this way but Minju was getting on her nerves.

"She saw your colour, didn't she? I'm not the only one who thinks we're not meant to be together. And don't lie to me because I heard it from Hitomi."

Minju frowns slightly, confused. Why would Hitomi even know what happens in her life? Minju and her barely bump into each other in school considering how Hitomi wasn't on the same level.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Chaewon scoffed softly, folding her arms.

"I guess I wasn't the only one kissing up someone's just because they saw my colour."

"What?"

"I'm not wrong. While I was with Hitomi, you were busy doing who knows what with that roommate of yours."

"So you admit?"

Chaewon paused at her question. She expected Minju to blow out on her with how she said things although she has never personally seen Minju mad mad.

"What?"

"The past month, you've been seeing her?" Minju notices her expression drop. "That's why you've been busy while I was trying or hoping you'd see mine?"

Chaewon saw Minju's eyes tearing up, indicating how she was about to break down.

That hit her.

"Minju I—"

"You don't even care about me anymore the moment I couldn't see yours! Am I just someone you were waiting for, hoping for me to see your colour just so you could dump me for someone else when I can't?"

Chaewon bit on her inner cheek, seeing how the latter's face twitched with subtle pain. Did she really only see Minju that way? Betting on whether she could be her potential soulmate?

Or did she actually love the girl for who she is no matter what outcome they had the moment she turned 18?

"And now there's someone who can, you've decided to just leave me out cold and tell me you've been working your off when all you did was hook up with some other schoolmate of mine. I really don't know what I saw in you unnie." Minju frowns, taking her tears back in hopes she wouldn't just wail uncontrollably for someone who couldn't even console her on small matters.

She didn't expect any in this case.

"I'm done." Minju sighs, shaking her head, not giving a second thought.

"You can go do whatever you want without a kid holding you back." she walks, wrist being held by the older girl who opened but words stayed within .

Minju flings it off and opens the door to see Yena standing up anxiously. "What h-happened?"

Minju looks at her briefly before slipping away. Yena saw how Chaewon just stood there in her room, hand dragging down her face with Minju exiting the apartment.

"Chaewon-ah. What did you do?" Yena frowns before hearing the girl sigh.

"Unnie, what did you do?" she asks back.

"I clearly told you not to tell her. You know how sensitive she gets about this thing." Chaewon gestures at her eyes, sighing hard.

"You shouldn't be keeping it from her anyway. She deserves to know!"

"And who are you to meddle with my stuff?"

Yena got taken aback, not knowing how to reply to her. "Just so you know, you wouldn't be here without me. You're lucky I'm not your girlfriend or I'll be kicking you out of this house." she went back into the room, hearing how Chaewon slammed the door.





 

After half an hour of walking around the apartment complex, Minju decided to head back to her dorm which was roughly a kilometre away.

She didn't mind walking although there was a bus. This helps ease her mind with nothing but the air surrounding her.

She draws the back of her trembling hand across her cheek, wiping off the redundant tears that fell. She doesn't even know why she's crying.

It's not like she didn't expect that to happen. This wasn't anything new to her. She has seen it happen to Chaeyeon before when Sakura wasn't her soulmate.

At first, it was unbelievable that they weren't each others. But slowly, they accepted it after taking a short break, deciding to get back together since the colour doesn't stop them from doing so.

The only difference was the psychology behind these colours. Naturally, knowing that you're with your soulmate, you'll feel closer to them. There's an invisible force that can only be felt by the heart when you come across your other half.

Minju wonders if she and Chaewon could be like this.

In reality, there was no way. She knows what Chaewon is like.

They met a few years ago when Minju first stepped into high school. Chaewon was the senior guide for freshmen who are familiarising themselves with a new environment.

It started with Minju subconsciously wanting to look for that adorable but stern-looking senior, wondering what club she was in.

And there she found out, she was in the choir. Coincidentally, her friend Yuri was also about to sign on.

But to her horror, there was an audition to go through. Despite knowing how to sing, it was almost impossible for her to enter with people who basically grew up taking singing lessons.

Only Yuri ended up joining.

Being Minju, she doesn't give up too easily. When she realised how her feelings for the senior developed day by day, she decided to go all in.

And by all in, she wasn't distracted by any admirers she had. Can't blame her, she's beautiful and so is Chaewon.

Safe to say there were plenty trying to get their hands on those two.

And the only way she could be close to the senior was to join the photography club. That wasn't what she was interested in. But if she gets to take photos of the choir members during their big performances, staring at the black-haired girl in maroon uniform through the small lens, she was willing to do it.

In the process, she meets Yujin, her current roommate who always has her back. She helped those two get together with her connections.

Yujin's pretty outgoing, unlike Minju.

Took them months to get the senior to talk to Minju because of her schedule. She was busy preparing to graduate while Minju was just starting to settle into a new school.

Eventually, with Yujin's kind and compassionate personality, she got Chaewon to notice Minju's presence.

But what she didn't expect was the older girl not being able to talk, or more like didn't like talking. That only rose the pressure Minju felt when Yujin set them up for dinner that one night.

She was supposed to be there to Chaewon's knowledge, wanting to discuss the upcoming performance logistics. But halfway through, Yujin excused herself with some ridiculous reason just so Minju could get to know the senior more.

It was tough, Minju recalls. It took her a few weeks just to have Chaewon speak more than a sentence with her.

They've hung out a few times but it was all Minju who did the talking. When she was about to give up on this senior, Chaewon does something out of the blue.

Technically it wasn't a sudden thing but rather her mind battling with her inner thoughts of liking the younger girl's quirky presence around her.

So on their 10th "date", presumably the one where Minju was about to put a halt to chasing this girl, Chaewon kisses her. Right smack in the middle of a carpark after a night out with their friends.

Of course, that led to an awkward bus ride home, knees touching, fingers nervously fiddling. that they lived nearby with Chaewon's apartment she rented with Yena.

Nonetheless, it ended well for the past two years, not until Chaewon had to do something an hour ago for this whole relationship of theirs to be dumped down the chute.

Minju held onto the steel pole of the glass door to the dorm lobby, pushing just to have it stuck to the ground. She hummed and tried pulling but to no avail.

She cups the side of her eyes and looks at the little digital clock on the wall in the building.

It was five minutes past ten.

She banged on the door with her fist. "Hello? Anyone in there?" she called out, hoping they didn't leave too early since it has only been five minutes.

"I'm going to freeze out here," she mumbles, shaking the door. "Mrs Jang!" Minju shouted for the security guard she greets every morning.

"Please let me in!" she begged but heard nothing in return.

Slowly, she gave up, shoulders slouching as if this day couldn't have gotten any worse.

She turns around, planning to sit on the curb and just think about her life but bumps into someone.

"Minju?" She looks up to see who called her. It was Yujin.

Instead of a small comforting gesture she hoped to receive with how her eyes were a tad swollen, the taller girl says, "Why are you out here? I thought you'd be in the room."

"And what? You expect me to help you get in after going out this late?" Minju's response made Yujin shiver. She sounded too cold for a voice that warm.

"No...I mean, it would've been better if you were—never mind." Yujin shoves her hands into her coat pockets, taking a small step back as she glances at the button a few metres away from them. A button that unlocks the door from the inside.

"I guess we're stuck out here then." Yujin went beside Minju, sitting down on the little step with the girl watching her.

She looks up, wondering why she wasn't sitting. "Weren't you planning to do this earlier?"

"Why did you have to go out with Wonyoung?" Minju blurted, confusing the girl who tugged for her to sit. "She asked me out, I couldn't say no—why do you care?" Yujin looks at her strangely.

Somehow the vibe she was giving off didn't match with how elated she felt after having a nice dinner at a Japanese restaurant with someone she had eyes on the moment the girl stepped foot in this high school last summer.

Minju brought her knees to her body and hugged them. "Can she see your colour?" She peeks at Yujin who let out a small, disappointed sigh before shaking her head.

"Then why do you still go out with her?" Minju leans onto the glass door, fingers fiddling with each other above her knees.

"Then why are you still with Chaewon unnie if she can't see yours?" She playfully mocked the girl who looked at her.

The silence made Yujin rethink if something happened, recalling how she told her that Hitomi could see Chaewon's colour.

She felt a small gust of wind, causing her to take off her jacket. She knows Minju gets cold easily. That's why she gave her coat to her.

Wrapping the clothing around the girl, she asks, "Did something happen?"

Minju was supposed to stay the night—every night she goes to Chaewon's place.

The girl shook her head, forcing out a little smile. "I just didn't wanna stay over today." Minju looked at Yujin with an expression masking the pain she felt from Chaewon's words earlier.

Yujin didn't seem to notice, nodding slowly.

Minju suddenly smacks her shoulder. "Yah, you should've stayed in the room today. Now we're stuck out here till morning," she complains and laughs it off.

The taller girl snickers. "Why are you blaming me?"

"Because you didn't tell me you were going out with Wonyoung. You were supposed to be in the room anyway."

Yujin flings both hands up in disbelief. "Oh, and it's not you who told me to go out and mingle with other people instead of staying cooped up in the room."

"Don't blame me. If you could stay in one position in your whole life, it would be your bed." Minju retorted.

Before Yujin can continue saying the same, they heard footsteps approaching them from the side, followed by a flash of the torchlight.

"What are you two doing here?" Mrs Jang, the security guard of the dorm appeared, seemingly about to head to the building to change shifts with another staff. Those two could just smile and giggle innocently, standing up with hands dusting their pants.

She walks to them, hand reaching for the card to open the doors. "Didn't I tell you two not to stay out too late? You're literally the only ones who come back this late while the others are sleeping early."

She pushes the door open, immediately earning polite bows from the two who thanked her.

"You're lucky I passed by or Mr Kim won't let you guys in." her voice echoed away while the two girls bid goodbye to the exhausted but nice lady.

Yujin walks behind Minju, towards the stairs. "Can we take the lift? I don't wanna climb three floors." Minju complained.

"It's only for disabled people."

"But I'm tired," she whined, having Yujin push her from the back. "C'mon, it's just three floors. Unless you broke something, we're taking the stairs."

"My heart." Minju chuckles blankly, restlessly walking up the stairs. She just doesn't get why the lift can only be used by people who are injured. It should be available to those paying for dorms anyway.

"Did you say something?" Yujin takes her hands off her shoulder, walking beside the girl who managed to guide herself. "Nothing," Minju says to no one in particular, increasing her pace.

"Tired my ." Yujin scoffs, jogging after her.

The moment they entered their room, Minju plops down onto her bed immediately without changing out or washing up. Yujin got confused by her unusual behaviour, nudging her shoulder.

"Go shower. You hate going to bed without at least taking one." Minju whined and shooed her away with an arm, face shoved into the pillow.

Yujin shook her head, grabbing her coat Minju took off. "Then I'll go first." she skips to the bathroom after taking her pyjamas.

When Minju heard the water running, she turned her body around slowly, staring at the ceiling with tear-stained cheeks. She felt obligated to cry after doing such a dumb thing, not letting Chaewon explain any further even though whatever she said just added to the pain of her fresh wounds.

Never in her life has she expected to be cheated on. Not that it's their case, but as to what the older girl admits, everything is painted out clearly right in front of her.

There were days when Chaewon said she'll pick Minju up from school but didn't show up due to work. What confused her was how she saw the older girl's motorcycle sitting right beside the school's building, in the carpark.

All she thought was how that might've been someone else's because it's a pretty common scooter people used around here. The only difference was a certain duck sticker stuck onto the front mirror. She didn't recall seeing it that day but it appeared in her mind after accessing deeper.

It was a sticker Yena purposely glued onto the latter's bike and it wouldn't come off without leaving scratches.

But why did she have to lie about work and show up at her school? The only scenario Minju could think of was Chaewon picking up someone other than her.

That's what she does to people of importance to her. Not on a friendly level, but much more on the level of intimacy.

Back then, Chaewon would only give rides to those she had eyes on. She doesn't even give Yena a ride despite the girl being her best friend since kindergarten.

It was natural for her to think there was someone better than her.

Chaewon found someone better.

No missed calls were one. No messages were left after that whole incident an hour ago. Nothing was done by the older girl to give an explanation to Minju.

Minju wondered what she did to deserve this. Maybe she shouldn't have used that tone on Chaewon. But the girl did the same to her.

Well, that hurt.

She felt the feeling of not being wanted, or maybe she was nothing to Chaewon, never was. All those happy memories became memories that could only make her cry harder.

Chaewon made her think twice about wanting a soulmate.

Maybe I don't deserve one. The more she tries, the harder it becomes for her to find the perfect one.

Someone who doesn't care what she looks like. Someone whom she didn't need to dress up for but wants to. Someone who would just come naturally when she least expects them to.

At this point, she doesn't even know if she's destined to have a soulmate with this pathetic life of hers.

"Min, your turn." Yujin taps on her feet before walking towards her study table. The girl blinked her tears away, going out of notice.

"Do you want something to eat? I'm kinda hungry. Sushi's not filling." Yujin turns to see Minju getting her pyjamas from the cupboard. "Up to you," she replies and walks into the shared bathroom.

Yujin nods, opening the food delivery app, getting disrupted by a call coming from Yena. "Oh?" she doesn't usually get calls from her.

More so, nearing midnight.

"Yes unnie?" she answers, hearing Chaewon's voice.

"Is Minju with you?" she spoke, looking up at the dorm building. "She's showering," Yujin said, holding the phone at her ear while taking the towel off her neck.

"Can you put her on the phone?" Yujin furrows her eyebrows, wondering why she sounded so desperate as if she didn't have Minju's number.

"She just went in unnie." Yujin hung her towel on the little rack.

She heard a sigh. "Tell her to come down when she's done. I'll be waiting downstairs." The younger nodded and saw the bathroom door opening.

Minju stepped out, forgetting to take her towel. "Wait unnie, she's here." The girl stopped walking when Yujin reached her.

Minju raised both eyebrows. "Chaewon unnie." she handed her the phone, seeing how Minju's eyes widen before shaking her head.

"Why?" she whispered, covering the phone speaker.

"Hello? Yujin?"

Minju shook her head and asked her to say no. "Unnie, do you want to come up instead?" the girl quickly snatched the phone from Yujin and hung up the call.

"What's wrong with you?" Minju spoke in frustration. Yujin got confused. "She wanted to talk to you. She's downstairs." Minju inhales deeply.

"Just...don't pick up her call." she went back into the bathroom, leaving Yujin dumbfounded.

Yena (Chaewon) called again. Yujin stares at the contact and back at the bathroom. With respect to what Minju is going through, she silenced her phone and tossed it onto her bed as if it has a contagious disease.

—

"She's not answering?" Yena asked Chaewon whose head is constantly tilted up at a particular unit. She hung up and shook her head.

"You're ed." Yena sighs, sitting on her scooter properly. "How is this my fault?" Chaewon argues, handing the phone back to Yena.

"You let your stupid sway to a girl you just met over someone who loves you even when you were mean to her." Yena puts on her helmet and heard Chaewon sigh. She could only agree to her words.

"Hitomi's not someone I just met." She was firm with her words. The senior and junior met a few years back when the Japanese girl came for an exchange trip while she was in middle school.

Chaewon was in the student envoys and one of the representatives. Naturally, she was bound to meet the younger girl.

"Still." Yena sighs, not understanding this whole situation. Whatever it is, she thinks this friend of hers is stupid.

"I'm staying here." Chaewon places the helmet back into the compartment. "And wait for her?" Yena asked, earning a nod.

"You know she's not going to come down."

"I can just ask Yujin to bring her down." Chaewon zipped up her jacket, preventing the cold wind from entering. "Really? The person you get jealous of?" Yena sighs.

"For your information, she didn't see Minju's colour. Hitomi probably lied to you to make you feel better for cheating on her."

Chaewon frowns.

"Don't give me that look because I have no idea how you're going to make your way out of this." Yena starts the engine, kicking the stand of her scooter.

"Make your decision. Yuri's alone at home." Chaewon looks at the building and back at Yena.

Will she hold onto something she has messed up, or ignore the fact that Hitomi lied to her and go with her?

"Give me Yujin's number." Chaewon hands her phone to Yena who shook her head in disbelief. She gives the number and left for home while Chaewon idles in the dorm lobby.

—

"What's going on?"

After multiple tries to get Minju to talk, perhaps about an hour, the brunette sat on her bed with Yujin beside her.

The taller heard her phone ringing again. "She's not going to stop calling until you tell me what's going on." Yujin looks at how she was hesitating, annoyance visibly written on her face.

"She's seeing Hitomi." Minju softly spoke. "She said it herself so I just...ended things."

The taller girl lets out a long sigh. She wraps one arm around her shoulder, bringing her head to lean on her shoulder.

Yujin knows how much the latter liked, or even loved her. She was there to see everything blossom between the both of them, never foreseeing the older girl doing this to her just because someone else was destined to be her soulmate.

Chaewon was the reason why Minju liked going to school. The only thing to look forward to was seeing her. The happiness she felt on that very day Chaewon reciprocated her feelings after months of chasing her.

Everything was pure bliss until this tragedy of eye colours had to intervene. Was it really something that important that a heartbreak was nothing? So what if someone isn't your soulmate?

You would still love them just the way they are, wouldn't you?

That didn't seem to lie within the older girl's beliefs.

This isn't the first time Yujin has seen Minju like this—all weak and vulnerable.

In fact, she has seen days where the brunette just didn't want a tomorrow to happen.

School, work, relationships. Everyone has these weighted on their shoulders and at least are able to cope with it.

But it's whether they have the strength to withstand the pain that comes with it. They're unbelievably strong if they can.

"What do you want me to do?" Yujin asks, hand constantly caressing the side of Minju's head. Her subtle sobs were almost gone. Yujin thought she just needed to let it out.

Minju shook her head, sitting up while drying her tears. Yujin's phone was still ringing after a good 15 minutes.

—

Chaewon stares at the black screen, sitting on the edge of the stairs. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep unless she talks it out.

She's still trying to reach Minju through Yujin but to no avail.

That's until she heard a beep, followed by footsteps from behind. She turns to see Yujin stopping the door from closing which made her stand up awkwardly.

"Where's Minju?"

Yujin looks at the older girl who was sniffing, probably due to the cold. She walks and stops in front of her, putting her hands into her hoodie pockets.

She shook her head subtly. "She doesn't want to see you, unnie." Yujin clasps her lips together and saw Ch