New York City, the concrete jungle, a large city…and yet..somehow..in this vast place

 

“Mina.”

 

“Sana.”

 

Two ex-wives somehow find themselves face to face in a random coffee shop in Soho.

 

“Hi.”

 

“Hi.”

 

They speak together and it feels like time both has and hasn’t passed. But with the way Mina’s eyes seem to glow and the air around Sana seemed lighter, the two understand that time did pass by them.

 

“How are.”

 

“How are.”

 

They both chuckle.

 

“You first.”

 

“You first.”

 

The laughter between them grows, creating a melodious harmony.

 

“2 Cafe Lattes for Mina!” The barista calls out, pulling the two out of their own world.

 

“That’s me.” Mina points towards the counter.

 

“Yeah..” Sana smiles, watching as Mina seems to move in slow motion towards the counter to pick up her drink.

 

“Sana.” Mina stands in front of Sana, giving her ex-wife a soft smile, one of the softest smiles Sana has ever seen from the girl, “Whenever you’re ready, there’s something I’d like to tell you. My number hasn’t changed. See you.” Mina leaves before Sana could get a word out.

 

~ ~

 

“WHAT?! YOU RAN INTO MINA?! WHERE, WHEN? WHAT HAPPENED?!” Jihyo yells as Sana tells her who she just missed.

 

“Can you stop with the yelling, people are staring.” Sana looks around the cafe, apologising to the people staring at them.

 

“10 minutes ago..here..at this spot.”

 

“And??”

 

“And what? Nothing happened..we just greeted each other and she left.”

 

“She didn’t say anything else?”

 

“Hmmm.” Sana leans her chin on the back of her hand.

 

“Don’t do that to me Sana.” Jihyo whines and Sana chuckles, “She wants us to talk.”

 

“That’s good.”

 

“Is it?”

 

“Of course..it means that she’s moved..oh.” Jihyo stops talking, taking a long sip out of her iced americano.

 

“I owe her closure don’t I?”

 

“What if it’s not her wanting closure?”

 

“Do you know Chou Tzuyu?”

 

“The name is familiar…” Jihyo taps her chin, thinking, “Ah..you mean the only daughter of that Chou family?!”

 

“Yep.”

 

“What about her?”

 

“I think she’s with Mina..”

 

“Wha…agg” Jihyo chokes, Sana choosing the exact moment she decided to take another sip of her coffee to drop the news.

 

“They’ve been seen together a lot, and some people are saying that Tzuyu even moved here.”

 

“But Momo didn’t say anything…if that’s true she would have said something to us.”

 

“That’s true..but..she left with two drinks.”

 

“Sana.” Jihyo places a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “Stop over thinking it.” She says softly, “If it bothers you then go talk to Mina..like properly talk..hash it all out. We all know the true reason why you finally came back. Are you really gonna let this chance slip by?”

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

“And and? C’mon Mina you can’t just leave us hanging here.” Jeongyeon and Momo corner the girl in her office.

 

“And nothing, I had to go meet Tzu..so I told her to call me when she’s ready to talk.” Mina puts her phone face up on her desk.

 

“Did she tell you anything?” Jeongyeon looks at Momo, “You think I’d still be here if..” Momo was interrupted by the ringing of her phone, “Speaking of….moshi moshi.” Momo answers, “Hey Satang…I am..yes…uh-huh…well..It’s not like that.wait..are you..” Momo’s tone is suddenly teasing, “I didn’t say it..you did…just talk to her already.”

 

“I think she’ll call you sooner than you think.” Momo smirks while looking at Mina.

 

“Uh..okay?” Mina nods, trying to decipher what the teasing look on her face means, while Jeongyeon was quick to put the pieces together, “Oh you are so going to tell me about that phone call.” Jeongyeon drags Momo out quickly to confirm her suspicion, “Good luck with your ex wife Minari.”

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Let’s talk, meet me at our spot at 6. -Unknown Number

 

“Does she mean now or?” Mina questions, staring at her phone.

 

“Now?”

 

“I thought you were going to be late?”

 

“And you avoided the question.” Tzuyu smirks, settling in front of Mina at the table. The two were at Yuudachi having lunch and if Mina was more aware maybe she would have noticed the pair of eyes glaring at her.

 

“It’s….”

 

This is Sana by the way. -Sana

 

“You don’t have to tell me I already know who it is.” Tzuyu chuckles.

 

“Oh really now.” Mina challenges.

 

“Of course I do, there’s only one person who can make you smile like that.” Tzuyu leans over, whispering, “Minatozaki Sana” in Mina’s ear.

 

“See.” Tzuyu chuckles seeing Mina’s flustered but smiling face.

 

“You need to st..”

 

“Mina.” A familiar voice suddenly calls out, “Hi.”

 

“Sana..” The name comes out in a whisper and Tzuyu tries her best not to laugh at her friend.

 

“Fancy seeing you here.” Sana smiles, turning her attention to Tzuyu, “And with Chou Tzuyu.”

 

“You know me?” Tzuyu points at herself.

 

“Of course, I think we all know each other here right?” Sana’s voice was sweet but Mina could sense there was something else there, but she was too awed by Sana being there to think about anything else right now.

 

“I guess..uhm are you here for lunch?”

 

“I was waiting for Nayeon and Jihyo but the two got caught up at work, so I was just about to head out when I saw you two.”

 

“Oh, then would you want to join us instead?” Tzuyu offers.

 

“Maybe next time, I have plans. I’ll see you later Mina?”

 

“Yes..yeah.” Mina nods.

 

“Great.” Sana gives the two one last smile before leaving.

 

“Goodluck later.” Tzuyu chuckles, “You’ll need it.”

 

“What?” Mina turns back to Tzuyu, barely catching the girl’s words because again, she was only focused on Sana.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

Sana wasn’t nervous when she texted Mina earlier, she wasn’t phased at all when she approached Mina and Tzuyu at the restaurant earlier, but now that she’s here..waiting for Mina..the nerves are finally starting to catch up to her. Honestly, she didn’t mean to call Mina out, not yet at least..but that scene at the restaurant..well it bothered her..so she sent the text and now she has to face the consequences of her own actions.

 

“Ahhhh..seriously..” Sana shakes her head.

 

“You’re early.” Mina chuckles after catching Sana’s cute little outburst of embarrassment.

 

“I…well I could say the same to you..it’s only 5:30.”

 

“You know I like being early.”

 

“Did you need to prepare your heart too?” Sana looks at Mina, whose eyes are glued to the sky.

 

“What?” Mina asks, feeling the other girl’s heavy stare on her.

 

“Nothing.” Sana smiles, shaking her head, feeling the immediate comfort Mina’s presence brought.

 

I miss you.

 

“I thought I was ready.” Mina speaks up after a few beats pass by between them, “To tell you what I couldn’t before.” Mina finally looks at Sana head-on again, “Remember? I told you that I’ll tell you everything when my heart is ready for you to hate me.”

 

“Mina…” Sana begins but Mina shakes her head, “Listen to me first..” And so, Mina tells Sana everything, “Here.” Mina hands a shocked Sana a handkerchief with a sunflower and the letters S.M. embroidered on it, “She wanted you to have this. Hikari-chan, until the very end..she loved you. She did what she did to make it easier for you to accept what came…even though it hurt you both.” Mina turns away from Sana, unable to look into her teary eyes anymore, “When I agreed to our engagement, I wasn’t expecting myself to open up to you the way I did..or for me to fall for you as hard as I did…so it got harder and harder for me to tell you everything..Sana..I..I’m sorry..I know I lied to you, but when I saw you at her resting place that day…it was like seeing my own broken self..and I wanted to help you somehow one way or another…but I see how wrong that was of me..and so I apologise.” Mina bows deeply.

 

A silence fills the air, Sana holding the handkerchief tightly in her hands and Mina staring off into the horizon.

 

“You told me that if we’re meant for each other that we would find each other somehow.” Sana breaks the silence, “Did you mean that?”
 

“I did.” Mina looks at Sana, “Even if things with Hikari-chan were different, I feel like we would still somehow find a way to be a part of each other’s lives.”

 

“There’s no use in questioning something that can never happen Mina. And I don’t want you to think that you’re some replacement, even with everything you just told me.”

 

“I don’t.” Mina clarifies.

 

“Good.” Sana nods, “I’m actually relieved.”

 

“About?”

 

“What your big secret turned out to be…. Arigato Mina, for being with her when I couldn’t.” Now it was Sana, bowing her head.

 

“Of course.” Mina nods, thinking that this is where they part ways again, but Mina didn’t want to go..didn’t want to be the one to walk away. She couldn’t, not anymore. So she waits, preparing herself to convince Sana to let them start over again, even if it’s just as friends.

 

“It was raining.” Sana speaks up pulling Mina out of her thoughts, “It was raining when I first saw you. I was having lunch at Yuudachi when I saw a girl standing under the rain. I watched you just stand there, while everyone scattered around trying to get out of the rain. I remember being confused by that, wondering why a grown woman was standing under the rain when even young kids were running inside. So, imagine my surprise when I would find that very intriguing woman waiting for me at the end of the altar.” Sana smiles at the memory of her seeing Mina for the first time, “And every time it rained I would know more and more about that girl, slowly opening up my own wounds to her..but that was it.” She pauses, “We only ever opened up our wounds, hurting with each other while also opening our hearts to one another.”

 

“That’s confusing.”

 

“I know, that’s why I left. That’s why I needed to put us back at the start. I needed to heal and so did you.” Sana looks at the handkerchief again, “It took me realising just how terrified I was in falling for someone again to see just how muc