-4 years later-

“So you’re really coming back? Like no take backsies?” Sana asks Mina, the two were on a facetime call. Something that Sana was adamant about: facetime calls daily. It could be a 2 minute call or 2 hours, but no matter what they have to at least facetime once a day.

“No take backsies.” Mina laughs, the two are almost 30 and yet Sana can still be a bit childish at times. A trait that Mina, well anyone for that matter, finds absolutely adorable.

“Good. Are you gonna be transferring back to the hospital in Tokyo?”

“Hmm..”

“Don’t tell me it’s the one in Osaka?” Sana pouts, “You said back, so that means back to Tokyo.”

Back to me. Sana thinks to herself.

“Back to Tokyo of course.”

“Jeez, you almost scared me. 4 years apart is enough.”

“4 years…really? It felt like only a few days with how much you came to visit.” Mina teases and Sana turns red in embarrassment, “I had work to do there.” She defends, “Don’t get cocky.”

“Sure sure.” Mina continues to tease.

“Whatever.” Sana rolls her eyes, “Is it wrong to miss my best friend?”

“No, but I can’t believe you missed me so much you had to make weekly visits until I had to confiscate your passport.”

“Still mad about that by the way. You better bring me my passport back.”

“Hai hai.”

“Also…”

“Minari-channnn!” Mina’s roommate jumps on the girl, “Whatchu…oh Sana hey!” The girl greets in the limited Japanese she knows.

“Nayeon-san.” Sana stops herself from rolling her eyes at the sight of Mina’s roommate and Nayeon-proclaimed best friend.

“Y’all doing your cute little face time thing?” Nayeon asks, squishing her cheeks against Mina to fit in the frame and if looks could kill Sana would be charged with homicide.

“Yeah, I was just telling Satang about me going back home.”

“Ooohh did you tell her about…” Nayeon wiggles her eyebrows at Mina.

“Not yet, and can you stop that?” Mina raises a finger to stop Nayeon’s weird eyebrow movements.

“Eh? What?” Sana asks, she hates it when the roommates talk in Korean it makes her feel left out.

“Nothing Satang, don’t worry about her. Nayeon-chan was just about to shower.” Mina looks at Nayeon, “Right?” Mina says in English, so that Nayeon can take the hint.

“Hai hai, I’ll go.” Nayeon scrunches her nose at the girl, before leaving,

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Mina looks at Sana, trying to get their conversation back.

“We were talking about you moving back.”

“Right right.”

“So it’ll be another month or two, but I’ve already found a place..”

“You’re not staying with Momo?” Sana interrupts, with a frown, because the last time they talked about the move, Mina said she’ll just move back in with Momo even though Sana had offered her old room in the condo after she nonchalantly told Mina that her and Aiko broke up months prior and how she stood up against her parents, stopping them for setting her up anymore.

“I was, but Nayeon’s also moving and I..”

“PAUSE.” Sana yelled, “What do you mean by Nayeon’s also moving?”

“I mean she’s moving to Tokyo.” Mina waits a moment to let the information sink in, “With me.”

“What?!”

“It’s not forever, she’s helping out with research at the..”

“I don’t care about that..what I care about is you choosing her over me Mina!” Sana was clearly upset, calling the other girl by her name, “How could you!”

“Satang.” Mina sighs, she knew Sana dislikes Nayeon, especially since Nayeon often referred to herself as Mina’s best friend, “She’s moving to a new country, with no friends, no family. Just like me before. Nayeon was my first friend and she really helped me out a lot. I’m not about to leave her hanging.” Sana stays quiet, knowing that Mina’s correct. Nayeon’s been nothing but helpful to Mina and although Sana may not like the girl, she was still grateful to her for being there for Mina when she couldn’t.

“You know I’m right.” Mina speaks up after a while of watching Sana pout.

“I know..it’s just..” Sana sighs, “It feels like I’ve been replaced.” Sana finally says the words out loud and almost instantly regretting it because of how possessive and selfish she sounded, two things Minatozaki Sana is not…unless it comes to Mina.

“Replaced? Of course not, you’re my best friend Satang. Why would you think that?” Mina frowns, thinking if she’s done anything to make Sana think that she no longer cares.

“Nayeon-san told me things...” Sana admits, remembering the last time she visited Mina in Seoul.

-flashback 3 years ago-

“Has Mina always been like that?” Nayeon asks in English since her Japanese was still not at the level needed for the conversation she wanted to have with Mina’s best friend who seems to be in Seoul all the time.

“What do you mean?” Sana asks, she hasn’t noticed anything off with her best friend.

“Looking like it’s taking every ounce of her willpower to keep herself from breaking down.”

“Eh? Come again?” Sana looked at Nayeon, who had her eyes on Mina in the kitchen of their apartment.

“I guess to put it simply…broken.” Nayeon turns her attention back to Sana. And Sana flinches because the girl in front of her barely knows Mina but she was able to see what Sana only saw right before Mina left, “She’s only told me part of the story and honestly, I know she’s trying but..I was just curious to know just how long she’s been like that. I guess we’ll both have to wait for her to open up about it.” Nayeon looks at Sana with a soft smile, while Sana wonders what story did Mina not tell her.

–

“And well I never asked because I know how you handle your problems, but Mitang..why is it that Nayeon was able to be the one with a lending ear? Why not me? What is it that you couldn’t,no, what is it that you can’t tell me?” Sana asks.

“Satang.” Mina was speechless, she had no idea her true emotions slipped in between the cracks of her smile, “I’m sorry. I never wanted you to feel like I’m replacing you or something. As for my problem..” Mina sighs, “I..right now, the me right now…I.”

“You can’t tell me?”

“I’m sorry..I just…I thought I had it all figured out but..”

“But you’ve opened up to Nayeon about it?”

“She kinda just confronted me about it. She can be very scary.”

“I’m not mad then.” Sana’s mood switches, “I’m just glad that you had someone to talk to too…and if anything I’m sorry…for not being there for you more.”

“Satang no..stop thinking that. You know how important you are to me.”

“I know, but it’s been 4 years and it made me think just how much I’ve depended on you. How big your presence in my life meant to me…after you left, it was hard. So hard.” Sana sniffles, finally letting out the frustrations of the last 4 years out, “But I didn’t want you to worry..I mean I’m a big girl I can handle myself…but not having you near was suffocating. And then Nayeon coming in and basically becoming your Korean best friend made it even worse. So when you told me that you’re finally moving back, I was so happy..counting down the days, because I figured that once you’re back this heavy feeling in my chest can finally go away.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you felt this way?”

“I don’t know..”

“Satang…no matter what, I won’t leave you okay? Ride or die.” Mina tries her best to comfort the crying girl on the screen. “Stop that, let’s talk about how you’ll practically be living with Nayeon and me in Tokyo instead.”

“You know I will.” Sana says, wiping her tears away, Mina’s words comforting her.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter