“For today's topic we will be dealing with the idea of letting someone go.” their professor in creative writing stated as an introduction.

Seems like Minjeong’s hand has a mind of her own, it stopped from scribbling random notes immediately after hearing what her professor uttered. Face of someone entered the back of her mind as thoughts relating to the topic surged unwarranted. Soon, she let out an internal scoff at how ironic the timing of this kind of discussion. What happened on their dinner date a few days back reeled again for the nth time. She knew she should apologize to the older girl but she just cannot bring herself to do so. Which for her might be one of the reasons why they broke up. They exactly know what to do but in the end, both of them just chose not to. 

“Any initial thoughts?” Ms. Jung inquired while smiling at them softly. Her question brought her out of her reverie. 

“That’s for cowards!” Yujin who’s seated at the back portion of the class exclaimed. Minjeong’s ears perked up at her blockmate’s choice of words. 

Was she a coward for letting Jimin go? 

Ms. Jung gestured for the latter to elaborate her answer. Yujin stood up confidently as if her answer was irrefutable. 

“Well, it is a case to case basis for everyone but my thought still stands. If you truly love someone, you should take every measure for you to not resort to letting that person go.” 

Was her love for Jimin not enough? Her mind picked up on several questions upon hearing the girl’s answer. But soon it died down to one comment. 

“Easier said than done.” her supposed to be internal rambling was unconsciously mumbled. 

“Kim Minjeong.” their professor called out. 

“Y-yes?”

“Any thoughts?” She isn’t fond of talking in front of everyone, which is why she prefers to write. Hence, making this as her second course. But yeah, speaking in front of the class is inevitable. So with unsure steps, she stood up. 

“For me, there are situations where holding onto someone seems futile. So the only plausible thing to do is to let someone go. For example, if the other part isn’t happy being with you anymore. What is the point of holding on really?” 

“Let me ask Minjeong a question, Ms. Jung.” Yujin stated while raising her hand. When their professor nodded in approval, the latter stood up while gazing at her intently. It is as if she knew what happened with her and Jimin with how her every word hit Minjeong straight to her gut. 

“Was the reason for her unhappiness still repairable?” that shut her up. Because the thought of them just overdoing everything when they should not, bugged her to no end after their break up. 

“W-well…” she stuttered, still thinking if she would bare herself as the vulnerable one in front of the whole class. 

“Let me rephrase it then.” 

“If you would have done something back then to hold onto her, would you have saved the both of you from the heartbreak?” Yujin's words hit the bullseye this time. There it is again with her many what if’s. 

What if she didn’t just let go of the girl just like that?

What if she has the courage like what Yujin has? 

“I…” 

“Okay! That’s enough. Both of you can sit down already.” 

“As you all have observed, we all have differing thoughts about things and that includes our thoughts on this topic. So for your next assignment, I would like you to write a poem in whatever form you want…” series of groans erupted from everyone for another task at hand. 

“With this idea in mind.” Ms. Jung continued while encircling the words ‘letting go’. 

“I am pretty sure we all have someone we have let go in life because of various reasons. Make that as your inspiration for this task.” 

“That is all there is to it for today. Class dismissed!” 

It took Minjeong a good few minutes of blankly staring at the one phrase written on the white board before she decided to stand up and exited the room. 

Yes. That’s Minjeong’s answer to Yujin’s question. 

If only. 

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She huffed in annoyance for the nth time. Her pad of paper is at its half state with how much she keeps on erasing her scribblings. 

The Art of Letting Go 

Too many thoughts, unsaid words and unexpressed actions. 

Tears fell on both our cheeks, 

As I relish on my last glimpses of being able to call you mine. 

It took me a while to bring the pieces back together. 

Although there is something missing, I can bear with it. 

I can’t afford to ruin you too. 

Maybe she is right, I am. 

I am a coward. 

I love you still. 

Sensing that she will just be frustrated, Minjeong opts to just sleep it away since it is already past midnight. Thoughts may flood her mind soon. She is just hoping that it will not happen too late as the deadline of the poem is next week. 

It felt like only an hour had passed since she had gotten a wink of sleep, when her doorbell rang. She groaned in annoyance, not bothering to get out of her bed thinking that it was just someone messing around. 

But to her dismay, it continuously rang. Getting fed up, she grumpily dashed towards her door with everything dishevelled from her hair to her toes. 

A gasp escaped her lips when it was a groggy Jimin who welcomed her upon setting foot on her doorstep. And the older girl seems…drunk with how she tries to steady herself. Confusion is written all over her face while she tries to think what might have brought the latter in her apartment at this ungodly hour in which she doesn’t know how come she got a hold of her address. 

Her thoughts were cut off as she abruptly went to the latter’s side to guide her footing. Minjeong sighs for the girl is really heavy with the absence of any effort from her to stand properly. 

She was on her way to ask Jimin what was the matter when hazy eyes met hers, with only their faces a few inches apart from each other. Her words got cut off as she instead gulped due to their proximity. 

Ever since they broke up, this is the closest they have been to each other. She really does admire the older girl’s mesmerizing features, but a sudden overwhelming feeling can be felt at the pit of her heart upon realizing how much she has missed the latter’s presence. It is another type of jealousy wherein you feel a strong urge to vye and get back what was yours since then. 

Minjeong’s breath hitched even more when Jimin pulled her closer towards her while now putting her hands on her nape as she gazed at her intensely. She can now smell that the older girl reeked of alcohol, proving her assumption that the latter is drunk.

But why? 

She tried to pull away immediately when Jimin leaned her face closer towards hers but it seems a bit unsuccessful due to the latter’s tight grip on her nape. 

“Minjeong-ah…” her efforts to get away betrayed her upon the girl’s calling of her name. 

While still trying to calm her now fastly beating heart, she answered the girl, “Y-yeah?” 

It took a while for the girl to mumble something but once she did and Minjeong decoded her message, she is now the one who seems to not know what to say. 

“Are you really okay without me?” 

“You are drunk, Jimin-unnie.” she finally uttered after gathering her thoughts. Minjeong soon proceeded to guide the girl inside despite her clear reluctance. 

While steadying the both of them, Minjeong can hear the latter mumble her last word “Jimin-unnie…” continuously like she is in a daze, but the chortle that was first let out by the girl didn’t go unnoticed by Minjeong. 

Was it a big deal that she called the girl in the way she used to back then when they're still not together? 

They are not with each other anymore. 

So, it's just appropriate, right? 

Ignoring her inner thoughts, she then carefully guided the latter to sit on her couch. After finally settling Jimin, Minjeong let out a tired sigh, trying her best to normalize her breathing. 

"Jimin-unnie, what do you want? Water?" Despite their fallout, the younger girl cannot help herself to take care of the older one especially when she's in this state. No one in their right mind would leave a girl like this. Rationalizing everything, she finally breaks free from the chains of the past for the meantime. This time, she is the junior who cares for that one senior she finds really beautiful upon catching a glimpse of her. 

Sensing that the latter is not on her right mind to answer her question, Minjeong took the initiative to take a glass of water. 

She was on her way to fetch one in her kitchen when a sudden grip halted her steps. 

"I w-want us to talk, Minjeong-ah. Stay here." For the nth time ever since the latter appeared on her doorstep, Minjeong finds herself getting speechless, her heart racing at their enjoined hands and her mind full of thoughts about the endless possibilities of what this encounter would bring to the both of them.

"U-unnie you're dr-drunk." she tried to reason out now facing the girl. 

Maybe it is a bad idea to turn around. 

If only she didn't, then she wouldn't feel this strong urge to hug the older girl. 

She wouldn't feel so bad about what had happened back then

She wouldn't realized that regrets and guilt have now eaten her fully. 

She wouldn't feel the need to wipe the lone tear that escaped the older girl's eyes while looking at her pleadingly despite her groggy state. 

They say that drunk people are the most honest. They could be right, really. 

But can Minjeong handle the truth and reality once they have talked it out? 

"Let's talk tomorrow, unnie. When you're sober to hold a proper conversation." 

"No... " the latter mumbled, still without breaking her hold on her. 

"You'll run away again." 

These very words hit her right in the gut. 

"You'll choose not to stay again." 

It is because you don't want me to. She mentally reasoned out. The circumstance they were in at the moment isn't the best time to bear everything . There is no guarantee that Jimin will remember anything tomorrow. 

"Let's do it tomorrow. I promise, I will talk to you." 

"I said let's do it now, Minjeong-ah. Please… " Minjeong stood still, now dumbfounded and baffled with the girl's actions and the desperation in her voice. 

"I will try to rationalize everything tomorrow. By that time, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to be a hundred percent honest with you. My sober thoughts will hold me back." 

"B-but unnie… " 

"No 'buts' please." 

"Come here." she then patted the space beside her. Even still a bit reluctant, she obliged to the girl's request. 

Silence fell over them for a few minutes, not knowing what to say or how or when to start conversing. 

Jimin is leaning back to the couch, her spinning head on its backrest while hazily looking at the younger girl who's trying her best to avert her gaze away from her. Despite her drunk self, Jimin knows what she is doing and has a complete understanding of what's happening. Hence, she firmly asserted that their conversation should happen now when she's on her drunkenly bold stage. 

"Are you really okay without being with me, Minjeong-ah?" she asked again. Jimin can sense that the girl is contemplating at the moment. And she cannot help but to feel the nervousness that slowly crept on her skin while waiting for the girl to answer. 

Of course she knows the answer already, Minjeong made it clear on their last night out. 

"N-no, unnie... " Huh? 

"W-what?" she unbelievably asked while stuttering, clearly afraid that her ears might just be playing tricks on her. 

For the first time that day, Minjeong took the initiative to look back at her for more than a few seconds. 

"I am not okay without being with you, unnie." 

"T-then why... that time— I mean—" the younger's answer might have shortcircuited some nerves on her brain that she cannot even form a proper sentence to convey her thoughts. 

"That's true though." Minjeong cut her words. 

This is getting really confusing. 

"Y-yah... are you playing with me?" she tried sounding a little intimidating but it somehow appeared to be like she's whining like a baby. Proven by how Minjeong let out a small chuckle after her little outburst. 

"There is a clear line between 'I am okay without you' and 'I am okay without being with you." Minjeong started explaining her thoughts

Now, this is really confusing for Jimin's drunk self. 

"I can handle myself without you, unnie. But not being 'not together' with you." 

She sighs in frustration with how confusing the girl's words are. Seeing this, Minjeong let out a hearty laugh. 

"What I mean is, it is somehow bearable if I am not with you physically. Like I am away..." Okay, these words are somehow easier for Jimin to take. 

"What I can't afford is not being with you. Not being together with you. Not being able to call you mine. Not being girlfriends. No—" Now, these words are a lot for Jimin to take. Not by her brain but by her heart. With the strong surge of emotions she cannot help but to pull the girl closer to her. And let the way she kisses Minjeong to convey what she truly felt right now. As their lips connected, Minjeong first tasted the bitterness of the alcohol that the older girl consumed but she could care less about that as the latter's strawberry chapstick met her cherry ones. 

Jimin is just so happy at the moment. And her happiness doubled when she felt the younger girl smiling through her kisses before reciprocating her urgency to kiss back in order to finally feel the lips that both of them longed to taste for almost a year. 

They both wanted this.

They both missed this. 

They both wanted this moment to last.

The air grew thick between them as their hands cannot stay rooted to their original respectful places as the older one is now caressing Minjeong's softly, the younger one is now tracing circles on the latter's thigh - while their lips are busy minding their own business together. Minjeong let out a groan when the older girl swiped her hot tongue on her upper lip asking for an entrance. When it is granted, Minjeong now emits guttural moans with how good it feels as their tongue dances together. 

Their desperation for a really close proximity and for each other's lips are tell-tale signs that they have really missed being like this. 

When lack of air became an issue after a few minutes of exploring each other's physical features, Minjeong reluctantly pulled away. 

"U-nnie… " She uttered breathless, still gathering some air to steady her breathing. 

"I love you still, Minjeong-ah." Jimin confessed sincerely while caressing the younger's cheeks. 

Minjeong softly smiled at her words as she was reminded of the last few words she had written on the draft of her phone that are now crossed out. She reminded herself to include it on the final cut of her poem. 

"I love you too, unnie." the older girl cutely pouted but the glint on her eyes betrayed her as it screamed happiness. 

Finally realizing the mistake in her words, Minjeong pecked the girl's lips first before correcting it, "I love you too, bub." She realized that Jimin still hates it when Minjeong calls her unnie. Her reason is that the callsign screams platonic relationship and Jimin would not want to settle for that. So the older forbade the younger to call her that. Minjeong usually abides unless it is a really serious or frustrating matter and she finds it necessary to call the older that way  to assert her point. 

"Together?" Jimin asked as a hopeful smile graced her lips. 

"Together." Minjeong firmly replies as she smiled back. 

They both knew there are things that they should talk about, blurred lines they should clear and different perspectives they should try to understand. 

But it was immediately thrown out of their minds, when one of them (they do not know who really or maybe it is the both of them) pulled the other towards the one room in Minjeong's apartment with hasty and excited steps. 

Their talk could wait, but this… 

It cannot. 

The end ;)

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A/N: That's a wrap for this story! I hope you have also enjoyed reading this one! :))) 

Your upvotes, comments and subscriptions are well-appreciated. Tysm!

Should I just go back to fluff? hahahahaha! joke. 

Please do share your thoughts about this one. Take care y'all <3