The first thing Chaeyoung did to apologize to Mina was to hand her a small bouquet of different and colorful flowers, accompanied by a genuine smile that made her big eyes sparkle "if you don't take them I'll feel stupid"

"They are beautiful, thank you" the blonde put her nose on it to smell them, awakening in a short time from that moment of bliss "why did you ask me to see each other? It's been a while since we were together"

"I know and, given the terrible way in which we interrupted our relationship, I thought of ways to make you forgive me. Obviously you do not have to accept, but I warn you immediately: it will not be a refusal to make me desist from trying again with you"

Mina had raised, involuntarily, a corner of in a half smile, but she didn't want to give in right away for fear of getting hurt for the thousandth time "I'm fine with going out with you, but it won't be flowers or nice words that will win my trust"

"I am aware of this and you are totally right not to want to trust me, I only ask you to give me a small chance to redeem me"

"I can do this" her smile was sincere and no longer restrained "where are you taking me?"

Chaeyoung took her arm, leading her to her car previously cleaned for the occasion, and opened the door for her. She had only answered the question after adjusting the rearview mirror "we need to have lunch to begin with, so I thought I'd go buy some simple sandwiches and eat them while we look at the Han River"

That plan, as simple as it was elaborate, had hit Mina right in the heart, who had started beating with such frequency that it seemed under strain "what next?"

"Then we could take advantage of the beautiful landscape to talk a bit and get to know each other better, there are so many things I don't know about you that I don't even know where to start with the questions. If you like, of course"

"I like it a lot, as long as it's mutual"

"Of course, I too have many things to say and I will answer all your questions with the utmost sincerity" she was smiling, the dimple clearly visible on her cheek "then, if we don't get tired of spending time together, we could wait for the sunset and take a ride in the car"

Mina began to feel euphoric and hoped with all her heart that that day, as well as enjoyable and fun, could last as long as possible to give her the opportunity to get to know more deeply the girl who was concentrating on driving.

She had taken advantage of that moment to observe her, immediately noticing her face more relaxed than the last time she had seen her, but in addition to that it was the lightness of her shoulders that stood out more, in fact these had always been slightly curved forward because of an invisible weight.

She hoped with all her heart that the boulder she was carrying around had disappeared entirely and that no matter how that sort of impromptu date would go, she could be happier and grateful for what she had.

It had taken a good half hour to get to the mini market, buy what they needed and get to a quiet spot to sit and gaze at the great expanse of water that was the Han River.

At that point, after having swallowed her first bite, Chaeyoung stopped with her gaze fixed in front of her "the thing I care most about right now is to apologize, I've been really bad to you and, in your place, I would never have agreed to go out with me"

"Everyone makes mistakes, what matters is to realize it and have the will to fix it. As disappointed as I may be by what happened it would have been immature to ignore you, after all I too have put my own into what has been there between us"

"It will be as you say, but I am aware of having and I assure you that you are not to blame. Indeed, you did well that day to tell me what you thought of me, you managed to open my eyes"

The blonde was turning the sandwich over in her hands, looking for the best place to bite without causing a spill of tomatoes "so why did you go out with her?"

The fact that Chaeyoung did not hesitate to answer was a surprise for both "I did it to put an end to my sick attachment, to tell the truth I did not even know about the photo she posted as she took it by treason. It was my sister who warned me and to say that I was angry is an euphemism"

"Have you really ended all relations with her?"

"I even deleted her mobile number and the same fate also affected the photographs we took together. I thought I loved her, but my feelings for her were fictitious as they were born from the happiness of having been desired by someone"

"I'm glad, you finally have stopped hurting yourself" her words were sincere, just like the proud look she was giving her.

The shorter one was dazzled by that look and the blush on her cheeks was inevitable "now let's talk about you, what do you say? I need to know every useful detail to be able to court you properly, so I'll start with basic things like your favorite color"

Even that change of speech had made them both realize the big change that took place in those two months of just texting and short phone calls, making them feel as if they were destined to live this new beginning together. The road to regaining Mina's trust would have been a bit tiring to walk, but Chaeyoung was more than sure it would be worth it. 

It was the day of the last excursion of the week, the same one in which Jihyo and Dahyun had taken part. Sana hadn't gone with them because she was having a very important dinner in the evening and she couldn't afford to be too tired, according to her.

The two friends were walking with their usual quiet pace, following the path with attention and detachment at the same time. They hadn't talked much, having just said good morning briefly, and that strange detachment had upset both of them to the point that they turned around at the same moment.

They stopped shortly after their exchange of worried glances, sitting on a rock big enough for both of them and standing so they could look each other in the eye.

"You are often down in the dumps in the last period, has something serious happened?" Jihyo had stretched out her hands in front of her, palms facing upwards waiting to join those of the other girl.

Dahyun wasted no time, squeezing her hands tightly "do you promise to keep the secret? Especially with Sana"

"I won't say anything, but if you say so you scare me"

The younger began to tell, in a not too detailed way and with a dose of embarrassment that made her seem like a frightened child, everything that had happened with Sharon, also making sure to relate to her the same words that her best friend had addressed to her after the night they had spent together.

"When Sana invited us to her house I was afraid of feeling too embarrassed, but I didn't and in those few hours I managed to feel good. It wasn't hard to be in the same room with Sharon, but that pleasant feeling is disappeared when I set foot outside the house"

The best part of being able to let off steam with Jihyo was being able to talk without interruptions or judicious looks and this Dahyun knew it well, finding herself emptying her huge baggage about to explode due to all the words she had locked up inside. 

"The fact is that I have always felt something for her, something that goes beyond friendship, but for fear of ruining everything I have always held back and when I had the chance to take that extra step I fell for it with all the shoes. Now my heart is in a thousand pieces while she always has someone to spend her time with"

"According to what happened at the park I don't think your last statement is that correct, am I wrong? It's not nice and I am aware of it, but if you firmly believe that there is no chance for you you should first accept it and then talk to her about it. You must act if you do not want to lose your friendship, but no one will point an accusatory finger at you if you fail to do so. Think first of yourself, the things you would like to do and your happiness, I assure you that the rest will come from self"

Dahyun, not being good at putting into words and wanting to show her gratitude at any cost, almost threw herself on the brunette to give her a crushing hug "you are fantastic and you should create a cult of your own, you would help a lot of people"

"Don't talk nonsense, it don't suit you" she had finally laughed at her since that day had begun, holding the girl tightly to make her understand how much she loved her.

"Now it's your turn to let off steam, I assure you that you will feel much better after doing it. I'll listen to you, come on"

Having the younger girl's gaze fixed in her eyes made Jihyo surrender to her fate "it's about Nayeon, but you too will have to keep your mouth shut"

"Not a single word will come out, I can swear to you" Dahyun made the gesture of closing her lips with needle and thread. 

"We've been bonding a lot lately, we see each other almost every day and time flies when we're together. The fact is that I think I've fallen in love with her and I tend to romanticize everything we do"

The minor wanted to look at her mischievously, but she restrained herself so as not to spoil the delicate moment "give me an example of something in your head that is linked to feelings"

Jihyo didn't even need to think before speaking "we danced together in a club, we were very close and I still have the feeling of her hands on my hips" she was covering her red face "not to mention all the times she makes me compliments, I melt like an icicle  in the sun"

"If you have a relationship like this, can I know what is holding you back from telling her how you feel? You are practically made for each other"

"I'm afraid she hasn't gotten through the breakup with Sally yet, she doesn't talk about it but we've all noticed her change. I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable because of my feelings, she doesn't deserve it after everything she's been through, especially if she is still in love with her ex"

"So the only thing left to try is to investigate, but giving up doesn't even have to be on the to-do list, okay?" Dahyun was smiling to encourage her "Nayeon is really lucky to have someone like you in her life and I'm sure she won't let you escape, even if she doesn't love you as a girlfriend I'm positive about the length of your relationship"

Jihyo had sighed slowly, letting her tense body relax a little "I hope you are right and I share your thoughts on not wanting to lose such an important friendship, regardless of everything. Even if, to tell the truth, I would love to be reciprocated" her insecurity was such that she immediately lost the enthusiasm acquired during the conversation.

", it's all burned" Sally was struggling with the oven, from which she had pulled out a burnt cake between one curse and the other "it's already the third time that happens to me"

"I knew I should have asked Nayeon to make one, you are completely incapable" Tzuyu wanted to pull out her sister's hair, but she knew how much she had done to prepare dinner and decided to turn a blind eye. It isn't essential, the chicken you prepared to fill our stomach will take care of everything"

The blonde found herself snorting loudly "I want to make a good impression, it's the first time you introduce someone to me and I don't want to look completely incapable in front of my sister-in-law. I'm going to buy a cake, it will take a little while"

"Sally, I already told you it doesn't matter and Sana is fixated on healthy foods, I assure you she won't make a tragedy out of it"

"Then I'll prepare another side dish, it will take a few minutes"

"I give up, you have all the wheels out of place" despite those derisive words Tzuyu was smiling, she loved that side of her sister, even if she would not have admitted it even under torture.

Things had changed since Nayeon left home, though the blue-haired girl was sure Sally's change didn't encompass every side of her personality as her manipulative traits reappeared occasionally.

However, their relationship had improved and for the girl it was already enough, even if she would have wanted so much to have a quiet sister and not inclined to manipulate others, but it was enough that she did not behave with her as she did with other people.

She never stopped her from seeing Nayeon or getting out, she had even stopped stressing her out on her college research and, even more shocking, she was always trying to make time for her.

Thanks to those changes Tzuyu had decided to officially introduce her girlfriend to her and she was more nervous than ever, but that state of anxiety vanished the moment Sana had set foot in her house.

Everything went smoothly: dinner was very good, dessert burnt in the garbage aside, the conversation was even better and there was not the slightest trace of embarrassment in the air.

Despite the beauty of that moment, Tzuyu's eyes had often paused to look at the empty chair, unable to help but miss the one who had taught her to live life to the fullest.