"You must have been surprised that my second reason is self-interest, but that is the reality, and I don't want to hide that from you." 

"Sana-ssi, of all people, I believe you understand the concept of self-interest the best. You'd understand me, right?"

 

Sana was at a loss for words after hearing Dahyun's question. For some reason, there was a part of her that was worried. But what she really felt at that point was confusion about what the woman was attempting to say.

"I'm sorry, Atty. Kim, but I don't understand," Sana whispered.

"I know everything," Dahyun said, subtly smiling before turning her attention elsewhere. "The reason you're here..." "I know it's because Nayeon asked you to find something out for her and then offered you money in exchange." She then faced Sana again.

Sana swallowed hard, her pupils trembling as she shifted her gaze down uneasily. She clenched her fists, her nails burrowing in her palm, while she considered what to do.

She couldn't think of a single thing to say.

Dahyun chuckled softly when she noticed Sana's actions with her hands. She exhaled heavily before feeling the need to say, "I'm not upset, Sana." "You should calm down," she said sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, Atty. Kim," Sana whispered, barely audible to Dahyun. "I'll understand if you ask me to leave," she murmured, plunging her gaze into the woman's eyes. "I don't deserve your kindness... at all."

Dahyun had to think for a long time before deciding what to do next. "Hey," she said gently, soothingly, as she approached Sana.

Dahyun extended her hand to take Sana's into hers as soon as they were close enough, maybe only a foot apart. "I'm not mad," she said, "I really mean it."

Sana kept staring at Dahyun's face, her eyes welling up with tears. She wanted to say "I'm sorry" over and over again, but her tongue was tangled.

"You must be wondering how I knew, or if someone informed me about it," Dahyun added as she the back of Sana's palm with her thumb. "But no one did," she continued. "It's because I am aware of your past relationship with Nayeon. Maybe not the entire story, but enough to know that it was something neither of you intended to forget."

"Did you purposefully act nice to me because you wanted to get back at her in some way?" Sana inquired, recalling what Nayeon had told her in the past, which could very well be true.

"Honest answer, yes," Dahyun responded bluntly. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not the person you thought I am, Sana," she said. "I wouldn't approach you and seek to be friends with you for no reason."

It did crush Sana's heart, but she couldn't really claim to be upset after learning that, especially since she had tried to make a fool of Dahyun too. Perhaps the disappointment she felt was directed at Nayeon rather than Dahyun. Sana refuses to acknowledge that Nayeon was right regarding her sister.

"I may have intended to use you," Dahyun admitted openly, tightening her hold on Sana's hand. She appeared as if she didn't want the other woman to try to leave. "But when I got closer to you and discovered things... the situation you were in, I said to myself, you don't deserve a well-ed-up treatment," she explained, chuckling. "And I realized Nayeon didn't deserve you either."

Dahyun let go of Sana's hand when she realized the woman wasn’t as nervous as she had been earlier. She walked up to the front of a large window panel and turned. "How do you think all of that relates to how I found out about your scheme with Nayeon regarding me?" she inquired.

"I... I don't really know," Sana stammered as her gaze followed Dahyun.

"I received a report one day," Dahyun continued, "that the design that Nayeon's team worked so hard on had been stolen," she said, taking a brief glance at Sana. Dahyun chortled lightly as she remembered what had occurred the day it was reported to her. "The person who informed me about it was the same person who stole it from them," she revealed. "to give it to me."

"Did you truly ask someone to steal it from Nayeon?" Sana inquired.

"No, of course not," Dahyun replied, shaking her head. "I work with her company's rivalry, but I'm never up for something unfair, because where's the fun in winning that?"

"So, whoever handed it to you..."

"It's someone you know very well, Sana," Dahyun said under her breath, pausing for a moment before continuing, "...it's Mina."

"W...what?"

"I know Nayeon very well; if she found out that the file had gone missing, she would automatically suspect me," Dahyun continued, now addressing everything with Sana. "Then you came to me, eager for us to get closer. I'm not sure... but I had the impression you were after something."

 

Nayeon remained outside Sana's room, staring into space. She most likely didn't know how to react after learning something that no one expected. She's not sure which hurts her more: Sana's demand that they never see each other again or her best friend letting her down. And what upsets Nayeon the most is that both Sana and Mina's situations are tied to Dahyun. Moreover, both women seemingly favor Dahyun over her.

"Oh, hey, Nayeon," said a voice, bringing her back to reality.

"Mina," Nayeon said as she rose to her feet. Nayeon put both hands inside the pockets of her trousers as she faced the other woman. "Let's talk," she said coldly.

Mina could tell something was amiss by the look on Nayeon's face. As a result, she wasted little time and replied, "sure," nodding her head. "Here?" she inquired casually.

"There's a dessert place up to the entrance." "Let's go there together."

"All right," Mina said quietly, nodding her head. "I'll just leave these inside," she murmured, turning to her side, and casting a sidelong glance at Nayeon.

 

At a circular table, Mina and Nayeon sat across from each other. Nayeon was showing the other woman video footage from her laptop from inside Mina and Dahyun's office. Mina apparently handed Dahyun a different flash drive than Sana had, and to Nayeon it was a familiar one.

 

"What's in this?" Dahyun asked in the video as Mina stared carefully at the screen.

"I know how desperately you want to bypass Nayeon, so I got their design. It's just a virtual blueprint of it."

"You got their design? What does that mean?"

"I took it... copied the file from a work computer, then destroyed it because Momo told me they only had a single copy at the moment," Mina continued. "They don't create duplicates till it's finalized." "Even if you don't use this, it will not be a problem. They'll have to start anew, whereas Son Chaeyoung's team will be leaps and bounds ahead."

"Myoui Mina," Dahyun said sternly, "why did you do that?"

"I want to help you, Dahyun."

 

Nayeon's eyes were downcast since hearing those words again upset her. She didn't want to listen to it again and analyze it more after she had already done so. She couldn't believe Mina would do such a thing to her.

"It's edited, right?" Nayeon inquired, still holding out hope that the tape was fraudulent.

"How could someone edit something this good?" Mina chuckled, turning to face Nayeon after finishing the whole footage.

"Right?" gritted Nayeon's teeth. "Whoever made this clip is a sick ," she raged, entirely misinterpreting Mina's message.

"No, Nayeon," Mina answered softly, daring to look the woman in the eyes. "It's real. No one can be that good at falsifying CCTV tape," she added. "That's what I'm trying to say," Mina murmured quietly, drooping her chin.

"Mina-yah," whispered Nayeon, her pupils quivering with disappointment. "H... how could you do this to me?" she asked, her voice cracking. It was a great deal of emotion for her to handle all at once.

"I'm sorry, Nayeon..."

As the hush descended around them, Mina was swamped with memories of the day she decided to betray Nayeon for Dahyun.

 

Mina knocked in the separate rooms for the heads upon seeing that no one was at the workstation, which is a computer terminal for lower-ranking employees. She went over to Jeongyeon's door first, but when no one responded, she moved on to Jihyo's.

"Where is everyone?" Mina wondered, knowing that it was impossible for everyone to be gathered at Momo's cramped office. After a few seconds, she decided to exit the area in search of security or cleaning personnel to inquire about everyone's whereabouts.

 

She found the closest ones in the CCTV operation room. She could tell something was going on because there were several men in there. "Is everything good in here?" Mina inquired.

"There has been an electric power shortage for the surveillance cameras, but we're working on it," one of the gentlemen said. "We haven't figured out what the source of it is yet, but even the ones at the museum are down," he added.

Mina exhaled a breath of relief. She initially thought that there had been a problem concerning the employees' disappearance. Though, she was mainly worried about her fiancée, Momo.

"Do you know where Nayeon is?" Mina inquired, hoping that these men were aware of the situation. "...as well as the other employees?" "No one is in the workstation."

"Ah," another guy said, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "I think I saw them assemble around the conference room," he said, apprehensive.

"Is that the meeting room?" Mina wondered.

"Not the executive conference room," he clarified. "I'm referring to the large conference room where internships are discussed. Do you know where that is?" "I can show you if you'd like."

"Hmm," Mina hummed, knowing she'd be disrupting whatever was going on if she barged in. "It wouldn't take so long, would it?" she asked instead.

"I'm not sure, Miss."

 

Mina returned to her workplace and made the decision to simply wait for everyone to return. But she couldn't find anything to do while she was there. She considered roaming inside because she was bored enough. Mina, after all, hasn't seen the entire office yet because she always goes straight to Momo or Nayeon.

"Who uses the computer on this side?" Mina said as she approached a wide area near a large window panel. "It must be Nayeon," she reasoned, after discovering a fountain pen with the initials N and Y.

Mina noticed that the computer had not been shut down and that it was still displaying the substructure of the design for the competition.

It was a sculptural painting of a woman emerging out of the frame, which could be perceived as a cage — a container.

"Getting out of one's comfort zone... might this be the meaning?"

The details in its 3D mode were astounding. The whites and grays couldn't have been a finer color combination. Of course, the materials to be employed are yet unknown, but Mina could tell it would be extravagant because materials are one of the main reasons Nayeon's team consistently wins. Her gut told her that this masterpiece would easily prevail in the contest this time as well.

Mina understood deep down how much Nayeon deserved it because the woman is definitely hardworking and innovative. Ever since they were children, she had excelled at arts and crafts.

But something she had recently discovered compelled her to go behind Nayeon's back only this once.

"I'm sorry, but Dahyun needs to win this year," Mina remarked, hurriedly opening the drawers. When she discovered a flash drive, it seemed like a big win to her. That is where she would transfer the design before deleting the original copy.

 

 

 

Nayeon glanced at Mina for a moment, unsure what to say. The only surety is that she is disappointed with Mina. Nayeon never made that many friends out of fear of being betrayed, and Mina did just that to her now.

"Your explanation..." Nayeon said coldly as she averted her gaze. "I'll listen to it," she added.

Mina exhaled and shook her head, which Nayeon caught from the side of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Nayeon, I can't tell you," she said.

 

 

Nayeon stayed up, just lying on her bed. What transpired today, from the mishap involving Sana and Dahyun to the revelation regarding Mina, will keep her awake for the rest of the night. There was more to it than just frustration. There was pain. Nayeon pretty much blew the chance that Sana had given her.

The truth is, she knows that if she ever ends up at Sana's door, the woman will still be courteous enough to listen. Sana is a tough girl, but Nayeon has a way of softening her. The only difficulty is that, in this state of mind, Nayeon does not think she deserves Sana. She's being reckless, and she can't exactly manage her emotions no matter how hard she tries.

As a result, Nayeon thinks that she will continue to hurt Sana, which is the last thing she wants to do.

Nayeon decided to get out of bed, reasoning that no matter how tightly she closed her eyes, she wouldn't fall asleep. Faking sleep would only exhaust her further.

"What should I do?" Nayeon asked herself, glancing around until her sight fell on the computer desk. She sees the flash drive again, and every time she does, she becomes extremely upset.

There is nothing better than getting rid of it — hiding it somewhere she will soon forget. "This d*mned thing," Nayeon stressed as she stood up and grabbed it.

But when Nayeon stared at it, her entire world slowed to a stop. She remembered what Sana had told her earlier at the hospital.

 

"The contract is over. There's no reason for us to meet again."

Nayeon stayed seated in the armchair, her despondent eyes fixed on Sana. She looked down, figuring the other woman would continue to ignore her. She slowly grabbed a fistful of her hair on the crown, relieving her frustration in this way.

"One more thing," Sana began after a long pause, drawing Nayeon's attention back to her. "The copy of the design is also in there; Dahyun was kind enough to return it." "She also asked me to inform you that Ms. Son will not be participating this year," Sana continued, oblivious to how Nayeon reacted. "They chose to withdraw in order to give you a fair fight."

Nayeon couldn't think of anything to say. She is now beginning to realize things she never knew about Dahyun. She could only remain silent, thinking about certain things.

"I honestly thought I should let you know as well," Sana remarked quietly. "Since it's important to you that you win it, Nayeon," she said, taking one more look at Nayeon before finishing, "Nothing can stop you from attaining what you want now." "Just win and enjoy yourself."

 

 

 

 

Those six months leading up to the major awards ceremony were the craziest in Nayeon's life in a long time. She used to be all about work and doing what she thought was best for herself. But, ever since Sana made her tumultuous return to her life, she's become more mindful of things that don't involve her, such as hoping for Sana's safety over anything.

Nayeon's heart was pure, even though her ways weren't the best and she didn't always express herself effectively. So, she has no regrets. Perhaps the only thing she wished didn't happen was for Sana to leave her life again.

Apart from that, Nayeon is just grateful, especially since she swept the competition this time because of Sana.

"I didn't expect you to come in with a romantic entry," Jeongyeon said as she, Nayeon, Jihyo, and Momo stood in front of a display case inside the Lim Museum of Arts and Sculptures.

The four are gazing at Nayeon's entry, bearing the entire firm's name, which won first place. They also won as the best art company in South Korea. This provided them with the opportunity to participate in international events and get worldwide recognition.

"Neither do I," Jihyo acknowledged, staring at Nayeon, who just smiled proudly at what she had accomplished. "I'm still not sure who your inspiration for this is."

"Seriously?" Jeongyeon questioned, her lips puckering with surprise. "Doesn't it seem obvious?"

"What? Do you know who it is?" Jihyo furrowed her brows before shifting her eyes to Momo, who merely smiled smugly. "Do you know who it is as well?" she inquired. "How come I'm the only one who doesn't know?"

"I'll go somewhere," Nayeon replied abruptly, not even waiting for the three women to respond before turning away.

"Where is she going?" Jeongyeon inquired, and since they would never know, she returned her focus to the display case. "It's not pretty," she admitted, "but the meaning is indescribably beautiful."

"You're right," Jihyo agreed.

Momo, on the other hand, was silent because she was contemplating something. She turned around and realized that Nayeon hadn't gone far yet. That caused her to quickly turn away as well, following Nayeon, leaving the other two confused and out of words.

 

 

"Where are you going, boss?" Momo inquired, her eyes twinkling with curiosity, leading Nayeon to lightly chuckle. "What's funny?" she asked again, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Nothing," Nayeon replied simply. "I guess I'm off to think," she said.

"Think about what?"

"What has occurred in the last few months?" Nayeon inquired, uncertain. "It's been... what... six weeks since Sana and I haven't met," she began to explain.

"It was really bothersome in the beginning. I guess I got too used to her being just a phone call away."

"But the more time passed, I felt like I was returning to normal," Nayeon chuckled, softly sighing. "It suddenly felt like Sana didn't truly come up in my life again, and her existing in my life again was just a happy dream."

"You miss her," Momo had to say as Nayeon continued to be complicated rather than simply saying what she truly felt. "You're having trouble describing it because there shouldn't really be a justification for why you miss someone," she continued.

"Do you think so?" Nayeon murmured. It took her a few seconds to add, "You may be right, Momo."

"I wish she could come see what I did... the piece... before I leave for France."

"How about you invite her?"

"I don't think she will accept."

"You haven't even tried, boss," Momo asserted. "What do you know about the future? Nothing, right?"

 

Sana and Dahyun exited the company together. Sana had to ride with Dahyun because her van had completely broken down. She was planning to get a new car, but it will take a long time before that happens.

"Is everything okay?" Dahyun said after noticing Sana's expression as she gazed at her phone's screen. Sana immediately looked at her, a fake smile on her face as she shook her head. "You should take acting classes," Dahyun quipped. "You're terrible at it."

Sana could only sigh, knowing that no matter how hard she tried to keep things hidden from Dahyun, the lady would find out. "It's just a text message from Nayeon," she explained.

"Oh, was it?" Dahyun inquired, raising Sana's eyebrows. "I saw the length of that message from a distance, and it d*mn well looked like a whole a*s book," she shrugged. Sana laughed, feeling lighter after the burdening feeling Nayeon had brought her just minutes ago.

 

Nayeon's text message:

Hey, missy. I'm not sure if I should apologize for sending you a text message, but you didn't really instruct me not to. Last time, you demanded that we never see each other again. So, I think that a text message is preferable to showing up at your door. At the very least, you wouldn't see me here. Unless you have an image in the mind of me writing to you.

I hope you will take a chance and read it all the way through. It makes no difference whether you act on this or opt not to say anything at all. I only want my message to reach your heart.

The last time we met, you encouraged me to win and enjoy myself, and I did just that, Sana. These last several days have found me to be really happy and content. I suppose it's all because of you. I haven't felt anything like this in a long time, but it's no surprise. You have always been my four-leaf clover. You made things easier for me, like you had done before Sana, although for a shorter period of time now.

Perhaps you're wondering why I can say this when things didn't truly work out for us the second time around. Because you still hate me, don't you?

But I'd like you to know that I won because of you. Not because you told me to, but because you inspired me in ways I never expected.

I didn't win with the design that went missing, Sana. I won with something that more accurately represented my feelings.

It is on display in the museum if you are willing to swing by. Though, I really hope you will be able to see it at least just once. And if you want to see me too when you stop by, just let me know. But if you don't want to come or choose to leave once you arrive, I will understand. I'll take it.

 

 

 

"Are you ready to go now?" Dahyun inquired, placing both hands on the handlebars and revving her motorcycle. She felt Sana's hand on her shoulder and assumed that this answered her question.

"Atty. Kim..." Sana disrupted Dahyun.

"Yeah?"

"Can you just drop me off at Nayeon's museum?"

 

 

 

 

Nayeon's text message was sent thirty minutes ago. After requesting all of the operators to leave for a moment, she could only sit around inside the CCTV operating room.

Nayeon would have loved to be alone while waiting for Sana, but she cannot seem to. "Are you going to wait here as well?" she inquired of Momo, who was chomping on a bag of potato chips behind her.

"Sure, why not?" Momo responded simply. "I, too, want to know what would happen," she reasoned, causing Nayeon to sigh lightly.

"I can't have my hopes as high as the heavens," she told herself.

A whole hour had gone since the text message when a familiar woman approached the award-winning exhibit warily. It made Nayeon's heart skip a beat and Momo scream with excitement.

Sana did go to the museum.

Nayeon could only smile as she watched Sana admire something made especially for her. What Nayeon showed was her most genuine smile.

"I knew it!" Momo said as she danced around the room. "I told you, boss, you'll never know if you never try," she added, despite the fact that she knew Nayeon was completely ignoring her. "Plus, I know Sana very well; even if you act like the d*ckhead you are around her, she will still give it a go since she is so considerate—"

"Shut up or get out, Momo," Nayeon ordered seriously, prompting Momo to immediately zip shut.

 

 

Sana was conflicted after seeing the rocks, which were the same ones she found on the ground the night of Nayeon's birthday. Nayeon simply displayed the stacked rocks within the glass case. The exact order of each of them from bottom to top was also detailed.

Sana was moved by that alone, but the letter attached to the back glass panel brought her to tears.

 

It says:

I never believed in wishing on shooting stars, tossing coins into wishing wells, or even blowing all the seeds off a dandelion to make my wishes come true.

Perhaps I was too afraid to try it, afraid that it would disappoint me if none of my wildest fantasies came true.

But a woman got into my head and convinced me to make a wish on those stacked rocks.

Only then did I learn that if you believe in anything, it will come true.

Because when I laid the last rock on top, I wished she would smile for me.

It came true in a matter of seconds.

And that moment — her smile — became the best thing that had ever happened to me.

 

"Wouldn't you go outside and greet her?" Momo questioned, observing that Nayeon didn't appear to be preparing to stand up and leave the room.

"I'm waiting for her," Nayeon said, her attention fixated on the screen.

"To come in here?" Momo scowled, not understanding what Nayeon was proposing. "Why would she come here to meet you? This is an unusual spot to have a heart-to-heart talk," she mumbled.

"I gave her two options, Momo: leave or ask me to see her," Nayeon explained. "So, it's up to her, and that's what I'm waiting for."

"But what if she decides to leave? Would you be alright with that?"

"You can't make someone stay," Nayeon remarked. "Isn't that the reality?"

 

A longer period of silence ensued as the two women concentrated on Sana. Not long after, the latter moved on, out of the frame of the camera. As a result, Momo gave Nayeon a thoughtful glance.

"Is she leaving?" she had to ask quietly.

"I'm not sure," Nayeon answered faintly.

Their gaze was soon drawn to the footage of the exit. If Sana was truly leaving, that is where she would go.

"You still have the option to leave this room and rush to her now, boss," Momo urged, presumably sensing Sana's decision to depart.

"No," Nayeon said, shaking her head, "I'll let her decide."

 

Momo's suspicions about Sana choosing to leave were right.

 

But instead of being sad over Sana's decision, Nayeon seemed to be pleased. Momo couldn't tell if the woman was faking, but she felt terrible for her.

"She made the right decision," Nayeon stated as she swiveled her chair back to face Momo. "Sana always said I was all about myself, and I can't dispute that in some instances it's true," she continued. "I'd like to change it first, Momo," Nayeon said very quietly. "Because only then will I be able to deserve her."

Momo couldn't help but smile when she heard that. She loves Sana just as much as she would a sibling. There was nothing else she could wish for but for Sana to meet someone who feels for her and is right for her.

"For the time being, I'd like to concentrate on this dream," Nayeon stated competently.

She is heading for France to pursue a Master of Science in Arts Administration degree. Nayeon desires more advancement in her career than she currently has. This way, she could satisfy her desire for career fulfillment and be ready to settle down in life later.

"Once I've accomplished it, I'll come back." "Then I'll go after the brightest dream I can conceive of right now," she smiled a genuine one, before continuing, "I'll reach for my Sana."

 

Dahyun, on the other hand, had a late-night hospital appointment. She took a stroll towards a vending machine after having done it smoothly. She ran into Gahyeon there.

"I thought you got the day shift?" Dahyun inquired, not surprised to see the other woman in the hospital where she worked.

"I do," Gahyeon giggled, "but I needed to cover for a colleague who needed to attend to an urgent matter."

"I see," Dahyun murmured, a small smile on her face. And, understanding that if she didn't speak again, their conversation would be cut short, she decided now was the time to say something important. "Gahyeon-ah," she said delicately. "I've been keeping something from you."

Gahyeon took more than a second to look Dahyun in the eyes. She appeared to be hesitating for some reason when she responded with "I already know, Dahyun." Gahyeon felt it was best to be truthful in this situation. "I've known for a while," she confessed. "And Mina knows about it too."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[;]