The Train ride was long. It seemed like an eternity since Jihyo had first boarded back in the city. She didn't understand why she couldn't just take a plane to her new home. Her mother did mention how there was no airport and her new home was only accessible by train, but Jihyo's attention was elsewhere. 

She couldn't help her thoughts drift to her grandfather. It was just the other day, he was pestering Jihyo for great-grand children. Jihyo didn't have the heart to tell him she had no plans of children anytime soon. If ever. She also didn't have plans to move out of the city, but when she got the phone call that her grandfather had passed in his sleep and left everything to Jihyo, well she had to see it for herself. 

She needed this excuse to quit her job. She didn't know what was waiting for her in whatever podunk town her grandfather lived in (he alway came to the city to visit) but it must have been better than the 9 to 5 cubicle desk job Jihyo was wasting away at. 

Still, the train ride was too damn long!

The tall buildings Jihyo grew up around disappeared and were replaced by rolling hills. Occasionally, she would see horses and cattle out in a field or some poor farmer working up a sweat in the heat. She doesn't envy them. Maybe her desk job wasn't so bad...

The train's whistle startled her out of her thoughts. She noticed the train had slowed down and was beginning to roll into a small station. 

She didn't see any town. All she could see were trees and a small mountain range in the distance. 

The conductor yelled for the last call as Jihyo scrambled to gather her things and exit the train. The moment she stepped of the platform, she was hit with overwhelming smell of... well... nature. She was so used to the stench of the city, the clean air was a drastic change. 

Jihyo looked down at the letter her mother sent her. It had all the instructions she needed to get to her new home. There was only one way out of the train station and down a path, which is suppose to lead straight into town. There were only a few people leaving the train along with her. 

A girl, who looked around the same age as Jihyo, came running towards her. Jihyo began to panic. She didn't recognize the girl and didn't want to go through the awkward conversation of figuring out who this person was. The girl didn't give her a chance though as she ran right past Jihyo and flung herself into the the arms of a taller girl just behind Jihyo. 

The two seemed to have been sharing a moment together, so Jihyo continued down the path into town. She passed a large building with a sign out front saying 'Spa'. Jihyo thought how odd it was to have a spa next to the train station. She didn't have enough time to contemplate the utility of a Spa next to the station because the tree line began to clear and the small quaint town her grandfather lived in came into view. 

It was not what Jihyo expected. To be fair she didn't really have an expectation, but this was a surprise. There were only a few sizable buildings she could see, but the rest were small cottage-like houses. 

She looked at the letter again. She was having a difficult time finding the house number of her new home. Some of the townsfolk must have noticed the lost girl as some were watching the obvious newcomer. Finally, a cheerful looking girl approached Jihyo. 

"Hello, are you lost? You look lost." The girl raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun. Her eyes smiled along with her and Jihyo felt safe enough with her to ask for help. 

"I actually am lost. Was it obvious?" 

"We don't get a lot of visitors, so it easy to pick you out." The girl extends her hand towards Jihyo. "I'm Dahyun. Kim Dahyun." 

Jihyo takes Dahyun's hand in a friendly shake. "Park Jihyo." 

"Park? Are you related to Park Jin-Young?" 

"Yes... he was my grandfather. Did you know him?" 

"Everyone here knew Jin-Young. His passing was hard on the whole town... he did a lot for us." Dahyun looked genuinely sad. It took Jihyo by surprise. She didn't know there would be other people also mourning her grandfather. "You're looking for his place right?" 

"Yes." It made Jihyo a little bit uncomfortable that people knew her grandfather, maybe even more than she did and now she owns all his possessions. 

"I can show you if you'd like. It hard to find if you're not from around here." 

"I'd appreciate that, Dahyun, really." 

Dahyun nods and leads Jihyo away from the town center. The trees become thick again for a bit. They pass a bus station, which Dahyun says only goes to the next town over. Then they arrive at a clearing with a few trees and rocks scattered. A medium sized house was directly to Jihyo's right and a small pond to her left. 

"Well here we are." Dahyun motions out in front of her. "This is the Park farm." 

"Wait did you say farm?" Jihyo must have heard incorrectly. 

"Yep! Jin Young really worked hard year round to keep up the farm. When he couldn't keep up with the labor anymore, a few of us pitched in to help keep it running. I think I can speak for all of us and say how grateful we are that you're here to continue your grandfather's work." 

"And what exactly did he do on this farm?" Anxiety began to build inside Jihyo's stomach. All her mother said was his property would go to Jihyo. She never mentioned a farm. 

"Jihyo, your grandfather ran the largest farm in Pelican Town. He provided food for the only general store in town. He basically fed all of us." 

"Look, Dahyun, you seem very nice and this town seems like a very pleasant place to live, but I'm not a farmer. I've lived in the city my entire life, I can't run a farm."

Dahyun looks Jihyo up and down, sizing the girl up. "Did you grandfather ever tell you what he did?" 

"No, we didn't talk much." Jihyo became sad. Maybe if she had kept up communication with him before she was gone this wouldn't be such a surprise. 

"But he gave you all of this anyways?" Dahyun gestures to the house and the land. "He must have had a reason." Dahyun pulled out a stack of envelopes from her bag. "I was collecting his mail for the past few days until someone came for his things. I guess these are yours now." She hands Jihyo the envelopes, who took them reluctantly. "I know this isn't the situation you thought you'd find yourself in, Jihyo, but I hope you decide to stay and continue the good things your grandfather did here. Maybe walk around, see the town, talk to some people here, then decide, but do what's best for you." 

Jihyo was stunned by this girl. She seemed so young when they first met, but when she talks it was like she aged 30 years. 

 Jihyo decided to take Dahyun's advice. Walk around for a bit. It was a beautiful day. She noticed a river wrapped around the entire town and there were several bridges that led to somewhere. Jihyo was able to get a better look the general store. It was in a quaint looking cottage directly next to what Jihyo assumed was a pharmacy. She could peer inside the building and saw one of the girls from the train station, the taller one. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and glasses on now. She looked pretty busy, so Jihyo continued to walk down the cobblestone path. 

She came upon a house slightly larger than the others. A medium sized garden took up most of the yard. There was a girl kneeled down in the grass, tending to the plants. When she stood up, she flashed Jihyo a smile so contagious, Jihyo didn't have a choice but smile back. She noticed the bunny teeth peeking out of the smile, and recognized the girl as the other girl at the train station, the one who ran to the taller one. They must be very close, Jihyo thought. 

"You must be Jihyo." The girl spoke out to her as she leaned against the fence surrounding the garden she was working in. 

"I am. How did you know?" Jihyo walked closer to the fence so she wasn't yelling. 

"I saw you come in at the train station. I would have introduced myself to you there, but I was a little preoccupied. You also look exactly like your grandmother." 

"Does everyone here know my grandparents?" 

"It would be impossible to live in Pelican Town and not know the Parks. Although you're a pleasant surprise. When your mother said you'd be coming to live and work on Jin Young's farm, I was a little surprised." 

"I haven't made any decisions on whether I'm staying yet." 

The girl looks down at the bags Jihyo had been carrying with her. "Your bags suggest you'll be here a while." 

"Well that was before I found out I had to run a farm." Jihyo let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" 

"That's because I haven't said it yet." the girl chuckled. "Nayeon." She looks back towards the large house behind her. "My uncle lives here. He's the Mayor of Pelican Town, but I help him out now that he's going grey." Nayeon points behind Jihyo. "You passed the clinic, thats where my wife, Jeongyeon, works. She pretty much runs the clinic herself." 

"Next door is the general store. Sana works and owns the store. She sells pretty much anything you might need, including the seeds and fertilizers for farming. You know, if you decide to stay." 

"You'll see Momo at the store a lot, but she runs her own business out of her home just north of the community center. You need something built, she's got it. No one can put together a barn or chicken coop faster than Momo." 

"Tzuyu lives just west of here. She tends to the farms animals around town. You can buy cows, chickens, pigs, whatever really, from her. She'll even come take care of your sick animals. She has a habit of rescuing strays, bless her. She's the kindest person here in town maybe even the world, so if I catch you giving her a hard time, you'll have to deal with me." 

Jihyo continue to nod along with the introductions Nayeon is giving her. 

"You'll find Dahyun pretty much wherever help is needed. Although she spends most of her time at the library, tutoring the children that live here since there are no official schools."

"If you bump into Chaeyoung, you're lucky. She spends a lot of her time in her cabin out in woods. She's an artist. Painting, drawing, sculpting, you name it. She comes around at parties and festivals to talk your ear off about the environment though, but we love her anyways. She's from the city too, so you guys might actually get along great." 

Nayeon seemed to take a pause in talk to think of anyone else she might have missed. She mentioned some of the other folk who live and worked in town. The old man who runs the tavern, the lady who drives the bus, the stinky fisherman... 

"Who's that?" Jihyo nods towards a girl who was making her way over one the bridges. It looked like she had a few books in her hand. 

Nayeon looks over to who Jihyo was referring to. "That? Oh. That's Mina." The way she said the name made it seem like she didn't want to say any more but knew she had to. "That's Momo's little sister. She keeps to herself most of the time. She's usually in her house or  reading in various spots around town." Nayeon didn't say anything else regarding Mina, but Jihyo continued to stare. 

Even from here she was struck with how beautiful Mina was. Her skin shinned under the sun so brightly. Her long straight black hair stood out against her pale skin. She walked so gracefully across the bridge, Jihyo could have swore she was floating.

"Whatever you're thinking about, I'd stop it." Nayeon interrupted Jihyo's thoughts about Mina.  "Mina is off limits." 

Jihyo turned back towards Nayeon to ask, "Why?" Maybe she has a partner already. 

"Momo is very protective of her sister. Maybe a little too protective." 

"So? Mina's an adult isn't she? Does she need her sister's permission to date or something?" Not that Jihyo was thinking about making a move on this girl she's never even met yet. 

"Mina can do what she wants, but Momo has a habit of scaring people off." Nayeon lowered her voice, as if she was afraid someone would hear her. "Mina and Chaeyoung dated for a few months a while back. Momo was all over Chaeyoung since day one. The girl couldn't take Mina anywhere without Momo knowing about it." Nayeon cleared and continued. "Momo is my best friend, but she pushed Chaeyoung a little too hard. Chaeyoung had to end things for her own sanity." 

"Are they good? Chaeyoung and Mina?" 

"Yep, still friends. Still hang out pretty often, but now that's it's platonic, Momo's not as much of a hard ." Nayeon laughed a little. "One time the tavern owner's son tried to hit on Mina and Momo pushed him into the river." 

"Really?!" 

"Don't get me wrong, he totally deserved it. He was kind of being an , but yeah unless you want to end up like him, I'd keep it kosher with Mina." 

"Noted. Thank for the heads up." Jihyo looked back towards the bridge, but Mina was gone already. "Hey Nayeon?" 

"Hm?" Nayeon began to pick the dirt from underneath her nails. She made a mental note to buy some new gardening gloves from
Sana later. 

"I think I might stick around for a bit. I don't know anything about farming, but I'll stay and see if this is something I want to do." 

"You see one pretty girl and you decide to stay, Park?" 

"No, that's not it. I think I just need a break from the city. Who knows, I might end up liking it here." 

Jihyo looked back towards where she last saw Mina and wondered if Nayeon actually believed her. She didn't totally lie. She did need a break from the city, but the pretty girl definitely helped her make a decision to stay, for now. 

After Jihyo said goodbye to Nayeon, she made her way over the bridge she saw Mina cross. She wasn't following the girl. She just wanted to explore the town some more and the beach seemed like the next logical place to go to. She had no idea there even was a beach here. It seemed a little out of place. 

It was a small beach, mostly cover by a dock where maybe one large boat could be tied up, but really it was used for fishing. Jihyo could see some man sitting with his legs dangling over the edge of the dock holding a fishing pole, but that's not exactly who she was looking for. She scanned the beach and her eyes landed on a figure sitting in the sand. It was definitely Mina, as there were no other people around. 

Mina had her face in the book she was holding and her toes were partially buried under the sand. Jihyo would comment about how cute she looked, but instead Jihyo was frantically figuring out how to start a conversation with the girl. Would it be too weird to just walk up and say hi?  

"Excuse me?" Jihyo decide to just go for it.

Mina raised her head from reading and squinted her eyes looking at Jihyo. 

"May I help you?" Mina's voice was the softest Jihyo had ever heard. It was like silk running through her fingers. 

"Uhh yes actually, I think I might be lost. I was trying to find a place to eat around here. The train ride was pretty long and I'm starving. I didn't know if you knew of a place I could go." 

Again not a total lie from Jihyo. She was very hungry. She forgot to pack a snack for the train ride. 

Mina looked at Jihyo for a moment then looked back down to her book. "You were right next to a tavern when you were talking to Nayeon earlier. Surely you saw it before walking all the way down here to the beach." 

Jihyo was taken aback. It's not like Mina was being rude. Maybe her soft voice made it hard to tell. She just didn't expect such a response from the girl. 

"Oh you saw me talking to Nayeon?" 

"Yes." 

"Do you live around here?" Jihyo was running out of things to say to keep their conversation going. 

"You know I do." 

Okay, now Jihyo could feel a little hostility coming from Mina. 

"I'm sorry, did I say something to irritate you?" 

Mina sigh and placed her book on her lap. "I just don't see why you felt like you had to come over here to ask me questions you already knew the answers to." 

"Maybe I just wanted to talk to you." 

"Then ask me real questions. Not just talk for the sake of it." 

"I see. Well then I guess I better think of some real questions to ask the next time I run into you. Sorry for bother you." Jihyo didn't want to bother Mina anymore than she already had, so she turned to leave when Mina spoke up again. 

"Hey, what's your name?" Mina asked. 

"Jihyo. Park Jihyo." 

"It's nice to meet you Park Jihyo. Myoui Mina." 

Jihyo smiled down at Mina. "I know."  Jihyo didn't give Mina a chance to respond. She walked away before she could see the ever so slight smirk coming from Mina. 

Jihyo eventually made her way back to her grandfather's farm or She guesses it's her farm now. She opens the door to her new home. There was nothing grand about it but it was cozy and warm. Jihyo takes the mail Dahyun had given her earlier and sifts through it. A particular piece of mail stuck out to her. Mainly because it was addressed to her. She quickly opened it and read the handwritten letter. 
 

Dear Jihyo, 

If you're reading this then you must be in dire need of a change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life. Real connection with other people and nature. I hope you find that here  like I did.

 

There was no name to indicate who had written the letter, but Jihyo knew it was her grandfather. She recognized the handwriting from the dozens of birthday cards that were mailed to her growing up. She started at the letter for a few more minutes before placing it down on the table and walking over to one of the windows. 

Jihyo had zero clue on how to run a farm, but maybe her grandfather had a point. Maybe she needed this. A new start in Pelican Town.

 

Over the next few weeks, Jihyo learned the ins  and outs of farming from the locals. She frequented Sana's general store to ask a list of questions and buy whatever supplies she needed. Sana was more than willing to help. She did what she could in the store to help Jihyo and when Jihyo needed help out in the field, Sana would send Momo out to do the manual labor. 

Jihyo was struggling to get this whole farming thing down, but she liked it somehow. It gave her something to focus on, to improve at. It was infinitely more interesting than her previous job, which mainly involved staring at a computer screen for hours. Jihyo also got to invest in a whole new closet of overalls, which she thinks she pulls off quite well. 

The days passed by pretty fast here. Jihyo assumes it's because most of her days now are spent out in the sun. It wasn't all wjork though. In the evenings, she would walk over to the tavern and hang out with her new friends. 

She properly met all the girls Nayeon had mentioned to her before and all quickly formed a natural friendship with one another. Jihyo made it a habit to stop by and visit each girl once a day depending on their own schedules. 

The only one she didn't visit was Mina. Jihyo actually hadn't spoken to the girl since the first time they met. Anytime Jihyo saw Mina, she was walking the other way. They would greet each other with nods if they ever held eye contact for more than a few seconds but that was about it. 

She didn't dwell on it though. Nayeon did say Mina likes to keep to herself, so she'd respect the girl's boundaries even if she was dying to just have one more conversation with her. 

Jihyo could tell today was going to be a particularly hot day the moment she step out of her house. Spring was coming to an end and soon summer would be here which meant Jihyo needed to harvest all the crops she had grown. She enlisted the help of Momo like she usually did. It was easy to convince Momo to help her. All she had to do was offer to buy her food and Momo would work for free. Jihyo never let her work for free, but it was nice to know Momo would always be down to help. 

The pair would often work silently, but today Jihyo was having a hard time not asking Momo a millions questions about her sister. It was Momo who spoke first though. 

"So in a few days we have our Spring Flower Dance Festival. Everyone in town is invited. I didn't know if anyone had mentioned it to you." 

"Oh I think I might have heard Sana mention it the other day, but I zoned out when she said couples dance." Jihyo chuckled. 

Momo laughed and shook her head. "Yeah Sana has been reminding me everyday since Spring started this year." 

"You'll be taking her then?" Jihyo asked, not sure if Sana and Momo were officially a couple or not. They didn't live together but they seem to spend every moment they can by each other's side. Sana is very affectionate towards Momo, but spending any amount of time with Sana would show she's pretty affectionate towards everyone. 

Momo wipes some of the sweat off her forehead and puts her hand on her hips. "I've been taking that girl to the flower dance festival for years now. I think she would kill me if I skipped a year." 

Well that seems to have answered Jihyo's question. Sana did say it was specifically a couples event and the single people in town usually didn't participate in the dance. Another question popped into Jihyo's head. 

"What about your sister?" 

Momo pauses for a moment, not expecting the new girl to bring up her sister. "What about her?" 

"Does she ever go? I don't see around town very much, but I didn't know if she would go." Jihyo tried to make it sound as nonchalant as possible. She just wanted to know about all the people of Pelican Town , nothing more. 

"Mina doesn't normally go, no. If you catch her on a good day she might go to Fall Festival or the Night Market, but she prefer to stay home. Why?" 

"Just curious. Nayeon mentioned she likes to keep to herself, just haven't seen her around much." Jihyo tried her best to be as nonchalant as possible. 

The two girl returned to their work and by noon had finished up the harvesting and proceed to drop off a meager hull to Sana at the general store. Sana said it was pretty impressive for someone who had no idea what they were doing a few weeks ago, so Jihyo took the compliment and promised herself she'd do better. 

When Sana started her usually clingy behavior with Momo, Jihyo made her exit. She began to walk home when something poking out of the ground caused Jihyo to stumble. 

It didn't look like any normal root or rock in the ground, so Jihyo began to brush away the dirt. When she uncovered most of the object, she pulled it from the ground and took a good look at it. She wasn't sure what it was, but it had a peculiar patter carved into the side. She recalled Dahyun talking about how she found an arrowhead in the ground once. Jihyo figured Dahyun was the best person to take this to, so she rerouted to the library. 

When Jihyo arrived she could see Dahyun sitting at one of the tables surround by three kids. She was reading a book out loud while the children payed very close attention to the very animated woman. The sight warmed Jihyo's heart. Dahyun seemed to really enjoy being around kids. She would've stayed to watch Dahyun finish, but something else caught her attention.

A lone person standing at one of the book shelves seeming to searchfor a particular book. The long black hair was a familiar sight and Jihyo knew she had finally caught Mina somewhere she could run away from her.

She was finally going to get a chance to speak with the girl again. As quiet as Jihyo could possibly be, she walked over so Mina couldn't see her coming. Once she was leaning against the bookshelf, she cleared to alert Mina of her presence. 

Mina jumped a little at the sudden noise, but when she saw who the sound came from she quickly steeled herself to look as cool and calm as possible. "Oh, Park Jihyo I'm surprised to see you." 

"Didn't think you'd catch me In a library?" 

"No, I'm sure you are as well read as the rest of us. Just hadn't seen you in here since your arrival." Mina placed a book back on the shelf. 

"Is that why you're in here? To hide from me?" Jihyo playfully said. She needed to make sure this conversation was more lighthearted than their first.

"If I wanted to hide from you, I would just stay in my house all day." Mina raised her eyebrow. "Why exactly should I be hiding from you anyway?" Mina turned her attention back to the bookshelf and pulled another book out.

"That's what I keep asking myself. Why is Mina so hard to find?" 

Mina put the book back again, but this time she leaned towards Jihyo to pick up a book right next to her head. This caused to two girl to get closer than would be considered appropriate for two people who have only had one other conversation before. 

Jihyo's breath caught in . For a moment there she thought she was about to be kissed, but the thought quickly dispelled when Mina pulled the book out. Mina didn't immediately move away however, instead she spoke right next to Jihyo's ear. 

"Maybe I don't want to be found." Mina pulls back to a more comfortable distance 

"I don't believe that." When Jihyo saw the confused look on Mina's face she continued. "If you really didn't want to be found, you'd move hundreds of miles away from your home, your work, your friends and not tell anyone where you're going." 

Mina and Jihyo share prolonged eye contacted without saying a word. Jihyo was waiting for Mina to say something, but Mina was still turning over in her head what the other girl had just said. Jihyo was obviously talking about herself, but Mina couldn't figure out why Jihyo would say such a thing to her, a person she barely knows.

The look in Jihyo's eyes tells Mina everything she needs to know. This girl ran away from the city to find something, maybe even to find herself. She wants something more than the mundane office job, something exciting and new. That's what Mina was to Jihyo, new, but she wasn't interested in being anyone's new plaything, even if Jihyo was incredibly attractive and interesting. 

"What do you want Jihyo?" Mina honestly just wanted Jihyo to say it, so she could politely reject the girl and move on. 

Jihyo didn't expect this question. "What do you mean?" 

Mina didn't pay any attention to Jihyo's question. She decided to continue with her own train of thought.

"All I can give you is a mediocre friendship." 

"Mediocre?" 

"I might disappear inside my house for days. When I do go out, I'm reading. I don't go to the festivals and I don't go to the tavern at the end of the day like everyone else. There's no reason to be my friend, let alone anything else." 

Now, Jihyo has a bad habit. She's been working on it since getting reprimanded by her supervisor at work back in the city, but that didn't stop Jihyo from blurting out the first thing that came to mind. 

"You and Chaeyoung seem like close friends. Is that a mediocre friendship?

Mina's normal defenses set off immediately. Why is she bring up Chaeyoung? Did someone say something to her about them? 

"I've just seen you and Chaeyoung together the most. That's all." Jihyo attempted to save herself. 

"I meet up with Chaeyoung and we sit in silence so she can draw and I can read. That's it, so whatever you think you know about Chaeyoung and I, you don't." Mina didn't really want this conversion to continue. She liked Jihyo, but it was obvious someone had told her about her past relationship and that didn't sit well with her. What else were people saying about her to Jihyo? 

Mina walked towards the exit. She didn't want to be cold towards Jihyo, but her body often takes action before her mind can catch up with her. She could feel the other girl behind her. Mina knew if Jihyo caught up to her outside of the library other people would be around to see whatever scene was about to play out and word travels fast in this town. So to avoid any nosey people, Mina stops walking to grab Jihyo by the arm to pull her out of sight. They ended up just behind the library, covered by trees. 

They stood there for a moment not talking, just looking at each other. The trees were thick enough to block out most of the sunlight, but the light that did come through painted their faces in golden streaks. 

"People are nosey in this town, Jihyo. You'll learn very quick that your business becomes everyone's business here and me, personally, I'd like my business stay mine. So whatever you need to say you can say it here." Mina crosses her arms and leans up against one of the trees. 

"Mina... I'm sorry if I said something that upset you. I really didn't mean anything by bringing up Chaeyoung. Nayeon mentioned to me that you two used to be together but are just friends now. I wasn't trying to imply anything else." 

Mina rolls her eyes, "Of course Nayeon would be the one to tell you. I'm sure she also mentioned why we are no longer together..." 

"She mentioned your sister being a reason." 

Mina sighed heavily. "She wasn't just a reason. She was the reason it ended." Mina was looking somewhere past Jihyo. "I love my sister more than anyone, but sometimes she goes into big sister mode and scares the people around me off. If you haven't noticed by now, Chaeyoung doesn't exactly like being told what to do." 

"Yeah I noticed. So you two aren't together together, but do you still have feelings for her?" Jihyo asked cautiously. She didn't want Mina to think she wanted anything from her, she just wanted to know her more. 

"It's hard when it ends because of a third party and not really because of anything either of us did. But If our feelings for each other were stronger, maybe we would have fought a little harder to stay together. We didn't, so that was the end of it. I'll always be fond of Chaeyoung, but being her friend is enough."  

Jihyo nods along.she was surprised Mina was offering up so much information. Jihyo figured she would have to work a little hard to get Mina to open up  to her. Regardless, It made sense to her. Sometimes people just aren't meant to be together. Maybe her and Mina are just meant to be friends. 

"I see, well I'm sorry again for bringing it up in the first place. Like I said, I want to be your friend, so whatever capacity you want me,'I'll be there." Jihyo decided to let Mina choose. 

"We can be friends, Jihyo." 

Jihyo took it as a win of sorts. How could it not be? She's friends with the most beautiful girl in Pelican Town. 

"I'll see you later then Mina, I have a few more things to do before the day is gone." Jihyo was about to leave when Mina spoke up. 

"Jihyo, every afternoon if it's not raining, I sit on the bench directly next to the old community center." 

"You mean that old abandoned building?" 

"Yes. If you ever get bored, I'll be there." Mina swiftly moves past Jihyo to return to the library, leaving a Jihyo with a stupid grin on her face. 

She had completely forgotten her initial reason for going to the library in the first place, so she headed back home to prepare the farm for the summer season of crops. 

 

When summer did come, Jihyo was more prepared than before for planting. She had everything ready to go on the first day of summer. And every afternoon when she finished her daily tasks she would make her way over to abandoned community center to see Mina sitting on the bench she said she would be at. At first it was awkward, Jihyo didn't know if Mina wanted to talk or just sit in silence, but as the days went by they got comfortable with one another. Some days they would talk about their days, while on other days, Mina would read and Jihyo would lean over her shoulder to read along. In all honesty,  Jihyo mainly just watched Mina read. There were even days where they would sit and do nothing together. Jihyo would be tired from working all day on the farm and Mina would be content to just enjoy the sun on her face and the breeze in her hair. 

Jihyo was struck by how beautiful Mina was. Anyone with eyes could see that, but what really stuck with her were the little things. The way she walked. They way she laughed. They way she moved her hair out of her face. All of it hypnotized Jihyo. She couldn't look away. Mina could sit there and do nothing and Jihyo would think she's looking at a piece of art in a museum. 

When they talked, it varied from topic to topic. Jihyo felt like she could talk on just about anything with Mina. She told Mina about her life back in the city. Mina didn't speak much about her family besides Momo, but Jihyo never pressed her on it. 

Jihyo soon found out that while Mina kept to herself, when you got her talking it was hard to get her to stop. Mina could talk for hours about anything really and she proved it by spending way too much time convincing Jihyo it was okay to put ketchup on steak. 

Jihyo's affection towards Mina only grew each day and Mina gave off little signs here and there that she also held some form of affection towards Jihyo. When Jihyo would make a flirty comments, Mina became comfortable enough to flirt back. Saying goodbye at the end of the day became harder and harder. Both girls would linger, not really wanting to seperate. It was always Mina though who would walk away first. Mina was also the one to avoid any physical contact. Anytime they did brush hands, Mina would move away quickly as if she had been burned by a flame. At first, Jihyo thought it was because she was uncomfortable by the touch, but the flushed cheeks and shy demeanor Mina would present, let Jihyo know that something else was going on. 

Maybe Mina did like her, but it was obvious Mina wasn't going to give in so easily. Jihyo would have to be patient if she wanted anything more from the girl. 

 

One day, the sky opened up unexpectedly. The rain poured down onto the girls. Jihyo reacting quickly, grabbed Mina's hand and ran towards the community center door. Mina did her best to shield her book from the rain as Jihyo pushed the doors open. 

Inside the community center was dark and dusty. Their out of breath pants from running out of the rain echoed off the bare walls. A sliver of light from outside lit up the room just enough for the girl to see each other, soaking wet from the rain. Jihyo began to laugh seeing Mina's long black hair sticking to her face. She looked like a cat who had just been forced into receiving a bath. 

At first, Mina glared at Jihyo with a grumpy look, only making Jihyo laugh more. While Mina's hated being wet from the rain, the sound coming from Jihyo made it impossible to not smile. It was the sweetest sound to Mina's ears and soon she was laughing along side Jihyo. 

Some of Mina's hair got right in front of her face, so Jihyo took it upon herself to move the strands of hair back behind her ear. The movement caused Mina to stop laughing which caused Jihyo to become quiet. Jihyo's hand lingered a few seconds too long. Both refused to break eye contact, both seeing who would break first and move away. Unfortunately for Mina, Jihyo refused to move away. She quite liked being this close to Mina. 

"Stop." Mina said it so low Jihyo probably wouldn't have heard of it not for the girl look directly at her face and seeing move. 

"Stop what?" 

"This. I thought you wanted to be my friend Jihyo."

"I do, can friends not help fix each other's hair?" 

"Not when they're looking at me like that." 

"Like what?" Jihyo dared Mina to say it. To say she was looking at her like Mina had hung all the stars up in the sky. 

Yes, Jihyo has strictly kept things platonic around Mina, besides an occasionally flirty comment, but nothing more. She respected the boundaries Mina had set. she would be lying though if she said she wasn't dying inside everyday being close to the girl who captured her attention on day one and not being able to do anything even slightly romantic. 

Mina wasn't going to say it though. She knew the consequences of opening that door. She did it before with Chaeyoung and she promised not to muddle the lines between friends and lover ever again. Jihyo was a good friend. That's all.  She ignored the voice in her head saying she should give Jihyo a chance. 

"I need to go." Mina didn't get very far. Jihyo blocked her path to the door. 

"Why? It's still pouring down rain. You'll catch something if you go out there now." 

"I'll catch something if I stay standing here in my wet clothes." 

"So then you might as well stay." 

Mina never noticed how big Jihyo's eyes were, but right now they're intensely staring at her, asking her to stay. She felt like the walls were closing in and pushing the two of them closer together. If she didn't leave now, she might do something stupid or let Jihyo do something stupid. 

"If I stay, what will you do?" Mina noticed too late that she was walking backwards as Jihyo was moving towards her. When her back softly hit a wall, Jihyo stood close but gave enough room for Mina to leave if she really wanted to. 

"I'm not going to do anything, unless you ask me, Mina." Jihyo could see the resolve behind Mina's eyes breaking. The usually composed girl, was having a hard time not giving in and asking for what she wanted. 

Mina knew right away after she met Jihyo that the girl was trouble and would continue to be trouble for her. Jihyo was beautiful, yes. Anyone could see that and her personality matched too. Jihyo was so laid back at times and then an energetic puppy at other times. It drove Mina crazy. And now Jihyo had to go and be sweet and thoughtful, asking Mina what she wants. Why couldn't Park Jihyo just take what she wants and leave Mina without having to make a decision? 

The thought of Jihyo doing  just that sends a shock of electricity through Mina's veins. Did she want that? Chaeyoung always asked her what she wanted. Mina thought it was sweet but it eventually became their downfall. Chaeyoung never fought for what she wanted, she was only worried about what Mina wanted. Mina wanted someone to fight for her and not leave their entire relationship up to Mina to decide its fate in the end and she didn't get that. 

Maybe Jihyo could be different. she chalks up Jihyo's hesitation to do anything up to the fact that Mina explicitly said stop earlier and a Jihyo doesn't seem like the type of person to ignore consent. And so what? a kiss now doesn't mean they have to move in and get married, right? One little kiss won't hurt anyone. It might even satisfy Mina enough to continue keeping Jihyo at arms length and they never have to talk about again. Jihyo's lips just look so good and Mina shouldn't have to miss out on at least one taste. 

"Jihyo?" Mina asked cautiously. 

"Mina?" Jihyo asked right back.

"Do you like me?"

Jihyo grinned. "Yes" 

"Do you like me enough to kiss me?" 

"100 percent." Jihyo never answered a question so fast. 

"Will you kiss me now?" Mina became shy wlll of a sudden. She doesn't think she's ever had to ask someone to kiss her before. 

Jihyo doesn't say yes or no, but she leans in as close as she can possibly get to Mina without actually being on top of her. One of Jihyo's arms naturally rests on the wall behind Mina's head, but that wasn't the arm Mina was interested in. The other arm was slowly making its way up Mina's side and settling directly on her hip. 

"Are you sure?" Jihyo wanted to make sure this is what Mina wanted. The other girl seemed to be having an internal battle since they entered the community center and Jihyo didn't want to do anything to upset Mina. 

"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to kiss me?" The aggressiveness in Mina's voice took Jihyo by surprise, but she'd have time to ask questions later. Now though she griped Mina's waist tight enough to pull her forward to connect their lips. Mina squeeked in surprise at the sudden movement, but once she settled, her arms automatically wrapped themselves around Jihyo's neck. 

Feeling Mina's fingertips brush up against the nape of Jihyo's neck spurred her on and she pushed the girl back into the wall without separating their busy lips. 

For Mina, if felt like the ice around her was melting away from the warmth radiating off of Jihyo. For Jihyo, a wildfire had been set off inside of her and she did everything in power not to let the wild feelings swirling around in her chest control her. 

Jihyo thought she could stand there forever kissing Mina. She would if she could, but a sudden ringing broke their kiss. Mina pulled out her phone, but was having difficulty. Her hands were a little shaky and her breathe was heavy. 

"Its Momo." Mina push back some of her hair that got in her face. "I was supposed to meet her at Sana's house for dinner." Mina put her phone back into her pocket. She moves out from between Jihyo and the wall, careful not to touch the other girl. She was worried if any part of her body touched Jihyo, she'd catch fire. 

"You're leaving?" 

"Yes. The rain has stopped and I need to go. Momo is already worried about where I am." <