The girls spent their next couple of days island hopping, visiting souvenir shops, taking photos and relaxing. This is the only time they got after years of not being together and they’re having a wonderful time. While they are enjoying their vacation, Jiyong is already making plans of asking Minji on a date once she’s back.

“Are you sure, bro?” Seunghyun asked him. Since their wedding, he noticed a change on his best friend. Lately he’s been spending most of his time at work, a very unusual of Jiyong, who is always at clubs every night, or always at his phone flirting with different women. The thought of him getting interested with Minji made Seunghyun smile, with a slight hope that the young woman might change Jiyong’s bad image.

“I noticed you’re kind of laid back lately. Is this because of her?” Jiyong smiled. “You can say that”, he answered. “Wow, we’ve known her for almost a decade and it’s just lately I realized that she is charming.”

“That’s because she’s minor back then. Now is different. Ah, time flies so fast- I’m now married and my best friend in love with the maknae.”

Jiyong raised his eyebrow. “I’m not in love”, he protested. “But you are interested with Minji. Admit it man, I can sense it.”, Seunghyun looked at his best friend. “Aren’t you?”

On their last day in Bali, the girls decided to have a barbecue and drinking party to celebrate their reunion. While Chaerin and Dara were busy heating up the grill, Bom and Minji were preparing the meat for their barbecue. She was chopping the spices for the sauce when Bom accidentally cut her left thumb.

“Unnie- oh geez!” Minji exclaimed. “What happened?”

“It’s okay, just a small cut”, she replied as she pressed a table napkin on the wound. “Let me see”, the younger woman held her hand. Bom’s heart began to beat fast. She almost had a heart attack when Minji started to the wound and kissed it. She always does this to her before whenever she cuts herself. This time it’s different. Even though the weather was windy, suddenly she felt hot all over. Oh God, she thought.

Minji smiled. “Feel better, unnie?” She was hypnotized when her eyes became smaller as she flashed her bubbly smile at her. She was mesmerized by the maknae’s charm. But then she snapped back.

“What did you do”, she asked.

“Magic. Like what I always do. Tadaaa!”

“Oh… yeah, it’s not painful anymore… thanks.” She hugged the maknae with thoughts running on her mind.

The girls sat around the grill while drinking and grilling. Everyone had fun sharing each other’s plans after their vacation, and plan for their next reunion.

“Waa, I’m going to miss you all girls”, Chaerin said, teary-eyed. “It will take a long time again before we could go on vacation like this.” Dara started to cry. “Yah, let’s call each other after this okay? Bommie-yah, once you’re pregnant, you should call us first okay? And Mingkki-yang, if you have time off from school meet with us, arasso?” Bom and Minji laughed. “Dara crybaby unnie, I promise I will”, Minji said, making an X- sign on her chest.

“Since Seunghyun has work in here, I might be coming back here from time to time”, Bom answered. “I’m also thinking of quitting my teaching post at Berklee and settle down in Korea to be with my husband but of course I have to fix things first back in the U.S.”

Dara wiped her tears upon hearing what Bom said. “That’s good to know! Come back to Korea for good so that we can meet up more often!” They all laughed.

“Unnies, let’s make a pact that we do this more often, do you agree?” Minji suggested.  And while they all agreed to it, they stood up and group hugged, and shouted their signature ‘Nolja’ chant.  After hours of more chatting and laughing together, the girls finally call it a night. They’ll have to prepare their things for their flight back to Korea.

“Oh, there’s a mini concert by the beach I saw earlier, let’s check it for a while girls.” Bom mentioned while cleaning up their clutter. “Oh, unnie I think I won’t, I haven’t put all my stuff together. I think I’ll spend the whole night fixing my things. Dara unnie can come, she’s done preparing.” CL answered.

“I would love to Bommie, but I’m sleepy now. I might not enjoy the show ‘cause I’m too tired.” Dara said.

“Oh, that’s okay then. Get some rest.”

“We can go after cleaning, unnie.” Bom looked at Minji and smiled. Somehow she is happy that she gets to be with her for a few more hours before heading home.

They walked on the beach together later on that night, savoring the breeze that they won’t be experiencing once they get back to Korea. Minji, stares at the sand while walking, feeling them as it touched her feet. “Unnie, thank you for this vacation.” she said. Bom wrapped her left arm around the maknae’s shoulder. “Yah, thank you for coming with us.” They both laughed. They could hear the local band playing reggae songs nearby and people gathered in front of the stage to dance. “Wow this is nice!” Minji said. She was amazed by the number of people dancing and partying. Somehow she missed these kinds of events; she’s been avoiding it since their group disbanded.

“Let’s dance!” shouted Bom. The two went in front to join the other tourists. Dancing to reggae music, they enjoyed every minute of the event, even laughed when they step on each other’s foot. Some tourists who recognized them even joined them for a dance and took group photos.

“Thank you for joining the fun!” the band’s singer shouted. “Now the next set would be a Bossa Nova, sort of a sad love song” the audience shouted. Couples remained in front of the stage while the others, including Bom and Minji went on the side to watch. The female singer took over the stage.

I wish you bluebirds in the spring
To give your heart a song to sing
And then a kiss, but more than this
I wish you love

The singer’s voice was sultry and full of charm, and Minzy was amazed at how it fits the song. While her eyes were glued on the stage she was unaware that Bom was looking at her. The breeze made the young woman’s blue hair cover her face, but it doesn’t prevent the older woman to appreciate the beauty beside her. She is now sure that she feels something for her friend. Love, maybe?

And in July a lemonade
To cool you in some leafy glade
I wish you health
But more than wealth
I wish you love

She found herself fixing the maknae’s hair, putting them behind her ears so that she can take a look at her face. God what am I doing, she thought. Her mind protested at her actions, but it was her heart that told her to do it. Yes, she was listening to her heart and she’s savoring every moment of what her heart tells her.  While Minji’s enjoying the performance, Bom’s enjoying staring at her, looking at her jawlines, her nose, her eyes. She then put her hand on the young woman’s face, and closed her eyes. She wanted to feel the moment. And as she opened them back, the first thing she saw was Minji, staring at her.

My breaking heart and I agree
That you and I could never be
So with my best
My very best
I set you free

For the first time in 4 years, Minji’s love for her unnie, the love she had kept from herself came rushing back at her. By looking at her she felt her heart almost burst out and, made her want to crush her lips into hers. She closed her eyes and held Bom’s hand. You’re married now, she thought. I had set you free, why did you have to come back?

 For a moment they both felt the world stopped revolving around them. The music turned to a deafening silence, and all they hear is their breathing.  Bom’s fingers went down to her lips which made her shiver all over. I wish this night would not end…

The audience clapped and screamed after the song.  They both went back to reality and came into their senses. Realizing what just happened, Bom removed her hands from her maknae’s face and turned away. “Unnie” Minji whispered. She had no strength to look at her, as she was scared what would happen next if she does.

Bom, you just got married to the love of your life! You love your husband, you love Seunghyun!

She had no choice this time but to end this insane feeling she had towards Minji. And as the younger woman once again called her name, she ran away back to their hotel.

Their trip back to Seoul was the longest ever for Minji. As she stared at the airplane’s window, thoughts of last night repeatedly came back to her. When she went back to their hotel, she found Bom already in bed. She knew she wasn’t sleeping, but she didn’t made an attempt to talk. Instead she spent her last night in Bali sleeping in the sofa. They left the hotel not talking to each other, and only had civil conversations when they’re with CL and Dara. It’s been an hour since the plane took off and her unnie still hadn’t talked to her. She had questions on her mind that she wanted to ask Bom, but she does not have the courage to. Questions on what happened, on why her unnie did it, questions on the way she looked at her.

She and her young heart were once heartbroken by the news of her getting married, and she tried to move on. And the wound on her heart healed eventually, even accepted the offer to do the flowers on her wedding. Now all her effort had been thrown away came back in just a few minutes.

A few hours more and their plane has landed, everyone stood up to go out. TOP waited patiently for  the girls to come out and smiled as she first saw her wife.

“Hey” he said as he hugged Bom tight. “I missed you. Did you girls had fun?” He turned to Minji.

“Yes, oppa. It was a great vacation and unnie enjoyed a lot” she answered.

TOP nodded. “That’s good. Yah honey, you tell me all your adventures in Bali, okay? Would love to hear them. You girls want to grab some snack? My treat.”

“Ah, oppa thank you. But I have to head straight to the shop to check on omma.  Maybe we can get lunch next time.”

Bom who had been silent, agreed with the young woman. “Honey, I think we need to get some rest first. We can schedule a dinner after. And I’m a bit dizzy right now.”

“It could be jetlag” CL butted in. “Oppa Bom unnie is right. Let’s have dinner maybe a few days from now?”

“Alright” TOP sighed. “Well we have to go first. Wife is dizzy. Aigoo, you want some hot soup later honey?”

The couple had their goodbyes to the girls. Bom hugged Minji. “Hey, see you next time” she said. Minji didn’t answer back. The three women then went to their van. “What happened to Bommie?” Dara asked while driving. “Mingkki, something happened?” 

“I… I don’t know unnie, I was asleep the whole trip.” She answered. “But she’s been like that this morning, maybe it’s because we had drink at the mini concert.” It was the only alibi she could think of. She knew well that Bom wasn’t dizzy at all.

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A/N: Song used in this chapter is 'I Wish You Love' by Lisa Ono. Beautiful piece of music. Check it ou!