Chapter Text
The music from the jazz band is in full swing tonight. The clattering of silverwares echoes throughout the cream-painted walls of the brightly lit function room. Waiters, holding trays of entrée dishes and champagne glasses, bustle their way through the crowd. The guests happily chatter with each other, over the fresh green salad and calamari appetizers.
‘May I have your attention please,’ a deep, low voice abruptly breaks the boisterous talks. The audience silences over the feedback ringing from the microphone. They set their attention up on the podium. All eyes on the brown-haired woman, clad in a white A-line dress, studded with small flowers and shiny sequins.
‘Good evening, everyone! I am Jeongyeon, a friend of the bride… and bride,’ she chuckles slightly and tips her wine glass over the newlywed’s table. The couple smiles back in return, anticipating Jeongyeon’s reason for the sudden interruption of the reception. Having known each other for so long, they are already used to their friend’s antics, with tonight probably bearing no exception.
‘First of all, my sincerest well-wishes to both of you. I know that your road here took a lot of twists and turns. And I’m one of the luckiest—or unluckiest, sometimes it’s hard to say---people to witness that,’ Jeongyeon widely grins at the couple, as she rests her right palm over her left chest. Varying levels of laughter and giggles from guests are heard throughout the ballroom. Jeongyeon places her wine glass on the stand. She gently clasps her hands together, unconsciously tapping her thumbs over each other. No matter how much time has passed, she’s still not used to speaking in public.
‘Kidding aside, these two here are two of my best friends in the world. And I know both of you told me not to do this anymore, but hey, I do this for a living so there’s no reason not to,’ she remarks, earning some giggles from the audience and the couple. ‘You can’t stop me.’
‘As a photographer, I believe in capturing and preserving moments. Whether good or bad, these are memories that ultimately make us as who we are. Behind the images are a million of words, telling different stories of people,’ Jeongyeon rambles, as the audience listens to her attentively.
‘Over the years, I have encountered a lot of love stories. And for me, this couple right here has one of the best love stories I have heard—but mine still being the best, of course,’ Jeongyeon hears soft whistles and light teases, then subtly glances at the source. On the far-right table in front of her, their peers wave at her cheerfully. A black-haired woman playfully rolls her eyes, but then gives her a thumbs up and an encouraging smile. Jeongyeon cannot wait to go back to her seat.
‘So, a few months ago, I was cleaning up my old hard drives, when I saw a folder containing our old pictures since high school. And two things immediately crossed my mind: one, we looked really young; and two, this can be good for blackmail… I mean as a present,’ Jeongyeon says in jest, earning her pointed looks from the newly married couple. She raises her right brow and slightly sticks out her tongue at them.
Jeongyeon raises her thumb overhead to signal someone to turn off the lights. The visitors audibly gasp as the room darkens. She pushes on the remote and turns on the LCD projector. ‘Sorry about that,’ she says quickly and smiles. A video is paused on the screen.
‘As a lucky witness to their love story,’ she starts, which earns her snickers from the crowd. ‘I want to share the journey of this wonderful couple through a montage. So, I secretly asked their family and friends for pictures from their childhood to present. And I found out that they have a lot of embarrassing photos,’ Jeongyeon continues, then a round of laughter erupts inside the function room. She looks over the couple’s table and sees the one of the brides eyeing her curiously.
‘Anyway, I think that’s enough introduction already. It’s time to show the video!’ Jeongyeon steps towards the wooden table on her right. She giggles and excitedly presses the spacebar on the keyboard to play the video.
A familiar tune starts to fill inside the reception. A series of pictures flows on the screen. It shows the brides at various stages of their lives. Jeongyeon warms at the sight of one of the bride’s father wiping his eyes discreetly as the montage shows his daughter’s pictures from childhood. She peeks at the newlywed’s table. Leaning on each other, the couple holds hands and watches the video. Jeongyeon is pleased with herself as she looks at them with the obvious glint in their eyes. On the table at her far-right side, their group of friends are in a hushed discussion.
‘Aww, they looked so cute as kids,’ a brunette with big, round brown eyes is amused as she overhears the statement. She continues to watch as the montage unfold on the screen beginning from their childhood and through the years. A familiar group photo taken during a beach trip back in senior year flashed on-screen. Their smiling and youthful faces glowing, frozen in the expanse of time and space. She closes her eyes as she tries to recall the fond memory. They were just kids back then, full of wild hopes and vivid dreams for their future. A lot of things have changed since.
‘Babe, you never told me that they’ve known each other ever since,’ a guy’s voice cuts through Jihyo’s thoughts. The brunette rolls her eyes and playfully punches her husband’s arm, ‘You startled me.’
‘Anyway, babe, I didn’t tell you because it was already a long time ago and--,’ Jihyo attempts to explain.
‘--and a really Iong story. I bet you, Jihyo didn’t tell because she forgot about it already due to her aging memory,’ the woman beside her exaggerates and finishes as-a-matter-of-factly. She grins as she interrupts the couple’s conversation. Jihyo glares at her in return and mouths ‘What are you doing?’ at her. ‘What? Don’t tell me what I said was wrong,’ the woman, Nayeon, feigns surprise as she continues to mock the brunette. She is, for the lack of better term, bored.
Jihyo knows she should not give in. Nayeon is surely just toying with her right now. But she can’t help herself from backing down against a challenge. ‘Ugh, you’re annoying, do you know that? Jeongyeon has really rubbed off on you too much already,’ Jihyo counters, irritated.
‘I know. I love that dork,’ Nayeon sighs dreamily. Jihyo scoffs at her while her husband chuckles at the usual banter. His wife doesn’t like to lose.
‘So, what happened then?’ Jihyo’s husband directs the question at the two women. On the background, the montage keeps playing and flashes a photo from their senior year talent show. Jihyo gazes at the preserved memory as she tries to recall the events in their lives.
‘It was a pretty funny story,’ Jihyo grins, looking back to their high school glory days.
March 2012
The early morning sun radiantly shone over the track field. The school bell dinged to sign the start of first period. The pink and white azalea shrubs along the school pathway were starting to bloom. A pale, white girl internally cursed at herself as she rushed and almost stumbled over the steps towards the main school entrance. She panted as she reached the door, then took deep breaths that steadied her breathing. ‘I really need some exercise,’ she thought to herself. She fixed her long blonde hair and anxiously tugged at the lapels of her navy-blue blazer. She was still getting used to the new uniform.
Upon entry, she saw two large white pillars at opposite sides of the main lobby. As she walked the empty hallway, she observed the trophies and medals inside the glass cases against the walls. She stopped and found herself at an intersection. She was not really good with directions. The arrows confused the hell out of her. She worriedly studied the paper on her hand again, then quietly sighed. She was late and lost. She didn’t know what was worse. She already felt like crying when a sudden voice ceased her thoughts.
‘Are you lost?’
She searched for the voice’s source and found a tall girl walking towards her. The girl sported a boyish, short brown hair and also wore the standard navy-blue blazer with checkered navy blue and white short skirt uniform. The blonde girl tried to hide her embarrassment and could only nod back in reply.
‘Are you new?’ the short-haired girl questioned her again. ‘What’s your section?’ she added before the blonde girl could formulate a reply. ‘Can I see your schedule? I can probably help you.’ she said, pointing at the paper in the blonde girl’s hand.
‘No, it’s okay. I think I can manage,’ the blonde girl finally managed to say, but the tall girl still hovered over her and quickly scanned the paper on her hand.
‘You’re from Class 3-B. Follow me. Your classroom’s this way,’ she smiled and motioned forward with her thumb.
Light footsteps tapped across the gray marble-tiled corridors as they walked in silence. The blonde girl observed the girl in front of her from behind. She thought that the girl was really tall, judging from the way she was trying to keep up with her strides. She also held two thick leather-bound books. She wondered what they were for. ‘It must be for class,’ she thought.
‘Sorry, did you say something?’ the girl glanced back, then furrowed her brows at her. The blonde girl was mortified, when she realized that she said her thought aloud.
‘I mean, the books, they must be for class,’ pinkish hues formed on the blonde’s pale cheeks as she replied. She signaled her hand towards the books that the tall girl was cradling. ‘I’m Kim Dahyun, by the way, thank you for your help,’ she continued and smiled at her.
‘No worries. I’m Yoo Jeongyeon from Class 3-C,’ the tall girl smirked while introducing herself. ‘These books are for History. I just borrowed it from the library,’ Jeongyeon explained.
‘Oh, you’re also a senior. Aren’t you going to be late for class?’ Dahyun questioned as they reached the third floor. ‘Not really. I have independent study for first period,’ Jeongyeon shrugged back at her. They continued back to their walk in silence. Dahyun thought that it was really nice of Jeongyeon to help her, as she trailed behind. She hoped that her other classmates were also like her. She was both excited and anxious to meet them at the same time.
‘We’re here. There’s your classroom,’ Jeongyeon abruptly stopped, snapping Dahyun from her thoughts as she almost collapsed with her. ‘My classroom is just over there. If you want, I can show you around later, during break,’ the girl further offered.
‘It’s okay. I don’t want to bother you again. Thanks again!’ Dahyun replied as she turned down the offer. She knew she could manage on her own by herself. It was not her first time to transfer schools.
‘You’ve already helped me enough. It’s okay, really,’ she assured her.
Jeongyeon looked like she wanted to insist, but eventually relented, ‘Suit yourself. See you later!’ She chuckled and waved her hand as she walked away.
Dahyun was left alone and found herself face-to-face with the classroom door. Her heart pounded as her mind flooded again with worried thoughts of her new school, new classmates and new teachers. She tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath. And then finally, she slid open the door.
+++
The gods must be punishing her. Or her luck just decided to run out on her today. Dahyun was exasperated as she rounded the same-looking corner for the third, no, maybe fourth time already. To say that her new school was big had been an understatement. Or her sense of direction was really that bad. She probably should have accepted Jeongyeon’s offer earlier. She lightly slapped her forehead for the bad decision.
Dahyun was looking for the cafeteria. She was searching for about 15 minutes already, after she came from the comfort room---which she found easily, thankfully. But for some reason, the way around from there turned out to be complicated, hence, her current dilemma. She sighed audibly at the thought of having the scraps of food left when she finally reached the cafeteria.
She tried to humor herself by listing down in her head the unfortunate events of her day, so far. Her idiot brother unknowingly adjusted her alarm clock last night as a prank, so it didn’t snooze correctly this morning. For the first time in her life, she was late for a class—and it was also her favorite subject. She almost tripped herself this morning in front of the whole class, as she hurriedly walked towards her assigned seat. It was already the third week of the semester; friendships and cliques had already been established, so socializing was a bit awkward for a new student like her. She also turned down Jeongyeon’s offer earlier, which led her to this.
Dahyun halted her steps, when she heard muffled sounds of crying. ‘Just great,’ she internally groaned to herself. She was about to turn her heels around, when the pink-haired girl saw her. Her eyes were red and swollen, possibly from all the crying. Tears streaked her pale, puffy cheeks. The girl was physically attractive, despite her obvious current melancholy.
‘What are you looking at? Get lost!’ the pink-haired girl spattered angrily at her. The girl quickly picked up her things and marched away opposite from her direction, bumping her shoulders. Dahyun was too stunned at her feet. ‘What did just happen?’
She was about to continue her cafeteria search when she spotted a small pink envelope in the corner of her eye. She picked it up to examine. The envelope was unsealed and had no mark or any indication of its owner, except for a heart drawn at the bottom right corner. She looked inside, a lovely smell wafted through her nostrils. It contained a folded piece of scented paper. She was about to further check the item for its owner, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
‘Dahyun?’
She broke in her reverie, then quickly stuffed the pink envelope in her pocket. Dahyun turned around and saw Jeongyeon.
‘Are you okay? Did you get lost again?’ Jeongyeon grinned and teased her.
‘Y-yes,’ Dahyun stammered in embarrassment. ‘I was looking for the cafeteria.’
‘Oh, you’re in the wrong building,’ Jeongyeon tried to suppress a laugh, but failed miserably. Dahyun could only face-palm herself. Her face as red as a tomato.
+++
The cafeteria was bigger than in her previous school. It also served better dishes and had more variety. Lunch period was almost over, but the place was still packed with students. Dahyun scanned the crowd for a place to sit, but the tables were all fully occupied.
‘You can come eat with us,’ Jeongyeon told her, possibly saving her for the third time that day. Not that Dahyun’s counting.
As they walked away, she spotted the pink-haired girl she encountered earlier. She sat alone by the corner, near the window. It looked like she stopped crying, but sadness still marred her expression. Dahyun watched her as she played an apple slice with her chopsticks. Her eyebrows were furrowed. She seemed to be in deep thought.
‘She’s pretty but annoying,’ Dahyun mumbled to herself.
‘Huh? What are you looking at?’ Jeongyeon spoke, trying to follow her view.
‘Nothing,’ Dahyun replied too quickly. She could feel heat starting to form at the base of her neck. She was almost caught staring at someone.
‘Let’s go, I’m really hungry.’ She said as she started to walk away quickly, ignoring Jeongyeon’s curious look at her.
+++
‘I’m back,’ Jeongyeon announced as they entered the rooftop.
There was a table and two long wooden benches setup under a shady area. The place was empty, except for a girl laid down on one of the benches. Her face was covered with a manga. She sat up as Jeongyeon and Dahyun walked towards her direction.
‘Hey Momo, catch,’ Jeongyeon giggled as she threw a sealed bread towards the said girl. ‘Where’s Nayeon?’ she inquired as she sat beside Momo.
‘I don’t know. I fell asleep,’ Momo replied as she peeled open her food. She was about to take her first bite when she noticed a blonde girl standing awkwardly in front of them.
‘Who are you?’ she asked a little too bluntly.
‘I’m Dahyun,’ she bowed and gave a warm smile. Her face flushed as she suddenly became the focus of their attention.
‘She’s new. Just transferred today,’ Jeongyeon added. She motioned for Dahyun to take a seat on the bench across them. Dahyun obliged then took out her lunch and started eating.
‘Really? That’s tough. The semester has already started,’ Momo remarked in between bites of her bread.
Dahyun just shrugged back in return. ‘I’m used to it. My dad’s job requires us to move around a lot since I was a kid.’
‘What does he do?’ Jeongyeon inquired.
‘He is a contractor. He tends to be relocated to where the current project is. But he said that he didn’t want to be away for us too long. So, we usually move together with him when a contract would take too long to finish,’ Dahyun explained. Afterwards, they continued to eat their lunch in silence.
‘Yoo Jeongyeon, what took you so long?’ a shrill voice cut through the stillness of the air. They snapped towards the direction of the voice. The girl sat beside Jeongyeon and casually grabbed her half-eaten sandwich. She took a bite while Jeongyeon gaped at her in annoyance.
‘This is Nayeon,’ Jeongyeon said as she pushed her away to have some space. Nayeon transferred to the other bench where Dahyun was sitting. ‘Pardon her manners,’ Jeongyeon added as she handed a can of soda to Nayeon.
Jeongyeon and Momo inaudibly sniggered and shot subtle looks to each other. Dahyun saw them and was puzzled. Nayeon was oblivious with the exchange.
‘I’m Dahyun. Nice to meet you,’ she introduced herself to Nayeon.
‘Hey! What’s up? I’ve heard about you, newbie,’ Nayeon met her eyes and grinned as she absentmindedly popped the soda can open. The liquid burst, almost splashing on her uniform. Dahyun raised an eyebrow at Jeongyeon and Momo.
‘Ahh, what the fuck is wrong with you?’ Nayeon screamed while Jeongyeon and Momo laughed at her misery and high-fived each other. Dahyun handed her a pack of wet tissues.
‘What? I didn’t do anything,’ Jeongyeon mocked, still laughing. Nayeon glared at her, then at Momo.
‘Hey! It was Jeongyeon,’ Momo argued and pointed at the said girl. She tried to stop laughing, but failed.
‘Way to go, Momo for throwing me under the bus.’
‘Nope, you’re a part of it and also laughed. You two are so gonna pay for this,’ Nayeon said, still glaring at them. Jeongyeon just shrugged back in return. Jeongyeon and Momo were still giggling as Nayeon wiped the soda off her hands and arms.
Dahyun just sat quietly and watched their exchange with interest. They seemed to be good friends. She was suddenly reminded of her old friends in her previous school. They were also a lively bunch. She met them when her family moved there almost four years ago. It was probably the longest period that they had stayed in an area. She almost hoped that she would graduate high school with them.
The revelry had almost died down when a girl on fumes dashed towards them.
‘Hey Jihyo! What’s up?’ Jeongyeon greeted too happily, but was ignored. Jihyo rushed towards their table and stood where Momo was sitting. Dahyun peeked and wondered who the new girl was.
‘She’s skipping school again today. I don’t understand her anymore,’ Jihyo said irritatedly as she put both hands on her hips. Momo looked at her blankly and just shrugged.
‘Will you talk to her again? You’re her best friend. I know you still care about her,’ Jihyo placed a hand on Momo’s shoulder and begged. She felt Momo tensed up under her grip.
‘Right. I’m her best friend,’ Momo scoffed.
Jihyo was surprised of her reaction. She crossed her arms on her chest.
‘You know how she is. She never really shares her problems to anyone. But if there’s someone who can make her open up, it is you,’ Jihyo tried to reason out and stared at her. Momo was awfully quiet as she played with her bread’s used plastic wrapper.
‘Look, Jihyo, I tried talking to her a lot of times already. She turned me down all the time. You actually talk to her more than the rest of us here do these days. So, I don’t think I can help you,’ Momo looked up to Jihyo and replied—too calmly. She slowly stood up and walked pass her. She threw her trash in a nearby bin.
Jihyo sighed defeatedly as she watched the other girl walk away. Jeongyeon and Nayeon just listened to the whole exchange. They shared knowing looks to each other as they anxiously watched Momo’s retreating figure. Dahyun was just confused with what was happening.
‘Ji, I know you always meant well. But let’s just let them be for now. It will be okay eventually’, Nayeon tried to reassure their friend.
+++
Momo stopped by a window and looked over the field below. Few students were running around. It looked like they were playing tag. They seemed to be having fun despite the scorching heat. She was watching their seemingly intense game, when her eyes lingered towards the school gate. A flash of pink entered the corner of her eye.
A pink-haired girl sneakily exited the school premises. She followed her with her gaze until she was completely out of sight. ‘When did things get so fucked up?’
+++
Another group of students emerged from front gate. Momo sighed as she kicked an imaginary pebble to the curbside. ‘Did I miss her already?’
It was the last day of their first week as a senior. Momo had been standing against the blue-painted wall near the school gate. She checked her phone again. She had already been waiting for almost 30 minutes. She sighed. ‘Maybe she already went home.’
Sana had been skipping a lot of classes this week. For a girl who had always been hellbent on having good grades, this was unusual. But honestly, Sana had been acting weird since their winter break. For some reason, she had been avoiding Momo ever since her Japan vacation. She tried to confront her already but Sana wouldn’t give a straight answer. Their other friends also tried but she wouldn’t budge.
Momo was about to leave when the lone girl appeared.
‘Sana’, Momo called out but the girl just continued to walk away. She didn’t know if Sana didn’t hear or she just deliberately ignored her. Probably the latter.
‘Sana! Hey, wait up! Minatozaki Sana, wait!’ she yelled as she finally caught up with her. She tapped the other’s shoulder. Sana turned around to face her.
‘What do you want, Momo?’ Sana raised a brow and placed her arms across her chest.
‘Uhm… uhh… the group is meeting now to celebrate the start of senior year. We want you to be there. I--We miss you,’ Momo stammered as she studied the other girl’s face. This was the first time in a while that she saw Sana up-close. She seemed to have lost some weight. She also looked like she had not been sleeping.
Sana furrowed at her in reply. ‘Yea, I heard from Jihyo. But I can’t. I’m busy.’ She began to walk way, when Momo suddenly grabbed her wrist. Sana became startled from her action.
‘Uhh… sorry,’ Momo stuttered and quickly removed her hand from Sana’s wrist. ‘I mean… can’t you just stop by for a few minutes? We didn’t see you at all during the break. Just stop by for a bit and leave early,’ she pleaded.
Sana was MIA all of spring break. She didn’t even show up for their group trip. This week was the most Momo had seen of her since junior year ended.
‘I really can’t. Sorry. Maybe next time,’ she insisted and marched away.
Sana was already a few meters away when Momo finally spoke up again. ‘Next time? You also said that last time,’ Momo shouted as-a-matter-of-factly, which made Sana halt her steps.
‘What?’
‘You also said that last time. No wait, actually, you’ve been saying that to us for a few months now. What’s your problem, really?’ Momo continued as she walked over to where Sana was.
Sana stared at her for a while, as if contemplating her response. ‘Nothing. I’m just really busy today.’ She crossed her arms and looked away.
‘Makes sense,’ Momo scoffed.
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Sana frowned at her.
‘First of all, it’s just the first week of classes. There’s basically little to no schoolwork. And knowing you, you can finish them quickly. So, how come you’re busy?’
Sana just glared at her.
‘And you’ve been skipping classes this week. That’s so not you. You know, I understand if you didn’t want to tell the others your problem. But I’m your best friend. I feel like that should account for something,’ Momo said in a tone mixed with hurt and concern. ‘What’s up really?’
Sana took a deep breath. She didn’t want to fight Momo now. ’There’s really nothing wrong. Stop worrying about me,’ she replied, gaze wandering everywhere but Momo. ‘If there’s nothing else, I’ll go ahead now. You should go too. They’re probably already waiting for you,’ Sana firmly grabbed her bag straps. She stared at her momentarily as if thinking of something more to say before deciding to just turn around and walk away.
‘So, this is it? You’re just going to shut everyone out. You’re just going to shut me out completely?!’ Momo yelled, surprising Sana and a passing group of students with her outburst. They glanced at them for a second before continuing their stroll.
‘I’m not shutting you out. I’m just---’ Sana started to reason out, voice slightly louder than before.
‘Just what, Sana?’ Momo stared down at her expectantly. Sana suddenly felt small.
‘I just—just need some time alone, okay? I didn’t mean to hurt anyone,’ Sana weakly argued and unable to meet Momo’s eyes.
‘But you already did. You already hurt me. I tried to understand and give you some space because I thought that’s what you needed. But I can’t take it anymore. You’ve been avoiding me and I don’t know what I did wrong,’ Momo hushed in disappointment. Sana focused her gaze on the asphalt curb. Her skin itched under Momo’s intense stare.
Sana exhaled and willed herself to look at Momo. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong. I just really need some time for myself.’ She subtly glanced at her watch. She needed to go home now.
‘But—’
Sana impatiently cut her off in a straight tone. ‘Momo, not everything’s about you, okay? The world does not revolve around you,’ Sana’s eyes widened and regretted the words as soon as they were spoken.
‘Wow,’ Momo was visibly taken aback by Sana’s words. Sana was also at a lost for words.
‘No, wait, that’s not---’
‘What you meant? Okay, fine. I guess, it’s my fault for caring too much,’ Momo bitingly remarked as she steeled her gaze at Sana. ‘You’re right. Not everything’s about you. I won’t talk to you anymore.’ Momo finally treaded away, brushing off a tear from her right eye. Sana stood in stunned silence as she watched Momo’s disappearing figure.
The following week, everyone was shocked when Sana came to class with pink hair.
+++
The mall was more crowded and busier than usual this weekend. The place was packed with people bustling around as they go from one shop to another. Sana found herself people-watching while sitting in the corner of a coffeeshop. The guy she’s on a date with had not noticed that she stopped listening for a few minutes already. It was probably rude, but she couldn’t bother herself to try feigning interest over his baseball talk. She just agreed to go out with him to distract herself and she thought he was cute anyway.
Her date had decidedly moved to another topic, when she saw them. Nayeon and Momo had just come out of a shop. They were laughing together, obviously enjoying each other’s company. They looked like they were on a date. ‘Clearly, a more fun version than this one,’ Sana thought as she glanced over her date who was now talking about his movie collection, probably trying to salvage the date. She didn’t want to blame the guy because she knew she was also at fault. But she also had enough.
‘I’m going home,’ Sana abruptly stood from the chair, getting a puzzled look from her date. She brisk-walked to the door, leaving her date behind. If only she looked back, she would have seen Jeongyeon rushing to meet Nayeon and Momo.
+++
‘Dahyun texted we should go ahead, she’s going to be late,’ Jeongyeon informed them. They invited the new girl to hang out and show her around. Jeongyeon was pleasantly surprised when Dahyun agreed to join them, seeing how the girl was hesitant at first to accept help back then.
‘Momo, what are you looking at?’ Nayeon asked, when she realized that she lagged behind.
‘Nothing. I thought I just saw someone,’ Momo answered, thinking of a certain pink-haired girl. She figured that it was probably just her imagination.
‘Okay, you’re being weird again. Let’s go!’
+++
Dahyun was about to exit the cubicle stall, when the restroom door swung open. She stopped herself from exiting the stall when she heard quiet sobs. The woman probably thought she was alone inside. She figured she could wait for the stranger to leave and avoid an awkward situation. However, the phone in her pocket had been buzzing incessantly. They must be looking for her already. ‘Oh, fuck this.’
Dahyun opened the door and with head hung low, she casually walked to the sink. She washed her hands and subtly stole a glance in the mirror. She caught sight of pink hair. She realized that it was the same rude pink-haired girl, whom she later learned was Sana. She wondered why she was crying again. Not that she cared. She wanted to keep minding her own business but the girl was a mess.
‘It’s clean,’ Dahyun said as she offered her a handkerchief. The pink-haired girl had not realized she was there and looked startled. Sana stared at her, then looked at the handkerchief she offered. Dahyun braced herself for the worst.
‘It’s okay, thank you,’ Sana shook her head, and gave a tight-lipped smile. Dahyun was confused. This seemed like a different girl.
‘I insist,’ Dahyun didn’t know where the confidence came from when she found herself grabbing Sana’s wrist to place the handkerchief on her hand. Sana’s eyes widened in surprise. Before she could say or do anything, Dahyun dashed outside the restroom. Leaving Sana dumbfounded.
+++
Weeks passed by, Dahyun continued hanging out with the trio at school. Sometimes, Jihyo would stop by and convince Momo again to talk to Sana. She still had not figured out why they were fighting. It seemed like Momo didn’t want to discuss anything further regarding the pink-haired girl. Momo’s face blanked whenever the girl was mentioned. Jeongyeon and Nayeon would then try to lighten her mood, and Momo would laugh along with them again, but sadness still in her eyes.
Dahyun once asked Jeongyeon what happened between them but the tall girl just shrugged, ‘I guess Sana decided to just stop talking to her one day.’ Dahyun wondered if it was one of the reasons why Sana was crying, but she never dared to ask. It was too much of an assumption. And it wasn’t really her business after all.
On rare days when the group ate at the cafeteria, Dahyun would catch Sana stealing glances at their table. Sana was usually with Jihyo, except on occasions when Jihyo had student council meetings. Dahyun would sometimes meet Sana’s eyes, but just as quickly, the pink-haired girl would go back to whatever she was doing.
Cafeteria days were almost always uneventful, until one Thursday.
‘Where are you going?’ Jihyo half-shouted as they exited the cafeteria. Sana just ignored her and the confused looks of the other students. Nayeon and Momo watched as the scene unfold. Sana continued walking away, then Jihyo ran after her. Momo and Nayeon followed after them.
Jihyo firmly grabbed Sana by the wrist as they reached the corridor outside.
‘It’s almost midterms. You should stop cutting classes,’ Jihyo warned, her voice laced with anger and worry. Sana knew Jihyo was right. But she was pissed at herself and at her life. She didn’t want to give a fuck about school today.
‘Jihyo, let me go,’ Sana calmly replied, trying to tug her arm away from Jihyo’s hold.
‘I won’t let you go until you tell me what’s wrong?’ Jihyo remarked.
‘Nothing’
‘You know what, I tried to be patient because I know you’ll eventually come around, but I’m running out of patience here. I don’t like to see you ruining your life. If this is still about—’
‘No, that has nothing to do with this,’ Sana glared at Jihyo, then she noticed Momo and Nayeon approaching them from behind. ‘Great’
‘What’s going on?’ Momo asked, looking at either Sana and Jihyo. Nayeon stood behind them trying to assess the situation.
‘Nothing. It’s none of your business,’ Sana muttered as she removed Jihyo’s hand on her wrist. She looked between Nayeon and Momo, then walked away.
‘Hey! Don’t you think this has gone on long enough,’ Nayeon suddenly snapped and yelled at her. Sana stopped in her tracks and looked back.
‘I didn’t ask for your opinion, Nayeon’, Sana spattered, glaring at the girl.
‘What the fuck? People are just concerned with you and you still have guts to get angry at us,’ Nayeon was visibly annoyed.
‘Nayeon, enough. Sana, come back here,’ Jihyo muttered as she tried to catch up to Sana.
‘Hey Sana, Jihyo,’ Jeongyeon waved and greeted at the two girls, but was ignored. Dahyun gave a confused look at them.
‘Did something happen?’ Jeongyeon inquired as she saw a pissed off Nayeon and a sad Momo.
‘I need to get out of here,’ Momo decided, leaving the three of them behind.
+++
The room was dark and quiet when she stepped inside. Momo stood alone inside the dance practice room. This place usually teemed with students during club days, but today she was the only one.
Bright lights flooded the area as she turned on the lights. Momo found herself staring at her reflection in the wall mirror in front of her. It had been a couple of hours since the cafeteria situation, but the events that took place still replayed in her mind. The afternoon classes went by in a blur. Thank God that she wasn’t called for recitation.
Momo tried to ease her pulsing thoughts by choosing a good song. She needed to release her pent-up frustration and dancing had always been a good outlet for her. Sana and her had never been one to fight for this long. And the curious thing was, she didn’t even know why the pink-haired girl stopped talking to her. That girl was becoming insufferable.
‘Found it,’ a pop song started booming from the speakers. The bass thumped as Momo crumped to the hip-hop beats.
+++
Sana found herself running at a park nearby. The sky was turning dusk, but she needed to get out of the house. Her parents were arguing again and she was getting suffocated inside her own home. It didn’t help that she got in a fight with her friends again today.
‘Oh Momo,’ she groaned at the thought of what happened during lunchtime.
Sana heaved as she tried to catch her breath. Taking big gulps of air, with hands on her knees. Memories of a cold December night flooded her mind.
+++
Last winter break, Sana went to Japan for vacation. She decided to come back one day earlier to surprise Momo. Moreover, she didn't want to miss out on their annual birthday tradition. Every year, Sana and Momo had sleepovers to welcome their birthdays. This year, their flight back to Korea was scheduled on her birthday. But being stubborn, Sana insisted to her parents that she wanted to come back earlier. Seeing that there's only few hours difference in their flights, they agreed.
As soon as she left her stuff at home, Sana rushed to Momo's house. She knew the girl was at home. Momo's elder sister Hana opened the door for her. Sana quickly silenced her and told her that it was a surprise. Hana giggled in understanding and told her where Momo is.
Sana went upstairs and silently tiptoed towards Momo's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and Sana could hear two voices speaking. Sana was about to bust the door open when Momo's voice halted her.
'I like you'
Sana peeked through the opening and saw Nayeon standing in front of Momo. Momo was holding both of her hands. Nayeon leaned in towards Momo. Sana quickly turned around to leave. It was something she shouldn't be intruding. She felt something in her chest breaking. 'When did this happen?'
Sana tried thinking of the signs she missed. Momo spending more time with Nayeon lately. Nayeon exchanging subtle looks with Momo frequently. Momo whispering something to Nayeon more often. Nayeon always laughing at Momo. Momo avoiding the topic when asked who she liked.
Momo. Nayeon. Momo and Nayeon.
It hit her harder than it should be.
She retreated her steps and went home. Good thing, Hana and Momo's parents didn't notice her when she left. When she reached her house, Sana ran to her room and cried. Momo was her childhood best friend. Sana always thought that she had plenty of time to tell Momo about her feelings. But now, she realized that she took it for granted. Moreover, she felt slightly betrayed that Momo didn't tell her.
Momo eventually found out that Sana stopped by her house. She texted and called her all night but she never returned her messages.
For the first time in years, the birthday tradition was broken.
Sana avoided her for the rest of their break. But when classes resumed, Sana hang out with them at school like nothing happened. She still talked and laughed with them. However, it wasn't the same.
If something was pointed out, most of the time that's when you would start noticing it more. Sana started noticing Momo and Nayeon more. Sana was surprised that they had not announced their relationship. She thought that they were doing a good job trying to be low-key. But her heart still shattered every time she saw them sharing subtle glances and hushed whispers to each other.
To save the few remaining pieces of her heart, Sana stopped going out with the group outside of school. She ignored their messages most of the time, especially Momo's.
Momo confronted her but Sana only reasoned that she got busy. It was a lame excuse, but she couldn't really say it. How could Sana tell her that she liked her when she already liked someone else.
A concerned Jihyo made her spill what happened. She was calm and understanding as Sana narrated the story. Jihyo swore that Momo and Nayeon didn't like each other that way. And that Momo liked someone else. But Sana wouldn't want to believe her. She heard the words 'I like you' very clearly. She saw Nayeon leaned in to kiss Momo.
+++
As she reached her room, Dahyun immediately slumped down on her bed and felt tiredness overcome her body. She had just come from her part-time job. Taking a job had been her idea. Not that she needed the money, but Dahyun wanted to feel independent. And besides, having an extra allowance wouldn’t hurt. The job wasn’t that hard anyway and the convenience store was just near her house.
Dahyun’s eyes began to droop, as she felt sleep try to take over her. It would have been easier to just let it consume her. But she had homework to do. And those things were not going themselves done. She yawned and forced herself to get up.
Dahyun was in the middle of answering the third problem set, when she saw a familiar pink item peeking out of her Chemistry book. She had already forgotten about this particular envelope. But she remembered that it contained a piece of paper. She took it out and suddenly felt awake. She curiously unfolded the paper and found a letter. Her eyes widened as she read the contents,
‘I like you, Hirai Momo…’
Present time
A familiar tune is still playing and the wedding montage has moved on to the more recent pictures of the couple. It is almost coming to an end. But the night is young, and there are more stories to tell.