**It’s been a year since the incident with Bam happened, yet Chaeng still has the nightmare once in a while. And even though it wakes her up in the middle of the night with sweats all over her face, Mina never noticed the struggles she’s going through, and she has no intention of revealing it to Mina. She knows that her lover already has enough on her shoulders. And she wants to be someone who will lighten her burden, and not make it heavier.**
**She’s sitting in the middle of an elevated platform with a book in her lap. It isn’t the first time she sits in front of a crowd, but her heart’s fluttering just like when she first saw a bunch of faces waiting for her words to be heard. She gulped and stared at the first page of the book in front of her.**
Chaeng: All right! We’re here again.
**She murmured. Then she raised her head first and glanced at her right. There, Mina’s standing at the corner on her right, hands clasping on her chest, smiling. Mina nodded at her as if telling her that everything is all right. And that smile and nod from her lover calm her instantly. She smiled back at her before she bowed again and smoothened the first page of her book.**
**She cleared her throat and preceded to read the first line. Everyone sitting on the floor is staring at her. And even though her attention is on the book on her lap, she could feel that every pair of eyes is shooting her.**
**It was the first time Mina heard Chaeyoung read her book aloud. It took Chaeyoung a year before she finished the book she was writing when she arrived in Mina’s hotel for the first time. A lot has happened, so Mina understands if it took her a year to publish it.**
**Mina’s eyes glisten in joy, and a lump in her throat suddenly appeared. She gulped not only to wash the lump blocking in her throat but also to cease the tears welling in her eyes. She’s not giving that tears a chance to run on her cheeks. This isn’t the right time for that because this is the time to be happy, and she wants Chaeng to feel that.**
Ryujin: Why do I feel like crying?
**Ryujin whispered to her right.**
**She feels the same? Mina thought, though she didn’t dare to glance at her ‘cause she wants Chaeng to own her eyes at this moment. Just like her, everyone is silent, eyes fixed on her lover with a smile on their faces.**
**Chaeng finished reading the book up to the third chapter. And even though it feels as if she’d spent almost half an hour when she raised her head at the crowd in front of her, their eyes were telling her they’re expecting more. Yet, she still stopped from there.**
**She closed the book and smiled at everyone. All of them clapped when they saw the smile she let out after she shut the last page.**
Chaeng: Uhm…
**She gasps, calming her hammering heart under her throat.**
Chaeng: Hmm… it’s been a while, isn’t it? The last time we saw each other.
**Several people from the crowd answered in unison. Agreeing with her last premise.**
Chaeng: I would like to apologize for that. I mean, a lot had happened in the past couple of years. And most of it affected the way I gather my thoughts. But the good news is, I still know where I belong, right? And that’s giving you a story that I’m hoping you’ll enjoy.
**The crowd clapped their hands again, yet no one dared to express their thoughts.**
Chaeng: Anyway, I would like to thank you guys for coming and still supporting me, especially to those people who never failed to show up in every book signing event. You guys are the reason I’m still here. If you don’t believe in my stories, for sure I won’t believe in my stories, too.
**Everyone clapped again, and as she scans the crowd, she even sees some wiping their eyes.**
**She talked for another half an hour. Still expressing how grateful she is for seeing both new and familiar faces in the crowd. She even thanked Mina for supporting her in writing the book, just like how she thanked her on the acknowledgment page of it.**
**Mina is as grateful as Chaeng for the support she’s receiving from the people who follow her. If Mina will have a chance to stand on the stage, she knows that all she’ll say is thank you for supporting Chaeyoung. Thank you ‘cause this thing is so important for her lover. That writing makes Chaeng free and accepted.**
Ryujin: I feel like I’m so lucky to be her sister-in-law.
**Mina heard Ryujin murmured again on her side. She doesn’t know if Ryujin’s words are for her or the girl beside her, Lia.**
Lia: And I’m also lucky to be the girlfriend of her sister-in-law.
**Lia giggled beside Ryujin, and Mina still didn’t dare to turn her head towards the two.**
*****
Mina: Congratulations, hon!
**Mina whispered when Chaeng approached her in the corner. At last, the event ended after almost two hours. But Mina didn’t mind waiting for Chaeng to finish her event. This is an important come back for her lover, so even if the event will take the entire day, it’s fine with her.**
**Chaeng kissed her on her right cheek and then hugged her tight.**
Chaeng: Thank you!
**She whispered back before pushing herself away.**
Chaeng: Aaaah! I’m trembling, geez!
**Mina pulled her on her waist to caress her.**
Mina: Still nervous?
Chaeng: Like hell. It’s done now, but the feeling hasn’t subsided yet.
**Before Mina could respond, Tzuyu is already on her way to approach her.**
Tzuyu: That’s a freaking successful event, Chaeyoung!
**She smiled broadly.**
Sana: Congrats, Chaeng!
**Sana held out a hand behind Tzuyu, and Chaeng gladly took it.**
Chaeng: Thank you!
Tzuyu: So, I guess we all deserve a wonderful dinner, right? I ordered the team to prepare something for you after the event. So, see you at the office, then?
Chaeng: You… prepared something for me?
Tzuyu: Oh, come on, Chaeyoung! You know I always do.
Chaeng: But we need to drive back to our house. You know it’s a long drive.
**Mina squeezed Chaeng’s side and whispered.**
Mina: Hey, it’s fine. I’ll do the driving.
**Chaeng’s jaw clenched before she nodded, side glancing at Mina.**
Chaeng: Are you sure? The party might take several hours, you know.
**She whispered, yet Tzuyu still heard clearly what she said.**
Mina: We don’t do this every day, so it’s fine. Besides, I’m sure they just want to congratulate you.
**Chaeng gasped for air and accepted her defeat. There’s no point in arguing whether to go to the gathering that Tzuyu prepared for her or not. Mina already decided what they should do.**
Chaeng: All right, then. Let’s go.
Tzuyu: All right!
**Tzuyu exclaimed, and thank Mina silently for convincing her best friend to attend the celebration she prepared for her.**
Tzuyu: See you at my office then, okay?
Chaeng: Okay.
*****
**Mina asked Chaeng for their car key. She’s making sure that they’ll attend the little celebration that Tzuyu worked for her, instead of making a detour.**
Mina: Why don’t you want to go to Tzuyu’s party?
**She asked as she pulls the car from the parking.**
Chaeng: What do you mean?
**Chaeng’s eyes are outside the window. Not wanting to meet her lover’s gaze ‘cause she knows it will only reveal her true answer.**
Mina: You know what I mean, Chaeng. Shouldn’t you be thankful for all the hard work that your best friend put up for you?
Chaeng: I am grateful for it, and she knows that. It’s just, she also knows how I dislike parties. And that it doesn’t matter if she worked for it or someone else’s party. Yet still…
Mina: Yet still she never gets tired of surprising you. Doesn’t she?
**Chaeng slouched in her seat, eyes still fixed outside.**
Chaeng: Fine! Fine! I get it. You know. That’s why we’re coming.
**She said softly.**
Mina: Because I said so.
**Chaeng no longer has the energy to answer her girlfriend. She’s tired from the event, and this isn’t the right time for her and Mina to argue about things that don’t even worth their attention. She thought.**
Mina: Are you mad?
Chaeng: Why would I?
Mina: ‘Cause I decided something for you. I know you don’t want to come in the first place, yet I’m driving you there.
Chaeng: It’s fine.
**Mina sighed, side glancing at Chaeyoung. Even if Chaeng would say hundred times that it’s fine, her tone contradicts her answer, and Mina clearly understood it.**
Mina: All right. I’m sorry.
Chaeng: Why say sorry? I said it’s fine.
**Her tone is firmer this time, not knowing how she sounded.**
**Mina shook her head for a while, and just kept her silent. They’ve been having this kind of talk lately, and sometimes Mina could no longer understand what’s going on. There’s something weird going on with her lover, but every single time she asks her, her answer is always “I’m fine”.**
**Both of them spend the next twenty minutes inside the car in silence. Mina letting go of the conversation and Chaeng, trying to divert her attention outside. She finds it relaxing lately, thinking of nothing and keeping her silence instead of talking.**
Not a time for arguement🙂
ReplyDeletePlease upload ep. 03🙏plz
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