Chapter Text
"I like you, Noh Yunah!"
That moment played over and over in Yunah’s head like a broken record for several weeks. But the realization had come immediately, she was in love with Minju. She was unsure how she hadn't noticed, how always wanting to be with her didn't signify anything. And now she had lost her.
Before Yunah could say anything, Minju had already gotten out of sight. She turned over to Moka, regret heavy in her expression. "I like you too." She whispers.
Moka walks over and quickly engulfs her in a hug. "You'll get a chance to tell her soon, I promise." Yunah feels a few tears drop, as she hugs Moka tighter.
"Now boarding group three, please head over to the line if you are in group three." They hear over the loudspeaker.
"That's us." Moka says, reaching for her luggage as she grabs Yunahs hand with the other, giving her a comforting squeeze.
Yunah feels greatful for Moka, since they are going to the same college, they got their parents to buy an apartment near campus for them to share. And throughout the first few weeks of school, Moka helped Yunah through her heartbreak and regret.
Minju never reached out, in hopes that avoidance would help her move on. Yunah never tried, because she couldn't, she felt such regret and guilt that it prevented her from reaching out. And that's how the first two months of college went.
For Yunah it was as if she were in a time loop, she would wake up, go to class, eat lunch, go to her other class, come back to her shared apartment, either cry in her room or work on a new painting, eat dinner, do schoolwork, sleep and repeat.
The one good thing that came out of the whole situation was Yunah discovered her passion in painting. With her regret and guilt preventing her from doing anything she turned to painting. A way to get all her emotions out and also take up a lot of her time, that would've been spent thinking about Minju.
Unfortunately most of her paintings are of Minju, but it's working and that's all that matters, even if staring at them for too long causes her to tear up, she still gonna do it.
Yunah finally felt herself getting into a grove around midterms, the feelings of regret and guilt still there, just a lot less then usual. But that didn't last long.
It was 2 in the morning, finals week was next week and Yunah sat there at her desk, laptop open to her linguistics notes and study guide, her desk lamp turned on as she sat on her desk chair.
Behind her was an unfinished painting, paint brush left carlessly on the floor next to a small board filled with neutral paint colors.
Yunah groaned as she reread the same sentence again, not understanding anything. She messaged her temples as she attempted to reread the sentence again. As her eyes scanned over the screen, carefully reading the text, she felt her head throb. Groaning again, she stood up from her chair, grabbing the forgotten paint brush from off the ground. She grabbed the board with paint, and started working on the painting again.
As she added paint, an image started to form. It was of Minju up to bat, just before she would hit a home run. As Yunah continued, memories started playing through her head. Memories of when before Minju confessed, when they still talked, still made fun of each other, when Yunah was still clueless of her own feelings. After adding the last few strokes of paint, she felt tears streaming down her face.
She set down her paint brush and board, memories still playing through her head as she stared at the finished painting. She flinched as she heard a knock on her door. She quickly wiped away her tears as she made her way to the door, opening it to find Moka.
"Hey, it was getting late and I was wondering if you were go- Are you okay?"
Yunah quickly tried to wipe away the still falling tears, "I-I'm fine." She tried to deflect, only to make Moka more concerned.
Moka quickly engulfed Yunah into a hug. When she opened her eyes she notices the painting in Yunah’s room, causing her to hug Yunah tighter. "It's okay, you'll get to talk to her soon, we just have to get through finals week." She felt Yunah nod into her shoulder, tears still falling. "Now we should eat, it's already 8pm and I know you haven't been studying." Moka said, a small smile on her face as she saw Yunah pout, face stained with tears.
"Okay, will you study with me though? You seemed to understand our professor better." Yunah asker, earning a nod from Moka, who grabbed Yunah’s hand and dragged her to the table, that was already set with food.
After dinner, Yunah grabbed her laptop and sat on the couch. Moka joined her a few miniutes later with her own laptop, open to their linguistic notes.
Soon the only noise heard was typing and Moka explaining the things Yunah didn't understand.
Time seemed to pass quickly for Yunah and Moka as they went through the notes together. When they finished Yunah sighed in relief as she finally understood what they had been learning.
"Thank you!" She said to Moka, a grateful smile on her face.
"No problem." She replied, getting up from the couch and walking into her room to put her laptop away.
A few seconds later Yunah got up as well, walking to her room. When she was done putting away her laptop she looked back at the painting, and the person who seemed to haunt her every thought. She felt an ache in her chest as she traced the outline of Minju on the thankfully dry paint.
"I'm so sorry I didn't figured it out sooner. And now I've lost you, probably for good." She whispered, a tear falling down.
She heard Moka walk into her room, but she never took her gaze off of the painting. "It'll be okay Yunah. We go back next week and you can tell her then, okay?"
Yunah nodded, a smile making it's way onto her face, "wait for me Minju" she whispered.