More 2YEON Oneshots

The 8th Step

Jeongyeon is sitting in a quiet cafe on a chilly autumn afternoon. In spite of the cool temperature outside, her palms are sweaty and her shirt might just get soaked through by the time this is over. Her eyes bounce to the door every few seconds whenever someone walks in, but the person she's waiting on hasn't come yet. So she waits some more. She reaches for her empty coffee cup and retracts her hand when she sees how it's shaking. Is it from all the caffeine she's ingested or is it her nerves? Either way, it's probably best to sip from her glass of water instead.

A few tables away, her friends Jihyo and Vernon are sitting, silently watching and sending her positive thoughts. There's no way she'd be able to do this if they weren't here with her. Vernon gives her a thumbs up while Jihyo smiles and tells her to breathe.

Right. She can do this. Jeongyeon has been preparing for this moment for a long time now. Everything will be okay. Her hands fidget with the bronze coin in her hand, flipping it over in quick succession. The coin is a bit worn despite it being in her possession for only a month. Its shiny luster has already faded slightly because of how often she plays with it. Vernon has joked that he should get her a few to keep on hand so they don't wear out too quickly.

Her eyes slide to the door again when the tiny bell chimes that another visitor has arrived. The erratic thrum of her heartbeat stutters and stops and she clutches the coin tightly in her hand. The person she's been waiting for is here.

Jeongyeon watches her look hesitantly around the room, searching for her. She spots Jihyo first and gives the woman a warm smile, but she seems confused by Vernon. Of course, he's a stranger to her. Then her eyes begin their search again until they finally settle on her. Jeongyeon can see the way she hesitates before smiling at her although it's not nearly as warm as the one Jihyo received. She walks toward her table until she's standing right in front of her, and Jeongyeon wishes she was anywhere but here.

"Hello Jeongyeon."

"N-Nayeon. Hello, um, h-hi." Jeongyeon jumps up from her seat to pull out Nayeon's chair for her but the woman is quick to do it herself. Jeongyeon retreats back to her seat and settles in it uncomfortably.

"Would you like a coffee or something?" Jeongyeon asks nervously.

"I'm fine thank you," Nayeon says politely.

They fall into an awkward silence soon after. Nayeon keeps looking everywhere but Jeongyeon and it's getting hard for the younger woman to keep herself from running out of the coffee shop and never looking back. A few tables away, Jihyo and Vernon urge her to say something.

"Um, thank you....for meeting me," Jeongyeon finally stumbles out. "I'm sure I'm the last person you want to see."

Nayeon gives her a sad smile. "To be honest Jeongyeon, I almost didn't come. After everything that happened, I didn't want to go back to that again." Jeongyeon nods. She gets it, really she does. Everything was in chaos back then. Why would Nayeon want to bring up their painful past? "But then I talked to Chaeyoung," Nayeon continues. "She told me I deserved to have closure so.....here I am."

Jeongyeon rubs the coin in her palm, the symbol of who she is now, and the reason she's here with Nayeon.

"How..." she pauses and gulps from her glass of water. "How much did Chaeyoung tell you?"

"That you two talked. That you apologized." Nayeon glances at her before looking elsewhere. "She said you changed."

"I did. I mean, I have. Changed that is," Jeongyeon again stumbles over her words.

"So you want to apologize?" Nayeon asks, giving her a look that screams "too little, too late".

"Yes," Jeongyeon says in a voice barely above a whisper. She can feel the shame and the guilt coming to life and pressing in on her from all sides. Every single ugly word she said and every action she did against Nayeon has come back to haunt her in full force.