Butterfly Effect | Han Taesan

16.

The next few days felt like a couple of years. After the warm evening at Taesan's house, Saneul found herself submerged in a sea of school assignments and her cafe job. Days turned into weeks, and her already limited free time vanished.

She missed the ease with which she had begun to connect with Taesan, but their interactions became few and far between.

🏔 Giant Sanshinez ☀️

heyyy how's your day going??
15:23

busy...
as usual 💀
dance practice is taking up most of my time
16:44

I understand you mann
I've been swamped with work and these assignments seem like they will never end

hang in there, Sanshine
shoots I gtg
we'll catch up soon!

okkk you hang in there too!!!!
17:02
Delivered

Another ripple effect.

Saneul's heart sank a little with each short conversation. She missed their deeper talks and the comfort she felt around him. It seemed like Taesan was slipping away, preoccupied with his own commitments.

Of course she can't blame him for their sudden lack of communication. That was just how University life is like, one moment you are as free as a bird, the next moment, your professor would just throw 3 new projects and 10 new assignments at you to complete in a short amount of time.

She found herself scrolling through their past messages, reminiscing about the times when they used to chat late into the night. A few weeks ago, the two would still be Face Timing each other, enjoying each other's presence as they worked on their assignments individually. But now? Saneul can't even remember when was the last time she even heard his voice.

One evening as she sat at her desk trying to focus on an assignment, her phone buzzed.

🏔 Giant Sanshinez ☀️

heyy I just finished practice
22:37
you must be busy
23:51

omg sorry I didn't see your message
00:12

but yea
I'm actually drowning in work...
but it's okay

I miss hanging out
we should find time

yesss I miss it too
hopefully we will be free soon...
00:24

The promise of "soon" felt uncertain. Saneul couldn't shake the feeling of distance growing between them. The next few days passed by in a blur of lectures, work shifts, and fleeting moments of rest. She barely had time to eat, let alone think about socialising. The only people she talked to were her roommate, Jaehyun, and some of her friends in her group projects.

The first ripple - Distance.

One afternoon, as Saneul was busily taking customer orders at the cafe, she looked up and saw Taesan walk in. Her heart skipped a beat, it had been so long she thought she was hallucinating. But her excitement quickly faded when she noticed he was with another girl. She assumed she was from his course.

They were laughing and talking comfortably, something Saneul hadn't seen in a while. Seeing how the two students got along so well made her feel uneasy. Jealousy and hurt surged within her.