[MICHAENG] UNSPOKEN THINGS (Eng)

II. Love Someone

1.

Mina didn't understand why she was standing here, in a secluded corner of the hotel lobby. She should have gone straight back to her room after stopping by the nearby convenience store. But the irregular beating of her heart had led her feet to where she was now. The hood of her hoodie was pulled down low, and Mina kept her head bowed, as if afraid someone might see her, even though it was late and hardly anyone was around.

Every time the hotel doors spun, revealing someone, Mina's heart would race. She wouldn't have any reasonable explanation for her presence here. With that person, everything always happened in a strangely illogical way.

"Mina? Where did you go?"

She pretended to be surprised when she heard Chaeyoung call her, then smiled awkwardly, saying she had just gone to buy a few things, lifting the bag of items for Chaeyoung to see. Chaeyoung just smiled without saying anything more. They both waited silently for the elevator.

As she glanced at Chaeyoung's hand hanging loosely, Mina suddenly remembered that night in Sydney. The cold of the night sea had pushed her to seek warmth in Chaeyoung's hand. But to her surprise, her skin had been just as cold, with no warmth at all. Yet that only made Mina hold on tighter. Today, had Chaeyoung's hands gotten warmer?

The hotel elevator was too spacious for just the two of them, too spacious to stand close without any reason. Just as Mina was about to lift her hand, a "ding" signaled their arrival. They had reached Chaeyoung's floor. She turned to Mina, whispering a soft goodnight before leaving.

Sighing, Mina realized the elevator wasn't the right place to hesitate. She stopped the doors from closing, and in a split second, found herself standing in front of Chaeyoung's door, gently placing a pack of Skittles into her hand.

"This... is for you."

Seeing Chaeyoung's startled reaction, unable to say a word, Mina felt her face heat up. But she didn't want to run away. Instead, she stubbornly stared into Chaeyoung's eyes. There was so much she wanted to say, yet for some reason, she couldn't utter a word.

"Did you have fun going out with your mom earlier?"

In just a few seconds of silence, it felt to Mina like a quarter of a century had passed. She knew Chaeyoung wouldn't understand why she asked that. Mina's complicated feelings, even she couldn't always comprehend. In her heart, her mind, the thoughts never stopped. The words she planned to say and the things she wanted to do swirled endlessly, refusing to settle.

"I had a great time. I wish I had more time to spend with my mom. She's staying in Melbourne for a few more days."

Seeing Chaeyoung smile eased Mina's heart. But then she fell into another tangle of thoughts.

She didn't know whether she should explain why she never approached Chaeyoung when she cried. Or if she should tell her how confused her heart became during those moments. Looking into Chaeyoung's gentle eyes, as if they were trying to comfort her, Mina found the situation almost amusing. Clearly, she was the one worried about Chaeyoung, yet now it seemed like Chaeyoung was trying to reassure her. It was probably better to say nothing at all.

"Goodnight."

2.

"I want to live abroad. I want to experience things I've never tried before."

Mina wasn't surprised by Chaeyoung's desire. There had been times, during their tour stops in different cities, when Mina also imagined herself living there. The thought gave her a feeling completely different from just visiting as a tourist. It felt as if she had become part of the unique flow of time in each place.