Sinful Passion

epilogue

A year later, Chaeyoung had successfully graduated from Aoyama Gakuin Senior High School, and was now studying Film at the University of Tokyo.  Mina's freelance career had also taken off, and she'd established herself as a successful young entrepreneur and investor.

Mina drove to the university to pick Chaeyoung up after basketball practice.  Chaeyoung was on the varsity team, and even though she was just a freshman, it wasn't a surprise to see her so beloved by her teammates.

"Hi, Minari," Chaeyoung greeted Mina in Japanese as she hopped into the passenger side, not even realising it.

Mina smiled, finding Chaeyoung absolutely adorable.  The younger's Japanese had gotten significantly better with frequent practise in school, and she had a habit of accidentally speaking in Japanese to Mina, which wasn't a problem at all, really.

Chaeyoung finally noticed and switched back to Korean, which was more comfortable for them both.

"How was practice?"  Mina asked, navigating the roads back home like the back of her hand.  It was second nature, driving to and from Chaeyoung's campus to save her time.  She loved the comfortable rhythm that they'd fallen into.  It definitely wasn't boring, more wholesome, if anything.

"Tiring," Chaeyoung answered.  "Coach told us that we might be having an inter-school match soon.  You can come and watch, Minari, and meet my friends."

Mina's heart thumped from a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.  Meeting Chaeyoung's friends now wasn't as simple as it was before, since she'd be introduced as her girlfriend.  "Okay."

Chaeyoung played with the safety belt.  "My friends are already asking about you, you know..."

"Hm?"  Mina faked nonchalance, when she was really dying to know.

"They asked who it is that gives me car rides all the time.  And Yuna saw you from afar, through the car window."

"And what did you say?"  Mina couldn't hide the little tremble in her voice at the end.

Chaeyoung smiled.  "What I always say.  That I have a wonderful girlfriend outside school and that they'll meet her one day."

When they arrived home, Mina prepared dinner while Chaeyoung took a shower.  It was their Friday night ritual, after a long week, to sit at the TV for dinner.  But they both knew that most of their attention wasn't focused on the screen.  They liked the atmosphere, Mina's food, and each other's company.

"Minari," Chaeyoung said.

"Hm?"

"My friends always get jealous of the lunches you pack for me."

Mina smiled.  "Do you share with them?"

"A little... but you know I can't give up too much," Chaeyoung chuckled.

"I can cook for your friends if they want, Chaengie," Mina offered.

Chaeyoung shook her head.  "I should just ask them to come over here.  Then you can meet them."

Mina laughed nervously.  "I'm scared."

"You don't have to be, you're perfect."

Chaeyoung stared at the phone number on the little notepad she had on her desk, with the Korean extension sequence.  She recalled her phone call with Momo the other day, about how Nayeon wanted to talk to her and apologise.

Should Chaeyoung call?  She told Mina and asked for advice, and all Mina could give her was "do what you think is right." 

After a couple days of internal debate, Chaeyoung dialled the number.

"H- Hello?"  Nayeon's voice trembled distinctively.

"...It's me, Nayeon unnie.  It's Chaeyoung."

There was a long pause and Chaeyoung almost hung up.  But she didn't.  Nayeon finally spoke again to say sorry.  She sounded like she was crying as she repeated those words, the words she knew would never make up for her actions.  Chaeyoung listened and her heart inevitably softened for her former friend.  She missed Nayeon.

Once Nayeon felt it was okay, not outrageous anymore, to ask, she asked after Chaeyoung and Mina's wellbeing and their life in Japan.  Chaeyoung told her, and subsequently learnt that Nayeon had graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School to enter a prestigious Korean university.  Their conversation was a little awkward and strained, having lost some of its former chemistry.  But Chaeyoung could feel Nayeon's sincerity through just her voice over the phone, and was more than ready to forgive her.  Nayeon's jealousy, immaturity, and misplaced feelings all belonged in the past and Chaeyoung was ready for them to begin again.

Chaeyoung also had frequent calls, both video and voice, with Jeongyeon and Jihyo, to keep in touch.  They'd both ended up in the same university, with Jeongyeon studying Modelling and Jihyo in the Econ faculty.  But they were roommates, which made it easy for Chaeyoung to talk to them together, just like the old times.  In fact, Chaeyoung and Mina were planning to fly back to Korea for a visit during UTokyo's semester break.

The next day, Chaeyoung returned from school, slightly earlier this time because she had no practice.

"I'll get you your snack while you shower," Mina said.

"Thank you, I love you," Chaeyoung responded, causing pink to spread across Mina's face.  Just to enjoy Mina's cute reaction a little longer, Chaeyoung gave her a quick kiss before running off.

When Chaeyoung came back out, her hair still wet, she heard Mina's excited voice.

"Chaengie!  We have a visitor!"

Chaeyoung wrapped her towel around her head, and barely made it around the corner of the hallway when she heard an all-too-familiar, bubbly voice.

"Hey, kiddo!!  Miss me?"