Pinky Promise

"I see now why you didn't end up with her."

"W-why?"

"You were too busy playing the big sister role you barely made your romantic feelings known to her."

Maybe the Moonfairy was right, Yongsun thought. And she was just too stubborn to admit it. Wheein was younger than her by four years. She didn't have any siblings. And so Yongsun wanted to be someone in Wheein's life that Wheein lacked. A sibling.

"There's nothing wrong with it," Moonfairy said. "But don't you think people also grow? And as they grow, they start to experience new and deeper emotions? Just like you toward her. But you never acted on it."

Yongsun, more than regret, felt embarrassment. Moonfairy was right. But what she was most embarrassed about was how she didn't keep her promise with Wheein. When she went to university, she didn't come back to their hometown like she said. She didn't keep up her promise to hangout on the weekends with Wheein. Maybe if she did, it would be her who was beside Wheein now instead of Taeyeon.

But they were four years apart. Yongsun had to take life a bit more seriously and have clearer priorities. It wasn't like she abandoned Wheein, but she couldn't help but think if Wheein felt that way.

Yongsun realized that maybe in the next photos she wouldn't be there anymore. Which means there would be no chance to go back in the past and correct things with Wheein.

"We won't know if we don't continue the video, right?" Moonfairy told her. She clapped once and everything resumed back to moving.

Moonfairy walked to Hyejin and introduced herself. Yongsun resisted the urge to intervene and thought Hyejin was old enough to take care of herself. She focused on the video, and just as she expected, she wasn't in the next photos. It was all Wheein and Hyejin in high school. During those times, Yongsun was out of touch with Wheein as she also went to another country in an exchange student program.

She later knew Wheein had to stop studying for a year when her parents divorced. Hyejin graduated and she was left in high school for a year alone. Yongsun knew it was difficult for someone like Wheein who kept everything to herself.

The video kept on rolling and suddenly Yonsgsun was surprised to see a photo of her again on it. And everything froze.

Moonfairy walked up to the screen. "Okay, so you attended her high school graduation?"

"Her parents had divorced. Her mom was away," Yongsun said. "There was no one she could ask to attend."

"There was no one… but you?" Moonfairy asked.

"I guess," Yongsun said. Yongsun flew back to Seoul in a heartbeat with all the money she had saved to be with Wheein on that milestone in her life.

"Well, you know the drill." Moonfairy told her. "Just say the magic words."

And Yongsun did as told. "HALLELUJAH CHANCEEEE!!!"

The blinding white ray of light appeared and she was again pulled in the past.

She found herself seated at the backseat of a cab. Still disoriented, she tried to re-acquaint her senses to what was happening and realized Wheein was seated beside her. And they were on the way to Wheein's place from the airport.

"Something wrong, unnie?" Wheein looked at her concerned.

Yongsun wanted to say that yes, something was wrong. It was wrong that the girl seated beside her didn't end up with her. And that was why she had to keep going back to take her heart. But instead she just told Wheein, "I'm just dizzy."

Wheein adjusted her sitting and offered her shoulder to Yongsun to lean on.

"No, it's okay." Yongsun held back.

But Wheein took her head and just pulled it to her shoulder.

Yongsun had no choice but to follow. She thought Wheein had changed so much. Not only her ways and manners had changed, her face and body had also matured. The kid she used to know was now a grown lady. And she could feel her own cheeks blushing as she realized this.

"You've grown so much," she told Wheein.

"Unnie hasn't changed," Wheein teased her. "Your cheeks are still fluffy."

"I was born with cheeks like this so," Yongsun said stubbornly. She remembered how Wheein and Hyejin used to always squeeze her face because of chubby cheeks.

"I like it," Wheein said smilingly and, to Yongsun's surprise, Wheein lifted her head to give her a quick peck on the cheek before placing it back on her shoulder.

Yongsun wasn't able to react which made Wheein chuckle a little bit.

"See? You're still the same, unnie."

"Wheein-ah, you know you are growing up, right?" Yongsun said carefully. "You can't just kiss anyone candidly. People are not all the same. They might take advantage of you."

"But it's you unnie," Wheein said.

"All I'm saying is that—"

"I'm already 19, unnie." Wheein said stubbornly. "I can think for myself."

"I know, all I'm saying is just be more careful." Yongsun told her.

"What's there to be careful about?" Wheein asked, almost sounding annoyed. "If it's you it's okay, right? Besides, I missed you."

"I just don't want people to take advantage of you, okay?" Yongsun explained.

"Fine," Wheein told her, now upset. "This will be the last time I'll do it. Unnie."

Unnie. Yongsun noticed how Wheein emphasized unnie. She wanted to take back the things she said but it was too late. She knew she had already hurt Wheein's sensitive feelings. "I'm sorry, Wheein-ah."

"Maybe you just didn't miss me as much as I missed you," Wheein said.

"That's not true," she told Wheein.

"Never mind," Wheein brushed it off.

Yongsun wanted to hit herself for being the kind of person she is. But she couldn't always find the courage to say what she really felt. And so the rest of the their ride was spent in silence.

Soon the cab arrived at Wheein's small apartment. Yongsun didn't know that she moved out from her parents' house. It must have been really difficult for Wheein to live on her own.

They entered the apartment and it was just a small studio type unit and very few wooden furnitures. Most of her things are placed on the floor due to lack of furnitures to place them on.

"I'm sorry it's so small," Wheein said as she went to clear up the floor where her books and stuff were all scattered.

"You've been reading a lot," Yongsun remarked.

"Yeah, I've been studying a lot so I can get into your university."

Wheein left to get something from the fridge and Yongsun let that sink in for a while. Wheein wanted to study in her university. Could it be because Wheein wanted to see her more frequently?

"I heard they have really good arts program," Wheein came back with two bottles of beer.

"Are you allowed to drink?"

"I'm nineteen, unnie." Wheein said. "Do you want something else? I have soda."

"I'll have soda, thanks." Yongsun wasn't a good drinker and she thought she needed to look after had Wheein get drunk. Tomorrow would be her graduation day and she couldn't miss that.

After handing Yongsun a bottle of cold soda, Wheein went to tidy up her bed in the corner. "You can sleep here unnie," she told her. "I'll just pull out a mattress and sleep on the floor."

"Ah no," Yongsun said. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"I insist," Wheein said and continued to tidy up the room a little.

Yongsun pulled something out of her baggage. A small box with a neatly tied ribbon around it. "Come here, Wheein-ah." It was a present she got for Wheein's graduation.

Wheein stopped what she was doing to join Yongsun and opened her bottle of beer. She saw the box and asked teasingly, "Are you proposing to me?"

The small box and the packaging looked like it contained some kind of a ring. Yongsun nervously laughed with her remark and just handed it to her.

Wheein handed it back to Yongsun and said, "Open it for me, unnie."

"Are you sure?" Yongsun asked.

Wheein just nodded and took another drink from her bottle.

Yongsun untied the box ribbon and opened it. She was getting nervous that Wheein had a hint it might be a ring. And it really was. The box revealed a really small ring.

"Unnie, that's so… small." Wheein said. "You thought I wouldn't grow anymore?" Wheein laughed.

"No," Yongsun said. She had memorized Wheein's fingers by the way she would hold her hand when they used to walk home together. "It's not for your ring finger. It's for your pinky." Yongsun took it out of the box and showed Wheein her name engraved inside the ring in cursive.

"Unnie, this must be really expensive," Wheein said. "You didn't have to buy me something you know."

"But I wanted to," Yongsun took her hand and slipped the ring on her left pinky. "This fits so well."

"This really looks like you're proposing to me," Wheein giggled. "I do, unnie. I do," she furthered and cracked into a really loud laugh. "But really unnie, you didn't need to buy me this. Just you being here is enough."

Yongsun's heart swelled a little. She really missed this girl and seeing her now made her feel the things she used to have for her. "I really missed you, Wheein." She said.

Wheein took her in a playful hug and tightened her grip around her. "Thank you, unnie!"

Yongsun started feeling butterflies in her stomach. Her heart was fluttering again. And maybe if she was also under the influence of alcohol, she would've hugged Wheein back and maybe kissed her. But she wasn't. And she only let Wheein hug her.

Wheein had a faint smell of alcohol and she knew the girl was getting more tipsy.

"Wheein-ah, it's bed time for you. Go to sleep," Yongsun said. "You're drunk."

"It's just beer, unnie." Wheein said, still not letting go of Yongsun in her arms. "I really missed you unnie."

"We can continue catching up tomorrow," Yongsun suggested. "You need to wake up early."

Then Wheein titled her head up to face Yongsun.

Yongsun could smell her breath reeking of alcohol. But Wheein's face was full of yearning she was trying to summon all her restraint not to kiss her. "You need to go to bed, Wheein."

Yongsun was frozen when Wheein inched her face closer to her. Wheein was closing the gap between her lips. Yongsun closed her eyes and waited. Instead of her lips, she felt Wheein's face on her cheek.

Wheein's cheeks were wet with tears. "I missed you unnie," Wheein repeated. "It was difficult when you were not here."

Yongsun's heart broke. She didn't know how much Wheein had struggled all those years and all she could say was, "I'm sorry, Wheein-ah."

"It's okay, I'm just glad you are here now." Wheein told her and pulled away from Yongsun.

Yongsun wiped her tears with her hand, "I'm really sorry, Wheein-ah." She looked at her eyes and Wheein just looked away.

"I understand unnie," she said as she stood up to put their empty drinks away. "Please don't be sorry. I guess I just really missed you."

Soon Wheein prepared her mattress on the floor and pushed it beside the bed. She insisted Yongsun to sleep on the bed since she was her guest. And she must also be tired from the flight back.

Yongsun finally complied and settled herself on the bed. Wheein turned off the lights and lie on the mattress.

Yongsun couldn't sleep. So many things were running in her head. "Wheein-ah?"

"Hmm?" Wheein too was still awake.

"I'm sorry for not being here with you," she said honestly. "I wish I was."

"I know you have your own life unnie and I have my own life," Wheein said. "I just wish I was more in yours and you more in mine, you know? Like how things used to be. Seeing you everyday. Walking with you everyday." Wheein sighed heavily. "I just miss all of that. And you."

"I miss those things too," Yongsun said.

"Unnie?"

"Yes wheein-ah?"

"Can I take your hand?" Wheein asked.

"What?"

"I mean stretch your hand to me," Wheein said.

Yongsun did as told and she felt Wheein's hand slipping her fingers between hers. Holding her hand. She could feel the ring around Wheein's pinky. It wasn't just a ring that Yongsun gave her. It was a promise ring. She didn't know exactly what she was promising to Wheein with that ring. But she wanted to give her something that she would wear around and carry with her. Something that would remind Wheein of her. That even if she wasn't beside Wheein, a part of her would always be with Wheein. Maybe that was her promise. And thinking about all of this she could feel her cheeks getting wet from her tears.

"Unnie, can I hold your hand like this 'til I fall asleep?"

"Of course," Yongsun replied softly trying not to let her sobs be noticed.