Not A Big Deal

There was no break after the exciting sports festival as the week that followed was the exact same routine the students had gone through. But for Ari, that was going to change.

Waking up to an unexpected email, Ari waited outside her professor's office, feeling nervous because he hadn't explained what the sudden meeting was for.

My grades haven't slipped right?

The door clicked open and he welcomed her in. She took a deep breath as she sat down and the professor seemed to notice how tense she was.

"Don't worry, you're not in any trouble. Do you remember the exchange programme we talked about at the start of the year?"

"Oh, yes." Honestly she had forgotten about it ever since the list came out for those that were chosen and she wasn't on it.

"One of the students have decided to opt out so we have a space available. I remember you applied for our partner university in London, right?"

Ari nodded.

"Would you still want to go?"

"Ah... Could you give me some time to think about it?"

Sat in the cafeteria, Younghee was feeling annoyed she didn't manage to get a seat somewhere quieter. Sure, her headphones blocked out most of the noise but the visual distractions every time she looked up from her screen was starting to get on her nerve. Just as she was about to pack everything up, she saw a familiar face in the corner of her eyes.

Oh right, most of her classes are in this building.

Younghee turned back to her computer as she walked away, though her focus stayed on the Nari in her peripheral vision for as long as she could.

How long is a few days?

-

Sports Festival - Day One

"Can we talk?"

Younghee sighed. "What is there to talk about?"

"That night… Why did you show up if you were just going to leave?"

"How else would you have made it home? Would you have trusted any of those two?"

"Did you leave because of her?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's weird no matter how I look at it, she's not just a friend. Who is she to you?" Nari paused. She wasn't suppose to say that. If she asked, she would find out but she didn't want to know. "Younghee." There was a somewhat desperate look on her face that she had forgotten to hide. "... I need to hear it from you."

"Nari, be careful with what you say. We can call this off you're going to be like that."

"... Give me a few days."

-

Younghee felt a bump on the table and looked up, being greeted by a girl with a pretty smile.

"Sorry," the girl quickly apologised but was staring at her neck for a long time before asking where Younghee got her necklace from. "Oh, I'm not trying to be weird or anything. I just think it'd go well with a piece I'm designing. I'm a fashion major," she sat down next to her, completely disregarding the unwelcoming look from Younghee. "Anyway, that's really pretty. Can you send me the link?"

"I don't think you can get this online."

After exchanging contact information, Younghee finally packed her things away and left the busy cafeteria now it was starting to get closer to lunch, thinking the library would have open seats by now. 

Walking past the basketball court, someone quickly ran out to her. At this point this had happened too many times to count within the past few days she already knew who it was.

"Hi."

"Huh?" Doyoung blinked a few times, dumbfounded she said something first. Having ran out in a middle of a game between his friends, some of them were shouting at him to come back.

Minju walked up to them as he was still acting like a broken robot trying to comprehend a simple 'hi' from Younghee and grabbed him by the ear.

"Ow, ow! Give me a second!"

"Five… four, guys come on."

Two guys came over and each grabbed onto Doyoung's arm and it seemed like one of them recognised Younghee.

"Oh hey, you won the badminton competition at the festival right? We're big fans."

"Yeah, your number one fans, we like you even more than Doyoung."

"What? That is not true! Ah, wait, guys hold on!" Doyoung panicked as they suddenly began dragging him back to the court. Struggling between them, he turned to Younghee and shouted, "I'm sorry for the other day!"

"He feels bad because he thought he was rude to you at the festival." Minju explained, staring back at Younghee who gave her a puzzled look. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just surprised you're talking to me."

"Just to be clear, I don't like you. But everyone around me seems to so, why don't we just call a truce for now?"

"Truce? Wasn't this all just one-sided hatred from you?"

"Ah," Minju groaned, "yeah, no. I really don't like you."

Younghee chuckled. "Has Nari been alright?"

"Yeah, I guess. Does she usually space out a lot?"

"Sometimes, you'll get used to it."

"Mm."

"Don't you want to know about Harin?"

Under the blazing sun, the game that was stopped abruptly was resumed again. Minju watched as her friends ran around the court, to her, the competitive smiles on their faces were a normal sight.

That's why she's scared one day she won't be able to see them have fun anymore.

People grow as time passes, friends come and go, no one really stays in your life forever. She knew that, but the two people that had always stayed by her side up until now, gave her a false sense of hope.

Because of that, Lee Minju had blamed losing Harin on Younghee. This was the one time she had avoided taking responsibility and every time she sees Seo Younghee, it reminded her of that mistake.

Younghee looked at her as Minju didn't respond. The look on her face was familiar, like one she had seen in the mirror before.

You want to know but you don't.

A delusion that if she was strong enough, it would prove she no longer cared. And if she didn't care, she wouldn't be hurt. Because the guilty one doesn't deserve to be the one hurting.

"Well, if you're curious, she went to see her mum."

"… I know."

-

"Didn't we agree to meet at 12?"

Park Mina looked up from her phone and nodded. Stood under the shade, the girl she met a few days ago was fanning herself despite dressing lightly, "I had to buy some fabric anyway so I got here earlier."

"Oh really? Did you get them yet?"

"Didn't find what I needed so," she shrugged. "Anyway, let's go get the necklace!"

"Why are you so excited?"

"Well I showed a sketch of it to a senior yesterday and she said it would be perfect for the dress so now I have to get it."

"Ah.. If it's that important, do you want mine?"

"Huh? No it's fine haha," Mina chuckled as she pushed the door to the jewellery shop open.

"It's just they might not have it in stock," Younghee explained as she began to look around.

"It's fine, I can probably just place an order for it then, no?"

"I suppose but isn't your project due in two weeks?"

"Won't I get it by then?"

Younghee shook her head and began looking around for the owner, "it usually takes a bit longer but we can ask. Myeong."

As she said that, footsteps could be heard coming from the back of the shop. A tall man around the same age as them emerged, a surprised look as he saw Younghee. "Youngseo, what's up?"

"Youngseo? Isn't your name Younghee? Did you lie to me?" Mina whispered.

"No, it's just... a nickname, don't worry about it." She turned back to Myeong. "Do you remember that necklace you gave me in middle school?"

He lit up with a smile. "Of course, my first sale. What about it?"

"She wants the same one."

"Oh sure, when do you need it by?"

Mina checked her phone, "preferably within a week."

The guy nodded slowly as if thinking. "Okay, do you have a phone number or email I can use to let you know when it's ready?"

"Yeah, she can give you my number," Mina pointed to Younghee.

"Huh?"

"My phone died."

"Weren't you just looking at it?"

"Yeah, it just died."

Mina shrugged with an innocent smile as she stared at her, waiting for Younghee to pull her phone out. She did hesitantly, almost as if she knew what was going to happen.

"Ah, I knew it," Mina pointed. "You didn't save my number."

".. I forgot."

Mina frowned. "Uh huh. Save it now."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mina laughed before going off to wonder around the shop by herself, holding up sketches on her phone to match the accessories put on display.

"Here."

".. Got.. it. By the way, can you message Jaeyoung for me?"

"Message him yourself, why are you asking me?"

"Because you're one of the only two people he ever replies to."

"His average response time to my messages are a week."

"Mine's a month."

"…" Younghee sighed. "Fine."

"Thank you~" Myeong said, there was a small pause in his response as he thought over what he was going to say next. "You know, I was surprised when you left."

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged as he looked at her with a strange expression. "Well, I'm just saying, it was out of nowhere. You never told us anything and you just disappeared one day, so you know," he cleared his throat. "We were a bit shocked."

"…"

Truth be told, she wasn't at all surprised by what he said, in fact, that kind of response was normal and what she expected. He was right after all. She did leave without a word to anyone. And she felt bad. She wanted to apologise to everyone, but more than that, she wanted to apologise to her first.

But how can I bring myself to do that if you don't seem to care at all?

In Younghee's mind however, the one person she felt the worst for leaving behind was also the only one who didn't seem to be affected by her disappearance.

Over those two years, countless reunions scenarios had played out in her mind, yet that night, when it really happened, Younghee had just gone along with her pace without realising. Even everything that followed afterwards was as if they hadn't been apart at all. Maybe the reason she hadn't thought about the situation much lately was because it didn't seem like it mattered.

But that was a good thing right?

It just means it wasn't a big deal between us.

There's no point bringing something like that up anyway.

"Sorry."

Myeong blinked in surprise then chuckled, a slight relieve in his laugh. "Ah.. I wasn't asking you to apologise or anything. Anyway, leave the necklace to me, I'll get it done."

She nodded and left the shop, heading for a mall nearby with Mina. If she had waited just a few more seconds, she would've seen that someone had gone in after her.

"Oh, Ari, long time no see. Younghee was just here."

"She was?"