Prologue
Sana returned from the inventory room, recalling something she had forgotten to tell Nayeon earlier. If she doesn't do it right away, she'll forget it after a few steps or a few thoughts — this has been happening a lot lately, she noticed, as if her brain is in an automatic 'wipe clean' mode.
Maybe she's just tired from the sleepless nights she's spent staring at the ceiling. It could also be the result of all those suppressed thoughts and emotions.
That was when she saw Mina.
Her younger sister was standing a few feet away from the shop. Mina didn't notice Sana because she was staring at Nayeon with a wistful gaze. As if the other girl is attempting to reacquaint her eyes with this present-day vision of the girl she used to know in the past.
The girl she met in this very location — the club that Sana and Nayeon
renovated and turned into an artisanal shop.
Chapter 1: Endgame (First String)
Momo stormed into the room where they were staying in Vegas. After she ran
after Mina, a tear-stained Sana sat on the edge of the hotel bed, waiting
for her return. Sana immediately stood up and went to Momo.
“Did you find Mi–” Sana began to speak, but Momo slammed into her with a
bone-crushing embrace and a heart-wrenching string of sobs.
“She’s gone, Sana. She’s gone. We succeeded in driving her away.” Momo
managed to get that out in one breath until her knees gave out and she had
to rely on Sana to carry all of her weight. They both collapsed to the
ground, crying, holding each other.
They had everything planned out, and it all went off without a hitch. Mina
ran away and never looked back, leaving them to console each other while
hoping Mina was okay. For Sana's younger sister to find a home outside of
the family that blood dictated but was always difficult on her; for Momo's
true love to find safety even if it means keeping them apart.
When news of Mina's disappearance reached their parents, the Minatozaki
household was thrown into disarray for a time. For the first half of the
night, it felt like all hell had broken loose. After the initial jolt of it
— the table-flipping, cursing, long-winded speech of disowning her daughter
— Mr. Minatozaki received a business call resulting in him retreating to his
study. Meanwhile, Mrs. Minatozaki began contacting her columnist connections
for what she refers to as "damage control."
Things died down as quickly as it escalated leaving Sana to deal with the
loud and anguished voice inside her head, as she stood alone drowning in the
deafening silence of their so-called 'family' room.
This was one of the worst reactions a parent could have, but it was the best
Sana could hope for given the circumstances. Sana immediately contacted Momo
and explained her father's plan to hire someone to show Mina 'what she's
missing' so she can get over her so-called phase with a girl.
The goal was to separate them. But the two of them knew Mina would not budge
and would even stand up to her father if she discovered the twisted plan. As
a result, Sana resorted to convincing Mina that Momo cheated. In retrospect,
she admits it wasn't one of her brightest and greatest moments. But the
driving force of saving her little sister, combined with the urgency of the
situation at the time, was what
mattered most, and in the end, they got the desired result: Mina left Momo.
It wasn't the endgame Momo had envisioned for her and Mina, but whatever
evil game Mr. Minatozaki had devised had finally come to an end.
-
It wasn't an easy year to recover from. The burden that had previously been
placed on Mina's shoulders was inevitably transferred to Sana, who was the
sole heir left after their father's harsh decision to remove Mina from the
family registry. Not to mention the weight of the guilt she imposed on
herself when she decided to hurt her sister, whom she had vowed to protect
since they were children, in order to save her.
Her friendship with Momo became strained at first because of the part they
both played in Mina's pain. But she's the only remaining connection Momo had
with Mina. The closest she could be.
They weathered it out soon after. Sana, who felt obligated to care for Momo
because she felt responsible for her best friend's heartbreak, and Momo, who
needed her as a crutch and companion as
she nursed her broken heart.
"I miss her so much, Sattang."
"I know. I miss her too, Momoring."
The two girls were sitting facing each other in a coffee shop's corner by
the window. Momo was staring outside looking at nothing in particular as she
spoke, while the girl across from her was intensely focused on her.
A year has passed after Mina ran away.
Sana can see misery in Momo's eyes. It has always been there ever since Mina
left. She did her best to be there for her best friend, but she knew it
wasn't enough.
Maybe it’s the gaping hole inside Sana’s heart that draws her even closer to
Momo.
Maybe it’s the pangs of loneliness at night.
Maybe it’s all the pressure she now carries.
Maybe it’s guilt.
Or perhaps it's something else. Something she isn't prepared for. Something
she can't get away from. Something she refuses to admit, but which is as
profound and real as the bittersweet taste of the once-hot coffee she has
been sipping in front of her.
Momo snapped out of her trance and looked at Sana. She was surprised with
what she briefly glimpsed before the other girl consciously softened her
gaze — it was intense and sad, with a hint of… something else.
Sana's cheeks began to warm up unexpectedly. Oh, dear. What is going on?
It's not like I was caught doing anything wrong. She simply looked back at
me!
Momo's brows scrunched up, face solemn, as Sana silently reprimanded herself
for her irrational reaction.
“Sana, please don’t get mad at me, okay? But can I ask you for something?”
“Anything. What is it?” The gravity of Momo’s tone had Sana worrying. The
protector in her kicked in instantly as she leaned forward to listen
intently to Momo.
Momo has always found it both adorable and terrifying how Sana can instantly
transform from a cute Shiba Inu dog into this beautiful lioness, ready to
pounce on anything, if she even suspects the slightest whiff of danger or
discomfort any of her loved ones may be in.
Momo worked hard to keep a straight face while suppressing a chuckle. “I
know this is too soon. But can we please...”
“WHAT—DO—YOU—NEED—TELL—ME—NOW!” Sana blurted using her very high-pitched
(yet very cute) voice while wiggling her feet under the table in a
frustrated manner.
Momo burst out laughing, her signature wheezing laugh escaping her mouth
because the cuteness was too much for her. “I just wanted to ask if we can
please eat jokbal!”
“Wha- Momoring, we just ate! That’s why we’re in this coffee shop because we
just had some sushi earlier.” Sana crossed her arms in disbelief, but also
relief, as she stared at Momo.
“I know! I know! But I’m hungry again. You’ve known me for years. Jokbal is
my comfort food and I can’t get enough of it. It’s my favorite.” Momo turned
her aegyo a notch up. When she saw Sana roll her eyes and a hint
of a smile tugging the side of her lips, Momo knew she won.
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