Ignoring Eros's perplexed voice that was calling her, Minjeong runs, as fast as she could. "The deadline—" the last thing she heard properly. She still has tomorrow, she'll get it done. There are more important matters.

She hails a cab, immediately grabbing onto the door even before the taxi had fully stopped.

"In a hurry?" the driver asks as he glances on the window to look at Minjeong.

"Yes." she replies.

Minjeong is restless, she keeps on checking her watch. Twenty minutes.

Only two things are filling her mind, first, the voice from the GPS that's keeping the car far from being quiet; second, all the unread messages she had sent to Jimin.

"Can't you go any faster, mister?" Minjeong demanded.

"There's speed limit, miss."

Fucking rules.

—

Minjeong didn't wait for the driver to finish parking the car, she left the money and also told him to keep the change.

Three minutes. She checks.

She's starting to run out of breath, the elevator is still at the top floor, so she decided to take the stairs.

Shit. Minjeong forgot her key. She was left with no choice but to ring the doorbell.

Once she heard the door clicked, Minjeong closes her eyes instantly. But then there was nothing. She expected Jimin to hit her, but none of that happened. Instead, she was greeted by a cold tone, filled with disappointment, could be mistaken as a poison.

"You're late."

"Yeah...uhh," No words are coming from her mouth to defend herself. It's not like she could say she was playing cupid a while ago because that's her job, certainly, Minjeong couldn't use that as an excuse. "I'm sorry. But hey, it's still your birthday in other time zones." She tries to salvage the wreck, but she's an idiot, Minjeong ended up making the situation worse.

"Stupid."

Jimin was about to leave and enter her room, if not for Minjeong's quick hand that grabbed her.

"It would be such a waste to sleep in those clothes." Minjeong teases. Jimin is fully dressed up because Minjeong promised her they'll go somewhere, that she'll be home early this day for her birthday.

"Shut up." Jimin pulls her hand harshly.

"No, Jimin please. I even ran on the stairs—I'm sorry, don't be mad at me."

"I don't care, you stood me up."

Minjeong reaches for the girl's arm again. "Jimin—"

"Stop tugging me!" Jimin complains in annoyance. Her voice raising slightly, making Minjeong startled.

"Please forgive me, okay?" Minjeong mumbles weakly.

"You need to let me go and maybe I'll start thinking if I should accept your sorry or not."

"How about we go for a drive?" Minjeong offers.

"You don't have a car."

"We could use yours."

Jimin rolls her eyes. "You're such a jerk, you know that?"

"I am." Minjeong gladly accepts. "But I'm not letting you go knowing that you're still mad at me and you'll probably cry in your sleep."

Minjeong knows how Jimin always feel lonely whenever it's her birthday and she can't spend it with her family. Jimin doesn't say it much often, she doesn't want to admit it.

"So what do you say?" Minjeong is always willing to do anything just to ease Jimin's pain.

"Where would we go?" Jimin asks in a gentle tone this time around.

That made Minjeong smile. "We'll watch the sunrise, you love that right?"

Jimin nods. "Okay." she didn't try to fight or untangle Minjeong's hold anymore. But before leaving the apartment, still hand in hand, she whispers. "I'm still mad at you though."

It was adorable. Minjeong felt her heart racing while watching Jimin throwing childish tantrums. She felt her cheeks flushed when Jimin slides down her hand to intertwine their fingers.

Good thing it was night. Otherwise, Minjeong would be in so much trouble if Jimin sees her blushing at the simple act; if Jimin would know she's the reason why Minjeong is feeling butterflies in her stomach.

They spent 2 hours driving around before Minjeong decided to head out to a specific place where she usually go whenever she wanted to be alone. It's like her secret haven away from everything.

The breeze was warm, and they can almost taste the saltiness of the sea.

Jimin exits the car in haste, arms wide open as she runs towards the shore. "How did you know this place?"

"I used to go here with my parents when I was a kid." she answers.

"Oh... Then this must be private to you, you could have just brought me to anywhere."

"Don't be silly." Minjeong reaches for Jimin's hair to mess it up. "You're not just anyone."

Jimin stares at her for long. Minjeong's throat started to feel dry. She didn't say anything weird, did she?

Then Jimin draws a smile after few moments. "Don't worry, I'll keep this as a secret."

Minjeong never doubted Jimin's words. The woman knows everything that Minjeong could share about her life, and never did Jimin made her feel like she's some dumbass teenager being too dramatic during her adoloscence. Jimin has always made her feel she'll never be alone, again. Minjeong aspires she can make Jimin feel that way about her too.

They sat on the rocks off the right side of the beach as they wait for the sun to come out.

Sunrise gives hope, a lot of people say that. Minjeong never wanted to believe those words, but she finds herself wishing them to be true.

—

Before leaving the place, Minjeong received a text message from Eros. The god was greeting her good morning, and also reminding her about the deadline.
Just after she locked the seatbelt, Minjeong felt her phone vibrating again. It's another message from cupid.

"I hope having a sleepless night is worth it." Minjeong glances at Jimin.

She's always worth it.

"What?" Jimin raises a brow.

"Happy nineteenth birthday, Jimin." she says.

"You're still late." Jimin pouts and hums. "But thank you, Minjeong."

"Of course." Minjeong nods. "Anything, for you."

—

Hades.

That name is familiar because she had read it in books. Sometimes, Minjeong forgets that she's dealing with real gods, she always thinks that it's just Cupid who knows her existence.

"What do you want from me?" she swallows the lump in her throat. Minjeong doesn't like the feeling, the presence of the god of the underworld is suffocating her.

"Not much of a great welcome. I can see why Eros is so fond of you, you're as hardheaded as he is."

"I'm calling Cupid." Minjeong reaches for her phone, but even before she could touch it, the object has already flown away.

"Don't bother, it's not him that I am visiting but you."

"O-okay." she tries her best to calm herself down.

Hades casually walks away to take a seat, a drink then appears on his right hand, he plays with the glass for a while before sipping the wine like liquid. "Do you trust Eros?"

"Of course."

He shakes his head. "Mortals and their gullibility." Hades laughs. "Why trust someone you don't know."

Minjeong narrows her eyes. She can't be shaken by the devil's words.

"Exactly. I don't see what you're trying to say right now. I don't know you either."

"Right. But maybe if I'll show you something then you'll believe me."

"I don't think you have something that I am interested about."

"Really?" Hades stands up and slowly approaches her. "Not even this?"

It's Eros' notebook.

"Why do you have that?"

"It's not that hard to get this when I have Venus, Cupid's mother."

"Why would she give that to you?"

"If I'll tell then you might despise your mentor." He smiles in a wicked way.

Minjeong didn't answer. She thinks this god is just playing with her. Whatever that is that he's trying to tell, it's nothing.

"I don't have time for this. I'll be late for class." she grabs her bag and turns around to leave.

Only that a piece that is floating in front of her made her stop.

Yu Jimin and Kim Minjeong

"I wasn't asking your permission if you want to know about who Eros is, I am simply here to deliver the message." Hades chuckles.

Minjeong could care less. Her eyes are fixed to the names written on the notebook.

"He knows about you two, but he still cut your string and asked you to be his apprentice. Eros is selfish, Minjeong."

She shakes her head in disbelief. "That's not true. He wouldn't purposely do that."

"Why wouldn't he? When his love is on the line. He would do anything to get Psyche, after all, she's the love of his life."

"No." Minjeong refuses to believe. "Leave. Leave and don't come back!"

"Humans are truly pathetic." he said before he disappeared.

—

The deafening silence is enough for Minjeong to snap. She suddenly starts to laugh when the realization hits her. Eros remains quiet, Minjeong knows he will continue to do so.

What was she feeling?

Pain?

Remorse?

All of it at once, she concluded when she feels her cheeks being wet from the tears that she wasn't able to stop.

"W-what will happen to Jimin? Her string...Our connection—"

"It will stay with her." Eros answers.

"What?"

"She will lose her partner." That was it, Minjeong clenches her fists.

"Can't you alter the list?"

Eros stares at Minjeong for quite some time before replying. "No."

"What a crap." her nails are starting to mark across her palm.

"Minjeong—" the man tries to approach her.

"Do something!" Minjeong yells. She doesn't care anymore is she's talking to a god, she felt betrayed.

"I really can't."

"So that's it? She'll be alone forever because of this bullshit string?"

"Minjeong.." Eros calls her calmly. "I didn't know. I didn't know that when I cut yours, hers will stay. I am sorry."

"I guess a sorry from a god is no different from all other sorrys of idiot mortals." Minjeong inhales deeply as she forced to swallow the pain.

Hades was right, she's pathetic.

—

Minjeong can't remember how exactly she started to despise her family setup. Maybe it was when her father beat up her mom; or it was when she had no choice but to stop going to school because they're being chased by men she had never seen before; or maybe it was when even though she's still young, the reality was never good to her and slapped her at an early age that life is not as colorful as kids think it is.

Throughout the years, those times became Minjeong's excuses for her decisions. She thought no worse things will ever happen to her, that was peak of all.

She was wrong.

Looking back at that now, Minjeong thinks its funny how she hated her mother for not leaving; because as of the moment, every bit of her system is wishing she should have been more patient, she should have endured more things; she should have been more like her mother.

Everything that's supposed to be wonderful in her life is gone because she ruined it when she was devastated and sad.

—

As if it's not the worst day yet, Jimin arrived earlier than her schedule, catching Minjeong with a can of beer on her hand, and a stick of cigarette in her mouth.

The older girl gazes her seriously, orbs still filled by concern.

Minjeong nods, casually, and continues her acts. Screw it. She doesn't want to think about other things anymore. It's already too much.

But Jimin is really different from all other people. Minjeong thought that Jimin will lock herself in her room after walking past the younger, but without a word, Jimin came back and sat next to her, looks at her with so much intensity, eyes telling so many emotions.

"What happened?" Jimin starts slowly.

"Nothing." in Minjeong's world, nothing means the opposite.

It wouldn't take a genius to know that Minjeong is lying.

Jimin sighs. She didn't pry even when she's aware it's a lie.

Minjeong gets up to get another can from her groceries earlier. When she came back, she noticed that the cigarette is already lit off. She wasn't able to ask a question yet, and Jimin already answered.

"I hate smokes."

She huffs and gets another stick that she could consume. Jimin reaches first and throws it away.

"What the fuck?" Minjeong raises a brow.

"I don't like it." Jimin repeated her statement a while ago.

"I will be the one smoking."

"No."

"Jimin—"

Her words are interrupted when the girl she's talking to tugs her closer. "Talk to me, please." Jimin sounded so desparate that it made Minjeong's chest constrict.

She doesn't deserve any of this.

Jimin fully locks her in an embrace. Minjeong didn't fight, instead her arms automatically enveloped Jimin securely too. She buried her face on the crook of Jimin's neck. She's hugging her tight acting like if she wouldn't do it now then she'll never get the chance of it again.

"I'm so sorry." Minjeong's words were mumbled, her voice was low.

"Why are you apologizing?"

She shakes her head. "I'm just so sorry for all the things."

"Minjeong, I don't understand."

Tears started to come out, followed by the soft sobs. Minjeong didn't want Jimin to see her in this situation, but everything seems to be out of her control. She's tired, and she's hurting.

"I don't want to leave, Jimin." Minjeong pulls her closer. Just this time, she can be selfish too.

"L-leave? Where? What are you saying?" Jimin tried to push her gently so that she could look at Minjeong's face, but the younger girl didn't let her. "Minjeong..." Jimin coos.

"I don't want to go. I don't—" Minjeong kept shaking her head.

"Okay..." Jimin heaves a breath. She tried to lean back to see Minjeong's face. This time she was successful.

Minjeong's cheeks are wet, her nose is red, lips are still quivering. Jimin cups her face to wipe away the tears. She moves closer to land a comforting peck on Minjeong's forehead. "I hate seeing you cry."

"I feel the same when it comes to you." Minjeong says softly and wipes Jimin's tears that escaped from her eyes.

"I want to kiss you."

Her heart automatically raced after hearing Jimin. Minjeong's body shivers when Jimin's right hand fondles her cheek, and slowly traveled to her neck, with the thumb brushing across the skin.

"On the lips." Jimin continued, eyeing the already swollen pair, Minjeong has been biting while crying.

"Please, d-don't..." Minjeong sounded so weak. Denying should be the right thing, but Minjeong is at the point where humans always want what they shouldn't have.

That's why when Jimin ignores her and tells her. "I love you." before closing the gap, she gladly accepted it.

Minjeong wished she could say those words back. She wants to say it back, so much. But she hopes that Jimim could feel her love with the way she responded to her kiss.

Just this once, she can pretend she will stay.

____

HEARTBREAKINGGGGG

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