“It’s already late though.” 

The blond-haired girl was sitting on the hood of her car, parking in front of a convenience store, waiting for her cousin to buy whatever she needed.

“I know,” Minjeong hears Jimin sigh. She knew the other girl was frowning. “This won’t take long,” she explains, “Just…a bonding time with Wendy Unnie…that’s all.” She can’t really tell the reason for the meet-up.

“I understand. It has been a while since you guys hung out.” She smiled a bit. She likes how understanding her girlfriend was to her.

“As long as you guys don’t drink. You still need to drive Unnie home.” Minjeong was about to answer her when she saw her cousin proudly raise two six-packs of beer cans at the counter to her, indicating she brought them some alcoholic drinks. Oh boy.

“Yeah…well…about that,”

“Minjeong-”

Before she makes Jimin upset, the blonde-haired girl immediately expresses how she won’t drink too much.

“One can.”

“One?”

“I’ll allow you to drink only one.” She knows that her girlfriend just wants the best for her and she doesn’t want her to be upset.

“Call.” She hears Jimin humming in satisfaction. “You should go to sleep now, baby. You must be tired.”

“I am,” she hears the other girl yawn in the other line, “don’t forget to text me when you get home. Even if I won’t reply, I just…”

“I will, babe. I will not make you worry too much.” Minjeong smiles as she hears Jimin seemingly satisfied with her response. She saw Wendy going out of the store and pointed to the side where a bench was located. “Time for me to go now, babe. Goodnight and sweet dreams, Jimin.”

“Hhmm, good night, Mindoongie. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

She put her phone inside her pocket and stood up from her car. Before proceeding to where her cousin was, Minjeong took an envelope from her car. She looked at this and remembered everything that had happened earlier that day.

She saw the older woman walk to her seat, “Please…have a seat.” It took a lot of energy for Minjeong to not freeze from where she was and proceed to sit in front of a legendary artist.

She knew she was going to meet a famous person, but she wasn’t prepared for this. She didn't know where to look, she couldn’t even sit comfortably.

Minjeong jumped a bit in surprise when Boa moved her seat which made the other woman chuckled, “chill, Minjeong. It’s not like I will bite you.” The blonde-haired girl could only laugh awkwardly.

“You must be confused as to why you are called here in my office,” 

“I might have an idea,” she sees the older woman raise an eyebrow, "Minho wasn't subtle about it."

Boa chuckles again, "this will be fast then." She smiled at the blonde-haired girl and clasped her hands together, "I want to sign you to our music company as a trainee."

"Trainee?"

Boa nods, "producer in training."

"I...I thought companies only sign idols and singers-"

"We also have that, though in a different agency." Boa points out, "SM Studios focuses more on creating music, and you, Kim Minjeong, we recognize your talent, not just your writing skills but also your composing skills. That is why we want to sign you."

"But...I'm just a student."

"Ah yes," Boa laid back on her seat, "would you believe me if I told you that I already learned about you even before your involvement with the indie movie."

Minjeong’s eyes widened, "one of your professors, Yoo Jong Shin, we go way back. He told me about you and how exceptional your talents are. Let's just say, we have been monitoring your growth as a soon-to-be producer at your school."

"We always wanted to sign you soon, we just needed to prepare and properly establish our training program for soon-to-be producers like you. Your participation in the indie movie definitely helped fasten everything."

Minjeong was speechless. It was a shock to her that they knew her even before her involvement with the indie movie. “I..I really don’t know what to say…I mean, this is crazy. I never thought I'd be special for this to happen to me.” 

“There are still a lot of things you need to work on, Minjeong,” the blonde-haired girl listens, “you have the raw talent. With proper guidance and training,” Boa looks at her proudly, “you will become one of the best.”

“Yah!” Minjeong snapped out from her thoughts. She sees Wendy, in front of her, drinking, “you spaced out on me.”

“Sorry,” she sees her cousin offering her a can of beer, “drink this. It will ease your mind a bit.” Minjeong accepted it and drank a bit.

Indeed, Wendy was right.

“So,” Wendy picked up the envelope. It contained her contract to a music company, SM Studios, “they want to sign you, huh.”

“Yeah,”

“Damn,” the older girl sips her drink as she looks at the contract, still amazed it’s real, “my cousin will become famous.”

Minjeong rolls her eyes, “please, I haven’t even accepted it yet.”

“Still, the possibility is there,” Wendy flips through the pages, “Damn, this is really real.”

“Really, Unnie?”

“What?” Wendy continues, “let me be. I still haven’t processed this amazing information.”

The younger girl couldn’t help but sigh as she sipped on her beer.

“Did you tell your parents about this? This is insane, Minjeong! They'll be very delighted.” Minjeong shifted uncomfortably on her seat, “Yeri, Umma, Appa will also be, too. Heck, even your gir-” Wendy saw her cousin’s fallen reaction, “you haven’t told anyone...”

“Yizhuo knows…”

“Oh?”

“You too.”

“Yeah, I know that.” Minjeong sighs,

“This is really bothering you. Why?”

“The offer has a catch, Unnie,” Minjeong looked at her sadly, “I have to go abroad,”

“Sweden?”

“Yes.”

“That’s…” Minjeong was overwhelmed. She hasn't processed the fact that she’s being offered, and now, she needs to go abroad if she accepts it? “...I don’t know what to say…”

Boa chuckles in understanding, “this must be really overwhelming,” Minjeong could only awkwardly laugh in agreement. It was overwhelming.

Sweden.

She needs to go to Sweden.

“Why…Sweden? If you don’t mind me asking,”

“For years, Europe has produced a lot of amazing producers. These producers made a lot of hit songs all around the world, even here in our country.” BoA relaxes on her seat, “Majority of them came from one place, and that is…”

“In Sweden.”

“Bingo,” Boa explains further, “we were able to talk to one of the huge music production companies in Sweden and came up with this training program where our trainees will hone their skills there, study the ins and outs of the music industry, and eventually became world-renowned producers in the future.”

She smiles as leaned closer to Minjeong, “and we want you to be part of that program, Minjeong.”

Minjeong gulp. 

She won’t lie, the thought of being trained by the best of the best made her blood boil. It excites her.

Through this, she could reach her dreams.

Be able to hone her skills more.

Be able to create more really good songs.

But, she thought.

Jimin.

Her heart sank.

The thought of leaving, leaving her Jimin, to be separated from her.

She can’t.

“I can’t do it,” she whispered.

“What?”

“I’m sorry,” Minjeong looks down, “I don’t think…I can do this.”

“This is a big opportunity, Minjeong,” Boa reminds her, “why won’t you take it?”

“I…” 

Jimin.

She can’t lose her.

After everything that had happened.

After everything Jimin had gone through before, she couldn’t do it to Jimin too.

I promised, Minjeong remembered, I promised I won’t leave her.

“I can’t leave.”

“Minjeong,”

“I’m sorry,” Minjeong bowed apologetically. She heard Boa sigh and stood up from her seat. “Minjeong, look at me,”

She could only sigh and looked up. The older woman was already in front of her, sitting on the table, facing her, “what’s holding you back? I can see from your eyes how you were excited to hear about this news but…something is holding you back.”

“I…I can’t leave.”

“It’s only for a few years, Minjeong,”

“Few years?”

“Yes,”

“How…long?”

“Hhmm,” Boa thought for a bit, “five years max.”

Minjeong flinched, “that’s…too long.”

“Minjeong,” Boa sighs and reaches out to her hands, “I understand, I really do. This…this is a huge opportunity and a huge commitment.” She took the contract on the table and put it in Minjeong’s hands, “you don’t have to decide now, summer is still long. You can still think about it more.”

Minjeong looked at the contract.

She knows,

Deep down,

She wants this.

Heck, it’s an amazing opportunity.

But Jimin, her girl invades her thoughts again.

Minjeong felt a hand on her shoulder, “just think more about it, Minjeong. Just call me when you have an answer. Okay?”

“Oh,”

That was the only word the older girl could only say. The information made her speechless, as well.

Minjeong sips more on her drink and sighs.

Talking about it made it easier. Sharing it with someone lessened her burden, but her heart is still heavy. 

She is still conflicted.

“Minjeong,”

“Hhmm?”

“Tell me the truth,” Wendy asks, “is Jimin the reason why you’re hesitant with this?”

The blonde girl was silent, staring out to nowhere, before nodding meekly to her cousin. Wendy sighs as she drinks more. “You guys can talk this out you know,”

“It’s…not that…easy..”

“I know,” Wendy forced a laugh, “I know.” Minjeong caught that and she found it weird. The last time she checked her, Unnie had never gone through any LDR before.

“I know it’s not easy, but I think you guys can talk and work this out,”

“Jimin…she went through…a lot. With her dad, with Ryujin…I…” Minjeong looks at her cousin, “I can’t leave her,”

“But you’re not leaving her, Minjeong.” Wendy faced her, “You guys aren’t breaking up.”

Minjeong looked away, it was suspicious to the older girl. “You’re hiding something,”

“It’s not my story to tell,