“Do you regret it?”

Minji smiles at the question as she runs her fingers through her scalp before tucking some strands of hair behind her ear.

It’s unbelievable, how time flies so fast.

Every passing moment in your life must be cherished and never a single one should be ignored. Everything should be appreciated, it be a bad moment or a good one because you will never know its consequences in the future as life, as connected with time is like a thread; it consisting of several push and pulls, tug-of-wars between several situations and you can never know where that thread will get you.

It’s a straight line after all. Yes, it might get tangled and messed up, but as the motto says ‘Life goes on’, the thread continues to be a straight line, back to what it originally is, only with a few additional twists and turns but still a straight line in the end.

But why does a thread, despite of the fact that it might get tangled and twisted, gets back on track, being a straight line, that is?

Because of that one goal it searches for.

The dream.

To Minji, Yoohyeon was her dream.

She met the latter when they were kids. It was funny because she remembers fighting over some kid named Siyeon.

They were ten years old at the time, and both of them wanted to befriend her. Things got messy, and with disheveled hairs and a few light bruises on their knees and faces, their parents made them reconcile the anger they harbour for each other; they were forced to hug it out.

And of course, Siyeon was there to watch the whole thing and after hugging it all out, the three of them cried. Minji thought Yoohyeon’s cry was so ugly, that she kicked her foot to make the latter cry even more.

That memory is so vivid to Minji because she got a broken nose at the end of that day.

And then they were eleven.

Things barely improved between her and Yoohyeon. Siyeon was always there to mediate the whole thing but when the three of them are together, a fight between her and Yoohyeon seems to be inevitably the only option.

She remembers making pranks to make Yoohyeon cry and of course to impress Siyeon. She wanted to be friends with the latter so bad but no matter what she did, the other girl seems to want to stay in the middle.

She said she loves the both of them and she hates it when they see them fight with each other.

It was when they’re twelve that things got a little bit better.

It was all because of an incident.

At school, Minji was hailed as that popular kid and people started to pick on Yoohyeon as the latter used to scratch her face and bruise it with kicks.

They were young and so were the kids in school. Instead of Minji alone, others started to abuse Yoohyeon with insults and even throw pranks at her, tossing papers at the latter’s face during presentations and throwing animal poop at the unknowing girl in the restroom.

It was all too much that Minji got jealous as she used to be the only one doing all those to Yoohyeon and she thought the others doesn’t have a right to do that.

And so, she accompanied Yoohyeon everywhere and warned everyone to stay back and stop their assaults to the younger girl.

Minji got thrashed as well but she doesn’t regret standing up for Yoohyeon. It wasn’t long until Siyeon joined in and the three of them became known as the three losers in school.

Minji thought as long as the three of them are together, they’re invincible.

She first heard Yoohyeon sing when they were thirteen.

Minji thought she’s never heard a voice that beautiful before. The latter was just singing for fun but Minji thought her voice was something else.

Of course, as a thirteen-year-old back then, she couldn’t quite understand why the latter’s voice brings peace to her mind and at the same time, make her heart beat in a seemingly fast pace. She thought it was normal.

Then they were fourteen and she realises it wasn’t really normal.

She became aware of how she can feel her cheeks heat up as Yoohyeon gets close to her and yet still doesn’t fully understand why Yoohyeon's the only one who can make her feel these kinds of things. Siyeon does it as well, leaning her head on Minji’s shoulders but when Yoohyeon does it, she can’t help but feel a sudden surge of emotions within her. It was suffocating and she couldn’t breathe.

She became particularly aware of Yoohyeon’s eyes, and how they shine brightly especially when there’s only the two of them in the room. The latter’s lips also looked inviting but she shrugged at the thought of her leaning in to kiss them. It was rare, being with Yoohyeon alone as the other girl always brings up Siyeon to the conversation and calls the latter to hang with them and so she couldn’t quite reach out to the her about her feelings and confront her for it.

At the heights of their puberty, they were fifteen when Minji accidentally confesses to Yoohyeon.

She can never forget how surprised the latter was back then but Yoohyeon did something unexpectable.

It was hugging her and giving her a peck on the lips and uttering, “I thought I was the only one with this feeling." And then, the latter kissed her once more.

She remembers everything as that wet and sloppy kiss. It was their first time afterall. and Siyeon was finally out of the narrative; the girl was dating someone named Bora and she couldn’t care less.

It was all Yoohyeon at the moment.

Sweet sixteen was the best indeed.

It was the first time they made out and Minji thought it was all hot and Yoohyeon was so hot and she just couldn’t breathe as she feels the latter’s tongue inside , kissing her with so much passion.

They were at the laundry room in her house and that’s probably the worst place you can make out with someone. She currently has Yoohyeon’s legs wrapped around her waist, her hands roaming around the latter’s chest, over the bra of course as she’s too afraid to go further.

She swears she can live with just hearing the younger girl’s pants and whimpers as she plays with , biting and nipping the latter’s bottom lips.

It was all done in a hasty manner, and it’s because of puberty.

She hears Yoohyeon her name as she trails kisses on the latter’s neck and she swears she can feel her legs wobbling.

Yoohyeon is her weakness and hearing her sweet cries from pleasure is just both satisfying and makes her want for more, to push the latter to her limits; make her scream.

Puberty indeed, may be damned.

Minji realised how her dream became Yoohyeon and so was Yoohyeon’s when she was seventeen.

It seemed like a fever dream but it wasn’t. With the latter’s fingers intertwined with hers as they hang out on Minji’s bed during the heat of summer weather, she can feel the sweat trickling from her forehead but she doesn’t mind.

She got Yoohyeon’s head resting on her lap and with that she’s got a full view of Yoohyeon’s features.

She thinks the girl’s so beautiful, so soft to touch, her lips as plump and red as an apple and she just wants to kiss it again if it not for the sole reason that they were just done making out and everything is hot, including the weather.

She can feel Yoohyeon’s eyes on her, and she swears she can just melt right then and there, as she watches as the girl gave her the sweetest smile ever, the way her teeth showed knowingly, in its perfection, bright and radiant to the sight and the latter’s eye smile owing to the world full of delight and wholesomeness.

Yoohyeon and the latter’s smile is one of her favourite things. Perhaps, the first on her list.

The second is the thought of them staying like that forever.

Forever seemed like a short time as they had their first fight when they were eighteen.

Minji realised her dream included getting away from Yoohyeon and pursuing her dream as an actress.

It was all inevitable, they live in the countryside where opportunities are rare and she realised if Yoohyeon’s dream is to sing, hers was to become an actress. It was all at the back of her mind before, acting.

And getting closer to her 20’s, she knew she had to do something for herself at least and she wants Yoohyeon to do just the same.

She thought trying one time at this audition she heard of would only get her an experience in interviews. It was shocking to know that they accepted her and finally casted her.

The only downside of it all was that, she had to fly abroad, to the states. Los Angeles they said and it was miles away from where she and Yoohyeon is currently staying. The younger girl is satisfied to have several gigs here and there but Minji realises she doesn't want to end up like that.

And there she persuades Yoohyeon into agreeing to have a long-distance relationship with her. The latter was at first against it, but eventually gave in to the offer.

That same night, they made love to each other. It was all for passion and intensity, all the craving and yearning for each other summed up in just one night.

The start of the twists and turns between them started when she was nineteen.

She was casted in different films and even started to write her own scripts and even plays while she’s still studying. Everything was so hard for Minji and it was no surprise she’s actually forgotten about Yoohyeon.

Oh, Yoohyeon.

It was definitely hard for Minji to juggle things on her own and the fact that she’s alone amidst all of this is stressful for her.

Yoohyeon’s calls and texts were ignored but not on purpose. Minji always says sorry for that. She calls back to say sorry and she always get the same response.

It’s okay, I understand.

Minji was twenty when Yoohyeon finally stopped calling and texting her altogether.

She first noticed it on their supposedly 4^th anniversary. She sent a text to the latter but the girl never texted back. The day ended without a response from Yoohyeon.

She thought it was weird.

But then it went on, and it worried her a lot. She started calling her but the other line isn’t just picking up and there came the time where the other line doesn’t ring anymore.

She wanted to come home and meet Yoohyeon as there seemed to be a misunderstanding between the both of them but she couldn’t just drop all her projects at once, not that she’s starting to get big in the industry.

And so, they fell through. Just like that.

“Do I regret it?”

Minji asked herself as the both of them are now sitting on the sand, with the cold breeze hitting their faces. The splashing of waves can be heard through the distance.

“I don’t. Not really.”

Yoohyeon looked at her with an unreadable expression on her face. The latter then started writing their names on the sand. “And why is that?”

“Because you pursued your own dream. You stopped settling for something that’s enough to make you go on for the day and started to look for something better. Look at you now, Grammy awardee and all.” Minji chuckles as she watched the latter trace their names on the sand.

“It was bound to happen anyway.” Yoohyeon said, with a hint of sadness in her voice. “We could’ve been something more.”

“And if we did, you won’t realise your worth. You’ll settle for less.” Minji paused for a moment, admiring the beauty of the girl beside her. For her, she was still the same Yoohyeon, only older and hotter, and of course, prettier. The same old Yoohyeon she loved and will always do.

“Hi, baby.” Siyeon came behind Yoohyeon before sitting beside the latter and kissing her on the lips. “Dinner’s ready.” Siyeon glanced at Minji and gave her a soft smile. “You coming with us?”

“Yeah, in a minute now.”

Minji watched their retreating backs with a constricting heart, she can feel a tear rolling down her cheeks as she watched them walk away. She saw a glimmer of their wedding rings as she watched them leave, it seemed as if it were mocking her, she thought.

Like a thread, Yoohyeon was a part of her, an entanglement but she has to go on.

A part of the other girl will be forever carried by Minji, something that can be traced back in the past, but is not to be found in the present anymore and will never be a part of her future.

Her eyes wandered back to their names Yoohyeon traced on the sand earlier.

Minji, Yoohyeon and Siyeon.

She watched as the wave came, washing the words away before getting up.

She was twenty eight when she finally lost Yoohyeon.