"Jisoo! Jisoo Kim look here please!"

"Look here! Look here!"

"Jisoo! Can we please ask you a few questions?"

The woman in her brown wool coat stops and smiles at the small crowd hovering over her on the twenty-third street in New York. "Just a few questions okay? We're on 23rd Street after all."

"Miss Kim, just a quick question how does it feel like to have your works acknowledged by the Books and Beers club, which is one of the famous book clubs here in New York?"

"I admire the recognition. They're one of the few people that I respect here in New York and to have them spend a meeting on my book and to admire it as much as most of the people do really means a lot to me."

"What can you say about the rumors about your book going onto the New York Best Time Seller and the possibility of winning the Shakespeare award this year?"

"I don't entertain them that much since they are what they are which are rumors. I just don't want to set up myself with that kind of expectation and then deal with a great amount of disappointment. If the news comes, then I'll get back to you guys. Well after three to five days since I still have to go through the emotional breakdown right?" The crowd laughs at her answer.

"Jisoo, if ever you win the Shakespeare award this year, would you finally tell the world where you got the inspiration to write your book?"

This time the writer smiles and places her sunglasses on. "You guys just have to see and find out."

She leaves in her classic Benz sportscar and storms off leaving the reporters wanting more knowledge about the woman who took New York by a thunderstorm.

Jisoo Kim was just a normal person the first time she arrived in New York City. She came from Jeju, a population of not more than a million to become part of a city where nearly nine million people live. The first time she stepped foot, there was a culture shock, homesickness, and piles of worries to the point where she just wanted to book herself a flight home, but every time it happens to her, she remembers her 10-year Visa and the reason why she had to move here and then all of those negative thoughts fade away, focusing on her main goal- which was to have her work published.

It wasn't easy though, back then nobody would pay attention to her. Manuscript after manuscript all of her works seem to not fit their criteria. Her savings were slowly running out and all the bills were finally catching up to her to the extent that she had to get two jobs and try to break through the book market. She was in her third year of stay when she finally decided that maybe writing wasn't just meant for her.

And that's when she meets Lisa Manoban.

Lisa was a junior PR agent working under Rock Agency and at that time they both found comfort in one another since Lisa liked drinking hot chocolate and Jisoo somehow liked serving them in her 8-hour shift in the late evenings until the mornings. It formed a bond between the two that lasted a year so when Lisa had her break, she included Jisoo in her victory and the rest was history.

"There you are." Lisa greets her as soon as she enters her high-story apartment. "Saw the video that happened earlier on 23rd, loved how you handled everything."

"Thanks."

"You know, I am still amazed at how they're still interested in your book when you've only released one, and up until now you haven't told them how you managed to keep them hooked."

"I've been releasing a few excerpts here and there and some short poems on my social media account okay? Not everything is about the book... plus, you do a very good job at people trying to know more about me. Thanks for keeping them off the radar." Jisoo smiles at her. "You're such a good agent."

"Oh, but I won't be once you hear the news."

"What kind of news?"

"Wanna hear the bad news or the good news?"

"What do you want for me to hear first?"

"Well- for starters... the agency called." Lisa gives her a knowing look. "They want to know if you're starting on a new book."

"I already told them-"

"They understand. No new book until you get the Shakespeare award and they're fine with it really... but the sales are starting to drop so they're getting a little worried."

"Have you responded?"

"I told them that you are working on something but you can't tell them yet."

Jisoo sighed. "Are there any other bad news?"

"It's that number again." Her agent says, making Jisoo's face turn into something unexplainable.

"Did you answer?" Lisa shakes her head. "Good."

"Hey, you haven't told me about-"

"I'm tired, Lisa. It's been a long day for me so I'll just hit the sack yeah?" Jisoo gives her a cheerful smile and a light tap on the shoulder. "Thank you for dropping by. I'll see you this week."

As Jisoo retrieves to her bedroom, Lisa grabs the book with a baby blue cover engraved with the title- Tanabata. "Who hurt you, Soo."

__________________________________

"Soo! Soo!" Lisa's voice echoed at the entrance of the writer's apartment.

"Lisa I'm playing!!!" The sound of ascending footsteps distracted Jisoo from her RPG game. "LISA! Your annoying stilettos are distracting me!"

"I don't care if you're playing, you have to stop it! Meet me in the living room."

"What?! Are you crazy?! This is a rank game!"

"Just stop it! Now! And I am telling you this as your agent. Don't make me come over there and turn off your PC!"

With a half-hearted attitude, Jisoo exits the game and grumpily enters the living room, greeting Lisa with crossed arms. "This better be good news." She meets her agent in the eyes, wondering why they are stained with tears. "Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Here, go find out yourself."

Jisoo grabs the envelope with furrowed eyebrows, unsure of how to understand what her agent said. Looking at the title, came from the New York Writers' League, the institution responsible for choosing who will be the writer who wins the Shakespeare Award. She looks at Lisa, still with tears in her eyes yet encourages her to open the thing. With trembling hands, she pulls out the piece of paper and reads the statement out loud.

"Congratulations Miss Kim, with your book Tanabata, which has touched the hearts of a million people, we are pleased to announce to you that you have won the Shakespeare Award for 2019. We also humbly request your presence as we give you this award next week for the annual Writer's League festival. Hope to see you soon..."

It was silent throughout the entire space for five solid minutes. No one dared to speak, no one dared to even make a move... Jisoo stood there, with the paper still in her hand and Lisa was standing a few feet away from her with tears in her eyes. The moment Jisoo looked back at her friend again, Lisa was already taking steps towards her and engulfing her in a bear-tight hug, followed by ear-piercing squeals that were shared by the both of them and tiny kangaroo hops as they laughed and twirled each other around the living room before landing on Jisoo's L-shaped couch that had a view of the Upper East Side.

"I can't believe it."

"I can't believe it too."

"Pinch me, this must be a dream." Lisa voices out weakly, but Jisoo perfectly hears her and does the latter's request. "OW!"

"What? You told me to pinch you right?"

"Yeah but not that hard!" Instead of apologizing, Jisoo just laughs it off. "Congratulations Soo, you finally did it."

"Without you believing in me Lisa, I wouldn't be able to do it."

"I'm sure a lot of people believed in you as well."

"Yeah, but some of them choose to turn their backs on me."

Lisa turns to Jisoo. "Hey."

As soon as she hears the concern in her agent's voice, she turns into her grinning face again. "We have to celebrate. Come on, let's eat dinner, my treat."

"Okay." Lisa responds, fully knowing that she still wouldn't be able to get much of the latter is she tried to press it further. "This better be something expensive.

I'm tired of eating Pizza whenever it's your turn to treat me."

"Don't worry." Jisoo leans in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll just go and change okay?"

After the celebratory dinner, Jisoo immerses herself in creating the perfect acceptance speech the moment that she receives the award. She had already revised a lot of paragraphs and recycled a lot of scratch papers but every time she tried to convince herself that this was the acceptance speech that she had been wanting for the whole world to hear, a word or even a phrase turned her off and it ends up in the trash bin, leaving her even more frustrated than before.

Lisa was starting to get stressed out too. As a good agent that Jisoo always complimented her, she promised to help out with the acceptance speech which is why she has been sleeping on Jisoo's couch for the third day of the week already.

"No. This isn't going to cut it."

"Nope, not this one too."

"Definitely not this one."

"Ugh, I give up."

Lisa approaches her stressed-out friend who has been rubbing her temples all day long. "You look like you need a break."

"No, Lisa. I look like I need a very good acceptance speech, one that the world deserves to hear." She sighs out loud. "This is the moment that I have been waiting for so long... I can't mess this one up."

"Jisoo, all of your acceptance speeches were good already. I don't get why you stress yourself way too much."

"You don't understand!" Jisoo bursts out all of a sudden, totally surprising Lisa.

The blonde girl immediately backs up a few steps away. "Okay, let me go inside the kitchen and make some hot chocolate for the both of us okay?"

Jisoo sighed out loud again, feeling a tad guilty for the way she reacted to Lisa's comment earlier when she could've managed it better. She too didn't understand why she needed the perfect acceptance speech for this. She didn't understand why she felt this sudden need to prove to the world that she deserved this award, that this wasn't just given to her by luck, but because she had worked hard for it, she earned it and she needed it.

But even though this was the thought that she had wanted for herself to believe in, at the back of her mind, a part of her asks-

 Is this still about proving yourself to the world? Or is it about someone who stopped believing in you a few years ago?

Shaking the thought away, she shakes her head and looks at the blank paper in front of her and the 0.3 pen on the right. Closing her eyes for a few seconds, trying to get herself in the mood for writing and just setting her mindset there. As soon as she opens her eyes the cellphone rings, causing the writer to be annoyed again, without realizing that it was a call that she wasn't supposed to pick up in the first place.

"WHAT." Jisoo lowkey screamed at the person calling.

"Finally you picked up." She looked at her working desk and finally noticed that she had picked up the wrong cell phone.

"Uh- wrong number."

"No! Wait! Don't hang up yet!"

"I told you- you have the wrong number-"

"Jisoo please." Hearing the latter's soft voice made Jisoo melt for a split second. "You don't even have to talk. I just want you to know something okay?"

There was a long pause coming from the Jisoo's end until she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm giving you three minutes since international calls are expensive."

"Jisoo, she wants to see you." The voice says. "I know it's been a long time, and I know after what happened you don't want to even see or even hear about her but I

hope that you find it in your heart to hear my request."

"You know you're asking for the impossible right?"

"I know, but I believe that the old Jisoo in you still exists. Deep down, I know that no matter what happened or how much bad blood you guys had, you still care about her. I know you want to know how she's doing, if she's well, or if she's living the life just like what you're doing with your life right now..."

"No." Jisoo denies. "I don't care about her anymore. You should know better than anyone else because you were there... you were there when that happened. I don't even know why I am still talking to you Rosie, you were my friend. You were supposed to side with me but no- you as well turn your back on me."

"I turned my back on you Jisoo because if I choose to side with you, she wouldn't have anyone else."

"No, she has everyone on her side. Remember how she blamed me for being the bad guy? Do you want me to narrate it to you all over again!?"

"I perfectly remembered what happened that day." The latter response. "But please, you need to come and see her."

"I just can't travel 33 hours to Jeju, I have a new life now and more important things to do than see her."

"We don't live in Jeju anymore..."

"What?"

"She insisted we move to Saitama," Rosie explains. "Listen, I don't have much time to explain but Jisoo, you need to see her this week. Just- please, come and see her okay?"

"Why?"

"Because then maybe you'll figure out why she broke your heart." The call ends, leaving Jisoo to go through the memory walk all over again.

__________________________________

"Please hear me out."

"No, I don't want to hear your lies anymore."

"But I'm not lying! I'm telling you the truth why won't you believe me!?"

"I know what I saw Jisoo, I'm not blind."

"Yes, you are! You're choosing to believe in what you want to see versus what you need to see!"

"This talk is useless, I'm going to leave."

"Jendeuk wait-"

"Let go Jisoo, we're over and I don't want to see your face ever again."

Remembering what happened caused Jisoo's breathing pattern to go heavy and irregular, her lips were starting to get dry, and she started to tap her foot against the wooden floors in a swift motion. She tries to get out of the process, but she sees her hands are already trembling and she knows that it is starting again... She was having another moment.

"Here's your hot cho-" Lisa stopped midway when she saw Jisoo was having it again. Immediately placing the cup on her friend's work desk, she holds the latter firmly on both shoulders. "Jisoo breathe okay? You're going to be fine. Just count on me..."

"I... I don't know if I can..." Jisoo's ragged breathing really tells Lisa that she is having it. "Lisa... I can't-"

"Shh, you can okay? You can do it, Soo." She comfortingly rubs her friend's shoulders. "Count with me, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-" Jisoo then joins the counting but without using her voice. "Good, now let's count again... 10, 9, 8... You'll be okay Jisoo, you'll be okay..."

As soon as Jisoo calmed down, she looked in Lisa's eyes and instantly broke down in front of her friend. Lisa, who had already witnessed a lot from this side of Jisoo, just welcomed her in her arms and securely locked her friend comfortably as she cried her heart out. As Jisoo continues to cry her heart, Lisa soothes out Jisoo's hair and rocks her body in slow motion because she knows it also helps to calm the latter down.

Her friend detaches herself away from her after a few minutes. Her eyes were pretty swollen and it looked like the tears hadn't stopped. Even though they have been friends for a really long time now still Lisa feels like she doesn't know who is the real person crying in front of her. Of course, she knew too well not to press things further with the latter but if she doesn't do it now, who knows how long will she still see this kind of Jisoo in the future.

"Hey."

"Lisa, not now please."

"But Jisoo, I need to know why."

"I can't tell you yet."

"When will you though? Are you even planning to tell me?"

"Yes, I am I just-"

"Jisoo it's okay..." Lisa comforts her. "I just want to help you out you know... You've been keeping things to yourself for quite some time now and I don't think that it helps you."

"I don't think I can reopen that side of me ever again."

"Yes, you can." She motivates the latter once more. "Who was that Jisoo? Who's calling you on the same day of every month for the last two years?"

"No."

"Jisoo you have to let me in. I can't understand why you're going through this if you won't make me understand why."

"You won't understand."

"We have known each other for five years, I think I can understand-"

"Guess what Lisa, she and I have been together for five years too and I thought that it was enough for her that I couldn't do that, to know that I can never betray her trust to me but you know what she did? She threw those five years away, she disregarded all the good things that I've done to her all because of the one thing that I didn't even do in the first place!"

"Who is she we're talking about?" Now, Lisa was even more intrigued than before. "Is she the one you've been writing about?" She asks, making Jisoo turn away from her. "Jisoo, look at me. Is she the one in your book? Is she Sol?"

"Do you want to know why I can't give your company another book to gain from?"

"Why."

"It's because I can't write something that is not about her," Jisoo says with teary eyes. "All I can write about is her Lisa... just her."

"Back when I was still living in Jeju, I was friends with my neighbor for as soon I learned how to walk... Our parents were very good friends so we often met each other. And the moment that I learned how to speak, I've been mumbling her name ever since... we went to pre-K together, grade school, and eventually junior high and senior high."

"But ever since junior high, I knew I liked her more than a girl should. I like her so much that I wanted to hold her hand, take her to dates, give her kisses, and spend the night just cuddling each other. I was a coward though, didn't have enough courage and even be that awkward best friend who gave out pieces of advice whenever she was experiencing boy problems." Jisoo trails off. "I had to be there by her side and watch her fall in love with the wrong person over and over again while silently praying, hoping that she'll love me too."

"There was this Tanabata festival celebrated in our school in honor of our headmaster who was of Japanese blood. Tanabata is where you write your wish on paper and hang it on the bamboo trees. I've done it for my entire junior high year and in my last year of senior high became one of the happiest moments of my life..." Jisoo smiles at the faint memory in her mind. "Because while I was looking around the wishes hung up on the Bamboo tree, I saw her and it said- I hope Jisoo sees me the way I see her... From that festival, we got together and kissed at the same time the fireworks went up to the sky. It was the happiest moment of my life because finally, the person I like likes me back."

"Our parents were very supportive despite our very conservative traditions. We shared an apartment once we moved to Seoul for college and met a lot of people there. One of them was Rosie, and she became a very important factor in our relationship. College with her was a smooth road because she was there for me throughout and believed in me and my writing when nobody else would. When adulthood came, that's when we started to see each other's colors..."

"I wasn't doing so well in my writing which left me so frustrated and impatient most of the time while she was having the time of her life, getting the job that she wanted and working in the company she dreamed of working forever since high school. We were living under one roof, but for me, it felt like we were living in different worlds..." Jisoo trails off. "In every Tanabata year, I would wish for the very same thing- I hope my writing career goes well. I wanted it to work well because I wanted to give her the life that she deserved. A year passed and still, nothing changed so it has placed me in one of the darkest moments of my life. I turned to drink and met some friends that she wasn't fond of and then one night, I attended one of my friend's party- and things just got out of hand."

"Why? What happened that night?"

"That day, she didn't want me to go to the birthday party and just wanted to let me stay in the apartment with her but I didn't listen so we got into a fight and I just left her there. The birthday celebrant created a huge mess of herself that night so being slightly sober among our group of friends I took her upstairs to her room and helped her change. I was taking the dress off of her when things changed pretty quickly because she got on top of me and started kissing me."

"Don't tell me she walked on you guys."

Jisoo scoffed. "She did."

"Oh, Jisoo."

"I tried explaining things to her, begged for her to hear me out but she just completely shut me out, threw my things out of our apartment, and just told me we were done." Jisoo plays with the hot beverage with the use of the stirrer. "I fought for her for months, disregarded what everyone said, and continued fighting for our relationship. But when Rosie showed me a picture of her and a man having dinner together- I knew it was time for me to let go too."

"So I packed my bags, went here, and tried to make something for myself... I started writing everything. Every memory, every detail hoping that it'll help me cope with the pain she engraved in my heart. I work so hard because I want her to see me on the news, and the internet as someone popular, someone who is successful. I want her to look at my pictures and drown herself in regret. I want her to look at me through the screen and realize what she lost."

"Now that I finally got what I wanted, she comes back and tells me that she wants to meet me..."

"That's what the call was about?" Jisoo nods her head. "And what have you decided? Are you going to meet her?"

"I..." The writer shakes her head. "I don't know."

"Well, what do you know what I would do?" Lisa says, making her client look at her. "If I were a good PR Agent, I would tell you to not go because you have to focus on your present and you can't do that if you keep on visiting on what already happened. Meeting up with her won't do you any good so I suggest you stay here and just focus on creating an acceptance speech that the world deserves to hear."

"But if I was being a good friend, I'd tell you that you go and meet her because you are not just doing her a favor but you're also doing yourself a favor. You've been running away for too long and I think it's time for you to finally face her, to finally accept to yourself that you haven't completely moved on from what she did to you. Who knows? This trip might give you the closure you need and maybe you can write about something that isn't related to her any longer."

"And if you were to choose, what kind of good would you be?"

"I'll be a good friend because that's what I was to you before I became your agent." She smiles. "Go and take three days off from this stress. Just make sure you'll be in time for the Shakespeare Award okay?"

"Do you really think I can do it?"

Lisa ruffles her hair with a smile on her face. "You've been playing along to what your mind wants you to do. I think it's time for you to follow what your heart wants."

__________________________________

"Jisoo! Over here!" A woman with a plaque 'Jisoo Kim' waved at her enthusiastically. "Hi!"

The latter offers her a timid smile. "Hey, Rosie."

"I'm so happy to finally see you here." Rosie's wide smile still was unshaken despite Jisoo's efforts to shut the latter off. "Let's go, it's probably been a long trip from New York after all."

Jisoo hops on Rosie's worn-out pick-up truck where they start a long journey from the wide and skyscraper city of Saitama to the beautiful flowery fields of Minano. She looked from the passenger street and couldn't help but compare the life that she had back in Jeju. It felt all the same to her... From the breeze to the roads even down to the flowery fields, she would see from time to time... Even the architecture of the houses and the people roaming around the streets reminded her of the life that she had back then.

They stopped in front of a corner lot where an average house settles in. Rosie, took the liberty of carrying all of her pieces of luggage while she followed the latter in entering the premises. As Rosie was busying herself in the kitchen, talking about random kinds of stuff just to shake off the nervousness she was feeling, her eyes scanned her friend's home and how it was beautifully made. It had ample space for everything, and even the garden was beautifully maintained but Jisoo was no longer surprised, knowing Rosie, she likes everything perfectly maintained.

"Here, I've prepared some tea and biscuits for you." Rosie smiles as she places down the treats. 

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"I've already booked a place in a hotel."

"Well, you can cancel it. You should stay here."

"Oh no, I don't want to impose."

"You're not imposing Jisoo. Plus, I need some company here anyways."

"Why? Is she not living with you?"

"She used to, but she spends a lot of time in the hospital now."

"In the hospital?" Jisoo says with furrowed eyebrows. "What is she doing in the hospital?"

"She works as a volunteer now just like me..." Rosie answers.

"But she used to work for the fashion industry and she was even starting to make a name for herself right?"

"Well, she didn't find any form of satisfaction in her work so she went with me here in Japan and found happiness in helping others."

"That's a shame."

"Not really for me I guess, I mean- what's the point of having everything in life when you don't feel happy right?" Jisoo somehow related to what Rosie had said to her. "Anyway, tell me more about you! I've heard you something big in New York now."

"No, I'm anything but that." She shakes her head.

"That's not what the news was saying though, you were even rumored to get the Shakespeare Award this year right?"

"How do you know about all these things?"

"I just live in Japan Jisoo, not in another world..." She chuckles. "And just because you stopped being my friend doesn't mean I stopped being yours. I've always supported you, one way or the other." Jisoo turns to where Rosie is looking and down at her small bookshelf Jisoo sees her book carefully placed on the very top amongst the others. "You still write beautifully Jisoo... I loved how you wrote everything and for some reason, whenever I read it all over again, even when I already know how the story ends, it never fails to strike a pang of pain between here and there, and brings tears to my eyes, and lowkey anticipate a sequel..."

"Why would you guys think there's even a continuation for the story?"

"Because that's what humans do right? Whenever we get a sad ending, we ask for a sequel. Whenever we get an open-ended ending, we hope for the best." She says. "Besides, you can't really leave it just like that... You can't expect us for Luna to keep on wishing every Tanabata that somehow she'll wake up one day and not think of Sol anymore."

"Why?"

"Because just like Sol, Luna deserves to be happy too," Rosie answers as she looks at her friend in the eyes. "Luna deserves closure, she deserves to be happy again, to wake up the next morning and not remember the pain Sol brought to her. Luna deserves a new beginning too."

"A new beginning huh."

"Jisoo, thank you for coming here. You really don't know how much this means to me." Rosie places her hand on top of Jisoo's. "I know it takes a lot for you to come back and see her, but I'm glad you took that leap of faith."

Jisoo once again smiled timidly at her long-time friend. "Just like you said, Luna deserves a new beginning too."

__________________________________

Jisoo has already attended lots of dinner dates in her entire life. Having Lisa Manoban as your friend/PR Agent/Wingman can gain you a lot of benefits, one of which is dating women... There were women who Jisoo had seen two or three more times and there were women where Jisoo had to make an excuse just to leave their table and clearly, there was no in-between.

But maybe this is the very first time that Jisoo would feel that.

Because tonight, she will finally have dinner with the one and only Jennie Kim.

The one who broke her heart.

Her first love.

Her Sol.

It all happened so fast, after the tea talk with Rosie which was light since they hadn't touched nor talked about Jennie which was nice. Before retreating to her room Rosie reminded her that she would have to meet Jennie at a restaurant near the hospital by 8 o'clock. When she woke up it was already seven and she literally had to rush to go through everything, leaving her more stressed about meeting the latter even more so.

Gladly though she still arrived there around quarter to eight so she had enough time to calm herself down she usually does that with the help of a glass of whisky and that is what's currently going down her throat as of the moment.

"Okay Jisoo, remember just be polite and civil with her. Answer all of her questions with no form of grudge. Just be honest and who knows maybe you'll really get the ending that you deserve or closure or whatever that is." Jisoo finishes her glass and looks at her watch. "Okay, knowing Jennie she should be here at-"

"Jisoo?"

"Jennie." Jisoo whispers still managed to allow herself to be caught off guard by Jennie's appearance despite her preparation. "H-hi."

"What are you doing here?" The writer furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you meeting someone here?"

"I'm here to meet you actually. Rosie told me that you've been wanting to see me."

"But Rosie said..." Jennie takes a pause and then puts two and two together. "Jisoo, Rosie may have set us up."

"Huh?"

"I came out today because she told me that she'd meet me here tonight to have dinner with me." She says. "I guess she said another thing to you."

"So... you really didn't want to see me?"

"I don't think I have enough reason to see you..."

Disappointment hovers through Jisoo's face as soon as she hears that. Though she knew that Jennie was a cold-hearted woman on the outside, she didn't think she would be able to experience it herself. "Right, of course." She purses her lips together and tries to gather up all of her left ego. "Well, it looks like I don't have any more reason to stay so I'll just-"

"No!" Jennie says as she holds on tightly to Jisoo's wrist, much like she used to do when they were younger and happier. "Stay."

"What?"

Jennie pulls back and smiles at her. "Have dinner with me."

__________________________________

The dinner was pretty much awkward.

The silence between them was deafening and all Jisoo could hear was the sound of their utensils cutting through the insides of the steak or the side vegetables or the sound of the wine glass. Looking at where they are right now, she was starting to doubt if staying for dinner with Jennie was still a wise decision because half an hour had already passed and still no one between the two of them bothered to initiate the talk.

"Sorry." Jennie finally breaks the silence between them. "It's just, it takes a lot for me to digest the fact that you're actually here."

"Yeah." She lightly scoffs. "I can't believe I am here too."

"You didn't fly from New York right?"

"Oh no." Jisoo lies. "I was in Tokyo for a couple of days when Rosie hit me up and I answered. I figured that since I'm still in town and have some free days left might as well go here."

"You're on your book tour?"

"Just some book business." She answers nervously, quickly avoiding contact just in case Jennie starts reading her mind again.

"I guess your trip to New York didn't go to waste."

"It was at first, I mean I didn't go there and got it the first try..." She shares as she takes a bite of her premium meat. "It took me three years before I got to where I am right now... Sometimes I find it so hard to believe that a lot would buy my work and appreciate it. I mean- I'm just Jisoo, the woman who was struggling with writing and now I'm getting bestsellers and my books are always out of stock and now, I'm about to win the Shakespeare Award it's-"

"It's what you deserve." Jennie completes the sentence for her. "See, I always knew you were going to make it."

"I don't know, I guess after you stopped believing in me, I kind of stopped believing in myself too." It was a slip of the tongue, and the moment Jisoo looked at Jennie, she knew she fucked things up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make things-"

"Don't worry you didn't..." Jennie smiles. "I was kind of unfair to you that day right?"

"Yeah..."

"But have you ever thought if I didn't decide to break up with you that day, would you be where you are right now?" Jisoo takes a look at her ex-lover. "Have you ever asked yourself, if things between us were okay, would you also be okay?"

Hearing that made Jisoo think. Though what Jennie did to her was wrong and maybe unforgivable it also became her motivational drive to become a better person. If Jennie didn't break things with her, she would've stayed in Seoul- still working in a shitty company, with her books and dreams slowly fading away like her manuscripts. Being with Jennie would make her happy, but being the writer that she is today gives her a different kind of happiness.

"Is that why you broke up with me? To give me a chance?"

"I broke up with you because I refused to listen to you," Jennie explains. "I broke up with you because I believed in what I saw more than what you were trying to make me see and every time I remember it, a lot of thoughts come flashing through my mind, a lot of what ifs, a lot of could've been you know? I look back and just thought that maybe we could've stayed together if I just gave you five minutes to explain. Five minutes to tell me your side of the story, five minutes to allow us to talk and fix things..."

"But then I also think about if I gave you five minutes, would it help you be the person you are today if I gave you five minutes that time would it make you believe in yourself and your craft..." She trails off. "Then I realize that maybe that's why I couldn't give you five minutes because you were meant to spend that time working on yourself, rather than working on our relationship."

"Jennie..."

"I've read your book, a lot of times to be exact." She admits. "I feel bad for Luna, for not wishing the same old thing for years... it must've been painful for her, to keep on loving someone who no longer loves her. I hope that this Tanabata she will wish not to forget how she loved Sol, but I hope she'll wish that she will learn how to forgive Sol... To fix our hearts, we must forgive the person who broke it and I hope- in time, Luna will forgive Sol for breaking her heart just like how Sol forgave Luna for breaking hers."

"What are you-"

"Jennie." A man in his casual outfit interrupts their dinner. "What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering immediately, Jennie turns to Jisoo. "Hanbin, this is Jisoo. Jisoo, this is Hanbin- my boyfriend."

Jisoo perfectly recognizes the guy. Hair parted in the middle, a pointed nose, and plump lips with a bad-ass aura covering his entire entity. He was the one that Jisoo hated the most, the one that made her skin irk, and the one that Rosie showed. He was the guy that Jennie was with years ago in the picture that Rosie showed. And now, he's also the guy that Jisoo envies.

"You're not supposed to be here." Hanbin lowly reprimands Jennie.

"I was just having dinner with Jisoo."

"I can perfectly see that but as I said, you are not supposed to be here."

Jennie sighs. "Fine, can you wait for me outside? Just five more minutes and this will be done I promise."

Hanbin shoots Jisoo a cold look before pulling back. "I'll meet you in the car, no longer than five minutes that's it."

"Sorry." Jennie says as soon as Hanbin is out of sight.

"Wow, he's kind of-"

"Controlling?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry, that's just his way of saying he's looking out for me."

"Well, he can be a little over-protective for me." Jisoo comments, making Jennie chuckle. "Wow, it's the first time I've made you laugh throughout this whole dinner."

"Silly." She giggles. "You've always managed to make me laugh."

"But I've also managed to make you cry right?"

Jennie doesn't respond and holds onto Jisoo's hand. "Thank you for coming here Jisoo, it was really nice to see you doing well after all these years."

"I think it was a nice decision for me to come here too," Jisoo says honestly. "It was nice to see you too."

Jisoo pays for the bill even though Jennie insists on paying. Just like old times, they had a fair amount of bickering on who's about to pay for the bill but in the end, Jisoo's stubborn head wins and she grabs her card to pay for their dinner. 

Both exiting out of the restaurant, Jisoo decided that she'd accompany Jennie for a while as she waited for Hanbin to arrive at the driveway. She then notices that Jennie isn't wearing any kind of material to cover herself and Saitama nowadays has been pretty cold so, like the chivalrous person that she is, she grabs her coat and puts it over Jennie, surprising the latter.

"Jisoo no-"

"It's okay, you're going to need it anyway. Knowing Hanbin, he probably has a top-up car and you're going to be chilled throughout your travel."

Jennie giggles. "He has an SUV but you're right. He always likes his car cool so I'll probably need it."

"See?"

"But are you going to be okay?"

Jisoo looks at Jennie and this time she smiles genuinely. "Yeah, I'm going to be okay."

A black SUV stops in front of them, indicating that it is time for them to part ways. "Well, this is me."

Out of nowhere, Jennie pulls her for a tight hug. "Jen-"

"Give Luna a happy ending, Sol would've wanted her to be happy too." The latter pulls away. "Goodbye Jisoo." Jennie was on her way to the car when Jisoo started to call out for her. "Yes?"

"Are-" Jisoo bites her lower lip, deciding whether to ask her the question or not. "Are you happy?"

For the first time that night, Jennie's cheeks perked up, showing her gummy smile and letting Jisoo know that this was one of her genuine smiles. "I am now."

__________________________________

Jisoo arrives at Rosie's home slightly drunk, without a coat, and with a confused heart. She was wobbling her way through the entrance onto the main living area where she saw Rosie with Rosie's cheeks, looking slightly drunk too as she looked through the screen like some kind of zombie. With squinted eyes, she successfully maneuvers her way beside her friend.

"You're home early," Rosie states. "Dinner date went wrong?"

"First of all, I can blame you for that." Jisoo turns to her. "You told me that she wanted to see me."

"She does."

"So why did she appear at that dinner looking so surprised to see me."

Rosie shakes her head. "Typical Jennie." Being the drunk woman that she is, Jisoo decides not to pester further and just sighs out loud. "How was dinner though?"

"It was awkward at first, and then it was confusing, then confrontational, again with confusing, and then Hanbin- her boyfriend shows up and tells her that she wasn't supposed to be there in the first place which was weird because we were just having dinner not getting back together."

"But a part of you wants to right?"

"Whatever." Jisoo rolled her eyes and continued sharing her experience. "And then we walked out, and she asked me if I was okay, I don't know why but it felt like it had some double meaning for me and then she went to hug me and told me that I should give Luna a happy ending because Sol would've wanted her to be happy as well. So I asked her if she was happy and then she told me 'I am now' I mean- she's just confusing."

"So you got drunk?"

"I went for a drink because my head's been spinning in different directions with all of her cryptic messages." She sighs.

"Her messages aren't all that cryptic if you were here with her."

"Well bad news, she broke up with me so I can't be really with her."

"Did she tell you?" Rosie asks. "Did she tell you the reason why she broke up with you?"

"She just told me that she broke up with me because she chose to believe in herself rather than believing in me. And somehow, she indirectly tells me that she doesn't regret breaking up with me because if she didn't and we stayed together, I wouldn't be where I am right now."

"And do you like where you are right now?"

"Yeah."

"So which one is making you happier? The happiness with the life you have in New York, or the happiness that you had with Jennie."

"I- I don't know... If it was up to my mind to choose, of course, it'll pick the life that I have in New York. It's the one I've been wanting to have for years. If it were up to my heart, it would be with Jennie."

"You still love her all this time huh..." Rosie chuckles dryly. "Wanna know why I went to have a drink today too Jisoo?"

"Why."

"Because I want you to know the truth, just in case Jennie loves you too much to keep it from you."

Jisoo looks at her friend with furrowed eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

"Jennie lied to you that day." Her friend shares. "She knew all along that you were just changing Bona's dress. She knew that you would never cheat on her."

"So why did she break up with me still?"

"Because she felt that it was a believable reason, rather than being a cold-hearted bitch to you... She didn't have the heart to push you away that much, so when you told her that you were attending Bona's birthday party, she tried to argue with you just to intensify things and come to the party at the right time... All she had to do was to wait for Bona's text."

"Rosie- what the fuck are you trying to say to me?"

"Jennie framed you up, just so she could break up with you."

"WHY."

"Because she didn't want you to spend the rest of your days with a dying girl." Rosie's teary eyes meet with Jisoo's totally confused eyes. "Jennie has a Brain aneurysm Soo... and she only has this week left to live."

__________________________________

"Good evening where to?"

"Minano Hospital. Make it quick please."

"I... I don't understand- she told me that the reason why she ended things with me is-"

"Is because she doesn't think that she could wake up beside the person who broke her trust. Am I right?"

"How did you know..."

"Of course I know, I was the one who told her to say that to you."

"But why would she do that?" Jisoo's drunken state was slowly fading away and now she demanded answers. "She should've told me and we could've gone everything through together!"

"She was planning to tell you the truth Jisoo. But on the very same day she planned to do so, it was the same day when she saw your Tanabata wish. On that wish, you wrote so yourself-"

"Give me a writing career, only then I will truly be happy."

"Good evening, what room is Miss Jennie Kim?"

"I'm sorry visiting hours is no longer-"

"Please, I need to see her."

"Again, as much as I would like to accommodate you I can't. Visiting hours are over."

"Miss please, you don't understand she could be gone any minute now and there's still something that she needs to know. So please, just let me in... All I ask is for five minutes."

"I'll go and check with her doctor if he's going to give the go signal then I'll call you."

"Thank you."

"In the meantime, please wait on one of those seats."

"Okay, thank you."

"JISOO LEAVE!"

"No! I am not going to leave you here, thinking I'm some kind of cheater!"

"Because you are!"

"No, I'm not! Jennie, what you saw isn't the thing that really happened. All I wanted was for her to change on her dress-"

"Enough Jisoo, no more lies."

"Jennie, you are the love of my life... I would never, ever do something that would break your trust." Jisoo kneels and holds on tightly to Jennie's wrist, kissing her girlfriend's palm multiple times as she tries to persuade the latter. "I love you Jendeuk, you're the only person I am capable of loving."

"That's not true Jisoo... because if you really did love me, you would've listened to me and not go to the party."

"I know it was a mistake, and I promise that I will never do that again. I promise you, I'll listen to you always, even starting right now."

"You're going to listen to me starting right now?" Jisoo nodded immediately, afraid that Jennie would change her mind quickly. "Then let go of me, because I don't think I can stand to be in the same place as you."

"Jisoo." A voice calls out to her, breaking her flashback of memories. She looked up and was quite surprised to see-

"Hanbin?"

"Nurse, she's with me. We'll go ahead."

"Understood Dr. Kim."

"Come with me Jisoo." And the woman didn't even have to be told twice as she jolts up from her seat and follows the latter towards the elevator.

"She... she broke up with me because she thought I loved my writing career more than her?" Rosie nods her head. "But why?"

"Because that's how much she loves you Jisoo... it's as simple and as complicated as that."

"Hanbin," Jisoo calls out to him before they can even make their way to Jennie's room. "Be honest with me, how worse is her situation?"

"Do you want the truth or do you want the believable truth?" He asks.

"The truth."

"No one can save her anymore," Hanbin confesses. "We're all just waiting for her body to give up."

Jisoo closes her eyes and tries to fight back her emotions. "Is it true? That all she has left is this week?"

"I can't really tell..." He trails off. "In the end, it will only be up to her."

"Can I go and see her?"

"Before you go Jisoo, and this might be the last time we'll be seeing each other, I just want you to know two things." He says. "The first, I hope you're prepared. Whatever version of Jennie you have inside your head is no longer the Jennie who is behind that door. It'll make you feel a different kind of pain, and knowing the relationship you guys have, I know you're going to want to blame yourself but please don't do that. I need you to be strong the moment you enter that room because not everyone can handle who she is now. There's a reason why she moved to Saitama because even her parents can't stop crying seeing her in this state."

"And the second?"

"The second thing that I want you to know is that we never had any kind of romantic relationship. The picture Rosie sent to you was another of Jennie's plans hoping that you'd get the message and leave her all alone, for your good." He looks at Jisoo. "I think her weak heart has only allowed her to love only one person in this lifetime, and I think we both know who's that lucky person." Nodding his head, he paves the way for her to get inside and slowly leaves the two of them alone.

"Hanbin?"

"Yep?"

"Thank you." Jisoo says with a smile. "For taking care of her."

This time Hanbin responds with a smile too. "She's Jennie Kim, how can you not care for her?"

With Hanbin's figure disappearing from her vision, Jisoo turns her head towards the wooden door. Much similar to her anticipation when Lisa handed her the envelope, Jisoo slowly extended her hand onto the metal doorknob, lightly twisting it so that it wouldn't surprise the latter. She slowly stepped inside, and what she saw was something that she was totally not prepared to see.

Because a few meters away from her was Jennie's back along with her slim figure and hairless head.

"Hanbin why are you back so early I told you I was doing fine, I can remove the wig on my own." Jennie says still with her back facing her. "What do you think of Jisoo? Think she's pretty like I told you? She still hasn't changed throughout these years, I think she's even prettier than before."

"I still think you're the prettier one between us." Jennie instantly turned around when she didn't hear Hanbin's voice and was even caught off guard when she saw Jisoo standing beside the door frame. "Hi."

"What... what are you doing here?"

"Just here to check if the rumors were true..." Jisoo smiles. "I must say, you really look prettier without the messy hair... I knew that there was something off with you earlier, you never dye your hair brown."

"You shouldn't be here."

"And you shouldn't have pushed me away years ago."

"Jisoo I told you-"

"I don't care what you have to say, but you listen to me okay? You listen to me right now." Jisoo walks towards her. "Five years."

"We've been together for that long... and during those times, I thought that it was enough for you to trust me and allow you to tell me everything that's been happening around you. I thought that I'd shown my love for you enough for you to be sure that I would not go anywhere, even if you told me something as big and as serious as your condition." She says. "You also kept me in the dark for five years..."

"I spent five years hating you for what you've done, spent those times in motivating myself to prove to you that leaving me behind was wrong, that if you chose to understand me, we could've achieved and went to places together... I spent five years holding onto the pain that wasn't supposed to be there in the first place. I spent useless time planting hate on you rather than planting memories with you."

"I did that to protect you."

"Protect me from what Jennie?"

"From the pain!" She pushes Jisoo's hold off of her. "You think it was easy for me to not confide with you? You think I don't wake up in the middle of the night, and watch you sleep with tears in my eyes because I fear that I might not get to see you the very next day?!"

"You don't need to protect me from the pain because loving you also means allowing myself to be hurt by you!" Jisoo retorts. "Do you even understand what I am feeling right now? I want to be mad at you!"

"I want to scream at your face, to say all these fiery words that are stuck in my throat because instead of pushing me away, you could've told me first instead of assuming things! That way, I would've been there for you for those five years... In those times, I could've allowed myself to take care of you five more years, love you five more years, and just create more memories with you for five more years." There were already tears in her eyes as she continued to reveal the contents of her heart. "I could've given both of us the five years we both wanted but you chose to decide for the both of us."

"Because I won't be here five years later Jisoo..." Tears were also flowing in her eyes as soon as it left her mouth. "I won't be there for you when you wake up five years later, I won't be there by your side five years later, and I won't be on the other end of the aisle too... I accepted my fate a long time ago, and you should do the same."

"That's why I'm here Jennie." Jisoo remains stubborn and this time she holds onto Jennie's hands a bit tighter than earlier. "I've come to accept my fate too, I'm going to be the girl with a dying girlfriend who only has a week left to live."

__________________________________

The birds from the outside caused Jennie to stir and to be awakened from her sleep. With one eye shut and the other open, she looks at the bedroom view of the flowery landscapes of Minano, the slow-paced cars on the street she sees from the outside, and old people walking to their respective homes after the early morning stop at the market. She heard the doors of her room open and saw the time on the clock. 6:45 A.M. just in time for her morning therapy. She lay flat on her bed, doing her morning stretch like she used to, and was about to greet Susan, her morning nurse when her eyes came across a woman with jet-black hair and with heart-shaped lips. 

 "Jisoo?"

 "Good morning!" Jisoo beams as she places down Jennie's meal for the day in front of her table. "Don't worry, I asked Susan if it was alright to skip your morning physical therapy and she said yes, knowing that it really wouldn't harm you since it's only for a day and! I asked for Hanbin's permission and he totally gave a go signal. So, I- being the good and great girlfriend that I am taking the liberty of packing up all of our things." 

 "W-where are we going?"

 "To the hills." Jisoo smiles. "We're going to celebrate Tanabata together."

 "I can't leave the hospital." 

 "You can't lie to me, Jennie. Not anymore."

 "Jisoo, what part of leave that I said yesterday did you not understand? Can't you see what I am about to go through? Jisoo I'm dying!" Jennie rants out of frustration. "We don't have much time left." 

 "Then I'll take whatever time has allowed for us to have to be with you."

 "You should leave." Jennie was trying her best to push her away again. "You don't need to be here."

 "No, I'm not going away ever again. This time, I'm going to follow my heart."

 "You followed your heart wanted years ago and you still end up getting hurt." 

 "And I followed my mind too but I still end up lonely and hurt so I'm done." She takes a seat beside her girlfriend and caresses her cheek. "No more running away for me anymore. This time, I'm going to let my heart win and I'm going to listen to it for as long as I want." 

 Hearing Jisoo's declaration of her undying love for her brings Jennie to tears. "You really love me that much?" She pouts adorably, making Jisoo's heart melt. 

 "I can't imagine the time that I will stop," Jisoo says in tears and pulls Jennie for a tight hug. "I've missed you Jendeuk..." 

 "I've missed you too Chu." 

They kept their bodies intact for a few minutes before Jisoo pulled away and lightened up the mood between them. "Come on, we still have a long day for both of us. We're going to make new memories starting today so let's make the most out of it okay? Let's drop all of our worries here and let's just love one another for all the times that we weren't able to. Is that a deal?" And with a cute nod, Jisoo leans in to kiss her lover's forehead. "That's my girl. Now come on!"

 Like what the locals do around Minano, Jisoo and Jennie packed up their bags and went to the hillside of Minano where tons of food stalls and exciting activities await those who visit the place. The couple didn't waste time and changed into something casual as Jisoo brings along her camera where she took tons of videos and pictures both of Jennie and of them from time to time. Whether it was just Jennie strolling around the activity area or giggling at something the kid had said, Jisoo made sure to capture them all. And she even brought two extra memory cards just in case. 

 From face painting to mukbang eating the two women have probably done it all even down to the fish spa where the caretaker was kind enough to take videos of them holding tightly against each other trying to fight the tickling feeling of having little maritime life pull out dead skin from their feet. They even did koi feeding and Jennie enjoyed watching Jisoo play with the kids as she took snaps of her girlfriend playing tag with them. As soon as the night falls, Jennie and Jisoo change their outfits into traditional kimonos, with Jisoo having a royal blue color on hers and Jennie having red. 

Their dresses were filled with flowers embroidered to perfection and Jisoo pulled up her hair and turned it into a bun while Jennie decided to be true to herself and just went out without any wigs this time. Both of them looked into each other's eyes, and despite lacking something, Jisoo never failed to make Jennie feel like she was the prettiest woman of them all. 

 "Stop looking at me like that."

 "Like what?" 

 "Like I'm pretty." 

 "You're my first crush since junior high, of course, you're pretty." Jisoo holds Jennie's chin up. "Listen, the others may not see it but to me, you are the prettiest of them all." Jennie hugs Jisoo, trying to hide her blushing face away from her girlfriend. "Now, now, now, don't push too further, you're going to destroy your make-up." Jisoo chuckles. "Come, my love, let's go and hang our wishes okay?" 

 "Okay."

 Hand in hand they walked towards the town plaza where tons of locals gathered around holding onto their papers. Forming a big circle, all of them sang the Sa Sa No Ha song, a cultural practice amongst Japanese to sing during the Tanabata festival before hanging their paper wishes one by one around the huge bamboo tree. Jisoo hangs hers first followed by Jennie and with the rest of them done, they all move forward to the festivities which include free dinners and a live band performing as they dance along, remembering the joyous event that the festival has brought to their town. 

"Are you okay?"

 "Yeah." 

 "Are you sure?" 

 Jennie smiles. "You asked that like a million times already." 

 "Just making sure... I do want to make the most out of today, but I don't want to overwork yourself." 

 "Don't worry, you're not." Both of them settled down at one of the benches near the food stalls. 

"Jendeuk you don't have to force yourself, if you don't feel well then we can always head down earlier." 

 "Fireworks is starting soon." 

 "I'll give you the firework show of your life after you get some rest." Jennie chuckles at Jisoo's concern for her. "Babe I'm serious." 

 "And I'm serious too. Promise, I can manage." Jennie shows off her gummy smile. "But can you get me one more round of gyoza please?"

 "No, you're eating too many dumplings." 

"But I want dumpings today..." She pouts. "Are you really not going to make a dying girl's wish come true?"

"You've used that card on me today so many times." 

 "And yet it always works doesn't it?" Jennie leans in to kiss Jisoo. "Just one more and promise I'll behave until the fireworks show starts." 

 "Well, it's nearing your medicine time anyway. I suppose you need something to eat too." Jennie clapped her hands excitedly. "Wait here okay? I'll be back real quick. Don't go anywhere."

 With one more kiss, Jisoo stands up and rushes down towards the stall where they sell the Gyoza that her girlfriend wants. While Jisoo was amazed at how long the cue line was, Jennie was amazed at the beauty of the place. During her five-year stay in Saitama, it was her first time seeing and experiencing the Tanabata festival like a normal person would do.

 Usually, it was just her walking or sometimes even in the wheelchair if her legs didn't cooperate with her towards the bamboo trees positioned at every alley of the hospital where children or patients who aren't allowed to go out for the Tanabata festival could still feel the spirit. While Jisoo was still debating whether to go for it or not, Jennie was also having an internal battle about whether to tell the truth to Jisoo or not.

 Ever since this morning, she had been experiencing this massive headache that she tried to hide most of the time but now she felt like her head was really about to explode. She looked around, and her visions were starting to blur... the pain was starting to become unbearable and she held onto her skull with both hands and light groans. While Jisoo decides to make a run for Jennie and apologize, Jennie slowly falls to the ground and loses consciousness.

 And that's what Jisoo had witnessed the moment she was a few feet away from the love of her life. 

 "JENNIE!".

__________________________________

The silent hospital alleys and the nurses on their stations were enjoying their late-night shift with no absolute disturbances when suddenly a loud screech awakes the entire ground level of the medical facility. The swift rolling sound of a bed, accompanied by the murmurs of the people assisting the patient in great need was trying to help her out.

And one of those people was Jisoo Kim.

"AHHHHH!" Jennie screams at the top of her lungs.

"Shhh, baby relax, everything is going to be okay."

"It hurts." Jennie cries out as tears flow down from the edge of her eyes. "It hurts so bad."

"I know baby, I know." Jisoo kisses her girlfriend's forehead. "But I know your doctor is a great doctor and he would do everything to save you."

"Jisoo's right Jen, no one's going to die on my watch."

Jennie, although sees Jisoo very vague still turns to her. "You're going to be there when I wake up right? You're not going to leave me?"

"No, I'm not going anywhere without you this time."

"Jisoo, you're gonna have to wait for her here."

"Promise me she'll be okay." Jisoo grips hard on Hanbin's medical coat. "Give me some kind of assurance that she's gonna be alive."

"Jisoo, she will come back to you alive. I'm going to make sure that'll happen."

The double doors closed, leaving Jisoo all alone by herself.

__________________________________

"Jisoo!" Rosie's voice stirs her wife awake from her sleep. "I'm sorry my plane just landed and I tried to get here as fast as I could... how is she?" The heart-shaped girl didn't speak and just looked at her friend. "Oh Jisoo, come here..."

"This... this is all my fault." Jisoo cries in her arms. "I should've- I should've just let her stay here and rest. We could still do all the fun activities we've done there, maybe this wouldn't have happened if-"

"Shhh, shhh, shh..." Rosie soothes Jisoo's lengthy hair. "If there's anything that Jennie blames you it's the fact that you're the one who brought the joy back into her life. You don't need to blame yourself Jisoo, Jennie wouldn't want that."

"I... I can't-" Jisoo shakes her head. "I can't lose her Rosie, I just got her back... we still have so many memories to create. We still have so many things to accomplish."

"Sometimes, when we love somebody it doesn't matter how long we've loved them but how deep did we love them. We can love someone for ten years and not give them a space in our hearts, we can love someone for ten days and give them a bigger part of ourselves."

"I'm going to save her." Jisoo slowly pulls away. "I'm going to save her just like how she saved me."

Pulling herself away from Rosie she immediately gets up and walks past the nursing station where she grabbed lots of paper wishes and a pen. She looks down the hallway and settles to the untouched bamboo tree at the end of it. Carefully kneeling, she wrote her wishes one by one throughout the paper wishes she got.

She wrote on one paper, then on three, down to five.

"Jisoo stop." Rosie says after finally catching up with her. "Jisoo please."

"No, I'm going to save her. I'm going to save my Jennie." Jisoo held the papers and hung them one by one.

"This is not going to save Jennie."

"Yes, it will." Her unfazed determination was set to full mode, totally ignoring Rosie's attempts to stop her. "This will save her."

"Please stop Jisoo!"

"No Rosie! I will not stop!" She screams at her friend's face. "I'll do whatever it takes- give everything that I have if it means having one more day with her... don't you get it, Rosie?" Jisoo's tears came streaming down her face. "All I want is one more day with her... One more day with the girl that I love is that too much to ask?"

Once again, Jisoo falls into Rosie's arms, crying her heart out of fear because she knows that her time spent with Jennie is almost up.

__________________________________

"Jisoo..."

"Jisoo honey."

"Jisoo wake up." For the third time, Jisoo was awake and the sudden brightness was too much for her liking that she had to close her eyes once more. "Good morning dear."

Furrowing her eyebrows, she snaps her eyes wide open, fully knowing that there's only one person on the entire planet who calls her dear. "M-Mrs. Kim?"

Jennie's mother smiles at her. "Hello, darling. It's been a long time since we saw this one another right?" Jisoo instantly bolts up from her seat and gives the elderly a formal bow, making the latter chuckle. "Oh Jisoo, no need to be so formal with me. I'm still the same old woman."

"I'm sorry for sleeping... I should be the one welcoming you."

"It's okay, I bet this is too much for you to take in." She smiles sadly. "Have you gotten the sleep that you deserved?"

"Y-y-yeah." She looked at the notification light in the emergency room and noticed that it was already vacant. "Where's J-"

"She's out on the hill with her father." Mrs. Kim announced. "Rosie called us yesterday and told us that Jennie wanted to see us too and I figured that... it was time for us to see her too."

"Auntie..." The sympathy in Jisoo's voice stood out and right there, all Mrs. Kim wanted to do was to cry. "If there's anything I could do to help-"

"You came back for Jennie, and that's all that matters to me." Mrs. Kim smiles as she hugs Jisoo and kisses her head. "Thank you Jisoo... thank you for loving my daughter."

After the short talk with Mrs. Kim, she walks out of the hospital building and heads out to the park where she sees Jennie, standing beside her father. With careful footsteps, she slowly approaches the two, having Mr. Kim notice her presence first. As a man of few words, all he did was nod at her and turn to his daughter.

"Remember, daddy is always here okay? You will always be daddy's princess to me, baby." With a longing kiss on the cheek, Mr. Kim allows Jisoo in, leaving the two of them in privacy.

Jisoo stood beside Jennie's wheelchair and like the first meeting they had, neither of them decided to talk for a few minutes until Jisoo realized that time was not on her side. As soon as she prepares herself to speak- Jennie cuts her right away.

"Can you help me?" Jisoo looks at her. "I want to sit on the bench beside you."

"O... okay." Jisoo carries her bridal style, and instantly her heart slowly breaks due to her girlfriend's lightness.

"I've always liked it here... seeing the entire view of the whole city made me realize that I am still part of this world. Somehow, I still have value, no matter how little it can be. I know that I still have my worth."

"Sometimes I like going down here, just to think and wonder about how long will I still get to see the sunrise, how long until my breathing stops, or wonder what's taking death so long to pick me up," Jennie says. "And then it all made sense when I met you at dinner the other day." Looking at each other's eyes Jennie finally went on with her story. "Death isn't here to pick me up yet, because he knows that even the humans of small value need something beautiful to bring with them in the afterlife. And that's what I'll carry with me Jisoo, the memories of my last Tanabata, with my last girlfriend, and the last person I get to see before I go."

"Don't say that... you still have a long life ahead of you." Jisoo still denies the truth that's placed in front of her. "Now that I'm here, I'm going to make sure it'll happen... we're still going to that Chinchilla café remember? We're still seeing the Meerkats and we're going to celebrate a lot of Tanabata festival together."

"Jisoo?"

"Hmmm?"

"Happy anniversary." Jennie shows off a beautiful ring with a small fossilized daisy as its design. "It's been ten years since we got together. I bought it secretly yesterday when I asked you to buy me another set of Gyoza." She grins.

Jisoo breaks into a wide grin as she sees the beautiful accessory her girlfriend got for her. "I knew there was something off with the Gyoza..." both of them chuckle as Jisoo places it on her ring finger. "Thank you, my love, it's so beautiful. I'm sorry that I didn't get you anything for our anniversary."

"You don't need to worry, you coming back to me after all these years is the best anniversary gift you have given me."

"I'm still gonna check Chanel's new arrivals later though."

"Don't let Dior catch your online transactions." Jisoo chuckles. "Chu?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you forgive me?"

"For what? For breaking my heart?" Jennie shakes her head and slowly leans on Jisoo's shoulder. "Then what?"

"For stopping you from falling in love again."

"Huh?"

"Throughout my Tanabata festivals, there's only one wish that I keep on writing... Please, don't let Jisoo fall for someone else as long as I'm alive." Jennie confessed. "I sound so selfish now, don't I?"

"No, of course, you don't sound selfish." Jisoo locks her hand with her. "Even if I wanted to fall for someone else, I think my heart was made like yours, only allowed to love one person in this lifetime."

"I'm sorry, you could've fallen in love with a model or a superstar but instead you're stuck with a girl having a terminal disease."

"And I will continue to fall for the girl with a terminal disease... I found you in this life, and I will find you in the next, and I will love you as much as I do now, even more than I have."

Jennie remained silent for a while and the sun was slowly rising to shine and bring another day to the small city. "Chu?"

Jisoo could already feel her lover's ragged and struggled breathing, but she decided to remain strong and push through the pain. "Y-yeah?"

"Will you love me still even if I go blind?"

"Yes."

"Even if I can no longer walk?"

"I can carry you."

"What if I won't be able to remember you?"

"Then I have tons of recorded files to make you remember me."

"You're not going to let go?"

"No," Jisoo says through the tears. "I'm not going to let go."

"Even if I tell you that I want to close my eyes right now and sleep?"

Jisoo lets some of the tears fall from her eyes. "Even if you tell me that you want to close your eyes right now and sleep."

"That's how much you love me?"

With a small nod, Jisoo bites her lips. "I will love you forever Jennie."

"Chu?"

"Yeah?"

"I..."

"... will-"

"- love you-"

"Forever too."

Those were Jennie's last words, and then the sun was up.

__________________________________

"Here to receive her Shakespeare Award, ladies and gentlemen let's give it up for the New York Post Best Seller Choice, the face behind the book that took New York by storm, Miss Jisoo Kim."

Hundreds of hands applauded the woman who was wearing a Dior green plaided dress with a high slit that was surely a head-turner during the red carpet earlier. She receives the award and turns to the eyes of the people in front of her and to the cameras, knowing that there are thousands more watching her from their televisions and other forms of the telecast.

"Good evening." Jisoo greets all of them. "First of all I'd like to thank the New York Writers' League for giving me this award, you don't know how long I have been waiting for this moment to arrive in my life and to finally see it come to a reality, makes every hardship, and every sacrifice that was made for me to be able to stand here right in front of you so worth it." She smiles.

"This day is not just big for me but for all the readers and all the speculators who have been dying to know the true story behind the painful narrative between Sol and Luna and how Tanabata was formed." Jisoo looks at her acceptance speech and decides to crumple it. And let her heart speak just as she always used to do when speaking. "There's this saying that whenever someone is heartbroken, they get pretty artistic. Broken hearts can turn some people into the greatest artists our generation has seen. From music to scriptwriting down to the books, somehow there's a different hit whenever we talk about heartbreak. It's because we all relate to it... because at some point in our lives- we trusted a person so much that we allowed them to destroy us. That's why my book is so relatable."

"Because Luna broke herself a thousand times, hoping that she'll be able to let go of Sol's memory... Luna thought that if she kept on wishing during Tanabata, one day, she'd wake up and not have Sol as the sole reason why she wakes up every morning."

"I know you are probably waiting for me to describe the girl who broke my heart, the one who became the inspiration for the piece and you guys may have been speculating that I am Luna in this story, and you are just waiting for a name and a picture just so you could finally complete your imagination of Sol."

"Before I attended this award show, I flew halfway across the world to meet my Sol," Jisoo says making the crowd cooed at her. "Somehow my good friend used the line 'you need closure too' and convinced me to meet the girl who broke my heart."

"And over the short amount of stay, I had realized a lot of things, and it was only on that trip that I had become so desperate because the moment I got reunited with my Sol, the next day- she was taken away from me..." Jisoo took a short breather and looked at Lisa over the crowd who kept on instructing her to breathe. "We all experience different types of pain, but I think the kind of pain that I felt, knowing that I just got back with the love of my life today, only for death to take her away from me the very next... is just painful..."

"When I came back after losing her, I thought I'd lose myself too... and believe me when I say that the moment I lost her, a great part of me wanted to be with her immediately. But then I think about how much she has done for me, and I think about how much she loves me and to know that I will always have a piece of her with me..." Jisoo plays with the Daisy ring on her ring finger. "Is enough for me to keep going on."

"Today, I'm not going to tell you that I am Luna in the story because I'm not. I'm also not going to tell you that Tanabata exists because a girl broke my heart and I am not standing in front of you holding this award because I know I deserve it, because I don't." Jisoo looks at the crowd as if she is trying to look for a familiar person in the sea of people. "I'm going to talk about how I managed to stand here in front of you, holding this award because one woman continued to believe in me. I'm going to talk about how I am Sol, and how she's my Luna, who broke herself a million times and even sacrificed even her light just so I could shine on my own."

"I'm going to talk about Tanabata exists, because one woman loved me enough, loved me so much that she placed my dreams and happiness first instead of hers..." Pulling out a piece of Jennie's paper wish on that festival, Jisoo lifts it and shows it to the world. "This award is for you my love... thank you for saving me."

Though it was just a swift moment, Jisoo was able to catch a glimpse of a butterfly just flying by the window.

Jisoo may not be able to save the woman that she loves, but she was able to save the love that they shared.

And for Jisoo, that was enough.

Fin.