Chapter 6

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"Are you cold?" Mina asked, suddenly realizing that they were now just glued on one spot when Chaeyoung stopped walking due to spacing out, probably thinking about something like she always do in a sudden, "Hey..." she looked up, the white thick mist from her breath coming out like tender clouds, surrounding them both in a haste as the coldness engulf both their bodies too.

It's getting colder, and if you'll wear a clothe as thin as Chaeyoung was wearing, you're going to freeze. Winter is near, autumn is soon to end. And their little time for each other is soon to end too, "Your sweater seems too thin to keep you warm."

"Forgot to wear and bring a thicker one." Chaeyoung shrugged.

"Dumb dumb, Chaeng..."

"Where did you get Chaeng? New nickname?"

"And so? Dumb."

"You're being too rude today, yeah, Minari?"

"And where did you get Minari? New nickname?"

"And so? Penguin."

"Stop calling me by names, tiger cub."

"Nyenye..."

"Aish this girl..." Mina sighed and took her red scarf off her neck and put it around Chaeyoung's neck which made the latter turn to look at her while flashing a subconscious smile with her eyes full of admiration at the sudden but sweet action from Mina.

Without Chaeyoung's realization, the scarf was self knitted and made all by Mina herself. Mina spent time to finish it and to make it look good before planning to give it to Chaeyoung at the end of this day as a gift. She even cross stitched a cute tiger cub and a penguin at one of the scarf's edges with the combination of their names which she thinks is cute... MiChaeng.

It is a gift for the most special person, for her favorite person, for someone who's even more than that. Her last gift.

"You can take that, I'm good. My jacket is thicker than your top. Next time, wear a thick one and stay warm, understood?" Chaeyoung is hazy... every move, opening and closing of Mina's lips, nuzzling and scrunching of her nose, every up and down movement of her throat, and the puffing of her cheeks didn't escape Chaeyoung's gape. She watched Mina with a smile so wide that it reached her ears, not minding if Mina might catch her staring weirdly, not really able to mind and understand the words she's been telling, completely lost at Mina's little cute actions.

If Chaeyoung will be asked what makes her happy, she'll answer right away and without any hesitation that walking with Mina does. Mina on her side, Mina holding her hand and pulling her close, Mina smiling at the sight in front of them, Mina feeling the cold of the early winter hit their faces. She is happy right now, definitely and unexplaninably. Being with someone she's comfortable with makes her happy, being with Mina makes her happy, "Yes, Ma'am," she answered, saluting and putting her right hand over her forehead being a little soldier she once dreamt of.

As Chaeyoung finally decided to turn her gaze back to the path they're taking, she suddenly grinned at a thought of a familiar place she remembers located near that street. She then pulled Mina into somewhere, not minding the questioning look in her face.

After minutes of dragging the older girl, Chaeyoung stopped and looked at the silent and peaceful but wide empty soccer field. There were benches on the side with leaves covering its top, a sign that people and street cleaners rarely visit the peace almost hidden behind trees.

They walked around hand on hand to find a perfect spot for sitting without getting noticed by people from afar when someone decides to take a look or roam around. And so, when they did, they just sat there after pushing some leaves away, and relaxed their bodies while leaning with their backs lazily. They rested their tired feet and legs from the exhausting day they just had.

"This was my place whenever I ditch math classes back in highschool," Chaeyoung giggled as she reminisce the good old days. She started summarizing and narrating her past when the lazy kid, which is her, was sitting or sleeping in one of the benches. She told Mina about the time she was sketching or drawing on her thick pad while she sits on the furthest seat to avoid being noticeable. She told Mina about the time she brought a soccer ball and played alone under the burning heat if the sun. She told Mina about the time she brought one of her classmates with her and influenced her to cut classes instead of sleeping their asses off their desks on a boring subject.

Mina just listened attentively on her ridiculous stories, completely enjoying herself, smiling at the cute view in front of her and laughing at the silly and ridiculous things Chaeyoung has done. She imagined how Chaeyoung was smiling while kicking and playing alone with a soccer ball, or how she thinks deeply on how will her sketch go, or how she tip toes out of the campus before running away, laughing. She wished she knew her before, and maybe enjoyed her youth at least.

They talked about things they both missed with each other during the time they didn't meet, and how they both spent the past months alone.

Chaeyoung spent her time in the morning painting and doodling, then her afternoon doing her job as a part timer, then she will come home at 5 to sleep and recharge until the morning breaks out.

Mina spent her mornings doing ballet as a recreation and exercise, then her afternoon for doing things she enjoy like playing video games, building legos and just sitting down.

They also talked about stuffs that they just want to share, even weird stuffs like alien invasion, Greek mythology, psychotic movies and behaviors, crazy science facts, out of the world ideas, astral projection, and potential parallel worlds existing on the far side of this never ending and still expanding universe.

They talked about things they wanted to do tomorrow or in the future. Chaeyoung dreamt of being a song lyricyst, an artist and a rapper which she thinks sounds ridiculous but not, at least in the view of Mina because she looks so cool and capable of doing anhthing. While Mina dreamt to just have a happy and contented life, and her own ballet classes.

They talked about things and goals they wanted to achieve in the next years, with the both of them encouraging each other to pursue what they both want. They talked about how they should meet when they finally got and achieved everything they wanted and dreamt of. They made a promise to see each other again after years, but at their successful and more matured self.

They talked about things they wanted to see, place they both wanted to visit an may visit together in the future, foods they wanted to eat at different places, and things they wanted to buy and have.

It was the most fun they had in ages. They feel like kids talking about their own future and dreams like innocent kids oblivious of the cruelty life holds. The world around them became non existing as they built their own parallel worlds inside their mind, an alternative universe where they were both the main characters.

"Our longest talk since 2 years ago, am I right?"

"Yeah..."

"We usually just walk around, talk shyly and barely..."

"This is much comfortable though... talking about things. I've learned so much from you."

With Mina resting her head on Chaeyoung's shoulders while Chaeyoung possessive arms were wrapped around the former's waist, they stared at the almost dying sunset. The cold breeze of air hitting their skin with the quiet surroundings where their voices and some natural sounds can only be heard, with their wondering eyes, lost minds and hearts full of desires and untold feelings, they stayed silent.

With their souls and strings connecting in a heartbeat as if it was impulsive destiny, with their breathing lingering inside their ears, they smiled subconsciously.

With the sky above them near to drifting into a slumber, the light shining above getting darker while the sky slowly reveals numerous and uncountable stars that'll cover the whole sky afterwards, they were both happy to spend time together. The feeling is overwhelming, and they were contented. The moment and present is enough and even more than enough for two poor souls mourning for a company the longest time.

They fell into a comfortable silence and Chaeyoung pulled Mina closer, putting her head above the latter's and smelling her scent with the jasmine shampoo she always use. Words untold remained untold, secrets unveiled remained as secrets, things that should stay as it should be remained unmoved.

"Hey Chaeng, sing me a song."

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