My whole body tenses up. 

"Leaving? What do you mean?" I take a few steps forward in her direction slowly, as I crouch down to get face-to-face with her while maintaining an appropriate distance. 

"Like, moving out." She explains shortly with the help of her hands, keeping them at a distance with her fingers wide apart as I narrow my eyes. She turns her head back to the television, sighing. I shake my head as a no. 

"I know that. But suddenly?" I made my question clearer and tilted my head to the left as she threw her head back and stared at the ceiling above us as I caught her eyes glistening.

She turned her head to me while it was still laid on the couch, "Nothing is sudden when it comes to my family." 

Silence filled the room as we both just held eye contact with each other without uttering a single word for the other to respond to. We just didn't have anything to say. 

My mouth slightly parted and hung low as I finally got another hit of realization about what she meant. 

I open my mouth, "And," I pause to take a breath in. "What about your relationship?" 

She sighs and hangs her head in between her legs and arms as she lets out another sigh before scratching the back of her head and bringing her head back up. "I haven't told him yet." Her eyes glisten with water as they almost fall out, "I don't want to let him go. What do I do, Iseul?" 

I sigh and slightly tilt my head, making direct eye contact with her now, "Eunjoo, you need to tell him. Maybe, you can do long distance?" I cup her face in between my hands, "You both will find a solution." 

"What if he doesn't like long distance?" 

The tears were now already falling down her eyes to her cheeks, as her lip quivered and nose got a hold of a small red tint already. Her heart could be heard beating loudly. I could feel myself saddening as well. 

"He won't let you go like that. You have to tell him. You both will be fine." I assure her and bring her closer to me, taking her in a hug as a comforting touch as she cries onto my chest all she wants. 

"I don't want to leave you and Jake…" She cries in between her choked sobs before letting out a small hiccup. 

I break the hug and look in her eyes, cupping her cheeks once again as I look at her with sadness evident in my eyes. "I know you don't. We will find a way, alright? Don't cry." She nods and holds my hand which cupped her cheek, closing her eyes and letting another tear fall out of her left eye. 

I again take her in another hug, as she wraps her arms around me tighter, loosening up after a second or so. 

I closed my eyes and patted her head, as she continued to let out small sobs once in a while. Jake would be devastated. He loves Eunjoo too much to let her go away just like that, he needs to find a way on how to stay together despite the challenging distance between the two. 

He has to.

««»»

"Can we just meet up on Sunday? I have to be somewhere tomorrow." Jake's voice rings through the phone accompanied with movements from his side, as Eunjoo was still in my arms, her head on my shoulder. 

I sigh, "Alright, Sunday it is." 

I hang up the call and push my phone further away, as Eunjoo's arms around me tightens. I placed my left hand over her head, the other one wrapped around her shoulder as I let her get the comfort hugs she craved for at this moment. 

Lightly patting the side of her head, I laid my head on top of hers as I let my eyelids drop down to give them rest after the long day of walking and exploring today, but raised them up again when I felt the fabric of the dress on my shoulder wetting up. 

I raised my head up and brought it back to make eye contact with the female, but I only saw her head down, resting against my shoulder and quietly crying on my shoulder once again. 

My heart broke again at the sight of seeing my sister-like-best friend cry in front of me. I felt my eyes getting wet as well, but held myself back to comfort the older girl in front of me. 

"Eunjoo," I sigh and call out her name, as she just lets out a shaky hum as a response to me. I said while stroking her hair, "Please don't cry. I hate seeing you like this. Please make pointless jokes." 

I heard a little shaky chuckle from her, as I felt the ends of my lips twitch into a smile to finally hear, or see any form of smile or laughter from the older. It breaks my heart to see her cry. 

We were still leaning against the couch as we were enfluged into each other, the show on television on pause, as the only noise was coming from the vehicles moving outside here and there while my arm around her shoulder kept patting and stroking the joint of her shoulder. 

She slowly lifts her head away from my shoulder and breaks the hug, sitting up straight. She turns her head to me, eyes puffy red and nose swollen as she sniffed lightly, her cheeks having tear stains from all the tears she shed in the past hour. 

She didn't even look like Eunjoo anymore. At least like the one I know. 

"Come on. We still have a day, you can prepare yourself to confess it to him tomorrow." I bring my hand up to her face and caress her cheek, as she nods. 

Saying that I am anxious for Sunday is more than just an understatement. 

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

hi and thank you for putting up with my inconsistency 😔😔😔😔

i love yall bai bai