~1999~

Nayeon was eating dinner alone in their house. She didn't know where her father went. She just got home from being scolded with her friends because of their trip in Gaedo. It's not that she doesn't care for her father, it's just that she's used to it, not seeing him often.

Nayeon was about to clean the table when her father finally arrived.

"Welcome back, abeoji!" She tried to be cheerful as she greeted her father.

"Where have you been? Jeongyeon's father told me they scolded you." Her father asked. "And just sit down and let your leg rest, Nayeon-ah, don't bother preparing me a meal. I already ate at the Kim's." He added as he sat down beside his daughter. He may not be the best father, but he still loves and cares for her, especially since she has a disability.

"Oh...I went to Gaedo with my friends since they just came back from the city." Nayeon replied. "I...," Nayeon was hesitant to tell her father about tomorrow's event. "... Abeoji, tomorrow... i-it's eommoni's memorial day. I- I was thinking if—"

"Your mother is not dead, Nayeon-ah. How many times do I have to tell you that?" He cut her words. "In this town, your mother is the only one who can understand the water very well. She can swim no matter how deep the water is or how strong the current is. It's ridiculous how they said she died because of just a single wave!" He angrily stood up, "If she's really dead, there must have a corpse," and went inside his room furiously.

Nayeon was disappointed. Until now, her father still cannot accept that his wife died five years ago. It's true that the body has not been found until now, that's why her father still holds onto the thought that Nayeon's mother is still alive.

Nayeon was taught by her mother how to swim when she was eight. Her mother said to her that despite her condition, she should learn how to swim. That was the memory her mother left her. She was twelve when her mother never came back from the ocean one day. The rescue team searched all day and night, in land and in ocean, but the body was not found. They declared her dead, but Nayeon's father can't accept it. It still hurts, that's why the sweet and loving father of Nayeon became cold and alcoholic.

~~~~

Jeongyeon was busy fixing certain circuits on the radio she wanted to give Nayeon since the older girl's radio where she listens to is too old. She is outside Nayeon's window when she heard footsteps coming out of the gate. It was Nayeon, wearing her long, red skirt, a white short sleeved blouse, and her favorite hairclip as she was limping towards the shore.

Jeongyeon left what she was doing and curiously followed the older girl. She stopped when she saw Nayeon with a familiar-looking man behind a big rock. She gasped when she saw Nayeon being pulled by that man closer to his body.

Jeongyeon took a step closer to see who was the man, and it's no other than the doctor who visited their neighboring island, Park Jinyoung. She was about to run to them when she saw how Nayeon tiptoed and wrapped her arms around the doctor's neck but Jeongyeon's feet was suddenly stuck on the ground. She can't move her own feet.

The next thing she saw was Sana and Jihyo running towards her. Her two extroverted friends jumped onto her and they fell on the ground. Sana and Jihyo pinned her down as Nayeon and the doctor approached them.

"Jeongyeon-ah, are you possessed?" Nayeon weirdly asked.

"What!?"

~~~~

Jeongyeon jolted from her sleep. She was indeed fixing the radio but she's not in front of Nayeon's window, instead she was on her own room. She sat up and rubbed her eyes as she remembered her weird dream.

"Fuck that dream. Why does it have to be like that?"

Jeongyeon looked outside. It was nighttime. She decided to visit Nayeon and maybe listen to her voice outside her window.

But when she got there, Nayeon's room was dark. "Weird," she mumbled. Then she remembered her dream. What if— "Fuck!"

Jeongyeon immediately ran to the seashore. Her mind was full of thoughts of her weird dream until she got there.

Indeed, Nayeon was there. But she's not wearing a long red skirt and blouse, nor clipped her hair with her favorite hair clip. She was wearing a simple white shirt and baggy pants. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail as the wind blew it messily. She was facing the sea, and in front of her was a basket of fruits and a picture frame with a picture of a familiar woman. Nayeon crouched down as she bowed in front of the setup.

Nayeon held the picture frame and sadly smiled as she caressed the face of the woman in the picture. "Dad must be badly hurt when you went missing. He became like that because he's hurt. He's hurt so bad that he still can't accept that you're dead and he can't let you go." She felt her tears stream down her face as she stared at the picture. "He is like that because he's hurt when you left us."

Then, Jeongyeon finally realized after she heard the older girl, it was Nayeon's mother's death anniversary. She felt guilty when she thought about how she thought what Nayeon was doing in the seashore because of her stupid weird dream. She watched as Nayeon stood up and pat the dirt away from her clothes.

Jeongyeon knows why Nayeon is alone right now. She knows that Nayeon's father still claims that his wife is still alive since the body was not found since the incident.

Jeongyeon was about to join Nayeon when she heard the older girl's cracking voice, so vulnerable and hoarse that Jeongyeon herself could cry, hearing Nayeon plead as she calls her mother.

"Eomma! I'm fine! Eomma!... Eo-eomma! You're doing fine, right!?" Nayeon screamed in the sea as she let herself cry. "I miss you, eomma! I really miss you!" Her cries turned into sobs as she can't stop her tears from falling.

Jeongyeon couldn't take how she's witnessing Nayeon so vulnerable right now. She really wanted to go to her and hug her tight, whisper comforting words to her ears as she let her cry in her arms, but instead she walks away. She didn't want to interfere into Nayeon's privacy, so she chose to walk away.

Jeongyeon knows Nayeon wouldn't want someone to comfort her, or even just see her like this because she didn't want the others to think of her as weak because of her disability. Nayeon wants to appear strong, that's why Jeongyeon respects that and chose to leave her alone for now.

It hurts to see the person you love like this. A part of Jeongyeon wants to stay and hug the older girl but a small part of her says that she had to leave her alone for now. And Jeongyeon chose to follow that small part of her.

~~~~

Nayeon finally got home. She immediately grabbed her notebook to write something. She does that whenever she feels overwhelmed- write scripts for a radio. It's like she's writing a diary but has more meaningful words.

Nayeon is still not giving up on her dream of becoming a radio DJ.

When she finished writing, she rested her face on her palm and started to read what she wrote out loud.

"Love is like a marathon. Maybe now it feels so tiring... but if we don't give up, we'll see the finish line someday."

A short line but has a deeper meaning.

Meanwhile, instead of going home, Jeongyeon was, again, outside Nayeon's window as she listened to her script. She knows what Nayeon feels right now that's why she understands that she only wrote a short script and sounded gloomy. She sighed and stood up when she heard Nayeon's lights turned off.

Jeongyeon looked up in the sky. Millions of stars were visible but the moon dominated the view. She glanced up at Nayeon's window and smiled.

"The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it? I hope you'll feel better tomorrow, unnie. Good night." Jeongyeon mumbled and walked back home.

~~~~

A few weeks later, there was a festival held in their town. Even their neighboring island came since there was an event and the prizes were great. The townspeople gathered at the town's hall, thirty minutes by walking distance from Nayeon's house.

Nayeon is still in the neighboring island's clinic though, helping the doctor arrange some paperworks on the desk. She's been helping doctor Park in the clinic ever since he gave her a check up. Some gossips even said that they're secretly dating, but the doctor politely denied it and said that he's only fond of Nayeon since she has a very bubbly personality and a beautiful bunny smile. Weird right?

Nayeon was eating a chocolate bar outside the clinic when she saw the people starting to go to the venue of the event. Dr. Park noticed them from inside so he went out and asked Nayeon what was happening.

"Looks like something very interesting is going to happen in your town."

"Yes, Dr. Park. There will be a talent show at the homes town. It happens every year during our town's festival and it's not limited in our town so the people from other islands are invited." Nayeon explained as she took a bite on her chocolate. She noticed him glancing at the food so she offered to him, "Here you go, Doc. I still have some here."

"O-oh, thanks. And sorry for staring. It's been a while since I ate chocolate, so..." He smiled and took a bite. "By the way, the apple you left on my desk yesterday was delicious."

"I'm glad. I bought at the market with my friend Jeongyeon yesterday so I thought I'd give you one when I come here." Nayeon smiled. She then noticed the doctor staring at her. "U-um..."

"O-oh! That's so rude of me, I'm sorry! I can't help it since you... you have something on your mouth. Here, let me help you."

Nayeon flinched when he leaned closee and used his bare thumb to touch her lower lip. What surprised her is that he licked his thumb which came from Nayeon's lip without hesitation. She was caught off guard at what the doctor did.

"Hmm... the chocolate is delicious!" He beamed. Nayeon was about to say something when a girl went inside the clinic.

It was Jeongyeon.

She was carrying a bag of garlic since she helped an old man who was on his way to the clinic. Surprised at what she saw, Jeongyeon stared at the doctor, suspiciously, and then back to Nayeon.

"Nayeon unnie, why are you here bothering the doctor?" Jeongyeon asked the older girl.

Nayeon, on the other hand, looked like she was caught red handed. She glanced at the young doctor with caution (and fortunately he was busy talking to the old man with Jeongyeon earlier). She then looked at Jeongyeon with no expression.

Jeongyeon put the bag down on the floor behind the door, not taking her eyes off Nayeon as if she's reading her. She noticed Nayeon avoiding her eyes.

Something clearly happened before I came in.

"Dr. Park, after you're done with your assignment here, are you going back to Seoul?" The old man asked.

"Ah. I—"

"D-done with what?" Nayeon asked, interrupting Jinyoung. Jeongyeon just stared at her, observing the older girl's action.

Looks like she doesn't want him to go back to Seoul. Jeongyeon thought while hiding her clenched fists on the back of her legs. She continued to observe her as the older girl's panicking. Jeongyeon could sense Nayeon panicking about something.

"Aigoo, what are you talking about, Nayeon-ssi? Of course he has to go back to Seoul! Be an amazing doctor working in a big hospital!" The old man beamed and turned to Jinyoung. "When you go back to Seoul, don't forget us and visit us sometimes, okay?"

"Oh gosh, don't be like that, Mr. Kang! I still have to study more! There's still more months that I'll stay here," Jinyoung glanced at Nayeon and back to the old man, Mr. Kang, "so don't worry." He assured and shook the Mr. Kang's handa politely.

A few moments later, Nayeon walked out of the clinic, looking so upset about something. She couldn't go unnoticed by Jeongyeon, who immediately ran after her and comforted her.

Jeongyeon already thinks she knows why Nayeon was upset, but she didn't want to ask the older girl about it since she'd be hurt to hear it from her.

Maybe Nayeon unnie likes the doctor, that's why she's upset that he's leaving very soon.