say goodnight, not goodbye
say goodnight, not goodbye
Yookyung/Naeun (+ A Pink)
Friendship, slice of life | 992 words
It’s dark with the lights off and curtains closed, but she could still make out the small stars on the ceilings that have lost their brightness. She wonders if she’ll be one of them, and if there’ll be someone who can still see her without any shine on her.
“Yookyung-ah.”
A soft voice calls her name out. She thinks even without any light she can still recognize that voice whenever and wherever she is. She looks over before replying. “Yes?”
“Are you asleep?”
“No,” she answers. “You can’t sleep either?”
“No.”
Yookyung smiles. “Want to sleep together?”
“Can I?” There’s a tinge of excitement in her voice.
“Of course. Come her.” She shifts aside to make a room for her friend while the other leaves her bed and climbs over. Yookyung drapes her blanket over the two of them to share the warmth as they snuggle close together in the small space, giggling like two little kids without a worry in the world. “Better?”
Naeun only nods.
Silence befalls them for a while with only their soft breaths heard. The noises around them ― like the loud humming of the refrigerator outside and the purring of Bomi and Hayoung in their sleep after another tough day in the practice room have blended together in the background like a quiet music. Yookyung thinks she will miss falling asleep to these sounds.
“Are you afraid?” Naeun asks, breaking the silence.
“Of tomorrow?”
“And the future.”
Yookyung doesn’t take too long to ponder over the question, mostly because she has thought of it among many others for a while. “Yes and no,” she says. “Yes because I think it’ll be scary to be alone after all the time I spent with all of you. No because I know despite that I won’t be alone.”
“But I’ll be afraid without you.” Naeun’s voice is almost a whisper.
Yookyung laughs a little and pinches the tip of the younger’s nose. “Even with your five sisters around you?”
“It’s just not the same.”
She finds her hand in the dark and grasps it tightly yet gently. “You’re my best friend, Naeunie. Always will be. And I will be yours too as long as you allow me to be.”
A smile appears across Naeun’s lips and she can see it clearly. “Will you tell me all about your new life later?”
“Of course. I’ll tell you everything to the point that you’d get annoyed by me.”
“Will you tell me if you find yourself an American boyfriend?”
“Only if you promise not to fall for him.”
“Will you introduce us to him too?”
She nods. “You need to introduce me to yours, too.”
“Only if you promise not to fall for him.” They chuckle together.
“Don’t give out your numbers too easily to other boys. Don’t let them think you’re easy.”
“I won’t.”
“But don’t play too hard to get, too. Otherwise you’ll stay unmarried until you’re old and wrinkled.”
“We’ll grow old and wrinkled together, then.”
She smiles. “When the world treats you unfairly, when the netizens are harsh on you, you need to be strong. Don’t show your weakness easily. Be strong for our maknaes, so they won’t be afraid. Be strong for Chorong unnie, because she’s not that strong on her own.”
“I will.”
“But don’t forget to cry as well, alright? Cry out all your tears so pretty flowers can grow inside your big, big heart.”
“You mustn’t forget to cry yourself if things get hard for you.”
“I won’t.”
“Tell me all your worries, okay?”
“Sure. Tell me yours, too.”
“Sure. Don’t forget to give me your address so I can visit some time. So we can all visit.”
“I’ll visit, too.”
“Tell me if the skies are pretty there ― if the sun is warmer, if the stars shine brighter. If meat is cheaper over there.” There’s a quick laugh in between the pause. “Tell me everything.”
“I will.”
“And don’t forget to keep teaching me English.”
“Of course.”
Their intertwined hands hold tighter as if they never want to let go. Yookyung feels a liquid dropping out from the corner of her eyes but before she could conceal it Naeun wipes it away first although her own eyes are brimming with tears. “I’ll miss you. A lot.”
“I’ll miss you too. A lot.”
Somewhere in between laughing and crying, they don’t remember falling asleep, or if they did sleep at all. They’re too busy reminding and remembering each other, holding on to the final piece of memory of this moment together.
There is not a single evidence that she has been crying the next morning because her eyes are as bright as the morning sun. Only her small luggage and handbag are left by the door as the rest has been packed away earlier.
The six girls surround her, eyes damp with tears as they exchange hugs and last words.
“Call us as soon as you’re there.”
“Don’t skip your meals, alright?”
“Tell me if someone bullies you.”
“You must always send us pictures, okay?”
“And take us out to somewhere delicious whenever we visit.”
Yookyung smiles at each of them, wipes their tears for them and nods all the way. Naeun stands last in line, a big smile on her face but her eyes is conflicting. She gathers the younger one in an embrace, tighter and longer than the others. They don’t say anything even after the former turns and picks up her bags, mostly because they’ve talked all night, partly because they don’t need words to understand each other.
She glances back for one last time, at the dorm, at her friends. She catches Naeun’s smile and her lips stretch to the sides again in return.
Don’t forget about me okay?
Our memories, the smiles we tried hard to carve for each other during our hardships and the tears when we were the happiest.
I will never forget about you.
Yookyung/Naeun (+ A Pink)
Friendship, slice of life | 992 words
It’s dark with the lights off and curtains closed, but she could still make out the small stars on the ceilings that have lost their brightness. She wonders if she’ll be one of them, and if there’ll be someone who can still see her without any shine on her.
“Yookyung-ah.”
A soft voice calls her name out. She thinks even without any light she can still recognize that voice whenever and wherever she is. She looks over before replying. “Yes?”
“Are you asleep?”
“No,” she answers. “You can’t sleep either?”
“No.”
Yookyung smiles. “Want to sleep together?”
“Can I?” There’s a tinge of excitement in her voice.
“Of course. Come her.” She shifts aside to make a room for her friend while the other leaves her bed and climbs over. Yookyung drapes her blanket over the two of them to share the warmth as they snuggle close together in the small space, giggling like two little kids without a worry in the world. “Better?”
Naeun only nods.
Silence befalls them for a while with only their soft breaths heard. The noises around them ― like the loud humming of the refrigerator outside and the purring of Bomi and Hayoung in their sleep after another tough day in the practice room have blended together in the background like a quiet music. Yookyung thinks she will miss falling asleep to these sounds.
“Are you afraid?” Naeun asks, breaking the silence.
“Of tomorrow?”
“And the future.”
Yookyung doesn’t take too long to ponder over the question, mostly because she has thought of it among many others for a while. “Yes and no,” she says. “Yes because I think it’ll be scary to be alone after all the time I spent with all of you. No because I know despite that I won’t be alone.”
“But I’ll be afraid without you.” Naeun’s voice is almost a whisper.
Yookyung laughs a little and pinches the tip of the younger’s nose. “Even with your five sisters around you?”
“It’s just not the same.”
She finds her hand in the dark and grasps it tightly yet gently. “You’re my best friend, Naeunie. Always will be. And I will be yours too as long as you allow me to be.”
A smile appears across Naeun’s lips and she can see it clearly. “Will you tell me all about your new life later?”
“Of course. I’ll tell you everything to the point that you’d get annoyed by me.”
“Will you tell me if you find yourself an American boyfriend?”
“Only if you promise not to fall for him.”
“Will you introduce us to him too?”
She nods. “You need to introduce me to yours, too.”
“Only if you promise not to fall for him.” They chuckle together.
“Don’t give out your numbers too easily to other boys. Don’t let them think you’re easy.”
“I won’t.”
“But don’t play too hard to get, too. Otherwise you’ll stay unmarried until you’re old and wrinkled.”
“We’ll grow old and wrinkled together, then.”
She smiles. “When the world treats you unfairly, when the netizens are harsh on you, you need to be strong. Don’t show your weakness easily. Be strong for our maknaes, so they won’t be afraid. Be strong for Chorong unnie, because she’s not that strong on her own.”
“I will.”
“But don’t forget to cry as well, alright? Cry out all your tears so pretty flowers can grow inside your big, big heart.”
“You mustn’t forget to cry yourself if things get hard for you.”
“I won’t.”
“Tell me all your worries, okay?”
“Sure. Tell me yours, too.”
“Sure. Don’t forget to give me your address so I can visit some time. So we can all visit.”
“I’ll visit, too.”
“Tell me if the skies are pretty there ― if the sun is warmer, if the stars shine brighter. If meat is cheaper over there.” There’s a quick laugh in between the pause. “Tell me everything.”
“I will.”
“And don’t forget to keep teaching me English.”
“Of course.”
Their intertwined hands hold tighter as if they never want to let go. Yookyung feels a liquid dropping out from the corner of her eyes but before she could conceal it Naeun wipes it away first although her own eyes are brimming with tears. “I’ll miss you. A lot.”
“I’ll miss you too. A lot.”
Somewhere in between laughing and crying, they don’t remember falling asleep, or if they did sleep at all. They’re too busy reminding and remembering each other, holding on to the final piece of memory of this moment together.
There is not a single evidence that she has been crying the next morning because her eyes are as bright as the morning sun. Only her small luggage and handbag are left by the door as the rest has been packed away earlier.
The six girls surround her, eyes damp with tears as they exchange hugs and last words.
“Call us as soon as you’re there.”
“Don’t skip your meals, alright?”
“Tell me if someone bullies you.”
“You must always send us pictures, okay?”
“And take us out to somewhere delicious whenever we visit.”
Yookyung smiles at each of them, wipes their tears for them and nods all the way. Naeun stands last in line, a big smile on her face but her eyes is conflicting. She gathers the younger one in an embrace, tighter and longer than the others. They don’t say anything even after the former turns and picks up her bags, mostly because they’ve talked all night, partly because they don’t need words to understand each other.
She glances back for one last time, at the dorm, at her friends. She catches Naeun’s smile and her lips stretch to the sides again in return.
Don’t forget about me okay?
Our memories, the smiles we tried hard to carve for each other during our hardships and the tears when we were the happiest.
I will never forget about you.