A dark brown haired girl was sitting on a bench, in a little park of Seoul, still in her school uniform. She was waiting for her best friend to show up, as the latter agreed earlier to meet up.
“Mina !” A blonde girl said, coming closer to the bench where Mina was
“Oh hey Momo !” The other girl greeted her friend with a hug
They met each other five years ago, when Mina came to Korea, she was not speaking a word of korean and so attended a language school, during the weekend. Momo also went there. They quickly get along and became friends, thanks to being both a japanese person in a foreign country, but also having the same passion for dancing. They spent a lot of times together, talked about almost everything together, and never kept anything from each other, or at least that what they thought.
“I’m sorry, I’m a little late. Have you been waiting long ? The lecturer kept talking even after class was supposed to be over.” Momo asked
Unlike Mina who was in her last year of high school, Momo was already attending university, being a year older than the other girl.
“No it’s okay.” Mina smiled
“So what’s up, you said you have something to tell me, and it sounds like it was kinda important.” The oldest asked her, sitting next to her friend
“Hmm yeah. So… I don’t know where to start to be honest.” Mina started, her head down, looking at her hands, who were on her lap, slightly shaking. She was extremely nervous and thought for a second that, maybe it was better to not tell Momo what she wanted to say
“Are you alright ? You’re worrying me.”
“Ok… I need to tell you something. Something I want to tell you for so long, because I’m scared how you’ll react, if you’re gonna hate me or not after that. I kept it for myself until now because I don’t want to lose my best friend, but now, I’m tired of keeping it a secret.” The younger girl said, with tears welling up. Seeing that Momo wasn’t saying anything she gathered her courage and continued “I-I like girls…”
“What do you mean ? You’re…” The blonde haired girl questioned, slowly understanding what her friend wanted to say
“I’m gay…” Mina finally admitted, turning her head to look at the other’s girl reaction
A couple of minutes passed, with no one talking, and only the sound of Mina crying.
“Momo say something please… I alos have another thing to tell you.” Mina begged
“I-I I have to go now.” She said, leaving Mina without taking one last glance at her
Mina knew that something like that could have happened because she knows what Momo’s parents think of gay people. She remembered one day she was at Momo’s house doing her homework while the latter was watching the tv next to her. It was a paper on marriage all over the world, and when Mina was researching about same sex marriage and what people were thinking of it, Momo’s mom came into the room and Mina asked her what her opinion of it was. Her answer totally shocked Mina at that time and still do. She said that gay people were not normal, that were ill for liking the same sex as them, and all of that with her husband agreeing next to her. This completely refrain Mina to think about how she was supposed to speak with Momo about her sexuality, because while her mother was talking, Momo said nothing about it, whether it was for agreeing or disagreeing with it, and so Mina assumed that her best friend was thinking the same thing as her parents. That’s why Momo was the only one not knowing about it.
Mina continued to cry, feeling completely hopeless at this moment and was angry with herself, because it seems like she just lost her best friend, and also she didn’t have the chance to tell Momo the second thing that she wanted to say today.
Days later, Momo was in her dorm room, lying on her bed, watching the ceiling, with her mind filled with different thoughts, mostly about Mina. She didn’t have any news of her, when the youngest tried to contact her by calling her or texting her, Momo didn’t answer, not knowing how to explain to her friend why she respond to it like that. Her phone ringing interrupted her thinking.
“Hello ?” Momo answered her phone
“Hey ! It’s me !”
“Oh it’s you Sana…”
“Well don’t be so happy to talk to your cousin !” Sana told her. Sana was Momo’s cousin who was also living in Seoul. The two have a strong relationship almost like sisters.
“I’m sorry, it’s just I-I… Mina just told me that she likes girls, you know, that she...” Momo explained
“Oh damn ! I was not expecting that but after all this girl never really talks about her love life… but anyway isn’t that great ?! How did you react ?” Sana said, maybe a little too excited about this news
“That’s the problem, I ran away after she admits it…” The blonde girl shamefully confessed
“You’re an idiot ! Why did you do that ?! You left her the moment she probably needs her best friend the most.”
“I know that ! I feel bad enough already… You already know why I reacted like that.” Momo told her
Yes Sana knows why. When Momo was around 14 years old, before meeting Mina, she told her parents that she didn’t like boys like she was supposed to, that she prefered girls. But her parents didn’t accept it, and told her that she was too young to know about her sexuality, and that it was better for her that she forced herself to like boys or they wouldn’t have a daughter anymore. So Momo did as she was told to do, too scared of what her parents were capable to do, and also thought that they were indeed right that she was too young. So she started to date some boys, thinking that she could maybe starts to like them but it was to no avail, on the contrary it confirmed her that she likes girls. Due to her parents’ threat she never told anyone, except Sana, and lived in a lie, also hating a little those who came out without having to worry about the consequences.
“You need to apologize to her, and maybe also explain why you did that.”
“Yeah I need to… but I don’t know if should tell her why…”
“Do what you want ! But just think that, now, you can tell her how you feel, you know, about her.” Sana suggested. She knew that Momo started to develop some feelings for the younger girl, but couldn’t tell the latter for obvious reasons.
“I don’t know…”
“Momo ! You don’t need to care about your parents, you’re 20 years old now, you’re adult, you should really stop being afraid of them. You like Mina and if you don’t tell her now, it’s gonna be too late.”
“Maybe you’re right…I will think about it. Enough with me, what’s up with you ?” Momo asked her cousin, changing the conversation because she has too much to think about now, after Sana’s advice
One week after their last conversation, Momo was standing in front of Mina’s high school gate, waiting for the younger girl, in order to apologize for her behaviour this past week, and also maybe to confess, if she’s brave enough. She waited 10 minutes before she spotted Mina exiting the building while chatting with some of her friends. When her best friend spotted Momo, she froze for a second before coming up to meet her.
“Hi…” The oldest one began
“Momo, what are you doing here ? I tried to call you but you didn’t answer me and now you just show up like that ?!” Mina spoke up, drawing in the same time the attention of the others student
“I just wanted to apologize in person… I-I don’t hate you Mina because you likes girl. Honestly I could never hate you. I reacted like a jerk because I was quite surprised by your confession. I know I have no excuses for my behaviour, I just hope that you’ll forgive me…” Momo told her, looking really vulnerable at this point
“Really ? You have no problems with it ?” Mina asked her
“No ! I was just stupid, I’m really sorry…”
“Ok !”
“What ? Does it mean that you’re not mad at me ?”
“No, I was hurt by you but not mad at you. And yeah, I forgive you, I can’t live without having my best friend next to me.” The younger said, pulling Momo into a hug
After their hug, Momo took a deep breath and started.
“Actually there is something I need to tell you.”
“What is it ?” Mina wondered
“I lov-”
“Mina !” A black haired girl interrupted her and approached them
“Ah you’re finally here ! I need to introduce you to someone ! Nayeon this is Momo, my best friend. And Momo this is Nayeon, my girlfriend !” Mina said with a huge smile while putting her arm around Nayeon’s shoulder
“Y-Your girlfriend ?!” Momo exclaimed. She was totally at loss for words and she’s sure she heard her heart break at the same time
“Nice to finally meet you Momo. Mina told me a lot about you !” The black haired girl said
“Same, it’s nice to meet you.” Momo replied, trying to sound normal while speaking
“Yes she’s the reason I told you I was gay, because I wanted you to meet Nayeon.” Mina explained
“I see. How long have you been together ?” The oldest asked them
“4 months !” Mina answered
“It’s nice...” Momo told them
“Hey actually we were going to get some ice cream, come with us !” Nayeon told Momo
“Hmm, I have to go home, I have a paper in two days and I didn’t start writing it yet…” The blonde girl replied
“Ok so next time ?”
“Yes, next time sounds great. So I’m gonna go, have fun !” Momo said, a fake smile on her lips
“Alright bye, good luck for your paper. I’ll call you later !” Mina told her
After bidding their goodbyes, the couple left the school, hand in hand. Momo was watching them, a aching pain in her chest. When Mina kissed Nayeon on the cheek, the older girl felt like someone was squeezing her heart. Her best friend looked really happy with her girlfriend. And it seems like after all Sana was right, Momo was too late.