The next day was a mess. Both Jihyo and Sana were gone without a trace. Mina was in a panic, getting both their families' entire security team looking for the two.
"Minari...I'm sure they're safe." Jeongyeon places a hand over Mina's trembling ones while the six of them are currently on the Myoui's family private jet back to New York.
"I called Jihyo's sister and she hasn't heard from her." Nayeon sighs, pinching her nose bridge.
"We all went to bed together last night...like how can they suddenly disappear." Momo paces up and down, "Unless.." the doctor looks at Mina with sad eyes, "Satang, you didn't..."
~
Mina was anxious, her grip on their front door was so tight her knuckles were white, "Please." Mina whispers, while the sounds of thunder rumble in the background, "Please." She pleads one more time before finally opening the door.
"Sana." Mina calls out quietly, noticing the other girl's house slippers still by the door. Slowly, Mina makes her way to their bedroom more anxious than ever, "Sana?" She opens the door, peeking her head inside, but the room was dark, no trace that Sana was ever there.
~
It was 2 weeks later when Mina received it in the mail..a brown envelope from Nayeon and Jihyo's law firm. Since Sana's sudden disappearance Mina had not gone back to work, spending every waking moment trying to find her wife, and although she figured this was what was coming next, it still hurt the same.
"If this is what you want." Mina says softly, "Okay." She opens the envelope pulling out the divorce agreement that Sana had already signed, when Mina tried to put them back after signing, the papers got stuck. Inside the envelope, there was also a postcard from Milan.
Mitang the nickname was crossed out and next to it written in Sana's neat penmanship: Mina,
I'm sorry. Like you, there's something that I haven't told you..maybe you already know what that is, but I'll pretend that you don't.You won't understand what I mean when I say this but Mina..you and I...our journey..although it ultimately led us down different paths... I want you to know that you will always be my thunderstorm.
I'll miss you. Stay safe always and be happy.
-Sana
"If this is what you want." Mina says, trying not to cry, but it was futile...the girl's eyes were practically bloodshot from all the crying and worrying...her strong facade breaking every night she goes home without Sana there. And Mina knows, there's no one else to blame but herself..she could have just been honest with Sana, fully aware of how the older girl feels for her, but she was too much of a coward.
Kaori's death anniversary had always been rough on Mina..she had gotten better over the years, but of course Mina just had to run into her...
"I see that you're still doing well, Myoui Mina-san." Rima Sanjou, the girl Kaori loved until her final moments, looks at Mina with the same angry eyes she did all those years ago, "A good career and a loving marriage...it must be nice."
"Sanjou-san please, this is a hospital." Mina replies, trying to keep herself together.
"I know..and who would have thought the girl who got Kaori-chan killed would be working in a place that saves life..what does a.."
"That's enough." Momo steps in between Mina and Rima, "If you're not a patient or a visitor of this hospital, I think it's best that you leave." Momo says with a smile.
"Since someone like you is here, I definitely will not be coming back. Hope to never see you again...also, do you even remember what today is." Rima says before walking off.
"Mina.." Momo looks at the girl, "I have to go." Mina runs off, with Momo chasing after her.
~
Momo watches as Mina drinks away, her own drink untouched knowing Sana would murder her if anything happened to Mina.
"I should tell...you..why.." Mina's words were slurred.
"You don't have to..not when you're drunk like this." Momo shakes her head.
"It was my fault..how could I even think of being happy when it was all my fault..I can't be happy..I don't deserve to be ha.."
"You're wrong." Momo interrupts Mina's drunken self deprecation, "You deserve all the happiness in this world Mina. Whatever happened in the past is just the past, it isn't your fault."
Eventually, the night slowly passed and although Momo had tried to convince Mina to go home, the girl was unmoving. She'd already managed to stop the bartender from giving her more to drink, so Momo was confused as to why Mina refuses to budge.
"Myoui Mina! Do you know how worried your wife is right now?!" Jeongyeon barges into the bar, yelling in Korean, something she does when she's beyond annoyed or mad.
"Momo? Why didn't you take her home? What happened?" Jeongyeon was surprised to see a very sober Momo.
"She was fine until some girl decided to blame her for someone's death..even asking her if she knew what today was."
"Rima..that bitch."
"She stopped drinking an hour ago but she wouldn't go home."
"Sana would be mad." Mina slurs, half asleep, looking at Jeongyeon, "If I was like this..Sana would be mad...Oh Sana." Mina perks up, "Oh no..I didn't tell her I'd be out.. I should go..woah.." Mina stumbles, but thankfully Jeongyeon and Momo were quick to catch her.
"Okay you are definitely not okay to drive. Did you drink?" Jeongyeon asks Momo who shook her head, "Nope."
"Okay, you take Mina's car home..I'll bring her back."
"I can help you."
"Do you want to explain this to Sana? Because she was the one that called me to look for Mina."
"Be safe then..let me know when you get back."
"You too..text me."
And the two went their separate ways.
~
Mina could hear people talking, but she was too exhausted and still pretty drunk to care, so she allowed herself to fall back asleep.
"What can I do for you to finally let me in?" Sana sighs, taking off Mina's shoes, tucking her wife in properly, before leaving to grab a washcloth to wipe Mina's face.
"Look at you coming home so drunk Jeongyeon had to put an IV in. Also, how dare you not call me, do you know how worried I was?" Sana scolds Mina.
"Hmm.." Mina groans, waking up slightly, "You waking up?" Sana asks, already settled in bed next to her wife, "Hmm." Mina replies, eyes still shut.
"I'll take that as a no." Sana chuckles, finding the drunk Mina adorable, even though said girl had her worried to death.
"Mitang." Sana calls her wife's name softly, laying on her side, watching Mina.
"Yes?" Mina replies, eyes shut, mind still half asleep.
"You're really drunk right now aren't you."
"I'm not." Mina slurs.
"Don't lie to me." Sana says in a teasingly serious voice.
"Okay..I won't." Mina replies, eyes opening to meet Sana's soft gaze.
"So are you drunk right now?"
"I am." She admits with a cute childlike nod.
"Can you tell me.." Sana stops herself from asking the reason why Mina had drank so much.
"Can I tell you what?" Mina asks with such a childlike innocence on her face that Sana couldn't stop herself from messing with her wife, "Are you single?"
"No, I'm married." She replies with a wide smile, "My wife's name is Minatozaki Sana..well actually it's Myoui Sana now..." Mina chuckles cutely, "It's cute right her name..Sana..I get to call her Satang now, but I'm still a bit shy....she didn't like me at first but I think we're friends now. I like being with Sana."
"You do?" Sana tries to keep her composure although the Mina in front of her is being too adorable right now.
"Mhm..I like Sana...a lot..she makes me happy and giddy..and it's nice.."
"What do you want to tell your wife right now?"
"Hmm..I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
"Sana makes me happy, but I think I just make her sad."
"Do you?"
"She didn't want to marry in the first place."
"What if she's changed her mind?"
"Hmmm..." Mina hums, "then I'd be very happy, but...then I'd be sad too."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you...I don't even know you...where's Sana?" Mina sits up looking around.
"It's me, silly." Sana laughs out loudly, "Sana." Mina's smile was so bright, it shocked Sana to the core, "Hi, tadaima."
"Okaeri, now let's get some sleep again okay?"
"Alright.." Mina lays back down, "I missed you." She mumbles, before passing out again.
~ ~
Mina woke up to a sudden chill, "Sana?" She looked around for her wife but the other side of the bed was empty. As she was getting up, the door of the room opened and Sana entered looking surprised to see Mina up.
"Did I wake you?" Sana asks, getting back into bed.
"No, I just woke up..where were you?" Mina asks, looking at Sana who's eyes looked like she had been crying.
"I went to get some water and then I went to make sure the fire was still out."
"With all the sand Dahyun and Chae put on it, it didn't have a chance of lighting again." Mina jokes and Sana laughs softly.
"I know, but I just had to make sure."
"Hmm okay..let's sleep? I think the others want to snorkel and surf tomorrow. We should rest."
"Do they?" Sana hums, allowing Mina to hold her for one last time.
"Mhm." Mina hums, eyes already shut. In Mina's arms, Sana can clearly hear the soft beating of her wife's heart, and if this was any other night, Sana would let herself be lulled to sleep by the sound, but she's made her choice.
"Mitang." Sana calls barely above a whisper, "Mitang." She says again, blinking away the tears threatening to fall again.
"Mitang you are my thunderstorm." Sana cups Mina's face, "This may be the first and last time I tell you this.." Sana takes a breath, "I love you Myoui Mina...I'm sorry that I can't tell you this while you're awake." Sana wipes her tears, trying her best to memorise and remember this moment forever, wishing that she didn't have to burst their happy bubble herself, but how can they ever move forward if neither of them is willing to change?
"You ready?" Jihyo asks softly, giving Sana one last chance to back out as the two get inside the uber.
"Mhm..I am." Sana forces a smile, but the tears streaming down her face give away her true feelings.
"Sana..." Jihyo's heart breaks for her best friend, pulling the girl into her arms, "I'm sorry." Jihyo apologises feeling that this was her fault. Scolding herself for mentioning that, but she and the rest of their friends were getting tired of waiting for the bomb to explode. The two need to really come to terms and really move on from their past, cause only then can they truly move forward.
"It's not your fault Jihyo-yah...I love her...but the way we are isn't working and I'm still so scared of getting hurt...knowing she loves me back is enough. I can live with that thought."
"Even if you two aren't together?" Jihyo asks and Sana hums, letting her eyes wander back out the window.
"My thunderstorm..." Sana whispers.
~ ~ ~ ~
"I'm sure they'll find us soon." Jihyo looks at Sana who's been cooped up inside the guest bedroom of Lisa's place, Jihyo's friend from law school.
"They'll never find us here..she'll probably be looking in Europe."
"Hmm?" Jihyo sits with Sana by the window who was so entranced by the thunderstorm outside.
"Nothing..." Sana shakes her head, "Has she signed the papers?"
"Yeah.."
"Is it official?"
"Almost..just a few more things..you guys had a prenup..so.."
"Right.." Sana nods, tucking her legs under her chin.
"Lis wants to know if you wanna head out for dinner?"
"I'm okay here...but you should go." Sana tries her best to smile, but the two knew it was fake.
"Okay..I'll just be a call away." Jihyo gives Sana a light pat on her shoulder, before excusing herself, knowing that Sana probably wants to be left alone now that the divorce is practically finalized.
"I really don't understand it when people describe love like a spring day or a summer day" Sana begins to muse, "As if it's this sweet blissful time that's only filled with happiness. I mean it's not. It can be painful and sad. Love can be beautifully happy but also bitterly sad. We all hope for that summer kind of love, that youthful first love that's so sweet. But my love for you is like a thunderstorm. The rain is my love for you hurling down towards the ground enduringly, the rumble of thunder is the constant reminder that even though things get scary, there's still lightning that will guide us back to each other. A thunderstorm...that's my favourite kind of storm now because it reminds me of you. A reminder that after the storm passes, the sun will shine and a rainbow will appear, and that life will move on. Kind of like what I have to do now..move on from you." Sana lets the tears fall, as she finally takes off the wedding band she's grown to love.
~ ~ ~ ~
a/n: Almost at the end.