Alex: B) Your old bag was a safety hazard.

Alex: C) I really really liked meeting you.

Alex: D) All of the above

EIGHT

I waffle for days over whether I should take the Balenciaga bag with me to Paris. Honestly, it’s so beautiful, I’m terrified of ruining it. What if it gets manhandled by airport security? Besides, I’m not even sure I can accept a gift this extravagant. Especially from Alex. Then again, I really can’t bear to be parted from it just yet either.

The morning I leave for Paris, I take it out one more time and decide it’s coming. I hold it against me in the mirror.

“Should I leave you two alone?” Jiyoon asks with a smirk as she enters the room with her toothbrush sticking out of her mouth. That night I comforted Jiyoon over Jin, I decided getting to the bottom of what happened to my notebook just wasn’t worth it. Our friendship, and being there to support her through her breakup, was more important. And little by little, she’s been slowly returning to her regular self. A bit stronger each day. Still, every time she cracks a joke like this, I feel a rush of gratefulness to see the old Jiyoon in full form.

“Ha ha. You’re witnessing a very intimate relationship.”

I bite my lip, wondering if I should have avoided the sensitive subject of relationships.

But she doesn’t seem too bothered by my comment. After all, this is just the reality we all live in. To some degree, we’re all used to it.

As she stands around brushing her teeth, I survey our room one more time to make sure I’m ready to go. I smooth out my comforter and fluff my pillows (is there anything worse than coming home from vacation to an unmade bed?), then check to make sure my electronic converters and adapters are tucked into my carry-on. I’m about to unzip my luggage and review my travel wardrobe one last time, when Jiyoon practically lunges to stop me.

“Oh no. No, no, no. I saw you pack and repack that thing forty-seven times over the past week,” she says, rezipping the suitcase. “You’re going to wear what you have, and you’re going to look amazing.”

“And you’re going to choke on that toothbrush! Don’t get spittle on my stuff!”

As soon as she leaves, I reconsider. Honestly, I wouldn’t be above repacking for a forty-eighth time (this is a Nell Kramer fashion show in Paris—my outfits have to be on point), but a quick glance at the time tells me I have to get a move on if I don’t want to miss my flight. In the hall I give Jiyoon a quick one-armed hug and hustle out to meet my car. Paris is waiting!