Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“So? What happened?”

Chaehyun had just closed the door of the faculty room after passing their quiz in Trigonometry and ‘talking’ with their adviser slash Math teacher for a bit. 

(Or the proper description is probably her nodding wordlessly as Ms. Shen scolds her for a thing she didn’t do. More or less.)

Sighing and fixing her backpack, the brunette answered, “Just the usual stuff,”

She was walking home with her best friend Yeseo, a thing they had always been doing since their houses are practically just across each other.

“You know, it really boils my blood that you’re getting blamed for something that wasn’t your fault in the first place. I mean–” Yeseo’s eyes darted to a girl wearing a leather jacket, leaning on her motorcycle, busy with her phone. “–just because her parents are part-owners of this school doesn’t give her the free pass to whatever she wishes to do!” 

The blonde then rolled her eyes, not even trying to hide her annoyance, as she had just briefly met gazes with the subject of their conversation–thee resident “to-hell-with-y’all” girl, Seo Youngeun.  

“Maybe I should just do it? It’s not like she hates me or something, right?” Chaehyun turned, facing Yeseo as they keep walking. “I mean, it’s partly true that I’m the class president so I should at least approach her or something. Maybe I could talk to her and make her do it?”

“Chae, haven’t you heard the news? Just last week that girl punched someone in the face because according to her, she was bored. Besides, is it really your problem that she doesn’t study and always gets zero on our quizzes?” Yeseo was a bit distracted by her rants as she tries to reason with her bestfriend that she didn’t immediately see the small rock on the sidewalk. 

“Wait, watch out–”

“Awww–” There was a thud as Chaehyun fell on her butt. Luckily though, she was able to support her weight with her left hand lessening the impact of her fall. It did leave a little scratch on her palms though.    

“Geez. You’re such a klutz, you know that?” She then helped Chaehyun get up, brushing off the dust on her skirt. 

…….

“I heard that you’re eating eggs for lunch again,” Hikaru approached Youngeun who currently has her head plopped on her desk. The girl came from the room just beside Youngeun’s, as it was their unspoken tradition to eat lunch together, and knowing the latter’s unfriendly behavior, you wouldn’t be able to make her go visit another class come hell or high waters. 

She remained silent as she pulled herself up, wanting to know what food Hikaru’s mom had prepared for them that day. She was already used to Hikaru’s loud mouth as she had spent her childhood with her. Something about their parents being business partners and all made it possible for their friendship to actually happen. 

(Or Hikaru’s just a persistent one and she’s been pushing her away her whole life until she decided it’s better to just let her be. At least she’s getting free lunch, right?)

Don’t get her wrong, there’s actually a professional cook back in their mansion who could cook almost anything she would want to eat but it just feels…

empty, you know?

Not that she cares, anyway. 

“Hey, are you listening to me?” Hikaru snapped her fingers in her face, waking her up from her trance. “I said that you should at least try and answer your quizzes. I feel so bad for your class president. I passed by her earlier and your adviser’s on her ass again.” She said as she picked up an egg roll from her lunch box, shaking her head in disapproval. 

“Again…?” Youngeun’s eyes then darted in confusion towards her childhood friend, waiting for her to explain. 

Shocked, Hikaru then swallowed her food before replying, “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“Ms. Shen has been demanding her to tutor you. For like a month now. Probably to help your godforsaken grades or something,”

……….

“I’m doing it,” Chaehyun whispered in her seat, reaching for her planner on the compartment of her desk, wanting to run over her little speech again. Pulling it out, a small plastic fell on the floor, revealing Kuromi-printed band-aids, a bottle of disinfectant and a pack of cotton balls. 

Baffled, she picked them up, thinking about where they came from. 

“This wasn’t from Yeseo, she’s absent today because she needs to accompany her parents to an event.”

“Is this from that guy I turned down yesterday? I haven’t seen him all day, though?”

“The design is so cute! I wanna keep them…”

“But maybe these weren’t for me?”

“Pres,”

“Pres!”

“President Kim,” 

“Kim Chaehyun,”

“Chaehyun,”

“Chae,”

“OMYGOD I DIDN’T STEAL THESE, I SWEAR!”

Good thing the students already left the classroom to change clothes and head to the gymnasium. Or this will be added to her long list of embarrassing moments. At least now she had just embarrassed herself in front of–

“SEO YOUNGEUN? W–why?” She promptly picked up the stuff that fell and placed it on top of her desk.

“Did I do something wrong? Do these belong to her?” She then looked at the pharmacy-bought plastic bag before looking back to Youngeun?  

“She looks so serious.”

“Is she going to punch me?”

“I haven’t even accomplished a single thing from my bucket list!”

“Should I just kneel and beg for my life?”

“I’m sor–”

“Can you give me a piece of paper and a pen?”

“W-what?”

Chaehyun’s mouth hung in bewilderment; her eyes blinking multiple times. 

She watched as the girl in front of her let out a muted sigh as Youngeun then reaches for her phone, scrolling through it. “We have a quiz in Physics later, right?” She asked, her eyes still on the screen that at first, Chaehyun wasn’t sure if she was talking to her. 

Realizing that they were alone in the classroom, she then answered, still not getting whatever the hell is currently happening, “Y-yeah?”

“I only brought my wallet and nothing else,” Youngeun replied putting her phone back, seeing Chaehyun in the eye. 

“So you don’t have a pen and paper for the quiz,” It was more of Chaehyun talking to herself and trying to digest things rather than a direct reply to the girl in front of her.

She then absent-mindedly fished out a piece of yellow paper in her bag and then brought out her pink pencil case containing her pens with a small My Melody figurine on top. Chaehyun then stared at the pen, and then looked at Youngeun, and then back to the pen, and then to Youngeun, and then–

“Anything’s fine,”

“But these doesn’t suit your image–”

Gently grabbing the pen from Chaehyun’s hand and the paper from the desk, she then said, “Ms. Shen won’t bother you again if I answered the quiz later, right?”

“H-huh? Ah, yeah. But I mean, technically no, I guess, since I’m the class president and I’m bound to perform my duties, one of which is to talk to the class adviser whenever there is a–”

Youngeun then turned, walking back to her desk. 

“O-okay? Did we just have our first conversation ever?”

Chaehyun thought as her sight follows the back of the girl.  

“You’ll be late for PE,” 

“Right, I almost forgot!”

……….

“Dude, I almost got caught using cellphone in Ms. Shen’s class earlier! You know how much of a demon she is during class hours. And after,” Hikaru shivered in her seat, remembering that one time when she was a minute late for her Math class because she lost track of time and slept for extended hours in the school infirmary with Youngeun. 

“It’s not like you’re a diligent student that has an academic record to protect,” Youngeun then shrugged, opening her laptop, and placing it on top of her lap. 

“Well, duh? I have my allowance and cards that I need to protect. I mean, I wouldn’t be doing these boring assignments and studying about damn velocity if not for that,” Hikaru reached for her favorite pillow, giving it a tight hug. 

Youngeun did not answer, her attention was on her laptop screen, mentally debating whether to open the unfinished quest that she had on her game yesterday or look at the assignments posted in their online group. 

(Chaehyun never fails to remind everyone of the assignments, projects, and quizzes that they have. She’s also very friendly and approachable–that sometimes people tend to misunderstand her actions– as well as a really organized and reliable leader. And she’s pretty. Especially when she smiles. It’s like she was made for that role. Not that smiling and being pretty is needed for the job but–)

“I heard you had a perfect score on your Physics quiz earlier,”

“What about it?” In the end, she just decided to look at their posted homework, thinking that she’ll just get back to her game as soon as she finishes her task. 

“Dayeon told me– and you know how comical she narrates things–she said everyone gasped when Ms. Choi congratulated you. She told me some even think you cheated by threatening your seatmate Hiyyih into letting you copy the answers. You should’ve seen her tell the story, it was so funny,” Hikaru cackles hard, she even found it hard to breathe at some point.

“Please. Dayeon can tell the corniest joke of all and you would still laugh like there’s no tomorrow. Besides,” Her eyes then shifted to her phone which had lit up, flashing a message from her Mom which made her mentally roll her eyes.

“Hiyyih had two mistakes. Not that I care about scores,”

“Right,” Hikaru let out another chuckle, forgetting her supposed retaliation on Youngeun’s Dayeon comment. “You don’t care about scores. You don’t care about school in general, I get it,” she paused, grinning teasingly closing her friend’s laptop, 

“‘Coz you only care about Kim Chaehyun, right?”

“Ha ha. Very funny Ms. Ezaki,” 

“I love it when you get flustered and you try to hide it by killing me with your glare but then the redness of your ears clearly tells the otherwise,” And there it was again: Hikaru’s signature laughter that was made to specifically antagonize Youngeun. The latter just remained silent, not wanting to yield even if she already knew she lost the game.  

“You know what, I don’t really get why you stubbornly put up that scary front instead of like, approaching her and making it clear that you don’t hate her,” Hikaru was trying to catch Youngeun’s eyes but the latter wouldn’t bulge, her focus is still on her task at hand. 

Directions: Write a one-thousand-word essay describing your family and how your parents help shape your character as you grow up. 

“The fuck is this assignment in GMRC…”

“See? You always look and sound like you want to stab the person next to you. The news of you punching that guy in the gut had also circulated wrongly, you know.”

“He was harassing the girl, what else should I have done?”

“Dude, I know. I’m not saying that what you did was wrong, in fact, he deserves more than a punch. It’s just that–” Hikaru grabbed Youngeun’s chin, turning her head towards her direction. “–it’s our last year in High school and you won’t even try and see if you have a chance?”

Youngeun looked away; she hates confrontations like this. She might look tough and all, but she’s actually too vulnerable for emotional confrontations. 

“They will harass her if they see her with me,” 

“What’s the purpose of learning taekwondo if you won’t use it with obsessive bitches?” Crossing her arms in her chest, Hikaru arched her left brow, displeased with Youngeun’s answers. 

“I can’t hurt girls!”

“Then tell them to fuck off,”

“If they didn’t?”

“Make them.”

Seeing that Youngeun wants to avoid the topic and would rather remain silent, Hikaru then grabbed her phone; pressing a few buttons on it. 

“Okay, done!”

“What did you do?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I just texted my Mom.”

There were still question marks hanging on top of Youngeun’s head when Hikaru added, “I told her we’ll hire some men to guard Chaehyun.”

“YOU DID WHAT?” 

“Oh and also,”

“What else did you do?”

“Expect a message prolly in 3… 2… 1…”

Youngeun’s phone lit up again, this time, a nickname she never knew would flash on the screen did appear on it. 

“Dude, Chaechae bunny emoji? The fuck was that cringe contact name?”

“Mind your own business, Yeonie heart heart heart emojis,” Youngeun smirked back before she excitedly grabbed her phone, shutting her surroundings down. 

From: Chaechae 🐰

Hikaru said you want to treat me to breakfast and return the pen. You don’t have to :)

 

This is Kim Chaehyun, by the way. I got your number from the class masterlist :) 

To: Chaechae 🐰

I’m sorry about Hikaru’s random text. But I actually want to eat breakfast with you. Is it alright?

To: Chaechae 🐰

I’m sorry a

To: Chaechae 🐰

I don’t like being indebted to people. Let’s meet in the cafeteria at around 6 AM. Or would you prefer to eat at Hikaru’s family restaurant? They serve the best breakfast meals in town. Just let me know.  [sent] 

From: Chaechae 🐰

Cafeteria’s fine! I don’t wanna trouble you further. I’ll see you tomorrow? :) 

To: Chaechae 🐰

You’re far from being the definition of trouble, just so you know. I’m looking forward to tomorrow ^__^

To: Chaechae 🐰

You’re far from being the definition of trouble, jus

To: Chaechae 🐰

Looking forward.  [sent] 

From: Chaechae 🐰

Aight! Good night :) 

To: Chaechae 🐰

I hope you would have the sweetest dreams. I would love to meet you in my slumber. <333

To: Chaechae 🐰

I hope you’d have the sweete

To: Chaechae 🐰

Likewise. [sent] 

“You have the number of the cafeteria chef?” Youngeun said, lifting her eyes from her phone, a smile was plastered in her face (which she forgot to hide prolly because of excitement) finally breaking the silence in the room.

“I don’t but maybe Shiro-unnie has them? I mean she’s the SC president, right?”

“Okay then tell her to give them a heads up that our family chef would be present in the school kitchen tomorrow and that it will be closed until further notice.” 

Quickly realizing what’s going on, Hikaru grinned widely as she murmured under her breath, “You’re such a loser when in love,”

“Shut up twitter user yeonieluvbot032,”

“I guess this is a start?”

Is what Youngeun thought as she eagerly finishes her assignments, not because she couldn’t wait to get back on her game but because she was excited to read the blog entitled, “How to Talk to the Girl You Like Without Sounding Like a Complete Idiot - 10 Easy Steps”– a website she had previously bookmarked 

just because. 

Chapter Text

Seo Youngeun is about to make the hardest decision of her life. 

No, it wasn’t when she had chosen to leave the lavish life of being an heir to multiple businesses in exchange for living a freer one in the city,

It wasn’t when she had to give up singing not because she was influenced by her parents telling her that she wasn’t really that good at it and that she won’t make a living out of it but because it will be too expensive to pursue as a college course so she needed to prioritize working to save up first. 

The hardest decision she had to make didn’t also happen just a few days ago when she had finally chosen to go against her boss who had always been subtly verbally tormenting his female employees which earned her a one-way ticket out of the company and an unemployed badge. 

No, it wasn’t any of that. 

It was today, when she would have to meet up with her long-time girlfriend Kim Dayeon, and put an end to their five-year relationship as lovers and quite possibly, as friends too. 

Would she even be able to bring herself to say it? For the past three days of not worrying about her office outputs and deliverables, her mind’s been bothered by the multiple scenarios she had imagined playing out when she finally breaks up with Dayeon. 

She couldn’t even bring herself to do or say it but she has to. Dayeon, her sweet and lovely Dayeon doesn’t deserve to get stuck with someone as pathetic and as miserable as her. 

Not only that but the fact that she cheated on Dayeon? That, she can’t forgive herself, whether or not it was by accident and she wasn’t aware of what she had done. 

Kim Dayeon is an understanding and a patient lover. Sometimes, they would fight because Youngeun refuses to talk to Dayeon about her worries, and the latter gets hurt because she feels like the younger doesn’t trust her enough to confide in her when in reality, she just doesn’t want the older to stress over her unending problems since Dayeon also has her fair share of issues she has to deal with.

Dayeon isn’t the type to yell her frustrations out during arguments. She just silently cries whenever she feels like the emotional and mental stress is too much to handle. Which pains Youngeun even more because she knows she deserves to get castigated for her complicated way of approaching things and yet the ever-forbearing Kim Dayeon will still stick with her even though there were times when the older find it difficult to decipher her. 

Dayeon would always make an effort to address their issues with gentleness and that sweet smile of hers, that Youngeun feels like the older deserves more than what she could ever offer her in this lifetime. 

Her body feels really heavy despite not doing anything physically taxing, but she forces herself to get up and prepare to meet Dayeon. 

Her eyes drifted to the polaroid picture of them taped on her mirror which was secretly taken by Chaehyun on the day they became official (she was smiling, looking at Dayeon while older seems too engrossed with the squirrel-stuffed toy that Youngeun managed to win by spending a week-worth of her salary from the cafe she’s working part-time in)

Youngeun’s been having second thoughts for the past three days but she’s also firmly telling herself to suck it up and take responsibility for her actions by coming clean and not prolonging Dayeon’s agony by practically lying to her. 

She has to do it. 

She has to.   

…………..

Youngeun went 30 minutes earlier than planned to the cafe they were supposed to meet but she was surprised to see the older one who was already currently sitting at their usual table, eyes brimming with happiness the moment their gazes meet. 

She would want to cry on the spot and come running towards her to kneel and beg for her forgiveness but she resisted the urge to do it. Instead, she wordlessly approaches the table, rejecting the hug that Dayeon wants to initiate, which brings confusion upon her. 

“I didn’t know you’ll also come early so I haven’t ordered your favorite drink,” Dayeon decided to start the conversation because Youngeun seems too distracted to do it. Well, it’s not like it’s an odd thing because Dayeon was the usual conversation starter between the two of them. 

It was like that when they first met. Dayeon was unboxing her newly-bought IU Lilac album and she had noticed that the girl who was manning the cash register keeps on staring at her for a quite a while already and so she decided to approach her. Turns out, the girl, Seo Youngeun, was also a huge fan of IU and is excited about seeing the newly-released album of her idol. 

“You’ve been ignoring my messages so I was so excited when you finally texted me saying you wanted to meet up,” If happiness can be a person, it would be Dayeon, Youngeun thinks. There’s that genuine excitement and joy in the older girl’s voice; like she was really looking forward to seeing her and Youngeun could’ve sworn she had already killed herself at the moment just thinking about what her confession will do to Dayeon, how it will probably wreck her and erase that giddy smile on her face. 

“Dayeon…”

“Eh? Not Yeonie?” Dayeon pouted, perceiving the coldness in Youngeun’s voice. 

“I’m going straight to the point,” Youngeun sighed, looking away, not wanting to see Dayeon’s eyes as she was about to say her most dreaded words, 

“Hmmm?” There’s still that tenderness in Dayeon’s tone that Youngeun couldn’t help but bite her lower lip, trying to stop herself from eventually crying. 

“Let’s break up, Dayeon,”

And there it is–the mixture of confusion and pain in Dayeon’s eyes. 

“What? W-why?”

“I–” Youngeun looked down but eventually decided to look up or else her tears might fall down as she continued, “–cheated on you. I got drunk and kissed someone else thinking it was you. And I swear I didn’t mean to, but I remember enjoying every second of it,”

Youngeun wants to punch herself. Because she was already expecting that the older will look at her with anger and hatred but it was far from that. Instead, she was eyeing her with kindness and warmth. Didn’t she hear what she had just confessed?

There was silence. Youngeun, not knowing what else to do was about to walk out and throw herself on the cars outside, when weirdly enough, Dayeon erupted into a burst of really loud laughter. 

‘O-okay? The hell is happening?’

“Did the heartbreak also shatter her brain functions?” Youngeun thought to herself baffled about the current situation they were in, with Dayeon even crouching to hold her stomach. 

“Yeonie? Why aren’t you cursing me out?”

“Because I’m happy, Eunie. And you don’t curse people when you’re happy, you bless them,” Dayeon then managed to calm herself down, moving to the chair beside Youngeun, cupping the younger’s cheeks. Closing her eyes, she then proceeded to put their foreheads together.

“H-how can you be so thoughtful even on times like these?” Youngeun can’t help it anymore; tears started rolling down her eyes, her voice trembling. 

Not really directly answering her question, Dayeon replied, “It makes me happy to think that my girlfriend actually enjoyed kissing me because she never once told me that since she’s one hell of a tsundere,”  

Youngeun pulled herself from their current position to better look at Dayeon and fully comprehend what she was saying. Her nose and forehead scrunched up as her mind went hazy from the information she was fed. 

“I was the one who took care of you when you got drunk, dumbo,” Dayeon playfully rolled her eyes and crossed her arms at Youngeun, helping her better catch up on what happened. “I wanted to tell you what happened so we could both laugh it off but you shut me off for the past three days. I didn’t know it was because of this. I was so worried, you know,”

“B-but, my co-workers said it was May who brought me to the hotel!”

“Yes, she did bring you to the hotel out of gratitude since you saved her from getting harassed but she immediately called me using your phone saying she has to go take care of some things but she doesn’t want to leave you by yourself,” Dayeon then raised her right hand, grabbing the attention of the waiter who’s been looking for the owner of the strawberry cookie milkshake he’s been holding. 

“But you weren’t there when I woke up!”

“Uh, coz I still need to attend my classes?”

“I–”

…………

The drunken Youngeun jolted from her sleep, figuring out where she was currently. Realizing that it wasn’t her room or Dayeon’s, although totally hammered by how much alcohol she had consumed, she managed to wobbly stand up, impelling herself into walking out of the room. 

Just as she was about to successfully turn the doorknob after so many tries, a woman from the comfort room emerges, running towards her direction. 

“Hey! Where are you going? Go rest on the bed,” Is what the woman had told her but she doesn’t want to, even if the girl smells nice and her hands soft. She has to go home or contact her girlfriend!

“I don’t want to! Yeonie will get mad if she finds out Eunie is sleeping in someone else’s room! Eunie doesn’t want to make Yeonie cry,” She was trying to resist the hold of the girl but she fails to do it, probably because she’s too intoxicated to even form coherent sentences. 

“But Yeonie is here! I am Yeonie!” Said the girl, dragging her back to the bed. 

“Liar! Yeonie told me she’s studying for her quizzes tomorrow so Eunie didn’t call her even if Eunie wanted to see her so bad because Eunie just lost her job and she really needs a hug from Yeonie right now,”

“Eunie loves Yeonie so much. So, so much that she’s so sad she couldn’t give Yeonie the moon and the stars,”

“Eunie always wants to see Yeonie smiling but these days, all she’s been doing was to hurt Yeonie and make her cry,”

“Eunie doesn’t deserve Yeonie,”

“But Eunie loves Yeonie. So, so much. So she’s trying. Eunie tries and struggles and strives to be a better person every waking day just so she can be worthy of Yeonie,”

“I’m sure Yeonie knows that. I’m sure Yeonie can feel and see you trying,”

“And I’m sure Yeonie loves you just as much,”

……..

“You were so adorable that I couldn’t help but shower you with kisses,”

“So it was you all along…” Youngeun, wearing really scarlet cheeks and ears finally uttered as Dayeon finished recounting what had happened a few nights ago.  

“I’ve been telling you that since 20 minutes ago,” Dayeon leaned on the chair as she sipped on her milkshake, chuckling at the dumbfounded face of her girlfriend. 

“So we’re not breaking up?”

“Why would I even think of breaking up with the most adorable cinnamon roll in the world? But I must admit, you scared me for a second there,” The older reached for Youngeun’s hand, giving it a soft squeeze. “We’ll make things work, okay?”

“I don’t deserve you,”

Dayeon was about to reply and rant about Youngeun’s lack of confidence in herself but the younger then quickly continued, 

“But I’m trying. God knows I am,”

“So stay with me, please?”

Dayeon then smiled as she enveloped the younger in a tight hug.

“Gladly, Ms. Seo,” 

Chapter Text

"Donuts are here!"

"Mommy Ting, don't touch the alcapones!" Shouted Youngeun who was currently cradled by Yujin in her arms, the little girl had just finished changing into her pajamas.

"And the avocado dicaprios are mine," Yujin seconded, placing Youngeun down on the couch, hitting Xiaoting's right hand away from her favorite donut flavor.

"You guys are bullies!" Xiaoting then whined, not putting up a fight, because who would even win against the two of them, right?

(It's totally not because of the fact that they are her personal kryptonite and she can't really say no to both of them under any circumstances, no it's not.)

Besides, it's partly her fault that they are currently munching on donuts instead of cookies because, well, she kind of messed up their baking activity?

In her defense, it certainly was not her idea in the first place to let her handle stuff in the kitchen.

"Remind me to not let you set foot into the kitchen again, will you?" Yujin teasingly rolled her eyes at Xiaoting, reaching for the tissue box, and plucking a piece from it. "You literally just had to place the already-shaped cookie dough in the oven and set the timer and temperature right while Eun and I are cleaning the floury mess that we did!"

"But it's hard! And I'm hungry already. I didn't know that setting the timer to six minutes instead of 12 and the temperature to 300°C instead of 175° would burn it! I thought it'll be baked faster that way!" Xiaoting continued ranting while harshly chomping on the poor glazed donut. "I told you we should've just built legos instead! You should've let me buy the lego set I found online," A pout formed on Xaoting's lips, grabbing her third piece of donut.

"And let you spend thousands just for that?" Yujin, after wiping the bread crumbs on little Eun's mouth, then proceeded to do the same with the sugar on Xiaoting's lips, her eyes focused on her job at hand. "Geez. You've been a career woman since God knows when and you can't still do your finances right,"

"Mommy Jin, can we do origami next week? I saw my classmate holding a paper crane once and he won't tell me how to do it," Little Eun went up, sitting on Yujin's lap, cupping her cheeks with her tiny hands to get the older's attention.

"What about lego day?" Xiaoting was ready to argue with her child all the while acting like a child herself, (she's 28 and a CEO of a newly-established fashion brand, just so everyone is informed) her lips on a scowl and her eyebrows furrowed.

"Origami day it is!" Yujin announced, looking all heart eyes towards the little girl (which earned her a soft kiss on the cheeks from the excited 8-year-old Youngeun) and a groan from the supposed mature and dignified woman across the table.

"What about me?" Xiaoting wasn't referring to the lego-building activity anymore because she knows that was already a lost cause as she opened her arms, gesturing for her daughter to come and give her a cheek kiss too.

"Mommy Jin is warm..." Little Eun said as she snuggled closer to Yujin, ignoring the remarks of her mother as she closed her eyes, probably preparing to sleep.

"Ya! I'm warmer!" Is what Xiaoting retorted, putting her unfinished donut down, immediately enclosing Yujin and Youngeun into a tight hug.

The three of them broke into giggles as they realized how childish that was but still submitted to the cozy feeling that particular moment gave them.

"You haven't showered yet," Yujin commented after quite some time, noticing that the little girl in her arms had already dozed off.

"It's coz I still have work to do!"

"Now you do that CEO stuff and fixed this mess too while you're at it," Yujin said pointing to the boxes of donuts on the table, "And I'll put this little munchkin on her bed, is that fine?"

"Aight, copy boss Choi!"

........

Yujin had just tucked little Eun in her bed after finishing the bedtime story the kid loves to hear before sleeping and she was done checking the backpack she'll bring to school, as well as the toys she played with during the morning.

(It's not like it's hard to take care of the kid. After all, she didn't grow up to be a brat like all the other kids who have the same wealth and privilege as she did, is always tidy when it comes to her belongings, always speaks politely, and listens to what her Mom says.)

After checking some of the emails from her clients, she was about to go to her room when she noticed a light coming out of Xiaoting's open door.

"Must be the lamp,"

She thought as she walked over to Xiaoting's room, validating her suspicion as she saw the latter sleeping soundly on her work table, her head (un)comfortably placed in front of her laptop, and a pair of reading glasses still sitting on top of her nose.

Yujin shook her head in disapproval as she walked over to the younger's bed, picked up a blanket, and then proceeded to gently place it on Xiaoting's shoulders, not wanting to bother her sleep since the latter had been ranting about not getting enough of it because of the launching of her newest autumn collection. She then saved what probably are some stuff the young CEO had to read and approve for marketing and whatnot before closing her laptop. She also removed the strands of hair blocking Xiaoting's face as well as her eyeglasses.

"I'm really glad Youngeun and I have you," is what the sleeping Xiaoting unconsciously said in her dream, which successfully painted a smile on Yujin’s face as she decided to leave the woman be, and proceed to the kitchen, grabbing a half-full bottle of soju from the refrigerator and making herself comfortable in the living room couch.

………….

Xiaoting was an aspiring designer back then. She's the type who works really hard, doubling or even quadrupling her efforts just so she can accomplish what she wants– to start her own fashion line.

They weren't poor but they were also not wealthy. Despite that, she was able to achieve everything with her perseverance and natural talent. She was orphaned by the age of 15 but even so, she has her sister who had always been supportive of her dream, motivating her on times she feels like giving up.

Until she doesn't.

It was hard to look at Youngeun's face at first you know. It was difficult knowing the fact that her sister decided to give up her life just so she can successfully deliver this child.

But Xiaoting promised her sister while she was drawing her last breath that she'll take care of the child like she was her own and that she has nothing to worry about.

You see, Xiaoting is still a struggling designer back then. Taking care of a child whilst juggling a start-up business was hellish.

And so she contacted an agency where she can hire a babysitter to do the job for her.

..........

Yujin, just like Xiaoting, was an orphan. Unlike the younger though, who had only lost her parents back when she was a teenager, Yujin had been parent-less ever since she was an infant. She grew up in an orphanage run by nuns with brothers and sisters who don't share the same blood but share the same fate as her.

Growing up, Yujin doesn't have anything she could call her own. Well, except for her dreams.

Little Yujin was great with the arts. And so she dreamt of having a studio she can call her own.

Her siblings back in the orphanage used to tell her that it was an impossible dream. That orphans like them are destined to live a life where dreams and aspirations would not foster.

Because having an expensive thing such as a dream is only reserved for the privileged. People like her, they could only achieve enough to survive for a day.

But Yujin is persistent. When she grew older, enough to live on her own, she decided to leave the orphanage.

She would prove everyone wrong, she thinks.

Because that's all she has. Her dreams.

And so she applied to every lawful job she can handle out there. She had experienced being a dishwasher in a diner; a delivery girl; a cleaner for the mansions of the filthy rich and she was also accepted by an agency that hires nannies.

And there she met Xiaoting. A struggling single mom.

Xiaoting as a corporate woman was so admirable. It was unthinkable how she managed to make a name for herself in the fashion industry from scratch.

Xiaoting as a mom of a kid was a mess. She doesn't know exactly what to do. Yujin could even feel that slight aloofness she had with her child the more she spend time in their household.

And Yujin was the perfect nanny for Youngeun. Because back in the orphanage, since they all collectively don't have parents, Yujin used to take care of her non-blood-related siblings. She does the job right, and Xiaoting was thankful.

They still weren't close at that time. Yujin would come during the mornings of weekdays and then leave at night. During weekends, Xiaoting tries her best to learn everything about parenting.

There was this one time when Xiaoting told Yujin that she'll come home late and the older had agreed on staying with the 1-year-old Youngeun until she arrives.

When Xiaoting entered the house, it was filled with silence. Which was odd since the usual scenario she comes home to was the sound of the television playing as the two watched some kid's cartoon together.

It was unusually silent, well, except for some stifled whimpers she could faintly hear. She then realized that it was Yujin shedding silent tears and Xiaoting doesn't know what to do. She was, after all, not an expert on comforting people.

But she felt indebted to Yujin that she wants to console the older any way she can.

And so she sat beside her. She softly hums a song as she gently and carefully pats Yujin's back.

It only made Yujin's cry louder.

Xiaoting then later found out that Yujin had just lost most of her savings from an investment scam. The older was so good at hiding it that she didn't know about the problem she currently bears until that day. It's not like they talk often but she's always been all smiles whenever they have some small conversations.

She was just kicked out from the apartment she was staying at that day and knowing that the money she had worked hard earning for years which she will supposedly use to build her dream studio was just lost in a snap, Yujin couldn't help but breakdown and weep even if she wants to maintain professionalism in her job.

Xiaoting knowing exactly how grueling it is to chase after your dreams despite all the adversities decided to offer her home to Yujin without any second thoughts.

"What if I'm a member of some kind of a syndicate, aren't you scared?"

"Oh, I didn't know they're hiring pretty criminals nowadays. That's actually a great business plan if we think about it,"

"I'm serious here!"

"And I'm dead serious too, Yujin. I don't know. I just feel like it will be such a waste if you give up on your dreams. You have persistence. I guess you just needed a bit of luck with you. What if Youngeun and I were the lucky charm you needed in life?"

It was supposed to be a gloomy situation but Xiaoting's words made Yujin smile.

And maybe Xiaoting was right. When Yujin decided to move in with them, it was like everything fell into its rightful place.

It took another couple of years of hard work but her dream studio; Yujin managed to build it on her own.

It was all thanks to Xiaoting. She was about to give up and accept her fate as an unfortunate orphan but the two of them came and they became her anchor.

She's an orphan and orphans don't have anything they can call their own, but here comes Xiaoting and Youngeun, a family she never know she would have.

The two of them had become her life; her reason for living.

And the rest was history, leading up to the present life that the three of them have right now.

"You're wrong Ting. You two weren't lucky to have me. It is I who was fortunate to have found the both of you," She thought as she drank the last bit of soju from the bottle.

"And I'll do anything to protect your happiness,"

..........

Professional-Nagging 🐰

Need I remind you that you’re going on a date and 

not on a company meeting?

Workaholic 🦌

IT’S NOT A DATE

Who even goes on a date with their ex?

Professional-Nagging 🐰

Hmmmm you sound so awfully defensive 👀

I’m telling you, the sparks are still there!!!

Workaholic 🦌

Geez. I’m just going because I want to return

                                                                                                                                                                                           some things to her. Nothing more. 

   But hey, we’re under the same roof, why are

                                                                                                                                                                        you texting me?  🤨

Professional-Nagging 🐰

I just don’t feel like going out of my room today.

Workaholic 🦌

Are you sure? Are you okay???

Professional-Nagging 🐰

Yep. Ofc.

Workaholic 🦌

Hold up. 

Are you sick?

                                                                 I think I should just cancel and stay instead.

Professional-Nagging 🐰

DON’T DO THAT!

I’m okay. I’m not sick. 

Besides even if you stay, I won’t let you

inside my room 😛

Workaholic 🦌

You really sure???

Professional-Nagging 🐰

Never been this certain my whole life.

Workaholic 🦌

Okay…

Professional-Nagging 🐰

But before going, lemme see your fit. 

Workaholic 🦌

What are you, a mom sending her child

        on her first date???

Professional-Nagging 🐰

So you admit that it’s a date 😆

Workaholic 🦌

Eye–

I TOLD U IT’S NOT.

Professional-Nagging 🐰

Whatever. Just show me. 

Quick so you won’t be late.

Workaholic 🦌

*Workaholic 🦌 sent a picture*

Just a white shirt and maong pants.

Professional-Nagging 🐰

Nice choice. 

Fighting!

Don’t mess up, okay?

Workaholic 🦌

I’m not eleven 🙄

Professional-Nagging 🐰

Okay you’re 12. I know, I know 😆

…….

“Geez,” Yujin said, pulling the comforter up to her shoulders. “I told Eun that I’m fine and there’s no need to call you,” 

“But we don’t have ice in the refrigerator and I don’t know where else to get it,” The youngest Shen was crestfallen as she looks at the sick Yujin lying on her bed. 

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it that way, baby,” Yujin would want to console the kid but she doesn’t want her to catch her cold. Besides, she doesn’t have the energy to even move an inch. 

Emerging from the door, Xiaoting brought a basin with ice cubes and a white towel on it. “Jin, I also bought fruits. Do you wanna eat apples? The vendor says it’ll help strengthen your immune system,” The oldest Shen then placed the basin on the bedside table, grabbed the towel, and squeezed out the cold water from it before placing it on the older girl’s forehead.     

“Yeah, I just know you panic-bought fruits that will last us an entire year if they’re not perishable,” 

“ Thank you for taking care of me, Ting, is actually what I want to hear right now and not you rolling your eyes at me. I’ll give out the excess fruits to my employees. Happy? ” Xiaoting said as she playfully rubs the eye-roll from Yujin’s face.

“But I’m really okay, I swear! You two don’t need to get too worked up,” Yujin said but her body failed her when she let out a sneeze right after. 

“Stop lying! Let us do at least this much for you,”

“I agree with Mommy Ting,”

“Stop ganging up on me!”

“We’re not, geez!” Xiaoting said as she removes the towel to soak it once again on the iced basin. “Oh, and the soup! Can you check it for me, baby?” The young CEO said asking her daughter for help, gesturing the way towards the kitchen. 

“Aye, aye!” Youngeun said as she pose for a salute. 

So why are Xiaoting and Youngeun acting like this, you ask?

It’s because there were only a few instances when Yujin gets sick. It’s not like the two of them wanted the woman to suffer from a cold but they wanted to show her how much they care for her during times like these. Yujin had been taking care of them for God knows how many years now and so they wanted to give back the same effort and attention that she rightfully deserves.  

Xiaoting believes that Yujin is strong. She even admires that unyielding side of her. 

But even the strongest deserve to be taken care of, every once in a while, right?

“God, why are the ice cubes melting so easily,” Xiaoting frustratedly exclaimed as she grabs the basin on the table. She was about to go out when she felt a hand on her wrist. 

“Ting, I really am fine. I swear. You should go continue your interrupted date,”

Xiaoting looked into Yujin’s eyes. She then placed the basin back on the table as she then proceeded to sit on the bed. Inching closer, she held Yujin’s cheeks. “Move away, you might catch my cold!” Yujin tried to push Xiaoting away but she was weak and well, the younger is just naturally stronger than her. 

So instead, she just scooted backwards guarding herself, until she hit the wall getting trapped by the persistent Xiaoting. Closing her eyes, Xiaoting then placed her forehead against Yujin’s. For reasons she couldn’t put words on, Yujin’s cheeks turned red. 

Xiaoting moved away after a second or two but she remained seated on the bed. Frowning, she said, “See? You’re still burning. Don’t be stubborn and let Eun and I take care of you,” Her voice was filled with authority but then her expression turned soft as she gives Yujin’s head some gentle pats. 

“Jin?”

“Hmmm?”

“Please allow me to take care of you, even just for today,”

Yujin just unconsciously nodded as the corners of her mouth curved up into a smile.

Chapter Text

Shen Xiaoting is a firm believer that anything that’s too much is never good. 

She listens to music and has her own favorite songs but she’s not too indulged with it to the point of considering herself a fan of any artist. She goes to movies and appreciates great cinematography, scriptwriting, and acting prowess but she can never understand her friends’ fixation on Iron Man dying or purchasing Funko pop collectibles of their favorite Marvel superhero. 

She has a hobby or two. She dances whenever she feels like sweating her calories away; she accepts modeling gigs for extra cash and she even reads the Harry Potter books that her sister Chaehyun is a huge fan of whenever she feels like it. 

You see, Shen Xiaoting actually likes a variety of things, when we think about it. However, she doesn’t like them enough to the point of actually ‘loving’ them. She doesn’t love anything enough to actually see herself get captured and get lost and truly be consumed.

Because that would be too much and it’s not like you can’t survive living this life with just ‘enough’, right? You put in enough effort, you get good enough results. You exert enough energy into something, then you’ll still have enough left for yourself if shit goes wrong. 

Giving way too much could be risky. Receiving a lot more than what you ask for could be overwhelming.     

Shen Xiaoting is a firm believer that anything that’s too much is never good. She’s content living in her safe space. She’s at ease and fulfilled and satisfied. 

And then there’s Sakamoto Mashiro—a girl she met during their company’s team-building activities. For some weird reason, despite walking in the same establishment every day, riding the same elevators, and reporting to the editor-in-chief, it was the very first time she had heard of the woman and what she was like.

“You never heard of Ms. Shiro? Are you living on a rock or something?”   

Is what her assigned roommate slash officemate Hiyyih had commented when she nosily saw Xiaoting zooming in on the pictures posted on the company’s social media account, particularly to look at Mashiro who was all smiles as she held up a v-sign. 

It’s not like she asked for it but when she said that she doesn’t know that such a girl exists, Hiyyih went on and on telling about her encounters with the company editor. Telling stuff like there was this one time when she needs to finish a report and so she stayed late in the office and the next thing she knew, someone tapped on her shoulder handing her a cup of coffee, saying she should take things easy. Or when the woman went out of her way and search for people who could adopt the two kittens who were left at the entrance of the building saying that she would have taken care of the fellow fur babies herself but she doesn’t have the time to do so. Or when she miraculously saved the contract with a fashion brand that was about to call everything off since their agreed-upon photoshoot concept had been leaked and stolen by another magazine (with that particular issue becoming the company’s third-best-selling magazine) and many others that she really didn’t quite understand because she was too engrossed looking at Sakamoto Mashiro’s pastel-themed Instagram account; she would’ve even accidentally liked a post from August of 2013 where the girl was adorably posing with a huge smile on the camera, holding a strawberry donut beside her right cheek and a blueberry one on the left if she wasn’t quick to remind herself to be careful on her research.

Or stalking, is what her sister would call it but it’s not like she’s really interested in the woman right? She’s just curious, and that’s it. 

I mean, what was even there to this Sakamoto Mashiro that could be considered remotely interesting? It’s not like she’s jaw-dropping, outstandingly gorgeous—the type you would send to Ms. Universe or the Paris Fashion Week, right? Well, she’s pretty, yes. The dimples that appear on both sides of her jaw whenever her lips curve into a grin are undoubtedly endearing to look at, and she has those two round eyes that resemble that of a cloudless night sky with the way they dazzle, or her perfectly-shaped eyebrows that everyone envies because she doesn’t even need to purchase the most expensive eyebrow pencil or hire the most skilled makeup artist because they just naturally look like they were drawn by Aphrodite herself. No, she’s not that pretty at all, Xiaoting thinks. 

And the sound of her voice—Hiyyih would tell her that it was one of the best she had ever heard like she was IU or something—isn’t really something extraordinary when she had experienced hearing it live. There was this open mic on the last night of their company outing and everyone chanted to make this Sakamoto girl sing on stage (which she did with a shy smile, saying she already had a bottle or two so her voice might not sound that good) and if Xiaoting would word out her experience, it was like getting brought to a sea of clouds and being able to lie down and feel its refreshingly comfortable fluffiness. Her voice melts while she utters the lyrics of the song that it feels as if the notes and the rhythm are gently cradling you for a good night's sleep. Yeah, Xiaoting doesn’t really find her voice attractive, no she doesn’t. At all. 

Her energy and dedication are not in the least bit charming too. All that excessively bright and cheerful aura that she brings anywhere she goes; the way her lips would form a pout whenever she would be too absorbed in the idea she currently has for the next magazine issue; the way her cheeks would puff whenever she’s munching on the fresh-from-the-oven bread that her assistant would bring her during her morning coffee breaks as she checks and see to it that the photoshoot would go smoothly. THOSE. WEREN’T. BEWITCHING. AT. ALL. 

Sakamoto Mashiro is one hell of a hardworking, devoted, and determined person who gives out too much and goes all out regardless of what she will receive in return; something (or everything) that Shen Xiaoting is not. And it annoys the fuck out of her just seeing her be the personification of “too much”. 

“Oh, we are totally screwed. Both of the models had a major fight—we just found out that they’re romantically involved with each other— and now they are refusing to work together for the shoot tomorrow! Ms. Shiro said she’ll do it and I would love to help her out but my sister’s getting married this weekend so I couldn’t.”

“I’m free,”

“You don’t work during the weekends. You said that’s one of your sacred rules. Something along the lines of refusing to give too much for a job that fuels further capitalism,”

“I just thought it’s been so long since I last took on a modeling gig—”

“Duh, didn’t you just post a Marie Claire behinds on your Instagram last Wednesday?”

“That was two days ago!”

“Sure,” Said Hiyyih in defeat. “You weren’t volunteering because you found out that Ms. Shiro will do it. I get it,”

“Of course not!”

And so she was there, on a Saturday in the studio all glammed up wearing white for an editorial shoot with 1st Look magazine.  

She’s only doing this, Xiaoting argues, just so she can fully examine the woman on a closer perimeter, like some kind of a science lab specimen, not because she’s taking a little crush on her or something (SHE DOESN’T LIKE HER OKAY!!!) but purely for research purposes. 

If you’ll ask her why she’s doing this quote, unquote academic research, she would reply, in a really uncalled-for, defensive manner, that she’s just plain curious. 

“Don’t famous scientists also do the same?” She would further say in retaliation. 

Yeah. This is all with the intention of contributing to the existing body of knowledge and not because she wants to check whether what Hiyyih says about the woman smelling like the first day of the Spring season when lavenders and lilies are in full bloom was true or the younger was just bluffing. 

It’s also not because of the fact that she wants to hear the laughter of the girl up close—because everyone and their Moms describe it as the first thing you would crave to hear whenever you’re having a bad day—that she offered to help even if its a weekend. 

And it most certainly was not because she wants the woman to notice her and so she can probably ask for her number to go grab coffee sometimes. 

Xiaoting doesn’t even drink coffee!!! 

But Hiyyih told her that Shiro likes macchiatos, four shots of espresso with a drop of honey, and a spoon of coconut milk. It was such a piece of useless information to remember, though. It’s not like she’s planning to ask the woman out on her day off and impress her by ordering a purple-colored cotton candy instead of pink because Shiro likes purple or gift her a beaded bracelet because the woman loves receiving hand-crafted stuff. She won’t do that. Like ever. Trust her. 

In fact, she actually wants to curse the creative director right at that very moment because what does she mean Xiaoting needs to hold Sakamoto Mashiro’s waist while the woman is sitting on her lap?

And what does she mean they need to act like they’re doing a prenup shoot??

And to act like they’re a couple who’s madly in love???

Is she actually insane????

“Nice! Perfect! Xiaoting you’re doing really well with your expression, it looks so natural like you’re really in love!”

She hears Mashiro giggling on her side, commenting in between the camera flashes, “You’re such a pro at this, I feel like I’m ruining the shot,”

“And that’s a wrap! Great job, everyone,” The creative director said, clapping her hands, “I knew I could trust that this will work since you told me not to worry,” She said, addressing Mashiro who was currently monitoring the shots. Shiro just humbly smiled in reply.   

“It’s already done?” Xiaoting refuses to believe it. She wants to go approach the director and tell her they didn’t do enough and that there was so much more that they could explore to produce better results. She might not be a professional model but she actually takes things seriously. And it’s definitely not because she wants to extend the time she could spend with Shiro. Definitely, no. 

She was about to go and complain (respectfully) to the director when a woman wearing that stupidly enchanting dimpled smile walks towards her. 

“Ms. Shen!” She called out to her, looking so silly while waving her arm animatedly. 

“She calls everyone in the company by their nickname and she addressed me as ‘Ms. Shen?’”

“I know this request was such on short notice and I really feel so indebted to you. This is such a huge project for this season and I couldn’t really afford to lose such an important deal,” The same-aged woman said, grabbing her hand, and giving it a soft squeeze. 

Mashiro’s words came to her in a huge blur because all Xiaoting could ever comprehend at that particular moment was the fact that the woman is holding her hand. The woman is holding her hand and that her hand was so soft. It was so soft and gentle and warm and—

“Ms. Shen?”

“Y-yes?”

“So it’s a yes?” The woman excitedly said; she was even doing that celebratory little dance she does whenever she’s happy. 

Yes? What yes? Did she just say yes to being sold to the black market or something?

“Then I’ll see you after you’re done changing your clothes. You can choose which restaurant you prefer, just please not the expensive ones. You see, I’m short on cash this month,” Shiro jokes, releasing chuckles as she left Xiaoting dumbfounded, not entirely digesting whatever the hell happened for the past three minutes. 

So she’ll be eating dinner with Sakamoto Mashiro. 

They will eat dinner and she will talk to her about work and then the conversation will probably turn more casual and then they will share things about themselves and then she will see her smile and hear her voice and listen to her talk and, and—

SHE’S GOING ON A DATE WITH SAKAMOTO MASHIRO. 

A fucking dinner date with Sakamoto Mashiro. 

This is just too much. 

Too much for her to handle the fact that she’ll eat dinner with the woman who’s the exact definition of ‘too much’. Her heart’s beating so loud against her chest and she feels like she’s going to faint with the number of overwhelming emotions she currently simultaneously feels but damn,

for the first time since forever,

she’s actually loving the concept of too much.     

Chapter Text

Youngeun looks at the blonde and all she could see was the first ray of sunshine that grazes one’s skin, sending warmth on an icy morning and instantly putting one in a good mood. She looks at her and thinks how it must be an absolute blessing for her name to come out of the blonde’s mouth as she smiles at her and tells her to stay over dinner because she will be cooking malatang and Youngeun loves malatang but she loves the blonde more. 

Youngeun looks at the girl and then she remembers the first time she hugged her. It was during the first grade of elementary school when Youngeun participated in a track-and-field competition. She was about to win first place but she tripped, causing a small wound in both of her palms and knees but she’s always been a strong girl even back then so she held it in and smiled at everyone checking up on her, telling them she’s fine and it’s okay. But then there’s this blonde girl from her neighborhood who approached her and told her she looks so cool back there and that placing second is the greatest thing ever because first placers will have that certain pressure on them to maintain their rank and she can just kick their asses next year when she participates again. 

“You’re gonna participate again and win, right?” 

Hearing the sweet, tender voice of the girl and how much faith she had in her as she was being enveloped in a tight hug made Youngeun’s heart melt; breaking down the protective facade that she’s been putting up for everyone to see. Seven-year-old Youngeun started bawling in the arms of the girl from the neighborhood, abandoning the idea of ditching the competition next year because she silently promised herself that she will surely win and when she does, she’s gonna give the gold medal to the girl. 

Youngeun looks at her and things don’t move in slow motion like what madly in love people say the moment they meet their destined partner. Instead, the realization came to her in a fast-forward type of way—it was when the blonde slept over at Youngeun’s house because the latter needed to finish a house made up of popsicle sticks; a project for her Arts Appreciation class that’s been sitting idly on her table for a month because, well, Youngeun is a professional crammer. They were first-year college students back then and were still figuring out adulting and stuff when she woke up next to the blonde who still has her eyes closed, displaying her long, pretty lashes—when Youngeun imagined how good it will be waking up next to the girl’s smiles, pull her back and demand five more minutes of cuddling because it’s Sunday and the kids do not have school.

Youngeun looks at the blonde slash her best friend slash her first love (and probably her last), slyly sliding her hands to fill the spaces in between her fingers, smiling to herself as they walk home; talking about what happened to their day like how Youngeun’s history teacher was such a boring lecturer so thank heavens he’s absent or how the blonde was made to stand up during recitation for a question she thought would not be appearing so she didn’t really pay attention to that topic (to which Youngeun laughs; such action earned her a bone-breaking tight grip from the girl.) 

“Awww!” 

The blonde just glares at her as she comments, “Chaehyun-unnie wouldn’t like it if you laugh at her misfortunes so make sure you won’t, okay? We’ve been working really hard for her to like you so you should remember my tips, hmmm?” 

Youngeun just frowns (in her mind; it’s not like she can show such an expression to her best friend Yeseo) as she hears the blonde bring up the idea that the person she likes was Kim Chaehyun, Yeseo’s older sister, a graduating communication student. 

Don’t get her wrong; Chaehyun is obviously great. She’s been such a reliable older sister to both Youngeun and Yeseo; she’s pretty, has a really nice voice, and gives the best pieces of advice but that’s just it. She never did and never will see Chaehyun beyond the lens of familial love. 

It has been Yeseo all along. 

And she’s certain that it will still be Yeseo in the near future, in another lifetime, or even in every other universe. 

It just kind of annoys her that Yeseo was born dense. She was denser than the densest element osmium or the densest solar system planet. It was like for Yeseo, all the advances that Youngeun does could all be categorized under the platonic column. Whenever Youngeun stays with her if she has cleaning duties; that one time when she rode the horror train with Yeseo even if she’s a certified coward and that it would be such a possibly shameful sight for her crush to see her fainting or something; or the annual chocolates and letter (love letters) she gives her during Valentines. Yeseo deemed all those as something a good friend would usually do. 

But it’s not, okay? ‘Coz she certainly won’t willingly help Hikaru sweep the floors of their classroom. Hiyyih wouldn’t be able to force her to watch a gory horror film, especially not in the movie theaters. And she definitely won’t pull an all-nighter just so she can form the loveliest set of words and sentences, as well as the sweetest, cutely-shaped truffles. Oh, hell no. She wouldn’t do all those things for people she’s platonically involved with. 

But Yeseo thinks otherwise. It was like all her romantic efforts just flew right above her head just for Youngeun to pick it up and devise another plan (again, for the nth time.)

It was a little funny too because Youngeun never did confirm Yeseo’s claim that she likes her sister Chaehyun. She doesn’t remember when it started but Yeseo just, one day, suddenly alleged that Youngeun likes Chaehyun and the younger Kim believes her self-made assertion as gospel truth until this day.  

So when Youngeun looks at the Kim sibling’s photo album, Yeseo thinks it was because the brunette wants to look at Chaehyun’s adorable childhood photos and would nudge her teasingly on the side as she stares at that one photo taken on the beach, during one of their family vacations where Yeseo smiles with her bunny teeth, one of her lower denticles had just recently been pulled out. Yeseo thinks Youngeun’s smiles were because of Chaehyun who was beside her in the photo when in reality, the brunette was busy doting on her. On Yeseo. 

And when Youngeun asks to sleep over with the Kims, Yeseo would tell Chaehyun she should join them, mistakenly thinking that she’s helping her best friend make moves on her older sister but fortunately, Chaehyun would catch the way Youngeun’s eyes become crestfallen and make up some excuses that she’ll be busy doing some stuff for her music org. 

(And while Yeseo wasn’t looking, Youngeun will mouth her silent ‘thanks’ to the older Kim and Chaehyun will wink at her in return, telling her ‘good luck’, slightly raising her closed fist in the air.)

Because everyone knows. Youngeun’s block mates know (so it wasn’t weird seeing her fly from the first building to the sixth floor of the fifth building whenever their class ends), Yeseo’s block mates probably have their suspicions too with the number of times they see Youngeun waiting for the blonde’s class to end, leaning on the wall beside their door. Mama Kim and Mama Seo probably knows it too, because Youngeun is such a loser in love and her actions, body language and the way she reacts to anything related to Yeseo, although those weren’t accompanied by the clarity and confirmation that words bring, were the most obvious things in the world and only the most slow-witted girl in existence wouldn’t be able to catch up on her hints. Unfortunately, Yeseo is the most slow-witted girl in existence and so Youngeun has been having a really huge dilemma. 

And then there was this particular situation just last week: the blonde caught Youngeun and Chaehyun talking, and their subject was this unnamed girl that her best friend likes. At first, Yeseo was confused because of her preconceived notion that the brunette likes her sister and so she confronted them, appearing before their serious talk uninvited.     

Youngeun initially hesitated but Chaehyun decided to come clean and clarify that the brunette doesn’t like her (well, at least not in a romantic, heart-fluttering way) to which the former verified with a slight nod when Yeseo’s eyes drifted to her asking for confirmation while her mouth hung and her eyes widened in utter surprise. 

“So it wasn’t Chaehyun-unnie? Omygod, I’m sorry,”

“It was you, idiot,” Is what Youngeun was itching to say but she was caught off-guard and she doesn’t have enough courage to confess yet. 

“Then who was it?”

For the past week, Yeseo had been bombarding Youngeun with that question, hoping that the older girl will finally surrender in defeat and feed her curiosity with the answer she’s been wanting to hear. 

Youngeun had heard multiple names already—some were even people she considers family like Hikaru—but Yeseo argues that she fools around and bickers with the Japanese girl and they seem really close so she must be that person right? Or probably May whom Youngeun speaks highly of because the girl had been a really dependable leader for their research paper. It could also be Jia, Yeseo presumes, the captain of the dance club whom Youngeun had been a member of, considering the fact that the brunette had told her once that her ideal girl is someone who’s good at dancing (a trait befitting Yeseo herself too, but she’s too dense to have even figure out that Youngeun is referring to her.)

Even today during lunchtime, Yeseo brought up Dayeon’s name and Youngeun could’ve sworn she would’ve sealed the younger Kim’s mouth with tape, seeing how Chaehyun coughed on her food, if not for the promise she made with the older that she’ll keep things a secret because Chaehyun is still trying to figure out her feelings. 

“Well, Dayeon-unnie is a good dancer. She has a really pretty smile too. Plus, didn’t you say you have a soft spot for people who talk a lot?”

“It’s not Dayeon-unnie,” Sighing, Youngeun looks at the unopened pudding on the table. She grabbed it to try and subtly ignore Yeseo, but then the younger continues,

“Oh, maybe it was Hiyyih-unnie! She always brings you your favorite food like the pudding you’re about to eat right now,”

“She brings me pudding and crepe because I helped choreograph the piece she’ll perform to get the lead role she’ll be auditioning for,”

Yeseo then submits to thinking. Real hard. But then she’s so sure that she had already mentioned all the names of the people that Youngeun possibly likes and yet for some reason, she still cannot get the confirmation?

She now believes that the older is either lying or maybe there was a person whom Youngeun is close with that Yeseo doesn’t know of. 

“I don’t get it, why don’t you just tell me? I’m your best friend,” And there Yeseo goes pulling the best friend card as she plays with the fishcake on her tteokbokki, still racking her brain for names she might have missed. “I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned all the names of the people you are acquainted with,”

Youngeun stared at her as she heaved a seemingly exhausted, audible sigh.

“Yeseo,” The brunette said as she fished out the packet of limited edition Sailormoon-printed purple macaron, open it up and feed it directly to the younger girl, wanting to catch her attention from whatever name she was currently thinking of. “How come you forget to mention the prettiest name there is?” Youngeun further added as she smiled, looking at Yeseo chewing on the macaron in her mouth. 

Yeseo’s brows furrowed in perplexity, trying to decipher what Youngeun’s words mean. As soon as realization had finally hit her, she blinked multiple times, trying to find the right words to say. 

“M-me? It was me? Y-you like me?”

To say that Youngeun would want to unalive herself or be swallowed by the ground was an understatement. It’s not like she hasn’t been preparing for a confession. It’s just that she had planned on doing it properly, maybe after they had eaten dinner at a restaurant along the way, as she recites the little speech she had prepared with the help of Chaehyun and give her the macarons that Yeseo had been craving. 

And maybe not die of embarrassment while she’s at it.  

But Yeseo just had to be so damn determined that her name just naturally slipped out of her mouth after days of suppressing it. 

“I would love for this to be something sweeter like I would point to the moon and then I’ll tell you that famous quote that goes, ‘The moon is beautiful, right?’ But then I also figured it will not be proper to say that because although I do find the moon pretty, I definitely believe you’re way more beautiful than the moon, or even any other stars the universe holds.” Youngeun pursed her lips, looking away, feeling the blood rush into her cheeks and ears as she further added, “So what I’m just trying to say is that you’re so pretty and I liked you ever since, but it’s actually not because you’re pretty that I like you. There are way more reasons and I doubt you even are aware of them, and I’m not the type to successfully deliver the perfect words and I probably am already blabbering nonsense right now and forgive me for that but—”

Youngeun was halted by a soft peck on her cheeks, she didn’t even realize that the younger girl had already sat beside her coming from her original position that was across the table. 

“I like you too,”

“I told you she likes you too!” Chaehyun, the third-wheeler of the day commented as she looks at the two with a triumphant grin on her face. 

“B-but,”

“I just thought you liked Chaehyun-unnie so I decided to back off thinking that it’s for the best and besides, I still get to stay by your side as your best friend,”

“God, kids these days,” Chaehyun said as she witnessed both of them wear shy smiles, there was pure joy emanating from them knowing the fact that the feelings they both hold dear are mutual. 

Chapter Text

It was late December—the season for celebration, to reunite with friends and family members you haven’t met for the year, and spend some time catching up with them over festive drinks and food. It’s the time of the year when you meet your relatives who would greet you by pointing out how much weight you gained or ask whether you’re already in a relationship or is about to get married. 

Well, that’s the usual stuff happening for most people but not for the couple Youngeun and Chaehyun, who are currently employed in the audit industry and has been spending overtime after overtime in the office since the latter half of this month (and the succeeding ones until the mid of April) are considered their job’s busy season and saying that things were hectic would be an understatement. 

The same goes for the couple Hiyyih and Yeseo who are owners of a bakeshop that specializes in Holiday cakes and other sweet goodies. Their December days have been nothing but restless with the bustling orders they need to deal with. Don’t get them wrong; it was great and all that their business is booming at this time of the year but the amount of extra work they needed to do so they could accommodate everyone, penetrate the market and successfully establish their brand is just enormous. 

So for them to have one day—just a single day to spend with only the two of them without worrying whether or not they’re meeting the deadlines set in the audit plan or whether they had ordered enough sugar and flour for the advanced and upcoming cake orders— was nothing but pure bliss. 

Holidays are supposed to be spent in the arms of your loved one, right?

The plan was simple: Hiyyih will come over Yeseo’s apartment (a space she’s sharing with Dayeon and Chaehyun) to watch Home Alone and if they still got time before the dinner reservation they have with a nearby restaurant, then they’ll also finish How The Grinch Stole Christmas while cuddling on the carpeted floor, backs against the couch. 

Chaehyun on the other hand, will go to Youngeun’s condo unit (where Hiyyih and Hikaru were also staying) and share a cup of hot chocolate with the younger as they play with their Nintendo Switch, with Chaehyun leaning her back against Youngeun and the latter’s chin resting on the former’s left shoulder, further pulling her closer by the waist. At around 6 PM, they would go to the city plaza and watch some fireworks display hand in hand, giggling about their funny shenanigans and ranting about their cursed schedule. 

It was simple. It was nothing extravagant like riding a cruise ship or a trip out of the country but for both of the couples, it was enough. It was perfect. 

They were supposed to spend a stressed-free day, well, emphasis shall be made on the words “supposed to”, because as Youngeun was about to challenge Chaehyun for a rematch and Yeseo was about to play Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, there came continuous knocking on their doors, disturbing the supposed peaceful, worry-free morning of the couples. 

It was their friends, Hikaru and Dayeon—the former came to barge in on Youngeun and Chaehyun while the latter decided to bother Hiyyih and Yeseo. 

………..

“Home Alone, I love that movie!” Dayeon said, comfortably plopping herself down the couch, and grabbing a fistful of popcorn from the table. “‘Sup roomie! Oh, hello there Hiyyih,”   

Yeseo was just about to protest and kick Dayeon out because they (Chaehyun and Dayeon) made a promise that no one shall come back to the apartment on that particular day when Hiyyih nudged her, telling her to look at Dayeon who was now staring grimly at her hand, a tear had escaped her eyes. 

Oh. 

“Karu loves popcorn but she hates the caramelized ones. We always order cheese whenever we watch movies in cinemas,” She started full-on sobbing, picking the corn kernels and eating them one by one, snot was coming out of her nose. 

……….

“But didn’t you both still have a full day on your rented staycation villa in Daegu?” Frustrated, Youngeun was currently trying to get Hikaru’s attention, confused as to why her friend had just uninvitedly interrupted their supposed rest day, the Japanese girl was occupied by the golf game she was playing on the screen.      

“I just realized playing Nintendo games with the both of you will be a lot more fun than staying in that boring villa ruled by a nosy bitch,”

“W-what did you just say—”

“Bub,” Chaehyun called out from the kitchen, she was just done making a third cup of hot chocolate. Youngeun turned in her direction, seeing her girlfriend shaking her head, mouthing the words, “Code B,”   

Realizing the situation and how pointless it will be to argue or talk some sense to her friend without Hikaru initiating things, Youngeun just sighed in defeat. 

Code B stands for Code Breakup aka Hikaru and Dayeon calling it quits aka the two of them pestering their friends and making their split up everyone’s problem.

It’s not like they often break up. Surprisingly, despite the pettiness the both of them possess, they usually only have 2-3 annual major fights which lead to their separation. The others were just small (trivial even) fights that one would even question if they’re really hearing the words and the reasoning of adults in their mid-twenties. 

………

“She’s been calling me at 3 o’clock in the morning for a month now!” Still weeping hard, Dayeon recounts, blowing into the tissue that Hiyyih had given her. “I’ve been sleep-deprived keeping up with the impossible deadlines set by my ugly EIC for the publish of the articles!” 

“Well maybe she just misses you, you know? You are well aware that your girlfriend’s a needy one, right?” Hiyyih tried to make sense of one of Dayeon’s problems (emphasis on “one”, by the way.)

“And it’s fine, I know she’s like that and I actually find her clingy behavior adorable but I was tired and stressed and under pressure so I told her once to stop calling me during the wee hours of the night using a tone a little higher than my normal speaking voice—”

“And let me guess: she got sad and stopped calling and you two really didn’t address the situation because of, I don’t know, probably your sky-high pride,” Yeseo then commented with an eye roll, to which Dayeon had just answered with a mewl, admitting to the younger’s speculations. 

………..

“It was our anniversary and she was so distracted! She constantly checks her phone like she didn’t care about my existence at all! She didn’t even notice something new about my hair! She doesn’t love me anymore,” Hikaru whined while hugging Chaehyun, her tears were already damping the older girl’s matching pajama top with Youngeun. 

“You did something to your hair?” 

“It’s shorter now! I told the hairstylist to cut an inch, can’t you see?” Hikaru then pulled herself up, showing the ends of her hair to the frowning Youngeun. 

“You’re insane,” Youngeun whispered to herself referring to the crying girl beside her before she turns to Chaehyun who was currently smiling, finding everything a bit amusing as the younger had mouthed, “She’s totally insane,”

………..

It probably was because of all the little things they refuse to resolve thinking (or rather hoping) that the 3-day stay on a villa in Daegu will magically vanish their internal conflicts that the both of them were extra sensitive on their first day together. 

They fought about shoes (and no, it wasn’t about Nike being better than Skechers or whatever). The confrontation came during the first night when the older girl exasperatedly placed Hikaru’s boots in the shoe rack and the younger then sensed the hostility in Dayeon’s actions because she hates how heedless Hikaru is with things.    

They lie on the bed with their backs against each other. After a while, at around midnight when Hikaru was already sound asleep, Dayeon turned the tv on setting it on the highest volume possible; because she’s equally petty and she wants to get even. Hikaru woke up in a rage, trying to kill her girlfriend with a piercing glare. 

The following day, when their heads are a little clearer and their emotions calmer, Dayeon decided to make peace by cooking Hikaru some pancakes and making two glasses of orange juice, planning to tell her that they should just rest on the couch while watching the remaining episodes of Wednesday where they left off.  

……….

“She watched it without me!” Dayeon wiped the tears away, still whining like a kid, “We promised we’ll watch it together. Am I a boring movie-buddy?”

“Wednesday’s not a mov—”

“Not the point!”

………

“Well, you two broke up, so what now?” Chaehyun said, brushing the strands of hair away from Hikaru’s face, and tucking them behind her ears. 

“What’s done is done, I guess. You just need to move on and meet someone entirely new, go through the process of getting to know each other and meet-the-parents again, preferably someone with the same music taste as you like Dayeon, someone who has a pretty smile and attractive hands and someone who would knock on our condo at 2 AM because her girlfriend woke up due to a nightmare and she needs cuddles and kisses and—”

“I couldn't possibly find anyone else who will be willing to put up with my whining tendencies,” Hikaru cried louder, cutting Youngeun’s Ted talk, the couple just silently giggled on the sides as they hand her some more tissues. 

“Well, you need to do it if you don’t wanna grow old alone since you broke up with Dayeon who by the way is pretty much a canonical saint with how much she endured putting up with your antics,” Youngeun shrugged as she pulled Chaehyun by the waist, thinking she’ll probably do the same as Dayeon if they were in a similar situation. 

“Here’s your phone and your wallet,” Chaehyun said handing her things to the younger. “And don’t worry about your puffy eyes, you still look adorable,” The older winked before pushing her towards the door. 

…………

“Look here, Dayeon-unnie,” Hiyyih said, reaching for both of the hands of the grieving older girl, trying to calm her down so her words wouldn’t fall on deaf ears, “They said you like a person because of and you love them despite of. You like them because of their good qualities but you lov e them despite their bad qualities.” 

Hiyyih then looked at her girlfriend Yeseo, trying to encourage some reinforcement from the girl. Yeseo, getting sick of being her friend’s emotional dumpster, especially on a day she had been looking forward to, said, “Do you still love her despite all the things you’ve been complaining about? Do you think staying with her is still worth it?” 

Dayeon was wordlessly sobbing for a little while, trying to think and evaluate herself and what she truly feels, before replying, “I wanted to stay for as long as she will let me,”

“And how would you know she will if you’re here crying in misery instead of fighting for the love that you wanted to keep and protect?”

“I’m so dumb,”

“Oh please. You hold the Guinness world record for that,” Yeseo rolled her eyes while smiling, pulling the older off their couch. 

………

Hikaru wasn’t sure what the hell she was thinking but her feet brought her to that playground in the park where they first met. Dayeon back then was playing dodge ball and it was probably one of Cupid’s silly tactics that Hikaru got hit by the ball straight in the face. They brought her to a nearby clinic; Dayeon stayed to watch over her and the rest was history. 

She just walked towards the swing where she usually goes whenever they have a major quarrel. Surprisingly (or maybe not) she found Dayeon there, sitting on the swing with her hoodie on, staring at the opened box of pizza on her lap. 

She would have chuckled seeing how stupid the older looks but she resist doing so, realizing that she would’ve been in the same state had she been the first one to arrive. Instead, she just quietly walked, perching on the unoccupied metal swing. 

A few minutes after, when the older started crying while still maintaining the same stance, still not perceiving Hikaru’s presence, the latter decided to grab a piece from the box, biting on the cold bread and chopped pineapples. 

“H-hikaru…” Dayeon said, startled upon finally seeing the younger girl. “I-I’m sorr—”

“I hate how you use too many exclamation points whenever you message me,”

“Well, I—”

“I hate how you always eat ice cream in its container and you only eat the edges leaving me with a giant mountain when I open them. I already bought matching bowls for the both of us and yet you still won’t use them,”  

“I can—”

“I hate your Funko pop collectibles and how you pay so much attention to them,”  

Dayeon was so determined to just accept everything, quietly reflect on her wrongdoings and say her apologies as soon as things start to cool down but when her beloved collection was mentioned, 

“YA! Those are my CHILDREN!”

“They’re just pieces of plastic toys!”

“Okay yeah, and your photocards are just pieces of overpriced, cardboard paper!”

“Oh, and I also hate how you leave the lights open after going to the comfort room. You also set your alarm way too early and yet you don’t even wake up when it rings!!!”

“Plus your obsession with alien-related stuff? It’s ridiculous!”

Hikaru was wearing a scowl as she listens to the last bit of rant that Dayeon has to say but soon after the older one finished, she burst out laughing, hitting Dayeon on her arms. 

“Omygod, we’re so petty it’s so absurdly funny,”

Hearing Hikaru’s remark made her realize that what had transpired for the past 20 minutes is nothing but a silly, childish banter and no one between the two had the right to get mad because they are equally flawed. And petty. 

And so she joined Hikaru in her laughter, even holding on to the metal chains because she was afraid she might fall from her seat. 

As soon as their laughter dies down, Dayeon took the chance to do what she originally planned to accomplish that night. 

Gulping shyly, she then uttered, “I’m sorry, Karu,”

Hearing this, Hikaru just giggled, grabbing another piece of Hawaiian pizza from the box. Before biting from it, she then replied, “I know I’ve been a mental bitch and I’m sorry if I was built this way,”

“No, but I have my fair share of mistakes too and—”

Dayeon was about to refute the younger when Hikaru then continued, “I’m so dumb to have only realized just now that I was so damn lucky to have you. And so I promise I will try and refrain from going back to my old habits. Like being needy and whiny,”

It was Dayeon’s turn to titter. She then held the cheeks of the younger, cupping it gently, looking at her straight in the eyes as she says, “I actually find your clingy ass charming,”

“So you’ll still let me call at 3 AM if I miss you?”

“Well, maybe not every day?”

“Once a week it is,” Hikaru concurred, leaning to the hands holding her cheeks. 

“I’m sorry for being an asshole and raising my voice at you. I promise not to do that ever again, no matter how stressed or tired I am,”

Hikaru hummed in response, recognizing the sincerity in the older girl’s voice. 

The two of them hugged, exchanging I love you’s as they proceeded to finish the pizza together. They’ll go home and sleep, leaving this awful memory of their fight behind, keeping a silent oath that they will persevere to become a better person, 

because they believe that the love they have is worth keeping.   

Chapter Text

After years of an exhausting waiting game, it was certainly not the way Youngeun had imagined things will go. 

 She had imagined it like a cinematic parallel, almost too dreamy, with Hiyyih coming home with a smile on her face, pulling her luggage with her and Youngeun's on standby at the waiting area, clutching three pieces of what seemed to be freshly picked blue roses and an adorably decorated signage with sweet, welcoming words written on it, the goal of which is to make the blonde cry upon her arrival. 

They were supposed to hug in the middle of the sea of people, feeling the warmth that they had missed over the span of a year. 

 She was supposed to pepper her with kisses, sending her a message of longing; of yearning; 

She was supposed to hold her hand, intertwine it with hers as she rests her head on Hiyyih's shoulders, whispering numerous "I miss you's", boldly and proudly declaring her love for the girl, 

They were supposed to happily walk towards her car as they talk about things they promised to tell in person; things they refused to talk about over the phone because according to them, it would be less exciting, Youngeun was supposed to tuck Hiyyih on the bed, place the strands of her hair on her ears as she kisses her on the forehead, understanding the fact that her girlfriend had a long trip and that what she needed the most is certainly proper sleep, 

Youngeun was supposed to cook for the both of them, making sure that the practice that she had for an entire year of living alone; living away from her lover, thus prompting her to learn how to handle things in the kitchen would not go to waste and that all she would hear from the blonde would be nothing but praises, a contented smile as she presents her a dish that the girl loves to eat. 

She was supposed to ask her for a dance after they had finished their meal. After all, the setting that she was supposed to prepare is a simple candlelit dinner, complete with scattered rose petals, a bottle of wine they both enjoy drinking, and a nice, mellow music in the background to set the atmosphere. 

She was supposed to hold her close, her arms wrapped around her waist as they swayed together with the beat of their favorite music, the throbbing of their heart will serve as an accompaniment as they look at each other's eyes and see themselves be reflected on the pair of orbs that they both adore staring at, 

 They were supposed to wash the dishes together. 

Youngeun had pictured it out to be her insisting to do it alone since she knew that Hiyyih is still tired from her flight, but she was certain that the girl's persistent ass would keep on insisting saying that, 

"You had already cooked a lovely meal, this is the least I could do to somewhat thank you for doing such," as she wears her rilakkuma-printed apron, tying her hair in a messy bun, ready to grab the plates and the glasses, however, Youngeun would argue by flicking her forehead but immediately kissing the spot she had targeted afterwards, telling her, 

"Silly. Just looking at your satisfied smile earlier when you opened the door to the balcony as you roamed your eyes around, was enough reward for me for all the preparations I made. 

So you better tuck yourself in bed again and I'll follow suit afterwards." 

But then Hiyyih would frown, releasing whiny noises, shaking her head in disagreement. 

"But I wanna do this... when was the last time we did this together? I miss doing these simple things with you..." Hiyyih would say with her soft voice, full of the urge to just keep Youngeun in her pocket, to herself, so that they wouldn't be separated again by the wide seas and lands, all because Hiyyih wants to pursue her dream in a place where there is not a brunette who always sings her lullabies every night, prepares her coffee each morning, jokes around so that she won't feel bored memorizing several words she'll be needing for her job overseas, takes care of her, 

always tells her that it's perfectly fine to chase after her dreams because at the end of the day, as per her words, 

"You had that dream even before meeting me. I know and I could feel I'm important to you, but I also am certain how you wanted to succeed in that path. 

Go chase after your happiness. 

I will just be right here, waiting for you to come home. 

I won't go anywhere without you, I promise." 

She would say them with eyes full of sincerity; no traces of deceit or of trying to hide what she really feels. 

Just the signature warm glow in her eyes which never failed to melt Hiyyih, 

instantly submitting to her, instantly getting lost, not knowing how to go back but is actually not attempting to find the right direction, 

 during these times, she will always think to herself, 

"I must've been a hero in my last life for me to be able to make someone as kind, as warm and as thoughtful as the brunette in front of me fall into my charms." 

And then Youngeun will always reply, 

"What do you mean? I'm luckier because I have you." 

And then her thought of just pocketing Youngeun will still remain, as they helped each other out in their task, with Youngeun's playful demeanor sometimes showing, for the older girl would just out of nowhere, wipe some soap bubbles on her face, and of course, she wouldn't back down on the fight, doing the same action, as their giggles fill the entire kitchen, messing things up for the sake of creating "good memories", those that they wish to tell their daughter (or son) when they are stable enough to actually adopt a kid, starting a family of their own. 

They would clean themselves up and then go straight to their shared bed as they both cuddle each other to sleep.

Those were the things that Youngeun had imagined would happen, the things that have been replaying on her mind on the days she would miss Hiyyih's warmth; on the days she would miss her hugs, her voice... or just... her. 

But fate would just have to fuck things up,  because cruelly, none of those had happened, not even a single one. 

Hiyyih still arrived, but instead of a warm welcome in the airport, with the brunette carrying flowers and signage on her hand, 

Hiyyih went straight into a room, a bed could be seen in the middle and Youngeun was lying with her eyes closed, breathing in a stable manner. 

"What happened to her?"

"Hiyyih!" Hikaru shouted, looking at her friend. 

"I'm really sorry... I didn't know she's allergic to nuts and I was making her taste the cake where we were supposed to place the ring she would use for her wedding propo—" 

"Ya! Ezaki Hikaru!"

A furious fox called out to them.

Chapter Text

“There were lines that one shouldn’t dare cross,”

Dayeon stares at the wine glass in her right hand, tilting it in a circular motion. She then chuckles to herself remembering the words her last fling had told her as she feels a subtle movement to her side, the woman occupies the free space on the couch and then proceeds to rest her head on Dayeon’s shoulder. 

“Why?” The woman asked with her eyes closed.

“I don’t know,” Dayeon then glanced at the image of the woman on her side; her hair was in messy waves, her cheeks were a bit flushed and her lipstick was ruined as evidenced by the smear of red on the side of her mouth. The younger girl then proceeded to place a soft kiss on her head as she continued, “I’ve always wondered if you find this setup weird,”

“What’s so weird about two girls kissing? ” Chaehyun, the woman, shifted in her position, snuggling closer to Dayeon’s neck. “You’re not trying to come out as a straight woman, are you?” The older woman jokingly grimaced as she attempted to lighten up the somber mood. 

Dayeon just rolled her eyes, pulling the older woman closer, “What I mean is that,” She paused for a while, trying to find the proper words.  

“We’re best friends. And isn’t it a cardinal rule written in the Holy Bibles of BFFs to not be romantically attached to keep the friendship?”

“Puh-lease, Ms. Kim Yeonie,” The older emphasized the pet name. She always does this whenever she wants to tease the younger. “It’s not like there’s romance in whatever this is. We just kiss because it’s fun and it just so happens that you’re always bored and I need an escape from my shitty life. Isn’t that the same reason why you hook up with multiple girls?” Chaehyun replied, the drowsiness dawning upon her as her eyes find it hard to stay open; putting her glass empty glass down, deciding to lie on her back and use Dayeon’s lap as her pillow.  

There was some truth to Chaehyun’s words. 

Kim Dayeon, indeed, is someone who apparently hates commitment. She just dates and hangs out for fun. It was never anything serious. It had always been a one-time thing—two at most. 

Dayeon hates the responsibility that comes with serious relationships. Having to update a person about your whereabouts at all times? Having to worry about someone and their well-being? Having to please them and reassure them; it’s pretty exhausting for someone like Kim Dayeon, someone who values her freedom and the ability to do as she pleases without giving a single fuck in the world and the people around her. She hates getting chained and getting told what to do or what not to do.

Plus, for someone like Dayeon—someone like her who loses interest in something (or someone for this matter) faster than the speed of light— there are fewer complications this way. She gets to enjoy the life of being single and having the pleasure of meeting different people guilt-free. No one will demand anything from her. No one will expect anything from her. 

Kim Chaehyun, on the other hand, is someone who values commitment. 

To her career, that is. 

She stays faithful to her goals, never strays away from her plans, and is overall the kind of woman who dreams big and does anything in her power to achieve whatever she sets as a target successfully. 

It was fuelled by the fact that she wants to prove to her parents that she was something even without their help. That her dream is achievable and that they’re very wrong for belittling the only thing she’s passionate about. Chaehyun is the very epitome of endless dedication—but then there were bills. Countless of them. And there’s this interview she wanted to ace in order to get the international exchange student scholarship that she wants. Which she failed, by the way, since she needed to juggle both her current part-time job and the plates she needed to finish and so she didn’t have enough time to prepare for the interview. 

And oh, fuck that girl with connections too. Because it’s not like Chaehyun wasn’t qualified? Even with little to no preparation, she would have definitely gotten the spot, had it not been for the other girl who trudged the room wearing the most infuriating, confident smile ever. 

Ugh. So annoying. 

“Woah. Okay, I’m sorry for asking, then. You don’t have to be so annoyed,” Dayeon frustratedly mumbled, she doesn’t even know why she was getting irritated in the first place. She knew very well that Chaehyun was always brutally honest and that she never sugarcoats, so why then, had it hurt her to hear that this setup was just another insignificant hook-up to her?

“Hey,” When Dayeon was about to get up, Chaehyun tugged the hem of her sleeves, stopping her from doing so. “I wasn’t talking about you,” Her voice was soft and sweet, genuinely apologetic about the way she talked. Dayeon melted. It was almost close to impossible that she wouldn’t because damn it, Chaehyun just had that strange power over her. And so she remained seated, letting the older girl embrace her as they both lay down on the couch, trying to fit in the narrow space. 

Chaehyun pulled Dayeon some more, trying to close even the smallest gap between them. And it’s not even because of the fact that the couch was small (even though she will never say it out loud). It was because Dayeon calms her. For some weird reason, she feels like everything gets better when the younger girl stays close. It’s not like Dayeon magically solves all her problems or that she pays Chaehyun’s bills (even if the younger is capable of doing so since she’s filthy rich) but her mere presence provides Chaehyun the serenity she needed from all the chaos she’s fighting.  

People who are fighting the toughest battles are perhaps addicted to tranquility. And Kim Dayeon was a drug that Kim Chaehyun willingly consumes because she craves that temporary peace that her mere existence gives her.   

She could feel Dayeon’s heartbeats thumping concurrently with hers and she couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that she was neither a huge fan of music nor an expert in the said field but she just knew that that was the prettiest sound ever created.

“Why are you laughing so suddenly?” Dayeon asked, looking up wanting to catch the eyes of the older girl but failing since they were shut close. 

“Nothing, I just thought you smell good,” Chaehyun then placed a feather kiss on top of the younger’s head. “Really good,” she added further. 

Blood rushed into Dayeon’s cheeks as she hears the remark and she gives a silent gratitude to the heavens because it was too dark to even notice the tint of red on her face (and probably her ears too). 

It was those little words, sudden comments from Chaehyun that drive her near the cliff of insanity. It probably means nothing to the older, Dayeon thinks, but it means the entire universe to her.  

The reason why she’s helplessly trapped and does nothing to free herself.

It was supposed to just be a normal night. 

Well, a normal night for the two of them means drinking on the couch at Chaehyun’s apartment after she called saying she needs some company. Or rather, to put some more truth into it, the call meant “some-fuckery-happened-and-I’m-a-mess-right-now-please-drink-with-me”.

Just drinking, yes. 

Because Chaehyun wasn’t the type to share things. Even if the most fucked up stuff happened; like her parents throwing her mechanical pencils and tracing papers even if they knew she has a deadline to meet and it will cost her her grades and ultimately, her scholarship, she would just silently sit beside Dayeon, nursing some bottles of soju as she stares into nothingness.

Dayeon once tried to ask her but Chaehyun remained mum, telling her that it was just a slight mishap and that too, shall pass like everything else before it. The younger then came to the conclusion that Chaehyun still doesn’t trust her enough to confide in her. 

But that’s fine. 

Anything’s fine if it’s Chaehyun. If it’s for Chaehyun. 

Dayeon believed that if she stayed and silently grieved with her, a day will come when Chaehyun will finally see her as someone worthy. As someone capable. As someone who could be relied on during her toughest battles. 

Dayeon could be the most carefree person ever (that she never denies) which is why their circle will always treat her like a child that’s not to be trusted with important tasks, but she could be serious and committed too, you know?

Especially if it’s for Chaehyun. Especially if it’s Chaehyun.

Because the reason why she couldn’t commit to other people was simply because, 

they weren’t Kim Chaehyun. 

The temporary bliss that she gets from literally anybody else aside from her will never be enough. 

It will always be lacking no matter how much it overflows.  

So no matter how painful it is to never be her priority nor even be a part of her choices, Dayeon will accept it. With open arms. 

Because if it’s Kim Chaehyun, even agony, and torment mean like scorching sun to her. She knows she’ll probably eventually get burned, but she needs the sun to live. Feeling the rays of the sun means affirming her existence. Feeling Kim Chaehyun’s warmth means she’s still alive and that she will still be able to hear her utter those sweet nothings. 

Like whenever she says that her eyes mimic Chaehyun’s favorite constellation. Or when she tells her that she likes holding Dayeon’s hands because she feels safe whenever she does so. 

Or that one supposed normal night; when Chaehyun randomly brushed her hair and while looking straight into her eyes, mouthed the words, “You’re beautiful,”   

Dayeon didn’t know if it was Chaehyun’s eyes that are hypnotizing her or if it was the alcohol making her do things she’ll possibly regret but she found herself closing her eyes, leaning closer as she bridged the gap between them, tasting a much more intoxicating drink than the one she’s barely holding in her right hand—Kim Chaehyun’s lips. 

She kissed her that night because it felt right. She kissed her not minding neither the consequences that she has to face or the lines and boundaries that she had crossed, because kissing her best friend that night felt so damn right, it will be a crime to not actually do it.    

And that led them both to their situation at the moment, where they both had their eyes closed as they cuddle each other to sleep. 

Typical best friends won’t do this but they do not have the most ‘typical’ relationship out there, is what Dayeon had understood after waking up the next day after that fateful night, with Chaehyun acting normal, and still the same as ever. 

It’s not like she does not acknowledge what happened, or is trying to forget that it did happen. She just thinks it’s fine and it’s nothing too significant to be worried about. 

“Come on, Yeonie. It’s just kissing, that’s all,”

Is what she nonchalantly told Dayeon the day after.

Dayeon was hurt, she wasn’t gonna be a hypocrite about it. But she kept mum about what she truly felt because she thinks she thinks she still doesn’t have the courage to cross that damn line. Can she really handle it if Chaehyun rejects her and tells her to fuck off because she doesn’t have time for romantic love? She ponders about it for a while and the only answer she’s coming up with is a resounding no. 

And so she accepts this setup. 

Because here, at least, on some nights, the lines get blurry it feels like it wasn’t even there in the first place. Even if it’s just for a short time, heck even if it’s just for a mere second, Dayeon will take it if it means that in those limited time, Chaehyun would look at her like she’s her entire universe and more. 

During those brief glances and subtle touches, 

Chaehyun would, 

she would, 

look at her like she,

loves her. 

Like she’s ‘in love’ with her.

She hopes and prays and begs that someday, those ‘little nothings’ will finally turn into something. Something significant and precious and worth the fucking risk. Something they’ll both hold on to and treasure. 

Someday. 

When the time is right and fate is finally on her side; when Dayeon’s finally brave enough to take the gamble and Chaehyun’s already freed from her desire to constantly prove herself,

maybe by then, they can give themselves the chance to do things the proper way. 

Maybe by then, they can freely pursue their happiness, without thinking of ‘what if’s’ and the consequences of going further. 

Maybe by then, things won’t be as hard as it is right now. 

….. 

It had been a month since that day when Chaehyun had flunked her supposed scholarship interview and today marks the fourth week since the start of her third year in college. 

Chaehyun should be happy right now. 

Well, a new opportunity opened with regards to the exchange student thing and she was about to jump in joy upon reading the news from the professor that had recommended her but then the very image of two people flirting came into her mind. 

It instantly made her mood sour. 

You see, Chaehyun does not care even if Dayeon dated three different girls at the same time. After all, Dayeon is a notorious player she knows those girls are aware that the younger girl is just fooling around and she never takes any relationship seriously. And Dayeon never pried into her business so why would Chaehyun, right? It will just make her seem clingy and nosey and needy. 

And Chaehyun is not clingy and nosey and definitely not needy! So she had tried to feign her growing concern (?)

But then there’s this Youngeun girl—a brunette from the Psychology department, a new recruit of the dance team of which Dayeon is a member. She’s pretty and talented; has the same outgoing personality as Dayeon and is a good conversationalist. 

(I was never a good conversationalist but who cares—wait, why was I even comparing myself to her???)

The most annoying part is that she makes Dayeon laugh. And it’s not even in the normal “what-you-said-was-so-funny” type of way but the “Dayeon laughter” which translates to “you’re-so-fucking-hilarious-LMAO-marry-me-please” and every time the brunette joins them for lunch, it takes so much energy for Chaehyun to stop herself from rolling her eyes at their silly antics. Or if Chaehyun would word it better, she’ll call it insufferable attempts at flirting. 

“Earth to Chaehyun-unnie! Hello?”

“Ah, yeah?” Chaehyun looked up from her phone after staring at the unread text message that she sent telling Dayeon to take care of herself and always eat on time. She saw a pink-haired girl on a cast smiling at her. “Oh, hi Yeseo!” She smiled back, happy to see her cousin on campus. But then she realized, “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be on that week-long camp with the dance team?”       

“Ah, so Dayeon-unnie really didn’t get to tell you,”

Chaehyun rolled her eyes, irritated at the mention of the girl’s name. “That girl didn’t even message me for a week straight. She’s not even returning my calls,” 

“Oh, so you weren’t aware. Yoeun—I mean,” Yeseo coughed, there was a slight panic in her voice which Chaehyun decided to dismiss because she doesn’t like hearing that name, “Youngeun-unnie told me that Ting-unnie implemented the no usage of gadgets policy this year during the camp. And I had a small accident, remember? So I wasn’t able to join them,” Yeseo further explained. 

‘And she didn’t even tell me about the policy? She must be enjoying her time in that camp for her to be that distracted,’

Is what Chaehyun had thought ignoring Yeseo’s words, which goes, “And Youngeun-unnie told me to tell you that Dayeon-unnie got caught stealing her phone so she was reprimanded. Honestly, it was also her fault for not being more sneaky and smarter like my—I mean, Youngeun-unnie,” 

“I hate squirrels,” Chaehyun mumbled after catching a glance at the squirrel keychain attached to her phone.

“Well as for me, I love rabbits. And foxes,” Yeseo commented, the last two words were barely audible.

………..

It was already 10 PM and Chaehyun tried her best to distract herself but to no avail. She still kept on peeking at her phone, every time it beeps, clicking it open but then closing it again after getting disappointed at the lack of message from a particular person. 

“Fucking credit card bills,” Chaehyun hissed, almost murdering the buttons of the switch on her hand. “I get it! I’ll fucking wire the payment once I received my salary this week!”

“Hey, woah, chill out,” A cold bottle of soju was pressed against her cheek. 

Upon hearing the voice, Chaehyun’s heart jumped; there was this sudden excitement in her system and she couldn’t help but vault from her seat. “You’re finally home,” She said in the gentlest way, her words melted in Dayeon’s ears. 

Dayeon was surprised. This wasn’t the type of welcome that she was expecting after hearing some disclaimers from Yeseo. This is why after arriving at the campus, she came flying towards Chaehyun’s apartment while thinking of all sorts of explanations she has to do to appease the older girl. She doesn’t hate it though. 

In fact, Chaehyun’s voice was the warmest right now but she didn’t seem like the usual scorching sun that was about to burn her alive. The Chaehyun right now resembles that of the first ray of sunlight in the morning. It was warm but not hot enough to cause pain. 

In fact, it was refreshing. The type that can instantly boost your energy so that you’ll survive the day. It was that type of warmth. 

“I’m home,” Dayeon replied, taking in the familiar scent that she missed for the past week. It’s just a week but it felt like an eternity to her; she didn’t mind getting scolded so she took her chance stealing her phone back (but unfortunately failed). “I’m glad I’m back home,” She further added. 

After a while of hugging, Chaehyun then came to her senses as she whined (which she rarely does), “I hate you,”

“I’m sorry,” 

“No, you don’t understand,” Chaehyun, her voice breaking. Dayeon panicked, hearing how vulnerable the older girl sounded. “You won’t get how scared I was for the past week, Dayeon,” The younger then felt hot liquid wetting her shoulders. She didn’t know what to do or how to answer the older girl so she just kept quiet, wishing that her hug will be enough to calm Chaehyun down. 

“I thought I finally lost you, you know? I thought you won’t come home and come back to me. Or worse, I thought you’ll treat me like some of your girls and discard me because you had found someone new,”

Dayeon got taken aback and with confusion in her voice, she replied, “Someone new?”

“Youngeun, of course! You two kept on denying you were flirting but it was obvious,” Chaehyun rolled her eyes, wiping the tears that still kept on rolling down her cheeks. 

“Wait, you mean Yeseo and Youngeun are flirting, right? Not Youngeun and I?”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YESEO AND YOUNGEUN???”

“Oh my God. The woman that you are, Kim Chaehyun,” There was both relief and disbelief in her voice. “When I told you I wasn’t flirting with Youngeun, it was the truth! We’re like siblings! Plus she likes someone else!”

“She does?”

“I just told you that she likes Yeseo,” Dayeon wants to cry at how clueless Chaehyun is. 

Well, Chaehyun could both be the smartest and densest person at the same time. She’s unique like that. It’s one of the things that Dayeon likes about her because she looks so adorable and squishy. “And I like someone else too,” She further added, while looking the other way, still stroking the back of the crying girl. 

“You do? Who is the lucky bitch this time?”

“Ya! She’s not a bitch! She’s a bit whiny and needy but never admits it, but she’s cute and she’s smart and she’s warm and she’s perfect,”  

“A person like that doesn’t exist,”

Dayeon’s lips curved upwards, her eyes twinkling. “She does,”

“Who?” Chaehyun asked, her lips in a pout, her brows creased. 

“You,” She paused, before further uttering,

“I like you,” 

Maybe this was the ‘someday’ that Dayeon was waiting for. The little push that she needed from fate; the courage that she’s been wanting to express for so long. 

The way Chaehyun had sounded at that very moment, the way she worried about her, and the genuineness in her eyes pushed Dayeon to the point of no return.

Chaehyun on the other hand was taken by surprise. Dayeon likes her too ?

Yes, ‘too’. 

Because one of the things that Chaehyun had realized for the past week that Dayeon was gone is the fact that she likes her. And that she won’t spend another second running away from what she feels. She can’t lose Dayeon, not to Youngeun, not to other girls, not to anyone for that matter. Her career’s already there and it’s achievable with enough hard work and perseverance and she doesn’t really have to sacrifice Dayeon for the sake of her career, right?

“Can we stop playing this game?” Chaehyun said, closing her eyes as she cups Dayeon’s cheeks and place her forehead against the younger’s. 

“I thought you’d never ask me that,” Dayeon answered, leaning on Chaehyun’s touch basking in the ecstasy that that very moment was giving her. 

“You’ll never date another girl again?”

“It will only be you,”

Dayeon places a gentle kiss on the older girl’s forehead reassuring her that it was only Chaehyun who holds the exclusive rights to her heart.

“You’ll talk to me about your worries this time around?”

“I can do that.”

Chaehyun then cupped her cheeks, leaning in for a kiss. It was slow, honest, and vulnerable. It feels like a first kiss. It’s like them saying that they’re baring themselves; their souls and all to each other. No more reservations.   

“I really thought you liked Youngeun. You laughed even at her corny jokes,”

“Oh puh-lease, we just share the same humor,” 

It was the most peaceful sleep they have had in a while, cuddling each other on a small couch comforted by the thought that finally, 

they can freely cross the line.