Hyomin’s pov

 

No work again for today or to be exact no work for a week. I got sudden call about this week leave from Shinyoung unnie this morning. This time I have no objection with this. That boss of mine keep telling me to take a break since I almost never took any leave from work before. She got curious and amazed with the leaves I took these past day. When she heard about Jiyeon, she immediately call me and suggest me to just accompany Jiyeon and don’t have to go to work. I gladly accept the offer since me myself too, badly want to spent more time with Jiyeon. I can’t do that if I need to go to work.

 

I look at the sleeping girl beside me. What an adorable sight. She’s cute even when she sleep. I give her a quick kiss on forehead before going out of bedroom and went straight to the outside of the house to enjoy the fresh air.

 

Right when I just finished watering the plants, my eyes caught someone familiar smiling at me from far. It’s Qri unnie. I smiled back at her. This unnie love to take a jog around the village every morning.

 

“Hyomin, you didn’t go to work?” Qri approached me with wide smile on her face.

 

“Shinyoung unnie gave me a week break” I said to her and invite her to sit together at the bench in front of the house.

 

“Good then” She said with her eyes fixed at the variety of flowers in front of her.

 

Silent took over for a few moment. I have something to ask this unnie but my mouth hesitate to cooperate.

 

Qri suddenly turn to look at me. I think she saw my ‘I have something to ask you’ face because she ask me what’s wrong.

 

“Umm..there is this something that make me confuse recently” I said after gathering a lot of courage. This unnie are the most suitable one to talk to about the things that bothering me right now. She can keep secret and never failed to give words of encouragement every time I talk to her about some problems.

 

“What is it?” She look at me with concern look.

 

“I am experiencing some new and weird feeling recently. I don’t know what happened to me” I can’t even describe the feeling in words, so I just use new and weird.

 

“You sound like you are in love”

 

My jaw dropped instantly. Love? Is this love? Is that even possible?

 

“So you are in love” She look straight to my face with warm smile trying to read my face expression.

 

“I-I don’t know..but it kind of totally different from my expectation of love. That person..umm..she...” Ow I finally said it accidently. I SAID ‘SHE’!! I’m dead. I’ll just going to keep my mouth shut.

 

“I think I know who is that person” Qri laugh at my panic expression. She then stop laughing and look straight once again to my face.

 

She paused for a while before continue. “Hyomin ah, me myself might have not enough experience in love to even explain this thing to you” She paused again and look into my eyes. 

 

“I can see fear and confusion in your eyes. Don’t be scared Hyomin ah. Falling in love is one of basic thing in life and sometime to certain person, love can be illogical and unexplainable” She patted on my arm before she rose from her sit.

 

“Ask yourself. You know yourself better. I need to go” She said again. I quickly join her to stand and hug her.

 

“Thanks unnie” I broke the hug.

 

Qri are about to leave but suddenly she turn back looking at me. “Eunjung might flip this village upside down if she know about this” She smiled and continue to walk away.

 

“Yah unnie! You just told me not to be scared” I shout at her in shock. She just laugh without looking back. Okay, now I’m worried about this.

 

...

 

Author’s pov

 

Hyomin goes back to her bedroom after Qri left. She peek at the kitchen on her way to the bedroom. Halmeoni is there busy preparing breakfast for them. She greet the halmeoni cutely before entering the bedroom. Jiyeon is still sleeping. She must be really tired because of yesterday event. Hyomin sat beside her and stare at that sleeping face.

 

Hyomin move the strand of hairs that cover Jiyeon’s face and tuck it behind the girl’s ears. Jiyeon move slightly because of Hyomin’s sudden touch. She open her eyes.

 

“Hey sleepy head” Hyomin smile at half awake Jiyeon. Jiyeon blink her eyes several times to adjust her eyes vision.

 

“What time is it now?” Jiyeon usual husky voice turn to sound huskier in the morning.

 

“It’s 8” Hyomin said and help the girl to sit facing her.

 

“You don’t have to go to work?” Jiyeon ask Hyomin with a big yawn. Hyomin reach her hand to cover Jiyeon’s wide open mouth. She then told Jiyeon about her one week break.

 

“Let’s eat breakfast” Hyomin took Jiyeon hand and drag the girl to the kitchen. Jiyeon lazily follow Hyomin lead.

 

After having their breakfast, Hyomin ask Jiyeon about her dirty clothes and took the girl to bathroom to wash the clothes together.

 

“Why don’t we just use washing machine” Jiyeon asked with pouting face.

 

“This is just a few piece of clothes” Hyomin mix the water with laundry detergent and put Jiyeon’s dirty clothes in it. She start to instruct Jiyeon how to wash it manually with hand since that girl never did it before.

 

“Unnie” Jiyeon called for Hyomin in the middle of washing. Hyomin turn to her and without warning Jiyeon splash some water at her.

 

“Yah!” Hyomin shout at her. 

 

In the split of second, water fight happened. Both of them soaked with water afterward.

 

“Look at what you just did” Hyomin pouted while pointing to her own clothes after the fight ended.

 

“Let’s just take a bath together. I mean with clothes on” Jiyeon said and rush to say ‘with the clothes on’ so Hyomin didn’t get the wrong idea.

 

“Okay. Let’s finished this first” Hyomin said while pointing at clothes that they washed earlier.

 

After finished with the clothes, they took a bath together. Jiyeon start to regret it. They both awkwardly bathing while looking away from each other. Even with clothes still on it still awkward.

 

Jiyeon’s eyes once a while peek at Hyomin. She can’t even control her eyes movement. She keep rolling it to distract her own attention but she always failed. Her eyes uncontrollably getting wider when Hyomin lift her shirt revealing her abs.

 

“W-what are you doing?” Jiyeon ask with her eyes still widely open.

 

“It uncomfortable bathing with this on. Don’t worry I wear something inside” She continue lifting her shirt to remove it from her body but Jiyeon quickly stop her.

 

“I’m done” Jiyeon said urgently. “and please look away for a while” As Hyomin back facing her, she quickly take off her clothes and wrap towel around her body. She then quickly leave the bathroom leaving Hyomin alone. 

 

...

 

Hyomin took Jiyeon walking around the village after hanging the washed clothes outside the house to dry it under the sun.

 

They walk passing a lot of villagers that work on their own field. Like always, Hyomin greet all of them with a warm greeting.

 

They stop when they passing a wide paddy field that divided into two parts. A group halmeoni working hard planting paddy on one of the field while on the other side, an ahjussi operating a paddy planting machine on it.

 

“Hello halmeoni!” Hyomin shouted to greet the working halmeoni. They all look at her and greet her back.

 

“How’s your halmeoni?” One of them ask her.

 

“She’s good” Hyomin answered the working halmeoni then she turn to Jiyeon. “Let’s help them”

 

Jiyeon observe the whole field. Wow! The whole place covered with mud and the smell is no joke. She look back at Hyomin and noticed that the girl look at her with hopeful sparkling eyes. She give in immediately. “Okay” This can be memorable experience for her. Where else can she find opportunities like this.

 

Hyomin told the halmeoni about two of them want to help. They gladly accepted it and pointed to the parked tractor beside the field for them to get boots and gloves.

 

Hyomin help Jiyeon wearing her boot and glove.

 

“Why don’t they planted all of that thing with that machine?” Jiyeon pointed to the paddy field and then to the paddy planting machine.

 

“It will be more special to eat plants that we planted by ourselves. I remember that one time I cry in joy while eating eggplants that I planted by myself” Hyomin took Jiyeon hand to enter the mud together. Jiyeon hesitate to move.

 

“Hey, it’s okay” Hyomin took both of Jiyeon’s hand this time. Jiyeon finally enter the mud awkwardly. She gasp loudly when she feel her feet sink a bit inside the mud.

 

Hyomin took her to go closer to the group of halmeoni. Jiyeon struggle a lot to move on the mud.

 

“Yah Park Sunyoung!” Both of them look up to the loud voice calling for Hyomin. Eunjung stand a few metres away from them with dark expression.

 

“I’m looking for you since the morning and here you are helping others without even asking me to come. I’m bored to death you know” Eunjung nag non-stop at Hyomin. She crossed her arm around her body.

 

Hyomin quickly release Jiyeon’s hand. “I thought you are working, so I don’t want to disturb you” Hyomin explained herself with anxious look.

 

“How did you expect me to go to work without you. I will call the other unnies too” She grab her phone from her pocket and make a phone call. She then wear her glove and boot and enter the mud to joined Hyomin and Jiyeon.

 

“Put this inside the mud like this and put the others in this distance. Make sure to leave some space between them” Hyomin instruct Jiyeon how to planted the green into the mud.

 

Jiyeon try one and said “Like this?”

 

Hyomin nodded and smiled at Jiyeon. “You are fast learner”

 

Jiyeon smile proudly. In no time, the awkward feeling earlier about the mud start to fade away.

 

Eunjung sit next to Hyomin and join the planting work.

 

“Hey you know I miss you Sunyoung ah” Eunjung suddenly said and lean her head on Hyomin’s shoulder.

 

“We just met yesterday” Hyomin rolled her eyes. Her hand reach for the crooked green on the mud that placed by Jiyeon and fix it.

 

“But still..” Eunjung pouted. “There is this one song that I listened to recently and that song remind me of you”

 

Hyomin turn to Eunjung with sparkle eyes. “Really? This is new. New side of you”

 

Eunjung smile when she notice Hyomin expression.

 

“Will you sing that song for me?” Hyomin ask with her eyes blinking several times at Eunjung.

 

“Sure” Eunjung professionally plant the greens in fast speed.

 

While Jiyeon on the other hand planted it half-heartedly. Almost all of it crooked and even collapse.

 

“Jiyeon ah. Put it like this” Hyomin carefully fix the mess that left by Jiyeon.

 

“Yah! Ham Eunjung! Where is the food?” Soyeon shout loudly from the side of the field.

 

“I come for nothing” Boram pouted but still quickly joined to be in the mud.

 

Eunjung laugh loudly before quickly run towards the group of halmeoni to save herself. She just lied to the unnies to make them come no matter what.

 

“Halmeoni..since everyone is here I’m going to sing” Eunjung almost shout from the place she stand to let everybody able to heard her.

 

“As expected Eunjungie. You are my favourite” One of the halmeoni said with her thumb up.

 

“But halmeoni, you might not understand the song” She grinned showing her white teeth.

 

Eunjung took one of the green and pretend like that thing is the microphone. She pointed to Hyomin and give that girl a wink.

 

I'm only one call away

I'll be there to save the day

Superman got nothing on me

I'm only one call away

 

Call me baby, if you need a friend

I just wanna give you love

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon

Reaching out to you, so take a chance

 

...

 

Jiyeon’s pov

 

I can’t take this anymore. That Eunjung seemed to be so perfect. She can dance, sing, she’s cool, good looking and obviously caring. I can’t help feeling defeated. Superman got nothing on you. Wow! That’s great line. Hyomin didn’t even move while listening to Eunjung. She didn’t even look at me.

 

I walk away from the field. I hope by distancing myself I won’t be able to hear the rest of the lyrics.

 

I sit at the side of field trying to observed the whole field but my eyes still fixed at Eunjung and Hyomin.

 

“If you want something, don’t judge, don’t hold back” I jumped in shock when I heard someone saying something to me from my left. I turn my head to my left and my eyes caught Boram sitting next to me.

 

“What do you mean?” I need explanation for that.

 

“You know it better” She just smile at me. This unnie is the best to make me left bewildered.

 

Soyeon unnie approached us and sit at my right. She smile at me and I smiled back. Bitterly to be honest.

 

“That unnie” Soyeon pointed Boram at my left. “Her words, you can believe it. She’s the fortune teller of the village” She giggles excitedly as she said that. 

 

 “Not to that extend” I can clearly sense that Boram feel annoyed with Soyeon’s words.

 

“It’s true though. You always right. By the way Jiyeon, what did she told you?” Soyeon look at me waiting for my answer.

 

“I forgot” It’s not that I really forget about it but it just that I don’t want to talk about it.

 

Don’t judge. Don’t hold back.

 

So what should I do? I don’t even know what I want. Why am I like this? This upset? Why I judge the situation like this?

 

...

 

Author’s pov

 

Hyomin look around to search for Jiyeon. Her eyes caught Jiyeon talking to Soyeon and Boram. She smiled and approached them.

 

Boram stand from her sit and give unexplainable smile to Hyomin. Hyomin got a bad feeling looking at that smile. She took a sit at the place leave by Boram.

 

Jiyeon keep silent. Soyeon joined Boram going to the middle of field. Hyomin look at Jiyeon and caught dark expression on her face.

 

“What’s wrong?” Hyomin took off the glove from her hand.

 

Jiyeon just shook her head. Hyomin open to ask further but Eunjung suddenly shout from the middle of the field to tell all of them to retreat from the field.

 

Both of them look at the paddy planting machine that now entering the field that they are on.

 

Hyomin took Jiyeon hand to stand up. “Let’s go back home” She said to the silent girl. As she turn around, Hyomin gasp loudly when her eyes caught Qri looking at them from behind.

 

“Unnie, how long has you been there?” Hyomin ask the girl with wide curious eyes.

 

“For quite a while. Observing everything” She answer with warm smile.

 

“Oh okay” Hyomin smile at the older girl.

 

The other approached them from the field.

 

“Guys, halmeoni invite us to eat with them” Soyeon said with her hand busy removing her glove and boot.

 

Six of them then join the group of halmeoni eat beside the field enjoying sun that almost setting in the sky.

 

...

 

That night, after finished bathing Hyomin enter the bedroom. Jiyeon lie down covering her whole body with comforter. Hyomin noticed that Jiyeon didn’t talk much after coming back from the paddy field.

 

She lie down beside Jiyeon and shook Jiyeon arm softly. “I know you still not sleeping”

 

“I am sleeping” Jiyeon mumbles under the comforter.

 

“No you’re not” Hyomin slide down the comforter from Jiyeon’s face revealing Jiyeon’s wide awake eyes.

 

“Tell me what’s wrong. You hate the paddy planting so much that you ignore me?” Hyomin ask the girl with serious face. She didn’t expect that Jiyeon hate it so much to the extend of ignoring her.

 

“If that is the reason, then please forgive me. I’ll not forcing you doing thing that you dislike anymore” Hyomin continue spilling her thought. She didn’t want this problem to get worse than this.

 

Hyomin reached out for Jiyeon’s hand. That girl didn’t even look at her.

 

“That’s not the reason” Jiyeon finally open up. Hyomin carefully listen with her eyes fixed at Jiyeon’s.

 

“I just judge things by myself with no clues of the truth” Jiyeon said what she has been thinking the whole evening. She keep thinking about what Boram told her and come up with this conclusion.

 

Hyomin raise her eyebrow in confusion. She can’t understand the thing that Jiyeon just said to her.

 

“I think I need the truth” Jiyeon finally look into Hyomin’s eyes.

 

Hyomin look back at that eyes with confuse look. “The truth about what?”

 

“About your feeling” Jiyeon said with low tone. I can’t hold this back anymore.

 

Hyomin shocked with Jiyeon’s words. Feeling? She start to recall back what had happened today that might upset Jiyeon that related to feeling and judging.

 

She remember Jiyeon suddenly sit at the side of the field after Eunjung start singing. Then she remember Boram’s weird smile. Aah that is it. Did Boram told Jiyeon something weird. That fortune teller might easily read her mind and told Jiyeon about it. Ow, that can’t be true.

 

Hyomin anxiously looking at Jiyeon’s eyes and ask “Did Boram unnie told you something?”

 

“Yes” Jiyeon answer shortly.

 

“What she told you about?” Hyomin ask with thumping heart.

 

“She tell me if I want something, don’t judge and don’t hold back”

 

Hyomin got more confuse with what Jiyeon just told her. “What is the relation of that with my feeling?”

 

“It is related. The thing that I judge by myself earlier is you like Eunjung unnie so much. The fact that Eunjung unnie is so perfect make me ask myself how can I even compete with her?” Jiyeon just blurt everything out from her heart. No holding back anymore.

 

“Wait. You ignore me because of that? To be honest, I like you more than her” Hyomin suddenly blushed with her sudden confession.

 

Jiyeon’s eyes widen, shocked with what she just heard. “Really?”

 

Hyomin just smile at Jiyeon. She can’t bring herself to answer that question.

 

“Unnie?” Jiyeon call for Hyomin with bright smile.

 

“What?”

 

“I’m not going to hold back anymore. I’ll listen to Boram unnie” Jiyeon smile and take Hyomin’s hand to hold it.

 

“Talking about that holding back thing, what do you want then?” Hyomin try to sound like not expecting anything at all from Jiyeon.

 

“This” Jiyeon pressed her lips at Hyomin’s hand.

 

“Hey! You hold back only with this kind of thing?” Hyomin look at Jiyeon with unbelievable look.

 

“And this” Jiyeon quickly planted 3 second kiss at Hyomin’s lips. 

 

Hyomin froze at her position. This is it, the new and weird feeling. Is this love like Qri unnie said?

 

Jiyeon hide in the comforter after kissing Hyomin. She smile like an idiot celebrating her successful act of kissing Hyomin longer than last night.

 

Hyomin lift the comforter from Jiyeon face and caught Jiyeon smiling in there. She pinched Jiyeon’s nose as she can’t take the cuteness of that kid.

 

“You really like me more than Eunjung unnie?” Jiyeon ask Hyomin again for confirmation.

 

Hyomin nodded and laugh at Jiyeon’s childish side. “But don’t tell her that”

 

“Why? I’m planning to tell the whole world” Jiyeon pouted.

 

“Hey” Hyomin pinched Jiyeon’s nose once again. “Just please don’t”

 

“Okay then” Jiyeon move closer to Hyomin and burried her face in Hyomin’s hair. Hyomin hug her and like that they fall asleep.