“Good morning baby.” Chorong opened her eyes when she heard her girlfriend’s voice.

The sun was shining through the window, bathing the room in its warm sunlight, when the leader opened her eyes.

“Perks of sharing the room with my gorgeous girlfriend,” Chorong said with a huge smile.

Bomi leaned over to kiss her girlfriend on the lips, and Chorong pulled her from her waist so she was no longer sitting on the bed but lying over the older girl. With a muffled laugh Bomi rolled over so they were now both lying down with their backs against the pale sheets. The younger girl tilted her head so she could look at Chorong right in the eye, right into her deep dark orbs which seemed to glow in their own darkness.

The older girl lifted a hand to caress Bomi’s cheek, and she smiled widely while doing so. When she was lowering her arm again, Bomi grabbed her wrist lightly and pulled her closer. Their noses were touching; their cheeks against the bed covers. Both girls held their breaths at the same time.

“I’m so happy, unnie.” She didn’t need another name for Chorong. Being the two the oldest ones in the group, no one else called her Bomi-ah and Chorong was her girlfriend’s only unnie.

Chorong smiled and made a movement as in getting up, but Bomi pulled her back down and rolled over so she was in top of the older girl. Bomi kissed her, slowly at first, but it heated up in a mere instant. Chorong felt Bomi’s hand on her waist, caressing her bare skin, and she raised the younger girl’s cotton t-shirt to kiss her navel. Bomi giggled at the touch, which had caused her tickles, and Chorong moved up to kiss her in her soft lips. Their own laughs muffled their kisses, and they ended all tangled up in between the sheets.

“What a great way to wake up,” Chorong murmured into her girlfriend’s ear. And she swiftly kissed her earlobe right after.

“Hey you lovebirds!” Eunji’s voice through the door interrupted their intimacy. “We’re leaving in half an hour for breakfast in the city. Are you coming?”

Eunji heard some muffled voices and giggled before Chorong answered.

“We’ll be there!” The leader exclaimed.

Eunji shook her head and smiled only for herself while turning around and going back to the living room with the others.

Inside the room, Chorong waited until Eunji seemed to be gone to go back to placing small kisses all along Bomi’s neck and shoulders.

“I am very happy too, Bomi-ah,” Chorong spoke between kisses. “I have never been this happy before in my life.”

Bomi raised her gaze then, up to Chorong’s eyes. The two girls looked intensely into each other’s minds; no words needed.

“I love you,” Bomi said, and Chorong kissed her in response. She could feel the younger girl smiling under her lips.

~

Naeun was grabbing her stuff when Hayoung entered the room.

“Good morning,” the maknae yawned while speaking, and that made Naeun laugh. That sweet sound filled the morning air and broke the silence that still appeared to be all around the dorm, no matter how late in the morning it was. But the girls had been granted another couple of days of freedom to enjoy in Seoul before leaving for Jeju.

“Good morning, Hayoung-ah.”

“I heard we’re going out for breakfast?” Hayoung inquired, and her friend nodded. “I’m excited. It’s our first day off in months. And we’re going to Jeju in two days!!”

Naeun smiled, and ruffled the maknae’s hair.  Her excitement wasn’t as explicit, but Hayoung could feel it in the air.

“This is all so great,” Hayoung added. “I’m going to get ready. Do the others know?”

“Eunji-unnie is waking the oldest ones, and I believe Namjoo-ah’s getting ready already.”

Hayoung nodded and proceeded to go fetch some clothes to wear. Her Seoul, New York, Tokyo, Paris, London, Milano city shirt looked in order, so it was a simple outfit. Jeans, a favorite shirt... that’s what a free day meant for her.

When the turn for makeup arrived, the maknae wasn’t the only member in the bathroom. Namjoo was fighting for the best spot of the mirror against Naeun, and Hayoung could do nothing but laugh at them, distracting the older girls and taking that opportunity to take their spot.

“Could you stop behaving like high school girls?” It had to be Eunji who put some order between the supposedly grown-ups, but she couldn’t help but laughing as well.

~

The table at the cafe was made of steel and glass, and Naeun was looking at her reflection in it while waiting for the waiter to come back with their orders.

“You look very nice today,” Eunji said, giving an approbatory nod towards Naeun’s sundress, making the latter blush slightly and mumble a soft ‘thank you’.

Bomi and Chorong were holding hands beneath the table and murmuring something into each other’s ears. It was only when the waiter came right in between them that they grew apart, much to of Hayoung’s delight and laughter.

“What now?” Bomi inquired.

“You girls are very cute,” the maknae answered happily. “So... what will you be doing on your first day alone?”

Chorong blushed and tried to hide her expression behind the coffee she had ordered. Real coffee, just like they wanted it and hadn’t been able to drink it since their last free day, which felt like centuries ago.

“Do you really want to know?” Bomi raised an eyebrow while answering the maknae with another question, and Hayoung just laughed and changed the topic quickly.

“This is the best coffee I have drunk in ages,” Namjoo announced, and Naeun nodded in agreement, full.

“I so needed this free time,” Eunji spoke between bites given to her giant muffin. “I am so glad I get to share it with you all.”

Bomi smiled and patted Eunji’s shoulder softly.

“We know, Eunji-ah, we know.” Bomi’s smile was broad, sending a very positive message all around her.

“So what do you girls want to do today?” The leader asked.

“I want to go shopping, unnie” Hayoung was the first to answer.

“Oh yeah, me too,” Naeun joined soon afterwards, high-fiving the maknae.

Eunji shrugged and nodded in a “why not?” pose, and the others agreed soon after that. It was decided, then, shopping was in order for the morning.

“Unnie, you come with me,” Bomi said, grabbing Chorong’s wrist playfully.

“Bomi-ah, we’ll have enough time on our own,” Chorong replied dutifully. “We need to take care of the kids for now.”

“Bomi-unnie? Take care of us?” Hayoung started laughing, which caused Bomi to send her a playful glare and stick her tongue out.

“Let’s go, then.” Eunji was the one to take the initiative as soon as they paid.

~

“Unnie, that looks great on you.” Hayoung couldn’t stop saying her opinion about every single piece of clothing the other members tried on. Naeun smiled at the compliment, and encouraged the maknae to be the one trying on outfits now.

“Wow...” Bomi, on the other hand, was speechless while staring at her girlfriend. She had been the one to decide Chorong’s outfit, and that dress looked really good on the leader; something the older girl herself would have never thought of trying on.

Chorong blushed at Bomi’s attention, and Eunji laughed at her friends’ conversation. Eunji had never been the one to enjoy spending all day in a dressing room; she just liked her outfits simple and comfortable, but they somehow ended up being stylish too.

“Hey, unnie,” Namjoo gave Eunji a sweatshirt she had found. “I was thinking you would like that.”

Eunji raised an eyebrow in surprise, but thanked the younger girl and stood up to go change into it. Naeun was in the dressing room too, wearing a very short dress that emphasized her slim legs.

“Oh, Naeun-ah... That looks really good on you,” Eunji commented. It was just a simple comment, but Naeun blushed strongly and stuttered a “thank you” in reply. Both girls remained silent while changing their clothes, immersed in their thoughts.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Bomi told Chorong. “I’ll be right back.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Chorong stood up in concern.

“Oh, no. It’s fine.” Chorong sat down again, thinking about Bomi. Something wasn’t right, but she knew how much her girlfriend cared about her privacy.

“Oh, Eunji, you look great.” She gave her attention back to the remaining members. “You should definitely buy it.”

They all decided on their outfits and left the dressing rooms to go pay.

“I should go check on Bomi,” Chorong told Eunji.

“I’ll go.” Chorong started moving anyway, but Eunji stopped her. “I’m serious, unnie. I’ll go.”

Chorong stayed in line with the maknaes, wondering what was really going on with Bomi. She tried to look like there was nothing wrong, but Chorong knew better. After knowing each other for so many years, she knew what the real Bomi was like.

~

Bomi was staring at herself in the mirror when Eunji came into the public toilets.

“Bomi-ah? Are you okay?” Eunji couldn’t shake away the feeling that something was wrong with her friend.

“Uhmm... Yeah, sure.” Bomi’s vague answer made it worse, but it was followed by an honest reply when the older saw Eunji’s face. “I was feeling pretty dizzy, but my headache’s getting better now.”

“Bomi... We need to talk.” Eunji knew she had to control the situation. “You’ve been feeling specially tired lately, out of breath soon into the practice sessions, and these sporadic dizzinesses... they aren’t that normal.”

Bomi looked up to her friend and smiled gravely.

“It must have been because of the comeback...” She started, but Eunji cut her off.

“Have you been feeling something else? Besides headaches and being tired?” Eunji was truly worried because of the older girl’s passive attitude. “You need to go to the doctor, Bomi-ah.”

“Eunji-ah... It’s probably nothing. I just need to go on vacation.” The older girl was just trying to escape the situation.

“No. Yoon Bomi, promise me you’ll go to the doctor before you go to Jeju” Bomi groaned. “Promise me!”

“Alright, alright... whatever. I’ll go.”