Song recommendation(s):

One Of These Nights - Red Velvet

Be Natural - Red Velvet

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“Because I like you.”

It's almost funny how four words can send Byulyi mind into such a frenzy and make her insides feel like they're all squeezing together. She doesn't even know why she's so short of breath suddenly, or why she's experiencing this flush that spreads across her face faster than she can stop it. She brings a hand up to her face, her eyes still trained on Yongsun's exquisite face, still and peaceful in her trance. Byulyi’s cheeks feel warm. Or maybe it's just that her hands are sweaty.

Oh, my Gods, did Yongsun just say that she likes me? Like, in a platonic friendship kind of liking or a romantic kind of liking? I mean - it’s not like I'm wondering for my own benefit or anything, but what?

Byulyi’s pretty sure she's never going to be able to close again. Her chest hurts again, and she really isn't sure why it's hurting anymore. It's funny how four words can make her feel like this. Has Solar ever affected her this much before? Maybe. She isn't sure. She isn't sure she can even think right now.

“Wait - um - can you repeat that again? What did you say?”

“I said I like you, ,” Yongsun says.

Byulyi raises her eyebrows in confusion. She’s pretty sure Yongsun hadn’t called her previously. “Dumb-”

“-,” Yongsun finishes, her eyes opening to reveal acid yellow irises glittering with mirth. The little smile on her lips widens to a full blown grin when she sees the absolutely flummoxed look on Byulyi’s face. “Gods, Psych, did you actually expect me to fall for your hypnosis nonsense? I do admit, I did feel rather sleepy, but that isn't enough to put me in a trance or anything.”

“Wait, you were pretending?” Byulyi’s eyes begin to clear of confusion, instead replaced by hardness. She is mostly angry that Yongsun had been acting, but a little part of her conscious gnaws at the back of her mind. She's almost…disappointed. She subdues it quickly, though.

“Well, yes, I was, if I have to spell it out for you. Not to insult your hypnosis skills, sweetie, but I think I'm a little wee too strong for any sort of hypnotherapy. Perhaps it would work on Solar since her mind is so easily bendable, but I think mine’s a pretty tough nut to crack.” Yongsun taps the side of her skull, tipping Byulyi a wink. “And you should have seen your face, it would win a Oscars or a Grammy or something. Priceless. I didn't know you would be so affected by me, Psych.”

“First of all, I'm not affected by you at all. Second of all, you're a jerk. Third of all, don't call me sweetie.” Byulyi says brusquely, giving Yongsun a chilling stare. Yongsun puts her hands up in a sign of peace.

“Hey, chill out, Psych. It was just a joke. I was curious too. The hypnosis just didn't work on me, okay? The acting part might have been to have my own fun, but you know. Don't take my answers seriously. I was lying.”

“Wow, that just makes me feel so much better. Thank you, of the century.” Byulyi flops back onto her sofa, puffing her cheeks as she releases a breath. She keeps her gaze fixed on the ceiling, ignoring Yongsun's snickers. Gods darnit, I should've known she would try to troll me. Her acting is way too good, I thought she was definitely in a trance. But of all things to say to my question…was she trying to rattle me? Ugh, as usual, I can never tell what she's thinking.

“Are you trying to snap your neck off, Psych? Because that's just going to give you a stiff neck, not decapitate you,” Yongsun says, “And I think I'd prefer if you don't kill yourself, because you're pretty interesting.”

“If snapping my neck meant I could get away from you, then I totally wouldn't mind.” Byulyi grumbles, raising her head again so that she can see Yongsun. She regrets it, because Yongsun looks so pretty it makes her chest hurt again, and she settles with pressing a hand to her temple.

“Are you angry because I said I like you and that it's a lie?”

“Gods no,” Byulyi blanches.

“Really?” Yongsun leans forward with her chin on her palm, her lips tilted up in a smile. And again if Byulyi didn't know that she's completely evil, she would look extremely endearing. Then Yongsun adds fuel to the fire by sticking her lower lip out in an extremely adorable pout. “I think you're lying, Psych. You look like you're trying not to smile.”

“Look, it's not fair. You have Solar's face. You can't just do that.” Byulyi snaps.

“Doesn't matter. I'm sure you didn't just fall for her appearance, you've also fallen for her personality, haven't you? So show me that you can be loyal to her even with me having her appearance.” Yongsun, the evil little devil, smiles impishly.

“You,” Byulyi works her tongue venomously around the words, “are a royal .”

“Oh, bless you too,” Yongsun looks pleasantly delighted, clasping her hands together in front of her and batting her eyelashes. “I didn’t know that you thought so highly of me, Psych! A royal one, that’s way classier than a normal one. You have my thanks for the compliment.”

“Gods, you’re crazy,” Byulyi groans.

“Aw, I missed this side of you, Psych. Last week you were acting all nice to me and smiling and the like, and it was honestly beginning to get a little suspicious. This is more like it! Angry, brooding, and snapping at me all the time! How lovely!” Yongsun says, her lips tilting upwards in a benign smile that Byulyi knows is really not benign at all. Byulyi doesn't know if she wants to slap the lights out of Yongsun or just sit and laugh at her own bad life choices.

“Gods, I'm bummed the hypnosis didn't work, so stop being an .” The psychologist breathes through , massaging her temples.

“Allow me to ease your tension by making you a cup of coffee,” Yongsun offers, and Byulyi hears the sound of weight lifting off leather and shuffling footsteps. She opens her eyes in time to see Yongsun standing over her beloved coffee machine, humming as she hovers over Byulyi’s sacred baby.

“Oh, hell no am I letting you brew me anything with my coffee machine!” Byulyi says, her voice rising in panic, sock-clad feet sliding on the wooden floorboards as she runs towards Yongsun in a valiant effort to stop her. She reaches her arms out, slapping her hands protectively onto her machine, standing guard over it like a mother hen over its eggs. Yongsun starts a little, then looks at her and smiles amusedly. Her yellow eyes glow in the warm sunlight filtering through Byulyi’s thin curtains.

“Look, you don't have to be so protective over that machine. It's fine. It's not like I'm going to burn the building down.” Yongsun says coaxingly, her voice warm and smooth like velvet.

“How do I know that?” Byulyi protests. “You could have ulterior motives! Like burning my building down!”

Yongsun rolls her eyes, which makes Byulyi tighten her grip on her beloved coffee machine.

“My Gods, it's just a cup of coffee. Two cups of coffee. I know how to operate a coffee machine just fine.”

“Not using my precious coffee machine, you uncultured swine!”

Yongsun, with another roll of her eyes, reaches out and grabs Byulyi’s arms by the wrists, yanking them off her coffee machine with the strength of two bodybuilders. Yongsun uses the momentum to tug Byulyi closer, until the gap between her and the younger woman is a number of centimetres that Byulyi wishes she'd never be able to count again. Yongsun's features are striking in the sunlight, her cold yellow eyes staring into Byulyi’s own.

“Do you trust me, Moon Byulyi?”

“No,” Byulyi answers feebly. This isn't fair, she's way too close to me, she smells nice, and she looks like Solar. Not fair.

“Well, you're going to have to trust me, Psych, because if you don't then I'm going to hug you. Really tightly.” Yongsun's minty breath blows across her face with a tinge of a threat, and Byulyi twists away from her before anything happens to her.

“Okay, okay! Use the damn coffee machine!” Byulyi yelps, retreating to the safety of her sofa to hide in case. It's only when she's far away from Yongsun when she realises that her heart is beating crazily fast, and she doesn't exactly know why. She doesn't really want to know why either.

“Prepare for this cup of coffee to blow your mind, Moon Byulyi. It's going to taste exactly like the coffee you make.” Yongsun promises.

“You're using the same machine that I use, Yongsun.”

“Exactly! And here I was thinking that you aren't the brightest tool in the shed!” Yongsun turns around to beam at her. The smell of coffee fills the room and Byulyi sinks further down into her sofa, closing her eyes and pressing her the pads of her fingers into her temple.

“This isn't exactly easing any of my tension, you know.” Byulyi mumbles.

“Can't hear you!” Yongsun hums again, bending slightly over the machine. Specks of sunlight reflect off her brown hair, shifting with every little movement she makes. From the back, Byulyi can convince herself that it's Solar that she's looking at, not Yongsun.

Does it matter?

She shakes her head. Of course it matters, you're in love with Solar, for Gods’ sake! Not her evil alter ego!

“Why’re you staring off into space like that?” Yongsun’s voice cuts into her thoughts like a knife, and Byulyi looks up to see the older woman standing with two steaming cups in her hands. Yongsun sets both cups on the table, and Byulyi sees the familiar shade of black coffee inside the cups.

“You just had to take the kindergarten mug out of all the mugs, didn't you?”

Yongsun smiles mischievously. “It's endearing. Imagining you as a little chubby toddler running around and annoying the crap out of people just makes me feel so much inner joy.”

“I think you'd feel more inner joy watching every plant on the planet wither and the world burn in flames.” Byulyi replies flatly.

“You're not too far off there.”

Byulyi picks her cup up and brings it to her lips, blowing across