Chapter 4

The studio was clear of people when Mijoo stepped in to see Soojung. The older girl must be staying late alone again and let her other staffs went home first. She shook her head. Mijoo then headed straight towards Soojung’s office and she was right; the latter was there seated in front of her computer editing photos.

The taller girl smiled at the sight of the hardworking Soojung and started to approach her closer and give surprise back hug. Soojung was of course startled at the sudden contact and tensed but soon after she realized it was Mijoo, she began to feel at ease. “What are you doing here?”

Soojung spun the chair around to face her girlfriend. “I’m here to see you of course!” Mijoo responded like it was the most obvious answer. Soojung couldn’t help but wander her eyes on Mijoo from head to toe. The taller girl was wearing long, silky turquoise dress and high heels with light make up that reflected her natural beauty. “Where are you going dressed like this?” Soojung asked curiously. Mijoo rarely dressed like that unless for special occasions considering the girl’s profession as a model.

“Did you forget that I have an alumni meeting tonight?” Mijoo grinned as Soojung began to recall her memories that Mijoo had told her before. “I forgot.” Soojung said as she sat back on her chair. “Why do you have to dress like that? People will stare at you!” Soojung complained and pouted. It was just a simple meeting between Mijoo and her friends from high school. No wonder Soojung was cringed at the idea of her girlfriend wore something prettily for that matter.

“That’s why I asked you to come with me. You can show off to them that this pretty girl. “-referred to herself. “-is your girlfriend!” That sentence came out from Mijoo made Soojung smirked in return. The shorter girl then stood up before Mijoo and circled her hand around the girl’s hips to close the gap between them. “They’d like to see you too, my friends!” Mijoo resumed speaking in low tone as Soojung was so close to her face.

“Nah, I’m not interested!” Soojung shook her head while staring hardly at the girl’s red lips. “It’s enough that I got to see you before you go.” She shifted her face closer and landed her lips on Mijoo’s as they kissed like they owned the world. They only parted when they needed air to breathe as their faces turned red from the lack of oxygen. “You know you drive me insane whenever you wore prettily like this!” Soojung commented. Mijoo giggled at her face as her chin touched Soojung’s nose to kiss her forehead.

“That’s why I’m wearing this tonight. Purposely to make you crazily think of me!” Mijoo remarked as Soojung let out a giggle of joy. “Don’t be home too late tonight. I can’t wait to eat you up.”

“You know I was thinking of the same. I don’t want to be away from you too long!”

The lovebirds shared another long sweet kiss before they said farewell to each other.

Unknown to them that it was their permanent goodbye and the kiss was their last!

*

The sky had turned darker as the time already passed midnight but Jihyo had yet gone to sleep. Not when she lied down on Soojung’s bed and the owner was beside her. It made her uncomfortable.

It was a lie. Jihyo felt nervous instead of uncomfortable.

While her back was facing Soojung, Jihyo stared ahead and her eyes met the picture of Mijoo once again on the bedside table. The girl was surely so pretty. Jihyo felt very little compared to the deceased.

Just now she heard Soojung mumbling in her sleep something like ‘don’t go’ and at the last end of the words, there ‘Mijoo’ was mentioned. It made Jihyo thought Soojung must be so terrified at the loss of her girlfriend.

Mijoo’s case was apparently a murder, by a psychopath who was crazy over the girl. Jihyo still remembered vividly how sad Soojung’s tone and expression were when the older girl told her that the police had yet found the culprit, the criminal who had no conscience and took away Soojung’s only love’s life.

Jihyo recalled the article she read a year ago about how a girl was found dead in a terrible shape, face was almost unrecognizable and after the autopsy on the girl had done, it was believed that the girl was brutally before she was killed. Jihyo and her friends Nayeon as well as Mina who read the article with her cringed and were horrified. They were too grossed out with the story that they forgot the victim’s name and face wasn’t displayed in the newspaper due to guardian’s request.

Now that she heard the story from Soojung, it was similar with the one she read in the newspaper article. She fell sorry and sympathetic to the older girl.

Throwback to how she ended up sleeping in the same bed as the girl that made Jihyo nervous unreasonably, it was all Jiae to be blamed.

[Flashback]

After done with the dishes, Jihyo followed Soojung to the living room where Jiae was sitting on the couch. The delicious dinner they had eaten had made them full and slowly turning them sleepy. Jiae suddenly suggested something that Soojung wasn’t really keen of. “Jihyo can sleep with you tonight in the room!”

Jihyo’s eyes widened and Soojung was frowning. “I’m not impressed, Yoo Jiae!” she said and glared at the younger girl. “Oh yeah, I’m not joking!” Jiae retaliated and playfully moved her eyebrows at her older cousin. “Why would she sleep with me when she can be comfortable in the guest room by herself?” Soojung retorted sounding serious. Jihyo’s starting to be feared that the two cousins might get into an argument.

“And you plan to let her be lonely?” Jiae then landed her gaze on Jihyo. “I thought you hated to be alone?” Jihyo was apparently surprised by the nonsense question. “What? When did I…”

“You told me back then when we were alone talking together!” Jiae was so quick at making stories up that they left Jihyo dumbfounded and speechless. “Yes…” and even forced her to admit the thing that wasn’t real.

That came from Jihyo made Soojung calculated something in her mind and even considered Jiae’s suggestion seriously. “Then where are you going to sleep?” The older girl inquired. Jihyo didn’t miss that smugly look plastered on Jiae’s face. Such a wicked move, Jihyo believed. She knew Jiae planned it all along to set her up with her older cousin. “I’ll sleep in the couch. It’s comfortable here and I wanted to watch TV all night too so might as well.” That’s so sly, Jiae. Jihyo thought if Jiae was to be a scammer instead of a baker, she could be the perfect deceiver ever.

“Fine then, if you insist!” That’s so strange, Soojung gave in easily. Why was it so easy for Jiae to convince the older girl? Jihyo couldn’t understand.

Soojung made her move and started heading into her room while Jihyo was left behind with Jiae. The older of the two girls looked at the younger. “What are you doing? Go with her into the room!” Jihyo realized she was pushed by a hand from the back and of course it was Jiae again. It’s not like Jihyo hated Jiae for all of these set ups, but it made her got into uncomfortable position. Especially since it’s with Soojung.

Nevertheless, Jihyo did follow Soojung into the room. It’s not like she could take back and swallow what she had said earlier when Soojung had already agreed to let the younger girl sleep with her.

She was greeted by Soojung who’s seated in the bed. “If you’re uncomfortable to sleep with me in the bed, I have sleeping mat and will sleep on the floor.” Jihyo quickly denied the idea. “No, I’ll be fine. I don’t mind to be sleeping with you together!” Okay that sounded odd, Jihyo knew that but it already slipped from her tongue. Soojung was giving her a strange look. “Oh, o-okay then,” she stuttered.

At the thought of sleeping together with Soojung made Jihyo blushed furiously.

*

Morning had awakened from the night, the sun rose and Soojung finally opened her eyes. She was still groggy and sleepiness concurred in her mind. When she tilted to her side, Jihyo had disappeared. The girl had probably awoken ahead of her and was with Jiae.

While the owner of the house had morning shower, her assumption was right about Jihyo with Jiae. The two girls were preparing breakfast. Jihyo’s actual plan was to leave early back to her home; has refreshing morning shower and eat breakfast with housemates Mina and Momo but to no avail, Jiae was already up and held back her plan. The older girl insisted Jihyo stayed with her and Soojung for breakfast and the younger girl had to agree. She didn’t want to be seemed rude.

Soojung joined the two not long after and Jihyo could inhale the scent of Soojung’s shampoo. She smelled so good! If not for the shorter girl’s stern face snapping at her then, Jihyo might be in her own world too long for her own good.

“It’s really nice to meet and know you Jihyo.” Jiae started as they started digging in the chicken soup cooked by Jiae as the breakfast menu that morning. Jihyo wasn’t too used of heavy breakfast in the morning since she started high school and even now living with Japanese girls Momo and Mina but her stomach at least could adapt well to the new environment.

Jihyo beamed happily as she too was happy of getting to know Jiae through Soojung. Although Jiae sometimes coul