Yongsun's feet ached with fatigue as she reached up to loosen the ridiculously tight braid running down her back. Her black hair fell in waves around her shoulders and she released a sigh of relief. It had been yet another long day at work and she was exhausted.

The stench of sweat and melted cheese radiated from her clothes and skin. If she had known two years ago that her life would consist of desperately trying to get her art into galleries while simultaneously working two full time jobs, she would have listened to her mother and went to college. Maybe then she wouldn't be stuck taking all of the night shifts at Pizza Hut.

The faucet squeaked as Yongsun twisted the plastic knob and waited for the water to sputter out. She splashed her face with the icy liquid, doing her best to wash away the grimy kitchen grease. After drying her face with a scratchy paper towel, she swapped her contacts for a set of nerdy looking glasses.

All she wanted to do was go home and collapse into her tiny twin sized bed.

After one last glance in the mirror, Yongsun left the bathroom and made her way towards the front of the restaurant. It was about 11 o'clock and the place was empty except for a young couple flirting in the far corner. Yongsun let out a longing sigh at the sight. Sometimes it felt like she would be single forever, and that thought made her want to crawl into the fetal position and cry.

Romance novels were sort of her thing. The sickeningly sweet cliches and overused tropes never failed to warm her heart. This is why her story was tragically lame at the moment. Not only was her life boring and tedious, but she was missing the most important part. Love.

Frowning at the depressing thoughts, Yongsun arrived at the front of the restaurant and glanced out the window. Heavy sheets of rain fell from the dark sky, eliciting a whiny groan from the tired brunette. Her car was at the mechanics (long story), which meant she would be walking home tonight.

Shoulders slumped in defeat; Yongsun dug into the pocket of her dark jeans and pulled out a three thousand won. It wasn't enough for a taxi but there was a good chance it could buy her a sandwich. At least then she wouldn't have to be soaking wet and starving when she got home... just soaking wet.

As she made her way to the front counter, her worn out sneakers squeaked in a quiet rhythm. Behind the register, a girl about her age twisted lightly on top of a stool, her nose buried in a copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. The brunette was totally immersed in the reading, her face scrunched up in concentration as her lips silently mouthed out the words. It was kind of adorable.

Yongsun approached the counter and glanced down at the girl's name tag. "Excuse me, Byulyi?" She interrupted with a polite grin, "Hi."

Upon hearing her name, the blonde glanced up and offered a warm smile. "Hi, sorry about that." She laughed softly, putting the book away in her lap. "No matter how many times I read this it never seems to get old." There was a short silence as the girl's eyes roamed over Yongsun and an even bigger smile tugged at her lips. "How can I help you?"

"How much is it for me to get a sandwich?"

"Seven thousand won but for you I'll make it six thousand." Byulyi flirted, her smooth voice flowing through the air like warm honey.

"I thought we got a 50% discount?" Yongsun ignored the pass and crinkled her eyebrows together in confusion. The girl was pretty and seemed nice, but Yongsun wasn't really up for the banter tonight. Besides, crushes on co-workers never turned out well.

"Just because you're cute doesn't mean you can get it that cheap." Byulyi's eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued to hit on Yongsun as if they were strangers. "But I will make you a deal. If you give me your number, I'll pay for it myself."

How weird. It wasn't like they were on a first name basis or anything, but the two had definitely met several times in passing. Yongsun specifically remembered running into the girl a couple of weeks ago in the bathroom. Byulyi had mortified her by pointing out a piece of toilet paper stuck to the heel of her shoe.

Maybe she doesn't recognize me with my hair down and glasses on.... Or maybe she's just bored and messing around.

"Um, I'm pretty sure you already have my number." Yongsun replied, knowing that it was required for all of the employees to exchange contacts in case they needed a shift covered.

"Not sure how that's possible since I've never seen you before." Byulyi accused, her gaze dropping to Yongsun’'s mouth before quickly bouncing back up to her eyes.

"Okay..." Yongsun dragged out, feeling rather confused and awkward. "I can't tell if you're messing with me or not, but I'm tired and want to go home so..." She trailed off, reaching up on her tippy toes so she could grab a cup from behind the counter.

Byulyi let out a warm laugh. "You know what? I'm not even going to charge you for that since you're so adorable... but you at least have to tell me your name."

Yongsun gave a long, perplexed look. Why do these things always happen to me?  She watched as the blonde waited patiently for a response. No signs of teasing. Oh my god, she's being serious.

As soon as Yongsun realized that Byulyi actually had no idea they were co-workers, a deep burgundy blush filled her cheeks. If only the universe could send a black hole to swallow her up and relieve her from the awkward moment. Even if she did look a little different in her street clothes, how did Byulyi not recognize her?

Moving to her sweatshirt, Yongsun pulled the material aside and revealed her employee name tag. Byulyi's eyes dropped to read the small metal plate and finally a look of acknowledgement graced her face.

"Holy , you work here?" The blonde glanced up with a look of genuine surprise.

"Yeah," Yongsun ran a nervous hand through the hair at her scalp. "For like, two years now." She offered a small smile that came out more like a grimace.

"No way!" Byulyi exclaimed, breaking into a beautiful grin. "How is that even possible?"

"Well I work in the kitchen and you work out here so..." Yongsun offered, trailing off into a short silence before clearing . "Anyway," she gave a polite, closed lip smile, "I better get going before the rain gets any worse or my walk home will really ." To be honest, she didn't even care about the sandwich anymore, she just wanted to get out of there with whatever dignity she had left.

"Wait," Byulyi spoke up before she could make her getaway, "You're walking home? How far away do you live?"

"Like four miles." Yongsun replied, talking small steps backward towards the door. "It's really not that far."

"Well good thing my shift gets over in 5 minutes." Byulyi chirped with a bright smile. "I'll give you a ride."

"That's really not necessary."

"Sure it is." Byulyi smiled, her kind eyes melting Yongsun's defenses. "What kind of co-worker would I be if I let you walk home alone in the rain?" She winked, standing up from the stool with her book in hand.

"Seriously, you don't have to do this." Yongsun tried one last time to argue, but a ride home sounded amazing.

"I won't take no for an answer." The gorgeous blonde grinned as she logged out of the register and made her way around the counter.

"That seems a lot like kidnapping." Yongsun bit down on her lip to hide a smile as she zipped up her sweatshirt in preparation for the rain.

"No," Byulyi chuckled, "For it to be kidnapping, I would have to take you against your will."

"Isn't that what you're doing?" Yongsun watched as Byulyi dug into her back pocket and pulled out a small, cylindrical paper tube. It took her a moment to recognize the item, but when she did an amused grin tugged at her lips. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that Byulyi had just pulled out a Chinese finger trap, or the fact that she was totally smitten.

"Seriously?" Yongsun giggled as the tension from her long day slowly faded.

"What? I like to play with it when I'm bored at work." Byulyi blushed before reaching down to grab Yongsun's hand. The blonde’s fingers were soft and warm, and Yongsun's heart did a little flip inside her chest.

"Now..." Byulyi offered a charming smirk as she placed her finger in one end and Yongsun’s in the other. "This is most definitely kidnapping."

"I cannot believe you just did that!" Yongsun laughed as she tried to pull her hand away, only for the contraption to squeeze her finger more firmly.

"Not so fast, the more you struggle the harder it will be to get away." Byulyi teased, "Now let's go, my car is parked out front."

A warm tingling sensation filled Yongsun's chest as Byulyi led them to the front door. The situation felt crazy and out of character for her, but in the best way. Making friends wasn't always easy for Yongsun. Since moving out to the city two years ago she had only met a small handful of people.

Her life mostly consisted of work and painting, which left little time for socializing. And to be honest, that was the way Yongsun liked it. She would always take a quiet evening of reading over a wild night out.

As the two girls made it to the front door, Byulyi looked over with a sweet smile, "You ready to make a run for it?"

The flirty glance mixed with the girl's raspy tone caused a hot blush to crawl up Yongsun's neck, "As ready as I'll ever be."

The next second Byulyi was pushing the door open and a happy giggle tumbled from Yongsun's lips. They took off running into the heavy, cold rain and it pelted against Yongsun's face. She was too distracted by the hoard of butterflies in her stomach to care. By the time they had made it to Byulyi's beat up station wagon they were both drenched.

"Hurry and get this thing off!" Yongsun laughed as she tried to tug her finger out of the stupid paper trap.

"Stop pulling!" Byulyi giggled, doing her best to shelter the shorter girl from the rain. Water dripped from her forehead and down her cheek, and for a moment Yongsun found herself transfixed. Byulyi was beautiful. But it wasn't just her physical appearance, it was her spirit. The girl had light about her that took the word stunning to a whole new level.

"Free at last." Byulyi offered a heart-stopping grin before leaning over to open the car door. Once Yongsun was safely inside she shut the door and hurried around to the other side.

A chilly gust of autumn wind sent a chill down Yongsun's spine as Byulyi slipped smoothly into the driver's seat. The girl tossed her wet book on the dash and jammed her key into the ignition. The old station wagon sputtered to a start and Yongsun tried to hide her smile. Reaching out, she grabbed Byulyi's book from the dash and began to dry it off with the underside of her shirt. It was a bit hopeless considering her top was soaking wet, but she gave it a try anyway.

"Don't worry about that," Byulyi gestured to the book as she shifted the car into drive. "I've got another copy at home.... Speaking of which, where do you live?"

Yongsun repeated her address before asking, "So, you like to read?"

"Love it." The blonde grinned, glancing over before focusing her eyes back on the road. "You?"

"It's my favorite." Yongsun gave a small smile as she played coyly with the hem of her shirt.

"Let me guess." Byulyi ran a hand through her wet hair, trying to tame the long, curly locks. "You're a romance kinda girl. Favorite book is probably something by Nicolas Sparks?" She snuck a fleeting glance towards the passenger seat and laughed at the brunette’s guilty lip bite.

Arms crossed over her chest, Yongsun fought to hold back a smile. "And what's so wrong with that? He happens to be a great author."

An amused laugh spilled from Byulyi's lips, the sound raspy and beautiful. "You're adorable." She looked over as they rolled up to a red light, her eyes shining with laughter. Yongsun's heart did the stupid flippy thing again and she bit at the inside of her cheek. A frazzled habit.

Byulyi stared boldly into Yongsun's eyes for what felt like an eternity. It wasn't until the car behind them honked that the girl smiled, winked, and turned her attention back to the road. Yongsun shifted her gaze out the window in attempt to escape Byulyi's blatant flirting.

Her stomach was in knots and her heart felt like a hummingbird inside her chest, all fluttery and frantic. The classic signs of a crush were starting to surface and it made Yongsun nervous. For a girl who had only had a hand full of first kisses, the thought of a relationship was more like a distant fantasy. Anytime it started to feel even remotely probable, her tendency was to panic.

It wasn't inexperience that plagued Yongsun with anxiety about relationships, but a few unpleasant incidents from her past. There was a boy named Eric who had broken her heart in middle school, and of course the whole fiasco of falling for her straight best friend back in high school. To be honest, she was still recovering from the latter.

The memories made her shutter.

"Did I offend you?" Byulyi's voice flowed softly through the car and Yongsun startled from her thoughts.

"What? No, why?"

The blonde studied Yongsun for a few moments before shifting her eyes out the window. "We've been sitting outside your apartment for a couple of minutes now." She glanced back with an affectionate smile.

"Oh gosh, sorry." Yongsun shook her head in embarrassment as her cheeks heated with a familiar blush. "Thanks again for the ride." She released her lower lip to offer a shy smile before reaching for the door handle.

"Of course." Byulyi grinned. She waited for the brunette to exit the car before adding, "Have a good night, Yongsun."

Hearing her name in that soft tone stole the air from Yongsun's lungs as she offered one final wave. She hesitated before shutting the door -it looked as though Byulyi was going to say something more but in the end never did.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, Yongsun turned and made her way up the steps to her apartment complex. As she reached the doors a wide grin tugged at her lips.

Turns out the day hadn't been so bad after all.

---

Butterflies danced inside Yongsun's stomach as she flopped onto her twin sized bed and buried her smiling face into the pillows. She let out a muffled squeal before turning onto her back and releasing her first full breath since getting into Byulyi’s car. As she laid in bed grinning like an absolute dork, there was a sense of weightlessness in her body.

After several minutes, Yongsun let out a content sigh and sat up. A glance over at the nightstand revealed that it was 11:32pm and she stood. The floor creaked quietly beneath her feet as she made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Emerging a few minutes later, she changed into a pair of boy shorts and an oversized white tee. As she went about the rest of her nightly routine her thoughts were all over the place. Work, painting, Byulyi... no subject was off limits.

Bending over, Yongsun flipped her head upside down and wrapped her hair into a loose bun. Straightening back up, she heard her phone buzz with an incoming text. Eyebrows furrowed, she walked over to her night stand. 

Yongsun's heart skipped a beat as she opened her phone and read the message.

I hope this doesn't freak you out too much... but I've been sitting outside your apartment for the last couple of minutes trying to work up the courage to come knock on your door. - Byulyi

Yongsun read and re-read the text until the words didn't even make sense anymore. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and tried to quiet her thumping heart. When she opened her eyes again, the message was still there and she concluded that it was in fact real.

Fingers trembling, she typed out an entire paragraph before deleting it all and simply replying.

"Why?"

Oh God. I should have just invited her to come up. Yongsun stressed fervently over the text as she waited for Byulyi to reply. Time dragged on, the seconds turning to minutes. I am such an idiot. With each passing moment Yongsun grew more and more insecure. 

Finally, after what felt like hours of torture, Yongsun’s phone buzzed in her lap.

Byulyi: Promise not to freak out?

Yongsun: Yes.

Byulyi: Okay. I sort of can't stop thinking about you. Can I come up?

The breath rushed from Yongsun's lungs and her heart did the stupid flippy thing inside her chest, only this time it was so intense she nearly fell off the bed. Mind racing, she contemplated the different options. Then, afraid she'd lose courage, Yongsun quickly texted back.

Apartment 114 C, just knock and I'll let you in.

The second Yongsun hit send she raced into the bathroom to check her appearance. Of course, her hair was a mess and the bags under her eyes made it look like she hadn't slept in weeks. Reaching for her makeup bag she quickly applied a little mascara before there was a quiet knock at the door. Oh god.

Yongsun took a deep breath and walked quickly across her apartment. After taking a moment to pull herself together she opened the door with a nervous smile.

Standing there with her hands buried in her pockets, Byulyi glanced up and offered a shy grin of her own. A brief silence settled between them as Yongsun drank in the iness of Byulyi's blonde, messy hair and wet clothes. She'd slipped on a black leather jacket since Yongsun had last seen her, which managed to make her look even more attractive... If that was at all possible.

"Sorry." Byulyi bit at her lip before clearing , "I uh, realize how weird this is now... maybe I should just g-"

"No!" Yongsun blurted, a hot blush filling her cheeks, "I don't think its weird." She added in a soft, apprehensive voice, her eyes dropping to the floor.

When there was no response, she peered up to find Byulyi watching her with an amused twinkle in her eyes. The silent staring stretched on for another couple of seconds before Byulyi's husky voice admitted, "I couldn't stop thinking about how I should have kissed you earlier."

Time came to a screeching halt as Yongsun's jaw fell open in surprise. She scrambled through her mind in search of a response but nothing came up. Hurry, say something!  her lips, she opened up hoping that the words would come tumbling out. When they didn't she slammed her lips closed in frustration.

"You're adorable when you're frazzled, you know that?" Byulyi chuckled warmly before taking a hesitant step forward. The tangy spice of her perfume tickled Yongsun's nose, successfully shattering her frozen form. She followed the girl's lead and took a small step forward until they were nearly standing chest to chest.

A wistful sigh fell from Byulyi's lips as she whispered. "You're beautiful. I feel like an idiot for not noticing sooner."

The words wrapped around Yongsun's heart and spread warmth throughout her body. It was a nice thing to say, but what really got her was the vulnerability and authenticity in Byulyi's tone.

"Do you want to come in?" Yongsun asked softly, staring deep into the girl's gorgeous eyes. "I would offer you something to drink, but all I have is cold coffee from this morning."

Byulyi broke out into a heart-stopping grin as she followed the smaller brunette inside. "That's funny," she paused, waiting for Yongsun to turn around and meet her stare. When she did, Byulyi took a step forward and placed a gentle hand on the girl's hip.

Pattering rain echoed throughout the apartment as Yongsun's breath hitched in . She stood frozen, unable to focus on anything other than Byulyi's slightly parted lips. Suddenly they were close, inches apart at most.

Then, almost in slow motion, Byulyi reached up to trail a fingertip along her cheek. The touch was soft and warm, sending chills down Yongsun's spine. As the blonde moved to trace her upper lip, something shifted inside Yongsun's chest and a quite sigh escaped from . She never wanted the moment to end.

Taking her time, Byulyi slipped her hand to the back of Yongsun's neck and leaned in to press their lips together. The kiss was soft and fleeting as she quickly pulled back to look into Yongsun's eyes. Silently asking for permission. She was rewarded with a shy nod and smile.

The second kiss started just as slowly as the first. It was tentative and sweet, nervous but perfect. A rhythmic parting and meeting of lips as they each gently explored the other. Yongsun shivered as Byulyi's hand slowly traced down her back before coming to rest gently on her hip. Feeling brave, she reached up to cup Byulyi's cheek and ran her thumb back and forth across the soft skin.

After a few more seconds of bliss they broke apart, their foreheads resting together as they caught their breath. Warmth spread through Byulyi's chest as she placed a lingering kiss against Yongsun's cheek.

Drawing back, Byulyi whispered, "This is wonderful."