Juhyun was scrolling through the tenth house-finding website about to give up, until what seemed like yet another fruitless search turned into the best catch she could have possibly come across.
 

"Yoong! Come here!"
 

"What? If it's another brilliant architectural structure we can't afford, I don't wanna see it."
 

"No, it's something good this time! Just come here!"
 

Yoona grunted, reluctantly moving from the couch to the small kitchen adjacent to it. "I just paused MasterChef for this, so it better be good."
 

"I found the perfect house!" Yoona raised her eyebrow feeling skeptical of her girlfriend's enthusiasm; after all, Juhyun had found them thousands of (architecturally) perfect houses, yet none they could actually live in. Perhaps, if Juhyun wouldn't get so sidetracked with the details and technicalities of the design, they could have found a suitable apartment to move in to by then. "It really is. Stop looking at me like that."
 

"I'll be the judge of that. Show me." Juhyun frowned, crossing her arms; not moving an inch until she felt her girlfriend’s arms placed around her and a pair of lips touching hers in a soft movement. "Show me, please?"
 

Juhyun reluctantly turned the laptop towards Yoona and proceeded to explain the details of the house, still too proud to own up to the way she would melt so easily at her touch. "Okay, so it's very central – 10min walk to the subway and it has 2 bus stops also 10min away. It has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a medium-sized living room and a big kitchen." She stated with a smile. "Plus the building has been renewed recently, so the structure has been reinforced yet the details of the original late 18th century European design of both the outside and interior remained."
 

"Okay... That does sound perfect. Too perfect. What's the catch? We can't afford it, can we?"
 

"That's the thing: I can't see the catch. We can afford it; it's actually quite cheap for what it is too."
 

"Guess we gotta go there and find out for ourselves."


*******

 

The two girls followed the middle-aged man through every room, exchanging looks here and there of bewilderment upon the house. It had been the last apartment to be renovated, the man explained; so the smell of new floor and fresh paint still lingered in the air. The furniture was simple – all white just like the walls – but it complemented the ambiance by contrasting with the wood of the windows and floor, giving it a cozy feeling. The kitchen in a retro 50's décor made Yoona squeal in delight; she could almost instantly see herself spending Sunday afternoons baking her girlfriend's favorite treats. The eye-catcher for Juhyun, however, was the guest-room that had been kept empty; it had two big windows that provided perfect lighting and she knew then that would be the one housing her early-morning or late-night painting deviations.

The apartment was exactly as advertised, including the price of rent and they just couldn't find a single thing wrong with it.
 

"Excuse me, but may I ask why would you rent such a great apartment for such a small price?" Yoona finally exposed the elephant in the room.
 

The man chuckled. "Looking for a catch?"
 

"It does sound too good to be true." Yoona bluntly stated, to which Juhyun elbowed her discreetly.

He merely smiled amused and requested them to accompany him to the floor below. They followed quietly, both anxious to meet the owner of the property, who (judging by the conditions of rental) could only be either incredulously generous or ridiculously insane in their standards. Surprisingly, it was an old lady in her mid-70s who greeted them; wrinkly smile and snow-white hair — the porcelain skin tainted with age contrasting with her entirely black attire gave her a somber aura, in spite of the friendly and somewhat excited expression on her face.
 

"This is Mrs. Hwang, the owner." The man announced.
 

A widow? Both girls thought in silence, wondering if they would be able to get the house after all. What would such an old lady think of housing a same- couple if she were to find out about their relationship?
 

"You must be the young ladies looking to rent the apartment! I am very pleased to meet you.” She shook each of their hands, the smile never leaving her face. “Yoona and Juhyun, yes? Please, make yourselves at home; I will bring some tea."

The old lady disappeared into the corridor and both girls wondered aimlessly through the living room, until Yoona decided to check the rest of the house in spite of Juhyun's pleas for her to remain in her best behavior – deep down, she was just as curious and fascinated as her girlfriend; but she lacked her baldness to do such a thing considering the circumstances. There were many old photographs in black and white around the house; and even though the furniture and overall atmosphere were rather contemporary, there were many old historical and valuable artifacts of diverse background adorning tables and walls. One particular frame stood out  amongst all the extravagantly expensive objects due to its size; it was a simple Ikea frame, however, and inside it stood a group of 7 young women posing with wide smiles and arms laced together. Somehow, Juhyun sensed the value of that was higher than anything else inside that house.
 

"It's a pretty picture, isn't it?"
 

Juhyun jumped at the sudden voice beside her. "It is."
 

"It was taken in LA – 1962. We were in our early 20s." The woman smiled kindly, her wrinkles a bit more prominent as she handed over a cup of tea after placing the tray on the coffee table. She seemed to sense Juhyun's curiosity and the girl felt slightly embarrassed for prying. "It was a rather memorable trip; especially, considering the times."
 

"I can only imagine."
 

“I remember that day distinctively. We thought of taking a trip to the beach but we ended up in some village, because we caught the wrong bus.” She chuckled to herself.
 

.

.

.

“Where are we?”

“I don’t know; I’ve never heard of this place before.”

“Let’s find a phone; I’ll call my father.”

“What for?” The taller one asked. “We should enjoy this sunny day discovering what this town has to offer.”

“Ah, a bunch of women wondering around alone in a strange town; because that doesn’t sound absurd – not to mention dangerous.”

“Where is your sense of adventure, Sunny? Good god.”

“I agree with Summer. We should indulge in something adventurous from time to time.” The most tanned encouraged.

“Okay. Great. Fine. If anything happens, I’m pinning it on you two.”

.

.

.
 

"You and your friend seem to be really close." The old woman suddenly remarked.
 

"Excuse me?" Juhyun was surprised by the suddenness of the sentence.
 

"You seem really good friends; you’re moving in together and all. She... Yoona, was it? She has a lot of admiration for you in her eyes."
 

"Oh, yeah. We have been friends since college. We're kinda like... sisters." Juhyun hoped the sad tone in her voice would go by unnoticed; she had been having a really hard time keeping up appearances lately, but she knew it was needed for their own well-being – it  doesn't mean it made it any easier, though.

"Hum, I see." The expression on Mrs. Hwang’s face was unreadable and the painter wondered if she had been too obvious. "I too once had a friend like that."

Juhyun eyed the woman in curiosity, patiently awaiting the story that would follow suit.
 

"She was the one in jeans and white shirt. Pretty, right?"
 

Pretty was an euphemism; the woman was mesmerizingly beautiful and the boyish look only seemed to shine light upon her feminine features making her even more so – if that made any sense. The hair tied up neatly allowed for a clear view of her delicate facial traits and luscious lips tinged of what Juhyun assumed as red lipstick; and the high-waist pants wrapped up her slight curves nicely for a deliciously dangerous sight.
 

"She was... Breathtaking." She was surprised and slightly embarrassed by her own blatant honesty, cursing Yoona in her mind for being a bad influence in that regard.
 

The woman chuckled wholeheartedly, finding it amusing. "Ah, many men at the time seemed to think the same. She was pursued by so many! She hated it, though; all that attention. That is why she rarely wore dresses back then."
 

"That does sound bothersome. I would probably do the same in her place." In fact, she practically did. Yoona was the one who, in spite of her boyish demeanor, loved to wear dresses.
 

.

.

.

"Are we still meeting the girls at the square? The party is still up?"
 

"Of course. They demand a dress or skirt, however."

"I'm not wearing that ever again, I told you."

"Not even for me?" A sad pout.

"Only for you. But that's to remain in the privacy of these walls."  A teasing smile grew on the woman's lips as she leaned forward to kiss her lover.

.

.

.

"So you find men bothersome as well?" Mrs. Hwang chuckled again at Juhyun's expression; the girl was certainly taken aback by the question and chose to remain silent – would she end up blurting out something too revealing of her preference. "She found them annoying and never got married until she was already in her mid-fifties. She spent years travelling alone, living a life of no home and no family; we often received letters and pictures of the places she visited and the people she met. It seemed thrilling, and it was – but I know she felt lonely."
 

"What about you, Mrs. Hwang? Did you ever get married?" There were no pictures around that could indicate any children and the men in most of the frames seemed to be mere friends.
 

"Twice. Once for convenience – the times required it and not all of us had the wit to leave everything behind and travel aimlessly –; another for love." She smiled fondly as she caressed the ring on her finger. "Do you intend to get married?"
 

"I-I don't know. I mean, we- I'm still young. It’s still too soon." It’s not like she hadn’t thought about it; however, even after all these years together she still feared the consequences of her own relationship to some extent.

“Don’t run away from happiness, for as frightening as taking the leap may seem.” Mrs. Hwang grinned and Juhyun simply nodded, contemplating the woman’s words.
 

.

.

.

“You’re leaving again?”

“Yes. I’m going to Europe in a few days.”

“When will you be back?”

“I don’t know. In a year, maybe?”

“How long are you going to keep this up? This kind of life… it is not suitable for a woman. You must settle down and-”

“And what? Live a miserable life with a man I don’t and will never love?” She scoffed and shook her head. “When will you grow out of that mentality? I’m here. Just come with me, leave this life behind!”

“You know I can’t do that! I made a commitment!”

“What about me?! Us?! You’re not happy here.”

“I am happy here with you, so stay.”

“I think it’s funny how selfish you are without even realizing it. You keep asking me to stay; to throw away my values for you – but you’re not willing to let go of anything for me.”

.

.

.

“All these pictures were taken in the States, right?” Mrs. Hwang nodded. “How long did you live there?”
 

“My parents sent me there when I was 15; I stayed with a friend of my father’s. That’s how I met all those lovely ladies who stuck with me for life. They are all gone now, except for the shorty on the right. That one’s too stubborn even to die and is still kicking it in some nursing home in New York.” She chuckled. “My partner passed away earlier this year, so I thought it was time to return to my roots. I had nothing else left there and the Californian sun is no longer kind to my skin.”
 

“My condolences. I’m really sorry for your loss.”
 

“Oh, don’t be. We had a lifetime of annoying each other, that’s all I could ever ask for.” The woman smiled, but Juhyun couldn’t help to notice the tears forming in her eyes and helped her to take a seat on the poltroon. “The only thing I regret is not giving in sooner. And that stubborn woman… she never listened to anything I said. Fools, that’s what we were."
 

.

.

.

“Hey there. Someone told me a hot divorced lady was looking for some company. Mind if I join you?”

The woman laughed. “What are you now? A playboy stuck in the 40’s?”

 “I can be one, if you’re into that.” She winked and the other grimaced.

“You’re an idiot. How did I put up with you so far?”

“I think being the hot secret lover who travels a lot helped a little, but I think it’s mostly my killer charm.”

She shook her head, feeling amused as butterflies still roamed freely even after all those years. “How did I fall for someone like you is beyond me.”

“But I’m glad you did.” She leaned in to kiss the other woman. “I love you.”

.

.

.

“What do you mean? Giving in to what?”
 

“Oh, don’t mind me; just an old woman rambling.” Mrs. Hwang dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “You seem like a good person, Juhyun. I will be glad to rent you girls the apartment, taken you won’t be throwing wild parties too often. I’m too old to deal with the noise.”
 

“We’re not party girls, Mrs. Hwang. We only have occasional get-togethers with some friends, but nothing too noisy; you got nothing to worry about.”
 

“Good. That settles it then! Just talk with Jonghyun whenever you’re ready; he’s the one who handles the bureaucracy.”
 

They fell into a comfortable silence as Juhyun organized the documents needed to sign the lease, knowing Yoona wouldn’t have the patience to do so – especially, when she was so engaged in discussing the origin of the artifacts with the middle-aged agent. The young painter smiled to herself as she noticed her girlfriend’s serious expression, trying to make the best guess on the dynasty of one of the vases; her heart would often swell with love at the most random and seemingly simple sights of Yoona – even her drooling face seemed to incite an increase of heart-rate and that’s how she knew she had it bad.
 

“Juhyun?”
 

“Yes, Mrs. Hwang?”
 

“If your feelings are certain, then don’t hesitate. Fear is not worth letting go.”
 

The younger girl smiled sheepishly, feeling embarrassed for being caught gawking at her girlfriend and seemingly understanding the woman’s intentions. “What was her name, Mrs. Hwang?”
 

And there was no brighter smile or shinier gleam in those eyes than in the moment that name rolled from her lips like a melody she could never get tired of.
 

“Stephanie Hwang.”