One night, she does it.

They’re on break, so Byulyi brought it upon herself to spend the week at Yongsun’s place. There’s not any particular reason.

She’s lonely, her stuff’s already there, they could do some writing together, her place is too quiet, Wheein and Hyejin are back in Jeonju, all the things that just chock up to Byulyi wanting to be with Yongsun.

They’d been passing the days idly. They’d go to the company to practice or rehearse, then come back home. They’d watch TV, or Byulyi would try to teach Yongsun how to play some of her video games. In the evening Yongsun would take Jjing Jjing on a walk and Byulyi would tag along, of course. They’d get dinner while they’re out. Byulyi wasn’t a picky eater, so having Yongsun was a blessing. She always had a craving, so Byulyi never ended up skipping a meal simply because she couldn’t decide what she wanted.

At night, they’d talk. Byulyi can’t believe it’s so easy. Friends for years, seeing each other every day, her practically living at Yongsun’s house, how they can still have conversations that last hours? It’s like no matter is too little, no detail spared, she wants to hear everything and share everything, commit every intonation and inflection to memory.

Eventually Yongsun would claim she was tired, and she would go take a shower. She’d leave the door unlocked. Byulyi would go into the bathroom after a little bit, already dressed in her pajamas because she’s the type that showers in the morning, and brush her teeth. When Yongsun finished Byulyi would hand her a towel and they’d go into the bedroom together. Byulyi would flop onto Yongsun’s fluffy comforter and wait for her to finish getting dressed.

After Yongsun turned off the lights and crawled into bed she would snuggle in close and they’d speak to each other in murmurs, Byulyi’s attention rapt until Yongsun would drift off to sleep in the middle of a sentence and Byulyi could bear witness to the moment she completely relaxed. It was cute. Sometimes with slightly parted, sometimes it was gaping open like a fish, sometimes, her lips were still quirked, there was the hint of a smile, and Byulyi swears it’s so beautiful she could cry.

It's one of those nights, that Byulyi, as always, pulls in close enough for them to share a breath. She’s a light enough sleeper that she won’t be able to rest until Yongsun stills completely, so she spends the wait time just staring at her.

Their legs are tangled and she has one arm draped over Yongsun’s waist. Tonight is the same. It’s the same as the last night and the night before and before and before and before. But just like all those nights Byulyi is a reaction waiting to happen, and Yongsun is her catalyst. Her activation energy has been building all week and that’s probably why it happens. Being in Yongsun’s presence and feeling her softness in the dark, her heart was left so vulnerable by the intensity of its own feelings.

She was on the precipice, every muscle in her body was tense and she was frozen, unable to move for fear of disturbing the one in her arms. It made her grateful that she wasn’t alone in the vastness of her feelings but at the same time, Yongsun was the one who had made them an ocean, and it would drown her or sail her home.

Byulyi couldn’t take it anymore. She needed something greater than what she had. All that she felt had been piling up since the beginning and she couldn’t hold it all anymore. She needed this like it was life itself.

Byulyi moved her hand from Yongsun’s waist to her face, gently moving her hair and cupping her cheek. Yongsun stirred, and pressed into her palm. Byulyi felt her chest constrict.

All this love, Byulyi’s been letting it flow out of her since the beginning. She’d let it surround her in a cloud, but it’d become denser and denser. There isn’t room for anything else to exist. It’s suffocating her. Love is killing her.

“Love is awesome,” she sighed. It was awful.

“Byul?” Yongsun mumbled, having heard her say something.

She shifted in closer and the hands she’d had clasped in front of her pressed now to Byulyi’s chest. Yongsun was half awake now. Byulyi wondered if she could feel her heart dying from overexertion and arrhythmia.

Byulyi leaned in, the tips of their noses meeting.

“Love is awesome,” she explained. It left her in awe.

Before Yongsun could ask, Byulyi closed the distance and kissed her.

It was like breathing or the very first time.

idk how these two stories turned out so different but there's gonna be an epilogue probably eventually maybe(?)

and if i write future stories i guess this will be the premise if it's in universe