“Eunbi, we need to talk.”

Eunbi tightened her grip on her purse as she listened intently to what her father had to say. A part of her already knew what the talk would be about, yet she hoped that she’s somehow mistaken.

“About the marriage plan-“

“Dad, you already know my answer to that.”

Eunbi made sure she got her point across. That she didn’t want to marry anyone, that her father’s bogus marriage arrangement with another family without her consent was absolutely outrageous and that she would never in a million years agree to marry a man she barely even know, let alone love.

Kim Seokjin is a good person, but Eunbi simply wanted nothing more than friendship and she made this pretty clear to him during their first meeting. She liked the guy; he’s good looking, very considerate as well. But that’s all that Eunbi sees in him. Refusing Seokjin’s marriage proposal was already difficult enough, confronting her father about it was something else.

“Eunbi, Jin is a good man. He’ll take care of you and make you happy.”

She cringed as her father started naming the different qualities that make Jin a ‘good-catch.’ It’s not that she had anything against the guy, she’s pretty sure that he too was forced into agreeing with this marriage, because there was no way the guy will agree into marrying her.

Around their 5th meeting, Jin came out to her. It was more like she caught him making out with some guy when she was walking out of the restroom. She wasn’t really shocked or grossed out, because she too had made out with many different girls. This little revelation only gave her more reasons to refuse her father’s arrangement for them to get married. But Jin had begged her not to tell anyone because if she did, his father will surely throw a fit, that, and he’s not ready to ‘come out’ yet.

Eunbi took a deep breath, clearing before speaking.

“Dad, I’m not going to marry Jin. I do not love him nor does he love me.”

She said sternly, taking out a picture of what seem like a tall girl holding a giraffe stuffed toy. Eunbi’s eyes sparkled and her lips curved into a smile as she slowly placed the picture down on the table.

Eunbi’s father stared at the picture, scrutinizing it before picking it up from the table.

“Who is this?”

“The one I truly love.”

 

*

 

“You seem to cherish that note,”

True.

Others may see it as a worthless piece of paper, but this worthless paper means the world to her.

Eunbi carefully slid the paper back into her purse.

“Do you love her?”

The question caught her off guard. Eunbi quickly lifted her head to the question, she blinked a few times and answered, “Yes.”

Jin chuckled at Eunbi’s reddened cheeks, it was his first time seeing Eunbi fluster like this, if he had any interest in girls he would’ve probably married her already. But since he had no interest whatsoever in girls, here he was agreeing to meet with the bob-haired girl so they could resolve their on-going dilemma.

“So, how do we do this?”

“Tell your father that you are gay and everything should be done and over with.”

Jin swore if Eunbi didn’t look so cute in her dress he would’ve choked her by now for speaking nonsense.

“Any other ideas beside that?” Jin asked, almost pleadingly.

Eunbi fell back on her chair, staring into the night sky she pondered on thousands of excuses, all of which includes Jin coming out to his parents, but she knew Jin already made his point very clear. And she could not force him on doing something he obviously refuses to do.

At this rate, both her and Jin will end up marrying each other and they will have to live under the same roof for the rest of their lives. Eunbi was certain that she did not want to spend her life pretending to be happily married to someone she had no feelings for. She could not imagine herself living a life without the person she had given her heart to.

“Eunbi?”

“Yes?”

“Sojung is a sweet girl. Don’t ever let her go.” He said before standing up from his seat and towards the guy standing on the opposite side of the street. Eunbi noticed Jin’s sudden change in behavior but smiled when she saw him intertwined his hands with the other man.

“I won't.” She whispered inaudibly.

 

*

 

Eunbi woke up to the feel of cold hands against her skin. She groggily rubbed her eyes and found Sojung positioned on top of her. Eunbi softly smiled as she stared into the brown orbs above her and gently the older girl’s flushed face. Sojung hungrily kissed Eunbi’s neck, each part eagerly, her hands trembling as they ed the younger girl’s blouse.

Eunbi, now out of her sleepy state, pulled the older girl down for another kiss.

“You’re home early today,”

“I heard you met with Jin.”

“Yeah.”

“What did you guys talk about?”

“Stuff.”

Eunbi sensed Sojung’s dissatisfaction and lightly giggled at her inability to hide her frustrations.

The thing with Sojung was that she easily put her emotions out for grabs, that was why Eunbi could read whatever’s on the girl’s mind like an open book. But luckily for Sojung, Eunbi was the one who grabbed her heart and not some hormonal teenage boy.

Though Eunbi had her hormonal moments as well.

“Did he force anything on you?”

“No.”

“Did he black mail you into marrying him?” Sojung asked faintly, her voice rasp from fatigue.

She continued to possessively on every inch of Eunbi’s neck.

“N-no,” Eunbi managed to say in between gasps.

“Good. Because I will kick his flat if he dares touch you. And I don’t care if he’s my brother.”

 

*

 

Jin snorted as Eunbi walked in tiredly, her bob hair is a complete mess, and eyes droopy. He eyed the younger girl across him a few more seconds before bursting into a full laugh.

“What happened to you?”

“Nothing,” Eunbi snapped tiredly, collapsing unto the chair.

Jin catched the band-aids on Eunbi’s neck and widened his eyes in astonishment.

“Did Sojung do that?” He asked, pointing at the hello kitty bandages.

Eunbi felt her ears grow hot and cheeks turn red. She hastily wrapped a scarf around her neck in hopes of concealing the marks on her neck.

No doubt, Sojung had been very rough last night.

“I taught my dongsaeng well,” He smirked proudly.

Eunbi rolled her eyes at his mocking tone.

“How are we going to convince our parents to stop this?”

“I don’t know. Will you please stop staring at my neck?”

“Can’t help it, was Sojung drunk or something?”

He asked, obviously intrigued at how many bandages there are on the girl’s neck.

“Shut up. If we don’t resolve this, your sister is going to kill you and then kill herself.”

“Such harsh words, Eunbi. We are going to be in-laws soon so the least you could do is be nice to me.” Jin said teasingly.

He knew how much Eunbi loves Sojung and he knew how much the younger girl is willing to go through just to marry his younger sister. But sadly, being the eldest guy of Kims and Eunbi is the eldest girl in Jungs, they have to marry each other instead. If he was to marry Eunbi, then his father’s empire will double in size. And his sister would also most likely chase him till the end of the world for marrying the girl she loves.

“Think fast, oppa. Or your life as a gay man will be over in 2 months.”

“I can still be married and be gay!”

 

*

 

“Marry who?!” Eunbi’s father asked in bewilderment.

“Kim Sojung,” Her answer was firm. She could not falter now, she needed to defend her reasons, she needed to convince her father that the only she loves is Sojung and no one else.

She loved Sojung to the point that being away from the older girl might potentially kill her. Eunbi never believed in love at first, but after meeting Sojung, Eunbi was pretty sure that she definitely harboured some feelings for the tall girl. It wasn’t until Yuju introduced the two to each other that Eunbi finally broke the ice and confessed.

To her satisfaction, Sojung responded with the same interest, if not more.

Only a select few know about her relationship with Sojung. Yuju, being the one of them, and not too long ago, Jin.

And now she’s shamelessly telling her father that she did not want to marry anyone aside from Kim Sojung.

“Eunbi, why are you making it so complicated?” Her father spoke in a low, calm voice.

Her eyes slightly twitched at his response.

Her body tensed when she heard him sigh.

It was clear that he already made up his mind.

And it was also clear that she already made hers.

“If you’re still going to force your rules upon me, then I guess I’m no longer a Jung.”

She declared, briefly walking past her father and out of the house.

 

*

 

Jin rushed to where Eunbi was sitting. He frowned at the sight of her chugging down a bottle of wine. Ready to slap some sense into the girl, he marched towards her only to stop when he saw her gripping the note she was carrying the other day. His face softened and he took a closer glimpse at the paper.

Eunbi, either too engrossed by the paper or drunk, failed to notice the pair of eyes behind her. Jin focused his vision on the sloppy handwriting and quickly recognized it as his sister’s.

“You know, if you keep on drinking your liver is going to rot.”

Eunbi lazily turned around, her skin rather flushed from the excessive drinking.

Jin found himself frowning at the sight of the emotionally drained girl.

“I love Sojung, oppa. I love your sister. I love her and I’m afraid.” She guiltily confessed. Her face emotionless but her words stabbed Jin’s heart nonetheless.

“She refuses to leave, and it’s almost closing time.”

The bartender looked at him with apologetic eyes, clearly regretting ever giving Eunbi the bottle of wine.

He ushered for the bartender to leave before taking a seat next to the intoxicated girl.

Never before had Jin seen Eunbi broken like this. He hated to admit it but the younger girl looks so pitiful that he wanted to shoot her father for being an .

“Eunbi, you’re drunk.”

With that said, he took out his phone and waited patiently for the person on the other line to pick up.

“Hello, Sojung?”

 

*

 

“How long has she been like this?” Sojung bit her lips as she exhaled through her nose.

“She called me over, when I came she was already halfway done with the drink.”

Sojung did not like the fact that Eunbi called her brother instead of her. Was she any less capable of helping her own girlfriend? She was definitely disappointed at Eunbi’s decisions of confiding in with Jin rather than Sojung herself.

This past month had been stressful, both physically and emotionally (more on the emotional part). It was already complicated enough that her girlfriend was about to leave her for her brother, any more stress and Sojung might as well commit suicide.

“Thank you,” she told him, not taking her eyes off the bob-haired girl who was now sleeping soundly on the couch.

The silence between Jin and her was comfortable, both siblings seemed to be in their own thoughts.

Not too long after, Sojung decided to speak.

“I love her.”

The sudden confession took Jin by surprise, he knew Sojung is afraid of losing Eunbi.

He knew exactly how she feels. He knew it too well.

“I know,” he answered, lifting his hand as he lightly patted her head.

“Don’t take her away from me, oppa.” she said softly, her voice was so faint that it took him a couple of seconds to finally register what she had just said.

It amazed him how carefree and boisterous Sojung was three years ago, before meeting Eunbi and how different this Sojung is compared to the little kid who followed him everywhere he went.

“She was holding this.”

Taking one last look at Sojung, Jin gently placed the folded piece of paper in Sojung’s hand.

But before Jin left, he called out to his younger sister, his voice full of determination.

“Don’t worry, Sojung. Oppa will protect you.”

 

*

 

I like you too…

 

Tears poured down her face as she stared at the four words written on the note. This was her answer to Eunbi’s rather unique confession.

“I can’t believe you kept this,” she whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping girl, unaware of the fact that Eunbi is already awake.

Writing down those four words were definitely the most difficult words she ever had to write. Though it was just four simple words, Sojung poured her heart and soul into it. She remembered how her hand was shaking non-stop when she decided to write down her response, and also how Yerin called her romantically challenged, unaware that those four words, along with the note itself, meant everything to a certain girl.

Eunbi felt her heart throb inside her chest as she listened to Sojung sob. Her heart ached as she witnessed the older girl strip down her barriers, leaving nothing but her fragile state for Eunbi to see.

Sojung snapped out of her daze when she felt soft arms make their way to her waist, carefully wrapping themselves around her body. Warm fingers traced her jaw and she was now eye to eye with the object of her affection.

Both were quiet, no words were needed.

They both know what the other would say as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes.

Eunbi broke the eye contact and looked down to where Sojung’s hands were. Now it was her turn to cry as she spotted Sojung holding the note. She looked up once again and kissed away the tears on Sojung’s cheeks.

“Marry me,” Sojung finally broke the silence, though her eyes still longingly gazing through those of Eunbi’s.

Eunbi remained quiet, unsure of what to make out of Sojung’s sudden proposal.

“…at least marry me before marrying my brother.”

“Sojung, you know we ca-“

Her words were cut short.

Sojung crashed her lips against hers, pinning Eunbi against the couch. Sojung hungrily traced Eunbi’s collarbone with her tongue, kissing and biting along the way. Eunbi heard nothing but her own heartbeat and let out a soft moan as Sojung lifted her head and pushed her tongue inside the younger girl’s mouth. Sojung poured everything she has in one single kiss.

She poured her heartbreak, her frustrations, her anger, her insecurities, her love, all into this one kiss.

Her tongue burned from the alcoholic residue but she kissed the girl anyway. She kissed the girl like never before, gently lacing her fingers to those of Eunbi’s.

Eunbi did not say anything, she lied there and let Sojung kiss her senselessly. She was left hanging when Sojung decided to break the kiss, her mind immediately going into frenzy right after Sojung nibbled her hot ears, whispering the words she always longs to hear.

“I love you.”