Yerim isn’t very subtle and Seungwan is sharper than people assume.

Yerim has always said that tteokkbokki is a dish too troublesome to make. Her sudden change of heart surprised many, but not Seungwan. She vaguely remembers mentioning it was her favourite comfort food on some variety show or another.

The next weekend, she came home to an exhausted looking Yerim who had handed over a steaming bowl of tteokkbokki with an unusually bashful smile. I made it just for you, unnie.

She is a people-pleaser; she is selfless. Seungwan gives too much and takes too little.

Hearing that Yerim had done this for her, had gone out of her way to just to make a dish she knows Seungwan likes, brought a warmth to her chest.

Seungwan had been more touched than she had admitted; far more moved than she should have been.

Yerim stares more that she should have and Seungwan pretends she doesn’t notice.

Seungwan is a talented baker, but her skills in the kitchen don’t transfer over to cooking. She learnt the hard way. They all did. Now, she’s not allowed in the kitchen without supervision.

Today she’s in the kitchen with Yerim, one of the rare times the younger girl has managed to wrangle Seungwan supervising duty away from Irene. she’s being taught to make tteokkbokki.

The younger girl gathers all the ingredients on the kitchen counter and talks her through the preparation. Her expression is focused as she points from item to item, carefully explaining what to do with each one. There’s a furrow between her brows and Seungwan thinks Yerim’s serious face is very cute.

Being taught how to cook isn’t something that’s new to Seungwan. However, it’s the very first time Yerim is the one to teach her.

Seungwan has noticed recently that Yerim always manages to find excuses to spend time together and if she didn’t know better, she’d think Yerim was planning something.

Cooking is very, very good excuse and she’s only a little surprised when it’s suggested to her.

There are so many reasons to linger when she’s teaching Seungwan how to cook. Even if there aren’t any, she’ll probably make some out of thin air.
When it’s just the two of them or when she thinks that Seungwan is unaware, Yerim has a habit of staring; she pretends she doesn’t stare and Seungwan pretends she doesn’t notice. It’s the nice thing to do.

It will only inconvenience both of them if she draws attention to it: Yerim will have have to explain what Seungwan already knows and she has never been particularly good at confronting the truth. Seungwan has never been brave.

Just because she thinks that she’s managed to piece it all together and work out the truth, does’t mean that she’s certain. Even though the clues that Yerim leave behind are practically giant, flashing neon signs, it doesn’t mean that Seungwan is correct.

Seungwan had decent arm strength from all the baking she does, but even her forearms are getting a little sore. She’s been stirring the rice cakes for a while and they’re still not as soft as she wants them to be. She sighs and anybody watching would assume she’s sick of stirring the pot.

The pot is fine. It’s Yerim that getting to her. She’d left instructions and then moved to sit on the other side of the bench, where she’s currently leaning on her elbows, head in her hands, staring at Seunwan with something that seems a little too much like adoration. Seungwan keeps her head down and her eyes on the pot. She cannot meet the intensity of Yerim’s eyes.

Seungwan can feel her gaze sear across the contours of her face, lingering on . It’s flattering, it really is. It’s just that if Yerim keep staring at her lips like that, she’s afraid they might actually catch fire.

The burning sensation stops. From the corner of her eye, she sees a brief and sudden stillness pass through Yerim’s body before she moves to round the counter. The hesitation in her initial movements bleed away with every step.

Seungwan tracks her with her ears and it comes as no surprise when Yerim ends up behind her. What surprises her are the arms that tentatively wrap around her waist and the warmth that presses between her shoulder blades.

Seungwan stops stirring and feels Yerim stiffen behind her. She slides a hand down and places it over the slim fingers that are clasped over her stomach. When she feels the girl behind relax, Seungwan continues to stir. Yerim is braver than she thought, even though she said nothing.

They stay pressed together in silence; Yerim does not speak and Seungwan cannot reply to things left unsaid.