"And do we know this person?"

"Not answering that, just wait and you'll see"

Three women banter around the small table placed between a pair of green velvet couch as the sun shines through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the cozy cafe. Byul had recently been cornered by a certain younger couple into admitting that she was indeed dating someone. Unfortunately for her, this meant that they will not stop until they get a name and a face to the unknown person, whoever they are.

"Come on unnie, you're really not giving us anything to work with here. Well... I mean aside the fact that I'm a hundred percent sure it is a woman, I have nothing," Hyejin says and Byul chuckles.

"Yeah... you literally never talk to us about your romantic life." Wheein pouts. "If it wasn't for you slipping here at the cafe yesterday, we were never going to know, huh?"

Byul laughs heartily at the mere impatience of the two sulking women in front of her. To be fair, it's only been less than a week since she had the talk and the make out session with the "mysterious lady-dating-moonbyulyi" person the pair were curious about. "You two are really a couple for a reason." She teases. "You're literally going to meet her in just a few minutes, come on."

"Wait, where is Yongsun unnie by the way, is she not going to work today? She hasn't been responding in the group chat the past days. I haven't really checked up on her recently, I have paintings due soon for a customer. God, my head is aching just thinking about it." Wheein complains as she puts her tiny head in her hands in frustration. As if the Gods were listening, Byul's phone pinged signalling a text from the person they were all waiting for. After a few minutes, the chimes sang in harmonious melody as the cafe's owner walked through the door.

"Speaking of the devil...." Hyejin comments as they all turn their heads to Yongsun who was now walking towards them. 

"Morning! I had to sort out things at home so I came in late. Didn't you tell them, Byul?" Yongsun says as she settled beside Byul who was drinking her coffee.

"Unnie, wait don't sit there. We're waiting for someone. Come here, sit beside me." Wheein pats the space beside her.

"Oh wait, really? Did you invite anyone?" Yongsun asked with genuine curiousity.

"Haven't you been reading the group chat messages? Ahh this unnie really...." Hyejin sighs in feign dismay. "We're meeting Byulyi unnie's girlfriend today."

She knew this was coming. The minute Byul said she liked her back, she imagined a million ways on how she was going to tell the younger couple about how she's now dating the then stranger, who saved her life. And if Yongsun was being honest, her mind fell into a frightening hole of doubt whether the two were going to accept their relationship. But she immediately dismissed it knowing how much her two friends have grown to love and care for Byul since they all met at that cramped police station. 

So, Yongsun sips on Byul's cup of coffee, desperately wanting something to soothe . 

"Wait, why are you not shocked? You knew? Before us? Damn that's unfair." Wheein remarks as an unnatural silence settles between the four women.

She eyes the older pair in front of her. 

Yongsun attempts to speak, opening to say something while unconsciously settling her hand on Byul's thigh.

Yongsun was interrupted with Hyejin taking a sharp breath. Her hand immediately went to , shifting her eyes between Yongsun, Byul, and Byul's hand now intertwined with the older woman's on her thigh. Wheein follows her girlfriend's eyes, slowly connecting the dots.

"WAIT, YOU DON'T MEAN-- AM I THINKING THIS RIGHT??? OH MY GOD--"

"Honestly, love, why did you even set this up like a grand reveal?" Yongsun sighed as an ear-piercing shriek came from the pup-personified in front of her. Byul almost tumbles out her chair in laughter.

"SHE CALLED HER LOVE, OH MY GOD! BABE, BABE!" Wheein exclaimed at her girlfriend while slapping her thigh with joy.

"IT WAS ABOUT TIME ACTUALLY, OH MY GOD" Hyejin remarks. "Babe, you owe me 10,000 won now. I told you." She boasts to Wheein, the latter still reeling from the revelation. 

"Y'all actually placed a bet on us?" Byul snorted.

"Yeah, I told her that you two were gonna start dating sooner or later. Not gonna lie I was kinda disappointed when you told me you were dating someone because I would've lost the bet." Hyejin says.

When Wheein finally recovers, she started a rigorous "interrogation"--not missing a single detail about the older couple's "love story", as she so adamantly puts it.

 "We should do a double date sometime. But, we have to get going 'coz we have a reservation at a pasta place today. You two enjoy!" Wheein winks at her unnies as they both hugged them goodbye.

"Well, the terrifying part's over, I guess?" Yongsun sighs back into her seat, leaning her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. As if on impulse, Byul places a kiss on the other woman's forehead. The action makes Yongsun's heart swell with joy but Byul doesn't need to know that. So she snuggles closer to her to hide the obvious tint in her cheeks.

"You're so clingy." Byul teases earning a questioning look from Yongsun who was now facing her. The younger girl took this as a perfect chance to land a peck on the other's lips. This obviously caught Yongsun off guard as she looks around to know if her employees saw what just happened.

"But I like it." Byul says with the grin she sports when she's teasing Yongsun in the past. The same grin that used to annoy Yongsun because of how handsome mischievous she looks. 

"Hey! My employees might see us." Yongsun scolds the younger girl with a slap on her arm.

"And? Can they do anything? You're their boss, no?"

"It's unprofessional, Byul. I'm still at work, remember?"

"So.... What if we take this to your office?" Byul wiggles her eyebrows ever so playfully.

"Whatever happened to taking it slow, huh?" Yongsun teases her back.

"Hmm... Yeah you weren't telling me that when we were making o--" Byul was interrupted by the other's hand now covering as she sees Joy approaching them with a teasing look.

"Hey boss, sorry to interrupt we just need some help with one of our machines." Joy says with a suspiciously normal smile.

"Ahh, yes. I'll be at the counter in a while. Thanks, Joy"

With the older woman's hand still on , Byul kissed her palm which shocked the other, quickly retrieving it.

"Gosh, you're so annoying!" Yongsun whines.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. And you should be prepared for the rest of your life."

A few more minutes (of flirtatious bickering) later, Yongsun goes to the counter to check on one of the machines. After some skillful troubleshooting, Yongsun's eyes unconciously searched for a certain silver-haired woman who was missing from one of the green velvet chairs.

Like a frame in a feel-good romance movie, she spots the woman sitting on the piano stool: resting her fingers on the keys, foot on the pedal, heart on her sleeve. 

She plays the first few sets of notes and Yongsun's knees go weak. The falling progression of notes, trickling down the octaves like the morning dew, those which have forever made a mark on her soul. It was the song they listened to together in Byul's car, a day after they confessed to each other. They were on a midnight run to get some sundaes after Yongsun craved for them. 

She was an ethereal sight to behold--always has been for Yongsun. She stares more intently now, looking at the way her body moves with the music, at the way she closes her eyes as she smiles so tenderly like recalling a wonderful memory from the past.

Oh.

Yongsun feels she's beyond the point of salvation, too deep into falling that she can never recover if she were to ever land. Her eyes start to water as she recalls how the woman playing her cafe's piano was the reason she's even alive. Although today, Byul saves her again. So she secretly allows her tears to fall, unnoticing of the pairs of eyes looking at the two of them fondly behind the counter. 

As the song ends, Yongsun lets her feet take her to where she needs to be most. She hugs her and lets silent tears flow as the younger one whispers "I love you" while soothing her back. The rest of the people inside the cafe broke into cheers and aww's as the couple continue to hug.

"Take a bow, baby." Yongsun finally quietly says as the other wipes her tears after breaking the hug. 

Byul bows to the crowd of customers and allows herself to be pulled into the owner's office after.

"Love" Byul stops her gently, rubbing the hand holding her softly. "Hey, are you feeling better now?"

"I want to hear it again."

"Hmm? Hear what again?"

"What you said a while ago..."

"I asked if you feel better?"

"No, while I was crying outside." 

A pause. "Ah" Byul finally recalls. "I love you, Kim Yongsun." A pause again, this time, a meaningful one. As if letting her bask in the words more thoroughly. "Thank you for saying you'll wait for me, but I won't let you anymore. I'm here, my love."

This was her resolve. After mulling it over for a thousand times before she slept that night, Byul has decided. She chooses her and her happiness this time. She plans to confess everything to Yongsun and her father before their final mission iwhich they have set on the night of the Kim company's gala. After which, she'll retire from being a bodyguard and build her own start-up from her own savings. She reckons she may not take Mr. Kim's offer on working for his company after all.

It would go two ways, for Byul, atleast: either Yong and her father despise her forever or they don't. It was a risk worth taking either way, she thinks. So she plants her feet to the ground and stops running from the inevitable consequences of her fate. The moment she saw her brown orbs staring back at her own, she knew she could never go back to just staring at her backside, stealthily eyeing from the shadows. So she allows herself to fall in broad daylight--for the brunette who makes damn good capuccinos.

"What did I even do to deserve you." Yong says, slinging her arms to the taller woman's neck. "I love you too, my moon."

And she answered with the most blinding smile. Her heart so full and content that she fears losing it, so much that she pulls the older woman for a deep kiss as if she was going to disappear from her arms. Yongsun feels the trembling of her breath but she dares not to break it off. Instead, she lets herself melt into the warmth surrounding her. 

"A cafe can run for a while without its head barista right?" 

"And if it can't?"

"Boo..."

"You ert, do you seriously think I'll let you?" "At least take me to bed if it's the first time, geez." Yongsun adds as she playfully flicks Byul's forehead and heads to the door.

The younger one laughs and chases after her.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Byul had just dropped Yongsun off to her home. After so, she leaves, heading to a near location where she could do her duty for today. After all, she is still her bodyguard. Since Yongsun has opened the cafe she has always settled in this mini alleyway, allowing her to stay hidden while observing the other woman's house for any suspicious presence.

A few minutes after her shift started, she sees Wheein's car pass by. It seems like the younger couple was just coming home from their date. She smiles fondly, adjusting her hat to not get noticed. Thankfully, it was dark enough to hide her black car from plain sight.

But just as the deep night has fallen, her smile slowly falters as she sees another black car zooming on the road.

No one in their right mind should be speeding in a residential area like that.

And her blood runs cold as she realizes that the black car never slowed down.

It rammed straight into the rear end of the younger couple's car as it slid to the tree by the corner of the street with great force. Smoke. Broken glass. The crunch of metal. And Byul's heartbeat stops. Before she knew it, she was speeding to chase after the black car which quickly revved up after the horrendous crash.

Hot, angry tears almost blinding her as she presses on the pedal.

She will chase down that ing car if it's the last thing she does.

¤_¤

This is so self-indulgent T___T I cannot deal with them. Yong crying because she was so overwhelmed with love >>>>> And Byul serenading her gf in front of people >>>>>>

BTW, the song Byul played on the piano was Golden Hour by Jvke. It's such a beautiful song which for me, sounds like what it is to fall in love. Go and listen to it! Kinda felt it was so fitting for the two of them because the lyrics are so tender and warm T__T GOD WHEN IS IT MY TIME?!?!?

Anyway, Wheesa :<< I feel so bad huhu but see you all again pretty soon!

Likewise, thank you again for waiting all these years for these updates, beautiful people! Keep smiling <33

Ps. I'm also cooking up another fic (it'll be a shorter one this time) rn. I hope I get to finish it soon :>>