Hyojin woke up to the smell of something cooking.

"Don't try and burn the kitchen down this time, Heeyeon." Hyojin said before she pulled the blankets over her head.

"I'm not Heeyeon, whoever that is." A voice said.

Hyojin shot up. "Jesus, Solji. I don't know why I wasn't expecting you to be here."

Solji laughed. "I went back to mine for some food, then I made breakfast here. I didn't want to use all your food up. Come on."

Hyojin reluctantly dragged herself off the couch and into the kitchen where Solji had prepared pancakes.

"You didn't have to make breakfast for me, you know." Hyojin said.

Solji shook her head. "I felt like it was only right. I made some for Hani too."

Hyojin sat down at the table and began to eat.

"You're like... A whole mom. Why are you so good at everything?" Hyojin whined.

"Because I am a mom." Solji grinned and patted Hyojin's shoulder.

There was the sound of someone running down the stairs.

"I CAN SMELL FOOD!"

Hani was awake.

They all ended up eating breakfast together before Hani left for work. And after Solji insisted she return home to shower, her and Hyojin ended up back on Hyojin's sofa an hour later watching movies, waiting for Hyelin.

"So... This Hyelin... How good is she?" Solji asked.

Hyojin shrugged. "Pretty good. I would've been in prison by now if it wasn't for her."

Solji's eyes widened. "Why? What did you do?"

"It's a long story." Hyojin said with a shrug.

"We have time, I want to know." Solji said.

Hyojin sighed. "Fine. I was a gangster."

"...A gangster? How?" Solji asked.

"Got mixed up with the wrong people in school, joined a gang, I wasn't anything too important though, I just did the dirty work." Hyojin said. "The gang got shut down though, everyone got arrested, most of them are in jail, but Hyelin got me out. If she can get me out of a ten year sentence, then she's good."

Solji stared at Hyojin for a moment, before speaking. "I can see how you'd be a gangster. You look all tough on the outside, but I bet you're all soft and squishy on the inside."

Hyojin laughed. "You think whatever you want, Solji. Hani still says I'm a hardened thug."

"How did you two meet?" Solji asked. "Sorry for all the questions, I'm just curious."

"It's fine." Hyojin said with a smile before continuing. "I met Hani at a cafe. She spilled her drink on me. Twice. Then said we were destined to be friends after that. I didn't have a choice, because she attached herself to me."

They continued talking for hours, before there was a knock at the door. Hyojin got up to answer.

"So, you need a lawyer."

It was Hyelin.

"Never make that face at me again." Hyojin frowned, flicking the other woman's shoulder as she let Hyelin in.

"Is this my client?" Hyelin asked as she approached Solji.

Hyojin nodded. "Her name's Solji. She needs to get her kid back from her ex."

"Ah..." Hyelin hummed. "Should be easy."

Hyelin and Solji ended up talking for a few hours, Hyojin occasionally joining in but she was mostly falling asleep sat next to Solji. She was woken up properly when Hyelin got up.

"Alright, so I'll ask for an appeal with the evidence you've given me, and I'll get back to you." Hyelin said as she approached the front door. "Make sure Hyojin stays out of trouble, although with her current job she can't exactly go anywhere."

Solji ended up waving Hyelin off because Hyojin was too lazy to get herself up.

"So, what's your job now?" Solji asked. "Does it really pay well? Or do you still have ties with a gang?"

"Like hell I'd be connected with a gang." Hyojin frowned, shaking her head. "You won't believe this, but I'm a producer. I make songs and stuff."

"Really?" Solji asked with a grin. "Then how come I've never heard of you before? How do you make enough to stay in this house?"

"If you read the tiny print on music stuff, I've worked with a lot of people. But I don't use my real name, I like my privacy." Hyojin sighed. "Are you really going to interrogate me about my job now?"

"What's your producer name?" Solji asked, shuffling herself closer.

"It's a secret. You have to find it out yourself." Hyojin said. "Considering the fact I literally have a studio in my house, it's not that hard to find out."

Just then, Hani came crashing in through the front door.

"Hey losers, we're having a party tonight!" Hani cheered.

"Let me in!" A voice whined from behind the door.

"Oh, right!" Hani moved out of the way and Junghwa shuffled in.

"You're not asking if it's okay with me first?" Hyojin sighed, shaking her head.

"We never have to ask!" Junghwa whined before she came over to cling to Hyojin's side. "Hyoooooojin, pweeeeaaaase--"

"Alright, shut up, that's gross." Hyojin grumbled, tugging her arm away from Junghwa.

It was then that Junghwa noticed Solji.

"Oh my! Are you Hyojin's neighbour? She said you're really cute, and she never says that about ANYONE!" Junghwa gasped.

"Can't you shut your big mouth for more than five seconds?" Hyojin groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"I told you, I knew you were a big softie on the inside!" Solji laughed, poking Hyojin's side.

That night, a lot of people ended up coming over to Hyojin's house. Solji decided she'd stay upstairs, not wanting to intrude on anything, but Hani had told Solji if she wanted to join them she could.

Solji was in the middle of reading when the music from downstairs seemed to get louder, then someone, she assumed Hani and Junghwa, started screeching along to whatever song was on. Solji tried to focus on her book, but then she heard two pairs of footsteps.

"Listen." A voice, Hyojin's voice, said. "We're not doing that anymore. I'm not into you like that anymore."

"Seriously Hyojin?" The other person whined. "Why? What changed?"

"Nothing..." Hyojin trailed off.

"Are you dating someone?" The other person asked.

"No. Don't be dumb." Hyojin sighed. "But we're not doing this anymore. Keep this to yourself, they don't need to know."

And with that, one pair of footsteps went back down the stairs, whilst the other went into the bathroom before heading downstairs after a few minutes.

Solji continued reading, before she decided she needed some water. She left the bedroom and headed down the stairs. It was packed. She saw Hani and Junghwa, who were still singing, and Hyojin was on the porch outside. When Hani saw Solji, she rushed outside to drag Hyojin back in. Solji had managed to push her way through the crowd before reaching the kitchen, which was relatively empty. Just as Solji had got a glass, Hyojin came in.

"You okay? They're not being too loud for you?" Hyojin asked.

"It's a party, I don't mind them being loud." Solji said.

"Yeah, but Hani and Junghwa are literally screaming in there." Hyojin said, flinching slightly when the two hit a slightly higher pitch.

"I have a daughter who screams all the time." Solji pointed out. "This is nothing compared to her."

"Come outside, let's talk." Hyojin said, watching as Solji filled up her glass with water.

Hyojin guided Solji through the crowd and through the group on the porch and they sat on the grass.

"You really want to sit here with me? What about your friends?" Solji asked, glancing over at the group still on the porch.

"It's fine, they understand." Hyojin said. "You're more important anyway."

"Why though, Hyojin?" Solji asked.

Hyojin shrugged. "You just are."

Solji watched as Hyojin lit up another cigarette and started smoking.

"You have an early death if you keep doing that, you know." Solji said.

"Good." Hyojin mumbled.

"Why good?" Solji frowned.

"Because when those ers get out of jail, the first place they'll come is here to get rid of me." Hyojin let out a chuckle. "The reason they're locked up is because of me."

"What did you do?" Solji asked, shuffling closer to Hyojin.

"The police said they'd let me get out early if I told them who was in the gang, so I did. And then Hyelin got me out of my sentence completely. I was young and stupid. When they all get out, I'll have no chance." Hyojin let out a sigh. "So I'd like to smoke myself to death before that."

"Don't be like that." Solji said, wrapping her arm around Hyojin's shoulders. "You'll be fine."

"But what if I'm not fine, Solji?" Hyojin turned to face the older woman. "You don't know the they do to people like me. Nobody likes a snitch."

"Listen to me, Hyojin. You don't know me all that well, but I'll make sure you'll be safe. I promise." Solji said before she finished the rest of her water. "I'm gonna head back upstairs now."

Solji leant closer to leave a small kiss on Hyojin's cheek, before she got up and went back inside.

Hyojin sat there for a moment, hand on her cheek where Solji's lips had been.

"Hyojin, get up!" One of her friends called.

Hyojin quickly jumped up and headed back to the group on the porch.

"Was that your girlfriend?" One person asked.

Hyojin shook her head. "Just a friend."

But calling Solji her girlfriend didn't seem like such a bad idea the more Hyojin thought about it.

She really was beginning to fall.