It was hot outside although it’s way past midnight. The blowing air tries to soothe the warm sticky feeling lingering in a midsummer night but is failing. Two women feel their clothes cling to their bodies immediately after getting out of a cab. Clinging onto their blankets and pillows, they quickly make their way inside the building where they were dropped off. They sigh in relief when the cool air from the air conditioner hit their bodies. They trod off to the front desk and introduced themselves although it was not necessary. Once all formalities are done, they ride the elevator up and presses the doorbell once they were outside unit 1222.

Byulyi was sleeping peacefully. She loved the coldness of her room, enveloping her. It seems to be connected to how she was born during winter. She found the summer heat unforgiving, loathed it but she takes comfort at the wind blowing, giving her temporary relief just like how her room is doing so now. However, the sound of her doorbell disturbs her peaceful sleep. She groans as she tries to open her eyes. It has always been a curse to be a light sleeper. Tonight, she feels the same way. Byulyi checks her phone and sees it’s near one in the morning. She gets up and groggily walks to her door opening it, not bothering to look at the person behind her door. It could have been a murderer and she would have just let him in.

“It’s one in the morning,” she whines. Byulyi glares at the person at her doorstep, eyes widening at the two women. “W-wheein, Hyejin? What are you two doing here?” She rubs the sleep off her eyes.

Wheein was rubbing the soles of her shoes together, feeling shy that they came unannounced at this time of the night. “Uhm,” she starts. Wheein looks to Hyejin for help but the latter was only staring back at their unnie. She looks down to her feet, unsure if she should say what happened that they immediately decided to go here.

Byulyi sees Wheein’s expression, hesitating. She knows the young woman is not the type to expose her weaknesses just like her friend, Hyejin. The two has always tried to keep to themselves. She opens the door wider. “Come in first, okay? It’s hot outside.” Byul waits as the two walk inside timidly.

Wheein and Hyejin stand still in front of the door. Hyejin is just staring at Byul as the latter closes the door. She doesn’t really know how her and Wheein even came to the decision to visit Byulyi at this time of the night. But she didn’t really thought of any other person she’d rather be with tonight except for her best friend and this greasy unnie of hers. She, however, observed that Byulyi was not in her usual greasy mood when they arrived. She found it quite interesting to know that Byul is grumpy when disturbed from her sleep.

“Is anyone going to tell me why you two went here at this hour of the night?” Byul looks at the two women, still standing near the door, still probably feeling guilty that they disturbed her. She can’t blame them. She did sound really frustrated when she opened the door for them. She softly sighs at the silence. “It’s dangerous to go out at this time. Next time, I’ll pick you guys up okay?” She cups each of the two’s cheeks with both of her hands and gave them a loving stare. “I wouldn’t know what to do if something happens to you two.” Byulyi then presses her lips on Wheein’s cheek and then on Hyejin’s forehead.

Hyejin places her hand over her forehead, reminiscing the comforting warmth of Byulyi’s lips on her skin. “Sorry,” she mumbles. She looks at Byul’s eyes and sees the latter smiling gently at her. She feels something flutter inside her stomach and she unconsciously grabs Byul’s hand and holds it tight.

Wheein was blushing. There’s a smile trying to break free off her face but she tries to hold it in. She wants to hide the embarrassment behind her leg and foot. She feels Byul hug her, however, and she freezes – all thoughts gone in a second. There’s a warmth spreading at her back despite the cool room as Byul lets her hand rub her affectionately. “Unnie,” she croaks out.

“Hmm?” Byul hums as she waits for Wheein to continue. She laces her fingers in between Hyejin’s, still holding on to the youngest’ hand.

“W-we couldn’t sleep.” Wheein snuggles her cheek at the crook of Byulyi’s neck. “Can we sleep with you?”

Byulyi chuckles at what she heard. “Of course, you guys can.” She pulls away from the hug and hol