57… 58… 59… 

Kim Yerim is now, officially, an hour late. The deal was simple; Yeri would rent out her apartment to Irene, granted that she would be sharing it with a roommate. It’s not that she couldn’t afford a better place, or afford to rent the place on her own. To Irene, her parents seem to have been transformed into lunatics as they pushed her towards blending in with the other students in the crowd and roped in Yeri into the fiasco. She knew full well how to socialize with other people her age anyway, so what’s the point of pinning her in this situation?

To her dismay, she checked her watch once again and clicked her tongue. Five long and boring minutes have passed and she still sees no sign of the younger woman. The brunette turned her attention to her drink. Isles of milk froth floated atop the rich matcha, the only remnants of what was once a beautiful swan in the form of latte art. When you haven’t found your soulmate and remain color blind, there’s really not much hesitation to gulp down drinks with art if there’s seemingly little contrast with what dull colors the eyes allow. With a sigh, Irene took another sip. She has spent her afternoon in a busy cafe, watching students come and go instead of shopping in Gangnam. 

‘I’m totally going to make Yeri line up for me when the next fenty releases drop’ Irene thought to herself. 

After a few minutes, a familiar mop of hair could be seen outside. The cafe’s storefront decals may obstruct one from seeing the view well, but Irene can never mistake the silhouette of her friend. 

‘Where’s my roommate?’ The older woman wondered as she saw Yeri enter the cafe alone.

“You’re late. And I’m missing a roommate.” Irene pointed out. 

“I know I know, sorry. We just got caught up in some junction for an hour. Idiot drivers should not be allowed on roads if all they want to do is play bumper cars.” Yeri responded, chuckling slightly at the chaos. “Oh, and your roommate is just parking the car with her friend, They’ll be here shortly.” The younger woman added before walking to the counter and placing an order. 

The older woman turned her attention outside once again. Yeri wasn’t lying when she said that the woman will be there shortly. She immediately spotted a woman with locks of brown hair trailing behind that of a blonde. It had not dawned to Irene that the world was more vibrant and colorful when she saw their hair colors, or how annoyingly pink the cardigan of the girl on the table beside her is, or how rich and creamy her latte now seemed. It dawned onto her as the cafe door chimed, welcoming a blonde and a brunette inside the establishment, the rather busy buzz of the cafe dissipating once her eyes landed on the woman. She finally could see a wider spectrum of colors. She locks eyes with the blonde, Irene taking in the woman’s reactions in the same way she’s working out her discovery.

Finally, she has seen her soulmate.

They locked eyes, as if in a trance, only to be cut by Yeri, placing down drinks on Irene’s table, beckoning the two women who had just entered the cafe to sit with them. The older woman cleared and fixed her composure (despite Yeri’s bewilderment and lifted brow) as the two approached and took a seat. 

“Grapefruit green tea for Wendy, and sweet black tea for your roommate, Seulgi. Those are their names by the way. You two, this is my unnie, Hyun-ah.” Yeri stated as she placed the drinks to their respective owners. 

“It’s Seungwan, but I’m used to people calling me Wendy, growing up overseas.” The blonde spoke up, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. 

“Joohyun.” She responded, offering her hand for Wendy to shake. Wendy’s shy smile erupted into full one as she shook the older woman’s hand.

“I thought her name was Irene?” Seulgi, intending to ask Yeri silently, ends up speaking louder than intended.

“It is, at least professionally.” Irene turned her attention to the brunette for a moment before engaging in conversation once again with Wendy. She has found her soulmate, it’s a given that she has a lot of interest in the blonde. She has to make up for lost years.

At the corner of her eye, there were moments Irene would spot Seulgi, wanting to say something or join their conversation before slowly retreating to her drink and sipping instead. There seems to be a semi-permanent slight pout on Seulgi's lips as she was looking at the older woman longingly. 

‘Really Yeri, this is what you choose for me as a roommate? A soft girl who can’t even speak her mind?’ Irene thought to herself. There was no point to further pay mind to the other woman. She’s talking to her soulmate for the first time, and she wants every second to count. Besides, she’d have time to interact with the other woman once they’re in the flat together.

The notion of soulmates had always been an ideal concept for the older woman. Perhaps reading one two many romance novels in her early years helped shape her view of the system, not to mention that her parents are living evidence of the effectiveness of being with your soulmate. The idea that there is someone out there that was designed not to complete you, but to complement your existence in the most befitting way is something that was entirely exciting for someone like Irene. Someone who has longed for connection her whole life, hiding the yearning in usual cold demeanor. 

As the steady stream of conversation flew between Irene and Wendy, Yeri noticed Seulgi’s behavior, finding odd that the usually outgoing woman seemed to be quiet. The younger woman fished her phone from her bag and began tapping a message. A few moments later, Seulgi’s phone vibrated in her pocket. 

The message read: ‘Everything okay?’ and it was from Yeri. She looked at the younger woman and offered her a curt, but reassuring smile. Her fingers began to type a reply, hitting send before resuming to take a sip of her tea.

Yeri then took out the contracts from her bag, placing all three in front of Irene and beckoning the older woman to sign as she offered her pen. Irene graciously took the pen and began signing the documents. It wasn’t necessary for her to read anything since it was her parents that drafted the documents. Promptly, she arranged the papers together and placed them in front of Seulgi. In a similar manner, she offered the pen to the other woman. Seulgi shyly took the pen from the older woman’s hand, their fingers briefly touching for a moment. Seulgi’s fingers were warm against her cold digits. It felt… familiar, as if a jolt of lightning made the surroundings more vibrant. Before she could dwell on the thought longer, Irene dismissed the interaction as Seulgi began signing the document, deducing that the other woman’s hands would tend to be warmer due to the temperature of her drink's cup. 

As their meeting drew close to the conclusion, Wendy and Irene exchanged numbers before bidding farewell to each other. 

The first few weeks of living with Seulgi seemed like a breeze for Irene. The younger woman, for the most part, was out of the apartment due to her hectic classes, paired with her extra curriculars and dance practices. Irene, who takes joy in having her privacy, finds the situation ideal. 

After meeting Wendy, the older woman can't seem to keep away from her, often inviting the blonde to spend time with her. They'd often meet outside and wind up retreating to the apartment in the evening. After a few weeks of seeing each other, Irene and Wendy went from casually sharing drinks at the couch, to cuddling comfortably. This is the usual scene Seulgi would come home to, to which she would greet the two with a wave before retreating to her room. 

At times, Seulgi would come out of her room, off to purchase late night snacks that helped her stay up as she studied. In between bites of ramyeon, she'd see glimpses of Irene scooting closer to Wendy and hiding at the nape of her neck during loud or scary moments in the film they were watching. She'd watch Wendy place her arms around Irene, pulling her impossibly closer. Seeing them was sickeningly sweet, almost unbearable to see by any stranger who'd see. 

Seulgi threw herself even more towards her craft. She dedicated more hours in practicing her dance, as well as frequented study cafés especially during her examinations. Leaving early in the morning and arriving late at night would lessen the moments she'd see Irene and Wendy wrapped around each other, and boy does the woman no longer want to see her friend and her roommate passionately lock lips whenever she sauntered over to the kitchen for a drink.

'It's for the best.' the younger woman thought to herself. 

This shift in Seulgi's schedule, however, was not lost to Wendy. Though they often hang out in class or see each other around campus, their set plans became less frequent to almost nonexistent. Wendy missed her friend, and was obviously excited to gush about her girl.

"Are you getting along well with Seulgi?" Wendy asked Irene one evening as the woman set drinks on the coffee table. 

"Not really." Irene responded softly. "I don't really see much of her anyway, given her schedule and all." she thoughtfully added. 

"I see." the blonde woman acknowledged before taking a sip of her drink. 

"I don't think we have much to talk about anyway." the older woman stated as she placed her head on Wendy's shoulder. She hadn't really thought about becoming close with her roommate. It wasn't necessarily something that she purposefully does, it just hasn't been something among her priorities. Most of her time outside of her academics and work has been spent with Wendy and getting to know her soulmate even more.

'Besides, she doesn't make an effort to know me. She's practically a ghost in this apartment that Yerm is almost practically renting the place all to myself.' Irene thought. 

Her train of thought was cut short when Wendy began to speak. 

"I don't think so. Once you get to know Ddeulgi, you'll see that you two actually have more things in common than you think." Wendy said as she Irene's hair softly before planting a kiss on top of her head. 

"I doubt that." the older woman replied, sighing comfortably from Wendy's actions. 

"You can take the time to get to know her while I'm visiting my parents. You'll have time to kill while I'm gone anyway." Wendy suggested eagerly.

"I don't know about that. Seems like work." Irene stated before turning to face Wendy and pouting. "Must you really go back all the way to Canada this spring break?" she asked, her lips puckering a bit, furrowing her brow as she cutely pouted. 

"I have to, my parents already set up everything." Wendy cupped Irene's cheek and it with her thumb. "It'll be fun, give Seulgi a chance." she added with a soft smile. 

"Fine. Only because I can't deny your requests." Irene said with a pout. Wendy chuckled softly and planted a kiss on the woman's lips.

As predicted, both Seulgi and Irene began seeing each other more frequently during spring break. Irene didn’t want to come and visit her parents because she was deeply enjoying the accessibility of the place; it would be a hassle since most of her work is in Seoul. Seulgi, on the other hand, is unable to visit her parents due to her dance practices. Seeing each other frequently did not mean, however, that they converse more or had any meaningful interactions. Though the two remained busy with their own lives, having their studies of out of the question made their schedules more flexible, ergo, making them see each other more often compared to the situation before.

It was in the second week of vacation when the university announced that they will be prolonging the break for a couple more weeks. Something about fixing accumulated mold in the old property meant more weeks required for renovation. Having a week of seeing each other but barely speaking with Seulgi grated on the older woman. 

‘Perhaps it is time to get to know her.’ Irene thought to herself finally, unable to bear the thought of more weeks without speaking at all with her roommate. No Wendy means no one to spend time with, especially with Yeri also taking time off school back in her hometown. 

After rehearsing at the agency, Irene went to the supermarket, purchasing items to make a small feast for the younger woman. She knew that thursdays meant Seulgi would go straight home after practice and would have dinner, usually store bought food in take-out containers. Upon arriving at their home, Irene changed into more comfortable clothing and began her mise en place. 

Being young and not having her parents most of the time meant seeking out hobbies at home to occupy her time. One of the things Irene enjoyed doing since she was young was cooking, finding it a therapeutic hobby. There was something essentially satisfying with having precisely cut objects placed in organized containers before bringing together the symphony of ingredients to form a dish. 

Once she was done preparing the ingredients, she began putting it together, making one of the first few dishes that she learned to make: seaweed soup. As the soup was simmering, she began working with the other assortments of ingredients, forming various logs of gimbap. Not noticing the time she has spent, she was surprised to hear the familiar sound of Seulgi’s keys unlocking the door before tapping in the password on the keypad. 

As soon as Seulgi opened the door, the familiar savory smell of seaweed soup wafted from the kitchen. She makes her way towards the source of the scent after depositing her belongings to her room. The younger woman was immensely surprised to see an entirely domestic-looking Irene, a contrast to the always seemingly put together and well-dressed woman. Seulgi inspected the contents of the counter and saw a system in Irene’s cooking, seeing that the woman stood at the center with her sushi mat with nori and rice, with the surrounding area filled with small metal bowls containing various ingredients from proteins, to pickled items and sauces. 

“This was meant to be done before you got here. I guess I didn’t realize the time.” Irene said rather sheepishly, blushing a bit as if she has been caught. Hearing Irene’s voice tore Seulgi’s intent attention to the food and turned towards the woman.

“What’s all this for? Is it your birthday?” Seulgi asked softly, curiosity dripping from her voice. She was slightly worried had it been the other woman’s birthday. Though they don’t interact much, she still wishes for the other woman to have a good time on her birthday. To Seulgi, that means being able to give the other woman something thoughtful.

“No, it’s not my birthday. I just wanted us to have dinner for a change,” Irene stated as she walked towards the stove and turned off the burner. “And you know, actually talk. We’ve been living together for awhile and I barely know you.” She added.

Seulgi was surprised to hear those words from the older woman, unaware as to how to respond for a moment. She didn’t really expect this behavior from the older woman. Every bit of her usual style screams ‘sheltered woman,’ so seeing her all domestic (and donning an apron) was a sight for Seulgi. The most surprising, however, was the older woman’s intention. Irene really hasn’t paid mind to her, even at their first meeting, so it was an interesting turn of events for Seulgi. 

“Do you need any help with that?” The younger woman asked Irene as she approached the sink and began washing her hands. Once she had dried her hands with the nearby towel, she walked towards her roommate.

“You can roll a few if you’d like. I can set up the table while you do that.” Irene responded before taking her gloves off and wiping her hands on her apron. As soon as she turned around, Irene’s eyes met Seulgi’s, the distance from their bodies merely an inch away. Seulgi had approached the work area of the older woman to assume the position and did not expect Irene to face her. They locked gazes for a while, unmoving as if their feet were magnetized on the ground. Seulgi’s chocolate-colored eyes seem to have a hold on Irene, trapping the woman in place, and the younger woman could swear that Irene’s eyes were her favorite shade of brown.

Their moment, however, was cut short with the sound of metal clattering against tiles. Irene had accidentally knocked a spoon off the edge of the counter. The older woman could feel her blush, creeping from her ears to her cheeks. She immediately bent down and retrieved the spoon from the floor, hastily walking towards the sink. She cleared for a moment, before speaking to the younger woman with her back turned away from her.

"There are gloves on the drawer, if you need them.” Irene stated, avoiding to sound shaken and succeeding. 

They silently worked for a few moments, still shaking off a bit of the shock that had happened. Irene wondered what that was about. Perhaps she hadn’t looked at the other woman that much for her to be taken aback from suddenly looking at her in that proximity. She tried not to pay mind about the warmth that emanated from the younger woman, the intoxicating scent of powdery yet flowery musk, and the intensity of her eyes. As she tried to gather her thoughts to quickly make conversation, the silence in the room was cut through by Seulgi’s soft voice.

“When I was younger, I never really got around doing this with her.” Seulgi gently announced as she began rolling her gimbap. “My mom was too busy to make me some for me to bring to school. She’d always buy some from the lady that makes them well at the shop near our house.” She continued as she pressed on the cling wrap-covered bamboo mat to form the dish. Irene listened intently to the other woman, unsure about how to respond. She offered a tight smile to the younger woman, as if to beckon that Seulgi should continue speaking. “I used to feel envious of my classmates then when they’d bring out their lunches and see the food made by their moms. But looking back, I probably had the better tasting ones.” She punctuated her statement with a soft laugh. 

“I learned how to do this when I started living in the dorms. I think I’m pretty good at it