Description:  A stranger – yet beautiful – woman accidentally falls asleep on Seulgi's shoulder...and she has no idea what to do about it.

 

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Seulgi didn’t mind taking the subway at night – it had less people bumping into her, less noise to give her headaches and more empty seats in which she could rest her tired legs after hours of dancing. Actually, if it weren’t for the cold evening’s breeze she had to face once she left the station, she would say she loved it.

Tonight, she was having a particularly pleasant evening – and while she loved listening to Sooyoung’s nearly infinite rant about her baby-crush on one of the new students at the studio, Kang was much happier with the fact that she had managed to sit down without having to fight some highschooler for one of the plastic seats. The train wasn’t very full, it was almost 9pm and most people were already home, making the subway quieter and much more pleasant – Seulgi’s introverted side was glad for it.

The nearly empty train wasn’t the only reason behind the small – almost bashful – smile on her face though.

As for Sooyoung, who was anything but shy, she was way too engrossed with her own issues to mind her best friend’s weird behavior. The taller woman didn’t even bother taking a seat, preferring to stand in front of Seulgi as she spoke like they were the only ones there – and they almost were now that most passengers had got off and the few left were either busy with their phones or taking a nap.

"So, I told her I don't hit on every cute foreign trainee, only the cutest ones!" Sooyoung said with her usual grin, shamelessly sharing her latest – not so successful – attempt at impressing the cute girl back at the academy.

Seulgi only smiled at her words, shaking her head slightly.

Her friend was hopeless, but she admired how brave she could be – Seul could never be so direct; in fact, she struggled to even reply properly when someone tried to flirt with her. "And let me guess, she told you to go away again an-" Her words were cut by the softest, most gentle, snore she had ever heard.

And it came from her shoulder – or better saying, the person sleeping on top of it.

Seulgi felt something warm and soft against her right arm, a weight that was impossible to ignore – a face of fine features was now resting against her shoulder, cheek squished in a cute way and eyes closed as the woman slept soundly. That face seemed to fit perfectly in the narrow space between her shoulder and neck, light and hot breath grazing Seulgi's skin in a way that made her shiver.

The reason behind Seulgi’s bashful smile was now sleeping on her shoulder and she was about to have a heart attack.

Kang had noticed the pretty woman dressed elegantly as soon as she had entered the subway car. The woman looked slightly older than her, her clothes fitting for an office worker, and her expression blank as she looked around in the search for a seat – there were a few, but it only took her a moment to make up her mind and come join Seulgi at the far corner of the car.

The woman was polite enough to greet them with a short bow, which Seulgi returned with one of her own and that silly smile that she couldn’t help – it went unnoticed by the older girl who was already too busy putting her earphones in and closing her eyes for some, by the looks of it much needed, sleep.

Seulgi had forced herself to play it cool and resist the urge of stealing a glance at the woman every once in a while – at least she had been, until now. But it wasn’t like she could help it, she wasn’t used to strangers using her as a pillow.

Sooyoung's grin grew even bigger, her eyes bright with mischief as she mouthed. "Nice catch!" To which Seulgi couldn't even reply, too worried her voice might disturb the angelic creature sleeping on her shoulder – and wake her up just to create the most embarrassing moment ever.

Seulgi was so doomed.

There were a few more stops before hers and even less before her friend’s.

Five minutes later, as the robotic voice sounded informing they had reached the next station, Sooyoung, being the mischievous creature she was, didn’t even hesitate before leaving her best friend on her own.

The younger woman fixed her bag over her shoulder, a knowing look in her eyes as she not-so-subtly gestured to the sleepy woman on Seulgi’s shoulder. “Good luck!” She mouthed, before adding aloud, “See you tomorrow, Seul. Don’t have too much fun without me!”   

Park didn’t even give her friend the chance of saying anything in return, her long legs leading her out of the car as Seulgi could only watch and sigh in defeat – and even this small action was too much, as she was afraid that any move could accidentally wake up the girl on her shoulder.

Averting her eyes to her own hands that were pressed against her knees, she noticed the woman’s small hand resting by her side, pale slender fingers and soft palm – or at least it looked soft…why was she even thinking about it? So much for making fun of Sooyoung’s crushes just to end up in a situation even more pathetic.

Shaking her head slowly, Seulgi tried to shake off the embarrassment that tinted her ears and cheeks red and made dry. Stealing a shy glance at the girl, she noticed that the woman seemed to be in deep sleep, her expression much more relaxed and innocent now – she also noticed the dark circles under her eyes, a clear indication that she hadn’t had much sleep the night before and that nap was her way of fixing it.

Kang wondered where that woman worked at, if it was difficult or just plain boring; wondered if the woman was struggling with too heavy of an workload or if she was just passionate about what she did; she wondered if the woman was content with her career or if she wished she could do something else…Seul wondered what kind of person that woman was. She also wondered how the brunette would look like with a smile on her face instead of a frown.

She wondered if she would ever have any answers for these silent questions.

Having so much interest for someone who didn’t even know her wasn’t a good idea – may even sound creepy to some, and Seulgi knew better than to entertain such thoughts. Yet, Seulgi couldn’t bring herself to simply push her away and wake her up – even if the hot breath on Seul’s neck and the comforting weight of her body against hers felt a little too intimate, a little too good for Seulgi to pretend she couldn’t feel it.

She wasn’t a child anymore, she was a senior in college and soon she would be a dance teacher. Being this shy over such a silly thing was ridiculous – she knew it, but it didn’t help her to calm down. Maybe it was because the stranger was too pretty, or a tad intimidating, or simply because Seul wasn’t good with that type of clinginess…probably a little bit of all the options.

The time went by fast as she tried to stay in the same position like a stone, the nearly empty subway car making the sound of the woman’s breathing the only sound she could hear – the subtle floral scent of gardenia coming from the sleepy woman’s body slowly filling her lungs and giving her a strange sense of calmness; the gentle warmth of the brunette’s body was just enough to keep the coldness of the air-con at bay.

It was all too comfortable, all too familiar when it shouldn’t be. It was too easy to slip and let herself fall.

Yes, she was doomed.

The robotic voice sounded once more, this time announcing they were just a few stops away from hers.

Making a face, she mentally kicked herself for not being as confident and outspoken as Sooyoung – she really could use some help now. There was nowhere to run, she needed to wake the woman up. Safety was more important than her social awkwardness.

Again, she was so doomed.

“I’m sorry, miss...Miss? Ma’am?” She tried, her voice low and gentle, yet insistent. She didn’t want to give the brunette a scare, but she needed her to wake up fast. “Excuse-me, miss, can you hear me?” She tried again since the woman didn’t show any signals of waking up, instead she snuggled up to her a little more – Seulgi’s cheeks became a whole new shade of red.

Gingerly, Kang lifted a hand to touch the woman – but stopped halfway through, reconsidering before she finally reached out to lightly touch the woman’s shoulder. “I’m really, truly, sorry, but you need to wake up now!” Her voice was a little louder now, more demanding as she lightly shook the woman by her shoulder.

Finally, she was able to get a reaction – albeit not the expected one.

The woman’s petite body stirred, suddenly becoming stiff in Seulg’s hold. Dark cinnamon eyes fluttered open, the pretty dark polls with hints of red were tainted by sleeness and anger as the woman pushed Seulgi away a little too harshly – and almost sent the taller, incredibly confused, girl to the floor.

It took her a few seconds and Seulgi’s flustered apologetic expression, for the brunette to realize what she had just done.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry! I thought it was some creepy guy again…but of course you are not a creepy, or a guy...” She was quick to say, it was her turn to give Seul an apologetic smile as she bowed her head and guilt replaced the rage in her eyes. “Did I fall asleep…?” She gestured towards Seulgi, a light shade of pink tinting her pale cheeks as her smile became stiffer – embarrassed. “I’m really sorry!”

Blinking, Seulgi could barely register her words, still surprised – both by the shorter woman’s reaction and for the sound of her voice that matched so perfectly her face, just as pretty.

She could almost hear Sooyoung, in her tiny evil form that liked to camp on Seulgi’s free shoulder, laughing at her.

“No, no, I should have been a little gentler.” Kang managed to say as she moved on the seat, making sure she wouldn’t fall on the floor in case her sleepy beauty acquaintance decided to shove her again – not that the woman looked like she would, if anything, the brunette seemed embarrassed for overreacting and Seulgi made sure to reassure her, “I’m sorry for waking you up so suddenly, but my stop is coming up soon and I thought you may lose yours if I leave you alone…also, it’s getting late and there aren’t many people around.” She added the last part in a quiet voice, understanding all too well the reason behind the other woman’s reaction – creepers were everywhere and a sleepy woman was a particularly easy target.

The woman nodded, her body becoming a little more relaxed as if Seulgi’s words had put her at ease. “I’m the one who should be thankful. I don’t usually fall asleep like this and I even bothered you.” Shaking her head in a silent disapproval of her own actions, the older girl ran a hand through her hair before asking, “Where are we now?”

Waving a hand, as a gesture to show the brunette it wasn’t a bother at all, Seulgi answered simply: “We are next to Cheonggu. You slept just for a little while.”

“Half an hour is not that little.” The woman disagreed, her words becoming muffled as she covered to hide a yawn. Of course, she needed many more hours of sleep, no matter how comfy Seulgi’s shoulder was. “Thank you again, my stop is the next after this one. I’d have missed it if you didn’t alert me.”

“Really?I mean, it’s my stop as well.” Kang replied, surprised with such a coincidence – she was used to taking the subway, yet, she had never seen that woman before. She would remember if she had.

“A fortunate coincidence then?” She gave Seul a tentative smile, cinnamon eyes curved gently showing she meant her words – prettier than Seulgi could have imagined. “I don’t usually take the train this late at night, so I guess that’s why I’ve never seen you before.”

She voiced Seul’s thoughts and it was Kang’s turn to smile, nodding lightly. “Maybe. I’ve been taking this one for the last few months and there aren’t that many people here at this hour.” She glanced at the empty seats in front of them, the subway car looked more like a private bus now that there were only a few people left. “Did you have to pull in some extra hours today?” She asked, just as much out of curiosity as it was out of the need to keep the conversation going.

Luckily, the woman seemed to feel the same way and she let out a soft chuckle, nodding her head in a way that made her long hair swing over her shoulders. “Don’t even mention it. I work at a hospital, paperwork and stuff, but it still takes much more time than I would like it to.” The brunette explained, the smile still on her face, albeit it was easy to tell she was still tired after such a long day at work. “My name is Bae Joohyun, by the way; I just realized I didn’t even introduce myself.”

“I’m Seulgi, Kang Seulgi.” The younger woman replied, glad to now have a name to the pretty stranger she had met in such an unusual way. Joohyun’s name fit well with the mature and intelligent personality the brunette seemed to have. “The studio I work at only ends classes by 8pm, so I always take the train around this time.”

“Studio?” Joohyun repeated, a glint of curiosity, or maybe interest, lighting up her dark eyes. “Are you perhaps some kind of artist?”

“Oh, yeah, sort of?” It was silly, and she knew it, but Seulgi felt shy under Bae’s bright gaze – she wasn’t used to people looking at her like that and she wasn’t even sure if Joohyun was aware of how intense her eyes could be. “I’m a dance teacher…I mean, assistant teacher for now, but I’m trying to get my degree.”

Seulgi didn’t think it was particularly impressive – Joohyun probably dealt with doctors and nurses all day, and dancing probably sounded silly in comparison to those life-saving professions; yet, the look on Joohyun’s face now, was nothing like the ones her annoying relative usually threw at her when she mentioned she hadn’t changed her mind and would graduate as a dance major soon.

“You know, I used to take lessons a few years back. It was pretty fun, but I never had the talent for it.” Joohyun shared, giving Seul a grin as she kept her eyes on the younger’s face with an impressed look on them. “But I am sure you are great! And I think you would do great as a teacher as well, I can picture you being all professional and patient with your students.”

This time, the blush in Seulgi’s ears wasn’t as visible, but still enough to make her feel them warm – but not as much as her chest felt, light with Joohyun’s sincere words and the admiration in her gaze; she looked at her like the kids Seulgi teaches and it gave her the same feeling of pride and happiness. “Thank you, I still have a long way to go, but I am trying my best.”

“Well, you were kind and patient enough to help me today, and I think those are very important qualities for a teacher, so you are definitely on the right path.” Giving her a thumbs-up as to reinforce her words, Joohyun moved on her seat so she could take a peek at the digital display on the far left of the car to verify where they were at the moment – still a little more to go, enough time to strike up a conversation. “What style do you teach? I did ballet as a child, but you give me more of a jazz vibe.”

Talking about dance with Joohyun wasn’t something Kang thought would happen today, but the familiar topic was something that she could talk about for hours and Seulgi felt herself relax as she replied. “I do hip hop mostly, but I like jazz as well. I took some ballet classes, but I don’t think my feet are meant for it…”

And just like that, the conversation flew smoothly as they got to know a little bit more about each other and the train made its way to Bomun’s station, their final stop for the day.

 

 

If someone had told her yesterday that she would walk home a pretty stranger she had met in the subway, Seulgi wouldn’t have believed it and would dismiss the claim with a laugh – yet, here she was now, walking alongside Joohyun as they talked about everything and anything, and she kept the older woman company till they reached her street.

“I guess we are here, my place is just a few houses down. It was nice meeting you, Seulgi, thanks for walking me home and for earlier as well.” Joohyun said as they stopped at the Intersection, her building standing tall just a few meters away. As for Seulgi, she would need to go down a few streets until she could reach her own house. “I will make sure to stop by your studio on my next day off.”

Nodding at Bae’s promise, the taller of the two bit back a smile.

“We have some free classes a few days a month, so you could try it out and see if you like it, maybe you could join…” Joohyun had asked her about her work and even her schedule, Seulgi had replied without hesitation, and now here she was inviting the woman to come over when she knew Bae was probably just being polite – perhaps she was just as bad as Sooyoung. “But no pressure, of course! Just if you want and have the time.”

“I want to. Even if it’s only to watch you teach, I’m sure I will enjoy it.” Joohyun assured with a smile, amusement in her eyes as she noticed the way Seulgi had hidden her hands inside her pockets and shifted her weight from one feet to another – Kang Seulgi was an open book and she found it quite adorable. “Thanks again for today, Seulgi. Maybe I should take the night train more often.”

Containing a relieved sigh, Seulgi tried to hide it with a chuckle – Joohyun was good at reading her emotions, and maybe she should feel embarrassed, but right now she just felt content. “I would like it, too. Maybe we should…” Braving up, she fished her phone out of her pocket, in what could be considered a rather bold move – for her, at least. “You know, in case you want to ask about classes or just get someone to walk home with…if you ever need it.”

Joohyun’s eyes grew slightly wider as she looked from Seulgi’s nervous smile to the phone in her hands, yet she didn’t hesitate before taking the phone in her own hands and starting typing her number on it. “I will text you. Maybe not for those reasons, though…if you don’t mind it.” She added, without looking up to see Seulgi’s impression – and for a moment, the younger woman thought she heard a hint of shyness in her voice, for the very first time.

Accepting the phone back, a quick look confirming she got Joohyun’s number saved, she replied, “Sounds like a plan!” To confirm her words, she texted Joohyun a simple ‘Hey, it’s Seulgi :)’ so the brunette could have her number as well – if her hands were a little shaky when she did it, Joohyun didn’t seem to mind as she smiled back showing the text just received.

“Goodnight, Joohyun. See you around, I guess?” Seulgi waved her goodbye, getting ready to leave as the brunette nodded.

“Surely we will. Goodnight, Kang Seulgi” Returning the wave, Joohyung started to walk, but not before she gave Kang a smile over her shoulder. “Text me when you get home!”

It was Seulgi’s turn to nod, a silly grin on her face as she waved once more and watched Joohyun’s back in the distance until she reached her building safely.

That night Seulgi walked home quickly, not because she was afraid of the dangers of Seoul at night, but because she was too giddy to contain all the energy in her body – courtesy of meeting Joohyun .

Yes, she was just as bad as Sooyoung now – but she surely felt good about it.

“I got home just now, everything is ok!

Will take a shower now and sleep.

Goodnight, Joohyun. Sleep tight.”

 

 

“Hey you! I hope I didn’t call you too early." Was the first thing Bae said as she looped her arm around Seulgi's – Seul didn't even like walking around with someone stuck on her, yet, she only gave the older woman a shy bear-like smile when Joohyun linked their arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world – it might as well be, since the older woman seemed to have developed this habit and Seulgi was indulging her. "I didn’t interrupt your class, did I?"

The question, said as the two of them left the studio to walk towards the subway, only brought an even bigger – sillier – smile to Seulgi’s face. “No. I’m actually glad you did, they would have made me stay back to clean up again.” Letting out a soft chuckle, remembering Sooyoung’s face when she announced she would leave early to meet Joohyun – since Soo’s crush was around, she wouldn’t dare to curse her for dropping all the work on her, when it was usually the other way around. Seul hoped she was having fun flirting while cleaning up. “Also, it’s nice to have someone to walk home with.”

And as usual, Seulgi was nothing but honest.

It was weird and she had a hard time trying to explain to her best friend how she managed to befriend the sleep beauty that napped on her shoulder, and how what could’ve been just an awkward meeting, bloomed through many conversations – mostly through texts that they would exchange more and more, without a real topic to talk about, just anything and everything, that seemed to flow so easily – and eventual meetings whenever their schedules matched and they would walk home together.

Today, in particular, was a specially nice occasion – not only did they meet to head home together after work, but Joohyun had even taken part in some of the dance classes back at the studio. She even waited until Seulgi was free to go home with her.

Sooyoung said she couldn’t believe it even after seeing Joohyun in class with her own eyes – honestly, Seulgi herself could barely believe it.

She had learned a few things about Joohyun today. First, she was a big liar and she was anything but a bad dancer; second, Seulgi could forgive her easily for lying if it meant she could stare at her dazzling smile as the woman learned the coreo as if it was easy and made it look even better than it actually was; third, Joohyun was way too good to be in a beginners class and there was no way she wouldn’t be moved to the advanced ones; forth, she was way too distracting to be in any of Seulgi’s classes and Seul had barely survived one without making ridiculous mistakes for being too focused on Joohyun instead of work.

“It surely is.” Bae agreed with her usual smile – charming and natural, not quite a grin, but a gentle curve of her lips that matched the smile in her eyes –, clinging to Seulgi’s arm as they made their way through the streets filled with people excited to enjoy another Friday evening. “What about your tall friend I saw earlier? Sooyoung, right?”

“Oh, Sooyoungie? She is way too busy trying to flirt with the students to accompany me today.” Seulgi answered easily, it was half a lie – Sooyoung was probably flirting with Seungwan now, if she had the chance; but she loved slacking off even more than flirting, so Seulgi probably had ruined her plans of leaving work early. Served Soo right for all the times she made Seul cover for her to go on dates. “You know, there is this one girl she has a crush on and even when we’re alone, it’s all she ever talks about. If she doesn’t freak out and mess things up, she may be able to talk to her tonight.”

Joohyun’s melodic laughter echoed through the cool evening as the two of them stopped behind the yellow lines to wait for the train. “And what do you usually do to get back at her for ranting about her crushes to you? Besides making her clean up alone.”

“I’m a good friend, so I don’t mind listening to it…most of the time.” She could live without hearing about all the details of Sooyoung’s love life – she loved her friend, but having to listen to her rambling bad poetry or cheesy pickup lines was just too much. “But I do pretend to listen, sometimes, and…I talk about you, once in a while.” The confession was easy, maybe because Seulgi didn’t really think much before talking, too busy getting into the subway car with Joohyun beside her.

She only realized the implication of her words when they sat down and she noticed Joohyun’s smile had turned into a smirk as the woman playfully hit her shoulder against hers.

“Are you using me as your revenge?” There wasn’t anything but amusement in Bae’s tone, as if she already expected such an answer.

“Just a tiny little bit?” Seulgi tried to reply in the same tone, albeit her smile grew into a nervous chuckle as she shook her head in a negative. She opted to be honest, although it was a little embarrassing to say it to Joohyun’s face, she knew the woman would understand, “But mostly because sometimes things just remind me of you and I can’t help but mention your name.”

Pursing her lips, the older brunette nodded, bringing one hand to her own chin as if reflecting about Seulgi’s words. “Hm, I see.” She eyed Seulgi, before nodding once more – Seulgi was almost sure she was just enjoying watching as Kang blushed over her own silliness. Joohyun, however, continued to speak before she could say anything to change topics. “Unexpectedly, you are a very smooth flirt…yet, you get red like you just ate Pringles Flame every time! Truly adorable.” Bae didn’t even try to hide a laugh, once more claiming a place on Seulgi’s shoulder. “Am I being too direct now?”

The question was said in a nonchalant way, big bright cinnamon colored eyes watching Seulgi’s face as Joohyun refused to move away – waiting.

Seul blinked, taking in a long breath as she considered her words – Joohyun was indeed being obvious now, but it wasn’t like Seulgi hated, in fact, she liked it a lot. For her whole life flirting had been a confusing experience, with too much in between the lines that Seulgi could barely read, moreover understand and do something about it.

With Joohyun, however, everything was simple and easy – Joohyun would tell her if she liked something or not, she would listen to her opinions and remember her words, she would text her whenever she felt like it and not hide behind half-words and unofficial dating rules.

Joohyun’s light, yet sincere tone, put her at ease to act the same way, to become a little bolder and text her just as randomly to talk about her day and ask if she wanted to hang out sometime; to be brave enough to offer to walk her home or invite her to the studio. It wasn’t flirting like she had experienced before – full of prolonged hours of anxiety over small things and walking on eggshells because she was too afraid of doing or saying something wrong. With Joohyun, oddly, she felt as if her confidence was slowly growing, just like their bond.

Yes, she really liked it.

Feeling heat taking over her ears – the good kind of warmth –, Seulgi decided to be just as direct as Hyun was – or almost. “Using Pringles Flame to make fun of me isn’t exactly flirting by most people’s definition, you know?” She tried to use humor to make her words sound lighter, and judging by the soft chuckle Joohyun let out, she managed to succeed. “But I like it…the directness, not the Pringles Flame part. I can’t eat spicy food well.”

This time Joohyun’s laughter was a little louder, fuller with a mix of amusement and hints of relief and honest contentment – all the emotions her pretty dark eyes showed now as she rested her weight on Seulgi’s side, leaning in closer to leave a gentle kiss on the corner of . “Yeah, I like it as well. Including the Pringles Flame!”

Seulgi’s own laughter echoed through the cold air inside of the subway car – attracting one or two bored looks from the few other passengers in the train, something she couldn’t notice right now –, peppered by delightful surprise as she blinked her sharp eyes and focused on Joohyun’s lovely smile.

Maybe she loved it – and maybe she was just as bad as Sooyoung and her adorably unbearable baby crush.

Even more so when Joohyun gifted her with a proper kiss the next time – and if it scandalized the poor people who were forced to watch their public demonstration of affection, Seulgi wouldn’t ever know. Right now, she was totally and completely focused on Joohyun and every bit of electricity and warmth that spread through her body because of a simple peck on the lips.

When Joohyun pulled back with a mischievous smile, just to go back to resting her head on Seulgi’s shoulder, the younger woman didn’t think twice before resting her arm over her shoulders and bringing her closer.

Yes, definitely, Seulgi loved it.

 

 

 

A/N: Hi there, so…I hope it wasn’t too awful! It was just something I wrote quickly, all thanks to my friend Guka who was kind enough by giving me a few prompts to play around with. Thanks, Guka!

And also thanks to everyone who read it ‘till here! I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry about any mistakes, see you next time.