based on the k-drama something in the rain/pretty noona who buys me food, this is basically about age-gap relationship. enjoy!

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Sometimes, Wendy just wants everything to be over. She had enough of her job, ridiculous workload, all of the unbearable pressure that has been added on her shoulders. She just wanted to rest, close her eyes, pretend that everything does not exist on the next day.

She turned off her computer with a heavy sigh. There is no one at the office, all of them already went home as soon as they were finished with their work. Irene was trying to make her stop working and just continue the rest of her load for tomorrow, but Wendy simply dismissed her with a chuckle and lied between her teeth. Telling her it's not much when there's a stack full of them.

Irene probably knew she was lying, but that woman finally gave up to even try to defeat her hard-headed self.

Most of the floors at the building are already dark when she was on her way to finally leave her office that feels like home these past few days. It's way past the normal home time by then, so it was understandable that none of the workers were determined to stay any longer.

Wendy leaves the building with the thought of a warm cup of fish cake soup she often buys from the auntie at the next block. She tiredly greets the security she met on her way to the main entrance, still being polite even though her body screams for sleep. Wendy lets a yawn leave her body, and once her eyes are clear from any tears, she spots someone currently standing just right in front of the entrance door. Someone she doesn't expect to still be here.

There is Yeji, standing tall with a big backpack hanging on her shoulders, eyes turned into crescents as she was talking with another security guard who is also having their night shift. She is still shining bright even at this hour, like the sun refused to sleep after the moon told her it was time to rest.

Her heart skipped a beat from the sight, a fluttering feeling she has learned to feel for a year yet still not getting used to it. All of her exhaustion suddenly disappears in a click of a finger, just like that.

"Wendy-unnie!"

She blinked her eyes, drawing herself back to reality after Yeji called for her attention. Her smile looks wider, happier, ready to inject her with warmth that feels comfortable on her skin. Wendy can't hold back the urge to not skip her legs just to close her distance with the younger woman.

"I'm sorry," apology slips past her dry lips like it was just another sentence for Wendy. She didn't miss the slight frown formed on Yeji's forehead. "You must have been waiting for me a long time."

"It's okay, I just left my office earlier," dismissed Yeji, acting like Wendy didn't easily see through her that she was just lying. From how she keeps shifting her weight on her legs, Wendy knows she has waited for her to come down for hours. "Maybe like, ten minutes?"

Wendy smiled softly from the white lie, knowing she doesn't have any energy to even argue with her about this silly little thing. Yeji charmingly mirrored her expression as she took her slightly cold palm into her warm grasp, prompting her to start walking together with the younger woman as they left the building, the place where they worked. 

"You really don't need to wait for me," Wendy brings back the topic after they are quite far from their workplace, probably in a couple steps. "If I didn't come down in like, fifteen minutes, you can just go home."

"But I want to go home with you," replied Yeji lightly, like she can't find any other reason why she should go home alone. "If I need to wait for hours, then I will."

"Cheesy," Wendy faked a gag as Yeji only laughed from her response. The grasp she got on her hand tightened, she can't help but to melt from her touch alone. "Where did you learn to say something disgustingly sweet like that?"

"From a lovely unnie that I know," grinned Yeji, there are thousands of stars sparkling inside her eyes. Wendy was unable to force herself to look away from the wonderful sight. "She used to say these lame cheesy lines whenever she was talking with my sister about their past relationship back then."

"Hey, I took pride in doing that," defended Wendy to save her dignity, but she just wanted to see and listen to Yeji's laughs again. "Have you eat?"

Yeji shook her head. "Where do you want to eat?"

"I'm craving auntie's fish cake soup," sighed Wendy hungrily, she could feel watered from the imagination of a warm bowl of fish cake soup being served just right in front of her hungry self. Along with a warm plate of spicy rice cakes and blood sausage, something she deserves after being forced by her boss to work overtime. "Let's eat there. On me."

"Oho~" whistled Yeji playfully, followed by a loud laugh from her. "Under what reason?"

"Because I'm a good unnie," grinned Wendy as she tugged her hand to prompt Yeji to walk faster towards their destination. Forget about her own image in front of her best friend's sister, she's beyond hungry to even care about what she thinks of her. "And a good unnie buys the younger person food."

She laughed again, but she just let Wendy pull her hand towards the small tent where the auntie sells their heartwarming food. The delicious scent of the best fish cake soup in town greets her nostrils, and it makes Wendy unable to hold back the urge to release the grasp she got on Yeji's hand and practically run towards where the store is. She can hear Yeji chuckle from behind, but she's too hungry to even care if she follows her.

Then again, Yeji will always follow her everywhere she goes.

All of the things Wendy imagined to eat finally come to life at the small table in front of her. She doesn't wait to start her dinner with a bowl of warm fish cake soup, sipping the broth from the edges and letting the familiar taste of home fill her taste buds. 

"Ah, this is it, really," exclaimed Wendy as she put the bowl back onto the small table after taking another sip of the warm soup. She took the sweet rice wine bottle she ordered to accompany their dinner and stirred the bottle upside down to let all the good stuff to be mixed with the drink before she poured it on their respective cup. "On a night like this, sometimes makgeolli tastes better than soju."

Yeji just chuckled as she listened to her rambling. She politely helps Wendy by holding her cup to make it easier for her to pour the makgeolli without the need to reach far. Once both of their cups have been completely filled, they knock the tip of their cup before Wendy downs everything in one gulp while Yeji takes her time in enjoying the sweet alcohol beverage. The silent ambience coming from outside of the tent truly made everything tasted better. Wendy enjoyed this moment of serenity.

"Don't you have questions to ask?" Wendy breaks the comfortable silence between them as she takes a piece of rice cake. From the expression Yeji has on her face right now, it looks like she was spot on with her own hunch. "We have known each other for years, Yeji. Ever since you were still a child, I visited your house just to play with Seulgi. I can see the questions in your eyes."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Yeji carefully, trying to not prod too much into her private life. Wendy knew it wasn't the real question she wanted to ask, but she was glad Yeji chose to go on that route. Yeji is kind and mindful about others. Yeji has always been kind. 

"I don't know," Wendy sighed with a small smile on her face, the fake smile as she tried to reassure herself that this will pass. She looked up to see the ceiling of the tent, to see what would happen with her life if she started to act like a real adult instead. Making major choices that will do good for her life instead of sticking onto something like she lived her life without having any purpose. "Sometimes, when things become too hard, I always think, 'What if I stopped doing this?' Thoughts like that always come into my head whenever I think that there is so much more in this world that will give me something better instead of what I'm currently doing."

Yeji stayed mum, silently listening to her words, whether she understood or not. But her gaze falls on her, telling Wendy that she has all of her attention if she wants to continue.

"At the same time, I don't know what to do. I'm good at what I'm currently doing, Yeji. People rely on me. But it feels bland. It feels—tiring," muttered Wendy as her mind started to reorganize, starting to tell her the reason why to make her understand. "When Sooyoung left her job to live the life that she wants in Jeju, I feel like that's who I wanted to be. I want to be someone who knows what I want, who knows what to do. Someone who has my own path."

Outside of their bubble of silence, Wendy can listen to the busy sound coming from behind her. The bustling sound of auntie serving another portion of fish cake soup to the customer who just arrived at her tent. A table of customers talking about things they wanted to talk about over a plate of spicy rice cakes and a bottle of soju.

"Sounds miserable, isn't it? I'm already in my thirties yet I still don't know what I want," chuckled Wendy, although it sounds empty. "I'm sorry you need to listen to this sad rambling of mine, Yeji."

"What are you talking about? You know I like listening to you, Wendy-unnie," frowned Yeji, clearly doesn't like the words she just said. "And it's completely normal to feel what you just feel, doesn't matter at what age. You are having a tough time at work, everything is hard, and you are wondering if you want that to happen for the rest of your life. Questioning your way of life to yourself is completely normal, Wendy-unnie."

Wendy blinked her eyes, trying to process what Yeji just said. She can't help but to let out a chuckle after. This time, there is a genuine emotion behind it. "Look at you, all grown up. Always know what to say."

There is a pout present on Yeji's face right now. She looks so cute, Wendy can't help but to laugh at her expression. "Stop acting like I'm still a little kid, unnie."

"I'm sorry, Yeji. I just can't help it," Wendy laughed further, enjoying the serotonin currently rushing through her nerves. "I used to take care of you when you were little together with Seulgi, remember? There will always be a part of you that reminds me of the little kid Yeji I used to know years ago."

The pout is still there, but they gradually change into a loving smile. Yeji refilled the makgeolli on each of their cups, still not erasing the smile present on her face. "And I'm happy to see your laugh again, Wendy-unnie. You worked hard today, unnie. You did a great job."

Her face can't help but to mirror the same expression. Wendy smiled as wide as she could, taking her cup of makgeolli before taking her time in drinking it this time. 

Everything was bleak earlier. Only black and white without any color she recognized. But when she sees Yeji and her brightness, the monotone color slowly turns into something that looks familiar to her. Blue and yellow start to show up again, coloring her boring life with their unique tendencies. To make her life still as colorful as she knew it when she was still a child.

They went home as soon as they were done with their dinner, saying goodbye to the kind auntie who treated them like her own daughters by how often they visited her tent. Their hands are still tightly holding each other on their way home. What makes it different from the one before is the distance between both of them. Wendy can feel her shoulder occasionally bumping against Yeji, and she enjoys the slight contact from the gentle brushing. 

All of the negative thoughts that occupy her mind, suddenly disappear. All her worries decided to hide for a while to allow her to have a time to rest without needing to think about anything.

As soon as they arrived home, Wendy was just taking off the coat she was wearing when Yeji suddenly engulfed her in a warm hug from behind. She let herself melt into her embrace, enjoying the warmth Yeji gave her that brings a whole new comfort for Wendy to stop being restless. To just enjoy this moment without thinking about unnecessary things.

"I have been wanting to do this ever since I saw unnie at the lobby," whispered Yeji softly, just right beside her ear. She snuggled her face deeper into the crook of her neck, tightening her embrace to prevent Wendy from leaving the caging made by her arms. It's not like Wendy wants to leave either. "It hurts me to see you look so troubled, so tired. I wish I can do something to help unnie, to ease your burden so you will not have to bear it alone on your shoulders."

"Giving me a hug like this is more than enough, Yeji," assured Wendy as she gently tapped her palm to let her know that her embrace is doing wonders to her. "Your existence is more than enough for me."

She let Yeji turn her body around, allowing her to take a look at her gorgeous face from a close distance. Yeji gently placed a palm on her cheek, and Wendy can't help but to lean into the warmth she gave her. The younger woman leaned forward before she landed her lips on her own, kissing her ever so gently like Wendy is made of something fragile. Loving her in the way Wendy never knew existed as she kissed her back. Telling her the same words Yeji whispered on her lips in the form of a kiss.

"Go take a shower, unnie," muttered Yeji after she broke their sweet kiss of affection, still holding her face. "I will do it after you."

Wendy nodded as she slipped away from Yeji's grasp, understanding why Yeji gave her time to be alone. She tiptoed to plant a kiss on her cheek before she disappeared into the bathroom. Undressing herself out from the outfit that feels like a leech sticking on her skin.

It has been a year since the start of her relationship with Yeji. Everything stayed constant, but at the same time, it all felt different.

The world was awkward for their relationship at the beginning—until now—but it wasn't as hostile as it was. It is still awkward to be a couple in front of Seulgi everytime she invited her to visit her apartment to have a dinner together, but at least her friendly whine whenever Yeji decided to do something sweet with her in front of her sister is enough for Wendy to know that her best friend is alright  with their relationship. The same thing happened when they spend time together with Ryujin, but her sister found someone not long after they confirmed their relationship, so she basically just don't give a with the fact that her best friend and her older sister is a couple now.

Things can't be said the same with her mother, but at least, talking with her father is enough instead of none.

Her phone rings as soon as she is done with her shower. She just left the bathroom when she saw Yeji holding her phone and taking a peek on the screen to know who called her. "It's Ryujin."

Wendy gave her a nod, along with a kiss on the cheek and ushering her to take a shower before she answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" 

"At Yeji's place," answered Wendy as she took her space on the bed, near the wall. "Why?"

"You are not coming home again?"

The question made her fall into a short silence. "Mom asked you to ask me?"

Ryujin's heavy sigh coming from the other line of the call is enough as an answer for Wendy that yes, it was originally her mother who asked that question, with the help from Ryujin. "Until when are you going to have this cold war with Mom?"

"I tried, Ryujin. I texted her everyday, but she never answered. Dad also tried his best, but I guess it was hard for Mom to crush down her ego," sighed Wendy as she gathered her legs close to her chest, looking at the night scenery of the city presented by the window. "Are you even at home?"

"Nope, I'm at Lia's place," answered Ryujin, now that Wendy listens carefully, she can hear her sister's girlfriend somewhere from the other line. "Why don't you be the one who crushed your ego?"

"She doesn't even read my text, Ryujin. And you really thought she wanted to see me?" scoffed Wendy, can't believe what she just heard from her sister. She tried to do everything, to mend the broken relationship. But if the other end doesn't make any effort in doing so, the line will never be tied again. "It is just what it is for now."

"You just don't know anything," defended Ryujin before she stopped herself to say more. She let out another sigh, turns out this problem also gives her sister an immense amount of stress. "Whatever. I'm glad you are okay. Clearly Yeji is taking care of you well."

Wendy snorted, lighthearted this time. As if she wasn't an adult that is capable of taking care of herself. "Say hi to Mom and Dad when you come home."

"It will be better if you do it yourself, but sure, I will," shrugged Ryujin, understanding that her sister can only do so much with this problem. Wendy smiled from the simple gesture. "Good night, sis."

"Good night," bid Wendy before she ended the call. She just puts her phone on the nightstand when Yeji joins her in bed, looking fresh after taking a shower.

"Sounds like a fun conversation," started Yeji as she slipped underneath the blanket, occupying the empty space of her bed. She lay down on her side to allow the younger woman to look at her. She brings her slender finger close to her face, brushing the short strand of hair falling in front of her face and gently tuck it behind her ear. "Can I know what you two are talking about?"

"The usual," Wendy closed her eyes, enjoying the attention Yeji gave her. "She said she's in her girlfriend's place right now, and you are taking care of me well. Can't you believe she said that? As if I wasn't older than both of you by eight years."

"Seeing how you keep working late recently, and your tendency to forget to eat something while you were busy, I do believe I'm taking care of you well," grinned Yeji proudly, which cost her a hit on her shoulder. She only laughed from the attack, leaning forward to kiss her on the lips as a form of apology before going back to her spot just so she can keep looking at her eyes. Her fingers did not stop brushing the short strands of her hair. Wendy doesn't know her heart can flutter so greatly just from a simple gesture alone. "I actually heard the mention of auntie in your call with Ryujin. Is it really that bad?"

Wendy hummed, knowing Yeji must have listened to her conversation as soon as she left the bathroom earlier. She took her fingers that were still playing with her hair for her to hold. Interlacing their fingers and feeling Yeji's slightly bigger palm easily engulf hers in her grasp. "I actually don't know. Maybe? I think I just already accepted our new situation right now."

She doesn't like the frown forming between Yeji's eyebrows. "I'm sorry to get you into this trouble with auntie."

"What are you saying? This is not your fault," whispered Wendy as she tried to gently brush away the frown on Yeji's face, trying to smooth the crease and make them disappear. "I also want this, remember? If anything, this is my fault. I want us. I want to love you, and I want you to love me."

The gap between them got erased as Wendy softly kissed her lips. The lips that are capable of making her feel the kind of love she never knew exist. That love is supposed to be easy, to be fun, to be wonderful. To feel like fireworks painted the dark sky. To feel like a glass of hot chocolate on a rainy day. To know that someone is capable of loving her this much.

"This is the best thing that happened in my life," muttered Wendy just right above her lips. "To be with you. And I will not easily give up on us."

Yeji smiled from the confession before she was the one who closed the gap this time. The kiss wasn't intense, but it was enough for the younger woman to push her back to bed as they deepened their kiss. Nothing ual, touches are void of lust. It was loving, it was sweet, it's a promise for forever.

"I love you," whispered Yeji after she broke the kiss, dropping a peck on the tip of her nose.

"I love you too," Wendy said back, because that's the only thing she can say. That she's in love with Yeji, and she will say it over and over again if she must. She kissed her again before Yeji prompted herself up, just to look at her better.

"You know, I read this somewhere once," started Yeji as her fingers were back in playing with her short hair. "That couples with eight years difference in their age are the ones who have the bigger chance to have a really long relationship because the number eight looks like an infinity symbol, and that means the connection can't be broken."

Wendy failed to hold back the laugh from listening to what sounds like nonsense Yeji just said. "And you believe in things like that?"

"If it's a positive thing for our relationship, why not?" shrugged Yeji, forming a smile on her face because Wendy just can't stop laughing from what she just said. "Plus, I do want to have you by my side forever. Growing old together, looking at you as soon as I wake up every morning. Having two toothbrushes and two towels in the bathroom, seeing your trace in my place. I don't think I can live without you."

"That's a real problem. I guess I don't have a choice but to stay," teased Wendy, only to cost her a tickle as a form of protest from Yeji. She laughed until her belly hurts, until tears formed in her eyes. Until she was inside Yeji's embrace and never wanted her to let go. "I also want that—us with the thought of forever."

Yeji beamed at her, like the sun shining brightly. They kissed again, for God knows how long, until their lungs burned. It's funny, considering Yeji is the one who makes her breathe. "Let's get you to sleep, unnie. You need a rest after a long day."

"Stop talking like I'm a kid," protested Wendy with a pout, but Yeji easily erased it with a simple kiss. And Wendy, being the lovesick person that she is, can't help but smile. "Good night, Yeji."

"Good night, unnie," whispered Yeji, kissing the top of her head before tightening her embrace around her lithe body. "Sleep tight."

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yaaaasssss another new project!

yeji is also a beloved itzy member of mine, plus her fascination for wendy and when this rains stop in particular is very something else, that's why this is like the homage to that (i just want to write something based on that drama for real jnfnfdsknf)

anyway, tell me what you think about this, and if you like this new project! not all of the story is going to be mature so i didnt put the m tag, but some of them is going to be (i think) so please wait patiently for the next one! i would love to see your comments about this and see if you have a prompt that might help me to make a new one-shot for this one! unleash your wildest imagination and feel free to talk it with me! you know where to reach me out, i will always be on my twitter

this will also be crossposted on ao3! and i think that's all from me, and see you in the next story!