Chapter 10

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Several weeks later, mid-summer

‘’It was very nice of you to invite me. After having to listen to your stories of these things it was really nice to actually experience it myself. And it wasn’t nearly as bad as you always described it to be! The only boring bit was when that ancient figure began to talk about the importance of art in today’s society.’’

Yuri teased.

‘’Hush! That man is a dear friend of our family and I thought he made some very well put and thought-out points in his speech.’’

‘’Don’t even try to deny that you had trouble keeping your eyes open, Im Yoona! I saw it!’’ Yuri said and pointed at her. Yoona threw her head back and laughed.

‘’You saw that? Oh God! Was it very obvious?’’

‘’Obvious? You were like this!’’ Yuri shouted. She sat down in one of the remaining chairs, threw her head back with open wide and began to produce some very loud snoring noises. Yoona cracked up even more at that, tears of laughter coming into her eyes. She playfully slapped Yuri on her head.

‘’Stop it! It’s not funny! I wasn’t very obvious was I?’’

‘’Don’t fear, you weren’t obvious at all. It’s just me that was looking at y- the people around me.’’ Yuri bit her tongue at that. It was always like this when she was in a good mood, things just slipping out like that. Far away from them, there were a bunch of people cleaning up in the mess that all the guest had made. Luckily food or drinks hadn’t been allowed into the piano room so they had it all for themselves. Suddenly the room went dark. Only the light of the streetlamps and the few candles that had been lighted now shone into the room. Yuri looked at Yoona questionably.

‘’They probably think nobody’s in here anymore,’’ Yoona explained, ‘’but let’s keep the lights out. My eyes are killing me.’’

They both walked slowly to the piano. Yoona went to sit on the bench and gently brushed her fingers along the keys. She looked up at Yuri, who was standing besides it, and smiled. Then she leaned forward a bit and tugged playfully at her dress.

‘’Come sit next to me. My dress looks so pretty on you, I think you should keep it.’’

‘’Don’t be silly. Where would I wear such a dress?’’

‘’You can wear it when you’re working in your father’s restaurant. It will instantly get five stars for chic-ness!’’ Yoona joked. Yuri just chuckled and shook her head. She let her fingers go over the white keys as well. Carefully, she pressed on them, just so that there wasn’t any sound. Yoona moved in closer towards her and touched her hands.

‘’You need to place your fingers just so,’’ she explained as she put Yuri’s fingers on each separate key, ‘’now that’s a basic C-chord. Don’t press on the keys because otherwise they’ll hear.’’ They repeated this process a couple of times, Yoona each time showing Yuri a different chord. Yuri could smell Yoona’s (too) sweet perfume on her skin. She could see the powder of her eye shadow every time she looked down at the keys. Every time Yoona touched her hand she felt her body shiver. It was torment. 

‘’I thought it was very nice of you to have come as well. I’ve been looking forward to it for days now.’’ Yoona said. Yuri almost thought she saw a blush creeping up her cheeks but she suspected it was just the poor lighting. She scoffed.

‘’Well I have all the time in the world now of course.’’ She said bitterly. Yoona looked at her with pity.

‘’Are you still sad about Jungah?’’

‘’Why would I be sad? I broke up with her. But now I just realize how often I was with her. It makes me miss her yet I would never want to be in a relationship with her again. She doesn’t really believe in kissing just one person.’’ Yuri joked.

It was true. Jungah’s playful nature made it so that she would often flirt with customers in the bar. Yuri didn’t mind that because she had known Jungah for so long. The moment she let Jungah kiss her for the first time she knew what it was going to be like. She knew the way Jungah behaved in relationships. Their break-up wasn’t ill spirited. Yuri still went to the bar every month. When she had broken up with Jungah she had just smiled and knowingly asked Yuri: ‘is there someone else?’. Yuri had told her all about it and Jungah had comforted her as a friend now, rather than a lover.

Yoona laughted softly and shook her head.

‘’I don’t understand people like that. I couldn’t imagine not being faithful to just one person.’’

‘’Me neither. But I wasn’t really bothered by it. Our relationship was really something else,’’ Yuri laughed remembering it, ‘’I’m still not sure what really happened but they were a happy few weeks. Jungah’s great. I wish you could meet her.’’

‘’I would love to meet her. Your friends are always so fun! Quite eccentric.’’

Yuri rolled her eyes.

‘’They’re eccentric all right. You’re the only normal friend I have. Fairly normal. I’m forgetting the fact that you’re a professional pianist and have a big house and more money than the queen, basically.’’

‘’Stop it!’’ Yoona laughed and Yuri laughed with her. ‘’I’m really happy we met that first day. I don’t want to sound mushy and maybe I’m just a bit tipsy but I think you’re one of my dearest friends. I always feel so happy when we’re together. It’s always fun with you.’’

‘’Well that’s just because I’m such an amazing person!’’

‘’Yeah right!’’

They continued joking like that for a while, until they were a mess of giggles and laughs. Seeing Yoona be so carefree and so happy, Yuri felt her heart speed up. She too had had a drink too many and in that moment, sitting here with the girl she loved in this grand room, the moonlight reflected on her face, faint noises of the clatter of glass in the background, she felt as if she owned the world. Her world in this moment was a blur of slight movement, laughter and beauty. It was as if time stood still and she could now do anything. She was fearless.

So she leaned in and kissed her.