Phase 3: Kissing

Kiss

VERB (kiss, kissing, kissed)

1 To touch (something) with your lips

2 To come in gentle contact; a caress with the lips

3 To touch (someone) with your lips as a greeting or as a way of showing love or ual attraction

Eunjung couldn’t help but sigh at the pout Jiyeon was wearing. Her wife’s brows could have merged at the rate she was frowning.  And it wasn’t the only thing that concerned her because the continuous clicking of the pen was enough to make her ears numb.

Jiyeon is stressed.

She couldn’t figure out why, actually, because everything had been going smoothly, which included the meeting with contractors about the upcoming renovations, the meeting with the PR and Marketing Company for the rebranding and reopening event, and the calls to suppliers. Jiyeon had done everything she had to do that day. Amber and Hara had been great help with paperwork and reviewing books.

So Eunjung couldn’t figure out why she’s still stressed when Jiyeon’s basically done for the day.

“You alright?”

“Mmm,” Jiyeon mumbles, clicking on her pen once more.

Click.

Click.

Click. Click. Click. CLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICK!

“You’re gonna break that with the way you’re harassing the poor pen,” Eunjung chuckles from her chair at the opposite side of the small office.

Jiyeon clicks her pen more, not caring about Eunjung’s rising annoyance to the thing as she procrastinates about whatever she’s procrastinating about on her desk. The pen clicking would only stop for just three seconds at most, scribbling down whatever she was writing about on the paper.

Eunjung finally had enough of it. Grunting, Eunjung hurriedly sidesteps away from her own desk, unknowingly pushing and rolling her chair away as she heads over to her wife’s side of the small office.

Jiyeon ignores her again, writing as she does so, before backing away once more to proceed clicking the moment Eunjung stands beside her seat, peering over her shoulder to see the paper.

“’Dear dad, there’s so much I’d like to say to you personally,’” Eunjung reads out loud followed by what looked like crushed out reasons like, ‘But lately I’ve been too busy…’, ‘I had too much going on,’ and ‘I’m really sorry, I wasn’t trying to avoid you.’

“It’s passed a month,” Jiyeon whispers, cutting her off from her reading. “I forgot to call mom so she called me, telling me I should stop by the house and talk to dad personally. It’s been more than a month, Eunjung. And I haven’t showed myself to dad.”

Eunjung could only look at Jiyeon with much empathy. She knew how that felt. She didn’t even know how her parents were doing now. The last time she had called her dad was probably a week after the surprise marriage only to hear her dad telling her to not visit them for the time being until he says so. Apparently, her mother was still too angry with her. Eunjung sighs.

“I haven’t even introduced you to him yet,” Jiyeon groans out in frustration, clicking her pen furiously again. “I can’t take it if he’s mad at me. I know mom probably made him understand already, but I know I still hurt him. I can’t have dad angry, Jungie. I just can’t.”

“Eunjung, we have to go deliver the cake now,” Taecyeon suddenly barges into the office, looking expectantly at his boss and looking very much out of breath. “We got twenty minutes to speed through traffic.”

“Be right there,” Eunjung calls out with resigned sigh before turning to Jiyeon apologetically.

“It’s okay, go. I’ll just really have to figure this out first,” Jiyeon mumbles, proceeding to click away on her pen. “I wanna make a proper letter that doesn’t sound like I’m making excuses, but would explain enough for him to understand.”

She could very well guess how Jiyeon actually feels. Jihoon Park is after all still a strict parent. If only her mother would soften up with just a heartfelt letter, she could have delivered probably hundreds to their doorstep like an owl delivering Hogwarts mail for Harry Potter.

But still, her mother isn’t like Jihoon Park.

Jihoon Park is one hell of a frightening guy, just a little more frightening than her own mother. And that is the exact reason why Jiyeon is stressing with the letter.

Because of this fact, Eunjung felt the dread brewing from within her.

Maybe I need to start writing a list called ‘How not to die in front or in the hands of my father-in-law’, Eunjung thought.

Shivers of the bad kind suddenly travelled down her spine. Just thinking about it makes a really good horror movie. It was enough to creep her out and get out of there. It made her wanna cry in the corner. It made her want to hide in the closet.

Eunjung finally understood. She was going to meet her father-in-law.

Hopefully Jiyeon would find a way for them to make it out alive…

Jiyeon glances back at Eunjung’s sudden silence to see her wife’s face turning pale. It would have been a very funny sight to see her looking like she’s about to piss herself in fear but then it was her father Eunjung fears.  Besides, it’s hard to deny that she’s actually worried for her dad getting angry at her wife…the wife who she had married out on a whim.

Eunjung groans and whines, shifting on her feet before looking down to see Jiyeon’s concerned eyes on her. Jiyeon is worried for her, not for herself, Eunjung thought with much pain.

But then again, that brings some type of comfort to her. Jiyeon won’t let anything bad happen to her and she trusts her that much.

With that thought, Eunjung was put to ease.

Jiyeon never saw it coming. She never knew it would happen but her worrying had given Eunjung some sort of relief and assurance. So she never expected to be rewarded the moment Eunjung hurriedly says, “Let me read that later when I get back,” with a growing smile, and crouching down somehow, landing her lips on Jiyeon’s frowning brows.

To say Jiyeon was taken aback was a complete understatement. It had been some time since she was kissed the way Eunjung did.

It was a surprise because a wave of flourishing relief and happiness filled her being, especially when those lips lingered for a fraction of a second, rendering her speechless.

How it felt to have her cheeks warm the moment those luscious pair met her frown with much care, with so much she couldn’t point her fingers on because…that subtle kiss was so, ‘Eunjung’.

It was confusing. It was exciting. It was new; so undecipherable.

And it was scary.

She felt it. She could count the many times she was kissed. So many times they did it but this one felt like the odd one out.

Just a kiss that doesn’t have any of the nonchalance or ual feelings and frustrations involved; it wasn’t even the first kiss where it didn’t feel like it mattered and was forced, it wasn’t like the second where it was when they were half unconscious and drunk, it wasn’t like the third for marriage finality, it wasn’t like the fourth that held overwhelming gratefulness, and it certainly wasn’t like the fifth where it was a game, a competition.

This was sincere.

“To make you feel better,” she said.

Jiyeon looks up to study Eunjung’s subtle smile, never making distance, never even batting an eye, just looking at her with sincerity and care. It was in her eyes. It was there she saw just how much Eunjung would go and beyond for her, may it be as wives…or may it be just as best friends.

“Thank you,” she whispers back, her eyes moistening as she boldly caresses Eunjung’s cheek, snaking her other arm to pull her towards her. She needed to convey just how thankful she was. Eunjung would never leave her, she already knew.

“Hey, it’s okay, why are you so emotional?” Eunjung whispers out with a tease, though pulling on her closer in the embrace.

“I don’t know. I’m just happy to have you.”

Eunjung chuckles at the admission, not minding it one bit as she pulls Jiyeon to stand as they embraced tighter. She could feel her wife’s tightening hold on her, clinging on her like her life depended on it, and she clung back like she was her lifeline with a smile. Jiyeon sniffs back a tear, turning to Eunjung’s neck with a bright smile of her own.

Eunjung pulls back much to Jiyeon’s discontent and it was obvious with the sudden frown on her face that made Eunjung chuckle in amusement. Jiyeon was something, alright.

“I’m happy to have you too,” Eunjung whispers before catching her wife’s lips in a fervent kiss.

Jiyeon thought it was a good thing she was craving for something different tonight. She wanted some Mexican food, and the best place for that was only a couple of blocks away. That was how she found herself entangled in Eunjung’s arm, her arm around Eunjung’s waist as they laughed merrily in their steps.

They were well aware that they looked really cheesy, with her clinging on Eunjung and Eunjung’s arm around her shoulder even as she maneuvered them through people in a very lazy pace.

They weren’t in any hurry today.

Wooyoung had forced Eunjung not to help out in the kitchen today, and it was just what they needed because for the past days they hadn’t had a decent lunch.

So when Jiyeon saw her sulking wife at the corner, apparently being ‘bullied’ as she claimed she was at the corner, she pounced and immediately (whispered and) asked her out on a date.

Yes, a date.

That’s what she said.

And that was how Eunjung had excitedly let herself be dragged outside the shop, before she bombarded her already embarrassed wife with endless teasing.

“I can’t believe you’re so aggressive,” Eunjung teases once more, laughing so hard. “I’m really impressed. Now I get what your ex-girlfriend meant years ago that you’re the one wearing the pants.”

Jiyeon rolls her eyes. “Just ‘cause I’m asking you out doesn’t mean I’m the one wearing the pants!”

“Oh come on, just admit it. You’re the one who asked me out anyway,” Eunjung laughs once more, her ego had boosted up several notches as she girlishly flipped her hair with her hands much to Jiyeon’s annoyance.

“Whatever,” Jiyeon scoffs with a chuckle, her eyes glinting in mischief as Eunjung flips her hair once more, only to say, “Someone had to do it. You were too slow for me.”

Eunjung gasps in offense. “Excuse me I happen to have planned to ask you out! You just beat me to it!”

“Really? We’ve been married for more than a month and nearing our second and I haven’t even heard you ask me out on a date except the first! Man, I wonder what the fuss was all about you being a Casanova,” Jiyeon laughs out, and it was the kind of laughter that was much in Eunjung’s face.

Eunjung frowns in hopes to bite back the smile coming out and put on a defiant act. “You still pick the worse place to bring me out! You’re feeding me sandwiches at home, now you’re gonna feed me tacos! What else can you offer me?”

“I can offer a lot of food but since you were slow, you only get a taco,” Jiyeon haughtily says.

“Well, I know what else you can offer,” Eunjung slyly grins much to Jiyeon’s dread.

“What?”

“It’s something similar to sandwiches and tacos. It also has something juicy in between, it’s flavorful; something I can eat and devour. It’s wet and—OW!” Eunjung groans out in pain, feeling her just-pinched waist.

“ert!” Jiyeon cried out. That was way… too ual.

She pushes herself away from Eunjung’s arms much to Eunjung’s amusement. But Jiyeon stood firm, walking an arms’ length away to protect whatever juicy she had in between. And much more to her annoyance, Eunjung simply laughed.

“Oh c’mon, come back here,” Eunjung chuckles, feebly coaxing her wife back into her arms.

Jiyeon huffs and scoffs no matter what Eunjung did to pull her back into her arms. “No, get away from me you !”

“And I’m the ert!” Eunjung cries out, still laughing her guts out. “I was talking about you getting me Burger King for dinner!”

Jiyeon stops on her tracks in thought. That made sense… Something juicy (a hamburger patty), wet (with sauce and some melted cheese