I know. I'm sorry for this post's title. The feeling of being elated by seeing 'new story updates!' only to be let down by the new chapter's title - I know it, for I've been a reader too. So I'm sincerely sorry for inflicting that feeling on you guys. It's just that - I don't know if I'll be able to add something new to this box of stories. I've churned out 11 oneshots, much to my happiness and yours, but I guess now I'm tired. Life has been taking a toll on me - college, projects, tasks, expectations, frustrations. A bunch. A mountain. Y'know how people said nice things have to come to an end? Maybe, maybe someday I'll disappear too long, no reply, no hi again, no sorrys, and no new title will come to the surface from this nice box I've begun to treasure. Maybe someday this'd end, maybe without any words.

If that ever happened, forgive me.

And now, forgive me too.

Forgive me... because I really need to type it all out, because I know I should've written it as a blog post or something, and because I know I wouldn't be able to write this as a blog post because I'm trying to pull a prank on you guys.

Because 'Not an Update' is actually this one(little)shot's title.

Ha!

Happy reading, and forgive me? :)))

Not an Update

"Are you sure I can go?"

Yoona took off her gaze from a little bundle of fur across the room and let out yet another sigh. "Unnie, you've been planting informations in my head. About how to prepare Hani's foods, and how to learn her pain, and how to console her when she’s in pain, and how to teach her potty—"

"I didn't say anything about teaching Hani potty."

"—you would've, if manager oppa didn't save me with his call. You've been spoutin' off facts about dogs for one hour, twelve minutes, and thirteen seconds—"

"Actually, it's one hour and ten minutes if you subtract the time I took to take a breath..."

Yoona glared at the older woman, and Yuri held her hands up.

"Okay. I do see your point."

"Right," Yoona huffed, eyes rolling. "And now you're askin' if you could go. Are you implyin' that my hard work of listenin' for more than an hour could go in vain??"

"Well..." Yuri trailed off, glancing towards Hani the dog, which had slept soundly in her place. She turned back to a pouting, round-eyed Yoona, and wondered when she had begun to raise two puppies.

Yuri smiled and shook her head, "I guess it's just a rhetorical question."

"Well then off you go, unnie." Yoona solemnly nodded, "Hani'll be safe with me. Or so I hope."

"Yoong." Yuri couldn't take a hope for her baby, and Yoona didn't make leaving any easier.

"Goodness, I'm kiddin'," said Yoona in exasperation. "I know she's just gotten back from her doctor, but I've agreed to update you for every thirty minutes. That's gotta keep you a little bit calmer about leavin' her."

Yoona saw something else flickered on the other's face. And then, "I'm sorry."

The doe-eyed woman was about to rant again before her brain processed those two words. She paused instead, confused.

"Pardon, what?"

"I'm sorry," Yuri repeated, face fallen. "I'm burdening you already and here I am making a fuss without an ounce of gratitude."

Yoona's jaw made a move to reach the ground, but she snapped it back as quickly as she could. "Actually, I’m sure there’s more than an ounce of gratitude in you, which is no need because I’m just doin' what I've to do. But, if this's the way you're sayin' you will miss me too, then thank you."

Yuri let out a laugh. "You know I will."

Yoona couldn’t help a smile. "More than you'll miss Hani?"

Instead of answering, Yuri ruffled her hair gently and left a brief kiss on her forehead. "Take care of her, Yoong. See you later."

Yoona heaved a deep sigh as she finished clicking the 'send' button for her fifth update on Hani that day. She leaned on the couch, her head rolled back so she could see Hani's figure across the room. The dog's sleeping still, and Yoona half-wished she could know the future. She could’ve wasted the first two hours and a half with sleeping instead of watching a dog sleep.

Why did she agree to watch on Hani again?

Whipped, a voice in her head offered.

"No. I’m just tryin' to be nice and help unnie by doin' this. I need to do this.”

Whatever floats your boat, boss. You know you have better options. Still whipped.

Yoona sighed as she let herself sank into the comfortable couch. She knew she had options, that she actually didn't have to do this. Yuri had listed Taeyeon, Hyoyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, and Seohyun as the next go to, had she refused. Hell, if she did refuse, Hani would have probably been all happy and excited at Taeyeon’s place. Woman was unfairly good with dogs, unlike Yoona whom Hani had avoided like a plague on their first encounters.

Yup. And you stole happiness away from Hani because you’re whipped.

“I’m doin’ good!” scoffed Yoona, “I and Hani… we’re workin’ towards a better term. She let me pet her more than five minutes last time! And she nuzzled to my feet once.”

Because you accidentally stepped on her food bowl. Yep. So much for a better term.

Yoona rolled her eyes. “Y’know, for a brain, you're very strange.”

The word you’re looking for is bizarre.

Yoona groaned. Why couldn’t Hani wake up from her slumber already? At least she’d have an excuse not to listen to her brain. Even if all Hani would do was circling around her place and sent her a bark every now and then.

Indeed, Hani should’ve woken up anytime by now. But nooo, she prefers sleeping over breathing awake with you.

And then a switch in her flicked out. Before she could register what she did, her hand had reached out to pick up her phone, typed out two words, and pressed the ‘send’ button.

Oh. My. God. What did you do???

Yoona blinked as a message delivery notification popped up in her phone’s screen.

Okay, I didn’t know how you did that with me spoutin' off words at you as your brain, but you did.

Yoona blinked as her phone buzzed, a call coming in. She glanced at the caller’s ID, and then her jaw went slack.

“Oh my God what did I do??”

Exactly what I was sayin'. Glad we’re on the same page for once, I guess.

Ignoring her brain’s remark, Yoona straightened up and gazed to the phone in her hand. Fifth buzz. She panicked. When it reached the eighth, she finally accepted the call.

“Hell—“

“Yoong! Is Hani ok?”

“—lo.”

Yoona had to remind herself that her role for today was Hani’s caretaker, hence why the dog had Yuri’s first priority.

“Yoong?”

“Dog’s sleepin',” said Yoona quickly. “No bark, no whine, no sign of pain. Has Hani always been a quiet sleeper?”

“Yes.” Yuri’s voice was full of relief that Yoona felt guilty for ever worrying her on the first place. “Yes, she is. So she okay?”

“Still too furry to my likin’, but she’s jubilant.” A beat later, she added softly, “I’m sorry, unnie. Am I worryin’ you?”

“Well, you sent me two words. ‘Call me.’ That has to get me a bit worried, no?”

“Well, my brain is tryin' to fry my mind, so I thought I can use a little distraction…”

Hey, I’m bizarre, but I’m no masochist. You just want to hear her voice, be honest.

Yoona leaned back to the couch with a sigh. It was tiring to handle her brain sometimes.

“I’m sorry again, unnie.”

“Hey, it’s okay.”

“I just really hope Hani wakes up soon.”

“Yoong,” Yuri’s voice gave away an alarmed tone, and Yoona chuckled.

“I know. Gotta let her awake by herself. No water guns. No fireworks. Won’t attempt it,” she said. “So. Busy?”

“You could say that.” A beat later, a foreign voice came, and the voice on the other end sighed in an exaggerated manner. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me — NO, OPPA, I’M NOT RUNNING AWAY. I’M MAKING A FREAKING PHONE CALL. WON’T YOU REST IT? OH MY GOD NO IT’S NOT AN APPRENTICE. IT’S YOONA!”

Yoona blinked, but then an amused grin bloomed on her lips as she figured out what happened. The grin only widened when Yuri refocused to the call again.

“Yah, Im Yoona, are you jinxing me or something? I was having a free time just fine before you uttered the word ‘busy’!”

“D'you have a record of runnin' away or somethin'?” teased Yoona, earning a groan as the reply. “Keke. Go back to work, unnie. Your puppy is safe and sound with me.”

“What about my other puppy? Entertained enough?”

“Mhm,” hummed Yoona. A beat later, she frowned. “Wait, what?”

“Bye, Yoong.” The call was ended before Yoona could interrupt, although she didn't miss a hint of laughter in Yuri’s short bye.

“What, she’s callin’ me her puppy now? Me?”

Oooh, flutter flutter, and you’re tellin’ me you’re not whipped. Suuure.

“Goddammit brain, why can’t you be normal for a second?”

A silence.

And there goes a second. Can I de-normal again?

“Fork you.”

Spoon you.

“God, I have a jerk of a brain.”

A soft bark was all she needed to get her brain distracted from talking back. Yoona looked to the direction of the bark, eyes widened as the bundle of fur now cracked an eye open at her. Getting up to her feet, Yoona cautiously made her way to Hani.

“Hey.” She furrowed her brows when Hani just stared at her approaching form. Usually the dog would back off a little bit, and if Yoona insisted enough, Hani would eventually give in. Maybe healing from sickness tamed her down a bit.

“Hey, ‘lil buddy.” She crouched in front of Hani, hand reached out. Hani let out a weak bark, and Yoona tentatively patted her head.

She studied Hani’s behavior, but the dog didn’t do anything except nodding a little, following her pats.

“Sorry I’m not your Ma,” whispered Yoona. “She’s worried about you, though. You okay?”

Hani let out a little noise, her front legs came up to the side of her bed. Yoona stopped petting her and tilted her head slightly. “You wanna come out?”

Hani barked, still not as loud as she used to, but Yoona took it as a yes. The doe-eyed woman carefully scooped the furry being into her arms, sighing in relief when Hani didn’t paw her like usual.

“Wanna go procrastinatin' in the couch with me?” Yoona walked back to her former area, pondering as she took the steps almost in autopilot. “Oh, I have to update your Ma on your condition too. You’re awake! Would be great news.”

She lowered her arms as she arrived in front of the couch, and Hani made a timid leap. The dog pranced around for a bit, sniffing and nuzzling, while Yoona located her phone to do her job. Absentmindedly, she sat and began to fumble around the buttons.

“Hani’s awake,” she muttered as her fingers were typing furiously. “Not as tough as she usually is, but she doesn’t bark in pain.” She wanted to add ‘or so I hope’, but thought best against it. She added several reassuring words and promises she knew she could at least fulfill before finally sending it to Yuri’s inbox.

Y’know, boss, somethin’ is conquerin' your lap and it’s not me.

“What? Of course you can’t be on my lap, you’re my—omo.” Yoona’s eyes widened as she found curled ball of fur located right below her phone, right on her lap. “Omo,” she repeated, dumbfounded, when her mind slowly connected the fur’s color to Hani’s.

I’m your ‘omo’?

“Whoa, who are you and what’re you doin’ to Hani?” whispered Yoona in awe. Hani let out a bark and added no more.

‘Kay. Better terms. I guess I’m inclined to agree this time.

The agreement was lost on Yoona as she blinked, still amazed at the fact that Hani, the dog who used to be pissed off at her presence (it was exaggerating but cut Yoona some slack, okay?), actually curled up on her lap right now.

Maybe she’s gettin’ ready to piss or poo, her brain suggested.

Ignoring her brain’s optimistic words, Yoona slowly inactivated the flashlight on her phone’s camera and carefully took a photo of a curling Hani on her lap. Smiling widely, she sent the picture to someone that she knew would be the most delighted person to see it.

“Hani, buddy?” whispered Yoona, gazing down at the furry being on her lap. Now that she thought about it, this was the first time such things occurred to her, and God help her, it was awkward.

“Hey, buddy. You asleep?”

Yuri had always referred to Hani as ‘baby’, but Yuri was the dog’s Ma. Yoona had tried to call Hani ‘sport’, but the dog only stared at her before turning away. ‘Tart’, and the dog had scoffed. ‘Pup’, and the dog snored blatantly at her call. At least when Yoona had firstly called her with ‘buddy’, Hani had stared at her and barked in almost an affirmative sound.

At least that was what Yuri had told her, and Yoona believed the other woman since she herself in dog’s language.

“Oh look, your Ma replied.”

And then the ball let out a bark, a kinda head popped out from the ball of fur, staring intently at a pair of doe eyes. Yoona looked down at Hani, and then at her phone, and then back at Hani.

“Your Ma.”

Hani barked again, softly.

Of course the dog would recognize her owner. Yoona smiled, patting Hani’s head. “Yeah, buddy. Told you she’s thinkin’ about you. Let’s see what she said, yeah?”

She tapped on her screen, and curiously waited as a photo came up.

“Oh God.”

What greeted her made her heart skip a beat.

Hani barked, wanting to take a look, and Yoona absently turned her phone for the dog to see. It was only a simple picture of Yuri smiling brightly, a caption of ‘I’m happy that you two finally get along well!’ written below the photo, but Yoona’s heart was refusing to beat regularly and she started to hear her brain’s words again.

Palpitations, freakin’ palpitations. And you’re tellin’ me you’re not whipped forever.

“But I’m not!” said Yoona aloud, exasperated, causing Hani to jump in surprise and bark three times, her expression clearly reading “What…” as she turned her gaze from her Ma’s picture, “The…” as she stared at Yoona’s annoyed face, “Hell?” as she tilted her head slightly to the side.

See, even Hani knows. She probably warms up to you because she finally knows that you love her Ma as much as she does.

“I’m not!”

Not denyin'?

“Urgh! Where do Patrick and Spongebob find their brain field? I need one. ASAP.”

And what’re you gonna do when your next brain tells you exactly what I tell you?

“I. Don’t. Love. Her. Period.”

You tellin’ me elephants can fly?

Yoona sighed in exhaustion as she brought the phone down. Hani barked softly, and Yoona let the dog at her fingers. She didn’t know dog language, at least. She half-wished she didn’t have to know brain’s language too.

“Hani, buddy, you understand me, right? I don’t look at your Ma that way. Right?”

Hani nipped on her thumb, causing Yoona to yelp.

“Buddy, what the Hell??”

Ha! See! Hani agrees that you’re denial!

“But I really don’t—OW! HANI!”

See, would’ve avoided this if Hani was on Seohyun’s.

“But then Yuri unnie wouldn’t send me her pic—“

Hani stopped her fingers and looked up at her. Her brain stopped grilling her. Silence.

“I mean, I wouldn’t have a reason to contact—“

If her brain had eyebrows, it would be wriggling them to death by now.

“I mean, I wouldn’t be someone she can rely—“

Realization dawned, finally, on Yoona, as she muttered softly, "I mean, I wouldn't be someone she can trust about everything and I hate the idea of not being enough for her."

Hani let out a soft bark, which sounded suspiciously affectionate, and Yoona released a breath as the dog began to curl up on her lap again.

“Oh my God, I’m in love with her.”

Hani let out an affirmative bark, and her brain began to sing a ridiculously off-tune version of Dali, Van, Picasso.

And you can't tell me nothin’, you know I’m doin’ it RIIIIIGHT~

Almost like a deja vu, a switch in her flicked out. Before she could register what she did, her hand had reached out to pick up her phone, typed out Yuri’s name, and dialed her number. It didn’t even reached its second ring when the other end picked up the call.

“Hell—“

“Unnie, I’m sorry but this is not an update.”

“—lo.”

“And I know maybe I’m not makin' any sense right now but I’ve come to realize that I like you.”

Oddly, instead of replying ‘I like you too’ instantly like they usually did when the other said those three words, Yuri waited. It was almost—as if she knew that this time it meant something different. It did. Yoona looked down to Hani’s curled form, taking comfort in her assumption that she had kind of received Hani’s consent—

Salvador Dali, Van Gogh gati~

—and her brain, well, her brain was still away holding a ceremonial concert.

“Unnie, I,” Yoona swallowed, “I really really like you, okay.”

Four beats later, and a soft spoken word, “Okay.”

“Do you understand?” asked Yoona, trying not to sound too hopeful.

“Do you?” Yuri asked back lightly, “I miss you more than I miss Hani.”

“I miss you too.” Yoona knew they were dancing around a circle, but she found she didn’t mind. For now. “Can I do this again?”

“Do what?”

“Callin’ or textin’ you for somethin' not an update.”

“Yoong.” Now that she admitted to her feelings, her heart did flutter at the mention of her name. “I really want to know how you’re doing, too. So fill me in. Just don’t forget Hani, okay?”

“Of course,” said Yoona quickly, letting out a relieved laugh. “Won’t dream of it. Our baby’s safe with me.”

A pause. And then an amused tone, “Our baby, Yoong?”

Wait what, I’m leavin' you for a five minutes concert and you’re already whipped for eternity?

“Crap.” Yoona felt her cheeks burn, “I mean, your baby and my buddy, yes.”

A laugh resonated from the other end, and Yoona wondered if Hani would teach her how to curl up. She wanted to curl up from this embarrassment.

“It’s okay, Yoong. Hani can be your baby too.”

“Noooooo. She’ll hate me and we’ll be back to square one again!”

“She’ll love you,” Yuri tried, and although Yoona knew the other couldn’t see her, she pouted.

“That's it. I’m hangin' up.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re busy, and I think Hani peed on me.”

A bark of laughter erupted from the other end. “What, seriously? Oh, Yoong, I’m so sorry—”

“It’s okay,” Yoona sighed, strangely in contentment. Yuri sounded not sorry at all, and Yoona didn't need that sorry anyway. “It kinda validates me to call Hani my baby, I guess. Mums take care of poo and pee, right?”

Yuri laughed again, and yep, Yoona was certain that she was, indeed, in love with this woman.

“I’ll let you tend to Hani’s pee, then, and Yoong?”

“Hmm?” Yoona tried not to cringe as Hani shifted, leaving a trail of wet, warm spot on her lap.

“I really, really like you too.”

In spite of the state she found herself in, Yoona found her lips smiling.

“Okay.”

END