Kim YongSun didn’t know what she expected. Perhaps for Byul’s sisters to be standing at the bottom of the stairs, clipboards at the ready, marking down all of her mistakes. Overdramatic, but she was really nervous. Byul held her hand until the top of the landing, but like with her mother, as soon as she saw her sisters standing in the doorway, she ran for them.
Byul’s sisters looked basically just like her, there were slight differences, like SeulGi wore more makeup than she had ever seen Byul with; and YeSol still had a lot of baby fat on her cheeks. Byul informed her that SeulGi was just about to graduate, and YeSol was only a year behind her. All the Moon sisters were crowded in the main foyer chatting excitedly and giving out hugs. YongSun almost forgot she was still just standing on the stairs by herself until Byul turned toward her and waved her down. “Unnie, come say hi.” She said while smiling larger than YongSun had ever seen.
YongSun started to descend the stairs, she didn’t miss the slightly aggravated look that she got form SeulGi before she turned to take her shoes off and pick up her slippers. YongSun walked over to Byul’s side and Byul automatically grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers. “It is nice to meet you.” She said giving a slight bow.
Again, there was another look from the middle girl but YongSun didn’t read too much into it. YeSol shook her free hand energetically. “It is nice to meet you YongSun Unnie.” She paused and turned to Byul. “is it okay if I call her that?”
Byul shrugged. “That is up to YongSun.” When all eyes turned to her, YongSun could feel her cheeks going red, but she nodded in response, making the girl smile. “Why don’t we all go to the kitchen and get caught up?” Byul suggested.
YeSol didn’t even wait until they left the foyer to start informing Byul of everything she had missed over the last eight months away from them. She left out no detail, it was kind of cute because YongSun could tell she had really missed Byul. As soon as it was SeulGi’s turn, she too launched into a very detailed recollection of her past year at school, and about the people in their neighbourhood and what they were up to.
Byul didn’t have much to tell them besides how school was going, and of course her meeting YongSun but she didn’t get into much detail about it, YongSun assumed to make sure her sisters got the time to finish all of their stories. Mrs. Moon served them tea as they talked. YongSun couldn’t help but feel a bit like and outsider, she didn’t know these people, she told them briefly about her family and her school life but she didn’t like the attention to be all on her, this trip after all was supposed to be about Byul visiting her family. Before they knew it, it was almost time for lunch. Mrs. Moon refused their help in the kitchen. Byul’s sisters, although they came home early to see Byul, had to go get their weekend homework out of the way. That left Byul and YongSun free to do whatever they wanted.

Byul decided that she was going to show YongSun around the farm. It wasn’t a big farm, they mostly grew vegetables, they had a few chickens, and a barn that use to have cows in it, but after Byul’s father passed away they sold them because it became too much work for them to keep up with. Byul lead YongSun into the barn. “So how do you like them?” She asked as she pulled the door open.
YongSun smiled. “They seem nice. It is funny, they look just like you but you guys are so different.”
Byul laughed. “Yeah my dad use to say that he had his hands full with three daughters that were nothing like each other.” YongSun watched her check out the state of the barn as she spoke. “I was the smart, hard working one who didn’t care about getting her hands dirty. He said SeulGi must have been royal in her past life because she has the grace of a princess and the attitude to match.” YongSun snickered at that. “YeSol has a heart of pure gold, and smiles with the sunrise.”
“I know someone else with a heart of gold.” YongSun said walking up behind Byul.
Byul smiled and then batted her away. “Who is the greasy one now?” YongSun smiled at that. “Come here there is something I want to show you.” They walked into the barn. It wasn’t very big, just a place to store things now. Byul grabbed YongSun’s hand and dragged her across the front part of the room, on the left hand side of the barn, about three quarters in was the ladder to the landing above. Byul started climbing the ladder to the loft above. Her father had originally made it for all three of his daughters but it had been a long time since one of her sisters had climbed that ladder. It wasn’t anything special but it had a few hay bales and blankets, it was once their clubhouse.
Byul helped YongSun off the ladder and pulled her over to the large window across from it. Byul’s father had built a railing around it so the girls didn’t fall out of it because it touched the floor. “I use to sit here for hours and just look out.” She said as she nestled them on the floor in front of it. “I use to dream of a place beyond the hills. Who would have thought I’d be on the other side, dreaming of just being back home.” She laughed at herself.
YongSun rested her head on Byul’s shoulder. “I think it is peaceful.” She felt YongSun take a big breath.
Byul tried to move her head so she could see YongSun. “Are you taking a nap?” She joked.
YongSun laughed as well as she grabbed onto Byul tighter so she couldn’t move. “Just stay still a moment so I can enjoy this.” YongSun looped her arm through Byul’s. The mid afternoon breeze washed over them, sunlight warming their skin. “I feel like there is still so much we don’t know about each other.” YongSun practically whispered.
Byul laced their fingers then leaned her head against YongSun’s. “There is a lifetime to figure it all out.” She felt the greasiness of her words but the weight behind the truth of them, she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else but YongSun. Byul lifted her head long enough to give YongSun a quick kiss on her head, then they sat there enjoying each other’s company until they both fell asleep. 

YongSun woke up with her head in Byul’s lap. Byul was gently smoothing YongSun’s hair as she slept. YongSun’s eyes fluttered open and then closed again, she was so content. “How long have I been asleep?” She rolled her head slightly so she could see Byul, blonde hair falling down around her face as she looked down at YongSun. Byul moved some of YongSun’s hair off of her forehead. “About an hour or so.”
“And have you been sitting there this whole time?”
She could see a smile tugging on Byul’s lips. “Not the whole time, I napped to, but I’ve been looking out the window for the last half hour, reminiscing about old times.” YongSun lifted herself off of the floor, only for Byul to reposition her on her lap, arms going around her, YongSun leaned back so her head was resting on Byul’s shoulder. “Anything I should be aware of?” YongSun tugged on a bit of Byul’s hair playfully.
Byul laughed and squeezed her tighter. “No, just remember some things about my dad.”
“Tell me about him.” So Byul did. She told YongSun everything about him, even down to the way his nose crinkled when he laughed, just like her. By the end of it she could tell Byul was trying hard not to cry. YongSun lifted up so she could kiss Byul on the cheek as she wiped a tear from her face.
Byul sniffled a bit. “We should get going before they think we fell into a well or something.” YongSun didn’t want to move, she wanted to stay there with Byul but the entire point of the trip was for her to visit her family, not hide in a barn with her. YongSun allowed herself to be dragged back down the ladder at back toward the house. Steeling herself to socialize with Byul’s family once again.

YongSun lucked out. Byul’s family spent the remainder of the day telling YongSun all of the stories of Byul when she grew up. Like the time she cut off all of YeSol’s hair and blamed it on SeulGi and she got away with it for years until she confessed. Or how she tried to trick her class into thinking she was Byul’s male cousin from Seoul when she went to school dressed as a boy one day.
Eventually YongSun let Byul catch up more with her sisters as she insisted on getting Byul’s mother to let her help prepare dinner. Her mother talked to YongSun on a more personal level without any of the other girls are. About how grateful she was that Byul had met a nice girl like her, and how she was glad she had someone looking out for Byul in the city. She even exchanged numbers with her. It wasn’t long until Byul made her way into the kitchen, checking on YongSun. She helped her set the table and dish out the food. All in all it wasn’t a bad night, not as bad as YongSun had built it up in her mind, where Byul’s family run her out of the house because she wasn’t good enough for Byul.
They spent another hour or so in the living room reminiscing about old stories and drinking tea. Soon after that Byultols them that they had been up very early and that they should head up to bed.

They weren’t even in Byul’s room for a minute before she wrapped her arms around YongSun. Pulling her into a deep embrace. “Thank you.”
“For what?” YongSun asked snaking her hands around Byul as well.
Byul pulled back a bit so she could see YongSun’s face. “You have no idea what this trip means to me. I never thought I could be this happy.” She pressed her lips to YongSun’s quick then pulled back with a large smile on her face.
YongSun smiled back. “Anything for my sweet star.” She winked, causing Byul to make a fake exasperated noise and smacking her.
Byul shook her head. “So cheesy.” She pulled her back in.
It didn’t take long for things to heat up between them, to the point they were essentially sharing the same breaths. YongSun’s hands were so twisted up in Byul’s hair. Byul’s hands started pulling up YongSun’s shirt over her head. YongSun wanted nothing more than to ignore the bell ringing in the back of her mind. She pushed the thought as far back as she could. However, it just kept popping back up. YongSun pulled back. “Byul-Ah hold on.” She pushed Byul back a bit but she wasn’t paying attention, she just moved her lips to YongSun’s neck, causing her eyes to roll back, losing herself again. Then came the bell. “Byul-Ah stop.” She said more forcefully this time.
Byul pulled back looking a bit confused, they both stood there for a moment, shirts were on the floor, breaths coming out heavy. “Too fast?” She asked sounding very concerned.
YongSun shook her head. “Your family.” She said pointing to the door. “Not that I am not enjoying this but I don’t want this to happen for the first time while your family can hear us or walk in on us at any moment.”
The passion filled tunnel vision seemed to be receding in Byul’s eyes. “Sorry, I got a little ahead of myself.” She looked ashamed.
YongSun picked her shirt up off the floor and passed Byul her’s. “It’s not like I wasn’t enjoying it as well.” She said with a pointed look.
Byul pulled her in and kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s go to bed.”
YongSun wasn’t going to lie. It was hard to get into bed with Byul after that and do nothing but cuddle but she was firm on her thoughts about doing anything like that near their families. She would never be able to show her face again if they got caught. It wasn’t long before she could hear Byul’s soft breaths as she slept. YongSun snuggled in closer, resting her head on Byul’s chest, hoping that she would never have to give this up.