One day, Hyejin woke up in the middle of the night and heard a murmur from inside the room.

Could it be?! A ghost?!

It was supposed to be a scary situation, but she had been longing to experience something like this; she cannot help the excitement coursing through her. She bit back a grin and held her breath, waiting for the pressure that comes with a ghost pressing down on you like she had read a million times before.

But as she listened closely, she realized that the voice belonged to her roommate unnie, Yongsun. She occupied the only other bed in the room and the distance between their beds were small; even a whisper could be heard by the other occupant.

Hyejin frowned, wondering why Yongsun was talking to herself. She knew the older girl was generally odd, but talking to herself in the middle of the night?

Something must be up.

So Hyejin remained quiet, pretending that she was still asleep, while trying to listen in on what Yongsun was murmuring about.

“…so hard? Why does it have to be you?”

Suddenly, there was a sobbing sound and Hyejin’s first instinct was to get up and pull the older girl into her arms. But she was supposed to be asleep and not eavesdrop on Yongsun’s midnight worries.

It had been a hectic week and Hyejin hadn’t been able to talk to Yongsun much, so she didn’t know that the older girl was having problems. She made a mental note to ask Yongsun about it tomorrow before falling asleep once again.

Hyejin observed Yongsun the whole day and she saw the things that she had never seen before – the fake smiles, the lethargic movements, the tired sighs.

They were hanging out with their best friends, but Yongsun was anything but herself. Hyejin was surprised that Wheein and Byulyi didn’t notice anything was amiss – the two were usually sensitive about others’ moods.

When their friends had retired to the living room after lunch, Hyejin approached Yongsun who was busy cleaning up in the kitchen.

“Unnie,” she said cautiously, eyes watching the older girl like a hawk, “is there something bothering you lately?”

Yongsun stiffened. “Wh-what do you mean, Hyejin-ah?” she said, laughing nervously.

“I can tell from the look on your face and they way you move, unnie. You’re exhausted and worried about something.” Hyejin paused, waiting for an affirmation from Yongsun, but none came. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

Yongsun set the washed plates aside and dried her hands on the kitchen towel, all the time avoiding Hyejin’s piercing gaze. “I don’t think you should be bothered with an adult’s worries, Hyejin-ah,” she said, finally looking at Hyejin with a gentle smile on her face; a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “please concentrate on school. If I need help, I can just ask Byul. Thank you for your concern.”

Something didn’t sit right with Hyejin with the way Yongsun phrase her words – like Hyejin was a stranger; not someone who had been roommates with her for the past six months.

Feeling irritated, Hyejin stretched out a hand to stop Yongsun when she walked past her. Yongsun looked at her, surprised, and was about to protest when she saw the look in Hyejin’s eyes.

“Unnie, that’s mean,” Hyejin muttered, anger and hurt evident in her voice, “how could you reduce me to a stranger’s status? We’ve known each other for a while now. I thought we are friends.”

“We are, Hyejin-ah-”

“But you’re not treating me like one!”

“Well that’s because I-”

Yongsun stopped herself abruptly and Hyejin didn’t know what was worst – the fact that Yongsun looked guilty or the fact that she didn’t deny that she wasn’t treating Hyejin like a friend. Either way, Hyejin felt hurt and she could feel the tears pricking behind her eyes.

“I see,” was all she could utter before she backed away from Yongsun and practically ran out of the kitchen.

Hyejin woke up with a start, not realizing that she had fallen asleep.

The last thing she remembered was dragging Wheein into a corner of the living room and quietly crying in her arms while ignoring the two older girls. She must have exhausted herself afterwards and fallen asleep because she was on the floor and the living room was now quiet and dark.

Hyejin assumed that she had her head on Wheein’s lap and that it was Wheein who was gently her hair. But through her blurry vision, she saw Wheein on the couch opposite from her, curled into Byulyi’s side with her arms curled possessively around the older girl’s torso.

Hyejin frowned.

Then who…?

The mystery was resolved when her ears caught the sound of a familiar voice – Yongsun.

“I’m sorry,” the older girl was sobbing softly from above her, “I’m so sorry, Hyejin-ah…”

Hyejin was still a little upset at Yongsun, but the moment she felt something wet on her face, all the anger inside her melted. She turned her head and saw Yongsun’s face that was wet with tears, her eyes closed tight. She reached up a hand to wipe away the tears and Yongsun’s eyes snapped open with shock written all over her face.

“Will you please tell me what’s going on with you?” Hyejin asked gently, determined to get to the bottom of what was causing Yongsun’s tears, “I hate to see you like this, unnie…”

Yongsun inhaled sharply, her bottom lip trembling as her dark eyes roamed all over Hyejin’s face and Hyejin’s eyes softened with concern. She cupped the older girl’s fluffy cheek, tracing circles with her thumb, hoping that it would help soothe Yongsun in some ways.

She didn’t expect Yongsun to grab her hand and lean down, pressing their lips together.

Hyejin was so shocked, she kept her eyes opened. She was able see up close every detail on Yongsun’s face – her immaculate eyebrows, her thick lashes, her flawless skin…

Suddenly, she felt Yongsun’s tongue tracing her lips, begging for entry, and Hyejin parted them obediently while her eyes simultaneously fluttered shut. When their tongues met, Hyejin let out a strangled moan and in a flash, the pressure on was lifted.

Hyejin opened her eyes slowly, confused, only to be met with a guilty-looking Yongsun. “Unnie…?” she said breathlessly. “Wh-what’s wrong?”

Yongsun shook her head, hands going up to cover her face. “Th-this is wrong, Hyejin-ah,” she started to sob, “we shouldn’t be doing this…”

“What do you mean?” Hyejin asked, genuinely puzzled. “Kissing?”

“…yes.”

Hyejin slowly sat up and positioned herself in front of Yongsun. She took Yongsun’s hands in hers, forcing Yongsun to look her in the eyes. “Unnie,” her voice was quiet and serious, “do you like kissing me?”

Yongsun blushed and lowered her gaze, head nodding slowly in affirmation.

Hyejin grinned. She got up long enough to place herself on Yongsun’s lap and Yongsun’s hands around her waist. Yongsun looked at her with startled eyes, mouth opening and closing without words coming out, and a beautiful blush colouring her cheeks.

Hyejin grinned, hands circling around Yongsun’s neck. “I’ll tell you a secret, unnie,” she whispered as she leaned in close, mingling her breath with Yongsun’s, “I like kissing you too.”

“B-but we’re girls…”

“And…?”

“I-I’ve never kissed a girl before…”

Hyejin giggled. “Of course you did,” she teased. “You kissed me moments ago, unnie.”

Yongsun blushed, hands clutching at the back of Hyejin’s blouse. “I’m serious, Hyejin-ah,” she said in a serious tone, “I’ve…never been with a girl before.”

“Neither have I,” Hyejin replied with a casual shrug, “I mean I have kissed other girls before, but I have never dated one.”

Yongsun blinked. “You’ve…kissed other girls?”

“Yeah, well, it was mostly Wheein and Byulyi-unnie-”

“Byul, huh?”

Hyejin noticed the dark look on Yongsun’s face and frowned. “Are you okay, unnie?” she asked in concern. “Did I say something to upset you?”

Yongsun smiled, but it was one of her fake smiles and, contrary to that smile, Hyejin could see a storm brewing inside those chocolate brown eyes. For some reason, Hyejin felt scared and excited at the same time.

“Hyejin-ah,” Yongsun’s voice was low and deep, sending shivers down Hyejin’s spine, “from now on, you’re only allowed to kiss me, okay?”

Hyejin wasn’t used to being ordered around like this and she was about to protest when she felt warm hands underneath her blouse, against her bare skin. She stared down at Yongsun whose smile had turned smug as if she knew Hyejin couldn’t refuse her…and Hyejin hated to admit that Yongsun was right.

“Then promise me the same,” Hyejin said with a resigned sigh as she leaned in and captured Yongsun’s lips, “I’m the only one you can kiss, unnie.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”