Yujin plopped down on her best friend’s bed. God I missed this.

It was winter break and there was nothing more she wanted more than to spend time and catch up with Wonyoung. They rarely spent time with each other during the past weeks due to their respective training and practices and not to mention studies. During one of their talks, they both agreed that it’s a good idea to have a sleepover every now and then during the break. 

And now on a friday night, they both decided to stay the night at Wonyoung’s place.

Yujin sat down and looked at Wonyoung, who was busy setting up her laptop for a movie night. “Wait, I forgot my toothbrush at home.”

They just finished eating dinner and as usual, the food is great at the Jang family. There was tteokbokki, chicken, kimchi, bulgogi, and ice cream. It was such a feast and the fact all of Yujin’s favorite food was prepared by Wonyoung’s parents, Eunbi and Chaeyeon, made it even better. Wonyoung even joked that it’s obvious who’s the favorite kid when they saw the menu for tonight. They all just laughed it out and Eunbi said that it was only because they all missed Yujin.

“You can use mine.”

Yujin almost gagged at Wonyoung. “That’s disgusting.”

She watched as the younger moved around the rather dark room if not for the light coming from the projector. Wonyoung fixed the angle of the projector. They would’ve used the built-in projector screen like they usually do but they had food and drinks tonight, specifically cookies and milk. 

And it wasn’t just any cookies, they were baked by her cousin, Minju, and Eunbi. The two gained a liking to baking (which Wonyoung takes part in whenever she has time) and every now and then they make people in the household taste their godsent baked cookies. Who are the two to have such an opportunity go to waste.

To top it all, Wonyoung never liked having food crumbs on her bed, having them no other choice but to sit on the floor along with the cushions and pillows that they’ve already set up earlier.

Wonyoung looked at the screen on the wall and it was all perfect. Her hands were on her hips and rolled her eyes. “Now, stop acting as if you don’t have your own essentials here. Heck, all the clothes you’ve left before are still in my closet.” 

Yujin chuckled. “Oh so that’s why I can see you wearing my hoodie at school.” 

Wonyoung was shocked to hear that and her expressions gave it away, furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips. She just didn't expect that Yujin would notice that. "That's only sometimes."

"Sometimes, huh,” Yujin muttered. “And at least twice a month I can see you using the clotty hoodies I left?”

“Still sometimes.” Wonyoung scrunched her nose. “It’s comfortable though and you never return for it. Besides, it’s in my wardrobe so I might as well make use of it.”

Yujin knows that it was true. She can always go back for the clothes she left whenever she spends the night in their house but she never did. And she will never do it when she likes seeing Wonyoung use her clothes. There is a sense of happiness and contentment that blooms inside her every time she sees her best friend wear them.

And Yujin will never admit it to the younger.

“Alright,” Yujin stood up and headed to the bathroom. "I need to brush my teeth.”

“Okay,” Wonyoung sat down on the edge of the bed. “We’ll watch it as soon as you come back.”

Wonyoung watched as her best friend went inside the bathroom door and locked it, leaving her all alone in the room. She looked at the cushions and pillows on the floor, beside it were two teddy bears that are colored pink and blue. These stuffed toys sure last a long time.

Wonyoung remembers that when they were younger, they used to make forts and they would spend countless hours lying there, talking, listening to songs that they liked, and if they were lucky, they would watch a movie inside it. The only time that would make them go out of their haven is when their parents would call them to eat or if it was time to go home.

Those were the times she cherished the most and it was also what she misses the most.

The bathroom door clicked, pulling Wonyoung out of her reverie. “Let’s watch it now.”

Yujin sat down on the cushion with her legs crossed. “What’s the movie, by the way?” It was also their tradition to not tell what the movie is about until before it plays. It’s more thrilling to have the surprise element for their movie nights and besides, she trusts Wonyoung's taste in movies.

“I know you love this.” Wonyoung played the movie and sat on the cushion next to Yujin.

The movie started and the familiar opening scene greeted the two, where a newborn baby is cradled by her mother. Yujin knows the movie by heart and Wonyoung is aware of that fact. Of course she does, it’s Yujin’s favorite movie after all. 

Yujin took this moment to steal a look at Wonyoung. Her side profile is still as majestic as she can remember. Her bright eyes, pointed nose, plump lips, and sharp jawline. The light reflecting from the wall was illuminating her face. 

Wonyoung must’ve noticed that she was staring for she met her gaze and her eyebrows were meeting. “Watch the movie, unnie.” She looked back at what’s in front of her. “Not me.”

Yujin grinned before leaning back to the wall behind her and there, she saw the familiar font and title on the screen. Inside Out.

 

They have gotten past the movie’s half mark when Yujin notices at the corner of her eye the subtle yawn of her best friend. She watched as Wonyoung’s head slightly lowered down and slowly got back up again.

At this angle, she can clearly see the way the younger hesitated to lean her head on Yujin’s shoulder. Wonyoung was slightly leaning to the left but straightened her back once again.

Yujin smiled to herself and let her hand gently guide Wonyoung’s head to her shoulder. As soon as the younger was comfortable with it, Yujin lightly tapped her cheeks, letting it transfer a little warmth onto her face before pulling it away and letting it rest on her sides.

There was a calm wave of emotions that settled deep inside of her while they sat side by side. It could be due to their proximity, or the silence between them that they enjoy while watching, or just the simple fact that they are spending time together after weeks of not doing so. Yujin can’t pinpoint the reason for it but it’s there. The contentment of being with the person she adores most.

“Are you sleepy?” Yujin asked as she felt the younger lock their arms together. Yujin knew that if either of them moved, she’d definitely get a whiff of her lilac scented shampoo. And un(fortunately) for her, Wonyoung did.

“Nope.” She shook her head. “At least not yet.”

Yujin slightly nodded and focused on the movie unfolding before them. She has watched this several times before but she doesn’t mind repeating it over and over again, especially if she’s watching it with Wonyoung.

 

The lights almost blinded Yujin. The movie has ended and they were already done cleaning things up. Yujin took the initiative to take empty plates and glasses downstairs to wash them while Wonyoung fixed her own room. 

While she stood there by the sink with the plate in her hand, she looked at the clock and it was still quite early for both of them to sleep as it was just past ten. They used to stay up until 3AM and she wonders if it’s no different today.

By the time Yujin got back to Wonyoung’s room, she found the girl swiveling on her gaming chair. Her expression seemed like she was in deep thought but Yujin can’t take her seriously when she’s spinning around. But either way, she asked. “What are you doing?”

Wonyoung stopped what she’s doing. “Oh you’re back.”

“Yeah.” Yujin sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t care about her unanswered question but noticed how Wonyoung closed her eyes and eyebrows were slightly furrowed. “A penny for your thoughts?”

The girl hummed, a brief pause before she muttered. “Do you remember how we used to braid our hair before?”

Yujin immediately smiled. “Of course.” There was once a time that Yujin loved it so much that she doesn’t want to go out unless her hair is braided. Be it a twin tailed one or a headband braid, she wanted it and it looked absolutely adorable on her. “I also remember playing makeover and it would end horrendously.” 
 
Wonyoung giggled, the moment where Yujin had uneven blush, eyeliner, and lipstick flashed in her mind. And she is aware that she is the one who caused it. “But that was because we were still kids.”

“Those were the good times,” Yujin muttered.

“Say…” Yujin looked at Wonyoung. “Would you let me do your makeup?”

“Huh?”

“I said, would you let me do your makeup?” Wonyoung repeated. "I feel the need to redeem myself from before."

Yujin stared and blinked at her. “Like… right now?” Yujin can see Wonyoung’s eyes sparkling with the glimmer of hope until she sees it change in a split second.

“Of course not, I was just kidding.” Wonyoung giggled. “We’re about to sleep in just a few hours. And if I were to put makeup on you it should be flaunted outside. I won’t let my efforts go to waste.”

Yujin chuckled, her eyes roaming around the room, looking for that one thing that she’s sure was inside the room. She was sure of it because she used it before. And… 

Bingo.

“Your guitar looks lonely,” Yujin muttered. The said instrument is all alone in the corner of the room and by the looks of it, it is left untouched and just gaining dust all over. “It’s no brainer why you’re a pianist and not a guitarist.”

“Hey! I use it too,” Wonyoung pouted, her voice softened. “Just sometimes.”

“I’ll borrow this one.” Yujin said while already holding the guitar in her hand. Wonyoung let her be and nodded, which she doubted Yujin even noticed as she was busy dusting off the stringed instrument.

Wonyoung lifted her feet off the ground and hugged her knees as she listened to the familiar strumming pattern and tune of the guitar. Wonyoung already had a feel of what the song is and it only confirmed her assumption when Yujin began to sing. “My eyes are no good, blind without her~ the way she moves, I never doubt her, when she talks she somehow creeps into my dreams~”

She heard the song a couple of times before while they were both growing up and it was all thanks to their parents, who had an immaculate sense of music taste that they were also able to enjoy such songs.

At some point in time, she remembers it joining her list of favorite songs. She used to listen to it almost everyday, requesting her parents to play it on the speaker, and was able to memorize the song word for word. But to hear Yujin sing it again with her honey-like voice, transported Wonyoung into a different time.

A time when both of them were singing along to the song inside the fort that they made.

A time when both of them liked to play outside and get scratches on their knees.

A time when they were learning how to play the song on Wonyoung’s guitar.

And a time when Wonyoung won at a competition in middle school and as per their tradition, they danced their happy dance backstage in the middle of other people. Wonyoung didn’t mind the others walking around them because at that moment it was just them existing in their bubble.

That was when she knew exactly how and what she felt towards Yujin, her best friend.

“How was it?” Yujin looked up at Wonyoung. She knows that she has been pretty rusty with playing a guitar but it was one of the songs that she was sure that she can play even with her eyes closed. “I’m not that bad, aren’t I?”

“Oh please, if there was an audience around here, they would definitely scream the word ‘encore’ until you give them what they want.” Wonyoung stood up, sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Yujin. She saw that Yujin was about to put down the instrument. “Encore! Encore! Encore!” She whisper-shouted, not wanting to cause too much noise.

Yujin shook her head a bit with a smile on her face. “Is that what my audience wants?”

“Yeah!”

“Alright,” Yujin muttered. There’s only a handful of songs that she knows playing on the guitar without looking at a chord book, but she supposes that there is one that they can duet in her setlist. “But I need you to sing along with me.”

Wonyoung tilted her head in confusion. “Sure but do I know the song?”

“Oh you do.” Yujin nodded and began to strum. And within Yujin’s first few notes, Wonyoung already knew the song. “Do you hear me I’m talking to you~ across the water across the deep blue ocean under the open sky oh my baby I’m trying~”

Yujin stopped strumming and gazed at Wonyoung, waiting for her to continue the song. She can feel Wonyoung’s hesitation and she was about to sing on anyway but she heard the younger’s voice. As soon as she heard her sing, she resumed strumming. “Girl I hear you in my dreams I feel you whisper across the sea~ I keep you with me in my heart you make it easier when life gets hard~”

Wonyoung hoped that Yujin didn’t notice the word change earlier but it doesn’t really matter now that they were singing the chorus together. As they did, Wonyoung felt light that she couldn’t help but smile and slowly sway her upper body to the song. She also notices that Yujin was all smiles as they sang.

It was no doubt that they are happy, that even what seems to be the simplest and mundane thing that best friends could do feels like everything to them. And sometimes when Wonyoung lays in bed at night, she explores the idea of crossing the fine line between friends and lovers. Which is, sad to say, she doesn’t have the courage to do it.

Not when she feels content with what they have and share as best friends. As everytime she wants to cross that bridge, she backs out. She can feel every fear about confessing, pulling her back, making her stay in place, not letting her move a muscle forward to run across and reach for Yujin and offer her heart.

But moments like this make her think about fighting her own fears and dashing swiftly across the bride, so quick that her fears wouldn’t be able to catch up to her.

Wonyoung gazed at Yujin as they were nearing the end of the song. And every time she looks at Yujin, she is reminded that this is the person whom she adores.

Yujin, the badminton player.

Yujin, the realistic one.

Yujin, the sociable one.

If Wonyoung were to list down every side that she likes about Yujin, it would take a lot before it would end. But most of all, this is Yujin, her best friend and the one that she likes.

Wonyoung poured her heart out as they sang the last chorus together. It was a rare occasion for her to let herself go and not care about Yujin possibly getting her emotions. But who cares, as long as she’s happy singing along with her best friend, that’s all that matters right now.

Yujin put down the guitar next to her and it was all that they could hear, the sound of the wooden guitar making a sound as it hit the floor along with the ticking of the clock. Yujin still wants to pinch the person who she was four minutes ago for choosing a song with such straightforward lyrics.

While Yujin was beating herself up, she could hear her own breath and that was how silent it was. No one dared to speak a word nor one would want to break it. And Yujin understands the reason why, after all, it was truly a daring song choice.

But unexpectedly, Wonyoung broke it.

“That was... such a song.” Wonyoung awkwardly laughed, unsure of what to say. “I haven’t heard it since ages.”

Yujin didn’t respond as she let herself get lost inside the universe that Wonyoung’s eyes hold. It amazes her how she has seen the same set of almond brown eyes a lot of times yet it’s effects never wavered on Yujin. It is still as mesmerizing and magnetic as she can remember, that Yujin can’t fight the invisible force that is pulling her in towards the younger.

And in the silence, she can hear the ticking of the clock along with her heartbeat telling her to confess. She already felt it earlier while she sang the first song but during the second song, it was even louder. With every strum she did, she can feel her own heart reaching out to hold the other’s. She can feel her own tongue itching to say those three words that it wanted to say long ago.

Who cares, I only have one life to live. I might as well say it.

“Your voice is really good. You should—”

“I like you.”

And just like that, a sudden explosion happened, one louder than the stars exploding.

And then silence immediately followed.

The silence was just so loud that it began to make Yujin uncomfortable. It wasn’t on her itinerary to confess tonight. She shifted in her seat and looked at the ground as if she can see an advice written over it which she needed to see. feels dry but she still swallowed her saliva in nervousness. She shifted in her seat again. Her eyes eventually went their way back again at Wonyoung. “More than a friend and I’m not joking, Wonyoung. I really like you.”

Yujin stared straight at Wonyoung and searched her eyes for any emotion that was possibly hiding there and she did see confusion, shock, and something else that she isn’t that familiar with. Yujin said it hoping that she could feel her sincerity and not think that it was just another one of her attempts at being funny.

Should I say sorry? Yujin thought as her eyes slowly averted to the floor.

But before she could even lower her head further and have a staring contest with an inanimate object, she felt Wonyoung’s arms around her, wrapping her with warmth. Yujin froze in place and her hands were slowly reaching up to return the hug but it stayed on her side when she heard Wonyoung’s mellow voice.

“I like you too.” 

“As a friend?” Yujin is lying if she doesn’t say that she doesn’t have her hopes up. But one foolproof way that she always does, is to never assume things.

Wonyoung untangled herself from their hug and Yujin swore that she saw Wonyoung shaking her head in slow motion.

“More than a friend.”

Yujin suddenly noticed how Wonyoung was so close to her. She didn’t notice when the younger scooted nearer to her but now she does as the distance between them was barely an arm’s distance. They were so close that she could see the moles on her face.

Yujin looked at Wonyoung’s enchanting eyes, traced her cute nose, and down to her lips. Yujin always wondered what it would taste like, but she caught herself thinking of such thoughts that she immediately brought it back to Wonyoung’s eyes.

And to Yujin’s surprise when Wonyoung slowly leaned forward until there were only a few inches between their faces. “You know you can kiss me.”

Yujin stayed frozen and her mind couldn’t think straight. Little by little, like an apple being pulled by gravity, she aimed to close the distance between them until they heard three loud knocks on the door.

The two immediately scrambled away from each other as if they didn’t just confess their feelings. They tried their best to look like they were sitting comfortably on the floor doing their own individual thing. Wonyoung leaned against the bed frame and Yujin put her hands on the floor behind her. It was only moments after when they saw Chaeyeon’s body under the door frame. 

“We have pizza delivered just now. Come downstairs,” Chaeyeon smiled, eyeing the two kids. If anything, all that she noticed was the guitar on the floor. “Let’s have a midnight snack.”

“Uhh, yeah,” Wonyoung gulped. “We’ll be there.”

Chaeyeon slowly closed the door. “Great!” The two didn’t speak until Chaeyeon’s footsteps were as faint as they could be.

“Well... there’s food.” Yujin smiled while looking at the door, feeling thankful that she was saved for tonight.

“I suppose there is.” Wonyoung stood up and messed up Yujin's hair. “I bet you it’s your favorite.”

“Pepperoni?” Yujin saw Wonyoung nod with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

“Race you downstairs.” Wonyoung sprinted and quickly opened the door. Yujin barely reacted due to surprise but that doesn’t mean she would give up trying to catch up to Wonyoung even if she had a head start (and she would lose anyway).

“Game on.”

---

Chaeyeon was reading a book on the bed while waiting for her wife to finish her skin care routine.

“Was it just me or the kids were glowing differently earlier?” Eunbi turned to Chaeyeon, with a face mask on her skin. A few minutes left before she can take it off, and then she can finally go to sleep.

“What do you mean? They were always glowing to me.”

“You don’t get it,” Eunbi muttered. “Their smiles are different this time. Sure they were bubbly during dinner, but are you sure we were watching the same two kids earlier eating pizza?”

In fact, Chaeyeon did notice something earlier. “The way they looked at each other I guess was different?”

“It’s precisely that,” Eunbi nodded. “And their smiles. Wonyoung’s smiles were the type you always give me.”

“What smile?” Chaeyeon asked, with a smile.

“That!” Eunbi exclaimed. “It’s a genuine and sweet smile. But I guess the way you look at someone is also a factor because I swear whenever you look at me like that, I know that you’re in love with me.”

Chaeyeon chuckled with what her wife was telling her, even if she still doesn’t know what type of look and smile she was pertaining to. “And you saw that type of look... And smile on our daughter?” Eunbi nodded.

“Maybe they’re in love with each other.” Chaeyeon closed the book and put it on the nightstand. “Or maybe they were just really happy tonight.”

“Here’s what I think.” Eunbi removed the face mask. “I think that it’s the former. And I think that Wonyoung will tell us about it soon.” Her rough guess is around two weeks or maybe one if she’s lucky. She also wrote down a mental note that she needs to talk to Exy about this new information tomorrow morning while the kids are still asleep here.

“How do you say so?”

“It’s purely mother’s instincts, honey.”