The following chapter takes place 2 years after the previous chapter.

This will (probably) be the last major timeskip in this fic.

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It's only been a few weeks since Minkyeong was sternly requested (aka banished) from Seoul by her parents to live with her aunt and uncle in this small, spit of a town near Bucheon but she's already had enough of it. Sure she understood why her parents did it. She's spent too many of her nights in the big city drinking and partying in a way that is actually illegal for a highschool student, but she never thought her parents would subject her to this.

This boredom.

This town she was sent to had absolutely nothing to do for entertainment. No karaoke bars, no arcades, no establishment open after 9pm, it was horrible. The only thing this place had going for it was cheap food and booze.

Her parents had of course, severely cut down her allowance to prevent her from continuing her "problematic" ways, but they had severely underestimated how cheap alcohol and cigarettes were outside of the city. Minkyeong still managed to get her fix, but barely. She still needed a job in order to eat and finance her vices, which is why she was currently employed part-time in the only icecream shop in town.

The shop was currently empty of customers, which is pretty unusual due to how on most days Minkyeong was kept so busy she didn't have time to even feel bored. The icecream shop was pretty famous, but right now the only people in the shop aside from her was the weird full timer who would spend most of his time spacing out or concocting new flavours to sell at the shop, the annoying self-professed "Top Employee" Jung Eunwoo, and her crazily attractive boss who was surprisingly only a few years older than her.

The sound of the door chime ringing caused Minkyeong to look up and she could only gape as the most interesting thing to happen to her since she moved to town walked in through the door. This girl was gorgeous. Gorgeous in a way that Minkyeong was pretty sure she wasn't native to these parts because how could someone that looks like that exist in this town without her knowing about it? Minkyeong watched as the tall girl with auburn hair walked/strutted towards the counter and Minkyeong wished she was wearing something more attractive than her current uniform because she ain't going to be scoring 10's in her current getup.

The girl standing in front of her looking down at the many assortment of flavours was easily a 10. And a half.

Minkyeong turned around to fix her hair in the tiny mirror behind her before turning back to the customer, adorning her winning smile and putting in extra emphasis in her body language to tell the beauty queen in front of her how attractive she was in as few words as possible.

"Hey gorgeous. See anything you like?"

Minkyeong made sure to emphasise the question with a wink, but the girl in front of her barely spared a glance before answering.

"I'm not really sure what I'm looking at."

Minkyeong was slightly taken aback by that. She wasn't sure if Korean Zooey Deschanel here was talking about their vast assortment of ridiculously named ice-cream flavours or Minkyeong herself, but she wasn't one to give up after one failure. If she had a middle name, it would be "Persistent".

"You're looking at what is most probably the most extravagant assortment of icecream you'll ever see in your life, served by the most attractive attendant you'll ever have. So what can I get for you today cutie?"

GorgeousGirl looked at her as if she's just had a very long day and Minkyeong was the period mark on her patience. "How about you get me your boss?" The request came out sounding tired, but it managed to make Minkyeong's eyes widen at the sudden turn of events.

"Whoa there just a minute Zooey! I mean c'mon look I'm sorry for flirting and stuff but you're really pretty and all so I can't help it! I just got this job and I reaaallly don't want to lose it! I'm sorry okay? I apologize!"

"Zooey...?" The girl repeated, sounding confused but before she could deliberate on it more the door leading to the back offices swung open and out walked a short girl with blonde hair tied into a tight ponytail. The said girl took one look at the scene in front of her before managing to piece the situation together.

"Minky are you harassing our customers again?"

"Oh my GOD unnie would you stop calling me Minky?! It sounds like something you would find in a zoo!"

"Hence, Minky." The blonde girl stated before turning to the now amused customer. "Hey Somi. Here to see the boss again?"

"Yeah. Is she in, or did she oversleep again? I swear you run a tighter ship than she does Eunwoo." Somi said, laughing at how the compliment seemed to light up Eunwoo's features considerably. The girl was always one to take her job seriously. Something she had to do because her boss was pretty helpless at times.

"Yeah, she's in. I'll go back and call her out for you. She'll be happy to see you, since it's been awhile since you've stopped by." Eunwoo said with a wave before turning back towards the room she had just walked out of, but not before chastising a daydreaming employee that Somi hadn't noticed was even there earlier.

"Taehyung seriously if you're going to be spacing out can you not do it in the way of everybody?"

"I'm getting inspiration now noona...How do you think....How do you think chocolate and maple syrup icecream would taste like?"

"Probably like chocolate and maple syrup. Now MOVE!" Eunwoo shoved the boy aside, but his expression remained spacey as if he didn't even notice. What an odd character, Somi thought.

*********************************************************

"Jesus Christ on a Tricycle."

Heehyun huffed, slamming her head onto her keyboard because that probably did more progress than her attempts to type out the rest of her inventory management. If she knew taking over Kahi's shop was going to be this annoying, she probably would've said no when she received the offer.

She started working as Kahi's sole employee/slave about 2 years ago. The business wasn’t exactly thriving, but they made do. Eventually Kahi had had enough of the ice cream shop and decided to sell it off so that she could move to the city in hopes of finding a nice man to settle down with. For some weird reason, Heehyun had jumped at the opportunity to acquire the business from her unnie and dropped out of university to take up the business full-time.

She struggled to manage the business alone but Heehyun was driven, almost as if she had something to prove. She had completely rebranded the icecream shop from the ground up, wanting to start fresh. The of luck for her business came when Kim Taehyung walked into her shop holding a resume, looking for part time work. Although a bit strange and spacey, the kid had a knack for experimenting and almost instantly every new flavor of icecream that he managed to concoct in that brilliant brain of his became a hit. She was selling triple the amount that she used to, and she had to hire Jung Eunwoo as an extra hand as business went out of control. Slowly but surely the success of her icecream store had managed to shut down every other competition in their small town making her a pretty successful business owner at the young age of 21.

Hard work, and sheer luck. She could be the poster child for Forbes.

She still hated doing paperwork though, which is pretty much what her role as “Boss” has been reduced to. Mountains and mountains of paperwork. Filling in orders and inventory management.

Heehyun heard a gentle knock on her office door and groaned loudly into her keyboard as her way of saying “come in.”

“Yo Boss. You still alive in here?”

“Ermppghdh.”

“You know, I can’t hear you when you have a mouthful of keys.”

Heehyun looked up from her keyboard and turned to her star employee, tears welling in her eyes and random keys stuck to her face.

“Kill me Eunwoo.”

Sighing, Eunwoo walked up towards her mess of a boss and plucked the keys off of the pink-haired girl’s cheeks, putting them back where they belong on the keyboard which….had a large crack in it. Heehyun broke another keyboard. That’s the third one in two months. Eunwoo just shook her head at her self-destructive boss because the more things Heehyun breaks, the more paperwork she herself has to file. Her boss is digging a hole for herself so deep she’s nearly to China by now.

“If I kill you who’s going to sign my paycheck?”

“Do it yourself.” Heehyun moped. Why was she moping? She was the owner of the most successful icecream shop this side of the map. Tour buses line the street to taste the confections she had on offer. Maybe Heehyun was just tired of responsibilities. To think she was called a “Demon” 2 years ago.

“You have a visitor outside. Go say hi to her.” Eunwoo finally said with a sigh, shoo-ing her boss out of the office.

“B-B-But paperworkkk~!”

Eunwoo gave a soft smile to her overworked employer and wheeled Heehyun by her office chair towards the door as the pink-haired girl continued to whine all the way. “I’ll take care of it later Boss. Go get some fresh air.”

Heehyun was very sorely tempted to jump up and give her employee/friend a hug. What on earth would she do without Eunwoo?

*********************************************************

Somi milled about the shop, silently admiring the décor and the pastel colour scheme Heehyun had applied onto the walls and furnishings. She had to admit, her friend really had something good going on here. Somi only wished she had been present to watch her friend’s business blossom from the ground up but unfortunately she’s been a bit too busy with her university coursework as well as her constant trips to the city to see Dani on the weekends. It was amazing that her friend had managed to become this successful at such a young age, but if anyone could do it Somi would have bet Heehyun’s name. Okay, maybe Nayoung’s name first, but Heehyun would be a close number 2.

A wall with various pictures and newspaper cuttings displayed on it was featured right next to the door leading to Heehyun’s office. For something that is obviously treated as a feature decoration of the shop, the decorations on the wall were never really mentioned much or referred to often. Somi suspects that it’s probably because the wall was basically Heehyun’s shrine for anything and everything related to DIA’s visual and award-winning actress, Jung Chaeyeon. She claims it’s because it’s good to showcase that such a successful idol came from such a small town and that she wanted to show off the town’s “greatest export” to all the passing tourists, but everyone knew better than that.

The office door swung open next to her as she continued to study the pictures on the wall and Heehyun came rolling out on an office chair being pushed by Eunwoo. The pink haired girl’s face lit up as she saw Somi standing there and before she could react she was already enveloped in the older girl’s tight hug.

“Somi!! It’s been so long!! How’s my 5^th favourite dongsaeng doing?!”

“Well, I’ve been—wait. Fifth? FIFTH?! What the hell! I’m at LEAST in the top 3!” Somi shouted in false outrage, swatting at her unnie’s shoulder while the latter grinned mischieviously.

Heehyun let go of Somi and scratched her chin in deliberation, holding back a laugh at the auburn-haired girl’s annoyance.

“Well, I guess you can be in the Top 3, but there’s no way you’re ranked above Eunwoo.”

“Love ya Boss.” Eunwoo quipped as she walked by the pair of them, giving her boss a high-5 on the way.

There was a small moment of silence as Heehyun continued to rank her dongsaeng’s in her head. Eunwoo was number 2, Somi was number 3….

“Taehyung you can be ranked under Somi.” Heehyun noted and the boy looked up from texting, not looking the slightest bit interested in the conversation. “I’m just glad to be included.” He politely responded with a nod before returning to his phone.

Heehyun lastly turned to her newest employee, Kim Minkyeong, who looked back at her with eyes full of poorly-hidden expectation. Oh it’s going to be so much fun to mess with this girl. She still had the smell of the city on her. Heehyun resented the city.

“Minky, get Somi a cup of our latest flavor.”

“What?”

“You heard me. The one Eunwoo came up with last week.”

Minkyeong looked almost visibly upset at being left out of the ranking. “B-But….what rank am I? C’mon Boss Cathy Ma’am!”

Those green eyes held that glint that made Minkyeong flinch in anticipation for the answer. It wasn’t going to be pretty. She should just shut up sometimes. This unnie was a lot scarier than the rest of the unnies she would meet at night in Seoul.

“Look Minky. It’s ranked out of five places, and the only ones left are the first and last place. Which do you think you’ll be?”

Minkyeong just blinked back at her in reply before sighing, disappearing behind the counter to scoop up Heehyun’s order. She wonders how long it’ll take before the whole town starts calling her by that ridiculous nickname.

******************************************************************

“What on earth flavor is this?” Somi asked, frowning at the cup of colourful confectionery before her as if it was going to start spewing out the answers.

“Weird huh? That, my dear friend, is the end result of leaving Eunwoo unsupervised in the test kitchen. She calls it ‘Zhou Jieqiong’s Jawline’.” Heehyun answered with a laugh and Somi looked at her almost appalled, question marks written all over her expression.

“Look, she came up with it so she gets to name it. Eunwoo is an amazing worker, dedicated as hell to ice cream for some weird reason but if there is one flaw with her, it’s that she is stupidly obsessed with Jieqiong.” Heehyun explained, eyes twinkling as she remembered the way her star employee’s jaw hit the floor the first time Jieqiong and Nayoung came down from the city to visit her shop.

“I’ve found the meaning of living,” Eunwoo had proudly professed, to the annoyance of Nayoung.

“Well….” Somi began, scrutinizing the rainbow coloured ball of cream in her cup and taking another bite out of it. “I mean, it’s not bad. The flavor is kinda overpowering at first but once you get used to it, it’s really kinda good.”

“Right?! Exactly like Jieqiong!” Heehyun stated, practically bouncing in her seat in joy because Somi described the flavor exactly how Heehyun had written it down on the product description. “The best part about it is watching people try to order it and struggle to pronounce Jieqiong’s name! Ooh I get such a kick out of that!”

A short laugh escaped Somi as she listened to her unnie excitedly recall stories of various times her customers had mispronounced their Chinese friend’s name. They were seated outdoors on the verandah of Heehyun’s shop and a light breeze was starting to pick up, blowing Heehyun’s long pink hair everywhere and Somi was amazed at how long the girl has stuck to that colour. 2 long years. Somi was pretty sure that Heehyun dyed her hair such an unnaturally garish colour in order to signify a need for change in her life, so Somi wondered if the constance of her hair colour signified that she’s found that change, or if she’s still looking for it.

“You okay Som? Why are you looking at me like that?” Heehyun was looking at her oddly, and Somi realized that she had just been caught staring.

“It’s nothing.” Somi brushed it off, and thankfully Heehyun just shrugged and didn’t choose to pursue the subject. Somi realized that Heehyun has changed in the past few years. She’s a lot more…calmer. More mature. She kinda had a Chungha-ish vibe to her with how collected she appears to be and Somi was kinda scared because Cathy the She Demon was never collected.

“So, why do I get a feeling that this isn’t just a social visit Somi?” Heehyun leaned forward, studying the younger girl. “You’ve been fidgeting ever since we sat down. What’s on your mind?”

Somi couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at the corners of . She wasn’t aware that she was being that transparent.

“I have news.” Somi began, and Heehyun nodded as a sign for the girl to continue. The younger girl took a deep breath to calm her beating heart before the largest smile she’s worn that day spread across her face.

“I got accepted into Ewha University.”

Heehyun’s eyes were as wide as saucers at the news. “HOLY ! That’s like, SUPER PRESTIGIOUS ain’t it?! Oh wow congratulations kiddo!!!” The older girl had leaped up off her chair for the second time that day to envelope Somi in another one of those bone-crushing hugs, and the younger girl’s eyes fluttered closed at the warmth.

“But unnie, listen. That means I’m going to have to move to Seoul.”

Like a vacuum Somi saw the joy get out of the older girl faster than she could wince as the realization set in. Heehyun slowly disentangled her arms from around her dongsaeng and plopped back down onto the chair, remaining dead silent. Somi watched the pink haired girl stare at a random spot on the table unmoving for what felt like an eternity before Heehyun finally let out a sigh.

“She’s such a cruel temptress isn’t she, that Seoul?”

Somi’s could feel the cracks start to form in her heart as Heehyun looked at her with those defeated eyes. She knew that she was the last of their group to leave for the big city. With her departure, Heehyun would be the only one in their group left in this one-horse town.

“You know, you could join us there. It’ll be fun.” Somi offered weakly.

“Nah.” Heehyun was quick to dismiss the suggestion. “There’s nothing for me in Seoul. I have a shop here now. I’m tied to this town.” There was a small laugh accompanying the statement, and Somi knew her unnie was trying her hardest to hide her disappointment at her leaving. This also made the second thing that she came to tell Heehyun even harder.

In an attempt to calm her nerves, Somi retrieved a half-empty carton of cigarettes from her handbag and began to light one in silence, offering one to Heehyun who turned it down with a wave of a hand.

“You know I quit smoking 2 years ago Som. Wouldn’t want to get back on that wagon eh?” Heehyun joked lightly as Somi took a long drag from her stick.

“Kinda ironic isn’t it unnie? How you quit and Dani started at around the same time?”

“Some might call it that.” Heehyun agreed with a small nod, not wanting to think about what their breakup had done to Dani. She knew her friend had changed. She’s heard about how Dani’s lost some of her shine, and she can see it too when they occasionally meet up. They were still close, but there was no hiding the guilt that Heehyun felt every single time she saw Dani, and how it reminded her of the idol in her life that she dared not mention out loud.

“You’ve been visiting her? I haven’t been keeping up with her as much as I probably should.” Heehyun stated with guilt.

“It happens. You’ve been busy with running your shop. She understands.” Somi replied with a smile, reaching across the table with her free hand to gently pat Heehyun’s. Somi took another long drag of her cigarette, allowing the exhaled smoke to dissipate in the air before continuing. “I’m probably going to be moving in with her when I get to Seoul.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Somi nodded, fidgeting slightly in her seat as she spoke. “She lives relatively close by to Ewha. I wouldn’t have to suffer the loneliness of living in the dorms.”

“You just want to have the freedom of drinking alcohol whenever you want to don’t you?” Heehyun teased, knowing full well that consumption of alcohol was strictly prohibited on campus grounds. Somi beamed and snapped her fingers in excitement as she laughed. “Bingo! You got it!”

The laughter soon died down, and Somi had put out her cigarette with the sole of her Jordan 13’s. They sat in silence as Somi looked as if she was formulating her next few words in her head, and Heehyun waited to hear what was bothering the younger girl.

After a few minutes, Somi turned to her and took a deep breath as if readying to dive underwater.

“I’m in love with her, unnie.”

You could have heard a pin drop. The silence was almost stifling, and the pair of them never broke eye contact. In all her years of knowing Heehyun, Somi never really felt the intimidation that was often synonimous with the pink haired woman. She had never felt the fear that others feel whenever Cathy Ki was near but for the first time ever, Somi felt a cold chill run down her spine as those sharp green eyes focused on hers. She wished she could decipher what was going through Heehyun’s mind currently but that was always Dani’s forte. The emerald eyes had her almost immobile, and maybe that was why Somi found herself sputtering out words like a machine gun with the flu because she was desperate to end the silence.

“I’m sure you know it too. I mean I don’t think I was being that subtle about my feelings for her. And I’m definitely sure she knows it as well because she’s always been sharp. You see, I’ve gotten really close to her in the past few years, and she’s starting to finally show signs that she’s getting over you so it’s got me thinking and feeling things…”

“I see.” Heehyun’s replies were curt, and those cold green eyes were still overbearing. Somi swore that the temperature around them must have dropped several degrees. Somi tried her best to remain undaunted, so she continued with her explanation.

“I just…I want to ask her out unnie. On a date. But she’s your ex, and I feel really bad for doing it and I don’t want there to be any hard feelings between us because I care for you so much and I don’t want to cross any lines but I can’t help that—“

“Somi.”

The younger girl froze at Heehyun’s interruption. She knew that it wasn’t a good idea to bring this up, but she didn’t want to do anything behind Heehyun’s back. Somi gulped before uttering a hesitant “…Yes?”

“It’s okay.”

Somi blinked in confusion. Heehyun smiled softly and continued, emotion spilling back onto her features. “I’m okay with it. Seriously. Both of you…. I hope you know that I love you both very much. The two of you deserve to be happy. You have my support.”

Tears welled up in Somi’s eyes after hearing Heehyun’s words. Like a jolt the younger girl had zipped out of her seat and was now hugging her friend in gratitude, bouncing slightly on her tippy toes.

“Thank you unnie!” Somi was squeezing the life out of Heehyun, and the latter’s face was starting to turn a shade of blue that complemented her pink hair but she could only smile back, gently patting Somi’s head.

“Aigoo. The two of you. Drop by the shop sometime aite? I’ll make sure to throw y’all two a congratulatory cake or something.”

“Unnie she hasn’t even said yes!” Somi exclaimed, letting go of her friend to see a knowing grin already plastered on Heehyun’s face.

“I know, but I have a good feeling.”

Somi nodded at that, contemplating Heehyun’s words as if weighing if they had any merit. After a brief moment of deliberation Somi walked back towards her seat opposite Heehyun and continued eating up the rest of now melted icecream.

“How about you? Anybody new in your life? Have you even tried dating anyone recently?” Somi turned back to Heehyun, a perplexing mix of concern and teasing on her face.

“Yo, of course I have! I mean, a girl has needs too! It’s just that none of them seem to last very long. By very long I mean more than a night.”

“How about that librarian? The one I caught you holding hands with at the river?”

“Kim Nayoung? She was cute! Really kind and a pretty mean cook. I might sound like a complete for saying this though, but after spending a night with her I realized that I couldn’t bring myself to date another Nayoung. Every time her name leaves my mouth it just feels weeeeirrd.”

“Unnie!” Somi whined with horrified eyes, not needing the imagery of Heehyun calling out Nayoung’s name in the midst of passionate lovemaking in her mind. Heehyun just smirked cheekily in response, satisfied with the blush currently staining her dongsaeng’s cheeks.

Heehyun was of course, exaggerating for stories’ sake. She was quite fond of Kim Nayoung in fact. They had even tried seriously dating but it never lasted more than a month, mostly because of an age-old problem that still haunted her. A problem that she knew Somi was aware of.

“Are you still not over Chaeyeon?”

The question came like a lightning bolt and Heehyun closed her eyes to still her beating heart at the sound of that name which was immediately followed by her cursing inwardly for letting it show. “After all this time?” Somi asked, understanding written all over her features and suddenly Heehyun felt like a pity-case, which she refused to be.

“If you’re expecting me to give you a Severus Snape reply I’m sorry, I won’t do it.”

“Would it kill you to humour me unnie?”

“It really might. I’m not kidding. There’s a very real possibility that humoring you would cause me to drop dead right here, right now.”

“Always.” Somi filled in the blanks herself with her best impression of Alan Rickman. Heehyun just shook her head in disbelief at her childishness.

Heehyun sighed in defeat. “I doubt she even thinks of me these days. It’s been 4 years. I’d be surprised if she’s actually not already dating another idol or something.”

Somi opened to reply, but whatever she was about to say was promptly cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. The younger girl pulled her phone out of her pocket, took one look at who was calling and immediately answered it, shooting Heehyun an apologetic look to which the latter simply waved off.

Somi spoke in English, too fast for Heehyun to translate in her head leading her to believe that this must be a family member calling. Sure enough, Somi got off the phone with a guilty look on her face before explaining. “Listen, I have to go. I’m sorry, I promised Evelyn I’d take her out to a movie tonight. I completely forgot.”

Heehyun nodded in understanding. She knew how close Somi was to her younger sister. “Make sure you see me before you leave for Seoul, aite?”

Somi flashed her a thumbs up and got up off her seat to give Heehyun another hug. This one noticeably less enthusiastic. As they pulled apart, Somi reached into her purse and withdrew a crumpled piece of paper that she scrutinized slightly with a frown before handing it to Heehyun.

“Here.”

Looking down at the crumpled paper Somi had just given her, Heehyun saw an unfamiliar phone number written on it. Heehyun looked back and forth between the paper she was holding and to Somi, expecting some sort of explanation.

“Whose number is this?”

Somi simply smiled back at her with a mischievious grin, lightly patting the hand that was holding onto the said piece of paper. “Chaeyeon’s. It’s her personal cell, so don’t go losing it!”

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Heehyun’s eyes widened in alarm, realizing how confidential and coveted Chaeyeon’s phone number was. As far as Heehyun was aware, Somi must be the only person aside from Chaeyeon’s own parents that has access to this number. Heehyun stared at Somi with disbelief in her eyes, wondering if Chaeyeon’s privacy should just be passed around on a piece of paper like this.

“Just…hold onto it. I don’t know. I’m sure you’ll find a use for it.” Somi simply shrugged her shoulders before sprinting away, waving back at Heehyun before the green eyed girl could say anything.

Heehyun watched Somi’s back disappear around the corner and brought her attention back to the piece of paper containing the phone number of the girl she hasn’t spoken to in years. Sighing, she shoved the paper into the back pocket of her jeans, not knowing what else to do with it.

*****************************************************************

Deafening music filled her senses, making her heart beat a million miles a minute to the beat. Chaeyeon knew she should be a lot more lively at this party because after all she was the reason why they were here in the first place, in some fancy upscale club in the middle of Gangnam. This was a celebratory party thrown for her by her company excutives for winning MBC’s Actress of The Year award, but she just couldn’t get into the swing of things.

A part of her felt honored to be celebrated like this, but she’s never liked this kind of music, no offense to the world-class DJ currently spinning for them from a high-rise platform overlooking the dancefloor. Chaeyeon has never liked strobe lights flashing in her eyes either because it made her dizzy and she especially did not enjoy awkwardly socializing with people who were half sober and probably wouldn’t remember their conversation in the morning.

She would much rather be at home, updating her blog (also award-winning) and cuddling into a warm blanket instead of here in her uncomfortable, fancy dress pretending that she was enjoying this flute of stupidly expensive alcohol that she legally wasn’t even allowed to drink yet. She was a few months shy of turning 19 but being underage meant very little when the people who signed her paychecks were the ones who shoved the drink into her hesitating hand. It was with even more hesitation that she allowed herself to be led by the wrist into a private booth by members of senior girl groups so that they could ‘talk’ in private.

Chaeyeon didn’t hate her job. She actually loved it, and in all honesty she was pretty damn good at it. One of the best in the country, with the trophies to back up the claim. The girl group that she was a part of would consistently top charts whenever they came back with a new song, the dramas she would act in have even peaked with a viewership of 29.7%. She was doing good, but there were parts of her job she disliked. She did not like the politics of the industry, she did not like the jealous stares that came with success, and she did not like treading on eggshells every time she stepped out of the house.

The soft lips currently mapping a trail along her jawline was not exactly a new occurrence. Chaeyeon was a hot commodity, always in demand. People always wanted her, and sometimes their approach can be…overbearing at times.

Red Velvet’s Joy aka Park Sooyoung was not one of these people. Sooyoung was always gentle, and maybe that was why Chaeyeon almost instinctively tilted her head in a way that allowed the lips on her jaw to explore other parts of her neck as if to welcome the intimate touch. The scent of alcohol filled Chaeyeon’s senses and she wondered if she should just succumb to her instincts for once and forget the fact that she should be the epitome of elegance in public. There were no cameras here. No need for false pretenses.

“S-sunbaenim—” Chaeyeon gasped, as the hand that had been resting on her thigh had crept upwards further up her dress. She was not stopping this. Sooyoung’s kisses were hot against her skin, and it might be the alcohol clouding her judgement but Chae wanted this. The insistent yet experienced hand doing unspeakable things between her legs and the devilish grin deliciously pressed to her neck encouraged the most unlady-like of sounds to escape her and she turned her head to surrender her lips fully to Sooyoung’s when something made her whole body freeze up entirely.

For a brief moment, the shortest of seconds, Chaeyeon could have sworn that she saw a flash of green within the hazy eyes that were threatening to devour her whole. A familiar emerald shade that stilled her completely.

Chaeyeon yelped and sharply recoiled backwards, leaving a very confused Sooyoung to stare at her with a frown. The older girl moved to close the gap between them again but Chaeyeon had already stood up on shaky legs made unsteady by alcohol and Sooyoung’s earlier ministrations, apologizing to her sunbae and making a beeline towards the nearest washroom without so much as an explanation.

Ignoring the other girls in the washroom, Chaeyeon darted towards the nearest vacant sink and proceeded to splash water on her face, ignoring the damage it would do to her perfectly applied makeup. The water was cold, but so was her heart. A heart that hasn’t opened up to another human in 4 years. A heart that was still haunted by green eyes and red hair.

As she looked up, she recognized the girl in the reflection of the mirror looking back at her. It was the Chaeyeon of the past. The one she tried to bury under layers and layers of trophies and accolades. Her fingers traced the lipstick stains along her porcelain jaw and she sighed.

She was happy.

She was decidedly happy doing what she was doing, with the path that she’s chosen. But try as she might, she just couldn’t seem to forget Heehyun. It’s been 4 years. It’s ridiculous. She has no right to still be thinking of the girl she left behind. She’s tried her best to convince herself that what she had with Heehyun was just young love. She was only 13 when they got together. It couldn’t be the real thing.

But she knew it was, because every attempt Chaeyeon made to forget Heehyun only brought up memories of the girl with emerald eyes that were so vivid she wished she could relive them all over again. To be honest, she has no more contractual obligations preventing her from dating again. The dating ban her company had placed on her was lifted a few weeks ago, but the only thing stopping her from running back to Heehyun was fear. Does she still think of her? Would Heehyun still accept her after 4 years of ending their relationship?

Hell, for all she knew Heehyun could already be engaged to somebody right now. Somebody that could treat her the way she deserved to be treated, the way Chaeyeon failed to treat her. The very idea of Heehyun happy with another girl caused Chae to grip the porcelain sink harder and tears started to spill down her cheeks.

She was happy, but oh so lonely.

“You with the sad eyes,

Don't be discouraged

Oh I realize,

It's hard to take courage.”

Chaeyeon jerked sharply upwards, looking around the washroom for the source of that singing, but she was alone. The rest of the girls must have cleared out of the area when she started to break down out of respect and understanding, because girls breaking down and crying was not an uncommon occurrence in her line of work. She has never done it though. Never in public. Never in front of others. This was a chip in her otherwise unblemished porcelain mask.

“In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all,

And the darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small.”

The singing continued, and Chaeyeon managed to trace it back to the stalls.

Slowly, tentatively, she moved her heavy feet towards the direction of the beautifully familiar voice. Drawn by the choice of lyrics and the slurred words, something that Chaeyeon can confidently say was caused by intoxication.

She reached the stall, and as she peered inside she saw a very familiar face sprawled out on the toilet, sitting on it’s lid and looking very drunk. Yebin must have gotten a bit too carried away and had one too many to drink again because now she was on a toilet seat wearing an extremely expensive Alexander McQueen dress singing Cyndi Lauper.

A wide smile stretched across Yebin’s face as she recognized Chaeyeon, and the latter looked on at her unnie with an affectionate smile. There was a skip in the singing as Yebin hiccupped, but she recovered soon enough, looking directly at Chaeyeon as she continued.

“But I see your true colors,

Shining through.

I see your true colors,

And that's why I love you.”

Chaeyeon walked into the stall, gently fixing her disheveled unnie’s disheveled bangs as a hand reached up to lightly carress her cheek and wiping away the remainder of her tears.

“Your true colors.

Your true colors are beautiful,

Like a rainbow.”

“Like a rainbow.” Chaeyeon repeated the last line of Yebin’s song. A smile dancing on her lips as the soft caresses turned into a gentle, playful tugging on her cheeks.

“You’re sad. Why do you look so sad, Dollface?” Concerned eyes laced with affection looked up at her, and Chaeyeon leaned down to gently press her lips to her unnie’s forehead.

“I’m not sad unnie.”

“Why are you crying then? Are those…are those happy tears?” Yebin asked again with childlike innocence. Inebriation for Yebin was a gateway for her to regress a few years, and had it been anybody else Chaeyeon probably would not have bothered to deal with the situation but this was Yebin, and she was fond of her unnie.

“I guess…I guess they are. I was remembering something very happy.” Chaeyeon slowly agreed after settling on an answer, hoping the conversation would end there but Yebin had other plans as she followed up with another question. “Oh…? What is it? What was the happy thing?”

Her unnie probably wouldn’t remember this conversation anyways, so it wouldn’t hurt to answer with a little smidgen of truth would it? After all, Chaeyeon was so tired of pretending everything was alright. She was tired of pretending as if every love song she sang wasn’t dedicated to the girl she left back home. “It’s....about a girl. I was remembering a girl I knew. She had eyes like emeralds, so green it’s like she came out of a fairytale.”

“She sounds pretty…Is she? Is she pretty Chae-Chae?” Yebin asked with a dreamy smile, and Chaeyeon beamed with affection as she softly caressed her unnie’s hair making the older girl’s eyes droop in relaxation.

“The prettiest.” Chaeyeon answered simply. It was the truth. Even in her career she has never met anyone that she could say attracted her the way Heehyun did, even when her last memory of her ex was when the said girl was only 18 years old. A beauty queen of only 18.

“Prettier than you?!” Yebin’s eyes snapped wide open in disbelief, and Chaeyeon giggled in amusement.

“I can’t even hold a candle to her unnie. Hard to believe isn’t it?”

Yebin clapped her hands like a seal, excitement seeping out of her pores at the thought of a girl prettier than her visual groupmate existing in the world. “I like pretty girls! I want to meet her! Can I meet her?”

Chaeyeon paused then. Would it be okay? Would it be awkward? Would Heehyun be mad at her? Heehyun had broken up with Dani because of her, so Chaeyeon wondered if the girl with green eyes wouldn’t hold some kind of contempt towards her, because Chaeyeon basically ruined Heehyun for anyone else. The very same way Heehyun had ruined her.

“She still loves you, y’know? And frankly I don’t think she’s capable of loving anyone else. Believe me Chae, I’ve tried.”

“Me too.” Chaeyeon answered finally, voice as soft as a whisper. “I want to meet her too. Maybe one day we can go see her together?” It wasn’t a promise, but it was a suggestion laced with hope.

“Do you love her Chae?”

Chaeyeon looked down at her unnie, whose eyes held surprising clarity for someone this intoxicated. It disarmed her slightly more than the question that she wasn’t ready to answer. She still hadn’t mustered the courage to admit it out loud, because if she did the walls around her heart she’s spent 4 years building would probably crumble into dust.

Instead Chaeyeon leaned down to press her lips against Yebin’s forehead again, before putting an arm under her friend’s elbow to gently ease her up off the toilet seat into a standing position.

“C’mon unnie. Up you go! Let’s get you back to the dorm.”

*************************************************

“Is this the last of them?”

Dani asked as she helped Somi, aka her new housemate move the last of her luggage into their apartment. The younger girl had showed up at Dani’s front door carrying what looks (and feels) like every single material possession that she owns with her, and they’ve spent the last half an hour lugging in all the suitcases and boxes that Somi somehow managed to bring with her all the way to Seoul by herself.

“My back. My gosh I think I’m creaking like the bathroom door.” Dani huffed, stretching her joints and wincing as she heard random body parts pop and crack at the action. Somi had collapsed herself onto the large sofa in the centre of the living room, not even bothering to take off her jacket that was still wet with snow.

“The bathroom door creaks? You didn’t tell me that when I signed the agreement.” Somi sat up, staring accusingly at Dani who just laughed it off.

“I didn’t? Must have slipped my mind. Oh well, guess you’re stuck with it.”

“I guess. I’m also stuck with you.” Somi muttered as she laid back down, but Dani managed to catch it. An amused smile spread across Dani’s face as she walked up to the sofa and smacked her dongsaeng across the face with a plump cushion, making the latter yelp out in surprise.

“Stuck with me eh? Is that a bad thing?” Dani teased, as Somi held her arms up in front of her face to shield it against the older girl’s continuous assault.

“It could be worst!” Somi half shouted, begging for mercy which Dani granted as she stopped her attack. Instead she just looked down at her tousle-haired dongsaeng, who was cheekily sticking her tongue out now in an attempt to further annoy Dani. Rolling her eyes, Dani quickly pinched the younger girl’s nose before walking away.

“Little punk. You never change.”

“Where are you going?” Somi asked, sitting up again to watch her unnie’s back retreat into the kitchen.

“I’m making you dinner. Consider it a ‘Welcome Home’ gift.”

Dani’s choice of words brought out the widest smile possible on Somi’s face. Home. This was her home for the next few years of university, and she gets to share it with the girl that she was so in love with. It was exciting. It was an adventure. Finally, Somi managed to get out of that suffocatingly small town and spread her wings in the big city instead.

In truth, Somi was actually doing Dani a favour by moving into the apartment. The elder girl had been bearing the rent of a whole apartment unit by herself since her former housemate had left a few months back and needless to say it was taking a huge toll on her financially. Not everyone was cash rich like Cathy Ki. The apartment wasn’t a small one. It had more than enough space for two people to live in comfortably with two spacious bedrooms and bathrooms which was a commodity in this part of town where space was limited.

Somi got up from the sofa and joined her unnie in the kitchen, pulling up one of the barstool seats to sit by the island counter so that she could admire Dani’s beautiful back at work, chopping up vegetables and throwing them into a pot of god-knows-what. Somi honestly didn’t care. As cheesy as it sounds, she could probably get full just from this sight of Dani cooking for her.

Noticing that Dani was struggling due to her long hair getting in the way, Somi got up off her stool and approached the figure of domestic beauty before her. Gathering all of Dani’s soft brunette locks in her hand, Somi pulled the hair tie out of her own hair to tie Dani’s up into a ponytail, out of the way of her cooking. Somi’s hands rested on the elder girl’s shoulders and contemplated moving them forward to give the elder girl a backhug but she wondered if that would be too forward.

Dani turned to face her, angelic smile on that angelic face just to word out one of the sweetest thank you’s Somi has ever heard in her life. As if sensing her hesitation Dani let the ladle she was holding rest in the pot she was stirring just so that she could guide Somi’s hands with her own, bringing them around her own waist and holding them there as if reassuring the younger girl that this level of intimacy was alright and welcomed. Somi instantly melted into the backhug, resting her nose into the back of her unnie’s shoulder and watching Dani continue cooking without missing a beat as if nothing had happened.

“Is that…ramyun?” Somi questioned with a muffled voice as she finally got a close up look at the contents of the pot.

“Yes it is.”

“I expected something….fancier.”

“I’m sorry your highness. I forgot to do the groceries.” Dani laughed and it somehow managed to steal the air right out Somi’s lungs. The world could end right now and she would be content.

“I could get used to this.”

Dani turned her head to look at her dongsaeng again, curiosity mixed with amusement in her voice as she questioned Somi’s sudden statement.

“Get used to what? My ramyun? I assure you it’s not that special.”

“You’re special.” Came Somi’s simple answer, and she swore she saw a blush creep up on her unnie’s cheeks.

“You better not get used to it. Responsibilities are meant to be shared.” Dani muttered in a low voice, a teasing smile on her face. Somi’s hand involuntarily tightened around Dani’s waist slightly due to her exerting extra effort to not lean down and capture that smile with her own lips.

“I’ll cook next time then.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“….Am I getting in the way of your cooking?”

“No. No, let’s just stay like this. Just like this.”

Somi was positive that she was restricting Dani’s movements and getting in the way of her cooking, but at her unnie’s insistence she never did let go. How could she anyway, when the body currently pressed into hers right now fit the gaps of her body perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle?

They ate their ramyun in silence, both just enjoying the company of the other. The only sounds in the apartment came from their cutlery and the washing machine in the corner. It was quaint, and although this whole set up was new to Somi she could see herself becoming accustomed to the shared lifestyle very easily. It helped that Dani was such an accommodating host.

Somi offered to wash the dishes in exchange for dinner, and Dani heartily accepted, although the older girl stayed by her side all the while, casually leaning against the counter top next to Somi and giving Somi goosebumps as those brown eyes observed her every move. It was electric, and it was only their first day living together but the younger girl wasn’t sure how much longer she could live with this beauty and remain casual about it.

They were currently lying down on Dani’s bed, exorbitantly large for such a lithe figure but it felt just perfect with the two of them on it. They shared a thick blanket as the dark room was illuminated only by the light coming from the TV which was currently playing a movie that Dani had randomly put on. Somi wasn’t sure what it was about. She had been distracted by how good Dani’s bed smelled, and how amazing the said girl looked in just a simple pair of pajamas.

Dani wore a simple ensemble. A button down top in a light shade of pink, adorned with butterflies of various colours with a matching bottom but that was enough for Somi. That was enough to remind her of every single reason as to why Kim Danielle was the most beautiful woman alive.

“Enjoying the movie?”

Somi’s head snapped up to face the owner of the voice that had cut through her thoughts and was greeted with Dani staring at her, a knowing smile on her face. The light coming from the TV seemed to reflect off Dani’s eyes, making them twinkle in the most alluring of ways.

“I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t paying attention.” Somi sheepishly admitted, which unexpectedly made Dani smile even wider.

“I know. I can feel your eyes on me.”

Somi audibly gulped at being caught redhanded. The way in which Dani said it though, made her feel like her observing of the girl was not exactly unwelcomed. “You can? My bad.” Somi paused, before adding “I don’t feel sorry though.”

“I bet you don’t.” Dani had a smirk on her face that screamed of danger and temptation. The older girl reached over towards Somi and pulled her closer so that they were snuggling into each other and suddenly all Somi could see, smell, feel, breathe was Kim Danielle. She was a mixture of tangerines and tobacco, a combination that you wouldn’t find on the shelves of your nearest perfume store but it was just the right scent to have Somi feeling lightheaded.

“I could get used to this.” Somi dreamily sighed. She could feel Dani’s fingers ghosting over the skin of her arm, sending shivers up and down her spine.

“Get used to what? Lying down on my bed? You have your own next door.” Dani sounded amused, but those fingers never stopped dancing over Somi’s skin. They’ve been this close before. Somi was always fond of skinship and she would often initiate it but there was something in Dani’s voice tonight that made Somi hyper-aware of her touches.

“I like this one more for some reason. I can’t quite put my finger on why though.” Somi answered back, snuggling closer into her unnie’s embrace as if to hint at the answer.

“Maybe it’s just one of those mysteries. Life is full of questions isn’t it Som?”

“Yeah. I have a few that keep me up at night.”

“That’s unfortunate. Maybe I can help you with some of them?”

Somi looked up to raise a playful eyebrow at Dani’s offer. She then realized exactly how close they were to each other, and she immediately looked away, not able to stand being this close to Dani.

“An expert problem solver now Kim Dani? What can’t you do?” Somi breathed out the question, meaning for it to be rhetorical and it almost came out as a sigh.

“Take my eyes off of you for starters.”

The line was cheesy. Corny even. Somi hated how it still managed to make her stomach do summersaults and backflips. She appreciated how Dani was taking the initiative though, because frankly Somi was always hesitant to make a move. A small part of her was always afraid that the older girl was never quite over her ex. Somi was essentially by Dani’s side all through that breakup. She practically lived through the heartbreak along with Dani, watching as the older girl withered away in silence from a blossoming flower to a shell of her former self. She was there when Dani lit her first cigarette, she was there when Dani lost her warmth and began to grow cold.

Most importantly though, she was there when Dani decided to pack her bags and move to the city just so that she could get away. She was there when the city lights brought the shine back to her friend’s eyes. She was there when Dani started smiling again, and most of those smiles were aimed at her. She was there when Dani’s hugs became warm again and the steel in the latter’s eyes melted down into molten flame that dare she say it, was meant just for her.

Somi wanted to take the leap. She never dared to under normal circumstances, but Dani was essentially sticking her arm out, preparing to catch her if she fell.

“Dani….” Somi began, realizing just how dry was.

“Hmm?”

“Here’s a question for you.”

“I’m all ears.”

“If I asked you to be my girlfriend, would you say yes?”

The question had taken courage that Somi never knew she had. Now it was out in the open, there was nothing she could do to take it back so she just waited. She waited for an answer of any kind, whether it be a yes or a no. She waited, and eventhough only a few seconds had passed Somi felt like she had been waiting an entire lifetime just to hear Dani’s answer. The older girl stayed mum, a smile playing on her lips as she observed Somi fidget and twitch in worry.

“How many nights has that question kept you awake for?” Dani finally asked, reaching out to lightly caress Somi’s cheek.

Somi inhaled sharply at the contact, suddenly feeling so vulnerable and exposed. Dani’s light touches seemed to set fire to her nerves. “Several years worth.”

“Let me think about it.”

Dani scooted closer and Somi froze up, not knowing what to do. She was usually the active and bold one, but around Dani she couldn’t help but be docile. The girl calmed her in a way that a tranquilizer dart would a raging elephant. Somi sees the way Dani’s eyes flickers towards her lips. Dare she be so forward as to kiss her unnie? Would that even be allowed in the grand scheme of things? Was she worthy of marking this…this angel with her touch?

She couldn’t think, and Dani knew this so the older more experienced girl didn’t even give her an option. Dani closed the distance between them as swift as an ocean breeze and before Somi could register what was happening she felt soft lips press against her own.

It was Somi’s first ever kiss, and it was magic. It was like all her dreams had come true. She was kissing Dani. THE Kim Dani. It was better than she could have ever dreamt up. The way Dani’s soft lips felt against her own, the way Dani seemed to slowly ease her into her first kiss, it was perfect.

Just when Somi thought it couldn’t get any better Dani had somehow managed to coax her into parting her lips and suddenly there was Dani’s tongue, gently flicking against her own and the younger girl couldn’t stop the embarrassing moan from leaving . It was electric, and as Dani got a bit more into the kiss Somi’s inexperience began to show so she surrendered herself to her unnie’s touch, allowing Dani to bring her to places she could never have reached on her own.

They parted eventually, and Somi stared dumbstruck at Dani, who was looking flushed. Kissing Dani had somehow managed to simultaneously breathe life into her and take it away altogether. Dani giggled lightly at Somi’s still awestruck expression and kissed the younger girl’s nose in adoration.

“Wow.” Was all Somi could muster after a moment of silence.

“Wow indeed.” Dani agreed.

“Can I take that as a yes?” Somi breathed out in wonderment.

“I guess you can.” A teasing laugh soon followed Dani’s statement, but Somi was still in disbelief. She had been wanting this for so many years, but to finally get it….no words could describe how she felt right now.

“You’re my girlfriend now? You’re really, really my girlfriend now?”

“So many questions Somi. Shush.”

And just like that, they were back to kissing each other again but Somi couldn’t stop the smile that threatened to be a permanent fixture on her face. Dani was hers. Kim Danielle was actually hers. A tear threatened to fall from her eyes but she refused to let it drop because that would ruin the moment and that would be the last thing she wanted to do. There was no way Somi would willingly ruin anything that made Dani smile like that because Somi was in love with this girl. She was so, so in love with this girl that she herself couldn’t believe that her small body could contain such strong emotions for one single human being.

“I could get used to this.” Somi admitted finally after a few more rounds of making out with the girl of her dreams, who was currently snuggling so close to her there was no way of telling where one started and the other ended.

“Likewise.” Dani smiled up at her, kissing her girlfriend’s cheek and mapping kisses along Somi’s jawline.

“Looks like my bed in the other room won’t be getting much use eh?”

“Oh you didn’t actually check did you? There is no bed in the other room.”

“What?” Somi looked down at her girlfriend in disbelief, who only grinned cheekily in return.

“You were always meant to share this bed with me. You’re not going anywhere Jeon Somi.”

Somi knew at that moment, lying down in their bed, that she was the luckiest human being alive on planet earth.

“Yeah. I’m staying right here Dani.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hello!! This chapter was supposed to be shorter. It really was. But somehow it became 10,000 words again. I feel like this is the norm now. I don't know how to write anything shorter than 8k words anymore hahahaha! 

So, as for the timeskip. The main reason behind the timeskip was to give Dani time to heal so that she could be with Somi, and so that I could remove Chaeyeon's dating ban. Dating bans usually last like, 2-3 years? I asked a friend in the korean music industry and he said it's usually about 3 years. Heehyun is the boss of her own shop, because I wanted to give her a reason to stay in the city. That was the original plan when I introduced the ice cream shop in chapter 1, and I'm so happy I finally managed to tie that up all together. Took ages! 

As for the employees! Minkyeong and Eunwoo are from Pledis Girlz, and I'm a huge fan of Pledis so I had to include them somehow. Minkyeong had an (alleged) iljin past, so I kinda used that as an excuse for her being sent into the town. I like Eunwoo personally, so I had to include her. Taehyun was there just because I felt like the fic had too many girls and it needed a male, no matter how small the role is.

So, I hope I managed to tie the Somi x Dani pairing up properly. That should be the end of that arc, and that should be the Dani's happy ending. By my drafts, I have two more chapters left of this fic and the last two shall be dedicated to the main pairing of this fic, Heehyun and Chaeyeon.

Thank you so much for reading, and I'm very very very thankful for the upvotes and comments! Especially the comments! I love getting feedback and interacting with you guys! That's like, 70% of the reason why I write hahaha! Special thanks to upvoters for this round goes to firstlove, asharii, and LyonQuinn!! Thank you!!!

Thank you so much for reading an patiently waiting for this fic to update. Here's a gif of Heehyun looking stupidly attractive as thanks!

Also: MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!