Sunday Morning

 

1

 

Moon Byulyi loved Sunday mornings. Refreshed by a good night’s sleep, she loved the slow and easy pace.

 

On this particular day, she hadn’t felt like making breakfast, and, after throwing on her favourite weekend “I don’t give a ” outfit of T-shirt and sweatpants, plugged music into her ears and jogged downstairs to a little café beside her apartment.

 

She came out with a fresh bun, a coffee, and a big grin. Standing at the doorway of the little shop, she took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh, dewy, Sunday air.

 

She checked her watch. Perhaps she could pick up her mail. It was just a short walk to the mailboxes inside her complex, hopefully just enough time for her to finish her breakfast.

 

Leaving the café behind her, she headed back toward her apartment, happily chewing while bobbing along to the music in her ears.

 

As she stopped at a crosswalk, she noticed a white truck parked at the entrance of her complex.

 

That’s new, she thought absentmindedly, taking a sip of her coffee as she waited for the light to change. Just as she stepped off the curb, a car signalled into her lane. She paused, hopped back onto the curb in annoyance when the car changed its mind and kept going. Shrugging it off, she took a bite out of the bread and turned her attention back to her path.

 

Directly ahead, from behind the parked white truck, a little grey dog with a blue sweater pattered out.

 

Huh, never seen a dog like that around here, she thought. It’s so cute.

 

She faltered for a moment, wondering if she should pet the dog, but something told her it was a bad idea to bug the little dog with both hands full. The dog watched her with shiny black eyes as she drew closer.

 

Unable to resist, she stopped in front of the dog. Hello, she wanted to say—she’d never been good at talking to things that can’t talk back. Instead, she stopped in front of the dog, grinning as she took a big bite of her bun. Out of curiosity, her eyes trailed along the little dog’s leash.

 

A short-haired woman in a knitted hat and a big scarf had her back turned to her, desperately trying to fix the traffic cone she must’ve knocked over. Byulyi tilted her head. Another young mother, probably, she thought. There were so many of those in her neighbourhood.

 

She turned her attention back to the little dog, who sat, looking up at her curiously from under bushy brows. She stuffed the rest of her breakfast into to free up one of her hands, then bent down. The little dog wagged its tail and leaned its front paws on her shin, eager to meet her hand with its head.

 

“Jjing—” Byulyi whipped around guiltily just as the little dog’s owner turned around and met her eyes.

 

Byulyi’s eyes widened, straightening up immediately—holy , she was beautiful. Her big eyes met her own and her heart threatened to jump out of her chest.

 

Suddenly, she was hyper aware of her messy, wrinkled clothes and her messed up hair that she hadn’t bothered to blow dry after her shower.

 

“Hello,” the other woman said, smiling politely.

 

Byulyi opened to reply, her body deciding to remind her she had a mouthful of bread by choking her. Her hands flew to to cover her cough, hoping with every fibre of her being that she wouldn’t cough her breakfast all over this beautiful woman.

 

The woman blinked.

 

Instead of swallowing and returning her greeting like a normal person, Byulyi swallowed her breakfast and her courage, and walked away as fast as social acceptability allowed her.

 

2

 

The second time Byulyi sees her again, it was Tuesday evening. Far too soon, and somehow not soon enough. She was walking home while her friend cycled beside her, chatting happily while they approached her complex.

 

They were right at the entrance, when Byulyi saw her again.

 

“To be honest, I don’t really know how I feel about the last movie,” Wheein was saying, her copper hair flying as she swung herself off the bicycle to pass through the gate. “So, I told Hyejin—”

 

Byulyi halted to a stop. The plastic bags full of beer bottles rattled loudly in her hands. “Oh my god.”

 

Wheein looked back from a few steps ahead. “What?”

 

Byulyi looked down—she’d come from work so her business-casual attire was a lot less embarrassing than sweatpants at least. Her hair was probably messy, but her hands were full, so she opt instead to stew miserably on the spot as she recalled the last time she’d seen a mirror.

 

“Oh, what a cute dog!” Wheein squealed, hurriedly popping out the kickstand to crouch down and meet the dog. She looked up at the owner, still in her knit cap and big scarf, who was smiling politely and looking as beautiful as the first time.

 

Wheein smiled back—how did she do that so easily, Byulyi wondered.

 

“What’s her name?”

 

“Jjing-Jjing,” the woman replied, shaking the leash a little to get her dog’s attention. “She’s very friendly, but she’s a grandma, so she can’t go very far.”

 

“Wow,” Wheein went on—as if it was the most normal thing in the world to be talking to a literal goddess, “Are you new here? We’ve never seen you or Jjing Jjing around here before.”

 

At the mention of “we”, the woman looked up and around until she caught Byulyi’s eyes. For a moment, she looked almost startled to see her—Byulyi couldn’t help but wonder if she could see her armpit stains—but her expression quickly softened and she waved.

 

Byulyi lifted a bag of beer as high as she could and waved a small wave that sent the bottles rattling into each other. Why was she standing so awkwardly far away?

 

Wheein turned to her then and raised her brow. Upon seeing Byulyi’s sheepish and mildly horrified expression, the biggest grin lit up her face.

 

Oh , she knows.

 

“Yes, I moved in not so long ago,” the woman explained. “Do you two live around here too?”

 

“Yep! My girlfriend and I live just over there,” Wheein chirped, pointing to her left.

 

“Oh! Your girlfriend?” The woman said. She slid her eyes toward Byulyi for a moment, then back to Wheein, who was still grinning far too much. “S-sorry I hope that didn’t sound rude,” the woman murmured, “I’ve just never met anybody who would declare that to a total stranger.”

 

Wheein shrugged. “We’ve been together forever. And you seem nice. Are you uncomfortable with it?”

 

The woman chuckled. “No. No, I’m not. You guys are a cute couple.”

 

Byulyi, pale as a sheet at the direction this conversation had taken, strode forward until she was perhaps a little too close to the woman. Jjing Jjing barked, but Byulyi didn’t care. She has to tell her: “WHEEIN IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND.”

 

Her chest heaved slightly with emotion. The woman looked highly uncomfortable, while Wheein crossed her arms.

 

“Wow, unnie, no need to be so offended that you felt the need to yell it in someone’s face,” Wheein said. “For the record, I think you’re gross too. Sheesh.”

 

“Sorry,” the woman said with an uneasy smile.

 

“I’m the one who should apologize,” Wheein said, crouching down to pet the ruffled dog. Jjing Jjing sat down, calm enough now to enjoy the petting with a wagging tail. “Sorry my friend is such an idiot. She lives in the building next to mine, so we spend way too much time together. I tend to forget how weird she is sometimes. Don’t worry, she’s harmless. Just awkward.” Byulyi bowed her head a little. “Anyway, next time we get together, you should join us!”

 

The woman bent down and picked Jjing Jjing up into her arms, where she comfortably laid, excited to be at almost eye level with the other humans.

 

“Jjing and I would love that,” she replied, smiling broadly. “My name is Kim Yongsun, by the way.”

 

“I’m Jung Wheein!” She clapped a hand on Byulyi’s shoulder and, with an expression so serious that it was almost mean, she said, “This idiot is Moon Byulyi.”

 

Byulyi wanted to kick her. But Yongsun was watching her with such curiosity that she could only duck her eyes and mumble something her brain hadn’t fully processed.

 

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Yongsun replied.

 

3

 

Before she knew it, it was Sunday morning again. Just in case, Byulyi ate her breakfast at home and went downstairs for a simple, innocuous walk—definitely not searching for a little dog in a blue sweater. But just in case she happened to randomly, by accident, not on purpose, stumble across the little dog, she decided to go empty-handed so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself. Maybe she will finally pet Jjing Jjing. And talk to Yongsun.

 

She swallowed. Okay, baby steps.

 

Suddenly, her phone rang.

 

“Umma?”

 

Twenty minutes later, Byulyi found herself stumbling out of the post office with a pile of boxes in her arms. Balanced on top of a long, thin box was a small tower of various squares and rectangles. “Goddammit,” she muttered, as she tried to stay balanced. A small packet fell into the crook of her arm and she groaned. Why did her family have to order so much stuff. To her address, no less.

 

“We knew you’d be home,” her mother had said.

 

How dare you take advantage of my hermit lifestyle! Byulyi has wanted to retort. Really, it wasn’t her fault that work was demanding at times.

 

She had just reached the gate of her complex when a square box fell to the floor. She groaned, squatting down to place the whole tower on the ground so she could stack the box in place.

 

“Do you need help?”

 

Byulyi whipped up, peering up at the last woman she currently wanted to see in her state of frustration. Kim Yongsun stood above her, sans cap, sans scarf, and sans dog. Her hands were buried in her fawn-coloured pea coat, and her cheeks were pink from the cold.

 

Hi.

 

, I didn’t say it out loud, her brain cried. Now the moment’s gone. Dammit, now it’s awkward. Stop staring!

 

Yongsun tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a habit, it must’ve been, from when her hair was longer. “A-are you alright?” She repeated.

 

“Oh! Um, yeah,” Byulyi mumbled.

 

“Can I help you carry anything?”

 

Byulyi’s eyes widened. “Ah, you must be busy,” she said, perhaps a little too quickly, “I don’t want to be a burden.”

 

“Oh, no, I’m just, ah, out for a walk. Too used to waking up early, I suppose. Even Jjing wanted to sleep longer today,” Yongsun replied, chuckling lightly. Before Byulyi could reply, she stopped to pick up several boxes. “These are very light,” she commented.

 

“Yes,” Byulyi sighed. “That’s why they keep falling. They’re probably just snacks or clothes.”

 

They walked side-by-side toward Byulyi’s apartment. Relieved that she didn’t have to face the beautiful stranger, conversation flowed a little easier.

 

“You don’t know what’s inside?”

 

“No,” Byulyi laughed. “This is all my family. They like to send things to my address because they know I don’t go out that much.”

 

“Oh? That’s surprising considering how many times we’ve run into each other now,” Yongsun said.

 

Byulyi chuckled nervously. Great, what could she possibly say now to not seem like a creepy stalker. Most people would just agree, wouldn’t say? Dammit, you idiot, now it’s too late to say something again, Byulyi’s inner voice screamed. She’s going to think you’re really dumb.

 

“You must go out sometimes,” Yongsun went on, oblivious. “Not even on dates?”

 

At that, Byulyi barked a too-loud laugh, and had to quickly turn away in shame. She apologized, but it only served to spark a conversation she didn’t really want to have with a perfect stranger. And she really did seem perfect.

 

“Did I say something wrong?” Yongsun asked. They were nearing her apartment now as they cut across a small grove of decorative trees.

 

“No, it’s just...it’s been a while since I’ve gone on any dates. The idea seems so funny now,” Byulyi replied sheepishly. Her heart was going to explode out of her chest at any moment.

 

Yongsun looked over—she kept her eyes forward, afraid to see, she assumed, the inevitable grimace.

 

Instead, she simply said, “I see.”

 

They were at the entrance of Byulyi’s building when she turned to Yongsun. “Thank you,” she said, smiling politely as she held out her packages. She had expected her kindness to stop at the front steps of her apartment. She had pictured her neatly stacking the boxes she had on top of her pile and waving goodbye. If she were brave, she pictured herself inviting her out next time (with Wheein, of course, she’d hurriedly add).

 

“I’ll walk you up.”

 

Not what she expected.

 

It took a moment for Byulyi to even process her words. Her ears seemed to be in direct competition with her eyes for her brain’s attention as she watched the corners of her pink lips turn into a grin.

 

“Ah?”

 

Not what she meant to say.

 

“I’ll walk you up,” Yongsun repeated.

 

“O-okay.”

 

There were only two flights of stairs—it made sense. It was the polite thing to do, wasn’t it? They walked in silence all the way up.

 

At the door, she clumsily turned in the small space of the stairwell. “Here we are,” she said nervously.

 

“Do you have your keys?” Yongsun stacked her boxes on top of one another to free up one hand.

 

“Uh, yes,” Byulyi replied, slowly—with no small amount of horror—realizing that they were in her back pocket, “I...do…”

 

Of course her hands were full. Of course her hands were somehow full every single time she came across into this woman.

 

Yongsun cocked her head expectantly. “Where are they?”

 

“In my back pocket,” she quickly admitted. “Maybe you could help me hold—”

 

“I’ll get it. My hand is free.”

 

Byulyi nearly dropped everything. What was this woman? Her mind immediately wandered into the worst parts of her imagination. A hand reaching out and cupping her back pocket, caressing slowly in search of the keys...No, no, no—she reeled it back—her life was not that kind of movie. She felt the heat rise up from her collar. When she finally remembered to speak, she stuttered out, “Ah, that’s okay, I—”

 

“Got it!”

 

Byulyi blinked. She hadn’t felt anything except her own burning and stewing.

 

“It was sticking out,” Yongsun explained, opening the door. “So I just pulled it out. Hope that didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.” When Byulyi didn’t respond, she laughed, and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not the type to do anything without consent.”

 

Byulyi laughed along weakly.

 

Yongsun crouched down and gingerly placed the packages on the floor. “I’ll just leave them here then?” She turned back up to meet Byulyi’s eyes for confirmation before standing back up. Then, as if making a point to drive a knife right into Byulyi’s heart, she ran a hand through her short hair, the silky strands falling back into a sinfully attractive mussed up look, before her face broke into a grin. “Guess I’ll see you around?”

 

Byulyi nodded—in what she hoped to be a normal and not too eager way—while she continued to try and process the vision before her.

 

“Um, do you need help putting those down?”

 

Byulyi looked down at the mountain of boxes in her arms before shaking her head vigorously. Should she drop them now? Surely it would look stupid when Yongsun had so carefully placed them on the floor.

 

Yongsun laughed. “Alright then. Hopefully, I’ll see you next Sunday?”

 

Miraculously, Byulyi found her voice. “Yes! Thank you again. I’ll...I’ll buy you breakfast next time.”

 

At this, Yongsun’s grin grew wider. “I’d love that.”

 

4

 

After a whirlwind week of being incessantly annoyed by her two best friends, Byulyi couldn’t be happier that it was Sunday again.

 

She was just steps away from her own building when she heard, “Oh, hello.”

 

She spun around. Her Sunday was absolutely ruined—she just knew it. Standing behind her, with crossed arms and matching grins, were Wheein and Hyejin.

 

“What—what the hell, it’s 7 in the morning!” She cried. “When did you two become morning people?”

 

“We didn’t,” Hyejin said, cocking a brow.

 

“We got up to see you,” Wheein added cheerfully.

 

“Don’t lie.”

 

“Not lying,” Wheein huffed. “We got up to see you fumble around our favourite dog owner, since I’m pretty sure you left out all the juiciest details of your little date last week.”

 

“She just helped me carry some packages!” Byulyi cried, walking away quickly. It must’ve been the hundredth time they had this conversation.

 

“Well, I still want to meet my future mother-in-law,” Hyejin said breezily as she suddenly appeared at her side.

 

“For the last time,” Byulyi mumbled, “I’m not Wheein’s mom.”

 

“Hyejin knows that, Dad,” Wheein smirked.

 

Wheein had been her little protégé when they were on a dance team together in university, but it had been years since, and Byulyi couldn’t understand why everyone they knew insisted on the weird family tree. She had enough chaos from her real, biological family.

 

They had, before she knew it, arrived at her favourite café. She considered walking right past it, then making a quick loop back to the sanctuary of her own apartment, when Wheein tugged at the back of her shirt.

 

“I’m hungry,” she said simply.

 

Hyejin pointed at . “Me too.”

 

Byulyi heaved a sigh. “Let me guess. You two woke up too early to spy on me and you forgot to eat.”

 

Wheein nodded confidently.

 

“Well, what am I supposed to do about it?”

 

Both Hyejin and Wheein stared back at her.

 

She stared back.

 

Silence.

 

These annoying kids, Byulyi grumbled internally.

 

They continued to stare.

 

“Fine, I’ll buy breakfast,” she cried, throwing up her hands. “You two are so annoying!”

 

Hyejin and Wheein cheered, throwing their arms around her in a messy hug.

 

Right at that moment, the door to the café opened, and out stepped none other than the near-celebrity-status dog owner in question, wearing a pretty black coat, red lipstick, and a bewildered expression.

 

No one should be allowed to look so beautiful at 7 o’clock on a Sunday morning, Byulyi groaned internally.

 

“Oh.” Hyejin was the first to speak. She untangled herself from Byulyi’s back and neck and stepped forward to enthusiastically shake Yongsun’s hand. “Hello, future mother-in-law. My name is Ahn Hyejin!”

 

Yongsun’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

 

Wheein laughed, and roughly pushed Hyejin away from Yongsun. “Sorry, you’ll have to excuse her,” Wheein said, grinning broadly. “I love her but she’s an idiot who never thinks about what she’s saying. Kind of the opposite of this one.” She clapped a hand on Byulyi’s shoulder and shook her back and forth.

 

“Stop it,” Byulyi mumbled, brushing her hand away, “you two are so annoying.” More annoyingly—it was suddenly very hot despite the cool morning air.

 

Yongsun laughed. “It’s nice to see you again, Wheein. This must be the girlfriend you mentioned last time.”

 

“Yep!” Wheein declared, taking Hyejin’s arm. With her free hand, she pointed at Byulyi. “Not that one.”

 

“Stop calling me ‘that one’,” Byulyi sighed.

 

But they ignored her. Instead, Hyejin nodded, and, also raising a finger to point at Byulyi, said, “Yeah that one isn’t mine either. You can have her.”

 

Byulyi gaped—mortified, her blood somehow felt hot and cold at the same time while her heart seemed to shoot right through her chest. Yongsun didn’t react. Why didn’t she react? Or was Byulyi simply very bad at reading faces while on the verge of passing out?

 

Seeing the expression on Byulyi’s face, Wheein laughed—albeit a little too awkwardly to fully diffuse the situation—“Sorry, Hyejin always says whatever she’s thinking, and that’s almost always something weird.”

 

Yongsun chuckled nervously to match Wheein’s unsteady laughter. Her cheeks visibly grew pink when she replied, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

“So, breakfast?” Hyejin said. To somehow emphasize her point, she pat Wheein’s stomach. To Yongsun, she was positively beaming. “Do you want to come too? That one is buying.” Her smile faltered, however, when—in that very synchronized moment—they finally noticed that Yongsun had come out of the café with two coffee cups. “Unless you have other plans?”

 

Yongsun gasped, as if noticing her own purchases for the first time. Inexplicably, her face reddened. Byulyi met her eyes for only a moment before she lowered them. Her explanation came out in guilty clumps. “N-no, I don’t have any plans. I, um, the barista…the barista made an extra one by accident so, um, I have two?”

 

Hyejin raised a brow. “Smells like a pretty standard dark roast. How did they mess that up?”

 

Wheein nudged her sharply in the side.

 

“Ow! What was that for?”

 

Without warning, Wheein hooked her arm under Hyejin’s and began dragging her in the opposite direction. “Obviously,” she said, “it looks like the two of you already made plans. You owe us lunch next time, Byulyi unnie, and it better be expensive because we are walking away for you. Right now. Very quickly. Don’t say we never did anything for you. You’re welcome!” She threw the last part over her shoulder, and then they were gone.

 

From a distance, they heard Hyejin loudly complaining. Suddenly, it was just the two of them. By the time they disappeared, Byulyi had barely begun processing what Wheein said.

 

“What is wrong with them?” She mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.

 

Beside her, closer than she remembered her being, Yongsun laughed.

 

“They’re energetic, aren’t they?”

 

“That’s one way to put it,” Byulyi replied, scratching her head. “I don’t understand what they’re thinking sometimes.”

 

Yongsun’s rich laughter faltered, suddenly descending into breathy, nervous chuckles. “Actually,” she said, her cheeks glowing redder still, “Wheein is quite perceptive. I, um, bought this. For you.” She pressed one of the cups into Byulyi’s hands, and looked up at her from beneath her lashes. “Sorry, is this too weird? I-I mean I knew you like walking around on Sundays—not that I’m following you or anything—but we seem to always run into each other so, um, just in case I thought I would...you know. Since I’m getting coffee anyway. This is weird, isn’t it?” She shook her head and took a step back. “Now I’m rambling—you must think I’m weird.”

 

“I don’t!” Byulyi said, a little too loudly and a little too quickly. Her brain had finally caught up with the rest of her senses, yet she still couldn’t comprehend the last five minutes of her life. Surely she must be dreaming. “Um, thank you,” she managed to say. “R-really I should be the one buying you coffee. Y-you know, as a thank you for the other day and all.”

 

“Ah,” Yongsun’s smile returned, brighter than ever. She pointed to the café behind her. “Do you, um, want to get a muffin?”

 

5

 

They continued meeting up for breakfast for the next several Sundays. The routine, borne from an innocent cup of coffee and a shy smile, soon became Byulyi’s favourite thing in the world. On warmer days, she and Yongsun would take their coffees to go and stroll along the promenade by the river, with Jjing Jjing alternating between her leash and her owner’s arms. It took twenty minutes to reach the promenade alone, but time always had a way of disappearing when she was with Yongsun. On cooler days or at the end of particularly trying weeks, they stayed in the café and chatted over fresh cappuccinos. Byulyi even began noticing the cheeky barista’s foam art hearts, though she never had the courage to comment on them. Other days, they would accompany each other on errands.

 

It wasn’t long before Sundays didn’t seem enough, and they began accidentally running into each other on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings too.

 

It wasn’t long before Byulyi could no longer deny the feelings she had for the older woman, though she could not imagine acting on them in spite of Yongsun’s increasingly bold display of affection. She convinced herself that she was simply being friendly. After all, she had been burned before by misconstruing platonic gestures of too much touching and hand-holding.

 

And so things would have remained as they were if not for a simple request one Saturday evening.

 

Byulyi was walking home from dinner with Wheein and Hyejin when Hyejin suddenly said, “I almost forgot! My friend is moving into this area tomorrow. Can you help us out, Byulyi unnie?”

 

Byulyi raised a brow. “Since when did you get other friends? How much are you paying them?”

 

“Very funny,” Hyejin said, rolling her eyes. “She’s an ex-coworker from the café. You might recognize her. Sujung?”

 

“The one across the street?”

 

Hyejin nodded. “You probably don’t remember since it was a while ago now, but I introduced you two at a party once. You were super drunk.”

 

Byulyi hummed. “Yeah I don’t remember. Hm, I feel like I go to the café enough to recognize some of the staff but no one stands out to me. They’re very friendly though.”

 

Wheein scoffed. “Obviously. You only have eyes for Yongsun unnie.”

 

Byulyi flushed. “T-That’s not true!”

 

It was. Why did she say that?

 

“She probably drew a heart in your coffee and you didn’t even notice,” Wheein laughed. “She used to do that to customers she liked.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure you can picture my face when she made one of those for my Wheein,” Hyejin huffed. “Anyway, it’s been three months since you started going on those little not-date dates. You’re just friends with Yongsun unnie, right? So, you should come tomorrow. For whatever reason, she thinks you’re cool, so come hang out.”

 

“But...it’s Sunday tomorrow.”

 

“So?”

 

Byulyi chuckled nervously. “I mean I kind of have a routine. Sundays are...my one true day off, you know?”

 

“It’s just one day,” Wheein said, shrugging.

 

“I-I guess…”

 

“You really should try to get a real date once in a while,” Hyejin said softly. “It would be good for you.”

 

Wheein agreed. “You might be missing out on something important if you spend your whole life here. We just really want to see you move forward, unnie.”

 

Oh god, how was she supposed to reject them directly without being teased for the rest of her life? Especially now when they’re actually being earnest. Besides, It wasn’t like Byulyi wanted for things to stay the same with Yongsun. Same just seemed like the safe place to be. So what if she hid her overwhelming feelings from her friends? There was no crime in self defence. Especially with meddling friends like Hyejin and Wheein.

 

“It’s decided then!” Hyejin announced suddenly.

 

“Wait, but I—”

 

“And sent! Alright, see you tomorrow morning, unnie! And bring a gift! Girls love that,” she added with a wink.

 

Somehow, caught in the turmoil of her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed they were already at Hyejin and Wheein’s building. She had raised her arm automatically to wave back, but what was she supposed to do now? She stood on the street with her face in her hands and groaned out loud.

 

It was nothing.

 

Just one Sunday.

 

Yongsun would understand.

 

Oh god, why did she feel so guilty?

 

Before her brain could stop her, Byulyi ran over to Yongsun’s apartment building. She knocked at her door frantically before she even knew what she wanted to say, and she hopped from one foot to another as she waited for her to open the door.

 

No answer.

 

Byulyi checked her phone.

 

Well, it was Saturday night. Why did she expect her to be home. Normal people would be out having fun, right? She could be on a date. It really wasn’t any of her business. Oh, of course she was on a date. Anybody would want to go on a date with her. Why was she freaking out?

 

Byulyi leaned on the door and tapped her forehead against it several times to stop her runaway train thoughts from rapidly deteriorating her sanity. Then, she took a breath. She took out her phone.

 

“Hi, I’m at your door,” she wrote and sent.

 

She exhaled.

 

Almost immediately, the door swung open, and Byulyi, who was still leaning most of her weight on the door, fell forward into Yongsun’s apartment.

 

“Woah!” Yongsun said, steadying her by the shoulders. “Byul-ah, what are you doing?”

 

Byulyi straightened back up with a sheepish smile. Taking in the pink silk pajamas, the rolled up sleeves, and the bunny slippers, she surprised even herself with the flood of utter adoration she felt for Yongsun at her most casual and comfortable. “H-hi,” she said, rubbing her neck, “are you busy? I knocked, but, um…”

 

“Ah, sorry,” Yongsun replied, raising her hands to show the soap suds between her fingers and along her forearm, “I was giving Grandma Jjing a bath. She’s still in the bathroom, but I think she must’ve fallen asleep in her tub by now. Is something wrong?”

 

“Ah, no, I just wanted to tell you that tomorrow...I can’t come tomorrow.”

 

Byulyi closed her eyes, hoping she wouldn’t find it too weird that she ran all the way here to deliver such a mundane message.

 

But Yongsun looked genuinely crestfallen. “But it’s Sunday tomorrow,” she said. Quickly, she added, “Ah, sorry, I said that without thinking. I just...really look forward to every Sunday these days. Ah, but it can’t be helped if you’re busy. I hope it’s not an emergency?”

 

“No,” Byulyi chuckled, “it’s stupid. Hyejin’s friend is moving, and they volunteered my help. They told me I know her from the café, but,” she scratched her head, “I have no idea who she is.”

 

“That’s quite a strange situation you’ve gotten yourself into,” Yongsun said, smiling. “I hope it’s not the girl who always draws hearts in your coffee.”

 

Byulyi’s heart thumped. “I...um, you know it’s funny because Hyejin mentioned something like that, but I don’t think that’s particularly—”

 

“Byul-ah,” Yongsun sighed, crossing her arms now in spite of her soapy hands, “every time you go, you always get a café latte. Every time you get a latte, one barista always draws a heart in your coffee. I’ve watched her—she doesn’t do it for anyone else. If I didn’t like my tea so much, I would get a latte to prove my point.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“So it is her then, isn’t it?”

 

Byulyi averted her eyes and nodded. Surely, she shouldn’t feel this guilty all of a sudden. “To be honest,” she mumbled, “I don’t really want to go. I don’t know why, but I really like Sundays too, and I don’t really want to waste it.”

 

“Why do you have to go then?” Yongsun snapped, then recoiled slightly at the unintended aggression in her tone. “Sorry.”

 

But Byulyi just shrugged. “Hyejin was the one who decided for me. I told her I didn’t want to, and she just told me that I should try to get a date once in a while, and...I don’t know. Now, I have to find a housewarming gift or something.”

 

Unexpectedly, Yongsun groaned. Then, she marched forward and slapped both soapy hands on either side of Byulyi’s face. Her brows knitted above her dark eyes, and her pink lips, distractingly close as they were, pressed together disapprovingly. For a long moment, she simply held Byulyi’s head and glared.

 

Then—“Moon Byulyi, you’re stupid, and I hate you. Get out of my house.”

 

And the next thing she knew, Byulyi was back outside on the sidewalk, brushing the bubbles off her cheek and wondering what the hell just happened.

 

6

 

Suffice to say, Byulyi had a long night. After an hour of back and forth with Wheein on her phone, she eventually had to leave the safety and warmth of her apartment to go over to their building and continue in person. She had puffed up her chest and brought over a basket of fruit she had cobbled together from what she had at home, and held it to Hyejin’s face as soon as she opened the door.

 

“Take this to Sujung!” she declared. “I’m not going tomorrow!”

 

And, infuriatingly, Hyejin had shrugged and simply said, “Okay.” Then she closed the door behind Byulyi, placed the fruit down, and wandered back to the couch where she had been lounging. A movie playing in the background soon captured the entirety of her attention, leaving Byulyi to stand alone by the door.

 

That’s it? She thought vehemently.

 

Wheein came out from the kitchen with an apple. At the sight of Byulyi, she sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. “Seriously, unnie? Did you have to come over too? You’re taking up too much of my precious weekend time. You know Hyejin and I don’t get enough time together during the week!”

 

“Sorry,” Byulyi said sheepishly, “I know I’m probably the only one worried about this, but I really felt like I should tell you in person that I can’t come tomorrow.”

 

Wheein bit into her apple and chewed, unabashedly speaking with full as she berated her friend. “You told me thirty times over the phone! It’s okay, unnie! Nobody is going to die if you don’t come tomorrow. Just hang out with Yongsun unnie.”

 

“And just ing ask her out!” Hyejin threw in from the couch.

 

Byulyi threw her head back and exhaled. “She kinda said she hates me now… I don’t know what to do…”

 

Wheein looked over at Hyejin, who met her eyes with a raise of her brow. Then, she turned her attention back to Byulyi, and nodded. “Just follow your heart,” she said.

 

“What?”

 

With that useless piece of advice in mind, she was ushered out the door and forced to stew in her thoughts alone for the rest of the night. Restless as she felt about the night’s events, she was surprised to find that she had no problem falling asleep and waking up at her usual time. Something deep down seemed to ease the anxiety, and maybe that was what Wheein meant. No, no, Wheein just wanted her to leave. As much as her brain wanted to convince her otherwise, maybe it was the understanding that everything was going to be alright.

 

Thirty minutes before their usual meet-up time at the café, Byulyi jogged over to Yongsun’s building. After several frantic knocks, she cursed herself for not saving the fruit basket for this occasion. Then again, it wasn’t a very good fruit basket. Yongsun deserved a better fruit basket.

 

She should’ve brought something right?

 

No, but they’ll get breakfast together.

 

She hoped.

 

Finally, the door opened.

 

Yongsun, though still as radiant as ever, was still in her pajamas. “Byul?” She gasped. “It’s early. Even for you.” As if to prove her point, she had to turn and stifle a yawn.

 

Jjing Jjing then wandered into the room, picking up speed and wagging her tail when she recognized the stranger at the door.

 

Byulyi glanced over at the clock on Yongsun’s wall. Oh. She was an hour early rather than thirty minutes. She quickly mumbled an apology as she picked the little dog up and held her in her arms, giggling when Jjing Jjing gave her a few sloppy on the cheek.

 

Yongsun closed the door.

 

“I thought you were going to help Hyejin and her friend today?” She said, gesturing toward the kitchen table. “Do you want to sit down?”

 

“I wanted to be with you.”

 

Silence.

 

Their wide eyes met each other, neither quite believing what they heard. Sensing the tension, Jjing wiggled around to be put back down, then laid down under the kitchen table, soon falling asleep.

 

Yongsun broke the silence with a nervous laugh. “That’s...an interesting way to talk about...breakfast?”

 

Byulyi smiled back sheepishly, but tried to hold her gaze as long as possible. “T-that came out a lot stronger than I intended,” she said slowly. Something flickered across Yongsun’s expression, and she quickly held up her hands. “B-but maybe that’s more like...my true feelings? I mean, I really, really enjoy spending Sundays with you and getting breakfast together.”

 

“Yeah,” Yongsun relaxed, her taut smile replaced by an almost wistful grin. “Me too.”

 

“B-but yesterday...while I was worrying about the whole situation with Hyejin and her friend...it made me realize that I should try to be a little braver, maybe? I mean, I was probably the only one worried, but it was still not a very good feeling. I’d felt so guilty for not telling Hyejin and letting her set me up with other girls when I already have feelings for you. Last night was just so weird and unexpected. And it really made me feel like I had to re-evaluate my entire life. So…”

 

Yongsun’s smile brightened. “You have feelings for me?”

 

“Yes,” Byulyi said, lowering her eyes. “I hope that’s okay.”

 

“When were you going to tell me?”

 

Byulyi looked up again to find that, like magic, Yongsun was a lot closer than she had been only three seconds ago. With her hands on her hips, she leaned in, scrutinizing her face like she was in trouble.

 

“Uh, I don’t know. Never?”

 

“Moon. Byul. Yi,” Yongsun jabbed her in the shoulder accusingly with a finger, her lips pursed in a way that was somehow both menacing and adorable. Like Jjing Jjing if she ever got angry, Byulyi imagined. “Do you mean to tell me,” she went on, slowly and deliberately dragging out her syllables, “that I’ve been flirting with you for three months and you planned to leave me waiting forever?”

 

“F-flirting?”

 

Yongsun sighed, then stepped closer to slide her arms around Byulyi’s middle. She presses her cheek against her shoulder. “You’re stupid,” she mumbled, “and I hate you. But I want to be with you too.”

 

Tentatively, Byulyi placed a hand on the back of Yongsun’s neck, her fingers gently caressing the shorter, softer hairs there. “Sorry for making you wait,” she laughed.

 

“I think I was being very obvious,” Yongsun huffed. “Kiss me, and maybe I’ll forgive you.”

 

Byulyi froze. “K-kiss you? Right now?”

 

Yongsun pulled away from their embrace and nodded. “Right now.”

 

Byulyi tried to recall the last time she had done this. She rapidly tried to piece together several scenarios where she could successfully fulfil this request without making her run away. Were her lips too dry? She them. Were they too wet now? Oh my god, what if she missed?

 

“Byul-ah,” Yongsun said softly, “stop thinking. I’m waiting.”

 

Follow your heart, Wheein had said. Maybe that was exactly the useless, cliché type of advice she needed. She swallowed her doubts as much as she could, and put both hands on Yongsun’s shoulders. Was that too awkward? Were her hands clammy? She shoved the thoughts away and leaned down. Oh, why did her eyes have to be open?

 

“You’re taking too long,” Yongsun said, smirking.

 

Their faces were close enough—one more ounce of courage should do it, but Yongsun’s eyes were challenging. What could she be thinking?

 

No, Byulyi thought to herself, stop thinking!

 

Closing her eyes, she surged forward to close the last bit of distance.

 

“Ow!”

 

And miscalculated the distance, sending the two of them colliding into each other nearly teeth first.

 

She was mortified. Their first kiss. Ruined.

 

“It’s okay,” Yongsun soothed. “Relax, Byul-ah. Stop thinking. Just close your eyes and think of me.”

 

Byulyi took a breath and pictured her face. Her twinkling eyes and her pink lips and how much she’d wanted to possess them since their first meeting. Yongsun held her hands in her own and placed them on her cheek. Byulyi smiled, then, closing her eyes, finally closed the gap.

 

She felt the curve of Yongsun’s smile against her own, and though the kiss did not last very long, it somehow felt perfect.

 

“Not so scary, is it?” Yongsun said, pulling just far enough to speak.

 

“Well, you’re still here,” Byulyi said, laughing as she dropped her hands from her cheek and onto her hips. “That’s a relief.”

 

“You may not be so lucky next time,” Yongsun replied with a peck on her cheek, “so you better practice with me more often. And not just on Sunday mornings.”

 

Byulyi reached in for another kiss, this time feeling as if she had no other purpose in life. Why was this so difficult minutes ago? When Yongsun wrapped her arms around her neck to deepen the kiss, courage surged up in her chest, and she pulled her closer like they’ve had this rhythm their whole lives.

 

“Sunday afternoons too?” Byulyi said breathlessly, breaking the kiss.

 

Yongsun pulled her back almost immediately. “Monday afternoons, Tuesday morning, Wednesday night, whenever you like,” she said with a grin. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

 

“But breakfast?”

 

Yongsun poked her cheek. “I’m your breakfast,” she declared. “Do you have a problem with that?”

 

Jesus. This woman. 

 

“N-no,” Byulyi said, flushing.

 

“Good, let’s continue.”

 

---

A/N: Hello all! It's been a whirlwind of a start to 2019 for me. Since updating FB, I wanted to write something light. Lo and behold, this very meeting happened to me last Sunday when I saw a cute pug on the street. Unlike Byulyi though, I was actually heading to work on Sunday morning. Like Byul, I walked away very quickly because I was indeed eating breakfast while walking to save time, but unlike Byul, I never saw the girl again. The first scene was all me, then the rest is just...well, why can't real life be more exciting?

But at least I now have a fic about useless lesbian Byul. I kind of missed loser Byul. In recent fics, she's been cool or dangerous or weird, but loser Byul is really my favourite. Mostly I think because Top Madam Yong is my favourite. 

Hope you enjoyed this light-hearted fic. Please comment, vote, or subscribe if you did. I really, really appreciate it!