Part V

The masked woman watched her steadily through the oval cut-outs of her mask. Byulyi urged her stiff limbs to comply, but a moment later the woman turned and disappeared through the frosted glass doors. Her silhouette wavered, then faded away. Suddenly, Byulyi’s feet flew to the door—her shoulder tackled it, banging it open—and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, just in time to see the figure in black turn a corner.

“Wait!” she cried, running after her without a second thought.

She rounded the corner of the building and into the parking lot, the rose swinging its petals precariously in her hands.

Her breath caught when she saw the black figure casually leaning on a ruby-red Tesla. The figure’s red lips drew into a grin.

“Yongsun...unnie?” Byulyi whispered. She hadn’t realized she found the courage to approach Yongsun until she was close enough to tug at her elbow.

Then the woman hooked a thumb under her white mask, then pulled it down to her neck and shook her chestnut hair out from its strings. Byulyi’s eyes widened even more.

“Ouch, you look disappointed, Byulyi.”

A rich laughter filled the air as Byulyi instinctively bowed. “Miss Bae.”

“After all we’ve been through,” Irene said, the soft petals of her gift, “I’m a little disappointed at such a lacklustre response.”

“I’m sorry,” Byulyi replied with a small smile. “It was just...unexpected. I don’t mean to offend, but, Miss Bae, you don’t seem the type to pull...whatever this was.”

“The look on your face was pretty priceless, unnie,” a third voice joined in. “And isn’t Irene-unnie the coolest?”

Byulyi turned to see the familiar brunette pop up from the passenger side, a brilliant smile plastered on her face. “Seulgi! You were behind this, weren’t you?”

“Nope!” Seulgi gave her a big thumbs up. “But I taught this bunny the magic trick!”

“Bunny?” Byulyi made a face.

Irene shoved Byulyi lightly. “We will not speak of this,” she said ominously.

“Yes, Miss Bunny,” Byulyi laughed. The look she received was absolute venom, but the tint of pink across the woman’s cheeks was such a novel sight that Byulyi didn’t mind.

Irene cleared . “Anyway,” she said, “we need to get going. You’ve got quite the day ahead of you, Byulyi.”

Without another word, Byulyi slid into the backseat, an unfamiliar place in the familiar car, and studied the profiles of her friends as they buckled themselves in.

“Seulbear, can you pull up the GPS?”

Byulyi met Irene’s eyes through the rearview mirror and smirked at the affectionate nickname.

“Hyun-ah, I know where we’re going.” Seulgi gave Irene’s hand on the gear stick a pat.

“Okay, I trust you.” Seulgi leaned forward for a quick kiss. Then, they exchanged a smile so sweet that Byulyi thought she might get motion sickness before the car even began moving.

She averted her eyes to the green Kia parked beside them, unable to comprehend how her life seemed to revolve around couples, so perfectly crafted from the cheesiest dramas.

Nobody seemed to understand the struggles of being a constant third wheel.

—

Irene wove into traffic seamlessly as Byulyi recounted the way her life flashed before her eyes the first time she sat in this same car. Irene smirked as the details of her story unfolded, and at the end, said, “That is definitely one of Yongsun’s strangest quirks. She’s quite an observant person, but for some reason whenever she drives, she thinks she’s Vin Diesel and nothing else seems to matter. And if you think she’s crazy in a car, you should watch her ride a horse. Somehow she makes the two skill sets transferrable.”

“But Hyun-ah, maybe it’s different for you because you drive like a grandma,” Seulgi quipped.

“Kang. Seul. Gi.” Irene’s voice was flat, but Seulgi immediately laughed and sheepishly apologized. Irene nodded curtly, but at the next red light, she leaned over to give Seulgi a kiss on the cheek.

Byulyi sighed.

Fortunately, only five minutes later, they pull into a very familiar street and up to a very familiar apartment complex. She’d seen the same street lamps, and the same beige structure only a thousand times.

“This is...my place?” Byulyi said, peering out the window.

A perfect parallel parking job later, Irene unbuckled her seatbelt. “Here we are.”

Byulyi scrunched her face in confusion, and rolled down her window to get a better look. “Did you want me to get something? Do I need to change?”

Outside, a voice laughed, and Byulyi’s heart leapt out of her chest. And there, only a step away, Yongsun peered down through the window, dressed in the same black suit that Irene wore, a white mask catching the sun beneath her mane of pink waves.

“Maroon looks gorgeous on you, Byul,” Yongsun said, smiling.

Byulyi sat staring up at her, her body frozen at the way her words fell so effortlessly, yet flushed red-hot at the way those same words struck her. The door popped open, and there she was, her pink head bobbing in a bow as she extended a gloved hand toward her. Dazzled by the awkward half-smile, Byulyi was at a loss. Yongsun shook her head, then stooped down to put Byulyi’s hand in her own.

“Trust me, Byul,” she said softly, “I want to make you feel special today for once.”

“W-what do you mean?”

Yongsun laid a hand on her heart and recited a very familiar introduction: “My name is Yongsun, and I will be your Valet this evening.”

Byulyi’s wide eyes studied the face of a woman so intent on bulldozing into her life. She searched her face, wondering what she could’ve done to deserve such an honour to be a part of the charade. Nonetheless, she slipped her hand in hers, wanting to play the role as best she could, then blushed when she realized how ridiculous she must’ve looked in her maroon suit and tall, boyish frame. It wasn’t cool at all.

But somehow, Yongsun’s smile never faltered. If anything, it only grew wider, as if to tell her that it was alright. She took Yongsun’s offered elbow and stepped onto the curb.

“Thank you, Irene,” Yongsun said, waving in through the half-drawn window. “Thank you Seulgi.”

Irene nodded back, while Seulgi waved her goodbyes excitedly. The Tesla pulled away with a gentle roar and disappeared down the street.

“Shall we?” Yongsun said.

Byulyi nodded stiffly, and allowed herself to be led into the lobby. But at the concierge’s quizzical expression, she broke from Yongsun’s touch. By habit, she placed her hand at the small of Yongsun’s back, barely touching the fabric of the black silk. She felt Yongsun’s eyes, but it wasn’t until the elevator doors slid close before them that Yongsun spoke: “Relax, Byul.”

Relax.

Why was that mantra repeated whenever Yongsun was involved? Did she really look so anxious? She assessed her blur in the brushed metal elevator doors. With her arms at her sides, and her back ramrod-straight, she certainly didn’t seem particularly anxious.

But Yongsun seemed to see right through her: “You’re uncomfortable with this, aren’t you?”

“With what?” Byulyi laughed lightly, but the sound shook itself out of and manifested into a nervous chuckle.

She pointed. “Me.”

Byulyi fought her blush. “That...might be true,” she admitted. “You’re not like most of the clients I’ve encountered. I hope you’ll forgive me if I have fallen short in any way. I will try harder to accommodate your needs.” She bowed to finish off her hasty excuses with as much grace as she could, but Yongsun did not look impressed in spite of the slight pink in her cheeks.

Instead, she shook her head. “Even now, you still have to be so damn cool, huh?”

—

Daebakkie greeted both of them with more enthusiasm than the best of the Valets, past, present, and future. He circled their legs, and pounced on Yongsun’s calves with his tongue hanging out.

“What a cute puppy!” Yongsun squealed, bending down to scratch him behind the ears. Daebakkie stomped his stubby legs in excitement.

Byulyi stood dumbly at the door, watching this strong, successful woman dissolve into goo next to the corgi. It was unfair that a woman could be so powerful and adorable at the same time.

“Well then!” She straightened up, and smoothed out the pleats of her pants. “Why don't you make yourself comfortable? I'll make you something to eat.”

Byulyi nodded, still unable to process the full extent of this entire situation, and floated toward the modest island. She edged onto the barstool, fingers drumming against the gloss countertop anxiously.

Before her, Yongsun opened her fridge and bent over to rummage through its contents. Byulyi shifted her eyes, but silently cursed when she found them inevitably drawn to the other woman’s shape.

“Byul-ah.”

Byulyi jolted.

Yongsun briefly peered back behind her shoulder with a sharp look. “Why is your fridge so empty?” She chided. “Are you eating properly?”

“Well, I—”

“So no.”

The Valet rubbed her neck. “Sorry?”

“I'm going to order a pizza,” Yongsun declared with a huff. She pulled out her phone to make the order, then fixed up two steaming mugs of tea for the both of them.

Byulyi accepted the mug graciously, and shifted her stool to give Yongsun some space to squeeze in. They did not say anything for a while, each with their own unique sets of thought, yet unable to effectively piece the courage and the words together.

Finally, Yongsun broke the ice. “You're a very good Valet, you know.”

Byulyi smiled. “So you've said. Several times.”

“You've given me a lot of courage each time we met, and I never thanked you for that.” Byulyi watched the way she ran her index finger over the rim of her cup, looking, as uncertain as she had when they first met.

“All I did was sit beside you,” Byulyi chuckled.

“And sometimes that's enough,” she said, placing a hand on Byulyi’s wrist. “You know I spent my life trying to rebel and fit in at the same time. There has always been...so many lies...but I guess I thought that if I craft my lies carefully, I could live and be myself too. The truth is,” she paused to search through the impenetrable black of Byulyi’s eyes, “My career isn't as impressive as everyone makes it out to be, at least not in the public eye. I’m an environmental lawyer—and it's wonderfully fulfilling, but it doesn't exactly bring the kind of glamour that my family wants to believe. Fighting men in suits about pollution laws isn't as exciting as taking down serial killers, but why should everything be about appearances anyway?”

“It sounds impressive to me,” Byulyi said, absently nodding.

“Thank you, Byul,” Yongsun replied. Then, remembering her duties, she slid off the bar stool and stood behind Byulyi. “I almost forgot that I'm supposed to be your Valet tonight.” She laughed, and despite Byulyi’s weak protests, she dug both hands into her shoulder and began to knead gently at the tight muscle beneath the fabrics. Byulyi stifled a whimper.

“Anyway,” Yongsun went on, “my appa is a district attorney, and he's surrounded by criminal and corporate lawyers. He thinks that all I do is run around saving trees.” She sighed. “But I guess it doesn't matter. Who cares what that elitist jerk thinks?”

“But it does matter, doesn't it?” Byulyi said craning around to peek at the other woman from the corner of her eye. She turned back and stared at her hands in her lap. “You’re an incredibly strong and independent woman, but you can't help but doubt yourself sometimes because...maybe a part of you just wants him to recognize you as the person you really are. And I'm...sorry you were ever made to feel this way.”

Her hands stilled on Byulyi’s shoulders, then disappeared. Byulyi looked up from her hands and found herself staring right into the same eyes that haunted every moment of her days since she’d first met them. She realized briefly that the details of her irises were not as familiar as she thought, but all coherent thoughts were cut short when those warm hands found themselves against her cheek.

“And you’re the same,” Yongsun whispered.

Byulyi’s heart dropped to her stomach. She had lowered her guard so far that this woman had waltzed in and made her home before she even realized what happened. But, perhaps scariest of all, she didn’t mind. To feel so vulnerable and exposed yet safe...it must be a very well-crafted illusion, she reasoned.

“You are...a very good Valet,” Byulyi chuckled nervously.

Yongsun bit her lip, but just then the pizza arrived.

—

The pizza was gone by the time either of them realized how much time had flown by in each other’s company. Their light-hearted conversation melted Byulyi’s anxieties away, and—though she could not pinpoint the exact reason then—she thought of the Aston Martin and how equally liberating it was to drive it through the hills.

Yongsun had filled Byulyi in on Seulgi’s new position: “Irene hired Seulgi on as a brand manager for her startup, and she claims that sales have gone up. Hopefully, their relationship won't be too strained by their professional lives, but I've never seen Irene so whipped before, so that's a good sign.”

“Seulgi is a good kid. I'm sure she will do everything she can to please Irene.”

“They're adorable, aren't they? Last time we went out, Irene ended up sleeping in Seulgi’s lap in the backseat. In her previous relationships, she'd be too afraid to even hold hands!”

“Love has a funny way of making you bolder, doesn't it?”

“It certainly does.”

Byulyi filled Yongsun in on Hyejin and Wheein’s upcoming wedding plans: “Hyejin was planning to run away to Canada to see the Northern Lights and secretly have their wedding beneath it. But unless we could get everyone spending thousands of dollars to fly over there, Wheein didn't want to do it. She was adamant that after years of hiding, she'd be having her wedding in front of hundreds of people, so she could proudly declare Hyejin to be hers or whatever.”

“Hyejin is secretly a pretty romantic person, isn't she? Wheein too.”

“That girl would move mountains for Wheein, and Wheein probably would do the same. Then the two idiots would probably hire a helicopter instead and end up completely missing each other.”

“They are two of the most passionate and brilliant people I've ever met, and their chemistry is undeniable.”

“They have their ups and downs too, but I agree. They are perfect for each other.”

After dinner, Yongsun insisted on washing Byulyi’s hair. But when twenty minutes of persistence passed and Byulyi could not be moved, she asked if she could brush her hair instead.

“I don’t think anyone has brushed my hair since I was a child,” Byulyi said, wrinkling her nose. “Unless you count hair stylists.”

Yongsun brandished the hairbrush and patted the space beside her on the bed. “All the more reason for you to let me,” she said with a grin. Not wanting to disappoint the eager smile, Byulyi relented and climbed onto the bed to sit cross-legged beside her. Yongsun’s comforting hand rested at her neck as she slid the brush through her hair, and Byulyi wondered if this felt so wonderful when she was a child. She closed her eyes as the brush ran its laps.

“You have beautiful hair, Byul,” Yongsun said. Byulyi felt her breath ghost by her ear, and she shivered. “It’s very soft.”

“Thank you.”

Yongsun hummed. “I never knew there was so much joy in brushing someone’s hair. I should’ve been a hair stylist.”

“And if I knew that this felt so nice, I would’ve done it for my clients sooner,” she laughed. "I hope you'll allow me to brush your hair as well."

The hand stilled. “Do you have to?”

Byulyi opened her eyes. “What do you mean? You don't want me to brush your hair? It feels very nice.”

“No, not that. I mean…I was thinking that this could be our thing,” Yongsun mumbled. “Is that...weird?”

“No...not at all.”

The fell into a comfortable silence, each sidestepping the words they want to say the most as Yongsun continued her gentle .

Later, when the sun dipped far below the horizon and the streetlamps blinked on, they found themselves on Byulyi’s couch, laid out on either side with Daebakkie soundly curled up between them.

“Thank you for spending the evening with me,” Byulyi said, watching the rise and fall of Daebakkie’s breathing.

Yongsun did the same. “It was a pleasure,” she said.

“It's strange to be on this side though, I'll admit.”

Yongsun laughed, though her eyes remained glued to the innocent face of the sleeping dog. “And I'll admit that it feels like I'm the client as well. It’s not so different, is it?”

“I suppose not...technically. But the feelings behind our roles are not the same, I imagine,” Byulyi said, nodding as one hand reached out to comb down Daebakkie’s fur.

Yongsun watched her slender fingers work. “To take care of someone versus being taken care of...it’s a different kind of pleasure—you're right—but isn't it so much more fulfilling to be able to do both in any relationship? For example,” she looked up at Byulyi with a shy smile, “I love it when you make me feel special—w-who doesn't?—but it also makes me really...happy...when I do something to make you happy, whether it's intended or not. It's a natural human response to feel happy when other people respond to you positively,” she added quickly.

Byulyi chuckled, laying her hands on Daebakkie’s warm body to resist the urge to touch Yongsun’s heated cheeks. Her words affected her fluttering heart far too easily. “I never thought I'd ever get to be a client,” she said, hoping to veer off the subject. “Ever since Hyejin and Wheein got engaged, they've been teasing me about hiring a Valet for their wedding to be my date.” She chuckled. “What a pair we’d make, two Valet’s dressed up for a wedding. We’d probably just make a scene because we’d be fighting over who gets to pull the chair out for the other person.”

Despite the ridiculousness of the scene, Yongsun was not laughing.

“You give so much, Byul,” Yongsun sighed, “why are you so uncomfortable with taking? Even tonight, you feel the need to do something for me every time I did something for you. You’re always calculating, but I just want to spoil you.”

Byulyi rubbed her neck sheepishly. “This...I don’t know. It’s my job. If I’m honest...these days, I don’t really know how to be any other way. Sometimes I can’t tell if I’m doing my job or I’m being myself, and at the end of the sessions, I’m at a loss. Look,” she pointed to the clock on the opposite wall, “your session is ending in seventeen minutes. You’re going to leave, and then this whole charade will end. Then what? You’ll go back to being Kim Yongsun, environmental lawyer, and I will lay here and wait for my next charade.” Then, she sighed. “I’m sorry, I don't know why I told you all of this. I didn’t mean to burden you with these trifling problems. You have enough to worry about as it is.”

For a long time, Yongsun said nothing. Her brows furrowed as she absentmindedly rubbed the dip behind Daebakkie’s ear. Meanwhile, Byulyi bore the silence uncomfortably, kicking herself for throwing the awkward veil on top of their comfortable night.

Finally, Yongsun in a breath. “Why haven’t you asked why I came up with this elaborate plan to be your Valet?”

“Y-you?” Byulyi shot forward. “I’m sorry, I’d assumed Hyejin…”

Yongsun shook her head.

“Then...why?”

“Because,” she looked up and into Byulyi’s eyes, “you make me feel all these wonderful things, and I want you to feel them too.”

“I….” Byulyi swallowed breath and hoped it would manifest into a burst of much-needed courage. “I…” Her courage fizzled. She pressed a palm into the fabric of the couch to steady her hand. “I think your four hours are up.”

Yongsun’s face fell. “Well, yes,” she whispered, “but can’t I stay a little longer?”

“Valets can’t stay too long...or you will break the illusion. You shouldn’t break the illusion,” Byulyi replied, pushing herself off the couch.

But as she stood, Yongsun shot up and grabbed her cuff. The sudden movement woke Daebakki, who glanced up at the two humans standing before him, then rolled onto his side with a comfortable whine.

“W-what if I want to?” Yongsun said. “What if I don’t want the illusion?”

“Yongsun-unnie,” Byulyi sighed, and shifted her hand to hold Yongsun’s fingers on her open palm. “You are my client, and I am trained to appeal to you as best as I can. If I’m honest, unnie, I don’t think you’d feel the same way without this illusion.”

Yongsun folded her fingers between Byulyi’s. “Maybe we’re not talking about the same illusion. Maybe—and please tell me if I’m wrong, because I am hopeful I’m right—there is no illusion. Maybe the way you look at me, the way you never meet my eyes sometimes, even though you can say all these greasy things so easily...maybe it’s not an illusion.” She held Byulyi’s hand, and placed it over her own heart heart. “Maybe the way you make my heart beat so quickly isn’t an illusion.” Then she released her hold on her hand, took a step closer, and pressed an open palm over Byulyi’s maroon vest. “And the way your heart is beating now...maybe that can be genuine too?”

“Yongsun-unnie,” she whispered. She felt her lips before she could find the words—felt the shudder of her mask, all her boundaries and her loyalties, explode behind her eyes. She sighed into the very pair of lips she never dared to let herself fantasize about, and gingerly held Yongsun’s jaw with her hands as she returned the kiss.

Yongsun s her arms around Byulyi and wrapped them around her neck, chests closely pressed together. The heat squeezed through every illusion of space between them, leaving them panting for breath by the time they broke free.

“You...don’t do this with your clients, do you?” Yongsun said, dropping her hands down to Byulyi’s shoulders.

It took a moment for Byulyi’s wild eyes to reach reality, face flushed pink, one hand still warm on Yongsun’s cheek. “N-no, of course not, I—”

“Good,” Yongsun smiled, then leaned her forehead against Byulyi’s. “I don’t want to be your client. And since my time is up, I don’t want to be your Valet either.”

Byulyi chuckled nervously. “Then what?”

“You’ll really make a girl say it?” Yongsun arched a brow.

Byulyi stepped even closer, and caressed the soft skin of her cheek with a thumb. “Then,” a smile spread across Byulyi’s face, so wide that it scrunched up her nose in that way that Yongsun adored, “Kim Yongsun, you are beautiful, intelligent, kind, and you’ve been the queen of my heart the moment I laid eyes on you. Would you allow me the honour to take care of you, and only you, as my one and only? Even though I’m just a humble Valet...for as long as you’ll have me, I promise to cherish you, and care for you, and take care of you, and—”

“B-Byul-ah, why does that sound like a marriage proposal?”

Byulyi flushed deep crimson and dropped her hand from Yongsun’s face to cover her own. “I'm sorry, was that too much?” She mumbled, “I've never done this before, but I just…” Byulyi uncovered her face to give Yongsun a shy glance before averting her eyes. “You’re perfect, and I just...I like you so much that I don't know what to do with myself sometimes. I feel like I'm going to wake up and find that none of this happened.”

“You're right,” a finger lifted Byulyi’s chin, “you're not going to remember a thing tomorrow.”

Her heart dropped. “What?”

Yongsun burst into a fit of laughter, that loud, wheezing laugh that somehow too Byulyi’s breath away too. “I'm kidding, I'm kidding,” she said in between giggles. Byulyi sighed in relief and unclenched a fist she couldn't recall clenching. “But you should've seen the look on your face, Byul-ah. It was so funny.” Byulyi flushed and ducked her head.

Yongsun softened. She tilted a finger to lift Byulyi’s chin up to meet her eyes once more. “This is real, Byul,” she said with a wide grin, “in fact, after your second confession, I think I fell in love with you just a little bit more.”

“But, unnie, I...I'm not cool at all.”

Yongsun shook her head. “I wouldn't like you half as much if you were just your smooth-talking, greasy self.” She chuckled, then leaned in for a second kiss that was Byulyi was only too happy to receive. “I can't tell you what to feel about yourself,” she whispered against her lips, “but just know that I love everything about the complex human behind the mask, just as I hope you do too.”

The fire in Yongsun’s eyes burned bold and bright. Byulyi could hardly think under the fearless woman’s gaze when only three words rattled in her brain.

“I do,” Byulyi replied with a sheepish smile, “I love you, Kim Yongsun.”

Yongsun flushed. “Aish, I was talking about loving yourself, dummy,” she said, wrapping her hands behind Byulyi’s neck, “but I'm more than okay with this too.”

“Then,” Byulyi pulled her closer by the waist, “will you, Kim Yongsun, be my plus one?”

Yongsun grinned. “Only if you'll be mine. I'm sure my family is dying to see you again for my sister’s wedding.”

“For you, I'm ready for anything.”