Byulyi must be a magician, the way she conjures things out of nowhere.

“What’s this?”

“It’s for you, I thought you’d like it.”

It’s a keychain of a little peach mascot that she recalled seeing in Japan at some point in time. Yongsun can’t fathom why Byul would get it for her though. Collecting weird Japanese things was more of Hyejin’s thing.

“Why me?”

“You don’t like it?” Byulyi smirks, “It looks just like you!”

“Ya! Moon Byul Yi!” She hits her, and Byulyi acts like it hurts.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry!” She apologizes between peals of laughter. She grabs both of Yongsun’s wrists to stop her and it works, because Byulyi has always been stronger.

“It doesn’t look like you.” She relents. Yongsun is still pouting at her though, so she leans forward and kisses her great unnie on the nose. “You’re much cuter.”

 -

Byulyi must be a magician, because she’s got all kinds of tricks up her sleeves.

 -

They’re pranking her again. It’s one of those times when the frustration is real though. Yongsun can understand it, honestly. She gets riled up at the drop of a hat and all her emotions unfold themselves on her face, but really, that’s not enough reason to be constantly bullied by her juniors.

Wheein and Hyejin are a positive feedback loop. One of them takes a step and the other takes the next and soon enough they are running around and laughing at her expense. Byulyi, of course, jumps at the chance to tease.

The more she raises her voice the louder they all laugh. It’s a little embarrassing to admit that she can feel her face getting hot, the first sign that she’ll start crying.

And in this moment, Byulyi takes a clear look at her face, sees the miniscule twitch of her bottom lip and the corners of her eyes tighten, and she places a hand on Wheein’s back and looks Hyejin in the eyes.

“Let’s all calm down now.” She says with an easy smile, but her tone leaves no room for argument. Wheein and Hyejin quiet at her request and both smile at Yongsun (no harm, no foul) before changing the subject to what they were actually supposed to be discussing.

Yongsun gulps down her embarrassment, feeling it wash away when Byulyi, eyes still focused on the other two, laces their fingers together.

 -

Byulyi must be a magician, with all her mysterious ways.

 -

Byulyi shows up at her doorstep at 9pm with a bag of food, like she somehow knew Yongsun hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

“How’d you know I would be home?”

Byulyi raises an eyebrow. “Where else would you be?” She asks as she side-steps Yongsun and heads to her kitchen.

“I don’t know, out.” Yongsun tries, lamely, as she closes the door.

Byulyi half turns to face her and smirks. “Without me?”

Yongsun scoffs and she tries to take a peek at what Byulyi brought to eat. “I don’t need to be with you all the time.” Even though that’s not true, the back of her mind whispers.

Byulyi doesn't look at her when she says, “No, you don’t.”

The response doesn’t sit right with Yongsun, so she pinches Byulyi’s side, which makes her jump away with a yelp and her nose muscles all scrunched up.

Byulyi transfers the takeout food to actual bowls and Yongsun grabs some chopsticks. They set everything on Yongsun’s coffee table before getting comfortable on the ground next to each other. Byulyi turns the TV on to some old rerun, then sticks as close as she can to Yongsun while still being able to eat.

“Why’d you come over anyway?”

Byulyi takes a deep look into her eyes, then leans in and Yongsun stiffens. But she doesn’t flinch. This has happened too often for her to be caught off guard anymore. Byulyi sniffs at her neck and kind of nuzzles the corner of her jaw. Yongsun feels the tip of her nose gently graze her skin and it tickles.

Byulyi pulls away, turning back to the TV with a shrug.

“Wanted to watch this drama.”

 -

Byulyi must be a magician, because Yongsun can’t look away, not even for a second.

 -

There’s a pause. A long pause. Too long.

Byulyi takes advantage of the situation to wipe her gross foody hand down Yongsun’s face.

The older woman sputters in surprise before sitting up and raising her fists to give Byulyi a good beating.

But Byulyi's laughter is now tinkling around them, and Yongsun loses where she is again. All her thoughts float out of her head when she sees Byulyi giggling beneath her. She guesses, this is just one of those nights where she’ll give in to anything Byulyi does.

They’re alone in her apartment, aimlessly making conversation and snacking while sprawled out on her bed.

Or they were, but Yongsun kept trailing off every time her eyes caught Byulyi, sweet and fluffy and barefaced, all snuggled into her blankets and squeezing the life out of one of her plushies.

She glad their phones were too dead for them to do a broadcast today.

Byulyi rises and uses a knuckle to tilt Yongsun’s chin up, turning her face from side to side. “What’s got you so spaced out today, Unnie?”

Humans have two eyes, but Yongsun curses their inability to stare at Byulyi’s eyes and lips at the same time.

“I wonder.” She smiles, spellbound.

 -

So, she must be a magician.

Or maybe it’s just that her love is like magic.

-

this is the peach mascot