"I'm so tired," a ten-year-old Yerim whispers, slouching against a locker and closing her eyes. "Do you think I can just stay here and sleep overnight, unnie? Since I'm just going back here tomorrow..."

Fifteen-year-old Seulgi chuckles, stifling a yawn behind a cupped hand, and she stretches her arms out wide for a brief moment before shaking her head-

"I don't think the janitors would like that very much, Yerim," Seulgi says gently, and she kneels down to shake the younger girl awake. "C'mon, we should head back to our dorm."

"My legs won't cooperate," Yerim mumbles in her sleepy stupor, and Seulgi smiles softly. "I don't wanna move..."

"Well, I'll just have to carry you then," the older girl says resolutely.

And that's how Seulgi ends up walking down the streets of Seoul with a little girl on her back in the crisp autumn air. She gets strange looks here and there, given how she's walking around on an autumn night in nothing but a t-shirt and jeans with a slack body on her back, but Seulgi really can't be bothered at this point-- Yerim was tired, and it's not like she could've just left her in the SM building. Plus, it's not like Yerim is heavy-- that's a bit problematic, actually.

Seulgi frowns. She should get Yerim to eat more. She makes a silent vow to take Yerim out for sushi tomorrow, after a good night's rest.

The other trainees had thought that Seulgi had received the short end of the stick when it was announced that she would have to room with Yerim, the youngest trainee at SM. Seulgi had wondered why-- what's wrong with looking after one another? What's wrong with Seulgi genuinely wanted the best for the hardworking ten-year-old?

"You're gonna make it, kid," she murmurs to the small, warm body on her back. "I'll see to it that you do, even it it means a few more piggybacks home."

--

Much to Seulgi's surprise, her senses are immediately filled with the smell of homemade cooking and the sound of sweet humming the moment she steps into her and Yerim's single bedroom dorm.

Gently placing Yerim down in Seulgi's own bed (Yerim had insisted that Seulgi take the bigger, more comfier bed when they'd first moved in, and the other girl had reluctantly complied), Seulgi sneaks quietly into their kitchen. There's only one other person who could possibly be the culprit, but Seulgi's still surprised nonetheless.

"Joohyun-unnie?"

The elder trainee jumps a bit at the sound of her name, all humming coming to an abrupt stop - Seulgi recognizes the song as the demo she, herself, had recorded for Kangta a few days ago, and how Irene had been the only other person to have heard it so far.

"Seulgi! You're back. I let myself in with the spare key you gave me last week." Joohyun smiles graciously as Seulgi pads into the kitchen. The upturn of her lips turns sympathetic as Seulgi wordlessly drapes herself over Joohyun's frame in an uncharacteristic act of skinship that she saves specifically for her special Joohyun-unnie.

"Hard day, huh?" Joohyun muses as Seulgi lets herself just hang over the older girl's figure. "I knew that our instructor wanted to keep you and Yerim a little later, and I figured you two wouldn't have anything to eat, so I cooked a little something for us."

Us. Seulgi likes the sound of that; likes how Joohyun includes herself into their little trio, little family. Joohyun just fits. And Joohyun watches over Yerim too; perhaps Joohyun wants to see Yerim succeed just as much as Seulgi.

"You're the best, Hyun-unnie," Seulgi says with as much gusto as she can muster in her tired state of mind. "Really, thank you so, so much."

"How about you go change out of those jeans and get into something more comfortable?" Joohyun suggests, stirring the pot of soup in front of her before placing the glass lid on top. "I'll try and feed Yerim a little soup in the meantime, just so she doesn't sleep on an empty stomach. Are you awake enough to have dinner with me?"

And then suddenly Seulgi's wide awake.

"Of course!" Seulgi perks up cheerfully. She's always up to spend time with Joohyun (she also might have the teensiest of crushes on the older girl). “I'll go change then!”

Seulgi disappears into the bathroom, and Joohyun giggles, lifting a ladle and transferring some soup into a bowl.

--

“Has anyone told you that you're the best, unnie?” Yerim mutters, her lips pursed around a spoon that Irene gently lifts out of . She lets the warm feeling of the last of her soup trickle down and down into her belly satisfactorily.

“Yes, actually,” Joohyun giggles lightly, and Yerim finds herself wondering if she’s still dreaming at the musical sound. “Seulgi just told me that a few minutes ago.

Yerim makes a drowsy sound of acknowledgement. “I should have known. Seulgi-unnie is head over heels for you, unnie. Did you know that?”

“Oh?” Joohyun raises an amused eyebrow. “Does she now? Are you sure you’re not sleep-talking, Miss Kim Yerim?”

“I’m wide awake, unnie.” Yeri yawns, nuzzling back into Seulgi’s warm comforter. “She wants to debut with you, unnie, she really does. She really, really likes you. I think she’d be fine with you staying here with us forever.”

“I want to debut with Seulgi too,” Joohyun replies wistfully. “More than anything. And I don’t think I’d mind staying with you two here either,” she laughs lightly. “The other girls in my dorm are way too loud with their snoring and chatter.”

“Seulgi-unnie snores,” Yerim says through quiet giggles, closing her eyes. “But I don’t think you’d be too bothered, unnie. Because you like Seulgi-unnie too, right?”

“Well, you’ve got me there, Yerim,” Joohyun chuckles.

“Will you sleep here overnight, unnie?”

“Do you want me too?”

A nod. “Mmhm. I think Seulgi-unnie wants you to stay too. Plus, it’s late. Will you share the pullout couch with her, unnie? I feel bad for taking her bed, and mine is too small for her to be comfortable. The pullout feels nicer, and I think she’d like your company.”

“I wouldn’t mind sharing with Seulgi,” Joohyun says warmly, patting Yerim’s head gently. “Now sleep, Yerim-ah. You’ve got another day ahead of you tomorrow.”

--

After a late dinner, Joohyun climbs onto the pullout couch bed next to Seulgi, cuddling with the younger girl. Joohyun likes being like this; being this close to Seulgi. It feels like home next to her, like this has been something she’s been craving her whole life, and now it’s finally real.

“Thank you for feeding Yerim and making dinner for me,” Seulgi says truthfully as they face each other. “You came over before and and did so much, Joohyun-unnie. Thank you for the trouble you went through for us.”

“It was no trouble, Seul,” Joohyun says, a kind, glimmering light in her eyes, even while lying in the dark. “I wanted to do something for you and Yerim after seeing how hard you two were working. I really think you’ve got a shot at debuting really soon.”

“You think?” Seulgi asks, gaze softening at the insistent, genuine way that Joohyun nods. “You’ve been working hard as well, and I want to debut with you, unnie.”

So Yerim hadn’t been kidding…

“Then I’ll keep working hard,” Joohyun says instead. “So that our dream of debuting together can be a reality.”

Seulgi beams. “I like the way that sounds, unnie. I really, really like it.” Her eyes flash to the open door to the bedroom, where Yerim’s soft snores can be heard. “It would be great to debut with Yerim, don’t you think? I wonder what that would be like…”

Joohyun pouts. “Imagine a grown up Yerim. Can you picture it? I almost don’t want to…” She closes her eyes and pushes her face into the crook of Seulgi’s neck, pulling up the blanket. “Just think… I feel like we’ll look back on today, and it’ll be like we just blinked-- all of a sudden, we’ll have debuted, Yerim is an adult, and so many things will have changed.”

“Change is good, but I hope we don’t change too much,” Seulgi says honestly. She brings her arms around Joohyun’s waist, pulling the slightly shorter girl in closer-- since when had Seulgi gotten taller than her? Joohyun struggles to remember as Seulgi’s thoughts continue. “All the time in the world can pass, but I wouldn’t mind staying like this, unnie.”

“I wouldn’t mind either, Seul,” Joohyun replies, her lips coming to form a beautiful smile, shining so bright that even Seulgi can see it through the darkness of the living room. “But I think…”

Seulgi’s breath hitches as Joohyun leans in, their noses brushing, their lips only a hair’s width apart.

“Some things have room to grow, don’t you think? Like Yerim?” Like love. Joohyun all but breathes onto Seulgi’s lips, and the younger girl shudders but makes no effort to move away. She thinks back to her conversation with Yerim in bedroom, recalling how her heartrate had sped up at the mere mention of Seulgi possibly having feelings for her.

“I think so too,” Seulgi whispers, hardly moving in fear of Joohyun pulling away.

Joohyun smiles, pressing forward to close the distance. “Good.”