Chapter XIII - Driving, Fast Travel

“Eunbi-yah! You ready to go?” Sowon called from downstairs. “The taxi will be  here soon!”

“Coming!”

In an attempt to keep the status quo in front of Eunbi, Sowon had graciously agreed to pay for a taxi ride for the both of them on the way back to her apartment. Granted, it took me about five million text messages to get Sowon to agree and the promise that I would reimburse her later. But you know how it was, just wanted to make sure I was sending my girlfriend-in-law back home safely.

Eunbi and Yuna came down the stairs, wearing some normal comfortable clothes I had lent them. I figured they would be pretty uncomfortable wearing their party outfits from last night so I thought I’d at least throw them a bone here.

Plus, I was trying to play nice with Eunbi here and this would be a good of a place as any to start.

“Here~!” Eunbi announced to Sowon, raising a hand like an elementary school child. “Sorry for taking so long.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Yuna smiled at me before standing by my side. “Eunbi had a bit of a problem finding a shirt that fit her…”

Yuna’s smile turned apologetic as I looked over at Eunbi and examined the clothes she had chosen. She was only a little shorter than me so I couldn't really imagine her having too much of a problem… Right? I mean, she seems to have been built similar to-

Wait! Hold the phone!

Why did my shirt seem so small on her…? Oh, what the hell!? This shortie has got bigger s than me! But- But! Ugh. My pride as the adorable Jung Yerin has been shaken!

“Pfft!” I heard SinB snicker from the living room.

That's the problem with having a best buddy like SinB. They always knew when you are frustrated with crap like this.

SinB… If Yuna wasn't here right now, I swear…

But as quickly as the thought entered my mind, it faded. Yuna found her way into my hands, my grip, our fingers intertwined. And a kiss on my cheek to seal the deal, putting me in a moment of bliss.

“Don't mind her…” she whispered just to me, tilting her head to the side while Sowon and Eunbi were too preoccupied to notice. After a moment, her lips pursed into a slight smirk, face trying to appear sweet.

My God, this girl… She was good.

The smile was so convincing, so sweet, you’d almost forget how broken she was.

The small pauses.

The inflexibility in her face muscles.

The lack of confidence.

Yuna had been doing this for a long time, that much was obvious. But now that I knew what to look for, I was starting to see the cracks.

“Plenty time of for that later, dear.” I winked at her, not losing a beat. “Let’s get these kids out of here before we continue.”

“Again, I’m older than you.” Sowon raised an eyebrow.

“Sure, sure!” I ushered Eunbi, Sowon, and Yuna towards the front door before shouting behind me. “SinB! Umji! Take care of the house while I’m gone!”

“‘Kay~!” the two youngsters sang in unison.

“OH! And SinB?”

“Mmm?”

“Don’t do anything I would do in the house! Bye~!”

“UN-NIE!” SinB yelled at me, trying to retaliate. But we were already out the door.

The sun was high in the sky by this point. We all lost track of the time, chatting away about this or that and trying to teach the noobs how to hold a PlayStation controller. Admittedly, they had varying degrees of success but at the very least Yuna was a quick learner.

Huh… Maybe there was still a bit of that Golden Child stuff left in her.

I opened up the driveway gate that was holding my car inside, letting Sowon go off for a bit as she rechecked where the taxi was.

“Are you sure you'll be okay not coming back with me to the dorm to change?” Eunbi asked Yuna, almost pleading. “I know Yerin unnie lent us clothes but if you’re having… your…”

Eunbi’s voice trailed off then. Her eyes becoming doe like as she went silent.

“Yerin unnie said that where we were going, comfortable clothes would be best.” Yuna didn't miss a beat, automatically responding to Eunbi's awkward question. “It’ll be fine~!”

“And I'll make sure to have her home safely, ‘kay?” I smiled, trying to be as polite as possible.

“Mmm, okay,” Eunbi slowly nodded.

“I just feel kind of bad that I can't fit all of you in my car. Only sits two people… Sorry.”

“Oh! No, no! It's fine!” Eunbi's cheeks reddened, her face pouting, apologetic. “You’ve done so much already! Don't be sorry, unnie~!”

“Hehe, you're so nice!”

My brain was overclocked, compiling all of Eunbi's input data like an unhinged processor. I was trying to anticipate, extrapolate, and formulate anything and everything about my interactions with Eunbi.

The way she spoke.

The way she moved.

The way she acted.

All of it. Just to make sure she stayed happy. Just to make sure she wouldn't hate me. I can't be reckless.

Like I was wearing the mask. Playing along with this charade for as long as possible…

This must be what it feels to meet the in-laws. Constantly being judged while trying to make everyone happy. Actually, no. It was more tense than that. This was a girl who’s in love with Yuna too after all.

“Taxi is at the front gate!” Sowon called out to Eunbi. “We have to walk a bit. You ready?”

“Oh! Y-Yeah! Coming~!” Eunbi responded, slightly sullen in tone for a moment before perking up. “You two have fun!”

Eunbi wrapped her arms around the both of us, her arm lingering a bit longer around Yuna as she releases us.

“Oh! You and Sowon unnie should have some fun as well!” Yuna said gleefully, holding on to Eunbi's hand in between both of her own. “Why don't you guys do something?”

“Ah!” Eunbi looked down at her feet, unable to meet Yuna’s eyes. “Su- Sure! Good idea!”

And with one last hug, Eunbi turned around and chased after Sowon down the road.

Which meant…

Which meant it was just the two of us now. Just Yuna and me. Finally alone again after this hectic morning.

“How long have you known that Sowon liked Eunbi?” I asked, turning a bit to face her.

“Hmm…” Yuna took a moment to purse her lips, attempting to look thoughtful. “I think I've just always known. Since as long as I've known her anyway.”

“Does Eunbi know?”

“Nope. She’s completely clueless”

Well then. That was a shame.

“I ship it.”

“Same.”

“Kekeke…”

I broke first, going into a laughing fit while Yuna joined me shortly after. What nonsense were we spewing?

As the laughter died, we stood there silently as we watched the two of them walk down the street together. Eunbi took another glance back at us, causing Yuna wave at her with a wistful look about her. Almost sad.

My hand found its place in her grasp then, finding that familiar warmth that I craved. I was just buying myself time though, preparing my mental state as the words left my mouth.

“I'm curious though…” I started, my voice reeking with venom. “With a cutie as a best friend like that, did you ever not think of dating her?”

“Babe… Are you jealous?”

“Incredibly so,” I admitted. I really do have a problem lying to her.

“Hehe,” she giggled, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, her face inching closer to mine. “The same thing could be asked about SinB. I am a little annoyed that she knows so much about you...”

“Touche.”

“But I guess it’s just one of those things, right?” she asked me, trying to sound philosophical. “When you’re with someone for so long, sometimes you don’t want it to change. To become different. I’m sure you feel the same way about SinB?”

“Yeah…” I nodded. “But don’t forget the fact that I just find you incredibly attractive to begin with so there is that too.”

Must be the pheramones.

“Hehe, thanks~!” She smiled before carrying on a more serious tone. “I know Eunbi likes me that way, so it’s a bit different here. But I guess I got so excited and hyper this morning… I had forgotten how she felt about me…”

Yuna rested her head on my shoulder, quietly thinking to herself. Almost mute.

The way Yuna was acting this morning, the way we were holding hands, how much she tried to hide everything, only acting whenever Eunbi was preoccupied… I already knew. And what’s worse...

“Am I a terrible friend?”

And what’s worse is that Yuna felt like she was the one at blame here…

The full weight of her anxiety came crashing down on her, freezing her in place, unable to move. Because she messed up. Because she failed. Because she was taking this all on her own.

Lucky for her, she wasn’t alone anymore...

“No, I don’t think so,” I smiled, holding on to her chin up and directing her to me eyes. “Feeling guilty shows you care. She’s blessed to have a friend like you.”

Her eyes went wide with surprise, her grip getting tighter on my shoulders.

I tilted my head to meet hers, kissing her lips as started to smile. We stayed like this for only a moment before breaking away.

She was blushing a bit, her mood getting better.

I wasn’t a hundred percent sure yet, but Sowon did have a point. Yuna does seem more comfortable when she’s with me. In the small amount of time I’ve seen her interact with everyone, it just seemed like she wasn’t struggling as much. Like she didn’t have to try as hard.

“Now, come on!” I led her to my car. “We’re gonna be late for our appointment!”

“Wh- What appointment?”

“It’s a surprise~!”

“Okay...?” She was smiling nervously.

“Ladies first,” I joked, politely bowing while I opened the passenger door..

“Haha~! Why thank you~!” She played along.

After making sure she was completely in, I shut the door behind her and skipped around the front of the car and got in. I wasn’t exactly sure why I did it, but I decided to help her find the seatbelt for her before having the car roar to life.

“Whoa…” Yuna gasped, feeling the car purr and vibrate with the engine placed right behind the seat.

“Press that button right there, will you?” I asked while I put on my own seatbelt.

As she did, the whirring sounds of small electric servos and hydraulics caused the roof to move slowly behind us. After a moment and a locking sound, we had the lovely late August sky to greet us.

“Ready?” I asked, grinning after switching the gear into drive before offering my hand..

Yuna looked at me longingly, holding onto my outstretched hand. She nodded, bring my hand close to and kissing the back of it.

Eyes locked on the road, I pressed the gas and brought the car to life.

With the help of gravity, the car sped down the hill and through the neighborhood. Obviously, we caught up to Eunbi and Sowon who were about halfway to the front gate. As we passed, Yuna was waving her free hand out the side of the car towards them.

“Hey guys!” Yuna yelled as we passed by them.

"Wah!" screamed Eunbi, holding onto Sowon.

“Yah! Slow down!” shouted Sowon.

And as the road curved, the two of them were gone from the rear view mirrors like a distant memory.

It’s fascinating, this car. Accelerating in it was euphoric. The way the small steering wheel responded to every little touch. I felt like I could take any turn at high speeds if I wanted to. But with her by my side as I did it made everything feel unreal, almost dreamlike. Especially as she held my hand, caressing the back of it with her fingers.

I could do this forever.

But we had places to go and appointments to meet, so no time to dilly-dally.

It only took us about fifteen minutes into the metropolis before I parked the car in front of modern looking office building.  It was square shaped, like a layered cake. The lower level had floor to ceiling seemless tinted windows while the top was completely white with only spots of lighting scattered about.

“Here we are!” I shouted, getting out of the car.

“Where is ‘here’ exactly?” Yuna asked, slightly confused.

I grabbed her hand, leading her to the entrance way.

“Hehehe~!” I giggled. “Well, for our first date, I thought we would have some fun while helping out my cousin.”

“How exactly would we- Wait! Cousin?”

“Don’t worry! Think of it as just preparing for meeting my parents! Plus, you two actually have a lot in common.”

“W- We do?”

The sliding doors opened to a large lobby with a big sign to greet us.

“Blanc & Eclare?” Yuna read.

I watched her face scrunching up as she became more and more confused.

Yeah, I was gambling with all my cards on the table. But if I was right about this… This would pay off dividends.

So far, so good.

“Jung Yerin-shi! So glad to see you again!” The young girl at the front desk greeted me as she stood up and bowed.

“Same to you as well,” I bowed back. After watching me go through the motions, Yuna did the same. “Is unnie upstairs?”

“She should be, yes.”

“Thanks! I'll just show myself in, no need to show me the way.”

“Of course. Enjoy your stay.”

We walked through a doorway, passed an open floor plan office space, to a stairwell that led to the upstairs studio. Instead of an office up here, the entire floor was a smattering of sets and make up tables. Mannequins. Clothes on racks. Lights. Cameras. Everything the fashion studio could ever need to put on a photo shoot.

Yuna was besides herself, looking over the clothes and make up with a hit of excitement in her eyes. In particular, a short white dress that I thought would look particularly tasty on her.

“Unnie! I’m here!” I called, seeing my cousin amongst a small group of people as they were assembling a set.

A girl with orange, brown hair turned in response. Her sharp face, porcelain and statuesque as she raised an eyebrow, was stoic and cold… like an ice princess.

Yuna had to take a double take. Not surprising, of course. If I didn't know any better, I would have been be weirded out too seeing what looked liked a slightly older version of SinB walking towards us. But my cousin wasn't just walking. She had a grace and confidence about her that shown through with every step she took. A runway model in normal, everyday clothing. 

She was an impressive woman after all.

“Hello, baby cousin.”

Her light voice tore the air, chilling it before warming the space with a smirk.

“How’ve you been, unnie?” I asked, giving her a hug. “Hope work isn’t tiring you out too much.”

“You know how it is, work never stops,” she shrugged, before turning her attention to Yuna. “Is this the girl you messaged me about?”

Yuna shot glances at the both of us, unsure how to begin.

“Yup. This is my girlfriend, Choi Yuna.”

As I said it, she bowed to my cousin whom bowed back.

“Nice to meet you,” Yuna greeted politely. “You can just call me Yuna.”

‘Nice to meet you’ she says... Interesting.

In other words, Yuna didn’t know who she was greeting...

Good. That made things a whole lot easier for me.

My cousin’s face grew warmer, her smile brightening up a bit.

“Choi Yuna… I see… Yeah. You were right, Yennie. She is quite pretty.”

Unnie said her name with a bit of remembrance, eyeing Yuna up and down as she spoke while wearing a satisfied look.

Just what I was hoping...

Cousin has heard of Yuna before.

You know, it's incredible how small the world is. There is this idea that all humans know each other within only six degrees of separation. Like, a friend of a friend of a friend sort of thing. That was especially true in modern times with cell phones and the internet.

Ahh, isn't technology great?

Yuna blushed at the complement and I beamed at my girlfriend, proud to call her mine.

“So, my idea… we can do it, right?” I asked.

“Definitely the weirdest idea I've ever heard for a first date…” she smiled at the both of us. “But sure, why not? You’ll be helping me out here anyway.”

Unnie closed the gap between herself and Yuna.

“I hope you take care good care of my baby cousin, Yuna,” she said as she held on to both of Yuna’s hands like she was greeting family. “Welcome to my company, Blanc & Eclare. I'm Jung Sooyeon. Ah, but if you are dating Yennie... I guess it's okay for you to call me Jessica unnie instead.

“Now then… have you ever done modeling before?”

HAHAHAHA! OMG! Bringing in some of my old characterizations into this thing! Love it! I have no idea why I thought this would be a fun time for a first date but we shall see.

Also, haappy birthday to me! Missed it by one day. Oh wel lol.

I had to fix parts of this chapter because of the way it sounded. But I'm happy with it in the end. Anyway, be prepared for the next chapter of hijinks and just what in the world is Yerin planning. 

So much fun. 

Anyway, please comment and I will repsoned to them as usual.

And have good memories and nightmares.