“Yennie! I’ll be going out for a little while!” Eunbi yelled from the balcony as she slipped her shoes on.

“Okay! Tell me when you’re coming home!” Yerin yelled back from their bedroom. As soon as she heard the front door close, the girl jumped out of bed and went to the washroom to freshen up. She returned and threw on a set of clothes before checking the time. 11:30 am. She grabbed her watch from the dresser and slipped it on, clasping the metal buckle as she used her foot to open the closet door. She took out a pair of socks and hurriedly put them off before sprinting to the front door for her shoes.

Yerin checked the hook where they would usually hang their keys and found the car keys missing which wasn’t surprising since Eunbi wasn’t expecting her to go anywhere. She left the house in a hurry and immediately flagged down a cab when she reached the main road.

“Morning ahjussi, to Myeongdong 8-gil please.” Yerin said as she buckled her seatbelt. Sure, she could have spent about 20 minutes getting there by train considering their apartment was near an LRT station, but she had no idea how long Eunbi would be out for and she decided it wasn’t worth taking the risk. Besides, they had agreed on having lunch at home.

The cab reached in 5 minutes and Yerin paid the driver and thanked him before getting out. She quickly ducked into the building and made a beeline for the escalator, descending to the basement. The photographer walked briskly, weaving through the crowd of shoppers as she made her way to a jewelry shop.

“Hey, I’m here to collect my order for uh… the earrings?” Yerin asked when she walked up to the counter.

“Jung Yerin-ssi?” the man asked.

“Yes, that is me. Hold on while I get the invoice.” Yerin said as she pulled her wallet out of her back pocket to retrieve the receipt. She handed the neatly folded slip of paper to the man who checked it before disappearing into what must have been the storage room. He reappeared after a couple of minutes with 3 small boxes in hand.

“Let me just open them for you to check them yes?” The man said as he carefully unboxed the first pair of earrings. One by one, Yerin checked to make sure that there were no defects before she proceeded to settle the payment.

Eunbi examined the shiny bracelet in her hand, light reflecting off the polished metal surface as she turned it around. She had ordered a customized a bracelet for Yerin with their initials and anniversary date engraved on the backside of the bracelet just the night before after looking at some pictures on her SNS.

“Looks alright. Could you wrap it up for me?” Eunbi asked as she handed the bracelet back to the lady who nodded with a smile. She watched as the sales assistant polished the bracelet once more before placing it back in the box and tying it up with a ribbon. She placed the box into a gift bag and sealed it before handing it to Eunbi.

“Have a nice day, Miss.” She said with a bow and Eunbi returned the gesture. The dancer strolled towards the elevator as she checked the notifications on her phone.

To: 린니~ 💞

I’m walking to the car now. I’ll be home in about… 15? Unless you want anything like chocolate or snacks

She pocketed her phone when the elevator arrived and got in, jabbing the button for the 5^th floor. Eunbi tapped her fingers on the metal railing as the elevator ascended. There was a soft ding before the doors slid open and the girl walked out, pushing the door to the carpark open. Just as she got into her car, her phone chimed.

From: 린니~ 💞

Okey and no, I don’t need anything. Drive safe :)

Eunbi smiled when she read the text and placed her phone on the passenger seat along with the gift bag before starting up the car.

Yerin took the pen from the man and signed the receipt as he bagged up the boxes.

“Thank you and have a pleasant day.” He nodded with a smile as he handed Yerin her card, receipt and the paper bag.

“Thank you.” The girl nodded before taking her leave. She hurried up to the street level and flagged down another cab to head back home. Eunbi was never late; always early or just on time. Knowing the girl, her 15 minutes probably meant 10 or even less. Yerin kept an anxious grip on her phone as she checked the time every minute. It was only a 5-minute drive, but she had to change, hide the present, and make it seem like she had been at home the entire time.

The cab pulled up outside their apartment and Yerin handed a 10000₩ note to the driver.

“It’s okay, you can keep the change. Thank you!” Yerin said when she saw the cab driver counting her change. He nodded his head in thanks before she shut the door and hurried into their house. She kicked her shoes off and stuffed her socks into them and placed them back on the rack before running into the study room to stash the bag in her cabinet. They had divided the room into two; one side belonged to Eunbi and the other side belonged to Yerin, hence giving them their own workspace.

Yerin dashed into their bedroom and quickly took off her shirt, rushing to change back into her home clothes. She had just ed her jeans when she heard the electronic lock on the front door beep.

“Oh no.” she muttered under her breath and hasted her actions.

“Rinnie, I’m home.’ Eunbi called out as she closed the door, taking off her shoes at a relaxed pace, unaware of the frenzy that took place just minutes ago.

“Welcome home.” Yerin greeted as she appeared from their bedroom, smoothening her shirt.

“What happened to you? Your face is flushed.” Eunbi asked when she saw Yerin.

“Ah, I was just uh… Packing some stuff.” Yerin lied with a grin. “What did you get?” she asked when she noticed that Eunbi had a hand behind her back.

“A present for you.” The dancer beamed as she revealed the gift bag.

“Really? For me?” Yerin asked in disbelief. She had to suppress her laughter after realizing that both had gone out in secret to get a present for each other.

“Yea. I think you’ll like this one. Wanna open it?” Eunbi smiled as she handed the bag to Yerin.

“Sure. But first, let me get mine.” Yerin said before rushing back to the study to fetch Eunbi’s present. She handed the bag to Eunbi who had taken her coat off and they sat down on the couch.

“Let’s open it together.” Yerin said as she took the box out of the gift bag.

“Wait, 3? What are these?” the younger girl asked when she took the last box out of the bag.

“You’ll know when you open them.” The photographer winked. “Ready?”

On the mental count of three, they pulled the ribbon off the box in their hand and lifted the lib.

“Earrings?” “A bracelet?”

Yerin and Eunbi looked up at the same time, mirroring each other’s surprised expression. They were so speechless and pleasantly surprised that all they could do was to burst out into laughter.

“You got me 3 sets of earrings?” Eunbi asked as she picked up a pair.

“And you got me a bracelet?” Yerin returned the question as she lifted the silver bracelet up. “With our… Aww… You’re so sweet!” she cooed when she saw the engravings.

“3 pairs for my multiple piercings is sweet too~” Eunbi sang.

“I was going to get you 4 but I think you have quite a few for your lobe so these are for your upper lobe, helix, and conch.” Yerin said, tapping each box.

“This is more than I can ever ask for.” Eunbi grinned as she reached out to grab Yerin’s collar, pulling the girl towards her and kissed her on the lips, surprising the older girl. When she released Yerin, the girl had a grin plastered on her face. “Want to put the bracelet on?”

Yerin nodded in a daze and the younger girl chuckled before taking the bracelet from her girlfriend’s hand. She wrapped it around Yerin’s wrist and secured the clasp.

“I think I’m never going to take this off.” The photographer said as she raised her hand to look at the new accessory.

“It’s stainless steel anyway.” Eunbi said as she took Yerin’s hands into her own, brushing her fingers against the cold metal. “I love your present.”

“And I love yours. It’s really pretty, B. Thank you.” Yerin said and pinched the younger girl’s cheek.