The first time Byulyi saw her. She found her intrinsically majestic—as if she was a masterpiece etched with delicate by Leonardo Da Vinci himself. No one else comes close to her beauty, even Seulgi whom she pined on for weeks during her freshman days.

“Hi. I’m Moon Byulyi.” She managed to utter before her embarrassed wits got the best of her. Byulyi’s hand quivered nervously, which she tried to cease with her other hand, as she waited for the beauty to reply.

“Uh- hello! I’m Kim Yongsun. I just got here… apparently,” she laughed, finding her latter statement unnecessary.

Byulyi tried her best to resist the wide smile itching to curve over her lips but, with the way Yongsun was melodically laughing, she knew she just lost the battle. She was afraid Yongsun would find her grin disturbing but it seems not when the latter flashed a toothy beam of her own.

At that moment her stomach churned severely, she even thought of excusing herself to the bathroom, but that would mean a moment of not seeing Yongsun so she opted to stay for a while more. Besides she figured it wasn’t that kind of churning but the kind of churning wherein butterflies were fluttering all over her insides.

“Anyway it’s a pleasure to meet you, Byuly-ssi! I don’t really have many friends here.” Yongsun then took her newfound companion’s hand and shook it—the cordial smile never leaving her face. She waited patiently for a reply but it seems the grin on Byulyi’s face was all she’s going to receive. Yongsun found the sight of her dreamy expression amusing so she let out a soft laugh before waving her hand over in front of the latter’s face.

That must have done the trick as Byulyi quickly shook her head and regained composure. An almost unnoticeable blush rose on her cheeks, when she realized she had just explicitly stared at Yongsun.

“Y-yes,” she replied as she gave Yongsun’s hand a firm shake in spite of her previous tongue tied moment. She didn’t knew she could miss someone just as much as she missed Yongsun after they lost connection—even though they were still literally inches apart.

It had been a year since Byulyi met Yongsun. She even remembered the exact date of the momentous event but that was something for her diary to only know.

“You ready?” Byulyi queried as she sat patiently on the couch.

She was wearing a blue sweater with white stripes matched with Yongsun’s own which previewed a pink shade instead of blue. They bought the outfit awhile back in courtesy of Yongsun because she was tempted by the buy 1 take 1 sign, whilst Byulyi only readily agreed because it made them look like a couple.

“One more minute!” Yongsun yelled as she hurriedly puckered her lips and applied lipstick. Once she was satisfied with her look, she left the vanity area and went to Byulyi, casually tapping her shoulder to announce her readiness.

The younger glanced up in anticipation from her phone to Yongsun, and a wide smile quickly adorned on her lips when she witnessed the beauty the latter possessed.

“I don’t even know why you love make-up so much. You look perfect even without one,” Byulyi remarked. It really was true, Yongsun was gorgeous even without make-up, in fact, Byulyi does her best to wake up earlier just to revel at her alluring features (however creepy that sounded).

“Stop with the grease, Byul! You’re just saying that because I’m wearing one,” Yongsun retorted as she playfully hit the younger’s shoulders. She noticed Byulyi’s mouth opening to reply at her statement, probably with her greasy comebacks again, so she quickly added, “Leggo! We’re going to screw the itinerary.”

Instead of retaliating, Byulyi just chuckled at the prominent avoidance as she chucked herself out the couch and draped her arm over Yongsun’s shoulder before going out.

They spent the day comfortably in the premises of the town. It wasn’t their first time to explore the city but it would be a lie if they said they didn’t enjoy the familiar sights.

Before the day ended, Byulyi pulled the older to her motorcycle and drove to her favorite place. It was an underrated diner by the sides of the coastal highway, but food wasn’t the best thing it offered, rather it was the sight by the back of it.

Byulyi glanced at her watch before mentally praising herself that they got them there just in time.

“Are you trying to kill us?! You almost crashed into a car back there!” Obviously the latter was just an exaggerated lie because Byulyi had always been careful, but she expressed a quirky laughter to appease the elder’s displeasure.

“Whatever, unnie,” she rolled her eyes as she helped her remove the helmet before dragging her to the seawall. “If this isn’t enough to pacify your frustrations, I don’t know what will.” Byulyi wondered at the picturesque sight—red orange hue coloring the skies and sparkling blue water reflecting the same hues.

“Wow…” That was the only word Yongsun uttered as she watched in pure awe at nature’s beauty. Byulyi only wanted to glance at Yongsun to shot her a smug smirk but it seems nature has finally found its competition.

She was rendered speechless at Yongsun’s splendor needless to say. As sappy as it seems, Byulyi wanted time to stop right there and then. In fact she could spend an eternity staring at Yongsun, and trust her, she wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

However time seems not to be on her side because only minutes after, the sun has set and replaced by the moon.

“I know I’m pretty and everything but I don’t want to melt just yet,” Yongsun said as she looked at the younger. It seems that Byulyi didn’t do a good job of disguising her stare nor hiding her reddening cheeks, which Yongsun dismissed as a spontaneous reaction against the cold breeze.

“And I don’t want you to melt as well or else I won’t have an eye candy to stare at any time I like,” she replied greasily all the while trying her best to compose herself.

As usual, Yongsun rolled her eyes and hit her best friend’s shoulder without any remorse whilst yelling, “What are you saying? That was so greasy!”

Byulyi did her best to block off the fists but her hands weren’t doing so much of shielding herself, so she opted to embrace the woman. Luckily, the action seem to have done the job as Yongsun’s arms were rendered useless.

“Let go of me, you greasy star!” Yongsun playfully and overdramatically shouted despite the fact that she was actually enjoying the warmth of the hug.

“Never! I don’t want to die by your heavy hands.” A melodious teasing laughter drifted away Byulyi’s voice box.

“Oh you! Just wait ‘till I escape,” she replied in a fake offended tone.

“If you even manage to. I won’t let you go now even if you want me to and beg me to.” Byulyi kidded—or rather soundly hinted at her unrequited feelings.

Yongsun again let out a screech of inauthentic disgust, which made the younger tighten her embrace.

“And even if you do your puppy looks, I wouldn’t let you go.”

“That means I’m stuck to you then.”

“Definitely! No matter what,” Byulyi responded as she leaned back a little to peck the elder’s cheek—a normal portrayal of affection between them, before gliding towards her back so that they were both facing the sea horizon.

Yongsun merely chuckled in defeat as she let herself relish in the warmth of the younger's arms. They stayed a couple minutes in that position whilst exchanging (flirtatious) playful banters before hesitatingly separating to fill their deprived appetites by the diner.