Yuri

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Yuri arrived outside Taek’s apartment building, sensing a disturbance in the universe. Per her text, Tiffany could be found in her car. And if Yuri’s blossoming girlfriend senses were any indicator, there would be many cuddles tonight to mollify what seemed to be a terrible day for her. Yuri merely waved through the driver’s seat window and Tiffany sprang out, hugging her desperately.

As Yuri jogged up the stairs alone, she couldn’t shake Tiffany’s uncharacteristic flimsiness, her palpable frailty. All her strength had been sapped.

The sooner these measurements were finished, the better. She ached to make Tiffany smile again.

Taekwoon opened his door after the first knock. His face lighter, less taciturn than usual. Which befuddled Yuri as well. Of all days for Tiffany to be in shambles, her ex-boyfriend smiled? At her!? These were bad, bad vibes.

“Brought my own tool,” Yuri announced, tossing and catching it in demonstration. Okay, the retractable tape measure belonged to Sooyoung’s parents, but did it really matter?

“Hello to you, too, handywoman.” Taekwoon stepped aside for her to briskly hop to her task. “I could’ve measured it myself.”

“Didn’t wanna hassle you for anything else.”

“Who drove you here?”

Annoyance tickled Yuri’s back, where she felt Taekwoon’s gaze. She crouched to the base of the oak desk. “I’d tell you, but bus drivers aren’t big on small talk, you know?”

“Burn.” He chuckled. “What sassy people have you been hanging around?”

Who in Tiffany’s clique wasn’t sassy? “The Choi household, of course.”

“You’re pretty late.”

“Riding with Sowon. New apartment, unfamiliar terrain. Just being a friend.”

“Ah. Gotta love your selfless side.”

Yuri tapped the desk measurements into her phone, determined to appear ultra-concentrated. “Uh huh.”

He strolled into her peripheral, crossing his arms. “To you, I extend a proper congratulations on your new job.”

Yuri glanced up, puzzled.

“Your shirt.”

“Heh, you’ve noticed my upgrade.” She hadn’t changed out of her Craftie’s attire yet. And a sorrow akin to her first visit to THY paralleled how sorely she stuck out in his redecorated apartment. “Thanks. They threw me a party and everything.”

“Are you taking that dresser?”

“If…if you don’t mind.”

“It’s yours.”

While Yuri took down the dimensions of her few bits of furniture, she dredged up the nerve to address the elephant in the room: Taekwoon’s cheerfulness. “You’re smiling hard. New client?”

“Yes, new clients,” he concurred, stepping closer. As if he needed Yuri to hear his every word. “However, not why I’m smiling.”

“Should I ask for a hint or phone a friend?”

“I met someone.”

“You did.” Yuri pressed a palm to her chest. She and Taekwoon, after all, dated for years. A blip of jealousy would be normal. “That soon?”

“Look who’s talking.”

She matched his stare in exasperation, hand jabbed to her hip. “I understand I’m the villain here, Taek. I’m only asking. If you’re gonna dance around the subject, I’ll leave you to it.”

Her ex-boyfriend winced like she’d thrown a handful of powder in the air and proclaimed her acceptance into magician school. “Yul, uh…that was weird.”

“What?”

“You’re different.”

Yuri’s brow tensed. “How? Gay different?”

Taekwoon dramatized a hand to his own hip. Being funny, his old self. “This no-nonsense, straightforward ‘tude.”

Now, that reflected her constant exposure to Tiffany and Sooyoung. Nobody could resist taking pointers on Tiffany’s balancing act between unapologetic authority and her natural friendliness. And Sooyoung…well, lectured her to grow a spine if she wanted ‘our unruly Craftie’s team to give a about you’. “Guess that promotion training is paying off.”

Damn, even post-breakup, Yuri lied to him. What a doomed relationship.

“The girl I met…” Taekwoon thumbed at the desk’s edge. Blushing, was he? “She’s um, standoffish. Mysterious. Not big on drinking. I only know her first name—”

“Why’re you telling me this, Taek?”

“You said you wanted to be civil. If telling you about my day bothers you, then I’ll back off.”

“No.” Yuri swore a vein at her temple throbbed. “It bothers me because you’re trolling for a reaction I’m not going to give.”

Taekwoon threw a hand up, façade shattered. “Losing you’s made me a bit of , Yul, sorry. I used to know your whereabouts, your weekly schedule, your thoughts...those simple pleasures have all been ripped from me. Pretending to be casual friends .”

“Yeah, I understand.”

“I’m not anti-gay, alright?”

She braced herself for more. “You’re not anti-gay, but...?”

“I wish you’d trusted me enough to say how you felt. Our , your aversion to touch makes sense now.” He coughed, adding, “It’s problematic, but, I feel like I’ve failed as a man. My love for you couldn’t keep us together.”

Yuri gripped the back of her computer chair. For years, she’d worn blinders. Before, she would’ve vouched for her and Taekwoon’s ‘progressive’ relationship.

Sure, between the two of them, Taek had a longer sensitive streak. He pushed to communicate, to discuss current events and emotions. And she’d loved him for that. By-and-by, though, his ownership of her fate and income were quite gendered. Quite typical, societal. Which wasn’t a negative, though these weeks as Tiffany’s partner opened her eyes to a path without instructions. Few books dictated how the ideal lesbian relationship operated. They had to build their own dynamic organically, based off their complexly harmonious personalities. And ual chemistry—god, the ual chemistry.

“I’m excited for you to move on. If not with this new woman, someone right for you.”

Taekwoon lost steam, sinking a couple inches in height. “Don’t you want to know her name?”

“Fine. What’s her name?”

“What’s your...new person's name?”

“See ya, Taek.” She dashed for a clean exit, thwarted by Taekwoon swooping in faster. Defeat clear in his dark eyes. “Haven’t we broken up enough times?”

“Not knowing anything about who you’re with makes me crazy. If…if I could have some closure—”

“Taek, no.” Yuri anxiously fiddled with the tape measure’s metal tab. Coming out to him seemed so…Twilight Zone bizarre. She should've skirted the issue forever.

“T-tell me, at least.” He shrugged, as awkwardly as their first meeting—at the party, in his Jack Skellington stripes. “Do your interests overlap? Does she speak to you kindly? Does…does she love you?”

Love. Love.

Like an incantation, the word spurred a sudden anguish to her heart. Tiffany, her wilted, hurting partner needed consoling and here she dawdled, minding a man who wouldn’t let go.

She walked straight at Taekwoon and gently guided him from the door.

“Um...” Yuri shut her eyes for a tic. Finding anything to tie over his curiosity. “Our humor’s almost identical, but she banned me from eating sugary cereal.”

Taekwoon smiled sadly. “This girl must be worth it.”

“She’s incredible.”

With that lingering in the air, Yuri rushed out. Through the hallway, down the steps. Out to the parking lot.

She had an incredible woman to comfort.

…

Friday night had begun roughly, fattened with questions and answers regarding Tiffany’s ordeals. Eye-opening (and heavy) stuff. Heartbroken, Yuri stuck to her guns to turn it all around. She brewed them both cups (Tiffany owned literal teacups) of chamomile, played soft music from her phone, and improv-acted a cliché drama so absurd, Tiffany nearly choked laughing.

Also: copious cuddling.

They exchanged stories of their entire day. Piecing together the clues of Yuri’s run-in with Taek to Tiffany’s, concluding on his very obvious crush. It miffed Yuri, but not enough to cause a fuss. Especially since his efforts to rekindle his relationship earned Tiffany nuzzling away bad memories, kissing Yuri with life-altering affection.

Yuri owed a lot of favors for the sequence of shift trades she’d done just to get this whole weekend off. It happened to coincide with an insane Craftie's sale (Expanded clearance section! 60% off floral! Half-priced framing! Coupons up the wazoo!) So, she’d be feeling the brunt of that next week. But, it was worth it to spend the night, to sleep in. Strewn into Tiffany’s sheets, awakened by the smell of a coffee brand leagues better than any Starbucks.

Being sweet and couple-like with the woman she loved.

Yet, at fate would have it, Tiffany was summoned for an emergency meeting at THY Saturday evening. A potential investor, who’d been slated to show up in three weeks, booked an early trip to Korea. Meaning Tiffany and Hyoyeon had to scramble to arrange a barely-finished proposal. Tiffany promised it would rob only a few hours from their little honeymoon, but Yuri didn’t mind slacking around the store after closing. She savored these tastes of entitlement.

And, that entitlement took a turn when she realized Yoona and Sinbi would be milling about, gossiping about their patron who apparently laughed like a hyena giving birth. The cashier, a smiley acquaintance of Sinbi, just clocked out. Leaving Yuri alone to fend for herself as the co-owners cloistered themselves in Hyoyeon’s office.

She pretended to browse the selection, even as most of the lights dimmed. Frankly, she’d hoped to hide behind the racks. Or shrink into herself enough to be invisible.

Until Yoona called out, “Why are you lurking in the shadows?”

Yuri’s breath hitched. Her cue. “Um, uh sh-shopping.”

“Can’t you read the sign? We’re closed.”

Resigned to being roasted, Yuri peeped over a row of rompers. To Im Yoona. Um...smirking. It wasn’t a glare at the pathetic Craftie’s manager! “Damn, there goes that friends and family discount I wanted to use.”

Sinbi, routinely attached to her phone, spoke without looking up. “Where’s Sooyoung? We already okay’d her application and background check so, like, I want her here already.”

“Oh.” No ‘haha-you’re-poor’ comment? “Giant sale at Craftie’s.”

“The infamous Craftie’s.” Yoona scrunched her nose, hands tucked into her stylish pants. “Tiffany bragged about your promotion for two days straight.”

“Four,” Sinbi corrected, “if you count the text reminders.”

Yuri grinned through a soft blush, idly skimming through patterned shorts. Then, the hangers themselves pushed her blush to flaming hot. She couldn’t glance at a hanger without remembering Tiffany’s hidden tattoo. “Did she, now?”

“She sent pics like the proud dork she is. Kudos on the better manager shirts.”

“Heh, thanks?”

“We’re not joking.” Sinbi eyed Yuri from her vantage point (propped onto two chairs, legs stretched out). “That polo from before did nothing for your s.”

Yoona snorted prettily, which apparently was a thing for lifeforms like her. “She’s not lying. Ill-fitting uniforms are an injustice.”

Yuri shrugged. “They’re just work clothes. Who’ll see me?”

“Like, hundreds of people a day.”

Huh. She’d never thought about it that way. “I don’t exactly have access to a tailor.”

“Jeez, you say stupid things.”

Between Sinbi and Sooyoung, Yuri had her fill of being called stupid. “I’m sorry?”

“You have us,” Yoona held her hands up to the store’s ceiling. “We could literally tailor clothes for you.”

“I…I wouldn’t bother y—”

“Your uniform includes black bottoms and black shoes, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

Yoona sprinted to the back room while Sinbi pointed to a middle platform, aptly illuminated. “You. Up there,” she ordered.

Yuri could’ve argued no, for the sake of her anxiety. Though, really, she needed the kill time. And they’d hound her until she bent to their demands. Doing her best to seem casual, she sauntered up the steps and mounted the circle. She whimpered at the harsh lighting. “I feel like a science experiment.”

“Sis, this is science.” The 22-year-old prowled, scrutinizing. “Ugh, you have a hot body. Pilates?”

“Eh, no. I run around Craftie’s.”

“In college, I’d shop there for vellum paper. And watercolor pencils. Everything was, like, forty percent cheaper than the art shops on campus.”

“Did you use a coupon, too?”

“I did! An associate just handed me one. So ing nice.”

Yuri swallowed, keeping her giddiness at bay. A pleasant one-on-one with Sinbi. Either Soo’s reprimand changed her for the better or hell rivaled the Arctic about now.

Yoona jogged back in, arms laden with black garments presumably from the consignment area. “Okay, my skillful assistant—” On command, Sinbi bowed her role. “let’s hook Yuri up.”

Yuri resigned herself to the reality that whenever she spent more than ten minutes at THY, she’d be made over. Had she been a fashion terrorist her entire life and nobody broached the subject?! “Guess…I’ll be your hookee...hooker?”

Sinbi cracked the roll of measuring tape like a whip. “Prepare your for the YoonBi special.”

“Again, with combining our names?” Yoona sighed.

“We used to sleep together!”

“I know that. You remind me every damn day!”

“We’re a team now. Hyo cal