At the age of twelve, she shared her first kiss with a boy named Kim Wonsik. One month after entering seventh grade, Seunghoon turned thirteen and to celebrate his birthday, his mom allowed him to have a birthday party in the basement of their house. He had wanted a party without parental supervision but his mom had told him he was still too young and the pair settled on a compromise. He could have a birthday party in the basement of their house and she would stay upstairs and not interrupt.

Once everybody arrived, Seunghoon suggested they play Spin the Bottle. They played the game for fifteen minutes before she finally received her chance to spin. She had hoped it would land on Shin Hyejeong but it didn't.

Even at the tender age of 12, she realised that she didn't look at boys the way other girls in her class did. Instead, she looked at girls that way.

As Hyejeong aged, Bomi realised she was pretty, stunningly so and although Eunji would say how envious she was of Hyejeong's skin or her flawless complexion, Bomi couldn't take her eyes away from her. Not out of envy but out of curiosity. She wondered what it would be like to kiss the tall girl, to run her fingers through the jet black locks.

So when she span the bottle in Seunghoon's basement, she had hoped it would land in Hyejeong's direction and when it didn't, disappointment surged through her.

Instead, the bottle had landed on Kim Wonsik. A boy with classic good looks and looked like he could be in a boy band; Bomi knew that in a couple of years, girls would be falling over themselves to be with him. He would only become more and more attractive.

His lips had been dry and he didn't know how to kiss. Not that she did either but the way he kissed her just felt wrong. There was a lot of tongue involved and Bomi can remember never wanting to kiss him again.

Three years later, she shared her first kiss with a girl, a girl who had incidentally been Hayoung. Bomi had spent the night at Hayoung's, one of their usual Friday night sleepovers, only this time, Eunji wasn't there. She had a prior engagement with her family and couldn't make it. Hayoung had suggested playing truth and dare, a game which quickly descended into just truth. That night Bomi found out that Hayoung had been confused about her own uality just like her and after a few shared secrets; they both thought it would be a good idea to kiss.

That way they could see if they felt something when kissing a girl in comparison to the emptiness they felt when kissing a boy. Unlike Hayoung, Bomi didn't have much experience when it came to kissing boys; her first and last kiss with a boy had been Kim Wonsik.

When their lips touched, she hadn't seen fireworks and butterflies didn't appear in her stomach. She didn't experience any of the stereotypical clichés but the kiss did feel different than the one she had shared with Wonsik.

For a start, Hayoung knew how to kiss and unlike Wonsik, Hayoung hadn't tried to suffocate her with her tongue.

After that, they kissed again and their friendship slowly developed into a tentative relationship. One that never progressed further than al kissing with clothes on but it was enough to make Bomi realise that it was want she wanted.

What she liked.

Their relationship only lasted a few weeks before both girls realised that while they liked being with a girl, it wasn't each other they wanted to be with. They were best friends, not girlfriends.

Nobody ever knew about their relationship, it was a secret from start to finish. They never informed Eunji about it and Bomi doubts that Hayoung has even told Namjoo. Even she and Hayoung don't discuss it; it's almost as if it never happened.

However, if anything, their brief relationship solidified their friendship and brought them closer.

Over the years, Bomi has always sought that cliché feeling you receive when you kiss somebody but it has never appeared. Sometimes she'd feel faint butterflies but it would never be anything monumental. Sometimes she'd feel light-headed but that was always due to fatigue or hunger rather than an amazing kiss.

The first time she kissed Chorong outside the bar, that feeling didn't appear either.

She had started to think that it didn't exist, that the clichés were just concocted to give everybody hope but now she knows that isn't the case.

When Chorong had kissed her in the theatre, she experienced the feeling the clichés describe. The butterflies certainly danced in her stomach and all she wanted was to kiss Chorong again and again. Unfortunately the brunette didn't share that thought.

The kiss in the theatre may have felt different because the first time she met Chorong, all she was interested in was but now, is the last thing she's thinking about. She doesn't just want to have with Chorong, she wants more than that.

She wants everything Chorong described to her when they were standing at the brunette's car a couple of weeks ago. The only problem is, she doesn't just want somebody to share the little things with, she wants to share them with Chorong.

She'd been doing a pretty good job of fighting her feelings for the brunette but as soon as Chorong kissed her, she lost sight of why she was fighting them. She knew that she wanted Chorong but she also knew she couldn't have her. That kiss just emphasised that fact.

For the briefest of moments, Bomi had Chorong before it was cruelly snatched away. As long as Chorong has a girlfriend, that's all Bomi is going to get.

Stolen moments.

Even though Chorong ran away, even though she regretted the kiss and even though the rejection stings, there's no shying away from the fact that Chorong had kissed her first. Bomi chooses to seek comfort in that knowledge because surely, Chorong wouldn't have kissed her if she truly loved and wanted to be with Eunji.

She pours the sugar into the bowl alongside the butter and starts to mix thoroughly. Her mom always told her to use an electronic whisk rather than a hand whisk but Bomi prefers to use her hands rather than rely on technology for every little thing. Besides, the last time she used an electronic whisk, she forgot to turn the speed down and had been showered with flour and sugar as the whisk whipped her mixture furiously.

She rests the whisk against the bowl at the sound of a timid knock at her front door. Wiping her hands on her apron, she heads towards the door and opens it. "Can I help you?"

Chorong stands in front of her fiddling with her fingers, eyes focused on the floor. "I think we need to talk."

Bomi scratches a non-existent itch on her eyebrow before rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand in case she still has sugar on her hand. She opens the door wider allowing Chorong to come in but the other woman remains frozen on her doorstep. "Do you not want to come in?"

"I think it'll be better if I stay here."

"Are you worried I'm going to jump you or something if you come in?" Bomi jests quietly. "If that's the case, I promise I'll keep my hands to myself."

"This isn't funny Bomi, what we did wasn't a joke so can you please stop acting like it was."

Bomi sighs heavily. "Okay, I won't make any more jokes but can you either come in or go away because I don't really want to have a conversation with you on the doorstep."

She walks back into her kitchen and gives her hands a quick rinse. She hears the door close and glances over her shoulder to see whether Chorong has come in or gone away. The brunette has indeed come inside and now hovers awkwardly in her living room.

"You don't need to feel awkward around me," Bomi tells her, trying to put the other woman at ease. "It may have been a joke but I'm not going to jump you."

"I know you're not."

"Then can you please relax," Bomi replies. "When people are on edge, they make me feel on edge and I prefer for us to feel comfortable if we're going to talk."

Chorong allows herself to relax. Even though she feels nervous about the impending conversation they need to have about the kiss, the blonde possesses an ability to always make her feel at ease. "You're baking?"

"It's Jinsol's birthday in a couple of days so I'm doing a test just to see whether the cake turns out the way I want it to or if I need to make adjustments."

"What kind of cake are you making?"

"Chorong, I don't think you came round to talk about what type of cake I'm baking," Bomi replies, undoing her apron and throwing it onto the counter. "You've been ignoring me."

"I didn't want to talk to you."

Bomi releases a soft chuckle. "I guessed." She tidies away some of the ingredients she no longer needs so she has something to do with her hands. One of her New Year Resolution's had been to quit smoking and so far she's managed to last seven days with the help of patches and gum. Although she still craves the nicotine, the hardest thing she's found is not having anything to do with her hands. "Why do you suddenly want to talk now? You've ignored me for four days."

"I needed to wrap my head around the situation before we talked."

She takes a seat on one of her kitchen stools and crosses her legs. "So talk."

Chorong clears nervously.

"We kissed, a few times. I initiated it and then I ran away."

"I know Chorong, I was there. I know you wished it never happened and you regret it," Bomi tells her. "I'm pretty sure that's what you came to tell me so…I already know."

"How do you know that?"

Bomi quirks her right eyebrow. "You wouldn't have run away if you didn't."

Chorong bobs her head slowly. "I have a girlfriend, I shouldn't have kissed you."

"Then why did you?" Bomi questions lightly. "I'm not mad at you. I mean, don't get me wrong, I wish you hadn't come here to tell me you regretted it but I just want to know. I have to know. Why did you kiss me?"

"I found myself rather overwhelmed at your Christmas gift," Chorong explains, taking a seat on the arm of Bomi's couch. "You were so sweet and lovely and I just lost myself for a moment. You told me I shone."

"I remember."

"My mom used to tell me that," Chorong continues. "She was the only one who ever used those words and then you used them. Just for one moment, I forgot about Eunji. I forgot that I had a girlfriend and that was because of you. You made me forget and before I knew it, I'd kissed you."

Bomi furrows her brow as she stands from the stool and walks over to the fridge. "Do you want a soda or anything?"

"Are you aware that we're having a serious conversation right now?"

Bomi nods her head before pulling a soda out for herself and opening it. "Of course I am but I've always had a habit of making light of serious situations. I guess that's why I made a joke earlier. In life you either laugh or cry and I prefer the former."

Chorong doesn't press the situation anymore. "No, I wouldn't like anything." Bomi closes the fridge door and takes a sip of her drink. "Why did you push me away?"

Bomi's tongue darts out momentarily to her lips and as usual Chorong finds herself mesmerised by Bomi's actions, no matter how slight they may be. "I wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing, I didn't want you to do something you were going to regret."

Bomi rubs her forehead again, having another sip of her soda.

"She may be your girlfriend but Eunji is my friend and I shouldn't be chasing her girlfriend. I am being a friend to her right now. I don't want to hurt her but I am finding it impossible to stay away from you." She walks closer to Chorong. "I have stopped myself from kissing you so many times but when you kissed me, I couldn't stop myself anymore Chorong. I hate that you're dating Eunji and I hate that if she ever finds out, she'll be heartbroken but that doesn't stop me from wanting you."

"You just want me because you can't have me."

Bomi shakes her head harshly. "That's not true."

Chorong rubs her eyes before bringing her attention back to Bomi. "I love Eunji."

"So you've said."

"I can't do this," Chorong tells her. "Whatever it is between us, it has to stop. I can't keep cheating on her, that's not who I am. I never thought I was capable of cheating but I can't control myself around you."

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know," Chorong admits quietly. "I'm not breaking up with Eunji."

"I never asked you to."

"Can we just pretend what happened in the theatre never happened?"

Bomi tilts her head to the side. She can't pretend it never happened, especially since that kiss only solidified the knowledge that she wanted Chorong but somehow, she doesn't think telling Chorong that will go down too well. "And if it happens again?"

"It's not going to so we don't need to worry about what ifs," Chorong says adamantly, a little too adamantly, as if she's trying to convince herself more than Bomi.

"Do you want to avoid each other too?"

"I don't think that's going to be possible," Chorong replies, running her fingers through her hair. "Please say you're okay with pretending it never happened."

The words get caught in Bomi's throat because she isn't okay with doing that but when brown eyes find chocolate ones, she finds herself agreeing. "If that's the way you want to play it, then fine," Bomi concedes. "We can pretend it never happened."

Chorong allows herself to smile slightly. "Thank you."

The agreement settles some of Chorong's nerves. Although, she knows that they can both pretend it never happened as much as they like, it won't stop either woman from forgetting.

The bartender shouts angrily at the television and the noise shakes Bomi out of her reverie. Their conversation had been two days ago and she hadn't spoken to the brunette since then. It's amazing how one moment can shift the dynamics of a relationship so quickly. Before the kiss, they had been building a quite good friendship but now, it seems like all that progress has been wasted.

She takes a sip of her wine before scouring the menu, trying to decide what to have for lunch. Normally she isn't one for lunchtime drinking but since her mind couldn't concentrate on work, she thought she'd take an early lunch. Maybe the alcohol will spur up some creativity and allow her to focus on work. She told Sunyoung she had a doctor's appointment, eventually her boss will see through the pathetic excuses and chose to sanction her but for now, the older woman is allowing them to slide.

"You're drinking in the middle of the day now Bomi?" Hayoung questions as she sits on the available seat beside her.

"Are you about to chastise me before doing the exact same thing?"

"Maybe," Hayoung shrugs before ordering a bottle of wine. 

"A bottle?" Bomi states, her voice filled with shock. "You tell me off for drinking a glass of wine and you're ordering a bottle."

Hayoung rolls her eyes before paying the bartender. "It's not all for me, I'm meeting Joo for lunch," she explains, grabbing the menu from Bomi and perusing it. "What's your excuse for sitting in a bar in the middle of the day like you're dabbling with the idea of becoming an alcoholic?"

"I just fancied a drink."

"Bomi, you know you've always been a terrible liar."

"I have not. I'm a fantastic liar," Bomi tells her before looking back at her glass of wine. "That's not to say I'm lying now."

Hayoung chuckles quietly before ordering Bomi to move to a table with her so she can reserve it for her and Namjoo. Bomi obliges and grabs her glass of wine before following Hayoung and taking a seat at one of the tables in the back of the restaurant. Hayoung places the bottle on the table before sitting opposite Bomi and opens the menu, laying it across the table. "I've always know when you're lying."

"No, you haven't."

"Your voice always gains a couple of octaves when you lie," Hayoung explains, pouring some wine into her glass. "That's how I know you wanted to kiss Hyejeong when we played Spin the Bottle at Seunghoon's birthday party rather than Wonsik or Seunghoon like you told me."

Bomi suddenly feels the need to cough, anything to interrupt the intense gaze being sent her way by Hayoung. She had no idea Hayoung knew about that.

"How long have you known?"

"Since Seunghoon's birthday party," Hayoung tells her. "Why do you think I chose to confide in you when I realised I liked girls?"

"Because you knew I was struggling with my own uality."

Hayoung smiles slowly. "In part but mainly because I knew you wouldn't judge me. You should thank me, I helped us both come out of the closet," she replies, taking a sip of her wine. "Since Namjoo broke our no before the wedding rule last night–"

"Didn't she only introduce that rule the other day?"

"Yeah but I knew it wouldn't last," Hayoung replies. "She can't resist me. She said she'll re-introduce it when it's closer to our wedding. Anyway, because of that I'm in a good mood so I'll toss you a bone. I think Hyejeong wanted to kiss you too."

"She did?"

She nods but doesn't say anything else. "The whole point of my trip down memory lane was, I know when you're lying or hiding something so what's really wrong?"

"I think I should stop chasing women in relationships."

Hayoung frowns. "I've been telling you that for years but you've always ignored me. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Bomi shrugs slowly. "It's just not fun anymore."

"Does this have something to do with Park Chorong?"

She whips her head up at the question. "Why would it have something to do with Chorong?"

Hayoung leans closer to her and lowers her voice to a whisper. "I'm not an idiot Bomi; I've seen the way you look at her. You want her."

It's times like this when Bomi hates her friend for being so observant. feels dry and even though she swallows a mouthful of wine, the dryness doesn't disappear. "I don't know what you're talking about Hayoung."

"She's Eunji's girlfriend."

"I don't want her."

Hayoung leans back in her chair and a smug smile crosses her face. Bomi's always hated that smile because it usually means she's about to make a point that will silence any argument.

"Did you hear how high your voice went just then? It's incredibly telling."

Bomi opens to speak but Namjoo's appearance causes her to shut quickly.

"Hey babe," Namjoo gives her fiancée a kiss before sitting down beside her whilst Hayoung immediately pours her a glass of wine. "Bomi-ah, are you having lunch with us too?"

"No, I'm not going to intrude Joo; I was just having a drink and keeping your fiancée company."

"Are you sure?" Namjoo asks before pointing to something on the menu and telling Hayoung she might order that. "I've invited Naeun to come to lunch with us and she might feel better if she has some company."

"You did?"

Namjoo brings her attention to Hayoung. "We left the studio at the same time so I invited her, that's not a problem is it?" Hayoung shakes her head before drinking some wine.

Bomi rolls her eyes in a playful manner. "Namjoo, this isn't another attempt to try and set me up with your friend is it?"

"I didn't know you were going to be here," Namjoo replies seriously before a wide grin spreads across her face. "It must be Cupid trying to set you up, not me."

"I never realised Cupid was a redhead from Cheongju."

Namjoo chuckles and shrugs the comment off. "You should stay."

I love Eunji.

I can't do this.

Bomi hears Chorong's voice in the back of her mind. The brunette told her without reservation that nothing else could happen between them and even though Bomi had expected it, the rejection still stung. If Chorong wants to pretend nothing happened and focus on her relationship with Eunji then it's only fair if she does the same.

"You know what, I will stay."

Taking into account the fact that she'd only met Naeun once before, for less than a minute, and Namjoo kept dropping unsubtle hints about how good they looked together, lunch hadn't actually been too bad. Hayoung and Namjoo also managed to stop themselves from disappearing into their own whispered conversations.

Surprisingly, she also has quite a bit in common with Naeun. They're both single for a start and that's incredibly useful. Bomi doesn't think she has it in her right now to deal with another attached woman.

The dancer informed her that she writes and paints in her spare time and until she discovered her passion for both teaching and dancing, she had wanted to be a journalist or an author. Bomi found out that Naeun had grown up in America and moved back to Seoul when she was 21.

She throws some money into the collective pile in the centre of the table for the bill before running her fingers through her hair anxiously. She was already later than she told Sunyoung she would be but if Hayoung was going to be late, she could always try and sneak back in with the her, hopefully escaping the older woman's wrath.

"So, Bomi, what are you doing on Saturday night?"

Bomi contemplates for a second before shaking her head. She had Jinsol's birthday party to attend during the day but nothing planned for the night time. She presumed she'd end up staying with her family. "I have no concrete plans," she replies. "I'll probably end up having a quiet night in front of the television. I live a very wild lifestyle."

The dark haired girl chuckles before turning shy. "In that case, how would you feel about company?" She suggests nervously. "Or we could go out for a bite to eat."

"Are you asking me on a date?" Bomi questions in all seriousness. Normally she asked women out, not the other way around.

Naeun flushes immediately at the question. "I was trying to be painfully subtle but if you're going to call me out on it, yes, I'm asking you on a date."

She smiles softly at the shy woman. "Sorry, I'm not really interested in relationships right now."

Naeun returns the smile. "I never mentioned a relationship, it's just one date. We could realise we hate each other and never want to see each other again. You are single right?"

"Of course I am, why?"

"You just looked panicked when I asked you, I thought maybe you were dating somebody or seeing somebody."

Chorong momentarily crosses her mind yet again before Bomi shakes her head softly. "I'm not dating anybody."

"Are you just not interested in me?"

Bomi shakes her head. "It's not you."

"So if you're single and it's not me, how about taking a risk and going on a date with me?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Namjoo and Hayoung watching their interactions with interest, Hayoung more so than her fiancée. Bomi swallows before looking back at Naeun. The dark-haired woman had a rather infectious smile and soon enough, Bomi concedes and smiles back at her. "A date sounds good."

After all, it will probably be best for everybody involved if Bomi focuses her attention on somebody else.

Somebody other than Chorong.