She glances at her watch and huffs in an exasperated manner, ensuring her huff is loud enough for the woman in the bedroom to hear. She waits quietly for another couple of seconds and hears the sound of footsteps pacing in the bedroom but her friend has yet to make an appearance.

Leaning back against the couch, she huffs once more before glancing at her watch for the second time. She never used to worry about punctuality but then she met Namjoo and her fiancée is surprisingly punctual and dislikes being late which has forced Hayoung into the habit of being early.

"Hurry up Bomi; we're supposed to be at the airport in fifteen minutes. I swear, if you've only just started packing, I'm gonna' –"

Several seconds later, Bomi leaves her bedroom, wheeling a small suitcase behind her. "I'm finished, there's no need to panic. The plane doesn't leave for another three hours."

"We have to check in."

"I have to say, Namjoo has imposed many good traits on you but I dislike your sudden need for punctuality."

Hayoung rolls her eyes. "I know you don't like flying and seriously, how did you hide this phobia from me for over ten years?" She questions but continues talking before Bomi can answer. "Leaving everything to last minute in the hope that we'll miss the flight isn't going to work; we are flying out in three hours."

Bomi scratches her eyebrow. "That's not what I was doing."

Hayoung smirks. "If you say so."

The blonde scowls at her before resting her suitcase next to Hayoung's. "Do you think you've packed enough stuff?" She asks as she notes silently that Hayoung's suitcase is double the size of hers. "I mean, we're there for an entire weekend, I think you might need some more things," she tells her friend in a very sarcastic manner.

"I'd say the balance in my suitcase is 70:30, not in favour of clothes," she replies causing Bomi to frown. "Let's just say that if something in that case starts to vibrate, I'm going to be pulled aside by airport security if you catch my drift."

Bomi's eyes widen in momentary realisation. "I think I'd be hard-pressed to not catch your drift," she says while running her fingers through her hair. "I thought you and Namjoo still had the whole no before your wedding rule? I mean, you've booked separate rooms?"

Hayoung shrugs. "Why do you think I'm bringing toys?"

"You're right, that was a stupid question."

"And who knows –" Hayoung begins as she pushes herself off the couch. "Maybe you'll be lucky and get some too. It'll be helpful."

"I'm not going with the plan of sleeping with anybody."

"I never thought I'd say this but you have completely lost your cool Bomi."

The blonde laughs. "Cool? Who says that anymore?"

"I'm serious; you need to get back out there. Meet some random women and relive your one-night stands." The right hand side of Hayoung's mouth curls upwards in a half smile. "Look, I know things haven't been easy for you recently, what with the whole Chorong situation." Bomi exhales quietly but doesn't interrupt. "Bomi-ah, you have got to stop torturing yourself. She's dating somebody; she's not putting her life on hold for you, why are you doing it for her?"

"I am not putting my life on hold for her," Bomi bites back. "Just because I don't want to have with random women in Gwangju doesn't mean I'm waiting for Chorong. Trust me; I am under no illusion that she's putting her life on hold for me."

Strictly, that's not true. She doesn't want to do anything that could potentially jeopardise her chance, if one even exists, with Chorong and sleeping around with strange women would most definitely ruin her chance.

"Six months ago that was all you did."

"I'm mature now," Bomi says proudly.

Hayoung her head to the side and stares at her friend. She's noticed the change in Bomi, so has Namjoo, Namjoo noticed it first though obviously. At first, she wasn't sure what was causing her friend's sudden change in behaviour, her hesitance to date Naeun, how she never recalled stories about her one-night stands anymore when they met for a catch up but now it all makes sense. Truthfully, it started making sense as soon as Bomi confessed to having feelings for Chorong.

Chorong is the reason she's trying to mature.

If Chorong was single, Hayoung would be all for Bomi trying to change for the better. When Bomi said that Hayoung used to be worse than her when it came to , she was right but settling down with Namjoo has made her look at relationships and differently. She can't imagine reverting back to one-night stands; has come to mean something to her.

Something that she never thought it would.

It used to just be fun but now, with Namjoo, there's a whole level of connection between the two of them and everything is maximised, the feelings, the euphoria, the closeness, everything feels better.

She wants Bomi to share that experience with somebody and it devastates her that Bomi might just have found that with Chorong but as it stands, Bomi is currently changing for somebody who can't be with her.

At least not now.

Not while she's still dating Eunji.

Even if they become a couple in the future, there will always be a level of animosity between Bomi and Eunji and Chorong and Eunji, animosity that Hayoung highly doubts would ever dissipate.

"How are things with you and Chorong?" Hayoung asks quietly because she's unsure how Bomi will react. The knowledge that they need to arrive at the airport soon has slipped out of the forefront of her mind. "Have you stayed away from her?"

Bomi swallows before meeting her friend's gaze. She knows Hayoung will be able to see through a lie; Bomi might as well be transparent when it comes to her friend and Hayoung has always been able to see things that Bomi would prefer nobody saw.

"No."

"Bomi –"

"It's not easy okay," Bomi tells her sharply. "Do you really think it's easy to stay away from her? You and Namjoo both met when you were single and now you're getting married, you're getting that happy ending you wanted since you were a child." She pauses for a second and hears Hayoung grumble something about how that wasn't what she used to want, even though Bomi knows it is. She can put up as much of a bravado as she likes but deep down, she's just a softy and Bomi knows that. "I'm thrilled for you and her, I really am, but sometimes life doesn't work out as neatly as that. There are complications and speed bumps and that's what I'm experiencing now. I know I should probably avoid them because they can be damaging but I can't because right now, my head isn't in control. My heart is and I know you told me to stay away from her and I did try but at the end of the day, it was just too hard and staying away from her is hurting me so I don't intend to stay away. Even if it's wrong."

Hayoung's silent for several seconds before tilting her head to the side. "Did you just use a car driving over speed bumps analogy to describe your situation with Chorong?"

Bomi blushes lightly. "It sounded better in my head than it did out loud."

"I've never heard you talk about somebody in that way before.”

Bomi shrugs once more and grabs the handle on her suitcase. "Like I said, I'm maturing."

"Are you going to be okay this weekend? I mean, Chorong's going to be there and Eunji isn't," Hayoung states slowly. "No girlfriend, hotel rooms, alcohol, I can only imagine the temptation you'll face."

"I am capable of resisting temptation Hayoung."

Hayoung quirks her eyebrow. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

When she flew to Seoul and from Cheongju, she thought that would be the last time she entered an aeroplane for the foreseeable future yet here she is, sat in a window seat, staring at the sky as the plane flies surprisingly smooth. She thought they were going to experience turbulence, that's always how she imagined flying.

The prospect of turbulence is probably one of the reasons why she dislikes flying so much.

Her fingers drum against the arm rest as she closes her eyes, it's an irrational fear. Statistically she's more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the airport than she is in a plane crash yet she drives practically every day and doesn't worry about crashing.

She breathes in heavily, desperately trying to calm herself down. The more she thinks about flying, the more scared she becomes and the more ridiculous her thoughts of what could go wrong become.

"Can I sit here?"

Her eyes snap open at the voice and she turns her head away from the window towards the aisle where Chorong is standing, pointing at the seat beside Bomi.

"Naeun's sitting there," she tells her regrettably. "She's just nipped to the toilet."

Chorong shrugs and takes the seat anyway. "She can sit where I was. I had to move, there are only so many ual and explicit comments about joining the mile high club that I can take. Hayoung really doesn't have a filter does she?"

"No," Bomi replies. "Especially when is involved."

Chorong chuckles lightly and fastens her seatbelt when the light flashes above her. She turns to look at Bomi only to find the blonde already with a fastened seatbelt. "You're prepared."

"I didn't undo it." She takes a sip of her drink, grimacing as it hits the back of . Vodka has never been her choice of tipple, especially not at three o'clock in the afternoon but she needs something to take the edge off flying.

"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" Chorong asks curiously.

Bomi wraps her free hand around the glass. "It's either drink or Hayoung will sedate me."

"Why would Hayoung sedate you?"

Bomi stiffens as the plane jolts and her grip on the arm rest tightens immensely, her eyes instinctively closing as the plane continues to jolt slightly.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course."

Chorong frowns at the blonde before prying Bomi's right hand away from the arm rest and entwining their fingers. "The arm rest can't squeeze back, feel free to squeeze as hard as you want Bbom-ah," she states, giving the hand a gentle squeeze to reassure her.

Bomi allows her eyes to open and drop towards their entwined fingers, a slow smile spreading across her face.

Chorong really is perfect; every little thing she does makes that more apparent.

She's about to talk when the plane jolts once more and her hand squeezes Chorong's harder than she would have expected and she watches Chorong flinch at the sudden pressure causing guilt to flood through her.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Bomi exhales heavily as the voice over the intercom apologising for the sudden turbulence before explaining that it should be clear skies for the rest of the flight but her hand doesn't leave Chorong's.

"I'm not a great flier."

"I would never have guessed," Chorong teases lightly. "You flew to Cheongju though, why would you do that if you're terrified of flying?"

"I'm not terrified," Bomi lies.

"Bomi."

Bomi sighs. "I told you, I wanted to see in the New Year with you," she replies and Chorong's heart swells at the statement.

She thought it was sweet enough of Bomi to make the trip but now learning that Bomi made the trip even though she's terrified of flying warms her heart that little bit more.

It makes her feel even more special.

Bomi seems to have the ability to always make her feel special.

"You didn't need to do that, you could have just told me. I would have understood."

"You were courteous enough to invite me, I didn't want to let you down. Seeing you smile made the whole trip worthwhile."

Chorong squeezes the blonde's hand. "You're impossibly sweet."

"I'm not called sweet very often."

"Well I think you are."

Bomi smiles warmly at the brunette and shuffles closer to her. "You just bring it out of me; I can't be anything but sweet around you."

Chorong blushes lightly. "Bomi, I know this weekend is supposed to be about giving Namjoo and Hayoung a last weekend of freedom before they settle down but I was hoping we could take some time to talk."

Bomi pales slightly. "Whenever people say they want to talk, it's hardly ever good."

"In that case," Chorong starts. "Maybe this will be the exception to the rule."

Bomi inserts her key card into the slot before opening the door to her hotel room. Since Hayoung and Namjoo had the whole no before the wedding business, Namjoo had decided that it would be best if they slept in separate rooms, that way the temptation would be diminished. Namjoo is sharing a room with Naeun, Namjoo's friends, Yookyung and Seungyeon, who Bomi has yet to have a proper conversation with, are sharing and since Eunji never made the trip, Chorong now has her own room, leaving Bomi with the luxury of sharing with Hayoung.

"I call that bed." Hayoung comments as she closes the door behind them and rests her suitcase against the wall.

Bomi follows the tall girl's gaze. "Are you six? You can't just call things."

Hayoung brushes past her friend and lies down on her bed. "Sure I can, I've just called this bed."

Bomi rolls her eyes in a humorous fashion before tugging her bottom lip between her teeth. The conversation she had shared with Hayoung regarding Chorong earlier today had been their first one since Bomi confessed to being in love with Chorong in the bridal shop and she has always had one worry at the back of her mind.

"Hayoung?"

Her friend hums her answer.

"Do you hate me?"

Hayoung sits up abruptly. "Hate you?"

"For what I've done," Bomi clarifies. "Everything with Chorong, I've burdened you with the information about Chorong and I so I might be ruining your own friendship with Eunji and I don't –" She swallows hard. "I never wanted to do that."

"I could never hate you Bomi, I hate what's happening and I wish that you weren't in this situation but you're my best friend, that means I'm here for you through the good times and the downright times. I'm not going anywhere."

"I wish this wasn't happening."

Hayoung curls some hair behind her ear. "You can't help who or when you fall in love, it's not something you can control Bomi. I know, I wasn't exactly giddy for you and Chorong when I first found out but –" She pinches the bridge of her nose. "I saw how you were with her on the plane; you looked at her like she was the only person in the world that mattered."

"When I'm with her, she is the only person that matters. I'm enamoured with her Hayoung."

Hayoung stands from the bed and wraps her arms around her friend in a quick hug. Namjoo's been helping her be more in touch with her emotional side and she's grateful for that help right now.

"Since you obviously can't stay away from her, you need to tell Eunji," Hayoung states firmly. "She thinks she has a future with Chorong, you have to tell her that she doesn't."

"I can't speak for Chorong."

Hayoung scoffs. "If Chorong wanted a future with Eunji, she would never have slept with you. A future for the pair of them is non-existent; I think that would be true even if you weren't involved."

"You don't know that," Bomi tells her. "Eunji always seemed happy with her, that happiness has only started to fade since I became a prominent feature in Chorong's life. If Chorong had never met me, they'd still be happy."

"How do you know?" Hayoung questions lightly. "Look, you know better than anybody that Namjoo and I have a tendency to argue. I've slept in your spare room enough times but I would never jeopardise my relationship with her by cheating on her. I could never imagine not being with her."

"So you're saying Chorong can't possibly love Eunji because she cheated."

"I'm not saying that at all," Hayoung says. "I'm sure she does love her. What I'm saying is that I doubt she would have cheated if she didn't want to, people do make conscious decisions, even when they think they don't."

"People make mistakes."

"Yeah, but most people learn from their mistakes," Hayoung states. "She hasn't just cheated once, you've kissed since. Maybe you can label one time as a mistake but you have to ask yourself Bomi, at what point does it stop becoming a mistake and start becoming something you wanted. Something you actively sought out."

"So what do I do?"

Hayoung runs her fingers through her hair before opening the mini-bar. "Well Bomi, we're in Gwangju. What do you want to do?"

Her finger trails the rim of her glass before she takes a sip of her water; a small part of her feels like she should join in with the majority of the group and drink alcoholic beverages rather than water but her distaste for liquor is winning at the moment.

It's a shame the same can't be said for everybody else.

They only entered the bar just under an hour ago and Bomi is already drunk, Chorong can tell from the way she remains sat down because when she did attempt to stand up, Hayoung had to steady her. That proved a difficult task since Hayoung isn't exactly verging on sober either. It is her hen night, they're allowed to be drunk, Chorong was just hoping she'd be able to have a conversation with Bomi at some point but that looked less and less likely the more drinks she had.

"Bomi's popular tonight."

Chorong stills at the voice before looking over her shoulder to see a group of women crowding around Bomi. Some sitting at the table with her while others stand nearby, a plethora of liquor resting on the table and they appear to be playing some form of drinking game.

She bites back her jealousy and brings her attention back to her drink. "It would appear so." Chorong frowns ever so slightly as the woman takes the available seat beside.

"Can I get you a drink?"

"I'm not a big drinker," Chorong tells her.

"You'll have to forgive me, it's just the last time I saw you, you certainly seemed like you enjoyed a drink."

"Well I don't."

Naeun holds her hands up in surrender before gesturing at the bartender and ordering two bourbon and cokes. "How come you're sitting over here on your own when the party is over there?"

"I've never been one for parties."

"So it wouldn't have anything to do with Bomi?"

Chorong turns to look at the dark-haired woman. "Why would it have anything to do with Bomi?"

"I don't know why both you and Bomi seem to think I'm stupid. Those little looks you always send each other when you think nobody is looking, I see them. I think everybody does. You're both fighting with yourselves rather than just admitting what it is you really want and actually being brave enough to go and get it."

"I am not going to sit here and talk about Bomi with you."

"Would you prefer to sit somewhere else and talk about Bomi?"

Chorong rolls her eyes at the remark. "Sorry, let me be clearer, I am not going to talk about Bomi with you at all."

Naeun chuckles. "Can I talk about her to you?"

"Look," Chorong begins placing her hand against her forehead. "What's happening between Bomi and I is none of your business and quite frankly, you don't know the first thing about us."

"I know a lot more than you think; Bomi can be quite talkative once she finally cracks."

Chorong furrows her brows. "Bomi's talked you about us?"

"Yeah."

"What has she told you?"

Naeun smirks. "I thought you weren't going to talk about Bomi with me."

"You're insufferable."

"Thank you."

"That's not a compliment," Chorong explains.

"I know," Naeun replies.

Chorong sips her drink before drumming her fingers against the bar.

"Have you come over to judge me?" Chorong asks with genuine curiosity. Normally she would purposely avoid talking to Naeun because whenever she's around the tall woman, her jealousy flares up, even though Bomi has told her there's no need to be jealous. "Are you about to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong and that I shouldn't be chasing Bomi? Or how about telling me that I have a girlfriend and what I'm doing right now isn't just hurting her but also Bomi."

Naeun shakes her head. "I'm pretty sure you already know those things."

"I do."

"Well then, there's no need for me to tell you is there?"

Chorong allows herself to smile because she wasn't in the mood for a lecture. "No, there isn't."

Naeun thanks the bartender when he eventually brings her the drinks before paying him and telling him to keep the change. "Can I ask you a question?"

Chorong tugs her bottom lip between her teeth but finds herself nodding slowly.

"Are you in love with her?"

Chorong's silent for the longest period of time before answering. "That's incredibly personal."

"Would you rather I ask you a mundane question, for example, how are you?" Naeun questions. "Personal questions always get the best answers."

Chorong shakes her head. "I don't know you enough to answer that question."

Naeun bobs her head in understanding and doesn't push the question anymore; besides, the brunette's silence speaks volumes. She observes the other woman as Chorong looks over her shoulder at Bomi before bringing her attention to her glass.

"Why don't you go over and join Bomi?"

"She seems rather busy right now."

"If you went over, you'd be the only person she'd look at. Everybody else will just disappear into insignificance. I should know, the other night when you were drunk, you were all she could think about, it's almost as if I wasn't even there."

She's tempted to put Naeun's theory to the test because the sheer knowledge that she is possibly enough to draw Bomi's attention away from women who are practically drooling over her causes her stomach to flip with excitement.

"Just –" Naeun starts before sipping her drink. "I don't know about you since you're not being particularly open about your feelings, at least not to me, but Bomi is all in. She'd drop everything for you and do anything for you right about now. She knows that she shouldn't be doing this with you but she can't stop herself. Obviously Bomi should be telling you this herself but you two keep lying to yourselves so I fear the day that she's honest with you isn't going to come."

"Naeun –"

"Eunji's her best friend and she knows that their friendship is essentially ruined but it never stopped her," Naeun concludes, drawing out her final words slowly. "You mean that much to her so if you feel the same about her, or even if you don't, you have to talk to her."

"I wanted to talk to her but she's currently intoxicated so I have a feeling we wouldn't be able to have a conversation."

"Okay, well why don't you leave the talk until tomorrow and just enjoy being in Gwangju, I'm sure she'll enjoy your company more than anybody else right now."

Naeun pushes one of her drinks in Chorong's direction. "What is this?"

"You look like you need some Dutch courage."

Chorong pauses before taking the offered drink and taking a sip, grimacing immediately. "Oh dear God, that is foul."

"It'll do the trick though."

Chorong stands from her barstool, picking up the glass with her right hand. She heads away from the bar before pausing and turning around to face Naeun. "This doesn't mean that I like you."

Naeun chuckles lowly before sipping her drink. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Even though she wants to dislike Naeun, she finds herself smiling warmly at the dark-haired woman before she walks towards Bomi and the group of women which seems to have increased in numbers since she last looked over. She comes to a halt beside the table and waits patiently for Bomi to look up from the table. After a couple of seconds, she grows impatient and clears . The noise finally causes the blonde to raise her eyes from the coin in her hand and to Chorong, a smile growing across her face.

"Chorong," Bomi breathes out. "Do you want to play?"

"What are you playing?"

"I don't think it has a name," Bomi replies, slurring a little. "You flip the coin and somebody else guesses whether it will be heads or tails. If you're wrong, you drink. Simple as that."

Chorong brushes past one of the women standing next to Bomi and sits down besides the blonde whose smile widens at the action. "Did you know that the probability of flipping a coin and getting either heads or tails isn't really fifty-fifty? It leans more towards the side that is facing up when you flip the coin," Chorong explains, noticing the other women roll their eyes at her, clearly unsure as to why Chorong has interrupted them but Bomi is listening to her with keen fascination. "I mean the probability changes to about fifty-one to forty-nine so the odds are still pretty much the same but I think it's interesting."

Bomi glances at the coin to see the heads side facing up before flipping it, only for it to land on heads. "So you can cheat the game," Bomi says quietly. "That's no fun; I won't get to see you drunk."

Chorong swallows, suddenly oblivious to anybody else around them. "Why would you want to see me drunk?"

Bomi shuffles closer to Chorong and rests her hand on the other woman's knee. "Because you're adorable."

Chorong blushes while Bomi merely grins and kisses her cheek.

"Bomi, are we heading to another bar or what?"

Their moment is interrupted by the exasperated voice of one of the women Bomi had been entertaining. Chorong's about to answer but Bomi beats her to it.

"I'm staying here," she announces loudly. "Do you want a drink?" She directs the question at Chorong, ignoring everybody else.

"I have one," Chorong replies, holding up the drink Naeun bought for her.

Bomi sends her a drunken smile and rests her forehead against Chorong's. "Has anybody ever told you that your eyes are stunning?"

She can't help but chuckle at the blonde, apparently liquor really loosens her lips. "No, I can't say they have."

"Well they are."

"Thank you."

Bomi drops her head to the crook of Chorong's neck and nuzzles softly against the other woman's skin. Even though Chorong knows she should create distance between them, she doesn't move. "You're drunk."

After several more seconds, Bomi pulls back and finishes her own drink in one swift movement and sends Chorong a drunken smile. "In that case, you need to catch up."

The corner of curls upwards at the sight of the two women drinking and laughing together. They really do look like a couple, they're just incredibly natural and at ease with one another.

"Chorong and Bomi seem to be getting pretty close."

"Yeah, I guess they are."

She looks up as the woman sits at the barstool Chorong vacated moments ago. "What have you done?"

Naeun shrugs her shoulders. "I just gave Chorong the nudge she needed."

"Does this mean I should call you Cupid from now on?"

Naeun chuckles before clinking her glass with Namjoo's. "Maybe you should."