Prompt By: @SHINeeMe08

-Title: Stupid Cupid

-Ship: YeRene

Characters: [MAIN] Yeri/Kim Yerim(Red Velvet), Irene/Bae Joohyun (Red Velvet) [SIDE] Wendy/Wendy Son (Red Velvet), Seulgi/Kang Seulgi (Red Velvet), Joy/Park Sooyoung (Red Velvet), Suga/Min Yoongi (BTS)

Word Count: 3280

Warnings: Strong language; adultery

Summary: In which Bae Joohyun loves Kim Yerim, but Kim Yerim still has her sights set on another girl.

A/N: Based off of the lyrics for Red Velvet's "Stupid Cupid". I don't own "Stupid Cupid"! Part 2/3.

-Joohyun - baejujube - a mashup of irene's name, bae joohyun, and the candy, jujube.

-Sooyoung - soosooyoungie - a cute way to say joy's name, park sooyoung.

In the days after Kim Yerim’s divorce being finalized, Bae Joohyun stuck to her like glue.

Kim Yerim had just been divorced by her partner for nine years, Kang Seulgi, and had not taken it very well. Bae Joohyun had taken it upon herself to help pick up Yerim’s pieces; stick her back together and help her up.

That’s how Joohyun ended up staying for a week in Yerim’s house, now owned just by her, left to Yerim in the divorce.

In retrospect, Yerim’s divorce was easy. It was Kang Seulgi who was starting from the ground up. However, Seulgi had a steady, high-income job, and was the main money-maker of the pair. Yeri had worried for the past few days about her financial situation, but Joohyun had been there to reassure her, tell her everything was fine.

Joohyun had been there for Yeri throughout the entire process, and told Yerim she would continue to be there for the rest of it. Joohyun was Yerim’s shoulder to cry on, the source of laughter, her caregiver; making sure Yeri still fulfilled all her basic needs instead of staying hidden away, sobbing all day.

Yerim was still hung up on Seulgi, which Joohyun understood perfectly - they had been together for nine years, but Yerim had been the one who liked the other more.

“She’s not you, Yeri. She doesn’t feel the same anymore.” Joohyun had done her best to comfort Yeri, but also cared a lot about her - it wasn’t easy for Joohyun to watch Yerim be so torn up by some other girl. Joohyun wanted to push Yerim forward, get her to move onto the next girl, and Joohyun could only hope that it was she who was the next girl.

Unlike Seulgi, Joohyun saw many benefits to her and Yerim being together. Joohyun saw Yerim as her source of happiness, and knew she was one to Yerim, too. Joohyun was an English Literature teacher, and her income combined with Yerim’s would be enough for them. Joohyun could go on and on, list countless reasons why they would be perfect together. But Yerim was still hung up on her ex-wife, Kang Seulgi, and was still convinced Seulgi would come back around to her.

What Joohyun knew that Yerim didn’t was that Seulgi was indeed Romeo, and although Seulgi hadn’t cheated on Yerim, Seulgi had already moved on - to another woman named Wendy Son. Joohyun didn’t know whether or not to tell Yerim; she was unsure of how she’d react, how she’d take it. Would she cry? Would she become angry? Would she take it in stride? Be happy for them? Joohyun decided that as of now, it was best for Yerim to not know. Once Yerim had fully moved on, a hundred and ten percent over Kang Seulgi, she’d let Yerim find out. For now, she closely guarded the younger girl, doing her best to prevent her from knowing.

“Sooyoung wants to know if we want to go for coffee with her.” Yerim wondered aloud one day. She lounged on one end of the sofa, preoccupied with her phone. Joohyun was scared of Yerim finding out about Seulgi and Wendy, but had decided that almost a month after Yerim’s divorce was finalized, and she had seemed to be slowly (but surely) getting over Seulgi, Yerim could have her phone. Joohyun hadn’t taken it from her, per se, but had rather distracted her from it for the most part.

Most people around them were gentle with Yeri, and anyone they had come in contact with knew better than to mention Seulgi and Wendy (and if anyone had come close to, Joohyun had done a good job of cutting them short, shooting a threatening glare their way that read ‘if you dare mention those two around my dear Yerim, I’ll chop your off’, although none of their friends really had . It was mainly a women-only zone) around her. It was a sensitive subject, after all, and Yeri herself was sensitive, and no one wanted to make Yerim cry, especially with Joohyun around.

Joohyun was a little skeptical of meeting Park Sooyoung. Park Sooyoung was a dear friend to both Yerim and Joohyun, but also Wendy Son and Kang Seulgi. Joohyun was fearful of Sooyoung bringing up Seulgi and Wendy - she knew Sooyoung had been with them within the month they had been together, and had even had a hand in the two getting together.

“Do you want to?” Joohyun answered Yerim, from the opposite end of the sofa. A TV drama droned on in the background that Joohyun only halfway paid attention to. She was mostly distracted by her thoughts, which mainly consisted of Yeri.

They consisted of how she felt about Yerim, and how she was unsure if Yerim felt the same way as her. She was beginning to grow frustrated with her situation; as if she had spent too long picking up after Yerim, as if she had spent too long chasing after her. She felt as if she should’ve had Yerim tucked away in her back pocket by now, had her properly in her arms. But Yerim was too transfixed on what she had lost, and not what she still had, or had gained, or even what was right in front of her. Was it a hopeless cause? Would Yerim ever grow to love her, or was she simply too entranced in Kang Seulgi to see anyone as more than a friend except Kang Seulgi?

“Do you not want to?” Yerim posed, sensing skepticism in Joohyun’s voice.

“If you want to.” Joohyun told her, treading lightly. She didn’t want Yeri to think she didn’t want to go, and make Yeri feel like she couldn’t go. But she also didn’t want Yeri to think she wanted to go, and make her feel like she had to go because Joohyun wanted to. Joohyun wanted it to be Yerim’s decision, a hundred and ten percent.

“Why not? I haven’t seen Sooyoung in awhile. I’ll tell her yes? For both of us?”

And so Bae Joohyun was bringing Kim Yerim to coffee (a brunch, later decided) with Park Sooyoung.

-private chat between baejujube and soosooyoungie-

baejujube: at brunch dont u dARE bring up seul + wen

baejujube: i will eND U

soosooyoungie: jeez ok ok

baejujube: i just dk if yeris ready for it yknow?? Its still sensitive for her

soosooyoungie: i get it i get it

A few days later, Joohyun and Yerim took the train into town. They sat side by side, an earphone dangling from Joohyun’s ear, the other in Yerim’s. Joohyun’s hand laid lightly over Yerim’s on the seat. Joohyun saw it as a small act of love, a small show of affection, a small way to say “hey, I love you, please love me back”. Yerim, on the other hand, saw it as a show of empathy and compassion, a small act of comfort and companionship, a small way to say “hey, I’m here for you, I’ve got your back”.

“Joo,” Yerim said softly, leaning in close to Joohyun so she could hear her, over the bustle of the train, and so it was just them two, a private conversation, one that no one else heard. “I never understand your music.”

Joohyun giggled under her breath, like when someone would send her something funny, and she would reply ‘lol’, but she never did laugh aloud. “You took English in school.”

“When I was young,” Yerim countered. “I’ve forgotten most of it. Wendy Son - you know her, right? You have to, you probably met her at one of Sooyoung’s parties - she tried to teach me some French once. I didn’t understand much of what she said, and my pronunciation was horrible, but I totally understand why they call it the language of love. It was so pretty, even though I’m sure she insulted me.”

Joohyun smiled. “Perhaps I should learn French, then. Speak to you in that.”

“Please do. And teach me after. It’s very pretty.”

“Do you remember any of what she taught you?”

“I’m not sure if it’s right, but «Tu est une grande vache» and «je t’aime».”

“What does it mean?”

“‘You are a fat cow’ and ‘I love you’.”

“Wonderful. The true necessities in any language.”

Joohyun and Yerim arrived at the cafe not too long after, and Park Sooyoung was already there, waiting for them. When the two approached, she stood, greeting them both with a hug.

Brunch itself was relatively calm. They did some catching up; Sooyoung discussing her work, she was a humanitarian, and spent a lot of her time arranging rallies, protests, benefit trips, and public speeches; Joohyun discussed her job, the material she was covering in class with her students and about her mother, who was always the character; Yeri touched lightly on her divorce, and some things she was planning on doing within the year. For the most part, though, Yeri was silent, listening to Sooyoung and Joohyun converse, and even then, Sooyoung did most of the talking, as what she had to say was always more interesting than whatever anyone else ever had to say.

Park Sooyoung was someone you could only meet once. Even if briefly introduced to her, she was forever ingrained in your mind - a stunning beauty, that made any outfit and hair colour and style look gorgeous; a kind-hearted individual who amazed people with her stories, never making them feel less-than until after she was gone, whisked away somewhere else by someone else; the kind of girl who attracted all attention when she walked into and out of room, like an A-list celebrity or shining angel. She was everything someone wanted not only in a person, but in themselves.

Joohyun and Yerim didn’t mind just sitting and listening to her. They were also caught in her spell, enchanted by her, trapped in her dance, just like the rest of the world.

“Excuse me, if you don’t mind,” Yerim broke out of her trance, standing up stiffly, her tea and pastry seemingly untouched. “I’m going to the washroom.”

Yerim hurried away before either of the other two girls could protest, leaving them alone.

Instantly, Sooyoung leaned forward. “Tell me what’s up between you and Yeri.”

Not only was Sooyoung the universe’s biggest star, but she was the world’s biggest gossip - she knew everything about everyone, and it agitated her when something happened between people and she wasn’t the first to know. She, however, upkept a mysterious and elusive demeanour, only allowing those she deemed worthy enough into her personal bubble, a bubble that was hard to break through and push into.

“What?” Joohyun demanded, playing into her dumb, clueless side. She had a feeling she knew what Sooyoung meant, but still wanted to pride herself in keeping her feelings for Yerim secret, especially from the girl herself.

“You know what I mean,” Sooyoung chirped. “You and Yerim. Are you two, like…” she trailed off, rolling her fingers, wanting Joohyun to fill in the rest.

Joohyun rolled her eyes. “No, of course not,” she snapped. “It’s obvious Yerim’s too caught up with Seulgi to even think about anyone else.”

Sooyoung’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh!” she gasped. “She doesn’t know! Yeri doesn’t know about Seulgi and Wendy!”

“Shh!” Joohyun shushed her harshly, glancing around for Yerim. “She doesn’t, and she’s not going to. I don’t want her to know. It’ll wreck her. I want to wait until she’s a little more stable, a little less sensitive.”

“Until she’s moved on.”

“For the most part.”

“To you.”

Joohyun shot Sooyoung a glare, who snickered behind her hand.

“You really thought I, of all people, wouldn’t figure out?” Sooyoung asked. “Yerim, I could see. She’s too fragile, too broken, too hurt, too emotional, too wrapped up in Miss Kang Seulgi to notice. But I’m no fool, Bae Joohyun. To me, you are obvious - the looks, the smile, the way you sit closer and closer to her; the way you’re so protective of her. Only someone as blind as Yerim herself wouldn’t be able to tell.”

“Don’t tell anyone, please.” Joohyun hissed. “I don’t want to pile anything else on top of her right now.”

“Don’t you worry, Joo,” Sooyoung smiled smugly, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. “I’m a vault, a bank - everything goes in, but nothing comes out.”

“That sounds like you’re describing a hooker. Or a vacuum.”

“A strange hooker. But really, if you like Yerim, I could talk to her-”

“Don’t you dare!” Joohyun exclaimed.

Sooyoung laughed. “Not directly. I mean, like, drop little hints.”

“If you must,” Joohyun sighed. “I can’t really tell you no; you’ll do it anyway.”

“That may be true, but I’m a little hurt you said and think that,” Sooyoung held a hand to her chest, feigning hurt. “I respect you, Joo, and if you said no, I wouldn’t. Besides, you hover over her like Blanche - even if I tried to go behind your back, you’d catch me.” Sooyoung pouted, holding her wrists out as if being handcuffed.

Joohyun scowled and swatted her away. “Cut it,” Joohyun hissed, and again, checked around for Yeri. “ Why do you care about Yeri and I so much? Shouldn’t you be, like, plotting revenge against Seulgi or something?”

“Who Wendy decides to do now is no longer any of my business,” Sooyoung told her, growing defensive. “I’ve moved on, and I could care less about what that does now.”

Joohyun could see through Sooyoung as easily as Sooyoung could her. Sooyoung had previously been engaged to Wendy Son, but Wendy had cheated on Sooyoung with Min Yoongi, who Sooyoung was still unsure of how they knew each other, and promptly called off the engagement. Now, not only had Wendy cheated on Sooyoung with Yoongi, but had moved on two months later to a recent divorcee, Kang Seulgi.

“Whatever floats your boat.” Joohyun muttered as she spotted Yerim, returning to their table. Both girls greeted her, and then Joohyun and Yerim turned their attention back to Sooyoung.

“Joo,” Sooyoung started, and Joohyun froze, fearful of what Sooyoung would put her on the spot for now. “How’s your love life? We all know I called off my engagement to Wendy Son, and Yerim here just got divorced. What’s up with you? Anyone new?”

Joohyun glared at Sooyoung, who shrugged smugly. “Nothing,” Joohyun muttered, lying through her teeth. “There’s nothing interesting in my love life.”

Lies, lies, lies.

Sure, Joohyun’s love life wasn’t the most exciting or fast-paced, and was mainly slow, a patient time, but there was something.

“How do you feel about that, Yerim?” Sooyoung asked, and Yerim shot her a confused look, shrugging.

“Nothing, really. Sorry, Joo. It’s just doesn’t really concern me, is all - I don’t think you want me meddling in your love life.”

That was a blow to the chest for Joohyun. Yes, Yerim, she thought. It does concern you; you can meddle in it as much as you’d like.

The girls sat for a little while longer, and then Sooyoung excused herself, saying she had somewhere she needed to be. Joohyun and Yerim walked out with her, parting ways at the door. Sooyoung made her way home, to her new apartment in the city, and Joohyun and Yerim walked to the station, taking the train home to the outliers of the city; suburbia.

“Joo?” Yerim asked as they waited for the train on the platform. “Do you like me?”

“Of course I do.” Joohyun told her, her heart skipping a beat. The question was odd, out of the blue, but Joohyun refused to get ahead of herself; Yerim was probably just self-conscious after brunch with Sooyoung, more sensitive due to her divorce. Everyone was like that after Park Sooyoung left. Secretly, even Wendy Son - perhaps that’s why she cheated, why she pushed the most perfect girl away.

“What did you and Sooyoung talk about while I was in the washroom?” Yerim pressed.

“Nothing really. Why? Are you feeling alright, Yeri?”

“I am. It’s just Sooyoung’s interrogation of your love life. When she asked me what I thought of it, I thought you may have talked about me while I was in the washroom. I’m not a baby, you know. You don’t need to baby me or tiptoe around me. I’m grateful for you being here for me, but I don’t need coddling. I’m an adult. I don’t want you to leave, though, unless you want to. I don’t want to hold you back. But whatever you need to tell me, whatever you and Sooyoung said about me, you can tell me. Even if it’s about Seul.”

Joohyun felt her heart dip to her stomach. She had been trying to protect Yeri, but had she really been hurting her more? Joohyun took a deep breath before speaking - she was going to tell Yerim everything - well, almost everything.

“Sooyoung and I did talk about you in the washroom,” Joohyun started. “Briefly. Just about not wanting to mention Seulgi around you. It’s a sensitive topic, I get it - we didn’t want to mention Wendy around Sooyoung, remember?”

“But then she wouldn’t shut up about her.” Yeri murmured, giggling.

“Exactly,” Joohyun continued. “But Seulgi doesn't seem like the first thing you exactly want to talk about. It’s not that we think you’re a child, we just want you to enjoy yourself, too. But we mainly talked about us - she thinks I like you.”

Yerim’s face dropped. “You don’t like me?” she asked. “You just said you did.”

“No, like, like like. Like romantic like. You asked if I liked you, like, platonic like. Of course I platonic like you. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Is Sooyoung right? Do you like like me?”

Joohyun hesitated before saying or doing anything. Did she spill everything to Yerim? Tell her the truth? What if Yerim didn’t feel the same way - would Joohyun potentially ruin their relationship?

“Do you want the truth? Or what you want to hear?”

“How do you know what I want to hear?” Yeri accused, growing stiff. “I want the truth.”

“Then I like you. Like like you.”

Yerim was silent for a moment, and then the train pulled in, and the girls boarded in silence. They found seats, and sat next to each other, but didn’t lay their hands over each other or share an earphone or lean in close like before.

“Joo,” Yerim started, and Joohyun let go of a breath she wasn’t aware she was holding. “I like like you too. Please don’t get me wrong,” Joohyun’s heartbeat sped up, her knees beginning to feel weak. “But I just got divorced. Two weeks ago. From a nine-year relationship. I’m not ready for a new one yet. I still need time,” Yeri reached out, laying her hand over Joohyun’s. “You don’t have to wait for me. I don’t know how long I’ll need.”

“I’ll wait,” Joohyun said immediately, trying to steady the shaking in her hands so Yerim wouldn’t notice. “I don’t care how long.”

Joohyun refrained from telling Yerim about Seulgi and Wendy, and even Sooyoung didn’t let slip.

Joohyun was patient with Yerim, giving her all the space and time she needed.

All that Joohyun had worked so hard to build came crashing down a year later, when Yerim arrived home, having picked up the mail on her way in.

“How come no one told me Seulgi was with Wendy?” she asked. Joohyun paled, her eyes widening, whipping around to face the other girl.

“How did you find out?”

Yerim held out a piece of paper, folded over three times. “We just got a wedding invitation from them.”

FIN

Part 1: [Waiting]

Part 3: [Speak Now]