The movie had ended way faster than Jinsol would have liked it to, although she had seen it at least thirty times, and there still was a good hour before the clock would strike midnight. With a simple but hurtful click, Sooyoung unlocked her phone and looked at the digits. 

« 10:56 uhm.. You’re in for a nighty milkshake, buddy ? » 

Jinsol would have never said no to a milkshake, especially if the whole thing was spent with her friend. With the most enthusiastic smile she could give, the younger shook her head up and down, letting the other know that she’d loved to. 

Not far from the Drive-In was a great place where Sooyoung used to have multiple meals as a child. Her parents would always come there for the place was owned by her auntie. The woman was still in her early 40s, young auntie indeed. A comfortable atmosphere, trustworthy food, calm area, cute blue and pink neons, the place was perfect for the night. 

On the way to the Diner, Sooyoung would count many stories she’d remember about her aunt, how she literally was the coolest she had known, and how she’d make the best milkshakes on earth, and Jinsol would simply listen to them with a large smile on her lips, enjoying every details of what sounded like the best childhood ever. All these stories confirmed that Sooyoung was truly just a softie who might not like to have a large number of people around her, but who’d give her entire being in order to make the ones she loved happy. 

When the girls eventually reached the place, both walked towards the front door, and as the perfect friend Sooyoung was, she held it open so that Jinsol wouldn’t have to do it. Of course, the gesture had Jinsol completely weak as she whispered a tiny « Thanks » to the chivalrous girl. 

It didn’t take long for Sooyoung’s aunt to notice her and her friend, a friend whom she understood quite fast wasn’t just any friend to her niece. 

« Hey tiny apple ! I haven’t seen you here for ages, what’s bringing you here ? » The woman simply said as she’d put what she had in her hands on the counter. The nickname didn’t escape to Jinsol, it sounded so cute and unlike Sooyoung whose nickname had always been related to breaking hearts. A tender smile curved the blondie’s lips as she watched the two girls’ reunion. 

« It’s Jinsol’s birthday tomorrow, we just watched Grease and since there’s still time to kill ‘till midnight I said  Hey why not go by auntie’s place ? And here we are ! » As she ended her sentence, Sooyoung gently grabbed Jinsol’s hand to pull her towards her, letting go of it as soon as the girl was close enough for her to put her arm around her shoulders. « Jinsol, let me introduce you to auntie Seo. Her full name is Seoyul but we only call her Seo cause she’s cool. And Auntie, here’s Jinsol, the sweetest of them all ! » 

Auntie Seo had sharp eyes as well, and she did see the way Jinsol’s cheeks turned to a slight tint of red when her niece became all of a sudden all touchy with her. She did not miss the way she’d also smile with admiration as she looked at the girl, and she couldn’t be happier about that. The sweet presentations were quickly done, a few words full of kindness were exchanges but Sooyoung needed to share a few words with her aunt, so she asked Jinsol to choose the table she liked the most and go sit there, and perhaps choose was she’d like to have while she’d had her little family talk, which obviously Jinsol agreed to, leaving both of them alone.

« First girl you ever bring here ? She must be very special to you, tiny apple, » the older whispered with a teasing tone. 

Sooyoung had never introduced any girl to her family, for she hadn’t found the right one yet, and would only do so when she’d had met the perfect one. That fact told a lot about Jinsol’s place in the girl’s life, and her aunt perfectly understood it the second she saw the blondie walking into the Diner.  « She’s really beautiful, no wonder her soul is as pretty as her looks. » 

« She’s the most perfect girl on earth, and I’m in so deep, God. But I’m not here to talk about that ! Look, I need you to do me a favor… » 

With that being said, the two women exchanged a few more words before the young girl eventually joined Jinsol at the table she had chosen, sitting right in front of her. 

« You decided what you wanted to order, buddy ? » 

As she asked the question, Sooyoung put her elbows on the solid white fabric and pushed on it in order to lift her body slightly, looking over the girl’s menu. Jinsol saw some movements in front of her and lifted her head to see her friend whose face wasn’t that far from her own now, causing another rush of hot blood into her cheeks. Quickly, the girl hid her head behind the menu, stuttering as she’d talk about some milkshake she’d like to have. 

The girl sure was going to go through a lot of emotions tonight. 

The night slowly went on, the birthday girl and her friend would simply joke around while enjoying what they had ordered. At some point, both of them had even forgotten about the fact that they were waiting for midnight, Sooyoung had even forgotten about the pain she’d feel in her hand. Luckily, Sooyoung had set an alarm one minute before the clock would strike 00:00, smart move Mrs Ha. 

« It’s almost time ! » She said with the most excited smile she had ever had. The brunette actually never had been more excited about a birthday, not even her own birthday, but that simple thing sure felt amazing. Just like children, they started counting down until they’d reach 0, but suddenly the lights turned off. Jinsol expected to hear a whole « Happy Birthday ! » from her friend, but instead was surprised by the kitchen’s doors opening with Auntie Seo holding a cake with multiples candles on top of it, followed by the 2 other workers of the place who’d sing the traditional birthday song in unison with the woman and Sooyoung. 

The sudden event had the blondie totally shook, frozen in her spot. She’d simply look at everything that was happening in front of her, mouth fully open, obvious tears at the corner of her eyes she was trying not to let stream down her cheeks. 

Sooyoung’s reputation was way far from the real Sooyoung, and Jinsol was well aware of it by now. The girl who was said to be the coldest girl on earth, the most heartless one, was actually a bowl of cuteness and Jinsol was glad she was the one who got the chance to notice that. 

When the song eventually ended, the cake was waiting in front of the birthday girl, and everyone was waiting for her to make a wish and blow those candles. The wish was quickly done, and so were blown off the candles, earning everyone’s applauses.

 Jinsol already knew this birthday would be her favorite one from now on, and she definitely wanted to spend each one of them with the girl who had done all that for her. 

Sooyoung had a little gift left for Jinsol. She wanted to give it once they’d say goodnight to each other when she’d drive the girl home, but her plan was pushed aside when the blondie forced her to stay a bit at her place in order to take care of that really bad-looking hand. The girl ended up in the kitchen of the Jungs’, leaning against the central island as her friend was looking for some ice in the freezer she’d eventually put in a food plastic bag for the girl to put against her swollen knuckles. Jinsol turned around with a warm smile as she, in the motion, handed the frozen plastic to the brunette. Her gesture stopped when she saw Sooyoung was holding a little box in her hands, sharing the same smile as hers. 

« It’s a little gift for you, for your birthday you know, » she said as she stretched her arms in the girl’s direction. « Give up the ice for a moment, just take the gift. » 

Wordless, Jinsol did as told and took the simple yet beautiful box in her hands, her warm smile turning to a shy one as she’d look at Sooyoung.

« You shouldn’t have, you already did so much tonight ! » She said, still showing her excitement despite the fact that they had to talk with low voices not to wake up her parents. She was so thankful to Sooyoung, the girl was truly the most touching to her, the most precious, and she couldn’t put was she was feeling into words. « Thank you so much.. »

Sooyoung laughed silently when she heard the girl’s words. 

« You didn’t even open it yet ! What are you waiting for, dummy ? » 

With those words, Jinsol didn’t wait more and eventually opened the box, revealing a beautiful, thin bracelet with two little words written on it.

« My favorite… » She read in her low and moved voice. Without a single word more, the blondie threw herself in Sooyoung arms, crossing her own arms around the girl’s neck as she’d give her the warmest hug she had ever given. Eyes shut, she was trying to hold back the happy and weak tears that were forming at the corner of her eyes. 

« Thank you so much Sooyoung… You’re truly the most amazing person out there.. » Jinsol’s voice was way more shaky as she whispered into Sooyoung’s embrace, and the girl swore it broke her heart at the same time as it made it flutter. Slowly, the brunette wrapped her arms around the girl’s waist, holding her as tight as the blonde would. She didn’t want to let go of her, not now, so she kept her arms wrapped around the girl as she leaned back in order to put the jewelry around her wrist, admiring the beautiful gift she had just received. 

« I’m never gonna take it off. Except if I go diving or something like that, I wouldn’t want to damage it, » she whispered with a little smile, her eyes obviously red from the tears she had swallowed back. Sooyoung couldn’t help but staring at the incredible beauty of the girl as she’d herself stare at her wrist, and it was even worse when she eventually lifted her head to look at the taller, angelic face killing her. « You’re the best, Ha Sooyoung. Thank you so much. »

Sooyoung’s heart stopped for a few seconds as she got lost into Jinsol’s mesmerizing eyes. She truly avoided death when the girl left her embrace, turning around to put the box on the counter and eventually taking the ice bag back into her hands. With the gentle move of her hand, she took Sooyoung’s hurt one and lifted it enough so that it was reaching their chest height, smoothly putting the frozen thing on it. The taller shivered at the sudden cold covering her skin, but it sure felt way better once the coldness inhibited the pain. 

« It’s my turn to take care of you, » the blondie whispered in her sweet and soothing voice, lips curved in a beautiful tiny smile while her head was lowered, looking at the girl’s hand. She really wanted to look at her, right in the eyes, she wanted to look at her forever, but she also knew she was too weak to do that right now, so she went on. « You’ve done so much for me, Sooyoung. You were there when I had no one else. Well.. The girls were still here, but I was always the second choice, not to say the last one. I already had a lot of admiration for you when we were just friends : Ha Sooyoung, queen of the campus, loved and feared at the same time, an ace in everything she undertakes, and then you showed me how that little Sooyoung hiding deep inside of you was so much more than just that hot girl. You’re actually the most honest person I’ve ever been close to, and I just hope you won’t leave me because I need you more than anything. » 

Sooyoung wasn’t expecting any kind of declaration from the girl, and the fact that she opened her heart like that to her had an effect so powerful on her that she couldn’t have put words on it. Not only was Jinsol way too close to her for her heart to beat normally, but her words were also too much and she swore Jinsol could have heard each beating of her heart if she had payed attention to it. 

« I’m never gonna leave you. I know you won’t just believe me like that, and I understand why, so I’m going to keep showing you, each day, each month, each year, that I’m never going to leave you. »

There was a little moment of silence between the two girls, but it wasn’t an embarrassing one, it was a warm silence, one that was sweet and smooth, enjoyable for both of them. Jinsol eventually looked up with her so perfect smile, bringing her face closer to Sooyoung’s one so that her lips would meet the girl’s cheek. That little kiss was just as soft as the girl, and Sooyoung’s heart had definitely stopped beating by now, she was between life and death. How Sooyoung had dreamed about these lovely moments she’d spend someday with Jinsol. They weren’t that touchy actually, of course they’d hug from time to time, hold each other’s hand, but these two panicked lesbians would panic everytime it’d go too deep.  

The warm feeling of the girl’s flesh against her own was slowly drifting away, and Sooyoung definitely needed more. As the angelic face of the girl quietly got further from the brunette to eventually go back to her initial posture, the latter couldn’t wait any longer, leaning in so that her face would, this time, get closer to the other one’s. Instead of landing on the girl’s cheek, just like Jinsol had done right before, Sooyoung’s lips slowly made their way to the girl’s ones. The last inch separating their flesh felt like ages, but once that one inch was passed, the two girls shared what was the deepest and most loving kiss of their respective lives. The softness, the warmth, the tastes of each other’s lips were things both of them had dreamt of, and they could now confirm that nothing would taste as sweet. Jinsol felt like a tiny fish trapped in a unbreakable net, and she’d never want to escape from it, she wanted to stay forever trapped in Sooyoung’s embrace as the girl’s hand tightened its grip on her waist, pulling her closer as the kiss grew deeper. it, they said mentally. Sooyoung quickly got rif of the freezing plastic on her hand so that she could eventually put this one on the other side of Jinsol’s waist while the latter’s hands would cup that goddess-like face, gently caressing that divine skin of hers and she got lost in those kisses. 

Although they would have loved to keep kissing each other forever, their loss of breath became way too important, forcing them to part their lips as they’d regain their breathe, full smiles on, foreheads pressed against each other’s. 

« Wow… This is definitely the best birthday of my life… » 

Jinsol’s warm whisper fainted on her lover’s lips before a tiny giggle escaped from her owns. 

« If I could make it even more special, I’d do it with no hesitation. » 

« Mh well… You could stay here for the night and we could cuddle in my bed for hours ? What do you think about that ? »

« Sounds perfect to me, babe. »

As said, Jinsol and Sooyoung spent the night cuddling lovely in the comfortable bed of the birthday girl who had just spent the best night of her life, all that thanks to her favorite person on earth.