I had been texting back and forth with my- no, she wasn’t mine, not yet, at least. The little angel from the cafe and I had been texting back and forth until midnight, when she told me she was about to fall asleep. I told her to get some sleep, and that I’d see her tomorrow. That must’ve been enough for her, as my next text from her was in the morning, when I was getting ready for the day. 

 

Baby Bora:

[Sorry for not responding last night! I fell asleep :( Anyways, I look forward to seeing you again today!] 

 

I smiled at the message, thinking of how I’d get to see her bright smile again in a few hours. I put down my makeup brush to respond. 

 

Siyeon:

[It’s no problem, dear, I’m sure you’re busy. I’ll see you for lunch] 

 

I set my phone back down on the counter, and continued doing my makeup for the day. I put on a tad more than usual, making sure I looked as hot as possible. I had a little plan for today, and I wasn’t going to mess it up. I checked over my outfit in the mirror; a short pencil skirt covered my and a little bit of my upper thighs, and without my blazer, my back was completely exposed. I shimmied a longer pencil skirt over the little one I had on, and put on my blazer. The more scandalous version of the outfit was for Bora only. I got in my car and drove to work, and saw Minji’s car already parked next to my parking space. I parked, and went into the building, only to be greeted by Minji, Handong, and Yoohyeon all waiting for me in the lobby. 

 

“You didn’t even look at my messages last night!” Minji pouted, getting off of one of the couches, and approaching me, leaving Handong and Yoohyeon to snuggle and chat without her. 

 

“You messaged me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sorry, I must not have noticed. I got distracted.” 

 

“Oh, really?” Her pout changed to a smirk. “By what?”

 

“No, we’re not playing this game. What did you message me about?” I ignored her question. 

 

“You’re so lame.” She whined. “Anyways, I guess you don’t know that we have to meet with Jinsol for lunch, do you? Because my secretary called me about it while I was making breakfast for my baby girls.” 

 

“We what?!” I yelped. “, why didn’t you call me?” 

 

“I tried to reach you!” She stomped her foot in annoyance. “Anyways, the four of us will ride there together, and for the sake of both of our images, Yoohyeon is gonna pretend to be your woman.” 

 

“I-” 

 

“No, no arguing! We decided this already. Yoohyeon can tell you all the info she knows about your girl, and Dong-Dong can get some attention from me.” She crossed her arms, smiling proudly. “You’re welcome.” 

 

“When are we going?” I asked, my hand already holding my phone in my pocket, ready to text poor Bora that I wouldn’t be there for lunch. I was all ready, too. I had the pepper spray wrapped up in a little box, with another note for her to read. Minji told me that notes were romantic, and that girls love to get notes. It’s a more intimate way of communicating without actually talking to each other than texting, so anything I was too shy to say should just be written in a note, and she could bring it up if she wanted. 

 

“In thirty minutes. We’re going to-”

 

“When will we be back?” I cut her off, shocked at the pleading tone in my voice. Minji was taken aback, too.

 

“I...don’t know…? It’s a two-hour drive, so...we’ll get there at around eleven, and I don’t know how long we’ll be discussing collaboration plans...why…?” She spoke carefully.

 

“Will we be back by four?” I asked. 

 

“I don’t know. I...maybe?” She shrunk a little as I groaned in frustration, and took out my phone to text Bora. 

 

Baby Bora:

[I know this is dumb, since we just started talking and all, but I really can’t wait to see you again today :)]

 

I ran my fingers through my hair anxiously. I couldn’t make it to the cafe and back in less than thirty minutes, and I couldn’t even let her know I’d be running late. I might not make it back to Seoul until after her shift. Minji didn’t have the guts to tease me anymore, not wanting to push my buttons. “We really don’t know if we can be back by four?” 

 

“No…” Minji whimpered. I went to sit on the couch across from Minji’s girlfriends, and texted Bora. Poor Bora. I felt like I was playing with her heart, but this wasn’t in my control. I wanted to see her, too. I had planned to ask what she enjoyed, and order that for her. I would’ve offered her a seat, and she could’ve sat down with me for a moment. We could’ve talked a little more in person, since texting so frequently had eased a bit of the awkwardness between us. I could offer to be her “sugar mommy”, and all I’d need from her was a little companionship, a little affection, a little warmth. Meanwhile, she’d get a weekly allowance that she’d decide. I took a deep breath to compose myself. I really didn’t want to hurt her, but I couldn’t be late to this meeting. This was Jung Jinsol, from a large cosmetics company, who offered to have a collaboration photoshoot: our clothing, their makeup. 

 

Siyeon:

[I’m so sorry, dear. I can’t make it today. I have a lunch meeting that I wasn’t informed of until now. I might be able to make it at the end of your shift, but I’m not sure. Could we reschedule?] 

 

I pressed send, and leaned back on the couch, meeting Minji’s gaze as she was settled between her girlfriends again. She looked concerned; genuinely concerned. “Bora and I were gonna meet today.” I sighed, giving her an explanation. 

 

“Oh...I’m sorry.” Minji’s gaze fell to the floor. “I should have called-” 

 

“I should’ve remembered that I own one of the biggest fashion brands in the country.” I waved her off. “I’m hoping that I didn’t ruin things with her for cancelling at the last minute.” 

 

“I’m sure you didn’t.” Minji leaned over, and patted my knee comfortingly. “And like I said, Yoohyeon has some information on Bora for you. I think it’ll help.” She leaned back on the couch and hugged Handong and Yoohyeon’s bodies tightly against her own. “Just let me snuggle with my two babies one last time before we have to pretend Yoo isn’t mine.” 

 

“Sure, I’ll just stay single over here.” I sighed, staring at my phone, waiting for a response from Bora. I kept staring at my phone, desperately waiting for anything from Bora, but nothing came. I only looked up when Minji tapped my shoulder. 

 

“Time to go.” She hummed, trying to be bright for me. I put my phone in my pocket, and stood up with her. She gave Yoohyeon a quick peck on her lips, and a little nuzzle before stepping aside so Handong could have one last kiss from the youngest girl, too. I stood awkwardly next to Yoohyeon. When Minji and Handong were done giving Yoohyeon the last bit of affection they could before they were home, Yoohyeon offered me her hand. I took it in mine, and the four of us left the building together. I felt my phone buzz. As soon as we were in the car, Minji and Handong in the driver and passenger seats, and Yoohyeon and I in the back, I took my phone out to see what Bora sent. 

 

Baby Bora:

[Oh...that’s okay, just let me know when you’re free]

 

My heart broke. I didn’t notice Yoohyeon was reading over my shoulder, until she patted my head comfortingly. “She knows you didn’t mean to cancel.” She hummed. I couldn’t care any less; I felt horrible. I slumped in my seat. 

 

Siyeon: 

[Are you working tomorrow?]

 

I set the phone down on my stomach and patted it. “If I read Minji’s texts I could’ve made things so much easier.” I pouted.

 

“It’s okay. Listen. We have a long ride ahead of us. Do you wanna hear about Bora?” Yoohyeon offered. 

 

“Me too!” Minji cheered from the front, turning off the radio. “You were being so secretive!” 

 

“Okay, babe.” Yoohyeon hummed, sitting up proudly. “So. At the cafe yesterday, the lady you were talking to, Siyeon, I don’t know her as Bora. I know her as SuA.” I raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Two years ago, her freshman year of college, and my senior year, she joined the dance crew at our school. The female-only dance crew, to be exact. They’re called Insomnia, because they don’t sleep at night, they practice. They’re the most elite dance crew at our college.” My jaw dropped. “Making it in is hard even for third and fourth year students, but SuA, who you know as Bora, made it in her first year. They won a lot of contests and awards, and they were basically campus celebrities. If I didn’t know Minji already, I would’ve been like all of the other girls and guys on campus: asking for their numbers, giving them flowers and secret admirer notes, putting chocolates in their coats while they were busy practicing…” Yoohyeon sighed. “Bora was no exception. So many people wanted her. She was cute and short, but when she danced, she was a totally different person! I’ve seen a couple of her performances, since I’m friends with some of the girls in Insomnia, and...wow. She’s so different from the girl you know in the cafe.” 

 

“Does she still dance?” I asked curiously. Yoohyeon’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 

“I don’t know, to be honest. If she does, then I don’t know how she’s getting any classwork done...or if she’s even going to class at all. Maybe she doesn’t sleep? And that’s how she could manage to have a job, survive her classes, and perform with Insomnia.” She shook her head. “But I don’t think that any of those are the case. I think she must’ve left the crew. She looks too...alive to be suffering from bad grades, missing classes, or sleep deprivation.” 

 

“Did something happen?” I worried that she was forced to leave the crew for some reason. If she chose to leave, I would have peace of mind, but something in my gut told me that she just belonged on stage.

 

“I don’t think so. She wasn’t the type to be involved in drama, and she wasn’t the type to slack off. In summer, she’d wear shorts, and you could see all the bruises on her legs from practicing. That was basically the main symbol that you were a member of Insomnia: the bruises.” I couldn’t stand the thought of Bora being hurt. The thought of bruises covering her pretty little legs was scary, but if she was doing what she loved...I just worried she overworked herself. “I can’t think of any reason why she’d leave. The group was really close-knit, too, since they spent almost all their time together, practicing or hanging out to keep their bond and trust strong. They were all really nice, but they were also really protective of each other. If you tried messing with one of them, you messed with all of them. Even Insomnia alumni who came back to visit would be greeted with hugs and screams from the current members, regardless if they knew each other or not.” Yoohyeon’s eyes wandered as she thought. “I really can’t think of any reason why she’d leave. She was really close with them. They were family.” I hummed and nodded. 

 

“Do you know of anything else? Like...did you know her personally at all? Do you know what she likes and dislikes?” I pried, hoping for something I could give her as a gift to apologize for cancelling our plans. 

 

“I didn’t know her personally, but we saw each other around sometimes, and she was nice. She loves physical affection, though. She’d always get super happy whenever one of the members of Insomnia gave her a hug or played with her hair or patted her or...anything, really. She’d shy away from anyone else who tried to touch her, though...so if she doesn’t trust you, or she isn’t close with you, I wouldn’t try. She loves music and, obviously, dance, with a passion. Oh, and she’s a lesbian.” I breathed a sigh of relief, having one less obstacle in my way. Yoohyeon laughed at me, but I didn’t mind. “But that’s pretty much all I know. I’m sure if I talk to her I can get a little more out of her. It’s just that she was really popular, one of the hottest girls on campus, so there were always too many people around her.” She shrugged. “But if you’re curious, they did covers of K-Pop routines and stuff and they’d post it-” 

 

“Show me.” I cut her off, handing her my phone, which still hadn’t buzzed since I messaged Bora back. She rolled her eyes, then pulled up a YouTube channel called “Insomnia Dance”, then handed the phone back to me. 

 

“I don’t know when she left, so...probably scroll down to the videos from about two years ago and start there?” She offered. I immediately scrolled down the list of videos, but stopped upon seeing Bora’s face in the thumbnail of one of the videos. “New Challenger Approaching!” The title of the video said. I tapped it, and there was Bora, in all her adorable glory. 

 

“My anaconda don’t! Want! None! Unless you got buns, hun!” My phone’s speakers blasted into the car. I almost threw my phone at the windshield in embarrassment, but settled for just dropping it onto the floor of Minji’s car instead. Minji, Handong, and Yoohyeon burst into laughter at my predicament, while the song just kept playing from the car floor. I picked it up nervously, only to see Bora on her hands and knees, then kneel back and grab her chest. I dropped the phone again. That was Bora. That was definitely the Bora from the cafe. That was the Bora I had been talking to. I felt my face heat up. I must have been redder than a tomato. I stared at my phone, now face-down on the ground, until the song stopped and I felt safe enough to pick it up. 

 

“Are you okay?” Yoohyeon asked between fits of laughter, hitting my shoulder playfully. 

 

“No.” I whimpered, staring at the video, even though it was done. I went back to their channel, scrolling through it, trying to find another video of just Bora. It looked like almost all of their videos were in a group. I tapped on a dance cover they did of “BO$$” by Fifth Harmony, and there she was: the angelic Bora was dressed in black. A cropped black tank top and tiny black shorts. I watched the video with wide eyes. My jaw dropped, and I’m sure I was drooling at this point, when she slid into a split. “I’m in love.” I whispered as the video faded to black. The three other girls in the car burst into laughter again, but I just started watching another video. This time, only two girls were there. Bora was one of them, of course. The way she moved her hips was hypnotic. I could cry watching her. Her gaze was dark and seductive; a sharp contrast to the cute, bubbly girl at the cafe. I kept watching and re-watching videos for the whole ride to the restaurant where we’d meet Jinsol for lunch. The two hour drive felt like a two minute drive, and I had only just now registered that Bora still hadn’t responded to the last text I sent. I pouted, disappointed, but there was no point in texting her. It was eleven o’clock, and she’d be at work by now. 

 

“Now, remember, Yoo. Treat Siyeon like you’d treat me. If you need anything from me, you know what to do.” Minji hummed, looking at Yoohyeon like she was a goddess. Yoohyeon smiled and nodded, then took my hand.

 

“Let’s go, babe?” She offered, her tone of voice toward me changing completely. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, making her roll her eyes. “We gotta pretend we’re together, you dork.” She leaned in close to me to whisper into my ear. “And the more convincing and touchy we are, the more jealous Minji and Handong will be. I love when they get possessive, so please, let’s do good.” I rolled my eyes. 

 

“Okay.” I sighed. “Babe.” Yoohyeon grinned at that, and we stepped out of the car. We heard cameras clicking around us, but I couldn’t spot any of them. I decided to let it be, as Yoohyeon swung our hands back and forth happily. We entered the restaurant, where it was quiet, and let them know we had a reservation under “Jung Jinsol”. We were seated immediately, and the workers treated us like royalty. Minji sat across from Yoohyeon, and I didn’t miss the wink she shot my fake girlfriend. I cringed internally, not wanting to know what this meant. Handong settled in next to Minji, stealing a kiss. I sat next to Yoohyeon, who held my hand and placed it on the table, intertwined with hers. 

 

“So, Siyeon.” Minji hummed. “What’s it like? Having such a gorgeous woman at your side?” I resisted the urge to groan at how cheesy and lame Minji was acting, and played along.

 

“Fantastic.” I lied, wishing I could have Bora holding my hand, attending these dumb meetings with me. I could feel up her thighs under the table, making her squirm, but she’d do her best to keep her composure. I wondered if she was a . It didn’t really matter to me whether she was or not, but it would be interesting if she was; she’d be inexperienced and so easy to tease. Then, I remembered that I had a living Bora-pedia sitting next to me. I leaned in close, so no one could hear. “Do you know if Bora’s a or not?” Yoohyeon’s face flushed red, and she turned to look at me. I just shrugged. 

 

“I don’t know?” She chuckled. I was about to explain myself; it was pure curiosity of course, but Jinsol approached the table, and we rose to greet her. I saw why Minji insisted on me pretending to be with Yoohyeon, as Jinsol had a girl with her, too. 

 

“This is Jungeun.” She gestured to the slightly smaller girl, who whispered a greeting. Minji, Handong, Yoohyeon, and I made room for Jinsol and Jungeun to sit, then a waitress hurried over to take our order. “So, let’s cut to the chase…”

 

I slumped down in the car, stretching and yawning. It was two o’clock, and I could maybe catch Bora on her way out of the cafe to at least give her the pepper spray. Maybe I could take her out for ice cream or something, too, if she wasn’t busy. I opened my phone, and saw I had a message from Bora. 

 

Baby Bora: 

[You’re THE Lee Siyeon???]

 

A shiver of happiness ran through me at the sight of Bora’s name on my screen.

 

Siyeon:

[Yes, and?] 

 

As soon as I sent it, I saw that Bora was typing. Shouldn’t she be working? Was she on her lunch break or something?

 

Baby Bora: 

[Congrats on the girl] 

 

My eyes widened in shock. I my phone into Yoohyeon’s hand, my heart pounding. 

 

“What does this mean?!” I yelped. Yoohyeon furrowed her brow in confusion, and pulled her phone out, looking up my name on Google. I watched as the search results loaded. At the top of the page, there it was… “Fashion Tycoon Lee Siyeon Brings Indie Singer On Date?”

 

“Minji…Handong…” Yoohyeon whimpered. Handong turned around; Minji couldn’t, since she was driving, but she let out a little hum, letting Yoohyeon knew she was listening. “We have a small problem…”