“Tell me the kind of person you think I’d fall in love with.”

Seulgi blinks, not quite expecting the sudden change of topic — they were discussing travel plans just a moment ago. Joohyun stares at her expectantly, eyes glistening with curiosity underneath the incandescent lighting of the restaurant, and she feels the pressure of a response weighing down on her.

She struggles to form an answer, for a multitude of reasons — firstly, she has never been good at guessing games, nor is she good at figuring people out; secondly, judging by her mental list of Joohyun’s ex-girlfriends, the older woman doesn’t seem to have a type; and lastly, it feels like a punch in the gut if the person you’ve been in love with for the past ten years asks you who you think she’d fall for.

But heartbreak is an old friend of hers — you can’t go ten years without getting hurt somewhere down the line, after all — so Seulgi ignores the way her heart sinks, and shoulders on. “You know I’m not good at guessing games, unnie.”

“We’ve known each other for twelve years, Seulgi-ah — you know me better than anyone else. You really can’t make a guess?” Joohyun stabs a vegetable with her fork and pops it in .

Seulgi shrugs. “I don’t know. Someone who studied abroad?”

“Is that even a type.”

“Then someone who’s stylish?”

“Isn’t that a bit shallow?” the older woman sighs in disappointment, presumably at Seulgi’s lackluster suggestions. “Think about it. What makes me interested enough to pursue a relationship?”

Disheartened, Seulgi takes a sip of her iced coffee and avoids Joohyun’s gaze. “Why are you asking me, unnie?” she mumbles. “Your exes can probably give you a better answer.”

“Because you’re one of my oldest friends — you can compare all of my partners and see what they have in common. And maybe, just maybe, you can also figure out why things didn’t work out.”

“Is that the real reason why you’re asking me these questions? You want to know why people broke up with you?”

Joohyun looks miffed by her choice of words, and Seulgi gulps a little. “Correction: it was always a mutual breakup.”

“Yes, unnie. I won’t say that again, unnie.” 

The older woman accepts her fearful rambling as a good enough apology, and their conversation simmers down to a comfortable silence. Seulgi internally sighs in relief, ready to carry on the rest of the night without pissing an intimidat