“Anyone up for fishing?” Sungjae stood at the edge of the campsite, a small fishing basket made of braided whicker in his left hand, a long fishing rod in the other. Sooyoung’s lips drew into a wide smirk as she looked him over, struggling to keep from laughing. A brown fishing vest with a dozen pockets and floppy, wide brim hat adorned with fishing lures stuck in the band sat on his head, tilted in a rakish angle.

“You’re really going all in on this fishing thing,” she said with a stifled laugh. She raised a hand and pointed a finger, running it up and down his length as she asked, “When did you got shopping for all that?” She began to skip across the campsite, hands lightly clasped behind her back, dark hair bouncing about her shoulders with each long skip. Her eyes shone bright, filled with love. She always loved to mercilessly but always made up for it with kisses and quiet words of encouragement when nobody was around.

“Amazon Prime,” he said simply, lips drawing into a goofy grin that nearly split his slender face. “No takers?” His eyes swept the camp as everyone simply shook their heads in the negative. He gave a shrug before saying with a laugh, “King of figured. That’s fine, though. This will give me some quiet time to decompress and you girls can talk freely without a guy lingering around.”

“So considerate,” Sooyoung cooed as she hopped next to him. She stood on tiptoe, head craning upwards to place a quick kiss on his cheek. His eyes closed, as he turned his head to reciprocate, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. “You have fun sleeping by the water,” she said as she gave his shoulder a pat. “If you catch anything, I’ll cook it up for you, okay?”

Sungjae suddenly paused, motionless, as a look of near terror crept into his eyes. In a slow, deliberate voice he said, “Maybe it would be a better idea to let Seungwan cook it up instead?”

Sooyoung’s face took on a mask of offence as she yelled, “Yah!” She started swatting his shoulder as he broke into a laugh, turning and starting to dodge her flailing hands, backing away quickly. Once her attacks ceased, he dropped the fishing rod and basket, lurching forward to suddenly catch her about the waist. Turning, he pulled her along, dipping her dramatically and leaning down to plant a hot kiss on her lips.

Her indignation slipped away, her arms reaching up to encircled his neck as their kiss stretched on. He slowly righted her, leaving her standing on shaky knees before slowly backing away. Her cheeks were flushed as she watched him pick up his fishing gear and gave her a wink. “I’ll see you in a few hours,” he said loudly before turning and heading down the road towards the lake.

“So that’s how you shut her up,” Yeri said with a laugh.

As he disappeared around the bend in the road, Sooyoung planted her hands on her hips and huffed loudly. A moment later, she turned towards the camp, lips breaking into a grin, eyes turning to slits as she reached up to draw her long, dark hair behind her shoulders. “He’s going to pay for that later,” Sooyoung said happily.

“Oh, and just what are you going to do to him?” Yeri’s eyes twinkled as she watched Sooyoung smooth her dress about her hips. 

“You’re ears are too young to hear,” Sooyoung said and stuck a tongue out at Yeri who only laughed aloud, boisterous laugh. Turning, she exhaled sharply and looked at the small gathering of new friends. “Now that he’s gone, shall we talk about what’s happening between Seungwannie and Joohyun?”

“Seungwannie,” Seulgi repeated as she laid a blanket out on the dirt near the campfire. “That’s a really cute nickname.” As soon as the blanket was stretched out, Yeri leapt from her chair and onto it, settling down cross legged in the middle.

“I’m all for meddling,” Yeri said as she raised a hand. Seulgi suddenly high fived the girl’s outstretched hand and settled down beside her girlfriend, a hand falling to rest on Yeri’s knee. “I assume that’s what we’re going to do, right? I know you helped Joohyun plan her seduction of Seungwan.”

Lisa and Rose dragged a pair of camp chairs from the picnic table, setting them up beside Seulgi and Yeri, sinking into them slowly. “So this wasn’t just a camping trip for us to all become friends,” Lisa asked, a slender brow quirked high.

“That was actually port of it all,” Sooyoung said as she grabbed a stool from in front of her tent, carrying it over to sit next to them. She crossed her legs and adjusted her skirt about her legs demurely. “Joohyun really wants us all to get along. As for their relationship, I’m not talking about meddling but supporting them. I don’t know how you all feel but I think Joohyun is absolutely perfect for Seungwannie.”

“I have no problem with support. Meddling in people’s relationships usually doesn’t work out well,” Lisa said as she nodded at Sooyoung. The tall blonde looked over at Joohyun and Seungwan’s tent, lips pursed as she spoke, “I adore Joohyun but she doesn’t take too kindly to being manipulate at all.”

“I don’t think we’d have to do any meddling in regards to Joohyun thought,” Sooyoung said with a soft sigh. She leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees, brows knitted, a touch of frustration in her voice as she spoke. “Seungwan is the problem. I’m worried about her and will have to keep prodding her.” Both Yeri and Seulgi gave slow nods of agreement.

“Are we missing something,” Rose asked as she looked between the three, a look of bewilderment on her small features. She dropped her hand in Lisa’s lap, the blonde instinctively holding it between both her hands. “Seungwan seems to be amazingly sweet. She doesn’t seem like the kind of purposefully toy and play with someone.”

“She wouldn’t,” Sooyoung said quickly. “She’s probably the nicest person I’ve ever known. She’ll go out of her way to make everyone around her happy.” She bit her lip, eyes flicking over to Lisa and Rose, pondering just how much of Seungwan’s ability she should expose. She had always told her friend to keep her visions silent, afraid of how other people would react. Sooyoung knew it would be a much easier conversation to have if everyone knew only it wasn’t her place to tell.

“I just know,” Sooyoung began slowly, “how bad she’s been hurt before. I can’t really explain all of it right now, but Seungwan believes that Joohyun is destined to be with someone other than her.”

Rose blinked a long moment, letting Sooyoung’s words sink in. She cocked her head side to side before asking in a curious voice, “If she thought that Joohyun was going to leave her for someone else, why did she agree to be Joohyun’s girlfriend?”

“Because she’s in love,” Yeri said plainly, shrugging her shoulders. “Have you not watched the way she looks at Joohyun? It’s like there are stars in her eyes and Joohyun is the universe. She’s madly in love and it’s almost sickening.” Yeri made a mock retching noise.

Seulgi rolled her eyes and poked Yeri on the shoulder, “Hush, that’s how you look at me.” Swinging her gaze to Rose and Lisa, Seulgi scrunched her nose and pondered them a moment before asking, “I know you guys are very close with Jennie. How do you feel about all this? I know Joohyun bears most of the blame for their breakup.”

“They both screwed it up,” Lisa said with a quick shake of her head. “Jennie is happy now and I don’t see why she can’t be as well. Sure, they were probably the hottest couple ever,” Lisa said with a short laugh, “I think that Seungwan is just what Joohyun needs from what I’ve seen since yesterday.”

“And I think Joohyun is exactly what Seungwan needs,” Sooyoung said before sighing, “This isn’t the first time Seungwannie fell for someone she thought destined for another.” Sooyoung’s voice fell low, fighting to keep and and disdain from her tone as she thought of Sejeong. “She was hurt, bad, because of it. It left her very cynical.”

“For someone cynical about love,” Lisa began, her face and voice filled with disbelief, “she sure knows how to sing about it. Watching her perform I am sure she could convince even the most hardcore cynic that love is real.”

“She believes in it, just that it’s not for her,” Sooyoung said with a shrug. “I know she’s going to be scared to death and eventually try and run away. My job is going to be keeping her from doing that. I know we’re all going to be a part of this, me being Seungwan’s best friend and you guys with Joohyun. So let’s try and support them to the fullest?”

“Of course,” Yeri said, her voice turning playful as she glanced sidelong at Seulgi. “We can’t get her to sing at our wedding if she breaks up with Joohyun, right?” A moment later, a beaming Seulgi flung her arms around Yeri, dragging the girl down onto the blanket, peppering the young girl’s cheeks with kisses.

***

The small dock, made of worn wood, stretched out into the lake. Waves rippled beneath their feet, winging back and forth as they dangled over the edge, the wind blowing down from the mountain to disturb the usually silent surface. Seungwan shivered against the breeze, small bumps of gooseflesh rising along her bare arms.

“Cold?” Joohyun asked before leaning into Seungwan, slipping her slender arm across her girlfriend’s back. She began rubbing Seungwan’s arm in fast motions, her eyes shining as she said, “Do you remember doing this to me that night?”

“It was late and you were barely dressed,” Seungwan said with a grin as she scooted along the wood planks until her hips pressed tight against Seungwan’s. She dropped her head to rest along the woman’s shoulder. “Looking back, I think I just wanted an excuse to touch you.”

“Well, you have every excuse now,” Joohyun said simply as she dropped her head, resting her cheek against Seungwan’s head, gently nuzzling the girl’s dark hair. “I’m happy to share my warmth with you.”

Seungwan bit her lip, the taste of vanilla filling , the remnants of Joohyun’s lip gloss spread across her own. She was still surprise at her sudden burst of confidence, pulling Joohyun behind the tree and kissing the woman. Looking back, she’d never made a first move and always let things happen to her. “You warm my heart too,” Seungwan said with a happy little sigh.

Joohyun blinked before giving a low, lilting giggle, lips drawing into an amused little smile. “So, here is an arrangement I would like to make with you,” Joohyun said as she slid her hand up from Seungwan’s arm to gently pat the girl’s head. “For every greasy comment you make, you also have to give me a kiss. How does that sound?”

“That’s not,” Seungwan began slowly, “going to keep me from making greasy comments.”

“It’s not supposed to,” Joohyun said before giving a loud, rolling laugh that echoed out across the water. “It’s an excuse for me to get even more kisses out of you.”

“Right now?” Seungwan looked around, watching people sitting along the shore in folding chairs, fishing poles in hands. Some people had set up small tents on overcroppings, small stoves set up for both heat and cooking. “There are a lot of people here who might see,” Seungwan said with a worried voice.

“You can save them all up and give them to me tonight,” Joohyun said as she gave Seungwan’s head another pat. The small girl suddenly blushed and looked down, lips drawn into a shy smile. “So I suggest you make a lot of them today so I can be happy later.”

“Hyun,” Seungwan said in a shocked voice, drawing her head back and away, turning to regard Joohyun’s face with wide eyes. An indulgent smile spread Joohyun’s lips as the woman suggestively waggled her brows made Seungwan give a snorting laugh. “When did you become like this?”

“I’ve always been like this,” Joohyun replied in a straight tone. “I like you and want to be with you. I don’t see the point in drawing things out too much. I’m not saying we should have right away.” Seungwan choked, eyes registering pure shock. “But kisses are good. Cuddling is really good. We should do lots of that to grow closer.”

Clearing , Seungwan felt overwhelmed, her mind filled with Joohyun’s beautiful face and soft lips. She couldn’t deny how much she desired to kiss the woman and eventually, move beyond that. It was just that nagging fear that Joohyun would disappear from her life, running to Jennie when her numbers ticked to zero, that kept her from wanting to go any further than just those sweet kisses.

“Before I forget,” Seungwan said, seeking to change the subject, “What are you doing Wednesday after next?”

“I would normally be in the office during the day and then hopefully having dinner or watching a movie with you afterwards,” Joohyun said as she bumped Seungwan’s shoulder with her own. She brought her free hand to grasp Seungwan’s, dragging it into her lap. “Why, what’s going on that day?”

Seungwan smiled, excitement carried in her voice as she said, “I’m going to be on Show Champion. It’ll be my music show debut and I really wanted to have you come and support me.”

“Really?” Joohyun bounced where she sat beside Seungwan, excitement suddenly pouring out of the small woman in palpable waves. “That’s fantastic! Of course I’ll come and support you.” The pure enthusiasm that filled Joohyun’s voice, the look of utter happiness on her features, deeply touched Seungwan. She impulsively placed a kiss on Joohyun’s cheek, the woman suddenly turning shy, a blush of faint pink coloring her cheeks.

“I was hoping you could do more than come and support me,” Seungwan said slowly as she dropped her head to rest on Joohyun’s shoulder again, “I was thinking I could do my makeup for me that day. That way you’d actually be able to come into the waiting room with me. I’m a big scaredy cat but I think, with you there, I can do this.”

“Are you sure that would be okay,” Joohyun asked in a serious voice. “Doesn’t your company have makeup artists they’ll want to send along instead?”

“Yes and no,” Seungwan said with a chuckle. “It’s a very small company so we don’t actually have dedicated stylists or makeup artists. Sometimes they hire freelancers for that stuff. Some of the other artists just do their own makeup but since I haven’t really looked into a mirror for a long time,” her words drifted away, the sentence left unfinished.

Joohyun hugged her in tighter, feeling Seungwan’s shoulders having grown tense. “You don’t have to worry about that at all. You’re already pretty but I’ll make sure I’m the envy of all your fangirls.”

“You’ll be the envy, huh?”

“Well, I would be if they knew I was the one who got to kiss your lips,” Joohyun said with a confident voice that made Seungwan grin. “Does this mean we’ll be all alone in the waiting room?” There was an edge to the question that made Seungwan’s body tingle, a hint of naughty intentions in the slow way Joohyun asked the question.

Clearing , Seungwan whispered, “Suddenly it’s getting hot. Wait, you were the one calling me a deviant earlier,” Seungwan said, voice raising, her tone accusatory. She narrowed her eyes and asked, “Just what is going on in that mind of yours?”

“Kisses,” Joohyun said plainly. “I’m going to subdue your worries, your fears and make you forget all about numbers with my kisses. That was part of the plan as well.” Joohyun begun to pepper the top of Seungwan’s head with tiny, pecking kisses.

Laughing, Seungwan twisted her head, pulling it away. A heavy pout formed on Joohyun’s face as she looked at Seungwan. “So you were going to kiss me into submission? Just how did you plan to make that happen in this… plan… of yours?”

“Well,” Joohyun began, her lips quirking into a grin, “if the rest of the plan had fallen together as intended, then I would have convinced you to let me kiss you. Sooyoung was adamant that once we started kissing you’d completely give in. Said you were a er for skinship.”

Seungwan pouted and huffed. “She’s not wrong,” she admitted grudgingly. “Then I have to ask, are you being all cuddly and kissy just to make sure I don’t run away?” There was an edge of worry in the question, a slight tensing of Seungwan’s neck that Joohyun could feel.

“Not at all,” Joohyun said as she slipped her arm from around Seungwan, bringing it to grasp the girl’s hand in her lap with both hands. She shifted, turning more to face the girl, eyes and voice filled with sincerity as she said, “Ever since that night you stayed over, after I dropped you off at home, I was empty.”

“Empty?” Seungwan’s brows furrowed, voice filled with curiosity. “What do you mean by that?”

Joohyun’s voice fell soft, eyes liquid as she leaned forward to press her forehead against Seungwan’s, hot breath pouring across Seungwan’s lips as she spoke, “Every night I would lay in bed, feeling empty. It felt like something was missing from beside me. Last night, when I held you in arms, I felt full again. Things just felt right.”

“And you call me greasy,” Seungwan said with a playful scoff that was rewarded with a poke in the side by Joohyun’s fingers. She gave a soft yelp that morphed into a laugh. As that laugh died on her lips, she gave a happy sigh before saying, “I just hate that I’m going to be so busy for the next month.”

“And we only just started dating,” Joohyun said in a pouty voice. “Just how busy are you going to be?”

“The new single is done being recorded,” Seungwan said as she rested a hand on Joohyun’s knee, giving it a soft squeeze. “There’s a lot to do before the single is released. It’s going to be released the same day I go on Show Champion. They want to do proper promotions so I have a photo shoot for teasers on Monday which is scary because I’ve never had to do that before.”

“Well, you’re beautiful so they are going to come out amazing,” Joohyun said, her voice filled with absolute confidence. “What else do you then?”

“For the rest of the week I’m going to be doing radio interviews. Since that video of me singing went viral we’ve been getting a lot of love calls. My CEO wants me to do a bunch of them to try and build up hype before the song drops.” Seungwan closed her eyes, trying to visualize the calendar in her mind.

“I am singing at a festival on Friday but it’s on Nami Island. Then on Saturday it’s off to Boseong for another festival. I’ll have a few days off to practice before Wednesday but after that, we’re looking at three weeks of promotions. Three music shows a week,” Seungwan said with a sigh, “I’m excited but scared.”

“You’re going to do fine,” Joohyun said as she smiled at Seungwan, the woman’s eyes full of confidence that Seungwan wished she could somehow borrow. “I’ll make time to visit you wherever you are and you can call me every night, okay?”

“You’re going to be the first person I call in the morning and the last person I talk to before I go to bed,” Seungwan promised. The smile that blossomed on Joohyun’s lips warmed her heart. Without thinking, she tilted her head, their lips meeting for a quick, chaste kiss.

“Omo,” Joohyun said quickly, jerking her head back, eyes wide as she looked around the area quickly. “We’re out in the open, Wannie. Someone could see.”

“I couldn’t help myself,” Seungwan said quickly, her head turning on a swivel, scanning the area to see if anyone might have seen the kiss. 

“Let’s save it for inside the tent,” Joohyun said as she heaved a relieved sigh, confident that nobody was close enough to see what had happened. “You’re a celebrity and while I adore you, I’d hate for your career to get hurt because of a kiss.”

“I don’t think my core fanbase would be disappointed to find out I like kissing girls,” Seungwan said with a wry grin. “You know, considering.”

Joohyun rolled her eyes and gave Seungwan’s hand a pat at her waist. “How about we head back to camp and have some breakfast?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Seungwan said as she reluctantly drew her arms around from Joohyun. Standing, she held out a hand for her girlfriend. Once Joohyun was standing, she didn’t relinquish her grip of the woman’s hand, holding it happily.

“While we head back to camp,” Joohyun began, her voice full of mischief, “Why don’t you say a bunch of greasy things? I’d like to build up a bunch of owed kisses.”

Authors Notes: Kind of a short chapter compared to the rest, but that’s just how long it wound up being. I am hoping to get two more chapters out before I go on a short hiatus. Getting married in two and half weeks (OH MY GOD) and I’ll be busy living romance rather than writing it! Chapter 14 will have a cliffhanger ending that’ll make you mad that I went on hiatus right after posting it ;)