Billowy clouds, soft and white like stretched out cotton balls, were scattered across the brilliant blue sky. The sound of young children playing across the park, combined with the soft, cool breeze brought a happy smile to Joohyun’s lips. Lying atop the cool, green grass she stretched out her pale legs, denim shorts leaving her calves and thighs bare. She wore the same white Converse sneakers, tiny stains of green sprinkled across the white canvas, that she had worn the day they met. Every now and then she tore her gaze away from that captivating sky and look over towards the center of the park.

The small bench of wood and metal sat unoccupied beneath the gingko tree, streaks of shadows splashed across it. Her lips formed into a small pout. “Three days,” she thought, “I have been coming here hoping to run into her but no luck.” Each morning she had dressed with care, picking out clothes that would flatter her short frame, forgoing the usual routine of light makeup and instead spent extra time doing her face. She wanted to look her best for Seungwan.

“The past week has been crazy,” she muttered to herself. Between meeting Seungwan and the reunion with Jennie, it felt like her world was suddenly on wobbly footing again. She was finding it growningly difficult to focus on her work, mind constantly struggling in thoughts, from one girl to the next. She couldn’t deny that running into Jennie had resurrected lingering feelings, hidden and thought lost. She had given the girl four years of her life and that wasn’t something you could easily sweep away emotionally. 

Seungwan was even more perplexing. At first she had thought Seungwan was just a silly person, possibly insane, who saw delusional numbers that floated above people's heads despite all Joohyun had witnessed. Then that night happened. She had watched Seungwan racked with pain, yet the girl still went out of her way to make everyone around her happy. She drank, she smile but there was a longing and sadness that seemed to hide behind those bright eyes.

The feel of Seungwan’s hand in her own sent tiny thrills through her, the way the girl leaned into her as they walked made her happy. She could still feel the girl’s voice caressing her, rolling slowly down her body like honey. 

With a soft huff, she rolled up to a sit, legs crossed and elbows resting on her knees as she cupped her chin in her hands. She puffed out her lips and scrunched her eyes, thinking about that night of drinking and carousing. She couldn’t shake the feeling of Seungwan’s soft lips against the corner of , the girl’s arms and legs drawing her in, unescapable. Those whispered words as the girl was drifting away to sleep.

“I’m not Sejeong. I’m Joohyun,” she had said quietly to Seungwan, the girl clutching tight to her. She reached up and brushed away dark locks of hair that clung to the girl’s brown, watching Seungwan’s eyes flutter open a second, registering the truth in the statement, before falling closed again. She s arm around the girl, noting how light and comfortable Seungwan felt pressed against her.

“Joohyun,” Seungwan muttered, her full lips jutting out in a childish pout. “I can’t like you,” she said in a brooding voice. “I want to like you but I don’t have a number and you do,” Seungwan’ whispered into the woman’s ear, anguish lingering in those words. 

“But what if I like you too,” Joohyun said as she glanced over her shoulder, eyes seeking that bench she had claimed as theirs, hoping Seungwan would magically appear there. Rocking herself back and forth a moment, she used the moment to propel herself to a stand. Quickly brushing grass from the back of her legs, she heaved a long, unhappy sigh. 

“You were so bold that night,” she said to herself in a chiding voice, “why are you so insecure about it now?” As she started across the park, she already knew the answer to that question. Jennie. With another sigh, her small feet began moving across the grass, deciding to call her daily wait over. 

As she reached the sidewalk, she shoved hands into the pockets of her shorts, head swiveling back and forth as she gazed up and down the sidewalk. A handful of pedestrians moved down the street, a delivery van backing up to the convenience store with the soft, repeating beep permeating the neighborhood. “You took the day off so you could get some rest,” she thought to herself, “and know you have no idea what to do with the time.” It had been rare for her to take a day off. Her business had kept her tied to a desk, paperwork and accounting to be done. Now she was finding it hard to cope with the freedom being afforded her.

She chewed her lip a moment, head swinging to the right as she gazed down the street, the green awning of her building in sight. She was just a mere half block away from her office. She considered simply going in and going over the the chemical orders just to kill the time. “Wait,” she said aloud before reaching up to bonk her forehead with the hell of her palm. “No. You have today off so go enjoy it you dummy.” Turning the opposite direction, she started down the street. Her only goal was to get further away from her work.

Halfway down the block she caught sight of a familiar figure, tall and slender with dark hair that fell in gorgeous waves, walking down the steps of a small apartment building. The way the girl walked, with swayed hips, tall and confident, made her look beautiful even in the light green medical scrubs she wore. Joohyun quickened her pace, tiny feet pounding against the sidewalk, as she jogged to catch up with the girl.

“Sooyoung,” she called out as as she drew close, the tall girl turning, eyes registering surprise. As she skidded to a stop in front of the younger girl, Joohyun hunched over and grasped her sides, cheeks flushed as she air in large gulps. “I need to exercise more,” she said in a gasping voice.

“Just that short run tired you out?” Sooyoung laughed as she reached out to gently pat Joohyun’s back. Cocking her head, she asked in a questioning voice, “What are you doing here? Don’t you, like… live 20 kilometers away or something?”

Standing slowly, Joohyun quickly fanned her face with a hand, a soft sheen of sweat formed on her brow, the rise and fall of her chest slowing as she managed to catch her breath. “I do, but my job is very close to here,” she offered in way of explanation, turning halfway to point down the street.  “I had the day off so I decided to spend some time in the park.”

“I’m sure there are parks closer to your house,” Sooyoung began before her lips curled into a smirk. In a knowing voice she said, “Unless you wanted to spend time in the park you met Seungwan at.”

Joohyun suddenly felt as though she were under scrutiny, the way Sooyoung’s eyes seemed to change shape, piercing and delving brown orbs, carefully watching her reaction. She couldn’t help but blush, her cheeks and ears turning soft pink as she nodded. “Well, to be honest,” she began in a soft voice, “I was hoping to run into Seungwan so I could talk to her.”

“Interesting,” Sooyoung said, eyes softening as she watched the bashful way Joohyun swayed where she stood, hands clasped behind her back. Her smirk turned into a smile as she spoke, “Unfortunately for you, she’s had to leave really early in the morning to head for the studio.” She almost wanted to laugh at the girlish pout that overtook Joohyun, a look more fitting a girl of 5 than someone in their late 20’s. 

Flicking a hand to point down the street, the way she had been heading, Sooyoung raised her brows as she said, “I was about to go grab some breakfast before I head off to work.”

“Oh,” Joohyun said quickly, taking a step back as her hands raised apologetically. “I didn’t mean to hold you up or anything.”

“Actually,” Sooyoung said as she gave Joohyun a wink, “I was going to invite you to come have breakfast with me. I think we have some stuff to talk about anyway.” She adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she watched Joohyun mull the offer over a moment. “About Seungwan.”

“Oh,” Joohyun said suddenly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips just at the mention of the girls name. She nodded emphatically and said, voice cheery, “I already ate breakfast but I’ll sit with you and we can talk.”

“Then come along,” Sooyoung said with a grin as she turned and started down the street, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Joohyun was following. Joohyun trailed behind her, tiny feet working fast to keep up with her long strides.

“Do you work at a hospital?”

“A veterinarian’s office,” Sooyoung said as her voice turned wistful, “I love dogs and am working on getting my trainer's license. Until then I work the front desk and get to pet all the animals as they come in.”

“I’m afraid of animals,” Joohyun admitted sheepishly. “It’s not that I don’t like them. They just scare me a little bit.”

“That’s a shame,” Sooyoung said playfully as they drew up to the patio of the cafe, her eyes narrowed in mock disdain as she said, “But I suppose I can still be friends with you anyway.” They both gave a soft laugh as their eyes swept over the patio, heavy wrought iron bistro tables, familiar and comfortable.

“This is where you and I first met,” Joohyun said as her eyes settled onto the bench the four of them had sat, that moment setting her on a path that was now shaking up her comfortable routine. She looked up at the large tree, it’s branches sweeping overhead. “Perhaps we’re destined to meet beneath a tree,” she thought, the idea settling happily in her mind.

“Are you sure that you don’t want anything? They have fantastic poached eggs here,” Sooyoung said as she pointed towards the door, brow raised in question. When Joohyun shook her head, she simply said, “Suit yourself. Grab a seat and I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Joohyun said with a nod as she watched Sooyoung open the door, the sound of guitar music wafting out as the girl slipped inside. With a happy little grin she skipped over to the table they had first met, unoccupied, “as fate would have it,” she thought. Her fingers fell to trace and course along the twisting curls of metal that made the tabletop, cold and damp to the touch. Pulling out a seat, she settled down in the same spot she had that morning.

She glanced to the seat Seungwan had occupied before, remembering the accommodating nature and friendly smiles the girl had shown them. Two strangers who were suddenly intruding upon her time with a friend. 

“What a stark contrast it was, hearing her sing so happily in the park,” she thought, “compared to the song she sang at the club.” Part of her was having a hard time reconciling the two Seungwan’s she had come to know. One was a bright child, enamored with with everything and the other an old soul that could sing with a voice that spanned generations.

“You look lost in thought,” Sooyoung said as she set her tray down on the table, dishes and silverware making a soft tinkling clatter. A porcelain bowl with a poached egg sitting atop a pile of steaming white rice, shreds of seaweed and sesame seeds sprinkled over it sat center of the tray, a small pate with two pieces of toast off to the side.

Joohyun looked up, startled, and offered a shy smile before nodding. “I’ve been finding myself thinking about a lot of different things as of late,” she admitted. “You said that Seungwan was been having to leave early in the mornings to go to the studio?”

“That she is,” Sooyoung said with a heavy voice as she picked up her chopsticks, wiping them off with a tissue. She plunged them into the poached egg, tearing it apart, golden yolk seeping into the rice before stirring it. “They want her to release a new single next week and they are rushing through the production but she’s a perfectionist. She’s spending all day in the studio making sure it comes out just right.”

Joohyun frowned, her eyes watching the unhappy settle of Sooyoung’s features. “You don’t sound too happy about it for her, though.”

Sooyoung paused, her dark eyes reaching into Joohyun’s, that deep scrutiny there again. She felt bare beneath that gaze, her arms instinctively reaching up to wrap around herself protectively. “I don’t want her to record that song,” Sooyoung said after a moment, displeasure heavy in her voice as she began to pick at her food, “Kingdom Come.”

“Why would she record that song,” Joohyun blurted out in surprise, a hand reaching up to cover . She watched as Sooyoung gave a nod, the girl scooping up a clump of the rice and egg mixture, carrying it towards . “It only reminds her of Sejeong. How can she sing that when she needs to move on?”

Sooyoung stopped, her entire body going still, food poised before her lips, only her eyes moving as they rolled up to regard Joohyun through heavy lashes. “She told you about Sejeong?”

Joohyun blinked, head cocking to the right and left. “She didn’t tell you about our conversations?” Joohyun suddenly huffed as she leaned back in the chair, crossing her legs as she gave an indignant flip of her hair. “I mean, I guess she doesn’t have too but I kind of thought, since you were her best friend, that she would.”

Sooyoung popped the bite of food into , chewing it slowly as she cocked her head every so slightly. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Joohyun shift and shuffled in her seat, obviously annoyed about Seungwan’s silence. With a loud swallow, she pointed her chopsticks at Joohyun and said with an accusing voice, “You like Seungwan, don’t you?”

The sudden change in Joohyun’s demeanor, annoying melting away as shyness took over, the way she stopped fidgeting and her lips drew into a big smile was all the proof that Sooyoung needed. “Oh my gosh,” Sooyoung said as she slowly placed her chopsticks down on the tray, food suddenly the furthest thing from her mind. She placed her hands on the table, palms flat against the metal surface, and drew in a long, steady breath.

Joohyun shifted sideways in her seat, worry overtaking her as she watched the girl across the table from her, wondering just what was going through Sooyoung’s mind. She found herself placing her feet on the ground, leaning forward in her seat ready to sprint away if needed.

“We need to get you two out on a date,” Sooyoung said excitedly, eyes flicking open as exuberance began to take the girl over. She jumped from her seat and was around the table in a flash, leaning over to throw her arms around Joohyun in a hug, shaking the woman happily.

“Ack,” Joohyun said as a long strand of Sooyoung’s hair wiggled it’s way into , open from surprise. Reaching up, her face contorted in disgust, she quickly fished it out and smacked her lips. Just as fast as the girl had hugged her, she was back in her seat, hands picking chopsticks back up. Joohyun just stared at her with wide eyes, Sooyoung wiggling side to side happily in her seat, smiling as she took a bite of her food.

“What the heck?”

Swallowing, Sooyoung gave a toothy laugh before saying, “I saw the way you two were together when we went out drinking. I didn’t know exactly who was clinging to who. I really hoped that something would happen between you two.” There was pure happiness on the girl’s features that mingled with a determination behind her large eyes.

“I think it might just be one sided, though,” Joohyun said with a frown. She had told Seungwan to call her when dropping the girl off at home and yet she hadn’t heard a single peep from her. She wanted to reach out first but found it hard to do, the sudden bravado she had been able to display in front of Seungwan gone now that she was out of sight.

“Here’s the thing,” Sooyoung said as she leaned across the table, giddiness in her voice as she spoke, “Seungwan hasn’t talked all that much about you. She hasn’t said anything about the night we went out drinking or staying over at your place.”

Joohyun gave the girl a flat look. “Why are you so happy about that? Definitely makes it sound one sided.”

Sooyoung extended a hand, wagging a finger before Joohyun’s face. “Nope. The fact that she hasn’t rambled on about you endlessly means she’s definitely feeling something and it’s pushing her outside of her comfort zone.” Joohyun’s brows furrowed a bit, not quite tracking the line of reasoning. 

“Seungwan is a talker,” Sooyoung said as she leaned back again and cross her legs. She lazily swung her foot back and forth as she grinned at Joohyun. “She can ramble on and her words jumble up, but you have to read between the lines with her. She keeps the conversation superficial. When something is personal to her, she keeps it bottled up inside and you have to drag it out of her.”

“So what you’re saying,” Joohyun said in bewilderment, “is that because she’s not talking about me, that means I’m important enough to her to stay quiet?”

“Bingo,” Sooyoung said with a snap of her fingers. “She’s gone on and on about Yeri and Seulgi. How cute they are, how in love they are, blah blah blah. But she only mentions you if I ask about you directly and even then she only short answers.”

“Huh,” Joohyun said slowly as she let the idea mull in her mind. She chewed on her lip as she reached up to tap her chin, brows drawn tight together as she let it all sink in.

“So,” Sooyoung said after taking another bite of food, talking with bits of rice clinging to her red lips, “What are you intentions with my Seungwannie?”

“Intentions?” Joohyun scoffed a moment. “Are you her father?”

“She’s older than I am but after she was hurt, she drew away from the world,” Sooyoung said. “I took on the role pulling her out and protecting her.” She held up her hand and clenching it into a threatening fist as she playfully made an angry face at Joohyun. “If you only want her physically,” the girl said before pausing, pondering a moment and giggling. Her eyes danced mischief as she winked at Joohyun and said in a salacious voice, “Well, she does need to get laid.”

“Wait, hold on,” Joohyun said quickly as her cheeks felt flushed with heat, flustered at Sooyoung’s brash words. “I’m not thinking of her just like that! I swear!”

“Just like that,” Sooyoung said and stuck ot her tongue, “means you have thought about it but also want more.” 

Joohyun’s mouth worked wordlessly, unable to deny the accusation. She had spent time remembering the feel of Seungwan’s body against hers, how soft and warm the girl’s bare legs were as they slid between her own, wondering how they would feel wrapped about her own waist.

“Thought so,” Sooyoung said in a singsong voice.

“Ugh, you just might be worse than Yeri,” Joohyun said in exasperation before sticking her tongue out at Sooyoung, the girl only giving a satisfied eye smile. “I genuinely like her, okay. I want to know more about her, I want to kiss her and I want to make her happy.” With a snort, Joohyun crossed her arms over her chest before sighing.

“Did she tell you your number?” Sooyoung's voice changed, the teasing tone disappearing as a somber, seriousness overtook the girl.

“I told her I didn’t want to know,” Joohyun said with a shake of her head, dark locks bouncing about her shoulders. “Do you really believe the whole number thing?”

“Does it matter if I do? What matters is that Seungwan believes it with her whole heart.”

“Then the fact that I have a number and she says she doesn’t,” Joohyun said softly, her voice trailing off as she watched Sooyoung’s eyes soften, the girl nodding quietly.

“Then it’s like her and Sejeong,” Sooyoung finished.

“I don’t really believe in unavoidable destiny,” Joohyun said firmly as she stared down at the table, eyes tight.

“She does, which is going to make this difficult. The question I have,” Sooyoung began, a look of concern on her face, “Is are you willing to give it a go? Is she worth it to you?”

They fell into silence as the question settled on Joohyun, the realization that the hill to Seungwan’s heart was more a mountain. Steep with narrow passes and tedious ascents. She could feel Sooyoung’s gaze on her while she mulled the question over. She simply knew there was no way to shake the mixture of emotions that Seungwan seemed to elicit in her, from simple happiness to ardent desire.
“She is,” Joohyun said with a finality, certain that she wanted to make the endeavor. She looked up to catch the way Sooyoung’s face morphed from one of anxiousness to pure bliss. 

“I think she is worth it too,” Sooyoung said with a confident smile. “I often thought, if I swung that way, I’d have totally seduce her and eloped to Canada.”

Joohyun blinked a moment and raised a hand to point at Joohyun, looking at the girl askance, “But you are straight, right? I’m not suddenly going to have you as competition, am I?”

Sooyoung let out a loud laugh, eyes squinching shut as she leaned back and grasped her belly. Once she gained her composure, she shook her head quickly and said through chuckles, “No, not at all. I had once thought to give girls a try but then I met Sungjae and that idea went out the window. Why, would I make you feel threatened?”

Joohyun let out a sigh before nodding, “Do you have any idea how amazing your body is? I wouldn’t want to compete against that.”

Sooyoung gave Joohyun a flat stare as she reached out with a hand and waved it in front of the woman’s face, “You have this whole thing going on,” Sooyoung said without a hint of teasing. “Really, I have no idea why you aren’t a celebrity… or how Seungwan keeps herself from kissing you.”

“She has though, when we cuddled and slept together.”

“Pardon? Are you saying she’s kissed you and you slept together?” The wonder that overtook Sooyoung’s face almost made Joohyun burst into laughter. She brought a hand up to cover before giving her head a tiny shake.

“Regular sleep, no y sleep, “Joohyun explained quickly. “She was drunk and didn’t realize it was me, but she remembers doing it. We also sat together, snuggled up on a park bench when I took her home the next morning. I just constantly keep thinking about her lips.”

“So, I have to admit,” Sooyoung said as she cocked her head from side to side, eyes looking about furtively, “I have no idea what to make of this. Any of this. What you just said is not the Seungwan I know. She actually slept in bed with you?”

“Well, she wouldn’t let me go,” Joohyun said softly. “I just assumed she was the touchy kind of person?”

“She is,” Sooyoung said, “but not with new people. It took her almost a whole year before she would curl up with me on the couch. When I saw her holding your hand and leaning on your shoulder that night, I simply thought it was the alcohol.” Sooyoung’s gaze turned speculative as she reached up and tapped pursed lips with a fingertip. “This bodes well,” Sooyoung finally said with a firm nod.

Joohyun’s brows furrowed as she looked at the table, eyes glazing over in thought. She pondered how to overcome the numbers hurdle and Seungwan’s absolute belief in it. With what she had seen and heard, and to her own amazement, she believed what the girl had said. She simply sat back, chewing her lip in thought as Sooyoung scarfed down the bowl of rice and egg in front of her.

“Listen,” Sooyoung said as she dabbed at her lips with a napkin. “I have to run off to work in a moment, but would you like me to help a bit? Maybe we can have a get together going this weekend. That way you can have an excuse to see Seungwan.”

Joohyun’s face lit up in a brilliant smile at the idea, “I would absolutely love that!” Her feet began to tap quickly against the ground as she leaned forward to grasp her seat. The sight of Joohyun, so eager and filled with a child like excitement, only made Sooyoung chuckle.

“Okay, so I’ll make the arrangements and we’ll see what we can get started this weekend,” Sooyoung said as she set tidied up her tray. Pushing the seat back, the sound of metal scraping loudly against cement making her wince a moment, she took the tray in hand and stood. She flashed Joohyun a final smile and said, “I’ll text you the details.”

Joohyun didn’t bother to watch Sooyoung take her tray inside and then disappear down the street, long legs pumping quick as the girl hurried off to work. All she could think about was getting to spend more time with Seungwan.

Authors Notes: We're supposed to be halfway through the series now but I have gone off plan in regards to the chapter plotline. It might stretch out a bit more than 16 chapters and epilogue. Also, doesn't look like my releases are slowing down... though I doubt anyone is going to complain about it lol