Joohyun drank a sip of apple juice, her gaze focused on the picture in front of her. She narrowed her eyes.

“So?” Jennie’s voice cut her thoughts.

“Well, yeah. I think it’s her.” Joohyun finally spoke after analysing the photo.

“I knew it! She is pretty. What’s her name again?”

The older woman shook her head, giggling. “It’s Jisoo.”

“Chaeng is dating a model. Can you believe it?” Jennie clapped her hand and grabbed her phone back.

“Say the girl dating a dancer.” Joohyun smirked, earning Jennie’s strong blush. She cleared awkwardly before diverting the talk.

“How are things going with Seul?”

Joohyun was about to answer her phone buzzed on the table, stopping her.

“Speaking of the devil.” Jennie mumbled, smiling.

“Hey, Seul.” There was no immediate answer. “Seulgi?”

‘Hyun...’ Joohyun waited for her to keep talking. ‘Hyun…’ The younger’s voice was broken as if she had been crying for hours.

“Are you crying? Seul, what’s wrong?”

‘No, it’s… I don’t know what to do, Hyun. Can you come home? Please?’ The lost tone made Joohyun even more worried.

“Sure, wait for me.” Jennie gave her friend a surprised look when she hung up. “Sorry, Jen. I really need to go.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Something happened. Seulgi sounded weird.” Joohyun stood up and grabbed her stuff.

“Alright. Take care.”

Joohyun gave Jennie a smile and headed toward the exit of the café. She reached her flat in less than twenty minutes. She burst through the door only to find Seulgi sitting on the couch, her face buried in her palm. She carefully approached the younger, touching her shoulder. Seulgi rubbed her temples quickly before looking at her girlfriend.

“I got a call. From the hospital.” Joohyun frowned at Seulgi’s words. “It’s… It’s my father. He had a car accident.”

Joohyun gasped, taking her girl’s hands gently with hers. “How is he…?”

“Coma. They don’t know when he will wake up. If he even wakes up…” Seulgi told her in a heavy tone. She sighed and talked again. “I don’t know what to do, Hyun. It’s been eight years. Should I visit him? Should I even care?”

“He is your father.” Joohyun tried to look into the younger’s eyes, but Seulgi kept avoiding and stared at their hands.

“I know. I don’t hate him. But he does. He hates me.”

Seulgi went quiet. There were a hundred things she wanted to tell him. She had been waiting to reach him again for the past years. And now, he was almost dead. What if he never woke up? What if he died? What if she could never talk to him again? But she was scared. So scared. After eight years, how was she going to react? Seulgi didn’t know. What about his life? Was he remarried? Had Seulgi stepsiblings? What would she say to a sleeping man? What would be the point?

“You have to visit him.” Joohyun spoke in a quiet tone, her hand under Seulgi’s chin to make the younger look at her. “You will regret it if you don’t.” Seulgi closed her eyes and let herself sink into a warm embrace.

“Okay.” The younger mumbled in the crook of Joohyun’s neck. The latter the blonde’s hair with her fingers. “What time is it?”

“Ten past five.”

Seulgi stayed in the hug for five more minutes. She had her arms wrapped around Joohyun’s waist tightly decided not to let her go. Finally, she took a deep breath, releasing her grasp.

“You will come with me, Hyun?” Seulgi’s voice was small, almost weak. Joohyun nodded.

They left their home in silence. The ride was also silent. The raven-haired woman decided not to break the heavy atmosphere. What could she have done more anyway? She had tried to reassure her girl as much as she could. Once they got out of the car, Seulgi held Joohyun’s hand. She intertwined their fingers, Joohyun slowly the younger’s skin with her thumb. They entered the hospital and walked to the front desk.

“Hello…” Seulgi mumbled, her gaze wandering. “I’m looking for, huh, my father. His name is Kang, Kang Jaesook.”  

“Room forty-two.” The woman told her after looking through the computer’s file.

“Thank you.” Joohyun finally spoke when she noticed her girlfriend was lost in her thoughts again.

The raven dragged her bear in the corridors. Seulgi hated hospitals. Who liked them honestly? She had lost her mother here. She shook her head, getting rid of these memories. She looked at the door’s number where Joohyun had just make her stop. Forty-two.

“We’re not coming, are you?” Seulgi asked, turning around toward her girlfriend who shook her head. “Okay. Alright.”

Joohyun let go of the bear’s hand before placing a gentle peck on her cheek. Seulgi didn’t even try to smile. She sighed, and she opened the door. She stepped inside the room, leaving Joohyun behind. The raven took care of closing the door.

Seulgi stood there, looking at the man on the bed. The man who was supposed to be her father. She said she didn’t hate him. But she was angry. So angry.

Joohyun waited. No matter how long she would have to wait, she would be still there when Seulgi would be done. The last thing Joohyun had expected was to see Seulgi out after less than five minutes. The young woman was crying heavily, shaking. Joohyun rushed to her side and took her in her arms. She Seulgi’s back, trying to soothe the tears.

“I can’t. I can’t do it, Hyun.” Seulgi whispered, her hands clutching Joohyun’s top.

“We will come back another time, okay?” Joohyun spoke in a soft tone and felt Seulgi nodding slowly.

They remained there a couple of minutes more until Seulgi’s sobs turned into light sniffles. The view of her girlfriend crying broke Joohyun’s heart into pieces. Seulgi had always been standing strong, in front of everyone and everything. She knew the younger had had hard times, about her mother or when she was kicked out. But at that time, Joohyun wasn’t by her sides. While the older woman could easily crack not Seulgi. Seulgi didn’t cry when she watched a sad movie, when she read a heartbreaking book, when she was stressed or worried. No, Seulgi didn’t cry. Or if she did, it wasn’t in front of Joohyun.

“Hyun, can we go home?”

“Of course, baby.” Joohyun released Seulgi from the comforting hug. She wiped the blonde’s cheeks gently before tiptoeing to give her a soft kiss on the lips.

Seulgi was leaning on her elbow in the car, her gaze focused outside. She was silently chewing her lower lip.

“Seul, talk to me.” Joohyun’s eyes didn’t leave the road when she talked. “I want to help you. But if you don’t tell me how you feel I can’t do anything.”

“I’m sorry.” Seulgi mumbled without moving. “We’re wasting time because of my useless-”

Joohyun suddenly parked the car on the side road, braking suddenly. It cut Seulgi’s sentence, her eyes widened, and she finally looked at the raven-haired girl.

“Don’t even dare finish this sentence.” Joohyun snapped, her gaze on Seulgi. “You’ve seen your father for the first time after eight years. He is in a coma. I understand you’re upset with yourself. But, baby, don’t turn me down.” She brought a hand to the younger’s cheek. “I’ll be there for you. I want to be there for you. Talk to me.”

Seulgi gulped, feeling the tears threatening to fall again. She closed her eyes to enjoy the warm touch on her face.

“It was too hard, Hyun.” Seulgi’s voice was slowly cracking. “He was lying there, unconscious. I couldn’t do it. It’s too hard. I’m not ready.” Joohyun slid her thumb across her girl’s cheeks, chasing the tears. “I want to talk to him. I want him to speak to me again. But it’s too hard. I’m not even sure it will ever happen. What would be the point to talk to someone unconscious? What if he leaves without talking to me? What if he dies hating me and not seeing the person I became?”

Joohyun removed her seatbelt and leaned closer until their foreheads touched. She put her free hand on Seulgi’s lap to have some support.

“Seulgi. You’re strong. You can do this. You just need some time. You have to see him. You have to talk to him.” Seulgi was about to open to talk, but Joohyun’s thumb sliding on her lips stopped her. “It’s not pointless. It could help.”

The older woman gave Seulgi a quick peck on her forehead before putting her seatbelt back and driving them home.

A few days had passed, and they didn’t talk about Seulgi’s father again. Joohyun didn’t want to push to younger, so she waited for her to be ready. But for now, Seulgi had some other matters in her mind. She had a date with Joohyun. A movie date. It had been a while since their last date, or at least, it felt like a while.

Seulgi was in the hallway, waiting for her girlfriend. She was holding popcorns, tickets in her pocket.

“Sorry. There were so many people in the restroom.” Joohyun finally showed up, a slight smile on her lips.

“Let’s go, the move is about to start.” Seulgi’s free hand grabbed the raven’s and dragged her in the movie theatre.

Joohyun brushed the hair form Seulgi’s face while the younger was resting on her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her breath steady and slow. The bear fell asleep. Joohyun looked at their fingers intertwined on Seulgi’s laps. Joohyun put her attention back on the movie. She had to follow it for two, after all.

Seulgi yawned. She rubbed her eyes and lazily stood up to drag herself to the living room. After the date, they went to a café, and the bear took a nap at home. She apologised for dozing off during the movie. But Joohyun didn’t mind. It was your loss, she said.

Seulgi reached Joohyun and wrapped her arms around the older’s stomach from behind. Joohyun let out a small yelp, startled by the sudden appearance of her girlfriend.

“Sorry, I slept a lot today.” Seulgi mumbled, her chin resting on Joohyun’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. You were tired.” The older woman answered before cleaning her hands with a towel. She turned around still in Seulgi’s embrace and melted into a hug. “How is my baby doing?”

“I had a lot of time to think lately.” Seulgi hugged the raven a bit tighter. “I want to go to the hospital again.” She closed her eyes, her body tensed. “I want to go there tomorrow. I want you to be with me. Even in the room. Is that okay?”

“If you want me to, I will be there.”

“Thank you.”

Seulgi pulled away enough to kiss Joohyun’s cheek. She gave her raven a quick smile before letting her go. She helped her to prepare dinner.

Seulgi would have been lying if she said she wasn’t anxious. She wanted to visit her father as soon as possible now that she had made her mind.

“My mother called me.” Joohyun spoke once she sat down to eat. “She invited us to come over for dinner next week.” She cleared . “Yerim will be there with Soo.”

“Alright. On Saturday?” Seulgi asked, earning a nod from the raven. “I’m glad everything is working out well with your father.”

After the little mishap almost two months ago, Joohyun’s father accepted Seulgi. He tended to call her his daughter-in-law. He had explained to his wife that Seulgi showing her strong side made him accept their relationship. He understood he didn’t have to worry about anything. And a man wasn’t what could make his daughter happy.

“He likes you. I mean, he even teases you and gives you embarrassing facts about me.” Joohyun mumbled the last part of her sentence, and Seulgi giggled.

“Yeah. I’m surprised that he has so many things to tell me.” The younger smirked, making her girl glare at her. “He told he loves your tattoo.”

“He said that?”

“Roses were your grandma’s favourite flowers.” Seulgi smiled, her gaze on her plate.

Joohyun let out a chuckle. That was right. It kind of slipped out of her mind. Her grandmother loved gardening. She had a huge greenhouse in her garden, which, of course, was full of plants.

The couple finished their dinner and ended up in their bedroom. Joohyun was lying down, reading a book. Seulgi was embracing her girlfriend, her head on the raven’s stomach. Joohyun had a hand in her hair, playing absent-mindedly with Seulgi’s locks.

When Seulgi got bored of this, she lifted Joohyun’s top a bit to show her flat tummy. Seulgi gave butterflies kisses on the warm skin. Joohyun kept reading, not bothered by the sudden action of her girlfriend. She let her hand in the blonde’s hair. She was enjoying the feeling until Seulgi decided to turn her kisses into bites, making Joohyun groan. But Seulgi didn’t stop her teasing and was now giving open-mouthed kisses. Joohyun put her book down, her thumb doing circles in Seulgi’s hair. The younger suddenly her navel, Joohyun felt electricity roaming all over her body. She let out a loud moan, making Seulgi’s jerk back in the process.

“Sorry, I forgot you were sensitive there.” Seulgi bit her lower lip, visibly not sorry at all.

“What are you doing?” Joohyun frowned, but she wasn’t mad at the younger.

“Kissing you?”

Joohyun taped her lips twice, a slight smile on . Seulgi crawled on the top of the raven until she felt against J