« What do you mean it's over ? » 

Wheein stood up in disbelief ; she had obviously understood the words but she just didn't want to akcnowledge the reality of it.

« It can't be over. I love you. You love me. We love each other. » 

Wheein felt  tightening and tears forming in her eyes. The room was silent ; the seconds passed and the deep silence was becoming unbearable, she could barely breath ;t he air was too heavy to enter her lungs, and she was suffocating.

« Crying will not make it easier. »

His voice was cold, it was like he was someone else. Wheein wasn't used to him using this tone, and she hated it.

« I loved you. But now... We have to part ways. » 

Wheein looked at the man with her eyes were a pool of sadness and hurt. The man in front of her was making a big effort not to look at her ; his eyes were looking passed Wheein's face, far away in the distance, like he was trying to dress a wall between them.

« Goodbye, Wheein. »

He sighed and started walking towards the door. For a few seconds, he stopped, hesitating and Wheein saw a glimpse of hope. But he shook his head and finally exited the apartment, leaving Wheein alone.

This night, Wheein cried, she didn't sleep, and spent the whole night crying her heart out. Her whole relationship kept on looping inside her head. Wheein questioned herself for hours, convinced she had done something wrong. She needed to find a reason, a reason why he broke up with her ; his last words kept on coming back to her too. She relived their entire relationship because she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that it was over.

It took Wheein half a year to get over the breakup. She found out it was a painful and slow process to get over someone you loved so dearly. But fortunately, she wasn't alone throughout the process. Her boss, Moon Byulyi, had been with her through the whole thing. Well, now the two were more like friends than anything else. They had discovered how compatible they actually were and easily bounded over common interest but also different ideas.

At first, Byulyi had let Wheein cry. She had let her drown herself in her sadness for maybe a couple of weeks. Then, she had taken actions : Byulyi had forced Wheein to go on a road trip with her to change the landscape. They had gone to the countryside, Wheein had been strongly against it at first, but Byulyi hadn't let her have a say. They had gone for a week and Byulyi had used all her energy to change Wheein's ideas. They visited some old town, met some locals that invited them to a party, enjoyed new food and even swam in cold waters because Byulyi had pushed Wheein in and the small woman had took Byulyi with her in her fall.

At the end of each week, Byulyi had made a point of honor to try something new with Wheein. They took kitchen classes, dance classes, but Wheein's favorite was when they would go paintball, shooting Byulyi's annoying was at the top of her list. Wheein was very grateful for Byulyi's effort in making her get over her breakup. All these activities were great but the most healing thing Byulyi had done for her was bringing her with her when she visited her family.

It had happened a few weeks after the breakup had taken place, and Wheein was barely getting better. Byulyi had planned on visiting her family, but she couldn't let Wheein alone like that, so she decided to bring her along. Wheein had been against it because it was Byulyi rare time with her family but the woman insisted. So Wheein came along, and she had the best time. They didn't do anything exceptional, but Byulyi's family was so loving and warm, it was exactly what she needed. When she had been there, she had felt so happy and loved and warm.

At night, she had slept in Byulyi's room and she told her how grateful she was for everything she had done for her. Byulyi had told her that she would be here for her and that everything will be okay. She even shared with Wheein how someone broke her heart too in the past and that she understood how Wheein felt, but it was gonna be okay.

Later on, Byulyi presented the famous Kim Yongsun to Wheein. Well, Yongsun wasn't a celebrity - Wheein didn't really got what job Yongsun was doing. All she knew what that the woman was involved in a lot of projects, one of them being Moon Incorporate. She also seemed to know a lot of people, but what really impressed Wheein was her passion for art.

One time, Yongsun had invited her at her place and Wheein had been completely mesmerized by the place. Wheein took a big liking in Yongsun and even hang out with her without Byulyi. The latter was a little jealous when she realized the two were spending so much time together, but she eventually got over it.

Seeing that Wheein was passionate about photography, Byulyi gave her private lessons. Prior to becoming a CEO, Byulyi was actually quite a successful photographer, and she was more than happy to be able to teach someone. Wheein was so good and creative, Byulyi made her work on some of the company projects in addition to her post as an assistant. Byulyi wanted to give Wheein the opportunity to work full time on company project but Wheein refused every single time.

Eventually, she told Byulyi she had a project on the side and the post as assistant was enough for her. Byulyi understood and encouraged her to pursue her project, but still gave some small project to Wheein once in a while. It was never anything too big or important, but enough to give Wheein basic experience.

Six months after her breakup, Wheein was completely changed ; she was brighter than ever and passionate in everything she was doing. In addition, Byulyi's company was becoming bigger and more recognized. That was largely induced by Byulyi and Wheein's one of a kind dynamic. The two were pushing each other higher everyday, making it easier to take on new challenges. Wheein was more like Byulyi's associate at this point and Byulyi was paying her like one but Wheein kept on refusing more responsibility no matter what.

The only thing Wheein hadn't found was love. Well, during all this months, she hadn't been looking for it at all. She was happy enough, but it was always in the corner of her head, like a pop up box which would lighten up every now and then. When her thoughts would torment her too much, she would seek Yongsun's help. Yongsun was obviously wiser than Byulyi when it came to love ; she would always find the right words to put Wheein's head at ease and make her feel better. Yongsun often invited Wheein to parties and made her meet her friends, but Wheein never really clicked with any of them. Until one night.

This night, Wheein fell in love with the most beautiful woman she had ever laid her eyes on. She passed the whole night looking at her from afar. Wheein was a really shy person when she was in an unknown territory, and right now, she was at a random party and the only people she knew were Yongsun and three other women that were Yongsun's friends. So, she did nothing, she kept on looking at the woman ; she found her so beautiful, she couldn't look away, but she couldn't act on it either.

Every time she would go to a party with Yongsun, Wheein would see the woman  ; aways as beautiful and always so unattainable in Wheein's mind. It lasted for at least two months, until Yongsun noticed Wheein lurking at the woman.

« So... That's what you've been doing ? »

Yongsun found the situation really funny. It was the first time Wheein had been interested in someone since her breakup.

« Unnie, do you know who she is ? »

Wheein asked her, hoping maybe Yongsun could give her some information about the woman. Despite being completely mesmerized by the woman for two months, Wheein had never asked Yongsun or anyone if they knew her, she herself had never done any research either. But she had thought about her day and night.

Yongsun took a good look at the woman in question.

« Oh... I'm not sure. I think she is a designer. »

Wheein was a little surprised that Yongsun didn't know the woman, the woman usually knew everyone.

« Wait, I am gonna ask Chorong. »

Wheein followed Yongsun in the room, but still kept her gaze on the beautiful woman.

« She is a designer for RV. I think her name is Irene. But I don't really know her. »

Wheein nodded, she had heard of RV in the past. It was a relatively new brand, but it was really popular. Apparently, there were three different designers who were working together. Wheein had found it strange, designer usually prefer working alone and create their own brand, but the three of them seemed to do an amazing job this way.

Wheein wanted to talk to the woman, she had admired her from afar for too long and she needed to act on it. Originally, she had hoped either Yongsun or Chorong would have helped her to introduce herself but they barely knew her ; she needed to find an excuse to talk to the woman.

Wheein passed the entire night thinking about a way to talk to the woman, but came up with nothing. Being a shy person was the worst, it was impossible for her to find the courage to go and talk to her ; getting drunk to feel braver was out of the table, she knew her drunk self could be unpredictable and she didn't want to blow her chance. Wheein sighed and gave up ; she found a couch situated near the big opened window and decided to sit here and enjoy the view.

« It's better here. »

Someone said being here, but Wheein didn't respond, thinking the person was talking to someone else.

« Can I sit with you for a while ? »

Wheein made way for the person without really looking who it was, she was too deep in her thoughts.

« I guess you don't want to talk. »

« Oh, sorry, what... »

Wheein stopped midsentence when she had realized who the person was. It was the woman, the beautiful woman from RV, the designer.

« I'm sorry I surprised you. Are you okay ? »

The woman, Irene, seemed really concerned and even grabbed Wheein's hand. Wheein found the woman even more beautiful up close and her voice was so nice and gentle, she felt overwhelmed. For a full minute, Wheein didn't say a single word. She just watched the woman.

« Are you okay ? I... I just wanted to enjoy the fresh air. I really didn't want to surprise you like this. »

Wheein nodded, but still no words came out, she felt so stupid. She really couldn't believe she was here, in front of the most beautiful woman she had ever led her eyes on and she just couldn't say a single word. How could she be this useless. It had never happened to her before. She usually at least said hello and her name. But right now, she just couldn't.

« I'm Irene. Well...it's my business name. But in real life, I'm Bae Joohyun. »

Joohyun extended her hand for Wheein to take and the small woman slowly took it.

« Oh... May I have your name ? I mean, that's only fair ? »

« Wheein. Jung Wheein. »

Wheein really wished she could bury herself into the ground right now. But, Joohyun was really nice, she smiled brightly at Wheein and shook her hand.

« Wheein... I like your name. It suits you. I think I've seen you at other parties. You're often with this woman. I think it's Kim Yongsun ? I have heard about her before, but you, never. Who are you Jung Wheein ? »

Wheein could feel the genuine curiosity Joohyun had in her voice. But she was still mesmerized by the woman. It took her a moment, but eventually, she told her. Wheein told Joohyun she was friend with Yongsun, and like Byulyi, she went on about how great Yongsun was. It was kind of a safety topic for her but also, like Byulyi, she had an undying admiration for Yongsun. She could talk about the woman for hours. Wheein lost herself in her words and didn't even noticed how Joohyun was looking at her.

« Hey, hey. I get that Yongsun is a great person. But...I actually wanted to know more about you. »

Wheein looked up to the woman, surprised by her words.

« So, now, tell about how great Jung Wheein is ? »

Wheein blushed, and tried to say something but gibberish came out of . Joohyun chuckled, she just found the woman too cute to handle. She helped Wheein speaking by asking her questions, after a few minutes, Wheein started to relax and even felt comfortable with the woman. They continued to talk until Yongsun came looking for her.

« Wheein, you're here ! I've been looking for you everywhere. Oh... Hi, I'm Kim Yongsun, can I borrow Wheein for a second ? »

Joohyun nodded ; Wheein was going to stand up when she realized, she still hadn't let go of Joohyun's hand since the beginning of their conversation. She quickly let go of her hand and followed Yongsun inside.

« Everything is okay ? ... So... Irene ? You finally managed to talk to her. »

Wheein nodded shyly.

« Hey, nothing to worry about. I just wanted to check on you. Also, we are going soon.  So, go get her number and meet me in fifteen minutes. Okay ? »

Wheein went back to the outside couch ; Joohyun was still here. Wheein sat back next to her.

After the party, Wheein stayed at Yongsun's place for the night and the latter asked her a ton of question about Irene out of curiosity but also because she was a little worried for Wheein ;she didn't want the woman to have her heart broken by someone else or be led on. Like Byulyi, she had taken a big liking in Wheein and found it impossible not to care for her like a sister.

Wheein continued to talk to Joohyun through text messages and calls. At first, she was too scared to meet up with Joohyun in person. She was sure she'll be awkward with her and she wasn't prepared for this level of awkwardness. So for a while, she only met Joohyun at parties, never on a date. She was too scared. Yongsun and Byulyi were completely supportive of Wheein and helped her gain confidence in herself. And one day, she finally agreed on a date with Joohyun.

Starting from here, Wheein gained more confidence and it showed. Especially in her overall attitude. Byulyi loved it, but said nothing, she was so happy Wheein had come so far. From a crying mess over her breakup to a confident woman with so much to offer. Byulyi thought she was the perfect woman, just after Yongsun, of course. When Byulyi met with Hyejin for the first time, that was when she saw how much Wheein had changed. The woman took matters on her own hand when Byulyi acted like a useless lesbian or a depending on how you looked at it.

That was the reason why Byulyi put her in charge of the photo shoot with Hyejin the next week. Wheein was doing amazing work, so Byulyi got curious, she needed to know who was this Irene woman. One day, she annoyed Wheein until she agreed to make them meet. So, Wheein organized a lunch with Joohyun and Byulyi. She even talked to Yongsun about it, because she was anxious about the situation. She loved Byulyi but she was an unpredictable hamster and also, Joohyun could be sneaky when she wanted. But Yongsun successfully made Wheein feel better.

Wheein and Joohyun pursued their relationship. Because of the bitter memory of her last relationship, Wheein took things slow. Really slow. Once she had finally agreed to go on a date with Joohyun and even had lunch with her and Byulyi, it took her a whole month to kiss Joohyun. Wheein had needed to feel entirely comfortable to engage in anything physical, and Joohyun had understood it since the beginning. She had quicklygot that rushing things with Wheein will get her nowhere so, she let the woman take her marks and feel comfortable with her. Joohyun was okay with it. Well, sometimes she would be a little frustrated because Wheein could be really adorable and all she wanted to do was put a kiss on her lips.

Once Wheein felt comfortable enough to kiss, Joohyun took every opportunity she had to kiss her. And Wheein loved it, the woman was so sneaky and stoled kisses when Wheein was expecting it the least. That made Wheein fall even deeper in love with her. In fact, Wheein had fallen since she had layed her eyes on her but, she never told anyone, even Joohyun.

The first thing to know about Joohyun was that, she was really pretty. Like over the top pretty. It wasn't the only aspect to her but it was the major reason people would notice her, and also the major reason, people would hit on her. And it was always the worst type of people that were interested in her. They just wanted a pretty girl that would listen quietly to them. But Joohyun wasn't a just a pretty girl, she was her own woman, and she quickly understood that when she wanted something, she needed to take matters in her own hands.

So when she noticed Wheein staring at her at the party, she waited for a while for the woman to come and talk to her. When she realized the woman would never come to her, she took all her courage and bravely and she made the first step. It was always difficult to take the first step. But right now, with the woman snuggled against her side all she could think about was how right she had been when she had taken this step. Joohyun put a kiss on Wheein's head.

The first time Joohyun felt uncomfortable in her relationship with Wheein, it was because Wheein was avoiding talking about her feelings. Wheein rarely shared how she felt, or what she wanted and it was starting to pack up. Joohyun was lost, not knowing what she could do with Wheein or what she couldn't do was stressing her out. How could she make Wheein feel comfortable around her if the woman wasn't communicating with her. One day, she snapped and had to force Wheein to talk to her. She hated every aspect of doing that but she couldn't live in an eternal questioning.

« Talk to me. Wheein ! »

Wheein turned her back to Joohyun, but the other woman turned her around.

« Wheein. »

Joohyun was searching for Wheein's eyes but she was looking at the floor, avoiding any contact with Joohyun. The older woman was pissed, she didn't want to yell at Wheein, she wanted to understand her girlfriend and be ble to help her.

This day, there were a lot of yelling and a lot of crying from them both. Joohyun felt bad the whole time. It took them a whole week to talk things out. For Joohyun it was the worst week of her life, she was constanly in stress. She barely slept and ate, completely eaten alive by her worries. She was also scared her relationship with Wheein could come to an end. It was her worst fear : losing Wheein, but she knew having this conversation wasn't an option.

At the end of the week, Wheein asked her to give her some space. At first, Joohyun was panicked, and imagined the worst but Wheein explained her she just wanted some time to think. Joohyun agreed. And just like she had said, Wheein came back a few days later. The day she came back, they talked again. Wheein told her she understood how she was feeling, she continued, saying she would make more effort to communicate with her. She then opened up more and told Joohyun about how she felt in their relationship. She told her how safe she felt when Joohyun was next to her, how much she liked it when Joohyun was stealing kisses from her. She even confessed to Joohyun that she really liked her and that she was pretty serious about their relationship.

Knowing how serious Wheein was about their relationship made Joohyun feel lighter. She wasn't the only one thinking this way, they were both on the same page and it was a big relief. They didn't take the conversation to the wedding level, but Wheein clearly said she wanted more in their relationship.

To Joohyun's surprise, they talked about . Wheein would usually brush it off every time Joohyun would bring up the subject, so she had assumed Wheein didn't want to have at all and had stopped bringing it up. But Wheein was just really careful about and was seeing the act as a deep connection between two persons loving each other. So when Wheein brought up the subject, Joohyun carefully listened to her and then asked her some questions. She wanted to be sure she would not cross any of Wheein's boundaries unintentionally.

After this difficult week, the two picked up their relationship where they left it. But this time, Wheein was making huge efforts to communicate more with Joohyun and the latter was always carefully listening to her. It was healthier for them both and made them take another step. Opening the door to brought them even closer. Wheein didn't regret it at all, and Joohyun enjoyed it more than she had thought. She guessed it was because for once, she had created a meaningful relationship with the person. Or maybe because Wheein was just amazing ? Or maybe because it was Wheein ? And that was making it special ?

If you asked Wheein the moment she knew she would marry Joohyun, she would probably say, the day she exposed her work in an art gallery. She was feeling really nervous that day. Joohyun was busy at work and would only meet her at the vernissage. Byulyi had a meeting out of town and wouldn't be back until the end of the afternoon. Yongsun was the only one available. She was the one who made it possible for Wheein to expose her work and she was also the one helping Wheein for the day ; she was taking care of everything even of Wheein's regular meltdowns. Wheein would randomly burst out crying, or even panicked ; Yongsun would sit her down, or tell her to go buy a coffee.

At the end of the day, everything was ready for the vernissage, Joohyun had told Wheein she would meet her at the gallery. It made Wheein even more nervous, Yongsun stayed at her side to make her feel better but the woman was a ball of stress, until Joohyun showed up. The second she saw Joohyun, she felt it was easier to breath and the weight on her shoulders disappeared. Joohyun quickly made her way to Wheein through the people and greeted her with a warm smile.

« Hey sweetie. I came as soon as I could. »

Joohyun pulled Wheein in a warm embrace. Wheein completely let her body go against Joohyun.

« Oh ! Wheeinie... » 

Joohyun laughed at the woman's childish habit. Wheein let go and looked at Joohyun happy.

« You mind giving me a tour ? »

Wheein's eyes lighted up, she made a sign to Yongsun to let her know she was with Joohyun and then gave a tour to her girlfriend. She quickly explained some of her pieces but mainly let Joohyun look at them quietly. The latter would ask questions from time to time to have more details, and to understand it better. Then they reached a piece that made Joohyun froze. It wasn't the main piece but for some reason, it just hit her right in the feelings.

« So that's how you felt ? »

Joohyun had looked at most of the pieces exposed, it was the first time for her seeing Wheein's work, the woman was really discreet about it. She never saw any of Wheein's work, even the picture she took for her own enjoyement were private. It was a first for her, and she was really impressed ; through the whole exposition she had a taste of the way Wheein would express herself in her art. The fact that they had been dating for nearly two years played a lot too.

« How did you know ? »

Wheein asked, surprised. It wasn't the most explicit piece. It was an old painting, showing a lady standing in front of a swimming pool, watching something drowning. But all the colors were dull and if you took a close look you could see the brushstrokes were angry. The colors were dull and cold, a great contrast to the angry brush .

« I love you, that's how I knew. »

Joohyun turned towards Wheein and looked at her. Wheein looked her in the eyes and choked up. Joohyun was looking at her with love ? But it was more than that. There were understanding, admiration too, and pride. A new combination Wheein had never seen before. And it was at this moment, Wheein knew, she knew Joohyun was the one.

« I love you too. » Wheein responded, but her voice was barely audible because she was trying to hold back tears at the same time.