Description: Minjoo wasn’t the type to act cold, but even her had her limits, and getting ignored by her girlfriend for three hours was it.

It wasn’t like Chaewon was an inconsiderate girlfriend, she was actually very caring and reliable most of the time – but even the best girlfriends have their weak points and today Minjoo figured Chae’s came in the form of her very nice, yet incredibly loud friends. Chaewon was holding to her hand as they boarded the plane, but the moment she noticed two very familiar figures – and oddly similar to her –, she didn’t even think twice before going to check on them and they were hugging and being as noisy as kids in a blink of an eye. Minjoo had followed her and even received some hugs herself, however, it didn’t take long for the trio of friends to engage in a conversation only they could understand, full of old inside jokes she couldn’t comprehend to save her life.

Being the understanding girlfriend she was, she had excused herself after whispering to Chaewon that she shouldn’t take too long since the flight would start soon. So, she took her rightful seat, leaving the seat beside her free as she waited for her girlfriend to join.

And she waited. A lot.

The flight was only three hours long and during those three hours all she could hear was Joyuriz – how Chaewon, Yena and Yuri liked to call themselves – chatting loudly about some weird show they used to watch together – so much that they were even reprimanded by one of the flight attendees once; not enough though, since her girlfriend didn’t bother coming back to her seat instead of staying with her fake twins.

Scrap the understanding part, after three hours of flight, Minjoo was anything but understanding. She would probably hit Chaewon with the magazine she had been pretending to read the whole flight. It wasn’t like she disliked Yena and Yuri – they were the type that is impossible to not love, even if they weren’t as close –, and she could understand Chaewon missed her friends, but a whole flight? The freaking flight she had spent extra money to get them seats together? The one flight that would take them home after a romantic trip? Yeah, she would definitely hit Chaewon with the magazine. She wondered if the company would charge her some extra for ruining the reading material.

As soon as the plane landed, she went to get the light backpack she had brought and she would have left if the noisy trio didn’t approach her to do the same. “Oh, Minguri! Sorry for stealing Ssamu from you, we had some catch up to do!” Yena said giving her a dorky smile that was hard to not return, Yuri who was clinging onto her girlfriend nodded.

“Yeah, sorry, Min! Next time we should grab a drink, alright?”

Minjoo could just give them a tight-lipped smile, waving to them as the girls left the plane ahead of them while Chaewon still tried to fish her bag from the compartment. Rolling her eyes, she reached out to pull the bag in a single motion – ah, the great power that comes with anger –, for Chaewon’s horror she threw it in her arms without any care, leaving before the shorter girl could protest.

“Kim Minjoo! Wait for me!” Chae had to jog to keep up with the younger woman, trying to not bump into anyone as they made their way out of the plane and to the airport where they had to find the rest of their things – because of course they couldn’t travel light, what meant dealing with a moody Minjoo as she tried her best to get their suitcases without causing any accidents; Minjoo just crossed her arms as she struggled with the heavy luggage.

No one could say Minjoo was subtle about her anger. However, Chaewon was a little confused about the reason for it.

“Minjoo?” She called as they waited walked to the airport’s exit, struggling with carrying the luggage while keeping up with Minjoo’s long strides. “Minjoo! What’s wrong with you today?!” She complained, panting as she tried to keep up with the girl – she only received a sharp glare in return, before Minjoo started to walk even faster.

When Chaewon finally reached the girl, she was already inside the cab and the driver waited impatiently for Chaewon to help her to put the luggage into the trunk. The older Kim took a deep sigh as she sat beside her girlfriend who was blatantly ignoring her while playing on her phone. What the hell was happening? Minjoo was never the type to act in such an inconsiderate way, even in her bad days, she was never this grumpy for no reason.

“Okay, got it. Let’s not talk then!” She muttered, now annoyed too, giving up on trying to argue with the other Kim. Arguing in the back of a taxi didn’t seem like a pleasant experience.

So, she tried to think of a reason for her usually sweet and loving girlfriend turning into such a rude person all of sudden. They had woken up together that morning, in the most comfortable of the cuddles, then had a good breakfast at their hotel and went to the airport where Minjoo seemed pretty happy, blabbering about all the places they visited and all the pictures she had taken, after it they only boarded the plane and she had met Yuri and Yena… “Oh…” She grimaced to herself.

The Joyuriz effect.

Ever since they were kids, Chaewon and the other two girls were inseparable. They not only shared similar physical features, they also seem to share the same brain – or the lack of one at times –, what put them in a perfect sync that was just perfect to make their friendship the best one could have. No matter what they were doing, it was always fun to be around the other two. Of course, as they grew up, they didn’t spend as much time together, especially now that Chaewon had enrolled into a different college and found herself a girlfriend while the other two were busy dating each other and trying to survive their own majors.

Meeting them by chance at such place made her feel as excited as a child, happy to see them again after a while and eager to take the opportunity and make up for the lost time. It wasn’t her intention to push Minjoo aside. Actually, she didn’t even realize she had spent the whole flight talking to the girls until she heard the announcement that they were about to land – and then it was too late.

Minjoo was ignoring her since she felt ignored earlier, and even though Chaewon did find her reaction a little exaggerated, she couldn’t deny the girl had the right to feel a little annoyed – she had reserved her a seat by the window, and Chae didn’t even bother to sit there, moreover look outside. Spending the flight by herself probably wasn’t a great experience.

She knew her girlfriend well enough to know it was better to give her some space, before trying to approach her – but just a bit or this silly fight might end up with her sleeping in the other room.

Chaewon was a little overly nice today and Minjoo knew for sure the other girl had finally understood she had made a mistake – it was hard to stay mad at her when she was so good at making amends. For starter, she had volunteered to unpacked their stuff, even if Minjoo told her it wasn’t necessary and she could do it on her own, Chae insisted on it. Then she proceeded on suggesting her to take a nap while she would take care of preparing them something for a late lunch – they both knew Chaewon hates cooking and she would usually try to avoid doing it, so this offer was something new. Of course, Minjoo had tried her best to ignore her efforts and just shrug her shoulders nonchalantly, heading to her room and leaving the brunette to deal with the kitchen.

Her original plan was to sleep off her anger – she couldn’t stay mad at her girlfriend for long and it would be foolish of her to push it just to get back at Chae –, but as she laid down on her bed, she found herself thinking, the sleep not coming to visit her.

She had met Chaewon in her first year of college, a little over two years ago, they both renting rooms at the medium sized house a few blocks away from college.

Minjoo had chosen the place since the price wasn’t that bad and she would have more freedom there than staying at the dorms, she had met the two occupants of the house before – Eunbi, the oldest one, seem to be the one in charge of the interviews and although nice, she was rather incisive, asking her a bunch of questions and laying down some rules before informing Minjoo she could move in within the week; the other girl, Sakura, was hiding behind a pair of glasses but as soon as she started talking about the individual rooms that were so good for sleeping and gaming, it was clear she was far from the shy type. They both seemed nice and easy to get along with, a good combo for roommates.

Back then, she had also met the third occupant of the room, a freshman like her who was also trying to find a place to stay – Chaewon. They hadn’t really spoken, Minjoo just coming in at the time Chaewon was already leaving after her interview, they just exchanged a quick awkward greeting made through polite half bows. Shy smiles as their gazes met, but Eunbi called her in before they could say anything. She was too nervous to think about it at the time, yet she was pleasantly surprised to meet her again three days later when both of them were moving into the place.

At first sight Chaewon looked a little intimidating, with those deep chestnut eyes and her lack of words, Minjoo felt like they couldn’t be any more different. This impression, however, didn’t last very long. As the weeks went by, they got closer bit by bit. Chaewon started to wait for her so they could head to class together even if they belonged to different departments, the slightly shorter woman would greet her with a tentative smile and once in a while she would risk a question about her studies or hobbies, and little by little those interactions evolved into a comfortable friendship as Minjoo realized that the girl she labeled as intimidating was just a bit shy and needed some time to warm up to others.

She also discovered Chaewon was actually really caring and protective, even if she often was the one that needed protection – her failed attempts at cooking that led to burned food and spilled oil were the proof of it. Chae could put up a strong front, but she had a sweet side to her; and of course, her humor that was equal pats annoying and endearing made her quite an interesting companion. Minjoo caught herself spending a ridiculous amount of time bickering with the girl be it through texts or in person. Not only that, bickering was only part of their routine that also included long conversations about all sort of things – from the movies they watched together to their dreams and hopes, and even comfortable silences that were as precious –, Chaewon slowly became a big part of her life and Minjoo welcomed her wholehearted.

“So, we should go and watch a movie. And eat. Or eat and then watch a movie.” Chaewon had the tips of her ears a bright red that morning as they stood in the kitchen, the ponytail making it harder for her to hide it, although she nervously touched it once in a while, fidgeting. She was doing her best and failing in pretending this was just a casual invitation, but her eyes were full of expectation as she glanced at Minjoo.

Min wasn’t that much better at hiding her feelings, a light blush covering her cheeks and painting her Indian dimples that insisted on popping as she smiled. She had noticed the way Chaewon would look at her when she thought she wasn’t paying attention, and the way she sometimes would hold her hand using some lame excuse like wanting to keep her closer while they made their way back home, the way she would hug her just a little longer than the others and kiss her cheek…She noticed and liked the feeling it brought her, she would often return these small gestures, showing her a little more affection whenever they were alone.

It was a pleasant surprise to see that Chaewon decided to take their innocent flirting to a new level.

“Should I call the others or…?” She tried pointing with her thumb to the closed doors where the rooms were located, wanting a final confirmation before giving her answer – okay, maybe it was a little bit because she liked to see a cute, flustered Chaewon too. But she promised she would make up for teasing her later.

“The others? No, no! I mean, other time, not this time because…Because I want it to be just the two of us.” Chaewon managed to say, a little too quickly, her words overlapping as she tried to explain. Taking a deep breath, she finally was brave enough to face Minjoo directly, her chestnut eyes filled with both, hope and insecurity. “I’m asking you on a date.”

The younger’s smile grew into a grin as she reached to touch the tip of her right ear, making the girl blink in confusion. “Sakura was right, your ears really go red when you’re embarrassed. It’s cute.” Letting out a soft chuckle, she looked at the girl with fondness. “And you look really cute too…If I’m not being obvious enough, this is a big yes!” She made sure to add before Chaewon’s ears combusted in flames and their date had to happen in a hospital.

A silly smile adorned her face as she remembered how Chaewon so awkwardly asked her out for the first time, it was a nice memory now, but she still could remember how nervous and excited she had been that night – even if nothing much happened, the two of them too nervous to make a move. Took them two more dates for a first kiss, still, the memories were sweet and made her feel at ease.

Remembering the beginning of their relationship also reminded her of how hard it was for Chaewon to warm up to people and show her real self, even now, most of the time she wouldn’t allow herself to show her more carefree side unless they were alone. Earlier, seeing Chaewon being so loud and bubbly in the company of her best friends was almost shocking. It was amazing how the other girls could make her feel so comfortable to the point of her not minding looking silly in front of others, too focused in their little world.

How could she get mad at her for it? Of course, she would love being included next time, but she would have to be a cold-hearted person to not support Chaewon and her friendship with the rest of the Joyuriz – for crying out loud, they even had a squad name, this as far as a friendship can go.

Reaching for her cellphone, she sent a couple of texts.

Chaewon absolutely despised those hell holes that were called kitchens, and all the dangerous objects that permeated it – with the exception of the good old freezer and the microwave, of course. She was regretting not accepting the cooking lessons Eunbi offered her before moving out, maybe she would be in a little less of trouble now.

One hour had passed, and all she produced were some very suspicious looking scrambled eggs that tasted burned and salty – she decided throwing it away was the only decent thing to do unless she wanted to give her girlfriend food poisoning. She wasn’t proud of it, but she had called a restaurant for some food – better buy it than poison the two of them with her failed omelets. Still, she had to clean up all the mess she had made and she would have to finish unpacking their stuff soon…Note to self: never anger MinMin again.

Her girlfriend was perfect in almost every way, she was kind, loving, smart and beautiful – and Chaewon had fall for her pretty much from the very start. A small crush that only grew as they became friends, the initial attraction evolving to something more as she got to know everything that made Minjoo the girl she loved – from her big goofy smile and playful gaze, to her sensitive soul that was so easy to reach, yet so precious. Chae wasn’t used to have her mad at her and it was making her a little restless, a discomfort on her chest, her hands itching for not being able to hug Min.

Luckily for her, Sakura and Hyewon – their new roommate –, still hadn’t returned from winter break, what means she would have plenty of time to sweet talk her girlfriend. She hoped she wouldn’t need a lot of time though, she was running out of ideas and the next step was only cling onto Minjoo until she forgave her.

After cleaning up and receiving the food, she placed everything on the kitchen counter and went to her room to change into some clean clothes – she managed to spill ketchup on her shirt, great cook she was – before calling Minjoo to eat.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes, but when she came back, she found a pretty brunette shamelessly stealing some of the food she had ordered, once in a while letting out a sound of approval as she tasted every dish. Chaewon smiled, relieved to see Minjoo so relaxed, maybe her anger had already subdued.

“How do you like it?” She asked after approaching the younger Kim with light steps – she would have risked a back-hug, but she might end up with a plate full of noodles on her face.

“It looks and tastes great.” Minjoo replied, still not looking at her, focused on the food. Her voice sounded as light and sweet as always, what was a good sign. Her next sentence though, carried a hint of something else. “Where did you get it from? There is nothing burned, so you can’t possibly have made it.”

“Ouch, couldn’t you even give me the benefit of the doubt?” Chaewon was partially joking only, after all no matter how hurt her ego was, she couldn’t deny that her cooking skills were far from good. At least Minjoo didn’t sound mad anymore, she was just teasing her like it was part of their usual bickering. “I tried to cook something, but I don’t think it was very appropriate for a person…Or any living being, so I threw away and ordered something from the restaurant you like.”

With a soft chuckle, the taller brunette turned to face her, resting her back against the counter as she stared at Chaewon who had a similar posture, against the cabinets – the kitchen was small and there was little space, still none of them made a move to close it. “Your way of apologizing for ignoring me for three hours is just unpacking our clothes and bribing me with food?”

“Well, I haven’t finished unpacking just yet, as for the food…I thought someone who just had some delicious food might feel a little more forgiven.” Chaewon shrugged her shoulders, giving her a small smile. There was no point in pretending she wasn’t trying to fix things between them in her own way.

Minjoo rolled her eyes at her words, but a smile slowly made its way to her face. “You know, I don’t mind you spending time with your friends, you guys are actually quite cute together.” The admission came easily, after all who wouldn’t find those three adorable? At least until they started being noisy. Nonetheless, she couldn’t let go of it so easily. “Just…Could you try to not forget about me next time? You know, three hours is a lot when you have to sit by yourself and your only company is the airline magazine because your girlfriend is two rows behind laughing like she is about to have an asthma attack.”

The older Kim couldn’t help but laughed at Minjoo’s words, the expression on her girlfriend’s face said it was okay to come close now, and so she did, pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry. I will be more mindful next time.” Hugging her by the waist with one arm, she brushed back her hair with her free hand, pressing a kiss on her jawline. “I can’t promise I won’t get a little hyped and distracted because, you know, they’re my best friends. But I will try to include you more.” Giving her an apologetic smile, she left another kiss on her face, a long peck on her check. Minjoo still wasn’t hugging her back, but with the right number of kisses, she would. “I didn’t think you would mind staying by yourself for a little while…Okay, it wasn’t more than just a little while!” The mistake was worth two more kisses before Minjoo could managed to protest, one on the other cheek and one close to . “I swear I didn’t think so much time had passed. You know being with you is my favorite thing.” She whispered the last few words closer to her lips and was bold enough to peck them this time, light and quick.

Sighing, Minjoo finally gave up the act, hugging Chaewon by the neck and bringing her even closer. “Don’t try to sweet talk me, Ssamu. I might really hit you with a magazine if you do it again.” The threat didn’t sound as dangerous since she kissed Chaewon softly right after saying those words, making the girl smile and nod lightly in agreement – Chaewon was a good girlfriend, not perfect, but definitely not the type that would forget about her girlfriend in a plane twice. “What about your three just start doing like normal people and just invite them over every weekend so you won’t look like a bunch of puppies finding their lost sibling every time you meet on the street? It’s not like they live in the other side of the country.”

“Sorry, babe.” Chaewon repeated, knowing very well that Minjoo was the sweetest girl in the world, but even her had her moments of rage and Chae didn’t want to be the one facing the fury of her girlfriend – she would rather not have to deal with icy Minjoo again. Pulling back a bit, she stared at Minjoo’s pretty brown eyes. “And will you be fine with having the three of us here? We can get a little loud when playing video games. Yuri really loves karaoke too, and Yena loves cheering her up. And there is RPG, to be honest I’m the one that gets a little enthusiastic…”

“I can deal with it. Not so sure about Sakura and Hyewon, but I have this feeling that they will get along just fine.” Minjoo cut her off, giving her a confident smile. Dating Chaewon included accepting her friends and she was willing to do it, even if it meant a little less time for the two of them. “What might not be so great for my mental health and my ears, but you look happy when you’re with them, so how could I say no?”

Chaewon’s grin was the same childish one she showed earlier when she met her best friends, and having it directed to her now was enough for Minjoo to know she had made the right decision. “You’re the best, my MinMin.” The compliment came with a kiss – a proper one this time, therefore Minjoo just hugged her closer, enjoying the contact instead of calling her out for the cheesy line. Giving her girlfriend the cold shoulder may be necessary once in a while, but it was nowhere near as good as those moments they shared.

Finishing the kiss with a couple of pecks, she slowly broke the contact without letting go of Chaewon. “Now we should eat. They will be here by six.”

“They? Hye and Kkura are coming back already?” The older brunette frowned slightly, confused.

Minjoo gave her a knowing smile, playing with her hair, taking her time to answer. “I told you, you need to hang out with your friends more, so…I texted Yuri and invited them tonight since we have the whole place for us and no one will complain about the mess you guys make.” She was proud of herself for having thought about it. Rather than sulking the whole night, she would rather join the weird trio in their antics – she wasn’t sure how well she would blend in, but she would try her best.

“Minjoo! Really? They are coming?” There it was again, the dumb grin that made Chae look so much younger and more adorable than ever. Yes, definitely worth it. “I really love you, you know that, right?”

“I told you, stop trying to sweet talk me and go eat!” She clicked her tongue in disapproval, but couldn’t help but smile and give her another kiss before pushing her way, making her take a seat by the counter to eat – of course, not before uttering under breath. “I love you too, dorky.”
 

That night, when the rest of Joyuriz arrived and the scene from earlier happened all over again, Minjoo could only chuckle, shaking her head negatively. It was a long night, and she was lost in the conversation most of the time, but Chaewon tried her best to make sure she never felt left out and she found herself enjoying listening to Yena’s funny stories and Yuri’s angelic singing, moreover she loved seeing how happy and carefree Chaewon was around them. She probably wouldn’t ever understand completely the connection those three shared, but she was surely glad Yena and Yuri were part of Chaewon’s life, just like she was glad to be a part of it now too.

A/N: Hello there, how is it going? It’s not being that long since ‘To Reach You’ and this was actually not supposed to be a full OS, just a short ramble about a little idea I had and some friends helped me think of a prompt (Mug and Guka, thank you!), so I’m sorry if it’s a mess. I’m working on a proper OS (not for this collection) for izone’s cb, so see you soon…Hopefully.

As usual, thanks for reading and I’m sorry about any mistakes. And of course, support the girls now that they are coming back from hiatus soon!