“but, chief, why us?” jungeun asked haseul, quite desperately. if sooyoung was offended by her question, she didn’t show it. if anything, she actually looked disappointed.

 

“because you two are our best detectives. and besides, you can just play the role of a married couple who are on the brink of divorce. seeing how much you despise detective sooyoung, i’m sure it won’t be hard,” haseul smirked.

 

jungeun’s eyes widened like she was caught red-handed. she stammered, “i don’t— i don’t hate—”

 

“—thank you, ma’am, we’ll be on our way out,” sooyoung cut her. she bowed to haseul and left the room, leaving jungeun feeling like the biggest . probably because she was.

 

***

 

jungeun knew she had to apologize, but she figured it would be best if she did it when they were already on the way to the bar where they had to spy on their target. it was a 30-minute drive, after all. she would have plenty of time to explain her actions.

 

when sooyoung got into her car, jungeun couldn’t help but notice that she had moved the ring she usually wore on her index finger to her ring finger, obviously to make it seem like a wedding ring. jungeun contemplated to do the same, but stopped herself when she remembered haseul’s suggestion. great, she thought, how the hell am i going to apologize sincerely with my brain already thinking of ways to make me look like i’m ready to end our relationship, which isn’t even real.

 

jungeun started driving and took a deep breath before she opened to talk, but sooyoung beat her to it. “look, i don’t want you to say sorry if you don’t mean it. just tell me what the hell i've done wrong. is it because, like haseul said, we’re the best ones? do you hate me because you think i’m your rival?”

 

jungeun was taken aback at how sooyoung sounded like she had wanted to say that for years. she felt guilty, too, for making her think that way when it was all her fault. “sooyoung, i don’t hate you, i promise that. and i can assure you that that is certainly not why i’ve been acting.. different when it comes to you.”

 

“really?” sooyoung was surprised. then she furrowed her eyebrows like she couldn’t find any other reason. “then why? did i… do something that hurt you?” she asked, looking concerned.

 

“god, no, not at all,” jungeun quickly answered, then grimaced. “it’s… something very ridiculous.”

 

“i’m sure i can take it,” sooyoung raised her eyebrows.

 

jungeun shook her head. “you’re gonna make fun of me.”

 

“i’d have to hear you say it first,” sooyoung crossed her hands and stared at her.

 

jungeun broke the eye contact and looked to the front, telling herself she did it to focus on the road, though she knew it was because sooyoung made her nervous.

 

“uhm, before i say it, just so you know, i’m not judging your life choices, and uhm, uhh—”

 

“jungeun, stop stalling.”

 

“right.” what came out of jungeun’s mouth next was barely a whisper. “i got insecure because you never asked me to sleep with you, so i started avoiding you.”

 

silence. it was literal silence. her stupid reason was met with a stupid silence she greatly deserved.

 

then, after what seemed like forever, sooyoung’s “HUH?!” was so loud that she jumped a little in her seat. “are you actually serious?”

 

“yes, and i know it’s embarrassing,” jungeun whined. “it’s just— our coworkers like to talk about it, you know. how you asked them and how… great you are in bed,” she could feel herself blushing.

 

sooyoung couldn’t believe it. “and you’re… jealous?”

 

jungeun whined again. “no… not exactly…. but it did make me think how unattractive you must find me. i mean, you’ve slept with, what, half the office?”

 

“a three-fourth,” sooyoung answered nonchalantly, and jungeun felt a little pang in her heart.

 

“right, so i thought—why didn’t you ask me when our cubicles are literally next to each other? and—and i know i sound like a horrible straight man for even questioning why someone doesn’t want to sleep with me, but when you’re 30, you start feeling more conscious about how you look, you get me? and i— i thought it must be because i’m ugly—”

 

“what? how did you get into this conclusion?” sooyoung asked, but jungeun wasn’t finished.

 

“—and it was just easier to avoid you altogether because seeing your annoyingly beautiful face makes me want to just, jump you or something—”

 

“jungeun, can you stop for a minute?”

 

“but i can’t because you’re gonna reject me because i’m ugly and i know, i know you must think this doesn’t make sense, but—”

 

“alright, that’s it, pull over,” sooyoung decided as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

 

“—i just feel like— wait, what are you doing? the car won’t stop beeping if you don’t buckle up!” said jungeun, who finally looked at sooyoung now that she got her attention.

 

“then pull over and we can talk,” sooyoung put her hand on jungeun’s shoulder, making her relax. then she smirked. “trust me, you’re gonna want to stop driving for this.”

 

***

 

once jungeun was parked at a mcdonald’s—it was the closest thing with a parking lot they could find—sooyoung started laughing. “i still can’t believe you avoided me because you thought i didn’t want to sleep with you."

 

jungeun pouted, but honestly, she deserved it. then she realized, “wait, so you do want to?”

 

“well, yes, but after like, a date? i just.. never got the courage to ask you out,” sooyoung smiled sheepishly.

 

“huh? i don’t think you went on a date first before you asked jiwoo…? and yes, she did told me all the details,” jungeun grumbled.

 

sooyoung chuckled. “i don’t need to go on dates with people i want to sleep with. i mean, it’s just casual . and they know this. but you..” sooyoung smiled again, hands fidgeting. “i actually have a little crush on you. that’s why i’ve never asked you to just sleep with me.”

 

another silence. literal silence. jungeun felt like she was being pranked.

 

“sooyoung,” jungeun’s voice was shaky. “if you’re joking with me right now, i’m going to literally divorce you. i’m gonna actually marry you just to divorce you because this isn’t funny??”

 

sooyoung snorted because, hey, their situation was funny. “jungeun, i am serious. how can i not? you’re a beautiful, smart, hard working, and powerful woman. and, whew, since it’s already clear how much i admire you, uh, it’s… actually a big crush. a huge one. oh my god, i should just stop talking.” she put her hand on to exaggerate.

 

“wh— no! do talk. you can’t just say all that and stop talking to me!” jungeun said while poking sooyoung’s cheek. when she didn’t budge, jungeun started tickling her and was met with laughter. then sooyoung tickled her back and jungeun couldn’t help but laugh with her.

 

both of them wondered how the atmosphere could change just like that in a minute, but they were grateful.

 

***

 

when it was quiet again, jungeun’s unsure voice startled sooyoong’s thinking. “so.. what now?”

 

“well, since we’re past that misunderstanding, are you okay with us going on a date first? i really do like you, jungeun, and i want to do this right,” sooyoung said, her hand finding jungeun’s and clasping them together.

 

now it was jungeun who felt shy. “of course. my useless gay brain may be late to realize it, but… i might have actually been jealous of our coworkers because i like you too.”

 

sooyoung snorted. “i knew it.”

 

jungeun slapped her shoulder jokingly. “oh, shut up. i’m already embarrassed. and, since i’ve been doing you wrong, for our first date, you should choose the place. we could go to anywhere you want. you could even take me out to this mcdonald’s and i’d say yes.”

 

sooyoung let out a laugh, then smirked. “you really can’t wait for the date to just be over and have your way with me, huh?”

 

“what? no! wait, i mean yes, i’ve been thinking about it for a long time.. heh.. uhm,” jungeun cleared . “but— but i’m good with us just hanging out!” she panicked.

 

sooyoung laughed again. “don’t worry, you’ll get it soon. for now, i hope a kiss is enough.”

 

suddenly, jungeun felt lips on hers, and she kissed back clumsily out of surprise. she closed her eyes and enjoyed the taste of sooyoung until she pulled back, not before biting jungeun’s lower lip and made her whimper.

 

she opened her eyes and found sooyoung grinning at her. “tonight, maybe, if our mission is a success and haseul lets us leave early.”

 

damn, jungeun already forgot they were on a mission. she was excited, though, both in a giddy way of a teenager who just got a date, and in a.. not-so-innocent way.

 

“oh, and jungeun?” sooyoung asked while taking jungeun’s right hand and removing the ring.

 

“yes..?” jungeun didn’t know what sooyoung was doing, but she was too happy to care.

 

“for our mission later, we’re playing a married couple who just got back from their honeymoon. who knows, one of us might think the honeymoon was too short and can’t stop herself from dragging the other to the restroom to make out,” sooyoung said as she put the ring back on jungeun’s ring finger. then she leaned close to jungeun’s ear and whispered, “i have a feeling it would be you.”

 

jungeun moaned at the thought and said, “yeah, this is definitely much better than keeping things to myself. we really should communicate more.”

 

***