grocery shopping with heejin always turns into something more than just grocery shopping.

aka: a day in the life of loving heejin.

~.~.~

Going to the mart with Heejin always turns into something more than just grocery shopping. 

It’s running down clear aisles with Heejin in the basket brandishing their rolled up newspaper of coupons like a sword and declaring war on imaginary figures, Hyunjin all the more willing to give into her girl’s silly whims because life is too heavy not to. It’s juggling four bags of candy because Heejin dares her to and Hyunjin is far too competitive to turn down a challenge. It’s also frantically running away after bumping into the precarious display of Spam and hastily picking up the ones that fell and dropping them into their cart. (Hyunjin doesn’t know what they’re going to make with eleven cans of Spam, but she and Heejin will just have to figure that out later). It’s abandoning their cart to twirl Heejin around for the song that she chooses to hum while gently prodding at avocados.

Getting to the actual business of looking at what they need, Hyunjin surveys the most practical price for packaged chicken s. Remembering the plans that the two made with their friends months prior, life making it hard to congregate all twelve of them at once, Hyunjin looks to confirm the plan. Barely turning around and keeping her eyes on the poultry in front of her, the pattern of flannel at the corner of her eyes confirms that the girl beside her is Heejin, “The girls are coming this week right?”

Heejin only hums from behind her and slips her hands into the front pockets of Hyunjin’s jeans, her chin resting on her shoulder.

“You know, Hyunjin, going grocery shopping like this, we look like a married couple.”

Smiling fondly and being mindful of the black bill of Heejin’s cap and leaving a kiss on her cheeks, Hyunjin leans her head on Heejin’s and she briefly closes her eyes to bask in the peace of being with her, “Heekkie, I don’t know how to break this to you, but honey, we are a married couple.”

Slipping her hands out of Hyunjin’s pockets to briefly wrap her arms around her waist and squeezing before letting go, Heejin is boastful when she shoots a teasing smile at Hyunjin and wiggles the fingers of her left hand in the air, the metal band on her ring finger a proud symbol, before scuttling off to the area with vegetables.

“You’re damn right we are! My wife’s just the smartest!”

(It has always been like this—Heejin being so remarkably proud of Hyunjin and being so unafraid and unabashedly loud in telling the world about it.)

Settling on getting three packages of chicken to adequately feed twelve, it is easy to find Heejin amongst the other patrons of the grocery store, her swaying body dancing to absent music being an obvious sign. Taking the cart to her and tickling at her waist from behind and tapping at her when Heejin whines at her distraction (she’s never been good at multitasking if it didn’t concern playing an instrument and singing, and more importantly, she is in dire search for perilla leaves), something at the front of the store catches Hyunjin’s eyes.

Straying away from Heejin after being batted away for pestering her and finding a mini drum set displayed to attract the younger crowd, Hyunjin is not above taking the tiny drumsticks that would fit comfortably in her hands if she were a five-year-old. (Or Chaewon’s when she was eight). Feeling the nostalgia of her college days where she used to play in a band as a drummer and watching Heejin sing in front of her, her fingers busy with the strings of a guitar or the ivory keys of a piano, Hyunjin taps out a beat that never quite left her memory. Only slightly rusty despite it being years since she has properly played the beat, Hyunjin still feels that rush of satisfaction that comes with recreating the melody perfectly.  

The arms that slide around her waist are familiar and comfortable—it’s always warm being in Heejin’s arms. Singing, Hyunjin recognizes the song that breezes past her ears, her voice low but smooth like velvet—just as beautiful as ever.

(She couldn’t possibly forget t