Hwang Eunbi had no attachment to Thursdays.

Work was hardly regular, she accepted jobs when she felt like it, it being a little extra income that allowed her to indulge her more expensive tastes in fashion. It was hard being on the cutting edge of popularity at school, when you came from an average family and had average grades. Looks were one thing, Eunbi understood that packaging mattered as well. 

So when she heard of this job, she had leapt onto it. It wasn't hard, being a play date to people with more money than sense, with bonuses for 'extra services performed'. The oldest profession in the world definitely updated itself with the times, with a snazzy website, exclusive membership benefits for signing up either as a client or as a provider, anonymity and financial safety guaranteed. It was a far cry from the age old image of dingy rooms with bad lighting and unsafe neighborhoods. Rooms could still be involved, but all of it was prearranged and paid for before meeting up. No chance of a client deciding to fake out or cheat them of their money. It was a rather thoughtful service, all things considered. 

Having expectations clearly laid out and prices negotiated and paid for before any meeting was certainly better for everyone involved. Eunbi was picky and only chose activities she was comfortable doing, which ironically paid surprisingly well. Who knew that many people were into being humiliated by a girl in leather? Still, it wasn't every day that such requests came by, and while she did have a few regulars, the jobs were sporadic and certainly not something she could expect on a regular basis. She wasn't the only one performing that sort of service, and the system was fair enough to provide equal opportunity. 

Still, she couldn't complain. It paid well, and it was certainly better than flipping burgers at some fast food joint and coming home with sore limbs and stinking of oil. She hadn't had to ask for financial help from her family ever since, and it allowed her to rent a tiny apartment off campus where she could enjoy her privacy. 

It was the second Thursday of the month, and she was dressing up as per the request on the job. Surprise me, it said. Eunbi rolled her eyes. The last two Thursdays had seen her go innocent schoolgirl and edgy goth respectively, and for what? Just for this weirdo to stare at her and ask odd questions the entire time. Eunbi couldn't believe someone would spend money on VIP status (the only way one could specifically request a person) and then not even request anything. She had seen her fair share of odd people with even weirder es, but she didn't judge; as long as they paid up and she wasn't uncomfortable with the request, it was just a job to get over and done with. 

Then again, it wasn't every day a woman used her service. Most of the time it was men, but belittling men felt comfortable, and even her eye rolling was considered part of the experience. The few times she had female clients it had been a little odd, but Eunbi was professional enough to not let it show. They paid for disdain, they got it. Anything extra that wasn't pre-negotiated was off the table. 

How many Thursdays ago was it when this woman came into her life? No, not her life, Eunbi corrected herself. Her job. It was always just a job. 

The first Thursday had been a rainy day. The request had been a little vague, not something Eunbi usually went for, but she had applied for it anyway, what with the high payout attached. She hadn't expected to get it. It was an open bidding request, one of the unusual functions of the site. Instead of the clients choosing them, they got to choose the client for once. It was useful for people like Eunbi, who didn't want to make a whole career out of it, just a little aside for extra cash. She had a profile, no picture attached (available only on request), with basic stats and services provided. The client could choose based on who applied to their request, and Eunbi didn't think her profile was all that appealing. Niche, but not mainstream. It worked well enough for her though, so that was fine. 

Roleplay wasn't normally her thing, even if what she usually did had some elements of it. Still, it seemed tame enough, the pay was good, the addendums didn't strike her usual red flags, so she gave it a shot. She hadn't expected to be picked, but more money was always good. She was eyeing that new bag released just the week before, and the pay from the job would just cover the price. 

All things considered, it went rather well. She got to yell at her client (as per the script on the request), there were a few slightly odd moments with that woman pausing to take notes, and there wasn't even any involved. The client even smiled and thanked her in the end, pushing up her glasses that did absolutely nothing to hide her well defined features. 

Honestly, Hwang Eunbi had no idea why a woman like that even needed to pay someone to do all this. Just that smile was probably enough to make random idiots do it for free. Not that she was an idiot, of course. She was actually getting paid for this. 

The next Thursday had come as a surprise, with a direct message coming from that woman requesting a repeat appearance. Only VIP members could directly message a previous match. It was a minor harassment protection measure, so not just any regular user could bombard them with requests. The request seemed innocuous enough, and Eunbi liked her face the last time, so it didn't take much to get her to agree. Of course, the money involved helped too. Hwang Eunbi was not above fleecing people with more money than sense, as this woman was appearing to be. 

Getting to be y at someone else was fun, especially when you got paid for it. Eunbi wasn't sure why Choi Yuna needed someone to be y on her behalf, but it wasn't her place to ask personal questions. It was just a job. 

But after the third time or so, Eunbi was starting to see why. Yuna had trouble saying no in general, and those wide eyes hidden behind tacky black frames just made people want to bully her. She never asked Yuna who she was, but the woman clearly had money, and there were enough people willing to take advantage of her kindness and soft personality to squeeze what they wanted out of her. 

Eunbi didn't hear that from Yuna directly, of course. She guessed it after the script from the first time. Yuna knew she had a problem, and needed someone to scold her for it. That said, what kind of person had to hire a professional to do what a good friend would have done for free? Hell, the woman wrote the script herself, why would she need someone to say it for her when she could do it on her own? More money than sense, clearly. 

Still, if someone was willing to pay her to be mean to the clinger-ons she had trouble facing herself, Eunbi wasn't going to turn it down. Life was stressful enough, an extra avenue to be mean and get paid for it was rare. That said, Yuna was pretty too, if only the woman bothered to dress up nicely, and maybe switch to contact lenses or something. Those ugly glasses have got to go. It was such a waste of natural good looks to be buried under shapeless clothing and tacky frames. 

But Eunbi wasn't getting paid to be a fashion consultant. She was getting paid to be a , and she was enjoying every moment of it. Although, Yuna's clothing requests of her were getting downright odd at times. As was the seemingly random questions before whatever it was Eunbi had to do for the day. Choi Yuna was weird, but she was getting used to it. 

Eunbi wasn't sure why it was always a Thursday, but eventually she always just left it free in case Yuna called. Yes, called. After the sixth time or so, Yuna had asked her how much of a cut the platform took. Eunbi wasn't supposed to share the information technically, but they were face to face and it wasn't like anyone was there to monitor them. So she told her, and Yuna cocked her head in that oddly endearing way she always did, before asking if it were okay if they skipped the middleman and just transacted directly. 

"Same price, of course. But you get to keep everything."

Eunbi should have said no. But she wanted that new necklace, Yuna was being generous, and those puppy dog eyes were just too damn distracting. No wonder the woman always got bullied though. Who the hell was so damn nice to a stranger? 

Against her better judgment she also gave Yuna her number. Eunbi had been annoyed with herself when she went home that night, and strongly considered canceling her line and changing numbers in case Yuna turned out to be some kind of creepy serial killer. Or something. You never know these days. 

But of course she hadn't, and Yuna didn't even call her that day. Or text. Or do anything even. Not until two Thursdays later, when a timid sounding text from an unknown number came in during class, arranging yet another session in the same format they used on the site. Eunbi couldn't help the smirk that curved her lips at that when she replied with a curt "okay", just imagining a nervous Yuna on the other end. 

It took at least a few more Thursdays before Yuna could even muster up enough courage to call her directly instead of just texting. Eunbi wasn't sure how the woman survived day to day, with her incredible anxiety unless things were perfectly scripted. A few times she almost went off script to tell the woman to grow a spine instead, but the flash of nervousness in Yuna's puppy eyes made her hold her tongue, and Eunbi redirected her efforts to yelling at whoever Yuna needed her to yell at instead. It was oddly therapeutic, and the starry eyes of her client was a welcome ego boost after.

Yuna never forgot to pay her on time, and the silly girl also paid for everything whenever they met up for one of their appointments as well. A few times Eunbi even forgot to check whether the money made it into her account, but it was always there when she had to pay a bill or balance her finances. It was oddly comforting to have a reliable client, one who didn’t disturb her in her private life, and whose requests were never so odd that she felt tempted to cut off their working relationship.

They never discussed anything personal. Eunbi showed up at the prearranged place dressed in whatever it was Yuna requested, and a few times pretty much doubled as the shy woman’s date at some fancy looking event where the woman did her best to blend into the background unless someone approached. That was when Eunbi got to see Yuna at her most socially awkward, but that was also when Eunbi got to at the more pushy ones, the profiles of which Yuna had sent her before and requested help with. How someone could be that observant and yet be so unable to strike back herself, Eunbi couldn’t imagine, but when Yuna’s fingers tightened around her arm as one of the offenders got overtly familiar with her, Eunbi briefly forgot all about dissing her client internally and instead stepped forward to deal with those people instead. 

Yuna was just a wee bit taller than her, but that was barely noticeable with how the woman hunched into herself, as if the entire world scared her. A few times Eunbi almost took her into her arms, but stopped herself because that wasn’t in the script, and she didn’t want things to get personal. It was just a job. She got paid to yell at people Yuna couldn’t bring herself to yell at, and they never saw each other outside of their arranged sessions. She didn't even know what the girl did, apart from the fact that she had money. 

But that was the point, was it not? It was a purely financial transaction. It was never supposed to be anything more than that, but when Eunbi found herself looking forward to Thursdays, she knew she was in trouble. 

Case in point, right now. There wasn't a special request today, so she was free to dress as she liked, but she wanted to look nice for Yuna. No, scratch that. She always liked looking good. It had nothing to do with her client. Of course not. Denial was not just a river in Egypt. Should she go for the cool look or a cute one? What would Yuna like? Did Yuna even like her? Or was it all just business, and she was the getting attached to a client like she told herself never to. Just get the money and get out. Live your life. It’s not worth it.

Hwang Eunbi had a problem, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. Choi Yuna was the weirdest client she ever had, and logically she shouldn’t have cared about a woman who was simultaneously extremely intelligent and also extremely useless. It was a study in contradiction, and more than one time Eunbi found herself caught between utter exasperation with the hapless girl, and wanting to protect her from everything bad in the world. 

The money complicated everything between them, really. Their first contact was purely transactional, and it continued on far too long, with a growing sense of intimacy despite them never doing anything that would be remotely considered “normal” for someone who was spending huge amounts to hire an . Eunbi wasn’t even sure why Yuna called her out sometimes, when all she ever did was just sit there and let the girl babble about things she didn’t always understand, or ask odd questions that made very little sense. Yuna was always so earnest that she couldn’t find it in herself to say no, and after a while she even forgot that she was supposed to be paid for this, but Yuna never forgot to transfer the money every single time. 

Eunbi both loved and hated the fact. The fact that Yuna remembered, and the fact that she was simply being paid for her time. It felt impersonal somehow, as it well should be, and yet it was starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

Stop it, Hwang Eunbi. She’s just a client. She’s not your friend.

She patted her cheeks, scowling at herself in the mirror. Casual cool was the look of the day, and she was looking forward to seeing Yuna’s eyes light up when she saw her. It was cute when she did that, she had to admit. Stop it. She might not even be into girls. Hell, am I even into girls? .

Maybe she should just cancel. This wasn’t safe to continue anymore, and after all those Thursday dates with Yuna, she had enough to cover the rest of her semester fees for the year and still have enough to spare for rent. She didn’t even have to accept requests from other people ever since Yuna happened. Eunbi wasn’t sure how it came to be this way, but it had, and she had always been in this for the money. Now that she had enough, she didn’t have to keep doing this anymore. It was always just going to be a temporary thing.

But she wanted to see Yuna, and she never made the first move. It was always on the other woman, and it wasn’t every Thursday, but it was always a Thursday, to the point where Eunbi felt strangely empty when Yuna didn’t call or text her to arrange a meeting or ask for her help with something. It was almost like they were dating, except they weren’t, and it was starting to confuse her. 

It wasn’t like Eunbi didn’t want to ask Yuna just what the hell was up, but she was afraid that if she did, Yuna would simply stop contacting her and vanish from her life. The severe anxiety that plagued the other woman was obvious enough that the financial arrangement between them appeared to be somehow reassuring to her. It was just a feeling Eunbi got, that Yuna paid her just to feel comfortable about having her around at all. She wasn’t sure if she liked that idea at all. It was a little sad, somehow. As if the girl didn’t believe that anyone would want to be with her if not for the money.

And she was doing it again. Thinking too much about Yuna. You don’t even know anything about her. You don’t know what she does, where she lives, or what’s she like outside of the times she calls you out. Stop being an idiot, Eunbi. It’s just a job, she doesn’t care about you, and you shouldn’t care about her. End of story.

The pep talk helped. Marginally. Eunbi put on her game face, her don’t-give-a damn aura, and left her apartment looking more confident than she actually felt. They were meeting at a hotel this time, an upscale place that cost almost as much per night as her rent per month. Rich people, she sighed, again with more money than sense. She almost felt underdressed in a place like that, but when she saw Yuna in her usual mismatched outfit and comfy loafers, she felt instantly better. At least the girl never changed. It was comforting in a way. Yuna was beyond loaded, but she always looked like a poor college student who got her clothes from a dollar store. A clear case of not judging a book by its cover, right here.

Choi Yuna beamed when she caught sight of Eunbi, and Eunbi couldn’t deny that her heart skipped a half beat at the sight. She didn’t wave, and Eunbi didn’t change her expression one whit as she sauntered over to join the scruffy looking girl who looked like she didn’t get enough sleep the night before. A common sight, that. Eunbi wasn’t sure what Yuna did, but it was clear that she kept irregular hours with how her messages sometimes came at weird hours of the day.

“Thanks for coming.” Yuna’s voice was soft, barely audible over the piano playing in the lounge. Eunbi shrugged nonchalantly.

“You’re paying for it, boss.” Yuna flinched slightly at Eunbi’s slightly cool tone, but the woman put on a brave smile and held out a hand.

“Shall we?”

Eunbi took it, hating herself for sounding like a , but unable to stop herself from acting cold. She didn’t want to seem vulnerable in front of Yuna, not one bit. It didn’t make sense, what with her sort of wanting to close the precarious distance between them, but still being irrationally sulky that Yuna was just paying for her time like she was just another call girl for hire. Which she was. , I hate myself right now. You’re being stupid, Hwang Eunbi. Stop.

There was no way Yuna was ever going to find her way to the right room on her own, but the hotel had excellent service and sent a bellhop to lead the way. Eunbi followed with Yuna clinging onto her arm like a nervous puppy, and she had no idea what the plans for the day were. That was irregular, really. She always made sure she knew what was on the program before agreeing to any kind of meeting. But it was Yuna, and she just...forgot to ask. This was bad. She was forgetting her boundaries. Yuna smelt nice, almost snuggling up against her in the elevator. Wait, that wasn’t the point. And anyway, it was just Yuna. It wasn’t like the girl was going to make her do anything weird. If she had, it would have come up way earlier. 

As to why they were meeting in a hotel room, it was just the way things worked. They couldn’t meet at their homes, because boundaries, and Yuna felt nervous around crowds, so the privacy of a hotel suited her just fine when Eunbi wasn’t accompanying her to an event. It wasn’t like anything ever happened anyway, and most of the time they just talked, or rather, Yuna asked her things, and Eunbi answered as best as she could. Sometimes it was about completely mundane things, and sometimes the questions were so off the wall that Eunbi’s first reaction was to laugh before being able to respond. They usually didn’t stay the night, and Yuna always called her a taxi to take her home, paying for it in advance so that Eunbi never had to shell out a cent the entire time. 

It was oddly thoughtful, and one of the things that she liked about Yuna. The girl was always respectful, never pushy, and always asking if something was okay before proceeding with it. She had no airs whatsoever, unlike some people who quietly judged her despite them being the ones who hired her services. Yuna treated her almost like a friend, not like someone she paid to be there, and the illusion of it was making Eunbi forget the reality of their relationship.

Dinner was resplendent from their private suite with a gorgeous view overlooking the sea, and it almost felt like a date with the candles and general ambience. They chatted idly about nothing important in particular, and Eunbi even complained briefly about school, something she never did, because she didn’t usually talk about herself on the job. Boundaries, she reminded herself, but Yuna was looking at her so very earnestly, hanging onto every word like it mattered, and Eunbi couldn’t bear to disappoint the girl at all, and continued despite her misgivings. 

In contrast, Yuna talked very little about herself. She asked many questions, but revealed basically nothing of importance when it came to her own life. In fact, her words subtly invited Eunbi to speak more and open up instead, and Eunbi wasn’t sure why she allowed herself to walk into that gentle trap. It was the eyes, she decided. There was something magical in those puppy eyes, and she always had a weakness for cute dogs. That was probably it. Who was she even kidding?

Sunset came and went, and they migrated from the balcony to the inner room, turning on the TV and commenting idly on the shows like an actual couple instead of whatever it was that they were. Yuna used to be so awkward and shy that she couldn’t even hold hands with Eunbi or even look her properly in the eye when they first met, and it was telling that they had progressed far enough over the months that the once shy girl was now able to lean against her shoulder with Eunbi putting an arm around her waist, toying with Yuna’s hair with her fingers. It was ridiculous how physically comfortable they had gotten with each other, and Eunbi knew it was part of what was confusing her, but she didn’t want to unsettle this weird dynamic that they had by asking about it. For one, she didn’t want to scare Yuna off, and secondly...she enjoyed this closeness anyway, so why ruin a good thing?

It was getting late, but Yuna didn’t mention anything about sending her home, and Eunbi didn’t remind her. Her time, Eunbi reasoned, was paid for by Yuna anyway, and she had no right to initiate or end it until the other girl said so. Yuna was always considerate though, and always used to send her home before midnight. What am I, Cinderella? Eunbi had joked once, and Yuna had just looked at her in the eye, and said that Eunbi deserved to be treated like the princess she was. 

That was the first time Choi Yuna had made her heart skip a beat, and things had never been the same since. Eunbi wasn’t sure if she regretted it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to regret it. Everything was weird and confusing, and she didn’t know what Choi Yuna was thinking anymore. Were they friends, or just customer and client? The boundaries were blurring, and Eunbi gave up on thinking as Yuna snuggled closer into her, practically halfway onto her lap by now.

The clock struck midnight, and they were both still there. Yuna was watching the analog hands of the stylized wall timepiece, and when the second hand moved over the mark, she tilted her head to look up at Eunbi, who, sensing her intent gaze, looked down to meet nervous brown eyes. Yuna looked uncertain, and Eunbi gripped her hand reassuringly, waiting for her to speak.

“I know we didn’t discuss this before, but...can you stay the night? Here, with me.” The last words were almost inaudible, and the background sounds of the television almost covered it, but Yuna and Eunbi were pressed close enough to each other that Eunbi could feel Yuna’s breath against her neck, and it tickled. The sudden racing of her pulse at that invitation was matched by the nervous fluttering of Yuna’s eyelashes, and Eunbi almost wanted to reach down and remove those godforsaken glasses to get a better look at them. She resisted though, and Yuna must have interpreted her hesitation for rejection, because her eyes dimmed a little and she hung her head, mumbling almost hesitantly.

“I can pay for it...I just...don’t want to be alone right now.”

The uncertainty in her voice made Eunbi wince internally. She hadn’t meant to get distracted before answering, and Yuna’s lower lip was trembling as her hands wringed together nervously. Eunbi cursed herself internally for unsettling Yuna, and reached down to cup Yuna’s cheek gently, bringing the other girl’s face up to meet her gaze again.

“Of course I will…” When Yuna’s eyes brightened at that, Eunbi couldn’t resist teasing the other girl a little, running her thumb intimately down the side of her face.

“So are we going to discuss what you want from me tonight or…?”

That came out a lot more suggestively than she intended, but Eunbi didn’t regret it one second when Yuna blushed in response, stammering almost incoherently as she sat bolt upright, eyes darting this way and that as she tried to clarify her completely honorable intentions. Eunbi laughed after a moment, leaning in to press her forehead against Yuna’s, whose cheeks were still beet red. 

“You’re the only person I know to hire an and not want to do anything, silly girl.” Eunbi’s voice was amused as she flicked Yuna’s nose affectionately, before hugging the woman close and whispering into her ear.

“Not that I mind if you did want to do something, cutie.”

Yuna’s eyes widened, her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose in shock, and Eunbi took the opportunity to remove them entirely, revealing Yuna’s face as God intended it. It was as beautiful as she knew it would be, and Eunbi’s gaze fell to the full lips that were almost tempting her to kiss them. If she didn’t know she was gay before, she certainly knew now.

“It’s just...it’s my birthday, and I don’t want to be alone.” Yuna stammered, trying in vain to change the subject as she avoided Eunbi’s gaze. Her ears were pink, and the nervousness she was exhibiting only made Eunbi bolder. The younger girl chuckled, tucking the stray strands of Yuna’s long hair behind her ear, taking the opportunity to run her fingers along the sensitive skin of her earlobe, and she felt Yuna tremble in her arms. Cute.

She didn’t miss Yuna’s nervous admission either. So it was her birthday, and she called Eunbi to celebrate it with her? Eunbi wasn’t sure if she were happy or sad about that. Happy that Yuna thought of her, certainly. Sad, because Yuna felt like she needed to pay someone to keep her company on her birthday. It made Eunbi want to protect her even more, and it was more impulse than rationality that guided her next move as she tilted Yuna’s chin up, pressing her lips to the startled girl’s own.

It was barely a kiss, and she didn’t push it, pulling back after a brief second and already missing the softness of Yuna’s lips when she did. She didn’t want to scare the girl away, and Yuna was already redder than a tomato from the contact. 

“Birthday kiss for the birthday girl.” Eunbi explained a little too quickly, hiding her own nervousness behind a smooth grin. Yuna’s expression dimmed slightly.

“You do this for other people too?” It was a genuine question, not an accusation, though to Eunbi’s sensitive ears, it felt a little like one. Yuna was looking at her earnestly, waiting for an answer, and Eunbi didn’t know if she could keep this up. Or even if she should.

“No.” That was the truth. “I did it because I wanted to.” Oh my god Eunbi you need to shut up now.

There was a pause as Yuna processed this answer, and Eunbi felt a familiar heat creep up her cheeks as well. , I haven’t blushed like this in years. This is embarrassing.

“Do I have to pay for that then?” Eunbi wasn’t sure Yuna was just jerking her chain now, or actually being serious about asking this. Yuna’s eyes were almost too innocent, and Eunbi growled low in before pulling her in for another kiss.

“Free of charge,” Eunbi muttered almost brusquely, nibbling aggressively on Yuna’s lower lip. The older woman moaned softly, and Eunbi took the opportunity to slip her tongue in, deepening the kiss as she pushed Yuna down on the bed. When they finally parted because Yuna was having trouble catching her breath, there was a moment of uneasy silence as Eunbi finally realized what she just did in a moment of recklessness. .

Yuna was staring up at her with wide eyes, panting heavily and looking all too much like a damsel in distress. Eunbi resisted the urge to kiss her again, but it was hard. She managed though. There were already enough shocks for one night, and she wasn’t sure if Yuna was mentally prepared for all this. Hell, she didn’t think she was prepared for this either. Moving too fast, Hwang Eunbi. Chill.

Of course, nothing could have prepared her for what she heard next anyway, just as she was considering if getting the hell off Yuna was the best course of action at the moment. Yuna’s voice was small, almost timid, but the words that came tumbling out were most definitely anything but.

“Could you do that again?”

Yuna didn’t need to ask twice. Eunbi was all over her in about half a second, and the next five minutes or so were completely wordless save for tiny gasps and the sound of rustling sheets. Both Yuna and Eunbi were flushed and disheveled when their impromptu makeout session came to a brief halt as they paused to catch their breaths.

“I wanted to do that for the longest time.” Eunbi admitted suddenly, settling down on the bed next to Yuna as she embraced the woman from the side, snuggling into her neck. 

“Funny you should say so.” Yuna was breathing heavily. “Me too.”

Eunbi propped herself up on one elbow to lean over Yuna, one eyebrow arched.

“Oh really? Then what’s all that about having honorable intentions earlier, hmm?”

Yuna averted her eyes guiltily, twiddling her thumbs as she mumbled under her breath.

“I didn’t want it to happen because I paid you to.”

Eunbi’s eyes softened at the admission, beaming brightly at Yuna’s confession, but her tone was teasing as she leaned in to whisper into the older’s ear.

“Are you trying to be cheap on me now, Ms. Choi?”

“What do you want then?” Yuna caught on to the joke, not slow on the uptake for once. Eunbi grinned mischievously, nuzzling at Yuna’s still pink ear affectionately as she answered.

“Mm, let me think...the rest of your life with me sounds like a good trade.”

Yuna didn’t even hesitate, turning her head to capture Eunbi’s waiting lips into a kiss.

“Deal.”