Monday, 23rd September 2019, 1500hrs.

Yujin stared at herself in the mirror, a smug grin on her face. At nineteen years old, she was the youngest pilot of Korean Air - a title she was more than willing to mention to anyone who was listening. To celebrate her first successful flight, she had decided to dye her hair blue. The dye box had promised a paler blue, but running her fingers now through the brilliantly blue strands, blue like the colour of a clear sky on a sunny day, she wondered whether it was too much.

Of course it wasn't, she told herself. She was Yujin. Nothing was too much for her. 

"Oh, Yujin. You're so attractive, and that hair? Girl, your visuals are out of this world." Yujin crooned, tossing her hair back and winking at herself in the mirror. That's right, she mused. The girls would probably go crazy over the new colour. Crazy in a good way, of course. Satisfied, she put on her pilot uniform and stepped back to admire herself again. Crisp white shirt, gold tie, black suit jacket with three gold stripes around the sleeves. Three for a co-pilot, four for a captain. She couldn't wait to get her fourth stripe. It might come in a few months, if she excelled at her current level. She will, no doubt about that; she's Ahn Yujin, after all.

Grabbing her pilot cap and bags, she headed out to work.

Already on the subway she caught the attention of a few high school girls. They tittered among each other, stealing glances at her. She sent them a flirty wink (the wink she's been practising at home for the sake of Cute Girls^TM) and they giggled, hands covering their blushing faces. Yujin considered approaching them, but she had already arrived at her stop. Ah well. Maybe next time. She doffed her cap at them and stepped out to high-pitched squeals.

She received nearly the same treatment the second she stepped into the aircrew's lounge. Over the span of two minutes her hair was messed up multiple times, what with people touching and fussing over it. As expected, some stewardesses cooed over how ridiculously pretty Yujin was, especially with that bright hair. Yujin preened, accepting the compliments - and hugs from a couple of adoring women - with open arms.

"Ahn Yujin, you look ridiculous." Yujin glanced around for the source of the gruff voice. She spotted one of her pilot seniors, sitting with legs spread and arms crossed on his chest and a disapproving frown on his face.

Giving him a simpering smile, Yujin bowed respectfully to him, purposefully ignoring his comment. "Nice to see you're looking well, senior. How was your flight?"

He huffed. "It was alright. Nothing beats a long break an ocean away from your wife."

"I'm sure you're right." Internally, Yujin rolled her eyes. If he was so keen to get away from his wife, why did he even marry her in the first place? She pitied the poor woman who was attached to him. She felt a tug on her sleeve; one of the stewardesses with long sable hair subtly gestured at an empty break room. Lips curling into a smirk, Yujin bowed again to her senior. "I hope you have a safe trip home later, sir."

She let herself be led into the break room, allowed the stewardess to pin her against the back wall. "Minju," Yujin breathed.

"Yujin." Minju's voice was sultry, her finger tracing the edge of Yujin's jaw. She's a dangerous one, Yujin knew. Known as the queen of flirting, Minju loved stealing hearts, then breaking them a few weeks later. And yet everyone kept coming back for more, because how exactly did one go about staying away from such an ethereal being? Minju pressed her body against Yujin's front. She grabbed Yujin's hands, placing them on her hips. She leaned in, lips inches away from Yujin's. "Ignore that loser. You look amazing with that new hair. Totally my type."

Yujin found herself leaning down, nearly kissing Minju before catching herself. She hurriedly pulled back and laughed weakly. "Yeah? Thanks. Uh, look. I gotta go check in, you know... Pilot stuff." She dashed out of the break room, leaving an bemused Minju behind. 

That was really too dangerous, Yujin thought. Her heart was still beating erratically, her palms all sweaty. She signed in, checked in her bags, and took a quick detour to the washroom to wash up before heading out, her trusty backpack slung over her shoulder.

Yujin made her way to her favourite restaurant in the whole airport. Despite how terrifyingly expensive it is, Yujin makes it a point to eat there before flying off every single time ever since her trainee days. Yujin grabbed a table near the front, allowing her to people-watch while she waits for her meal. The airport had always been a busy place, full of tourists and locals flying and arriving, security guards roaming the corridors and open spaces, keeping an eye out for anything shady. Salespeople tended to their stores to varying success - the souvenir and food ones always had the largest crowds, while the luxury brands were nearly empty almost all the time. Aircrew strode to their gates in packs; harried ground staff rushed to deal with delays.

A plate slid in front of her. Yujin brightened up at the sight of a hearty bibimbap with sides of barbecued meat. "Flying off today, huh?" Yujin nodded at the gentle voice and grinned up at the owner--head chef of the restaurant, also known as her good friend.

"Thanks, Chaeyeon. It really smells so yummy!"

"That's because it is." Chaeyeon patted her head. "Have a safe flight later, okay? I trust you."

This was why Yujin insists on eating here pre-flight. Not only was the food amazingly delicious, each component of each dish perfectly cooked to create a delicate balance, but because of that. Because of those three words: "I trust you." Chaeyeon had been the first person to tell her that (aside from Yujin's parents) during one of the restaurant's slower days. Chaeyeon had served her with the very same bibimbap Yujin has in front of her now and two rolls of kimbap to bring on the flight, and taking Yujin's hand, had sat down to soothe a nervous Yujin. Those words had filled Yujin with confidence, and looking back on it, she was sure she wouldn't be where she was now without Chaeyeon's presence in her life, without those very Chaeyeon-like three words.

Cleaning the bowl down to the last grain of rice, Yujin said her goodbyes to Chaeyeon before heading to her boarding gate. Another bag check, another body scan. Luckily aircrew were top priority during these security checks and were allowed to cut the queue, or else Yujin would have been waiting in a very, very long line. Chucking her bag onto the conveyor belt, she stepped through the metal detector without a beep. As she waited for her bag to appear, her gaze flickered to the guard peering at an X-ray cross-section of her bag's contents on the screen.

She was small - that was the first thing that came to mind. So small she could almost be mistaken for an elementary school kid, except her body was certainly more developed and mature in the black jacket with the word 'SECURITY' emboldened on the back. It was, to Yujin's mind, truly that of a woman's, rather than a girl's. Her hair was sort of a greyish colour, and when the light hit it at the right angle she gained a halo. Yujin's bag slid out, and the security guard gave her a smile. Yujin noticed the dimples first, the accent second. She's not Korean, Yujin realised. The name tag read 'Yabuki Nako'. Ah, Japanese.

"Miss? Your bag's done, you can take it now," Nako pointed out, her brows raised at Yujin.

Flustered, Yujin grabbed her bag and started to leave. She paused. "Thanks, Nako," she called, waving awkwardly.

Nako blinked in surprise at the mention of her name, then waved back with a friendly grin. "By the way, I like your hair!" she shouted before turning back to work.

Yujin felt her heart skip a beat. Nako loved her hair. Something so simple shouldn't feel this thrilling, especially since many a girl had said the same thing, and yet when Nako said it with that sweet voice of hers those words were suddenly worth so much more. A silly smile bloomed across Yujin's face, a smile that didn't leave her face the whole flight.

Tuesday, 1st October 2019, 0430hrs.

A week later in the early hours of the morning, Yujin arrived back at Incheon Airport. Her eyes struggled to stay open, exhaustion reeking from every pore of her skin. No doubt her captain and the rest of the aircrew were equally as tired as her. She could see it in the way they stood at the door, fighting to stay on their feet, customer service smiles plastered on their faces as they wished welcome-homes and have-a-safe-trips to every passenger. When the last passenger disembarked, it was as if the entire plane - metal container and staff and all - heaved a collective sigh of relief. Ever polite, Yujin bowed to her seniors and crew members before stepping off the plane. Time to get her bags and head straight home.

As she stood at the conveyor belt, waiting for her luggage bags to emerge, Yujin rubbed at her eyes and yawned. That was the one thing about flying - sometimes the flight times were at the oddest hours, and while passengers could sleep after takeoff, the crew and the pilots couldn't. They still had to keep the plane and its services running, and at these kinds of hours, that was the most daunting part of the whole job. Her arms and legs felt like limp noodles. All she wanted to do was lie down on the cold floor of the airport and sleep. Her eyes closed (for just a moment, she told herself, until the bags come out) and she immediately fell asleep on her feet. Her body swayed and her elbow bumped someone, hard. Waking up, she rubbed at her throbbing elbow. "Ah, ."

"Sorry!" A sheepish voice quickly apologised. "You must have fallen asleep. I don't blame you, it's way too tiring to fly a plane at this kind of time."

Yujin stared down at the pretty girl, mind barely registering the uniform the girl donned as her gentle fingers brushed away the pain from Yujin's elbow. She seemed familiar, so familiar... "Nako," she murmured.

Nako glanced up at her. "Oh, blue ranger!"

"Blue ranger?"

"Your hair, it's blue. It reminded me of the blue Power Ranger," Nako explained, chuckling. Amused, sleepy and slightly out of her mind, Yujin struck the Power Ranger pose she recalled from her childhood. At the sight, Nako laughed even louder, clapping with excitement. "Yes, exactly! It suits you, the hair and everything!"

"Really?" Yujin ran her fingers through her hair. "Ah, you told me that last week as well."

"I know, I remember." Nako went on the tips of her toes and patted Yujin's cheek endearingly, like how a mother would. "You look very tired. Waiting for your stuff?"

"Yeah." Yujin pointed at a blue bag just emerging from the other side of the building. "That's mine."

"Of course it is, it's exactly the colour of your hair." Both of them waited until the bag approached. Yujin was wondering how she was going to get the strength to haul her heavy bag off the conveyor belt when Nako stepped forward and with nay a grunt effortlessly swung the giant suitcase off the belt.

"Holy you're a goddess."

Nako snorted and shook her head. "I'm a security guard, strength and skill is sort of a requirement. Anyway, here's your bag." She tiptoed and, reaching her hand up as high as she could, patted Yujin's head. "You should go home and rest now."

Yujin stifled a yawn behind her hand before standing to attention and saluting Nako. "Yes, ma'am. Goodnight."

Nako shoo-ed her away, grinning at Yujin's retreating back. "It's good morning, blue ranger."

Saturday, 12th October 2019, 1003hrs.

Yujin woke up alone in bed, hugging a pillow. Sunlight streamed through her window and bloomed on her face. Groaning, she rolled over, wiping drool from the side of . She reached for her phone and stared at its screen through slitted eyes. What time was it? Ten a.m.? Ugh, too early. She closed her eyes, willing herself to go back to sleep...

Until her phone buzzed, waking her up again. Blindly grabbing at it, she held it to her ear. "What."

", where are you? Aren't you sending me off today?" Yujin's eyes flew open. . , , . Wonyoung was flying off today for some event or other, wasn't she? And Yujin was supposed to drive her there, wasn't she? Ah, .

"I'll be right there, hold on!" Scrambling out of bed, Yujin hurriedly washed up and changed. Twenty minutes later, she rolled up in front of Wonyoung's house, a wild grin on her face and her hair in a mess. No, she definitely did not just speed on the roads, and even if she did, who cared?

Wonyoung stared at her disapprovingly as she leaned on her luggage bag. "You were speeding, weren't you." It was less of a question and more of a very obvious statement.

"Nope." Yujin got out of her car and jogged over to haul her best friend's suitcase into the boot of her car. "Come on, let's go."

Huffing, Wonyoung took her place as shotgun. As they made their way to the airport, Wonyoung asked: "Is that Minju lady still flirting with you?"

Yujin hummed in affirmation. "To be fair though, she flirts with everyone." She glanced over at Wonyoung and smirked. "Don't be jealous."

"And why would I be jealous of you, you weirdo?" Wonyoung rolled her eyes. "I don't even know her."

"Not of me, of her! Don't you want to flirt easily with me too?"

Wonyoung wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Say that again and I won't invite you to parties any more." Yujin took that as her cue to shut up for the rest of the ride.

At the airport, Yujin used her special privileges as one of the airline's pilots to speed up Wonyoung's check-in. Now, technically, she wasn't supposed to do this, but Ahn Yujin was the youngest, cutest, prettiest pilot they had (that's what some flight attendants and ground staff had said anyway) and they would grant her leeway on these sorts of things. In turn, Wonyoung would usually offer an invite or two to one of the lavish parties people in her line of work always threw. 

"Oh, Yujin?" A surprised voice called her name. "I thought you were only flying off tomorrow."

Yujin stiffened at the voice. Kwon Eunbi, twenty-five year old Head Attendant, a stickler for the rules. Crap. Yujin lamented her luck, knowing Eunbi would give her an earful for letting Wonyoung into their staff-only lounge. Praying to all the gods, Yujin spun around to smile at the older woman and/or beg for her life. "Hi, Eunbi. Um, fancy seeing you here."

Eunbi narrowed her eyes. "I work here. And I know that tone of voice anywhere. What have you done this time, Ahn Yujin?"

"Nothing." Yujin glanced away as her palms went clammy. She felt Eunbi advancing on her and took a shaky step back.

"Hi! Are you Eunbi? I'm Wonyoung!" Wonyoung smoothly slid in front of Yujin and offered her hand to Eunbi. "I'm so sorry, I made Yujin help me check in here. I heard it's safer here, and it's the first time I'm going on a plane unattended, so..."

"Your first time?" Eunbi stared up at the awesomely tall Wonyoung as she took her hand. "I'm sorry, but... how old are you?"

"I just turned eighteen!" Eunbi gaped; Wonyoung grinned. "Because I just became an adult, I won't need to have a staff member accomany me any more, so I was hoping that if Yujin or someone could guide me through, that would be great. I'm just kind of nervous, you know?"

Nervous? Nervous, her . Yujin muffled a cough behind her hand and rolled her eyes. Wonyoung was sure milking this just-turned-eighteen thing. Both of them knew well enough she'd always ditch her to run around somewhere, to buy whatever the hell she wanted with her multiple credit cards. Wonyoung was so used to airports and flights and travelling, she could probably navigate Incheon Airport blindfolded.

But luckily for Yujin, Eunbi fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. Her suspicious expression changed into one of what could only be described as motherly care, and she patted Wonyoung's hand. "It's alright, I'll let Yujin you in today, okay? Next time, if you're flying alone and Yujin isn't here, just call me." She whipped out a pen and piece of scrap paper and scribbled her number on it before pressing it into Wonyoung's hand. "Safe flight, Wonyoung!"

Walking out of the lounge, Yujin guffawed in surprise. "I can't believe that actually worked."

"Right?" Wonyoung waved the slip of paper. "And now I have a pretty woman's phone number. Who's doing it like me? Nobody."

"Oh my God, Wonyoung, she's twenty-five."

"And?" Wonyoung shrugged. "She's hot. Mature. Me likey."

Yujin shook her head; sometimes, she really couldn't believe Wonyoung was her friend. As they walked, Yujin spotted a familiar face - or rather, a person of familiar stature - out of the corner of her eye patrolling the area. "Oh, Nako!"

Nako glanced around, looking for her. When she found Yujin, she jogged over to join them. "Hey, blue ranger! And... tall cutie?"

"Tall cutie?" Wonyoung's hand fluttered to rest on her heart. "Me? Oh, you shouldn't have. You're really cute too, uh," her gaze grazed Nako's nametag, "Nako-chan. How does someone as cute as you know someone as lame as this one over here?" Wonyoung clamped a hand on Yujin's shoulder.

"Oh, I work here as a security guard." Nako tapped her lanyard and walkie-talkie. "We just met before she had to fly a plane, and her hair caught my eye. I still think you look really good in that colour, by the way," she added, addressing Yujin.

Wonyoung gripped Yujin's shoulder so hard it was almost as if Yujin had claws digging into her flesh. Yujin winced and tried to squirm away, but to no avail. Wonyoung still had the same polite smile on her face. "I think your hair colour suits you too, Nako-chan." Wonyoung reached out and arranged stray strands of Nako's hair into place. "Actually, I think any colour would suit you, since you're just so cute."

"Really? I have thought about going blonde..."

"Wonyoung." Yujin uttered her name through gritted teeth. "You're going to be late for your flight."

Wonyoung glared at her and muttered under her breath, "Yujin, I swear, if you're going to stop me from flirting with this precious small human being-"

"No, I'm serious. You're supposed to be boarding in five minutes."

"I'm what?" Wonyoung glanced at her watch and gasped. "!"

"Running late?" Nako asked. When Wonyoung nodded frantically, the petite woman lifted her walkie-talkie up to and gave Wonyoung a grin. "Don't worry about it. Hey, anyone who's available, can I get a buggy? There's a VIP and she's going to be late for her flight." Giving clear directions to whoever was responding, Nako glanced about until she spotted a free buggy approaching. Yujin quickly ushered Wonyoung onto the buggy.

"Hey, Yujin?" Wonyoung tugged Yujin closer to her by her collar. She leaned down and hissed into Yujin's ear, "Go buy that cute girl a meal on my behalf, you lucky punk. And I better get a rundown of exactly what you ate - with pictures - or else." Wonyoung roughly pressed a rectangular piece of plastic into Yujin's hand before grinning at Nako. "Bye, cutie!"

"No, you're the cutie!" Nako shouted to the buggy already zooming off. Shaking her head, Yujin stared at the credit card in her hand. What a strange girl, she thought. But the threat still rang her ears, loud and clear.

"Um, Nako?" Yujin ventured.

"Hm?"

"Do you want to get some lunch with me? My treat."

Nako's lips stretched into a smile, pleasantly surprised. "Sure. I never say no to a free meal."

They ended up getting lunch at Chaeyeon's restaurant. It must have been something of a shock to Chaeyeon when she saw Yujin and Nako walk in together. Yujin was sure the height difference was the most astounding factor. Gesturing at Nako to sit at whichever table she wanted, Yujin approached Chaeyeon, cracking up at the expression on Chaeyeon's face.

"Yujin... Is that your girlfriend?" Chaeyeon whispered. "She's super cute, you really got lucky."

"She's not my girlfriend, she's... an acquaintance? A security guard acquaintance whom I've met twice - third time now." Yujin looked over at where Nako was reading through the menu. "She is kinda cute though, isn't she?"

"Yujin, people don't just bring acquaintances out for expensive meals." Chaeyeon glanced between Yujin and Nako, seemingly contemplating decisions. "Tell you what. Since you brought your questionable acquaintance of major cuteness here, I'll cook something special, just for the two of you."

"For real?" Yujin peered at Nako. "I should definitely bring her here more, then I can get the chef's special often too."

Laughing, Chaeyeon nudged Yujin back towards Nako before heading back to her kitchen. Yujin slid into her seat opposite Nako's and tilted the menu down so Nako's view of her was unobstructed. "Hey, the chef - another friend of mine - said she's going to cook something special for us, so you don't have to think so much about what to eat."

"Oh, that's a relief." Nako placed the menu to one side. "There were so many choices and they all sounded so good. And your friend, you say?" Nako cocked her head to one side. "You must be very popular."

Yujin gave Nako a -eating grin. "Of course I am."

"Because of the hair?"

"Don't you see this charming face? I was popular before the hair. Now I am even more fabulous." Yujin leaned back in her chair. "All the girls love me."

Nako snorted. "Sure they do."

"I'm serious, they do!"

"Mhm. I believe you," Nako hummed, shifting her eyes away. 

Yujin harrumphed. Before she could get another word in, Chaeyeon came out with two full plates balanced precariously in each hand. Yujin's mouth watered at the sight of deep-fried cutlets neatly placed upon mountains of rice swimming in thick Japanese curry. At the familiar sight, Nako's eyes lit up. "Katsu curry! It smells amazing!" she shouted in Japanese, clapping her hands and bouncing in her seat.

"A special meal just for you, because you're so cute," Chaeyeon replied in Japanese. "The katsu has cheese inside too, I think you'll like it a lot."

"Cheese?" Nako's eyes boggled. Then, to Chaeyeon, "You're very fluent in Japanese, miss. And very pretty too." Yujin had never seen Chaeyeon blush so much, except for that one time Eunbi had joined Yujin for lunch and greeted the shy restauranteer.

"Thanks, Chaeyeon!" Yujin dug into her meal, sharp knife slicing the pork cutlet open to reveal the stringey melted cheese within. Her stomach growling like crazy, she quickly stuffed her face, chewing contentedly. "Oh wow, Nako, you've gotta try this! It's sooooo good," Yujin gushed through a mouthful of meat and rice.

"Nako-san, would you like to eat with me instead?" Chaeyeon offered as she glared at Yujin, mildly disgusted at her lack of food etiquette. "I wouldn't mind having lunch with someone as cute and pretty as you."

"No, it's alright." Nako patted Chaeyeon's hand. "Thank you for the offer, though. Maybe next time."

"Nako, let's have an eating contest!" Yujin mumbled, too full for her to speak properly. "Loser pays for ice-cream."

"Ice-cream, you say?" A cheeky glint appeared in Nako's eyes, a glint that Yujin failed to notice. "Deal."

Half an hour later, Yujin stared blankly at the half-finished plate in front of her as she slumped in her chair. Curry and rice were smeared on her cheeks, and she tiredly chewed at her food. How long had she been chewing this mouthful? For far too long, but her jaw was so tired. Across from her, Nako dabbed at the corners of her lips with a napkin. Her plate was completely empty. Placing the napkin down, she fluttered her eyelashes at Yujin. "Now, about that ice-cream."

A bet was a bet. "Alright," Yujin said, belching. "Ugh. Sorry. Not proper."

Giggling, Nako leaned over with another tissue and wiped at Yujin's stained face. "You eat like a starving teenage boy. Burping is the least of your problems." Yujin allowed Nako to wipe away the remnants of her messy eating habits. Watching Nako dazedly, Yujin silently agreed with Wonyoung and Chaeyeon - Nako really was cute, especially with that look of concentration on her face.

Once Yujin's face was clean, she stood up. "I'll go pay for this, hold on a mo."

Chaeyeon wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Yujin as the young pilot approached her. "Your girlfriend's really sweet," Chaeyeon said, winking.

"She's just an acquaintance. How much was the meal?" When Chaeyeon showed her the bill, Yujin sighed. She took out Wonyoung's credit card and offered it to Chaeyeon, then suddenly pulled back. Yujin stared at the card in her hand for a moment, then tucked it back into her pocket and took out her own card instead. "Here."

"Thanks, blue ranger," Nako said when they stepped out of the restaurant.

"No problem." Yujin grinned at her. "Now, ice-cream?"

Thursday, 24th October 2019, 1230hrs.

Yujin knew Nako was strong - like, really strong - since that time when Nako hauled her 20kg luggage bag off the conveyor belt with ease. But this was different. This... This was a fight. Or more like a four-foot-ten woman trying to break up a fight between two hulking men much taller than her.

"Knock it off!" Nako shouted as she attempted to peel one of the men off the other. For reasons unknown, these two six-foot-something men had looked at each other from across the hallway and immediately started a fight. Yujin assumed someone had called security, for when she was passing by Nako was already there, trying to squeeze herself between the two. Couldn't they send someone else? Yujin wondered. Someone taller, someone stronger, someone who looked stern and gruff and as ready to fight as these two men were. Surely there was someone better to send, someone who wasn't Nako.

Yujin was worried. Of course she was, this was her friend she was talking about. She didn't want to see her friend get injured. She especially didn't want to see Nako get injured. She considered stepping in and helping Nako, but as the two men continued to fight, she feared she would just be another hazard.

Just as Nako managed to step in between the two and pry them apart, one of the men raised his leg to kick his opponent. His aim was terrible, and Nako's stomach ended up bearing the brunt of the kick. How she didn't double over from the hit was a mystery to Yujin; she herself would have collapsed on the ground from the pain. But no, Nako just winced and pushed them further apart from each other, as far as her arms could stretch out. The other man swung his fist wildly. It collided with Nako's face, and it was so powerful that her head snapped back on her neck.

", Nako!"

Nose bleeding from the impact, Nako spared a glance at Yujin. "Call backup, for 's sake!"

"Stop right there!" A loud voice shouted. Yujin whipped her head around to see a group of security guards running towards them. They immediately tackled both men to the ground.

Left with nothing to hold onto for support, Nako's knees buckled under her. Yujin swooped in to catch her before she collapsed. "Holy crap, are you okay?"

Nako swiped at her bleeding nose and grimaced. "Do I look okay to you?" Shifting in Yujin's arms, she let out a low groan and clutched at her stomach. "Oh, , it hurts so bad. Was he on ing steroids or something?"

"Nako, you need to go to the hospital."

"Sure, yeah. Let me just stand up-" Gritting her teeth, Nako got to her feet before being overwhelmed by pain. She collapsed back in Yujin's arms, unconscious.

"."

Thursday, 24th October 2019, 1810hrs.

Yujin was dozing off in her chair, but quickly jolted upright when she noticed Nako stirring in the hospital bed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Yujin reached out to take Nako's hand, smiling at her when the petite girl opened her eyes. "Yo."

"Oh, hey." Nako turned her head to observe her surroundings. "I'm in the hospital."

"Yep."

"It's dark outside."

"Yep."

"How long was I out?" Nako struggled to sit up, and Yujin rushed to help her adjust the bed. Nako laid a hand on her stomach. "Wow, that was one heck of a kick."

"Almost six hours, I think." Yujin continued to hold Nako's hand as she watched her friend, concern written all over her face. "The doctor said you've got some internal bruising, plus a broken cheekbone, plus half your face is totally blue-black."

"That's it?" Despite herself, Nako grinned. "Nice."

"Not nice!" Yujin disagreed. "It's terrible!"

"Yeah, but at least I didn't die or anything." Nako patted Yujin's hand comfortingly. "Don't worry, I've had much worse."

Yujin frowned and pulled her hand out of Nako's grasp. "That's not good, Nako. You shouldn't be so chill with these kinds of things."

"Why are you so angry?" Nako pouted. "Don't be angry."

"I don't like hearing about you getting hurt, and I certainly do not like seeing you get hurt!"

Nako recoiled at Yujin's outburst. "I-I'm sorry," she muttered, voice small and quiet.

Sighing, Yujin plopped herself down in the visitor's chair again. "No, I'm sorry. It's not your fault, obviously, it's just a part of your job. I don't know what came over me, I just... I don't want you to get hurt."

"Okay." Nako took Yujin's hand this time, squeezing it gently. "Okay."

The subdued moment was interrupted when Nako gave a big yawn. Yujin chuckled. "Must be the meds. You should sleep."

"Ah-"

"I'll be here." Yujin didn't know why she said that, but she did. "I'll watch you sleep."

"That's creepy, blue ranger," Nako murmured, lying down, her eyes already closing. The last thing she saw before she fell asleep was Yujin, a soft smile on her face.

Friday, 25th October 2019, 0010hrs.

Nako woke up to a whitewashed room, lit up only by the dim glow of the half-formed moon. She glanced to her right. Yujin wasn't there, but sitting on the chair was a small object. Shifting, Nako reached out and picked it up. A quiet laugh bubbled in her as she played with the toy in her hands. Burrowing under the covers, Nako went back to sleep, holding her blue Power Ranger figurine close to her heart.

Monday, 11th November 2019, 0900hrs.

"Yabuki Nako, reporting for work."

"Nako!" Chaeyeon dashed towards the petite girl, wrapping her in an embrace. "You're out of the hospital!"

"Yup! A hundred percent recovered, and stronger than ever!" Nako flexed her biceps and grinned. "I missed your cooking so much. Hospital food ."

Chuckling, Chaeyeon ruffled Nako's hair endearingly. "What do you want to eat? I'll cook anything for you. Perhaps... cheese katsu curry?" she suggested, and grinned when Nako's eyes lit up. Nako nodded greedily, already anticipating the flavoursome goodness. She sat down at an empty table while Chaeyeon busied herself in the kitchen and watched the world pass by. Nako stared at backpackers dragging their feet while lifting a ridiculously heavy bag on their backs, at parents holding their babbling, overexcited children's hands, at aircrew striding past with their luggage bags. The handsome pilot leading the pack turned to look and smile at her. Nako smiled back, reminded of Yujin.

Nako smelled the food before she saw it. Her head whipped around to the source of the scent. Like the first time, Chaeyeon walked out with two massive plates of curry rice. She sat down across from Nako and placed the plates on the table.  "One for you, one for me."

"Thank you, Chaeyeon!" Nako neatly piled meat, rice, and curry on her spoon and took a bite, savouring how the different textures played on her tongue, how the complimenting flavours satisfied her palate. "Oh, that's the best. Wow, can I marry you?"

"I'll think about it, but I don't think my girlfriend will like that," Chaeyeon replied, laughing. "How was it at the hospital? Really boring, huh?"

"Not really. Blue ranger came by everyday to keep me company whenever she was in Korea, which was actually really sweet of her," Nako admitted. "She made me watch the entire Harry Potter series, twice."

"Did she now?" Chaeyeon's tone was light.

"Yeah. Dolores Umbridge and her hideous pink outfit haunt my dreams now." Nako shivered.

"That's not what I meant. Yujin went to keep you company everyday. That's pretty impressive, don't you think?"

"I... I guess," Nako said, shrugging. "But isn't that very like her? She seems like the kind of person who would do that for anyone she's fond of."

"Yujin told me her best friend twisted her ankle once, and she went over to laugh," Chaeyeon deadpanned. "Trust me, her staying with you whenever she's free isn't typical Ahn Yujin behaviour."

"Well, maybe she's changed."

Chaeyeon raised a brow. "I highly doubt it." Her gaze flicked to glance at the airport patrons, and she grinned. "Oh, speaking of."

"Nako?" Nako turned and blinked in surprise. On the other side of the glass partition was Yujin in her pilot uniform, her face pressed to the glass, dimples forming on her cheeks. "Nako! You're here!" Yujin rushed into the restaurant and tackled Nako in a hug. Due to the height difference, Nako found herself suffocating in Yujin's chest, and she urgently tapped the taller girl.

"I can't breathe, blue ranger."

"Sorry!" Yujin quickly released Nako, but kept an arm slung around the smaller woman's shoulders. "Wow, isn't that katsu curry? Chaeyeon, can I get one too?"

"You can have mine, it's basically untouched. Looking at you reminds me there's someone I need to find." Chaeyeon patted both Yujin's and Nako's heads before exiting the restaurant. The two watched as she stood outside for about two seconds before catching a blurry figure who jumped right into her arms. Yujin covered Nako's eyes when Chaeyeon and Eunbi kissed.

Nako smacked her hand away and pouted. "Damn, why is everyone dating? I want a girlfriend too."

"Me too."

Nako glanced up at Yujin. "I thought you were Miss Popular."

"Miss Popular-but-for-some-reason-can't-get-a-girlfriend," Yujin corrected her. "Life ."

"Yeah," Nako agreed, staring at Yujin for a moment longer. "Life really does ."

Thursday, 21st November 2019, 1111hrs.

Yujin didn't understand why Nako didn't have a girlfriend. Nako was literally perfect in every way. If compassion could be personified, it would come in the form of Nako. Yujin saw it in the way she gently held a crying child's hand at the lost-and-found counter. Yujin saw it in the way she guided an elderly woman with failing eyesight right to the door of her plane. Yujin saw it in the way Nako spoke to each and every one of the people who spoke to her, asked for directions, asked for help in some shape or form. She spoke with patience, with kindness, with understanding.

And with that compassion came with a bravery like no other.

Tuesday, 3rd December 2019, 1750hrs.

It actually happened. The unbelievable, the unwanted, the unimaginable.

It started with an unattended bag. A quiet tick-tick-tick. A seven-year-old girl saw it first, and called her parents over. They immediately swept her up and raced to the nearest security guard. A passer-by caught wind of it. Word started to spread.

Now Nako stood over the bag, frantically calling the bomb unit as the rest of the airport was in a hubbub. The other security guards were tasked with ushering people away from the bomb, out of the building. The bomb unit said they were rushing over, but the display was starting to flash a countdown in red. Nako had to isolate it, and isolate it quick. Barking instructions to her fellow guards, she bundled the bomb up and rushed into the nearby ladies' bathroom. She hid herself in the cornermost stall, holding onto the beeping object as she waited for the bomb unit.

Her heart beat erratically in her chest. She could feel the blood rushing into her head.

God, please. I don't want to die today. I can't leave, not yet.

God, please. I can't leave her now.

Saturday, 7th December 2019, 1000hrs.

"Where is she? Where is Nako?" A frantic voice pierced through the crowd. At the sound of her name, Nako glanced up. A strong pair of arms plucked her from the ground and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. "Oh, thank God. Oh, Nako, thank God you're alive."

Nako patted the crown of blue hair. "So you heard."

Yujin placed Nako back on the ground and crouched down. "I was so worried. I was in Australia, I heard it on the news, and-" Yujin's breath caught in as tears started to roll down. "-And I thought-"

"Don't think." Nako cupped Yujin's face in her hands, wiping her tears away with her thumbs. "Just know. Know that I'm here, and alive, and unhurt."

"Thank you," Yujin hiccuped, crying. "Thank you, Nako, thank you."

Friday, 20th December 2019, 1935hrs.

Yujin was going to be away for the whole of Christmas week. She had promised her family that yes, she was going to go back and spend time with them, and yes, she did buy presents for everyone, including her baby cousin who was just born a few weeks ago. Not like she thought an infant could understand the concept of gift-giving, nor the monetary loss that came with this practice, but hey. It was Christmas.

So here she was, giving her first round of presents away to her colleagues and friends. She handed out what she hoped were practical mop slippers to Eunbi, a new apron to Chaeyeon, and even a makeup pouch to Minju - and her newly attained girlfriend, a Kim Chaewon who did who-knows-what, but Minju was very happy with her.

That just left Nako. Where was she, anyway? See, the thing about security guards were that they could be anywhere, and Yujin was not going to scour the entire airport to find a tiny human being. Luckily for her, she found Nako fifteen minutes in, stationed at one of the boarding gates.

"Hey, Nako, Merry Christmas!" Yujin exclaimed, beaming.

"It's the 20th of December, did you get your dates mixed up?"

"No, but I'm going home for the whole of next week. So I'm going to give you this!" Yujin brandished a paper bag at Nako, who took it with an apprehensive look on her face. "Don't make that face, I swear it's not a prank."

"Right." Nako reached in and took out a small box with a ribbon tied around it. She shook it, listening for a sound, but there was nothing. She narrowed her eyes at Yujin. "Say, this isn't going to be one of those boxes that just has a bunch of shredded papier-mache and a note, is it?"

"That's a good idea, but no, it's not a prank." Yujin fidgeted in place. "Hurry up and open it already."

"Okay, okay." Nako slowly opened the box. Much to Yujin's delight, Nako gasped, her eyes widening with delight. With two fingers she took out a silver necklace with a small penguin charm delicately carved.

"And? And?"

"It's so pretty," Nako murmured, raising it to the light to get a better look.

"Here, give it to me. I'll put it on you now." Yujin took the necklace from Nako and spun her around. She dangled the necklace in front of Nako before lowering it onto the petite girl's neck. As she struggled with the clasp, she added, "I saw them, the penguins, in Australia? And they were so cute and I thought of you, because you're cute too. So I got you this necklace. It's hand-crafted and everything."

Once the clasp was fastened, Nako yanked Yujin down by the collar and pecked her on the cheek. "Thank you," she whispered into Yujin's ear that was rapidly turning red. "And Merry Christmas."

Saturday, 31th December 2019, 2230hrs.

Yujin was definitely being stood up right now, wasn't she? She glanced at her watch. They were supposed to meet 4 hours ago. Yep, definitely stood up. Yujin sighed and ran her fingers through her fading blue hair in frustration. And she went to all this trouble of dressing up and getting her hair and make-up done and everything. To make it worse, it had started to rain, and she had forgotten to bring an umbrella. So now she was standing in the rain in front of some random cafe, shivering in the cold. And on New Year's Eve, too. Just ing great.

"Blue ranger?" A hesitant voice called. Yujin's head shot up. In front of her, standing under an umbrella, was none other than one Yabuki Nako. It took Yujin a minute or two to process the image of Nako out of her security uniform. Tonight she wore a loose hoodie and a skirt, a bemused expression on her face. Nako jogged over to Yujin, sneakers splashing in puddles. She quickly lifted the umbrella so it was covering both of them. "What's wrong, blue ranger?"

"I got stood up."

"Oh no." Nako patted Yujin's shoulder in consolation. "Who was it? I'll go fight them."

"No need," Yujin muttered sadly. Her shoulders sagged, bogged down by rainwater and regret. "I just wanna go home."

"Okay." Nako took Yujin's hand. Nako's hand was warm, Yujin realised, warm and soothing. She held it tight. "Where do you live? Let's go."

They made their way back to Yujin's place in the pouring rain, hands never separating. The umbrella was too small to properly cover both women, and Nako ended up being rained on. It didn't really matter, though. At least Yujin was covered too.

Once they arrived at Yujin's apartment, Yujin excused herself to change into some dry clothes. Stepping into the shower, she willed the water to wash away her frustrations at finding a decent girl who didn't want to just have or would at least show up to their second date. Covering her face, she screamed into her hands. She felt much better after that, and dried her hair before walking back out to Nako. She found the petite girl still standing by the door, the right half of her clothes dotted with raindrops. "You wanna get changed?" Yujin offered.

"I was just going to make sure that you were feeling better, then head back home."

"Are you sure?" Yujin peeked out of her window. "It's storming like crazy outside now though, you should probably stay the night."

Nako followed her gaze to where trees outside were being whipped back and forth by powerful gales. "Oh, fair enough then. Could I borrow a shirt?"

"Sure."

When Nako walked out of the bathroom, Yujin wanted to laugh. Nako looked tiny in Yujin's shirt, so tiny that Yujin wanted to hold her in her arms and cuddle her to sleep. Now that Nako was out of her hoodie, Yujin also noted the necklace around her neck, the one with the penguin charm. Yujin's gift. Flowers bloomed in Yujin's heart.

It could have been that she was craving for touch, or the fact that she was just stood up, but Yujin found herself tugging Nako into bed. "Come sleep with me."

"Wait, what?" Nako sputtered, resisting Yujin's attempts.

"Sleep with me. It's cold, it's raining, and I kind of want to just cuddle with you right now." The words left Yujin's mouth before she could stop them. "Please?"

Nako gazed at the loneliness in Yujin's eyes. She could feel her heart breaking, and all she wanted to do was remove some of that empty sadness, somehow. "Alright." She clambered into Yujin's bed and pulled the blanket over them, feeling Yujin's arms wrap around her, pulling her closer.

"Thank you," Yujin whispered before succumbing to sleep.

Nako laid in bed there, listening to Yujin's breathing slow and even out as she fell asleep. Nako listened to the raindrops drum against the windowpane, to the leaves of trees noisily rustle outside as the two of them held each other in the warmth of a single bed on New Year's Eve. "You're welcome, blue ranger."

Sunday, 1st January 2020, 0500hrs.

Yujin woke up with her head nestled in Nako's bosom. Over the night they had moved in their sleep, changing positions until Nako had her hands resting on Yujin's head, and Yujin with her arm draped across Nako's hips. Slowly moving so as to not wake Nako up, Yujin shifted up until she was looking at Nako's sleeping face. She looked so serene, like an angel, her chest rising and falling as she slept. Yujin tucked loose hair behind Nako's ear with a finger, then trailed down to graze her cheek and the bridge of Nako's nose, to trace the outline of her lips.

Yujin understood in that moment that Nako was more than just cute, like what everyone always said. She was cute, yes, but she was so beautiful too. She was a powerful woman in the day, strong and fearless, but now with her eyes closed and her face lax Nako was the embodiment of purity and innocence. Yujin's heart sighed at the sight.

The birds started to chirrup outside. Nako opened her eyes. She smiled at Yujin, cupping the pilot's face with a hand. "Good morning."

"Hey," Yujin murmured. "Is it strange that I want to kiss you right now?"

"Not at all," Nako breathed. "Why don't you do just that."

Yujin leaned foward and pressed her lips against Nako's. Nako's lips were soft, soft like the pillows they were lying on. As they kissed they drew closer together, and their bodies melded together. Nako tangles her fingers in Yujin's hair. Yujin's hand rested on the hem of Nako's shirt where it brushed against Nako's thigh. When they parted, Yujin could see her reflection in Nako's eyes, glazed over, and she chuckled quietly. Did she look like that too, starry-eyed, in love?

"This isn't some dream that we'll wake up from, is it?" Yujin asked in wonderment, one hand the necklace around Nako's neck.

"I hope not," Nako replied. She fit herself to Yujin's front, curling up, clutching at Yujin's shirt. "Go to sleep, and we'll wake up in a bit."

"Mmkay."

"Oh, by the way."

"Hm?"

A pair of lips gently brushed Yujin's. "Happy New Year, Ahn Yujin."