The usual calm woman was deciding on her order when she heard a rather familiar voice speaking at the back of her head. She wasn’t sure whether she got the right person, but it most certainly confirmed her suspicions when it was her turn to pay. 

 

“Uhm.. Jinsoul unnie.. Do you mind paying for my food as well?” A shaky yet cheeky voice caught her attention. The woman turned around to see a flustered penguin fiddling with her fingers as she spoke. Figuring that the other party might have forgotten to bring her wallet, she nodded. 

 

“Wait, my friend here would like to order something as well. Please bill us together, sorry!” She waved to alert the cashier and he complied. 

 

Despite her size, the younger woman was able to take in more food than the older one. Yet, Jinsoul was the least bit surprised, since the penguin was titled as ‘The Biggest Stomach’ in their company. 

 

“Chuu, you forgot something again?” The blue-betta sighed as she took in another french fry with her slender fingers. 

 

“You know me the best.. It’s not like we didn’t work in the same department after so long for nothing.” The bright girl chuckled but soon showed a different expression from her usual ones. 

 

Picking up on the atmosphere, the older woman sipped her drink. 

 

“Anything wrong?” 

 

“My girlfriend whom I’ve been dating for 5 years has just left me last Thursday. She didn’t say anything and she-” The girl paused and there were tears b around her eyes. Looking down for a while, she hasn’t noticed how a pack of tissues was offered to her. 

 

“Oh. I’m sorry. I just-” The girl then blew some of her snot into the white object while people around the two looked on. 

 

“It’s just this time, but would you feel alright if you were to come over to my place tonight?” Jinsoul smiled warmly at her colleague.

 

“Wh-why?” The penguin was a little confused. 

 

“I know you’re still staying at your place and it might bring back some hurtful memories.. Uhm.. It’s okay if you want to reject though, I know it still means a lot to you and-” A warm pair of hands suddenly wrapped itself nicely around the hands of the older woman. 

 

“I’d love to take up on that offer.” Both women then smiled at each other while their steamy hot chicken went cold. 

 

Biting into the cooled food, Chuu can’t help but complain about how she had bitten into something hard. In response, the fish laughed saying that she probably had accidentally chewed on the bones. 

 

---

 

Upon the clicking of the door, two women made their way to the two-room apartment. 

 

“It’s not much, but I suppose I could help you out in a bit. Make yourself comfortable.” Jinsoul placed her bag onto the small chair just in a corner and went to the kitchen to get drinks for her guest. 

 

“I didn’t know you live alone all this time.” Chuu found a nice spot and sat down. 

 

“Yeah.. I guess my personal life is very different from my work life.” The woman returned with two cups of warm cocoa. 

 

“Here.”

 

The cup was well-received by the other party as she took a whiff of the sweet aroma and sipped it. The drink was warm, but not as hot as the treatment that she’s getting from her colleague. It somehow reminded her back when she was with her ex, and tears start appearing once more on her porcelain face. 

 

“Oh sorry, perhaps coffee isn’t your favorite beverage? Should I get something else from the nearby store?” The blue-betta was getting ready to leave the apartment when she felt a tug on her shirt. 

 

“Please don’t leave me alone here.” A soft whimper came out from the almost broken figure in front of the fish and she quietly held the shivering penguin into her long arms. 

 

---

 

It was a Tuesday afternoon and all workers have just been released from the meeting room, each carrying a file of documents they have been assigned to complete by the end of the week. 

 

Jinsoul, being a little clumsier than the rest, twisted her right ankle on the stairs while going up to her cubicle. As the documents fell down while she’s trying hard to regain balance back onto her own two feet, a hand held her from falling down. 

 

“Are you okay?” The girl with bangs asked out of concern almost as immediately as she caught the fish’s arms. It didn’t take long for both women to blush and looked sideways from each other due to the awkward meetup last weekend. 

 

“I’m alright now, thanks to you. But it seems like my documents are a little dirty..” The injured woman then tried to bend down but the pain in her ankle was making it difficult for her. 

 

Seeing how her colleague was in much physical pain, the penguin didn’t hesitate to help pick up the fallen document. 

 

“Here you go!” 

 

As the papers were passed from the pair of hands, their skins touched in a subtle manner, causing shivers down the spine for one of them. 

 

“Ahaha.. I gotta get going.. My teammates are going to be angry at me for being late again..” The penguin then quickly excused herself while steam could be spotted blowing off from her head. 

 

“Cute.. I wonder what’s it like to date her..?” The blue-betta drowned in her own thoughts before getting shaken up. 

 

“No no.. not now.. Gotta get this work started first..” She then limped all the way back while trying to cool off under the air-conditioned venue.  

 

---

 

For the next few weeks, the two women met up frequently to catch up with each other. As they shared jokes with one another, somehow feelings were passed on as well. 

 

They were both sipping coffee under a cherry blossom tree that day when..

 

“Yes, Jinsoul unnie? What is it?” The younger woman froze a little as she studied the closed-up face of the other woman. 

 

“Drop the formalities.” Her voice sounded somewhat stern and it did scare the penguin a little.

 

“Okay, uh.. Jinsoul?” The girl then got quite flustered as she thought more about it. 

 

“You don’t have to feel so uptight around me, you know? If you do that, it’s gonna make me feel bad too.” The blue-betta smiled a little, to calm the younger girl down a little. 

 

“I just-” The girl’s eyes seemed to be moving sideways a lot as she struggled to find the right words to complete her statement. 

 

“Don’t worry, take your time. I’m here.” Jinsoul held her breath at the same time, as she somehow knew where the conversation might end up. 

 

“I think.. I may have..caught feelings for you over the past few times when we’ve been together. It’s confusing to me.. I know this is sudd-” The penguin’s words came to an abrupt stop when the distances between the two women got even shorter. 

 

“Uhm.. I.. I can’t..” Chuu then squinted her eyes as she felt a warm breath of air pass through her nose, a reminder of the first cup of drink she received the first time they meet up. 

 

“...Boop.”

 

The two noses touched each other and it stayed there for a while. Not willing for the girl to leave in that instant, the penguin fumbled while placing her cup in a plastic carrier before drawing out both of her arms and wrapped them around the older woman’s neck. 

 

The action was well reciprocated by the other party and she held on for a while before pecking onto the cheeks of the shorter girl. 

 

“I feel the same.. Uh..” The air around the two women soon got to a standstill as each tried to fork out words on their sides. However, as the two women made eye contact, they knew no words are needed anymore. 

 

Having the now cooled coffee in their belongings, the two colleagues were then seen walking back together with clasped hands.