Own Perspective (Umrin)

Yerin is a wedding planner coordinator. She makes unforgetable memories for couples who are taking their first step in a life together. She weaves colors, flowers and music for a phrase that consists of two words, "I Do". Hectic schedules and some clash with the party every now and then, doesn't stop her in her pursuit of a once in a lifetime memory. The dream of a Happy Ending is what pushes her forward. Even though, she herself, doesn't see a future with a specific lady walking the red carpet towards her, Even though she wouldn't be hearing the person she holds dear, answering her 'I do', even though everytime she watches a ceremony she is struck with great envy, she still continues in this line of torture over and over and over again, like living in a loop. She had come to terms with her fate. A fate of her silent pining for a long time friend, who is currently in the process of getting her make-up done for the ceremony that will happen 2 hours from now. Yerin looked at the beautiful woman. With her eyes closed, the make-up artist focused on working her magic on her. Her face that is bare of any blemish goes really well with simple make-up but today she's going for a darker image that showcases her sophisticated beauty. 

"Eonnie, am I that beautiful? Have I snatched your heart away?" She joked, looking at Yerin through the mirror. Whenever those eyes stare at her, it never ceases to take her breath away. 

"Aren't you the maid of honor? Why are you competing with the bride? This should be her special day. You're ruining it." She joked back. Fortunately, Umji isn't the bride today. Yerin would have not taken this project if it were the case. Her one-sided love story is still going strong. It's been going on for 8 years and it hasn't simmered down even today. Especially when lately, Umji seemed to go along with their pursuit of stupidity, earning Yerin more interactions with her dear Umji.

Yerin would have loved to make her, her bride today if she just wanted to but she doesn't swing that way. One thing is that she's straight and another thing is that Umji doesn't believe in marriage. Yerin heard a friend of theirs say it once. She felt relieved and devastated at the same time. Thinking back to that time, she still feels the same thing. Actually, it's not a secret that Umji doesn't have any interest in marriage. She had expressed her disinterest in the topic in a number of occasions. So, Yerin will never get married because she can never marry Umji.

AFTER THE CEREMONY

"Stop drinking Umji. What has gotten into you?" Eunha said, taking away the bottle Umji was caressing so affectionately.

"Are you secretly in-love with your new brother-in-law?" Sowon asked their friend.

"What?! No! I don't like him that way." The maknae answered with her arm cradling her head on their table while her other hand is trying to reach for another bottle of unfriendly liquid.

"Come on Umji, tell us what the problem is. You're not being your normal self. It can't be just nothing."

"Its just that. . . . ."

"What?!" Sinb's voice getting louder in curiosity and irritation.

"I just thought that marriage really ." Umji took another drink that was offered by Yuju.

"Yuju stop giving her alcohol." The others warned their friend.

"Isn't that a really negative way of thinking during your own sister's wedding? Why would you think that?" Eunha asked

With a blank stare at the unknown, the tipsy maknae kept shut.

"Hey Yerin, here!" Sowon called to their friend who was busy checking other details for the party. The woman made her way to her friends.

"How's the party?" She asked with a smile that turned into a frown when she saw their maknae in a not so perfect condition. "What happened to her? Yuju?!"

"Hey, I feel offended!" Yuju pouted to Yerin's questioning gaze.

"Eonnie, how can you make all of this when you yourself said that you won't get married?" Umji asked her eonnie.

"What's the matter? Is there a problem?" Yerin touched her forehead to check if she's sick but there was nothing wrong.

"I'm fine Eonnie. I'm just curious. Do you believe in love or its just all about money? Does happily ever after really exist or its just a made up idea using rainbows and unicorns?"

"Yah Umji! What's really the matter with you?" Sowon couldn't help questioning their maknae thinking Yerin was offended by what she said.

"I'll tell you a trade secret." Yerin said and told Umji to move closer. The younger woman did as was told and listened carefully to what her eonnie whispered to her ear.

"Unicorns and Love do exist, as long as you believe it, and money is the realest of them all." She said then winked at her. Before Umji could ask more, Yerin's assistant called her for some other work to do.

"You should stop drinking Umji-ah. I don't like our baby to have a hang-over tomorrow. Get some rest." Yerin kissed the woman's forehead then left.

The rest of the party continued, then it was time to go home. The group of friends went their seperate ways after bringing their drunk maknae home.

Umji was too drunk but couldn't sleep. She kept on tossing and turning on her bed. Even though her head hurts, and her eyes were complaining and wanted to shut down, her mind's gears were still turning in full speed, so she took her jacket and purse then went for a walk in the neighborhood. While following the road to somewhere, she found herself in front of her friend's building. Without much thought Umji walks her way to Yerin's apartment at past midnight. She knocks on the door and was welcomed by her eonnie who had a concerned look.

"May I come in?" She meekly asks. Yerin opens the door wider for her to enter.

"Is there anything bothering you?" Yerin is beyond worried with how Umji is acting. The younger woman had never went to her apartment at this late hour, on her own before. She had been distraught during the party thinking about the unusual behavior of the said woman. And though Yerin wanted to stay by her side, she couldn't because she was tied with work.

"I'm just sleepy eonnie." The younger woman said.

"Are you still drunk? How did you get here?" Yerin looked at her with undisguised concern.

"I walked" Umji answered after laying on the couch, on one side of the room.

"At this time?! And you aren't sober yet. Do you realize how dangerous that is?" Yerin was getting a headache thinking about Umji wandering the dark streets in her hoodie and mini shorts, bareface beauty and alluring legs, not to mention in an unstable state of mind.

"I'm going to fix the bed. Don't leave. Sleep here tonight and we'll talk in the morning." Yerin went to her room leaving the younger woman to stare at her with a dark meaningful look.

After some time, they both silently laid on their own side of the bed.

"Does anybody know you went out this late?" Yerin whispers so not to break the silence of the night.

"No" sobered Umji stared at a spot on the ceiling, thinking about her dilemma that she couldn't voice out.

"Eonnie, what does it feel being a wedding planner?"

"Draining, most of the time irritating, but don't tell others that I said that." Yerin answered with a jovial voice.

"Eonnie, do you believe in marriage?"

". . . . . I do" Yerin answered after some time.

"But then, why are you never gonna get married?" Umji asked her question that kept bugging her for some time.

". . . . . . That will be a story for another time. Come on, babies should be asleep by now."

"Come on eonnie, last question" Umji pleaded with her face.

" . . . . . . . Marriage is just not for everybody. No more questions, now go to sleep."

Without further question from the maknae they both tried to go to sleep, each having their own set of questions about the happenings during the day. 

Yerin thought of what could be the reason for her friend's sudden visit at that particular time. Why she seemed unusual and what could be running through her mind.

They fell asleep without anymore conversations.

Yerin woke up to see a younger girl staring at her from her side of the bed and she doesn't seem to even feel shy about blatantly staring at her.

"Did you sleep well?" Yerin asked her friend, special friend.

"Mmm, how 'bout you eonnie?"

"It was ok but I'm still sleepy." Yerin turned to her other side, her back facing Umji, trying to hide her smile that was caused by waking beside her important person. She heard some rustling of the blanket and even caused a sudden movement of the bed where they were laying. Then suddenly a body glued itself to her back.

Yerin ignored the body but she kept on wriggling and said, "Eonnie, I'm hungry."

"You can go and cook for yourself." Yerin said. She loves the scenario she's in but she didn't imagine how emotionally challenging this was to go through. The person she'd been wanting for such a long time slept with her on her bed, just the two of them and now her warmth is making her dizzy.

"But I'm too lazy to do it."

After a bit of pressure from Umji, Yerin went to cook for her friend, special friend. While stirring the kimchi on the pan and adding rice, she felt two arms holding her body that immediately went rigid.

"What are you doing?" Yerin asked trying not to choke on her words.

"Eonnie, your bodyheat is so nice. Its comforting and soft." Umji snuggled to her eonnie.

Yerin stayed quiet about how her friend was making the flirty demons and the ty spirits inside her body keep on trying to come out. She'd be damned if she'd let herself go with what she always wanted to do. She honors her friend too much to lay her hands on her. And though all she ever wanted was to kiss her senseless, all she could do was stay still and die again like the past weeks, when her friend suddenly started being touchy with her.

On the other hand, the ultra shy Umji is running out of ideas to make her eonnie realize her hidden meanings. She's afraid of being rejected by her and all she could do was to subtly make moves and see if she has any effect on the older woman. She doesn't have the courage to confront her about her sudden realization and her new uncontrollable reactions to her Eonnie, especially when she knows that her eonnie doesn't want to get married.

The two stay there in silent suffering, one cooking a meal for her long time love and the other hugging her one and only.

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03-10-20
12:28 am