Eventually summer came, and with it, came a new era of their relationship. It was bound to come at some point, but neither knew it would come this fast. All this time they were taking it slow and steady, but just one night can change everything. A hot summer’s night during a two week-long vacation at the beach.

The moment school ended, they spent their time like any typical teenagers. Or, they tried to. Wheein and Hyejin went back to work at the gym but their friends would stop by afterwards to hangout. They were comfortable around each other, no hitch nor misunderstandings stood in their way. Almost a year into their relationship and they already have a good grasp on how the other ticks. Sure, there are things to learn but that’s what makes it fun and exciting. 

It was over dinner during the early summer months when her parents told her about taking a two week vacation right before school starts. Yong already made arrangements with the gym and Moonbyul also made arrangements at the company. So they were all prepared. Wheein was excited too but she had a conundrum. 

Her parents said that it’s alright for Wheein to bring Hyejin along. 

Wheein debated on if she should ask Hyejin. Yes, she wants Hyejin to be with her, and her parents would also love to have her there, but that means taking Hyejin away from her own family. But, She knows she’s fretting over nothing. She knows Hyejin will gladly go and that Hyejin’s parents will be fine with it, so why is she worried? 

Maybe it’s because then they will have to actually be with each other for two weeks straight. 

She knows she wouldn’t mind, they know each other well enough that it should be easy. In fact, it feels like it would be natural.  But what about the little habits? What about the habits that are just so miniscule that you don’t even know you have them until it’s pointed out to you? The sort of habits that can make or break even the steadiest of relationships? What if during those two weeks Wheein’s unknown small habits annoy Hyejin enough to want to break up?

That is what Wheein is worried about. The possibility of losing Hyejin over something trivial. 

But she asks anyway.

It was during their lunch break one day that Wheein finally popped the question. And Hyejin didn’t even hesitate with her answer.

“Of course I’ll go.” Hyejin didn’t even stop eating. Her flow wasn’t interrupted at all.

“Wait, you’re not even going to ask your parents permission? It’s for two weeks!” Wheein tried to reason with her.

Emphasis on tried. 

“I’ll just tell ‘em I’m goin’ with you guys for a two week vacation in August,” Hyejin gave a simple shrug, “Besides, how can they say no to you?”

Hyejin gave Wheein’s cheek a playful pinch as Wheein just squinted at her.

“At least ask Hyejin-ah. Maybe your parents need you during that time or something.”

“Hmmm. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you don’t want me to go.” Hyejin gave Wheein a smug look. As if she got a checkmate.

Wheein was about to refute her but thought better of it. Nothing can change Hyejin’s mind once it’s made up. 

So, after lunch, desert, and a small cuddle session on a bench, they finally returned back to the dragon’s lair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Wheein told her parents that Hyejin said yes, they were ecstatic. Her mom immediately began to plan the logistics and activities while her mother teasingly elbowed her while giggling. Wheein could only glare. Wheein was busy holding off the teasing from her mother that she almost missed a vital piece of information from her mom.

“So we’re going to have two seperate condos, one for Wheein and Hyejin, and one for us, Moonbyul. It's a condominium complex but every condo will have an ocean view. Fully furnished and fully stocked. There’s also boardwalk beach access!”

Wheein froze.

“Wait, what?!”  

Even Moonbyul froze.

“Wait, what?!”

Yong barely blinked an eye.

“Hm? What?”

Wheein could only stare at her mom, unblinking, while she mentally checked out. Moonbyul could only sputter.

“I--Wh--Yong! What do you mean they have their own separate condos?! Yong--”

“Relax, you. There was a special going on. And besides, what are you so worried about?” Yong asked with an intense stare that bore into Moonbyul’s soul

“I, uh, well you see--” Her mother fidgeted under the dragon’s gaze. 

Wheein was still spaced out. She couldn’t tell if she felt relieved or not. Relieved as to not having to be in the same space as her parents with Hyejin, or relieved as to having space with Hyejin without her parents. Thought the answer was obvious enough. Once it dawned on her that she will be sharing a space with Hyejin without her parents supervision, she couldn’t help but mentally scream. 

“Don’t you trust our daughter? Besides, Hyejin will behave herself.”

Despite the mental screaming, Wheein still heard her mom’s words. It took a while for them to fully register  but once they did, her mental screaming turned physical.

“MOM!” A distressed whine.

“YONG.” Another distressed whine uttered at the same time.

Yong didn’t even budge.

“What? I just don’t want any physical damage, alright? No loud cursing or yelling either, especially at night. I would like to get sleep, thank you.” Yong said without even looking at them. She was busy writing down possible activities they could all do. 

Wheein never felt redder nor hotter in her entire life. She was very tempted to just walk away and go straight into the pool in order to try to cool off. But she couldn’t move. She just sat there, staring at nothing except the scribbles on the paper. She was having a better reaction than her mother though.

Poor Moonbyul. Her face went through a whole range of emotions. Morphing from one to the other like one fluid act. It was dramatic. It was painful. It was mortifying. She looked everywhere trying to discern if this is actually real life and that her wife did not just suggest that Wheein and Hyejin--

“Why do you two look so mortified?”

Yong finally took note of their silence and looked up at them. She saw Moonbyul go through an entire drama with her face, and Wheein seemed to have moved on to the next life. So, of course she had to ask them what was the matter. Why they looked so mortified. She just didn’t expect them to both respond with a sad, high pitched, whine. 

Yong only squinted at them as she tried to figure out what made them both whine like disturbed children. It was only upon further investigation on Wheein’s face did it dawn on her why they were both disturbed. And once it did, her face fell into a dead stare.

“You two are such erts, I swear to god.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hottests months past and soon the trip was upon them. Her parents rented a spacious van in order to fit all of their stuff. And in the early morning of the first day, they picked up Hyejin and they all said their hellos and goodbyes to the family. 

The trip to the condos would have been long, but it passed with relative ease. The drive there is just over five hours long. The greatest weapon against such a long drive being stuffed in a van? Karaoke. 

The minute Yong was done explaining to everyone the possible list of activities, rules of the condo, curfew, yada yada, Moonbyul immediately plugged in her Mp3 player and started the car karaoke party. 

The only downside was that they tired themselves out. Even with the one rest stop, it wasn’t enough. Their karaoke, sometimes it was just straight yelling, did a good number on their voices and stamina. So by the time they reached the condo, they just wanted to take it easy.

There was just one small problem.

Originally the condos were supposed to be right next to each other, however, the previous tenant to one of them completely wrecked the place so it’s under repairs. But there is another condo unit available. On a completely different floor.

“Hmmm, I’ll guess we’ll just all have to be in  one--” Moonbyul started before Yong interrupted.

“We’ll take that unit then.” Yong said without a second thought.

Moonbyul whipped her head towards Yong, “What?? Why--”

She stopped the moment Yong looked at her dead in the eyes with a piercing gaze.

“Summer. Junior year.”

Moonbyul immediately backed down and trudged back to the car to help the girls unload. And to tell them about the units. She suspects that they will be a bit too happy about that. And she was right. But she had to hand it to them, they both hid their joy very well. Even under the eyes of the dragon and tiger.

“Alright, so you two will be on the ninth floor,” Yong handed out their key cards to them, “ While we’re on the fifth. Go ahead and put up your stuff and we’ll call you guys down to get something to eat later, alright?”

Both girls nodded and they all went their separate ways.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as they entered their assigned condo, Hyejin immediately dropped everything to run to the sliding doors and open them. Letting the ocean breeze waft through the condo and fill their nostrils. Hyejin stood there and breathed deep. Savoring the smell of the ocean under the high sun. 

“This is awesome!” Hyejin happily looked at Wheein who was currently dragging her stuff into the master bedroom.

Seeing the childlike joy and excitement in Hyejin’s eyes, Wheein couldn’t help but give a soft smile. She loves seeing Hyejin like this.

“ You look like a kid in a candy shop.” Wheein giggled as she also noticed that Hyejin seemed to be slightly vibrating from the excitement.

“ yea I am! The beach, the ocean, this condo, and the food!” Hyejin moved back towards Wheein to help her, “It’s paradise, especially since you’re here with me. It’s not paradise without you.”

Hyejin gave Wheein a smile so bright that she felt blinded. Blinded while her heart skipped a beat. But she can’t lose her cool now. It hasn’t even been a day!

“Aww, you’re such a soft lion.” Wheein playfully pinched Hyejin’s cheek with a free hand. 

She was proud with her declaration but the moment she felt Wheein pinch her cheek, she pouted.

“Hey! That’s hot lion to you.” Hyejin replied while putting Wheein’s suitcase next to the bed.

“ I hope you brought enough sunscreen or you’re gonna be a burnt lion!” Wheein said innocently. 

Hyejin pouted even more and whined like a small child as she loosley clung to Wheein.

“Heeeey, you’re supposed to complement my hotness.”

“Hm? Well yea you’re hot. It’s like in the 90s in here, Hyejin-ah. We haven’t the A/C and you left the sliding door wide open.”

Hyejin stopped and stared at Wheein. Wheein only looked at her with those cute, adorable, innocent, puppy eyes whose colour is like a dark river of chocolate.

“How…...how are you so smart yet so dumb at the same time.”

“Have you seen my parents?” 

“Ok, yea, that’s valid.” 

Hyejin finally let go of Wheein in order to move her stuff to the other bedroom. She gave Wheein a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out, but Wheein quickly grabbed her hand in order to stop her. Just by Wheein’s touch alone, how desperate and pleading it was, Hyejin knew that Wheein needed to say something. Looking at Wheein’s face also confirmed her theory.

Wheein’s eyes were darting around, something that she does whenever her mind is racing fast, too fast. Recognizing such a sign, Hyejin gently grabbed Wheein’s hand. Her touch sends the message that she will patiently wait for Wheein to verbalise her thoughts. A touch so simple, that Wheein’s mind does slow down. It slows down enough for Wheein to also build up the courage to ask her question.

With a resolved sigh, Wheein finally asked her question.

“Do you wanna share a bed?”

Silence filled the room. For two seconds.

The moment the question was asked, Hyejin immediately tackled Wheein onto the bed. Wheein only had time to let out a small yelp before being bombarded with quick, fluttering kisses that stretch from her face to her neck from Hyejin. They were so quick, so fluttering, that they tickled poor Wheein to death.

Bursting into laughter, Wheein tried her best to get away from the source but the source wouldn’t let her get out of range. But she still continued to try. Until she had to give in and beg Hyejin to stop so she could breath.

Hyejin propped herself up on her elbow to get a good look at Wheein.

“I will gladly share a bed with you. Especially since you have that ocean view and balcony access!” Hyejin pointed towards the sliding door with her thumb excitingly.

“Oh, so you only wanted to share a bed because of the ocean view, huh?” Wheein asked in a small, playfully, hurtful tone.

“Uhh, nooo? It’s just an added bonus!” Hyejin defended herself.

“Uh-huh. So would you rather have me or the ocean view?” Wheein playfully asked.

“...Uh..”

“Why are you hesitating!”

“I’ll always choose you, babe!” Hyejin nuzzled into Wheein’s neck, “like a pokeman.”

Wheein could only groan. This was going to be a long two weeks

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The clock kept ticking and at each second, Wheein reflected. She reflected on what the hell just happened. She reflected on how they got into this situation. This position. But that’s a moot point. She knows exactly how they got into this position. This delicate position.

Hyejin was underneath her, sound asleep. Meanwhile, Wheein was on top of Hyejin, with no top on, wide awake. No top, no bra, nothing. The only heat she felt on her upper torso was from Hyejin's body.

Listening to Hyejin’s heartbeat, she finally started to feel the pull of sleep. The warmth of Hyejin’s arm that was wrapped around her was her safety blanket. She scooted up just a little bit in order to nuzzle into Hyejin’s neck. Seeking shelter under Hyejin’s chin and seeking comfort in Hyejin’s sent. 

The clock kept ticking and the only thing Wheein could reflect on was this past week. The past week that led up to this hot summer’s night.