Okay, so.

Hitomi knows since long ago—way, way back before they started dating—that no one actually knows how impulsive this one person called Kim Minjoo can be. Which is a contrast of her personality as an introvert. Being a strong introvert herself, Hitomi knows first-hand how they have to plan every outing in advance to maximize the time together before the social battery depletes or everything will turn south extremely quick.

Which, unfortunately, happens too quickly for her.

And Minjoo.

(Still, the Champion is Yuri and Sakura, by the way.)

But, but—

There are many occasions wherein Minjoo doesn’t plan. At all. Every other outing that involves anyone but her own girlfriend, sure, Minjoo never failed to list down what she wants to attain from this outing and match her schedules and actually participate in planning what they actually want. Sometimes, it’s so meticulously planned. Ridiculously, meticulously planned. Only through the sheer will power of the extrovert-line of the group they are able to break the confinement of the restricting planning.

But all of that is thrown out the window whenever it’s just Hitomi and Minjoo alone. Minjoo can suddenly suggest that they should go have an ice cream date when it’s in the middle of winter and she will drag Hitomi with her—and they’ll somehow ended up ice-skating and buying a ton of Starbucks. Courtesy of their dormmates, of course.

One other time Minjoo asked Hitomi to go on an ordinary date around the usual busy district of Seoul, but somehow; they ended up in Sokcho, feasting seafood they both love for two days unsupervised. It’s almost like a kidnapping. The other time, a quick visit to an animal shelter ended up to them adopting three puppy Labradors that Minjoo’s brother fell in love at the first sight with a tad too quickly. Needless to say, the puppies ended up with Minjoo’s brother.

But the most incredulous thing was that time when Minjoo suddenly barged inside her room, in the middle of the night, with three plane tickets to Jeju island. Minjoo, Hitomi, and Jayoung unnie. Earliest flight for the next day.

At first Hitomi questioned as to why their most trusted manager had to be dragged with them, but Hitomi realized that this is Minjoo and swallowed the protest that had been bubbling on . It’s either that Minjoo is aware of her own chronic impulsiveness and decided to drag a (un)willing third party to tone it down of some sort or it’s just Jayoung unnie knowing this and decided to take matters into her own hands, strongly traumatized by the yelling the team of managers received when Hitomi and Minjoo disappeared for two days without news.

Either way, Hitomi is glad she’s not left alone with Minjoo. They could’ve ended up in Japan. It's a bit far-fetched, but never underestimate Minjoo. Hitomi learned it the hard way.

Don’t get her wrong, she loves and trusts Minjoo with all of her heart—it’s just that Hitomi has never been to Jeju before and planning does wonder to unfamiliar places!

Still, the trip was amazing and Hitomi would never forget the mind-blowing first experience of spending a portion of the night with Minjoo in the jacuzzi, which is a luxury. Twenty years of living, Hitomi had only able to have a taste of onsen and bathtub installed on the hotels. She never knew an expensive jacuzzi could offer a vastly different experience altogether!

Hitomi would choose quick showering over drowning herself in warm water for efficiency and efficacy purposes, but a dip inside a luxurious jacuzzi once every few days would be nice.

The was great too. Better than doing it in the showers. Definitely.

--

Back to Minjoo’s impulsiveness.

So perhaps her impulsiveness doesn’t really affect Hitomi in the bad way. But so what? Her lack of initial plan and discipline into putting some kind of strategy to prepare on what’s to come; and rely purely on improvisation and basic survival instinct, do put her mind in incredible stress!

Hitomi is an overthinker by heart. Minjoo is too.

But again, it’s all forgotten the moment they are left to fend for themselves!

Screw the what ifs! Minjoo’s motto is only wing it when it’s with Hitomi.

As much as Hitomi liked thrills, it could be dangerous.

--

“I miss you, Tomi-ah.”

Hitomi lets a huge smile blossom across her lips. She takes a moment to look around—and when the staffs around her don’t look like they are listening, Hitomi giggles and replies with an equally gentle voice,

“I miss you too.”

There’s a light groan across the line. A whine. A rustle of what Hitomi assumes Minjoo’s clothes against the sheets. There’s a small naughty thought crossing her mind, but it’s midday, damn it.

“I need a hug,” Minjoo says, sighing so loud and long, fully delivering the desperation she feels to Hitomi. “I need your hug. I need you. My Tomi-Tomi. My personal bolster!”

Best to ignore that last comment. “Didn’t I tell you to hug Tomi-Tomi whenever you miss me?”

Creaks. Another rustles. “I want the real Tomi-Tomi!”

“As much as I want to,” Hitomi glances at her side, nodding at the instruction the staff is giving before resuming her call, “I can’t for this month. I can visit you on your birthday week, though, how about that?”

She can vividly imagine how Minjoo harrumphs, pouts, and falls back to her back with her dissatisfied face, almost like the person herself is right in front of her, sitting on the couch of the artist’s waiting room. “Hmph!” Hitomi stifles a laugh. Minjoo is definitely smashing her fist against one of her pillows, that’s for sure. “That’s still in a month, damn it! I miss you, Hii… I want to meet you now!”

“How about facetime later, hmm?” She tries to coax, dropping her tone to a gentler one that she hopes will stop Minjoo’s sulking.

“But I want your hug!” Minjoo insists pettily. That made Hitomi draws a long sigh and leans her back against the couch. Dang, that doesn’t work.

Again, Hitomi has the very vivid imagination of Minjoo glaring at nothingness while sitting straight when she spouts out the next words. “I know! How about you come here and let me cuddle you?”

“We’re one sea apart, Minmin,” Hitomi reminds with a chuckle, but it leaves a bitter taste on telling her that. “Two hours away from each other, sure, but we’re on two different countries. If we’re one floor apart like back then… I’ll even jump down spiderman-style to get inside your room.”

There’s a pause. Another rustles. The loud silence somehow signifies that Minjoo is contemplating her words.

And Hitomi is right.

“I’m interested in seeing you try, actually.”

Hitomi can’t help but roll her eyes. She can easily tell that Minjoo is genuinely looking forward to that. No. No way in hell.

“So you can try kissing me upside down?”

“We can always try that!” Hitomi guesses Minjoo is making that suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows while she passionately says so.

“No thanks,” Hitomi deadpans. “I’ve cleared all schedules possible around early February, by the way. Consider it as your birthday gift.”

“Gift gratefully accepted.” Minjoo suddenly stopped talking. “Wait, Tomi?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you free tonight?”

“Kind of?” Hitomi mumbles back, unsure. A quick check on her phone calendar was enough to confirm things. “Yeah. Tomorrow I got schedules starting noon, though. Why?”

“Oh,” Minjoo giggles on the other hand. There’s a door opening on the other end. What door, Hitomi isn’t sure. “Just had a thought of me flying there. Right now.”

“Wait, what?”

The call ended.

--

It’s Jeju trip flashback all over again.

--

“Nako-chan.”

“What an obsession!” Hitomi grinds her teeth as the obnoxious high pitch tone Nako uses to speak the moment the call successfully connected after two failed calls. This she calls her bestfriend... If she could revoke that bestfriend card, she would; but Nako is holding that bestfriend card so tightly it’s such a hassle to take it off her hands.

“The hell,” Hitomi growls out, face twitching. “Not even a Hi, Hii-chan?”

Nako tutted. “We’ve basically spent the whole week together, bestie. I’m already calling your name more than your own girlfriend does these past two months!”

Hitomi rolls her eyes, mumbling. “Bold of you to assume.”

“And you always call me first! If this isn’t obsession, what is it? Are you falling for me, bro?”

“I kindly request you to shut the hell up or I’ll tell Yuri about that.”

Nako gasps. Her voice lowers down to the usual tone. “You wouldn’t dare. Hii-chan I know would never blackmail her bestie like that.”

“You know what they said about new years, Nako-chan. New year new me. And stop calling me bestie!”

“I call that bull, bestie.”

“Wanna bet on it?” The blonde challenged, knowing Nako will stop.

Hitomi lets out a satisfied laughter the moment she hears that frustrated groan coming from the other end.

“Okay fine!” Nako hisses out, glaring, most probably. “I hate how Kangchan influences us both equally, damn it. What do you want?”

“I have a really, really bad feeling today,” Hitomi begins, very seriously. “To make this quick, if Minjoo is here tonight, I want you to tell everyone who ask about me I’m unfortunately unavailable mentally and physically. If she’s really here, then I want to get laid tonight.”

“What.”

She doesn’t give Nako even a moment to breathe and process. “And if somehow Minjoo proposed to me tonight, I want you to be my Maid of Honor, Hyewon unnie as our wedding organizer, Yujin as the MC, and I want either Chaewon unnie or Yuri dedicate a song or two for us.”

“…What the .”

“That’s all, bye!”

“Wait a damn minute why is Minjoo even ther—!"

The call ended.

--

Hitomi, for the nth time since the last call that was forcefully ended one-sidedly by Minjoo, draws out a long, winded sigh as she tosses her phone back to her bed. Her phone bounces harmlessly against her bed, still dreadfully silent without any new notifications she hopes comes from her girlfriend.

It’s been 4 hours since that call. Exactly 3 hours 10 minutes since Hitomi spam-messaged Minjoo and the only answer coming from the older one was a very infuriating ‘ehe’ with a wink emoji. The she meant by that? Hitomi thought, and replied almost immediately with another spam—but unfortunately, they were also left unread.

Now, while Hitomi is actually worried that Minjoo will proceed with her impromptu visit, Hitomi will definitely unalive Minjoo if this turns out to be a prank.

[Minjoo]: You have a new message

[Minjoo]: You have a new message

[Minjoo]: You have a new message

Hitomi hastily sits straight, gasping loudly with her hand reaching her phone almost instantly. Her hands are slightly trembling when she types down the password to access the messaging app, almost screaming out loud and on the verge of getting filed a noise complaint had it not because of her other hand quickly clamping over .

Hitomi jumps to her feet. She takes her best casual clothes and jacket, not forgetting to swipe the lone key car dangling on the holder. She almost ripped the holder from the wall but thankfully it didn’t happen.

[Minjoo]: Sent a photo

[Minjoo]: ya know the international arrival gate right?

[Minjoo]: im finally here!!

[Hitomi]: omw

[Minjoo]: patiently waiting dw:]

--

January’s air is cold. Fits, because it’s still winter. Today is slightly colder compared to yesterday, but Hitomi can barely feel it with how she is practically bubbling with excitement. The tips of her fingers are cold but so what? Minjoo will warm them up in no time.

She tiptoes, muttering at herself why she isn’t she gifted with towering heights like Wonyoung or Yujin. There aren’t a lot of people crowding around the arrival gate for the international flights, but how the hell they are so tall??

But thankfully, technology is a wonderful thing. A quick call is enough for the not-so dense crowd to part like how Moses part the sea. Minjoo is standing dramatically at the other end with her phone pressing against her ear. Hitomi can’t see her smile behind her mask, but Minjoo is practically radiating happiness and excitement when she pockets her phone away to bounce over to Hitomi’s spot.

Now, Hitomi is someone that doesn’t really like PDA—but for nearly a year of not having any physical contact with someone she holds very dear definitely takes its toll on her. Hitomi abandons any of her embarrassment of possibly being the center of attention in public and just launches herself to Minjoo.

It’s clear that Minjoo is surprised, but delighted. She reciprocates the hug just as fiercely, because she knows that as much as she wants to, making out with Hitomi when they are both celebrities in public won’t be good for the press.

“I miss you so much,” Minjoo tells her gently. There's a hint of tears on her mesmerizing eyes, the clear surface mirroring the view just right in front of her. “Do you miss me?”

Hitomi glares at her, annoyed at the mischievous grin playing up her lover's lips. Well, she can't see her lips but Minjoo is definitely grinning. Her hands are quick to move from Minjoo's shoulders to settle on Minjoo's cheeks, pinching the bouncy surface of her skin along with the fabric of her mask mercilessly until Minjoo scream—and laugh, at the same time.

“Of course, !”

--

Yeah, Minjoo’s impulsiveness is dangerous.

Dangerous for Hitomi’s heart and sanity.

“I hate you so much, Kim Minjoo.”

“Aw,” Minjoo grins wider, playfully nuzzling her forehead to Hitomi’s platinum colored crown, only to tilt her head slightly up to plant a kiss down her head. “I know you don’t. You just said you miss me!”

“You heard it wrong.”

But still, her fingers around Minjoo's own grasp tighter. Her body still sways toward Minjoo, greedy with her warmth and presence.

A gentle laugh resounds from Minjoo. The older one of the two returns the hold, even boldly plants another kiss down her lover's crown.

“I love you, Hitomi,” she says, smiling as she does so. “I hope I'm not wrong with you loving me back.”

Hitomi takes a deep breath.

She tilts her head up, enough until Minjoo and her stare eye to eye—and plants a quick peck on her cheek.

The younger one of the two snorts out her laughter upon the fluster on the other’s expression.

“And you’re right,” she cheekily says, smiling wide. “I love you too.”