“Alright, we’re done.” 

 

Yena spoke to herself just as she finished cleaning up the small classroom she was in charge of in the kindergarten she works in. She swept the rubber-matted floors, rearranged the small tables and chairs and lined up the small stuffed toys strewn away from play by the back wall. She took one last look at the empty and quiet classroom, a complete contrast to when it was usually filled with the voices of small and energetic children, to take note if there was still anything amiss. When there was nothing out of place, she closed the lights and the door before heading towards the faculty room by the end of the hall, in which she was greeted by one of her fellow teachers.

 

“Good work today, Yena-ssaem!”

 

“Thanks, you too!” Yena greeted back with a smile while taking off her apron and heading towards the table designated for her. She stashed the apron in one of the drawers of the table before switching her attention to her phone by her shoulder bag on top of the table. She picked it up and pressed a button to bring it to life, taking note of how her lockscreen was empty besides the large numbers by the top that indicated the time.

 

She gave a sigh.

 

“Anyone up for a Friday night out?” 

 

Yena heard one of her colleagues raise his voice to fill up the room, which was then followed by smaller voices that agreed to his invitation. She found it funny how after taking care of kids throughout the whole week, it was the adults’ turn to play.

 

“Yena-ssaem, you coming?”

 

Yena glanced at the open window that let a little bit of the orange light from the setting sun spill into the room. 

 

It was dusk. She guessed she still had enough time to go out and have some fun.

 

She turned back to her colleague and smiled.

 

“Count me in!”

---

The whole faculty went out to a restaurant to have an impromptu “company dinner” with grilled meat and some trusty soju. They ended up eating and drinking too much, their stomachs filled with food and alcohol as they filled the air with their laughter. Yena hasn’t had this much fun in a while, so it was nice to wind down for a change. Her fellow teachers were good company and she always had a good time just conversing with them.

 

They were leaving the restaurant when someone started inviting everyone for a second round of drinks in a nearby traditional bar, but Yena wasn’t really one to handle her liquor well.

 

“Ssaem, let’s go for another round!” one of her colleagues said.

 

“No thanks, I think I’m done for today,” she said, waving her hand as she felt the world around her spinning slowly. “I already contacted the chauffeur service.”

 

“Aw, that’s a shame,” another one of them said. “We were just getting started, and we’d be really happy if you came.”

 

Yena shook her head just as a car stopped near the restaurant, and she identified it as the car she was supposed to ride in.

 

“Besides,” Yena said to them. “I have a baby to take care of at home.”

 

They all suddenly donned confused looks on their faces at what they heard Yena say.

 

“Bye, guys! I’ll see you all next week!”

 

And the car sped off as soon as Yena stepped inside it. She missed the murmurs her colleagues said when she left.

 

“Is she a single mom or something?”

---

Yena came home to an empty house, the light overhead the doorway illuminated the small space making it possible for her to wobble around and take off her shoes. She stepped inside her apartment in small shaky steps as she was still tipsy, the dark interior helping her eyes avoid straining too much. She made her way to the kitchen to down a glass of cold water before heading straight to the bedroom to shower and have a change of clothes. As soon as she was done washing up, she immediately flopped down on her bed, slowly sinking in the sheets as she felt her eyelids droop. It didn’t help that the room was dark and quiet, her body getting the signal to rest from the atmosphere.

 

But she wasn’t allowed to sleep yet, her phone was still in her bag.

 

She got up and pulled out her phone, opening it to see no new messages still. She gave out another sigh as she got back to lying down on the bed, setting her phone down on the nearby nightstand.

 

She’s not here yet…

 

Yena closed her eyes and slowed her breathing until she finally lulled herself to sleep.

---

She floated back into consciousness when she heard the bedroom door open, sounds of muffled footsteps scraping against the floor following it. She kept her eyes closed, quietly listening to the sounds; she heard the bathroom door open and close, the light switch flipping open as the sound of running water filled the room. Soon, the sound of water halted, and after a while, the door opened and closed again. Yena heard those footsteps again, this time coming closer to the bed.

 

She didn’t need to open her eyes to see who it was, if she was going to meet her demise or not. Yena already memorized the sounds this person makes around the whole space of her house.

 

It didn’t take a while until she felt the bed dip and a familiar weight sunk itself onto her side, emanating heat that spread to the rest of her body. She felt the person bury their nose in her neck as they wrapped an arm around her stomach, giving out a deep sigh of comfort.

 

Yena felt a smile crawl up to her lips. She turned her head sideways, managing to plant a kiss on a forehead she knows all too well without the use of her eyes.

 

“I thought you were asleep…” she heard the person speak in the low, husky voice she loved so much, this time laced with grogginess.

 

“I’m always awake when you come home, baby,” Yena said.

 

The person raised their head from the crook of Yena’s shoulder to kiss her on the lips before moving back to their previous position. That small action was enough to make Yena’s smile grow wider, her arm wrapping around their shoulders. 

 

“Rough flight?” Yena asked.

 

“Twelve hours, plus another two just hovering above the airport because of traffic,” she heard them say. “It was beyond tiring. I just wanted to go home to you as soon as I could.”

 

Yena gave a chuckle. “I can never understand how the sky, which is so vast it’s basically free-for-all, still has traffic… I can barely drive properly in land without raging when there’s too much traffic.” Her hand started rubbing slow circles in a small spot on their back.

 

“Just goes to show how amazing you are, Yuri-yah.”

 

She felt her lover shake her head against her skin.

 

“You flatter me too much…”

 

Yena noticed her voice sounded even smaller, indicating that she was about to succumb to sleep. She figured that Yuri was too tired to continue the conversation any longer. She kissed the top of her head again and bade her good night.

 

“Good night, baby. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

---

Yuri felt herself waking up when she felt the rays of sunlight hit her eyelids. She was reluctant to move away from her position as she felt the best kind of comfort the world has to offer, and that was to be in the arms of Yena as they lay sleeping. They were over each other in tangled limbs, their breathing at the same pace, and her lover’s warmth was more than enough to tempt her to go back to sleep.

 

But then she suddenly remembered something that reminded her that sleeping would be a crime at that exact moment.

 

Crap…! 

 

She opened her eyes abruptly and moved away from Yena’s embrace, forcefully disentangling their arms and legs and pushing her away as she sat up, with Yena ending up on the floor.

 

“Ow!” Yena exclaimed in pain, the sensation on her effectively waking her up.

 

“Crap, crap, crap!” Yuri said as she sat up, checking the clock on the nightstand and immediately getting off the bed. “I’m late!”

 

Yuri grabbed her towel and threw it over her shoulder as she ped her suitcase and started throwing some stuff inside.

 

“Yuri, babe—” Yena started, only to get cut off.

 

“I have a flight in fifteen minutes! And I’m still here! Gosh, why do you have to be so good at cuddles?!”

 

As much as Yena liked the compliment, she focused on bringing Yuri’s attention to her.

 

“Baby, listen for a sec—”

 

“They’re gonna kill me! And I’m gonna lose my job!”

 

Yuri was about to dash into the bathroom in record time when Yena finally got a hold of her, literally. She squeezed both of Yuri’s cheeks with her hands as she held her head in place, forcing Yuri to look at her straight.

 

“Yuri-yah, listen,” Yena said calmly. “Chaewon called earlier. She said your flight got canceled.”

 

Yuri just looked at her blankly, her eyes giving only a single blink.

 

“Wha…?”

 

The hands on her cheeks eased their hold on her, and she felt Yena caress her palm on her skin.

 

“Your next flight isn’t until tomorrow.”

 

A beat passed, and Yuri suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned into Yena’s touch as she put a hand over one of her lover’s hands.

 

“Does that mean I can sleep in?” she said, the said sleep already making a comeback in her voice.

 

Yena just chuckled at her mannerisms. She removed her hands from Yuri’s face and opened her arms, Yuri immediately coming into her embrace. 

 

Sleepyhead.

 

“Let’s get back to bed, baby.”

---

They met when their mutual friends set them up on a blind date, a few years back. 

 

Kim Chaewon, a flight attendant, was friends with Choi Yena, a kindergarten teacher. Yena helped set Chaewon up on a date with Kim Minju, who she went to university with, and that was how the three became friends. Yena kept on voicing out her woes as a single-lady-since-birth to the Kim couple every time they met up, so Chaewon took matters into her own hands when she set her up on a blind date with one of her and Minju’s mutual friends. They invited her out on a meal in a nearby restaurant, and when Yena already convinced herself that she spending another day third-wheeling, they suddenly introduced her to someone.

 

“Yena, this is Jo Yuri,” Chaewon said, gesturing to the smaller girl in front of her. “She’s a pilot in the airlines I work for, and she’s one of our closest friends.”

 

Yena was definitely not ready for this.

 

She was convinced the two Kims were evil for setting her up on a date with someone she didn’t even know, particularly Chaewon. She would have to speak with her later after the meal, but for now, she’ll have to pull through with this sudden double date.

 

“U-Uh… Hi…” Yena said, awkwardness filling up the air between her and the Yuri girl. “I’m Yena… Nice to meet you.”

 

She extended a hand towards the other girl and gave a bow. Yuri responded by receiving the handshake and giving a bow of her own.

 

“Hi, I’m Yuri. Nice to meet you, too,” Yuri replied.

 

Yena doesn’t know if she thought right, but Yuri felt like she was as awkward with everything in their current situation as she was. The palm she held was sweaty, too. 

 

Still, she couldn’t deny that she found the young pilot pretty.

 

“Anyway, shall we have a seat?” they heard Chaewon speak beside them.

 

The four spent their dinner talking, and Yena made sure to listen intently to Yuri whenever she opened , which was easy considering that the girl was sitting directly across her. It surprised her herself, how she immediately took an interest in Yuri. Over the course of the meal, she learned that Yuri was from Busan, evident by the accent in her speech. She became a pilot because as a child, she was always interested in the sky and whatever it holds; she wanted to know if the clouds were indeed fluffy, and what birds see whenever they fly. Although her dream began as simple wonderings, Yuri never anticipated to push through with going to flying school. Now, flying is her greatest passion, and she dreams of having her own airplane someday.

 

Yena’s interest in the girl evolved into awe for her, taking inspiration at how passionate Yuri was in her occupation. She started thinking about her own job of teaching at the local preschool, wondering if that was what she truly wanted to do and if she didn’t have any other dream.

 

But do dreams have to be something high and extravagant? Can it be something as simple as just living life and being content with whatever you have?

 

She was broken out of her reverie when Yuri directed a question at her.

 

“What about you, Yena-ssi? Why did you become a kindergarten teacher?”

 

Yena was caught off-guard by the sudden ask, the fry she was munching on dropping back on her plate, earning a giggle from the people around the table. She contemplated on her answer, thinking too deeply on the subject until she settled on something simple.

 

“I don’t know,” she said, looking at Yuri as she gave her a smile. “I like kids and I like teaching, so why not do something that has both?”

 

Yuri nodded at her answer, giving a small “ooh” as a reply. Chaewon then shifted the conversation to another topic with another question, which took Yuri’s attention from Yena.

 

Yena had the impression that Yuri probably thought that she was a simpleton for her straight answer, but what else would she say to her if that was her only reason? She doesn’t really like complicating things, it only hurts her brain. That’s how she’s been living until now.

 

But why does she feel like, as her heart started beating in a different rhythm than usual, the appearance of the girl named Yuri in her life is going to change things for her and make it more complicated?

 

The night went on as Yena secretly dwelled on feelings that she didn’t have to deal with for the longest time, all because of a cute pilot.

---

Chaewon and Minju left them when dinner ended, stating they had other places to be. They ran out of the restaurant as soon as they paid their share of the bill, leaving Yena and Yuri standing in front of the building.

 

The awkward tension between them now that they were alone grew ten times thicker that Yena swore she could slice through it with a knife.

 

She doesn’t know what to do with the other girl, who was currently standing about a foot from her, as they were basically still strangers. She was only able to talk to her during dinner because her friends were with them, but now that she doesn’t have the extra push, Yena had no clue how to interact with Yuri.

 

“Um…”

 

Yena turned to look at Yuri as she heard her mumble something out. Yuri then faced her, and she noticed the slightly shorter girl’s face was a little red.

 

(Yena thinks her own face had the same shade as well.)

 

“I should probably go, Yena-ssi,” Yuri timidly said.

 

Yena’s mouth opened and closed as she didn’t expect Yuri to suddenly say that.

 

“Thanks for your time tonight, I really enjoyed it,” the shorter girl said, slowly taking a step back.

 

“Good night, Yena-ssi.”

 

Wait.

 

Yena didn’t know what to say. The other girl was clearly trying to end the night already, and as much as she wants to do the same because she couldn’t take the nervousness of being around someone unfamiliar anymore, it felt wrong to just let her go like that.

 

She wanted to get closer to the girl named Yuri, but she didn’t know what to do.

 

Yena could already hear Chaewon’s reprimanding voice if she tells her nothing happened between them tonight, and she wouldn’t want that to happen especially after everything her friend had to do just to make this meeting happen.

 

She mustered up the courage to finally speak, just when Yuri was about to hail a cab.

 

“Wait.”

 

Yena gulped down a lump in and urged herself to say something.

 

“You said you were from Busan, right?” she asked.

 

She watched as Yuri’s eyebrows met each other, a crease forming as she regarded her with confusion.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Have you…” Yena stammered, shoving her hands into her pockets as she continued conversing with the other girl. “Have you seen Seoul? I mean, have you been around Seoul already?”

 

“Mm…” Yuri hummed in thought, absentmindedly looking down as she pushed back her hair behind her ear. “Now that I think about it, no, I haven’t. Not even when I was still in flight school.”

 

Those were all the words Yena needed to hear. She felt herself slowly getting elated when Yuri gave her answer.

 

She didn’t know what came over her to suddenly move; the next thing she knew was she already had a hand clasped lightly around Yuri’s own, who was looking at her with wide eyes. She stood up straight and looked at her with a serious face, finally steeling her will to continue the night and spend it with Yuri.

 

It was now or never.

 

“Let me show you around,” she said, a small smile on her lips despite her face burning. “Seoul is exceptionally beautiful during a night like this.”

 

It took a second more of just staring at each other’s eyes before Yuri finally nodded.

 

“Okay,” she said with a small nod.

 

The smile on Yena’s lips formed into a full grin, slowly pulling Yuri close to her as they started making their way to their next destination.

---

That was their first night together. Eventually, they started going out officially, with Chaewon and Minju throwing a party for the both of them to show how much they rooted for the couple since the beginning (that, or they were just too extra, Yena thinks). Yena didn’t realize it would be hard to meet Yuri on a regular schedule, however, as she was always away flying planes. But whenever the young pilot had free weekends, Yena made it a mission to take her somewhere new, so that she could experience a lot of firsts together with her. And whenever she does, she makes sure that they have the grandest of times so that when the day comes that Yuri has to leave her for an extended period of time again, there wouldn’t be any feelings of regrets.

 

Yena took her to all the famous places in Seoul and the nearby provinces (Yuri enjoyed being the passenger for once whenever Yena takes her out on drives, but also because she was a terrible driver on land); from the ones that were always brimmed with tourists foreign and local alike, to the ones obscure from the public eye like back-alley cafés located in the most unassuming of places. It was a good thing Yena frequently walks around the city that she discovers its hidden gems, and now she has Yuri to share the joy of finding these spots. 

 

Although, there was still a problem.

 

As much as Yena enjoys their time together whenever Yuri wasn’t in the air, she can’t help but still feel lonely when Yuri was not beside her. She tried to do anything and everything to keep her mind away from missing her girlfriend too much, from going out regularly with her peers, walking around the city alone to scout for more places they could go to when Yuri comes back, to just staying at home and sleeping off the loneliness. Their regular video calls help alleviate some of it (with Yuri sometimes showing her Chaewon who was beside her doing the same thing with Minju), but the emptiness that comes after when Yuri disconnects the call just makes Yena yearn for her touch even more, especially when she dwells on the fact that her lover was miles away from her in a city she probably has never even heard of.

 

But there was nothing she could do except to wait until Yuri came home.

 

That was why, when the time came that Yena couldn’t take the feelings of missing Yuri anymore, she asked her to come live with her so she could see and hold her easier than when they had their own places.

 

They were on a date in Everland that day because Yuri couldn’t seem to get enough of seeing the attractions there. The sun has sunk a long time ago, draping the sky in darkness, but definitely not the ground; there were more than enough bright lights to illuminate the whole area of the theme park to rival the number of stars present in the night sky. The crowd was still thick despite the late hour, so Yena and Yuri made sure to hold each others’ hands tight (and the churros in their other hands even tighter) to make sure they wouldn’t lose their way. They were walking towards the central plaza to watch the night parade and the grand fireworks display, and as they got nearer, the crowd became denser.

 

Yena was too competitive for their own sake, so she forcibly squeezed through the crowd with Yuri in tow just to get to the front of it, just behind the rope that separated the parade route and the part where the crowd could spectate. It didn’t help that Yuri came to their date still in her pilot uniform and leather shoes, and it wasn’t the most comfortable of attires to spend a day in the theme park with. Still, she pulled through with it, because she believed spending time with Yena was more important than thinking of her own comfort.

 

(That doesn’t mean Yena didn’t berate her for it, though. Still, Yena held on to her pilot hat, saying that it looked too cool to leave in the lockers with her suitcase. Instead of buying any of the animal-themed headbands sold around the park, Yena just kept on wearing Yuri’s hat, much to the owner’s amusement.)

 

It wasn’t long until the parade started, and all the beautifully-crafted floats dotted with colorful LED lights passed by, along with all the mascots who were similarly colored. Yena only paid attention to the parade for a little while, however, as she thought the sight of Yuri’s face painted with awe and the reflections of the lights were a better and prettier view to watch than whatever was going on in front of them.

 

It didn’t take long for Yuri to notice Yena’s staring, however.

 

“Is there something on my face, Yena?” Yuri said, a smirk forming on her lips.

 

Yena just smiled at her, her eyes not moving away despite being caught. “No, just enjoying the view.”

 

Yuri turned to look at her then. “Funny how we just started dating a few months ago and you’re already so bold.”

 

If only you knew how much you have an effect on me.

 

Those were the words Yena wanted to say to her, but she opted to stay quiet. It was amazing how in such a short span of time, Yuri’s appearance in her life already rearranged her views on how she should live life. Maybe to other people it was still simple, maybe it even sounds dumb, but to Yena it was already complicated enough to completely mess her up. 

 

If you asked the Yena from months ago what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, she would answer that she would just want to live life simply and contentedly, doing the things she likes to do the most. But if you were to ask the Yena now, who was completely smitten with a certain lady-pilot, she would answer, full of conviction, that she would still want to live life simply and contentedly while doing the things she loves to do, so long as Yuri is beside her. That was all she wanted to do, to live her life with Yuri.

 

That was how much Yuri means to her. 

 

That was how much she loves Yuri.

 

“Live with me, Yuri-yah.”

 

Her voice came out as a whisper, but Yuri still heard it loud and clear.

 

As Yuri looked at her in surprise, the predominantly brown color of her eyes danced with the rainbow of different tints reflected from the parade in front of them, all mixed in with the emotions she failed to tell Yena. 

 

But even in the myriad of dances that currently existed in Yuri’s eyes, Yena knew her answer even before she spoke. That was why she was already grinning like an idiot (but she was an idiot, an idiot for Yuri) when Yuri muttered her answer.

 

“Okay.”

 

Yena mustered up her courage and went in for a kiss then, just when the fireworks shot to the sky and painted the black canvas of all the bright colored lights. Without thinking of the crowd around them that started to cheer either because of them or of the splendid display of magnificent sparks above them, Yena continued to press her lips onto Yuri, a hand on the side of her neck as her thumb gently her cheek. They tilted their heads as their arms slowly s around each other, allowing themselves to get bathed in the glow of the lights, the moon, the atmosphere, and most especially, their love for each other.

 

When they pulled away, Yena didn’t hesitate to tell her how she felt as she leaned her forehead on Yuri’s.

 

“I love you, Yuri.”

 

And Yuri did the same.

 

“I love you, Yena.”

 

That was the first time they declared their love for each other.

---

They went to a nearby photo booth, the one that printed out the pictures you take in filmstrips, just before they went home (separately, for the last time at least). They spent any of their remaining change on taking too many pictures that ranged from making funny faces to kissing in front of the camera. By the end of it, they had at least three strips for each other, and Yuri wanted the ones where she held Yena’s lips between her fingers and make her look like she had a duck’s beak. 

 

Yena agreed to let her have it despite the embarrassment, so long as she had the one where she posed with Yuri’s hat and the other girl ended up kissing her suddenly because, in the shorter girl’s words, she looked “too hot” in it.

 

When Yuri heard Yena’s condition, she had no choice but to give it to her, despite the feeling of embarrassment welling in her.

 

Yena gave her a laugh, all too happy to get away with making her girlfriend beet red.

---

It didn’t take long for Yuri to move in with her, thus starting Yena’s happiest days.

 

Yena didn’t find the adjustments too massive, despite people saying that it gets hard when you start living with someone. She was more than willing to share her personal space with Yuri, who seemed to feel the same way. Even so, she made sure Yuri was comfortable moving in with her, and if there were anything she had problems with, she told her to never hesitate to speak her mind.

 

Yena thinks the most major change that happened in terms of dating Yuri is how they don’t date at all, or rather, they just opt to stay inside the house. Yuri revealed she didn’t actually like going out; she was a homebody and she would rather sleep during her free days. When Yena asked her why she didn’t tell her this since she would’ve been alright with just chilling in either of their places, Yuri gave her a smile along with an answer that completely caught her off guard.

 

“You take me to the best places that I’ve never been to before, and I’d rather we experience a lot of things than just staying inside. I love spending time with you, after all.”

 

The taller girl just pouted at her when she said that, feeling tears come up to the surface of her eyes. She couldn’t believe Yuri hit the mark, that she voiced out the same exact reason on why she did her best in taking her out. Wordlessly, she gave Yuri one big hug after, pecking the top of her head several times much to the amusement of the other girl.

 

Of course, the skirmishes that all couples face also occurred between them, especially now that they were living under one roof. There would be times Yuri would be too exhausted from flying in and out of the country that she would stay in bed the whole day, and she would find Yena bothersome, being the clingy girl that she was. Yuri was exceptionally moody when she was tired, and it didn’t help that Yena’s clinginess would sometimes irk her out of her wits. She would raise her voice then, and Yena would sulk while keeping herself distant. Yuri would then slowly approach her and hug her backside without Yena knowing. In the timid way that Yena used to know her for, she would mutter out her apology.

 

“I’m sorry,” Yuri would say. “I know I’m tired, but that doesn’t mean I should raise my voice at you. I know you just mean well.”

 

But Yena wasn’t really someone who could get mad easily, and she would be damned if she ever got mad at Yuri.

 

“It’s okay, baby,” Yena would say, immediately turning around to envelope Yuri in a hug. “It’s my fault for not giving you some personal space even when I already know how you are when you’re tired. I won’t be pushy next time.”

 

Yuri would kiss her cheek then, and Yena would join her in bed to give her what she was best known for: her cuddles.

 

(Yuri would fall asleep not even five minutes after getting under the covers with her.)

 

Their relationship worked this way. The fights that they get into now and then were seldom and far in between because of how they always communicate with each other, as they made a promise to bare themselves open to each other and to never hide anything. They could talk about anything and everything, from their worries and fears to their hopes and dreams. They both know that this was their way of building trust between each other, as well as to make their spending time at home meaningful, so when Yuri needed to go on another flight, there wouldn’t be anything ill between them.

 

Once, Yuri asked her if she was okay about her frequent absences. They were having a late-night dinner with some take-out when Yuri brought up the topic. Yena immediately sensed there was something wrong as soon as Yuri opened .

 

“Have you ever wished I wasn’t a pilot? That I should be something else instead?”

 

Yena cocked an eyebrow at her. “...Where did this come from, Yuri-yah?”

 

Yuri kept silent, bringing her head down.

 

“Come on baby, tell me. I won’t get mad, I promise.”

 

She gave out a sigh. “It’s ridiculous, really.”

 

Yena nodded for her to go on.

 

“It’s just… every time I kiss you goodbye and walk out the door, I feel a bit guilty because I always leave you for a long time. It hurts more when I have to leave during the early morning when you’re still asleep. I know you say that you’re okay just as long as we keep calling each other when I’m away, but I also know how much you value physical affection. That’s why…” 

 

Yuri pushed a lump down and forced herself to say her next words.

 

“That’s why I’ve been thinking of maybe switching jobs.”

 

Clink.

 

Yuri looked up and saw Yena drop her chopsticks, her eyes wide and her eyebrows slant.

 

“Why would you think that…?” Yena said, her voice dropping.

 

Yuri shook her head immediately as soon as Yena said that.

 

“I-It was just a passing thought! I knew it was ridiculous, but… But we made a promise to tell each other everything, remember?”

 

Yena huffed and moved closer to Yuri, wrapping her arms around her.

 

“You’re kind of an idiot, aren’t you?” Yena said, the other girl’s hair as she leaned a cheek on it. “Why would I let you sacrifice living your dream just because of what I want?”

 

She felt the girl’s arms circle around her waist and held her tightly, keeping quiet.

 

“There are some sacrifices we have to make when we decide to be in a relationship, Yuri-yah, and being away from each other is one of ours. I admit, it does get lonely a lot when you’re not here and the silence of the house makes me sick, but it’s all the more reason to look forward to you coming back, right?”

 

Yena pulled away and looked down at the girl snuggled in her chest, a pout evident on her lips. 

 

“What’s more important for me is that you come back to a warm home, Yuri. That’s what matters.”

 

She removed the hand that was Yuri’s hair to flick a finger on her forehead.

 

“Ow!” Yuri exclaimed.

 

“That’s what you get for thinking about useless things!” Yena scolded her.

 

Yuri’s pout deepened, proceeding to hide her face in Yena’s chest. 

 

“...Sorry,” came her response.

 

Yena gave a sigh, a smile on her face as she planted a kiss on Yuri’s head. 

 

“I can’t believe I have to bring my job of taking care of kids here at home,” she jokingly said. “Good thing I’m good at handling babies.”

 

Yuri didn’t even bother retaliating. She knew her girlfriend was right, that despite her being an accomplished pilot, she was still immature in a lot of aspects. As for Yena, she sometimes found it surprising how the girl was mature despite her childish appearance that helped her in doing her occupation as a kindergarten teacher well.

 

Yuri made a silent promise to herself that she would grow to become a better person, not just for herself but also for Yena.

 

As she closed her eyes that night, under the covers and in the arms of her lover, she couldn’t help but think about the future and how the only thing certain about it was Yena being beside her.

 

Yuri dreamed of building her future home with a girl whose lips resembled that of a duck’s beak.

---

There was one particular instance when Yuri came home much to the surprise, and delight, of Yena.

 

Yena doesn’t know why, but Yuri always rings the doorbell to their place when she comes home midday, even when she knows the code to the door (Yena supposed Yuri knew that she was home and that her lover secretly enjoyed having her open the door for her and welcome her with hugs and kisses). But when Yena heard the doorbell ring that one day knowing it was Yuri, she was the one who was greeted with a kiss instead.

 

As soon as Yena opened the door when she was about to greet Yuri with a smile already on her face, her lips were suddenly attacked by Yuri’s own, the pilot’s (who was still in her uniform, complete with shoulder boards and all) arms snaking around her neck to bring her closer. Yena was caught in surprise by the sudden kiss, but it didn’t take long for her to kiss back, managing to close the door and lock it with Yuri still clinging to her. She gently pushed Yuri’s back against the door as their kiss deepened, their heads tilting against each other as they felt their tongues swiping each other’s lips. Yuri heard herself emit a sound coming from the back of when Yena nibbled on her bottom lip and hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around Yena’s waist. 

 

Yena, without disconnecting her lip-locking with the girl she was now carrying, slowly waddled towards the couch in the living room, being careful not to bump themselves into anything along the way. Once her knees hit the couch, she gently put Yuri down on the cushions, making it her cue to deepen the kiss even further, her tongue finally gaining access into Yuri’s mouth.

 

Yuri couldn’t hold herself back anymore as she let a moan out while still kissing Yena, her hands now traveling all over Yena’s frame as the girl hovered over her. She felt one of Yena’s hands caressing her cheek, making its way downwards to her neck, and finally on her chest, her fingers slowly popping open the buttons of her uniform one by one.

 

By the third (or fourth, Yuri lost her ability to count) button, Yena pulled away, her breathing a bit labored as she looked at the disheveled Yuri beneath her. She gently placed a kiss on her cheek before whispering a question, her breath hot against Yuri’s ear.

 

“How much time do we have?”

 

Yena knows why Yuri kissed her hard as soon as she appeared in front of her, she felt the frustration that came with it. She knew she was going on another international flight that lasted at least two days away from home and barely had enough time to rest. Yuri still pushed through with going home though, because she wanted to see Yena and spend time with her, even just for a little while.

 

“F-Five…” came Yuri’s reply, her voice thick with the passion that she recognized, the one that brought her close to the edge. “Five hours, I think.”

 

“Good,” Yena said, bringing her lips close to the sensitive skin just below Yuri’s ear, the action causing a shiver down Yuri’s spine. “That’s more than enough time.”

 

Yena’s lips traveled from her ear and down her exposed neck, a wet trail in its wake. Her fingers started working on the buttons of her shirt again, continuing to remove them until the very last one. Yena placed a hand on the curve of Yuri’s waist as she placed a wet kiss just below the spot where her collar bones meet and murmured something against her skin.

 

“Let me take care of you, baby.”

---

Yuri yawned as she washed her hands in the restroom inside the lounge where employees of her airlines spent time in before boarding the plane. She was starting to regret not getting a wink of sleep when she went home, opting to do other things with her girlfriend instead.

 

But then she remembered what Yena did to her, what she made her feel, and the thought immediately vanishes, being replaced with thoughts of how much she enjoyed it.

 

(She started thinking of how she would like to do it again as soon as she got home.)

 

She was shaking her hands free of any of the remaining water when she shifted her eyes to watch Chaewon on the mirror, who was beside her tying the scarf that was part of her flight attendant uniform around her neck. Yuri caught a glimpse of a purple mark on her skin just before the scarf covered it, which prompted her to give her friend a smirk.

 

“Looks like I wasn’t the only one who had… business to attend to at home.”

 

Chaewon glared at her against the mirror, her expression mixed with shock. She opened the tap just to swipe her hand against it and splash Yuri with the water.

 

Yuri just continued to snicker at her, watching Chaewon stick her tongue out at her before dashing out of the restroom.

---

Yena put the car on idle as she pulled over by the curb, in front of the entrance of the airport terminal for international departures. She pushed the button for the car’s hazard lights on and looked over to the sleeping woman seated beside her in the passenger seat.

 

Yuri was lightly snoring against the car window, who slept through the whole drive fully decked in her uniform. She couldn’t blame her, Yuri always had trouble waking up in the early mornings when the sun itself didn’t have any plans to rise yet, so she took it upon herself to start driving her to the airport when she had a late-night flight. As much as Yena wanted to let her keep sleeping, she wouldn’t want to jeopardize her girlfriend’s career. She placed a hand to her shoulder and gently shook her awake.

 

“Yuri, babe, we’re here.”

 

Yuri’s eyes fluttered open as she slowly sat up, her senses coming back to her as she recognized where they were. She rubbed her eyes as a yawn escaped from , then proceeded to stretch her arms outward. 

 

Yena just watched her in silence, thinking how she looked so adorable when she just woke up.

 

“I forgot to ask, but where to this time?” Yena inquired.

 

“Paris,” Yuri said, flipping down the sun visor to check herself in the mirror.

 

“Always wanted to go to the City of Love,” Yena said.

 

Yuri gave her a frown, putting the visor back up. “I can’t believe I’m going to Paris for work. It’s cruel how I’m going there with my co-pilot and not my girlfriend.”

 

Yena gave her a chuckle, pulling her closer to give her a kiss on the temple.

 

“Next time.”

 

She gave her a light kiss on the lips this time and bade her goodbye.

 

“I’ll see you later,” she said. “Take care, baby.”

 

Yuri gave her her own goodbye as well and got off the car to retrieve her suitcase in the backseat. When she stood on the curbside leading to the airport’s entrance, she gave Yena one last wave before turning around to get inside.

 

Yena didn’t leave until she watched Yuri get through security and her back disappearing into the crowd. When she was sure Yuri was nowhere in sight, she turned off the hazard lights and pulled the car away from the curbside, making her way back home.

---

A few days later, Yena received a phone call that greatly baffled her.

 

“I’m sorry, can you please repeat that?” Yena said, her phone on her ear as she listened to whatever the lady on the line told her, a look of confusion on her face. 

 

“You won a business class trip to Paris, Choi Yena-ssi!” the lady said, the enthusiasm evident in her tone. “Congratulations!”

 

Yena slowly felt the confusion melt into surprise, and it didn’t take long for her to grin and exclaim her joy out loud, breaking into happy little hops in the living room.

 

With Yuri away all the time, the responsibility of keeping the house clean fell onto Yena. She didn’t really have a choice, but she was more than happy to play the housewife role so long as Yuri can come home to a place that brought her comfort and allowed her to let go of her fatigue. That was why Yena formed the habit of tuning in to the home shopping channel during her free time. She found the products on sale there a lot useful for housekeeping, and the random promos that came with ordering them were fun to get.

 

She didn’t actually expect that she would win a whole ticket to France just because she was the first caller to buy a new kitchen knife set.

 

“Oh, but it wasn’t just because of the knife set you bought, Choi-ssi,” the lady on the phone explained. “We also checked our roster of frequent callers and we found out that you always call, so that increased your chances of winning the grand prize!”  

 

Their phone call ended when the lady finished explaining how she could claim the ticket, and Yena was b with excitement to tell Yuri of the good news. That night when Yuri called her as she was away in another country and was just waiting for her next flight, Yena told her about her win.

 

“A trip to Paris?” Yuri said, her eyes widening. “That’s great news!”

 

“It sure is,” Yena said. Her lips suddenly pouted as she thought of something. “You think you can get away with becoming the passenger for a change? I need myself an experienced companion.”

 

“Mm,” Yuri hummed. “When’s the flight?”

 

“Uh, February 14th,” Yena replied, remembering the flight details she got through email earlier.

 

“Valentine’s, huh…” Yuri said, the disappointment already in her voice. “I’m sorry Yena, I have a flight to Hawaii that day.”

 

Yena deepened her pout when she heard the bad news. She sighed, thinking about how she wouldn’t be able to spend Valentine’s Day of all days with her girlfriend.

 

She decided there was nothing she could do about it though.

 

“Oh well, there’s always next time,” Yena said. 

 

“I’m sorry, baby,” Yuri said, apologetic. “You should still go though, it would be a waste if you wouldn’t.”

 

Yena contemplated it for a bit, thinking if she even had enough savings to afford the rest of the trip there. Yuri told her she’ll send her some money if she thinks she didn’t have enough, and with enough convincing, Yena finally agreed.

 

They continued to talk until Yuri had to board the next plane, which was her trip home. Yena gave her the usual “see you later” and flew a kiss through her phone’s front camera before disconnecting the call.

---

Yena never really goes on flights frequently, thus she thinks the nervousness that was currently hijacking her system was justified. It didn’t help that this was her first-ever international flight, and it wasn’t even a neighboring country.

 

She saw Chaewon greet her when she entered the plane, in her hospitable flight attendant mode, and the sight of her friend gave her a bit of relief. She even had to keep herself from laughing because it was the first time she saw Chaewon as a flight attendant.

 

(Yena gave her a wink then, and she saw a glint in Chaewon’s eyes that sent a threatening message despite the smile on her face.)

 

It wasn’t long before the seatbelt sign above her lit up, prompting her to fasten her seatbelt as she felt the plane’s vibration getting stronger. The flight attendants then scattered along the aisles, checking the windows, the overhead compartments, and the passengers if they already had their seatbelts on. She took this as the cue to look out her window and saw the sun in the morning sky, washing Seoul in a light that made it seem brighter than usual. The blue backdrop the sky offered gave the concrete buildings against it some contrast, making them look more prominent.

 

This was goodbye to the city that she lived in her whole life, at least for now.

 

A few minutes later, a megaphone flashed on the monitor in front of her to signal the start of a passenger announcement. She heard the static crackle as the radio came to life, and through it came a voice Yena definitely did not expect to hear.

 

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Korean Air Flight KE022 bound for Paris, France. This is your captain speaking and my name is Yuri.”

 

Yena leaned away from her seat to focus on the voice on the speakers, who happened to be her lover, as she processed the thought of Yuri not just being on the same flight as her but being the one flying the plane as well. All this time she thought that Yuri wasn’t even in Korea in the first place since she told her that she would be on another flight the same day, but now she felt it hard to believe that Yuri was there.

 

They were together on the same plane, on a trip to Paris.

 

They were going to Paris together.

 

Although it wasn’t quite how Yena expected, she still felt her heart burst into tiny pieces in joy and excitement.

 

As Yuri finished her announcement, Yena felt the plane move, slowly picking up speed as it got to the freeway. It then went full speed as it ran the length of the runway, Yena unconsciously digging her nails into the armrests of her seat. The video briefing for flight safety then started playing in the monitor in front of her, the lights around her dimming. She closed her eyes as she braced herself for a rocky take-off since it was what she was used to in the few times she went on flights.

 

But it didn’t come.

 

When she opened her eyes, she already saw the city of Seoul receding beneath them, the tall buildings getting smaller and smaller until she couldn’t make them out anymore.

 

Yena thought that was the smoothest take-off she had ever experienced. Yuri must have been born a natural to be this good in handling the plane.

 

(She feels herself falling for her even more.)

 

Yena continued watching the view outside her window, leaning back on her seat as she looked at the clouds that surrounded them while the sun emitted its warm rays over the plane and the rest of the sky.

 

The thought of seeing the same beautiful view as Yuri at the same time was enough to warm her heart.

 

A few hours into the flight, when Yena could feel the pressure in her ears, she saw the flight attendants wheel in their in-flight meals. She grinned when she noticed Chaewon being in charge of her aisle. When her friend reached her row, she tried hard not to burst out laughing when she saw how much Chaewon tried to keep a straight face on despite trying to keep herself from laughing as well.

 

Instead of her usual smile, Chaewon ended up having a frown on her face just to stop the laugh that was threatening to come out of her at the sight of Yena. She handed Yena’s meal to her looking like she was about to commit murder.

 

(They paid no attention to the other passenger seated beside Yena, who was already giving them a weird look.)

 

“Here’s your meal, Choi-ssi,” Chaewon said, saying Yena’s name that gave the hint that they knew each other (Chaewon just didn’t care anymore). “Would you have coffee, tea, or juice with that?”

 

“I’ll have some juice, please. Thank you, Kim-ssi,” Yena replied, humoring Chaewon.

 

Just before Chaewon wheeled the cart of food away, the two friends gave each other a wink. Yena then opened up her meal and decided to watch a movie while eating. 

---

After watching her movie with her meal long gone and collected by Chaewon (whose frown turned into a grin when she returned), Yena felt herself getting sleepy. Just when she started getting comfortable in her seat and her eyelids drooping, another announcement from the pilot came.

 

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking, I’m here to bring you a few details about the flight.”

 

Yena forced herself awake just to listen to Yuri’s voice. She wouldn’t want to miss a single second of hearing her.

 

“We’re currently cruising at an altitude of 40,000 feet at 400 miles an hour. The estimated time of arrival at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport will be at 9:30 PM Korean Standard Time. Little to no turbulence is expected in our route.”

 

Who was she kidding?

 

Yena could barely keep her eyes open as Yuri went on with her announcement. Her girlfriend’s voice was the best of all lullabies; she could be spouting random words and Yena would still fall asleep to it. This time wasn’t any different, and not even the cramped space of her seat kept her from feeling drowsy.

 

Before she could sink into slumber any further, she heard Yuri say something through the speaker once more.

 

“For everyone’s information, the plane is carrying precious cargo in the form of a human-sized duck, so if it’s possible, please refrain from standing up too much as it may disrupt the plane and possibly cause damage to the cargo.”

 

Yena closed her eyes and tried to hide away, feeling her cheeks burn as the people around her chuckled. She knew Yuri was talking about her, hell, if she didn’t know any better she would bet all of her life that her girlfriend was grinning against the radio as she talked into it.

 

“That would be all for now. Please enjoy the rest of the flight.”

 

And the radio went silent.

---

Yuri was leaning on one of the walls that separated the first-class section from the business class section of the plane, looking at one particular passenger a few feet away from her. She felt herself smiling as she saw the said passenger nodding off against the closed window, the headphones provided in-flight covering her ears as she slept with open. 

 

Yuri swore she could hear her snoring despite the distance between them.

 

She was supposed to take a nap when she put the plane on autopilot, but she couldn’t resist leaving the cockpit to go and take a peek at Yena. What were a few minutes of lost sleep compared to gazing upon her sleeping lover?

 

She was glad she fought tooth and nail just to get assigned to this flight, she wouldn’t miss it for the world. Although her boss added a few more flights in her schedule, she decided it would be a fair trade just to be with her girlfriend in Paris. 

 

Especially with what she was planning to do.

 

She already talked to Chaewon about it, and her friend was more than happy to help her with it.

 

Yuri glanced at her watch, which was still set in Korean time, and noticed she had a few more hours left until arrival. She would need to get back to the cockpit soon.

 

She took one last look at the sleeping Yena and smiled before heading back inside.

---

Yena woke up just a few minutes before arrival.

 

The sun was blinding her through the window, confusing her how it was so bright when it was practically evening earlier.

 

(Then she remembered they were actually flying backward through timezones, which means the plane never really experienced the sun disappear. Such was the magic of the plane’s windows.)

 

She checked her phone (that she made sure was in airplane mode, she didn’t want to cause any problems for Yuri) and saw that her phone was still set in Korean time. There were thirty more minutes until they arrived, but she was already itching to stand up and stretch. Her felt numb from all the sitting she had to do, and the bathroom breaks she had weren’t enough to bring her comfort.

 

The lights overhead her lit up again, signifying to fasten her seatbelt just as she was thinking of going to the restroom again just to stretch. She was putting on her seatbelt with a pout when the monitor flashed a megaphone as she heard radio static again.

 

“Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain Yuri speaking once again. In a few more minutes we will be landing in Paris-Charles de Gaulle at an estimated arrival time of 1:30 PM local time. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for entrusting me with the responsibility of being your coach. It was an honor and I hope you had a splendid flight.”

 

Yena noticed the flight attendants start roaming around again, checking everything if they were in place. Just then, she heard the voice on the radio deviate from the usual pre-landing announcement script.

 

“There’s one more thing I’d like to talk about though.”

 

Yena saw Chaewon approach her with a sly smile on her face, to which she cocked an eyebrow to. Her friend handed her a small box, telling her to not open it until she heard someone say so before proceeding to walk further down the aisle.

 

“Earlier, I said we had precious cargo on board the plane if you remember well. You see, this cargo… This human-sized duck is the reason why my days are filled with happiness, ever since I met her.”

 

Yena couldn’t stop listening to the voice through the speakers, feeling anticipation welling up in her chest. It didn’t help that she badly needed to go to the restroom at that exact moment.

 

“It’s funny, really. I’m out here flying planes all the time, but at the same time, I leave my heart on the ground with her. And when I’m on land, my body is with her physically but my heart is in the sky soaring. She’s the only one who could make me feel that way. But this time, as I’m in the clouds right now, my heart is flying with me, on this very flight.

 

“Yes, the love of my life is a passenger on this plane.”

 

Yena heard the people around her murmur in surprise, their excitement filling up the atmosphere. Meanwhile, her heart started hammering against her chest while her bladder felt like it was going to burst at any second.

 

“There are so many things I want to say to her right now, but I’d want to start off by saying sorry. I’m sorry for always leaving you. I’m sorry that you feel lonely when I’m gone. I’m sorry for making the house feel like it’s too big for one person. I’m sorry for acting like a kid sometimes, and for picking fights with you when you just want to play with me. Most of all, I’m sorry for always sleeping.”

 

The last line earned a chuckle from Yena, shaking her head on how true it was. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t accept Yuri’s love for sleep, however.

 

“But I want to thank you as well. Thank you for always waiting for me. Thank you for keeping the house warm whenever I come home. Thank you for taking me to the best dates even when we’re just inside the house. Thank you for taking care of me, and how you always help me overcome my immaturity. Most of all, thank you for sleeping beside me always and for giving me the best cuddles.”

 

Yena’s chest tightened when Yuri’s speech of gratitude came over the speakers, and now she couldn’t stop the tear that finally left her eye.

 

“Choi Yena-ssi. My one and only love, the one who makes me feel like I’m flying but at the same time grounds me. My home, the one who gave shelter to my heart and keeps it warm with love. 

 

“If our dear friend did as she was told, you’d be holding a box right now. I’d like you to open it.”

 

It took a split second for Yena to process what she just said as she was already drowning in all the emotions Yuri made her feel until the passenger beside her nudged her with an elbow. She opened the box and saw a simple gold band dotted with a small diamond in the center.

 

Yena’s eyes covered in shock, and if it was still possible for her eyes to widen, it definitely felt like it did. Without looking away from the ring, she heard Yuri’s voice again.

 

“It would be the biggest honor if I could have your hand in marriage so we can take to the skies together, for the rest of our lives. What say you?”

 

Yena couldn’t take it anymore; she felt her love for Yuri just completely overwhelm her, so before her heart holds captive because of how much she was already crying, she shouted out her answer to Yuri’s question even if she couldn’t hear her.

 

“YES!” she screamed, making all of the people, cabin crew and passengers alike, in the vicinity jump in surprise. “Yes, Jo Yuri! I’ll marry you! I’ll happily marry you!”

 

The people in the plane started clapping their hands and whistling, but the cheers weren’t enough to contain Yena’s happiness from Yuri’s proposal. She was about to scream some more when Yuri’s voice on the speakers cut her off.

 

“Unfortunately I won’t be able to hear your answer since I’m still here flying this plane, even if you’re more than likely to be screaming your head off already, so I’ll hear it when we land.

 

“I’ll see you later, baby.”

 

The click that signaled the end of the announcement was heard followed by the silence, but the applause from the people in the plane still went on.

 

In the cockpit, however, everything was silent as the space for the people in charge of flying the plane was isolated from whatever commotion was happening outside it. Yuri placed the radio back to where it was held and brought her focus back to navigating the plane. That was when they heard a beep to indicate a transmission coming in from the telephone outside the cockpit, the one that chief flight attendants use to directly contact anyone in it.

 

“It’s Chaewon-ssi, Captain,” the first officer told Yuri.

 

Yuri pressed a button to answer Chaewon’s call.

 

“Yeah?” she said without taking her eyes off from the radar, her hands holding the control wheel firmly.

 

“She said yes, Yuri,” came Chaewon’s voice.

 

Yuri felt her heart stop at that moment, completely forgetting what she was doing as all that flooded her mind was nothing but Yena and joy. She didn’t feel her fingers slowly slipping from the wheel until her first officer beside her brought her back to reality.

 

“Congratulations, Cap,” she said, grinning at the pilot as she visibly turned red. “Now get your head out of the gutter.”

 

Yuri took a deep breath to bring her concentration back, gripping the control wheel properly again.

 

“Shut up. And thank you, that means a lot.”

 

She picked up the radio and pressed a button to make another announcement.

 

“Cabin crew, prepare for landing.”

---

Yuri was at the base of the Eiffel Tower, in a spot that still gave her a full view of its height. She was still in her pilot uniform with her small suitcase beside her, looking up one of the world’s most majestic pieces of architecture that transcended time as well as being a historical symbol for its home country. She has been to Paris a lot of times already, but her trips were only limited to the vicinity of the airport. She admits that she’d rather take naps in the lounge instead of sightseeing.

 

Not this time though.

 

“Flowers for the mademoiselle?”

 

She turned to look beside her and saw a bouquet of red roses directed at her, feeling her lips shape themselves into a grin. She looked up from the bouquet and saw Yena in a coat with her pilot hat on top of her head again, her own grin mirroring that of hers. Yuri saw that her cheeks were tinted red, either from the cold or from something else.

 

(Yuri glanced a bit behind Yena and saw a peddler that sold flowers for everyone in the park celebrating Valentine’s Day.)

 

“Did I say that right?” Yena asked.

 

Yuri gave her a chuckle as she received the roses. “I think so.”

 

She gave Yena a kiss on the cheek, her arm hooking itself onto Yena’s.

 

“Merci.”

 

Yena brought a finger to scratch her cheek as her face heated up despite the chilly air February in France brought. She then looked up at the tower in front of them too, feeling her jaw get loose as she marveled at how magnificent it looked in real life.

 

“I’ve always wanted to see this in person. All those pictures don’t do it justice,” she said.

 

Yuri leaned her head on Yena’s shoulder. She felt Yena leaning her own head on top of hers. “And now we are.”

 

Yuri pulled away from Yena and looked at her directly in the eyes with nothing but love for her. She saw that same great love in her lover’s eyes that looked at nothing but her.

 

“So…” she started. “What’s your answer?”

 

Yena grinned and brought a hand to her coat pocket, pulling out the box she received earlier on the plane. She took the hand that wasn’t holding the bouquet from Yuri and placed the box on it.

 

“Do it properly, Yuri-yah,” she said with a mischievous tone, making Yuri burst out laughing.

 

“Alright,” Yuri said. She opened the box and took out the ring from inside it, then she took Yena’s left hand and slowly put the ring through her ring finger. She then held the hand with the newly-placed ring and lightly squeezed it.

 

She looked up at Yena and gave her the softest of smiles that communicated all of her feelings for her.

 

“Marry me, Yena-yah.”

 

Yena smiled at her, the same look of adoration on her. She brought the hand that held hers up to her lips and placed a soft kiss on it.

 

“Okay.”

 

They grinned at each other before pulling each other closer for a loving kiss, their arms naturally wrapping around each other as they closed their eyes. They sighed into their kiss, feeling their hearts full with so much love and bliss.

 

They pulled away and gazed at each other for a little while, Yena pressing her lips chastely on Yuri’s nose.

 

“I love you, Yuri.”

 

“I love you, Yena.”