Hyewon, Yujin and Yena arrived at the auditorium for the dance recital. Minju deciding she needs some time alone at home and Hyewon wouldn’t have agreed if it wasn’t Minju - she was the only exception. So she puts on her regular blank gaze before entering the auditorium with the other two. 

They had met up with Yuri and her friends, but Hyewon caught the shy glances Yujin and Wonyoung threw at each other when they were introduced by their friends. As expected Yena was quick to ask why her cousin became awkward. 

It seems her sister had found her soulmate, while she was playing tennis at the park one afternoon. Seems she wasn’t the only one keeping secrets in this family. And as if on cue as they finished explaining the teasing began. But Hyewon was in no mood. It would be an interminable night. 

The group went backstage to wish their friends good luck, Chaeyeon and Chaewon immediately greeted them but she noticed someone missing. She excused herself from the group and saw the missing person in the corner struggling to tie her shoelace; the laces slipping out of her hands - she was clearly nervous and Hyewon smiled at the flustered Eunbi. 

She kneeled down in front of Eunbi, grabbing her hands and moving them out of the way. It surprised Eunbi to see Hyewon backstage and was about to ask a question when Hyewon tied her shoelaces for her. She smiled at the small gesture, accepting the hand Hyewon held out for her; helping her up. 

“I guess I’m really nervous,” Eunbi admits 

Hyewon nods her head “I’m sure you’ll be great” she fixes Eunbi’s ruffled collar, smoothing out the creases 

A slight tint of red creeping on Eunbi’s neck 

“Just don’t trip when you see me in the crowd,” Hyewon teases, pinching Eunbi’s cheek 

She slapped her hand off, rolling her eyes. They laughed at the joke before walking back to the rest of the group. Eunbi could feel the nervousness lift from her shoulders just from the small gestures Hyewon did, they could go unnoticed by anybody but Eunbi kept count of all the times she’s done it. 

Carrying the dog food for her, gifting her clothes, fixing her cardigan, packing her a lunch with all her favorites, tieing her shoelaces, making her laugh whenever she was nervous. Hyewon has her own way of caring for others - and it often goes unnoticed. But never to Eunbi. 

The group had parted and were now seated in the audience. If you were to ask Hyewon to recite the recital, she would come up blank. She had paid little to no attention to the performances except one. Her eyes followed the black haired dancer who effortlessly glided along the dance floor. Lost in her performance, losing track of the other 2 dancers on stage. 

She was at ease, her body sculpted by the music. Her shoulder searching the other shoulder, the height, the depth, the form, the control, the twist of her wrists, the tilt of her neck. And she’s on the floor now, forcing her legs up beyond muscular memory. She twirls without effort in a serenity the audience craves. It takes great strength to make such performance as graceful as she does, total exertion with death enticing gaze. Hyewon could read a thousand books and take in less than what’s being interpreted into one dance. 

And then they bow, and the lights go off and a roar of claps fill the auditorium. Hyewon stood still in her seat remembering her moves; her gaze when they met eyes. How it shook her to the core at the intensity of the gaze, shaking her head 'Your something else Kwon Eunbi'. Maybe dance isn’t as bad she thought it would be. 

Eunbi opted out to take Hyewon out to a nearby cafe after the performance whether it was forced or consensual, seeing the latter grew weary, clamping her fists trying to keep her blank expression when Chaeyeon came to approach her after the performance. Reaching her before Chaeyeon could she grabbed onto Hyewon her mind set on getting her out of there as quickly as possible. She didn’t really know why she did it, but she knew she had to. She did it because Hyewon took care of her before the show, or that’s what she forced herself to believe.   

Hyewon offered to buy them drinks while Eunbi searched for a table. Hyewon returned after a few minutes, drinks in both of her hands. “Here you go” sliding over Eunbi’s drink 

Eunbi accepted with a soft smile “Thank you” taking a sip from her drink her eyes widened when her tongue came into contact with the familiar bitter drink “Is this?” 

Hyewon took a seat in front of her “Organic green tea with pearls and less ice” she said nonchalantly taking a sip from her drink, as if she didn't just recite Eunbi's favorite drink down to the tee.  

“How did you know?” Eunbi was stunned, amazed. She never remembered ever telling her signature drink 

“I may have seen it once or twice before when we still got those images,” Hyewon shrugged her shoulders

Eunbi sat there wide eyed, with Hyewon who acted like this was a natural occurrence “I’d never expect you to be one to remember those things” 

Another one to add to her list, Hyewon remembering her favorite drink. 

“People aren’t what they seem” Hyewon says before taking a sip from her drink, and Eunbi nodding along to her answer 

A comfortable silence fell over them as they finished their drinks. Eunbi is too busy watching the passing strangers to notice Hyewon’s eyes who’s glued onto her, observing her discreetly. She’s a lot shorter than she thought, probably around 5’3 she thought. She toyed with the idea of how she could be so charismatic on stage but come off as such a soft and fragile doll off stage, but she cut herself short.

She’s not interested in soulmates and Eunbi just coincidentally brought her to a cafe. When Eunbi turns towards Hyewon she trains her eyes to look anywhere else but Eunbi ignoring her enticing perfume. Why does she have to smell like that? No stop, I can’t go down this path again

“So why did you bring me here?” Hyewon opted to try to distract her thoughts 

“I didn’t feel like going to the after party” It was lie 

“So you decided to go to a cafe with me?” She asked skeptical about Eunbi's answer 

“Yes, is there a problem?” 

Yes. “No, just didn’t expect you to bring me along, that’s all” Hyewon was enjoying their time together more than she would like to admit “Your performance was good” 

“Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it” 

Maybe too much. “Hard to believe you were a nervous wreck before it,” Hyewon giggled to herself “But it was good, I enjoyed it” 

“You should come to my next one then” Eunbi trailed off, turning her head back onto the busy street. Trying to hide her face mostly from the rejection she feared 

“Sure, I’d lo- like that” . Did I really just almost say I’d love to? Get your head straight 

Hyewon sighed “Yeah, I’d like that” she clarified, earning a soft smile from Eunbi that was too soft Hyewon thought she would have died right there and then if she wasn’t so against the idea 'of falling for your soulmate'

Lately Hyewon has been dragging her everywhere, Minju saw what the older girl was doing. The way they’ve been doing all the things she wanted to do with her soulmate. Hyewon put no effort in hiding her intentions, and Minju could only feel her heart skipping faster and faster. All she’s aware of is Hyewon, what she’s doing, who she’s talking to and what she’s making her feel. 

You’d be surprised how much of Hyewon is an action first, words later she actually is. With the way she speaks and all her academic awards, I guess that’s the difference between knowing someone and thinking you know someone; with Hyewon she knew, she knew everything there is to tell with just a single glance. 

Hyewon clung onto Minju like a three-year-old with their most precious and favorite toy - because to her she really was. Checking everything on Minju’s list, dragging her spontaneously after school to the cinema, paying for one movie only to hop between. Getting refills on their drinks and popcorn. Minju wonders how they weren’t caught or how they ate that much. They watched around 4 movies and gotten