13 years ago

“Joohyun!”

Though her ears perked up at the sound of her name, she didn’t turn around. Instead, she stood her ground and crossed her arms in feigned annoyance.

“Joohyunnnnn,” the voice drawled out, stepping closer and closer.

Joohyun forced down the giggle rising in but could not stop the smile making its way onto her face. She stood in an empty gymnasium, a basketball waiting at her feet. It was 12:15 in the afternoon on a warm Saturday, a time allotted for an event incredibly dear to her.

It was time for her weekly basketball game with Son Seungwan—the weekly game that her best friend was now 15 minutes late to. So she would not turn around; she would make her best friend wait in spite.

Seungwan observed the sight with pure mirth. Bae Joohyun stood about twenty feet away, arms crossed in front of her, an air of playful annoyance surrounding her. She walked closer and closer, saying her best friend’s name again and again. However, the closer she got, the less she said the name. She had decided that if Joohyun wanted to play games, so could she. 

As the intervals between each “Joohyun” got longer and longer, Joohyun started to get worried. Silence never meant anything good when Seungwan was involved. Not being able to take the silence anymore, she decided to turn around and finally give in.

Before she could even turn her head, a pair of hands grabbed her hips, pulling her backwards until she collided with a body. She let out a shocked gasp yet found herself unable to pull away. She felt herself even lean back as hot breaths tickled her ear.

“You don’t know your name anymore, Joohyun?” Her name sounded divine when it fell from Seungwan’s lips; it was her own name, but when Seungwan said it like that it felt like it belonged to her instead. Seungwan continued to hold her best friend close, even though she had to angle her head upwards to effectively reach her ear. “Should I call you something else? What is it they call you?” Seungwan laughed against Joohyun’s neck, relishing in the feeling of her best friend’s getting flushed.

She brought her lips back to Joohyun’s ear, dropping her voice even lower. “Irene.” It was barely audible, but it was so low, so resonant within Joohyun that she finally found the strength to push Seungwan off of her.

“Yah!” She yelled, pushing her friend off of her. She turned to fully face her, her face flushed and her breathing heavy. “That name is dumb. Americans are dumb. They can’t pronounce my name, so they give me a new one! I didn't even really choose Irene, they just-“

The pair went to a small, private college in America, where there were only a handful of people who didn’t even attempt to not call her Irene. Seungwan endlessly about it. Don’t they know you’re the opposite of a goddess of peace? They might as well call you Aphrodite.

Seungwan put her hand over Joohyun’s mouth, smiling in satisfaction, until she got bit.

“Yah!” They both yelled.

“It’s not that big of a deal, Hyun. I mean, they call me Wendy!” She tried to reason with her best friend, clutching her hand in pain as she did so.

“Yes, but that name was given to you when you came to America years ago! I, however, did not get to choose that dumb name-“

“Hyun,” Seungwan said. Joohyun stood in front of her with arms crossed and furrowed eyebrows, her feigned annoyance from earlier no longer fake.

“Yes, Wendy?”

Seungwan grinned and said nothing, stepping closer. And closer. And closer. Joohyun’s breath hitched as she felt herself anticipate something unknown. She let out the bated breath when Seungwan simply bent down and grabbed the basketball that was now behind Joohyun and said three words: “Hyun... shut up.”

Seungwan started to dribble the ball furiously down the court, determined to win for once. Joohyun stood, letting Seungwan pass her before she reacted. No less than five seconds later, she began running after the girl with the ball. 

Every game they played filled each girl with excitement; they were each other’s match. Their respective athletic abilities brought out the best in them, pushing them to their limits. Seungwan ran track, giving her the agility and speed to outrun Joohyun on the court. Joohyun, however, was a dancer, and where she lacked in speed, she made up for in pure strength.

Both had the stamina and agility to never stop until there was a definite winner. For Joohyun, each game was a dance, a duet. A familiar routine that ended with the two of them panting, lungs and legs burning yet eyes that begged for more. For Seungwan, each game was a race that she would gladly let Joohyun win every time. A winding track that ended with their hearts hammering and bruised bodies yet eyes that were filled to the brim with words they would never say.

Today was no different. Seungwan let out a low growl as Joohyun stole the ball, the dancer easily making her way towards her goal. She shot the ball into the basket, looking back at Seungwan with a smug smile.

The other girl rolled her eyes and took the ball back. She darted around Joohyun, laughing at their little game of chase. She found herself getting lost in her friend’s movements, watching the way her dark chin length hair whipped around her, its only restraint being the headband keeping it out of her face. Every stride she took illuminated her fit form, a pair of shorts and a crop top highlighting her toned stomach and firm legs. Seungwan is a simple woman, yet when she stared at Joohyun, she couldn’t figure out why everything felt so complex.

The source of her confusion stole the ball from her once again, her loud laughter following her. Seungwan clicked her tongue and shook her head. She didn’t feel like losing so easily that day, so she stooped low, literally. As Joohyun went to make a layup, Seungwan bent down and grabbed her ankle, bringing the girl back down to the ground. Joohyun stumbled and fell hard on her back, letting out a groan.

Seungwan’s eyes widened in concern. She shuffled quickly over to her groaning friend, failing to see the small smile on Joohyun’s face. As she got closer, she leaned over her, scanning Joohyun’s face for any injuries.

Joohyun stared at Seungwan. Analytical eyes, so dark and round. She hoped they never lost the brightness she loved so much. As Seungwan hovered over Joohyun, the girl found herself becoming lost in the way her chest rose and fell in concern, the sweat forming on her brow. Her platinum blonde hair had fallen out of its ponytail and now laid past her shoulders. Joohyun wanted her to come close enough to the point where she could feel Seungwan’s blonde hair tickle her face. She never tried to understand why she felt the need for closeness, she just embraced it. 

She pulled the most anguished face she could. “Seungwannie…” she weakly raised her hand and grasped the front of Seungwan’s shirt. Seungwan looked at her in wait, allowing her to continue. Joohyun