Hello~ this is Jo Yuri. Please leave a message after the beep.

The beep was heard but the caller didn’t leave a message due to her frustrations. It was late in the evening and her significant other hasn’t returned home from her gig. She called for her friends, her family, even her enemies.

Sadly, none of them know.

Screw this, she thought. She was gonna go and get her.

“Ssamu!” A knock and yell were heard. “Yah! Kim Chaewon!”

Chaewon gulped but she was quick to open the door and to be greeted by a slumping Jo Yuri. Chaewon was glad she was home but she couldn’t believe seeing her state.

She was wobbly. Her face was red. Her orange tote was on the floor and she was spitting profanities despite her pure nature.

“Chaewon.” Yuri clenched her collar and they stared at each other. “Why does it have to be like this?!”

Chaewon was damned because of her words. She was even more damned when Yuri rushed to pin her on the wall. 

“Yah, Kim Chaewon!”

There was the informality again. Chaewon was older than her and had to be addressed respectfully. Then again, she doesn’t think that way at all.

This was normal, she thought. Besides, how she get angry at the girl in front of her?

“What the…” Chaewon mumbled then laughed. “What’s with you calling my name, Yul?” She patted Yuri’s head. “Ssamu was better.”

A hiccup then another. It went for a while and Chaewon just helped her up. “Yul, you’re tired. Why don’t you take a shower and then we can sleep?”

Yuri shook her head and stood up, walking like a zombie in those apocalyptic contents. Chaewon rushed to follow her since Yuri was always stumbling, bumping objects and hurting herself because of the impacts. Chaewon managed to hold her close and Yuri’s hands were busy slapping her off.

“Let me go, Kim Chaewon!!” Yuri snapped then hiccupped. “Go and be with those other girls of yours!”

“What are you talking about, Yul?” Chaewon asked while she calmed Yuri down.

Crying was heard next. Chaewon wiped her tears away and Yuri pushed her down on the floor. Chaewon winced because she felt first but she got up and pulled Yuri with her.

“AAAAA!! SSAMU-YA!!!” Yuri yelled by her ear.

“Hey! Please~ Yuri-ya!” Chaewon covered her ears and tried to get up. “

“You…are quite…” Chaewon carried her. “…a disrespectful yet rowdy handful.”

Yuri’s antics continued and Chaewon was not having any of it. Chaewon persuades Yuri to shower first but she only got a slap on the cheek. Chaewon winced and decided that they should just sleep.

“At least we should get changed…” Chaewon spoke and got their pajamas.

But no. Yuri pushed her on the bed and they ended up slumping onto it together. Chaewon was shocked as Yuri was on top of her, mumbling. “Hug me…”

Chaewon was lying on her side, facing a smiling Yuri. That gaze alone made her go soft, wrapping her drunken love into a warm embrace and kissing her forehead. “Let’s brush our teeth first. Then we’ll go to sleep.”

Yuri whined no and was linked to Chaewon’s hug. Chaewon ogled but she was a little worried. “I’ll do it for you.”

Yuri lets her go and Chaewon went to get her toothbrush with  toothpaste water. Yuri stumbled as Chaewon brushed them but luckily, she didn’t spit of throw up. Chaewon also used the ample time to wipe her face, changed her clothes, and tucked her to sleep. She joined Yuri moments later and they finally slept together in peace.

+++

The next day, Yuri was rolling on the bed before waking up. She felt the sheets and to her dismay, her other half wasn’t beside her.

“Yul?” Chaewon got inside the room with breakfast. “Glad you’re awake. I made oxtail soup.”

Yuri loved the smell and her rumbling stomach joined in. Chaewon placed the bedside table and lets Yuri eat first.

“What about you?” Yuri asked while patting a space. “Eat with me.”

Chaewon couldn’t say no and they sat and ate together. Not long after, Yuri slurped the last drops and Chaewon went back to wash the bowl. 

“Ssamu-unnie~!!”

Chaewon chuckled as she heard the call. She finished washing the bowl and returned to the room where Yuri was spreading her arms. Chaewon got closer and Yuri tackled her for a hug. Chaewon smiled wide and hugged Yuri back.

As much as they want to cuddle the whole day, the mishap from last night was never forgotten. Chaewon took her time and waited for the right time to ask. As Yuri faced her, she went for it.

“Yul…what happened last night? Why did you drink?”

Yuri tried to hide her sadness with a smile but Chaewon saw through them. Yuri wanted to ignore it but with Chaewon’s worry, she realized that her half had every right to know what happened.

“I…I got distracted with a lot of things.” Yuri began. “I was filled with a lot emotions to the point I felt…sad. And I didn’t want to worry you too much so I…”

Chaewon didn’t need to ask. All she had to do was hug Yuri and reassure her that everything was okay.

+++

Being a singer at a local bar was Yuri’s only salvation between a career and a passion. She gets to showcase her voice and earn for the family.

Her family. Her family with Chaewon.

But with that came cruelty from the society to the point a drunken bastard threw a can at her, saying that she .

“You could’ve thrown an empty one.” Yuri mumbled as she rubbed her forehead.

One of the audiences faced that bastard and punched the headlights out of her. Her co-workers stopped her and Yuri joined them, hugging her.

“Ssamu-unnie, don’t! It’s okay. I’m not hurt, see?” Yuri showed her swollen forehead.

“No.” Chaewon charged at the bastard. “She threw a tin can on your head! You could’ve gotten a concussion!”

The bastard was sent away by the bouncers as Yuri calmed Chaewon down. The bar’s owner called Yuri to perform again when Chaewon stopped her. “Jjoyul, you’re hurt.”

Yuri got a bandage and placed it on her forehead. “I’ll be fine. You can return to your seat and watch me, okay?”

Chaewon was still worried but Yuri assured her that she was okay. Chaewon sat down again as Yuri returned to sing on stage.

+++

“Here you go, Yul. You’ll also have extra for your injury.” 

Yuri bowed and was happy to get her paycheck. She went to her locker, prepared her stuff, and went outside where Chaewon was waiting.

Chaewon had a wonderful career as a businesswoman. She had an apartment, a car, and a good salary – thrice more compared to hers. That’s why when Yuri wanted to spend the night and treat her some ddeokbokki, she lowered her head and hid her paycheck.

“Jjoyul!” Chaewon went to hug her.

Of course, Yuri’s heartstrings were always tugged everytime Chaewon gave her all her affections.

“Are you okay now?” Chaewon asked and rubbed her forehead. 

Yuri nodded and she and Chaewon went to the car and drove home.

+++

It was Chaewon’s birthday. Yuri earned a lot to get her a present and she planned to visit her company and give it to her. 

Yuri got to the entrance when she saw Chaewon talking to her co-worker, Hitomi. She had a fancier present for Chaewon, leaving her to hide her present inside her bag. 

“Jjoyul.” Chaewon was happy to see her that she pecked her cheek.

“Was that Hitomi?” Yuri asked. “What did she give you?”

“Ah…a watch.” Chaewon showed it to her. “What do you think?”

Yuri thought it was really extravagant. She thought about her own gift and realized that it was right not to give it to her.

“Come on. Let’s have dinner.” Chaewon spoke.

“What about your friends?”

“I want to spend my birthday with you, love.”

Chaewon said, eyes gleaming. “I want this night to be celebrated with just the two of us.”

The bitterness of Yuri’s gift may remain but with Chaewon only wanting her for her birthday was enough for her to fall all over again. 

+++

Yuri was on a break from her work and called Chaewon to have lunch with her. As she did, she passed by a restaurant and saw something unexpected. 

She saw Chaewon with Minju. Not only that, Minju was holding her hand.

Yuri almost dropped her phone and ran back, tears dripping from her eyes. Never in her life she felt so below within her insecurities. She thought that maybe Chaewon was just too good for her.

She didn’t report to work and sat at the park, staring a nothing until evening. She then went to a bar and slammed her recent paycheck to order the strongest drink until her money ran out.

+++

Chaewon’s tears dropped upon Yuri’s confession. It made her regret to why she didn’t give enough attention to the love of her life. She ended up hugging Yuri, saying. “Love, I’m so sorry…I should’ve known better…”

“It’s not your fault, Ssamu.” Yuri broke to cup her cheeks. “I know that you’ll always love me for what I do. It’s just that I’m the problem…” She cried. “I couldn’t accept that I’m just a singer at a local bar while my wife’s a businesswoman. I couldn’t accept that I’m the loser between us. You could’ve deserved a better partner like Hitomi or Minju but you chose to be with me.”

Chaewon hugged her again. “Love…I chose you because you’re the person that I want to be with forever. I thank you…I thank you for not giving up on us.” She added as her tears dropped. “No matter what happens and whoever you want to be, I’ll always love you.”

Yuri gained her hope back as she lets herself be in Chaewon’s arms. With this talk, Chaewon realized that Yuri is her priority and no force in the world will stop it.

She’ll love Yuri…forever and always.