“Hey….” Hyejin’s voice cut through the still night and cold darkness of the apartment.

“Yea??” Sujeong answered.

“You ever wonder why we’re here??”

“That’s one of life's greatest mysteries, isn’t it?” Sujeong’s voice was tired, “Why are we here? Are we the product of some cosmic--”

“It’s two in the ing morning, can you guys please go to sleep,” Ji Yeon chastised, “Also, why the are you here, Hyejin-ah?? Weren’t you sleeping with Wheein?”

The rustling of Hyejin scooting herself closer to the other two was Ji Yeon’s only answer. But she knew them well enough to know what the answer was. Although, in the back of her mind, she wondered how Hyejin was able to sneak in without her or Sujeong noticing. Well, Hyejin is full of surprises. 

“Oh my god, did she kick you out??” Ji Yeon’s attention was piqued. 

“No.......” More shuffling as Hyejin scooted closer to cuddle the nearest person she could find on the giant air mattress.

“Hyejin-aaaaah,” Ji Yeon said as she felt Hyejin bump into her and immediately felt Hyejin wrap herself around her. 

“Wheeinie wouldn’t give me cuddles,” The pout was obvious in Hyejin’s voice. 

“Are you sure cuddles were all that you wanted?” Sujeong questioned. She saw how touchy and needy Hyejin was. It didn’t help that she caught some of the whispers that Hyejin was saying into Wheein’s ear.

“I just wanted cuddles!! And maybe some kisses….” Hyejin admitted.

“We already know you, Hyejin-ah. You wanted more than just some kisses and cuddles and you probably couldn’t keep your hands to yourself in your drunken state,” Ji Yeon stated matter of factly. 

The light came on with a blinding force and all three of them hissed in pain and tried to hide their eyes from the offending light. 

“Or maybe because she just wanted any sort of affection and couldn’t wait for me to wake up,” Wheein’s groggy voice reached all of their ears with ease. 

“Oh, so I’m just a last resort huh?” Ji Yeon said as Hyejin immediately left her side.

“Wheeinie!!” Hyejin didn’t bother getting up from the air mattress. Instead opting to shimmy her way towards Wheein and extend a hand. 

“Can’t even get up, huh?” Wheein’s grin was obvious. 

“Turn off the light first,” Hyejin asked and Wheein obeyed without question. 

The only light left was the few streaks of moonlight that managed to break through the closed blinds. Wheein easily saw the outline of Ji Yeon, Sujeong, and Hyejin. Sujeong was on the opposite side, the farthest from the bedroom door and encased with the love seat and couch easily meeting to a nice corner. The most secure spot. Ji Yeon was across from Sujeong in the middle of the queen size air mattress.The two were near each other to keep warm and to share the blanket.

Wheein reached out to grab Hyejin’s hand, expecting only a small struggle to get her up, but Hyejin was full of surprises. Wheein didn’t even have a chance to grab Hyejin’s hand before Hyejin went beyond to grab her forearm and pulled her down. The sudden jerk made her let out a small yelp as she came colliding into Hyejin’s embrace. Hyejin’s arms quickly wrapped themselves around her and held her gently. She was so used to Hyejin being in her arms that she almost forgot how it felt to be in Hyejin’s arms. She found herself melting into Hyejin and let out a content hum. 

“If you two are going to sleep here then please behave,” Ji Yeon grumbled as she moved towards  an already dozing Sujeong in order to give the two love birds some space. 

Hyejin opened to retort but Sujeong’s voice cut through.

“Where do you guys think we’ll be in a year?”

Such a simple question, but it made them face what they’ve all been avoiding. 

Their futures.

“What do you mean in a year? Like where we’ll be career wise or….?” Ji Yeon asked. 

“Yea….Like, was spending four years of our lives in university in order to learn really beneficial? We’re about to enter our last semester, but are we really ready?” 

Silence surrounded them as the mood turned sombre. As much as they didn’t want to talk about it, Sujeong voiced the concern that they’ve all had. Was their time spent at university really worth it? Was all the money, and in some cases loans, worth it? Will they be able to reap the so-called benefits of a degree? Did they work towards anything at all? 

“I just hope I won’t be working at no damn coffee shop still,” Ji Yeon admitted. 

“Then where? A corporate or state job then?” Sujeong continued to question.

“Are any of those even good besides the benefits?” Hyejin asked. Her gaze was fixated upwards as she contemplated everything she ignored. Her future. Her future beyond just Wheein. She knows what she wants and needs, but she doesn’t know in what order any of it will be obtained. She always thought her life would be stereotypical. Finish highschool, meet someone in college, graduate college, find a job, marry, have a family, and that’s it. But, all of that changed, hasn’t it? 

“Hm? Aren’t you the entrepreneur? Why so focused on state or corporate if your main goal is to be free from those damning shackles?” Ji Yeon asked as she turned to face the combined form of Hyejin and Wheein. 

“Just because I majored in entrepreneurship doesn’t mean anything….” Hyejin admitted. She knows how much of her degree is reliant on knowing the right people. 

“Isn’t that the same for all of us?” Wheein finally spoke up. 

“It’s ty that we have to decide on a major even though there isn’t a guarantee we’re even going to be in that field. There isn’t even a guarantee that we’ll get jobs right away,” Sujeong stated the obvious, “Or if that field will still be relevant as it was before.”

“Hell, just because we have a degree isn’t a guarantee that we’ll even get decent jobs,” Ji Yeon huffed, “I went to all of those damn networking events and got ing nowhere.” 

All four hummed in agreement. Wheein remembers how frustrated Hyejin had gotten sometimes after coming back from those events. Stating how much of those events are just to prove how good of an kisser you are while also proving that you have just the most basic of backbone. It was events like those that Wheein had to hum Hyejin to sleep. Her frustration nearly hit desperation at times as it became increasingly clear what her professional future may hold. 

“Hey, Wheein….” Ji Yeon started.

“Yea??” Wheein responded without hesitation. 

“What about you? How is it like for you art students??” 

“I think we’ve already accepted our fate…” Wheein answered honestly.

“What do you mean?” Hyejin asked. She knows that there were at least a couple of networking events that Wheein went to but everytime she asked Wheein about them all she got was vague answers. 

“We’re art students. What can you do with an art degree that isn’t graphic design or with teaching?” Wheein asked her question that was in a way an answer. 

“Well….” Ji Yeon started.

“You got a point. I mean, I appreciate the arts and all, but what’s the point when all we’re doing is trying to survive? I mean, that’s why we go to university and college right? To get that good ol’ education in the hopes of getting a decent job in order to not have to worry about bills. Wouldn’t the arts benefit if there wasn’t the risk of survival?” Sujeong rambled. 

“That struggling artist stereotype always eluded me. Like, yea, there will be struggles in creating art, especially when you can see it so clearly in your head but you lack the skill set, but…..but must one be near mental collapse due to pressures that could’ve been avoided if they just had the money to pay even the most basic of bills?” Wheein said what had been on her chest for years, “Starving for your art is more destructive than creative.” 

“Is that why you say you art students have accepted your fate? You guys know that very few of you will actually make enough money to pay even one bill just off of art alone so you guys just accept the loss?” Ji Yeon said with a yawn at the end. 

“But at least you still have your parents and their wide variety of connections, and Hyejin,” Sujeong waved a hand in the air. 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Hyejin was only half awake as the trio rambled. Only waking up when she heard her name. 

“Wheein at least has a support system. You, Hyejin-ah,  already have potential leads in the job market that aren’t just here, but also abroad! And we can’t ignore the fact that Wheein does in fact come from money. So it wasn’t a big financial dent,” Sujeong continued. 

“I keep forgetting that. I’m so use to Wheein hanging around us that I just assume she has a similar financial background. But then I see her house and remember her mother is the CEO of one of the top entertainment companies in the nation and her mom was part of a gang and---”

“Did everyone know my mom was part of a gang??? Was I the only one not to know?!”

 There was a brief silence before all three broke into soft murmurs of agreement. 

“ you guys for knowing before me,” Wheein huffed before turning around in Hyejin’s arms to face her back towards them. As childish as she was acting, she needed to in order to avoid the topic she always despised. The topic of the classes. She despises the way she’ll always have that advantage over her peers. She doesn’t have to worry about money like Sujeong and Ji Yeon do. She doesn’t have to worry about paying the bills or about what to eat. She doesn’t have to worry about bare necessities being met and so she has a chance to actually live. She’s grateful, but also disheartened. 

“Wait, what does Wheein’s mom being in a gang have to do with anything? She was in a gang only in her younger years and has since walked away from that life when---” Ji Yeon started before being cut off by a grumpy lion. 

“Why are we still talkin’?? I want to sleep!” Hyejin said with a clear pout. The warmth emanating from Wheein’s small frame was making her drowsy. 

“We were contemplating our futures and if all the money that was spent here even worth it and the clear discrepancy on the upper and middle class and how a degree can make or break those in our financial situation, i.e. those in the upper class don’t really have to worry about survival while the middle class do since all that money that went to a degree could’ve been saved. And then--”

“We don’t need a recap Sujeong, we just need you to shuddap,” Ji Yeon said as she grabbed a couch pillow and bopped Sujeong in the face. 

Grumbling and shuffling sounds filled the air as all four found comfortable positions. As the seconds rolled by, each fell into the welcoming embrace of slumber as their last thoughts filled their mind. Thoughts that they all shared. 

Will everything be fine?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun basked them with its warm rays. The sounds of the city below finally started to reach their ears. Their minds finally started to come out of the fog that welcomed them after a night of drinking. A peaceful way to wake--

“Good morning, young ones!!!”

The sound of Byul’s voice violently forced them awake. Each jolted at the sudden intrusion and confusion quickly filled their mind and body. The only one that seemed fine was Wheein. As the other three groaned in pain all she did was stretch. As if she was the only one to have a restful night sleep.

“Jeez, Byuuuuuuul. It’s too early for this,” Wheein’s mom groaned as she plopped face down on the couch. Not caring that she was wearing sunglasses. 

“What the actual ….” Ji Yeon groaned with a hoarse voice. 

“Is this what death is??” Sujeong grumbled as she tried to retreat underneath the blanket.

“Hi mother!” Wheein sat up and turned slightly to greet her mother. 

Hyejin only slightly slipped off of Wheein’s body, but her position was relatively unchanged. Throughout the night, they somehow switched spots. Hyejin became the small spoon while Wheein went back to being the big spoon. And while Byul would find such affection cute and adorable, there was only one problem. 

“Wheein-ah…..Why is Hyejin grabbing your ???” Byul pointed at Hyejin’s offending hand. 

Wheein opened to answer but a certain lion beat her to it. 

“It’s my comfort tiddy!!” Hyejin didn’t even bother to open her eyes, instead electing to cuddle even closer to Wheein. 

“Why do you need a comfort tiddy? Shouldn’t Wheein be the only comfort you need?” Sujeong asked as she finally sat up to stretch. Slowly opening her eyes and taking the time to wake up her brain. 

“At least she’s just grabbing one tiddy and not full on groping this early in the morning,” Ji Yeon stated as she rolled her way off the air mattress and stood up with a satisfying stretch. 

“That still doesn’t answer my question though,” Byul moved over to the window and opened the blinds with a flare, causing Ji Yeon, Sujeong, Hyejin, and Yong to all hiss in pain. 

“Oh my god, is mom hungover??”

“No!!” Yong tried to defend herself but instead caused a searing pain to shoot through her head. With a strained groan, she went back to burying herself into the couch. 

“Yes. Someone had a little too much wine and wasn’t paying attention,” Byul destroyed Yong’s defense. 

“Wheein-aaaaaaah, why are your parents here??” Hyejin grumbled. 

“It’s grocery shopping day, remember?” Wheein smiled as she looked down at her grumpy lion. 

“Oh , we need to fill the fridge too,” Ji Yeon said with a yawn, “Can we come with??”

“Of course! That’s why I brought the van,” Byul smiled and gave Ji Yeon a thumbs up, “And don’t worry. The van has darkly tinted windows and we’re going to the super one so that’ll give you guys some extra time to sleep.”

“Grocery shopping?? This early??” Hyejin finally looked up and squinted at Wheein and her mother, “You’re a masochist!”

“Sadist,” Wheein moved stray hairs from Hyejin’s face.

“You’re a sadist!”

“I think it’s adorable you can’t get those two correct,” Wheein giggled as she leaned over to give Hyejin a kiss on the cheek, earning a delightful purr from the lion.

“Ew, gross,” Sujeong grumbled as she finally got up from the mattress, “I think that’s a sign to get ready.”

“Yup!” Byul beamed again, “And don’t worry about breakfast either. We got something on our way up here and it’s on the table.”

Ji Yeon and Sujeong finally looked on the table and saw the bags. 

“Wheenie….You have the best parents ever. We’ll get dressed then,” Ji Yeon grabbed Sujeong’s arm and dragged her to the bedroom to fetch their clothes. 

“Ugh, why is everyone so loud,” Yong grumbled as she finally put a pillow over her head. 

“That’s just the sound of youth, Yong,” Byul chuckled, “Also, you never answered my question.”

“Comfort tiddy!!!” Hyejin yelled.

“Why are you yelling!!!” Yong yelled back. 

“Comfort tiddy!!!”

“I get it but why are you yelling!!” 

“Tiddy is comfort!!!”

Hyejin and Yong stared at each other while Byul and Wheein could only look between them. Wondering what their significant other will do next. 

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Yong answered. And both lion and dragon were yelling at each other.

“Tiddy is life!!!” 

“Tiddy is love!!!”

“Tiddy is--”

“Hmmm. Nope. Not gonna stop em,” Byul said with a blank stare as she turned around to set the table. 

“Mother, you can’t leave me with them as they’re yelling tiddy!!”