--

 

“Can you not stand so close to me? You’re making me look short.” Bora said, annoyed.

 

The girl next to her just gave her a Cheshire grin and crushed her in a hug.

 

“But you are short, Bora.”

 

Bora would have smacked the other girl, but she was too busy being engulfed by Yoohyeon’s larger frame. The hug made it hard for her to move, though it was warm.

 

“You better sleep with one eye open, Kim Yoohyeon.” Bora grumbled, miffed by the attack on her height. It wasn’t her fault that she was short and that the universe just happened to stick a tall tree next to her.

 

Yoohyeon just laughed and cuddled Bora closer. She may tease the older girl just to get a funny reaction out of her but at the end of the day, Yoohyeon liked her a lot. So much so, that her feelings blossomed from platonic to romantic. Even better, Bora reciprocated her feelings with equal sincerity.

 

The two had been dating for about 3 months now and it was blissful. But unfortunately, they’d ran into a snag in their relationship. No, it isn’t even an internal problem that they have to solve themselves. Rather, it was external and somewhat out of their control (sort of).

 

The problem was that-

 

“Alright you two. Break it up. No one’s even watching.” A third voice interrupted their impromptu cuddle/teasing time.

 

“Ah, Siyeon. How many times do we need to tell you that we’re not doing it because people are looking.” Yoohyeon jokingly clicked her tongue at her friend.

 

Siyeon rolled her eyes.. “Yeah yeah. At this point, no one believes that. You two are like Tom and Jerry.”

 

Yoohyeon and Bora share amused glances before letting each other go. Still, they opt to hold each other’s hand in the presence of their friend.

 

“Let’s just go to the cafe. Minji’s already working her shift, so stop being sulky.” Bora ruffled Siyeon’s hair with her free hand and led the way to the cafe.

 

Yes, Bora and Yoohyeon were actually dating. And yes, not a single soul believed them.

 

--

 

How exactly did this happen? That depended on whose point of view. Yoohyeon would say it’s funny, while Bora would say it’s annoying.

 

They were, in fact, fake dating to get Bora’s admirers off her shoulders. Bora came from an affluent family and as one would expect, those come with strict parents. Said parents didn't care about gender, but one’s ability to deal with their daughter’s temperance was the number one factor. While they would have loved to continue the family business line, they quickly realized that Bora’s fiery nature was too much to tame. So it was probably better for her to have someone that can handle her.

 

The two girls had actually met at an extravagant party for the wealthy. Yoohyeon had been working as a server with Minji, since their cafe was catering their tarts for dessert. They hit it off well and became fast friends. It wasn’t hard, considering Minji is a close friend of Bora’s from college.

 

Bora’s parents considered setting them up with each other despite Yoohyeon’s middle-class status. But when they saw how much Bora and Yoohyeon bothered each other, they realized that the marriage would never last.

 

Yoohyeon would say oh the irony!, while Bora would roll her eyes fondly.

 

Still, the duo were close enough to confide in each other and ask for help when greasy people were bothering the other. That had become their brand that even their friends were in on. People on the outside were certainly fooled at first until they closely observed the dynamic between the two. And so, the people around them came to the conclusion that they were just faking it.

 

But now that it is real and not a single soul believed them, Bora is beginning to grow irritated.

 

Well, not everyone was skeptical. There was one person who believed them both because she had witnessed everything first-hand.

 

“Sis! I’m here!” Yoohyeon announced the moment she stepped into the cafe Belle. A girl with midnight blue hair looked up from the coffee machine and smiled brightly.

 

“Kim Yooh! You’re late. Class held you up?”

 

Yoohyeon snorted and shook her head. She tossed her bag on their usual booth. Pointing a thumb back to Siyeon, “This one held us up.”

 

Siyeon glanced up and waved shyly at Minji, blushing when the older girl smiled back. Bora wanted to roll her eyes at how obvious Siyeon was being with her crush but she decided to let this one go. She could always do it later.

 

The two girls take a seat at their usual booth while Yoohyeon wore her apron. The cafe wasn’t too busy right now so they had some time for a late afternoon lunch. Minji went to the kitchen to whip them up some omurice, while Yoohyeon fiddled with the tea machine.

 

The tall girl placed the cup in front of Bora.

 

“London fog with cream and honey for the old hag.” Yoohyeon quipped. Bora raised her tiny fists threateningly but took the cup anyways. She took a sip, savoring the wonderful blend of flavors. Yoohyeon did always make her tea perfect.

 

“Tastes good?” Yoohyeon asked. Bora nodded her head, receiving a kiss at the crown of her head. Across from them, Siyeon gagged.

 

“Guys, literally no one is watching. You’re making me sick.” She complained.

 

15079. Because of your hopeless crush on Min-” Bora’s taunt is cut short by an energetic girl coming into the cafe.

 

“Tall Hyeon!”

 

Yoohyeon grinned excitedly. “Small Hyeon!”

 

“I brought my switch! Let me on your island to pick fruit and get Raymond from you!” Gahyeon plopped herself next to Siyeon and her switch.

 

“Sure. But I have to work.” Yoohyeon said as a few more customers came in. “Siyeon can play on my island.” She headed back to the register to take orders. A few minutes later, she was in front of the coffee machine.

 

Bora watched as the two Lees in front of her played Animal Crossing for a short time. But she grew bored quickly, and decided to go up to the sit-down counter in front of Yoohyeon. Watching Yoohyeon make drinks was always calming. The younger girl was clumsy in her daily life so to see her handling the coffee machine gracefully was a sight to see.

 

Yoohyeon glanced over to her while the coffee was being brewed. Bora never liked the taste of coffee but she had to admit, it smelled really good when brewing. “Bored?” Yoohyeon asked.

 

“Yeah and the Lees are being too noisy.” Bora said as she leaned on her hand. The taller girl laughed at the irony of that. Bora was probably the noisiest person she knew, despite her small stature.

 

Minji came out of the kitchen right when Yoohyeon finished making the coffee, sending the customers on their way.

 

“One extra large omurice for the two lovebirds.” Minji teased as she placed the plate in front of Bora and Yoohyeon. She then walked over to where Siyeon and Gahyeon were, giving them each a plate.

 

“Thanks Minji!” Bora grabbed the spoon and sliced off a piece. She blew on the hot food before offering it to her girlfriend.

 

“Really guys? Right in front of my salad?” Minji said out of nowhere, scaring the couple. The oldest was literally sitting beside Bora with a salad in front of her.

 

“Sorry sis.” Yoohyeon does not look apologetic at all. Instead, she gazed at Bora with a silly grin. “Can’t help it.” Bora squealed and slapped Yoohyeon on the arm for being so cheesy. But deep down, she loved how Yoohyeon was not afraid to show her affection for her.

 

The blue-haired girl sighed as she looked at how sweet her little sister and her best friend were being with each other. They may fight and tease often but it was mostly harmless, even if she did have to come between them sometimes to stop war from breaking out.

 

But they clearly cared a lot about each other so Minji wondered why she was the only one that could see it.

 

--

 

(Yoohyeon caught a cold a few weeks after they became an official couple, so Minji was currently downstairs manning the cafe on her own.

 

Soon enough, a brunette with wind-swept hair came bursting through the cafe doors, carrying groceries. “Is Yooh okay?”

 

“Wow Bora, no ‘hi Minji?’”

 

“Sorry, hi, hello dear best friend. Now where is my sick baby?” Minji scrunched her nose, but pointed to the stairs leading up to the Kim siblings’ home.

 

“Take care of her yeah? She had a hard time getting sleep last night.” Bora gave a comical salute and disappeared up the stairs.

 

Later that night, when the cafe was closed and Minji returned home, she found Yoohyeon asleep on the couch with her head on Bora’s lap. Bora was watching some random TV show while Yoohyeon’s hair.

 

The brunette hadn’t noticed that Minji came back and leaned down to kiss Yoohyeon on the forehead when the youngest was fidgeting in her sleep. Bora hummed a random tune under her breath to calm her down.

 

If Minji was skeptical about their relationship, now she was totally convinced that they were perfect for each other. Plus, it was cute the way that Bora blushed a deep shade of red when Minji cleared to get her attention.

 

“, how long have you been standing there?” Bora sputtered while trying (and failing) to get her blush under control.

 

“Long enough, Bora.” Minji teased, relishing in the embarrassment of her best friend. It was rare to get Bora flustered as the girl was always so wild, making the people around her flustered instead.

 

“Whatever. There’s chicken soup on the stove. It should still be hot to enjoy and there’s enough for 3 days. I also bought some fruit.”

 

Minji got a bowl for dinner and enjoyed her meal. As she ate, she smiled to herself. Her baby sister was in capable hands after all. )

 

--

 

“Bora, your dancing was impeccable, as always.” Some dude said to Bora after she exited the backstage area to where her friends were waiting. He was a good-looking guy, the type that girls would definitely flock to but to Bora, he was just a faceless human.

 

She only had eyes for one person and one person alone.

 

He held out a bouquet of flowers, and the brunette could see his friends in the background cheering him on. And while Bora may be popular at college for being on the dance team, she wasn’t the type to lead people on. “Thank you for the compliment, but I can’t take these.”

 

His face fell but he quickly covered it up with a charming smile. “Why not?”

 

“I have a girlfriend.”

 

“And your...girlfriend won’t let you accept flowers from other people?” He said with an eyebrow raised. It made Bora cringe on the inside, because he was saying it like he didn't believe she was dating Yoohyeon. Just like everyone else.

 

“Oh, she does. Yoohyeon loves flowers. But I only accept if the flowers are given with no ulterior motives other than to congratulate.” If people weren’t going to believe that they were dating, Bora just had to be brutally honest to get them off her back. She watched as the guy flinched at her direct rejection.

 

It was then that Yoohyeon rounded the corner. Bora wanted to curse at the younger girl for her bad timing but it wasn’t her fault. “Bora, you were taking so long I was beginning to think you fell in the toilet-” she cut herself off and glanced between the two.

 

She walked up next to Bora and put her arm around Bora’s narrow shoulders, bringing her closer. “Is he bothering you?” Yoohyeon said without looking away from the man.

 

Normally, Bora would be the protective and aggressive one but this time, their roles were reversed. Plus, Bora thought that an angry Yoohyeon was totally hot.

 

“Ah, no. I only wished to congratulate her for her outstanding performance.” The man said calmly. His eyes reflected annoyance at an interruption. Even more so when it was the person...rumoured to be dating Kim Bora. He handed the flowers to Bora and left with his group.

 

The moment he did, Yoohyeon turned to Bora with puppy dog eyes. “Are you okay?” Bora wanted to laugh at how quickly Yoohyeon went from a guard dog to a puppy in less than 3 seconds. This was the usual Yoohyeon that she knew.

 

“Yeah. Let’s go, our friends are waiting.” It was starting to get a little cold in the night but when Yoohyeon placed her jacket on Bora’s shoulder, it was warm again.

 

Suddenly, Yoohyeon laughed as she held Bora’s hand. “You look like a tiny shrimp in my jacket! Hahahahaha!”

 

“Why you little brat-”

 

--

 

“So when are you going to ask her out?”

 

Minji and Bora were babysitting the two babies of the group, also known as the SiYoo duo. The four of them decided to go to the aquarium that day, because Yoohyeon really wanted to go. The younger girl was majoring in marine biology so it wasn’t all that surprising.

 

(“Aquarium! Aquarium! Aquarium!”

 

“Nerd.” Bora joked as Yoohyeon pouted.

 

“Party pooper.” But her pout was wiped away when Bora gave her a kiss. All was forgiven.)

 

“When am I going to ask who out?” Minji feigned ignorance while Bora rolled her eyes.

 

“C’mon Minji. Anyone with eyes can see how much you guys like each other.” Bora gestured to the black-haired girl currently looking through the big tank with sharks swimming around. The brunette couldn't help the smile that broke out when Yoohyeon started spouting random shark facts while Siyeon was nodding but not listening to a single word. Ah, that was her tall dork. Nerdy but cute.

 

Minji blushed when she looked at Siyeon’s back from afar. “I know but...I’m just scared.”

 

“Don’t be.” Bora responded instantly. “Siyeon only pinches people’s hand when she’s comfortable with someone. She likes you. Have some faith.”

 

“You’re just saying that because you have Yoohyeon.”

 

“Yeah but you want to know something? I was scared too.” That caught Minji’s attention. Her ever so confident best friend was scared of getting into a relationship with her baby sister? That was new.

 

“Don’t give me that look.” Bora chided with a slight smile on her face. “To Yoohyeon, I was just a senior that bothered her all the time and occasionally asked her to get suitors off my back. I didn't think that she would ever see me past all of that.”

 

“You started liking her first?” Bora never told her before. To Minji, Yoohyeon was always the one pining after the dancer.

 

“Yeah...but Yoohyeon was brave and confessed to me first. That’s a quality that I love about her. She isn’t afraid to give her all into things that she cares about.” The way that Bora’s eyes shined with affection when looking at Yoohyeon even though the younger had her back turned made Minji feel giddy. She wanted to have that too.

 

“You know what? You’re right. I’ll never know until I try asking Siyeon out.”

 

“That’s the spirit, Min. Though you won’t be as cute as Yooh and I.”

 

“And you ruined the mood.”

 

“Just saying.”

 

--

 

“Sis, I think I’m going to puke.” Yoohyeon said without preamble. It was the crack of dawn and the Kim siblings were packing up their equipment and ingredients. They were going to cater to a party thrown by Bora’s parents, except that this time, there will be world-famous pastry chefs and baristas in attendance. It was the perfect opportunity to learn from them and impress them at the same time. Of course, Yoohyeon wanted to be a marine biologist, but it definitely scored bonus points with Bora for being great at making her blends of tea.

 

And most importantly, Minji needed her help to keep the cafe afloat. Their parents had entrusted the family business to them when they went on their vacation around the world. Plus, it was Minji’s dream to own a tart cafe which is why she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management. This was a golden opportunity for her.

 

(“Do you think I’ll ever be able to learn how to bake tarts?” Little Minji asked little Yoohyeon who was sharing the bed with her. Above them, another girl was sleeping on the top bunk, shifting around when they made too much noise.

 

“No worries, sis. You can achieve your dream if you put your mind to it.” Yoohyeon replied with hushed enthusiasm. Her older sister was her idol and she knew how smart Minji was.

 

“But what if...” Minji hesitated.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll ask whoever adopts us to teach us to bake! Then you can open a tart cafe when you’re bigger, and I’ll swim with the dolphins!” They giggled under the blankets, as they always do when they talk about their future beyond the walls of the orphanage.

 

A few days later, they were both adopted by an elderly couple. And it just so happened that the elderly couple ran a cafe.)

 

“What if I screw up with the coffee and tea?” Yoohyeon’s legs bounced as she sat in the passenger seat of their car. Minji reached over to ruffle her hair.

 

“You’ll be okay kiddo. The only thing I need to worry about is you getting distracted by Bora’s presence.” At the mention of her girlfriend, Yoohyeon perked up like a puppy in front of its favorite toy. It was cute.

 

“Well...I could say the same about you and Siyeon. I’ve never seen Siyeon act so much like a baby other than when she is with you. What have you done to the alpha wolf?” Yoohyeon joked. She had to admit, it was helping her nerves a bit to banter with Minji like this.

 

“Look, I just like her a lot, okay? Get off my back.” Minji grumbled, causing Yoohyeon to burst out laughing.

 

“S’okay, sis. I’m just glad that you two are finally together. God knows how long Singnie was crushing on you. You’re good for each other.”

 

They arrive at the venue and begin setting up before the event starts. The smell of Minji’s delicious tarts and cakes fill the air, making Yoohyeon feel extra hungry despite eating a full meal not too long ago. The older girl sensed her sister’s eyes on her desserts and moved quickly to block her from stealing one.

 

“Yooh, those are for the guests.” Minji scolded gently. Yoohyeon pouted and pulled her best puppy eyes to get one. “Alright, fine. Just one, okay?”

 

Yoohyeon cheered and ate a fresh tart, feeling happier already. “I’m ready now, sis!”

 

Guests began piling into the fancy garden area owned by the Kim family. Yoohyeon and Minji tied on their server aprons and carried out trays of dessert and drinks. All the people in attendance were well dressed for the garden party. Yoohyeon was vaguely reminded of that movie that won 4 oscars in the US. While she loved that movie and the actors, she hoped that this scene would not turn into a bloodbath, and that some creepy guy from the basement doesn’t come out. Did Bora’s house even have a basement?

 

The tall girl shook her head at her ridiculousness, and craned her head around to look for her small girlfriend. Unfortunately, a guest caught her attention and requested a special blend, effectively stopping her search.

 

Yoohyeon got down to business and got behind the area set for making drinks. She spoke to the guests as she grinded the coffee beans down. “Robusta beans are quite bitter and strong when blended on their own. They can typically be found in Vietnamese coffee, with some condensed milk and ice to calm the strong flavor.” She pulled out a few small cups and set a silver filter on top of each cup.

 

The grinds and hot water were placed inside the filter and pressed down with enough force to ground them. “It takes about 10 minutes for the coffee to finish dripping but why don’t you guys try the tarts while you wait? I promise they taste amazing.” Minji had better thank her for the free promo.

 

A girl, probably around her age, struck up some conversation while she cleaned the grinder. “Where did you learn to make coffee?” she asked as she leaned her elbows on the table, watching the coffee drip slowly.

 

“From my parents. We run a small cafe called Belle.” The tall girl replied.

 

“I was wondering who was hired to cater the desserts. The Kim family never hires anyone that isn’t well-known.” For some reason, the way the girl spoke was ticking Yoohyeon off. She sounded bratty and entitled and it made Yoohyeon want to shut her up. But she also did not want to embarrass herself, Minji, or her girlfriend’s family so she put on a strained smile.

 

“Yes, it is a great opportunity for us to showcase what we can do. Interested in trying a tart?”

 

“Hm, I’ve never tried any tarts from anywhere other than French bakeries so I guess.” Where the heck was Minji in times like this? The older girl would be able to deal with snobby people better than she would.

 

As the girl chewed on the tart and took a sip of the Vietnamese coffee Yoohyeon finished preparing, and smiled slightly.

 

“Not bad. Not bad at all. You know, my father is a very well known barista. You should try learning from him and be a world-class barista. You’ve got talent and maybe we’ll be seeing each other more often.” The girl said in a flirty tone, leaning closer to Yoohyeon. She tried moving away subtly without offending the girl but it was difficult to.

 

Luckily, her savior in the form of her small girlfriend came by.

 

“Yoohyeonie! I’ve been looking for you!” Yoohyeon turned to greet her with a happy smile but faltered a bit when she saw the menacing smile on the other’s face. Bora looked furious.

 

“Ah, hello Jaein. Hope you are enjoying the party.” Bora greeted cordially. But Yoohyeon immediately knew that Bora did not get along with this Jaein girl, if her strained smile and clenched teeth were anything to go by.

 

“Yes, I am Bora-”

 

Bora cut her off before she could say anything more. “Yooh, my parents wanted to see you and Minji. Let’s not keep them waiting.” The brunette held out her hand and Yoohyeon took it without hesitation.

 

“Please enjoy the coffee and pastries, Miss.” Yoohyeon tried to be as polite as possible though, she could have sworn that Bora gave Jaein a smirk on their way out.

 

As they made it further away, Yoohyeon suddenly grabbed Bora in a back hug and grinned like a mad woman. “You’re so cute when you’re jealous, like a little angry birb.” She was provoking the proverbial tiger but she was too happy to care right now.

 

Bora flushed all the way up to the tips of her ears, visible since her hair was out of the way. “Yooh, if you don’t shut up now...” but her threats fell on deaf ears as Yoohyeon began to coddle her in the middle of the party. Luckily, all the guests were busy with the food and music. In fact, Bora decided to take it upon herself to punch her annoying girlfriend in the arm.

 

“Ow, okay okay.” Yoohyeon leaned forward to kiss her Bora as a means to calm her down. “You know that I only like you right?”

 

“I know.” Bora mumbled against her lips. The younger girl wanted to say more but they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Looking up, Bora’s parents were staring at them both with knowing smiles. They hadn’t told them that they were actually dating yet- Bora just really never got around to it - so Yoohyeon was nervous.

 

The older girl held her hand firmly. “Mom, Dad, Yoohyeon and I-”

 

Her mother cut her off with a sigh. “Honey, you’ve been using this old trick to get rid of suitors but everyone already knows that you two aren’t dating. Maybe consider one of the people here instead of bothering Yoohyeon all the time.”

 

“Yeah, Bora. Yoohyeon won’t be able to have any freedom to date if you’re keeping her up all the time.” Mr. Kim supplied.

 

The young couple just gave each other exasperated glances. What could they do to prove to people once and for all that they were serious about each other? Honesty was probably the best.

 

Yoohyeon stepped forward with conviction in her eyes. It was the most serious the older couple had seen the usually dorky girl. “Mr. and Mrs. Kim, I’m very serious about dating your daughter and we’re sorry that we didn't tell you sooner but,” Yoohyeon glanced back at the shorter girl with a softer gaze, “I really love her.”

 

--

 

“I’m very serious about dating your daughter.” Bora said with the deepest voice possible, imitating Yoohyeon a day ago. The taller girl was sitting on the couch of her apartment with her face buried between her hands. Even with her hands covering her face, the red flush going all the way down her neck was obvious.

 

“Bora can you please stop teasing me? Can you please stop teasing me?” But Bora was having a ball with Yoohyeon’s one-liner. It was like the younger girl got that straight out of a cheesy k-drama.

 

Across from them, Minji and Siyeon were amused. When they asked for the details as to why Bora’s parents made the unexpected announcement at the party that Bora is dating Yoohyeon, they just had to know how it happened.

 

Suffice to say, Bora got a kick out of it. After laughing her head off for another minute, she settled on Yoohyeon’s lap and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. The younger girl was usually very shy and passive when it came to interacting with people, so Bora was actually very surprised at her assertiveness yesterday. She’d be lying if she said that it didn’t make her heart flutter. Yoohyeon must’ve been so nervous but she braved telling her parents anyways.

 

“Yooh. I might be laughing but you know I appreciate what you did right? My parents believe us now and hopefully everyone else does too.” Yoohyeon lowered her hands to wrap them around Bora’s waist, hugging the other girl close.

 

“I have to admit, seeing you two act soft with each other is weirding me out. But it’s kind of cute, in a love-hate kind of way.” Siyeon commented. Of course, dating Minji and getting a front row seat to BoHyeon(?) made her finally believe it, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t weirded out.

 

“Quiet, Singnie. We’re having a moment.” Yoohyeon stuck her tongue out at her friend.

 

Siyeon pouted and frowned. “I take it back. You two are insufferable brats.” Minji, the only sane person in the room, sighed and tugged Siyeon out of the room.

 

She did not need to see Bora and Yoohyeon make heart eyes at each other for a minute longer.

 

--

 

Later, when she came back from her dinner date with Siyeon, she found Bora shaking/bothering Yoohyeon on the couch while the younger attempted to escape.

 

Minji sighed and shook her head, ignoring the calls of help from her sister. See no evil, hear no evil, do no evil. Or in this case, get involved in no evil.

 

Eh, she figured that Yoohyeon would be alright. She was really dating Bora after all. Bora wouldn’t choke her to death, right?

 

Right?! Minji was beginning to doubt herself, so she turned around to put a stop to the chaos in her living room.

 

--