Who would have thought that one day her dream would come true?

Jung Yerin, a member of girl group GFRIEND with 10 years of experience, was able to achieve everything thanks to her strength and the help of five girls who became her family.

She became a successful young woman who owns a chain of restaurants all over South Korea. The food menu was original, combining many unusual flavors and recipes collected all over the country and from different countries abroad.

Now they could release a full-length disc or prepare for a comeback with a new song whenever they wanted or were ready. Their company gave them free rein.

This morning was very stressful for her. Her personal schedule has become busy since she allowed acting on her own. During the morning, she had already managed to go to a fashion show, hold a mini-fan meeting, star in advertising and finally attend a meeting with the auctioneers of her personal company.

Now, sitting in the car, she was finally able to check her phone. She moved her sunglasses from her nose to her forehead, ignoring the sun, scrolling through many signals on her phone. There were many lyrics from girls, even one from her friend Joy. As Yerin watched the message, one reminder popped up, stopping her breathing for a second and her heart pounding with excitement.

- Are you okay?

Yerin immediately looked up, smiling at the manager as she locked the screen, all in one instinctive movement.

-I'm fine, - she replied.

Her manager looked at Yerin again, but decided not to interfere, just keep driving. Yerin breathed a sigh of relief and returned the sunglasses to close her eyes. Instead of the landscape-lady, which was blurred outside the window, the girl saw her own reflection in glasses.

“Today is the same day, I almost forgot about it. I wonder if YuJu remembers him. Surely, she remembers how she can forget our anniversary. Yerin, you have nothing to worry about here. YuJu always remembers everything. Then why didn't she call me? She always called first. "

Her brain graciously responded with a list of excuses: lyrics, lack of sleep, choreography, scripts, lack of sleep, but that didn't help ease the weight in her chest. After all, Yerin herself almost forgot about the important day, she doesn't need to blame YuJu if ...

“Stop it,” she told herself sternly.

She tried to dismiss the thoughts, but they still hung over her like a heavy burden.

For a long time we saw her, although now we are actively preparing for the return, our personal schedules do not allow us to meet ...

Yerin chewed her lip for a moment before turning the phone back on, grumbling softly as he blinked in protest. She quickly found their schedule by scanning the document one by one. She herself had another schedule today, and then she was free until the group rehearsal later that evening (or early the next morning, depending on where the line between day and night was drawn).

- Oppa, can you drop me off at the studio after my schedule is over?

Her manager frowned at both the traffic jam in front of him and the question:

- Don't you want to go back to the dorm and sleep?

- No, - Yerin muttered, I want to see YuJu.

*****

The sun's rays last displayed in the windows of the car, disappearing over the horizon. They had already arrived at the building where the photo session of her girlfriend was taking place, and the people standing there stepped aside when the headlights consecrated them.

-Do you need me to go with you? - The manager asked quietly, looking at the crowd as it began to approach, realizing the only passenger in the van.

Yerin shook her head.

- Everything is fine - she answered - I'm used to it, besides, it's close here.

She confirmed her claim by making her way easily through the crowd, testing her steps with precisely timed smiles and waves to ease her closer and closer to the entrance. It took a while, but Yerin finally stepped over the threshold, the glass doors closed behind her and out of the blue sealed voices that almost made her lose her balance, almost made her let out a sound.

It was in that silence that Yerin realized she had come empty-handed. She groaned and tapped her head with her fingers. Returning outside was out of the question now (she shuddered, thinking of the scandals that would have erupted if she even tried to buy a bouquet of flowers), and therefore she had nothing to show to remember this incident. At that moment, the elevator announced its arrival and opened the doors in patient invitation. What else could she do?

Yerin sighed and stepped into the elevator. The ride was quiet, and she chewed on her lip, believing that the floors were gone.

The staff member recognized her as soon as she got off the elevator, and before she could ask where YuJu was, she dragged inside all the time chatting about something. Yerin couldn't even say a word, she just listened and smiled sweetly. The employee offered her snacks and drinks, introducing almost everyone who passed by.

Even after Yerin sat down, the offers continued - blankets, slippers, magazines, and more coffee - until an employee finally called in to do more business that is formal. Yerin breathed a sigh of relief, enjoying the silence this time.

Yerin bowed, rejoicing for their company and the shield their backs provided from most of the world. She would have continued to wear her sunglasses inside, but Yerin knew perfectly well that the line between chic and rude was very thin and flirting with it usually meant more trouble than fun. Deprived of the opportunity to hide behind her sunglasses, she was force to pay attention to the photo shoot.

They didn’t often watch each other’s photo shoots, although it was less due to the length of time and more because the whole process, at least for Yerin, always seemed unnatural. It was different from performing on stage. There she had lines for singing and choreography. However, during the photo shoot, people essentially watched her do nothing. Not only that, the scenery always seemed too bright, the props oddly weighted, and the lighting too artificial to affect anything natural. Even street photo sessions seemed creepy, staged affairs.

As Yerin watched, the sharp flash turned YuJu's hair into a beautiful painting, as she had to add blue, green to her black hair to do this.

Fortunately, their faces left to age in due course, the curves and softness there lengthening along with the lines of their bodies. The footprints of the girl Yerin used to know were hard to find during times like these when YuJu was dressed, dressed up, and in the spotlight. The ease with which YuJu moved from pose to pose was a testament to both Yerin's own experience recognizing these poses and YuJu's comfort in her own skin.

They both came this far after their first photo shoot. They were so awkward back then, not only with each other, but also because Yerin was still overcoming her fear of cameras and YuJu was still adjusting to her new name and everyone else. Until now, Yerin wondered that they even went through this photo shoot.

If YuJu hadn't been there, so brave and so diligent, Yerin was sure she would have spent crying in the dressing room.

YuJu wasn't easy either, the photographer got so angry that YuJu was constantly playing with the bracelets around her wrists, he threatened to take them and use someone else for this sequence. Yerin got her fair share of swearing while filming, feeling the anger of their unnie makeup after having to reapply Yerin's lipstick almost a dozen times because Yerin bit her lip so hard.

Wrist curling and lip biting were less common these days, although Yerin wasn't sure if it was because they were used to photo shoots or if it was all just getting old.

Among other things, she thought, lowering her gaze to where her phone was quietly lying in her purse. When she looked up, she found YuJu staring curiously in her direction. Yerin just sat down and waited. It didn't take long, a couple of seconds at most, but Yerin knew as soon as YuJu realized that it was she herself who lit up from within.

Yerin smiled in pure reaction and would have waved her hand, but the flash brought them back to their eyes on the camera. Yerin huddled in her chair a little, furtively glancing around and hoping that no one had noticed YuJu's focus.

-Perhaps, after all, it was not a good idea ...

Employees were usually very forgiving when they were all playing with each other, but she was also very aware that employees' days often go longer than theirs do.

Yerin pushed the chair back so the staff and their gear were better hidden, sacrificing a piece of her vision in the process. But she could imagine YuJu in her mind as she returned to character, straightening her shoulders, slightly lifting her chin before taking a pose.

Yerin could still see part of YuJu and part of the set, so she had some fun with the partial view, presenting the hidden half of YuJu based on what she could see. Head tilted to the side with a grin that made Yerin's heart flutter, would be complete hands on hips and legs crossed at ankles; hand raised up, palm up connected with a carefree smile, facing the camera, which has nothing to hide.

The game quickly got through the rest of filming, and Yerin caught off guard when applause burst out in the final photo and YuJu blushed in the middle of it all. Yerin added her greetings and watched as YuJu walked around her, thanking the staff, pausing to talk to Jung.

In addition, exchange numbers (both of them wrote on what looked like a napkin) before going to Yerin's chair. Yerin was pleased just to watch her like this: the easy way YuJu moved through the crowd, her laugh was distinctly different among the different sounds, and her eyes always returned to her.

When YuJu was finally within reach, Yerin slid off the chair and hugged the other girl. The strong smell of hairspray and the harshness of YuJu's clothes softened their embrace, but YuJu's smile was no less bright when they parted.

- Have you tried to play hide and seek? - She asked playfully, pointing towards Yerin.

Yerin bent over, giggling, comforting her, answering:

- Maybe.

-I thought you'd be in the dorm, - YuJu said, Yerin rolled her eyes when it struck her that YuJu probably didn't remember their anniversary either. She blinked, shortly unsure whether to be relieved or disappointed, but quickly settled on just taking advantage of their time together.

-I wanted to see you, - she answered truthfully, more truthfully than she intended.

YuJu also looked surprised, her hand still resting on Yerin's hip and her smile softened.

Yerin then stretched (as she always did with that smile), gently hugging YuJu's face, dazed by the sudden desire to keep that fragile, beautiful smile in a place safer, softer than her hands (but that was all she had to offer ). YuJu leaned towards him, her lips lightly touching Yerin's palm. Yerin shuddered slightly there, in the middle of a noisy studio (again, YuJu has always influenced her like that).

A staff member called YuJu to change, and they reluctantly let each other go, Yerin left empty-handed again. She turned to sit down, but her chair had already been taken away. She looked at the empty space and looked around for another chair, but noticed a small crowd around the computers. She walked over and realized that they had already looked at YuJu's photos.

- Like? - The employee asked when they noticed that she had joined them.

Several other employees immediately sparked a protest that loudly denounced his tact and quickly reassured Yerin of her own beauty. Yerin laughed and shrugged off the compliments, adding her agreement with the first employee's statement. The shots were physical evidence of this, and the shots brought to the fore the other side of YuJu, a sensual, devilish caring image that Yerin knew would be further refined through editing. With a strange combination of professionalism and admiration, she looked at the pictures, tracing each frame with the eyes of a critic and a lover.

She compared her guesses from the previous game, some of them were true (she had to suppress a groan as they swept past the painting with YuJu's adorable grin), and others were delightfully contrived (a wide laugh, where Yerin expected a simple smile) when the hand contacted her and took her away from the crowd. YuJu's nose wrinkled, no doubt seeing her face on the screen. Yerin laughed.

-They look good, - she said soothingly. - You are hungry.

- I'm starving, we've been here since early in the morning, and I could only have a snack in the car - rubbing her stomach, the girl answered, then looked at her with a question.

- If you want, you can go to one restaurant nearby, I recently went there on business, the menu there is varied - YuJu from the first words already began to nod her head, impatiently sway on her toes.

- Of course, I want to, what kind of question, I'm free now, - she turned to her manager, who was standing nearby: - ​​How long is the break?

- 30 minutes.

- You hear, 30 minutes is definitely enough for us. Let's hurry! - stretched out her hand, which Yerin took, twisting her fingers from hers, forgetting for a minute how to breathe from overwhelming feelings.

-But what about all the fans outside? - She didn't really want to go through this crowd again, which would have become even larger if it became known about her visit.

She was a little surprised that YuJu hadn't thought about it, their "eternal manager". YuJu, however, only raised an eyebrow at her, an expression of equal parts annoyance and amusement on her face.

-Did you forget? - Yerin stopped.

- Forgot? What are you about talking? - She asked cautiously, not knowing what YuJu was about talking.

But YuJu just hit Yerin on the shoulder with her shoulder.

-There's a side door, silly. Do not you remember? We are used to using it all the time.

They learned to use this and other stairwells, as their group became more popular, and then again as a couple, secretly sneaking, often giggling, pretending to be spies (and making their way to the showdown on the walls). Now they were moving not covertly, but with a free gait, ready to deal with anything.

Today they are having a happy evening; there are no fans on the horizon: the opening of the exit door showed only darkness. YuJu smiled triumphantly at Yerin, and they headed to the main street. Yerin didn't realize how late it was until they started walking past the store after the dark store, “Closed,” with signs on the windows. She pursed her lips in disappointment. She hoped to sneak into a boutique store to buy even a small trinket to celebrate their anniversary, but the shopkeepers seemed to have a less fluid sense of time than she did.

The nearby restaurant already closed, so they had no choice but to walk along the street and look for the one that is open.

It came as a complete surprise when they turned a corner and found themselves face to face with a round-the-clock restaurant. After a moment of shock, they eagerly entered and quickly sat down. After plowing half of their nachos (the menu was an odd but welcome mix of comfortable Korean, Mexican and Italian food), Yerin's energy returned enough to embrace their surroundings.

The paintings that lined the walls were from a wide variety of locations (in many of the countries Yerin proudly said they visited), bringing color to the simple interior. Around the dining room, several other customers made the restaurant cozy, but cozy. Something about this place reminded her.

- Maybe this is one of the pictures?

-Doesn't that remind you of that one place we went after we first met?

- This is exactly what I was thinking, - Yerin replied with a wry smile.

This is exactly what it was.

The restaurant they went to all those years ago was like this one - simple, not too busy, but Yerin felt so uncomfortable even when Sowon played the intermediary, slowing down YuJu's almost continuous chatter and translating Yerin's almost non-existent answers.

“You hardly said anything that day,” YuJu recalled. “I thought I offended you or something.

- You would know - Yerin raised an eyebrow at her.

“That's what Sowon-unnie said.” YuJu laughed.

“Actually, I thought I said something that offended you,” Yerin admitted. YuJu tilted her head sideways. “While we were eating, you disappeared into the bathroom,” she explained, looking at the remains of their plate of nachos, trying to figure out which chips had the most toppings. “We almost sent a search party for you.

The sudden silence from the table made Yerin look up and then immediately stretched out, the lost look on YuJu's face shaking her heart. YuJu smiled instinctively, but Yerin felt the difference (felt herself suddenly transported to that day, now realizing what that smile meant) and squeezed YuJu's hand tighter.

- Everything is good.

YuJu did not speak for several minutes, apparently working to control her feelings. Yerin looked around the room, then shook the other customers out of her head, followed her instinct, and walked around the table to sit next to YuJu.

She put her arms around YuJu's shoulders (-I'm here) and Yerin felt YuJu's slow breathing, intentional, unstable, tense shoulders as she tried to catch her breathing. Yerin continued to hold her, giving her as much time as she needed.

For some time, they remained like that, parting only when they saw the approaching officer. He did not doubt the change of location and simply put down their steaming plates with a smile. The conversation put on hold as they nearly attacked their food.

Yerin, however, started to slow down after a few bites, causing YuJu to furrow his brows when she finally noticed.

-I do not like? - She asked, spreading spaghetti sauce around .

-Not to say that it tastes so-so, - Yerin admitted, although the fact that she took another bite showed that she didn't think it was terrible either.

YuJu rolled her eyes.

-It's like you're cooking better. - Her playful smile softened Yerin's reaction, but she still cast an indignant look at YuJu.

-Of course, I cook better! Moreover, you know that very well! Yerin pointed her fork at her.

-Hmm, I don’t remember something; maybe you will remind me again, huh?

- Anytime, baby - Yerin smiled cheerfully, looking at her friend. - But it will not be interesting; you also have to cook something.

- Why me? The smile instantly disappeared from YuJu's face.

- And the girls will be judge - continued Yerin.

- What?!

- Are you afraid that you will lose? - Yerin asked YuJu narrowed her eyes.

- What more! Jung next week. Cooking Battle! They held each other's gaze for a few more moments, but then Yerin laughed at the intensity of it all.

- Cooking battle! Yerin repeated, giggling, echoing YuJu's dramatic voice in her head.

YuJu stuck her tongue out at Yerin even though she was giggling too.

- I'm serious! Let's get together next week, the girls will be our judges, and we will cook their favorite dishes.

- It's a tempting idea; we haven't gathered all together for a long time, we will have a great time remembering the old days. So what do I get when I win? Yerin asked with a grin, keeping the same amused look from YuJu.

-If you win, then I'll find a way to repay you. - Her voice became lower, seductive, like the look of her dark eyes, alluring, Yerin almost choked on food. YuJu didn't last long, she laughed out loud, pointed at her girlfriend, said, -I'm not sure if you’ll win, baby. Are you going to lose for sure, and do you know what you're going to do all week? - There was silence, and after YuJu, she said with mischief: - Cleaning around the house, including washing too!

-You have to wash my clothes by the end of the month.

- I obey and obey! Yerin simply continued to eat nonchalantly, making a winning plan in her head.

Then they continued to eat in comfortable communication.

*****

A couple of hours later, they stood waiting for the elevator in their company to descend into the "dungeon," as they lovingly christened the rehearsal room in the basement. However, YuJu was standing more and Yerin leaned against her, holding on to her parted stomach.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to get through the rehearsal,” she moaned piteously.

“Are you the one who wanted to share this sundae,” YuJu sighed.

- You're the one who started talking about ice cream! - Yerin knew she was whining, but she was too fat to care.

They added to the loser's punishment having to buy a pint of ice cream for each of the girls, and this made Yerin cravable (this was also special at the restaurant; Yerin decided they might have at least one special for that day).

Yerin heard YuJu sigh again, but when the elevator arrived, she was still slowly leading Yerin's hand inside. They leaned back against the railing and against each other, blending seamlessly into the silence. Yerin returned her head to YuJu's shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. The bitterness of her last cup of coffee (Yerin had long since lost count) still lingered on her tongue, but it was the main flavor of the ice cream that pulled back old memories.

- Do you remember one such case with ice cream here in the elevator? We, too, then returned to the training hall, and then ...

YuJu looked down when Yerin suddenly started giggling.

- Why are you laughing? - She asked with a curious smile.

Yerin bit her lip uncertainly, looked up and down at her girlfriend's pretty face, said carefully (suddenly YuJu forgot about that day):

- Our first kiss...

That day flashed before her eyes, she again saw how:

- YuJu looked anxiously at the melting ice cream in Yerin's hands and its drops ruined her favorite yellow dress;

-YuJu pouted and frowned at the stains on the pants that she bought just yesterday;

-They both laughed at the situation;

-Yerin put her arms around YuJu's waist first, put her head on her shoulder, and looked up;

-YuJu tilted her head just to rub her nose against her friend's slightly pinkish cheek (like always);

-She was so beautiful at that moment that Yerin could not stand it and kissed her lips, fleetingly, almost imperceptibly, but this kiss completely changed the whole universe in Yerin. Then, for the first time, she realized that the love she has for YuJu is not just friendship, but falling in love.

That moment was special for Yerin.

-I think I need help reminding me, - YuJu said.

Moreover, for a moment Yerin thought that her beloved had forgotten, but meeting the mischief in her eyes, she calmed down and relaxed. Yerin smiled lightness in her heart as they leaned over to each other. Their lips met in a kiss that was soft and slow, but sure. Yerin felt YuJu's lips curl back into her own smile, the one in which Yerin gently pressed against YuJu's face and led her into a second kiss.

It was indeed a second kiss, and YuJu sighed as she did then; it was more an assurance than a return to the past, a confirmation of the present rather than a question.

Finally, they slowly parted, leaning their foreheads against each other, smiling.

-Happy anniversary, - YuJu muttered.

Yerin blinked and straightened in surprise.

- Wait, did you remember?

-Well yes…

- I thought you forgot! Yerin bit her lip with a shy look.

-I, well ... Actually, I only remembered because I had a reminder on my background - YuJu honestly admitted, then she quickly began to make excuses, but she interrupted by a loud laugh from Yerin, who said between laughter:

-The same situation!

After a moment, YuJu echoed her girlfriend's laugh, shaking her head about how stupid they were both. Confusion burned Yerin's cheeks, but at least now, she knew she was not the only one.

-We're getting old for this, - she said as their laughter subsided, Yerin leaned back on YuJu's neck.

-While we are getting old together, - YuJu replied.

-Take it easy with cute speeches, YuJu, I'm full enough, - Yerin warned, poking YuJu in the side.

YuJu laughed the sound deeper from where Yerin was resting.

The elevator chimed softly, sighing from both of them as they unraveled themselves, the doors opened in tandem. YuJu first walked through the doors, and for a moment, Yerin saw only her silhouette. Suddenly, she struck by the memory of the past, but since when she was not sure (from that very first day they had passed through so many doors).

YuJu's lines are different, but still as recognizable as hers are. Then, just as quickly, Yerin's eyes adjusted to the light - how different this light was from the harsh flash from the photo studio, how she could see the lack of sleep written on YuJu's face, how soft adoration it was in her eyes. Yerin placed her hand on YuJu's outstretched hand with a feeling similar to falling in love, but more reminiscent of the memory that she has always been in love with this girl.

They walked slowly into the rehearsal room, already beginning to identify the music coming from behind the door. But Yerin slowed down, another feeling grew in her, a feeling that something had to be said.

- Hey - YuJu paused, turning her eyes to Yerin, her hand already resting on the doorknob. Yerin was silent for a second, remembering this moment.

- I love you, - she said.

YuJu gripped their bound hands tightly in response, replied:

-I love you too - in a promise.

They shared a smile, then opened the door and stepped together.