A/N: I had this thought a long time ago. But I lost it, and then recently it came back to me, and I hope to do this some justice. The idea is Joohyun is a jewelry shop owner who is used to helping people pick out the perfect engagement rings for their significant other, it’s what comes natural to her. She just never anticipated her ex-fiance Seulgi walking into her shop to pick out a ring for someone who isn’t her. Enjoy 

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The feel of impossibly soft lips was felt against Bae Joohyun’s forehead as the woman slept. The kiss was felt, but not enough to make Joohyun wake up. She’s going to need more than a simple kiss to her forehead to make her wake up. Then she feels fingers in her hair, gently caressing her dark locks, and that makes her stir a bit. It’s still not enough to make Joohyun want to get up. Then she feels those soft lips against her ear, and Joohyun can feel the ghost of a smile. It takes everything in her to not smile back, afterall she is pretending to still be asleep.

“Bae Joohyun, how long are you going to pretend to be sleeping?”

Joohyun continues to lay there, waiting for her real kiss. All she wants is for her partner to give her a proper kiss, one against the lips, and then Joohyun will wake up for her in an instant.

“Hyunnie?”

The whisper of the nickname is what makes her weak, Joohyun can never resist hearing the way that nickname comes from the woman she loves. She opened her eyes to see a pair of the warmest monolid eyes looking down at her. She touches the side of a tanned cheek, smiling up at the most beautiful woman she has ever seen. Joohyun takes in her face, everything from the sharp monolid eyes, button nose, and pretty pink lips.

“I was sleeping, you know.”

“No, you weren’t.”

“How would you know, hm?” Joohyun asks with a smile and runs her fingers through the light brown locks of the woman she loves, who smiles back at her, those pretty monolid eyes forming crescent shapes.

“Because I know everything about you, Bae Joohyun.”
 

“Is that so, then perhaps you should give me the kiss I’ve been waiting for, Kang Seulgi.”

The moment Seulgi starts leaning in for a kiss, is the moment Joohyun swears she hears her name being called, only it’s not Seulgi calling her name, and no one else would be at their place with them. It gets stronger and stronger, her name being called.

“Joohyun?”

“Joohyun?”

“Hey earth to Bae Joohyun!”

The third time is what pulls Bae Joohyun out of her daydream, and she blinks several times before settling her sights on the taller red haired woman looking back at her like she is worried for her very sanity. Joohyun sighs to herself realizing she was only daydreaming and none of that was even real. The raven-haired woman is currently at her jewelry shop where her friend Sooyoung is staring at her like she thinks she’s not okay, and at this point Joohyun doesn’t feel so. 

“Are you alright, Joohyun? You look like you went to another world.”

“I’m fine.” The raven nods. “What’s going on, Sooyoung?”

“What’s going on? You’re supposed to be helping me pick a ring out for Yerim, you remember her right, my girlfriend?”

That’s what she was doing before she went off into a daydream state. She is at her store, helping her friend Sooyoung pick out an engagement ring for her long time girlfriend Yerim. Sooyoung has been somewhat of an adorable wreck since she told her she plans to propose to Yerim. Joohyun, who has been running her own jewelry store for a few years now, after spending years prior working for one of the most well known jewelers in town, knew she could help Sooyoung out here. After all, this is what she does, she has an eye for jewelry, and can help anyone when they walk through her door, earning a bit of good reputation and name for herself on her own merit.

“I remember, well, do you have any ideas in mind for what you’re looking for? Price range?”

The redhead scoffs. “Money is no object when it comes to my Yerimie, now show me some rings, ma’am!”
 

Joohyun chuckles some, and decides to get to work. She still has thoughts of her daydream in the back of her mind. Thoughts of her, of Seulgi, but somehow Seulgi is never too far away from her mind, always there, where thoughts easily rush to her, no matter where Joohyun is or what she’s doing. 

“Let me start by showing you some of our pear-shaped rings. They’re really in style these days, and I just received some new arrivals.”

Joohyun goes into business mode as she’s good at that, going right into business even when her mind is elsewhere.

“I don’t know, Joohyun. They’re pretty and everything but I just…”

“Can’t see Yerim liking any of these choices?”

“No,” Sooyoung sighs, “show me something else, okay.”

“Sure thing, we’ll find the right ring today. Do you have anything in mind for her? A particular style or color?”

“I was going to be cheesy at first and get her birthstone color.”

“That’s not cheesy, Sooyoung. I’ve seen many couples do that very thing.”

“It’s cheesy, but I do want something special and unique, something that really fits her. A ring I can see her wanting to wear for the rest of her life, understand?”

Joohyun understands. She sometimes will still be putting up her display cases and her mind will wander to Seulgi, and think about what sort of ring would look best on her finger, even though they’re no longer together. She still will fantasize about being able to pick out Seulgi’s ring, and presenting it to her. She’ll look at the diamond cut, shape, and sometimes color then wonder would Seulgi like any of these, which isn’t necessarily healthy when Seulgi is her ex. But things are complicated when the person is her ex, and Joohyun still loves them, especially when Seulgi was in fact her fiancé at one point, the one person the dark-haired woman always imagined herself marrying, someone she would still marry today if given the opportunity. As she’s helping Sooyoung, and they’re looking at princess-cut rings. 

“Seulgi wouldn’t like any of these.” Joohyun thinks. However, this is about Sooyoung and helping her find the perfect ring for her girlfriend. 

“Tell me more about Yerim, like on a personal level, how she is, what she makes you feel? I think that information will help us find the perfect ring for you today.”

She only knows Yerim as Sooyoung’s girlfriend and has spent some time with the couple. It’ll be up to Sooyoung to fill in the blanks.

“Well, Yerim is really funny, sweet, but a little savage, like me.”

“No wonder you two get along so well.”

“I know it’s like destiny.”

The redhead doesn’t see it right away, but Joohyun looks like she momentarily loses focus. It wasn’t her fault, how could the redhead know that those words would throw her off.

“We’re destined to be together, Hyunnie. I just know we’re each other’s destiny.”

Seulgi told her this before, how they were destined to be together, and somehow Joohyun always believed that, no matter what. Even though she’s not seen Seulgi in years now, Joohyun still holds onto the hope that they are meant for each other, and it’ll work out one day, because there has never been anyone else for Bae Joohyun.

“She’s determined,” Joohyun hears her friend talking and that brings her back to reality. “She’s smart, really passionate about things she cares about, it’s kind of intoxicating, honestly.”

Joohyun knows all too well what it’s like being in love with someone passionate about the things that matter to them. Seulgi, always passionate, about her art, her music, the people she loved, issues that mattered to her, and because of how intoxicating Seulgi’s passion was, it ignited similar passion in her too, a passion that is no longer as bright because the brightest part of her life is gone. 

“I understand exactly, Sooyoung. Let’s look at some of the oval-shaped rings, I could recommend to you a few of the most popular choices. I think you’ll like them, come.”

And just as Joohyun says, she sees the way Sooyoung looks brighter than she has since showing her the rings. The taller woman marvels over a few different ones, and finally the look that every jewelry seller knows all too well, the look when the customer finds the one.

“This one.” Sooyoung points to a 3-carat oval ring, with a rose-gold undertone. It’s a beautiful ring, shiny, bright, and would look good on Yerim’s finger. Most of all she knows that Yerim will love it. “This is the one, I want to buy this one for Yerim.”

“I think it’s a good choice, and because we are friends I’ll give you a discount.”

“Oh, will you now? How kind of you, Joohyun. This is why I will highly recommend you to all my friends in a relationship, since you really do know what you’re doing. I don’t think I would have found this without your help. Did you always want to sell jewelry?”

Truth be told, selling jewelry wasn’t originally Joohyun’s plan in life. As a kid she always imagined being some sort of journalist, or tv news reporter. Only life had its own way of working out, and in school she found herself taking another direction, one part time job working with that famed jeweler had changed things dramatically for her, making her realize she did have a passion for this work. She especially likes helping people find their perfect jewelry for them, whatever the occasion, and seeing how thrilled Sooyoung was about her ring choice is part of the reason why she chose to go into this work.

“Not originally, no. But, I do know this is my calling in life, and what suits me. Let me get this boxed up for you, and how do you want to pay, cash, check, paypal, chicken coupon?”
 

The way she throws that last part in has Sooyoung cracking up in loud laughter. “As funny as that would be to hand you a chicken coupon, I do have lots of cash! You forget I’m rich, don’t you?” Now she laughs at her own joke, which has Joohyun shaking her head in slight disbelief. Sooyoung is her friend, and she is used to her antics.

“Yes, oh rich one, well let me box this up for you.”

“Thanks, I can’t wait to propose to her.”

Joohyun recalls a time when she was just like Sooyoung, ready and eager to propose to Seulgi, as she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the woman she loved. The only person she has ever loved. She’ll never forget how nervous she was trying to find the right ring, how she planned what she wanted to say in her head, and most of all how Seulgi cried because she was that surprised and happy to have Joohyun propose to her.

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you, Hyun. Was there ever any question about that, I want to be with you, always.”

Joohyun finishes placing the ring in a gorgeous velvet box, and then into her pretty purple boutique bags with her store logo, Sooyoung pays, and before she leaves she asks the question that Joohyun figured she would. 

“Hey, Joohyun, why are you still single? You should be dating up a storm with how pretty you are, what’s the deal? I can completely hook you up with some of my single friends.”
 

The older woman isn’t interested in dating, she’s not interested in moving forward with someone who isn’t Seulgi. People of course have tried to ask her out, to which Joohyun always politely turns them down.

“I’m not interested in dating, I have a business to run, and I’m fine being single.”

“Or are you still hung up on your ex? The one you never tell me much about.”
 

She’ll probably never be over Seulgi, no matter what she does, or how much time passes. Joohyun doesn't want to really talk about this with Sooyoung, and it’s not because she doesn’t value their friendship. She does, and trusts the younger woman, it is however hard to talk about Seulgi with anyone, it’s why she keeps it to herself, or journals about it when it gets too hard to keep inside.

“Yes, I’m still in love with my ex. Now I have work to do, so if you don’t mind..”

The taller woman scoffs, “What work, you’re standing in front of jewelry and looking pretty.”

Joohyun laughs. “I do more than just stand here selling jewelry, but thank you I guess. Let me know how your proposal goes, alright?”

“I will, you need to be my flower girl anyway.”

“Your flower girl?” The raven frowns, knowing that’s an obvious crack at her height. Sooyoung laughs out loud all the way out her door, and Joohyun sighs, wondering for a moment why she’s even friends with her. Once alone, Joohyun decides to go to her office in the back, and check the books. She might as well since there is no one else to help at the moment, and if she starts now she can probably be done by the time she’s ready to take her lunch break. Doing this part of her job isn’t the most fun, or interesting, but she’s been doing this sort of thing so long, it goes by fast. It’s only hard to focus as her mind is truly on thoughts of Seulgi, now more than ever today because of her daydream. Her mind wanders as she’s thinking to the last time she ever saw Seulgi, when she was walking out of their shared apartment, and leaving her life for good.

(Flashback)
 

Joohyun hurried home, she needed to get home because Seulgi’s text sounded so ominous, and it was worrying. She knows as of late things haven’t been the best for them, with Joohyun working many hours to get her jewelry store up and running, and Seulgi’s own work taking her in different directions. They fight more than they seem to love each other these days, and the last few conversations they had were really rough, so bad that Seulgi chose to not come home for some of those fights. Joohyun parks her car, and makes a mad dash for the apartment, faster than she’s probably ever run in her life. Seulgi has to still be there, right? Surely she hasn’t left to stay with friends, like she did the last time. Joohyun had really just got her home, the last thing she wants is for Seulgi to go away again.

“Seul!” The raven calls out, getting worried when she doesn’t see any sign of Seulgi, and all the lights are off. God, she hopes Seulgi is here, she’s halfway about to start looking around when she sees the monolid woman with a suitcase packed and duffle bag on her shoulder. 

“Honey,” She sighs in relief, trying to ignore for a moment that Seulgi has luggage, and isn’t looking all that happy in the moment. Like, she’s trying her best to not fall apart, crack, and is choosing her next words wisely. “You just got home,” Joohyun tells her. “You’re not leaving again, are you? Not before we really had the time to talk and work on our relationship.”

“Joohyun?”

She doesn’t like the way Seulgi calls her full name, it sounds wrong, where’s the Hyun, or Hyunnie, anything other than her full name at a time such as this. Again, she chooses to ignore it.

“Put those away, and I’ll make us something to eat, are you hungry? You must be, so…”

“Joohyun, listen.”

Joohyun heads into the kitchen anyway, about to grab some pots, and pans, Seulgi follows behind her.

“Joohyun?”

“What would you like, ramen, or maybe I can do something with those steaks we bought?”

“Joohyun, please…” Seulgi sighs, and grabs her hand from starting the fire on the stove. The shorter woman reluctantly looks back at Seulgi, afraid to meet her eyes, because once she does those usually warm monolid eyes are full of unshed tears, and that makes Joohyun want to cry too, but she ho