i.

 

Hitomi resists the urge to wipe her clammy palms on the front of her jeans as she and Nako walk along the seaside. She thanks her lucky stars that Nako doesn't point out her sweaty hands as she holds them; she can't afford to rouse suspicion now. Feeling the velvety little box kept in her jacket's pocket, Hitomi ponders on her plans.

 

She had planned this day to a T, even planning out the outfit she would be wearing weeks in advance.

 

Now, why would she go through all that trouble, you ask? Well, it's simply because that she was finally going to do it; she was finally going to ask her girlfriend of ten years to marry her. 

 

Some might say that she was too slow, her friends having gotten married years before, but Hitomi's father had raised her with the strict mantra of "Before settling down with another person, make sure you're ready both mentally and economically."

 

Hitomi had no problem with the first half (she had decided that Nako was going to be the one she would spend the rest of her life with far too long ago), but she had needed a bit of time working up to the second half.

 

She loved dancing ever since she was little and knew that this was something she wanted to make a living out of. With that in mind, she auditioned to a university that offered a very good dance program (luckily, it was the same university her girlfriend was going to).

 

It had been a tough four years for the both of them; the stress of university getting to them more than high school ever did. They even met a few rough patches in their relationship during that time. Hitomi had honestly been so scared that she and Nako were going to end at some point, but they had worked through all of those as best as they could. 

 

Fresh out of college, Hitomi had decided to take an internship at her Chaeyeon-unnie's dance studio, as she had already experienced helping out there before. After a few months of interning, Chaeyeon had decided to make Hitomi her assistant dance instructor, to which she had been over the moon about.

 

One thing led to the next, with Hitomi becoming an actual instructor at the studio and even having a hand in choreographing for well-known entertainment companies (the royalties were really no joke). With her being self-sufficient in society, she had started thinking about popping the question to Nako. 

 

With a ring she had commissioned from her Hyewon-unnie, as well as the blessing of both of Nako's guardians, she had set out to plan this day. 

 

She wanted something just a little bit more romantic than normal but not to the point that it was suspicious; a day of shopping, eating hotteok at their favorite stall (which was still standing after 10 years!), eating at a higher-end restaurant, and finally a stroll by the seaside at sundown. 

 

It was perfect.

 

And now is the time for her to finally ask. 

 

"Nako-chan," Hitomi stops them both by the water. When Nako turns to her, a question in her gaze, Hitomi suddenly feels her nerves take a hold of her. She tightens her grip on the ring box, willing herself to calm down. 

 

"Hii-chan?" Nako asks in concern, "Your hand is really sweaty, are you okay?" 

 

Damn she pointed it out. Hitomi laments, still trying to get it together. That proves to be a bit difficult as Nako pulls her down a bit to check on her temperature, sending Hitomi's mind spiralling even further. 

 

"N-nako-chan?!" 

 

"It doesn't feel like you have a fever but you're really pale right now... do you want to go take a seat somewhere?" 

 

Hitomi immediately shakes her head, "N-no, no! I'm fine, really. More importantly, I had something I wanted to tell you." 

 

"Oh? What is it?" Her girlfriend looks on, prompting her to continue. 

 

Mentally preparing herself, she opens . "We've been together for more than ten years now, and I've always been thankful for having you by my side."

 

She holds Nako's hands in hers, willing for her sincerity to be delivered. 

 

"Hii-chan...?" 

 

"The first time I saw you, I knew for sure that you were the one I—"

 

Before Hitomi could finish her sentence, a sudden wave surged forth drenching her in cold seawater. Nako had been shielded from the water by her body as she had been directly in front of her as she was speaking. 

 

"I—!?"

 

"Hii-chan!" 

 

Wow, way to ruin the mood, ocean! Hitomi thinks as the seawater soaks through her heavy-duty denim jacket. If I knew you were going to be like this, I would have proposed at the park instead!

 

Feeling the cold seeping in, Hitomi immediately removes her drenched jacket as Nako drapes her own cardigan over her shoulders. It was a thin cardigan, but it would have to do. 

 

Her jeans got soaked as well, but they couldn't do anything about it except rush back to Hitomi's car to warm her up. Hastily unlocking the doors, Nako practically shoves her inside as she pops the trunk open to retrieve some blankets they keep in there. 

 

She accepts the blankets with a thanks, wrapping them around her body. She sighs as she feels the cold leave her body.

 

Nako soon slides into the backseat afterwards, the worry still clear on her face.

 

"Are you okay?! Do we need to go to the doctor? You know you get cold easily!" Nako cups both of her cheeks, and Hitomi can't help but laugh at her cute expression. Nako pouts at her for being laughed at, becoming even cuter in the process.

 

Hitomi leans in and gives her girlfriend's pouting lips a peck. Pulling back, she rests her forehead on Nako's. She wraps her arms around Nako's waist and pulls her to sit on her blanket-covered lap, Nako in turn resting her hands at Hitomi's nape. 

 

"Don't worry, Nako-chan." Hitomi says, "It was just a bit of water,"

 

Nako snorts, "A bit? More like a ton."

 

"Okay, okay, maybe it was more than 'a bit', but I'm fine. Nothing like last year is going to happen again, I swear." She punctuates her words with a kiss on the forehead. 

 

"You can't blame me for worrying, though! You gave me a big scare when you suddenly came home pale and ice cold." Nako gives her a pointed glare. Hitomi immediately looks away from her sharp eyes.

 

"That was a big oversight on my part," Hitomi grimaces, the memories of that day coming back. "I promise that won't ever happen again." 

 

"You better keep that promise Honda," Nako jabs a finger into her chest. "Or else it's the couch for a whole year." 

 

"Wow, no mercy as always," Hitomi laughs. "I'll be sure to keep it, then."

 

Nako leans down to seal their little agreement with a kiss. As she pulls away, Hitomi chases after her, tightening her grip around Nako's waist to keep her from pulling too far. She captures her girlfriend's lips in another kiss, this one longer and less innocent.

 

Hitomi smiles into the kiss as she feels Nako's fingers run through her hair, entangling them in her brown locks. She in turn caresses the smooth skin of Nako's waist beneath her shirt, eliciting a few sighs. 

 

It wasn't until she went to dry her denim jacket a few hours later did she realize that she forgot to propose, the ring box in her pocket miraculously dry and untouched.

 

 

ii.

 

After her botched attempt at a proposal a few weeks ago, Hitomi decided to try again, this time going much simpler.

 

Nako had mentioned once that she would like to have a picnic near a flower field, so Hitomi had scouted out a few flower fields near them. She found a nice field of dandelions just on the outskirts of the city and promptly told Nako during dinner.

 

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Nako exclaims, bouncing on her seat. "We need to go now!" 

 

Hitomi chuckles, amused by the shorter girl's energy. "We have work tomorrow, Nako-chan." She reminds. 

 

Nako immediately deflates, a cute pout forming on her lips. "You know you don't have to go to the studio everyday, right?" 

 

Hitomi internally screams at the cuteness, resisting the urge to jump out of her own seat and hug the girl. "Yes, I know. You, however, do need to go to work tomorrow."

 

"Don't worry, though," Nako perks up at the words. "I was thinking of maybe having a picnic on Sunday, if that's oka—" 

 

Hitomi is cut off by Nako literally slamming into her side in the tightest hug she has ever received from her (Hitomi hopes that she'll be receiving an even tighter hug soon). 

 

Nako pulls away and gives her a wide grin, "You know I love you, right?" 

 

"I only get 'I love you's when flowers are involved? I'm hurt, Nako-chan." Hitomi sulks, faux hurt in her voice. 

 

The shorter woman rolls her eyes at her, although the grin never leaves her lips. "Are you sure you didn't want a drama career? I don't think dancers are this dramatic."

 

Hitomi huffs in disbelief, "Wha—I'll have you know that dancers definitely need a flair for the dramatic, otherwise the performance just isn't—" 

 

Nako silences her with a kiss, "Just eat your dinner, Hii-chan." She says, walking back over to her seat.

 

Grumbling about being interrupted two times in the span of a few minutes, Hitomi continues eating, acting like a child who got told off and wasn't happy about it.

 

Nako couldn't help but laugh.

---

"Hii-chan, you got everything?" Nako calls from the communal parking of their apartment building. She had gone off ahead with the picnic blanket and a few games to keep them entertained, leaving Hitomi with the biggest and heaviest picnic basket she's ever had the pleasure of carrying.

 

She grunts as she adjusts her grip on the basket, her other hand going to her denim jacket's pocket to adjust the call volume. "What did you say, Nako-chan?" 

 

"I said, have you got everything?" 

 

"If by everything you mean this Satan-spawn of a picnic basket, then yes, I do." She punctuates it with another grunt as the basket had been slipping from her grasp as she walked to the elevator. 

 

She hears Nako laughing on the other side of the call, prompting a smile to make its way to her face. Even if it at her expense, she loves hearing Nako's laugh. 

 

"Yeah, yeah," Hitomi says as she finally reaches the elevator, setting the basket down to push the 'down' button. "You won't be laughing when you're lugging this thing all the way to the field." 

 

"It's fine~ I know you'll come and help me with it anyways." She could almost imagine the cheeky smile on Nako's face. 

 

"...I hate when you're right." 

 

"And I always am. Anyway, I heard the elevator ding so keep safe, don't drop our food!" 

 

As the call ended, Hitomi once again picks the accursed basket up, shuffling into the elevator before it closes. She breathes a little sigh of relief that no one else was in the elevator to see her waddle in like a penguin. She pushes the button for the basement, looking over to the source of her sore arms 

 

Oh how curious she is on what's inside the blasted picnic basket, but when she had first tried to peek inside, Nako had slapped her hand away.

 

"No peeking," she had said, and Hitomi being the fool for Yabuki Nako that she is, nodded at once and didn't dare try to look again.

 

Of course, now in the empty elevator, she could take a peek and Nako would never know. But if Nako had wanted to keep it a surprise, she sure as hell won't break her trust by taking a quick peek.

 

She reaches into her jacket's pocket once again, taking out the ring box. The box wasn't actually something she had asked to be customized, but Hyewon had been adamant that the box be special as well. She even threw it in free of charge, which was rare to say the least.

 

It was of a light blue color (Nako's favorite), with a sewn penguin right on the lid. Fake gold ts lined the places where the two halves of the box met, a gold star right in the middle acting like a latch.

 

Sighing, she pockets the ring box once again as the elevator dings. Heaving the basket up, she uses all of her energy to speed-walk towards her car, not wanting to carry the basket a second longer. As Nako sees her approaching, she immediately unlocks the trunk, opening it for Hitomi.

 

With one final grunt, she hoists the basket into the compartment, relieved. Huffing she turns towards Nako, "What on earth did you put in that thing? Please don't tell me you swapped out our food for Twice merch, I don't think I could handle the betrayal." 

 

Nako lightly slaps her arm. "Yah! I wouldn't do that!" 

 

"And Kkura-unnie hates games, try again." 

 

"It's a secret! You're just going to find out when we get there." 

 

Taking that as a prompt to start moving, Hitomi takes the keys from Nako and locks the trunk. Starting the engine, she sees Nako hook her phone up to the car speakers and chuckles as she puts on the song she's been obsessed with for the last few days. 

 

"What? 'Dreamlike' is a good song." Nako pouts.

 

"I didn't say anything." She smiles as they drive out of their apartment building. 

 

The bustling streets of the city soon gave way to the calm fields of the country side, several farmers hard at work in their fields, reaping their harvest. 

 

"Hey, Hii-chan, look! It's you!" Nako exclaims, having rolled down her window to bask in the fresh air.

 

"Huh, me?" Hitomi briefly takes her eyes off the road to glance towards where Nako was pointing towards. 

 

"...I can't believe I took my eyes off the road for a peach tree." She side-eyes Nako, who gives her a grin. "You're lucky I love you." 

 

Arriving at a nearby convenience store, Hitomi talks with the manager of the store to let them park there for a few hours while Nako browses the store for a few drinks. 

 

"We got permission," She says as she approaches her girlfriend by the coolers.

 

Nako seemed to be troubled over grabbing ice cream or getting a drink instead. Reaching over Nako's shoulder, she grabs the ice cream and two of the drinks Nako had been eyeing, placing them both in the store basket Nako is carrying. 

 

"Wha—Hii-chan!" Nako turns around, surprised by the action. Hitomi plucks the basket from Nako's grasp, giving her a smirk. 

 

"If it's delicious then it's 0 calories, right?" 

 

Nako looked like she had something more to say, but decides not to at the look Hitomi gives her. They walk to the counter, paying for the extra snacks and drinks Nako had picked out. With their bounty now secured in a paper bag, they continue towards the car where the grueling task of lugging the heavy basket becomes imminent. 

 

Popping the trunk open, Hitomi looks to Nako. "The honor is all yours."

 

Nako sighs at that, but doesn't voice a complaint. She grips the basket's handles, and with a heave starts the trek to the field. 

 

The walk to said field isn't that long, maybe a 15-minute walk if you're walking at the pace of a snail. 

 

"You okay back there, Nako-chan?"

 

She's met with a grunt in response. Laughing, she slows her pace to walk side-by-side with Nako, grabbing one of the handles, the paper bag from the convenience store in her other hand. Hitomi could only sigh with an exasperated smile at the cheeky grin Nako gives her.

 

"I knew you'd come and help me," She says. Hitomi rolls her eyes, but the smile doesn't leave her lips.

 

After a few more minutes of walking, they arrive at the field, the spring breeze blowing through the dandelions. They had been just in time for the dandelions to seed, going from their usual yellow color to the white puffballs people loved making wishes upon.

 

Nako immediately shoves the other handle into Hitomi's grasp as she runs into the field, pure joy on her face as she glances at the dandelion seeds dancing around in the air. With a twinkle in her eyes, she plucks a stalk, blows, and watches as they scatter into the air. 

 

And Hitomi watches as well, forgetting the weight she's carrying. She watches Nako and how the sunlight frames her face beautifully, how the dandelions around her make her look ethereal. All she can think is, 

 

I love her so much. 

 

Abandoning the basket and paper bag by her feet, she puts one hand in her jacket pocket and grips the ring box tightly in anticipation. Striding forth, she comes face to face with Nako.

 

She takes a deep breath, "Nako—"

 

And sneezes.

 

Needless to say, Nako laughs at her as she walks back to her abandoned goodies, ears tinted red.

 

Stupid flowers.

 

 

iii.

 

Hitomi whines when Nako still hasn't stopped laughing even after they've set up their picnic blanket underneath the shade of a large tree. 

 

"Its just– you, you looked so serious!" Nako laughs, "And–and then suddenly you sneeze in the cutest way imagineable!"

 

Puffing her cheeks in annoyance, Hitomi tries to change the topic. "So, what's in the basket? And if it really is Twice merch instead of food, I'm leaving you here."

 

"It's not, it's not," Nako is still giggling as she answers. She wipes a tear from her eye and pulls the basket closer. Opening the lid, she takes out a variety of food, placing them neatly on the blanket.

 

An assortment of bread, cheese, onigiri, kimbap, and a little slice of cake are all laid out wrapped in a thin film of cling wrap. Nako also lays out their purchases from the convenience store; a chocolate milk and mint chocolate ice cream for Nako, and a bottle of soy milk for Hitomi. The sight makes Hitomi's mouth water, eyeing the plate of bread placed in front of her. She looks back to Nako and sees her struggling with the last few things inside. 

 

"You brought a portable record player?" Hitomi says, dumbfounded. 

 

"Yep!" Nako affirms, popping the 'p' sound. "I wanted to see you dance."

 

"You've seen me dance plenty of times, Nako-chan. Also, why the record player? I mean, if you wanted me to dance we could have just played music on our phones."

 

"No~ you're not seeing the point here, Hii-chan," Nako whines, pouting at Hitomi's obliviousness. "Don't you remember?"

 

At the blank look on Hitomi's face, Nako facepalms with a sigh. "The end of our first date, Hii-chan."

 

That seems to have lit a lightbulb in Hitomi's mind as her face brightens up in recognition. "Ohhhh, now I remember! We borrowed Mrs. Kim's record player and then I danced to some weird old songs from the 80s." She smiles as she recalls the memory.

 

Nako chuckles as she recounts a memory from that time. "I remember you doing all these crazy flips to Celine Dion, you nearly gave the poor old woman a heart attack." 

 

Hitomi shudders, "Ugh, don't remind me... Mrs. Kim talked my ear off when I did that no-hands frontflip, despite telling her that I was professionally trained." 

 

"She didn't even know you well back then!" Nako grins, still finding the scene funny even after ten years.

 

They share a small laugh, reminiscing the ending to their first date; it had been full of awkwardness and too much blushing, but it remains one of their most precious memories. 

 

Nako turns back to the basket and fishes out a few records she had brought as well. She holds them up to Hitomi, "So, what song are we feeling today, oh great choreographer 十六 (106)?" 

 

Hitomi rolls her eyes at the use of her alias, but humors Nako and stands up, pointing to Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody'. With the record on the turntable, Hitomi does a bit of stretching so as to not shock her muscles with the sudden increase in movement.

 

As the song starts up, she gets a feel for the music first before moving. She incorporates some frontflips and backflips as a sort of homage to their first date, this time with no Mrs. Kim to interrupt.

 

Admittedly, the song is a little bit cheesy for her, but she has some plans. She can't be the only one sweating under the afternoon sun, so when the chorus begins, she grabs a stunned looking Nako and pulls her into her embrace. 

 

"H-hey, Hii-chan! What are you doing?!" Nako shrieks as Hitomi lifts her from the ground, twirling her around. As Hitomi puts her down, she immediately grabs Nako's hands in hers and sways them both to the beat. 

 

A smile makes its way to her face when Nako gives her the most adorable confused expression ever. In lieu of an explanation, Hitomi sings as best as she could to the english lyrics,

 

"Oh I wanna dance with somebody,

I wanna feel the heat with somebody; 

Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody

With somebody who loves me,"

 

Nako, even with her limited english abilities, gets the gist of the lyrics and can't help the giggle that bubbles from her.

 

"A little cheesy there, don't you think?" Nako says with amusement, placing her hands on Hitomi's shoulders as they continue to move to the music. Hitomi, whose hands find their way to Nako's waist, grins at her. 

 

"Lucky I love cheese, then." 

 

"Eww," Nako playfully pushes her away. "That one's just plain greasy!"

 

Hitomi leans back in, her grin turning into a smirk. "You love me anyway." 

 

"Tell me something I don't know, idiot." Nako rolls her eyes, but plants a kiss on Hitomi's waiting lips all the same.

 

They continue to sway, even as the music has long since stopped, dancing to a tune only they could hear. The flowers seem to sway with them as the wind blows them to the rhythm of the two women before them. 

 

As the sun disappears behind the clouds, Hitomi looks down at the woman in her arms, feeling an overwhelming surge of affection for her. She kisses the crown of her head, pulling Nako in tighter as she buries her nose in Nako's hair.

 

She feels Nako hum into her chest, and Hitomi idly thinks that now is the perfect time. Not letting their current position go, Hitomi takes in a breath Nako's bubblegum shampoo before she speaks.

 

"I love you, Yabuki Nako. So, so much, it's crazy." Hitomi murmurs into her hair. 

 

Nako buries her head in the crook of Hitomi's shoulder. "I love you, too, Hitomi," she says, a hint of bashfulness in her voice at Hitomi's sudden confession. 

 

Hitomi chuckles at the display of shyness. Hugging Nako even tighter, she speaks, "I'd give anything to be able to receive your love forever. I want to be able to feel loved when I wake up, go home, and go to bed everyday for the rest of my life. And I want to return every ounce of love you've given me two-fold for the rest of my life as well." 

 

She feels Nako shudder, but when she says nothing, Hitomi takes it as a sign to continue.

 

"So—" 

 

A sudden thunderclap jolts them out of their trance, rain falling soon after. The couple quickly run back undee the shade of the tree, quickly packing up the record player. 

 

"The forecast said it wouldn't rain!" Nako whines as she stuffs their (thankfully still wrapped) food into the picnic basket. 

 

"Agh, we should have brought an umbrella!" Hitomi says, the folded picnic blanket hanging from her forearm. When Nako's packed the last of their food in the basket, they observe the strength of the rain.

 

"We could make it to the convenience store without getting too wet if we run fast."

 

"But this stupid picnic basket is going to weigh us down." Nako looks to said picnic basket in contempt. 

 

"I'll take it."

 

"Eh, but Hii-chan weren't you just complaining about it being too heavy?" 

 

"It's a short distance so I'll be fine. And besides, if we both carried this thing, the rain would get stronger before we even arrive at the convenience store." Hitomi laughs as she sees Nako's pouting face. 

 

Unfolding the picnic blanket, she secures it around Nako's head to protect her from the rain. Said girl looks at Hitomi, worry filling her eyes. 

 

"What about you? I can't have you catching a cold, Chaeyeon-unnie would kill me." Nako glares, but underneath the big blanket tied to her head, Hitomi couldn't take her seriously.

 

Holding back a laugh, Hitomi carries the basket over to the edge of the tree's foliage. "I'll be fine, Nako-chan. I'm making a break for it anyway, so I can't share the blanket." 

 

Another thunderclap signals that they don't have much time before a downpour begins. Nako relents, but not without giving Hitomu a stern warning.

 

"You better run fast before you catch a cold, you hear me?" 

 

"Yes, ma'am!" 

 

"Good." Nako nods, "Be safe, don't trip on strangers, okay?" 

 

"Of course, Nako-chan." And with that, Hitomi sped off out of the field and towards the convenience store. The convenience store is only a 7-minute walk away from the field, so Nako isn't too worried about Hitomi straining herself. She watches her retreating figure before making a run for it towards the convenience store as well. 

 

At the convenience store, Hitomi breathes a sigh of relief, placing the basket down to catch her breath. Even if it was a relatively quick run, trying to simultaneously not drop the basket and not slip on the various puddles was taxing. 

 

The manager she had talked to earlier about parking handed her a hand towel to dry herself off, to which she was grateful. 

 

"Ah, I'm sorry to ask for a favor again, but would you mind if my g— friend and I eat our lunch here?" Hitomi asks before the manager walks off. "Our plans got a little bit rained on, you see." 

 

The old man chuckles, not showing any signs of realizing her stutter. "Sure thing, not many people come by the store nowadays, so it's fine." 

 

He directs Hitomi to a few tables lining the glass windows of the store. "You and your friend can take any of the seats here." 

 

Walking over to the nearest table, Hitomi sets their picnic basket down. She turns and bows, "Thank you so much, sorry for the intrusion." 

 

With an exchange of polite smiles, the manager disappears behind the door to the staff room. 

 

Sighing, Hitomi takes a seat and once again takes the ring box out from her pocket. She opens the box to admire Hyewon's handicraft.

 

The ring design is relatively simple since Hitomi knows Nako doesn't like something that's too over-the-top; a silver solitaire style ring band with a round, pastel sapphire fit snugly in between. She had chosen a sapphire as it was the birthstone of the month they first met (bonus because it was blue).

 

Watching the gem glint under the harsh white lights of the convenience store, Hitomi sighs once again. She has been interrupted mid-proposal three times now, maybe the universe is trying to tell her something. 

 

No, no, let's not think like that, Hitomi! She shakes her head to get rid of the thought. It's just a bit of bad luck, that's all. 

 

"Hii-chan?" 

 

Hitomi almost jumps out of her skin, scrambling to stuff the ring box back into her jacket pocket.

 

"Nako-chan!" She holds a hand up to her chest, "I was about to punch you!"

 

Nako gives her best offended look, blanket still tied to her head. "You were about to punch my beautiful face?" She scoffs, "I can't believe you." 

 

Hitomi laughs and pulls Nako to sit beside her, slinging an arm around her. "Who's the dramatic one, now, hm? Let's just eat before the food goes completely cold." 

 

As they eat, Hitomi vows that the next time she tries would be her last.

 

 

iv.

 

Considering that the last three times she's decided to plan ended up being complete failures, Hitomi decides to just carry the ring with her everywhere in the hopes of finding the right time to propose. Due to this, the box is starting to showing signs of wear, collecting a bit dirt from its time in Hitomi's pocket. 

 

From shopping dates, to fancy dinners, to their studio's weird family get-togethers that happen once every two weeks, the light blue ring box is always tucked safely in either her jacket's pocket or her bag. 

 

It had been about two weeks since their picnic date that ended up being a convenience store date (not the most romantic thing in the world, but they did get to dance together, so Hitomi isn't complaining). Since then, it had become a bit harder to find a chance to propose.

 

Nako's firm had recently been swamped with cases, with the girl herself helping a family decrease their medical debt. Hitomi herself had been tasked to choreograph another girl group choreo, so they had been very busy and hadn't had enough time to just relax together. 

 

"A—nd we're done!" Hitomi says, clapping to signal a job well done. "The choreography can be taught to them by next week, and then the necessary adjustments can be made after. Good work, everyone! You can all go home now." 

 

The other dancers nod, retreating to their bags for some much needed water. Hitomi smiles as she sees how much they've worked over the past week. She notices someone approaching her with towel in her outstretched hand.

 

"You did well today, Tomi-ya!" Yena says, draping the towel over her head and ruffling her hair with it. 

 

"Agh, Yena-unnie!" Hitomi whines. She takes the towel off of her head, fixing her tousled hair. Yena just grins at her when she shoots the other woman a glare.

 

Slinging an arm around Hitomi, the older girl pulls her over to where their bags are located, chatting away about anything and everything.

 

"Has Yuri told you anything recently?" Yena poses a question when they reach their destination. Tilting her head at the question, Hitomi hums in thought. 

 

"No, I don't believe she has." She takes a swig of water before continuing. "Why, is something up?" 

 

Yena, with the widest grin on her face, holds her phone up for Hitomi to see. 

 

"...What the am I looking at." Hitomi isn't one for expletives, but what she's seeing right now warrants exactly that. She stares at Yena with a blank look on her face. Yena, visibly confused, turns the phone back to her and instantly flushes a red. Covering her face in shame, she places one hand on Hitomi's shoulder.

 

"Tomi-ya," Yena mumbles through her arm. "Please. Please forget you ever saw that." 

 

"I'm way ahead of you, unnie." She smiles. "I've completely erased it from my mind so please do not utter words that could remind me—"

 

"I'm sorry you had to see a baby picture of me!" Yena sobs into her arm, burying her face further in. 

 

"I SAID PLEASE DONT UTTER WORDS THAT COULD REMIND ME." Hitomi loudly repeats as she covers her ears.

 

After a few minutes of calming down, Yena gives Hitomi a look of apology and pity. "I'm really sorry about showing you the—"

 

Said girl slaps a hand over Yena's mouth, effectively shutting her up. She puts on what their friend group deems 'The Demon Look'. 

 

"Unnie." 

 

"Ye-yes?" 

 

"Please stop talking about it." 

 

"Understood. Please don't kill me."

 

"...Let's just lock up the studio and leave." 

---

Locking the studio's doors, Hitomi pockets the keys and catches up to Yena who had been waiting a few steps away. They both live in the same apartment complex with their partners, so with the studio being in walking distance, Hitomi and Yena often walk home together after work. 

 

They walk at a leisurely pace, taking the time to observe the hustle and bustle of the city. 

 

"So? What were you going to show me, unnie?" Hitomi turns to Yena. The latter brightens up again, and scrolls through her phone. 

 

"Here, and I promise this is the right picture." She makes a cross over her heart to reaffirm it. 

 

Hitomi laughs. "Why did you even have that photo anyway?"

 

"I was held against my will, Tomi!" Yena whines, not caring that some people were looking at her strangely. "It was either I saved it on my phone or mom posts it on Facebook for the whole country to see!"

 

Hitomi discreetly creates a bit of space between her and Yena to avoid the looks. "Only your friends and her friends can see if she posted though..." She teases. 

 

"Aghh, you get my point!" Yena ruffles her hair in frustration. "Just look at the picture before I remember the embarrassment of showing you the other picture, please."

 

Spotting a café from the corner of her eye, Hitomi tugs on Yena's sleeve. "Unnie, want to hang out for a bit before going home? It's a Friday anyway, I'm sure Yuri won't mind if you're home a little late." She points to the café.

 

After a few seconds of thought, Yena nods and slings her arm around Hitomi with a grin. "It's going to be a long conversation anyways, I'll even treat you!"

 

"You're in a good mood," Hitomi narrows her eyes in suspicion. "Who's the poor soul you tormented today?" 

 

As they start walking towards the café, Yena gives Hitomi her cutest (read: most disturbing) pair of puppy dog eyes. "Aw, come on, Tomi. Do you doubt your bestfriend Yena that much?"

 

"Chaewon-unnie and Yujinnie are my best friends too, you know." Hitomi laughs at the betrayed look on the other woman's face, pushing open the café's doors.

 

The smell of roasted coffee instantly hits them as they step inside, and a display case full of pastries and cakes catch their attention. The café has a warm and relaxing ambience to it, from the warm, yellow lighting to the smooth jazz playing. 

 

They decide on a table by the large glass windows, with an employee coming by a few moments later to give them menus.

 

"Yena-unnie," Hitomi calls. "Want to split the chicken pesto pasta with me? I don't think I can finish it myself." 

 

Yena takes a look at the mentioned item on the menu, "Yah, you need to eat more! This is like, baby portions—"

 

"You're exaggerating, unnie."

 

"—and so I am not splitting with you." Yena finishes with a nod, an air finality around her.

 

Puffing her cheeks up, Hitomi pouts. "Okay, okay, I'll eat it all." She concedes.

 

"I'll be happy knowing you're satisfied and full since I'm paying after all." 

 

"Eh, you were serious about that?"

 

Yena crosses her arms, a proud look on her face. "Of course, this duck is feeling generous after all!" 

 

The same employee as earlier approaches their table and asks for their orders. After Hitomi says her order, she notices Yena bouncing on her seat as she says hers. I wonder what happened for unnie to be in such a good mood.

 

With a bow, the employee leaves to prepare their orders. Not even a second after the employee leaves, Yena's sparkling gaze gets directed to her. Yena takes her phone out and scrolls through it before suddenly ing the phone right in front of her.

 

"Agh, Yena-unnie, you almost hit me!" Hitomi sends a small glare her way. 

 

"Ey, Tomi-ya, just look!" Yena brushes her off and shakes the phone in her hand to grab Hitomi's attention. 

 

Deciding to just obey, Hitomi takes the phone from Yena and looks at the picture displayed on it. Captured in the photo is a hand showing off an ornate ring on the left ring finger, with the other hand making a finger heart to the camera.

 

Eyes widening, Hitomi looks back at Yena who is wearing the proudest smile on her face. "Unnie... you.."

 

"I finally proposed to Yul!" She exclaims while pointing to her own ring. It is undoubtedly the same ring Hitomi had seen in the picture, from its sleek three-gem style to the beautiful ruby in the center. 

 

A smile grows on her face, genuinely happy for her two friends who had painfully danced around each other for years before getting together. Hitomi could testify that it was like watching a korean drama unfold right before your very eyes.

 

"Woah, congratulations, unnie! No wonder you're in a good mood today." Hitomi laughs when Yena scratches her cheek. "How long?"

 

"It hasn't been that long. I proposed while we were in Busan a few days ago!"

 

Just then, their food arrives; a plate of chicken pesto pasta and an americano for Hitomi, and a plate of carbonara and an iced tea for Yena. The employee bows once their dishes are all set on the table and takes his leave. 

 

Yena immediately digs in to her carbonara, giving a satisfied hum. "This is delicious! Me and Yul are definitely coming back here." 

 

Taking a forkful of her pasta, Hitomi can't help but agree with the sentiment. She's definitely bringing Nako here on a date one of these days, when she isn't swamped with work anymore.

 

"What about you and Nako?" Yena says in between bites, taking a sip of iced tea to wash down the carbonara.

 

"What about us?" Hitomi asks, giving her americano a taste. 

 

"Haven't you thought of proposing yet? The both of you have been together since forever!"

 

Hitomi almost chokes on her coffee. Reaching for her water bottle, she directs a glare towards Yena before taking a massive gulp. 

 

"Eh, but really, haven't you thought about it?" The older girl pushes. 

 

She places her water bottle back in her duffle bag with a sigh. "Of course I have. I've been trying to propose for almost a month with no luck." 

 

"Oh ouch, that's tough, Tomi." Yena reaches over the table to pat her shoulder in sympathy. 

 

"How did you even manage to propose to Yuri?"

 

"I don't like what you're trying to say with that but I'm letting it slide." Yena takes another forkful of food before continuing. "She showed me all of the places in her childhood and at the last one, I just got down on one knee and asked her. No speech or anything because I'm bad at those." She laughs.

 

Sipping on her americano with a pout, Yena laughs at Hitomi's expression. The girl looks so dejected drinking her coffee that Yena couldn't help but want to cheer her up. When her face immediately brightens up, Hitomi could feel dread settle in the pit of her stomach at whatever scheme Yena has cooked up.

 

"Let me help you, Tomi! We're going to plan the best proposal Nako's ever going to get!"

 

As Yena gets to brainstorming, Hitomi silently prays that it doesn't involve sacrificing her dignity. 

 

---

 

As Hitomi exits the elevator, she chances a glance to her watch and winces at the time. She and Yena had gotten carried away with talking, that before they knew it, it was 11 PM. Needless to say, both she and Yena scrambled to get home to their partners or face their wrath. 

 

She unlocks their door as quiet as possible, noting that the lights in the kitchen are . She removes her shoes and lays them neatly on their shoe rack before walking in to an adorable sight.

 

In the living room, the television is still droning some late night cartoon which had probably lulled the only other occupant in the room to sleep. Curled up on the sofa hugging Hitomi's apeach pillow, lays Nako, snoring softly. She must have out as she waited for Hitomi to come home. 

 

Hitomi places her bag down on an adjacent seat and walks over to the kitchen. A lone bowl with chopsticks sits at her usual place on the table. A plate of probably cold karaage and some miso soup join the bowl and chopsticks as the the only things on the table.

 

She looks over to Nako's sleeping form, guilt overtaking her. Nako had waited for her to come home and she didn't even so much as text her that she'll be late. Padding softly to the living room, she turns the television off, then settles down as gently as she can beside Nako. 

 

Brushing her bangs softly, you couldn't blame Hitomi if she looked absolutely smitten, gaze soft with a fond smile on her face. How could she resist the sight of her girlfriend looking at peace, pillow pressed close to her face? Absolutely impossible. 

 

Just as she leaves a kiss on Nako's forehead, she feels the latter stir. Nako's barely opened her eyes when she whispers, "Hii...chan?"

 

"Yeah, it's me, Nako-chan," comes the reply. Hitomi tucks a stray strand of hair behind Nako's ear as she rubs the sleep away from her eyes. "Sorry I made you wait for me. You must have been tired because of that case."

 

"Where were you?" Nako asks, voice still hoarse from sleep. She sits up, pulls Hitomi closer, and cuddles into her side. Leaning her head on Hitomi's shoulder, she plays with the other's hand as she waits for a response.

 

Hitomi looks down at their fingers, guilt creeping in her tone. She purses her lips as she answers, "I was with Yena-unnie at a café. We were discussing things and lost track of time." 

 

"Hmm," Nako hums. "Is that so." Eyes still half-lidded, she climbs on to Hitomi's lap. 

 

"You could have at least texted me," she pouts, hands coming to rest behind Hitomi's nape. On instinct, Hitomi wraps her arms around Nako's waist, keeping her in place. 

 

Staring into Nako's eyes, Hitomi forgets to answer for a moment before snapping out of it at the light pinch Nako gives her. Refocusing, she sees Nako furrow her brows at the lack of response. She laughs sheepishly, leaning in to press a small kiss on Nako's nose as an apology.

 

"Let's just say, there was a Yena-unnie related incident that made me completely forget texting you." 

 

Nako smiles, tucking herself under Hitomi's chin. "Would you care to share it with the class?" 

 

"Three words," Hitomi replies solemnly, holding up three fingers. " baby picture." 

 

She feels Nako shake in quiet laughter, her breaths fanning out on her collar that send shivers down her spine. 

 

"Aw, my poor Hii-chan," Nako coos, leaning back to cradle Hitomi's face in her hands. She gives her a short peck on the lips, "You finished the choreography today, right?" At the small nod she receives, Nako gives her another kiss. "You did well today."

 

Hitomi pouts, "I should be the one saying that. You sorted out all of the files needed to win your case, you should be resting right now."

 

"I would have been, if a certain someone had sent me a text earlier." Even in her half-awake state, Nako still had her -eating grin down pat. Hitomi groans at the mention, burying her face into Nako's shoulder. 

 

"I promise I won't forget next time." She mutters, looking at Nako with her best puppy dog eyes. The eyes must have worked as Nako giggles at her, hands coming up to squish her cheeks. Hitomi swats her hands away with a half-hearted glare. She just physically cannot be mad at Nako, especially when she looks like she's about to fall asleep any minute, and yet is giggling like madwoman. 

 

Hitomi pulls Nako in to her embrace, letting her rest her head rest on her shoulders. The other's giggles had stopped then, and Hitomi runs her fingers gently through Nako's hair. 

 

A serene silence washes over them as they sit basking in each other's presence. With the only source of light coming from the kitchen, there was a sort of intimacy in resting in each other's arms after a long day of work.

 

"Nako-chan," Hitomi calls out softly, fingers still running through Nako's hair. 

 

"Hm?" She replies lazily.

 

"Did you know Yena-unnie finally proposed to Yuri?" 

 

"Proposed? It's about time." Nako shifts her head, burying her face further into the crook of Hitomi's neck. She stifles a yawn, wrapping both arms around Hitomi's shoulders. "We'll need to... come over tomorrow.." 

 

Hitomi quietly laughs, leaning her head onto Nako's. "We will, we will. That made me realize that I may have been a bit too slow so..." she starts.

 

"...Mhm.." She feels Nako nod against her body.

 

Throwing all caution (and, subsequently, the plans she and Yena had made earlier) to the wind, Hitomi decides to go for it. Speeches be damned. She pauses her ministrations on Nako's hair to reach into her jacket pocket, feeling the ring box sitting there. 

 

"Nako-chan, will you marry me?" 

...

"Nako-chan?" 

 

"...Nako-chan?"

 

Ah, she fell asleep.

 

Looking down at the girl in her arms, Hitomi couldn't even be mad that this was another failed attempt. Nako looked almost like a baby curled up against Hitomi, her arms around Hitomi's shoulders keeping her from falling. Her lips are slightly parted, releasing soft snores from them and the occasional sleep talk.

 

She carefully adjusts Nako's position so that she could carry her without issue to their room. Hoisting her up as gentle as she could, she smiles at the peacefully sleeping Nako as she walks to their room. Opening the door proved to be a challenge but she managed it after a few tries. Hitomi tucks Nako in to bed, pulling the sheets up and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. 

 

As she pulls away, Nako shifts in her sleep, muttering a quiet "...Yes, I.. will..."

 

Hitomi huffs in amusement, "You need to be awake for it, idiot." She leaves one last kiss before heading off to their bathroom to take a much needed shower.

 

 

+ 1

 

Today marks a very coveted day if Hitomi says so herself. Why, you ask? Well today is one of the days where she and Nako both have no work in need of being done.

 

After she had made adjustments to the choreography she had worked on, Nako had won her case a few days later. So with both of their schedules cleared, they decided to just have a relaxing day staying at home. 

 

"Nako-chan, want to come with me to the store?" Hitomi calls as she pulls a hoodie over her head. It's been a bit chilly recently and with the dark clouds looming overhead, Hitomi wanted to be a bit prepared.

 

"Eh, what for?" Nako replies, peeking from the kitchen doorway. She walks over to Hitomi, leaning her head on her shoulder.

 

"I wanted to cook some meat for dinner today, so I'm going to get some ingredients we don't have." Smiling, Hitomi grabs a foldable umbrella and her wallet, looking at Nako expectantly. 

 

Detaching herself from Hitomi, Nako grabs Hitomi's denim jacket hanging by the door and puts it on. She slips on a pair of shoes and latches onto Hitomi's waiting arm. 

 

"Ready!" Nako beams at her. Giving Nako a quick kiss, they head out. True to what Hitomi expected, once they stepped out of the warmth of their apartment complex, cool wind immediately greeted them. Nako instinctively burrows into Hitomi's side, with the latter wrapping her arm around her to keep her warm.

 

The store Hitomi had mentioned wasn't too far off so they took their time walking down the street, enjoying the other's company. Hitomi catches two familiar faces in the crowd from the corner of her eye. Craning her neck a bit, she sees Yujin's tall figure and Chaewon's much smaller one right next to her. 

 

She smiles, amused, when Yujin spots her starts waving like mad from across the street. She lightly nudges Nako. When the girl looks up at her questioningly, she tilts her head to Yujin and Chaewon's direction.

 

"Hii-chan-unnie! Nako-unnie!" They hear Yujin shout. Some passerbys look at her strangely, but luckily this is the more rural side of town so not a lot of people are out.

 

Nako waves back with as much enthusiasm, Hitomi giving her a much smaller wave. Chaewon, however, directs a glare towards Yujin and scolds her before waving back as well.

 

They watch as Yujin and Chaewon cross the street, Yujin immediately wrapping Nako in a big hug. "Nako-unnie! I missed you~" 

 

Nako laughs, squealing when Yujin picks her up from the ground. "Ya, Ahn Yujin put me down!" 

 

Hitomi is now a hundred percent certain most of the people around them are looking. Her Chaewon-unnie seems to think so, a bemused smile on her lips. She walks up to Hitomi and pulls her into a side-hug. 

 

"Hey, Hitoma. What were you both doing?" Chaewon greets, her bemused smile turning into a genuine one.

 

Hitomi smiles back at her, "Nako-chan and I were going to get some ingredients for dinner. What about you, unnie?"

 

"Jin and I were also about to get some groceries. Kid forgot to do the grocery run yesterday so here we are." Chaewon holds up a fairly large grocery bag to accentuate her point. Suddenly, they both heard a loud shriek, and without even having to check, both knew it came from Yujin and Nako's direction. 

 

Chaewon, with her arm still around Hitomi, guides her away from the Yujin-Nako duo still making a ruckus. Nako had apparently climbed over to Yujin's back and is now getting her to piggyback her all the way to the store.

 

"Ch-Chaewon-unnie? What about Nako-chan and Yujinnie—"

 

"We don't know them, Hitoma, we don't know them."

---

When Yujin and Nako had realized that their partners had left them behind, Yujin had just sprinted towards the store with Nako on her back, or so Nako tells her as they browse the vegetables.

 

Chaewon and Yujin weren't far off from where they were, with Chaewon picking out a handful of spring onions and Yujin sulking beside her. Poor puppy probably got scolded (again) by the infamous Ssamachi. Hitomi thinks that she probably deserved it.

 

She turns back to Nako who has been eyeing the lettuce carefully. Grabbing a few cloves of garlic and some onions, she places them in their basket before wrapping an arm around Nako's waist. 

 

"Which one seems crunchier to you, Hii-chan?" Nako asks her, pointing out two she had picked out. 

 

"Either one is fine, you know." Hitomi raises a brow, a smile fanning out when Nako brings out the pout. She raises her hands in surrender, "Okay, okay, you can pick out the crunchiest looking lettuce there. I'll go get the other things."

 

"Buy an ice cream for me too, love you!" Nako shouts after her retreating back. She shakes her head in amusement, walking over to the spices aisle. As she browses the selection for black pepper, she spots Chaewon entering the same aisle.

 

Chaewon soon notices her as well, holding a hand up in greeting. "We meet again, Hitoma." 

 

She brings her own hand up to greet, "Hey unnie. Where's the big puppy?" Hitomi asks when she doesn't see Yujin follow in after Chaewon. 

 

"Ah," Chaewon says as she grabs some cinnamon from the shelf. "I sent her to get some drinks and ice cream. As much as I love her, Jin can be a pain in the when we shop together." 

 

They share a laugh at that. "How are the two of you doing by the way?" Hitomi asks as she finds some coarsely-ground pepper, moving over to find some garlic powder. 

 

She hears Chaewon hum, followed by the rustling of her cart, before she answers. "We're doing alright. It's been a bit tough for Jin after being fired, but she's getting by, interviews and whatnot."

 

A bag of oregano gets placed in Chaewon's cart, "As for me, it's the same old, same old." Her expression suddenly turns irritated, "Some idiot at Development messed up big time so now that whole thing got sent to me to fix." She pinches the bridge of her nose with a sigh. "They're lucky I didn't have anything else on my plate, or I would have fired that idiot on the spot."

 

Hitomi giggles, and Chaewon's annoyed expression immediately drops. "You've had it rough, huh, unnie?" 

 

A grin breaks out on Chaewon's face. "On the contrary, my favorite dongsaeng. I got a lot of kisses after that incident."

 

"Just kisses?" Hitomi teases, raising an eyebrow at her unnie. She laughs again when she sees the tips of Chaewon's ears turn red. 

 

"No comment." The older busies herself with looking through an empty shelf. Amused, Hitomi selects a nice brand of garlic powder and some other spices to give Chaewon time to calm down.

 

Looking back to see her unnie not looking at an empty shelf anymore, Hitomi gives her a hug. "I'm happy for you, unnie. For both you and Yujinnie."

 

Chaewon returns her hug, whispering a "Thank you," into the crown of her head. 

 

She bids Chaewon goodbye before heading over to the coolers to get Nako her ice cream, and maybe a drink for herself as well. As she approaches, she isn't surprised to find Yujin and Nako there, seemingly discussing about the ice cream.

 

"...Nako-unnie, I'm telling you! This ice cream tastes way better than mincho." Yujin animatedly points to the ice creams in question.

 

"Strawberries and cream? You're kidding me, Daengz." Nako scoffs, the lettuce she's holding preventing her from crossing her arms. "That could never beat mincho, period." 

 

"There's no point arguing, Yujin-ah," Hitomi says. Both turn their heads to her, Yujin bounding over to crush her in a big hug. 

 

"Hii-chan-unnie, Nako-unnie is being mean to me~" Yujin whines to her, hiding behind her shoulder. 

 

"Wha— was not!" Nako shouts in indignation, placing her lettuce into Hitomi's basket before latching onto her free arm. "Don't believe that gremlin!" 

 

"The only gremlin around here is you," Yujin taunts, sticking her tongue out for good measure. Hitomi sighs, wondering not for the first time if these two were in their twenties. 

 

Before Nako could retort with something that might escalate it further, Hitomi swiftly cuts heroff. "Yujin-ah, Chaewon-unnie was looking for you. Asks if you already got what she was asking you to get." 

 

A look of panic settles on Yujin's face as she looks down at the empty basket dangling from her arm. "Oh crap."

 

"Bye Hii-chan-unnie, we'll come visit soon!" Yujin shouts as she runs over to the drinks section.

 

Nako huffs once Yujin is out of earshot. "Kid didn't even say goodbye to me." 

 

Hitomi smiles, giving Nako a kiss to wipe the pout off of her face. "Why were you two fighting over ice cream anyway?"

 

"Yujin said that I should stop eating mincho because it apparently tastes like a cookie dipped in Vicks. Can you believe that?" Nako says, disbelief written all over her face. "'Vicks cookie'? I could smack her into next week." 

 

"Woah, there, tiger." Hitomi appeases, "Let's not go there. Yujinnie was just messing with you. Here," She guides Nako over to one of the freezers. "Take as many mint chocolate ice cream as you want." 

 

Eyes sparkling, Nako takes out a handful of ice cream and unceremoniously dumps it into their basket. Hitomi sighs at the amount; she did say to take as much as she wants after all. Nako laughs at the look on Hitomi's face, feeling absolutely no remorse for the amount of mint chocolate ice cream she just took.

 

They make their way over to the cashier to check out their items. Hitomi pretends to not notice the judging look the cashier sends her when she beeps the tenth mint chocolate ice cream in a row. Nako, to her credit, is absolutely unfazed right beside her, bouncing up and down when she receives the chilled bag full of her prize.

 

"If you binge-eat all that I'm not buying you stomach medicine." Hitomi says as she eyes Nako walking beside her. Bag still clutched tightly between her arms, Nako gives her a smile.

 

"Oh please, you wouldn't do that. You'd throw me off the bed instead," she grins up at her.

 

Hitomi returns the grin, "I won't deny it. So you better go at that slowly." 

 

Exiting the store, they're surprised by the sudden gust of wind that greets them, as well as the rain falling from the sky. The light clouds earlier had gone completely gray, covering what little sun was shining through, and bringing with it a chilly wind that left them both shivering even with their long sleeves. 

 

Mentally patting herself on the back for having the foresight to bring an umbrella, she wraps an arm around Nako to bring her closer. Foldable umbrellas are only so big after all, so they need to huddle together to keep dry.

 

Nako immediately snuggles into her side as they walk back to their apartment.

---

They sigh as they both enter their apartment, not having to deal with the cold any longer. As Hitomi takes her hoodie off, leaving her in a long-sleeved cotton shirt, she spots Nako just walk in with her denim jacket still on.

 

"You're not going to take that off, Nako-chan?" She asks. Nako turns around and shakes her head no.

 

"It's comfy, plus it smells like you," comes the simple reply.

 

Hitomi feels her face warm. She clears in embarrassment as she busies herself with carrying the ingredients they bought to the kitchen. She feels Nako's gaze on her, no doubt twinkling in amusement. As she's taking the lettuce out, a pair of arms snakes their way around her waist, a warmth pressing on her back. 

 

A light kiss to her back sends shivers down her spine, startling her enough to make her almost drop the lettuce. The arms around her tighten their hold as a barrage of kisses fall unto her back and shoulders. This elicits a few giggles from her, the sensation ticklish and at the same time absolutely electric.

 

"Na–nako-chan..." Hitomi says in between light breaths. She feels Nako hum, the vibrations sending shivers for the second time. 

 

"I need to cook," She says. She prys Nako's hold away from her waist, turning around to look at her girlfriend pouting at having to let go. 

 

"Aww, come on, Hii-chan! I need to capitalize on your embarrassment a bit more," Nako whines. "This is a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence!" 

 

Rolling her eyes, Hitomi leans in and gives her a sweet kiss. When Nako chases after her, she places a finger on her lips to push her away. She laughs at the whine that leaves Nako's lips and gives her a shorter peck.

 

"Later," Hitomi whispers into her ear. Nako dutifully shuts up, leaving Hitomi to her own devices with a goofy smile. 

 

She laughs as Nako exits the kitchen, shaking her head at her girlfriend's antics; it's absolutely endearing that Nako's whipped for her. (Not like she herself isn't whipped for the petite woman and would do anything she tells her to, except maybe jumping off a cliff).

 

Well this meat isn't going to cook itself,

 

Focusing her mind back to the task at hand, Hitomi gets to work.

---

It's after they've eaten the meat Hitomi expertly prepared ("Hii-chan, I think this is your best one yet.") that they're cuddled up on the sofa, watching a rerun of an old magical girl anime. Nako provides as best of an explanation of the plot as possible because Hitomi hasn't watched a whole lot of anything growing up. (She remembers Nako's horrified face when she had told her that she had never watched a Ghibli film.)

 

"Okay, so she has the power to time-travel?" Hitomi asks as a girl with black hair comes up on the screen. Nako, who has her head tucked under Hitomi's chin, nods. 

 

"Yep, and the girl with the twintails is the reason she became a magial girl." Nako supplies, pointing to a girl with pink hair sitting at her desk and talking to her friend. 

 

"Oh? How do you become a magical girl in their world?" 

 

"You make a wish to a little white cat rabbit thing, who is the incarnation of evil by the way, and he grants it. And then poof! You're a magical girl." 

 

As Hitomi is about to ask another question, fascinated by the anime, a loud ringtone rings out from their bedroom.

 

"Ah, that's mine," Hitomi says as she pulls away from Nako. "I'll just get that real quick." 

 

She speed walks over to their bedroom, eager to get back to their cuddling session and the anime. Spotting the phone resting atop their bedside table, she checks the caller and is mildly surprised to see it's Yujin.

 

She presses the phone to her ear as she picks up. "Hello? Yujin-ah, what's up?"

 

"Hii-chan-unnie! Do you know why Nako-unnie isn't picking up her phone?" 

 

"Nako-chan doesn't have her phone with her right now and uhh," Hitomi looks around the room for Nako's phone. She locates it placed on their vanity, and walks over to check something. Opening it up, she sees three missed calls from Yujin. 

 

"Well?"

 

"Yep, Nako-chan has her phone on silent. What did you want to tell her Yujin-ah?" Turning Nako's phone off, she focuses back in on the call. 

 

"Ah... well, I—uhm, I wanted to say sorry to her and vow to not diss mincho in front of her face again." 

 

Hitomi chuckles at Yujin's innocence. The pup had been hung up on whatever she and Nako had talked about at the store, and here she is now wanting to apologize. You just couldn't hate her.

 

"I'll tell her about it," She says. "So when you visit, I expect only the biggest of hugs will be given to Nako-chan, alright?"

 

"Yes, ma'am!"

 

And with that, Yujin hangs up. Smiling, Hitomi exits their bedroom to relay Yujin's message to Nako. 

 

"Nako-chan, Yujin called—" 

 

Hitomi cuts herself off when she sees the object in Nako's hand.

 

There, in all its slightly dirty velvet glory, was the ring box. Which she kept in her denim jacket's pocket the day before. The exact same denim jacket Nako had worn to the store and is still wearing now. 

 

Nako looks up at her innocently, curiosity in her eyes. "Hey, Hii-chan, what is this? I didn't open it but I'm curious about what it is."

 

Hitomi's heart is going a mile a minute as she grasps for words to answer her with. Oh, why had she been so stupid to forget to take the ring out of her pocket? Her heart isn't ready as of now to propose, but from Nako's increasing worried look, it looks like she doesn't have much of a choice. 

 

"Hii-chan? You okay there?" She asks, anime forgotten.

 

"I, yeah I'm fine don't worry Nako-chan." She replies, going to sit beside Nako on the sofa. She feels her palms start to get clammy, and she knows she's sweating bullets right now. She has no plan, no speech, purely about to ride on the moment and see where it goes. With shaking hands, she takes the box from Nako, masking her nerves with a smile.

 

Nako is still looking at her in worry, probably noticing her trembling hands. Soldiering on, Hitomi looks Nako dead in the eye, her grip on the box tightening. When said girl returns her gaze, a light blush dusts her cheeks when she sees the intensity of it. Hitomi looks back down to the ring box in her hand, opening it to reveal the ring she has carried for more than a month.

 

Her face feels hot, her heart beating so fast she thinks it's about to explode, but more than that, she's captivated by the girl in front of her as she pieces together what the ring meant.

 

She sees Nako's eyes widen, a hand flying to in shock. Her gaze switches between Hitomi's flushed face and the ring sitting in the box, the pastel sapphire glinting under the lights of their living room. "Hii-chan... you..."

 

Hitomi averts her eyes in embarrassment, "I've—I've been trying for more than a month now." She scratches her nape with her free hand, "I just, I kept getting interrupted when I was trying to ask you. You wouldn't be able to believe how much I've thought about murdering inanimate objects." She laughs.

 

Not waiting for a response, Hitomi continues. "Our date on the beach, to the flower field, heck, even when I came home super late that one time and you fell asleep waiting for me—" 

 

"—you were trying to propose to me?" Nako says. Both hands are now covering , and Hitomi sees a sparkle in her eyes that suspiciously look like tears.

 

She nods. "I tried to find the right timing by carrying the ring with me everywhere, but that didn't work out either." Not having the soul to look at Nako anymore, she lowers her head to fixate her gaze on the ring. "And now here I am making the lamest proposal in the world. God, I didn't want to propose like this..." 

 

Hitomi looks up in alarm when she hears a sniffle. Nako's hands who are still covering don't bother wiping away the tears flowing down her cheeks. Immediately panicking at the sight of her crying girlfriend, Hitomi places the ring box on the sofa to wrap Nako in hug.

 

She cups her face in her hands, wiping the tears away with her thumbs as Nako's arms wrap around her neck.

 

"N-nako-chan? Nako, don't cry," Hitomi coos. "Did—did you hate it that much? I'm sorry, you deserve a way better proposal than on the couch watching anime reruns—"

 

"It–it's not that, y-you idiot," Nako manages to croak out. "You're already m-more than I deserve. So don't talk like that."

 

"The-then? Why are you crying?" Hitomi stammers. In the back of her mind, she knows the reason why Nako is crying, but right now with her adrenaline high and thoughts clouded by doubts, she can't even think straight.

 

Even in tears, Nako looks like an absolute angel when she laughs. "Are you really asking me that?" Wiping her eyes with the ends of Hitomi's denim jacket, she leans in and gives Hitomi a sweet kiss.

 

"It's because I'm happy. I love you so much, Hitomi, you don't even know." Nako whispers as she rests her forehead against Hitomi's. "I don't care about a fancy proposal or whatever. I just need it to be you."

 

Staring into Nako's eyes, Hitomi feels so much warmth and love, clearing away the doubts she had earlier. Nako loves her in as much the same way Hitomi loves her, and she had never once doubted that. 

 

Pulling away slightly to pick the ring box up, Hitomi presents it to Nako.

 

"Nako, would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with me?" 

 

And Nako, with tears threatening to spill, answers,

 

"Yes."

 

When Hitomi places the ring on Nako's finger, Nako immediately envelopes her in the biggest and warmest hug ever as she whispers 'I love you' over and over. Returning the hug with as much fervor, whispering her own sweet 'I love you's back, Hitomi has never felt more loved and in love at the same time.

 

(She's never throwing her favorite denim jacket away.)