the presence of son seungwan is an enigma that joohyun has long put behind her, considering it solved after she turned up at her door on that one fateful night. but seungwan appearing before her now makes her think otherwise. perhaps there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to her enigma of a soulmate.

 

joohyun’s breath is caught in when she fully grasps that this situation is very much real and the sight of her girlfriend makes go dry. holding a blazer in one hand, seungwan is dressed in a white top and dark navy dress pants. except said top has a little too many buttons undone, exposing more skin than joohyun is used to seeing. and the most jarring part of her appearance? her hair now stops at her shoulders and there’s an extra piercing on her left ear. 

 

joohyun isn’t quite sure how she feels about it — seungwan looks much more mature than compared to when they last met. her adorable little soulmate now looks hot and this new realisation leaves her slightly flustered.

 

“hey.” seungwan greets with a small smile. though there’s not a trace of hostility between them, a slight tension still hangs in the air. 

 

seungwan’s voice snaps her out of her shameless staring. ignoring the heat that’s rushing to her cheeks, she grabs seungwan’s arm firmly, tugging them away from the prying eyes who seem to be very interested in the unfolding situation. as if she isn’t tense enough already, seungwan’s unsolicited presence could make things tricky tonight.

 

the older girl pulls them to a quiet corner where she’s certain that nobody would be looking. the fear of her grandmother being aware of this one good thing in her life is overwhelming and she’s never been more on edge. meanwhile, the nerd can’t exactly comprehend why her girlfriend is so antsy — it’s like she has a permanent frown plastered across her face after she announced her presence. despite that, she still looked heavenly in that gown. the silence makes joohyun realise that she’s still holding onto her girlfriend, she yanks her hand back abruptly and the younger girl blinks back into focus.

 

"what are you doing here?" joohyun hisses, glancing over the younger girl’s shoulder warily before turning her attention to her.

 

seungwan rubs the nape of her neck with a grimace, "i'm accompanying my dad for the dinner."

 

seungwan doesn’t know where they stand with each other now — acting all lovey-dovey as if nothing has happened feels wrong, but acting like strangers didn’t exactly feel right either. she could sense joohyun’s reservation as well, so she supposes that they’re somewhat on the same page for now.

 

“oh.” joohyun responds, she had no idea what answer she expected but this is certainly not it. if she’s being truthful, part of her wishes that it’s some part of seungwan’s grandiose scheme for them to patch up. looks like they’re still going to have to do things the hard way.

 

the nerd shifts her weight from one leg to another awkwardly, shooting her girlfriend a dumb question to continue the conversation, "what about you?"

 

with pursed lips, joohyun replies curtly. "my family's the host and my grandmother requested that i attend."

 

"but your name isn’t on the guestlist ..?” seungwan trails off.

 

expelling a sigh, the older girl raises her shoulders in response. “they might have forgotten, i’ll figure something out.”

 

“okay …”

 

“i’ll see you around then.” joohyun nods politely. 

 

every fibre of her being is screaming at her to ing apologize but there’s a lot more that needs to be said other than a ty ing sorry. they needed a proper talk to iron things out, but she fears that it’ll end up like their previous one. the last thing she wants is to argue with seungwan again, especially not at an event that’s undoubtedly important for her family’s reputation. she hates to admit it but she's still a daughter of the bae family. even if she isn’t working for the family’s company, she has to do the bare minimum of not ing things up.

 

she absolutely can and will not take that risk tonight. besides, this isn’t the right place to make up, they could do this at their own pace back in seoul. for now, she has to make sure that the fact that seungwan is her soulmate remains a secret to her family.

 

joohyun turns her heel to leave, whipping out her phone to send an SOS to her dear mother. but she stops when she senses seungwan’s presence trailing behind her.

 

“wait,” her girlfriend calls out quickly, “do you at least want to sit together? dad said i could bring a date.”

 

joohyun turns and they lock eyes for the first time. seungwan is almost certain that she might break into tears there and then. she never knew how much she missed joohyun until now — she could put their argument behind her if it meant that she could be wrapped up in joohyun’s arms once again.

 

seeing the longing in seungwan’s eyes makes her heart twinge, maybe this is her way of offering a respite from their fight. but to sit through a three-hour event together while they’ve yet to settle their current issues? unfortunately, it sounds nothing short of a disaster for joohyun. 

 

with a restrained smile, she shakes her head. "not tonight, seungwan," joohyun rejects softly, "i should go."

 

a can we talk later? is perched at the edge of her tongue, but seeing the pained look in joohyun’s eyes makes her swallow the thought entirely. not tonight, note taken. 

 

"okay."

 

seungwan retreats a little and watches joohyun walk away. why did she think there's no chance of her bumping into her soulmate at daegu? she should've asked who the hell was hosting this dinner instead of hastily agreeing because of free food. cursing quietly, she returns to her dad who seems to have caught everything.

 

the tall entrepreneur extends an arm out and seungwan gladly seeks solace in her father’s hold. with an arm around her shoulder, he begins to usher her into the ballroom.

 

“now, do you want to tell me how you know the baes’ daughter?” her dad questions casually as he grabs a glass of champagne from the servers.

 

seungwan dreads answering her dad’s question, she’s a terrible liar if anything and he knows all her tells. still, she tries to mumble her way through it. “she’s a friend from university.”

 

“seungwan-ah, if you’re going to say she’s just a friend, can you at least be a little more confident about it?” the entrepreneur retorts teasingly.

 

pouting slightly, she heaves a sigh, “okay … she’s more than a friend …”

 

her father drops his voice to a whisper at her answer, “is it what i think it is? because while mom might disown you, i’m perfectly okay with it.”

 

seungwan’s jaw drops at his ridiculous assumption and recoils away from his hold, “dad!” 

 

"kidding!” he chuckles with a large grin, “is she the one? ”

 

there’s no point keeping it from him anyway and it’s definitely better to tell him the truth now, lest he actually assumes that they’re friends with benefits.

 

with a nod, she mutters under her breath, “yeah, i’ll tell you all about her after i’ve eaten the fancy food you promised.”

 

“aish, i thought you came to spend some time with your old man.”

 

“you don’t get to act as if you’re not using me as a replacement since mom is busy!”

 

---

 

joohyun gets her mother to come to her aid and lingers around her like a lost child — which means being introduced to fellow colleagues and business partners. there’s still some time before the actual dinner starts so most people spend their time networking. though unlike her grandmother, her mother doesn’t require her to be an active participant in conversations.

 

she zones out from the talking — everything feels ty, albeit a bit more miserable than before. meeting her girlfriend in an entirely different city? not to mention at an event that she never expected her to turn up at? what kind of dumb luck is this?

 

a perpetual frown settles on her face as she ponders over seungwan’s status. to be a guest at this event would mean that her family is affluent, or they have a good relationship with her family. both of which are equally unexpected and maybe even partially unwelcomed. she wants her soulmate as far away from her family as possible — not because she’s ashamed but if subjecting her love to their judgments is preventable, she’s going to do everything in her power to make sure it stays that way.

 

a buzz from her phone draws her attention and she steps away from the conversation her mother is currently engaged in. taking a quick peek, it’s just who she expects it to be.

 

son seungwan

1 message

 

opening the message, she’s greeted with another enigma.

 

son seungwan:

👁👅👁

7:09 pm

 

what in the actual hell? joohyun doesn’t know how to decipher this string of emojis, is this a booty call? she has no patience for games today. grimacing slightly, she sends a quick response.

 

joohyun:

..?

7:09 pm

 

son seungwan:

sorry, i just wanted to ease the tension between us

7:09 pm

 

joohyun:

oh

7:09 pm

 

son seungwan:

what time does this end?

7:10 pm

 

joohyun:

10 probably, but i’m sure you can leave before that

7:10 pm

 

son seungwan:

oh, great. what time will you be leaving?

7:10 pm

 

joohyun:

much later, i have to stay for the afterparty

7:10 pm

 

son seungwan:

oh … okay

7:11 pm

 

joohyun watches seungwan’s status change from active to typing and back to active, she could sense her girlfriend agonizing over how to carry on the conversation. she’s been nothing but terse just now though with good reason. she’s afraid that if they didn’t act like strangers tonight, she would end up exposing seungwan.

 

a hand firmly clamping down on her shoulder almost makes her drop her phone and she turns to see her grandmother standing behind her with a stern expression. joohyun quickly tucks her phone away and greets the elderly woman with a tight smile.

 

“this is an important event, i can’t have you texting your friends all night.” she warns with a tight-lipped smile.

 

“i know,” joohyun responds quickly, “it was important.”

 

her grandmother eyes her cautiously, “i assume it’s settled?”

 

her phone buzzing in her hand did not suggest that but she nods anyway — seungwan has to take a backseat for tonight. the matriarch offers her a pleased smile before guiding her away from her mother, perhaps this is the exact point in time where everything officially goes downhill.

 

joohyun spends the next half an hour listening to various heirs and accomplished entrepreneurs recite their impressive achievements with a polite smile and feign interest. acting like the quiet and cold girl that is irene helped a lot. most people assume she’s one with few words and she lets them carry the conversations. 

 

occasionally, she finds herself scanning the crowds to catch a sight of her tiny soulmate. she spots her next to a much taller gentleman who joohyun can only assume is her father. she contemplates asking her parents to see if they know anything about the sons but quickly decides the risk isn’t worth it — joohyun has never shown interest in the family business and doing so now might raise questions.

 

the duo would nudge each other playfully and put on a big smile when someone approached them. joohyun knows how dull these events can be for someone without any interest but seungwan seems to be having fun goofing around with her father.

 

at least one of them isn’t miserable tonight.

 

---

 

her personal hell comes to an end when the guests are requested to take their seats. joohyun highly doubts she can listen to another exciting new business venture, at least she could catch a break while everyone is stuffing their faces with food.

 

she glances through the crowd as she makes her way to her assigned table, trying to spot seungwan as discreetly as possible. her phone has buzzed a couple of times but she hasn't had time to check since her grandmother is watching her like a hawk.

 

she finally spots the younger girl at the table across her and their eyes meet once again. seungwan shoots her a hopeful smile before taking her seat. having her soulmate in sight might just be the closest thing to comfort she could get tonight.

 

settling in her seat, she whips out her phone to check her messages. this might be the only time where she’s free from her grandmother’s presence — the matriarch is currently preparing to address the guests on stage.

 

son seungwan:

do you think we can talk later?

7:11 pm

 

i can wait for you

7:12 pm

 

are you okay?

7:23 pm

 

just say the word and i can swoop in

7:23 pm

 

seungwan must have noticed how miserable she looks, she should probably try a little harder to hide her displeasure now.

 

joohyun:

it's fine

7:32 pm

 

she watches as seungwan checks her phone with a small smile, a quick glance up at her before typing a response.

 

son seungwan:

the seat beside me is free for the night

7:32 pm

 

offer still stands

7:32 pm

 

joohyun:

thanks but i really can't

7:32 pm

 

son seungwan:

how have you been?

7:33 pm

 

joohyun:

fine. you?

7:33 pm

 

son seungwan:

fine too

7:33 pm

 

joohyun:

that's good

7:33 pm

 

a round of applause causes her to look up from her phone, the matriarch is done with her address and is returning to her seat. she has to cut their conversation here, they'd have to settle for staring at each other all night instead.

 

joohyun:

i gotta go

7:34 pm

 

---

 

seungwan holds back a groan when joohyun dips from the conversation once again. her girlfriend did explicitly state that they're not going to do anything tonight but she assumed that texting would be fine.

 

except that’s not the case. joohyun feels like an entirely different person, her vibes remind seungwan of their first encounter. she’s uneasy and closed off unlike how she usually acts. maybe her presence is affecting joohyun as well, she thought she was cool with her whole she’s with me thing but maybe it’s inflicting negative repercussions instead. put it short, joohyun isn’t acting like joohyun tonight and she thinks it could be because of her.

 

seungwan picks at her food as she ponders over the reasons, she can’t help but feel a little bummed out. her gorgeous girlfriend sits beside the host like a prize to be shown off. and said prize, though right in front of her, is just out of reach.

 

she wonders how they’ll go about talking. joohyun’s responses have been nothing but curt, though it’s still much better than the silence they’ve had for the past few days. maybe they could find some chance to sneak out, they didn’t even have to talk, seungwan wouldn’t mind a chance to sit in silence for a little.

 

the dinner carries on with seungwan moping over her girlfriend. her father says nothing much but at some point, the atmosphere around them is starting to get depressing. and that’s not how he envisioned their long overdue father-daughter night to go.

 

with a nudge, he catches his daughter’s attention for a moment. "wanna go introduce yourself?" her dad whispers as he joins her in her useless pining.

 

seungwan tosses him a side-eye, "to joohyun's grandmother?"

 

"that's madam bae, she's a powerful businesswoman and we owe it to her for our success." the gentleman informs easily while taking a sip of his champagne, “it won’t be hard to strike up a conversation, we have plans for a new project.”

 

"so we have a good relationship with their family?" seungwan widens her eyes, this new development sounds promising.

 

her father nods, "and from what i’ve heard, she's been on the lookout for suitable partners for her granddaughter."

 

"do you think i'm eligible?"

 

"sure, if you take over the company." her father chortles, "anyway, i've never brought you or your sister up."

 

"are you ashamed of us?"

 

"yah, come on! do you actually want to be matchmade?"

 

"no …"

 

"i care about your happiness, sweetheart. so can you finally spill the beans? i'm dying to know what her tattoo says."

 

seungwan gives him a rundown of the events that transpired, glazing over certain details like how she managed to avoid joohyun for weeks and her hiding under the bed when joohyun gave her tea. sharing what their tattoos were only earned a loud aww from her dad and she has to look away because of how embarrassed she is. to top it off, she shared their recent fight too, explaining the tension between them tonight.

 

her father listens with bated breath, not speaking unless she wanted some sort of acknowledgement. his sighs and gasps make his thoughts clear to her. at the end of it, he merely hums quietly.

 

"you're both at fault." the entrepreneur concludes, “but also how dare she hurt you?”

 

“we were acting on emotions, relax. it’s gonna be okay when i actually get to talk to her.” the nerd reassures easily though she doesn’t quite believe herself either.

 

finishing the last of his champagne, her father raises his eyebrows with a sly grin. “let’s make it now then.”

 

"dad! no!" 

 

seungwan could barely protest but her father is already out of his seat. the drop in her heart coupled by the sheer panic that rushes through her veins is enough for her to chase after him. he could be a loose cannon when it comes to embarrassing her — and embarrassing her in front of joohyun’s grandmother? it spells nothing but disaster for their future relationship.

 

---

 

they are halfway through dinner and despite the seemingly constant addresses from the emcee, people still manage to find pockets of breaks to drop by and greet her grandmother. the matriarch jumps at the chance to introduce them and joohyun could only force a smile after the eighth one. she’s tired from all the socializing and she misses seungwan. she contemplates excusing herself to the washroom to take a break but just as one leaves, another one approaches.

 

on the other hand, her soulmate has spent most of the evening animatedly chatting with her father. joohyun stiffens at the thought of seungwan sharing the fact that they’re soulmates to her father, she has no idea what business relations their families had but the uncertainty makes her a little anxious. what if seungwan’s father disapproved of their relationship? or worse, her?

 

her train of thoughts is broken when her grandmother begins shifting out of her seat — something that has never happened before. joohyun perks up at this new change and draws a deep breath, bracing herself for hell or high water.

 

“sungmin-ssi, it’s a pleasure to have you here again.” the matriarch greets in a sickly sweet tone as joohyun slinks out of her seat to join her.

 

looking up, she registers the new presence as seungwan’s father. it’s not hard to distinguish him from the rest of the guests considering how he towers over most people. the gentleman greets the aged woman with a polite bow, some movement from behind him draws joohyun’s attention and she tilts her head slightly to get a better look.

 

hiding behind his towering figure is her soulmate struggling to put her blazer on, joohyun almost instinctively walks over to help her but the circumstances they are in remind her that she absolutely cannot expose seungwan. she bores her eyes into seungwan, hoping that her burning stare would catch her attention. thankfully it does and joohyun subtly taps her neck for her girlfriend to adjust her collar. the younger girl offers a grateful smile as she makes herself look presentable, or at least less of a mess.

 

“madam bae, happy anniversary, thank you for inviting me.” the gentleman greets politely before tugging the small frame from behind him to the front, “my wife is unable to attend today but i’ve brought my backup.”

 

seungwan stumbles a little before extending a hand out, “h-hello madam bae, my name is son seungwan!” she blurts as she drops to a ninety-degree bow.

 

joohyun purses her lips at seungwan’s actions before concluding that it is a wise choice to not have any connection to her tonight. she feels bad for cringing at her own girlfriend but the way her collar is still sticking out will not leave a good first impression.

 

but to her surprise, the matriarch lets out a small laugh before shaking her girlfriend’s hand politely.

 

joohyun lets out a soft, shaky breath as she watches the situation unfold. all she needs seungwan to do is not get on her grandmother’s bad side, they could be properly reintroduced at a later time.

 

“well, it’s certainly nice to meet you, seungwan-ssi.” her grandmother hums, “you never mentioned you had a daughter, sungmin-ssi.”

 

the gentleman chuckles and pats seungwan so she could stop her overly polite bow. “well, she’s what i like to call a pleasant surprise. ”

 

the nerd wishes she could disappear right now. grimacing at her father’s poor choice of words, she plasters a pained smile on her face. joohyun glances at her grandmother who seems to have an amused smile on her lips, something she hasn’t seen in a long time, no doubt thanks to this absurd father and daughter duo. the aged woman nods as she beckons joohyun to come closer. all these while she’d been silently standing behind her grandmother.

 

“this is my lovely granddaughter, joohyun.” the matriarch introduces, “joohyun, these are the sons, one of our long-term partners.”

 

she greets the father and daughter with a polite tilt of her head, “hello, it’s nice to meet you.”

 

did it feel strange to be reintroduced to seungwan again? definitely. compared to their first meeting, this feels more official. she could still remember how silent seungwan was when they first met, they’ve come so far since then.

 

seungwan’s father begins to engage her grandmother in some conversation and seungwan takes the chance to slink to her side.

 

“sorry, my dad wanted to introduce us.” seungwan whispers, “are you okay?”

 

joohyun forces a quick nod, throwing furtive glances at her grandmother, “we need to pretend like we don’t know each other tonight, okay?”

 

“why?”

 

“i’ll explain later, can you do this for me?” the older girl urges.

 

seungwan bobs her head slowly, catching on as soon as joohyun eyes her grandmother subtly. ensuring that the elderly woman has her attention away from her, joohyun raises a hand to tidy up seungwan’s outfit — as hot as her girlfriend is, she’s still an adorable mess at heart.

 

“you look good tonight.” joohyun adds with a restrained smile. she’s been terse throughout the night but the least she could do is offer her girlfriend a harmless compliment.

 

seungwan bites down on her lower lip and grins, “so do you.”

 

sensing eyes on her, joohyun begins a casual conversation. “so you go to seoul national too?” she increases her volume slightly, making sure the matriarch could hear.

 

seungwan plays along as well, feeling a little better now that some of the tension between them is gone. “yes! i’ll be starting my second year this monday.” she responds enthusiastically.

 

they make up some fake conversation, acting like they are absolute strangers instead of a couple. they talk about things they already know about each other, responding with an ooh or ahh whenever appropriate. joohyun can’t decide if listening to strangers talk business or making fake conversation with her girlfriend is harder, if anything, she just wants the night to end right now.

 

luckily for her, the adults end their conversation with a hearty laugh and the father and daughter duo bids them farewell. they return to their respective seats to continue the rest of the night.

 

as they walk away, her father asks with a hopeful smile, “did you talk?” 

 

“no!” seungwan jabs her dad in the ribs quickly, huffing as she storms back to their table, “i’m never coming to these events with you ever again!”

 

wincing, the gentleman sighs and ushers them back to their seats. there’s no place for his meddling tonight, the kids are on their own for this one.

 

---

 

dessert is being served as they return to their seats, which is a good sign since it means that the night is inching its way to an end soon. still, unfortunately for joohyun, she has to be stuck with her grandmother for a little longer.

 

the matriarch pays dessert no mind as she gazes at joohyun, “how do you feel about her?”

 

the question leaves joohyun surprised, it’s not the first time she’s heard it tonight, but it’s a question meant for her potential partners only.

 

“about son seungwan?” she swallows.

 

the elderly woman nods expectantly, "she's a little awkward, isn't she?"

 

"she was just nervous," joohyun can't help but defend her soulmate, "i enjoyed talking to her."

 

the matriarch’s lips tug upwards into a pleased smile, "so you would consider her?"

 

"consider her for what?"

 

"for a partner."

 

joohyun tenses up at her words, while it's great for her to consider seungwan worthy enough, they still have an ongoing agreement. 

 

"i thought you were giving me a year." joohyun replies curtly.

 

"it's important to make plans ahead of time.” her grandmother shoots her a stern look while she speaks lowly.

 

"i don't think this is fair for me."

 

the matriarch scoffs incredulously, "fair? all i am asking is your opinion on a partner. and for god's sake, you could be more engaged in conversations."

 

“i’m trying, halmoni.”

 

“try harder because this is for your future.”

 

it’s always about her supposed future. as far as joohyun is concerned, she did well in university, her future is secure for the next few months at least. her future sounds a lot more like the company’s future.

 

joohyun grinds her jaw and she mutters under her breath, “i never asked for this.”

 

the aged woman manages to catch her words and she glares at joohyun. "you would not have such a comfortable life if i did not make the sacrifices i did."

 

she's heard this one too many times, tales of how her grandmother left her family behind so she could pursue a better life. she's well aware of her sacrifices, but it doesn't mean that she needs to sacrifice her future for the family as well.

 

"and for that, i am grateful." joohyun retorts, "but this doesn't mean you get to dictate my life."

 

"if you were truly grateful, you wouldn't even be thinking about finding your soulmate."

 

this is as brave as she gets for tonight, anything more would result in a disaster. joohyun draws in a deep breath, mumbling a restrained i’ll be right back , before excusing herself to the washroom. tonight is enough to prove that her grandmother only sees her as an asset, it's no longer a feeling but a fact.

 

she could ignore this but her indignance is bursting at the seams. granted, she’s not engaging herself in conversations but it doesn’t mean she hasn’t been trying. she used to be more compliant, someone who only did the bidding of others. but maybe she’s grown up now, she finally sees her grandmother for the woman she is. 

 

joohyun has an inkling that the extended grace period she’s been given is nothing but a farce. whether she brought anyone home at the end of it, soulmate or not, her grandmother would reject them. but no amount of money could ever make her give up son seungwan.

 

leaning over the sink, she tries her best to cool off, wiping away the single tear that threatens to ruin her makeup. she still has another hour or two to go and if the powers that be are on her side, her grandmother would stop antagonizing her. someday, she would spill everything on her mind, but tonight is not the night for it. given her recent outburst with seungwan, she tries her best to reign in her anger.

 

the door to the washroom swings open and joohyun doesn't even look up, she has more concerns than worrying over someone seeing her lose her composure.

 

"are you okay?"

 

a quick glance confirms her guess, of course, it's her soulmate. it takes a lot of effort to not break down entirely in front of her, looking at how concerned seungwan is definitely does not help.

 

"yes." she replies shortly before fixing her gaze on the intricate swirls of the marble counter. she hears seungwan approach her with tentative steps, stopping just beside her and resting her weight against the counter.

 

in a gentle tone, the nerd offers a bold suggestion, "wanna get out of here?"

 

"i can't."

 

"why?"

 

joohyun glances at her soulmate with a resigned sigh, "i still have to meet potential partners out of courtesy and there's the auction …"

 

"but … i'm right here …" seungwan mumbles with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

 

letting a wry chuckle escape, joohyun returns to glaring at the marble, "i thought you didn't want anything to do with me anymore."

 

"no …" seungwan swallows thickly, "i still do."

 

the couple lapses into silence, each with different thoughts occupying their minds, the air hangs heavy with unsaid words. how does a pair of soulmates end up in a position like theirs? to feel like strangers and lovers at the same time. 

 

seungwan decides that this is enough and begins to gently pry joohyun’s hands off the counter. the older girl had been unconsciously gripping the marble with trembling hands as if that's the only thing stopping her from falling apart. she flinches as seungwan slowly coaxes her soulmate into her arms. joohyun lifts her gaze with soft eyes, almost in protest but lets seungwan pull her a little closer.

 

“just for a while,” seungwan murmurs, “just enough to get through the night, okay?” 

 

joohyun caves in to her request. hooking her arms around the nape of her neck, she buries her face in the crook of her shoulder. seungwan's arms find their way around her back and it feels almost natural to be back in each other's arms.

 

with seungwan, she lets her facade crumble away. she doesn’t have to be irene, or bae joohyun, she could just be whoever the hell is under all the layers of pretence.  

 

"i missed you. a lot." joohyun confesses, inhaling deeply. seungwan might be the only thing keeping her sane tonight. she thought the furtive glimpses she’s been stealing would be enough but nothing can beat being herself with seungwan by her side.

 

the little nerd runs a hand down her back soothingly and hums, “so did i.”

 

joohyun tightens her grip, clinging on to seungwan for dear life. this is but a tiny reprieve from the horrors of the evening and she tries to enjoy every second of it. seungwan relinquishes the need for words and merely envelopes her in her warmth. while joohyun has tried her best to hide her distress all night, her girlfriend has noticed how tense she is, even from a distance.

 

it’s just been a terrible night for joohyun and seungwan just wants to offer some comfort.

 

joohyun pulls away eventually, expelling a quiet breath. her hands remain locked behind seungwan, not wanting to return to reality just yet. her gaze flits to seungwan’s lips and she decides, it .

 

leaning in close, joohyun presses her lips against seungwan’s, chasing after the kiss she’s been longing for. to her delight, seungwan reciprocates with an equal amount of yearning, shifting a hand to cup her cheek tenderly.

 

joohyun pushes harder against seungwan’s with every hope that they would forgive each other at the end of it. it’s a bittersweet kiss filled with unsaid apologies and promises, it’s not much, but it’s still something. any residual angst is washed away with one simple action. despite their unresolved issues, they are much better off loving than hurting each other.

 

joohyun almost lets herself relax fully before the sound of the washroom door begins to creak open. oh , she panics and she tries to pull away. and to her relief, seungwan has much faster reflexes, so she jumps out of joohyun's grasp easily.

 

jabbing her hand under the automatic tap, seungwan pretends to wash her hands while joohyun turns to face the culprit with her heart thrumming rapidly in her chest.

 

“halmoni,” joohyun greets with a tense smile, “is something the matter?”

 

her heart is on the verge of giving up but the lord would just not have it. there’s a small trace of her lipstick on seungwan’s lips and joohyun can only pray her girlfriend keeps her head down.

 

the matriarch masks a frown as she notices seungwan's presence, "you were taking a while and the auction is about to start." she informs stiffly, their disagreement has clearly driven a wedge between them.

 

joohyun swallows and bobs her head, "right." 

 

that’s the end of her little respite, she shoots seungwan a polite nod and exits the washroom. the older girl begins to trail after her grandmother and seungwan follows closely. walking beside her, seungwan takes the chance to lean in close and leaves a chaste peck on her cheek.

 

a flush rushes to her cheeks and joohyun stares at seungwan with widened eyes that scream what the hell are you doing? thankfully, no one seems to have noticed her girlfriend’s actions, but it only increases the pounding in her chest. 

 

seungwan has never been this brave, but seeing joohyun so flustered makes it all worth it. maybe it’s the champagne. or the food. whatever it is, she just wants to take care of a mildly miserable joohyun. she knows if the circumstances were different, joohyun would be glued to her all night. unfortunately, the best she could do now is offer an article of clothing. extricating herself from her blazer, seungwan places it around joohyun’s bare shoulders.

 

“good luck.” she whispers with a slight grin.

 

“yah … son seungwan ..!” joohyun begins to protest but it seems that their chatter has caught the attention of her grandmother.

 

the matriarch turns and surveys the situation with a raised brow. the couple freezes up under her gaze and the only thought seungwan has is run . seungwan clears before brisk walking back into the venue with her gaze trained on the floor. she finally understands why joohyun has been so antsy. if she had someone watching her like that? she’d crack under the pressure within five minutes.

 

acting as if nothing has happened, joohyun continues to strut back into the ballroom as well. though she can’t believe seungwan just left her, it's probably a good call on her part. her grandmother doesn’t say anything when they return to their table, which is a relief because joohyun can’t even imagine what kind of questions she would ask. 

 

at least one thing’s for sure — son seungwan is definitely on her list of potential partners now.

 

---

 

seungwan returns to her seat and heaves a loud breath. good lord did she feel brave until the demon that is joohyun’s grandmother stared into her very soul. there’s no way in hell seungwan wants to be reintroduced to madam bae as joohyun’s soulmate now, her fragile little heart couldn’t possibly handle it. her father merely glances at her as he continues with his dessert nonchalantly. 

 

but when bae joohyun returns to her seat with her daughter’s blazer around her shoulders? that calls for some form of interrogation.

 

“spill.” the entrepreneur kicks his daughter under the table lightly as he scoops some chocolate mousse into his mouth.

 

seungwan lets out a whine as she sinks further into her seat, “i think i’m gonna die.”

 

his daughter looking like a physical embodiment of a melting puddle is the least of his worries. he casually feeds her a mouthful of sweetened dessert and hums, “yeah, i bet.”

 

the little nerd pushes herself up and buries her face in her hands instead, groaning as she ate the delicious dessert. “she’s terrifying, dad. it’s like she’s going to steal my soul or something.” seungwan cries.

 

her father rolls his eyes and teases her, “that’s because you’re going to steal her precious granddaughter.”

 

seungwan removes her hands and looks at him with a panicked expression, “do you think she knows?”

 

“i doubt so and it wouldn’t be the first thing on her mind. she probably assumed you guys were smooching in the washroom.” the entrepreneur raises his shoulders and turns his attention towards the stage.

 

“how’d you know?”

 

“you got a smidge of her lipstick on your face.”

 

seungwan hastily wipes to get rid of any trace of joohyun. well, come what may, she supposes. if it comes down to it, she would just admit she’s joohyun’s soulmate and they could go from there. 

 

the lights begin to dim in the ballroom as the auction starts. seungwan hadn’t been paying attention to whatever was going on on stage but seeing as joohyun is missing from her seat now, she might as well join her father in making snide comments.

 

except that it’s a jewellery auction for a charity organization and each piece looks more impressive than the last. apparently, the baes run a luxury jewellery business and these are all custom made for this event. there’s absolutely no space for terrible jokes here. 

 

her father shares more details about the baes and seungwan feels giddy at her new discoveries — joohyun’s family is rich rich. once they settle their fight, they should definitely talk about their families as well.

 

it's a small auction of seven items, with absolute whales outbidding each other at every turn, it doesn’t take long for the final item to be revealed. perhaps for an extra wow factor, instead of putting it in a display case, joohyun is the one presenting it.

 

the million-dollar necklace sits comfortably on joohyun’s neck, matching her outfit in every way and accentuating her ethereal beauty. seungwan thanks the heavens for how she’s able to call someone that gorgeous her soulmate. 

 

"see something you like?" her father teases to which seungwan groans in response.

 

her dad is never going to shut up now that he knows, as cool as he might be about the whole situation, he'll probably embarrass her at the first chance he gets. he already tried once, seungwan just has to make sure it’s the last too.

 

the auction carries on with some insanely high numbers being called out. seungwan could only witness in awe as the value of the necklace increased. it's been a pretty eye-opening night considering how she hasn't been to any of these formal events before. being here is a feat on its own and she mostly agreed because sooyoung convinced her it's a perfect opportunity to get out of her comfort zone.

 

seeing joohyun here was never part of her plan, though she has every intention to talk once she got back to seoul. it seems like fate has other plans in store.

 

the final bid ends up at a whopping two million dollars. seungwan's gaze follows joohyun as she gets off the stage and disappears into the dark corners. the emcee returns to the stage to wrap up the event with a thank you and an invitation to stay for the afterparty.

 

"are we staying?" seungwan questions curiously. if her dad is staying, at least she'll be able to wait for joohyun discreetly.

 

the entrepreneur shakes his head, "afterparties are for socialites, mom and i head out the moment we can."

 

seems like her dad has had enough of socializing. bobbing her head, she speaks, "you can go back without me, i'm gonna wait for joohyun."

 

her father lets out a dramatic gasp and widens his eyes, "you sure, kiddo?"

 

groaning, seungwan grunts, "yeah, just in case she needs me."

 

"aren't you a chivalrous lady tonight? where has my awkward little girl gone?" her father beams proudly while getting up.

 

the nerd rolls her eyes as she follows him out of the ballroom, "you could say you're proud of me and leave it at that."

 

"i'm proud of you, seungwan."

 

“thanks dad.”

 

---

 

finding herself sitting outside doesn't scream elite folk behaviour but seungwan couldn't care less. she'd rather be looked down upon than to turn into one of those pompous twats. the hotel lobby had been filled with guests pouring out and it's a little too hectic for her liking. she's perfectly fine waiting outside alone, besides the cool night breeze is soothing in its own ways. she finds a little quiet corner where the only people around seem to be the hotel staff.

 

seungwan pulls out her phone to check her messages. her guild discord is busy as usual but she's got a few messages from her group chat with seulgi and sooyoung. they’ll probably want updates so she diverts her attention to that instead.

 

seulgi's demon:

how are things?

9:05 pm

 

oh wow it's taken her more than 10 minutes to reply

9:22 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

maybe she's talking to some hot rich girl now 🤪

9:30 pm

 

seulgi's demon:

i hope so

9:30 pm

 

seungwan:

🙄 yeah i was

9:45 pm

 

hot rich girl's name is bae joohyun

9:45 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

are you kidding

9:46 pm

 

because i can't tell

9:46 pm

 

seungwan:

i'm serious

9:46 pm

 

the dinner is hosted by her family and she's here

9:46 pm

 

seulgi's demon:

you got my attention now

9:47 pm

 

have you guys talked?

9:47 pm

 

seungwan:

not yet, i'm waiting for her now

9:47 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

shouldn't dinners be over by now?

9:47 pm

 

it's going to turn into supper soon

9:48 pm

 

seungwan:

she's at the afterparty

9:48 pm

 

seulgi's demon:

so why are you texting us like a loser?

9:48 pm

 

seungwan:

:( ...

9:48 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

lay off her sooyoungie

9:49 pm

 

she already got a haircut! don't be so mean!

9:49 pm

 

one step at a time wannie 😘😘😘

9:49 pm

 

seungwan:

dad went back so i don't really know what to do

9:49 pm

 

seulgi's demon:

go in and drag her out

9:50 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

DO IT WANNIE!!!

9:50 pm

 

seungwan:

you guys are insane

9:50 pm

 

seulgi's demon:

then wait outside like a loser 🙄

9:50 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

why aren't you at the afterparty anyway?

9:51 pm

 

seungwan:

i don't even know anyone!!!

9:51 pm

 

what am i supposed to do at an afterparty anyway?

9:51 pm

 

seulgi's demon:

network? flirt?

9:51 pm

 

can your family adopt me instead?

9:52 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

son sooyoung 🤩

9:52 pm

 

seungwan:

😐

9:52 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

fluffy pancakes are on me if you do it

9:52 pm

 

seungwan:

nice try but no

9:53 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

and boba for a WHOLE semester

9:53 pm

 

up to three times a week

9:53 pm

 

seungwan:

you're insane

9:53 pm

 

but that's not enough to convince me to walk into a room full of strangers

9:54 pm

 

seulgi's demon:

i won't bully you for the entire semester too 😏

9:54 pm

 

seungwan:

😐

9:54 pm

 

done.

9:54 pm

 

seulbear 🐻:

take a selfie so we know you did it

9:55 pm

 

shoving her phone into her pocket, seungwan gets up and begins to walk. with each step, she questions why the hell she’s actually doing this. fluffy pancakes, boba and absolutely no from sooyoung for an entire semester sounds pretty good while she was still texting her friends. but now that she’s back inside, her courage is waning and every fibre of her being is starting to reconsider this terrible bet. maybe she should just stick to waiting for joohyun outside, even if it potentially means waiting an hour just to catch another glimpse of her.

 

the afterparty is held in a smaller ballroom just next to where the actual event was held, though a majority of the initial crowd has left, there’s still a hell of a lot of people here. seungwan stands dumbly at the entrance, hesitating if she should really do this. there’s no way she’ll be able to blend in, everyone just seems to be talking to someone and she’d stick out like a sore thumb without her dad.

 

yup, this is a bad idea, she declares mentally before turning her heel to leave. seulgi and sooyoung could diss her all she wants but she sure as hell isn’t going to storm in there to rescue joohyun from the vile clutches of her grandmother.

 

“seungwan?”

 

she freezes at the sound of her name. turning slowly, seungwan comes face to face with joohyun. her girlfriend still has her blazer draped over her shoulders in a tight hold, other than that, she looks visibly more tired than before. it seems that she chased after her considering the way her breathing has intensified.

 

joohyun steps closer to her with a slight furrow of her brow, she inquiries, "what are you still doing here?"

 

"i was waiting for you."

 

the older girl’s gaze softens and she exhales quietly. “where’s your father?” joohyun glances around the area, she hadn’t seen the tall entrepreneur anywhere and it’s impossible to miss him.

 

rubbing her nape awkwardly, seungwan mumbles, “he went back.”

 

“and you didn’t join him?” joohyun pursed her lips with a tinge of worry becoming evident on her face.

 

the younger girl shakes her head, “i wanted to be around for you. i know you said not tonight but it bugs me to see you like this. just in case you need another bathroom break.” seungwan admits while holding back a cheeky grin.

 

joohyun snickers and shakes her head slowly, she’s lucky her grandmother hasn’t interrogated her. but there are still many watchful eyes around, so she takes seungwan’s hand and gives it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. just a little longer, she tries to convey with the limited physical touch.

 

“an hour, tops. and maybe we can take a little stroll, okay?”

 

“okay.”

 

the lovers part ways — joohyun returning with a newfound vigour and seungwan with a bounce in her step. halfway out, she regrets not asking joohyun for a selfie. guess she’s not getting fluffy pancakes, or boba … or a break from sooyoung.

 

but at the very least, she’ll be getting somewhere with joohyun.

 

seungwan returns to her quiet little spot and exhales slowly. her phone is getting a little low — she has to preserve some battery to make her way back to her lodgings, so she has nothing to keep her entertained while she waits. 

 

it could be for the better, after all, she isn’t exactly prepared for her actual talk with joohyun. she takes some time to mull over how she should apologize, but at the same time, she wonders how joohyun would broach this as well. maybe she's equally as tormented, or just numb to it all. 

 

it’s been a week since everything happened, yet it feels like the longest week of her life. she can only hope that whatever she comes up with is enough for an apology.

 

---

 

joohyun returns to her grandmother’s side with seungwan’s blazer still wrapped tightly around her. it’s cold , is what she tells her grandmother when the aged woman eyes her suspiciously. besides keeping her warm, it warded off the potential partners that her grandmother has been subtly trying to introduce her to. with her curt replies, it seems like they got the hint that she’s not interested at all.

 

and the best part of it all? it smells just like son seungwan.

 

knowing that her girlfriend is out there waiting for her lifts her spirits, it won’t be long till they’re fully reunited. she bears through yet another hour of socializing before her grandmother declares that the event is officially over. a majority of the guests have left anyway and there are only a few stragglers talking to the matriarch about business deals.

 

joohyun slips away the moment she gets a nod of approval from her grandmother, rushing out the doors of the ballroom with her eyes searching for one person. the lobby holds no trace of her tiny soulmate, so she scours the outside instead.

 

true enough, just when she exits the main door, she finds seungwan. the younger girl is sitting by some plants that almost hide her entire existence, her blouse is the only thing offering any sort of contrast. a cold gust of wind blows in her direction and she shivers, but seungwan doesn’t seem to be reacting at all.

 

being certain that her soulmate hasn’t noticed her, joohyun approaches her with big strides. upon a closer look, seungwan has her head in her hands while her elbows rest on her thighs. and she’s dozing off. the sight melts joohyun’s heart a little and she strips herself of seungwan’s blazer. 

 

joohyun pats her head lightly and drapes the jacket around the smaller girl. “seungwan-ah,” she murmurs gently as she rouses her girlfriend.

 

the nerd snaps awake and jumps at joohyun’s touch, only relaxing when she’s fully processed that this isn’t a dream.

 

"are you done with everything?" seungwan mumbles while she rubs the sleep out of her eyes. she’d only meant to rest her eyes, not fall asleep entirely.

 

"yes." joohyun responds with a big grin before a flash of worry appears on her face, “you should’ve just gone home. it’s cold out here.”

 

“i wanted to wait for you.”

 

hearing that makes her heart swell and joohyun holds back the urge to kiss her there and then. it's been an exhausting evening, being able to let down her facade is truly a blessing. and to be finally allowed to spend time together with her soulmate, that sparks a lot of joy.

 

"you didn't have to, but thank you." she mumbles as she leaves a small kiss on the crown of her head, "can we get out of here?"

 

seungwan rises to her feet and nods, "thought you'd never ask."

 

they have a small fight over who should wear seungwan’s blazer and joohyun loses. all it took was seungwan bringing up the last time she’d been sick and they were off. once they are far enough from the hotel, joohyun slips her hand into seungwan’s, finally feeling complete once again.

 

---

 

the pair of soulmates mindlessly stroll along the street until they find themselves in a park, following the path in a slow amble and basking in each other's presence. joohyun clings onto her soulmate tightly, resting her head on her arm.

 

perhaps it's a good time to finally settle their fight. they've dragged it out for much too long, neither one wants to go another night without a resolution. in the desolate park, joohyun starts her apology that she’d been saving.

 

"i’m sorry. i don't want to argue with you ever again, seungwan." joohyun confesses with a heavy sigh, "i don't ever want to hurt you again."

 

seungwan hums in agreement, "neither do i. i want to properly apologize."

 

"i should be the one apologizing."

 

"we're both at fault." seungwan raises her shoulder, "sooyoung said we're both idiots."

 

this earns a small snicker from joohyun and she pulls away to face seungwan, "we are."

 

"sooyoung also broke the whole thing down for me and i'm sorry too. i didn’t know how to react in a situation like that.” seungwan mumbles, "it's just that … i just need some time to adjust."

 

"i know, but you shouldn't have to. our relationship should just be between the two of us, flaunting it is a privilege. and i can do without it. i should've learnt to respect your wishes."

 

"no … i mean … i don’t particularly enjoy it, but it makes you happy … so i wanted to try for you. i just didn't expect all of this to happen."

 

“you reacted in the only way you knew how to,” joohyun squeezes her arm a little, “i didn’t know how much time you needed to and i just tried to force my way in. i wasn't thinking clearly and everything was influenced by my emotions at that time. i wasn't trying to see where you were coming from at all, all i was doing was to try to get you to understand my views instead. i was the one who didn’t know how to handle it, i was the one that messed things up.”

 

seungwan shakes her head with a frown, “you were concerned about me and there's nothing wrong about that. it wasn’t right for me to just shut you out like that. i’m used to seulgi and sooyoung giving me space and expecting you to be like them isn’t fair at all. ”

 

“that’s where i ed up, isn’t it? i just don’t know you well enough.” joohyun murmurs with a wry smile.

 

the nerd stops in her step, slapping her hands onto joohyun’s shoulders firmly, earning a surprised gasp from the older girl. 

 

she glares at joohyun intensely before speaking, “we both ed up, we both hurt each other, we both don’t know each other. this is one up, joohyun, it doesn’t mean i don’t want to spend the rest of my life with you anymore. we still have the rest of our lives to learn everything about each other. and the night i confessed to you, you said were going to figure out how to love me, that applies to me too. we’re going to work through this, okay?”

 

joohyun bites her lower lip while tears begin to well up in her eyes, her breathing hitches as she sniffles lightly. seungwan pulls her into her chest, enveloping her in a warm hug. running a hand down her back comfortingly, she continues to talk in a gentle whisper.

 

“this won’t be the first or last time that we do this and that’s okay. i’m going to try my best for you and as long as you’re willing to do this with me, we can up as many times as we need.”

 

clutching the fabric of her blouse tightly, joohyun sobs, “i don’t deserve you, son seungwan.”

 

“you idiot, that’s what i thought when i first met you.” seungwan chuckles as she holds joohyun a little tighter, “but this is what we have and i'm never ever giving up on us, so don’t give up either.”

 

"i won’t, seungwan.” joohyun sniffs, “i just want us to be okay."

 

"we'll be okay. you're my joohyun, after all."

 

joohyun pulls back with wet cheeks, mumbling before she presses a kiss against seungwan’s lips. 

 

“and you’re my seungwan.”

 

with limbs wrapped around each other, they spare a moment to relish in each others’ warmth. they put the turmoil away and replace it with every ounce of love that their hearts are capable of producing. love isn’t easy, even with the certainty of a bond — joohyun finally understands that as seungwan begins to pull away.

 

“as much as i love to make out with you, it’s actually getting really cold.” she mumbles with a small grin.

 

“a little longer?” joohyun pouts, “i don’t wanna go home just yet.”

 

“you can always come back with me, i’ve got a big fancy hotel room and all.”

 

“is this what they call a flex, son seungwan?”

 

“yeah, but did it work?”

 

“yes,” joohyun scoffs, “let’s go.”

 

---

 

joohyun accompanies seungwan back to the excessively large suite that her father had gotten, it’s too much for one person but it feels less hollow with joohyun around. but despite the gigantic space they had, there’s still only one shower, so seungwan lets joohyun go first. putting her phone on charge, she promptly falls asleep on the comfy bed.

 

joohyun doesn’t take long, within fifteen minutes, she’s all dressed in seungwan’s spare clothes. she considered letting seungwan sleep but there’s no way the younger girl would be comfortable sleeping in those clothes, so she wakes her. 

 

when that’s settled, she drags an armchair to the large window so she can zone out while she waits for seungwan to be done. it has been a tumultuous night, joohyun sighs while she stares into the city lights down below. at least she'll finally be at ease now that she's resolved her fight with seungwan.

 

all that's left is something to make it up to her sweet little girlfriend.

 

she brings her knees to her chest and rests her chin on them. she ponders over how she'll break the news to her grandmother that seungwan is her soulmate. frankly, the whole situation just seems a little too convenient. knowing her grandmother, the matriarch would probably be skeptical. 

 

"penny for your thoughts?" seungwan's gentle voice breaks her out of her reverie.

 

the older girl turns to look at her soulmate who's busy drying her hair. a small smirk creeps up her lips as she turns fully. with all the tension between them gone, she could be as affectionate as she wants.

 

"i think you look really good with your new haircut." joohyun compliments as she ogles at her love.

 

seungwan responds with a shy smile, "my hair dries much quicker now too."

 

the model sticks her hands out and beckons her to come over, to which seungwan obliges. joohyun wastes no time in pulling her girlfriend into the large armchair. the two gnomes fit comfortably on the chair considering their sizes. sooyoung could make fun of them for all seungwan cares, snuggling next to joohyun feels way too nice.

 

the older girl snakes her arms around seungwan's waist as she nuzzles her face into the back of her shirt, taking in the scent of her fresh soulmate.

 

seungwan chuckles and nudges her lightly, "i thought you were going to dry my hair."

 

"do you want me to?" joohyun huffs into her back and offers a muffled reply. 

 

"it's not like i can wring the water out with you clinging onto me like this." the younger girl retorts with a pat on joohyun's hand.

 

with a groan, joohyun ceases her hug and takes the towel out of seungwan's hand. she sits further in so that seungwan is in front of her and gets to work. the nerd bites back an amused grin, not quite expecting joohyun to actually do it.

 

"thank you," seungwan says quietly, "i know we've forgiven each other but i still want to make it up to you somehow."

 

with her back turned, joohyun can't read seungwan's expression at all, it's hard to gauge if seungwan is upset.

 

"i do too," joohyun replies, "but i have no idea how."

 

"me too." seungwan bobs her head with a small laugh.

 

hearing her laugh might be the best thing in the world. with that, she can safely rule out that seungwan is not upset. joohyun hums, "i do this with yongsun sometimes. on three, we both say what we want that we think the other is capable of doing."

 

the nerd turns to face her girlfriend with her lips tugged upward in amusement. "seriously?"

 

"yeah, but it's mostly who does what chores." joohyun shrugs, "or do you want to go first?"

 

seungwan shakes her head, "you first." 

 

"well, okay." joohyun obliges, "i want lots of cuddles. and i want to see you in a suit again."

 

the nerd laughs and bobs her head, "consider it done, we can cuddle to sleep. but as for the suit, that's my only one and it's only for important events."

 

"can a date be considered an important event?" 

 

"is that how badly you want me in a suit?"

 

joohyun nods, "other than the fact that you had one too many buttons undone, you were a sight to behold. did you expect me to not have a reaction?" she lets out a pointed smirk as she continues to blot the water out of seungwan’s hair.

 

"sooyoung said three buttons was fine!" seungwan protests.

 

joohyun chuckles, "it is, but maybe i just don't like other people gawking at you."

 

"don't worry, i'm all yours." seungwan reassures with a small peck on her cheek, "besides, you drew way more attention in that gown."

 

"halmoni made me wear it, i would've shown up in sweatpants if i could." joohyun mutters with a click of her teeth.

 

"come on now, you looked hot. i wouldn't mind seeing you in it again."

 

"oh?" joohyun smirks.

 

seungwan clears and bobs her head slowly, "y-yeah … i mean you've always looked like a goddess to me." she stammers.

 

"well, this goddess is willing to grant any wish of yours. so what do you want?"

 

seungwan shrugs, "i'm coming up blank."

 

"absolutely anything," joohyun repeats, "if you want me to make out with you, just say the word.”

 

seungwan chokes on her spit and ends up in a coughing fit at the sound of that. joohyun doesn’t hold back her laughter as she pats her girlfriend’s back gently. she’s going to have fun teasing seungwan constantly if this is how she’s going to react, maybe she understands sooyoung a little better now. in the bravest tone that seungwan could manage without stammering, she turns to look joohyun dead in the eye before making her demand.

 

“fine, make out with me.”

 

pleasantly surprised and also a little challenged, joohyun tosses the towel aside and she scrambles off the chair. the glint in her eyes makes seungwan swallow nervously, it’s almost as if a switch has flicked inside her.

 

“you asked for this.” joohyun warns with a smirk as she straddles seungwan. before seungwan can even regret her request, joohyun leans in, bringing their lips together in a fervent kiss.

 

maybe joohyun doesn't regret returning to daegu after all. it seems that by some law of the universe, seungwan always makes things better.