joohyun-unnie:

back yet?

10:12 pm

 

seungwan:

just made it to the door 😊

10:14 pm

 

i'll talk to you later?

10:14 pm

 

joohyun-unnie: 

you have a morning class 🙄

10:14 pm

 

you need to sleep

10:14 pm

 

seungwan:

i wanna stay up till the day is over

10:15 pm

 

so i can say that we spent your entire birthday together

10:15 pm

 

joohyun-unnie: 

we already did 😚

10:15 pm

 

and though i appreciate the sentiment, i’m not letting you skip class

10:15 pm

 

seungwan:

🥺🥺🥺

10:16 pm

 

joohyun-unnie: 

fine

10:16 pm

 

for a little, okay?

10:16 pm

 

i'll call you later~

10:16 pm

 

seungwan:

okay 😚😚

10:17 pm

 

---

 

the dorm room is enveloped in darkness when she enters, the light pouring in from the hallway draws the attention of the occupants but they pay her no heed. seungwan drags her fatigue-riddled body into the room, stumbling till she finds the desk lamp. her friends are curled up in the design student's bed with a laptop between them. sooyoung regards her silently before returning to stare intently at the laptop screen while seulgi is drooling away on her soulmate's shoulder.

 

"how was daegu?"

 

an obligatory question eventually slips from the freshman's lips, breaking the stillness in the room. the nerd hovers over her luggage while briefly turning to the younger girl.

 

"pretty fun," seungwan replies, "i went on a date with joohyun."

 

"we saw the pictures." sooyoung hums, keeping her voice low.

 

"you made that very clear, sooyoung-ah."

 

seungwan returns to the task at hand; unpacking. but the sound of fingers tapping against a spacebar indicates that sooyoung's attention is on her now, demanding the same treatment in return.

 

"seul's asleep."

 

"i'll fill her in tomorrow."

 

the couple shares just about anything when it comes to seungwan, everything from sooyoung mocking her to seulgi worrying over her. with a sigh, the nerd relents, "let me clean up then i'll tell you everything, okay?"

 

"this movie ends in 25 minutes." the freshman informs simply.

 

"i won't be long."

 

"you'd be faster if you stopped talking."

 

the nerd narrows her gaze, decides against chucking a dirty shirt at sooyoung since it would probably end poorly for her. 

 

true to her word, seungwan steps out of the shower as the credits begin to roll. she had unpacked and taken a shower in record speed, now it's time to let the demon interrogate her.

 

she settles on the floor by seulgi's bed, watching sooyoung gently lift her girlfriend's head to ease her under the sheets, ensuring that she's all tucked in. she inches to sit at the edge of the bed and they stare at each other, waiting for someone to start. seungwan finally feels the fatigue settling into her bones and she wants nothing but sleep. but sooyoung won't let her off so easily.

 

"so?"

 

"i swear she didn't force me," seungwan says, "i did it because i wanted to."

 

the younger girl huffs, pulling her knees to her chest, "okay, but how did this come about?"

 

"it just felt like it'd be okay now." seungwan admits, "and i don't want her to give this up for me."

 

the freshman scoffs with a roll of her eyes, "it's not that serious, it's just instagram." 

 

"still, she shouldn't have to give it up if she doesn't want to."

 

sooyoung shrugs with a hum, "frankly, i thought you'd take much longer to come around. it's amazing what a haircut can do for you."

 

"well, i have you guys to thank too. i wouldn't have come to any realisations if it weren't for you."

 

"i'm sure you would, but probably years later."

 

clicking her teeth, the nerd groans, "yah …"

 

"well, if you ever need me to yell at her, just say the word." the freshman tugs her lips into a lopsided smile.

 

seungwan sends her hand flying, landing against sooyoung's arm in a light smack. "stop it, sooyoung-ah. you should apologize to her."

 

"i was sticking up for you, unnie." sooyoung rolls her eyes, "she kinda deserved it."

 

as much as she appreciated it, things would be awkward if her soulmate and her close friend didn't get along. "yeah but we're past that now and i want you two to get along."

 

"we will," sooyoung flops a hand lazily, "so did anything else happen?"

 

"i met her grandmother," seungwan frowns, "she kinda scares me."

 

sooyoung snorts incredulously, "don't be a loser, what's an old lady going to do to you?"

 

"disapprove of me as joohyun's soulmate." the nerd mutters as if it's the most obvious thing. 

 

sooyoung would never have to worry about seulgi's family disliking her, they dote on her as if she were their own flesh and blood, though the same could be said for seungwan. hell, she can't believe she thought joohyun was intimidating when people like madam bae exist.

 

"she doesn't know that you guys are soulmates?"

 

the older girl bobs her head, "we had to act like strangers, sooyoung-ah. joohyun is different around family."

 

"jesus, you two are impossible." sooyoung grumbles, "what's so hard about declaring to everyone that you're boning."

 

heat rushes to her cheeks and seungwan clears . she feels a little exposed and tries to discreetly pull her sweatshirt to hide the marks on her neck. 

 

"the whole dinner was for her to show joohyun off, my presence there is almost too convenient to be true. plus, we were still in the midst of an argument, it wouldn't be good if her grandmother found out."

 

a scoff is heard from sooyoung, these seem like nothing but excuses to her. "disagreements are normal, unnie. grandma would probably understand that, right?"

 

"i don't know if she will and that's part of the reason why i'm scared of her. she makes me feel like if i ever up with joohyun again, she's gonna take her away from me."

 

"you guys are soulmates," sooyoung extends arm to nudge her unnie, "she couldn't keep you apart even if she tried."

 

"i hope we never have to think about that.”

 

"well, if it makes you feel better, i don't think there's no way anyone could dislike you."

 

seungwan scrunches her face, "you threatened me when we first met, refused to save my contact, only addressed me by 'yah'. i'd say you were the first."

 

sooyoung puckers her lips in defeat, "fair point but in my defense, it was jealousy at work."

 

"glad we're past that now." seungwan lets a smile slip, "anyway, i think i made an okay impression, but i don't know how she'll react if she knows i'm joohyun's soulmate."

 

"we are not doing this again." the younger girl groans, "you did it once with joohyun, you sure as hell aren't going to let some old lady be the source of some unnecessary insecurity."

 

unnecessary insecurity, sooyoung has a point. there's no point worrying about it, for now at least. she still has months before chuseok, surely joohyun would assuage her fears by then.

 

"you're the best, sooyoung-ah.

 

a distant buzzing interrupts their conversation and seungwan recognizes that it's the sound her phone ringing. looks like they'll have to call it a night, she scrambles to her feet while sooyoung proceeds to bask in the warmth of her soulmate.

 

"i'll let my baby ask about the hickeys tomorrow."

 

"you saw nothing, park sooyoung."

 

"you don't scare me."

 

"you owe me one for seul's birthday party."

 

sooyoung huffs in annoyance and nods, "fine, pick up the phone before your soulmate comes knocking again."

 

---

 

grabbing her phone, seungwan slips out of the room under the guise of not wanting to wake seulgi but it's more so to prevent sooyoung from listening in. she dreads to imagine the mocking insults that sooyoung would spew whenever possible. escaping to the stairwell at the end of the corridor, seungwan takes advantage of the empty space and settles on the steps. with a slight grin on her lips, she answers the phone and greets her soulmate as casually as possible.

 

"hey."

 

all she hears in response is the ruffling of sheets before a grunt emanates from the other end. joohyun finally huffs, "took you a while to pick up, were you busy?"

 

"not exactly, i was just talking to sooyoung."

 

"did i interrupt?" the older girl asks, "i can always call later."

 

"on the contrary,  you saved me from a life-threatening situation.”

 

joohyun’s voice lightens up with amusement, having faced the wrath of sooyoung not too long ago. "what happened?" 

 

"she was probably going to ask about the hickeys but you called at the right moment." the nerd explains, “and seulgi’s asleep so i think she was holding back.”

 

she’s never mentioned it to seungwan but before their fight, a part of joohyun was envious of the bonds between her soulmate and her friends. now, she’s merely glad with knowing her soulmate has people she could rely on, it’s a lovely friendship between the trio. 

 

snickering, joohyun sighs, "you need to hide them."

 

"nothing escapes her," seungwan groans, "i’m pretty sure she knew what she was looking for too.”

 

“can you really blame her? she’s been waiting for it ever since you confessed.” joohyun muses teasingly, certain of a flush creeping up on seungwan’s cheeks despite not seeing her.

 

seungwan clears and changes the topic easily, "anyway, we could've just texted, i wouldn't mind."

 

"we could, but i wanted to hear your voice."

 

"we saw each other like an hour ago, joohyun-ah."

 

"and?" the senior challenges, "i'm not allowed to miss my girlfriend now?"

 

seungwan feels her cheeks flush, "it's not like we won't see each other. we can always go on dates or i can drop by."

 

"it's not the same,” joohyun whines, “falling asleep with you by my side is way too nice.”

 

the nerd softens up and her lips unconsciously lift upwards, "i could stay over on the weekends. we’ll work something out.”

 

"mhm."

 

the call lapses into a comfortable silence, as if they are content with merely listening to each other's breathing. in some ways, they are, but they know there’s a lot more that they have yet to experience together.

 

"i had fun today." seungwan breaks the silence with her thoughts.

 

"me too."

 

she chuckles, "i would be distraught if you didn't."

 

"that's extreme," joohyun scoffs, "it's just another day, seungwan-ah."

 

frowning slightly, the younger girl argues, "it's meant to be your day, you're supposed to feel like you own the world."

 

a gentle, warm laugh is heard and it makes seungwan’s chest fill with a bubbling joy. joohyun hums, "i have everything i need."

 

"what about everything you want?"

 

"there's no way you're gonna appear at my door again," joohyun pauses to clarify, "and no, it's not a challenge, please do not show up, you have classes tomorrow."

 

she should know better than to challenge joohyun again, but given how that worked out previously, she takes her chances. despite a tinge of nervousness in her tone, seungwan still gets her words out smoothly, "what happens if i do?"

 

"yah, son seungwan!"

 

"it's still your birthday, if you wanna sleep together i'm not saying no." the younger girl shrugs.

 

"you have class in the morning."

 

"i can miss one day."

 

"it's your first day of a new school year."

 

"it's the first birthday i'm spending with you." seungwan counters, "i think that triumphs over school."

 

with a sigh, joohyun murmurs, "do you wanna come over that badly?"

 

"weren't you the one who wanted me there?" seungwan raises a brow.

 

"yes and no …” joohyun mumbles. they wage a silent battle and despite seungwan not saying anything, joohyun caves to the idea of sleeping with her girlfriend for another night. “okay, fine, if you really want to, i won’t stop you.”

 

“i’ll be there in fifteen.”

 

---

 

son seungwan:

let me in!!! let me in!!!!!!!

11:11 pm

 

joohyun:

i have tiny legs!!!

11:11 pm

 

it's a familiar motion, almost ritualistic, for seungwan to show up at her door. dressed in a hoodie with her hair pulled up into a messy ponytail, seungwan raises a hand and waves. they greet each other silently with wide grins and joohyun pulls her girlfriend into the warmth of her apartment. 

 

“what did you get?” joohyun motions to the bag that’s currently in seungwan’s hand with a raised brow.

 

“ice cream,” seungwan beams, “vanilla, since that’s all they had.” she adds.

 

joohyun pulls a pout, “no mint chocolate?”

 

“i’m sure you have plenty of toothpaste in the bathroom.” seungwan counters with a grunt.

 

a giggle fills the room and joohyun guides them to the couch. she settles first before yanking seungwan into her chest. they take a while to get comfortable which includes picking a netflix movie for some background noise. joohyun noted that her nerd of a girlfriend would pay more attention to a documentary about outer space than her, so she never makes the same mistake twice. a cheesy romcom with a terrible plot is the way to go.

 

with her arms wrapped around her soulmate, joohyun leaves a small peck on the crown of her head. seungwan reciprocates by snuggling closer. it's quiet for a while, they enjoy their little dessert and watch the movie. when the cringe fest begins, joohyun interrupts their silence.

 

"you really didn't have to come." joohyun says as seungwan scoops a spoonful of ice cream into .

 

the nerd shrugs, "do you really want me gone that badly?"

 

"no no," joohyun protests, tightening her hold around her girlfriend, "i'm happy you're here."

 

a smug smile hangs on her lips and seungwan sits up, leaving snug spot she was in.

 

"i've got something for you."

 

"hmm?"

 

"remember i said your present is in seoul?"

 

"mhmm, so what is it?"

 

the younger girl had been a little jittery upon her arrival, constantly feeling her pocket to make sure the small box hadn't fallen out. pulling it out, she finds that the thrumming of her heart has only increased. 

 

a red velvet box sits in her palm and she presents it to joohyun with a nervous swallow. the latter shifts her gaze from the box to seungwan then back to the box. multiple thoughts run through her head all at once, a mixture of happiness and worry; joohyun stiffens in her seat.

 

"yah, son seungwan, there's no way you're proposing right now." 

 

a snort escapes the nerd and she pulls a sulk, "don't you wanna marry me?"

 

"i do!" joohyun redeems herself quickly, "but isn’t this a little too early? you haven't even met my family!"

 

"i'm not marrying them." seungwan’s shoulders rise as if she has zero qualms about marrying joohyun on the spot.

 

"okay ... so what is this?"

 

"it's not a proposal, calm down.” the younger girl begins to explain, ”and now that i found out that your family makes million-dollar jewellery, this might seem insignificant." she winces, partially regretting her choices. 

 

a whole night of brainstorming with her friends over a discord call made it sound like the grandest idea, but this is definitely the cringiest one they’ve come up with. yeri’s jibes make a lot more sense now that she’s found out about their family's business; she’d get back at that brat in due time.

 

joohyun bites back a smile and shakes her head, "it's not, you put effort into this and i will love anything you give me."

 

seungwan returns the smile while opening the box; a simple silver ring composed of two intersecting loops sits inside.

 

"i got us promise rings. it might sound overly sentimental but think of it as having a piece of me with you at all times. even if we're not together, or god forbid, if we ever fight again, just know at the end of the day, i still wanna be with you."

 

joohyun bites down on her lower lip, there it is again. she could never get tired of feeling this familiar flutter in her chest, not when seungwan has a million and one ways up her sleeve.

 

it feels right. the world feels right with seungwan.

 

the thought replays over and over as she reaches over to tackle seungwan, straddling her as their mouths meet in a loving kiss. it feels different from all their other kisses, this time, there's not a single shred of doubt. 

 

she loves seungwan.

 

and seungwan loves her.

 

their future together has never seemed more certain despite her fears of her family disapproving. she'll always choose seungwan, no matter what. as blessed as joohyun feels, it's an understatement of exactly how much she loves seungwan.

 

heaven has always sounded like a distant myth, but who would've guessed that she would have paradise at her fingertips? something that she thought would never come to fruition did the exact opposite. the universe has sent her pure sunshine, something too good for this world, in the form of seungwan. and she never ever wants to let go.

 

she can only hope that kisses are enough to convey just how much she adores her angel. if it didn't then she would find other ways, as long as seungwan knows that every bit of joohyun is head over heels for her.

 

her fingers trace the outline of her jaw with a feathered touch and the intensity of their kiss grows. but seungwan is the first to pull away, gasping for breath while a contented smile finds its way onto her lips.

 

"damn," she heaves, "i should've gotten you a million dollar necklace, huh?"

 

joohyun responds with a roll of her eyes, "you could've given me a rubber band and i'd kiss you all the same."

 

"well," seungwan grins, pulling the hair tie off her hair and sliding it onto joohyun's wrist, "kiss me again?"

 

maybe it's the way her eyes light up with a hopeful, cheeky smile, but joohyun knows. she knows they are right where they need to be, with each other. if seungwan had a million and one ways to make her heart race, how could she not look forward to them all?

 

she tucks a stray strand of hair behind her girlfriend's ear before she leans in close once again.

 

---

 

"get up."

 

a hushed whisper emits from joohyun's throat, rousing seungwan from her sleep. it's not urgent, that's for sure. and judging by the darkness filling their room, it's safe to say that it's definitely not time to wake up too. maybe if she stays still, joohyun would believe that she’s still asleep.

 

"yah, son seungwan."

 

there goes any hope of her catching more sleep. the younger girl stirs and turns tiredly, the lethargy has yet to leave her bones despite how many hours of rest she's gotten. she snuggles a little closer to joohyun who's sitting beside her and sighs.

 

"you said you’d let me skip class," her voice comes out thick with sleep and her eyes are barely open.

 

"i know," the older woman grins, "which makes it perfect for what i want to do.”

 

"the sun isn't even up, you maniac." the nerd groans while pulling the covers up to her nose. it's too warm to get out at the crack of dawn, even if it's at joohyun's behest. 

 

a whine escapes her girlfriend’s throat, of course, she would do this. she pushes at seungwan lightly, "come on, it'll be nice." 

 

to get seungwan to do anything, joohyun has figured out a simple recipe. all she has to do is sulk, then top it off with a little pleading. and that's exactly what she does before seungwan is pulling the sheets aside. considering the weekend they’ve had, it felt like they were deserving of a good night’s rest. waking up before the sun has even risen is far from what resting should be. still, she lets joohyun tug her along.

 

whatever joohyun has in mind, seungwan doesn’t question why she tiptoes into yongsun’s room and returns with a set of car keys. between the two, she’s more of a morning person, but at five in the morning? she’s sleep deprived like any normal human being would be. 

 

joohyun plants a small kiss on her check as she forces her girlfriend into a hoodie, one of hers, and to be exact, the very one she put seungwan in on the night of her big confession.

 

“do we really have to go?” she whines.

 

joohyun sighs and pats the crown of her head lightly, “come on, you might like it. if you don’t, i’ll make it up to you later.”

 

the senior certainly has no qualms about stealing her roommate’s car for a morning drive, it almost feels like she’s done it before. they drive through the darkness of the roads, with some mellow music playing on the speakers. she takes the chance to catch some shut-eye but it's interrupted when joohyun nudges her on the arm lightly, placing her hand palm up in the air expectantly. an exchange of unsaid tenderness takes place and seungwan intertwines their fingers tightly. as cranky as she is about it being six in the morning, it's alright if it's with joohyun.

 

the strong scent of brine fills her nose when they exit the car a little later. it's only when she hears the waves crashing against the shore does her sleep-addled brain register that they're at the beach. joohyun gravitates towards her, linking their arms as she leads them towards an unknown destination. they slip their shoes off, burying their toes in the coolness of the sand.

 

"was it really necessary to wake me up at five if you just wanted to stroll along the beach?"

 

"absolutely." joohyun chuckles, "we haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

 

"let me guess, it'll be when the big orange ball rises from over the horizon."

 

a huff is heard before joohyun kicks some sand over seungwan's feet. "it's gonna be beautiful, son seungwan."

 

"all the beauty in the world is right in front of me." the younger woman retorts with a light snicker. the stroll certainly has helped in waking her body up, or realising what joohyun had planned for them. her greasy comment is met with more sand and the tightening of the older woman's grasp around her arm.

 

a faint tint of orange begins to seep into the darkness of the night as they settle on some large rocks near the shore. the nerd rests her head on the small shoulders of her lover while they wait, watching the waves come and go in a rhythmic pattern. eventually, the golden glow swallows up the night, filling the couple with a sense of ephemerality. seungwan turns to look at joohyun, only to find her already staring. a soft giggle slips and they return to savouring the magnificence of mother nature.

 

"you're right," seungwan murmurs, "it is beautiful. but getting to witness this with you makes it ten folds better."

 

joohyun raises an eyebrow, "and you didn't wanna get up."

 

"well thank you for forcing me out of bed." she smiles, planting a quick peck on the back of joohyun's hand.

 

the faintest tinge of a blush creeps up on the senior’s cheeks and she slings an arm around her soulmate’s waist. they return their eyes to the seas; in this space with no one but them, it’s easy to put aside the rest of the world.

 

"thank you for being here." joohyun says in a small voice, there's so much more she wishes she could say but to unload the burden of her words onto seungwan feels like it would be too much.

 

"it's okay," seungwan registers the slight shift in joohyun's tone, "you can tell me anything."

 

she bites her lower lip and averts her gaze to the waves; vulnerability never comes easy. her shoulders deflate as she lets out a soft breath, but seungwan is quick to reassure her with a gentle squeeze of her hands. she tosses her girlfriend an appreciative smile before she speaks.

 

"you came back, even if you could've just walked away. i know we're soulmates, but thank you for choosing to come back."

 

to me, hangs at the tip of her tongue but joohyun decides to hold back. it’s enough for seungwan to know, and more than what she’s willing to share.

 

seungwan takes in her words slowly, processing each word as she fixes her gaze on the view before them. she hears every unsaid word, the slightest quiver in her tone as she spills this shred of insecurity. she could only imagine what joohyun went through in the days that they weren’t talking; if the roles were reversed, there’s no doubt that she’d spend every waking moment overthinking.

 

she mulls over how to reassure joohyun, it’s not as simple as an it’s okay or i’m not going anywhere. the answer lies deep in her soul yet she doesn’t quite know how to make sense of it. how do you go about explaining the workings of the universe? this isn’t explaining something scientific like how the sun rises everyday or why rainbows form after a rain.

 

everybody has tattoos, yet nobody can really explain how they came about or why they work in the way that they do. there’s no logical explanation; matters of the soul aren’t meant to be decoded. all seungwan knows is that to explain why she loves joohyun, it would be more complex than the explanation of why waves return to the ocean. 

 

and maybe that’s why complex problems can be solved with the simplest solution. the perfect analogy comes accompanied with the noticeable grumbling of her stomach. joohyun snorts but doesn’t comment. she pulls seungwan a little closer, as if the inch of space between them is a large chasm.

 

the nerd relaxes fully with a soft exhale, taking joohyun’s free hand to play with her fingers mindlessly. feelings are hard, and loving joohyun is much easier.

 

“having you in my life is like having maple syrup on pancakes.” seungwan mumbles after what feels like a brief eternity, drawing her soulmate’s attention from the sunrise.

 

a small huff of air leaves her nostrils and joohyun smiles in amusement, “pancakes and syrup?”

 

“hear me out, joohyun-ah, i’m not all that good with words,” seungwan chuckles nervously, “like sure, pancakes are delicious but once you’ve had it with syrup, you wouldn’t wanna eat plain pancakes ever again.” 

 

“what about pancakes with different flavours?”

 

“they don’t taste as good as plain pancakes with syrup.”

 

"what if i don't like syrup?"

 

"then you might be a psycho."

 

“yah, so after all we’ve been through, i’m only comparable to maple syrup?” joohyun teases as her elbows meet seungwan’s ribs in a playful manner.

 

“you’re more than that, joohyun.” seungwan’s voice is firm, solemn even. yet she doesn’t pull her gaze away from the horizon, unsure if she’s capable of looking her soulmate in the eyes. 

 

they fall into a hesitative quiet and seungwan tries to remember how to be brave. confessing to kiyub   was one of the scariest things she's done, but it didn't feel all that terrifying now that she looks back on it. maybe when she looks back upon this moment, it wouldn’t feel scary at all.

 

the words fall out of her lips effortlessly, as if she never second guessed herself at all. somewhere in between her pause and actually saying it, she realises that there’s nothing scary about speaking words from the heart. words are hard, emotions are messy, everything in this world is difficult — except for joohyun.

 

"i love you, and you alone." she whispers, "i'm never going to choose anyone else because you're the only person that's ever made me feel this way.” 

 

her heart swells at the words and joohyun’s lips tug into a small, pleased smile. she's been waiting for it, as much as she tried to downplay it. now, something has shifted. she commits this moment into her memory; if she should ever lose her memories, let this be the last thing she remembers because every ounce of happiness she’s sought after is right here.

 

“meeting you may have shifted the axis of my world, but it was for the better.” seungwan’s shoulders rise slightly, “i can’t explain how but all i know is you hold a piece of my soul, i feel complete when i’m with you and i’m sorry that i made you feel like you were going to lose me. just know that i’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

 

perhaps it's the warmth of the sun adding to the delicate tone of seungwan's words; it brings about a feeling of serenity and it soothes her anxieties. a piece of her soul, she glances at her lover momentarily before lifting their interlocked hands to plant a kiss on the back of seungwan’s hand. 

 

“you’re such a flirt, you know?” 

 

“mhm, but i have something even better.”

 

“pray tell, what could beat your maple syrup and pancake analogy?”

 

“actually eating pancakes,” seungwan cracks into a goofy smile, “how does fluffy pancakes sound for breakfast?

 

with a roll of her eyes, she huffs, “delicious.”

 

---

 

a new beginning is upon them, as seungwan starts a new school year, joohyun dives headfirst into her new job. while they have less time to spend with each other, the phrase absence makes the heart grow fonder makes a lot more sense now. every message, every call, every date is a little more cherished than before. seungwan finds herself at joohyun’s place on days where she knew she could spend the night and joohyun would get them dinner when her nerd of a girlfriend was busy studying her off. a tiresome routine, but with a sacrifice here and there, they make things work.

 

it's a casual saturday, joohyun decided that she wanted to spend the weekend at seungwan's and so that's what they do. except that her girlfriend is busy with her video games, a boss run that her party has been planning for a month. joohyun didn't exactly mind, watching seungwan turn into azure is strangely alluring.

 

"are we ready?" she hears seungwan speak into her mic. her cousin and their little group of friends are on the other end, raring to go.

 

"ready!"

 

"hold on, i'm missing a buff."

 

"you're always missing something!" joohyun vaguely registers that as yerim whining. her younger cousin isn't any different online and it’s a mix of worrying and comforting all at once.

 

"don't forget to use your potions."

 

her brief journey into seungwan's world isn't all that brief, joohyun still logs in to play, much to yerim's surprise. she's been learning more about this virtual world and azure, along with her friends. and she has to admit, it's fun. she can finally understand how both seungwan and yerim can spend hours in front of a screen.

 

she's cuddled up next to seungwan, though careful not to hinder her movements. it's an important run as far as she knows, azure has been practicing for the longest time and the last thing she wants is to mess up all the preparation she's done.

 

the senior watches the screen keenly as her girlfriend maneuvers her character with experience. if it wasn’t such a serious run, sometimes seungwan would even explain the mechanics to her. but alas, their party is currently battling the literal endgame boss, something that joohyun is content with merely watching. the mechanics are much too advanced for a gamer with her skill level. heck, it even takes her a while to connect seungwan's shot calling with the attacks on screen, it'll be a miracle if she could even survive for a minute.

 

bind it! watch out for the lasers! meteors! meteors! azure is relentless, yet something is wrong — she's losing her lifes too quickly.

 

"what's wrong, azure? you're gonna die out at this rate, buddy." bread’s concerned voice fills the call.

 

"sorry, i don't know, maybe it's a bad day."

 

she scrunches her brows together as she dies for the third time within a span of five minutes. if they failed, they could always try again next month but they were confident that today would be the day. it would a lot more to fail now.

 

"you forgot your magic guard," joohyun pats her encouragingly, "come on, you can do this."

 

glancing at her string of buffs, she finds that joohyun is right, she's been missing a vital life-saving buff. seungwan turns and plants a quick kiss on joohyun's cheek before returning her attention to the screen. she grins as she spawns back into the map with a newfound determination; her gorgeous girlfriend is cheering her on, how could she ever think failing is an option?

 

"yah! you forgot magic guard?" yeri's shrill voice erupts through the speakers.

 

seungwan cringes and chuckles nervously, "look, it's fine, at least i have wisteria."

 

joohyun's eyes widen in surprise, "you knew?"

 

“how else would you know what magic guard is then?” seungwan smirks, "and did you really think i wouldn't recognise your style of typing?"

 

ah, she’s messed up. she should’ve come clean much earlier. at least now there’s nothing she needs to hide, not that she was fooling seungwan in the first place. joohyun presses her lips into a thin line, "sorry, i meant to tell you at some point.”

 

“don’t be sorry, it makes me really happy that you're trying out video games for me. i would kiss you if i didn’t have to kick right now."

 

the senior chuckles, but leans over to press a quick peck on her cheek. “you can kiss me when you’re done, alright?” 

 

a collective groan is heard from the party though only one voice makes it through the noise. "i’m about to disconnect from the call right now if i have to listen to you two flirt for half an hour.”

 

“you can witness it in 4K at chuseok, kim yerim-ah.” joohyun retorts, “you can’t disconnect from real life.” 

 

seungwan snickers and the couple exchanges a sheepish grin, meeting yeri as azure would be one thing, but meeting yerim as joohyun’s soulmate? now that would be infinitely more fun. the party returns their attention to the fight at hand and eventually, the boss crumbles into a pile of precious loot. wisteria’s reward comes with azure tackling her in a hug, planting kiss after kiss on her.

 

a lazy saturday; nothing short of bliss and perfection.

 

---

 

mom:

dad spilled the beans. when am i going to meet her?

8:07 pm

 

seungwan:

who?

8:30 pm

 

mom:

bae joohyun, your soulmate 😠

8:35 pm

 

seungwan:

can't believe dad snitched

9:02 pm

 

mom:

can't believe you didn't tell me. bring her over for dinner tomorrow.

9:05 pm

 

this is an order.

9:05 pm

 

seungwan:

mom …

9:35 pm

 

mom:

bring seulgi and sooyoung too, i miss them.

9:37 pm

 

seungwan:

i’m not bringing them if i’m bringing joohyun

9:44 pm

 

mom:

then bring joohyun.

9:45 pm

 

seungwan:

🥺🥺🥺 mom please!!! give me some time to tell her!!

9:59 pm

 

mom:

fine, this weekend. you can sleep over too.

10:00 pm

 

seungwan:

😔 okay …

10:00 pm

 

mom:

👍

10:00 pm

 

---

 

"we have a tiny problem."

 

shouldn't be the first thing that comes out of seungwan's mouth when she finally gets to meet joohyun for dinner after a busy week. but the anxiety of bringing her soulmate to meet her parents has been slowly but surely driving her nuts.

 

"well, hello to you too," joohyun wraps her in a quick hug which seungwan reciprocates with a soft hello in return.

 

something is off, though it's not exactly like the world is ending, perhaps something a little more than a minor inconvenience. joohyun isn't all that worried as much as she's curious to find out. she links their arms together and pulls her into her warmth, tugging them towards the new chinese restaurant they've been meaning to try.

 

"so, what is it?" concern laces joohyun's tone but she doesn't show it. her soulmate on the other hand, looks distressed.

 

"my dad snitched to my mom and now she knows we're soulmates." seungwan whines, "she wants to meet you."

 

the senior doesn't hold back her snort, trust seungwan to make a meeting with her parents sound like the apocalypse is upon them. "well … we did say we would visit once we were back."

 

the nerd lets out a groan and rests her head on joohyun's shoulder, "are you ready? because i feel like i'm going to throw up just thinking about it."

 

"i think meeting your parents will be much easier than introducing you as my soulmate to my grandmother."

 

"you make a fine point," seungwan agrees, "but i don't feel ready."

 

"you can't run forever, seungwannie."

 

"why can't this remain our little secret?" the nerd groans, earning a chuckle from her girlfriend. surely there is a way to keep their relationship a secret from their families.

 

joohyun exhales and shakes her head, "because our families are a part of our lives too, right? what's the worst that could happen?"

 

"uhh, my dad embarrassing me at any given moment?"

 

"you could just tell me everything before we go, that way it wouldn't be as embarrassing." a smirk finds its way onto her lips and seungwan scrunches her face into a frown.

 

"i'd be shooting myself in the foot, joohyun-ah!"

 

"it won't be that bad, i promise."

 

"trust me, the last time you met my dad that was barely scratching the surface."

 

her soulmate laughs and they continue their stroll down the busy sidewalk. it's a little daunting to think about meeting seungwan's parents, but they raised a fine daughter, so she doubts that it would be awful in the slightest. the weather has warmed up considerably now that they're well into may, but the evening winds still make for a pleasant walk.

 

"has a date been set or do you still have time to prepare?" joohyun probes while they feast on a variety of dim sum.

 

"this weekend," seungwan mumbles while chewing on a dumpling. the realisation that today is friday and the weekend is creeping up on them hits her a mere second later. "wait, that's tomorrow."

 

"yah, son seungwan, it's a little late to tell me that now isn't it?" joohyun cries out, kicking her soulmate under the table.

 

the nerd winces, ignoring the burst of pain in her shin. she looks at her girlfriend apologetically, "do you have plans?"

 

"no but i didn't think it'd be that soon!"

 

"sorry, i didn't wanna tell you over the phone." seungwan's shoulders rise with an remorseful smile, "thought it might be better to break the news in person."

 

exhaling sharply, joohyun leans back in her seat, folding her arms across her chest. she glares at her soulmate whose cheeks are stuffed with food, but the sight melts away any anger she's capable of feeling.

 

"and who said it wouldn't be that bad?" seungwan teases, "come on, joohyun-ah, what's the worst that could happen, right?"

 

in an attempt to appease her, the nerd picks up a dumpling and feeds it to her fuming soulmate. joohyun begrudgingly takes a bite and softens up. it's an inevitable situation that they would have to face one day, might as well get it over with.

 

"getting to hear your embarrassing stories will make up for it, i can't wait."

 

"no!"

 

---

 

weekends didn't have a set routine but joohyun can't deny the presence of one too. it's always a matter of hanging out together, be it at either of their places. it changes, the only thing she knows is that the weekends are always spent with seungwan.

 

this weekend is another weekend with seungwan but it's ten folds more important. joohyun had been given a run down of the likes and dislikes of her future in-laws. mom likes pastries and dad likes wine, so she got a box of cupcakes and some moderately aged wine. she didn't feel worried when seungwan broke the news, but after letting it seep into her head after a night certainly allowed for a nagging apprehension to build up. meeting your girlfriend's parents is a big deal, though yongsun seems to think otherwise.

 

"why are you so nervous, hyun?" yong mumbles casually from the comfort of the couch. the older girl is sprawled out and alternating her attention between the netflix show she's been catching up on and a pacing joohyun.

 

"i'm not nervous."

 

"okay then go pace in the kitchen instead," the brunette grumbles, waving her away lazily, "you're distracting me."

 

letting out an aggravated cry, joohyun runs a hand through her hair. "what if her parents don't like me?"

 

yongsun shrugs, "their loss, who wouldn't want the one and only renebaebae as their daughter-in-law?"

 

"yong!"

 

the roommate's eyes dart from the screen back to joohyun and she lets a begrudging sigh escape. some sort of intervention should be held before joohyun loses her mind. she hits pause on the show and looks at her roommate, motioning for her to continue.

 

"look, i met her father when i went back to daegu and he seemed like a friendly guy but that could be because seungwannie was with me." joohyun blabbers whilst increasing the speed of her pacing.

 

yongsun hums, trying her best to not come off as nonchalant. she and byulyi got along great with each other's families — it's an understatement to say that her mother is treating her soulmate much better than her. though, with that said, just because they didn't have any issues, doesn't mean joohyun and seungwan would be the same. she has an inkling that when it comes to joohyun’s family, it could be an actual disaster.

 

"if they don't like you on the first meeting, they'll at least acknowledge you by the thirtieth."

 

"if they don't like me on the first meeting, what makes you think i'm going to meet them another twenty nine times?" joohyun pauses her pacing to shoot a retort.

 

yongsun merely raises her shoulders and sighs, "you can't run from this, hyun-ah. it takes time to cultivate a relationship and you're going to spend the rest of your life with seungwan, so you have more than enough time to get on their good sides."

 

"i want them to like me at least, is that too much to ask for?" joohyun groans as she joins yongsun on the couch, not bothering if she is sitting on her roommate or not. a grunt is accompanied by some shifting until roommates are equally comfortable.

 

"they will, and it's normal to be nervous, you're meeting strangers after all. like, who knows, they could be ist. or they could hate dogs." yongsun teases with a cheeky grin.

 

"dogs scare me ..."

 

"yeah i know, and apparently humans scare you too."

 

"you're not very comforting, you know that right?" joohyun hisses.

 

"it's going to be fine, just don't jump your girlfriend while you're there."

 

"i'm not making your mistake."

 

"who said it was a mistake?" yongsun cackles, "now get out of here and think of a proper gameplan with your seungwannie."

 

yongsun kicks her off the couch and resumes her show; her roommate has her moments, though the reassurance did make her feel marginally better. it'll be fine, she's going to have seungwan with her. and her soulmate always has a way to make things better.

 

---

 

while joohyun didn't mind heading over earlier, it was evident that her soulmate wanted to drag it out till as late as possible. she headed to her girlfriend's dorm in the late afternoon to pick her up. much to her delight, yongsun had graciously allowed her to borrow her car as long as she filled the tank after. everything felt smooth, until her girlfriend refused to budge.

 

"yah, son seungwan, let's go already."

 

"i don't wanna go!" seungwan whines from her bed.

 

seulgi and sooyoung happened to be around too, and they could only shrug in response. it's a very seungwan thing to attempt to weasel out of an event at the last minute if she didn't want to go in the first place.

 

"wish we could go in your place, i miss your mom's scones." sooyoung sighs dreamily.

 

the nerd pokes her head out from the sheets, "you can go instead, she says she misses you both."

 

she catches the way seulgi's face lights up with excitement before sooyoung clears . it's a joke, the freshman eyes her soulmate pointedly.

 

seulgi walks over to yank her best friend out of bed, "come on, wannie, joohyun-unnie's waiting too."

 

it must be a curse to be small, her friends lift her up with ease and shoves her towards her soulmate. joohyun takes the chance and yanks her out the door before she could struggle further. facing a locked door behind her, seungwan has no choice but to go. 

 

they sit in the car, gathering their breaths but joohyun doesn't drive. the whirring of the engine fills the silence and joohyun turns to her soulmate with a tender touch. there must be something more than embarrassing stories that's making seungwan so reluctant.

 

"okay, what's up? i can tell that you're worried about something else."

 

the nerd sinks into the passenger seat, letting the seatbelt press into the side of her neck. it’s probably easier to get it off her chest now than to brood over it for the rest of the night. she fiddles with her fingers and sighs.

 

"i'm scared that you won't like each other," seungwan admits in a small breath, "my parents can be a bit much sometimes and i want you to like them as much as i want them to like you."

 

joohyun laughs softly, they wouldn't be here if they had a little time to talk things through. she makes a mental note that they are going to half a proper talk a week before she brings seungwan home. "i just had this talk with yong earlier. it's okay if things don't go as planned on the first meeting, there's going to be so many more chances that come after. it's going to be alright, seungwan-ah."

 

the younger girl lets joohyun take her hands to offer a comforting squeeze, "sorry ..." she murmurs.

 

"don't be, i have the same worries too but that's a problem for another day." joohyun coos, "today, we're going to have a nice dinner with your parents, okay?"

 

seungwan tosses her a smile, a genuine one at that and bobs her head enthusiastically, "mhm!"

 

---

 

the couple arrives at the lavish house of the sons just in time for dinner, which is a little later than seungwan had originally told her mother. technically, they would be on time if she didn't pull any shenanigans. joohyun marvels at the sheer amount of windows the modern two-story house seemed to have, it's the complete opposite of hers.

 

"like what you see?" seungwan nudges her.

 

with a playful roll of her eyes, joohyun nods, "it's a gorgeous house."

 

"wait till you see the inside."

 

they gather up their belongings and head to the front door, hands locked for any sort of support. they glance at each other for confirmation and it's relieving to see that seungwan looks less stressed than she did before. joohyun, on the other hand, starts to feel the jitters again.

 

"ready?" seungwan prompts quietly.

 

the older girl draws a deep breath into her lungs, holding it for a moment before exhaling. she didn’t feel ready in the slightest, but could you even feel ready for something this significant?

 

"ready."

 

using her free hand, seungwan presses the doorbell and they wait in anticipation. it's nerve-wracking to say the least, joohyun can't help but shift her weight from one leg to another. her girlfriend notices and mumbles a soft it's going to be okay. she wishes she could do more but the door swings open to reveal a tall figure.

 

her father stands at the door with a large beaming smile and his eyes seem to scream i can't wait to embarrass you all night.

 

"well well well, look who finally decided to show up?" he teases with a tinge of sarcasm, spreading his arms wide for a hug. seungwan could only groan as she unwillingly abides.

 

"it's good to see you too, dad." 

 

the gentleman releases his daughter and turns his attention to a seemingly calm joohyun. "it's lovely to see you again, joohyun. hope my daughter hasn't been too unpleasant."

 

"dad!"

 

joohyun presses her lips into a tight smile and shakes her head curtly, "not at all, sir. it's good to see you again too."

 

"come on in, mom has been yapping away all day, she's very excited to meet you."

 

they get ushered into the warm house and joohyun spares a moment to take in all the decors. seungwan's parents certainly has much better taste than her family, everything seems to blend in with a modernist theme. it doesn't take long for seungwan to pull her towards the kitchen where she's certain her mother would be.

 

"i've brought the goods, mom!" seungwan announces as they linger at the doorway, "i demand payment!"

 

a short, middle-aged woman is in the midst of pulling out a cake from the oven. all eyes turn to the nerd with a questionable look plastered on their faces.

 

"yah ..." joohyun mutters under her breath before she's interrupted by a loud gasp.

 

the woman leaves the cake on the counter and hurries over to the couple with a bright smile on her face. elated would be downplaying the joy she seems to exude.

 

"you're wannie's soulmate, yes?" mrs son gasps, clasping her hands tightly, "oh this is truly a dream come true!"

 

the sudden attention catches her off guard and joohyun nods stiffly, offering her a polite smile and nod. "my name is joohyun, it's nice to meet you, mrs son."

 

"well, it's my pleasure to have you here." the older woman grins, "so how old are you, joohyun-ah?"

 

"i'm 24 this year."

 

" ahh, so you've graduated, yes? have you found a job?"

 

"i'm working to be a criminal psychologist."

 

" ooh, that sounds interesting, what do you do?

 

frankly, seungwan could watch her mother interrogate her soulmate for a little longer but a small crinkle between joohyun's brows begins to form, so she steps in.

 

"you'll run out of topics later, mom." the nerd cuts in with a lopsided smile, "we can talk over dinner."

 

"ah yes! why don't you guys relax for a little? dinner is almost ready."

 

and so they do. joohyun is more than grateful for the intervention; she'd been worrying about whether seungwan's parents would like her instead of preparing how she should talk to them. with seungwan's arm around her, they settle in the living room.

 

"she likes you, don't worry."

 

the older girl however, is unable to relax. the evening has barely started and there's still a couple of hours to mess things up, not that she did very often. but if she does, it's going to be a monumental up. still, she offers a slight nod and prays that she gets through the night.

 

“wanna see my room?”

 

seungwan doesn't wait for her response before tugging them towards her old room. it's been a while since she's been home but everything feels as it did when she left for university. they scurry up the stairs with the glee of a kid on christmas morning. though joohyun is mostly following along, her soulmate's excitement is infectious.

 

the nerd’s room lies at the end of a long corridor. an aged chalkboard hangs on the front of a white door, drawings of a squirrel and bear have faded slightly but still remains clear enough to make out.

 

“what’s up with the squirrel and bear drawings?” joohyun asks with amusement coating her tone. the only other time she recalls seeing this is at seungwan’s dorm, the drawings must have some sort of importance to her.

 

“it’s just a thing i have with seul, i’m the squirrel and she’s the bear. she used to come over so often that it felt like i was sharing a room with her.” seungwan explains as she pushes the door open.

 

nostalgia washes over her as she takes in her old room — it’s exactly as she had left it, except that mom had been cleaning it for sure. her posters are still stuck to the walls, the many figurines she had collected over the years still safely stored in their display cabinets, not a thing is out of place.

 

“yah! what is this?”

 

she snaps her head to joohyun, wondering what could’ve caught her soulmate’s attention so quickly. turns out, joohyun is currently looking at a certain wall scroll she’d been really proud of a few years prior. it usually hung discreetly behind her door but it’s just joohyun’s luck she supposes.

 

she raises her hands in surrender, “i can explain.”

 

“you want to explain why you have a picture of a half woman on the back of your door?” joohyun screeches incredulously.

 

seungwan scratches the back of her head nervously, seulgi certainly hadn’t minded the wall scroll when she got it all those years back. truth be told, it’s not like it’s explicitly lewd, it just showed a little more skin. maybe it’s the size, considering that it spans almost the entire length of her door.

 

“i was going through it.”

 

joohyun eyes the poster with contempt; a tall blonde anime character is stepping on a velvet chair and she isn’t a prude by any means but how does one consider her dressed? a grey buttonless jacket that exposed her black bra, matched with the shortest grey skirt she’s ever seen and thigh high boots. a whip is attached to her hip and nothing about this screams PG 13.

 

“your hormonal teenage phase?” joohyun retorts with a scoff.

 

seungwan purses her lips, “i mean … i still think she’s pretty hot … i don’t think it’s a phase …”

 

the nerd’s response earns a sharp glare from her girlfriend, and she realises that she’s dug herself into an early grave. “we can watch the anime together sometime, okay? you’ll understand why i had such a huge crush on her in season two.”

 

her offer is left unanswered but joohyun sighs. “i can’t believe you have this,” joohyun folds her arms across her chest disapprovingly, “is this why it’s behind your door?”

 

“don't be jealous of bishamon now, if you want, i could get seulgi to do up a poster of you to put up in my dorm.”

 

“yah! son seungwan!”

 

seungwan receives a well-deserved smack on the arm but she laughs it off easily. joohyun cracks into a smile soon enough and they continue to check out her den. every object seemed to tell a story; it’s nerdy as hell yet also very seungwan. it’s heartwarming in some ways, to get to see her girlfriend’s past self in all of her possessions, seungwan might have grown up but certain things still remain unchanged.

 

---

 

the evening bleeds into the night and along with it comes the inevitable dinner. much to joohyun’s relief, it goes surprisingly well. dinner is pleasant, seungwan's parents are nothing but warm and welcoming to her. though, there are moments where seungwan steps in to save her from their probing questions. joohyun can't blame them for wanting to know her better. eventually, she manages to loosen up after a few terrible dad jokes, just enough for her to discard the stiffness in her words. she’s certain that with a little more time, she would feel comfortable enough around them.

 

the senior attempts to help with the dishes, only to be chased out of the kitchen by mrs son and seungwan. esteemed guests have no place doing dishes, the older woman chides while shoving her towards the living room. with nothing to do, she plops herself onto the sofa that seems to melt under her.

 

staring at the tall ceiling above, joohyun lets her mind run free. it’s still feels surreal when she thinks about it, that she, of all people, found seungwan. and now she’s in the midst of meeting her parents, essentially being integrated into her life. the universe works in mysterious ways, and she’s thankful that it seems to be in her favour.

 

“let’s have a drink together.”

 

joohyun turns to the gentleman who approaches her with two glasses and what she recognises as the bottle of wine she bought. she hesitates, while she’s usually alright with drinking, she isn’t sure if she should be drinking with seungwan’s father upon their first official meeting. but at the same time, it wouldn’t be polite to reject her future father-in-law.

 

“no pressure,” mr son clarifies with a genuine smile, “i just wanted to have a little chat without seungwan clinging to you.”

 

his aura isn’t as lighthearted as it was at dinner but the words put her mind at ease, joohyun nods. a glass or two wouldn’t hurt. he pours them a moderate amount and they clink their glasses. she sips lightly and tastes the wine, it’s smooth with a mix of sweet and sour. while her knowledge on wines is limited, she could at least tell that it isn’t terrible and it’s a huge relief.  

 

“this is pretty good.” he nods, swirling the glass in hand.

 

“i’m glad, the salesperson was knowledgeable.” joohyun responds quietly. she hadn’t realised how the absence of seungwan has made her feel a little awkward, probably due to the fact that her girlfriend is not going to be there to save her from certain sticky questions.

 

the gentleman maintains the tranquility they’ve slipped into, though to joohyun it is but a tension-filled silence. she contemplates between keeping quiet or starting a conversation so at least they could kill the uneasiness between them. luckily for joohyun, mr son shifts, regarding her for a moment before he starts speaking.

 

"when seungwan told me about your fight, i have to admit i got a little worried."

 

joohyun bites her lower lip, a familiar guilt crawls back into her chest. "it won't happen again, sir." she promises firmly.

 

"then i'll truly be worried." he chuckles, taking a sip of his wine.

 

"pardon?"

 

"what's a relationship without ruptures?" he muses, "if everything is smooth sailing, you wouldn’t be able to tell the good days from the bad.

 

joohyun suppresses a frown and picks her words carefully, "so … you want us to fight more?"

 

"if that's how you build your bond, then by all means.” he shrugs, “ all i'm trying to say is that fights are normal, in fact, you'll always learn something from it. as long as you both are willing to listen and fix things after, i'd say ruptures are good for you."

 

"i hated fighting with her, sir.” she murmurs with a wry smile, “it was the worst thing i've ever done."

 

"it's surprising isn't it? how much you love your soulmate but at the same time how angry you can get because of them?"

 

joohyun bobs her head, "you sound experienced."

 

"well, my relationship with mom wasn't always good. but we always fixed what we broke." the gentleman’s lips tug upwards slightly, "i just needed to know if you are willing to do that with my daughter."

 

"of course, i wouldn't walk away from seungwan." the answer leaves joohyun’s mouth, firm and determined. she finds herself meeting mr son’s gaze — getting him to like her is the last thing on her mind now, as long as he knows she’s sincere about seungwan, that’ll be enough.

 

"that's good.” the entrepreneur nods, “i always liked what seulgi and sooyoung did for her and they've set the bar pretty darn high."

 

joohyun knows it all too well, the friendship the trio has is unbreakable, the literal epitome of ride or die. "they're good friends." she agrees quietly.

 

"they are, but even if they've been friends for the longest time, i have a feeling that you’ll outdo them eventually.” a hand rests on her shoulder to offer a comforting squeeze, “don’t let me down, kiddo.”

 

she smiles; the weight of her worries disappear with his reassurance. “i won’t, thank you for trusting me.”

 

the gentleman guffaws, catching her by surprise. the solemn atmosphere has shifted and he’s back to his usual joking self. a delicious scent wafting in the air followed by seungwan and mrs son joining them a second later explains it all, it seems like that conversation is meant to be a secret between them.

 

“was it another cold joke?” seungwan asks while she sticks her tongue out at her dad.

 

joohyun shakes her head, “he told me an embarrassing story of you as a kid.” 

 

“no way.”

 

“yes way, kiddo. that’ll teach you to cringe at my jokes.”

 

“alright stop fighting, we’ve got cheesecake.”  mrs son interrupts with a sigh.

 

all joohyun feels for the rest of the night is warmth, being taken care of by the sons is really really nice. the baby pictures come up at some point and seungwan tries her best to disappear but it’s wonderful to see this side of seungwan with her family. they talk; they share things about their life, about seungwan, and joohyun listens intently.

 

the nerd, despite all her whining and cringing, quietens down every once in a while to spare a glance at her soulmate. checking in on her or checking her out, she wouldn’t say. prior to this, she’d been worrying her off about how it would go. this is equivalent to baring her heart out to her parents, this is her sharing a piece of her soul. 

there’s something so sublime about her soulmate when she’s truly comfortable, seungwan just wants the people she loves to see that too. it’s safe to say that they do, and it’s an even bigger consolation that the feeling is mutual. joohyun’s flushed cheeks lift into a large smile more times than she can count. she knows that whatever the universe has in store for them, it’s going to be ing great.