yerimie:

so you’re not going to tell me that halmoni went to look for azure????

6:29 pm

 

😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

6:29 pm

 

joohyun:

aren’t you a nosey one?

6:35 pm

 

i just found out yesterday

6:35 pm

 

yerimie:

well yeah?? 

6:35 pm

 

you made your relationship MY business when you first came to me for help

6:35 pm

 

i want details!!! now!!!

6:36 pm

 

joohyun:

🙄… why didn’t you just ask seungwan?

6:36 pm

 

yerimie:

i did and she kinda explained but i just know she’s hiding the spicy deets

6:36 pm

 

so tell me!!!!!

6:36 pm

 

joohyun:

halmoni came and looked for her to “clarify” our relationship

6:37 pm

 

but being the maniac that she is, she already knew

6:37 pm

 

she sent someone to tail us since the dinner

6:37 pm

 

yerimie:

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

6:37 pm

 

SERIOUSLY?????

6:38 pm

 

joohyun:

yeah

6:38 pm

 

yerimie:

no wonder azure said it was worse than clutching a boss fight

6:38 pm

 

holy

6:38 pm

 

so now what?

6:39 pm

 

joohyun:

i stay mad at halmoni till chuseok

6:39 pm

 

yerimie:

oh my god

6:39 pm

 

does this mean you'll bring azure home?

6:39 pm

 

joohyun:

yes, if she doesn't try to run 🙄

6:40 pm

 

yerimie:

oh my god oh my god!!!!

6:40 pm

 

it's just so wild to me that you guys are actually dating

6:40 pm

 

and i'm going to witness it with my own two eyes

6:40 pm

 

gross but also very surreal!!!!

6:41 pm

 

joohyun:

i will take it as a compliment

6:41 pm

 

yerimie:

she needs to be warned about aunt jung hye

6:41 pm

 

and my mom

6:41 pm

 

oh my god you gotta give her a crash course

6:42 pm

 

joohyun:

chuseok is still far off

6:42 pm

 

i'll tell her about everyone when it gets a little closer

6:42 pm

 

yerimie:

6 weeks will fly by unnie 😤😤😤!!!

6:42 pm

 

you need a whole presentation

6:43 pm

 

joohyun:

don’t be ridiculous

6:43 pm

 

yerimie:

what’s ridiculous is the amount of uncles and aunts we have

6:43 pm

 

and azure’s great at studying

6:43 pm

 

joohyun:

🤔… you aren’t wrong... 

6:44 pm

 

yerimie:

all the best!!!

6:44 pm

 

i'll see you guys at chuseok!!! 😚😚😚

6:44 pm

 

---

 

joohyunnie 💖:

come over

8:22 pm

 

seungwan:

oh? 😏😏😏

8:22 pm

 

joohyunnie 💖:

😉

8:22 pm

 

a powerpoint presentation on the bae family is the last thing seungwan expected when joohyun texted her. sure, her girlfriend did lead her on with some kissing, straddling her on the couch for a little before starting up the presentation. but she’d been confident that she would be the one panicking first instead of joohyun.

 

she drops her jaw slightly, laughing quietly in exasperation as joohyun takes her place next to the television screen across from her. on the title screen lies a family picture, supposedly with joohyun’s extended family, and slapped across the center:

 

how to survive chuseok:

a crash course on my family

 

seungwan stifles a laugh when she sees the beginnings of a frown forming on joohyun’s face, the remote clicker in her hand solidifies the fact that this is not a joke.

 

seungwan swallows, “this is why you made me come over on a friday night?”

 

“yes, it’s important.” her soulmate reasons, “we’re running low on time.”

 

“chuseok is still a few weeks away, isn’t this a little early?” the nerd asks softly, eyeing her soulmate pointedly.

 

“a month, to be exact,” joohyun corrects, “you’re going to panic as the date draws closer, now pay attention.”

 

seungwan purses her lips, her statement is far from slander, her soulmate knows her well enough now. “can i at least grab a snack?” she mumbles in a quiet voice.

 

“your favourite chips are in the cupboard.”

 

with a bag of chips in one hand, seungwan reclines on the couch and listens to her soulmate’s elaborate presentation. the bae family is a big family, but thankfully everything is in bullet points and not everyone will be around for chuseok. a minor reprieve — because seungwan loses track after joohyun starts to bring up second wives and mistresses.

 

in short, joohyun has many aunts — many gossipy, nosey aunts. along with a handful of loud, sleazy uncles. but they are all mere preludes to a more fearsome figure — madam bae. her soulmate shares the humble beginnings of her grandmother, how she grew the family business into what it is today. yet, the things that caused joohyun to defy the matriarch aren't even mentioned in the slightest. she makes a mental note to ask once joohyun is fully done with her seventy slides.

 

yongsun returns at some point, joining the couple for a few minutes as joohyun is talking about her father. needless to say, the roommate takes pity on the poor nerd who’s barely a week into summer break. 

 

"how long has she been at this?" yongsun nudges the younger girl and tries to whisper discreetly.

 

seungwan hums, glancing at the clock, "we're coming up on the two-hour mark now."

 

"yah, pay attention!” joohyun barks, “no mentions of anything ual in front of my father, at all!"

 

yongsun cackles, standing up and patting seungwan on the shoulder encouragingly. “i haven’t seen this side of her before, good luck, young one.”

 

joohyun’s glare follows her roommate till she’s out of view and she exhales quietly. the stress of having seungwan meet her family is evident on her face and even if it’s still some time away, she can’t help but worry.

 

“come here,” seungwan pats the space on the couch next to her invitingly, “i got lost after aunt number four, but i wanna hear about your parents.”

 

joohyun caves, plopping next to seungwan and nestling close to the little nerd. staring at the picture of her father, taken from the company website, the realisation of just how distant they are sets in.

 

“he’s strict, and well, traditional i guess. no before marriage and all that fun stuff.” the older girl flops her hand lazily.

 

seungwan gulps, "but…"

 

"clearly leaving home changed things,” joohyun shrugs, “but he doesn't know. i'm as good as a nun to him." 

 

"so, how’s your relationship with him?” seungwan probes.

 

“it’s better than what i have with my grandmother, but certainly not as great as what you have with your dad. maybe it’s because we don’t talk at all, which prevents us from even thinking about arguing. we’re distant at best, on a good year, we exchange more than ten words.” joohyun muses, ignoring the slight sting in her chest.

 

her soulmate snakes an arm around her waist and hugs her a little tighter, leaving a gentle peck on the crown of her head. joohyun sighs softly, relationships with her family have always been like this — cold. but seungwan has shown her that it’s easy to cultivate better relationships with the people around her, so maybe she could try to improve things back at home. she’s not asking for heart-to-heart talks — that would be equivalent to asking for the world, but dinner or even a call every few months would be nice.

 

“what about your mom? how’s she like?” a gentleness is laced in seungwan’s tone as she traces circular patterns on joohyun’s arm.

 

joohyun clicks the remote, jumping to the section with her mother. a cropped picture sits on the left while her facts are listed neatly on the right.

 

“i know she loves me but she's never been outrightly affectionate. she cares enough, i suppose." the older girl mumbles with a quiet sigh, "if i were to mess up, i think she'd be the only one on my side."

 

"no…" seungwan frowns, "i'll be on your side too, by your side even."

 

joohyun chuckles softly, reaching to intertwine their hands together. she snuggles into her soulmate's side and they sit in silence for a little. the presentation is pretty much over, all that's left were the children, which she crammed all their names into a singular slide and called it a day. she clicks to the end where a large thank you is plastered across the screen and tosses her clicker aside.

 

"never thought i'd get a presentation on my girlfriend's family." seungwan teases, “certainly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience if you ask me.”

 

“yerim jokingly suggested it.” the older girl sighs, “i hope you managed to get some of it in your head.

 

the nerd laughs, patting her girlfriend on the arm lightly, "not quite, but send me the slides, i'll look over them again."

 

"if i say that was just an introduction?"

 

seungwan scoffs loudly before retorting smugly. "first of all, you wouldn't. and second of all, i can study pretty well." 

 

joohyun sticks her tongue out playfully. "says the one who got lost at aunt four, aunt six was much more confusing."

 

"oh whatever, i'm sure none of them can compare to your grandmother." the younger girl grumbles with a shrug.

 

"she's the only one who needs to accept you, but it wouldn't hurt to impress the rest."

 

"isn't being the first one to bring your soulmate home impressive enough?"

 

"maybe, but my family likes academic and financial success a lot too."

 

"i would've aced my tests easily if my girlfriend wasn't so distracting this semester."

 

"don't be dramatic, you'll still ace them! and you were the one whining to come over!" joohyun scoffs and rolls her eyes.

 

shaking her head, seungwan giggles, “yeah, okay, i will concede today, professor bae.”

 

they find themselves in a pocket of silence, as they usually do when they take a pause on bantering. serenity washes over them, along with it, an innate sense of security. it’s one thing to feel comfortable with someone you love, and another to feel truly at ease after baring your soul to them. resting her head in seungwan’s chest, joohyun wonders how she’ll be able to articulate this feeling to her family, or if she even wants to. something this warm feels odd in a family like hers. 

 

“i wanna know about your grandmother too, not just the facts that you listed in your slides but… more…” seungwan starts after a brief eternity.

 

joohyun spares a glance and thinks hard for a moment, looking for the right words that could help answer her girlfriend’s questions. she gives up with a sharp exhale through her nose, raising her shoulders slightly.

 

“i don’t know what to say… honestly.” an inexplicable fatigue laces the quietness of her voice, “things changed as i grew older, she isn’t how i remembered her to be when i was young.”

 

“start from the beginning, i want to know everything.” seungwan urges gently, thumbing the soft skin of her soulmate’s hands.

 

a frown makes its way onto joohyun’s face as she recalls memories of her childhood. “she doted on me for sure, took me to play at the parks frequently, and to festivals if they were in season. bought me toys, clothes, and just about everything i wanted. and then… she just stopped. i can’t pinpoint the exact moment when things began to shift but by the time i got my tattoo, i started seeing her more as a villain than my grandmother.”

 

“what did she do?”

 

“made me attend company events mostly, using them as an excuse to introduce me to other sons and daughters of business partners. i hated going to them so much that i even tried to feign stomachaches but… let’s just say i wasn’t the best actor.” joohyun forces a snicker at the memory to lighten the tension in the air, "that was the main reason why i wanted to study in seoul instead, i wanted to get away from her. and i did, well, for a while. she made it very clear that i should be bringing someone home by the time i graduated."

 

"did you though? bring someone home? even if it’s just to appease her?" unable to keep her curiosity at bay, the nerd asks.

 

joohyun laughs mirthlessly, "oh i tried, i brought yongsun home for a weekend but she saw through us. that was when we were freshmen and i thought i could trick her."

 

"did she get mad?"

 

"more of displeased, she didn't let it show in front of yong. but i did get a stern talking to afterwards. after that, i never tried to bring anyone home again." the older girl mumbles, pushing her indignance away as usual.

 

seungwan glances at her soulmate, "but… you've had relationships before? not that your past affects me, i'm just curious."

 

"it's not a big deal,” an instinctive lie slips so smoothly from her lips that it almost sounds like reassurance, “i stuck to hookups most of the time.”

 

"why?"

 

why? joohyun bites the inside of her cheek to distract herself from the discomfort of baring her heart out to her soulmate. it isn’t seungwan’s fault, but rather hers. "it was easier to not have to open up, i’m not used to doing this.” she motions her hands vaguely, “and i didn't like them enough to want to spend hours with them, it felt more like torture to me. i just stopped trying and kept to myself mostly, and that caused some tension to build up between my grandmother and i."

 

“so you like me?” a goofy grin appears on seungwan’s face as she tilts her head to look at her girlfriend.

 

“of course i do,” joohyun reaches up to pinch her cheeks, “and is that all you heard from my very personal confession?”

 

the nerd widens her smile and nods, “you could just say you hate everyone in this world but me.”

 

the graduate laughs softly, releasing her girlfriend from her hold and returning them to their previous position; safe and sound in the arms of each other.

 

"so all of that,” seungwan muses, “all the years of pressure she put on you without so much as a reason, led to you flipping at her?"

 

"yeah, i might be the worst granddaughter in existence."

 

"no you aren't… you didn’t ask for any of this."

 

“somehow, it still feels like it’s my duty to make her happy and i’ve failed miserably.” joohyun admits quietly, her guilt seeping into her words. she has a tendency to hurt people — that she won’t deny, but what makes her remorseful is that it’s usually people she loves bearing the brunt of it. 

 

“you’re not a bad person for choosing to not please her,” seungwan purses her lips, “you’re more than just her granddaughter, or my soulmate. you are your own person, and nobody will blame you for being selfish if it concerns your happiness.”

 

joohyun shuts her eyes and takes in her soulmate’s words with a shaky breath. she’s listening but the weight of seungwan’s words hasn’t quite set in just yet; the urge to accept her consolation continues to elude her.

 

“you think you’re terrible but that’s not how i see things,” the nerd adds, “you still tried and that should count for something. i’m not saying you should be granddaughter of the year or anything but you’ve done enough to not warrant feeling like this. and yeah, it might be your duty to be a good granddaughter but not at the cost of your own happiness.”

 

perhaps, she’s not that terrible of a person.

 

"we'll face her together, okay? i'll talk to her even if she scares the crap out of me and i’ll make sure she sees how good happiness looks on you.”

 

the older girl chuckles and nods, "okay… i can’t wait to go home.”

 

---

 

yeri today at 11:09 pm

ARE YOU EXCITED @azure

 

bread today at 11:11 pm

she said no

 

yeri today at 11:11 pm

shut up

it’s two weeks till CHUSEOK

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?

 

azure today at 11:11 pm

oh god i don’t wanna think about it

 

yeri today at 11:11 pm

oh but you should, seungwan-unnie 😚😚😚

 

bread today at 11:12 pm

cringe

but what happens then?

 

yeri today at 11:12 pm

joohyun-unnie’s going to bring her home

 

luna today at 11:12 pm

WISTERIA??? 

HOME????

PARENTS????

SHE BOUTA MEET THE PARENTS????

 

azure today at 11:12 pm

and her whole family too, which includes our local demon

 

yeri today at 11:13 pm

kinda rude but you know what 

you’ll probably suffer more than me so 🤷

 

azure today at 11:13 pm

okay i’m sorry

promise you won’t leave me to die

 

yeri today at 11:13 pm

as if joohyun-unnie would let you

how are you feeling though

 

luna today at 11:13 pm

@yeri you’re strangely empathetic tonight

 

yeri today at 11:14 pm

i have my moments

 

azure today at 11:14 pm

@yeri i feel brave as long as i don’t think about it

 

bread today at 11:14 pm

damn, girl really said ✨escapism✨

 

azure today at 11:14 pm

give me some credit :( it’s not like i can flake out

 

yeri today at 11:15 pm

yeah because joohyun-unnie might get married off

 

luna today at 11:15 pm

yikes… good luck buddy

 

yeri today at 11:15 pm

@azure it’s gonna be fine, i gotchu

or this

📄 crashcourse.pptx

^{21.29 MB}

 

azure today at 11:15 pm

watch your back

this is a threat

 

bread today at 11:16 pm

no ing way

tell me that this 70 slide powerpoint file of your girlfriend’s family isn’t real

 

luna today at 11:16 pm

i’m happy for you or my condolences

because i’m not looking through all of that

 

azure today at 11:16 pm

delete it you snitch

should’ve known it was a bad idea to send it to you

 

bread today at 11:16 pm

yeah and the fact that she had a motive for starting this conversation

@yeri good thinking though

 

yeri today at 11:17 pm

no problem, i’m merely sharing the ✨joy✨

 

azure today at 11:17 pm

yeah you guys thrive off my suffering

 

luna today at 11:17 pm

unfortunately very true

 

yeri today at 11:17 pm

can’t wait to send live updates in 2 weeks

 

azure today at 11:18 pm

it’s going to be a race between me and joohyun

 

yeri today at 11:18 pm

sheesh what could you guys be competing over

 

azure today at 11:18 pm

who’s going to strangle you first

 

yeri today at 11:18 pm

oh

 

---

 

with a week left until chuseok, the nerves finally begin to set in for seungwan. she panics to just about everyone; her soulmate, her best friends, her guildmates, but they all seem to think she's overreacting. naturally, they would think that, because as nerve wracking as it is to meet your soulmate's family, there's always a guarantee that they'll like you, or at least they have to. but not when it comes to the terror that is the matriarch of the bae family.

 

despite having all seventy slides memorized in her head for the past few weeks, seungwan still doesn't feel ready. this isn’t exactly a test but it certainly feels like one, and she hates tests when she isn’t confident of passing.

 

"i'm getting nervous just thinking about it," seungwan admits while they’re on one of their night strolls, "do you think we could postpone it instead?"

 

joohyun raises an eyebrow, "don't you want to meet yerim?"

 

"yeah but i still have to meet the rest of your family, don't i? that’s the main reason why my anxiety rears its ugly head!” the younger girl whines with a pout.

 

joohyun shushes her, "i'm going to be with you at all times, i'll deflect any questions that you don't want to answer, okay?"

 

"what if they don't like me?"

 

"they will.” she reassures easily, “take it from someone who’s fallen head over heels for you, i know what i'm talking about."

 

"greasy," seungwan chuckles, "i like it."

 

joohyun lets a scoff slip, “you’ll have yerim as back up, she’s a brat but she’ll take good care of you. sort of like sooyoung, i suppose.”

 

“well, that sounds reassuring. i should definitely bring a gift, right?”

 

“we could bake them something, how about that?” the older girl offers, “it’ll impress the adults and win over the kids, yerim might even call it a pro gamer move.”

 

seungwan presses her lips into a thin line, “you know i love you but i think you should hold back on the gamer slang.”

 

“yah! what’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“nothing! i think baking cupcakes would be nice!”

 

---

 

doomsday arrives in a blink of an eye and the day passes in a blur, mostly because the nerd was too overwhelmed by her impending doom. before she knows it, seungwan finds herself in daegu with her soulmate, standing outside the door of the bae family’s mansion. a tight squeeze of her hand forces her back to reality and she swallows the lump in .

 

“i have a stomachache.” seungwan blurts as she stares at the colossal piece of architecture before her. her heart is in the depths of her stomach now, filling her up with a terrible wave of anxiety.

 

“you’ve had it since we got on the train.”

 

“i think i’m going to throw up.”

 

joohyun steps in front of her, cupping her cheeks lightly and guiding their gazes to meet. the sheer terror on seungwan’s face makes her heart wrench. she dislikes the thought of putting her soulmate through something so horrible, but she isn’t sure how long they could avoid this. and though it would be a waste to just turn around now after weeks of preparing, she didn’t want to force seungwan to do this. perhaps they could postpone this. after all, her grandmother already knows that they’re dating.

 

“i know it’s overwhelming, i was nervous about meeting your parents too,” the older girl coos, “take a deep breath first, okay?”

 

the nerd’s eyes are practically watering at this point but she forces a shaky nod, inhaling and exhaling along with her soulmate. “i’m scared.” she confesses in a measly whimper, but joohyun already knows that.

 

it.

 

“let’s go,” joohyun slips her hand into seungwan’s and begins tugging her back the way they came, “we don’t have to do this.”

 

the nerd stumbles and protests, “w-wait! joohyun!”

 

“we can postpone it, come back when my entire family isn’t here.” the older girl mutters and continues to lead them down the driveway.

 

“b-but…”

 

“i can’t stand the thought of putting you through all of this, so i’m not going to.”

 

seungwan frees herself from the grip of her girlfriend, forcing them to pause in the middle of the driveway. “joohyun, stop!” she yells, catching the both of them by surprise.

 

the older girl bites her lower lip, “it’s okay if we ditch, i doubt my grandmother even has a right to be mad at me.”

 

“no, no. stop this. you don’t have to accommodate me, you’ve done your fair share in our relationship, it’s my turn to do so. we’re doing this today, just… right after this stomach ache subsides…” seungwan trails off into a nervous grimace.

 

“are you very sure?”

 

this is her last chance to back out, but seungwan isn’t the same girl from months ago, she’s not going to run this time.

 

“yes.”

 

cracking into a smile, joohyun wraps her arms around her soulmate, embracing her tightly. seungwan melds into her hold, her anxieties and supposed stomach ache washes away with the soothing pats that joohyun leaves down her back. they stay like that for minutes, until seungwan feels like she's ready to take on the world.

 

“i think i’m ready now.” seungwan murmurs after a brief reprieve from her overwhelming thoughts.

 

“good, because yerim has been watching us.”

 

---

 

a young teenager stands guard by the main entrance to the house. leaning against the frame of the door, she eyes the couple with a mean squint. joohyun took notice the minute she appeared but kept quiet since she didn't want to alarm seungwan. thankfully, seungwan seems more excited than anything. 

 

"well, well, well, look who decided to show up."

 

joohyun sighs, “you should be glad we even showed up.”

 

"i know, i’m just kidding. i can't believe this is real." yerim gasps loudly, skipping towards the two.

 

"me neither," seungwan, unable to hide the widening grin on her cheeks, opens her arms wide, "bring it in, bud."

 

yerim leaps into seungwan's chest and tackles her friend in a tight hug, giggling and squealing as the two finally meet after months of anticipation. joohyun made them practice calling each other by their real names instead of their online aliases in the weeks prior. and as much as yerim whined, seungwan agreed that it would be a little weird to address each other by their virtual monikers.

 

"you're so much shorter than i thought!"

 

"you won't get much taller either!"

 

"i can't believe i'm hugging you, in real life!"

 

"me too! i've been looking forward to this all week."

 

joohyun snorts, "she's lying, she was panicking just now."

 

"don’t embarrass her, aren’t you supposed to hype her up and ?” yerim chides while slinging her arm around seungwan’s shoulder, “isn’t that right, seungwan-unnie?”

 

the nerd shrugs, “i was going through it, just needed a few deep breaths.”

 

“i think you might want to hold your breath forever,” yerim jokes and leads the couple inside the house, “we’ve got a few extra visitors this year.”

 

seungwan barely has time to shoot her girlfriend a panicked look before they are separated. with joohyun busy greeting the house staff, seungwan is ushered into the living room against her will. she tries to make sense of the scene before her, or at least, tries to not feel so overwhelmed by it. kids are running about, at least a dozen adults are scattered around the room chatting loudly — the sheer amount of people makes her want to dip immediately. but yerim’s grip on her is too firm, and seungwan should’ve known after however long they’ve been friends, yerim is an imp at heart.

 

“joohyun-unnie’s here! and she brought someone home!” yerim announces loudly, her voice carries to the opposite end of the room, interrupting every conversation and grabbing the attention of the entire family.

 

the sight of a whole room of strangers turning to face them makes seungwan a little lightheaded, she opens yet no words are spoken. and that is a blessing because the only thought in her head now is — holy .

 

thank goodness for her soulmate, joohyun swoops in with the biggest and fakest grin on her face. she steps in front of the poor nerd who gratefully cowers behind her, pushing her hand backwards so she could intertwine their fingers together.

 

“this is my soulmate, seungwan,” the older girl offers a polite smile to the room, “she’s a little shy but on the other hand, an amazing baker. she made cupcakes for everyone.” shoving a bag of baked goods towards yerim, she glares at the teenager with a sickeningly sweet smile, “yerim will help us hand them out while we get settled in.”

 

“i-it’s nice to meet everyone..!” seungwan squeaks before joohyun yanks them further down the hallway, away from all the commotion. 

 

tucked in a quiet corner, the couple shares a quiet moment while seungwan paces up and down. her limbs bounce with exhilaration but joohyun mistakenly assumes that this is the start of a terrible evening.

 

“how are you feeling?”

 

seungwan throws her hands into her hair, entangling them amongst dark locks. she breaks into a quiet laugh and blabbers, “my brain went blank for a hot minute and i don’t know what happened but hearing you introduce me to everyone as your soulmate just makes me so unbelievably happy. like holy , i’m not just son seungwan anymore, i’m bae joohyun’s soulmate — your soulmate. i think i’m okay, great even!”

 

the older girl heaves a sigh of relief, laughing softly in exasperation, “you had me worried there, i thought yerim’s announcement broke you.”

 

“i’ll be fine,” seungwan beams, “so who should i be impressing first?”

 

"my grandmother."

 

hearing an audible gulp from her soulmate isn't all that comforting, but it's too late to turn back now. with interlocked hands, joohyun leads them to her grandmother's office, determined to settle things once and for all.

 

---

 

the house still looks the same after all these years, but the nostalgia of running down the hallways to look for her grandmother turned sour a long time ago. however, standing outside the twin doors of her grandmother's office, joohyun still feels a twinge of dread from a lifetime ago. the fear of rejection still lingers, like she’s a little kid all over again, waiting to be turned away with some dumb excuse from an adult.

 

sensing her apprehension, seungwan dives in for a quick peck on her cheek before rapping her knuckles against the wooden doors.

 

right, she has seungwan now. whatever the outcome, she’s still going to have seungwan by her side, and that’s going to be enough. 

 

hearing an audible come in, the couple takes it as their cue to enter. joohyun takes the lead, pushing open the doors to enter first and seungwan follows behind meekly. as brave as she thinks she might be, this is going to be her first official meeting as joohyun’s girlfriend — no, soulmate, so there is a whole lot more pressure.

 

the matriarch sits behind her desk with her reading glasses, eyes skimming over some document with furrowed brows. joohyun manages a smile, after all, she did come with the intention to make things better.

 

“halmoni,” the older girl greets politely, “i’m home.”

 

her grandmother lowers her papers and nods, “it’s good to see you again.” her gaze shifts to seungwan, sharp eyes digging into every fiber of her being, “and you too, seungwan.”

 

“i-it’s nice to meet you again, madam bae!” seungwan blurts as she drops into her infamous ninety-degree bow. excessive? perhaps. but it helps with getting on the matriarch’s good side, or at least that’s how joohyun tries to see it.

 

the aged woman laughs as she rises from her seat, “save the formalities, darling. i didn’t think that i would see you two today, i thought you might still be mad at me.” she admits, turning her attention to joohyun.

 

pressing her lips into a tight smile, the graduate shoves all her anger to the back of her head. she hasn’t forgotten what her grandmother has done, but she’s not here to fight either.

 

“we can talk about that later, right now, i just want to formally introduce you to my soulmate.” 

 

“soulmate?” surprise is edged into the matriarch’s voice and she spares no effort in masking it.

 

“that’s me…” seungwan pipes up with an awkward smile and instantly regrets it, mentally swearing that she’ll let joohyun do all the talking for the rest of the holiday.

 

joohyun lets her girlfriend squeeze her arm tightly as she watches the expression on her grandmother’s face change. it’s not displeasure, but neither is it joy, it lies somewhere in between disappointment and confusion. her heart falls at the thought of her grandmother rejecting seungwan along with their relationship — the one good thing she has. deep down, a part of her still wishes to please the matriarch and she knows better than to cave to it, but it still aches.

 

“you’re not happy about it.” joohyun mutters quietly, grinding her teeth ever so slightly, “why?”

 

the elderly woman stiffens at the accusation yet offers up no defense. sighing, she leans against the front of her desk and looks at the two young girls before her. “it seems too convenient for me to believe it, joohyun. you two were practically strangers at the dinner, and she was the only one i specifically asked your opinion for, now you bring her home as your soulmate? how does that sound to you?”

 

tightening her jaw, joohyun has all the answers at the tip of her tongue and they would have erupted in an angry yell along with a string of expletives if it wasn't for seungwan speaking up.

 

“we met at new year eve’s party," the younger girl says as she steps in front of joohyun, "our friends, seulgi and byulyi, thought it would be a great idea to set off some fireworks at the of midnight."

 

the air hangs heavy with tension, joohyun flits her gaze from seungwan to her grandmother, contemplating if she should step in.

 

"which was a terrible idea since they scared the hell out of everyone, including joohyun, who blurted the sound of my tattoo.” the nerd raises her wrist to show off kiyub in all its glory and forces herself to look the matriarch in the eyes, “it doesn’t make sense, i know, and i didn’t trust my ears either, so i ran from her.”

 

madam bae listens quietly with her arms folded across her chest and seungwan should feel intimidated, but she doesn’t. reminiscing the journey of how they met always fills her chest with warmth and she could only hope that her words are enough to convince the aged woman.

 

inhaling deeply, she continues, “she barely knew me, then i found out she was a really popular senior on campus and i was so terrified, because how could someone like me belong with someone like her? after that, seulgi decided to take matters into her own hands to try to get me to talk to her, just so we could find out if she was my soulmate or not. even then, in front of her face, i kept my damn mouth shut because i was scared.”

 

joohyun pats her lightly, “it’s okay, seungwan.” 

 

“she made me tea after that, because i feigned having a sore throat to weasel out of talking. we texted for weeks after that before i finally found enough courage to confess to her. and it turns out, we both gave each other stupid tattoos." seungwan lets a light scoff slip, "but after all of that, things were good, we were navigating our way through this new relationship while knowing the bare minimum about each other.” 

 

seungwan takes a moment to study the matriarch's unreadable expression before continuing. expelling a quiet breath, she sighs, “but that didn’t last, because knowing so little about someone you should love isn’t love. people were mean to me since jooyhun has a huge following on social media, saying things like how i don’t belong with her.”

 

words that hurt her a lifetime ago have no effect on her now, it’s proof of just how much stronger she’s grown thanks to joohyun.

 

“wan… you don’t have to do this.” joohyun whispers quietly but her soulmate merely shakes her head. 

 

“i was really hurt by it, and we fought. so we spent some time apart, unfortunately, that led to us meeting at the dinner. but we were in shambles at that point, so it was better for us to act like strangers. i had to spend the whole night away from her, pretending that i didn’t know her. it , and i know joohyun hated it too.” she mumbles, turning to reassure joohyun with a small smile. 

 

drawing a shaky breath into her lungs, seungwan finally allows her indignance to surface. she angers on joohyun’s behalf, narrowing her eyes as she speaks, “so, no, nothing about our relationship is convenient. we went through a lot to get where we are now and you have no idea how hard it was. i don’t know how to convince you to believe in our bond but the least you can do is believe me when i say that i love her. and i really do, because all i ever want is to see her happy. so i’m sorry if this is out of line, but i can’t and won’t stand by and watch while you doubt and hurt her.”

 

a tight-lipped smile makes its way onto her cheeks, and the matriarch bobs her head slowly, “i believe you, seungwan. if anything, this has proven it all." she waves a hand in the air, "give an old lady some time to process that you two are actually soulmates, hmm? but don’t get me wrong, i’m glad that you two met each other.”

 

what?

 

the soulmates exchange a look of disbelief, seems like neither of them had expected this at all. seungwan clears and stammers, but she struggles with finding the right words. “u-uhm…” 

 

madam bae raises a hand to stop her, “i have my reasons for being so doubtful and i apologize, but i will be happy for you both in due time.”

 

this should count for something, but there’s a nagging fear that lingers at the back of joohyun’s head, an endless string of what if situations where everything goes wrong. with a little nudge from seungwan, she mumbles a quiet response.

 

“okay.” is the best she can offer now. this situation makes her feel like their peace is hanging on a thread, threatening to snap at any moment.

 

“okay,” her grandmother curves her lips, “how does dinner sound? i’m sure you both must be famished.”

 

“sounds great!” seungwan bobs her head enthusiastically, earning a laugh from madam bae.

 

the aged woman rests a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder, “welcome to the family, seungwan.”

 

“t-thank you..!”

 

they follow the head of the house out of her office, trailing slightly behind her so they could spare a moment to talk. seungwan, despite being giddy with glee from the acceptance from the matriarch, worries over her soulmate’s quiet reaction.

 

“sorry, i should’ve just let you—” seungwan starts but joohyun yanks her by the collar and crashes their lips in a deep kiss, the nerd barely has time to comprehend it before her soulmate pulls away.

 

“don’t be sorry, you know i would’ve flipped. you salvaged whatever was left of our relationship, things would’ve gotten ugly if you’d let me talk instead.” joohyun says quietly, slipping her hand into seungwan’s, “and i know it’s not an easy feat to stand up to my grandmother but you were so brave, and now we’re here, so thank you.”

 

seungwan lets a nervous chuckle escape and she raises her shoulders in an attempt to extenuate the situation. but her soulmate is having none of it.

 

“give yourself some credit, you were babbling about a stomach ache all the way from seoul.” joohyun shakes her head, “if i tell seulgi and sooyoung about this, i’m pretty sure they’ll throw you another celebratory party.”

 

the couple breaks into a fit of giggles, causing madam bae to turn back. this time, they have nothing to fear.

 

“come on,” she urges with a slow shake of her head, “i’m certain that everyone is itching to know how you two met.”

 

the two share a smile and catch up to the elderly woman, answering whatever additional questions she might have. and for the first time in a long time, being home doesn’t feel so suffocating anymore.

 

---

 

handling madam bae feels much easier compared to being a new face at a family gathering. even if joohyun is glued to her side, seungwan can’t help but feel conscious about all the staring and whispering. they squeeze in a quick introduction to joohyun’s parents before dinner starts, her mother being pleasantly happy for the two while her father merely offered a gruff nod. with all the important people knowing of seungwan’s existence, joohyun allows herself to relax a little.

 

dinner is a lavish affair; an elaborate spread of food is laid out across what might be the largest table in existence. sandwiched between her soulmate and yerim, seungwan is as comfortable as she can get.

 

and the matriarch is right, all anyone wants to talk about is how they met, that included sharing their tattoos — an embarrassment that they’ll suffer together. yerim chimes in too, bragging about how she guessed the two were soulmates before joohyun knew. overall, while the response to them being soulmates generally consists of surprise, there aren’t any negative responses. they praise her baking skills and are impressed by her academic feats of coming up top in most of her classes. so, it’s safe to assume that her introduction to the bae family is going well.

 

by the time dinner is over, most of the nerves have dissipated. playing with yerim’s younger sisters also helped her fit in a little more. the aunts that joohyun had warned her about did come up to introduce themselves and while seungwan has been prepared for weeks, theory differs a lot from practical. she’s never been cut out for social situations, and it’s impossible for joohyun to be stuck with her at all times so she feels a little stressed. luckily, yerim bails her out with an excuse that her younger sisters want to play with the new unnie , but all they do is hide away in an empty corner of the gigantic house.

 

with cans of soda in hand, they find the top of the stairs to be an appropriate hideout. the thrills of the evening are starting to wear seungwan down, and yerim seems to notice the dip in her energy levels.

 

“you got through the worst of them,” yerim nudges her, “i’m sure this will be easier than fighting seren.”

 

the nerd offers a soft chuckle at the mention of an in-game boss. she wonders how they’ve gone from online friends to potentially future family members. “doesn’t it feel surreal that we met in a silly little game and now i’m sitting next to you at your dinner table?” she muses while taking a sip of her orange-flavoured soda.

 

“dude! yes!” yerim exclaims loudly, sighing as she shakes her head, “i went from talking to you in discord calls to talking to you at my family gathering, it’s just… wow…”

 

nodding, she sets her soda down and props her hands behind her. with a smug smile on her lips, she looks at yerim haughtily. “and guess what? i’m grandma-approved.”

 

yerim snorts and rolls her eyes, “so that means you guys are going to get married?”

 

"w-what?"

 

"like, it's bound to happen right? and if you’re really grandma-approved, you can’t run from this." the highschooler motions pointedly.

 

seungwan rubs the nape of her neck hesitantly, "y-yeah but i'm still in school, it'll be a while before that happens!"

 

"that’s what i thought when you met joohyun-unnie, but now you’re sitting next to me in our grandma’s house.” yerim shrugs and takes a big gulp of soda.

 

"it's too soon to even be thinking about it." seungwan groans.

 

"i know, but it's fun to think about it.” yerim curves her lips in a smile, “you have to invite everyone.”

 

“the entire guild?”

 

“no! what are you, insane? that’s like two hundred people!” yerim raises her voice in horror, “our party is enough!”

 

the nerd tries to hold back her laughter but fails miserably, “i’m sure they’d all fit in this house, might be a little cramped but it’s not entirely impossible.”

 

“you’re actually insane.” the highschooler scoffs, shoving the older girl playfully.

 

they allow themselves a little bit of silence to recoup from all the socializing in the evening but that quickly descends into discussions about upcoming game updates and the latest chapter of a manga.

 

joohyun finds them in the midst of an animated discussion about chainsaw man, surely they could’ve found a better time. grunting, she trudges up the stairs where the two have settled comfortably.

 

“i spent the last ten minutes looking for you guys.”

 

“why?” yerim acknowledges her unnie before casually returning to the topic at hand, “anyway i was saying, don’t you think that aki has the most heartbreaking story? like everything he tries to do, it always ends in failure.”

 

seungwan hums an agreement while she scoots to make some space for joohyun. “what’s up?” she whispers quietly to not interrupt yerim’s rambling.

 

“nothing, i just thought you got held hostage.” joohyun whispers back with a small smile, “and apparently, you have.”

 

“yah, that’s not very nice!” yerim whines, “we were having a proper discussion before you arrived, right, azure?”

 

joohyun exhales sharply, interlocking her arm with seungwan’s and resting her head on her shoulder. “i just wanted my soulmate, you guys can carry on talking.”

 

“are you sure?” seungwan asks softly.

 

“mhm, go on, i’m interested to know about what you think of makima too.”

 

“oh my god, i feel like i’m in an alternate dimension now.”

 

“she read every chapter with me, it was kinda our bedtime story for a few weekends.” seungwan smiles sheepishly.

 

“you guys are so gross, but anyway…”

 

yerim continues prattling on about various characters and seungwan chimes in every once in a while with her inputs. joohyun, on the other hand, is merely content with listening. compared to questions about her job and their future, she would much prefer listening to yerim marvel over denji and power’s one brain cell dynamic.

 

---

 

the evening comes to a close as most of the family retires to their rooms, but joohyun decides to drag seungwan outdoors so they could enjoy the cool night breeze.

 

“you’re making us sit in the cold and you stole my sweatshirt?” the nerd grumbles as she nestles closer to joohyun on the soft porch sofa.

 

the older girl laughs as she slings an arm around her girlfriend, “it’s really nice, trust me.”

 

“you mean my sweatshirt?”

 

“that too,” she hums, “how was everything today?” 

 

“tiring.” seungwan mutters effortlessly.

 

travelling from all the way from seoul to daegu, followed by an introduction to the one woman that scares the living hell out of her, and then top it off with hours of socializing with strangers — she’s pooped.

 

joohyun coos and pats her soulmate gently. she leans to press kisses down her cheek which earns a contented sigh from seungwan.

 

“but it’s worth it.” the younger girl mumbles, “i feel much lighter now.”

 

“because you’re grandma-approved?”

 

“because i’m grandma-approved.” seungwan giggles with a firm nod, “what about you?”

 

joohyun hums softly as she ponders; for starters, it feels very different compared to all the other times she’s been home.

 

“it’s nice… i enjoy having you by my side. most of the time, i’d be raring to go back to seoul but… i wouldn’t mind staying a little longer if you’re here with me.” she confesses with contentment etched into her tone, “but if i had to choose between my family and yours, i’d pick yours any day.”

 

“come on, it’s not that bad here, it’s lively.”

 

“well, i just happened to enjoy your mom’s cheesecake a little more.”

 

“i’ll be sure to let her know,” seungwan grins, “you’re going to be getting calls from her real soon.”

 

the back door creaks with a new presence and the couple swivel their heads at the interruption. they sit up and acknowledge the presence with surprised looks.

 

“thought i’d find you two out here,” madam bae offers an apologetic smile as she shuffles out the door, “i hope i’m not interrupting.”

 

seungwan shakes her head quickly, “not at all, would you like to join us?”

 

the matriarch smiles while taking a seat at the end of the sofa. pulling her cardigan closer around her, she sighs, “i believe i owe you two an explanation, to joohyun especially.”

 

sensing the change in atmosphere and the way seungwan stiffens, joohyun murmurs a request, “seungwan, can you excuse us for a moment?”

 

biting the inside of her cheeks, seungwan is reluctant to leave but does so anyway after joohyun nods slightly. it’s not that reassuring but she leaves the matriarch alone with her soulmate and prays that nothing bad will happen.

 

---

 

“i thought you would want her to stay.” 

 

joohyun shakes her head slowly, her soulmate has already gone above and beyond just by coming along. ultimately, while seungwan is going to have a part in the rest of her life, these are unresolved issues that she didn’t need to be dragged into.

 

“this is between us,” joohyun clenches her jaw, “she’s done enough for me already.”

 

a slight breeze masks a quiet exhale from her grandmother and joohyun turns her head to face her. given everything that has happened in the past few months, it might be an understatement to say that their relationship has changed considerably. the fact that joohyun isn’t as tense as she used to be, and that she isn’t afraid to speak her mind now speaks volumes.

 

“i suppose you want to know why i’ve always emphasised that it’s normal to be with someone other than your soulmate.” the matriarch starts in a solemn tone.

 

the graduate bobs her head slowly, “i do.”

 

“my parents were actually soulmates, and back then it was a lot harder to find your soulmate.” her grandmother says quietly, her voice empty of mirth, “but if you ever saw how often they fought, you would question if they were really soulmates.”

 

“why?”

 

“money, mostly.” the matriarch clicks her teeth sharply, “how to put food on the table, how to keep a roof over our heads. my father wasn’t a good man either, he spent more time being drunk than anything. my mother could have had a better life without him, but still, they stayed together. till this day, i can never understand why.”

 

“because you never found your soulmate.” the answer slips way too easily from joohyun’s lips and she bites the inside of her cheek harshly, letting the pain distract her from the impending scolding.

 

but her grandmother merely scoffs and nods, “i told myself i never needed to find them, or anyone for the matter. what i wanted was simple, realistic — a comfortable life where i didn’t have to worry about money. happiness became an afterthought, because if my parents weren’t happy together, was happiness truly attainable then?”

 

the realisation seeps in as her grandmother grows quiet, years of pent up frustration vanishes with this new discovery. joohyun pulls her knees close to her chest and averts her gaze to the ground. shame is the only emotion that fills her.

 

“i’m sorry,” joohyun mutters in a shaky breath, “i could never understand where you were coming from, but i do now.”

 

the elderly woman shakes her head, “it’s alright, i never wanted to tell you why because i was afraid that it would ruin your perception of soulmates too. it’s much easier to let you stay mad at me than it is to watch you turn bitter.”

 

“would you have told me if things between us didn’t get this bad?”

 

“eventually, yes. but if you were happy with whoever you brought home, then no.”

 

furrowing her brows, joohyun mutters, “but you weren’t happy when i told you seungwan was my soulmate.”

 

“i was afraid that you would end up like my parents,” her grandmother admits with a heavy exhale, “it was even more worrying when seungwan told me you two had a fight. this bond that you have, it’s much harder to sever than a marriage. the last thing i want is you being constantly hurt because you’re too blinded by love.”

 

a mere confession has connected all the dots — why her grandmother has demanded all these things from her, and the answer is simple, because she loves her. every snarky remark, every outburst, threatens to eat at her now. how differently would she act if only she understood this earlier?

 

joohyun swallows, “we had a rough start but i know she won’t hurt me.”

 

“i know and she constantly proves it to me.” the aged woman breaks into an amused smile, “i’m not the easiest person to stand up to, but she did it twice now. even if she’s trembling the whole time, she’ll do it for you. a girl like her loves you with all of her heart, and you should hold on tight.”

 

joohyun smiles fondly at the thought, but her heart warms up at the realisation of her grandmother fully accepting her soulmate. everything she ever wished for has seemingly come true in one single night, and to top things off, her relationship with her grandmother seems more promising than ever.

 

“i will.”

 

they share a few moments of silence before joohyun caves and dives into her grandmother’s chest, hugging her tightly. unsaid apologies and words of forgiveness are exchanged with an embrace and joohyun is forced to wipe her tears with the back of her hand.

 

“come on now, don’t cry, your soulmate might think i hurt you.” her grandmother teases as she wipes away stray tears with the sleeve of her shirt.

 

joohyun chuckles and sniffles, drawing a deep breath to control her impromptu sobbing. perhaps this is the only time they’ll ever be so honest and open with each other, or this marks the start of more moments like these. her grandmother sits with her till she’s calm before they retreat back into the house for the night. coming face to face with seungwan and yerim lingering close to the backdoor calls for some suspicion, but the matriarch lets it slip and retires to her room.

 

---

 

“did you cry?” yerim gasps softly once she’s certain that the elderly woman is out of earshot.

 

joohyun merely shrugs, “i’m fine.”

 

“what happened?” seungwan couldn’t help but hover over her worriedly. the redness in joohyun’s eyes is a cause of worry because in all these months they’ve spent together, her soulmate crying is a rare occurrence.

 

linking their arms together, the graduate begins to head for the front door. “we’re going for a walk, go to bed, yerim-ah.”

 

“but!”

 

seungwan shakes her head, and strangely enough, the younger girl obliges with a huff. she’s certain that they managed to eavesdrop a little, but right now, all joohyun wants is to make sense of everything she’s feeling, and her soulmate is the only person that can help.

 

joohyun stays quiet for most of the walk; her mind whirring with thoughts while seungwan takes in the quiet neighbourhood. they find themselves at a playground, one where joohyun vividly remembers coming to often as a child, but the equipment has changed, making the whole area look foreign.

 

they settle on the swingset, kicking their legs to propel themselves into the air. and then, joohyun finally speaks.

 

“i’m a terrible granddaughter.”

 

“no you’re not…” seungwan frowns, skidding to a stop almost immediately, “why would you think that? did your grandmother say something?”

 

joohyun dips her head, “what she told me finally helped me to understand everything. why she placed so much pressure on me to look for a partner, why she finds it hard to be happy for us as soulmates. i just wished i could have been more understanding of her actions without the need for an explanation.”

 

“you would need to be a mindreader, joohyun. i think it’s hard to understand someone’s actions if you don’t know their reasons.”

 

“is it really?” the older girl grinds her teeth, “because the answer was simple, she did it because she loved me.”

 

the nerd stands and approaches her girlfriend, pulling her into a warm hug and allows her to bury her face in her shirt. joohyun locks her arms around the small of seungwan’s back while she combs a hand through her dark locks gently.

 

“would you have believed her if she told you she did it out of love?” seungwan prompts and she feels joohyun’s head moving ever so slightly, “probably not, right? maybe you’d even flip at her. but you can be a better granddaughter now that you know, it’s never too late to make amends.” she adds.

 

joohyun’s grasp tightens around her waist and seungwan allows herself to remain trapped for as long as her soulmate needs. whatever she overheard with yerim isn’t enough to comprehend how joohyun feels. sure, they got the gist of everything but they would never find themselves in joohyun’s predicament. and perhaps, they wouldn’t need to understand, because all joohyun needs is her presence for tonight.

 

the older girl pulls away at some point, leaving a wet patch of snot on seungwan’s shirt. 

 

“sorry,” joohyun murmurs, but she’s biting back a grin as she tries dabs the spot lightly in an attempt to dry it.

 

seungwan waves her off easily, “first you steal my sweatshirt, now you leave snot on my shirt on a freezing night. and still, i think i’m so lucky to love you.”

 

“i’m the lucky one,” joohyun scoffs, “i get to steal your clothes.”

 

“that’s pretty nice, but i think i’m luckier because i get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

 

"so you want to marry me?" the older girl smirks as she looks up.

 

seungwan chokes on her spit, coughing and stammering all at once as joohyun seemingly demands an answer from her. "i-i don't have a ring … or flowers …"

 

the older girl cackles and runs a hand down the younger girl's back, "relax, i just wanted to know how serious you were."

 

"umm… i am serious."

 

"that's good enough for me, you can ask me when you're ready."

 

"but... are you ready?"

 

"to spend the rest of my life with you? it shouldn't even be a question, son seungwan." joohyun giggles, “now let’s go home before my snot causes you to fall sick.”

 

---

end notes end notes!!!

oh boy, two chapters in a month, we’re back in business my dudes. this chapter has a lot of Talking and Emotions and i hope it worked out and did it's job of wrapping everything up. writing this chap made me realise just how far we’ve come, how it grew from a stupid lil crack fic into whatever this is. 

so i guess it’s time to type a eulogy, even though there’s still one final chapter (just in case i never get to finishing this)

honestly, i don't know where to start. it was so fun at the start, like i churned out the first half of the story before i even started posting and then, well, i don't know. post-confession the story just went to hell imo. i still think i should've ended things after the confession but well, past me was a ing idiot that's why we're here now. somewhere between chapter 12 and 13 i really wanted to disappear, like it’d be so easy for me to just delete everything and dip. but at the same time, it felt so wrong. i spent so much time on this fic, and to just erase it all like it never happened because my brain was being mean is just... plain cruel. fragments of me are scattered everywhere, in these characters, in this story, in every paragraph. i made lots of personal revelations over the course of writing this fic, i guess that's why i'm a little reluctant to do so.

i’ll say this over and over again, thank you so much for reading. i like to think that after a year of writing, there are people out there who hold this stupid lil thing close to their hearts. even if it's just one person. thank you for loving this fic when i can’t. i know it sounds cheesy as but i wouldn’t have gotten this far without support, it’d still be a drabble (yes i will call a 30k fic a drabble) sitting in my drafts if i’m being real. and i wouldn’t have gone down this rabbit hole of writing for wenrene if it weren’t for this fic (why did no one stop me)

but at the end of the day, i can confidently say i had fun, even if i did get stupidly insecure or whatever. i think that’s all that really matters. so, thanks for coming along on this ride with me and all these characters, i hope you had fun too. i think if there's anything i love to know is why you guys would continue reading, i just... i dunno, can't seem to comprehend why. maybe my brain's being dumb again. but anyway, since we're almost at the end, if you liked everything so far, feel free to leave a kudos :D

next and final chapter in august, hopefully. thinking of just slapping a bunch of silly little drabbles together and call it a chapter, if you’ve got ideas i’m totally open. but aight i gotta start writing for the ficfest now, shoutout to all the procrastinators am i right!!!!!! and holy my dudes, the rv teasers? BE STILL MY HEART!!!!!

i will end my essay here, thank you for sticking around and i’ll see you next time n_n