protective sister

"hold it!" yerim shouts as the elevator doors were about the close.

luckily, her plea was heard, and the doors open again.

she steps into the elevator, seeing a lone passenger inside, a slightly taller woman, holding the door button for her.

"thanks." she smiles, settling at the back to have a better view of her fellow passenger.

"floor?" the woman looks at her, gesturing to the floor panel.

yerim sees 9th floor already pressed. "ah. same floor."

"cool." the woman smiles and turns away.

that's when yerim took that opportunity to check out the other woman.

dark pants, a pair of oxfords, and a grey long sleeves.

charming, she thinks. this woman reminds yerim of her unnie's exes. and now that she thinks about it, if this woman lives on the same floor as her sister, then setting them up won't be a bad idea.

she giggles inside, imagining how her unnie would react if she finds out about this hot neighbor of hers.

but yerim's heart shrinks when she glimpses the wedding band on the woman's finger.

she sighs. tough luck.

while they ascend, the woman does something causing yerim to raise an eyebrow: she takes off her wedding ring and pockets it.

okay. this is interesting.

yerim looks around, distracting herself, trying her best not to smile.

the doors finally open up to their floor. the woman holds the button for them.

"after you." she gestures for yerim to go first.

yerim acknowledges the kindness with a nod and a smile. she wouldn't blame the third party (whomever he or she is) for falling for this person.

even yerim herself is enthralled.

wanting to find out which unit the woman is heading to, yerim goes to the opposite direction and walks back around so she can follow discreetly.

and her interest is piqued when she realizes the woman lives near her unnie's unit.

heart stops beating when the woman stands in front of her sister's door, fixing her shirt after pressing the buzzer.

a smiling joohyun greets the woman. yerim's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when her sister tiptoes a bit for a chaste kiss, surprising the taller woman.

she can't believe this is happening!

her sister then reaches out for the taller's hand to pull her inside. that's when yerim decides to step in.

"unnie!" she shouts, startling the two women. she won't let it happen. no. not with her sister.

"yerim? what are you doing here?" joohyun asks, surprised.

her unnie's words went past her ears as she flounces her way to the woman.

"how dare you!" she shoves the woman, causing the latter to step back. "of all the people, why my sister!"

the woman defends herself with her arms. "look, it's not--"

and before the woman can even finish her sentence, yerim smacks her right into the eye.

---

"you could have talked to me first about it instead of confronting seulgi like that." joohyun sighs in disappointment.

"i know. i'm sorry. i reacted without thinking." yerim says, watching her sister press a cold pack against her soulmate's cheek.

yeah. how is she supposed to know that her sister finally found her soulmate in the form of this hot-elevator-girl? who, by the way, is already married to somebody.

"we're just lucky you missed seulgi's eye, yerim-ah. i hope this will disappear soon." joohyun inspects the bruise on seulgi's cheek.

"hey. it's okay. eunae is on an international flight. they will have a few days overlay before they fly back here." seulgi takes a hold of the pack. "i'm sure this won't be as noticeable by that time."

"and what if she video calls you?"

"i can make up excuses. she knows how clumsy i am; stubbing my toe often, hitting my face with the door. this is normal."

joohyun finally sits on the couch, still shooting glares at yerim. yerim was about to say something, but seulgi speaks first.

"hey. stop being mad at your sister. i would do the same if i was in her shoes. it's not her fault. she was just trying to protect you."

yerim smiles. she's starting to like this woman now.

"fine." joohyun flicks her eyes to yerim. "why did you drop by here again, unannounced?"

"mom asked me to bring you some food since you won't be visiting for the weekend." yerim points at the packed food on the table. "i was planning to do a surprise visit, hoping to catch you doing something funny."

"doing something funny, like what?"

"remember last time when i caught you and seungwan unnie fooling around here?" yerim chuckles at the memory. "that was so funny! i remember how you two tried to get dressed quickly." she's slapping her thighs now.

seulgi turns to look at joohyun, who clears uncomfortably.

and yerim can sense the air getting heavy.

"but that was last year!" she waves her hands frantically, sensing the silent exchange between the two women across her. "i know they have already called it off a few months back. right, unnie?"

joohyun nods and forces a smile.

seulgi stares at joohyun for a little longer, one hand still pressing the cold pack to her cheek. her face finally softens. she reaches out to pull the other woman closer, kissing the top of her head. joohyun responds by wrapping her arms around seulgi's waist.

yerim softens at that, didn't notice she's smiling again. her unnie had several exes before, but this is the first time yerim had seen joohyun looks at someone in that way--like she's the most beautiful thing that's ever happened in her life.

she couldn't believe the ordeal the two is facing after they explained to her the whole situation. and like them, she doesn't have a clue about what they are supposed to do.

how she wishes things could have just been simpler and easier for her sister and her soulmate.

but being a soulmate-believer herself, yerim knows the spirits have better plans for these two.

"again, i want to apologize for my actions earlier. i'm really sorry for doing that." she stands up and bows. "i also want you to know that despite the situation you're in, i am not against this relationship of yours. you have all my support. i trust the spirits will eventually give you answers on how you'll deal with... seulgi unnie's wife..."

seulgi looks at joohyun, grinning. "did you hear that? she's calling me unnie now!"

joohyun smiles sweetly. she leans into seulgi's neck and mouths a 'thank you' to yerim.

yerim smiles back. "but how did you two find each other again? you said you met at the resort and then ignored each other."

"remember that red rope manhwa you showed me before?" joohyun asks. "i left a comment there hoping seulgi would read it."

"left a comment there?" yerim looks confused.

"seulgi here is part of team gomhyoni."

"what!" yerim's eyes widen. she looks at seulgi. "unnie's not kidding, is she?"

"she's not." seulgi picks her phone and shows yerim her wallpaper, which is a drawing of the story's main character: irene. "i do the character design and the actual drawing of each panel. my friend, heeyeon--or hyoni, as what others call her--is the overall writer of the plot, events, and dialogues."

the next thing happening is yerim jumping onto the couch across, squealing and hugging seulgi tightly.