rain and chocotea

it was raining hard when they stepped out of the mall.

seulgi looks up at the night sky, seeing the rain reflecting from the lamp post.

it's beautiful, she thinks. she finds it surprising she's not in a bad mood even if she doesn't have an umbrella with her, and her car is parked in the open parking space, a few feet away from where she's standing.

if she had been with eunae tonight, she's sure she'll get scolded for not parking in the basement.

'it's always safe to park in the basement, boo,' she hears her wife's voice in her ears.

she smiles at the thought but forgets it the moment she feels the presence next to her.

"do you have an umbrella with you?" joohyun asks, rubbing her hands along her arms to create warmth.

"i don't."

it's weird; seulgi feels calm even with the bad weather. she's trying her best to fight the urge of wrapping her arms around joohyun.

no. it's not proper. she's already done a bold move in the cinema earlier. holding her soulmate like that isn't something she should be comfortable doing.

"i'm sorry. i should have parked at the basement," she says instead.

"hey. don't be. it's not your fault. rains are simply unpredictable at times." joohyun raises her hand and opens her palm, catching raindrops. "but they are pretty."

unpredictable and pretty. seulgi looks away and smiles, smelling the scent of the rain in the air. she sees some people walking along the parking space.

the wind blows hard, causing some umbrellas to turn. joohyun instinctively hides behind her.

"you okay there?" seulgi looks over her shoulders.

"yeah... just... just a little cold..." joohyun clutches her coat tighter.

seulgi looks ahead, eyes zoning on her car. she pulls her coat over her head.

"wait here." she readies the car key in her hand.

"where are you going?"

seulgi nods her head towards her car's direction. "i'll make a run for it."

and before joohyun can even protest, seulgi's already dashing through the rain.

---

"tsk. you're soaked, seulgi."

"i'm not," seulgi says, wiping her face and hair with a small towel.

"but your clothes are wet. tsk." joohyun leans over her seat to grab the towel from seulgi's hand and wipe her back with it.

"hey. it's okay. i'll take a shower once i'm home."

"then you can drop me off in the nearest station so you can drive straight home."

"no. i'll drive you home, okay?"

"but seulgi--"

"end of discussion, missy." seulgi pats joohyun's head.

"if you really want to drive me home, then you will take a shower at my place so i can dry your clothes before you go home."

seulgi blinks at joohyun. "y-your place?"

"yes. i have a huge dryer there. i won't let you go home like that. you might catch a cold."

"but it'll take--"

"end of discussion, missy." joohyun playfully throws the towel on seulgi's face. "either you drop me off to the nearest station or dry your clothes at my place."

seulgi chuckles, shaking her head. "fine. you win."

joohyun smirks. "i always win."

---

seulgi can't stop her mind from thinking of inappropriate things.

inappropriate things like imagining how the bathrobe she's wearing now is the one joohyun uses to cover up her body.

her body.

she wonders how joohyun's--

seulgi shut her eyes tight and grunts.

"get a hold of yourself, kang seulgi!" she lightly smacks her head, glaring at her reflection on the bathroom mirror. "you are a married person. you shouldn't have these thoughts towards another woman!"

she breathes in and breathes out.

she blows air from and composes herself.

---

"hey," joohyun greets her when she steps out of the bathroom. "refreshed?"

"hey. yeah." seulgi clears , admiring the sight of joohyun in her casual home attire.

she's used to seeing the woman in either pantsuit or suit skirt as they always meet up after office hours. but seeing joohyun in sweatpants, an oversized tee, thick socks, and a pair of indoor clogs, just hits seulgi differently.

and seulgi thinks she's getting fonder of the smaller woman each day.

but she's got to stop staring and start saying something.

"your bathroom is awesome," she quips, and she internally scolds herself for saying something like that.

joohyun chuckles. "wow. it's not everyday people appreciate my bathroom. but thanks."

when the shared chuckle dies, the mood becomes awkward. they were silent for seconds, the sound of the running tumble dryer serves as white noise.

"um. you want something warm to drink?" joohyun finally asks. she gestures a thumb towards her laundry area. "it may take about thirty to forty-five minutes to finish."

"yeah. sure. what do you have?"

joohyun walks to her cupboard to inspect. "i'm not a coffee drinker so i only have these." she turns to seulgi, showing a box of tea bag and choco powder. "feel free to pick which you like."

seulgi squints her eyes, trying to make out whatever she can from where she's standing. she gives up and waves a hand. "i'll go for whatever you'll have."

"hmm. are you okay with mixing these two? that's how i usually do it."

"mix? like mix them together?"

"yeah. i use the tea as the water for my choco drink. it tastes nice." joohyun raises the teabag. "and this one is only available in the states. i am just lucky to have my aunty mimi living there so i can have her buy it and ship it for me."

seulgi shifts her weight on one leg, resting her hands on her hips. "wow. i didn't know my soulmate's a chemist."

joohyun chuckles before turning to the counter to prepare the cups. "i just hope you'll like it. my sister and seungwan get excited whenever i prepare this for them."

seulgi presses her lips together. that name. seungwan. it always has a different ring in her ears.

"i'm sure i'll love it," she says with conviction. she turns away to look around the apartment, trying to distract herself from thinking of anything seungwan-related.

she remembers her conversation with heeyeon a few days ago, when her friend says a casual relationship always involves .

she looks at the couch, thinking if seungwan and joohyun could have done it there.

of course, they sure did! they used to be together!

she was about to curse the innocent couch until something on the shelves catches her attention.

"wow. you framed this?" she asks, showing joohyun the frame of the red rope bracelet that was given to them before.

joohyun looks up from preparing the drinks and smiles. "ah. that. yep. i wanted to preserve that. it's the only memory i have of you from before."

seulgi looks at the frame with a big smile on her face. all thoughts about seungwan getting pushed out of her brain by her giddiness.

"that comics you made. that manhwa," joohyun says, stirring the drink on one mug. "you titled it red rope, right?"

humming, seulgi looks back at the frame in her hand. "that story was especially made for you. it was the result of my pent up emotions. it's hard to put in words the struggle i experienced, my longing to see you again. that was the only way i could let it out of my system."

"i see. the main characters tho, irene and rowoon, they seem to resemble... us."

"they are actually our representations." seulgi puts the frame down. "their first meeting was carved out from when we first met."

"yeah. i kind of noticed that." smiling, joohyun looks down again to stir the other cup. "i asked because i find rowoon's character interesting."

"how so?"

"well, in the story, she seems to have liked irene since they first met at the resort."

"well, i wouldn't blame rowoon. irene's a catch."

joohyun looks up at seulgi, smirking. "is that true?"

seulgi raises an eyebrow, knowing joohyun is asking about the reality, not the manhwa.

but joohyun didn't wait for her to speak up. the woman carries the mug in her hands and approaches seulgi. "i didn't know rowoon sees her like that. as far as i can remember, in the story," she emphasizes the last three words, "rowoon was busy thinking about her girlfriend when she first met irene."

seulgi receives the mug with both hands. "ah, well, she was indeed thinking about her girlfriend, but she finds irene cute too. that's the reason she asked her out for breakfast."

"i see. a player, huh."

"i am not a player!" seulgi scowls.

they shared another round of laughter before they turn to the window while sipping their mugs.

"this is absolutely wonderful." seulgi pulls the mug away from her lips, looking at the content. "damn. i'm already falling in love with this chocotea."

"chocotea?" joohyun laughs. "i can make some more if you want."

"but how about in some days, if i'm missing this?"

"then you can drop by here so i can make one for you."

seulgi beams at joohyun. "that's a great idea."

joohyun raises her mug in the air. "to more chocotea?"

seulgi toast their mugs together. "to more chocotea."