after dinner
INEVITABLEseungwan knows joohyun is pissed at her.
she can tell by the way the woman slams the door after she steps inside the car.
but seungwan's too cool to care. she laughs instead.
"and you still can laugh like that after you spilled to eunae about me and seulgi?" joohyun asks, busy buckling her seatbelt.
"relax. i didn't say it was seulgi, did i?"
"yeah. but you gave her a clue of where we met. and i'm sure it won't be hard for her to connect the dots sooner or later."
"what are you so worried about? she won't think it's seulgi. and this may look unpleasant now, but you'll thank me someday for this, joohyun."
joohyun stops and looks at her. "how? i don't see any good results with what happened during dinner."
"at least we've given eunae a heads up. it'll be easy for you two to admit it to her when the time comes."
joohyun releases an annoyed sigh. a sign that tells seungwan she should stop talking. they drove out of the parking area in silence.
"don't you think that decision sits between me and seulgi only?" joohyun finally says when they reach the hiway.
seungwan nods. "agreed. but how long are you two planning to hide from eunae? forever?"
there was no response. joohyun crosses her arms and looks away.
"and you, are you happy with being just a..." seungwan trails off.
"a mistress? is that what you want to say?"
"i just don't think you deserve that treatment."
"well, first of all, seulgi isn't mistreating me. second, it was my decision to be in this situation."
"if you're okay staying in that rabbit hole, then what about eunae? she doesn't deserve whatever it is you and seulgi are doing behind her back."
"that is none of your business, seungwan."
"right." seungwan huffs. "i would like to remind you that our constitution still sees finding someone's soulmate as a valid ground for divorce. i know it sounds ridiculous, considering we live in an era where the majority of the people don't believe in that anymore. but it's still there. and it'll be easier for seulgi's case because she's got a prenuptial agreement with her wife."
the silence on joohyun's side tells seungwan she's hitting a nerve.
"don't get me wrong, i am not against seulgi," seungwan adds. "i can see how she's making you happy, and i'd like to thank her for that. i just think you two deserve better. you are soulmates. you shouldn't be hiding from the world."
she meant those words, but she didn't tell joohyun how she didn't like the idea of seulgi getting the chance to two hot women and get away with it with her huge bear-like grin.
she believes joohyun deserves more than being kept in the dark--it could be with seulgi or with someone else, seungwan doesn't care.
"i don't want to force her into things," joohyun finally says, eyes still out the window. "i want her to take her time to decide what she wants, whom she wants."
"whom she wants? what does that even mean?"
"eunae came first before me. they have been together for ten years. she's seen every aspect of seulgi, every change, every success and downfall. she knows seulgi in and out. they are not just lovers. they're best friends. and despite them not destined for each other, seulgi still fell in love with her."
seungwan tries her best not to smile because as much as joohyun wants to hide it, there is a fit of obvious jealousy in her tone.
"i am just someone who came into seulgi's life with a soulmate tag," joohyun adds, somewhat displeased. "whatever she's feeling for me, it's not her own, but it's the spirits' will. she's programmed to fall in love with me. it's never the same with what she feels for eunae."
seungwan hums. "i'm curious. how are you taking your situation, like whenever seulgi needs to go back home to her wife?"
"it's not..." joohyun takes in a deep breath. "... easy."
"but you're seulgi's soulmate. you've got every right to demand her to leave her wife."
"i know. but i don't want to force seulgi into doing anything. i want her to decide on her own, at her own pace," joohyun says. "she may not say it to me, but i know she's having a tough time. she doesn't want to break her wife's heart, but she can't stay away from me either because of our attachment."
"so, she takes both of you at the same time, is that her solution?"
"that's not her intention, okay? i know seulgi won't let this last long. she will end this sooner or later."
seungwan didn't miss the sadness in joohyun's tone. "why do you sound like you don't want that to happen?"
"i don't know." joohyun shrugs. "to be honest, i'm scared of the idea that she'll eventually ask us to stop this and will leave me for good."
"leave you for good? she can't do that!"
"who knows? i'm the easiest one to let go, am i not?" joohyun points at herself. "we're not married. no one in her family knows me. if she's gonna break it up with me, things will just go back to normal like nothing ever really happened between us." she props an elbow against the window and leans her head. "that's why i make it to a point she's always relaxed when we're together. i don't want her to think of those problems when she's with me. i want our memories to be always happy and pleasant."
seungwan scoffs inside, knowing 'relaxing' with joohyun isn't actually relaxing.
"you really love her, don't you?" she says instead, making joohyun look at her. "the bae joohyun i know won't let herself be in that situation. she's very competitive. she's always the one whom people wait for, not the other way around. she's the decision-maker, not the follower. she's the dominant, not the submissive one."
a suggestive smirk followed that statement, and seungwan is glad joohyun finally smiles.
"look. to make it clear, i support the two of you one hundred percent," seungwan adds. "i just don't like the idea that you're hurting in the process."
"i'm fine, seungwan. i'm fine. trust me. she's worth all of it."
"couldn't argue until i find my own soulmate." seungwan stops the car in front of joohyun's building.
"i'm sure you'll meet yours someday," joohyun says, unbuckling her seatbelt. "thanks for the ride."
"anytime."
joohyun looks up at her. "thank you."
"for?"
"for backing us up."
"i deserve a free meal for this, don't i?"
joohyun chuckles. she steps out of the car. "take care, okay?"
"goodnight."
joohyun pushes the car door close and walks into the building, not knowing seungwan's eyes are still following her.
"i always love that ," seungwan whispers, shaking her head. "anyway, i gotta go." she flicks the signal lever with her middle and ring fingers, looking at the side-view mirror.
she was ready to drive away when something unexpected happens before she can even step on the accelerator.
there was a strange pull on her ring finger.
"huh?" curious, she tugs, and there was an immediate response. "holy ing spirits!"
she whips her head to the sidewalk, knowing for sure that the person could be there.
she turns her hazard lights on and steps out of the car.
the tugging continues as seungwan saunters, looking eagerly at every person she passes by.
the pull eventually leads her to the bus station just outside joohyun's building.
her heart beats faster the more she steps closer because only one person is standing there.
and boy was she glad it was a woman.
with her slow steps, seungwan approaches, realizing the woman is a few inches taller than her.
she tugs one last time, making the woman turn around, eyes looking lost, fingers fiddling with her ring finger.
right then and there, seungwan understood what joohyun felt when she first met her soulmate.
checked the stats and i'm in awe of how chapter 23 got higher views from the others. and when i looked...
ooop! that's the rated m chap ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
ooop! that's the rated m chap ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
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