looking for answers

seulgi stares at joohyun's calling card in her hand.

she shakes her head and chuckles.

isn't it funny how just hours ago she doesn't know anything personal about her soulmate? and now she's got her full name, phone number, and email printed on one tiny card?

she knows joohyun purposely handed them two of those cards--one for her and eunae--with an excuse of sharing her contact info to any of their friends who may be interested in stock investing.

she knows joohyun wants seulgi to call her. and seulgi wants that too.

it's not like they can escape from each other anyway. it was eunae who hired joohyun in the first place.

and seulgi thinks it's the perfect opportunity for her to overcome whatever she has experienced for the past three years.

she needs to be freed from it so she can be a better spouse to her wife.

the door to the bathroom opens. seulgi puts the card back in the drawer. her jaw drops at the sight of her wife stepping into the room wearing a white satin nightgown.

"what's with the face?" eunae walks to her dresser to start her night routine.

"are you really my wife?"

eunae chuckles. "unfortunately, yes. and it's been three years now."

"how did i get so lucky to be married to a beautiful person such as you?"

eunae chuckles again, turning to face seulgi who's sitting on the bed. "what's will all these compliments?"

"what? haven't i complimented you before?"

"you did. it's just that you seem to be a bit bolder tonight."

"sometimes, you gotta be bold."

eunae laughs, turning back to the mirror. "right."

"is that a new nightgown? i've never seen that one before."

"oh. you finally noticed, huh? i thought you'd be dumb like the usual."

seulgi gets up from the bed and wraps her arms around her wife's waist. "ahh. trying to seduce me, i see."

"maybe yes. maybe no." eunae shrugs. "all i'm saying is i haven't seen my boo in three days, and i'm kind of missing her touch."

"uh-uh. this kind of touch?" seulgi kisses the side of her wife's neck, eliciting a giggle from the latter.

"do you like the dress?"

"i do. but i think..." she pulls one strap down and kisses the other woman's shoulder. "i think you'll look better without this."

---

she wakes up in the middle of the night, her wife perched on her side. she fixes the blanket to cover eunae's body.

seulgi brushes the hair off eunae's face and stares at her wife in the darkness.

this is one of those many nights she thinks she's lucky to be the person allowed to touch the woman in this way. eunae's too precious to her, and she's so beautiful.

in the course of their ten-year relationship, many people came to try and snatch the woman from her. it's either a colleague, a passenger during a flight, or a stranger who approaches when eunae hangs out with her coworkers during a layover--eunae happens to have admirers wherever she goes.

it no longer surprises seulgi whenever the woman tells her stories about a new person hitting on her. seulgi doesn't blame them. her wife's one of the most beautiful human beings she's laid eyes on. and up to this date, seulgi's still asking herself why her wife had chosen to be with her.

she's just a nerdy kid who always stays out of the crowd and isn't popular.

she always thought she's a nobody until eunae came and made her feel how wonderful it is to be loved by someone.

seulgi caresses her wife's cheek before leaning in to kiss the other woman's forehead.

"i love you," she whispers in the air, getting no response aside from steady breaths.

"i love you." she kisses her wife one more time before pulling the other woman into her chest and hugging her close for the rest of the night.

---

"maybe you should stop thinking and start doing something," heeyeon says. "you're making me dizzy, man. if you want to call her, call her."

"but what should i tell her?" seulgi turns to her friend who's situated in front of her laptop. "should i just ask her out to meet? wouldn't that sound like i'm asking her out for a date?"

heeyeon rolls her eyes. "why are you so worried about what she'll think? come on. it's obvious she wants to meet you too. and it's been three days since that dinner you and your wife had with her. you wouldn't want her to wait longer, do you?"

"but what if--"

"look, man. you're not cheating on eunae, okay? at least not yet. and i'm pretty sure your soulmate's not going to think you're asking her out only to get into her pants."

seulgi groans. "right. that's really helpful."

"look. you need this," heeyeon says. "you've had a hard time these past three years. you won't be able to fix whatever you're experiencing by running away or trying to avoid her, only because your conscience is killing you. grow a pair and face it. do it for your wife."

seulgi hisses and looks away.

heeyeon stares at her friend and smirks. "you know what, sometimes i think you're hesitating that much because you're afraid you'll actually fall for your soulmate."

seulgi stares for her friend for a few seconds before she turns away. "shut up."

heeyeon chuckles as she watches seulgi leaves the room.

---

"bae joohyun speaking. who's this?"

seulgi gulps, taken aback. joohyun's voice sounds too formal.

"hello?" joohyun says.

"um..." the words get stuck in seulgi's throat.

"seulgi, is that you?"

seulgi's heart melts at the sound of joohyun's voice saying her name.

"uh... hi..." she says, quite nervously.

"hey..." joohyun's voice shifts to casual now. "what's up?"

"umm..." seulgi walks around, one hand in her back pocket. "i was... uh... i was wondering if... you know..."

there was a chuckle on the line. "when are you available?"

seulgi blinks. "ah?"

"let's cut the chase, seulgi. i know the reason you called. and to be honest, i've been waiting for it. if you're looking for answers too, count me in."

seulgi exhales. "thank goodness."