Joohyun is such a clingy person.

It’s not that Sooyoung is mind about it. No, she likes it a lot. She adores whenever the little body of her girlfriend curls up naturally against her. Circling her small arms on her waist to never let go the warmth that her body exudes.

It’s just, she is always being clingy to her almost every time. 24/7, if Sooyoung dares to say.

Maybe it’s because they are living together after starting their relationship six years ago. It was Joohyun who proposed the idea. The older woman by five years knew that the apartment that she rented at the outskirts of the downtown is too far from the place she was working at. Which is somehow placed side by side with Joohyun’s place of working.

And that is also how they met each other to begin with.

It was lunch break time. Sooyoung usually goes towards the canteen at the lower ground with her co-workers to have lunch together while preferably talking about anything that they want to talk about that afternoon. From how y their boss is to how hot the actor that was about to start acting for a new movie.

She doesn’t know why she didn’t press the button to the lower ground when she was inside the lift that time. She also doesn’t know why she suddenly chose to grab a sandwich at the café right beside the office for her lunch. Maybe it’s because she still has tons of paperwork to work with. So her mind decided for her to just have an easy lunch while still being able to finish her paperwork.

And that’s where she met Joohyun. The owner of the humble café right beside the building of her office where she worked at. The woman who didn’t like nor drink coffee but managed to make the best coffee Sooyoung has ever tasted.

It’s not like this is the first time Sooyoung has come to the café or encountered Joohyun at her workplace. She has been inside this café and ordering drinks pretty often. So she doesn’t know why things suddenly decided to go differently. It’s not like she was complaining though. She was grateful, even until now.

Maybe it’s because of her stressed out face, or her tired tone when she was ordering a hot americano with ham croissant for her lunch that was being caught by Joohyun who was in charge of the cashier that day. Maybe it’s because how she wasn’t being her friendly self like how she usually is towards Joohyun that afternoon, that the woman didn’t have any option beside realizing that something is wrong with Sooyoung.

There are too many options that could lead to Joohyun deciding to give her a simple note at the cupsleeve of her hot coffee. Filled with words of encouragement for her to go through the rest of the afternoon in the office with a new found strength.

“Hope you have a good day at your workplace today!” That’s what the note said, alongside a mini doodle of a rabbit right beside the sentences. Managed to fish out a small chuckle plus a smile grazing on the soft feature of Sooyoung’s face after she was done reading the note who usually wasn’t there at all.

The encouragement note continues ever since. Even Sooyoung did not go down to the lower ground to eat her lunch alongside her co-workers at the canteen again ever since the note. Making her co-workers confused and a bit annoyed since Sooyoung always has a bit of hot gossip right inside her, knowing everything controversial about anything.

Well, they can’t blame her. Sooyoung is too fascinated with the cute owner of the café right beside the building of the office. Always giving her new notes of encouragement and never repeating the same words everyday. Always feeling entertained with the soft voice of Joohyun everytime they interacted for a bit before Sooyoung gave her the order of the day.

Until the note suddenly changed into a list of numbers. Alongside the words “Call me.” Not forgetting the usual rabbit doodle as the ending of the note. Sooyoung laughed after reading the note. Making a mental note for herself to not forget to message the number that was written on her cupsleeve before she falls asleep that night.

Which led to the current situations between the both of them.

“Good morning,” greeted Sooyoung sleepily as she walked out from their shared bedroom, spotting Joohyun who was currently pouring a black coffee inside the white mug for her. Noticing the purple mug beside her own that consists of a perfect brew of tea for her girlfriend.

Joohyun flashed her a wide smile, also mumbling a morning greeting as her reply. Sooyoung ran her eyes down towards the body of her girlfriend who was only covered with one of her t-shirts that she loves to wear the moment they are together, looking too big for her small frame, with the end of it only reaching the milky thighs of her girlfriend. Looking so y and so cute at the same time.

She leaned down slightly, capturing her addicting soft lips that could make her crazy just by imagining it within her head. God, Sooyoung will never feel enough of kissing it. Nor that she wants it to be enough in the first place. “What are you making?”

“Pancakes,” answered Joohyun excitedly, showing her small stack of pancakes who were already placed in the middle of the dining table. “I hope you like it.”

“I always love what you make,” smiled Sooyoung as she took a seat at one of the chairs in the dining room, taking several pancakes and moving it to her own plate. Drizzling a good amount of maple syrup on top of it, a gift from one of her co-workers from her trip to Canada, before cutting it gently and putting it into her awaiting mouth.

When she said that she always loves what Joohyun makes, she means it. It’s not just a baseless opinion because she was being a lovesick and willing to do everything for her girlfriend. No. It’s because it was really good, and Joohyun just perfectly knows what she usually likes.

Sooyoung raised her gaze from her pancake, noticing the awaiting glance of Joohyun for her comment about her pancake as she let out a soft chuckle. “It’s really good. I really like it,” commented Sooyoung slightly, taking a sip of her nicely brewed black coffee.

Joohyun beamed at her, satisfied from her comment as her girlfriend also finally eating her breakfast with delight. “Do you want to go out today?” asked her, softly chewing the pancake with her lips looking a bit glossed from getting kissed by the maple syrup that she also drizzled on top of her own.

The younger woman let out a hum. Trying to remember if there’s any work assignment that she needs to finish soon or not. Finding none, she decided to ask Joohyun back. “Where?”

“What about a movie? My friend said there is this good horror movie that is currently playing in the cinema.”

Now, that is something else. Sooyoung raised her eyebrow in enquiry. “A horror movie? Are you sure you want to watch that?”

“Yah! I’m not easily getting scared!” pouted Joohyun, almost making Sooyoung coos by how cute her current expression is. Her favorite wide doe eyes that looked so cute, added with the slightly puffed cheeks and jutted out lips. A sight that Sooyoung mentally kept inside her mind for her to remember for eternity.

“Tell that to the security who banged on your door when we were watching The Conjuring here.”

It was horror. No, not the movie. Joohyun is. She still remembers how her loud scream pierced through her ears too easily, she was almost sure that her ability to hear well had slightly decreased because of that night. And how her abused arm was tightly held by Joohyun throughout the movie. Not to mention her shoulder who was being used by her as a personal cover up if the scary scene in the movie shows up.

Sooyoung let out a snicker when she saw the blush on Joohyun’s face started to bloom from being reminded of that embarrassing night. “Yeah. I don’t want the risk of getting kicked out of the cinema and wasting our money because we bought the useless ticket since we will end up not watching the movie at all.”

Joohyun grumbled from the teasing. “Well, do you have any nice idea, smart ?”

Oh, yes. This side of Joohyun who got revealed after they were dating for a month. Sooyoung did something that pissed her off that night (she doesn’t remember what she was doing that night until now, even though Joohyun clearly still remembers it and still holds her accountable because of it every time she was pissed off by her), making Joohyun unleashed the snarky side of her whom she hid well in her workplace.

Sooyoung needs to give her a kudos because of that. Snarky Joohyun is another version of Joohyun that fascinates her and also makes her be careful with her words.

“We still can go to the cinema if you really want to watch a movie,” reasoned out her calmly, trying to not push the sensitive button of the angry bunny in front of her. “But we are watching a film that is not horror. How’s that sound?”

The soft features of Joohyun’s forehead make a slight frown. “I’m still not tempted by that.”

“Even when I’m the one who pays for everything?”

She didn’t miss how her big left ear got slightly perked up with that offer. Sooyoung hid her smirk using her white mug, pretending to take a sip of her coffee. She got her right inside the grasp of her hand. “Everything?”

“Everything.”

“Even the popcorn and the soda?”

“Even the ticket for our bus trip, I will pay for you too.”

Joohyun’s wary expression turned into a serious one in a flash. Thinking about how this opportunity is one of a kind since Sooyoung rarely proposed about this stuff and just letting themselves pay for each other as long as they are content about it.

While the one who proposed went back to enjoy her pancake. Indulging in the sweet taste and fluffy texture of a homey breakfast. Her girlfriend sure can cook.

“Okay.”

Sooyoung flashed her grin. “Great. Now let’s get ready.”

One thing about Joohyun that piqued her interest quite deeply is how the older woman always acted like a child whenever she was going out with Sooyoung. Including now as they walked on the pavement with hands linked with each other, the side of their bodies pressed against one another as the taller woman listened to the excited ramble of the smaller one.

It was cute how Joohyun looked like a shy and reserved woman in the café back from the days when she didn't know anything about the woman yet. But behind all the build up persona, there was this side which she hid perfectly and only reserved for the people she knows the most. The bubbly and childish side of her.

Sooyoung can feel how Joohyun literally skipped cheerily as they walked towards the cinema, feeling giddy of having a date together with her even though they have gone for tons of it in the past few years of their relationship. Talking about the premise of the movie that they have decided to watch the moment before they leave their apartment, which she knows after searching about it on the internet.

“What kind of popcorn do you want?” asked Sooyoung to her girlfriend after they bought the tickets for them to watch the movie.

Joohyun softly hummed. Nose scrunched cutely as she read the menu sign for what kind of popcorn that the cinema sells. “Can we order mixed popcorn? I feel like eating both salty and sweet one now.”

“Sure,” shrugged Sooyoung easily, saying the order to the cashier woman swiftly. Alongside two ice cokes for both of them to drink while watching the movie.

Her girlfriend maybe doesn’t realise it, but she is the type who is acting reversed with what she said in reality. Joohyun always denies whenever someone teases her by saying she is too clingy with Sooyoung and always wants to be by her side, when her actions said otherwise.

There was this one time when Sooyoung suddenly got sick because she was overworking her body. Too many deadlines that need to be finished in a month. Sooyoung knows that it was just a matter of time until the cells inside her body give up, but it still shocks her how it took her two weeks ever since the start of the hellish month.

Sooyoung didn’t tell anyone about it besides her superior and a couple of her co-workers. Including Joohyun. So imagine her shock when she heard a doorbell ring in the afternoon, with the fact that almost no one knows where the address of her place is except Joohyun and her several friends in the workplace, whom she sure will not ditch their work just to visit her sick self out of empathy.

“Joohyun?” rasped Sooyoung after she opened the door, looking at her with bleary eyes and her sickly appearance covering her whole self. She didn’t care though. All she cares about is why her girlfriend is in front of her apartment now. “Why are you here?”

“I heard from your co-workers that you are sick,” frowned Joohyun, voice laced thickly with worries. Running her eyes up and down of her body blatantly without the need to do it subtle. “And I guess she’s right. You look worse.”

“Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious,” deadpanned Sooyoung before she turned her neck to let an itchy cough slip out from . “Do you need something?”

Joohyun rolled her eyes as she stepped inside without waiting for Sooyoung's permission. “Yeah. I need you to rest.”

“I was resting. Before you came.”

“Cool. Now continue.”

Sooyoung raised her eyebrow. “You are not going back to the café?”

“The café is closed,” answered Joohyun with finality in her tone, daring her to not fight our question back as she sent a glance towards Sooyoung to just go back to her room and continue her sleep. “I’m going to cook your lunch in the meantime. I will wake you up after I was done with it.”

She can’t help letting a deep sigh slip out from her lips. “Joohyun, I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah? With what?” challenged Joohyun. “With cup noodles? I don’t even see any strip of medicines in this apartment. Do you already drink your meds today? Heck, do you already eat today?”

The taller woman raised her arms up in surrender, knowing she could never win against Joohyun the moment she was in the most advantageous position. Her long legs trudging towards the bedroom, decided to go back to sleep since her brain decided to ed up her condition more by giving her a pain in the headache.

Being true to her words, Joohyun wakes her up an hour later with a bowl of hot soup plus rice already served right in front of her, alongside a tablet of medicine and a glass of water. “Sit yourself up properly. I’m going to feed you,” ordered Joohyun as she took a spoonful of rice and dipped it inside the warm stock of the soup.

“I can eat by myself you know?” gruntled Sooyoung but still opening when Joohyun fed her.

Joohyun let out a snort. “You are barely able to make yourself sit on the bed. Much more feeding yourself.”

Sooyoung answered her with silence as she continued to eat the food that Joohyun gave her. She can’t really taste the soup that she’s made because the nerve systems inside her palate decided to have a rest today, but the soup warmed up her inside comfortably. Making her feel better the more she eats it.

“You are working too hard,” mumbled Joohyun softly, clearly wasn't meant for Sooyoung to hear it, but she catches it perfectly.

“Too many deadlines. I can’t do something about it,” shrugged Sooyoung easily, making the frown that was evident on Joohyun’s forehead creased deeper.

“What about the other workers?”

“They also have the same amount of work like me,” chuckled Sooyoung softly, understanding that her girlfriend is just worried about her condition. “This is normal, Joohyun. I’m working too hard in some months, having a breakdown after a few days, and my body will become stronger. It’s like a cycle now with how often this thing already happened. So, stop worrying.”

“I’m not worried,” scoffed Joohyun, even though the blush that was evident on her cheeks says another. “I just don’t want you to live carelessly when you are sick.”

Sooyoung just flashed her a teasing smile for those remarks, but chose to not embarrass her girlfriend more by staying silent. Gulping down her medicine after she was done with her lunch. She told Joohyun to go back to her place as she went back to sleep, but the older woman refused. So, it’s not really shocking when she woke up in the middle of the night, and found Joohyun nicely sleeping beside her on the bed. Curled up closely against her for warmth, didn’t give a damn care about getting caught with the virus.

“So, what do you want to do after this?” asked Joohyun after they stepped out from the cinema, and after a round of her gushing about how good the movie that they were watching earlier and how it’s the perfect choice rather than ending up watching a horror movie. Sooyoung suppressed her teasing that was already located on the tip of her tongue the whole moment of Joohyun talking about the movie energetically, choosing to just enjoy the adorable sight beside her.

“Want to have lunch? I’m craving for some fast food.”

Joohyun frowned in disgust. “Aren’t you already eating a box of fried chicken last night?”

Oh, her girlfriend and her dislike over chicken, the best staple of food in the whole world if you are asking Sooyoung. The taller woman circled her arm on her shoulders, pulling her closer. Wanting to feel her warmth against the side of her body. “Fast food doesn’t mean chicken only, baby. Pizza sounds nice for me.”

“Pizza it is, then!” concluded Joohyun in a bright tone. She felt her smaller arm encircling itself on her slim waist, erasing every non-existent gap between the side of their bodies as they walked together. “I miss going out like this.”

Sooyoung winced inwardly from the spoken thoughts. “I’m sorry. Work has caught me up again.”

“It’s okay. My café is also getting busy nowadays,” sighed Joohyun tiredly. “Do you think I should add another staff?”

“Hm. How many staff did you have now?”

“Four,” answered Joohyun while rolling her eyes. “You came to my café everyday and didn’t remember how many staff that I have?”

“Can’t blame me. I only focused on one staff only in that café and that is you, sweetheart.” Sooyoung let out a laugh when Joohyun tried to tickle her side out from annoyance, albeit failing since the outfit that she wore is quite thick to prevent her from having the need to feel the weather that has started to get cold. “Five didn’t sound too bad for me. As long as you could pay them.”

“Wait a second, Ms Park. Did you just say that I’m not capable of paying my staff?”

“Oh, it’s the pizza restaurant. Let’s come inside.”

“Yah, Park Sooyoung!”

Sometimes, spending the night with Joohyun by lazing around on the couch and watching Netflix is something that Sooyoung secretly adores. The feeling of the small body of her girlfriend leaned against her body, curled up perfectly against the curves of her side, is something that she will always adore.

Especially when the said smaller body suddenly leaned herself heavily on her, a sign that she was already falling asleep from watching the movie, even though the movie is nowhere near boring. The expression of her sleeping girlfriend will always fascinate Sooyoung the most.

She looks peaceful. Her dark eyelashes rested perfectly on top of her cheeks. Her slightly parted lips blew soft and calm breaths. Her curled up legs pressed against her front more, trying to keep herself warm with her own body. She looks like a perfect piece of art in Sooyoung’s eyes. And she will always make sure to love and adore the art with all her heart.

Her arms tucked carefully under her neck and her legs, picking her up bridal style as she moved Joohyun from the long, uncomfortable couch towards their bed. Joohyun let out a mumble when she was fixing her position in her arms, before deepening her face on the crook of her neck. Sooyoung just slipped out a silent giggle from the act as she delicately walked towards their bedroom.

Hands lowered the small body of Joohyun on top of the bed. Sooyoung’s eyes can’t seem to tear its gaze away from the peaceful features of her girlfriend’s face. She is too in love with her? Yes, Sooyoung will admit that in a flash. Heck, she is in too deep with her for this.

But, it’s okay. It’s not a problem for Sooyoung. As long as she could give all of her love towards Joohyun, nothing else matters for her in this world except her.