A/N: I've officially given up on my outline and said " you" to the plot. Here's an 11k+ word dump of MiShu being soft girlfriends + idiots, because I owe y'all for not updating in months. (Also, this is going to be four chapters instead of three now. You're welcome.)

I tried to fix this as much as I could, so please lower your expectations and enjoy this hot mess that gave me migraines at 7AM.

Special thanks to Mooza (doodleheadmooza) again for the Ko-fi! I hella appreciate your sweet comments a lot, so this chapter is especially dedicated to you :D (because I probably would've thrown it into the drafts for the next century, deadass.)

**edits/revisions made as of 4/08/2021.

᠁

It’s Sunday morning when Shuhua is roused awake by a hushed voice in her ear.

“Shu-Shu…” Miyeon whispered, light and tingly like the chime of a bell. “… Get up…”

From the window, Shuhua can see the thin slivers of gold seeping through her blinds and onto the floor of her shrouded bedroom. It’s early, that’s for sure, but certainly not the ideal time for her to wake up. Perhaps if she stayed still, Miyeon would leave her alone and she can go back to sleep.

“Shuhua…”

Yeah, no. That isn’t happening.

Groaning at the elder’s whine, Shuhua gives up any hope of sleeping in and turns around tiredly. The drowsiness has yet to leave her eyesight as she waits for them to focus on Miyeon, who still looks pretty as ever with her bare face and big, innocent eyes the color of melted caramel.

If early mornings meant waking up to this kind of view, then maybe Shuhua can make an exception.

She’s still not happy, though.

“Unnie, the ceremony isn’t until four…” Unlike Miyeon, her voice comes out thick and heavy with sleep. Shuhua’s eyelids flutter close with the intent of dozing off again, but Miyeon doesn’t let her.

“I know that.” The senior laughed, soft and airy, before giving her dongsaeng’s shoulder a gentle nudge. “But I want to spend the morning outside with you.”

Shuhua pretends not to be affected by this.

Instead, she spares a lazy glance at the clock above her doorway and sighed. “It’s not even ten, you clown.” She said, and all Miyeon does is pout a little.

“But it’s our last day.” The latter whined again. “Don’t you want to make the most out of it?”

Oh, now this is just completely unfair.

“Jesus, fine. I’m getting up.” Shuhua throws the sheets aside after caving in to Miyeon’s 'kicked puppy' expression, forcing herself to sit up so she could put it away and leave her poor heart to rest. “Now stop looking at me like that, it’s annoying.”

Despite the bite in her tone, Miyeon’s face lit up significantly. Smiling from ear-to-ear as she voiced her delight, and Shuhua feels like she’s staring right into an open lightbulb. Bright, so ing bright.

“Great!” She beamed. “Now go shower and change into something nice. We’re leaving in thirty.”

Excuse you?

“You’re kidding.” Shuhua sounds incredulous. “Can’t it wait five more minutes, unnie?”

The answer she receives is a towel thrown on her head, followed by a chirpy “nope!”

So much for a good morning…

Doing the quick mental math, the pair estimated that they have about three hours to kill before getting ready for the ceremony. That’s enough time to have brunch and do whatever suits Miyeon’s fancy, while Shuhua (having no other choice) just rolls along with it.

“This is going to be a long- day.” Shuhua tells a freshly-showered Miyeon while fumbling with the buttons of her white collared shirt.

“What’s an day?” The Korean responds with a shameless grin, before letting out a squeal at the pillow that was chucked in her direction. Shuhua groans loudly. “It’ll be fine, Shu! Weddings are fun!”

“Until the bride throws the bouquet, then it’s chaos.”

The sophomore grunts, catching the pillow flawlessly when Miyeon tries to hurl it back with more strength. Except she’s a dainty princess who can’t even land a punch right, so her throw was pretty much jack-. Points for effort, though.

“Besides, it’s been years since I’ve last seen all of my relatives together. And I barely even remember half of their names.”

Her comment elicits a small titter from Miyeon.

“Understandable.” She grinned. “Anyway, did you think about what we’re going to do yet? You’re more familiar with this place than I am.”

Looking up, Shuhua gets distracted at the sight of Miyeon applying her lip balm—which is a nice raspberry pink—in front of the vanity mirror before puckering her lips briefly. She might have stared a little longer than necessary, but she snaps out of it when the older girl faces her with that captivating smile on her gorgeous visuals.

Even in a simple tee and jeans, Shuhua can’t help thinking about how good she looks right now.

… Err, Miyeon is very beautiful. Objectively speaking. And Shuhua is just glad to have her as a fake date. Totally.

“There’s not really much to do under three hours, so I figured we can go eat somewhere and wander around. Like a casual stroll.” She gives herself a mental pat on the back for not tripping over her words.

“Sure! I’m on board with that.”

Knitting her brows, Shuhua wrestles with the stupid zipper on her pants and tugs impatiently until it finally budged. She can hear Miyeon stifling her laughter in the background, most definitely from witnessing her battle with the darn thing, and makes a face at her.

“Maybe I can show you some street art along the way. There’s plenty of them around here.” She offers instead.

Miyeon immediately perks up at this, and Shuhua smiled.

She likes making her happy.

᠁

They’re seated outside a bustling café a few blocks down from Shuhua’s house, where they get a private, little table in the corner with a nice view of the busy street side. Miyeon, wanting to repay Shuhua for their breakfast yesterday, decides to order for them and heads inside, while Shuhua opens their group chat to backread some of the recent messages.

Soybean

Y’all—

Please get me out of this mad house

10:24 AM

Cherry Jin-Jin

What’s wrong Soyeonnie?

10:25 AM

Soybean

I was sleeping just fine a while ago

But then I woke up to my loony- brother banging mozzarella cheese against my bedroom wall

FROZEN mozzarella cheese

10:27 AM

Cherry Jin-Jin

I…

What

10:27 AM

Minnie Mouse Clubhouse

@Soybean WHY THE HDSKDJKD

If someone woke me up by banging a frozen block of cheese against my wall, you can expect me to throw one of my dogs at them

10:28 AM

Soybean

@Minnie Mouse Clubhouse Ok, no. That’s animal abuse

Jungkook is trying to oven this one pizza. But like, it doesn’t have any flavor so he puts mozzarella cheese over them

Idk why he needed to use my wall tho

10:29 AM

Woogiraffe

He’s telling you to wake up, but in Italian

10:30 AM

Soybean

I ing hate you

10:30 AM

Shuhua gives a half-suppressed laugh at her screen and proceeds to type out a reply. That is, until someone grabs her attention.

“Yeh Shuhua?”

She turns at the masculine voice calling her name and is surprised to see Jung Jaehyun, one of her past dates, standing just a couple feet away with an equally stunned look.

“Jaehyun-oppa!” She stands up quickly to bow at him. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Yeah, you could say that.” The handsome man smiled as he reciprocates the gesture. Awkward, but still polite and charming as ever. “How are you, by the way? It’s been some time since we’ve last seen each other.”

The Taiwanese shrugged. “College is still a pain in the , but nothing I can’t handle.” She tells him, and he chuckles. “Just came back to attend my cousin’s wedding today, so I’m pretty booked.”

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard. Congrats to your cousin, by the way.”

Jaehyun turns nervous all of a sudden, clearing his throat as he rubs his neck in uncertainty.

“Um… Shuhua?” He begins, somewhat hesitant. “I know you’ve made it clear that you’re not interested in a relationship, but I was wondering if maybe we could catch up a little. You know, like a friendly hang-out or something. If you’re free, of course.”

“Oh…” Shuhua goes quiet for a bit, unsure of how to respond.

It’s not that she doesn’t like Jaehyun, or that the guy makes her uncomfortable. He’s actually pretty decent, as far as she had grown to know him during their unsuccessful (and awfully short-lived) date that their grandparents roped them into, and he respected her decision not to pursue any sort of relationship with him, besides a platonic one. Though, Shuhua never did come around telling him about her ual orientation.

That being said, she feels a little bad for having to turn him down. Especially when he seems genuine about wanting to catch up with her, except…

“Sorry, oppa.” She says apologetically. “I appreciate the offer, really. But I’m already with—”

A pair of slim arms looping around her waist cuts Shuhua off mid-sentence, and she feels her breath get caught in at the feeling of someone’s head resting on her shoulder.

“Babe? Who’s this?”

Miyeon’s honeysuckle voice rolls into her ear, and it takes everything in Shuhua not to ing die on the spot. Firstly, because the senior is almost completely pressed up behind her while holding the younger girl in a possessive back hug. And secondly, is Shuhua tripping or did Miyeon actually call her “babe”?!

“M-Miyeon-unnie, this is Jaehyun-oppa.” Great, she just stuttered. How delightful. “Jaehyun-oppa, meet Miyeon-unnie. My girlfriend.”

His eyes widen slightly at the revelation.

“Girlfriend?” He parrots, dumbfounded. “Wait, so… you like girls?”

Shuhua nods slowly. Jaehyun takes a moment to process it in his head, then lets out a soft “ahhh.”

“That explains why you were so disinterested when we first met.” He said, his expression shifting into one of understanding as his lips pulled into a good-natured smile. “But don’t worry, I won’t judge either way. It’s good to see you with someone your type, Shuhua, and I don’t want to get in the way of that.”

The sophomore sighs in pure relief. For a second there, she was worried about what Jaehyun’s reaction would be like. But she’s immensely thankful that he accepted it so easily and didn’t hold any grudge or contempt against her for what didn’t happen in the past.

“Thanks, oppa. I appreciate that a lot.” Shuhua offers him a sincere smile, hoping it’s enough to get her gratitude across. “I’ll hold you to that hang-out, though. For when I’m back in town again.”

Jaehyun grinned. “I look forward to that. And hey, maybe I’ll have a girlfriend by then and we can go on a double-date together.”

Miyeon tightens her arms around Shuhua as she brushes her cheek against the skin of her neck, blissfully unaware of how the small contact sends an electric spark up Shuhua’s spine and renders the poor girl speechless.

“We’d love that, Jaehyun-ssi.” She answered in her stead while beaming happily. “And it’s a pleasure meeting you.”

“Likewise, Miyeon-ssi.”

He eventually takes his leave after bidding the couple goodbye, and Shuhua finds herself being ushered back to her chair by Miyeon still clinging to her waist. “Are you okay, Shu-Shu?” She asked in concern. “You went a little quiet back there.”

“I’m fine, unnie.” Shuhua reassured while patting one of Miyeon’s hands that were clasped over her stomach. “Although I have to say… I didn’t expect you to call me ‘babe’ out of the blue.”

Miyeon flushes a bit, shamefaced.

“Sorry, I just… I thought you needed damage control once I saw you with him.”

The older girl looks sheepish when Shuhua faces her. And she wanted nothing more than to just wrap her in a hug so that Miyeon wouldn’t feel too bad over it, but decides against it upon realizing how strange the notion was. God, what the Hell are you thinking? She mentally berates herself.

“It’s okay. I’m not bothered by it at all, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Shuhua ends up saying instead, and Miyeon stares at her with puppy eyes.

“Can I keep calling you that then? Or is that asking too much?”

The request is… unusual, so to speak, but Shuhua complies to it with an easy shrug. After all, it’s still part of the act. Right?

“Whatever floats your boat, unnie.” She humored, a blush painting her cheeks as she reluctantly detached herself from Miyeon so they could finally sit down.

“You seem to have a good connection with Jaehyun.” Curiosity masked the suspicion in her scrutinizing tone, which doesn’t go undetected by Shuhua as she her head to one side. Intrigued. “Have you known each other for very long?”

“Only a few months. But we did go on a date before.” The younger answered carefully, studying Miyeon’s odd expression to gage her reaction. Was that envy she saw…?

“Is he the same guy you were talking about yesterday? Your neighbors' son?”

“Yeah, that’s him.” Shuhua confirmed. “I told him from the start I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, so we’re more like friendly acquaintances now.”

Miyeon eases up at this, but there’s still that pensive wrinkle between her eyebrows. “You mentioned hanging out earlier, right? Was… Was he inviting you to go somewhere?”

Shuhua gives another shrug.

“Pretty much. But I was going to turn him down anyway since I’m already on a date with you.” She blurts it out more casually than she intended to, and Miyeon becomes flustered as a result. It’s a nice change, for once.

Something then clicks in the Shuhua’s head and she blinks in realization.

“Hold on… Were you jealous, unnie?”

The pinkness of Miyeon’s cheeks was already telling.

“No way.” A -eating grin had weaseled itself onto her face. Oh, this is gold. “You actually were!”

“I-I wasn’t!” Miyeon weakly protests, despite the color that’s spreading up to the tips of her ears.

Shuhua breaks into a guffaw that has the beauty whining in embarrassment. Hiding behind her hands as she kicks Shuhua under the table to (unsuccessfully) shut her up.

“Yah! Stop laughing, you brat!”

It’s only when the waiter comes by with their food, that the Taiwanese collects herself after sending a fair chunk of Miyeon’s dignity to its grave.

The rest of their meal goes by rather smoothly, with Miyeon wearing a sulky pout on her lips that would eventually be erased by Shuhua reaching forward to rest a hand atop her own. Cool fingers tapping gently on the back of her palm in a soothing gesture as their gazes met steadily, and Miyeon feels her face warming up again at the sight of Shuhua’s pinched-eye smile that could steal hearts with just a mere glance.

Why are you so cute?! She wants to cry.

“Wow… This is really good. Thanks for getting me this, unnie.” Shuhua said while slurping on the remainder of her Oreo milkshake. Something Miyeon knew she’d like because of her sweet tooth. “Are you sure you don’t want to try? I can still give you the last of it.”

The senior shakes her head, too distracted by the smudge of cream Shuhua has on her upper lip and how her tongue darts out to it off completely.

Shuhua can be a messy person—it’s a fact the Korean has come to learn even way before they moved past their so-called “rivalry”—but it never really bothered her, nor did she care enough to scold her for it. The sophomore could stuff her whole face with whipped cream and cookie crumbs, and Miyeon would still find her precious like… a baby wolf. A messy, voracious, baby wolf.

“I’m good.” Miyeon smirked, then retracts her occupied hand enough to lock fingers with Shuhua’s. Giving the girl’s hand a firm squeeze when she looks at her inquiringly. “But thanks, babe.”

Poor Shuhua almost chokes on her straw.

᠁

Not long after their short brunch, Miyeon finds herself in a large, open alleyway (courtesy of Shuhua dragging her) where clusters of people are passing through to admire the spectacular murals and colorful graffiti that decorate the bland, decrepit walls of neighboring buildings. And Miyeon feels like a little kid wandering through a toy store.

She always loved the concepts behind street art.

Not only does it beautify the decaying, sometimes abandoned areas around the city, but also provides a creative outlet shared between various independent artists seeking to put out their work for all the world to see. Or, serve as a quick, easy way to purge out their emotions in the form of masterpieces. Paintings that either depicted a story or delivered a message for the viewers to interpret and derive meanings from.

Others might deem it as vandalism. But for Miyeon, it’s a freedom of expression.

“Unnie, come here! I want to show you something!”

Shuhua calls out from the side—drawing Miyeon’s attention away from the detailed composition of deep blacks, rich purples, and dark indigos—as she takes her hand and pulls her towards the other end of the alleyway.

One of the clearer walls has been covered with vivid writings and sketches. A haphazard mix of colors and styles layered over each other in lines that are crisp, bold, and even gritty, while the odd spaces of white peek through where someone had tried to erase the lot.

“See that part over there?” Shuhua pointed towards the uppermost right corner of the wall. A faded, but still clear sketch is visible. Graphic, unrealistically proportioned, but otherwise well-executed, and covering a good several feet of wall space. “Kuannie’s artist friend did that while mostly drunk. It’s not his cleanest work ever, but it’s pretty impressive how well the sketch turned out.”

The crass-looking swan is partly covering a fanciful depiction of Pegasus. And when Miyeon steps closer, she could just make out the text surrounding the figure. A name that is attached to the swan’s neck like a crudely-drawn collar: Yan An.

Miyeon laughed. “That is impressive. But how did it get up there anyway?”

“My brother had him sit on his shoulders. Swears that he nearly got his arm broken after getting him down.”

She lets Miyeon explore at her own pace afterwards and tags closely behind her, while the senior continues to marvel at the plethora of artworks surrounding them with awestricken eyes.

So cute… Shuhua thinks, a hint of a smile on her face as she drinks in Miyeon’s giddy enthusiasm with a soft gaze. Hardly even paying attention to the street art anymore when the older girl stands out among them, like God’s living Magnum Opus.

Perhaps it’s true when they say that art is supposed to make you feel something.

They end up in a lively street market not too far from the graffiti alley, where throngs of visitors and tourists alike are strolling through the intricate maze of food stalls and shop booths. Fried squid and rice cakes are being sold alongside baseball caps and fake designer shoes, while talented street performers battle for space and public recognition.

Knowing Miyeon’s discomfort of crowded spaces, Shuhua keeps a distance between her and the dozens of other people by securing an arm around her shoulders. Keeping Miyeon close to her, while she instinctively presses into Shuhua’s side like a kite being tethered to a tree.

It goes without saying that the elder feels safe and grounded around her dongsaeng.

“Here, Shu! Take a bite!” Miyeon brings the end of a long, sugar twist doughnut that she had bought for them up to Shuhua’s lips, eagerly smiling as she motions for the sophomore to try it first.

Although mildly perplexed at how thick the pastry is, Shuhua tilts her head and takes a small bite on the corner of the sugary treat. Only to nearly spit it out when her tongue comes into contact with the burning piece of doughnut that felt like an ember has been dropped inside .

“Mmphff—!” She whimpered. Hot, hot, hot!

Shuhua’s muffled cries of pain kicks Miyeon into panic mode, and they both end up making a scene for themselves with all their fussing as onlookers watched them in a mix of amusement and sheer confusion. Partly because of a teary-eyed Shuhua uttering strangled noises as she tries to gulp down the hot pastry, while a frantic Miyeon struggles to uncap the water bottle for her without dropping that stupid doughnut.

(Despite her tastebuds suffering the brunt of this fiasco, Shuhua did enjoy the tasty doughnut and wolfed down the last few bites after Miyeon had blown on it to cool it off. At the same time, the two made a pointed effort not to think about all the indirect kisses they had from sharing the same food.)

“It’s almost one, unnie.” Shuhua informed after checking the time on her phone. “We should head back and start getting ready for the wedding.”

Miyeon hummed, downing the last of their water and tossing the empty bottle into the nearest trash bin.

“Alright, let’s—"

“Aiya! Wait!” Shuhua snags her by the shoulder, and Miyeon lets out a startled yelp when she stumbles backwards.

“Shuhua!” She twists her neck to shoot daggers at the girl, somewhat annoyed. “A simple warning would’ve been nice, you know!”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry. But look!”

Following Shuhua’s gaze, Miyeon spots a row of claw machines and crane games lining the outside of an arcade. She’s a tad bemused. “What about them?”

“Back when Kuanlin and I were still in grade school, we had this weekly tradition of going to the arcade with our cousins and trying to master those games.” Shuhua explained. “It was kinda like our version of ‘family bonding’ time whenever our parents did their own thing. You know, adulting stuff.”

Miyeon lets out a tiny snort. “Sounds fun. Any success so far?”

“I’ll have you know, I’m an expert at them now. If I do say so myself.” Shuhua proudly boasts with the bravado of a seasoned grandmaster, which has Miyeon giggling.

“Confidence, I like that.” She teased. “But aren’t claw games usually rigged to make you lose?”

“Not unless you have a few tricks up your sleeve.” The Taiwanese winked.

“Okay, miss hotshot. Why don’t you show me some of your skills then?” Miyeon cheekily dared.

“Challenge accepted.”

They approach the blinking machines filled with all sorts of prizes. From anime figurines, to a treasure trove of candies and chocolate bars that could give dentists a toothache. “See anything you like, unnie?” Shuhua casually asked, flitting her gaze back to Miyeon who looks surprised for a moment.

“Me?” She points to herself.

“Well, yeah. Who else would I be referring to?” Shuhua simpered at the half-hearted punch she gets on her shoulder from the groaning senior. “Seriously, though. I want to win you something nice.”

Caught off-guard by her straightforwardness, Miyeon turns just the faintest shade of pink as she looks away. Suddenly bashful.

“Um… That one, I guess?” She points at the arcade machine loaded with stuffed… crocodiles?

“Really, unnie?” Shuhua says incredulously, gawking at the moss-green reptiles with pointed teeth and beady, yellow eyes. “I mean, no judging whatsoever. But I certainly didn’t expect you’d pick that out of everything else here.”

“Hush. I asked for your skills, not your opinion.”

The younger barks out a laugh. “Okay, okay. Chill out.”

Scoping the machine through the glass barrier, Shuhua identifies a beneficially-placed crocodile plushie lying in the center as it rests atop the pile. Most likely thanks to the last player who was unfortunate enough not to get it. Satisfied, she digs into her pocket for a coin and inserts it into the slot.

“Now stand back and watch the master at play.”

Miyeon rolls her eyes fondly at Shuhua’s smug undertone, but obliges nonetheless as she spectates her from behind.

With her eyes locked intensively on her target, Shuhua moves the joystick around until the claw is positioned directly above the plush and hits the red button. The claw drops right where she wanted it to, grabbing the crocodile and lifting it over to the prize compartment for retrieval.

Miyeon gasps in amazement. “Oh my God, you actually got it on your first try!”

“Told you, unnie. I’m an expert at these.”

Shuhua procures the plush, inspecting it briefly for any defects, then shrugs before handing it over to Miyeon. The latter takes it appreciatively and hugs the crocodile to her chest, a giant grin plastered on her face as she nuzzles into its fuzzy, green fabric.

The more she stares at her, the more Shuhua’s expression softens at the endearing sight.

Not only does Miyeon look so unabashedly thrilled with her new plushie, but also very cute holding up the crocodile that’s nearly as long as her entire torso and it’s so ing wholesome. Shuhua could almost cry. Torn between wanting to hug the absolute life out of the Korean girl, or squeal helplessly into her palms.

The sophomore knows that she’s basically radiating hearts right now, but she can’t help it.

Miyeon is just too wretchedly adorable, it physically hurts.

“I love it! Thank you, Shu-Shu.” She says sincerely, looking back at Shuhua with the most precious dimpled smile to have ever graced her God-given visuals.

And maybe, Shuhua is just head-over-heels smitten with her.

“E-Eh… No problem, unnie.” She coughs into her fist, tearing her gaze away in a desperate effort to hide her raging blush. Only for it to backfire when Miyeon steps forward to kiss her cheek—a harmless, little peck to express her gratitude—and flares up instantly, heat spreading across her face from where Miyeon’s lips had touched her.

“Come on. Your dad must be wondering where we are by now.”

Needless to say, Shuhua practically floated home with Miyeon guiding her the entire way back. One hand cradling the crocodile plush, while the other is clasped around her own in a warm grip.

᠁

The chapel was already packed as soon as they arrived. Flocking with all of Shuhua’s family members and distant kin as they mingled and laughed alongside one another.

As one would expect, news about Shuhua attending the ceremony with a girlfriend spread like wildfire among them. And it didn’t take long for the fake couple to be bombarded left and right by her nosy, gossip-crazed relatives (her aunts, in particular. Lord save her—), who seemingly came prepared with a whole arsenal of questions about Miyeon and their “relationship”.

Naturally, Shuhua links her arm with Miyeon’s. Not just because they needed to play up the dating act, but also because she wanted her to have a support to fall back on if ever Miyeon felt overwhelmed by the influx of guests passing around them. It earns her another kiss on the cheek in thanks.

“Everyone, this is Miyeon-unnie. Yes, she’s my girlfriend. Beautiful, isn’t she?”

“We’ve only been together for about four months now, but I really enjoy being with her… No, Debbie. I didn’t blackmail her to date me. Shut up.”

“Oh, yes. She makes me very happy, uncle. I’m so lucky to have her, and—Omo. Are you blushing, unnie?”

With her reddened face hidden in the Taiwanese’s shoulder, Miyeon lets out a small noise. Flustered by her dongsaeng’s smooth words as she fails to suppress her growing smile.

Shuhua merely laughs through her nose before patting the senior’s head. Smiling all the same as she continues introducing Miyeon to a handful of more guests they come across with—even Tzuyu, who showed up to the venue with her girlfriend Sana on her arm—until it was time for the ceremony to begin.

Everything goes by normally. The brides meet at the altar, exchange their vows and rings, then officially tie the knot with a heartfelt kiss as the congregation erupts into a chorus of applause and loud cheers.

Miyeon, having teared up in the middle of it all, wipes her eyes with a tissue handed by someone in the row behind them (apparently, they had a pack of Kleenex ready for this occasion), while Shuhua giggles next to her. Grabbing the elder’s hand and squeezing it comfortingly, before reaching over to swipe a tear off Miyeon’s cheek as Kuanlin and Mr. Yeh chuckle beside them.

Everyone goes to congratulate the newlyweds as they all filed out of the chapel. And Shuhua finds herself being the subject of her petulant cousin’s whining after she had tugged Miyeon over to formally meet them.

“Shu-Shu! How could you hide such a gem from your good, ol’ cousin?!”

Elkie feigns a look of indignation as she pulled at Shuhua’s cheeks, causing her to complain as both Yeeun and Miyeon share a laugh at their partners’ antics with mirth in their loving eyes.

“First, you don’t contact me in weeks. Then you have the absolute gall to show up at my wedding with a drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend, whom I wouldn’t have even known about if it weren’t for our meddling grandparents!” She ranted, hands flailing around to mirror her exaggeration. “I’m deeply hurt, Shu. I thought we were family!”

Shuhua rolled her eyes at Elkie’s dramatics.

“You changed your number. How else was I supposed to contact you?” She said dryly. “The only social media you have is Facebook, and you were last online two years ago. I was convinced that you and Yeeun-unnie moved into the mountains to live a solitary life.”

Yeeun laughs again. “I mean, I personally wouldn’t mind too much. But Elkie can’t last a week without going to the mall at least once. I’m surprised she hasn’t drained her credit card dry with all the shopping she does.”

“Honey, you’re supposed to be defending me.” Elkie huffed, sounding betrayed. “And it’s not my fault the stores have a sale like every other time I go out. Those stretchy pants from Uniqlo were calling my name!”

Shaking her head, Yeeun sighs adoringly at her silly wife and turns her attention back to the other couple.

“Anyway, I think you both make a very lovely pair.” She gushed with a complimentary smile. “I know the relationship is still pretty recent, but I do hope you two will stay together for a long time. Just like Elkie and I.”

Said woman nods. “Yeah, you have our support. Plus, I’m glad my little cousin found someone who can deal with her.” Elkie pointedly side-eyes their youngest. “Not that she’s a real handful or anything. But Shuhua can be such a child at times, it’s almost like you’re babysitting—”

“Finish that sentence, and Yeeun-unnie is going to find herself widowed by the end of this day.”

Elkie instantly ducks behind her sniggering wife, voicing her protest while Yeeun just finds this whole situation entertaining in its own right. Shuhua locks her jaw in a firm scowl, and Miyeon simply embraces her arm. A silvery laugh on the edge of her lips as she rests her head on Shuhua’s shoulder, beaming from ear-to-ear.

“It’s honestly more of Shu-Shu taking care of me. But I’ll treat her back just the same, if not better. You have my word.” Miyeon assures them, and Shuhua turns rosy at the sentiment.

With two hours to spare before the reception starts, the brides leave to take their wedding photos and freshen up in their bridal suites. The kids are given free rein to play around in the botanical gardens, and the adults took pictures while they explored the chapel grounds.

Miyeon and Shuhua sneak away to a more secluded area with less people, walking hand-in-hand as the sophomore told stories about her early-childhood years back in Taiwan.

“It’s incredible how far you’ve come.” Miyeon says honestly, an earnest smile on her face as she stares at Shuhua with a twinkle in her eyes. “I can’t imagine how difficult the adjustment process must’ve been for you… Taoyuan was like your home, and yet you had to leave it all behind when you moved here.”

Shuhua dismisses it with a shrug.

“I mean… I didn’t live there for very long, so I don’t exactly have a lot of memories to look back on.” She scratched her cheek, mumbling. “Adjusting was hard though, not gonna lie… I remember struggling with the language so much, I spent an entire year in grade school making everyone believe that I was selectively mute. That’s how much I hardly ever spoke back then, but I got the hang of it eventually.”

“Of course, you did. Look at you now. You’re well-integrated, plus your Korean is very proficient. And this is coming from a native Korean.” Miyeon squeezes her hand gently. “I’m proud of you, Shu. Seriously. It sounds cheesy, but… it’s the truth.”

Her honey-brown eyes carry the weight of her words, genuine and meaningful. Shuhua doesn’t know how to respond, so she just clears awkwardly before shifting her gaze elsewhere. Fully-aware that if she stared any longer into them, she’d burn up and most likely make a total fool out of herself. Miyeon has that kind of effect on her lately, and it’s scary how uncontrollable it is.

“Thanks, unnie. That really means a lot, coming from you…”

(All the while, she prays that her blush isn’t too obvious.)

A companionable silence blankets them as they sauntered through the open garden, and Shuhua spares a glance at Miyeon once she was certain that the older girl isn’t facing her way.

The white, off-shoulder dress looks stunning on her—adorned with a ruffle hanging just below her defined collarbones—as it flattered Miyeon’s sylphlike figure and the light, peachy undertones of her ivory skin. Her long, raven hair has been styled into ribbon waves, which spill over one shoulder to reveal most of her slender neck.

Shuhua herself has donned a white dress as well. But with her arms encased in lace sleeves that end in cavalier cuffs, which are fastened securely by a row of small buttons, and her black hair set into much looser curls that dangle right above her belted waist.

In a way, they were like two spring maidens out on a nice stroll together. Aimlessly wandering in the nature that surrounded them, like a sanctuary of sorts. It’s a pleasant imagery to think about.

“Tell me about your major, unnie. I’m curious why you went with Animation for a degree.” Shuhua prompts out of the blue, and Miyeon brightens immediately.

She goes off about wanting to be in Hospitality Management when she first entered college. How it had been her goal since forever, because she likes tending to the needs of others and is pretty good at multi-tasking and adapting to situations. There was no reason for Miyeon to not be in the program, until she took a visual arts class to meet the required number of units and became fascinated by the field.

“—and I absolutely love the idea of bringing any concept to life with moving pictures. It feels so dynamic and engaging, and just so real.”

Miyeon sighed dreamily, speaking with so much uninhibited passion that has Shuhua completely enraptured. She’s mesmerizing, the sophomore realized then.

She gets it now, why people are so naturally charmed by Miyeon.

“You’re amazing, unnie.” Shuhua breathes once the other girl stops talking, and she’s entirely sincere about it.

Meeting her deep, onyx eyes, Miyeon blushes under the intensity in them. Her voice coming out rather flustered as she said “Thank you, Shu-Shu” with a shy smile. “What about your major, though? How is it?”

Shuhua pauses for a bit, frowning pensively as she mulled it over in her head.

“It’s… okay?” She sounds unsure, which has Miyeon regarding her with concern.

“Just okay?” The senior prods carefully, and Shuhua replied with another shrug. “Tell me more. I just waxed poetic about Animation for ten minutes, so it’s only fair.”

“I-I don’t know.” Shuhua sighed. “I guess I like it…? I’m not sure, or maybe I don’t know what I want to do.”

“Oh…” Miyeon goes quiet, then asks. “What’s wrong with Diplomacy?”

Shuhua fidgets with the neckline of her dress. “I mean, it’s fine… I’m good at it. But I don’t really want to do it, you know?”

Miyeon squeezed her hand again, to let Shuhua know that she understands. Above them, the clouds start rolling in. “What’s your favorite class you’ve taken so far?”

Now that’s a question the Taiwanese can answer.

“I took this class in Critical Thinking, actually.” She admits, turning slightly red. “Don’t make fun of me.”

A shake of the head. “I’d never.”

“It was so cool, unnie.” Shuhua has that excited glint in her eyes. “I think I like psychology more than politics? But it was just so interesting… Maybe I should change my major.”

“Have you decided yet?”

“Nope.”

“Shu, go for it!” Miyeon encouraged. “You probably have enough social science credits, so you’ll be fine. And I’m sure some of your units will be accredited once you shift.”

“Yeah, I hope so.” Shuhua looks thoughtful. “I never really considered shifting until now. But I think psychology and behavioral science would be cool, maybe.”

“Do it.” Miyeon said, purposely dragging out the vowels as she leans into her side. And Shuhua feels warm all over. “I believe in you.”

Ah, she’s just too pure for this world sometimes.

“Aiya. Stop it, you’re making me blush.” Shuhua whined, but she’s smiling anyway. So, Miyeon doesn’t take it seriously and just pokes her cheek.

“You’re so cute, Shu-Shu.” Shuhua blushes even harder.

The two keep walking around a little while longer, until stopping under the shade of a large tree dotted with healthy, white plumeria flowers—many of which have fallen down and splayed across the trimmed grass by the dozens—as tiny butterflies flocked around a blossoming magnolia hedge nearby.

They were both similar, in a sense. With Miyeon’s unmatched beauty and sweetheart personality being the magnolia flowers that attracted the swarm of butterflies in Shuhua’s stomach.

Spurred by perhaps the will of her heart, Shuhua scours the ground for a specific flower until landing on one that seems the most intact and untouched of them all. Gingerly, she picks it up and twirls it between her fingers. Checking the white and yellow-hued petals with a critical eye for any blemishes or tears, before she beckons Miyeon over by calling her name.

“May I?” Shuhua gestures at her with the flower in-hand, which has Miyeon a bit confused.

Nonetheless, her curiosity overrides her judgement and she allows Shuhua into her personal space. Watching the girl with bated breath as her face heats up at the feeling of gentle fingers on her skin, just barely grazing the edge of her cheekbone with a feather-light touch when they tucked aside the lock of hair in the way. Then, with meticulous care, Shuhua pushes the stem in until the plumeria flower is nestled right behind Miyeon’s left ear.

“There we go.” Shuhua withdrew from her with a satisfied grin, and Miyeon’s breathing stilled along with her body. Painfully aware of how close they’re standing together when their eyes met halfway.

If this was a movie, they would definitely be in the “falling in love” montage part. Miyeon can’t be falling in love, though. This… This is just play-pretend. A charade they have going on.

But why does her heart say otherwise?

“You’re very beautiful, unnie.”

Miyeon feels blood rushing through her cheeks at Shuhua’s words.

It’s unnerving… in a good way. How Shuhua can so effortlessly compliment her like she’s merely stating facts, despite getting shy herself and often covering it up with an air of nonchalance. But more than that, there’s so much earnestness in Shuhua’s tone and expression that leaves Miyeon at a loss for words.

Why are you making this so hard for me?

“You good?” Shuhua cants her head when the older girl doesn’t say anything.

“Y-Yeah…” Miyeon looks away quickly, growing self-conscious under her inquisitive, yet tender gaze. She takes a deep breath to calm down, to quell the Shuhua-induced panic that’s building up inside her, lest she ends up doing something she’ll regret.

Oblivious to her internal conflict, Shuhua grasps Miyeon’s hand again and smiled.

“We should head back to the chapel then.”

The building is in their line of sight when it starts raining.

“! Unnie, hurry up!” The pair couldn’t help but laugh at their situation, seeing how futile it was for them to avoid getting hit by the downpour. Miyeon runs alongside Shuhua, still in pretty good shape as they hasten their footsteps. But the walk—well, run—to the chapel is much farther than they thought, and they’re both giggling like school children once they make it inside. Hair slightly wet, but nothing too unfixable.

The plumeria, unfortunately, has been lost in the ordeal. Miyeon feels bad and even apologizes for dropping it by accident, but Shuhua couldn’t care less about its short-lived purpose. She has her own flower right here, and a much prettier one at that. Even with the strands of damp hair sticking to her face.

“That was fun.” Miyeon joked as they’re drying themselves with some paper towels in the washroom. “Your hair is all messy, I like it.”

“Thanks.” Shuhua brazenly grinned. “Your hair is all tangled, you should fix it.”

“Wow, you’re so nice to me.”

“You’re welcome, unnie.”

Miyeon rolled her eyes in good mirth. “Okay, you dummy. We better finish up soon, or else your dad might just leave us here.”

When they come out of the washroom, Kuanlin is already waiting outside and staring at them quizzically.

“Uh, dad’s in the car…” He squints. “Also, how did you two become such a mess?”

“It rained.” Shuhua replied as if it’s the only explanation, while Miyeon’s fingers brush through her unruly mane. “But frankly, I don’t think we look that bad.”

Kuanlin is unimpressed.

“Suuure. Tell yourself that.” He humored before ushering them straight to the car. “Now go get your butts inside, it’s party time!”

Miyeon leans her head on Shuhua’s shoulder during their ride to the reception. Mr. Yeh shoots them knowing glances from the rearview mirror, and Kuanlin peeks at the cozy-looking couple from his spot in the passenger seat.

“That’s mad cute.” He said, prompting Shuhua to stick her tongue out childishly.

“What’s cute?” Miyeon whispered, too distracted by their friends’ messages on her phone.

“Oh, you know… Us.”

Even without looking up from her screen, Shuhua is certain that Miyeon was smiling.

This pretend-relationship feels almost too real. From the casual dates, to the playful flirting. They’ve inhabited their roles so well, it just feels so… natural. Like something they should’ve done a long time ago. Like Shuhua could actually be dating Miyeon, and she doesn’t mind dating Miyeon because the senior is perfect and amazing in every possible aspect. And daresay, she might even be just the teeny-tiniest bit in love with her too—

.

The realization hits her like a freight train.

“Shu-Shu?” Miyeon notices how Shuhua squirms uncomfortably in her seat, and she puts aside her phone to look at her. “What’s wrong?” She asked, worried.

Shuhua remains silent.

“Shu, seriously.” Miyeon sits up, keeping her voice quiet so that the other two wouldn’t hear them. “You know you can tell me anything.”

“It’s…” God, Shuhua’s throat feels dry. “It’s nothing, unnie… Forget about it.”

Miyeon purses her lips. “Shuhua, you can’t just hide things from me if they’re clearly bothering you. I want to help.”

“Unnie, it’s really nothing.”

“You don’t sound very convincing.”

“I said it’s nothing. What more do you want?” Shuhua’s tone is sharper now, too prickly and guarded. “Geez, lay off already…”

Feeling moderately hurt by how rude she was acting, Miyeon turns to face the window instead. “Fine… If that’s what you want.” She scoffed, not caring if it had sounded a little mean. Shuhua can’t blame her, though. She knew she deserved it.

“Sorry, unnie. I just… had a moment back there, that’s all.” She mumbled, but doesn’t look up to see if the senior is acknowledging her right now. “I promise I’ll be okay once we’re out of this car.”

“Whatever you say…”

Miyeon doesn’t so much as glance in her direction, which honestly stings a bit. But Shuhua won’t hold it against her. She has the right to be upset, after all.

Tension hangs in the air between them for a solid thirty minutes, so she’s more than thankful to be free of it when the car finally stops at their destination. Shuhua isn’t the only one to have noticed it, however, because Mr. Yeh darts his eyes at the two. Confused by how detached they suddenly are.

Shuhua shakes her head, pleading him not to bring it up at the moment, and he gets the memo. Just as Miyeon looks around before landing her eyes back on the sophomore, her expression unreadable.

“Let’s get this over with.”

᠁

They’re seated at a table with some family friends who feel the need to ask if either Shuhua or Miyeon had said “the three big words” yet.

“Three big words?” The Taiwanese repeats. Miyeon nods on her end, and a lightbulb goes off in her head. “O-Oh! I mean…!”

“Our relationship is still quite new in the grand scheme of things, but I’m pretty committed to my Shu-Shu.”

Miyeon’s voice goes all sappy with affection, and the folks are swooning. Shuhua, on the other hand, doesn’t buy into her honeyed words for one second. They were way too sugar-coated in order to hide the bitter edge in her tone, which doesn’t go unnoticed by the girl sitting right beside her.

Perhaps it’s time she apologized.

“Unnie… I’m sorry for the way I acted in the car earlier, it was totally uncalled for.” Shuhua spoke up when everyone else’s attention is on Elkie and Yeeun cutting their elaborate wedding cake. “I know you were just concerned about me, but I shouldn’t have been so rude about it. It wasn’t fair to you, and… I really hope you can forgive me.”

The honest guilt in her eyes broke through Miyeon’s cold façade, and she heaves out a sigh before leaning in to kiss her dongsaeng’s cheek.

“I can never be mad at you, Shu…” She smiled, then laughs sweetly at the happy look on Shuhua’s face as they held hands again. Fingers woven together, like two puzzle pieces meant to fit. “I’m sorry too, for being petty. I should’ve been more considerate about how you’d feel if I pressured you into talking.”

Now it’s Shuhua who kisses her cheek this time. A of boldness that takes Miyeon by complete surprise as she lets out an adorable squeak. Shocked by the sudden turn of events, but also very pleased by the reciprocation.

“Shuhua!” Miyeon’s eyes are pushed up into those endearing half-moons as her smile broadened, including the dimple, which she hides behind her other hand. “What was that for?”

“I never returned it, so…” Shuhua rubs her neck while blushing profusely. “… it seemed only fair.”

“Aww. You’re so cute, Shu-Shu.” Miyeon cooed, pinching her cheek as she grumbled under the elder’s touch.

“Yes, you’ve made that explicitly clear like three times already.”

“Just so you remember, babe.”

Shuhua turns a shade darker at the endearment.

“Well, thank you. It’s ingrained in my mind now.” She muttered. Miyeon stares at her some more, and she feels her insides squirming from the scrutiny. “Why are you still looking at me?”

For a second, there was a flicker of pained conflict in Miyeon’s gaze that takes her aback. But it’s gone before Shuhua could fully process it. Like a trick of the light making her disoriented and questioning if what she had seen was actually there or not.

“Was I a good girlfriend?” If Miyeon hadn’t been leaning so close to her, Shuhua wouldn’t have caught it.

But where did this question come from?

“Of course. You were more than helpful, unnie.” She tells her without hesitation.

Miyeon smiles again, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes anymore. She seems… disappointed, and Shuhua can’t put a finger on why.

The contact of their hands loosens, until the Korean is pulling away. Setting boundaries that were never actually there to begin with and closing herself off from Shuhua, who becomes deflated by her withdrawal. If it were a few days ago, she wouldn’t have felt as bothered. But now, Shuhua is beginning to miss the Miyeon she has bonded with over the weekend. And she wishes that the senior didn’t have to pull away so soon.

Their moment is interrupted by the music starting back up to the beat of a 2000s indie-pop song. And with that tight-lipped smile still plastered on her features, Miyeon jumps to her feet before stretching a hand out to Shuhua.

“Care to dance with me?” She seems nervous, but Shuhua takes her hand regardless.

“I’d love to.”

Her ears go pink at the collective “aww’s” rising from their eavesdropping tablemates. Except Miyeon must’ve misheard her or something, because she ends up saying those three words that would put Shuhua’s world into a screeching halt.

“I love you.”

The declaration spills from like honey, smooth and easy, too much so. It seems too light on Miyeon’s tongue, weighted words floating from smiling lips instead of falling. And yet, it feels like a hundred boulders crashing onto Shuhua all at once.

“I…” She struggles to find her voice, trapped somewhere between her larynx and the back of her tongue. “… I love you too, unnie.”

Her stomach tightens at the same time.

Whistles of excitement ring throughout the table as Miyeon leads her towards the dance floor. Shuhua feels like screaming inside when she searched the other girl’s face, but it’s pretty damn neutral and hard to decipher. Even though to the untrained eye, Miyeon seems fine and unaffected. It leaves a sinking feeling in her gut.

What was she expecting? That Miyeon could possibly love her back? Preposterous. She’s just being a really good actress, that’s all. It was dumb to think… Shuhua doesn’t even know what to think.

“Unnie, what the Hell was that?” She demands once they’re out of earshot.

Miyeon flinched at the hiss in her condescending voice. It sounds harsh, even for Shuhua.

“They weren’t letting up, okay?” She fires back, just as stern and a touch defensive. “I did you a favor back there.”

“We didn’t talk about saying the L word!” Shuhua exclaimed, her pitch rising.

“We didn’t talk about a lot of things, Shu. And why do you care? You’ve been fine with literally everything else we’ve been doing!” Miyeon is serious now, her expression hardened into a deep frown as she bites coldly on her next words. “I told you before, I’m good at pretending and making stuff up. I’ve done my part of the deal way more than I should’ve. The least you could do is be grateful that I’m even playing along with your stupid dating schtick!”

They’re glaring furiously at each other now, bristling like two lions unwilling to back down from a challenge. Blacks clashed with browns as their patience runs thin between them.

“So, what? You’ve been doing this out of courtesy? A friendly favor?” Shuhua derides scathingly. “Was all that time bonding just another act to you, unnie?”

It only takes a beat of suspense for Miyeon to answer her. “Yes, obviously. What else would it be?”

The blunt admission drives splinters into Shuhua’s chest, and the sting becomes too unbearable to ignore.

“… Right.” Her superficial rage disappears along with her shattered hope. Like a blazing fire that’s been snuffed out to ashes. She sounds defeated, heartbroken even. “Of course. There’s nothing else besides that.”

Shuhua quickly releases the senior’s hand, too blinded by her own pain that she misses the flood of regret washing over Miyeon’s shocked face upon comprehending the gravity of her words.

“No, w-wait. I didn’t mean it like that…”

Miyeon desperately wants to take it all back—to erase the miserable look Shuhua is giving her—as a piece of her aching heart cracks off from the desolate glint in those somber, dark eyes.

“Shuhua, please hear me out—”

She tries reaching for her again, but Shuhua has briskly her heel and ran away. The younger doesn’t know where she’s heading, or if she’ll even get far with these darn wedges being a hindrance. But so long as it’s not with Miyeon, then she could care less about where her feet are taking her.

I should’ve seen this coming. Damn it.

Fighting back her stubborn tears, she nearly bumps into someone on the way out to the garden. An apology forms itself on her tongue, but the stranger beats her to it by speaking up first.

“Excuse me? Are you Yeh Shuhua?”

Said girl lifts her head at the mention of her name and blinks rapidly. No way in Hell is Shuhua going to break down in front of some random person. Because God, that would be so embarrassing.

“Yeah, sorry… W-Who are you?” She stuttered through the lump bobbing up and down in .

The mystery girl smiled. “I’m Lee Mijoo. Your grandparents asked if I could meet you, actually. In case you’re wondering.”

Oh, right. She forgot about that.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Shuhua groaned aloud. Mijoo’s expression falls, and she immediately feels like a total .

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off like that, I just…” She balled her fists. “… had an argument with my girlfriend and left to cool down for a bit.”

“No, no! That’s okay! I get you.” Mijoo waved her hands, chuckling. She scans their surroundings briefly, then flits back to Shuhua with a solemn face. “Wanna talk about it elsewhere? I know we just met, but it seems like you need a space to vent it out.”

Ideally, she’d like having Miyeon around as a listening ear. Except that option isn’t available right now.

“Sure.” She sighed dejectedly.

Mijoo leads her to a quiet area in the garden, where they settle on an empty bench to talk.

“You won’t tell anyone, right?” Shuhua adds as a preface, and Mijoo looks confused. “It’s kinda complicated. There was a time when I, uh, wanted nothing to do with her. Then we bonded for a while and, well… I-I fell in love with her so quickly. Now I’m scared that she doesn’t actually feel the same way at all…”

“She’s… your girlfriend, though?” Mijoo said, clearly bemused.

Shuhua doesn’t know why she’s spilling this out here in the open. But Mijoo seems nice enough not to divulge her secrets or anything.

“I’m just afraid that she’s going to end things between us tonight…” And that’s it. Shuhua doesn’t want them to go back to being distant and awkward with each other once this is all over. She sighs again, downcast eyes watering beneath her lashes as they stare glumly at her lap.

“I’m sure she won’t.” Mijoo carefully brushed the hair out of her face. “I bet she loves you back all the same, and you just haven’t noticed it yet. Or… I don’t know. I’m not good with this romance stuff myself.”

She pats Shuhua on the back in a consoling manner.

“You want to hear something funny?” The Taiwanese nods, needing a little pick-me-up to lift her spirits. “I also brought my girlfriend today, but my grandparents were still trying to set me up with you. They’re not exactly ‘big fans’ of her, for whatever dumb reason… so I’ve been nagged to death about going out and meeting other people too. It’s pretty tiresome.”

“How fitting…” Shuhua laughed airily as she wipes a tear away. “We’re both into girls, our grandparents like to play matchmaker and even tried to hit us up together. Who would’ve thought?”

“Yeah, what a disappointment for them.” Mijoo grinned, just as someone waves at her from afar.

“Guess that’s my cue… Jisoo must be waiting for me.” After returning the gesture with a wave of her own, she turns back to Shuhua and sticks her hand out. “But it was nice meeting you, Shuhua-ssi. I hope things work out between you and your girlfriend.”

The sophomore shakes it, grateful for her company. “You too, Mijoo-ssi. Thanks for the chat.”

“Hey, no problem. Enjoy your night!”

Once the girl leaves arm-in-arm with her date, Shuhua takes a moment to breathe. To quell the anxiousness that’s gnawing at her insides from the prospect of having to confront Miyeon once again.

But while she’s still hurt from the heartache their earlier fight has inflicted on her, it’s largely undermined by the fact that Shuhua didn’t want to end their evening on a sour note. Especially when it’s their last night of being together as a fake couple. She never liked conflict, nor did she like keeping things unresolved with someone.

I need to talk to her…

Gathering as much courage as she could, Shuhua gets up with the intent of finding Miyeon at the party. Only for that same person to come barging out the doors like clockwork—her expression twisted into one of urgent distress and panic—as she sweeps her gaze across the garden. Frantic eyes searching wildly until they land on Shuhua, who’s standing not too far ahead with an awkward look.

“U-Unnie…” She starts upon eye-contact. “About what happened earlier, I—auck!”

Miyeon threw herself into Shuhua’s arms, cutting her off mid-sentence and knocking the wind right out of her lungs. They stumble back a few steps before Shuhua found her footing, slightly dazed as she held onto the senior’s trembling form with a steady grip.

“I’m sorry, Shu…” Miyeon sniffled from where she has tucked her head into the crook of Shuhua’s neck, arms flung around her shoulders in a firm embrace. “I shouldn’t have blown up at you like that. I… I let myself get angry and took it out on you, but I know it doesn’t justify me hurting you the way I did. And I’m so, so sorry for that…”

The Taiwanese hugs her tightly, cheek pressed against the side of Miyeon’s head as she murmured.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry for lashing out at you too, unnie. I was being irrational…” Her voice goes low with guilt. “Seriously, thanks for doing this—all of this. We weren’t even that close to begin with, and yet you offered to help anyway… I should’ve realized that.”

Miyeon pulls back slowly and looks at Shuhua with gentle eyes that shimmer like gemstones under the moonlight. A bit tear-worn, but still beautiful nonetheless.

“I didn’t mean what I said back there in the party… About us.” She says, remorseful. “I was just letting the moment carry my head, and I regret ever making you think that I thought so little of the time we spent together…”

Shuhua closes her eyes at the feeling of Miyeon’s soft lips on her forehead, sighing in utmost content and relief as she relaxed under their lulling touch.

“I really enjoyed being with you, Shu. A lot. You made me so happy… I hope you’ll remember that, even after tonight. Okay?”

She opens her eyes to the sight of Miyeon smiling at her, crescent-eyed and ethereal under the moon’s glow. It takes Shuhua’s breath away for a second time, but she still manages to find her voice.

“That’s—That’s all I needed to hear right now. Thank you, unnie.” She pauses for a bit, then continues. “I owe you a lot for putting up with this whole dating plan. It must’ve been bothersome…”

A definitive shake of the head.

“Not when it brought me closer to you.”

Miyeon stares deep into Shuhua’s eyes, and they both feel lost for a moment. Silent, but with their hearts thumping loudly in their chests. She then lifts her hand to tuck Shuhua’s hair behind her ear, mirroring the girl’s actions back in the chapel gardens, and gazes fondly at her. Sending the butterflies in her stomach up to and suffocating Shuhua to the point of swallowing them back down.

“And I didn’t do this out of pity or anything, I…” Miyeon hesitates, as if contemplating the outcome of her next words, then backpedals at the last second. “… just wanted to help out a friend in need. A really good friend.”

Hearing that felt like a slap to the face after being caressed into a temporary sense of comfort. But Shuhua plays it off with a nonchalant smile and ingrained indifference, even though she shrivels up a little bit inside. She feels like an idiot for hoping Miyeon saw her more than just that, a friend.

Better than being rivals. God, stop being so dramatic. The back of her mind chastised.

“Thanks, unnie. Decent of you.” Shuhua settles on instead, resigning herself to just accept what they have right now, and Miyeon tentatively offers her hand again. Fingers spread and beseeching as she asked—

“Still up for a dance tonight?”

᠁

The party is in full swing when they’re back inside the clubhouse. Old friends and adults are mingling over glasses of beer and wine, kids are playing hide-and-seek in the dark, curtained corners of the room, others are jamming to the addictive beat of a well-known pop song being played, and the rest are either scrolling on their phones or lining up for seconds at the catered buffet.

Since they missed their chance the first time due to certain… misunderstandings, Shuhua had accepted Miyeon’s invitation for a dance almost instantly. She skipped out on most of the ballroom dance classes during her junior high years (gymnastics, for the win), so dancing with Miyeon was certainly a new and exciting prospect.

As they make it onto the dance floor, the music changes to a sprightly, jazz tune that compliments the deep, bass voice flowing through the speakers. Miyeon gingerly arranged Shuhua’s hands so that one is resting on her shoulder, and the other has its fingers intertwined with that of her own.

“Just follow my lead, okay?” The elder instructs after tugging Shuhua closer to her, and she nods right away.

“Got it, unnie.”

Carefully, Miyeon coaxes Shuhua into moving in time with the music as she laid her free hand on the younger’s waist. Counting out the steps under her breath for the girl’s benefit.

“One, two, three… One, two, three…”

Shuffling her feet awkwardly, Shuhua looks down at them to avoid stepping on Miyeon’s by accident. She seems to get the gist of their steps to follow the senior’s lead, but it’s still not up to par with her lighter, more graceful movements.

Shuhua fits perfectly in her arms, Miyeon noticed, but seems rather stiff and unconfident. The Korean aims to change that.

“Relax…” Miyeon whispered, tracing small circles on Shuhua’s waist to calm her down. “I got you, Shu.”

Little by little, the sophomore begins to cave—her muscles uncoil slowly but surely, until her arms and legs were just as loose as Miyeon’s—and then, they’re gliding across the laminate floors in swift, airy steps. Matching their tempo to the strains of music as they leaned further into each other. Their physical chemistry is so tangible, it makes them both think that the room was spinning.

When Shuhua looks up again, she’s somewhat taken aback by the sheer adoration in Miyeon’s brown eyes. So authentic that it gives her an inkling of hope she dares not to name. And yet, she doesn’t tear away from them.

The gentle pressure of Shuhua’s hands on her shoulder and against her fingers thrilled Miyeon, and she begins to lose track of time. Entranced by the Taiwanese’s compelling, black eyes and flustered expression, just as the music fades out to give way for the next track—something Miyeon has heard to an extent.

Piano keys start up as a precursor for the new song, followed by the ambient downtempo of synthesized chords playing a slow, groovy tune, which Miyeon adapts to by changing their routine into a series of much easier side-to-side steps. A simple, sway-type of dance that Shuhua can follow very quickly as they continue moving together. Still not breaking their momentum.

It was beyond words to describe the dark-hued colors framing Miyeon’s features in shade. The straight bridge of her perfectly-sculpted nose, and the sharp line of her jaw leading up to her face that is outlined with the artificial purples and reds of the strobe lights flashing overhead.

Shuhua keeps her gaze on the Korean beauty, drinking in every detail that made Miyeon who she is. Most notably, the alluring shape of her plush lips tugged into a tender smile.

Her heart stutters faintly.

“It might not be the right time,

I might not be the right one.

But there’s something about us I want to say,

‘Cause there’s something between us anyway.”

A stilted, electronic voice is heard singing in imperfect English. Flawlessly modulated, but still laced with emotion.

Tilting her head back, Shuhua does a brief scan of the room. Elkie is taking a breather at the side with Yeeun tucked under her arm, whilst Mijoo and Jisoo—as well as Tzuyu and Sana—are also on the dance floor swaying to the music. Oblivious to anyone, but their significant other.

And when Shuhua locks eyes with Miyeon once more, she knows the feeling.

Does Miyeon feel it too, perhaps?

“I might not be the right one,

It might not be the right time.

But there's something about us I've got to do,

Some kind of secret I will share with you.”

In that moment, everything around them becomes a blur. And they’re suddenly more hyper-aware of each other.

Miyeon’s smile fades as her expression turns ardent. Staring at Shuhua with those almond-shaped eyes the color of golden honey, but a lot sweeter and dripping with warmth. Shuhua gulps nervously, heat creeping up her neck and to her cheeks in a flush of pink, as blood roars in her ears. The sophomore would be lying if she said she isn’t so attracted to the senior right now. Though, she wouldn’t be able to articulate it anyway.

Not when Miyeon is lingering dangerously in front of her.

“I need you more than anything in my life,

I want you more than anything in my life,

I'll miss you more than anyone in my life,

I love you more than anyone in my life.”

The electronic voice is gone, and all that’s left is the music still playing around them. Like a spell beckoning them even closer together.

“Miyeonnie…” Shuhua’s voice comes out soft and delicate, sending goosebumps along Miyeon’s skin as she inhales sharply at her little nickname. opening in tandem to murmur an even softer “Shu-Shu”, and it shoots an arrow right through Shuhua’s chest.

Is this what being lovestruck feels like? She can’t help but wonder.

Before the two knew it, they were both easing in simultaneously. Their faces drawing near until they’re just a breath’s width apart. Sharing the same air between them that is thick and heavy with emotional tension. Hands still strong on their waist and shoulder to ground themselves in the present, hearts beating fast against their ribcages like they’re responding to each other’s pulse. Wanting, yearning for that connection.

Miyeon’s eyelids flutter a bit as her lips parted slightly, and Shuhua’s fingers curl against the fabric of her dress while shivering in hopeful anticipation.

Could this be it…? It has to be. Of course, it is. Nothing else in the world could feel so right.

All they needed is just one more push, and…

The music fades out, breaking whatever trance they had fallen into as the next track in queue starts playing. Opening to the lively beats of a dancehall-inflected pop song that comes over them like a wake-up call from their reverie. But once they’ve finally gotten their senses back, the growing realization of what she had almost done splashes over Miyeon like a bucket of ice water. And it didn’t take long for Shuhua to notice the abrupt change in her gaze at this.

The adoration she swore to have seen in Miyeon’s eyes has now been replaced with fear.

Her stomach drops immediately. Dread seeping into her veins when she retracts from Shuhua way too soon, like they weren't even supposed to be this physically close in the first place. Like she was overstepping her line and taking advantage of someone who probably doesn't know any better.

Miyeon’s hands fall back to her sides, and the air around them suddenly feels cold.

“… Unnie? Are you okay?” Shuhua tries to approach her—to seek her warmth again—but she automatically takes a step back. Distancing them, closing the younger off again as she moves further out of her reach. “Hey, what’s—"

“Don’t.” Miyeon pleaded in a trembling voice as her eyes begin to water. “T-This… This was a mistake.”

Those words constricted around Shuhua’s heart, crushing it with painstaking slowness.

“But…” Her mind is spiraling, distraught. What did I do wrong?

She just stands there, not knowing what to say. But it didn’t matter anyway when her voice hung still in the empty space before her.

Miyeon was already gone.

᠁

Author's Note: Not me plugging in a Daft Punk song because I'm still emo about their retirement o)--( ; Do try giving it a listen though, you just might like it: Something About Us

I actually edited the last two parts like four different times, so apologies if they're half-assed and just very cringey in general. I'm terrible at emotional conflict/tension (and feelings).

And yes, that group convo about frozen mozzarella cheese happened. I just felt like referencing it here for the funsies.

(cr: my friend group's Discord server that I so graciously stole this screenshot from.)