CHAPTER 36

Next morning came, it was a grey Saturday over South Korea since the snow lasted all night. The weather was worth some shivering, Joohyun started to wake up as she realized she was hugging the covers in search of more heat, it took her a few seconds to also notice why she was in such distress for the cold. One of her hands moved to search her girlfriend and all she touched was an empty bed, all the sleepiness came out of Joohyun´s body to sit on the mattress while also having a little surprise when she saw Seung-wan sitting on the corner of the bed, watching the tv in front of them.

“Wannie…?”

The blonde didn't reply or move, her eyes still glued to the screen. Joohyun frowned, something was wrong. She took the covers off her body and went to sit on the edge of the mattress next to Seung-wan.

“Seung-wan…? Are you ok?”

“Look at the news…”

For the first time Joohyun directed her eyes to the screen of the TV, it was the news about some events that happened during the blizzard last night. They were regarding a truck that lost control and hitted some light posts in the city, it dragged two cars on the way. There were no casualties but all the people involved got severely injured.

 “It was right in front of my apartment, around half an hour after you told me to stay…”

Oh...

“I...well, a good thing you listened to me then...right?”

“It could have been me if I didn´t tho…” Seung-wan took a deep breath. “And to think that there was a chance for me to run away just because I didn't want to talk about my feelings and the last thing to see was you crying...I…”

“Seung-wan, but you stayed. It did not happen, don't dwell on that…”

“No, I know. Is it just…it got me thinking and…” Seung-wan finally turned to look Joohyun in the eyes. “I really did not think about myself yesterday, like you said: just because I was not on good terms with you it didn´t mean I have to forget about me...and...I am sorry, I am really sorry Joohyun…” Seung-wan´s eyes got a little teary and she hurried to hug the brunette very tight.

Of course, Joohyun corresponded with the same tightness. “Seung-wannie is ok...I should be the one to apologize to you for not telling you sooner…”

“No, this was on me...I was just feeling too many things I guess...I…” Seung-wan lost her hold to see Joohyun´s face again. “I got overwhelmed..or confused...I don't know…” she closed her eyes in an attempt to get everything together and said it out loud. She could feel how Joohyun softly caressed the blonde hair to try to get her calm. One more deep breath. “I got mad at you for lying at first but I was conscious that you got no choice because of the contract...I knew I shouldn't feel angry cause you were just doing your job and this technically didn't affect our relationship anyway...then I got mad at myself for feeling bad since I also thought to be keeping a secret from you when I thought you didn't know that I rated the new trainees too. I felt sadness because I remembered my ex lying to me but this was nothing compared to him….however, I still got...insecure…”

“Insecure...of me…?”

“Of everything, I just-I don´t know, my brain just started thinking about a million different scenarios of why you didn't tell me...like, she doesn't trust me? Was she lying with something else? Was I not good enough for her to trust me…? s like that...and now that I am saying out loud I am getting frustrated...because this kind of thoughts come from my insecurity again and that comes from the fact that another motherer that I dated breaked me before…” Seung-wan lowered her gaze, she felt kind of ashamed now that she let it all out.

Joohyun moved her hands to each of Seung-wan´s cheeks for the blonde to see her eye to eye once more. “I do trust you, I just lied about my trainee results and not knowing about Yeri, and you are more than enough. But there is not an enough to measure in the first place, you shouldn't think like you need to reach a certain goal or something for you to be with me Seung-wan, I love you, I truly do and for me love is two people accepting each other and wanting to spend the rest of my life with the other. I understand your concerns and we can work together if you want. I do feel bad about not telling you before because I knew how your ex treated you but I just didn't want to ruin our moments...I was selfish and wanted all of our moments to be happy ones...but we need to balance them out I guess…” A little smile appeared on her lips. “I am very sorry, I still very much in love with you and I think we need to work things out from now on because I refuse to let you go- oof!”

Joohyun couldn't continue due to the lack of air she felt when Seung-wan, oh so needy, suddenly hugged her really really tight this time.

"I love you...and I don't want to let you go either...I-I promise to express my feelings more…"

"And I promise you to talk things out when needed, even if they get uncomfortable...and to love you and no one else."

Seung-wan laughed brightly. "Oh, now who is the cringe one?"

Joohyun laughed with her, both of them moving slowly to close the gap between their foreheads and bump their noses while smiling at each other.

Something inside of Joohyun's heart felt like it was blooming by looking at Seung-wan's eyes, they looked like they had stars for her, and mentally, the brunette made another self promise to keep those eyes shining.

But from one second to another, something in the air caught Joohyun's attention, her nose gave a few sniffles to be sure. "Do I smell...honey?"

"Oh, it is…" Seung-wan separated from her to give a look at the other side of the small house. Joohyun followed her gaze to the table and saw some pancakes and bacon. "I woke up a while ago and made us some breakfast...I kind of forgot about it when I the TV, sorry…"

Joohyun gave her a bright smile full of love. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

“YERI IS WHAT?”

“Thanks for screaming in my ear Seulgi…”

“Oh, sorry. But what the hell?! Since when?”

“Since...always I guess? You can ask her yourself, you know, we are in a video call right now.” Joy was at her apartment with a nice hot cup of chocolate, her laptop in front of her showing Yeri laughing over what she was hearing from the conversation Joy was having over the phone with Seulgi.

“No, no I will talk to her later. I need to run some errands right now.”

“It sounds kind of windy there, where are you going with this weather?”

“The mechanic, my motorcycle is making a weird noise and I don't want to risk it.”

“You are driving with the roads still full of snow?!”

Seulgi chuckled. “Of course not, I already left it there. I am going on the subway to check how much it will be but I am not an idiot to drive right away!”

Joy laughed over her reaction. “Ok, have a nice subway trip then.”

“Thanks, tell Yeri that I will call her later please.”

“Ok.”

“Bye~”

Joy ended the call only to be met with a smirking Yeri on her laptop´s screen.

“What?”

“I am glad you two got close, I hope you don't replace me tho.”

Joy puffed her cheeks. “Is Yeri-mmie jealous that I have another friend? Awwww.”

“Ha ha, in your dreams jerk...Anyways, thanks for understanding all of this...and I am sorry….”

“It's ok, I get your situation now. If everything is too….overwhelming, you can tell us you know.”

Yeri nodded while smiling. “I will, pinky promise.”

“By the way, were you the one that I chased on the stairs the other day?”

“Huh? What stairs?”

“...”

“Joy?”

“Nevermind, it could be Irene…”

“What freaking stairs?”

“The emergency stairs we got at the building and no one uses.”

“I still don't get what you are talking about, but Irene stayed either with me or her cubicle or Wendy. The stairs don´t pass through my office anyway so she always uses the elevator.”

“...Nevermind, maybe I am giving too much importance to nothing…”

After Joy ended the call, Seulgi took a few breaths to assimilate the new information. Yeri was the CEO...this changes everything.

“Why do these things keep happening to me?” Seulgi whined out loud, she was actually on her own apartment´s balcony when she was talking with Joy. Without losing any more time she dialed another number on her phone. It rang a couple times before someone answered her.

“Hello?” A raspy voice from an unknown man replied.

“I spy with my little eye.”

“You got the archives? If you do, we got the money ready.”

“I quit.”

“WHAT?!”

“You heard me, man, is not worthy anymore. I have so many problems here.”

“Problems? You are a spy! That was implied from the beginning, you can't quit because of that!”

“Yes I can, you know all the mess I have to deal with? I got so nervous thinking the woman I hacked would discover me that I had to use my auality as an excuse and gave away my flan when they almost discover me in the emergency stairs, my dumb best friend got the job I told her as a joke and she got the love of her life in the company, I can´t destroy their careers! And let's not talk about the CEO, I ain't messing that up!”

“Why the heck would I care about a flan?...Wait, you discovered the CEO?! Give us the information we paid you to get! If you add the info of the CEO we will triple the amount!”

“Are you deaf? I am telling you I am quitting! Besides, I don't even trust you, the deal was for me to receive the full payment and you sent Lee Taemin! I even had to help him enter the trainees!”

“Wait, we can explain-”

“This is the last you will hear from me.”

“You are in debt to us, we paid you!”

“No! You crashed my motorcycle months ago and payed for the repair only, you offered a huge amount of money for ending the company I was already working for and you still sended another of your incompetent workers to screw up everything!”

“We will pay seven times more!”

“Move on, man! Is it not even the fault of Reve Inc. that you lost the company in the first place, go to England for revenge! Peace out!”

And with that, Seulgi ended the call and throwed her phone on the floor, breaking the screen and probably more by the colors that are displayed now. She growled and went inside her apartment. “I have to be a good person, don´t I?!”

The rest of her day was spent in whining about the money she lost and the stress she passed for nothing.

After eating breakfast and washing the dishes, the wenrene couple didn't feel their hearts tight anymore. But now that they had a heart to heart talk, something in Joohyun still wanted to come out. The brunette turned to Seung-wan, who was making the bed, an unnecessary thing if you take in account that they will definitely not be going out today and probably will lay on it but oh well.

“Seung-wannie~”

“Mm? Yes?”

“Let's go to the roof.”

“Oh? Sure, take a jacket with you though. You get cold easily.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Joohyun smiled at her while directly going to Seung-wan´s backpack and taking a dark blue jacket that the blonde barely uses. “I am using this!”

Seung-wan laughed at her, sometimes the brunette can act like a little kid. “Fine, fine. But you have to give it back, ok?”

“Pfft, what a fool. To think that I will even take it off.”

“Hey, that is still mine.”

“Ours!” Joohyun declared while she went to the door and exited.

Seung-wan couldn´t stop her smile from getting wide, all of yesterday´s feelings completely gone. She went after her girlfriend and closed the door after going out. To go to the roof, they have to circle to the back side to see a ladder attached to the wall, Joohyun was already climbing it when Seung-wan got there.

The blonde regretted not having a sweater or something since the metal from the latter was still freaking cold, her hands hurted a little bit when she got up but the view was worth it. They could see the city far away, a cloudy sky that let some sun rays go through the clouds and hit some of the building's windows to reflect the light. The beautiful brunette in front of her had a cute smile while watching the city, the tip of her nose a little red due to the cold. Seung-wan was out of breath, her heart working faster and her cheeks burning, she found the sight of Joohyun to be so endearing, so cute and adorable and perfect and so many other great adjectives. She felt tingles on her insides and Seung-wan was sure of something, this is for sure how love is supposed to feel...