Eunbi

Kim Chaewon. Doesn’t mean you brought Nako to school today so I could sleep in, grants you permission for endless harassment during my working hours!!!

Stop texting me and deal with your romantic trip yourself!!!

Chaewon

Just one last question, did you manage to get the reservation?

Eunbi

Yes…

Chaewon

Yes!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

I’ll stop texting you for real now.

Eunbi

Please.

Chaewon tosses her phone excitedly on her desk in her home office. She spent the entire day planning her impulsive idea from last night and finally it seems to be not so crazy and more practical after all. Yesterday provided enlightenment and as crazy as last minute this idea is, it is worth it. It will be romantic. It will just be the both of them, just like how they bonded in the first place over in New York. If it didn’t take so impractically long to fly over to the Big Apple and back, Chaewon would definitely do that so instead, she had to rack her brain for somewhere perfect for them to make memories.

Hoping to spend time with just the two of them - uninterrupted from the realities of their daily lives - is not easy considering her girlfriend is an A-list celebrity. Planning to allow Minjoo to stay incognito and comfortable surely made things not easy so Chaewon is very relieved most is sorted out. She transfers the necessary paperwork from the planning into the cloud storage and leans back against her chair, bringing her phone with her. The time is currently 4pm, she notes as she drafts her message.

Chaewon

Pack clothes for 3 days 2 nights. We are going on a trip.

Bring a nice dinner outfit. Nothing formal, more on the smart casual side.

I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 10am? Is that alright?

Also can I exercise girlfriend privilege to ask for a selca, a preview to Kim Minjoo’s fanmeet?

Chaewon casually surfs the net and in a couple of minutes a reply comes.

Minjoo

You can exercise girlfriend privilege when you are telling your girlfriend where you are planning on kidnapping her so she can pack better.

Chaewon

And where’s the surprise in that?

I heard it is romantic to plan surprises for your partner.

All you need to know is that we are going somewhere.

Chaewon knows that will throw Minjoo off and she smirks deviously while waiting. Minjoo’s response indicates she has done the trick.

Minjoo

You win.

10am’s good.

Though can you pick me up from the other elevator instead?

The one in the far right corner of the building.

Chaewon

Roger that, Miss Kim.

Kim Chaewon at your service.

Chaewon does not want to pester Minjoo more; the woman must be nervous for her fanmeet since it has been a while, going on stage performing and meeting her fans. Though Chaewon’s sure she will do well, it is how she started after all. Chaewon was going to go back to her computer when her phone lights up. She beams brightly like an absolute lovestruck fool when she sees Minjoo’s selfie. The younger Kim is all glammed up, a full face of impeccably done make up, shimmering dress seen in the lower half of the frame and most importantly, a big bright smile - Chaewon’s favourite - that has Minjoo’s eyes creasing into half-moons and dimples obvious in her cheeks.

Minjoo

Going to warm up my voice now.

Text you again when it’s all done! (kissy emoji)

Chaewon sends the emoji back and while the conversation may have ended, her smile isn’t. Seems like she will smile like this for a while now.

With her head facing down on her phone, Chaewon almost walks into Eunbi who is carrying a bowl of soup in her hands. “Woah! Watch where you are going, Chae.” Chaewon nods and carries on typing in her phone as she walks up to the rice cooker, pausing in front of it. When she finally puts her phone aside, Eunbi asks. “Getting live updates from Minjoo’s fanmeet?” That jolts Chaewon back to life, putting aside her plans to scoop rice.

“Oh right, the intermission clip should be over by now!” Her phone is pulled back again and Eunbi rolls her eyes, nudging her distracted sister aside. Whipped, Eunbi mutters under her breath.

The table is set for the three of them and Chaewon’s phone which is sitting screen on by the surgeon’s plate. The first section was the performances and now it is fan interactions time through playing games. Clips or preview pictures populate the forum progressively showing Minjoo in her tryhard self before getting embarrassed at times. Her shy expression is captured by many fans on site, all in various angles.

“Aunty Chae is smiling at her phone, mummy.” Nako states the obvious and Chaewon shifts that devious smile over to her niece. She puts the phone between her and Nako beside her. “You want to see why?” Nako leans closer and Eunbi shakes her head from opposite them. “Don’t influence my daughter.”

“What. She knows her.”

“Aunty Minjoo!” Nako lights up as Chaewon plays through the short clips and Nako giggles when she watches one of Minjoo receiving a penalty of getting hit by a soft hammer on the head. Chaewon still hasn’t lost her smile since opening up the forum webpage and Eunbi can only watch amusedly at the situation before her. It is not much yet it is special and Eunbi hopes this bubble of joy can stay as long as it can hold.

“Eat your dinner you guys.” Eunbi puts on a faux frown.

Chaewon is about to take a mouthful when she goes- “Oh my.” Texts are flowing fast in the forum and Chaewon stares at her phone in disbelief. Eunbi leans forward to try to see what’s on and Chaewon whips her head up. “A-angel reunion.”

Nobody needed to be a fan to feel the significance of the legendary girlgroup’s reunion - the nation knows of their great friendship but seeing them together on the same stage goes beyond another level of amazement. Eunbi shuffles over to Chaewon and Nako’s side of the table to peer into Chaewon’s phone. Clips start streaming into the internet, Chaewon plays one immediately. Minjoo was completely oblivious to her three members creeping from the side of the stage and when fans began to scream, Minjoo realises what is going on and bursts into tears. Being friends for many years, Yena, Yuri and Yujin did not miss this opportunity to tease Minjoo for her emotional outburst. Fans laugh and cry along with Minjoo and soon, even the three members cannot resist but tear up over this special moment.

For the next twenty minutes, it was a series of fan talk, members interaction and spontaneous performance of their legendary hit (for Minjoo only because the rest obviously planned it when the music came on perfectly). Chaewon and Eunbi were so engrossed they did not realise Nako had bored herself with dinner and went off to her toys. When the Angel members left Minjoo so she could finish the final part of the fanmeet by herself, Eunbi moved to clean up their table, leaving only Chaewon’s plate of unfinished food. Chaewon continued to follow until the fanmeet was over.

As she finishes the last of her dinner, Chaewon receives a notification from Minjoo’s company social media. A picture of Minjoo post-show holding a message banner from her fans is released to commemorate the night and seeing it, Chaewon switches to her messaging app.

Chaewon

You truly belong on stage.

It is slightly hard to believe that I am dating that woman.

It surprises Chaewon to see Minjoo coming online immediately - shouldn’t the singer be surrounded by staff or her members busy with whatever they do post-show?

Minjoo

Is that why you decide to return to your first role as a fan?

It is an offline event, I can’t imagine how you would have seen anything from the fanmeet to comment that I belong on stage.

(smirks)

Chaewon

Your company posted a picture of you on their social media.

Behind her phone, Chaewon is struggling to hold back her grin. They are so competitive with each other, the game of who has the other in their hands, but if they really measured, both of them would surely be losers. She can imagine Minjoo probably giggling on her end, obviously not believing Chaewon and well, she’s not wrong.

Chaewon

Because I totally did not stalk your fanmeet through the postings of your fansites, receive live updates in the forums, watch shaky fancams as they come through.

Just as Chaewon guessed, Minjoo indeed is smiling so widely at her phone, happy in her bubble of romance in her dressing room where she thought she was alone. Chaeyeon and the staff usually know to give her a moment to decompress after a high energy event before she moves on. So when she is wrapped in a tight hug and very loud exclamations, Minjoo is very shocked to see her members get in her face. Big actions, loud talks confuse her and when she sees a reporter she recognises and feels a push on her hand that is clutching onto her phone towards the back of them, Minjoo catches a knowing gaze from Yujin who is beside her. She catches on to what is happening and expertly schools her expression to one of her professional smiles, appearing casual as she turns to the other side to see Yena also making a knowing gaze at her. Many years of friendship, unspoken actions carry so much weight.

Yuri is ahead of them, addressing the reporter as she steps into the room. “Eunkyung unnie!” Yuri’s expert flair comes through as she hugs the lady. “Long time no see. Of course, it’s you whom Chaeyeon unnie approved to get our exclusive Angel reunion interview!”

“Nice to see you again, Yuri. And of course, the girls too.” The reporter glances at the back row and before the gaze can really set, Chaeyeon appears at the door with a cake in hand.

“Gosh, the fan gifts just keep coming don’t they.” Chaeyeon puts the cake down on the side table. It is a professionally decorated one that reads ‘Minjoo’s Angelic Meet’, which is the title of today’s event. “Alright, now that we are all here, let’s take some photos and a quick exclusive,” Chaeyeon emphasizes with a purposeful stare which the reporter returns knowingly, “comment for Eunkyung unnie then you girls can head off to your dinner.”

Like old times, Yena answers the question before Minjoo even needed to vocalise it. She whispers into Minjoo’s ear while things are being set. “Booked dinner at our favourite barbeque place unless…”

“Nothing. Dinner’s perfect.” Minjoo smiles genuinely. Their appearance has been nothing short of a pleasant surprise, nostalgia buzzing through and everything feels just right. She clutches her phone behind her properly until Yuri comes squeezing between Minjoo and Yena, whining out, “I don’t want to stand by the side.” All done behind their backs, Yuri takes the phone from Minjoo and before Minjoo can react, the cake is directed to her.

With her now two free hands, Minjoo understands enough to take the cake, giving a very purposeful smile to all her teammates. The Angel members huddle together in their everlasting youthful looks and perfect smiles, posing as comfortably as they always have for the cameras. This image is going to shake the internet for the next few days.

Yujin closes the door of Minjoo’s dressing room after Chaeyeon sends Eunkyung out. After glancing at her partner of almost two decades where Yena is shamelessly going for a slice of Minjoo’s cake, Yuri gleefully pulls out the phone she had been hiding in her back pocket. “I believe this is yours, Miss Kim?”

Minjoo takes her phone back and looks at each one of her members, and soon realises her silent pause had lingered a bit too long. The four of them do get emotional but amongst them, Minjoo’s personality means that hers comes the easiest. So instead of breaking the moment with teases they are holding back, they wait.

“Thank you guys.” The three words carry more weight tonight.

“For coming to your fanmeet or for covering your from being ousted because you were smiling giddily at your phone?” Yena says as she bites into the cake.

“Both.” She answers, turning to Yuri first and then to Yujin. Their shared look holds itself but not long enough to make things awkward. Yujin breaks into one of her most charming traits, her dimpled smile.

“Just like old times isn’t it? Covering and supporting each other.” The looks around the room hint that they are all thinking the same thing.

“So can we also bring back the ‘sharing with each other’ portion of our friendship? Because my girlfriend is more intent on not telling me what she knows about you than the promise to not keep secrets with her girlfriend of many years.” Yena drawls on the last few words for emphasis and not so subtly mock-glaring at Yuri. It does not bother Yuri at all because she steals Yena’s fork from her to take a bite of the cake.

Unlike with Chaeyeon, Minjoo did not plan on not telling Yena and Yujin. It became one of those adult things in life where there wasn’t a time and place to do so. She trusted them her whole life and to share this new joy in her life comes without hesitance - even if one of them is her ex. “I found someone and we have been together nearly two months now.”

“What does he do?” Yena asks and when Minjoo and Yuri’s eyes both find each other, the remaining two sense something’s amiss in the question.

“Well, she… is a neurosurgeon.” Minjoo answers Yena and purposefully not looking anywhere else.

One of Yena’s greatest strengths is to be able to discern a potentially awkward situation and the ability to sieve through it - especially so when it comes to a family she has known for half her life now. Yena smirks. “How did you manage to snag someone so smart a neurosurgeon of all doctors? How did you even meet her?” Yena nudges Yuri, her partner in life (and crime). “Is she lying, Yuri?”

Yuri laughs out loud, trying not to drop her forkful of cake. “Fortunately for Minjoo, I have seen this surgeon in real life because if Minjoo showed y’all her photo, it would be even harder to believe that Minjoo found a smart AND good looking woman!”

“Unnie! Jo Yuri!” Gone is the idea that things here may potentially be awkward, Minjoo turns exasperated pretty quickly at her members’ double attacks and Yuri is unleashed from finally not being the only person in their circle to know. “Remember our dear Minjoo getting a concussion on set?” Yuri eyes Yena cheekily and Yena’s quick wit completes the mystery.

“M-minjoo met the surgeon all because s-she fell down and knocked her head!” She bursts out laughing. “A-and then she got the surgeon to fall for her!” Yena is obviously having a good time because she is tearing up from the endless laughter.

Minjoo tries to get her glare as serious as she can but when it comes to her members, it works only to a poor attempt. That is reinforced when she also hears laughter from the other side of the room.

To Yujin’s credit, the youngest does at least stop laughing but still keeps a big goofy smile on and Minjoo easily tells that it is a genuine one. For the two of them, it means a lot. Yujin walks over to Minjoo’s side and pulls her into a half hug. “You have always been clumsy, unnie. Seems like it finally came into good use.”

“Even you too, Yujin.” Minjoo pretends to upset even when her smile is nowhere close to being gone. Yujin does not move away and keeps her arm around Minjoo’s shoulder.

The natural inclinations of the group, separating into these two pairs, show obvious resemblance to their early days. Yuri suddenly tugs Yena by her hand, “Go with me to the toilet before we head off for dinner.” She gets Yena to pick up their things and looks to Minjoo and Yujin. “We will meet you guys at the restaurant.”

The room leaves just Minjoo and Yujin only. Minjoo taps on the arm that is around her, glancing at Yujin and Yujin pulls away to walk back to the chair she was sitting on. Minjoo moves around the room to gather her things together.

“You know, I wondered whether we were just a phase in your life.” Minjoo stops her packing looking to disagree when Yujin adds. “Clearly it wasn’t. But still can’t blame me for thinking that when you wanted to marry that guy.”

“Glad I didn’t.”

Yujin stares seriously at her and at the same time, they burst into big smiles, both thinking the same of the trainwreck Minjoo missed out on. “I am so glad you didn’t too.”

Having this mo