“Baby, were you able to talk to Wenjoy?”

            “Mmm, not yet. Wendy was visiting someone, and Joy’s busy with the company.” Seulgi peeked over her shoulder to look at her girlfriend, who was hugging her from behind. “Hungry?”

            Irene shook her head. “Cold.”

            “Why don’t you put on a hoodie? You know where mine are,” the detective offered, knowing that Irene always stole them. “Dinner’s gonna be ready in ten minutes.”

            “I like it here.” Irene snuggled closer. “You smell nice.”

            The taller girl chuckled as she flipped the spam on the frying pan. They were nicely cooked, and Seulgi couldn’t resist taking a bite before they went on the plate. She glanced at her girlfriend and made a vague sound to ask if Irene wanted some, but the latter shook her head.

            “Okay, you’re gonna have to let me go so I can set the table.”

            “Ten minutes?”

            “The soup will cool down.”

            “Two minutes.”

            Seulgi sighed. “Alright.” She turned around, maneuvering them carefully so they got away from the stovetop. The younger girl wrapped her arms around the overly affectionate woman in her embrace, breathing in the scent of her shampoo and gently patting Irene’s back.

            “Baby, is something wrong?”

            The smaller girl remained silent, reveling in Seulgi’s steady heartbeat. Tilting her head upwards, Irene stared into Seulgi’s eyes. “Do you think...do you think that we should do this?”

            Understanding what Irene was referring to, Seulgi brought a hand up to caress her girlfriend’s face. “If you don’t want to, we don’t have to. I’m okay with what we have right now, love.”

            “But the country won’t ever acknowledge us. I can’t tell the people that you’re mine and that I’m yours.”

            Seulgi looked at her sadly. For a while now, Irene had hinted at the possibility of starting a f