“What’s with the flowers?” Soojin asked as soon as Shuhua left the studio, eyes now focused on Hui before approaching him. “Is that for me?” That was new, he never really brought her flowers before.

“What? No'' He said, keeping the bouquet away from her, which made Soojin laugh at his reaction. “It’s for me” He added and the woman raised her eyebrows, surprised. “This girl liked how I groomed her dog last week and so she gave me those today”

“Flowers?”

“Yeah”

That was new. Soojin never heard of girls giving boys flowers before.

“I think she likes you” She said, as they started to make their way out, interlocking arms like they usually do. “Flowers can be a very romantic gift”

“Girls don’t give flowers to Boys tho” Hui replied as soon as they were on the sidewalk, casually walking together. 

“Well, times have changed,” Soojin replied. “It’s not the same as when we were teenagers”

“Please, you make us sound like we’re older than we actually are” He complained, frowning and Soojin chuckled. “Soon enough I’m gonna start having to dye my hair,” He said. “Soojin, why did you make me think of that! I’m almost 40!”

“You’re not almost 40, that’s a few years away” The woman replied, rolling her eyes. “I didn’t think aging would get to you like this”

“Aging affects everyone” He said, as they turned around the corner. “By the way, I didn’t know you’re teaching Shuhua”

“Ah, It’s a long story”

“Well, I’m all ears”

x--------------------×-------------------x

Shuhua had only seen Minnie and Miyeon’s house on pictures that Yuqi sent her by text, the place was big yet not too fancy looking, just the perfect family house to raise lots of children, and Minji had enough energy for at least 3 kids together. When she accepted to spend the weekend with them in what Minnie called a friends reunion, she already knew she had to prepare herself to face Miyeon, or at least be ignored by her but to her surprise the older woman was trying not to be too obvious about her dislike for her.

"You should appreciate my affection!" Miyeon said. "One day I'll stop and you'll regret not enjoying it while you had it"

 Shuhua laughs. "I doubt that" 

Shuhua sighs, sitting by the folding chair near the pool in the backyard, She wished she could go back and tell younger Shuhua that she would in fact miss the way Miyeon would constantly baby her, it was definitely better than being ignored by her. She could be colder than the taiwanesse expected.

"Is there any color in your wardrobe?" Minnie asked, sitting next to Shuhua, offering the woman a bottle of cold beer. She was referring to the black clothes she was wearing. "Every time I see you, you're wearing black" 

"Is part of my new aesthetic"

"What aesthetic? Being emo?" 

"Being nostalgic"

Minnie didn't reply. Shuhua didn't expect her too, so she just drank in silence and the other did the same until Miyeon came to them, with a bowl of grapes and placing them on the small table in between their chairs. Minnie smiled at her wife. 

"You two should eat something," She said. "It's no good to just drink beer" 

"Thanks love"

"Thank you, unnie"

It was for the best to keep the honorifics for now. Formal. They aren't close anymore; Shuhua took a big gulp of her beer as she stared at the pool, catching Minji in the corner of her eye, opening the glass door while wearing a cute pink swimsuit and carrying with her a big rubber swan. Probably to float on the water if it wasn't for the fact that it was empty.. 

"Mommy," She shaked the swan as if demanding for the woman to blow on it so she could play, but before Miyeon could stand up, Minnie was already up.

"I'll do it" She said and then made Miyeon sit down on the chair next to shuhua "why don't you two talk while i'm away?" It was only a suggestion but Miyeon knew that Minnie wasn't leaving any room for her to argue and so she just stayed on her chair, watching as her wife walked away before she turned to Shuhua, who was staring at the pool as she drank from her bottle.

and there was awkward silence, a few years ago when Miyeon found herself alone with Shuhua surrounded by nothing but awkward silence and weird tension, she assumed the young girl was shy, maybe self-conscious about her korean skills or just didn't feel as comfortable with her yet; At first, that's what she thought before noticing, and eventually turning a blind eye, to the way her eyes would shine every time Minnie would walk in the room and suddenly all of her shyness was gone. 

Now the tension between now is due to the truth being out, and Miyeon could no longer pretend it was all in her head; A lifetime ago, in their school's empty classroom. The same place where she made Shuhua promise she would stay away from Minnie in a jealousy fit which then became pride, not wanting to admit she went too far, not even when she was following Minnie around the airport, trying to get to Shuhua and Yuqi before they left for Taiwan, days later. 

It hurts. The older thought, watching as Minnie was struggling to fill the rubber swan with as much air as her lungs could allow. It hurts because-

"Is there any candy here?" Shuhua asked suddenly and Miyeon looked at her, confused by the random topic. "Like, lollipops" 

"Lollipops?"

"It's for Yuqi" 

The other woman stayed behind to talk with her manager, making calls about extending how long she would stay in South Korea and so Shuhua went ahead without her. Soojin and Soyeon didn't show up yet either. 

"For Yuqi?"

"To keep her from smoking" The younger explained. "She'll probably try to sneak in some-"

"She smokes?" 

Maybe she should be willing to listen to Minnie more when the other tried to talk to her about her exchange of emails with the foreign duo, but she always assumed they would never come back again and so tried to distance herself as much as possible. Now that they're here again, and a simple exchange of words with Shuhua was enough to make her realize how much things have changed and how much she has been missing out about the younger pair that she once thought of as her own siblings.

"I thought Minnie told you," Shuhua said. "I have been trying to get her to stop, but-"

"How long has she been doing it?"

The Taiwanesse shrugged. "a few years now" 

It started too soon, at first Shuhua didn't think much of it. A lot of people smoke, her father used