It’s not something she planned for. She was prepared for cameras to follow her around.  She was prepare for her every action and words in the house to be captured on film, made to be dissected by an audience that only see 10% of the truth because editing is everything.  

What she never could have prepared for was a private evening with Yongsun.  Without camera. Microphone off. Without the pretense of being a couple.  Without all the fake industry stuff.  No, she could not have anticipate time alone, truly a few hours alone, in a relatively quiet town that doesn't really know them. 

This whole morning had been a rollercoaster of emotions.  She joked around to calm herself down, took a few really beautiful pictures (and if most of them are pictures of Yongsun..well..can you blame her?), freaked out and had an internal panic attack from Hyejin and Wheein unexpected drop in, worried Yongsun, felt horrible for worrying her, then...a walk.  An extremely comfortable walk where she was perfectly content with the silence, just enjoying the presence of Yongsun from her side. Then they were back to normal, joking around and laughing like old friends. It’s quite shocking how comfortable she feels with Yongsun. It’s been only 2 weeks but it feels like they known each other for years.

So while she never expected this, she’s going to take advantage and going to enjoy it and try to get to know Yongsun more. 

“What do you want to eat Byul-ah?”

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t answer, 

“Byul?”

“Hm?”

“I’ve been calling you for a while, what are you thinking about?”

“You.”

Yongsun picked up the menu and hit Byul with it,

“Oww unnie” the younger girl cried, holding her head and pouting, 

“Stop it. What do you want for food?”

Byul continues to pout, “but you ask…”

The only reply she got was a glare from the older girl as she raise the menu again, 

“Ah okay! Whatever you recommend unnie.  You're the tteokbokki lover.”  

Woah, she did not mean for that to slip out and unfortunately, Yongsun caught it.  She raised an eyebrow, “How did you know that?”

“Uh…” Byul absentmindedly scratch her cheek, “lucky guess?”

Unfortunately, Yongsun did not fall for that sad excuse.

“You seem like a tteokbokki lover?”

Nope. She’s still looking at poor Byul.

“You..”

“Me?”

“Are..’

“Uh huh?”

Byul eyes dart around, trying to think of any excuse, but sadly, her charisma failed her.  She sigh and quickly utter, hoping the older girl wouldnt catch it, “IWatchYourInterviewsAndShowsAndThatsHowIKnow!” 

“Come again?” 

“Nooo i already said it!”

“Well i didn’t hear,”

“That’s not my fault! You’re getting old unnie!” 

“You - argh - you’re lucky you're cute!”

Byul eyes widen as Yongsun clamp shut, “i - i mean -” 

“You're cute too unnie” she smile cutely, one side of her lip crooked in true happiness.

Too shy to deal with that right now, she called over the waitress and placed a share order for her favorite tteokbokki and sodas.

Once the waitress left, Byul speaks up, not wanting to waste their precious alone time, “Unnie, I hope we can be friends even after the show is done.”

“Oh!  Of course, I hope so too. Ah!  Let’s exchange phone numbers!” 

She took her phone out and gave it to the girl across her, who did the same. 

Byul input her phone and save herself as “Wife ✌️” (Peace emoji if the emoji doesn't show up - so “wife peace emoji”).  She grin as she exit and gave Yongsun her phone back.

When Yongsun return her phone, she immediately check, “Yah! Kim Yong Sun (Mamamoo)? Unnie that’s so hurtful!”

“Why? What did you put for yourself?”  Yong opens up her phone and tried searching but Byul stood up and reach across the table, “No unnie! Don’t! I’ll be a surprise for when i text you!” 

“How will i know it’s you then?” she asks as she dodge Byul’s attempt at snatching her phone away, 

“You’ll know! Unnie! Stop!”

“Aish! Fine text me,”

“Not now!”

“Then when?”

“It wont be a surprise if i tell you..” 

During their bickering, the waiter came back with a giant pot of tteokbokki. He cleared his throat at Byul who is almost laying draped across the table at this point.  She blush and sat back down, muttering a small apology.

Upon seeing the giant pot in front of them, Yongsun told Byul to come sit next to her rather an across from her, “i literally can’t see you over this pot Byul.”

She moved and sat next to the older girl and tease, “‘Cause you're short?” 

This girl just doesn't know when to stop, but thank goodness Yongsun has the patience of a saint. 

“You're like 1cm taller!” 

“1.8cm!”

“Like that makes a different,”

“Unnie, it’s a whole different world up here.”

Not going to give up, Yongsun retort, “I’ve seen 5th grader taller than you,”

“That means there's 3rd graders taller than you” 

“AISH! YAH!” Byul laughs, twisting away for that Yongsun is only hitting her arm.

“I’m not sharing my food.” 

“Noooo unnie” Byul grab her bowl and it out to her unnie like she’s begging for money, “I’m sorry, please feed me” 

Yongsun shook her head causing Byul to pout and grab onto her wrist, her thumb absentminded rubbing the pulse point, “Please unnie?” 

Yongsun really hope Byul doesn't feel her pulse speeding up at the casual intimacy of her action.  She relent, if only to get Byul’s hand off before she finds out just how fast her heart is beating.

She grabs the bowl and scoop a few spoons into the bowl, filling it full before giving it back to Byul, “I’ll let you off easy this time”

“Thanks unnie!” The younger girl grab the bowl and cheekily smiles.

She wanted for Yongsun to grab her own bowl before taking a bite. Byul’s not a huge fan of tteokbokki, and she doesn't eat much.  Half this bowl is her normal meal.  The lack of eating is an unfortunately byproduct of her career.  Not that she’s trying to keep shape for modelling or anything like that.  She can never do that. She’s not one to diet.  

Rather, Byul is used to working so much that she just forgets to eat.  And over time, her forgetfulness lead to a smaller and smaller appetite. At this point, she just doesn’t eat much.  She’ll eat small meals and fruits randomly throughout the day to keep her energy up but she barely eats a full sit down meal anymore.  But she still eats! She doesn't starve herself like some people in this business. 

She glances over at Yongsun who’s digging in like she hasn't eaten in days. Byul let a small smile grace her face as she watched her unnie eat. Despite being an idol, Yongsun is so carefree.  She doesn't know if it’s because tteokbokki is her weakness, or she just doesn't care to diet. Byul hope it’s the 2nd one, not that there’s anything wrong with dieting, but some idols go to extremes.  It’s super unhealthy. Just eat well and exercise it off. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

Byul's eyes soften as they look into Yongsun’s eyes, “Just admiring you,” she answer back earnestly, truthfully, not an ounce of grease or teasingness in her voice.  She wants Yongsun to know.

The older girl blush but kept her gaze up, staring into Byul’s eyes, searching for something. 

Yongsun search Byul’s eyes for any hint of lies but found none.  Byul was truly staring at her out of admirations.  She felt Byul’s eyes on her from the beginning but forced herself to continue eating, not wanting to point it out, hoping Byul’s stop.  She feels unworthy of such affection.  And she knows it’s affection, even before she looks up and ask Byul that question. It’s not hard to figure out.  

As Byul said in previous interviews, she’s not greasy, she’s just truthful. A lot of people in the industry praised Byul as someone who is kind, warm hearted, and truthful. That’s why her songs resonate with everyone, because it comes from her own truth, no one else's.  Her CEO jokingly said, when ask why Byul doesn't do much interviews or shows, that she’s too truthful and will spill all their secrets.  The MC and audience laughed.  She herself laughed too when watching.  But her, sitting here next to the younger girl, she truly believed those words. Byul hides behind her stage persona, but even that is truthful.  Only Moonbyul truth comes across as jokes and humor, so only those that look and listen closely realized she’s speaking truth. 

Yongsun doesn't know what to do with this. This is way too much way too fast.  They only meet last week, and actually talked to one another for less than 12 hours,  They just exchanged phone number. And here she is, the lucky recipient of Byul’s admiration. She done nothing to deserve this. So, unable to take it anymore, she swallow, lift her head up and courageously look into Byul’s eyes, a part of her hoping to scare Byul’s into looking away and reverting back to humor, because she can’t deal with this right now. 

She didn’t expect Byul to answer earnestly, or to let her in.  And as she looks into the younger girl’s eyes, and felt herself being welcomed without any resistance, she knows she’s done for. She can only hope they can continue to pretend for the camera because this, right here, right now? This is too intimate for anything or anyone. 

They both share a secret smile, knowing, without having to say anything, they’re on the same page and they will talk about it in private. But for now, they have to enjoy their food that’s getting cold. Thus, they resume eating in silence.  And if they’re sitting unnaturally close to each other to the point that Byul have to use her left hand to eat because their shoulders are squish together, well…