The three days passed quickly, with their individual and combined schedules. It felt as if time had sped past as they stayed in Moon Byulyi’s quiet pad. Even though Moon Byulyi had such a small space, Kim Yongsun really liked staying with her. They were so in synchronisation that they did not need to adjust to living with each other in a well-designed space meant as a sanctuary for Byulyi. Yongsun liked the intimacy of that idea—it was a place that even the family-orientated Byulyi did not even share it with her family. No, she could not even have friends over because all she had was a miserable sofa.

Her apartment was their little bubble where they could be free. It felt like time had rolled back to the time to ‘Um Oh Ah Yeh’ when they never had to second-doubt each other or hold back in fear of creating unnecessary problems. Yongsun realised that she really got to know the neighbourhood better in these three days since they would head out to search for a new breakfast place daily. They would also end their day by searching for a place for supper after their schedules had ended. It felt like a retreat with Byulyi and she enjoyed every moment spent with the rapper.

The rapper had recovered from her concussion, only suffering from the aches of having a large bruise at the back of her head. On the fourth day, Byulyi woke Yongsun up with breakfast in bed instead of asking her to go out for breakfast as they had done for the past few days.

Yongsun was astonished when she saw the pipping hot breakfast presented in front of her. It was made up of everything in her fridge: her mother’s Kimchi, rice and cut fruits. She made them two cups of coffee with a coffee machine hidden in one of the cabinets and brought them to bed. She offered the food on a table wide enough to slide through the bed so that they could have their breakfast in bed.

She sat up slowly, scratching her head. “Where did you dig this thing out?” asked Yongsun, her voice husky with sleep. She ran her hand through her wavy hair absently as she blinked owlishly.

Byulyi handed her spectacles automatically and the singer thanked her.

The rapper winked at her playfully. “I have my ways. Wash up, Unnie. I’ll wait for you.” She shifted the table slightly away so that the older woman could crawl out of the bed to get to the toilet.

“Do I have to?” whined Yongsun languidly, resting against her bony shoulder. She curled an arm around her small and trimmed waist as she closed her eyes tiredly. Her double eyelids were even more prominent when she was so relaxed, a light smile on her lips.

“Unnie, aren’t you hungry?” asked the rapper, amused. Her tone was gentle as she studied the contented countenance of her friend. She poked her belly affectionately. “C’mon. If you aren’t, I am. I am salivating from the scent of my mum’s kimchi.”

Yongsun grumbled under her breath as she drew away from her slightly. She sat up again, wearing a faux-irritated look. “Byul, I’m only doing this because you’re hungry. I don’t want you to lose any more weight.” She swung her legs out and crawled out of bed.

“My selfless leader!” gushed Byulyi as she batted her eyelashes.

The older woman cringed and shrieked, a hand on her chest. “Byul! That’s awful—”

“Just clean up,” chuckled Byulyi, her eyes gleaming with mischief. She leaned forward and smacked her firm bottom. “Go.”

The older woman stuck her tongue at her as she padded towards the toilet near the main door.

Byulyi took the time to make the bed and propped the pillows up so that it would be more comfortable for them to eat in bed.

Soon, she returned, wearing a wide smile. She paused in front of the bed, grinning from ear to ear when Byulyi spread her arms out to show her the adjustments she had done to the space. Her eyes were curved in pleasure as she climbed back into bed and leaned into the pillows.

She studied the food in front of her openly.“You can actually make breakfast, Byul,” praised the older woman, staring at the food in front of her. She turned to fetch her mobile from the bookshelf and took a photograph of it. “This breakfast deserves a photo. My first breakfast in bed.” Her eyes gleamed with happiness. She leaned in and ate a spoonful of kimchi and rice.

Byulyi’s raised a brow sarcastically as she savoured her mother’s Kimchi. “I decided it would be a nice day to empty my fridge. It is a waste to throw them away.” She shifted immediately as the older woman punched her on her arm.

The rapper howled in laughter, enjoying the look of irritation on her face. She rested her face on her palm, looking at her companion attentively.

“You always ruin the moment,” scolded the older woman, frowning. “Can’t you let me savour the moment of you surprising me with a breakfast in bed for a while longer?”

“I did surprise you with a breakfast in bed. I just didn’t explain the reason,” defended Byulyi, unapologetic. She gave a small shrug. “Maybe I just want to surprise you with a breakfast in bed."She smiled, her nose crinkling adorably. "Maybe I just want to spoil you."

“Aigoo, you’re too cheesy!” complained Yongsun as she scooped a spoonful of food into . “Your mom’s Kimchi is delicious.” Her eyes brightened up at how delicious it was. She started to dig into the food with greater gusto. “I should visit your family home with you someday.”

“I know right? My family would love to meet you. I can send some of it over later. I have quite a fair bit left,” offered Byulyi generously. She reached for her cup and sipped her coffee slowly.

Her eyes curved into adorable crescents as she snickered, a hand covering . “Jinie would be so jealous.” She grabbed her cup and sipped her coffee too. Her eye lighted up like Christmas lights at the taste: Byulyi always knew her she liked her coffee to be prepared.

“Just invite Jinie over on one of your rest days,” suggested Byulyi, matter-of-fact. “That way she could enjoy it too. My place is far too small to have anyone over.” She gestured around the place airily.

Yongsun placed her cup down, looking at the rapper seriously. “How would you design your home if you intended to share it with another person?”

She reached for and wiped the milk froth from Yongsun’s plump lips tenderly as she stared at her companion. Her face was bare, her long and wavy hair tied messily in a bun as she wore spectacles, but the rapper found her exceptionally beautiful. Maybe it was the idea that not everyone was privy to the sight of her in the morning that made her want to savour this sight of her.

Yongsun crossed her legs under the table, waiting expectantly.

“Right. That depends on who I am going to share the space with I think.” She leaned over to clean her bottom lip absently, seeing a stain on it. Aish, this woman don’t really care about her appearance in front of her. “I think I designed the space as such because I never intended to be here often. It's just a place to rest. I find myself over at your apartment often.”

“Of course, my space was designed to have guests. Not like you,” laughed Yongsun brightly, sticking her tongue out cheekily. “That reminds me I should stock up on snacks soon.”

“For our kids?” Byulyi hazarded a guess, raising a brow. Yongsun nodded cautiously. “I don’t think you should. I saw your schedule. I don’t think they will have the chance to come over any time soon,” reasoned Byulyi, putting a sliced fruit into .

“Oh. I just like to be prepared. Just in case Wheeinie or Jinie pops by out of the blue,” explained Yongsun, swallowing her food.

“Chew your food more, Unnie. No one is stealing your food,” reminded Byulyi after she swallowed her food. “Anyway, I think the snacks would expire first.”

Yongsun frowned slightly, considering her point. “I’ll get a few. Maybe those that would expire much later,” conceded the older woman.

“Sounds good,” agreed Byulyi vaguely. “I’ll add that to my shopping list. Anything else? I was too out of it to note if your apartment needs anything.” She traced her brow absently.

Yongsun turned to look at her, flabbergasted.

“What? I’ll have to do some shopping too. We just emptied my fridge. Besides, I promise to deliver my mother’s Kimchi to your place. I might as well help you to stock up.”

Her gaze softened as she reached over to take her hand. “OK, I’ll appreciate it, Byul. Remind me to give you my code—”

“No need," interrupted the rapper, giving her a sidelong look. "I remember it. It’s not a difficult code to remember,” teased Byulyi, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Someone is a closet sap!” She announced in a sing-song voice.

Her eyes flashed with anger as she swung a fist at her, connecting to her arm.

The taller woman burst into laughter, amused. She rubbed her arm absently, easing the pain from the hit. Besides that reddened area, the rapper was fine.

“I’m fine. I’m not that fragile—”

“Says Miss Concussion.” She stuck a tongue out at her sassily.

She placed her hands on her cheeks and pushed them together cheekily. “Yah, the culprit.” She squeezed her soft cheeks again before dropping her hands. “OK. I will shop for you too. That’s settled. I’ll stock your place with things for our kids.”

Yongsun nodded happily as she ate more of the Kimchi with rice. She gave the food in a few more chews when she saw her hard look. With food in , she continued the conversation. “That’s one reason why I am not attracted to the idea of having a space like yours.”

Byulyi rolled her eyes. “The life of the party needs a proper place to get the party started after all. I’ve retired from partying,” said she dramatically, placing her hand on her chest.

Yongsun crossed her hands in a ‘X’. “You just invite them to my place for that said party.” She pointed her spoon at her accusingly.

Byulyi chimed in hearty laughter, leaning forward. Her nose crinkled adorably. “Maybe we should convince our dear Jinie to get a bigger place.” Her eyes gleamed with pleasure at the thought. Hyejin was the only one out of the four of them who would have a constant supply of alcohol for all occasions.

“You haven’t answered my question, Byul,” reminded Yongsun again.

“What’s that again? We spoke quite a fair bit.”

Yongsun gave her hard look, much to the amusement of the rapper. Of course, she remembered the question. It felt nice to .

She set her spoon down, looking at her. “Unnie, you really want an answer huh?” She pursed her lips as she tilted her head slightly. “I would have to dismantle my bed.”

“Why? Did you spend a lot of money on constructing it?”

“There isn’t space for another person. Can you imagine dressing up? We’ll have to wake up and go to bed at the same time so that we can use the cabinet,” explained Byulyi, stacking the used plates together.

Yongsun looked at her weirdly. “Isn’t that what we have been doing for the past three days?”

Byulyi choked and coughed, hitting on her chest absently. Yongsun handed her a cup of coffee so that she could drink, patting her back gently. It took her a while to regain her composure. She cleared her voice loudly. “Well, that’s because it’s you, Unnie.” Byulyi realised how that could be interpretated and she continued hastily. “We are in an idol group and we have similar schedules so we can make this work.” She sipped from her cup, hiding her embarrassment.

She frowned slightly. “I guess so. Adjustments can always be made. What else?”

“I will have to include a kitchen table,” considered Byulyi, putting the cup down as she scratched her side of her nose. “While it is nice to go out sometimes to explore a new place, we can’t eat out all the time—”

Yongsun tapped on the table that they were using. “Do you actually need a table? We’re having breakfast comfortably. We ate supper on your coffee table two nights ago.”

Byulyi turned to look at her. “Seriously? You like the arrangement? Wait, didn’t you say that you weren’t attracted to this arrangement?”

Yongsun nodded. “I am throwing out reasons why they are not things you need to consider if you are designing a home you’re sharing it with someone else.” She finished her rice and Kimchi before working on the fruits.

“Unnie, that would work if I were sharing a home with you,” muttered the rapper under her breath. Yongsun was correct if they lived together. She did not think that this arrangement could work with anyone else, not even with one of the kids.

Yongsun paid a lot of attention to the fruits she was eating. “You imagine yourself sharing a home with someone that isn’t me?”

Byulyi paused, looking at her strangely. That was a very loaded question. A furrow appeared between her brows, sensing that someone was off in the way the older woman posed the question. Silence stretched between them as the rapper wondered how to answer this question properly. She must have taken too long in contemplating her answer because the next thing she knew, the older woman slipped out of the bed, clearing the table intently.

Byulyi could sense her disappointment from the rigid way she carried herself.

“Unnie, please,” began the rapper, scrubbing her face with a hand. With the filming of WGM upon them, she just didn’t want things between them to be strained. “Talk to me. Why are you upset?” She grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Leave it. Just come back to bed and talk to me.”

Yongsun saw her pleading look and conceded, allowing the taller woman to pull her back into the bed. They sat close; shoulders propped against each other. Byulyi reached to grab her hand, rubbing her thumb along it in circles. It was a very calming gesture.

Yongsun was reminded that they were in this sanctuary where they had built many fond memories here by being completely free with each other. There was only Byulyi, her close friend and no one else.

“I am just silly,” decided Yongsun finally, tension dissipating from her shoulders. She squeezed her hand tenderly, returning the affections.

“I’ll be the judge of that, Unnie. What made you upset?” questioned Byulyi, looking at her earnestly.

It was a trait she appreciated of the younger woman: she was always present with her.

“I’m just upset that you never considered me when you thought about your future.”

“Huh.” Byulyi scratched the side of her nose, contemplating her words. “I guess I never looked at it that way. I mean we chose to move out of our dorm into our own apartments, right? If we had the slimmest want to stay with each other, we could have done that when we moved out of our dorm right?” Yongsun relaxed as she explained her thoughts. Byulyi paused, pursing her lips as she stared into the distance. “I just assume that in this setting, I am staying with my imaginary partner, rather than a close friend or my sisters.” She felt a distinct change of atmosphere. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noted that Yongsun had ground her jaw, suppressing her growing irritation. Motivated by the fear that she might have explained herself incorrectly, she continued to babble. “If I do stay with them, I don’t have to modify my private space to accommodate them since they want their own privacy.”

Crap.

Was it the mention of a partner that had the older woman so uptight? The situation about sharing a home was fictional to begin with. She opened , unformed words on her lips.

Yongsun heaved a sigh suddenly, her shoulders slumped. “I understand.”

Byulyi frowned at the nuanced answer. “I understand?” echoed the rapper, looking at her for clarification.

Yongsun squeezed her hand tenderly. “Yes, I understand, Byul.” She studied their surroundings for a moment. “What time is it? You need a clock,” complained the singer. “You can’t tell time simply by looking out of the window.” She had no idea what time it was since she did not seem to use one.

“Hey Google, what is the time?” asked Byulyi, without missing a beat. She waggled her brows playfully.

Google announced the time as the older woman rolled her eyes at her. “Little Brat.”

Byulyi threw her head backwards to laugh and Yongsun shove her into the pillows hard. The rapper continued to gaffaw, clutching her side as she developed stitches. It took her a while to regain her composure and sit up again. She wiped the tears off her face absently. "That felt very good."

Yongsun rolled her eyes at her. “We need to get started,” decided Yongsun, clapping her hand. The older woman grabbed the dishes and cups