“I was under the impression we were headed for a bar.” Seungwan sounds a little perplexed as she trails behind Sooyoung, who scans the aisle full of beer cans and alcohol in the convenience store, hands clasped behind her back as she hums thoughtfully.

“Sorry, bars are a little out of my budget right now. I promise I’ll take you to one when I get a job.” Sooyoung replies without looking back, picking out a bottle of wine. She straightens, grinning proudly.

“I’ll hold you to your promise.”

“Of course! I never disappoint beautiful ladies.” Sooyoung flashes her a wink before she’s moving off again, leaving Seungwan rooted in her spot, blinking in confusion as she attempts to process Sooyoung’s words.

 

They wind up with a couple more bottles of soju and another bottle of wine to share between them.

It’s a lot for two, and Sooyoung doesn’t fail to point this out when they’re at the cashier.

“Well, we weren’t going to finish this tonight.” Seungwan glances at the younger woman. “…Were we?”

Sooyoung frowns. “I hope not. Hangovers are a , and I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon.”

“A job interview? You didn’t mention anything about that.”

She shrugs. “You never asked.”

Seungwan frowns, but doesn’t offer any further comment, opting instead to help Sooyoung pack the various bottles into a bag. They eventually move away, heading out of the store and towards the parking lot where Seungwan’s car is parked.

“Good luck on the interview, by the way.” Seungwan breaks the silence between them, and Sooyoung quirks a small smile.

“Thank you.”

 

 

The drive back to Seungwan’s apartment takes barely fifteen minutes, and within the hour the two women are already settled and sat on Seungwan’s couch, each sipping away at a glass of wine. Seungwan’s perched at the corner with her legs crossed, gazing absently at the television screen that plays a rerun of an old programme while Sooyoung sits in the middle, with Mittens perched contentedly on her lap.

“You don’t sit on this couch very often, do you?” Sooyoung asks.

“Not really. How do you know?” Seungwan furrows her eyebrows, and Sooyoung merely pokes at the faux leather with a finger.

“It’s not even broken in.” The younger woman says, with some degree of amusement, and Seungwan huffs.

“To be fair, I’ve only been back for a year or so.”

“Still, that’s long enough.”

“Good point.” Seungwan admits. “I’m not even home that often, really.”

“Because of work?”

Seungwan nods, and there’s a noise of sympathy from Sooyoung.

“Doesn’t Mittens get lonely?”

At that, Seungwan gestures to the various cat towers and toys lined up against the wall behind them.

“I hope not, I spent a pretty penny on those things.” She chuckles, leaning over to scratch Mittens behind the ears. “But I do spend time with him when I’m home. Besides, Joohyun comes by to feed and play with him if I’m not able to, so.”

“Isn’t Joohyun deathly afraid of animals?”

“Oh yes, she is. It took her the entire year to be comfortable with Mittens coming within a metre of her.” Seungwan snorts, prompting a laugh from Sooyoung.

“And how was that like?”

“A lot of screaming.”

Sooyoung barks out a laugh. “I’m surprised she didn’t leave the apartment altogether.”

“Oh, she did. Just once, though, and that was because Mittens was running at full sprint towards us.”

There’s another round of laughter from Sooyoung.

“I assume she likes him now?”

“As long as he’s not running all over the place.” Seungwan grins.

There’s a momentary lull in conversation as Sooyoung sips on her glass of wine.

 

“Can I ask you a question?” She says eventually.

“I thought that was the point of us sitting down and chatting, no?” Seungwan teases, and Sooyoung rolls her eyes. “Go ahead.” The older woman indulges her anyway, and Sooyoung sits up a little straighter.

“Did you really want to be a doctor?”

Seungwan wrinkles her nose. “Wow, we’re really going straight into the deep stuff, huh?”

“I don’t really like small talk, and I have a feeling that you don’t either, so I figured the ‘deep stuff’ would be more interesting.” Sooyoung reasons.

“True,” Seungwan admits, and there’s a few seconds of silence as she contemplates Sooyoung’s question, swirling her glass absently. “I’m not sure, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just… I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it. I love helping people, and but I don’t think I particularly love practicing medicine. I just happen to be… good at it?”

“That’s one way of showing off.” Sooyoung snorts, amused, and Seungwan chuckles.

Sooyoung hums. “What do you think you would’ve been if you hadn’t gone to medical school?”

“Honestly? I don’t know. Music, maybe? Or social work.” Seungwan shrugs. “I don’t think I’ve ever really known what I want.”

“So, your parents pushed you to be a doctor?” Sooyoung’s watching her with thinly veiled sympathy, and Seungwan scrunches her nose thoughtfully.

“Not really? I think it was more of me just going along with whatever they suggested because I didn’t know what I wanted. Besides, it’s hard to do anything else when everyone in your family is in the medical field one way or another.” Seungwan polishes off the remaining wine in her glass, “What about you?”

“Me?”

“I assume being a veterinarian is a dream come true?” Seungwan smiles.

The answer is a small, shy nod from Sooyoung. “Still can’t quite believe I made it, really.”

She presses her lips together in a thin frown. “Well, disregarding the fact that I’m currently unemployed.”

“I could always ask my dad if he has any contacts.” Seungwan offers as she pours herself another glass, and Sooyoung shakes her head.

“He thinks I’m employed, remember?”

“Ah.”

“I appreciate the offer, though.” Then, “Why, do you have no confidence in me getting the job tomorrow?” Sooyoung pouts.

Almost immediately, Seungwan’s scrambling to correct herself. “No, no, no! I just—Uh, I just thought maybe you wanted a little more help, you know? ‘The more opportunities, the better’, in a sense? I didn’t mean to—”

“Relax, I’m kidding.” Sooyoung gives her an impish smile.

Seungwan lets out a weary sigh of relief. “Thank God, I thought I’d offended you in some way.” Sooyoung lets out an amused laugh. “You’re just about the kindest person I know. I doubt you’d offend anyone, even by accident.”

“I’ve had more than a couple of patients snap at me, so...”

“Well, they’re s.” Sooyoung huffs. “Especially given that you’re the one helping them.”

Seungwan shakes her head, suppressing a laugh. “I’m sure I’d be crabby too if I was in pain and the doctor kept yapping on.”

“You’re too nice, Seungwan.” Sooyoung sighs.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

The younger woman shrugs. “Depends on how you look at it.”

 

---

 

Somewhere during her shift, Seungwan’s phone pings with a series of messages. Fishing the device out of her pocket, Seungwan unlocks her phone to find a chain of messages from Sooyoung, all of them consisting of excited screaming through texts about her successful job interview, complete with a celebratory emoji. Laughing under her breath, Seungwan replies with a congratulatory message, and as she’s about to pocket her phone once more, it pings yet again.

 

they hired me on the spot!! Holy

 

Seungwan smiles.

I knew you’d get the job :D

 

Pshhh. You’re only saying that because I got the job already

 

Typing in a response, Seungwan navigates her way to her office with ease without looking up from her phone, opening the door without a second glance.

“Who’re you texting?” The sudden announcement of another person’s presence has Seungwan letting out a surprised shriek.

The doctor glances up, eyes widened, only to be met with the sight of her best friend and fellow doctor, Bae Joohyun, lounging on her chair.

“What are you doing in here?” Seungwan frowns, pocketing her phone.

“Drinking my tea.” Joohyun holds up a cup of iced tea, as if to show proof of her claim. “What are you doing in here?”

“Work.” She wrinkles her nose. “Because, you know, this is my office.”

“Right, right. My apologies, Doctor Son.” Joohyun’s reply is laced with sarcasm, and Seungwan rolls her eyes as Joohyun stands up, only to move to situate herself on Seungwan’s armchair barely a metre away as Seungwan plops herself onto her chair.

“You haven’t answered my question. Who were you texting?” Joohyun prompts.

“Sooyoung.”

“Sooyoung?” Joohyun repeats incredulously, confusion clear in her voice. “I thought you would’ve stopped talking to her after that weekend.”

“Yeah, well, turns out my mum likes her too much, and she’s coming with me to my parents’ house every weekend or so from here on out.” Seungwan sighs.

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that a good ‘yeah’ or a bad ‘yeah’?”

Seungwan shrugs. “It’s a neutral ‘yeah’.”

“I thought you two were friends.”

“I’d say we were acquaintances, and then she’s recently become my friend.” Seungwan hums as she types into her computer, the keyboard clicking away noisily.

“I’ve always had a feeling you two would get along well.” There’s rustling as Joohyun pulls out her phone from her pocket.

“Really?”

“Mhm.” She takes a sip of her tea. “You know, Sooyoung had always wanted to be your friend back in high school.”

The typing stops, and Seungwan looks up, peeking above her monitor. “Explain.”

“She wanted to be closer to you, but you were always holed up at the library studying and she didn’t want to bother you.”

“She wouldn’t have been a bother,” Seungwan frowns.

“I told her that too! Clearly, she wasn’t convinced.” With that, Joohyun stands up abruptly, stretching.

“Where are you going?” Seungwan’s eyes follow Joohyun as her best friend starts to make her way towards the door.

“Surgery.” Joohyun checks her watch. “Do you want to grab dinner after? I’ll be finished by eight or so.”

“Nope, I’m having dinner with Sooyoung.”

“Alright, have fun then.”

 

---

 

Dinner with Sooyoung is a decidedly small but rowdy affair—they’d settled for a pizza delivery, but the moment Sooyoung had pulled out the remainder of the alcohol they’d bought the other day, Seungwan should’ve known it would be anything but quiet.

“Are you planning on getting drunk?” Seungwan asks, a little tentatively, eyeing Sooyoung warily as the younger woman pours both Seungwan and herself a glass full of wine.

“Of course not! Just a little to celebrate.” She hands Seungwan a glass, and the doctor clinks their glasses with a smile.

“Congratulations, Doctor Park.” Seungwan grins.

“Why, thank you, Doctor Son.” Sooyoung gives her an amused smile.

“When do you start?”

“Two days later. Why?”

“Nervous?” Seungwan’s voice is gentle, and Sooyoung frowns, thinking.

“Not really? I just want to do well.”

“I’m sure you will.” Seungwan reassures, and Sooyoung smiles, looking up at the doctor. There’s a small pause before she speaks again.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in a while.” Her voice wavers a little, and Sooyoung clears , looking away. “Sorry, it’s just been a little rough recently, so this feels nice.”

“Don’t feel sorry, I get it.” Seungwan offers her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You deserve good things, Sooyoung.”

There’s a small laugh from Sooyoung. “Thanks.”

“Now c’mon, let’s eat before the pizza gets cold.”

 

It takes the two women barely an hour to polish off the pizza shared between them, and Sooyoung absently runs her fingers through Mittens’ fur, cheeks tinted pink from the wine. Seungwan, on the other hand, had set aside her own glass in while ago in favour of water—the downsides of having work the next day usually meant that she couldn’t afford to drink as freely as she’d like the night before.

 

“I heard from Joohyun that you wanted to be my friend in high school,” Seungwan remarks, and almost immediately, Sooyoung’s attention snaps to her.

“Well, we kind of were friends, right?”

“I suppose so, yes?” Seungwan looks at Sooyoung for confirmation, but she’s merely met with a noncommittal shrug.

“I mean, I did want to get closer to you.”

“Why?”

“You just… seemed so nice, and I’d never met anyone as kind as you, even if you were a little awkward around people.”

“‘Awkward’ is a nice way of putting it.” Seungwan snorts, and Sooyoung laughs.

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“I drove you away! Joohyun said you didn’t want to bother me.”

“Well, I was too chicken to ask.” Sooyoung lowers her gaze, pouting.

“I wouldn’t have minded, you know.”

“I know. Joohyun told me that, but I wasn’t convinced.” Sooyoung chuckles.

“Is that why you agreed to being my date for my family dinner?” Seungwan teases, and Sooyoung’s eyes widen, flustered.

“No, no! I mean, kind of? I mean, you were offering a hefty sum of money for one evening. Besides, I figured it’d be good to catch up.”

Seungwan nods. “That’s fair.”

“Oh! On that note—you don’t have to pay me anymore for dinner, since I have a job now and all.”

Seungwan gasps in mock offense. “So you were hanging out with me for the money.” Sooyoung rolls her eyes.

“I wanted to tell you that you didn’t have to pay me for helping you anymore, but… you know. I had rent to pay, and all that.”

“I get it, don’t worry.” Seungwan waves Sooyoung’s concern away.

 

Both women eventually lapse into comfortable silence, punctuated with Mittens’ purring.

“I should probably get going soon.” Sooyoung’s glancing up at the wall clock, and Seungwan follows her gaze.

It’s almost two in the morning.

Seungwan frowns. “Do you want to stay over instead? I don’t feel comfortable letting you walk home alone at this hour, and I have a guest bedroom that you can use.”

“…Can I?”

“Of course! I think I might have a shirt that can fit you.” Seungwan pushes herself off the couch, making a beeline to her room. “Not my pants, though. I doubt any of those will fit.”

“It’s alright, I’ll take the shirt then!” Sooyoung follows her, still clutching her glass half-filled with wine, watching as the doctor studiously trawls through her wardrobe.

Then, “Here!” Seungwan pulls out an oversized shirt, which Sooyoung accepts gratefully, followed by a thick, fluffy towel stacked on top.

“You already know where the bathroom is.” Seungwan gestures vaguely in the direction of her bathroom before heading to the living room again, this time picking up her own abandoned glass of wine and bringing it to the sink as Sooyoung places her glass down on the coffee table with a soft clink.

“I’ll go ahead and wash up, then.” She offers Seungwan a smile. “Are you heading to sleep?” She asks, watching as Seungwan rinses her glass.

“Yup, I have work tomorrow. You can go ahead and finish up the rest of the bottle if you’d like.” Seungwan’s voice carries easily despite the splashing of water, and Sooyoung grins.

“Of course, that goes without saying.”

The tap shuts off, and Seungwan places the glass aside.

“I’ll probably leave for work at seven in the morning, so…”

Sooyoung makes a face. “I definitely will not be up by then.”

Seungwan laughs. “I wouldn’t expect you to be. You can hang around the apartment until whenever you like, I’m sure Mittens would appreciate the extra company.” She stifles a yawn. “I think I’m gonna head to bed.”

Sooyoung hums in acknowledgement. “Goodnight, Seungwan.”

Seungwan smiles. “Goodnight, Sooyoung.”

 

---

 

When Sooyoung wakes up, the house is, predictably, empty. Trudging out of bed, she rubs an eye, squinting blearily as she heads for the bathroom, trying her best to ignore the pounding in her head.

To her surprise, a spare toothbrush has already been laid out for her, complete with a travel-sized toothpaste, and Sooyoung doesn’t think she’s ever been more grateful for another human being—especially with a hangover as terrible as this one.

 

As she makes her way out to the living room, feeling marginally more refreshed, it seems that Seungwan has already tidied the place and fed Mittens, because the cat now lies tucked on the couch, napping contentedly, cracking an eye open to watch Sooyoung stumble into the living room for barely a second before he closes his eyes once more.

Shuffling to the kitchen, Sooyoung immediately spots an upturned plate next to a post-it and a couple of pills, and upon closer inspection, they seem to be painkillers. She picks up the post-it, squinting.

 

‘Thought you might need these. Eat your breakfast before you take them, though. Take care! :)’

 

Sooyoung removes the upturned plate to find a plate of fried eggs and toast— they’re still warm, which means that Seungwan hadn’t left all too long ago, and Sooyoung can’t help but smile, a warm, pleasant buzz in her chest. Removing her phone from her pocket, she snaps a quick picture before sending it to Seungwan, complete with an accompanying text.

 

I got it! thank you so much!!

 

Pocketing her phone, she makes her way to the dining table with her breakfast.

Her phone buzzes.

 

No problem! Chew slowly, I don’t want you puking all over my place haha

 

Sooyoung snorts under her breath.

 

Yes ma’am!