19 and 22

Joohyun laughed and took a sip of her drink. It was a mixture of cheap vodka and juice. The party was characterized by drinking games, flirting and averagely good playlists.
Minji winked at her and nodded in the direction where tables were being set up for beer pong.
"Huh?"
"She's hot, isn't she?" the young woman whispered. Joohyun followed her gaze and smirked.
She had already come out in her senior year of high school and was very open about her uality.
Despite that she was bi, no man seemed to be good enough. In addition, many thought she was arrogant and cold. In their opinion her "feminism" was over the top.
"A total turn-off," Park Bogum had called it. Her standards were not high and yet most failed because of their toxic masculinity. That was the biggest turn-off.
Back to the party and the beautiful young woman who just threw a ping pong ball into one of the cups of the other team. Cheering loudly, she high-fived her partner. Joohyun knew the student. Krystal Jung was popular. One of the "it-girls” at her university. Joohyun concluded that the beautiful woman with monolid eyes couldn’t be a nobody if she was close with Krystal.
"Who are you looking at?" Wendy asked. Son Seungwan was highly intelligent and had graduated from high school at sixteen, which put her in the same semester as Joohyun.
The older one pointed at the grinning figure. Whether she was laughing so heartily because she was just showing the boys what true throwing talent was or because she had already emptied a few cups…Joohyun didn't know. The sharp eyes formed into crescents and the older woman thought she looked like a little bear.
"She's cute," Joohyun commented.
"Ah, Kang Seulgi," Wendy said, taking a sip of her beer. "She used to live in my neighborhood when we were kids. I can introduce you to her if you like."
"As if Bae Joohyun needs a wingwoman," Minji replied, giggling.
Suddenly, the young student made eye contact with Joohyun and gave her a friendly wink. Joohyun raised an eyebrow.
Throughout the game, the older student noticed how Kang Seulgi kept looking at her. Joohyun smiled mischievously and stopped drinking. She didn't like it when she was drunk and later someone told her how they ended up in bed together. ONS weren't bad, but she still wanted clarity. Clarity about consent on her part and from the other person's point of view.
And today...she'd be damned if she didn't take this woman back to her apartment.

Only a few minutes later, Kang Seulgi walked up to the three figures, who seemed to be engrossed in a conversation. "Hello Seungwan, long time no see," she greeted Wendy.
"Seulgi," the student replied, giving her a quick hug. "I didn't know you were studying here. You always wanted to be a dancer."
The young woman sighed and dropped onto the couch next to Joohyun. Maybe a bit too close. "I was accepted to SM Dance Academy, but I was involved in a car accident one year ago. Not my fault, laid in the hospital for months crying my eyes out when the doctors said I had to give up professional dancing career if I didn't want injured joints every 2 weeks." Minji sipped her drink and Seulgi earned pitying looks from those present.
"Sorry, didn't mean to kill the mood," she said with a laugh, then turned to Joohyun. She held out her hand. "Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known you."
"Who says you will?" she asked snidely.
Seulgi winked playfully at her and gave her a bright grin. "Kang Seulgi, 19 years old, physics."
"Physics?"
"What were you expecting? Music? Theater?"
Joohyun nodded and finally shook her hand. "Bae Joohyun, 22 years old, medicine."
Seulgi introduced herself to Minji as well, and chatted with Wendy for a while about her year abroad until the other two excused themselves, leaving just her and Joohyun.
"Why medicine?" Seulgi asked, setting down her empty cup.
"The typical reasons I suppose. My best friend died of cancer when we were still in school, my mother is a doctor, and my father is a medic in the army."
Seulgi made a grimace. "I'm sorry about your friend."
"It was a long time ago. What's your goal?"
The young woman shrugged. "I don't know. First get my degree and then I'll see."
Joohyun took a sip despite her intent. Seulgi was the one who finally broke the silence.
"Do you want to come to my place?"

23 and 26

"Seul?"
"Mhh?"
"Where are the bikinis?"
Joohyun received no reply and sighed in annoyance. "Seulgi!"
Nothing.
"Kang Seulgi!"
"What?"
"The bikinis," she repeated with hands on her hips. Her girlfriend was sitting at the kitchen table, gleefully shoving a spoonful of cornflakes into .
Suddenly she looked to her left and widened her eyes. Joohyun was pissed. Not a good sign for the beginning of her vacation.
"Are you serious? I've been packing since yesterday and you're eating?!"
Seulgi gulped down the colorful circles and pushed the bowl back. "Uhm...no?"
Joohyun threw her arms in the air and disappeared. "Our plane leaves in seven hours!"
The younger woman sighed and entered the bedroom after a short time. "Fourth drawer of the right dresser, under the old shirts."
"I already looked ther-" Joohyun stopped and snorted.
"Found them?"
"Eat your stupid cornflakes," she hissed, carrying the bikinis to the suitcase. Seulgi giggled and hugged her from behind. "Hyunnie, we still have so much time left. Almost everything on your travel list is checked off. Calm down."
Joohyun tried to break free from the tender grip, but Seulgi kissed her neck and whispered, "Relax."
She knew her older girlfriend was more excited than she should be. Joohyun’s mother had often taken her along on trips and had been at the airport hours before departure. Thus, Joohyun had learned to wait on uncomfortable chairs and buy overpriced food.

Seulgi, on the other hand, has saved her money for a long time to buy tickets to Japan. It had been a surprise and the first thing that came to Joohyun’s mind was to protest. Seulgi worked two jobs and still found enough time for her. Joohyun was busy with various internships and was often away from home for several days in a row. Seulgi was understanding and supported her girlfriend, even though she had started a Master's program herself.

"Seul," Joohyun whined.
"It'll only take us an hour to get to the airport, darling. Relax. Eat something and I'll pack up the rest, okay?"

Joohyun sighed. She didn't really like “loosing” the control, especially since Seulgi had laboriously saved the money for their entire vacation, and even though it only took Joohyun one phone call to get the money right away, Seulgi had denied and said, "I don't want you or your parents to think that I'm only dating you for money."
Joohyun loved her. She just loved everything about Kang Seulgi. Well, maybe not the bad habit of cracking her finger bones and every now and then she was extremely slow in understanding flirting attempts. Not to mention her urge to test every river water for its "taste".
Fortunately, her parents had immediately accepted Seulgi and praised her ambitions to become a professor. Whether it was really Seulgi's plan, only heaven knew. She changed her plans from day to day. At one time she wanted to continue her studies, then she tried to convince Joohyun to live in Europe and a week later she wanted to buy an old house in the forest.
Joohyun loved that about her, too. The dreams, the optimism, the clumsiness and most of all her humor. God how she adored the younger woman and her stupid grin.

Seulgi spun Joohyun around and her cheek. "Sit down."
"Don’t forget-"
"No, I won't," she giggled and kissed Joohyun.

She did it anyway. Joohyun's sun hat rested in the closet until their return and Seulgi scratched the back of her head in embarrassment before being chased down the beach by Joohyun.

27 and 30

"Hey, darling," Seulgi greeted her and put the book away. Joohyun looked exhausted and immediately threw herself on the large bed.
"Sixty hours," the woman murmured, rolling over to look into her girlfriend's bright eyes. "What about you?"
"Final preparations for the submission of my research project. The results will even be published in an international journal."
"That's great, Seul," Joohyun said weakly, smiling at her. "I'm really proud of you."
Seulgi nodded and dropped down on the bed beside her. "Are you on duty tomorrow?"
She nodded, not quite understanding the excitement in her girlfriend's voice. Was it because of the project? Sure. After all, it was a pretty big deal for a young woman.
Joohyun looked at her watch and closed her eyes. "We will celebrate it," Joohyun whispered, snuggling closer to her girlfriend. The warmth soon enveloped her and the lack of sleep from days caught her off guard.
Seulgi gently her hair. "Yeah," she whispered, mouth twisting with a glance at the calendar.

They had survived the "bewitched seventh year." Some time ago, Seulgi had asked Joohyun if she could finally introduce her as her girlfriend at upcoming events. Joohyun had nodded with a smile and led her to her favorite spot in the park. She knew Seulgi loved the stars and had asked many questions. Afterwards, they had eaten pizza and fallen into Joohyun's bed with full stomachs. Seulgi had still lived in the dorm at 20 and well...a relationship was something you wanted to celebrate properly without having a Joy on the other side of the room.
Now more and more the everyday life had set in. Adulthood with all its annoying tasks. Bureaucracy, housework, dumb colleagues, sleepless nights, less time for friends and family as well as small quarrels.
Sometimes Seulgi wished that they had remained students forever.

32 and 35

Seulgi bobbed up and down nervously. "Relax," Krystal said, adjusting her tie.
"How am I supposed to relax? I'm getting married in ten minutes."
The other woman looked deep into her dark eyes. "I'm very happy for you."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me."
Before she officially dated Joohyun, Krystal wanted to make her her own girlfriend. But Seulgi’s heart was already taken, so Krystal had to watch her best friend love another woman. Gifted another woman. Smiled at another woman. Touched another woman.
"Your speech?"
Seulgi panicked again. "Oh my God, what if I forget everything?! What if I forget the words or she doesn’t like it or-"
Krystal took a step back and looked at her from head to toe. "You're 32, Kang Seulgi. You're a professor and internationally known. If anyone is going to shower Joohyun with way too much love during the wedding vows, it's you."
Seulgi clenched her fists. "Yes, yes exactly."
She then entered the room and