"God, get a room," Soyeon groans over the chaotic beat of the drums. 

From the other end of the couch, Soojin deadpans, "Your dorm is literally one giant room." 

"Get another room!" The childish retort is followed by the swift jab of her toe into the squishy flesh of Soojin’s thigh. "You're ruining my tea!" 

"You don't even drink tea!" 

Nestled between Soojin and the cushions of the couch, Shuhua remains transfixed on the scene unfolding on the television before her. 

"Yeah, well, if I did it would be ruined." 

The bickering barbs trade back and forth until the cymbals crash and the room is bathed in abrupt silence. 

"Wha-" 

"Jelly. Babe." With the remote in hand, finger hovering over the pause, Shuhua pouts, "I can't hear the movie." 

", sorry Shu." Soyeon apologises instantly. 

"Sorry," Soojin is quick to follow, her lips pressing against the underside of Shuhua's jaw. 

Appeased, Shuhua hits play and what remains of the crackles out of the second hand speakers. 

" My tea ." As she mouths the words, Soyeon stares directly into her best friend's soul. 

With a devious smile painted across her lips, Soojin digs the balls of the toes into Soyeon’s stomach. As she wheezes, bent over in discomfort, Soojin gleefully apologises, "Sorry. Foot cramp."

The evening is quiet. Unlike the heat of August, the middle of September is mild, marked by crisp mornings and the occasional chilly evening. 

"Nice sweater." 

Soojin picks at the material in question and shrugs. "Thanks." The gratitude is lackluster and the tone flatter than a loose sheet of paper. 

"Looks fancy." Lisa elongates the enunciation of her final word. Hands tucked behind her back, she skips along like the picture of innocence. 

Feet dragging along the sidewalk, Soojin groans, "Stop trying to steal my clothes!" 

“Wha?” Hand to her chest, Lisa gasps. “I would never!” Half a moment later she teasingly tags on, “And isn’t that y Eye’s anyways?”

Soojin pauses to toss her hands in the air, “You know what? I’m done.” She storms ahead only to come to a halt at the solid orange hand at the crosswalk.

“Done, huh?” Lisa snickers, “How’s that goin’ for ya?”

“Shut up.”

When the light turns Soojin bolts, joining the fray of busy New Yorkers as they carry on about their day. Behind her, Lisa weaves through the flow, head bobbing up and down as she struggles to keep up. 

“Ah! Soo!” At the next crosswalk, Lisa heaves, “Why so mean?” Holding the cramp in her side, she exaggerates the pain. “Your girlfriend too busy to cuddle our prickly little bear?” When Soojin power walks off, Lisa lunges, grabbing fruitlessly at the empty air, “SOOOOO!!!”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

Collapsing onto the bench, draping herself over Soojin’s lap, Lisa groans. It’s loud and obnoxious and turns half a dozen nearby heads. “Still? God…” she in a noisy breath, “You two could practically be married with grandkids at this point.” 

Soojin crosses her arms over her chest. “Yeah well…” She mumbles on, the words so soft that the gentle breeze sweeps them away. 

“Huh?” Lisa cups her hand around her ear, “Speak up!”

“I said I hope there’s poop under you,” Soojin mumbles, in defiance, only a fraction louder. 

“Yah!”

Batting away Lisa’s gangly arms, Soojin’s mirth mellows. “I’ve been asking her for weeks, but she just... she keeps saying soon babe, soon .” The dog nearby perks when she exhales a low whimper. “Why is she like this?”

“Hey,” Lisa reassuring pats Soojin’s stomach. From the sideways angle it’s awkward and more like a light punch. “I’m sure she has her reasons. That woman—” she yawns, “— has heart eyes worse than you and you—” then whistles, “—you got it bad . Ow ow ow!” Lisa curls inward to deflect the light blows. 

A couple walks by, arm in arm, exchanging hushed secrets.

“She’ll ask you, Soo.”

Eyes transfixed on the sky, Soojin sighs, “I just wish she’d hurry up.”

“What did you think?”

Soojin stews over the question for a moment. “A little… salty?” Her tongue wets her lips as she speaks. 

Under her breath, Shuhua mumbles, “Why does everyone think it’s salty?” When she turns the pinch in her brow melts off the contours of her face, “Water?” The bottle in her hand crinkles as she lifts it.

“Thanks.” The last few sips of water are just enough. 

“Always,” Shuhua takes the empty bottle, depositing it in the nearest receptacle before reaching for Soojin’s hand. “Hey, isn’t that your favourite library?” She points with their interlaced fingers and doesn’t wait for a reply before dashing towards it, “Let’s go!” 

The concrete isn’t uneven but Soojin stumbles regardless. “Shuhua!” The yelp is two octaves too high. 

Shuhua slams into the heavy glass doors with the entire weight of her shoulder and the momentum of their bodies that follow. The receptionist looks up over the rim of her wire glasses. Her glare softens when she notices Soojin waving sheepishly from behind Shuhua. 

“Don’t break the door,” Soojin hisses when they’re out of sight of the front desk. 

“I think the door broke me,” Shuhua whines in return, rubbing her shoulder with playful sniffles. 

Despite her gloomy disposition, Soojin leans over. "Good," she whispers into the shell of Shuhua's ear before planting a kiss against the goose bumped skin. “Is there something you’re looking for?” The words are curious as Soojin is pulled down one aisle then up the next. 

The shrug is skittish, “I think…” Shuhua leads them up to the second floor and down a row of shelves covered in thick, colourful spines. “Was it…” Halfway down the aisle she squats low. Like there’s a forgery in the mix, Shuhua inspects each title with the utmost care. 

Over her shoulder, Soojin asks, “Did you take up… gardening?” The title Hardy Herbaceous Perennials: Volume II sticks out like a sore thumb.

“What? Gar…” Shuhua trails off as she looks down at the green spine her index finger is hovering over. “Miyeon says I murdered the rubber plant.” Her frown morphs into a pout, “It was fake.” 

“So we’re in the gardening section then because…?”

“Why do you like it here?” Shuhua asks instead. When she settles down, legs crossed, Soojin is forced to follow. Overhead, a disembodied voice announces the looming closure. 

“Here?” In front of the 580s, Soojin blinks. “I don’t usually…” 

“Not here here.” Shuhua waves her free hand in front of herself frantically. “Like, here. ” Her hand slows and shifts to trace wide, latitudinal circles. “This place. Soyeon said you called it your… oasis?” 

Soojin chuckles. “My quiet oasis.” The sound of a child screaming floats up to the mezzanine. 

Nose scrunched, Shuhua is skeptical. “It’s hardly quiet.” As if to prove her point, the wails of a second child join the first. “And have you seen some of the people?” Eyes darting up and down the aisle, she leans in to whisper, “Shad—ah!” 

“It’s a cute place,” Soojin claims. In the corners of her lips sit the faintest of faint smiles as she watches Shuhua flail on her back like a capsized turtle. “When we first came to New York, I was a little homesick. I’ll never regret leaving, but… I still love my family.” 

On the main floor, the gut wrenching sobs fade.