Ryujin gave she a small smile. Yeji saw it, but didn't return it. She did look into Ryujin's eyes, Yeji could see her intentions behind them, but she just shook her head a little and went about her business. Yeji thought about what the girl's reaction to her apparent indifference would be, and she knew he couldn't fool Ryujin. She smiled and glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ryujin. Ryujin was still looking at her, though her small smile had disappeared.

Yeji's heart fluttered. She liked this little flirtation they had been having with each other for a long time.

Yeji was with the rest of the members in a room at JYP, doing a live show. It was one of those formal lives, where each one was seated in a chair around a table. Ryujin was sitting diagonally to Yeji.

Jisu was talking at that moment. Her voice became background noise to Yeji as she was lost in her thoughts, which had to do with a certain short-haired girl.

Yeji liked Ryujin. Very much. Yeji knew that Ryujin liked her, too. A lot, in fact.

It wasn't necessary for Ryujin to tell her (and she never had), Yeji noticed it and made sure Ryujin knew that she was attracted to her too. Glances, smiles, some suggestive little phrase... It was through those subtle acts that they both made it known that they liked each other. They had never talked about it directly. Yeji knew why: they both enjoyed that little game.

The closest they had ever come to saying anything to each other was one day when they were on their way to their separate dorms.

“Yeji, how long does the ban on having a partner last?,” Ryujin asked as they walked.

Yeji frowned while thinking.

“About three years,” she replied.

“Too much time,” Ryujin complained. “Unless, of course, you're dating someone in your group.”

“Can you imagine that?,” said Yeji casually.

“These are lucky people.”

Yeji remained serious until it was time to part. Only then Yeji smiled foolishly, thinking of her companion.

Yeji didn't know how long they would keep it up. One of the two had to confess, and if there was one thing Ryujin and Yeji were known for, it was that they loved to tease each other. That was, Yeji reflected, why they weren't confessing. They were teasing each other. Kind of childish, but Yeji was amused.

That didn't take away from the fact that she wanted to kiss her "friend" once and for all.

“Yeji-unnie?”

Yeji shook her head, coming out of her thoughts, and looked at the one who called her. It was Chaeryeong.

“What do you think about this?”

“That I got a little lost and if you could repeat it.”

Yeji smiled sheepishly as Ryujin burst out laughing.

 

---

 

Their comeback was a complete success. As a result, the people upstairs informed Yeji that they would be moved to a new dormitory. More than a dormitory, it was a three-bedroom apartment. Yeji was very excited and told the others. Soon after, they sat down to discuss who would be roommates.

“There are three bedrooms,” Jisu reported, “and there are five of us. Therefore, two will share a room, two will share another room, and the last one can have the room to herself.”

Yuna and Chaeryeong started talking about it. Yeji shot a glance at Ryujin. They held each other's gaze and nodded slightly.

“Yeji and I will share a room,” Ryujin said.

Yuna, Chaeryeong and Jisu looked at Ryujin and then at Yeji. Yeji nodded, confirming what Ryujin said. None of the three objected and they played rock-paper-scissors to determine who would get an entire room to herself.

They were oblivious to the smile that Ryujin and Yeji turned to each other.

 

---

 

Yeji was surprised that there was a living room, TV and even a kitchen in the apartment. She thought it would be just a small living room with the bedrooms, but no.

She wasn't complaining either.

The five celebrated the lifestyle upgrade by cooking delicious food and eating together.

After the meal was finished and the dishes were washed, everyone went to their rooms. It was dark by the time the apartment was quiet.

That night, the veiled flirtation between Yeji and Ryujin would become more evident.

Yeji was about to climb up to the top bunk when Ryujin called out to her.

“Hey, Yeji-unnie, want to play a game of UNO?,” she asked while shaking the deck of red cards in her hand.

"Well…,” she looked at the time on the night watch. There was time. “Yeah, sure.”

Ryujin made room for Yeji on her bed. The distance between the square below and above allowed them to sit comfortably cross-legged.

The game began and before long they were already engaged in it. Ryujin had two cards left and Yeji had three.

“UNO!,” exclaimed the short-haired girl as she placed a red card.

Yeji looked at the small tower of cards, then looked at her friend. Ryujin was smiling excitedly.

Yeji almost felt sorry for what she was about to do.

She smiled a little as she pulled a black card from her deck. Yeji's smile widened as she placed the card.

“+4,” she said.

Ryujin's smile died as she gave her an incredulous look. Ryujin sighed and picked up four cards.

“Go to he-”

“Ryujin! No swearing!”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” her tone indicated that she wasn't sorry at all. “Are you going to punish me?”

Yeji looked at her remaining cards.

“Yes.”

She put another +4.

Cards flew in all directions.

Ryujin quickly approached Yeji, dropping her deck and blowing up the cards lying on the bed. Yeji, surprised, fell back, propping herself up on her elbows. She dropped her only two remaining cards as well.

Ryujin cornered Yeji. Yeji didn't expect her to make such a sudden advance, but Yeji would be lying if she said she didn't like the look Ryujin was giving her at that moment.

“I'm bored with this game,” Ryujin said. “Instead of finishing it, why don't we finish the other one?”

Yeji raised an eyebrow and remained serious, though the short distance between them was distracting her a bit. She had to strain considerably to not look at Ryujin's lips.

“What do you mean?,” Yeji asked.

“Don't play dumb now," Yeji noticed how Ryujin's eyes wandered from her to rest on her lips. Ryujin quickly caressed her lower lip with her tongue.

Yeji bit her own lower lip at the sight of her. Ryujin approached her, parting her lips. Yeji decided to imitate her. The distance between them slowly shortened. Their breaths intermingled.

Both stopped.

The two girls stopped at the same time, as if they were two Swiss watches produced in the same factory.

“It would be a somewhat anticlimactic ending,” Yeji said, trying to keep her voice steady. “Although if that what you want, ask for it.”

“Ask for what?,” Ryujin answered.

“The kiss,” Yeji said.

Ryujin looked up from her lips to find Yeji looking at her.

"Ask for it you, better," Ryujin smiled.

Yeji found herself not wanting to do it. Asking for it meant losing the game. It meant swallowing her pride in front of Shin Ryujin, and that Yeji couldn't afford to do, even if the reward was so juicy. Yeji shook her head.

“Okay, then," Ryujin said.

She stepped away from her, allowing Yeji to straighten up.

“Let's pick up the cards," Yeji looked at the time. “It's already late.”

They stood in silence as they picked up the cards. Once done, Yeji climbed into her seat.

-Good night, Ryujin.

-Good night, Yeji.

In the darkness, both girls decided they had to bring the other down somehow or other.

 

---

 

Yeji went over the ingredients one more time. Eggs, flour, butter, sugar, everything was in the bowl. Now she had to mix it. As she did so, she thought of the other members. Three of them had gone out for a walk in the city on their day off. Yeji preferred to stay and prepare a cake for them all to eat in the afternoon or evening.

Ryujin was in the bedroom. Yeji guessed she was playing video games. It was something she really liked.

Yeji poured the mixture into the cake pan and set the bowl aside. She heard a door open and close, then footsteps.

“Yeji?,” Ryujin said.

The girl came into the kitchen. She frowned when she saw Yeji.

“What are you making?”

“A cake,” Yeji answered as hse gestured to the ingredients. “For later.”

Ryujin walked over and inspected the ingredients. Yeji started tapping the mold so that the mixture would be evenly distributed. She noticed Ryujin's eyes fixed on the bowl with leftover mixture. Ryujin lifted it up.

“Can I keep this?”

“Yep,” Yeji said.

Ryujin ran a finger around the inside of the bowl and brought it to , tasting the flavor. She let out a sound of satisfaction.

“It tastes good,” she said cheerfully.

Yeji smiled and prepared the oven. She had to wait a moment before putting the pan in. Yeji turned around and saw Ryujin leaning against the kitchen counter. She seemed to be engaged in watching Yeji cook now. Yeji noticed a smear of mixture near her lips.

An idea occurred to her.

Yeji pointed to her own face and said:

“You have a stain here.”

Ryujin frowned, but put a hand to her face. Yeji covered the short distance between them and took the hand that went to her face. Ryujin arched an eyebrow.

Yeji smiled.

“Let me remove it for you.”

Ryujin shrugged her shoulders. Yeji took that as a yes. She didn't reach out her hand to remove the stain. She wasn't planning to.

Instead, Yeji brought her face closer to Ryujin's. She diverted to where the stain was and stuck out her tongue. She the stain and, not content with that, planted a kiss there, close to Ryujin's lips. It pleased her that Ryujin's breath caught.

“Mmm,” Yeji said, tasting the mixture, “It does taste good, but I know something that's better,” she lowered his voice. “My lips. Don't you want to taste them, Ryujin? Just ask. I assure you, you'll like them.”

Silence. The only sound came from the murmur of the furnace.

Ryujin stepped back. Yeji looked into her eyes, trying to maintain a half-smile. Her heart was pounding expectantly.

Ryujin averted her gaze to look behind Yeji.

“I won't question your words, unnie,” he said, “but you could start a fire by distracting yourself like this.”

Yeji held her position. She glanced at Ryujin's mouth, and the thought of crashing her own mouth into the opposite one took over a good section of her mind, but she dismissed the idea. She wouldn't indulge her.

 

“You're right,” Yeji said as she walked away. “It could be dangerous.”

Ryujin smiled slyly and left the kitchen.

Later, Jisu, Yuna and Chaeryeong told Yeji that her cake turned out spectacular, though for Yeji the taste was marred by frustration.

 

---

 

Ryujin took a day to strike back. Yuna, Chaeryeong and Jisu had left early, each to visit their parents. Yeji would have done the same but for the fact that her parents did not live in Seoul. Shortly after her friends had left, it started to rain, screwing up any plans Yeji had to go out. Luckily, she was not left alone. Ryujin was with her, keeping her company. Deep down, she cared about Yeji, and it was that, combined with other attractions, that had attracted Yeji in the first place.

Despite that, she wouldn't let Ryujin get away with it.

“It's still raining, according to the message Chaer just sent me,” Ryujin's voice came from below.

Yeji snorted, annoyed.

“It's going to rain all day,” she said.

“It looks like it,” Ryujin agreed. “Shall we go to the living room and watch a movie or two?”

“Yes,” Yeji replied. She felt embarrassed that she sounded a little desperate, but she was really bored.

Ryujin didn't seem to notice.

“Okay, let's go.”

The rain caused the temperature to drop, so they decided to take their blankets into the living room.

Ryujin and Yeji sat on the same couch. The first movie started and ended with both of them watching it in silence, breaking it only to comment something or make a joke.

They decided to watch a second movie. The girls, if they arrived, would arrive in as many hours. They decided on a romance. A few minutes into the movie, Ryujin approached her. She lay down on Yeji's lap, who accepted her without a word. She liked that.

The plot of the movie was in full swing when Ryujin got up from her lap. Yeji was disappointed, but the feeling disappeared when Ryujin rested her head on Yeji's shoulder.

“Your shoulder is at the perfect height,” Ryujin commented, and Yeji felt the vibration in her voice.

“Good for you,” Yeji said, earning a tap on the arm. She chuckled softly.

The atmosphere that had been created (rain, lights off, a plot that Yeji found somewhat boring) caused Yeji to start nodding off. She closed her eyes.

“This moment is missing something to be perfect, don't you think?”

Ryujin's voice brought Yeji out of her stupor.

“Ah?”

Yeji had her eyes on the screen, but she saw out of the corner of her eye that Ryujin was peeling off her shoulder and looking at her.

“Romantic movie, rain, us cuddling on the same couch... I don't know, something's missing.”

The next time Ryujin spoke, it was in Yeji's ear.

“Something like a kiss,” Ryujin whispered against her ear, sending shivers down the older girl's spine. Yeji hoped Ryujin hadn't noticed.

Ryujin bit her earlobe, and if Yeji had been standing, her legs would have failed  her.

“What do you say, Yeji?,” Ryujin traced Yeji's jaw line with a finger, and she couldn't help but sigh at the Shin's touch.

Yeji's resolve wavered like it hadn't before. She stared blankly at the television, the conversations coming from there passing into background noise for her.

She could end it all there. Ask Ryujin to kiss her, for her to accept, and for the rest of their evening to pass with the two of them holding each other and being, finally, something more.

Stubbornness and pride won out. Yeji clenched her fist.

“They're about to reach the of the plot,” Yeji said. “If you don't pay attention you'll miss it, Ryujin.”

Ryujin was slow to respond, and Yeji felt each and every one of Ryujin's breaths in her ear, torturing her.

“You...,” was what Ryujin said in her ear before walking away. “Fine,” she said.

The afternoon passed in silence.

 

---

 

Two days passed without anything special happening. Yeji and the rest went out one day to spend it in the park and go to a restaurant. The other day, the five of them were talking for hours and hours in the building's cafeteria.

Yeji was racking her brains thinking of a strategy to get Ryujin to fall. That was the thing about having free time, having a crush on a friend and being stubborn, she thought. It didn't look like Ryujin was having a better time than she was, which in a way was what kept Yeji from giving in. In those moments she kept telling herself that Ryujin would fall for it, that it was only a short time away. However, she was afraid that leaving the game on the grill for so long would end up burning it out. There was some tension now between Yeji and Ryujin, which sooner or later would end up breaking either of them.

Yeji feared it would be her.

Yeji came out of the room and sat on a chair in front of the counter. Jisu was in the kitchen, making coffee.

“Will you have some?,” Jisu asked.

Yeji nodded.

A few minutes of chatting later they were joined by Yuna, then Chaeryeong and finally Ryujin.

The morning and afternoon went quickly. Yeji spent most of them in the living room, lying on the couch. She decided to go to her room, where she found Ryujin sitting at the table, looking at her laptop.

“I've been reading comments on Twitter and other networks,” Ryujin said. “The fans would really like it if you and I created a subunit.”

Yeji was about to get on her bed when Ryujin spoke. She turned to look at the girl and noticed that she was serious. Yeji decided to take the other chair in the dormitory, facing Ryujin.

“Really?,” Yeji asked.

Ryujin nodded looking at the screen.

Yeji smelled something strange about that. Maybe it was her imagination, but Ryujin telling her that the fans wanted to see a sub-unit of the two was suspicious. Her mind shuffled through the possibility that this situation was Ryujin's next attempt to make Yeji lose the damned game. Whether it was or not, Yeji would play along.

“Interesting,” Yeji said. “We could cover some choreography and send it through Bubble or YouTube.”

“I thought of something like that,” Ryujin said, distractedly looking at her laptop. “What choreography could we do?”

Yeji thought about it for a while.

“Ever since I heard Not Today I've wanted to cover it, but I haven't been up for it.”

“That's a good suggestion,” Ryujin agrred, “but I had thought of another one that would make the fans go crazy.”

-Yes? What is it?

Ryujin looked at her.

“Tail,” she said.

Yeji felt her ears getting hot. She held back a fit of coughing and put her hands to her hair. Yeji pretended to scratch it, when in reality she was using it to cover her ears.

Ryujin, unfortunately, had noticed the change. She smiled, using the smile she put on stage when he wanted to express seduction, only this one wasn't fake. It was very real.

Past the initial small shock, Yeji regained her composure. She placed her elbows on the table, interlocked her hands and rested her head on them.

“That one would certainly drive everyone crazy,” Yeji said. “I don't think they'd even let us air it, but we could try. Just one thing,” he paused, “We'd need at least one other person to cover the chair part.”

Yeji smiled to herself when it was Ryujin's turn to get flustered. Ryujin's smile faltered, but Ryujin fixed it instantly.

"We could change that part," she said.

“Suggestions?,” Yeji said, challenging her.

Ryujin got up and pushed the table out of her way. She walked up to Yeji. Yeji looked up. Ryujin put one leg on either side of Yeji and sat on her lap, placing her hands on the older woman's shoulders. It was quite an intimate position, accentuated by the look Ryujin gave her.

Yeji hoped with all her might that Ryujin didn't hear her heart pumping furiously. None of the previous times Yeji had felt this way. Her expectations had grown exponentially as time went on, and now they were working against Yeji.

“Instead of my back to you,” Ryujin began, “I can take this position.”

“Good,” Yeji said, with a confidence that she didn't feel. “Here we could chain some hand movements together.”

Yeji brought her hands, dangling on either side, to Ryujin's hips. She was pleased that the girl's smile disappeared. If the anticipation was killing Yeji, it was killing Ryujin too. The thought gave Yeji strength.

“Yes, I'd get close like this,” Ryujin hunched down to bring her face close to Yeji's, “and we'd almost kiss. Then I pull away.”

Ryujin did not fulfill the last part in this essay. She stood inches away from Yeji. Ryujin brought one of her hands to Yeji's red hair and dug her fingers in. She tugged on it, and Yeji grunted in surprise as she threw her head back.

“You're so stubborn, Yeji,” Ryujin whispered. "Why don't you just swallow your pride and ask for what you want so badly?”

Yeji was about to do it. The situation was too much to let it pass without anything happening. Yeji opened , the sounds that would become "kiss me" were beginning to form in her vocal cords, but she held back.

Yeji brought one of her hands to the back of Ryujin's neck. She tucked her fingers into her hair and pulled back, taking care to not hurt the girl. It was Ryujin's turn to growl as Yeji got rid of the hand tangled in her own hair. Ryujin pulled her head up high enough to expose her whitish neck.

Yeji wrung out her willpower in that last sensual grapple. She put her face into the girl's neck.

“Don't talk as if you weren't more desperate than I am,” she said, imbuing her words with a confidence that she didn't feel.

Yeji planted a kiss on her neck, to which Ryujin responded with a slight shudder. She moved up and kissed Ryujin's jaw line. For every touch to her skin, Ryujin cracked a little more, and Yeji wasn't far behind.

If Ryujin didn't give in with this attempt... Yeji would. To hell with it all.

“Ask for it, Ryujin,” Yeji whispered hoarsely. “Ask for it and I promise you won't regret it.”

Silence. Yeji's heart was a locomotive in her chest. She raised her eyes to look at Ryujin, loosening her grip on Ryujin's hair. Ryujin slowly opened ....

And what came out of it delighted Yeji Hwang like nothing else ever had.

“Kiss me, Yeji.”

“With pleasure, Ryujin.”

Yeji pulled away from Ryujin's neck and cupped her face with both hands. Ryujin curled up and Yeji straightened up seeking her lips.

The kiss was better than Yeji could have imagined. Ryujin's lips were soft and fluffy, and Yeji made sure to feel them fully, exploring them slowly but firmly.

They both broke apart, but only to catch their breath. Yeji wasn't satisfied, and she could see in Ryujin's eyes that she wasn't either. No, it wasn't enough.

They kissed again. Yeji put her hand back into Ryujin's hair, instructing her to bend his head. Ryujin did so eagerly, allowing the kiss to deepen. Yeji couldn't get enough of those lips. Ryujin Yeji's hair, never stopping kissing her at any point. The only sound in their room was the sound of their heavy, choppy breaths.

Yeji was drunk from the drink that was Shin Ryujin. She tugged lightly on Ryujin's hair. Ryujin moaned against her lips in response, giving her the access Yeji was waiting for. She her tongue inside her partner's mouth. She didn't know if it was too much for a first kiss, but Ryujin's moan seemed to indicate it wasn't. Ryujin's tongue met hers, and the two danced in harmony. They both forgot about everything except each other's lips. Of drowning in each other's mouth.

Ryujin bit Yeji's lower lip before pulling apart, gasping for air. Yeji opened her eyes, admiring Ryujin. Her cheeks were flushed, and Yeji guessed she would be the same way.

Ryujin ran a finger across Yeji's lips.

“It was worth it,” she said in a low, intimate voice.

Yeji smiled at her.

“It was more than worth it,” she replied.

They looked at each other in silence until Yeji suddenly remembered where they were.

“Uhm, one of the girls could walk in at any moment,” she said.

Ryujin arched an eyebrow, glancing towards the door.

-I'd pay to see their reactions to this position we're in.

“They'd kill us,” Yeji laughed.

“Nah, no way. Remember that time Yuna stole a kiss from Jisu? I don't think they'd mind that much. By the way, are we doing Tail's cover or not?”

Yeji blushed, as if realizing for the first time how racy that was.

Ryujin let out a laugh at her reaction and stole a peak at her before getting up.

“I'm kidding, I made it all up so you'd lose, but it backfired.”

“Ah, thanks for reminding me,” Yeji said with a smirk. “You lost, and caught in your own trap! How pathetic.”

“Don't overdo it, Hwang," Ryujin threatened as she lay down on her bed.

Yeji smiled he arranged the table and chairs. She went out to the living room and found Chaeryeong and Jisu watching a movie. She greeted them and felt like laughing knowing they were so close as she and Ryujin French kissed in the room. Yeji went to make tea for everyone.

She was in the mood to do so.