ONE

Sooyoung adjusts herself in her seat, fixes her shirt and checks her nails. She takes the time to appreciate how the diner’s bright neon sign is reflected in the dark rippling puddles of the parking lot and how clean the floor looks today. She checks her hair for split ends.

And she does it all again two more times.

Sooyoung does anything, anything to keep herself from checking the time on her phone and—

—and dammit, she absentmindedly checked her phone and now she’s very aware of the time. It’s 9:30pm, which confirms what she’s been fearing, what’s been eating at her soul for hours:

She’s been stood up.

Sooyoung, like her heart, sinks into the yellow table. She uses her hand to scrub her face tiredly.

Why is this happening to her? Couldn’t Vivi, today’s supposed Tinder date, at least message her? Even a bare-minimum ‘hey don’t wait up, can’t make it xo’ would have sufficed, but Sooyoung didn’t even get that. She begs the universe for an explanation as to why she’s sitting at this diner alone on a Friday night, full plate of cold food in front of her.

More than anything, though, she hopes this bad experience doesn’t taint this place, her favorite restaurant in town. Soul G’s Diner’s retro neon light decor, charming worn red leather seats and deliciously unhealthy food have always been Sooyoung’s comfort zone and she refuses to let getting stood up once ruin it for her.

“Well,” she hisses bitterly to herself, “you’re the one that took the risk when inviting a stranger to your favorite place.”

She shakes her head then looks around, not surprised to see that she’s the last customer lingering. That’s good. No other patron around to pity her and make her feel even more miserable than she already is. The only other person in here is an overworked waitress wiping down the tables, no doubt anxious to close but patient enough to let Sooyoung finish her food. She must seem so pathetic to the other woman, all dressed up waiting around for someone that wasn’t ever going to come.

Sooyoung taps on the Tinder app then, about to send Vivi a string of messages that’ll no doubt make her seem desperate, when the employee reaches her table. Respectfully, Sooyoung stands and begins to gather her leather jacket to clear the area and leave so the woman can finish her job in peace, but the kind smile she sends her makes Sooyoung pause.

She’s a cute woman, short and around Sooyoung’s age, with bangs and long brown hair tied in a half ponytail. Sooyoung finds that she recognizes her from all the times she’s visited the restaurant.

She remembers to stop staring and says, “Sorry. For staying too long, I mean. I’ll be leaving now,” but the other woman shakes her head as she sprays the table next to Sooyoung’s and wipes it.

“It’s okay!” the waitress says brightly, then with hesitation, ”Looks like you were expecting someone..?”

Sooyoung ducks her head in embarrassment. This woman definitely thinks Sooyoung’s a loser. “Ah. Yeah, she was supposed to arrive at around seven, so I stuck around.” She shrugs as if to say and see where that got me?

The employee, Jiwoo, according to the nameplate on her bright red uniform shirt, looks at the analog clock on the wall and cringes sympathetically. Sooyoung does too. Jiwoo frowns sadly and gestures to Sooyoung’s food. “Well, are you still hungry? Looks like you didn’t touch your food much, and it’s gone cold.”

“No, I’m not hungry anymore,” Sooyoung says just as her stomach rumbles so loudly that no doubt Jiwoo hears it too. She laughs and it’s such a sweet sound that Sooyoung has to hold onto the chair to keep from swooning.

“You’re welcome to join me… uh..?” Jiwoo narrows her eyes in thought.

“Oh! I’m Sooyoung.”

“Around this time I’m the only person around and I usually help myself to some of the leftover ingredients to make myself dinner. You’re welcome to join me, Sooyoung.”

Sooyoung considers declining, as her pride is hurt, it’s getting late and she’s got a job in the morning, but Jiwoo’s tired smile gives her pause; this isn’t some simple offer, as every day is a busy one at Soul G’s, so Jiwoo offering up the final hours of the night—which are also her free time, no less—to a stranger must mean something. If Sooyoung thinks about it, it makes the invitation feel more sincere, less about pitying solitary little Sooyoung and more about just looking for some company. Plus, like she observed before, Jiwoo is cute. If Sooyoung plays her cards right, she might earn herself a date by the end of the night.

“What do you say?” Jiwoo asks, noting her hesitation.

With a warmth spreading across her chest, Sooyoung says, “I’d love to, actually. Thank you.”

“No problem,” Jiwoo says, shrugging nonchalantly. “Two Deluxe Soul G Burgers with an extra helping of fries coming right up!” Jiwoo disappears with Sooyoung’s cold food into the kitchen and minutes later arrives at Sooyoung’s table with two fresh plates. Sooyoung studies the burger carefully as she slides her chair out and places her jacket on the back.

“There’s no such thing as a Deluxe. The menu has only ever had the regular Soul G Burger,” she points out suspiciously. She’s been coming here for years now. She knows the menu like she knows the back of her hand.

Jiwoo seems unbothered as she turns off a majority of the lights, save for the one in the kitchen, bathing the whole diner in a dark shadow. She sits opposite Sooyoung and takes a bite of her burger. “There is a Deluxe when I add another patty, bacon and extra cheese,” she says after swallowing, sporting a smile so big and bright Sooyoung forgets that the sun dipped below the horizon an hour ago. She returns the smile easily and checks the burger, confirming that there is indeed bacon, an extra patty and a tasteful amount of cheese added to the diner’s favorite menu item. Jiwoo looks pleased with herself when Sooyoung gives her a grin. “Consider it part of a secret menu of sorts.”

They talk a lot as they eat, more than Sooyoung expected. She thought she’d have a tough time finding topics to talk about, since before this their only interactions were that of a server and a customer, but the vibe Jiwoo created when she shut off all the lights helps get rid of some nerves.

It also seems like Jiwoo’s got the awkward silences covered, because she talks a lot.

—

When they both finish eating their food, Jiwoo is wrapping up a silly story from her childhood.

“And yeah! My mom banned me from eating them for years! Needless to say, I never stuck another fry up my nose,” she says sagely, leaving Sooyoung a snorting, laughing mess. She’s laughing so hard, every attempt to give Jiwoo feedback is ruined by a giggle fit overtaking her. Jiwoo blushes and leans over to punch Sooyoung playfully.

“Stooop,” she says bashfully, but it’s clear that she’s secretly pleased that her story is as funny as she had promised.

When Sooyoung calms down, she sighs and stares at the woman sitting across from her. Even in the dark, the sliver of light from the kitchen allows her to get a good look at Jiwoo. She thinks, not for the first time tonight, that Jiwoo is so funny and so incredibly pretty.

Jiwoo has something on her mind too because she’s got this thoughtful expression on. Sooyoung nods, letting her know she can go ahead. Jiwoo blushes and says, a little hurriedly, “You’re really pretty, Sooyoung.”

Her ears perk up. Is she hearing right?

“You look so intimidating with your dark slicked-back hair and that leather jacket you have,” she says, a hand reaching out to be placed on Sooyoung’s arm. Her arm hairs rise in response to how electrifying the touch feels. “So naturally, I wasn’t too sure if I’d be able to get a word out tonight. Now I know not to judge you by your looks; you’re quite the softie.”

Sooyoung sits straight in her chair. This whole time she’s been thinking that Jiwoo is so pretty, that she’s funny and so interesting, and now Jiwoo’s saying all this. Could it be that maybe they’re on the same wavelength..?

“If I were that girl that stood you up, I’d feel so ing dumb right now. She missed the opportunity to get to know you…like I did tonight.”

Sooyoung smiles at Jiwoo, about to say the words that have been itching to escape her lips since the beginning, a flirty little ‘wanna go on a date sometime?’ but Jiwoo closes her eyes and inhales sharply.

“So, really—good luck on your future Tinder dates.”

Oh. An icy cold wave envelops Sooyoung and the words die in . That’s not what I thought she’d say.

“Don’t give up on finding someone, because you’re an incredibly charming woman, Sooyoung.” Jiwoo says all of this deliberately, eyes trained on the taller woman before her. “Eventually some girl is bound to give you a chance. I hope it’s soon.”

Sooyoung grips the sides of the table to keep her hands from shaking. Had she read all the signs wrong? It felt, at least for a moment, like Jiwoo was going to say that she'd like to go on a date sometime, or something of that nature, but here Jiwoo is, excluding herself from Sooyoung’s dating pool.

“Thanks.” Sooyoung is surprised she still has air to speak with how deflated she feels. “I’ll keep trying. You know, someone once told me, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

“Who told you that?” Jiwoo frowns. “And how’s it relevant?”

Sooyoung places a tip on the table as she rises and shrugs on her jacket. “A girl I used to share classes with. Looks like she was right. Vivi, the no-show, seemed a little too perfect while we talked on the app but I took the risk and asked her out on a date. Maybe the next one won’t be too bad, huh?” She turns to leave, disappointment heavy on her shoulders.

“Hey,” Jiwoo says, an anxious laugh following after, “Wait.”

Sooyoung pauses, one foot out the door. “Yeah?”

“If your luck seems to keep running out, or if they're always too good to be true… If you ever want to feel less lonely, I’ll always be here.” She gestures vaguely at the diner, then goes back to wringing her hands. “2pm to closing time.”

Sooyoung feels the warmth from earlier bloom in her chest again. It seems Jiwoo doesn’t want to stay a stranger. Even though Sooyoung had secretly expected more, beggars can’t be choosers and it’s more than Sooyoung could have hoped for after the indirect rejection, so she takes the offer.

“Thanks, Jiwoo. I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

—

Two weeks later, Sooyoung is sitting at Soul G’s Diner again, checking her phone for what is definitely the tenth time in five minutes.

Oh yeah. She knows this feeling very intimately. She’s been stood up.

Again.

Sooyoung feels her spirits sink and a groan escape from her lips.

This is starting to get ridiculous. Sooyoung starts to wonder if she’s simply ugly and no one has admitted it to her before she banishes the very thought from her mind. She’s hot as .

She checks her phone again. “We agreed to meet at 1,” she mutters. “Who doesn’t at least call their date by 2pm saying they’ll be late?”

Sooyoung sips on her strawberry shake, feigning to be fine when, internally, her pride is trying to stand up from taking hit after hit. She pretends the pain she feels in the pit of her stomach is just her lactose intolerance acting faster than usual as she looks around the diner, hoping to see that maybe Jinsol, her date, got the wrong table and that this is all a misunderstanding. Maybe they just missed each other! Maybe Sooyoung didn’t see her walk in!

...Yeah, right.

As she searches for Jinsol, her eyes land on someone entering the restaurant in a rush. It’s unmistakably Jiwoo, arriving just in time for her shift. Seeing the shorter woman comforts Sooyoung, for some reason, and she finds the strength to wait a little longer for her date.

In minutes, Jiwoo’s out on the floor, busy taking orders and bringing them out. They lock eyes a handful of times, Jiwoo turning as red as her uniform when Sooyoung smiles and waves at her.

After waiting for the date to arrive for another 30 minutes, Sooyoung gives up and scarfs down her cold burger. She won’t sit around and look like a fool again! It’s better to leave and save whatever bit of ego she has left for another day.

As she gets up to leave, she bumps into a passing Jiwoo by accident, nearly knocking two shakes out of her hands.

“Whoa! Hiya!” Sooyoung steadies Jiwoo as she’s greeted happily. “Sorry I haven’t properly said hi to you since I got here! I was just, you know…” She nods at the packed diner.

“Don’t worry about it! Your smiles were acknowledgement enough,” Sooyoung assures with a wink.

Jiwoo blushes and averts her eyes, then notes the purse hanging from Sooyoung’s shoulder. “Are you leaving?”

Sooyoung sighs dejectedly, accidentally blowing a strand of hair away from her face. “Yes. She didn’t show up when we agreed, so what’s the point of sticking around?” She doesn’t mean to sound so frustrated, but by the way Jiwoo frowns, she must be doing a bad job of hiding her displeasure.

“But hey—“ says Sooyoung, not wanting to see Jiwoo like that. She takes out a considerable amount of money and places it on the table. “—if you don’t mind, I can stop by around 9:30. You know, to take you up on that offer from two weeks ago.”

The frown disappears and Jiwoo’s eyes light up as she remembers. “Sooyoung, you know I don’t mind. I wouldn’t have told you that you could come by if I did.” She looks at Sooyoung like she’s silly, then rises on her tiptoes to kiss Sooyoung on the apple of her cheek. “I’ll see you then.”

Jiwoo promptly leaves to deliver the drinks to a young couple as Sooyoung watches, frozen in her spot. Her heart is going stupid, going crazy for this woman, and Sooyoung is loving every moment of it.

—

That night, Jiwoo and Sooyoung bond over Deluxe Soul G burgers, music, and 20 Questions in the comfortable darkness of the diner.

She’s known for being a menace when playing this game, but for the first time in her life, Ha Sooyoung doesn’t ask a single flirty question. She asks for Jiwoo’s favorite color; it’s peach. Jiwoo asks the question back; Sooyoung’s is burgundy. Jiwoo doesn’t know how to ride a bike; Sooyoung has never gone skating. Jiwoo tells Sooyoung about her dreams of being a medical assistant as she takes technical classes; Sooyoung reveals she wants to be a Korean interpreter so she can work alongside her younger sister Hyeju.

When Sooyoung’s ninth question is “What’s something you keep secret but aren’t ashamed of?”, Jiwoo admits that she loves making anime AMVs.

Sooyoung chokes on a fry. “Really?!”

Jiwoo stands up and passionately slams her hands on the table. “It is an art form! Don’t laugh!” As Sooyoung goes into a giggle fit, Jiwoo looks up a few of her videos to defend herself and the two women forget about 20 Questions to spend the rest of the night watching and singing along to a ton of the AMVs on Jiwoo’s YouTube channel.

(Okay, yeah, a quarter of them are edited to the beat of Cascada’s Every Time We Touch but Sooyoung has to give credit where credit is due: Jiwoo managed to make 25 Naruto/Sasuke AMVs totally different while having the same background music.)

When Sooyoung goes home that night, she jumps in bed and logs into her account to search for the channel name ‘chuuchan99’, subscribing immediately. Instead of sleeping, for the next two hours she watches as many of Jiwoo’s videos as she can, ordered by upload date.

—

Sooyoung peers through the giant glass window, using her hands to block out the light from the streetlights. She ignores the stares coming from uncomfortable customers, instead choosing to search inside for a girl with a bounce in her step and a cute smile. She doesn’t see her.

Good.

Sooyoung sneaks into the diner and is greeted by another waitress who promptly sits her at a corner table. While her order is taken, a smile grows on Sooyoung’s face as she starts to think about how happy Jiwoo will be to see her today. It’s a surprise visit—she didn't send a text message telling her she’ll be stopping by today like she has in the three months she’s known her.

As she waits for her food to arrive and for Jiwoo to notice her presence, Sooyoung wonders if indulging herself in Jiwoo this much could be a bad idea, that maybe it’s better to distance herself before things become too painful for her. The flutter of butterflies in her stomach and pure energy from Jiwoo’s touches could only be labeled as a crush, silly and childish as the word may sound, and those don’t ever bode well when the crush makes herself clearly unavailable.

Wait. Stop. Sooyoung shakes her head and tries to force those thoughts out of her mind. By visiting Jiwoo and spending time with her, she’s simply doing things that friends do—she’s not indulging in this crush. Distancing herself from Jiwoo won’t do anyone any good.

The thought of Jiwoo being sad because she stopped visiting. Or the mere thought of not seeing Jiwoo… Her fingers clench in fear and it’s too late when she realizes she ripped off a huge chunk of vinyl from the seat she’s in. She stares at the piece in her hand and decides then: Sooyoung won’t let Jiwoo (or herself) suffer just because there’s a possibility she might experience heartbreak over this.

“It’s settled,” Sooyoung says with determination, feeling a little silly when a few people around her turn to look at her.

To keep any further negative thoughts from rearing their ugly heads, Sooyoung takes out her phone and taps on the Tinder app to message a girl she’s been talking to for a week now—her name’s Hyunjin, and she’s pretty, funny and seems to be into Sooyoung; she’s on the fast track to getting invited to Soul G’s Diner for sure.

She’s chuckling at a cat picture Hyunjin sent when she’s startled by a booming voice.

“Sooyoungie?!”

The voice is unmistakably Jiwoo. Sooyoung turns in her seat to see the astounded woman trip her way to Sooyoung’s table.

“Sooyoungie! When did you get here? Has anyone taken your order?”

Sooyoung nods at one of Jiwoo’s coworkers.

“Okay good. But oh my god, I wasn’t expecting you today!” The happy energy crackling from Jiwoo is palpable. Sooyoung only comes over when she has a date here, so it’s no surprise that her friend is elated to see her.

Jiwoo takes a moment to check her phone and frowns at what she sees. “No notifications. You didn’t text me. You always text when you have a date!”

“No date today,” Sooyoung replies with a grin. Winking, she adds, “Just wanted to see my favorite person.”

Jiwoo beams and looks at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost closing time. Think you can wait an hour for me?”

“For you?” Sooyoung’s grin only grows bigger. It seems smiles like that are a permanent fixture when Jiwoo is around. “, I’d wait two.”

“You’re so ing cute.” With a chuckle, Jiwoo leaves to finish up for the day.

Sooyoung spends the hour texting Hyunjin. The next time she looks up, the front door chimes and lets out the last of Jiwoo’s coworkers. She turns in her seat to see Jiwoo finish wiping the last of the tables.

Later in the night, Jiwoo emerges from the kitchen with two burgers dripping with cheese and one giant plate full of fries.

“I swear, one day I’ll teach you how to make a Deluxe,” Jiwoo mumbles as she sets one burger in front of Sooyoung. “That way you’re not just sitting here waiting for, like, a billion years just to eat.”

“I could hear that. I told you, I don’t mind waiting for you,” Sooyoung replies before taking a big bite.

“I still want to teach you, though. I think it’d be fun to have you help me in the kitchen.”

Sooyoung hums happily. “It’d be a nice way to spend more time together.”

Jiwoo laughs and wipes a drop of cheese that’s on Sooyoung’s chin. “I’d love to do that. Spend more time with you, I mean. It kinda to only see you when you come over with a girl.”

“If they even show up,” Sooyoung pouts.

“If they show up,” Jiwoo repeats in agreement. “Either way, I see you sporadically and that’s no fun. I’d like to get to know you more, and what better way than meeting up more often?” Jiwoo bats her eyes at Sooyoung, trying to charm her into it as if the answer isn’t already a resounding yes.

“Oh, Jiwoo. Stop that. I would have said yes even if you didn’t make those eyes at me. When should we hang?” Sooyoung taps her chin in thought—Jiwoo is already incredibly busy with classes and work, and the last thing she wants to do is take away the little free time Jiwoo has.

“Saturdays are good for me! Sometimes I don’t have shifts scheduled those days, so we can catch a movie or something.”

“Sounds great! A day just for Jiwoo,” Sooyoung says in a sing-song voice.

“A day just for me! I can’t wait!” Jiwoo looks positively excited about this arrangement and tackles her in a hug. She kisses Sooyoung’s cheek, and the display of affection has Sooyoung thinking she might pass out from the sheer energy that courses through her. It strengthens her resolve. Even if her feelings aren’t reciprocated, she’ll be fine. If friends get kisses like these, just being her friend will be more than enough for her.

But…

“Wait—you said ‘sometimes I don’t have shifts’—what about when you are scheduled for work?”

“Do what you’re doing right now.” Jiwoo picks the last fry from the plate between them and shrugs as she pops the whole thing in . “Visit me anyway.”

—

“In...in the shake?” Sooyoung questions, watching her date, Haseul, nod seriously.

“Yes! Don’t knock it ‘till you try it! Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.” Haseul chuckles and leans in. “Seriously, though, I’ll buy you another shake on the off chance you really don’t like to dip your fries in it. Promise.”

Sooyoung eyes Haseul cautiously, a flirty smile spreading across her features. “Okay. I won’t let it be said that Ha Sooyoung isn’t adventurous.”

Haseul grins and scrunches her nose, making her glasses rise up. “You’re adventurous, huh?” She sends Sooyoung a suggestive wink that should send shivers down her spine, but she feels…nothing. Sooyoung ignores the empty feeling and is about to reply with something just as suggestive when she hears a bell chime and a rush of footsteps behind her. Sooyoung checks her phone.

It’s 2pm. She smiles to herself. Unmistakably Jiwoo.

In the many months that Jiwoo and Sooyoung have known each other, she’s learned to expect Jiwoo to come rushing in to start her shift. It’s cute and somehow very Jiwoo.

She hears someone clear their throat and Sooyoung remembers her date suddenly. She feels herself sweat a little and tries to laugh it off. “Sorry. I guess I should mention that I get distracted easily?”

Haseul relaxes before her eyes.

“Not all the time, mind you,” Sooyoung continues, leaning on the table to inch closer to Haseul. “From now on, I promise all my attention will be on you.”

Sooyoung likes the smile Haseul gives her. A little shy, a little excited. It reminds her of—

“Hi! Welcome to Soul G’s Diner, my name is Jiwoo and I will be your server today! You ladies ready to order?”

Sooyoung flinches and opens to order but...she’s so close. She can smell Jiwoo’s shampoo from here and it smells of strawberries, faint but it still overwhelms Sooyoung’s senses. She can’t explain it, but she’s nervous all of a sudden. She forgets what her order was. “I uh… I’d like…”

Haseul saves the day and orders for the both of them, possibly remembering what Sooyoung had mentioned earlier in some conversation about the diner.

When the scent of strawberries disappears and Jiwoo heads into the kitchen, Haseul says, “Well, if you hadn’t already told me that you’re easily distracted, I believe I would have figured it out by now.”

Sooyoung laughs at her joke but it tapers off at the end. Haseul doesn’t notice.

The conversation soon steers to other things, and when Jiwoo arrives with shakes and burgers, Sooyoung has already steeled herself and doesn’t embarrass herself again. They thank Jiwoo for the food, she leaves, and Sooyoung and Haseul dig in.

After around two bites, Sooyoung feels Haseul’s curious eyes on her. Well, not on her, but her burger. “Everything okay?”

Haseul narrows her eyes and looks deeply into her meal. Sooyoung thinks that if the burger could feel, it would be very nervous right now. “Hmm. Your burger looks thick. Like, thicker than it's supposed to be. Did I get the order mixed up or was there a mistake in the kitchen?”

Sooyoung frowns at the food in her hands. It had tasted pretty normal, but to sate Haseul’s curiosity she opens the burger. At first glance, all looks normal, but then…

“Is that bacon? Don’t remember asking for that. They totally messed up your order.”

Sooyoung says nothing. She just stares at the extra patty and the cheese dripping onto her plate. She looks up in time to catch Jiwoo as she rushes past, two large trays in her arms. She catches Sooyoung looking and winks at her before turning to a customer. Sooyoung’s ears grow hot and she doubles over, internally screaming because holy that was cute.

“Sooyoung? Are you okay?” Haseul places a hand on Sooyoung’s, and Sooyoung is surprised to find out that the touch doesn’t feel like anything special.

“I’m fine!” Sooyoung replies as she composes herself. “And so is the burger, by the way. It’s not what I usually get, but it actually tastes…better. Thanks, Haseul.”

Haseul is too busy being pleased with the praise to notice the dreamy look in Sooyoung’s eyes as she looks at the food in her hands.

Later into the date, Haseul reminds Sooyoung to dip her fries into her shake. No matter how hard she tries, Sooyoung finds she doesn’t really like it.

—

When night comes, Sooyoung stops by the diner again. The sign says it’s closed and every single light but one is off, but she sees Jiwoo dutifully wiping tables down, so she knocks carefully.

“Hey, hey,” Jiwoo says with a growing smile as she opens the door.

Jiwoo’s bored expression melted away just like that when she saw her. Sooyoung tries to shake off how special that makes her feel. “Happy Saturday to you! I got you this shake, too. I put it in the fridge to keep it fresh.”

Sooyoung steps in and shivers as her body gets used to the warmth. She hands the shake over and looks for a table to sit at. “Thank you for the Deluxe. It made my day way better.”

Jiwoo smiles devilishly as she takes the shake. “Shouldn’t your date have made it better?”

“You’d think so, huh?” Sooyoung her head and grins as she stuffs her cold hands into the pockets of her jacket. She chooses a table close to the kitchen. “There won’t be a second date, though. Must be why she didn’t make it better.”

Jiwoo on the straw noisily and frowns. “Oh, I’m sorry about that. Since I saw you two talking a lot, I assumed it would go well.”

“Oh well, it’s not gonna work out every time.” Sooyoung omits the fact that she was the one who didn’t want the second date. Haseul was nice, but something was missing. “I’m holding out for the right girl. You know, like you said a while ago.”

Jiwoo’s frown morphs into that first smile again. “Good. Well, anyway, what makes you think it was me who sent the Deluxe Soul G your way?”

Sooyoung walks deeper into the unlit diner and sits at her table. “Oh, I dunno. Maybe because you’re the only one who makes them? Also maybe that cute little wink you sent me when I realized it was a Deluxe?” Sooyoung risks a little flirt to see Jiwoo’s reaction.

She seems to take it in stride and answers, “Oh, wink? Hmm, my face must’ve twitched at that moment.” Jiwoo taps her chin as if to think about it to and Sooyoung groans to hide a laugh.

“Awww, okay. It’s just…” Sooyoung pauses to think something up. Jiwoo goes back to wiping the last few tables when an idea pops into her head. She forces a pout on her face.

“It’s just, I was so pleased with the food that I was gonna compliment you, or give you a kiss. You know, kiss the cook?”

Jiwoo slows down on wiping the table and Sooyoung thinks that maybe she’s done cleaning or that she’s gonna tell her to leave for the terrible flirting, but startles when Jiwoo marches right up to her table and throws the rag at it. Curious, Sooyoung stands up and Jiwoo only gets closer.

They’re toe-to-toe, Sooyoung a little intimidated and Jiwoo looking like she’s about to challenge her. And challenge her she does.

“Do it.”

The hairs on Sooyoung’s arms rise. “What?”

“Kiss the cook.” Jiwoo’s voice doesn’t waver. Neither do her eyes. They’re piercing right through her. “Do it.”

“I thought you said you weren’t the—“

“—I’ll give them the message. Go ahead.”

Sooyoung blinks, her heartbeat in her ears. There’s no way this is really happening. Jiwoo isn’t really telling her to kiss her right now, right? Is she dreaming this, like she has many times?

Sooyoung tries hard to deny it, that maybe she just really wants an excuse to put her lips on Jiwoo, that she’s misunderstanding terribly (she’s already done that once), but the reality is that Jiwoo is leaning in, eyes closed, giving Sooyoung no other choice but to assume she’s correct.

Jiwoo wants a kiss.

Her trembling hands go up and hold Jiwoo’s face, the latter’s eyes fluttering open for a moment. She studies Sooyoung for a moment before closing her eyes again, leaning further in.

She’s so close to me, Sooyoung thinks. She can see Jiwoo’s slightly chapped lips from a long day of work, still so unbelievably tempting. Her long eyelashes, the curve of her nose.

I’m so close to her, she thinks. Sooyoung wants to give in as she leans closer, as she feels Jiwoo’s short breaths on her lips. She wants to lean in and kiss her, taking a bite from the fruit she doesn’t allow herself to even think about.

But she doesn’t. She can’t, because if she does, she’ll become addicted to what she can’t have. Can’t because she wants to keep this friendship alive. Can’t because friends don’t want kisses like these—Jiwoo doesn’t want that kind of kiss.

And so, Sooyoung leans in slowly and kisses Jiwoo’s soft cheek. Her lips linger there, for as long as they can, and when she pulls away, Jiwoo stares at her, eyes as round and still as the moon outside.

“Make sure she gets the message, yeah?” Sooyoung requests, forcing a wink. Her heart feels like it’s being pulled out of her chest, but that’s okay. It’s for the best.

Jiwoo seems to take a while to recover. Her eyes are blank and she seems to sway a little. After Sooyoung gives her a little nudge, it’s like she wakes up suddenly, because her eyes no longer look empty and her smile is back, though it’s different somehow.

“I’ll make sure…” Jiwoo says. The words have a tone Sooyoung hasn’t quite heard before. But it can’t be bad, right? She’s smiling, rubbing the cheek Sooyoung just kissed.

It must all be in Sooyoung’s head.

TWO

This city is big. Nothing compared to a coastal city, but it’s pretty damn big. There are plenty of places she could take her dates to. There’s a retro arcade that serves amazing pizza, a charming café with a large selection of drinks, and a swanky new ice cream parlor with all the flavors anyone could ever want. Hell, the biggest mall in the state is right here in Sooyoung’s city, with so many food court options she doesn’t think she’s tried them all yet.

All of these options, and Sooyoung still finds herself sitting on the ripped red vinyl seats of Soul G’s Diner, date after date, month after month.

Sometimes, the dates go well, sometimes she’s ghosted and left with an empty seat and cold food. Sooyoung hardly notices either way—it’s hard to care when all she’s really looking forward to is 9:30pm on a Saturday, when she can sit in front of her favorite person, be herself, eat burgers and laugh until she’s crying.

—

“I’m willing to do it. They don’t call me Chef Sooyoung for nothing.” She rolls up her sleeves to show Jiwoo just how ready she is. “In another life, I was a culinary major, I’m sure of it.”

Jiwoo side-eyes her as she gets the kitchen ready to make a couple of burgers together. “Right.”

“That tone, Jiwoo. It hurts.”

“My apologies,” Jiwoo says in the same sarcastic tone as Sooyoung holds a hand up to her chest. “I’m really not convinced you’ve stepped into a kitchen before.”

“Would a kitchen non-expert know that you have to do…this?” Sooyoung chuckles lowly as she washes her hands carefully, the laugh building up until it becomes maniacal. “It’s the ultimate secret! This is proof I’m a pro!”

“Okay, okay, Chef Sooyoung, let’s get started ‘cause I’m hungry.” Jiwoo sets down two patties that sizzle the moment they hit the grill. She hands Sooyoung a spatula and gestures for her to keep her eyes on the meat. “Pay attention. If you burn down Soul G’s, I’m gonna pretend you snuck in here and burned it down by yourself.”

“That’s fair.” Sooyoung flips the patties when told to and eventually satisfies Jiwoo enough with her epic cooking skills that the latter feels safe enough to walk away to chop lettuce and find some bacon.

As Sooyoung flips the meat, she smiles to herself. “Hey, Jiwoo?”

“Yeah!” Her friend sounds far away and inside a fridge, but Sooyoung is too excited to stop and wait for Jiwoo to get closer.

“Do you know what today is? It’s a very special day!”

“Ah! Found some lettuce. Yes, Sooyoungie. I’ve been writing today’s date on a hundred checks. It’s October 24th. Why?”

“Do you know what it means, though?” Sooyoung exaggerates her pout so that it’s audible from far away. Judging by how quiet it gets in the kitchen suddenly, Sooyoung assumes Jiwoo heard it. “Think about it. What were we doing last October on this day?”

Sooyoung hears hesitant chopping.

“Hmm. Were we celebrating someone’s birthday?”

“Nooo.” Sooyoung raises her voice as the patties’ sizzling gets louder and louder.

“Picking flowers by the highway?”

“Jiwoo, we did that two months ago.” Sooyoung hears Jiwoo expertly chop again. “You really don’t remember?”

“Tell me. I’m too busy making sure I don’t chop my fingers off with this giant knife to think clearly!”

“Aw. Fine.” She flips the second patty. “This time, last year, you were inviting me to eat with you for the first time. It’s been a whole year since we became friends!”

The chopping stops again, and Sooyoung has to strain to hear Jiwoo over the sound of cooking meat. “No way.”

Sooyoung smiles down at the patties, both looking cooked enough to remove from the heat. “Yeah! Can you believe it?”

Jiwoo comes over with a plate full of bacon, lettuce and onions and sets it down. She looks happy, and her next words are full of awe. “You… remember when we became friends?”

“Of course I do!” Sooyoung starts building their burgers as Jiwoo puts the condiments on. “That first day, I went home and wrote all about it in my notes app.”

“You wrote about me in your little diary?” Jiwoo laughs as she jumps in and finishes their burgers, placing the top buns. Sooyoung watches hungrily as her Deluxe Soul G burger takes shape. “That’s so…”

“Cute. Gay. Cheesy. I know.” Sooyoung sneaks in the second word to gauge Jiwoo’s reaction.

“Pretty gay,” Jiwoo agrees. “Careful now, it almost seems like you have a crush on me.” Jiwoo places the burgers on two plates, then looks directly into Sooyoung’s eyes. For a moment Sooyoung thinks Jiwoo is going to say more, maybe about the crush comment, but she chooses to reach for Sooyoung’s shoulders to bring her down to eye level instead.

Her heart thumps loudly in her chest and in her ears as Jiwoo closes in and presses her lips to Sooyoung’s cheek. The kiss becomes the starting point for all of the lightning that travels straight to Sooyoung’s heart, threatening to make her lose control of her knees and topple her. Yet as much as Sooyoung wants to fall over, the sensation of Jiwoo’s lips on her skin also glues her to her spot. She doesn’t even know when Jiwoo pulled away to look at her, but next thing she knows, Jiwoo is smiling at her and saying, “Happy anniversary then, Sooyoungie. In just a year, you’ve become one of my closest friends.”

She takes the plates, turns off the diner’s lights and walks into the dark to their usual table, leaving Sooyoung frozen in place.

“Sooyoung? You coming?”

That wakes her up from her stupor. Sooyoung blinks and looks around, then touches her cheek in the exact spot she was kissed. It’s then that she realizes how close the kiss was to the corner of her lips.

—

Sooyoung frowns at her menu, studying it with more enthusiasm than anything ever put in front of her in high school. Eat your heart out, Mr. Lanning, Sooyoung thinks as she shakes the menu to straighten it.

Deluxe is off the menu today. I dare you to try something new, Sooyoung, Jiwoo had told her before returning to the kitchen. It sounded like a simple enough dare, but how could Sooyoung ever move on from the exquisiteness of Jiwoo’s burgers? Sooyoung plans on asking why she’s being punished like this later when Jiwoo walks by again, which she undoubtedly will, because she always detours to walk past Sooyoung’s table.

Jiwoo bursts from the double doors of the diner’s kitchen, left hand bearing the full weight of a tray. When she passes by, Sooyoung pouts, prompting Jiwoo to stop, at least briefly, to pull on the taller woman’s cheek.

“Oh, quit being a baby and get a salad or something,” Jiwoo whispers with a grin, already walking away.

“Are you tired of making burgers for me or do you just hate me?” Sooyoung asks, and when Jiwoo returns after dropping off the tray, she answers her.

“I just don’t want you to get tired of my food. If you eat a Deluxe Soul G every week, you’ll get sick of it,” Jiwoo explains as she pulls on Sooyoung’s cheek again.

“I won’t, I promise. It’s like eating the ambrosia of the gods, Jiwoo. Anything you make for me is guaranteed to be amazing. That’s just the kind of person you are.”

“You know, it’s hard to remember I’m not perfect when it’s all you tell me I am,” Jiwoo says teasingly. She starts walking backwards into the kitchen.

“You are,” Sooyoung whispers back, placing her chin on her palm and looking directly at the other woman. “You’re perfect, Jiwoo.”

“You flirt,” Jiwoo mouths to her before finally returning to work. Before she’s out of sight, Sooyoung notices the blush creeping up Jiwoo’s neck and laughs lightly, finding it cute that she did that simply by reminding her that she’s perfect.

“Sooyoung?!”

Sooyoung turns to see who’s called her name, then rises from her chair and excitedly embraces her date with a tight hug. “Jungeun! Oh my god, it’s been a while! You’ve gotten shorter somehow!”

“Very funny, Soo. Looks like your humor hasn’t changed at all.” Jungeun takes a seat and sighs happily before removing a few stray strands of hair from her glossed lips. “Sorry I’m late, by the way, thanks for waiting up.”

“It’s fine. You’re only five minutes late. I haven’t ordered yet—I was waiting for you.”

“Then let’s get started on that first and then we can catch up.” Jungeun looks at the menu placed on the table and furrows her eyebrows. “Hmm. This is the same place you always talked about back then, right? What do you recommend?”

Sooyoung is about to answer when something piques her interest. “Huh. If I recall correctly, you and I weren’t super close. At least, not enough to know I like to go to Soul G’s Diner. Kept tabs on me, did you, Kim?” She smiles as Jungeun smiles back, the expression as bright as her hair.

“I might have. But so what? Half of the school wanted you, you know. I had to gather as much information as possible if I wanted a better chance at winning you over.” Jungeun’s smile dims as she continues. “Too bad you dropped out. It felt like it came out of nowhere. I knew I lost my chance…”

“Well…” Sooyoung shrugs, apologetic. “You have a chance now.”

Those words make Jungeun’s smile return.

Sooyoung leans in and taps at what has always been her number one choice. “I recommend this, by the way. It’s the best burger in town. Giant greasy goodness with a side of fries can’t be beat. It’s what I always get without fail.”

Jungeun laughs and says, “Well, looks like I’ll be getting the Soul G Burger then! And I’m assuming you too?”

Sooyoung’s charming smile fades when she remembers that Jiwoo dared her to try something else. “Erm, I’m gonna try something new today. If the Soul G burger is so perfect, surely everything else on the menu is too, you know?”

“Absolutely. It’s always good to try out a bunch of stuff. If you don’t like them, at least you can say you tried it all and fall back on your first choice,” Jungeun says with a nod. “Oh, here comes the waitress.”

Jiwoo appears by the table and beams at Sooyoung and Jungeun. “Hey there! My name’s Jiwoo. You two ready to order?”

Jungeun asks for what her date recommended, winking at Sooyoung when done.

“And I’ll have…” Sooyoung pauses and looks at the menu one more time. She doesn’t need to, really. She knows everything that’s here, but the problem is that nothing compares to the burgers Jiwoo makes for her. Salads are great, but none of them seem appetizing today. Chicken strips aren’t really her thing, the BLTs have a little too much T for her taste, and the chili cheese fries give her uncontrollable—

“Sooyoungie?”

Sooyoung looks up at Jiwoo, who’s got a knowing smile playing on her lips. It’s cute, and the sight of it gives Sooyoung a rush. “Having trouble? I can come back later to give you more time.”

Sooyoung glances at Jungeun, then looks back at Jiwoo and that evil little smile. “Yes, I still need to think about it. I’ll have a strawberry milkshake to drink though.”

Jungeun’s eyebrows raise. “One for me too.”

Jiwoo adds Jungeun’s milkshake to the ticket as well and walks off to get started on their order.

“So,” Jungeun starts, a knowing look of sorts adorning her face as well, “do you two know each other?”

Sooyoung rolls her eyes. “C’mon, is that really what you want to talk about right now? We haven’t seen each other since that time in college!”

“I’m just curious. We have a whole date to talk about everything else.” Jungeun leans back in her seat.

“Fine.” Sooyoung sees no point in lying. “Yeah, actually. I mentioned to you that I come by often so I’m pretty acquainted with everyone here.”

“Oh I get that, you make friends wherever you go. But it seems like you and the server are close enough to use nicknames.” Jungeun leans forward, the knowing look turning into a genuine smile.

Sooyoung feels a blush coming on and tries her best to hide it, but Jungeun has been keeping her eyes straight on her so she catches a glimpse.

“Oh my god. You have a crush on her, don’t you?”

Sooyoung cringes and is about to deny it when Jiwoo shows up with the milkshakes. “Two shakes, one for you and one for you. Alright, have you made a choice, Sooyoung?”

Once again, Sooyoung looks between Jungeun and Jiwoo, this time with a million thoughts racing through her brain. Jungeun doesn’t look upset with her at all, but it has be awkward knowing that your date likes someone else. If she admits that she does like Jiwoo, will Jungeun be sad? She’s interested in Sooyoung, this much is true. She did accept to go on this date, after all.

“That’s alright, just call me over when you’ve decided.” Jiwoo, taking her silence as a no, walks away to take other orders. The diner is packed and the sound of dozens of conversations suddenly going on at once keeps Sooyoung from thinking clearly.

“It’s okay, you know.”

Sooyoung’s eyes flick up to look at Jungeun, guilt filling her guts.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I am sad, I do like you and it took me too long to straighten my hair to get it right for you but…” Jungeun laughs, though there isn’t much humor in it. “It doesn’t always work out, does it? So, tell me, does she like you?”

“Jungeun, I’m still really sorry.” Sooyoung ignores her question because she really does feel terrible for inviting her over while she’s obviously crushing on someone else. She’s been doing this for a year now, going on more dates than she can count with no one on her mind but one woman.

“Soo, I’m serious.” Jungeun sets a hand on top of Sooyoung’s, and the latter tries to pretend she feels something, a spark, a shock, anything, just to make this date last longer. “I wasn’t one to believe that you can see love in people’s eyes before, but it’s hard to deny that I see it in yours. It’s cute. So it’s fine. Answer my question. Does she feel the same?”

Sooyoung looks around the diner, making sure Jiwoo doesn’t pass by to hear any of what she’s about to say. She sighs and says, “I don’t think so. You know that thing you said, a long time ago? ‘If it’s too good to be true then it probably is’?”

“Yeah,” Jungeun says as she throws her head back to laugh, her blonde hair waving around freely. “Sounds just like something my old edgy self would have said. What about it?”

Sooyoung recounts that first night, when she and Jiwoo had a great first meeting, how Sooyoung felt an instant connection, but also how Jiwoo wished her the best with her dates, subtly excluding herself. “At that moment I felt like I really understood the phrase. The night felt perfect up until that point.”

“That doesn’t rule things out, Soo. Sometimes people don’t think they have a chance at all and don’t even bother trying. Maybe she thought you were leagues beyond her or something.” Jungeun’s eyes soften as she looks at how Sooyoung’s demeanor goes from discouraged to plain sad. “Besides, you two still have time to be the exception to my phrase. That happened on the first day you met. Feelings can grow over time.”

Sooyoung sighs. “Yeah. I know they can. I’m so confused. There’ve been times we’ve kissed—“

Jungeun’s eyes bug out and she leans forward to hiss and ask for more details but Jiwoo enters Sooyoung’s field of vision, seemingly heading their way, so Sooyoung purses her lips. Her friend passes by their table, unaware that she’s being talked about.

“How many times?” Jungeun’s whispers are loud over the chatter of the diner, so Sooyoung shushes her before answering.

“Many times. Too many to count.” Sooyoung tells her about the kiss the cook incident, about their ‘anniversary’ kiss, and the many other ones they’ve shared throughout the year they’ve known each other. She talks about Jiwoo flirting back, Jiwoo flirting first, everything. She tells Jungeun about an entire year of immeasurable happiness, and of remarkable self-restraint.

When Sooyoung finishes, Jungeun looks angry.

“You’re telling me,” Jungeun says in an exasperated tone that takes Sooyoung back to their college years, “that she pestered you to kiss her, has almost kissed your lips, flirts back when you say something gay, and you’re still not sure if she likes you?”

“This is probably a bad time to mention that she also hasn’t dated anyone in the time we’ve known each other,” Sooyoung offers shyly.

“You’re hopeless. You know what? Let me get the check.” Jungeun tiredly tries flagging down a waitress, much to Sooyoung’s distress.

“Jungeun, what are you doing?” She reaches over and gently grabs Jungeun’s wrist. “Why are you leaving?”

“I can’t continue this date, Soo. Not when I know she’s got your heart,” Jungeun says through a sigh. “Not when she might like you back.”

“Jungeun. She doesn’t like me back.”

“How are you so sure? Have you asked her? Actually asked her, I mean.”

Sooyoung thinks about it. She never asked Jiwoo because she was sure the feelings were unrequited, that any time Jiwoo showed interest, it was just her being friendly. But Jungeun’s words strike deep, break open a part of Sooyoung’s heart she kept hidden away, the part that remembers that Jiwoo likes to be close to her, likes to hold her hands. Jiwoo likes to kiss her and blushes when Sooyoung calls her perfect.

In that moment, Sooyoung allows herself to hope.

—

That same night, Jiwoo unlocks the diner entrance for Sooyoung.

“Hey,” Sooyoung says as she steps in, shivering from the cold.

“Hi, Sooyoungie. I wasn’t expecting you tonight.” Jiwoo’s voice is quieter than usual, so it takes a while for Sooyoung to process what’s been said.

“But it’s a Saturday.” Sooyoung walks into the kitchen and motions for Jiwoo to do the same. “Saturdays are Sooyoung and Jiwoo days!”

“No, no, I remember. I just thought…” Jiwoo stands next to Sooyoung and crosses her arms, feigning a relaxed look as she watches the taller woman take out the ingredients. Sooyoung knows better. She knows what Jiwoo looks like when she’s relaxed. “I dunno. You and your date seemed to hit it off pretty well, and when I saw you walk out with her, I assumed you wouldn’t show up tonight.”

Sooyoung pauses. Right. She didn’t even think that Jiwoo would see them leave.

She and Jungeun had ended the date quickly after but Jungeun still asked her to walk her to her apartment anyway. Sooyoung couldn’t say no, especially after wasting Jungeun’s time.

“Jungeun and I already knew each other, actually.” Sooyoung starts cutting up some lettuce. Jiwoo makes a thoughtful sound and she reaches for the patties. “I think it went well at first because of that fact, but we…quickly realized that she wasn’t what I was looking for.”

There’s something swimming in Jiwoo’s eyes, something that Sooyoung dares call relief, and she starts to wonder if the talk with Jungeun has made her start seeing things that aren’t there.

Or maybe, Sooyoung reminds herself, there was some sort of filter Sooyoung put up in the very beginning, and now that it’s gone she’s seeing things how they’ve always been.

“Oh,” Jiwoo says, her voice loud again so Sooyoung can hear her over the sizzling and popping of the meat. “You just took her home, then?”

“Yeah. I went home after that too and waited until it was time to go see you.” Sooyoung wants to apologize for making Jiwoo think that leaving with Jungeun meant anything else, but when she looks up at Jiwoo, all traces of discomfort in her demeanor are gone.

—

“—I know you were scared throughout half of the entire movie and hid in my shoulder, but we should totally still watch the sequel. I mean, come on, the main girl was shot and died in the end, so why make another movie about it? Were people just pissed that the two main girls never kissed? I need to know, I’m nosy.”

Sooyoung smiles at how animatedly Jiwoo talks, her hands flying to act out every part of what she’s talking about. She finds it so cute; it means Jiwoo is excited. It’s what she likes to see, a happy Jiwoo and delicious food between them, sitting at their favorite place. Just the two of them. It’s perfect.

Until:

“Hey.”

Sooyoung blinks and moves her chin off her fist.

“Yeah?”

“Were you even listening to me?” Jiwoo bites into a fry and frowns, but in a way that shows she’s not actually upset.

“Jiwoo, c’mon. You invited me to watch the sequel to that zombie movie you showed me at your house a couple months ago.” Of course Sooyoung was paying attention. She drinks in everything that is Jiwoo, from the way she emphasizes all of her sentences with an array of expressions to how loud her laugh is to every story she’s ever told her. None of it ever goes ignored or unnoticed. “Why did you think I wasn’t?”

“I dunno. You weren’t replying I guess.” Jiwoo puckers her lips in annoyance. “So, do you want to watch it?”

“You want me to cut off your arm’s circulation again? Jiwoo, you said it yourself, I was terrified throughout the entirety of the first one.”

“Please? I had fun. Plus you smell nice, so it was enjoyable when you hid in my shoulder.” Jiwoo’s eyes flick from her food to Sooyoung, and her eyebrows squeeze together. “Okay, Sooyoung, you gotta stop doing that. I can’t focus on what I’m saying.”

“Stop what? I’m not doing anything.”

“You keep looking at me like that…”

“Like what..?” Sooyoung grips the table’s edge when she feels the air around them shift.

“Like you’re in love with me or something.” Jiwoo sheds the annoyed expression to let a smirk grow in its place. The tone is teasing, joking; she has no idea how right she is.

Sooyoung’s heart rate picks up.

I can’t continue this date, Soo. Not when I know she’s got your heart.

Jungeun said it was obvious by the way Sooyoung looked at Jiwoo. She doesn’t want to believe such a cliché, but if Jiwoo says she looks at her like that too…

“Sooyoung. Sooyoung say something, you’re scaring me!”

This is her chance. This is the opportunity she could take to tell Jiwoo how she really feels. That she is in love with her, and has been for a year now.

Interrupting her thoughts, Jiwoo slides her plate to the side, moves her chair closer to Sooyoung’s, leans in and takes hold of both her hands. Her smile is still there, but there’s a tinge of worry in her eyes. “Sooyoung, say something, please. Tell me what’s in your mind. You can tell me anything.”

Sooyoung is trying not to react to the currents of pure energy stemming from their joined hands. Luckily, she manages to say a few words.

“I know. I know I can tell you anything.”

“Do you?” Jiwoo leans in, the light from the kitchen now illuminating her eyes in a way that makes Sooyoung unable to look away. “Then tell me why you were looking at me like that.”

This is it. This is the opportunity Jungeun gave her tonight. She can do this. If Jiwoo doesn’t feel the same, Sooyoung knows she won’t let this ruin their friendship. Jiwoo is that kind of person. She has nothing to lose.

“Tell me…how was I looking at you again?”

“Like you’re in love with me,” Jiwoo says, significantly less sure of herself the second time. It doesn’t seem like she’s against the idea of Sooyoung loving her. She just sounds curious and a little bit afraid.

Sooyoung doesn’t let her stew in those feelings for long.

“Would it be bad if I was..?” Sooyoung threads her fingers between Jiwoo’s, a bold move if you ask her, considering she can’t even directly tell Jiwoo how she feels. The move elicits a small gasp out of Jiwoo, but she doesn’t move away, just stares at their interlocked fingers. It pushes Sooyoung to say more.

“I really, really like you, Jiwoo.” Sooyoung continues, threatening to close up. She’s in love with her, actually, but if she says it, Sooyoung fears she’ll burst into flames. The mere sensation of Jiwoo’s touch is enough to make her lightheaded. This is good for now. “Do you remember what you told me that first day? I’ll never forget. You said to me, ‘if they're always too good to be true, if you ever want to feel less lonely, I’ll always be here.’ You did more than that, more than just make me feel less lonely. From that point forward, I never felt alone because I had you.”

Jiwoo purses her lips, then makes eye contact again. Her expression goes from surprised to something akin to curious.

“How long?”

“Last year.” Sooyoung’s face heats up at the immediate answer. “Everything happened that first day. You told me the story of when you were convinced fries would taste better if you ate them through your nose and I knew it was bad for me.

Any tension in the air dissipates when Jiwoo throws her head back to laugh. She disconnects a hand to smack Sooyoung’s arm playfully and says, “Ew. How did you still like me after that?”

“I liked how honest you were. Also, you made silly voices for your mom and the doctor.” Sooyoung grins as she moves a lock of Jiwoo’s hair back to its spot, just behind her ear. “How could I not like you?”

Jiwoo doesn’t reply, taking in her words. Sooyoung continues.

“I wasn’t head over heels immediately, but I did feel the urge to take you out on a date.”

“Oh.” Jiwoo’s smile falters but quickly returns, more wistful this time. “And why didn’t you? I would have said yes, you know.”

Sooyoung’s heart skips a beat. “You would’ve?”

Jiwoo chuckles, her smile morphing into the one she always wears when she tells Sooyoung big news, like when she won front row tickets to Sooyoung’s favorite band’s concert, or when someone left her a hundred dollar tip.

“I’ve liked you for even longer, Sooyoung. How did you never pick up on that?”

As Jiwoo’s words ring in Sooyoung’s heart, Jungeun’s echo in her mind.

How are you so sure? Have you asked her? Actually asked her, I mean.

“You like me?” Sooyoung doesn’t mean to sound so incredulous, but these are words she’s only heard in daydreams.

“Oh, Sooyoungie…” Jiwoo’s tone sounds almost pained, but the tender glint in her eyes says that she’s just holding back on calling her a dummy. “Maybe I was less obvious than I thought, but yeah. Since the first day I started working here. I saw you sitting at a corner booth and it was an instant crush.”

“B-but…” Sooyoung finds it hard to form words, but though Jiwoo may not know it, she answers Sooyoung’s unspoken question.

“You always seemed so unreachable, like I’d never get the opportunity to say anything to you except ‘welcome to Soul G’s’. Then, one day, I saw you sitting alone in front of a cold, sad-looking Soul G burger, thought ‘why not?’ and worked up the courage to go to you.”

Sooyoung laughs at that, thinking of how amazing it is that this all started because Jiwoo was brave enough to talk to her and says, “Wow, you waited a pretty long time, didn’t you?”

“I did. But it was worth it.” Jiwoo beams at her, eyes crinkling in the corners. “And speaking of waiting… How was your Deluxe tonight?”

Sooyoung draws back at the unexpected question.

“What?” she asks through a laugh.

“Just answer the question. It’ll make sense in a bit, I promise.”

Sooyoung chuckles some more and thinks, finding it hard to because of the unyielding currents of electricity she gets from their joined hands. “It was delicious as always. Maybe even more than usual.”

“Oh? Kiss the cook then,” Jiwoo says mischievously, like she’s been planning this for a while now.

Sooyoung’s heartbeat stutters anyway, even more so when Jiwoo adjusts herself to sit even closer than she already was, the challenge clear in her eyes.

“I think the chef would like to know that the burger was better today,” Jiwoo supplies, gently guiding Sooyoung’s hands to her own face.

Sooyoung responds by caressing Jiwoo’s cheeks, holding her face more tenderly than the last time they were like this. She thinks about how she’s holding the woman she’s gotten to know in many contexts, at parks and at cinemas, and how her favorite is this one, in the dark, at a time and space that only they know.

“Sooyoung,” Jiwoo breathes out.

“Yeah?”

“Not to be, like, impatient or anything,” Jiwoo says as she stares longingly at Sooyoung’s lips, “but can you kiss me already?”

Sooyoung allows herself to laugh at Jiwoo’s forwardness, but she’s sick of not knowing how it feels to kiss Kim Jiwoo, so finally, finally, she leans in, with Jiwoo eagerly meeting her halfway. When their lips connect, she wraps her arms around Sooyoung’s neck and tugs her closer, deepening the kiss and making Sooyoung feel like a million volts of electricity are running along her body.

Their first kiss is too short, really; maybe both of them were holding their breaths at the start and didn’t know it, but they break quickly, though they don’t mind one bit. They know there’ll be more. Jiwoo shyly buries her face into Sooyoung’s shoulder and they giggle.

After a while, Jiwoo catches her breath and picks her head up to give Sooyoung the second mischievous smile of the night. “So, the burger was that good, huh?”

“God. You’re obnoxious.” Sooyoung holds Jiwoo tight as she answers, kissing her temple to let her know that it’s said goodnaturedly. Eventually she decides to humor her.

“It was. It really was, Jiwoo.” When Jiwoo squeezes her, happy with her answer, Sooyoung suddenly remembers something she’s meant to ask since the beginning, over a year ago.

“Oh, and Jiwoo?”

“Yes..?”

Sooyoung holds back a grin, and though Jiwoo has no idea what’s about to be said, she smiles back just as big.

“Wanna go on a date with me sometime?”

“Gosh, Sooyoung,” Jiwoo says, giving her a quick peck on her lips. Sooyoung’s entire body thrums with energy. “Of course I will. I thought you’d never ask.”