“Thanks for dropping me off, Seulgi!”

“Yep! No worries.”

They stay silent for a minute. Seulgi looks to her right and wonders why Joohyun isn’t getting out of the car.

“SO… This is how you unbuckle your seatbelt…” Seulgi teases while demonstrating in slow motion. She chuckles and looks up to find Joohyun 2 cm away from her. Seulgi froze. Seulgi gulped. Seulgi inhaled.

“I-is.. It time… to learn the art of kissing?” Seulgi grinned.

Joohyun bites her lower lip. She traces Seulgi’s jaw with her finger. When she reached her chin she pulled the girl even closer than before.

Seulgi closes her eyes and puckers up. What she received was definitely not a kiss.

“OW!!…. Wha-…”

Joohyun pulled both her ears then started squishing her face playfully.

“You really thought I would kiss you, huh?” She giggles. Seulgi pushed her hands away and started soothing her red cheeks.

“Awww.. Don’t be a baby!”

“You’re mean!” Seulgi pouts.

Joohyun just laughs. “Anyway, don’t forget to look for my ladle.”

“‘MLEH!” Seulgi sticks her tongue out.

“Don’t ”mleh” me! You promised!”

“HMPH!”

Joohyun sighs out of frustration. “If you find my ladle I’ll teach you how to kiss properly.”

Seulgi’s eyes widen and started twinkling. “R-REALLY??”

“Yes.”

“With tongue and all that???”

“Yes! I’ll even let you practice all you want. JUST GET ME MY LADLE BACK!!!!” 

“I WILL!!!”

“You promise?”

“YES! I don’t have classes today so I can do it. I’ll just finish my errands for my dad then I’ll get on it.”

“Okay then! Thanks Squishy!” Joohyun stepped out of the car and waved goodbye.

(Noodle Shop; 3pm)

“Hey Jennie!”

“Oh.. Hi Seulgi.” Jennie coldly replied, clearly not interested in having a conversation.

“Is um Joohyun here?”

“No, she has classes right now. Why do you need to see her?”

“I was going to tell her I’m going to start looking for her ladle now. And if I could leave my bag of clothes here….”

Upon hearing what Seulgi was going to do, Jennie immediately cheered up. 

“OF COURSE YOU CAN LEAVE IT HERE.” She smiled brightly at Seulgi while reaching for her bag. “Go Seulgi! And thank you. This means a lot to her.” She happily walked to the kitchen leaving Seulgi baffled by her mood swings.

(5:30pm)

Joohyun was driving home when she spotted Seulgi by the creek. The pretty girl had her pants bundled up to her knees as she sloshed about the running water. She parked her pickup truck on the side of the bridge and stepped out.

“SEULGAYY!!!”

This startled Seulgi, she waves at Joohyun.

“Any luck finding it?”

Seulgi shakes her head. 

Joohyun’s shoulders slump.

“Don’t worry I’ll find it!” She gives her two thumbs up. 

Joohyun smiles and leaves. As she walked back to her vehicle she starts feeling cold. She hastens to get to her shop.

(Noodle Shop)

“Hey! Hyunnie!” Jennie hugs her the moment she entered the backdoor.

“Hey!” They hug and sway a bit. “I’ll go get changed first.”

“Go ahead. The customers are starting to line up now.. Yongsun will start screaming soon.”

(6:00pm)

“What’s that you’re doing?” Solar asked while looking at her tickets. “No one ordered hot soba…?”

“Mm?” Joohyun continued to prep the hot soba. Placing it in a to-go-container. “No one ordered this.”

Solar blinks waiting for an explanation. “Then… why are you making it? We have other orders that need to go out first.”

“It’s for Seulgi.”

“AAHH… I see…”

“It’s not what you think!” She hit Solar with the giant ladle. “It’s cold outside, and she’s looking for my ladle. Just wanted to help her warm up a bit.”

“Yeah… yeah! Sure! Just… you know giving her something warm… even though there’s 10 customers who ordered before her…” Solar teased. “Kim Jennie can you come help me here!”

“Hold on! My phone is ringing..” Jennie yells back.

“AAARG YOU TWO ARE DEFINITELY NOT WINNING EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH”

Jennie got her phone from her purse. An unknown number was calling her.

“Yeah? Who is this?” She answered with annoyance in her tone.

“Sheesh why are you all y?”

“F-U-“

“Yah yah! Sorry! It’s me Seulgi!”

“Great! You have my number…” she rolls her eyes.

“Sorry about that. I forced Lisa to give me your number.”

The moment Jennie heard Lisa’s name her mood changed. “Oh hehe it’s okay I don’t mind…” she giggles. “She saved my number hihi” 

“She did. Your name in her contact list is Business Math Partner.”

“Awww that’s such a cute nickname she gave me!!!”

“Err… Okay…. So Jennie um.. Hmm”

“What is it?”

“Can you tell Joohyun I’ll look for her ladle tomorrow…”

“WHAT? Why??”

“Wendy asked me to go to a party with her….”

“You little piece of shi-“

“SORRY! BYE!” Seulgi dropped the call.

“THAT STUPID BEAR!”

Jennie angrily walks to the front of the restaurant.

“Where’s Joohyun?”

“She went to the creek. She made hot soba for Seulgi.”

“Ah !” Jennie rushed out of the restaurant.

“What happened?” Solar asked but Jennie was already outside.

Jennie reached the creek as fast as she could. Joohyun was standing by the edge of slope carrying the hot soba.

“HYUNNIE!!”

“…”

“Seulgi left…” Jennie huffed trying to catch her breath.

“I watched her leave….”

“Joohyun…”

She faced Jennie and handed her the hot soba. “Could you take this back to the shop? I’ll look for the ladle myself.”

“It’s cold Joohyun! C’mon let’s go back..”

“Jennie… please understand. It’s my mother’s ladle… its all I have now.. Well I don’t even have it right now …”

Jennie frowns but she understands the importance of this item. “Okay, give me your apron. I’ll take it back to the shop. I’ll get flashlights, I’ll help you. Yongsun can hold the fort for us while we search.”

Joohyun smiles, grateful to have friends like Jennie and Solar.

(11:40pm)

“Hey!” Seulgi entered the shop.

Solar turns toward the voice.

“Oh! It’s you…”

“Yes…?”

“We’re already closed. I’m about to lock shop.”

Seulgi can feel Solar’s cold attitude towards her.

“I-I just came to pick up my bag of clothes.” She points to the duffel bag by the counter.

“Here you go. Have a good night.” Solar curtly dismissed her.

“Hey did I do something wrong?”

Solar didn’t even look at Seulgi, she just continued organizing the bowls.

It was silent for a few minutes.

“Where’s Jennie and Joohyun?”

No response.

“Did you guys fight?” She asked innocently.

“UGH!! Seulgi!!”

“What? 🥺” Seulgi was about to cry because she didn’t understand why Solar was being like this with her.

“Seulgi… I’m mad at you. No! Jennie and I are mad at you!”

“Wha-why??”

“Why? Because you left! Because you broke your promise! Because you hurt Joohyun!”

“WHAT?” Seulgi turned red, enraged by what Solar said. “IS THIS BECAUSE OF THAT STUPID LADLE??”

“Seulgi don’t call it stupid!”

“It is stupid! It’s a ing ladle! I mean what the frick.. I’ll buy her a thousand ladles. Sheesh”

“Seul-…”

“NO! It’s a stupid piece of metal. And I said I’d look for it tomorrow! My god such a stupid thing to get all upset about…”

“STOP IT!” Solar screams causing Seulgi to shut .

“That’s all she has Seulgi…” she says with sadness.

“What do you mean all she has?”

“Seulgi… Joohyun….” Solar exhales. “She’s all alone now. Those ladles are very important to her.”

Seulgi’s face turns serious.

“Her family used to have an udon shop when she was young.” Solar grabbed the ladles that were hanging by the wall. “This giant ladle was her father’s. The large o