“Why do you feel like home at all times?”

Mina casually asked as Chaeyoung lies on her lap in that not so fluffy couch in Chaeyoung’s bedroom.

It was almost sunset with the skies turning into orange ones and Mina would admit it’s her favorite time of the day, most especially when she’s with Chaeyoung.

To say that the view from Chaeyoung’s bedroom is magnificent can already be determined as an understatement. It was magical, even.

Sunsets can be perfectly watched from there and Chaeyoung has to thank her parents from buying that house with the perfect location just near their needs and provides that grand view.

Those orange skies reflects in Chaeyoung’s brown eyes—Mina’s personal favorite in Chaeyoung’s features, besides the mark on her lower lip that can definitely be determined as her facial asset.

Whenever Mina looks directly at Chaeyoung’s brown eyes, she just wants to drown in it, she just wants to get lost in it because it tells a thousand stories waiting to be heard, it has a thousand emotions that are yet to be expressed, and it has a thousand more desire and passion about something she is yet to find out.

It is pretty, no, it is attractive and mesmerizing. It seems like it’s instantly telling her that everything’s okay and everything will fall into its right places in no time. It seems like it’s giving her a message that she’s safe and she’s in a protective bubble with the care of Chaeyoung, the reason why she feels so comfortable with the girl the most whenever she’s around.

And just like the orange skies up above that is their favorite view every afternoon because it’s just so relaxing for the both of them, Mina finds comfort and serenity with Chaeyoung.

“What do you mean?”

“Being with you here feels like home, you know? You, laying down in my lap, me in your bedroom while we wait to watch sunsets doing absolutely nothing, just breathing beside each other. It’s perfect and peaceful for me.”

“Ah.”

“Chae, why do you have to be so perfect and how did we even reach this kind of closeness? I sometimes wonder how did you do it all… like, my friends know me as the quiet one, just an observer one, who doesn’t open up easily and expresses my emotions all at once. They sometimes even tell me I’m a reserved person who just wants to share when I feel like it, otherwise, I’ll keep it all. But with you, I feel like just being myself”

The gaze that Chaeyoung gave Mina as the latter keeps on brushing her hair and focused on her eyes was calming that it instantly gave the other a small smile on her face.

“Thank you, Mina. Thank you for letting me know that. It seems so fast and somehow overwhelming, but I’m loving every single moment of this, of what we have right now. I didn’t even expect to be this close to a person I’ve been admiring for how many months already, yet here I am with you.”

“Wait, what?”

Chaeyoung chuckled and got up to sit beside Mina, grabbed her right hand and intertwined it on her left one as she put her head on the older’s shoulder. The sun is starting to set.

“I’ve been noticing you in the campus ever since freshman year. You were with Sana and Jihyo before Nayeon and Momo joined your circle. When Jihyo became part of the student council and became busy as Tzuyu became busy as well with the same reason, that’s when I asked Dahyun and Jeongyeon what it feels to have a crush and instantly told me I indeed have a crush on you and advised me to befriend you during general education subjects. That’s what happened.”

“Yet I was the one who made the first move and asked you out because your friends says you’re a coward”

Another chuckle was heard while Chaeyoung is playing with Mina’s fingers. Up until now, that moment was still as vivid as crystal because she came with a knitted sunflower and a handwritten letter, asking her if they can date on the upcoming weekend to watch a romantic movie and have some coffee afterwards. That certain day was actually full of nervousness and hesitation, yet they both enjoyed each other’s company without wearing their school uniforms or department shirts, just their own fashion sense.

“Maybe I am. You’re sometimes intimidating and I’m somehow scared, I guess. But once I figured out my feelings and how you were different from others, that’s the green light I saw and decided to pursue you. And we’re here now”

Mina is gaining certainty in their relationship. Since it is literally her first time to feel all of those all at once—falling in love, experiencing various emotions because of a person, caring for her significant other, experiencing different things in her college life while she’s also close to settling phase, she wants it to last, she wants it to stay with her forever.

She wants Chaeyoung to be her first, only, and last love. That’s how sure she is with the girl, almost near to the point that she is preparing to give everything just so it can be a smooth sailing relationship because she believes that once she found a partner in life, it will never change.

That is also the reason why when Chaeyoung eventually told her that she actually has the same feelings and wants to be with her, she can’t believe it’s all real—the orange skies, her brown eyes, her sweet smile, the tulips on her hand, the warm hug. It’s foreign to Mina’s system that she almost teared up because for the first time in her life, she found someone that genuinely adores her and values her existence.

“Are you real?”

By the time that the moon is already up above and the darkness comes, they still stayed in their position and doesn’t have any plans on eating dinner or doing other things, just sitting beside each other and feeling their presence.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because I didn’t even prayed for someone to stay by my side so badly, yet you happened.”

“Seriously though, I’m grateful Mina. I’m able to express myself freely and without hesitation because I know there’s someone who will accept me for who I am and it’s you. I’m not afraid to show my ups and downs with you and I will be with you on those times as well. I will always got your back and will always support you”

“You and your words that always make me melt like an ice cream under direct sunlight. Oh, Son Chaeyoung. I’m always out of words for you.”

“It’s because you don’t need to say anything, just hearing your heartbeat with the same one as mine is already enough for me that we’re still and will be on the same page.”

“Just know that I’ll be with you always”

Chaeyoung’s assurance to Mina ever since they call themselves girlfriends is stronger than ever. She was there to ease her emotions when she’s down, to be with her and hold her hand if she’s not sure what to do because Mina once mentioned to her that being with her is already enough to calm her down and it’s true because even if she does nothing, as long as she knows there’s someone by her side, she gets dragged back to reality again—not the harsh one, but the wonderful one where she doesn’t feel alone and lonely.

It makes Mina wonder almost every night and keep on repeating the same question because sometimes, she still can’t believe that THE Son Chaeyoung is her girlfriend and she’s already hers and vice versa.

Sometimes, she still can’t absorb that fact because her whole life, she was too busy with her goal of graduating with flying colors and making her dream turn into reality and she never really expects to fall that hard for someone, to be that head-over-heels over someone that she met in college.

And while there are times that she is trying to familiarize herself with all the possible emotions she could feel all throughout their relationship, there’s still some time where she feels disconnected with everything just because of her doubts, insecurities, and overthinking as everything’s just a first time for her and she can’t help but give herself more problems to think of every night that will eventually make her not fall asleep and cry until morning.

How does she deserve to have that kind of love? Why does she feel like it will disappear and be taken away from her at a time she won’t expect it to be? How did she even come up with the conclusion that she would be abandoned at the end and that she would have regrets and shortcomings as months and years pass by?

She doesn’t know, really.

She doesn’t know why those kind of thoughts crosses her mind every night that doesn’t make her fall asleep peacefully and soundly and she knows too well that she should trust Chaeyoung and their relationship, that they are both doing their best to know each other better and build themselves together not just for each other, but for themselves.

She doesn’t know why there is still disbelief in their relationship when Chaeyoung is clear with her intentions since day one and never gave her contrast of it. It’s probably because Mina once saw her flirting with other girls and thought she’s also giving her the special treatment and that wonder look in her eyes that she thought is just for her, or she’s just being eaten up by all the negativities she is thinking and Chaeyoung is not by her side to assure her enough that she is not going anywhere and she doesn’t belong to anyone else but to Mina only.

Nevertheless, there they are again in the middle of the night, dancing around the kitchen with the refrigerator light, feeling so in love with each other and doesn’t care about anything else, but just the two of them and their own world.