It was involuntary, the satisfied sigh that escaped Ji Hye’s lips as the nearly scalding black coffee found its way down , spreading warmth all the way down to her tippy toes. Placing the hot mug back on the table, she settled her cheek against her hand, resuming her current favorite activity to pass the time.

Her dark eyes darted across the table, fixing it on Jung Woo’s face, letting it rove over every plane, every curve, and every line on her face in a quiet intimacy – loving just how expressive Jung Woo’s face could be and how at any given moment she could transform from angelic innocence to a frightening, formidable demon.

Her eyes strayed to Jung Woo’s dark locks, fascinated by the shine and how it bounced off sunlight that streamed through the window, down to the old white button-down – so old that its collar and cuffs were frayed with use – paired with a pair of faded sweats and black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose – Jung Woo looked so serious as she tried to catch up on paper works and budget reports, something that she could only do at home without the constant interruptions of phones, e-mails, and meetings.

It’s been weeks, but the feeling that this is something surreal never quite left Ji Hye. How in the world did she manage to carve out a small space for herself in the other woman’s life? Like this instance, she still couldn’t wrap her mind around just how easy it would be for her to simply reach out and take Jung Woo’s hand in hers.

So, she did.

Two fingers walked their way across the table playfully, nudging at Jung Woo’s wrist to get her attention, grinning at the arched eyebrow that Jung Woo gave her, giving her another playful poke. “Babe,” she giggled to herself as her tongue made those syllables, even more so when Jung Woo tilted her head and gave her a funny look, she grinned and continued, “honey, darling, sweetie.”

A laugh burst free from Jung Woo’s lips, there were stars in her eyes, twinkling as she looked at Ji Hye with a fond confused smile on her face, “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying out pet names for you, dear heart. That’s what people in relationships do, right? They have special names, so…“ she said before settling her hand lightly on top of the lotus tattoo, “Mine.”

Ji Hye almost couldn’t recognize her own voice, especially the possessiveness that colored her tone. Hers was the voice of a woman in love.

“You have got to stop saying things like that,” Jung Woo breathed out, what little air that was left in her lungs was kicked out by Ji Hye’s words.

“Why?”

“Because I can’t breathe when you do.”

Ji Hye in a deep breath at the unerring insight, momentarily letting herself drown amidst the feelings that the older woman conjured inside of her. She stood up, taking the few steps that allowed her to reach Jung Woo before settling herself astride the woman’s lap. Ji Hye bit back a content sigh at the contact as Jung Woo’s hands wound themselves around her waist in uncanny familiarity, eyes flickering closed for a second as she relaxed into the warmth around her.

She leaned forward, capturing Jung Woo’s lips, meeting the yielding softness that met , and dove into the heat she found there. Their kisses were soft, languidly unhurried as their lips moved against each other.

“Hmmm…” Jung Woo hummed as their foreheads touched, smiling gently as Ji Hye playfully bumped their noses against each other in an Eskimo kiss before capturing Jung Woo’s lips once more. Her tongue delicately traced the outline of Jung Woo’s mouth, her teeth lightly nipping at Jung Woo’s bottom lips, smiling when she felt Jung Woo’s arching toward her, fingers instinctively holding her hips snuggly as she rocked against Jung Woo gently.

“What are you doing?” Jung Woo half-sighed, half moaned at the motion, and Ji Hye paused, gathering the senses that she left scattered the moment she had Jung Woo in her arms.

“Kissing you,” she said lightly, deliberately keeping her voice free from the desire that beginning to run high in her blood.

“You’re going to make me late for work.”

“Well… we could stop, but then…” A lazy smirk spread over Ji Hye’s face as she absorbed the feeling of the other woman, the scent of her skin filling her senses, the taste of her still lingered on her lips, “you might be grouchy at work and Hyo Won unnie would have my head.”

“Hmmm… we can’t have that can we?” Jung Woo pressed her lips against Ji Hye, smiling when she felt them open against her.

Yup, work definitely could wait.

***

Jung Woo looked up from the set design in front of her – red marker in hand, poised to correct any mistranslation of her vision – when she heard the two rapid-fire knocks on the door followed by a pissed-off Hyo Won storming into her office, eyes steely, lips pursed, both hands turned to fists. It almost looked like she was gearing toward a battle, or at the very least, a fight.

“What’s wrong?”

Jung Woo instinctively stood up and went to her best friend, sensing the agitation that came off Hyo Won like a rolling wave. Whatever it was that ruffled the usually easygoing Art Director, it cannot be good.

“I have bad news, more bad news, and okay enough news to prevent us from getting murder charges. So, which one do you want to hear first?”

Leaning against the marbled desk, Jung Woo crossed her arms across her chest, bracing herself. “Sandwich me.”

“Oh, okay, sure.” Hyo Won moved closed and suddenly engulfed Jung Woo in a tight bear hug.

“Yah! What are you doing!?”

Hyo Won let go, confusion settled on the space between her brows, “You said sandwich! I thought you want a hug?”

“I meant the news!”

“Oh… Oh! Alright, so… we have logistics problems. Vendors are dropping out; they gave a million excuses which basically translated to one thing – that they cannot provide materials for us and opted for refunds. Thankfully, like always, we push for production early along with a safety net but at this rate, we are already behind on pre-order goods that I don’t think we have enough for display and in-store.”

Hyo Won sighed, hands racking through her immaculate bob hair, “Purchasing team is already working overnight to find other sources,” she winced, “but we will be looking at two, maybe three months delay which means it doesn’t make any sense to produce because the season already changes!” throwing both of her hands in the air in frustration, she finally settled them on her trim waist before mouthing a mantra to herself – to calm herself or for protection from Jung Woo’s wrath, nobody knows – before looking straight to the still quiet Jung Woo.

“The vendors that pulled out, they just recently change ownership.”

Jung Woo closed her eyes slowly, a smirk forming on her lips as she shook her head. “JB.”

The younger of the two scoffed, “Unfortunately.” She looked at Jung Woo imploringly, “Did something happen? It’s been years since you two broke up, there’s really no reason for him to bother you now.”

If there was one thing that Jo Hyo Won was good at aside from designing, it was to read her business partner like a book, so the sudden rigidness of Jung Woo’s spine as well as the slight pull of her lips into a sneer was enough to clue her in. “The wants to get into your pants and you said no? Is that what this whole cluster is all about?”

“I guess.”

“See! This! This is why a man should never be a billionaire. How petty and dramatic can he be? For real? And isn’t he married?”

Jung Woo snorted, “Yes, and also, I haven’t been home for months.”

“So, he assumed you are ing someone else, which, you are, congratulations,” Hyo Won gave Jung Woo a quick high five then resumed her rant, “and he what? Want you back? A CHILD, I TELL YOU! And you are not a toy!” Hyo Won stared into Jung Woo’s eyes, her fury setting it ablaze and Jung Woo could feel her rage echoing in her every movement, “How long do I have to be in prison for assault? It might just be worth it.”

A fond smile found its way toward Jung Woo’s lips at the indignant look on Hyo Won’s face, offended on her behalf, she took the attack personally.

“What are you doing?”

Hyo Won stopped mouthing the numbers in her head, three fingers curled down to help her count, “I’m counting how old would I be after I got released from prison for killing him.”

Jung Woo snorted, “Stop, you are not going to kill him.” Her eyes softened then as she looked at her best friend, her hand reaching out to squeeze Hyo Won’s hand affectionately, “Thank you for the thought though.”

Jung Woo knew she should be worried. She knew it was only the beginning, knowing exactly how Woo Sung works, with his underhanded ways to make people cave under the heavy pressure of a giant corporation, yet she couldn’t find a single ripple of fear within her. She has Hyo Won by her side and that was enough for her.

“I’ll talk to the existing vendors, we might be able to at least get enough materials for the pre-orders,” Hyo Won chewed on her bottom lips, already listing out the names in her head.

“I’ll pull some strings. I know a couple of people that still owe me favors.”

Hyo Won tilted her head, knowing that the gear in Jung Woo’s head already moving in several different directions, “What do you have in mind?”

“Exclusive Limited Edition. We’ll tell them that aside from pre-orders, we won’t be drop-shipping the collection. However, we will release an exclusive limited edition; same styles, different patterns, different color schemes, which they could only get to bid if they are already our VIP members.”

“It might just work.”

“The rich and famous will lap it up. Go.”

“On it.”

Jung Woo glanced at her phone, screen lighted up instantly at the touch of her thumb, opening the last message that she received from an anonymous number. The message was loud and clear now.

5.45 P.M.

Game On.

***

The day had exhausted Jung Woo in more ways than one and she had no time nor space to collect her thoughts as she moved from moment to moment, each one becoming vaguer than the last, barely making a dent in her brain cells.

“You’re tense.”

Jung Woo felt the nudge of Ji Hye’s nose on her nape, soft warm lips followed, gliding across the soft skin that she found there and Jung Woo hummed. Rose petals floated across the warm water, the fresh flowery fragrance of the bath oil permeated the air as they shared a moment of relaxed peace – the first both women had found all day – and Jung Woo’s hand naturally searching for Ji Hye’s, entwining their fingers as she leaned back, settling deeper into Ji Hye’s embrace.

“Bad day at work.”

“Want to tell me about it?”

Jung Woo’s mind wandered at the question, tongue-tied at where to start. Jung Woo Sung was the center of her life for many years; the love and relationship that they build were not much different from any other young couple out there, yet now those memories were tainted by his schemes, his unwavering self-centeredness.

“I was engaged, once,” she started, eyes closed as she let her head fall into Ji Hye’s shoulder, immersing herself in the concrete feeling of Ji Hye’s arms around her, a silent anchor in the turbulence that aim to wreak havoc in her life.

“We met through mutual friends that thought we would fit and at that time, we did; we just clicked instantly. We dated for four years when he asked me to marry him and I said yes, but… he was the heir of JB Group and I was just a fashion designer, so I was not good enough to be his wife.”

Jung Woo smiled when she heard the scoff that slipped past Ji Hye’s lips – as if it was out of the realm of possibility that Jung Woo was not good enough for anything – so she tilted her head, finding the sharp jaw, and pressed a soft kiss there, smiling when she felt the tension ease out from Ji Hye’s body.

“It was our fifth-anniversary celebration when his mother decided to give me a surprise visit and told me that his son will be marrying the daughter of the minister of economy, who recently got the most support to be the presidential candidate. She told me that since her son adores me so much, she won’t bequeath his happiness. I could still be by his side, but not as his wife.”

“Crazy .”

Jung Woo chuckled before a shiver ran through her body, the water has gone tepid and her skin was starting to prune.

“Want me to make you a hot chocolate and then cuddle in bed?”

Jung Woo wasn’t sure whether it was the fatigue of the day or the melancholy of tumbling down memory lane, but she cannot help the comparison that popped up in her mind. She knew that she shouldn’t compare, each relationship different, but she couldn’t help the thought that sneaked up on her unbound. Even when clouded by the impulses of her youth and being completely and helplessly in love with the man who once was her knight in shining armor, she never felt the sense of being at home. There was always that foreboding feeling that she was playing a role not truly suited for her, and it was then truly confirmed that because of her birth, she was less than someone with the correct pedigree. Yet now, looking at the beautiful wonderment in front of her, she felt at peace.

She reached out her hand, the velvety skin of Ji Hye’s cheek and an unbidden smile grace her lips, answering Ji Hye’s grin and nodded, “Yes.”

The sweet concoction hit her taste buds and she sighed when the warmth from the hot chocolate soon followed. “Watch out,” she sharply muttered when Ji Hye plopped beside her on the sofa carelessly, her giggles rang through the quiet living room.

“Don’t worry, I AM being careful. See? Not a drop out of place, your beloved sofa is safe.”

“I’m more worried about having to drive you to the emergency room from a third-degree burn,” Jung Woo grumbled but relented when she saw that her young, much too energetic girlfriend was indeed fine, not even a single hair out of place.

“So… where were we? Ah yes, the evil queen of our kingdom, the all-mighty sour wrinkled lemon, her royal highness of grump, the– umphh.” Ji Hye glared at the hand that stopped her tirade of genius nick-naming.

“You need to stop being cheeky.”

Ji Hye pouted. “Don’t tell me you didn’t agree with me?” She stuck out her tongue when she saw the glittering twinkle in Jung Woo’s eyes and gestured for Jung Woo to continue.

“After she left, he came over and told me that he has to uphold his family’s wishes and that he wanted me to still be by his side. It was all planned out – he wanted me to wait, then they would divorce after her father finished his term as President. We had a huge fight and I broke up with him. It was amicable,” Jung Woo snorted and shook her head, “I thought that chapter was over, but I guess… It was never really over for him unless he was the one who left me.”

“What happened?” There was no trace of playfulness on Ji Hye’s face, replaced by a shadow that transcends her youth. Ji Hye understood it well, years of pain and not a little heartache had taught her that life could be unpredictable and you cannot pick and choose the problems you had to endure.

Jung Woo took a sip of chocolate, needing something to wash out the sudden influx of revolt, before relegating the mug to the table. Her movement was slow, still lost in the tumultuous thought that burdened her neurons.

“He bought out a couple of my vendors and messed up my logistics. I guess, in a way, this is his warning that he could easily ruin me with a snap of his finger and in another way of punishing me for daring to say no.”

Ji Hye didn’t say a word, silently placing her mug on the table before her hand found Jung Woo’s in quiet support, warm and steady, unwavering.

A prickle of tears stung Jung Woo’s eyes when Ji Hye tackled her, wrapping her arms around her as if using her own body as a shield for what’s to come.

“I have seedy friends if you need someone to kill him.”

Jung Woo laughed at the muffled words against her neck, her arms tightened around Ji Hye’s body, breathing in the remnant of the flowery scent of their bath lingering on Ji Hye’s neck.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ji Hye rose slightly, arms still on either side of Jung Woo’s body, caging her in, face scrunched up in fierce determination, “I’m serious.”

And she was, serious, earnest in her need to protect the older woman and Jung Woo had to bite her lips to suppress the smile that threatened to bloom on her face, because Ji Hye, despite the grim line of her stubborn jaw, still managed to look utterly and devastatingly adorable in Jung Woo’s eyes.

“I’ll let you know,” she whispered, hand reaching out to loop itself on the back of Ji Hye’s head, guiding her down, before their lips met in the softest of brush that burns away and caught them in a fiery frenzy as moments passed.

***

Kicking the door shut behind her with one foot, Ji Hye leaned wearily against the door frame, letting the tiredness of the day melt away from her body. As had been the case since she took the job as a junior set designer, her phone was blinking spastically with messages – no doubt from clients, colleagues, and other people she didn’t really want to talk to. She needed a break, event after event ravaged her sanity bit by bit, and she could feel her body nearly reaching its breaking point.

“Still young my ,” she muttered as she crossed her apartment, shedding her blazer as she went deeper into the room while scrolling through the messages, looking for one particular person but finding none. Since last week, Jung Woo has been knee-deep in work, trying to salvage what was left for the sake of her collection, appeasing the Board and Shareholders breathing down her neck, and trying to level the playing field. All in all, she has outdone herself and become a Wonder Woman.

Flopping backward onto the bed, she stretched her long arms over her head and groaned in relief when her spine popped in an aching complaint, her mind already making notes to take up Hanee unnie’s offer for a session with her chiropractor. The amount of work she was subjected to was so brutal and grueling that no matter how much she stretched in the mornings and evenings, the residual tension just keeps on building, coiling in the sinew of her muscles and making her a little tauter every day.

“I need a break. Seriously, at this rate, I WILL DIE.”

Ji Hye stared at the ceiling, letting the steam of tiredness roll out from her body, clearing her muddled brain, seeking the inner peace that almost seemed out of reach. What she wouldn’t give to have Jung Woo’s arms around her right now… She misses Jung Woo but work and deadlines had put a damper on any of their attempts to have quality time. Funny how they live under the same roof and yet have little to no time to be together aside from occasional pecks and hugs that seem not nearly enough to quench Ji Hye’s need to be with the older woman. Life, at this very moment, .

Ji Hye blindly reached for her phone, because despite her initial grumbles, she was still much too responsible to neglect her duty, a trait she currently hates with every ounce of her being. Her thumb casually moved up, dismissing those that could wait and replying to those that needed her immediate response. That was until her eyes landed on a string of numbers that she deleted from her phone yet apparently ingrained into her memory, because she recognized them right away and cursed the sudden hike of heartbeat and clamminess of her palms.

She propped herself up, buying out time to calm her nerves before her thumb pressed on the message notification.

6.45 P.M.

Hi. How are you? I hope you are well.

6.46 P.M.

I got your number from our senior at school, I hope you don’t mind.

6.46 P.M.

I’m not really sure where to start… I guess, I will start by saying that I’m sorry. I wish we could’ve stayed friends.

7.15 P.M.

Ah… I’m struggling to find the right words, I keep on typing and deleting.

7.36 P.M.

I guess there are really no right words to say, so I’m just going to be straight to the point.

7.37 P.M.

I’m getting married. There, I said it. Hehehehe. I found a guy that is willing to accept my flaws and still loves me and makes me think to have a future and build a family with him. So yes, I’m getting married at the end of the month. I know I might ask much of you, but if you have the time, I hope you can come and give us your blessings.

7.45 P.M.

It will mean a lot to me if you can come. I’ll send you the wedding invitation link. Please cheer for me.

7.50 P.M.

Let’s bury the past and start anew as friends, Ji Hye-ya. See you there.

Ji Hye stared at the message, unwilling to re-read the message because once was already one time too many. There were so many thoughts running through her brain but the one word that kept on returning was the one that slip past her lips was, “Un-ing-believable.”

***

Ji Hye dug in, grunting slightly as she used her elbow to scoop a humongous amount of rocky road from the 1-liter tub and push them into her awaiting mouth, eyes closing in a grimace as the cold froze her brain before the sweetness melts on her tongue. She reverted her attention toward the TV screen, glued toward the lady in a white brocade evening gown as she answered the reporters’ question.

As Jung Woo predicted, the notion of a limited-edition collection from a renowned designer sold within an auction created a buzz to nearly commotion frenzy as the rich and famous clamored to get a ticket to the auction Gala, causing the surge in the ticket price and exchange of an exorbitant amount of money for a piece of clothing. It was a bold move with a glorious outcome; not only did Jung Woo manage to calm down her shareholders, but she also managed to create a new trend, hitting two achievements in one strike and Ji Hye couldn’t be prouder.

“Honey, I’m home.”

Ji Hye grinned at the words. Abandoning her ice cream, she ran toward the voice and nearly tackled Jung Woo to the ground, laughing when she heard the initial ‘oomph’ and the half-hearted complaint about jumping old bones that followed.

“I,” a small peck on the left cheek, “am,” a long lingering kiss on the right cheek, “so,” another kiss on Jung Woo’s left cheek, “proud,” a brush of her lips on Jung Woo’s forehead, “of,” Ji Hye’s soft lips brushed over Jung Woo’s nose, “you.”

Ji Hye captured Jung Woo’s lips with hers, swallowing a small sound of surprise before Jung Woo fluttered her eyes close, answering Ji Hye’s demanding kisses with equal fervor, hands tangling in Ji Hye’s soft strands to deepen the kiss.

“Hmmm I miss this,” Jung Woo hummed, lips barely parted from the kiss before she captured Ji Hye’s lips once again delicately, lips moving against each other in a lazy dance as they stood there in the dimly lit hallway of their loft, simply enjoying the closeness of each other.

Ji Hye wrapped her arms around Jung Woo’s waist when she felt Jung Woo sway on her feet, breaking the sensual cocoon that wrapped them in a lustful haze, biting Jung Woo’s lower lips when the older woman whined at the loss of contact.

“Come on, you must be exhausted.”

“Never for you,” Jung Woo tugged at Ji Hye’s hand, wanting her closer, wanting to lose herself in the younger woman, but Ji Hye persisted, knowing that what Jung Woo truly needed is sleep.

“Later. I promise.”

“You’re no fun.”

“And you, young lady, is exhausted.” Ji Hye gave Jung Woo a stern look that turned into a soft smile when she saw the telltale of pout emerging, “Do not use that pout on me, Shin Jung Woo! Because I swear to everything that is holy that it would work.”

The peal of laughter that Jung Woo let out has a hint of throatiness in it, the result of bone tiredness and days of fleeting sleep, “Fine, when I have the energy, I want you on that bed…”

Ji Hye’s fingers landed on Jung Woo’s lips, “and I want you on that bed, now, sleeping. So off you go.”

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