“LEE JUNG, GET UP!”

“UNNIE, GET UP!!”

“JUNGIE, GET YOUR UP!!”

Lee Jung groaned. She loves her family, please do not get her wrong. But they can be jokesters and annoying at times especially her little sister. Despite being the elder one, Kay Day is taller but younger. The younger sister is still the prettier one.

“UNNIE!”

Kay Day jumped on her.

“OH YAH!”

“Wake up! You’ll be late for lecture!”

“Alright, alright, can you move?!”

“Carry me to the kitchen since you’re on the way to the bathroom.”

“You’re taller than me!”

“You’re younger than me!”

Lee Jung rolled her eyes but honestly, she could not resist Kay Day’s cuteness. The little sister would only show her ageyo with her.  Strangers find Kay Day intimidating sometimes. Nevertheless, she got out from her bed and bend slightly. Kay Day immediately climbed up on her back.

“Oof. YA, you’re getting heavier these days!”

“Unnie! I’m on holiday! And Omma cannot stop feeding me!”

“Omma cannot stop because you keep asking her for food!”

“You’re going back to school today and you wanna spend your morning fighting with your baby sister?”

Kay Day gave her the pitiful look. Lee Jung rolled her eyes.

“Fine, fine you win. Now, lets go.”

Lee Jung dragged the big baby on her back towards the kitchen. Their two Moms were busy in the kitchen. Hyowon put her hands on her hips.

“What are you doing to your big sister?”

“I need a ride!”

“Don’t you have legs?”

“Omma is biased! Always on Lee Jung unnie’s side!”

“Why you!”

Kay Day jumped down and ran off before Hyowon could get to her.  Monika was making her coffee; she just shook her head as she watched her wife and her youngest daughter running around the house. Lee Jung had already disappeared into the bathroom.

“This house is sure crazy in the morning.”

She just continued reading her newspapers. The chaos finally quietened down, and the two girls were sitting down having breakfast.

“Omma will drive Lee Jung to school.”

Hyowon was packing her lunch as she reminded Lee Jung.

“Okay, I’ll get my bag.”

“What is Kay doing today?”

“I’ll head somewhere.”

“Where are you going?”

Kay Day looked up; searching for Lee Jung’s eyes. She was a little wary to reply. But Lee Jung just smiled.

“If you’re meeting Rageon and Odd, just go ahead.”

“But they are worried too.”

“Why? Because of Aiki?”

Monika suddenly spoke up.  Lee Jung had not heard of this name for 4 months. They broke up last year and Lee Jung had not been catching up with Aiki’s news or whereabouts. But she knew Kay Day is keeping in touch with Rageon and Odd, Aiki’s friends. She could not stop her sister for being friends with them. But she’s thankful that Kay Day did not mention anything about Aiki.

“Yeah, they feel sorry.”

“They shouldn’t. It’s not their fault. Bring them over for dinner one day. I have not seen them for months.”

“Including Aiki unnie?”

“No, I don’t think we should see her yet.”

Kay Day noticed Monika’s serious expression. She nodded; Monika is still upset with Aiki breaking up with Lee Jung. But Lee Jung had her poker face.

“Unnie, will you be okay?”

“Hmm? Sure, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

But Lee Jung’s heart is hurting. She loves Aiki but she knew right from the start, it had always been a one-sided affair. Lee Jung was serious, but Aiki was just testing water. So, their relationship just couldn’t work out no matter how hard Lee Jung tried.

I seriously hope I could get over you no matter what.

-

“WHEEEEEEINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!”

Lee Jung jumped on her best friend, Jung Wheein. She was excited about sharing the same dormitory with Wheein and Hyejin again.

“YA, YA!”

Both fell to the floor with a thud, Lee Jung on top of Wheein.

“Wow, the two of you have to be so lovey dopey such early morning, huh?”

Hyejin was just a step behind Wheein so she managed to escape the mayhem.

“Shut up and help me up! Jungie, get up!”

Hyejin pulled her two crazy friends up. She smacked Lee Jung on her forehead.

“We are in our senior year now. Can you not do that?”

“Ooh, senior year huh? Are you out there preying on freshman boys again?”

“I have already checked them out. Too nerdy.”

“Good god.”

Wheein rolled her eyes. She could not believe how dorky her friends could be. But she managed to pull Lee Jung to her side and hugged her warmly.

“Are you feeling better?”

Her friend just broke up last winter. Her heart was completely broken. Wheein spent two weeks at Lee Jung’s house just to keep her smiles up.

“I’m good. You took care of me remember? Then Kay Day came back for her winter break. She annoys me every day just to keep my mind off.”

“Glad she’s there.”

“Yup, I’m glad too.”

“Okay, let’s move on. Not worth crying over the split milk. I think you deserve better. Besides, there are new freshmen around, prey on them.”

“Hyejin ah, just shut up!”

The two girls exclaimed before pulling Hyejin along. They must report for their first lecture.  Meanwhile, at the other end of the hallway, a group of girls were sitting around, waiting for the lecture to start.

One of the girls was Jihye. But she was better known as Noze to her friends.

“NOZE!”

“Yes?”

“Why are you so pretty?”

“You have been asking me this question since the first day we met!”

“It’s unfair that you’re getting prettier each day and I’m getting fatter.”

“You’re not fat, Yeojin unnie. You’re just hallucinating it.”

Noze rolled her eyes. They were with their group of friends, but Yeojin and Noze are closer. The other girls were mostly Yeojin’s friends. They were talking among themselves and Noze was often sitting at the corner; and Yeojin would always be next to her.

“Yeojin unnie, stop harassing Noze. Are you in love with her?”

“What?! No way! This woman is so difficult!”

Noze rolled her eyes and pushed Yeojin away. Just then, Lee Jung and her friends stepped into the same lecture hall. Yeojin waved at Lee Jung enthusiastically.

“JUNG AH!”

Lee Jung smiled before she waved back. She spotted the pretty girl next to Yeojin. Noze aka Noh Jihye. She’s the university belle. Everyone wanted to be with her. Every guy wants to love her. But according to Yeojin unnie, Noze is not into boys for some reason.

But she recalled seeing Noze with another pretty girl and she assumed they were together. They were holding hands and kissing each other at the club when she was with Aiki still. The two might be in the same lectures but they hardly interact.

They only share the same lecture which is business law. But Noze is in Accountancy while Lee Jung studies Marketing.  The furthest they went was only smiling at each other. According to Yeojin, Noze is extremely shy.

“JUNG WHEEIN!”

“YEOJIN UNNIE!”

“You’re getting so pretty lately!”

Wheein gave her a goofy grin. Hyejin greeted Yeojin as well and Noze was pulled in. The quiet girl was stunned when Yeojin dragged her along.

“Jihye ah~!”

Hyejin greeted her warmly. Noze smiled widely. The two were in the same group during their Economics project last year.

“Hyejin unnie~”

“Why are you so pretty?”

“Exactly!”

“You’re equally pretty too. I’m not the only one. Wheein unnie and Lee Jung as well.”

“YA, are you dissing us?”

“No! I was just complimenting!”

“Unnie, stop disturbing her! She’s just shy only. We understand that.”

Wheein slapped Yeojin on her shoulder. The girls laughed but Lee Jung. Lee Jung was just smiling; not talking much.  Yeojin pulled Wheein closer.

“Is that girl alright?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“So, we should avoid talking about that person, right?”

Wheein nodded.

“Okay, let’s settle down.  Their lecturer is coming soon.”

The girls heard someone shouting at the corner of the hall. They quickly sat down and somehow Lee Jung ended up sitting next to Noze. The two were surprised at first but the lecturer was already starting the class. They just sat quietly next to each other.

How the hell did we end up sitting together?

-

Kim Yongsun, the heiress to a prestigious fashion empire, was busy reading proposals. Her assistant, Irene Bae was sitting across her. She sighed loudly. Yongsun finally looked up.

“Wae?”

“It’s almost 7pm. What time are we leaving?”

“Oh? Already?”

Yongsun finally looked at her clock. The official working hours is over. And Irene was still waiting for her. She bit her lower lip; she suddenly felt guilty.

Irene Bae. She works as her assistant. They met in university and have been good friends since then. In fact, both dated each other for a short while but broke up because Yongsun was too workaholic and Irene needed someone who would be there for her all the time. But they remain good friends.

“This is the reason why you broke up with me.”

“We’re not going there anymore. We broke up a long time ago.”

“I still feel guilty.”

“You’re just unlucky to be born as the heiress to this company.”

“Yeah, super unlucky. But I’m glad you met Wendy.”

Irene is dating again. She has been dating her current girlfriend, Wendy for almost 3 years. Yongsun knows her and approves of their relationship. Wendy is cool with Yongsun. She knows about their history, but Yongsun gives her the ultimate confidence that Irene will not leave Wendy just to be with Yongsun again.

“Is Wendy picking you up?”

“Yeah, she will be here any minute now.”

“Then go ahead. I’ll finish up and head home.”

“Wendy can drive you back. It’s along the way.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine on my own. Just go ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Please grab your dinner.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“YA!”

“Ok, ok. I’ll listen to you. I’ll take a picture of my dinner and send to you, okay?”

Irene finally smiled before grabbing her handbag. She walked behind Yongsun and squeezed her shoulders tightly.

“We might have broken up, but I still care about you.”

Yongsun gently tapped on Irene’s hands and caressed softly.

“I know. I’m thankful for that. But rest assured, I’ll take care of myself. I’ll not hurt myself because I don’t wish to hurt you either.”

Irene smiled before she planted a soft kiss on Yongsun’s left cheek. Smiles were exchanged before Irene’s phone beeped.

“That must be Wendy. She’s probably waiting downstairs. I’ll make a move.”

Yongsun nodded and Irene left the office. She got up and looked out of her window. She spotted Wendy’s car and Irene was running out towards her girlfriend. They shared a soft kiss and Yongsun’s heart cracked a little.

It was no doubt that she still loves Irene. But she lost her girlfriend. She had no right to stop Irene either. Their relationship was going nowhere, and they fought more often. Though being friends suit them more, Yongsun wished she had realized what she had missed before she lost Irene completely.

She sighed softly as Wendy’s car disappeared at the junction. She slowly packed her stuff and dumped her document files into her drawer. She finished her proposal and thought she should head home for tomorrow’s meeting with another fashion tycoon, Jessica Jung.

Just then, someone was at the door. Her dorky best friend came with burgers.

“Food!”

“Irene huh?”

“Huh? What? She’s here too? I didn’t buy her share.”

“She didn’t ask you to buy?”

“No, I was nearby so I got them for you.”

“You’re my hero!”

“Shut up and stop being so mushy. Are you gonna eat here or head home?”

“Just eat at the park nearby. I’m tired of this office.”

Byulyi nodded and helped Yongsun with the packing. The pair then left the office and headed to the nearest park. They sat opposite each other. Byulyi munched into the burgers immediately.

“Are you that hungry?”

“I had tough day. Some idiot ran away with some drugs and played a merry go round with the team. I got so fed up so the moment I pounced on him, I gave him a wedgie.”

Yongsun rolled her eyes. Her best friend is a CSI. She’s a tough woman sometimes men are afraid of her. Her male subordinates are terrified of her.

“Tough .”

“Serve him right. He thinks he’s too smart.”

The two best friends enjoyed their burgers and the stars in the sky. Yongsun kept looking up, admiring the blanket of stars shining so brightly on the black sky.

“You’re being emo tonight.”

“I cannot escape you, can I?”

“We grew up together. There’s nothing I don’t know about you.”

“Okay, so what am I thinking of now?”

“You regret leaving Irene.”

“Sheesh, I hate you.”

Byulyi grinned widely before wiping away the excess mayonnaise at the corner of . She then wiped Yongsun’s chilli sauce from her chin.

“She’s not the first relationship you have regretted before.”

“Eric is the sweetest angel.”

“It was not your fault.  You just realised your uality preference was a little different. A bit too late, that’s all.”

Yongsun rolled her eyes. Yes, it was true. She thought she liked men. So, she dated Eric and hung out with him. He was the sweetest guy and he made Yongsun felt good in every way. But no matter how much she tried to accept Eric, when there was skinship involved; Yongsun repelled from it.

Initially, she thought she wasn’t ready but after some time, Yongsun realized it was not the case. She got frustrated so Byulyi brought her out to a lesbian pub. Yongsun unleased herself without realizing it. She loves having skinship with women. She loves hugging, kissing and even having with people of her own species. Tough luck.

She broke up with Eric, telling him the truth. That shook the man to the core, but he was thankful for Yongsun for being truthful. He found a new girl and got married. Yongsun even went for his first child’s christening.  She just kept him as a friend and vice versa.

“Oh, that reminds me. Ryan’s birthday is coming up. Got to get him something.”

Ryan is Eric’s firstborn. Coincidentally, Ryan is also her godson.

“How old is Ryan now?”

“He’s 6 years old.”

“Wow, time flies.”

“Yeah, really fast.  I could have been a mom if I’m married to Eric.”

“I could imagine that. Eric Nam is the only guy I would have approved for you.”

The two women laughed.  They finished their burgers and decided to head back. Byulyi got a call from her partner.  She sighed.

“Okay, work calls. I must go now. You can head home alone?”

“I drive to work every ing single day.”

“Who knows? You’re emotional now.”

“Shut up, it’s not that bad. I will get home in one piece.”

The two women went on separate ways.  Yongsun got into her car and dumped her document bag in the rear seat. She sped off the moment the engine roared.  She decided not to head home yet so she drove around the city aimlessly.

For some reason, it led her to the beach. It was peaceful. She parked her car at the side and played some soft music. That sound soothed her aching head. And she remembered the last time she and Irene had their best kiss.

It was soft and moist. Irene’s lips pursued and Yongsun just planted hers gently on Irene’s. That ignited the fire in Yongsun. She loves her girlfriend. She would give the world to Irene. That impending emotions she had for Irene were enormous, but she put work first. Ever since her grandfather put her in charge of his fashion empire, Yongsun felt pressurised to perform well. She has other male cousins who could easily take over as the heir, but she was the only who held his surname.

You see, Yongsun’s father was the only son. And Yongsun is the only having “Kim” as her surname. Her male cousins took after their fathers’ surnames so technically, they were not entitled to inherit the business. Unfortunately, Yongsun’s father died young due to an illness. Yongsun was only 2 years old when he died of cancer. A few years later, her mother died in a car crash. The double tragedies tore Yongsun’s life apart. That made her grandparents being so protective of their precious granddaughter.

Yongsun grew up prim and proper. She was not condoned that much; she was still allowed to follow her dreams, but Yongsun felt responsible. She wanted to repay her grandfather for giving her everything. Even after she confessed that she’s not into men, her grandparents support her. So, she agreed to take over his business. She aced in her studies; topped the class and her cohort when she was in Oxford University. She brought the Kims up to the level where everyone knew how powerful the Kim family is and how Yongsun paved her way to the top just on her own.

And then, she met Irene Bae. The woman came for an interview as her PA. Irene Bae is one of the best. She supported Yongsun and became the huge pillar for Yongsun to lean on throughout the years the pair tried to keep the business afloat. It was sinking at one time after her uncle took over. Her grandfather had a heart attack at the thought of losing his business.

Yongsun fought hard and took everything back. She came in power and the business steadily increased before the fashion world recognises this woman. Nobody will not know Yongsun. Everyone knows her. But of course, her personal life took the toll. Irene wanted more. She wanted Yongsun to be there for her. Once, she fell ill but Yongsun wasn’t there. Wendy was.

Things got into a different path and the couple broke up. Irene didn’t cheat on Yongsun. She just couldn’t carry on and Yongsun refused to hurt Irene further. So, she agreed to break up.

And that was 2 years ago. Till now, Yongsun still carries some feelings for Irene. But she never said them out. She was careful not to show it.

Her time was over. Yongsun believes that she shouldn’t love anymore.

-