a/n: sorry the next few chapters are gonna be heavy in dialogue and some backstory; for the joygi aspect theyre a small portion of the story as i try to flesh out their relationship i can't do on Bae's Anatomy lol but they are quite something else in this fic for sure; anyway ENJOY more wenrene! (i miss more content yall)

“Do you want to tell me what that was about?” Joohyun demands furiously after coming into the room. 

What she expects is Sooyoung to be fuming as her cool arrogant self, but what she finds is Sooyoung sitting on the chair with her head in Yerim’s lap while the youngest consoles her. She isn’t crying, but there are sad grumblings that come from her. 

Joohyun raises an eyebrow at the sight. But she’s not one to excuse poor behavior, so she goes to Sooyoung’s side and pushes at her shoulder. “Yah, talk to us,” she demands as calmly as she can. “You just made Seulgi-ssi cry. What’s wrong with you?”

“You don’t know anything, unnie!” Sooyoung shouts as she picks her head up from Yerim’s lap. Even if she isn’t crying, she has tears welled up in her eyes. 

Yerim immediately reaches out and soothes Sooyoung with her hand on her back. “Sooyoung, don’t yell at Joohyun unnie,” she calmly says as she rubs her back.

“You can’t act like you’re the victim,” Joohyun reminds sternly. “She was just here to find Seungwan and I’d like to remind you, you weren’t kind to either of them.” 

“I have no reason to be nice to her,” Sooyoung insists. The anger is even more uninhibited. “You don’t know what I have to put up with because of her and her stupid family.” 

Joohyun sighs and tries to contain her frustration at the emotional girl. “Then explain it to me.” She wants to know how Seungwan’s kind, soft bear, Kang Seulgi has managed to disrupt the easy going giant heiress. “You can’t just treat people like that.” 

“Who says I can’t? Who are you to dictate that? I can do whatever I want!” Sooyoung stands up with fury in her eyes. There are more tears that well and Sooyoung has a harder time holding them back. “You can’t tell me how to live my life!” 

“Sooyoung unnie, please!” Yerim quickly grabs Sooyoung’s hand and tugs her back. 

“I can’t tell you how to live your life, but you know better than this,” Joohyun stands firmly as Sooyoung towers over her. It’s rare for the younger girl to behave so rashly and Joohyun refuses to back down when clearly something is wrong. “You know what you’re doing is wrong.” 

“It’s not wrong!” Sooyoung yells as the tears finally fall from her eyes. “She’s the one ruining my life, my future, my happiness! Why should I be kind to her when she’s taking everything away from me?!” She finally starts to cry. “Why can’t I have what I want? Why can’t I be who I want to be?” She covers her face with her hands as the dam fully breaks. She’s wracked with sobs. 

Yerim climbs out of bed with a sad look on her face and hugs Sooyoung’s back. She looks at Joohyun with a pitiful look. A tilt of her head encourages Joohyun to join them. 

Joohyun doesn’t fully understand, but Sooyoung has been in their lives for years. She knows Sooyoung is better than how she’s behaving. For all that playful and carefree attitude she has, Joohyun knows that Sooyoung is not like her, the life she leads is completely different when she’s not with Joohyun and Yerim. That’s why she likes to escape to them the majority of the time. 

Joohyun joins the two younger girls and reaches as far around Sooyoung to pull Yerim in too. And slowly, Sooyoung unfolds herself to pull Joohyun to sob into her neck. Joohyun soothes Sooyoung like a child, patting her back. 

“Joohyun unnie,” Yerim speaks softly. She looks at Sooyoung and wraps her arms around the taller girl’s waist tightly. “Kang Seulgi is her fiancee; they’re arranged to be married.” 

Sooyoung finally calms down, but crawls into the hospital bed to cuddle Yerim like she’s a teddy bear. The nurse that comes in to check on her fluids frowns at the heiress, but doesn’t say anything when Yerim calmly answers her questions. 

Joohyun sighs as Sooyoung refuses to climb out of the bed. “You baby,” she chides as jokingly as she can.

Sooyoung just pouts and hugs Yerim tightly. 

Yerim giggles and pats Sooyoung’s head. “She is a big baby,” she clarifies.

Sooyoung pulls back to frown at Yerim. “You’re lucky you’re in this hospital bed,” she throws back. Yerim just chuckles and rubs Sooyoung’s back to comfort her. 

“So do you want to explain to me how Kang Seulgi is your fiancee?” Joohyun asks as she takes a seat next to the bed. 

Sooyoung frowns, bottom lip jutting out cutely. The uncontrollable aegyo only softens Joohyun. She can't resist it when both of the kids do that in her presence. With a petulant huff, Sooyoung finally speaks. "Her family owes us money. Apparently a lot of it."

Joohyun furrows her brows in confusion. "But Seulgi is related to the Sons." It's understood that the Son Family has strong loyalties to one another. Surely the head of the Son Family wouldn't allow that to happen. 

"So what?"

"She's Son Seungwan's cousin. They're really close; Seulgi goes over all the time. Why wouldn’t the Sons help them out of this situation?"

"Their parents must not be close," Sooyoung concludes, "or we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place."

"Why would marriage solve this problem?"

"How else do you think?" Sooyoung rhetorically asks. "For more prestige. My family can own half of Korea's business but nothing compares to the Son reputation in Seoul. Seulgi's father invested in a shipping company that went bankrupt after the owners pulled out. He lost billions and sought relief from my mother." She sighs. "My mother thought it'd be a good opportunity for our families to come together. He could have the support that he needs through the union of our families. Apparently, it's my responsibility as the eldest and heir to the company."

Joohyun is surprised. She takes in what Sooyoung says carefully. Bits and pieces catch her attention but nothing was more important at the moment than Sooyoung managing. "How long have you known this was the case?" 

Sooyoung shrugs. "A few years." 

"Sooyoung…why didn't you tell me?"

"What would you have done? Told me not to agree?" Sooyoung sounds resigned. The anger still laces her tone but it's subdued. "I've convinced my mother of every other possible option but she won't budge. I am getting married after I graduate from college.” She looks at Yerim sadly. "Besides Yerim already tried to help."

Joohyun raises her eyebrows.

Yerim nods. "Pretending to be her girlfriend was futile. Sooyoung-imonim could see right through it."

Joohyun's jaw drops and she reflexively chides her sister. "You're not allowed to be in a relationship. You're too young."

Yerim rolls her eyes. “It was just fake, unnie. Gosh, you sound like mom.” 

Joohyun narrows her eyes at Yerim. She feels a dull pang in her chest at the mention of their mother. It’s been awhile since either of them have mentioned her. “Still, you shouldn’t do things like that even if you want to help. Your feelings should always be genuine.” She looks at Sooyoung thoughtfully, trying not to scold the girl too much. “So you have to get married? There’s no other option?”

Sooyoung nods, eyes full of resignation and pain. “Opportunities like this are rare according to my mother. The standard of marrying into the Son family is very high. No one can marry into the family so easily. I’ve heard of other families trying to offer their sons and daughters to different members and it seems like they are firmly against it. Or even if they entertain it, it’s a long process.”

Joohyun can only sigh at the situation. This is a realm that she isn’t involved in. Marriage for class and reputation are the least of her worries. “If that’s the case, you need her then.” Both Yerim and Sooyoung look at her offended. “You don’t have to want her but apparently, she’s important to your family’s future. It is what it is. It’s unfair of you to treat her terribly because she’s in the same position as you are. What makes you think that she wants to get married to you? What if she wants to live her own life too?” 

Sooyoung looks annoyed by what Joohyun says, but she listens. Joohyun can see the way the gears turn in her head. Of course she responds with a pithy, “You’re just telling me to be nice because you’re dating Son Seungwan.” 

Joohyun scowls at Sooyoung because of how she says Seungwan’s name. “Not just that, but look at how unhappy you are,” she rationalizes. “Were you happy that she’s unhappy because of you?” 

Sooyoung purses her lips. “A little bit.” 

“Aish,” Joohyun curses as she threatens to hit Sooyoung, who curls up against Yerim defensively. “Look at you now though. My baby sister is the one in the hospital bed but she’s comforting you.” 

Sooyoung looks at Yerim and with a guilty look she apologizes, “Sorry, Yerim.” 

“It’s okay, unnie,” Yerim pats Sooyoung’s back comfortingly. “For what it’s worth, it’s good to see Joohyun unnie scold you about this.”

“Yah!” 

Yerim giggles. “Well someone has to.” Sooyoung pouts and just lies down on Yerim some more. “God, you’re heavy!” Yerim shoves Sooyoung off of her just a bit. Sooyoung doesn’t go far but she at least doesn’t drape herself across Yerim anymore. 

Joohyun shoots her a pointed look. “You know what you have to do, right?” 

“What?” Sooyoung asks carelessly. Joohyun raises her eyebrows and waits for Sooyoung to get it. The look on the woman’s face makes her feel a bit guilty and then she gets it. She crosses her arms. “No! Nope! No! I’m not going to. There’s no reason to.”

“What?” Yerim asks, trying to understand. 

“She has to apologize to Seulgi-ssi for her behavior,” Joohyun explains plainly. To which Sooyoung shakes her head. “You know you have to. You can’t just go around making people cry. And you were such a . ‘I’m Park Sooyoung II, daughter of Park Sooyoung and Park Minho’--” Joohyun does an exaggerated impression of Sooyoung’s arrogance with a bob of her head and nose tilted up. “Who says that? Absolutely ridiculous.” 

“I bet your girlfriend says it,” Sooyoung shoots back. 

Joohyun feels warm at the mention of Seungwan again. “She’s not my girlfriend,” she brushes off. “And how do you two know that I’m dating her?” 

“We go through your phone,” Yerim chirps in response. “Your password needs an update; only old people use 1-2-3-4.” 

Joohyun feels the tension in her neck as the two devilish children give each other high fives. “Why do you guys feel the need to go through my phone? You have your own Yerim and Sooyoung you can buy as many as you want.” 

“We like knowing your schedule,” Yerim answers. 

“It’s not our fault Seungwannie’s message boxes are always open,” Sooyoung teases. “You are pretty sweet, aren’t you unnie?” 

“Seungwannie, did you eat?” Yerim imitates the messages from memory. 

“It’s cold today, make sure you wear socks to bed.” Sooyoung adds on top of that. 

Joohyun gets even warmer at the teasing as the two giggle. “That’s enough you two,” she scolds. “No more going through my phone. I’ll put up my schedule so you know when I have work then.” 

[Unknown number]: Meet with me. I have to talk to you. 

Seulgi stares at her phone in confusion. She thought it was just Seungwan sending more messages to cheer her up. She knows she shouldn’t shut her friend out, but this isn’t something that Seungwan can help with. It’s her life now. 

[Unknown number]: It’s Park Sooyoung, by the way.

I’m Park Sooyoung II, first daughter of Park Sooyoung and Park Minho, the heir to Park Conglomerate, and you--

Seulgi hugs her knees to her chest, feeling the hot breath in her ear. 

--Kang Seulgi, you are my fiancee. I own you and your entire family. Don’t you dare forget who you owe. 

She feels a quiver in her heart; the severe and threatening tone that Sooyooung uses on her sends fear creeping into her core. It hurts to remember that after graduating, her life is no longer her own. Her responsibility is to her family and to pay off the debt owed. 

Seulgi tosses aside her phone and puts her head down on her knees and wills herself to not cry anymore.

They leave the hospital within the next two hours thanks to Sooyoung’s pestering. Luckily, Yerim was just a bit dehydrated and her sugars were a bit low. She had been too excited to go to the game that she’d finished all her work during the day and skipped lunch. 

Joohyun finally checks her phone to see several messages from Seungwan. 

Seungwan [19:20]: I found Seulgi thankfully

Seungwan [19:21]: but she won’t talk to me

Seungwan [19:40]: I’m worried about her and I don’t know what else I can do 

Seungwan [20:20]: Is your sister okay?

Seungwan [21:15]: I’m sorry for messaging so much unnie I just worry

Joohyun frowns as she stares at her phone because she senses Seungwan’s worry through the messages. It’s not unlike Seungwan to send her multiple messages; it happens a lot with how busy Joohyun gets. Joohyun has told her not to worry as long as Seungwan understands their situation, Joohyun will always respond when she can. 

22:07

It’s a little late for Joohyun and she’s still in the middle of cooking porridge for Yerim to eat before bed. She also wants to make sure that her sister is tucked in. Sooyoung had gone home after dropping them off, saying she had things to do. 

“You should text your girlfriend back.” 

Joohyun yelps at Yerim’s appearance at her elbow. “Yah! Don’t creep up like that.” 

Yerim giggles. “I called you twice.” She points at the phone playfully. “You were too busy thinking of Seungwannie.” 

Joohyun puts her phone face down and goes back to the porridge. “It’s okay. She understands.” 

At least she hopes that Seungwan can understand. They have so much to talk about and it makes Joohyun feel uneasy that they can’t talk. Seungwan is worrisome and self conscious; it’s a poor combination that Joohyun can’t bear to encourage. She wants to reassure Seungwan, to make sure she’s okay, and just be with her. 

“Hmm, are you sure?” Yerim bluntly asks. She has a knowing look on her face. It makes Joohyun worried that she can’t hide anything from her younger sister. “You should text her. She was nice enough to bring us to the hospital and stay with us.” She gives her a sheepishly reassuring look. “And she paid for the hospital bill.” 

Joohyun’s eyes widen in shock. “Really?” Sooyoung had been insistent on paying and told Joohyun to stay put.

Yerim nods. “Did she not tell you?” 

“Obviously not.” 

“Haha, well Sooyoung told me.” Yerim chirps teasingly. “Your girlfriend must be just as rich as Sooyoung to be throwing around money like that.” 

Joohyun frowns. She knows that Seungwan’s family name gets spoken a lot about in rich, upper class circles. And after tonight, seeing how the Parks find the Sons an asset to their family speaks volumes. While the Parks have money, the Sons have name and reputation. 

The standard of marrying into the Son family is very high. No one can marry into the family so easily.

Joohyun pushes that to the back of her mind. There’s no way marriage is in the cards for her at the moment. She’s too young; Seungwan is even younger. They haven’t even defined their relationship yet. And the reminder of Seungwan’s family name only makes Joohyun hesitate. She has nothing to offer Seungwan. 

“The porridge is almost done.” 

Joohyun makes sure Yerim eats a healthy amount. The young girl insists she’s stuffed after the second bowl and that if she eats anymore she’ll throw up. 

“You should see her,” Yerim suggests while settling into her bed. 

Joohyun shakes her head. “I can’t. It’s not a good time.” 

Yerim lies down and snuggles under the covers, while Joohyun tucks her in. “I’ll be okay, unnie. I’m just going to sleep for the rest of the night.” She yawns the second her body starts to mold into the bed. She’s more tired than she thought. 

Joohyun sits down beside her sister. She brushes her hair aside, smoothing Yerim’s forehead with her thumb. Yerim’s eyes automatically close at the familiar affection. She can’t leave her sister. 

“You can go, unnie. I’ll be okay. Tiffany unnie says that I just need to rest.” Yerim promises sleepily. She brings the comforter to her chin. The way she burrows makes her look even cuter. “Besides, you want to see her too.” 

“It’s late.” 

“I bet she’s waiting for you.”

Joohyun debates it, but Yerim just smiles at her encouragingly. “Are you sure?” 

Yerim nods sleepily. “Yes. Go, unnie, go see your not-girlfriend.” 

Joohyun shakes her head at jibe and leans down to kiss Yerim’s forehead. “Call me immediately if something happens.”

“I can’t call you if I’m asleep,” Yerim throws back with a smile as she closes her eyes. 

Joohyun just smiles at her smart of a sister. “I love you.” 

Yerim cracks open an eye. “I love you too, unnie.” 

It takes a little convincing but Seungwan leads Joohyun inside her house. They go into the first floor study, where Seungwan turns on the fireplace for them. Of her places in the house, this is one of her favorites because it’s where her favorite books are and the window alcove overlooks the garden. 

Seungwan closes the door softly as Joohyun walks in. The woman eyes the books lining the shelves and the small family portraits above the fireplace. 

“You’re cute,” Joohyun muses, pointing at the one with Seungwan and Seunghee at Disney Seas. 

Seungwan blushes. “How can you tell which one is me?” 

Joohyun hums. “Because you’re still just as small.” 

Seungwan pouts and bats Joohyun’s arm. “Yah…” Joohyun softly chuckles and holds her hand. Seungwan uses the opportunity to lead Joohyun to sit down on the couch. “You didn’t come to make fun of my baby pictures.” 

“It’s nice though.” 

“Joohyun unnie…”

Seungwan folds her legs underneath her thighs and pulls Joohyun to sit beside her. Joohyun sinks into the couch, leather jacket crinkling into the fabric. 

Joohyun looks at their hands and laces their fingers. Seungwan bites her lip at how their palms fit and how warm it makes her feel. 

“How much of the conversation did you hear with Taeyeon unnie?” she asks. 

“When you got out of the gym to greet her,” Seungwan answers.

“You remember all of it?”

Seungwan nods. 

Joohyun sighs and squeezes her hand. “I know how it sounded, but the Parks she was talking about aren't Chanyeol’s family. You saw today, it was the Parks of Park Conglomerate.” She sighs. “They are covering all the costs for me to go to SM High and Yerim to go to Namoo. With Sooyoung’s help, they are subsidising Yerim’s treatment at the hospital.” 

“How did this come about? How do you know them?”

Joohyun smiles. “Yerim couldn’t have too many friends with her condition. She was always sick and had a hard time meeting friends because of her treatments. Sooyoung volunteered at the hospital. She spent a lot of time with Yerim and they became very close friends. It’s been five years.” The smile on her face is replaced with a melancholic gaze at their hands. 

“Yerim was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was 10 and my mother and father worked tirelessly to make sure we could pay for her treatments. We managed up until three years ago and my father died. His life insurance paid for Yerim’s first surgery and chemotherapy treatments. But my mother suffered the loss of the love of her life and she continued to work, probably far too much. So I picked up work to help.” 

“I’m sorry,” Seungwan says looking down. 

“Don’t be. It’s just how it is.” 

“How did you…”

“Become an ?”

“Mm hmm.”

“I was a dishwasher at a restaurant after school. I worked more than I should’ve but we needed the money to make payments. I would see this woman come in, a different man every time. She’d be dressed gorgeously, like an actress, but far ier than she should’ve been for the men she was with. And she would look at them and talk to them as if they were the most important men in her life. Sometimes she wouldn’t need to talk, just let them do all of the talking.

“One day. my manager yelled at me for breaking an expensive crystal glass. It’d been my fifth night on and I had exams that week and I broke down afterward. She found me and told me I could be making a lot more with a face like mine and the rest is history. I was introduced to men by her, helped her with her clients to gain face. I learned how to speak around men and women who would pay for my company and behave however they wanted me to. I made so much money that our family was finally afloat. We weren’t scraping by anymore. We could manage everything. But it came at a price.

“After my father died, my mom worked multiple jobs to take care of us, but she would get sick for short periods of time. We’d have to go to the hospital for chest pain and high blood pressure.” The look on Joohyun’s face turns somber. “A year ago, one night I came home late after a client and my mother had stayed up to confront me because she had found out what I’d really been doing. In the middle of our argument, she had a sharp pain behind her eye and collapsed. It was an aneurysm. Dr. Hwang did everything she could to keep my mother alive, but the bleeding was beyond repair and two weeks later she died.”

Seungwan bites her lip and looks at Joohyun sadly, but Jonohyun forges on. 

“She left a small portion of money to us. She set it aside for our future. I used my half to pay for her hospital bills, her burial service, and Yerim’s treatment.” Joohyun sardonically chuckles. “She wrote us letters and in her letter to me, she wished for me to finish school. A few months later Sooyoung's mother collapsed at the hospital and I started CPR on her. To repay me for saying her life, she offered to help enroll me and Yerim into schools.”

Joohyun looks up at Seungwan and there are tears in her eyes as she speaks. ”When I told you it's better for you to stay away from me, it’s not because of what I’ve done, I think it’s because of what I lost doing it.” Even if the tears threaten to fall, they don’t. Joohyun just has a small wry smile on her face as she holds them back.

Seungwan can’t fathom anything that Joohyun has been through. To hear it, is far worse than she could’ve imagined. She pulls Joohyun into a hug so that she knows that she’s not who she was, she hasn’t lost everything, and she is important. 

“I’m here, Joohyun, I’m here,” Seungwan promises as she holds Joohyun close. Joohyun shudders against Seungwan before she melts into the embrace. Seungwan feels her heart clench and she hugs Joohyun even tighter to reassure her. “You’re here with me now.” 

Joohyun buries her face in Seungwan’s neck and breathes her in. Seungwan shivers at the way Joohyun’s nose brushes against her neck. Her hot breath rolls down her pajama top, warming her entire body. 

Joohyun pulls back and looks at Seungwan with a sad look in her eyes. The tears still fill her eyes, but they don’t fall. “I want to cry, Seungwan. There’s so much I feel, but I can’t do it. I don’t know how to anymore.” 

Seungwan feels the lump in . It’s as if she feels what Joohyun does. She wants to cry for Joohyun, but she can’t either. “It’s okay, Joohyun,” she caresses Joohyun’s cheek, brushing away imaginary tears. 

Joohyun frowns. With her tear filled eyes, Joohyun looks like a child.

Seungwan cups her cheeks so that she can look her in the eyes. “You don’t have to force yourself. Even if you don’t know how to anymore, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn again.” 

“I can’t. There’s so much I have to do now that I can’t.” 

“Why not, Joohyun? Why can’t you?” 

“Because Yerim isn’t out of the woods yet. She doesn’t have everything she wants.” Joohyun shakes her head. Her vulnerability bare for Seungwan. “I provide for her, Seungwan. I work three jobs so that I can pay our bills and put food on the table. If I stop to learn how to break down, I’m afraid I won’t make it. And then who will take care of Yerim? She’s my world, Seungwan, she’s a reason I do what I do.”

Seungwan brings a hand down to Joohyun’s chest, pressing gently over her heart. She feels the beats against her palm. “Joohyun, even you need to rest. Maybe it’s time for you to rest.”

Joohyun coughs out a laugh. “I don’t think I know what that is.” 

Seungwan feels lighter to see the small smile on Joohyun’s face. Even if she’s still sad, Seungwan can sense Joohyun’s levity. “I think you know what you need. And I think you deserve it.” 

“Tell me, Seungwan. What do I need?” 

Seungwan her lips and pushes aside Joohyun’s hair, tucking it behind her ears. “Rest, unnie. You deserve to rest.” She runs her fingers along Joohyun’s hairline, tracing it down behind her ear. 

Joohyun’s eyes flutter shut and her hands squeeze Seungwan’s waist. Seungwan unconsciously leans into the touch, her body getting warmer as Joohyun’s hands start to move up her waist to her ribcage. Joohyun swallows as her eyes open slowly. Her eyes fall to Seungwan’s lips.

Seungwan tilts her head ever so slightly when Joohyun leans in and kisses her. She blinks as she feels Joohyun’s lips against hers, slotting perfectly. The soft warm lips press against Seungwan’s and she feels the cool mint of her lip balm. Seungwan doesn’t move, unsure of what to do, and how to do it, but feeling Joohyun’s lips against her feels so nice. She used to expect an explosion of emotions for her first kiss, to be full of passion and desire, but what she feels is comfort and warmth. She feels safe and real with Joohyun in all ways.

Joohyun pulls back, her lips. Seungwan’s heart does a flip at the sight. 

“I’m sorry,” Joohyun breathes between them. “I couldn’t help myself.” 

“No, I’m sorry.” She warms with embarrassment. “That was my first kiss…I don’t think I was very good.” 

“Seungwan…I didn’t mean to just steal your first kiss.”

Seungwan shakes her head. “It’s okay, unnie. I like you a lot and I’m glad it was you. I’m glad you kissed me.” She puts her hands on Joohyun’s shoulders. “I want you to find the comfort and safety in me that I find in you.”

“Seungwan,” Joohyun whispers reverently. “You’re such a pabo.” 

Seungwan’s jaw drops. The soothing and magical moment is completely shattered. “What?” she exclaims. 

“If you keep saying things like that, I won’t keep my hands off of you. I’ll pretend I need comfort all the time so you have to kiss me. You’ll hate it.” 

Seungwan rolls her eyes and slaps Joohyun’s shoulders. “You’re such a jerk, Bae Joohyun!” 

Joohyun chuckles and hugs Seungwan, tucking her chin on her shoulder. “But I’m your jerk, Son Seungwan.” 

Seungwan feels her heart flutter at Joohyun’s words. She hugs Joohyun, tucking her chin on her neck too. “You’re lucky I like you.” 

Joohyun sighs against Seungwan. “I’m lucky I met you.”

Seungwan hums. “I don’t believe in luck like that, Joohyun. I believe all of our actions have led us to where we need to be. It only feels like luck because we weren’t expecting it.” 

Joohyun chuckles at Seungwan’s rationale but doesn’t deny her. She just holds tightly onto Seungwan and soaks in the younger girl’s presence. After awhile, when Seungwan’s breathing evens, Joohyun murmurs, “I should go home.” Seungwan picks up her head and Joohyun can’t help the tugging at her chest, “but I don’t want to leave you yet.” 

Seungwan swallows because her heart jumps up into . “Can you,” she hesitates to ask, wondering if it’s too much, but Joohyun looks at her with interest, “cuddle me? Just for a little bit?”

Joohyun blushes and nods. “Of course.” 

They lie down on the couch together. Joohyun lies on the outside, keeping Seungwan snug and safe from falling. She wraps her arms around Seungwan’s waist and Seungwan does the same in return. 

As they face each other, Seungwan’s cheeks turn pink. Without a word, Seungwan leans in quickly and pecks Joohyun’s lips before burying her face under Joohyun’s chin. Joohyun is surprised but she likes it. She saves her teasing for another time and kisses the top of Seungwan’s head and snuggles her. 

Before they know it, they fall asleep cuddling each other.