It’s strange. She thinks she’ll never get used to it.

Somehow, some part of her always knew that even in the vastness and unpredictability of time, she will still stumble upon love despite the drudging bitterness she had to go through in the beginning. It was just inevitable.

However, she never just expected it to be this way. It seemed like no matter how much she aged or how long it’s been since she let herself free from the past, fate’s little but unrelenting surprises are something she will never be able to dodge.

Seulgi didn’t have to.

Not when her surprise came in the form of Jennie.

Because Seulgi wholeheartedly opened her door for Jennie and let her in without a beat of hesitation.

The four corners of Seulgi’s jejune apartment located in the heart of Makati were suddenly graced with light and joy. The heavy aura in the place itself caused by the sight of heavy, monochromatic law books, undrawn blinds, and empty spaces that are meant to be shared with someone was instantly lifted and replaced with shared laughter, shared heartbeats, and a love that continues to bloom in each passing day.

There are times where Seulgi stops and stares out the window of her cozy balcony to wonder how it was possible for a person to look and feel like literal sunshine at the same time. When she does so, a subtle giddiness pulls on her heart’s strings and tugs up the ends of her lips to curve them into a smile. The warmth that erupts in her chest feels like certainty and genuine happiness. It may happen often, and she may think of herself as a lovestruck fool who just suddenly beams to herself, but Jennie was always the fuel behind those smiles, including the ones that nobody else but Seulgi could see. So, she never did mind it. It’s one of the many things about Jennie that she found so strange yet so endearing.

Seulgi still thinks she’ll never get used to it.

But then again, she really didn’t mind.

Because Jennie will always be her thrill.

It’s a little past 10 when Jennie arrived at Seulgi’s place. They had to be at Greenbelt by 12 for lunch but since she wanted to see her girlfriend a little earlier and longer, here she was, patiently waiting for Seulgi to open her door after knocking twice.

Seulgi’s form spawned behind the door seconds later, automatically painting a smitten beam across Jennie’s face.

“Aga mo ah,” Seulgi greeted and stooped down to place a kiss on Jennie’s lips which the latter met halfway. “Hi,” She said after pulling away, momentarily admiring the swooned look on Jennie’s face.

“Hey, you. Have you eaten na?” Jennie asked with bright eyes.

“I have. You?” Seulgi returned the question as she pulled Jennie by the hand to get her inside and guide her to the kitchen where she was brewing tea.

“Done na also. I had some toast with that cookie butter you gave me.” Jennie took a seat on one of the island stools while Seulgi rounded her way around the counters to stand across from her and prepare two cups of tea.

A small chuckle left Seulgi’s lips, “Remind me to buy you more jars of that bago tayo umuwi mamaya.”

“’Wag na, I still have more at my place.” A cup of skin-toned tea was carefully slid towards her space, “Thank you, irog.” Jennie thanked her girlfriend who was now wiping tiny splatters of almond milk that she accidentally spilled on the stone-cold counter.

“Gotchu. Dinagdagan ko ng almond milk ‘yung sa’yo kasi I know you like it that way.”

Jennie looked down on her cup and compared the color of her tea with Seulgi’s. Hers was a shade lighter than the latter and the sight of it sent Jennie smirking to herself. It’s the little things like this that makes her feel all the more endeared and smitten for Seulgi.

“Thank you, irog.” Jennie repeated, her voice fading out the closer she brought the cup to for a sip. At Seulgi’s You’re welcome, Jennie noticed the mismatched buttons of her girlfriend’s shirt. Seulgi continued to clean up, clearly overlooking her appearance. Assuming that Seulgi got dressed early, Jennie’s sure it’s been that way for a while now.

The smirk on Jennie’s face bloomed into a small laugh. The reason behind it wasn’t to ridicule Seulgi, it will never be for that. Rather, it was for the reason that Jennie, just like always, found the bear-like woman cute, especially in a situation like this.

“Irog,” Jennie called out.

“Yeah?” Seulgi replied from the sink where she was washing the used teaspoons and kettle. When she didn’t receive an immediate response from Jennie, Seulgi turned her head to face her girlfriend. Seeing that Jennie was on the verge of emitting soft laughter, Seulgi couldn’t help but mirror the look on her face even with her sudden puzzlement.

“What?” Seulgi asked through a breathy chuckle, feeling suddenly conscious of herself.           

Jennie did an up and down motion using her index finger before saying, “Mismatched ‘yung buttons mo.”

Seulgi quickly looked down to check her torso and indeed, the buttons of her shirt were just as how Jennie described them to be, mismatched. This caused the fabric of her shirt to be a bit wrinkled.

“Ah,” Came the sound of tiny disbelief from Seulgi’s lips. She brushed off the subtle feeling of embarrassment that was beginning to dawn on her with a laugh. “I’ll fix it, wait lang.” Seulgi made big strides towards the full-length mirror in her living room by the window so she could see her current state.

Jennie was swift to get on her toes and follow Seulgi. The latter had only undone two buttons when Jennie stood between her and the mirror to hold her hands in place. Seulgi’s fingers froze the same way and second her face did.

“It’s okay,” Jennie faintly said, and her actions were as faint as her voice when she guided Seulgi’s hands to her sides and let them hang there. She looked up to Seulgi with a soft, pursed smile.

“Let me.” Jennie declared and it had Seulgi trembling down in the knees a little.

“Okay,” Seulgi almost replied in a whisper.

She silently watched Jennie undo her buttons one by one. Seulgi didn’t miss the way Jennie’s cold fingers would sometime brush against her skin the more she undid the buttons of Seulgi’s shirt. The accidental touches of Jennie’s fingertips felt cold against her warm skin, especially on her tummy, but they weren’t intense enough to make Seulgi flinch.

When Jennie undid the last button, Seulgi let out a soft sigh.

“I feel a bit embarrassed.” She admitted, averting her gaze from Jennie’s eyes but quickly looking back at them when she noticed the latter subtly smiling from her peripheral vision.

“Don’t be. I’m the only one here, aren’t I?” Jennie’s voice rang in Seulgi’s ears like a mellow lullaby, and the look in h