“Unnie, I know you miss your girlfriend but what about taking a moment to look at me instead?” Yerim complains, rolling her eyes at the older woman. “You’re the one who asked me out to have dinner together and yet here you are, on your phone.”

Joohyun doesn’t respond, simply putting her phone down with a slam. She pouts and starts drawing circles on the wooden coffee table, completely unfazed by the disgusted gaze her younger sister is giving. It’s not like Yerim treats her that differently on the daily, especially when her girlfriend stays over at their house.

“God, Unnie. Just call Seungwan-unnie, will you?”

“She’s in a meeting…” Joohyun whines, getting up from the table and rushing towards the sofa in the living room. She can’t explain why the yearning is doubled today, despite them sleeping in the same bed every day.

After two years of mutual courtship and a solid three years of being in an official relationship with each other, Joohyun prepared herself for faded feelings and less sparks whenever they spend time together. She has been in preparation ever since they hit the beginning of their fourth year together but to her surprise, Seungwan saved up some money – well, definitely took a huge loan from her older sister – and brought her to Switzerland so they could spend their fourth anniversary there. It might sound luxurious to many but Seungwan didn’t think much of it.

Truthfully, she also told Joohyun that they didn’t have to go anywhere out of Korea to have a good time but Joohyun’s answer made her change her mind – ‘anywhere with you is a good time, baby.’

Due to that huge loan Seungwan took from her sister, she now works six out of seven days a week and sometimes, overtime is necessary.

After all, T&J’s Pavilion is a household name in Los Angeles and with the new restaurant here in Seoul… it’s no wonder.

text message from: my baby

i heard my little joohyunnie is being a brat

what’s wrong?

“BAE YERIM, GET YOUR HERE NOW!”

Yerim strides in with a cup of freshly made coffee in hand, sitting on the comfortable massage chair in the corner. “Stop pretending you’re not blushing like a school girl and reply your lover girl, Unnie.”

Before Joohyun can throw a cushion at her sister’s face, her phone lights up again.

text message from : my baby

baby?

why aren’t you replying me after reading ☹

actually

whatever

Joohyun screams at the lack of response after, her fingers frantically punching in Seungwan’s number. She almost throws her phone at the wall out of frustration, not realizing she’s short of one digit; maybe the automated voice wouldn’t keep saying ‘the number is not in use, please try again’ if Joohyun got herself together. Although… the silly woman could have spared all the time and emotion if she just searched for Seungwan’s contact.

“Unnie, it’s for you.” Yerim hands her own phone to the exhausted Joohyun, rolling her eyes for the nth time this evening.

“Joohyun?”

Her frustration and stress dissipate as fast as it all gathered, hearing Seungwan’s melodious voice enter the receiver. “Hi, baby… I’m sorry, I was going to reply your texts but Yerim was too busy annoying me.”

“HEY – MMPHH! ”

The younger woman’s voice is drowned out by Joohyun’s feet holding a cushion in place against her face. It takes a little bit of effort before Yerim finally slides out of the chair with a grunt, completely done with annoying her sister for the day.

Now that Seungwan’s talking and giving her fullest attention to Joohyun, the latter finally realises how tired her girlfriend sounds. Who won’t be exhausted after working so many days in a week and having to deal with nasty customers on a regular basis? Unreasonable customers are always a norm in the Food and Beverage industry, of course, but Joohyun always nags at Seungwan. Sometimes, or rather most of the time, kindness does not pay off. She works in the kitchen as a pâtissier despite sitting high up in the management, unknown to many of her own staff. 

Joohyun’s fingers tighten around the phone unconsciously, wanting to feel as close to Seungwan as possible in the circumstances. The least she can do is lend a listening ear whenever Seungwan just needs a minute or two.

“I really should start cracking some heads with the frying pan in your kitchen since you’re too nice to do so.” Joohyun complains, feeling her head start to ache at the complaint. “You’re literally their boss, you don’t have to take this nonsense from them.”

“Now, now… we can’t have you arrested for two things.”

Imagining the annoying, cheeky grin full of nothing but pure mischief makes Joohyun’s heart start to race, despite being flustered by Seungwan’s confusing words. “W-What are you talking about?! I’ve never been arrested in my life!”

“You were arrested five years ago for stealing my heart. Did you forget?”

Between kicking her feet in the air, fingers and toes curled inwards and her cheeks flushed to hell, Joohyun can’t hold back her squeal. She’s been experiencing Seungwan’s cheesiness and greasiness first-hand for five years now, she shouldn’t be surprised but the woman never fails to top the previous line. Seungwan has to have a book or diary full of lines like this, there is absolutely no way someone can muster this much grease in their lifetime but Joohyun knows.

“I miss you, Seungwan.”

“I know, love. I’m sorry I’ve been so busy; I wish I could come home earlier to keep you company tonight but I had to get Yerim instead. I’ll make it up to you, I promise…”

The muffled sniffling from the receiver breaks Joohyun’s heart; she didn’t mean to make Seungwan feel guilty for anything – the woman is literally in this situation because she wanted to give Joohyun a good time. Seungwan, who needs all the love around, she’ll give it all to her.

“Don’t you apologize to me for anything. You treat me well and love me so much, baby, I’m aware of it all,” Joohyun doesn’t know why she chokes up at her own words but it’s been a long running effect on her. She wonders sometimes, if it’s even possible to love a person this much. “A couple of late nights isn’t going to change anything. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?”

“Even you don’t believe that. I miss you so much, I want to go home and cuddle you without getting out of bed ever again.”

Wait.

If Seungwan can’t leave… Joohyun can go there.

“Babe? I have to get back to cleaning… I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

Joohyun bids her goodbye with a kiss, ending their short conversation with multiple professions of love and some more sweet nothings that are best left between the couple. She places the phone on the table and picks up her own, staring at the lockscreen of them together – it’s one of her personal favourites; the two of them on a trai