//

x.

"What the heck, unnie! This is not a few things!" 

Yunjin's voice is like an airhorn that welcomes her upon entering, sudden and blaring, the latter utterly taken aback by the number of grocery bags Sakura has within her grasp. Yunjin's widened eyes run up and down her once, mouth hung agape seeing someone of her petite frame carrying so much at one go. Being the open book Yunjin is, Sakura gained a sense that she was being underestimated, so she huffs and casts Yunjin a side eye. 

Surely, she didn't sign up to all those weekend pilates class just to be gawked at like that. Yunjin may be the workout maniac (next to Kazuha), but Sakura herself would go as far as saying that she can hang two children on her arms easily (if you double them, it's roughly Eunchae's weight). 

(Actually, she's only ever endured Eunchae jumping onto her back every chance that little devil gets.)

Sakura was prepared to protest, but the numbness in the creases of her fingers hit her like a truck as soon as she loosens her grip on the bags. 

"They're really not-" Yunjin doesn't even give her a chance to redeem herself, cutting her off by snatching the said bags from Sakura's hands into her own, making an unpleasant expression as she lifts them up and down repeatedly.

"This is literal deadlifting!" Yunjin exclaims, and it was at this point that Sakura thinks she appears as someone who has the strength of a twig in her roommate's eyes. 

No matter, she thinks. Her physical strength may be subpar, but her gaming skills is something Yunjin can and will never be able to dethrone her at.

"You and your exaggerations..." Sakura shakes her head, and tries to retrieve the bags— only for Yunjin to whirl around and speedwalk away towards the kitchen with them in tow.

"I took the car today," Yunjin blatantly states, there's a look of buffer in her face as she places the bags on the counter, until she realises, "hey, don't tell me you walked back?!"

Sakura, who had her head shoved in the fridge, leans back out with a strawberry drink against her lips, doe eyes looking nonchalantly at her roommate.

"Well yeah, it's only two blocks away? It's fine, I was already outside before that." She replies when she finishes half a bottle (Yunjin's been glowering at her as she waited for her response).

The frown on her face seems to deepen when Sakura closes the fridge door and proceeds to her gilet, like the fact that she went out in the ungodly freezing weather in just long sleeves and a gilet without proper layering dawns on the taller girl. To say Yunjin was mortified was an understatement, Sakura would have thought she had committed a great sin with how hard Yunjin's judging stare is drilling into her right then.

"A short distance but it doesn't mean you have to carry a million things in a single trip, you should've texted me!" Yunjin practically freaks out, stomps towards her with hands on her hips like a mother chastising her child.

Ironically, Yunjin is the younger one between the two of them. So to have moments like these when Yunjin thought she very much needed to be reminded how reprimanding works as a child, it draws a little smile on her face. Yunjin knows that someone like Sakura needed a nudge every now and then to not forget about her own wellbeing.

"You seriously worry too much..." Sakura sighs, then begins to shake out her fingers which were still red. "I guess you're kinda right, my arms ache now... ouch." She sheepishly smiles, earning a disapproving look from her roommate.

Yunjin grumbles under her breath, something foreign— Sakura doesn't know, it was in English— but it could very well be profanities and she's not about to indulge in it. Yunjin has every right to worry, so Sakura brushes it off as Yunjin rubs her hands up and down her aching arms. The thoughtful gesture warms her up, so Sakura lets herself be taken care of, choosing to bask in the close proximity between them. And she feels safe.

She understands it so well when people say a home can be a person. 

"What did I tell you? It's freaking negative degrees out- unnie, if you get sick again I'll be mad." Yunjin continues her complaints, smacking Sakura's arms lightly.

"Yunjin, I'm not fragile you know." Comes Sakura's weak reply, and she notices how Yunjin takes slight offense to that, a whine almost escaping her lips when the taller girl pulls away.

"I'm just being a concerned roomie." Yunjin sulks, rolls her eyes this time and decides to go back to unpacking the groceries. 

Sakura presses her lips in a thin line, grimaces at her indifferent self. She pinches her arm for sounding aloof, which of course she hadn't meant to, but it slips out every so often and she could only hope Yunjin doesn't take them to heart— like now.

She slowly ambles towards Yunjin's side, eyes travelling from the groceries to the girl beside her back and forth. Then she tugs at the hem of Yunjin's sweater for attention.

"I'm cold," She hints, but Yunjin barely gives her a glance, moving away with a couple packets of cherry tomatoes in her hands to place them in the fridge.

"So?" Yunjin flatly responds, and Sakura bites her lip. When Yunjin returns to the counter, Sakura holds her wrist.

"Warm me up?" She says with a toothy grin.

Yunjin grows silent for a while, looking down at her with an unreadable expression. She really did not want to go to bed leaving Yunjin potentially upset. 

"...Try being cuter?" 

Ah, it was then Sakura realised that she was the one who had been played with. Her expression drops so quick at the sudden request and Yunjin suddenly breaks into a mischievous  grin.

"Nevermind." Sakura deadpans, was about to sprint back out into the Helheim that awaited her outside their apartment when Yunjin grabs her by the collar of her gilet.

"NO! I'm kidding! Come here come here come here-" Yunjin guffaws when Sakura almost flops back after being yanked (she catches her of course), then gets reeled into Yunjin's embrace.

Sakura stays tight-lipped, pink dusting her cheeks as she maintains her scowl even when Yunjin has her within her hold.

"How cold are your ha-AH! Unnie?!" Yunjin suddenly jumps back when her hands met Sakura's icy ones, the way she recoiled earned a look of disbelief from the cherry blossom.

"Hey- what happened to wanting to warm me up?!"

"Forget it! Your hands are so ing cold!"

The groceries become forgotten for a while after that, with the two abruptly playing Cat & Mouse around their humble abode. It was worth the workout though— she warmed up— and Sakura ends their game of tag by cupping her cold hands on Yunjin's face as petty revenge.

They unpacked the groceries together after calling it a truce, with Yunjin occasionally hugging her as an excuse to keep her warm.

.

Shortly after, they're both huddled on the couch, bodies retreated within thick blankets and a winter movie special softly playing on their TV. It's deathly cold and Sakura wishes for nothing more than summer to arrive already, furthermore— Yunjin taking up all the blanket wasn't helping her cease her shivering at all.

"You said share but you're hogging all the blanket." Sakura grouses, tugs the blanket around her shoulder but it doesn't even budge. 

Yunjin tears her gaze away from the TV screen and opens up her arms.

"I'm really not, can you just come closer?" Yunjin beckons Sakura to scoot closer, and was expecting her to do just that, but the cherry blossom had other intents. 

Like one where she moves closer to settle comfortably onto Yunjin's lap as if that didn't almost trigger the latter's fight or flight senses. Sakura hums in content, the blanket now effectively engulfing them both. Satisfied, she leans back and tilts her head up just slightly to look at Yunjin.

"Is this close okay?" Her voice is soft, warm breath grazing Yunjin's jaw, she smiles at the way they clench briefly, until she sidles up to Yunjin and she relaxes.

"Um... y-yes..." 

Sakura silently giggles at the uncharacteristic tone of her usually invigorated, bold roommate. Her eyes capture the way Yunjin's throat bobs, it takes all of her to resist planting her lips there. So she closes her eyes, nuzzling her head in the crook of Yunjin's neck and bathes in her scent.

"If I fall asleep, carry me back to my room." And it really should've ended there, with her intentionally falling asleep in Yunjin's loving arms but of course, there's no end to teasing between the two of them.

"Who said I can carry you..." Yunjin trails off, and despite saying that, she has her arms secured around Sakura's torso, ready to prevent her from escaping.   

Sakura instantly pulls her head back from her comfortable spot, frowning at Yunjin who feigns obliviousness, eyes aimed at the ceiling with upturned lips. 

"Fine, then leave me to die to my sleep paralysis demons out here." Sakura rolls her eyes, digging an elbow into Yunjin's thigh which caused an instant reaction from her— a deafening yelp and Sakura is quick to cover her ears.

"You're gonna wake our neighbours!"

"And whose fault is that?"

"Don't make me elbow your left ."

"Oh my god, you're locked on already."

.

It's around two in the morning when she stirs awake, in the midst of adjusting her position, it slowly starts to occur to her that she's lying on soft pillows and smooth sheets, a pleasantly familiar comforter is tucked under her chin. The air feels warmer, and she momentarily gains full consciousness when she groggily opens her eyes.

"This is.... my room?" Sakura mumbles, dazed as she lifts her head and lets her eyes adjust to the figure which had been by her side. 

Her voice permeates through Yunjin's airpods (she assumes it must have been on really low volume since Yunjin usually needed to be called twice), her ears perked up and she's quick to give all of her attention to the cherry blossom.

"Yes it is unnie, go back to sleep." Yunjin reassures her and gently reaches out to push her head back down into the pillow, and it's when Sakura notices the dark rings forming under tired eyes. Even then, those same pair of hazel orbs gaze at her with tenderness unrivaled. And although Sakura likes the undivided attention they give her, she doesn't like it when they appear dull and jaded. 

She's working herself to the bone again.

It weighs on her heart but she knows full well that Yunjin's semestral assessments were around the corner. At this time of year, their campus was usually full of zombies.

"Can't sleep again?" Sakura asks, half-lidded eyes looking up at Yunjin's slouched figure sitting against the headboard. 

"Yup... just hangin' out on my phone." Yunjin lazily waves the said device, lockscreen briefly lighting up and it's one of the candid pictures Yunjin's taken of her. She puts her on a pedestal, surely, and Sakura's curiosity burns. "I'll be out when you go back to sleep, promise."

Yunjin raises a pinky and smiles languidly, and before the phone could steal away her attention again, Sakura lightly pulls on her arm.

"Put that away, Yunjin-ah." Her voice is deep and raspy from sleep, but her tone was mellow in a way that it almost sounded like a plea. "Come here." Sakura taps on the pillows and her roommate moves accordingly without haste.

Yunjin slides down in her spot, lying on her side as she watches Sakura with keen but tired eyes. The cherry blossom seems to have given up on keeping her eyes open, settles with facing Yunjin on her side as she exhales slowly.

"I can't sleep," Yunjin says, a little weak, her body is begging for sleep but her eyes can't seem to shut, not when sleep doesn't beckon her. She elicits a short sigh, opting to trace her roommate's delicate features with her eyes within the mean time.

Countless times has she done so, and admittedly, she's never grown tired of it. Yunjin scoffs to herself, amused, what blackhole has she got into? Nevertheless, loving Sakura is almost as easy as reciting the alphabet. 

"I know, you don't have to force yourself." Sakura mutters, corners of her lips curling up ever so slightly. Yunjin has never once stopped marvelling about how lovely it would feel if they were pressed against hers. She didn't think she was capable of desiring something (someone) so much that it puts her mind in a frenzy. Alas, she's always one to be a slave to her emotions.

"If you gaze at one thing for a long time, maybe you can." Sakura sleepily says and pushes her head deeper into the softness of the pillow, and Yunjin thinks she's never seen someone more alluring.

"At what?" Yunjin replies breathlessly, hands itching to reach out and brush her fingers against milky skin, and each would remind Sakura that she's beautiful over and over.

"Me, just look at me Yunjin-ah." Delusional or not, Yunjin feels as though those words had another meaning lying behind them, or at least that's what she thinks Sakura had wanted it to sound like.

I already am. 

"Didn't you say something about liking my sleeping face before?" Sakura continues, words beginning to slur as she shifts in her space.

"Ey that's just-"

"Even though I sleep with my eyes open?"

They break into soft laughter, just fondness bouncing off the walls as they curl into the sheets, unconsciously shifting closer and closer until their wristbones touched on the pillows. Still caught in elation, Yunjin uses her pinky to nudge the hand against hers.

"You're pretty either way." She whispers, chortles as she sees the way Sakura's face scrunch when she cracks an eye open.

"Hm, whatever you say but thanks." 

Then it's silent again and Yunjin figures Sakura might have fallen asleep again with the lack of response after, but when small hands grabbed hers, Yunjin's heart flutters.

"Does the sight of me calm you?" Sakura pulls her hand over and places it on her cheek, the way she sighs dreamily after has Yunjin's breath hitching, the latter watching as she let herself be molded in whatever way Sakura wishes her to be.

"I think your entire presence does," Yunjin face softens, she rubs her thumb on pinkish cheeks, the hand that cradles hers feels comforting.

"Sleep well, Yunjinie. I hope you dream of me."

She doesn't— because that's not how dreams work— but the warmth and affection lingers as she closes her eyes anyway. And it's the fastest she's fallen asleep compared to the last few days.

–

xi.

They find themselves being dragged along to a spontaneous hang-out to an indoor skating rink on a fairly chilly weekend— to be specific, it had been Eunchae's idea, this bubble-of-energy personified had practically implored her favourite group of older sisters (a.k.a Eunchae Mothers Association) to bring her there. Yunjin had found it funny then, wondering why their youngest would propose the idea to hang out in a mere skating rink when they could have gone to a ski resort— with the snowy weather and all, it was so fitting.

"Kkura-unnie wouldn't follow, she's not good with the cold AND she's bad at snowboarding." 

In spite of Eunchae's bluntness, she spilled out the cold truth nonetheless and frankly, it had Yunjin doubling over in laughter. She was just fortunate that Sakura wasn't with them at the time, else she would have to suffer eating convenience store food for a whole week if she had heard her roommate laughing her off.

At least Eunchae was thoughtful enough to choose another activity indoors, and now Yunjin rests against the railings of the skating rink as her eyes trailed after the 'KkuraEunz' duo— which was something they had come up with themselves—skating around amongst other people. Although silly, she had to admit that it had wit.

"Ew, stop that," 

Yunjin whips her head to her left, breaking out of her trance, and sees Chaewon from a small distance away giving her a look akin to disgust. The older girl glides slowly towards her, hands grazing the railings until she skids to a stop beside Yunjin.

"What- stop what," Yunjin subconsciously straightens her posture, smacking her lips together as she balances herself on her skates.

Chaewon's eyebrows crease a little more upon seeing her falter a bit, catches the way Yunjin steals glances at her roommate and smiles fondly when Sakura and Eunchae zooms past them.

"THAT." Chaewon spat.

Irked at her vagueness, Yunjin clicks her tongue and gives her a pointed look. Yunjin wonders if this extra grouchiness is coming from separation anxiety (she's kidding, but it certainly feels like it), Minju originally was supposed to come along but apparently had a change of plans last minute— family matters, she'd heard. She swore she saw Chaewon's soul visibly vanished then.

"Girl, WHAT?" Yunjin responds with the same energy, huffing when Chaewon wags a finger.

"You have heart eyes for real," The older girl plainly states, a smirk slowly forming on her lips. 

"For who?" Yunjin tilts her head, because she's really got no idea-

"For HER, oh my ing god!" Chaewon jabs a finger somewhere in the corner, where Sakura now has her planted on the floor with Eunchae circling around her like a vulture, gummy smile and all as she teases the older girl who's laughing now.

"You're literally an open book, how has she not figured out that you wanna make out with her so bad?" Chaewon shakes her head, genuinely trying to comprehend how hard they have been pining (it can't be just her right?) for each other yet not seeing their relationship progress beyond very close friends, as Yunjin once described to her.

"Keep it down! Oh my- yah, you can barely even hold eye contact with Minju and she's your girlfriend!" Yunjin's neck grows hot, stutters as she retaliates, and it seemed to work because Chaewon's reddening face mirrors hers and now they're both equally flustered as they squabbled and squabbled.

"There's something in the air ever since you dyed your hair back to black, that's all I'm saying." Chaewon huffs, her bangs in a disarray and she lazily tries to fix them.

"What, where? IS IT A FLY?"

"No you dumb- Christ, it's Kkura-unnie!"

"And what about her?" At this point, Chaewon knows Yunjin was playing dumb. 

"She looks at you a lot." Chaewon groans, reaching for her phone in her back pocket and hopes it's Minju. As much fun she was having here with her little sister, it would certainly have made her day if the beaut was here as well. Eunchae liked her enough, today would have been another good opportunity for them to get acquainted. Chaewon would have liked to see Eunchae spreading her bubbliness to her beloved calm girlfriend.

"Well, yeah, what else are eyes for?" Yunjin continues her pretense, and Chaewon sends a smack on her shoulder as the taller girl laughs.

"You are so annoying-"

"Is Zuha here yet? Also why were you guys bickering when you should be putting those skates to use?" Sakura comes skating over to them with Eunchae trailing behind her, hands gripping on Sakura's shoulders, the broad grin never once faded from her bright face.

"She's late, I think she said something about 'bout an errand." Chaewon replies, waving a dismissive hand and pushes herself off the railings, skating towards Eunchae. "Anyway, she's still coming."

"Lighten up Chaewon-ah, it's not the end of the world without Minju here." Sakura giggles, her statement making Chaewon purse her lips.

"I'm really enjoying this, I swear- it's just the fact that she had to back out last minute and I was really looking forward to today..." Chaewon whines, lets herself be patted on the head by Sakura who merely chuckles at her distressed state.

Yunjin raises a brow, wonders if her roommate had always have this effect around those younger than her to favour her so much. Then she puts herself in the equation and realises how much it makes sense.

"I'll rest for a bit, go on." Sakura gestures the two sisters to move along first, smiling when they immediately erupt in cheers and laughter as they skated away.

"Look here," Yunjin calls out, snaps a selfie of them both without a warning when Sakura turns to face her. That earned her a light slap on the shoulder afterwards, followed by her own hearty laughter.

"Wow slay, our visuals together go brrr," Yunjin quips as she looks back at their photo together. Sakura casts her a judging look, doubting her ears because she could barely comprehend whatever Yunjin had spat out.

"Repeat that but like a normal person please." 

"We look hot together!" Yunjin chirps, nodding to herself when she reviews the picture again, impressed by how photogenic Sakura looked even when she caught her by surprise.

"Streets are saying you're looking at me a lot, do I really look that pretty?" Yunjin teases as she pockets her phone, swinging her clasped hands playfully as she blinks owlishly at her roommate. 

Sakura's eyes instantly shifts from the rink to her, she has her back against the railing, elbows propped on top. It's a little dim due the pinkish lighting, but Yunjin sees the way those doe eyes look at her up and down, a corner of her lips slowly curling up. It's an attractive sight, Yunjin would just have never guessed the next words to come out of Sakura's mouth.

"You've always been," The cherry blossom declares— because that's how she really sounded, firm and unwavering— eyes piercing straight into hers as if to assert the fact, and Yunjin's heart skips a beat. "but like... you look really good in black hair though."

Sakura emphasises, finally breaking their eye contact and running a hand through her hair, jawline screaming for attention. Frankly, it's her first time seeing Yunjin in black hair— her hair's only ever been a multitude shades of brown and blonde. It's safe to say that this grunge look on her easily dethrones the rest, Yunjin was oozing with next level attractiveness and Sakura's eyes just can't seem to look away.

"Oh! Hah.. really? Uh thanks! You look- ehem, you look good in black hair too!" Dazed by the compliment, Yunjin dumbly wavers and her words come out in a blur, stuttering like a demure high school girl as she fidgets in her spot.

She pulls her lips between her teeth when she realises what she's said— as if Sakura hasn't been sporting black hair for a long while now— she almost facepalms.

She's all scarlet now, eyes fixated on the floor in embarrassment as she recalls her moment of falter again and again. Sakura's laughter rings through her ears, and when she looks back up, Sakura gently pats her cheek, lingering and stares a second longer into her eyes before skating away, leaving the taller girl dumbfounded.

For a while, Yunjin doesn't even realise she's been frozen in the same spot until a voice breaks her out of her reverie.

"She's really got you on a chokehold..."

Yunjin jumps at the sudden voice behind her, almost slips in the process but grips onto the railings for her life. Her eyes widen seeing Kazuha casually putting on her roller skates, a crooked smile plastered on her face.

"YOU WERE THERE THE WHOLE TIME?!"

"I just got here." Kazuha rolls her eyes at her outburst, laughs at Yunjin's comical reaction. Then she swiftly boosts herself up from the bench and moves towards the rink as if she hadn't just witnessed Yunjin folding in front of Sakura earlier. Oh but she completely understands her fellow friend who has it bad though, because she used to be just like that.

"By the way, if you don't make a move soon, I will. Because someone like Kkura-unnie being single just feels wrong." Kazuha blatantly says, narrowing her eyes to locate the trio and eyes twinkling when she spots them on the other side.

"What- oho... no no no... I freaking hope you're joking!" Yunjin exclaims, glowering at the brunette who didn't seem bothered at all. Although it came off as a joke, she wasn't about to risk it knowing how Kazuha was once infatuated with her object of affections.

It's been an inside joke between the two ever since then but no way in hell was she going to lose.

"Race you!" Kazuha grins as she s herself from the railings and into the rink with Yunjin's loud self chasing after her.

"Do not take what's rightfully mine!"

"Said no one!"

—