This night was just going to be a casual stay-at-home night, just like any night—to be finished off on the couch having some random movie play on Netflix after dinner. Yoohyeon, with her hair tied up in a messy bun and a large hoodie with shorts, sat there in front of the TV with a pair of glasses lazily on the bridge of her nose. All her chores were done for the day, and before she knew it, the weekend was already ending. Just like any night, she wasn’t expecting anything else to pop up this night on her peaceful Sunday evening or for the rest of the week until the next weekend. Her roommate went back to her hometown, and she wasn’t going to be back until another two mornings later, so Yoohyeon had all the space to herself until then. It wasn’t until she was about two-thirds into her bowl of popcorn already, and halfway into the second movie she was watching that she was receiving a call from her best friend from university – Minji. 

Kim Minji was undoubtedly a beautiful, popular girl who just so happened to be her senior in the same department at the time. Yoohyeon was lucky. By the time she was accepted into their school, her fellow classmates and some of others from the same year couldn’t stop raving about the multiple beauties that reigned the school who were older and their upperclassmen. Yoohyeon never thought that she was ever really that lucky to begin with, but the second half of her freshman year proved her wrong. Minji had a reputation for a reason, and it was because she was just as nice of a person as she was charming. The mix in years was deemed necessary by one of the professors of the business administration department for his major semester group project, and the two girls just happened to be paired together along with three others. Fortunately for her, Yoohyeon just happened to be the sole member out of the group that Minji kept herself associated with and continue being friends with.  

Fast forward a couple of years later, the two introduced each other to their own friends and all of them became a mesh of friends altogether. Though they’re mostly working different jobs, some similarities overlap with each other. Now in their mid to late 20s, everyone’s got their lives figured out mostly; Minji is no exception. Engaged to her fiancé while she’s nearing her 30s, she’s nothing but the epitome of a successful child to her family set for life. Everyone was happy for her when they found out she had gotten an official engagement to the one that looked good with her. Unlike Minji, Yoohyeon remained mostly independent and still out of the dating field. Sure, their group of friends would go clubbing occasionally here and there, or throw after parties at social gatherings; but Yoohyeon could never say that she had found anyone in the least attractive just yet for her to seem interested in pursuing a relationship further. None of her friends had become pushy into setting her up with anyone, nor were they adamant that she should go find someone quickly—just how she preferred it. Yoohyeon was grateful for her group of friends, and she wouldn’t know where she would be, barely after the mid 20s, without them while she had no significant other. 

So just as content as she is in her life right now, she never would have expected a call from Minji out of the blue on a Sunday evening, especially not when the whole group of friends had been clubbing the night before and partied hard. They just saw each other yesterday, so what would have been the occasion to hit her up during the night at this hour? 

“Hello?” 

“Mm, hey.” 

There was something about the tone that Minji used to greet her. Minji’s voice was short yet sweet on the other line. It was absolutely quiet on the other side while Yoohyeon was simply just waiting for an explanation as to why she called. 

“What’s up? It’s rare of you to call at this time.” 

“Nothing. I’m not bothering you, am I? I know you have work tomorrow and all, so I was taking a gamble as to whether you’d pick up the phone.” 

“Hmm, no. Currently just lazing on the couch,” Yoohyeon chuckles and looks down at her bowl of cold popcorn now, “along with some leftover munchies of popcorn and a paused movie. Though I should be going to bed real soon anyway. I can still be up to talk though, if you needed something.” 

“Well,” Minji pauses, “are you free? Could I come over perchance?” 

“Right now?” 

“Yeah. Probably for the night, too, if that’s okay.” 

Yoohyeon takes a quick scan of her surroundings with her eyes, darting from left to right. She did end up doing chores and she did clean up the place a bit by coincidence. Her roommate is also out of the city. Everything is in check and in the condition to have a guest over. It was odd that Minji would request staying the night as well, though, but she guessed it didn’t matter. It would be like the good, old times shortly after Minji graduated university sooner than Yoohyeon. 

“Alright, sure. I’ll get stuff ready for you and all. Let me know your eta!” 

“Actually—I’m already outside.” 

“E-Eh? Wait, what?” Yoohyeon exclaims, setting aside the bowl on her lap on the end table and hurries to the glass sliding door in an attempt to peek at the ground level (to no avail; she’s too high up and her balcony was in the way). “What’re you doing outside? Come on in already then!” 

With that, the line ends after a sign of acknowledgement from the older girl as Yoohyeon tidies up the couch again from her previous all-too-comfortable position. She clears when she hears knocks on the door of her apartment, preparing to greet her guest with a bright smile. She does everything successfully and was about to go in for a hug as a greeting until she looked downward; her smile faded slowly... with confusion written all over her face despite her black frames sliding a little lower on her nose. 

“Hey?” Minji laughs awkwardly. “I know what you’re seeing here, but if it’s okay... I’d like to stay here for a couple of nights.” 

Her brain short-circuited and the only thing she could simply say was, “Why?” It wasn’t until another two or three seconds passed that she shook her head and waved her hand dismissively while the other one was plastered on half her face. “No, no, no. I mean, sorry about that. Yeah, you can stay here for as long as you need...” Though she wasn’t sure how that was going to work out. There’s only two bedrooms available, and of course, Yubin wouldn’t mind Minji crashing over. They’re all friends, and it’s Kim Minji of all people. But seeing her and a suitcase the same night asking? A couple of nights could mean anything! A couple of nights could end up being a week, two weeks, a month and so on and so forth. She didn’t even have time to consult with Yubin to see if it was okay! Impulsively, she had already given a response and the next thing she knows, the both of them are in Yoohyeon’s room with the older girl unpacking already. 

“You don’t mind if we sleep together like the old days, right?” 

“Uh, yeah.”