“Dating? Define dating again?” Byulyi-unnie asked as we walked together to the elevator.

I was still half-asleep walking right beside her. Miss Kim wanted to pick me up early and she didn’t tell me why. At this time, I’m just about to head to shower while Byulyi-unnie is already on her way to Miss Ahn’s place.

I allowed myself to yawn first before answering unnie’s questions. And I was about to but I only brought my phone and I forgot to bring with me my bag.

That instantly woke me as I hurriedly stopped the doors from closing.

“Unnie, go ahead. I forgot my bag!” I rushed out of the elevator and keyed in the password to our apartment.

“Is that the effect of dating?” she asked with a laugh and I could only pout.

I greeted Ggomo again as I went to grab my bag on the kitchen counter. I said my goodbyes to my master for the second time before heading out of the apartment.

The elevator is still going on carrying Byulyi-unnie in it so I opted to take the stairs. Our apartment is just on the fourth floor so it’s not going to be far. And I think the walk can help me wake up. So far, I’ve yawned for the third time already.

As I reached the ground floor, I could already see Byulyi-unnie and Miss Kim standing a foot apart, talking so seriously. I hurried towards them, wanting to know what they were talking about.

Byulyi-unnie wasn’t exactly okay with me and Miss Kim dating. Though I could sense she’s displeased about it. She kept on asking the same questions over and over again as if it would invalidate that I’m dating Miss Kim. With her concerns and how she warned me about Miss Kim, I understand why.

“—I will take care of her”

I heard the end of Miss Kim’s words as I stood in between them. My head went back and forth at them, too scared to in, especially with the kind of tension I am sensing right now.

Byulyi-unnie looks so serious. Miss Kim too. Unnie doesn’t look like how I’ve seen her around Miss Kim at work. She doesn’t look scared at Miss Kim at all.

“That doesn’t sound so assuring,” Byulyi-unnie said while her jaw clenched, “Especially knowing your lifestyle, Miss Kim”

I gasped. “Unnie!” I went to her, grabbing her arm. “Miss Kim is still our boss,” I whispered.

“If it concerns your personal life, I stand as your older sister and not as her”—she tilted her head towards Miss Kim—“employee. I have the right to be worried about you”

“And I understand your concerns, Miss Moon,” Miss Kim said before I could scold Byulyi-unnie.

I pouted at them, feeling so defeated.

“Maybe today I can’t assure you but we both want the same thing for Wheein. I will take care of her. You have my word. However, I do not deny what you’ve heard about me from Hyejin. I was that person. Not anymore”

Byulyi-unnie sighed heavily while I tried my best not to blush too hard from Miss Kim’s direct words.

“I will not forgive you if you hurt her,” Byulyi warned.

Miss Kim acknowledged it with a nod.

Unnie turned to give me a very tight hug. “I have to go to Miss Ahn. Stay safe, okay? Text me if you’ve arrived at the company already”

“I will”

I smiled as I received her hug. She always looks out for me when she doesn't have to anymore just like she promised my parents. Always that big sister I didn’t used to have.

When we broke the hug, she softly pinched my cheek while smiling down at me. “I have to go now. Good morning, Miss Kim” she greeted before heading to the bus stop.

Miss Kim was holding the door to the passenger seat open, already waiting for me. “Shall we go now?”

Being around Miss Kim is just me trying to fight my blush. I can’t help it. And she looks really pretty smiling at me with her hand at the door while her other hand is reaching towards me. Even until now, it’s not sinking in that she likes me of all people.

“Okay…” I shyly answered as I held her hand.

She helped me inside before taking her seat beside me. She even helped me with my seatbelt even though I perfectly handled mine.

“Why are we out so early, Yongsun-unnie?” I asked. And once again I yawned, which is a testament that I didn’t like to get up too early.

“I guess I was excited to see you again”

I frowned at her.

She laughed at me. When she noticed me blushing, she laughed harder.

She has a nice laugh. Loud and sharp but nice. I think I laugh similarly like her, which I kind of enjoy.

“Is that really the reason?” I whined.

“Can I hold your hand again?”

I offered my hand to her that she held in hers, squeezing as she rested our hands on the center console.

“Aside from wanting to see you sooner, I wanted to have breakfast with you”

I groaned, slouching on my seat.

“You didn’t want to see me again?” she asked, feigning hurt. She even copied me by pouting.

“I didn’t say that… I could’ve slept some more if you just told me what you wanted. We can have breakfast in the apartment. I can cook for us. And I already have breakfast with Byulyi-unnie earlier”

She raised my hand to her lips and kissed it, effectively stopping my whines.

“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you next time so you can have some sleep. You’re not a morning person?”

I shook my head. “No. We also ran out of coffee so I’m still sleepy”

“We’ll get you some coffee. Don’t worry”

She pressed another kiss on the back of my hand. She placed our hands back down again. Her thumb started rubbing on my knuckles. And she does it so naturally while focusing on driving.

Butterflies danced somewhere in my belly as I watched her and our hands together. Every time I could feel her lips on my skin, there’s a quick rush of goosebumps down my body. The goosebumps don’t stay but the feeling of her soft lips do.

It’s crazy.

I gulped hard to calm my heart and to just let the warm feeling of being around Miss Kim linger.

“What did you and Byulyi-unnie talk about before I was there?”

“Hmm… She asked what were my intentions”

I closed my eyes to groan, slightly embarrassed.

Miss Kim chuckled. “It’s fine. She perfectly made it clear that she doesn’t like me dating you so she warned me not to hurt you”

“I’m sorry… Byulyi-unnie is just very protective of me but she always means well. I can always rely on her”

“I can see that. How did you two meet?”

“At the university. We’re both art majors. I do painting and unnie does photography. She’s really great at it, Yongsun-unnie. On one of our projects, she needed a model and I worked for her in exchange that she’ll be mine too. We got close from then on”

“And your relationship is only as close friends and as sisters? Never more than that?”

“Oh no!” My body shuddered, disgusted. “Byulyi-unnie and I will never… No, not at all”

She laughed at my exaggerated reactions, making me smile at her.

She parked her car in front of a pancake store. Like usual, she beat me to my door and opened it for me. She reached for my hand again and we went inside like that. She ordered for me because I got shy at being asked what I wanted so I let her decide for me.

And true to her words, she really got me coffee.

“Tell me more about your relationship with Byulyi” she said while we’re having our breakfast. “Why are you now staying in one apartment?”

“We stayed in contact after finishing university. Art isn’t a good choice if you want a stable income unless you're a genius at it so we always helped each other out. Byulyi-unnie was doing great compared to me. When she found out that I was struggling to pay rent, she offered her apartment.

“Though again, it’s not reliable, which is why she ended up having to work for Miss Ahn as her driver while I jumped from one job onto the other. She never allowed me to pay my share of the rent back when I was still struggling financially. She has sometimes paid for Ggomo’s vet visits for me. Now that I got work, she finally allowed me to share the rent”

Miss Kim was nodding her head the entire time, listening while eating. She’d sometimes smirked at me because I kept talking when my mouth was full. And sometimes, she’d reach over to wipe the corner of my lips with some napkin.

She’s… I don’t know. But I feel well taken care of.

“She’s a good sister to you”

I nodded vigorously. “She is”

We carried on with our breakfast. With coffee coursing through my body, I wasn’t yawning anymore. I also did a tiny dance at the sweet taste of maple syrup and the softness of the fluffy pancakes.

“About the lifestyle that Byulyi said earlier…” Miss Kim said carefully.

“What about it, unnie?”

“I presume she has told you about it?”

I stopped my tiny dance to nod at her. A bit shameful to admit that we’re talking behind her back but it’s better to be honest than not.

She gave me a sad smile before she looked away to breathe deeply. “I confirmed it earlier”

I nodded again.

“Are you not… mad or disgusted by me? Can I still keep dating you?”

I nodded once more.

She stared and waited. But seeing that I was not saying anymore, her eyebrows went up from a mix of confusion and delight.

“Wait, which one are you nodding to?” she asked, leaning forward as she held her breath.

I swallowed the pancake I was chewing before I answered, “The second one”

Her eyes widened from genuine surprise and her eyebrows went higher. Then a smile slowly lifted her lips up, making her brown eyes twinkle.

“That’s it?”

I nodded while returning her smile.

“You’re okay with it”

I thought about it for a second before giving her a nod. “I mean… You said you’re not doing it anymore. If you still want to do it and date me, that’s not okay for me, but you already confirmed that you’re not doing it anymore”

“You just trust me like that?”

“I don’t see any reason not to,” I said with a grin.

“Huh…”

She placed her knife and fork down before leaning back on her seat. She scanned her eyes all over my face, seeing me differently this time. It’s still intimidating to be under her gaze despite seeing her eyes and lips smiling. And they're all given to me, which is flattering.

I’m still about to have a heart attack being around her, especially when she’s like this.

The day we were back again in the office Miss Kim and I started dating was a busy and a bit tense kind of day. There were no chill chitchats at the start of the day. No laughs and teases. And unlike most days where we’re wearing anything we’re comfortable with, everyone wore something formal.

The company has been preparing a proposal for a potential client we’re about to meet today. Eyes were turned towards me and Miss Kim when they saw us coming inside the office together. Especially when Miss Kim opened the door and let me in first.