It was a good day – or at least, it was supposed to be one. Any day with Juhyun around always turned out pleasantly, no matter what they did, as long as they spent it together. But not even the presence of someone she cherished could counter the dread Seungwan felt at seeing an email notification from her landlord pop up on her phone screen. He never contacted her except to remind her about rent at the end of the month, and right now it was just halfway through May.

Seungwan groaned as she finished reading the notice, setting her phone face down on the coffee table with a defeated sigh. She didn’t feel good seeing the subject line alone minutes earlier, the unease ballooning into the sensation of her stomach dropping completely as she went through the contents. “Well, that just confirms it.”

“Confirms what, exactly?”

“That I’m officially the unluckiest person in the world.”

In her peripheral view, she saw Juhyun’s expression briefly flicker in amusement at the dramatic pronouncement, though when she plopped down on the space next to her on the café loveseat her eyebrows were knit together in evident worry. “What happened?”

“What didn’t happen yet would be a better question to ask at this point,” Seungwan quipped, though she eventually gave into the way Juhyun expectantly looked at her, silently pressing for an answer. “It’s just… My landlord told me his son is coming back for good from his stint abroad.”

Juhyun gasped, eyes widening in horror. The direction this conversation was taking was painfully obvious.

Seungwan bobbed her head with a grimace. “Exactly. So to get him settled in, I’m getting evicted from my apartment in two weeks.”

“You’re joking.”

“I honestly wish I was,” Seungwan muttered, leaning forward as she buried her face into her hands. “Sorry for ruining our lunch like this.”

“You’re not ruining anything,” Juhyun quickly assured her, but it did little to stop her gut from churning uncomfortably at the unpleasantness of the situation.

“And I thought getting passed over for an overdue promotion this week was bad enough. This takes the cake.”

She heard Juhyun harrumph. “He can’t do that to you, can he? There should be a clause in the contract you signed that should protect you from this.”

She then felt Juhyun’s warm hand rubbing slow, comforting circles across her back. It was calming, a stark contrast to the way she spoke, tone indignant on Seungwan’s behalf.

Despite herself, Seungwan’s lips tugged up in a fleeting smile as she allowed herself to lean into Juhyun’s touch. She loved that Juhyun was like this whenever she was upset in the slightest bit, protective and worried for her.

“Unfortunately for me, there was a section in the agreement that specifically indicated I’d have to move out on short notice if any of his immediate family members needed somewhere to stay in.” She shook her head, rueful. “I didn’t think much of it at the time, so… this is really just my carelessness coming back to bite me.”

“Your landlord could be making things up,” Juhyun argued. “I’ve heard stories like that before, you know. Throwing tenants out just because they could.”

“Yeah, well, Mr. Kim isn’t like that, and he’s one of the most thorough people I’ve ever met.” Seungwan dropped her hands from her face to frown at Juhyun. “The email he sent came with a lot of attachments.”

“They could be fake,” Juhyun shot back, apparently unwilling to back down. “Let me read everything. I’m pretty sure there’s a loophole in there that you could use against him.”

Seungwan threw up both hands. “Go ahead, knock yourself out.”

She watched as Juhyun did as she was obliged, reading through the contents of the message with a resolute expression that gradually fell. It became clearer with each minute that passed by that the hypothetical loophole she mentioned didn’t exist at all.

Something like a chuckle threatened to escape Seungwan in the moment, though she thinned her lips, trying to hold it in. It wasn’t funny at all, but something about it made her want to laugh. Juhyun seemed more anguished than she was about getting kicked out of the place she had been renting for years.

“I told you so,” Seungwan said matter-of-factly when Juhyun finally put her phone back with a frustrated grumble.

“I know a dead end when I see one,” Juhyun admitted, although not with disdain. She then shifted in her seat to fully face Seungwan, expression molding into one of concern. “What are you going to do?”

“What else? I’m going to go through it all over again, of course.” Seungwan sighed once more as she mentally ticked off a list. “For starters, I’ll have to check first if the guesthouse I found in Dongmyo will let me crash for a few days while I contact all the realtors I know. The weekends aren’t going to be enough, so I’ll need to take time off to visit some of them, then keep a list of good offers.”

She paused, humming thoughtfully. “This time around, though, I’ll do something differently. I’m going to ask for Miyeon’s help –”

“Miyeon?” Juhyun cut in. Her voice was uncharacteristically harsh.

“Miyeon’s that lawyer friend I made when I had that outing down in Jeonju. I told you about her before.” Seungwan glanced at her, puzzled. “Wait, you don’t remember her?”

“I don’t,” Juhyun said decisively, though her eyes weirdly narrowing indicated otherwise. She strangely looked displeased, though for what reason, Seungwan couldn’t figure out.

“Okay, well… maybe one of these days when I have a permanent roof over my head, I’ll see if I can formally introduce you to each other.” Seungwan idly questioned if she was imagining the hostility in Juhyun’s face as she continued. “As I was saying, I’ll reach out to Miyeon and have her review the lease agreements I’ll get and see if there’s anything that won’t put me on the shorter end of the stick.

“Clearly not for free,” Seungwan clarified, feeling the odd terseness of Juhyun’s cutting gaze on her, “I’m not going to take advantage of her like that, she’s busy with all the cases she’s handling so I’ll pay her well for the trouble, then –”

“You don’t need Miyeon. Or a lawyer for that matter,” Juhyun hurriedly added. She coughed into her hand. “You don’t need to do all that, Seungwan.”

“Huh?” She said in confusion, now fully thrown off. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that you don’t have to put yourself through all that trouble. I just thought of something better.”

Seungwan looked at her in askance, waiting for her to continue.

Juhyun quieted for a moment, and Seungwan swore she could see the tips of her ears reddening as she spoke softly. “Move in with me instead.”

Seungwan’s jaw dropped when Juhyun’s words fully sank in. “What? Juhyun, no. I couldn’t possibly –”

“Seungwan, yes. Move in with me instead,” she repeated, a touch more firmly this time, only softened by the shyness of her gaze when she looked up, eyes meeting Seungwan’s.

She looked at Juhyun, bewildered. “Wait, I-I don’t understand where this is coming from,” Seungwan stammered, feeling her heart race at the weird manner Juhyun regarded her. “You haven’t had a roommate for years because you’ve always wanted your own space. Why ask me to be yours? I mean, if it’s because of me getting evicted you don’t have to feel pressured on my behalf, just because you’re one of my best friends. I appreciate the offer, I really do, but –”

Seungwan became vaguely aware of the weight of Juhyun’s hand lightly resting on top of hers. “If you genuinely mean that, then take me up on it.”

They’ve had many moments like this before, being in close proximity, but something about this one unusually made it hard for Seungwan to breathe. She gulped, wondering what it could possibly signify. “I’m serious, Juhyun.”

“I’m serious, too.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I don’t have to, that’s true,” Juhyun agreed, “but I want to. I’m serious too. Move in with me.”

“What about wanting your own space? Wouldn’t me being there compromise that?” Seungwan mentioned, anxious. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

 “And you won’t. That’s the only reason I haven’t taken on roommates. I don’t want to live with a stranger. But… it’d be different if it were someone like you.”

“Think about it, Seungwan. It’d be a win-win situation for the both of us. Though… you don’t have to if you really don’t want it. I don’t want to push you into anything you’d be uncomfortable with,” Juhyun trailed off, voice growing small and hesitant when Seungwan didn’t say anything.

Silently, Seungwan weighed it over. The offer Juhyun made her was honestly a good one. An extremely good one. She wouldn’t have to spend additional money on temporary rent and go through the bothersome motion of contacting realtors, visiting prospective apartments and figuring out complicated legal jargon. Sure enough, the last part could’ve been easily dealt away with Miyeon’s help, though as much as possible she’d want to avoid bothering someone who was up to her ears in paperwork.

Rent would become more manageable, too, Seungwan mused. Eviction notice aside, Mr. Kim had never given Seungwan any cause for complaint, even down to the rent she paid monthly. It was a fair amount, but Seungwan had privately always thought the money could have been put to better use. Realizing that she would only have to pay half made her shoulders sag a little in relief.

Additionally, Juhyun’s apartment was just two blocks away from Seungwan’s office. That slashed through all the time that would normally be spent taking a combination of trains and buses. Seungwan envied her before for the convenience, but the thought now of having it within her grasp as well filled her with triumph.

Best of all obviously should’ve been the act of living together with Juhyun itself, but it was also the part that gave her pause. It was something she didn’t understand. The fluttering in her chest made her think it was a dangerous proposition, which to Seungwan didn’t make any sense. Juhyun was one of the most harmless people she’d ever known. She had never given her any reason to think she’d be capable of hurting others when they first met, and that wasn’t going to change even now.

Still, the hesitation was there. Seungwan forced it down in favor of nodding. “Don’t worry, you’re not pushing me into anything.”

“Does that mean…”

“Yes, Juhyun.” Seungwan rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Not that this was a game or anything, but fine, you win. I’ll move in with you if you want me around that badly. Happy?”

Seungwan expected to be bowled over with a gloating smirk from Juhyun when she looked in her direction. She was competitive and enjoyed having the upper hand in everything.

What she wasn’t prepared for, however, was the smile that immediately bloomed across Juhyun’s face.

Seungwan blinked. In her trance, she thought there was no other word to describe it but beautiful – Juhyun beaming her like that, face gloriously framed by the sunlight streaming in through the café windows.

“Very, actually.” In the next moment she found herself being pulled into a tight hug, Juhyun’s temple pressed against hers as her hands shifted up to rest against Seungwan’s upper back. “I can’t wait to be roommates with you, Seungwan,” she murmured gently, breath tickling Seungwan’s cheek.

The sensation made her gut feel funny. She’d have to look into that some other time.

“Me too,” she found herself then saying as she felt a distinct sense of warmth settling in, warming her up to her toes. The dread and frustration she’d been feeling because of her landlord’s sudden eviction notice melted away as she sank further into Juhyun’s embrace. “This is the best idea that you’ve ever come up with.”

“That’s absolutely the worst idea that she could’ve ever come up with.”

“How is it bad?” Seungwan questioned in annoyance. “Yah, I thought you’d be happy that I won’t have to be homeless.”

“Congratulations, I guess,” Sooyoung said, voice monotone as she made an empty show of clapping. “Now she’s about to be in a living situation I wouldn’t even wish on my worst enemies.”

“Sooyoung, you’re being ridiculous,” Seungwan glared at her, thoroughly peeved. “I’m just moving in with Juhyun. You’re making it sound like a death trap.”

“A death trap for her, yes,” Sooyoung deadpanned. “I’ll never understand why unnie makes things harder for herself.”

“Are you…” Seungwan’s mouth went dry at the insinuation, offended. “Are you seriously implying that I’ll be an awful roommate to her?”

“Not conventionally awful, but yes unnie, pretty much that.”

Seungwan had a high tolerance for the barbed attitude that emerged when Sooyoung didn’t want to mince words. But it was difficult not to stifle the impatience that only grew at Sooyoung’s unrelenting brusqueness.

She pinched the bridge of her nose as she exhaled heavily, struggling to contain her frustration. Time with the most important people she befriended from their university days was always well spent, but she was beginning to regret accepting their invitation to spending a movie night. “Could you at least then stop speaking in circles?”

“What you want to hear shouldn’t come from me,” Sooyoung answered curtly with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Then who should it come from?”

Sooyoung stared at her, incredulous. “Do I actually have to spell it out for you, unnie? Even this one?” She guffawed, slowly shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m thinking back to all those people from school fawning over how smart you are. Right now I can’t take any of them seriously because you’re the most naive person alive, with Juhyun unnie right behind you in second place. If they knew just how absolutely oblivious you could get about –”

“Have you guys picked a film yet?” Seulgi interjected cheerfully just as Seungwan was ready to lunge at Sooyoung. She then paused in her tracks, taking note of the tense atmosphere that fell over the living room.

“Um, did something happen?” Seulgi added as the uncertainty crept into her voice, awkwardly hugging the tub of freshly made popcorn close to her chest.

“Not much,” Sooyoung retorted with a disgruntled upturn of her nose, “unless you count Seungwan unnie being an idiot as always about Juhyun unnie, then no, nothing happened.”

“Ah,” Seulgi said simply, bobbing her head in understanding as she took her place in between them. “Since you two didn’t choose anything, can we watch something from Studio Ghibli? Maybe Spirited Away?”

Seungwan’s head whipped to the side at Seulgi’s nonchalance. “Not you too,” she exclaimed in betrayal.

“Sorry, Wannie.” Seulgi thankfully had the decency to look sheepish when no one suggested anything else, picking up the remote. “She isn’t wrong, even if I personally wouldn’t put it like that.”

“I don’t get you either.” Seungwan wanted to facepalm. “If you’re going to speak in riddles too, how would you put it, then? Whatever this is?”

She shrugged. “You’re not exactly disproving Sooyoung, the way you are now.”

“What is that even supposed to mean?” Seungwan cried out, even as the familiar music of Joe Hisaishi began filling the room. The noise she involuntarily made afterward sounded like a strangled cat, which she supposed was a good metaphor for what she felt, surrounded by two friends who refused to be straightforward with her. It was a good thing Yerim was too busy to come along tonight, certain that she’d be equally cryptic, if not worse.

“One day you’ll thank us for letting you figure it out on your own,” Sooyoung declared solemnly, eyes now wandering to the screen. “At least, we hope you can.”

“Hopefully before you and Juhyun unnie get cursed like Sophie Hatter,” Seulgi joked, easily dodging the half-hearted punch Seungwan swung in her direction.

Squeezing a response that made sense out of the duo tonight was hopeless. Seungwan sighed, giving up as she focused on the movie playing out in front of them. She could always press her friends for answers another time.

At any rate, Seungwan had something to go on. She knew that their comments, vague as they were, tied her and Juhyun unnie together, though in exactly what manner she didn’t understand just yet.

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, that’s everything.”

Juhyun hummed thoughtfully. “After all the times I’ve been over to your flat, I honestly thought you’d own more things. I guess I was wrong.”

“Is that a good thing?” Seungwan asked, curious. “Because I think it is. It’s convenient.”

Moving wasn’t as stressful as she thought it was. The moving company she hired had smoothed the process over neatly for them,  which Seungwan was grateful for, having dreaded it the moment she’d been served the eviction notice. Now here they were, inspecting the pile of boxes that contained all her belongings. Briefly, her eyes trailed after the last mover that exited Juhyun’s – their – apartment.

That would definitely take some time getting used to, she mused after correcting herself inwardly. Their apartment.

Strangely, it felt right, even though Juhyun had lived here first.

“It definitely is,” Juhyun agreed as she walked over to Seungwan’s side. “It clearly makes getting you settled in much easier. I was talking about something else, though.”

“Like…?”

“I just thought it was impressive that you were able to make a home out of a place with so few belongings,” Juhyun observed casually as she opened a box, looking inside. “Or in any case, it felt like one to me whenever I walked inside.”

“Really?” Seungwan’s lips quirked upwards, unable to repress the smile at Juhyun’s quip as she joined her, ready to unpack her belongings. “I’ve honestly never thought of it as one before, but I think it’ll be different here.”

“Because I’m with you?” Juhyun joked, turning in the direction of where Seungwan’s new room would be.

“That might be it,” Seungwan said thoughtlessly as she lifted a handful of her clothes, purely buoyed by the familiar sensation of her insides doing somersaults. It was exhilarating, like she was riding a rollercoaster train that was about to drop from its peak. This was becoming a growing recurrence lately, and she was unsure what exactly started it.

She watched, taken with the way Juhyun immediately became flustered as she fumbled with the box, a lovely flush sweeping across her cheeks and ears. “I don’t know why all it took was you moving in to be such a tease.”

“I don’t hear you complaining,” Seungwan called out after her as she walked away, grinning from ear to ear.

“No, I suppose I’m not.” She said it so softly that Seungwan wondered if she was hallucinating that Juhyun answered her at all.

Out of all her friends, it was Juhyun that Seungwan saw the most frequently. She thought with amusement that it should’ve been Seulgi, considering they worked in the same department at the same company. Juhyun in contrast was kept busy by a schedule that adjusted to the whims of the publishing house that kept her onboard as its managing editor. Sooyoung and Yerim had even joked that Juhyun lived in a time zone of her own, once catching the older woman wide awake the entire day when they all went down to Busan for a quick summer getaway.

The unpredictability of Juhyun’s work didn’t keep her from seeking out Seungwan, though, and even as their responsibilities increased with each year that passed, they both made time to spend in each other’s company. From music festivals to random café outings, through it all, Juhyun was unchangingly the one person right at Seungwan’s side.

Now that they were roommates, it seemed like Seungwan was seeing Juhyun all the time. She’d be the first welcoming face Seungwan would be greeted with early in the morning, still dressed in pajamas, and the last one she’d see after long, grueling hours at work, a sliver of comfort in the darkness of what otherwise would’ve been a dreary evening.

Their new living situation also did away with the need to frequently leave the apartment to hang out during their time off, which previously had been a necessity if they wanted to meet each other. They’d had days like this before, hanging out at each other’s places in intervals, so it wasn’t entirely new.

But Seungwan relished the fresh comfort and ease that now being roommates gave her and Juhyun, knowing with confidence that all she had to do was step out of her room and see Juhyun waiting for her with a drowsy, welcoming smile and a ruffled pillow in her arms, ready to spend the weekend together.

Not that Seungwan minded. She was happy that there hadn’t been any friction at all as her life settled into a nice rhythm alongside Juhyun’s, satisfied that Juhyun hadn’t indicated once that she was sick of having to share what had been her space with her, or that she in turn hadn’t grown tired of Juhyun’s presence growing to a constant. It was a fear she privately held after she had agreed to Juhyun’s invitation, glad that it hadn’t come true at all. They’d been living together for only a few weeks now, but to Seungwan it felt like they’d been contentedly keeping it up for years.

Their friendship was the best that it’d ever been, that much was clear. But something was still amiss. It was annoying, like errant lint across fabric that refused to come off, or a tiny bump that disfigured an otherwise smooth pavement. She couldn’t put her finger on it, as hard as she tried to figure out what it was.

“Because you two are – and I mean this lovingly, of course – es. Especially you,” Yerim’s voice exclaimed with exasperation. With a disoriented start, Seungwan realized that she had spoken her thoughts out loud.

She blinked, caught off guard as she looked around blearily. Then Yerim’s words finally set in, and her expression hardened into a scowl.

“Yah,” she warned, “I’m still older than you. You wouldn’t speak like that to me if Juhyun were around.”

“I have a feeling I’d get away with it anyway,” Yerim challenged.

“You’re lucky she got called away to that literary conference on short notice.”

Yerim stuck a tongue out at her, petulant. “I know I’m lucky.”

“Why are you here anyway?” Seungwan complained, still unsettled by the sudden appearance of her youngest best friend that Thursday afternoon.