Joohyun was nervous, and her heart beat fast as she watched how Seungwan and her band wrapped the performance. Many fangirls swarmed the band, primarily near her puppy, who got tons of letters and notes from her fans. “You think she will recognize the note this time?” Joohyun looked at her cousin before they clanked their glasses together. The professor was frowning before she continued to drink the contents of her glass like a mad woman. “The note will surely be mixed up with those letters of her fangirls. Poor Hyunnie, eh?” the professor rolls her eyes in annoyance before she reaches for the tteokkbokki near her. Joohyun thinks the timing is horrible, and she’s anticipating the worst.

“ you!” Joohyun chuckles as she finishes the glass before placing it down. She heard a snort from her cousin, who could only shake her head at her cousin’s weird and unromantic way of proposing to her girlfriend. Joohyun reached for the other beer bottle when she felt someone stopping her. The professor looked at the hand on her wrist before she sighed and let go of the beer bottle. “Okay, no need to nag.” Seungwan chuckled before she sat beside her girlfriend. The indie vocalist leaned her head on the chair while her hand rested on Joohyun’s lap.

“You’ve been drinking a lot, third bottle and fourth glass of beer.” Seungwan was staring at Joohyun. The professor is slightly red because of the alcohol she consumed today. The singer thinks it is cute, especially when Joohyun rubs her eyes and chuckles like a happy bunny.

“It is a good night. Come on, we deserve to have fun.” Joohyun heard Taeyeon chuckling, so she glared at her before she grinned at her girlfriend. Her clueless puppy could only smile before she cupped the professor’s cheeks.

“Baby, I think you are drunk, and I need to bring you home.” Joohyun giggles before she shakes her head. The professor even hands Seungwan another bottle of beer she snatched from Moonbyul.

“One shot! One shot!” Joohyun even stood up from her seat, so the indie singer immediately stood up to look at her. The professor is red, and Seungwan is sure that she’s drunk. The singer could only smile as she reached for Joohyun’s hand.

“We can drink at home, come on. It’s time to go home.” Seungwan saw how Joohyun crossed her arms, a pout could also be seen on the professor’s face while she was frowning, and Seungwan could attest that her girlfriend was not happy with the things happening.

“Why bring me home?! My home is you! You are here!” Seungwan finds her girlfriend very cute. It’s one of the rare occurrences of a professional and cold Joohyun getting drunk and showing her true personality, which only Seungwan and her family know. “Hmph!” Joohyun cutely stomps her feet as she glares at her girlfriend, who looks at her with very amused eyes. The singer wonders if Joohyun could remember everything that happened tonight. “Seungwanie is huwting Hyunnie’s heartue. Hyunnie is sad, hmph.” Even Seungwan’s bandmates were amused with what was currently happening. They know Joohyun as someone quiet, soft-spoken, and mostly cold.

Seungwan chuckles before she nods like an excited kid to match her drunk girlfriend. “Yes, your home is here. But we still need to go home. I need to freshen up my drunk bunny.” Joohyun raises her hand and stops Seungwan mid-way. Everyone at the table is looking at the couple. Hyoyeon is even grinning and recording because she knows this is less likely to happen again.

“Ani! Ani! Hyunnie is not a drunk bunny!” The professor giggled as she looked up at her girlfriend with shining eyes. Joohyun’s grin was so cute that it made Seungwan laugh as well. “You think Hyunnie is a drunk drunk bunny?” Seungwan coos. She never thought that her cold and timid girlfriend would be this cute.

“Yes, my bunny is not drunk. She’s just tipsy.” Joohyun nods like a happy kid before she wraps her arms around Seungwan’s waist. The professor leaned and placed her chin on Seungwan’s shoulder before she breathed out.

“I love you, even sometimes you are so so so dense. I’ll never want anyone else in my life but you.” Joohyun poked Seungwan’s cheek before she closed her eyes. She silently hoped that Seungwan saw the note before she passed out because of too much alcohol.

-

Joohyun wakes up with a horrible hangover. The professor grabs another pillow before hiding her face from the sunlight creeping into their dark room. “Seungwanie!!!! The curtains!” Joohyun loudly groaned when she felt the pain in her head, and she mentally cursed herself for drinking that much alcohol.

Joohyun heard the door opening, accompanied by a chuckle from her girlfriend. “Aigoo, my angry bunny.” Joohyun expected Seungwan to fix the curtain to prevent the sunlight from entering their bedroom. Still, her menace puppy had a different plan. She heard the sound of the curtain, and the next minute, Joohyun felt the pillow being snatched and her body sitting on their bed.

At this point, Joohyun suddenly misses how she lived alone back then. “I want to sleep!” a whining Joohyun was seen as she held her head while staring at Seungwan with such a horrible expression. Her girlfriend is grinning as she continues to stare at her. The professor’s hair was messy, and her eyes looked so tired. It is one of the rare occasions that Joohyun feels like she looks like a mess and completely unattractive.

“Damn it, you are so pretty.” Seungwan’s voice was low as she tucked her girlfriend close to her, her arms wrapped around Joohyun’s waist as the professor looked at her with a deadpan that made Seungwan chuckle. “I know you think you look horrible, but baby, your effect on me is strong, and heaven knows how much I stopped myself last night.” Joohyun rolled her eyes before she hid in the crook of the singer’s neck. The professor didn’t miss a beat before lightly biting her neck. “Happy anniversary, love.” Joohyun smiles like a teenager who had her first love. The professor breathes out before she looks to meet Seungwan’s eyes. It was a heart-stopping moment, not only for Joohyun but also for Seungwan, who could only smile as she felt like she was falling in love again, just like the very first time when she first met Joohyun at the locker area of the Psychology Department. “Have I told you I liked you since that cute encounter in front of your locker?” Joohyun blinked before she leaned her head into Seungwan’s shoulder. The brunette got this warm smile as she listened to her girlfriend. This is the very first time that her girlfriend will share this story. “Taeyeon eonnie told me that I should pick you up and introduce myself so we can start a conversation at the cafeteria.” Joohyun nodded like an excited kid, and she even landed a soft peck on her girlfriend’s jaw as she made Seungwan continue her story. “But you started running, and I think it was cute, especially when you hopped from the books that blocked your way. You looked like a jumping bunny, like how your long hair flowed while running. I was like, how could someone look this cute.” Seungwan chuckles when she remembers her silliness, and she can still remember how her heart fluttered for the first time.

“You liked me after seeing me running away from you like you are one sort of monster?” Joohyun was chuckling as she admired her girlfriend’s side profile. Everything about Seungwan is mesmerizing and makes her feel weak. Seungwan, on the other hand, grinned and nodded like a mad woman.

“To be honest? Yes, I liked you because it was a real reaction, like a defense mechanism. Taeyeon eonnie told me that it was rare for you to communicate and to meet people since you are naturally an introvert.” Joohyun was ruffling Seungwan’s hair as she intently listened to her girlfriend's words. The professor loves to listen to Seungwan’s thoughts, and hearing those is one of the things that completes Joohyun’s day. “So when I saw you put your guard down when you let me into your life. I realized that you are a soft and sweetheart.” Seungwan smiles as she pecks on Joohyun’s lips. That gesture made the professor blush like a teenager again, making Seungwan happy.

“Do you know how hard it was for me to hide my feelings for you just because you are so dense?” It was Joohyun’s turn to smirk as she watched Seungwan’s expression soften. Her hand cupped those chubby and fluffy cheeks that she loved the most. “Chorong is almost cursing me for asking her everything, from liking you to falling for you to accepting that something went wrong the moment I saw you and E..Eunbi.” Saying Eunbi’s name still brings some sort of pang into the professor’s heart. Seungwan felt Joohyun shift from her seat, so she pulled her close and let her settle on her lap. “Especially when she claimed she was leaving all those notes, and you believed her.”

Joohyun’s voice was soft as she gulped the lump in . It is one of her insecurities that she hid for years. Seungwan never knew about her fear and insecurities towards Eunbi. “When I was caught leaving the notes, I begged Taeyeon eonnie not to tell you.” Seungwan looked at her with clueless eyes. Her puppy seemed so soft, and it was hard for Joohyun to resist kissing the slight pout away from her lips. “I was a hopeless case, and I don’t have the courage to tell you everything. I told Taeyeon eonnie that this was the only way to express my love and admiration. I don’t mind if you will love me back or reciprocate in any way.” Joohyun could only smile as another realization came into her mind, Seungwan probably missed the note she left for her last night. “I love you, okay? I love you a lot.” Joohyun stood up and looked at Seungwan with her soft eyes. This is another misery for Joohyun, and she wonders how many agonizing months or years it will take for her dense puppy to realize those things finally.

-

Joohyun’s mood shifted. After taking a quick shower to remove the smell of alcohol and to help relieve her headache, the professor changed into her tracksuit. “You are going out?” Joohyun nodded before she grabbed her phone and smartwatch. The professor was even fixing her AirPods before she pecked Seungwan’s cheek.

“Yeah, I just need to run to remove this ty hangover. I’ll be home later. I’ll go buy some bread for you on my way back.” Seungwan looked at her girlfriend. The professor was wearing her shoes and was sitting on the floor. The singer was confused. It was the first time in years that Joohyun chose to leave her on their anniversary. Usually, the professor will take her out on a date, or they will stay home cuddling.

“Can you go home early?” Seungwan wrapped her arms around Joohyun, who looked at her before she stood up and nodded her head. The professor waves her hand after setting up her AirPods and smartwatch.

Joohyun started running. She ran and ran until she reached the Han River. The professor wants to process some of her thoughts. “Stupid puppy! Stupid Seungwanie!” Joohyun groans before she closes her eyes to catch a breath before running again. Joohyun feels so annoyed and lost that she wants to let Seungwan know she wants to marry her, but it is hard for her to say those words. It’s just like her old self, her student self who was hopelessly in love with her clingy and dense puppy.

After running for almost an hour, Joohyun sat on the bench, reaching for the bottle of water and sandwich she had grabbed earlier while running. “Oh, what are you doing alone in here?” Joohyun was so surprised to see her co-professor Yuri and her cousin Taeyeon. “Isn’t today your anniversary?” Taeyeon was panting as she grabbed Joohyun’s water. The professor rolled her eyes before she hit her cousin’s head.

“This is mine! Buy yourself one! You cheap !” Taeyeon’s laugh was heard as she watched how the professor took a bite from her sandwich and groaned. She knows Joohyun well and knows she’s not in a good mood.

“Aigoo, she didn’t see the note.” Joohyun breathed out before she rolled her eyes and looked at the other people who were enjoying the weather. The professor feels so defeated and stressed. It feels like she’s back into her college self where she needs to do some push and pull, denial, and waiting time just because she’s not brave enough to tell Seungwan what she wants and truly feels.

“I don’t know, and I don’t want to force Seungwan into this commitment. She just recently cut ties with her family.” Taeyeon looked at her cousin, the professor was looking at her sandwich, and her shoulders slumped. The indie singer could only pat her cousin’s head. “Maybe this is not the best time to bring this up, and I don’t want her to be overwhelmed. I want her to feel like I’m not tying her up. I want her to feel like I’m not forcing her into this situation.” Joohyun breathed out before she looked at her cousin. Taeyeon could only knowingly smile.

If only Joohyun knows how much Seungwan wants to settle down with her.

-

Seungwan was sitting on the couch, and in her hand was a cup of hot chocolate that she had just made. The indie singer immediately stood up from the couch when she heard their automatic door opening. Joohyun was so surprised to see Seungwan standing there while she was removing her shoe. “Are you feeling better now?” Joohyun nods before she raises the plastic that she’s holding. It’s from Seungwan’s favorite bake shop that just recently opened.

“Yes, can I take a shower first? Let us eat those bread after, hmm?” Seungwan could only gulp the lump in when she saw Joohyun enter their home, and the professor immediately went inside their room without looking back at her.

Seungwan quietly sat on their couch, and she tried to remove the bubbling feeling in her chest as she focused on watching the drama that was currently playing on their television. Seungwan was bothered. She could only look at the ajar door of their room before she breathed out. Is this how they will celebrate their anniversary? The indie singer wipes the tears that fell from her eyes before she hides her face into the pillow as she silently screams. Seungwan is now thinking about the far reality.

What if Joohyun is already tired of their setup? What if Joohyun found someone better and someone who deserves her? Seungwan could only sniff as she continued to think about it. The indie singer wonders what will happen to her if that thing happens. She doesn’t even realize that she’s been hitting herself until she feels someone holding her wrist, which brings her back to reality. “Why are you hitting your head!?” Seungwan heard Joohyun raise her voice, which hurt the vulnerable singer. Joohyun saw how Seungwan fidgeted, and she could only sigh as she looked at her girlfriend. “Baby, tell me what is wrong?” Seungwan tried her best to stay silent, but her face was still buried in the pillow, which confused Joohyun. “Come on, let’s head out for dinner. I want to take my girlfriend on a romantic anniversary dinner.” Joohyun wrapped her arms around Seungwan’s waist and placed a soft peck on her temple. The blonde singer sniffed as she continued to remain silent. “I’m sorry for leaving you earlier when it’s supposed to be our day. Puppy… I’m sorry.” Joohyun could only smile, especially when Seungwan sat on her lap as she hugged her and hid her face on her neck. The brunette ruffles her girlfriend’s hair. “Aigoo, my puppy’s heart is hurt. I’m sorry. I just really need that quick run. Come o