The scent of sizzling garlic filled the cosy kitchen as Minju followed the aroma, only to get greeted by the lively sight of Halmi and her girlfriend engrossed in preparing lunch.

Yujin was diligently helping with the beansprouts, her mischievous side evident as she sneakily grabbed a piece of kimchi radish from the side, earning a playful smack on her shoulder from Halmi. The younger girl laughed it off, eyes sparkling with mischief.

She finished plucking the last few strands of beansprouts, feeling a pair of hands on her shoulder and turning to see her girlfriend sitting next to her. "I've been waiting for you." A grin danced on her lips, earning a light touch to her cheek.

"What did you do for her to smack you?" Minju asked despite knowing.

Halmi chuckled, shaking her head. "Yujin, you're worse than a hungry squirrel."

"I can't help it." Yujin shrugged.

Turning to her granddaughter, she shook her head in mock exasperation. "This one, always tasting before it's ready."

The said girl giggled, receiving a tangerine from the lady as a reward for her efforts. "Halmi, that's how I make sure everything tastes good."

Watching the exchange, Minju couldn't help but chuckle, knowing well of Yujin's habit. She picked up a tangerine from the basket and attempted to peel it, only to have the juice dribble all over her hands, squirting all over the table.

When Yujin noticed, she swiftly grabbed a napkin and helped Minju clean her hands. She took the messed up tangerine, swapping it out with the one she finished peeling. "Now we know it's juicy." She took on a positive note, making sure the girl's hands weren't sticky before asking her to eat while she settled for the other.

Minju snickered, feeding a piece to Yujin while she battled with the tangerine. The younger girl smiled before glancing out the window, expressions shifting to a mix of excitement and concern.

"I saw the forecast," she said. "There might be snow tonight."

"Tonight?" Halmi looked over her shoulder and saw Yujin nod. "It'll be the first snow of the year."

Minju's brows furrowed slightly. "But we planned to have a campfire on the beach..."

The younger girl nodded, her excitement undeterred. "But first snow." She faced Minju with a knowing expression.

"Campfire," the brunette repeated. "The snow's going to ruin it."

"I know, but imagine experiencing the first snow together." Yujin dropped her head onto Minju's shoulder.

"It's going to be cold." The brunette nonchalantly put a piece of tangerine in , giving one to Yujin. "The roads are going to be slippery and many accidents will happen. The hospital's going to go into havoc."

The younger girl snickered. Being here for the past few days led to her almost forgetting Minju's life in the hospital. "You and your little brain. It's supposed to be romantic," she mumbled, getting fed another piece of fruit.

Halmi walked up to Yujin with a spoon filled with garlic drenched in honey. "Open."

"Hm?"

"Ah, just eat it." She gently shoved the spoon into the girl's mouth. "It's good for you." She goes to take another spoonful, feeding it to Minju.

"What's this?" Yujin spoke with a mouth full, chewing and humming in delight.

"Apparently, it helps prevent colds," Minju told her.

—

At the corner of a small classroom, a group of children were seen gathering around a girl who had her colouring book with her, gasping softly and voicing out their envy.

"It's so pretty."

"My colour pencils don't do that."

"The gradient...so beautiful."

Minso nodded proudly, letting them admire the piece of artwork, specifically, the one Yujin helped her with.

The guy who got his teeth knocked out by her, Hyunwoo, stood from a distance, frowning when he saw Minso bragging about her homework to the rest. He looked at his own, going to join the crowd.

"Mine's better," he said.

Minso's smile turned into a frown the instant she recognised his voice. She took a brief look when he presented his work, only for her to roll her eyes. "Yours doesn't even compare."

"You must be blind."

Minso scoffed, closing her colouring book. "Your brother's girlfriend doesn't even fetch you. Mine will be coming later." She stuck out her tongue, only to realise, "Wait, he doesn't have one." She grinned.

"He..." Hyunwoo had no words. "He's too young to have a girlfriend."

"Maybe he's just ugly. Like you." Minso stood up so she could hand in her work to the teacher.

Defeated, Hyunwoo stood there as his two friends tried to console him. "I'm not ugly." He turned to them, not even receiving any reply to comfort him.

Hanni noticed the little girl walking towards her and stopped folding the sheets. "You're done with it?"

Minso nodded with a smile and let her take a look. Hanni sat on the small stool and opened up the colouring book, amazed by what she saw. Overhearing their little commotion a few minutes ago, she asks, "Yujin's coming to fetch you later?"

Minso hummed and pointed at the book. "She did this. It's pretty, right?"

"It is," Hanni agreed with a gentle smile.

"We're having a campfire later," Minso shared excitedly, the glimmer in her eyes made the older girl chuckle.

"That sounds fun."

"But it's sad," Minso said, her smile deflating when she remembered what day it was.

"Why would it be sad?" Hanni gently pulled her over, lifting the girl onto her lap.

Minso puckered her lips and sighed. "Because she's leaving tomorrow."

"So soon?" The girl earned a nod. "I thought I'd be seeing her for a few more days." She sighed. "I guess not."

"You'll see her more because she's going to stay with my sister. So, whenever they come to visit, you'll get to see her."

"Your sister is so lucky."

"I know," Minso said. "And she knows."

"How nice it is to have a girlfriend like her. With that kind of face and that kind of height. The things she does for you..." Hanni continued sighing in envy while Minso daydreamed with her.

"She's perfect," the little one stated out of awe.

"She must be." Hanni agreed and turned to the girl. "Do you know if she has a sister?"

Minso furrowed her eyebrows. "No. Why?"

The older girl sighed deeply. "So she's the only one." Hoping wouldn't be enough and it definitely wouldn't work.

"Who said she's the only one?"

They both turned to the owner of the voice, seeing a dark-haired girl standing by the door. She walked into the playroom, sitting on the stool next to Hanni, setting the plate of fruits on the table.

Hanni's words got caught in as she made Minso stand. "Go play." She gently nudged the little girl to join the others.

Minji pushed a fork into a piece of honeydew, handing it to the girl. "Who's Yujin?"

"Just a girl who comes to pick her up." Hanni took the fork, pointing her chin at Minso.

"Just a girl," Minji echoed, nodding slowly. "Do you like her?"

"No," Hanni denied immediately, especially when the girl she had her eyes on since elementary was sitting right next to her, volunteering at the same preschool. "She's just admirable. Nothing more. She has a girlfriend."

"Good to know." Minji took the fork from her. Taking a napkin, she gently ran it across the corner of Hanni's lips, causing the girl to blush. "So I still have a chance." She shifted her gaze to her eyes.

Hanni snickered, taking the napkin from her. "A chance?"

"With you."

—

Minso stood on her tippy toes, being the first one out of the preschool building. Hanni chuckled seeing her all excited and stood next to her.

Minji halted by the main door, watching the other kids dash out of the building towards their family. Her eyes went to Hanni and moments later, a significantly taller individual walked towards her and the little girl.

Minso ran towards Yujin and the first thing she did was hop onto the girl.

"Let's go! Let's go!"

"Aren't you excited?" The taller girl chuckled, tickling her stomach. She gave a small wave to Hanni when she noticed her, asking Minso to bid goodbye before leaving.

Minji observed the whole scene play in front of her eyes, hand reaching for Hanni's arm, tugging for the girl to stand next to her.

—

Minju scrolled through the list on her phone, her focus intent on ticking off each item as she navigated through the bustling aisles of the grocery store.

Yujin followed closely behind, pushing the trolley. Her eyes darted between Minju and the shelves, a smile playing on her lips as she observed the girl's meticulous approach.

Minju held up two brands of dried seaweed. "This, or this?"

"What's the difference?"

The brunette held up the one on the right, followed by the other. "This one's cheaper but this one tastes better."

"The one that tastes better."

"But we can get two of these for the price of one."

"We'll get that."

"But the other one tastes better."

Yujin took both from her hands and put them into the trolley. "My love, it's seaweed. Take one more, you said two for one." She chuckled, watching the girl retrieve another packet.

Along the way, Yujin snuck a few free samples into , not forgetting about Minju. When they got to the snack aisle, the older girl spotted the marshmallows but they were far from her reach at the top of the shelf.

Before she knew it, Yujin stood behind her. "Which one? The big ones or the small ones?"

"The big ones," Minju replied.

Yujin reached up effortlessly, her fingers grazing the packets of large marshmallows on the top shelf, a hand resting on the brunette's shoulder. Her playful grin was evident in her voice. "These?"

Minju pats her stomach, asking her not to waste any more time. Yujin chuckled, the sound reverberating through the aisle. She took the opportunity and met her lips with the top of her head.

The older girl refrained from smiling too widely, gently slapping her shoulder before pushing the trolley.

"Nothing else from here?" Yujin asked, checking the contents of the trolley.

Minju shook her head. "We're left with meat and vegetables. Do you need anything else?" She lifted her gaze from her phone and felt a pair of arms going around her, holding onto the bar of the trolley.

Before she could ask anything, Yujin said, "I'm making sure you don't get lost or bump into people. You'll scroll the list and I'll push. Teamwork."

Minju snickered at the close proximity. "Like this?" She heard a soft yet confident hum, feeling Yujin's chin affectionately nudging the side of her head.

"You make a good chin rest too." She marked her words, briefly putting her chin on top of Minju's head.

After rounds of walking in this never-ending factory outlet, cart races and indecisiveness, they finally got through the queue at the cash register. While picking up the things onto the conveyor belt, Minju noticed items that were not on the list.

Yujin started picking those items and said, "This one's for Minso and this one's for you." She placed the pack of 10 gummy bears on the belt, followed by Galbo chocolate. "This one's for your dad, this one's for your mom and this one's for your Halmi." She lifted a whole carton of canned beer onto the belt.

Minju chuckled. "Do you have another list I don't know about?"

"In my head, yeah." Yujin felt a little guilty for not following the one on the girl's phone, knowing how she always has budgets planned out (she does pay her back).

"You?"

"Me?"

"You don't want anything?"

Yujin hummed, looking at the items before shifting her gaze to her girlfriend. "Do you count?" She teasingly leaned closer to her, earning a soft nudge to the side of her body. "I don't need anything else. Minso gives me her orange gummy bears."

"I thought you hated orange-flavoured things." Except for the fruit itself.

"I figured she didn't like it." Yujin gave her card to the cashier, a step ahead of the girl before guiding her to walk. "When I thought she was being nice to share it with me..."

"But you don't like it," Minju said, helping to pack the items into the recycled bag they brought along.

"She doesn't like it, so I'll eat it." Yujin passed her the marshmallows, neatly arranging the items in the bag. "A little like how you love Danmuji." A pickled side dish that always comes with Korean meals.

"You don't like them. Said those yellow things were too sour." Minju chuckled, lifting the bag off the packing area.

I like them. "That's why I give them to you." So you get to eat more of it. "Let's go, they're all waiting."

—

With the last minute of the sun brightening up the winter sky, a family was seen preparing for a barbecue night by the beach.

Minso's scream echoed past the shores like the ocean calling, letting the kitten chase her across the sand. Yujin pulled the thread of the charcoal bag, opening the seal before helping Mr Kim pour them into the barbecue pit.

She gave a thumbs up, asking if it was enough and he nodded. Setting it down, she wiped her nose. Minju walked past her with the tray of meats, marinated and seasoned with a kind of love called peppers and salts.

She noticed the black mark on Yujin's nose and started laughing. She took a piece of napkin and went to her.

Yujin stood still when the girl started smothering her face with the napkin. "What's wrong?"

"Your black nose is what's wrong."

"Oh." The younger girl let her have her face, catching the wrinkle of Minju's nose, fighting a smile.

"It's not coming off," the brunette teased, earning a nudge to the side of her body.

"Kim Minso! Grab the marshmallows from the living room!" Halmi called, carrying the carton of beer out of the house.

When Yujin noticed, she quickly went to help out while Minso dashed into the house, excitedly shrieking, "Marshmallows!"

"That should keep her occupied for the rest of the night," Halmi comments, thinking of what they should start with and remembering the last item, her homemade Kimchi,

At the makeshift pit, Yujin started the fire with the help of Minju's father. When they got the heat running, she gestured with the minimal sign language she had picked up over the past few days. "I can handle this."

"Are you sure?"

Yujin nodded, telling him to take a seat while she took over the pit and started grilling the slabs of thick-cut pork belly.

Minso scampered down the mini flight of stairs, carrying the bags of marshmallows as she started running towards them. "I got the marshmallows!" Her voice echoed past the subtle winds.

Minju retrieved the bag of fluffiness and placed it aside for later. "Sit here," she brought her sister to rest on the foldable lounge chair before going to the portable pit where Yujin was and admiring the way she cooked.

"You're not hot?"

"A little."

Minju helped take her padding jacket off and settled it aside. Yujin reached for a pair of chopsticks, picking out a cooked piece of meat before blowing on it. Extending it to Minju, she made sure it wasn't too hot.

The brunette's widened eyes told more than stories, but really, just a reaction to how the meat melts in upon contact with her tongue.

"Me too!" Minso was one not to overlook their interactions, getting fed a tiny piece.

Yujin quickly grabbed a plate and shovelled the cooked meats onto it, bringing it to the squared table they'd settled in the centre of the seats.

After a while, they all gathered warmly around the small makeshift fire and ate heartily. It wasn't like any campfire Yujin had experienced. She sure did when she was in middle school, having only a bunch of kids running around.

This was different, unlike those she went with the dorm.

It was just the six of them sitting around the fire, not too much talking yet words and gestures held a deep meaning. The sounds of waves crashing against the shores, seagulls heading home and Minso making the taller girl her territory.

She sits on her lap without the mindset of a princess but gets treated like one. Yujin fed her whatever she asked for, earning soft side hugs and head nudges from the little g