The air outside was cold but Seulgi didn’t mind as she was wrapped in a thick sweater. She glanced at the girl by her side and shook her head, laughing as quietly as she could. Somehow the two ended up walking home together or going to a 24 hour coffee shop when Seulgi would get off work - even if it was 3am. Today, Seulgi was a bit luckier as she’d gotten off work around 11pm. Joohyun turned the corner and Seulgi almost tripped while trying to change the direction she had been walking in. She swore under her breath when her ankle cracked and stretched her leg out a bit before skipping towards Joohyun.

“Have a place in mind?” Seulgi asked, putting her hands together and blowing on them, hoping they’d warm up a little.

Joohyun shrugged, staring straight ahead. Seulgi just sighed and followed behind her, slowing her steps as she got more and more tired the longer they walked. They stopped in front of a small coffee shop that Seulgi had never seen nor heard of before.

“Where are we?” Seulgi looked around at the unfamiliar street names and looked to Joohyun to an answer, only to find her entering through the door. She stumbled towards the door as well and slipped inside just before it closed.

The lights were dim but Seulgi could still make out everything inside, including a sleepy young woman at the counter a few metres away. Joohyun was already ordering from the girl who nodded her head tiredly and mumbled the amount due. Seulgi hurried forward and held Joohyun’s hand that held a few bills, with her own. “I’ll...pay for myself.”

Joohyun gave her a weird look and looked at the cashier who stared back in slight shock.

“Who the hell said I ordered anything for you?”

Seulgi turned to the cashier as well and noticed the screen with Joohyun’s order.

Hot Chocolate x1

, Seulgi thought, pulling her hands back and letting them hang by her sides. She stared at the floor as an embarrassed blush formed on her cheeks. Joohyun rolled her eyes and handed the money to the cashier, who had prepared the hot chocolate to hide the laugh threatening to escape her. Joohyun took the cup from the girl and lightly pushed Seulgi towards one of the tables by the window.

When the two settled in their seats, Seulgi heard something scrape on the table and glanced up to find the hot chocolate in front of her. “I was joking.” Joohyun said nonchalantly.

Seulgi’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“The hot chocolate is yours. To pay back for the drinks at the club.”

“You didn’t have to-”

“But I did. So you better drink it.” Joohyun glared at Seulgi who lowered her head and muttered a quiet ‘thanks’.

Seulgi took a large gulp of the hot chocolate in her nervousness, and completely forgot that it was hot. She flinched and set the cup down, fanning at her tongue uselessly. Joohyun watched in amusement, “burns burns burn!!! Help please!”

Joohyun giggled a little bit longer before getting up and going back to the counter. “Excuse me can I have a glass of milk?”

The girl nodded and left for a second, only to return with a glass of milk. Joohyun thanked her and handed her a few bills. She half-ran, half-walked back to Seulgi and handed her the cup, watching her down the milk quickly.

Seulgi slammed the glass on the table and took a deep breath, “thanks…”

Joohyun giggled again and sat down, “you’re so overly dramatic,” she joked.

It was Seulgi’s turn to glare but Joohyun wasn’t even intimidated, leading to Seulgi backing down and pouting. “Whatever.”

They sat in silence just like last time but neither one complained. Both were lost in their thoughts and seemingly forgot about the presence of the latter. Joohyun turned away from the window and observed Seulgi. She was lucky that the coffee shop she picked was empty, probably because it was just a few hours away from closing. The topic she was dying to bring up was probably best kept between the two and no one else.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Seulgi whispered, raising her eyebrow at Joohyun who leaned forward.

“Like what?”

Seulgi searched for the right words that she wanted to saw and shrugged. “Like you’re….reading my mind or...something, I don’t know…” Seulgi trailed off and was fidgeting with the cup of hot chocolate that was in her hands.

Joohyun leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Seulgi?” She called out quietly.

“Y-yes?” Seulgi stuttered, surprised to hear her name come out of Bae Joohyun’s mouth.

“Last time…” Joohyun stopped for a moment and Seulgi stared at her expectantly, “last time you mentioned kids like you.”

Seulgi thought back to the last time the two had met. She thought hard and tried to remember what she had said then but nothing came to her.

“You said kids like you don’t have parents.”

Seulgi stopped moving. She stopped breathing for a single second and looked at Joohyun sternly. Joohyun was scared for a second, and then was confused when Seulgi started laughing.

“What’s so funny? It’s not even a funny topic…” Joohyun gave her a crazy look and Seulgi struggled to stop herself from laughing.

She wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head every time she looked at Joohyun. “That’s exactly why I’m laughing, no one has ever been so up front when asking me about my parents before.”

Joohyun looked uncomfortable for a moment and then smiled unsurely. “I was just a little curious…”

“What do you want to know?”

Seulgi looked completely serious and Joohyun thought for a moment. “Did you run away from home?” She began, unsure whether she was being too invasive or not with her questions.

“Nope,” Seulgi clarified, downing the rest of her hot chocolate.

“Are your parents still…” Joohyun paused, “...alive?” she continued.

Seulgi didn’t look at Joohyun and tried to think of an appropriate answer. She glanced at the girl and shrugged. “Probably, I wouldn’t know. I don’t care. They aren’t my parents.”

Joohyun nodded her head and gulped before speaking, “may I ask you one more question?”

“Hm?”

“Will you ever...tell me about them one day?”

***

Seulgi got home late but was shocked when she