Author's Note:
I'll save my comments till the end, yall waited long enough. lol 😜
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Am I dead?
That was the first thought that entered Yoohyeon's head when she opened her eyes and only saw darkness. But she caught a sliver of light shining through partially closed curtains in her peripheries. She sighed, realizing that she had only woken up from a long sleep. The best in a long time actually. Another thought entered her head right then: this was the craziest thing she had ever done. Suddenly panic washed over her when a sound like deep breathing had interrupted her thoughts. She turned her head only to find empty space next to her, the sheets cold and untouched.
She sighed again, stretching her bare arms as she got up and walked toward the light. She carefully descended the stairs, using the wall as a guide. Drawing back the tall curtains revealed a sliding glass door to the balcony. As she opened it the breathing sound became much louder. It was ocean waves crashing steadily in the vast darkness. The moon was out and from the reflection on the water, it looked really close. The chilly wind made her shiver and a sudden thirst hit her, still feeling the soreness in her throat.
But she crawled back up the stairs and crash-landed back on the bed, rolling around in the plush bedding and searching for the warmth her body imprinted earlier. It must be late now and she wondered whether to stick around or go back to Seoul. But she realized she was alone, finally able to rest more comfortably without interruption. Better take advantage of this. But a knock on the door quickly dashed the thought.
[Earlier that day]
Bora listlessly followed Yoohyeon, more like being dragged, her hand still holding on to Yoohyeon's as she was led to a bus stop outside of the hospital. Bora finally let go when they entered the bus. She was too occupied in her thoughts to pay attention to where they were going. Her mind kept replaying everything that just happened. It was too crazy to be real. But soon afterward she would fall asleep from that exhausting morning.
She woke up half an hour later finding herself leaning on Yoohyeon's right shoulder. She jerked back up in her seat and apologized but Yoohyeon wasn't even bothered. She was just staring forward, lost in her own thoughts as well. The bus came to a halt shortly after.
"This is our stop," Yoohyeon said, getting up from her seat. Her voice was still hoarse.
Bora followed her out. Her legs were cramped being stuck in one position for too long. Except for Yoohyeon's bony shoulder, the nap was somewhat restful and much needed. She stretched out her arms and legs then looked around. The area looked unfamiliar to her.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"Home, you can say."
"Home?" Bora looked around again and spotted a sign. "Incheon? We're in Incheon?"
Yoohyeon nodded then walked off in one direction. Bora followed behind not wanting to get lost. The first thing Yoohyeon did was find the nearest street food vendor to buy food for them both. Bora thanked her, taking a cup of food. It was filled with chunks of rice cake covered in piping hot red sauce. She sighed sadly.
"What's wrong?" Yoohyeon asked.
"Tteokbokki," Bora said, "it's Singnie's favorite."
"You want something else?" Yoohyeon suggested.
"No! It's fine. Thanks." Bora replied as she hastily stuffed a piece of rice cake in her mouth. She immediately regretted it, burning her tongue. Perhaps that was a hint to keep her mouth shut for a while and she did.
She continued following Yoohyeon, not really in the mood to take in the sights. The morning rush had passed so the streets weren't crowded anymore allowing them to wander around the city at their own pace. For a long time, they didn't speak a word, doing nothing in particular and having no destination to reach. After a while, Bora got annoyed. Who does Yoohyeon think she is making her follow her around like some dog? More time had passed before she couldn't take the silence any longer.
"This is weird," Bora protested, stopping in her tracks.
Yoohyeon also stopped and turned around. "What?"
"Don't pretend like nothing happened. Why are you being like this?"
"What? Helping you out by getting away from all the craziness? Maybe it's just called being a decent human being." Yoohyeon replied snarkily.
Bora took that as a jab at her, but she knew she had no right to feel upset.
"I mean, after what happened, you're not going to press charges on me or anything?"
"Do you want me to?" Yoohyeon asked. It almost sounded like a threat.
Fear struck Bora right then. "No, I— I just. I mean, aren't you afraid of me now? I shouldn't be around people after I almost—" She couldn't even say it. Recalling it was too much.
"Tried to kill me?" Yoohyeon finished for her then shrugged. "But you didn't."
Bora didn't like how nonchalant she was being about the situation. Anyone in her shoes would have been quick to call the police.
"But you have every reason to hate me now."
"You're right. I should hate you, huh?"
She left a long pause between them.
"So... you don't?" Bora asked.
Yoohyeon didn't say anything, turning back around and continuing to walk while Bora had no choice but to keep tagging along despite her legs cramping up again.
"At least react like a normal person! Get mad at me, call me a crazy bitch, or something. I can't stand whatever this is."
It was tempting but Yoohyeon wasn't going to give up the satisfaction of seeing Bora cowering to her. She hated to admit that she was enjoying gaining the upper hand at the moment. But then she stopped abruptly causing Bora to bump into her. She turned around again and looked at her with a calm but unreadable face.
"Ok, you know how they say your life flashes before your eyes right before a near-death experience?"
"Uh, yeah?" Bora replied but she wouldn't know.
"Yeah, well, that shit is real apparently."
Bora's mouth curled downward. "But what does that have to do with anything?"
"It means I don't know what I saw during that— thing, so I'm trying to process what the fuck it means right now. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to think in peace, please." She walked off again.
Fair enough, Bora thought. She had her own time to process things earlier so it's only fair Yoohyeon had hers. But even still, she had a lot of her own shit to reflect about.
"Of course," Yoohyeon started again, "if you want to go back to Seoul, go ahead. I won't stop you."
Bora pouted. "No, it's fine. I think getting away for a bit is good actually." That and she didn't want to be alone. She couldn't trust herself alone anymore.
"Anyway, I'm s-sorry. I'm really not like that. I swear!" She finally apologized, wanting to kick herself for hesitating. She should be on her hands and knees groveling to her at this point.
"It's fine." Yoohyeon just brushed it off.
Bora scowled again. "No, it's not. You sure you don't want to check yourself at the hospital?"
"And get you in trouble?"
"Shit." She already forgot about that part, Bora realized as she tightened her lips, not wanting to say anything further.
Yoohyeon shook her head. "You sure like to wreck my face though. Am I that hideous to you?" Luckily, she didn't care about her looks so much, but she could do without all the pain.
And Bora could do without Yoohyeon's snappy retorts but she was right. That young and cute face she first saw was now covered with cuts and bruises. Mostly inflicted by her. This whole ordeal had made her look a lot older and haggard. But Bora couldn't be more grateful for those oversized hoodies now, keeping everything well hidden.
"Don't be mean, I said I was sorry," Bora whined.
It felt like they had been walking for hours and Bora's tiny legs were on the verge of giving out trying to keep up with Yoohyeon's long strides. They finally settled on a bench at a nearby park and sat in silence again. Bora decided to hold her tongue lest she say something stupid again. But the silence was deafening to her, making her antsier as the time passed.
"I was too young to remember anything here before I moved to the states," Yoohyeon finally spoke. "It looks nothing like where I'm from. But it's funny how everything just seems so familiar. It feels like home, but not. Sometimes I wonder how different it would've been if I grew up here."
"I suppose you'd be a lot more reserved, have more manners, and probably look a lot cuter." Bora blurted then blushed at the last part.
Yoohyeon raised an eyebrow. "That sounds hella boring."
Bora snorted. "Well, you can dream up your utopia. But it doesn't exist, because life always throws curveballs at you. So many damn curveballs.
"True that," Yoohyeon added then let out a long sigh. "Well, if I ever get the chance to come back here again maybe it'll be different. I guess."
"You really are leaving after all this?" Bora asked.
"Yeah."
"But Minji—" Bora caught herself saying her name.
"She can take care of herself, she always has. Even before I came into the picture."
Another silence and another wall went up between them. So they spent the rest of the time contemplating quietly to themselves, watching hundreds of faces pass by and never to be seen again.
"When should we start heading back to Seoul?" Bora asked after some time had passed, glancing at her phone.
"Why? It's not like anything's changed since we left." Yoohyeon replied apathetically.
Bora's heart sank. "Yeah, but what else are you going to do? Do you have family here?"
Yoohyeon shook her head. "It's gone, my family's home." She said. "Probably paved over to make office buildings or convenience stores. Makes me feel even more of a stranger here, doesn't it?"
Bora got annoyed. She didn't need Yoohyeon to put a damper on their already bad situation.
"Stop talking like you have no place to belong. You're not homeless. You belong somewhere. It's just not fucking here, unfortunately." Bora was getting worked up but she quickly diffused it.
"Sorry. I'm sorry. It must really suck, I can't imagine. It shouldn't matter where you are from. Maybe it's a good thing you didn't grow up here. Not everything's all roses and daisies here either."
Yoohyeon smirked, holding back tears that wanted to be shed. Bora was right, she wasn't homeless, not in the physical sense, but still, something was missing in her life. A purpose? A higher calling? Whatever it is, it wasn't here. And yet, something kept holding her back, making her stay here. But what?
Her mind kept rewinding to what she saw during that altercation with Bora. It was strange, almost contradicting. But it didn't really mean anything, did it? It was just her body's fight or flight response kicking into overdrive. She was just trying to survive. Surely there was nothing more to it, she thought.
"Damn those curveballs." She said and finally got up from the bench. "We can go back to Seoul if you want. But there is one more place I wanted to see."
They took a taxi to their next destination and fortunately it wasn't far away this time. But neither of them expected it would be at some tall and fancy building.
"What is this place?" Bora asked as the taxi dropped them off at a huge courtyard.
"Guess we're about to find out."
They entered the building and immediately felt out of place. A grand and lavish lobby greeted them with high ceilings decked out with huge crystal chandeliers and gilded crown molding. Ornate tiling and carpeting covered the floors that seemed to go on for miles. Along one wall was a long front desk counter and they soon realized they were at a hotel, a rather expensive one.
They got a few strange looks from finely dressed people who appeared to be attending a function. But they quickly made their way through the crowd, passing by a bar and several banquet rooms before reaching the elevators, which were almost entirely made of glass.
From their view, they could see that there were many floors in this hotel and they found themselves going up higher and higher. When the elevator finally stopped, Yoohyeon led the way again going down a long hallway.
She finally stopped in front of a door and observed it. Room 808, read the number plate. Nothing special about it. Then she pulled out something from her pocket. A gold key card. She flashed it at Bora before inserting it into the reader. When the green light came on, she nearly froze at what to do next because she was not expecting it to work. Inside was an even more overwhelming sight.
"Shit! This is bigger than my apartment!" Bora gawked at the huge suite greeting them with its open space. It had everything her apartment had but obviously much bigger, nicer, and probably seven times more expensive.
Yoohyeon on the other hand didn't seem as surprised. It almost looked like her, or rather, Minji's apartment. The floor-to-ceiling windows, the modern leather furniture, the kitchen with granite countertops. It was a magazine-worthy place but it felt really cold and empty. A railless flight of stairs led up to a loft closed off by a pair of sliding doors. Yoohyeon climbed up to it and slid the doors open.
"Oh, shit." Her voice echoed from above.
Bora left the dainty kitchen she was admiring and followed suit.
"Geez, that's a bit dangerous." She remarked about the lack of railing. "What did you—" she paused, suddenly lost for words.
It was the bedroom but it looked like it could be a separate studio apartment on its own. But it wasn't its size that shocked them. Before them was a huge bed with white and crisp sheets without a single wrinkle. There was something vaguely familiar about it, Bora thought. Like deja vu, though she knew for sure that she had never been here before. Then the realization hit her like a crashing wave.
"Wait." She looked at Yoohyeon. "How did you find this place?" That should've been the first question she asked her when they had arrived there.
"I found the keycard in Minji's purse," Yoohyeon replied, not realizing how crazy that sounded.
Bora's eyes twitched as if her mind had rebooted. "This— Is this the room?"
She definitely remembered the bed. Those same white sheets except bodies were tangled up in them from that grainy video she wished she could unsee.
"This is where they— Are you fucking insane?"
Yoohyeon had no words. There was no way to explain it. Deep in her gut, she had a weird feeling about coming here. But she knew if it had anything to do with Minji she'd be all over it like flies to honey.
A storm of emotions immediately stirred up inside Bora, but she quickly suppressed them, not wanting to cause another incident. Definitely do not want another one.
"You didn't come all the way here to get away, did you? You're still trying to find traces of Minji, huh? Is this what you saw in your 'near-death vision'?" She mockingly flashed air quotes.
"No," Yoohyeon replied quietly. "I didn't know what I was going to find. Honestly."
Maybe she was insane, she thought. She exited the bedroom and sat midway down the stairs, trying to comprehend the new revelation before them.
"Wow, wow, wow!" Bora paced around the loft. "It's never a dull moment with you. You just can't let it go, huh?" She forced a laugh to keep herself from blowing up. It echoed to the floor below.
"If you want to leave, I understand," Yoohyeon said, staring at her feet.
"You know what? Good. I'm glad we finally agreed on something." Bora stomped down the stairs, pushing by Yoohyeon on the way down. She headed toward the door.
"'Trying to process...'" She mocked again. "My ass!"
The door slammed loudly and there was no one left but her. Silence returned again but without the nagging presence of Bora. Yoohyeon finally let herself breathe.
Her eyes scanned the room more thoroughly this time, taking note of every detail. There were no traces of Minji, the room looked spotless as if no one had been here for some time. The decor didn't even match Minji's taste, too dark and masculine. Yet somehow she could feel her presence here. She could see Minji doing work at the desk overlooking the huge window or cooking in the kitchen. If she imagined hard enough she could probably manifest the scent of fruit tarts baking.
Remembering the finely dressed people earlier, they must be here for business-related affairs. Minji must have stayed here for business too as she would often travel to cities across the country visiting other Tokki's locations.
But eventually business wasn't the only kind of affair going on in this room. Were Minji and Siyeon supposed to meet here the night of the accident? Whatever the case, Yoohyeon can definitely say that this was the craziest thing she had done, right after that run-in with that guy at the club.
And now the exhaustion finally hit her. She still hadn't recovered from this morning's incident and since arriving in Incheon. She removed her ever so attached hoodie and instantly felt a weight lifted from her. Her feet took her back up the stairs, landing on the mattress and sinking into its softness. Correction, this was the craziest thing she has done, lying on the bed where her former lover had laid with her new lover doing god knows what. But fuck it, she thought, it couldn't get any crazier than this, can it?
[Present]
The knock was louder this time and Yoohyeon forced herself to get up and go downstairs to answer the door. Maybe it was housekeeping or room service (that she did not ask for) and she was prepared to shoo them away. She should've known the moment she opened the door.
"You're still here?"
"Hey. Can I come in?" Bora asked.
Her heavy-lidded eyes landed on Yoohyeon's forearm tattoo. She remembered seeing it from the first night they met. It was some text but she still couldn't read what it said. Then her eyes naturally trailed upward catching something on her chest peeking above the neckline of her shirt. She remembered seeing that too on the day they went to the club. Another tattoo? She wouldn't be surprised, this girl probably had so many layers hidden about her. And speaking of layers, she wasn't wearing her signature oversized hoodie anymore but a loose white crop top tank now. It looked more like scissors had gone to town on an old t-shirt. A glance at the low armholes revealed that she had nothing else underneath.
Bora averted her eyes to Yoohyeon's face now, the remnants of her assault still visible on her pale skin. Dark roots crept through her stringy silver locks. She looked completely different without her "armor" on. So much taller, frailer, yet softer. Almost like another kind of being.
Yoohyeon glanced over Bora like a bouncer at a club. She looked like shit. Her face appeared hollow and long, making her already sharp features more jagged and harsher. Her oversized red shirt resembled a deflated balloon. Yoohyeon only now noticed the black Converse shoes she was wearing, well worn, faded, and surprisingly small. It looked no different than her scuffed-up boots that Bora kept ranting about. But Yoohyeon finally stepped aside from the door to let her inside. A scent wafted by her nose as Bora passed her, triggering something inside her.
"Where did you go?"
"Downstairs. The bar." Bora replied.
She knew it. "You drank?"
"I only had one drink." Bora pointed with one little finger, "I promise!" Then she took a seat on the couch feeling thoroughly exhausted.
It had been hours since she "left" but Yoohyeon was doubtful that she had just one drink. Flashbacks of her misfortunes with Bora on alcohol etched worry lines on her face. Bora noticed.
"I swear! It was just one. A strong one, I'll admit, but I sat there for the last few hours getting it out of my system."
And that was the truth. She made sure not to cause a scene in front of all the frou-frou people around her. She was so out of place that she was sure she was going to be asked to leave.
Yoohyeon took the opposite end of the couch. She very much wanted to go back to sleep on that comfy bed but Bora seemed to be in a pensive mood.
"How are you?" Yoohyeon forced herself to start a conversation.
Bora huffed. "I should be asking you that."
"I said I'm fine."
"Are you, really? Is all this really fine? A week ago our worlds collided. My girlfriend cheated on me with your ex. My best friend looked at me like she didn't know me anymore. And don't forget what I've done to you." She laughed as if it would make things less serious but it wasn't helping. "Hell, who am I anymore? Who are you, Kim Bora?" She asked herself.
That made the room awkwardly silent again. Then Yoohyeon felt compelled to share something as well.
"Minji's father paid me to leave her." She said almost too casually.
Bora turned toward her, the tiredness disappeared from her face. "What? Why?"
Yoohyeon took a deep breath, knowing she was about to tell a long story.
"At first, I thought he was against his daughter being with a woman, but I was definitely not Minji's first. Then I realized it was about her upcoming promotion."
"Tokki's CEO?" Bora answered.
Yoohyeon nodded. "He said Minji would be too busy once she took over the company. It wouldn't end well if I stayed. So, to save me the trouble and heartbreak he thought it was best for me to just take the money and leave quietly."
"And you took the money?" Bora asked, now curious about what happened.
"Yes. I mean, not at first. He is right about Minji. She could be such a workaholic but I couldn't help but feel that there was more to it. I mean, he barely knew me in the last two years Minji and I've been together. And now he wants to say something? Like, right as he's about to pass the company to Minji? Did he think I'm only with Minji for her money? Or that I was going to ruin her image or Tokki's?"
"So, of course, I got upset and stormed out of his office. I mean, he tried to pay me off like some whore! I thought, what could happen if I didn't leave? Ruin my life? I came here with practically nothing. There's nothing from me to take. If Minji knew she would not stand for it."
Bora sensed a "but" coming.
"But," Yoohyeon said, just as Bora predicted. "I couldn't tell her. She was just so happy that it was finally going to be hers. I didn't want to ruin it. Then everything went to shit after that. And in the end, it wasn't me who suffered. Minji... she lost the one thing so Dear to her."
"You?" Bora blurted.
"Tokki's!" Yoohyeon corrected. "Her dream. Everything she worked so hard for." She snapped her fingers. "Gone. Just like that. And the look on her face. I'll never forget it for the rest of my life. It's like the sun had died that day. All the light that was in her was gone. I've never seen her like that ever. "
Yoohyeon swallowed thickly, her throat still parched but she kept talking. "And the worst part of all, she doesn't know it was all because of me."
Bora unknowingly had a hand over her mouth as if she just watched a plot twist unfold in a drama.
"So I came back and tried to reason with her father. I said I promised I would leave if he would give everything back to her. That it wasn't fair for Minji to be punished. Besides, Tokki's means more to her than I ever will. So I took the money and left."
"That's not right!" Bora protested. "Why didn't you tell her the truth? That you were practically forced into this? What is his damn problem?"
"It's— it's complicated." Yoohyeon stuttered.
"No shit! Curveballs, remember? If it were me I'd fight tooth and nail. Catch me kicking and screaming in there. He'll never hear the end of it. Who the hell does that to their own daughter?"
Yoohyeon huffed weakly. "I guess that's where you and I differ."
Bora sighed disappointedly. "So, that's it? Just like that? And now here you are. Was it worth it?"
Yoohyeon didn't answer but Bora didn't need to hear her answer.
"Shit." Bora huffed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. But it was piecing together all these things about this strange girl she came to know over a week ago. But damn, she didn't think peeling back the layers would actually reveal something so loaded. This wasn't the baring of the soul she had in mind when she told Yoohyeon she could tell her anything. She felt even more sorry for her that her heart actually began to ache.
"I should've been gone by now but something keeps telling me to stay." Yoohyeon continued. "Maybe I just had to make sure Minji is ok. If I could at least know that then I can leave in peace. And from the looks of it, besides the accident, I guess she's moved on."
She glanced at Bora whose face was stone cold, looking straight ahead of her.
"Sorry." Yoohyeon apologized. "I wasn't trying to one-up your situation. I just—"
Bora shook her head.
"All this time I wanted to blame something, someone. That it was your fault. But, how could you have known all of this would happen? But it didn't matter, Singnie and I have been hanging by this tiny thread for a while now. And then..." She gestured her hands like an explosion.
Her body sank into the couch, burying herself with the cushy accent pillows.
"It's like all of a sudden things were happening to her so quickly. Like it was handed to her out of nowhere. Her dreams of being a real singer were finally coming true. Maybe I treated her too harshly about it because I was too cautious but mostly just jealous. I should've been happy and supportive of her. I guess somehow I felt like I was being left behind."
Like it was handed to her... That sounded like Minji's doing, Yoohyeon confirmed. Sometimes she wondered if Minji was doing more harm than good when it came to her generosity. But she knew everything Minji did was out of the goodness of her heart and that made her feel even worse.
"I guess I'm looking for any traces left too." Bora continued softly, her voice wavering. "I think I can forgive her for what she did. But—" her breath shuddered sharply, "if she wants to move on, if that's what she wants, I won't hold her back anymore. But I just want her to know that I'm sorry. That this is not me. I'm not a bad person. That I love her and I hope she still—" her breath shuddered again unable to finish her sentence this time.
Yoohyeon said nothing but placed her hand on Bora's. She didn't turn her away, in fact, Bora held her hand firmly, lacing their fingers together. Strangely, her tiny hand fit nicely in Yoohyeon's long and narrow palm. It felt cold and clammy, but her warm alcohol-flushed hand canceled it out. This was the second time they held hands today but this one was more comforting than the first. They didn't look at each other but sat silently as they did earlier today, this time their breaths were syncing with the steadily crashing waves outside.
"I envy you, actually," Yoohyeon broke the silence. "To be with someone for so long." She leaned back into the couch closing her eyes.
"Well, Singnie and I are a couple," Bora replied tiredly. "A couple of idiots in love."
An equally tired giggle tickled Yoohyeon's throat.
"Will I ever get another chance? Maybe I'm just unlucky."
"Shut. Up." Bora huffed.
Silence fell upon them again as sleep quickly took over this time. The fatigue crept through Bora's hand sending morse code twitches between their fingers. Then without realizing it, she took hold of the thin skin of Yoohyeon's hand and pinched it twice.
I miss you.
Yoohyeon awoke from the sudden touch. Bora realized what she had done, not that Yoohyeon knew what it meant.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." She apologized, attempting to pull her hand away but Yoohyeon squeezed their hands tighter.
"It's late. You should get some sleep. We can go back to Seoul tomorrow." Yoohyeon said. "You can take the bed upstairs, I'll take the couch."
Bora scoffed. "Stay here? In that bed? Yeah, fucking, right. No, thanks. I'd rather sleep on the death stairs."
"The bed's quite comfortable, actually."
"You— you really are crazy!"
Bora tried to pull her hand away again but Yoohyeon yanked a little too hard causing Bora to bump into her shoulder. And here they were again, face to face, staring each other down with tired eyes.
Not this scene again, Bora thought. The one where she thinks something is going to happen but nothing happens except this time something really did happen.
It was lightning fast. They weren't sure who made the first move but there was definitely contact. Brief, but their lips touched this time. The initial shock passed quickly and it only made sense to keep going, keeping the natural order of things.
Hands sought any place to settle on: a cheek, a hip, behind the neck, or tightly gripping on fabric. And the further along it went, the stronger the touch and the deeper the kiss until—
"Ow!" Yoohyeon pulled back.
Right, there was still that busted lip of hers.
"Shit! Sorry!" Bora apologized. She caught her breath before letting out a flustered, "What the hell am I doing?"
But Yoohyeon swooped a hand under Bora's chin and swiped her thumb below her bottom lip before pulling her in to give a reassuring kiss.
"Maybe I am crazy." She said between their lips. This boldness was new to her, taking a leap for once. It was exciting and scary at the same time. She felt this was something she needed right now, both of them.
Though her memories of the night after the club were hazy, Bora knew she was anything but gentle to Yoohyeon. So she followed her lead as she did with her all day. She relaxed into the kiss, feeling Yoohyeon's dry lips grazing against hers. It felt soft, slow, careful, and all kinds of confusing. But she kinda liked it, trying hard not to take over because she knew she could easily get carried away. So she found herself comparing the kisses from her past. From the numerous ones of Siyeon's, the awkward firsts of what's his face in high school, and the others in between before she argued in her head to stop thinking.
Before she knew it, the familiar feeling of cool leather pressed against her back. She arched reflexively just as Yoohyeon positioned herself over her, her eyes dark and focused. But before she could descend upon her, Bora pushed away.
"Wait." She breathed, stopping Yoohyeon from going further. "Let's just make one thing clear, whatever happens here doesn't leave this room. Never speak of this. Got it?"
"'K." Yoohyeon agreed without hesitation, her eyes still fixed on Bora. "I have one thing too."
"What?"
Yoohyeon looked into her eyes with all seriousness.
"Don't fall for me."
A baffled cackle escaped Bora's throat. "Are you serious? I don't think you need to worry about—"
"And I'm not holding back." Yoohyeon cut her off.
"—that." Bora finished.
Her cheeks were burning, suddenly intimidated. It didn't help that Yoohyeon was still hovering over her looking poised and waiting for the kill. It reminded her of her crazy dream. Bora slid back to her side of the couch, too timid to look at her now. Nothing like this has ever happened to her. But not wanting to be bested by the younger woman Bora sat up straight and cleared her throat.
"'K." She repeated coolly.
Idiot. Why did you say that? Always have to have the last word, don't you? Kim Bora, I swear, only disasters happen every time you run your damned mouth. You are the insane one! She conversed entirely in her head.
Yoohyeon gazed at her quizzically before pushing herself up from the couch. Her makeshift crop top had now stuck to her skin from perspiration. She waited to see if Bora was going to back out and call the whole thing off. But when she didn't, Yoohyeon extended her hand out again as she did back at the hospital. The warm little hand she felt earlier had turned cold now.
Just this morning Bora was being led down the stairs but now she was the one leading, carefully guiding them up the perilous railless steps. The sliding doors were already open, inviting them into the bedroom she refused to go into just minutes ago.
The closer they moved toward the bed the more she felt the nerves pulsing in Yoohyeon's hand. Or was that her own hand? It didn't matter because there was no turning back. The only thing that could ease it right now was another drink but she knew better than that.
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Author's Note:
Haaayyy! Long time, no see. I have to say that this chapter was revised so many times and was stuck at 99% finished for a month. Ugh. But I think I'm satisfied with the result, I guess. lol But like, finally right? Or at least we finally got them to this point. A weird transition considering what happened in the previous chapter but maybe it'll make sense later.
Also, this fic is now 2 years old. Yikes! Are my original readers still there? I probably lost them 😭 But I still intend to finish this.
So... continue where we left off or another flashback? Or just write something, anything! lol
Thanks again for your patience. @yodo97 or Curious Cat https://curiouscat.me/yodo97