but she survived | sae-byeok x ji-yeong

she's finally here and it's not a dream

It was the day. The day Sae-byeok had imagined for years. The day her mother would finally arrive in South Korea. She couldn't describe how it felt. To hear the words, 'your mother will arrive in the South tomorrow'. She had looked at the guy with wide eyes, the rest of her face neutral. However, her on the inside was a completely different story. She could feel it welling up like she was being filled to the rim with water. But it wasn't water. It was happiness. It was relief. It was the tear that silently fell from her eye that eventually pulled her back into reality, realizing the guy who had told her was looking quite worried. She could feel the sob in her throat, doing its very best in escaping as she whispered a tiny, 'thank you'. The corner of his lip quirked upwards, the lopsided smile weirdly comforting to her, despite the slight effort put into it. 

She had wandered home, the smile on her face unable to weaken. It was stuck. Imprinted onto her facial features. She normally didn't smile a lot in public, but she just couldn't help it. How could you when you had gotten such news? Such amazing news. She could feel how her heart hammered inside her chest as she opened their front door. She was excited about the news, but nothing could top telling her brother. Nothing. 

"Hi," Ji-yeong had greeted her with a light smile, leaning against the door frame. 

Sae-byeok kicked off her shoes, embracing the girl as soon as she could. Ji-yeong wasn't hesitant about wrapping her own arms around her, but she couldn't help being just a little confused. She was usually greeted with a hug or a kiss, but this was different. The way Sae-byeok was holding her. Like she was something oh so fragile but still couldn't help how she was grasping onto the back of her shirt, letting herself drown in the scent of the shorter girl's hair. "Are you okay?" Ji-yeong chose to ask. 

"My mother will be here tomorrow. In the South. She'll be here." She still had a hard time believing the words herself. It didn't feel real. She was so close to asking Ji-yeong if she could pinch her arm. To see if she would wake up with a longing smile on her face, as she had so many nights before. 

She could feel Ji-yeong's body tense up for a second. "Really?" Her smile was somehow audible in that one word. "Is she really gonna be here?" 

"Yes," Sae-byeok answered, her heart happily fluttering at the answer. 

"That's amazing!" Ji-yeong tightened her grip on her, as pressed up against her as she could possibly be before pulling away to cup the taller girl's face, gently stroking her cold cheeks. "I'm so happy for you. And your brother. And your mother, of course!"

Her brother. She couldn't wait to see his face. His reaction. "You haven't told him yet, have you?" A simple shake of her head answered the shorter girl's question. Ji-yeong leaned up to give her a lingering kiss on the cheek. "If you're ready to tell him, he's in his room." 

Sae-byeok nodded, biting her bottom lip to suppress the smile that was threatening to make her look nearly insane. "Thanks, love," she spoke, quick to press a kiss onto her sweet lips, noticing how Ji-yeong's cheeks still darkened at the name. 

Sae-byeok's hand hovered in front of her little brother's door. A sudden thought struck her. Now that her mother would finally be here, only a little time would pass before Cheol would no longer live in their house. Even though he would still be just up the road, the house cleaned and ready for them to move into, it was still going to feel weird. Not to have him run around the house when he didn't want to sleep, Sae-byeok completely out of breath when she finally caught him. Or not to have him ramble about his day at the dinner table. It was weird. A weird thought that struck her. "Can I come in?" she asked, waiting for her brother's response. The silence made sure she was aware of the violently pumping heart that with each beat could be heard in her ears.