but she survived | sae-byeok x ji-yeong

plane tickets for a clueless lover

Sae-byeok could be clueless sometimes. She was a clever person, don't let anyone tell you differently, but- she had her moments where it just wouldn't really click in her head.  And one of those moments had been on a stormy evening, the two girls eating dinner together like they usually did. Sae-byeok's sight was aimed at the window, head resting in her palm as she observed the heavy droplets hit the pavement outside, adding to the endless amount of puddles that had gathered everywhere they could. 

But she was slowly growing familiar with the rain as it never seemed to stop. It had been raining for days, and the girl had for some reason always liked it. How its calming sound never failed at soothing her stressed mind. But as the days went by, the warming sun never showing itself once, constantly hidden behind those dark clouds, she felt her love for the pouring weather gradually fade. 

"Okay, I never thought I would say this, but I miss the sun," Ji-yeong's voice spoke, crashing into her train of dull thoughts. Sae-byeok subtly tilted her head just enough for her eyes to land on her girlfriend. She was leaned back into her chair, that careless expression displayed on her delicate features as she studied the drenched street too. Sae-byeok found it rather intriguing how effortlessly pretty the girl was. How she could so casually sit in a shirt way too big on her petite frame  - presumably her girlfriend's - with uncombed hair, and Sae-byeok still admired it all. When did she become so soft? 

"Yeah," Sae-byeok agreed, not sure if there was really more to say. "I miss the sun, too." 

A corner of Ji-yeong's lips lifted into a smirk, satisfied with the answer. Extremely satisfied with it actually. Because with the two plane tickets she had bought to a certain island, Ji-yeong could quite literally give Sae-byeok all the sunshine she desired. But what fun would be in just telling her? "You know, I could really use being away from here a little. School is just as- school as I remember it." 

Law school was what she dreamed of, sure, but it was hard. Not something she couldn't handle, but getting away for just a couple of days truly wouldn't hurt. To relax. Let every bit of stress from school and their everyday life slip away. And to make it even better, she would spend it with her girlfriend. Her favorite person in the entire world. 

"Same, honestly." Sae-byeok was still not catching on, taking another enormous bite of her food before adding, "This is really good, by the way." 

"Thanks." The shorter girl appreciated the compliment, but at that moment, everything she wanted was for her girlfriend to understand what she was hinting at. She was almost longing for that breathtaking smile of hers. The one rarely anyone got to see. That gummy grin, where her nose scrunched up ever so slightly. 

Sae-byeok was the one to break their silence. "We were running low on groceries, I don't know if you noticed?" She did. She was, after all, the cook in the house. "So I bought some earlier today. I bought those gummy bears you like." 

Ji-yeong offered her a soft smile. Sae-byeok normally didn't announce buying groceries, so for what reason she did now, Ji-yeong didn't know. But it gave her the perfect opportunity to break the news, not having any more patience left for the hopeless hinting. "Mhm, thank you. I bought tickets for us to go to Jeju Island." She tried to keep her smile away for just a moment. To match that calm tone Sae-byeok basically always spoke in. But her girlfriend's widened eyes and raised eyebrows made her facade crack, a laugh escaping her mouth, which only confused the tall girl even further. "Uh.. what?" 

"I bought tickets for us. We're going in a couple of days." She knew the smile could be heard in her voice. But how could she help it when her girlfriend's lips were turning upwards at the realization of her words, forming such a dazzling smile. No more longing was needed, and Ji-yeong felt her stomach turn in the best way imaginable.