Yujin and Wonyoung walked home.
"This is like when we were in school," Yujin said lightheartedly, almost giggling. She had her hands in her pockets and was strolling, shoulders relaxed for the first time in forever. Wonyoung was tenser than a rubber band wound thin, wondering why Yujin was so carefree. Maybe she'd finally gotten over her, feelings discarded and fizzled into ashes.
"You'd love to meet Azzo."
"Azzo?" Wonyoung parroted.
"My puppy," Yujin answered. "He's about this big," she continued, measuring with her hands to show just how big, "and he has white fur."
"I like puppies," Wonyoung said. "Especially pomeranians and Bichon Frises."
"Azzo is a Bichon Frise!" Yujin said enthusiastically, turning to her. For a second, Wonyoung's heart swelled in her chest, until Yujin cooled down and looked away, hand on her nape, glowing with bashfulness.
"Looks like you've been doing really well," she continued.
"Don't say that," Wonyoung said softly. "It's not as okay as you think."
"Oh. Sorry," Yujin said.
"S'okay."
They stopped at the front of Yujin's home, where Yujin unlocked the door and pushed it open. Azzo barked as he heard footsteps and raced towards the source.
"Hi boy," Yujin cooed, locking the door. Wonyoung sat down to pet him and was immediately showered with wet licks. She giggled and held him with both hands, surprised at how little he was.
"Do you want to shower?" Yujin asked, petting Azzo as well.
"I don't have any clothes."
"You can borrow some of mine."
"Ah, Yujin..." Wonyoung trailed off. Yujin looked sadly at her.
"Sorry. Was that too forward?"
"No, it's just, I feel bad. I feel horrible actually."
"Why?"
Wonyoung sucked in air through her teeth and exhaled.
"Because of what I did. How I left you."
"That's in the past. It's whatever," Yujin said, brushing it off. The little sadistic part of her was just happy to hear Wonyoung be guilty. "You can pick what you like from the closet."
Yujin lead Wonyoung into her room and flung open the closet doors.
"That's my side," Yujin said, pointing at a folded stack of shirts and shorts on the left.
Yujin handed her a towel.
"Thank you," she squeaked, picking out clothes as Yujin walked out of the room.
The door clicked behind her.
.
Yujin shivered and let out a long, shaky sigh, pushing her hands into her hair. She sat down on the floor of her studio and Azzo trotted in with a small knot of cloth Yujin had given him to play with held in his mouth. He lay next to her.
Yujin held her phone to her ear.
"Gaeul, my date was Wonyoung."
"Yujin I'm so sorry, the dots connected too late."
"What? You knew?" Yujin said, voice raising.
"No, I found out when we reached. It's a long story and I'll tell you all about it when I get home, but I swear I didn't know anything until the very end."
