"Thank you for dinner, Gaeul," Wonyoung said, clasping Gaeul's hands. Gaeul hugged her with an arm before it was Yujin's turn to say bye.
Yujin lingered in the hug, hands pressing flat into Wonyoung's back. Wonyoung blew her an air kiss, afraid an actual one would be crossing Yujin's boundaries.
Gaeul sat in the living room with Azzo as Yujin saw Wonyoung off at the door.
"I guess I should get going?" Wonyoung chirped, standing with her hands behind her back. She rocked back and forth on her heels, awaiting Yujin's reply.
But Yujin just looked about the saddest puppy dog she'd ever seen, and Wonyoung almost giggled. So, she offered:
"Actually... can I stay the night?"
Yujin blinked in disbelief. "Come again?"
"I'd like to sleepover. I know I didn't bring any clothes but I'd still- Well, If it's alright with you," Wonyoung elaborated. Yujin took in her confident pose, though her voice betrayed her, wavering ever so slightly like the blind spot in the air gas from a hot pipe caused.
This was the Wonyoung she loved.
She nodded quickly, pulling Wonyoung right back into the house and announcing loudly she'd be staying the night, to which Gaeul laughed and headed to Yujin's studio to pull out a bottle of their freshest drinks.
.
A few minutes later Wonyoung was in another of Yujin's shirts and sipping peachy soju with Gaeul and Yujin in her studio. Azzo was peacefully chewing a milk bone beside Yujin's thigh as she pet his back, sometimes patting his hind legs.
"Should we go to bed now?" Gaeul yawned, pushing her shot glass around the floor with her finger. She wasn't drunk, not even borderline tipsy, though the drinks did warm her up.
"It's only eleven," Yujin pointed out, showing Gaeul the time on her phone. Gaeul popped a knuckle and stood up, dusting her pants of Azzo's shed fur. She walked over to the end of the studio and shut the curtains. The windows were frosted over. It seemed like it would snow, at least a little overnight.
"Well, I'm going to bed," she said. "I have to meet Rei tomorrow for a group project."
Wonyoung groaned, remembering Rei and Gaeul still had a buttload of assignments to complete for their theatre class.
She walked back and knelt beside Yujin to kiss Azzo on the top of his head, to which he responded happily and licked her nose. "Night, guys."
Azzo perked up and followed her out of the room, bringing his milk bone with him.
Wonyoung wasn't drunk either. She was just a little woozy, eyes half closed as she took another shot. She hummed, "This is good. It's so sweet."
"Alcohol tastes sweet when you've had a good day," Yujin said. They were sitting opposite each other comfortably, enjoying each other's company. Yujin picked up her phone and hit shuffle on her music. She lowered the volume to 30%.
She scooted closer to Wonyoung.
"You taped up my card," Wonyoung breathed, almost silent.
Yujin nodded.
"Why?"
"To preserve it. It was getting flimsy." Yujin's reply was short and matter-of-factly. She wasn't snarky or cheeky about it. Not a sliver of the playful Yujin was speaking right now.
"You're so... you're just like I remember," Wonyoung whispered. When Yujin's expression fell slightly she shook her head, assuring her it was a good thing, followed by a swarm of quick apologies. Yujin cut her off with a smile.
Wonyoung looked at her and drank her in. She was flushed, definitely, and so was Wonyoung herself. Her dimples showed with the wide grin she had plastered on.
She reached out and cupped Yujin's cheeks with warm palms. "Are you drunk?"
"Nope," Yujin grinned. "I'm not even slightly there-" Wonyoung started to let go. "But please keep your hands like this."
Abruptly, Azzo ran into the room and snuffled around the girls. The bubble of the moment was popped, Yujin forgotten. Wonyoung scooped the puppy up and set him in her lap.
Yujin groaned at him. Wonyoung giggled. "You're jealous of a puppy, Ahn Yujin?"
"Maybe," she huffed with a grin. A beat passed, only the soft music from Yujin's phone playing.
"You think we should sleep?"
"I gotta work, Wonnie," Yujin said. She started sorting out canvases near them on her knees, about to stand. "I've just been doodling lately. Time to start a new piece."
She picked out a 60x80 canvas. It was still wrapped in plastic - she'd bought it a few weeks ago - so she tore it off and trashed it in the bin under her desk.
Wonyoung watched her mix a colour with a paint knife from the other side of the desk. It was a light maroon-grey.
"But it's midnight already," she protested. She was starting to feel sleepy herself. Yujin looked up, lips pressed. She hummed.
Yujin genuinely enjoyed painting. She loved it, especially during the night. It was just so much more relaxing to paint at night, when the air was still and settled on her skin gently. Sometimes she'd let the window open and breathe in the cold air.
But now her girlfriend - girlfriend! - was sleepy. And the gentlewomanly thing to do would be to give in and lead her to bed and sleep with her, no?
Wonyoung watched the cogs turn in Yujin's head and laughed, covering her mouth.
"What's so funny?" Yujin asked, putting her knife on the palette.
"Nothing, nothing. I'll watch you paint," she replied, dragging a stool from Yujin's mini pantry to the front of the desk.
"But you're sleepy," Yujin said, slightly confused and very much intrigued.
"And you're too cute. Besides, I don't have class tomorrow. And I haven't watched you make art for years," Wonyoung said, resting her chin on her palm. She turned her head to the canvas, on which Yujin had already started blocking out shapes with that reddish grey paint. She was watching her in her element. She fit in just like a fish in water.
"You really have become such an amazing person," she added, breathing shallowly. "I wish I could tell you how proud I am of you, but I don't have the words for it.
"I've never been enough for you. By my standards, at least. I- I was thinking so much today - about why you wouldn't say I love you back even if it's only been two days-"
Alright, now it was just Wonyoung talking. Barely three shots of alcohol had dissolved in her system. Wonyoung paused, worried she'd ruined the moment.
But Yujin was listening, hand stilling.
"That's just what I was worried about. I know I hid my feelings around you before and you blamed yourself for it, and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for it or at least nowhere near anytime soon. But I just wanted to tell you about it. Because that's what-" She took a breath. "That's what healthy couples do."
Yujin looked at her.
"...I read it online," Wonyoung added finally, murmuring.
Yujin walked over and hugged her warmly. Wonyoung's eyes stung, brimming with tears. She was all trembling limbs from that blurted confession, falling apart in Yujin's arms. They stayed like that for a few moments.
Yujin pulled away and looked at her tenderly. She was smiling, albeit small and nervous.
"I'm not ready to say it yet," she said softly, hands on Wonyoung's in her lap. "But I do. I do like you. I like you so much. I'm afraid to say the bigger word."
"Did you just quote Virginia Woolf?"
Wonyoung laughed softly.
"Yes. Yes I did," Yujin chuckled. She brushed away a tear that had formed a track on Wonyoung's cheek.
Wonyoung watched Yujin paint for the rest of the night.
