Momo is on her usual morning walk with Boo, her overly active dog who seems to think every bird in the city is his personal playmate. The sky is crisp and clear, and the sidewalks are still damp from the rain the night before. Momo is kind of distracted, scrolling through her phone as Boo sniffs every tree and bush along the way.
Her screen lights up with her girlfriend's name.
Dahyun: Don't forget we have lunch plans later!
A warm smile tugs at Momo's lips as she reads the message. Dahyun always has a way of making her feel special, even through something as simple as a text. Momo starts typing a reply when Boo suddenly lunges, yanking the leash so hard that it slips from her hand.
"Boo!" Momo calls out as he runs after a bird. Before she can regain her balance, her foot catches on an uneven crack in the pavement, and she goes down hard, her knee scraping against the concrete.
By the time she catches Boo and limps back to her apartment, her knee stings with every step, and her phone buzzes with three messages from Dahyun.
Dahyun: Are you ignoring me?
Dahyun: Hello?
Dahyun: Is everything okay? Should I come over?
Momo groans, sinking onto the couch as Boo wags his tail innocently at her feet. "You're lucky you're cute," she mutters, eyeing her mischievous dog.
Her knee is throbbing and a faint smear of blood has stained her jeans. She should clean it up, but first, she needs to answer Dahyun before the girl panics and shows up at her door.
Half an hour later, that's exactly what happens.
Momo has managed to change into a pair of shorts and is in the middle of cleaning up her scrape when there is a knock at the door. Boo barks excitedly as Momo stumbles over to open it.
"Hey," Dahyun says, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. She carries a small tote bag and a look of concern that immediately makes Momo's heart squeeze. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"It's nothing," Momo says, waving her off. She walks back to the living room. "I tripped while I was walking Boo."
Dahyun follows her and doesn't look convinced at all. She sets her bag down on the coffee table and crouches down to examine the scrape. "Where's the first aid kit?"
"I can—"
"Momo." Dahyun's tone is firm, but there is a softness in her eyes that makes Momo sigh in defeat.
"Fine. It's in the bathroom cabinet," Momo mutters, carefully sitting down on the carpet as Boo runs laps around her.
A few minutes later, Dahyun returns with the kit and sits cross-legged on the floor in front of Momo. She gently pulls Momo's legs closer. "Okay, let's see."
"It's really not that bad," Momo says, though her words lack confidence as Dahyun's fingers brush against her skin. She grunts at the pain.
"Let me decide that," Dahyun replies, rummaging through the kit. She pulls out a small jar of gel and a roll of bandages.
Momo likes how focused Dahyun looks, how her brows crease in concentration as she applies the gel onto her knee. She didn't even know that she had something like this in her apartment. "You're really good at this, huh?" she teased.
Dahyun glances up, her lips twitching into a smile. "Are you just going to stare at me?"
"Huh?" Momo blinks, caught off guard.
"I asked if you're going to keep staring," Dahyun repeats, giggling as she starts wrapping a bandage around Momo's knee. "And by the way, I have no idea what I'm doing."
