Recovery

Chapter Nine: No Celestial

Chaewon placed her head on Y/n's shoulder, drawing stares from Gaeul.

"What am I going to do when you get a girlfriend?" Chaewon mumbled.

Y/n hummed as Chaewon swung her ankles, clicking her shoes together.

"If you get a girlfriend, we won't be able to be this close anymore," she continued.

"If my future girlfriend tries to get between us, I'll dump her on the spot," Y/n replied.

"Wow, you really like me that much?" Chaewon giggled.

Y/n nodded. He rested his head on top of Chaewon's with a smile. "I was thinking: If neither of us have partners in the future, we could just live together."

Chaewon scoffed, "Who said I won't get a boyfriend?"

"That's why I said if," Y/n grumbled. "I know how beautiful you are, even if you have some anger issues, which is why I've prepared myself to let you go."

"I'm going to take the compliment," Chaewon glared.

Y/n chortled, "It was the truth."

Gaeul watched the pair talk endlessly underneath the shade. Daeun and Kwangsun slept in each other's arms; Y/n and Chaewon smiled together without a care, yet Gaeul watched helplessly in the sun.

She sighed as the harsh rays beat at her skin, heating her hair to no end. The tree behind the group spared not a shred of shade for her as only the brief gusts she sighed came to cool her down.

Gaeul threw her bag to the ground, falling onto her mattress with a defeated frown. She imagined herself laying on Chaewon's expensive bed; the fluffy covers hugged her like that of a mother, while the mattress cradled her as if she were a baby.

The scent of caramel and vanilla wafted through her nose like a dandelion in the spring breeze. Just as Gaeul felt her memories come to life, a large bang sounded through her wall, jolting her.

She sighed as she listened to the muffled argument through the wall.

Why could I only afford a single dorm...

Polished concrete bricks surround the student, giving her the impression of a prison cell more than a dorm. Speckled patterns of mold scattered across her ceiling, and a persisting stench filled her apartment, forcing her to spray air freshener frequently.

The gratitude she felt toward nature the prior day turned to anger as she pounded against her frameless bed.

"Why couldn't it just storm that day..." Gaeul whined. "I could be laying comfortably in their dorm right now..."

She rolled over, recounting the stained sections of the room with a sigh.

"At least I made friends. That's all that matters."

Gaeul closed her eyes once more. An image of Chaewon in a maid outfit flashed before her, slowly turning into an image of herself.

She imagined cleaning the Kims' expensive dorm like she did in so many of her part time jobs. The idea of receiving payment for being in their dorm felt like a dream to her.

Ah... But Chaewon's job is to keep the dorm clean... What if I took half the work? Since she's studying as a student, surely that would help her; there's no way they'll say no to it. Then, I could also spend as much time as possible in their dorm instead of here. What if they let me live there?! I could sleep on the couch or... something... But how do I bring it up to them...?

"Hey, Mr. Kim, what if you made Gaeul your maid as well?" Chaewon jokingly proposed.

Y/n furrowed his eyes as he browsed the television channels, "I feel like that would be an insult to her."

"Why? I think she'd enjoy living here," the radish reasoned.

"It just feels wrong... morally."

Chaewon placed the back of her head against Y/n's shoulder, stretching her legs out to the rest of the couch.

"Don't you think she would look pretty in my uniform? Maybe we could get a new style that would be just for us. The Kim Y/n style!"

"She'd look pretty in any dress," Y/n replied.

Chaewon smiled, "What about me?"

"When was this conversation about you?" Y/n scoffed.

"Fuck you too, I guess," Chaewon pouted.

"I'm kidding," Y/n chuckled. He rubbed Chaewon's head, earning a groan, "I think you look great."

"In...?" Chaewon prodded.

Y/n side-eyed the radish, "You're pushing your luck."

Chaewon cleared her throat, "I think Kwangsun and Daeun's relationship is cute. Not romantic, but still really close."

"Those two are polar opposites in the looks department though," Y/n remarked. "Not in a bad way."

"Do you have a crush on Daeun?" Chaewon nudged the man with her elbow, "Do you like them young?"

"I'm going to kick you out if you keep this up," Y/n glared.

"Sure, sure," Chaewon breathed. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of her. Her perfect skin, her perfect voice, the way she makes you want to take care of her—it's all so perfect!!"

"You used perfect three times in that sentence by the way," Y/n droned.

"Thanks."

The man took a deep breath, folding his arms. "Yeah, she looks perfect. She seems docile, flexible, and probably gets along with Kwangsun perfectly, but I think she's too perfect."

Chaewon tilted her head back, eyeing the side of the man's head, "Too perfect?"

"I would feel like I'm not good enough. If a guy were to approach her, I'd feel jealous if she even smiled," Y/n explained. "For a partner, I'd want someone I can relate to—both physically and on a personal level. But, if I had to pick between getting a partner and you, I'd rather have you."

Chaewon pushed herself upright, turning to her master with widened eyes. The corners of her mouth dropped as her jaw lowered, and her fist rested above her heart.

"Sure, she's perfect, but she's no celestial." Y/n turned his head, smiling softly. "Because I'm looking at the only one in the world right now."