from which a garden grows / purinz

Chapter 3/01 : Tulip

It's sort of fucked up to keep someone on the hook for so long and then abruptly break up with them without bothering to learn a single, substantial thing about them. Because that would mean you were just using them.

So, to clear her conscience before she karate chops Yunjin's heart (she'll get around to doing it, Chaewon swears... work's just been really busy, ok?!), Chaewon makes a greater effort to get to know Yunjin better.

It's common courtesy. Isn't it plain decency to at least know the favorite movie of the person you've undressed 43 times (but who's counting)?

"Hm... it would have to be Spiderman. First one- the first one with Tobey Maguire. I like all of them, but there's something about Tobey's Peter Parker that makes him so relatable. His Peter really feels like a geeky kid you'd come across in your high school. I was the Peter Parker of mine."

Chaewon raises her brows in disbelief. "You were a geek? You're kidding, right? There's no way you weren't one of the popular kids."

"No, Ma'am," Yunjin says with a slight Southern accent, for no apparent reason, "I ain't lyin'. I was as unpopular as they get. I was a late bloomer; I didn't have my dashing good looks to rely on yet. A pretty girl like you?" Yunjin squints and wags a playful finger at Chaewon. "Oh, you woulda walked right past me."

Chaewon smiles sadly. "No, I wouldn't."

Yunjin scoffs. "Please, I was in band."

"Hey, I liked the band kids," Chaewon says sweetly. "I was friends with them."

"Oh yeah?" Yunjin challenges, "Were you friends with the kid who played the triangle?"

"Wait, that's a thing? They actually assign someone the triangle as their main instrument?"

"Only if you're good enough. It sounds like I'm making this up but you actually have to pass a competency test in order to play. And I failed. I fucking failed at the most basic instrument!" Yunjin pauses to gather up all her teenage angst and spite and imbue it into her next statement. "So the band director demoted me... to triangle apprentice."

"Triangle apprentice?"

"Yes," Yunjin scowls, " Tri... ang... le... ap... pren... tice . I had to follow Timmy Gunderson around for four years. He smelled like egg salad and he wore the same pair of boxers everyday for a week! And you know how I know? Because his pants sagged down to his knees! God, that kid was annoying. Yet his triangle playing outshined mine..." Yunjin sarcastically waves her hands in the air, "...apparently."

Chaewon rubs Yunjin's arm sympathetically.

"It's ok, Chaewon. You can laugh."

"Why would I laugh?"

"Chaewon, I sucked so bad that I wasn't even allowed to play a shape. It's laughable. I'm- hahaha- I'm laughing right now!"

Chaewon sticks her chin on Yunjin's shoulder. "Yunjin..."

"Don't worry, I've gotten over it. All of it: the mean girls, going to dances alone, getting picked last in gym class. High school was a million years ago! C'mon, laugh it off with me. It'll make me feel better!"

"I guess it is a little funny," Chaewon admits, "Heh... triangle apprentice."

"Triangle apprentice! That's me!" Yunjin throws her arms up with glee. She owns the title, shows it off, wears it proudly like the way she wears her heart on her sleeve.

It's one of Yunjin's most admirable qualities: how easily she's able to poke fun at herself while still holding onto the signature confidence and charisma that makes Chaewon want to jump her bones.

Together, they tumble backwards on Yunjin's new mattress, laughing and smiling.

Chaewon can hardly believe this moment belongs to her. It shouldn't.

This feels like a scene ripped straight from one of her romcoms. And what she says next, feels like a line from one of her romcoms.

"Yunjin, for the record," Chaewon wraps an arm around Yunjin's midsection, "I would've picked you first."