in the quiet sanctuary of a small-town church, two souls from different worlds collide. yunjin, a gay girl with a vibrant spirit, finds herself navigating the rigid expectations of her conservative family. each sunday, she seeks solace in the church...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
chapter twenty three ʚ ✮ ɞ
yunjin's eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the soft morning light spilling into the room. the sun was already peeking through the narrow gaps in chaewon's thin, sheer curtains, casting delicate beams across the bed. she squinted, feeling the brightness wash over her, and a small, sleepy groan slipped past her lips.
reluctant to face the day just yet, yunjin let herself sink back into the warmth beside her, curling closer against chaewon's side. she buried her face into the curve of chaewon's shoulder, breathing in the familiar, soothing scent of soft vanilla cream that lingered on her skin. the fragrance was gentle but rich, wrapping around her like a quiet comfort, grounding her in the quiet moment. for a while, she stayed like that, feeling the steady rise and fall of chaewon's breathing, savoring the peacefulness that only mornings like these could bring.
"g'morning, sleepyhead," chaewon murmured, her voice soft and drowsy as the faint tickle of yunjin's red hair brushed against her bare skin. without a second thought, her fingers drifted to rest gently on yunjin's waist, her touch light yet grounding.
yunjin's body immediately tensed at the contact, a surge of warmth flooding through her that felt almost electric. her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, betraying the flurry of feelings stirred by chaewon's gentle hold. she hesitated for a moment, hoping her breath wasn't giving away the sudden race of her heart. but nestled there, feeling the reassuring weight of chaewon's hand, she couldn't help but let a shy smile creep across her lips.
"good morning," yunjin murmured back, letting herself sink into the soft pillows behind her. for a moment, she simply laid there, her mind drifting back to last night's confession—the way chaewon had smiled, her words full of warmth. chaewon actually liked her back. yunjin still couldn't believe it, a flurry of emotions tumbling through her that she struggled to name. she felt... ecstatic, almost as if her heart could burst from happiness. but mixed with that joy was an undercurrent of fear, something dark and lingering.
what if chaewon changed her mind? what if she realized yunjin was too much to handle, too complicated, a burden she'd regret taking on? the doubts crept in like shadows, clouding the bright edges of her happiness.
without meaning to, yunjin felt her expression darken, a deep frown settling onto her face. she bit her lip, trying to push the worries aside, but they clung tightly, refusing to leave.
chaewon turned toward yunjin, her gaze soft and searching, and without hesitation, her fingers reached out to trace the gentle line of yunjin's jaw. "what's up?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, carrying that warmth that always managed to send a shiver down yunjin's spine.
yunjin hesitated, her eyes dropping for a moment before she managed a small smile. "just thinking about last night," she replied. it wasn't the whole truth, but at least it was part of it. her mind was still swirling from chaewon's confession, the sweet surprise of it, and the way it had lifted her spirits. but it was also tangled with the heavy thoughts of her father—the argument, the tension, the shadows that seemed to follow her no matter how far she tried to run. last night had been a whirlwind of emotions, highs and lows crashing together in a way that left her feeling drained yet wide awake.
