𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙣

even at three in the morning, fluorescent lights buzzed overhead like a swarm of bees buzzing around your head, monitors from each ward beeped behind closed curtains, and medical staff bumping into each other in every hallway.

as for minji, she really does need to rest after being sleep deprived for weeks. one hour ago, she had almost walked into the radiology room instead of the elevator while on her way back to her office because she swore it looked like an elevator at first glance. so when she successfully dragged herself to her office and slumped on the chair with her eyes half closed, she didn't care to acknowledge that someone was knocking on the door anymore.

the knocks on the door had been repeating several times before the door gently being opened slowly like it could disturb anyone in the office.

“minji?”

silence.

“minji-ssi?” 

did i start hallucinating? minji sleepily thought to herself as she cracked one eye open and saw the blurry sight of you standing in front of the table, making the corner of her lips rise up into a lazy smile.

pathetic. whenever she hallucinates—which happens frequently ever since the lack of sleep has taken a toll on her—she could see you like she thought she's going crazy. it wasn't a big deal to her if you weren't her crush. hell, minji couldn't even strike a conversation properly with you. the reason why she has a crush on you is that you always make it easier for her to be herself. funny how a simple crush could make the guarded minji lose composure effortlessly. bumping into each other in the hallway at 2am? you would smile at her and give small encouragements to lift her up. the two of you happen to stand side to side in front of the vending machine? you would playfully trade snacks with her and maybe even have a small talk—you didn't complain even when you do the most talking—before eventually having to part ways to get back to work. minji passing out in her office from staying awake for too long? you would leave a reminder note to take care of herself and drape a blanket over her shoulder before leaving.

it had eventually become moments that minji would patiently look forward to because it was the highlight of her day. however, work has been the reason minji can't see you nowadays. and of course, she missed you. might as well be the reason why minji hallucinates you. no?

“minji-ssi?”

there, another hallucination of you. minji is indeed going insane when you are nowhere near her.

“you came back…”

you frowned when you heard her murmur, a confusing smile appeared on your lips as you stride your way closer to see if minji is awake or sleep talking. but seeing the dark circles sitting beneath her eyes and the way her eyes are half closed made you sigh out of concern. “i come here to check on you, minji.”

with a mindlessly hum, minji reached out to you without thinking. her fingers curled around the sleeve of your white coat. it was strangely real. hallucinations of you weren't usually this vivid. “y/n…”

"you should go home," you murmured softly, having no idea what is minji doing. "i can see you're exhausted.”

instead of responding with words, her fingers found the sides of your waist before her arms slowly curled around your waist to pull you close to her which made you caught off guard by her sudden action. is minji losing her mind? probably. before you could say anything, minji leaned forward so her forehead came to rest against your stomach area.

“...minji-ssi?”

“don't leave…” minji muttered weakly, her eyes already fully closed after resting her face on your stomach yet her mind is still conscious despite being in an unconscious state.

“what are you talking about, minji?” you stiffened. it was the first time she'd ever initiated any kind of contact with you. and it was obviously the very first time she'd ever let herself get this close to you. you have always thought minji is a firm woman who has a wall around her that makes it hard for you to get through despite the efforts of getting to know her, so how is this the same guarded minji you have known?

her face pressed close to your stomach as her arms wrapped loosely around your waist, barely holding on due to unconsciousness. "i know you're not real." she mumbled mindlessly. 

"huh?"

"but it's okay… it's… okay…" her sleepy voice was muffled against your clothes. “i don't want you to leave yet. so, please… stay longer in my dream tonight… i miss you, y/n…"

you stood completely still now rather stiffened as you could feel the steady warmth of her forehead through the fabric. you don't have a word to say in this situation. aren't you always the one talking whenever you're with her? 

however, the last thing you wanted was to ruin the way she unconsciously relaxed into you before she let out a tiny sigh. she looked peaceful under you. "so warm..."

your hand hovered awkwardly above her head, unsure whether touching her would make her melt into you or jolt awake and probably send you out because she's embarrassed. "minji…”

minji hummed in response, holding you tight before losing the grip unconsciously. “mmm, i love you."

your heart suddenly refused to beat normally by the moment you heard those three words coming out of minji's lips. the words came so naturally that they almost sounded like a confession.

or was it actually a confession?

what the hell is happening? are you hallucinating too?

“i love you, y/n…” minji repeated as she buried her face against you with a tiny sigh. “i think… about you all the time… even when i don't want to…” she cuts herself off by letting out a sleepy giggle. “i guess you have your way etching onto my mind…”

slowly, your fingers move to brush a loose strand of hair away from her face after spending minutes debating with yourself to not do it because you're afraid she might wake up. then, despite your hesitation, you let your hand linger against her soft cheek when she leaned into your touch like in instinct. her eyes never opened, and the way her cheek rested fully in your palm with a soft sigh made your hesitation fade away.

unexpectedly, minii pressed a sleepy kiss against the center of your hand, making your entire body freeze.

minji kissed my hand? you thought to yourself with a puzzled look.

the kiss lasted not more than one second. it was barely a brush against your skin yet it left an impact on your skin.

“your hand feels warm…” minji muttered absentmindedly in her sleep, “i like it.” she leaned into your hand again, another impossibly gentle kiss finding your palm before she let out a contented sigh.

you couldn’t speak at all. not that you expect this to happen on a random busy night shift. it was as if the things minji did—though unconsciously—managed to leave your mind blank. now that words had failed you, the only thing you could do is look at her sleeping face resting so perfectly against your palm with her arms unconsciously holding your waist, as though letting go would mean losing you. 

“i’d stay working here forever if it meant seeing you everyday…”

after a moment, silence settled between you. minji seemed to stop talking. you thought to yourself as you looked down at her and noticed her eyes had fallen shut while her breathing had evened out. yeah, she seemed deep in sleep now. you confirmed by seeing a tiny, exhausted crease remained between her brows.

“minji-ssi…” you murmured her name with your voice barely rising above a whisper. "so that's what was on your mind all this time. i thought you don't feel the same."

minji didn't hear what you said, of course. she only breathed steadily against your stomach as if resting her head on your stomach was better than a pillow.

throughout the silence, you stayed frozen while she slept against you comfortably, seemingly unaware that every buried confession she had said out loud tonight had been heard by the woman she liked for months.

“i love you too, minji-ssi.”

the next day arrived and minji woke up with a sleepy grunt. rubbing her eyes and massaging the ache in her neck, she found herself in her office before recalling that she had passed out right after slumping onto the office chair. but something feels off. yet, the memory of her hallucination last night took over as she brought her hand close to her cheek.

the warmth of your palm somehow lingered on her cheek. “it feels so real…” minji muttered to herself, unsure to believe whether it was just a stupid hallucination or a reality. 

minji blinked. no, it had to be a hallucination. she thought to herself, almost like forcing herself to believe what she wants because there's no way she would lean into your touch and confess her feelings to you last night. right? minji had experienced hallucinations before. so last night's hallucinations counted as one too.

the thought of it makes minji groan, dragging a hand down her face because never in her life could she be at peace. yet she couldn't refuse to forget about the faint warmth of your hand and the faint scent that lingered stubbornly in her mind. the steady pulse of your heartbeat thumped in her ear sounds too vivid too.

ugh, get a grip, kim minji. she ended up blaming exhaustion as she pushed herself upright and that's when she noticed a navy blue blanket slid off her shoulders like running water. for a moment, minji froze where she was standing. weird, she didn't remember draping a blanket over her before passing out.

wait…

eventually, her feelings were no longer just assumptions as the blanket proved her wrong.

then, minji noticed the paper cup of tea on the table beside her patient charts, now cold from being left untouched. she also noticed the familiar handwriting on the paper cup.

it was in fact your handwriting.

a cup of tea for you!! i did this because you look really exhausted last night :P

her breathing stopped the moment realization settled inside her. the office was painfully quiet as her mind replayed every second from last night that wasn't a hallucination at all. by that means, the vivid memory of you, and her confession to everything she'd hidden were in fact real. not a hallucination. and definitely happened last night. every single confession and words were exposed.

"...fuck, i need to resign.”

she didn't, obviously.

resigning required paperwork, and she was too embarrassed to make eye contact with the administrative staff. ever since that happened, she couldn't make eye contact with anyone without remembering what happened that night and it wouldn't leave her mind.

so a cowardly move was all she did, she chose the next option which is avoiding you in every possible way; if she heard your laugh in the hallway, she'd immediately turn around to use another hallway. if she saw your name on the shift board, she'd miserably volunteer to cover another department. even pathetically willing to take the stairs instead of the elevator after spotting you using it.

i am such a coward. minji thought to herself dejectedly.

she has been avoiding you for a hell of a week now. even though deep down in her heart, she misses you so much but the lack of courage held her back from confronting you. she knows herself that she couldn't keep this up forever. problems could never be solved if you keep avoiding them, right?

if only minji could be aware of how often you hopelessly seek her presence ever since you noticed she has been avoiding you…

the hospital was busy like it always was during midnight. after minji checked the last assigned patient from the second floor, she wandered straight toward the vending machine—your favorite one because you often told her it sells apple juice—with heavy steps.

sleep never comes, hallucinations keep getting worse. last night she mistook a mop as one of her patients that she vividly remembers having greasy white hair until the janitor entered the room and blinked in confusion.

“i should sleep after this.” minji murmured to herself as she stood right across the vending machine. for one cruel minute, she thought of you. if you were here, you would have urged her to buy apple juice because it tastes good.

kim minji, you are pathetic. minji thought to herself as she groaned while dragging a hand across her face before she fished coins from her purse and stared blankly at the glowing buttons of choices.

the apple juice button stared back at her like it expected her to press it. minji only let out a soft sigh before pressing the button and wait for it to fall. but nothing happened which made her eyebrows frown. “what the hell.” she grunted and pressed it again with a harsh tap. still, nothing happened.

"that machine jams sometimes."

a recognizably soft voice spoke behind her out of the blue, making minji's heart nearly stop as she jolted and turned behind her in the blink of an eye that her head almost hit the vending machine. she saw you standing a few feet away from her, hands in your pockets while looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite read for the first time.

no. wait. you weren't actually there. this must be another silly hallucination playing tricks on her after not getting enough sleep. minji thoughtlessly thinks to herself. 

“god, help me, i'm genuinely going insane…” minji grunted under her breath, rubbing her tired eyes before giving the machine one last hopeless look. "i should probably sleep."

then, she turned around sluggishly, intending to walk past you like you didn't exist at all until your hand caught her wrist gently. every drop of color drained from her face when she realized you in fact existed right in front of her eyes right now.

"how much longer are you going to avoid me, minji-ssi?”

at that time, minji considered every possible escape route to flee from you; jumping out a window near her sight, or even enrolling in another medical school to start over again under a fake identity.

“minji?”

"...y-yes!” minji quavered after snapping back into reality.

both were quiet for a moment, your eyes hadn't left hers like you're trying to find answers on her face instead. then, your fingers slipped away her wrist. "i’m asking you a question...”

minji immediately tore her gaze away from you, and couldn't even look at you when you started talking. “i…” she trailed off when she didn't have any excuse to lie on your face. “i wasn't… ignoring you.”

you tilted your head at her nonsensical answer as the corner of your lips rose slightly because you noticed her cheeks are getting red. is this even the guarded minji you know? “i’m aware that you've been running away from me,” you sighed and carefully stepped closer to her so she won't run away. "...why?"

you'd waited long enough and you couldn't wait for another day without her presence anymore.

“pretend you never heard every word i said to you that night.” minji told you straightforwardly, her eyes are still on the ground instead of looking up at you.

"i'd rather hear you say it again," you muttered honestly from your aching heart that her head snapped up. “i don't think i can pretend it never happened, minji-ssi,” you swallowed your fear and let out a deep sigh. “i love you too.”

minji was speechless. did she just confess in front of me? am i hallucinating? she thought to herself. she decided to rub her eyes and slap her cheeks a little too hard to see if you were still there; well, you were, in fact, still standing in front of her. minji is now wide awake despite feeling worn to a frazzle a while ago. 

“you… love me too?”

“you heard me,” you beamed immediately at minji's reaction. “honestly, it was hard to figure you out at first. but i really enjoyed every time i got to talk to you,” you explained while getting close to her, only stopping when you're one step closer to her. “when you confessed to me that night in your office, i got my hopes up thinking our feelings are mutual…” you trailed off with a sigh that sounded deflated the moment after seeing minji had avoided you for a week, thinking of it as just a fleeting feeling. “...but you seemed so genuine that night. so was i a creep for reaching out to you like this because i want to stop pretending it doesn't fuck me up?”

minji's eyes widened before she shook her head frantically. "n-no," she stammered immediately, her fingers curling into the sleeves of her coat and looking down instinctively. "you're not a creep, y/n... i’m just..." she trailed off as her voice dwindled into something barely audible to the world but not you. "i… was actually embarrassed," she refuses to meet your gaze and keeps her gaze on her polished shoes instead. "i can’t believe i actually confessed to you," she mumbled, the words tumbling over each other with her shoulders drawing up. “and you heard all the words.”

a small smile found its way onto your face. "can you look at me, minji-ssi?"

still, minji stared stubbornly at the floor as her face got even redder. "...no."

"please?"

after a long pause, minji reluctantly lifted her head. god, you look pretty up close. “yes, y/n?”

"there's nothing to be embarrassed about," you declared gently, holding her gaze to convince her that you are serious about this. "the way you confessed that night was kind of flattering, actually…" you chuckled when you noticed her shoulders had eased after you reassured her. "but now i wanted to ask you something."

"hm?"

"do you always hallucinate me?"

minji buried her face in her both hands, following with a tiny groan. "...y-yes."

a laugh slipped out before you could stop yourself, it sounded genuine that it made minji’s chest tightened with adoration. she has always loved your voice. then, minji peeked through her fingers to see you—a beautiful sight of you smiling—only to immediately cover her face again. "i'm sorry, y/n. i’m sorry for avoiding you because i'm such a coward."

the laughter had gradually faded. then, your hand reached over and gently nudged one of her wrists away from her face. "hey, it's okay," you beamed. "i accept your apology, minji-ssi. i love you."

slowly, minji's hands fall to her sides. her face is still red, yet she wanted to look at you. “i… love you too, y/n.”

i did it. I'm not a coward anymore. minji thought to herself gleefully.

the tension between you had disappeared. and as if the universe had been waiting for the right moment, the apple juice eventually tumbled from the vending machine and landed in the retrieval slot with a thud. then, the two of you stared at it before giggling together.

she's your 8pm. and you're her 8pm too—it was a familiar daily routine in your relationship to be available for each other at that time.

usually, nothing big happens when you and hanni spend time together, both of you prefer little things for quality time. for example, hanni and you cooking dinner in different places over a video call while exchanging stories could bring smiles to your faces.

matter of fact, those small intimate moments were so undeniably precious. at least, for a long distance relationship like you and hanni. hell, not even a day neither of you missed it because it felt incomplete without spending time with each other at 8pm.

until one day, all you got was the unanswered calls before it changed to the voicemail of hanni apologizing to you and explaining that she wasn't available at that time because she has to attend a special event to perform. for the first time you were left alone at 8pm, the missed hour feels longer than the entire day.

it was dramatic for people, sure it is. however, think about it, what could you even do when distance won't allow you from seeing your girlfriend, for she is the only one who has ever made you feel at ease at the end of the day?

you went to sleep with a heavy heart that night.

phammiee ❤️

hi and good evening my love!!! 😚

i will call you tonight, okay??

god, i miss your voicee

i miss your face too!

and i miss youuuu so muchhhhie

can't wait for tonight… wait for me, sweetie!!! ❤️❤️❤️

the corner of your lips immediately lifted up in a relieved smile right after seeing the notifications you've been looking forward to finally popping up in your phone.

and when the clock strikes at 8pm, your phone buzzes with an incoming call from hanni. so, you answered her call without a second thought. why would you think before answering anyway?

“oh my god. hi, baby!!!” hanni's voice crackled excitedly through the phone speaker when she saw your face. “god, i miss you. i’m very, very sorry because we couldn't spend time together yesterday.” she went on, her face lighting up even more when she saw you wave at her shyly.

“hanni, hey, baby, it's okay, i understand that you were caught up with last night's event,” you reassured her in the softest way possible so she wouldn't continuously blame herself for what had occurred last night. “how was last night's performance, baby? tell me.”

hanni sighed into the speaker softly. you watch her shifting sitting in the living room to be in her bedroom, making her way to lay flat on the soft mattress and show her face from the top view. it reminds you of the days you used to tip your chin down to look at her and play with her hair while listening to her ranting about how she doesn't like it when her friends call her unicorn plushie pregnant, or anything in particular.

“it was… good, i assumed,” hanni stopped and offered an embarrassed grin towards the bright screen before chuckling slightly when she saw you raise your eyebrow curiously. “god, okay, my voice unexpectedly cracked slightly during the bridge. but i went on anyway, still my vocal coach praised me for not stopping.”

“i'm proud of you for not stopping too,” you murmured before your lips breaking into a sheepish grin, making your eyes turned into ‘u’ upside down. “you already did well, baby. you are amazing. i'm not lying. i've seen the video you've sent me.”

“thank you, sweetie,” hanni thanked you in a shy manner before giving you a flying kiss and you unabashedly took it to guide your hand to your chest like you can feel your chest warm just by her flying kiss, making her laugh at your action. “but i still feel guilty for yesterday. you must've felt really alone without me. i'm so sorry…” she voiced her concern with a pout.

you glared at her playfully, then huffed out a small sigh where hanni clearly knew she's about to get lectured by you. “hanni, baby, it's okay, you don't need to apologize because you shouldn't apologize for things you can't control,” you rambled in concern. “though, i have to admit that i felt really alone without you last night.”

with that, hanni's expression fell, guilt written all over her face when she heard your words. “see? you felt lonely because i left you alone.” her voice was small through the speaker, and you could feel how it affected her.

“but you didn't choose to leave me alone, am i right?” you asked her, tilting your head to the side while keeping your eyes on the screen.

hanni lowered her gaze, absentmindedly picking at her sleeve instead of looking at you. "i still feel bad, love. ever since we were away from each other we already promised we'd spend the night together every 8pm…" she paused to sigh like she just committed a serious crime. "i'm a terrible girlfriend."

what the fuck? terrible? hanni? that didn't fit in hanni at all. never throughout the relationship she is being terrible to you. if she did, it was to herself instead.

"pham ngoc han," your voice came out firmer than hanni ever heard before. and did you just call her by her full name? she's screwed tonight. "don't say that. look at me, please."

however, hanni bit her lower lip because she's still unconvinced as she looked up at you. “you’re not mad at me?”

"no, of course i’m not going to be mad at you, baby…" you gently declared with a softened voice because you couldn't bring yourself to scold her sternly. "one missed night doesn't erase everything we've done together,” you explained to her. “you're allowed to be busy because you clearly have a life, and you're definitely not a terrible girlfriend just because you are unavailable for one night."

silence settled between the two of you for a moment as you watched hanni rub her eyes in a penitent way before it was broken by hanni's tiny sigh of defeat. “okay, i'm not a terrible girlfriend. i'm sorry for being mean to myself.”

you smiled softly when you saw hanni's lips pucker. she never fails to look so adorable. you would have painted her cheeks with your red lipstick if you were close to her. "you know, the thought of me being mad at you is ridiculous,” you chuckled softly, which made a small smile curled up on hanni's lips. “i just missed you."

that makes hanni bring the phone close to her face. "i missed you too, baby," she murmured, the guilt still lingering in her eyes despite she knew arguing with you any further was pointless. she was clearly wrong in this argument. “did you sleep well last night?”

you only shake your head with a smile. “one missed night without you feels incomplete to me. i couldn't sleep well last night because i miss your face,” you sighed out, hopelessly wishing hanni could be in your arms instead of inside your phone. “they stole my 8pm.”

“but not anymore,” hanni shook her head with a comforting smile. “i'm all yours tonight, love.”

you beamed. “can it stay that way forever?”

“yes, love,” hanni nodded her head wholeheartedly without hesitation. “it will stay that way forever. you won't escape me because i love you very much.”

“i love you very much too, hanni. so i am right where i want to be.”

“good morning, my love!” greeted minji with joy as she promptly pulled you into her warm embrace from behind, catching you off guard that the honey syrup bottle you were holding almost slipped from your grip. “what are you cooking for breakfast?”

“good morning, baby,” you greeted back and put down the honey syrup bottle on the counter. “i just make pancakes for breakfast. nothing's new.” you explained softly to minji, flipping the two pancakes upside down with such precision before leaning your back comfortably against minji.

“new or not, i’d still eat it,” minji grinned, her chin resting against your shoulder while her arms refusing to let you go, wrapping around your small frame adamantly. “your cooking is always delicious, honey.” she whispered in your ear before pressing her lips on your cheek.

you chuckled a little, glancing at minji with love in your eyes. “good, i don't want my girlfriend to starve.” you murmured under your breath and pecked minji's lips, leaving the latter's face turned crimson red.

“i won't be starving here,” minji replied, her voice laced with confidence. “not when you're around~” she tightens the embrace and gently swings you side to side, while her lips brushing on your neck and shoulder for kisses. “i love you so much, y/n.”

“i love you so much too, minji,” you answered back with soft giggles. keeping minji's defined wrist pressed against your abdomen, you carefully scooped the pancakes off the pan onto a plate with your free hand. “it's all done, you should sit down so i can serve you.” you told her after turning off the gas.

“but what if i don't want to let you go?” minji stopped kissing your neck to ask a question, the corner of her lips lifted mischievously, knowing how you couldn't resist her. 

“such a clingy baby. do whatever you want to me, then.” you playfully rolled your eyes and let her do what she wants—even though you are struggling to move around the kitchen when minji is hovering over your back with her lips can't stop kissing your neck and shoulder. “ah, that spot is ticklish, baby~” you crooned with a soft giggle, neck jerking to the side when her lips had brushed the ticklish spot on your neck. “stop kissing me now. you have to eat, baby.” you chuckled, your hands now shifted to push her hips but she didn't move quite a bit. 

hesitation flickered across her face before she eventually pulled away from you. not without another firm kiss on the shoulder. however, just as you thought you could sit down and eat your breakfast, minji lifted you by the waist like you were just a sheet of paper and put you down on the counter gently as her lips sported a mischievous grin.

“what now, kim minji?” you quipped, couldn't suppress a soft smile when your cocky girlfriend looks so pretty right now in front of you. “are you trying to get on my nerves?”

“of course not, honey,” minji replied with a soft giggle. glancing at your lips, she scooched over to close the gap between you that you can feel her breath fanning over your cheeks. “i just need my daily morning kisses. please?”

“you’re lucky i love you, kim minji.” you gave her a playful exaggerated eye roll before your hands gently cupped her cheeks and leaned in to press a soft kiss on her lips, causing minji to melt into it like she needed it for her dear life.

then, to take a short break, minji pulled away from the kiss and beamed at you like she can survive the world when you’re around. “and i am indeed very lucky to be loved by you, baby.” she murmured before capturing your lips in soft, little kisses, later on turning slowly into desperate kisses.

after a moment, you tried to pull back from the kiss, your hands shifted to press lightly against her shoulders to tell her to stop but she only slid her left hand to the back of your neck, keeping you close as if she wasn’t ready to let go just yet. of course, what do you expect from kim minji? the worshipful girlfriend of yours would let herself get scolded just to feel the taste of your lips against hers. 

the kiss deepened a moment longer before you wrapped your arms around her neck, melting into the kiss despite wanting to pull away. but then, your left thigh nudged against her hip as if to snap her back to reality after losing herself in your kiss. only then did she pull away from the kiss with a ragged breath while the silence enveloped between you.

“i’m addicted,” minji broke the silence after a moment, her smile lingers on her lips while her gaze stayed on your lovely face and her arms moved to rest on the kitchen counter. “i love kissing you.”

“you always flirting, you know that?” you complained without a mock, your arms engulf minji's frame so she can't go away. not that minji would do that anyways. you know how clingy she can get when you're around. “and i hate that it works on me.”

“you can't resist my charm, princess~” minji cooed cockily, wearing the satisfied expression of someone who knew she'd completely swept you off your feet. 

well, who doesn't? it's kim minji!

“fine, you’re right,” you accepted the defeat. “i guess i just can't resist my girlfriend's charm~” you cooed along, a fond smile tugging at your lips. 

the sweetest moment between you somehow got interrupted by the sound of your stomach growling in hunger. laughter burst out of minji's lips right when you tear your gaze away from her face in embarrassment.

your cheeks had turned crimson red when you heard her laugh in front of you. “s-stop it! it's not funny, babe!” you tried to scold her firmly, instead seeing her laughing makes you soften because she looked so happy. “i'm hungry now, let me get down.”

“say ‘i love you’ first.” 

you groaned at her command. but, you cleared your throat first before softening your voice to make her melt. “i love you, minji-ah~”

minji chuckled at your confession, completely smitten like a fool. “can i also get a kiss on my lips, please?”

shaking your head and letting out a soft sigh, you leaned over to press a soft kiss on her lips as told. “there,” you murmured with a soft smile. “are you done?”

minji nodded her head sheepishly. “yes, i’m done, baby,” she nudged her chin towards the pancakes served on the table awhile ago that most likely had gone cold from being left forgotten and uneaten. “now we can eat breakfast together.”

“oh finally, i'm starving.” you grumbled, letting minji pick you up in ease and guiding your light frame to the chair.

“i’m so sorry, princess,” minji kissed your forehead as an apology. then, she sits down near you like she couldn't function if she sits too far from you. “let's eat, i’ll feed you.”

without complaining, you beamed at her reply and opened your mouth instinctively, letting her feed you the pancakes you cooked. “mmm, it tastes good,” you murmured between bites. “you should eat too, babe.”

minji hummed softly in response. then, she feeds herself the pancake before nodding her head in agreement. “baby, your cooking never fails,” she complimented you with a wink, then feed herself the pancake two times before turning to feed you next when she noticed you opened your mouth, waiting for her to feed you. “you're cute, baby.”

you didn’t reply. instead, you hummed softly in satisfaction while swaying slightly in place because the sweetness had your body moving in small motions like a flower nodding in the breeze. was that pancakes too good?

minji watched you for a moment before letting out a quiet giggle, easily entertained by how you act around her. however, her laughter slowly fade out as her gaze caught something near your lips—a thin streak of honey syrup clung at the corner of your lips.

“you got something on your lips, baby.”

“really? can you wipe it for me?”

“sure, i can do that.” minji answered and leaned in—not using her thumb like you expected—to use her tongue for skimming up the thin streak of honey syrup that clung right at the corner of your lips. after that, she pulled back a little to meet your eyes, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “it tastes even better on your lips, princess.” she teased lightly, mischievous grin forming as she leaned in again to press a soft peck to your lips.

“what a flirt.” you quipped with a snort. “you could've just wipe it with your thumb.”