pink lemonade!

                plopping down next to the slightly short girl, sora didn’t waste any time before practically invading seonmi’s personal space like it was no one’s business. “ here you are. i was looking for you all night! were you hiding from me or something? ” a smirk was dangling from her lips as she laid her eyes on the girl beside her. it had been a little while since they had last seen each other, but she couldn’t recall that anything had happened that would have been reason for them to be avoiding each other. “ who are your tent mates? it’s super unfair that we aren’t able to be roomies. i think that would’ve been a lot more fun than me rooming with miss i’m the best around here. ” sora paused to let out an overdramatic sigh. “ but byul is there too, so it could have been much, much worse. ” looking around the camping site, she suddenly remembered the reason why all of them had gathered in the first place. “ are you excited for the meteor shower? it’s so romantic. ” wiggling her eyebrows, sora couldn’t help but laugh.

she laughs and pouts at the older girl’s accusation, “no i wasn’t! you disappeared,” seonmi argues, though that’s probably a lie — she’s been holed up in the tent with a very special someone. and two other someones, too. sora pops her personal space bubble with ease and seonmi leans up on her, tossing her hair back. “i would be the best roommate around, but my presence is needed in our very special air tent! we’ve got eunseok, jieun and xia,” she says, speeding up past that last one in some failed effort to hide her feelings. a slip of pink peeks out, wetting her lips, and the petite woman reaches out to poke at sora’s cheek when she lets out a sigh. “hey, you’ve got byul! and i’m here now, aren’t i?” she teases, tilting her head up along the older girl’s cheek. “it’s romantic,” she agrees, letting out a little sigh, then looks at sora out the side of her eye, teasing, “since when do you do romantic?”

(...)

she sighs, nervously pulling at a stray loose thread coming from her knitted sweater and leaving out her door to find her friend in their designated stargazing spot on xia’s balcony, a place where she’s usually staring off into her telescope. “your hot chocolate,” she says with a smile, sitting down next to seonmi and pulling the blanket over her lap.

“have they started yet?” xia says looking up, holding her mug tightly in her hands. she scoots closer to seonmi, shivering slightly. “i’m always too spacey to remember when the showers are but i had this one on my calendar, and of course spending it with you makes it more special so i’m excited.” 

it isn’t totally dark yet, moonlight soft and giving the other girl a pretty backlit glow that steals her breath for a moment. they’ve snuck out of their shared tent, spacious enough for four people but... perhaps not the valentine’s atmosphere seonmi’d been thinking about. at least, there’s something cute and romantic about getting to spend valentine’s day with the girl her heart’s got the flutters for, but not with an audience of two! they’d never said it outright, skirting around the topic of what holiday it is, but they’d made definite plans to meet up on the meteor shower — which totally means she gets to spend valentine’s with her crush, so she’s taking it. xia looks almost ethereal like this, and her heart beats a little faster when she reaches out to accept the mug of hot chocolate. “thank you,” she chirps, snuggling up under the single blanket that they’d brought along with them to share, legs knocking against hers in casual affection. or not-so-casual, for her — seonmi feels her face get as warm as the mug in her hands, and hides the pink dusting her cheeks with a sip of hot chocolate.

she giggles and shakes her head. “i’m sure we’ll be able to see when it starts, right?” seonmi’s never experienced a meteor shower — not in seoul, at least — but she hopes it’ll be pretty. xia’s straightforwardness makes her blush, not quite used to this; she gets infatuated far too easily but nothing ever comes to fruition, only... she’s gotten to know xia a little better, and the other girl still makes her heart skip a beat. and from all the time they’ve been spending together, she thinks the other might feel the same way too. the blush rapidly makes its reappearance at that thought, and seonmi’s not gonna have much hot chocolate left if she keeps using it to stave off her very warm face around xia. instead, she takes a chance and leans her cheek on the taller girl’s shoulder, heat rising again over the ease at which physical affection’s become comfortable with them. “i’ve got a wish ready! what about you?”

(...)

     “  you're  here  !  ”  as  though  that  was  much  better.  she  was  happy  that  seonmi  had  come  to  spend  some  time  with  her  like  this,  and  was  much  too  excitable  to  hide  it.  she  moved  off  to  the  side  so  the  other  girl  could  step  into  her  home,  and  didn’t  even  show  the  slightest  bit  of  shame  or  embarrasment  for  what  could  perhaps  be  considered  her  overboard  decorations.  after  shutting  the  door  behind  seonmi,  she  made  her  way  to  the  couch  and  immediately  opened  her  arms  for  a  hug  —  and  for  whatever  it  was  seonmi  was  holding. 

valentine’s day has a special place in her heart, and she doesn’t quite want to be spending it alone at home. so seonmi’s got chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate in her hands as she makes the walk to ren’s in cute cupid-printed pajamas for their almost-valentine’s hangout — or as a wise woman once called it, galentine’s day! there’s every type of chocolate imaginable, milk and white and almond and even a few liquor-filled ones, for when the night darkens, all courtesy of nook’s cranny and her credit card. she barely has to wait a second before the door opens to her friend’s pretty smile. “happy galentine’s!” she chirps, lifting up the two bags of chocolate to show ren and skipping into her house.

the petite woman gasps in delight, doing a full twirl around to the room to see all the wonderful decorations ren’s put up for their little girls’ night. the house is adorned with almost every shade of pink, with hearts scattered across the walls, and ren’s even got the kitchenware to match. it’s festive and campy in its pure joy over the holiday, and seonmi can’t help but beam at the sight of it. “oh my god!” she throws her arms up around the other, laughter bubbling up bright and cheerful, smacking a little kiss on the other’s cheek. “this is the cutest galentine’s, ren!”

snuggling up on the couch with the fluffiest heart patterns sofa throw, she leans forward and pours the chocolate haul she’s brought with her next to the heart shaped bowl and starts piling them into a rough heart shape that spills a little at the sides. she might have bought too much chocolate, but that’s not a problem for now. seonmi pats the seat next to her, tilting her head at the other. “okay, what do you wanna do first? a romcom, karaoke, a game... or we could just cuddle and talk! c’mere, rennie!”

(...)

                giggles errupted between them in the few seconds where their lips were not connected, sora barely being able to remain calm and composed. but what fun would it be if she just stood there like a dead fish? “ you’re fine, don’t worry. ” the girl smiled fondly as she brushed the few droplets of grease off seonmi’s face, trying to be as gentle as possible. there was something about her that made her want to be overly kind; if most people ever saw her like this, her reputation would probably be ruined. but seonmi was worth it. “ i get off a little earlier tonight, if you’re willing to get drinks or something. ” sora had never shamelessly invited her out like that, but she decided that tonight was a good time to get to know each other on a level that wasn’t just the obvious surface. 

the mechanic’s fingertips brush against her cheek, soft and more yielding than she’d thought the other girl capable of from their first meeting. but she’s always been full of surprises. seonmi leans into the touch, a smile dancing across her lips. whatever this is, it’s light and easy, a breath of fresh air from complicated relationships and distant friendships — her dynamic with sora never edges into anything difficult, even if it remains right outside the boundaries of definitions and certainty. she’s sure there’s more to the older girl than flirtatious banter and brief indulgences, working slowly to peel back the layers without disturbing the foundation of the playful push and pull that both of them delight in.

“hm, let me think about it,” she teases, tapping the older girl’s nose with her finger. she’s free, of course, dressed up to do nothing but bug sora; she can’t give in too easily, though! pursing her lips, seonmi pretends to think and wrinkles a button nose at the other. is she dressed up for more than just a little pocket of borrowed time from the mechanic? of course she is, she’s hwang seonmi! so the younger girl cocks a shoulder at sora, a cheeky pat on her hip when she says, “get cleaned up and we’ll talk, cutie!”

seonmi’s newly nineteen and fancies herself an adult, independent, starting on her own career, all her cards in her name. ( even though the money still belongs to her parents. ) her blog’s finally gaining some traction, more and more people taking note of her opinions and critique and actually giving weight to them, which, well — it’s heady, having a following at nineteen, even if it’s for the clothes her money can buy more than anything else. she’s blind to all those boosts she’s gotten for the success she’s achieved, unable to see past what she’s used to.

still, she’s trying to get that worldly experience. which is why she’s sitting in a rundown little coffee shop, old plastic chairs and cups she’d say has character, which is really just a polite way of calling them old as well. it’s a haunt her friends swear by, though the young woman isn’t exactly sure what’s good about it. the coffee is passable, not quite the rich aromatic goodness she’s used to at home, but she’s been told the prices are absolutely killer for what they get. she’ll take their word for it; she’s invited someone over to this cafe for that reason, too.

“oppa!” she waves her hand when she spots her long-time friend at the entrance. “over here,” she says, smiling up at hyeongmin. “i haven’t ordered yet, let’s go look at the menu together?”

(...)

finally, the trees open up to a beautifully untouched outcrop of shore, perfectly golden sand framed by cool stone. the ocean laps gently at the sand and crashes against the stone, leaving white foam in its wake like something out of a fairytale.

“here we are,” he says with a smile. he settles onto the sand with a sigh, immediately spreading out, letting the sun bake his skin. “can’t get any more perfect than this, right?”

seonmi’s always up for an adventure, part curiosity about her new home and part spite for every time someone calls her a city slicker. she finds herself exploring bits and pieces of the island when she can, guided by friendly neighbours or new faces like hers. recently, the city girl’s been running into a fellow loner, in dandelion fields behind buildings or out of the way walking paths that aren’t so much a path as they are slightly flatter grass than everywhere else. it’s easy to strike up a conversation with the other male, something that’s blossomed into a little friendship after a couple of run-ins and now, planned hang outs.

they’re surrounded by the most picturesque snapshot of the island’s shoreline, sunlight glinting off the waves that gently crest over the beach. it’s the sort of holiday getaway people pay thousands of dollars for, and it’s right on her doorstep. ( metaphorically, it’d taken a whole half hour hike to get here. ) seonmi hesitates for a moment when leon just settles right down on the fine sand, but she won’t be outdone and she plops her little butt right next to his, more determined than she needs to be able sitting on the beach without a picnic mat.

sitting with her legs stretched out, she half buries her toes in the sand to enjoy the warmth it’s kept from the sun. then something scuttles past her foot, too many legs for comfort. seonmi squawks. “what is that!” she yelps and jerks her legs back towards her, kicking up a bit of the sand towards the two of them. she turns and looks at him with big, horrified eyes. “there was something in the sand!”

(...)

                he carefully scans the notebook the client had brought, nodding from time to time as he flipped through the pages. not really his own personal style, but if she liked those, it would be easy to incorporate them into the final design. “ can i keep this notebook? so i can look at it while designing. all of those are possible, i would just like to take a few moments to myself to see what would look best … it’s a little early to tell now. ” a chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head, silently disagreeing. “ no, no. this is not about my personal taste, this is about what you like. after all, i’m designing this for you to wear, not for me. i’ll try my best to suit your personal preferences. ”

the blonde laughs and nods, easily brushing off the little mix up. she prefers her extravagance in the details of her dresses, after all, and not how much they show of her own skin. “i like the sound of that!” she’s also a little tickled that she managed to catch a little detail the designer himself had missed, but that’s beside the point. seonmi is quiet while the other looks at what she’s suggested, gaze idling over to the garments along the aisles and half-finished designs.

“oh! um,” seonmi thinks his request over; her notebook is perhaps one of her most precious possessions, always with her at the ready should she spot anything inspiring. it’s been around since she started her first blog and even earlier than that, first few pages little more than a scrapbook of dream dresses. and now she’s making them come true, so she supposes it’ll be okay. “sure,” seonmi decides, making a small gesture towards the book that’s already in the designer’s hand. “you can hang on to it for now!”

she shakes her head, disagreeing with the next part of his words, “well, i’d like to see your interpretation of it!” after all, she wouldn’t be looking for a designer if it’d just be everything she liked; the fashion critic’s certain she’d be able to direct someone into making a dress according to her specifications, but she wants another person’s artistic opinion, too. “should i make an appointment for next time, then?”

(...)

             when  she  feels  the  pinch,  she  jumps  away  while  breathing  out  a  laugh,  ❝  i  do  know  that,  because  you’re  too  good  to  me!  really,  though,  if  i  didn’t  have  you,  i’d  be  going  to  this  function  in  either  one  of  my  work  suits  or  looking  like  a  ball  of  comfort.  ❞  she  frowns  playfully,  ❝  not  exactly  the  best  look,  am  i  right?  especially  if  i  really  see  someone  i  wanna  make  an  impression  on?  ❞  when  seonmi  mentions  a  prince,  she  blurts  out  a  laugh  before  she  can  stop  herself.  ❝  trust  me,  seonmi,  that’s  never  a  thing  you  have  to  worry  about;  i’ll  be  with  you  forever,  ❞  she  holds  out  a  pinky,  ❝  prince  or  no  prince,  so  long  as  you  do  the  same.  ❞

byul’s assurance of the younger girl’s importance to her brings with it a soft warmth over her shoulders, seonmi reaching out to link their fingers in a effervescent delight. “good!” she declares, that selfsame confidence she always exudes a little more sincere and not just all bravado. it’s silly sometimes, she feels, the way she gets all that fluttery goodness in her chest knowing someone cares about her, but she can’t deny it feels good to know byul likes her company! “thank you, byullie,” she says, then tries to answer the older girl’s question with speculation of her own, “as for kitten heels... maybe because they’re tiny? little kitties!” seonmi’s free hand lifts up and curls down in an imitation of a kitten, wrinkling her nose in laughter after.

nodding at byul’s evaluation, seonmi doesn’t butt in with her own opinion because she really, truly, likes the other girl’s sense of style. she knows what looks good on her, and it definitely works! after all, that’s what drew the younger to her, so seonmi likes listening to someone whose fashion sense is totally different from hers but still utterly stunning. “okay, i’ll be sure to look out for something like that for you,” she promises, tapping her lips with her finger as she ponders on byul’s suggestion. “i could see that! hmm, i think it depends on how cold it is. do you know, byullie? i don’t want something too neutral if i gotta wear it throughout! i was thinking of something a bit more matte and dark to make the sequins really pop—” she gasps, looking up with an excited grin. “what if we matched! a deep navy or something like that? different cuts, of course, i’d drown in something you could wear, but don’t you think that’ll be cute?”

“that’s not true,” she starts to protest about her friend’s humility, then her head whips straight to byul when she hears something particularly intriguing. “wait! does that mean you’ve got someone you wanna make an impression on? you can’t do that just after you’ve promised to stick with me!” coral lips push out in a pout of mock-displeasure before the younger girl abandons the pretense and clings to byul’s arm, demanding to know her friend’s secrets. “who is it? tell me tell me!”

seonmi finds herself stopping by the eastbell museum after work, though a small part of her is somewhat apprehensive about running into the owner of the museum. but it’ll be fine! she doesn’t think anyone byul is related to ( literally, siblings ) could be that bad. even though they had gotten off on the wrong foot, the younger girl mired in the quicksand of the museum owner’s never-ending deluge of information and feeling pretty insulted in that hypersensitive way her ego is. sure, she didn’t know all that information about the entire aisle of the exhibit that the other had been explaining to her, but she’s insulted he assumed ( correctly ) that she didn’t.

but she’s got byul’s assurance in the back of her mind when she steps into the entrance of the museum, and doesn’t cringe when she sees the owner at the ticketing desk. “hello,” seonmi says, giving him a small smile. she’s staying open-minded! “entrance ticket for one, please. it’s, um... nice to see you again?”

(...)

                 the other girl’s reaction took her by surprise; there was nothing she could do against her suddenly rosy cheeks, warm to the touch. why did she feel like a high school kid who just experienced her first kiss all over again? a sober peck was somehow a lot more intimate than drunk hook-ups— who would have thought? “ ooh, i see you are quite generous too. ” sora remarked with a small giggle once she had regained her composure. “ but i’m afraid i would like more than just a single second. i gave you fifty-five, so it feels unfair. ” the girl’s words were swiftly followed by her scooting closer to connect their lips for a second time, this time just a teeny tiny bit longer than before. “ much better. ”

she giggles and hides her face in sora’s shoulder, not minding the thick smell of machine oil and fresh sweat from the work the older girl’d been doing before seonmi decided to come over and demand her attention. uncharacteristic bashfulness takes over, something she can’t quite place bubbling up in her chest when she’s close enough to feel the warmth radiating from sora’s cheeks. goal accomplished, she’s definitely got sora blushing! never mind that she is, too. then she sucks in a breath, high-pitched and caught off-guard when sora suggests — “fifty-five?” she’s sure she’s been kissed for longer than a mere fifty-five seconds before, but somehow the thought of all those little pecks that’ll make up that amount of time has her heart fluttering.

lifting her head, seonmi leans into the second kiss she gets from sora, smiling into the end of it. “i’m very generous,” she agrees, winding her arms around sora’s neck, promises, “much more than your fifty-five!” cherry lipgloss slides across lips, warm and unhurried, tugged into each other’s gravitational pull for one suspended moment. it’s cotton candy and cherry cola, sweeter still because they don’t owe each other anything.

they break away and seonmi looks up at the other, pressing a tongue against her kissed-red lips. she takes the other's hand up to touch her cheekbone, asks, “did i get grease on my face?” it’s too innocuous to be innocent, mischievous with the way she lets the other’s fingers dance across her cheek, calluses sending shivers down her spine.

(...)

“For starters, my name is Kudo Hyejin, age: old enough, and occupation…” She sighed, dramatically, her eyes wandering away to a far off location. The girl resumed her stance for exactly one minute, letting the silence flood the room with anticipation. As soon as time was up, her head snapped back towards the other, Hyejin’s eyes wide and focused on the newbie before her. “I’m actually a runaway Princess. While I was set to be crowned as the next Queen of Galyra, the palace was attacked and overrun by a secret group of witches! I was forced to flee to this islands in search of a chosen one who is destined to save my Kingdom!”

seonmi smiles, sitting up properly so she can properly engage with her new source. at least, that’s what she thinks interviewers do — she hasn’t gotten much of a chance to do that since she’s joined the gazette. it feels a little like playing pretend, smart casual suits and voice recorders she’ll have to transcribe later. the younger girl clears her throat before she introduces herself — and then she doesn’t finish her sentence, looking off into the distance.

there’s a long silence. should she pause the recording? seonmi supposes it wouldn’t make much of a difference. the quiet sits in the office, muted whirring of the air-conditioner in the background as her coworkers type, some pausing to sneak pitying looks at their lifestyle editor. she catches the eye of their sports columnist and both of them have to stifle a giggle, but at least the girl — hyejin — is still looking too far off to notice. she’s not sure what to think of her; the theatrics are amusing, but completely baffling. also, she’s still waiting for her story!

“oh!” the blonde tilts her head in surprise when the other starts speaking again, blinks twice to focus herself. oh. this is just playing pretend, too. or kudo hyejin, whoever she actually is, has lost it. someone’s cracking up into their laptop. “okay...” seonmi says, giving the other girl a bracing smile, still trying to make sense of what’s going on. is she terribly misinformed about the ongoings of the islands, or is this a weirdo puling her leg? she’ll give it a shot, though she’ strongly suspects it’s the latter. “where’s, uh, where’s galyra?”

(...)

her brows furrow together in both confusion and disappointment since she was so ready to ravel on about how dashing the place was. “oh?” with a head tilt she hummed to herself for a moment. “maybe it’s because i’ve lived here all my life.” after it comes out of her mouth, dabin realizes that it sounds like an obvious statement so she grimaces before shaking her head. “we can head over there together whenever you have the time! i think it’s hard to miss, but i’ve been there too many times to give a fair judgement!” reaching over, she gives the female’s head a light pat of reassurance. starden was home to her so she knew the island like it was her backyard or something, but she knows that it can feel like a rather big place for people who haven’t been here long. 

“i don’t really have any ways. just twenty years here?” scrunching up her nose, she giggles at how if it were anybody else, she thinks she’d be judged for sounding cocky. “once we see it together, you’ll be able to find it on your own at anytime. i’m sure of it!” 

she likes how straightforward dabin is about herself —no cocksureness about it, just a simple and certain knowledge of who she is and all her strengths that come along. seonmi still playfully reaches up and pokes the younger girl’s cheek. “well, i haven’t! starden’s so hard to get around,” she complains. though admittedly, that’s as much on her as it is on the island. she’s been here for a little over a year, so she ought to be able to navigate some part of it without outside help but she’s too much of a city slicker still to get around the place without some assistance and a guiding hand. in fact, even with assistance and her many navigation apps, she’s still struggling.

but luckily, she’s got someone to help her when her maps fail. leaning into dabin’s little pat, seonmi grins at her. “actually, i’ve got the time today!” the blonde sticks herself back up, happily hooking her arm around dabin’s. “if you’ve got the time, too? take me out, show me around,” she throws her hands up in the air, swinging the younger girl’s along in that motion, “with all twenty years of your experience!” seonmi giggles, bringing their hands down to sit in between them. “we gotta go before all the dandelions are blown away, y’know?” ( does that happen? she’s got no idea, but she’ll take any excuse to let dabin show her around instead of stumbling her way through weeds and building back alleys to find those spots. )

          eyes scanning each product,  he takes a moment to make clear decisions regarding what kind of groceries he needed to bring home for the week.  lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, taewon finally settles on a jar of tomato sauce sitting on the aisle’s top shelf.  ❛❛  excuse me, ma’am,  ❜❜  he turns to the other nearby only to bend to become a whole head shorter, already having a hard time trying to go with the bit.  in fact, he was on the brink of laughter.  softly nudging her with an elbow to really get her attention, his eyes point towards the item again.  ❛❛  can you help me get that jar off of the top shelf ?  i’m too short and i can’t — ❜❜  strike one.  a soft chuckle manages to sneak its way out his lips upon trying to reach up with his knees still bent.  luckily he’s able to mask it by turning away.  ❛❛  reach it.  can you do it for me ?  please ?  ❜❜

the only reason seonmi goes grocery shopping with taewon is for his excessive, unnecessary and only occasionally useful height, when she wants some item that isn’t popular enough to be put within a normal-sized human being’s reach. which happens more often than she’d like; she’s a woman of fine tastes in a grocery store of uselessly high shelves. taewon flips the script on her, and she narrows her eyes at him, rosebud lips turning up into a pout. seonmi huffs, loud enough for it to be heard across the aisle they’re in. at eye level ( which, she might add, taewon rarely deigns to be at unless it’s to make fun of her, as he’s doing now ) she’s tempted to pinch his normally out of reach cheeks. and, well — she’s never denied herself anything.

so she does, reaches out and pulls at his cheek, tugging on it until it’s suitably red. “shut up,” she snarks, index and thumb pinching a little bit harder right before she releases him. she’s hiding a laugh. “stepladders don’t get to speak! get it yourself,” she scolds, ribbing the taller boy where he’s particularly accessible now, “and get my pesto too!” patting him on his hip, she’s indulgently patronising when she adds, “giddy up!”

there are few disappointments greater than nook’s cranny running out of her favourite chocolate almond brittle, but all disappointments are easily made better by complaining about them. especially to someone who’ll listen while she rolls around and wallows in her abject misery.

so she ends up at yuri’s door, armed with a chestful of complaints and the need for cuddles. they’ve got a funny friendship, something sparked over a single talk at the museum about art and its derivatives and all their importance, the aesthetic appreciations they share in mediums neither of them know much about. she enjoys the other girl’s presence, filling in for the older sister she’d always wanted as an only child. and yes, she comes with all the cuteness a younger sister might have — but an equivalent amount of whining.

“i’m sad,” seonmi announces immediately, when yuri lets her in. she plops herself down on the floor, tilting her head all the way up to look as pitifully heartbroken as possible. “nooks’ didn’t have the good almond brittle today!”

(...)

Hyemi raised a brow at the other’s words, curious as to what she seemed so intent on figuring out, but eventually decided to pay no mind. Although she was feeling a bit more willing to open herself up here, on the islands, there was only so much she was eager to share. Instead,  Hyemi would do as she always did— hide behind a coy smile.

“Alright! What’s next? I’ll follow your lead.”

her attempt at familiarity is met with an ambiguous smile, reminding her of the hyemi she’d been uncomfortable around. but maybe she can say something about it now, even if it’s just nudging the older girl and telling her, “don’t do that! i will figure it out!” seonmi pouts a little, then shrugs her shoulders and gets over it. they can’t build a new relationship right off the bat, and this is a good enough start for her.

seonmi picks out the last of the desserts at the table, the almond cake they’d passed over in favour for the mousse. “this is the last one! i hope we’ve saved the best for last,” she says, bringing her shoulders up in a little hopeful shrug. cutting into her piece, the blonde pops a piece into her mouth, sighing happily when it bursts in flavour, coconut and apricot melting into a light harmony over the delicate almond sponge. “i’m going to say we did,” she decides, taking another bite with gusto.

they’ve run out of desserts to try at the table. seonmi thinks a little, then offers, “these aren’t the only offerings from fleur de la mer, so if you ever wanna try something from there, you should call me over!” she smiles and gestures between them, “we can do this again, if you want to.”

Saho did her best to keep the face behind the town’s blog a bit of a mystery. By no means was she cut out to be a social media star, but seeing how little people interacted with the account made her a little worried. Without how much time and energy she put into the little blog, she hoped that she could at least get maybe fifty people looking at it or following it. Knowing just about anything about everyone, Saho knew the perfect person to leech some advice from. “Let’s just say someone is trying to get a blog up and going, but it’s a pretty niche blog so there isn’t a lot of people interested. What would be the easiest way for them to promote, Seonmi?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

liaising with the town hall is one of the jobs she hadn’t expected to be doing when she applied to work at the gazette, but it seems their little paper in often in touch with the mayor and the town hall’s on-goings. it’s not usually under her purview — that’s for the dailies or local news — but once in a while seonmi’ll find herself in the town hall, usually when there’s something interesting going on in the community. in this case, the meteor shower watching that’s just been organised and announced.

it’s not quite common knowledge, but a little bit of connect the dots and seonmi thinks she might know who runs the town’s blog. the blog never fails to be the first to report any events, which makes it a particular point of interest for seonmi, as the lifestyle editor. so, evidence one: who gets all the on-goings of the island first? of course, it’s the mayor and their secretary!

but that gives her two suspects. in comes evidence two: saho’s question! the blogger beams at the older girl, leaning forward. “sometimes, a niche blog gets the most traffic! it’s not about the content, but the branding of the blog,” she says, thinking about her own site. “y’know, marketing it! but of course, it has to match what sort of content and audience you — or anyone running a blog,” she adds, correcting herself, “want to focus on! so, what kind of blog are we talking about?”