#jikida

❝i am loose.❞

sunhee frowns, but her body is directly contradicting her voice. she's hunched over her phone, distracting herself by scrolling through the copious amounts of 𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 that she's received while they've been rehearsing all day.

the rest of the group had come home and gone their separate ways. sunhee's sure that jimin is also buried in 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊, but the others seem to be relaxing.

and one in particular seems set on distracting her.

there's a crease to her brows, a pout to her lips as she stays level with the table. ( cooking is not her strong suit, but she's trying. jesus, she's fucking trying. it's hard to be the best at anything in this house when someone wants to remind her how much better at it they are. and maybe it's unintentional, but the guilt that sinks into her bones makes her stubborn. makes her stay up until three in the fucking morning to perfect a stupid cake recipe. go figure. )

turning, sujin levels gako with a look that says leave me alone. she softens, however, when she realizes how genuine her tone is. ( she doesn't mean to push back. she never means to push back. she just can't help it. ) sighing, her shoulder rolls as she steps to the side, inviting gako silently into her space. ❛ i think i made the batter too thick, ❜ she states evenly, eyes dropping to the bowl that spins in front of her. ❛ it won't... mix. ❜

[🦁]: ...gako. [🦁]: jagi, you definitely have the wrong number.

hari likes to think that she's been very patient, all things considered. she had sat through the graduation ceremony, trying to ignore the way that her chest swelled with pride when her girlfriend had received her doctorate - and the way that the tiny voice inside of her head is reminding her that she's dating a doctor.

her security had assisted on accompanying her, but she had compromised and had them wait outside of the ceremony. today isn't going to be about her, she's doing everything in her power to keep it that way. when nagako had found them afterwards, hari had only provided brief physical affection, wary of the eyes that were still watching them.

this day isn't for them, either.

instead, she waits until they've long since arrived home. both a little buzzed from a celebratory dinner with a few of their friends. they're barely through the door before hari loops her arms around nagako's neck and tugs her close. "i've waited all day to give you this, doctor satō-"

it's not uncommon for her family to host gatherings like this and to invite everybody within their circles. they're SOCIAL, above all. sunhee has spent the night doing her best to not make it painfully obvious to everybody else in the home that her gaze is focused solely on the young doctor.

they're supposed to be remaining subtle about this.

except, a few drinks is one too many, for both of them. it isn't long before sunhee finds herself in her own bedroom, door bolted behind them and praying that nobody notices BOTH of their absences from the group.

she can't bring herself to care all that much when nagako's hands are all over her, slipping beneath her clothing, walking her backwards towards her bed in the darkened room. sunhee moves to sit on the edge of the bed once it hits the back of her knees. she doesn't hesitate in working her hands at the doctor's shirt, her fingers working at far too many BUTTONS before tugging nagako closer by the waistband of her pants.

the chuckle that passes his lips is loud, maybe a little too earnest as he tries ( and fails ) to cover his smile. ( watching the process of both nagako and hari coming to terms with what they wanted was something he took pride in. when it came to im hari, there was something fierce within him that wanted to protect her. to take care of her. much like a sister he never had. and knowing that she had someone else, now, to take that role? it makes happiness bloom in his stomach. )

plus, nagako was a firecracker. leaning back, his shoulder shrugs. "hey," he starts, head tilted to the side, "at least you're happy, right? there's nothing better than being love and being able to enjoy being in love." joon's smile softens, then, as he thinks about his own love life. ( his own happily ever after, with doyeon. ) lips pressed together, he drapes an arm across the back of the chair he's situated in. "plus, hari's a special girl. it takes someone just as special to be able to handle her." he pauses, brow raised. "which i think you do a very good job at, by the way. it makes me happy, seeing her so happy." there's another pause as his voice lowers. "and you, too, gako. you deserve to be happy."

❛ that... doesn't make sense. ❜ his head tilts as he speaks, confusion visible on his face. ( it's not often he gets to hang out with the people sunhee works with. he's still a little shy, a little awkward around the girls. he always means well, of course, but -- he can't help but feel like he's intruding, sometimes. like maybe he's peering in on something that feels too private, something they keep away from everyone else on purpose. )

his tongue wets his lower lip, and jay adjusts on the couch, turns towards her as he sets his controller down. ❛ i don't -- i'm not -- i... have no interest in, like, intimidating you. ❜ and he's sure that shows, too, with how wide his eyes are. how open and honest he is with the words he speaks. ❛ i just -- i want to support sunhee. she's important to me, so by extension --, ❜ he gestures around the room, to where they're both sitting, ❛ -- you're all part of that, too. ❜ ( and maybe it's a little overdue, but -- jay isn't good in social settings. it took a lot to get him to come here without the comforting presence of his cousin. )

swallowing, he leans back, attempts to get comfortable. ❛ we can just... hang out. we don't need to get... deep, or anything. ❜