#kpopwlw

kiss me between daybreaks

ꨄ︎ lee yoo mi x fem! reader ༉‧ .| synopsis: a young rising actress moves to New York for a year-long English program, and everything seems perfect—until the day she has to leave.˖ ִ 𐙚 | warning(s)— fluff, heavy angst wk: 2.4k

The moment her eyes met yours, Yoo-mi's chest tightened. Time slowed; the world stilled between the two of you. As you leaned over records, flipping sleeves, she thought you were the most beautiful person she'd ever seen. "Hey!" you waved, your voice snapping her out of her thoughts. She stood, gawking, a sudden wave of awkwardness washing over her.

"Uhm...hi.." She exhaled, a small smile curving up the corners of her lips. internally cringing at the fact that you just caught her staring. "You seem lost—are you new here?" you asked cheerfully. Her chest tightened. God, your smile was so gorgeous.

"Ah...네...yes..." She mumbled, wishing the ground would swallow her whole over the minor slip-up. 

"Oh, cool! Wanna check out some of our records? We've got a lot, some of the newer stuff’s in the back," You offered with a friendly smile. She agreed, and you led the way to the back aisle. "Is there… soft rock?" she murmured, her voice soft and unsure, yet her smile was so disarmingly sweet. It was becoming increasingly hard to focus on finding good soft rock albums. 

"Yeah, they ugh, leaning more towards alternative rock, is that okay?" You skimmed through the albums, holding up a few selections. Her eyes slowly skimmed over them before gesturing at the Wave to Earth album. 0.1 Flaws and All.

"I like them...alot." She mused.

"They're a great pick!" The two of you approached the front register, weaving through aisles and various records. "It's on the house, okay?"

"On the house...?" she softly echoed, a small crease forming between her eyebrows.

"Oh—I mean I'm paying for it, you know? Like, I'll cover the cost," you clarified, waving a hand.

You noticed her face warm, her cheeks slightly flushing with heat.

"N-No...아니...it's okay...I will pay," she insisted, smiling as she pulled out her wallet.

You, however, were too stubborn, too quick, and too insistent. You had already completed the transaction before handing her the vinyl in a bag.

"Think of it as a little gift, you know? New friends?"

The gesture was totally unexpected. Since moving to New York, no one had ever shown her such kindness.

"Oh my god... wow... thank you so much," she murmured, slightly bowing her head. You couldn’t help but smile back, and for a moment—it felt like the whole world had softened around her.

"No sweat." You shrugged, watching as she dug into her purse and handed you her phone.

"Your phone number...please?" Her voice was small, uncertain. She didn't exactly like the idea of this being the last time the two of you met—Deep down, she knew there was something about you, something that made her undeniably drawn to you.

You froze, your own face blooming with heat. "Oh, yeah..." You nodded, quickly typing out your digits, saving your contact name. 

"[______], and you are?" You realised you hadn't even properly introduced yourselves. 

"Ah, Yoo-mi," she said with a gentle smile, shaking your hand. "Your name is…pretty." She mused, tucking her phone away. "Aww, thanks… yours too." You giggled, your eyes softening as they met hers.

Yoo-mi turned over her shoulder, a small smile tugging at her lips” Stay safe, okay?” The door closed gently behind her, and the bell above it finally chimed. Ever since that day, the two of you texted whenever you had the chance—between classes, during breaks at work, and especially late at night when the world went still. You wanted to know her better, to get a sense of her world, listen to her stories about growing up in Seoul–oceans away from where your own home was. You found yourself listening as she rambled about acting and the performances she’d been part of. The more time you spent in her company, listening to her soft voice and easy conversations, the harder you fell. One evening, she invited you over for drinks. The two of you fell into fits of laughter, six bottles of soju emptied. Her head resting against your shoulder, as the two of you giggled over how she brutally rejected the ugliest guy in her entire high school class back in the day. "You're evil." You playfully grumbled, your lips clumsily finding the rim of a half-drunk bottle, downing another clumsy sip. Damn, this stuff was strong. Her apartment was cosy, most weekends the two of you would often cuddle up, backs pressed against the couch, legs outstretched on the comfortable plush carpet, stuffing your faces with snacks, and paying half a mind to a movie playing in the background. Being with her like this beats listening to your roommates get on with their partners through the thin walls of your shared unit—any day. "I'm not evil!" She gasped, shooting you a playful glare.  "You really are." Your lips gently press to the top of her head, the gesture instinctive, the weight of it lost through the haze of alcohol.

“Nope.” she huffed, before fishing out a cigarette from her pocket, flicking her pink-manicured finger over the lighter, and deeply inhaling. Her fingers gently guided the cigarette to your lips, watching you slowly puff out the smoke. “Yoo-mi,” You slowly drawled, looking up at her through heavy eyelids. “Yeah?” She exhaled, brushing a few strands of hair from your face. She always loved the texture of your hair. The way it framed your face so well. “Kiss me.” 

Yoo-mi blinked, even through her soju and smoke-blissed mind, she had to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. That wouldn’t be fun. “W-What…?”She stubbed out her cigarette in the on Hello Kitty ashtray, her dark boba-like eyes blown out. “Kiss. Me.” You whispered, gently cupping her jaw, your eyes flickering down to her soft lips. “A-Are you sure—?” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, you asked, "Do you want to kiss me?" Yoo-mi swallowed thickly, nodding. “Y-Yes, I do—so bad.” She whispered, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. You hesitated only for a moment before leaning in, giving her time to pull away if she wanted to. She didn’t.

Your lips hardly brushed against her own, the flutter in your stomach threatening to tear through your guts. Yoo-mi let out a quiet breath, her hand curling into the fabric of your sleeve as she leaned into the tentative stroke of your lips. Your breath caught in your throat, and the fog in your mind suddenly cleared. Everything around you suddenly felt real, bright. Her lips moved against your own. Your fingers gently slip between the soft strands of her hair, angling your head to slightly deepen the kiss. When you finally pulled back, her gaze searched your face, soft and a little stunned, like she was trying to memorize the moment.   You leaned back in, slow and unhurried, giving her every chance to stop you. Instead, she tilted her head up just slightly, like she was meeting you halfway. Your thumb brushed lightly along her jaw as she exhaled against your lips, and for a moment, you allowed yourself to exist—allowed the soft pressure of her lips against your mouth to ease away all your hesitation, to ground yourself in the feel of her soft skin beneath your palms. “You’re so pretty.” She murmured, her hand gently cupping the back of your neck. “No, you’re pretty.” Your laughter soft against her lips, your hands gently cupping her cheeks. “Prettiest girl ever.” Her cheeks warmed your skin as you watched her smile curve just enough to bring out the gentle softness beneath her eyes. You were so in awe. “We’re both pretty.” She hummed, pressing another kiss to your lips. “Deal.” You groaned when Yoo-mi flopped her weight against your side. “What if I take you back to Korea…in my suitcase?” She lightly tapped her chin, looking off into the distance. “Oh wow, that would be so romantic. Just put a fragile sticker over the bag, okay?” It hardly felt real that nearly six months had slipped by since you first met her—the girl from Seoul who wandered into the tiny record shop where you worked evenings, all shy smiles and curious eyes, like she’d somehow been dropped straight into your life by fate itself. The universe had such a strange sense of humor, knitting two strangers together only to remind you how temporary everything could be. Still, in this warmth of her apartment, you let yourself melt against her, your bodies tucked close as if the world outside didn’t exist. You shared strawberries between giggles, brushed kisses across each other’s cheeks, lips and noses like you could memorize one another through touch alone. And even though you both knew she’d be gone in five and a half months—back to her life, back to Korea—you held her a little tighter, allowing yourself to live in a memory-soon-to-be. With a girl who had a life oceans away. One where you didn’t exist. “Know what Autumn is in Korean?” 

She whispered, the two of you walking hand in hand matching mittens with little bear designs crocheted on the warm wool. “What is it?” You whispered, swinging your hands together. “Ga-eul” Her eyes lit up, pointing at a tree, its leaves gracefully scattered on the grass, a hue of deep oranges and burnt yellows. “Ga-eul…” You repeated, smiling at her. “Mmh, good job, ma-ja.” Her lips gently pressed to your cold cheek, causing our skin prick with a sudden warmth. “I got something for you.” She whispered, reaching into her purse, before tugging out a small box, it was a digi-cam…the same one Yoo-mi would often pull out to snap pictures of the two of you during dates. “I…want you to keep it.” She whispered, “Before I leave…I–I only have two months left with you.”  She whispered. “Yoo-mi, baby, c’mon we’re supposed to be having fun.” You whined, your eyes already hazing with tears, gently cupping the camera between your hands. “Are you sure…T-this is…I know how much your camera means to you.” You whispered, brushing a few strands away from her face. “You mean so much more.” Her voice was achingly soft, like it physically hurt to say the words knowing she could never have you, not when your lives existed on opposite ends of the globe. You both knew goodbye was soon, only two months away. “Oh Yoo-mi…” You exhaled, gently brushing away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She nipped down on her bottom lip, trying to contain the sobs that threatened to ruin the moment. “I-I’m–g-gonna miss you so much.” She choked up, her words hiccuped as she rubbed at her eyes. You felt your own tears slip down your cheeks, your throat tightening up. You held one another close, your sobs muffled against one another, your arms wrapped impossibly tight. You knew you had to let go, but for now, you held on as tight as you could. “I’ll take such good care of the camera okay?” You whispered, feeling her gloved thumbs brush away at your tears. “You better ride the skateboard I gave you.” You playfully threatened, your eyes softeneing as she laughed between tears. “I-I promise, I’ll take pictures by the Han river…I’ll skate with it there.” She whispered, before pressing a soft kiss to your lips. “I never…liked a girl more than you…ever.” She confessed. “Me neither Yoo-mi.” The last two months together slipped by in a blur of street food, late-night walks, and stolen moments. You ended up at her apartment more than your own rented room, and your roommates were constantly texting, half-joking, half-worried, asking where you’d disappeared. Every second with Yoo-mi felt precious—the laughter, the dumb inside jokes, the new Korean words and jokes you picked up along the way.

On her final morning in New York, you woke tangled in the sheets, skin sticky with warmth, limbs pleasantly sore, lips swollen from kisses. Your eyes wandered to her neck, dotted with flushed bruises. “Oh god… I really hope you have some concealer left…” You winced as her hand brushed over them.

“I do.” She laughed, pressing another gentle kiss to your lips, arms looping around your waist like she never wanted to let go.“Last night… was amazing.” Her voice was soft, dreamy, and her nose nudged yours lightly.

“I know, right…” You sighed, kissing her slowly, your fingers gently threading through her hair. “Come on, get ready. The airport’s a two-hour drive.” You groaned when Yoo-mi wrapped her legs around you. “Can we stay here, like this? I don’t wanna go back to Seoul…”

“Lee Yoo-mi.” You whined, trying to pry her off, which only led to a fit of giggles, and another half-hour’s worth of kisses. “Mmh, up. Go shower.” You murmured against her lips. “Shibal.” She grumbled, huffing, before detangling her limbs from your own. “Uh-huh, right back at you.” You rolled your eyes, lightly slapping her ass. Once you were both showered and ready, you packed the extra suitcases, tidied the apartment, and cleared out the fridge before hauling everything to the car. The drive was filled with laughter, and ridiculous sing-alongs—until the final dreaded moment of goodbye. At the airport, you clung to each other, reluctant to let go, until she had to step toward the security gate. Yoo-mi waved at you the whole way, her arm waving in exaggeration a bright smile lighting up her eyes as she tried to mask the ache in both your chest. You waved back, both arms flailing around in the air, jumping up at down. “BYEEEEE YOO-MI” “BYEEEE [_________], I LOVE YOU.” “I LOVE YOU TOO—” Until she accidentally bumped into a grumpy woman, breaking the spell of the moment, which only resulted in you stifling a laugh. For a heartbeat, she froze, just a little longer, eyes meeting yours. The world around you seemed to blur—the announcements, the crowd, even the impatient sighs of strangers—until she smiled one last time, soft, bright, disappearing behind the security barricade. Your phone buzzed in your back pocket, you reached for it, your eyes flickering over her message. Come visit Korea sometime 😁 You quickly typed back, a dazed smile on your lips.