“Well don’t hog all the popcorn!” You shouted, amused laughter escaping you as snatched the bowl from Chingyi’s hands and took a handful of the snack for yourself.

Chingyi tried to look offended, but the way her lips curled to hold back a smile gave it away, “as if you didn’t have the whole bowl to yourself during the last movie.”

You and Chingyi had been dating for a couple of months. The first two weeks consisted of simple, formal dates, but once you discovered you had a similar taste in movies, you made Saturday night your official movie date night if you had no other plans. You always went to Chingyi’s house; she had the bigger TV and a corner shop close by full of ideal snacks. The bus was your route there and home, should you be too tired to drive or if the two of you felt like drinking.

“I only had like two pieces, I was still finishing my chicken wings.” You defended, taking a mouthful of popcorn.

Reaching over to take the bowl back, Chingyi whined, “give me some!” You simply lifted the bowl up, stretching your arm so Chingyi couldn’t grab it. You and Chingyi burst into laughter, both scrambling in a bid to keep the snacks for yourselves.

You used your free hand to catch Chingyi’s forearm that was reaching for the popcorn, pulling it away from the bowl before stating, “you can have it if you give me a kiss.”

Without hesitation, Chingyi jumped forward and planted her lips on yours, lingering through a smile as you submitted to her and lowered your arm, allowing her to reclaim the snacks. She pulled away with a smirk, looking right at you as she ate a large mouthful of popcorn. You couldn’t help but find her adorable.

Both of you began to focus on the film again, but your mind wandered to how long you had before the last bus home would leave. You glanced at your phone screen, your eyes widening as you noticed how late it was. The last bus would be coming in 10 minutes.

“Oh, I have to go!” You exclaimed in a slight panic, jumping up off the sofa and rushing to grab your things.

Chingyi paused the TV, a look of confusion and worry on her face, “why, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just don’t want to miss the bus.” You answered, checking you had everything in your bag.

“But my favourite part is coming up.” Chingyi pouted in protest.

You slung your bag over your shoulder, speeding back to the sofa to pick up your phone, “I’m sorry, if the takeaway had come earlier we wouldn’t have had to start the first film late.”

A hand grabbed onto yours, “at least stay for this part.” Chingyi’s eyes went puppy dog on you, trying to persuade you to stay.

“I can’t,” you started, trying to resist looking at her face, “if I don’t go now I’ll miss the bus, then I’ll be stuck here all night.”

“Then stay here tonight!” Chingyi suggested in the spur of the moment, tugging on your hand.

You paused, turning your head to finally look at her, “what?”

Her enthusiasm faded, suddenly unsure of what she just asked you, “you could stay here tonight. I know we haven’t done that before, but I think we’re comfortable enough to do so? It’s okay if you’re not, I just don’t want you to leave yet.”

A smile cracked on your face, flattered by her sentiment, “I don’t have stuff I would need though, I don’t have anything to sleep in.”

“You can borrow some of my pyjamas,” Chingyi assured, “I’m sure they’d fit you. I also have some mouthwash since you don’t have a toothbrush.”

This made you smile even more. You really hadn’t reason to decline, “okay!”

Chingyi jumped up with excitement, throwing her arms around you and spinning you round, “that’s great, this is going to be so fun!”

You matched her enthusiasm, your face beaming, “I know!”

“Okay, enough of that,” Chingyi stated, abruptly letting you back down, “let’s watch the end of this.” She pulled you back on to the sofa and pressed the play button, triumphant. Before you turned your focus back to the film, you observed how her face glowed, knowing you would be sleeping over for the first time. You smiled at her, then turned your attention to the TV.

——————————————————————————

Strutting out of the bathroom, you dramatically struck a pose in Chingyi’s bedroom door frame, wearing a matching pair of white pyjamas covered in a pineapple print, “how do I look?”

Chingyi, wearing a tiger onesie herself, glanced up from where she was busy making her bed to look at you, “wow! You look so good, it’s stunning! Who are you wearing?” She matched your dramatisation, pretending to take photos of you with an imaginary camera.

“I am wearing a number from the Wang Chingyi collection,” you responded, trying to change your voice to sound like a posh supermodel, “it’s called… pineapple nights.” You accentuated your words with a hair flip, making Chingyi crack and burst into laughter. You joined her, your body relaxing as you wandered over and caught her in a side hug.

“Do they fit you?” Chingyi inquired.

You smiled, nestling your head in her shoulder, “yes, they fit perfect, and they’re so comfy.”

“You can keep them,” Chingyi suggested, “I bought them a few years ago and just never really wear them. Plus they look so much better on you.”

A confused smile rose on your face, “they’re pyjamas, how can I look good in them?”

Chingyi’s head turned to face you, a pout showing, “you look good in everything, shush.” She gave you a quick peck on the lips before speaking again, “should we get into bed?”

Giving her a nod, you released her from the hug as she took your hand. She let you choose which side you preferred, then got in the other side herself. The two of you crawled under the covers and magnetised towards the middle of the bed, allowing you to wrap your arms around each other in a close and cosy snuggle.

“In case you were concerned, I’m a quiet sleeper.” You informed Chingyi.

“Oh, I know,” Chingyi remarked, a knowing grin on her face, “you fell asleep during The Intervention, remember?”

You paused for a moment in thought, before the memory clicked in your brain, “oh yeah, I remember. I really did almost miss the bus that night.” You and Chingyi both laughed remembering the events; how you fell asleep on Chingyi’s shoulder and she didn’t have the heart to wake you up. Eventually she did, once the film ended, but it ended up being a rush to gather your things and make it to the bus stop.

After your amusement settled, Chingyi began twirling a piece of your hair with her finger, “you know, you’re really pretty without makeup.”

You felt your cheeks blush as you smiled, “really? I was thinking the same about you.”

“Really?” Chingyi replied back, her face in disbelief. You nodded, and Chingyi gave you a quick kiss of thanks on the top of your head.

For a little while, you and Chingyi led in silence, simply enjoying each other’s proximity. You felt yourself growing extremely tired in the comfort of Chingyi’s arms; the way her fingers gently played with your hair and the pressure of her chest rising and falling next to yours was slowly lulling you into a deep relaxed state.

Before you drifted off, Chingyi’s voice broke through the silence, “what do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”

You looked up at her, “why, what do you usually have?”

“Anything really,” Chingyi shrugged, “but I want to make you whatever you want.”

Your face heated up again, “you want to make me breakfast?”

“Of course!” She confirmed, beaming, “we could have eggs, or shao bing, or pancakes?”

“Wouldn’t shao bing take a long time to make?” You asked, concerned about how long a tired Chingyi would have to spend in the kitchen just to make it.

“I don’t mind,” Chingyi assured you with a smile, “I like making it even first thing in the morning. But we can have whatever you want.”

Your eyes trailed down in thought, before answering, “pancakes sounds good.”

Chingyi grinned, pulling you closer in excitement, “pancakes it is!” She gave you another kiss on the cheek, making you laugh. She then leaned away for a second, turning out the lamp on her bedside.

The two of you fell silent again, both of you closing your eyes in content. As you both gradually began to fall asleep, you naturally broke away from each other’s hold for a more comfortable sleeping position, remaining close enough that you were both still fairly centre of the bed. With the lights turned off, you noticed the pale moonlight seeping through the window, perfectly adorning the magical feelings Chingyi gave you. Her bedsheets were so soft and cosy, the fact you were in a foreign bed didn’t affect your sleep, and you rested peacefully the entire night with her by your side.

You clicked open the door to your apartment and trudged inside after a long day of work. Closing the door behind you, you dropped your bag and coat on the floor; your arms too tired to hang them up. Today had been a more stressful day than usual; it was dark when you got up and dark when you came home. You liked your job, but it was just one of those days of nonstop monotonous work, and it had drained you.

You kicked off your shoes and dragged you feet to the living room, practically jumping onto the sofa, lying along the length of it as you took your phone out your pocket and threw it on the table. You felt like you could go to sleep in that moment. It was so late you could have done, but you knew she was coming round tonight, so you pushed through.

As if on cue, your apartment door clicked open again, and you looked up to see your girlfriend walking through the door.

“Chingyi!” You greeted cheerily, your fatigue still seeping through as you sat up with open arms. She skipped over and sat next to you, accepting your arms and hugging your waist, resting her head on your shoulder. She looked even more tired than you.

Your girlfriend was known to most by her stage name Soso, but you’d always known her as Chingyi. She was a member of the group GWSN, so her schedule was fairly packed and you only got to spend time with each other on evenings or when you both had days off. Sometimes you visited her at work and watched her practice; her group mates were welcoming and friendly to you, although naturally protective of Soso knowing you two were dating. They never had anything to worry about; you cared for Soso more than anyone. You gave her a key to your apartment a few months into your relationship, so she often came round in the evenings to spend quality time with you. Tonight, you both knew you had long days coming, so had been itching to see each other all day.

“How was practice?” You asked her, looking down at her. Her eyes were shut with content like she had fallen asleep on you, but she answered you,

“Tiring. This new choreography is so difficult,” her voice had all the energy drained out of it, you knew she practised hard but you hoped she wasn’t being overworked, “how was your day?”

You smiled, “long. Exhausting. But better now you’re here.” Soso smiled to herself at those words.

She opened her eyes and looked up at you, “have you eaten?”

You gave a shrug, “only just got in. Shall we just order a pizza?” Soso nodded. You let go of her and leaned forward to pick up your phone, but she tugged on your waist to keep you with her. A laugh came out of you, “Chingyi! We need to eat!” She laughed with you before releasing you and letting you order.

The two of you sat and cuddled while you waited, both half watching the TV in your tiredness. Some reality show was on, but you weren’t really paying attention to the overdramatic argument on the screen. Instead, you focused on the sound of Soso’s heartbeat as you laid on her chest, almost drifting off to the soothing patterns of her chest rising and falling. It was moments like this you wished you could only ever spend time with her, and neither of you had work or a busy schedule. Although your hang out time was limited, you appreciated what you had with her.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a knock at your door. Pushing yourself up off the sofa, you made your way over to the door to take the food, getting cash out of the bag you’d strewn on the floor. You gave the delivery person a generous tip on top of the price of your order; they’d been fast and were making sure neither you or Soso had to bother cooking tonight, they deserved it. You thanked each other and you closed the door, taking the pizza back to the living room.

“I’ll get us a drink.” You said as you placed the box in front of an excited Soso; her eyes were gleaming at the sight of tonight’s meal. The look on her face made you smile as you went into the kitchen.

After pouring you and Soso a drink of soda each, you took the glasses back to the living room to see Soso already munching on a slice of pizza.

“Woah, that piece is big!” You remarked, catching sight of a large piece of your favourite topping on the edge of her slice as you laid the drinks down. Soso instinctively took the topping off and held it between her fingers, gesturing it towards you. You sat down, taking the topping with your teeth and eating it. Soso let out a sweet laugh at your antics before taking another bite of her slice.

She swallowed before speaking, “this is so delicious, good idea.” You nodded as you picked a slice of your own from the box.

Both of you proceeded to sit back, contently eating your pizza slices in a comfortable silence. You tried to begin to focus on the TV again, but after 10 minutes of trying you realised your mind was still too tired to pay attention. You turned to your girlfriend instead, asking, “how’s everyone doing?”

Soso swallowed a bite of pizza before repositioning herself to face you, “good. Seoryoung unnie stayed behind today to practice the new dance, she still thinks she’s not good.” She spoke in a somber tone, clearly worried about her leader. She often told you of her worries about her group mates, so you usually tried to give advice on how she could help cheer them up.

“Does Seoryoung like pizza?” You asked. Soso gave you a nod, smiling. You leant forward and closed the pizza box, saying, “take the rest of this back to the dorm, I won’t finish it. Might cheer them up after the day of practice you’ve all had.”

“Really?” Soso said, pleasantly surprised by your gesture, “thanks, we’ll eat it later.”

There was a few more moments of silent eating before Soso asked you, “do you want to come watch us practice tomorrow? You can get off work before 6 right?”

“Yeah, I can finish early tomorrow since I worked so many hours today. I love to come see you!” You responded with excitement. Soso’s face lit up; she had told you once that when she was finding practice hard, having you there supporting her gave her the confidence she needed to perform her best. You loved any opportunity to give her support, plus you got to see her in her element when she was dancing.

Soso glanced up at the clock, her face turning into a pout, “I have to go,” she said, putting the last bite of her pizza slice in her mouth and standing up, “my manager said she’d be here at 11 to take me back to the dorm.”

Looking up at her, you reached forward and held onto her hand, “aah I want you to stay longer!” Soso turned and looked down at you, staring into your pleading eyes. She held back a smile.

“I want to stay longer too, but my manager doesn’t get paid to drive me to see you, so I don’t want to keep her waiting.” Soso pulled you up to a standing position by your hand, letting you finish the bite you were eating before placing a quick kiss on your lips. She turned and headed towards the door. You picked up the pizza box and followed right behind her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Soso spoke as she turned back round to you, taking the pizza box out of your hands and planting another quick kiss on your cheek, “thank you for the pizza.”

You smiled at her, “you’re welcome, I’ll text you when I get off work tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Soso beamed back, once again leaning in and leaving a much longer kiss on your lips. You both got lost in the moment, neither of you caring that your breath smelt of Italian food.

Soso forced herself to pull away, exclaiming, “okay I really have to go!” She opened the door and stepped into the corridor of your building, blowing you one last kiss before walking towards the lift. You watched her go, not shutting the door until the lift had closed and she was out of sight.

It wasn’t enough. You had to see her one more time before she had truly left.

You sprinted to the opposite side of your apartment; you were at the front of the building, so your window showed the street outside the entrance. Getting on your tip toes, you opened the window and looked down at the pavement below, waiting to see her. You bounced on your toes a little, how long did that lift take?

Then she appeared; you saw the top of her mousy brunette hair and the bold logo of the pizza box.

“Chingyi ya!” You shouted down towards her, the joy in your voice echoing through your neighbourhood. Soso turned and looked up at you; you were a few floors up, but you could see a knowing smile on her face. A laugh came out of you before shouting again, “I’ll see you tomorrow, I love you!”

You saw Soso crumble with laughter, her cheeks flushing a light red within the black of the night sky, projecting all the way up to your window. She blew you another kiss, holding the pizza box under her arm to send you a heart as well. You blew a kiss back as she replied, “I love you too, (Y/N)!”

After a couple more moments of the two of you exchanging cute gestures, she backed up, hurrying to her manager’s car. The door was already open for her, so she sat straight down, giving you one last sweet smile before closing the door and being driven away.

You took a deep breath, slowly shutting the window, keeping your eyes on the spot she had just been stood. Tomorrow evening couldn’t come soon enough.