#yunjin

you hated how good he looked. hated more that he knew it.

the situationship had started six months ago at moka’s birthday yacht party. one too many bottles of dom pérignon, one too many arguments about whose family’s jet was faster, and suddenly you were in the master suite with his hand up your dress and his mouth on your neck telling you to shut up and take it. you did. you both did. again and again. no labels, no promises. just the kind of messy that felt good until it didn’t.

tonight was no different.

you were on the rooftop terrace with the girls, wind off the river messing up your hair, when heeseung appeared behind you. his hand brushed your lower back like it was casual. it wasn’t.

“you wearing that dress to piss me off?” he asked, voice low enough that only you heard.

you turned, champagne glass in hand. “you showing up with that new girl from last week to piss me off?”

he didn’t deny it. just smirked. “situationship, remember? i can do what i want.”

moka rolled her eyes from the couch. “you two are exhausting. just fuck and get it over with already.”

yunjin laughed, clinking her glass against ningning’s. “they already do. constantly. rei saw them in the club bathroom last month.”

rei shrugged, unbothered. “i saw nothing. i’m blind when it comes to her bad decisions.”

you flipped them off and pulled heeseung inside before the conversation got louder. the hallway to the guest bathroom was dim. he locked the door behind you the second it closed.

“you’re such a fucking brat,” he said, already pushing you against the marble counter. In control from the very first second, the way you secretly craved when everything else felt out of control.

“and you’re a walking red flag,” you shot back, but your hands were already yanking his belt open.

he spun you around, bent you over the sink, dress shoved up around your waist. no foreplay tonight. just the sharp sound of his zipper and the thick push of him inside you in one go. you were wet already — always were when he looked at you like that. he fucked you hard, one hand fisted in your hair, the other gripping your hip hard enough to leave fingerprints under the designer fabric.

“this what you wanted?” he groaned against your ear, hips snapping. “me ruining you while your little rich-girl friends are right outside?”

you moaned, pushing back against him. “shut up and make me come before someone walks in.”

he did. deep, relentless strokes that had the mirror fogging and your legs shaking. when you came he followed right after, burying himself deep and staying there, filling you until it dripped down your thighs when he pulled out.

he wiped you clean with a warm towel from the rack, almost gentle for half a second, then kissed the back of your neck. “clean up. we’re not done tonight.”

you fixed your makeup in the mirror while he watched. the hate was still there, simmering under the surface, but so was the want. always the want.

the rest of the night blurred. the guys and girls mixed in the main living room — sunghoon and ningning arguing over whose family owned the better art collection, jake and yunjin playing some dumb drinking game on the couch, jay and rei trading playlist control, sunoo and jungwon taking aesthetic shots of the city lights for their private stories. ni-ki was in the corner with his headphones on, pretending not to watch everyone else’s chaos.

you and heeseung stayed in your own little storm.

later, around 3 a.m., the group moved to the private club downstairs. the vip section was yours — bottles on ice, lights low, bass heavy. heeseung disappeared for twenty minutes. when he came back there was a girl on his arm. some model from last week’s fashion week. she laughed at something he said, hand on his chest.

you felt it like a slap.

you grabbed the nearest bottle and took it to the rooftop with the girls. moka followed first.

“he’s an idiot,” she said, lighting a cigarette even though none of you smoked anymore. “my brother’s always been like this. can’t commit to anything except his ego.”

yunjin leaned on the railing beside you. “you know you don’t have to keep doing this with him, right? there are other guys who aren’t walking red flags.”

ningning snorted. “name one in our circle who isn’t.”

rei just hugged you from behind. “we love you even when you make terrible decisions in six-inch heels.”

you laughed, but it was sharp. “i don’t know what i want. one minute i want to kill him. the next i want him so deep i forget my own name.”

the girls got it. they always did. rich-kid problems looked pretty from the outside, but the pressure was the same — expectations, appearances, the constant feeling that nothing was ever enough.

heeseung found you later that night. the model was gone. he looked pissed.

“you disappear with my sister and her crew every time i talk to someone else,” he said, crowding you against the railing.

“you disappear with random girls every time i breathe near you,” you answered.

he didn’t argue. just grabbed your hand and pulled you toward the service elevator that led to the parking garage. his driver was waiting with the black maybach. the ride to his family’s private penthouse in hannam was silent except for the low hum of the engine. the second the door closed behind you he had you against the wall.

this time it was slower. meaner. he stripped you piece by piece, mouth on every inch of skin he uncovered. when he finally pushed inside you on the massive leather couch he fucked you like he was trying to erase the girl from earlier. hard, deep, one hand around your throat, the other pinning your wrist above your head.

“you think i want them?” he groaned, hips snapping. “i want this. you. even when you drive me fucking insane.”

you came twice before he let himself go, spilling inside you while you shook apart under him.

after, he carried you to the bed. no words. just his arms around you until morning.

the cycle repeated for weeks.

a yacht party in jeju where he flirted with a ceo’s daughter in front of everyone and you ended up fucking him in the engine room to shut him up. a private jet to tokyo for “business” where he ignored your texts for six hours and you rode him in the bathroom mid-flight until both of you were breathless and the flight attendant knocked politely. a rooftop dinner with the whole crew where he spent half the night on his phone with some girl from his contacts and you dragged him into the private lounge after dessert, bent over the table while the city lights blurred below.

every fight, every inconvenience, every time the situationship felt too heavy — sex. it was the only thing that made sense when nothing else did.

the girls noticed. of course they did.

one sunday brunch at the apartment you all shared, moka stirred her oat milk latte and said, “you know he’s been different lately. less random girls. more staring at his phone waiting for your texts.”

yunjin raised an eyebrow. “still a playboy though. last week at the club he had two numbers in his pocket before midnight.”

ningning shrugged. “he wants her. he just doesn’t know how to not be a mess about it.”

rei passed you a plate of avocado toast. “and you? still pretending you don’t want him to choose you?”

you didn’t answer. you weren’t sure.

the breaking point came at the annual chaebol gala in the grand ballroom of the shilla hotel. everyone was there — your parents, his parents, the entire crew dressed like they owned the country because they basically did. heeseung showed up with a girl on his arm again. some influencer with a blue check and a dress that cost more than a car.

you danced with sunghoon for three songs just to watch heeseung’s jaw tighten from across the room. when the girl went to the bathroom he cornered you near the champagne tower.

“stop,” he said, voice tight.

“stop what? existing?”

“stop acting like you don’t care when i know you do.”

you laughed, bitter. “you’re the one who can’t commit, heeseung. you want me when it’s convenient and everyone else when it’s not.”

he grabbed your wrist and pulled you into the private coat-check room off the main hall. the door locked. coats and furs hung around you like silent witnesses.

this time the sex was different. not angry. desperate in a new way. he kissed you like he was scared you’d disappear. hands gentle for once, then hard again when you bit his lip and told him to stop pretending. he lifted you onto the narrow counter, pushed your gown up, and fucked you slow and deep while the gala music filtered through the walls.

“i’m done playing,” he said against your mouth, hips rolling. “i want you. only you. no more games.”

you came with his name on your lips, tears mixing with the sweat on your skin. he followed, holding you tight like he was afraid to let go.

after, he fixed your dress, wiped your smudged mascara with his thumb, and kissed your forehead.

“i’m telling everyone tonight,” he said. “no more of these fucked situations,you’re mine. i’m yours. mess and all.”

you believed him this time.

back in the ballroom he walked straight up to the girl he’d brought, said something quiet, and sent her home in a town car. then he found you with the crew, pulled you in front of everyone — your friends, his friends, half the chaebol families in seoul — and kissed you like the world was watching.

the rest of the night was easy. dancing with the whole group, laughing at ni-ki’s terrible dad jokes, sunoo taking a million photos, jay and jake arguing over who had the better vintage watch collection. you and heeseung stayed close, his hand on your waist the whole time.

later, in the back of his maybach heading to his place, he rested his head on your shoulder.

“i’m still gonna be a mess sometimes,” he said quietly.

“i know. so am i.”

“but i’m choosing you. every day. even when it’s hard.”

you laced your fingers with his. “good. because i’m choosing you back.”

the penthouse was quiet when you got there. no parties. no random girls. just the two of you, city lights sparkling below, and the kind of peace that came after months of chaos.

he fucked you again that night — slow, reverent, in his massive bed with the sheets that smelled like him. Desperation there in the way he pinned your wrists and told you exactly how he wanted you, but softer now. like he finally understood what he had.

in the morning the group chat blew up with memes about “finally” and “took you long enough.” moka sent a selfie of all the girls in the apartment kitchen with the caption “our favorite red flag is officially off the market.”

you laughed and showed heeseung. he pulled you back under the covers, mouth on your neck.

“tell them we’re busy,” he murmured.

you did.

the mess didn’t disappear overnight. lives never did change overnight. there were still galas, still rumors, still moments where old habits tried to creep back in. but now there were also quiet nights on the yacht with just the two of you, brunch with the crew where heeseung’s hand stayed on your thigh the whole time, and late-night talks where he admitted how scared he’d been to want only one person.

the girls kept you grounded. yunjin dragged you shopping when the doubt hit. ningning planned girls’ trips to jeju when the pressure got too loud. moka reminded you weekly that her brother was still an idiot but he was your idiot now. rei just sent memes and told you to breathe.

the guys were the same. sunghoon gave heeseung shit every chance he got. jake and jay took him out for “accountability drinks” that mostly turned into them roasting him. sunoo documented every public date like it was a k-drama. jungwon and ni-ki just grinned and said “finally” every time they saw you together.

months turned into a year.

one night on the same rooftop where it all started, heeseung got down on one knee with a ring that sparkled brighter than the han river lights. no big speech. just “i’m done running. marry me. let’s be messy together forever.”

you said yes before he finished the sentence.

the wedding was everything — private island, both crews losing their minds on the dance floor, your dress costing more than some people’s houses. moka walked you down the aisle crying. yunjin, ningning, and rei were your bridesmaids in matching custom pieces. the guys stood behind heeseung looking proud and slightly hungover.

at the reception he pulled you aside during the first dance, forehead against yours.

“still hate me a little?” he asked, smiling.

“always,” you said. “but i love you more.”

the city kept spinning below. the world kept turning. but for once the static felt like home.

Got laid with your best friend and her hot friend, got laid with your best friend and her other hot friend, somehow got into a relationship with your best friend and now you’re doing nothing but eat, sleep, fuck and repeat.

…That’s also a lie. You both still go to work when you need to. Fucking doesn’t exactly pay your bills, as great as it sounded. You’d have two dollars to start but hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere.

And that total keeps getting higher whenever you meet her friends. You don’t even know how it keeps happening, or why. Or when, where, who with. 

…Well, that’s a lie too. You know someone spilled the tea, but you can’t prove it. Could’ve been Chaewon, Sakura, Kazuha herself—hell, it could’ve been all three. Though, it probably isn’t Kazuha when—  

“What are you doing here?” You can hear Kazuha’s voice outside your bedroom. You hoped it was going to be a peaceful night—romantic, even. Booked a table at a fancy restaurant as a way to switch things up from her usual raves and clubs. It took a bit of convincing since she kept on going about the place ‘not being her type of thing’ but you managed to get her to come around.

Shame that you might need to move it to next week, if Kazuha’s shouting is anything to go by.

“–ot doing this right now.” are the words that you happen upon when coming into the living room, where you spot Kazuha in a suit that should not look that good on her and a redhead that was looking way too smug for your liking.

“Oh, so Chae and Kkura get a weekend, but not me?” Add sassy to that too.

“This is not the same thing, Yunjin.”

“It is exactly the same thi–well look at you.” Yunjin leans her head to the side, gaze moving past Kazuha and towards you. All dressed up for an evening night out, giving them a wave and a bashful “Hi?” while Yunjin ogles and Kazuha sighs.

“He looks ready to do this now,” Yunjin snarks, hands on her hips and glancing at Kazuha. “Come on, Zuha. I’m here, you’re here, he’s here.” The eyebrow waggles sell the whole thing, a grin on Yunjin’s face as she nudges Kazuha with an elbow.

“Stop it,” Kazuha chides, making Yunjin raise her hands in surrender. “Just–shush and let me talk to him.”

She walks up to you, and you take the chance to admire how she looks. Blue vest, blue blazer, blue pants—even wore some ankle heels which is a rarity by itself. And she looks unequivocally, unreasonably breathtaking. She takes your hand and pulls you towards the hallway, granting you both a bit of privacy.

“You clean up good, du–” She stops, grins at you sheepishly before saying your name. “Sorry, still not used to…this.”

“You clean up a lot better than I do,” you chuckle, placing your hands on her hips. “And it’s okay. We don’t need to change anything if you don’t want to.”

“You really want me to keep calling you ‘bro’?” Kazuha smirks.

You laugh. “Why the hell not? We still are, even if we started d-wording.”

“D-wording?” She laughs along with you. “We fuck half the time and you can’t say the word dating?”

You roll your eyes. “Fine, fine. Dating. Happy?”

“A little bit.” She reaches up to your tie. “What’s that about me cleaning up better?”

You chuckle. “You look amazing, Zuha. Pull off a suit better than me.”

Kazuha smiles, muttering a shy thanks before glancing back towards the living room. “You know she’s not going to leave unless we give her what she wants.”

“I thought you said no more other women.” You follow her gaze, spotting Yunjin lazing about on your couch.

“I know what I said,” she says, her hands moving to undo your tie. “But I’m not hearing you say no.”

“I’m always saying no unless you tell me it’s fine.” You raise an eyebrow. “Is it fine?”

Kazuha bites her lip, playing with your collar. “What time’s our reservation?”

“Uh–” You check your watch. “In an hour or so.”

“We can make it quick then.” She pulls the tie off your neck and unbuttons the top, giving you a pat on the chest then stabs a finger at you. “This is the last time, got it?”

“You know that this is literally your fault.” Maybe pointing the blame back at her wasn’t the best idea if her stare was any indication. So you take accountability for the entire thing. “Alright, yeah, it’s the last time.”

“Good.” She smiles, before pulling you down for a kiss. You wish it would’ve lasted longer but time was ticking and if there’s one thing you learned about Kazuha recently, it’s that she gets extremely impatient when it comes to what she wants. She breaks the kiss, giving you a smile before hauling you back to the living room and shoving you back into the couch right next to Yunjin.

“So?” Yunjin grins, moving her head back and forth between you and Kazuha. “What’s the verdict, Kazuha?”

“No kissing.” Kazuha pulls her blazer off and sets it next to you. “You have ten minutes–” She gets on her knees. “So get over here and get to sucking you slut.”

“Fuck off, ten?” Yunjin complains, lowering herself down next to Kazuha who’s unbuckling your belt. It comes off quick, and your pants get yanked down soon after. Yunjin does the honors of taking your underwear off, her fingers hooking underneath the waistband of your boxers and sliding them down past your knees. “Make it thirty. I mean–” She wraps her hand around your cock and pumps you slowly. “Have you seen his cock?”

“We got somewhere to be. Fifteen or we stop.” It’s odd to find yourself in the middle of a negotiation for your dick just before a date, but with the way things have gone these last two weeks, you shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

“Can’t you guys like, cancel?” It’s even weirder that they’re managing to multitask—Yunjin’s hand jerking you off, having your length slowly become hard. Kazuha’s own are fondling your balls, stroking your thighs. “I really wanna have fun with him.”

“Too bad. Maybe if you don’t make us late tonight, you can have another go at him.” You had to raise an eyebrow at Kazuha for that. And all she gives you is a smirk. 

Last time, my ass, you think. You have the slightest inkling she gets off to seeing you have some fun with her friends.

Yunjin laughs. “Bet.” And those lips of hers are unreal when they close around your tip, her cheeks hollowing as she sucks. Your hands shot up to her hair, groaning, gasping, closing your eyes as she starts to bob her head, not wasting her time with teasing and going straight to killing you with her mouth.

She takes you deep, inhaling your cock, that warm mouth stuffed full of your length. Takes you straight down her throat like she was breathing air. Doesn’t gag, doesn’t use her hands. It was all a pair of lips that made you reconsider if you should cancel and have this instead.

“Fucking christ,” you curse, leaning your head back against the couch, fighting desperately not to let that ache come too soon. You feel one of your hands get pulled away from Yunjin's hair, and you look back to find Kazuha taking your fingers in her mouth, sucking on your thumb like she would your cock.

It’s a near identical view—Tongues twirling around you, watching every little reaction you make. One is taking you deep in her throat, relentless in her pursuit of getting you off. The other is worshiping every bit of you, kissing and licking and making sure that you feel every ounce of it all. Borderline insanity, is what this is. And you’re having the time of your life, as little a time Kazuha’s allowed this to even happen.

You brush your fingers across Kazuha’s cheek as she pops your thumb off her lips, smearing a string of saliva over her skin. She smiles, taking your hand with hers before giving your palm a kiss, glancing over to Yunjin with a scoff.

“Don’t hog,” Kazuha says, inching closer and nudging Yunjin to the left. “Give me some.”

Yunjin scoots over with your cock still trapped between her lips, a loud slurp coming off her as she reluctantly brings her head back up. “The fuck, you suck his cock everyday.”

“And I do.” Kazuha grips your length, stroking you slowly, point your length back at Yunjin. Her mouth lowers, down to your balls and giving it a long, slow lick down. 

Yunjin takes the hint, giggling and shaking her head before parting her lips and taking your dick back into those heavenly lips. She takes it slower this time, matching Kazuha’s rhythm on your balls. Letting you bask in the pleasure they’re giving you, making you sigh, grip whatever leather you can on the couch, and close your eyes again because looking would make you fucking lose whatever control you have left.

They seemed to have reached an understanding when you feel two mouths working your length. And you physically twitch, the sensation of them making out between your cock making you go psychotic, your chest seizing up in pleasure. Breathing feels harder, almost impossible, their tongues sliding down your length and back up again. Kisses surround your tip, caught in two pairs of lips before one comes down to your balls, sucking on your heavy sack.

It didn’t matter who was doing what, not when it felt this amazing. You don’t even know if you’ve missed the dinner reservation at this point, the two women in front of you the only thing occupying your mind right now.

Your cock throbs, leaking pre-cum all over their tongues and signalling the end for you. They seem to know it too, when they start getting faster, sloppier, messier. Your hands come up to their heads, resting on their locks and finally opening your eyes just as they start to take turns at your cock.

Kazuha’s slower, more delicate with you, sucking your cock with such care you’d think she was trying to stop you from cumming. Her tongue flicks your slit, twirling around your tip and pressing these long, deep kisses around you. It’s reverence, her adoration for you in full display.

Yunjin’s the complete opposite. Persistent and not a care in the world for you as long as she gets what she wants. Her mouth bottoming out on your cock, her nose pressing down on your groin. Sucking sloppily at your length, spit all over your shaft, her mouth.

The back and forth is killing you, and it all comes crashing down you when Kazuha starts up another one of her tirades.

“Give it to her,” Kazuha starts, her hand coming up to grip Yunjin’s hair, pulling and pushing her head down on your dick. Make her swallow all that cum in your balls. Or if you want her face, she’ll do it too. Just say it and I’ll yank her off your cock. “Paint her face with a fat fucking load, make her drip all over with your nut.”

“Zuha, fuck–” Your hands join Kazuha’s, fisting Yunjin’s hair, your breathing getting heavier as her words start to consume your thoughts. You strip away everything, and all you can hear is Kazuha’s encouragement as you cum right down Yunjin’s throat. Letting those goddamn lips send you to the deep end.

Your hips come up as Kazuha forces Yunjin down, emptying your everything into her. And Yunjin doesn’t gag, doesn’t choke. She takes it like a fucking gold medalist, gulping down every pulse of your cum. Doesn’t leave a mess, doesn’t let a single drop of it leave her mouth. 

“That’s it,” Kazuha coos, slowly letting Yunjin up from your shaft. Leaving your cockhead in her mouth, draining you of the last spurts of your seed. “Drink it all down, you slut.”

And Yunjin smiles, fucking smiles, around you. Resting there for a moment, making sure that nothing more will come out of you. She gives you a wink, knowing that she’s exhausted you of it all before pulling off you with a pop.

“Fuck,” Yunjin breathes, planting her hands behind her, keeping her upright. “Now that is one hell of a load.”

“Had your fill?” Kazuha stands up and wipes her pants of any dirt, like this was just another day. She picks up her blazer next to you, putting it back on and fixing her hair. “Or do I need to kick you out?”

“I’m good. Real good.” Yunjin laughs, leaning over to you one last time to kiss your tip. “Might come back for seconds next week.”

Kazuha scoffs. “We went past fifteen, slut. You’re not getting seconds.” She sits down next to you, patting your cheek and closing her hand around yours before smiling at the state you’re in.

Completely fucked out of your mind for your date.

Yunjin shakes her head and smirks. “Not unless I bring everyone with me.”

You’re a dead man walking if that ever happens. As if Kazuha would ever allo–

“Bet.”

You snap your gaze towards Kazuha, who was already looking at you with a grin.

“You can’t say I don’t spoil you, bro.” She pecks your lips, then turns to Yunjin.

“Same time next week?”

Vacations were ironic. You saved up, willingly going through hours of stress at an airport just to relax for a week. Then you’d have to go through that same stress on the way back to your regular stress, life. Thinking about it gave you a headache.

Maybe the vacation would be good, though. Because your regular stress was hell. Life as a civil engineering student had drained every last remnant of fun from your life for the past three years. And for what? Three men in suits worth more than your tuition walked past, carry-ons in tow, rattling something about ‘quarterly meetings’ and ‘new HR docs’. Would this be your life after school? Would your regular stress compound once you graduated, slowly morphing you into some corporation? You’d rather be a gym bro.

It’s not like you had a choice in the matter anyway. No matter how long you’d been avoiding them, your cousin made it very clear if you missed her wedding in Mexico you’d be dead to her and the rest of the family. Which was why now, in the middle of your final year of school— just before your midterms— you sat at gate 104 waiting for your flight to Cancun.

The flight, though. You could look forward to that. 7 hours cut off from the outside world. The plane like a little capsules, closed off from that stress. 7 hours where you could slip your headphones on and turn your brain off. At least you could look forward to that.

You pulled out your new sketchbook and a finely sharpened pencil the border agent definitely gave you trouble for. You looked in front of you— you’d been staring at the airport seats for an hour and a half, so long they morphed into desks. And you could’ve sworn that old guy didn’t look like your professor half an hour ago. Maybe you needed a change of perspective.

You grabbed your bag (checking your passport was there one more time of course), before switching to a seat facing the opposite direction. You plopped down with your sketchbook.

And suddenly, the airport didn’t seem so bad. A group of girls sitting 3 rows from you huddled together, staring at a phone. The one with the deep red hair guffawed, clapping her hands together as she laughed, followed by the other 3. Her hair was tucked behind her ears, laugh piercing the stale air. You watched as her legs lifted in the air from laughing so hard. Her face lit up, not only her expression, but the room.

One of her friends tapped her shoulder, showing her the phone again, and another outburst came. The four of them seemed so carefree, even joyous. Their fun was a far cry from what you thought airports could be. And yet, even the PA seemed happier, singing its little jingle before it called for a passenger for the seventh time now.

You looked away, conscious of your staring. You looked down at your sketchbook. This seemed like as good a place as any to sketch, especially considering the view. Your eyes occasionally (putting it lightly) flicked to the girl. Even while she sat, idly scrolling on her phone, she looked so comfortable. She was slid so far down her chair her head rested on the back of the seat, her shoeless feet plopped on the carry-on in front of her.

Meanwhile, you sat in your chair perfectly straight, carry-on neatly in front of you. You tried taking up as little space as possible, despite having the entire row of seats for yourself.

You looked down at your sketch. It wasn’t good— you’d totally messed up the glass roof. There were 6 rows of support beams running through, not 8. That wasn’t even mentioning the fact that there were missing details everywhere— a pillar too wide, a clock not round enough. Oddly enough, the chairs were the only thing that looked picture perfect. You ripped the page from the book, crumpling it. A buzz from your pocket vibrated, and taking your phone out, a text from your Aunt read:

“Can’t wait to see you! We just arrived. Have a safe flight!”

You swiped the message away, looking at the time. 8:27. Still another hour before boarding. You picked your sketchbook up again, starting over. You sat up a little straighter, shutting your eyes for a second in concentration. This time would be different— you’d produce a picture perfect sketch of the gate. You silently sketched, eyes flicking to the red-haired girl occasionally. You silently hoped she’d be going to the same resort you were.

It’s even worse than before, you thought an hour later as the first boarding call came in.

--

Of course, back of the plane. Right next to the washrooms. You plopped down in your window seat, tucking your backpack under the seat in front of yours. It seemed the plane had filled up, save for the two seats in your row. Lucky. You plopped your shoes off. It felt wrong, but— vacation mode, you justified. You took your earphones out of your pocket, about to slide them into your ears when-

“Bathroom seats”, a voice sighed. You looked up. The red-haired girl stood at your row, eyes flicking to yours. “At least we don’t have to go through it alone, right?” She said, sliding into the aisle seat. She kicked her shoes off as well, sliding her hoodie off her arms so it hung off her shoulders, hood still covering her head.

You sat there shocked. Wasn’t this everyone’s dream? Wasn’t it a classic trope to see a cute girl at an airport and hope they sat next to you on the flight? And it was happening to you and oh god she was talking to you.

“Ever been to Cancun?” she asked casually, as if you weren’t strangers.

“Oh… first time”, you responded after the initial shock wore off. You quietly slipped your shoes back on. Hopefully she didn’t notice.

She stretched her arms in the air— a moan inducing one by the sounds of it. “Same” she groaned, settling in. “Oh, my group was the last to board by the way. We got lucky, empty middle seat!” She lifted her legs, curling them on the empty seat. “Lets split it? We can each have a half,” she said.

And she wasn’t wearing shoes. Vacation mode it was. “Sure,” you answered, but kept your feet where they were.

You sat in mostly silence as the flight attendants demonstrated the safety measures in case of emergency, but on take off, the girls breath hitched, and she held her armrests a little too tight.

The plane had evened out, and the general buzz of excitement from take off died down into amiable silence— thank God, no kids on the flight.

“How are you so calm right now?” She asked, breaking the silence.

So much for 7 hours of quiet, you thought.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” you said, deciding you might as well talk. What else were you going to do? Ignore this beautiful girl for 7 hours? “Planes are peaceful. I don’t know how you were so happy at the gate, though, that place is hell”

She eyed you curiously. “At the gate? Did I meet you at the gate?”

“You’d be hard to miss when you were laughing like a hyena every 20 minutes” you joked. That was weird. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d told a joke.

A smile lit up the girls face. “Someone’s got jokes” she chuckled. “Guess I’m sitting next to a stalker.”

“I wasn’t stalking you, you’re just hard to miss”

“Thanks”, she said.

“Wasn’t a compliment”

She gave a small chuckle. “You know, you’re different than I expected. Not as quiet as I imagined”

You thought about it for a moment. You guessed it was true, most new people ignored you, let you exist as long as you didn’t bother them. But for some reason, you just felt… comfortable around this girl. “I didn’t always give that impression” you said after a pause. “I used to be… fun. Before three years of civil engineering”

“Oh, STEM”, she winced.

“Yeah” you sighed. “What about you. Not sitting with your group?” The question seemed to dig at her. She gave a short smile, and pulled out half a popsicle stick out of her hoodie pocket.

“Got the short end of the stick” she said feigning cheerfulness. “So I had to sit alone”

“They made you sit alone?” you asked. She gave a short nod. “There’s three of them right? Why wouldn’t you just book it in seats of two and two, that way no one got left out?”

“That’s some great math Mr. Engineer” she joked— then sighed. “Pretty sure it was rigged from the beginning.”

“What do you mean?”

“I… wasn’t really invited on this trip, just a last minute replacement for someone who cancelled. Don’t think any of them would want to spend 7 hours with the outsider alone.”

“Really? You all looked so friendly at the gate” you said.

“So you are a stalker?” She laughed. “And I picked my stick last” she said holding up the popsicle stick. “So I think they must’ve known which stick was the shortest. Probably planned on isolating me from the beginning”

“And now you have to sit next to a stranger.”

She gave you another smile, more genuine this time. “Well you’re not so bad, stranger” she said. “Also, can we go back to what you said before? Airplanes are calm?”

The next hour flew by too fast. You learned the girl’s name was Yunjin, here with a couple of girls from her new job on a ‘bonding trip’. A couple of times you made Yunjin laugh so hard a lady 3 rows in front gave a smug “SHH”.

You also learned she wasn’t from your city— just happened to be at that airport on a layover.

“So, what is it?” She asked. “Why don’t you seem excited for the trip?”

God, this girl. So damn friendly. Wasn’t she scared of overstepping? She looked at you with large, curious eyes. “Cousin’s wedding” you sighed. “You know, family.”

“Yeah. Family,” she repeated.

“I love them but, it’s just- I haven’t seen them in a while. And there’ll be questions. And expectations. How can I face them when they gave up everything to put me in school, to give my life meaning, when my life still doesn’t have meaning? How can I act like I’m living out my dreams when school is kicking my ass every day?” You lifted the armrest, kicking your feet up to your half of the empty seat.

“School’s a bitch, isn’t it” she said. It was all she needed to say.

The conversation died down after another half hour. You wracked your brain for something to say, something to keep the conversation going. Talking to her was refreshing— you already knew you wouldn’t regret the trip, even if just for the flight. No matter how huge the pile of assignments awaited back home.

But it was clear the exhaustion from the flight was getting to you. You both sunk into your chairs. Something light hit your lap. You looked down, one wireless earphone. Yunjin had pulled out her iPad.

“We have a little over 5 hours left. If we start now we can get through the first 2 Harry Potter movies, and a bit of the third one. Or I also have Jumanji downloaded.”

You smiled. “Lets do Harry Potter”

She smiled back. “Knew I’d like you”. Yunjin lowered the makeshift table attached to the back of the middle seat, placing the iPad down. You both settled in, and her legs awkwardly tangled in yours on the empty seat. You didn’t mind. You slid your hoodie off your arms so it hung off your shoulders just like Yunjin’s, iconic melody of Harry Potter ringing in your ears 30 000 feet above the Atlantic ocean.

The rest of the flight flew by, pun intended. You sank into your seat, legs still thrown awkwardly onto the empty seat next to you. You had tried to take up as little space as possible—Yunjin was sharing with you after all. But it was clear Yunjin didn’t mind by the way she plopped her feet on yours. You were acutely aware of the contact— every ounce of you was focused on her legs on yours, the movie be damned. Every inch she moved made you jump, but by first half of the first movie you’d grown comfortable with the contact. You could feel the warmth of her skin through your sweats.

“Ravenclaw?” She asked as the end credits of The Philosopher’s Stone climbed the iPad.

“Huh?”

“Your house. You seem like a Ravenclaw”

“Oh. Gryffindor” you answered.

“Really? Mr. Engineer values courage?”

“I guess, that’s just what the test said”

Yunjin rolled her eyes. “Boring. I’m a slytherin”

“Oh and me being Gryffindor is surprising” you mocked. “You reek of Hufflepuff!”

“Hufflepuff!” She exclaimed. “You think I’m a ditz?!”

“Hufflepuff’s aren’t ditzes. But the way you almost fell off your chair from laughter at the airport just screamed Hufflepuff.”

Yunjin lifted a leg, extending it to poke you with her sock covered toes. “You are a stalker” she said with a click of her tongue. “I guess that means we’re enemies then, stranger. Gryffindor and Slytherin“

You slid your hoodie off your head playfully tossing it at her. “It’s not a rivalry— Gryffindor’s are clearly better. Now scooch. I gotta use the washroom”

She scrunched her body, letting you pass. “Don’t stink up the washroom, we sit right next to it” she said.

You shimmied by her. Who knew the flight might’ve been the highlight of your trip. Honestly, you had been dreading this for a while— seeing your family, answering questions about school, plans and the future. You had enough on your plate trying to pass, and seeing your family would exacerbate those expectations tenfold.

But Yunjin was a breath of fresh air. She too was in an uncomfortable situation, stuck with a group of people on a trip she knew they’d rather her not be on. But she faced it, and now she was with you, watching Harry Potter movies while bantering like you’d known each other for years.

But there was only a limited amount of time left. Who knew if you’d ever see her again once the flight ended. You looked at yourself in the bathroom mirror. Why did your hair look like it was tumbled in the dryer on high? Shit, you shouldn’t have thrown your hoodie away, now there was nothing to hide the haybale on your head.

You leaned in close, brushing and patting, trying anything to fix it. It stood up no matter how hard you tried to quell it. You laughed at yourself. You couldn’t remember the last time ‘your hair’ was the architect of calamity in your life. Usually it was rent, or GPA, or maybe having a heart attack from stress and dying before you could even graduate.

But here you were on a plane to Mexico in the middle of the schoolyear, fixing your hair because you sat next to a pretty girl. You could already feel the stress trickle away.

No, it was definitely there. Even flicking back to the thought of school brought the sinking feeling back to your stomach. But then you saw yourself in the mirror again, thought about Yunjin, and the feeling diluted.

You resorted to wetting your hair with sink water (from an airplane bathroom? Gross) to at least settle the strays before heading back to the seat.

What awaited you was that same otherworldly beauty sitting in your seat.

“My window seat!”

She smiled, not mischievous or playful, but genuine. “Thanks for the seat stranger. Now hurry up,” she said, patting the middle seat and gesturing to her iPad, which now sat on the tray in front of her. “Movie’s starting”.

She wants me to sit next to her, you thought, climbing into place. It was probably for logistics, because watching a movie on a small iPad 2 seats apart didn’t make sense. So why did the feeling in your stomach return? This time not sinking but fluttering, as if the butterflies ate away the stress like leaves. I should’ve brought a hat you thought as you settled in beside her.

--

All too soon the plane rumbled as it touched ground, misplaced applause ringing through the aircraft.

“Who the hell claps for a plane landing?” Yunjin laughed.

“No idea,” you said, dropping your hands back to your lap. Hopefully she didn’t notice.

The plane slowed gradually, yet every moment passed too quick. Every detail— no matter how small or insignificant ran through your head as you tried to soak it all in. The way she threw her head back when she laughed. How she’d stare at you, really look at you when you talked, or rolled her eyes when you said something stupid.

The plane stopped, seatbelt light clicking off as people rose to their feet.

You couldn’t tell why— maybe because you were at the back of the plane, waiting for the rest of the congregation to file out, or maybe because she too was soaking up the time you had left, but neither of you moved for a while.

It wasn’t until the seats had completely emptied, slow line out the plane growing thin did you two move.

“They didn’t even wait for me,” Yunjin sighed under her breath. You pretended not to hear.

She turned to you, carry on in tow, sunhat rimming her head. “Well— it was fun! Call me!” She said, as cheerily as ever. As if it wasn’t only 7 hours, and you’d see each other again. With a wave she was gone.

Wait, call me? Did she give you her number? You took your phone out of your pocket, checking the contacts. You scrolled through your contacts, but you didn’t see any new contacts.

You turned to the front of the plane, hoping to tell her you didn’t have her number; it was too late, the passengers had filed out. Sighing, you slipped your hoodie into your backpack before reaching for your carry on.

You didn’t rush to catch up to her— one because it would’ve been way too embarrassing to confront her in front of her 3 friends, but also because… maybe it was better this way? It was only 7 hours. Were you really going to get attached? No, you had a whole life back home. A life that demanded all of you.

But, later that day, it didn’t matter that the Sun threw its balmy glare on your skin, heating your sunscreened body, or that the piña colada you picked up— spiked with rum of course, vacation mode— cooled you from the inside. As soon as you stepped out of the taxi and into the resort, you knew you’d rather be back on that plane with Yunjin. Especially as your Auntie Jess’s scream rang your name in the resort lobby, and she— and her kids— dashed in your direction.

--

It wasn’t that you didn’t love your family. You did— you would go to the ends of the earth to make your Auntie Jess’s 2 kids happy. You looked at your baby cousins, bundled up in swimsuits— the one’s with little floaties attached to the arms and legs. Your aunt droned on about the flight, the wedding preparations, how the rest of the family would be so excited to see you.

It was precisely because you loved your family that it pained you to be here. Because telling them what you’d been thinking for three years— that you didn’t know if you wanted to be a civil engineer— wasn’t an option. Especially given you had been sent to school on no scholarships or grants. Just the money out of your parents pockets. But lying to them— telling them school was going great, or that you were excited to graduate, to be a real adult was taxing.

“Oh, there’s a casino here”, your aunt pointed. “Bar is open all night. Your older cousins missed you last night,” she smiled, “and I’m sure you’re itching to go, what, studying so hard. We’re all so proud of you— Agnes! Stop poking your brother— anyways, let’s go! Everyone’s been dying to see you” she exclaimed, leading you further on. You sipped the piña colada faster.

The rest of your immediate family had commandeered two large outdoor tables. You lugged your belongings over to them. It was weird, you’d been dreading seeing them for weeks, but as your aunts and uncles pulled you into tight hugs, you were like a kid again. You were surprised how much you missed them.

Then the tears started— lead in charge by your mom of course. Why did moms always go for the cheeks? You swatted away her pinching fingers before she locked you in a tight embrace. Your dad silently nodded to you from his chair, sipping his beer. You nodded back. It was all you would afford each other, but now, after over a year of not seeing him, it was all you needed.

You honestly relished the feeling. “You brought me to the old person table?” You said. It wasn’t a very good joke, but the fact you made one told yourself lots— that you really did miss your family. That was twice today you made a joke. Maybe vacation mode was a real thing.

Your aunt Claire rolled her eyes. “Your other cousins are probably at the beach. Honestly those two— they haven’t been sober since we got here!”

“Looks like I need to catch up”, you replied.

And so you did. You finished your pina colada before your uncle handed you another. And it was great, sitting there, being with the people you knew loved you no matter what. Whom you apparently missed so deeply without even realizing it.

But then the comments came.

“How’s school?”

“You must be so proud of how far you’ve come!”

“What are your plans after you graduate”

Until a voice— all too deep, sort of nasally— cut through the chatter. “Stop hounding the man, let him put his shit away first!”

“Minho! Sakura!” You yelled as your aunt Claire smacked the boy over his language. Your cousins wore the tropical vibe not only in their clothes— a swimsuit with pineapples plastered all over for Minho, and a two piece for Sakura, with a bright sarong wrapped around her waist— but also their demeanor. Laid back and clearly drunk, the sight of them stirred you to your feet.

You ran to hug them. Minho patted you on your back, stumbling a bit, and Sakura’s face was flushed red. She was giggling, the smell of tequila heavy on her breath.

“Let’s show you to our room buddy” Minho said, loud enough for your family to hear. “And hurry up putting your stuff away,” he whispered, “me, you, Sakura. We’re getting sloshed this entire trip”

--

Four drinks in and the weeks itinerary was a mix of letters and numbers.

“Look, all you need to know is this” Sakura said, a little too loud. “Today is Sunday - hiccup - Tuesday is wedding rehearsal, Thursday we have wedding shoots, Friday is the wedding, and Sunday we leave”.

The cool night air sang with the mariachi’s music. The resort was still buzzing with people— it was only 8 pm. And you were already inebriated— vacation mode of course. The last rays of light stretched over the resort.

“Okay sorry— when’s the wedding again?”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “There’s no way you’re still a lightweight. I’d have thought 3 years of university would have upped your tolerance”.

You smacked Sakura’s shoulder. “I’m not a lightweight. I just haven’t eaten since the plane. Plus, remember prom? It wasn’t an hour into the afterparty before you were throwing up. I had to ditch my date for 20 minutes before Minho came to bring you home— where is that guy anyway?”

“Probably off with some girl” Sakura said, smiling. “There’s a buffet here. Let’s go? I’m getting hungry too”, Sakura said, dragging you by the bicep. “I forgot about prom night” Sakura smiled. “You know, you should visit more. Christmas and summers, me and Minho— we really miss you”

You silently let yourself be dragged to the buffet, before the smell of slow braised meats— of cilantro and corn fill the air. Your stomach rumbled.

You and Sakura ate, laughing and reminiscing, and before long your minds began to clear and you’d ordered another margarita.

“How many times do I have to tell you— the wedding is on Friday! Just know, tomorrow you have off. We can go to the beach. But enough about that— your mom says you’re still single. What happened to the cousin I knew from high school?”

“Yeah, well. School has been busy” you said passively.

Sakura laughed. “School? You’re seriously letting school get in the way?” She looked at the soft, embarrassed smile on your face. “Wow, you really have changed. But you’re really not talking to anyone?”

You thought of the girl on the plane of course. Yunjin.

“Cmon, spill it. I see that look on your face.”

“Well— there was this girl. On the plane.”

“On the plane?”

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure we snuggled. While watching movies.” The look Sakura gave you was a mix of amusement and skepticism. “And then she told me to call her”

“So call her!” Sakura lit up.

“That’s the thing— I don’t think she gave me her number”

Sakura’s eyes closed, clearly baffled and disappointed.

“My cousin. My own cousin.” She repeated incredulously. “You didn’t even get her number? Well where is she staying? At this resort?”

You paused. “No idea.”

Sakura sighed. “Just wait ‘till Minho hears about this” she said, shaking her head. “We should go find him,” she switched the topic, scarfing down the last bite of her fajita. “Last night we bribed one of the employees to keep the pool open past 9. Just for us.”

The rest of the night, aside from the embarrassment and realization you’d probably never see Yunjin again, was a relief. You had forgotten how much you’d missed Sakura and Minho, and even the rest of your aunts and uncles. You were honestly looking forward to meeting the rest of the family.

Well, for the most part. Your other cousin, Annabelle, was apparently in full bridezilla mode. She’d always been high maintenance, but there was a chill in the air even when Minho spoke about her. Maybe it was best you’d leave her alone tonight.

But it didn’t matter as you, Sakura, and Minho— who had been off at one of the resorts many bars talking to a girl twice his age— swam in the pool backlit with LED’s until the early morning.

You laid in your bed that night— room shared of course with Minho— drunk and dizzy, but oddly peaceful. Like… maybe things wouldn’t be so bad. Yeah, your family had asked you some questions, but Minho saved you in the end. You were sure more would come, and you’d have to answer them eventually, but you could keep up. After all, it was only a week, right?

You opened up Instagram. Maybe, just maybe by some stroke of fate, you’d be able to find her. Yunjin, you typed in the search bar.

Nothing.

--

The next morning at the buffet, you definitely didn’t regret coming. Breakfast definitely was the most important meal of the day, those who claimed it a myth be damned. You and Minho came back to the table with mounds of eggs, of chilaquiles and fresh fruit. God the fruit.

And in his other hand, Minho clutched three mimosas, because vacation mode of course.

“Drinking this early?” Your mother questioned.

“Leave the boy be, he works too hard. He’s a couple months away from his engineering degree! Let him have his fun,” your Aunt Jess defended.

“Sakura, did you tell him?” Your aunt Claire chimed in.

She rolled her eyes. “No, mom.”

“Oh tell him!” The older lady smiled. Sakura simply looked at you, embarrassed. “Okay fine I will. There’s this girl across the street from us— just moved in! I’ve been telling her about you. About to be an engineer, handsome, responsible. Even Sakura thinks you’d look cute together!”

“I did not say that!” She denied. “I didn’t think my cousin would need help finding someone” she said.

“Well— it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m sure our big shot plans to stay in the big city,” your aunt Jess chimed in. “Or move somewhere fancy. How about it, what’s your plan after you graduate?”

Suddenly your huevos rancheros didn’t seem so appetizing. You rattled some response, answers with no real substance but enough to appease the masses (2 aunts, 1 uncle and your parents), before switching the topic.

“But hey— how’s Annabelle?”

It had your desired effect— aunts and uncles always loved gossip. It was a rule of life. They rattled on, predicted when she’d have kids, if the dress would be cream or blush or champagne white, who in the family would get married next.

“I’ll meet you at the beach?” You whispered to Minho and Sakura in the confusion of gossip before quietly slipping away (mimosa still in hand). Walking passed the pools on your way to the beach definitely lightened your mood, and soon the white sands, flowing themselves like water gave way to the vast blue ocean. It was picture perfect. The sky was divine, disappearing into the ocean in the vast horizon as rays of the Sun bounced off the water.

Palm trees stuck out of the ground, young coconuts clinging to their branches. Beach balls idly flew past your head as you made your way down the beach, warm sand tickling your feet. And you swear you heard a seagull— something you thought only happened in movies. You made your way left, pausing every once in a while to assess the view.

The beach was lined with resorts, and although you could walk to the other resorts sections of the beaches, you had told your cousins to meet you. You picked a spot near the left edge of your own resorts beach. The bordering resort seemed nice too, but a little more packed.

You settled on a beach chair, taking your sketchbook out. It was a relatively new hobby you’d found, drawing. But it helped you stay calm. And you were surprisingly good at it. Well, you thought so, it wasn’t like anyone had ever seen your drawings.

You let yourself get lost in the lines you drew. In the fluffy clouds, scattered sparingly across the sky. In the sailboat, too far out you couldn’t see anyone on it. And in the seashell, so large it looked fake. Every stroke careful, precise, exact.

“And here I was sad you didn’t text me. Turns out you’d just followed me to the beach,” a familiar voice called out. You looked up, and it was like the Sun had jumped from it’s spot on the beautiful canvas you called the sky and walked up to you.

Yunjin’s deep red hair flowed freely out of her straw sunhat, sunglasses pushed up to the bridge of her nose. It was a miracle you noticed these two details considering the white two piece she was wearing didn’t leave much to the imagination. Her skin seemed to glow in the sunlight— no, like the sunlight.

She let her glasses fall to the tip of her nose, looking at you inquiringly. “So? Why didn’t you text?”

But you could see the smile she held back, and tossing your sketchbook on the beach chair, you stood. “Yunjin!”

She let her smile show. “Hey stranger”

Funny— you’d been silently hoping to see her since you left the plane, but now that she was in front of you… why was it so awkward? You stood in front of her, unsure what to say, how to react at this miracle. “How was I supposed to text you without your number?”

“Well, seeing as you were too much of a wuss to ask, I slipped it into your hoodie pocket while you were in the washroom. You didn’t find it?”

“When did you expect me to use my hoodie in Mexico?”

“Oh, right” she laughed. “Well, here we are now. On the same beach. It must be fate!”

“Fate?” You laughed.

“What, you don’t believe in fate?” She asked, patting the sand and sitting down into it.

You sat next to her, thinking for a moment. “Well, I definitely used to. But now, I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean?” She asked

“Is it my fate to disappear into my degree? Is that who I am now? Nothing more or less than an engineer?”

She leaned back into the sand. “So, I take it your family has been asking questions?”

“Just like I predicted” you sighed. “And what about you? Where are your friends?”

She gestured into the shallow waters, to three girls playing with a beach ball. “Off playing monkey in the middle” she said.

“Hmm. Three player game”

She put on her best smile, although her eyes, her eyes didn’t light up the way you’d seen they could.

“It’s not like that. Not all of it. They asked me to play with them but…” she trailed off.

“But?”

“You ever feel like people would be having more fun if you weren’t around? Like they’re not exactly rude, friendly even. But when it comes down to it, you’re kind of just… there?”

“Yeah, I sort of get that”

She smiled. Real this time. “But then I saw a stranger looking lonely over here and thought I’d come bother him.”

You both leaned into the sand. It was so surreal, being here on this beach with her.

“Hey, isn’t this kind of surreal?” She asked.

“Surreal?” You asked, because you didn’t know what else to say.

“To be here on this beach. It’s kind of amazing places like this exist.”

You turned to her. Her perfect skin glowed brighter than the white sand, the little mole on her nose perfectly placed. Like an artist placed it to perfect the composition.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Hey!” She exclaimed, standing up. “Let’s walk along the beach.”

“Where’d all that energy come from?”

“Come on stranger” she said grabbing your arms and pulling you to your feet. “Let’s go explore”

And suddenly the awkwardness was gone. You walked and talked, up until the beach thinned and sand became stone cliffs.

It was beautiful, she kept saying. But you hardly noticed because she was there too.

And suddenly the wind blew her hat off and she chased it. And you waved her off and caught the hat seconds before it blew into the ocean and you slipped it back onto her head, but not before sliding a torn off piece of your sketchbook inside, with your number of course.

And it was over in a blur. You were back to your resort’s portion of the beach.

“Shit!” You yelled. “I was supposed to meet my cousins here.”

Yunjin turned to you with concern. “Go meet them! Why didn’t you tell me?”

You thanked her and turned to leave before— “Wait! You’re going to check your sweater, right?” She called.

You smiled back. “Nah. It’s Mexico, who needs a sweater. Hats though. Those are pretty useful.” You waved, and ran back to the resort.

--

The rest of the day would’ve gone better with Yunjin. It wasn’t bad— just less bright despite the blazing Sun.

By the time you made your way to the buffet for lunch, your family was too many drinks deep to pester you with questions.

You spent the rest of the day lounging by the many pools— cocktail in hand for most of the day, because vacation mode. A pretty chill day aside from meeting your cousin Annabelle. Your haircut wasn’t that bad— not enough to ‘ruin the wedding photos’ like she claimed it would.

But it was already a far cry from what you thought the trip would be; your cousins had shown you you truly missed your family, the comments from your family weren’t oppressive, and of course, Yunjin was there, one resort away.

A couple things kept you up that night. Minho’s snores pierced the night air. A shame— your patio stayed open so the soft sound of waves could flood the room. The other was the text you’d been staring at for the past 5 minutes.

Hiya stranger :)

“Minho. Minho!” You whispered, only to be met with snores. Actually, maybe it was better to approach this yourself.

You had no idea what to say, how to respond without embarrassing yourself. But then you thought of her smile.

You weren’t sure if it made it worse or better, but, thinking of her smile, there was no way you wouldn’t respond.

Hi

The reply came quick, the little ding more soothing than the waves you could hear through Minho’s snoring.

Meet tomorrow?

Mmm. Wedding rehearsal. Should be done just after lunch. Maybe after?

I can do that :)

--

The wedding rehearsal was just as you suspected; your cousin Annabelle in full on panic mode. For one, the band’s clothes were too white— she was the bride, she needed to stand out— and for another, apparently it was supposed to rain Friday, the day of the wedding.

So now she was compensating by having you, Minho and Sakura— as well as the whole family— on your best behaviours during the rehearsal.

“We we’re supposed to end this before lunch,” Minho complained. “It’s— 2 o’clock,” Minho checked his phone, “I haven’t eaten— haven’t drank in 6 hours!”

“Stop it! Annabelle is your cousin. She used to watch all 3 of us on the weekends. She’d let us have sweets even though our mom’s told her not to,” Sakura scolded as she flipped through table cards labeled with perfect calligraphy .

“A tyrant then and a tyrant now” Minho gestured to Annabelle and the bridegroom. The ladder following the former like a lost puppy as she barked orders at her soon to be wedding guests.

“She wasn’t a tyrant! Plus, it’s her wedding. Of course she wants it to be perfect! Every girl does!” Sakura fought back.

“She does realize it’s only supposed to rain at like 7. We’ll be deep into the reception at that time. Plus, since when did you care about weddings?” Minho asked innocently.

“Since I was a little girl!” Sakura yelled, cheeks growing flushed, hands scattering table cards on the white tablecloth.

Minho had a truly confused look on his face. “What?”. An ignorant and protective brother, you guessed. You didn’t understand, not that you were paying much attention anyway.

“What?” Sakura mocked, throwing him a pile of table cards. “I’m a woman too.”

“Woman?” Minho laughed. “You snore like a dude. The whole house can hear it!”

“Shut up! Organize those cards. And stop teasing Annabelle, she has a lot on her plate. Back me up here cousin.”

“Hmm?” You replied, barely paying attention.

“He’s not even helping us! He’s been on his phone this whole time!” Minho yelled.

“Stop deflecting. So you don’t think your sweet sister is capable of getting married?” You replied simply.

“So you are listening! Sakura! Get him!” He pointed at you.

Sakura’s gaze pierced Minho to silence, before turning heel towards you and saying “Who are you texting anyway?” Before snatching your phone from your hand.

“Hey give that back!”

But it was already too late. Sakura had already seen who you were texting— with horror you watched her light up.

“Yunjin?! Is this the girl from the plane! You got her number!?” Sakura exclaimed.

“Girl from the plane? Who’s Yunjin?” Minho asked.

Welp. Now you had no choice to tell your cousins what happened— as well as get back to organizing cards, Annabelle’s glare at the three of you ensured that.

Sakura’s eyes went wide as she peered at your texts. “Look at this— Sorry, rehearsal running late,” she read, “meet me on the beach in an hour?”

“Dude, you’re gonna ditch us? I thought we were gonna get drinks after. Is that where you were yesterday too? We were looking for you for an hour on the beach.” Minho lamented.

“Like you didn’t ditch us last night,” you defended.

“Tell us what happened!” Sakura pleaded.

And so you did— starting from the plane to fill Minho in.

“And then you slipped it in her hat?” Minho asked incredulously. “Dude, you’re in!”

“I don’t know, it might not be like that.”

“You’ve been texting her all day!” Sakura said as she scrolled through your phone.

“That doesn’t mean anything. Now can we please finish these damn table cards.”

“Says the one on his phone the whole morning. Plus, you just want to finish fast so you can meet your girlfriend” Sakura teased.

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

With a ding from your phone you reached to grab it, but Sakura swatted your hand away. Her smile went from mischievous to one of feigned disappointment. “Oh, sorry cousin. Looks like you’re stuck with us this evening,” she said, tossing you the phone.

Sorry! Me and my friends booked a catamaran. We’re going snorkeling!

Your stomach did a weird thing— and it wasn’t all the alcohol you’d been drinking since you landed. Funny, your mind was totally fine. You had said it to her yourself, this trip would be the perfect opportunity to become closer with her friends. You were happy for her.

But your stomach panged knowing you wouldn’t see her today. You were suddenly very aware that running into her on the beach was an impossibility that happened, that even sitting next to her on the plane was lucky chance. But Sunday— the day the trip ended— no amount of luck could change that. You only had this week. Your time with Yunjin was limited.

You plopped the cards you had been organizing down on the table. “To be honest Sakura, Annabelle is acting a little crazy. If you act like this at your wedding, I’m leaving. Also since when are you not allowed to drink at a wedding rehearsal!”

No worries. See you tomorrow then?

You texted before finishing up (admittedly slowly) organizing the table cards with an increasingly moody Sakura.

It was nearly dinner by the time Annabelle was satisfied— she dismissed the three of you last.

Minho disappeared right away, but rejoined as you and Sakura made your way to the buffet— 3 pina coladas in hand of course.

A deep voice called the three of you over— your uncle eating with your aunt Jess. “Nephew! Come here!” He smiled. You sauntered over, pina colada hitting like a truck on an empty stomach. Must’ve been a Minho special— triple shot of spiced rum.

An expectant smile was on your Aunt Claire’s face. “So!” You’re uncle said.

“So?”

“I talked to a friend from work— their husband… he’s an engineer! Owns a firm and all!”

“Oh— that’s great…”

“And they have an internship program! I talked to him— he told me to ask for your transcript! But that it shouldn’t matter anyway— you’re basically a lock if you want in!”

Shit. Back to thinking of life. It wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate the offer for the internship; you just didn’t know if you even wanted an internship. Didn’t even know if you wanted to pursue engineering anymore. But it wasn’t like you could tell him that— not when he was so excited.

“Oh— that’s great!” You lied.

“Isn’t it!” Your aunt Jess lit up. “A nice internship lined up, back home too!”

“Yeah, it is”

“Why don’t you call Sakura and Minho over, we’ve been dying to hear more about how school’s been for you. Come eat with us.”

And so you sat with them for dinner, bombarded with questions about school and plans. It didn’t help they were so enthusiastic— so excited for you. And all you could do was sit there, lying about how good your grades were, about how excited and thankful you were for the opportunity.

“Mom, he’s on vacation. Let him be,” Sakura finally said.

It didn’t help that later that night, caused probably by the stress induced from your meal with your uncle, you checked your school email. You laid there in your bed, sounds of the shower Minho was taking ringing in the air.

Sitting there like a little gift was an email from one professor Hark; your least favourite professor:

Class,

Mistake on the syllabus. Your mid-term will be next week Monday. Not the week after.

Professor Hark

It read. Shit. You were supposed to have time. God knows you wouldn’t have been able to take this trip— or at least could have booked an early flight out had you known.

And now what? You’d have to study on your vacation? You were indeed free from wedding activities tomorrow. Just, you thought you’d get to spend it with—

Ding. A text from Yunjin, because of course it was.

Sorry! Snorkeling went late! Let’s hang out tomorrow.

What did you say now? Could you fit in a hangout with Yunjin and study sufficiently? Anger welled up inside you. It wasn’t the usual stress in the pit of your stomach, but something deeper, something that welled up in your chest, and you knew you were going to make a mistake. But were you really going to blow off this huge mid term to spend time with a girl you’d only know for a week? Fuck it, you thought. Fuck it all to damn hell.

What are you doing right now?

Actually, nothing. I could slip away.

--

When you texted Yunjin, you didn’t expect to be climbing those rock cliffs you saw at the end of the beach. But here you were, soft moonlight barely illuminating the climb.

“It didn’t look so tall from the beach!” Yunjin yelled beside you.

“You want to go back down?” You called back.

“No- we’re almost at the top. Plus, it looked cozy up there.”

You passed the lip, heaving yourself over. Atop the cliff sat the perfect little glade, a grassy clearing overlooking the vast ocean. You turned, reaching over to help Yunjin. She grabbed your hand—

How was it so soft? Even after climbing 30 meters of rocky cliffs? This was not the time to be nervous, grabbing onto a girl dangling over the edge of the cliff. What did it matter anyway though? As soon as you’d pull her up she’d probably laugh at you, tell you how sweaty your hands were, how your heart had beat so fast she could feel it through your palms.

Your breathing still heavy, you heaved her up, pushing the thoughts away. She collapsed over the edge to safety with a look of satisfied adventure on her face. Seems she didn’t notice how sweaty your palms were, that was good. “You’re fine climbing cliffs but draw the line at planes?” You asked.

Yunjin sat up and walked to the clearing, taking a look around. The glade gave way to the cliff’s waterside edge. “It’s beautiful up here,” she said.

It really was. The moon’s light bounced off the water in shards, soft white peaks of the waves dotting the ocean. Yunjin took a seat, legs dangling off the side of the cliff.

“Look at the stars” she said, amazed.

You sat next to her. “It’s like a whole different world out here. I can’t even see the stars most nights back home.”

You both sat there— not exactly touching but close enough you could feel her every movement. A while passed in silence. It was comfortable; a perfect night.

“Can I tell you something weird? I mean only having known you for like, 4 days.”

“3 days. But go on.”

She sighed, full of relief, not whatever else a sigh could come with. “I think— I think I’m really glad I met you.”

Your heart did that thing again— skipped a beat didn’t quite encapsulate it. It shriveled and expanded at the same time. It bloomed in your chest like it was trying to escape it, trying to go be amongst the moon and the stars you were under.

But Yunjin gazed at you so deeply your heart was forced to stay with you, stay inside you so she could take it.

“I know, it’s weird.”

And suddenly you had to speak, had to tell her it wasn’t weird despite the knot still in your chest. “It’s not weird.”

“You’re just saying that,” she laughed and it was genuine and pretty and real. But it was also raw and scared.

You gave a short chuckle, one without much humour in it. “You think I’d be here on this cliff if I didn’t want to see you?”

She gave you a smile that could’ve swept you off the cliff and into the ocean, and god would you let it happen. She laid down, and you followed. The grass felt nice— you didn’t get to feel it much, consequences of pursuing an engineering degree.

“How’s the family?” She asked, and not just to break the silence.

“My aunt called me to her room today because her water wasn’t working. She thinks engineers are plumbers.” It earned a snort from Yunjin. “And my uncle lined me up an internship.”

“So, sounds like it’s going great.”

“Mhm. And what about you. How was snorkeling?”

“You know,” she paused as if weighing out her words. “It was really fun. And I think it was fun for them too.”

“Can I say something?” Yunjin gave an audible go ahead. “You- you don’t seem like the kind of girl that would have these kinds of problems— problems with, err, making friends. You’re so friendly.”

“It’s weird,” she started, “I never really had trouble making friends. I think, even if you asked them, they’d… consider me a friend?”

“But it seems like they’re excluding you.”

“Maybe, but— I don’t know, I thought about it. I’ve been so… scared on this trip, so self conscious about how they see me. But today on the catamaran, it was different. I was different. I just, put all of that away, everything I was scared of. It’s like I wasn’t trying to have fun, I just let myself have fun. And then they started… treating me different, treating me like I was one of them. I guess I just had to meet them halfway. Does that make sense?”

You sat up, hands leaning on the soft grass. “I think so,” you said. “What changed?”

“That’s the thing, I have no idea. Maybe it’s just— I’ve always had lots of friends, but I’ve never had a family, you know?”

“A family?”

“I mean of course I have a family, but a group of friends that could be your family, I don’t know if I’ve ever had that. Have you?”

You thought first of your high school friends, the ones you’d been neglecting along with Minho and Sakura for the past years. You then thought of your university friends, the one’s who’d gone through hell- we’re still in hell with. You thought of late nights studying and even later nights eating out after studying. Of the little breaks you could take between term tests, not catching up on sleep but losing more of it to just… chill.

Suddenly, you felt a great appreciation for them, because not having them would make your already miserable life a thousand times more miserable. Was that what Yunjin was missing? But she was so… bright, even in the darkness of the night sky.

“I think I do.”

“And then I got this job— a really good one. And I didn’t want it to be like before, to have all these friends but no family.”

“And that’s what you’re trying to have now?”

“Yeah.”

“And that’s why you’ve been so scared?”

“Maybe.”

“When did you start at this job?” You asked.

“Two weeks ago”

You sat up straighter. “Two weeks ago?” You repeated.

“Yeah? Why?”

She really was clueless. “Yunjin. You’ve known them for two weeks and they’ve already invited you to a trip to Mexico! Even if it was as a replacement, they clearly want to be your friend too! How did you even get the time off anyway?”

Yunjin laid there in thought.

“It is so like you to stress over not being able to fit in after only knowing someone for two weeks,” you laughed.

“Hey, this is a real problem to me! And what do you mean ‘this is so like you?’ I’ve only known you for two days”

“Three days.” You said, lying back down. “And if it’s real to you, then it’s real to me,” you said with a plop, “if the snorkeling went well, I think you’re making progress,” you said, and you meant it. “But, yeah. It’s nice to have a family. But family has to meet half way. They’re already trying to be your friend— it’s clear because you’re on this trip. You just have to let them. Even if it’s a little awkward at first”.

Yunjin gave a small laugh. “No, maybe you’re right. It’s just. I plan on being at this job for a while. And it would be nice to have people I could count on. Well, other than you.”

She said it so casually, like you’d always be there to listen to her problems, like you wouldn’t be gone in less than a week.

“Thanks for listening. Really,” she said.

“Anytime,” you said, knowing it was a lie, knowing there was only a small window in which she could ask you anything before you’d fly back and she too would just be someone you’d forget about in the mess that was your life.

“You ever wonder how it would be if we met at a cafe?” She asked after a while.

“Hmm?”

“Or a thrift store. Or a park.”

So, not here. “That would be nice.” You meant it.

“Yeah,” she said.

You both laid there under the stars, glittering like they were just for the two of you. Sometimes in silence, sometimes talking about nothing of substance. You didn’t need there to be substance, the fact that you were both here on this hill was enough. No, maybe it wasn’t enough. You had four more days left, two of which you were busy with wedding stuff, and the others you’d have to study for your damn mid-term.

The wedding, the mid-term, and Yunjin. If only you could focus on all three at once.

“Hey Yunjin, do you want to come to my cousins we-,” you started, but as you sat up, you noticed Yunjin softly sleeping under the vast night sky. You stared at her for a second before laying back down.

And suddenly you were like the night waves, calm and soothed and drifting off to sleep. Maybe this wasn’t enough. Maybe a week wasn’t a long time. But a night— a night could be perfect. You wished you had your sketchbook. You’d be able to draw the night, capture every minute detail, every perfect part of the night could be saved. But your drawing wouldn’t be good enough to capture this moment. You wanted to soak up every detail, every second of the encounter, and you just weren’t good enough.

You peered around you, taking it all in, trying to remember every detail. It was only a night, but you wanted it to last forever. If only you’d had forever, you thought, as the glittering stars and ocean waves carried you off to sleep.

---------------------

A/N:

Hi everyone!

So I know this isn't perfect by any means. The tags are fluff and angst, and it isn't particularly angsty or fluffy. I apologize for that. I just ask you all to trust my vision! This will be two parts, and I'm really excited for the next chapter, which I assure you will have more fluff and more angst.

Also this is my first non-smut fic, which I would like to assure everyone is not going to become standard. This series will not have smut (I thought about adding it but decided against it), but I do not have plans to stop writing smut!

I know a lot of you have been eager for the next chapter of Cafe Cuties, and it is in the works! I expect it will be out within the next 2 weeks.

Other than that, it always warms my heart to see people interact with my stories. My messages and asks are always open to you all!