Chapter Text
4.
Matthew meets his mother for brunch on the third Saturday of every month. It's the kind of tradition they've had no trouble sticking to- he loves his mom, he loves spending time with her whenever he can. She's asking him about the apartment, how classes are going. He answers the questions on autopilot, they talk on the phone frequently enough that when anything worth telling her about actually happens, she's informed more or less immediately.
He's expounding on how much of an asshole one of his teaching assistants is when his mother interrupts with, "what about Somin how is she?"
Matthew pauses, processing the question before launching in to another explanation. "She's fine, she's amazing. Her courses are sort of difficult this year but she'll manage. She always does. Jisun and her have been taking some extra dance classes, and she's been coming back so tired on Thursdays and Fridays- but she recovers just fine over the weekend-"
"When are you going to tell her how you feel about her?"
Matthew gapes. "How many times do I have to say, there's nothing to tell!"
His mother scoffs, "please Kim Matthew I raised you, you've got to give me more credit than that- it'd be weirder if you didn't like her!"
"Why!? Girls and boys can do platonic relationships just fine."
"Oh I'm sure they can Matthew, I'm not contesting that. I just think what you and Somin have now can't be reduced to just friendship- that'd be doing it a terrible disservice."
Matthew stares at her, so she elaborates. "You've lived together for close to three years now, been friends so much longer than that. In your own words, and I quote, "she's the perfect girl." I don't understand why she isn't worth a try? Don't you get curious? It could end so wonderfully for the both of you."
"It's not so easy you know. We've been friends for so long, maybe too long now for anything to change. And that means that there's even more at stake if we tried and it ended badly."
His mother's face softens. "Oh Matthew, I doubt things wouldn't work out. But that kind of surety isn't something I can give you, I guess you've just got to see it through for yourself."
He gets back to apartment by mid afternoon, brunch had been wonderful. Informative. His head feels a little heavy with new perspective, his mother's words swirling in his mind and at the tip of his tongue as he toes his shoes off. He throws his jacket on the couch before making his way to Somin's room, socks slipping on the polished floor. Somin probably went on one of her cleaning sprees while he was gone.
She's on the phone when he walks in and throws himself on her soft grey duvet, but she hangs up barely minutes after, fingers reaching over to card through the rough, bleached strands of his hair. "How was brunching with mama Kim then?"
Matthew leans closer, wrapping an arm around her as he repositions his head on her lap, his bicep easily dwarfing her waist. "You need to date me."
Somin giggles. "I need to what now?"
"No really, mom's convinced."
Somin just laughs, soft pink lips stretched over even teeth and Matthew wonders, really, truly, honestly wonders, what she would say if he asked for real.
5.
They go for his first-cousin's wedding together. The both of them had hung out with him quite a bit as freshmen. He'd guided them along as an alumni of the same school while working at a firm near campus at the time. Matthew pulls out the one tux he saves for these occasions, it's black and expensive, tailored just the way his mother likes. The jacket sits on his shoulders like a dream, and he always feels so much cooler every time he gets to wear it.
Somin walks out of her room in a lavender organza dress, fastening the backs of her chandelier earrings. "Zip me up?"
Matthew's done this before more times than he can remember. Done this for so many college parties and clubbing nights. But it feels different this time, hands fat-fingered and clammy as he tugs the zipper up, up, up. The dress is sheer over the shoulders and so beautiful on her, and he watches as the zip inches over the smooth skin of Somin's back, concealing as it goes.
The moment breaks only when Somin turns and grins at him. "Lookin' like a Cadillac."
Matthew snorts, "what does that even mean?"
Somin yells back from where she's fastening her heels. "I don't know!" She reappears in the room, five inches taller, a wicked smirk on her lips. "Everyone wants to ride you?"
Matthew guffaws. "You're the worst person I know."
The wedding in itself is simple and elegant. Orchids adorn the botanical garden that Jisung's bride picked for the occasion and the flutes of champagne fliiter around at an alarming frequency. They're both a little tipsy come evening, Somin pulls off her heels as do most people wearing them and the party loses some of its uptight sophistication. The music switches to something more relaxed, a steady enough beat that people start migrating to the makeshift dance floor amidst bougainvillea vines.
Someone switches on the lanterns strung up from everywhere, and the atmosphere becomes so much more mellow as the sun sets. He sways with Somin in his arms, plenty unsteady—but no more than everyone else packed on the dance floor with them.
He's drunk and placid and happy enough that he leans his head on Somin's, nose pressed against sweet smelling hair. He catches his mother's eyes twinkling from across the room and tries to imagine his life without Somin in it. And he can't. So he's drunk and calm and ecstatic enough that the conclusion he comes to is-
"'M gonna wife you some day."
Somin grins against the front of his chest, auburn hair tumbling down her shoulders and catching the light. "Gonna wife you right back."
6.(+1, the time it was different)
When it finally does happen, it happens—as most things do—terribly anticlimactically.
"Kim Taehyung from my stats class asked me out today."
Matthew feels his stomach fucking bungee jump to his throat. His heart somersaults. His liver lodges itself somewhere under his ribs or something. Romance just leads to flawed anatomy he feels. "What did you say?"
Somin looks at him like he's stupid. It's not unusual but there's a surplus of disappointment in her eyes and that's new. Matthew blanks, "what?"
"Guess what I said Matthew?"
"Yes?" He tries. "No?" he can't keep the hopeful uptick from his voice, but Somin doesn't respond. "Maybe?"
Somin sighs. "Matthew you remember when that asshole from the club stole my coat? The expensive brown one with the faux fur."
Matthew blanks again.
Somin sighs again, eyes moving skyward in exasperation. "The chewbakka jacket."
"Oh! Oh yeah! Yeah like last month?"
"That's the one. You remember how we got it back?"
Matthew smiles, eyeing the floor. Somin lips quirk, the beginnings of a matching grin. "You chased him all the way to the COEX mall, caught him and traded the coat for two six-packs of beer."
"Some cardio never hurt anyone."
Somin slipped closer. "Who else is gonna do these things for me?"
"I'm sure Taehyung can run long distances, medium pace."
Somin snorts. "Not the point."
She steps even closer, hands slipping around his shoulders and folding over his nape, fingertips tickling the prickly beginnings of his undercut. "Don't wanna date anyone else."
Matthew felt like his smile was gonna rip his face in to two. His cheeks hurt and he felt giddy and warm all over. And it felt normal, like this is how he's always felt around Somin anyway. Safe and so, so happy in-like (love?). He slides his hands down, gripping tentatively at Somin's waist, thumb smoothing over the cashmere of her sweater.
Somin exhales, close enough that it brushes against his skin. "Let's hang out sometime. Like in a cute way. Like in the way mama Kim has been wanting us to. You dress nice and I'll dress nice, and maybe I'll hold your hand if you aren't particularly embarrassing."
Matthew pulls her close at that, tucking her under his chin so they can just hold each other in the golden glow of their living room. "If you dress any nicer I'll pass out. If you dress nicer and hold my hand, I straight up won't survive."
Somin smiles against his neck. "Kisses are some kind of resuscitation I've heard."
--
"I like you." Somin bites out after a bit.
"like-like?"
"Shut the fuck up."
-
"I like you too. So much."