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“So...what are you doing on the 14th?”
The dishes clacked softly as Seol-a washed them clean. She glanced over her shoulder to where No-rae leaned against the kitchen counter, dishcloth in hand.
“Mm...just classes, earlier on. And a meeting, at 11. But otherwise, all clear.” She handed No-rae a plate. “Did you have something in mind?”
“Wellllll, considering it's Valentine's Day...it's a special occasion and stuff…” The dish clanked onto the counter, still dripping wet. Suddenly No-rae was on her tiptoes at Seola’s side. “I was thinking we could make it a date!” She beamed up at Seol-a, still several inches shorter.
Seol-a caught the nervousness beneath No-rae’s easy grin, and her heart skipped a beat. She set the sponge aside, feigning thoughtfulness. “Hmm...well, I shall have to consider your proposal, in light of my other offers...Jisoo from class seems to be doodling a lot of hearts recently…and Yejin keeps moving her seat closer to mine…” she giggled as No-rae's face crumpled into a look of mingled dismay and outrage. “Oh, you goof. Of course I'll go with you.”
No-rae let out her breath in a rush. “God, don't do that to me. I've been trying to crowd Yejin out for months--oof!”
Seol-a turned suddenly, hugging No-rae to her. Dishes forgotten, she murmured into her hair. “Really, Kim No-rae. There's no one I would rather spend that day with--or any day.” She kissed the top of her head, feeling No-rae blush against her chest. “I'd be honored to be your Valentine.”
No-rae gripped her tighter, mumbling inaudibly. Seola chucked her beneath the chin. “What was that, sweetie?”
No-rae blushed harder. “I was just sayin, now I gotta be really impressive with this date, so I can keep the great Baek Seol-a coming back for more.” She grinned the lopsided grin Seol-a had come to love so much.
Now it was Seol-a's turn to blush. “Silly. You couldn't keep me away.” She reached for another dish. “So, where would you like to go? And whe--”
No-rae, perched on her tiptoes once more, had placed a finger over Seol-a's lips. “I'll text you day of, it’s a surprise! Just keep your evening open after 6, madame.”
Seol-a’s eyes widened at the same time as her smile. “Well all right then, madame! Will you at least tell me what to wear?”
“Seol-a, you're literally a model. Just wear whatever. Even your gym clothes cause bike accidents.”
“That was one time!” Seol-a pouted.
No-rae giggled. “Yeah, but it was a six-man pile-up.” Setting the last dish aside, she strode around the kitchen island and hoisted on her backpack.
Seol-a's heart skipped again. “Leaving so soon?”
“Yeahhhhhh…gotta work on that midterm project, and I left all the stuff at my place.”
Seol-a tried, and failed, to hide her disappointment. “You want to...um...use my books and things? I can make some tea...oh! And I have those matcha KitKats you wanted, my brother brought them back from Japan--what?!” No-rae was giggling again, her eyes nearly disappearing behind her smile.
“If ya wanted me to stay, just say so!” Dumping her bag back down, she flopped onto the couch. “Let the KitKats begin!”
Beaming, Seol-a flipped on the kettle. “Coming right up!” Pulling her hair up into a messy topknot, she breathed deeply, trying to remember the last time she felt this at home.
The morning of the 14th was, however, a different story. Seol-a sat through class with growing impatience, the solitary butterfly flitting in her stomach blossoming into a fluttering flock. I've been out on dates a thousand times...and I've been out with No-rae practically every single week. So what is there to be nervous about?
The professor signalled the end of class, and Seol-a slid her notebook back into her bag. Absentmindedly, she wandered out the door and down the hall, before remembering her meeting, at the other end of the building. Once seated in her advisor's office, she found herself watching the clock on the wall behind him, nodding automatically.
Finally, her professor put down his pen. “So, all in all, everything's right on track. Not that I'm surprised, Seol-a.” He looked up to an empty seat.
“Thank you, Professor! I appreciate it! Have a good day! A wonderful day!” called Seol-a, hand on the doorknob. The door banged shut behind her, surprisingly loud. The professor stared after her for a moment, then smiled.
“Kim No-rae's been rubbing off on her…”
Outside at last, Seol-a forced herself to slow down. Get a grip, it's only just noon! She said to be ready by six...but if I want to redo my nails, and wash my hair…
Just then, her phone buzzed. Snatching it from her purse, she swiped up to see that No-rae had texted her at last.
Hayyy!! Meet me at the park by the corner of XX and YY Streets. We don't gotta walk far after that..see you soon!!!
The phone buzzed again, this time with the kissy-face emoji without the little heart. Seol-a bit her lip, grinning like a fool. I’ll see you then, she typed out, then paused, her thumb over the “send” button. Finally, she added a tiny heart--the pink one with the flutter lines. Blushing fiercely, she headed for the subway.
Home at last, she bolted into the shower, scrubbing her hair furiously with Moroccan-oil shampoo. Reaching for her usual body wash, she stopped, put the bottle down, and chose instead the tiny square of rosewater soap she saved for special occasions.
She stepped out of the shower and into her towel, wreathed in the smell of flowers. It took ages to dry her long black hair, then coax it into gentle waves. Turning to her closet, she looked with slight dismay at the rows of dresses, skirts, and blouses, unsure where to begin. She picked up a sweater, then immediately tossed it aside. A sundress, pencil skirt, and her favorite pair of high-waisted designer jeans all got the same treatment. Flipping through her hangers, Seol-a's eyes finally fell on last year's impulse buy hanging pristinely, tags still on. It had looked fine in the store, but by the time she got it home…
Well, if not now, when? The fabric gleamed as she slid it off the hanger.
Twenty minutes later and fully arrayed, she looked at herself in the mirror. She felt a little naked in the slip dress, but it was special, and so was No-rae. Besides, the black satin did reach past her fingertips, and the dark red roses embroidered along the neckline seemed appropriate for the occasion. A pair of ruby and gold drop earrings framed her face, matching the necklace gracing her collarbones. Her eyes she lined in gold as well, with a hint of golden powder just below her waterline, turning into a subtle red at the outer corners. Fasting the ankle straps on her black satin heels, she glanced at her phone to see with a jolt that it was already 5:30.
Lipstick on the way, she thought wildly, snatching up a coat and a tiny black purse. A second later she was out on the street, buttoning her jacket against the February chill.
And then she was at the park. Scanning the entrance for No-rae, she smiled to see the trees and bushes spangled festively with fairy lights, glowing warmly under the clear evening sky. The area was full of other couples, strolling hand-in-hand on their way to drinks or dinner. In fact, the park seemed to be a pretty popular meeting place, and with all the bustle, it took Seol-a a minute to find who she was looking for.
“Hey! Baek Seol-a!” the shout came from her left, and Seol-a turned to see No-rae jogging towards her, beaming. Just before No-rae could embrace her, Seol-a caught her, holding her at arm's length.
“Kim No-rae, look at you!” No-rae giggled and struck a pose. Seol-a could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks: the effect of the black suit, white shirt, and skinny black tie was stunning. “Where did you...have you always had that?!”
“As of yesterday!” No-rae grinned. “I maaaaaayyy have been looking over your shoulder for the past few months while you were scrolling fashion blogs. You always had a lot of good things to say about the lady suits, soooo…” She swept her arm wide. “Also I somehow already owned the shoes. Sweeeeeet.”
“They match perfectly,” Seol-a smiled. They really did: the trousers were cropped fashionably a few inches above No-rae's ankles, showing off the black patent leather of a small pair of men's dress shoes.
“Well then, shall we?” No-rae inclined her head ceremoniously, and both girls burst into laughter.
“Lead on, Master Kim!” Seol-a entwined her fingers with No-rae’s, giggling again as No-rae reddened sheepishly.
They had dinner at a restaurant Seol-a had never been to before: a huge, bustling place with warm red walls and a menu with only two items.
“I just thought maybe you'd be sick of people taking you to fancy restaurants with tiny plates of like, foie-gras or whatever,” said No-rae, as the waiter brought them a bottle of red wine. “Also, it's steak. And frites. Fries, I mean. Literally the only two foods that matter….what?”
Seol-a had been biting back a smile, and finally let it free. “You just...you just know me so well.”
No-rae's eyes widened. “So I did good?!”
Seol-a's stomach rumbled as a tray of meat passed their table. “You did very good.”
“Oh thank God. Because we can't order anything else and also it's all you can eat.”
No-rae placed their orders, and Seol-a took in the room around her. The restaurant had clearly been looking forward to the holiday almost as much as Seol-a herself: the strings of lights criss-crossing the ceiling mingled with garlands of paper hearts, and shiny red heart-shaped balloons bobbed gently in the corners. Each table seemed to host yet another beaming couple, stealing fries off each other's plates or blushing in their formal clothes. The next table over, a dark-haired young man dropped his girlfriend's hand long enough for them both to take a photo of the caramel lava cake that had just arrived, complete with sparkler, between their plates. As the giggling couple took turns trying, and failing, to put out the sparkler, Seol-a realized something.
So that's why I was nervous today. It's all so...official. She'd been out on Valentine's dates, yes, but always with men. And she'd been out with No-rae before, but never on Valentine's Day. Everyone in the restaurant--hell, even the people passing by the window--could tell that she and No-rae were a couple. And it’s not that she was ashamed to be seen with No-rae, or was ashamed to have a girlfriend.
Their fellow diners seemed too wrapped up in their meals to pay them much mind...but would it stay that way?
“Aw, heck yeah!” No-rae grinned wolfishly as two enormous steaks were set down in front of them. She snatched up her fork and knife and nodded towards Seol-a. “Ordered yours medium-rare, hope that's ok!”
“That’s perfect!” Seol-a paused a moment--well, if they have a problem, that's their problem. Setting her lips resolutely into a smile, she picked up her utensils. “Any chance of more fries? Someone ate all of ours--”
Half an hour later, they were attacking dessert: Seol-a saw No-rae eyeing the volcano cakes, and ordered one with ice cream. And then they were back out on the sidewalk, No-rae giggling from the sugar and the wine as she grabbed Seol-a’s arm.
“Ok, now for the main event! It's not too far actually, you ok with walking?”
“Of course. Lead on, honey!” Seol-a tried, and failed, to ignore the man double-taking as he passed them. If No-rae noticed, she gave no sign.
A few short blocks later, they found themselves in front of a sleek, glass-fronted building bearing the name “---Museum of Contemporary Art.” In one of the windows was a huge white sign, declaring in bold black letters: “What is Love?”
Seol-a turned to see No-rae wiggling into a dance routine. “I wanna know, know, know, know--”
“--What is Love!!!” Seol-a joined her for the last bit of the song, tracing a question mark into the air like they'd seen on TV. “Do you think they named the exhibit after the song, or--”
“Hehe, well, the exhibit opens today, sooooo…they might owe some royalties.” No-rae swished a hand carelessly. “Anyway, I thought you might like to see it? It might be cheesy or whatever but…”
Seol-a smiled broadly. “How did you know I've always wanted to go on a museum date with my lady friend?” She strode forward to swing open the double doors. “After you!”
The museum lobby was cool and dim, with banks of soft pinkish lights along the floor. Dozens of visitors crowded around, murmuring softly as they headed to the gift shop or up the wide, angular staircase to the galleries. No-rae pulled Seol-a towards the stairs.
“It's free tonight, c’mon!”
They climbed to the second floor, where another crowd milled around beneath a sign identical to the one in the front window. Slipping through the throng, No-rae and Seol-a entered the gallery, then stopped, unsure of where to begin. The lights were low up here too, with a soft spotlight illuminating each piece in the cavernous room. A few sculptures cast eerie shadows along the floor, and one large screen looped a video to lo-fi music. Most of the works were flat--paintings or drawings or photographs, mounted against the outer walls or the free-standing plinths in the middle of the room.
No-rae started them off: striding towards one of the sculptures, she mimicked its pose. “Look, this is me when you!”
Seol-a tilted her head. Cast in bronze, the statue had a vaguely human shape, but was intentionally warped and twisted, with visible scorch marks. Gesturing towards the thing's long, undulating arms, Seol-a faked a grimace.
“I hope I don't make you feel like that!”
No-rae giggled. “Well uh, yeah, you do. Cuz you're hot.” She pointed dramatically towards one of the larger scorch-marks. Seol-a groaned, even as she smiled.
“Well then, this one is me when you!” She pulled No-rae over to a gigantic oil painting, done in the sweeping, ornate Western style of centuries past.
Against a backdrop of gleaming green leaves and blue flowers, a woman in a sumptuous pink gown stretched her hand towards a man in white, his vest and hose chased with gold. The whole thing was very textbook old-timey European...until she and No-rae got closer.
“Actually, it looks a little like my mom and dad when they were younger,” No-rae giggled. “Not to make it weird.” She glanced around furtively, then took out her phone to snap a photo. “Sending it to the family group chat, like 'Look! Found you guys in the museum!!’”
They drifted along the exhibit walls, stopping every now and then to read a label or peer more closely at one of the pieces. One or twice, Seol-a nudged her hand towards No-rae’s, more out of habit than anything. But she always stopped herself, thinking of the man on the sidewalk and the other couples in the gallery, each woman with a man like the pairs in the paintings surrounding them.
A wave of loneliness crashed over her as she floated over to another piece, not really seeing anything. Another pair of visitors were blocking her view anyway.
“Oo, I like this one!” said the man in front of her. “Very clean lines.”
“Mm...I’m loving the pop art look,” said the woman at his side. “It's like a big manhwa.”
“This is really cool. It's good to see.”
“About time.”
The couple moved off, and No-rae scooted into their place. Seol-a was still gazing off into space when--
“Holy shit. Ok, I know we said those other ones were us, but this is actually--holy shit--”
Finally, Seol-a looked up. In front of them was a huge frameless panel, stretching nearly floor to ceiling. The background was a smooth white, standing out even in the dim light of the gallery. And in the foreground--
“Oh.”
To the left stood a tall, angular young woman, leaning against the edge of the drawing with her back to the viewer. She looked over her shoulder with a soft smile on her lips, dark eyes and long black hair shining. She was clad in a simple white dress, dissolving into the faintest of lines towards the bottom of the image. Her arm lay loosely along her side, but her hand was tightly held by the other woman leaning to the right. This girl was shorter, with shaggy brown hair and a teasing smile. She too made eye contact with the viewer over one shoulder, grinning in her red flannel shirt and blue jeans. Like the other woman’s dress, the jeans faded away towards the end, unfinished.
Seol-a caught her breath. The two in the drawing were the absolute spitting image of her and No-rae, down to the poses, the outfits, the clasped hands. In fact, Seol-a could feel the soft blush of the taller woman in the painting creeping across her own cheeks as she stared.
There they were, for all the world to see. And the world--judging by the other couples now shuffling past, glancing at the image with a smile--seemed not to mind.
“This is--” No-rae murmured, stepping back to get a full view-- “this is amazing.”
“It...it really is.”
“Fluttering Feelings,” No-rae read the title off the label. “Well yup, that really is me when you. Damn, I wish I could buy like, a print or something...I’d love to see to see more of this.”
“Me too,” murmured Seol-a, searching out the artist’s name on the label. Just then, a soft ping rang out through the gallery.
“The museum will be closing in five minutes. Thank you for visiting.”
No-rae beamed at the image, then turned to Seol-a. “Well? Shall we?”
“Oh...yes, let’s go.” Seol-a smiled too, her eyes settling on the artist’s name one last time. Thank you, she said silently, hoping the thought would reach the artist, wherever she was.
And they walked out of the gallery and into the chilly night, breath misting against the cold, hand in hand.