Chapter Text
Byulyi was running.
The air that swept against her skin was freezing and the cracked sidewalks pounded back against her thin slippers, but she hardly felt it. Only the thumping of her heart in her chest.
The owls that who'ed pondered why the woman was in such a rush, but she didn't answer. She didn't hear them, just the sound of her huffing breaths that filled her ears.
Only the streetlights penetrated the darkness of the night - was it morning? She couldn't recall as she turned around the corner of the final block and reached the neighborhood adjacent to her own.
Her gaze focused on the one familiar house on the street, she bounded up the porch steps and slammed her fist into the door. Once, twice -
It flung open and a scowling Yongsun appeared, dressed in a sleeping gown yet didn't appear at all tired.
"We have a schedule in five hours Byul." Her arms crossed, "Why are you here so late?"
Byulyi huffed and sagged slightly, "Are you still mad?"
The older woman's eyes rolled to the heavens before she stepped back to allow Byul to enter. "Where's your jacket? Huh, Byul-ah? It's too cold for no jacket." She muttered and shut the door behind her.
"You didn't answer me."
"No, Byul-ah." Yongsun's gaze somewhat softened. "I was never mad. Just...frustrated."
That was the thing wasn't it? Byulyi was too touchy, too forthcoming with her information, didn't say the right heterosexual things. Yongsun knew she didn't like having to pretend or hide things but-
"You can't keep grabbing onto me," Yongsun sighed and then, as an afterthought, "not on camera."
"It makes you uncomfortable."
"It sends the wrong message." She countered.
Byulyi coughed out a bitter laugh. "What message? There is no message, right? That's what you always tell me."
She shook her head, incredulous. "This again."
"Yeah, funny how this gigantic relationship flaw keeps coming up."
"We're just friends Byul."
"Except when you're horny." She spat. "Then it's: come over Byul-ah, I just want to cuddle Byul-ah - and you do not want to cuddle by the way."
Yongsun stepped back and the overhead light from the kitchen cast across her face, puckered with annoyance. Byulyi hated that even that looked cute.
"Don't act like I do this to spite you. But when feelings get involved -"
"-we get outted because I 'talk too much'."
She threw up her hands. "Am I wrong?"
"There's a difference between liking to talk and being an absolute dumbass." Byulyi shook her head, took a step closer. "You shouldn't just be able to choose like this. When you do or don't want me."
"I do want you to understand where I'm coming from. We both-" She cleared her throat, "We're in a mutually-beneficial relationship."
Byulyi blinked. "You're really saying that right now? You know, I came here to apologize."
"You always apologize."
"Well Yongsun..." She ran a hand through her bleached hair. "What else am I supposed to do?"
She startled at the break in the Byul's voice but managed to refrain from reaching out to the woman who folded her arms, almost shielding herself. She just stood there dumbly, unsure of what to do.
"Why can't you even try?" Byul continued. "You're even on that show with Eric."
"Not seeing your point."
"The point is I'm done being your fuck buddy. If we're going to have a professional relationship, it might as well be one-hundred percent."
"Fine." Yongsun shrugged with an expression of forced nonchalant. "Thank you for knocking on my door at twelve in the morning to tell me that."
"Really?" You'll just let me leave?
"Sure. You suggested it and honestly it sounds much better than whatever we're doing right now." She brushed past her and opened the front door. She gestured to the coat hanger nearby. "Take a coat on the way out."
Byulyi stormed out and didn't look at her or the offered coat on the way outside, just disappeared around the block with tears that stung against her cheeks in the harsh cold. The shadows in the house didn't allow for her to see the dampness that brimmed in Yongsun's eyes in the darkness. She might have stayed then and apologized.
Because all she did was apologize.