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When it comes to the romance department, Mina can’t say that she’s had any luck. Sure, she went along with her friends’ matchmaking attempts and went out on dates, and though most of the people she dated were nice, none of them really clicked.
It’s the same with romance-heavy movies or television series. While she doesn’t necessarily dislike them, she would much rather choose to watch sci-fi, action, or superhero movies. Jihyo and Jeongyeon love to tease her whenever she jumps in excitement over the latest Marvel trailer, but act impassive over a rom-com one.
Loud, grand romantic gestures just don’t resonate with her. Flash mob proposals, flashy prom invitations, basically anything and everything that involves the general public—Mina isn’t into those kinds of things. With her quiet personality and introverted tendencies, grand gestures simply aren’t a good match for someone like her.
No, what she longs for is the silent kind of love—the one that is simple, subtle, and sincere. The one, who, would pay attention to the tiniest of details and learn to take them to heart.
It’s those subtle gestures Mina loves most; the ones that make her feel warm and fuzzy inside and go, oh, I want that. But in a world where a lot of people seem fixated on flashy, over-the-top gestures, Mina didn’t think she would stumble upon that kind of love.
So, yes, that might be why she hasn’t had any luck in the romance department.
Until Kim Dahyun came into her life, warm and sunny and made Mina warm and fuzzy inside and go, oh, I want that.
Or, well, until Jihyo and Jeongyeon begged Mina to try one last time—that they have a co-worker and friend who Mina is guaranteed to like and be on the same wavelength with.
(“Just give her a chance,” Jihyo had begged on game night, after Mina won that round of monopoly. “She’s really nice, and I swear you’ll love her!”
“Yeah, Mina,” Jeongyeon chimed in, looking nothing short of desperate, like she’s about to go down on her knees if it means getting Mina to agree. “Dahyun’s an amazing person. She’s nice and respectful, and you’ll get along with her, we promise. And if we’re wrong and you don’t click, then we promise this will be the last time and we’ll back off.”
Mina sighed and shook her head, then eventually agreed.
“Fine,” she relented, much to Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s delight. Then, before they could have a premature celebration, she wagged a finger at them and warned, “But if it doesn’t work out, then you better stick to your promise and quit trying to matchmake for me.”
“Yes!” Jeongyeon whooped in triumph. “You won’t regret this, we swear!”
Mina fondly rolled her eyes as she watched Jihyo and Jeongyeon scramble to text Dahyun that they need to schedule that date, asap.)
Now, four dates in (a record, honestly), and Mina is starting to be convinced that maybe, just maybe, she finally found her luck.
That summer afternoon, they go out for ice cream to beat the sticky heat, biting down on their popsicles as they stand in the shade. Dahyun is telling a story about how Jihyo once caught her and Jeongyeon dozing off at work, the way she mimics Jihyo’s sharp glare and chiding tone one-hundred percent on point.
“Kim Dahyun! Yoo Jeongyeon! How are you going to finish your reports and clock out on time if you’re always sleeping!” Dahyun exclaims in exasperation, wagging her finger at the air.
Enthralled by Dahyun’s story, Mina forgets all about her popsicle, bursting into a fit of giggles at Dahyun’s puffed cheeks and cross expression. With how engaging Dahyun is at telling stories combined with her natural charm, it’s hard not to get sucked in and get completely swept away in her pace.
“Yeah, that’s definitely how Jihyo gets mad,” Mina manages to say in between giggles. “I mean, I can’t count the number of times she scolded Jeongyeon over the most random stuff.”
“Right?” Dahyun laughs. “I swear, it’s like she has a built-in radar or something for when we do anything remotely wrong.”
Mina laughs in agreement, not noticing the sticky drops of her melted popsicle dripping onto her skin until Dahyun drapes a handkerchief over her hand. Other than that, Dahyun doesn’t say a word and just smiles at Mina before finishing off the rest of her popsicle. The gesture is simple enough and would most likely go unnoticed by other people, but to Mina, it’s a sweet and thoughtful act on Dahyun’s part.
She knows it’s probably still far too early to tell, but this subtlety is what she had been yearning for all this time.
********
While they were talking over the phone late one night, Mina had let slip that she misses eating ramen and hadn’t found the time to search for a good place that serves it. Almost two weeks have passed since then, and with how busy she became at work, Mina had entirely forgotten about it. That is, until Dahyun brought her to a ramen place for their next date one Friday evening after getting off work.
(Little does she know that Dahyun immediately went online to search for ramen places the moment they ended the call.)
Though Dahyun doesn’t bring their conversation up as she leads Mina inside, whistling at the amount of people crowding the restaurant. Almost all the tables are occupied, the slurping noise of the noodles and soup being eaten and the numerous conversations being held at the same time buzzing around the busy space. The rich aroma of the broth wafts through the air, and Mina closes her eyes for a moment to savor the divine scent.
“Wow, this place sure is packed,” Dahyun remarks as they’re led to a table at the far corner, relatively quieter and removed from the rest of the customers.
At the back of her mind, Mina wonders if Dahyun had purposely asked for a table that would allow them some semblance of privacy, knowing that she likes her peace and quiet even amongst a crowd of people. It wouldn’t be surprising if Dahyun did, since she strikes Mina as the type of person who would take someone’s comfort into account. There aren’t much people like that nowadays, and Mina appreciates that Dahyun seems to be one of the rare few that remain.
They order different flavors—Dahyun chose tonkotsu ramen while Mina went for the miso, having decided it would be a good idea to share their orders with each other.
And Dahyun is just so sweet, so caring and thoughtful she makes Mina’s heart sing. Instead of pushing her bowl of ramen in her direction and leaving Mina to get her portion, Dahyun surprises Mina by doing something else.
She pulls one of the extra bowls closer and heaps a generous portion of her own noodles and soup onto it, even giving Mina half of her pork and egg. Then, she pushes the bowl onto Mina’s side of the table and gives her a crooked grin.
Try as Mina might to bite back the giddy smile that threatens to form on her lips, she fails miserably in the end. It makes her wonder if Dahyun has always been this kind of person by nature—always looking out for others, always doing the little things for anyone and everyone.
“There,” Dahyun says, breaking into Mina’s bubbly train of thought.
“Wait, what about you?” Mina hurries to take the other empty bowl, but Dahyun is quick to block her hand from reaching it.
“It’s okay, Mina. I’ll do it, go enjoy your ramen,” Dahyun says with a laugh, giving Mina no room for argument as she takes a portion of Mina’s ramen herself.
Mina juts out her lower lip, but Dahyun is stubborn and refuses to budge; just chuckles at Mina’s pout and softly tells her that she’s cute before taking a bite out of Mina’s miso ramen. And, really, Mina hates (loves) how Jihyo and Jeongyeon have actually hit the mark this time.
By that, she means the part about Dahyun being nice and respectful, of course. Not the ‘you’ll love her’ part. Though, who knows? She might eventually reach that point, but Mina doesn’t want to jinx it. Not when she finally found someone with whom she can connect with.
The ramen is delicious, and the coziness that Dahyun’s company and captivating smile and laugh provides further brightens Mina’s entire evening.
********
Her office can be stuffy and stifling at times, especially when there’s so much work to do and little time for rest in between tasks. Mina sighs and pauses to take a sip of her coffee, her stare vacant, absently thinking that some fresh air would be nice. Then, as she’s wont to do these days, she texts Dahyun about it.
You see, she has this habit of texting her friends (or, in Dahyun’s case, her sort-of-girlfriend), out of the blue to complain about the most random things—like when her internet speed starts to slow down; or when it’s too warm or too cold out; or when the line at her favorite coffee shop is too long to bother dealing with.
It doesn’t seem to bother or put Dahyun off, though, and neither does she dismiss Mina’s whining by leaving her texts on read nor call her silly for it. She just takes Mina for who she is, even goes so far as to call Mina sometimes to listen to her ramble about the most trivial of things.
And it’s nice, really, really nice, how Dahyun would chuckle; the low tone tickling the shell of Mina’s ear and bringing a smile to her face as she lies face down on her bed.
Unbeknownst to her, and even though Mina only meant it as a passing thought, Dahyun had already jumped straight into action as soon as she read the text. Minutes later, and to Mina’s bafflement, Dahyun replies with the question:
[Dahyunnie <3]: so, how do u feel about motorcycles? :D
Mina furrows her eyebrows, wondering why Dahyun is asking about motorcycles all of a sudden. Still, her thumbs type out a response.
[Minari]: i’m fine with them. y?
[Dahyunnie <3]: okay, great!
That’s it. No explanation, nothing. Mina decides not to think about it too much and sets her phone aside, then heaves out a sigh and goes straight back to work.
Then, after many grueling hours later, Mina finds out why Dahyun had asked about her thoughts on motorcycles. Like a magician who has many tricks up their sleeve, ever full of the unexpected in order to thrill and catch the audience off guard, Dahyun shows up in front of her office building with a sleek black motorcycle, clearly waiting for Mina.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Mina is stunned when she spots Dahyun leaning against the motorcycle, looking way too attractive for her own good with her windswept, jet-black hair cascading in thick waves over her riding jacket.
Not that Dahyun isn’t attractive at literally any other time Mina has seen her, but you get the point.
(Later on, Mina learns that Dahyun enjoys doing magic tricks herself, and that she even joined the magic club back in elementary school.)
“Oh, hey, Mina!” Dahyun breaks into a crooked grin when she spots Mina, waving her hand. “There you are!”
Beside Mina, Nayeon stares wide-eyed at Dahyun, mouth falling open in a mix of shock and awe at the motorcycle.
“Damn, Mina,” Nayeon loud-whispers, “you mean to tell me she’s the one you’re dating? God, she looks so good. What did you say her name was, again?”
Unamused by the barrage of questions and Nayeon’s obvious interest in Dahyun, Mina gives Nayeon a long, hard look and raises an eyebrow.
“What?” Nayeon huffs, defensively crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s not my fault your date is hot.”
“Just go home already, Nayeon,” Mina grouses.
“Ohh, Myoui Mina is the jealous type,” Nayeon teases, nudging Mina’s shoulder. “Who would have thought? Though I can’t say I blame you. I mean, I’d be jealous, too, if I had a date as hot as that and people were staring at her.”
“I’m not jealous,” Mina mutters, ears turning pink.
Nayeon laughs and pats Mina’s back. “Sure, girl, I believe you. Anyway, go have fun on your motorcycle date.”
Before she has the chance to retort, Nayeon is already skipping away, leaving Mina to grumble and turn around to face Dahyun. But God, Nayeon is right. Dahyun does look criminally hot, and Mina can’t believe she’s honest-to-goodness dating her.
And that jawline? Ugh.
“So, what do you think?” Dahyun asks as she pats the seat, grin still fixed in place.
Mina shakes her head and smiles. “You got me there. I didn’t know you had a motorcycle?”
“Oh, this isn’t mine,” Dahyun says with a laugh. “I borrowed it from my best friend, Chaeyoung. I used to have one before, though, but I sold it.”
“Really? Why?”
Dahyun scratches at her cheek and shrugs. “Ah, well, I had to give it up so I could pay the deposit for my place. You know, adult stuff and all that jazz.”
“Being an adult sucks,” Mina agrees, scrunching her nose in distaste, making Dahyun laugh.
“You’re right about that. Anyway, that’s enough moping around.” Dahyun lifts the motorcycle helmet in her hand and smiles, her eyes crinkling around the corners. “You ready to feel the nice city breeze?”
Mina giggles and nods. “Absolutely!”
Dahyun puts the helmet over Mina’s head and adjusts the strap. “There. How’s that? Not too loose or too tight?”
Mina shakes her head and answers, “It’s just right. Thank you, Dahyunnie.”
After putting on her helmet, Dahyun hoists herself over the seat, Mina following suit. Then, as Dahyun revs the engine to life, Mina wraps her arms around Dahyun’s midsection and leans forward, her front pressing snugly against Dahyun’s back. Her cheeks turn warm at the lack of space between them, but she pushes on.
“Is this okay?” she murmurs.
Dahyun swallows and clears her throat. “I- yeah. More than.”
Mina hums and holds on tight, unaware of the racing of Dahyun’s heart as they dart off into the darkness of the evening. The city lights pass them by in a hazy blur, the cool wind whipping past them and sinking into the sleeves of Mina’s jacket. A thrill runs down Mina’s spine when Dahyun accelerates ever so slightly, but remaining within bounds of the speed limit.
The cool air of the night fills Mina’s lungs, and she can’t stop herself from grinning as she savors the taste of freedom, unbound from the walls of her office cubicle; free from the horde of people crowding the trains at this hour.
When they pull over at a stoplight and Dahyun cranes her neck to flash her a crooked grin, Mina thinks maybe, just maybe, Dahyun has begun to speed her way into her heart as well.
********
By some sick twist of fate, Mina discovers her umbrella is broken on the day the weather forecast predicts that there’s a heavy chance of rain. Forlorn, she stares at the ribs that were supposed to hold the umbrella together, now all bent out of shape and unusable.
“Great,” Mina mutters crossly under her breath. “Talk about bad timing.”
With a heavy sigh, she shoves her broken umbrella back inside her bag and rubs at her forehead. At this point, she can only pray that the forecast is wrong and that there won’t be a downpour; otherwise, she would have to come home a soaking mess.
There’s no way she can ask Dahyun to swing by and pick her up, either. Aside from the fact that Dahyun has plans to go out with Chaeyoung, Mina would rather not burden Dahyun with a predicament as trivial as a broken umbrella.
Except, Dahyun is, once again, one step ahead of her.
While she clacks away at her keyboard, she hears someone calling out for her.
“Miss Myoui?”
Glancing away from her monitor, Mina raises her head and finds one of the security guards approaching her, a small package in hand. Not remembering to have ordered anything online, she knots her eyebrows together in confusion as she looks at the package. She isn’t expecting a delivery from anyone else, either, so why did something suddenly arrive?
Still, Mina stands up and approaches the guard.
“This package arrived for you, Miss Myoui,” the guard says, as he hands Mina the package.
“Sorry, but who is this from?” Mina asks.
“It’s from someone named Kim Dahyun,” the guard answers, the mention of Dahyun’s name causing Mina’s heart to skip a beat. “She had it sent over via motorcycle delivery service.”
“I see. I’ll receive it, then. Thank you.”
The guard nods, then walks away, leaving a pleasantly surprised yet dumbfounded Mina to plop back down on her seat and curiously inspect the package. She then pulls out her phone to check if she missed any texts from Dahyun, but sees none.
“Now, what could this be?” Mina murmurs as she opens the package.
Her jaw drops in surprise when an umbrella falls out, along with a sticky note attached to the handle.
Minari, use this and don’t get sick, okay?
-your tofu, kdh
There’s even a cute doodle of a smiling block of tofu at the end of the note, reminding Mina of how Dahyun’s eyes disappear into endearing crescents whenever she breaks into a bright smile. Barely, just barely, Mina manages to clap a hand over her mouth just in time to stifle the explosion of giggles that bubble at the back of her throat.
Once she’s sobered down, Mina fondly shakes her head and carefully peels off the sticky note, then sticks it onto the edge of the monitor. Afterwards, she reaches for her phone, looking around first to make sure her boss isn’t watching before typing out a text.
[Minari]: how did u know?
[Dahyunnie <3]: i dunno, i had a feeling ur umbrella was close to breaking the last time we went out together. and i had an extra in my apartment :)
[Minari]: u’re a lifesaver! thank you so much, dahyunnie <3
[Dahyunnie <3]: no worries! get home safe and dry, okay?
[Minari]: i will! stay safe, too
Mina locks her phone and puts it aside on her desk, then picks up the umbrella and taps at the handle.
“You say it’s an extra, but this is a new one, isn’t it?” Mina murmurs, then shakes her head and chuckles to herself.
She glances at Dahyun’s doodle on the note, the fuzzy sensation in her chest growing and taking more space in her ribs and blossoming into something much deeper than mere affection.
********
For all of Dahyun’s wit, crooked grins, and smart remarks, there’s a side of her that likes to retreat from the rest of the world and stay within the cozy space of her bedroom. It’s a trait they share in common, the need to escape reality from time-to-time and simply just be. And Mina likes that, absolutely loves how, like her, Dahyun seems perfectly content to lounge around in Mina’s bed in comfortable silence.
There’s a part of Mina that can’t resist admiring the view of Dahyun lying across sideways on the bed, head on Mina’s thigh, her dark hair curtaining the side of her face. Afternoon sunlight streams through the windows, warm and relaxing, just like the weight of Dahyun’s head on her thigh.
Dahyun is reading a book, or at least struggling to stay awake to do so, her eyelids drooping and lips parting to let out a drowsy yawn far too often for someone who claims they aren’t sleepy. Mina reaches out and cards her fingers through Dahyun’s hair, drawing out another yawn, and a giggle bubbles out of her throat.
Eventually, Dahyun closes her book and puts it down, humming softly as Mina continues to stroke her hair.
“That feels really nice…” Dahyun mumbles, eyelids drifting to a shut.
Mina smiles, overflowing with fondness as she gazes down at Dahyun. “Yeah?”
A quiet hum reverberates at the back of Dahyun’s throat, her fingers splayed above her stomach. Mina scratches at Dahyun’s scalp, her eyes roaming Dahyun’s face, grinning softly at the cute mole underneath her right eyebrow. Until now, she hadn’t ever been drawn enough to another person to invite them to her apartment; but Dahyun went and changed that yet again.
So much has changed since Dahyun came into her life.
Before, Mina never would have imagined herself being in a relationship. The kind of love she had been yearning for? The one that isn’t loud or flashy, but manifests in quiet, subtle ways instead?
She never thought she would find that kind of love.
But now, it’s right there in front of her, and Mina can only wonder how. Somehow, it feels too good to be true; until Dahyun opens her eyes, and, in a throaty, sleepy murmur, asks for her, “Mina?”
Mina stops stroking Dahyun’s hair and sucks in a breath. “Yes, Dahyunnie?”
Dahyun reaches for Mina’s hand and gives it a gentle tug, silently asking her to lean forward. Breath catching in her throat, Mina clutches at the covers as she gives in to the unspoken request, heart hammering in her ribs as Dahyun twines their fingers together. Then, with her free hand, Dahyun cups the back of Mina’s neck, their noses beginning to brush from the close proximity.
Before Mina realizes it, her lips are meeting Dahyun’s, fleeting and languid. Dahyun’s lips are so soft, so tender in the way they capture Mina’s, and Mina finds herself loving the way they feel against her own. And then she’s kissing Dahyun again, intoxicated by the way Dahyun smiles into it, soft and gentle like the sunlight warming the covers of her bed.
It’s mostly quiet, save for the hitch in their breathing as Mina giggles at Dahyun’s goofy grin.
(They fall asleep later on, Mina only dimly aware of Dahyun pulling the covers over her shoulders before her eyelids flutter to a shut.)
********
(They become official, after that.
When Mina and Dahyun broke the news to Jeongyeon and Jihyo, the pair smirked at Mina with a look that says, I told you so. Meanwhile, Nayeon oozed with envy, whining about how Mina found the sweetest, hottest girlfriend while she’s still stuck being single.
In her own little ways, Dahyun continues to look after her, silent yet meaningful each time.
For her restless nights, Dahyun slips a box of chamomile tea into her cupboard; brewing them for Mina to drink on the evenings she stays over. On her most stressful days, when she doesn’t feel like talking or doing anything at all, Dahyun won’t push her to talk. Instead, she would wordlessly wrap an arm around Mina’s waist and pull her close, thumb stroking at her hip underneath her shirt.
When it’s cold out, Dahyun would bring extra handwarmers and gently push them into Mina’s icy hands, then hold them in hers until they’re warm enough for her to let go. Usually, though, she doesn’t, and it often ends with their intertwined hands hidden safely inside Dahyun’s jacket pocket.
And every time, Mina can only smile at Dahyun and think, oh, I already have that.)