Archive of Our Own ^beta

People once said, things will start getting complicated when you start falling for your best friend. 

The reason is, once you’re in love with your best friend, things can never be the same as before. 

Capturing her friendly smile will be much more thrilling, receiving her little care will make you fortify your heart against crossing the dangerous line between you two; and it's definitely not an easy task to do. 

Moreover, if your best friend is the Chae Songhwa. 

People always think she’s so perfect, but not to her best friends.

To have the privilege of witnessing the purity behind the tough and gorgeous look that she always shows to the world is certainly something that should be called a blessing. 

Every now and then, she miraculously can turn into a grumpy and impatient one, or sometimes just being careless and forgetful. And as the youngest daughter in her family, her clinginess and dependence are also unbearable to emerge among her closest men once in a while.

As for Ikjun, it’s the thing that made him fall in love with his long-time best friend, over and over again.

Sometimes, he questioned; how could Junwan, Jeongwon, and Seokhyeong be able to resist the dazzling charms of their only female best friend, when she acted so lovely and adorable in front of them even in her 40s? 

Then, he realized.

Even on the same label as the boys, Songhwa often went the extra mile just with him — of course, without her realizing it. 

She could unconsciously be extra grumpy, extra impatient, extra careless, and extra dependent, only to him.

So that being the case, it was a certainty that Ikjun would be extra in admiration for her — to the point he’s in love with her for the second time in his life, even. 

But again, as people say, falling in love with your best friend is not a simple matter. 

Moreover, in their case, there’s a beautiful friendship between five people that had existed for more than twenty years, which had to be put at stake if something bad happened.

Two decades with so many adventures, including some that were not revealed out loud.

Complicated? Oh, it's an understatement. 

But if he changed his point of view, twenty years was also more than enough for him to muster up the courage and put aside the worries.

With many opportunities wasted and scratching the wound in their hearts, it’s the perfect time for him to finally make up his mind; to bring his buried feelings known to others than God. 

Only to confess, and not to keep his expectations too high. 

However, he was quite aware of the hidden gaps between their points of view to their past stories, which might lead to an inevitable confusion for her. 

Rejection, avoidance, or any adverse situation that would arise as a risk of that, were something he inevitably had to keep in mind. It's a must for Ikjun to silently prepare himself for the worst, to lessen the impact of the anticipated pain within him. 

But in fact, when it really happened, still, his heart was a total mess.

If it weren't for his responsibilities at the hospital and to his little boy, he probably would’ve sunk into the deepest darkness of his own heartbreak. Gosh, even the long Seoul-Sokcho distance between them didn't help reduce the pain in the slightest. 

Perhaps, everything about Chae Songhwa was really destined to have a great effect on him. 

It took more than a while before he finally came to terms with the fact that their label didn't have to hinder his affection towards her. As long as Songhwa's comfort was under control, he could do anything for her happiness.

More than friends, but – of course, still – less than lovers. It’s totally okay.

His great emotional intelligence was quite helpful to deal with that. 

In the end, he had already declared to himself that, whatever Songhwa's choice in the future, he would always be happy for her.

If she chose to be single forever, he would respect her decision. If she chose to wander from one relationship to another again, he would accompany her journey. Even to the worst, if she chose to settle for a heart other than his, he would support it — with all his heart.

Whatever it was, as long as he was allowed to stay by her side as a caring best friend, he would be fine.

Ikjun was sincerely fine with their arrangement for months, until the gleam in Songhwa's eyes said otherwise. Moreover, with her body language, her words, and her actions that also slowly but surely turned to be confusing for him. 

From the way she wholeheartedly invited him to her comfort space — her favorite camping site, to the way she became the one who initiated more of their rain, coffee, and meals sessions. 

From the way she used every rare chance she had to sing her heart out loud — that he guessed the song was — about them, to the way she absentmindedly let down the tough façade of hers only to him. 

From the way she insisted on giving him a birthday gift — that she didn't really do years before, to the way she blatantly reacted to his unfortunate event.

Everything felt so real to him; that she secretly grew that spark too. 

That’s how he’s sure, sooner or later they would reach the same page; that he could freely shower her with the love he had, as well as she could openly tell the world how much she cared for him. 

Just need a little more patience. 

Although he could already feel how things more obviously changed between them after his accident, Ikjun still tried his best to keep it on low key. 

Pretending to be unaffected by Songhwa's forthright loving gaze in his hospitalized days, or acting clueless when she constantly contacted him for nothing in his Changwon rest-weeks, were something he did to give her the solace that she needed to compose her feelings. 

This time, he knew that they could be entrusted to Songhwa. He's done his part well up to this point, and it's time for her to complete it. 

Because only with her, the possibility to reach an euphony that he failed to achieve in his past relationship — to give and receive the equal amount of love – wasn’t impossible. 

His love for her is whole-souled, so is hers for him. 

Hence, when Songhwa unhesitatingly made their pace grow more intense, he equilibrated to the fullest — especially after his return from Changwon, since the very first day.

When she asked him to pick her up at her apartment before their band practice, he easily complied. 

When she smiled more sweetly at him in their jamming session, he gently reciprocated. 

When she looked extraordinarily happy with the opportunity to enjoy the rain and coffee together, he smoothly valued it. 

In point of fact, it wasn't all new for him to do with Songhwa, right? It’s already second nature for him.

But this time, everything seemed clearer towards the settlement — for some good reasons. Not sure where it precisely came from, but his positive premonitions were really at their peak that night. 

Maybe it's from her adorable whine to give him more restful time to enjoy the coffee, or from her shy glances for him before she actually took a sip of her favorite liquid. Or maybe, it could be from her gesture that seemed to scream something.

None really knew, including him.

One thing for sure, the deafening silence between them really tested his patience at the hardest level. He thought nothing could compare to his patience in waiting for her to open up a year back, but apparently, he’s wrong. 

It took all of him to not intervene whatever her plan was — to distract himself with everything that caught his eye in the car, to not rush her by letting out an inquiry. 

Gosh, if only she knew how suffocating it was for his bubbly self. 

Indeed, it was an exaggeration to say that there wasn’t the slightest inquietude within him for that situation — after all, a similar scene had happened to them a year before. 

But to hear her softest voice in calling out his name, to catch her shyness in asking him to keep his eyes ahead, somehow easily blew away his bad thoughts. 

In a heartbeat, he just knew, it’s the time.

It really just needed a little more of his patience for her. So there he was, gently waiting for the magic words to come out of her lips. 

“I should’ve told him that I like him. I really should've told him.”

That’s it. That's the disclosure they needed.  

But one thing unexpected from her simple sentences was, the implication felt very close to him — a very familiar soundless fear of regret. 

He effortlessly understood how his accident became her greatest source of courage, just as her cancer probability prompted him to be more explicit in showing his affection towards her.

Well, the concrete risk of loss is indeed powerful to make people get out of their comfort zone. 

Then, as her sentences finally implied the deepest feeling of hers, Ikjun completely couldn't help but turn his head to look at her, in a more loving manner than he usually did. 

If it weren't for her request to look ahead again, he's sure he would pull her into his tightest embrace without further ado.

But he decided to obey her order with a suppressed smile on his face, being aware that she still held the elaboration for her confession. So he waited, again — respecting whatever her plan was. 

“So with that said,” Her calmness completely spoke volume. “If your feelings for me haven’t changed—, How about we—” 

Again. A sense of familiarity hit him. 

The edged pause that she constantly wore in her speech was very familiar to him. The extended meaning behind it was too easy for him to catch; an extra hidden carefulness, a pent-up worry about messing things up if there’s a mistake in choosing even a single word.

After all, risking a friendship as beautiful as theirs was totally no joke. It was overwhelming, almost unbearable; just like he used to be terrified to lose Songhwa as a best friend after his confessions.

So therefore, his outstanding awareness in her current predicament subconsciously made him perform a tiny nod in a subtle smile — reassuring her in silence there’s nothing for her to worry about, that she just needed a little more courage to finish it.

We’re not gonna lose anything, dear. Just go ahead, I'm already here to welcome your love. 

“—start seeing each other?” 

The moment it all came out of her lips for the world, he couldn’t help but feel so proud of her — of them.

It was a long ride, but thankfully, they made it here. It’s really worth all the heartbreaks, all the struggle.

Other than proud, happiness was something that he felt at the moment, of course. But there’s a lot more within him, that he couldn’t really decipher one by one. Relief, serenity, gratitude, contentment; everything pleasant was enveloping his heart.

However, as great as he felt at the time, he knew there’s nervousness and disquietude hanging over Songhwa — which she obviously showed in a trembling glance.

Thus, there’s an answer he had to give her as a form of certainty, to tell her that his feelings for her haven't changed even a bit — and would never change forever. 

As an attempt to compose a proper reaction, his brain quickly rang, ‘What else do you think my answer would be, Songhwa-ya? It will always be a yes!’

But no, it’s not a perfect way to give an answer in such a flawless moment like this. And yes, no words could perfectly fit to be an answer for her confession, not even a magnificent vocabulary.

Both his heart and his mind said, there's only one way to pour out his whole soul to her, and it would clearly cross any boundaries that existed between them before. 

A way that even until a while ago still didn't flash within him to come true. 

More than half of him have died to give it a favor, though all his courage scattered all over the place. But the rest, as a genuine friend of hers, there’s still extra wariness in him. 

Fortunately for Ikjun, his intuition could be relied on to guide the way in her direction, like always. 

Sure enough that she’d managed to collect herself with the help of tranquil silence between them moments earlier, Ikjun then turned his face to her side — taking a first step slowly and steadily.

It’s only after Songhwa returned his gaze seconds later, he let out a soft voice, 

“I’ll give you my answer.” 

Then, capturing a final inducement in a form of Songhwa’s small nod afterwards, his faith was completely intact. The doubts quickly drifted away, and all that’s left was confidence — to start things off for real.

There's totally nothing holding him back anymore.

The next seconds was just about how a miracle finally took its place among a pair of best friends, with the rain and two cups of coffee as their silent witnesses. 

His fingers instinctively found its way to the bare skin of her neck, and his lips immediately followed in equal tenderness to approach hers. In a great connection, it didn't even take more than a heartbeat for her to give a final touch in closing the distance between their lips, to reciprocate the pouring love that he always gave for her all this time. 

And that’s when Lee Ikjun and Chae Songhwa were united in one true love, when they finally came home to each other. 

It’s only when the soft hums of the car engine and the calming pitter patters of the rain were defeated by the faint sound of sniffles from the crook of his neck, the urge to pull back from her embrace hit him unbearably.  

Ikjun didn’t really know if it’s for his repeated i love yous in between their first ever hug, or for the overwhelming ambience around them, but her sniffles absolutely alarmed him in an instant. 

One thing for sure, he had to make sure if it wasn't for anything bad — or for some painful memories, even. 

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asks in a gentle voice then, delicately searching for her teary eyes. 

All he met in response was silence, as the woman still hadn't fully lifted her head to meet his worried gaze. After releasing their hug, she desperately tried to hide her face in her hands, swallowing her sobs in the silence of the night. 

For a moment, Ikjun simply immersed himself in the quietness, giving Songhwa soft pats in her upper arm and of course, some time to gather herself up — again.  

But different from before, what he met afterwards this time wasn’t a sweet confession. 

Of all the reactions he imagined between their silence, hearing Songhwa's giggle in the first second their eyes met again wasn’t one of the possibilities he had in mind. 

So, to find Songhwa sheepishly laughing at him with a red nose and wet cheeks, Ikjun was completely at a loss.

Perhaps, he’s too hopelessly romantic to think that she would say I love you too, or at least, lunge back into his arms once the tears had died down. In reality, that couldn't happen — at least for now.

Being flustered as he should be, Ikjun immediately asked her, “So, did you just cry — or, laugh?” 

“Both?”

Songhwa tried her best to suppress the laughter by slightly bending down, especially after finding Ikjun's priceless expression.

But no matter how confused he was at that moment, his instincts still moved his hand to the woman's cheeks, wiping the trace of her tears in the most gentle manner.

Of course, it left her freeze for a heartbeat or two.

“God, this is overwhelming,” she randomly said, while moving her face away from his touch in a very subtle way.

Her hands then moved as if to fan her face to keep the tears from falling again, eyes trying to find a way back to his intense gaze.

“I just—," she stuttered. "I still can't believe this is happening. You and me—we, no, you—umm, kissed me?” 

The faint blush on her cheeks and the tinge of pink on the tips of her ears were truly a testament to her innocent shyness. But really, how could she not be?

After all, she just became one with her first love — the love of her life. 

Well, even if the twenties carefree Chae Songhwa possessed her at this time, she really wouldn't mind. This was an incredible moment in her life, which she had been waiting for for a long time.

Yet, despite being as shy — if not more than — as Songhwa at the time, Ikjun was slightly distracted by her statements. He quickly straightened his seat, but of course, remained facing his woman. 

“No,” He abruptly shook his head. “We kissed, Songhwa-ya — reciprocally, mutually. It wasn't only me who kissed you, but you also responded willingly. I remember very well how you leaned in, coming closer to me and even eagerly parted yo—”

“Yah! Weren't you the one who pulled me closer?” Songhwa denied in haste, eyes covertly lit up in competitiveness to cover her embarrassment. 

“Right, I was,” Ikjun admitted it easily.

Nonetheless, don’t call him Lee Ikjun, if he didn't have the mind to be mischievous. “But it didn't take much effort, since you're already leaning towards me — umm, maybe about three-quarters of a second faster?”

Despite earning a glare from his interlocutor, he still continued confidently, “Alright. I don't really know the exact time when you came closer to me, but for sure, I could feel the touch of your lips was full of longing and—” 

For the second time that night, the urge to interrupt Ikjun hit her.

“Okay, okay,” she rapidly relented. “Yes — okay, we kissed, and no need to explain the details. So — umm… What are we now?” 

If Ikjun was surprised by her question, he managed not to react as dramatically as his usual self. Instead, he calmly hissed and looked concentratedly at Songhwa. 

“You're kidding, right?” He slightly tilted his head to look at her face in a more intense manner. “After the bickering about our first kiss, it’s not compatible if you question what we are now, Chae Songhwa.”

At his cheeky tone, Songhwa could only divert her gaze away from him — suddenly being self-aware of her irrational question. 

However, her ego was still too high to give in a second time that night, so she came up with an excuse. “It's your fault to be a goofball all the time! I just want to make sure this isn't a joke, you know.” 

“No, of course not.”

Ikjun softened in an instant, but there's also a hint of nervousness radiating from his expression. “You, and I — we — love each other just as much — and we're dating now. I'm no longer just your best friend, but now your boyfriend — ah yes, boyfriend — so, you have more rights over me than before, and—” 

His next words didn't really go into her head because she was too immersed with her own thoughts. 

Lee Ikjun. Her boyfriend. 

Turns out it wasn't such a dreadful combination as she had often thought before. Rather, it sounded very comforting. To the point of calming, even.

“...so, are we good now?”

Ikjun’s closing question eventually brought Songhwa back from her reverie. She’s still flustered, if the truth had to be said. But anyway, she still found the urge to look him in the eye, giving a small nod as a form of assurance. 

A smile graced his lips as he mirrored her nod, eloquently understanding the implications of her entire body language. 

Then, sensing things would get even more awkward if they prolonged the silence, Ikjun eventually spoke up a moment later. “Ummm, should we go now?” 

“Okay,” Songhwa answered almost in a flash, but somehow sounding a little reluctant. “But, can we take the furthest route to my apartment? It's still raining heavily.” 

Look how good you make an excuse in less than half an hour dating him, Chae Songhwa. She couldn’t help but insinuate herself. 

And, no matter how much she tried to disguise her pent-up desire, Ikjun could still catch it. After all, he’s the most fluent one in reading her body language. But for the sake of mutual comfort, the man decided not to show it openly.

“Roger that. I'm in your command now, Professor!” He replied playfully, resting the same desire as hers in secret. 

In the end, they not only took the furthest route, but drove aimlessly for almost an hour before navigating the car to her apartment.

The trip was filled with lots of laughs, jokes, and even random banters — thanks to Ikjun, of course — as if there had never been such awkwardness and shyness surrounding them before. 

Yes, the confession changed their status, but not their natural habits. 

They’re still the same Lee Ikjun and Chae Songhwa, who have been best friends for more than twenty years. The difference this time was, everything’s much more openly shown. 

From the sparks of love in their gazes, to the sweet clarity in their smiles, then the sincere frankness in their conversations, everything was exposed unashamedly. 

But one thing to note, there hadn't been any intentional skinship after their first hug. 

Well, this surgeons couple really took the ‘without being greedy, slowly and steadily’ reliance that seriously. 

It required Songhwa's stillness after they reached her apartment lobby, to make Ikjun self-conscious about their current state again.  

The fact that it’s the first time he'd driven her home in a capacity no longer just a friend made Ikjun feel so much endearment, and that must be the reason why she seemed reluctant to say goodbye to him too.

If only she knew, his deepest heart also wanted the same thing — to spend the night together, to not let go of each other. 

But, isn’t it a greedy move if he asked for it now? Or is he just being too careful?

Before Ikjun found a settlement to his own inner conflict, Songhwa already broke the silence. 

“Ikjun-ah, when will Uju come back from Changwon?” She asks in a soft voice, eyes looking at him gingerly. 

Although wondering why his son suddenly became their main focus in this situation, he still responded in a genuine way. “Next Friday or Saturday—depends on Iksun’s schedule. But if she's not free, maybe I'll pick him up there on the weekends.” 

“Ah… I see,” she nodded a few times, secretly fiddling with the purse on her lap.

An awkward silence lingered between them for about five seconds later, producing a curious look on the man’s face.

It’s only after sighting his raised eyebrows, she elaborated, “If so — hmm, can I stay the night with you?” 

Ikjun couldn't help but smile at her request. Indeed, Chae Songhwa is really reliable in every way, and he wholeheartedly admitted it.

Having no other answer than yes, he quickly nodded. “I’ll stay in your place tonight.” 

“No, let’s just stay at your apartment. I think it will be the easiest for us.”

Truth to be told, it's an unexpected reaction for him to hear. So, Ikjun furrowed an eyebrow in an instant, frankly displaying his confusion. “But aren't we in your apartment lobby now?”

“Yes—?” Songhwa replied seconds later, equally confused.

From there, he’s drawn to the realization that there were a lot of thoughts surrounding their minds — especially Songhwa’s — at the moment, but it’s out of sync with the actual words that left their lips.

So that being the hidden case, Ikjun tried to take on the role of clearing things up.

“I mean, since we’re here at your apartment lobby, wouldn't it be easier if we just stayed at your place tonight? I don't mind anything, really.”

Along with that said, a sudden realization hit Songhwa too. 

As someone who valued assertiveness, she admitted that her way of communication was terrible that night. Moreover, when it’s with Ikjun, who usually didn't need much words from her. 

“Ah,” she immediately composed her mind. “I just thought it would be easier for us to commute from your place on weekdays. The traffic from here to Yulje is busier, and it’ll be extra inconvenient if we need to use two different cars later.” 

Her statements only confused him even more, as if it came from a foreign language.

In a matter of fact, the next day was still Sunday and as far as he could remember, there’s no scheduled things that required them to go to the hospital that day. Then why should she worry about the traffic to Yulje?

But, wait, did she say something about weekdays? Did she mean—

“Oh! And… We’re here to take my car — for efficiency purposes later — and my other needs through the next week. Would you mind waiting there for a while while I get my things?”

She pointed to the parking area around the drop off zone, completely oblivious to her man's uncertainty — thanks to her own disquietude. 

Weekdays. Next week.

It finally synchronized in his mind, including why she asked about the day Uju would return to Seoul. 

So the conclusion was, Songhwa planned to stay with him until his son came home — and it’s more than he expected to happen before.

Of course Ikjun wouldn't be against it, after all his condo would also be very quiet without the noisy noise of his little clown. Having Songhwa as his daily companion outside of Yulje definitely would be great, especially with their newly upgraded relationship. 

Ah, just thinking about it already made him giddy in excitement. 

In contrast to Ikjun, Songhwa was left uneasy in the passenger seat. Indeed, his gaze was still fixed on her, but she more than knew his mind was wandering somewhere else. Not wanting to get caught up in her own assumptions, she decided to ask. 

“Ikjun-ah,” she called out softly, while rubbing his knuckles to draw his attention. “Is there something wrong? It's fine if you mind, I'll just—” 

“Anieyo,” Ikjun swiftly interjected, shaking his head repeatedly. “I’ll come with you to pick up your things. Wait, let me park the car first.”

His hands quickly moved to the steering wheel, eyes completely avoiding hers.

As Ikjun quietly drove his car to the vacant lot around the lobby, Songhwa muttered, “It's still raining outside. You better just wait here, I promise it won't be long.” 

“Precisely because it's still raining, I have to come with you. I can't let my woman get wet,” Ikjun casually said that, then turned off the car engine and prepared to get out. “Wait a moment here, I'll get the umbrella in the trunk.”  

His movements abruptly stopped when Songhwa suddenly grumbled, “If you have an umbrella here, why didn't you use it when you bought the coffee earlier, Lee Ikjun?” 

“Because it's still not as urgent as it is now.”

He grinned in a meaningful manner, then quickly disappeared behind the car door. 

Songhwa couldn't help but shake her head in a chuckle, slightly not believing that silly goofball had become her boyfriend now. Oh, don't get her wrong, it's a comfort fact, really.

Then, with double knocks on the window beside her, the woman eventually opened her door. It didn't take her long to figure out the reason behind Ikjun's mischievous grin before getting out of the car — and why he chose to get along with the rain earlier. 

Turns out, the umbrella that he mentioned didn't have a standard circular cloth canopy, but it had the tiny cutest one — a green colored umbrella with pop-out frog eyes and printed its smile.

She found it really cute though, especially when imagining its owner running around under that umbrella.

“Ah, I suddenly miss my Uju,” Songhwa softly mumbles while stepping out of the car then closing the door, carefully settling her petite figure under the small umbrella. 

As instinctive as he's, the man immediately tilted the umbrella more to her side, making him slowly but surely get wet.

Of course, it didn't go unnoticed to Songhwa. 

"Yah, come closer! It's still enough for at least two heads," she abruptly halted Ikjun's first step by pulling his arm. 

Well knowing he would dodge her request, she firmly locked her hand over his elbow joint while the other absentmindedly flew to the rubber handle to fix the umbrella position — inevitably, wrapping his fingers by chance. 

At the unexpected skinship, Ikjun’s heart naturally lost a beat.

Moreover, it’s perfectly complemented by the absence of gaps between their shoulders. Yet, he managed to school his reaction into the calmest one — though the quiver in his eyes still betrayed him. 

It took about three seconds before the woman finally became aware of her reflex movement — or in other words, before deciding to draw back her hands.

This scene was unavoidably felt as déjà vu to her; the rain, the unintentional hand-holding, the wild butterflies within her heart. 

But apparently, even though Songhwa chose to react the same way as before — to flight with her inner desire, Ikjun chose the opposite — to not let her go. Before her hand actually left his, the other hand had already secured it in a warm hold, flanking her tiny fingers between his bigger ones.

Sure enough, she couldn’t resist the urge to form a smitten smile, silently thanking him in a stolen glance. Ikjun responded equally in love, moving his thumb over the back of her hand in the most affectionate manner. 

Then, even after the rain stopped chasing them, the two lovebirds continued to walk hand in hand all the way to the woman's apartment unit.

Songhwa's amazing skill in packing really helped them to rest much faster that night. 

In less than an hour, they’re already settled for bed, after a series of chaos in their respective night routines and even teasing each other just because Ikjun offered his guest room for Songhwa to sleep. 

Although still feeling a bit annoyed, Songhwa couldn’t help but soften when she saw Ikjun set his bedroom temperature to her liking. From their random babbling when she did her night care routine earlier, she knew that on a daily basis, this room was much warmer than it was that night.

Gosh, Lee Ikjun and his sweet attentiveness would never fail her. Indeed, she’s really a lucky woman to be able to enjoy that forever.

For that reason, the urge to balance his affection irresistibly hit her.

She then tried to pay more attention to the little things nearby at that time, wanting to reciprocate his care right away. Then, when she saw the man moving to make the bed, a curious question immediately crossed her mind. 

“Ikjun-ah, which side of the bed do you usually sleep on?” She gently voiced it, while tidying up her dirty clothes. 

After signaling Songhwa to put it in his laundry basket, Ikjun replied, “Here, on the right side. You?”

He slowly sat on one edge of the bed, eyes baring at her lovingly. 

“Same with you,” she softly chuckled. “But for tonight, I’ll sleep on the left side.” 

The moment Songhwa started to walk to the other side of the bed, Ikjun swiftly grabbed her wrist in a gentle manner.

“No, just sleep here. Actually, I’m fine with each side — it’s just a habit.” 

A soft smile naturally crept into her face as she had already guessed things like this would happen.

Recalling her own wish, she quickly uttered the prepared answer, “No, no. You've relented to me for the room temperature. It’s my turn to prioritize your liking, okay?” 

Ikjun firmly shook his head in disagreement.

To him, this wasn’t a competition to give in to each other, but the most important thing was, “Just let me give the best treatment for your stay at my humble abode, Ma’am.”

It’s his fun way of saying that he put Songhwa's comfort first in this foreign place for her.

“Yah, don't overdo it!” She couldn’t help but chuckle again. “What if it's too comfortable that makes me want to keep coming back here, hmm?” 

“That's definitely my ultimate goal,” he winked in equal playfulness. “So, you use this side, okay? I don't accept any form of rejection.” 

With that final statement, it’s clear that Songhwa had lost again.

Her well-known stubbornness might win her over him if she continued to argue, but that would definitely reduce Ikjun's sleep time as well. So therefore, she half-heartedly complied, making her way to the bed. 

On the other hand, Ikjun was also moving towards his new side of the bed, but stopped for a moment near the light switch.

Then, before his brain could stop it, his lips already said, “Do you prefer completely dark or dimly lit for sleeping?” 

As expected, it automatically earned a rough sigh from Songhwa — who’s already settled herself under the duvet. “I’ll go with anything you like,” she carelessly stated. 

“Songhwa—” 

“Ah!” She impatiently whined in a childish voice and gestures. “We're really not going to sleep at this rate, Lee Ikjun. After this, what else is there to fuss about? Pillows position? Blanket thickness? Yah, just come here… I just need to be with you through the night.” 

“Okay, okay,” he giggled in amusement, pretending to ignore his pounding heart for her slipped-out statement. “I’m coming to you now, my grumpy princess!” 

Then, after adjusting the lights to dim, he nimbly ran towards the bed.

Lucky for him, despite her sulking face, Songhwa still gently made room for him by pulling the duvet before finally smoothing it over his body. 

It’s impossible for him not to smile, considering the amount of love that surrounded his heart at that time.  

But after seeing her pouty lips albeit her body lying sideways to his side, Ikjun knew he had to bring out some antics again. 

“Songhwa-ya,” his gentle call was still answered with her tense expression, and it definitely couldn’t be left to sleep like that. “Can the blanket be moved a little more to my side?” 

Actually, his original goal was to only get Songhwa talk with him again. But eventually, the woman's reaction was far beyond his expectations.

“Yah, just warm up the temperature, I’ll be fine,” she literally shifted the blanket to cover his sides more, much to his surprise. “If it's too hot for me, I can take the blanket off later.” 

Then, though still trapped in confusion, Ikjun quickly racked his brains to change his plans — refusing to tease Songhwa too much for her gentleness.

“Instead of taking the blanket off from you, how about hugging me through the night to keep me warm?” He playfully asked. 

Unexpectedly — again, the petite woman immediately approached him without a verbal reaction. She snuggled without a second thought; face closely buried on his chest, arms tightly clung around his torso. 

Truth to be said, she'd craved for this ever since they'd let go of  each other in the car because of her cry — or laughter, she's not even sure — that she even internally cursed herself for reacting so quickly.

That being the case, of course she silently thanked Ikjun's question, which opened up an opportunity that definitely shouldn't be wasted.

And, even drowning in his own surprise, Ikjun still couldn’t resist the urge to respond to the physical contact. He tenderly placed one hand on her waist afterwards, and the other stroked her hair in a loving motion.

Before pressing his lips on the crown of her head, the man couldn’t help but smile — finding the calmness in her fresh-scent hair and the warmth in her embrace. 

“You’re warm,” Songhwa softly mumbled seconds later, as if she could read his mind.

Then before snuggling herself further, she added, “Although it still feels a bit weird, I just know I really can do this forever. Your arms definitely will be my comfort place, so, let's hug as much as we can in a day, Ikjun-ah.”  

At her innocent remarks, there's no way Ikjun swallowed his laughter in silence. He wholeheartedly released his laughter into the air, causing Songhwa to hastily lift her head to look at him.

“What are you laughing at?” She sternly asked him, feeling annoyed because her words seemed to be ignored. 

Before answering, Ikjun subtly flashed a peck on her forehead, as if giving approval to her request.

“You. Your cuteness,” he stated in a playful way. “Did you know you can be extra adorable when you frankly open up about your feelings like that?”

“Don't try to flatter me as if you’re not ruining the moment, Lee Ikjun," she sulked, darting an annoyed glance towards him.

Even so, her arms didn't move away even the slightest from the man's body, and neither did he.

“Said the one who laughed after our first kiss, and even questioned us after her emotional  confession.”

His mouth really had no brakes on teasing his cranky woman. Of course, it made her sulk even more, trying so hard to defend herself.

"But I cried tears of joy and relief before that!" 

“Arasseo, arasseo,” he tried his best to suppress his laughter. “But tell me, Songhwa-ya. How is it possible for you to be so much cuter after being mine, hmm? Gosh, I even fell in love with your grumpiness now.” 

“In addition to pretty, I was born cute, you know,” the woman joked fiercely as her annoyance seemed to vanish into Ikjun's playful question. “My charms will continue to shine even more as your love for me grows, so be prepared for that, okay?” 

A chuckle escaped Ikjun’s lips as he found confidence and openness really fit her best. He once thought he had loved the best version of Chae Songhwa all along, but apparently, he’s wrong.

To meet the unrestrained side of her for the first time in ages, Ikjun had never felt this glad.

“In that case, it's only a matter of time until I become enchanted by your cute voice then.”

This time, Songhwa didn't look annoyed by his cheeky teasing, instead she giggled lightly. “You should’ve been smitten by my voice a long time ago, Lee Ikjun. It's one of my best charms!” 

For the umpteenth time that night, Ikjun laughed heartily — and all because of Songhwa.

He could tell that from then on, she could be his greatest source of laughter and comfort — and hopefully, like he’ll always be for her. In less than a day together, this pair of best friends have completely broken down all the barriers that previously stood in the way of their honesty. 

That thing was even proven by Songhwa right away by saying, “Ikjun-ah, can you stop laughing? You better use your remaining energy to hug me again, I'm already very sleepy,” and then clutched to him in a more clingy manner before closing her eyes. 

Without intending to refuse her request, Ikjun once again teased, “You really made good use of your status as my girlfriend, didn't you?” 

After that, he immediately processed the order by tightening his hold around her petite figure, but still didn't forget to pay more attention to her comfort.

Then, by the end of their position setting, Ikjun couldn't stop himself from giving her a soft kiss on the forehead — assuming that she had completely drifted off into dreamland. 

Surprisingly, there’s still a bit of consciousness left for Songhwa to carve out her sweetest smile and huskily respond, “There's still a big chance I'll forget that I'm not single anymore tomorrow morning, by the way.” 

Songhwa's subconscious words really came true the next morning.

Not only her, apparently, Ikjun also forgot that their status had changed since last night. 

At the first time his eyes were greeted by the sight of a sleeping woman in his embrace that morning, he jolted in surprise. His arms rapidly let go of the hug, while his head turned away to observe his surroundings. It was only when he came to sense about what had happened last night, he softened. 

Luckily, the woman wasn't the least bit disturbed by his sudden movement, there’s even a hint of a smile on her peaceful sleeping face.

Hence, before treading her forehead, cheeks, nose, and lips with soft kisses, Ikjun couldn’t help but carefully pull her back into his embrace. 

And what happened after that was really far beyond expectations.

In the first second Songhwa was awakened by a light peck on her lips, an alert signal instantly spread throughout her body and eventually made her eyes fully open. Then, it didn't take more than a second for her to realize there’s an arm other than hers was attached to her body. 

It’s definitely not something Songhwa found when she woke up in the morning every day, so it’s only natural that her reflexes immediately sent a signal for action — to her arms and mostly to her legs. 

Therefore, she absentmindedly did one powerful push with all the strength that managed to gather in her arms that morning, and — only God knows how many — small kicks to drive that mysterious person away from her side. 

Fortunately — or not? — her action was successful in less than five seconds, making the man land perfectly on the floor.

It wasn't until the space in front of her became empty, Songhwa realized that this was definitely not the place where she usually woke up — not both of her bedrooms, let alone her office in Yulje. And of course, she’s confused.

On the other side of the room, the mysterious man— Lee Ikjun — could only stay still by leaning the weight of his body on the left leg and elbow.

His mind was still trying to process everything that had happened in the previous twenty seconds, almost ignoring the pain that arose in the left side of his body. 

It’s only when Songhwa let out a loud gasp seconds later, Ikjun turned around and carelessly sat himself on the floor. 

“This wasn’t how I envision our first morning together will be, Songhwa-ya,” he finally let out a voice in a teasing tone, with a firm intention to lighten up the mood.

Despite wanting to laugh at the woman's shocked expression, this time he chose to hold it back. 

Sure enough, even without laughter, Songhwa already looked very guilty and embarrassed. She hastily jumped off the bed, settling herself on the floor close to him. 

“Are you okay? Where do you feel pain?” With a worried gaze, she softly asked.

At the same time, her hands also moved gently from his cheeks, shoulders, arms, until it ended up on his knees. “Ikjun-ah, I’m terribly sorry. I really forgot that we — that I’m with you, sorry. You—” 

Unable to bear her adorable ramblings, Ikjun quickly pulled her closer by the waist then tenderly landed a light kiss on her lips.

Of course, it successfully stopped her movements, even making her eyes widen. 

“I’m fine, doctor. I just need my morning kiss,” he teased her with a cheeky smile. 

With that said, the previous worry completely flew away from her, replaced by the swelling endearment. “Just ask me properly, Lee Ikjun. Your first stolen morning kiss even got you kicked off the bed, right?” 

“Yes, and it's enough to make me worry about my frail body if it's going to happen every day. Ummm.. Should I put a barrier between us before going to sleep tonight?” He pretended to think hard. 

It made her innocent gaze slightly falter. “Does that mean I can't hug you anymore before going to sleep?” 

“Only until you get used to my presence in your morning, my dear. How?”

Despite knowing it was a joke at first, there’s a subtle seriousness implied in Ikjun's body language, which clearly made Songhwa panic. 

Then without further ado, she mindlessly wrapped her tiny arms around his muscular one, head automatically following to lean on his shoulders clingingly.

“Yah, I'm really sorry. It had been years since I last woke up with anyone else beside me—especially a man. The last time was when I slept with my mother, and it’s only once. You know, after you drove me back to my parents' house a while ago?”  

Ikjun nodded a few times, still in his serious expression. “When your mother's illness was diagnosed, right?” 

“Yes, at that time! It's been a long time, hasn't it? So it's only natural for me to react that way, right?”

Her eyes lit up in eagerness, head slightly tilted to look at him.

In Ikjun’s smitten eyes, the way she defended herself was really adorable. For that, he really refrained from squeezing her chubby cheeks and even pressing his lips on hers. Thus, all he could do was tease her again, and again. 

“Understandable,” he casually stated. “If so, now I just have to be grateful. Because, it means you’ve been deprived of all forms of intimate physical touch since your last relationship ended, and that also means, you didn't open yourself to anyone while I was waiting for my love to be reciprocated.” 

When the meaning of his words managed to take over Songhwa's mind, she really couldn’t help but throw a sharp glare at him.

Like, really? Is that all he thinks in this series of chaos?

As it should be, his words earned a gentle slap on his chest right away, as the pouty lips adorned her face. When Ikjun’s giggles grew louder, a little pinch also landed on the side of his belly, to which quickly made him wince. 

“I never knew that your love language is extreme physical touch, Chae Songhwa,” he shook his head in amusement, still not tired of teasing her. 

“But, can you reduce it to the standard physical touch as soon as possible? You haven't even tasted anything other than a hug from this body, and I'm afraid it won't work properly when the time comes. So please, take good care of this precious asset of yours, okay?”  

Just as she was about to throw a slap in his chest again, Ikjun quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Wait,” he — still — playfully said. “Why do you keep throwing a tantrum? Seems like you don't want to taste anything but a hug from me, huh?”  

An obvious blush on her cheeks eventually showed up as a result of his unstoppable teasing. “Yah! Lee Ikjun! Stop this, will you?” 

"No way," he smirked. "You'll stuck forever with me, Ma'am." 

—fin. ˙ᵕ˙