Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jisu watches the last few white flakes flutter to the ground, resting in its pile. A building stands in the centre—revealing once again a little cottage that's similar to their ideal future house. 

She stops shaking the glass orb that she has been holding in her hand. Perhaps that dream shall remain confined in this snow globe, a gift that Yeji had surprised her with last year. Yeji has meant for it to bring her calmness in times of stress, but now that sight only makes Jisu's heart stagnant and her guts sore. It feels decisive, and Jisu wants to leave it like that, like what Yeji wishes. Yet, it's hard to not care when the view is so transparent, when every aspect of their time together is attached to each flake. Everything except that opaque cottage. She still wonders why Yeji made the sudden decision. 

Jisu thought they were past the argument stage, considering the number of conversations they have had: fun ones and tough ones. Yes, the two still have conflicts occasionally, but to stop seeing each other over this…thing that she doesn't even know about? She isn’t sure what to think.

Bella leaps up next to her and places her paw on Jisu’s lap, sensing negative emotions from the look on her owner’s face. 

“Hey, what’s up,” Jisu mutters to her pomeranian as she places the snow globe on her side table, before stroking Bella’s back.

She closes her eyes briefly from Bella’s concerned look, and takes a shuddering deep breath. 

“I think Yeji doesn't want to see me anymore,” Jisu tries, her voice shaky and almost a whisper. She notices how Bella’s ear twitches at the mention of Yeji - they have been together for so long, she recognizes her name by now. Verbalizing it fully registers the truth in her mind and she feels her sight blur. She blinks and swallows. 

Jisu tries to recall the possible flaws she may have and slip-ups that she has said to Yeji. Is it because of the way she presents herself? Is it because she has been overly enthusiastic sometimes? Is it because of her occasional temper and Yeji could not tolerate it anymore? 

She shakes her head away from those thoughts, then retrieves her diary from the drawer underneath. It’s where she writes about her moments with Yeji—she has been writing in it for the past 10 months. She flips to a fresh page and writes. 

“What she said today,” Jisu says to Bella, gesturing to the words she has written. Bella can’t read, of course; Jisu isn’t sure who to talk to at the moment. “What does Yeji even mean?”

Bella notices something off with how her owner is saying “Yeji”, and leans into her torso. Jisu hugs back, albeit with her arm.

“I don’t get it,” Jisu says close to Bella’s fur. “What did I do exactly? I can’t even ask her now…” 

Bella lets out a soft whimper.

Despite the approaching cool season, Jisu feels the warmth growing more unbearable, tasting bitter in her throat. She lets her tears flow out of her eyes this time, after holding in her uncertainty for the past few hours.

“Sorry Bella, let me just…” Jisu gently puts Bella aside as she jogs to the bathroom to freshen up. She returns a few minutes later and places her pomeranian back onto her sleeping cushion. 

“I have to sleep early for my school event tomorrow morning,” Jisu sniffs, wiping some excess tears with her sleeve. She strokes Bella’s back again, before standing up to head to bed. “Thanks for earlier.”

Bella looks at her a little longer than usual.

❄❄❄

Yours sincerely,

Hwang Yeji

Yeji reviews her typewritten email and clicks the ‘Send’ button, before closing the tab. She stands up from her table, stretching her arms and torso. 

She is grateful for the peaceful silence while she rushes to clear her backlog; that is, apart from the whirling ceiling fan and the instrumental music playing in the background - Yeji needs some tunes to keep her going. For the past few hours, her two poodles have been roaming around in their playpen, occasionally rolling around on their cushion pillows.

“Hongsam, Insam; let’s play!” Yeji coos as she approaches them, giving her dogs a reward for being obedient, and finally able to rest for the weekend. She opens the door to their playpen, allowing a wider space for the two. They dash out into her living room area. 

Sitting cross-legged, Yeji holds up two stuffed cushion bones as she waits for her poodles to look at her. She takes one of the stuffed bones and slowly waves it in front of them. Insam walks back and forth along with the bone. Yeji chuckles at the younger poodle. 

“Okay…Insam?” Yeji raises her arm, and throws the stuffed indigo bone across the room. Insam chases it and returns with the bone held within its jaws. Yeji caresses his head. “Good job!”

Yeji turns to Hongsam. “You ready?” 

She throws the other stuffed bone - the brown one, and Hongsam runs gracefully back with it. Yeji gives him some pats as well. 

After a few individual throws, Yeji decides to challenge them by performing a double throw. She hurls both stuffed bones to opposite corners of the room, and immediately Hongsam and Insam sprint after each of them. She feels the corners of her lips going up upon seeing their skidding actions for variations of the double throws. 

“Look here,” Yeji then says in a sing-song tone when her poodles return, getting them to focus on the two stuffed bones in her hands. She raises her arms once again but throws without letting go of the bones. Hongsam and Insam leap out and immediately turn back, bringing out laughter from Yeji.

“Alright, alright. Here’s the real one,” Yeji assures. She hurls both arms, and throws out only the indigo bone in Hongsam’s direction. Insam runs towards his other direction, like Yeji has been conditioning him to do the past few times. He realizes too late that Hongsam has the indigo bone in his jaws, and lunges over in an attempt to grab it back. 

Hongsam knows it isn’t his stuffed bone too, but decides to protect it upon seeing Insam running towards him. The two engage in a light-hearted tug-of-war, paws pushing each other while their jaws pull the bone. At one point, the stuffed bone is dropped, playtime with their owner forgotten, as they tackle each other into rolling on the floor.

In the next moment, they are running around the living room chasing each other. Yeji is concerned at first - no matter how well dogs may be trained, sometimes something may click in their brains and they may start attacking for real. She is relieved when the two are being playful with each other afterwards.

As Yeji watches them, she thinks about how her dogs resolve conflict—do they even resolve anything? Things are easily settled and both parties move on happily. Just earlier, they were almost fighting, and now they are playing with each other. Do they still remember the earlier negative emotions, or do they just keep the memory in the back of their minds? It must be nice to lead a carefree life without worries.

Hongsam and Insam stop in front of her briefly for pats from their owner. Afterwards, they took off again, leaping off and on the sofa.

Yeji grins at her poodles, her eyesmile concealing the dark circles and half-closed eyelids. She loves her new role, but it gets tiring - she’s glad her fur kids are here to keep her sane. Unlike in the past when she could end her work week on a Friday evening, she now has to complete work on Saturday mornings. 

She misses how she used to look forward to the weekends, especially Saturdays, when she had routine dates with Jisu, who would sometimes come over to her place. Whenever Jisu was still at her gate, Bella would already be jumping at her window, just like she is now.

Bella?

Yeji then sees that Hongsam and Insam are already also leaping at the windowsill, trying to catch a view of their favourite friend. Because of her constant hangouts and previous affections with her past partner, their three dogs have also formed a strong bond. 

She has been finding time to relax after longer work hours, and only realizes now that she hasn’t seen Bella in almost two weeks. 

Yeji opens the door. “Hey Bella!”

Bella rushes into her house, towards Hongsam and Insam. The three run in circles as their form of ‘long time no see’. Yeji looks to her gate by habit - there’s no one else. She closes her door.

Yeji squats down and Bella jumps into her hug. "What brings you here today, hm?" She asks the pomeranian. 

Bella leaps off of Yeji and starts roaming around the living room.

"Does Jisu know you're here?" 

Bella stops to look at Yeji, then continues walking to one particular spot, and lies on her front. 

Yeji frowns, puzzled. She walks over to give Bella some pats, which she accepts, but dodges Yeji’s hand right after. 

“This spot was your favourite whenever you and Jisu came over,” Yeji reminisces. “I miss all of us hanging out.”

Bella is still barely reacting. 

Hongsam and Insam walk over to where Bella is, also confused at the atmosphere.

Yeji sighs and looks at the wall clock. It’s time for Hongsam and Insam to have their meal. As she stands up to retrieve their food and bowls, the two poodles start hopping about and running around excitedly. Insam clings onto her leg yearning for her owner's affection, which she laughs at. He’s really one enthusiastic furkid.

“I’m guessing you haven’t eaten as well,” Yeji says to Bella, pouring some food into a third bowl. “Here’s some just in case.”

Bella sniffs it, eats a little, then goes back to lying on her front.

Yeji is at a loss from this awkward behaviour. She guesses Bella may already have a clue that she and Jisu have separated.  

Yeji pulls out her phone and taps on the messaging app. She sees that the last time she and Jisu had texted each other was three weeks ago. Then again, they have always communicated using voice and video calls. She considers informing Jisu - but what does she even say? They haven't talked to each other for a while either. 

Does Jisu know Bella came over? What if she does? Bella doesn't seem to budge.

Yeji decides to keep it short and clear. Whether Jisu knows or not, Bella is indeed here and someone has to bring her back home safely. 

Bella is at my place

Thanks. I’ll go over soon

Sure

Her doorbell rings ten minutes later, and Yeji stands up to open her door.

“Hi.”

“Hi. Sorry to interrupt…are you…busy?”

Yeji looks at her poodles, then to her laptop. “Um, yeah. I was rushing some submissions.”

“Oh,” Jisu says. “Hope things are going well.”

“Thanks.” Yeji flashes a small smile. She stands back slightly, allowing a far enough space from Jisu.

“Thanks for informing me,” Jisu tries to chuckle, getting the cue and steps slightly into Yeji’s house. “I noticed Bella was missing and guessed came over to your place, and I was right.”

"Hm. I gave her some food, but she’s not eating.” Yeji gestures to the pomeranian. 

“Oh.” Jisu is not sure what to reply with. “I guess I’ll take her home and see how it goes?”

“Sure.” Yeji lets Jisu retrieve Bella. Her eyes follow Jisu, finding the right moment to speak. Politeness cannot be excused even if it is awkward. “Have you, um, eaten?”

“Yes for breakfast, not for lunch.”

“Right.” Yeji glances between Jisu and her door frame. 

“You?”

“Um, I’m about to go make mine.” Yeji tries to grin as well.

Jisu senses dismissiveness in Yeji's tone, and wants to say something; something that's not related to the current conversation. It’s at the tip of her tongue, but she decides to swallow it. 

“So…I’ll get going then.” 

“Alright.”

"Thanks again," Jisu says, stepping out the door while carrying her pomeranian.

"Mm."

Yeji closes her main door and breathes. It’s a little early for lunch, even to cook it, but she figures she can rest earlier afterwards. She heads to her kitchen.

✱

Yeji was at the stove area, waiting for the water to boil.

“What are you making over there?” Jisu asked from the kitchen island while kneading the dough. Her palms were all covered with flour - there was some on her face too.

“Pasta?” Yeji said like it was apparent, while holding up the bottle of carbonara sauce. The pot of water was starting to boil with the fusilli.

Jisu wanted to laugh at Yeji’s smug expression. “Well, sorry chef, I was very focused here.”

Yeji giggled, then poured away the water and left the cooked fusilli to simmer in the covered pot.

“Mm. Guess what’s for dessert.” 

Jisu thought about the dishes they were preparing. Her thinking process was illustrated into a rhythmic beat as she juggled the kneaded flour ball back and forth between her palms. “Is Italian our theme today?”

“Nope.” Yeji retrieved the box of digestive biscuits and presented it to Jisu. 

“Hmm…cheesecake? No-bake?” 

“Wow, you got it spot on, princess!” Yeji’s eyes widened in surprise and lunged over to hug Jisu by the side. Jisu let herself be indulged in Yeji’s warm embrace, melting at the way her girlfriend was referring to her.

“Really? Do I get a reward?” Jisu turned to face Yeji, her mischief looking for a sign in her. Her surroundings blur away as Yeji leaned her face closer to hers.

Yeji's soft lips were assertive, assuring; protective, caring. As they parted, her gaze was gentle; the effects from the earlier kiss swirled around her figure, tickling her torso.

Jisu smiled. “What if I become sick from this cheese overload?”

"Then I’ll take care of you," Yeji replied without missing a beat, her hands still on Jisu's waist. "And, we shall not have cheese for the next two months.”

Jisu giggled at the exaggeration. “Still, I love your surprise."

"You do?"

"Mm. Let's see how this turns out, and if it’s too cheesy, maybe we can just stick to just pizza, or just pasta.”

Yeji nodded in agreement. “Right. I just love trying things with you. I want us to try everything together.”

Jisu touched Yeji’s cheek with her finger in response, amused and touched by the latter's plans. 

"Now my face has flour," Yeji retorted.

"It's okay, we're the same."

"Help me wipe it off?"

"Nope."

"You're really not going to?"

Jisu shrugged. 

Yeji pretended to sulk and started leaving for the stove.

"Darling," Jisu whined adorably.

Yeji couldn't resist her girlfriend's pout—and of course, her favourite nickname that Jisu called her.

Jisu gave her a peck on the lips the moment Yeji turned around. 

"Now it's harder to leave your side," Yeji snuggled against Jisu. 

"Awww, I don't want you to go too," Jisu snuggled back with her head, not wanting to use her flour-covered hands. "But it's better if you check on the sauce. I'll call you later if I need anything."

Yeji hummed reluctantly. “Cuddles after lunch?”

“Cuddles after lunch.”

It took some time as Jisu spreaded the tomato sauce over the flattened dough, before putting the ingredients and sprinkling the mozzarella on top. She prepared to place it in the oven as Yeji finished shaping the biscuit base for the cheesecake.

“I’ll press this, then this, right?” Jisu confirmed with Yeji the buttons to press for her oven.

“Yup.”

“I’ll go check on our dogs, then we can have the pasta.”

“Mm, thanks princess.”

“Lemme know if you need any help, though!” Jisu patted Yeji at the waist.

“Bella, Hongsamie, Insamie! Time to rest!” Jisu called for them to end their playtime.

The three stopped running around and walked over to Jisu. Bella suddenly changed course and headed towards the kitchen, curious about what her owner’s partner was up to. Jisu chased after her and prevented her from entering the kitchen.

“Yeji is making our food,” she told Bella, gesturing to herself. “Let’s stay here and watch.”

Yeji turned to show the finished cheesecake to Bella to play along, before putting it into the fridge. Bella's front paws were about to enter the kitchen boundary again.

“You gotta have yours later. We’ll eat first then it’ll be your turn, okay?” Jisu gently blocked her. Her pomeranian finally retreated to the living room, and Jisu followed. 

Yeji checked on the three dogs, then led them back to their playpen fence. They returned to the kitchen island. Jisu saw that Yeji had already laid out both plates of pasta. 

“Let’s eat.”

❄❄❄

It’s so surreal that two people who were once so deeply in love can still become awkward strangers in the end. Jisu has previously thought—and made a promise with Yeji—that if they ever have to break up due to certain reasons, they would part with sweet memories and still be friends. After all, life can be unpredictable.

Life is really unpredictable, indeed.

Why is it hard to even talk to Yeji like friends now? It's not like Yeji hates or offended her.

Ever since her university vacation has started, Saturdays feel just like weekdays, like any other day. Every day she wakes up, plays with Bella, cooks meals, showers, sleeps—and repeat. Jisu isn't one to participate a lot in her school events, especially when there's not many which pique her interest. She has reserved the vacation for Yeji—after rushing essays and clearing examinations, Jisu had looked forward to spending more time with her.

Now she does not know what to do to fill her time. Sure, she can catch up with the latest movies or do a book-reading marathon, but it just isn’t the same without Yeji, Hongsam, and Insam.

Jisu wants to delve into her world. Their world. In front of her are a few notebooks and school materials, briefly stacked. She reckons she can arrange them later on - there’s a lot of time. 

It feels cozy having a mental time-travelling against the curtain-covered afternoon sun. Jisu finds herself getting comfortably lost in the pages of her diary as she reads about how she and Yeji first met. There isn't any detailed description at the beginning as their relationship happened naturally. Yeji was like a close, comfortable friend. They had their official confessions, but Jisu doesn’t know the precise moment she started seeing Yeji romantically - it feels like she’s always loved her and always looked forward to seeing her. 

Valentine’s Day was extra special. They were very intentional with planning events, giving meaningful gifts to each other, and the little peppers of affection throughout the day. There was heightened happiness—the two would have done the same any other day, but it was probably due to the affirmation that they were each other’s valentine. Jisu’s heart feels warm at the memory.

Jisu decides one of the most favourite instances was when Yeji had just started full-time working life while she decided to pursue further studies. Yeji shared her fears about not being able to meet the high expectations at her workplace. Jisu appreciates how she was emotionally there for Yeji and comforting her, since the latter was always the one taking care of her when she ranted about university. It was—

Bella’s high-pitched barking snaps Jisu out of her indulgence. When she turns around, Bella is heading towards her door, signalling for her to follow.

Hongsam and Insam are outside her door gate.

“Huh.” Jisu tidies her hair in one stroke and lets them in. The poodles look at Jisu as she looks back in confusion. Jisu squats down and touches their paws like a handshake - a small trick she has managed to teach them before. 

She turns to Bella. “Should I tell Yeji?”

It’s a rhetorical question as she stands up to retrieve her phone anyway. 

Are Hongsam and Insam at your place?

There is already a notification from Yeji, from seven minutes ago. Jisu mutters a lament for seeing it late, and starts to type a reply. Yeji sends another text.

I was just guessing since Bella came over to mine previously

Yes they are, sorry for the delay

Do I bring them back or do you want to fetch them?

I guess I’ll go over

Okay

Jisu leaves her phone on her table outside. Sitting down in a cross-legged position to match the poodles’ eye level, she gives them light pats on their backs. Hongsam and Insam leap around energetically.

“Have you two been well?” She sees Yeji in them - she asks them the question like they would reply for their owner, like Yeji's voice would answer her curiosity. 

It's precisely that she sees Yeji in them, that even if they may be adorable, Jisu doesn't know how to interact with them like before. She waits for their owner to arrive, just being in the same space as Hongsam and Insam.

There's a brief moment of frustration on Yeji's face when Jisu opens the door. It flashes back to neutral when their eyes meet. 

“Um, we’re meeting again huh,” Jisu begins, trying to fill the silence.

“Right,” Yeji says with a forced laugh.

Jisu glances between the dogs and Yeji. What does she say? There are too many things she wants to say but they all feel inappropriate. “Here, you can take Hongsam and Insam back"? "Do you wanna come in for a snack"?

She whispers an internal thank you when Hongsam and Insam walk over to them. 

"You two, why did you run off like this? It's dangerous," Yeji tells her poodles in mock anger. Jisu wonders if she should take the last part personally. 

“How did they know to come here themselves,” Jisu comments, not intending to get an answer anyway.

"Do you think our dogs had a secret agreement to do this?" Yeji makes eye contact with her.

Jisu isn't expecting Yeji to talk normally with her. "Maybe? We'd never know what they may be saying," she laughs it off. 

Yeji smiles back in response. 

"Since you're here…do you wanna…" Jisu tries, gesturing to her dining table. 

Despite the recent events, there's hope in Jisu's guarded stance. Yeji looks up at her from her kneel-squat pose, and for a few seconds, Jisu thinks Yeji is going to agree—but Yeji looks back at her poodles.

"Hm no, I need to finish up some work at home," Yeji replies, putting on leashes on Hongsam and Insam. 

Jisu nods silently.

“Thanks, though.” Yeji tidies her already-neat low ponytail.

Jisu watches them leave before slowly closing her door.

❄❄❄

Yeji thinks she is getting the hang of her work.

Monday and Tuesday passed by with meetings, while Wednesday and Thursday saw submissions as she met the upcoming deadlines. Friday was free of both and Yeji used the time to organize some administrative matters - both her own and her team. 

Yeji stretches in bed, waking up one hour later than usual. She is glad for the relaxation time on Saturday, after a few weeks of having to work on weekends. She walks out of her house after washing up and breakfast. Warmth of the 9AM sunlight caresses her hair and tickles her back. It feels great not having to face her laptop screen at this hour.

For the first time in a few weeks, Yeji takes a good look at her front garden. There are some weeds on her cement floor, the walls have smudges of dirt, and her potted plants are vaguely out of alignment. She decides to spend a few hours cleaning the area - a rare day for more rest but Yeji prefers to get some chores done.

“Hongsam-ah, Insam-ah! Do you want to stay with me outside while I clean the front garden?” Yeji calls as she walks into the house, intending to bring them outdoors. The two poodles follow their owner’s lead.

Yeji grabs her phone and tools on the way out. She starts a random playlist on shuffle before placing her phone on a stool, turning on a loud-enough volume.

“You two, stay in this area, okay?” Yeji gestures to the line that divides the floor and the grass patch, then makes a cross with her arms. Hongsam and Insam look up at her, wagging their tails and stepping around in their places. She grins and pats them on their sides.

Yeji wears her gloves, and starts by moving all her potted plants and other miscellaneous objects to a higher ground. After a long time of not tidying her front garden, there are traces of soil under the pots. She then hovers the hose of water over the whole floor, moving along to the beats of the music. As she turns off the tap, Hongsam and Insam suddenly stand up from their seated pose and start jumping about.

“Why? What’s wrong?” Yeji mutters and turns to look in her poodles’ direction of view. “Oh!”

Amidst the efficient productivity, Yeji realizes she has forgotten about last Saturday until her eyes landed on the white fluffy pomeranian. She briefly glances to the direction of her phone, then shrugs it off. She figures it’s safe for Bella to stay here as long as she doesn't run out again.

“Hey Bella,” Yeji greets, ushering her to where her poodles are. Bella’s paws are damp from walking across the wet floor. “I’m about to start scrubbing the floor. Stay with Hongsamie and Insamie to watch, okay?”

Bella looks up at Yeji’s instructions. The latter smiles and gives a simpler command along with a hand gesture. “Stay here.”

Seeing Bella stay put, Yeji turns back to add soap, scrubbing and sweeping every inch of the floor. Bella steps into the soapy water and jumps onto higher ground. 

"Bella!" Yeji gasps. "You will get soap all over the place!”

Yeji tries to keep her feet firm on the slippery floor while keeping an eye on the roaming Bella. A burst of adrenaline tempts her to carry Bella to the ground area, but she stops short as she remembers her damp gloved hands.

"Bella, go play with Hongsam and Insam alright?" Yeji lets out a loud breath. 

The said pomeranian finally decides to sit on the table. Yeji really prefers for her to get down but wonders if she should just settle with this.

A notification beeps, briefly interrupting the current song. Yeji gets to her phone in time to see that it's from Jisu, before the notification disappears.

Yeji turns back to Bella with hands on her hips. "If Jisu sees you like this, what would she think, hm?" 

Bella stays still for a solid five seconds before leaping off the table to where Insam is. When the pomeranian stalks off again, Insam follows Bella onto the wet floor . 

"Hongsam…" Yeji whines. The said poodle looks at her, tilting his head.

It's hard to focus on scrubbing the floor at this point, and Yeji reluctantly takes off one glove to check Jisu's message.

Hey, just wanna ask if Bella's there?

Yeji's brows furrow. Typing with one hand would take too long, though; Yeji screams internally as she navigates to the call button with her pinky finger. She clenches her fists as she listens to the dialling sound on speaker.

"...Hello?" Jisu answers.

"Hey, um, yeah, Bella is here. I'm calling because it's not convenient to type."

"Okay. So… "

"Is it alright if you come over and get Bella?"

"Okay. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"See you."

Yeji cringes as she ends the call. She feels like an unintentional hypocrite. When she turns back, her poodles are back to their places, along with Bella.

"Now you want to stay still," Yeji sighs. She slides her pair of slippers across the floor to the entrance, before wearing her glove again. "Never mind. Jisu is coming to get you."

Jisu arrives while Yeji is sweeping away the excessive water. She shows her gloved hands. "I'm washing the area. You can change to the slippers to come in, if you prefer."

Jisu does wear them, and walks over to Bella with the slippers making squishing sounds. 

"Sorry for coming here again. Hope Bella didn't cause any trouble?"

"Um, not really," Yeji replies, clenching her palms together. "Her paws may have gotten wet since she walked in when I was washing the floor."

"Ah, is that so…" Jisu mumbles, more towards Bella. 

Yeji turns back, getting ready to continue scrubbing the floor.

Jisu looks at Yeji again and frowns. "I'll get going. Thanks," she adds, lifting Bella slightly.

"Hm." Yeji glances belatedly.

On the way home, all Jisu sees are pavements of gray and almost-bare branches of brown. There are other houses which she is not interested in. She hugs Bella a little tighter to keep both of them warm. 

Her eyes stare ahead, looking like she’s fixing her gaze on a particular tree, but she’s thinking about how Yeji is being cordial and distant at the same time. The inconsistency is unsettling; it’s tumbling around in her gut and no amount of stretching would make it go away. This Yeji is always working, always busy, always quick to tend to her tasks.

The past Yeji was more relaxed. She was more attentive, taking note of the minor creases between her eyebrows and asking if something was bothering Jisu. She used to hold her hand, fingers interlocking to emphasize her support and love. The past Yeji would walk her home after their Saturdates; the whole day together was not enough. They would squeeze every conversation into ten minutes, and Jisu wished for a longer walk with Yeji because it was too short.

Her wish has come true somehow - the walk home feels so far that Jisu really wants to get it over with. Sunlight daunts on her face, burning her questions. Jisu wishes it would burn away the cage surrounding her, which she could easily unlock with the key in her heart.

❄❄❄

Bella is asleep in her sleep cushion. 

Jisu stands near her tower fan, trying to use its breeze to cool down. As she re-ties her hair into a low ponytail, her eyes land on her table of scattered books. She decides to organize them - perhaps moving her muscles would ease the uncertainty. Jisu has read that decluttering her environment helps in having a clearer mind. Besides, she can start spring cleaning early. 

Jisu rearranges her textbooks and notepads in height order in the bookend, then discards the random catalogues and papers lying on the other side of her table. 

A familiar blue box sits in the corner. Jisu opens it to briefly look through the message cards and charms. They're not as meaningful anymore since her bond with Yeji has disappeared. But those words at time of writing stay true, and Jisu decides not to discard them. She puts the cover back on and goes to another shelf.

Jisu passes by the large couch across the room. It's large for one person, and slightly squeezy for two. She remembers sharing the seat with Yeji whenever they watched movies on her TV - it has become their favourite couch. 

She keeps the box on the shelf and proceeds to vacuum the floor.

✱

“Aww, that was so good,” Yeji remarked as the credits started to slide in.

“Right? What a happy ending,” Jisu replied, her hand patting Yeji’s hand on her waist. “Let’s wait for the epilogue.”

“There’s an epilogue?”

“I don’t know yet, but usually there are bonus scenes or fun stuff during these animated credits.”

They watched the characters show up beside each voice actor and the complementing visual effects. Sure enough, there was a special scene - short but impactful. Yeji and Jisu squealed at how that made the whole ending even better. 

As the final credits rolled, Jisu leaned back into Yeji’s embrace. “What do you wish to do now?”

“Nothing much. I just want to stay with you like this.” Yeji gently tucked some stray hair strands behind Jisu’s ear.

The two stayed in each other’s arms on the couch, occasionally caressing either’s hands. For a while, it felt like peaceful silence. When Jisu looked at Yeji again, the latter was staring ahead listlessly.

“Darling, is something wrong?” Jisu asked, concerned.

Yeji glanced at her girlfriend and sat upright. “Jisu-ya,” she started with a pout. 

“Hm?” Jisu sat up as well, turning off the TV. “What’s up? I’m listening.”

“Higher-ups said I’m doing well for my job, and that I have potential to lead.”

Jisu nodded, encouraging Yeji to elaborate.

“They said they are considering promoting me to become something like a team leader. From the sound of it, there’s a high possibility.”

“When will you know if it’s confirmed?”

“I’m guessing the earliest would be two weeks later?” Yeji made eye contact with Jisu. “Then I would most likely start right after.”

“That’s great! I’m proud of you, Yeji,” Jisu said admirably, her thumb caressing Yeji’s upper arm. Her smile didn’t last long as there was clearly more to it. “Is that something you want?”

There was a short pause before Yeji spoke. “Yeah. I like leading and managing information, so I want to try it.”

“Okay, then…what’s bothering you?”

“The thing is, this role is much more than what I do currently. I think it would take up more hours of work…and even take up Saturdays.”

Jisu looked at her.

Yeji confirmed Jisu’s silent query, “...which means we may not have our Saturdates anymore.”

“Oh.” Multiple thoughts sped through Jisu’s mind, and it took a while for her to choose one. She patted Yeji’s arm soothingly. “Are you worried about having less time together in future?”

Yeji nodded.

“What are your plans?”

“I’m stuck, so I want to hear your opinion. Then we can make a plan together.”

“What if we change it to occasional Sundates?” Jisu threw out an idea, observing Yeji’s expression. “Or, you might want to have your own time on Sundays right? I’m alright with that. We could just stick to texts and calls if you’re busier.”

She continued since Yeji didn’t appear to be against anything so far. “Or…we could work around your schedule. Instead of having a full list of things to do, we could go with the flow?”

“Hm…” Yeji leaned towards agreement, then frowned. “What if I can’t even do those?”

“We’ll cross the bridge when we get there,” Jisu said, sliding her hand into the former’s. “We don’t know how the work will really be yet. What if it’s just as manageable? What if we still have time to hang out like now?”

She placed her hand on Yeji’s nape, over her soft brown hair. “You’re capable of the role; that’s why the higher ups are choosing you. It may be tough at the start - any change is always hard in the beginning. But remember that you can always talk to me no matter what. I’ll do my best to make you feel relaxed. Okay?”

“Mm. I trust you, princess.” Yeji nodded, then snuggled against Jisu. “Thank you. Always.”

❄❄❄

Jisu strokes Bella’s fur as the latter finishes her food. She goes to wash the bowl, before preparing to throw out the trash. As she opens her door, two canine silhouettes in her front garden walk towards her.

“Hongsam? Insam? You’re here again?” Jisu asks, putting the bag of trash into the bin. When she turns back, the two are still standing at their spots and looking at her. 

Jisu sighs, careful not to touch them with her unwashed hands. She gestures wildly to the entrance. “Please go back home. You know the way back, right? Go on now, okay?"

She walks back into her house to wash her hands, and sees Bella standing near the door. Yeji's poodles are now standing outside her house. 

"Hongsam-ah, Insam-ah," Jisu begs. "Go now or Yeji will get mad."

They only circle around the front door without any intention of leaving. Jisu folds her arms with a frown. "Very well then." She settles with a plan.

"Bella, wanna go for a walk?" The pomeranian jumps around excitedly upon hearing 'walk'. Jisu gets Bella's leash and two spares for Hongsam and Insam.

As Jisu slowly approaches Yeji's house, her eyes peer across the chest-level wall. There's no one in the front garden, thankfully - she wants to make it quick and leave. Jisu loops Bella's leash on her wrist, then immediately frees Hongsam from the leash and carries him over the wall. It’s slightly high, but he touches down safely. Jisu does the same for Insam, who keeps doing the paddling motion in the air.

“Insam, come on,” Jisu whispers sternly. A wave of white leaps over the wall. Bella has gotten into Yeji’s territory as well.

“Bella! Get back out now!” She glances at her pomeranian, the leash still looped on her wrist. Insam is still physically insistent on not landing.

"What are you doing?"

Jisu looks up with Insam still in her extended arms, to Yeji standing slightly outside her door. She lets go of Insam and he lands softly.

“I just wanna drop them here and go.”

“Drop them here?”

“They came over to my place again, so I brought them back.”

“You could have told me so I could have fetched them myself.”

“I didn’t wanna bother you,” Jisu says, glaring at Bella while gently pulling on her leash. 

“This is already becoming a weekly thing anyway.” Yeji squats down to usher her poodles back into the house.

Jisu catches her tone. “What are you trying to say?”

“Every Saturday, either your dog comes over to my place, or my dogs go over to your place. I’ll have to contact you either way, so no, it’s not a bother.”

“Can’t you tell that they are trying to make us meet up?”

Yeji’s eyes move from Jisu to Bella. “Is that not your plan?”

“What?” Jisu frowns. “Of course not. You said you wanted space and I respected that.”

“Then how do you explain this?” She vaguely gestures at the leash connecting Jisu and Bella.

“All I wanted to do was bring Hongsam and Insam back. She just jumped in on her own.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Yeji mumbles to herself, then puts Bella on the wall ledge. “Now that everything’s settled, you can go. I have work to do.”

“Are you not free for even a moment?”

“I need to rest in between and other things. Cook. Clean. Shower. Play with Hongsam and Insam.”

“Weren’t these the same things you had to do when we were…still together?” Jisu says the last part a little more quietly. 

“Well, I just want time by myself!” Yeji snaps.

Jisu feels her legs going numb. Her lips freeze, and the overwhelming heat almost takes away the ability to speak.

“Fine,” she manages, carrying Bella in her arms. “I’ll leave you alone. Not my fault that Bella keeps coming here.”

“Then you should keep an eye on her more.”

Jisu glares at Yeji, before turning on her heels. She has intended to head to the park but the situation has ripped away her mood for it.

“Now you don’t even trust me,” Jisu rants into the air. 

It takes her only a little more than five minutes to reach home with her large strides. She enters and puts Bella on the floor. 

“I already told you to come back out. Why didn’t you listen?”

Bella looks up at Jisu, and walks towards the door. Jisu immediately picks her up and places Bella into her playpen fence.

“Stay right here! You’re not to go to Yeji’s house again. You hear me?!”

Jisu goes into her room and closes her door loudly.

✱

Sunlight filtered through the clouds. It was bright enough to hang out and cool enough to relax.

Yeji and Jisu were sitting on either swings, gently swaying back and forth. 

“So, how are you managing with the new role?” Jisu asked. It had been almost a month since they last met in person like this. They decided to have their duo time in a slower manner than usual. 

Yeji took a deep breath. Being in a natural space felt so freeing. “It’s going well. I have to tend to more admin matters since I oversee things in the team now. I still have more to learn though,” she let out a small laugh.

She glanced at Jisu disheartenedly. “I’m sorry that I haven’t texted you as much in the past few days.”

Jisu patted Yeji’s back with her outstretched arm. “Hmm. That’s okay, since you were still trying to get the hang of being in charge.”

Yeji held Jisu’s hand, and they stayed like this for a while. Emotions of yearning transmitted between their gaze, and Jisu could sense a mutual unsaid “I miss you”. 

“Actually…that’s what I want to talk to you about,” Yeji looked at her lap. “Will you be alright if we meet up less frequently like this?”

Jisu loosened the grip, letting their hands fall back to their sides. “...What do you mean?”

“It might take a while for me to get used to the role, and by then, there might be more tasks to deal with.” Yeji explained, eyes avoiding Jisu’s. “I think I won’t have time to meet or text you much.”

Jisu held on to the swing’s chain. “I can wait for a few months.”

“We can’t be sure. I might be too preoccupied for a year.”

"Will it be that tough?" 

"Yeah, it's a lot to take in."

“Remember to talk to your boss or something if it gets too much."

"Mm. I want to figure it out myself first."

"Okay. I’ll always be here when you need a listening ear, even if-"

“Can we take a break?”

"Huh?" Jisu's voice was almost a whisper.

Yeji inhaled, then looked directly into her eyes. "I want a break."

Jisu was afraid to ask for the definition—Rest? Break up? She couldn't bear to part with Yeji. She settled with a careful question. "How long?"

"I'm not sure, but I feel a bit overwhelmed and just want a break." 

Yeji was now looking at her own lap. Jisu sensed an unsaid 'from you' behind that sentence. 

"Did I say or do something that hurt your feelings? Please tell me so we can resolve it together…like we always do."

"No, I think it's a me-issue." Yeji lets out a long exasperated sigh. "I don’t know how to explain it. I just want some time alone."

Jisu didn't know what to respond with. Many solutions and words rushed in her mind, but nothing seemed right. Yeji took the chance to speak again.

"It’s best if we don’t see each other for a while." 

Jisu looked up at Yeji, before tilting her head down in defeat.

Yeji stood up tentatively, fingers gripping the sides of her track pants. What's said was said.

"I have to go. Please get home safely too," was all Yeji said before walking away. 

❄❄❄

Bella's gone.

Jisu has checked every corner of the house and even the front garden - there's no sign of the pomeranian. Despite what she has instructed Bella, Jisu can't help but wonder if Bella went over to Yeji's again.

Jisu decides to grab her coat and scarf. Underlying hurt and anger are still within her - she refuses to text Yeji; there’s no need to anyway. 

Her message notification says otherwise.

I'm sorry for what I said the other day. 

Did Hongsam and Insam go over again? If yes, I’ll go pick them up

That’s how Jisu and Yeji meet up again. 

Yeji doesn’t speak when they arrive at the midpoint between their houses. Jisu either looks directly into Yeji’s eyes or everywhere but at her.

“So where do you wanna start looking?” She breaks the silence. 

“Um, I could search that way while you try this direction?” Yeji points to the left and right areas respectively.

Jisu nods, and turns to her given path.

“Let’s inform each other if one of us finds them first?”

“Yeah.”

Jisu is sure she doesn’t see any of their dogs on the way to meet with Yeji, but retraces her earlier paths to be safe. “Bella-ya, where are you?” She calls along the way, wrapping her arms around herself. Vapour floats out from her inflexible jaws. “Please come back okay?”

She decides to try her luck at the nearby park. It’s a wide natural space - there’s a high chance the dogs are there. Just then, her phone beeps. 

I found them at the playground

I’ll go over

The swings are the first thing Jisu sees when approaching the playground, and she feels her joints turn metallic. She shakes off the thought, focusing on finding Yeji’s location. 

Yeji is under one of the trees, with all three of their dogs roaming around under her supervision.

"Thanks," Jisu says as she walks over to Bella. The pomeranian sees her owner and dodges behind Yeji, standing apprehensively.

"I'm sorry Bella," Jisu squats down on the spot, hand stretched out. It's her way to show that she's safe. "Please come to me?"

"What's up with Bella?" Yeji asks. 

Jisu glances up after realizing Bella still doesn't budge. She stands up. "I was…irrational and shouted at her the other day."

"Oh," Yeji says. "Do you want me to help carry her back?"

"...Sure, if Bella’s alright with it."

"Bella," Yeji faces the pomeranian with open palms. "Shall I carry you back?"

It only takes a moment before Bella hops into Yeji’s arms. 

"Mean," Jisu directs it to Bella with a pout.

Yeji controls her smile despite the situation. She carries Insam as well - he's known to be extra clingy with Yeji. "Can you, um, help me with Hongsam?" 

Jisu bends down to carry the red-fur poodle without a word.

They walk side by side in silence, back towards Yeji's house since it's closer to the playground. Three minutes has never felt so dry and long. Jisu endures it, deciding that she will just bring Hongsam back and leave with Bella. She's not sure if Bella is still afraid of her though; she will find a way to appease her later. 

The five reach Yeji’s house, and Jisu puts Hongsam on the floor. Yeji does the same for Insam. 

"Um, I've said it through text but I want to tell you again in person," Yeji begins, still holding onto Bella. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, when you were just trying to talk to me."

"Hm," Jisu replies. When she notices Yeji looking like she’s anticipating a reply, she adds, "I heard you."

"Are you…not going to say anything?"

"Do you really want me to say everything that I wanna say?"

"...What do you want to say?" Yeji lets Bella onto the floor. 

"If you're apologizing for something, it means you wanna do something to change it for the better." Jisu says. "You know I was trying to talk to you, so are you gonna do anything about it?"

Jisu decides to let it all out. She has nothing to lose - the girlfriend she used to be chummy with is becoming more and more distant each day.

"Yeah, I said I was going to figure things out alone first."

"It's been weeks. Was there really not a single moment when you could have time to reflect?"

"I did try," Yeji says. "But Bella suddenly came over to my place. I can't focus since our dogs keep going to each other's houses."

"I didn't ask Bella to go to you in the first place," Jisu states. "I was surprised she did that too."

Yeji looks at her, so Jisu continues.

"I respected your wishes when you said you wanted space and time. But whenever you texted me to fetch Bella, it felt like you wanted to talk." Jisu slows down her rhythm, gaze softening. "Of course, I wasn't expecting you would tell me anything so fast. But since we're meeting up this much anyway, aren't you gonna try telling me what was wrong?"

"I can't,” Yeji says in a quiet voice. “Especially when it's you." 

"What does that mean?" Jisu frowns. "Is it something you don't want to tell me, or don't know how to tell me? Try saying something, then we’ll see."

“I don’t want you to be hurt.” Yeji looks away.

“Haven’t I been hurt already? Tell me so we can explore what the issue is. That’s how a couple can overcome things together!”

She says the last part quite loudly, exhausted from treading in the sea of doubts. It forces a wave out of Yeji, and suddenly teardrops trickle down from her eyes. She tries blinking them away, but they are too full.

Jisu swallows and exhales, then uses a gentler yet firm voice. "It’s hard to say it in one sentence but we gotta start somewhere, right?”

Yeji drops down to a squat, before succumbing to the sour sadness. She hugs her bent knees, curled up in a crying ball.

Jisu takes Yeji's box of tissues and places it next to her.

"I'll be back," Jisu says. 

Twenty minutes later, Jisu returns after putting warm blankets on their dogs. She places two mugs of hot chocolate on the table - using Yeji’s as the situation called for it. 

“Are you feeling better?” Jisu squats beside Yeji, asking softly.

Yeji sniffs, glancing up with damp eyes and pink cheeks. She nods.

❄❄❄

Jisu and Yeji are sitting adjacent to each other at the coffee table, sipping on the hot chocolate. 

“Are you…really willing to hear my answer? Yeji starts.

“Mm,” Jisu assures and leans forward.

Yeji takes a few deep breaths. 

“I was getting busier and meeting up with you less. I realized I actually really like the new role, and wanted to focus on it. But at the same time, I wanted to see you often.

“Then…at some point, I was struggling. I didn’t want you to be miserable in our relationship, always waiting for a time when we can hang out. Because I was not sure of when, either. I felt like I didn’t have time to hang out anymore.” Her eyebrows furrow. “I tried my best to keep our promises, but it was tough. I couldn’t text you how I was feeling because it was too much to put into words or say them over calls.”

Yeji makes eye contact with Jisu. “I felt like…I didn’t think I’m fit to be in a relationship anymore.”

Teardrops trickle down from her eyes again, but Yeji doesn’t bother. Her hands wrap around her mug, letting the warmth encourage her. Jisu tears up as well; relieved to finally have a sense of what Yeji was thinking, heart aching for Yeji having to suffer emotionally alone.

“I was afraid you would be disappointed if I told you that,” Yeji continues. “I didn’t want to end things with you, because you’re my favourite person whom I want to spend every day with. And…I’m sure you feel the same. I didn’t know how to go about it, so I was thinking, short-term pain would be better than long-term torture. 

“The day when we went out for a breather, I wanted to explain it as positively as possible. But I blurted that word out and wasn’t coherent.” The teardrops are getting ticklish running down her face, and she wipes the droplets away.

There’s a brief pause. “Thing is, I treasure you so much that it was hard to make that decision. It hurts having to be apart from you, and I couldn’t get sad properly because I had work to settle…but as days passed, I noticed myself easily getting into the mood for work during weekdays.” Yeji frowns, tears blurring her vision once again. “I felt like I was choosing my job over you and I seriously hated that!”

More tears flow out and it pains Jisu to see Yeji so vulnerable and struggling inside, but still trying to compose herself. 

“I’m a mess,” Yeji steers herself back to calmness. “I know my actions didn’t match what I said, so each time we met in the past few weeks…I felt really guilty.

“I also didn’t mean to suggest that you were a bad owner who doesn’t know how to take care of Bella. I was irrational,” Yeji faces Jisu directly, teary eyes conveying her sincerity. “I’m aware of how caring you are, and how you are always so patient with her, and with Hongsam and Insam too.”

Jisu’s lips curl up subtly, acknowledging Yeji’s flaw and compliment. She internally admits that she has flaws as well - in the past few weeks, she got so engrossed in her moping bubble sometimes that she didn’t notice Bella leaving the house. Maybe Yeji was right - she should have kept an eye on Bella better.

Her hand reaches out to caress Yeji’s back. She’s not sure if this is romantic or platonic at this point, but a human needs comforting right now, and she does just that.

“I’m really sorry…for causing you to be hurt,” Yeji says, confidence boosted by Jisu’s gesture. “I’m sorry for leaving you in the dark.”

Jisu thinks back on the past few weeks of living in sadness and doubt. Now they have a full conversation which dissolved all the hurt into answers, and she can’t stay unreceptive. Jisu scoots closer to Yeji, tentatively embracing her using her arm and torso. Yeji leans in immediately, and it isn’t long before the two are snugly in each other’s arms with occasional snuffles.

They part after indulging in mutual comfort, after their emotions have returned to calmness. Jisu finds Bella sitting next to her now. The pomeranian tentatively places both front paws on her lap, and Jisu strokes her back. Bella then scrambles up for a hug, which she reciprocates.

“Looks like she has forgiven you,” Yeji comments with a laugh. 

Jisu turns her head to face Yeji. “I…forgive you too.”

Yeji's eyes twinkle the brightest she has ever witnessed in a while, just as Hongsam and Insam join the three. 

For the first time in a few weeks, Jisu feels whole again.

❄❄❄

Most of the unwanted things have been cleared and the remaining ones organized. The floor is clean; the tables are tidy. Jisu thinks this should be presentable enough. 

It’s going to be the first time Yeji visits her place again after patching things up, and somehow, Jisu wants to leave a positive impression on her. She continuously strokes and hugs Bella while restlessly sitting on her sofa. 

“Bella-ya,” Jisu says to her pomeranian. “Are you excited to play with Hongsamie and Insamie later?”

Bella snuggles against Jisu, occasionally licking the latter’s cheek. It’s Bella’s way of assuring her, telling her everything will be okay, I love you. She inhales and exhales, emotion bubbling in her as she remembers how Yeji initiated to come over.

Yeji soon arrives with her two poodles, who run into the living room while she is still taking off her shoes. 

“Hey,” Jisu says, chuckling.

“Hey,” Yeji grins. “Give me a while, then we can order together.”

“Okay.”

They have previously agreed to have takeout for lunch, having a more restful time without having to prepare food themselves. Yeji sits down opposite Jisu after making a trip to the bathroom.

“You still have the snow globe,” Yeji comments. There’s pride in her expression.

“Yeah, you saw?” Jisu glances towards her room since she keeps it on her bedside table.

“Mm.”

The two pick a few healthy dishes from the browsing page together, and check out - it states that there will be a 30-minute waiting time.

“So, what makes you wanna meet me today? Don’t you have work?” Jisu wonders genuinely; there’s no malice or sarcasm.

“There is, but I want to rest this time. Weekends are meant to relax, anyway.” Yeji says resolutely. “I’m choosing you over work again and honestly…it feels great.”

Jisu lets out an agreeing laugh. 

“How have you been?” Yeji asks.

“Better,” Jisu says. “After knowing the whole story.”

Yeji nods. “Me too. I’m glad that I could share it with you, and you were willing to listen to all of it.”

“I always will.” Jisu’s eyes look into Yeji’s, and they seem to smile on their own. “I’m…also sorry for making you feel pressured for choosing between me and your job. I was afraid of…losing our style of dates, and the way we hung out frequently.”

“Hey…” Yeji reaches her hand out on the table. “You said we will overcome things together right? We could create a new style of hangouts.”

“Really?”

“Mm. I’ll tell you things from now on.”

“I guess we both have flaws to work on,” Jisu affirms.

Insam rushes over to Yeji, eager for her affection. Yeji carries him. “What’s up? Don’t you want to play with Hongsam and Bella, hm? You want to play with us?”

The poodle kisses Yeji’s cheek before turning to observe Jisu. She reaches out to pat his back. 

Yeji and Jisu have their takeout lunch in silence, both bearing mutual knowledge of focusing on savouring the food. Jisu helps with clearing the boxes and containers afterwards. She’s about to leave the table when Yeji speaks up.

“Um. Since we agreed to communicate better, and I don’t want to assume or make guesses…” She clenches her fists under the table for self-encouragement. “I’m ending the break, so…”

Jisu maintains eye contact and waits patiently.

“Can we…can we be together again?”

An almost inaudible gasp escapes Jisu as her lips glitch between a full smile and surprise.

Yeji sees her silence and is quick to add, “I mean, that’s probably too fast considering how I treated you in the past few weeks, so-”

Jisu lunges forward and takes Yeji into a tight hug, head snuggling beside hers. “Yes,” she says softly, in contrast with her body language.

“Really?”  

“Mm.” Jisu slightly pulls away, sweeping Yeji’s hair behind her shoulder.

Yeji wraps her arms around Jisu’s waist, and sees Insam standing there wagging his tail. It takes Yeji a deep inhale before reality really hits. “I miss you so much, Jisu.”

“I miss you a lot too, Yeji.”

❄❄❄

According to the weather forecast, it’s going to snow today. 

Jisu strongly believes it considering how shivering cold it has been. It only takes one call for Yeji to come over to Jisu’s place while leaving her poodles at home to stay warm. 

“I want to compensate for our lost time together,” Yeji insists when Jisu gives a mock-disapproving look. Everything feels much easier when she shares her thoughts with Jisu.

“Fine. Come here,” Jisu pulls her by her thick coat, then wraps her arms around Yeji’s waist. “Thank you.”

“This feels so warm.”

“I’ll give you something better,” Jisu says, passing two hand warmers to Yeji - one in her hand, the other on her nape.

“Aww,” Yeji receives them. “Do you have yours?”

“Mm.”

Jisu then walks over to her pomeranian and pats her back. “Bella-ya, I’m going out with Yeji. Stay at home and wait for us, okay?” 

Bella touches her snout to Jisu’s face, then walks over to snuggle with Yeji. Jisu smiles at their interaction before putting Bella in her playpen. 

Yeji and Jisu walk out towards the park, their gloved hands intertwined in a firm grip. 

“It’s getting cold again, even with the hand warmers,” Jisu says. 

“I have an idea.”

“What?”

“You know it…princess.”

Jisu bursts out grinning. She hasn’t heard that in a while, and it certainly is thawing the cold within her.

“Ah, that’s not the idea I meant though, princess?” Yeji flashes her cheeky smile.

“Isn’t it that?”

Yeji shrugs, then dives into tickling her girlfriend.

“Hey!” She tickles back, and the two engage in a chase-and-dodge session. 

Yeji suddenly pulls Jisu into her personal space, the tips of their noses almost touching. 

“Feeling warmer now?”

“Yes,” Jisu chuckles softly in the delicate moment.

She lets Yeji close the gap between their lips - it’s a rippling chill that thaws right after, transforming into a blanket wrapping around both of them. Jisu appreciates how one long kiss in the freezing winter manages to work better than coats, hand warmers, and exercise. 

They part, hands still on each other’s hips. 

“Jisu-ya,” Yeji says in awe, glancing up at her girlfriend’s hair, before looking up at their surroundings. “It’s snowing!”

“It’s really the first snow of the year!” Jisu exclaims.

Jisu clasps her hands together and closes her eyes, and Yeji does too. The latter sees Jisu open her eyes a few seconds after her.

“Me too.” Yeji smiles.

“Huh?”

“I know what you wished for, and I feel the same.”

Jisu raises her eyebrows, then grins.  “I love you…darling.”

“Me too, princess.”