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The moon was high in the sky. Not a cloud covering it or the stars that surrounded it. The sounds of distant dying traffic and the small sounds of the night birds filled the silence that brought the night. A few lone lamps lit the path through the park, and a few scattered people walked the path. A few couples holding each other close under the moonlight enjoying the romance of the sky while the few straggler singles just trying to get through another night of being heartbroken.
Yoohyeon sat on the park bench, watching the different people that passed by, seeing the others in the distance as she kept to herself. She didn’t want to bring attention to herself and she succeeded almost every single time. But… A woman decided to play into her hidden world. Taking a seat on the opposite side of the bench.
She was curious, the woman was tall, wearing just enough to keep the bite of the chilly wind off of her skin. Her hair was long and dark, framing her perfectly. There was no doubt in her mind that this woman must’ve seen Yoohyeon as some kind of safe haven. Someone who wasn’t a threat in the night.
Sure, she dressed like a comfortable girl… Not a bad bone in her body… But for this woman to just choose her out of nowhere? It was odd.
A week had gone by of Yoohyeon going to the same bench, choosing to people watch and stargaze, enjoying the nightlife her neighborhood had to offer. And just like the week prior, the same woman joined her in silence, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of them.
Yoohyeon was curious but didn’t say a word. If the woman wanted to speak, she would. Unless she couldn’t and wanted to… Then there would be a problem. But the woman looked as if she just needed a quiet space to sit and think.
Only a few days had gone by before the woman showed up again. This time looking a little worse than normal. Yoohyeon wanted to ask her if she was okay, but her unspoken question was answered when she heard a small sniffle escape the woman.
She watched as a few tears rolled down this stranger’s cheeks, causing her to worry. This woman was struggling and she was desperate to know why she continued to come outside and sit there. But she couldn’t find the words to just ask. She couldn’t find the courage to speak to this woman.
Almost every day the woman was out at the bench, long after Yoohyeon would sit there. Sometimes she would be there before Yoohyeon got there, never glancing over at her or anything. She was curious. Worried that this girl needed some kind of help but was too afraid to ask for it.
Until Yoohyeon finally spoke up, greeting her quietly. The other woman looked up, tears in her eyes, shocked that she was speaking to her. When she didn’t respond, Yoohyeon decided to just sit in silence yet again.
Only two hours tonight before Yoohyeon left, bidding a quiet goodbye to the stranger before retiring to her home. The woman watched her leave, not once uttering a word to her.
When Yoohyeon woke the next morning, she saw a note wedged in her door, seeing a quick scribble.
‘Hello, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before… I don’t speak well, but you are very pretty. Thank you for keeping me company.’
Yoohyeon smiled at the note, now it made sense why she didn’t speak.
Every night they met, and little by little, there was a smile forming on the stranger’s face. She had learned the stranger’s name was Minji, and learned she only lived a few houses down. The same house that used to have a man walking in and out. Now it was just empty.
She learned a lot about Minji. She loved physical contact, always leaning on Yoohyeon, holding her arm, her hand, everything she could hold.
The bench was long forgotten, Yoohyeon dragging Minji through the park late into the night. The night air was full of their laughter and joy. It was never ending happiness when the two were together.
Not once had they been to each other’s houses, but it didn’t matter. They were together in the park near midnight. Hushed giggles and small conversation that was mostly Yoohyeon talking and Minji nodding in agreement.
“Why don’t you speak more?” Yoohyeon asked her one night.
Minji’s smile faltered, eyes dropping down to the ground.
“I didn’t mean to upset you… I just figure you have such a pretty voice, I just… I don't want to bother you with all of my words…” Yoohyeon mumbled.
Minji quickly shook her head, giving a worried look. Her worried look shifted to confusion, thinking of something before looking back down at the ground.
“I know you said you don’t speak well… But do you speak at all?” She frowned.
A shake of the head was the answer she received. It hurt that she would never hear the words, but it would be okay. Minji was enough.
She watched as the older woman pulled out her phone yet again, typing out what she wanted to say. When Yoohyeon read it, she felt herself blushing.
“You want to kiss me?” Yoohyeon whispered.
A nod of the head, seeing the nervous emotion now overtaking Minji’s face.
“You can kiss me… whenever you want,” Yoohyeon whispered.
The weeks she spent with this woman she had imagined it a few times. But she was more curious about her speaking than anything else.
She had left notes on her door, left them in her mailbox. Anywhere she could get to. Despite not being able to speak, Minji had a way with words that made Yoohyeon swoon, and everything about her was delightful.
Minji held her hand loosely, enjoying the moment just as much as Yoohyeon had. Kissing under the moonlight after thinking of nothing else for the last few days.
“How romantic,” Yoohyeon whispered when they pulled apart. A smirk on her face as she thought of her own little joke. She watched as Minji raised an eyebrow at her, confused at her choice of wording. “Under the moonlight, with the trees blossoming… it’s like a romance movie,” She smiled.
Minji could only smile. Happy that she was sharing this moment with a goofball.
“Do you want to be my girlfriend?” Yoohyeon whispered. “You don’t have to say anything,” she quickly said, trying to soften the blow for whenever the rejection came. Her eyes shot to the floor, nervous for the rejection.
She felt fingers on her chin, lifting her head to gaze back up, to see a concerned smile on Minji’s lips. She nodded her head and pulled her in for another kiss. Deeper this time.