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When Park Jihyo first met Minatozaki Sana, she was fully convinced that the Japanese girl was bubblegum pink.
Everything about the girl pointed to one color — bubblegum pink. Her blindingly bright personality. Her infectious smile. Her cute laugh. Her entire demeanor was bubblegum pink.
Jihyo thought that Sana was bubblegum pink until she really started to get to know her. At first, Jihyo didn't really like Sana. At the time, Jihyo was a closeted extrovert — and something else at the time as well, but that's a different story for a different time — so Sana's bubblegum pink personality rubbed her the wrong way.
Sana was always too loud, too happy, too careless, and way too bubbly. Jihyo thought that her bubblegum personality was fake at first. Whenever she met Sana in their freshman year physics class, she was appalled that someone had so much energy so early in the morning. Especially for physics.
Jihyo did her best to steer clear of Sana for the first week of their class, but by the time the second week came around, Sana was practically begging to be Jihyo's friend. Jihyo wasn't on board with it at first and claimed that she needed to go home right after school every day so she and Sana couldn't hang out.
By the end of the third week, Sana was unavoidable. Sana had somehow convinced their teacher to mover her desk closer to Jihyo. They only had physics together, but Jihyo saw Sana everywhere.
When Jihyo went to check out the dance club, Sana was there. When Jihyo went to check out the art club, Sana was there. Even when Jihyo went to check out the math club (even though she despises math), Sana was there.
By the end of the fourth week, Jihyo accepted defeat and went to Sana's house to study. After an hour with Sana, Jihyo thought that maybe bubblegum pink wasn’t so bad.
From that day on, Sana would go to Jihyo’s house, or she would go to Sana's at least twice a week. They ate lunch together, studied together, saw movies together, and even did each other's makeup for the freshman formal.
When freshman year ended and Jihyo went on summer break, she brought Sana along for her family vacation. No one even batted an eye since the two were attached at the hip by the end of the school year
Jihyo really liked Sana. She liked that she was bubblegum pink. She liked her blindingly bright personality. Her infectious smile. Her cute laugh. She even liked the way she would go on and on about some girl she had a crush on in her English class. It was a little annoying since Jihyo wanted Sana all to herself, but Jihyo didn't think too hard into it since Sana was only her best friend and that was it.
//
Throughout the rest of high school and all of college, Jihyo was still fully convinced that Sana was bubblegum pink. Her sickeningly sweet personality had rubbed off on Jihyo a little by the time she got her first real job. By that time, she was no longer a closeted extrovert — and she was now something else, but again that's a different story for a different time — instead she was a proud and out extrovert. Sometimes Jihyo felt like she was the bubblegum pink one in the friendship.
Despite living in different apartments, Sana and Jihyo were only a block away from each other. Even their offices were just two blocks away. This made Jihyo very happy since she was able to take her lunch break with Sana. There, they would talk about whatever fashion trends were in, what drama they were currently watching, and how horrible their bosses were.
Whenever Sana started to talk about one of her cute coworkers one day, Jihyo felt a small something in her belly. She wasn't sure what to call it, but she was sure it wasn't jealousy. Why would she be jealous that her best friend liked a coworker?
"She's Japanese too! She's really funny and she's such a good dancer." Sana smiled and finished the last bite of her salad, putting her fork back in the container.
Jihyo just nodded and smiled, still not sure about the feeling she was feeling. It made her a little uneasy, but she tried to brush it off. "She sounds pretty cool."
"Yeah! And she's got a dance performance this Saturday. Do you want to come with me?" Sana looked at Jihyo with such expectant eyes that she couldn't say no.
At this point, Jihyo would never say no to Sana. Even if she were to ask Jihyo if she wanted to rob a bank, she'd probably still say yes. That’s what best friends do for each other, right?
"Sure. I'd love to." Jihyo really didn't want to go, but who is she to deny Sana a chance to see her crush outside of work? Who is she to not just keep pushing down these weird feelings brewing in her mind?
//
Damn. Sana was right. Momo is a really good dancer.
Jihyo sipped on a whiskey highball, watching Sana animatedly talk to Momo and gush over her performance. It made her happy to see Sana so happy but it also made her jealous.
Oh.
That was the feeling she was feeling earlier. Why should she be jealous though? Momo seemed like a nice enough girl and she seemed like she would treat Sana right.
Unfortunately, Jihyo didn't have too much time to dwell on her thoughts of jealousy. Sana wrapped up her conversation with Momo so the other Japanese girl could talk to the other people who came to see her. Sana started walking Jihyo's direction and she looked... sad.
It wasn't the usual sad that Sana would sometimes sport whenever her favorite show didn't put out a new episode or her favorite restaurant ran out of a certain dish. This was a sad that Jihyo had never seen before.
"You ready to go?" Sana looked up at Jihyo with those big doe eyes and Jihyo swore they were less bright. Jihyo didn't want to say anything about it quite yet though so she just downed her drink and nodded, following Sana out of the venue and into a taxi.
It took Jihyo almost an hour to talk to Sana while the girl just sat, staring off into space in her apartment. Jihyo sat down beside her and handed her a glass of red wine. She knew Sana liked sweeter reds so she was more than happy to open a different bottle just for her.
"Are you okay? You were really excited when you were talking to Momo but you looked like your cat died when we were going home." Jihyo asked this and tucked a few loose strands of Sana’s light brown hair behind her ear.
Sana just shrugged and took a long sip of her sweet wine. She waited a few seconds before a heavy sigh left her. "Momo has a girlfriend."
Jihyo's eyebrows raised up in surprise and her mouth just formed an 'o' in response. Sana looked over at her friend and nodded, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes.
"It wouldn't be a big deal, but she kind of led me on. She was so sweet to me at work and she was literally flirting with me!" Sana frustratedly wiped a few tears that slipped down her face. She didn't want to cry but she couldn't help it.
Sana pressed the heels of her hands into her closed eyes in a failed attempt to stop crying and stop thinking about Momo
Jihyo felt her heart ache. She'd seen Sana cry a million times by now but this was the first time she had actually cried over someone she liked.
So, Jihyo did the only thing she knew how to do whenever the other girl started to cry. She wrapped an arm around Sana's shoulder and pulled her close, holding her tight.
They stayed like that for a while. Sana did most of the talking but Jihyo didn't mind. It gave her time to realize something. It gave her time to realize that Sana wasn't bubblegum pink.
In fact, she was flamingo pink.
Jihyo realized this as Sana kept talking and revealing more and more things about herself that Jihyo had never known. Maybe it was the alcohol that was making her less careful with her words. Maybe it was the heartache.
Jihyo always thought she knew everything about Sana but she learned so much more after a glass of red wine. She realized that Sana’s much deeper than she had ever known.
//
Jihyo is now fully convinced that Sana is flamingo pink. Her personality is still blindingly bright. Her smile is still infectious. Her laugh is still so damn cute.
But, she realized that Sana can also be calm and nurturing. She realized that Sana wasn't always careless and most of the time she was very careful. Especially with the way Sana spoke to others, she is always making sure they are heard and understood. She realized that Sana can be a little shy when she meets someone new. She realized that Sana is only extremely clingy with people she truly loves and trusts.
Jihyo is sitting across from Sana at their new apartment. They realized after a while that it was pointless for them to be living in two different places when one of them would inevitably be at the other's every day of the week.
Jihyo is sitting across from Sana, taking tiny sips of scalding hot coffee as she watches the Japanese girl float around the kitchen.
It's 8AM on a Saturday but Sana is as awake as can be. She accidentally woke Jihyo up when she was trying to find one of the pans but Jihyo doesn't mind. This just means that she gets more time with Sana.
That's something that Jihyo has realized lately. She really likes spending time with Sana. It doesn't matter if they're doing something together or doing something separately in the same room.
She just likes being around Sana. She likes the way her laughter fills the largest of rooms. She likes the way her bright energy makes her feel happy even when she's tired from working a long day. As long as Sana is in the same room with her, Jihyo’s happy
Sana turns around, a stack of heart shaped pancakes on two plates. She smiles at Jihyo and proudly presents them to her. "What do you think?"
Jihyo lets out a small chuckle and smiles. She pulls out her phone and takes a few pictures before grabbing one of the plates. "I think you did a wonderful job. Thank you very much.”
They eat slowly, taking their time since there's nothing else to do today other than enjoy each other's company. Sana does most of the talking but Jihyo doesn't mind.
She likes listening to the things Sana has to say. Sometimes Sana's really thought provoking. Other times she's just charming and talking about anything that comes to her mind. Like right now.
"What would you do if I was a worm?"
Jihyo looks up from her pancakes, fork halfway to her mouth. She laughs and sets her fork down, patting Sana affectionately on the head. "If you were a worm I wouldn't treat you any differently. Well I would obviously have to take care of you like a worm needs to be taken care of, but I'd still love you."
Sana thinks for a moment but nods and smiles, accepting Jihyo's answer to her weird question.
By the time they finish breakfast, Jihyo is full of pancakes, syrup, and all the weird things Sana asked. She moves to clear their plates and put them in the dishwasher, but Sana stops her.
Sana holds out her hand and gently pushes Jihyo back into her seat. She takes the plates and stands up, putting them in the dishwasher before she walks back over to Jihyo.
Sana lets out a peaceful sigh as she leans over Jihyo. She wraps her arms around the girl and leans down to leave a sticky, syrupy kiss on her neck.
Jihyo giggles and turns her head, playfully poking Sana's cheek. "You got me all sticky Miss Minatozaki."
Sana smiles and shrugs her shoulders, tracing a finger down Jihyo's jawline. She gently cups her face and pulls her in for a sticky, syrupy kiss.
Jihyo melts into Sana's sugary sweet lips and gets up, wrapping her arms around her waist. She pulls Sana closer, her hand rubbing small circles into the small of her back.
As their lips continue to move together, gentle and full of love, Jihyo slowly walks them back to their bedroom.
She thinks that Sana woke up entirely too early for a Saturday. She also thinks that she could use just a little more time with Sana to draw out those beautiful sounds again that she heard just last night.
Sana's light brown hair is silky smooth and smells faintly of her grapefruit shampoo. Jihyo loves how her fingers effortlessly glide through her long locks as she brushes through them over and over again. She tilts her head to place a few kisses down Sana's neck, eliciting a soft whimper from her.
Just as Jihyo's toying with the hem of Sana's pajama top, she feels Sana's hands on hers. She looks up, expecting to see signs of hesitation or discomfort from the girl. When she just sees pure love and adoration in her eyes, Jihyo's a little confused. Nonetheless, she lets go of Sana's shirt and holds her hands, carefully intertwining their fingers.
Jihyo looks into those honey brown eyes for a few moments before Sana suddenly wraps her arms around Jihyo's neck, squeezing her into a tight hug. Jihyo's taken aback but instinctively wraps her arms around Sana's waist.
They stay like that for a few moments, Sana wordlessly rocking them side to side. Jihyo catches on pretty quickly. She understands that sometimes Sana gets an overwhelming swell of love for her that she can't do anything but stop and hold her. Jihyo doesn't mind at all.
"When did you know you loved me?"
Jihyo chuckles, sending warm vibrations down Sana's neck and back. She knows the answer she has in her heart, but she thinks that for now she wants to keep it to herself. It's not because she doesn't want Sana to know the real reason. She just wants to wait for the perfect time. So, she tells Sana an equal truth.
"I knew I loved you after we saw Momo perform for the first time years ago."
I knew I loved you when I realized you’re flamingo pink.